Review Roundup

So last week was kind of busy, what with the MarsCon report and my guest blog and all, so this week, I want to squee over some great reviews I've seen lately! (A note to my LiveJournal friends -- there are links in this post that won't be visible to you because of the crosspost process. For these and all review links, please visit my Reviews page at http://everyworldneedslove.blogspot.com/p/reviews.html.)

Duty and Desire got a 4-star rating from Night Owl Reviews. The reviewer said:

This collection of short stories provides both a stimulating collection of erotic tales and a thumbnail sketch of the various challenges that face the men and women who serve their country by being part of the military. The different perspectives provided by this talented group of authors vividly paint a moment in time that gives an opportunity for lovers to escape the harsh reality of war and separation, sometimes even though they are miles apart figuratively or literally. Many of these authors were new to me but all of them have penned a concise and entertaining read.

Seductress got a 5-star rating from Vanessa at Intense Sensations. She said:

D.L. King has done a wonderful job because she has brought together in one book some of the finest contemporary erotic writers and given them a theme that has evidently inspired them to new heights. So if you’ve never thought about sex with a succubus and you’d like to know more, this is a good place to start. If, like me, you’ve thought of it often and consider yourself something of an expert, this book will take you to the next level. Believe me, it really is that good!

And over on Goodreads, a reviewer for Affaire de Coeur* magazine gave a 4-star rating to He Loves Me For My Brainsss, saying:

...a romantic, funny, sexy, and in some cases, even thought provoking - in an undead sort of way - anthology. I loved the tongue-in-cheek humor and the creativity of the authors, some whose writing I plan to read more of.

* The link goes to the magazine front page; the review either isn't posted yet or will only be in the print version. The Goodreads review is at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/503421675

I'm very excited to have seen so much great press for the collections I've been part of!

Next week, perhaps, a taste from my most recent story submission, "The Dancing Princess".

Cool Stuff

Today, apparently, was the day of extremely cool stuff happening to me as a writer and editor.

The first thing that happened was that I logged into Facebook and saw a post from the editor of the forthcoming Duty and Desire, which includes my short story, "Dead on Her Feet" (not to mention Lynn's "Snake Dance"), noting that freaking Publishers Weekly had a review of the anthology -- which is awesome -- and that they called it "highly recommended" -- which is beyond awesome. It might only have been awesomer (shut up, spellcheck, I'm a writer; I'm allowed to make up words) if one of the mentioned stories had been mine, but I'll be honest: my story in this anthology serves as more of an aperitif or a sorbet to cleanse the palate between meatier selections than as a featured course in its own right. Don't get me wrong, "Dead on Her Feet" is a very sweet little story and I quite like both the writing and the characters, but it doesn't contain a whole lot of punch.

Then I did some more work on editing the stories for the zombie anthology I'm editing, He Loves Me For My Brainsss. Which only served to remind me how frakking amazing and talented the authors are in this book. Seriously, I'm editing my little heart out, but mostly what I'm telling my authors is that they need to go to family therapy with commas and semicolons, which is honestly a ridiculously minimal problem to be having at the initial editing round. These stories are fun or funny or touching, the characters bicker and snipe and love each other deeply (sometimes all at the same time), the plots are witty and engaging and even surprising. And the authors themselves are remarkably responsive; I don't think I've yet written one of them and not at least gotten an acknowledging email back within a couple of hours. Tops. It's possible that this is going to spoil me for all future anthologies.

And finally, while I was working on that, I got an email inviting me to come to MarsCon in January. When the email notification popped up in the corner of my screen, I nearly ignored it. I saw "MarsCon" in the title and figured I'd gotten on the email list -- I've been going to this con for several years in a row -- and I assumed this was an email to remind me to register. But that little "new mail" icon burns at my soul and I can't leave it alone for long, so I went to open it, just to clear the notification icon... and it wasn't a mass mailing. It was an email inviting me to come to MarsCon as a guest, to participate in some of the late-night, adults-only panels. Last year, I attended a few late-night discussion panels as part of the audience, and I had a blast. The late hour (and age-restricted attendance) lent itself to some spicy, intimate, downright fun discussions. And this year, they want me to sit on the other side of the table? Holy eff, yes. I waited long enough to be sure that my kids would be safely stashed somewhere (the Almost-Ex agreed to swap custody weekends with me) before I sent back my barely-suppressed squee of agreement and made my hotel reservations.

(Funny but true: as the crow flies, it's less than a mile from my house to the convention hotel. But because of the wonky way the streets are laid out here, it's more like a five-mile drive. It's still very close by, and it seems ridiculous to get a hotel room when it's that close... but the last couple of years have taught me that if I have to get in the car to go somewhere I can change clothes or drop off my purchases, then it's not close enough. Especially if I'm going to be helping to moderate the late-night panels, I want to be able to just stagger back to my room and collapse rather than have to go out into the cold and drive home afterward.)

Add to that my continuing excitement over Seductress' release last week, and my anticipation for the release of Weird Science in two days (stay tuned for the usual Wednesday post, which will feature buy links and some celebratory excerpts!), and today was just a very, extremely fantastic day to be a writer/editor.

Covered and Reviewed!

Item the first! Amazon has both of the Cleis Press anthologies available for pre-order, and pictures over the covers, so check them out! Seductress (the collection of succubus stories) is due out October 16 (just in time for Hallowe'en!) and Duty and Desire (military theme) will be released on November 13 (right after Veteran's Day). And holy cow, but check out those covers!

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Item the second! Top 2 Bottom Reviews has been featuring Torquere Press authors all month, and today happens to be my day! There's a long interview with me right at the top of their page today.

And even better still, they reviewed Safe Harbor to go with the interview, and not only did they like it, they loved it, giving it a five-kiss rating! I'm completely thrilled -- I love all my bookish children, but Safe Harbor holds a special place in my heart, and I don't think it gets nearly enough love -- but check out these quotes from the review:

I picked up this book thinking I would read a few chapters tonight and finish it later, not realizing I would become immediately caught up in the interesting lives of her characters, and not be able to put the book down until I finished it hours later.

Both Rafe and Tyver are very well-written characters that I found myself liking immediately. ...Watching both of them grow from boys to men was very enjoyable for me and I adored how deep the love and friendship they had for each other.

I can only bounce with excitement! Go check out the interview, and if you haven't read it yet, please consider giving Safe Harbor a chance -- and if you have read it, please take a minute to rate it -- at Goodreads, at Amazon.Com, or wherever you bought it -- to help convince others to give it a try!

Assumption of Desire Reviews!

I'm starting to see official review sites posting reviews for Assumption, so I figured it was time to put up a post collecting some of them!

Jenre at Brief Encounters says, "This short contained lots of things I adore in a story. ...I was hooked by page one. ...There was lots more to enjoy such as the way the men switch roles in the bedroom – shown in a couple of well written and very hot sex scenes – and a general sense of fun and charm in the story itself. I smiled a number of times as I was reading and the book left me with a good feeling, which is always a bonus." (rated B+)

From Lucy at Hearts On Fire: "The story is sweet and flows well. There are a lot of pages of sex for such a short story, but as they aren’t right in a row, it’s a minor quibble. Jesse is a great character, because he is so much more than his outward appearance would suggest. Craig having to come to terms with what he wants is an interesting. His eyes open rarely slowly, but some of it is off page, happening in the three years they haven’t seen each other. It’s a quick, light, funny story with very likeable characters and a miscommunication that could actually occur. A very enjoyable read." (rated 4/5)

Mrs Condit at Mrs. Condit's Reviews says, "Assumption of Desire is a great story about making assumptions based on appearance and assumptions that things will never change. ...Craig has a lot of internal dialog to run through before he can become the man he wants to be, and Jesse has a lot of forgiving to do when Craig is disrespectful of the man Jesse has already become. This is a sweet, easy read with a lesson to teach. I liked the way Ms Brooks made four years fit into a short story without sacrificing any of the plot." (rated 4/5)