This week’s dilemma is as follows:

There are two guys who are interested in you. Guy 1 (Let’s call him Peter is really hot. You and he have a lot in common, and he makes you laugh. He’s a really sweet guy, who describes himself as a lover, not a fighter. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have tuppence to rub together, and you know that if you go on a date with him, he’ll treat you like a queen, but you’ll probably be the one footing the bill. But he is supercute though, and you and him have great chemistry.

Guy 2 (Let’s call him Nathan) is also really hot, but he is slightly reserved, and he has a dry sense of humour that can be quite cutting at times. He’s generally a nice guy, but look out anybody who gets in his way. Nathan is a self-made millionaire, and wouldn’t think anything of flying the lady of his life to paris for the night. The chemistry between the both of you is superhot too, although it does take a lot to get him to forget about work. Sometimes you feel that business comes first with him, which frustrates you somewhat.

So, who do you choose? Poor Peter, or Rich Nathan?

I’m not sure if this is a rant or just a musing.

Why is it that people driving cars and trucks—and the bigger the vehicle, the more prone the driver seems to be to this—feel the need to crowd the bike lane on the right hand side of the road?

It’s not that they are driving already on the right side of their lane, no—they swerve right as they come close to the lone bike rider dragging a loaded bike trailer in a four miles plus stretch of road.

Me.

And they swerve close enough so that I feel the push of the wind on my left side and have to compensate with the handlebars.

Why?

I mean, does it offend them that I’m riding the bike on their road—in a lane that is no more than 30 inches wide, by the way—instead of on the broken and bumpy sidewalk? Which, just an FYI? is not continuous the whole way; I would have to stop, get the bike and trailer down to the road, walk or ride for a few yards, stop, get the bike and trailer up to the sidewalk, ride a while… lather, rinse, repeat.

But really, why?

Or perhaps they don’t see me (despite it being the freaking middle of the freaking day—after twelve and before four in the afternoon, people, bright daylight)? And so, they suddenly realize that yes, that thing? It’s a person and “whoa, swerve left, don’t hit her! That was close!”?

Yeah, moron, it was close, thank you for noticing.

Anyway… if you drive a vehicle and see a bike rider around, try not to do that, okay? It’s not just annoying, it’s dangerous.

Oh, and while you are at it, perhaps you could answer the question: why?

Thank you.

I thought that circuses that used live animals for entertainment, had been banned years ago.

Apparently not.

2007 Promo

The Great British Circus are coming to town, and they have live elephants, camels, and tigers that perform tricks for people.

These animals are caged for days, and then transported from pillar to post, under cramped conditions. (more…)

So first the Walmart near my house stops carrying DVDs. Fine, it’s not like I was buying them there anyway.

But now they have done away with the measly book shelf they had near the entrance. They still have three shelves full of greeting cards and an aisle of party crap, but not. one. book.

What the fuck?

So, because I’m looking for a book–a specific title, mind–I ride a bit further, to the it’s dying, not it’s not, yes it’s dying, no actually it just bought SEARS Kmart in the area… And they don’t have the book either.

Mind, it was not a total waste of time or energy–I did get Larissa Ione’s Desire Unchained–but I’m still looking for Beth Williamson’s The Education of Madeline.

Seriously, people how hard are you guys*** gonna make it for readers to find books?

grrrrrrr

*** You guys: stores, publishers, etc–definitely NOT authors.

(WTF panda image grabbed shamelessly from Ann Aguirre’s blog)

I know that divorce is a fact of real life, but I have to say, I generally don’t like reading romance books, where the hero was previously married.

I’m not altogether sure why, but it seems hard to believe in the HEA, when the hero already tried for his HEA, and failed. I know that Happy Ever Afters can be found after several marriages in real life, but I really do prefer my heroes to be untainted by divorce.

Now, having said that, if the hero married his first wife because she got pregnant, then I don’t mind so much, but I’m not sure how popular those types of storylines are these days. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I read a book where the hero got his first wife pregnant, and so did the honourable thing by marrying her.

What say you?

Simply Perfect, by Mary Balogh

Once upon a time, a wee innocent reader discovered a used book by one Mary Balogh. A couple of days later, an obsessed reader scoured used book stores, libraries and bookstores (both online and brick and mortar) for Ms Balogh’s backlist. After a long glomming session, my appreciation of this author’s work became somewhat mixed-there are books I can re-read often and others that left me so indifferent I have to read a few pages in the middle to remember whether I read them or not.

Fourth and last title in Ms Balogh’s Simply series, Simply Perfect harkens back to what I like about her writing. The conflict is realistic for the characters involved-even if some of the reactions from secondary characters were a tad too accepting, open-minded, happy, and so on, to be consistent with the main character’s motivations for his secrecy.

Here’s the truly awful back cover blurb: (more…)

Apparently there’s a bit of a kerfuffle over Lori Foster including paranormal elements in her latest book, My Man Michael.

The problem is, the original series is a contemp, (which I’ve actually liked a lot so far) and so readers who love their contemps and are sick of paranormal this, and time travel that (Read: Me), are pissed off.

Check out the Amazon reviews, if you don’t believe me.

Man those people are beyond pissed.

This review by somebody called She Reads, made me chuckle. (more…)

I got sent a link to Jaid Black’s website. The following quote was posted on her home page:

“If you happen to be the centre of a Gossip! Remember, Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” – Author Unknown

Oh gee, I wonder who those barbs are aimed at. *g*

Thanks to you-know-who for the heads-up.

Dee’s sister Daphnee died unexpectedly just a week ago, orphaning four children under 16 years of age.

As Dee explains over at her blog, a death in the family not only wrecks emotional havoc–more so when it’s sudden–but also upsets the often precarious financial balance of a household.

We all know that it is not easy for the immense majority of us right now, but you can help Dee and her family, even with just a little bit.

Godspeed, Daphnee, we are keeping you in our thoughts and your family in our prayers.

The Desert Lord’s Bride, by Olivia Gates

Second in Ms Gates’ Throne of Judar trilogy, The Desert Lord’s Bride tells the story of Shehab, the second oldest Aal Massod brother. He and Kamal, the third and youngest brother, were introduced briefly in The Desert Lord’s Baby, Farooq’s story (review here).

Once again, this is a short novel-not quite 200 pages long-and it contains a number of category romance tropes and clichés that most usually put me off. We have deception on a grand scale on the part of the hero, fueled by a false image of the heroine. We have a heroine whose singular previous sexual and relationship experience has convinced her she’s frigid. We have love at first sight.

And, amazingly, it works. Not without caveats (yes, I do have quibbles), but it does work.

Here is the back cover blurb, which happens to be better than most: (more…)