My Collections

It's another edition of Wednesday Randomness, and this week, we're blogging about our collections. And, I didn't really realize how many I had...until I started wandering around the house taking pictures. I'm not even including the fabric or yarn, because, well, this shit is already out of control - as evidenced from the following pictures.

First off, there's my vintage tea set. I've always loved Cottageware - my Gram had a set that I adored. But I fell in love with this PriceKensington pattern, and I've been slowly collecting it. It's nowhere near complete, but it's getting there. I've found a bunch of pieces in antique stores in the U.P., and my very awesome friend, Kim, has sent me several pieces from shops in Wales. Which, coincidentally, is where my Gram's set came from.

Rocks. I know...it seems like a silly collection, but I really love rocks. I was always that kid who came home with pockets full of rocks. I'm still that kid. Everywhere I go, I pick up rocks. My friends bring me rocks home from their travels. My kids pick up pretty stones for me.These are just a small sampling. Read: places in my house where I didn't have to clean in order to take pictures.

I'm a fan of driftwood, too. As you can probably see.

I also collect books on Arthurian Legend. Other than the complete works of Chaucer and Shakespeare, this is all Arthurian stuff in this bookcase. Oh, look...more rocks.

And fairy tales! I freaking love fairy tales. I've got stories from tons of different cultures  - both modern and traditional stories. Brand new books and antiques. I love them all.

Okay...what else...oh! Skeleton keys. I adore them. I've been collecting them ever since my Gram gave me the skeleton key to her house. Sometimes, I even wear them as necklaces. I don't have these displayed anywhere. But, I'm thinking of making a mobile with some of them.

Charms - these are all in one, chunky dangerous place. This bracelet doubles as a weapon. But it's also a collection of memories. Each charm has a specific meaning and memory that accompanies it.

Okay, so that's pretty much it for my collections. I can't wait to see what kind of stuff the other bloggers have! Because I'm nosy. Click their names along with me and we'll all find out what they're hoarding. :D

Gwen
Jess
Kris

MATED Cover Reveal!

Mated

by Gwendolyn Cease

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Tour Organizer: N K Author Services

Laira Marshall had to admit—getting kidnapped wasn’t something she’d expected. Discovering her kidnappers were aliens who planned on selling her into sexual slavery, definitely tipped the scales into the truly bizarre. But she’s determined to fight her way through this—until their slave ship is attacked, and Laira’s faced with an entirely new problem.

Rakin and Dev were the leaders of the Sandaki—a race genetically engineered to fight. Using their enhanced traits, they’ve freed their people and have devoted their lives to seeking out those who enslaved them. They never considered the concept of love—or that one woman could bring them to their knees.

With unknown enemies working against them, the three lovers must come together not only to save themselves, but the Sandaki race itself.

Gwendolyn Cease has been writing ever since she was old enough to pick up a pen. From the very beginning, her stories involved handsome heroes, tough heroines, and happily ever after. Even as she slogged through two undergraduate degrees and a master’s in education, writing remained top priority. Though she now works full-time as a history museum educator, she still makes time for her characters and their never-ending adventures.

Currently, Gwendolyn lives in Kentucky with her incredibly spoiled cats. If you’d like to contact her, she’d love to hear from you. She loves to hear from anyone who enjoys a good book, especially the ones she’s written. You can email her at gwendolyncease@insightbb.com.

Website – http://www.gwendolyncease.com
Blog – http://gwendolyncease.blogspot.com
Twitter - @GwendolynCase
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gwendolyn.cease?fref=ts
Tumblr – http://gwendolyncease.tumblr.com/

RICOCHET Cover Reveal!

Ricochet
by Kris Norris
Genre: Erotic Romance
Tour Organizer: N K Author Services

A moment he can’t take back…

An unlucky rebound has left US Marshal Ashton Kane broken. His partner’s dead and, consumed by guilt, he’s walked out on the only woman he’ll ever love.

A love she can’t forget…

Cassidy Ryan has tried to move on. Losing the love of her life cut deep, but she vowed she wouldn’t let it break her. And she’s finally taking back her life—until she stumbles upon a deadly encounter that threatens to destroy everything and everyone around her.

One last chance at redemption…

Ash has fooled himself into believing Cassidy’s better off without him—until she puts her life on the line, forcing him to face the demons that still whisper in the dark—or risk losing her. Again. Only this time, it’ll be no one’s fault, but his.

Author, single mother, slave to chaos—she’s a jack-of-all-trades who’s constantly looking for her ever elusive clone.

Kris started writing some years back, and it took her a while to realize she wasn’t destined for the padded room, and that the voices chattering away in her head were really other characters trying to take shape—and since they weren’t telling her to conquer the human race, she went with it. Though she supposes if they had...insert evil laugh.

Kris loves writing erotic novels. She loves heroines who kick butt, heroes who are larger than life and sizzling sex scenes that leave you feeling just a bit breathless.

Website – http://www.krisnorris.ca

Blog – http://krisnorris.blogspot.com

Twitter - @kris_norris

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kris.norris.731?fref=ts

Merlin Club: Love in the TIme of Dragons or The One with the Creepy, Little Reptile, Scoripion Cat that is Never Ending Nightmare Fodder.

Okay, so in this episode, we have Gaius’ old flame, Alice, returning to Camelot and setting up shop as a healer. Uther gets wind of these miraculous healings and flips ship because the peasants aren’t dying when clearly they should be. So obviously magic must be involved. Okay, in this case, he’s totally right, but whatever. Uther demands that the magic user be found, but Gaius covers for her, lying to Uther and saying it was just the skillful use of herbs. 

 As it turns out, Alice is in league with a Manticore (think reptilian cat with the tail of a scorpion and the face of a particularly ugly baby – with those wing things around its face) who wants Uther dead. (Get in line, creepy little reptile scorpion cat!) Alice doesn’t mind killing Uther, but she doesn’t want Gaius framed, but she’s under the thrall of the creature, so whatcha gonna do?

So Alice moves in with Gaius (to make it easier for Merlin to creep on her) who kicks Merlin out of his room, and in the course of his creeping, he sees Alice um…milking the Manitcore’s tail for its venom. I can’t begin to tell you how disturbing this scene is. We’re talking orgasm face and sex noises on the part of the Manticore. This is *not* okay, people. 

But anyway, Merlin sees this and deduces that Alice is up to no good. He warns Gaius, but Gaius refuses to believe it. Merlin shows him the creature’s box under Alice’s bed, but of course it’s empty as the Manicore has gone back to its regular hell dimension.  Merlin also researches the creature in Geoffrey’s books. (Seriously, does that dude just live in the library?)

Meanwhile, Alice, under the guise of helping Gaius, poisons Uther’s daily medicine and he falls gravely ill. In fact, he’s dying. Huzzah! Not so fast, gentle viewers. Arthur deduces that the only thing it could be is the potion Gaius had given to Uther. But Merlin saves the day by blaming Alice and she goes to the dungeon while Gaius frantically tries to save Uther’s life. 

When Gaius visits her later, he realizes she’s under the thrall of the Manicore and he and Merlin figure out how to destroy the beast to free Alice from its clutches and cure Uther. So they summon the creepy little reptile scorpion cat and prevent it from returning it to its hell dimension and destroy it. 

After Uther recovers, he decides that Alice must still die even though she was under the Manticore’s control when she tried to kill him. And low and behold, the escaped prisoner bells ring because Camelot’s dungeon is the least secure in all the land.

Okay...now for the questions. 

1. If I’d written this episode...I would have made the harvesting of the Manticore venom far less...sex-like.

2. The thing I loved/hated most about this episode. Hated how sort of boring and pointless this episode was. It's another monster. Merlin creeps around and spies on people and because he's a dedicated creeper figures out what's up. This episode just feels like...mostly filler.

3. Something you’ve never noticed about this episode before. The complete absence of Gwen and Morgana. However, to be fair, I didn't notice it until Jen pointed it out. 

4. Favorite Costume. Alice's lovely knitted shawl. I couldn't find a really good shot of it, so you'll just have to trust me. 

5. Here is Proof of some random head canon I’ve created. I've got nothing for this episode. 

6. What Merthur moment did Jess have the naughtiest thoughts about? Definitely when Arthur was training - Merlin was holding up rings, and Arthur, was, um...thrusting his lance through them...

7. What made Jen lose her shit (in a good or bad way) in a bad way? The creepy sexualization of the venom extraction. And also the Manticore in general. Creepy little fuck...

Jess' take on the episode is here, and Jen's is here.

IN MY VEINS Cover Reveal!

ALBION’S CIRCLE: IN MY VEINS 
by Jessica Jarman
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Tour Organizer: N K Author Services

Blurb: 

Anna is his. Merlin has failed. The Circle is broken. After being defeated in every lifetime, Mordred believes he’s finally won.

Even though Anna has little hope of gaining Merlin’s forgiveness for believing Mordred over him and the rest of the Circle, she isn’t giving up and vows to set things right. When an offer of help comes from an unlikely ally, Anna must trust her instincts—the very thing that got her into this mess in the first place.

Because more than just her survival hangs in the balance. Mordred took her for a reason. Anna is the key. The key to completing the Circle. The key to preventing unthinkable death and destruction at Mordred’s hand. They key to destroying the heart of a wizard whose love has followed her through the ages.

But Mordred has forgotten exactly what’s he’s up against—Arthur and his Knights. The most powerful Magical to ever walk the Earth. And a love a thousand years in the making. 

Meet Jessica Jarman

Jessica Jarman is an author, blogger, and rather obsessive fangirl. Having grown up in Upper Michigan and currently living in Minnesota, she is a Midwestern girl through and through. And wouldn’t have it any other way.

When she’s not working to get words on the page, Jessica passes the time with her amazing husband and four children, attempting to be crafty (and failing miserably), squeeing uncontrollably over her favorite shows or curling up with a good book.

Website 

Blog 

Twitter 

Facebook

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A Few of My Favorite Things: Songs

Ha! Trying to pick favorite songs is a lot like trying to pick a favorite book. Or favorite kid.

In order to tackle this post, I decided I needed to break it down into categories.

So…in no particular order, here are my favorite songs in their handy dandy categories.  And yeah, you’ll probably see a lot of repeated artists. Because that’s how I roll. 

And this is in no way all the categories – I just realized that I needed to dial it back otherwise this post would be Neverfuckingending. Because music.

Depression Combating Songs

Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root

Gang of Rhythm – Walk Off the Earth

Secrets – Mary Lambert

Let It Go – Indina Menzel

Summer Vibe – Walk Off the Earth

Safety Dance – Men Without Hats

Little Plastic Castle – Ani Difranco

As Cool As I Am – Dar Williams

I am My Mother’s Savage Daughter - Wyndreth Berginsdottir

I Won’t Be Your Yoko Ono – Dar Williams

Maps – Hey Ocean

What’s Going On – 4 Non Blondes

Flinty Kind of Woman – Dar Williams

SuNu – Rising Appalachia

Wait it Out – Sarah Blackwood

Ojos Así – Shakira 

Angsty Songs

Rain King – Counting Crows

Rootless Tree – Damien Rice

In the Sun – Joseph Arthur

Hallelujah – Rufus Wainwright/Jeff Buckley/Damien Rice

Collide – Howie Day

Say Something – Great Big World (also really love the Sarah and Gianni cover)

Blank White Page – Mumford and Sons

Walk on the Ocean – Toad the Wet Sproket

Both Hands – Ani Difranco

Rumour Has It – Adele

Iowa – Dar Williams

Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

Turning Tables – Adele

Who Will Sing Me Lullabies – Kate Rusby

Ghosts That We Knew – Mumford and Sons

Angels Will Fall – Melissa Ethridge

The Chain – Fleetwood Mac

Goodnight Elisabeth – Counting Crows

Broken Crown – Mumford and Sons

Wonderwall – Oasis (love Ryan Adams’ cover)

Something’s Always Wrong – Toad the Wet Sprocket

Celtic Folk Songs

I am Stretched on Your Grave – Kate Rusby

A Mháire Bhruinneall – Susan McKeown

The Kiss – Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack

Brittonick – Circa Paleo

Calling Me Home – Kate Price

The Old Ways – Loreena McKennitt

Fiona – The Secret of Roan Inish Soundtrack

Siúil a Rún – Kate Price

The Queen and the Soldier – Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts

Dark Black Clouds – Circa Paleo

The Cobbler’s Daughter – Kate Rusby

The Knight at Dublin Castle – Darby Devon

Jamie – The Secret of Roan Inish Soundtrack

Santiago – Loreena MeKennitt

The Ships – Circa Paleo

Evacuation  – The Secret of Roan Inish Soundtrack

A Nighean Dubh – Susan McKeown

Peaceweaver – Kate Price

Cruel – Kate Rusby

Anachie Gordon – Loreena McKennit

The Road/The Dancing Mast – Circa Paleo

Bonny Greenwoodside – Susan McKeown

The Unquiet Grave – Kate Rusby

All Soul’s Night – Loreena McKennitt

Tideland – Circa Paleo

Eedjit – The Secret of Roan Inish Soundtrack

Hunting the Hare – Kate Rusby and Kathryn Roberts

Click the names below to see the other Wednesday Random Bloggers’ favorite songs.And below that, here are some of my favorite videos for some of these songs.

Jess

Gwen

Kayleigh
Jen 
Kris
Kellie