tasting ‘bravo! brava!’

Posted on 12/02/2009 by Kris


Bravo! Brava! by Jet Mykles, J P Bowie & Kimberly Gardner

The Blurb:

Lights, Makeup, Scripts, Costumes… Performances!

Jet Mykles, J.P. Bowie and Kimberly Gardner entertain us with the magic and mystique of the theatre. From Shakespeare’s gender-bending comedies to the glamour of a Musical Revue, we’re whisked backstage for an intimate glimpse of the drama, romance and rumors (and maybe even a little mystery) behind the curtain. Find out what it takes for a man to carry off a skirt and heels. Follow the men who wait in the wings for those behind the fake breasts and makeup. BRAVO! BRAVA!

Dislike/like (ending on a high note):

Dislike~ The curtain fell all too soon. ::nudge, nudge, wink, wink::

Like~ Great authors and an entertaining *get it?? – wipes tear from eye – I’m so friggin funny* concept for an anthology.

Dislike~ Not really a dislike, but I did think that the first and last stories had a number of similarities.

Like~ Who knew I would find cross-dressing so… deliciously naughty?!

So, what I think:

Hot, hot, HOT! ::cough:: For those who may be in the mood. *g*


=========================================

‘Tasting’ is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to.

Posted in anthology, J P Bowie, Jet Mykles, Kimberly Gardner, m/m, tasting | Leave a comment

a bit silly

Posted on 10/02/2009 by Kris


I was perusing the recently addeds at All Romance eBooks as I do of a morning (and frequently during the day) with coffee in hand and came across the following books, which were side-by-side in the catalogue:

The Blurb:

When undercover work requires working under the covers, danger is an uninvited bedfellow…

Erin McKenzie, a newly promoted homicide detective, lands the assignment of her career when she is chosen to investigate Elizabeth Adams, the number one suspect in a slew of serial murders. Adams, elusive and devastatingly beautiful, is not only an accomplished seductress but also a lesbian. Erin, straight and married, needs a crash course in more than just undercover detecting. With Patricia Henderson, a fellow homicide cop and Adam’s former lover as a mentor, Erin embarks on the journey of her life… with love and danger hot on her heels.

The Blurb:

Happiness. Love. Desire.

Murder.

Former homicide detective Erin McKenzie couldn’t be any happier with her new life and her fiancée Elizabeth Adams—until the not so distant past comes knocking at the door. Erin’s former colleague Detective Patricia Henderson—a woman both she and Liz have intimate ties to—shows up with a fresh crime scene photo that looks all too familiar. The victim is an actor who works for Liz’s movie production company, and Liz had argued with the young man on more than one occasion.

Erin can’t believe it’s happening again. The new murder resurrects old questions, and when Liz all but sends her packing, Erin can’t help but wonder what her lover is hiding. Lost, alone, and frightened, Erin is once again caught in midst of it all, and no matter how hard she fights it, she’s where she never thought she’d be… deeper.

I realise some, if interested in the first book, might be enticed to buy the sequel if they appear together in the catalogue, but doesn’t somebody (ie publisher and/or bookstore) realise that they gave away the outcome of the first novel via the blurb of the second?

Question for you: would you still buy this book now that you know what happened??

Posted in blurbs, randomness, WTF | 6 Comments

tasting victor j banis (a twofer)

Posted on 09/02/2009 by Kris

Sounds kinky, yes? Hee, hee.

Deadly Nightshade & Deadly Wrong by Victor J Banis

Deadly Nightshade – The Blurb:

Straight cop, gay cop, and a woman who “isn’t real.” Tom and Stanley are on the trail of a drag queen serial killer, and along the way, they find themselves engaged in a more intimate pursuit, trying to resolve another mystery: their unexpected attraction to one another.

Deadly Wrong – The Blurb:

The police say “involuntary manslaughter,” but a tragic accident turns out instead to be murder, plain and simple. And San Francisco Homicide Inspector Stanley Korski, on leave from the force and his unrequited love for fellow detective Tom Danzel, walks right into a murderer’s web of treachery. Wrong, Stanley. Deadly wrong.

Dislikes/likes (ending on a high note):

Dislike~ Kris the Superficial likes her romances with hot sex. At times, I was prob’ly more frustrated than Stanley.

Like~ I loved Stanley. He was adorable; faults and all.

Dislike~ *wailing* Why do I keep reading books where the author makes me hate the love interest of the hero?? Granted Tom was much better than that bastard Jake, but still…

Like~ This may sound egotistical, but I pretty much – maybe 90% of the time – guess whodunit. With both these books, I had only an inkling. I HEART that I didn’t know who the baddies were. It was GRRRATE!!! *big g*

So, what I think:

T – Rific book/s; especially for those who like crime/mysteries.

The fangirls who are Lisabea and Sarah were spot on with their squees about this author. 🙂

========================================

‘Tasting’ is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to.

Posted in contemporary, Lisabea, m/m, Rain on the Roof, tasting, Victor J Banis | 8 Comments

maybe it’s me, but…

Posted on 08/02/2009 by Kris

… is there something strange about this book cover or what??

Posted in book covers, maybe it's me but, randomness, WTF | 12 Comments

your input appreciated

Posted on 07/02/2009 by Kris

Mulling over the bookcase encouraged me to work on a personal project that’s been niggling at the back of my mind for a little while now.

I thought I’d take the opportunity provided by my partially invisible friends to ask you for your advice.

Here goes….

Single BBW seeks VGL guy. Must have sense of humour, like cats, be willing to be ignored for large amounts of time and come from old money. Carpentry experience specific to household furniture also preferred. Bisexual or bicurious need not apply.


So, what do you think? I’m in with a chance, right??

Posted in bookshelves, further randomness, me | 11 Comments

a booklover’s dilemma

Posted on 07/02/2009 by Kris


Currently I have:

x 1 = used for my childhood book keepers, magazines, random books, storage and knick knacks.

x 1= used for my gazillion texts, histories, research materials, etc, etc.



x 2 = used for my ‘must have’ books; two-books deep and overflowing.

Besides these, I also have at least three shelves of keepers in my bedroom cupboard – and, no, they haven’t been banished into the depths of darkness or anything like that – as well as a stack of books on my bedside table.

*wailing* I need more bookshelves!

Because the new bookcase will need go in my lounge room it will HAVE to match the existing. Yes, it HAS to!

So, my dilemma…

… can I really be arsed driving 20-30 mins here, there and everywhere; convincing my baby brother to let me borrow his Land Rover and all that entails; braving the hordes at Ikea; moving furniture; swearing and angsting over DIY bookcases; cleaning and dusting; re-organising books; and, fighting off curious boy kittens…

… all on a Saturday?? And after I’ve had a shitty last couple of days??

Also, retail therapy should make me happy not involve work, right? Right!

Fuck it. I’ll do it later.

Posted in bookshelves, me, randomness | 6 Comments

LIFE!

Posted on 05/02/2009 by Kris


Ever get the feeling that someone out there has a voodoo doll with your name on it or that the karma police have hit back big time???

Okay, you win already!

STOP. THE. TRAIN. I. WANT. OFF!

Posted in me, randomness, WTF | 2 Comments

tasting ‘gabriel’s ghost’

Posted on 03/02/2009 by Kris

Another New Year’s Readolution 3; to try a different author and/or genre once a month, brought to you by Kris.

Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair

The Blurb:

After a decade of cruising interstellar patrol ships, former Captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime Pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit—and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.

Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding jukors: vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates imperial space. For Chaz, it’s a matter of survival. For Sully it means facing the truth about who—and what—he really is. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all.

Dislikes/likes (finishing on a high note):

Dislike~ I much prefer watching science fiction to reading it. I picked up this book because I’d heard great things about the author and the series, but because of my inclinations it did take me a while to get into. I think this was exacerbated by what seemed to me, after the action-packed first scene, to be a looong lead up to the meat of the story.

Like~ This author has a beautifully tight writing style that was a sheer pleasure to read. The world building was spot on and the characterisation terrific. Just plain goodness all round.

Dislike~ The main premise of the story – ‘breeding killers who are a danger to innocents everywhere’ – is certainly not a new one. However this didn’t bother me so much – I LIKE this storyline *g*. Instead, I found predictable a few of the mini conflicts/resolutions in the later stages of the book. A tad annoying for me because they occurred during the BIG climax.

Like~ The h/h are pretty damn fine. The book was written in the first person from the point of view of the heroine. I really enjoyed ‘seeing’ this world through her eyes as well as having an insight into her relationships with the hero and others. A strong, smart and tough heroine who was, I think, surprisingly empathetic with others.

As for the hero…. what’s not to like. Not only is he saving the world, he’s deeply in love and dedicated to the heroine. *sigh*

So, what I think:

If you like science fiction romance than this author is definitely worth a try.

I’ll be adding the next book in the series, Shades of Dark, to my TBB list.

=========================================

‘Tasting’ is my version of a mini-review where I talk a (very) little about what I liked and disliked about a book as well as who I think the story will appeal to.

Posted in linnea sinclair, m/f, My 2009 Readolution 3, sci fi, tasting | 11 Comments

bragging

Posted on 02/02/2009 by Kris

No, this isn’t about Wave inviting me to join the review team at her blog. Although I AM tickled pink and looking forward to it big time (albeit I’m a little worried about being *cough* serious *cough*).

This is actually about my family.

Families can be one of the greatest mysteries of life and a number of us go through the gamut of emotions – angry, happy, sad, bewildered, embarrassed, exasperated to name a few – when it comes to our nearest and dearest.

Some of the partially invisibles who annoy visit me here know my Mumma reads my posts and occasionally adds her two cents, especially when there is an opportunity to lecture me.

Yes, she knows I read m/m fiction and, no, I’ve yet to convince her to try it. *note to self – give her some menage to read*

She is pretty terrific… and then there is my brother (my only sibling)…

My baby brother and I don’t always see eye to eye and we tend to argue and get upset when we think the other is being critical.

This doesn’t mean we fight a lot about each other’s dislikes and likes, opinions and beliefs. We tend to either scratch our heads or be quietly amused at the things the other does.

This is, of course, the perfect segue into my bragging story…

Yesterday both my Mumma and my baby brother visited me.

I was busily helping Wave answer the storm of comments resulting from yesterday’s post and, because she’d read it, Mumma was also very interested.

All of a sudden my brother asked what kind of menage we were talking about, why were some of the readers pissed off, what were the epublishing trends, whether any authors wrote m/f/f, etc, etc. It was a great discussion.

I knew he was vaguely – very vaguely; he is a typical Aussie bloke after all *g* – aware of my love of m/m fiction, yet I never really thought he’d taken much interest in what I might have said or indicated in passing.

So, yeah, maybe we don’t always get each other, but we love each other to death.

For me, this is never more the case then when he takes me completely by surprise with his absolute acceptance of me and my life.

Love you lots baby brother.

Posted in Jessewave, lucky me, m/m, mumma, my brother | 8 Comments

a… ahem… discussion with Jenre

Posted on 31/01/2009 by Kris
Today I’m posting with Jenre from ‘Well Read’ about a recent misunderstanding (on her part). You’ll see why when you read further.

Fight or Truce? The lines have been drawn.

Kris: This all came about because I innocently – in a polite and non-confrontational way – expressed my opinion about a character in a book (ie Jake ‘the undeserving prick’ Riordan).

Needless to say it was not a popularly held view and losers misguided fools rabid fans some readers strongly disagreed; one of whom – a certain Mum of four from Leeds, who has a great blog where I’ve been known to lurk – actually DARED on MY blog to not only mention his name, but to say she *hmph* loved him. HIM! How did I not know this about Jen?

I was – and still am – shocked, but it made me determined to make sure all commentators state their allegiances upfront. After all, I need to know whether I can take a person’s POV seriously or not… oh, okay, I’m only joking *kinda… not really*. It also seemed like much fun was to be had by seeing what other people thought about different things.

Jen: This all came about because I was commenting on Kris’ blog – a certain Mum of two (cats) from Perth, who has a great blog where she tells it like it is – when I happened to mention in all innocence (OK, maybe I did it on purpose) that I like the character of Jake ‘he’s misunderstood’ Riordan from the books by Josh Lanyon.

This little difference of opinion almost led to all-out war and my ultimate banishment from commenting on her blog any more. Fortunately, before we got to that stage, a truce was declared and we agreed to set out our allegiances in order to avoid any further escalation of hostilities.

Kris and I are now clear on where we stand, but what about other commentators on this blog? How do I know where you stand on our (now rather extensive) list of allegiances?

Kris’ Allegiances:

Jake Riordan = Kill him off! Kill him off!
Nate = Yay!
Derek Craven = I had to google him to find out who he was. LOL.
Roarke = Yummy!
Lilith (Kris: If we’re having a token female then she has to be totally kick-arse) = Yay!
Derek & Blue = Sweet, but Blue so needs to give Cameron the flick.
Jake ‘the jock’ Campbell & Brandon ‘the nerd’ Bartlett = *sigh* *sniff* Beautiful.
the guy from Outlander that everyone talks about (Jen: Jamie Fraser) = ??
Johnnie & Tyler or Luc & Reese or Brent & Hell or Darien & Chris = Brent & Hell
yaoi = Yay!
the skinny heroine = Depends; skinny and sick is not good.
reviews = As long as they’re constructive and not too bitchy.
BDSM = Not personally. Hee, hee. Better if the author has a good understanding the lifestyle.
the ‘manly’ man = Yes and no. Sometimes they can srsly piss me off.
chocolate = Hell yes!
m/f = Yep.
m/m = *rolls eyes* Actually no, I friggin hate the genre.
heroes with chest hair = Not too gorilla-like cos… yuck.
m/f/m ménage = Blech!
m/m/f menage = Boo!
m/m/m menage = HOT!
hubbys who don’t dance = Since I don’t have one….
characters who don’t eat or go to the toilet = They’re really zombies and you’re reading horror.
shifted sex = Ick.
chicks with dicks = Do hermaphrodites count? I forgot to ask Jen.
the twink = Very cute.
the giggling or pouting male = If they’re a twink, yes. Otherwise… grow some balls you wusses!
aliens with two penises = Weird, just weird.
ebooks or print = Both.
modern language in historical = Hate it. HATE. IT.
gay for you = Naughty.
gay because of mate/blood/chick bonds = Not a huge fan.
winning free ebooks = YIPPEE!!!!!!!!
ebook prices too high = YES! Grrrr.
jock huffing = *too busy laughing and remembering LB’s and CJ’s post*
m/m anonymous sex = Sluts.
m/f anonymous sex = Whores.
red or white (wine not menz) = Both; it’s alcohol – why discriminate??
love at first sight = As if.
oral sex in medieval historical romance = Avoid historical like the plague. Anyway, I thought they just had sieges and shit.
alpha heroes = Merow!
HEA means marriage (no matter what the genre) = Sometimes, but only as long as it’s a renewal of the vows because the first time round was either (a) arranged, (b) pregnancy or, (c) m/f/m or m/m/f and the chick could only formally marry one of them. (Please note this does not count if it’s m/m, unless, of course, it’s fantasy.)

You can find Jen’s allegiances here, but what about you?? We challenge you to state your own allegiances!

Comment here or post on your own blog and provide the link for us; we want to know.

Surrender is not an option!

Posted in allegiances, Jenre, joint post | 17 Comments