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COVER REVEAL: Riveted (Saints of Denver #3)
For as much as I loved Jay Crownover's Marked Men series, I may love her spin-off Saints of Denver series more. And we're about to get another book. RIVETED is coming out on February 14, 2017, and today I get to tell you about it and show you the cover.
Riveted (Saints of Denver #3), by Jay Crownover
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
(Synopsis) Everyone else in Dixie Carmichael's life has made falling in love look easy, and now she is ready for her own chance at some of that happily ever after. Which means she's done pining for the moody, silent former soldier who works with her at the bar that's become her home away from home. Nope. No more chasing the hot as heck thundercloud of a man and no more waiting for Mr. Right to find her; she's going hunting for him...even if she knows her heart is stuck on its stupid infatuation with Dash Churchill.
Denver has always been just a pit stop for Church on his way back to rural Mississippi. It was supposed to be simple, uneventful, but nothing could have prepared him for the bubbly, bouncy redhead with doe eyes and endless curves. Now he knows it's time to get out of Denver, fast. For a man used to living in the shadows, the idea of spending his days in the sun is nothing short of terrifying.
When Dixie and Church find themselves caught up in a homecoming overshadowed with lies and danger, Dixie realizes that while falling in love is easy, loving takes a whole lot more work…especially when Mr. Right thinks he's all wrong for you.
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point, and the Saints of Denver series. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
Website: http://www.jaycrownover.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJayCrownover?ref=hl
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JayCrownover
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Crownover
Labels: Cover Reveal, Jay Crownover
BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Bedmates (American Royalty #1)
BEDMATES was so incredible! I can't wait for everyone to read it. How about an excerpt to hold you over? Check out my review, an excerpt from Bedmates, and then enter the giveaway!
Bedmates (American Royalty #1), by Nichole Chase
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher and Inkslinger PR
(Synopsis) Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you're the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire's latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president's son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.
Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn't have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They're like oil and water and every time they're together, it's combustible. But there's a thin line between love and hate, and it's not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.
When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he's resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn't about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie's fallen for him, and she'll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can't lose.
If you think royal lighting can't strike twice, Bedmates proves it can. The magic that Nichole Chase created with her Suddenly series is back, except this time, instead of princes and princesses falling in love in the made-up country of Lilaria, she's focusing on the closest thing Americans have to royalty - the first family.
Maddie is the first daughter, and she's being forced to pair up with the veep's son on a community service project in an effort to improve her image. She and Jake have never gotten along, but his time in Afghanistan seems to have changed him. Now, they get along REALLY well. But, Jake's not dealing so well with his time in combat, and Maddie doesn't know if she has what he needs to get through it.
But something had changed; and not just his extremities. There was a darkness behind his eyes that made my heart ache, despite his pompous attitude. I'd seen it on the news when he had first returned to the States and was sad to see it still lurking deep down.
Nichole's ability to write witty and funny dialog and strong female heroines shines in Bedmates. Maddie and Jake have this awesome comfortable relationship that is based on a mutual understanding and dislike of being in the political public eye. They snipe at each other and joke around and they are so frikkin' CUTE. I was cheering for them from the very beginning, especially since it seems like they are only every truly themselves when they're together.
Jake's symptoms of PTSD start to peek through here and there, and every time they did, it broke my heart a little bit more. I think my favorite part about Bedmates is the careful time and attention Nichole Chase brought to our men and women in the military and what they all go through both during and after their service to our country. She treated this delicately and with care and respect. Jake's situation is heartbreaking, and his time now at home is hard. His challenges aren't glazed over or given an easy out.
Maddie and Jake try to navigate the early stages of a relationship in a very unconventional situation. They're both very much in the public eye. Maddie is having to deal with Jake's horrible mother and Jake's trying to keep a lid on his PTSD. Yet, it's obvious they have amazing chemistry. It also helps that both of them are quite the dirty talkers. They are so, so good together and so obviously made for one another.
"You've ruined me, Maddie." His voice was ragged with emotion as he looked up at me. "No one will ever compare to how you make me feel. No one could compare to you."
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the appearance of our favorite Nichole Chase couple. Alex and Samantha don't just make a cameo appearance in Bedmates - we see them quite a bit, actually. And, it was so great to see them together and happy and in context with Jake and Maddie's story.
I'm already dying to know who the second book will be about in this series. Jake's sister Caro, perhaps? And, anyway, it doesn't really matter - I'll buy it in a heartbeat no matter what.
"I'll be done in a minute." He looked down at me and smiled softly. "I'm glad you're here."
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"You're just so easy to be around." He shrugged as if that summed up the whole world but I had no idea what it meant.
"And… . . . that's a good thing?." I frowned up at him. He gave me butterflies and I stumbled over everything I said but he thought I was easy to be around.
He stepped closer and I found myself nose to chest. His fingers tilted my chin up and his lips fluttered over mine. I let my palm rest on his skin where I could feel his heart beating rapidly. He didn't touch me except for the fingers on my chin and his lips on mine.
When he stepped back, his brown eyes were dark. "It's a good thing."
Before I could think to ask anything else, he was gone, taking the stairs two at a time. My fingers drifted up to my lips and I stared at where he had just been, the remote in my other hand forgotten.
I'd never been kissed like that before; with so much tenderness and awe.
Nichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal, The Accidental Assassin, Flukes, The Dark Betrayal Trilogy, The American Royalty Series and several short stories.
Nichole lives in Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, two rescue dogs, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not writing, you may find her reading, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.
Learn more about Nichole --> Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Labels: excerpt, giveaway, NA, Nichole Chase, review
BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Mine For Now (Wild Love #1)
Erika Kelly is one of my favorite romance authors - her stories have this perfect combination of steam and substance. MINE FOR NOW is definitely one you can't miss. Check out my review & an excerpt from the book.
Mine For Now (Wild Love #1), by Erika Kelly
Publisher: EK Publishing
Format: ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
(Synopsis) She's had enough drama in her life.
Nicole O'Donnell is more than ready for the fresh start college offers. After a lifetime of trying to help her alcoholic mom and ex-boyfriend get sober, she's finally learned her lesson: people don't change. They certainly don't change for her.
He can never leave his drama behind.
Thanks to his mom's substance abuse issues, Dylan McCaffrey's persona non grata in his hometown of Gun Powder, Colorado. So when he scores a free ride to the top university in the country, he's determined to make something of this fresh start. But his mom has always relied on him, and she's not handling his absence well at all. If he can just keep up his grades, pay her bills, and come home every break, he might be able to pull off this opportunity.
True love won't be denied.
No matter how determined they are to steer clear of each other, their combustible connection explodes, especially when Nicole offers Dylan the one thing he can't bear—hope. Once he has a taste of it—and the irresistible force of her—there's no going back.
But when he falls too deeply, when he loses sight of his priorities, he might just lose it all.
Some of you may be familiar with Erika Kelly because of her Rock Star Romance series. It's how I discovered this author and fell in love with her writing and characters. Mine For Now was a little different from what I've come to expect from Erika. Make no mistake - the heat and the heart are most definitely still there. I was just unprepared for how many times my heart broke for both of the main characters - how many times I was brought to tears because of their situations. Turns out, Erika Kelly is a master at bringing out some serious feels.
Nicole O'Donnell is an absolutely incredible heroine. She is unbelievably strong and determined and loyal. She went through some horrible times when living with her alcoholic mother and dating an alcoholic boyfriend. She's decided she's done with that and is ready to focus on herself and her future. Rock on, Nicole! She didn't want the distraction of a boyfriend, but seriously. How could she resist Dylan McCaffrey, the boy who lives across the hall?
Dylan is also strong, determined and loyal, but unlike Nicole, he's being pulled in so many different directions because he hasn't yet reached the place where he makes himself his number one priority. He's a protector and a caretaker, so he feels the need to put his own desires to the side in order to make sure those he loves are well cared for. It's extra hard when his mother is a raging alcoholic and his ex is a manipulative witch. Nicole is everything he wants for his future, but his past keeps sucking him back, and Dylan has no idea how to break free of the cycle.
Nicole has the gift of experience. She already has broken the cycle, and as she gets to know Dylan she sees what his perceived obligation to his mother is doing to him. She knows what it's doing to her - it's preventing her from being with Dylan wholly and completely. And he is what she wants more than anything. So she tries and tries and tries to help him. But, the overarching theme of Mine For Now is that in order for help to come to you, you have to be ready to receive it freely. Dylan is poised in a place in his life to have everything he's ever wanted. But, he has to take it.
"Every single one of us is in the exact same place - the starting point. And you get to build from here. You get to decide what and who you become. This is the one time in your life when you can finally break free of all the labels. Dylan, you can be whatever you want. Starting now."
Dylan broke my heart over and over again. This poor boy is on the cusp of everything. He's 18, a freshman in college on a full ride scholarship, free from his white trash neighborhood, and has met the girl of his dreams. I waffled back and forth constantly between wanting to shake some sense into him and wanting to tackle hug him. He has all these things going for him, and yet, he constantly allows his past and the toxic people in his life to get in the way. And in doing so, he hurts Nicole. Seriously, this book killed me in all the best ways.
Even though this book is technically new adult, as our main characters are only 18, it is crazy hot. The sexual tension simmers for awhile between Dylan and Nicole, and when it finally explodes, it's so, so satisfying.
Mine For Now was an incredible start to this new series, and I can't wait to read more.
Every time he closed his eyes he saw her. He saw her in his bed, those long eyelashes fanning in perfect arcs on her creamy skin. Or on his lap, straddling him, her face taut with sexual tension. Or, worse, he imagined her on her back, hair spread all over the pillow, breasts bouncing as he slammed into her. Jesus, he ached just thinking about it.
He had to stop this. He had better control over his emotions than this—how else would he have survived this long?
What was happening to him? That first night, when he'd brought her into his bed—he'd felt it then. This connection, this bond. He hadn't even known her—but he'd felt her. Inside, he'd felt her. When had she become essential to him?
Oh, shit. That was bad. Very bad. No one could ever be essential to him.
What she'd said tonight—about recreating Gun Powder. He had done that.
He'd hated his life back home. The town itself was beautiful, but it was filled with his big, extended family—family that wanted nothing to do with him. They'd given him a choice—him or his mom. Of course, he'd chosen his mom. But that had narrowed his social life to the guys who weren't going anywhere.
Or maybe he'd chosen those guys because he thought they'd understand his life a little better.
And, yeah, he guessed he had done the same thing here.
But he couldn't stop thinking about what James had said about what he wanted deep down. He'd never been allowed to think about what he wanted. For him, it was about survival. Nothing else.
And yet, he had worked his ass off to get into a top school. Why? Like James said, if he planned on going back to Gun Powder, why bother with the expense and hassle of Wilmington?
Hope rose in him, a force so strong he couldn't ignore it. He came here because he wanted more. Nicole.
He did have something deep down. And that something was a someone.
Holy shit. Adrenaline crashed his system.
Nicole was his deep down. She was his home, his heart.
Award-winning author Erika Kelly has been spinning romantic tales all her life--she just didn't know it. Raised on the classics, she didn't discover romantic fiction until later in life. From that moment on, she's been devouring the genre and has found her true voice as an author. Over three decades she's written poems, screenplays, plays, short stories, and all kinds of women's fiction novels. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she's lived in two countries and seven states, but give her pen and paper, a stack of good books, and a steaming mug of vanilla chai latte and she can make her home anywhere.
Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter Signup ** Erika Kelly Goodreads
Labels: Erika Kelly, excerpt, giveaway, new adult, review
BLOG TOUR SPECIAL POST, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2)
I am SO excited to help celebrate the release of Rae Carson's LIKE A RIVER GLORIOUS. And great news - it's out TODAY! This series has me so captivated. It's gorgeous and sweeping and so epic.
Speaking of epic, I was thinking about my own Oregon Trail team and who would be on it if I wanted our group to be epically successful on our cross-country trek. Here's what I came up with.
My Oregon Trail Team
1. Bear Grylls - Bear Grylls is an expert at surviving in the wilderness, and in the mid-1800s, that is exactly what much of North America is. I would definitely want someone who is an expert at hunting and gathering like he is on my team. But, I draw the line at drinking my own pee and eating bugs and animal dung. #idratherdie
2. Ree Drumond - You may know Ree Drumond by her blog and book name - The Pioneer Woman. And, ah - this choice makes sense now, doesn't it? Ree is a jill of all trades, and that would come in handy on our long journey. She lives on a ranch, so she knows about animals. She is the MacGyver of the home, able to make beautiful and useful things out of seemingly nothing. And best of all - SHE COOKS. WELL.
3. Drew and Jonathan Scott - When we finally reach our destination, I want a sweet homestead in less than six weeks. (Camping in the woods is SO not my thing.) So, of course, I need The Property Brothers. Jonathan can build anything we need and Drew is an expert at dealing with difficult people, so he can smooth things over with any Native Americans we encounter.
4. Nick Bateman - Because, NICK BATEMAN. Also, he has mad ninja skills.
5. Rae Carson - After working all day, side-by-side with Nick Bateman and the Scott twins, I'm going to want some down time. I can't think of a better way to pass the time than to sit around a campfire and listen to stories. And no one tells amazing stories like Rae Carson.
Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2), by Rae Carson
Publish Date: September 27, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: young adult historical fiction/fantasy
(Synopsis) After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.
Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn't given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he'll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.
The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.
I've heard big-time professional book reviewers use terms before like "sweeping" and "epic" and "sprawling," and I never really got it before I read Like a River Glorious. I thought those were fancy schmancy words they threw around to make them look extra special. But, seriously - Those terms describe The Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson perfectly.
Leah, Jefferson and their friends have made it to California, and now it's time to get to work. But, Leah is constantly looking over her shoulder waiting for that other shoe to drop. A shoe by the name of Hiram Westfall, her positively evil uncle. He's been waiting for her to get comfortable before coming for her. And he has too much to lose - he WILL come for her.
Once again, Rae Carson brings California in the 1840s to life in vivid detail. Not only is the landscape and situation described beautifully, but the people really take on lives of their own. We meet more Americans, both good and bad, Chinese immigrants, and of course, Indians. The situations in which the Indians find themselves will horrify you, and what's even worse is I'm sure some of this really happened.
For those that bemoaned the lack of Lee using her gold seeking ability in Walk on Earth a Stranger, fear not. She more than makes up for it in Like a River Glorious. Lee herself is still discovering the depth of her abilities, and it's awesome to be along for the ride. Lee and Jeff also make up for the lack of romance in the previous book. My swoon meter was pegged a few times.
Like a River Glorious was an incredible book. It was exciting and heartbreaking and infuriating and romantic. And yes - sweeping, epic and sprawling. I can't wait to see what the final book brings.
Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on this tour, organized by Irish Banana Tours:
9/19: Two Chicks on Books - Photo Tour
9/20: Ex Libris - Review
9/21: The Irish Banana Review - My Oregon Trail Team
9/22: Good Books and Good Wine - Review
9/23: Across the Words - Dream Cast
9/26: Alexa Loves Books - Review
9/27: Krista's Dust Jacket - My Oregon Trail Team
9/28: Awkwordly Emma - Review
9/29: A Backwards Story - A Modern Day Oregon Trail
9/30: YA Bibliophile - Review
ABOUT RAE CARSON: I write books about teens who must do brave things. I'm originally from California, but I now live in Arizona with my husband, who is the smartest and therefore sexiest man I know. My books tend to contain lots of adventure, a little magic and romance, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. I especially love to write about questions I don't know the answers to.
LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Labels: fantasy, giveaway, Rae Carson, review, YA historical fiction
REVIEW: The Soldier's Soundrel
The Soldier's Scoundrel, by Cat Sebastian
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Genre: adult m/m historical romance
Rating: 4.5 STARS
(Synopsis) A scoundrel who lives in the shadows
Jack Turner grew up in the darkness of London's slums, born into a life of crime and willing to do anything to keep his belly full and his siblings safe. Now he uses the tricks and schemes of the underworld to help those who need the kind of assistance only a scoundrel can provide. His distrust of the nobility runs deep and his services do not extend to the gorgeous high-born soldier who personifies everything Jack will never be.
A soldier untarnished by vice
After the chaos of war, Oliver Rivington craves the safe predictability of a gentleman's life-one that doesn't include sparring with a ne'er-do-well who flouts the law at every turn. But Jack tempts Oliver like no other man has before. Soon his yearning for the unapologetic criminal is only matched by Jack's pleasure in watching his genteel polish crumble every time they're together.
Two men only meant for each other
I don't do too many historical romances, but this one was so much fun, and I'm so glad I read it. The characters were fun and interesting and the story even more so.
Jack is a man who is on the very bottom rung of English society, having come from parents of ill repute. After having to stoop to drastic measures to make a living, he's trying to turn himself around, using his skills to help women in difficult situations. It is through a former client of his that he meets Oliver, a gentleman who's just returned home from war, not entirely whole anymore.
Oliver is trying to find his place in life now that he's done with the military. But, he's unsettled with all the things that he found enjoyable before. He meets Jack, and although Oliver doesn't approve of his methods, the work that Jack's doing intrigues him. Even though he doesn't want to, Oliver finds himself thinking of Jack and his newest case often. And before Jack knows it, he has a partner. In more ways than one.
To make matters even more interesting, Jack and Oliver are gay in a time when that was not acceptable. For a man of Oliver's status, he would receive a slap on the wrist and be the topic of all the good gossip for a long while. However, for Jack, if he were caught with a man like Oliver, he could be jailed. Despite knowing the consequences, despite Oliver's issues with Jack's methods, and despite the fact that neither man believes in love or forever, they just can't stay away from one another. Even though Jack knows it would be better for Oliver if they could stay apart.
"No matter what you do, I'll always be the sordid part of your life." Jack loved Oliver too much to be a blot on the man's perfection. "I'll be a dirty secret."
I loved how Cat Sebastian gave Jack and Oliver some big differences - not just socio-economically, but ideologically, too. Sometimes those disagreements on what's "right" and "wrong" can make or break a couple if one isn't willing to try and see the other's point of view. So, it was interesting to watch Oliver navigate through his thoughts on the matter, especially given his history. But, Oliver wasn't the only one who shifted and changed throughout the course of the book. Oliver had a big effect on Jack and his outlook for the future. So, it was fun to see these two men get thrown for loops.
The mystery of Jack's clients missing letters was a really nice thread woven throughout the story of Oliver and Jack's romance (which, of course, is the REAL story - the main reason why I picked up the book). It was clever and surprising and gave me lots to enjoy in between the steamy encounters and crazy sexual-tension filled scenes.
Even though historical romance isn't my go-to genre, I'm so glad I gave this one a go. It was a fun book, and I'm looking forward to checking out more from Cat Sebastian.
Labels: Cat Sebastian, historical romance, review
2016 Audiobook Challenge - Quarter 3 Wrap-up
Well. It certainly seems as if I underestimated my audiobook listening abilities just a bit. LOL. The good thing is, my newfound desire to try and get in 10,000 steps every day has given me more opportunities to squeeze in some listening time. So, in addition to getting to listen to some really good books, I'm getting some exercise too! #multitasking
So, here's where we're at on my road to my goal:
My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted): 30-50 audiobooks
1. Ride Steady (Chaos #3), by Kristen Ashley
2. Beneath This Mask (Beneath #1), by Meghan March
3. Screwed (Screwed #1), by Kendall Ryan
4. Caressed By Ice (Psy-Changeling #3), by Nalini Singh
5. Fading (Fading #1), by E.K. Blair
6. Forever With Me (With Me In Seattle #8), by Kristen Proby
7. Appealed (The Legal Briefs #3), by Emma Chase
8. Seducing Lauren (Love Under the Big Sky #2), by Kristen Proby
9. Love Hurts (Caged Love #1), by Mandi Beck
10. Master of the Mountain (Mountain Masters & Dark Haven #1), by Cherise Sinclair
11. Cocky Bastard, by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
12. Beneath This Ink (Beneath #2), by Meghan March
13. Delicate Ink (Montgomery Ink #1), by Carrie Ann Ryan
14. An Alpha's Path (Redwood Pack #1), by Carrie Ann Ryan
15. Falling For Jillian (Love Under the Big Sky #3), by Kristen Proby
16. Black Moon (Alpha Pack #3), by J.D. Tyler
17. Legal Affairs Box Set, Sawyer Bennett
18. A Taste For a Mate (Redwood Pack #2), by Carrie Ann Ryan
19. Tempting Boundaries (Montgomery Ink #2), by Carrie Ann Ryan
20. Harder Than Words (Montgomery Ink #3), by Carrie Ann Ryan
21. Written In Ink (Montgomery Ink #4), by Carrie Ann Ryan
22. Hunter's Heart (Alpha Pack #4), by J.D. Tyler
23. Cole's Redemption (Alpha Pack #5), by J.D. Tyler
24. Trinity Bound (Redwood Pack #3), by Carrie Ann Ryan
25. Wolf's Fall (Alpha Pack #6), by J.D. Tyler
26. Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack #5), by Suzanne Wright
27. Dirty Sexy Saint (Dirty Sexy #1), by Carly Phillips
28. Pucked (Pucked #1), by Helena Hunting
29. Beneath These Chains (Beneath #3), by Meghan March
30. Calmly, Carefully, Completely (The Reed Brothers #3), by Tammy Faulkner
31. Officer Off Limits (Line of Duty #3), by Tessa Bailey
32. Chase the Darkness (Alpha Pack #7), by J.D. Tyler
33. Enforcer's Redemption (Redwood Pack #4), by Carrie Ann Ryan
34. Asking for Trouble (Line of Duty #4), Tessa Bailey
35. Beneath These Scars (Beneath #4), by Meghan March
36. Tattered Loyalties (Talon Pack #1), by Carrie Ann Ryan
37. Working It (Love By Design #1), by Kendall Ryan
38. Craving Him (Love By Design #2), by Kendall Ryan
39. Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack #5), by Carrie Ann Ryan
40. Never Seduce a Scot (The Montgomerys and the Armstrongs #1), by Maya Banks (now listening)
I have decided that Kirsten Potter is one of the best audiobook narrators I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. She narrated the first few books in the Alpha Pack series, but they switched her out after the third book. Which sucks, because she was perfect. I was delighted to find out she narrates Maya Banks' The Montgomerys and Armstrongs series, and I'm currently so taken with this book, I can't get enough of it. Her Scottish accents are so perfect. And this story is fantastic.
So, what have you been listening to lately?
Labels: 2016 audiobook challenge
REVIEW & EXCERPT: STRUNG UP (Blacktop Cowboys #7.5)
Welcome to my stop on the STRUNG UP blog tour! Check out my review and an excerpt from this awesome Blacktop Cowboys novella!
Strung Up (Blacktop Cowboys #7.5), by Lorelei James
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts
Genre: adult m/m contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon
(Synopsis) Rancher Creston Grant retreats from the world after he loses the love of his life... Can his former flame, rodeo cowboy Breck Christianson prove he's a changed man who can give Cres a second chance at love?
There's few things that get my blood pumping more than a hot cowboy in love. But two hot cowboys in love? Explosive.
Cres and Breck had one hot weekend together years before, but Cres knew the score going into the affair and bailed before Breck could ask him to. The rodeo world is violently homophobic, and if Breck wanted to keep on chasing his titles, he'd have to continue playing the straight stud.
Cres, on the other hand, was not interested in hiding, so when he found Mick and fell in love, he thought that was it. He'd found his happily ever after. Even if Mick was just like Breck and wanted to hide who Cres was to him, telling his family that they were simply roommates. But, when Mick was killed in a car accident, Cres' world was rocked nonetheless.
Two years later, Cres is still having trouble getting over Mick's death. Meanwhile, Breck's secret has come out, and he was shunned out of the rodeo circuit. They meet again by chance at an event sponsored by Cres' sister-in-law's rodeo school. And now there's nothing holding them back except themselves.
Breck was always a loudmouthed jerk. We've met him in previous books, and he's never seemed like a good guy. Funny how perspective can change things. Once his behavior was explained, I could understand his actions better. Doesn't mean he wasn't still a jerk, but I now got that that wasn't who he was deep down.
I can't imagine having to or wanting to hide a part of who you are. That must take a toll on a person. It seemed to suck the life from Breck, and from what Cres says, Mick as well. For the first time in their lives, when Breck and Cres are together, they finally feel passion. Like real, out-of-control, overflowing PASSION. And it scares the heck out of both of them.
Of course, that means some really good reading for us. Cres and Breck are nothing short of combustible together. But, Breck's fear of commitment to a man and Cres' fear of loving another only to lose him too get in the way of the real feelings.
I loved these two guys so much. I wish they had their own full-length novel. I would've loved more from them. I wanted to know more about how Mick's closeted life affected Cres. I wanted to see more of Cres' interaction with his family. I wanted more of Breck's job at the rodeo school. And of course I wanted more Cres and Breck sexy times.
But, this novella was still fantastic. Lorelei James packs a lot of story on not a lot of pages. It was a quick and satisfying read, and it set the stage nicely for the next novel in the Blacktop Cowboys series. I'm looking forward to catching up with Cres and Breck in that one.
Staring into the flames, I brooded about my uncertain future. I didn't trust my ambivalence toward teaching because I was a master at self-sabotage. Maybe I considered this teaching experiment a failure so I had an excuse not to sign on for the next session. Then I could stick with the "I'm a ramblin' man" warning I'd given Cres and return to the blacktop.
But I didn't want to go back on the road. Facing miles of empty highway day after day…I knew firsthand it was as lonely as it sounded.
Loneliness hadn't been an issue since I'd rolled into the Grade A complex. I spent my days surrounded by students and staff and my nights wrapped up in Cres.
Sexy, funny, sweet Cres.
I'd been such a fool to think I could work him out of my system. The more time we spent together the more I wanted. Yet Cres hadn't mentioned extending our time.
Maybe because you've done a bang-up job convincing him of your "itchy feet."
Only because he'd been so insistent about never getting into another serious relationship, and I didn't want to be the pathetic hanger-on, trying to convince him that I was worth the risk to his heart, because I wasn't sure I was.
There was some confidence. I'd gotten my mo-jo back in the arena, but I didn't have the same certainty with Cres unless I was fucking him.
Why did this have to be so f*cked up? Why couldn't I just tell him my feelings had changed and I needed more than "just sex?"
Lorelei James is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary erotic western romances set in the modern day Wild West and also contemporary erotic romances. Lorelei's books have been nominated for and won the Romantic Times Reviewer's choice Award, as well as the CAPA Award. Lorelei lives in western South Dakota with her family…and a whole closet full of cow girl boots.
From Lorelei: "Why do I have a particular fondness for all things western? Well, I'm a fourth generation South Dakotan, living in the Black Hills, which is chock-full of interesting characters, including cowboys, Indians, ranchers, and bikers. The geographical diversity of the surrounding area showcases mountains, plains, and badlands. Living in and writing about rural settings gives me a unique perspective, especially since I'm not writing historical westerns. Through my fictional world, I can show the ideals and the cowboy way of life are still very much alive."
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Labels: adult contemporary, excerpt, Lorelei James, m/m, review
REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Wolf Prey (Wolf Cove #3)
Wolf Prey (Wolf Cove #3), by Nina West
Genre: adult contemporary romance
(Synopsis) Forced to leave Alaska to run the family farm while her father recovers from a tragic accident, Abbi heads home knowing she has the one thing she wants most again –Henry's affections. She's determined to not let anyone get in the way of that again.
But love for Abbi has never been easy.
With an overbearing mother who believes she has the right to approve who her daughter loves, a childhood ex-boyfriend who will do anything to win her back, and a wealthy, handsome boyfriend who always gets what he wants, Abbi soon realizes she may have to make some impossible choices.
WOLF PREY is the third book in the sexy, addictive Wolf Cove Series, and should be read after WOLF BAIT and WOLF BITE.
Henry and Abbi are in totally different places than they were in the first and second books in the Wolf Cove series - both literally and figuratively. We finally move away from Alaska to a few new settings, so we get a change of scenery. Also, Henry, while still in charge of Wolf Hotels, is not in charge of Abbi any more. She is back at home in Pennsylvania helping to take care of her injured father and fending off the advances of her lying, cheating ex who now wants her back. Meanwhile Henry is jet setting all over the world taking care of business.
For sure, Abbi and Henry are in a difficult place. Henry finally professed his desire for a relationship and Abbi gets the man she's wanted. And then, they're separated for weeks on end, each facing their own temptations and roadblocks to happiness.
On Abbi's end, she has her ex trying desperately to get her back. Her overbearing and difficult mother is adamantly against her relationship with Henry. And, worst of all, her own insecurities about her worth and whether she's good enough, pretty enough, rich enough and smart enough to hold on to a worldly man like Henry are constantly driving a wedge between them and making Abbi just a little crazy.
For Henry, his job is keeping him running - a few weeks in Alaska, then New York, then Bejing, then France, and so on. Although he's made a decision to be with Abbi and no one else, there's women and plenty temptations at every stop. And he's feeling guilty about the tension he's causing between Abbi and her mother.
Abbi and Henry are not the same people they were in the beginning. They've both grown a lot in different ways. Abby is still working on getting in touch with her sexuality and being okay with liking what she likes. Henry is working on opening up and letting Abbi in. He's working on being capable of loving someone. Because, if he can love anyone, he can love Abbi. Henry has definitely come a long way, but he still has some work he needs to do before he can be the man that Abbi needs.
The shenanigans with Abbi's mom made me positively irate. Any mother that treats her daughter the way Abbi's mother treated her needs a major intervention. It was definitely good practice for Abbi - lessons on how to steel her spine and not let people walk all over her, courtesy of her ex-boyfriend and her crazy mother. And Abbi's going to need those skills for what's coming next in book 4.
Nina West lives in the city but spends her summers in the wilderness with her husband. She loves having a steaming cup of cocoa in one hand and a steamy story full of angst in the other. Follow her on Facebook or on Twitter!
If you haven't yet experienced the Wolf Cove series, or if you need to get caught up, now is your chance! I'm offering one e-book from the Wolf Cove series to anyone in the US - good luck!
Labels: adult contemporary, giveaway, Nina West, review
RELEASE DAY REVIEW & EXCERPT: Overexposed (In Focus #4)
Overexposed (In Focus #4), by Megan Erickson
Genre: new adult m/m contemporary romance
(Synopsis) Levi Grainger needs a break. As a reality show star, he's had enough of the spotlight and being edited into a walking stereotype. When he returns home after the last season of Trip League, he expects to spend time with his family, only to learn his sister is coming back from her deployment in a flag-draped casket. Devastated, Levi decides the best way to grieve will be to go off grid and hike the Appalachian Trail—a trip he'd planned to do with his sister.
His solitary existence on the trail is interrupted when he meets Thad, a quiet man with a hard body and intense eyes. Their connection is stronger than anything Levi has ever experienced. But when Levi discovers the truth about what Thad is hiking to escape, their future together looks uncertain, and uncertainty is the last thing Levi needs...
I love road trip books, and Megan Erickson's In Focus series has taken us on more than one of those. But, in Overexposed We actually go on an OFF-road trip. And I think I might now love those even more.
Levi's determined to hike the Appalachian Trail in memory of his sister, who was supposed to do it with him, but died before they had a chance. And, after spending so long on a reality TV show, in front of millions of people, a few months of solitude sounds like a good idea to him. At least, initially it does. But, hiking and eating and sleeping alone gets... lonely. So, when he sees a hot, equally lonely guy on a rock in the middle of the night, all of a sudden, he has a traveling companion.
Thad was looking forward to the solitude of the trail after what he had been through. And yet, when Levi comes into his circle of awareness, everything changes. And, the more time he spends with Levi, the more he wants from him. But, where he's been and where he's going are details that Thad needs to keep to himself if he wants any chance with this guy who lights up his life.
We met Levi in the third In Focus book. He was J.R.'s openly gay cast mate on the reality show that made him a household name. He was sweet and kind and it was easy to want a happy ending for him. Despite his sister's untimely death and the toll that has obviously taken on him, Levi still has this air about him that says he's someone you want to be around. He doesn't take things too seriously. He wants to make people happy.
Maybe that's what Thad was drawn to. Goodness knows he needs some happy in his life. And it takes no time at all for Levi to get under his skin. Even though, after hanging out with Levi for a little while, he knows that his days with him are numbered.
I think Levi and Thad may be my favorite couple in this series. These two - man, both of them squeezed my heart. They were the perfect yin and yang, and they each needed the other for different reasons. Overexposed was deliciously angsty and oh-so satisfying. It was the perfect way to spend a day.
For a moment, we locked eyes, and the air between us crackled with the promise of what could come next if we let it. I didn't breathe—didn't move—because this rubber band tugging at us could snap any minute, and I had no idea which way it would go.
Thad's jaw clenched, then his hand shot out and gripped the side of my head. I sucked in a breath as
he pulled me toward him. The heat of his palm seared my scalp as he closed the distance until our mouths were inches away. The tent was filled with panted breaths, pounding hearts, and every cell in my body was screaming want want want.
I licked my lips, the very tip of my tongue brushing his, and that was the last encouragement he needed, because then Thad slammed his mouth onto mine. His body crashed along with it, so my back slammed onto the ground and Thad landed on top.
But I didn't care about any of that, because Thad was devouring me. His mouth moved against mine, opening me up, demanding to be let in, and I obliged. Thad swept his tongue inside, kissing me like he couldn't get enough, would never get enough, like kissing me was better than breathing.
Kissing Thad was better than breathing.
I held on as best as I could, clutching his broad shoulders, the muscles shifting beneath his skin. With his knees, he spread my legs and slotted himself between them, grinding his hard cock against mine.
It was a frenzy of tongues and lips and saliva and good, hard, need-you-now kind of sex. Thad broke the kiss to suck hard on the skin along my jaw, and I arched beneath him as he hit the spot below my ear that always got me going.
My cock was achingly hard, my balls already drawn up tight, but I needed something more. Thad's hands fumbled between us until my boxers were shoved down. A fist wrapped around both of our cocks and began stroking them together.
My brain short-circuited, my lungs screamed for air as I gasped at the firm grip. Thad wasn't fucking around. This was down and dirty and about getting off on each other.
My hips churned with each stroke of Thad's hand; his hip bones dug into my inner thighs as each stroke shoved my legs further apart. I had no time to imagine what we looked like, what we sounded like, because Thad bit down on my shoulder, hard, and I came like a fucking rocket. I couldn't even cry out, as I pulsed soundlessly in his hand. His hips froze on one more powerful thrust, sending my head smashing into the side of the tent, and then he let out one small groan against my skin.
I squeezed my eyes shut, relinquishing my grip on Thad's shoulders, belatedly noticing my nails had etched crescent-shaped marks in his flesh.
He rose off of me slowly, his eyes skittering away, not meeting mine. He grabbed my pack of wipes, and cleaned himself, then me, wordlessly. I bit my lip, unsure what to say. What did one say when they were dry-humped in the middle of the night by a man who spoke in sentence fragments?
Nothing apparently. Because Thad rose, pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt, and with one last look at me, left the tent.
Without a word.
Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.
She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.
Labels: excerpt, m/m, Megan Erickson, NA, review
BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Metaltown
OMG this book. I seriously can't wait for you all to read it. Check out my review, and enter to win a copy. Trust me. You want this one.
Metaltown, by Kristen Simmons
Format: ARC, provided by the author and Irish Banana Tours
Genre: young adult dystopian
(Synopsis) Metaltown, where factories rule, food is scarce, and hope is in short supply.
The rules of Metaltown are simple: Work hard, keep your head down, and watch your back. You look out for number one, and no one knows that better than Ty. She's been surviving on the factory line as long as she can remember. But now Ty has Colin. She's no longer alone; it's the two of them against the world. That's something even a town this brutal can't take away from her. Until it does.
Lena's future depends on her family's factory, a beast that demands a ruthless master, and Lena is prepared to be as ruthless as it takes if it means finally proving herself to her father. But when a chance encounter with Colin, a dreamer despite his circumstances, exposes Lena to the consequences of her actions, she'll risk everything to do what's right.
In Lena, Ty sees an heiress with a chip on her shoulder. Colin sees something more. In a world of disease and war, tragedy and betrayal, allies and enemies, all three of them must learn that challenging what they thought was true can change all the rules.
An enthralling story of friendship and rebellion, Metaltown will have you believing in the power of hope.
Metaltown is a book that is all about the driving force of hope. Hope can give us strength to make hard decisions and to do thing we wouldn't normally think we have the power to do - all because of the thought that things can be better than they are now.
Truthfully, I'm not sure things in Metaltown can actually get worse. The divide between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is a mile wide. Those that are "flush" and prosperous get a real home with clothes and food that is safe and clean water.
Those that are not work in the factories in Metaltown making weapons to supply the Northern Federation during the ongoing, decades-long war with the Eastern Federation. Conditions in the factories are appalling - 16-hour work days, 5-minute breaks, only getting paid periodically and dangerous work conditions. And no choices or hope for anything better. BFFs Colin and Ty report to work every day and do their jobs, and for their efforts Ty has no home and both of them wear rags and never have enough to eat.
On top of all this, there's a fatal disease going around that is a result of scientists messing around with synthetic corn. Seriously - these people just can't catch a break.
Metaltown is told from three POVs - Colin, Ty, and the factory owner Lena Hampton. Lena is the one that changes everything. Her efforts to value herself to her tyrant of a father and her evil brother make trouble for Colin and Ty. And that trouble appears to be the straw that breaks the Metaltown workers' backs. They are finally ready to do something about their plight.
Kristen Simmons is a beautiful writer. Metaltown and the surrounding areas are described in vivid detail. The language evokes real emotions. I could feel Colin's anger at his helplessness to change things, Ty's frustration at Colin's actions and Lena's desperation to do more to make things right. Metaltown was a somber but beautiful book with several twists and turns that kept me guessing and made for an incredibly exciting story.
ABOUT KRISTEN SIMMONS:Kristen Simmons is the author of the ARTICLE 5 series, THE GLASS ARROW, and the upcoming METALTOWN (Tor Teen). She loves her family, Jazzercise, and chocolate cupcakes. She currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.
For more updates on Kristen and her writing, visithttp://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com
Labels: giveaway, Kristen Simmons, review
COVER REVEAL: Beneath These Shadows
I am so in love with Meghan March's Beneath series. The men in it are so complicated and sexy and awesome. And on October 25, we will get another one. Get ready for the cover of BENEATH THESE SHADOWS.
Beneath These Shadows, by Meghan March
Publisher: Red Dress Press
(Synopsis) The only permanent thing in my life is the ink I put on my clients.
I drift from city to city, in and out of beds, from one tattoo shop to the next.
Every time I start to put down roots, I rip them up.
Until New Orleans.
She's everything I'm not.
Full of fire and life. An innocent where I'm a sinner.
I want to consume her. Protect her. Keep her.
But first, I have to escape from beneath these shadows.
Abs. For. DAYS. I can't even with this cover. And that description sounds like everything I love about romance books. Sign me up.
Labels: Cover Reveal, Meghan March
BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Well Hung
Lauren Blakely has added another star to her rom com lineup. Check out my review of WELL HUNG and an excerpt from the book!
Well Hung, by Lauren Blakely
(Synopsis) Here's what you need to know about me — I'm well-off, well-hung and quick with a joke. Women like a guy who makes them laugh—and I don't mean at the size of his d*ck. No, they want their funny with a side of huge… not to mention loyal. I've got all that plus a big bank account, thanks to my booming construction business. Yup. I know how to use all my tools.
Enter Natalie. Hot, sexy, smart, and my new assistant. Which makes her totally off limits... Hey, I'm a good guy. Really. I do my best to stay far away from the kind of temptation she brings to work.
Until one night in Vegas… Yeah, you've heard this one before. Bad news on the business front, drowning our sorrows in a few too many Harvey Wallbangers, and then I'm banging her. In my hotel room. In her hotel room. Behind the Titanic slot machine at the Flamingo (don't ask). And before I can make her say "Oh God right there YES!" one more time, we're both saying yes—the big yes—at a roadside chapel in front of a guy in press-on sideburns and a shiny gold leisure suit.
But it turns out what happened in Vegas didn't stay in Vegas. And now, my dick doesn't stay in my pants when she's around. I try to resist. Honest. But the more we try to keep our hands to ourselves, the more we end up naked again, and the more time I want to spend with her fully clothed, too.
The question now is…do I take this woman to be my ex-wife?
Never have I ever enjoyed a series as much as I have this one. The men are yummy. The stories are romantic. The laughs are plentiful.
Wyatt Hammer is the owner and proprietor of WH Carpentry & Construction. And he is determined NOT to bang his assistant Natalie. She's the first one he's had that is awesome at her job. She makes his business run better. And he knows that if he sleeps with her, it will just mess everything up. So, instead he marries her. It was totally unintentional. A job scout in Vegas, a little too much alcohol, and finally giving in to the crazy sexual tension lead to getting married by Elvis.
All too soon, Natalie and Wyatt return to their lives having to deal with this new reality. Their easiness and camaraderie are gone. The sexual tension is no longer able to be ignored. And, *gasp*, FEELINGS come into play. And suddenly, the divorce they both were clamoring for, might not be the thing they thought they wanted.
Wyatt is all that and a bag of doughnuts. The one thing I've learned from this series is that the descriptions always make the guys sound like self-involved narcissistic pricks. But in every case, they have been the absolute best guys ever. Wyatt might enjoy women and eschew commitment, but he is seriously the sweetest man. He's considerate and protective and So. Much. Fun. And, just like with Simon and Nick before him, his commitment issues were really all wrapped up in the fact that they just hadn't met the one woman to change things around for them. And now, Wyatt has met his match.
My favorite thing about Well Hung (well, besides the hot sex, fun Vegas setting and the reappearance of previous couples) is the fact that it's entirely narrated by Wyatt. I love dual narration books because they give us a glimpse inside the guy's head. So, this is even better. We're there for the whole book, and those moments at the end when Wyatt realizes what he REALLY wants are the absolute best.
I promise you will laugh a lot. You will also do a fair bit of swooning. It's the perfect combination of goofiness, sweetness, and sexiness. You're going to love it.
Let's back up.
How did we get from not kissing to kissing? What was that turning point? Did she lean into me? Did I move closer to her? Details matter. I'll gladly share them.
Start with six months of sexual tension. Add in two mojitos for her, two beers for me, and a couple vodka tonics. Stir that with some bad news on the business front, and top it with the cherry of Natalie's hit-me-over-the-head-with-a-stick comment that left no question as to what she wanted…and here I am.
We don't lean into each other. There's no inch-by-slow-sensual-inch pull. It's not a slow burn.
It's a fiery crash. We're two cars speeding on the highway of this night, and we slam into each other, crawl across the hoods, and kiss like crazy.
Nothing is tentative about this. We go from not kissing to kissing in less than sixty nanoseconds. Yeah, I don't really know what a nanosecond is, either. But it happens in no time.
And now my hand is in her hair, yanking her close as we crush our lips together. We kiss hard and rough, fueled by pent-up desire and more than enough vodka and rum to make this inevitable.
Her teeth scrape me, and I growl, loving her roughness. I suck hard on her bottom lip, and I'm rewarded by nearly the same sound from her. She's like a tiger, and together we're animals.
I grip her head tighter, and her hands are all over me—in my hair, then down my chest, then along my arms. We kiss so deeply, it's like we're trying to climb each other.
At some point, she breaks off, breathes out hard, then whispers in my ear, "I've wanted to do that for so long."
"Not as long as I have. Now get those lips back on mine," I tell her, and she complies.
My hands cup her cheeks, but I'm not gentle, and she doesn't want me that way. She's not a gentle girl. She's badass and tough, and she wants what I want. I hold her face tightly in my hands, and she practically crawls into my lap in a rush to get closer, then closer still as she presses her tits against my chest.
I'm seated on a stool at the bar, and we are putting on some kind of show. But I don't care.
My tongue searches and hunts, wanting to taste every corner of her mouth, savoring the vodka and the tonic and, most of all, the Natalie. She whimpers and moans, and I swallow every sexy sound she makes.
This stool is ours. This bar is ours. The night belongs to this kiss, because it's not a starter kiss. It contains all the clues necessary to assemble the puzzle of where this night will end.
With unwavering certainty, I know what kind of kiss this is.
As I explore her mouth, and she claims mine with equal urgency, I know that I will be fucking Natalie tonight.
Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With ten New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than fifty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK and MISTER O, which were both instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she'll release WELL HUNG, another romantic comedy. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter, laurenblakely.com/newsletter!
Learn more about Lauren --> Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter ** Goodreads
Labels: adult contemporary, excerpt, giveaway, Lauren Blakely, review
BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Bedmates (Am...
BLOG TOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Mine For Now...
BLOG TOUR SPECIAL POST, REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Like a ...
RELEASE DAY REVIEW & EXCERPT: Overexposed (In Focu...
BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Love Restored (The Ga...
BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Wicked Bond (The Wicked Horse #5)
REVIEW: Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)
COVER REVEAL: Blush For Me (Fusion #3)
EXCERPT REVEAL: Ink Exposed (Montgomery Ink #6)
REVIEW: Loving You Easy (Loving on the Edge #9)
RELEASE DAY REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Protector
REVIEW: Furious Rush
AUDIOBOOK SERIES REVIEW: Redwood Pack Series


text:
Q: How to print if first condition is not met? I'm practicing conditionals and logical operators.
How do I make the following rock, paper, scissors game print "This is not a valid object selection." immediately after Player 1's input, if Player 1 enters an invalid object? Right now the string is not printed until both players have entered an object.
Also, any suggestions for making the following code more elegant?
player1 = input('Player 1? ')
player2 = input('Player 2? ')

if (player1.lower() == 'rock' and
    player2.lower() == 'rock'):
    print('Tie.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'rock' and
    player2.lower() == 'paper'):
    print('Player 2 wins.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'rock' and
    player2.lower() == 'scissors'):
    print('Player 1 wins.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'paper' and
    player2.lower() == 'paper'):
    print('Tie.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'paper' and
    player2.lower() == 'scissors'):
    print('Player 2 wins.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'paper' and
    player2.lower() == 'rock'):
    print('Player 1 wins.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'scissors' and
    player2.lower() == 'scissors'):
    print('Tie.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'scissors' and
    player2.lower() == 'rock'):
    print('Player 2 wins.')
elif (player1.lower() == 'scissors' and
    player2.lower() == 'paper'):
    print('Player 1 wins.')
else:
    print('This is not a valid object selection.')

A: How about a function to ask each player their choice? Only if the player enters a valid selection will they be allowed to proceed through the code to your logic statements.
def get_choice(Player_number):
    print('Player', Player_number, 'please enter your choice: ', end='')
    while True:
        choice = input().lower()        #lower converts input to all lowercase
        if choice in ('rock', 'paper', 'scissors'):   # check if valid choice
            return choice   # if valid return choice
        else:
            print('Incorrect choice, try again: ', end='')  # else print this and start loop agan

player1 = get_choice('1')
player2 = get_choice('2')

For the logic part, note that if player1 choice == player 2 choice, this will substitute 3 elif blocks in your code, ie.
if player1 == player2:
    print('tie')

Now replaces pl==rock and p2 == rock, p1 == scissors and p2 == scissors, ect.
edit:
1) The problem if you move the print statement in 2 to inside the input in 4 is you can no longer specify the ,end='' parameter, as it does not work with input. As you said it will generate SyntaxError. The code looks much cleaner when run this way in terminal as it all lines up, but do test it for yourself.
2) end='' prints an empty string at the end of the print statement. you are confusing this with end='\n' which prints a new line after print. As my way keeps the cursor on the same line after the print, it lines up with the input to make it look nice, see above question. Note the print statement in python by default passes , end='\n'. This is why
print('hello')    #same as print('hello', end='\n')
print('world)
hello
world

print('hello', end='')
print('world', end='')
helloworld

3) The while True loop will alway evaluate to true. So the body of the while loop will constantly cycle - However, it can return out of the entire function with the 'return choice' function. The only way to leave this function if to get down the logical steps required to reach the return statement. In this case unless the choice is in that tuple('rock', 'paper', 'scisors') it will just print invalid entry try again, finishing the block. However, As while is still true the loop will begin again and ask the user to input again. This will repeat until a valid choice is selected.
4) You could concatenate it onto the player_number eg..
print('Player', Player_number + ',' , 'please enter your choice: ', end='')

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
El cachorrito de Villa López (Cyprinodon ceciliae) es una especie extinta de pez ciprindontiforme de la familia Cyprinodontidae.

Morfología
Los machos podían alcanzar los 7 cm de longitud total.

Distribución
Se encontraba en México.

Referencias

Bibliografía
 Moyle, P. y J. Cech.: Fishes: An Introduction to Ichthyology, 4ª edición, Upper Saddle River, Nueva Jersey, Estados Unidos: Prentice-Hall. 2000.
 Nelson, J.: Fishes of the World, 3ª edición. Nueva York, Estados Unidos: John Wiley and Sons. 1994.
 Wheeler, A.: The World Encyclopedia of Fishes, 2ª edición, Londres: Macdonald. 1985.

Enlaces externos
 UNEP-WCMC Species Database (en inglés)

ceciliae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


This new Little Black Book album although a bit traditional still provides a modern twist.
Because it's compact, it can be privately store in your night table way from unwanted viewers.
Although more affordable than the other style of album, the Little Black book is still robust for day to day use.
It's is small enough so your significant other can carry on business trips to be reminded of what is waiting at home.
The Little Black Book contains 10 of your favorite images so you are reminded of your amazing boudoir experience and just how beautiful you are.


text:
require 'spec_helper'

module LAME
  module Decoding
    describe SingleFrameDecoder do

      subject(:decoder) { SingleFrameDecoder.new(decode_flags, mp3_data) }

      let(:decode_flags) { double("decode flags") }
      let(:mp3_data) { double("mp3 data") }
      let(:data) { "a"*1024 }

      it "always checks if there is a decoded frame in the internal buffer" do
        # initial decoded frame
        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers) do |flags, in_buffer, in_size, out_left, out_right, mp3_data_arg|
          expect(flags).to          eql decode_flags
          expect(in_buffer.size).to eql 0
          expect(in_size).to        eql 0
          expect(out_left.size).to  eql 1152*2 # short is 2 bytes
          expect(out_right.size).to eql 1152*2
          expect(mp3_data_arg).to   eql mp3_data
          0
        end
        # new data
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(0)

        decoder.decode(data)
      end

      it "writes the input data into the LAME decoder" do
        # initial
        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers) do |_, in_buffer, _, _ , _, _|
          expect(in_buffer.size).to eql 0
          0
        end
        # new data
        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers) do |flags, in_buffer, in_size, out_left, out_right, mp3_data_arg|
          expect(flags).to          eql decode_flags
          expect(in_buffer.size).to eql 1024
          expect(in_size).to        eql 1024
          expect(out_left.size).to  eql 1152*2 # short is 2 bytes
          expect(out_right.size).to eql 1152*2
          expect(mp3_data_arg).to   eql mp3_data
          0
        end

        decoder.decode(data)
      end

      it "decodes until no more frames were decoded" do
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(0, 1, 1, 0)
        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).exactly(4).times

        decoder.decode(data) {}
      end

      it "yields decoded frames if one is left in internal buffer" do
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(1, 0)

        expect { |block|
          decoder.decode(data, &block)
        }.to yield_successive_args(DecodedFrame)
      end

      it "yields decoded frames for new data" do
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(0, 1, 1, 0)

        expect { |block|
          decoder.decode(data, &block)
        }.to yield_successive_args(DecodedFrame, DecodedFrame)
      end

      it "raises an error if decoding failed" do
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(-1)

        expect {
          decoder.decode(data)
        }.to raise_error(DecodingError)
      end

      it "yields until no more data is decoded" do
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(0, 1, 1, 0)

        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).exactly(4).times

        expect { |block|
          decoder.decode(data, &block)
        }.to yield_control.exactly(2).times
      end

      it "yields if the decoder still had a decoded frame " do
        # the initial '1' indicates a frame was still in the internal buffer (flush)
        # the subsequent '1's are newly decoded frames
        allow(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).and_return(1, 0, 1, 1, 0)

        expect(LAME).to receive(:hip_decode1_headers).exactly(5).times

        expect { |block|
          decoder.decode(data, &block)
        }.to yield_control.exactly(3).times
      end

    end
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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text:
Chlorinated chicken deal is finger-lickin' sickening
Published: 3:08 PM August 29, 2019 Updated: 6:13 PM September 17, 2020
Boris Johnson meeting US President Donald Trump for bilateral talks during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire/PA Images - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Readers give their views on a the prospect of a trade deal with Donald Trump, and what it will bring to our food shelves.
With no-deal getting closer and the necessity of a trade deal with America therefore growing, I detect a media push to persuade us that the infamous chlorinated chicken is not all that bad. Already the former Tory vice-chair Ben Bradley has equated it with the chlorine put into water to protect against infection from rusting pipes.
The point is that chlorine washing in the USA is used to remove bacteria associated with poor hygiene and animal welfare standards. It gives giant producers a cheap get-out from keeping animals in filth and misery before they are killed.
There are even questions about its effectiveness. Yet this is the sort of stuff Boris Johnson thinks you should eat.
Katie Palmer
One of the worst things about putting ourselves at the mercy of a trade agreement with Trump's America is how it will affect consumer choice. This is not just about opening up UK markets to lower food safety and environmental standards, such as hormone- and antibiotic-injected meat.
Manufacturing products made in Europe are generally fabricated to higher standards of quality and durability than those in the US, and this has long been the case. It is not a coincidence that the phrase 'built-in obsolescence' had its origins in the US of the 1920s. General Motors based their philosophy on the principle, so much so that Volkswagen in Europe mocked the concept in their own advertising campaign of the late 1950s.
The displacement of European products in favour of US products may well be cheaper, but for that, UK consumers will be sacrificing quality, reliability and durability. A trade deal with Trump's US would mean a dumbing-down of standards.
Although Boris Johnson is making a great play about protecting the NHS from a Trump trade deal, it's not the NHS which needs protecting; it's NICE.
This is the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence which compares quality and price in the pharmaceutical industry.
Trump will want it abolished or neutered. As Ian Dunt writes in Brexit: What The Hell Happens Now?: "As a consequence, drug prices will rise. The full effect will only be felt years later. But a decade on, say [in 2030], the health service's already precarious finances will come under intolerable strain from the extra costs."
Nick Seale (Letters, TNE #156) states that in the event of a no-deal Brexit the UK would become the 51st state of the USA. It would be far worse than that as we would have no vote to elect US politicians and therefore no say in our destiny. Under those circumstances the UK stands a high risk of becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of the USA.
Of course Trump is keen to implement a deal. Vultures are always pleased to pick over a corpse.
David Lee, Epsom
- What do you think? Send your letters for publication to letters@theneweuropean.co.uk and read all of our letters by picking up a copy of our newspaper every Thursday.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


RED TULIP ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE GREEN HERBS WONES BY THE WIND. MOVEMENT OF THE CAMERA OF RIGHT TO LEFT.RURAL GARDEN, SPRING SEASON.
hd00:14RED TULIP ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE GREEN HERBS WONES BY THE WIND. MOVEMENT OF THE LAME CHAMBER ON THE RIGHT. RURAL GARDEN, SPRING SEASON.
4k00:16Close up shot of poppy flowers in the spring. The videos were taken around various Mediterranean forests. A bee can also be briefly seen.


A move to block international observers from overseeing the Cayman Islands' general election in May has been turned down by lawmakers.
Former Premier McKeeva Bush brought a private member's motion to the Legislative Assembly calling for the rejection of election observers requested by the UK government.
He argued that observers were typically brought in for ballots in countries like Haiti and Angola with a history of massive electoral fraud and said they would smear Cayman's reputation simply by their presence.
His parliamentary colleagues disagreed, arguing that it would reflect negatively on the islands to shut out observers.
Only Mr. Bush's three remaining United Democratic Party colleagues supported the motion, which failed to pass after a 90-minute debate in the assembly on Thursday.
Premier Juliana O'Connor-Connolly said the Cayman Islands government was open to having observers at the election, so long as it was not a UK-led delegation. She said it was becoming the international norm for mature democracies.
She said it would not look good for the UK to be leading a delegation of observers, but that the government was open to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association or other international group being involved.
Opposition leader Alden McLaughlin said shutting out observers would compound the "terrible reputational issues" Cayman was suffering.
He blamed Mr. Bush for Cayman's poor international reputation and said he should be the last person to object to observers coming in to give a "certificate of good standing" to the islands' election process.
He added: "I too am concerned about the optics of the UK sending in international observers because in the context of all that has transpired over the past few years, particularly the past few months, that does create an impression that the UK is gravely concerned about what is happening to Cayman as far as government is concerned.
In his closing remarks to the debate, Mr. Bush blamed the opposition leader for the Cayman Islands' "reputational problems" and scoffed at suggestions that the territory needed a certificate to show its elections were free and fair.
"I say we don't need to bring them (observers) in because we have no problems whatsoever," he said. "Why then do they want to come? To give us a certificate of good standing?


text:
Q: Git sparse-checkout on existing files I'm trying to do a sparse checkout on an existing project with a whole repository checked out. The current structure is
database/
htdocs/
include/
But I only want include and certain folders from the htdocs directory.
So did the following:
git config core.sparsecheckout true

vi .git/info/sparse-checkout

and I entered
include
htdocs/*
!htdocs/downloads
!htdocs/images
!htdocs/videos

This worked in my testing environmen with git version git version 1.7.12.4 (Apple Git-37) but doesn't on an Ubuntu machine with git version 1.7.0.
On my server the whole include folder got deleted and on git pull it says everthing is up to date.
What am I missing here?

A: Actually git v.1.7.0 does seem to have problems with foldernames.
Using this .git/info/sparse-checkout actually did work correctly
include/
htdocs/*
!htdocs/downloads/
!htdocs/images/
!htdocs/videos/

So the trailing slash wasn't needed on my Mac with a newer Git version but on the Linux server with an older Git.


Lapis lazuli or lapis for short, is a deep blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense color. is one of the most sought after stones in use since man's history began. Its deep, celestial blue remains the symbol of royalty and honor, gods and power, spirit and vision. It is a universal symbol of wisdom and truth and derives its name from the Latin lapis, 'stone,' and the Persian lazhuward, 'blue.' Blue crystal energy is believed to unblock and balance the Throat Chakra. The darker shades of the blue carry the power of truth making Lapis Lazuli the crystal of choice for these Chakras. Care Instructions Detergents and lotions can damage the finishing and colour of the stones / crystals. * Clean with soft 100% cotton. Disclaimer: The information provided is intended as a reference of the metaphysical and healing energies of the crystals. Their healing powers are not established and cannot be guaranteed. Crystals should never be used as a substitute for conventional medical or psychological treatment.


I periodically share polling data, in part because such information tells us what people think, but also because this type of research warns us where we need to focus our educational efforts and also gives us guidance on better ways to frame our message.
In recent months, for instance, I've gleefully noted that voters disagree with Paul Krugman on the economic impact of government spending.
But I also was shocked to see another poll that found French and Italians were more supportive of spending cuts than Americans.
Here's some new polling data that seems very encouraging. Americans, by an overwhelming margin, think that Washington is causing serious harm to the nation.
But it's important to look at this data dispassionately.
Maybe people merely object to gridlock, meaning that it would be a mistake to interpret these results as being a reflection of widespread libertarian sentiment.
So it's important that advocates of freedom build upon these polling results to educate people about the risks of giving more money and power to a dysfunctional town.
The good news is that we do see significant skepticism about policies to expand the size and scope of the federal government.
I recently shared some data showing that most Americans wisely suspect that higher taxes would result in bigger government rather than less red ink.
I also found similar results in a Reason poll from 2011.
That same poll also found strong support for a limit on federal spending, which warms my heart since I've been trying to build support for a Swiss-style spending cap in America.
Here are some other encouraging pieces of polling data.
More than two-to-one support for personal retirement accounts.
Recognition that big government is the greatest danger to America's future.
An increasingly negative view of the federal government.
More than eight-to-one support for less spending rather than higher taxes.
Strong support for bureaucrat layoffs and/or entitlement reforms instead of higher taxes.
Three-fourths of voters think the top tax rate should be no higher than 30 percent.
And my favorite poll results are the ones showing that voters understand that the goal is less spending, not lower deficits.
But let me close by stating that our goal is to preserve the freedom we have and restore the liberties that we have lost.
Public opinion data is useful in that it tells us how people think and suggests ways to frame our message.
But it should never cause us to change our principles.
I agree with Zorba. This Poll just proves that the average American is an idiot! They want less spending and/or spending restraint but they vote for Obama? Obviously, MittRom wasn't a much better choice. Personally, I think it really hurt Romney that he didn't attack spending at every opportunity. We all know why, because he's a spender too!
The proof is in the pudding. What matters most is not what Americans respond to polls, but how they vote. After all, as Mr Mitchell mentions, Italians and the French also favor reduction in government spending, but vote otherwise. American voting mentality is irreversibly becoming European (it's not coincidence that voters of virtually every European nation have fallen for the same prosperity through state welfare message), their economic trajectory will inevitably follow the same irreversible pattern: DECLINE.


According to the "2015 OLED Display Annual Report" published by UBI Research, it was researched that the 5-inch AMOLED display is the main product for a smartphone.
The report shows almost no fluctuation in the number of AMOLED equipped smartphone manufacturers for the last three years from 2012 to 2014 – 13 (2012), 11 (2013) and 14 (2014) – but the major smartphone display size that these companies sold was set in-between 4-inch and 5-inch.
Among 31 AMOLED equipped products, there was only one 5-inch smartphone accounting for 3 percent in 2012, but it has increased to 21 percent with 5 products among 21 in 2013, and 19 products in total of 27 forming 70 percent in 2014.
Samsung Electronics strategized the two elements which are not available in iPhone as points of differentiation to compete with the biggest smartphone rival company Apple. The first plan is targeting the color gamut of LCD. The existing LCD can only reproduce approximately 80% of NTSC which is the broadcasting standard. Although it became possible to enjoy TV and movies through a smartphone with the development of communication technologies, there is a difficulty in reproducing the 500nit of TV quality on a smartphone with the brightness of 200nit. The limit in increasing the brightness of a smartphone is in that the power consumption needs to be minimized to use the smartphone for a long time with the battery. In view of that, Samsung Electronics chose the AMOLED panel as a key strategic part meeting the NTSC standard in low power consumption as an alternative for the LCD panel for the consumers to identify more precise colors. It is expected that the demand for AMOLED panel capable of accurately realizing colors of a product will increase further given the latest growth in shopping clothes with smartphones.
The second plan is in the display size. While iPhone focused on a 3-inch small sized smartphone for a better sense of grip to enhance portability, Samsung Electronics was more focused on "a product of better visibility" rather than "a product of better hand grip". Obviously the early AMOLED panel has low resolution. Therefore, the bigger display was needed to realize high-resolution as it is hard to fix the opening ratio of shadow mask which is used in manufacturing the pixel for AMOLED panel.
Samsung Electronics succeeded in catching up with Apple, the inventer of smartphone, in terms of the color gamut and size of AMOLED display. Now Apple finally abandoned the matter of grip and expanded the display size to 5-inch.
Although Samsung Electronics was a latecomer compared to Apple in the smartphone market, the choice of AMOLED by Samsung Electronics made the Samsung Electronics of today and also prepared the base for the AMOLED to thrive. In addition, the Samsung Electronics' strategy enabled the smartphone display in the world to develop into a 5-inch "device to see".
Began from a CRT, also called brown-tube, the TV market went through a LCD TV, a PDP, and a LED and finally reached at an OLED TV. The TV market with the history of almost 80 years now narrowed down to the war between a LCD TV and an OLED TV.
Theoretically speaking, it is genetically difficult for both a LCD TV and an OLED TV to become a better TV than a brown-tube as LCD realizes gray scale by adjusting the level of voltage from the liquid crystal which cannot completely block all light while the organic materials in OLED decompose when exposed to ultraviolet light not to mention the blue light.
Not deterred by these limitations, the LCD pushed out the rival displays of the brown-tube and PDP in the market, obtaining the honorable crown, and now it went on to prepare for the competition with a new display of OLED in full scale.
The picture quality of a display is determined by the three elements of contrast ratio, color gamut and resolution.
The contrast ratio is the most basic information necessary for recognizing an object developed as a human evolves for millions of years. The human eye can distinguish an object only with a black and white shape at night without the moon and it also perceives a three dimensional space as a distant object is the information resulting from the difference between contrast ratios. But the human eye gets tired faster than any other organs. When a human gets tired, he/she closes his/her eyes to sleep and this action is to block the light from outside. For the bright lights like sunbeam blind the human eye that is susceptible to light, it is critical to avoid the exposure to direct lights around the eyes by wearing a hat with a brim in the open air. The sunglass functions in the same purpose.
Thought an office area uses bright florescent lights as a human gets active in a bright place, a house requiring comfort, high-end restaurant, hotel, etc. are recommended to take the brightness creating the appropriate shadows according to the position of the right sources. It is because a human body relaxes and feels comfortable through the eyes in the adequately dark environment. Furthermore, the human eye cannot detect the intensity of very bright light but the degree of darkness can be distinguished easily. Therefore, a TV that is most beneficial to a human body is a product made with the display that fully produces darkness. That is the OLED TV.
LCD always employed the notion of resolution as distinctive marketing strategy when competing with a brown-tube and a PDP in the market. It is due to the fact that the display with the higher resolution provides more information and the picture and video express smooth images. Though LCD had poor contrast ratio and color gamut than a brown-tube and the price also was relatively high, it grew rapidly indebted to the diverse contents like MS Office and the development of internet.
The emergence of OLED which has superior contrast ratio and color gamut than LCD and even the resolution equivalent to LCD became the biggest challenge for the LCD panel manufactures which have already made a huge investment. As LG Display is the only manufacturer capable of producing a large OLED panel with the 4K resolution, it is very urgent for the TV manufactures to secure the highest possible quality LCD TV to compete with the LG Electronics' OLED TV.
The LCD TV made with the BLU using the quantum dot (QD) material got one step closer to the OLED TV obtaining the 100% of NTSC which was only available for OLED.
The key is the contrast ratio.
Along with LG Electronics, Panasonic and Skyworth joined the UHD TV industry as releasing the 55-inch, 65-inch and 77-inch UHD OLED TVs at CES2015.
In response to this, the LCD TV manufacturers unveiled numerous new LCD TVs at CES2015 combining different technologies of QD, HDR, and curved design.
OLED is catching up with LCD in terms of resolution and LCD began to compete with OLED in respect of curvature and color.
There were competitions with regard to resolution between OLED and LCD in the history of smartphones. As the resolution of small and medium LCD improves in order to distinguish itself from OLED starting from 200ppi in 2010 to over 500ppi through the Retina (326ppi), OLED accomplished the equivalent resolution through the FMM mask and pentile technologies.
The LCD TV industries are anticipated to develop products with ultrahigh resolution in consideration of the small and medium OLED. And the OLED TV industries are reviewing the technologies to answer to this trend of ultrahigh resolution.
The resolution over 8K is available for OLED TV by either converting the bottom emission structure which is currently applied to the existing 4K OLED TV to the top emission structure with higher aperture ratio or producing the RGB OLED panel with the solution process.
Sony already developed and introduced the world's first 4K OLED TV with the top emission technology at CES2013. Employed for Samsung Electronics' Galaxy series, the top emission structure can be applied to a large area but the complication is in the transparent encapsulation.
It is hard to use the frit technology currently used in small and medium to a large OLED for its durability issue. The hybrid encapsulation method using the transparent encapsulation film emerges as the optimum alternative and the developments are set in that direction.
The substantial market growth is expected as the transparent hybrid encapsulation technology is critical in realizing a large area flexible OLED and transparent OLED besides the ultrahigh resolution using the top emission.
G Watch R and Galaxy Gear S by LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics respectively were disassembled to see their structures. First of all, much of the internal and external design concepts were quite similar. Claiming to be the classical sports type watch, the G Watch R is a smart watch emphasizing the sense of watch rather than its diverse smart functions while Galaxy Gear S was produced with a design of fashion watch. From dismantling both products, it was revealed that for G Watch R, the plastic OLED display which corresponds to the plate of watch is attached to the glass of the watch as shown by removing the back plate by unscrewing from the back side just like a regular watch and internal components, but for Galaxy Gear S, the flexible OLED panel was attached to the front side with adhesive so that the window detaches as applying heat to the front side.
In terms of the module design aspect including display, G Watch R shows dualised touch whereas Galaxy Gear S shows neatly unified look as FPCB. As the flexible OLED that Samsung Display is producing uses the touch screen of on-cell method, there is only one FPCB but for the plastic OLED of LG Display, it has the touch of add-on method, expected to have two FPCB to give signals.
The radiation design is critical in the smart watch as a variety of components are concentrated in it. In case of G Watch R, the sections for the plastic OLED and electronic components are divide with a radiation sheet in between. For Galaxy Gear S, there is a small radiation sheet in the plastic component which separates the metal Foil assumed to be the Cu film to reduce heat generated from the display in the back side of display (refer to the image above) and component.
Overall, the conclusion drawn from disassembling both products analyzed that G Watch R took the design of classical watch not only for the look but also the internal structures while Galaxy Gear S, the strong one in the smart phone market, seems to be a fashionable device inheriting the genes of a smart phone.
The DVCE (Display Valley Conference & Exhibition), supported by Samsung Display is held in every November in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do as one of the major events in the region which has established its position as a mecca of display industry. It is an international conference created by the active support from Samsung Display for the purpose of local development and industrial development of display business and it is the 10th year of DVCE in 2014.
In the first day of DVCE on the 11th, Hak-sun Kim, the vice president of Samsung Display gave a key note speech titled "Display Beyond Imagination", suggesting the future directions for display through humanistic considerations.
Given that most of display related conferences or seminars are primarily of hardware or technology associated contents, this was the first occasion that the directions for the future display was proposed. Comparing the display with the history of art, Kim defined a new technology market to converge analog and digital. He mentioned the necessity to produce creative display by employing new functions in display as famous art masters have created innovative artworks by developing various techniques.
In particular, he has emphasized that it is critical to produce a human-friendly product as a human interface through fundamental understanding and reflection on the light and human eyes when developing a display. Kim proposed a vision for the future of the convergence product equipped with varied functions like lighting and eye, bio sensor, haptic sensor, etc. through the techniques employed by the artists like lighting and perspective, trompe I'oeil, texture, etc.
Kim expressed sincere regret for the decrease of display industry in Korea where new products are no longer produced, claiming the need for engineers who develop displays to converge and combine by means of humanistic consideration in order to promote display industry.
The Chinese display companies like Visionox, Tianma, etc. are preparing the development and commercialization of OLED panel with BOE at the head. To keep up with the present leading company, Samsung Display, these second movers must be equipped with both product quality and reasonable price.
As the front runners of OLED panel, Samsung Display is maintaining the exclusive market for rigid type OLED which is made of a glass, and LG Display is producing the plastic (flexible) OLED panel using PI substrate for mobile devices.
The OLED panel is produced in QD resolution as a mobile device changes to adopt a high-resolution, but it is not a real resolution but uses a pentile method. For Samsung Display and LG Display are the two leading companies of the OLED industry, the supply chain is very firmly structured. So the relatively latecomers in this industry have difficulties in getting good materials and components from the suppliers who have intimate relationship with these two companies from the materials to equipment and components providers.
Furthermore, the established companies are managing and controlling the ecology of the industries to exclude the rival companies, preventing suppliers from providing products to the competing companies or late starters. Due to these strategies, the new comers are unable to secure sufficient resources for the development.
A typical component is a shadow mask which is critical for high-resolution. Known as a fine metal mask, this mask is an essential element to produce a high-resolution OLED of RGB structure and the shadow mask made of about a 40um thin plate to produce the high-resolution OLED which is more than 300 ppi but it is hard to find suppliers for the late comers.
BOE is seriously reviewing the matter of developing the OLED of WRGB structure to solve the shadow mask issue. The WRGB OLED does not require a fine metal mask as it uses the emitting materials in layers. The WRGB OLED creates the white light and realizes colors through the color filter.
Tianma is in the process of developing the slot type mask splitting the shadow mask.


text:
Q: Custom microprocessor getting hot We're working on using an embedded microprocessor on a custom board. We've gone through a couple of prototype boards and finally have come to a design that our team was satisfied. We've tested about 30 of these boards and have been satisfied. As always, we always test all voltage test points for shorts and measure their values when the device is turned on to assure all test points are operating at their correct voltage value.
We recently received a new batch of boards of the same revision and noticed that the TI microprocessor part was heating up very quickly. The issue came up when we were installing the Linux OS and a warning came up that the microprocessor was over 100C on the debug shell.
Before powering on the device, we went through our resistance and visual checks to assure no shorts. None of the voltage rails to the MPU showed a difference in resistance compared to the working boards. All voltage rails from the PMIC to the MPU were at their correct operating voltage value. Visual inspection didn't show any shorts or bridges on the peripherals to the uP. We've seen this issue on the first three boards from this batch.
I'm not sure where the assembly house received thid batch of microprocessors, since I wasn't heavily involved in that process. Due to the chip shortages we are seeing, I wouldn't be surprised if they had to go to an unauthorized vendor to acquire the chips. Is there a chance that these chips might be fakes/duds? Would it be worth getting an X-ray on the part to see if there are any shorts on one of the pins?

A: This sounds like a late night. While probing with the scope also monitor the current, if you hit an oscillating point it may stop and not show on the scope but the current may drop. Also check your power supply to be sure it is solid. Possibly a erroneous part got installed. Also validate your heat sinking system to be sure it is working properly. Be sure no other parts are getting hot, if so they may be causing your problem. Be sure ground is ground on all the interconnected systems.


Today the Vegetarian Cooking Group shared great fun cooking Thai food and savoring the finished products together for lunch at a member's beautiful Chia home where nature surrounds. They enjoyed a surprisingly large turnout of 18 members. The fanfare of the fun time came with an exotic dessert plate of rice with mango with coconut sauce. Yum!


Some people are just plain stupid. I can't tell if this lady is just stupid or weird though.
Believe it or not, there is a lot of fraud in Russia on their roadways (accidents, for example), so many people in Russia get a dash cam for their cars.
I bet this guy never thought he would have to rely on his dash cam to get him out of this one. A woman ran up to this car, which stopped far short of making contact with her, and began to simulate a hit. She slammed her fists on the hood, which was unconvincing, as she was standing in front of a car at a dead stop.
I don't think the police bought it either, LOL!