With so many troubles this last week, I let myself be swept away by reading.  And I chose City of Bones. Did you guess right?

Title: City of Bones (Mortal Instruments)

DESCRIPTION:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Review:

I’ve only read a handful of Young Adult books. I select them very carefully. Unless I’m half in love with them, I usually pass. I’ve heard wonderful things about this series and purchased the first three books in a box set. I loved the worldbuilding of this book. Everything was filtered through the teenage characters in a way that drew me closer to them.

The story had a mystery that kept growing, twisting about and changing, keeping me guessing. I fell into the world feet first and took off running to keep up with the characters. There is a semblance of the normal world in the book, but there is nothing normal about these kids. They grew up in a world where they protect humans from demons and worse…their own kind.

I enjoyed the tension between the characters, the increased drama, but the surprise twist at the end threw me. It’s the only reason why the story didn’t get a full five stars. I would’ve preferred any other type of ending than…that. If you want to read about characters that seem as real as you or me, life and death, and unrequited teenage love, this is a great series.

I was sitting on the couch the other day, all innocent like, doing my best to procrastinate work.

I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

I looked down, less than an inch from me, and look what I found:

Wow, did I freak-out.

The little critter crawled up between the cushions for a visit.

So, maybe I over reacted a bit. I might have made some noise.

The dog and cat both wanted in on the action. They thought it was a game….me dancing around the house.

The spider, not so much.

I normally pick up spiders and put them outside. I feel bad now that I didn’t.

Instead, the dog got curious and tasted the spider. He spit it back out after a bit. Yeah, I might have made some more noise.

So the dog picks it up and EATS it. *shudder*

Our dog swallows things whole. Usually. Not this time. I’ve never seen him chew something for so long. Not even peanut butter.

It’s a little silly, but I feel a little guilty for killing a spider/not stopping the dog.

Is it sad to say I was just glad I didn’t have to touch it?

I was a good girl last week, I backed up my computer.

Murphy’s Law runs strong in me. If it can happen, it will.

So what do you think happened when touching the only files of the book I’m working on?

You guessed it. I accidentally wrote over it!

After much swearing, surfing the net to find answers, I finally accepted the inevitable.

I wasn’t going to get my files back. I had to go to my back-up, back-up files and recover the book.

I lost pages…about 5000 words. Three days worth of work.

I was devistated. I spent all day Saturday re-writing missing pages. I added some good material, but I fear one scene is missing something. Sigh. I’ll have to re-write it for the third time to see if I can get it ‘just right’.

It doesn’t look like I’m going to have my book completed this weekend. I’m about 25,000 words (plus) short. *wince*

Yeah, I had a great week last week. Kicked off the internet, lost 20 pages of my manuscript, spent hours of wasted time on the internet trying to find worthless answers. Yay, me.

Hey, it can only get better, right? On the bright side, at least I didn’t lose the whole book.

I’ve been kicked off my internet since Friday.
I must have pissed off the technology gods.

After a lot of groveling, they allowed me to connect to the web again. (After 4 hours on the phone with our company, and days searching for answers on a borrowed computer…Eureka! It only took what seemed like forever!)

Going for a little variety again in my reading, so I decided to pick out some young adult from my piles. Paranormal, of course, a little dark. Don’t they look yummy?

 
 Here are the blurbs:
 
 
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) ~

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

 
Isle of Night: The Watchers ~

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she’s whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she’s determined to do so, because to fail doesn’t mean dishonor-it means death.

Have you read either of these authors? What do you think?

Title: All Jacked Up 

DESCRIPTION:

Ever since Jack Mitchell barged into her life, librarian Aubrey Sullivan has been abducted at gunpoint, taken on a death-defying car chase, and kissed silly. She’s starting to think that maybe she should try to shake the brawny hunk…
 
But Aubrey doesn’t realize she’s ticked off the biggest mobster in the western hemisphere. It seems that somewhere in her photographic memory is something he’d kill to keep quiet. And Jack can’t exactly go to the good guys because, well, suddenly they think he’s a mole.
 
Now, Jack needs Aubrey to help clear his name. If only she’d do what he says, they might just get out of this mess alive. That is, if they can keep their hands off each other long enough to think straight…

 
Review:

If you enjoy romantic comedies, Penny McCall  does a bang up job with All Jacked Up. The Characters antics kept me laughing in each chapter. Their hijinks were not only amusing, they were laugh-at-loud. Their advenure was unique and real, and I loved the back and for by-play between them. Their action-adventure was a thrill ride I’m glad I didn’t miss.

The only reason this book didn’t get a full five stars is that some of the story dragged a little bit. I loved the witty dialogue, but it did slow the story down a smidge. Not much, but I did notice that it took me a little longer to finish. Maybe it was because I didn’t want to miss a word, I don’t know.

Anyway, if  you like romance and a good writing, I would recommend Penny McCall…any of her books. What a hoot! I’ve read two other books from Penny McCall, and I will be reading more.

I want my next book released by the end of December, so I put myself on a schedule.

But now I find myself struggling. I’m half done with the book, but in order to keep my schedule, I need to write another 30,000 words in two weeks. I’ve done it before. Heck, I know what happens for the next 20,000 words.

I should be able to reach my goal, easy-peasy.

But every time I sit down, I never seem to get enough done. I feel like a cat watching the birds out the window, easily distracted, not wanting to miss the golden goose. I have a three day weekend coming up (minus a small appointment). I’m going to unplug everything, not connect to the internet, play some music and write through the night.

I’m determined to get it done. Whish me luck!!

Do you challenge yourself? What do you use to keep yourself on track?

I wanted to read something different this week. I thought it would be a historical book. I even bought a few new books from my favorite historical writers to read, but nothing appeals to me today. I thought maybe a young adult novel, but all I’m feeling is a…eh. Then I think I found one that might be a good fit. Just straight contemporary. It’s been a while!

Gosh, I feel like Goldie Locks in the Three Bears!  Here’s what I found in my pile:

They are both older books (I had to dig deep!). Both are a part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone.

Here are the blurbs:

Instant Attraction (The Wilders)~

Accountant Katie Kramer is a quintessential good girl–working hard, recycling diligently, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that she doesn’t fit in anywhere. That’s all she wants. Well, that–and amazing sex, and the kind of daredevil escapade she can look back on when she’s crunching numbers in a dusty cubicle. Which explains why she just took a job in Wishful, California, working for Wilder Adventures and Expeditions. Waking up to find a magnificently built stranger towering over her bed–that part defies explanation. . .

After wandering the planet for months following a life-changing accident, Cameron Wilder has come back to the only home he knows. Under other circumstances, he might be thrilled to find a gorgeous woman sleeping in his cabin, but now, while he’ll risk his body taking clients on adrenaline-drenched excursions, his heart is off limits. Still, Katie’s killer smile triggers something deep in his gut. . .among other places. Showing her how exhilarating it can be to stop balancing her life as if it was a checkbook is the biggest rush he’s ever felt–and an adventure Katie’s wishing would never end…

All Jacked Up~

Since Jack Mitchell barged into her life, librarian Aubrey Sullivan has been abducted at gunpoint, taken on a death-defying car chase, and kissed within an inch of madness. She’s starting to think that maybe she should try to shake this overbearing guy…

But Aubrey doesn’t realize she’s ticked off the biggest drug lord in the western hemisphere. It seems that somewhere in her photographic memory is something he wants kept quiet, and he’s willing to kill to do it. And Jack can’t exactly go to the good guys because, well, suddenly they think he’s a bad guy, too.

Now Jack needs Aubrey to help clear his name. If only she does what he says, they might just get out of this mess alive. That is, if they can keep their hands off each other long enough to think straight…

What do you think? Have you read either of these authors?

I decided to read the first few pages of each book to pick which one would win the face-off this week. I pretty much thought I would choose the sci-fi book, so I read the first couple of pages of Mona Lisa Awakening first.

And ended up finishing the book in record time. I then went on to book two and book three. I finally halted before going to the next book. I needed to get some writing done.

Title: Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1)/

Mona Lisa Blossoming (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 2)/

Mona Lisa Craving (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 3)

DESCRIPTION:

Book 1~

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty arrived during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted…and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monère, one of the children of the moon—and what’s more, so is she…

Long exiled from the moon, the men of the Monère serve—and mate—with imperious Queens, who can channel the rays of their far-off homeland. Gryphon believes that Mona Lisa is a Queen—perhaps the first of Mixed Blood ever known. But her introduction to the nighttime court of the Monère, simmering with intrigue, casual lust, and calculated cruelty, is far from smooth. The other Queens are infuriated by her potential powers, and they are all menaced by a group of rogue males who have broken away from the women’s sway. Even as she battles threats from within and without, Mona Lisa is determined to discover who she is, and to explore the limits of her growing power—and her secret desires…

Book 2~

From the time she was an orphaned child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until the truth was revealed. She was a Mixed Blood of the Monère, the children of the moon. Stronger, faster, and more beautiful than any human, they were the origins of Earth’s darkest legends—and Mona Lisa was their newest Queen…

Accompanied by a loyal cadre of warriors and kin, Mona Lisa enters her territory of Louisiana for the first time. She slowly learns the erotic and savage customs of the Monère elite—though some of her new subjects are uneasy at being ruled by one whose lineage is diluted with the blood of humanity. Her reign is threatened by enemies old and new, and she is ensnared in the thrall of dark forces she cannot deny. In a hidden world of animal passions and unrelenting lust, Mona Lisa soon grasps the tremendous power she must command if she is to hold her realm together…and if she is ever to come into her own.

Book 3~

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different. As daughter of the Mixed-Blood of the Monère, she has arrived to rule a new domain in the Louisiana Bayou. Now, under the full moon, she’s feeling a new and uncontrollable surge—and an instinctive new craving…

Dante, the warrior son of a healer, was cursed by the high priestess to endure a never-ending cycle of life and death, born and reborn into an ever-diminishing bloodline. Someone shares one of his past lives. Her name was Mona Lyria. Back then, on the moon in another world, she was his victim. Today, she is Mona Lisa. This time, she is his savior. Dante’s wish is to die by her hands to end his cursed existence. But she feels fate has given them both a second chance. For even stronger than her craving for blood is her craving for what every Monère female desires, and needs…to bear life. Now she has found her mate. But with this blessing could come a new curse under the shadow of a new moon.

Review:

I’m going to review the series instead of each individual book. There was something so engaging about the writing, that from page one, I was pulled right into the story and the characters lives. The people seemed so real, I immediately connected to them. The world-building wasn’t really lush in the normal sense, but I was hooked. Parts of the stories were savage, some tender, and the best part, the emotions came across on each page so I felt I was with the characters throughout the story. Unfortunately, that made the steamy sections a little uncomfortable at times.

I was correct about the heat level of the books, and each progressive book just got hotter. Since that’s the genre and I knew that going into the book, no stars were lost for the scenes that pushed the boundaries a little too much for me. The books were written in a way that I found only a few nits, more so with each book, but so little that I gobbled up the pages. The first book was definitely the best. Will I read more? Yes, the structure of the world is so engaging, the writing so vivid, that I need to know what happens next to these people. If you like paranormal words and hot books, I would recommend this series.

I came home from work late on Monday. Hubby was already home and had the dog in the garage with him, doing man things. I went in the house, did chores, ate some food, then went out to visit with them. I usually jog or run to the garage, that night was no different.

Then I noticed something odd.

Something was in my yard, no more than ten feet from me.

We both stopped still. It would be a toss-up to see which one of us was more surprised.

Then the poor thing took off running.

Are you curious? Here is who I found:

Yes, you see that right. A peacock. In Minnesota. How cool is that.

My next thought was the poor thing. Nights are already getting colder. I’m guessing it’s not a wild bird, but someone’s pet as they do need care during the cold.

My hubby saw it crossing the road last night again. I hope it makes it home. We’re trying to keep dog in the house as much as possible, so he won’t eat the bird.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever found in your yard? We’ve had cats, dogs, mice, snakes, frogs, deer, geese and an assortment of all type of birds, not to mention squirrels and chipmunks up the wazoo. Oh, did I forget to mention a snapping turtle that our dog tried to eat? And now a peacock to finish it off.

Updated to read: I picked out a lovely urban fantasy to go head to head with Mona Lisa Awakening, but then I found out that it was book two. Too bad, because book two sounded great. Unfortunately, I don’t own book one. *pouts*

If I would’ve know, I would have purchased the book earlier with my amazon order. Much too late now.  Bummer.

I re-organized one of my bookshelves to make room for last weeks order and found some long forgotten books. I read one of Sunny’s books for a contest and liked it so much that I purchased the series.

And never got around to reading it.  That was years ago. *shakes head*

The other book is Beyond the Rain, another book that I’ve owned for a year or two but lost in the shuffle of books.

 
 
Here are the blurbs:

Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1)~

From the time she was an orphan child, Mona Lisa knew she was different—but she never knew how different until a man of otherworldly beauty arrived during her night shift in the ER. Gryphon is hurting and hunted…and he attracts her as no man ever has before. He is a Monère, one of the children of the moon—and what’s more, so is she…

Long exiled from the moon, the men of the Monère serve—and mate—with imperious Queens, who can channel the rays of their far-off homeland. Gryphon believes that Mona Lisa is a Queen—perhaps the first of Mixed Blood ever known. But her introduction to the nighttime court of the Monère, simmering with intrigue, casual lust, and calculated cruelty, is far from smooth. The other Queens are infuriated by her potential powers, and they are all menaced by a group of rogue males who have broken away from the women’s sway. Even as she battles threats from within and without, Mona Lisa is determined to discover who she is, and to explore the limits of her growing power—and her secret desires…

Beyond the Rain ~

 
For years Soren has endured torture as his captors leeched his very essence, a unique hormone then sold as a sexual narcotic in the shadow trade. Now he has been freed from slavery by a beautiful warrior woman with radiant blue eyes.

After years in bondage, Soren’s hormones are so unbalanced that he will die if he does not mate with a woman. Can Cyani be the woman he needs to survive, or will this forbidden bond destroy them?