Review: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Book Blurb: When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.
 
Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

My Thoughts: Recently I've been reading a lot of genre fiction, primarily urban fantasies and romances, so I was ready for a break when I picked this up. I had no trouble switching gears to read it. In fact, when I first sat down with it, I thought I'd read a few chapters then put it down to do my chores. Two plus hours later, I put it down, completely finished. I had lost track of time and have no idea what played on the tv that I'd left on. I was utterly engrossed reading this book and that hasn't happened in quite a while. 

     The story gripped me from the start. There are four main characters: Allison Glenn, her younger sister Brynn Glenn, their school peer Charm Tullia, and Claire Kelby, a bookstore owner. The story is told from their viewpoints, with each chapter focused on one of the women. Allison and Brynn's chapters are told in the first person while Claire and Charm's are in third person. I found this worked very well and was quite effective. I can't imagine the story being as compelling or effective told from only one perspective. The multiple narrators and perspectives allows Gudenkauf to slowly unfold the story, revealing a little at a time. It's a cliche, but it really is like an onion, peeling away the layers.  We see certain events from more than one viewpoint, like changing the angle of a camera lens or the lighting you use; something new is revelaed each time.
    
     We don't know initially what Allison's crime is or how she connects to Claire and Charm. Gudenkauf parcels out the information throughout the story but even then, events aren't always as they appear to be. As the story progresses and we learn more about the women and the little boy at the center of everything, I found myself dreading what might come next because I wanted a happy ending for everyone. It was all too easy to imagine the story actually happening, to picture myself hearing it on the tv or on the web. For much of the story I was teary eyed; I empathiszed with all the characters, even when they weren't always likable. Gudenkauf doesn't try to paint any of the characters as perfect or unbeleivable, they all have their flaws and their moments of being unpleasant or unreasonable. This added to the realism and gave it additional depth.

     "These Things Hidden" is not a happy story. Decisions and secrets have consequences, often unpleasant ones, and even trying to do the right thing can cause misery. Yet, the book is full of hope, the possibility of redemption, and the power of love. I loved this book.

Publisher: Mira                                                                          More info: goodreads

Release Date: February 2011

I recieved this book as a print ARC from the publisher.

Review: Winter Wishes by Vivi Andrews, Vivian Arend & Moira Rogers

Book Blurb: A Twist on Tradition

A woman has the Christmas Eve from Hell. Two cat shifters play naughty games. And a witch brings out the beast inside the man. The magic of the season takes on a whole new meaning in these three fantastic—and festive—novellas from some of the best voices in paranormal romance.

Anthology includes:  Tangled Tinsel by Vivian Arend
                                   No Angel by Vivi Andrews
                                   Freeze Line by Moira Rogers

Stories also available for purchase separately.

My Thoughts:  The anthology has a very fluid theme of wishes made at the holidays. The fluidity allows for some flexibility in how the stories are handled. Two of the authors chose Christmas and one chose Solstice. Interestingly, in each story the male needs saving of some kind - emotional, physical, etc. In all of the stories, the characters undergo revelations and grow and change. That's a pretty neat trick for a novella.


Tangled Tinsel

Five miles of leather-clad leg is all it takes to lure Kyle Branegan out from his carefully hidden lifestyle as part of the Cougar Corp, a secret branch of the Shifter Enforcer League. He's hoping for a night of fun and frolic, cat-style, no strings attached. With a sultry swing of her hips, Eloise Scott tangles him up in her ball of tricks, and just when he thinks he's about to get lucky, she cuffs him--naked--to her bed.

An undercover cop in the human police force, El's been given a top-secret mission to keep the big cat under her paw until he's needed to testify in court in the New Year. Her decision to take him home for a quiet Christmas in her sleepy hometown turns out to be far more interesting than she expected. Her parents are suddenly rich, her old boyfriend is sniffing around and all six-feet-plus of sexy cougar male is sleeping in her bed.

And that's before they announce their fake engagement...
 
     This author was new to me. I had never heard of her before. The story felt to me like it was part of a series, set in an established world. I was sometimes lost trying to understand the world. According to her website it's a stand alone, with nothign to indicate that it fits into an existing world. So on the one hand, Arend did a good job of building the world to make it feel so real, but on the other hand, it left me, the reader, confused.

     The story starts very quickly with Kyle following El to a lingerie store after seeing her walk by him. There's a humorous bit involving him imitating a store clerk followed by a steamy make out scene in the store fitting room. They head back to some place a little more private, her place, where Kyle is completely surprised by what happens next.

     At times I found Kyle to be overbearing and condescending, traits that I don't care for in real life or fiction. At other times, he was kind and thoughtful. El is emotionally strong except when it comes to her family. She loves them at teh same time she doesn't understand them and avoids visiting.

     Together, Kyle and El help each other out and discover new things about each other and their families. Despite that, I had a hard time connecting to the characters. Add that to my confusion about the world and it was my least favorite of the stories.

      This novella had the most explicit, and frequent, sexual scenes. (Not a bad thing, just FYI)
     
No Angel

When Sasha's boyfriend Jay is sucked through a fiery vortex to Hell, an angel reveals that she's been chosen as the Champion of Virtue in the battle for his immortal soul. As a perennial offender on Santa's naughty list, Sasha can't believe she's anyone's idea of a girl fighting on the side of the angels. But if she doesn't save Jay, he'll be stuck in Hell forever!

Jay aka Jevroth isn't surprised to find himself back in Hell. His visa to visit the mortal plane expired three months ago, but to steal more time with Sasha he's been ignoring his mother's demands to come home to meet his new stepfather: Lucifer.

Sasha has until dawn on the 25th of December to fight the Legions of Hell and rescue Jay, or be trapped there for eternity herself. But now she must decide if the lying, son-of-a-demon is even worth saving...

     I was hesitant about this story; angels and demons aren't my favorite supernatural beings and the premise seemed fake. To my surprise, I liked the story a lot. It has humor, tension, romance, a glimpse into Hollywood, and two very likable leads. The story flowed right along, never moving too fast or too slow and both Jay and Sasha feel like people you might know in your every day life. Now how many demons can you say that about? :D

     I really liked how both Jay and Sasha tried to be their "best" selves with each other, instead of their real selves. As a result, neither knows the other very well and when they go to Hell, the truth comes out. To the surprise of both of them, they like each other's real selves much better than who they pretended to be with each other. Andrews doesn't hit us over the head with the message but works it skillfully into the story.

     A surprise for me was how likable, and pleasant even, Satan was. Yes, he is The Prince of Lies, but he's also a guy dealing with a conniving wife and a reluctant stepson. Even demons have family problems. Andrews was a new-to-me author and after reading this story, I'll be looking for more by her.

     One fairly graphic sex scene towards the end.


Freeze Line

A twenty-first century ice age dulls the magic that emanates from the earth. Shane Sullivan is a lone wolf above the freeze line; He has no desire to join the packs that range closer to the border, where feral instincts can turn a man into a monster. Not until the winter solstice, when he stumbles across a dying witch who needs his help to get back to her people--and her magic--in the south.

Nadia is a powerful woman in her own world, but drained by her escape from captivity in a northern lab. She knows it's foolhardy to trust a werewolf, but he's her only chance to survive the vast white wilderness. The farther south they travel, the harder it is for Shane to keep the beast within under control, and as their mutual attraction intensifies, Nadia's no longer sure she wants him to.

     I had the pleasure, thanks to a friend and Twitter, of discovering the wonderful writing team who make up Moira Rogers just a few months ago. I'm also very fond of werewolves and witches, they are my favorite supernaturals, so I was pretty sure I'd enjoy this story. I did.:)

     Shane is a decent man dealing, the best way he can think of, with the changes in his life since becoming a werewolf. Nadia is a woman, a witch, just trying to survive. Together, they help each out, saving each other's lives and healing their emotional wounds.  I liked how Rogers didn't rush matters between them but let it build. Despite the fact that I am not a werewolf, nor, rumors to the contrary, a witch, I was able to connect with both Shane and Nadia. I cared about them and wanted to see what would happen.

     The world building in this one also felt like a pre-existing  world but not so much so that I was lost. As far as I can tell,  it's the only story in this world but I'd like to see more.

     Contains several sex scenes of varying graphicness. (I have to say, the Rogers team does an awesome job of writing sex scenes; they have become one of my favorites.)


     Overall, this is a solid anthology, with each story worth reading.


Publisher: Carina Press                                                  

Release Date: November 6, 2010

More info: goodreads

This book was received from NetGalley as an  eARC.

Interview with author Susan Roebuck

Susan Roebuck is "a published author, a book lover and protector of the laurel forests in Madeira."

Originally from the UK, she's traveled to every continent, and now lives outside of Lisbon, Portugal. Impressed yet? She also has been a teacher, a translator, a journalist, a blogger and a devourer of books! Writing from a young age, she's published bits and pieces over the years.

 Perfect Score is an excellent debut novel, and I was very happy when she agreed to answer a few questions. She's my first interview for the Nook!

********

1. In Perfect Score, you have great details in regards to Sam's knowledge of animals, herbal medicine and living on the streets. The same goes for Alex's love of music. What kind of research did you do for a story?

Tons. You know the old fundamental writing rule: write about what you know? Well I broke it. I admit I’m a little like Sam in his love for animals but the only time I rode a horse in my life, it died. Well, not immediately – some days later. However, I do have friends who ride so that bit was easy. And so was herbal medicine. We have lots of woods around here and I was out one day with some friends and a woman I didn’t know very well. She went into raptures over weeds: “St. Robert’s Herb. Fabulous for cystitis. Goldenseal – who’s got a cold?”

I don’t know anyone living on the streets but I got the idea of Itinerant Dan from a story someone told me. Then I read Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London which was really inspirational and touching. I love music but have the musical ear of an ant. However, friends come in very handy and I have one who used to play in a band. But to go back to your question: I had to read many books (Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, James Herriot’s vet series are just two). And the internet – what would I do without dear old Google? I do think it took me longer to research than it did to write the book.

2.M/M stories can lead to some controversy - what drew you to writing this one?

It didn’t start out as M/M. Sam was a girl at the beginning – I swear! “Perfect Score” was originally set at the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. Alex was a musician and Sam was a girl fan. But the story evolved until the end product didn’t resemble the original in the slightest – except the date and I kept to that because I wanted to bring the problem of dyslexia to the fore and how it was so misunderstood even relatively recently. Sorry – back to M/M. It just came naturally because Sam couldn’t have withstood the hardships as a girl so he had a miraculous, overnight sex-change. In any case I believe true love can hit anyone and I have no problems with M/M. Some of my readers have told me they’d never read an M/M novel (ewwww, they say), but they forced themselves to read mine and were truly surprised by the naturalness of the romance which, let’s face it, isn’t the core message of the story anyway and it’s not at all erotic. It’s more about corruption, overcoming hardships, and two people trying to be worthy men in a worthless world (too many wwwws, sorry).

3. I know you are an avid reader, do you have a particular genre that you prefer?

I’m an eclectic reader. I read everything and my favourite is the Ghormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake. I’d like to write a gothic novel one day but they’re not very popular just now. I review a lot of romance novels for different websites but on my Kindle at the moment I have: If This is Paradise, I Want my Money Back by Claudia Carroll which was absolute rot and predictable (I hate that); The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton; Angel Time by Anne Rice: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford; Comfort and Joy by India Knight; A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

4. Do you hope to keep your writing to one genre, or will you try your hand at a variety of them?

A variety. My second novel’s well underway. It’s not M/M (and it won’t be), not terribly romantic but with a bit thrown in. It’s set between the UK and Portugal and those touchy subjects are coming up again: corruption, injustice. The main character’s got some strange powers, but it’s not fantasy or paranormal, and there’s a female bullfighter who’s very bad indeed.

Once that one’s out I’d like to get more risky. Risky, I said, not risqué.

You can find more of her musings on her blog, Lauracea and she contributes to Dream Books LLC blog with interviews, reviews and commentaries on the world of books.

Review: Perfect Score by Susan Roebuck

Review by Jax.

Book Blurb: "Perfect Score" is set in mid West USA in the 1960s and is a story about family relationships, corruption, growing up, integrity, responsibility, and being a man of worth in a society of the worthless. The two main characters are Alex and Sam. Alex, who lives with a wealthy uncle, is a blend of musical genius, stubbornness and firmly believes in his fantasy that his love for Sam is reciprocated. Sam has more direction in his little finger than Alex has in his whole body. He’s strong, yet of small stature and has developed a tough outer-coating after the knocks of a traumatic up-bringing which left him homeless. His one aim in life is to earn enough money to look after his disabled sister. He has no time for a spoiled, rich, guitar player. Sam also stutters and has what is probably a severe form of dyslexia. When Sam unexpectedly disappears, Alex begins a somewhat bungling quest to find him, only to discover that Sam has a fearsome enemy: Alex's powerful and influential yet sociopathic uncle. As Alex spirals downwards towards alcoholism, many questions need answering. Just why did Alex's evil uncle adopt him at age eleven yet deny him any affection? And what's the mystery behind Alex's father's death? Both seem to face unbeatable odds. Are they doomed to follow separate paths forever?

My Thoughts: If you have a problem with same sex relationships, neither this book nor this review are for you. However, I hope that you can push past your issues on that topic and read on.

This is a love story, pure and simple. For anyone who is looking for a 'romance' full of nothing more than throbbing manhoods, move along. While I do enjoy those, this is something sweeter. It is life, with it's pitfalls and heartbreaks, and love that doesn't erase all hurts, but makes them bearable and worth enduring.  It isn't a story that pulls you along at a breakneck pace, but one that you want to savor. I took my time reading this, not wanting to miss the details that make these characters into real people.

Sam and Alex are both amazing individuals, with strong talents and daunting challenges in their lives. There are points in the story that you can't imagine two people more different, and times when you realize they aren't so different after all. I worried for them during the rough spots, and prayed that they'd find their happy ending. It wasn't the perfect fairy tale ending that I would have liked for these friends, but music needs it's high and low notes to make a Perfect Score.

Publisher: Awe-Struck Publishing

Released: September 21, 2010                                   More info:

This PDF was received from the author for review.

Review: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

Book Blurb: Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

     Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for her own mysterious business. But Rachel isn't the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that's not counting the assassin on their tail.
     A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.    

 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest, but has since fled south. When not at work in the Hollows series, she spends her time tending orchids, cooking with some guy in leather, and training her new dog. Her current vices include good chocolate, and exquisite sushi. Her bestselling novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, The Bad, and The Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails; White Witch, Black Curse; and Black Magic Sanction.

My Thoughts:

     I will not put up the video of me doing a happy dance, but I had to stop often to slip into my dancin' shoes! Jenks will forever be my favorite, but that cookie sniffing shoe maker is making a play for my heart! Trent plays a HUGE role in this book, and I say it's about time. He and Rachel have a marvelous chemistry, and their interactions are always my favorites, regardless of the book. To have an entire book of the two of the squaring off against each other, even while working together. Heaven.

     For those of you who have not read this series yet, and are wondering what my fan-girl silliness is all about, I have a challenge for you. Go read the books. What makes them enjoyable is not only the misadventures, the mishaps, misunderstandings and myriad of good-looking men that make Rachel's life crazy, it's Rachel herself. She is the 'everywoman' - who cannot see why her friends see her as special and love her. She looks in the mirror and sees what we all see when we look at ourselves, her own flaws and mistakes. And then she tries like mad to overcome them. Comes to grips with her limits, pushes at them, does her damnedest to what's best and beats herself up when her best doesn't quite do what she hopes, or when she fails to foresee something and things go wrong. Rachel is, in a word, human. And in her rollercoaster of self-doubt and self-discovery, these books full of wonderous fantasy take on an element of reality that balances it all.

Publisher: Eos                                               More Info: goodreads

Release Date: February 22, 2011                 Series: #9 in The Hollows series

This book was read as an e-book ARC from Netgalley.com

Review: Staked by J.F. Lewis

Review by Jax

Book Blurb: Murder is a fact of life for the vampire Eric, owner of the DemonHeart strip club in Void City, but when he kills a werewolf in self-defense, things get wildly out of hand. Though the local Alpha and his pack of born-again lycanthropes are out for holy retribution, they're the least of Eric's worries when he finds himself caught between his girlfriend Tabitha, who has always wanted to be a vampire, and her sexy little sister Rachel, a tantric witch with a hidden agenda.

Why can't unlife be easy? All Eric wants to do is run his club, drink a little blood and be left alone. In his quest to discover who is trying to end him and why, he must survive car crashes, embalming, sunlight, tantric magic, and werewolves on ice as well as his own nasty temper, forgetfulness, and mistakes. More diamond in the sewer than diamond in the rough, Eric is willing to take on the world in Staked, a book where love just might conquer all, even if it is twisted, evil, and undead.

My Thoughts: Ok, Eric...oh, poor Eric. Never date sisters. Ever. I don't care if one of them thought the other was dead! Or that you didn't know that. LMAO. Eric lives his life by one law.

Murphy's.

He's a magnet for trouble: jealous friends causing problems, jealous girlfriends messing with his head, and psychotic vampire daughter. He just wants to be this average guy and live his life. Turns out he has phenomenal cosmic powers and itty bitty memory.

It's a light hearted book, for all Eric's mayhem. It flips from his POV to Tabitha, his newly turned girlfriend. It keeps the story moving, even if I sometimes lose track of who's talking. (I don't always pay attention to the chapter titles. An enjoyable quick read that kept me grinning, if not actually giggling.

Publisher: Pocket Books

Release Date: Reprint edition June 30, 2009

This book was lent to the reviewer by a friend                                                                      

Calling All Smuthounds!!

     Now that I have your attention. :D I need your help. Earlier today I was sharing quotes from a paranormal romance that I was reading ( I finished it) over on Twitter and facebook, and someone on Twitter suggested that I do a post on hot quotes. I liked that idea so here I am, soliciting your help.

     I want you to send me hot quotes, your favorite ones. They can be from any book, any genre, and they don't have to  be sexual in nature. If it strikes you as hot, send it along. Whatever you send, please  include a brief note on why it's hot, what do you find hot about it. Also, I will need the name of the book and the author of the book, plus your name. You can be anonymous if you choose, or give me  your blog name, Twitter name, board name, etc., just something that I can refer to you as besides "hey you". :P

     PLEASE do not post your quotes in the comments, they will be deleted. Email me at baconnors AT gmail DOT com and put "blog quotes" in the subject line. I'd like to have your replies by Friday evening 5:30 PM EST so I can write up the post and publish it on Saturday. *note to self: stock up on ice and cold water*

     Oh, and if you are curious, the book that started this is "Undertow: Building Sanctuary" by the awesome writing team of Moira Rogers (two women writing together under one name).

Adventures at Arisia, part 2 Kelley Armstrong, Laura Anne Gilman & Seanan McGuire

     So when last we met, I had stopped just as Kelley, avangyline and I made plans for dinner. Now, as excited as I was about seeing Kelley and possibly spending time with her, and as awesome as the con panels sounded, Saturday was as much about spending time with avangyline and Just X as it was the other stuff. Hanging with them was first priority. avangyline was all excited and nervous about meeting Kelley. What all that means was, we were perfectly willing to blow off any and all workshops and panels for the chance to hang with one of our favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong.

     I had contacted Kelley previously on the board to ask about the possibility of getting together, thinking maybe a few minutes over a cup of coffee. At book signings and other conventions Kelley has often gotten together after hours with any attending board members and I was hopeful that would hold true for Arisia. She suggested that I catch up to her after one of her panels and we'd work something out. So when avangyline and I approached her and she asked if we had dinner plans, we were both like "Nope! We're free!" :D As I said, we were both willing to blow off any panel in favor of some Kelley time. Hmmm, that sounds a little...needy. :P I had met Kelley before and knew she was a lot of fun; avangyline had not met her. Anyway, we arranged to meet later that afternoon.

     By this time we were hungry but didn't want to pay hotel prices so Just X used his cell phone to find a Dunkin Donuts within walking distance. Once we got there we realized that South Station, which had a food court, was 2 blocks over, so we went there. While we were eating Just X had to head home to tend to the dog but he was back in time for dinner. :)

     After our meal, avangyline and I split up for different panels but agreed to meet and hunt up Kelley for dinner afterwards. (LOL, that makes us sound cannibalistic) We hooked up with Kelley and decided, for simplicity's sake, to eat in the hotel as there were three restaurants on the premises and it was frigging cold outside. (Winter in New England, blargh) The first one we tried was closed for a private party, the next had a wait and the last could take us right away. We ate there but honestly, I don't remember much about the food. Dinner was fun and relaxing; speaking just for myself it was low key, relaxed and comfortable. We chatted, discussed books (not just Kelley's) and of course, discussed writing. avangyline and Just X both write (neither is currently published) and they are part of the writers group on Kelley's board. I enjoyed sitting there, listening to them discuss problems they were having and suggestions for working out those problems, writing processes, etc.Afterwards, we took some pics then avangyline, Just X and I headed for the metro to go home.

     The next day, Sunday, the three of us got a later start to the day. I got there first (taking the easy metro route this time) and attended a very lively panel on sexuality in SF/F which quickly turned into a discussion of erotica and sex in SF/F. Although it wandered off track ocasionally, there was some good discussion. The next workshop was on retelling fairy tales and was a wonderful look at the use of fairy tales in fantasy and sci fi. avangyline arrived towards the end of it and we went to a workshop on writing reviews. The attendance was small but those of us who attended had lots to say and it was fascinating to hear the panelists talk. They were a nice mix of people who review books, movies and tv, all of whom work for a major publisher in their field. They all had different approaches, partly due to professional constraints and partly due to their own personal styles. It was fascinating and gave me lots to think about. You may see some gradual changes in how I do my reviews as I decide what to incorporate and then see what works.
 
     avangyline and I split up after this, she went for coffee and I took my pile of books off to where Kelley was signing books. I was surprised, but pleased,to see that the line was short. Kelley gave a little laugh when she saw me in line and I joked that I just couldn't stay away. As always she was pleasant and we chatted for a few minutes before I moved on so the next person could go. I wandered around the dealer area for a bit and madly texted avangyline to come rescue me before I spent all of my money. Fortunately I was able to hold onto my money until I met up with her again. Just X had arrived by now and we made plans. He went off to watch some trailers for upcoming movies and tv shows and we went to hear Laura Anne Gilman read from her newest book, released just this week.

     As we walked into the signing, we were talking about possibly going to a book release party which was scheduled to start during the reading. We joked about sitting near the door and one of the authors scheduled to read gently ragged on us for planning to duck out. It was a small group in attendance in a small room so there was no sneaking out. :P Gilman also teased about us about planning to escape so we chose seats far away from the door :D Despite having a cold, Gilman did a very nice job of reading and I appreciated the sneak peak at the book. All of the authors did a nice job of reading and we ended up staying for the whole thing.

     By now it was almost eight in the evening and we were starting to drag. However, next on our agenda was the comedy team of Seanan McGuire and Cat Valente. Ok, ok, technically they are authors not a comedy team. However, they are very good friends and when together have a schtick they do; it's a free for all question and answer period, fopr adults only. Here's the description from the program: "

Seanan McGuire Talks With Catherynne Valente — 1hr 15min — Burroughs (3E)

Seanan McGuire and Catherynne M. Valente bring their popular Q & A show to Arisia! It's like "An Evening With Kevin Smith", with twice the fantasy authors and ten times the random literary references. You bring the questions and these authors of fantasy and horror will bring their wit and banter for this off-the-cuff, take-no-prisoners monster of spec fic punk rock snarkapalooza. Warning: will contain adult language, adult concepts, concepts, language, and very odd people. Seanan McGuire, Catherynne M. Valente"

The description did not do it justice. They are two incredibly funny, snarky, smart-mouthed ladies who seemed willing to tackle anything. When avangyline and I walked in, I almost crashed into avangyline as she stopped suddenly upon seeing Kelley Armstrong in the audience. When I saw her, I got all embarrassed and silly. I had joked earlier about "stalking " Kelley at the con but seeing her there made me feel as if we really were! As we stood at the back, trying to hide behind each other, Kelley saw us and gestured for us to some sit with her. Despite our embarrassment, we did. Towards the end of the show, someone asked Seanan and Cat to list their 5 favorite authors. Seanan named Kelley as one. :) I looked at Kelley but her face was unreadable. After Cat and Seanan were done, we said goodbyes again and avangyline, Just X, and I headed out to go home.

    Overall, I really enjoyed Arisia. It had so much to offer, there really was something for everyone. Just X, avangyline and I have tentative plans to go again next year but rent a room together at the hotel so we can fully partake of the offerings. Kelley won't be there but I think we'd have fun anyway.