From Angela James’ blog:

Samhain is open to submissions.

In the most recent issue of the RWA’s Pro newsletter (Prospects) it was reported that Samhain is closed to submissions. We’re unsure where the erroneous information came from, but we are not closed to submissions and have no plans to be. We continue to accept submissions in all genres of romance, as well as science fiction/fantasy/urban fantasy all with romantic elements. Submissions guidelines can be found http://samhainpublishing.com/submissions. All questions and submissions can be directed to editor@samhainpublishing.com

We hope you’ll help us out by posting this correction on your local and specialty chapter loops.

Thank you!

Angela James, Executive Editor

**permission to forward granted**

My cynical mind is pondering how such a thing came to be published.

I’ve noticed that good old Dick has been shooting his mouth off, left, right and centre. Now we finally know for sure, who was behind the majority of George Bush’s heinously bad decisions.

Keith Olbermann’s special comment on this last week was right on:

Dick Cheney, in case you haven’t heard it enough sir, you are a twat who needs to shut the fuck up, and resign yourself to the fact that you are an irrelevant fool who needs his head sticking in a toilet full of piss and shit, and whipping until you cry uncle.

You are a terrorist in a suit, who just happens to be born American.

Pox on you, you son of a bastard.

I’d suggest we start a #JailCheney Twitfest on Twitter, but I’m not sure how many KKB readers really give a shit either way.

Kiss & Hell, by Dakota Cassidy

A paranormal romantic comedy with heart is probably the easiest way to describe Ms Cassidy’s Kiss & Hell. The problem is that such a label doesn’t come even close to doing it justice. There are some deeper threads mixed in with the laughter, but there isn’t any overt preaching because none of the characters take themselves terribly seriously.

There is some graphic language and a couple of rather explicit sex scenes in the novel, but the real warning is for people who can’t take their religion with a sense of humor-the language in the narrative is highly irreverent, but definitely not with the intent to offend.

Here is the back cover blurb:
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This week’s dilemma is as follows:

You’ve been dating a guy for just over a year, and you’re very much in love with him. He finally asks you to marry him, and you’re ecstatic. He then tells you that he had an irreversible vasectomy a few years ago, which means that you have no chance of having kids of your own. You’re devastated because you desperately want children.

What do you do? Do you stay with him, and look at other options like adoption, or do you leave him, due to your desperate desire to have a child of your own?

What would you do?

The Tycoon’s Rebel Bride, by Maya Banks

The second in Ms Banks’ Anetakis Tycoons trilogy, The Tycoon’s Rebel Bride follows the second Anetakis brother, Theron, and Isabella Caplan, erstwhile ward of his elder brother Chrysander. This novel is a good example of how clichés can be used effectively to tell a story.

First, the back cover blurb:

“I don’t suppose you saved me a dance?”

Tycoon Theron Anetakis had only one problem-and she just walked through his door. With his business takeover complete, he’d intended to arrange a marriage for himself to further secure his future. However…

Little Isabella Caplan had blossomed into a voluptuous vixen with plans of her own, and they didn’t include letting the executor of her father’s estate also arrange a marriage for her to another man! She had pined for Theron long enough. Now it was time to seduce her hot-blooded hotel tycoon and bring him to one bended knee.

The Anetakis Tycoons-Three Greek tycoon brothers bound for love… only as a last resort!

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I have mentioned before that I rarely read anthologies cover to cover-which begs the question of why I buy them in the first place. The answer is that I want one-perhaps two-of the stories within, and that I want that one story bad enough to pay for content I know I am likely never to read.

You can imagine how happy I am on those occasions when two or more of the stories in the same anthology resonate with me. These are two such stories, originally published in 2007 in the Wild Thing anthology by Berkley. (more…)

Now of course I’m a proponent of free speech, and free expression, but I think I take a dim view of protests that cost me money as a tax-payer.

The UK government has spent something like £8m policing the Tamil Tigers protests that have been taking place in Parliament Square in London, over the past five weeks, and the discovery of this bit of information has annoyed me no end.

Apparently the protestors are angry because of the UK’s lack of action, regarding the rebels, but why the fuck do we always have to be the ones leading the way in trying to solve the problems of other nations?

My main problem with this particular protest is because as far as I’m aware, the Tamil Tigers are actually terrorists, so wouldn’t it be akin to people protesting in favour of Al-Qaeda?

If people are going to protest, then I would suggest that the atrocities going on in Zimbabwe, is probably a worthier reason to protest.

Undoubtedly, there are some worthy causes out there, but surely there has to be some curtailment to the extent of the freedom of expression that we allow to some protestors? Would half the people be out there protesting if they were made to pay a nominal sum for the policing of the demonstrations? I think effing not.

Also, where are the protests in India, one of the largest economies in the world, regarding this matter? They are Sri Lanka’s nearest neighbour, but because of their zero tolerance methods re demonstrations, nobody dare protest over there. It infuriates me no end.

In London, the congestion charging is a pain in the arse, but coupled with diversions here and there due to protestors, it’s enough to drive a person mad.

Anyway, I think people should be able to protest where and where they please, but I do believe that the organisers of some of the more spurious and ambiguous protests should be made to pay.

What say you?

“A Gypsy’s Vow”, by Bonnie Dee

I believe it is no secret that I enjoy Ms Dee’s writing very much. This short story, published by Silver Liquid Books, is no exception. Set in England in 1902, “A Gypsy’s Vow” is a sweet little tale of romance-and lust. A little warning, then: the romance is sweet, but there is graphic sex within.

Here is the blurb: (more…)

This week’s dilemma is as follows:

You and your hubby have been married for five years, and you’re both very happy.

One day an old male friend walks back into your life (Let’s call him James). You were best friends in college, and except for one drunken one night stand, when you were feeling depressed over breaking up with a boy you were seeing, the relationship wasn’t sexual. You’ve missed him in your life, and you’re pleased that he’s back.

You tell your husband about James, (without mentioning the one-night stand) but he’s not too pleased. He does however, agree to have him over to the house for dinner.

Throughout the dinner, hubby acts in a jealous manner, and is obviously very uncomfortable with James. You try to include him in as much of the conversation as possible, but he’s not interested in being nice.

After James leaves, hubby lays down the law, and tells you that he doesn’t want you to see him anymore.

What do you do? Do you tell him no, and stay in an active friendship with James, knowing that A), it may cause a strain in your marriage, and B) you’ll have to keep the two of them separate, or do you respect your hubby’s feelings on the matter, and stop seeing him?

What would you do?

(By the way, whilst looking for an appropriate jealousy-related image, I noticed that the majority of the images depicted two women, and one man. The implication being that it’s mostly women who get jealous of other women, and that men don’t get jealous of other men perhaps?)

Flirting in Traffic, by Beth Kery

An erotic contemporary romance, Flirting in Traffic is my first exposure to Ms Kery’s writing. Published as an electronic book by Cerridwen Press (a division of Ellora’s Cave), it is marketed as a full length novel. However, at less than 140 pages, this story fits more comfortably under my definition of novella than of novel; other people’s mileages may well vary, of course.

Here is the blurb from the author’s site:

She went off like a red-hot firecracker on his foyer floor, then vanished.

Esa never intended to participate in her best friend’s unorthodox dating scheme – flirting with hunky construction workers in Chicago traffic. Her thoughts changed when she saw a long, lean slice of heaven strutting around the side of the highway. For him, she would be the carefree sex kitten her borrowed car with its suggestive license plates implied she was.

Though smarting from the wounds of a recent break-up, Finn can’t resist the tempting redhead driving the come-and-get-me car, flashing him contemptuous looks with those brandy-colored eyes. The lure of taming the feisty little kitten is just too great to deny…

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