Area 7 b. Matthew Reilly

I have to admit that for someone who writes erotica, I don't often read it. My first choice when it comes to leisurely reading is most definately THRILLERS (political, medical, science, military, historical) . I like to read about secret weapons, killer viruses, conspiracy and classified information. When I can get guns and/monsters mixed in, all the better! I wouldn't consider horror novels, unless they had a technical, scientific and plot heavy (not necessarily character-heavy story).

Anyway, as you might be able to tell, I am slowly becoming a fan of Matthew Reilly, who also wrote "Contest" which I reviewed a few weeks ago. I feel kinda shy about it, but I really like his insane tales and when I say insane, I mean: The man packs more action in a chapter than Michael Bay does in two hours. (If Matthew Reilly did a story about giant robots, I die) This is my second book by him, and really, he takes 'edge of your seat thrills' to a whole new level. Everything is done at the last second, some of the characters are practically bullet proof and there is no such thing as impossible odds...I don't care how top-secret, how rugged, efficient and deadly that pack of mercenaries are... or the how many seconds that nuke has before it goes off... there is a way, damnit!

The hero in this book is Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield and all I have to say is that he is...hmm, I like equations so here we go (Jack Ryan+ Rambo-Terminator/ Neo + 1/2 James Bond). Yeah he is that cool. Think I'm joking? Wel, he goes up against the US Air Force Special Teams (5 units), South African Mercenaries, a virus and more!!!

This book also has a kick-ass, female heroine called 'Mother,' who is a fucking war maching and who should have been the love interest but then I'm so biased. I'd rather my females chew coal and shit diamonds rather than be smart and plucky...which brings me back around to why I don't read a lot of erotica....

Sign of the Times...

I don't want to be paranoid or anything, but seriously with gas hitting $4.12 a gallon, I know that something is seriously wrong with the economy...I know that, but it's the other aspects of life which are starting to be effected, like food, which is really starting to bother me.

<---Ramen, not only one of the staples of college kids, poor folk, lazy cooks and japanophiles everywhere, but a popular item in general, used to be 8 for $1.00. Today, horror of horrors, I went into the store to buy some groceries and discovered that the price was 4 for $1.00!!

Now I won't say which category of Ramen lovers I belong in, but I buy and eat a lot of Ramen. If I had known that things were going to get this bad, I would have stocked up. I'm already cutting back and budgeting but if things get any worse, I'm really worried about what low cost foods I can purchase to feed myself and my charges...Beans? Rice? Cabbage and Potatos....Please, please let Ramen prices fall...it's my stock market and its so cheap and easy to prepare!

"The Cobra Event" b. Richard Preston

If you like your thrillers or horror novels with a bit of science behind them, then this is definitely a book that you need to check out. In the vein of “The Andromeda Strain,” this book written by Richard Preston belongs in a genre that I only recently discovered, that of the medical thriller. I have read books about scary monsters and creatures from hell, but nothing really scares me like biology and the ‘it could really happen’ aspect of science. “The Cobra Event” is a tale of biological terrorism and the killer (well the weapon of choice) is one of the worse viral weapons I have ever heard of. The symptoms and full blown effects of the ‘cobra’ virus are more terrifying than anything that you will find in a horror movie.

Not a book for the faint of heart, at all, I found myself absolutely horrified at some parts. They spare nothing, including an in-depth autopsy and blow-by-blow infections. It will make you paranoid and if it is a scare you want, then definitely check out “The Cobra Effect.” I don’t want to be cheesy but it will bite you and stop your breathing in seconds! ...Ok, that was cheese.

Next up: "Area 7" b. Matthew Reilly

Jack of all trades...Master of None!!

Occasionaly, I like to imagine that I can do my own comics. The panels above illustrate an attempt made a long time ago. The story was about a working werewolf and a randy vampire (not the one from Unnatural) trying to share an apartment. Now with some coloring it might have been cool, but my name is not P.L. Nunn and I know it! She puts me to shame when it comes to work ethic. I got lazy and barely got five pages of the comic done. It was fun, but as I past the 200 page mark in my current project, I know where the drive is...

Antisocial for a Reason...

I remember when I believed that I could tell people that I was published, and tell them what it was that I wrote. I believed that I could show a bit of pride and maybe even tell a person or two about my books...well, that may be a bad idea in some cases.
A few weeks ago, I started corresponding with a person who wanted advice on writing and publishing. We seemed to have a fairly good exchange going, until...I showed her my website. Now perhaps I need to make the gallery a little less fan-ficy. Maybe I need to tone down all the homoerotic images, maybe it's the over-abundance of MM works. I don't know. Either way, I have not heard from her since. I mean complete e-mail blackout. Oh well...I'm pretty much anti-social and figure that what shall be, shall be, but I tell you it doesn't bode well for me being so 'sharing' in the future.
I know that I have an audience and I love what I write. Even if I had no one to share it with, I would still spin my stories as I see fit, so with that off of my chest, I'll stop the whinning before it gets warmed up...It's not like I'm all that social anyway.

Contest b. Matthew Reilly

A co-worker loaned me this book because he knew I was jonesing for some Science-Fiction. I had never heard of this author before, but after reading the back cover I was intrigued. How was a doctor going to get out of what is basically an intergalactic death match inside of the electrically secured New York Public Library?

"Contest" by Matthew Reilly is an interesting book that reminds me of "Dr.Who," "Aliens," and "The Relic." I feel a bit like a putz saying that some extremely unbelievable events occur in this book, considering it is Sci-Fi, but well... there are some unbelievable saves and narrow escapes in this book. I liked the various alien contestants, but was greedy for more info on the two prolific shape changers. Reese however is the shiz-nez and not just because she's a girl.

Lastly for a book that includes a child in a closed in death match, this book has some grizzly, no holds barred death scenes.

It was a good read, not the best but definately entertaining and worth it!

I Should Be Writing...Right?

I both hate and love my cat. I love her because she's cute, I hate her because, well...she's always chilling. I have things that need to be done (cleaning) and places to go (full-time job) but she is always relaxing...or begging for more food or more Pounce treats. Now as you can see, she does not miss meals.

I'm curious, are some cats just greedy? Needy? Doesn't she know that I have paperwork to do and chapters to finish? Does she care? Probably not.

I have a tentative release month for "A Guardian's Desire" in July and edits will be soon coming. While I should work faster so that I can get my "Burned by the Sun" novel finished, I am wiped out and thinking that tonight I may have to take a note from Zoe...climb in bed and purr, loudly.

Femalezzz...

I did this painting which is called "Untitled," a while ago. It's on my wall and it's acrylic. I thought of it today after reading the comments regarding the "Purple Panties Lesbian Anthology" and the discrimination it is facing over at Smart Bitches. And while I don't have much to say on the subject, I will admit to the following. Women Rule!

I will also admit that I do NOT understand straight females who cringe and rant at reading straight fiction. Preferences are one thing, but shrieking and crying "Ewww," kinda baffles me. According to the poll I have on my website, around 36% of my readers probably won't be purchasing my new menage novel "A Guardian's Desire" in July and hell with 3 books that are exclusively M/M, I could see why folk might think that I write it exclusively. With my next 3 projects also being centered around the same pairing, it's not that I don't want to write more stories with female leads. I do. I just want to do it a certain way. Now yeah, my women may be a bit bossy, a bit mannish even, but for me doing a story about my sex, requires something more personal from me.

As a female, I am not fraile or petite. I am not spunky, plucky, nor do I swoon alot, and the kind of female I want to write is not either.

I had a close friend, one of my best, who was a lesbian and that I could take. When she told me she wanted to change genders however, that was something I could not. I could not call her, a he, and I could not call her anything but her chosen name. As a grrl, I just could not get over why she couldn't be proud to be female. We both were tomboys, I manhandled the boys and she manhandled the girls, and together we were amazons! I felt so betrayed. I figured that we had been through too much in learning to be women, for her to switch teams.

But then...it wasn't about me and my hangups.

The Andromeda Strain...The Science

I just finished up "The Andromeda Strain" by Michael Crichton, in preparation for the upcoming A&E miniseries on Memorial Day. While the trailer looks glorious, I have a bad habit of rushing out to get a book that I know will be translated into film.

Michael Crichton is one of my favorite authors and has me intriqued by the genre of medical thrillers. His writing contains a depth of technical information, charts, graphs, and imaginary concepts. I have read several of his books, namely "Congo," "Jurassic Park," "Next" and "The Lost World," and regardless of what anyone says that his flaws may be, I finish his books with rabid interest. His books have me thinking, rarely about the characters, but about the scientific questions that he poses. In "Next" there were questions about the future and nature of genetic advancement. In "Congo" he delves into interspecies breeding and historical myth. And well in "Jurassic Park" he deals with the cloning of extinct species. "The Andromeda Strain" is concerned with aliens, but not of the E.T. kind. He gives a very good argument for the probability that our first encounter with alien life will be with alien bacteria.

I am not a professional reviewer. I am not even an amateur one, but outside of a flat ending and forgetable characters, this book is a damn good read... and a classic, I'm told.