Review: The Taste of Magick by Riley Shane

Title: The Taste of Magick
Author: Riley Shane
Series: Stand-alone (for now)
Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Release Date: 30 October 2010

Warlock Jason Prescott hates Halloween. His lover, Travis Byrne, is equally in love with it. After two years together this Halloween may just be their most important one. Travis is beginning to become frustrated with Jason's lack of shared emotion, and Jason knows that if he wants to keep Travis - and oh, does he - he's going to have to up the ante, and step outside his comfort zone.

Jason's point-of-view is the one we see this story through, and he's a fantastic character's head to be in. It makes it so much easier to understand him. He's absolutely in love with Travis, but has a horribly difficult time showing it, or even saying it. When he realizes that this could cause him to lose Travis, he knows he has to do more. What I love is that he doesn't just know he has to do more, he takes responsibility for not having done enough, and pushes himself forward to ensure that Travis is getting the love that he gives so freely back. Added to this, Jason has got quite the sarcastic personality, and I loved hearing his musings. Especially when he was disagreeing with himself. There were quite a few times that I was just grinning while reading his thoughts.

Travis is just fun. And sweet. He has no problems showing his love and care, and it hurt me a little bit to see him hurting from not getting the same back from Jason. He throws himself whole-heartedly into things, and doesn't shy away from taking the risk to his heart. I desperately wanted him to get everything he deserved.

Riley Shane has skillfully crafted a magical world filled with wonderful characters. The Taste of Magick gives us a glimpse into the continuation of a relationship, with the fun-filled background of Halloween, while fairly sizzling with heat. Every moment spent with Travis and Jason just makes you want to beg for more.

If you're looking for a quick, fun, hot, Halloween read, you absolutely MUST buy The Taste of Magick by Riley Shane! I very highly recommend it!

Grade: A+

Buy Here
Torquere Press

Also, I'm having a giveaway for this book! Click Here to enter!

Free eBooks 14

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October 29 2010 Blog Hop Follow Friday Tag Along

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This weeks question is: What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?

Well, that would have to be my library. You'd walk in through double pocket doors, dark walnut, into a spacious two story room. It would be completely open in the center. On the first floor would be a fireplace, along with several little reading areas. Comfy chairs, chaises, small tables and direction-able lamps. There would, of course, be a ton of bookshelves filled with books and some of my favorite collected things. There would be one of those sliding ladders so you could reach the books up high. In the corner(s) is one, possibly two (depending on the size of the room), spiral staircases that went up to the second level. Here would be a walkway with the walls filled with more shelves. Carrying more books. One entire wall would be made up of glass to let in the natural light when I wanted. There would be sliding doors, with a patio or porch just outside the room with more comfortable seating.

Yep. I can picture it perfectly in my head. I've wanted it forever.




Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.

Her question this week is: If you have, or would have a daughter, what book would you want your daughter to read?

I don't have a daughter, but if I did I think I'd just be happy she was developing a love of reading. It's such a wonderful thing to have that I can't imagine a childhood or life without it. I'm not going to get into the whole age-appropriateness of books because that's a very personal thing between a parent and their child - and my views on it could very well take up the next 3,000 words in this blog.

Calling all 18 and over book bloggers, are you looking for more bloggers like yourself? Well please join in so we can tag along with each other. This is for a specific group and your blog needs to primarily have book reviews and post adult book content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic, then you can play tag along. Sorry YA readers, but if you read both (I know some of you do) you can tag along also. Just make sure you have both YA and adult romance on your blog.

It doesn't matter what you read if it’s paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or mystery, along with erotic with any genre. As long as it is adult then you’re in.


To join in the fun and get details click here. This tag along is hosted by Laurie at Bitten by Paranormal Romance.


If you have an adult book blog, please sign up for this tag along. There are others including myself that are looking for you so please join us.


New This Week
It's been a slow week for me. I've been busy at work, and that hasn't let me be here as much, but the good news is that should change very soon :)
Waiting on Wednesday
What were they thinking??

My Halloween Contest!! Come by and enter to win

Disgusting! That's right - This article is Disgusting

I'm a couple of days late to this, but after reading about it first on Jennifer Armintrout's blog, and then several other places I just had to post about it.

What I'm talking about is this article from Marie Claire, entitled Should Fatties Get a Room (Even on TV)? Yes, you read that right.

I have to agree with Jennifer here, just on the title alone:

Okay, let's just grapple with that title there. Should fatties get a room? No. No, if I have to watch people of culturally acceptable body sizes pawing over each other in the supermarket check out line because the very sight of broccoli sends their libidos into overdrive, then I am allowed to kiss my husband in public. See, it's the "(Even on TV)?" part that gets me. It's like she's saying, "Of course, we all know it's unacceptable for fat people to touch each other in public. What decent human would even question that. No, no, what we are discussing is the probability of fat sex assaulting you in your very living room!"

That is, in fact, what the article is about. Or supposed to be about

The article is this (by Maura Kelly)

The other day, my editor asked me, "Do you really think people feel uncomfortable when they see overweight people making out on television?"

Because I can be kind of clueless — I'm not much of a TV person — I had no idea what she was talking about, so she steered me to this CNN article, about the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. As CNN explains, "the show centers around a couple who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group [and] has drawn complaints for its abundance of fat jokes [as well as] cries from some viewers who aren't comfortable watching intimacy between two plus-sized actors."

My initial response was: Hmm, being overweight is one thing — those people are downright obese! And while I think our country's obsession with physical perfection is unhealthy, I also think it's at least equally crazy, albeit in the other direction, to be implicitly promoting obesity! Yes, anorexia is sick, but at least some slim models are simply naturally skinny. No one who is as fat as Mike and Molly can be healthy. And obesity is costing our country far more in terms of all the related health problems we are paying for, by way of our insurance, than any other health problem, even cancer.

So anyway, yes, I think I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything. To be brutally honest, even in real life, I find it aesthetically displeasing to watch a very, very fat person simply walk across a room — just like I'd find it distressing if I saw a very drunk person stumbling across a bar or a heroine addict slumping in a chair.
Now, don't go getting the wrong impression: I have a few friends who could be called plump. I'm not some size-ist jerk. And I also know how tough it can be for truly heavy people to psych themselves up for the long process of slimming down. (For instance, the overweight maintenance guy at my gym has talked to me a little bit about how it seems worthless for him to even try working out, because he's been heavy for as long as he can remember.)

But ... I think obesity is something that most people have a ton of control over. It's something they can change, if only they put their minds to it.
(I'm happy to give you some nutrition and fitness suggestions if you need them — but long story short, eat more fresh and unprocessed foods, read labels and avoid foods with any kind of processed sweetener in them whether it's cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup, increase the amount of fiber you're getting, get some kind of exercise for 30 minutes at least five times a week, and do everything you can to stand up more — even while using your computer — and walk more. I admit that there's plenty that makes slimming down tough, but YOU CAN DO IT! Trust me. It will take some time, but you'll also feel so good, physically and emotionally. A nutritionist or personal trainer will help — and if you can't afford one, visit your local YMCA for some advice.)

Then again, I guess these characters are in Overeaters Anonymous. So ... points for trying?

Then again, I tend to think most television shows are a kind of junk food for the mind and body. The boob tube gives us an excuse to turn off both our brains and our bodies and probably does a helluva lot to contribute to the obesity problem, over all. So ... I don't know.
What do you guys think? Fat people making out on TV — are you cool with it? Do you think I'm being an insensitive jerk?

Wow. First, I'm actually not surprised that someone could write this. Especially considering the history of the author (a recovering anorexic - and first let me say, I'm very glad she's in recovery) who obviously still has body issues. This, I think, has to stem from her own hatred of her body, and history.

However, what really pisses me off, and what really makes me have to post about this is the fact that not only did Marie Claire ASK for this article - they posted it. They published it. A huge, syndicated magazine. And if we allow something like this to go uncontested, we're agreeing to it by default.

How is anything in this article right? From an overweight person being compared to a heroin addict, or drunk, to an obviously unqualified person offering up nutritional and exercise advice? Or is it offering up SUPER MODELS as a good, healthy standard?

Oh wait - she's not sizest, because she has a few "plump" friends. Yes, that makes all your comments better, and I'm absolutely sure they appreciated them too. (/sarcasm if you couldn't read that)

But, Ms. Kelly did 'apologize' in an update:

I would really like to apologize for the insensitive things I've said in this post. Believe it or not, I never wanted anyone to feel bullied or ashamed after reading this, and I sorely regret that it upset people so much. A lot of what I said was unnecessary. It wasn't productive, either.



I know a lot of people truly struggle to lose weight — for medical and psychological reasons — and that many people have an incredibly difficult time getting to a healthy size. I feel for those people and I'm truly sorry I added to the unhappiness and pain they feel with my post.



I would like to reiterate that I think it's great to have people of all shapes and healthy sizes represented in magazines (as, it bears mentioning here, they are in Marie Claire) and on TV shows — and that in my post, I was talking about a TV show that features people who are not simply a little overweight, but appear to be morbidly obese. (Morbid obesity is defined as 100 percent more than their ideal weight.) And for whatever it's worth, I feel just as uncomfortable when I see an anorexic person as I do when I see someone who is morbidly obese, because I assume people suffering from eating disorders on either end of the spectrum are doing damage to their bodies, and that they are unhappy. But perhaps I shouldn’t be so quick to judge based on superficial observations.


To that point (and on a more personal level), a few commenters and one of my friends mentioned that my extreme reaction might have grown out of my own body issues, my history as an anorexic, and my life-long obsession with being thin. As I mentioned in the ongoing dialogue we’ve been carrying on in the comments section, I think that's an accurate insight.


People have accused me of being a bully in my post. I never intended to be that — it's actually the very last thing I want to be, as a writer or a person. But I know that I came off that way, and I really cannot apologize enough to the people whom I upset.

OK then. That makes it all better.

I can't say enough how wrong this whole thing is.

Shame on you Ms. Kelly. But even more, Shame on You, Marie Claire.

UPDATE Editor in Chief Joanna Coles Responds to Controversial Blog Post

“Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger,” Coles told us. “She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.”

Coles said the mag has received over 28,000 email responses to the piece, and that Kelly was “excited and moved by their responses.”

Some other posts about this subject:
Babbling About Books, & More
Hussein's Drama Llama Post
Jennifer Armintrout's Blog

Halloween Contest! The Taste of Magick by Riley Shane

So there's this totally awesome short story coming out in just a few days from my good friend, Riley Shane, called The Taste of Magick from Torquere Press.

I was lucky enough to be a critique partner for this wonderful Halloween story, and can't recommend it enough.

Title: The Taste of Magick
Author: Riley Shane
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 30 October 2010
Publisher: Torquere Press

Here's the blurb from the website:

Warlock Jason Prescott hates Halloween with a passion. His boyfriend, Travis Byrne, loves it with equal fervor. When Halloween time rolls around, the couple’s relationship hits its breaking point. In order to save it, Jason will have to learn to open up, step outside his comfort zone, and show Travis how much he means to him. With the help of a little magick, Jason will deliver a Halloween surprise that turns into a bewitchingly erotic night neither he nor Travis will ever forget.


So in honor of it's release on October 30, 2010 I'm having a contest. I'll be giving away at least one of these (when you win you can let me know what format you'd like) ebooks. Depending on how many entries I have, I may add more.

It's a great Halloween love story, and I'm so very excited for it!



How to enter:

Comment here (+1)
Do a blog post (leave me the link here) (+3)
Tweet (leave me the link here) (+2)

Contest will close next Wednesday, November 3rd.

Waiting on Wednesday: Afterlight

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!


I admit, I first was drawn to this book because of the cover. But then I read the blurb, and it sounds really interesting. I can't wait to see if it lives up. This is my first WoW that's not by an author I already read

Title: Afterlight
Author: Elle Jasper
Series: Dark Ink Chronicles 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: 02 November 2010

Book Description (from Goodreads, and author's website):

The Dupres have been Savannah's guardians, appointed by a band of root doctors and hoodooists, for nearly two hundred years. They've all grown...complacent. Now, the Arcos brothers, who've long been entombed at Bonaventure, have been inadvertently freed by a group of teenagers horsing around in the cemetery. Determined to take revenge on the city who entombed them, the Arcos' gather strength in the city's youth. Within the moon's full cycle, the gang's quickening will be complete--they'll become vampires. Newlings, out of control and craving human blood will ravage the city. The one thing the Arcos' didn't count on was the powerful love of a sister. Riley Poe will stop at nothing to get her brother back. The one thing Riley didn't count on was the powerful love of a vampire. Eli Dupre will do anything to get her. Follow Riley, Eli, and the vampires of the Dupre House into the shadowy, underside of Savannah.


Blood is thicker than ink.

There is a reason we fear the night…

As Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe is quite familiar with the local underground scene. She lives and works on the edge of it every day.

Now, she's about to step over the edge.

When her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by centuries-old vampires, Riley discovers a world of shadows and blood--and those who exist there.

Her ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, who is attracted both to Riley's beauty as well as her one-of-a-kind blood type. A blood type he is not alone in craving.

To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley will face dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour all in its vile grasp.

October 22 2010 Blog Hop Follow Friday Tag Along

 
 
Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.
 
About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!
 
This weeks question is: Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?

Favorite place to read, hmm? I'd have to say it's out on my three-season-porch. It's enclosed, with windows all around and my nice comfy reading chair. I can curl up any way I want in there, enjoy the rain in the spring, the breeze during the summer and the changing leaves in the fall. With a nice cup of hot latte or tea by my side it's damn close to heaven.
 

 
Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.
 
Her question this week is: What are you currently reading? Basically, what book is that?

I'm currently reading Bayou Moon (The Edge 2) by Ilona Andrews. I really, really enjoyed On the Edge, the first book in the series, and was anxious to start this one. Work, and some back issues, have kept me from reading as much as I want and I'm not very far in it, but I hope to finish it this weekend and have a review up.
 
 
 
 

Calling all 18 and over book bloggers, are you looking for more bloggers like yourself? Well please join in so we can tag along with each other. This is for a specific group and your blog needs to primarily have book reviews and post adult book content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic, then you can play tag along. Sorry YA readers, but if you read both (I know some of you do) you can tag along also. Just make sure you have both YA and adult romance on your blog.

It doesn't matter what you read if it’s paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or mystery, along with erotic with any genre. As long as it is adult then you’re in.


To join in the fun and get details click here. This tag along is hosted by Laurie at Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

If you have an adult book blog, please sign up for this tag along. There are others including myself that are looking for you so please join us.





New this week:
Free eBooks!!
Hodgepodge Tuesday - Where I talk about a bunch of contests going on, and have my Top Ten Fictional Crushes as well as a Teaser Tuesday excerpt from Bayou Moon
Cover Alert! - Kiss of Snow (Hawke's book) by Nalini Singh has a cover!
Waiting on Wednesday - River Marked (Mercy Thompson series) by Patricia Briggs



This time of year, like no other, makes me miss living in the city. I love the peace and quiet of the country, without neighbors to worry about when I'm making noise. With room to run my dog without a leash, and with the simple fresh air. But Halloween's approaching. I miss the trick-or-treaters. I miss dressing up to hand out candy. *sigh* I'm thinking of doing something this year anyways. I've heard of a couple of parties, and I may go to one just to be able to get out and have fun.

Next week I'll be carving apples, something I haven't done in years, to hang in my trees. I'm really looking forward to that and will post pictures (if I remember LOL).

So what are you all doing for Halloween? What's your favorite tradition, or new thing, that you have planned?

Waiting on Wednesday: River Marked

 
 
Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!
 
 
I started the Mercy Thompson series on a whim. But I was quickly hooked. I have great admiration for how Patricia Briggs writes the series, and her characters are some of my favorites.

 
Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson 6
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: 01 March 2011
 
Book Description (from Goodreads):
 

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…

Cover Alert: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Nalini Singh posted the cover for Hawke's book, Kiss of Snow due out, in hardcover, in June of 2011.

I have been anxiously waiting for this book ever since we first met Hawke in Slave to Sensation, the first book in the Psy/Changeling series.

Hodgepodge Tuesday 1

Forgive the jumping around, a bit, in this post, but I have a lot I've been wanting to touch on and just found the time to actually do this post!

First, a good friend of mine, Nicole Sheldon of The Betrayed Writer, is hosting a giveaway for a great cause - National Breast Cancer Awareness and Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month (they share October). It goes until the end of this month, so head over there and check it out!! Click HERE











And while I'm here, a few other giveaways going on around the blog-o-sphere (check my sidebar for these regularly too):

H.P. Mallory, author of Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and To Kill a Warlock is having a contest for *you* to be a character in her next book Toil and Trouble.  Head over to her blog to see how to enter (it's really easy!) Click HERE












Chazz Hart is doing giveaways all this month, and this weeks is to win Evernight, Hourglass and Stargazer all by Claudia Gray - the first three books in her Evernight series! Click HERE to check it out!

Tara at hobbitsies is having a 100 Follower Giveaway of Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen. Click HERE for rules on entering. Ends October 20th.











Karissa at Karissa's Reading Review is having a Fall Giveaway, consisting of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen, and Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Click HERE for the entry form!




Kt at A Book Obsession is having a 200 Follower giveaway! The winner gets to chose from a wonderful assortment of books on her site! Click HERE to see the rules for entering! Open until November 3rd.









Ambur at Burning Impossibly Bright is having a giveaway of Firelight by Sophie Jordan and assorted swag! Six winners in all. Click HERE to enter.









Okay! Enough with the giveaways and contests!

I've seen a few Teaser Tuesday posts around, and thought that sounded like fun! It's definitely gotten me interested in a few new-to-me books! So here's mine for this week:

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, here's how:
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share a couple 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ACTUAL SPOILERS!! Make sure what you share doesn't give away too much!
5. Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants know what books to add to their TBR lists!

Bayou Moon (The Edge 2)
Ilona Andrews
Page: 79

That was a hell of a sword strike. A good punch, too. He was dying to see what she looked like under all that grime and mud. "If I put you down, you'll fall, and I don't want to pick you up again after you roll in the muck. I'm muddy enough as is."

"You're a thug, and an ass," she told him, baring small, even teeth.

If she had the energy to snap, she was coming out of it. Good. "You say the sweetest things."

The other thing I found this week that I thought looked fun was "Top Ten Tuesdays" which is a meme hosted by Jen at The Broke and Bookish. They're particularly fond of lists, girls after my own heart!! Check it out here.







This weeks list is (in no particular order, except the first one):

Top Ten Fictional Crushes
I tried to keep it to one per author. Which was extremely difficult!

1. Barrons - From the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning. He's an enigma, totally hot, and smart as all hell! If I could figure out how to get him out of the book, I would.

2. Vishous - From the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward. A vampire that is a genius, loyal, and a dom. Loved him since I first saw him in Dark Lover.

3. Kaleb - From the Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh. What can I say - I love a bad boy, and they don't get much badder than Kaleb.

4. Miach - From the Nine Kingdoms Series by Lynn Kurland. He's loyal to a fault, he's committed to his duty, but at the same time willing to do anything for the one he loves. Miach is quite simply wonderful.

5. Roarke - From the In Death Series by J.D. Robb. What's not to love about Roarke.

6. John Pritkin - From the Cassandra Palmer Series by Karen Chance. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but I absolutely love every time he shows up.

7. Lady Corsair - From the Iron Seas by Meljean Brook. A female pirate with a interesting code of honor, and a kick-ass attitude.

8. Bones - From the Night Huntress Series by Jeanniene Frost

9. Aragorn - From the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

10. Adam - From the Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs


And because I couldn't resist, some of my favorite's from TV and movies.  Not just because of their looks (though that doesn't hurt) but the personalities make them some of my favorites.  Here they are:

1. Dean Winchester - From Supernatural. Witty, take-charge, and kick ass.

2. Jason Bourne - From the Bourne trilogy.

3. Eric - From the True Blood series. The character in the Sookie Stackhouse books has a LOT to do with this.

4. Richard Cypher - From the Legend of the Seeker.

5. Castiel - From Supernatural

















So. Who are some of your favorites??