To the Rescue!

A squirrel is trapped in a manhole cover in Isenhagen, Germany, on August 5, 2012. After they were called by neighbors, police managed to free the animal by using olive oil. (AP Photo/Police Hanover)

Snow? Nope.

It's a Whole New School Year!

Sadly, my enthusiasm is somewhat stifled. I have 26 children registered in my room, when state law says 22 is max (and the district says they've been waivered to 24). We've also been told there's nothing that can be done at the moment, although there's a chance we could get another teacher by OCTOBER. (There's an empty, usable room at the end of the hall.) No, we have no aides. Plus, there's a stack of pre-registered Kinders yet to be processed because they're lacking updated shot records, etc. I don't have enough room, enough backpack hooks, enough cubbies, enough chairs, enough tables...  But I'm trying to remain upbeat that the powers that be will soon remedy this situation so I can teach instead of wrangle.

Tina Gayle is my Guest Author Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio

Join me tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio when Tina Gayle reads from her erotic sci-fi romance, Mating Rituals.

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt

Don't miss it!
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With rock-hard fortitude, Marohka Taunton battles to maintain her position as top mineralogist and refuses to see why she should marry even if the law requires she take a mate. Fighting her attraction for Stihl Fermesium, she struggles to save her father’s company.

Stihl, determined to win her as his mate, is faced with the commission deal of a lifetime and needs the money to save his family land. He wrestles with her emotional resistance and discovers someone other than Marohka is unhappy about their union. In fact, they want to separate them in the most basic of ways, death.

The Placemat

This story is from Soup dot io.

"This is so sad. My little brother got into outer space and stuff so my step-mom bought him a place mat with all the planets on it. When I first saw it, I was upset, because it was newer and so Pluto wasn’t labeled. I was about to say something when I noticed something…"

 

Pluto is there.

 

The artist remembered Pluto.

 

 

Guys…

 

 

The artist drew Pluto crying.

 

Did You Know...

These Ain't Your Everyday Bike Racks

You have to check out these photos of unique and unusual bike racks from around the world!

And It Runs On Air

According to the website, Toxel dot com, "Eco-friendly car designed by MDI is powered by a compressed air engine. Non-polluting AirPod has enough room for three adults and one child. It is controlled by a joystick instead of a regular steering wheel. Four-wheeled version is currently in development. It will be manufactured and sold by Indian company Tata Motors. Expected price is $10,000."

All fine and good, but...Tata Motors?

What to Do With a Leftover Plane

A Room Any Child (or Adult) Would Love to Have!

T.C. Archer is my Guest Author Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio

Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio, my guest authors will be the writing duo known as T.C. Archer. They will be discussing and reading an excerpt from their paranormal romance, CHAIN REACTION, from "The Phenom League" series, from Silver Publishing.

Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt

Don't miss it!
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For love of country and a woman, Jordan Pierce must sacrifice his humanity. CP1 was where scientists observed the first nuclear chain reaction, where the Nazis sent their most dangerous spy... and where Jordan learns how a vampire protects his country.

Former Chicago Detective Jordan Pierce put his life on hold in order to protect America's secret weapon against the Nazis; The Manhattan Project. But he can't protect himself against the disease eating away at his humanity. Jordan discovers how much of his soul this infection has devoured when he falls in love with the woman who could destroy America. Choosing her, means choosing the monster he's becoming, making him the most powerful man he's ever known.

How to Eat Food

"I Didn't Know Animals Could Do That!"

Happy Food!

To me, this only reaffirms the curative powers of a nice long soak in a hot tub. Now, what's in the tub - that's another matter.

Need Salt or Pepper? Your Wish is My Command

Although, I have to admit, I'm still trying to figure out what's in the gold star.

Showing Some Doctor Love - I'm Such a Geek

Velociraptor in Melbourne

All right, you know this is a guy in a suit, but it looks SO REAL!

Rebecca York, aka Ruth Glick, is my Guest Author Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio

New York Times Best Selling Author Rebecca York (aka Ruth Glick) will be my guest author tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio. Shell be reading from her newest release, Shattered Magic, book 2 of her Chronicles of Arandal series, from Carina Press.

Show time is 11 pm et/10 pm ct/8 pm pt

Don't miss it!
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“Shattered Magic” continues the Chronicles of Arandal begun in “Dark Magic.” After Rowan’s people were persecuted as witches by soldiers from Arandal and fled to a mountain refuge, they lived in peace for 100 years. Until an evil magician named Telman gained the confidence of the village elders and claimed Rowan for his bride. When she runs from her fate, she meets a handsome young man who could be the solution to her problem. If she seduces him, she’ll make herself unfit to wed Telman. After she and Grant make love, she finds he’s really Prince Grantland from Arandal. And when he discovers her psychic powers, he thinks she’s a witch. Will he kill her or join forces with her to defeat a common enemy? And can they trust each other enough to kindle the magic they found in each other’s arms?

What a Wonderful Surprise!

How many events, book signing or otherwise, have you been invited to, then sent a Thank You when it was over?

Not only was this a wonderful surprise to receive in the mail, but it was a very classy touch, as well!

Need to cross over? Unroll a bridge!

Enchanted Dolls by Marina Bychkova

These are absolutely stunning dolls, set in fantasy worlds. According to the website Lost at E Minor: "There is a grace and mystery in Marina Bychkova’s Enchanted Dolls that is truly magical. Each is one-of-a-kind and handmade by Bychkova. These porcelain beauties are the ideal of eternal femininity. They give a sense of emotional and physical fragility, while maintaining a vision of strength and power. Her second edition book, Enchanted Dolls, is set to release this fall in limited edition."

Warning: Some of these dolls are shown anatomically correct.

Looking to the Future

Found this at NatGEO.  It's called the GREEN SEA STAR, and the description reads: "Slated to open in 2014, the Greenstar is to be a floating hotel and conference center off the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. The island nation is the world's lowest-lying country, making it among the most threatened by anticipated climate change-induced sea level rise."

Go to NatGEO and see what else is predicted for future use!

Incredible Photos That Have Not Been Photoshopped

You can view the whole (small) collection here.

Facts

Chris Karlsen is my Guest Author Tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio

It's a 2-for-1 special tonight on "Other Worlds of Romance" on Blog Talk Radio! Chris Karlsen rejoins me to read excerpts from her time travel, fantasy romance novels, Journey in Time and Heroes Live Forever.Show time is 11 pm et/ 10 pm ct/ 8 pm pt

Don't miss it!
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Journey in Time

London attorney, Shakira Constantine, finally agrees to spend the day with her handsome client, Alex Lancaster. While riding in the countryside, the couple finds themselves caught in a time warp and transported back to the 14^th century, and an England preparing for war. Everyone believes Alex is the Baron Guy Guiscard...a baron who died in the upcoming battle.  

If they can’t discover a way to return to the 21^st century, Alex will have to sail with the army to certain death. Shakira will be left alone to survive in the alien and terrifying medieval world.

Heroes Live Forever

Elinor Hawthorne has in inherited a house that is haunted by the ghosts of two medieval knights, Basil Manneville and Guy Guiscard. Basil is the man of her dreams, her knight in shining armor. She falls in love with him and he with her. Basil soon realizes she needs to live a normal life, a happy life with a mortal. 

A lifetime later fate intervenes. Basil, still in love with Elinor, is told her spirit lives on in a young woman and is given another chance at life to find her.

Six on Sunday - A FAERIE'S TALE

Six paragraphs from A FAERIE'S TALE
A sensuous erotic fantasy romance novel

Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance eBooks
 
1. If she could have one wish granted at that moment, she would wish she could shed these rough clothes, unfurl her wings, and lift up into the night. She would ascend high enough into the sky where she could grasp the clouds and pull them apart like separating the branches of a tree, until the moon peeked down at her. The wind would caress her skin, and the stars would glitter in the cold, blue-black heavens.

2. For several long seconds he relished in the perfect softness of her lips. In the exquisite taste and smell that was her. The wildness of the forest permeated the room, filling him with a kind of raw hunger he had never experienced before. He moved against her mouth again, and Jill tugged on her hands in a silent plea for him to release them. Caine let her go, expecting her to break the kiss and move away. To his surprise, her hands cupped his face and she pressed closer to him. The tips of her breasts nudged his chest, and the sensation reawakened the hunger he thought he had managed to tame.

3. Again, he swiped his hand down her back, barely brushing the wings that rose up and behind her like a jeweled cloak. It was mesmerizing to stare at them, and at the way the patterned firelight leaking from between the slats in the screen threw the jewel-toned colors in stark relief. The wings were lined with veins of black and brown, like a stained-glass window. Inset were sheer diamond-clear panes, some of which reflected emerald, gold, pearl, and copper in the firelight. The bottom lobe-shaped edges almost grazed the rug where they were standing.

4. Jill looked over into the distant trees and shrubs where many of her fellow fae were watching what was happening. Watching her. Waiting for her to make the next move, or to signal to them what she needed them to do. In a heartbeat she could pop into her true size and flit away. At any time she could escape. Yet her love kept her next to Caine. Next to the man who thought he was protecting her, when in truth she was protecting him. Although her powers were not as strong in this size, she could still summon them if the need arose. She wanted to believe the others of her kind were also willing to aide Caine and the helping humans, but she couldn't count on it. Fae law was very clear on how far they could intervene.

5. He barely got the words out of his mouth when the bucket pierced the tank. Sparks and gas ignited into a monstrous fireball, and threw burning liquid in a scorching spray across the clearing. The men closest to the explosion were engulfed, becoming walking pillars of flame. Dry tinder burst into a conflagration. The reeking scent of gasoline permeated the air around them, the fumes making breathing dangerous and difficult. Caine threw himself onto the ground, praying Jill got away safely as he tried to crawl backwards, away from the fire and heat. He never saw the piece of the truck's rear bumper as it fell back to earth and partially landed across his neck and left arm, knocking him completely out.

6. The river threw them over more rocks, bruising his ribs and legs to the point where he could no longer feel them or the icy water. He was gasping for every breath, light-headed, and completely drained. It was some time before he became aware of the fact that he had managed to drift into a small eddy pool, out of the direct rush of the white water. His boots found sandy soil, and he half-crawled, half-walked over to the river's edge. Falling on the ground, Caine coughed up river water until it felt like he would puke up his lungs. When he was finally able to draw a decent breath, he uncurled his fingers to find the tiny fairy child still out cold. He could only pray he hadn't crushed her in their fight for survival.

Do Not Use - Birds Nesting!

Go here to see some adorable photos of a mama bird and her nestlings, who have current occupancy of someone's mailbox.

Below a Breaking Wave

You have to check out this series of breathtaking photos by Mark Tipple.

Great Review for Breachers: Hawthorne and Marya

Reviewed by Merrylee, TwoLips Reviews

From a parallel universe, Breachers are shapeshifters who've fostered human legends and myths, from Bigfoot to fire-breathing dragons. Pulled from their own universe by a freak celestial anomaly, they're plopped down in our world, without the possibility of ever going home. Most adapt, making the choice to live secretly among humans as humans themselves. But there are some Breachers who can't handle life as humans. They go berserk, becoming blood-thirty murderers that need to be put down before the rank and file of humanity discover what they really are. Enter the secret “no name” government organization tasked with putting these rogues down.

Although he may not prefer his solitary existence, professional kick boxer Arik Hawthorne has settled into a comfortable niche that suits his need for secrecy while allowing him to work off the pent up energy that's basic to his “fiery” nature. But when he's partnered with Army Lt. Corinth Marya to hunt down the rogue Breacher killing humans in a small New Mexico town, all bets are off. The beautiful Marya calls to him like no other female – human or Breacher – ever has, but by loving her he risks everything, including his own life.

Yes! After a disappointing book one in the series, Linda Mooney's Breacher series begins to shine with the release of book two – Hawthorne and Marya. Although the opening pages somewhat mirror the beginning of book one, this second installment offers one of the most original story lines and unique paranormal villains in the invisible dirt-manipulating tzealdo that I've ever come across in my reading. And the emotional angst I was missing in Holt and McKenna? It found its way into Hawthorne and Marya.

Despite their biological differences, putting these two intriguing individuals together works well. I really enjoyed the way their relationship progresses. From Hawthorne's initial reticence to commit to Marya and her instinctive fear of his scaly, fire-breathing form, love is much more likely to happen between these two with all the stumbling blocks Ms. Mooney puts in their way. And I can’t forget to mention the sizzling hot passion between them! These two veritably burn up the sheets!

Yet, there's still something about this series that keeps it from reaching its true potential. It's not Ms. Mooney's writing, nor is it her plotting or characterizations. It's the setting. It took me awhile to finally realize that this series feels unsuited to a modern time frame and atmosphere. In my humble opinion, had Ms. Mooney written this series with a steampunk setting, it would have been a phenomenal read.

You can read my review of book one, Holt and McKenna, here. Either book can be read as a stand alone work.

Would you like to win a copy of A FAERIE'S TALE?

Would you like to win a copy of A FAERIE'S TALE? Post a comment, and I'll choose a winner tomorrow (giving international readers a chance overnight.) Winner will get to pick either a PDF, MOBI, HTML, or EPUB.

Good luck!

New! A FAERIE'S TALE

New!

A FAERIE'S TALE

An erotic fantasy romance novel

Now Available in Epub, PDF, MOBI, and HTML

At Amazon, Barne's and Noble, All Romance eBooks,

and on my site via PayPal

For buy links and to read an excerpt, Go Here.

***

"Mommy, tell me a story. A fairy story."

Jill has a very real fairy story to tell her daughter. Actually she has two: the one she recites at bedtime and the one that is the truth.

Once upon a time there was a faerie whose life was contained in the forest lands of northern Maine. But when unscrupulous loggers began to cut down the trees which were the lifeblood of her people, she was ordered to take human form and find a way to stop them by using human means.

Caine York worked for the US Forestry Service. The last thing he needed was a tree rights activist like Jill Lattimer tagging along. Yet as the days went by he found himself unable to resist the woman's uninhibited spirit.

Unfortunately, Jill was also finding herself falling in love with the forest ranger. The human forest ranger. A man her people would never allow her to be with once they found out.

She would soon find herself fighting to stay with the man who had captured her heart, just as Caine would struggle to have the woman he can not live without. Together they will fight to keep their beloved woods safe from deforestation, knowing that sooner or later one of them would have to lose everything they held dear.

Warning: Contains horrendous weather, big bad humans, lightning from a stick, sex with wings, explosions, drone surveillance, barefoot nymphs, gunfire, and one very recalcitrant child.

Congratulations to My Tuesday and Final Go-Round Winners!

Congratulations to my Tuesday winners! And thanks to everyone who commented on my blog post My Heroes Aren't Always Human for the Hero's Blog Hop!

The winners are:

A PDF of any one of my books: Debra Soles

An Amazon gift card: msromanticreads

A Starbucks gift card: cms72023

Keep coming back! I keep a fun blog going, and daily post tidbits of information I find. Plus, for each new release, I do a giveaway!

See you around!