I've subscribed to Alex Day's YouTube channel for a few years. I found him smart and humorous. Recently, there has been a lot of controversy over his alleged mistreatment (not the right word, but close) of girls that he has had sexual dealings with. A few girls have come forward on social media to say they felt pressured by Alex, and they did not feel they could say no. Alex has responded by saying he had no idea at the time that these girls were not as into it as he had been. I have two things to say about this.
First, we all need to have more discussion about the meaning of consent. If you are in a situation with another person that you do not want to be in, you have a responsibility to say NO. Please understand that you always have the right to say no, even if you have said yes before in the past.
On the flip-side, it is not enough that your sexual partner "didn't say no". They need to give you an enthusiastic YES. If the person you are with does not seem as into it as you are, stop and ask. If you are not comfortable enough to talk about sex with your partner, you have no business having sex with them.
Second, beware of witch-hunts. There are three sides to every story - his perception, her perception and the truth. I do not know what that truth is, or where the truth falls on the spectrum between his side and hers, nor is it for me to judge. Unless you were a witness to the behavior, how can you judge? So if you don't like Alex anymore, then don't watch his videos, but be careful when you are using social media to bully people. Karma has a way of ricocheting on you.
Will I continue watching Alex's videos and supporting him? I don't know. But I'm hoping this situation will lead to more discussion over these two issues. Charlie McDonnell recently posted this very honest video on the issue of consent. I hope you will take a few moments to watch it and share.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Review: ROOK by @jcandrijeski 5 Star psychic read!
The world is dying.
Everyone feels it, and yet, no one knows.
They said that when
the end was near, a Bridge would come, and lead them out of the darkness of
that dying world.
Allie Taylor's life
was relatively normal...
Until Revik showed up.
And told her she was
that Bridge.
ROOK: Allie's War Episodes 1-4
"You are the
Bridge..."
Like most humans,
Allie spent her life distancing herself from Seers, a race of human-like beings
discovered on Earth in the early 1900s. Then she catches her boyfriend in the arms
of a hot band groupie, and Allie goes from San Francisco artist slacker to the
girl wearing the GPS anklet.
That's the least of her problems, though, compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.
Yanked out of her life by the mysterious Revik, Allie finds out that her blood may not be as "human" as she always thought. Through Revik she learns the truth: that Seers are nothing like she thought, that the world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has far more in common with Seers than she ever wanted to believe.
This book is so different from what I normally read, but
damn, I was glad I picked it up! I started reading it on a Friday night, and
could barely put it down long enough to sleep. The story has a metaphysical
bent, making it different than other urban fantasy books, almost giving it a
sci-fi feel. The psychics are not exactly human. The world-building is rich and
beautifully complicated. Must have taken the author forever to flesh it all
out.
I grew to really love Allie. Everything Allie knew about
herself and the world was shattered over night. But Allie handled it well, I
thought. You could see her mature into a woman over the course of the book.
I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Allie and
Revik. There is no insta-love here. Revik kind of treated her like crap by not
explaining things well to her and having too high of expectations for her. I struggled
between wanting to both strangle and kiss him at the same time. The chemistry
grows to a slow burn over the course of the four episodes. In fact, even by the
end of Rook, they still are not 100% solid. I love that because their
relationship feels more realistic to me. You can’t expect people to fall madly
in love while the world is crumbling around you.
Overall, I give Rook...
Plot - 4 1/2
bookmarks
Originality - 12
bookmarks (I don’t care if it is only a 1-5 scale. This was so inventive!)
Character development
- 5 bookmarks
Romance - 4
bookmarks (only because it is still growing)
Dream cast (otherwise
known as who I pictured while reading) - Goran Visnjic (Revik), Rooney Mara
(Allie), Olivia Munn (Cass), Dave Franco (Jon), Aaron Eckhart (President Caine)
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Pre-Order the final book in the Arcadia series. Releases 9/30! #AmReading
Less than two weeks before ARCADIA'S CHOICE will pop onto
the Kindles of all who pre-ordered it. Release day is September 30th!!! Get
yours today, and tell your friends. (Don't have a Kindle? It is also available
on Smashwords in all formats!)
"In this final installment, Ryan has brought all her
characters full circle in a story that will sweep you up, and not let go--not
even after the last page. She [Ryan] has seamlessly blended action, romance,
paranormal elements alongside a truly tight plot into one helluva story. This
is one book (and series) not to be missed!" Shannon Mayer, author of the
Rylee Adamson Series and the Nevermore Trilogy
Some gifts just aren’t worth it.
Arcadia is sick of being used and abused for her psychic
gifts. It was bad enough to be exploited by a madman, but when the users are
closer to home, she must decide how far she is willing to go for others, and
when she needs to watch out for herself.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
NINE BY NIGHT Newsletter Subscription Drive & Giveaway!!!! #AmReading
Soooooo....this happened last weekend.
Yes, you are seeing that right. Our box set, NINE BY NIGHT, was #1 on Barnes & Noble NOOK this weekend. Woot, woot! We also came pretty close to cracking the Amazon Top 100, which is HUGE!!!!
So as a thank you, we NINE BY NIGHT authors are hosting a fantabulous giveaway to share our success. Enter to win over $500 in gift cards, book swag and other prizes. All you have to do is sign up for our news letters -- and since we all write urban fantasy, so that's pretty cool, right?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And if you haven't picked up NINE BY NIGHT yet, you can do so at the following retailers:
Yes, you are seeing that right. Our box set, NINE BY NIGHT, was #1 on Barnes & Noble NOOK this weekend. Woot, woot! We also came pretty close to cracking the Amazon Top 100, which is HUGE!!!!
So as a thank you, we NINE BY NIGHT authors are hosting a fantabulous giveaway to share our success. Enter to win over $500 in gift cards, book swag and other prizes. All you have to do is sign up for our news letters -- and since we all write urban fantasy, so that's pretty cool, right?
a Rafflecopter giveaway
And if you haven't picked up NINE BY NIGHT yet, you can do so at the following retailers:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/457085
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Readers benefit when authors work together #AmReading
Readers may not be aware of
this, but the book industry is unique from most other businesses in that
authors love to support other authors. I’m sure this seems strange; authors are
after all, direct competitors when it comes to selling their products (books).
It’s not like you see Coke and Pepsi joining together for cross promotions. So
why does it work so well for books?
It comes down to the readers.
Readers don’t read one book, love it and then never read another book for the
rest of their life. No, they read a book, love it and try to find another book
they will love just as much. For this reason, the more active readers are, the
more books they read, the higher book sales are for everyone.
Recently, I was asked to
participate in a book bundle called Nine
By Night that consists of nine novels, written by nine urban fantasy
authors, priced very low at 99¢. Why would authors do this? I mean, it’s
practically giving our work away. Easy. Because each of us brings our own fan
bases to the table, and we are able to introduce our fans to other great
authors. “Collaborating with other authors is a great way to connect with new
readers and cross-promote. Plus, it's fun to hang out with other people who
write in your genre!” says author Althea Sharp.
You might think getting
together nine creative-types to work on a joint project like this would be
difficult, but the Nine By Night
experience has been great! Each of us has different strengths we bring to the
table. Some of us are good at the technical work of formatting and publishing,
while others are stronger at marketing and promotion. “I always learn something
new when I collaborate with other authors,” says author Boone Brux. “Seeing how
others they approach writing or a new release inspires me to tweak my own
approach.” The diverse group gives us a lot of talent to draw from.
When asked about how the
collaborative experience has been for her, author Lindsey Buroker said, “This
is my first time doing a collaborative project, but I've been impressed with
all the work people have done already. There's only so much you can do in terms
of marketing and promotion on your own, but we have an opportunity to reach a
much greater audience since nine people will be plugging the bundle to their
email lists and social media contacts. It's already been a great experience!”
For readers, book bundles are
great because they give an affordable way to discover new authors that they
might otherwise not have taken a chance on. Since most bundles are organized by
a common genre or theme, it’s less risky to purchase a bundle when it contains
at least one author that you already are familiar with.
Nine By Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of
Kickass Heroines, Adventure, & Magic
is available now everywhere e-books are sold.
Get Nine By Night today for only 99¢
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/457085
Sunday, August 3, 2014
RELEASE DAY!! Nine books, Nine Authors -- 99 cents!! #UrbanFantasy
Nine books. Nine bestselling authors. Nine heroines that
take names—and chances—while confronting dark foes, whether by force of arms or
magic, that threaten their entire world.
Over two-thousand pages of epic reading await! Let the
adventures begin.
From NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author, SM REINE, WITCH
HUNT –– Shaman on the run. Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead...for the
right price. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But
when she resurrects someone for the wrong client, she ends up on the OPA's most
wanted list.
From NYT and USA Today Bestselling author, C.J. ELLISSON,
DEATH’S SERVANT –– Jonathan Winchester has clashed with his werewolf alpha one
too many times. He returns to Virginia to find work and meets a young waitress,
Raine. As their relationship progresses, Jon's embroiled in more intrigue than
he bargained for and a danger bigger than he can handle.
From bestselling author, LINDSAY BUROKER, TORRENT –– When
Delia chose to major in archaeology, she imagined herself as the female Indiana
Jones of the Southwest. She didn't imagine herself stumbling across decapitated
bodies in old mine shafts or learning that monsters are real…
From bestselling author, ANTHEA SHARP, SPARK –– What if a
high-tech game was a gateway to the treacherous Realm of Faerie? Superstar
gamer Spark Jaxley's life might look easy, but she's part of an elite few who
guard a shocking secret; the Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is
desperate for a foothold in the mortal world.
From bestselling authors BOONE BRUX and C.J. ELLISSON, DEATH
TIMES TWO –– The V V Inn has a ghost problem. New grim reaper, Lisa Carron,
accepts the job. She quickly learns the hotel is full of the dearly
departed—and she’s working for vampires. Throw in Asa, a young vamp hot enough
to melt the Arctic ice, and Lisa realizes she’s way out of her element.
From bestselling author, JC ANDRIJESKI, ROOK: ALLIE’S WAR
EPISODES 1-4 –– Like most humans, Allie distanced herself from Seers, a race of
human-like beings discovered on Earth. Yanked out of her life by the mysterious
Revik, Allie finds out her blood may not be as “human” as she thought, the
world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has more in common with Seers
than she ever wanted to believe.
From bestselling author, ANNIE BELLET, JUSTICE CALLING ––
Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress. Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and
game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful
sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just
fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human than she is, Jade figures
she's finally safe. As long as she doesn't use her magic…
From bestselling author, JESI LEA RYAN, ARCADIA’S GIFT ––
Teenager Arcadia (Cady) Day’s family tragedy unleashes a hidden power. After
experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, her home life crumbles.
As her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first
psychic episode was just the beginning…
From Urban Fantasy author, KARA LEGEND, WILD NIGHT ROAD ––
One innocent hex sets off a chain reaction of trouble among the shifters of the
Kinraven that threatens war between werewolves, seraphim and witches. Lilith
Darke will do anything to be free of her seraphim master. All hell breaks loose
when rival packs face off only to discover a new, deadly threat that will take
all their magick to survive.
Get yours today for only 99¢!
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/457085
Friday, July 25, 2014
JUST DESSERTS Book Blast and Giveaway! #FridayReads
When her friend Julia needed help forming a revenge plan against her ex-boyfriend, Ava was happy to lend a hand. She never expected that in the course of making Liam pay, she'd be the one to fall hard. . .for the one person who was absolutely off-limits. Crushing on the guy who humiliated her best friend is definitely against the girl code.
Besides, Ava has goals. Her life is all about graduating with honors and landing the perfect job. And Liam Bailey—sweet-talking, complicated son of a well-known local politician—isn't part of those plans.
But Liam doesn't give up easily. And he doesn't intend to let their friends' opinions, his parents' disapproval or Ava's past get in the way of what he wants--Ava's heart.
Buy the book:
Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Smashwords/iBooks
About the Author
Tawdra Kandle has been a writer since the invention of the pen. Her first published work appeared in Child's Life magazine when she was 13. After a brief, thirty-year hiatus, she published a young adult quartet, The King Series. More recently, she's released contemporary and paranormal romances in both the adult and New Adult genres. Tawdra lives in central Florida with her husband and children, of both skin and fur types. And yes, she has purple hair.Follow Tawdra:
Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram/Newsletter/Website
Follow the tour here! a Rafflecopter giveawayWednesday, July 23, 2014
Review: SECRETS (PsyCop #4) by @JordanCPrice #AmReading
Victor Bayne's job as
a PsyCop involves tracking down dead people and getting them to spill their
guts about their final moments. It's never been fun, per se. But it's not
usually this annoying.
Vic has just moved in
with his boyfriend Jacob, he can't figure out where anything's packed, and his
co-worker is pressuring him to have a housewarming party.
Can't a guy catch a
break?
On a more sinister
note, Vic discovers there's absolutely no trace of him online. No trace of
anyone else who trained at "Camp Hell," either.
Everyone Vic knows has
signed a mysterious set of papers to ensure his "privacy." The
contracts are so confidential that even Vic has never heard of them. But Jacob
might have.
Another wonderful installment in the PsyCop series! This
time Victor discovers his co-workers, friends and even his boyfriend Jacob are
keeping secrets from him. Why can’t Victor be Googled? Why is there no record
of the infamous Camp Hell or any of its former residents online? In this day
and age, that’s a scary thing. The worst part is that everyone seems to know
the answers except Victor.
On top of trying to piece out what people are hiding from
him, Jacob is stuck investigating a crime so horrible, that it’s taking a
serious emotional toll on the usually tough-as-nails detective and his
relationship with Victor. I think this is the first time we get to see Jacob’s
flawed side. The way he chose to deal with his emotions pissed me off. I also
thought Victor was a little too quick to forgive once he figured it out. That
said though, I’m glad the boys worked out their issues, and were playing nice
by the end.
Overall, I give Secrets...
Plot - 5 bookmarks
Character Development
- 4 1/2 bookmarks
Horror Elements -
5 bookmarks
Dream Cast (otherwise
known as who I pictured while reading) - Matthew Gray Gubler (Victor),
Channing Tatum (Jacob), Michelle Rodriguez (Lisa), Cherry Jones (Carolyn), Boyd
Holbrook (Crash)
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Cover Reveal - NINE BY NIGHT #AmReading #UrbanFantasy
Another fabulous
cover by Damonza! What do you think?
NINE BY NIGHT
About NINE BY NIGHT
"From vampires to
empaths, to the grim reaper himself, this bundle will keep you on the edge of
your seat. I dare you to try and put it down!" SHANNON MAYER - author
of THE RYLEE ADAMSON NOVELS and THE NEVERMORE TRILOGY
Nine books. Nine bestselling authors. Nine heroines that
take names—and chances—while confronting dark foes, whether by force of arms or
magic, that threaten their entire world.
Over two-thousand pages of epic reading await! Let the
adventures begin.
From NYT and USA Today Bestselling Author, SM REINE, WITCH
HUNT –– Shaman on the run. Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead...for the
right price. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But
when she resurrects someone for the wrong client, she ends up on the OPA's most
wanted list.
From NYT and USA Today Bestselling author, CJ ELLISSON,
DEATH’S SERVANT –– Jonathan Winchester has clashed with his werewolf alpha one
too many times. He returns to Virginia to find work and meets a young waitress,
Raine. As their relationship progresses, Jon's embroiled in more intrigue than
he bargained for and a danger bigger than he can handle.
From bestselling author, LINDSAY BUROKER, TORRENT –– When
Delia chose to major in archaeology, she imagined herself as the female Indiana
Jones of the Southwest. She didn't imagine herself stumbling across decapitated
bodies in old mine shafts or learning that monsters are real…
From bestselling author, ANTHEA SHARP, SPARK –– What if a
high-tech game was a gateway to the treacherous Realm of Faerie? Superstar
gamer Spark Jaxley's life might look easy, but she's part of an elite few who
guard a shocking secret; the Realm of Faerie exists, and its dark magic is
desperate for a foothold in the mortal world.
From bestselling authors BOONE BRUX and CJ ELLISSON, DEATH
TIMES TWO –– The V V Inn has a ghost problem. New grim reaper, Lisa Carron,
accepts the job. She quickly learns the hotel is full of the dearly
departed—and she’s working for vampires. Throw in Asa, a young vamp hot enough
to melt the Arctic ice, and Lisa realizes she’s way out of her element.
From bestselling author, JC ANDRIJESKI, ROOK: ALLIE’S WAR
EPISODES 1-4 –– Like most humans, Allie distanced herself from Seers, a race of
human-like beings discovered on Earth. Yanked out of her life by the mysterious
Revik, Allie finds out her blood may not be as “human” as she thought, the
world is nothing like it appears to be...and she has more in common with Seers
than she ever wanted to believe.
From bestselling author, ANNIE BELLET, JUSTICE CALLING ––
Gamer. Nerd. Sorceress. Jade Crow lives a quiet life running her comic book and
game store in Wylde, Idaho. After twenty-five years fleeing from a powerful
sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her powers, quiet suits her just
fine. Surrounded by friends who are even less human than she is, Jade figures
she's finally safe. As long as she doesn't use her magic…
From bestselling author, JESI LEA RYAN, ARCADIA’S GIFT ––
Teenager Arcadia (Cady) Day’s family tragedy unleashes a hidden power. After
experiencing what can only be called a psychic episode, her home life crumbles.
As her emotional control slips away, Cady begins to suspect that her first
psychic episode was just the beginning…
From Urban Fantasy author, KARA LEGEND, WILD NIGHT ROAD ––
One innocent hex sets off a chain reaction of trouble among the shifters of the
Kinraven that threatens war between werewolves, seraphim and witches. Lilith
Darke will do anything to be free of her seraphim master. All hell breaks loose
when rival packs face off only to discover a new, deadly threat that will take
all their magick to survive.
NINE BY NIGHT releases
8/03/2014 on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other e-book
retailers.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Review: MEATWORKS by Jordan Castillo Price @JordanCPrice #SciFi #Amreading
Desmond Poole is
damaged in more ways than one. If he was an underachiever before, he’s entirely
useless now that he’s lost his right hand. He spends his time drowning his
sorrows in vodka while he deliberately blows off the training that would help
him master his new prosthetic. Social Services seems determined to try and stop
him from wallowing in his own filth, so he’s forced to attend an amputee
support group. He expects nothing more than stale cookies, tepid decaf and a
bunch of self-pitying sob stories, so he’s blindsided when a fellow amputee
catches his eye.
Corey Steiner is a hot
young rudeboy who works his robotic limb like an extension of his own body, and
he’s smitten by Desmond’s crusty punk rock charm from the get-go.
Unfortunately, Desmond hasn’t quite severed ties with his ex-boyfriend, and
Corey isn’t known for his maturity or patience.
Meatworks is set in a
bleak near-future where cell phone and personal computer technologies never
developed. In their place, robotics flourished. Now robots run everything from
cars to coffee pots. Taking the guesswork out of menial tasks was intended to
create leisure time, but instead robots have made society dependent and
passive.
Desmond loathes robots
and goes out of his way to avoid them. But can he survive without the robotic
arm strapped to the end of his stump?
Wow. Just wow. Once I started reading Meatworks, I couldn’t put it down. That’s not to say the novel was
always comfortable. There were times when I felt like I was watching a speeding
train headed for the edge of a cliff. But dang, it was worth the ride. Let me
just start by saying this is not a romance. If you are a
reader who likes weddings and puppies, you’ll have to look for them somewhere
else. The closest you’ll get here are some re-hydrated sea monkeys.
Desmond Poole is a beautifully written anti-hero. More than
just flawed, this guy is a hot mess! While he’s not the most likeable character
I’ve ever read, his vulnerability really shines through--even when he doesn’t
want anyone to see it, or admit it to himself. I do believe this is the first
science fiction novel I’ve read where the main character is a total Luddite
when it comes to technology, and that was one of Desmond’s most endearing
traits. He lost his dominant hand, and has a robotic prosthetic that, because
of his aversion to robotics, he doesn’t know how to use. But just when you
start to feel sorry for him, he does something completely despicable.
The supporting cast isn’t much better. Corey is a hot little
guy Desmond meets at the amputee support group. He’s fun and a bit wild, but
also moody and immature. Then there is Desmond’s ex-boyfriend, Jim, who on the
surface appears to be a well-adjusted, productive member of society, but under
his veneer is just as flawed as the others. While Desmond and Jim broke up
before the accident, Jim, a social worker, has made it his do-gooder mission of
the year to “help” Desmond and assuage some of his residual guilt from the
break-up. I know this sounds like the makings of a love-triangle, but really,
it’s nothing that sappy. Like I said, this is not a romance. Even if there
is some boy drama and a couple hot sex scenes.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the quality of the
writing. Jordan Castillo-Price writes prose the way some writing poetry, each
sentence carefully constructed for maximum impact. Her setting details were so
gritty, I could see the story like a film in my head. She also used action to
convey character brilliantly. My favorite example of this is the hamburger
wrapper. Each day, Desmond stops by a burger joint and eats the sandwich on the
way home. He then tosses the greasy wrapped over his neighbor’s fence, so his
lawn-bot will have to come out to clean it up. This small action of tossing the
wrapped in his neighbor’s yard says so much about Desmond’s contempt for the
robotic helpers as well as for other people.
Meatworks is a
dark and gritty story that sucked me right in. Desmond is the perfect
anti-hero, masking his vulnerability in a tough façade, ten inches thick. His
bent toward self-destruction is, at times, disturbing, but you won’t want to
put this book down.
Overall, I give Meatworks...
Plot - 5
bookmarks
Character development
- 5 bookmarks
Writing quality -
5 bookmarks
Love story -
PSYCH!!!! How many times do I have to tell you this is not a romance?
Dream cast (Otherwise
known as who I pictured while reading) - A really punked out and dirty
Channing Tatum (Desmond), Jake Bass (Corey), William Levy (Jim), Cate Blanchett
(Pam)
Find Meatworks here:
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