Saturday, September 29, 2007

I Was Unfair...


I should have at least finished reading the book (Lover Unbound) entirely before I posted my comments. I realize that now.

Having now finished, I still feel the same as I did yesterday. Not the best in the series. However, I didn't think that the ending was as much of a disappointment as some other readers felt it was. It was not a satisfying ending but hey, we are talking about a paranormal book here.

I can only hope that the series picks up and gives the fans a better read next time around. This is still a great series but my verdict stands.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Bored by Unbound

I have been a big fan of the series. I loved the first three books without reservation. Book four, Butch, was good but not as good as the others.

Lover Unbound is V's story. He is the alpha Brother of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. his book has been highly anticipated by her fans and readers for months, if not years!

This book has some serious issues right off the bat - one of which could have been solved with a good round of editing. It's just too long - unnecessarily so. In fact, I would have cut the prologue entirely and just woven it into the book, as Ward goes over this territory throughout the story as we get to know the heroine, Jane, and V.

Ward posted the supposed first lines of V's book on the message boards months ago. Her editor should have told her to stick with that as the opening. It was much stronger.

Another problem was that I found the set up for the next book way more compelling than the relationship at the heart of this book. Maybe it's because I just didn't fall for Jane. In romance novels, the reader has to fall in love with the characters.

I just didn't really like Jane. Her emotional pain that made her a vulnerable character just wasn't strong enough. So Jane just comes across as kinda dull, very smart but just not all that interesting or unique.

I will still read the series but the writing/editing needs to be tighter. Also, there was way too much slang that was not even common knowledge stuff. What was the editor thinking?!?!

Anyway ~ I have another 100 pages to read so I don't want to call the game just yet but I am wary. I've read the disappointing reviews from other readers who were expecting so much more from this book. Vishous is, after all, most of the readers' favorite Brother.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I Made It: Interviews Behind Me & I'm Unbound

I managed to pull myself together for the second interview. No small shakes for Ms. Moody herself. I think today is going to be a better day. Lover Unbound comes out today! Yay! I'm super excited about that.

I have been waiting for this book since the series began way back with Dark Lover . No shame in my game; I'm a dope fiend for these books. I have been looking forward to this book the most. So, I may sneak away and go buy the book at lunchtime and then try to sit through the rest of the day without reading it but with half my mind on it. Whew: I think that was a really long, bad sentence but that's what exuberance will do to a girl who's been kept waiting.

More to come on this topic. I'm going to dish on this book like nobody's business! I must be off to the DJ now. [The one where I'm working from home.]

Monday, September 24, 2007

DJ Depression

I'm depressed today. Maybe it's the lack of caffeine early on in the day and a hormonal thing but I'm just not coming to the game with my good stuff today. Maybe it's because I had yet another job interview and I felt like I sucked. I just don't think that my heart was in it.

I want to write for a living! I don't want another sucky DJ.

In any case, I have another job interview scheduled for tis afternoon. I really can't afford to blow it so I have to dust myself off and plaster a smile on my face. I have to say the right things; I know that I am qualified for all the jobs hat I have interviewed for.

Well, I now have the coffee in hand. I am praying that straightens me out. I have to bring it like my man, Carlos Zambrano!

Friday, September 21, 2007

My Alias

Besides loving the show Alias, I chose to use an alias of my own here at this blog. I didn't put a lot of thought into the alias. Part of me wishes that I had because I can't really change it now. Here are my concerns with it: 1) I'm not published 2) I am lazy about writing most days 3) I hate my writing most days 4) it's certainly not been easy.

The frustrated part is dead-on.

I work at a large company and use this forum to rant against the DJ quite a bit. The last thing that I need is to have my co-workers finding my blog and using it against me.

As for my writing, I need a big push to get through to the end. According to my outline, I have only five chapters left to write. I'm one of those people who, for whatever screwed up childhood reason, gets frightened of potential success. And, finishing this beast would be a success for me. I just need to wrap it up.

This weekend will be a big writing weekend for me. I just want to post a blog that says: I'm finished!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Heavenly Things

I finally did it. I broke down and got an iPhone. Actually, it wasn't painful at all. My sig other gave me his store credit Apple offered to customers who bought the gadget at full price. So, I used that to rationalize the purchase.

It's a beautiful object. My favorite thing about this phone is that it interfaces with iTunes and iPhoto so it's a complete Mac experience.

And, today couldn't get any better because I got a copy of the galleys for Evermore, Lynn Viehl's new book that I've been dying to read. I just have to make it through to the end of the day and get some work done before I slack off and read. I've been so pumped about reading this book but even more than that, it's just really awesome for the author to send this to me, a complete nobody in the publishing world, to read it. I hope to be so cool some day when I am published and living whatever version of the dream that I am able to live. I want to be as generous and helping and sharing as she has been through her blog.

Seriously cool lady.

And, I finished a chapter in my manuscript that I had been struggling with for weeks. The guilt was more extreme than the writing task but I made it over the hump. It actually wasn't even that difficult of a scene to finish. I just couldn't get my mojo working. So, that was a great experience yesterday. Actually, my sig other pried me from the sofa (almost literally) and made me go to my little office at the top of the stairs and finish my work. He can be alternately awesome and totally pesky or both at the same time.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Freaky Feral

So I'm minding my own business in my dinky little home office when I hear this scratch, scratch, thump outside my door. Strange. I'm on the second floor and who could have gotten up to my second floor balcony unnoticed... well, my new friend, Freaky Feral.

He looks tranquil all obscured by the sun but he looked down on my as if I were nothing but a chubby field mouse, an afternoon snack. Cats have that way about them. I think he contemplated jumping on my head at one point but then he just settled into a few standard America's Next Top Model poses for me -- throwing out his chest and arching his back.

I told him to channel an owl. He told me to piss off. He's got talent and 'tude.

Meow!

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Anticipation


Here is one of the many books that I am anxiously awaiting to hit the shelves. I've snapped up all the books in Ms Viehl's Darkyn series and this one will be no exception.

If you haven't read any of her other novels in this series, you can catch up by reading If Angels Burn, Dark Need, Private Demon and Night Lost -- in that order -- until Evermore releases in January '08. These are fun, dark and sexy novels that have earned "keeper" status on my shelf.

If you want to keep up with the author herself, her blog is one of my first, must-reads of the morning. Visit her here.

Happy reading... and please come back and thank me for the tip!

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Simple Things

As everyone knows, I was laid-off from my day job. I had a love/hate relationship with it but at the end of the day, I was one of those people who was fortunate enough to at least like what I did to make ends meet. I met up with one of my friends from the old job for lunch today. Turns out that she's been quote a busy bee making this wonderful quilt for me:



I also quilt, not quite as often or as prodigiously as I'd like to, so I know how much work went into this quilt. It's truly a labor of love and I am so happy that it was made for me.

We had lunch and tea, things that our normal busy lives hadn't really afforded us time to enjoy. Now, we got to get together and just enjoy the simple things: a good BLT at a little, local sandwich shop, tea and pastries and catching up with each other.

Yeah, I know. I am "working from home." And I am working but I get to be a little more free with my schedule now. I turned in my assignment that was due today - a short newsletter article. I am embarrassed to say that I sweated each word. Sad but true. My writing mojo is still on summer break.

But friendships are not.