Field Trip

I know I'm supposed to be posting only on Mondays and Fridays, but I'm on a field trip today. Don't tell Captain Alex or Byron,  but I've "borrowed" a Cosbolt and taken off for some fun and conversation with MPax over at Spacedock 19. A joyride of epic proportions to say the least. Yeah, I know that pic isn't exactly a Cosbolt, but you get the point.

Anyway, we're talking writing, werewolves and whole lot of good things. So come on over and  grab a drink, sit a spell and have some fun at the coolest bar in the 'Verse.

SPOILERS AHOY

I missed Monday so of course I have to do my Walking Dead round up today. What an episode!We finally got the Big Meet between Rick and the Gov. I was rather hoping that Rick would tear into the Governor or just shoot him, but as a friend rightly pointed out, the Gov is a great villain and without him what would happen to the rest of the season? Still, he is threat the Rick sould have no compunction about putting down. He did it to those guys in the bar last season. Of course, Andrea tried to take charge of this little meet cute, but they kicked her out on her ass. Like those two would ever listen to a thing she says.

I love that we got to see a different side of Milton. He really is just a science geek completely out of his element and not the twitchy psycho I thought he was. There was a terrific scene with Hershel when Milton asked to see his stump and Hershel told him that he couldn't because he didn't buy him a drink first.

And a great walker kill off between my badass Darryl and the Gov's guy, Martinez. Baseball bats and arrows...loved those kills. And yeah, Darryl probably will have to put him down, but he was actually cool this time. You got a glimpse into him after he talked about losing his wife and kids to the walkers.

Glenn and Maggie are back in accord. I know everyone stand and cheer. Young lovers on the outs are a real bitch to deal with. ;)

In spite of these little niceties, war is coming. The Gov is not going to stand for Team Prison to exist and he wants Michonne as his little pet to torture before he kills her slowly, piece by piece.

SPOILERS OVER

This weekend was very busy. I had brunch with the wonderful Michael Di Gesu.  We had so much fun and his bright spirit was just what I needed after this last week. I also went to an unexpected double feature with my nephew. We saw Jack the Giant Slayer and Snitch. Both were excellent and kept me right on the edge of my seat, Snitch in particular. Dwayne Johnson does a terrific job, playing a character that is really different from what he normally plays. He even gets his ass beat here and shows a lot of vulnerability. Loved Ewan MacGregor in Jack. He was so heroic and upstanding, not afraid to defend his kingdom to the last.

Sorry I did not post yesterday. The time change killed me and I have been off ever since. I got caught in a rain shower on the way to work. Missed my bus and had to walk to the train. All with no umbrella because I forgot it at home. I looked like a drowned dog when I got to work. Late, of course. Grrr...

So did everyone have a great weekend? Was it so so? Or did it suck out loud and sideways?

Friday Fun

Thank to all of you out there who stopped by during my double book post on Wednesday with the IWSG and the Resurrection Blogfest. Your comments and thoughts meant the world to me and I was so happy that my fave horror author post finally got some love. Thank you from the very bottom, sub-atomic level of my heart, I love you all so much. I am definitely feeling a lot more optimistic today.

In book news, the awesomely cool Michael Offutt has released the second book of his series A Crisis of Two Worlds, Oculus. It is available now, so please check it out here.

There's also some hugely exciting news for writers out there. Pillars of our community Stephen Tremp, MPax, C.M. Brown and Christine Rains are launching Writers4Writers aka W4WS. It is an uber cool way to help our community get the word out about our books and stories. Click here for more details and how to participate. Thank you guys, you four rock so much!

Now while battling this depression I have been in dire need of a good laugh. This show never fails to to make me laugh, so here's two of my favorite clips from The Big Bang Theory. The first is Amy's tiara, the second, Penny gets Sheldon a Christmas gift. Enjoy!

Mmmm...What's Your Chocolate?

It's a delicious start to the week as the awesome MPax, Laura Eno, Brinda Berry and Ciara Knight are bringing us the What's Your Chocolate Blogfest. Journey 'round the blogosphere and find out all the tasty treats my fellow participants have in store for you. You can uncover the goodness by clicking here.

Also, I unleashed my werewolf, Maxie Briscoe over at my friend Sloane Taylor's blog today, so head on over and see what she's up to. 

Chocolate makes the world, heck the universe, spin as far as I am concerned. I love it in just about everything. Chocolate milk, chocolate martinis, chocolate cake, chocolate chips, chocolate, chocolate, chocolate...You get the idea. I think my favorite chocolate, though is dark chocolate. Plain, bittersweet, melts- in- my- mouth dark chocolate. I love to eat it in whole bars, chocolate chips, drizzled over fruit and you know, it makes great body paint. Close your mouth, you knew I would put something naughty in here, I am an erotica writer after all. LOL

Dark chocolate is also incredibly good in brownies, ice cream and almond bark. So very many ways to enjoy this gift from the gods. Plus, unlike it's milk cousin, dark chocolate is good for you. It's an antioxidant machine, it prevents arteries from clogging and can reduce blood pressure. Plus, for a diabetic like me, it has a low glycemic index which means it keeps my blood sugar from spiking. How's that for awesome?

So, I wanna know, how do you take your chocolate?

Author M Pax Is Taking Over

Thank you to Melissa for letting me borrow her Imaginarium today. I was thinking about doing a post on great science fiction love stories, but couldn't think of one besides Han and Leia. Wow, that needs fixing, huh? Anyway, while researching on the webs, I stumbled across this scientific romance thing and found it interesting enough to share.

Science fiction as a term for the genre of scientifically-oriented fantastic fiction, was made popular in 1929 by Hugo Gernsback publisher of the first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. The Hugo awards are named for Hugo Gernsback, by the way.

Before the genre was called what it is, the genre was called scientific romance. H.G. Wells claimed this is what he wrote. Popular in the mid 1800’s, Wells and Verne are the most well-known examples. The Enlightenment Era of scientific discovery led to the creation of adventurous tales in fantastic settings using scientific devices and discoveries.

Many of these stories also fall into the “imperialist adventures” category. Some of my favorites are Journey to the Center of the Earth [Verne], Erewhon by Samuel Butler, The Time Machine by HG Wells, and She by Henry Haggard. Edgar Rice Burroughs and Sir Arthur Doyle were also prominent writers in this genre.

What changed for the genre was the end of Imperialism. Then came film. The scientific romances were popular at the movies for awhile, Tarzan and The Lost World being the genre’s swan songs. Then debuted Metropolis in 1927, dubbed the first “true” science fiction film, introducing the public to futurism and the dystopian tale. The term scientific romance hasn’t been used since.

Do you have a favorite scientific romance? Did you know about how the Hugo got named? Did you learn something new? I did. Thanks for making me do some research on the webs, Melissa. :)

 

M. Pax blogs at Wistful Nebulae and at MPax-TheWebsite. She spends her summers as a star guide at Pine Mountain Observatory and has a slight obsession with Jane Austen. Author of Semper Audacia and the free reads Plantgirl, Translations and Small Graces. Coming in 2012: The Backworlds, Stopover at theBackworlds' Edge, The Tumbas and The Augmentation of Hetty Locklear.

Thank you, M! This was an absolutely fascinating post. I had no idea there was such a term as scientific romance. I love Wells and Verne. M, you rock as a teacher so feel free to take the reins here any time you want.

Internet Book Fair Blogfest

Hooray for books!!! Today, M.A. Leslie an awesomely cool member of our blogging community is sponsoring the Internet Book Fair Blogfest as a way for we writers to get our books out there and to promote books and authors we love. The idea, as I understand it, is to tell a little bit about our own book, provide a buy link and tell about some other books and writers we love.

Along with my steamy sizzler, Nathan's Angel, I'm featuring two awesomely fantastic books by two of the best writers I know, MPax and Gail M. Baugniet. So here we go... And be sure to check out the other stories and linkage here.

NATHAN'S ANGEL by Melissa Bradley
ISBN 978-1-61124-191-4 (Electronic)

Sometimes the laws of Heaven were meant to be broken…

When his soul mate is stolen from Paradise and reincarnated, Ramiel, angel of death and transformation, defies Celestial Law to find out why. As punishment for his crime, he is banished to Earth in human form without his powers. His only hope lies in recovering the grace he lost in his fall from the Divine Realm…

Nathan, a beta werewolf, knows all too well what it’s like to be vulnerable and at the mercy of unfair people and situations. He is considered weak in the eyes of the alphas of his pack. Ramiel literally falling into his life changes him. Determined to help the sexy angel, he takes charge of the situation and to his surprise, begins to exhibit some rather alpha behavior…

As they search, a white hot, forbidden fire ignites between them, an inferno that sets them ablaze, fusing them body and mind. A passion that makes them question everything they’ve ever known. But when Ramiel’s grace is found, will they have the strength to let each other go?

SEMPER AUDACIA by MPax
Smashwords link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92160

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005QB25H4

Alone. Leda is the last living member of the brigade, the sole defender of her world. War took everyone she knew, leaving her in the company of memories and ghosts. Or is it madness?

The siren blares. The enemy is coming. Or is it? The approaching vessel isn't a friendly design, but it answers with the correct code. Leda must figure out whether the arrival is reinforcements or the final assault. In an aging flyer, she ventures out to meet her world's fate, the last stand.

FOR EVERY ACTION...THERE ARE CONSQUENCES by Gail M. Baugniet

Paperback

Electronic

26-year old Pepper Bibeau deals with unresolved personal problems while she plugs away at her job as an insurance investigator for a Wisconsin-based company. She recently resigned her commission with the Army Nurse Corps after a 12-month tour of Vietnam and experiences occasional flashbacks. Also, her son is being raised by her mother's relatives in Hawaii, a decision Pepper doesn't regret but never fully accepts.

Pepper's current investigation takes her to Chicago where she discovers that murder, suicide, and a child's heroin overdose all point to a small drug operation. Many of the people she is counting on for help may be indirectly involved in the case and the more Pepper learns, the more difficult it becomes to sort out who's hiding what.

After someone slams her head against a brick wall, sending her to the hospital, a homicide detective suggests she drop her insurance investigation and leave town. But her friend is dead and a child remains in a coma. Until she exposes those responsible, Pepper is staying.

Cornucopia Of Awesomesauce Thursday

I've decided that today will be Cornucopia of Awesomesauce Thursday. I wanted to take some time and share with you all some amazingly exciting news from friends of the Imaginarium. Jeremy at the wicked fun blog iZombie Lover has an exciting interview with the group, The Blanks, on his site Two Thumbs, Eight Fingers. They are an A Capella group who probably best known as "Ted's Band" on the tremendously popular television show Scrubs. Member Sam Lloyd appeared on all nine seasons as "Ted Buckland."

In other awesome news, Angela Felsted , from My Poetry and Prose Place, is running a contest because her new book, Cleave, will be out January 12 from Finishing Line Press. Cleave is going to rock because it is a poetry chapter book. Check out the trailer, Angela created it herself. I love it.




In more spectacular book news, MPax, from Wistful Nebulae, has her novel Semper Audacia releasing on Oct. 4. Yay! Here's a little bit about Semper as well as the gorgeous cover from M's site.

Alone. Leda is the last living member of the brigade, the sole defender of her world. War took everyone she knew, leaving her in the company of memories and ghosts. Or is it madness?

The siren blares. The enemy is coming. Or is it? The approaching vessel isn't a friendly design, but it answers with the correct code. Leda must figure out whether the arrival is reinforcements or the final assault. In an aging flyer, she ventures out to meet her world's fate, the last stand.

Sounds utterly brilliant, doesn't it? I can't wait to get my copy.

Finally, my newest, Nathan's Angel drops on Oct. 16 from Amber Allure, I'll post the blurb tomorrow.