There are so many things about Matthew Crawley that make him superior to the rest of the Downton men. Firstly, he is the only one that went to war four King and Country.

While Lord Grantham lazed about pouting about the fact he couldn’t go to war Matthew was in the trenches. While Branson planned to run if he was drafted, Matthew was shooting people gangbusta. While Bates drags his leg around causing problems and looking longingly at the maid, Matthew was doing covert missions into the enemy camp.

Secondly in the history of Downton there has been no one that could melt the ice-covered heart of our dear Lady Mary. There has only been Matthew. (Besides that Turkish guy but obviously he wasn’t ready for that jelly.)

Have you ever seen someone look so dashing whilst reading the paper? I don’t think so….

Instead of continuing on listing Matthew’s fabulous qualities to you (because there are many, so many that if I continued writing them my fingers would be nubs) I will explain to you what is wrong with the other men of Downton.

Bates: Bates has baggage. Lots of baggage. His bad leg, his wife- yeah wife. He’s been leading Anna on this whole time knowing that his crazy wife was out there somewhere waiting to be maniacal and CRAZY. That doesn’t scream dashing ol’ bloke to me.

Lord Grantham: Is there anyone besides our esteemed Lord of the Abbey that knows less of what goes on in his house than he? Grantham achieves a new level of clueless each episode whilst pouting about some first world problem.

Branson: Branson is creepy. He knows everything and he’s destined to get Sybil in trouble with his political ideals. You know at some point Bran is going to join the IRA and start bombing people and Sybil will be caught in the middle of it. Probably season 3. Wait for it.

So really, there is no choice besides Matthew. Please leave a comment in support of the most swoonworthy man in Yorkshire.

Advocates for the not best guy:
Branson Tasha at Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Books
Bates Babbling about Books and More
Lord Grantham Edwardian Promenade

I’m going to put this into three categories:

Adult

1. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
2. Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
3. Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Young Adult

1. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
3. Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
4. Tithe by Holly Black

Middle Grade

1. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
2. Magyk by Angie Sage
3. The Chronicles of Narnia

I know its been a while since I have participated. Mainly because I have been filing my books as soon as they come in instead of procrastinating :) This week I had the flu so I didn’t file them, ergo an IMM was born.

From MTV Books (they rock)

Fashion Cats
Starting Over
Bittersweet Blessing: 16 and Pregnant
True Norwegian Black Metal (which is numbered to 666 I have 546)

From Bailey at IBBookBlogging

Starters
A Want so Wicked

From Algonquin who gave me the thing I squeed out loud over this week

Heading Out to Wonderful (A FREAKING NEW BOOK FROM ROBERT GOOLRICK *FANGIRLS*)
All Woman and Springtime
Until the Next Time
West of Here (paperback release- great book)

San Francisco Book Review

Storybound
Dearly, Departed
The Invisible Tower

Holly Cupala

Don’t Breathe a Word (+ swag for you guys!)

Mac Audio

Tempest

Simon Pulse

Where it Began (which is possibly a double- if so contest)

Harper Teen

Finished copies of:
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Bewitching
Cloaked
Two Truths and a Lie
Arc of:
Dreamless

For a species that was once very niche in fandom, it’s left some folks scratching their heads.
My own husband asks me more than anyone. “Honey, I’ve seen that Tom Cruise movie. He’s all dressed up and stuff, but he’s still a monster. How can you make a vampire romantic?” And yet, Anne Rice seemed to open a gateway, there. Vampires in romance have become practically a dietary staple. I started to write my own series because I was one of those readers who needed their daily paranormal fix almost as desperately as they needed their morning cup of coffee (in either case, if I missed out I started biting hands)—and I started running out of things to read. I also started running out of money to buy e-books with.

So how have we evolved, as a culture, from humans who liked their vampires undead in horror movies to one who likes them hard-bodied, hot-blooded and naked? Is it the fangs? The Alpha male-ness? The immortality? The muscles? Okay, I think it’s safe to say we all like the muscles But really, the reasons are probably as many and varied as the people who read paranormal romance these days.

Remember Beauty and the Beast? Classic example of a monster who’s really a good guy. Who wants to be more. Who’s romantic! It isn’t a far stretch to apply that to vampires and other things that go bump in the night. Except when we’re all grown up, it’s nice to add some fangs, right? Those things are hot. And the blood drinking makes it a little forbidden and forbidden is smexy.

The great thing about vampires, is there’s something for everyone these days. Whether you like them big or small, dead or undead, Alpha or omega. Do you like your vampires to be good? Evil? A little of both? Do they drink blood? Eat food? Live in the past, present, or future (or all of the above)? Have superpowers? Pass as human? Do they drink blood from humans, or each other? Whatever your poison, we’ve got you covered.

Me, I dig the idea of vampires being a separate species that lives alongside humans. Right under everyone else’s noses. Partly because when my characters have sex I like for it to be lively. Mostly, because I enjoy the urban fantasy element that it adds. The idea that supernatural species are running around the suburbs outside of Washington DC, interacting with folks at the gas station and blending in undetected, gives me a thrill. I like giving them the ability to mate and reproduce, and have little fanged babies (aww!). And yes, I like the fangs and the muscles.

So. Your turn: What is it that you love about vampires? If not vampires, what’s your favorite paranormal species, and why?
–
About King of Darkness:
ETERNAL COMMITMENT IS NOT ON HER AGENDA…
Scorned by the vampire community for her lack of power, Isabel Anthony lives a carefree existence masquerading as human–although, drifting among the debauched human nightlife, she prefers the patrons’ blood to other indulgences. But when she meets the king of vampires this party girl’s life turns dark and dangerous.

BUT TIME’S RUNNING OUT FOR THE KING OF VAMPIRES…
Dead-set on finding the prophesied mate who will unlock his fiery powers, Thad Morgan must find his queen before their race is destroyed. Their enemies are gaining ground, and Thad needs his powers to unite his subjects. But when his search leads him to the defiant Isabel, he wonders if fate has gotten it seriously wrong…
King of Darkness is available NOW in ebook and in paperback on 2/7 : Amazon : Barnes and Noble : IndieBound
–
Elisabeth Staab lives in Northern Virginia with her hero and soul mate. She has been a telemarketer, a web page editor, a software developer, a reader for the blind, a technical trainer, a coffee shop barista, a tutor, a homemaker, a government project manager, a graphic designer, and a professional ebayer. Finally, she’s landed on being a writer – which is what her high school guidance counselor originally suggested anyway.

Elisabeth believes that all kinds of safe, sane, and consensual love should be celebrated–but she loves the fantasy-filled realm of paranormal romance the best. Find out more at ElisabethStaab.com.

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

Disclaimers and my thoughts

Julianne’s agent gave me this to read a while back. Julianne’s agent is also my agent and it is also the agency I work for now. That out of the way let me squee like a giant fangirl because I am a huge fangirl of this book. It was like Downton Abbey, Georgette Heyer, and Jane Austen all had a baby and that baby is a literary gift to the romance world. As a mostly YA reader I think that Edenbrooke is a great genre crosser, and in a haze of paranormal and science fiction reading that I love it was a welcome edition to break off for a bit and have an interlude with the handsome Phillip who has all the great qualities of Darcy and none of the bad ones.

Join the Tour

I have 10 YA spots open on the tour and 10 romance blog spots open, I also have five spots for those who don’t want to be nailed down for a date but I hope not to use those as scheduling this will be chaotic as its my first tour. Fill out the form below and I will get the info to Shadow Mountain and contact you when your book is shipping.

Ze tour is full! Thanks guys

According to the Mayan calendar one of two things are going to happen this year. Either the world will end fiery, or a new brave age will begin. As I have always been one that leans towards the dramatics, I am putting my money on a fiery death. I think we should have fun until we all burn like the fires of Pompeii. Intro Apocalypse Imminent: A 12 month celebration with today’s hottest dystopia/post apocalyptic authors. These transmedia interviews/stories will appear here on the website the first day of every month. I hope you enjoy them.

February – Jodi Meadows

Jodi Meadows lives and writes in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, with her husband, a Kippy*, and an alarming number of ferrets. She is a confessed book addict, and has wanted to be a writer ever since she decided against becoming an astronaut.

Purchase at Hicklebee’s and find Jodi online on her website or Twitter

Apocalyptic Fun

Pam:What is unique about your world?

Jodi:In Rage, everyone is reincarnated.

Pam:Who are your main characters and their traits?

Jodi:Ana is the newsoul — or nosoul, depending on who you ask. She’s brave, impulsive, and defensive.
Sam is an oldsoul. He’s patient, wise, and a little cagey with information sometimes.

Pam:How does your character fit in or stick out in their environment?

Jodi:Ana is new in a world where no one is new, so everyone watches what she does. No one trusts her. While they know one another well enough, they can’t predict anything about Ana. This makes her a little scary to them!

Pam:Are there special resources that are rare?

Jodi:Coffee is rare, but they’ve made changes to ensure there is always enough coffee around. It’s a world of caffeine addicts.

Sadly, chocolate is super rare in Range.

Pam:What is the most unique thing about your world?

Jodi:Probably the reincarnation.

Pam:Are there others left in the world or just who are known in Heart?

Jodi:Won’t that be interesting to find out? :)

Pam:If you lived in your world what things would you use your lifetimes accomplishing?

Jodi:I’d probably have to get better at music so I could hang out with Sam. Because they don’t really think about the idea of other people, they don’t have much of a concept of fiction. Thus rendering my job useless.

Or super important!

Pam:Is there anything else we need to know about the citizens of Heart or any info you can give us that isn’t in the book?

Jodi:Oh there’s lots of information that isn’t in the book . . . but you’ll have to wait until book 2 to get it! ;)

I would die without chocolate, what about you guys? One comment chosen at random wins Incarnate!

Instead I want to tell you about how my life long love affair with books began. I was six, and my teacher was forcing me to learn to read. I gave zero fucks about reading and my teacher had an annoying nasally voice, also she spit food when she ate. It was all very gross. Then my grandma died and I gave zero fucks about anything, it was my first brush with death and I was more than overwhelmed with my little feelings. Later that same week we had our first ever class trip to the library. The Librarian (R.I.P. Miss White) noticed me- a little pale child sitting in the bean bag by the bug books crying and came to talk to me. She asked me what was wrong, and I told her she was just so nice. She read me The Wild Swans and that was the first moment I ever connected with a story. That girl’s pain reflected my own. At the end of the hour, she told me she would be my pretend grandma and for many more years she was.

From first through sixth grade she fed me knowledge, she gave me a love for books that has lasted my entire lifetime. Without her I am certain that I would have never cared for reading at all.

So basically hats off to my Librarians of the world for dealing with pale snot-faced little brats like myself and showing them that reading can be awesome. Let us all try to remember how hard and long and for little pay their jobs are the next time we go to one of their conferences.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby’s should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future.

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.

Buy it now at AMZ for your Kindle at 99 cents You can watch the book trailer here.

S.R. Johannes is the author of Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and On The Bright Side ( a tween paranormal). She lives in Atlanta Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.

Contact information:

Email

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Author Goodreads
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On The Bright Side Goodreads
In His Eyes Anthology Goodreads

The fact that we have nearly a 50% illiteracy rate in this country might be partly to blame.

We do have a literacy problem. However, every reader of the romance genre is not illiterate and you can’t make a blanket statement without following up with a fact. Where is the data that says romance readers are functionally illiterate?

I’ve noticed more and more articles about, and interviews with, romance writers where they are as often as not put on a pedestal—as though they somehow belong in the same class as authors of much higher standing.

Hey, you! Yeah, you! Romance writer. Get down from that pedestal, I’m saving that for a real author! You know, one with five blog followers who writes sci-fi (I do love me some scifi for realz) and says your books are trashy and appeal to illiterate people.

What the modern reader needs to understand is that romance novels by their very nature are meant to be inferior.

Say that to a romance writer’s face and see if you walk away in one piece. I don’t believe anyone sets out to write an inferior novel. Also, inferior to what? You can’t even bring your point across. Inferior to literary fiction? Because I do read lit fic and some of that stuff is crap too. Or are we really talking about you Cale? Are all romance writers (and women) inferior to you and your big bad ass way with words?

I find it difficult to respect something that is purposely meant to be a lessor work. One should always strive to do great work. If an author classifies their own story as romance, that tells me that even they don’t think much of it. That being the case, neither should we.

Thank you, Cale. Without you telling me how to feel about romance novels I would have never been able to form my own opinion.