Lots More Reviews to Come

Since I've been officially fired by the company, I truly have more time to read (I can get books for free off Paperbackswap if I can't find one at the bookstore or online).

I'm going to register at a couple of different agencies to see if they can find me something (even though I've been sending resumes off for quite a while now).

Next up will be the rest of the Mistborn series, two books in the Temeraire series (Naomi Novik), and the 2nd book in the Crosspointe series (Diana Pharoah Francis). Speaking of Ms. Francis, I'll have to look, but her PR person or someone sent me a copy of the first book in the her urban fantasy series - talk about totally out of the blue, Batman! :-) I'm looking forward to reading that very soon.

Onward and forward!!!!!!!! :-)

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Lots More Reviews to Come

Since I've been officially fired by the company, I truly have more time to read (I can get books for free off Paperbackswap if I can't find one at the bookstore or online).

I'm going to register at a couple of different agencies to see if they can find me something (even though I've been sending resumes off for quite a while now).

Next up will be the rest of the Mistborn series, two books in the Temeraire series (Naomi Novik), and the 2nd book in the Crosspointe series (Diana Pharoah Francis). Speaking of Ms. Francis, I'll have to look, but her PR person or someone sent me a copy of the first book in the her urban fantasy series - talk about totally out of the blue, Batman! :-) I'm looking forward to reading that very soon.

Onward and forward!!!!!!!! :-)

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

What I'm Reading Now

You probably guessed it - Goblin War, by Jim C. Hines (and it's got a wolf on the cover - yay!). I expect to put up a review on this book sometime next week.

I've also been thinking of pulling up Cherie Priest's Four & Twenty Blackbirds (as mentioned in my post of yesterday). I started to read it, then put it away, figuring to open it at some later point.

Which I'll probably do after Goblin War.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

What I'm Reading Now

You probably guessed it - Goblin War, by Jim C. Hines (and it's got a wolf on the cover - yay!). I expect to put up a review on this book sometime next week.

I've also been thinking of pulling up Cherie Priest's Four & Twenty Blackbirds (as mentioned in my post of yesterday). I started to read it, then put it away, figuring to open it at some later point.

Which I'll probably do after Goblin War.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Review Coming Up Soon

It's snowing and sleeting as I write this (just lovely), so I'm stuck at home (yay!) and should be finishing up Goblin Hero sometime today.

I'll post the review either today or tomorrow, depending on how I feel. ;-)

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Review Coming Up Soon

It's snowing and sleeting as I write this (just lovely), so I'm stuck at home (yay!) and should be finishing up Goblin Hero sometime today.

I'll post the review either today or tomorrow, depending on how I feel. ;-)

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

I'm Really Enjoying This

Really enjoying Goblin Hero, that is.

The fun continues on from Goblin Quest, and I think I know where the third book might be going.

Maybe. Not that it really matters, as long as the humor is still there (and I know it will be).

Anyway, a review of Goblin Hero will be coming along by the end of this week.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

I'm Really Enjoying This

Really enjoying Goblin Hero, that is.

The fun continues on from Goblin Quest, and I think I know where the third book might be going.

Maybe. Not that it really matters, as long as the humor is still there (and I know it will be).

Anyway, a review of Goblin Hero will be coming along by the end of this week.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Happy New Year! - Er, Well, Almost

I receive two - count 'em, two - Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas this year (that's what happens with an overlap of bosses :-)).

What I Bought - Part I

I took care of the smaller of the two a couple of days ago. That was all fiction, including one mystery, something I don't read a lot of now, as I tend hugely towards fantasy. However, as a teenager, I went through a major stage of reading mysteries - although they were all by Phyllis A. Whitney (see this for what a gothic mystery is). Yeah, the usually-orphaned girl in a castle trying to solve a mystery - that was wondeful for me to read at the time, because I was shy and a lot of people put me down.

The mystery that was part of this buying spree is for the cat lover in you (if it's in you ;-)); it's the first in the Midnight Louie mysteries, set in Vegas, baby! (Always wanted to say that, heh.) But it looked like fun, and it's been on my wish list for some time.

I also picked up a Rachel Caine book (Ill Wind, the first in her Weather Warden series)

If you get the idea that I'll probably be reviewing a number of these books - jeez, how'd you guess that? ;-)

What I Bought - Part II

Today I bought a couple of non-fiction books, one particularly good for writers (called The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion With a High-Tech Twist), the other good for people into vintage clothing or, someone like me, into the 1940s and its fashions (and how it pertains to my current WIP). Plus I picked up a couple of used novels, notably for me, Goblin Quest. That's something that's been on my To Read list forever (well, it feels like forever, anyway ;-)). I also picked up a Martha Wells book, the first in the Fall of Ile-Rien series called Wizard Hunters.

Ah, so I'm closing out 2008 with yet another book buying binge (just like 2007, although that book buying binge was earlier in the year).

Have fun writing - and reading!

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Happy New Year! - Er, Well, Almost

I receive two - count 'em, two - Barnes and Noble gift cards for Christmas this year (that's what happens with an overlap of bosses :-)).

What I Bought - Part I

I took care of the smaller of the two a couple of days ago. That was all fiction, including one mystery, something I don't read a lot of now, as I tend hugely towards fantasy. However, as a teenager, I went through a major stage of reading mysteries - although they were all by Phyllis A. Whitney (see this for what a gothic mystery is). Yeah, the usually-orphaned girl in a castle trying to solve a mystery - that was wondeful for me to read at the time, because I was shy and a lot of people put me down.

The mystery that was part of this buying spree is for the cat lover in you (if it's in you ;-)); it's the first in the Midnight Louie mysteries, set in Vegas, baby! (Always wanted to say that, heh.) But it looked like fun, and it's been on my wish list for some time.

I also picked up a Rachel Caine book (Ill Wind, the first in her Weather Warden series)

If you get the idea that I'll probably be reviewing a number of these books - jeez, how'd you guess that? ;-)

What I Bought - Part II

Today I bought a couple of non-fiction books, one particularly good for writers (called The Web-Savvy Writer: Book Promotion With a High-Tech Twist), the other good for people into vintage clothing or, someone like me, into the 1940s and its fashions (and how it pertains to my current WIP). Plus I picked up a couple of used novels, notably for me, Goblin Quest. That's something that's been on my To Read list forever (well, it feels like forever, anyway ;-)). I also picked up a Martha Wells book, the first in the Fall of Ile-Rien series called Wizard Hunters.

Ah, so I'm closing out 2008 with yet another book buying binge (just like 2007, although that book buying binge was earlier in the year).

Have fun writing - and reading!

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Reading, reading, reading

I'm up to about Chapter 10 or 11 of The Secret Atlas. More court intrigues, and more intrigues in general. There was one chapter about a monk of some sort, a shyster court minister, and some dude letting loose with quotes from the writings of a guy who is looked at as a profound thinker (think along the lines of Siddhartha Gautama - the Buddha).

No discourses on Buddha here, BTW. Just using the good Buddha as a (poor, I know, I know!) comparison.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Reading, reading, reading

I'm up to about Chapter 10 or 11 of The Secret Atlas. More court intrigues, and more intrigues in general. There was one chapter about a monk of some sort, a shyster court minister, and some dude letting loose with quotes from the writings of a guy who is looked at as a profound thinker (think along the lines of Siddhartha Gautama - the Buddha).

No discourses on Buddha here, BTW. Just using the good Buddha as a (poor, I know, I know!) comparison.

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

What I'm Reading Right Now

I started reading A Secret Atlas, by Michael A. Stackpole last week. It has an Asiatic feel to it, and I'm not just talking about the martial arts aspect of it, although that definitely helped decide me on its Asian flavor.

There are certain warriors (for want of a better word) who live a very long time, and don't strike out at the least provocation. As the story opens, one of these warriors sends a female bandit (with decent sword mastery, according to that warrior) to a school to become an even better master of the sword - minus the banditry, of course.

Naturally, the warrior and the bandit aren't just talking by the side of the road when they come upon each other, but I don't want to give out everything.

Basic Premise

The basic premise of this story is that there was wild magic two thousand or so years before which physically iced over the world (among other things). No one dared travel anywhere during the time the ice covered continents, for fear of never returning - and/or being a victim of that wild magic.

After the ice began to melt, one man made it his mission to draft maps that would guide the seafarers/traders of the world - for a price. He figured it would make him and his family rich - which it has.

But there are still unchartered regions of the world where the ice has not melted, and tendrils of that wild magic still exist. That dude who drafted the maps is still alive and still wielding his oomph around the world, to the point where he still sends out family to go out and map more of the world.

So Far...

I'm up to Chapter 8 of this 600-page book, and it's held my interest so far. There is a lot of intrigue, and I've just gotten to a place in the story where beings that aren't human have arrived at the map dude's house (he's invited them). This is taking place during a festival (kind of reminds of "Festival! Festival!" and Landrew of the original Star Trek series). Anyway, I'll have to see if anyone goes mad in this story; not that I would be disappointed if no one did. That there's court intrigue is something different for me, and I'm enjoying some of the pettiness and shrewdness that's gone on already.

Interesting Aside

Believe it or not, this particular book is dedicated to - Senator John McCain, of all people (it was published in 2006), and I'd forgotten that when I picked it up last week. Funny, in light of election year, eh?

Another interesting aside is that four years ago I couldn't stand either candidate the two major parties put front and center, so I went the write in route.

Aw, could you guess it? Yup, McCain.

This time around, I couldn't vote for him because of his running mate (and I have my own reasons as for why), so I voted for Obama. I think four years ago was McCain's time, not now, but it is nice to see him offering help to the President-Elect.

And we all should hope for the best for the President-Elect, no matter what our party affiliation (I'm an independent, BTW).

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

What I'm Reading Right Now

I started reading A Secret Atlas, by Michael A. Stackpole last week. It has an Asiatic feel to it, and I'm not just talking about the martial arts aspect of it, although that definitely helped decide me on its Asian flavor.

There are certain warriors (for want of a better word) who live a very long time, and don't strike out at the least provocation. As the story opens, one of these warriors sends a female bandit (with decent sword mastery, according to that warrior) to a school to become an even better master of the sword - minus the banditry, of course.

Naturally, the warrior and the bandit aren't just talking by the side of the road when they come upon each other, but I don't want to give out everything.

Basic Premise

The basic premise of this story is that there was wild magic two thousand or so years before which physically iced over the world (among other things). No one dared travel anywhere during the time the ice covered continents, for fear of never returning - and/or being a victim of that wild magic.

After the ice began to melt, one man made it his mission to draft maps that would guide the seafarers/traders of the world - for a price. He figured it would make him and his family rich - which it has.

But there are still unchartered regions of the world where the ice has not melted, and tendrils of that wild magic still exist. That dude who drafted the maps is still alive and still wielding his oomph around the world, to the point where he still sends out family to go out and map more of the world.

So Far...

I'm up to Chapter 8 of this 600-page book, and it's held my interest so far. There is a lot of intrigue, and I've just gotten to a place in the story where beings that aren't human have arrived at the map dude's house (he's invited them). This is taking place during a festival (kind of reminds of "Festival! Festival!" and Landrew of the original Star Trek series). Anyway, I'll have to see if anyone goes mad in this story; not that I would be disappointed if no one did. That there's court intrigue is something different for me, and I'm enjoying some of the pettiness and shrewdness that's gone on already.

Interesting Aside

Believe it or not, this particular book is dedicated to - Senator John McCain, of all people (it was published in 2006), and I'd forgotten that when I picked it up last week. Funny, in light of election year, eh?

Another interesting aside is that four years ago I couldn't stand either candidate the two major parties put front and center, so I went the write in route.

Aw, could you guess it? Yup, McCain.

This time around, I couldn't vote for him because of his running mate (and I have my own reasons as for why), so I voted for Obama. I think four years ago was McCain's time, not now, but it is nice to see him offering help to the President-Elect.

And we all should hope for the best for the President-Elect, no matter what our party affiliation (I'm an independent, BTW).

Love and kisses,

~Nancy Beck

Finishing the Short Story

I'll be finishing the short story at lunch today, which means it'll probably take me another week or so to get it into shape. :-) I have an idea as to how I'm going to end it (with the MC, Bella's, son Marcus and daughter, finding out something about the witch they're visiting...), but who knows? The characters could take me in a different direction, lol.

Hope everyone's (in the U.S., anyway) Memorial Day weekend was a safe and relaxing one. Went to a couple of parties over the weekend, to my one brother-in-law, another with good friends from the local bar. Good food and hilarious conversations (although there were some touchy moments on Saturday, at the brother-in-law's house; everything ended well, though).

I started another book just recently, Karavans, by Jennifer Roberson. This is a new author for me, but this is her latest. I'm up to Chapter 8 already (daggnabbit, left it at home!). It's about a bunch of people who are trying to latch onto a karavan after leaving their home behind. It's been conquered by another country, and they're trying to get to the woman's relations' home. However, that'll take them by a forest called Alisanos, which moves. (Shades of Lord of the Rings, there; huorns, I think those, um, trees/whatever were called.)

What I find interesting so far is all the religious stuff. Everyone believes in spells and charms and amulets and diviners. All kinds of cool/weird stuff. There are a couple of aliens, who can be killed, but they only completely die after the 6th time they've been killed. (They just won't let any humans know how many times they've been killed.) Anyway, so far, so good. I think it's a series ::sigh:: which seems to plague the fantasy genre more than other genres; yes, I know mysteries, like the Stephanie Plum series, are multi-book stories, but the particular mystery in the particular book is solved by the end of that book. Not so with a lot of fantasy series (World of Time, anyone?).

I'm not sure if Karavans will turn out to be the usual leave-us-hanging-until-the-next-book, um, book, or if it'll wrap up the main problem in this first volume. I have a feeling it's the former, but I'll have to wait and see.

~Nancy
(Want to earn a little extra money reading ads? Click the referral stuff below:
Myster-E-Mail
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No, you won't get rich. But a couple extra nickels in your pocket ain't so bad.)

Finishing the Short Story

I'll be finishing the short story at lunch today, which means it'll probably take me another week or so to get it into shape. :-) I have an idea as to how I'm going to end it (with the MC, Bella's, son Marcus and daughter, finding out something about the witch they're visiting...), but who knows? The characters could take me in a different direction, lol.

Hope everyone's (in the U.S., anyway) Memorial Day weekend was a safe and relaxing one. Went to a couple of parties over the weekend, to my one brother-in-law, another with good friends from the local bar. Good food and hilarious conversations (although there were some touchy moments on Saturday, at the brother-in-law's house; everything ended well, though).

I started another book just recently, Karavans, by Jennifer Roberson. This is a new author for me, but this is her latest. I'm up to Chapter 8 already (daggnabbit, left it at home!). It's about a bunch of people who are trying to latch onto a karavan after leaving their home behind. It's been conquered by another country, and they're trying to get to the woman's relations' home. However, that'll take them by a forest called Alisanos, which moves. (Shades of Lord of the Rings, there; huorns, I think those, um, trees/whatever were called.)

What I find interesting so far is all the religious stuff. Everyone believes in spells and charms and amulets and diviners. All kinds of cool/weird stuff. There are a couple of aliens, who can be killed, but they only completely die after the 6th time they've been killed. (They just won't let any humans know how many times they've been killed.) Anyway, so far, so good. I think it's a series ::sigh:: which seems to plague the fantasy genre more than other genres; yes, I know mysteries, like the Stephanie Plum series, are multi-book stories, but the particular mystery in the particular book is solved by the end of that book. Not so with a lot of fantasy series (World of Time, anyone?).

I'm not sure if Karavans will turn out to be the usual leave-us-hanging-until-the-next-book, um, book, or if it'll wrap up the main problem in this first volume. I have a feeling it's the former, but I'll have to wait and see.

~Nancy
(Want to earn a little extra money reading ads? Click the referral stuff below:
Myster-E-Mail
Mermaid Emails
No, you won't get rich. But a couple extra nickels in your pocket ain't so bad.)

Short Story and Other Things

I'm more than halfway done with the first pass on my short story; it's taken a slight detour, but it actually makes sense (takes care of one plot point as to why Bella, my MC, hesitated to get her family to safety earlier...). Besides, I'm of the opinion to write straight through the first time around and revise later. (There'll be plenty of that, you can be sure.)

What else? Hmm. Just finished the second book in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series, Living Dead in Dallas. Icky in parts, but fun. The MC, Sookie Stackhouse, cracks me up. (It's in first person, BTW.) And I love the little in-jokes Ms. Harris throws into the mix. For instance, Sookie's vampire, Bill, is shipped in his coffin by Anubis Air (as vampires are now part of the mainstream in U.S. society) to Dallas. Anubis was the jackal-headed Egyptian god of the dead. I know, eyeball rolling time; but I thought it was a good choice by Ms. Harris. And the only reason I got it is because I'm taking an audio course from The Teaching Company on Ancient Egypt. Really fascinating stuff. Try to pick it up whenever it's on sale.

One last thing: The demise of Miss Snark's blog. Boo hoo! No, really, boo hoo! I hadn't looked over there for a little while due to personal stuff, but I start reading it again (without posting) and, all of a sudden, she has post where I can't leave any comments! WTF? So I scrolled down a bit...and that's when I found the post saying she couldn't do the blog anymore. She was putting a lotta work into it, helping those of us who want to be legitimately published, but doing it with her brand of snark (which I really liked).

So, farewell, Miss Snark's blog. It won't be the same without your snarkiness.

~Nancy Beck
(Want to earn a little extra money reading ads? Click the referral stuff below:
Myster-E-Mail
Mermaid Emails
No, you won't get rich. But a couple extra nickels in your pocket ain't so bad.)

Short Story and Other Things

I'm more than halfway done with the first pass on my short story; it's taken a slight detour, but it actually makes sense (takes care of one plot point as to why Bella, my MC, hesitated to get her family to safety earlier...). Besides, I'm of the opinion to write straight through the first time around and revise later. (There'll be plenty of that, you can be sure.)

What else? Hmm. Just finished the second book in Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series, Living Dead in Dallas. Icky in parts, but fun. The MC, Sookie Stackhouse, cracks me up. (It's in first person, BTW.) And I love the little in-jokes Ms. Harris throws into the mix. For instance, Sookie's vampire, Bill, is shipped in his coffin by Anubis Air (as vampires are now part of the mainstream in U.S. society) to Dallas. Anubis was the jackal-headed Egyptian god of the dead. I know, eyeball rolling time; but I thought it was a good choice by Ms. Harris. And the only reason I got it is because I'm taking an audio course from The Teaching Company on Ancient Egypt. Really fascinating stuff. Try to pick it up whenever it's on sale.

One last thing: The demise of Miss Snark's blog. Boo hoo! No, really, boo hoo! I hadn't looked over there for a little while due to personal stuff, but I start reading it again (without posting) and, all of a sudden, she has post where I can't leave any comments! WTF? So I scrolled down a bit...and that's when I found the post saying she couldn't do the blog anymore. She was putting a lotta work into it, helping those of us who want to be legitimately published, but doing it with her brand of snark (which I really liked).

So, farewell, Miss Snark's blog. It won't be the same without your snarkiness.

~Nancy Beck
(Want to earn a little extra money reading ads? Click the referral stuff below:
Myster-E-Mail
Mermaid Emails
No, you won't get rich. But a couple extra nickels in your pocket ain't so bad.)