I don't need another reason to drink coffee, BUT...

I just love it when a company I love does something I can stand behind!

Starbucks is under attack by NOM because Starbucks decided to support marriage between two men or two women. Because they decided their money would be beneficial to the LGBT community, NOM is seething. I will gladly buy Starbucks daily (instead of suffering with bi-weekly visits) now that I know the company is supporting my friends.

There's a little "Thank you" sign up going around that is doing fantastically. Clearly, more people are happy with Starbucks than not. You can see (and sign!) the "thank you, Starbucks" here. If you're interested in NOM's protest petition, you can check it out here. The numbers speak for themselves, really.

Sh*t I love—Edition one: Emperor’s Edge series

Sh*t I love—Edition one: The Emperor’s Edge book series by Lindsay Buroker
Official description:

Imperial law enforcer Amaranthe Lokdon is good at her job: she can deter thieves and pacify thugs, if not with a blade, then by toppling an eight-foot pile of coffee canisters onto their heads. But when ravaged bodies show up on the waterfront, an arson covers up human sacrifices, and a powerful business coalition plots to kill the emperor, she feels a tad overwhelmed.

Worse, Sicarius, the empire's most notorious assassin, is in town. He's tied in with the chaos somehow, but Amaranthe would be a fool to cross his path. Unfortunately, her superiors order her to hunt him down. Either they have an unprecedented belief in her skills... or someone wants her dead.

I can’t remember the last book I read with a female lead I enjoyed as much as this series. Even female authors have the tendency of skewing women into helpless hero-needing leads or pretty princesses without a believable care in their pretty head. Because of past experiences of not enjoying books with a female lead, I was hesitant to read this series. But my friend wore me down with her rants and raves and I downloaded the first book. (It’s free on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords)

The author has created a vivid world in this fantasy book made all the better with the dash of steampunk-like elements. The setting is described but not overly described. (I find too many details more distracting than too little.) Not only are the physical aspects of the setting explained, but all the parts that make up a civilization that cannot be seen are explained as well. Mindset of the citizens, history of the leadership, and the religious belief system are all created and explained in a way that blends seamlessly into the plot.

The characters are well rounded with their own traits and growth. (Especially by the third—the most recent by posting of this review.) Each is composed of bad and good parts. Just like real people—the bad traits can be little things or big things. The scary assassin Sicarius might be a killer, but he still has a human side beneath all that black clothing.

I’m a sucker for humor and the characters never fail to deliver. There’s more than one type of humor so if one line doesn’t get you smiling, another might. The back and forth between Amaranthe and Sicarius are well timed and executed. (Even more so by each book’s progress in character development.) That’s not to say they’re the only two to enjoy. It’s hard not to fall for all the boys in Amaranthe’s group.

The plot is not only unique, but fast moving (more so in later books—the first needs room for character introductions) and hard to put down. A group of misfits—lead by a women with a bounty on her head paired up with an assassin wanted dead by the emperor—work to do “good deeds” for the empire to get noticed by the emperor and maybe get a pardon. These good deeds don’t always get them the attention they want (what plan ever goes as planned?) but the adventures tighten the group’s dynamic little by little. And offer entertainment for the reader. While some books fall victim to forced plot movement, this one does not. Every decision seems plausible and natural—helped by Amaranthe being led by her heart.

In short, this series is one any reader should check out. The first ebook is FREE so there’s no harm in trying. Pick up your Kindle or Nook and navigate to Lindsay Buroker and pick the free version of Emperor’s Edge. (or see the links I posed above) If you don’t like it, you haven’t lost a single penny.

Comment here and tell me if you plan to read Emperor’s Edge or if you have already.

Water Waltz: inspiration from the oddest of places

Inspiration for Water Waltz came from many sources.

I first got a tickle of an idea while watching the animated series, Archer. Yes. That crude show inspired me. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be fun to have a story with an assassin in love with his butler?” The star of Archer (named Archer) has an old man as a butler and is cruel to him on so many levels, so I guess that could explain the terse way Varun and Triste communicate with each other in Water Waltz, but their relationship is a bit more complicated than my need to have characters bicker.

When I write a story I sometimes pick out a song I come across in the writing process that just fits. Once in a while it helps shape the story, and other times it could be a theme song to what’s already shaped. In the case of Water Waltz, I got Panic at the Disco’s new album and fell in love with Trade Mistakes. It’s perfect for Triste and Varun and their story as a whole. Panic at the Disco is one of my favorite bands. I love their style just as much as I love their sound. Bow tie and suspenders on stage? Yes, please, Mr. Fancy-pants. 

Around the same time I was juggling with the idea of an assassin and butler romance, I was also watching classic movies from the 1930s. To narrow it down further: Fred Astaire movies. Yes, I’m young and a fan of Astaire. I can’t say the plot lines for his movies are earth shattering or even remotely good, but I like to watch him dance and wear brilliant suits. So my angel—Triste—became a dancer. In fact, dance was a minor part of the plot but very much there.

This brings me to my final inspiration: surprise. I love when a story can twist in such a way that leaves me shocked but satisfied (because the twist is not far-fetched) by the turn of events. Like in Undercover Sins, I attempt to surprise readers with a twist--or two. I certainly hope I was successful. (read this post for more about the angels, demons, and other races in Water Waltz.)

The time setting in Water Waltz is undetermined (in other words: never mentioned) and since it is a fantasy setting in a fantasy land, I’ve meshed eras together. We already covered how I adore 1930s musicals, so that’s a big part of the world. I also read far too many historical British novels (1890s or so) so that blended into the time period as well.

I’ve created a world for Water Waltz—one I hope to revisit in future novels.

 Water Waltz is now available. 

All Books Need Digital Copies

Today I heard Marvel is giving digital copies to physical copy holders. If I buy a physical copy of Spiderman, I get a code for the digital copy. This is the greatest news I’ve heard this year. I hope and hope and HOPE that this catches on and more companies do this! Stop fighting the digital turn. It makes me sad to admit that DVDs, CDs, and paper books have been replaced, but I can’t hide from the facts.

I only buy a physical book if it isn’t available as an ebook, and only if I’m desperate for that title. Usually I just won’t buy it unless it’s an ebook. However, I WOULD buy the physical book if I got a free PDF or other digital file. I prefer reading on my reader, and I don’t want to buy the book twice if I want a hardback to love and cherish on my bookshelf. For the record, I will pay the same price for an ebook as a paperback copy. (obviously asking for hardback price is out of line for digital...unless a digital copy is included.)

I won’t buy a physical CD if I can buy it digitally. But I will buy physical CDs if it comes with a free digital download. (Like a few of The Spill Canvas’s albums)

Movies I buy if I can find my favorite for $15 or under. (used usually) I would love to be able to pull up Netflix (or any monthly pay service) and legally watch any movie through my internet connection. But I don’t see that dream happening anytime soon.

I used to buy a lot of manga (Japanese comics). I stopped reading my favorites because I don’t want to buy 12+ books anymore. But I would be willing to buy 12+ digital files to read my favorite titles and avoid clutter. Now some publishers are embracing e-manga but not all are offering digital copies just yet. Digital Manga Publishing has a lot of their titles (including yaoi (m/m romance)) available digitally. There's also Yaoi Prose for more yaoi titles. I'm not sure if other manga publishers are doing this or not.

I think the “big wigs” need to stop complaining that piracy is killing the industries and realize they are a part of the problem by trying to keep the industry operating in the Stone Age—especially networks and music companies. I'm thankful I can buy any and all gay romance titles I want for my Nook! Entertainment industries need to listen to consumer drive and act accordingly, and I think Marvel is doing just that.

In short, I applaud Marvel. Thank you for taking this step out of 1990.

Is anyone else happily embracing digital content for all their entertainment needs? (TV, movies, books, music, and so on)

back from Canada

I finally used that passport I got back in 2009. It was a wonderful trip. Thank you, Manda.

We went to a few bookstores (some places still have those!) and explored. One had books stacked to the ceiling and on the floor in the rows. It was a hoarders bookstore. Another was very similar but not organized at all.

We stayed at the Sylvia hotel and a bunch of police officers were in the restaurant for breakfast. My friend accosted one that strayed from the herd and requested a photo. He was seemed happy to oblige. I got a photo with him and one other. Very nice guys. We were told later by the staff that we pretty much made their day. There's a lesson here: Be kind to the local police and make their day a bit better.

Before reaching the Canadian boarder, my friend and I stopped for brunch. The place served mimosas. I'm so uncultured...mimosa with brunch sounds fancy to me. It was wonderful. Look at the bunny on the fence. Now that isn't fancy, but it sure was funny. I had to share.