Skin Trade-Laurell K. Hamiton

Anita Blake receives a gift from an enemy still on the loose. This gift leads her to Sin City where she meets up with some old friends to hunt the killer. As always, Anita makes some new enemies as well.

I liked this book because there was less sex and more personal confrontation for Anita. She has gone through this long, arduous process as a character, that many of us go through-finding ourselves and where we fit in our lives. She is starting to question if she can do her job well due to the fact that she is now one of the "monsters". She is also pondering how she can juggle all the men in her life effectively while trying not to lose herself in the process of becoming whoever or whatever she is. Lots of action and a good story line keep this book moving at a decent pace.

Garden Spells & The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen were both a one sitting read for me. Both stories take place in the South, of which I am fond of, in small towns where everyone seems to know your business, and you, theirs.

Garden Spells tells the story of Claire Waverly, whose family has lived in their small town for generations. Claire is the newest resident and caretaker of a garden that is magical. An apple tree that throws apples, vines that entwine, fruits and vegetables that taste out of this world good.

The Sugar Queen is Josey Cirrini. A woman who is sure of three things in her life. A woman who is stuck in a big house catering to a mother who lived a life she didn't want, and is now a bitter and terribly demanding old woman to her daughter. One morning she awakens to find a woman in her closet. As the book progresses, the woman, who never leaves the closet, awakens Josie to life.

The stories are similar in that both main characters are women who have things in their pasts that hold them back from living life to the fullest. Who after some prodding and pushing come to the realization that life is passing them by and we can't always be held accountable about things/actions in our past. Either by us, or by others.

Both stories are funny, engaging, delightful and yes, magical. Pick up a bit of magic for yourself.

Cassandra Palmer series & Dorina Basarb series by Karen Chance

Cassandra Palmer leads a life of non stop adventure. In the first book, Touch the dark, we are introduced to this unlikely heroine and her friends and enemies. Few friends- lots of enemies. A person of the magickal persuasion, her gifts don't always work to her advantage.

Claimed by Shadow has Cassandra learning a bit more about her background. And making yet more enemies along the way. Including the Silver Circle (the supposed 'good guys') and the Black Circle. It's hell when there's a price on your head. Mircea, a vampire she met as a child, is causing her to second guess her feeling of friendship for something more. And then there's Pritikin...who is he really? The answer is most interesting.

In the third book, Embrace the night, we get more of an overview of her life within a vampire court. She was raised there after her parents deaths and find that while raised in luxury, it was nothing but a gilded cage. Cassandra met some interesting vampires while at court of whom she continues to be friends with even into adulthood. Additionally, the Pythia dies, and guess who is the new one? Can Cassies' life get any more hectic?

Curse the dawn, the fourth and newest installment, had me laughing almost all the way through. Still non stop adventure with Cassie and her friends. But there is a lot of humour in this one. The character of Cassie is more fleshed out with further insight into her parents and background. It has her questioning some of the things she does with regards to the men in her life, the ghosts in her life and her new status as Pythia.

Honestly I was meh about the 1st and 2nd books. But by the 3rd book I was hooked on this new addition to kick ass, fighting women who live in both the paranormal and normal world. Pick up this series and get started.


Midnight's Daughter, the first in the Dorina Basarab series. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! Dorina is half human, half vamp. And daddy is....Mircea. Caustic, biting and tough as hell, (and this is on a good day) Dorina is a phenomenal character. Several characters from the Cassie Palmer series make an appearance, which makes for a great read.

If you are in need of some new reading material, with escapism, try either of these series.

I hate stereotypes.

With President Obama traveling the world, breaking down barriers and showing that no, not all presidents are blithering idiots, my hope is that the world now sees Americans in a better light. Or at least sees that we are not all the same. Most of us are not gun toting, hate mongering idiots. Not all of us our loud, brash and feel that you have to listen to our opinions just because we have some. We are not all inbreeders, sex offenders, listen to bad rap or any type of rap for that matter. Not all of us wear pounds of gold, track suits and sneakers. Not all of us hate others who are different than us, whatever those differences may be.

I'm a member of a forum, well several actually, that have members from all parts of the planet. For the most part I enjoy them a great deal. There is one person on one forum who makes me angry though because all he seems to do is high jack threads (and finds it oh so amusing) and U. S. bash. He's angered some of us U.S. citizens with the stuff that he posts. What bothers me is that even after we try and correct some of the things that he says, he continues to do it. Which now leads me to believe that probably most people from Australia are complete jerks and need to pull their heads out of their arse. A good will ambassador he 's not. If I was to base my opinions with regards to the Australian people from this guy; I'd have to say I would never want to visit your country. Based on the fact that I'm an American, I'd be afraid I might be fed to a crocodile. Or be hacked up with a knife. Or hit me in the head with a thrown can of lager. and I could be a jerk and say, well what do you expect from a country populated by the shipped out prisoners of England. You have to be an asshole if your own country ships you out because you're not wanted. (I'm making a point-I don't necessarily believe this.)

Yes, we have some rude Americans who should never be allowed to leave our country for international destinations. Unless deeply drugged and strapped up like Hanibal Lechter, only with a gag ball instead of a face mask. Yes, unfortunately our last president was a nonsensical idiot that apparently dropped some good shit in the 80's and saw mass weapons of destruction where there were none. (Ghost weapons apparently). Yes, some of us do like to tote guns, but do so responsibly. It is possible you know.

I cannot speak for my fellow Americans, but I can speak for myself. If you come across one of us, give us the benefit of the doubt with regards to whatever perceived stereotypes you may have of us. Who knows, perhaps you'll make a new friend, learn from /teach something to them. Stereotypes and profiling as a whole suck. But it can be stopped with a bit of effort on everyones part.

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

I always read Alice Sebold's books with a bit of trepidation. She is, after all, the author who wrote a story of a 14 year-old rape/murder victim where the victim narrates the story. This story proves to be just as unsettling and shocking.

Helen, a body model at the local college, takes care of her mother. Something she has done for the majority of her life. Her mother has struggled with depression and agoraphobia most of Helen's life. The story unfolds with Helen having stopped by to check on her mother, as she does everyday. During the course of their conversation, her mother soils herself. And something within Helen snaps. Before she knows it, she has smothered and broken her mother's nose. Unsettling, jarring, thought provoking. The story, told over 24 hours, weaves back and forth between time, where come to understand how Helen might do what she did. But does it make it right?

In this century many adult children are taking care of their parents on a day to day basis. What toll does this take on the child? Taking care of the person who once took care of you, who has become dependent on you for every little thing; what type of pressure does that put one under? Add to the mix, past resentments, both real and imagined and what could happen when said child reaches their breaking point?

While Ms. Sebold may make us uncomfortable with the topics she writes about; she always makes us think and confront something within ourselves we'd rather not. I gave the book 3 out of 4 stars. I can't say I love it because it did make me that uncomfortable. But I do give it 3 because she writes a hell of a story.

Queen Betsy series by MaryJanice Davidson

Who says all vampires have to be dark & brooding? Elizabeth Taylor (Queen Betsy- Queen of the Vampires) is anything but dark or brooding. She come off a bit superficial and vacuous. However, she's not vacuous, she can just do things that the other vampires cannot. Like wear a cross, say God and Jesus, pray, drink blood once a week and sneeze when someone throws holy water at her. She is however, a bit superficial (aren't they all) and is a complete shoe whore. (Love that!!)

If you are looking for fast, easy and entertaining- these are your books. Did I mention that her half sister is the daughter of the devil? No? Well, read the books and find out how that happened. And I think her new baby brother, also a half, is going to have something a bit hinky about him.

Marie-Therese, Child of Terror: The Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter-Susan Nagel

From Publisher's weekly: What was the fate of Marie-Thérèse (1778–1851) after the beheadings of her parents, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France? Nagel, professor of humanities at Marymount Manhattan College, relates the dramatic highs and lows experienced by the woman known as Madame Royale. Her uncle, the Austrian emperor, wanted her to marry his brother, when she escaped from the Temple Prison at age 17 after three hellish years. Instead, she endured a loveless and childless marriage to her Bourbon cousin the Duc d'Angoulême, but became the close political ally of their uncle, Louis XVIII, whom she joined in his peripatetic exile and saw in his triumphant return to France in 1814 as king. Marie Thérèse survived the 1830 abdication of her father-in-law, Charles X, and died in exile. Known for her kindness and wit, she also endured persistent rumors that she was not the real Marie-Thérèse and the constant threat of abduction and assassination.

To be very honest, with all of the French history I've read, it never came to mind to wonder what happened to this particular child of King Louis and Marie Antoinette. In fact, I thought all of their children died. So I was quite happy to read this book and find that it was not so. The above review from Publisher's Weekly called the prose plodding. I completely disagree.

In that there is so much back and side stories going on, I felt Ms. Nagel did a superlative job at tying all the pieces together. Her accounting of the horrific time spent in the prison by Louis Charles and Marie Therese made me want to cry for these long people of history. Marie Therese steadfastness in trying to have the Bourbon lineage reinstated to the throne was inspiring. If you enjoy history, and in particular French history, do pick this book up.

Real men do write historical fiction

I received an email from someone who read my blog and he let me know that he writes historical fiction. When I choose an HF book I don't check to see if it's written by a man or a woman. I'm only reading the blurb on the back and perhaps a page or 2 to see if it holds my interest. But I never stop to think is it written by a man or a woman. Men write just as well, if at times, not better, HF than woman. Jude Morgan's writings come to mind.....sublime and vivid imagery.

I cut my historical fiction teeth so to speak on Louis L'Amour. My father was a huge fan and I used to read them as quickly as he was finished. I didn't know at the time they could be construed as HF. I just thought of them as westerns, which of course they are that as well. But it dawned on me after reading the email that I have quite a few male writers of Historical Fiction. Jude Morgan, Colin Falconer, Steven Pressfield, Christian Jacq, John Speed, Wilbur Smith and James Clavell to name a few.

I am appreciative of the email sender for reminding me that men have their foot planted firmly in this genre as well. Male or female, it doesn't matter to me. Just continue to give me good stories. I am most appreciative.

The Thirteenth- L. A. Banks

After eleven books of non stop, ass kicking action the final story in the Vampire Huntress Legend series has been told. Or has it? I, for one, hope not.

While the non stop, ass kicking action was still there, it lacked pop and sizzle. The excitement of reading about the Neterus and the Warriors of the Light Guardians seemed a bit blase. To be honest the whole book felt rushed and seemed to fall a bit flat. I hate writing this, as L. A. Banks is one of my favorite writers. Her stories are always fun to read and they make you think a bit too. Even the bad guys seemed tired and wore out. But perhaps, this was Ms. Banks intention. After eleven books of action and ass kicking, perhaps she was conveying to us how tired both sides were. Perhaps, she was caught up in the new series she's writing, Crimson Moon, and didn't have the juice left for The Thirteenth. While I am a bit disappointed,I would tell you to still read this book or the series if you haven't. All told- It's a hell of a story.

While the majority of the unanswered questions get answered, with the addition of the newest little characters, new questions and possible story lines abound. It is my hope, and probably many others, that she will once again write about the Neterus and the Guardians. Here's hoping that Ms. Banks will continue on with this series.

The Night huntress series by Jeaniene Frost

The night huntress series is the story of Cat Crawford, who is half human, half vampire. In the first book, Halfway to the grave she meets Bones, who personally,reminds me a bit of Spike from the Buffy series. Bones teaches Cat how to kill vampires (the bad ones) and come to terms with who and what she is. Along the way they fall in love, only to be spilt apart at the end.

In one foot in the grave, flash forward 4 years and Cat is now a special agent, who works for a secret government agency-killing vampires. Cat is to kill a vampire who has killed some human servants. Lo and behold, he is the sire of Bones, her one true love. Instead of killing the vampire, she passes a message through him to Bones. Guess who shows back up in her life? But instead of becoming a hinderance, Bones, helps to make the secret agency better by sharing knowledge and blood.

At grave's end has Cat and Bones planning a wedding, theirs, and fighting off the vampiric spells and becoming co-leaders of Bones line. Death does seem to follow these two at a non stop rate.

An interesting and steamy series that has me hooked and awaiting the next book in the series. Interesting characters, good plots, a kick ass 1/2 vamp, 1/2 human female and her sexy vampire lover. What more could you ask for?

In the meantime...

Iyanla Vanzant writes a very helpful book. By this, I mean she lays out what is required by someone to make through meantime situations. Meantime meaning, those times when life is in chaos and turmoil and you have no idea how to get yourself back on track. While the topic is about finding love, I felt it was more about finding love of self and going from there. Her use of a house for the analogy of self was great. Starting in the basement and moving upwards, cleaning out garbage, grease and crap along the way. The book makes you think and that is not a bad thing.

Overall, very good to read when you are having a meantime moment.

Men of the Otherworld-Kelley Armstrong

Product Description: New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has captivated readers with her spellbinding Women of the Otherworld series. Now, for the first time, in this collection of four tales she gives center stage to the men who love these sexy, supernatural women—the men who live on the other side of humanity…the wild side.

As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along and taught him how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, gave him a home…and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this tantalizing volume, featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challenge. For as Clayton grows from a wild child to a clever teen who tests his beloved mentor at every turn, he must learn not only to control his animal instincts but to navigate Pack politics—including showing his brutal archnemesis, Malcolm, who the real Alpha is....

From the nature of fear, weakness, and courage, to the triumph of belonging and the complications of love and loyalty, these mesmerizing tales reveal the trials of a werewolf coming-of-age, and lay bare the hearts and minds of the men strong enough for the women of the Otherworld—and adept enough to take on two worlds.


My review: The story starts out with Jeremy Danvers conception, birth and kidnapping by his father. All male werewolves are to be raised by their fathers according to Pack Law. Luckily for Jeremy, his grandfather takes care of him and not his father Malcolm. There's more to Jeremy than just being a werewolf. He has other abilities passed on to him by his mother.

From that back story on Jeremy, we then move onto Clayton's story and how he came to be part of the Pack. His story is told from just before he is bitten up to age 18. It gives us a better understanding of who and why clayton is the way he is. The book ends with a bit more on Jeremy up to the current story line in the other books.

Kelley Armstrong writes interesting characters and brings them to life through vivid story telling. I always enjoy her books. My only problem is, she writes so well, I get caught up in the story and don't want to put the book down until I've read through to the end. A great installment to The Otherworld series. I am looking forward to forthcoming books on the other Men of the Otherworld.

How do you do that and other musings

I get asked all the time on one of my book forums"How do you read so many books at one time?" The answer is different genres. Some writers stories are "faster" than others, so they are easy to zip through, yet keep me entertained. Only once have I read 2 books where the story lines took place during the same time period in the same country and the female characters had the same name. Yes, it did get a bit confusing when I picked up one book and thought to myself "Wasn't she doing this",only to realize my mistake and finish one of them off with a quickness. Another question I get asked "in real life" by people is how do you remember what all the books are about? Easy. I've always had that knack. It's especially easy if I really like the author and their work. It has obviously made an impression and comes in handy when it's a series story line. Sometimes the follow up books don't seem to come fast enough.

Right now, because I am looking for employment adding to my books I've read list is quite easy. You can only surf for jobs for so long. And that in itself is a job- never let anyone tell you differently. My typical day starts at 5:30 a.m. with coffee, cats and laptop on the patio. I surf the employment sites,which lately, unfortunately, doesn't take long. I look at my forums and sites I belong to, do postings as I see fit, and then go back to the employment sites for one last look just to make sure there's nothing new or I didn't miss something. Since that takes a couple hours out of my day, I then move onto chores to be done and then I can read for really long chunks of time.

My kids are grown and out on their own, so the only dependents I now have are my furry kids, and they're pretty self sufficient as long as I keep their feeding schedule. Gods help me if I should be 5 minutes late. Then there is much crankiness and bitching from ChinaMoon kitty.

Another powerhouse installment in the Vampire Huntress Legend

If you haven't read any of these books-you should! An interesting take on the end of days scenarios, her series incorporates characters of all religious beliefs coming together. They take on demons and the Big Daddy of all demons-Lucifer.

Incorporating mythos from all religions, from Christianity to Egyptian, L. A. Banks stories make you think, have an adventure and cheer on the good guys. Her characters are edgy, everyday type people coming from all walks of life, races and religious beliefs, who evolve each book into more complex and complete characters.

If you like urban paranormal reads-pick up this series. While the first book, Minion, is a bit hard to get through, make the effort. And then move onto the rest. I dare say-you won't be disappointed.

Life rarely makes the same plans you do. *The view from Mount Joy by Lorna Landvik*

So says the character of Joe Andresen. And he should know. His story starts out with a move to a new town where he meets Kristi Casey in high school. Along the way, both of their lives change in ways neither of them expected. Of the two, I'd say Joe's life was much more meaningful and joy filled. While Kristi may have ended up in the public eye, she always came back to Joe as the one friend who kept all things real with her.

It is true that our plans and life's rarely coincide, but it can be an adventure along the way.