Time for a fun movie!

We recently watched Rango and absolutely loved it!

Not having read the blurb, the cutie and I had no idea what the story was about, and were surprised by what we watched.  It was hilarious, thought provoking, western-ish, serious, a bit dark, all with a hint of green.  One for kids and adults alike.

The characters were fantastic, everyone of them was a true gem.

There's an owl mariachi band who act as narrators and a young lady called Beans, HA, she is quite a character!

Speaking of the band, I loved the music - that's a soundtrack I shall be purchasing and the movie will go to the niece and nephews to the right of us for Christmas.

Fantastic fun!

Beautiful Beetles, Really!

Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth
by John Singer Sargent, 1889
Thanks to Collection Tate

In specific, I'm talking about the Jewel Beetle and only their wings are involved - meaning it's a little less gross.  Add into the mix two of my favorite things, fashion and John Singer Sargent, which makes the ick-factor almost disappear.

Almost.

Anyway, where do these three things meet up and tickle my fancy side?

Lady Macbeth.

No, I'm not a Shakespeare fanatic, but maybe you've seen the painting of Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent.  It is in Collection Tate and currently hangs in the Tate Britain, London.  And, as for Ellen Terry, she was a famous Victorian actress whose home, Smallhythe Place, is run by the National Trust and they will be showing the actual recently conserved Beetle-Wing dress along with more Terry theatre costume collection.


Original conserved beetle-jewel dress
thanks to The History Blog

 And that is what I want to see - the 120 year old dress, created specifically for Terry's role of Lady Macbeth played at the Lyceum Theatre, took 5 years, 1300 hours and 1000 real jewel-beetle wings to put back together.  Put back together, conserve, fix, none of that offers a hint of how difficult and unique this work actually was to do.  In the National Trust Magazine there's a small column where Paul Meredith, the House Manager at Smallhythe, says:

"many of the original beetle wings had fallen off and these were re-attached, along with others that had been donated, by using small pieces of Japanese tissue and a mixture of wheat starch paste."

Wow, what a detailed work of art, which was originally meant to be worn for the length of a play, multiple nights.

Must See!

A Hump Day Hottie

Thinking of Billy Idol singing 'Hot in the City' with this pic of model Branden Haley by Christos Karantzolas as found on Homotography.

"Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, tonight
Hot in the city, hot in the city tonight, tonight"

An Unknown Delightful Connection

I recently handed in the edits for Missing in Paradise to my editor at Ellora's Cave and had a wonderful surprise when I stepped out of the edit cave. The locations of this novella are that it takes place mainly in Malibu with brief stops in Hollywood, LA and NYC. The hero is a professional surfer forced to retire after a shark attack, and the heroine hosts a tv show highlighting ideas for reusing things. They are lovers who hit a rough patch on their way to forever or it's over. Missing in Paradise is a contemporary erotic romance with a bit of bondage - hmmm, bondage on the beach...nice!

That's one side of the connection, now let me back track for the other.

There are so many great blogs that offer interesting stuff on and about books, ebooks, and publishing industry, to name a few, and I subscribe to them. Sometimes a week or more will go by and I haven't had time to check them out, but when I do, boy do I get lost in the wealth of interesting information.

Ok, so I had a bit of free time, and started to delve into the treasure trove of good book stuff when I found a connection to Missing in Paradise I hadn't know about, and it was utterly delightful! I thought I had unearthed a great deal of interesting information about a particular person during my research, but it looked like I missed one of the most important bits.

Agatha Christie was a surfer!


Agatha Christie with Surfboard from
Guardian article Museum of British Surfing/SWNS.com

I kid you not and you can read about it on the British Guardian newspaper site.

How fun is that?!? I knew the woman was fabulous and unique.

And there you have it, an unknown delightful connection between Agatha Christie and my hero in Missing in Paradise, a book she inspired and plays a small role in - coolness!

Naughty Thought for Monday [Sort of NSFW]

Intersting napkins for a dinner party - not sure I could keep a straight face while wiping the corners of my mouth after a fork full of meat.  {oh man, did I really go there?}

Thank you Trend de la Creme for the introduction of the In Plain English linens from Afroditi Krassa.

Savage Beauty Day 5

Dress, Sarabande, spring/summer 2007
Cream hand-painted leather

"Women should look like women.  A piece of cardboard has no sexuality."*

Alexander McQueen created so many fabulous pieces, it was actually quite hard to pick just a few to share.  In the end, what I took away from the exhibit is to let your creativity blossom, no matter where it might go.

*Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

Savage Beauty Day 4

Dress, Widows of Culloden, autumn/winter 2006-07
Ivory Silk Organza

"I'm an avid follower of the news, and sometimes you just can't take any more war, any more disasters, and you want to remind yourself there's beauty in the world."*

If you haven't already, check out this video on YouTube that Kate Moss wearing a Widows of Culloden gown did for Alexander McQueen fashion show.

*Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

Savage Beauty Day 3b

"Bumster" skirt, Highland Rape, autumn/winter 1995-96
Black silk [reproduction from original pattern]

"[With 'bumsters,'] I wanted to elongate the body, not just show the bum.  To me, that part of the body - not so much the buttocks, but the bottom of the spine - that's the most erotic part of anyone's body, man or woman."*

What can I say?  It's hump day!

*Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

Savage Beauty Day 3a

Ensemble, autumn/winter 2010-11
Coat of duck feathers painted gold, skirt of white silk embroidered with gold thread.

Closeup of Coat

"You've got to know the rules to break them.  That's what I'm here for, to demolish the rules but to keep the tradition."*

*Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

Savage Beauty Day 2

House of Givenchy Haute Couture
Ensemble, Eclect Dissect, autumn/winter 1997-98
Dress and gloves of black leather, Collar of red pheasant feathers and resin vulture skulls by Simon Costin.

Closeup of collar with red pheasant feather and resin vulture skulls.

"I don't think like the average person on the street.  I think quite perversely sometimes."*

*Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

A Week of Savage Beauty

Fashion, as many of you know, is a passion for me, and if you didn't know?  You do now.

Last week I braved the heat wave and went to The Met, explored the Savage Beauty exhibit which offered a glimpse into the world Lee Alexander McQueen created where fashion is art, and came back with the catalogue - a hefty hardcover book that's as unique as the designer himself.

If asked for a single word to describe this man's work, the first that comes to my mind is "stunning", which doesn't do him justice.

So, I thought I'd take this week to post pics of some of my favorite pieces, and include the quotes from the book that accompanies them.  Why the quotes?  Some of them struck me personally, even touched on how I thought or even approached writing.

Dress, VOSS, spring/summer 2001
Red and black ostrich feathers and glass medical slides painted red.

"There's blood beneath every layer of skin."*

*Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton, Solve Sundsbo, Tim Blanks and Susannah Frankel - exhibition hardcover catalogue

Help! Someone stop these thieves!

Oh, sorry, I was wrong - they're selling the purses, not stealing them.  At least that's my take on photographer Tony Duran's [music on website that can be turned off] Parasuco ad with 3 so hot they're sweaty guys.

Do I want the bags, no, not really, but I'll peruse one or two to see what they're hiding.

Thank you, Homotography.

What does Summer bring to mind?

Surfers!

Summer is in full swing and that means the guys who rule the waves are hanging out ready to ride.

Me?

Nope, not surfing, but writing it.

What's bugging me right now?

The need many folks have to make it a ebook or book world.  This is usually followed by some reader stating "There's nothing better than the smell of a new book" and "They will never read an ebook".

Never is a long time of missing some real gems, besides, they have the basic premise of the discussion wrong.

It's not an either/or scenario, it's all about AND.

eBooks AND Books.

Format doesn't matter and if it does to you, I'm sorry, but the story is what I care about - however it comes.

Funny Testicle Thought

The Indian With One Testicle

There once was an Indian who had only one testicle and whose given name was 'Onestone'. He hated that name and asked everyone not to call him Onestone.

After years and years of torment, Onestone finally cracked and said,' If anyone calls me Onestone again I will kill them!'

The word got around and nobody called him that any more.

Then one day a young woman named Blue Bird forgot and said, 'Good morning, Onestone.' He jumped up, grabbed her and took her deep into the forest where he made love to her all day and all night. He made love to her all the next day, until Blue Bird died from exhaustion.

The word got around that Onestone meant what he promised he would do. Years went by and no one dared call him by his given name until A woman named Yellow Bird returned to the village after being away. Yellow Bird , who was Blue Bird's cousin, was overjoyed when she saw Onestone. She hugged him and said, 'Good to see you, Onestone.'

Onestone grabbed her, took her deep into the forest, then he made love to her all day, made love to her all night, made love to her all the next day, made love to her all the next night, butYellow Bird wouldn't die!

Why?

OH, come on.... take a guess !!!

Think about it !!!

You're going to love this !!!

Everyone knows...

You can't kill Two Birds with OneStone!!!

AHHH!  S!  You fab chick - love this one :-)

Thoughts on Comfort

Comfort often plays a role in what a woman will wear, but sometimes it's not an issue, such as if you're going for a specific look.  I have a feeling, while fun, a metal bra would not be comfortable - but it is a look where that ideal could be ditched.

A date with the perfect pirate maybe?

TalonArmory is selling these and others on Etsy with the opportunity to sew them onto a normal bra, which means the comfort issue may not be an issue for some.

Hold That Thought! [NSFW]

Okay, I'm holding...

Thoughts from a meandering reader...

The other day I was walking through my local Borders and a book caught my eye.  It wasn't because there were many copies like those around it, there was only one copy left.  The book was small compared to all the others as well, but the cover and title reminded me of another book on my TBB list, Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart.  After briefly flipping through Wicked Bugs, I've added it to my list.

Funny, the covers above are cool and not exactly the same, but similar enough to catch my eye, and nudge me enough to pick it up, flip through it, and remember later to add it to my wishlist.

Along those same lines, the other day I googled 'Greek myths', and a wonderful image popped up.  I had no details about the book as in if it's fiction or non-fiction, who it was geared to, but I do know Medusa is involved and I really liked the cover - enough that I thought to do a blog with it included.  Medusa Island by Stuart and Linda Macfarlane is for children and kudos to them for such fab artwork.

These are just two examples of how important cover and title are to a meandering reader.  The artwork is eye-catching, the title speaks to the subject and is easy to remember.  The latter is important.  If I go looking for a book and can't remember the title, then the interest most likely ends there.

Sad but true, for me at least.

Naughty Thought for Monday [NSFW]

It's hot outside, really hot, but the ManSkin bikini is not what comes to mind when I think of bikinis.

Test Your Knowledge

Since Tuesday I've been posting short Who am I? brain teasers on the Authors After Dark convention blog - yeah, I'm that kind of excited it's just around the corner.

There are 4 Greek mythological figures giving you hints of their background and accomplishments.  Go over and see how many you can guess.  It's a fun brain teaser kind of thing.

I guess this is also a great time to point you guys in direction of the new free Night Owl Reviews magazine.  It's a great issue and I answered Bennet Pomerantz great question of When did You Consideer Yourself a Writer in his A Piece of My Mind: Advice for People Who Want to Write column.

I Want Good Ol' American Football!

You heard me, I want the NFL and players to work things out, and start preparing to give us fans a great season!

Are you with me?

If you're waiting like me, hungry for hot fit players running around in tight pants and wish it were little else, then maybe my short contemporary erotic romance And She Scores! will tide you over.  Even better, all the proceeds go to the American Heart Association, and my heart is crying for some good old American football.

And She Scores! is a part of the All Romance eBooks 28 Days of Heart campaign and is still available.

They've both taken a time out…

Being a lone woman in a mans locker room filled with hard-bodied, sweating, football players would normally be the stuff fantasies were made from. For Sarah Winters, its called work and today her job is to interview the man who stole her heart and then threw it away.

Recovering from what could have been a career ending injury, Patrick Conway should be focused on getting fit, but he isn't. Instead, his mind is on the interview he's about to have with the woman who never came or called to see how he was, despite them having been lovers.

Time for them both to get off the sidelines and back in the game before the clock runs out.

Buy And She Scores! at ARe now

Reading ebooks is easy, right?

Whether through the publisher, ARe, Fictionwise, Amazon, BN, or wherever you like to shop for your ebooks, it's easy to buy them, but what about reading them?

Well, sometimes that isn't so simple.

Recently I bought 13 ebooks from 9 authors and 5 publishers [big to indie] and all were in the same format - yes, my entire elibrary is *.pdf.  Should have been straightforward from there, open and read, only it wasn't.

There are 5 ebooks I haven't been able to read except on my laptop and I have tried a variety of apps - opps, sorry, forgot to mention that bit, I read my ebooks on my iPod Touch.  As an example, 1 of the publishers [the biggest of them all] I picked a few ebooks from and they fluctuated in formatting.  You'd think there'd be a house standard.

This is not good.  I'm not sure I'll ever get to those 5 at this point, but I sure would like to.  I'd also like to feel more comfortable in knowing I can read what I purchase on whatever device I choose!

All that said, the cutie is absolutely loving his Kindle, a device he was completely adamant against owning much less using.  He describes it as "easy".  Easy to buy ebooks, easy to read, easy to take on trips or the backyard.  It's all around easy.

Naughty Thought for Monday

Last week on one of my poultry days I shared a Kobi Levi swan shoe and today I'm sharing his shoe called 'Blow'.

Nothing else needs to be said.

Romance Community Pulls Together

Sadly, author Leslie Esdaile, also writing as L.A. Banks, is not doing at all well.  Fact is she's facing an uphill battle in her struggle with serious illness.  She is absolutely not able to receive visitors, answer emails, texts or phone calls, or receive flowers, and the romance community is pulling together to offer all the support it can.

There's a website suggesting various way to help Leslie and her family with the mounting medical expenses is up and it includes an auction which starts on this coming Tuesday.

Share Your Heart Auction for Leslie On Ebay [here's the list thus far of what's being auctioned off]
June 21-July 1, 2011
Bids begin at : 9 AM EST (6/21)
Auctions end: 9 PM (7/1)

Go, get a goodie, donate dosh, whatever you can do and help ease at least one aspect of this difficult time for Leslie and her family.

Poultry Funny!

Farmer John lived on a quiet rural highway. But, as time went by, the traffic slowly built up at an alarming rate. The traffic was so heavy and so fast that his Chickens were being run over at a rate of three to six a day.

So one day Farmer John called the sheriff's office and said, "You've got to do something about all Of these people driving so fast and killing all of my chickens."

"What do you want me to do?" asked the sheriff.

"I don't care, just do something about those crazy drivers!" So the next day he had the county workers go out and erected a sign that said:

SLOW:
SCHOOL CROSSING

Three days later Farmer John called the sheriff and said, "You've got to do something about these drivers. The 'school crossing' sign seems to make them go even faster." So, again, the sheriff sends out the county
workers and they put up a new sign:

SLOW:
CHILDREN AT PLAY

That really sped them up. So Farmer John called and called and called every day for three weeks. Finally, he asked the sheriff, "Your signs are doing no good.. Can I put up my own sign?" The sheriff told him, "Sure thing, put up your own sign." He was going to let Farmer John do just about anything in order to get him to stop calling everyday to complain.

The sheriff got no more calls from Farmer John. Three weeks later, curiosity got the best of the Sheriff and he decided to give Farmer John a call.

"How's the problem with those drivers. Did you put up your sign?"

"Oh, I sure did. And not one chicken has been killed since then. I've got to go. I'm very busy." He hung up the phone.

The sheriff was really curious now and he thought to himself, "I'd better go out there and take a look at that sign...it might be something that WE could use to slow down drivers."

So the sheriff drove out to Farmer John's house, and his jaw dropped the moment he saw the sign. It was spray painted on a sheet of wood:

NUDIST COLONY
Go slow and watch out for chicks!

HA! S, of course, sent me this one - thank you darlin'! 

And, as for the chick above, that's a Polish Fizzle from the Extraordinary Chickens and Extra Extraordinary Chickens book.  I am not a fan of birds, but love these books, and the calendars are like poulty pin ups!

Poultry as Fashion?

That's right, it's poultry time again!

Earlier this week I shared a chicken and duck putting their sexiness on and now it's time to show them helping the ladies of the world feel fabulous by wearing them as shoes.

I'm not a fan of birds, they scare me almost as much as horses do, but Kobi Levi definitely managed to make this swan fun.

Now THIS is a shirtless pic worth seeing

Thank you model Domenique Melchior and photographer Frank P Wartenberg for taking this fine calendar pic for Cosmopolitan as found on Homotography.

Readers Conventions Rule!

I love them because no matter which hat I'm wearing, reader or writer, I love to talk books!

That said, Authors After Dark is my favorite, and there are a few spaces left for the one starting August 11th in Philadelphia.

Don't wait, go register as it's on a first come basis.

Oh, go here, register, and be prepared to come back exhausted from the fun with loads of books and goodies.

Poultry as a sex symbol? Seriously?

Ok, I'm not a big fan of food in general, but this threw me for a loop.

Yes, I laughed, and then I thought it was so wrong!

At least they chose to showcase both a male and female poultry, at least I think they are based on the poses or I could be wrong.

Thank you Dark Roasted Blend - love your Cool Ad collections - for messing with my brain and making it more difficult to injest protein, now please go find more and then maybe I can loose a few pounds.

My #1 Favorite Thing is...

Chocolate!

Hot chocolate in particular and I hunt it down wherever I may be.

In 2007 I was reading a Travel and Leisure and found on page 188 with Best Hot Chocolate: Warm up to winter by indulging in a steaming cup of hot cocoa by Charlotte Druckman [find her on Twitter as @cettedrucks] and notes where she thinks the reader will find the richest flavors around the globe.  I pulled the page out of the magazine and it's been with me ever since, but I've never [I don't think at least] shared where the four noted are located, so here you go:

Angelina
226 Rue de Rivoli, First Arr., Paris, France
They are soon going to be selling goods from their website - oh yummy!

Cacao Sampaka
292 Consell de Cent, Barcelona, Spain
Hmmm, cocoa as a serious commodity.

Vida e Caffe
34 Kloof St., Cape Town, South Africa
Interesting, this website bugged me enough to push it to the bottom of my want to try list.

Trachtenvogl Cafe-Lounge
47 Reichenbachstrasse, Munich, Germany
Intriguing, but be forewarned, website has street noises, but there is an off button.

I've been to Angelina's before, talked about it recently, and it is fabulous, a great experience.  Maybe this is the year I get to visit another on this list of goodness.

My #1 Thing I Would Like to Try is...

...stay in an Igloo Hotel.

I know, the cold is so not my thing and this kind of cold is not something I'd normally seek out to spend time in, but I'm intrigued by the ice hotels sprouting up and looking fun.

The Schneedorf in Austria [to the right] even looks romantic.

The only problem I foresee with staying in an igloo is that fish would most likely be on the menu and I eat nothing from water, otherwise, I'm there!

My #1 Perplexing Intrigue is...

...why this?

I'm not a horse fan, in fact I'm terrified of them, although I do like Bodo Sperlein's work, very smooth, elegant, and with enough whimsy to encourage a smile.

All that said, why do I keep going back to his Ascot Collection tea set for Lladro?  And please don't ask me what I think about the latters figurines.

There's disjointed horse limbs kicking out in weirdly useful positions and heads used as stands, and yet I'm oddly drawn to it.

My #1 Designing Idea is...

...to put this Tokujin Yoioka Bouquet chair in a cozy Ladies Reading Salon.

Okay, no surprise, my version of a Man Cave would be a nook for me to sit back and read.  This chair looks comfy and fun for curling up with a good book whilst sipping on something fruity.

There's also dark red version that screams out for a more private salon.  Actually, there's a variety of colors, and all of them just make me think they'd be a nice place to spend time.

My #1 Frivolous Fashion Lust is...

...minaudière!

These are defined as "a small decorative case for carrying small articles (as cosmetics or jewelry)."

Told you it was frivolous and yet I'm drawn to them, would love to own many of them, but am content to look at and enjoy them from afar.

This all started with Judith Leiber, the first designer of the little jewels that I discovered as a teen, and have been looking out for her offerings ever since.  Something I recently heard about was the Leiber Museum which houses both Judith's minaudieres and Gerson's modern art offerings.

Road trip!

[Thank you Merriam-Webster for definition and snippet on the origins.]

Something New!

This past weekend the cutie and I went to an AMC Dine-In Theater to watch Hangover II because the times worked for us, but it was a fabulous experience.

The seats were very comfy, [while we didn't order anything] the menu offerings looked decent, there were a variety of beverages - including cocktails and beer on top, and the matinee price was the best!

With quite a few flicks coming up that we'd like to see, we'll definitely be going here again!

Food as Fashion is here!

Beef and Chanel, who knew they'd mix so well, but Art Center College of Design in Pasadena student Nancy Wu managed to pull it off with style!

No, I wouldn't buy this bag - I'm not into labels or jerky - but I see a story potential here:  A cowboy is asked to add some legitimacy to a western photoshoot for a top Parisian haute couture designer and ends up falling for the model wearing the gowns.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again:  Inspiration is everywhere and I found this one in the Daily Mail.

Need to wear a tie?

There are times when a tie is needed and others when it's not, but that's where the fun begins.

Not sure where I found this pic or who the photographer is, but the model is Tym Roders.

What have I read lately?

I've been reading this month [May], lots of it, and can't say any of it has been anything more than done simply for the joy of being able to read what I want, when I want, and where I want.  Okay, the cutie bought a Kindle, and I tried a few on it and others I added to my cyber TBR shelf for later, but I read* a few because I do that - READ!

Selfish, I know, but I've enjoyed myself which is what reading is all about.  So, what have I bought and what have I read?

• Grace Under Fire by Jackie Barbosa*
• A Gentlewoman's Predicament (1) and A Gentlewoman's Ravishment (2) by Portia Da Costa*
• Pleasing Sir by Delilah Devlin*
• Long Hard Ride (1) by Lorelie James*
• The Bosses Pet: The Contract (1) and Office Training Goes Home (2) by Tonya Kinzer*
• Boy Toys by Brynn Paulin
• Glorious Enslavement by Anya Richards*
• Dex's Claim by Mandy M Roth*
• Club Shadowlands (1), Dark Citadel (2) and Breaking Free (3) by Cherise Sinclair
• Feral Cravings by Jenika Snow
• Seducing Jane Porter by Dominique Adair*

Most of these were new to me to read authors [I've read Devlin and Adair before] and I've had varying degrees of enjoyment, either way, it's been a good month to buy ebooks and read!

Time to think about honor

Enjoy your day and take a moment to remember those who served and paid the ultimate price for us to have all the freedoms we have.

Playing Away From Home Today!

I'm over on the fabulous Delilah Devlin's blog talking about a man who inspired me for months and I finally wrote his story - yup, his sexy and hard, but maybe not in the way you're thinking!

Come over and lets talk about who it is :-)

I'm Guilty As Charged!

I'm not someone who is in to lots of self-denial, which means I happily embrace my guilty pleasures and I'm about to indulge myself.

The Hangover passed me by for sometime and I was okay with that.  I heard it was funny, but didn't rush out to find, and then I was cornered.  Actually, I was on an airplane, and thought why not kill a few hours watching it?  Well, I loved it!  It was so wrong and I laughed so hard :-)

This weekend the cutie and I will be seeing The Hangover Part II!  Fingers crossed the release isn't held back because of the tattoo lawsuit pending.

Feeling Blue?

Is the week not going the way you'd hoped it would?

Not to worry, Steve B and photographer Jason T Jaskot have a solution!

Sexy hot blue!

Thank you Oh La La Magazine for brightening this hump day!

Cover Talk - Again!

Not too long ago I mentioned cover art needed to make a Come Back, well, I'm sticking with that and pleading the publishers to do something.

Besides title and authors name, covers need to tell me genre, mood, and a few hints that will tempt my inner-reader to buy.

I've just been shopping on Amazon.co.uk for a family member in England and found a few books that interested me.  I swapped over to the US site and the cover of one made me doubt it was the book for me, and I decided they can wait until I'm in the UK next.  That's bad because, as far as I'm concerned, those were sales lost because of the publisher.  They chose to package the books in two entirely different ways which made me, in turn, doubt they were the right choices for me. 

What do you think?

Colin Cotterill is the author and while I seriously dislike the quote used, I do like the covers for both the hardcover and paperback as they appear in the UK.  Without the unkind comparison, they tell me the series is light and fun, which is the complete opposite of the vibe I get from US paperback cover on the bottom [hardcover was much the same just a slightly muter coloring].

I enjoyed Tarquin Hall's The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator [1st book] and plan to get The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing when it comes out in paper on June 21st.  Shamini Flint's 'Inspector Singh Investigates' [1st book is A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder] books looked good as well [same covers in UK and US].  Both these books recommended I check out Colin Cotterill's 'Dr Siri Paiboun Mystery' [as above, the 1st book is The Coroner's Lunch] offerings and they also interested me.  They all see like good summer reads, but I'm holding back on the Cotterill book until I can find out more information.

Covers count publishers!

Weirdly Intriguing

Condoms are used for safe sex and this chainmail condom from the Anevern Artchicks put a twist on its construction - now I can't get it out of my head.

Can I somehow work this into a story?

Probably, but not sure I will.

Like I said, weirdly intriguing.

Thank you Erotic Romance for, um, this.

The Number Game

Sometimes it's two, often it's three, and then there are those times when it's four.  Numbers don't matter, plot matters, right?

There's your hints for what's on my mind and I guess, since it's a day of numbers, I'll let you know I've been dropping hints this week on three different tales, in three different genres.