My 300th post and the Southern Comfort Challenge!

WOW!

This is the 300th post of this blog! Who would have thought!?! Certainly not me, not with this blog's modest beginnings. But thise place surely took on a life of its own, and it has now reached proportions that never fail to amaze me. I mean, 45,736 visitors from 101 different countries have perused 76,696 pages since the counter has been added to the site in February 2005. That's a lot of people! And I would like to thank you all for stopping by and making the Hotlist what it is today!:-)

You must have seen the new Google stuff following the header. Funny, but they've been there since January 2005, but I never could activate them properly. That done, I wish for them to remain as inconspicuous as humanly possible. I don't expect to make much money from them, in any event. But I've decided to set up a little challenge. I want to see how long it will take me to earn enough to buy a bottle of Southern Comfort! And I need your help in this worthwhile endeavor! Every time you visit the site, please take a moment to click on an ad or two. I'm probably making peanuts for each click, so I want to see how many weeks/months it will take for the blog to generate enough to purchase a bottle of the sweet elixir known as Southern Comfort!;-)

News Update

- Jacqueline Carey just sent me her answers to the interview questions Jake and I came up with. Expect to see the full Q&A on the blog in the coming days!:-) I know a lot of people are eager to read it.

Jake's book review of Kushiel's Scion (Canada, USA, Europe) should soon be available. Remember, there is an ongoing contest to win 3 signed copies of the novel. Just scroll down for more details. . .

- Robin Hobb contacted me that she was pressed for time, but she would get me the answers to our second interview together before the deadline we set. Which means that you can expect to see this Q&A in the next couple of weeks. The Forest Mage contest is still going strong, so feel free to register if you haven't already! Scroll down for more details. . . The book will be released on time (Canada, USA, Europe).

- I will be reading Scott Lynch's much anticipated debut, The Lies of Locke Lamora, in the next few weeks. Some critics have hailed this novel as the best fantasy debut ever. So I'm curious to see what the hype is all about. As soon as I've finished the book, I have an interview scheduled with Lynch. Should make for an interesting Q&A! In addition, I will have a copy of the US edition of his debut up for grabs in the coming weeks!

- Speaking of contests, I will most likely have a copy of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Terry Goodkind's Phantom up for grabs next month.

- I am currently reading Steven Erikson's Midnight Tides, another fantastic addition to the Malazan saga. This series is definitely addictive!

- Tomorrow I'll begin Naomi Novik's Black Powder War at work (Canada, USA, Europe). This trilogy is excellent, and I encourage you all to give it a shot!

That's about it for now, I believe. Many thanks again to everyone for helping make this blog such a success story thus far!:-)

And please remember the Southern Comfort challenge!!!;-)