Why is This Not a Surprise?

You Failed 8th Grade Math

Oh no, you only got 0/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

I tried really hard. I really did. I try not to be miffed, but I am. If I could get one, just one, right, I'd be skipping with joy. Heh. I'd just showed it to Will and he told me I was an idiot for giving it a try when I'm full well aware that I can't read numbers, so he suggested I should try something else. Something he knows I'd be good at. So, here is it:

You Failed 8th Grade Science

Sorry, you only got 1/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

*crying* Be good, be bad & be safe

Mish Mash II

Everybody Must Obey the Rules! I really like Sarah's The Official Rules . Sarah's rules for Prehistoric Fiction also has inspired Gabriele C. to write her own: Rules for Writing Scottish Romances. It reminds me of a post I once wrote about British-setting historical romances a while ago. Let me see if I can find it. Ah, found it: My Education as a Romance Reader. That reminds me, my attempt to create the Braveheart drinking game is done! I'm going to test it on my beloved guinea pig husband tonight. I think he'll be too stunned to realise what is going on because he knows I'd rather drink a glass of razors than to watch Braveheart again. But for this drinking game experiment, I will do it. If I'm talking gibberish tomorrow, you know why. Never the Twain Shall Meet KarenS comes up with a hilarious but oh-so-true blog post: Are Reviewers Becoming Too Much Like Simon Cowell? An RTB Columnist Thinks So... I love this bit from her blog post:

The thing is, as somebody wisely pointed out, reviews are for readers, and although they are wholly subjective, I appreciate an honest review any day, more than a book that’s been Harriet Klausnered.

I sometimes wonder when authors say they don't like 'mean' reviews, are they really saying that they feel that those mean reviews are attacking them, not their books? Some of authors' comments around this issue I read over years remind me of my aunt who always makes sure that her house is absolutely spotless, the kind where you can eat dinner off kitchen floor, because she sees her house as part - if not the core - of her identity. Make a comment about her home, you're making a comment about her, never mind the fact you weren't even thinking of her when you made your comment. Some authors are able to distance themselves from their books the day they are released, but there are some who just can't. If this is the case, wouldn't it be a good idea not to read 'mean' reviews rather than trying to control encourage those reviewers how they should craft their reviews? Quite ironic, really. I mean, some authors deeply resent people telling them how to craft their stories, yet some do it to reviewers and, in some cases, reader bloggers. Swirly Eyes Wanted! Are you the artistic type or do you have an eye for great book covers? If so, Meljean Brook wants your ideas for the cover of her forthcoming paranormal romance, which doesn't have a working title yet but for the time being, it's known as the Lilith story or, in my eyes, The Devil's Daughter, Literally. Hm. *twitchy eye* At Smart Bitches, Sarah and Candy did a hilarious commentary on covers of Scottish *twitchy eye* historical romances: DeSalvo, Part Deux. *twitchy eye* They take the mick out of one certain book title, and what makes it even more funny is the word 'laird' - which has to be one of most misunderstood words outside Scotland - is akin to 'farmer'. Speaking of covers, I stumbled across this new-to-me blog: A Cover a Day, which makes a great addition to my mini link collection that focuses mostly on book covers. The list includes:

• Unicorns Are in the World Again
• Top 40 Sickest Comic Covers Ever [It's not that sick, just silly and some times, seriously hilarious]
• Bad Book Covers - an old favourite
• Flap Art -- here's my favourite.
• Book Covers
• Czech Book Covers - a very cool collection
• Gay on the Range - An archive of gay paperback artwork from the '50s and '60s
• Unintentionally Sexual Comic Book Covers - it's great for anyone who needs a bit of cheering up.
• Most Coveted Covers
• I always love looking at those awe-inspiring photos: Book Tower

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?* Alyssa wants suggestions for a FAQ that she will upload to her forthcoming author web site. Three lucky winners will receive a set of three votive candles and a candle holder. Hm, votive candles? *off to google* Ooh, those are, basically, candles in glass. Who knew? * OK, this is one of most popular misquotations. Actual line from Dirty Harry:

"...you've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Link of the Day: The Bellydancing Librarian [re: Gallery of Bellydancing Librarians -- hm, where's yours, Wendy C.?] Be good, be bad & be safe.

Romance Authors' Names

There is a few romance authors' names that make me question their sanity for not adopting a pen name or two, but there are some that makes me question my sanity for not getting their names right. Names that make my head spin:

• Jacquie D'Alessandro A name I'd not like to see again. I constantly get both names wrong, ranging from Jacqueline to D'Arcy [don't ask]. Thankfully, her web site address is a lot easier to memorise: jacquied.com
• Gaelen Foley My attempts to remember how to spell her first name vexed me a-many times. Gael isn't hard to forget, so why do I constantly get her name wrong, ffs? Whenever I write her name, I usually think, "Gealan? Gelean? Gaelan? Fuck. Gael...in? Gaelin! No, no. Gaelan? Hm, Gaelun?" Edited: I should explain why I have problems spelling her name. As many know, Gaelen is a modern male name, so it's extremely difficult for me to remember that she - as a female - has this name, hence my stupidity.
• Jude Deveraux When I write her surname down, I always have a twig of doubt that I have it right because, mostly, I have a long-time friend whose surname is Devereaux.
• Jo Beverley My failure to remember how to spell her surname baffles me. Actually, I have a friend whose name is Beverley and she was irritated with me enough to allow me - the only one allowed in the entire country - address her in writing as 'Bev'. :D
• Liz Carlyle I have a habit of spelling her surname as Carlysle, mostly because of 'Carlisle', a town not far from Newcastle where I used to live. It's rather embarrassing because Carlyle is quite a popular surname over here.
• Catherine Mulvany This is an embarrassing admission, but I tend to spell her surname as 'Mulfey'.
• Cheryl Reavis Another embarrassing admission: I tend to spell her surname as Reiver. I think now I'll quietly dissolve into a pool of shame.
• Marsha Canham I tend to spell her first name as 'Martha'. God knows why.
• Dallas Schulze I have never ever get her surname right. For some reason I always think it has to have a 't' in there somewhere. Such as Shultz, Shultze.
• Heather Graham Pozzessere Here, I tend to spell her surname as 'Pozzessesse' or, at one time, 'Puzzesese'

Hm, now you know what's been hopping on my mind while I slowly sink in a pool of boredom of doing sock-pairing. I wish there is a robotic device to do the sorting and pairing for me. Has anyone ever solved the one-sock mystery, by the way? Link of the Day: This Into That Be good, be bad & be safe.

A Quick Flit Around Room

Mini HEA for Will and I After listening to Will's comments about the appearance of this blog, I've tidied this place up. Especially the links sidebar. :D I hope it looks simpler now. Anyhow, Will read my previous post and told me that I was idiotic for not being upfront. He freely admits to being a tad sensitive about my reactions, but I still should have come clean. Aww! The good news is we've agreed to adopt Amanda's suggestion - a notebook of books I'd dive off a cliff for. Yay! Thanks, Amanda! :D Once Again, A Wild Dance Around the Bush I was reading the latest RTB blog post half-way down when I realised where it was heading, I stopped there and left. Frankly I can't be arsed about it any more. It was an issue ten years ago and it's an issue today. Different lyrics, different singers, but same tune. Whatever Happened To ... While Berlin took me out for a walk around the park, I wondered what happened to these romance authors: Kate Hathaway Danielle Harmon Rene Garrod Susanna Kearsley Ashley Snow Tiffany White Lauren Wilde Sandra Canfield - I just remembered that she passed away after a long illness. :( Susannah Leigh Megan Chance - OK, OK, there is An Inconvenient Wife, but dammnit, she can't be that much of a slow writer? I really dislike it when authors' web sites aren't regularly updated, not even monthly. What is the point of having a web site if it can't be updated? *whine, whine* Anyhow, I'm currently reading Lucy Monroe's Willing. Am I right in thinking that it's part of a series? If so, what are the titles [in order, if poss, please]? I found a couple of vague references a bit distracting, just enough to take a break to write this. :D Be good, be bad & be safe.

A Quick Round of Link Slutting

I haven't been round much, so some of you may have already seen those links, but I found them interesting enough to list here:

• Vampire Genre - a vampire romance book review blog. Does anyone know any more new book review blogs?
• MoviesBasedonBooks - a long list of books that were made into films. I think editors have stopped updating the site, but there is enough stuff to hook anyone's attention for a couple of hours.
• Hairstyles - Cranky Reader sent me this link and honestly, I'm awe of this girl's sense of adventure. And courage.
• Julie's Tacky Treasures - the title says it all.
• CinemaSpot.com - a recent discovery and I still haven't finished exploring.
• Strange New Products - another amusing blog
• MalePregnancy.com - um, it's interesting ... it has to be a hoax?
• The Book Arts Web - books + art = not sure what to think. Half of me appreciates the point and another half of me is appalled by the treatment of those books.

Be good, be bad & be safe.

I is the Goddess of The Night!

Err ... I was supposed to clean out my reference library [1,103 books, according to Will and his sore index finger), but I was busy having fun at artPad. Here's one of my attempts: http://artpad.art.com/?iv3jankzyyw If you have the time, I'd love to see your efforts. :D Anyhow, I'm thinking that 2006 is good because Will hasn't burned down our kitchen. He set it on fire three times last year, but this year, he hasn't done so. Yet. Oh, oh! Will surprised me with a late Valentine's present: a box of books! And straight from the US, too. It was supposed to arrive on the day of hearts, but ah, bless the Royal Mail's heart, it didn't arrive 'til today. Knowing what we all are like [read: we are a bunch of nosey cows], here is my list of valentine books from Will:

• Dark Melody - Christine Feehan
• Wild Rain - Christine Feehan
• Fever - Christine Feehan [bless Will's heart]
• Master of the Night - Angela Knight
• Master of the Moon - Angela Knight
• Unleash the Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Seize the Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Fantasy Lover - Sherrilyn Kenyon
• Dragonswan - Sherrilyn Kenyon

I did the proper act - going wild, kissing him like mad, and thanking him for about five minutes. Dishonest, I know, but while Will thinks he has the shell of a tortoise, he has the shell of a turtle. So if I express disappointment, it'd put him off for a long, long time. I once made a massive mistake of being honest about not liking an overcoat he bought me for my birthday and he's never bought me a clothing item since. So, I don't want him to stop buying me books, but with those books he got me so far, such as those by Karen Marie Moning and certain other authors I'd gladly spend a penny on ... Obviously, it has to stop because I don't want him to waste money. He doesn't like buying book tokens because these are too 'impersonal' for his taste and, get this, he isn't keen on taking my wish lists because he likes to 'surprise' me. Surprise me, he certainly did. A-many times, too. And not always in a good way. Oh, I wish there is a rule book on how to handle this sort of thing without poking holes in a bloke's ego. I really like it when he buys me books because it makes my heart all a-glow, but after a decade with him, I still haven't quite grasped how to say it in a way that it'd not affect his ego ... pride ... him enough to stop buying me books. Any ideas? Link of the Day: the Vampire Name Generator [Mine is 'Goddess of The Night', a.k.a. 'Demon of Beijing', hence the blog title] Be good, be bad & be safe.

Manga / Anime Gibberish for Amanda

Amanda left this in comments three blog posts ago:

Maili- I'd like to dip my toe into the great unknown, otherwise known as manga/anime, but I've no idea what is worth reading & what is to be avoided. I saw the new HQ manga romance it really ..er, was yucky. Do you read manga & if so what do you recommend? Maybe a good website? Help! TIA

Yay! I love anime and manga, but I'm not as knowledgeable about anime/manga as romance author Michelle Jerott/Michele Albert is. Here is her reading blog to prove it. I'm more of a comic geek, as opposite to a manga geek, but I'm willing to give this a try. :) Manga Before I'd list my favourites, please bear it in mind that I tend to be drawn to dark character-driven stories where the line between Hero/ine and Villain/ess frequently blurs. Also, I find that my favourites tend to have a romantic streak. Now why is that not a surprise ...? :D Right, off my head:

• Sanctuary [Sho Fumimura & Ryoichi Ikegami]- the first to introduce me to the concept of manga. To this day, the series remain my favourite, even with its flaws and all. That said, I'd advise you not to read this series until you're used to Manga as it's quite dark Short synopsis: two young Japanese boys grew up during Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia before escaping to Japan where they fight to drag Japan into a new world by having one to enter the Yakuza [Japan's organised crime] to finance the other's career in politics. Their friendship must be hidden to protect the other's political career, sometimes, at their personal cost.
• Mai The Psychic Girl - I read this at same time as Sanctuary. I got to number 4, but by the time I returned home from working abroad, I couldn't find any more new copies and I eventually learnt the series was already out of print. So, some ten years later, I'm still stuck at number 4. lol!
• Vagabond [Inoue Takehiko] - this is based on Eiji Yoshikawa's Musashi, a legendary real-life swordman.
• Crying Freeman [Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami] - it's actually terrible. It's a mixture of noble heroic acts, graphic violence, sweet sadness, toe-curling sentimentality, gushily romantic moments, and a lot of shagging. I'm childish enough to snigger every time Freeman weeps a tear. Only because I saw the film version, which completely ruins the comic series.
• Vampire the Hunter D - *hand on heart* Respect.
• Tokyo Babylon -- twin siblings in The X-Files, Manga style. It's a series of supernatural mysteries, basically.
• Lady Snowblood - think of Uma Thurman's Kill Bill, Japanese-style, except Lady Snowblood got here first.
• Angel Sanctuary [actually, to come to think of it, I wouldn't read this if I were you as you're very new to this genre]
• Blade Of The Immortal - he reminds me so much of Ian Nottingham whom I shamelessly lust after.
• The Kindaichi Case Files - ideal for those who love 'sherlock holmes-slash-scooby-doo'-type mysteries. Well, it amuses me.

I have heard that Lone Wolf and Cub is a classic that no manga reader should miss, but I've never managed to find a copy in this country, but it's widely available in the US, so you might like to give this a try. Anyhow, as you probably see from the list, I'm very much into dark stories, so the others might have recommendations if you want something something light, comical and not so violent nor dark. :) Actually, Mai the Psychic Girl isn't that dark nor violent. That might worth a look. Anime I don't have any firm favourites where anime is concerned. Well, except for Cowboy Bebop, but generally, I'd watch anything. So, off my head:

• Cowboy Bepop - Ah, Spike. :) CB is probably the only TV anime series that I faithfully follow since its creation. It's so complex, with many amusing moments, that you will eventually bond with some characters. It has many pop culture references, which delights the Easter Egg fan in me. Plus it has a great music soundtrack. Whatever you do, don't watch the film version yet as it'd be a good idea to stick with the TV series first. Hm. Is this where I admit to having a soft spot for Vicious? *shame*
• Wolf's Rain -- it's flawed yet I can't help but like it. It has something that reasonates deep in me. Well, it's perfect for navel gazers, methinks.
• Wonderful Days/Sky Blue - a Korean anime film worth seeing. I don't want to say any more that that. Rent it, watch it, and you'll be awed. Well, I was. Well, it's a, essentially, futuristic romance. Enuff said.
• Trigun - what can I say? :D It's fun, nutty and cheerfully violent. Vash is wickedly fun. He's considered the most dangerous man in the world, yet he's never killed a person. Also, who could not love Gung Ho guns either? :D I haven't finish watching this, though. It's a huge series, so I'm a bit lost at the moment.
• Berserk - a sprawling fantasy world of excessive violence, many complex characters, twisty plots, and one ruthless little piece of work: Griffith - the leader of his mercenary gang, the Hawks.
• Outlaw Star - I watch this mainly for Gene, your typical bad boy with a heart of gold, but overall, there are many interesting characters, such as Suzuka, Hilda, and Fred. :) If you like Cowboy Bebop, there is a chance you'll like this, too.
• Akira is a popular classic, but I hate it. I find some characters, especially Akira, too spiteful for my taste.

As you probably can tell, I'm in the mainstream camp, so if you are looking for something obsurce, I'm not the one. It's bad enough that I'm a film geek. That and being a comic geek ...also, a romance fiction geek. Plus I'm an long-time adventure gamer ... OK, I'll shut up. Recommended web sites: Anime Network - news and other sorts Animetique - It's moving to a new server, but do keep an eye on this one Manganews - news and other sorts Manga Maniacs - review site Love Manga - a news blog ... Amanda? Where are you going, Amanda? Uh ... why are you running? ... Oh. Did I scare you off? If I did, sorry. Still, my headache's disappeared, down to enjoying myself writing this because it's slowly erased dark echoes of Auntie's skirty voice in my newly-scarred brain. Thank you. :) Be good, be bad & be safe.

Mish Mash

This are the results of what I dragged back from a chaotic trip across the romance blogland: Karen Scott probably has the funniest 'About Me' blurb I'd come across so far:

Karen likes the sound of her own keyboard, and doesn't mind sharing her thoughts with the world. She's not fond of arseholes, sycophants, hypocrites, Osama Bin Laden, George Bush, JW Mckenna books, and parents who give their children daft-arsed names like Shaniqua, Squirreleesha, or Apple. She also swears. A lot. Sorry.

Found this at Nicole's blog, so ran my blog URL through that thingy from her How Much Your Blog is Worth post:

My blog is worth $33,307.86.
How much is your blog worth?

I'm not sure if I should jump with joy or creep away with embarrassment because Will is not here to tell me what the figure means. Ha. Yeah, well. Let's move on swiftly, shall we? I'd better stop as I'm starting to have a banging headache from squinting at the monitor for too long. It's almost dawn, too. I blame it on Allie Harrison's Dream a Deadly Dream, an old Silhouette Shadows book. I found a few Silhouette Shadows books in a charity shop yesterday. Since they all are paranormal romances, could I resist buying them? Nooo. I will write up a list of those books tomorrow and if you recognise any that you think I should read, I'd love it. :) But before I go to bed: where is Keishon's blog?! It wasn't long ago I saw her new-look blog, but it seems to have disappeared. Please don't tell me that she's deleted her blog and left the romance blogland? If she did ... *cries* See you tomorrow [or rather, later today]. Be good be bad & be safe.

My Aunt's Runaway Mouth / Books / This Blog

You are looking at one exhausted but extremely happy cow. Next time my aunt asks to stay here, I'll take the first plane out of the country. I'm utterly serious here. I love and worship her, but by fuck, she can talk an ear off a statue. When she and my uncle drove off, Will and I stood on doorstep, waiting and watching and hoping, while their blue car slowly disappeared over hills. Once we checked with each other that they've truly left, Will and I stuck our arms in the air and cheered very loudly. Honestly, you have no idea how happy we were during that moment. Anyhow, Will decided to celebrate by setting me free in a bookshop earlier today:

Shadow Touch - Marjorie M. Liu Dark ??? [a X-Men book] - Marjorie M. Liu Wicked Nights- Nina Bangs I Served The King Of England - Bohumil Hrabal Hot Spell - Meljean Brook, Emma Holly, et al Awaken Me Darkly - Gena Showalter The Naked Truth - Amy J. Fetzer Kept - D.J. Taylor The Dare - Susan Kearney

I am starting to claw my way out of the reading slump, too, by re-reading:

Heaven Sent - Pamela Morsi Courting Miss Hattie - ditto Out - Natuso Kirono - the story itself bored me now, but I love the translator's interpretation. I think he did a fantastic job. Simplistic yet addictive. War for the Oaks - Emma Bull -- sadly dated, but still a favourite. Silver Lining - Maggie Osborne -- I wasn't wild about this story when it first came out and after rereading this, I don't think I'll ever like it that much. It started off well but somewhere along the line, it fell apart, which is a shame, I think.

I tried reading Awaken Me Darkly and couldn't get into it at all. Another time maybe. Unfortunately, it's same with Nina Bangs's book. :( I'll have better luck with Susan Kearney's The Dare. *fingers crossed* I talked Will into agreeing to watch Pride & Prejudice [2005] on DVD last night. While he put the DVD into player, he made some usual noises about "oh-so-girly *high-pitched mock giggle* movies", generally taking the piss. Half way through the film, I commented that perhaps we should stop watching because his favourite TV programme would be on, he didn't respond. I repeated my comment. No response. I jabbed his arm, and he looked at me with a sharp "What?" That was when I realised he was so far in Wright's world that he never heard me. Ha! He also got a bit tearful twice. :O When I noticed his eyes were watery, I asked, "Are you crying?" [Okay, in retrospective, I shouldn't.] He coughed a short 'Oh, please' laugh, with his eyes still glued to TV screen, but I could see that he was trying very hard not to blink. Soft bastard. When the film ended, I asked for his opinion. He shrugged and said, "... it was all right". Yeah, right. It's strange because when I write this blog, I'm quite conscious that I haven't quite got my 'blog voice' back. By that, I mean blogging with ease. I feel I'm a stranger in my own blog. Or rather, an intruder. I don't know if this makes sense. Also, I am still trying to figure out how the f. I managed to be a such link slut for so long yet I haven't the foggiest how I'd done it. Earlier I had problems finding links for authors listed above. That's one of my flaws, actually. I might be a quick learner, but I'm also a quick forgetter. On the bright side, I'm feeling it's time to return to me as a romance reader. That means I'm ready to get geeky about books as well as to fondle books on my shelves. I'm going off into romance blogland, making a pest of myself now. :) Be good, be bad & be safe.