Author Christopher Pike's world of shit...

Author Christopher Pike has been writing novels for decades and has a large fan following, but that hasn't stopped him from falling into the cluster-fuck of lazy writing. He either thinks his readers are all idiots or uncaring if they are fed lies and blatant misleading 'facts'.
The book causing the cluster-fuck chaos on Amazon right now is "The Secret of Ka", a YA book about a girl and a flying carpet in Turkey.

A few reader's praised Pike's novel, some even called it "brilliant", but not "Caligirl 08". Caligirl is one smart cookie and she wasn't swallowing the falsehoods Pike was selling. She called him out on all the errors in the book. Basic errors that a quick GOOGLE search would have fixed in no time. Here's part of what "Caligirl 08" had to say about the errors she found in Pike's book...

"Okay, page 1. Istanbul is NOT THE CAPITAL OT TURKEY (Ankara is!)

Page 2. TURKEY IS NOT AN ARABIC COUNTRY! Turks are not Arabs the same way Japanese people aren't Chinese! It's two completely different cultures and ethnic identities!

STILL ON PAGE 2. it is not a crime in Turkey to say the word "Hell." Turkish people do not wear TURBANS.

Page 3. TURKEY IS NOT PALESTINE. There are no bloody wars being fought outside of the Hilton every night!

Page 4. The vast majority of Turkey's population DOES NOT HAVE CURLY HAIR. They have straight hair.

Page 13. "Grandfather" in Turkish is DEDE not PAPI. Mira is NOT a Turkish name.

Page 14. THERE ARE NO DESERTS IN ISTANBUL It is completely 100% impossible to take a taxicab in Istanbul(in any direction) and arrive at a desert! It simply DOES NOT EXIST.

Page 17. There is no such thing as male/female segregation while eating lunch in Turkey. Both genders eat together, the same thing applies at a work cafeteria, there is no such thing as separate cafeterias for males and females.

Page 23. Spielo is not a Turkish name (I have not seen one Turkish name in this book so far except Amesh's last name Demir.)

Page 24. TURKISH WOMEN DO NOT WEAR VEILS. Some people (old ladies) might wear headscarves but nobody wears a VEIL. It would be completely frowned upon.

Okay, I'm not doing the whole book, it's too annoying. Christopher Pike (and his alternate ego "Michael Brite", who is representing himself very poorly below in my comments section) should be ashamed of themselves. This is the most ignorant garbage about Turkish culture I have had the displeasure to read. It really bothers me that people are reading this thing and probably trusting Pike and believing all the cultural inaccuracies he put in the book."

Oh and the mention of "Michael Brite"?? That would be the author himself, Christopher Pike making up a false name on Amazon to defend the book with and slap back on upset reviewers. Apparently he couldn't man-up and say "Hey you're right! Sorry I disappointed you, I'll try better next time."
THAT would have been a better way to handle the situation (and I ain't talking Jersey Shore!).

There is a rip-roaring world of shit flying on Amazon right now and there aren't enough magic flying carpets to get out of it with!

Bravo to "Caligirl 08" for correcting and pointing out that false and misleading tripe Pike put in his book and shame on you Pike for not manning up and for making up "Michael Brite" as an "editor" defending your mistakes.

And it's not just readers/reviewers taking issue with Pike. The editorial director for Behler Publications, Lynn Price calls him an idiot. She also comments on what came to my mind, WHY didn't editing catch all these errors? How does a publishing house like Harcourt let this happen?

My suggestion to Pike...own up to your mistakes, apologize and take your lumps. To do any less is to lose more respect from your readers.

Uber Vampire Love...

A new look at True Blood's Vampire Eric, or in actuality the actor who plays hunky vampire Eric.

First up, an aww moment at seeing little 7 year old Alexander Skarsgard long, long before he had fangs...(though I do believe he's already got that "I'm hungry for blood" look in his eyes!)


Isn't he cute?!

Now a very grown up DRUNK Alexander Skarsgard...


LOL!

Now for my obsession...(*cue 80's song "Obsession")

Yes...yes I know many of you are totally sick with my obsession for "Damon" on Vampire Diaries, but you can all kiss my wide ass because I ain't given him up!
I have UBER, yes UBER love for Damon and I don't care that he's ten years younger than I am. *cougar roar*


I have just declared ALL Thursdays as Uber Love for Damon Days - I expect all of you to follow along and show your Uber Damon love.

(Warning: Stefan fans will be staked - its all about the Damon love)

The video is simply beautiful, one of my favorites for Damon & Elena...





Happy Thursday!!

"Highland Hellcat" by Mary Wine

Title: Highland Hellcat
Author: Mary Wine
Series: Book #2 Highlander series
Genre: Historical Scottish Romance
Published: October 2010
*ARC book from Sourcebooks*

Synopsis: He wants a wife he can control...

Connor Lindsey is a Highland laird, but his clan's loyalty is hard won and he takes nothing for granted. He'll do whatever it takes to find a virtuous wife, even if he has to kidnap her...

She has a spirit that can't be tamed...

Brina Chattan has always defied convention. She sees no reason to be docile now that she's been captured by a powerful laird and taken to his storm-tossed castle in the Highlands, far from her home.
When a rival laird's interference nearly tears them apart, Connor discovers that a woman with a wild streak suits him much better than he'd ever imagined...


In a word: DELIGHTFUL!

I really enjoyed this Scottish historical romance. Brina and Connor were likable characters and their romance was sweet, sexy and full of sexual tension as the sexual chemistry heated up between them.

Brina was raised knowing she was destined to become a nun. She was not prepared to be a wife. But when her sister destroys the marriage match created for her to Connor, Connor seeks to make Brina his wife instead. He kidnaps her and whisks her away to his Highland castle where they learn to know each other and fall in love.

But love and lust are not enough for Brina to give up what she believes is her rightful place as a nun in the Church. Her word is her honor. Her father trusts her to do right. She wants to honor her father by doing his will- her becoming a nun. Yet she's torn because Connor has her, and wants her for his wife - she can't deny she wants him also. These two have great chemistry together and their love scenes...smokin'!

She has to make a choice between the father she loves and the man she loves. In the end, the question is can they all have what they want?

If you've never read Mary Wine's books and love Scottish Highland romances this is a MUST READ. You won't be disappointed.

*This is book #2 in her Highlander series, but it reads PERFECTLY as a stand alone romance.

4.5 stars out of 5

I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!

It was raining today, as it will be raining again tomorrow. Because I have children, I don't have an umbrella. Or rather I have an umbrella somewhere, but its never where it's supposed to be.

Today I take two steps outside and a HUGE water drop slaps me on the forehead, proceeds to run down my face washing off a path of coverup I just applied. I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS! I said that out loud as I trudged on, stepping into what looked like a tiny puddle which then proceeded to soak my right foot up to my ankle. I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS! OK, so this time I didn't say that, instead I spewed a string of profanity that made the devil cringe.

I called my bff to whine about my ordeal and she knew just what to say "OH I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!!"- she always knows just what to say! We then came up with a few other things that fall under the category of "I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!". By the end of the day, the list had grown as more women contributed to the category.


We began writing them down in no particular order:

- when you step into a mud puddle and destroy your shoes
- when a huge drop of water wrecks your hair and make up in one shot
- when you laugh so hard you pee a little

- when you cry so much you vomit
- when you sneeze so hard you dislodge your tampon
- when you have no idea food is stuck between your front teeth and no one tells you
- when you see your boyfriend kissing another woman
- when your ex finds someone younger, thinner and more successful than you a week after you break up
- when you wake up with a HUGE zit in the middle of your forehead
- when you fart in public and everyone knows it was you (this coming from my bff's boss who taught his children "pull my finger" to torment his exwife)
- when you wear white pants and mother nature decides to come early that month
- when you use the ladies room and get your skirt stuck in your pantyhose
- when you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe (I walked all over a NYC restaurant doing this until a lovely woman stepped on the other end and freed me! *blush*)
- when your dog won't stop sniffing every one's crotch
- when your dog won't stop humping everyone
- when you have a nose booger and don't know it
- when you diet for three months and no one notices a difference
- when the elastic in your pants lets loose and you're wearing a skirt
- when you snap off a heel the first time you wear a new pair of shoes
- when you write down an appointment on the wrong calendar date and fail to show up
- when you shop for 'your size' and it doesn't come close to fitting
- when your mother visits and finds your vibrator on your bedside table
- when your child uses your dildo as a magic wand because you forgot to put it in the drawer they can't reach
- when you open your car door and slam into someone walking by
- when you trip and fall on the ground for no apparent reason
- when you sit in the old rickety backyard party chair and it collapses under the weight as forty guest turn to see you lolling about on the ground on top of the demolished chair
- when you go out on a first date and you're so nervous you drop food in your lap or dump your drink on your date
- when you go to the movies and get a popcorn kernel stuck in your throat, coughing so much no one can hear the movie and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it
- when you step in dog crap
- when a bird craps on your head
- when you use a public restroom and there's NO MORE TOILET PAPER
- when you are in such a rush you put on two different shoes and don't notice till you're on the subway to work


OK everyone...now it's your turn to add to the "I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!" list. Let's here it! Which ones can you relate to and what did we forget to mention?

WORST book titles and covers...ever

These vintage book titles and covers will make you cringe... hard to pick the worst one, but that's what I want you to do. Tell me which one has the worst title and which one has the worst cover art.

OK, this one made me lol...


Is this anything like tossing your cookies??


Ouch!


??? Alien flower/octopus attacking a green girl???


...I think we all get the gist of this one!


Yikes!


WORST case of crabs EVER!


I hope she got up and kicked him in the balls.


A funnel??? I don't want to know!


Seriously?? People paid for crap like this?


**passing bleach around to clean your eyes**

OK, now that your eyes are cleaned...what's the worst title and what's the worst cover?
For me, I'm going with "Tossing her Salad" as the worst title and the green girl/flower alien attack as the worst cover.

Male Body Language: The Head Tilt

The male head tilt. It's cute in men and dogs- ever notice that?
It's such a quick and simple gesture, yet it always makes my heart flutter when I see a cute male do it. I wonder, 'Does he know he's done the head tilt?', did he do it on purpose or does it just come naturally and unnoticed to him?

Why am I making an entire post about the male head tilt? Because I see it so often on the Vampire Diaries show and tonight is Thursday- another episode of VampDi to owww and ahhh over.


Just why do men tilt their heads?

For a variety of reasons I imagine, but mostly because they are contemplating something that caught them off guard. Men aren't usually like women who have very expressive faces in any given situation. A contemplating man might look 'broody' (another good one), but when you catch him off guard and he's least expecting it you get the head tilt.

For example the first time he meets a woman who catches his interest when he wasn't expecting it. He's checking her out, sizing up just what it is about her that's caught his eye. Why does she stand out above other women? He's clueless, he just knows at this point that she's the focus of all his attention.

A great example of the "First Meet Male Head Tilt" was displayed in Vampire Diaries the first time Damon lays eyes on Elena.

But even after a "first meet" a guy who is struggling and always amazed by a particular woman will continue to display the head tilt as the woman continues to capture their interest and intrigue them. I wonder if they even know they do it?


When is the male head tilt NOT CUTE?
When the male is a ticked off vampire ready to suck your blood and you're not willing to comply.


Or when you've just woken up to find your vampire boyfriend's brother (who is also a vampire) has kidnapped you across state lines and is trying to tell you that YOU are the one being dramatic and being kidnapped can be fun if you relax and enjoy it.



OK, so it's still a little bit cute when it's Ian Somerhalder playing naughty vampire Damon Salvatore. *grin*

**more male body language posts to follow*

So far, so good...

Favorite books I've read so far this year...(see my tag cloud for my reviews)

Historical Romance:
-The Making of a Gentleman by Shana Galen

Urban Fantasy:
-Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
-Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
-Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Erotic Romance:
-Sweet Caroline by Lissa Matthews

M/M Romance:
-Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson
-SoulMates: Bound by Blood by Jourdan Lane
-Changing Perspective by Marilu Mann

Young Adult Paranormal:
-Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
-Need by Carrie Jones
-Captivate by Carrie Jones
-Beastly by Alex Finn

Young Adult Fiction:
-Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
-Hail Caesar by Thu-Huang Ha

Ebook short erotic stories:
-Not Just An Orgy by Sally Painter
-Sin Eater by Evangeline Anderson

Favorite Series:
-Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
-Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris
-Fever series by Karen Marie Moning
-Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost


What are some of YOUR favorite books and series you've read so far this year??

Lookie, lookie what I found...

More stuff around the web...this time not related to books. Do you ever check out Blogger's "blogs of note" feature? I find some really amazing blogs this way.

Remember being a kid and fixating on something so strongly that NOTHING was going to deter you from your goal? There is a blog post that will tickle your funny bone about a childhood memory of wanting to go to a birthday party on the same day you've been sedated for dental surgery. You're gonna laugh out loud at this one... go HERE. <-- a must read, I'm tellin' ya!

Here's a blog that is simply as cute as cute can be! If you haven't checked out "Mila's Daydreams" yet, you're missing out!

Here's a neat blog focused on skulls! Check it out HERE.

This blog is really cool in that creative 'I-never-would-have-thought-of-that' way. It's all about creative and different ways of setting your table to wow your guests! Check it out HERE.

Check out this cute technology!! It's PICO!!



Pico is a projector, video camera and camera all in one. His "face" are the working parts!

For more about PICO, go HERE.


More cuteness of the furry variety...


Have you come across something cute or interesting on the web lately? Any new blogs you'd like to share? I'd love to check them out.

What's going on?

Today's post is a heads up to what's happening around the book reading blogosphere...

First up, a new reading challenge!

Donna over at BITES is having an October horror book reading challenge. For more on that, visit her website: HERE.





Blogger VampFanGirl is giving away a copy of "Lucifer's Daughter" by Eve Langlais on her blog Lovin' Me Some Romance. To enter go HERE.

Blogger Anna is having THREE seperate book giveaways on her blog "Anna's Book Blog". To enter go HERE.


Bitten by Paranormal Romance is having 8 separate book giveaways to followers of the blog. To enter go HERE.


Barnes & Noble updates about fall book releases...

"Bestselling mystery author Janet Evanovich is launching Wicked Appetite the first book in a new series based around the character Diesel from her "Stephanie Plum" series and Richard Castle will have Naked Heat, a second mystery in his series that's the basis for last year's successful television show. Graphic novels will see two new titles from bestselling authors Diana Gabaldon with Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel and Paulo Coelho with Alchemist: A Graphic Novel.

Romance will see growth in the paranormal arena with major titles from Christine Feehan with Dark Peril and Sherilyn Kenyon with No Mercy. Debbie Macomber will have a special holiday title, Call Me Mrs. Miracle."

For more on that and to read the full article go HERE.


What did I miss? What's happening on your blog?

Back in black...

I'mmmmmmmmmm back and my blog is in black!



What do you think of the new look? Any suggestions? I know the banner is off- still working on that and trying to decide if its staying or going.

How are you all doing? I've been lurking a bit in GoogleReader but haven't posted much of anything in weeks. Hope everyone is well, I've missed you all! ((hugs))

Vampire Diaries: Oh, how I love thee...

I am so freaking addicted to Vampire Diaries!

I watched the first season about 4 times over the summer and the final episode more than a dozen times. Last Thursday night was the new season premiere...



...which I have of course (like the VampDi addict I am) watched several times. The focus of my addiction is Damon. *sigh* While his actions are often DESPICABLE...and to some he's the unforgivable hero or is that anti-hero? To me, he's the epitome of the ultra wounded hero- to the nth degree.

If you haven't watched season one, stop reading now or I will totally ruin the discovery of this character for you.

Vampires have the option of 'flicking a switch' that turns off their humanity so they don't have to feel bad about killing people and being vampires. While Stephan chooses to embrace his humanity and feel things, Damon can't seem to take the pain of his humanity so he turns it off and allows the evil unfeeling vampire take reign over him. That is what he's done for 145 years...until he meets Elena (his brother Stephan's girlfriend). Elena offers him true friendship and breaks through Damon's walls and makes Damon feel again. At first he hates it, rejects it and never trusts it, but Elena captures his interest in a way no one for over 100 years has been able to do.

He opens himself up to trust her and gets hurt, so he lashes out in anger but he comes back for more and allows himself to feel again. It's new to him after 100 years of not feeling anything for a human. He's unsure, untrusting but undeniably drawn to her.

At first he was playing a game, trying to see if he could steal his brother's girlfriend. But very soon, Damon realizes he doesn't want to play a game, he wants Elena and he wants her to genuinely want and love him. He knows he could have compelled her (vampire glamour) when they were on a road trip to Georgia in season one, but he confesses he didn't want to. He wanted it to "be real". Damon has fallen for Elena completely and it's driving him crazy because Elena is in love with his brother. Damon has no idea how to handle feelings - it's been too long for him since he's felt anything for anyone.
.
At the end of season one, Damon goes to Elena's house and ends up confessing some things about himself that surprise him and then he kisses whom he thinks is Elena- but in fact it is vampire Katherine who looks exactly like Elena. That kiss scene was wonderful because it showed Damon being real and opening up to "Elena" showing his feelings- something he never ever does. The bitch of it was it wasn't really Elena and in the first episode of season 2 all the players figure that out. Which again is just so touching because Damon is CRUSHED it wasn't Elena he shared that kiss with.

Damon admits to not being able to forget their shared moment to Elena before they figure out he didn't really kiss Elena. When he does grasp that it was Katherine he kissed, he is so hurt - you could see it. He had dared to open himself up to share something with "Elena" only to find out it was a trick and done to dupe him and make him look foolish. He's angry, hurt and devastated by the entire event.

After brooding and confronting vampire Katherine whom he has pined for over 100 years she confesses to him that she never loved him, she always loved his brother and he's wasted a century because she doesn't love or want him at all.

Now here he is again getting hurt when he finds out the vampire/woman he loved for a century never loved him. In flash backs we see that Damon's father wasn't too fond of Damon either. Seems like Damon has NEVER been loved and brother Stephan has all the love from people that Damon craves. Is that not a wounded hero?!

At the end of season 2's first episode a very wounded and drunk Damon tries again with the real Elena this time. He nearly forces himself on her for a kiss he believes will show her how much she cares about him. Elena pushes him away and tells him she's in love with Stephan and will always want Stephan (nearly the exact words he had just heard hours earlier from Katherine). Damon "flips the switch" and turns off his humanity and in an instant becomes a killer and snaps Elena's brother's neck killing him dead then walking away as Elena screams in horror.

Not to worry, Elena's brother Jeremy isn't dead because he was wearing the 'protection against supernatural evil' ring created by a powerful witch long ago. So while Jeremy did die, he doesn't stay dead long and wakes up fully human and back to normal- much to Elena's relief.

Stephan thinks Damon knew Jeremy was wearing the ring and didn't want to really kill Jeremy but rather strike out at Elena for rejecting him. Elena is convinced Damon did NOT know about the ring and truly wanted to kill her brother to hurt her. She has now declared her pure hatred of Damon.

Damon goes home to drink some more and grabs his chrystal glass smashing it into the fireplace, proving again that he is still feeling the sting of Elena's rejection AND his stupid actions (which Elena predicted earlier). When Damon is hurt he lashes out and sometimes he later actually admits he was wrong and is sorry for what he's done.

Now the twist is...that Damon really isn't the "bad" brother in the long run. Damon manages most of the time to drink human blood without killing a person and keeps control of himself- unless he is ticked off. He usually has a clear head, his problem is that he is too quick to react instead of thinking things through.
Here's a great little video of Damon...

Stephan drinks animal blood because he becomes a monster when he has human blood. Stephan has NO control when he feeds from humans and he can not be trusted. While the show on the surfaces shows Stephan as the stronger of the brothers, the fact is that Damon is the stronger one in control, not Stephan. Damon CAN and does drink human blood without killing all the time, but Damon has a diabolic side when he "flips the switch" at will. Stephan can't control himself on human blood. He can't 'flip the switch' it always stays set to killer vampire when he drinks human blood. He will lie, steal and kill while drinking human blood. He fights it, but for him he has no control so his only option is to drink the blood of animals. Damon CAN control the "flip switch". Damon decides when he will allow his humanity to guide him and when he won't. Stephan doesn't have that control unless he's feeding from animal blood. This makes Damon the stronger of the two brothers.

And I believe (not having read the books passed about the 5th chapter of book 1) that Stephan will eventually cave in to the monster in him and Damon (because of his love for Elena) will gain more control and become Elena's hero. At least that is what I hope!

So what do you think? Any Vampire Diary fans out there want to share their thoughts on the show (not the books because I haven't read them)? Are you a Damon or Stephan fan? Are you loving the story lines?

I can't wait...

After trying several times to read the Vampire Diary books, I was not expecting much from the television show inspired by the books. But I was so wrong. This show has become a MUST WATCH show for me, one of my very favorite things on television. And I just can't wait for this Thursday night...season 2!!!

If you haven't given the show a try yet, please rent or buy the DVD's from season 1 and be prepared to get addicted - especially once bad vampire Damon (Ian Somerhalder) begins to show his humanity and cracks in his bad boy exterior because his vampire brother's girl friend Elena brings out the good inside Damon. The good Damon thought was gone forever.

"The Making of a Gentleman" by Shana Galen

Title: "The Making of a Gentleman"
Author: Shana Galen
Published: October 2010
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 364

Synopsis: Twelve years in a French prison have left the once dashing Armand Harcourt, Comte de Valere a hollow shell of his former self. Though safely back on English soil, Armand remains locked in a prison of his mind, unable to interact with the glittering social world that was his rightful place. When his family hires the beautiful and determined Felicity Bennett to teach Armand, he is shaken by the onslaught of desire Felicity awakens in him. As Felicity slowly helps reclaim Armand, their passion begins to blossom into a transcendent love capable of healing the scars of both their pasts.


In a word: WONDERFUL!

This is the ultimate in a wounded hero! I don't find many historical romance books with true walking wounded heroes in them, but this one is superb! The hero Armand, was imprisoned as a young boy for 12 long years. He was in isolation, no human touch, no human interaction and no human speech. When he is found and rescued from prison by his older brother Julien, Armand is nearly an animal. He can't tolerate human touch, can't speak and has lost most of his understanding of language. Having not spoken or been spoken to in twelve years his mouth can't form the words of speech and his mind struggles to recall what words mean.

(He reminded me a bit of a cross between Tarzan and the Beast from 'Beauty and the Beast'. He was wild and untamed when he was first rescued, it took a beautiful and gentle woman to calm him and reach him when all others failed. And his looks and intensity brought to mind Ian Somerhalder -'Damon' on Vampire Diaries- for me).

When all the families attempts at reaching him fail, they decide to hire a tutor. They hire Miss Felicity Bennett, a woman who has just recently lost her father and who is desperate to get out of a betrothal her dying father signed her into with a devious swindler.

The moment Armand sees her, he's drawn to her. She connects with him on a level he hasn't connected with another human being most of his life. These two are wonderful together! Felicity is an innocent woman and Armand, while he's a full grown man, is as innocent as she is- even if his body knows what it wants Armand hasn't figured it all out yet.

While Felicity reaches out to Armand and begins teaching him to speak, social manners and how to accept human touch, Armand is teaching Felicity what it is to love and be loved.

This is a DELIGHTFUL historical romance! I HIGHLY recommend it to historical romance fans.
An easy 5 stars out of 5 stars! Loved it!


**I received this ARC from Sourcebooks**


*This book is part of the following reading challenges (found in my right side bar):

**Romance Reading Challenge 2010**
**2010 Royal Reviewers Romance Reading Challenge**

I'm back in the island!

It's my second day over on Desert Island Keepers and today I am talking about how my reading tastes have evolved over the years.

Stop on by and share your reading journey with me!

I'm on the Island!!

Hi everyone! *waving like mad*


Yes it's me, the phantom blogger. Just letting you all know I am blogging over on the Island today so if you'd like to stop by and say hello I'd love to hear from you!