Book Review: When Blood Calls

J. K. Beck (also published as Julie Kenner) sent me an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of the first in her new Urban Fantasy Series 'When Blood Calls' in exchange for my review:

Sara Constantine is a prosecuting attorney and a damn good one. Her promotion to Division 6 is sudden, but not surprising until the veil of secrecy is lifted and she learns what lies behind the placid surface of her world. It seems werewolves, demons and vampires are real, and although many of them are law abiding, the evildoers need prosecuting just as human criminals do. The laws are archaic, the punishments swift and bloody but her job is much the same; until she learns the man who made her body burn and her heart tremble a few nights ago is a vampire accused of murder, and her responsibility is to see justice done.

Lucius Dragos has been around for centuries, fulfilling his responsibilities as a dark ops specialist for the council and keeping his ward safe from harm. It was not often any more that lust held him in its clawed grip, but the woman he encountered a few nights ago has his fire burning hot again. Even as he awaits capture the memory of her scent distracts him from the hunt.

When a serial killer Sara put away escapes and is joined by an evil female vampire she needs Lucius alive to find them, and put the killer behind bars again before any more young girls are slaughtered.

When Lucius’ ward Tasha disappears his plans for escape must change. Although a grown vampire, her mind had not transitioned well. To save her from execution he took responsibility for her, and her actions. He needs Sara's help to free long enough to find Tasha and keep her safe.

WHEN BLOOD CALLS is a fantastic first entry in the Shadow Keeper series by J. K. Beck. Hot sex, blood chilling consequences and heart pounding danger kept me riveted to this gritty urban fantasy; the book was finished before I was ready to let go. Thank goodness there are more in the series soon to come and I needn’t wait too much longer for another dose. ‘When Pleasure Rules’ is due out near the end of September; ‘When Wicked Craves’ near the end of October.

Hi, it's me again

This has been a pretty scattered week as far as blogging goes. We are at the tail end of whatever bug invaded last week, which had the side effect of my causing my brain to move about as quickly as pouring rubber cement.

It also coincided with some extra work I volunteered to do for Freshfiction.com.

Exciting work for me; I was able to formulate interview questions for Jennifer Crusie, one of my favorite authors. Thank you so much Leslie and Deb for your help. Hopefully my questions will not come off as too amateurish. If they don't it's because of your input.

With a newly cleared brain pan I was able to polish the rough drafts I'd scribbled and submit reviews for Ms. Crusie's new book Maybe This Time as well as a new book by Linda Howard called Veil of Night.

Fresh Fiction is one of the best sites out there for readers who want more with their books. There are contests, author-written blogs, and tons of info on many different genres. I have done 36 reviews for them so far, and I am gearing up to make my goal of submitting 3-4 per week. I have books lined up in Romance, Science Fiction (C. J. Cherryh anyone?) and Urban fantasy; and a few Amish books are headed my way as well. The only payment at this point is getting to read new books for free, but perhaps if my health stabilizes, I can apply for a paying position doing much the same thing. I enjoy it tremendously.

Don't get me wrong, I still have the goal of writing my own fiction, as well as keeping my toes in the crochet and knitting design business, but writing these reviews is very satisfying.

Sorry I was 'gone' so long. I missed you all.

(Next up, lunch, then catching up on the blogs I missed reading!)

Pretty Car (and cool environmental steps)

Sorry for the absence, we're fighting chest colds this week.

In the meantime, here's a pretty car to look at :-}

It' the G Oil ORECA FLM09 LMPC car run by the Green Earth Team Gunnar in the American Le Mans series) It's the first Series car to use the environmentally safer G Oil.

Happy Ninth Anniversary!

Nine years ago today, Oscar and I got married. Oscar is the best thing that ever happened to me. He makes me happy in a way I never thought possible. I am grateful every day that he is in my life. Thank you Liz and Pete.

Updates and stuff

Life is going pretty well these days.

I am doing more for Freshfiction.com

Currently I have 33 reviews posted with plenty more books waiting in line beside my chair and more on the way! It's a pretty good gig; as many books as I can read for free. I also enjoy the writing. If I got paid for it, it would be slightly better, but I am pretty happy as is.

On the design front, Knit Picks is now carrying 16 of my patterns. The most recent two are the Stellaria Shawl and the Withig Wimple, Cowl and Circular Scarf. Next to be submitted are the Rosie Socks and a Withig stole/shawl. I also have plans to start putting together mini-ebooks, each containing 3 or 4 related patterns (one of shawls, one of socks, etc). They will be priced at a bargain, yet high enough to be carried by Patternfish. I have LOADS of patterns waiting impatiently behind the Withig Stole. One is almost finished, but I am debating adding a few alternate edgings and releasing them three at once, or perhaps as an ebook. the shaping is a method I have not seen used in precisely the same way, so I am excited to see how it will all work out.

Also clamoring for attention are a few felted bag patterns, finger puppets, a striped toddler sweater, a cowl using the new knit picks cashmere blend, etc.

And I am writing fiction again. Beginning Monday, RWAOnline (the chapter of Romance Writers of America to which I belong) is offering an online class which I can attend for free. The subject is pruning prose.

For someone who stays home all day almost every day, I feel pretty busy.

Rug Weaving- Communally

Cigar Music

One of my favorite things at the Maker Faire, a ukulele made from a cigar box.

Great hair

Sean has great hair.

The Winner!!!!

The winner of a pdf of ALL this issue's Knit Circus Patterns PLUS 5 of my pattern pdfs is YogaNan!!!!

Runners up who won a single Otterwise PDF pattern of their choice are:

Marianna, Prpltrtl946 and Chris

Contact me at ottergal AT comcast DOT com, YogaNan, Marianna, Prpltrtl946 and Chris!!

Scrap

One of the events at the Maker Faire was the Metal Pour, where you could watch as someone made your own personal cannon ball. There were several segregated piles of scrap iron. In one, I spotted this old piece of iron, that could have been part of a gate, a fence, or even the leg of an antique sewing machine.

Maker Faire Folk

There were some interesting people at Maker Faire, as you can imagine. In an earlier post I shared an image of a fellow using two phones to make video, here I share Inspector Gadget, Red Green made from duct tape, and a Jules Verne fan. And yep, I have more Maker Faire to share this week, although I didn't see any technology directly suited for handicap adaptability. Maybe next year. I am already looking forward to that adventure, and plan to go for both days.

CONTEST!!!! PRIZES!!! CONTEST!!!!

Knit Circus has released it's Fall 2010 issue, and it's bigger and better than ever.

In conjunction with that, I am having a contest/drawing!

Nope, no new pattern of mine there this time, but there ARE 24 patterns in this issue (two of them free!) along with quality articles and reviews... and the cover!!!. Please, go look at the adorable model they found for the Fall 2010 cover!

One article I am finding of particular use is "Choose It and Use It: Sweater Yarn" by Nicole Feller-Johnson... and another I will savor with my afternoon tea is the interview with Cat Bordhi! I am a huge fan of her offbeat look at knitting and her patterns that go beyond the basics to realms never dreamt by others.

So, back to the contest. Just leave a comment in any or all posts from today through this Saturday (August 7th) and you will be placed in a drawing to win a pdf of patterns from the Fall 2010 issue PLUS your choice of any 5 of my own Otterwise patterns. If for some reason you can not post, you may enter by emailing me at ottergal AT comcast DOT net.

(image is of one of the patterns in this issue, 'Winter Lilies" by Susanna IC, who also designed 'Pavonia' (link is to the version I made)

Voltek A2, the Wind Assisted Car

One of the coolest things we came across at Maker Faire was the area containing new car concepts.

I was flagging by that time and didn't grab info on everything. My brother works for a company called Voltek, so this particular car stood out to me. When I did a bit of research today, I found an Italian article that I translated using the 'translate this page' function of Google.

The English is a bit odd, but I think you can get the salient points. Besides, reading the translation adds a certain flavor :-}

A2 Voltek the American who travels to wind turbines

Produced by Douglas Amick, drawings of her father James aeronautical engineer, the car has two seats and even a motor batteries. A big arc back to work and takes the wind turbine

In other words, the A2, which was originally built by the late father of Douglas Amick, James, an aeronautical engineer and inventor. Besides having originally an aluminum engine battery was designed with a bow on the rear aerodynamic aerodynamic arc This helps to propel the vehicle through the wind flow through it.

How does Voltek A2? the airflow that reaches the vehicle from any angle when it passes through the arc produces a kind of turbine effect and applies a force on the back of the A2, giving him the impetus that causes the movement. It seems that the speed achieved by this vehicle is a wind of 150 mph. But the data does not need to swear.

PHOTO GALLERY

Lighter Star Trek Moments

Funny Cars

There were lots of forms of transportation featured at the Maker Faire; not unexpected seeing as it was held at the Henry Ford Museum parking lot. Today I'm sharing photos of a beautiful old truck, and a few cars people spent a HUGE amount of time on. The fishy car gave concerts, too.

Tomorrow, a few cars of the future (wow, they were SO cool.)