The Lust Garden by Billy Jolie

 I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

 The Lust Garden written by Billy Jolie

“He was alone in the lust garden of his dream. She was coming to meet him. And they would be there together. Forever.”

Gianna Salvani is an actress, an up-and-coming music star and beautiful.

But deep down inside her soul lies fear.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of herself.

Fear of being alone.

Always in the spotlight, she longs for anonymity, yet craves the attention.

Immediately, I identified with Gianna’s character, but not int he way you may think.

I have no desire to be a super star. In fact, I’d loathe the constant attention, the hounding of the paparazzi, the inability to ever be truly alone.

Yet it is her insecurity and innocence that draws the reader in. She is doll-like in appearance, a helpless lamb to the slaughter.

She loves it.

And she hates it.

Life for Gianna will never be “normal”. She is under constant scrutiny.

She simply wants what we all want: to be happy.

I first discovered Billy Jolie via Twitter, as I noticed a post where he was asking for a review of his new novel. I confess, it’s taken me awhile to read and review, not because I wasn’t intrigued, but as you know, I often bite off entirely more than I can chew book-wise. At the time, I was reading another novel for review, as well as my regular 5 or 6 books I read for pleasure alone. What can I say? I’m a multi-tasker like that. Or maybe just insane? I prefer to think of it as “keeping my plate full”. I like to read a variety of books: e-books on my Kindle, unpublished manuscripts for editing, books of poetry, theories of writing, short stories…..

So you can see how I often lose track of just how many books I’m reading at one time. Thank God for Goodreads.com!

Alas, I digress.

Billy had me sucked in from page one. Literally.

“A cloud of hot steam tickled his face triggering the onslaught of a lustful hunt. The splashing water seared his face and burned like popping oil from a frying pan. With delicate hands, he greedily pawed locks of blonde hair, forcing his prey under. The beautiful lamb he’d chosen was exposed, her anorexic figure stripped naked and flailing in the shallow liquid of a porcelain bathtub.

 The sweet water dripped from his chin—his baptism, his rebirth as the lion. She wriggled beneath him, with the desperation of a strangled fish. But he had her pinned with the brute strength of his knees, paralyzing her fragile chest. Entwined together, their weight spilled the water over and down the perched, clawed feet where it puddled along the tiled floor.”

Honestly, how could you NOT be enthralled with that introduction? Murder, mayhem, rock stars, models, drug addiction: this book has it all!

Everytime I opened up this book, I was instantly lost for hours, my eyes glued to the screen.

And once I started reading, everything was lost. Dinner left uncooked. One day, I spent almost all of my productive hours simply reading. And I never felt guilty. Not even once.

Billy Jolie takes us into the world of Gianna, as well as other characters, and leaves us wondering just how all of these glorious story lines will connect. Because they always do. This is the measure of a superb writer. And Billy does not disappoint. He dangles clues in front of your eyes, and we grasp at random meanings, always uncertain, but pleasantly surprised.

In all honesty, I did not even consider how the murderer would fit into the plot. Was it random? Was it fate?

And I was never disappointed.

By the last 100 pages, I didn’t care if I missed out on my life. I HAD to know how it ended!

And it was glorious. Fulfilling yet sad.

I’m a sucker for a great ending, and this book gives the reader exactly that.

You can find Billy Jolie here:

http://www.billyjolie.com/

http://www.twitter.com/billyjolie

http://www.facebook.com/billyjolie

http://www.myspace.com/billyjolie

 

God is a woman

A.K.A. Gender stereotypes and the construction of Self.

WARNING: This is a post where I get all smart and bookish and feministy…continue if you will…

Originally, this post was inspired by Christina Vincent‘s shared link on Facebook, entitled “Gender stereotypes easing more for girls than boys.” by David Crary. Click it. Read it. This is the easy part…

I knew from the get-go that there was a blog post for me in there. So, I braved the allergies, and dug out all my old papers and references from my college Literary Criticism and Theory class, and did a bit of research. Plus, I found a bunch of poetry from 1994, so that alone was worth it?!

English 419 was my favorite class in my four-year stint at UO. In fact, I loved it so much, I took it twice?!

Okay, so I flailed miserably the first time around, and retook the class the following year, receiving a much higher grade. This was the only course I took twice during college. Apparently, taking a split Undergrad/Graduate course as a sophomore is not recommended. I agree. It was too soon the first time around, and I was still in the “Omigod, let’s party!” mode…..such is the life of the undergrad. My professor, Linda Kintz, was my mentor. I learned more from her than anyone else in the whole four years?! I’m positive she has no freaking clue who I am, but still…

I have always found that it’s the teachers who tormented forced believed in your mental abilities to be the most inspirational. For example, my senior year of high school, I had the most gruesome AP English teacher, whom we all despised. But now I look back at him as an inspiration for what I’ve become. He was a complete jerky-pants, but he made me think, gave me the classical base I’d need to eventually study English in college, and subsequently graduate with a BA in English Lit.

I saw him on the bus a few years ago, and thanked him.

He had no freaking clue who I was…… 😉

Alas, I digress…..

My point, originally, was that this article about gender stereotypes reminded me of a classroom experiment we did in English 419, regarding gender stereotypes in males versus females. There was a brief questionnaire (about 10 questions) in which we were asked generic questions and our answers where then lumped into categories of male or female. For example, one question was whether or not you wear nylons….

And I can’t believe I just gave myself allergies again, and can’t find the damn questions?!

However, I did find a questionnaire about heterosexual stereotypes, but that’s another post altogether. 😉

Have I mentioned that I minored in Women’s Studies, as well as Creative Writing? Unfortunately, there were no minors actually given at the time I went to college, so I guess more of an emphasis than a minor….

Anyway……..

I answered all the questions with the stereotypical male answers…

Dudes…I’m a chick.

But apparently not a girlie-girl. Or perhaps I just hate nylons? I’m okay with that. In fact, I’m more than okay. I embrace it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not all feminist-head-bashing-assholey about it. I just believe that EVERYONE, no matter what sex you are conceived as, has a right to make their own choices about life, love, and pretty much anything. Except killing people.

Apparently, they haven’t legalized that yet. 😉

But here’s the odd part: everyone in the class fell on both sides of the gender spectrum, regardless of their physical sex.

I thought the jocks were gonna shit themselves. Which made me wonder just what the hell they were doing in that class?!

So to say that gender is somehow ingrained in our collective psyche seems ridiculous. Of course gender is constructed?! It’s the old Nature versus Nurture question.

I always said that if I ever had kids (not gonna happen), or more appropriately, sons, that they’d probably end up gay. Because I don’t care. I’ll let them play with dolls, wear nail polish, and just generally do whatever they want. They’re kids?! At that stage of development, society does NOT need to be making judgements or attempting to rationalize…simply leave them be to grow up however they would like. Easier said than done.

Personally, I always wanted Legos. I got Barbie.

The world is full of stereotypes. I’m just happy that I live in a country where it is permitted for me to express my thoughts, without risking a lot.

I’m a feminist. And no, not a head-bashing feminist. An educated one.

Apparently so:

• I hate nylons.
• I enjoy porn.
• I’d rather shoot the shit with the guys and chug beer than go shopping with the girls.
• Sometimes, I like to dress up and feel pretty.
• I wear make-up. Not that I wouldn’t leave the house without it…
• I walk into bars and drink by myself.

Speaking of……the alone-drinking-thing…

Years ago, I had a male friend (Chad) tell me that because I readily walked into bars solo and engaged people in conversations, that I was basically “asking for it”.

Um yeah…….I didn’t speak to him for months. And even later, never truly respected the man again. But honestly, this gender-based construct is everywhere?! Granted, the bias is more reticent with an older generation of males, but it’s still there, even in the younger crowd.

I know…they hit on me.

They don’t get very far…

And if they’re lucky, I don’t punch them in the nose…

Ugh…seriously. That shit pisses me the fuck off. What gives some jackass-douchebag the right to ask me why I would sit at a bar alone drinking, when they are doing the same thing themselves?!

Talk about stereotypes?!

And on that note, I will leave you with a video of kick-ass girl proportions and short shorts. Cuz I can.

Blainey, this is your ringtone. Cuz you’re my fist-bumping chick friend. 🙂

So go ye forth and purchase Legos and Barbies. Just give them to the opposite child. See what happens…

Guest Poet: Sharon Gerlach ~ Naked Before You

Naked Before You

If I stand with a naked heart before you,

            will you jest at me, think less of me,

            perfect your vision of what I should be?

 

Sink below the churning waters with me,

            into the deep oblivion where you and I

            cease to exist separately.

 

Hold me as the tide pulls us under,

             caress my soul with your adoring spirit,

             until you see every particle of me—and I, you.

 

Flow out to become one with me

          so we are neither Me nor You,

          but Us, harmonious.

 

Touch my center, feel what creates my soul,

open your spirit, let me sense your being;

seduction on a spiritual plane.

 

Only then can you realize

at the core of our very beings

     we
            

             believe
                                                       

                              in 
                                                                  

                                     the 
                                              

                                               same
                                                                     

                                                       vision.

 

Sharon Gerlach was in training to be a ninja, but a dismaying lack of physical grace and balance—not to mention the inability to keep her big mouth shut—ended her ninja career before it had really begun. Now she writes. She doesn’t write about ninjas because that’s obviously a sore subject. But she writes about other really cool things and figures someone else will cover the ninjas. Life’s really not all about ninjas, anyway. Sharon lives on the dry side of the Pacific Northwest with her husband (who must really be fond of her as he hasn’t left her yet despite her ninja failings); two of her three kids (none of whom possess ninja qualities either); and a Border collie who suffers the presence of seven cats. Yes, you guessed it—ninja cats!

Thank you, Sharon, for taking time during your Writer Unleashed on the World Blog Tour to guest post for National Poetry Month.

You can check out her stop on Random Musings from April 17th here:

https://christel42.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/writer-unleashed-on-the-world-blog-tour-2011nice-guys-vs-bad-boys

Sharon has just released her first novella, Malakh, which is available for 99 cents through April 30th.

Fellow Writer In Need: Step Up

Fellow Writer In Need: Step Up.

Writer Unleashed on the World! Blog Tour 2011/Nice guys vs. Bad boys

Can I just say that I suggested that title for the blog tour? hee-hee 😉

Today, I have the honor of welcoming Sharon Gerlach to Random Musings. She’s on a blog tour, supporting the release of her first published novella, Malakh. Which is awesome, by the way. Today, Sharon and I will be discussing nice guys versus bad boys, good versus evil, the inherent humanity of her characters, and character development.

Excerpt from the book…

HE HUNTS, SILENT AND UNSEEN

The string of mutilated bodies points to a madman, but the police are stymied. Trace evidence yields no DNA, animal or human. Male, female, young, old—the victims fall without a struggle to the killer in the shadows.

HIS NEXT VICTIM HAS BEEN CHOSEN

For a brief time, Suzanne Harper wielded supernatural abilities and super-human athletic prowess, but that was while she had been the lover of an angel. The murders point to her former lover, and the trail of bodies tells a terrifying tale: he’s working his way to her.

PREY BECOMES PREDATOR

Icarus, an angel who hunts those of his kind who have fallen from grace, enlists Suzanne’s help to stop the killer, for only one as close as a lover can anticipate his next move. Now she must reconcile her heart’s longing for her lost love with her sense of justice and honor, and she must do it fast … because the next murder could be hers.

 

About the book…

Malakh isn’t just a tale about good versus evil. It’s about repentance, redemption, restoration. There is little to no romance—both of Suzanne’s relationships are far in the past—because the focus of the story is Suzanne’s journey from brokenness to reparation and peace, even though it means bringing judgment and justice to a treasured lover.

Malakh is available in several electronic formats from Smashwords, Amazon, and Amazon.com, for a special promotional price of $.99 through April 30.

Purchase the book here for 99 cents through April 30th!

Smashwords:   http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52440

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/Malakh-ebook/dp/B004VXK0NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1302986173&sr=8-1

Amazon UK:    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Malakh/dp/B004VXK0NO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1302986242&sr=8-1

Nice guys or Bad boys?

Oh, I’m a sucker for bad boys, have been all my life.  There’s just something so appealing about someone willing, ready, and unafraid to throw common sense and safety to the wind.

Which characters are the most fun to write?

Bad guys, without a doubt. There are no moral boundaries, no pesky conscience to elbow out of the way.

Who are your labors of love?

My biggest labor of love is my ultimate bad guy, Caleb Schaefer. He is still a masterpiece in progress, and I am quite pleased with him.

His counterparts – his nephew Aaron and Aaron’s wife Kimberly – are two more whose facets I’ve sculpted carefully and lovingly. They feel very real to me, and hopefully to my readers as well.

Note: Caleb Schaefer is the villain in the Wyckham House/Gothic/Sundown books. They are probably my personal favorite books Sharon has written. Unfortunately, they are still unpublished. (hint, hint, hint) 😉

Excerpt from Wyckham House:

Reckless and rash, that’s Kimberly Owens. From the impulsive act of marrying her high school sweetheart, which  ultimately leads to her broken marriage and damaged heart, to her imprudent decision to search for her may-or-may-not-be-missing father in a tiny Pennsylvania town, her life has been punctuated by consequence and regret.

With no regard to the potential danger, armed only with a borrowed identity and a false sense of indestructibility, Kim probes into the mysteries of her father’s disappearance and of the stone mansion in the thick woods behind town.

So it really can’t be much of a surprise to Kim when she finds herself chained to an ancient altar in a house of the damned,  waiting to be rescued by a man she shouldn’t love and who will, no doubt, finish the job of massacring her heart beyond repair. That is, if he manages to save her life before her captor ends it … or worse.

For there are things worse than death. <——-Best. Hook. Ever.

Alas, I digress…….

Physical characteristics that you consider inherently bad or good?

Ummm, not sure what you mean by that, but…as usual I will assign my own meaning. 😀  Generally when someone calls someone else “charismatic,” I think uh-oh, bad news!  Which is why my favorite bad guy, Caleb Schaefer (in my paranormal series), chills me to the bone at the same time he’s so darn compelling and unforgettable.

Do you prefer a balance of good/bad in your heroes/heroines?

I don’t like perfect characters. We’re all flawed, make mistakes, make bad decisions, have flawed judgment. Why should my characters be any different? Who would relate to them if they were the paper embodiment of perfection?

In my fourth novel, one of the main female characters becomes the victim of her own impetuousness and ends up wrecking her own marriage. She knows she’s wrong, she knows she made a mistake, she knows it’s her fault, but can she bring herself to apologize? Nooooo!

Do the good guys always win? Should they?

The good guys don’t always win in real life. Therefore, they don’t always win in my fictional worlds. The truth of the matter is, you can only keep evil at bay; you can’t ever completely stop its influence or eradicate its existence. My stories are about the efforts to hold it at bay, and to keep from succumbing to its siren song.

Would you/could you kill off a character that you’re in love with simply for the sake of the plot?

Funny you should ask that. Yes, I could kill off a character I’m in love with. In fact, one of my all-time favorite characters is poised on the chopping block. But that’s a book I haven’t started writing yet.

Why? 

 Sometimes you have to kill off a treasured character—even a main character—to keep things realistic. People lose the ones they love all the time in real life, and to think that fictional life is any different isn’t being true and isn’t being fair to the readers. Not everything is happily ever after. You want happily ever after, best not read my stuff. lol

Is redemption attainable by your villains?

Oh, definitely. Even dastardly Caleb Schaefer has his regrets. Will I allow his redemption? That remains to be seen.

How blurry do the lines between good/evil become when dealing with angels as opposed to humans?

Actually, for me, the lines clarify rather than blur when dealing with angels. The good angels—these still in service and obedience to God—are obviously held to a higher standard, which makes Raum’s affair with Suzanne and his subsequent murderous spree a greater affront to the heavenly realm.

Demons, on the other hand—well, one can’t expect too much by way of good from them, and they rarely disappoint.

It was actually harder to write the angels because good and bad with them are so clearly defined. It’s much easier when dealing with humankind, who can be flawed and yet still be good; or can come across as pure as the driven snow and have a heart as black as sin.

Thank you, Sharon for these awesome answers. I know we’ve discussed villains versus nice guys previously, and I think we’re on the same page, as far as bad boys go. 😉

Sharon Gerlach is a Program Specialist II in a financial aid office at a community college. She is also a writer in her spare time, and has completed three novel-length manuscripts. Two more are in various stages of production. She loves very dark beer, tequila, and scotch, although not at the same time. Her husband, Gail, is her best friend, and she loves her life!

In Sharon’s words:

• I believe there is room in friendship for people to believe in different things without it affecting relationships.
• I collect antique teapots, kids, and cats.
• I have been writing since the age of 11. I didn’t complete my first novel until the age of 42. Go figure. Middle-age is my golden era.
• I am not afraid to get old. I am enjoying life more now than I did when I was younger. Beauty fades; wisdom shines.

Find Sharon Gerlach here:

http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/

http://forevernocturne.wordpress.com/

facebook.com/writerunleashed

http://www.goodreads.com/sharonlgerlach

http://twitter.com/SharonGerlach

“Let us go forth, the teller of tales, and seize whatever prey the heart long for, and have no fear.” William Butler Yeats, The Celtic Twilight

“Now it’s time to jump.” / Flat Out Love by Jessica Park

I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.

About Flat-Out Love

 

Flat-Out Love is a warm and witty novel of family love and dysfunction, deep heartache and raw vulnerability, with a bit of mystery and one whopping, knock-you-to-your-knees romance. 

Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.When Julie’s off-campus housing falls through, her mother’s old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side … and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.And there’s that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That’s because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie’s suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that … well … doesn’t quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer.

 

First and foremost, I have to holler from the top of my lungs, “SQUEE!”

 

No, really! This book is awesome! I just happened to be scanning my Twitter account one day, and Jessica was looking for reviewers, so I thought “Hey why not?” I enjoy a good YA novel, and I was not disappointed. Immediately, I was sucked into the plot: lost and alone college freshman in a strange town. Cue flashbacks of my first night in the dorms. Fortunately, I was neither alone nor lost. Alas, I digress.

 

The initial rapport between Julie and Matt was eerily familiar, almost like siblings. And the humor?! Don’t get me started! Within the first chapter, I laughed out loud no less than four times. The characters were well-rounded, and strong while still vulnerable.

Being a female, I obviously identified with Julie, the narrator, but Matt satisfied my inner math-geek. I adored the descriptions of his geeky t-shirts.

 

 

 

Flat Out Love is a shining example of romance in the internet age, complete with IM chats, Facebook status updates, and email communications. I found it rather indicative of the technological advances society has made since the mid-nineties when I was in college. Heck, I didn’t even own a computer until 2000?! I always tell the youngsters the story of “How I Graduated From University Without A Computer”. With an English degree?!

 

They simply look confused. Apparently, they thought there was no life before computers.

 

You know, back in the Dinosaur Age, when people actually had to speak to each other in person (gasp), and busy signals were not a thing of the past.

 

In all seriousness though……oh who am I kidding?!? I’m not serious! Well, rarely anyway.

FLAT FINN! <——-coolest idea ever. Kind of makes me want to have a two-dimensional friend to cart around? Ya know, like maybe a Doppelganger? No. Too creepy. I mean, if Jessica can have a Flat Rick, maybe I should have a Flat Prince or something? You can check out Jessica’s inspiration for Flat Finn here: http://flatoutlove.blogspot.com/p/chapter-tidbits.html

 

Speaking of Flat Finn, there were hints of emotional instability from the get-go, as far as the family dynamic is concerned. For anyone who has ever dealt with depression, either their own or a loved one, the characters were true yet gritty. Whole, yet fragmented. Without spoiling the entire plot (go read it yourself), I questioned and suspected a few things, but even I did not figure out the whopper of an ending until just before the secret is revealed. Loved the suspense!

 

I highly recommend this book to everyone! Especially anyone who loves YA books or just humorous Romance!

 

Thank you, Jessica, for a lovely and enjoyable read! You’ve got a new fan here! 🙂

 

You can check the book out yourself over on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Love-ebook/dp/B004W9BYR8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1302827683&sr=1-1

 

Find Jessica Park here:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/Jumby24?sk=wall

Twitter: http://twitter.com/JessicaPark24

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22159.Jessica_Park

Flat Out Love website: http://flatoutlove.blogspot.com/

YA Author website: http://yaauthorjessicapark.blogspot.com/

 

Jessica Park is the author of the young adult novel RELATIVELY FAMOUS, five Gourmet Girl mysteries (written as Jessica Conant-Park) and the e-shorts FACEBOOKING RICK SPRINGFIELD and WHAT THE KID SAYS (Parts 1 & 2). She grew up in the Boston area and then went to Macalester College in frigid St. Paul, Minnesota. During her freshman year, there was a blizzard on Halloween, and she decided that she was not cut out for such torture. So she moved back to the east coast where, she’d forgotten, it still snows. Oops. She now lives in New Hampshire with her husband, son, bananas dog named Fritzy, and two selfish cats. When not writing, she is probably on Facebook , pining over 80s rock stars, or engaging in “Glee” activities. Or some combination of the three. Probably with a coffee in hand. 
 

 

Malakh: An Angelic Novella by Sharon Gerlach

 

Excerpt:

“He hunts, silent and unseen.

The string of mutilated bodies points to a madman, but the police are stymied. Trace evidence yields no DNA, animal or human. Male, female, young, old—the victims fall without a struggle to the killer in the shadows.

His next victim has been chosen.

For a brief time, Suzanne Harper wielded supernatural abilities and super-human athletic prowess, but that was while she had been the lover of an angel. The murders point to her former lover, and the trail of bodies tells a terrifying tale: he’s working his way to her.

Prey becomes predator.

Icarus, an angel who hunts those of his kind who have fallen from grace, enlists Suzanne’s help to stop the killer, for only one as close as a lover can anticipate his next move. Now she must reconcile her heart’s longing for her lost love with her sense of justice and honor, and she must do it fast … because the next murder could be hers.”

Can I just tell you how excited proud happy just plain SQUEE I am today?! 🙂

Sharon and I have been friends for years! We first met over on Writer’s Cafe in 2006 or 2007? I honestly can’t even remember how long, but it feels like forever?! This was prior to THE GREAT WC DELETE in 2008.  If you weren’t there then, it was the moment when the entire site crashed, and thousands of writers lost all their work. BACK UP YOUR SHIT PEOPLE!!!! I, of course, was still  a fledgling in the world of online writing, and I lost almost everything. Sharon managed to help me find a lot of my work. THANK YOU!!!

And as they say, it was all over from there?!

We (awesome writer peeps) all left the WC fairly soon after that incident, but it wasn’t just that one occurrence. WC had gotten extremely junior high-ish, and I don’t play that. So now, we all have our own blogs.

Don’t get me wrong, I made the core of my online writing friends through Writer’s Cafe. Writers I still follow, read and pimp when needed. (see below)

http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/

http://nlgervasio.wordpress.com/

http://rblackbirdsong.blogspot.com/

http://www.carrieclevengerstories.com/

And years later, we all still keep in contact via Twitter or Facebook or whatever. I’ve read all of Sharon’s novels. At least three times a piece? 😉

Yes, they are all that good.

I’m just thrilled that Sharon has finally decided to self-publish?! She had played the traditional publishing game for too long, and while she’s definitely worthy of a huge publishing contract, it’s simply not that easy.

I’ve been telling her for a while to “Go Indie!” Not that it’s  cop-out from traditional, but for me, it’s all about control. And not having to wait for other people to pull their heads out their rears and realize what awesome potential is out there?!

And I’m thrilled that Sharon & Jinx have launched Running Ink Press with Malakh being their first release!

http://runninginkpress.com/

They also publish (bi-annually) an e-zine called Forever Nocturne. They even been gracious enough to publish yours truly, as well as many other up-and-coming writers!

http://forevernocturne.wordpress.com/

Somewhere, I seem to have lost the point of this…..oh yeah?!

NEW NOVELLA! 😉

Go buy it! Or if you can’t afford the $1.99, simply email Sharon for a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Seriously though, it’s cheap. So support your local Indie authors!

Email her at SHARONLGERLACH (at) GMAIL (dot) COM with the subject line MALAKH COUPON (so her spam filter doesn’t swat you into cyber-oblivion). She will e-mail all interested parties a coupon code for a free download at Smashwords.

I will be interviewing Sharon towards the end of the month, when she launches her WRITER UNLEASHED ON THE WORLD BLOG TOUR.

Ahhh……caps lock.

Anyway, here’s her links to pretty much everything….

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=100001552017705&aid=33275#!/writerunleashed

http://sharongerlach.wordpress.com/

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52440

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4762686.Sharon_Gerlach

http://twitter.com/SharonGerlach

Congratulations, Sharon!

And calm down. Everyone has a panic attack the first time they publish.

And try not to be a stat junkie. I have NO room to talk…..

Werewolf cops! (book review)

Daemon’s Mark by Caitlin Kittredge

“Werewolf homicide detective Luna Wilder guards the fine line that separates Nocturne City’s humans from the weres and witches that roam its streets. Now, Luna must thwart a new evil more dangerous than anything she’s ever encountered.” ~ from the back cover

I’ve been following Caitlin on Twitter for years, but never managed to actually pick up one of her many books, and read it. Until one day when I walked into my local library, and immediately saw this book beckoning to me in the New Release section. My library is very small, so you can imagine surprise?! Apparently, this is the fifth book in the Nocturne City series, but honestly, I don’t think it truly matters what order they’re read in. I appreciate that. While I love series (who doesn’t), I enjoy a book that can also stand readily on its own.

I immediately fell for the narrator (Luna Wilder) because of her strength and no-nonsense attitude. I love me some kick-ass heroines! The character of Luna reminded me of Eve Dalles (J.D. Robb), only scarier?! And with werewolves?! Hell yeah! As with Eve’s character, Luna possesses the strength of conviction, as well as brief moments of vulnerability. Shhh…just don’t tell anyone….

This novel basically had everything I love in a good book: strong female, paranormal aspects, a romantic sub-plot, and a lead male who is emotional but not soft, and can keep up with his heroine.

I highly recommend reading this, if you haven’t already. I know I’m going to read the rest of the Nocturne City books, as well as her Black London series.

You can find Caitlin Kittredge’s webiste by clicking on the link below.

http://www.caitlinkittredge.com/

Or her Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001552017705&sk=wall#!/caitlinkittredge

Or her Twitter:

 http://twitter.com/caitkitt

Ooh look! Shiny!

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41

As most of you probabky know, April is National Poetry month. I’ve always found this particularly fitting, being a poet and an April-birthday girl, as I usually increase my writing in this month. Not on purpose. Just because I’m more inspired? In my element? Heck if I know?!

So I’ve been mulling this idea around in my head for awhile: a poetry challenge for myself for this upcoming April. At first, I was going to commit myself to publishing at least three poems a week. Then this Sobriety Experiment came along, and kicked me in the ass, so I’m going to go with two a week. Maybe. If I’m lucky? If you don’t already know, I’m live-journalling my progress with the Sobriety Experiment here:

http://sobrietyofthesoul.wordpress.com/

Apparently, sobriety is actually making me more creative and motivated?! Sobriety FTW!

Alas, I digress.

While I’m committing myself to two poems a week, I’d still like to post a minimum of three poems per week, so if your a poet or a poetry-dabbler, and you’d like your work featured as a guest on my site, let me know. Comment, email me, Twitter me, Facebook me, whatever…..let’s hook it up! And if you know of a poet that I am unaware of, bring it on! I love reading new (to me) authors, and truly enjoy the pimping. 🙂

Sharon, Jinx, Rach…I’m talking to you…….. 🙂

Or anyone else, really.

	Poetry is not an opinion expressed; it is a song that rises from a bleeding wound or a smiling mouth.” – Kahlil Gibran