Dear Readers,

I have a confession to make: I am sometimes drawn to the unusual, the strange and the crazy – although not too cray cray (because there is some out there where not even I could get myself to read) – romance books. You know the ones with the extra appendages or the strange plots which can be too out there. This is because I have to click on that brain bleach link. I have to see what the fuck is going on. But then when I do see it, I wish I could block the vision or words of wtfery that crosses boundaries that no one should EVA experience.

I have bought books which featured double wangs with an extra thingie, or with just one and a thingie. There is the tale of the seven Longhorn shifter brothers who fall in love with their mate Scarlett (yes, Longhorn shifters, and yes it was based on Snow White). Then there was a fun Sci-Fi romance which featured a hero with a tail who knew how to use it, and another alien book which had a peekaboo ding dong. I have to admit I enjoyed some of these books. I was amused by others and after reading the books, I was in a state of catatonic stupor because my brain cells stopped functioning.

This makes it fun and crazy and I find myself being amused and entertained by extra appendages growing on a peen, or where no bumps should bem or tails entering territory where no tails have gone before. Although there are some books which really take things out there, and that is not really appealing. But for other books, the WTF factor can be funny, and can actually add zaniness to the story!

So here are some of my picks for books which have The WTF Fun Factor:

This was my first introduction to where I could imagine hearing Spock from Star Trek saying ‘Jim, this series has penises of a fascinating nature’, when I came across Lora Leigh’s Breed series. I remember going Ohhhhheeeeeee, this is definitely not my mother’s romance where the heroes have a bit of an extra thing in their equipment. I also really enjoyed the early books, and they were like crack because the PNR genre was just taking off and this series felt different and fresh.

And one of my favourites is Brianna by Judy Mays which features an alien hero with a tail.  Oh this is a fun scifi romance romp which was sexy and fun and that tail did venture where no man has gone before!

Then we have the books which are really out there with their premises, and I do get drawn to them because it’s like this guilty pleasure where I can’t resist because the premise is so out there, and I get challenged to read them.

 First up we have the Longhorn Shifters series by Lola Newmar. It’s a retelling of Snow White but instead of 7 dwarfs it has 7 Longhorn shifters who get horny on the sight of the colour red. That cover pretty sums up the tone of the book with the sexual awakening of a virginal Snow White — who has amnesia — finding her mates. I read the first book but because of the length and the price of each installment (there are 9!) I stopped at the first book. I also felt that the sex scenes were very pornish, and I hate the bro-cest themes in these books. Seriously the idea of brothers sharing a woman is squicky and I really hate this trope. But even the WTF amusing elements weren’t enough for me to follow and buy the rest of the series.

And I’d like to thank MinnChica for challenging me to read ‘When a Pack Dies’ by Gwen Campbell.

That had one of the most WTF elements I have ever read in a erotic PNR. I wasn’t too keen on the fact the heroine was referred as a bitch as an endearment, and the sex scenes in doggy form were too much for me. (Minn: Hey, I was as WTFed out as you were! The book had a ton of ratings and awards through All Romance eBooks. I blame those people who rated it 5 stars… Note to self: Don’t trust ARE recommendations any more….)

Then there are the Satyr books by Elizabeth Amber which are erotic fantasy romance. This series is like two dongs and moar for the price of one. And in one book there was even a 3 peen affair where the heroine is an hermaphrodite. I wasn’t too keen on some elements of the series but I did enjoy the dreamy and erotic tone and the extra dongs did fit that vibe, and yes pun totally intended!

 This is the most recent discovery: Alien Games by Claudia Rose. O.M.G. During a late night browse on Amazon I came across this cover and I was like, ohhhh, a 4 armed blue alien! And then maybe it was sleep deprivation or something. Those arms were beckoning me to one click to the sound of R. Kelly’s ‘Your body is calling’. The main hero and heroine were athletes and they definitely competed the sexual Olympics with this book, but sadly the book didn’t have that X-Factor for Wtfery. And there were definitely alien shenanigans going on but it wasn’t for me and I ended up DNF towards the halfway mark.

These are some of the books I have read which I enjoyed and disliked, or experienced both! I do think the erotic PNR/Sci-Fi romance genre has some gems but there is a few out there which has me scratching my head. Some of these books are popular with readers and I do think the WTF element is a strong part of that. And there’s nothing wrong with liking WTF books, but I do think we need to invest in an industrial sized bottle of brain bleach. ‘Cos when you open a cover of a book with an outlandish premise you really are entering a territory of the unknown which can be scary, titillating and fun. Or we could enter the ‘Oh gawd! Please pass the brain bleach.’

I want to open this thread for any other suggestions for books which have an out there romance or premise because I haz that the WTF gene.

So have you read a book that shocked you with outlandish smex? Did it add to the story and make it fun. Or did it leave you cold, shuddering with what you can’t unread?

Close Encounters of the Peen et al Kind is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

So today I’m here to warn you about a terrible threat creeping across our great nation…

Yes, you read that correctly. Hell. Bunnies.  This isn’t a joke, people.  It’s a serious problem facing tens of people across the world, which is why I’m here to sound the alarm, and officially put out my call for the counter-rebellion.

You might think bunnies are cute, unless you watch Monty Python, in which case you are way ahead of me.  The vicious danger of bunnies is well documented. A few years ago, I had my first brush with this phenomenon when I won a twitter contest held by @thinkgeek and got a box of prizes that included these terrifying little bunnies:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/moms/8148/

(Moms? Really, Think Geek? Is this so they can scare their kids?)

You’d think I would have accepted the warning. I’m not sure what the warning was, but it had big pointy teeth and an evil sort of glint in its eyes, so I can’t say it wasn’t clear.  But I didn’t, because I was careless.

Then, a few weeks ago, after a lovely dinner, my co-writer’s husband opened my front door and caught the second stage of the bunny invasion.

THE BUNNIES HAD SURROUNDED OUR HOUSE!

Look at them! That is clearly a perimeter, and they are waiting for the signal to strike.  Or something.  I wasn’t even sure what until I rushed to my computer and used CSI’s patented zoom/enhance/crime-detect software to uncover the truth.

(KM? KM?  It is clear to me that Keith Melton has sent bunny commandos to my house.)

So, we must be vigilant!  The bunnies could strike at any time.  They have allies everywhere.  They fool us with their big eyes and their cute floppy ears, but when you turn your back, they’re always there, gathering…

Do you really want to be the next victim of the Hell Bunny Apocalypse?

Think about it, my friends.  And then join me on twitter at @moirarogersbree as we rage against the hell bunnies and their evil minions. (Prime suspects: @KeithMelton99 and @FictionVxn)

Only you can stop the bunnies.

To get more updates on the Hell Bunnies, make sure you come join the insanity on Twitter! Thanks Bree for the Public Service Announcement!!

Note to self: No more letting Bree pick her topic of choice when guest posting.  =D

Bree from Moira Rogers Guest Post is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

As sad and horrible as this may sound, I expect authors to behave badly. I know that at least two or three times a month I’ll read something that will have me shaking me head in disbelief. But the occasional time comes around when an author says something so outrageous, so annoying that I find myself scratching their name down on my DO NOT BUY EVER list.

Yesterday, Gail Carriger posted about ways that a reader can help her with her sales. I just want to say first and foremost, if an author is ever telling you as the reader HOW, WHERE or WHICH FORMAT  to buy their books, please, PLEASE disregard them. Second, if they are giving you information that they are stating is fact, verify the information before you take it at face value.

I love to read. It’s my number one hobby, the second biggest love of my life (behind my hubby), and probably the one thing I spend the most of my hard earned money on. I go to work 5 days a week and sit behind a desk for 9 hours a day to EARN that money. I do so to pay my bills, put gas in my car, and food on my table. Whatever I have after all that is taken care of is mine to do with as I please. If I want to go back and buy a backlist book on my nook from 2001, who the hell are you to tell me that is wrong. I worked damn hard for that money, and I will spend it however, wherever, and on whatever I want. Period. End of story.

There is a lot of information (and misinformation) out there regarding ebook sales, the New York Times bestseller lists, and how it all gets reported. Jane over at Dear Author has a great post up today about what is and is not verified with these issues. I also want to point out that just this past year, Maya Banks was listed on the NYT ebook bestseller list for her Samhain (ebook only) release Colter’s Daughter.  Ebook sales DO get reported to the NYT list. If you are buying ebooks, please don’t feel guilty for doing so. Again, it’s your money to do with as you wish.

To answer the question of what is the best way to help the authors, it’s easy. Stay away from piracy! If money is tight, head over to your local library. If they don’t have what your looking for, ask them to purchase it. Try a used bookstore. Ask your friends if you can borrow their books! If you can afford to buy the book and you enjoyed it; talk about it, post a review, scream it out on Facebook or Twitter. Tell everyone you know.  There are plenty of ways to get your hands on a book legally, and as readers, that is the best thing we can do for our favorite authors!

Good books will find and hook their own followers. Authors should know that success is not overnight, especially in the publishing industry. Loyal readers take time to grow and cultivate. But when you guilt your readers into buying a book in a certain way, it wont guarantee you a spot on the NYT listing. In fact it will probably harm and hinder your chances as readers talk about authors behaving badly. Readers love to support authors, but when the choice is between an author who has insulted us versus one who hasn’t… Who do you think will get our sale?

I just want to say to Ms. Carriger and other authors who are thinking of posting something similar to this. I am your consumer. It’s because of my hard earned money that you are able to continue to write your books and make a living. Telling me how I should go about and do that is just going to cause me to have negative feelings about your books in the future. So when I’m in Barnes & Noble next, looking around at what I can get, seeing your book isn’t going to inspire me to pick it up. Someone else might be willing to still pick you up, but continue to put us down like this, and you might run out of loyal followers. Then what will you do?

Dear Readers: It’s not you, it’s me is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Russet Noon- the tribute sequel to Breaking Dawn!

My immediate thought now:  Yup, you’re still gonna get your ass sued!

Has - Update: It looks like Lady Sybillia has either got a strongly worded cease and decease letter from Stephanie Meyer’s and her publisher’s lawyers, or the backlash from Twilight fans have made her realised she cant profit on a published author’s work.

But it looks like she’s canning the whole idea or will actually post the whole thing for free. She should have done the latter in the first place, and its not like other authors haven’t written fanfiction before. But to profit from something like this is going to stick at peoples’ craw, plus it goes against the whole fandom thing. Fanfiction is written for fans by fans, and you don’t ever profit from it. Although I am not a fan of the Twilight series, fans shouldn’t take advantage of something they have no right in profiting on. However I have a funny feeling that similar cases will prop up in the future especially for popular series like Twilight and Harry Potter.

Idiotic ideas. Seriously! is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Here is the link: Clicky

Some of the quotes are EPIC!

“Her face has the fragrance of a gibbous moon.” WTF!

“Her thighs were geese, pythons, schooners. They were cypress or banyan; her thighs were a forge, they were shears; her thighs were sandstone, they were the sandstone buttresses of a cathedral, they were silk or cobwebs.” WTF!!!!

“Her buttocks were fresh-baked loafs; they were ivory eggs, they were the eggs of a lovely phoenix. They were a fist” *blinks*

“Her pubes was a field of wheat after the harvest, a field neatly furrowed; it was a nest, a pomegranate, an arrowhead, a rune.”

*dies a little*

What the fook? is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter