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29 April 2011

Guest Review: Gift of the Goddess by Denise Rossetti

Hello this is Vanyel Kane and today I’m taking over this blog forever! Just kidding I’m guest blogging today for obsidiantears83 for Aussie Author Month.


Today our Aussie author is Denise Rossetti and the story is Gift of the Goddess. This is an adult only novel so kiddies no peeking inside this book! This is an erotic romance with a large emphasis on erotic. To say the sex scenes were steamy is something of an understatement. But I will get to that shortly because I found myself somewhat surprised by this story.

You see what got my attention is the fact that it was fun. It also was totally unique and these characteristics are nothing you see too often. I was expecting to vaguely enjoy the story, shrug my shoulders and place it with the very few other such stories I own and then quickly forget it. Also in so many erotic stories I get bored by the terrible dialogue especially in the middle of sex scenes and since most of these stories don’t have large stories outside the bedroom, kitchen, park or wherever it may be this can be something of a problem. Basically I’m not a huge erotic fan unless the sex is secondary to the story.

Not this story! I met this author at ARRC 2011 just a month ago and I remember thinking as I saw her on the panel for sci-fi /fantasy fans was if only a 10th of her voice showed through in her stories then they would be worth reading. She has a good balance between the sex scenes and the story. She has also done a great job of creating a fantasy world which made you want to learn more. She has a gift for some interesting world-building and characters I could vividly see as she described them. Plus her characters are enjoyable. I had no urge to strangle anyone in the story and I had no urge to strangle the author for creating characters and then totally ignoring them to force the story forward. In fact I wanted everyone to succeed and I wanted the biggest, most beautiful happily ever after that has ever existed in a story.

The story is centred around Anje, a scout for a matriarchal society, Children of the Mother, who have a few similarities with Amazons. She is captured by Brin a priest of the love goddess Lufra, who is a perfect example of a gorgeous man if I have ever read of one. Anje was distracted by the third major character Brin’s friend/ward Trey who is another kind of handsome. Together they are a combination that no woman is safe from. They have been looking for a special woman that bears the unique markings of their goddess and as Anje has those markings they plan to take her back to their home to help save their people. Of course the saving of their people involves sex, lots of sex. You see Lufra is also known as the Lust goddess and these ‘offerings’ are pleasing to her. Unfortunately the ceremony to save their people had been tried before by others and everyone died so this ceremony comes with the very real possibility of death. You can imagine Anje is NOT going along with this plan. There are few other things in the way that I will leave you to discover but basically they have a long way to go before even getting home where they face their biggest challenge for all. IF Anje can be persuaded to go along with it of course.

Now to look at the meat of the book – the love story and the sex scenes. Lets be honest many of us would not be reading if the chemistry is boring. The love story, and it is love not just lust, is actually rather sweet to me. The author brings a certain poignancy to the main character’s feelings which is a great job for a first novel. Please note that the publishers have their own little classification system s – sensuous, e – erotic and x – xtreme. This story was e- erotic and was described and I quote ‘love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to imagination and are high in volume.’ This becomes a three way male-male-female combination that is very hot, if you are easily offended I would suggest the free online story I mention below before committing to a bought book but as for the rest of us, wonderful. Simply wonderful.

The story is such that directly after reading it I immediately craved more and went onto her website. I found the free story The Amorous Adventures of Alice in which the fans were to pick what happens next and I can say that the ending had me laughing for days. So I recommend trying that story if you wish for a preview of what Denise can do. Personally I think I will be placing Denise Rossetti on my ‘must buy upon seeing her books’ list and she is a must read if you have any interest in the erotic romance genre of the very hot variety.






Book Bites is taking part in Aussie Author Month during April. Daily links tweeted using the #ausbooks hash will be collated {here}. Aussie Author Month is also supporting donations to the Indigenous Literacy Project. You can donate through the Aussie Author Month ILP page on on GoFundraise.

My posts for Aussie Author Month can be found using the Aussie Author Month or #ausbooks tags.

Teaser Tuesday: Thyla by Kate Gordon

I am taking part in Aussie Author Month during April. Daily links tweeted using the #ausbooks hash will be collated {here}. Aussie Author Month is also supporting donations to the Indigenous Literacy Project. You can donate through the Aussie Author Month ILP page on on GoFundraise.

My posts for Aussie Author Month can be found using the Aussie Author Month or #ausbooks tags. If you don't have a blog, I am looking for guest bloggers for Book Bites during April. If you are interested, please email me on book bites oz at gmail dot com.




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser: 



I was warm. Too warm. I could feel something bearing down on me – at once soft and horribly heavy – and another word joined Tessa in my mind, as if the words were small creatures meeting together.
Blankets.
And then, I don’t like blankets.
And so now I knew four things.
But the rest was deafening emptiness.

Page 2 of Thyla by Kate Gordon
^It is a bit late - life got in the way.
I will be reviewing Thyla for Book Thingo in the near future.



20 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday: The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis by Lara Morgan

I am taking part in Aussie Author Month during April. Daily links tweeted using the #ausbooks hash will be collated {here}. Aussie Author Month is also supporting donations to the Indigenous Literacy Project. You can donate through the Aussie Author Month ILP page on on GoFundraise.

My posts for Aussie Author Month can be found using the Aussie Author Month or #ausbooks tags. If you don't have a blog, I am looking for guest bloggers for Book Bites during April. If you are interested, please email me on book bites oz at gmail dot com.




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers: 




“The first time is always the best, kid,” she said.

Rosie tried to smile and start out of the window as, with a shot of steam, the ship lurched up into the sky.

Page 177 of The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis by Lara Morgan




19 April 2011

Bookshelf joy!


It is all arranged. I am buying a bookshelf this weekend! FTW!

I have been umming and ahhing over it for ages, but I finally lined up the budget, the transport and the time to do so. My parents will be in NSW over Easter, and I am going up to the Central Coast to spend time with them (bush walking, canoeing, driving and just generally spending some quality time with two people I love dearly but never see). Originally we were planning on them picking me up and going through Wisemans Ferry to Gosford and then up to my Grandmother’s place, but with the Sydney Royal Easter Show the traffic will be terrible (apparently). So instead I am catching a train up to them and we will start the adventures from Gosford. We have a lot of half formed plans but one I have just made my folks agree to is going to Officeworks at Gosford and buying me that bookshelf I desperately need! They luckily have a ute, so it will not be too big of a problem for them. We’ll put it in storage at my grandmother’s place while we go gallivanting, and then, on Monday night, Dad sets it up for me, and I spend Tuesday reorganising my book collection!! I am SO excited! It means I don’t have as much money as I need to go gallivanting, but well worth the effort! I am getting excited!! I have needed another bookshelf for so long, but instead I buy more books. Silly really, because this bookshelf will cost as much as five or six books really – although that does not factor in delivery and taking a day off of work for it to be delivered *shrugs* But yeay, bookshelf!!!! *squee*






If they don't have this in "chocolate" I will cry! It is 2m tall, and I plan to buy more when circumstances permit - I don't need my wardrobe or bed or anything right? I can totally just fill my room with books? And maybe a little beanbag in the middle of the floor for me to sleep and read on?







Now, the big question is, what books do I take with me?! Four days away from the internet and my book collection!! :o I think I need to find some money (or freebies) and load up my ereader as a backup plan LOL Let’s face it – I never take enough books with me when I go on holiday! ;-p

13 April 2011

Just Breathe - why I haven't been blogging as much as I want

It has been busy these last few months. I keep telling myself I’ll be a good girl and write some reviews, but then something else comes up. If you want to know why I've been a bad bad blogging girl, this may help you understand:

  • Australian speculative fiction blog carnival: done and dusted.
  • ARRC: photos uploaded, key tweets collated, summary blogged
  • Article about ebooks for ARRA: submitted.
  • Review of Bite Club ARC: read preceding books, reading now, released May, review ASAP, highest priority.
  • Review for Galaxy blog: need to choose a book (maybe Navarro’s Promise?) and check with Mark, on hiatus for Bite Club.
  • Aussie Author Month: reading Genesis, writing Aussie themed Teaser Tuesdays, other things planned, but taking a back burner position for Bite Club. You can find any posts I do using my AAM tag. If you want to be a guest blogger and review an Australian author's work, please comment on this blog or email me at bookbites oz at gmail dot com *blows kiss*
  • Dead-Tossed Waves: review for Book Thingo, started reading, on hiatus for Bite Club.
  • Thyla: review for Book Thingo, TBR pile, Aussie Author Month?
  • Crazy TBR pile: I've not been buying books regularly since August. I’m slowly working my way through the pile, but every time I think I have made a dent in it, somehow there are more! I've decided to stop entering competitions unless I am absolutely in love with the author. I've worked my way through most of the ARRC books. I am working my way through the review copies. I’m not buying new books unless I absolutely need them. I can’t comprehend how I’m not buying books but my TBR pile is increasing. I think my books are having babies while I am at work. Books humping like bunnies! Seriously! There is no other explanation!
  • Bookshelf: I have a dentist appointment tomorrow that will probably take up most of my savings, but I am hoping there is $100 left to buy the bookshelf I want from Officeworks when my parents visit over Easter. I have the problem that for delivery I would need to take a day off work (not happening!) or hire a ute (seems pointless). My friends don’t have cars, and the one that does lives over an hour away. My parents have agreed to take me to Officeworks to purchase it, and I know I can con my daddy to put it together for me. I just hope I have the cash! I've decided it will be for romance and classics, which leaves the big bookshelf for fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and the other two bookshelves for everything else (mysteries, thrillers, horror, science fiction, general fiction, text books, children’s books and dictionaries). Wish me luck! I will probably have to rearrange my room, which I am NOT looking forward to.
  • Supanova costume: I've decided to go as Simi from Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series. I can totally see myself as a goth demon, can’t you? My other option was Sara from Witchblade, but it would have taken a lot of effort to make the blades, and, well, she just doesn’t wear much when she is wearing the blades, does she LOL I need to buy a new corset, red contact lenses, make wings and hornays, buy new boots and either resurrect an old skirt, make a new one, or buy a new one. I need to reread the DH books to get the costume right.

Upcoming events:
  • Sir Terry Pratchett at the Sydney Opera House, 17th April
  • Sydney Writers' Festival,16-22nd May
  • Karen Miller at Galaxy, 21st May
  • Supanova at Sydney Olympic Park, 17-19th June


12 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday: The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis by Lara Morgan

I am taking part in Aussie Author Month during April. Daily links tweeted using the #ausbooks hash will be collated {here}. Aussie Author Month is also supporting donations to the Indigenous Literacy Project. You can donate through the Aussie Author Month ILP page on on GoFundraise.

My posts for Aussie Author Month can be found using the Aussie Author Month or #ausbooks tags. If you don't have a blog, I am looking for guest bloggers for Book Bites during April. If you are interested, please email me on book bites oz at gmail dot com.




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers: 




Rosie sat under the shelter of the cabin with her pack jammed between her legs, swatting at the insects buzzing around her bare thighs. She wished she’d thought to change into a pair of longer pants, but clothes had been the last thing on her mind when she’d jumped out of the window.
Page 93 of The Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis by Lara Morgan




11 April 2011

What Your Favorite Kids Book Then Says About You Now


According to this meme on Flavorwire, this is me as an adult:

  • There are eighteen different kinds of tea in your kitchen, and plenty of herbs.
  • You’re a compulsive traveller and manage to make friends no matter where you go. Sometimes that leads to getting locked in prison or drugged, but you can roll with the punches.
  • Your friends may be totally crazy, but you’re together enough that you can go out partying with them every night and still hold down a full-time job.
  • You’re the guy who finds a way to ruin every party.
  • You’re probably a genius by now. Or a politician. Definitely not both.
  • You’re a staunch vegetarian and have a vast wine cellar. You also have really weird prejudices against random animals.
  • You can’t stop talking about how your multi-media novel is going to be really awesome. It probably is.
  • You’re a creative gastronomist with a flexible policy on slave labor.
  • You may or may not be that lady who talks to her plants.
  • Every house you live in must be outfitted with a walk in closet. Just in case.

Actually, they aren't all that far fetched... Okay, I am not a politician or a genius, and I am not writing a multi-media novel, but everything else... well, they aren't so far fetched.


06 April 2011

Teaser Tuesday: Scatterlings by Isobelle Carmody

I am taking part in Aussie Author Month during April. Daily links tweeted using the #ausbooks hash will be collated {here}. Aussie Author Month is also supporting donations to the Indigenous Literacy Project. You can donate through the Aussie Author Month ILP page on on GoFundraise.

My posts for Aussie Author Month can be found using the Aussie Author Month or #ausbooks tags. If you don't have a blog, I am looking for guest bloggers for Book Bites during April. If you are interested, please email me on book bites oz at gmail dot com.




Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers: 


The city itself was a ruin. Skyscrapers were skeletal hulks of rotting stone and weathered steel. Glass was gone from windows, and outside, steps were crumpled and overgrown with shaggy yellow grasses. Trees once confined to circular grills had grown to a monstrous size, their serpentine roots twisting and writhing in all directions, cracking open what remained of sidewalks.
Page 17 of Scatterlings by Isobelle Carmody

I used to love books about the Littles and the Borrowers as a kid. I love that one of my favourite authors has moved the myth into modern times and that the Little in question is a punkish girl. His punkish girls are always my favourite characters LOL


04 April 2011

ARRC2011 Wrap Up

Keri Arthur and myself at the Awards Dinner

Nalini Singh and myself at the Awards Dinner

Erica Hayes and myself at the Awards Dinner

I had this post languishing half-written in my drafts. I've rephrased some sections because I am no longer posting it on the Monday after ARRC. I apologise for the delay in posting.

I have uploaded my photos to flickr (yes, I now have an account and will be cross posting photos between my blog, fickr and facebook) and you can find these {here}. Kat has also uploaded a lot of photos to her flickr. You can find these {here}.

Anyone who followed me on twitter last weekend knows that I must have been at ARRC, as most of my tweets contained the #ARRC2011 hash. I couldn’t afford the meet and greet on Friday night, or the Saturday panels, but I did attend the Awards Dinner and the Sunday panels. Just that sneak peak into the ARRA world was enough to get me hooked. I only joined ARRA a month or so ago (after two years of loosing forms) and wish I had have been there from the start. The association is made up of so many amazing women (and a man or two) and it is such a positive environment. There were of course undercurrents, but nothing overt – as someone who has been a key member in organisations in the past, it was quite impressive not to see infighting or the like. Even the AGM ran smoothly! (I used to be VP for a university Archaeology society – that is damn impressive, okay?) I was bitching and moaning about the price of ARRC before I attended, even though I know it takes a lot of money to organise a conference and that ARRA is a not-for-profit member organisation. I will no longer complain about the cost.. I came away with free books. Lots and lots of free books! I now have the first 3 books of Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamer series and Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur. I actually already own Kissing Sin, however, I asked Keri to autograph it for Gail at the Awards Dinner ;D I was at table five with Lami, Maria, Marg and …. ERICA HAYES ^_^’ We had a number of other authors at our table but I wasn’t familiar with their work. Which isn’t really all that surprising considering my main subgenre of a romantic persuasion is paranormal romance, although I do dabble with category and contemporary. It was lovely meeting so many fans of the genre, conversing with authors (my friends and I monopolised Nalini for a while at the Awards Dinner) and just generally having fun! Christine Darcas won the blingoff. She was sitting opposite me at dinner and she keep distracting me with all her shine! I won’t go on about who won what. I suggest you read Book Thingo’s blog for the full run down: http://bookthingo.com.au/arrc11/

My favourite panel to attend was the Fantasy, Science Fiction and Futuristic Romance panel. It was quite interesting because it was my genre, the authors had similar reading backgrounds as myself, and, I also found out, nearly all of them have used Jungian theory to the writing (which is what I have been doing myself - fascinating man, fascinating theories!).

Karen Simpson Nikakis, Kate Cuthbert (MC), Keri Arthur, Erica Hayes, Denise Rossetti & Nalini Singh

A selection of my live tweeting from the Sunday panels at ARRC:











***

I didn't have time to draft a write up about our Sydney Book Blogger Meet Up at the Art House on the 24th, however Marg has written a great blog on the topic. You can find it here: {link}
It was lovely to finally meet @awritingjourney, @MargReads and @Vaveros, as well as catch up with other twitter friends and meet new ones. The last few of us actually got kicked out of the bar, and @bookthingo, @my_leage, @Hesitent_Sarah and I ended up standing on a street corner chatting until the cold chased us home.


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