OK, not really – at least, not ALL of the time! LOL Yeah, I’ll talk about myself some here, what’s going on, random thoughts, and the like. But I’ll also share things I’ve enjoyed, such as books, movies, tv shows, restaurants, whatever. I’ll post links to my reviews for Amazon Vineand Wild on Books, links to interviews I’ve done, recipes, jokes, and more. And I welcome your feedback and discussion via comments. So, that means it isn’t really all about me, I reckon… LOL
 I had the very great privilege of reading an Advance Bound Manuscript (ABM) of S.J. Day’s upcoming paranormal release from Tor, EVE OF DARKNESS. After finishing the first book in what will be a new trilogy, I am even more excited than I already was about it!
See, S.J. Day is a new pen name for an author who is already on my favorites list, Sylvia Day.   I’ve loved both the historical romances and paranormal romances that she has published under that name, and this new series takes her to a whole new level with a story that is a bit edgier than we have yet seen from this talented writer.
ANd edgy is VERY good.
Eve is an interior decorator until one decidely strange and life-altering encounter. That encounter brings the one man she could never forget back into her life.
And then the REALLY weird stuff starts happening. Turns out she is now some sort of super demon-slayer working for none other than God himself. OK, so she reports to one of his archangels, not directly to the Lord, but that’s who she works for nonetheless.
Oh, and she starts seeing demons. Like, EVERYWHERE. Worse, she can smell them. Ew.Â
By the way, guess who her mentor is? Yep, the ex-boyfriend who walked out on her years ago. The one she has quite a bit of trouble resisting despite that. Oh yeah, and his brother is the guy that handles all her assignments.Â
Did I mention those brothers are none other than Cain and Able? Yes, THAT Cain and Able. And they still don’t get along. But they fill out an intriguing little love triangle with Eve…
EVE OF DARKNESS is one highly addictive, sexy paranormal with a great slant on an age-old story. There are three books planned in the MARKED series, and they will release back-to-back in 2009.
EVE OF DARKNESS – May 2009
EVE OF DESTRUCTION – June 2009
EVE OF CHAOS – July 2009
I think the decision to release each of these books so close together is a brilliant one. These books are more like a serial than the standard series. I liken it to J.R.R. Tolkien’s LORD OF THE RINGS books in that they feel like sections of one big story, but each have a sense of closure for that part of the story even though there are still some major mysteries yet to be unraveled in the later books.Â
I know I for one will be eating these stories up.
Oh, the first one is already available for pre-order at Amazon.com. Click the Amazon link on the right side of this post to see the product page for EVE OF DARKNESS at Amazon.com!
Like I said before, I read an ABM, which is not the same as an ARC, so this is not an official review. When the release date for EVE OF DARKNESS is closer, I’ll be reading a finished copy or an ARC (crosses fingers!) and writing an official review for Wild on Books.  Meanwhile, enjoy an official excerpt in the widget below from S.J. Day.
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.Â
Did I mention that about the wait staff? Yeah, they were definitely bustling.  Almost immediately after I was seated, a server arrived to take my beverage order, which she brought right away. A few minutes later, my server arrived. I had no idea that the first server was not for me. She simply saw a guest that needed a drink and she got it. There was no, ‘but that’s not my table’ attitude here. As I watched the staff, I saw they operated that way the entire time – as a team. They were all about doing whatever it takes to make the customer’s dinner a pleasant one.
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So back to my problem. When my dinner finally arrived, it was right after Sean had stopped by to let me know it would be out in less than two minutes and that a manager was going to bring it personally. That manager, Jason, arrived almost on Sean’s heels, and was just as solicitous and apologetic as Sean was.Did I mention that at no time did I actually get mad or express any frustration or upset? Nope, they were apologetic simply because THEY knew that they were late with my meal. To be perfectly frank, with the bread basket, the soda refills and a good book to read, I really didn’t begin to notice how long it was taking until Sean brought it to my attention first. If he hadn’t, I might have become a bit irate when I realized it on my own. Instead, he headed off the potential for my upset before it happened simply by telling me what was going on. Â
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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.
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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!Â
When I was nearly finished with my meal, Tonda, who I believe was another manager, stopped by to deliver the promised muffins and another apology. She was just as warm and sincere as Jason and Sean had been, and again I was impressed by how important they seem to consider each and every one of their customers.As I left the restaurant, even the hostess and other employees up front wished me a good evening and extended yet another apology for the long delay on my meal.
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!
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Oh, and Sean? The dinner may have been comped, but he more than earned a gratuity. I tipped him $10, which was all the cash I had in my purse. I had planned to pay with debit card, but I don’t think they can run a debit card for just a tip… LOL I hope the tip showed Sean just how much I appreciated his hard work and consideration this evening.
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Despite their problems tonight, I mean it when I say I had a very good dining experience. Mistakes happen to everyone, and I can most certainly understand the effect of a busy kitchen being down two workers during the dinner rush. Success in the service industry is not about never making a mistake – it is about how you handle those mistakes when they do happen. It is about treating your customers with respect and consideration. It is about working as a team to ensure that your customers receive value for their hard-earned dollars.
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.Â
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:
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.
June was a pretty hectic month…Â 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!
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.Â
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.Â
I used the Contact Us link under the Help menu in the top right corner of the eBay screen. Â
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!
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!