Lately in the Book Blogger World, many bloggers have decided to “affiliate” with other bloggers. From what I gather, they do this to promote each others blogs by posting links to their “affiliates” interviews, reviews & contests.

I dislike this idea VERYmuch. If this ruffles the feathers of other bloggers who do “affiliate” I’m sorry, but I just don’t get it. I’m not the only one either, see The Book Junkies Post

Let’s start with why I dislike the idea:

The idea of cross-promoting other blogs: Most of us ALREADY promote blogs we like in our BLOG ROLL…see it over on the right hand side of my blog. That’s where blogs I love have a space to be promoted from MY blog. I have gotten emails asking if I would like to be added to another blogs blog roll, or I had been added. More often than not (actually never have I not) I add that blogger to my blog roll. If you’ve taken the time to read my blog and found my content interesting enough that you want to add me, that’s great and I will reciprocate it because it means a lot that someone cares what I have to say.

On top of BLOG ROLL’S, I along with other bloggers I know (Literary Escapism, Sci Fi Guy, KindleVixen) usually do a news post where we post things we found interesting on other blogs. That’s how I met a lot of other bloggers, seeing that they cross posted to my blog and I’ve done the same to other blogs if their content is something I find interesting.  I don’t like the idea of HAVING to post because I am “affiliated” with anyone. It just seems a bit staged to me, on top of it many of us are reading the same books. I like the idea of differing reviews if say one blogger hates the book and I love it, but that would be a special feature to me because I personally asked the blogger not because I HAD TO.

When I first started blogging, I remember reading somewhere that newer bloggers felt like they were left out because they weren’t in the “In Crowd” and I thought to myself, everyone’s been nothing but nice to me since I started blogging. But with “affiliates” I just feel like it’s High School all over again and it’s going to be hard for new bloggers to fit in if they don’t have a huge amount of followers that most “affiliates” are requiring.

I have held my tounge for awhile about this, but I had to let my position be known cause you know I’m snarky at the best of times. But that doesn’t mean I won’t promote interesting content and keep adding new blogs to my blog roll…I just won’t be affiliating and I know I’m not alone.

I’d like to welcome Anton Strout to WLP today, which happens to be the release day of Dead Matter the third in Simon Canderous series.

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As you know, I have developed a slightly strange “friendship” with the notorius zombie glam girl Amanda Feral and her minon/ghost writer Mark Henry.

Amanda has a agreed to a monthly guest column where YOU can ask her for advice. I am slightly afraid for those of you stupid enough crazy enough to ask her a question. Be prepared, she’s a bit..umm…snarky. For example:

“Why’s my man cheatin’, Amanda?”

 ”Cuz you’re a fat ass bitch. Next!”

So here’s your chance to start asking Amanda questions! She’ll answer anything to, but don’t blame me if she makes you cry.

I’m always asking you readers what I want to know, so here’s your chance to ask ME what YOU want to know.

Let em rip and I will answer as best I can!

-Nat

I saw these pictures seconds ago and my snark meter flew. I knew I couldn’t keep my typing fingers to myself.

Really ladies, tell me you don’t find that attractive. I can’t even begin to explain all the things wrong with that picture & his face. Ugh. Nope, there would be no way in hell I’d kiss those lips. What’s with the lazy eye thang?

The pose. The shoes. Oh good gawd, wtf is this. I love the suit, but really I’m disturbed. That pose is so overtly female, it hurts.

Here’s whats upcoming at Wicked Lil Pixie:

Tuesday February 23 – Interview & Giveaway With Anton Strout (1 winner, autographed copy of one of Anton’s books)

March is busy busy busy:

Tuesday March 2 – Naomi Clark with be here guest blogging & giving away an E-Book!

Friday March 5 – I will be giving away 3 copies of Num8ers by Rachel Ward to celebrate it’s release!

Tuesday March 9 – Karen Dales will be here guest blogging

March TBD – Juliana Stone will be here to talk about her upcoming release His Darkest Hunger

March TBD – Jeaniene Frost will be here (shall we talk about Chapters 32 & 23?)

March TBD – Danielle Trussoni author of Angelology will be here to discuss the book (which I am currently reading!)

So March is going to be a busy one, I can’t wait!

• Paperback: 336 pages
• List Price: $7.99 US/$9.99 CDN
• Publisher: Ace (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441018440
• ISBN-13: 978-0441018444

Buy Dead Matter on February 23rd at:

• Chapters/Indigo
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble

Visit Anton Strout on his website

The spirit populace of Manhattan doesn’t appreciate its well-deserved RIP being disturbed, and Department of Extraordinary Affairs Agent Simon Canderous is sent in to do damage control. Meanwhile, his vacationing partner, Connor Christos, is in a sorry state, and he tells Simon that each night he’s being haunted by visions of his long-lost brother at his window. Simon is worried that his partner may be going crazy-or worse, maybe he’s not…

When an outbreak of ghost sightings happen in NYC, Simon is left to deal with it on his own because Connor has taken all his vacation time and disappeared. Simon finally catches up with Connor and realizes he’s close to loosing his sanity due to nightmares plaguing him. On top of the ghosts, there have been sightings of a new type of monster, one that almost threatens Jane & Simon’s Taco Night. Well, they come across this monster while grocery shopping for Taco Night. In the third installment of the Simon Canderous series, we finally get to find out what happened to Connor’s older brother 20 years ago. At age 14, Aidan disappeared during a beach trip with his family, Connor was only 12. At the end of the last book, the hopes of Connor ever finding Aidan were pretty slim. It’s also been 777 days since the D of EA’s last vampire sighting, but that doesn’t mean Enchancellor Allorah Daniel’s is giving up on hunting them into extinction.

This is Anton Strout’s BEST Simon novel yet.

I couldn’t put it down and I didn’t want it to end, knowing that Anton’s releases are once a year (every February) kept me from staying up all night to devour Dead Matter. There are all sorts of new characters, that I am dying to know more about in upcoming novels from Brandon to Nicolas. The movies playing in the LoveCraft Cafe, brilliantly played! (hint hint) And the laughs keep coming with references to 90210. There was one particular line that had me actually laughing out loud, which is rare in UF:

“David Matthews,” he said.

I raised one eyebrow.

“Please don’t tell me me the Dave Matthews Band is immortal or something…although that would explain why they play so well together.”

Not only does Anton provide the perfect amount of snark in Simon but the action in this book is non-stop, so much so Simon is at risk of loosing his job with the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Of course Simon’s trusty bat makes a few appearances, especially when Jane gets it upgraded as a gift. Speaking of Jane, she has her own issues to deal with in Dead Matter so we don’t see much of her but enough of her to know that Simon does love her and she’s around for the long haul.

If you haven’t read a Simon Canderous novel yet, you are seriously missing out on one of the greatest series around. I’m just sayin’.

Today’s WLP Wants To Know is going to be fun, it’s all about Character’s We Love To Hate and I have brought over KindleVixen (Tiffany) to debate this with me. The idea for this post started a few days ago when Tiffany and I were discussing Anton Strout’s Simon Canderous series. We both absolutely detest Simon’s girlfriend Jane and we have no idea why. I think she just grates us the wrong way, but we found out via Twitter that we weren’t alone on the hate, others don’t like Jane either. (Sorry Anton) It went as far as Tiffany making a hate poster for Jane.

I realized, there are a lot of characters in PR/UF that I cannot stand so I asked Tiffany to join me today so we could talk about them!

Jean-Claude/Older Vampires: We have came to the conclusion that most old vampires creep us out (Jean-Claude from LKH’s Anita series for instance), they just seem to slick even for us and come across as dirty old men.

KindleVixen: yep, creepy old men. Mircea from Karen Chance’s series is included. *shudder*

Trent (Kim Harrison’s Hollows): Tiffany said it best “He’s all sneaky & shit”. Trent is nothing but a sneaky sneak, he’s always showing up and starting something. Not cool Trent, NOT cool. Though I love him for his sneak, Tiffany not so much.

KindleVixen: He is cocky…. and not in a good way *eyebrow waggle*

Lash (BDB by JR Ward): He’s nothing but a bully. Plotting and scheming. John Matthew better kick his arse in the next book.

KindleVixen:Words can’t express how much I hate Lash. JM is going to destroy his baby powder smelling behind in Lover Mine.

Annie (Makers Song Series by Adrian Phoneix): Annie is Heather’s sister, Heather is Dante’s woman. Annie is bi-polar and uses it to snap and attack both Heather & Dante at any chance she gets. What kind of sister is this? I’d have left her ass along time ago. If she’s not telling Dante off, she’s trying to sleep with him. Bitch. But Heather keeps protecting her, so she needs a smack upside the head too.

KindleVixen: seriously…. a girl should take only so much from a sneaky sister.

Anita Blake (LKH): Oh yes, we are going there. Anita started out as a likeable character who kicked ass and took names. Not so much now, she can usually be found on her back with any number of people. There is using sex to your advantage and then there is using sex as an excuse to be a dirty slut. Guess which one Anita falls into? Nevermind what she did to Richard. Bitch.

KindleVixen: I adore Richard *sigh* I blame Anita entirely for what his character has become. Ironic that he is supposed to accept her now that she is an easy slut but it was her not being able to accept him that had her running into Jean Claude’s bed.

Zach (Kimberly Frost’s Southern Witch): Zach is Tammy Jo’s EX husband, yet he’s still all up in that. Zach back off and left Tammy Jo find out more about Byron. You had it and lost it Zach, move on!

KindleVixen: I haven’t read this series so I have no witty commentary, BUT I will add in my own….Frost (LKH, Merry Gentry). He is such a whiny bitch, I want Doyle to lock him in a closet somewhere.

Amanda Feral (Mark Henry): Well, we don’t really hate her, but she is a disgusting, foul-mouthed bitch. That just makes us love her more.

KindleVixen: well that and she introduced me to the wonders of the fleshlight

As you can see, between just the two of us, this could have went on for ages. But now I turn to you Readers, WLP (& KV) Want To Know: What Characters Do You Love To Hate?

My Immortal friend V, the resident Vampire at Vampire.Com sent me an email tonight  to let you all know, for the remainder of February you can get 10% off at the Vampire Store just enter VLOVE at Checkout.