Pick your predator

In continuation of my Halloween theme I have a question for you today.

As you may have figured out by my recent posts, I have a thing for vampires. If you write a book with a main character (especially the hero) as a vampire, I am yours. Truly. I have read some really not great books simply because there were vamps in it. Werewolves? I like 'em, but I can pass on their story. Demons and angels? I have only recently started to read those. I blame Meljean for this. Until I read Demon Angel I had no desire to read a sexy scene the included a woman with horns or a man with a tail. Lilith has ruined me.

But I will still pick a vamps over these other paranormal creatures any day of the week. Vampire Urban Fantasy? Yup! Vampire historical romance? You bet! Vampire contemporary? Absolutely! I just love vamps. Why is that, you ask? I think it is the versatility of the vamp mythos. Each author has created their own world. Sometimes vamps are the walking undead. Other authors have their vamps originate from Atlantis or even an alien race. It might be a virus that has infected the vamp or they are simply another race living amongst humans. Some can walk in the sun with ill effects, while others will incinerate upon UV contact. Vamps in certain mythos drink blood from bags (blood banks). There are almost always laws dictating the acceptable behavior of vamps living along side humans. There are politics, societal norms, and the illicit love they feel for the woman or man who is not one of their own kind. These vamps are strong, passionate, possessive, determined, haunted, damaged, gorgeous (of course), tortured, primal, demanding... Alpha in every sense of the word. And damn if I don't love it.

How about you? Are you a fellow vamp lover or does another otherworldly being get your knickers in a twist? What is it about them that sucks you in every time?

Feelin' the Love

The super sweet and fabulous Wendy from Kicks and Giggles was sharin' the love earlier this week and bestowed upon me this award.  Thanks, Wendy!  It really means a lot to me, especially since I have only been part of this wonderful book blogging world since March.  I still feel like such a newbie sometimes.  This award makes me smile and makes me feel like I need to get on top of things over here.  No, not like that, you dirty birds!  I meant, you know, get organized and maybe post with some consistancy.  Of course, this means reading and actually writing a review.  I really need to finish that latest vamp novel I started.

Anyhow, it is now my turn to pass out the awards.  I think most every blog I visit has already received this award.  With that in mind, I am simply going to recongize those blogs I consider a "must visit" on days when I am strapped for time.  Here are the blogs I can't miss:

Stacy- My local book pimp
Sarai- She who has volunteered to suffer through my writing attempts
Smart Bitches- They were my intro into the world of romance book blogs/sites. If not for them I would still be clueless.
DIK Ladies- Yes, I know I am part of it, but there are so many of you involved and I just feel honored to be part of such a great group and blog.
Meljean Brook- Cracks my shit up. 'nuf said.
Ripmybodice- I never laugh more than while reading their reviews. Frickin' hilarious.
JenB- WTF Wednesdays.  She dares to ask the questions, we dare to share too much.

So you want to participate? Here are the rules:


1) Add the logo of the award to your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you.
3) Nominate at least 5 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

Taking the plunge

Yes, that's right my friends, I am taking the plunge into NaNoWriMo.  For the past few years I had seen my friends (both of the RL and Internet variety) blogging about participating in this mysterious NaNoWriMo thing.  I was not sure what it was.  Eventually I figured out it had to do with writing, but that was about it.  Now, since entering the wonderful world of book blogging, I have finally figured it out.  So here I am officially signed up for my first year of participation.  At first I was excited that I would have a challenge that could help me finish my book.  Then I read the fine print (you really should do that before signing up for things.)  I can't use my current writing project for NaNo!  I have to start fresh with something new.  Oh noes!!!  My lighthearted paranormal romp needs more work.  It is not nearly done.  I am focused.  I am determined. And they want me to start something new?  Crazy talk! 

::deep breath::

OK, I can do this.  I can make this work.  So now I have a plan for the month of October: write the heck out of my current project (let's see how many words I can get up to) and plan out writing project #2 for NaNoWriMo.  That is a ton of writing.  I just hope I don't burn out before November 1st.  I wrote a little over 4500 words over the past two days.  Tonight I have decreed that there will be no writing.  I will take a break and work on developing my hero for the NaNo project.  Tomorrow?  Writing.  Thursday?  Develop heroine.  Friday?  Fun time with the girls!  Saturday?  See Friday :)  And then back to the writing.  A little bit of fun. A little bit of planning. Some decent writing time.  Hopefully it will all balance out to me being ready to go full tilt on November 1st.

The really exciting part is that I think I have convinced a couple of the teachers at my school to have their students participate in the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program.  It looks like tons of fun.  The kids get to set a personal word count goals.  There is a writing workbooks that even I want to use to plan my book.  Seriously, this thing has writing activities to develop their characters, setting, internal and external conflict, plot, and just about anything else you can think of.  The only drawback is that they only have a PDF file of the workbook.  You can't purchase hard copies for the students.  Each book is 85 pages long.  That is a whole lot of copies to make.  It will take some creative planning, but I think it is doable between using the overhead projector, power point, and selective copying.  I am considering telling the students that I am participating and challenging them to try and beat my word count.  It would certainly give me the drive I need to write.  How embarrassing would it be to be out-written by a 6th grader?

A writing question

OK, my friends, I need your help.  I have been playing with a story for a couple of months now and I am finally getting some words down on paper (over 10,500 now!)  I'm in the groove a bit and realize I need some feedback.  Sarai was fabulous and looked over things when I first started (thanks, hon!), but I think I am ready to enlist a critique partner.  This question goes out to all of you currently writing, how did you go about finding your CP?  How exactly does this all work?  Any advice for a writing newbie?

Paranormal influx: good or bad?

Vampires. Oh, how I love them. I think my fascination began back in high school when I first read The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith. The angst. The love. The hot vamp guys. There is just something so compelling and sexy about a vampire hero. Yes, I know that there are books out there where the vampire character is not gorgeous and heroic. Frankly, I like to ignore those books (unless it is a para rom or UF with other fabulous men in it.) Give me a book with a tortured "other" in the spotlight and I am your devoted reader.

Since pickings used to be so slim in terms of para rom (see my previous post), I used to devour any dark romance that came my way. With the exponential explosion in para rom and UF offerings I have found myself in a bit of a pickle. I actually have to make choices about the books I read. Crazy, I know. I no longer have to settle for what the publishing houses release. There is a multitude of offerings every week. This is a seemingly wonderful problem to have. Too many choices can't be a bad thing, can it? Actually, it can.

Because reader demand for para rom is at it's highest in years, the publishing houses are releasing floods of books for our consumption. When they only offered a handful of selections, the publishers would be more selective about the stories they released. Today, I fear that there is more of a focus on quantity than quality. It used to be a much rarer occurrence for me to buy a vamp or werewolf novel and end up disappointed. Nearly all of the books were well written with interesting, well thought out plots. I am sad to say that is not the truth today. Don't get me wrong, I know not all of the para rom novels released ten years ago were of the highest quality, but the percentage of high quality para rom books has seemed to decrease as this recent trend has built.

Or it can be explained in a different way. Perhaps the benchmark has been set higher. In days past I was ecstatic to snag new titles by the likes of Lynsay Sands and Susan Sizemore. These authors are still writing, still giving us the same style and plot that they have for years. This is neither good or bad, just a statement of fact. I just finished reading The Rogue Hunter by Lynsay Sands. It was pretty much what I expected from her: light, easy read, a sprinkle of vamp angst (although really more like worry than angst), some misunderstandings, and lurv. As is typical of her vampire series the H&h meet in an unexpected way. He can not read her thoughts and... life mate! How to tell her? I am beginning to view her books more like a contemporary romance where the hero or heroine just happens to be a vampire. The focus is more about the interactions between the main characters and how they will overcome the fact that he/she is different. Heck, take away vampire and insert a different religion or ethnicity and you have a contemp. Again, this is neither good nor bad. It really depends on what you are looking for in your paranormal romances. Lately, I have been wanting more.

Maybe I can lay blame at the feet of such authors as J.R. Ward, Larissa Ione, Lara Adrian, and Meljean Brooks, but I expect more out of a para rom novel these days. I demand angst. I expect suspense. I want a Big Bad that makes you cringe. There must be some damn good chemistry and that HEA better make my heart speed up. (The Rogue Hunter seemed to have more of a HFN, which I don't accept in a romance novel, thank you very much.) I finished reading Pleasure Unbound (Larissa Ione) earlier this week. I put it down and immediately went to my computer to find out when the next book was going to be released. THAT is what I am talking about. Eidolon was all I could ask for in a hero: smart, sexy, wrestling with his own inner demon (pun slightly intended.) He had his own set of morals, yet was tempted to break them, or realign them, in order to be with Tayla. He was drawn to her, despite being enemies. He wanted to help and protect her despite knowing that she fought against and killed his people. Tayla was a great heroine. She was tough (could match Eidolon in a fight), smart, troubled, and dealing with her own torments. Not only did she have to work through a crisis of conscience, but had to face the realities of her past and her future. These were not small issues. I love that Ms. Ione had two opposing sides (demons and Guardians), both of whom could be considered the good guys in some way. Each was misinformed about the other, causing confusion and enmity that was not necessary. I think this made the novel even better. It would have been easy to make one side right and one side wrong. These shades of gray are what kept the reader intrigued. The Big Bad was committing crimes that justified the reactions of all the characters. No one seemed to be overreacting or blowing the events out of proportion. The terror and worry were well matched with the actions of the Evil. You could understand why everyone was so angry and frightened (sorry Ms. Ward, but your baby powder smelling guys just don't invoke that fear in me. Love your men, though!)

I think the publishing houses need to take note. We readers love the wider availability of paranormal romances, but our benchmark for quality has not lowered. Neither should their standards. I would rather a smaller selection of high quality reads, then a plethora of lackluster demons and fae. Give me one or two decadent Vosges chocolate truffles. You can keep the 5lbs. box of school fundraiser chocolate crisp bars.

Vampires and werewolves and fae, oh my!

I love October.  The temps begin to dip.  The trees along the street change their wardrobes from green to fiery orange and yellow.  I get to pull my sweaters out of storage.  My favorite boots are in season again.  We have made it through that first month of school and the students are settling into their routine.  Halloween is fast approaching, which means costume plans are in motion (or will be very soon!) 

Every year at this time I start to get the urge to participate in certain activities.  New crochet projects are planned.  Pumpkin and apple picking is considered (I will do it this year. For serious!)  My menu planning turns from cold salads and BBQ to hot soups, stews and roasts. 

It used to be that during the month of October I would be hit with a sudden desire for paranormal romance.  This was the time of year that publishers would release a sudden tsunami of books featuring vampires, werewolves, and other creatures that go bump in the night.  While their selection in May might be sparse, October was the time to indulge your inner Gothic side.  This year, and even last year, I have noticed a change.  I have not been stocking up on tales of vamp lovin'.  I was perplexed at first.  Why would this be?  It is almost a tradition for me.  October = paranormal plot line.  Then it hit me.  There was not a noticeable increase in PR offerings prior to Halloween.  Not that publishers had decided to stop releasing these titles.  Quite the contrary.  The February or May drought of werewolf or vamp tales was no more.  Paranormal romances have become such the rage in the industry that there now seems to be new releases every week.  Demand for these stories has gone through the roof.  Publishing companies no longer feel the need to hold their release dates until Halloween approaches.  Readers are looking for that vampiric thrill year round.  I admit, I am one of these readers. 

I know this is a trend.  Every industry has them.  I know that some day we will go back to the pre-Halloween paranormal influx.  For now, though, paranormal junkies like me can indulge themselves any time they please. No longer are we forced to be seasonal readers.  Yet, someday it will return again. 

October = paranormal romance  

December = holiday anthologies

July = beach and cottage books

Do the seasons ever impact your reading selections?  Are there particular genres or author or even books that you are drawn to at specific times of the year? 

Banned Book Meme

Nicola tagged me for this meme.  Yay! I love this sort of thing.

How many have YOU read?


Celebrating Banned Book Week 2008, here is the ALA's list of the 100 most frequently challenged books from 1990 through 2000.

How to Play:

1: Copy this list.
2: Highlight the ones you have read (or at least remember reading) in RED.
3: Tag five people to play.


The List:

1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. Daddy’s Roommate by Michael Willhoite
3. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
4. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
8. Forever by Judy Blume
9. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
10. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
11. Heather Has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman
12. My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
13. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
14. The Giver by Lois Lowry
15. It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie Harris
16. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
17. A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck
18. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
19. Sex by Madonna
20. Earth’s Children (Series) by Jean M. Auel
21. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
22. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
23. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
24. Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
25. In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak
26. The Stupids (Series) by Harry Allard
27. The Witches by Roald Dahl
28. The New Joy of Gay Sex by Charles Silverstein
29. Anastasia Krupnik (Series) by Lois Lowry
30. The Goats by Brock Cole
31. Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane
32. Blubber by Judy Blume
33. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
34. Halloween ABC by Eve Merriam
35. We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
36. Final Exit by Derek Humphry
37. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
38. Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
39. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
40. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Girls: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Daughters by Lynda Madaras
41. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
42. Beloved by Toni Morrison
43. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
44. The Pigman by Paul Zindel
45. Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard
46. Deenie by Judy Blume
47. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
48. Annie on my Mind by Nancy Garden
49. The Boy Who Lost His Face by Louis Sachar
50. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat by Alvin Schwartz
51. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
52. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
53. Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A.N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice)
54. Asking About Sex and Growing Up by Joanna Cole
55. Cujo by Stephen King
56. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
57. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
58. Boys and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
59. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. What’s Happening to my Body? Book for Boys: A Growing-Up Guide for Parents & Sons by Lynda Madaras
62. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
63. Crazy Lady by Jane Conly
64. Athletic Shorts by Chris Crutcher
65. Fade by Robert Cormier
66. Guess What? by Mem Fox
67. The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
68. The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
69. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
70. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
71. Native Son by Richard Wright
72. Women on Top: How Real Life Has Changed Women’s Fantasies by Nancy Friday
73. Curses, Hexes and Spells by Daniel Cohen
74. Jack by A.M. Homes
75. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya
76. Where Did I Come From? by Peter Mayle
77. Carrie by Stephen King
78. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
79. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
80. Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge
81. Family Secrets by Norma Klein
82. Mommy Laid An Egg by Babette Cole
83. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
84. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
85. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
86. Always Running by Luis Rodriguez
87. Private Parts by Howard Stern
88. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
89. Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene
90. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman
91. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
92. Running Loose by Chris Crutcher
93. Sex Education by Jenny Davis
94. The Drowning of Stephen Jones by Bette Greene
95. Girls and Sex by Wardell Pomeroy
96. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
97. View from the Cherry Tree by Willo Davis Roberts
98. The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
99. The Terrorist by Caroline Cooney
100. Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier


Total: 19

That's more than I had expected. Nice.  I need to read more of these.  As for the rest of you, I know many of you have done this meme. If you have not, consider yourself tagged!