This 'n' That

It is the day after American Thanksgiving, therefore time to change the blog's clothing to its holiday garb.  I may change it again before I'm through.  *LOL*   I love playing with this stuff.

Here in Canada we've begun to have our own sort of Black Friday bargain thingie.  It's to keep the $$ at home, they say.  So I did a bit of online shopping and got a deal on pajamas and pajama pants.  50% off.  Can't go wrong with that.  :)

And then this afternoon, groceries needed acquiring so Michael and I headed out  to do just that.  It was COLD!  A beautiful sunny day though.  We looked for turkeys - seems as if we're to be expecting a shortage, they say, so our eyes are peeled every time we head to the shops.  I'm partial to Butterballs.  Over the past 30 years, I've cooked many, many of them and they've always been great, so I'm loathe to change.  An 8 kilo Butterball was $65 today.  0.0  The equivalent Flamingo turkey was $23.  At the moment, I'm too chicken shit to go for the Flamingo and will wait and see if we can find a Butterball at a reasonable price.  

As for Nano... well, I failed that pretty spectacularly.  *LOL*  I never managed to get into a groove to write every day, which annoys the hell out of me.  But I love my idea and I'm going to continue to work on it - if at first you don't succeed and all that.  :)  One of my friends had her book accepted by a publisher this past week and I am totally thrilled for her!  I'm also envious.  Figures, right?  Maybe this will give me the impetus (kick in the ass) to get a move on.  

And it occurs to me that I've not posted a hottie of the day for a while.  Too wound up in things, I guess.  But I'll rectify that tonight.  I'm going to watch Strike Back when I finish here, so I'll post a pick of my latest obsession, Sullivan Stapleton.  Damn, he's fine.  :)  

Book Review

I've read another paranormal shifter book from Moira Rogers - Haunted Sanctuary.  It's the first in her (their) latest series, Green Pines.  I'm not a fan of shifter books normally, but I am a definite Moira Rogers fan.  Moira Rogers is a writing duo, BTW.  Bree and Donna also write under the pen name of Kit Rocha, another of my favourites.

My review on Booklikes.  

You know what? Olivia Pope pisses me off.

And Shonda Rhimes disappoints me.

I enjoy the TV show, Scandal.  Shonda Rhimes has created a world full of intriguing and amazing characters in the most extreme situations and I love watching it.  That is, until I have to put up with the 'romance' of Olivia Pope and the Worst President Ever, Fitzgerald Grant.  It puts the whole intriguing and STRONG character of Olivia in question.  And she's the Main Character.  See... she's a smart, strong, intelligent, daring woman, but every time she gets around that jerk, she gets all dewy-eyed and weak in the knees.  Her hormones and her Great Passionate Love for this weak, weak man drive her to behave like some teenage Gidget and that makes me SO angry.

Where's the outrage from the feminists and the Women of Colour?  Shonda Rhimes has given us a TERRIFIC character in Olivia Pope and I suppose... I guess this thing with Fitz, how she always takes him back, how she always gives in to him in the end, how she always turns her power over to him, how she loves him best of everyone... is supposed to show us that she's not a robot?  That she's has feelings?  That she's not a tough bitch?  Well, SORRY.... it just shows me that she gives up all her power to a man.  Shows me that even this woman of strong character, great intelligence, fiiery passion for right and wrong... it shows me that it all pales when her hormones get tickled.  That's not romance... that's not a grand passion... that's not a man respecting a woman for her strengths and putting her first.  That's a man waving his dick and a woman spreading her legs.  "Show me!" indeed.  *snort*

IT PISSES ME OFF and Shonda Rhimes should know better.

You know what? Thanks Maks!

So I had an epiphany last night while watching Dancing With The Stars.  It was during the second round of dances, when the judges were critiquing Amber and Derek's Viennese Waltz.  Maks told Amber that she was in the best hands possible because no one knew better than Derek how to put together routines etc.. to make her shine.  He was the best in the business at packaging his celeb etc.. etc...

Now, it's no secret that I'm not a Derek fan.  He's struck a wrong chord with me since his second season, I guess.  I don't buy his self-deprecating persona.  I don't buy the "aw shucks" routine at all.  I think he's very calculating, very out for Derek and furthering Derek is always in the forefront of his mind.   He seems a very personable fellow, polite and well-mannered but...

Derek is talented.  He's a gifted choreographer and a gifted dancer.  I see his talent all the time. I'm not fond of his style, but I'm not so bull-headed as to ignore his obvious gifts.  And some people like his blond, Leonardo DiCaprio looks.  Not my taste.   But I love dance - I should love Derek's routines, right?  Well... I've realised a big part of why I don't.  And that's thanks to my honest Maks who calls 'em as he sees and feels 'em.

See.. when Maks gave Derek the compliment - and believe me, in Maks' eyes, it's a HUGE compliment - I realised what it was that turned me off routines of Derek's most of the time.  It was a calculated package devoid of what I term, warmth and soul.  It was designed to WIN, not to necessarily play to the celeb's personality.  The building blocks of the routines don't start with who the celeb is and the joy of the dance, but what will advance the celeb further.  THAT'S why I most often find Derek's performances lacking, why they leave me cold.  Because I 'm not fond of Karina either, but I don't get the same business-like, sterile feeling that I get when I watch Derek and his partner.

Many others will say I'm wrong, and biased, and blind etc... etc... etc...   But this is indeed how these routines leave me feeling more often than not.

I don't know how much of this makes sense to anyone, but... it makes sense to me.  (And obviously 140 characters wasn't going to cover it.  *LOL*)

Book Review

I've finished and reviewed the latest offering from one of my favourite m/m authors, Abigail Roux.  It's Shock & Awe and it's a shorty, combined with a freebie and both are really good.  And I think I might have another character (Yes, you Kelly Abbott) worming his way into my list of favourites.

You can find my review over on Booklikes if you're interested.  :)

You Know What? (Thoughts on books)

I have a couple of ... let's call them observations from the past week or so.  So, for instance...

When did it become a rule that books had to be meaningful to be worthwhile or a good read?  I mean, isn't it enough to tell a good story with believable characters any more?  Does there have to be an underlying message of great social awareness for it to be considered recommendable?  I don't believe so, but sometimes I think I'm in the minority.  I hate being preached to when I'm reading for relaxation and enjoyment.

There are genres for books.  Mystery, fantasay, science-fiction, romance, thriller, historical... well, you get my drift.  There are so many similarities in any given genre.  I mean, one buddy action adventure is going to be similar to another buddy action adventure.  One May-December romance is going to be similar to another May-December romance.  There are only so many basic plots in existence.  And you know, James Bond, Jason Bourne and Jack Ryan are all somewhat similar characters in similar types of situations.  They're not rip-offs of one another.

I find myself wondering if more authors would try expanding themselves by writing different types of characters if they didn't see so many you aren't doing it right, and how dare you write what you aren't complaints all over the internet, in blogs, reviews, discussion forums etc...  It could be quite intimidating, don't you think?

Sometimes, a sex scene in a book is just a sex scene because the characters feel a physical pull towards each other and want to indulge in it.  It doesn't always have to be filled with underlying meaning and great import.  It can just show that these two characters like to touch each other and sometimes the urge is stronger than the urge not to.

I love Nora Roberts.  I love her series books and her stand-alones.  I think she has one of the best perspectives on how to write a male character in the whole of Romacelandia.  Her guys, heroes and supporting characters have such fun, unique, guy type voices.  Man, I would LOVE for Nora to write a m/m romance, but she's been asked if she ever would and she's said that she doesn't think she could do it justice.  I think she could.  I wish she would.  I think it'd be great!

My To Be Read pile is HUGE.  *LOL*  And ever-growing.

Book Review

I've finished another book.  It's what I call a 'shorty', only around 50 pages.  I really enjoyed it.  It was mucho fun.

You can find my review here at BookLikes.

Book Review

I've finished a short and reviewed it over at BookLikes.  Now I have to pick something else from my TBR pile.  That's the problem with finishing one, I have to decide on the next!  *LOL*

Here is my review of The Flesh Cartel #11:  Permanent Record by Rachel Haimowitz and Heidi Belleau.

Book Review

Today I decided I should link to my book reviews over at BookLikes.  I'm not a great reviewer, I can only say what my feelings are about what I've just read, so bearing that in mind...

Here is my review of Moira Roger's Wild Card.  

Dancing Monday Quickie

Just a quick post because it's Monday and that means dancing.  This was one of my favourite numbers of that season.  :)  Ah Maks and Kirstie... what a pair.

I miss Maks on Dancing.  But you know... he would not be happy on it the way things are now.  He takes his dancing far too seriously.  All the jazz and contemporary and whatever else TPTB can think up.  Even the insanity of letting the judges score after the fans have voted the week before.  (I do think the fans are letting TPTB know how they feel with their votes this season, by them keeping Bill and Jack around over more skilled dancers.)  Anyway, before I get on my soapbox and deliver a diatribe on the ruination of one of my favourite shows, I'll just say again that I miss Maks on my TV every week. 

with Chelsie Hightower

Lest We Forget

As I do every November 11th, I am posting John McCrae's In Flander's Fields.  We had to memorise this poem back in Grade... I want to say Grade 6 but it could have been earlier.  It was many, many years ago, needless to say, and I still can recite it.

Thank you to all who serve and who have served.  Bless you and Godspeed.  

Strike Back Friday

It's Friday and I've just watched episode 3 of the latest season of Strike Back for the second time.  This is the second time around that it's playing on HBO, so even though I caught the first time, I'm watching it again.  And no, not just for Sully.  *LOL*  It's a really good show, well written, action-packed, well-acted and very much on-the-edge-of-your-seat.  It's amazing how much I'm seeing this time around.  Things that I never thought were important the first time are showing up to be VERY important in the way the season ends up playing out.  So, because it's Friday and I've enjoyed my episode, I shall post a Sully pic!  Actually, it's a GIF from tonight's ep.

And tomorrow, I NaNo!

Here I Am!

I have been so lax in here for the past couple of days, but truth be told, all I've had the urge to do is tag in my RPGs and chat with my buddies.

Anyhoo, I just finished doing a tidying up of the vestibule and the 'junk' corner of the kitchen - a job very well done if I do say so myself.  I had stuff for the garbage and the recycling, but Michael tells me that they are both full.  Oops!  Wait until next week for that then!

I have to go out later to get a few groceries - it's cold and grey, a real November day and I'd rather not, but we have no bread!  *LOL*

I hope to get some NaNo writing done later.  We'll see how that all pans out.  I have to get Keiron and Jamie on the road!  :)

All things being equal, I shall check back later, but until then...

From before last night's live Top 12 Show.

I got some NaNo done - Go Me!  :)   And I only wrote the last little while this evening because there was NCIS stuff to watch with the boy and then The Voice and dammit, I need more hours in the day!

So I really have nothing much else to go on about.  My leg is achey and I'm tired, so I won't be staying up late tonight.  I shall take my book - I finally settled on Rush! by Maya Banks, an erotic romance that should be light and fun and easy reading.

Who shall I post tonight?  Matt, I think.  Lovely, handsome man with the greatest hair!  :)  And I'm SO SO glad I don't have to see all that campaigning for him to be in that Movie That Shall Not Be Named any longer.

 

Plans Awry

All my plans went awry yesterday, it seems.  Not in a bad way, just, not as I was expecting.  I ended up on the phone with my aunt for 2 hours and 41 minutes (thank you smartphone log. *LOL*)  last night.  She's off to California and Texas for 4 months, visiting her daughters while getting away from the horrible Quebec winter climate... both political and actual weather.  Anyway... there went my night!  I loved talking with her though, it had been far too long.  But the time I'd planned to spend getting some wordcount on my NaNo was nowhere to be found when I got off the phone, so... no NaNo update for yesterday.

BUT, since I have decided that the only way through this NaNo thing is to not put any stress on myself, I'm okay with it.  I'll catch up somewhere.  :)

Today I will get some done, but I have some RPG tagging to do first.  :)

Sunday Night Quickie

I've written more on my NaNo.  Not back up to the wordcount average that I'd like, but I'll get there.  I'm still in the set up stages of the story, so it's a bit of a slog (that I will indeed have to heavily edit once I'm done), but I'll get through it.  :)

And I think all I'll do now, is post my eye candy for the evening.  Alex always makes me smile.  :)

Where Did the Day Go?

What a day!  I didn't make my wordcount on NaNo today, but I didn't expect to.  I had other things to take care of, including hosting the RPG chat.  Hopefully I will make it up tomorrow or over the next couple of days.  Tomorrow will be catch-up day for a few things!

But I need to post my day's hottie.  Today it's Adam and his cute smile.  And his scruff.  And his sweaty self.

Eye Candy Bullseye

I didn't get to posting my eye candy for the day!  That will never do, so I'll take care of that right now.  Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.  That's one fine eyefull!  :)

This is for ME!

So I found this on Chuck Wendig's blog today:

You’re the first audience. Entertain yourself. Challenge yourself. Let the story lead. Let your own desires for the story lead. Fuck what anybody else thinks right now. This isn’t for them. This is for you.

This is what I need to remember for NaNo.  If I can remember this, I might be able to still that inner editor and actually have fun with this.  :)

In Which I Rant about Reading

When did we become such a society of non-risk takers?  Even worse, when did we stop allowing ourselves the pleasure of being surprised by our entertainment?  When did it become de rigeur to know everything about a book, movie, TV show before reading or watching it?   And I'm not talking about spoilers, folks.

Just look at the fervour with which people tried to suss out the details of the latest Star Trek movie.  The world was going to end if we didn't know which villain Benedict Cumberbatch was going to be portraying.  And really, did the knowing make the pain of the let down of that movie any easier?  And really, if you're reading spoilers etc.. about Scandal, then you're missing a HUGE treat when you watch the week's episode.

I read a lot.  I follow a lot of reader blogs and author blogs.  I use Twitter a lot to follow these folks too, because they're interesting and funny people for the most part.  I have come to realise that these days, part of marketing a book is to put half of it out there, all over the internet, in sample chapters or previews or teasers.  There's also a big deal about cover reveals (more on that later) and authors are interviewing all over about books that aren't even going to be out for months!  I mean seriously!  There is one series I read that the 4th book is just going to be out this week and the authors are interviewing about the following book!  And this is the norm these days, not the exception.

Don't people want to be surprised any more?  I don't want to know about what I'm going to be reading, that's no fun!  I don't want to lay down $$ for something I already know all about.  I do my best to avoid all these things, I don't read the interviews, I don't read reviews that come out before the book is available to the general public, I don't read reviews of books I know I want to purchase until after I've read the book!  And as for tweeting those little snippets of your book that was published months ago, the same snippets over and over and over again?  Well, I won't be buying that book.  Sorry, you've turned me off any interest I may have had.

There's just too much pre-release information out there in my opinion.  The surprise is gone.  The delight of discovering what your favourite author has done with your favourite character while you eagerly turn page after page long after you should have been asleep, is gone.  The anticipation of what you're going to see up on the big screen that will make you gasp or cry or laugh is gone.  It's all so damned SAFE these days.  I suppose it's a result of the internet age and ebooks and the rise of indie, small and self publishing, but, call me old-fashioned, I don't like it.

And as for covers!  Let me tell you.  A favourite book that I (and many others) term as a psycho-sexual thriller, that has SO much deep and violent shit in it... should NOT have a damned cover that looks like it's a new Harry Potter book!

NaNoWriMo Begins!

Well I have started.  I have 904 words down towards my first day count.  So far so good, but I am tired so, it's time to head up to bed.  I have an RPG thing to host tomorrow evening, but I should be able to make my quota during the day.  There's no reason for me to go out and it's going to be shitty weather anyway, so better off to stay inside and write, right?  :)

Okay, so... eye candy for the day...  it's Garrett Hedlund in a suit and a puppy!  :)