Zee Reads!!!

I have a very busy weekend planned (Lots of opportunities have unlocked doors and I’m going to open each and every one) and Monday, I’m going on an adventure! So I don’t see much more reading going on for this month – okay, that’s a lie, but…. I don’t see me FINISHING anything.

This month, it looks like I read a LOT of books! Ten of them. Actually, that’s rather a misleading number. 2 were graphic novels (They are COMICS, people, k???? They’re comics) Two one-shot PWPs that were finished in like 30 minutes, and two were novellas. I’ve had a busy month, and between the maybe loss of ALL of my ebooks and trying to recreate IF that’s the case and work and adventures… well, I’ve been reading on the sly. So shall we begin?

In NO particular order…

This woman has me spoiled. Really. Remember when I told you the other night All Romance Ebooks have all these free books??? The vast majority of the ‘erotica’ is of the NO PLOT variety. Now granted, it’s free, but still… a girl needs a little more than… Oh. You bumped into me and made me drop my groceries. I’m going to cry and that will upset you, so tie me up and spank me now. 

That might work with 50 Shades of Shit (which sadly is on the list, but guess where and yes, it’s causing me all sorts of grief right now, but I’ll explain that when I finally manage to finish it. Probably December at the rate I’m going.

EITHER WAY – I love her books. I love her characters. There is plot. Yes, it’s formula, but… it’s well written formula. This formula Dom has an accent. I love those. Really. Simon is all upper-crust Brit. Silver spoon and all that. He’s blonde, where I prefer dark hair, but he’s still very… yessssssssssss. In some ways, seeing him through out this series, he reminds me of a certain black haired, leather clad knight.

But he’s still lovely. Just like my leather clad knight.

Again, in the formula, we have a submissive heroine, who is a brat, has a smart mouth, and has serious body issues and is trying to live down a not so nice past.  It makes me want.

Continuing on…

There is a series of these. Don’t bother. This is 30 minutes of my life i will NEVER be able to get back. Remember what I said – free, no plot???? yeah. Hello.

Ah yes…. novella and a nice one at that. We met her back in the 2nd book. We met him in the Dungeon Games novella. I know what doctor I’d like to play him.

You’ll want to beat her family. Really.

Series of short essay written by teenagers who know what hell is. WHy? They’ve lived it. This is a book Bernard Hare needs to read. There ARE success stories. Just because you’re in the ditch, doesn’t mean you stay in the ditch. And the cool thing is, many of these, the teen figured it out without the adult. This book made me cry. Like Urban, it opened my eyes. It pissed me off. It gave me hope.

They’re called graphic novels. I call them comic books and they’d probably make better sense if I had the entire series and was able to read them at once. As it is, these are different parts of different story lines and i’m not really sure I want to go hunt the rest.

Another 30 minute read. Seeing the author and the couple it’s about, I would have liked to have seen this more at a novella length, rather than the 4 chapters we had. Very fast security shoot ’em up opener, where everyone is in danger and humorously is done and fixed in 10 minutes. Immediately followed by Very pregnant wifey, who’s feeling neglected. Seduces husband. Goes into labor. Husband wimps out in labor room.

Except the husband is THE big bad Dom of the entire series – Big Ian Taggart – who quite frankly, I spent the first 5 books terrified of. I love a big, brawny, tough man… Big Tag is scary as shit. And then Charlie (his wife) comes back into his life and we realize that Big Tag is all bark and yeah, he bites, but not those he loves. He growls at them. He’s scary mean, but wise and protective. And all together lovely – with Charlie.

But I didn’t recognize the big man in the delivery room. Really. I had hoped he’d man up a bit there.

Note to self: If I write a delivery room scene for The Shepherd, Guy will not wimp out. At all. 

Otherwise, this is a sweet story. As you can tell by the cover, Big Tag comes home from the delivery room with something he’s not used to. At all.

I read this for reasons. yeah, you know the reason. Actually, I read this – oh – 20 years ago – with Silence of the Lambs. I was on a horror and psychological Thriller kick at the time. Phil Rickman. Stephen King. Robert MacGammon. something like that. While I didn’t remember that much of it after all these years, I do remember quite clearly that it was the one that shut the book on that particular kick. I walked away and went on a Jude Deveraux kick after that.

So I reread it with fairly fresh eyes – and looking for Richard in it – or basically, WHAT would Richard DO with Francis Dollarhyde?

The result was to break my heart.

This is an anthology, but I was interested in the 1st one. Another Lexi Black Master and Merc novella. Luscious. Another novella I wish were longer. Sweet child of mine needed to be a true novella, this one needed a full book treatment. Fresh, unknown characters, one is related to a mainstay character… just not enough time to develop these two. Needed more.

Someone HERE recommended this book to me. I forget who off the top of my head but their comment was – lovely. It’s just… lovely.

And it is just lovely.

Slow to start, the formatting kinda threw me for a loop and it flips back and forth in time, so it’s not until the very end, the entire thing is pieced together. I was about half done with last week and while off – adventuring – I was listening to the one radio station I could get on this particular stretch of road and it was someone reviewing and recommending ‘midline books’ – great books that just didn’t get that much media push and this was one.

I’m not going to tell you anything about it. except to tell you – it’s lovely. It made me cry, happier tears than Red Dragon.

Currently on the docks – I bring the Fire – Loki I. 50 Shades of Shit. Don’t ask why – I’ll tell you when I finish it. Summer by Edith Wharton. Twice now, I’ve wanted desperately to throw the book across the room against the wall. Luckily enough, I remember it’s not a book, but my kindle, so it doesn’t get tossed. i’ve got a feeling I know how it’s going to end and if it does end that way, I’ll be pissed as shit. There’s another Lexi Blake short. bunches of others…

But we’ll see. I have adventures to go on and opportunity doors to knock on. If things go well, I’ll be kinda stuck at home at night for a few months this fall and early winter. Plenty of time to read.

1. A book you own but haven’t read

1. The Husband’s Secret
2. Urban and the Shed Crew
3. Loose Ends
4. Maids of Misfortune
5. Ted Saves the World
6. The winter witch
7. Uneasy Spirits
8. Animal Farm
9. Warrior’s Game

I think it’s safe to say, I own ALL the books listed – except the one I get from the library!!!

2. A book was made into a movie
   1. Urban and the Shed Crew
   2. Red Dragon

3. A book you picked solely because of the cover
   1. Warrior’s Game

3. A book your friend loves
   1. Emma and Otto and Russell and James

3. A book published this year
   1. You only love twice

3. A book by an author you’ve never read before
   1. Bernard Hare – Urban and the Shed Crew
   2. Loose Ends Terri Reid
   3. Maids of Misfortune – Louisa Locke
   4. Ted Saves the World – Bryan Cohen
   5. Warrior’s Game – Denise Domming

3. A book by an author you love
   1. All of the Lexi Blakes!

3. A book with a color in the title
   1. 50 Shades of Silver Hair
   2. 50 Shades of Red Riding Hood
   3. Red Dragon

9. A book at the bottom of you’re to be read pile
   1. Warrior’s Game

9. A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit
   1. Dungeon Games. It’s based in London, although a lot of it takes place in Europe as well
   2. Warrior’s Game – England

9. A book you started but never finished

9. A book with a lion, a witch or a wardrobe

   1. The Winter Witch

9. A book with a female heroine
   1. Good Tidings
   2. Loose Ends
   3. Maids of Misfortune
   4. Uneasy Spirits
   5. The Winter Witch
   6. Warrior’s Game
10. A book set in the summer
    1. Maids of Misfortune

9. A book of poems
   1. Letter to a girl from her own self

9. A book you learned about because of this challenge
   1. Emma and Otto and Russell and James

9. A book that will make you smarter
   1. We are absolutely not okay

9. A book with a Blue cover

9. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t
   1. Animal Farm

20. A book everyone but you has read

20. A book with a great first line

    1. The Winter Witch (Does the spider consider herself beautiful?)

20. A book with pictures or a graphic novel

1. Wandering Koala challenges the Scientific Method
2. Wandering Koala rides the Phantom Coach part 1

20. a book from the library

20. A book you loved… read it again!
    1. The Dom Who Loved Me
    2. A Dom is Forever – and the rest of the Lexi Blake books
    3. God on A Harley
    4. Dungeon Royale

20. A book that is more than 10 years old
    1. God On a Harley
    2. Animal Farm
    3. Urban and the Shed Crew
    4. Red Dragon

20. A book based on a true story
    1. Urban and the Shed crew
    2. No, we are NOT okay!

20. A book you’ve been meaning to read

20. A book in a genre you don’t typically read
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew

29. A book from your childhood

29. A book your mom loves

29. A book that was originally written in a different language

29. A book recommended by someone with great taste
    1. Emma and Otto and Russell and James

29. A book that’s currently on the bestseller list

29. A book with more than 500 pages

29. A classic romance

29. A book with a number in the title

29. A book written by someone under 30

29. A book with non human characters
    1. Animal farm

29. a funny book

29. a book by a female author
    1. Lexi Blake – Masters and Mercenary Series
    2. Louisa Locke – Uneasy Spirits, Maids of Misfortune
    3. Teri Reid – The Mary O’Reilly Series
    4. Paula Brackston – The Winter Witch
    5. Denise Domning – The Warrior’s Game

29. a mystery or thriller
    1. Uneasy Spirits
    2. Maids of Misfortune
    3. Loose Ends
    4. Final Call
    5. Good Tidings
30. a book with a one-word title

1. Sanctum
2. UnConditional
3. Cherished
4. Adored
5. Luscious

29. a book of short stories
    1. We are absolutely not okay

29. A book set in a different country
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew
    2. Animal Farm
    3. Dungeon Games
    4. Warrior’s Game
    5. The Winter Witch
    6. The Warrior’s game
    7. Emma and Otto and Russell and James

29. a nonfiction book
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew
    2. We are absolutely not okay

29. a popular author’s first book

29. a book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet

29. a pulitzer prize-winning book

29. a book based on a true story
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew

29. a book that scares you
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew
    2. The Red Dragon

29. a book more than 100 years old
30. A memoir
    1. Urban and the Shed Crew
    2. We are absolutely NOT okay!

29. a book you can finish in a day
    1. 50 Shades of Silver Hair
    2. 50 Shades of Red Riding Hood
    3. Animal Farm
    4. Sanctum
    5. Unconditional
    6. Ted Saves the World
    7. Sleeping chez Sade
    8. Cherished
    9. Sweet Child O Mine
30. a book with antonyms in the title
31. A book that came out the year you were born
32. a book with bad reviews
33. a trilogy
34. A book with a love triangle
    1. The Men with the Golden Cuffs
    2. Etta and Otto and Russell and James
35. A book set in high school
    1. Ted saves the world
    2. We are absolutely NOT okay
36. A book that made you cry
    1. Sleeping chez Shade – Cleo Peitsche (because it was so awful)
    2. Emma and Otto and Russell and James
    3. The Red Dragon

29. A book with magic

1. The Winter Witch

29. A book that takes place in your hometown
30. A book written by an author with your same initials
31. A book set during Christmas
32. A play
33. A banned book
    1. Animal Farm
34. A book based on or turned into a TV Show
    1. The Red Dragon (Hannibal)

Oh dear God in Heaven

All Romance ebooks has 108 pages of free books.

108!

PAGES!

108.

That doesn’t include the erotica. That’s a different subset and there are 35 pages of freebies there as well….

Yes, I’m quite sure that a lot of this is slash -ew- or crap – meh… but 108 page of choices!

This is Mecca.

God help us all…

I might be quiet for a while…

Here. Do some Richard while I glory in this…

Unusually deep thought

and feel free to skip. This is not normal for me, as you know…

ahem.

Would you make fun of a child wearing braces? Would you? Would you accuse them of being vain about their looks, tease them, mock them? Simply because they’re wearing braces?

If not, why would you make fun of an adult who goes through whatever dental procedure to fix their teeth? Would you accuse them of being vain, mock them? Did it perhaps occur to you that their insurance didn’t cover dental when they were a child? Or they didn’t have dental care as a child? What if it were obvious that this person was self-conscious about their looks, their appearance? What if their job greatly hinged on their physical appearance? If you wouldn’t mock or make fun of this behavior as a child, what gives you the right to do so as an adult to an adult?

Are you an adult?

If someone did something to further their career, become better known at what they do, expand their repertoire, try something new, something different, something that challenged them, would you accuse them of ‘selling out’? Of becoming something you didn’t want, couldn’t fathom, couldn’t understand? Of doing something that took them out of the little, tiny, restrictive box you put them in?

Would you?

Did you?

Have you ever considered that perhaps the box you put them in and want them to stay in would become a rut? Boring?

Now. Put the shoe on the other foot. How would you feel if someone did this to you? Would you give a rat’s ass? Would you care?

Would you?

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This concludes Zee’s Deep Thoughts. Back to your normally scheduled programming. Topless Tuesday, I do believe.

To those

Who gave their all, defending us and others, we remember you and thank you for your sacrifice.

Man in U.s. Marine Corps Uniform Saluting American Flag — Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

So I’m in a quandary…

We all know by now, I completely screwed up my books external and my computer decided to do a grand wipe before I could retrieve stuff from it…

So the plan is

1) Take the book external to Tyger and see if they can rehook/fix it. I plug it up, it turns on, things whir. Computer either scratches its head OR tells me it’s there but it’s unplugged. I’m praying they can reconnect whatever and if they can’t at least get it to a point where the computer will at least acknowledge it. If they can get ole Gizzy to acknowledge the external, I have Stellar which will pull pretty much everything off it. I’ll buy another 2T external and move over nad burn while I go. Yes, that is a LOT of CDs. If it won’t acknowledge, we’ll try the freezer trick. It’s worked before.

1a) In the meantime, Operation Fracking Rescue has begun. This isn’t pretty. At all. What a mess. This might take a while. Months. A LOT of what I’m hunting is not retrievable.

1b) I have consoled myself with the freebies at ARE/Omni lit. And reading more Masters and Mercenaries. I’ve looked at this month’s reading list and I must say, with the exception of Red Dragon, the vast majority of my reading pleasure this month have been shorts to novellas.

As you know, I don’t care for slash, but this caught my eye…

In this third book in The Rainbow Detective series, Proctor and Blair take on a case that involves blackmail, kidnapping, and a handsome young guy with two perfect penises. The guy with two penises is a public personality, and the wealthy client who hires Blair and Proctor is willing to pay a huge sum of money to keep the guy’s two penises a secret.
As fascinated as Blair and Proctor are with the guy who has two penises, there are dangerous, unexpected twists in this case that put them in grave danger. And the fact that they are in love with each other doesn’t make working together any easier. It’s the kind of peculiar double penis case that will not only test their love, but also test whether or not they can continue working together.
Will Blair be able to grow up and meet Proctor’s professional expectations? And will Proctor ever be able to get the guy with two perfect penises out of his head?

It’s free and the link is here:

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-therainbowdetectiveagencyaguywithtwopenises-1788905-145.html

I didn’t send you, k???

1c) Good news, the vast majority of my year challenge books were backed up elsewhere so I could load them on my handheld Kindle. I don’t have to hunt them. yay!

2) on the 2nd (or 3rd) when I get paid, IF I have the fundage – which I SHOULD – to purchase a new computer. I have one picked out. I’ve seen it several times over the past few months at Tyger and I was assured 3 weeks ago that it was a regularly stocked item – an HP with 8G ram, 1T hard drive and Windows 7, for a relatively nice price. So long as the graphics card has more bite than this one, I’m good to go. I’ll be BROKE until I file taxes, but that’s summer for you.

But I”m in a quandary… All of my books are in my PC Kindle – ‘archived’ – meaning NOT DOWNLOADED. Remember these books???

I had 117 ‘folders’ that had these bad boys separated by genre. It’s quite anal, to be honest. My quandary is this…

My slightly mild OCD personality says I MUST reenter all 117 folders (alphabetical order) plus the 4 or 5 I want to add – and download and separate the books into them, like I was in the process of doing here. This is something that take months. As you can see, I was only a little over half done according to the screen cap, and I had been working on THAT since December, when I had this computer worked on then.

However, my pragmatic (don’t laugh, I do have one) and common sense (really do NOT laugh!) self is saying – forget this. Wait until you get your new computer. Just download the ones you’re currently reading.

To which my OCD side says – something could happen and that ‘new computer’ won’t be purchased in June… maybe July… or not… sooooo….

I hate the voices in my head sometimes. I’m going to go play with Gary. He’s loads of fun…

RAPS for Charity – the DE-BRIEF

Awesome!!!

Guylty Pleasure

It has taken me a day to come down from the high that I felt yesterday in the final hours of and post-event. The RAPS for charity auctions, if I may say so myself, were a fantastic success. So much so that I found it impossible to put my gratitude, awe and general elation into words. You all have reinforced my continued happiness at being part of this community. The upshot is clear:

All joking aside, I know that you would like to hear the tally of the project. Let me just precede that by saying that I had not in my wildest dreams thought that we would raise so much money together. And not even in my sleepless hours pre-event last Saturday night when I was wondering whether I’d be able to convince three people to pay 35 US$ each in order to reach my target of a three-figure…

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My day??? Just let me TELL you about my day!

I’ll make it short and sweet.

I’ve had TWO cokes in the last 2 hours. I’m getting ready to have a third.

No. I don’t want to hear about what it will do to my blood sugar. Really.

He has the right idea.

RAPS Auction #3: Custom-Made Shrine for You

Guylty Pleasure

Welcome to the RAPS for Charity auction in aid of Nepal Earthquake Relief! 58 RAPSettes (RAPS owners) all over the world can’t be wrong – they indulge in mobile Richarding straight from their pocket – thanks to a pocket shrine. You too could have one. And you could even have it made to your specifications: favourite chaRActer, size, colours, particular photos, a theme that you’d like to see in your shrine – you name it, Guylty makes it. Your bid on a custom-made, exclusive RA pocket shrine will bring joy to you (I hope) and certainly contribute to a good cause, Nepal.

You are bidding on a mixed media piece of fan art, contained in a hinged mint tin, dimensions and outside decor to be chosen by you. Includes two mini candles (gold) and holders. For inspiration you can also look at my Shrine Gallery here.

If you would…

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RAPS Auction #2: Guy, Pleasure Bound

Really! You NEED a tied up Guy in your life!!!

Guylty Pleasure

Welcome to the RAPS for Charity auction in aid of Nepal Earthquake Relief! Here is your chance to get your hands on a RA pocket shrine, the indispensable mobile droolingogling fangirling aid that should not miss in any handbag. 58 RAPSettes (RAPS owners) all over the world so far are enjoying the comfort of mobile Richarding. Your bid on this exclusive bound-for-pleasure Pirate!Guy could enhance your happiness – not least because you could be contributing to a worth-while cause in return for a one-of-a-kind, rare collectors’ item:

This is a mixed media piece of fan art, contained in a small, hinged mint tin with rounded corners, dimensions 68mm (2.5″) length x 41mm (2″) width x 15mm (1/2″) depth. Includes two mini candles (gold) and holders. You can see it in more detail in my past post here.

If you would like to bid on this item, this is…

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RAPS Auction #1: Red Dragon

Folks, you want to bid. Trust me!!!

Guylty Pleasure

Welcome to the RAPS for Charity auction in aid of Nepal Earthquake Relief! Here is your chance to get your hands on a ready-made RA pocket shrine, a one-of-its-kind collectible that was made for discreet and mobile droolingogling fangirling purposes. You could be part of a select group of (so far) 58 RAPSettes (RAPS owners) all over the world by bidding for this hand-made, exclusive, first interpretation of the Red Dragon/Francis Dolarhyde. No copies, a true rarity 😉

This is a mixed media piece of fan art, contained in a mint tin, dimensions 95mm (3.7″) length x 63mm (2.45″) width x 22mm (0.875″) depth. Includes two mini candles (gold) and holders.You can see it in more detail in my past post here.

If you would like to bid on this item, this is the procedure:

1. Send an e-mail with your bid to guylty@photographer.net, subject line “Bid for…

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