The Monthly Herd--July 2015--the USO, sad veggies & lots and lots of books!

Whew boy! July was a busy one both on and off the blog. On the blog I knocked out a TON of reviews and had the Support the Troops Auction. That took up an insane amount of time early this month but raised just over $3600 for the USO so totally worth it :) Huge thanks to everyone involved in that! We still have a couple items dribbling out to people so if you haven't received yours yet it should be there soon but please contact me just in case (acade29@gmail.com) With 71 auction packs and winners, authors, payments and getting mailing info from everyone to go with each pack things got a little hairy for a second there. lol

Cat Thursday--The Art of Boop-age

Today is all about the art of boop-age.

There are three types of boop-ees at Casa Herding Kitties...

Interview w/ Katie MacAlister--dragons, pizza and saying no to sloths! +giveaway

Hey guys! Today Katie MacAlister is joining us to talk about....*bounces around* dragons!! I lurves me some dragons. Anywho. Katie is the one who started my obsession so kind of squee-ing at her. Come have a visit and be sure to leave her some fun comment love! ~anna

Surrender to Chance (King's Bluff, Wyoming #3) by Fiona Archer

Mmmm yummy double cocked fun :) Okay, not double cocked...exactly..that would be Elizabeth Amber...there were no double hung heroes in Surrender to Chance but there are two sexy heroes and one verra verra lucky heroine they both wanted to use their, erm,  goods on. heh

Okay so the quick of it is that Olivia has gone back home after some messy life stuff and is in need of a bit of a do-over and that do-over lands her working for two rather captivating brothers--Kane and Alex. One rather charming and one rocking some brood and both with an extra helping of dominant male in them. And, really, resistance is just futile so as it was put...'you've heard of carpe diem? Call this carpe cutie' and so she did. lol

July 28th Book Deals!! {New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & Freebies}

All kinds of goodies today! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & some Freebies too!

Quote-tastic/Review--Miss me?!--The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another. 

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and toss up your post :) You can share via FB as well! Just make sure the post is set to Public.

No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.

 Soooo the long awaited release of The Bourbon Kings from JR Ward is what we're all about today. This cover...totally made me drool. Inside it....not quite what I was expecting though riviting nonetheless. Two quotes today. One that made me sign and one that gave me a good gigglesnort...

Interview w/ Jennifer Lyon-- wine, chocolate, puppies & alpha males. *noms*

Hey guys! Alright so today we have Jennifer Lyon joining us! Woots! She's one of the authors I VA for and so much fun. I've not read her as Jennifer Lyon yet but omg her Jennifer Apodaca books? Lurves! Anywho. She's rocking her Lyon side today so come and join us for a drink and a nibble and a little gossip about Caged Magic :)

Randomly Random-- What type of READER are YOU?

Sooo. I'm just curious... What type of reader are YOU??

Dragon Fall (Black Dragons #1) by Katie MacAlister

 Dragon Fall was a fun revisit into the world of her Dragon Septs and all their growly, quirky, arrogant splendor. The quick of it is that 2 years ago Aoife saw a guy get killed...and then come back from the dead. And she kind of flipped her shit and wound up in a mental hospital until they could get her back to the land of the non-crazy. She's finally been released (woohoo!) and things are going great until... a talking demon dog and a bunch of angry dragons show up front and center. One she's got all kinds of lusty thoughts about and a pack of them that are trying to kill her lustworthy dragon. While it wasn't the perfect read it was a fun little dragony romp as the dragons try to break a curse that's been laid down and prevents the different dragon septs from being anywhere near each other without trying to kill or maim one another. So. 5 things about Dragon Fall.

Cat Thursday w/ Jeffe Kennedy-- Oh, the cute!

Hey guys! We're getting meme-jacked today by the lovely Jeffe Kennedy. She's got a new hot read out...Under Contract but today she's totally spilling on her two gorgeous herd babes, Jackson and Isabel. Come check it out and leave her some comment love :) ~anna

Bites & Nibbles-A Quickie Review-Harmonized by Mary Behre

Yay! *bounces up and down* I love this series from Behre so a little snackish novella to tide me over until the next full length...yes, please!  A bit of light suspense, a second chance romance, a little touch of heat and one seriously nom-ish cop. Mmmm. Yes. Harmonized hit all the right notes.

The quick of it is that years ago Karma and Zig had been an item and then she just...disappeared. But all these years later she walks into his squad room in desperate need of help. Her friend nearly died and everyone thinks her baby son was killed. But Karma--who can see auras--is sure he's out there and needs help finding him before it's too late.

The Art of Sinning (Sinful Suitors #1) by Sabrina Jeffries

Oh oh! One of my favorites....an American in England and dealing with all the stuffiness of the ton. An artist, no less! Heh. It's so fun seeing one of those 'crazy American' among the ton. And The Art of Sinning...such a very good time!

The quick of it is that Yvette is in need of a husband...according to her big brother and he's decided to hire a famous painter to do up her portrait in hopes of getting her a bit more notice on the marriage mart. Though the painter in question has another idea of how to immortalize the lovely Yvette in paints and can't help but strike up a deal with her as well. One that'll bring them scandalously close together (yay) as his vision becomes reality and he helps her with her side of the bargain...a trip into the brothels.

Soooo 5 Things about The Art of Sinning.

July 21st Book Deals!! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & Freebies!

All kinds of goodies today! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & some Freebies too!

Quote-tastic/Review-- We are gathered here..--Taming of the Billionaire by Jessica Clare

This week I'm picking Jessica Clare and her newest, Taming of the Billionaire, which features...a cat lady!! Hells yes I'm gonna feature her. This one was a lot of fun. Sexy and then made me cry at the end. But the fun and sexy first. So. basically, the hero and heroine meet because they're both in a wedding party for mutual friends. And the bride wants a bit ta-do which includes everyone getting to know each other during the year before the wedding so she's done a bit of a meet and greet which led to some...bridal party, erm, coming togethers. This first one I just thought was hilarious. It's the groom talking to his groomsmen which includes the hero of this book. That last little bit. #dies!

Tasty Delights-- Homemade Frozen Burritos

Okay so I know this Tasty Delight isn't all that Whoa! but I figured I'd still do it.

One thing I've been trying to do this year is cook ahead and freeze meals so when things are crazy insane here I can still have yummy food and not have to really think about it.

Word from the Herd--Authors shouldn't work for free...but Bloggers should...?

A little bit back and author's post went through my Facebook timeline.

She'd encountered a blogger that mentioned that she didn't charge for review but accepted donations. And the author was wanting people's opinions.

There were some pretty opinionated anti-blogger replies from both authors and reviewers because how dare a blogger ask for monetary...anything. Their "payment" should be the free book and the honor of reading it.

And it's something I wanted to talk about today because it's been bothering me a bit.

Yall, hear me out until the end, please. I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here on the topic ;)

Taming Lily (The Fowler Sisters #3) by Monica Murphy

Fun and sexy! A little edgy too! Taming Lily was my favorite of the series as Lily uncovers a plot against her family's cosmetics company and winds up on the run after those plotting find out she knows about their illegal activities. So...Lily runs to Hawaii to hide for a bit and figure things out only to run into one damn fine man she can't seem to resist and that might be hiding some serious deceptions of his own where she's involved. Dum...dum...dum!!!!

How to Get Lucky (Sexy in NYC #3) by Erin McCarthy

Sweet, sexy and a little silly too! How to Get Lucky was a blast as rock god Marco finally meets his match in a sass-ily sarcastic New Yorker who's...less than enamored with his musical, erm, charms.

The quick of it is that during a night out with friends Allison catches Marco's eye. Not because she's fawning over him and his fame or musical talents but exactly the opposite. Chickie is not impressed with his fame and the gaggle of women following him around and can't quite keep her mouth shut about it. And damn if he can help it but he's...totally captivated and can't resist meeting her sarcastic jabs with a bit of teasing of his own which leads to all kinds of confusing and fun things for both of them when he can't find it in him to stay away.

Cat Thursday--Dubstep

Welcome to the weekly meme hosted by The True Book Addict that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats!

Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of kitteh!

I just...love this kitty. Some of the herd would freaking LOVE it if this was done to them. 

Mo and Jeremy would be ALL over it.

Gladys aka BabyG...would flip her shit. This would NOT fly with her.

omg I would be doomed to stepping on cat puke in bare feet for the rest of ever. lol

Giveaway Smorgasbord! Have a Giveaway? Come list it!

It can be hard to get traction for a giveaway so I thought I might try having a kind of giveaway hop of random giveaways.  I'll start a new link up each month. If you have a giveaway come on and list it whenever you'd like. Love givewaways? Check em all out below!

Safe at Last (Slow Burn #3) by Maya Banks

The quick of it is that years ago Zack was in love but one day she just...disappeared. And he's spent 12 years searching for her and trying to survive the heartache of not knowing what happened to her. And now he's walked into a security job and recognizes a scene from a painting hanging on the wall. One only his lost love would have been able to paint. He's found her! Only Anna-Grace...is terrified of him and he'll be damned if he can figure out why. Add in a bit of drama from some bad guys, a little life or death and trying to figure out what happened all those years ago pretty much consumes Zack's life.

Do Not Forsake Me (Outlaw Hearts #2) by Rosanne Bittner

Well now, I might have found a new author to binge on. Do Not Forsake Me was a wonderful read and incredibly unique. I'd say it's more family saga/romance than a pure historical romance but I loved it. From the characters--who were in their 40s-50s and married 26 years-- to the locale of the frontier to the danger surrounding this family at every turn. A legendary outlaw turned lawman who so many want to take down just to claim they were the ones to kill the legend. A reporter wanting to tell the story of the real man behind that legend. It was just fascinating at every turn.

July 14th Book Deals!! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & Freebies!

All kinds of goodies today! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & some Freebies too!

Quote-tastic/Review--Who you calling pissy?!--The Collar by Tara Sue Me

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another. 

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and toss up your post :) 

No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.

A little naughty for today's Quote-tastic. Tara Sue Me is a new-ish one for me but I'm really loving her BDSM series. I came in mid-way but so far they've both worked as stand alones. Hot reads, emotional with a bit of sweet as well. This one. I couldn't pick just one quote. I ended up *hangs head* with four. <dramatic sigh> Four. They were just too good to pass over. I loved the dynamic between these two...

Love the Herd? Stalk the Herd!

Every once in a bit I like to toss all this at ya'll.

If you enjoy the herd and want to keep up with the herd I'm pretty much all over the place.

So... stalk away!

Tag: The Cat Herder [Edition 9]

Lots of kitteh tags this week. But some man candies too :D And a bit of perving.Yay!

I Want You to Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2) by Erika Kelly

Mmmm yummy rockstars. I Want You To Want Me totally rocked. The set up was pretty unique and fun. Derek's band is on tour and they're making a name for themselves but it's not always a good one. They're self destructing and if they don't pull their shit together very soon they could lose everything. Which brings Violet into their lives. She's a Minder (something I've never read about!) and is there to watch out for them and channel all of their energy into positive endeavors so they don't become yet another band that was taken down by partying, booze and drugs. A mighty clash totally waiting to happen between her and a herd of young rock stars who are living it up and going just a little too wild and crazy.

Interview w/ Maria Geraci-- Arnold Palmer, Captain Crunch &...ghosts?

Hey yall! We've got Maria Geraci joining us for a chat. Yall come say hey and give her a big welcome to the blog!

Truly Madly Montana (Medicine River #2) by Fiona Lowe

Two words: Aussie. Doctor.

*noms*

Truly Madly Montana was fun, sweet, a little sexy and pretty dang unique in some ways.

The quick of it is that Will and Millie are spending the summer working at the same hospital as he supervises her clinical rotation for med school. You'd think all was well and good but, alas, not so seeing as Will thinks of Millie as one of the guys and that, well, maybe they're batting for the same team. Which is a problem for her since she's totally crushing on him. And damn if it doesn't annoy her that he just does not see her as a woman. And so begins weeks of the clueless-- yet gorgeous-- male making an absolute flub of...pretty much everything Millie.

Ask Me Why Anthology w/ Jodi Thomas, Virginia Kantra, Marie Force & Shirley Jump

Ask Me Why was a lovely little anthology. I'd read Kantra before but Thomas, Force and Jump were all new to me. And...not bad! Easy reads, comfortable characters and romances that tugged at the heart just a little. It was perfect for a sweltering Summer afternoon where I just needed something easy and romantic with a tiny bit of heat. 

Each story was a case of knowing each other for ages (in one way or another) and finally finding love and romance sometimes where least expected. It was sweet and just a tiny bit steamy (2.5ish on a 5 scale). While they didn't all blow me away they were all very nice reads and for the three authors I'd not read before I do plan on picking up others of theirs so overall pretty pleased with the antho. 3.5 overall stars. 

Amazon | All Romance | Book Depository | BAM | Goodreads

July 7th Book Deals!! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & Freebies!

All kinds of goodies today! New Releases, Pre-Orders, Sales & some Freebies too!

Oh and if you look up just a wee little bit there's now a #BookDeals tab. That'll be up all the time and link to the month's book releases and random sales/freebies :D

Quote-tastic/Review-- Two can play at that!-- Call On Me by Roni Loren

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another. 

Everyone's welcome to join in. Authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and toss up your post :) 

No blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.

Yay for more Roni Loren! Gah but I love her books. And all the yummy delicious quotes they bring. So a couple today because I just couldn't pick. Don't judge. They're awesome.

This first one. I just love that he's always up for causing a little mischief but Oakley gives just as good as she gets and doesn't let him get away with it :D

Tasty Delights-- Pizza Dip

I saw this on Facebook (thanks Buzzfeed!) and omg I had to make it. And I had to make it...NOW!

Talk about some noms. Minus the veggie pepperoni because Sweet Mary that was bad. So so very bad.

BOOM!

:snort: Hope you all have a fabulous 4th of July.

Decided to just be a little silly today.

Your regularly scheduled program will resume tomorrow.

Oooh! And the Support the Troops Auction raised....

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

So I don't even know how to really explain Ink and Bone. Other than...wow. Caine is always sure to deliver an amazing story and fascinating characters but she truly wowed with Ink and Bone. An alternative history with the stunning setting of the Library of Alexandria. A group of young teens put through the paces in hopes of becoming the next generation to protect The Library and all of the world's original written works. It's full of scary new beginnings, trials, death and hope. It's one you really must read since I don't think any review would do it justice. But I shall try. So. 5 reasons you need to read this book. Posthaste.

The Monthly Herd--June 2015--I survived life with NO internet...barely!

Annnnd.....June....is....done! June was a LONG and BUSY month. I've been quiet the last 2 weeks and am just now getting caught up on blog visits. Sorry yall! The bringers of the internet decided to fail me for a while and I had terrible connection (dropping every 5 or so minutes) then none at all. Which was...a trial. lol I never realized just how MUCH of my life is e-based until I couldn't get...on the blog, to the sites I needed for auction/author graphics, to all my recipes, my music, tv shows/movies, etc. I was going stir crazy, yall. And getting way behind on work and emails. Eeps!

But the internet came back finally and I dove in to wrapping up everything for the auction and making 67 graphics for it in...3 days. Yikes!! Thank goodness for my stance on blogging ahead! It kept the blog going while I was away and holy cow it was a huge relief not having to stress about at least that while I was banished to the land of no internets. Now to shore up my reserves again. I went through 14 of my stockpile while the internet was down. Whew! I'll definitely be hosting another Blog Ahead this Fall if you'd like to be notified when that opens up just click HERE :D

Anywho. Now on to the June recap. It was quite the month! ~Anna

Books. Books! *squeals with delight*---New Releases (June 30) & Book Deals

Reading Challenge Link Ups--New to You, Erotic Romance, Historical Romance

Herding Cats is hosting 3 reading Challenges this year!

For those participating you'll find the link ups for your reviews below.

Just click the link for whichever challenge you're participating in and add your reviews to the linky in that post. Those wanting to join in? You're welcome any time!

So! How are the challenges going?
Any awesome reads you'd recommend?