Over at  , a bunch of new releases were announced. Come on over and check it out!

I have this new pile (electronic and print) o’books calling my name…thing is, I need to save them for when I don’t have my own book to write.

THIS WAITING THING IS HARD!!! ::g::

 Okay, all, so here it is…..drumroll, please…

ETA: if you don’t have a livejournal or Open ID account – post anonymously, just make sure to include a name so we can announce your win (if you should, indeed win).

If you’re on Facebook, come fan me for chance to win books, inc. rare copy of the first ever edition of Matters of the Blood,  or just watch this journal (on LJ or Dreamwidth) for a chance to win.

There will be a contest and random winner(s) will be chosen to win one of the following:

• A rare first printing of the original edition of Matters of the Blood
• An author-made advance copy of the original edition of Matters of the Blood
• An author-made advance copy of Blood Bargain
• A paperback edition of Matters of the Blood
• A paperback edition of Blood Bargain

…but wait, there may be more!!

Stay tuned!

Everything I’m about to post is a spoiler and my personal reaction.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I am very very angry at RTD right now. Seems he bought into the whole myth of "if it’s an adult show, then there must be unleavened angst, death, destruction and pain". IMHO, for good writing, that’s only *partially* right. There must be pain, challenges, real danger – BUT…for a show like Torchwood, Doctor Who and others like it – there must ALWAYS be hope at the end.

Hope is what makes a watcher/reader feel as if the journey, no matter how difficult, was worth it. Hope is what makes us, though sad at events, think that we have well, HOPE. Ending a series in utter despair? NOT AMUSING. AT ALL. In fact, it’s a coward’s way out – let’s just kill everyone and have the erstwhile hero run away: NOT a valid ending. (Season 6 Oz, anyone?)

Yes, it is the writer’s choice, and I’m usually the LAST person to 2nd guess writing decisions. I cried and wailed when some of my favorite characters in books were killed off – books written by friends, even. But, in the overall story arc, it made sense. THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE. What was RTD trying to show us? That Earth, our governments, our leaders are nothing but shite and this planet is shite and that everyone we love dies or becomes a coward?

This ending just left a VERY bad taste in my mouth. Ashes and dust. I think I want to go watch something beautiful and fun…perhaps an episode or two of Merlin.

FUCK.

Thanks to the random number generator, the winner of the Canada Day contest is HockeyVampiress!!!!

HV - I shall contact you via email.

Thanks to all of you who participated. Some very eloquent and lovely thoughts about Canada in yesterday’s post.

Stay tuned for more summer book giveaways!

First of the month, first of July and HAPPY CANADA DAY!

In case you hadn’t figured out by now, I have this amazing love affair with Canada. Don’t remember exactly when it started, but I can give you the below:

Top Reasons I <3 Canada (in no particular order):

* Montreal, Quebec, French Canada (I studied French in school from age 12 on up. I don’t know if it’s because Canada was closer than France, but part of my studies always included French Canada. Quebec seemed like such a marvelous place).

* Mounties. (Please, as if that needs an explanation)!

* California. (Yeah, you read correctly. When I was 19, I spent a month in California and met some girls from Vancouver, which at the time, sounded like such an exotic place. They, in turn, thought the same about me. In fact, both of them really thought I lived on a ranch and rode my horse to school. In college. In San Antonio. The 8th largest city in the US. Ah well, I was equally as ignorant, but happily learned).

* Charles deLint (From the first book I read Greenmantle, I knew that if I could just get to Canada, to Ottowa and Tamsin House, i could step through those magical doors and find myself somewhere fabulous).

* Tanya Huff (Henry Fitzroy, werewolves, and Vicky Nelson. Toronto. Need I say more)?

* Niagara Falls (When I was 13, I was on a school field trip – the geography & history clubs – to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. I remember 2 things vividly. Going to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum and the really really cute bus driver. WHAT? I was thirteen!!).

* Coureurs de bois (Romantic explorers. Enough said).

* Great Big Sea (because their music is so freaking fabulous).

* Vancouver. (I absolutely fell in love with this city when I visited last year).

* William Shatner (No, really. He was the first actor that I learned was Canadian– in a show I was fannish about, that is. I’m sure there were tons more, but he was the reason I came to notice…)

* The Canadian 37..25..43 – oh, hell, the number keeps changing (all those great character actors that appear in numerous shows filmed in Vancouver & Toronto…which brings us to…)

* Callum Keith Rennie, Paul Gross and c’mon: Due South, of course. (That show had *everything* cool about Canada).

On that note and without further ado (drumroll and bagpipes, please)…Comment below and tell my one thing you think is fabulous, cool or brilliant about our neighbour to the north and one of you few, you lucky few, you band of (ahem, never mind)…will win an advanced copy of my newest book (out in November), Blood Kin, third in the Blood Lines series and takes place primarily in Vancouver, BC. Winner will be chosen via random number generator.

Good Luck et bonne chance, mes amis!

ETA: If you don’t have a LiveJournal or Open ID account, please comment anonymously, but leave your first name and some way to ID you if you should win (“Pam” alone won’t work, but “Pam D” would). THANKS!