For the benefit of Miss Hauf

Saturday, March 31st, 2007 | Good Days | No Comments

I’ve had a request to post some wonderful pictures of our ‘Christmas in February’ celebrations that were had while the Outlaws were in town.

So, without further delay - The photos.

Circus Of The Damned

Sunday, March 25th, 2007 | Reading | No Comments

I’m Anita Blake, expert on creatures of the night. I’ve dined with shapeshifters, danced with werewolves, and been wooed - but not won - by Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the City.

And now a darkly dangerous vampire named Alejandro has hit town. He too wants me for his human servant. A war of the undead has begun. Over me.

I would be flattered. If my life weren’t at stake.

Back from outter space

Wednesday, March 21st, 2007 | Travel | 1 Comment

The holiday was grand.

To spend such a prolonged period away from all types of technology was pure and total bliss. The closest I got to any type of communication device was the 2-way radio that we used while sailing around the coral coves and blue waters.

“Whitsunday Rent-a-Yacht, Whitsunday Rent-a-Yacht, This is Champaign Blue, Over.”

The weather wasn’t particularly kind to us. Cyclone Odette formed, shat all over us, then disapeared before making landfall and actually giving us some much needed rain. Despite this, we managed to do a little bit of snorkelling, sailing, fishing, playing poker, eating and a whole LOAD of drinking. The drinking was the best bit. Dont get me wrong, the fish were cool too, but there’s less chance of being eaten by a shark when you’re above board. And we did see sharks.

The quality of the alcohol was aptly demonstrated by one of our bleary-eyed morning check-ins.

Yent-A-Racht, er… Yent-a-Racht, this is Champaign Blue.
-pause-
We’re in Pearl Harbour.

Actually, we weren’t in Hawaii. We were in Blue Pearl Bay, which was quite close symantically, but oceans away geographically.

Much fun was had by all - and by some blessing I managed to survive a whole week in the tropics without suffering heatstroke, sunburn or sea sickness.

(I’m saying nothing about hangovers!)

The Laughing Corpse

Tuesday, March 20th, 2007 | Reading | No Comments

Volume 2 of the Anita Blake series:

The older the zombie, the bigger the death needed to raise is. After a few centuries, the only death ‘big enough’ is a human sacrifice. I know, because I’m an animator. My name is Anita Blake.

Working for Animators, Inc. is just a job - like selling insurance. But all the money in the world wasn’t enough for me to take the particular job Harold Gaynor was offering.

Somebody else did, though - a rogue animator. Now he’s not just raising the dead . . . he’s raising Hell. And it’s up to me to stop it.

Laurell K Hamilton

Thursday, March 15th, 2007 | Reading | No Comments

This book was leant to me by a friend with the assurance that I would like it. I’m never really a fan of borrowing books off other people because I’m dutifully bound to say - Oh yes, that book was awesome - when I’m actually trying to think of a plausible reason why I dont want to read the next book offered to me.

For the first half of this book, I thought that would be the case. I didn’t really want to like this book. The main character was a bit of a hardnosed bitch, and I didn’t really buy the concept that Vampires could vote. But. The book grabbed me - the main character is strong and hardnosed and just a little bit sassy.

I will be politely asking to borrow the next in the series.

Garth Nix - Abhorsen

Thursday, March 15th, 2007 | Reading | No Comments

Abhorsen is the final book in the trilogy, and one not to miss. One of those books where you’d just wish that the author would write another novel just so I could keep reading about these characters! (And lucky for his, he did!)