Interviewing

I hate interviewing. Having the dress-up, smiling nicely and being so PC. Yuck! But the sad thing is that without interviewing there is no jobbing acquiring. And with no job acquiring there is no book/food money. It's really too bad they are all related! At least there is no interviewing on the weekends. And thanks to a turn of luck I have gotten my greedy little hands on Lover Enshrined by J. R. Ward, so things look good for the weekend.

Having finally crawled out of the migraine medication haze, which is almost as fun as migraines, and into the living nearly sane world only to discover that food and medication are running low. So a trip to the grocery store and pharmacy (where they sadly know my name and face and have my medication waiting for me) is due. In addition, my friends now have me on a nearly permanent "maybe" list for outings and the TBR pile is four books shorter (thank goodness I can still read while in migraine mood, not that I can retain much but without which I would be truly insane, not that I had any sanity to loose in the first place). Having replenished my non-perishable food stores and have finally figured out what sunlight is, I cleaned house, reacquainted myself with my cat and let my friends know that I am still among the living.

On the bright side, I had an interview today and it sounds like I have managed to jump this hurdle and am now in position to take the next in the odious process of job hunting. Where is my millionaire hero now? Well life goes on and real heroes are running scares. A trip to the HLO island is definitely a must! Hello weekend and Phury.

Have a nice weekend all. Cheers and alcoholic drinks of your choice all around.

Lost Days

The evil of migraines have struck again. I have been the victim of debilitating migraines, since I was 17. Currently there is no cure for them, just preventative medications. The mediation gives you some relief. Life goes on while you curl and deny you existence. On the plus side, I managed to read some of the Lora Leigh's Breed series (in low light).

I found them to be enjoyable but not riveting. It starts with a short story in Hot Spell (The Breed Next Door), then Megan's Mark, Harmony's Way, Tanner's Scheme, and Dawn's Awakening. Overall I found them to be enjoyable but not something I would highly recommend to friends. they were fluff reading, something to kill time.

The Breed Next Door was delightful. Full of romance and a great storyline. It tells the tale of unlikely neighbor getting together. For a short story it was stellar.

Megan's Mark was a wonder story that managed to incorporate story line along with the heated romance. It was also believable. No hello I'm so-so let's hope into bed. Lots of tension and fun though out the story. I would recommend this to others.

Harmony's Way was a typical story of man meets woman and they get together. A one night stand that turns into something else. The story line was a bit week. but the love scenes were hot.

Tanner's Scheme again the story was trite. The heroine was kidnapped and taken to a secret location, where she and the hero go it on with very little build up. It happed quite quickly and was a bit unbelievable .

Dawn's Awakening tells of a chance missed. If the "mating hormone" is so powerful, why didn't the hero spend time with the heroine at the beginning. Instead they wait 10 years! He is in the process of attempting to propose to another woman when the heroine shows up to throw a wrench into the mix. Again quite unbelievable.

Overall the stories were enjoyable but I was left with wanting more. Overall rating 3.5 out of 5.

HLO Pleads to DIK to Free the Heroes

Now that the DIK draft has been completed, the HLO sends a plea out to the DIK to release their "captive" heroes and allow them to return to their storybook homes and heroines (after a short stop at the Hero Shelter/Get-Away to recover from their ordeal... or think of excuses as to what they did on their vacation ^_~). We would welcome our DIK sisters with open arms (and we would share our books, chocolates, rum and vacationing heroes).

All over the storybook worlds, evil is running amok without the heroes to fight the ongoing forces of evil. The headquarters of the HLO (Get-Away Island) is over-flowing with heroines who have lost their heroes. Extra shipments of chocolates have been ordered to keep the heroines (and founder Alice and myself) calm. Some of the hero creators (Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook) have joined in our cause to help "liberate" their heroes from the clutches of the DIK.

The list of heroes who have been "drafted" and who they are serving is thus:

• Ana - Bowen MacRieve (Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, Kresley Cole), Sebastian St. Vincent (Devil in Winter, Lisa Kleypas), Royce Westmoreland (A Kingdom of Dreams, Judith McNaught), Conrad Wroth (Dark Needs at Night's Edge, Kresley Cole), Logan a.k.a. Wolverine (X-Men Comics), Fox Mulder (X-files spin-off books), King Leonidas (300 Graphic Novels)

• Bridget Locke - Mr. Jules Cassidy (All Through the Night, Suzanne Brockmann), Bones (One Foot in the Grave and Halfway to the Grave, Jeannie Frost), Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen), Judd Laurens (Caressed by Ice, Nalini Singh), Simon Hunt, (Secrets of a Summer's Night, Lisa Kleypas), Theodore Westgaard (Years, LaVyrle Spencer), Cadeon Woede (Dark Desires after Dusk, Kresley Cole)

• Carolyn Jean - Eric Northman (Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris), Joe Morelli (Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich), Ranger (Stephanie Plum, Janet Evanovich), Michael (Guardians Series, Meljean Brook), Adrian (The Spymaster's Lady, Joanna Bourne), Han Solo (Star Wars Novels), Captain Kirk (Star Trek)

• Christine - Acheron (Dark Hunter series, Sherrilyn Kenyon), Qhuinn (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Vishous (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Butch O'Neill (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Belial (Guardians Series, Meljean Brook), Gaelen vel Serranis (The Tairen Soul series, C.L. Wilson), Clay Bennett (Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh)

• Ciaralira - Ethan McCabe (Demon Night, Meljean Brook), Hugh Castleford (Demon Angel, Meljean Brook), Westley (The Princess Bride, William Goldman), Lord Robert Andreville (Robin) (Angel Rogue, Mary Jo Putney), Kieran vel Solande (Tairen Soul Series, C.L. Wilson), Garret Langham, the Earl of Mayne, (Pleasure for Pleasure, Eloisa James), Dr. Samuel Cornick (Mercy Thompson series, Patricia Briggs)
  

• JenB - Vane Kattalakis (Night Play, Sherrilyn Kenyon), Angel (Angel, Johanna Lindsey) Rule (The Demon You Know, Christine Warren), Kade (Riley Jenson Guardian series, Keri Arthur), Challen (Warrior's Woman, Johanna Lindsey), Calvin Morissey (Bet Me, Jennifer Crusie), Heath Boscastle (Wedding Night of an English Rogue, Jillian Hunter)

• Katie(babs) - Alexander (The Bronze Horseman, Paullina Simons), Rehvenge (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), James Diaz (Cry No More, Linda Howard), Gabriel "Sully" Sullivan (Gabriel's Ghost, Linnea Sinclair), Rain Tairen Soul (Tairen Soul Series, C.L. Wilson), Jack Prescott (Dangerous Lover, Lisa Marie Rice), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Sir Arther Conan Doyle)

• KristieJ - Derek Craven (Dreaming of You, Lisa Kleypas), Dax Silverbrake (Sky Pirate, Justine Davis), Ciaran Tamberlane (My Forever Love, Marsha Canham), Branden Kel-Paten (Games of Command, Linnea Sinclair), Gray Rouillard (After the Night, Linda Howard), Wizard (Driven, Eve Kenin), John Thornton (North and South, Elizabeth Gaskell)

• LesleyW - John Matthew aka Tehrror (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Jeremy Danvers (Women of the Otherworld series, Kelly Armstrong), Vayl (Jaz and Vayl series, Jennifer Rardin), Curran (Magic Bites and Magic Burns, Ilona Andrews), Richard Tremayne High Lord of the Darkyn (Darkyn books, Lynn Viehl), Duncan Reever (Stardoc books by S.L. Viehl), Lucivar Yaslana (the Dark Jewels books, Anne Bishop)

• Lisabea - Adrien English (Adrien English series, Josh Lanyon), Colin Ames Beaumont (Demon Moon, Meljean Brook), Jake Romero (With Caution, J.L. Langley), Nate (My Fair Captain, J.L. Langley), Savitri Murray (Demon Moon, Meljean Brook), Derek Knightly (At Love's Command, Samantha Kane), Captain Jack Sparrow (some spin-off book surely, Disney)

• MaryKate - Roarke (In Death series, JD Robb), Lucas Hunter (Slave to Sensation, Nalini Singh), Maximillian Pesaro (Gardella Chronicles, Colleen Gleason), Cameron Quinn (Sea Swept, Nora Roberts), Jacob Green (Vampire Queen Servant series, Joey W. Hill), Captain Jack Seward (All Through The Night, Connie Brockway), Hawke (Psy/Changeling series, Nalini Singh)

• Naida - Edward Cullen (Twilight, Stephanie Meyers), John Atlantis (Entangled, Kathleen Dante), Frederick Wentworth (Persuasion, Jane Austen), Aragorn aka Strider (Lord of the Rings trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien), Tristen (Legends of the Fall, Jim Harrison), Mark Darcy (Bridget Jones Diary, Helen Fielding), Ian (The Host, Stephenie Meyer)

• Samantha Kane - Doyle/The Queen's Darkness (Merry Gentry Series, Laurell K. Hamilton) Cat, a young pirate (The Windflower, Laura London), Chief of Police Jack West (All U Can Eat, Emma Holly), Tom Paoletti (Unsung Hero, Suzanne Brockmann), Angel a.k.a. Angelis (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Angel Chronicles, Nancy Holder and or Angel: After the Fall, Brian Lynch and Franco Urru), Rhys (Merry Gentry series, Laurell K. Hamilton), Jack Reacher (Jack Reacher series, Lee Child)

• Sarah - Clay (Women of the Otherworld series, Kelley Armstrong), Nathaniel (Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Series), Barinthus ( Meredith Gentry), Lucas (Heaven Sent Series, Jet Mykels), Jericho Barrons (Fever Series, Karen Marie Monings), Katou Youji (Haru wo Daiteita/Embracing Love, Nitta Youka), Taylor MacAllister (Dangerous Ground, Josh Lanyon, Hot Tub, Splish Splash)

• Sarai - Jake Riordan (Adrien English series, Josh Lanyon) Gage Travis (Sugar Daddy, Lisa Kleypas), Vaughn D'Angelo (Visions of Heat, Nalini Singh), Zarek of Moesia (Dance with the Devil, Sherrilyn Kenyon), Jonas (Breed Series, Lora Leigh), Sterling "Harvard" Chase (Kiss of Crimson, Lara Adrian), Cam Rohan (Mine Til Midnight, Lisa Kleypas)

• Shannon - Sam Donovan (Mr. Perfect, Linda Howard) Sam Starrett (Troubleshooter series, Suzanne Brockmann), Max Baghat (Troubleshooter series, Suzanne Brockmann), Adam Hauptman (Mercedes Thompson series, Patricia Briggs), Captain Malcom Reynolds a.k.a. Capt. Tight Pants (Firefly/Serenity franchise & comics, Joss Whedon), Izzy Teague (Code Name series, Christina Skye), Stan Wolchonok (Over the Edge, Suzanne Brockmann)

• Sula - Rhage (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Asa McIntyre (Promises Linger by Sarah McCarty), Dain (Lord of Scoundrels, Loretta Chase), Ian Witherspoon (At Love's Command, Samantha Kane), Nathaniel Bonner (Into the Wilderness, Sara Donati), Keir of the Cat (Warprize, Elizabeth Vaughan), Captain Jack Harkness (Torchwood, Russell T. Davies/BBC)

• Thea - Jamie Fraser (Outlander, Diana Gabaldon) Joscelin Verreuil (Kushiel's Legacy series, Jacqueline Carey), Jacob Black (Twilight Series, Stephanie Meyer), Batman (some spin-off book by someone), Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit (Uncanny X-Men, Chris Claremont), Roland Deschain (Dark Tower books, Stephen King), Tyler Durden (Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk)

• Tracy - Zsadist (Black Dagger Brotherhood series, JR Ward), Phineas Tucker (Welcome to Temptation, Jennifer Crusie), Dorian (Psy/Changeling Series, Nalini Singh), Wrath (Dark Lover, BDB series by JR Ward), Caine Allen (Caine's Reckoning, Sarah McCarty), Daemon Sadi (Black Jewels Trilogy, Anne Bishop) Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. aka Indiana Jones (spin-off book somewhere)

• Tumperkin - Mick Tremore (The Proposition, Judith Ivory), Michael McNeil (Wild at Heart, Patricia Gaffney), Christian, Duke of Jervaulx (Flowers from the Storm, Laura Kinsale), Graham Wessit (Black Silk, Judith Ivory), Sebastian Verlaine (To Have and To Hold, Patricia Gaffney), Charles Audley, (An Infamous Army, Georgette Heyer), Sydnam Butler (Simply Love, Mary Balogh)

To see the complete draft history go to the following sites:
ROUND 1: CarolynJean's.
ROUND 2: Sarai's
ROUND 3: lisabea's.
ROUND 4: MaryKate's.
ROUND 5: Christine's.
ROUND 6: Katie(babs) & Kristie(J)'s.

ROUND 7: Sula's

Some heroes who were residing at the Shelter/Get-Away were drafted. These heroes are at the top of the "liberation" list.

• Daemon Sadi aka The Sadiest (The Black Jewels novels by Anne Bishop)
• Hawke (Psy-Changling Series by Nalini Singh)

Again the HLO pleads to the DIK to "release" their heroes. The heroes will be spending some time at the Get-Away to recover their skills to fight the forces of darkness and to regain some dignity after being place in an apron and forced to dust (no names to be named ^_^).

Join the Heroes Liberation Organization (HLO)

The Heroes Liberation Organization (HLO) was founded by Alice and myself in response to the mysterious disappearances of heroes. Many of romances best heroes had started to disappear and their heroines, in growing concern, needed aid to find and reunite with their heroes.

After some investigation, it was discovered that an organization known as the Desert Island Keeper (DIK) had "drafted" heroes and brought to the DIK island where they were being taught un-hero-like tasks. Instead of fighting evil and the forces of darkness, the heroes were being taught how to give massages, dusting furniture and performing other un-hero-like activities. The hero draft continues:

ROUND 1 (completed): CarolynJean's.
ROUND 2 (completed): Sarai's
ROUND 3 (completed): lisabea's.
ROUND 4 (completed): MaryKate's.
ROUND 5 (completed): Christine's.
ROUND 6 (in progress): Katie(babs) & Kristie(J)'s.

Next...ROUND 7: Sula's!

After witnessing the horrors of the island, brave island insider Alice as joined me to found the HLO. Our manifesto is to:

1. Create and maintain the Desert Island Keepers Hero Shelter and Liberation Get-Away.
2. Protect and shelter heroes from DIK
   
3. Liberate the heroes from their bondage.
4. Reunite the heroes with their heroines.
5. Help heroes readjust to the sane world.
6. Drink foo-foo drinks made from our natural spring water.

For the Get-Away Island rules please see Alice's blog.

As previously stated by Alice, the following heroes have come to the island for "protection" and shelter:

• Hari (Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu) - For both Amy and Alice (yes, we share!!! ;p)
• Morgan Grant (Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas) - For Alice
• Julian of Macedon (Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon) - For Amy
• Nick Gentry (Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas) - For Alice
• Daemon Sadi (Black Jewel Trilogy, by Anne Bishop)- For Amy
• Rafe McCay (The Touch of Fire by Linda Howard) - for Alice
• Wren Tigarian (Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon) - For Amy
• Haku/Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi/Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki)- For Alice (I want him for my child, I want him to be with Chihiro and them as my children!)
• Hawke, Riley, and Drew (Psy/Changeling by Nalini Singh) - For both Amy and Alice
• Douglas, Duke of Ethingham (Lessons in Seduction by Melissa Schroeder) - For Alice

In hearing about the shelter, the following heroes after also arrived at the island:

• Drustan and Daegus MacKeltar (Kiss of the Highlander and Dark Highlander by Karen Moning) - For Amy
  

In order for the rescues to be attempted, we need help. Please join us to liberate the heroes and reunite them with their heroines. Get-Away island membership is included with membership to the HLO!

A Beginning

Well here goes another attempt to writing a blog. It's like the diary you start every year but then forget it is there and the next thing you know it is June and you've made one entry so you toss it in a drawer/bookshelf with all the others.

So what's up with me. Well currently unemployed and looking for a new opportunity. I think the cosmos is telling me to start a new career. What that new career should be is still a mystery to me. The migraines are still there. Some days are better than others but usually it all depends on the stress and amount of sleep. The more I stress about not working and not being able to find work, the less sleep I get which than all equals more migraines. Not having a routine is also increasing the frequency of the migraines, but it is hard to set up a routine when there is no place you have to be on any given day.

I have been spending my inadvertent vacation catching up on my reading. It started with the To Be Read (TBR) pile that all avid readers probably have next to their beds. Then came the reading of blogs, since I was already on-line looking for work I started searching for authors I enjoy and found Nalini Singh's blog. Thanks to all those other blogger and commentators, my TBR pile has grown so much that I had to buy a new book case just for them. I have also meet some very nice people. People who are as crazy about books as I am. Glad to know I'm not the only one crazy about romance novels.