SLADE AND KALLY CONTEST!!!

It's time to unveil the Goody Basket contest for Slade and Kally!! I've been holding this one back until the ARe interview, so I could announce it on air. ^_^

Basket Contents:

• TWO baskets, one handwoven by me
• crystal soap, scented with my custom blended New Moon perfume oil
• bottle of New Moon perfume oil, a light airy mix of jasmine and lavender
• Western wear inspired green turquoise bracelet beaded by me
• AND a bevy of items donated by the gals of the Midnight Moon Cafe! MMC items include:
  

1. silver and amethyst ring donated by Cassandra Curtis
2. pouch of lavender buds also from Cassandra
3. leather pouch from Cassandra
4. a pile of goodies, note cards, pens, etc from the MMC girls!
   

So, what do you do to be put in the running for the goody basket?
Here's the rules:

1. Read the EXCERPT posted on Samhain's website, and answer this question: What was the last thing Kally felt?
2. Go the the Midnight Moon Cafe BLOG and answer this question: What are the titles of the three free reads in the left hand column, and their respective authors?
3. Email you answers to AERought@gmail.com with the subject line SLADE AND KALLY GOODY BASKET (only emails with this subject line will be counted.)
4. Include your email address for later contact.
5. Contest will be open until March 1st.

Good luck, and Bright Blessings!
AE

Vengeance Moon:: teaser

Some dogs should be put down. Xander Waithorn is one of them. In Victorian England, he killed my lover and turned me Were. Little did he know, when he bit me, he gave me the power to one day get revenge.

For decades I struggled to harness the gift of my new moon hybrid powers. I regret most of the blood I shed over those years--it is illegal to kill humans, after all. A century later, in a Michigan port town, I found Xander entrenched behind a mercenary bodyguard and an entire pack of werewolves. Xander hadn’t changed--he was still the sick sadistic son-of-a-bitch he’d been when he attacked me. I’ve changed, taken control of my powers, and taken the string of female victims he left behind into the safety of my den.

Only Stephan Colinford, a sexy as hell MMA fighter with a hidden secret has distracted me from my growing vendetta. After Xander attacked a close friend, I waged war on the monster, stealing his territory block by block. And, one night, after I’ve taken his friends, and undermined his authority as Alpha male, I’ll rip his throat out and spit it back in his face, because... Revenge is a bitch, and so am I.

The Host :: my thoughts

Well, I've read it twice now. Read ALL of Stephenie's books twice, and for what it's worth, I like The Host far and above the Twilight saga. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a Fanpire, I love the angst, wolves and vampires in the Twilight saga--hell, I went out and bought Alice's choker with my royalty money--but there is something bewitching about The Host.

As an author, I feel The Host is a better written book--Stephenie echoes that opinion in a video about the book on Amazon (check out video HERE). In my Twilight related discussions with others, I've not held back my disappointment--nay, disgust--at the repetitive words in the Twilight saga. At points, I felt brain bludgeoned by: icy, marble, stone, bronze, Edward Edward Edward... Not to mention Bella's internal whining, like a sink that won't stop dripping through the saga, "I'm not good enough for him", "I'm not good enough for him"...

Granted, there are a couple of words that carried over from the series to The Host that must be Meyer's favorites, like 'crouch'. But for the most part, the repetitious writing isn't there.

The unique plot concept pulled me in. Okay, there are myriad books out there about 'after the fall of human society', but at least for me, this was an entirely new angle. I loved the female lead's duality of character; which, in turn, puts a hell of a spin on the romantic entanglements that arise because of it.

Yes. There is a similar essence in the Twilight saga and The Host. There is a huge HUGE 'threesome' thing throughout the Twilight saga--a plot vehicle that seems like one of Stephenie's favorite horses to beat--but it works better in this one. It is not the same, lacks the neediness, and unbalanced aspect that is prevalent in Twilight. Even though there is an alien entity involved, it seems more human, more realistic in The Host.

Is everything different? No. It's obviously a Meyer's work, but IMHO, this is a better brand, a higher quality of Meyer's work.

After I let a friend borrow it, I'll probably drag it around and read my favorite bits. Again.