Ubuntu..... PC Users..... Try Linux!!

As many of you know, I am a tried and true Mac user, I love my Mac, couldn't live without my Mac....  But, I do have an elderly PC, granted it's old and decrepit, but on occasion, someone in my home needs an extra computer and I drag it out.  Well, almost no one knows this, but my kid is a computer geek, loves every minute of it and he's been exploring the uses of Linux as opposed to Windows, and may I say, there is no comparison....  Windows is old and stogy, Ubuntu (easiest user friendly form of Linux, even I can use it) is almost as good as my Mac!  It's very close to Mac's OS X, and if you're familiar with Mac's it's super user friendly, almost no learning curve. If I had to depend on my PC, Ubuntu would be my operating system of choice.

On 10-10-10, Ubuntu is releasing an upgrade called Maverick Meerkat, it's free to consumers (ubuntu is South African for: open and available to others, affirming of others) and super easy to use!  You can still leave Windows on your computer with a small partition allotted for Ubuntu. There's even a youtube video showing you step by step how to install! All of my kids PC, and one my hubs bought for work, now have Ubuntu on them, it's so much fun and better to use.

I wanted to share with you some of Ubuntu's fun marketing adds, they're too funny!!

No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon **** WINNER****

Using Random.org, a winner has been chosen for the "What's Your Sanctuary" Sherrilyn Kenyon's No Mercy. And the WINNER is.....

MICHELLE G!!!

This is the third time since I started having contest that random.org has chosen the first entry as the winner... it never works that way for me.... Michelle must just be lucky...LOL.. Michelle you have 5 days to claim your prize!!!!

Jennifer Rardin (April 28,1965 - September 20, 2010)

I was very sad to discover that Jennifer Rardin passed away suddenly on Monday, September 20, 2010. She was a very young 45 years of age, a native to my home state of Illinois and a graduate of Eastern Illinois University as am I.  Jennifer Rardin was the author of the popular Jaz Parks Series.  She made herself accessible to her fans, making appearances at local bookstores.  I didn't know Ms. Rardin, but I did enjoy her books and I'm truly saddened by her loss.  It's unbelievable with someone with so much to offer, so much left to do, has been taken away.  We've lost a wonderful author and to her friends and family, you have my deepest condolences. 

From Goodwine Funeral Home:

There is a wonderful tribute to her on Suvudu's site here.

Next Book On My Buying Binge: Me, Myself, and Why by MaryJanice Davidson

Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Pages:  320

(Release Date:  9-28-10)

From the Cover:

Sweet and innocent with a twist of girl-next-door, Cadence Jones is not your typical girl and certainly not your typical FBI agent. Just ask her sisters, Shiro and Adrienne. (Wait. . .best if you don’t ask Adrienne anything.) But it’s her special “talent” which makes Cadence so valuable to the FBI and it never comes in more handy than when she and her partner, George, get tagged to bring down the Threefer Killer. A serial killer who inexplicably likes to kill in threes, leave behind inexplicable newspaper clippings, and not one shred of decent forensic evidence, soon starts leaving messages that seem to be just for Cadence and her sisters. Could it be that this killer knows all about Cadence’s special “talent”? In the meantime, love blooms in the most unexpected place when Cadence meets her best friend’s gorgeous brother who is in town visiting—and she discovers that he knows her secret too! When attraction burns hot between them her best friend isn’t thrilled with the romantic development and this time Cadence just might agree!

From New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson comes an outrageously funny novel about a highly unconventional FBI agent, a rather odd serial killer, a best friend on the edge, a gorgeous baker. . .and oh, yeah, love.

Suddenly Cadence finds her unbalanced life turned even more upside down as she tries to date a baker who wants to get in her heart and in her bed, dodge a pesky psychiatrist, keep a leash on her sociopath partner, while trying to catch a serial killer who’s now fixated on her.

Some days it’s not even worth getting up in the morning. . .

As many of you know, MaryJanice (MJ) Davidson is one of my favorite authors.  I love her Queen Betsy Series (The Undead Series), Fred the Fish Series (The Mermaid Series), and Jennifer Scales Series!  Well, she has a brand new series coming out this month, and I've been trying out the first few chapters on St. Martin's Press, Read-It-First program that gives you a taste of the book before they're available to buy.  Though I thought I'd probably like MJ's new book and series, I was thinking..... do I really want to start a new series, even from an author I love?  Well, I have to say a resounding YES, I cracked up reading the Prologue and Chapter One!  I don't know if you've read MJ's books or not, they're paranormal romances that are full of humor, a little snark, fabulous shoes, and a little lovin.  I'll be buying!!  LOL  When my house crumbles under the weight of my thousands of books (okay, it's only hundreds) and falls into a giant sinkhole created by all the coal mining in Illinois, remember to send in the troops.  I'll be the one trying to save the books!

As a special little treat, St. Martin's Press and MJ have released her prequel, Outta the Bag, part of the Me, Myself, and Why trilogy, and it's a free read!!  Here's all the sites where you can pick it up.... I already did! (MJ's Musing)

http://www.amazon.com/Outta-Bag-Myself-Prequel-ebook/dp/B00403MNZ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1284576314&sr=1-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/9781429956628/?itm=1&USRI=outta+the+bag

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Outta-The-Bag/book-MBBBw77QHUO-b6Hf9Mbifw/page1.html

http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/maryjanice-davidson/me-myself-and-why-free-preview/_/R-400000000000000273509

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge, Week 6

Good Monday Morning blogosphere peeps!

I have to say my butt is draggin' this morning.... where did the night go?  Oh, yeah, I remember, my kid kept getting me to tell me his throat hurt.  I plied him with various meds and pretty soon, he was back to sleep.  Unfortunately, there are only so many times that I can be woken up before I up for the day.  That came at 2 am for me.....  I did drift off at 6 am, but my alarm is set for 6:15 am, which is the time we all need to be moving if everyone is going to get where they need to be.  And my kid with the sore throat, refused to stay home from school.... Damn, I'm so tired, lol!

So without further ado, it time for another......

Monday Morning Flash Fiction Challenge

yipee!  ((((yawn))))

Blodeuedd supplied our picture prompt this morning, and I have to say, it' like nothing we've used before, in fact, I've never written to this type of prompt EVER!  So this really will be a challenge! Thanks B!!  Next week, Michelle has offered up some tasty morsels, this is really starting to get fun!

I have to say, it's beautiful, and I immediately started thinking medieval knights, fantasy realms, battles between the good and evil, magics of all kinds.  I can't wait to see if the others have thoughts similar to my own!  Then again, I have been on a vampiric spin lately, I could see a very hot Eric Northman shimmering into the picture....  LOL  I need coffee!!!!!!!!!

If you choose to play along, the rules remain the same.... On Friday, we come back and post our responses to the picture prompt.  We have a roomy (um, last week I went over by 150 words..., I guess I needed to stretch...), anyway it's a 350 word count (a little more or less is fine!).  You can write about anything the prompt evokes, mine are usually dark and disturbing (inner turmoil?), and if you leave me a link to your answer to the prompt... I'll post so everyone can have a gander.  I promise by Friday, I'll be more coherent and less rambling.... I hope!

So, on your mark, get set, and create!!

Have fun and let your creative juices flow freely!!

See you soon!

Ciao!