Auctions and Debuts and Bosoms, Oh My

Before I jump into all things books, I want to pass along a link to Brenda Novak's Online Auction for Diabetes Research. Brenda began this tradition many years ago, but it's blossomed into THE place for publishing industry heavy hitters to give back and THE place to browse in May for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. If you haven't yet checked it out this year, go. Now. I'll wait. The bid for Stephen King's Danse Macabre is surprisingly low right now as is the African Safari six-night romantic vacation for two. Be sure to read the fine print. This offer excludes telephone and laundry-a romantic stretch for me. The laundry, not the phone. Seriously, from editor and agent evaluations of your manuscript to signed Aerosmith and Jonas Brothers guitars, there's something for everyone. Have fun browsing!



In other exciting news, aside from being a faithful Vortex reader, Kim Lenox's follow-up to her highly successful debut novel, Night Falls Darkly, hit shelves this week. So Still the Night is the second in her Shadow Guard series, which follows a shadowy order of immortals tasked with tracking down and reclaiming the most evil and depraved mortal souls. I became such a shameless fangirl after book one that So Still the Night has screeched to the forefront of my to-be-read pile for the weekend. Kim's stories are filled with the dark, rich history of true crimes that plagued Victorian London, unforgettable Alpha heroes, steampunk elements and gifted prose. Visit the Silk & Shadows blog and comment before midnight tonight for a chance to win a free copy. You knew there was a reason you had Vortex on feed, right?

Today, I thought I'd share some of the titles in my absurdly large reading pile. Normally, I don't have more than one book going at a time. My mistake was succumbing to the temptation to read just the first paragraph, okay-the first page, holy crap-is it dinner time? So, this weekend, after Kim's book, here's the lineup:
























Notice how physics completely balances out the Smart Bitches humor? And Peter Abraham's young adult novels were my reward for finishing edits. LOVE him like Stephen King does, I do.

What are you reading?