News, Reviews and Whatnot

Well, I'm not going to review the last Harry Potter just yet. Maybe not at all. I'm still in mourning.

However, I also recently read the following:

LAMB, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO BIFF, CHRIST'S CHILDHOOD PAL by Christopher Moore, which managed to be hysterically funny and poignant at the same time. The story is as the title would suggest, the "untold tale" of Jesus' boyhood narrated by his childhood friend Levi, aka "Biff." Though there were a couple of places I felt dragged a bit, overall, Moore's writing style is so smooth that I was pulled along with the flow of the story and was sorry when it ended. I highly recommend this one as long as your religious sensibilities aren't easily offended. In fact, I think the quote by Voltaire in the beginning of the book is excellent: "God is a comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh." It made me wish the story were true.

ASHES TO ASHES by Jennifer Armintrout. This was the third in her "Blood Ties" series about a doctor turned vampire, and I've liked them all so far. I like that her heroine, Carrie, is not always perfect--she makes some questionable choices at times, but Armintrout sets up the background and characters in such a way that her choices are not only believable, you can sympathize with them even if you think it may not have been the wisest thing. Overall, I recommend the series if you like horror, romance and erotica all in one book. :)

THE UNFORTUNATE MISS FORTUNES by Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer, and Anne Stuart. I picked this book up about three magical sisters, expecting it to be neatly divided into the three sections by the three different authors, but to my surprise, it was told as one tale. It was a credit to the authors and editors that this book unfolded so seamlessly. Recommended if you like romance, humor and magic.

Now, in the "shameless self-promotion" category, Cimorene at Enchanting Reviews read my story and had this to say:

Unmasked – Kate Sterling

4 Enchantments

When Morgan receives an invitation to the ball on Arcadia Island, she knows the wish she wants granted: to have one more night with the love of her life… without hurting his wife.

The goddess Aphrodite sees fit, however, to throw a stumbling block in Morgan's way. She has to find Derek before midnight, at a masked ball!
Instead, Morgan finds Brianna and Marcos, a married couple whose relationship is on the skids, and Morgan wants to help them spice it up. But when the couple is unmasked the next morning, Morgan has to decide if she's going to run, or live with her new love.

I'm not much into erotica myself, but Ms. Sterling handles it excellently, making this story tastefully spicy. While there seemed to be a bit of a flow issue in the beginning, it quickly straightened out after Morgan and Brianna met.
Ultimately, this is a good read and definitely adds to the character of the book!

....My overall opinion of the book is that it is a fabulous collection of works by some very talented authors. I can't wait to read more of the Masquerade Series, and see what other gods make their debuts.

A must-read for anyone who wonders what the ancient ones might be up to today!

Cimorene
Enchanting Review
=================
When I have the link to the full review, I'll post it.

On my current, ever-growing "to be read" shelf are: "Industrial Magic" - Kelley Armstrong; "Swords of Talera" - Charles Allen Gramlich; "High Seas Cthulhu" - Stewart Sternberg; "Apocalypse Woman" - Tyree Kimber; and "Hellblaze" - Yolanda Sfetsos.

So, what have YOU been reading lately?

Harry, Harry, Harry

As I'm trying to stay awake until midnight so I can go pick up my copy of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", I thought I'd share this "spoiler" my brother sent. I'm not sure where he got it - sick and funny.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Epilogue

Hermione scurried across the Great Hall at Hogwarts, through the secret door and up the stairs to her luxurious chambers, where she slumped into her favourite chair by the roaring fire.

She shivered, and Maximus slipped out to do whatever it is cats get up to on cold, winter evenings. And thoughts of poor, dead Ron, Ginny, Hagrid, Snape and the final battle filled her scarred mind once again. Every night for how long? Twenty years. That long. All those friends, all of them gone.

The passage of time had not blurred her memories of those extraordinary days. She could hear Harry's dying screams and see the leer on Ron's agonised, twisted face as he forced the stake into his former friend's black, black heart every time she closed her eyes.Poor Ron. His limbs, torso, and finally his sweet, sweet face turned to stone even as he forced the stake home and Hermione cast that final spell that tore the very life and soul from Harry Potter's evil, corrupt body.

Those seven years she had known Potter, fought and played alongside him. Those jolly wheezes escaping from the masters and Filch the caretaker. Those rum adventures as Griffindor won the House Cup. The months of screaming, spine-tearing terror as their young lives led up to that final good-against-evil battle. And it was all for lies.

How Harry had tricked her, used his dark magic to pull the wool over all their eyes. All that time they were running afraid of Voldemort, when the real evil was right in front of her, plotting, scheming, running his hands through her hair and over her pert, young breasts. Taking her. Taking her for everything she had. She swallowed hard at the memory, but the acid taste of her last meal still filled her mouth as she fought the nausea. And still she remembered how she enjoyed him at the time, for the young Potter certainly knew how to use that wand of his. But how the joy turned to despair as fast as he introduced her naked, yielding flesh to the sickening lusts of the Death Eaters. Even that had been fun, in its own way.

Compare that to the sweet, kind Voldemort she now knew. The caring, thoughtful man who had finally shown the dreadful Potter for what he was - the parent-slaying, rank, disgusting, perverted youth, filled with the ancient, evil magic that comes with a life of depravity. Potter was The Boy Who Lived, to be sure. The boy who lived to destroy.

"Mum?" said the figure at the door, "Are you alright?"

"I… I'm fine. I'm just remembering again."

He was a handsome man, now almost twenty years old. Round-rimmed glasses like his father, but caring and thoughtful where Harry had been violent and cold.

"I'm just going out. It's curry night at The Three Broomsticks."

Aye, and no doubt there'll be a stripper, too, and a punch-up on the way home in the early hours. Just like his old dad, then, before those cleansing fires consumed his still twitching body. But she could never have had that abortion, and, as Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher, she knew it would be for the best to keep what remains of that ancient evil nearby, where she could see it. Where she could strike it down should it return.

As Harold left, the door to her bed chamber opened. Tom. Tom Voldemort, her beloved. The one man who kept her sane. Tom Voldemort, headmaster of Hogwarts. He was good, she smiled, remembering wistfully, but he would never be as good as the Weasley twins.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, a knowing look on her face, "Harold's out for the evening."

"Good. Good. I've cast 'Engorgio' for you."

Hermione smiled. She wouldn't walk for a week.

About Me..me..me..

Ok, I think I've been tagged about a half dozen times for this, so there's no fighting it any longer. (And you taggers know who you are - don't think I'll forget this easily.) ;)

The gist is that I'm supposed to post 8 random facts about myself and then tag 8 others to do the same, but since everyone I know has already been tagged while I was away, I guess I'll just leave it at this.

So, let's see....

1. I've tried to resign from my current job four times now and they keep pulling me back. I just turned in my resignation again last week, and they talked me into staying on part-time through at least the end of October.

2. I took modern jazz, ballet, folk and tap dancing classes for years and still can't dance.

3. I've broken 12 bones from the waist down due to my lack of coordination. (see #2)

4. I love balding men with big noses - I think they're sexy.

5. When I was a teenager, I had a chance to run away with a carnival to work as a caricature artist. Now I wish I had taken it.

6. I currently have almost no furniture but am living with boxes and boxes of books for which I need to buy shelves. (got to have your priorities)

7. I'm having a really tough time coming up with these.

8. I'm glad this list is over.


Ok, so I cheated on the last two. Give me a break - I'm tired, still not unpacked from the move, and still trying to quit my job. I'm just a little burnt out these days, but it's good to be back online, even if for limited amounts of time. :)

For your enjoyment....

I received this from my friend Amber today:

http://foamy.arthemys.net/Foamy/Form_Letter.html

Pondering, weak and weary...

I'ts been a long, long month, folks, but I'm finally back online in the privacy of my own home. Lots to get caught up on, but I'm currently bone weary from moving and unpacking. (The latter is not yet done.)

Nevertheless, great to lay fingertips to keyboard again! Hope everyone is doing well.

I missed you guys.