I couldn’t help myself.

Yes, this is Jacob. Yes, Taylor is a young man, far too young for me to be ogling. Yes, I am traditionally a polisher, not a groomer. But never let it be said that I am not an equal opportunity ogler. Thus, the advent of the manwich. Feast your eyes on this, my dearest ladies. Yum.

By the way, we’re going to be discussing Ashes of Midnight tomorrow night. I finished Armstrong’s Bitten and loved it! The audio, the accents - yes, Athena (or was it dear violet?), you were SO right. Marvelous! I think we’ll discuss Bitten July 1st…

Ok, this is definitely a Blue’s Book Club inside joke…But I couldn’t help myself. After some of our more entertaining discussions of paranormal romance phrase-ology, a new and even funnier quip was actually provided by one of the husbands. Oh and what a good one this is!!!! Ladies, I bring you….

THE PLUSH SHEEP

PS - We’re reading Kelly Armstrong’s Bitten, by the way. Get it, read it!!!

Beloved Peeps! Just a quick update this morning to let you know about a few things. First, Lara Adrian is hosting a chat today through her message boards and site. The chat will be at 1:00 pm EST, 10:00 Pacific today, Sunday, May 31st. Here is the link for her site: http://midnightbreeds.heavenforum.com/index.htm - thank you to Mandy for keeping us in the know!!! Incidentally, that’s also what we’re reading right now! Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian was released last Tuesday and it is my current read. I finished Charlaine Harris’s Dead and Gone last week and we’ll need to have a conversation about that very soon (get school finished, Leanne!)

Also, don’t forget to check out the new t-shirt biz I’ve been working on with Simp and her hubby! www.onelessnemesis.com! Currently, we have eight designs, two of which are funny nods to the rivalry between Vampires and Werewolves. Head on over and order your shirt today!

One Less Vampire

One Less Werewolf

Finally, once we’re done with Ashes of Midnight, our next read is Bitten. More details to come on that one, I need to look it up!

The ladies of the bookclub recently had the good fortune to chat with Lori Handeland, well-known author the Nightcreature Novels and more recently, the Phoenix Chronicles. Our very own Variety (aka Tawnya) suggested that we read first Any Given Doomsday, then Doomsday Can Wait for our bookclub reads. From there, she was able to contact Lori and get our little chat scheduled! Thank you, V!!! (I may not say this often enough, but this bookclub consists of the most awesome hot mamas eva!!!!)

I finished Doomsday Can Wait just in time for chat and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The Phoenix Chronicles, starting with Any Given Doomsday, tell the story of Liz Phoenix, an unusually gifted woman (we think she’s a human woman, anyway) in a world that is in constant danger of the apocalypse. The creatures and men who surround her are complex characters, teetering on the edge of good and evil almost constantly. While I enjoyed AGD, I really felt like Handeland hit her stride with the characters in the second installment, Doomsday Can Wait. I found myself drawn in to Liz’s world, feeling her struggles and battles with the choices that she must make, all of them painful and challenging. I was so drawn to Sawyer’s character this time, much more than in book one, and found that I wanted him to be her constant companion. Fortunately, he was through a large part of this book. I also loved the way that every time Liz touched the various animal tattoos on Sawyer, Handeland so amazingly brought to life the feelings that each of those beings would bring. I truly felt all the little legs of Tarantula and the powerful jaws of the Croc (can’t wait to find out why that particular tat was added!) Phoenix (as Sawyer calls her) has taken a huge risk at the end of Doomsday Can Wait, and the changes in our heroine’s own psyche were so well written, with such a smooth transition, you slipped right into the mindset with her newly changed state of being- well done Lori! Of course, there is the snark and wit that we all love, that je n’sais pas of banter between characters that makes them that much more interesting and real to me. If you have not read Any Given Doomsday and Doomsday Can Wait, get to it!

Below are some exerpts from our chat with Lori - enjoy!

Q - GTO : If Sawyer’s father was an “other”, what is that exactly?

A - LoriHandeland: Sawyer is considered “other,” the child of two Nephilim.  Which would make his father Nephilim not “other”.  In truth, there are just hints about what his dad was - no proof. Sawyer’s father was a skinwalker too.

Q - Violet : I really enjoyed all the mythological/religious references relating to the creatures, curses, and prophesies your characters encounter.  Did you have fun researching and pulling together the backstory for Elizabeth’s world?  Was there any particular legend or demon you were particularly excited to include in the Phoenix Chronicles?

A - LoriHandeland: I loved doing the research for these books.  There’s just so much to learn and read.  I had a lot of fun with the legends of the fairies as fallen angels, as well as so many others.

Q - Variety: Did you have to do much research on those beliefs?  Especially the Navajo traditions?  Is turquoise really sacred in Navajo traditions?

A - LoriHandeland : I did a lot of research into the Navajo, which was particularly difficult since the Navajo don’t like to talk about the supernatural.  They believe that by speaking of an evil spirit they will bring it to them. Turquoise is considered to have special powers to the Navajo.  And Mount Taylor is called the Turquoise Mt. the sacred mountain of the south.

Q - blue : In book 1, I could not understand her attraction to Sawyer really, because she seemed to hate him but in book 2, he had so much more emotion and I really didn’t want her to go with Jimmy. Will we find out even more about Sawyer in book 3?

Q - variety : and did Liz hate that she was attracted to Sawyer?

A - LoriHandeland: Yes.  We find a lot more out about Sawyer in # 3–both good and bad.  He’s a mystery.  He both frightens and attracts Liz. Yes, Liz is confused by her feellings for Sawyer.  She doesn’t understand them herself.

Q - Violet : The idea of sexy Sawyer’s skinwalker tatoos allowing him (and Elizabeth) to shapeshift upon touching them is a fascinating one.  How did that idea first evolve for you?  Is the concept of Elizabeth’s shape-shifting robe based on a real Navajo legend?

A - LoriHandeland: I got the idea for the tattoos being used for shapeshifting because of the Navajo belief that skinwalkers don the skin of an animal to become that animal.  The skin is their robe.  For Sawyer, his skin is his robe.  And that’s where the tattoos come in. Liz’s robe is an extension of that belief.  Instead of an actual animal skin, I wanted her robe to be something beautiful, hence the wolf robe in the shades of midnight.

Q - variety : Liz says something about Sawyer’s tattoos being a defense. Were they originally? And when did he get the crocodile tattoo? Will Liz be getting any permanent tattoos like Sawyer, or any new robes?

A - LoriHandeland : The crocodile tattoo was a new one between AGD and DCW.  I added it at the time so Liz could realize that a dream she was having was taking place at a certain time because of the addition of that tattoo.  We discover in the next book how he gets his tattoes. I don’t understand the question about defense. I’ll have to demur on the question of Liz getting tattoos as that is a plot point in the fourth book.

Q - variety : I can’t find the page right away, but I remember Liz wondering if Sawyer may have gotten his tattoos as a defense against his mother’s power

A - LoriHandeland : She meant that he’d gotten tattoos of predators as a defense against being preyed upon by his mother.

Q - GTO : hmmm… so when his mother touched him did she feel the same things as Liz did?

variety : I think Liz getting tats would show she is accepting her role as the leader and accepting her power

A - LoriHandeland : His mother isn’t a skinwalker, so not shapeshifting.

Q - simp : I loved your humor sprinkled throughout. One that had me laughing my head off was “then I washed that man right out of my hair.” What the heck is that in reference too? It’s so familiar…an old shampoo commercial or old song?

A - LoriHandeland : Washed that man right out of my hair is from South Pacific, I think.  I loved that line too.

Q - Violet : I really liked the current cultural references - from ‘hummer’ to the Buffy reference to the use of Starbucks’s wi-fi to Jimmy’s Hannah Montana shirt.  Was it challenging to decide what types of contemporary cultural references to include?

A - LoriHandeland : Sometimes yes.  In the book I just finished Jimmy wears a shirt that says “Tem Edward”  I’m hoping people “get that.”  I thought it was funny. Right now I’m having an intersting time puttingn dialogue into Luther’s mouth.

Q - blue : Luther is going to be a really interesting charcter for you, isn’t he? That would mean that Jimmy has photograhped Rob Pattinson!

A - LoriHandeland : I love Luther and since I have two teenaged boys it’s fun to write him. Yes, Jimmy met Rob.  I’m very jealous.

Q - Athena : so does that mean you are a twilight fan Lori?

A - LoriHandeland : I’m a fan of Twighilght the movie.  Big time

Q - blue : Summer has an interesting part, both friend and foe to Liz….is she always working on the side of the light? Because I had the feeling at the end, she was not, but more for what would help Jimmy.

A - LoriHandeland : Wellllll . . .  Summer is Summer.  She’s all about Jimmy. She’s a fairy.

Q - blue : I also thought it was wild that her magic worked on liz at the end, it scared me that Liz was doing the RIGHT thing, since it was not a mission of mercy….

Q - variety : did she first meet Jimmy when given the assignment to have sex with him?

A - LoriHandeland : First time she “met” him but not the first time she saw him.  Summer’s psychic remember.

Q - Violet : When Liz wondered if Summer’s cowgirl persona was created to please Jimmy, it actually made me wonder if Summer had had to try on a Liz-inspired persona to please Jimmy that first time?

A - LoriHandeland : Mmm, Violet.  Interesting.  Hadn’t thought of that one.

Q - GTO :  On page 186 in DCW, Sawyer implies that they had sex when Phoenix was 15 and asks her if she dreamed of him… she says, “Dreams aren’t real” and he says “They are if they’re memories.” My question is.. did they have sex when she was 15 and if so, why didn’t she attain his power then?

A - LoriHandeland : They didn’t.  He’s just messing with her.  It’s what he does. Besides–Liz was only psychometric until she became Leader of the Light and then got more powers.

Q - blue : Sawyer…..sigh…why doesn’t Liz dig him more?

A - LoriHandeland : She will, Blue.  She will.

Q - GTO : but will she ever love him as much as we do???

A - LoriHandeland : Can’t tell.

GTO : dang it

Q - blue : Lori - what was your inspiration for Liz? Did she and her story just come to you? Or did you want to do something along the lines of doomsday?

A - LoriHandeland : Liz just came to me.  I wanted to do a book about the grigori.  Needed a strong heroine, started writing in a voice I was “hearing” and voila.

simp : I loved that liz’s character came to you like that

Q - Athena : You have made the switch from writing more traditional romance type books to an urban fantasy with a stronger series tie and longer term characters. Was this a conscious choice and have there been any challenges in making the change?

A - LoriHandeland : I always wanted to write UF.  Had in fact wanted my Nightcreature series to be UF with Jessie from Blue Moon as the continuing heroine but my publisher wouldn’t go for it. But as UF got more popular I was able to convince them to let me try this series. So far the only challenges on making the change is getting the word out to fantasy readers too.

Q - simp : what are some of your favorite UF writers?

A - LoriHandeland : Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Laurell K Hamilton’s early Anita Blake.

Q - variety : At the first of DCW, Liz drinks the hot coffee.  Is this important?  What is that about?  Is it some clue to who Liz is/her heritage, etc?  Is she impervious to heat/being burned?  Does this play some significance down the road?

A - LoriHandeland : It does Variety!  Yep.  We’ll meet Liz’s mom in Apocalypse Happens. She’s a treat.

Q - blue : ooo so the burning thing has to do with her mom???

A - LoriHandeland : Yes, blue

Q - variety : Can you tell us anything else about Liz’s parents?  Are they good or evil? Are they both still alive?

A - LoriHandeland : Yes and no, Variety.  Is that vague enough?  LOL!

Q - simp : How many books do you have planned?

blue : and we only have to wait until November!

A - LoriHandeland : I’ve written 4 books so far and hope there will be more.

Q - variety : How old IS Sawyer, anyway? And how Do you kill a skinwalker?

A - LoriHandeland : Pretty damn, Variety. You’ll discover how to kill a skinwalker in AH.

Q - variety : At the end, Tartarus is opened, and the Grigori are released.  Is it because Liz killed the Naye’i?  Was that considered some kind of sacrifice?  Was it inevitable?

A - LoriHandeland : Basically it was inevitable–just like doomsday.

Q - blue : What did Sawyer do to Summer when liz became the spider? I was just dying to know, since there was a woosh, I assumed sawyer got liz out of the way and summer wnated to step on her.

A - LoriHandeland : Something violent.  Yes, summer wanted to step on her definitely. Remember sawyer can toss people without touching them.

Q - variety : It seems that so far, humanity isn’t so concerned with the battle between good and evil, like we’re just sheep.  Will humankind have to step in and choose good in order for good to win?

A - LoriHandeland : That’s an interestesing question, V, and I think that choice is a big part of the entire process definitely. But I also think that the majority of the population is pretty clueless and I’m not sure what it’ll take to wake them up.

Q - GTO : what price did Sawyer pay to Carla???

A - LoriHandeland : Summer does get her ass slightly kicked in the next book.  Always fun.

Q - Violet : I’m curious to see if Summer and Liz will ever have the knock-down, drag-out fight they are building up to or if they will resolve their differences for Jimmy’s sake.

A - LoriHandeland : The price shows up around book 4. Summer and Liz like to fight too much to get along.  At least so far.

Thank you so much to Lori Handeland for spending her time with us and also to the amazing ladies of the book club for their intelligent and fabulous questions - you all do me proud!!! Click on the book titles above to purchase Lori Handeland’s books from Amazon.com, and also visit her website at: http://www.lorihandeland.com/

I missed meeting JR Ward back in June of 2008, when unforseen circumstances forced her to cancel the Indianapolis signing that my mother and I were attending. Then in October, my bff, Elle, and I had the pleasure of finally meeting her for the Compendium release in Cincinnati, Ohio. With only about 20 to 30 people in the audience, it was an intimate and wonderful setting.

This time, Lori, Laura and Jen came with me (Elle was on her way to Japan, unfortunately) and we ended up counting among the approximately 200 fans that gathered in Radcliff, KY to celebrate the release of Love Avenged. Let me tell you that we had some interesting pre-signing conversations discussing Black Dagger Brotherhood specific topics. A very specific top came up (hee hee) and Lori asked if I would broach the subject during the signing. Not to be deterred from the hard (snicker) hitting, fact-finding work that is paranormal romance novel reporting, I quickly and fervently agreed to the task at hand…But before we get to the meat of the signing, let me tell you that we had an excellent time traipsing around the Louisville, Kentucky area. We had an excellent lunch at an adorable Mediterranean restaurant, then headed down to Radcliff to get ready. Lori made each us fabulous shirts with a Brother’s name in the old language across the back (I sported Butch, of course) and a dagger and “BDB” on the front/breast. They were so cool, many fans took pictures and wanted to know where we got them! We changed clothes and grabbed a Starbucks at a larger Barnes and Noble down the street before heading back to the locally owned The Bookstore to await the WARDen’s arrival. I must interject here that part of the changing included Laura donning a perfect nurse’s uniform for the evening, becoming Rehv’s beloved Ehlena.

“The Bookstore” was a small but incredibly well-stocked bookstore, with about 50 seats set up, 3 huge cakes in the back and plastic champagne flutes. Let me tell you, the big boys at the chain stores could take a paranormal romance stocking cue from this store! The shelves were lined with the complete series of many of our favorites, no missing books (gee, I can’t get my hands on Rhage’s book, oh where is Lori Handeland’s latest, Kerrelyn Sparks has two out, but I only find one) One of the cellies (yes, I am a cellie and member of JR Ward’s message boards) made ribbons for us to wear that were placed under the Scribe Virgin’s tree. There was a really fun and challenging word-find that Jen and I took on with fervor. The first 4 rows were already full at 4:30, so we took our seats, snapped a few shots and worked on the puzzle. As the minutes passed, the little store filled up to a SRO event, and we all awaited the woman of the hour. At just about 6:00, the store owner, dressed in cellmate wear, which was awesome, got up and began to introduce JR Ward. He termed that day as one of the happiest in his life for being honored with this event in his store and he was truly heartfelt and moving. Then in came our beloved JR Ward, tall and gorgeous. Yes, she was wearing black. Yes, there was a guard type man with her. Yes, she wore her signature sun glasses.

Next, the mayor of Radcliff, a funny and warm woman, presented the WARDen with a certificate. I’m not sure JR knew what to do with it, but it was funny and real and a great start to the event. JR then let us know that she was just going to pace around the front and take questions. Now I have to again stop here: I was shocked that not every single hand in the place went up. Personally, I couldn’t wait to talk to her, the world she creates is so fascinating, really, I could have discussed it all night.

A few initial questions were asked and then the WARDen called on me. It was time for me to ask THE daunting question we had all discussed earlier. Mind you, a few people brought their children with them, but I, like the WARDen herself, was not to be deterred. Here is that story:

I stood up (I am very short) while JR was taking a sip of water from her water bottle. I said “even though this is a mixed audience and we have to have champagne, I have a question (insert bottle up to Warden’s lips)…“I want to ask you about”….(JR takes a sip)…“about the barb.” (water spewed everywhere, she turned red and started laughing her ass off, as did the audience). She said “The Mayor’s here still here, couldn’t you have waited for her to leave?” More laughing. “My MOTHER’S here!” And I said “well, inquiring minds want to know.” then using my arms, I said “does it go out like this….or like this?” She was laughing and shaking her head. I apologized but said that I knew everyone wanted to know! (I swear there was a rolling sound of approval and yeses from my fellow fans in the audience) Then she said “you know if you don’t mind, I think I’ll leave that one for another time.” We laughed a bit more and then she said that the questions had better not dried up. Of course they didn’t. I asked so many more, the poor woman, I believe she was like “Jesus, to I have to call on her AGAIN???” I did get one in there for Mother, something she and I had discussed while I was driving that morning, and the WARDen confirmed that mother was right. (incidentally, mother got a huge kick out of that) Lori asked a really good question, I believe the best one of the night. It was this: we know V does not know about Payne, but does Payne know about V? Well, you guessed it, too much of a spoiler to be answered.

Then it was time to get in line. Our numbers were 8 through 11, but I found out 1 thhrough 7 had been reserved for anyone needing special help to get to the table, so I was acutally the very first one to get my books signed. Ok, I was a little embarrassed, I admit. I asked the most questions, then here I was, like a crazy person, first in line. But Laura later noted that getting those first numbers in line might very well be the coolest thing I have ever done and I was proud all over again!

While signing the books, she told me the barb question was the funniest thing to her and she totally loved it. Later that evening, I spoke to her mother (whom I totally adore) and she actually gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me that it takes a lot to actually ‘get’ her daughter and that she had to congratulate the one who did it. That was pretty awesome. We met LeElla of her message boards and Loopdlu (both were so nice!) - I couldn’t help but give out a few signing pointers from my Stephenie signing experiences. I know, I’m obnoxious, right? LeElla could not have been more sweet! No wonder the WARDen adores her. Lori and I won signed posters during a trivia contest (that steel trap mind of Lori’s is just awe-inspiring), Jen won for furthest traveled and Laura won the costume contest! Yes, she won the most awesome black cape that she will put to good use at the conventions we’ll be attending this summer.

All in all, it was an amazing and wonderful trip. I got back home to a sleeping household at 12:45 am and awoke at 9 am the next day to my favorite breakfast of french toast and new pair of Ed Hardy kicks for Mother’s Day. This weekend will go down in my memory as a truly happy, awesome time!

Oh wait! Where are the spoilers? Where’s the inside info? Listen, I asked the WARDen herself and I promised to post no spoilers here. All I’m gonna say is, Covetcomes out SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 and JM’s book, Lover Mine, comes out at about this time next year.

I have not updated for a bit because I was in NY with the husband for the weekend and since I’ve been back, I’ve been doing 2 things: reading Lover Avenged and getting ready to launch a new website with these really cool t-shirts! I finished the book, almost finished the site, and I am loving both! Ok, Rehv’s book deserves it’s very own written review. So, hoping that I get to see JR Ward in Kentucky this weekend (fingers crossed for her!), I’ll be back after the weekend to give my full review and a little fun report on the signing.

Also, quick reminder: two important books came out in addition to Rehv’s: Doomsday Can Wait by Lori Handeland (that’s my next read) and also, one of our ongoing top picks, the 9th Sookie book, Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris. Get out to your bookstores today!

Post tags:

Posted in: Book Club | | Comments (4)

Two more quotes and a break

April 23, 2009

PEEPS! I am not going to be able to post the final five days of quotes, but here is yesterday’s and today’s! Be sure to continue checking them out on JR Ward’s thread at HERE.

4/22/09: “Afraid of shadows, Princess?” (By Rehv.)
4/23/09: “I got a present for you.” (To Xhex.)

The next post you’ll see from me will find me fervently reading Lover Avenged. Well, that’s if I can stop long enough to post! YAY!

Post tags:

Posted in: Book Club | | Comments (1)

Lover Avenged Sunday and Monday Quotes Plus Virtual Signing Deadline

April 20, 2009

PEEPS! We’ve got two more Rehvenge quotes for you and here they are, let your imaginations play!

4/19/09: “Be a good boy and finish that.” (To Rehv.)
4/20/09: “You have a bed in this place?” (To Rehv.)

Also, the WARDen’s virtual signing deadline is tomorrow, April 21st. This is your last 24 hours to participate, so if you wanted a signed copy from her, check out the boards at this thread, where the link to order is provided:
http://jrwardbdb.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27968

Post tags:

Posted in: Book Club | | Comments (0)

Catching Up On Lover Avenged Quotes!

April 18, 2009

Here they are, more juicy tidbits that the WARDen is doling out as we bide our time until April 28th!!

4/16/09: “Can I say I’m sorry again?” (To Rehv.)
4/17/09: “I just… needed to hear your voice.” (To Ehlena.)
4/18/09: “I need to be in you.” (To Beth.)

Post tags:

Posted in: Book Club | | Comments (0)

Lover Avenged Tuesday and Wednesday Quotes

April 15, 2009

Here are the quotes from the past two days — enjoy!

4/14/09: “You’re bleeding.” (To Wrath.)
4/15/09: “Trust me, I’m well familiar with being used.” (To Ehlena.)

Post tags:

Posted in: Book Club | | Comments (0)

Newer Posts »