The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire by Trisha Telep

Goodreads Summary:

There's an allure to vampire tales that have seduced readers for generations. From Bram Stoker to Stephenie Meyer and beyond, vampire stories are here to stay. For those fresh-blooded fans of paranormal romance or for those whose hunt and hunger never dies, these stories have what readers want!
 

My Review (keep in mind that I read this last year)
This collection of original tales comes from some of the hottest, most popular, and best-selling YA writers, including:

• Holly Black (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tithe)
• Libba Bray (A Great and Terrible Beauty)
• Melissa De La Cruz (Blue Blood)
• Cassandra Clare (City of Bones)
• Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires)
• Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie (Wicked)
• Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof, Queen of Cool)
• Kelley Armstrong (Women of Otherworld)
• Maria V. Snyder
• Sarah Rees Brennan
• Lili St. Crow
• Karen Mahoney
• Dina James

They will make everyone a sucker for eternal kisses

I bought this book for one author's story (Maria Snyder) and I ended up loving all of the stories! This book also turned me onto other great vampire books such as the Twilight Saga and the Sookie Stackhouse Series and more...so thank you Eternal Kiss; I have had a ton of great reading in your covers and because of you!

Poison Study (Study, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Goodreads Summary:

Choose A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

My Review:

Read in 2006...this is obviously an old review but it's a great book so I wanted to post it.

I used to read a lot as a teenager then stopped for years. This book brought me back to reading and I haven't left since! Thanks Maria!

Maria had a book signing at a gift shop where I worked at the time and I bought this book because I thought it sounded interesting and I thought it would be neat to have a signed book.

I was instantly hooked! I love Maria's writing style and I love the mixture of fantasy/mystery/romance in the fascinating worlds she builds!

Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend any and all of Maria's books!

Drinking

I am definitely not much of a drinker and I am extremely cautious if I even consider going 'out'. I think planning ahead is important for your safety and the safety of everyone around you. I found this article and thought I would share.

Guarding Against Impaired Driving

“Every day, 36 people in the United States die, and approximately 700 more are injured, in motor vehicle crashes that involve an alcohol-impaired driver,” reports the Centers for Disease Control.

In addition to the obvious impairment that alcohol can bring about, both legal and illegal drugs cause impaired driving from drowsiness and slowed reaction times while distractions such as texting, using a cell phone, or even adjusting a CD player can impair a driver’s abilities at any time. As the holiday season approaches, along with wintry weather conditions in many parts of the country, avoiding impaired driving is essential.

Take responsibility for yourself at social events:

Alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
Limit consumption to no more than one alcoholic beverage per hour.
Do not participate in drinking games or contests.
Eat enough food to slow the absorption of alcohol.
Have a designated driver on call who you know will not consume alcohol.
Stop drinking alcohol at least an hour before leaving a party.
As a host, protect yourself and others:

Serve plenty of food during parties.
Do not push alcoholic drinks and offer plenty of non-alcoholic ones as well.
Watch your own consumption so that you can observe your guests carefully.
Recognize that outward signs of impairment may not be evident; an individual’s judgment and reaction time can be affected by just one drink.
Stop serving alcohol and provide coffee, tea and/or hot cocoa for the last hour.
Take the car keys and call a taxi, arrange a ride with a sober driver, or offer your spare room or couch to a guest who is too inebriated to drive.
Save lives by calling 911 if you see drivers who are:

Weaving, swerving or drifting from lane to lane
Almost striking an object or vehicle
Driving excessively quickly or slowly
Braking erratically or stopping without cause
Driving after dark without headlights
Driving on the wrong side of the road
If we can all be responsible for ourselves and do our best to stop impaired drivers from hurting themselves and others, traveling on our roads should become safer.

Swine Flu

Haha, I just found this picture from a few months ago, when swine flu was 'running' rampant. A friend posted this on her Facebook page, she must have been bored that day...either way, I love this pic!

At Last

This might not be my favorite song, but it's definitely high on my list.

At Last by Etta James

At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last.

About me...

Oh my, where to start. Well, as I said in the blog description, I have a wide range of interests and hobbies.  I’m in my late 20’s. I’m married and I have an adorable Shiba Inu. What’s a Shiba Inu, you say? It’s a breed of dog that originates from Japan (see below for a picture).

In no certain order…I love spending time with friends & family, music, watching movies, scrapbooking, reading, word games (yes, I’m part dork), photography, baking, kayaking, traveling, flying, hiking, white water rafting, technology, smartphones (Go Android), experiencing new things, and nature.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s all for now J

Quick Intro...

I originally started a private journal blog, but I decided that most of what I posted isn’t all that private, so I made the radical (for me) decision to go public. Right now, I’m in the process of moving posts over to this blog. I hope you will find everything as interesting as I do.

I’m open to suggestions/comments if you have any.