Book Blogs

Okay, this sounds really confusing, but do you like to read book blogs?  I don't mean blogs that are about book reviews, I mean blogs that have books written into them?  I run two such blogs and they've got a small number of followers - and any number of looky-loos who just drop in to have a read once in a while.  So, do you read book blogs and enjoy reading an unknown author's written works?  If so, let us know of some of the blogs you all follow and read.  Here are my two.

Fry Nelson: Bounty Hunter 

Okay, this one is of novella/short stories.  But please do start with Chapter One - Initiation (book 1) and go from there otherwise you won't know what's going on; as it juxtaposes back and forth between the stories from time to time.  I have had some great feedback from this blog from people all over.

You Can't Go Back: And Other Impossibilities  

This one is of vampire romance and other mixed stories from time travel, weirdness and darkness I've only thought of while traveling around on holidays, had nightmares about (and thought would make a great story and found they did) and anything else I can think of to write... these are the odds and ends of the 'what if...' situations that run through my brain from time to time.  And yes, I did get published.  But it's fun to read the collection of stories here; and I will be adding to them soon as well.

I hope you guys enjoy these two blogs for your reading pleasure.  But do let us addicted to reading just about anything know of any blogs you've discovered where an unknown author has put their work on a blog to entertain the masses.  Until my next post, happy reading!  

The Traveller by John Twelve Hawks

Michael and Gabriel Corrigan are brothers in trouble; big trouble, and they don't realise it.  For their whole lives, they have been on the run and have been fed stories about Harlequins and Travellers and how the Vast Machine is controlling everyone on the planet; and how it will eventually catch up with them if they don't stay off the Grid.  So, their family lived most of their lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere without electricity, no television or even a radio and the boys were kept out of school as well; being home schooled instead.  This was going okay until the fateful night the ripped their family apart and had them on the run again; the night their father vanished into the night leaving their mother to pack what was left of their destroyed house into the car and to keep them on the run again.

It's years later and Michael and Gabe have grown up to believe whatever they want.  But, while Gabe is careful about his life, Michael isn't.  Both have money and have achieved a lot in their lives and all the freedom they have is about to come to a grinding halt very quickly when they find out the stories they were told about Harlequins and Travellers while growing up are all true.  However, only one of the men is a true Traveller - who has it in his blood - while the other has it chemically implanted into him by the Brethren; the people who ran the Vast Machine.  The main question is:  who is the true traveller and who isn't?

I bought this book last year when I heard great reviews about it.  Then, when my Reading List here at home got chocka-block with other reading, I had to put it to one side.  Then the second book came out ('The Dark River') and I thought to leave it until the third book came out so I could read the whole trilogy all at once.

Well, there's nothing in the book that gives away much to who John Twelve Hawks is.  So, I'll just write what's in the back:

'John Twelve Hawks lives off the grid.'

Bookcrossing Meet-up in Brisbane.

Today, I was in Brisbane City to meet-up with some Bookcrossers and to have a talk about books. We met up outside the Treasury Casino and - after escorting one their husbands into the place so he could play Keno - we were off to have coffee and to control release books to each other. These are the books I received.

'Angel's Pain' and 'Bloodline' by Maggie Shayne were in the books that were given to me. However, I haven't heard of the author; but I will give her a try. By the look of the blurbs on the back, they sound brilliant. Then, there were other paranormal romances/thrillers that were given to me as well, such as 'Dark Seduction' by Brenda Joyce, 'Witch Fury' by Anya Bast and 'Nekropolis' by Tim Waggoner; however, I've only heard of the latter author and I will give these others a try.

Other books I received today were 'Fatal Flaw' by Roger Maynard; which is about the 2002 murder on Norfolk Island. 'Jericho Falls' by Christopher Hyde, 'Fear Itself' by Jonathan Nasaw and 'Sovereign' by Simon Brown (this last one is a book 3 of a trilogy; so I'll be looking around for the first two before reading it). A P.D James 3-In-One book was given to me as well as 'Don't Fall Off The Mountain' by Shirley MacClaine and a short story collection called 'Seaserpants' by various authors. What a meet-up and what a great lot of books to get my nose into!

The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

Jane lives a very sheltered life with her mother in permanent arrested development as the perfect child in house amongst the clouds. She does until one day, she goes out to a club with her friends and meets Silver. Silver is charming, witty, musical and handsome. Silver is also a robot.
Jane is to discover that true love and loyalty is expected from Silver. He is designed to love and be loyal. However, can Jane's untrustworthy, wealthy friends understand this? Can her mother? So, she flees from her sterile, life of luxury to live with her beautiful Silver man for the underworld of the city's slums. However, the forces of the government and big business are gathering against Silver and all of his kind. When machines become more superior to - and more human - to real humans, the only thing to do is dismantle them...

I first read this book in the mid 1980's and was completely touched by the love and charm of Silver. He was the ideal man... eeer... I mean robot. He was charming, could play music, sing and got along with everyone. However, the only problem with Silver was that he was the creation of Tanith Lee and she created a brilliant character that everyone loved. This was one of the first romances I read and I found it was to touching and yet futuristic enough to call it my first sci-fi novel as well. I have searched the net for the right book cover to match the one I have on my shelves without success; so I picked out the better-looking one from the two I kept being offered. I really wish the publishers showed the nice - more modern - one that didn't make Silver look so jaunty. So, I've done the next best thing and photographed the cover I wanted up on the post and uploaded it from my computer. This is because I find this cover more appealing than the ones I found on the net.

Tanith Lee has been working very hard on her books since 1986. And her other novels I have in my collection are 'Sabella' and 'Vivia'. However, after those two, I stopped collecting. There is news on the horizon of 'The Silver Metal Lover' being turned into a movie in the future; and so we better look out for that one! However, they are talking about Silver not having red hair; oh well, we can't win 'em all! Tanith has put out two books; one of novellas and one of short stories just this past year. And last August, she published 'Tempting the Gods' which was the first of a volume of a collection of hers; which will have another one out by the time I've posted this. A short YA novel titled 'Indigara' as well. Tanith has been doing a lot of research for her proposed dragons book 'The Firesmith'. She has also published some stories in 'Asimov', 'H.P Lovecraft Magazine', 'Weird Tales' and 'Noralanda/Leda' reprint. Also, there's a new Flat Earth Tale - 'The Snake' - to come in 'Realms of Fantasy'

(I found this info on: http://www.tanithlee.com/ if you'd like more information and pictures of her as well).