GOALS update & Cephalopod - a day late!

***WARNING, maybe-spoilers*** - THE GIVER, Lois Lowry

I really enjoyed this read, though sometimes in the beginning I found it a bit cringeworthy reading about the corny jokes the happy family unit made to each other. The story really does start out so 'pristine' and orderly, and then comes the scene where the second twin gets 'released', and the true horror of the society hits home. There was a hint of that reality when we found out about the previous 'Receiver''s release, but the twin scene was just really dark.

At the end of the book, I really wanted to be able to read on and find out what happened next, after the sled ride - but I guess that isn't the important part of the story.

I'm also very curious about the setting in this book, e.g. how the heck did humans get to such a point? I can sort of imagine it being some apocalyptic war that nearly killed everyone, and so they became mega strict about allowing 'free will'. But I was left wishing I actually knew the history. I know there are other books in the series, but not sure if they explain more about that history or not. But I guess I'll find out when I read them!

Gulp. Umm, since last time I guess I haven't done much with my creative stuff, BUT I have still done the occasional bit of editing on SUNDOWN III. There is also a writing group that meets every Sunday, which is run by our 'region leader' on the NaNo site. I haven't been to one yet, but I think I'm going to try to go as many Sundays as I can. I can't go tomorrow but maybe next week. It's about time I did something that requires me to be accountable.

In the meantime, this happened to me today:

And there are seven more that have just been trapped, needing care!!

No wonder I'm distracted from my writing. ;) Rescue chaos doesn't allow for much spare time for 'other things'.

On DVD: FRINGE

Source

Earlier this year I bought some seasons of Fringe on DVD. I'd never seen the show before, but I had read some good reviews. I wasn't disappointed as I started to watch season 1. If you're not familiar with the story, this is the summary from IMDb:

"The FBI teams up with a formerly-institutionalized scientist - who was performing experiments on the fringe of real science - and his son to investigate weird crimes that are seemingly part of a larger pattern, and may be connected with a global company called Massive Dynamic."

I have just this morning finished watching season 3, and as usual it ends on a cliffhanger that makes me want to start the next season asap. This show has great, quirky characters, which lend humour to much of the show, but it also has high drama, and of course sci-fi / action goodness to keep one hooked.

If you like sci-fi in a contemporary (most of the time) setting, I definitely recommend this show.

CAN'T GET ENOUGH GAMES - Christine Rains

Today I'm featuring Christine Rains for her Geeky Dice & Debauchery tour. Christine, it's awesome to have you! I love geeky things, and debauchery's not too bad either. ;)

I love playing games. Any kind. You name it. Well, except mind games. I only write about those!

Today I'm going to let my inner geek out to play and share with you my favorite games. I'd love for you to comment with your favorite games and maybe point to some new fun ones.

BOARD GAME: Settlers of Catan.You have just arrived on a new island. It's a race to collect resources and your settlements and cities before everyone else. It's fun and easy. It takes some strategy, but you're at the mercy of the dice. Do you have wood for sheep?

Trisha's interjection: I really just love Monopoly, but I also love Pictionary. But I also love Cluedo. But maybe I love Trivial Pursuit!! BUT of course I love Scrabble. ;)

CARD GAME: Cards Against Humanity.This is how the game is advertized: “Cards Against Humanity is a party game for horrible people.” And it's absolutely hilarious. Not a game for children or those with clean minds! Every time we've played this with friends, we laughed so hard we cried.

Trisha's interjection: I grew up playing cards, and one of my favourite games is one that my aunty refers to as "Mucky Liz" (named after the Queen of Spades which is a key card in the game ;) ). But my all-time fave game is 'Carioca' (pronounced 'karaoke', by the girl who taught us the game, my Argentinian high school friend). This is a game that has a set number of rounds, but we went beyond those rounds until we each held almost an entire deck of cards in our 'hand'. Prepare for hand cramps!!

VIDEO GAME: Final Fantasy Tactics.
I'm a huge fan of Square Enix's Final Fantasy series, but having to pick just one of the whole lot, it's the original Tactics. I've played it at least thirty or forty times. It's not as graphically pretty as some of the more recent games, but I love strategy games.

Trisha's interjection: I just can't let go of my Super NES (even though I threw it out years ago because it had long before that stopped working). But I can't move on to any other game console. I love my Super NES, and I LOVE Donkey Kong Country. Not just the game itself, but the soundtrack. ;) I have the .mp3s.

ROLEPLAYING GAME: Dungeons & Dragons.
I'm a stereotypical geek here. I love losing myself in a medieval world of magic and dragons. I've played hundreds of hours. Solo quests, with small adventuring parties, and with huge groups in massive battles. Oh, which edition is my favorite? I've played 3rd the most, but I really like Pathfinder (3.5). I'm not fond of 4th edition, and I have yet to play 5th.

Trisha's interjection: I have to confess I haven't really done any 'live action' roleplaying, but I have been involved for many years in a written roleplay community inspired by Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time book series. I have found some of the most amazing friends a girl could ever have through Dragonmount.com. So yeah, that's what I've done in terms of Roleplay. All Wheel of Time stuff. :)

Loose Corset

Christine Rains

Official Ellora's Cave blurb:
Dice and Debauchery, Book 1
A weekend away at a convention is exactly what overworked student Morgan needs. Dressed as her character from her favorite online game, Morgan is braced—seriously, could her corset be tighter?—to meet the other players. As Lady Gyrfalcon, she’s ready for everything—except her intense attraction to Dean. A clandestine meeting in the hallway of the hotel and Morgan’s corset is looser but now she can’t breathe for entirely different reasons.


Utterly charmed, Morgan decides to roll the dice and indulge in a fantasy-worthy weekend of sexy roleplaying, scorching sex and life-altering orgasms. Still, through it all Morgan is too smart to believe the chemistry constantly stripping her of costumes and control can last more than the length of the convention. But if she wants to keep a relationship so intense she thought it only existed in fiction, she’s going to have to let go of her cool-headed logic and allow herself to fall far and fast for the perfect guy.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Shorter blub:Geek girl Morgan Reid has been to many conventions, but none that had her wishing it would never end.

Dressed as their characters from the online game Steampunk Quest, Morgan and her best friend meet the other players for the first time in real life. Morgan's attraction to the gorgeous Dean Bradley is immediate, making it difficult to breathe in her tight corset. Even after a few dice shattering orgasms, she doesn't believe this can be anything more than a con fling. But Dean is making her feel things she's only read about in books. Can Morgan let go of her cool-headed logic and allow herself to fall completely for the perfect geek guy?

About the author: 

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She's married to her best friend and fellow geek living in south-central Indiana. They have one son who is too smart for his parents' own good and loves to pretend he's Batman. Christine has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not reading or writing, she's going on adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. (South Central Indiana Fiction Interface). She has several short stories and novellas published. The Dice & Debauchery series is her first contemporary erotic romance.

Please visit her website ( http://christinerains.net ) and blog ( http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com )You can also find Christine on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads. 

Purchase links: Amazon | B&N | Ellora's Cave | Kobo

Giveaways:
1. Story Cubes - "Let your imagination roll wild!" Story-telling dice game.
2. Star Wars Galactic Dice Game
3. 3 third place winners will get a unique Christine Rains die and swag

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you so much Christine for stopping by today. I was honoured to be able to host you, and I was geekishly excited when you invited me to share my own favourite games. ;)

One big step closer

Since early January I've been trying to sell my car - and haven't had much luck. In fact I got no calls or inquiries about it until early March or so. I finally sold it last week though, for quite a bit less than it was worth - but I was just happy to see it gone.

Waiting to sell my car has meant waiting for many other things, too. Such as:

1. Getting a haircut! (no really... I haven't gone to the hairdresser since March, 2012)
2. Getting a decent camera - move on up from the point & shoot!
3. Buying my ticket to the US/Canada for September this year (my bro invited me to the Foo Fighters show in Washington, "the gig of a lifetime" he said - how could I resist that?)
4. Renewing my passport(s) - yes, both are lapsed!

The main thing I really want to do, though, is get my little 'corner of the room' office area sorted in my room. I need to get a corner desk, and the long-term goal is to buy an iMac to put on that desk.

For now, I will settle for the desk ... and maybe some nice stationery. ;)

P.S. I just did some editing. That's a rarity right now in my life. And now it's bedtime.