May Your Easter Be Whimsical

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older. ~Tom Stoppard

Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sellp-song on our roof at night--
And I love the rain.

~Langston Hughes

The Winner of Our Lovely Fish Is...

What? You didn't know we were giving away a fish? Really? Hmmm....


*snicker* Okay, I had to do something for April Fool's Day. You caught me, there is no fish. Instead I drew a winner for the mass market copy of Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane. The handy Random Number Generator came up with Number 8:

Bookie who said:

My minions need to be big and strong and know how to cook. Sexy and can whip up a meal. Perfect!

I've emailed Bookie and will send her address to the publisher. Thanks to everyone who entered and left their comments expressing what type of minions they would like if they could have them. I didn't give my answer so I will now:

If I could have minions I would make them fairly small and fast so they could clean house, do laundry and catch my cats in the act of peeing, transporting them to the litter box before the pee hits the floor. Wouldn't that be lovely?

~Moonsanity

I'm Prolific...and Giddy

Jackie over at Literary Escapism gave me the Prolific Blogger Award. According to the award creators a Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive… keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content. Since I consider Jackie's blog to be one of the best book blogs I've run across, for her to give it to me is making me giddy. Seriously, how cool is that?

-Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers.

-Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

-Every Prolific Blogger must link back to this post, which explains the origins and

motivation for the award.

-Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the

Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here

for the Mr. Linky page.)

I am giving this to seven other bloggers that are certainly prolific, as well as fantastic:)

KC Books

Cym Lowell

Kindle Vixen

Bibliofreakblog

Word for Teens

My World...in words and pages

Lisa Loves Books

~Moonsanity

A Time Travel Romance Review

Flirting with Forever
Author: Gwyn Cready
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Authors Website
Available at: Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

SUMMARY: Art historian Cam Stratford is about to make a name for herself with her sexy tell-all "fictographies" of 17th century painters, but she's more familiar with her subjects than her readers can imagine. Thanks to a time portal she's discovered, she has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond. To protect their members' reputations, the Guild representing dead artists convinces playboy Sir Peter Lely, portraitist to Charles II and a man with his own dark secrets, to sabotage Cam's project. A few hours posing on Peter's modeling chaise lead to a night of seductive passion--then Cam returns home and discovers his betrayal. But before she can turn her angry pen on her lover, Peter makes a surprise visit, transforming Cam's 21st century life into chaos of classic proportion.

I accepted a copy of Flirting with Forever from the publisher because I wanted to give time travel romance a chance. The paranormal romance books I usually read tend to have killing, and possibly maiming, as part of the plot, so this was a switch for me. During the first part of the book I felt as if I was getting to know the characters and the author's writing at the same time. It was as if I was rolling around the words in my mind, like you would a new wine, swishing and tasting. By the time I was halfway through the book I realized I DID care about the two main characters. I wanted them to be happy, and together. I liked Cam, the main female character from the start because she's smart and witty, but not snobbish or full of herself as some people within the art world tend to be. It took me longer to warm up to Peter, the male lead character. Actually, it wasn't until he time traveled to present day that I really saw what kind of man he was. I loved the way he looked at our modern society as compared to the 1600's.

Flirting with Forever is a fun, romantic read, but at the same time it really has a fascinating look at the differences between modern artists and historic painters, including techniques and attitudes. The author wove these ideas throughout the book so it didn't take away from the plot, but added to it's charm.

There are also lessons in human nature that involve family, love, and seeing the whole truth, not just what is perceived on the surface. There are two very steamy, and erotic scenes in Flirting With Forever that had me holding my breath. Each was very different from the other and the author had my undivided attention both times.

The time travel aspect of the story was fascinating, as well as humorous in many instances. Flirting With Forever is a mix of historic and contemporary romance. I think fans of either genre will enjoy this book.

AUTHOR'S FABULOUS SHOE CONTEST
Win a pair of designer Michael Kors shoes ($165 value*) in the Flirting with Forever launch contest! Ends 4/11/1010 Details of the contest are here: http://www.cready.com/shoes_contest.php

~Moonsanity

Trapped in a Restaurant Meme Game!

I am participating in Carolyn Crane's Trapped in a Restaurant Meme Game to celebrate the release of her cool new book Mind Games. She's given us three questions to consider:

1. In MIND GAMES, hypochondriac heroine Justine Jones can’t figure out why tortured mastermind Sterling Packard never sets foot outside the Mongolian Delites restaurant. What if you were somehow trapped in a restaurant, what sort of restaurant would you prefer?

I'd have to go with a Chinese buffet where I can just pick and choose my food, and they will change it throughout the day and evening. Oh yeah, that would be awesome. We go to one near us every couple of months and have been since my daughter was a baby. They love us, and greet us like old friends. *snicker*

2. What if you won the fancy $100 dinner to a restaurant of your choice, and you could dine with any character from any book, movie, or history. Who would you choose?

Oh man, this is just way too hard of a question. I'm going to go with J.R. Tolkien. Can you imagine the world building tips the man could share?

3. Choose three characters to dine with for a lively dinner party (you can define lively however you want).

-Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel... I think this is an opportunity for a picture of James, who will forever be Spike in my mind


-Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez as played by Sean Connery in The Highlander. (Yes, I know he still had a Scottish accent. Shhhh...no dissing Sean.)


-James Dean is my third choice. Is this a great picture or what?


Why these three you ask? Can you imagine them snarking at each other? Plus, I could listen to all three talk for hours, and watch them for longer. *snicker*

To participate in Carolyn's Meme Game simply create your own and send meme game link by 4/8 to meme@authorcarolyncrane.com to enter. Anyone can play. Details at http://www.authorcarolyncrane.com/.

New Authors Mini Challenge: April 2010

I'm going to participate in the April New Authors Mini Challenge organized by Jackie at Literary Escapism. You can learn more about the challenge or join here.

The challenge this month is a Battle Royale between the online writer groups Deadline Dames and Fangs, Fur & Fey. Wow, this is a tough call for me because I love the gals at Deadline Dames, but the point is to read new authors and I've gotten some contest wins recently that include books written by authors over at Fangs, Fur & Fey. The rules are as follows:

-The Challenge will run from April 1st through the 30th. All reviews must have an April 2010 date.

-The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the either list below. Write up a review on your blog and then come back to the official start post and add your link to Mr. Linky.

-The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you’ve already read all of the listed authors, you can still participant, but don’t re-read a novel. Try something new. Not only is this an excuse to try a certain group of authors, but it’s also a great chance to help promote them.

UPDATE: I just finished the last book for the mini challenge today and posted the review. It's April 29th. I read:

1. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Eleventh Grade Burns
by Heather Brewer (Fangs, Fur & Fey)

2. Linger
by Maggie Stiefvater

3. Wicked Lovely
by Melissa Marr

4. Be Mine Tonight
by Kathryn Smith

5. Night Shift

by Lilith Saintcrow

6. Magic on the Storm
by Devon Monk

I was only allowed 6 books officially so I didn't enter Devon's book on the challenge page, but wanted to list it here. I entered all the reviews on Good Reads as well. What a great mini-challenge!

~Moonsanity

The Accidental Demon Slayer

The Accidental Demon Slayer
Author: Angie Fox
Publisher: Love Spell
Mass Market: 292 pages
Author's Website

Summary: Straight-laced preschool teacher, Lizzie Brown, never lies, never cusses, and doesn’t really care much for surprises. When her long lost Grandma Gertie shows up on her doorstep on a neon pink Harley Davidson wearing a “Kiss My Asphalt” t-shirt and hauling a carpet bag full of Smuckers jars filled with road kill magic, Lizzie doesn’t think her life could get any stranger. That is, until her hyper-active terrier starts talking and an ancient demon decides to kill her from his perch on the back of her toilet.

I won my copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer in a contest Angie Fox gave to win copies of her "signing screw ups". She has a witty, laid back style of writing and has created unique characters that have the reader laughing and thinking "No, no, she wouldn't do that would she?". Don't let her humor fool you though. She can write a love scene that will make your toes curl and action scenes that will keep you from putting down the book until you know what happens.

Lizzie, the main character, teaches at Happy Hands Preschool, and she is like every younger preschool or Kindergarten teacher I have ever met. She's so used to talking to little ones that she uses words like "Ouchie!" instead of swearing. She wears sensible clothing and shoes, is very organized and doesn't like surprises. In a few hours time Lizzy meets her grandma, who is the leader of a witches coven that doubles as a senior citizen's biker gang, and she discovers that she has come into demon slayer powers that were passed down from the mother she never knew. Did I mention that there is a demon gunning for her in the bathroom, and she can now hear her dog speaking to her? Yeah, Lizzy's world is turned on it's side and stomped on a few times for good measure, all in the first chapter.

Amidst the wackiness, we meet Dimitri, a handsome, charming Greek shapeshifter who claims to be Lizzie's protector. I loved the sexual tension, and the building of suspense as the details of who he is and why he is attracted to Lizzy is revealed.

Lizzy's grandma's coven has a host of crazy characters that add magic and mayhem to the plot. I have to say that I love that they are funky senior citizens. Though I will be the first to admit I love kick-butt witches that wear cool clothing, it's refreshing to see characters that age, love to do cranky and don't fit the mold of most paranormal romance book women.

If you like Michelle Rowen and Kim Harrison you will love Angie Fox. There are three books in her slayer series, all of which are currently available:

1. The Accidental Demon Slayer (2008)
2. The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (2009)
3. A Tale of Two Demon Slayers (2010)




~Moonsanity