Wine & Rumours

For years I’ve meant to stop in this little wine and art bar not far from my office.  Today I visited the website for Rumours Wine & Art Bar and found that they happen to have a wine tasting every other Wednesday night.  Now wouldn’t you just know that tonight happened to be one of those tastings!  J  So of course I took that as a sign that I had to go…

The wine tasting was from 5-8 and I arrived about 5:30pm.  Tonight they had a selection of four of their favorite winter red wines.  Red just happens to be my favorite for wine. 

I was greeted by no less than three of their employees almost immediately upon entering the building.  I was also welcomed by the wine distributor who was there to serve the wine and talk about the different vintages in detail.

I have to say, I loved the atmosphere and the welcome.  Everyone was so friendly and warm, both employees and customers.  It’s the kind of place where no one really feels like a complete stranger.  The building is tiny from the outside, but inside it simply feels intimate.  Very nice.

For such a small place, they boast a very nice, extensive wine selection.  I’m definitely going to have to go back with a friend soon so I can try some of the interesting selections that are only offered by the bottle.  I love wine, but drinking a whole bottle by myself isn’t really an option…  They have a lot of wines by the glass, though, so a customer like me isn’t out of luck.  And of course if you go on the evening of a wine tasting, even better.  The tastings run approximately $20 and you get about a third of a glass of four different wines to taste.  Once you’ve completed the fleet of wines offered in the tasting, you get a full glass of your favorite from the offerings.

I met some really nice people there, both customer and employees and can’t wait to go back soon!  Even if it weren’t for the company, I would go back just for the food and the wine.  They have a small but interesting menu, and have daily specials.  Although the regular menu had several intriguing items, I opted for the pork dish on the specials menu today.  It was tender, with just the right hint of spice, and was served atop a square of potato gratin (thinly sliced potatoes baked with parmesan cheese, I think), asparagus, and a green salad made with mesclun mix – my favorite salad green.  The food tasted amazing.

The service was fabulous and attentive long after the warm welcome and I could have stayed all night, except I had to drive home and I have an early morning staff meeting at work tomorrow.  Dangit.  I will definitely be back for another wine tasting at Rumours Wine & Art Bar soon, though!

Rumours Wine & Art Bar has two locations in the Nashville area – the one I visited on 12^th Avenue this evening and another in East Nashville on Woodland Street.  Check their website for hours of operation and complete addresses. Oh, and don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter!  Website:  http://www.rumourswinebar.com/

My September & October 2008 book reviews

I’m a little late again, but here are links to my book reviews for September and October 2008.  I hope you all enjoy some of these books too!

September 2008

• Strands of Sunlight by Anya Bast
• Sun Stroked by Cathryn Fox
• To All A Good Night by Donna Kauffman, Jill Shalvis, HelenKay Dimon
• Forbidden Fruit by Eden Bradley
• Full Exposure by Evangeline Anderson, Lena Matthews
• Cursed by Jamie Leigh Hansen
• The Devil Wears Tartan by Karen Ranney
• The Last Days of Krypton by Kevin J. Anderson
• Thread of Fear:  The Glass Sisters, Book 1 by Laura Griffin
• The Magical Christmas Cat  by Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, Linda Winstead Jones
• Miss January:  Calendar Girls  by Madison Hayes
• Into the Lair:  Falcon Mercenary Group, Book 2 by Maya Banks
• Seducing the Saint by Melissa Schroeder
• Hunting Mila by Melissa Schroeder
• My Custom Van: And 50 Other Mind-Blowing Essays that Will Blow Your Mind All Over Your Face by Michael Ian Black
• Kiss of a Dark Moon:  Moon Chasers, Book 2 by Sharie Kohler
• Marked by Moonlight:  Moon Chasers, Book 1 by Sharie Kohler
• Tempt Me with Darkness:  The Doomsday Brethren, Book 1 by Shayla Black

October 2008

• Mortal Temptations by Allyson James
• The Chosen Sin by Anya Bast
• The Demon King and I:  The Caruthers Sisters, Book 1 by Candace Havens
• Blood Ties by Cathryn Fox
• Midnight Sins by Cynthia Eden
• The Flame and the Shadow by Denise Rossetti
• Kristen’s Addiction by Evangeline Anderson
• Red and the Wolf by Evangeline Anderson
• Hot as Hell by HelenKay Dimon
• Have Yourself a Naughty Little Santa by Karin Tabke
• A Wolf at Her Door:  Be-Wished, Book 2 by Kate Willoughby
• All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire:  Love at Stake, Book 5 by Kerrelyn Sparks
• In Her Wildest Dreams: Dream Wreaker, Book 2 by Kimberly Dean
• What She Wants At Midnight:  Dream Wreaker, Book 1 by Kimberly Dean
• 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover:  Hex Series, Book 1 by Linda Wisdom
• Hex Appeal:  Hex Series, Book 2 by Linda Wisdom
• Mercury’s War:  The Breeds, Book 16 by Lora Leigh
• Any Given Doomsday:  The Phoenix Chronicles, Book 1 by Lori Handeland
• Be With Me by Maya Banks
• One Silent Night:  Dark-Hunters, Book 13 by Sherrilyn Kenyon
• The Missing by Shiloh Walker
• Alluring Tales 2: Hot Holiday Nights by Vivi Anna, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin, Cathryn Fox, Myla Jackson, Lisa Renee Jones, Sasha White

My book reviews – June, July, & August 2008

Wow. It’s been pretty hectic lately, what with launching Wild on Books, work, and personal life. I just realized I haven’t posted my review links here in a while. So, in the interest of catching up and putting them all in one place, here are my reviews for June, July and August.

I said I was behind, didn’t I? LOL

June 2008

Hide and Seek by Alyssa Brooks

Beyond the Dark by Angela Knight, Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, and Diane Whiteside

Claiming the Courtesan by Anna Campbell

Haley’s Cabin by Anne Rainey

Look What Santa Brought by Annmarie McKenna

Surprise by Arianna Hart

Take Your Medicine by Arianna Hart

Hara’s Legacy: Resonance Mates, Book 1 by Bianca D’Arc

Davin’s Quest: Resonance Mates, Book 2 by Bianca D’Arc

Wolverton Blood by Brenda Williamson

The Lord of Merewood Keep: Medieval Trilogy, Book 1 by C.H. Admirand

The Saxon Bride: Medieval Trilogy, Book 2 by C.H. Admirand

A Scot’s Honor: Medieval Trilogy, Book 3 by C.H. Admirand

At the Edge: The Aislings, Book 1 by Cait London

Wicked Hot by Charlene Teglia

The Midnight Man by Charlotte Mede

Rescue Me by Cherry Adair, Cindy Gerard, Lora Leigh

The Courtesan’s Daughter by Claudia Dain

A Red Hot New Year by Cynthia Eden, Diana Mercury, Virginia Reede, Denise Rossetti

The Dark Garden by Eden Bradley

Lyon: Lords of Satyr, Book 3 by Elizabeth Amber

The Gambler: Wicked West, Book 1 by Eryn Blackwell

Ceremony of Three by Evangeline Anderson

Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy by HelenKay Dimon

Bound To Please by Hope Tarr

Show Me by Jaci Burton

Play with Me by Janice Maynard

Unfinished Business by Jon Hargrove

Home for Christmas by Kate Davies

Pleasure Unbound: Demonica, Book 1 by Larissa Ione

Piazza: Italy’s Heart and Soul by Joe Bauwens & MaryBeth Flower

Lynda’s Lace: City Heat, Book 1 by Lacey Alexander

Carter’s Cuffs: City Heat, Book 2 by Lacey Alexander

Return of the Beast: Knights of White by Lisa Renee Jones

Wild Hunt: Unbound, Book 3 by Lori Devoti

Destiny’s Touch by Mackenzie McKade

Lisa’s Gift by Mackenzie McKade

Second Chance Christmas by Mackenzie McKade

Teaching Elena by Maggie Casper

Let Me Love You by Mary Wine

His Forgotten Forever by Michele Hauf

Blush by Opal Carew

Shadows Across the Moon by S.F. English

Wicked by Sasha White

Bound & Determined by Shelley Bradley

Strip Search by Shelley Bradley

Watch Me by Shelley Bradley

Miracle at Midnight by Stacia Wolf

Star Struck by Susan Greene

Risqué Business by Tawny Weber

Swept Away by Toni Blake

Glorious Companion by Verna Hargrove

Mesopotamian Maiden by Verna Hargrove

July 2008

Lords of the Were by Bianca D’Arc

Sword of Rhoswen by Brenda Williamson

Patience by C.H. Admirand

Somebody’s Lover by Jasmine Haynes

The Last Prophecy by Jennie Andrus

Voyeur by Lacey Alexander

The Price of Desire by Leda Swann

The Duke’s Proposal by Leslie LaFoy

Primal Instincts by Lisa Renee Jones, Cathryn Fox

The Darkest Touch: Demon Hunters, Book 3 by Jaci Burton

Riding Temptation: Wild Riders, Book 2 by Jaci Burton

Nightwalker: Dark Days, Book 1 by Jocelynn Drake

Red by Jordan Summers

Nauti Dreams: Nauti Boys, Book 3 by Lora Leigh

Lost But Not Forgotten by Mackenzie McKade

Six Feet Under by Mackenzie McKade

A Warrior’s Taking: The Sorcerer, Book 1 by Margo Maguire

Secrets and Shadows by Meg Allison

Demon Angel: The Guardians, Book 2 by Meljean Brook

Demon Moon: The Guardians, Book 4 by Meljean Brook

Consumed by Moira McTark

Mine to Possess: Psy-Changelings, Book 4 by Nalini Singh

Dipped in Chocolate by Renee Luke

Lucinda, Darkly: The Demon Princess Chronicles , Book 1 by Sunny

Hot Couture by Tilly Greene

August 2008

The Dragon Master: Dragon Series, Book 3 by Allyson James

A Diamond At Midnight: Bloodlines, Book 1 by Anne Rainey

Millions to Spare by Barbara Dunlop

Jaci’s Experiment: Resonance Mates, Book 3 by Bianca D’Arc

This Year’s Model by Carol Alt

Zack: Armed and Dangerous, Book 1 by Cheyenne McCray

Secrets Volume 25 by Cynthia Eden, Anne Rainey, Sedonia Guillone, Natasha Moore

A Mermaid’s Kiss by Joey W. Hill

One Knight Only by Julia Latham

Secrets of the Knight by Julia Latham

Immortal Warrior by Lisa Hendrix

Wild Card: Elite Ops, Book 1 by Lora Leigh

Surrender To Me by Sophie Jordan

When Bad Things Happen at Good Restaurants

Tonight I dined for the first time at a restaurant called Mimi’s Café.  It took them almost an hour to serve my dinner after I placed my order.But it was still one of the best dining experiences I’ve enjoyed recently.

 

Why is that, you wonder?  Simple – they may have had a problem that caused the kitchen to back up tonight, but they never forgot their customers.  Throughout the entire experience, my server (Sean) was both communicative and attentive, ensuring that I knew what was happening and asking if I needed anything else while I waited.  He never let me feel as if I had simply been forgotten or worse, was unwelcome.  The entire time, I felt as if my business were important to them.

And that goes quite a long way, as far as I am concerned.

At no time did I believe that they were not honestly trying to get my dinner to me.  They were simply backed up.  With an excellent view of the kitchen line, I could see that the manager was on top of the orders and that the kitchen was bustling just as hard as the wait staff was. 

 

When Jason delivered my Blackened Chicken & Bleu Cheese Quesadillas, he insisted that they would be taking care of my meal this evening.  I explained that wasn’t necessary as I understood things happen, and really appreciated the way they had handled the situation, especially commending Sean.  Jason wouldn’t take no for an answer, though, and comped my meal anyway.    He also explained that they had been short two cooks this evening, and just never could seem to catch up with the orders.  I know that they gave it a good effort, because Jason rarely left the order wheel during my entire visit, directing the kitchen staff, calling for food runners as soon as an order was up, and assisting with preparing the orders with extras like dressing on the side, etc.Sean stopped by soon after I began eating to see if everything was alright (the food was delicious), and mentioned that he would be packaging a box of their muffins for me to take home.  He said they give all first-time customers a box of four muffins (Honey oat bran, buttermilk spice, carrot raisin nut, and low fat blueberry) to take with them, and he was going to include a fifth – their current seasonal specialty muffin in a lemon and cream cheese flavor.

 

As I said, my meal was delicious – from the bread basket to the quesadillas themselves.  Sadly, I did not have room for the dessert I had my eye on, Mimi’s Bread Pudding, but I will most definitely be returning soon to try it! 

 

I truly felt welcome and my patronage valued.  Mimi’s Café is a 30 minute drive from my home and workplace, but it will likely become a new regular spot for me.  I cannot say enough good things about them. 

How are the muffins, you ask?  Well, I am still far too full from my dinner to try one tonight, but they look absolutely scrumptious, and I know just what I will be having for breakfast tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

Jennifer A. Ray
www.jenaray.com
www.wildonbooks.com

Plagiarism incident update – EDson Financial Group

Monday morning I faxed my VeRO forms to eBay regarding the three reviews of mine that EDson Financial Group plagiarized.  Monday night I received an email from eBay asking for more detail concerning the issue.  I replied this morning with links to where I’d posted my reviews at Amazon and where EDson posted their stolen copies of them at eBay. 

So far, I’ve heard nothing more from eBay and the reviews are still up at eBay.

In my reply with the additional detail, I urged eBay to examine all of this member’s activity, as the issue extends far beyond my three reviews, and has a current count of 223 reviews, all of which appear to be plagiarized.

Meanwhile, more and more bloggers are spreading the word regarding this issue:

Dear Author

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Kathleen’s Book Reviews

Ramblings on Romance, etc.

Cheryl’s Book Nook

A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

School Library Journal

Lurv à la Mode

Popin’s Lair

Jem’s Thoughts

My blogs – Although each blog post is identical, they may have different comments.  I’m posting links to each so it is easy for interested readers to find them and read others’ comments on the issue.

Wild on Books

Jennifer A. Ray  (Wordpress blog)

Jennifer A. Ray (Blogger blog)

MySpace blog – Jennifer Ray

MySpace blog – Wild on Books

 

I’ll update this list as I learn of more blogs on this subject.

Take care, everyone!

Jennifer A. Ray
www.jenaray.com
www.wildonbooks.com
www.messageboard.wildonbooks.com

Jennifer A. Ray www.jenaray.com www.wildonbooks.com www.messageboard.wildonbooks.com

My June reviews, interviews and more!

June was a pretty hectic month…  I spiffed up a few of the Wild on Books graphics, did interviews with Eden Bradley and Madison Layle, launched the new Wild on Books message board, and we had some great guest bloggers!

Oh yeah, and I guest blogged with Romance Vagabonds, and was Fan of the Week at Toni Blake’s new chat group!

With all of that going on, I didn’t do quite as many reviews this month, but I had some great reads amongst those I did!

My June 2008 Reviews:

Wicked Hot by Charlene Teglia

The Midnight Man by Charlotte Mede

Rescue Me by Cherry Adair, Cindy Gerard, Lora Leigh

Lyon: Lords of Satyr, Book 3 by Elizabeth Amber

Bound To Please by Hope Tarr

Pleasure Unbound: Demonica, Book 1 by Larissa Ione

Piazza: Italy’s Heart and Soul by Joe Bauwens & MaryBeth Flower

Return of the Beast: Knights of White by Lisa Renee Jones

Wild Hunt: Unbound, Book 3 by Lori Devoti

His Forgotten Forever by Michele Hauf

Blush by Opal Carew

Risque Business by Tawny Weber

Mesopotamian Maiden by Verna Hargrove

Have a great week, everyone!

Jennifer A. Ray
www.jenaray.com
www.wildonbooks.com
www.messageboard.wildonbooks.com

Reviewers being PLAGIARIZED

If you are a reviewer who prefers not to be plagiarized, you might want to check the link below.  ‘Edson.financial.group’ has over 200 of other reviewers’ work that they have posted and claimed as their own on eBay. 

 

http://search.reviews.ebay.com/members/edson.financial.group

 

I personally found three of my own reviews being stolen by this person.  I’ve already contacted eBay concerning this.  Of course, the more people who report their hard work being stolen, the better chance that eBay will put a stop to it. 

I used the Contact Us link under the Help menu in the top right corner of the eBay screen.  

http://ebay-us.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ebay_us.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

 

Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke:

• EDson posted March 13, 2008 
• My Review posted February 5, 2008)

Shifter by Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Alyssa Day:

• EDson posted March 20, 2008
• My Review posted February 29, 2008

Witch Blood by Anya Bast:

• EDson posted March 27, 2008 
• My Review posted March 4, 2008

I’m guest blogging at Romance Vagabonds!

I was very honored to be invited to guest blog by the Romance Vagabonds!

Head over to their blog and chime in with your comments or questions… 

Jennifer A. Ray
www.jenaray.com
www.wildonbooks.com
www.messageboard.wildonbooks.com

New reviews at Wild on Books!

I read a lot of great books this month!  I’m so excited about my new review site, Wild on Books, and am having a great time with it. 

I’ve got some interviews lined up with some wonderful authors in the coming month, so be watching for those.  I post announcements concerning new reviews and interviews on the Wild on Books blogs as soon as they happen, so you can subscribe to the RSS Feeds there for quick notification when we have something new.

• Primary Blog:  http://www.blog.wildonbooks.com
• MySpace Blog:  http://blog.myspace.com/wildonbooks

Meanwhile, enjoy the reviews below!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com
http://www.wildonbooks.com

My April 2008 Reviews:

Fallen: Seven Deadly Sins, Book 2 by Erin McCarthy

Something Reckless by Jess Michaels

Beast of Darkness: The Knights of White, Book 3 by Lisa Renee Jones

My May 2008 Reviews:

Tasting Candy by Anne Rainey

Paradise Island by Beverly Rae

FireDrake: Dragon Knights, Book 6 by Bianca D’Arc

Perfect by Bianca D’Arc

Pearl’s Redemption: Irish Western Series, Book 3 by C.H. Admirand

Fallen by Claire Delacroix

Point of Combustion by Dawn Ryder

Kiss of Fury: Dragonfire, Book 2 by Deborah Cooke

Hot Nights, Dark Desires by Eden Bradley, Stephanie Tyler, Sydney Croft

My French Whore by Gene Wilder

Hard as Nails by HelenKay Dimon

Lover Enshrined: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 6 by J.R. Ward

Show and Tell by Jasmine Haynes

Trial By Fire: The Firefighters of Station Five, Book 1 by Jo Davis

The Cougar Meets Her Master: The Cougar Club, Book by KyAnn Waters

Seven Nights of Sin by Lacey Alexander

Wicked Pleasure: Bound Hearts , Book 9 by Lora Leigh

Pursuing Penelope: Incognito, Book 9 by Madison Layle & Anna Leigh Keaton

Reckless by Maya Banks

Still Mine by Mary Wine

A Cruise To Remember by Michelle Hasker

Tigerheart by Peter David

Dangerous Boys and Their Toy by Shayla Black

The Anniversary Party by Sommer Marsden

Ask For It: The Georgian Series, Book 1 by Sylvia Day

Soul by Tobsha Learner

Sleeping With the Devil by Vanessa Marlow

Oh, I love that swirl…

Nope, I’m not talking about Jerry Seinfeld’s signature move from his hit series!  LOL

I went to Arby’s today and got a Berry Delight Swirl Shake.  I’m a sucker for anything fruity, so I couldn’t resist when I read the description of this frozen treat.

From Arbys.com:  “Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and blackberries, oh my!  This refreshing fruit shake is made with all those delightful flavors swirled together and chilled to perfection.”

The flavor absolutely bursts with berry goodness, no joke…  It was bright, refreshing, and tasty enough that I’ll go back again just for that shake even though my Chicken Cordon Bleu was overly salty and my potato cakes were inedible.  The Berry Delight Swirl Shake, however, is a keeper.  Too bad it is only offered for a limited time.