Thursday Thirteen: 13 Books I have read recently

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Thirteen books that I have read recently. I know, it's a bit of a let down, but I am easing back into trying to post daily (or at least weekly). LOL PLEASE keep in mind that any comments I make are not in any professional capacity. I am just sharing what I thought of some books that I have read recently. 1. Mine To Entice by Nalini Singh http://www.nalinisingh.com/ Whoohoo. This writer is HOT. I have read all of the books in the psy/changling series numerous times except the newest one because as soon as I finished it my friend snatched it to read. LOL So now I have to know, when does the next one come out? LOL It's going to drive me nuts waiting ... 2. The Accidental Vampire by Lynsay Sands http://www.lynsaysands.net/ This is another series that I have followed since the beginning. It's a family of vampires, some more disfunctional than others, who are fun loving, passionate, and very devoted to their partners. 3. Vampires Are Forever by Lynsay Sands Follows The Accidental Vampire. Next month there is another in the series coming out. I love it when that happens, but I hate then having to wait forever for the next one to come out. 4. The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/ Another series that I have been reading since the beginning. Thevampires are also fairly fun-loving, although they are engaged in a ceturies old battle with the Malcontents and are trying to keep humans from being aware of their existance, something the Malcontents aren't so cautious of. 5. Sex & the Immortal Bad Boy by Stephanie Rowe http://www.stephanierowe.com/ I'm not sure how to describe this series. Odd is defifinitly it. Ms Rowe takes a very tongu-ein-cheek attitude towards Satan, love, Dragons, Immortals and sex. And has a LOT of fun doing so. I'd say this is more for fans of MaryJanice Davidson and Michele Bardsley than those that love angst ridden paranormal romances. 6. Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur http://www.keriarthur.com/ The same friend that snatched my Nalini Singh book shared one of her favorite authors with me. I have to say, I like the premise of this series, but I am not so certain that I like the way it is caried out - at least not regarding the love life of the main character. It isn't the multiple partners I have a problem with. That's kind of nice. It's the fact that all of them, save one very manipulative vampire, have been flat out shits to her. And knowing they are shits, she still kept going back for the hot sex. That bothers me a bit. The character is very much a strong willed woman, except in that one regard. And I can set aisde sex for work sake (since sometimes in her line of work, she has to do that to get secrets her employer needs to basically save the other races), but when its on her own time, by choice, and she still keeps going back to assholes who walk all over her? That bothers me. 7. Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur Out of fairness, I did give other books in the series a try - which is part of where my above comments are from. And I will read at least the next book (which comes out in April), because I am hopeful that the main character will FINALLY find a guy worth being in a commiteed relationship with. A fling doesn't count. But again, I LIKE the premise. And I LOVE that a certain side character is gay, and the while the author doesn't go in to details (damnit) the reader does know that he is happy. 8. Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur 9. Dangerous Games by Keri Arthur 10. Embraced By Darkness by Keri Arthur 11. Lover Unbound by J R Ward http://www.jrward.com/ This is the fifth book in a series dealing with the Brotherhood, a sect of vampires fighting an immortal evil, while trying to protect those weaker than themselves. My oh my are these guys full of angst. Some even self-loathing. But there is something about these books that sucks you in and doesn't let go. When Angela Knight recommended them, I deicded to give them a try, since I love most of her work. And I was glad I did, but not for the warm fuzzy feeling after reading them - because that didn't happen. Rather they are aditict for a reason I can't pin-point. 12. A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch http://www.suzanneenoch.com/ This is another light-hearted series, which doesn't have a single drop of the paranormal in it. But I don't hold that against the characters, because they are entertaining. LOL And I can never wait to see what trouble they get in to next. 13. Dragon Dance by Angela Knight in the Beyond The Dark anthology http://www.angelasknights.com/ As I mentioned before I love almost everything Ms Knight puts to pen. And I did enjoy this story, although I do admit I like the Mageverse stories better. If you like paranormal with a new twist, and you like them scorching hot, I'd definitly say give the Mageverse stories a try. And now I am on my way to the library to pick up Under A Velvet Cloak, the latest in the Incarnations of Immortality series by Peirs Anthology. http://www.hipiers.com/ I started this series years ago and I have mixed feelings about there being another book. I always felt that it was ended with book 7, which was my favorite of the series. Now, well over a decade later, there is another story - one I never expected to be told - and while I am happy to find out more about the character, I always thought the mystery surrounding her was part of her charm. Well, I am off to pick it up. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com/ (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen: Things I learned this week

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Thirteen things I learned this week 1. I love Genetics - at least so far. The teacher is cool, the class is fun, and I am insane enough to actually ENJOY doing crosses and trying to figure out what parental types result in a certain offspring. Gotta love hypothetical crosses. 2. I hate chemistry - without a doubt. Like the teacher(s), the lab is ok, but I hate the homework program we have to use, and to a large extent the subject matter. I can understand some of it, but a lot is going right over my head. 3. I am too much of a take-charge kind of person. I need to step back and let others do some of the work. So I am trying to do that in my two labs and in the student organization I just got elected President to. Delegation is going to be the hey there. 4. I learned that there is only so many times I can transfer water between instruments in the chemistry lab without going batty. 5 times is the limit. After that, I am b*tchy. LOL But I understand why we had to do it - to familiarize ourselves with the instruments. 5. I am basically a lazy person. I always knew if given half a chance I would procrastinate, so I always do my homework as soon as I can, but lately I have started slacking off. And it hit me - I am lazy. LOL 6. I really suffer from test anxiety. Try as I might to destract myself and to let the fact that I KNOW the material sooth me, I know that when I walk through the door to take the test, I will being to blank out on the material. When I actually look at the thing, my mind will go blank. Now I just have to figure out how to work past it. 7. I hate taking classes alone. I alsways feel more relaxed when I know at least one person in the class. And yet ... 8. I like taking online clases. Except for the sheer volume of busy work many of the professors give, I like working at my own pace through the material, provided I am done by the end of the week. 9. My daughter is almost as good of a poker player as I am. Although, that is NOT saying much. LOL She also stomps my *ss at monopoly - but that's not a new discovery. She did that her very first try playing - at about age 7. Now she's 9. 10. I always study better when I am writing. Since I haven't been writing the last few months, that might have something to do with my problems with this semester. I am hoping to change that next week. 11. Now as for factual information, I learned about genetics crosses, sex chromosomes (most of which I already knew), the funky feel of strawberry DNA (Genetics lab) and about making a gel matrix for electrocuting particles. LOL 12. I also learned a bit more about the periodic table of elements, Dalton's Theory, the Laws of Chemistry, and the like. 13. And I learned a bit about Piaget's Theory of adolescent development. Yi-hah! This semester is off to a rocking start. LOL Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com/ (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen: Things that went wrong my first day back at school

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Things that went wrong/bad on my first day of classes (yesterday) - warning, this one is a bit of a whine. 1. Had to get up WAY too early - that in and of itself is just wrong, and starts a day off badly. 2. My online class wasn't showing up like it was supposed to - and since we HAVE to attend the first day of classes or be dropped form the class, I started getting a bit worried. But it showed up later thankfully. 3. My daughter took forever getting ready and we almost didn't get out the door on time. 4. I couldn't find the classroom for my first class of the day - but I finally managed it. 5. The teacher for my first class was a substitue. Nice lady, had no clue what our actual professor would have wanted her to do though. 6. Found out I need MORE supplies for my Chemistry class, after spending about $250-300 on just that one class. 7. The school changed banks, so the ATM is no longer free (since it's no longer my bank), and no longer gives money in incriments of $10.00 like I was expecting. 8. The line in the financial aid office was wrapped around the stair well, so I didn't get a chance to go and get paperwork I need to file. 9. The second meeting of my first class (on Wednesday we meet TWICE) we also had a substitue. A different one. Who only knew part of what the morning teacher covered, and started on a topic I knew NOTHING about, while all the teenagers in the class did. I am still wondering WTF a Significant Figure is. Grrrr. 10. It rained. If I was at home when it rained and could snuggle under a blanket with a good book and watch it come down, that would be perfect. Being out in it with a 50lb bookbag and trying not to get drenched because I forgot my umbrella? Not so good. 11. Speaking of a good book, I finished my reading book *pout* and don't have the cash at the moment to buy another one. 12. Then I had to rush up to the store where my father-in-law was buying my daughter some new tennis shoes to find that she wears an odd size. She's nine, and is already wearing a women's 6 wide. THEN I had to rush her home, feed her, get her to gymnastics (which started late), get her home (after gymnastics let out late), and then fight with her until almost 10:30 to get her to go to sleep. 13. And to top it all off, I forgot to post the Wednesday Word, which I had been waiting all week to share. So ... today after dinner, we had French Silk pie (which I bought last night after Gymnastics and had to let thaw). LOL Given the equally crappy day my husband and daughter had yesterday, we all deserved it. LOL Good news is, after talking to several of my college friends, that all had bad days too. : ) So at least I am not alone. LOL Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com/ (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen - Websites I Visit

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Thursday Thirteen ... Favorite Authors, pt 1

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Favorite Authors part 1- in no particular order 1. Nalini Singh - I just found this new and wonderful author with the first title in her Psy/Changleling universe. 2. Angela Knight - Still hot after how many books now? LOL I found her when she was with Ellora's Cave and I was reviewing for Sensual Romance Reviews. First book was Captive Dreams, which has since been rereleased. Her MageVerse series is an AUTO buy for me. 3. J R Ward - Dark, angst ridden vampires without the typical issues. They have totally unique ones instead. Angela Knight mentioned LOVING her books, so I decided to give them a try. 4. MaryJanice Davidson - The woman can write a comedic romance in ways I could neevr imagine. I am really in to her Betsy the Vampire Queen and Wyndham werewolves series. I'm been reading her as well since I was a reviewer. 5. Stephanie Rowe - Another new author for me. I picked up a book called Must Love Dragons, read it, but wondered about some of the details. They seemed to refer to a previous book and indeed there was one. Right now she's on the fourth book of the series. 6. Katie MacAlister - I started out with her vampires, but quickly fell in love with her dragons. What can I say, I am a dragon kind of girl. LOL 7. Kay Hooper - Not your traditional romances, although she DOES write romances. What I love from her is her Bishop series of FBI/paranormal murder mysteries with a romanctic element. 8. Linnea Sinclair - Another author I have held on to since I was reviewing. She writes some fantastic sci fi romances. Absolutely detailed and well written. 9. Robin D Owens - She has created an alternat world for her characters, where magic is very much alive. 10. Catherine Spangler - I started reading her books witht he Shielder series, and have continued now that she has moved to the Sentinel series. 11. Michele Bardsley = Another new comers, who is hitting hard and fast. Her Brokenheart, OK vamp series is in the vein of MaryJanice Davidson. 12. Rebecca York - LONG time fan. I have the COMPLETE 43rd light street series to date (including the peregin collection that ties in). LOL Now that she is writing the Moon series of werewolve stories, I am doubly hooked. 13. Elizabeth Guest - Suzanne Simmons is her other pen name. She borrowed the Elizabeth Guest name from one of her characters in the one book sof hers I have had for forever and will never part with; Desert Rogue. Now that she is writing contemporary/old Egyptian vampires, how can I resist. And that's all for next week. Don't worry though, I have enough authors I like toread to fill up at least two more of these. : ) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com/ (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen - My family's pets

Thirteen Things about Michelle HoustonMy family's Pets There is an odd method to naming our pets that I must first explain. It all began with the firsts set of finches. My daughter had been nagging for a parakeet, so she saved up her money and we let her buy one. But while we were in the pet store, my husband saw a finch he wanted, so I bought him a pair. (I love birds). Anyways, we had to have names for them. He loves Egypt, as do I, so we went with Tutankhamen. 1. Tutankhamen - is a grey Zebra finch For his mate, we went with Anaksunamun. Sadly though, she died a few years later, and we had to get him a new mate. So his current mate is ... 2. Kali - so named because of the small white dot on her forhead. - she is also a grey Zebra finch In the mean time, my daughter's parakeet was a bright yellow color, and reminded her of Belle's Dress in Beauty and the Beast, so her name is Belle. 3. Belle Now one parakeet gets lonely, so my daughter saved up her money and bought another parakeet, which was a greenish-yellow color, and looked like it had rolled in a dust bin. Thus ... 4. Dusty My husband's finches got a bit lonely too, so we bought him another. Since the male had an addititude much bigger than its small little body, we went with Napoleon. 5. Napoleon - he is also a grey Zebra finch But what is Napoleon without his lady, so his mate is Josephine. 6. Josephine - she is our only fawn Zebra finch As much as we love our babies, my husband had also wanted a white pair of finches, so I called all over town, and up to 100 miles away and found a pair of white Zebra finches in a town about an hour and a half away. We drove down and purchsed them, and the naming thrill began again. The male also had a bit of an attitue for such a small body, and we wanted something exotic for his name, so we went with Nobunaga. 7. Nobunaga His wife was Kitsuno, so we namedthe white female that. Sadly, she also died, just a few short months after Anaksunamun. He went a while without a mate, since it is harder to find fully white Zebra finches, and finally after our move to Missouri, we succedded. (Or rather I did) and he now has a new mate ... 8. Kiada Now my daughter wanted more parakeets, so after getting the original white finch pair, we found ourselves letting her buy two more parakeets. One was mostly all white, with just a hint of blue. Being a Harry Potter fan (the movies - she hasn't read the books yet) she named it Hedwig. 9. Hedwig The other parakeet is white, with dark blue on its wings and a rather cloud like pattern of blue and white on its breast. So it's name is ... 10. Skyler Then Napolean and Josephine had their first clutch of babies, and we wound up letting her keep two of them, since she fell in love with them. She watches the kid's show W.I.T.C.H. and the C on the show is Cornelia. HEr boyfirend is Caleb, so that's how the last two got their names. 11. Cornelia 12. Caleb But there is one more spot left. And in it goes the cat. LOL The porr thing has been with my daughter since she was a toddler. He has been painted pink (with a marker), dressed up in princess outfits, and generally been a good sport about it all. His name though comes from two places. At the time, the movie Spirit: Stallion of the Samiron came out, and it was my daughter's favorite movie. He's also almost all white and really light brown, so he was named ... 13. Spirit Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com/ (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen - Places I Want To Visit

Sorry it's a day late. My daughter has been sick the last few days, and things got real hectic around here. Before I knew it, Thursday was over and I hadn't managed to post.

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Places I Want To Visit - in no particular order 1. Scotland - especially Castle Culzean. While doing online research for my two Celtic Love Knots stories, I wandered through some sites filled with information on Scotish castles. Castle Culzean just stood out to me as breathtaking. 2. Egypt - there is something about the pyramids that makes you appreciate life and how fleeting it all is. I promised myself that if there is any way possible, when I graduate college, my family and I will take a trip to Egypt. 3. Japan - I have always loved Japanese gardens, and while in Florida I was lucky enough to get a chance to visit one. It was incredible. 4. England - Especially a castle tour. 5. The Caribean, Hawaii, etc. - I have always wanted to visit a string of islands. To take a cruise and enjoy the sand, the sun, and being pampered. Do some scuba diving and snorkelsing in crystal clear waters, and actually see the wonders of a coral reef in person. 6. Alaska - Actually I want to do a cruise off of Alaska during whale migration, then go ashore for a few days. 7. Germany - I have a very good friend who is from Germany, and my husband's ancestory is mostly German. Plus, my in-laws lived in Germany for a few years, and I have heard wonderful things about the country. 8. The Grand Canyon - I know it is clique, but there is something about seeing millions of years of the Earth's evolution laid bare that is intriguing. 9. A rain forest - Although I am terrified of spiders, snakes, and creepy crawleys, I would love to visit a rain forest for a day. Maybe two. I'd especialy love to see the birds. 10. The Galapagos Islands - Hey, I'm a biology major. LOL It's only fitting for me to want to see where Darwin was when his ideas of evolution started to hit him. 11. Greece - I want to wander among the ruins of what was. 12. New York - I have never been a fan of big cities, but I want to see the Bronx zoo. And I want to wander the streets where my favorite TV show - Law & Irder - is set. 13. San Diego - Again, I want to see the zoo. LOL It's on my top ten list of zoos I want to some day visit. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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Thursday Thirteen ... Favorite Movies

Thirteen Things about Michelle Houston Favorite Movies - in no particular order 1. The King and I (Yul Brener and Deborah Karr) 2. Anna and the King (Jodie Foster) 3. Silence of the Lambs 4. Hatarii (John Wayne) 5. The Hunt For Red October 6. Red Dragon 7. Fantasia (the original - not the 2000 edition) 8. McClintock (John Wayne) 9. Some Like It Hot (and other Marilyn movies) 10. Shindler's List 11. The Quiet Man (John Wayne) 12. Bad Boys 1 & 2 13. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Links to other Thursday Thirteens!1. http://candicegilmer.blogspot.com (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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