Captain's Log, Stardate 12.14.2011 Forgive me, but this is going to be a full-on rant. My friend let me borrow her copy of Practice to Deceive by Patricia Veryan, a Georgian romance author who died a few years ago. Practice to Deceive was published in hardcover in 1985 (with a rather nice pencil drawn cover) with one other English version, mass market paperback with a truly horrid cover in 1986. Practice to Deceive is the first book in the Golden Chronicles, one of the Georgian romantic intrigue series that Patricia Veryan was famous for. The series premise is fascinating--in the months after the Jacobite rebellion in England, there was a six part cypher that pointed to the location of Prince Charlie’s treasure and also the names of his financial supporters. The series is about the six parts, each carried by a different man, escaping the agents of the Crown. The book was incredibly entertaining, but I also knew, even before I started reading it, that the copy I held wa...

Captain's Log, Stardate 12.11.2011 I'm watching a TV show about the lights other people put up for Christmas. Some of them put in SO much time and work into their Christmas lights! Many of them synchronize their lights with music. One guy starts in September! We are very low key in general. We have a fake wreath that I've decorated with Hawaiian themed Christmas ornaments and a string of lights, which we pull out every year. This year we might get a small tree, too. What do you guys do for Christmas decorations? Post pics on my Goodreads thread if you can!

Camy here: I'm just terribly excited to post this excerpt of this book because M.C. Pearson has been an internet friend of mine for a long time. This is perfect for a tween girl in your life who loves fantasy--I would have loved this when I was 11 or 12. Actually, the illustrations reminded me of the Harry Potter books a bit, making it even more enjoyable. I hope you enjoy this excerpt! Today's Wild Card author & illustrator is: M. C. Pearson and the book: F.A.I.R.I.E.S.: Baptism by Fire FIRST Wild Card Press (December 5, 2011) ***Special thanks to M. C. Pearson of FIRST Wild Card Press for sending me a review copy.*** ABOUT THE AUTHOR: M. C. Pearson graduated from San Jose State University with a B. A. in art, served as a multi-media illustrator in the United States Army, earning the rank of sergeant, and spent four years as a house parent for at-risk youth. Now married over 20 years, she homeschools her two children, volunteers with her church youth group, an...

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Captain’s Log, Stardate 12.01.2011 Protection for Hire officially releases today! Here's the back cover blurb: Tessa Lancaster's skills first earned her a position as an enforcer in her Uncle Teruo's Japanese Mafia gang. Then they landed her in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Now, three months after her release, Tessa's abilities have gained her a job as bodyguard for wealthy socialite Elizabeth St. Amant and her three-year-old son. But there's a problem or two ... or three .... There's Elizabeth's abusive husband whose relentless pursuit goes deeper than mere vengeance. There's Uncle Teruo, who doesn't understand why Tessa's new faith as a Christian prevents her from returning to the yakuza. And then there's Elizabeth's lawyer, Charles Britton, who Tessa doesn't know is the one who ensured that she did maximum time behind bars. Now Tessa and Charles must work together in order to protect their client, while new truth...

(I also posted this over at Goodreads.com in case you wanted to join the discussion there.) So here's a random question that occurred to me, so I thought I'd put it out there for you guys: When you read, do you have "comfort food" you go for? Especially when you have a really good read? I was thinking about this and realized that I have definite habits when it comes to my eating and reading. I love enjoying tea with my reading, usually English style tea with milk and honey, but sometimes Japanese green tea (genmaicha, specifically). I also love eating Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Straws while I read. In fact, I have a bag open right now! I get them from Costco and they're slightly lower in fat than potato chips, plus they're light and crispy. I used to like eating potato chips, but they tend to be too greasy after a while, whereas Veggie Straws are a bit lighter. I also love reading while eating ramen or any type of soup, really. I set my book ...