Art, Eats, and What Other

I haven't done one of these in awhile but now seemed like a good time. I've been reading but haven't seemed to able to finish anything.
Art
artist Karen Hallion has some great artwork that mixes Doctor Who and Disney Princesses, both of which I love. You can find Karen here: Facebook, Deviant Art

Visions are Seldom all They Seem

Come Away With Me

Eats
I like finding new recipes to try out with my picky eaters. I always seem to find something on Steph's weekly menu post on Plain Chicken.
Winter in Michigan (which still hasn't ended no matter what the calendar says) is always a good time to try new slow cooker recipes. One that we tried and liked was the Mississippi Pot Roast.

Recipe
3 lb pot roast (I used a Blade Roast)
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet Au Jus mix
6 pepperoncini peppers
1 stick butter

In a 6-quart slow cooker, add all ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
That's it, no liquid but it still turns out great.

What Other

Just because everyone should enjoy some dancing here's a mash up of Christopher Walken dancing in several of his movies.

New Releases ~ week of 3/24/2014

**All links go to Goodreads

A Match Made in Texas by Katie Lane (#6 Deep in the Heart of Texas)

After the Scandal by Elizabeth Essex (#4 Reckless Brides)
Amelia Bedelia Goes Wild! by Herman Parish (#4 Amelia Bedelia Chapter Books)
Battle of the Beasts by Ned Vizzini, Chris Columbus (#2 House of Secrets)
Below the Surface by Tim Shoemaker (#3 Code of Silence)
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea by Julie Anne Long (#9 Pennyroyal Green)
Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston (#9 Pride)
Blossom Street Brides by Debbie Macomber (#10 Blossom Street (Knitting))
Call of the Siren by Rosalie Lario (#4 Demons of Infernum Series)
Captain Awesome and the Missing Elephants by Stan Kirby (#10 Captain

Awesome)
Cave-in by Joseph Monninger (#2 Stay Alive)
Come Home to Me by Brenda Novak (#6 Whiskey Creek)
Dash of Peril by Lori Foster (#4 Love Undercover)
Dawn's Early Light by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine (#3 Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences)
Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak (#2 Catherine)
Fool Me Twice by Meredith Duran (#3 Rules for the Reckless)
Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton (#2 Hope)
Indigo Dawn by Elle J Rossi (#1 Josie Hawk Chronicle)
Killer Physique by G A McKevett (#19 Savannah Reid)
Moonlight on My Mind by Jennifer McQuiston (#3 Historical Romance)

Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman (#1 Amish Village Mysteries)
Notorious by Allison Brennan (#1 Maxine Revere)
Path of the Archon by Andy Chambers (#3 Warhammer : Dark Eldar)
Recklessly Royal by Nichole Chase (#2 Royal)
Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel by Christopher L Bennett (#2 Star Trek: Enterprise)
Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts (#2 Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy)
Six Months by Dannika Dark (#2 Seven)
Sunstone by Freya Robertson (#2 Heartwood)
Take This Cup by Bodie Thoene (#2 Jerusalem Chronicles)
Taken With You by Shannon Stacey (#8 The Kowalski Family)
Tame Me by J. Kenner (#1 Stark International)
The Alpine Yeoman by Mary Daheim (#25 Emma Lord Mysteries)

The Berkeley Square Affair by Teresa Grant (#4 Malcolm & Suzanne Rannoch)
The Brightest Night by Tui T Sutherland (#5 Wings of Fire)
The Coal Black Asphalt Tomb by David Handler (#10 Berger and Mitry)
The Reading Circle by Ashton Lee (#2 Cherry Cola Book Club)
The Revenant of Thraxton Hall by Vaughn Entwistle (#2 Paranormal Casebooks of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell by Paula Quinn (#1 The McGregors: Highland Heirs)
The Unfairest of Them All by Shannon Hale (#2 Ever After High: Storybook of legends)
Three Weeks with a Bull by Cat Johnson (#3 Oklahoma Nights)
Three Weeks With Lady X by Eloisa James (#7 Desperate Duchesses)
To'Aga by John Enright (#3 Jungle Beat)
Truth and Fear by Peter Higgins (#2 Wolfhound Century)
Twisted by Emma Chase (#2 Tangled)
Unwound by Lorelei James (#2 Mastered)
Waiting On You by Kristan Higgins (#3 Blue Heron)
Waking the Dead by Heather Graham (#2 Cafferty and Quinn)
Wallflower Gone Wild by Maya Rodale (#2 Bad Boys & Wallflowers)
What a Hero Dares by Kasey Michaels (#4 The Redgraves)
What a Reckless Rogue Needs by Vicky Dreiling (#2 The Sinful Scoundrels)
Win or Lose by Alex Morgan (#3 The Kicks)

Review ~ Elfquest: The Searcher and The Sword

Elfquest: The Searcher and The Sword 

by Wendy Pini, Richard Pini
published by ElfQuest
genre: Fantasy, Graphic Novel

Summary (Goodreads): Led by Cutter, the elfin Wolfriders have experiences equal parts triumph and tragedy, loss and gain. Now, the elves must adapt to a world without the Troll smiths, who forged their weapons and tools. Still in shock and recovering from her parents violent deaths, Shuna, the adopted human daughter of Cutter and Leetah, must cope with a rugged new world full of strange rules and pitfalls. Painfully aware that shes simply a human girl whos surrounded by impossibly beautiful, magical beings, Shuna embarks on a quest hoping to unite elf and humankind in peace.

My Thoughts: Picked this graphic novel up on a whim while looking through the libraries shelves. I have not read any other Elfquest comics and am not really familiar with this world/characters.
I liked the illustrations throughout the story. For the most part it was easy to tell the difference between the characters which I've found is not always the case. I also liked that it was full color front to back.
This story focuses mainly on two characters and quests that they decide to take. I found myself more interested in the making of a sword than in Shuna's quest to unite the human and elf world. While her story dealt with a more serious issue, more seemed to happen underground in the troll caves.
Overall, there were highs and lows with this story. Part of this may have been because I wasn't familiar with the characters. I can see why there were so many positive reviews for this series and could see myself reading some of the originals.

Rating: 4

Off Topic ~ Doctor Who Fan Art

I have always enjoyed art, especially any type of fantasy art. Today I'm sharing some fan art that I have come across for Doctor Who. All links go to artist/art page.

Doctor Who- Cute Collection
by cute loot 

Same Software, Different Case
by sugarpoultry

Michael has done a Doctor Burton fan art for all the Doctors. Showing 9 since he is my favorite.

Doctor Burton 9
by MichaelthePure

Review ~ Fables: Homelands

Fables: Homelands, Vol. 6

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, David Hahn, Steve Leialoha
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fantasy, Fairy-Tale, Retellings

Summary (Goodreads): Collecting issues #34-41 of writer Bill Willingham's Eisner Award-winning creation, Homelands follows Boy Blue on a mission of revenge as he uncovers the Adversary's true identity! Plus, the two-part story of Jack's adventures in Hollywood and the one-shot story of Mowgli's return to Fabletown.

My Thoughts: This was another big volume. A lot going on and reveals that we have been waiting for since volume 1.
I didn't dislike Jack's story but at the same time I'm not sure I would have read it if it hadn't been included with other stories. Jack has always been up to one scheme or another so finding him in Hollywood making his name as well known as Snow's, so he wold be immortal, made sense for his character. The ending made it seem like he was disappearing for good but I cannot imagine him not coming up with some way to get into something else.
I enjoyed Blue's adventures in the Homelands.  I've been waiting for this reveal and when it happened I was a little underwhelmed. At first I thought okay this works but they lost me when the Adversary started telling his story. There is still a lot of potential with this character, especially with how it ended between him and Blue.
Overall, a lot happened in this volume. Both the writing and the graphics were what I have come to expect from this series. As long as they keep entertaining me I'll keep reading.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Stolen Songbird

Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)

by Danielle J. Jensen
published by Strange Chemistry
expected release date: April 1, 2014
genre: Fantasy, Romance, 

**eGalley received from netGalley/publisher in exchange for honest review.


Summary (Goodreads): For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

My Thoughts: For a debut book this was a really great read. I could not stop reading it. Even when I had other things to do, I just kept telling myself 5 more minutes. One of my favorite things was the fact that there was a romance without either a triangle or insta-love.
Cecile was an interesting character. She started as a strong female that was getting ready to jump feet first into a future she had been working her whole life towards only to have it all pulled out from under her. The author did a good job making her feelings, to the different things that happen while she is in Trollus, believable. Watching her go through every emotion possible with Tristan made their falling in love a natural thing. Cecile spent a lot of time not only trying to find out more about him but about this new world that she is forced to live in.
Overall, this story has a lot of everything that I enjoy in a book. There is court politics, messed up family drama, and a great fantasy world. Along with a subtle reveal of what the trolls really are this is a series that I cannot wait to read more of.

Rating: 5

Review ~ Fables: The Mean Seasons

Fables: The Mean Season, Vol. 5

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Tony Atkins, Jimmy Palmiotti
genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fairy-Tales, Retelling

Summary (Goodreads): Fables is the hugely imaginative story of a group of fairy tale characters exiled from their mythical homelands and forced into a secret existence in modern-day America. Featuring such familiar names as Snow White, Prince Charming and Bigby (formerly Big Bad) Wolf, this is hard-edged fantasy in the grand tradition of The Sandman. Exploring, amongst other tales, the strange story of Dog Company—involving the hair-raising escapades of Bigby Wolf during World War II and how he dealt with an underhanded Nazi experiment! Volume five of this superb Titan series continues to explore this surreal underworld created by scribe extraordinaire Bill Willingham

My Thoughts: After the huge battle in the last volume this set really felt like filler/transition stories. There were some good stories with some better graphics.
My favorite had to be Bigby's war story. The Big Bad Wolf vs Frankenstein. I liked the way it was told and why. I also liked Bigby's father showing up to meet and help out with his new grandkids. Hope to see more of them. That said, I wasn't thrilled with Snow being relegated to the Farm. Not crazy about the new regime. Charming, Beast, and Beauty just don't work as well for me right now. This may change but not so far.
I'm really enjoying this series and am glad that I have so many more to go before I am caught up.

Rating: 4 mainly for Bigby's story and the graphics

New Releases ~ week of 3/10/2014

Aftershock by Sylvia Day (#2 Cosmo Red Hot Reads)

All Out War Part 1 by Robert Kirkman (#20 Walking Dead)
Amelia Earhart: Lady Lindy by Ann Hood (#8 Treasure Chest)
Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer (#4 Clifton Chronicle)
Big Nate: In the Zone by Lincoln Peirce (#17 Big Nate)
Blood and Iron by Jon Sprunk (#1 Book of the Black Earth)
Captured in Surrender by Liliana Hart ( #3 1001 Dark Nights)
Dancing with Fireflies by Denise Hunter (#2 Chapel Ridge)
Distortion by Terri Blackstock (#2 Moonlighter)
Dragon on Trial by Kari Sutherland, Tui T Sutherland (#2 Menagerie)
Harry's Sacrifice by Bianca D'Arc (#5 Resonance Mates)

Kissing in Italian by Lauren Henderson (#2 Flirting in Italian)
Mindscape by M M Vaughan (#2 Ability)
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (#8 Mercedes Thompson)
Night of the Hunter by R. A. Salvatore (#1 Companions Codex)
Perfect Catch by Sierra Dean (#2 Boys of Summer)
Providence Rag by Bruce DeSilva (#3 Liam Mulligan)
Resistance by Jenna Black (#2 Replica Trilogy)
Ruins by Dan Wells (#3 Partials)
Say It Ain't So by Josh Berk (#2 Lenny Norbeck Mysteries)
Sinners at the Altar by Olivia Cunning (#6 Sinners on Tour)
Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull (#1 Five Kingdoms)
Stolen Desire by Tina Donahue (#4 Outlawed Realm)

Stone Cold by C. J. Box (#14 Joe Pickett)
The Edge of the Water by Elizabeth George (#2 Whidbey Island)
The Innocent by Shiloh Walker (#4.5 FBI Psychics)
The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson (#2 Strands of Bronze and Gold)
The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths (#6 Ruth Galloway Mystery)
The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain (#1 Into the Dark)
Working God's Mischief by Glen Cook (#4 Instrumentalities of the Night)
Yeti Rescue by Eleanor Hawken (#2 Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird)

Book Review ~ The Stepsister Scheme

The Stepsister Scheme (Princess #1)

by Jim C Hines
published by DAW
genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fairytale, Retellings,

Summary (Goodreads): You know how all those old fairy tales take you through lots of scary adventures till you finally reach that inevitable line: "And they lived happily ever after..." Guess what? It's not true. Life in never-never land isn't all sweetness and light. Cinderella - whose real name is Danielle Whiteshore (nee Danielle de Glas) - does marry Prince Armand. And (if you can ignore the pigeon incident) their wedding is a dream-come-true.

But not long after the "happily ever after," Danielle is attacked by her stepsister Charlotte, who suddenly has all sorts of magic to call upon. And though Talia - otherwise known as Sleeping Beauty - comes to the rescue (she's a martial arts master, and all those fairy blessings make her almost unbeatable), Charlotte gets away.

That's when Danielle discovers a number of disturbing facts: Armand has been kidnapped and taken to the realm of the Fairies; Danielle is pregnant with his child; and the Queen has her very own Secret Service that consists of Talia and Snow (White, of course). Snow is an expert at mirror magic and heavy-duty flirting.

Can three princesses track down Armand and extract both the prince and themselves from the clutches of some of fantasyland's most nefarious villains?

My Thoughts: I'm not really familiar with the darker fairytales. I mostly know the basic Disney tales with a few side facts here or there that come from other tellings. This is definitely not a Disney story.
The author has created an interesting world. Both Snow White and Sleeping beauty's stories have already taken place. After the tragedy of their stories they both end up living with Cinderella's mother-in-law as a secret group that takes care of things the King would be better off not knowing.
Danielle (Cinderella) is still newly married when this starts and not confident in her place. I liked watching her grow as a character. While she still had doubts about her abilities, she still did what had to be done in order to protect her child and try and save the Prince.
Talia (sleeping beauty) was probably my favorite. There was something about how able she was (do to the gifts from the fairys) and yet she was also the most damaged of the three. Hearing bits of her story throughout just made her that much stronger.
Overall, I always enjoy finding new retellings of old stories and this one didn't disappoint. From finding out how and why the stepsister were suddenly able to pull all this off to the whole world of Fairytown, it kept me engaged in the story. I liked that there was an HEA in this story even if it wasn't what you normally think of one. I'm looking forward to reading the next story and watching the bonds and abilities of these three princesses grow.

Rating: 4

New Releases ~ week of 3/3/2014

A Bride for the Baron by Jo Ann Brown (#2 Sanctuary Bay)

A Cast Is the Perfect Accessory by Allison Gutknecht (#2 And Other Lessons I've Learned)
A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay Penman (#5 Eleanor of Aquitaine)
A Real Live Hero by Kimberly Van Meter (#2 Sinclairs of Alaska)
A Simple Hope by Rosalind Lauer (#2 Lancaster Crossroads)
About Face by Adam Gittlin (#2 Deal Trilogy)
Ambush Valley by Dusty Richards (#5 Byrnes Family Ranch)
Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine (#1 Finding Fate)
Black Horizon by James Grippando (#11 Jack Swyteck)
Board Stiff by Annelise Ryan (#5 Mattie Winston)
Bone Deep by Randy Wayne White (#21 Doc Ford)
Brooklyn Graves by Triss Stein (#2 Erica Donato)
City of Darkness and Light by Rhys Bowen (#13 Molly Murphy)

Cole's Redemption by J D Tyler (#5 Alpha Pack)
Dangerous by Shannon Hale
David by Grace Burrowes (#9 Lonely Lords)
Dead Between the Lines by Denise Swanson (#3 Devereaux Dime Store Mystery)
Death Sworn by Leah Cypess (#1 Deathsworn)
Deceiving Lies by Molly McAdams (#2 Forgiving Lies)
Degree of Risk  by Lindsay McKenna (#4 Shadow Warriors)
Desperately Seeking Suzanna by Elizabeth Michels (#2 Tricks of the Ton)
Exposure by Kathy Reichs, Brendan Reichs (#4 Virals)
Feel the Rush by Kelsie Leverich (#2 Hard Feelings)
Fool's Hollow by James A Owen (#1 Fool's Hollow)

Four Years Later by Monica Murphy (#4 Drew + Fable)
Half Bad by Sally Green (#1 Half Life Trilogy)
Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire (#3 Incryptid)
Hanging Judge by James Axler (#115 Deathlands)
Hope Rearmed by S. M. Stirling, David Drake (#1 General)
Iced to Death by Peg Cochran (#3 Gourmet De-Lite Mysteries)
In the Shadow of Jezebel by Mesu Andrews (#4 Treasure of His Love)
It's Always Been You by Jessica Scott (#5 Coming Home)
Jonathan And Amy by Grace Burrowes (#8.6 Windham)
Keeping Mum by Alyse Carlson (#3 Garden Society Mysteries)
Kissing with Fangs by Ashlyn Chase (#3 Flirting with Fangs Trilogy)
Let the Storms Break by Shannon Messenger (#2 Let the Sky Fall)

Murder in Pigalle by Cara Black (#14 Aimee Leduc)
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (#2 Others)
Oathbreaker by Martin Jensen (#2 King's Hounds)
One Night, Second Chance by Robyn Grady (#3 Hunter Pact)
Passionately Yours by Cara Elliott (#3 Hellions of High Street)
Pearls and Poison by Duffy Brown (#3 Consignment Shop Mysteries)
Poisoned Ground by Sandra Parshall (#6 Rachel Goddard Mysteries)
Primal Fury by Jack Silkstone (#3 PRIMAL)
Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger (#5 Origami Yoda)
Reaper's Vow by Sarah McCarty (#2 The Shadow Reapers)
River of Nightmares by Alex Archer (#47 Rogue Angel)
Sapphires Are an Earl's Best Friend by Shana Galen (#3 Jewels of the Ton)

Seduced by Fire by Tara Sue Me (#1 Partners in Play)
Shadowmaster by Susan Krinard (#3 Nightsiders)
Shunned and Dangerous by Laura Bradford (#3 Amish Mystery)
Silence of the Wolf by Terry Spear (#13 Heart of the Wolf)
Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron (#1 Dream War Saga)
Some Like It Wild by M Leighton (#2 The Wild Ones)
Spinning in Her Grave by Molly MacRae (#3 Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery)
Spirited by Mary Behre (#1 Tidewater)
Steadfast by Claudia Gray (#2 Everything Goes)
Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs (#15 Tea Shop Mysteries)
Sweet Delivery by Sheryl Berk (#5 Cupcake Club)
Ten for Dying by Mary Reed, Eric Mayer (#10 John the Eunuch)

The Agent's Secret Past by Debby Giusti (#6 Military Investigations)
The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black (#1 Philip Marlowe)
The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler, Justin Scott (#7 Isaac Bell)
The Dark Affair by Maire Claremont (#3 Mad Passions)
The Disappeared by Kristina Ohlsson (#3 Fredrika Bergman)
The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett (#2 The Arkwell Academy)
The Player by Brad Parks (#5 Carter Ross Mystery)
The Rebel Pirate by Donna Thorland (#2 Renegades of the Revolution)
The Return of Brody McBride by Jennifer Ryan (#1 The McBrides)
The Sylph Hunter by L. J. McDonald (#4 Sylph)
The Texas Renegade Returns by Charlene Sands (#9 Texas Cattleman's Club: The Missing Mogul)
The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (#2 Memoir by Lady Trent)

The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor by Jay R Bonansinga (#5 The Governor Trilogy)
The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski (#1 Winner's Trilogy)
Theirs To Cherish by Shayla Black (#8 Wicked Lovers)
Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig (#3 Edge of Freedom)
Til Death by Kate Evangelista (#1 Fractured Souls)
Toxic by Rachel Van Dyken (#2 Ruin)
Turn Up the Heat by Kimberly Kincaid (#1 Pine Mountain)
Werewolf in Las Vegas by Vicki Lewis Thompson (#6 Wild About You)
What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell (#1 Manley Maids)
Why Kings Confess by C S Harris (#9 Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery)
Wicked Little Secrets by Kara Taylor (#2 Prep School Confidential)
Willing Sacrifice by Shannon K Butcher (#8 Sentinel Wars)
Winning Over the Wrangler by Linda Ford (#5 Cowboys of Eden Valley)
Wolf's Cut by W D Gagliani (#5 Nick Lupo)
Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson (#2 Stormlight Archive)
Wrecked by Tricia Fields (#3 Josie Gray Mystery)

(mini) Book Review ~ BackUp

BackUp (The Dresden Files #10.3)

by Jim Butcher
published by Subterranean
genre: Adult. Urban Fantasy, Supernatural

Summary (Goodreads): Let's get something clear right up front. I'm not Harry Dresden. Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44 revolver in his pocket. He'll spit in the eye of gods and demons alike if he thinks it needs to be done, and to hell with the consequences--and yet somehow my little brother manages to remain a decent human being. I'll be damned if I know how. But then, I'll be damned regardless. My name is Thomas Raith, and I'm a monster. So begins "Backup" a twelve thousand word novelette set in Jim Butcher's ultra-popular Dresden Files series. This time Harry's in trouble he knows nothing about, and it's up to his big brother Thomas to track him down and solve those little life-threatening difficulties without his little brother even noticing.

My Thoughts: This is a short story from the Dresden Files. I really liked that it was told from Thomas' POV. He is one of my favorite vamps in any series and it was nice to get a glimpse of this world from someone else's eyes.
Thomas finds out from his sister from that other family that a group they have been trying to wipe out in the Oblivion war has just hired Harry to help with a fake kidnapping. The real purpose is to get a book into the Harry's hands in order to keep them in existence.
Even without remembering what was going on in the series at this point, it was still a great read that gave a little more insight into one of my favorites.

Rating: 5