My Kingdom for a book

Guest Post by Jaz Primo!

2011-09-26T18:45:00.000-04:00

Paranormal Fiction is Out of This World!

Hi, everyone! I'm Jaz Primo, author of the urban fantasy Sunset Vampire Series, and I'm proud to be with you today to discuss a topic near and dear to my heart: Paranormal Literature. The paranormal genre has become a mainstay in today's popular literature, and has exploded into a multi-million dollar industry in less than a generation. The paranormal segment of literature is among the fastest-growing genres in the world today. In fact, the genre has grown so large that it's no longer merely relegated to the sole label of "paranormal." In recent years, paranormal elements are bleeding ubiquitously into the romance, urban fantasy, young adult, and even science fiction genres with wanton abandon. But what is the essence of paranormal literature that has launched into the success that is has today? Let's examine this further...

The dictionary loosely defines paranormal as phenomenon "unable to be explained by science and therefore mysterious." The umbrella of elements that fit neatly underneath the canopy of paranormal are numerous. In recent years, a host of paranormal creatures are once-again abound in modern literature, including vampires, all manner of were-creatures and shape shifters, ghosts and revenants, angels and demons, fairies and fae, humans with psi-abilities, aliens, and undead creatures such as zombies. And yet, that merely touches the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Human folklore from around the world is replete with references to other-worldly and under-worldly beings and entities, thereby creating a wealth of creative sources for aspiring authors to draw from. One question remains: Why does it seem that paranormal literature is so popular all of the sudden?

As previously noted, human history is riddled with folktales, stories, and parables that include references to paranormal creatures and elements. People are inherently drawn to mysterious stories, and in the past, such references were used to help explain the functioning of the universe around them or to gain clearer insight into the human condition. One only has to look back to the Greek and Roman cultures, or Native American tribal histories, to see how strongly paranormal beings or stories have influenced or shaped the development of those societies. Granted, we have no way of knowing if ancient peoples fully believed in such gods and creatures, but it is apparent to archaeologists and sociologists that those cultures were greatly influenced by them. Today, though were are deemed far more technologically advanced in explaining the nature of the universe around us, people are still drawn to the mystique and intrigue surrounding paranormal entities and the creative stories surrounding them. While the exact catalyst for a renewed interest in all things paranormal is difficult to determine with precision, it is worth venturing that both film and television should receive some of the credit in capitalizing on an initial societal interest, and subsequently growing that following using visually-captivating creations via the latest technological advancements in visual and auditory special effects.

And yet, special effects and entertainment industry executives aside, no matter the mechanisms for feeding people's hungry paranormal appetites, the truth remains that compelling prose by equally-captivated writers and authors is at the root of paranormal's recent success. Without sound story and character development, people's minds would not be tempted to continue delving into such mysterious realms. As the author of vampire-related paranormal and urban fantasy storylines, I can only hope that readers will continue to be smitten with all things paranormal!

I hope that you have enjoyed our brief discussion of the paranormal genre. And hopefully you will appreciate the review of my debut novel, Sunrise at Sunset, on this blog and consider reading my Sunset Vampire Series. The first novel, Sunrise at Sunset, was published in October 2010, and the second novel, A Bloody London Sunset, was published in May of this year. A third installment, Summit at Sunset, is being released this November. All novels are available in both trade paperback and multiple eBook formats from major retailers including as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Apple iBookstore. My sincere thanks to Beatrice for her review and for the opportunity to appear on My Kingdom for a Book. And, of course, many thanks for her support of the Romancing Your Dark Side Paranormal Blog Tour that I'm currently participating in with six other wonderful authors.

Before I go, here's the teaser for Sunrise at Sunset:

When is a bloodthirsty predator the best protection against a psychotic killer?

When the predator is both a vampire...and the woman you love.

“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”

My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.

Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.

So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!

You can also find or follow me at the following locations!

Website: http://www.jazprimo.com/

Blog: http://primovampires.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Sunset-Vampire-Series/223514840998333 Twitter: @jazprimo

Promise by Kristie Cook plus Giveaway!

2011-09-19T11:45:00.010-04:00

I am part of the Romancing Your Dark Side Tour, and today I am reviewing Kristie Cook's first novel in the Soul Saver series, Promise! I'm also giving away an e-copy of this book, and I'll include instructions on entering the giveaway at the end of my review.

Alexis has moved many times during her childhood because of her special abilities. Her mother refuses to tell her exactly what she is, but she is not human. She is able to heal faster than normal, and when she's angry, she's got enough strength to knock a nasty ex-boyfriend across the room with one punch.

She and her mother Sophia move to Florida where Alexis is already enrolled in college. On her first day of class, she literally runs into Tristan. She has a knack for knowing who is good and who is evil, and Tristan screams good guy to her. They begin getting to know one another, despite the misgivings of Alexis's mother. As time goes on, her mother is forced to start answering some of the big questions that Alexis has about who and what she is.

I'm not sure what I expected of this book, but I was blown out of the water! I really loved it. I started out feeling like it was more a novel that belonged in the Young Adult genre. The more I read, the more I felt like it was for grown-ups, too.

The romance was perfect for me. It moved slowly with the those moments that make your heart(and other parts) tingle! I'll be honest, there was a little bit of a wet panty factor going on. There wasn't a lot of profanity. It's not something I usually notice the presence or absence of, but one of the characters said "son of a witch!" a lot, and that made me chuckle a little. No one I've ever known has used that particular phrase when they were trying to avoid cursing. Toward the end, the f* bomb got dropped a few times, and that startled me.

I got the feeling that the author was a Christian. It doesn't bother me--I've read multiple Inspirational fiction novels, and even some paranormal that include characters who claim Christianity as their religion. I've also read some overly preachy sci-fi. I did not at all feel like this author was preaching at me, trying to convince me that Christianity was right. It was an undertone in the book instead of being an overtone.

The writing got better as I got farther into the book. There were some times at the beginning that I noticed some places where I would have written a sentence or two differently. The story pulled me in quickly enough that I quit noticing any places where editing might have been needed.

Overall, I highly recommend this book! I liked the characters, the story was strong, and the writing was strong as well. If you like the Sookie Stackhouse novels, Jessica Anderson's Skykeepers novels, and the Anita Blake novels, you will most likely enjoy this novel. It's not really like any of those books--it's a twist I haven't really read in any novels before.

Remembering 9/11/2001

2011-09-11T16:32:00.000-04:00

I have not watched any news coverage about the attacks on September 11, 2001 since that day. I've rarely talked about my memories with anyone. I don't want to follow the crowd of people who are talking about their experiences, but it seems like it is time.

I was late to work at the small private college where I worked that morning. My brother had been sick and was home from school. I don't think he had anything to do with my tardiness, but I don't remember.

I listened to the radio during my drive and heard the announcers say that a plane had flown into the first of the Twin Towers. My first thought was that it was a joke! It was at the same time the cruelest joke I could imagine.

I reached my office still very disbelieving. It was much quieter than normal. I found one of the professors at a TV, and then I believed. They were showing the smoke, the collapse of the towers. The people walking out of the cloud of dust from the Twin Towers' collapse. The worst was the people choosing to jump from the top of the Towers and die as opposed to waiting for the buildings' collapse.

We watched hours of coverage that day. They replayed the same scenes over and over. There was a girl there whose father worked in the Twin Towers. She was beside herself with worry over his safety. I knew nobody in New York City, no one who worked in the Towers, and I watched with numb detachment. I don't remember if I cried or not.

It didn't stop with the Twin Towers, either. We heard about the Pentagon being hit and the plane that was bound for Washington, D.C.

The stories were, and still are heartbreaking. I am proud beyond measure of the Fire Department and Police Officers in New York City. They heroism, their bravery exemplifies what a Fire Fighter or Police Officer should be. They are among the noble professions. Those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice that day are among the saints, I truly believe. There is no more tragically magnificent way to die than to die saving the life of another.

I am a child of the cold war, but I remember nothing of it. The first tragedy I remember is the explosion of the Challenger. I remember the Oklahoma City Bombing vividly. After 9/11 happened, a bombing seemed so much less terrifying than using airplanes filled with innocents to commit terrorism. It was also terrifying simply not to know who had committed these crimes against the American people for so long, even though there were suspicions.

My world has always been safe. September 11th changed that.

A Grief Examined

2011-09-09T08:00:00.016-04:00

Where there is great love, there is also great sorrow.

I am one of those people who has a great capacity to love others. I have found so very many wonderful people in the world! I consider myself very lucky and I would never trade my friends for anything in the world. I would even dare to say that my friends are more awesome than your friends! Just kidding. I hope that you have friends as generous, caring, and reliable as mine.

At the same time, it hurts to have so many wonderful friends. It hurts to live most of the way across the country from my friends. I miss my California friends all the time. I wonder how their school years are going and if my little gang is getting together at Canter's diner to have lunch or dinner without me. Just being friends on Facebook isn't enough. I want to be close enough to go out to dinner with them, too.

It also hurts when they die. I had a dear friend from California pass away over the weekend. She was smart and funny. She was generous with her heart and her home. She was everything you could want in a friend. She was diagnosed with cancer about a week before she died. If cancer is the thing that's going to get you, it's the best way to go--right away before the chemo, surgery, and pain can eat away at your joy in life. At the same time, she deserved the right to fight! I can't find words for my hatred of cancer.

I've begun to wonder how much grief one soul can absorb and not completely unravel. I feel like I've barely recovered from one loss when another hits. It is magnified so many times, an algebraic effect. Every time someone I love dies, I remember the pain of all those other deaths. I re-live the grief of the other deaths on top of the new one.

I think that some people have the inclination to draw away from others and close their hearts to loving new friends and family. I don't do that, but my greatest wish is that the people I love stop dying.

Rest in Peace
Sandy McCoy
Ron Bramon
Harold Sweet
Margaret Reese
Helen Classcles
Avery Edward Adkins McCoy
Amy Rion Chesbro
Anne O'Donohue Lainhart

Developing a Title, Guest post by B.K. Walker

2011-09-07T22:01:00.001-04:00

First, let me apologize for the tardiness of this blog post. A dear friend of mine passed away over the weekend, and I've been somewhat mired in grief over that.

Secondly, I have 2 e-copies of B.K. Walker's Night Secrets to give away! Anyone who comments on this post, follows me publicly on Google Follow, votes in my poll, follows me on Twitter, and retweets the contest will be eligible. Please leave one comment per entry! In addition, each person who comments will be entered in a contest to win a free Kindle! Check out www.vbtcafe.com for more information and for an expanded schedule of the Romancing Your Dark Side book tour!

I think this has to be the second worst thing in writing, editing being the first. Title creation does take some time and creative thinking. We want the title to be catchy, to make a reader think "What's this about?" If you were looking to buy a book, the first thing you look at is the cover, the second thing the title. If a title said something like, "The Life of Copper Dugan", that isn't so interesting, but if it read, "The Life and Times of Copper Dugan" or "Would the Real Copper Dugan Please Stand Up", now that's more likely to have the reader turning the book over to find out more.

So how do we authors come up with titles? It's a process, and sometimes we have the title before we even write the story, but that's a rare occasion, at least for me. Usually the title will come to us in an "Ahh hah" moment during the writing process. Other times, we have to work it out, sit down and really think about our story, what does it tell, what words would represent it best. Sometimes it's easy to come up with a title, other times it's mind boggling. For Night Secrets, it was easy to come up with the title as Night Secrets, a club in the story plays a significant role in the storyline. This is where a lot of the action takes place, not to mention that it's also a secret underground where vampires seek sanctuary. This making it the basis of all of the Night Secret books, it was an easy decision.

For Near Suicide, the main character was in such a turmoil that her entire life she thought about committing suicide, and when I revised this I just needed to think of something that also represented being Near Suicide, and with the cover I developed, Death Upon Me was what became close to tell what the story was.

Immortyl Kisses is based on the kiss of an immortal, and just to change it up a bit I changed the spelling.

Dares And Dreams, again was based on a bar in the book, where a lot of the action takes place. I have a tendency to lean towards a specific name in my storyline that I can create a decent title from.

I usually find something in my story that I can base a title on though. An overall theme that is both intriguing and telling of what the book is about. I will admit too, that I've even used a Title Generator. These are fun because it just randomly generates a title, and if I see one I like, and many times I do, I can pick one that best fits my story. The trick is for me, if it makes me want to find out more from a book, then most likely a reader would too.

Find BK Walker:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1831525609

Twitter - @bk36

www.vbtcafe.com

http://authorbkwalker.blogspot.com

http://www.immortylcafe.com

www.bkwalkerbooks.com

BK Bio:

BK Walker currently lives in Central Pennsylvania with her three children, Brittney, Hunter and Danny, her dogs Rancid, Sadie and Haven, a cat named Whiskers and a goldfish named Fat Albert. She has always had a love for reading and writing, even as a child she created stories reading them to her stuffed animals. With a love for vampires and werewolves, you will not be disappointed with her writing as she mixes up the paranormal juice. Aside from writing, BK also supports Indie Authors organizing virtual book tours, helping them to market and promote their work. Her book review site, BWB Reviews, is just another small way she contributes to the reading world. With many stories floating around in her head, she writes when she gets the time between working as a Pediatric Home Care Nurse, being a single mother, and continuing her college education in Graphic Art Design. When BK's not fighting with her muse, Mouthy Mary, who has much to say way too often, you will find her at a baseball game with her children, or relaxing with a good book in her hand.

Night Secrets Blurb:

Keara Crosby had the perfect life. Her family was not hurting for anything. When her parents are suddenly killed, Keara must learn to live without them. After mourning their death for two months, Keara starts to live again. She follows her favorite band, hangs with her best friend Jared, and falls for the new kid on the block.

When her favorite band is playing at Night Secrets, a new club downtown, she takes her first outing since her parents death and finds this mysterious boy watching her. Mesmerized by his lapus blue eyes, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Her body responds to him in ways she never thought possible, and she needs to figure out why. What is it about Channing that has her yearning for his touch?

Not only is Keara drawn to Channing, but the owner of Night Secrets seems to be drawn to her. Giving her special treatment, she can't help but wonder what he's hiding, and the sense she's seen him before. When she's attacked in the parking lot, her world turns inside out, literally. Keara will soon learn that secrets of the night, just may be the death of her.

Excerpt:

Tonight was the night ‘Shot In The Dark 357’ would be

playing at Night Secrets. I wasn’t exactly sure where it

was downtown, so I drove around earlier today to see if I

could find it.

It was on the south side of town, in what used to be an

old abandoned, run down factory. Pretty much in the

middle of nowhere, I wondered how they thought they

would make any business out here. They did fix it up nice

though with the outside being black, with a shiny exterior

that reflected like a mirror around the entire building.

Painted on the left corner of the front, were the words

‘Night Secrets’, angled in a white ghostly script that

dripped beneath each letter like wet paint from a paint

brush.

I couldn’t help but think how perfect the name was, as

the whole place put off a secretive, seductive effect.

Tonight would be their grand opening. No wonder

Buddha seemed so excited, they were the band chosen

for the grand opening.

I rummaged through my closet looking for the perfect

outfit. It would have to be black, to match the theme of

the club. That seems to be all I wear anymore anyways.

Black.

I settled for black jeans with a baby tee that sported

‘SITD 357’ in florescent green, with my new Buddha

hoodie. I straightened my hair, pulled money from my

wallet along with my ID to place in my back pocket.

Doing a quick turn around in the mirror, satisfied, I

headed to the club.

Jamison met me at the bottom of the stairs, holding

my keys. “Thank you Jamison.”

“Anytime Miss Keara.” He grinned.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. “Don’t wait up.”

Pulling into the club I couldn’t believe all the people

surrounding the building. The parking lot was full, people

lined up from the door of the club, down to the street

corner. It was going to take forever to get inside.

I drove around in circles for fifteen minutes before I

finally found a parking space and pulled in, centering my

car perfectly between two others. Turning off the Jeep,

nervousness swarmed me. I wished Jared could have

come. Jared had made plans to go to dinner with Russell

though and he was going to try and stop in before the

night was over.

I anxiously looked around the parking lot, pausing on

my rear view mirror. ‘Him’. What is he doing here? Our

eyes locked in my mirror. His eyes seemed to glow even

brighter than before in the moonlight and again I couldn’t

bring myself to look away. He was beautiful.

Demanding my eyes to blink, which took extreme

effort it was almost like being hypnotized by ‘him’. When I

reopened my eyes, he was gone. I took a steadying

breath wondering if I imagined it, then departed from my

car to wait in that dreadful line.

There was a lot of excited chatter in the long line.

Everyone was waiting in anticipation, not knowing what

to expect once they got inside and a lot of talk on how

great it looked from the outside.

I stood there listening in to a couple of girls, watching

their reflections through the building. Feeling someone

grab my arm I turned sharply to see who it was, meeting

dark eyes.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were my girlfriend.” He was

my height with long dark brown hair, a go tee, and silver

hoops in his ears. His voice was deep, mysterious with

an edge to it.

“It’s okay.” I answered, eyes wide with surprise.

After several seconds, he loosened his grip on my

arm, looking around in search of his girlfriend. Watching

him walk away, feeling bad he had lost her in this

treacherous line, I noticed he kept glancing back at me

causing a bit of unease in my gut. Why does he keep

looking at me? He already established I wasn’t her.

“Keara!” I heard my name being called. I looked to

see where Buddha was, already recognizing the Irish

tone.

“Hey Buddha.” I yelled back, raising my hand.

“Aye. Come on girl. Yer comin’ wit me.” He grabbed

my hand and led me inside. “Wait till ya see this place. It

so grand.” He said with enthusiasm.

Following behind him, I realized I’d probably follow

Buddha to the ends of the earth. As long as he had his

drums.

We walked past a bouncer checking ID’s at the door.

Very very tall, an obvious well built body builder his arms

were huge, the muscles bulging from under the sleeves

of his tee. He was wearing dark glasses and I wondered

how he could see in this darkness. He gave Buddha a

nod as we passed by.

“He didn’t even ask to see my ID Buddha.” I

whispered.

“He'd be a weird one. I 've not ’eard em speak much.”

Buddha whispered back.

We walked through the main doors into an entry way

coming to a narrow hall, coat racks lining each side.

There were several doors on either side of the hall after

the coat racks, with tinted double glass doors at the end.

That’s where we were heading.

Buddha opened the door and stood off to the side

waiting for me to pass. I smiled at him, “Thank you.”

“It’s me pleasure. Wait till ya see this bloody place

Keara.”

I couldn’t believe it. This place was beautiful. You

would never know it was an old factory the way it looks

now. As soon as you walked through the doors, you

could hear music playing. A mild classic rock, not too

loud, yet not too low you couldn’t hear it at all. In the

very front of the room, just past the doors, were a set of

stairs, leading to a circular bar. The bar was shiny and

black, and sat about five feet off the ground floor. The

platform that surrounded the bar was big enough to have

five people standing next to each other with their arms

outstretched and was full of people.

There were tables on the ground floor, all stationed to

be able to see the stage that was off to the back. The

floors were glossy black, with the words Night Secrets in

the center with the ghostly dripping effect as on the

outside of the building. The stage too was black, with the

white letters again against the back wall.

This was just the ground level. As I looked up, there

were three more levels of floors, all able to overlook the

stage. It was almost like a cell block, without the cells.

Each level had a railing to keep patrons from falling, and

there were people hanging on them looking down to the

ground floor. Large screen televisions hung on the wall

and from the ceiling, displaying the video to the song that

was playing.

I was in complete awe. It was beautiful, shiny and

new. “It’s amazing.” I managed after realizing Buddha

was staring at me.

“I told ya. Ya wer n’t gonna believe this here place. It’s

purdy awesome eh?”

“I don’t think there are words to describe it Buddha. It

must have cost a fortune!”

“I’m sure it did. I ‘ave n’t met tha owner yet, but I ‘ear

he’s purdy extravagant.”

I continued to look around. This place was just too

amazing. I have never seen anything so….amazing.

Wow. Just wow.

Buddha excused himself to go get sound checked.

Wandering around like a kid in a candy store, wanting to

see everything they had, I went up the first flight of stairs

to the next level. The stairs were cement, but had black

carpet lining them. At the top of the stairs, the walls were

of that mirrored black like outside. A bar centered in the

middle, in the shape of a horseshoe and the floors were

shaped in a half moon, with stairs at each end. There

were several doors again off the back wall, and tables

lined up in between the doors. Black stools lined the bar.

Again the bar was shiny black, and this time I could

see that Night Secrets was engraved in the wood of the

bar, which was stained black, the letters stained white,

and a clear lacquer finish on top. Behind the bar were

mirrors, and in front of the mirrors were shelves lined with

liquor.

The bartender here was built, much like the bouncer

at the door. His hair was black, his skin was pale, and

he too wore dark sunglasses. What was up with the

sunglasses? How can they see? It’s just as dark in here

as it is outside. Weird.

Steampunk!

2011-08-10T15:37:00.001-04:00

On my Twitter profile, I describe myself as someone who thinks there should be more Steampunk in the world. The more Steampunk I see, the more I think it's awesome. Steampunk is one of the coolest parts of the sci-fi/fantasy world. There is so much you can do with it!

My first real exposure to Steampunk was at Dragon-Con a couple of years ago. The coolest this I saw was an awesome modded Steampunk wheelchair! I'd love to see some more Steampunk in movies. Wild Wild West with Will Smith and Kevin Kline is the best example of Steampunk in movies. Unfortunately, it was more hokey than cool. The Golden Compass had some Steampunk elements, but those were more in the book than the movie.

My dad fell in love with Steampunk, too. He has some skill with a soldering iron, so he's started making his own Steampunk jewelry! I am glad that he has found something to occupy his time since he's retired. I also think that his work is pretty awesome. The photo on this blog post is one of his creations. He has just started his own Etsy shop, and I hope that my awesome readers will check it out! He is Gears and Glass Guy on Etsy. Click on his shop name for more photos of his Steampunk jewelry. He plans to have stained glass pieces up soon as well!

A Wild George R. R. Martin Appeared!

2011-08-04T08:00:00.003-04:00

The signing last night was fantastic. I went with my little brother, the guy in the dark blue shirt behind me. It was cool to get to spend time with my brother. He is 14 years younger than me, and sometimes we don't have a lot in common. He turned 18 in May, and it's getting easier.

One of the things we DO have in common is that we're both big fans of George R. R. Martin. I discovered his books in the paperback racks of the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Branch. I took it home with me and encouraged my roommates at the time to read it, too. After we had all three read the books, we played "Cast that Character" and chose our dream actors and actresses to play Sansa, Arya, Tyrion, and the rest. I've continued to recommend the series to everyone I know who reads fantasy. I badgered both of my brothers into reading A Song of Ice and Fire. My little brother even gave up his W.o.W. account this spring so that those funds could go to paying for HBO.

Martin's Q & A session was short because there were so many attendees, but he answered some of the FAQs. His favorite character is Tyrion, and he's the easiest to write. He loves the HBO show and writes one show per season. My friend Heather asked a question about women in his books, and received a very nice response. Basically, he said that his books are based on history and the women in his books have a lot to overcome(!).

Martin had great things to say about our local independent bookseller, which was awesome. The store guy says that he requests to come to our bookstore. We were his last stop on the tour. He said that a non-reader lives only one life, and a reader lives thousands. Such true words!

Unfortunately, there were so many people who were there that there was no personalization or photos. Well, other than the guy at the end of the line snapping people. I very much wish that I had still been in town during one of his earlier signings at the book store! I am amazed at his stamina. He signed books for over 600 people, and with a limit of 3 books each. I am sure that not everyone had more than one book--my brother and I each had one. If he did, he would have signed over 1800 books! The really amazing thing is that he did it in only two hours! Even with those downsides, I am very, very glad that I went to the signing. It was by no means a waste of my time, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

I'm collecting authors

2011-08-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

My newest hobby is going to book signings! You know what your favorite actors and actresses look like, but who knows what their favorite author looks like? I'm out to discover what my favorite authors look like and hear the sound of their voices. As of last Saturday, I met author #5. On Tuesday, I'll be meeting author #6! I am very lucky that my local bookstore has a host of signings for awesome authors.

It is a lot of fun to meet these authors. They sometimes read from their latest book, but most of them simply take questions from the audience. You get a chance to ask them personal questions when you get to the table to get your book signed. You can usually get your picture taken with the author as well. That's pretty awesome if you ask me.

I was really impressed with Jim Butcher who was the author I saw on Saturday. I thought he was really funny. There were a lot of fans there. They did the order of signing by giving us tickets that were alphabetized. My ticket was I, and it took 2 1/2 hours before we got a chance to see Mr. Butcher. I can't even imagine spending 2 1/2 hours signing my name, smiling for the camera and making small talk. If I ever make it as an author, I would totally sign books and take photos for 2 1/2 hours or more if my fans could wait for 2 1/2 hours to see me!

In 2008, I met

Diana Gabaldon (who said that her grandmother shared my name, very cool!)
Peter S. Beagle (who went to school with two of the writing instructors at my alma mater, Gurney Norman and James Baker Hall. I had to give him the unfortunate news that James Baker Hall had passed away.)
I got a peek at Charlaine Harris while asking for her publicist's information

In 2010, I met

Kelley Armstrong!

In 2011, I have already met

Kim Harrison (who is a fellow Dr. Who fan!)
Jim Butcher

and will meet George R.R. Martin tomorrow!

If you've never met an author before, do it! It's an excellent experience!

(My brother took this picture, so it's totally his fault that it came out blurry!)

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

2011-07-28T22:31:00.000-04:00

I have been a fan of Charlaine Harris for several years. I'm probably one of the last to join her fandom. I started reading after the first season of True Blood. I knew that Anna Paquin had been cast as Sookie while I was reading the books, and I could hear her in my mind as I was reading. I hadn't seen the show at the time, but I have now. I have to admit that I was disappointed in Paquin as Sookie at first, but I feel like she is coming into the character finally in this fourth season. I appreciate the show and the books as separate entitites now.

I think I'm probably one of the last to read this book as well! It was my first time reading a book as an ebook. I don't have an ereader, so I was reading on my computer. My feelings on ereaders is an issue for another post, however.

The book felt shorter than the rest of the books. However, that may be because I was reading it on my computer. It was apparently 247 pages long. It was a very typical Harris novel with plenty of sex, blood, and violence. I always enjoy her books, and they never fail to deliver. They keep me turning the pages, and I am always sad when the story is over.

Sookie is living with her fairy relatives Claude and Dermot while happily dating Eric. Things are never quiet for long in Bon Temps, however. During Sookie's shift at Merlotte's, someone throws a molotov cocktail into the bar. Meanwhile, Eric is struggling not to let Victor, the regent of Louisiana anger him enough to make his death a certainty.Underneath all of this, Sookie has to wonder if her fairy relatives have ulterior motives for living with her. They claim that they become more powerful when they live together, but Sookie is not convinced. She also discovers that Sandra Van Pelt is out of jail and (yet again) gunning for her. Sookie also finds out some things about her heritage that are unexpected. It all culminates with a very bloody, gory battle.

Sookie has some serious issues that she has to deal with. I don't know how I would deal with it if I were in her situation. She has more tolerance, more perseverance than I would. There are a lot of issues associated with the paranormal that aren't necessarily predictable, but I think Harris has done a good job of anticipating those things. She doesn't show relationships with vampires as being any easier than relationships with other humans, and I appreciate that about her novels. I feel like there is a depth to the Sookie series that is lacking in many other paranormal novels and series.

Obviously, I highly recommend this book! I love Harris's novels and had the opportunity to see her if not speak to her at Dragon-Con. Sometimes I am surprised that novels like these come from an older lady like Harris! If you haven't read these books yet, go pick them up NOW. They are fantastic!

Black Blade Blues by J.A. Pitts

2011-05-31T19:41:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking it for quite a while and I've probably mentioned it, but Urban Fantasy is definitely my favorite subgenre. This book just reminded me of that fact!

Sarah is a blacksmith who works shoeing horses during the day, moonlights as props master for a local film company, makes swords for fun, and is part of a Society for Creative Anachronisms(SCA) group on the side.

She's purchased a black sword at auction and after it is shattered during a movie scene, she decides to reforge it. She has an audience consisting of her girlfriend and a man who claims he is a dwarf. Things grow steadily stranger after the dwarf asks her to slay the dragon using the sword. Apparently, the dragon is an investment banker!

This is my newest favorite book. I couldn't put it down. I really loved the characters. I totally understood Sarah's dual feelings about her sexuality, her upbringing versus the truth of who she is. Her relationship with her girlfriend seemed very realistic to me. I do have a friend who would complain that all lesbian relationships are portrayed in a very angsty, abusive light. I felt like Sarah and Katie's relationship was surely angst-ridden, but I wouldn't say that Sarah's behavior was abusive. It was more confused.

In addition, I've thought that the fantasy genre could always use more lesbians. I'd say the same about gay men, but they just aren't macho enough for sword fights. Fencing, yes. Sword fights, not so much. It would be totally awesome if the next book had some gay guys in it. I won't have long to wait-the next installation is coming out soon, and I am very excited!

Sarah reminded me of Buffy in some ways. She was reluctant to stand up and take her place in the overall story. Once she did, she kicked ass and took names. She also pushed herself to her limits. Sarah is the kind of person that I would like hanging out with, and that's really at the heart of what I liked about this novel. I don't want to read books about people I don't like. It's distasteful.

At the same time, Buffy was someone who couldn't have a "normal" relationship. I don't feel that way about Sarah. I think that while there was a lot of indecision and figuring things out in this book, she won't have the same problem in the next book.

In addition to liking the heroine, I have to say that I felt like there was a twist in this story that I didn't expect. There were some questions raised that weren't answered, and I am looking forward to having at least some of then resolved. I liked the elements of pop culture that were included, too. It was really cool how the author took a skill that is somewhat archaic and turned it into something that made our character that much more vital. I am a knitter and while I enjoy the craft of it, it's not something that is altogether useful in the grand scheme of things. Blacksmithery is important in small circles, but not in the grander scheme of things. I guess it's an appreciation for the finer, more obscure arts that appeals to me.

If you like urban fantasy, you'll like this book! If you've ever been to a Ren Faire or are a member of SCA, you'll like this book! If you're a fan of Viking mythology, you'll like this book! If you're looking for something new to read, go find a copy of this book. You won't be sorry!

The Last Eunuch of China by Jia Yinghun, Translated by Sun Haichen

2011-03-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

I'd been looking for this book for months before I finally put my hands on it through the Interlibrary Loans at my university library. It seems like a strange subject to read about, but the history is absolutely fascinating. Chinese history is one of the areas where my education is lacking.

For hundreds of years, China was ruled by an emperor. Traditionally, the imperial family was served by eunuchs. It was considered proper to have eunuchs, especially for the imperial wives and concubines because castration was seen as putting a stop to sexual desire. Eunuch-hood was seen as a possible way for peasant families to get rich, and would often castrate their young boys and send them to the palace for training as eunuchs.

Sun Yaoting was castrated at the age of 7! in the early 1900s shortly before the imperial family was dethroned. How horrible to have gone through that pain and suffering(two MONTHS of recovery time with a quill stuck in your urethra!) only to discover that it was for nothing! Sun Yaoting was sent to the palace by way of a nobleman anyway, when he was a teenager. He was able to serve the royal family for quite some time until the People's Liberation Army claimed China.

Yaoting's life was really interesting. He talked about the imperial family in what seemed to be a very frank light. He had plenty of negative things to say about them. At the same time, I had to wonder if there was more negative to say about them simply because of censorship in China.

Likewise, there was much to say about being a eunuch. There were some eunuchs that served the Imperial family who had families before they were castrated. Others adopted children. Yaoting talked often about eunuchs who would have affairs with maids. Obviously, castration does not remove physical desire.

The book was written in a rather formal style. For the most part, it was a very good translation. There were some times when I could tell that it was translated, but those were few. I was left with a desire to read more about the imperial family of China, especially that of the last emperor.

I would recommend this book for anyone interested in history, especially Chinese history.

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

2011-02-16T12:00:00.019-05:00

I love Patricia Briggs Mercy novels. I knew that she had written other books before that, but I hadn't been able to find a copy of Dragon Bones at my local library. I did find a copy at my local Barnes & Noble's bookstore. I read it right after I bought it, and I'm currently on my second read because I just bought Dragon Blood. I started to read the latter only to realize that it had been too long since I had read the first to remember important details. Long story short, I'm reading it for the second time. It's just as good this time around as it was the first, which is not surprising because Briggs has a deft hand at the pen.

We meet Ward just before his father dies and he inherits rule of the keep at Hurog. Ward has been feigning mental disability since his father beat him unconscious around the age of 10. When his father dies, he inherits not only rule, but keep of the family ghost, Oreg.

Ward decides to keep his true intelligence a secret from his uncle Duraugh. That decision ends up being a mistake when the king's lover Garranon and Garranon's brother Landislaw show up at Hurog in search of a missing slave. Throughout history, Hurog has been a refuge for slaves, and Ward keeps that tradition.

In order to thwart Ward, they declare him incompetent to rule and drug him in order to transport him to the kingdom's asylum. Ward escapes, along with Oreg, his father's butler Axiel, the slave woman, and his sister Ciarra. Along the way, they pick up Tosten, Ward's younger brother who escaped their father's wrath after attempting suicide. Ward took him from Hurog and hid him years ago in order to save his life.

The little band heads toward Oranstone, where war is brewing. Ward's reasoning is that war heroes are harder to kill. Along the way, they learn to fight and face mighty betrayal.

I love this book and its sequel! I really wish that there were more books to it. At the same time, I do feel like the storylines were wrapped up well. I didn't feel like there were any loose ends, I just want more of these characters' stories. I wanted to be part of Ward's band and fight for right. Of course, seeing dragons would just be icing on the cake. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes Patricia Briggs, loves dragons, and wants a happy ending where the good guys win.

Words Sway Me

2011-02-04T22:49:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading a stunning and heartbreaking novel about what might happen if an EMP was detonated over the U.S. Very realistic depiction, in my opinion. I don't know what was worst; imagining this happening for real in my life, the deaths of the elderly, the cannibalism, the need to lock people up in asylums/sanitoriums again, or the death of a child due to lack of insulin. I could very easily turn into a survivalist if I think about it that much. Then again, I would head for my friend Shannon's house in the event of an apocalypse--she would have plenty of green things growing. And a catapult or trebuchet for defense. Plus, those Baker boys are something fierce!

My mother has always said that words are weapons for me. I can slice you to pieces without ever touching you. I try to use my power for good, but it doesn't always work. I guess it follows that words affect me in the same way. I cry much more easily while I am reading a well-written book than I do when I'm watching a movie.

There are books that I have been reading and re-reading for 10-15 years where the characters seem like old friends. There are books I can no longer read because of the deaths of those beloved characters. There is a book that haunts me, that I love, that was probably my introduction to the genre I most love; fantasy. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. It is such a book of humanity and haunting beauty. I want to read it again and again, to hold the words close to me. I can't bear it, though. The unicorn's story is too tragic. There is both great hope and great despair in the tale.

I marvel that this one story can absorb so much of myself. I marvel that this author has woven such a tale! Such a deft hand at the pen. Where does his story come from? I want desperately to have the same skill at writing a tale, the same power to bring tears, to have someone read and re-read my words fifty, a hundred times because of their weight, their aura, their transcendence. I fear that I have nothing so pure and amazing within me. I fear that I have that skill within me, but no story to tell. I fear that I have the story, but cannot find the right words.

Words hold me in their grip, tightly. I live my life along their edges. They susurrate over my tongue, whisper in my ears, grip my soul in both their hands and haul me under the deep blue of their gluttonous mouths.

Dying Sucks by D.D. Barant

2011-01-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

I just finished this book, and I can't wait to read the next by this author! It was probably the best book I've read so far this year. I know we're only a couple of weeks in, but it was still a great book. I would highly recommend picking it up soon.

Jace has a dream that a man is telling her to choose the three things that are most vital to her job. She picks up her gun, some bullets, and her laptop, and walks through a door only to find that it wasn't a dream after all. She's been sent to another universe for her expertise in criminal profiling.

This universe is very similar to ours, but magic and supernatural creatures are real. In fact, vampires and werewolves make up most of the population. There are also Golems, constructed beings animated by the spirits of animals. Humans are a very small minority. Jace has been brought to this version of Earth in order to find a killer who has been murdering vampires and werewolves. 'Pires and weres aren't susceptible to the same mental illnesses that humans are, so the law enforcement agencies aren't equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to find killers like Jace is.

There are so many characters in the book, and it makes it a very intricately, interwoven tapestry of a story. The author has very obviously thought in detail about what changes would result from a population composed primarily of vampires and werewolves. She writes about different books, music, and television shows. There are differences in history, certainly. It was fascinating to think about how it would be different, and the author's depiction was easily believable.

The part that I felt was somewhat unbelievable was that all the men in this universe seemed to be sexually interested in Jace. Werewolves, vampires, humans. It didn't matter--they all wanted her! I don't really remember how the author described her, but it just seems unrealistic that all of them would be interested in her. It was almost as if she felt like a romantic aspect was expected. I can accept that, but it was just distracting that all of the men wanted to get into Jace's pants. I would have been quite happy with the book if there were no romantic aspect to it!

I would totally recommend this book, especially for those who enjoy Kim Harrison's novels. The series is plot-driven, and I am looking forward to finding out what the next serial killer Jace and her colleagues track down is like.

An Update in the Kingdom

2010-12-20T08:00:00.003-05:00

There haven't been a lot of reviews in the Book Kingdom lately, and I apologize for that. Things have not been going well on this end for a while. In the past three years, 9 of my family members have passed away. Some were from natural causes or illnesses. My great-aunt and great-uncle were in their nineties. One of my uncles died in an accident.

This weekend, my cousin passed away. She was 35 years old, and was the victim of a violent attack. My family is quite obviously devastated. It makes blogging take a very far backseat to everything else. I've been doing a lot of reading because it helps to keep the grief at bay, gives me time to process. A lot of it is re-reading books I've already read. It's like spending time with old friends, a comfort.

The plan is to return to regularly scheduled reviews starting after Christmas. New reviews will be posted on Mondays, with specials at other times during the week as they occur.

Staying Dead and Curse the Dark by Laura Anne Gilman

2010-12-06T06:42:00.001-05:00

I think that these books are one of the most interesting concepts that I've read in a while. I picked them up thinking they were going to be paranormal romance. They are definitely paranormal, but there's not anywhere near as much romance as I expected. Don't get me wrong, there is romance. It's a much smaller part of the novels than usual. This one fits much better into the newer urban fantasy subgenre. It's quickly becoming my favorite genre overall. Who doesn't like it when a heroine kicks some major baddie butt?

Wren is a Retriever. If someone has something stolen and wants it back, she's your go-to girl. Her partner Sergei handles the business side. Wren is the Talent of the partnership, handling Current in order to get the job done. Usually, a Talent of her caliber is governed by the Council. Wren operates outside of Council boundaries as a Lonejack, one of many freelance magicians in the city. She is also a friend to the Fatae, the supernatural beings who live in the city. As a side-effect of her Current-use, she shorts out the fuses in her apartment on a regular basis, can't use cell phones, and can only use dial-up for her internet connection.

In Staying Dead, Wren is asked to retrieve the cornerstone of a building that includes protective spells. She has to get information through her unusual sources: a four foot tall demon with white fur and red eyes that looks like a miniature polar bear, and a wizzart, a Talent user who has taken in too much Current and has gone insane as a side effect. She ends up encountering a ghost in a deadly situation.

In Curse the Dark, her task is to retrieve a particularly nasty parchment that makes anyone who reads it disappear. It has been stolen from the House of Holding, a building where no magic can be worked that is guarded by monks. Wren and Sergei track the parchment across Italy and back to the United States where they discover it has ended up in their own city. Meanwhile, the Council, the Lonejacks, and the Fatae are at odds. Fatae are being beaten by a hate group, and lives are at stake.

I have to say that I was not a fan of Gilman's writing at first. In Staying Dead, she does a poor job of explaining her version of magic, and doesn't do a very good job of setting up the mythos of her novels. I was totally confused about what she was talking about for the first ten or fifteen pages. The writing was unclear and not set out in a logical way. As I kept reading, the writing got better, and I was hooked by the end of the first book. It is very clear that Gilman has set these books up as a series. There are quite a few events in the novels that have no resolution and even seem out of place at times.

I really enjoyed both books, and I would highly recommend them. Gilman's novels are plot-driven as opposed to being character-driven, and I don't read enough of that type of book in the paranormal romance genre. I think that I would totally not be able to be a Talent in Wren's world--I couldn't give up my electronic gizmos! Be prepared to be confused at the beginning of the first book. It's worth it to muddle through to the magicky goodness on the other side.

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2010-10-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

I love Sherrilyn Kenyon's books. I think that when I began delving into the world of paranormal romance, her Dark Hunters series was one of the first I discovered, along with J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood. It has been a while since I read through the Dark Hunters books, and I plan to pick them up again here soon. The TBR pile never gets smaller...

I hadn't read any of Kenyon's League novels until now. I picked this one up because of a conversation I overheard at a Kelly Armstrong signing, actually. I've read a few futuristic novels, but most of them are at best oddly done. Kenyon's was fantastic. I had no problem with believing in the setting like I have in other books.

I loved the characters, too. How can you not love a man named Syn? I loved the wordplay between him and Shahara about what the C.I. stood for. The characters were intelligent, and they were people I could have quite happily spent time with.

Here's a quick synopsis: Shahara is responsible for the care and feeding of her three siblings as the oldest. One of her sisters has a gambling problem and has landed herself in the hospital. In the future, hospitals won't continue to provide care if you don't pay. Shahara has only a few days to come up with the money to pay for her sister's health care or they will turn her out, resulting in her death.

Shahara, a bounty hunter, takes a contract for C.I. Syn. Syn is convicted of the rape and murder of Kiara, the daughter of a government official. Shahara doesn't know that Kiara is still alive and in love with Nyk, one of Syn's compatriots. She's already convicted him in her mind and is committed to bringing him in. Syn convinces her to let him go, but then Shahara strikes a deal with some of Syn's enemies. The two of them learn about each other as they search for the evidence that will keep Syn safe.

If you like Kenyon's Dark Hunter novels, you will certainly enjoy this book. I think that if you've read other futuristic novels and think they're hard to swallow, this one will make you try again.

Hornet Flight by Ken Follett

2010-09-19T13:40:00.000-04:00

I have a huge TBR pile, as does pretty much any book blogger or reader. I've been working my way through slowly but surely. I think I'm about 5 books into a box that holds at least 50...It's a marathon, people!

I would say that most of the books I'm going to be reviewing for a while are books that are a little older. I'll try to throw in some other books--I've got a Sherrilyn Kenyon book and a new Elizabeth Moon book review coming up soon. There will also be an interview!

But on to the book! I have a confession. I love reading about World War II. It's an absolutely fascinating time period. There was so much going on, so much corruption, so much amazing sacrifice, and so much triumph of the human spirit. Most of the time, the books that you find about this time period are set in Germany. This book was set in Denmark.

I learned a lot about Denmark's history reading this book. I know that the author does quite a bit of historical writing, so I'm assuming that he's historically accurate. I'm just thinking in terms of the big facts--Denmark's king gave up to Nazi occupation with no resistance. The Nazis occupied with little difference in the country other than to institute a curfew, require ration cards, and prevent the Air Force from flying anything other than gliders. There was a Danish resistance, and the Author's Note at the back states that the Danish resistance was the most successful resistance during the war.

There were quite a few characters in the book, and Follett kept jumping about telling their stories in different places. I had a bit of trouble keeping up with exactly where each person was because I am not familiar with Denmark and its cities other than Copenhagen. The people were very distinct, and I had no difficulty following who he was writing about.

The main characters were Hermia, a British government official who has helped to set up Danish Resistance, her fiancee Arne, and Arne's younger brother Harald. Arne and Harald are pulled into the Danish Resistance despite Hermia's attempts to keep them uninvolved. Harald takes a shortcut through the German camp one night and discovers a radar array that is helping the Germans shoot down the RAF planes. He is asked to take photos by one of the resistance members, Poul, who is then blown up by a vengeful Danish police officer.

Harald is left with no way to get the photos to Britain, although he tries to meet up with Hermia who has crossed over into Denmark because her resistance fighters have been disappearing. He has fallen in love with Karen, the twin sister of one of his classmates and is living in an abandoned monastery on the family's property after a fight with his very conservative Puritan father. Karen's family has an old Hornet Moth airplane stored in the monastery, and Harald's only chance to get the photos to the British in advance of the next raid is to repair the airplane, steal the gasoline, and fly to England with the film.

The book was exciting and interesting. Of course, it was made even more so because I enjoy the time period. I was never quite sure what was going to happen next, and if there would be a happy ending or not. I would absolutely recommend this book, especially if you are interested in World War II history.

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon

2010-09-03T22:57:00.000-04:00

Have you ever read a book that drew you in immediately, that captured your heart and your imagination so deeply that it brought you to tears? I just finished reading this trilogy for the 3rd, possibly 4th time, and am transported to another world, inspired, and no less entranced than I was the first time I read the book.

Originally written as three novels, Sheepfarmer's Daughter, Divided Allegiance, and Oath of Gold, Moon's trilogy is the story of a common girl who leaves home to join the army instead of fulfilling the betrothal her father has arranged for her. I feel like saying anything more than that about the novels will spoil the story!

There are so many things I love about the trilogy that it's hard to narrow it down. I love that there are women who are active in the military in a medieval fantasy. I appreciate the casual treatment of a homosexual relationship. I love the sword fighting! There's magic, elves, royalty, the fulfillment of the daydreams of a young girl. I think I most love the epic triumph of good over evil. The good guys and the bad guys are easy to identify, and that's something I wish was true about "real" life. How amazing is that book cover, btw? It's the UK version, and I wish it was available here in the States! I would buy it in a heartbeat.

This is on my list of Top 5 Books I would want on a deserted island. If you've never read it, go pick it up! Right now!

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

2010-07-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

This book is so full of twists and turns and moral dilemmas that my mind is boggled.

The heroine, Justine, is a hypochondriac obsessed with a malady called vein star syndrome. Her mother was convinced that she had it, despite a lack of symptoms and died because of it when Justine was 13. Justine drives away friends, colleagues, and boyfriends with her trips to the ER, her constant research, and general paranoia.

Then she meets Packard. He's the head of a group of disillusionists, people who take their own paranoia and push that negative energy into others. Justine is able to push her fears about vein star syndrome into Packard and maintain a normal life. For a time.

Justine doesn't want to join Packard's group, but is forced to when she realizes that she must continue to zap her fears into Packard or risk brain damage. She ends up helping to break down criminals who have committed horrible crimes and yet can't be convicted. These criminals become different people, those who work for good due to the degree of their disillusionment.

Justine feels uneasy about her position in the group and the disillusionment that she causes. At the same time, she is drawn to Packard and committed to finding his nemesis, a man who has trapped him in a restaurant for the past 8 years. Then she meets another man who challenges her ideas about disillusionment and about Packard.

I have to admit that this novel really challenged my ideas of good and evil. I wasn't sure who the good guys and who the bad guys were. The morality of the groups' actions was a fine grey line, and I wasn't sure where anything fell. At the very least, I'll be thinking about what constitutes good and evil for quite a while.

Get Your Towel!

2010-05-25T13:05:00.000-04:00

It doesn't seem like it to look at the books I review, but fantasy is my favorite genre. I love all things mystical and magical. I love Sci-fi as well, but I have trouble getting a mental image for what the author is talking about sometimes. I prefer my sci-fi on television so I can see what they're talking about.

One sci-fi book that I fell in love with is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. What's not to love? Vogon poetry? The meaning of life? Towels, anyone?

I found out (via Facebook, naturally!) that today is Towel Day. I thought I'd mention it on my blog because it's a reading thing and I take every opportunity to flaunt just exactly how geeky I am.

So, grab your towel and get your thumb ready to honor the late Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhiker's Guide and its subsequent sequels. No Vogon poetry, please.

Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox

2010-05-13T14:37:00.004-04:00

The first in the Sons of the Zodiac series and the debut novel for author Addison Fox, Warrior Ascended sets the bar high for the series. Themis, the Greek goddess of Justice has been allowed by Zeus to create 12 groups of 13 immortal warriors to protect humankind from evil. However, he has pitted her against his daughter Enyo, goddess of war.

Immortal Leo warrior Brody Talbot is working undercover as an archaeologist on a mission to translate the Prophecy of the Summoning Stones. He meets Ava Harrison, curator of the stones' exhibit and daughter of the archaeologist who originally discovered the stones, Russell Harrison. Brody is immediately drawn to Ava, despite her horrid gray sweater. He follows her home and protects her from Enyo's warriors, the Destroyers.

Eventually Brody is forced to reveal exactly who and what he is to Ava after his lion tattoo manifests itself in the middle of the streets of London in order to aid Brody in fighting yet another set of Destroyers. She accepts this supernatural aspect of Brody's with much less questioning than I would have, presumably because each time she gets near one of the Stones, she sees visions.

Brody and Ava end up fighting to avert an Apocalypse, and I began wondering how she will top that for her next book! Buffy did it show after show, so I have no doubt that Ms. Fox can as well. I can just imagine the warriors asking Themis what they're going to do and Themis replying "Same thing we do every day, boys. Try to save the world from an Apocalypse," a la Pinky and the Brain.

This was a quick, enjoyable read. I will definitely pick up another one of Ms. Fox's books again in the future. If you like astrology, romance, and the paranormal, you'll enjoy this book.

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow

2010-05-01T13:59:00.004-04:00

I feel like I've been missing out on this awesome author! Lilith Saintcrow has published several different series, both for adults and for young adults. I am in the midst of reading the Jill Kismet series, but picked up this first of the Dante Valentine novels while I was waiting for the next.

I love the strong female characters in Saintcrow's books. They're the type of women that I would love to hang out with myself, the type of woman that I want to be.

Danny Valentine is a Necromance, a psionic trained to raise the dead for the legal purposes--to discover who murdered them or to clear up contract issues. One day, as she is about to consult her tarot cards, there is a knock at the door. It is Japhrimel, a servant of the Prince of Hell. He's come to escort Danny to Hell for an audience with the Prince. Turns out that the Prince wants Danny to work for him, and he doesn't give her much of a choice. However, he also gives her a familiar, the demon Japhrimel.

Danny has a reason to want revenge on Santino Vardimal. Her best friend Doreen was killed by this demon escapee. Japhrimel also has a reason to want Vardimal dead--he escaped while being guarded by Jaf. Danny gets help from another Necromance, Gabriele aka Gabe and her partner Eddie, a dirtwitch. She also runs into Jace, a former lover and former Mob enforcer.

Along the way, there is magic, there is action, there is romance and discovery. There are so many twists and turns in this novel that if I share too much about it, I'll spoil it. I highly recommend this one--it will rock your socks off!

The Rogue Mage Trilogy by Faith Hunter

2010-04-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

This is my new favorite trilogy and my new favorite author. I can't say enough good things about this trilogy. I couldn't put the books down. I really, really didn't want to finish the last book because I didn't want the trilogy to be over. The characters were so real to me.

The trilogy is set in a post-Apocalyptic world where the Bible's apocalyptic prophecies came true. Angels, seraphs appeared on Earth and carried out plagues of disease and famine. Now, there is a fraction of the population still living, angels appear periodically, mages have been born, and law is kept by church officials.

Throughout the trilogy, there was a question of whether or not the Seraphs were truly agents of the Most High God or if they were aliens who had used Biblical prophecy to their advantage. I like the books that make you question your beliefs--I think it is healthier for your faith to question, ponder, and reaffirm the things you believe than to remain stagnant. That was one of my favorite things about the trilogy.

Thorn is a mage living in North Carolina. She is in hiding because she is an unlicensed mage and cannot live in the mage enclaves because she can hear the thoughts of all the other neomages. She is a stone mage with an affinity for gemstones. While angels have come to Earth, so have demons. Unfortunately, they live under the mountain next to Thorn's haven.

Thorn and her friends battle the darkness living under the mountain, meet seraphs and cherubim, use magic, and generally have great adventures in the three books. I don't even want to share any of it because I know that whatever I have to say won't do it any justice! Please, go get these books and read them! You won't be sorry.

Steamed by Katie MacAlister

2010-04-09T11:17:00.005-04:00

I hadn't heard of this book until my lovely friend Red over at Texas Red Books reviewed it. Steampunk has hovered at the edges of my sci-fi interest for several years, but I'd never really made a foray into the genre until recently. During my trip to DragonCon last fall, there were quite a few people dressed in Steampunk gear. The most amazing, awesome Steampunk gear was someone who had kitted out his wheelchair! It was so well-done.

My dad was caught up in the Steampunk trend and since getting back home has made his own Steampunk jewelry. I'm glad that he's found a new hobby, and I keep hassling him to get his things up on Etsy. Once he finally does, I'll post a link for all those who might be interested. I think he does a great job, and I hope everyone else does, too!

Anyway! The book! I love the cover art to begin with. It's so well done! I feel like it really captured the essence of Steampunk. I was expecting a book that was set completely in an alternate Steampunk universe, but this book wasn't. Two of the main characters were catapulted into the Steampunk universe through an accident of nanotechnology.

I found the point of view rather confusing. MacAlister used first person and switched between telling the story from the girl's point of view to the guy's point of view. It was hard to keep track of who was telling the story sometimes.

I also ended up feeling like MacAlister was advocating the advantages of living in our universe as opposed to a Steampunk universe. I don't feel like that was true to the Steampunk "code," so to speak. If I read Steampunk or dress Steampunk or write Steampunk, I believe in Steampunk. I believe that it is better than the way we live. That wasn't the feeling I got from MacAlister.

I got a sort of deux ex machina feeling from the book as well. The heroine always knew just the right person in order to pull their bacon out of the frying pan each time. It felt just a little too contrived for me.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, even though I had some criticisms. I enjoyed the foray into the Steampunk world, I enjoyed the romance, and I hope that MacAlister is going to continue to tell the story of the Steampunk universe she has created.

Absentee Blogger

2010-01-04T20:19:00.002-05:00

December is a busy month for everyone. That's no surprise with all the parties, Christmas shopping and the usual day-to-day events. In addition, I'm a crafter, so I end up making quite a few of my Christmas gifts. My December flew by without reviews, but certainly not without reading! I have two fantastic series that I've just discovered in the past month that I'm going to share with my blog followers, so stay tuned.

When Being a Reader & Being a Writer Collide

2009-12-01T21:06:00.005-05:00

I am an avid reader, and have been since before I could even read. My mother tells me that I used to sit at her feet and watch her reading. I am quoted as saying "I wish I could read." I was highly motivated to learn to read and learned as quickly as possible.

With my love of reading has followed a love of writing. I loved the characters in my books so much that I wanted to create my own characters. I began writing epic stories with no end in elementary school. I still have a notebook filled with a description of my imaginary world that I wrote some time in middle school. In 3rd grade, I was a finalist in a DAR writing competition about what the Constitution meant to me.

In high school, I discovered poetry. It was all I wrote for years. At college, I majored in English with an emphasis in creative writing. All but one of my workshop classes were in poetry. I really struggled with the one fiction workshop class that I took. My biggest issue was conflict. I didn't really have a lot in my own life, and a lack of experience led to a lack of inspiration for me. After college, I stagnated. I dealt with depression that sucked any interest in writing out of me.

Living in Los Angeles, I posted an ad on Craigslist for a writing partner. To my surprise, I found a great one! She was from Kentucky like me, and vegan where I was vegetarian. She liked my writing and really encouraged me. A year later, she and her husband moved back to Chicago where they had lived previously. I went out hunting for a writing partner again, and again was amazingly lucky. This writing partner helped me focus more on my goals as a writer and the fact that I start a million different projects and never finish anything!

Now I am a blogger mostly, with a few pieces of poetry and quite a few personal essays thrown in. I do a lot of thinking about writing a novel. I have done a lot of planning in regards to my novel. I've started more than one novel. However, I haven't pushed through any of them yet.

Then a funny thing happened. All that reading I've done about writing a novel started clicking into place while I was reading. The book I read the other day was a textbook example. Textbooks, though? Not so much fun to read. Textbook examples, ditto. I am seriously concerned that being a writer is going to ruin being a reader for me! It disappoints me that books are becoming predictable and formulaic. I don't want to have to give up one or the other of my pleasures for the sake of the other remaining interesting.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T17:25:00.003-05:00

I know that this is not strictly a bookish post, but I felt like it was important for me to say.

I am a pacifist. And hard core. I have always said that arguments are best solved with words, not violence. However, my boyfriend and I have had arguments about this recently. He says "Might makes right," and I haven't yet come up with an argument that trumps that. There are some people that are just not open to negotiation. It takes two to come to an agreement. My views about are mostly not changed, but I'm recognizing that there are some cases in which nothing short of violence works.

I have usually viewed veterans with respect, but somewhat of a negative attitude. I don't often feel that they fight for me, the military is misused by the government(not the service members' faults), and so forth. As I have said to people in the past, I don't support the cause the troops are currently fighting for in Iraq, but I definitely support the troops.

I've been substitute teaching at a middle school for a few days now. Today, they had students bring a veteran for lunch and an assembly honoring the veterans. The assembly really changed my attitude about veterans. They had students and staff stand while they played the songs for each branch of the military. I stood for my cousin who was in the Navy, my cousin who was in the Army Reserves, and for my grandfathers whose branches I don't know.

Doing that made Veteran's Day personal for me. I love my cousins and my grandfathers fiercely. I believe that they deserve to be honored for their service in the military. No one else's family member deserves any less.

So, in the name of Fred Sweet, Jim Underwood, Nicholas McCoy, and Matt Delavega, I honor all who have served in the military this veteran's day.

Frozen by Jay Boninsanga

2009-11-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone who has been reading my blog for any length of time has probably noticed that my two favorite genres currently are paranormal romance(vampires and werewolves and witches, oh, my!) and action-adventure historic mystery(think Dan Brown-esque, but better!). Paranormal romance is so popular right now that it's not hard to find new authors to read. The action-adventure historic mystery isn't quite as popular, so I have to do more hunting to find the kind of books that fall into this category. Of course, Dan Brown and James Rollins are always a good bet, and I've discovered both Raymond Khoury and Chris Kuzneski to be great authors in this genre as well. I expected Frozen to be a typical thriller since a profiler was the main character, and I was happy when it took a different turn.

Ulysses Grove is an FBI profiler working on the Sun City case. He's known as the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit's golden boy, cracking cases that no one else is able to close. He has been working on the Sun City case for over a year without any breaks in the case, and his superiors are beginning to believe that's he's having a nervous breakdown.

After an incident on the job, his unit director sends him to Alaska to investigate a mummy at the request of a journalist for Discover magazine. There, he meets off-beat journalist Maura County and discovers a link between the death of the neolithic mummy and the MO of his Sun City serial killer.

My only complaint about the writing is that the author has a tendency to foreshadow too much. He says things like "she didn't know how important this person would be," or "he didn't know that this would help crack his case." There were quite a few show, don't tell moments in the writing. I've come to the conclusion that this is a pitfall for first time fiction authors. Possibly it is confined to this particular genre.

I really enjoyed the book, and I can't wait to read more about Ulysses Grove. I really hope that all Bonansinga's books have a historic/supernatural twist like Frozen. If you enjoy James Rollins, you'll love Frozen!

Body Movers by Stephanie Bond

2009-10-25T10:53:00.004-04:00

I picked up this book because I had read Bond's In Deep Voodoo earlier this year. I was looking for something funny, along the lines of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels. There are so many jokes to be made about working in "body retrieval," right? I was disappointed on the humor front, but I did enjoy the book nonetheless.

Carlotta's parents skipped out of town to avoid facing legal charges when she was 17 years old, leaving her in charge of her 9-year-old brother Wesley. Ten years later, Carlotta works at Neiman Marcus, rarely dates, and lives with 19-year-old Wesley. Her parents send an occasional postcard, but have otherwise been absent since they skipped town. Wesley is a computer whiz and gambler in debt to multiple shady characters.

When one of Carlotta's customers and high school classmates drowns under suspicious circumstances, Carlotta decides to do her own investigation. She runs up against the handsome Detective Jack Terry, who warns her to stay out of his investigation. Meanwhile, her brother takes a job moving bodies with the yummy Coop Craft, a former medical examiner. She also ends up entangled with her former fiance, the husband of the woman murdered.

I was honestly kept guessing the whole book about which of the three men Carlotta would end up with. It still wasn't resolved at the end, although the crowd was narrowed from three to two. I am not sure which I would rather Carlotta end up with either. I definitely want to find out what Carlotta is up to next and who she decides to date, so I'll certainly be reading the next book in the series.

I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a good mystery, and who like fashion.

Dogs and Goddesses by Jennifer Crusie, Anne Stuart & Lani Diane Rich

2009-10-01T14:30:00.004-04:00

What a fun book this was! Three ladies, Abby, Daisy and Shar meet each other at a dog obedience class. They are greeted by the mysterious Kammani, who shares the name of a goddess no one knows much about. She gives them some punch, and all three wake up the next day with their dogs talking to them! These three ladies discover love while working to defeat Kammani, who actually is an ancient goddess. They unravel an archaeological mystery and discover that they are descendents of ancient goddesses as well, and have powers of their own!

I love books where women find their inner goddess, and I love books where people can talk to their pets, so this book was a great read for me. I am more of a cat person, so the only thing I would have liked was for it to be Cats and Goddesses instead! I don't think that would work out as well since people don't really take their cats to obedience classes. I have one that I would definitely take if I knew where to find a cat obedience class!

I was also impressed by the fact that these three authors worked together to write the book. I was expecting three shorter stories within the book, but I was surprised that it was one complete story. I can't imagine what it must be like to work with one other author during the writing of a book, let alone two other authors! Then again, it may help with writer's block. You get stuck, just send it along to someone else for some writing! Check out what the authors have to say about working together at their blog, Dogs and Goddesses, And pick up this book for a fun romantic read!

Teaser Tuesday: Insatiable Desire by Rita Herron

2009-09-29T05:00:00.004-04:00

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

I am currently reading a book that I picked up (and graciously got signed!) at Dragon*Con! This one looks like a scorcher! I had to shuffle through a couple of pages before I found G-rated sentences for my teasers. Stay tuned for what I'm sure will be an exciting review!

"He had to get his head back in the case and forget about Bluster. It was possible a local might have snapped and turned into a killer."
--page 78, Insatiable Desire by Rita Herron

And the winner is...!

2009-09-27T01:13:00.002-04:00

Busy Bee!

You have been emailed, and I am waiting for her choice in books! Thank you to all the new followers! Stay tuned for new reviews and upcoming giveaways!

A Giveaway for BBAW!

2009-09-16T22:41:00.003-04:00

I've got quite a few books sitting around that I would love to give away. Some of them are gently used, and some of them are new. Here's the list:

For the paranormal romance lovers:

Red Fire by Deidre Knight
Dark Protector by Alexis Morgan
Howling Moon by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl
The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson
Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox
Timeless Moon by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp

For lovers of other genres:

The Last Oracle by James Rollins
The Third Victim by Lisa Gardner
Missing by Sharon Sala

I can definitely find some other books to give away as well! Here's how to play: subscribe to my RSS feed and leave me a message letting me know that you did! Easy, right? I would totally offer more entries for following me on Twitter, too, but I am not sure quite how to do that! Maybe someone more experienced with giveaways can help me out here! This is only my second one.

For every 25 entries/comments, I'll add another winner! To start out with, there's just 1. I will update each time another winner is added. This giveaway will end on Friday, September 25th at 11:59 p.m. EST. My apologies to the international readers--this is open to the U.S. only.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T05:00:00.005-04:00

I was so excited to meet my absolute favorite author, Peter S. Beagle at Dragon*Con in Atlanta!

Interview Swap: Evening All Afternoon

2009-09-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is my second BBAW, and I think that the one thing I've participated in this year that has made my BBAW better than last year is the interview swap! I was lucky enough to have two different interview partners, and I think they are both great! I look forward to reading more from both of them!

First is Emily from Evening All Afternoon! Emily reads quite different books than I do, but we found that we have knitting and the tendency to be wordy in common! I asked Emily a few questions(in bold), and her answers follow! My responses to her are in italics.

What got you into book blogging? What do you like most about it?

I got into it by kind of a long and circuitous route, so prepare yourself! A few years ago, my partner David and I were keeping a joint blog: on Mondays he would post a haiku, then on Tuesdays I would post a book review, on Wednesdays he would post a photograph, on Thursdays I would post about my knitting, and so on. Gradually he started focusing on other interests (specifically web design), and so I was keeping a knitting-and-reading blog. Then I started the Family Trunk Project, which is my big knitting-design art project-cum-business in which I design a garment based on each member of my family tree, and self-publish the patterns. So then I had a place specifically for my knitting-related blogging, and I wanted a designated place for my book-blogging too - a place where I could get as bookish as I wanted, and not worry that I was boring all the knitters who just wanted to talk about lace socks or whatever. So David designed the Evening All Afternoon site, and the rest is history.

As for what I like most about it, there are so many things! I love the conversations and shared reading projects that it engenders, and I also love being challenged to think more deeply about my experience with a book. I find that I get a lot more out of my reading now that I'm writing a little essay about each book I finish. Hearing other peoples' diverse opinions on the same book often makes me think. And, to cap it all off, blogging is a regular writing practice, which makes me a better writer. It's a win-win-win!

I love the shared conversations, too! This interview swap has been so interesting for me, and one of the best things about being a blogger, in my opinion.

What is the first book you can remember reading as a kid?

It's funny, because the first book I remember reading, isn't a book I remember! Right after I started reading myself (rather than being read to every night by my parents), my dad bet me that by the end of the week I would be reading a certain book without help. At the time it seemed so overwhelming - there were lots of words on every page, along with the pictures. But he was right; by the end of the week I could read it. That memory is so clear to me, but I don't remember the specific book. The only things I seem to recall are that one of the characters was a purple cat, and that it had a white, hardback cover and was longer side-to-side than up-and-down.

But as far as the first books I remember really loving, I was a huge fan of the Emily of New Moon and Anne of Green Gables books by L.M. Montgomery (and everything else she wrote). I'd still love to visit Prince Edward Island one of these days.

I love the way you describe the book that you remember reading! It's very cool that you had parents who challenged you in that way. My dad used to read to me, but I don't remember the first book I read by myself. I wish I had a distinct memory of that first book.

I see that you're a knitter! I am, too! How long have you been knitting? Do you think you spend more time at your book blog or your knitting blog?

Awesome! Always good to meet another knitter. I learned when I was ten, but didn't do anything with it back then. I picked it back up and taught myself everything beyond the basics after I graduated from college (2004). Then I started designing about three years ago. My first published design was in the Spring 2006 Knitty, and things kind of took off from there.

I definitely spend more time working on knitting- and design-related stuff than book-related stuff, since garment design is what I'm trying to do for my living at the moment. But I spend more time on my actual entries for my book blog than the entries for my knitting blog. Generally speaking, they take a lot more thought. Knit-blogging is more about pretty pictures, process-related checkups, and debating with myself about ways to deal with setbacks, whereas my bookish entries are more about analyzing my reactions to literature, pinning down how different effects were achieved, and so on.

I love Knitty! I'm working on one of the projects there right now. Please send me a link so I can check out your project! I love that you tell your family's stories on the website along with your creations. Your designs are beautiful! I think it's awesome that you take stories in exchange for your patterns as well! I love the idea, and I think I might send you a story or two just because!

I'm very impressed by your proficiency in French! How long have you been studying? It's really awesome that you're working on reading literature in the original language! Would you advocate reading a novel in the original language, or do you like translations as well?

Thanks! My progress is slow now that I'm no longer in school, but the occasional French novel helps. I took it up in my second year of college, after reading Proust in English and completely falling in love with In Search of Lost Time. It's one of my life goals to read him in the original one day, with good understanding. Right now I do okay with modern French novels, which tend to be more colloquial. But old-fashioned, proper French has about a million obscure verb tenses, and I can never keep them straight. My friend Marie Christine says that most young French folks don't even know how to use them anymore, so maybe I shouldn't feel bad!

As far as the original versus translation, I read a TON of books in translation. I love it, especially if you can find the work you're looking for in an excellent translation. I started paying attention to translators back in high school when I discovered that I mysteriously hated Constance Garnett's translation of The Brothers Karamazov, but loved Andrew McAndrews's translation of the same book. (This was before the beautiful Pevear/Volokhonsky translations of Dostoevsky started coming out.) So I'm all about reading in translation, but I think if you can read a little bit in the original language it's really good, too, if only because it gives you a sense of what a difficult job translators have, and how much is changed and lost when something is translated. Even trying to translate a few lines of the novel I just finished really brought that home to me. I have so much respect for people like Natasha Wimmer, who did the AMAZING English translation of Roberto Bolaño's 2666.

I've encountered the same issue with reading translations. Some I love, some I hate! I think I would probably have to start with Rilke's "Letters to a Young Poet" if I were ever to try reading something in the original.

This is your first year participating in BBAW, right? What are you most looking forward to?

Yes, it's my first year! I just think it's such a cool idea to have a community-driven celebration like this; so much of the time we don't take time to recognize all the meaningful, hard work we put into the not-for-profit things we do. Book blogging doesn't make me any money, but (cliché though it sounds) it enriches my life in so many ways, and so do the book blogs I read and the bloggers behind them. I applaud My Friend Amy for seeing the need to take some time out and acknowledge that, and I'm just looking forward to being along for the ride! And maybe discovering some great new blogging friends.

It seems like you mostly read classics and more serious novels. (As opposed to me--I read mostly fluff!) What books are your guilty pleasures, the books that you read in the bathtub?

Oh, if only I still had a bathtub! Seriously, going without one was the sad compromise my partner and I made when we bought our current (otherwise awesome) place. Someday...

Back on topic, though, I have a penchant for Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, and other mass-produced girls' serial fiction from the 1930s-50s. I'm so fascinated by how blatantly formulaic they are - the Stratemeyer Syndicate (which produced the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys novels) had super-strict guidelines about what should be happening in each chapter and almost on each PAGE of the books, and the ghost-writers just churned them out to specification. And there were all these specific rules - like, Nancy could only be knocked unconscious once per book, she had to be chaperoned while doing certain things though not others, there was supposed to be a plug for her previous book in Chapter 2 and a description of her appearance in the first five pages...they were controlled to a really bizarre extent. I'm repelled, and yet strangely attracted, by this idea of a kind of fiction factory - it's so 1984. And I also love the cheese factor in the books - the endless descriptions of lovely clothes and hearty meals that obsessed kids' authors of the 50s, and how Nancy possesses every skill and piece of esoteric knowledge known to mankind, which she whips out in service of the latest case. Totally hilarious! I also get a kick out of Mabel Maney's satires of those books (The Case of the Not-So-Nice Nurse, The Case of the Good-For-Nothing Girlfriend), featuring lesbian heroines Nancy Clue and Cherry Aimless. Maney nails the tone, spot-on.

Wow! I never knew that about Nancy Drew novels. I'm really not surprised, though. I read Nancy Drew as a kid, too. My favorites were the Trixie Belden books because her name was Beatrice. I was always so jealous that she got a cool nickname and I didn't!

I love the title of your blog from Wallace Stevens' Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird! Would you say that he is your favorite poet, and is this your favorite poem?

I don't think it's my absolute favorite poem, but I do really love it. I find almost every line to be so evocative and beautiful. When I was looking through my favorite poetry for blog titles, I realized that a lot of my most favorite poetry (Theodore Roethke's The Lost Son, H.D.'s Other Sea Cities) is longer, and kind of builds on itself, so there aren't as many single lines that pack as much punch. A lot of my favorite poetry is also pretty dark. Brilliantly evocative of a certain mood or character, but not a mood or character that I particularly want to associate with my blog, you know? I'm wild about "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," but I hope I'm not very similar to its speaker!

Ooh, I love T.S. Eliot! I thought for the longest that my dad was joking when I said something wasn't fair, and he said "T.S. Eliot!" I'll have to look up the other two that you mentioned. I love poetry, but don't read anywhere near enough of it, in my opinion.

Since you love reading and look for a well-turned phrase, are you also a writer? If so, what do you primarily write?

Blogging is pretty much my writing practice at the moment, but I do have sort of a writerly bent about it. I try to structure my entries like conversational essays - tie the ends together, use words in a conscious way, craft lively, readable prose that flows easily. I'm not sure right now if it's practice for something bigger, or just an end in itself.

I do also write essays as part of the Family Trunk Project - family history, based either on research, oral history or my own memories. I think my favorite piece so far in that project is the one about my paternal grandmother, Betty Jean McNeil.

I've already mentioned that I really love your stories about your family members! My mom would love your site because she's into genealogy. I bet she would be inspired by it! I think I am as well. *Heads off to start writing about family*

What are your wishes for the future of your blog?

More of the same, really! I hope I can continue connecting with kindred spirits in the wide world of book-bloggers, having interesting conversations and reflecting on my own experiences reading books. Recently I went back and looked through some of the first literary blog posts I wrote, and they brought back elements of those books I had completely forgotten. I think that's so cool! I love having a record of my thoughts about reading as time goes by.

Great point! I like being able to look back on my thoughts, see what was going on at the time, too. Good luck on having more of the same! It was such a pleasure interviewing you!

Interview Swap: Gossamer Obsessions

2009-09-15T05:30:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned that I love BBAW interview swaps? So much so that I did not one, but two! In addition to Emily at Evening All Afternoon, I also met AnimeJune of Gossamer Obsessions! June and I share a love of Peter S. Beagle and romance novels. Here are my questions for her in bold, her answers, and my responses in italics.

What is the first book you can remember reading?

ANIMEJUNE: That's a reaaaaaally difficult one. I would have to say The Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch. I started reading early and before that my mother would always read to us (starting with Narnia). I think I remember the Paperbag Princess the most because my mother said she was a lot like me. :)

I'm not familiar with that one! I still love kids/young adult books, and I'm going to have to look it up. Thumbs up for Narnia, too!

I see you're on Twitter! How has it changed the way you blog, if at all?

ANIMEJUNE: Twitter has changed the way I review books in the sense that now I can comment on books AS I read them. Since I put my Twitter widget on my blog, now people can read my up-to-the-page reactions as they surf my other reviews.

That's a really great way to use Twitter. I've got a widget on my blog, but I don't usually tweet while reading. Great idea! Mind if I steal it?

What do you think are the best and the worst things about Twitter?

ANIMEJUNE: I actually communicate a lot more with my fellow bloggers on Twitter than I do my e-mail or comments, so that's one of the best things. When I have a lightning-flash thought that is maybe a little too short to warrant an entire e-mail, I can say it on Twitter and respond to other people. It's all on one page without having to go to separate blogs. Maybe that means I'm internet-lazy. I don't know.

The worst thing about Twitter? I haven't exactly discovered it yet. I'm sure something controversial will come up eventually. That's how things normally happen on Ye Olde Internets.

I tend to communicate with other bloggers a lot on Twitter, too. I usually let people know that I've posted via Twitter. I wonder sometimes if Twitter makes me more concise. Somehow, I doubt it! I think my worst thing about Twitter is how much time I spend there. It's quite addictive.

Congratulations on being published! I am a bit jealous you've got enough perserverance to finish a novel! : ) Anything to say about the writing of your novel? Where can we find a copy?

ANIMEJUNE: I have been published, but not in novel format, sorry. My first publication was a novella called "My Brother's Own Words" that was published in the March/April 2007 issue of Cicada Magazine (the YA sibling to Cricket Magazine). As for the writing of it - funny story. Waaay way back in August 2005, I had my wisdom teeth removed. For an entire three-day weekend I ate nothing but Tylenol 3 and Neapolitan ice cream and I guess it turned my story-filter off, you know - the tiny voice in your head that says, "You can't write about that, it's too weird!"

So I wrote and finished a novella over that weekend about a boy whose father is human but whose mother is a parrot, a boy who has feathers for hair, and can only repeat what other people say. I sent it in to a few magazines and got speedy rejections, then I sent it in to Cicada. I didn't hear back from them until January 2006, in the form of a yellow postcard that said they'd received the story and would evaluate it later. Months after that, I was accepted! And FINALLY, in March 2007 it was published. Two years for a novella. It really brought it home to me how slow the publishing process is. You can probably find a copy in your local library, if they keep collections of magazines.

I'm still impressed. Good for you for being persistent. I love the premise of the story! It sounds like it was a long process to wait to get it published. Thanks for sharing the story--it encourages me in my eventual search for publication.

Who are the authors that influenced your writing the most?

ANIMEJUNE: Well, I read a lot of fantasy before I started reading romance, so I'd have to say Robin Hobb, Tad Williams, and Kate Elliott. They wrote these grand, sweeping epic fantasies that brought to life worlds that seemed familiar, but were deliciously, intriguingly different once you got to really know them. Alice Hoffman is currently one of my influences - I love to read her books before I write something myself, because I adore her writing style and would love to absorb as much of her style as I can so I can use it myself. She's the one who inspired the way I like to mix the weirdly magical with the mundane.

Some of my favorites! I love Robin Hobb & Tad Williams. Have you ever read Irene Radford? Gayle Greeno, Mercedes Lackey, Terry Goodkind, Lois McMaster Bujold? I'll have to check out Kate Elliott & Alice Hoffman! I am always looking for new authors to read, of course!

I have to ask: vampires or werewolves?

ANIMEJUNE: If I had to choose, vampires. I've fallen out of touch with paranormal romance, although I'm gradually reading more of them, so I'm not actually a fan of vampire or werewolf romances. At least not yet. But in terms of other media like television and movies, vampires win - mostly because after 100 years of cinema, Hollywood can't seem to produce a werewolf transformation that doesn't look completely ridiculous (although Underworld came close).

Good answer! I totally agree with you about werewolf transformations.

Other than reading and writing, what are some of your other hobbies/interests?

ANIMEJUNE: Uhh...I watch a lot of movies and television. I love stories and I love to be surrounded by stories. I guess that makes me pretty boring. Oh, I do love singing. I've sung in my university's mixed chorus for about five years now - I'm a Soprano II - and that's always fun. I have a really loud voice so I'm always assigned to the edge of the choir, halfway between front and back. If a choir were a football team, I'd be the linebacker.

Nice description of your voice! My aunt was just like that. Sounds like fun!

Best book you've read so far this year?

I've had about three A+ romance reviews this year, which is pretty lucky for me. The one that edged out all the other ones (even if it was only by a hair) was Laura Kinsale's "For My Lady's Heart." It was my first medieval and the characterization and detail just blew me away. In genres other than romance, I'd say Alice Hoffman's "The Probable Future." She writes these gorgeously lyrical subtle fantasies, where magic is slightly part of the story but really it's how the characters and the setting come together, tenuously joined by magic.

That is a lot of really great books. I don't know that I could pick out 3 that were that great this year. Now I'm really going to have to pick up some Alice Hoffman!

Other than book bloggers, is there any group of bloggers you read--cooking, authors, etc.? Any recommendations for new reads?

I follow I Can Has Cheezburger.com for the LOLcats, and Julie James' blog is cool (she wrote "Just the Sexiest Man Alive" and "Practice Makes Perfect" - and I would suggest those for new reads, they are very funny contemporary romances). Another website I follow religiously is ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com . It's a comedy website where characters such as the Nostalgia Critic review bad movies from the 80s and 90s with such scathing humour.

Yay, LOLcats! I love them, too. I could spend so much time looking at the kittehs! Have you ever checked out Notalwaysright.com or Postsecret.blogspot.com? Those are a couple of my favorites, too.

Congratulations on being nominated for a BBAW award! Good luck in the polls! Is this your first time being nominated/shortlisted?

ANIMEJUNE: Yes, indeedy. I'm very honoured.

I look forward to hearing about whether you won or not!

Is this your first BBAW, or are you an old hat?

ANIMEJUNE: This is my first BBAW, although since I'm only one year behind the so-called "old hats," I don't know how significant that is. I didn't do it last year because I was a pretty solitary blogger back then. It's only been this year that I've actually started networking with other blogs and accumulating readers. The first year I was reviewer I reviewed mainly for myself, but I've discovered it's much more fun to be a social blogger.

I forget that it's only the second year for BBAW! Does that make me an old hat? It seems like it's been going on longer than that for some reason. I participated last year right after I started my blog, and it was a great experience. I love being a social blogger as well. It's been a really rewarding experience, forming relationships and in some cases meeting people in real life at BlogHer.

What are you most looking forward to for BBAW this year?

ANIMEJUNE: There's absolutely too much to look forward to. I'd have to say, maybe an end to the whining that's been going around on the internet. So maybe people and bloggers are griping about BBAW's faults, when they forget about how much it's accomplishing in only the second year of it's inception. People need to chill.

Well said! I hope you enjoy this year's BBAW. I know I've enjoyed interviewing you, and I look forward to reading more of what you have to say about books!

A Life Well Read

2009-09-14T05:26:00.007-04:00

As an avid reader, and even more as a book review blogger, I have stacks and stacks of books. My bookshelves overflow! I've tried methods of keeping up with my books before. I've kept little notebooks that I wrote down books I'd like to read in. I kept notebooks with personal reviews of books that I've read. I log my books on Goodreads.com. I'm always looking for a good, efficient way to keep track of my books.

I was offered a chance to try out this lovely book tracking system myself. I love how it has all the different elements that I want in one place. I am notorious for losing track of my things! It's also compact, so it doesn't take up a lot of room!

It is beautifully made--very sturdy. I must admit that I'm generally quite hard on my things, but I don't have any fear that this will stand up to my abuse! It's also really aesthetically pleasing. I am not really a very girly girl, and there are flowers on the box. I really like the design, however. It's classy. Of course, it probably helps that it's teal and I love any shade of blue! It comes with a nice, heavy pen that feels great in your hand.

All in all, I really like A Life Well Read system! It's beautiful, practical, sturdy, and just right. From now until October 11th, you can purchase it at a 25% discount. Just click on the link at the top of my blog on the right hand side to take you to the special promotion page! Holiday season is fast approaching, and it would make a great gift. I hope my readers enjoy the system as much as I do.

Dragon*Con Authors

2009-09-07T22:50:00.004-04:00

I went to Dragon*Con last weekend. It was my first time at a sci-fi convention. I went expecting to see some of my favorite stars.

And I did! I saw Leonard Nimoy, who played Spock. He's such an interesting man outside of acting! He does photography, and I am excited about looking up his work. His photography projects sounds simply fascinating! William Shatner crashed the end of the panel, in typical Shatner style. It was fun. I am not as excited about the Shat as I might have otherwise been as he owns a horse farm in Kentucky and has been in at least one of the horse shows that I have been in the audience for in the past.

I also saw Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Picard! He is such a funny man. He was sincere, and so polite. He thanked everyone for their questions. He would have stayed the rest of the afternoon to just answer questions and have conversations with fans if he had been able, I think! I would so love to meet him on a personal basis and spend time with him.

What I didn't expect was how many authors would be there! I accidentally accosted Susan Sizemore because she had a Knit Wit ribbon on her badge! Sherrilyn Kenyon was there, although I didn't see her. I had a chance to meet Diana Gabaldon who was wonderful and gracious and had a grandmother with my name! I saw Charlaine Harris, but did not make it into the line in time to get her autograph. I also saw new writers of paranormal romances, mostly. Rita Herron's name springs to mind, although there was someone else as well. I also discovered a new book about killer unicorns!

The most awesome experience was meeting my favorite author, Peter S. Beagle. If you haven't read The Last Unicorn, please go pick up a copy now! The movie made from the novel is the one thing that I think I can point to in my life and say that it was the most influential thing in regards to molding my readerly interests. I love fantasy novels, and I think that The Last Unicorn is the one book I have read more often than any other.

I had no idea that Mr. Beagle would be at Dragon*Con. I was so excited once I found out by chance that he would be signing shortly thereafter. I purchased another of my favorite books that he's written and waited for my turn to speak to him. I told him that he was such an influence on me. He noticed that I was from Kentucky and asked if I knew two notable Kentucky writers that he had attended Stanford with. I knew of both of them and had taken a class from one. The other has recently passed away. I got to be the one to break the news about his old friend's passing to him. As a friend pointed out to me, I will be memorable. I was very, very sorry to have to tell him the news, though.

I am so glad that I had a chance to attend Dragon*Con this year, and I look forward to future years! I went expecting one thing, and experienced something totally different, unexpected, and wonderful!

The End of an Era: Reading Rainbow

2009-08-28T22:21:00.006-04:00

Being a reader and a teacher, I feel like I have to write something about the end of an era. Reading Rainbow started in 1983. I was 5 years old. I don't remember the first episode I saw, but I saw quite a few. I had a voracious appetite for books, even as a 5-year-old. I loved the section where there were kids sharing their favorite books! I hunted down quite a few of those recommendations to read myself, not to mention the featured books.

I loved LeVar Burton. He was a magnificent choice for a host. I did a fangirl dance when LeVar showed up on Star Trek:TNG (Oh, you didn't know I was a geek? Surprise! Card-carrying, thank you very much!) a few years after Reading Rainbow started. Geordi, LeVar, Geordi, LeVar. I couldn't get enough.

I haven't seen an episode for quite a while, but I'm very tempted to troll PBS for every episode that they have online from now until December when they cut off access to the show's website. I have no doubt that I will enjoy them as much now as I did when I was a kid. I feel sorry for the generations to come who will miss out on the book love that is Reading Rainbow.

Would it be weird to say that Reading Rainbow was a book review blog before there were book review blogs? In my mind, that's kind of what it was.

It just today occurs me to wonder if LeVar is as much of a reader as I imagine the host of a show about reading should be. Was he part of the impetus to start the show? How much of a hand did he have in creating the show? He is one of the people I follow on Twitter, and he seems to be an amazing person in real life. I think that he would be on my top 10 of famous people to meet. He has an amazing legacy! If I were him, I would be proud to have been host of such an influential show for a 26(!) year run. I think it should be at the top of his list of accomplishments. Then again, I'm a teacher in addition to being a book lover.

Take a look, it's in a book...

Teaser Tuesday--The Lacemakers of Glenmara

2009-08-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.

Let the book fall open to a random page.

Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Please avoid spoilers!

I've been reading The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri this week, after having read someone's teaser on a previous Teaser Tuesday. The teaser was here. I use Goodreads to keep track of the books that I want to read because I usually find them online! Please feel free to add me if you're also a member! I love to get the emails with people's reviews of books. I think my screen name is busweet. Let me know if you try to add me and I've got the wrong screen name!

After I added Lacemakers to my Goodreads "shelf," then received a lovely message from the author! Now, I know that authors are real people. I write, and I'm a real person. I've even gone to at least one reading/signing. The internet is a wonderful thing, however, and it brings normal people together from all corners of the world. I am constantly amazed that I am worthy of notice by authors. I am honored by their notice. I appreciate their talents and the effort that goes into writing a book.

All that aside, you're here for a teaser! Here are my two sentences, from page of The Lacemakers of Glenmara: "A pair of Bernie's panties, tangled in the sleeve of Kate's jacket, fell to the floor. The older woman snatched them up. 'Aren't these the most god-awful things? Not fit for the light of day. Elephant drawers, I call them.'" --pg 50

I'm enjoying this book so far, and even just 70 pages in, I would recommend it. I look forward to finishing it, and I'm hoping that the author will consent to do an interview or a blog post for me!

Coyote's Mate by Lora Leigh

2009-08-19T00:17:00.005-04:00

Whoooooooo! This one had a serious wet panty factor! I am still cooling off after reading it. If you're looking for an erotic romance novel, this one's for you.

I had a difficult time at first. I didn't realize that I was jumping into the middle of a story. Since I've finished this, I've read another of Lora Leigh's books. Each of them is a standalone story, but it helps to have read some of the other books in order to puzzle out exactly what the back story is.

So, I'll give you the Cliff Notes as I see them. First, Leigh's Breed novels are set in the future. There's a group of scientists who have been doing genetic manipulations on people. I don't think they're shifters like we see in Sookie Stackhouse, Riley Jensen, and Mercy Thompson books. None of the characters have shifted in the books I've read so far. However, they've been bred with specific animalistic charactaristics in order to make them better soldiers. There are wolf, coyote, and quite a few feline Breeds that I've encountered so far.

The biggest factor in the novels is the breeding heat. It makes it impossible for the couples to deny that they are meant for one another and it makes it impossible for them to stay out of bed for very long. I think I'm going to have to write a whole post about how I feel about this type of story later, so I'll keep my opinions to myself for now.

I put this book down in the middle. For some reason, all the militaristic stuff going on quit making sense for me. Maybe it was me, maybe it was the fact that this book is something like the 18th in this particular world, but the first I read of them, maybe it was the things going on in my life at the time. When I went back to pick it up, I finished the rest of the book easily. The characters weren't all that compelling to me, though. I didn't feel like I would have liked to have gotten to know Anya or that I would have liked to date Del-Rey.

It was a light, fast, erotic, romantic, entertaining read. If you're looking for something to read on an airplane, at bedtime, or when you have some free time, it's perfect. Don't expect anything deep from it!

Upcoming Book Blogger Appreciation Week

2009-08-14T14:10:00.002-04:00

I am so excited about participating in BBAW next month. I have all sorts of exciting things planned! There will be a giveaway every day, a special review the first day, and a great deal for readers of my blog!

Check out the main website and see who else is going to be participating in this fun-filled week! www.bookbloggerappreciationweek.com

Teaser Tuesday August 11th Edition

2009-08-11T05:00:00.003-04:00

I'm reading a novel by a Kentucky author! I've felt very enthusiastic about supporting locals lately--local authors, local farmers, local stores. So, here's my teaser:

"She was Del-Rey's mate. They might have trust issues. She might want to rap his head against a wall. But he was hers, just as she was finally accepting that she belonged to him."

Coyote's Mate by Lora Leigh
p. 158

The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski

2009-08-06T00:20:00.001-04:00

I literally had both my parents hanging over my shoulder, salivating to read this book when I was finished! They both love James Rollins, and are excited to have a chance to read this now that I'm done.

Again starring Jon Payne and David Jones, this novel begins with the murder of 7 monks at a monastery in Greece. Nick Dial of Interpol flies in to investigate and teams up with Marcus Andropolous, a local Greek policeman who also works with Interpol.

In Russia, Allison Tyler witnesses her boss Richard Byrd killed by a contract killer. Payne and Jones get the call this time, and make plans to sneak into the country using fake passports. They find Allison, only to have to avoid the hit man and figure out what Allison's boss was looking for.

The Lost Throne is a wild ride across Russia, Greece, and parts in between. There is murder, treasure, history, and mystery, all elements of a great thriller. I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what the mystery was all about! There was an intense dose of history involved as well. I love history's mysteries, and Kuzneski did not fail to dig up a mystery I knew nothing about.

I read another of Kuzneski's books last fall. You can read the review here. I'll admit that I had some criticism of the author's writing at that point. It has definitely improved since he published his last book in 2006. My only criticism of the writing this time was Kuzneski's overuse of the work smirk!

I did feel as if some of his characters were unrealistic this time around. Payne and Jones had a serious bromance going on. While bromance is fun on TV, it doesn't carry over well in novels. I've never known any guys in real life who had a bromance, so it is kind of unbelievable to me. I also had issue with Kuzneski's description of a Russian police officer as someone who would accost a woman. I'm sure it's possible, but that wouldn't fare well for Russia's tourism.

These are really small nitpicks about the book, though. I really, really enjoyed it and I would highly recommend it, especially if you like James Rollins and Dan Brown!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-05T00:20:00.001-04:00

For my first Wordless Wednesday, a photo that I took with my Nikon D40x last month in Chicago. Click on the photo for the full-size image!

Teaser Tuesday

2009-08-03T22:35:00.003-04:00

This is my first time participating in Teaser Tuesday!

I am currently reading The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski. I'm really excited about it, and I've already started my review post. It should be up some time in the next week. Here are a couple of sentences from the book to start you off!

"Toulon laughed. 'Nick, you must realize that Sparta was conquered centuries ago. Today it is a series of crumbled ruins. Nothing more.'"
p. 101

Hope you enjoy!

Deadly Night by Heather Graham

2009-07-30T01:40:00.001-04:00

I've been talking so much about BlogHer that I figured I should probably post about what the blog is really about--books!

Looking for something spooky to keep you awake at night? This first book of the Flynn Brothers Trilogy is just the thing! Heather Graham likes to write about New Orleans, and this book was no different. It's one of the best settings for a scary novel!

The Flynn Brothers, Aidan, Jeremy, and Zach inherited a plantation from a great-aunt that they didn't know about until she passed away. Kendall is a business owner and tarot card reader who cared for the brothers' great-aunt Amelia before her death.

There is a ghost story that goes along with the estate. During the Civil War, Flynn cousins reputedly killed one another in a fight over a woman. The woman threw herself off the balcony during the fight and was killed as well.

The Flynn brothers are all former FBI agents who now run a detective agency, among other pursuits. Aidan is intrigued when bones turn up on the property. At the same time, Kendall's tarot cards begin to come to life. The two work together to find the women that they discover are missing.

Heather Graham never fails to send shivers up and down my spine! I love reading about New Orleans, and it's absolutely the perfect setting for a scary novel. At the same time, Graham makes the paranormal believable for someone who definitely doesn't believe(but loves to read about it!). She also does a good romance, with neither the romance or paranormal aspect outweighing the other. The pacing is just right so that I don't want to put it down while I'm reading. It leads to a lot of late nights! I can't wait to read books two and three in this trilogy!

Back from BlogHer

2009-07-26T22:20:00.004-04:00

I'm a little sad to be home. I'm a little happy to be home. I'm happy to be home because I no longer have to share a teeny double bed with my wonderful friend Heather. If I have to share my bed with someone, I'm glad it's her.

Wait. That came out wrong. You know what I'm trying to say. I thought about saying it differently, but it's just going to sound wrong no matter what!

My roommates were spectacular. Heather and I roomed with LeeAnn from The Butter Compartment and Julie from Mampedia who doesn't have her own personal blog. They were so interesting and such fun! I was a little worried about ending up with roommate drama, but there was none in sight!

I wish that I had gotten to meet more of the women at BlogHer, although I know it was impossible to meet all 1399 of the other women(and men) who were there. I have a pile of people whose blogs I need to read, who I need to follow on Twitter and who I need to email! I am sure it's going to occupy me for at least the next week. Probably much, much longer.

I have pages of ideas about posts for my blogs. I can't wait to start on them! I also had spectacular cheerleader on my car ride back from Chicago. There may be a possible new business enterprise for me that comes out of the weekend. All in all, it was an invigorating, exciting, inspiring weekend! I hope I can hang onto all the ideas and ephiphanies until I have time to sort through them all! Stay tuned for exciting new things at My Kingdom For a Book and my two new blogs, Churchsurfing (about local churches), and my blog about being single, Quirky Single Girl.

Oh, and bonus for you! A photo of me enjoying an alcohol-free mudslide from Quaker Oats at BlogHer '09!

Amazing BlogHer Conference

2009-07-25T12:36:00.003-04:00

I can't say enough good stuff about BlogHer! I am enjoying myself SO much. I am way sleepy and ready to crawl into my bed, but I am energized mentally. Can you be energized inspirationally? If so, that definitely describes me.

I would love to have questions to ask some of the panelists, but I'm so busy taking in what these women are saying that I don't have enough brain power left over for questions! I've been to some really helpful sessions--Beginning Wordpress and a session about writing Op-Ed pieces. Ooops, is Wordpress a dirty word when I'm using blogger for my blog? Are they going to censor me? Hehe.

I really enjoyed the panel on feminist/pro-woman issues yesterday. It was really thought-provoking! I've always considered myself a feminist, but in a quiet sort of way. The panel made me feel like I should be more outspoken about my feminist leanings because the things that I and my fellow women do now have lasting repercussions/implications. We need to speak up so that the lives of the daughters that come after us are improved. I'll probably talk about that more over at my single woman blog: modernsinglegirl.blogspot.com later on.

Last night's keynote was amazing. There were 15 or 20 women whose work was selected from quite a few applicants. These women got up and read in front of the community. There were women talking about food as love, about having a child with special needs, about the death of a child, about fear of medical professionals, about infertility. It was amusing, moving, heart-rending. I rarely ever cried, but these women made me cry!

This morning we had a celebrity panel talking about media, blogging, advertising, etc. There was Ilene Chaiken who created the TV show The L Word, Donna Byrd who runs a new site with a focus on African-Americans called theroot.com, and Tina Brown from thedailybeast.com. Beautiful, wonderful, intelligent, women who are leaders.

BlogHer is made of awesome!

Blogging from BlogHer 09!

2009-07-24T08:50:00.003-04:00

We finally made it to the Sheraton in Chicago last night. The trip was supposed to take 6 hours, and ended up taking 9 or 10! We got stuck behind a tour bus wreck on I-65 in Indiana, and then in Chicago traffic at rush hour. After that, we had bad directions to get to the Sheraton and had to ask innocent bystanders how to get there! I felt like I had a big "Tourist" tattoo on my forehead! Not that I really mind--I AM a tourist!

We registered and got our room with no problem, thankfully. We had a bit to eat at the very awesome Fox & Obel around the corner from the Sheraton. Think Whole Foods, but better. We hit up the People Party around 9 p.m. and partied for a while. I was going to go to the Room 704 party, but I heard they were out of swag bags. So, I hung out in my room and got to know my very awesome roomies!

I'm up and at 'em much earlier than I'm accustomed to, but I'm excited about today! Meeting new people, lots of awesome talks to choose from! More from BlogHer 09 later!

Follow me at BlogHer

2009-07-22T20:45:00.004-04:00

I'm on my way to the 2009 BlogHer Conference in Chicago! I'll be learning more about blogging, meeting some awesome new friends/bloggers, and generally having a lot of fun! It may lead to new things at My Kingdom for a Book. Stay tuned for my thoughts, tips, and snippets about what's going on at the conference in the next few days!

My Reading Habits

2009-07-22T15:12:00.000-04:00

My friend Christina had this over at her site! I liked it, so here are my answers!

01. Do you snack while you read? If so, favorite reading snack?
No, because I usually read in bed! Every once in a while, I get the munchies, so I eat in bed, too.

02. Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
Write in a book??!! NEVER! I couldn't even write in my textbooks in college. It feels like I'm defacing the book.

03. How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
I get paint strips at the local Wal-Mart that I use as bookmarks! I also have quite a few bookmarks that I've picked up at national parks throughout the U.S. on my road trips. I do hang books over the drawer in my night stand sometimes, too.

04. Fiction, Non-fiction, or both?
A much heavier leaning toward fiction, but I love autobiographies as well. I like the idea of reading fiction, but I usually either buy or borrow a book from the library and run out of time to finish it. I like my reading entertainment!

05. Hard copy or audiobooks?
Hard copy, definitely. I don't have the patience to listen to someone read a book.

06. Are you a person who tends to read to the end of chapters, or are you able to put a book down at any point?
If it's holding my attention, I read to the end of the chapter. If I'm reading on the couch while I'm watching TV or something like that, I put it down whenever.

07. If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop to look it up right away?
Honestly, I don't remember the last time I came across a word I didn't know during reading. If I did at this point, it would probably bother me enough that I would HAVE to look it up.

08. What are you currently reading?
A paranormal romance by Heather Graham. Getting ready to start an advanced reading copy of The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski that I am VERY excited about.

09. What is the last book you bought?
James Rollins' latest, The Last Oracle

10. Are you the type of person that only reads one book at a time or can you read more than one at a time?
Multiple books, usually. I try to focus on one at a time, but it doesn't always work.

11. Do you like re-reading books?
Only my favorites! Most books I read are one-timers, but I do have some favorites that

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

2009-07-19T22:07:00.007-04:00

I've been doing quite a bit of reading lately. Nothing was really standout, other than Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. If you haven't read these, please, please, please pick them up! They are absolutely fantastic. Turn Coat is the most recent of Butcher's series, number 11! I am seriously impressed by Butcher's ability to keep his readers entertained book after book. This book was just as good as the first, in my opinion.

The Major Players:

Harry Dresden, professional wizard
Karrin Murphy, former lieutenant, current sergeant of Chicago PD's Special Investigations squad
Bob, Harry's air spirit advisor who lives in a skull in his basement
Mister, Harry's 30 pound cat who sometimes provides a corporeal body for Bob
Molly, Harry's apprentice
Mouse, Harry's St. Bernard-sized Temple dog
Thomas, a vampire of the White Court, feeding off the life essence of others during the sexual act
The naagloshi, a Native American skinwalker out to collect a bounty on Harry's head
The White Court, the Black Court, Blackstaff McCoy, the Merlin, and a score of others!

If you're going to start reading this series, go back to the beginning. There's so much back story that you're going to be seriously confused. There are a lot of characters whose lives intertwine with Harry's.

Harry is kind of a reluctant good guy, almost to the point of being a martyr. He has magic and considers it a responsibility of that magic to help those in need. He ends up battered, bruised, and broken in every book. I feel sorry for the guy. At the same time, he's the one I'd definitely want on my side if I found myself involved with the supernatural community. On top of that, he just seems like the nicest guy. He's very chivalrous, but only somewhat in a chauvinistic way. He wants to protect all the people he cares about.

If you like the Harry Potter series, give the Dresden Files a try! I am sure you'll like it!

Blood Bar by Norm Applegate

2009-06-11T15:20:00.006-04:00

In his third novel, Norm Applegate continues to tell the story of his interesting heroine--Kim Bennett, a San Fransisco madame. This time, Rose has called Kim from New York City. Rose is a role-playing vampire, a woman who truly believes that she is a vampire and drinks blood. Her boyfriend, Drach, also a role-playing vampire, has been poisoned and killed.

Kim flies to New York to help her friend and is quickly drawn into the vampire underworld. She meets Nicolai and his blood slave, Erin. She learns that vampires do exist, and is drawn into the search for the vampires' greatest secret, the Black Testament. Along the way, she learns that she is related to Jack the Ripper, and her friend Rose is related to the Ripper's first victim, Mary Anne Nicholls.

There's also a healthy dose of eroticism in the book--it's definitely written for adults!

There are two truly distracting elements to this book. One, Applegate's copy editor fell down on the job. There are numerous glaring grammatical mistakes, usually run-on sentences, but also typos and misspellings. The other issue is that while Applegate attempts to make the story mysterious, present a puzzle for the reader to solve, all he does is succeed in confusing the reader.

The story was interesting, but the writing really was distracting. I ended up feeling more confused in the end than satisfied with the story. It didn't really have the right flavor for me to enjoy it fully. However, if you enjoy vampire stories, a walk on the dark side, mystery, and a healthy dose of erotica, this book is for you.

Is there such a thing as racial writing?

2009-06-02T14:54:00.005-04:00

I've been trying to read a book that I received as a reading copy. I feel like I have a responsibility as a book review blogger to read the book. I requested a copy, I committed myself to reading the book. I just cannot get through the book!

Part of the problem is that I can't make heads or tails of it. I simply don't understand what the author is talking about! This particular book is written by an African-American lady. I am a white person. I'd like to think that I am not at all prejudiced, but who doesn't have at least a little prejudice? I do have mixed race members of my family, and I've even had a job where I was the only white person who worked there. I think I have a fairly good understanding and empathy for most other cultures.

This book makes me doubt that. It feels to me as if it has been written for a strictly African-American audience. Then I wonder: Do African-Americans have difficulty reading novels written for a white audience? Are they confusing or uninteresting to them? Likewise with Asians or Hispanic people. Is there such a thing as writing for a specific race? Are we really that different culturally?

They Plotted Revenge Against America by Abe F. March

2009-05-13T13:47:00.005-04:00

Written mainly in a narrative style with sparse dialogue, Abe F. March's second book describes the journey of a group of young people to commit terrorist acts in a very believable way. The book even comes across as being non-fiction for the first couple of chapters.

Following two boys who have lost their families due to American actions in the Middle East, this book follows those boys as they strike out to take revenge for their families. They become part of a conspiracy along with other men and women who have been similarly affected by the military actions of America. These boys and two others are paired up with girls who have lost their families as well. The pairs are put through combat, survival, language, and socialization/assimilation training before being sent to America.

It is difficult for the reader to get a sense of the characters involved in the conspiracy. The dialogue was often formal, and none of the characters displayed the emotion that would be associated with the loss that they all suffered.

While the characters are not as sympathetic as they could be, the process they follow is terrifyingly believable. All of the young adults come to America on tourist visas, and there is not a whisper of any suspicion on the part of the people in America that they encounter until they have been in the country for quite some time and are in the final stages of planning for their terroristic plot. It seems inevitable that the group will be successful until the end of the book when it begins to appear that people in America and in Israel are catching on to the plot.

March also does a good job of bringing up issues about Americans, Muslims, and terrorism. At one point, he has characters draw a parallel between what President Bush said about terrorism, saying "those who harbor terrorists would themselves be considered terrorists...I supose with that logic, Bush is a terrorist and America a terrorist country." The characters in the book try to open dialogue about Muslims and the things happening in the Middle East with the Americans that they meet. This aspect of the book would make it a good choice for book clubs.

If you are a fan of conspiracy theories, are looking for a book that will spark a good conversation, or just like a good action novel, this is the book for you. They Plotted Revenge Against America is available on Amazon.com in both print and Kindle download format.

Dead To Me by Anton Strout

2009-03-25T12:17:00.005-04:00

Go me, I read another book that wasn't paranormal romance! I'm really glad I did, too. This book was awesome, and I would definitely recommend it. If you like the Harry Dresden books, you'd definitely like this one. It's serious and funny at the same time. There were a couple of lines that actually made me laugh out loud. I wish I'd written them down, because then I would share them.

Set in New York City, Simon Canderous is a psychometrist that works for the Department of Extraordinary Affairs(DEA). Each time he touches an object, he can see the object's past owners and what happened to them. He uses his powers not only for the DEA, but hunts down antiques and returns them to their previous owners...for a small fee, of course.

Simon is meeting with his mentor Connor in the DEA's front cafe when he spills his drink through a woman at another table. It turns out that the woman, Irene, is one of the recently living. Connor's power and thus responsibility, is to guide the recently living to the other side. Irene's spirit is being held on this side for some reason.

Due to underfunding and the number of other ghosts, ghouls, and zombies the DEA has to deal with, Irene ends up staying at Simon's place. The search for her identity and her murder leads to a group of cultists who have been legitimized. Simon ends up with not just a ghost to deal with, but also one of the cultists' employees who isn't as Evil as she should be to work for the forces of darkness.

Strout has a very recently published sequel to this one, and I can't wait to read it. This one's got it all--psychic powers, good vs. evil, humor, and even a teeny bit of romance thrown in there. Pick it up!

Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton

2009-03-24T12:57:00.005-04:00

Wow! I read something other than paranormal romance for once! In addition to being an incurable bookworm, I am also a knitter and crocheter. That's what led to picking up this book.

The author didn't waste any time jumping straight into the story here. The murder has already happened, and Kelly Flynn has come to Denver to settle her aunt's estate. The police have investigated and tell her that a vagrant killed her aunt. Kelly is not convinced and does some of her own investigating. She discovers that her aunt has borrowed twenty thousand dollars from a loan shark. The knitting project that her aunt was working on is missing, as is the family's heirloom quilt that hung on the wall.

Along the way, Kelly learns to knit from her aunt's friends, despite having resisted all her aunt's attempts to teach her. She garners the ire of the patrons of the local golf course when her dog jumps the fence and steals golf balls. She also meets the handsome Steve and learns that she has a distant relative that she never knew. She uncovers secrets that her aunt kept for years, and finally uncovers the murderer.

I liked this book. I liked that knitting was such a feature in the book. It really fit with my experience in my knitting group, what knitters are like, and the bond that a knitting group forms. The ending was as abrupt as the beginning, but I can excuse that because I believe it's a first novel. It's also the beginning of a series. I'll be reading on in the series to find out what else happens to Kelly and her knitting friends.

Before I Wake by Kathryn Smith

2009-03-10T14:08:00.005-04:00

If you like Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dream Hunter books, you will enjoy this one as well.

Dawn is a doctor specializing in sleep disorders. It's appropriate, because she's also a Nightmare. She is one of the sentinels set to guard the sleep of mortals. Dawn is special because her father is Morpheus, king of The Dreaming.

In her work at a sleep clinic, she meets Noah Clarke. Noah is special, too. He is a lucid dreamer, able to bend things in his dreams and change them to his benefit. Because of their abilities, the two attract the attention of Karatos, a Terror.

Together, Dawn and Noah fight off Karatos with the help of Antwoine who has been banned from The Dreaming, and Dawn's father Morpheus. There was a lot of action to pull you through the book. I don't think I will ever look at dreams the same way again.

The author included a lot of pop culture references in the novel, and I had a lot of fun with that. Dawn really seemed like someone that I would like to get to know, someone I would get along with. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it, especially if you're a Sherrilyn Kenyon fan.

Night Rising by Chris Marie Green

2009-03-10T13:37:00.003-04:00

If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I really do not like books that portray vampires as nice guys. This book totally satisfied me in that aspect. No good vampires so far.

The story begins with Dawn, a Hollywood stunt woman returning to LA because her father has disappeared. She is paired with Kiko, a little person, and Breisi, a Hispanic woman. Both work for Limpet and Associates. Kiko is telepathic and psychometric, able to read people by touch as well as reading people's thoughts, both with proximity and by touch. Breisi is prescient, with visions of the future. She's had visions that Dawn is necessary for their mission to be successful. They are led by the mysterious Voice, the owner of Limpet.

The trio sets off looking for Robby Pennybaker, a child star who died years ago of a drug overdose. He's been spotted in footage of a recently made movie, and his mother has hired the agency to locate him.

Dawn's first night out introduces her to the world of the Underground. They encounter red-eyed guard Vampires who are susceptible to holy water, crucifixes, and garlic. They also have nasty sharp spiked tails with which to kill you. There are also silver eyed vampires and vampires with multi-colored eyes.

If you're looking for romance, there's a little of that. This is not your typical paranormal romance, however. There's a ton of action, and I really enjoyed the book. I loved that it was set in Los Angeles, my old stamping grounds. I would definitely recommend this book if you feel like I do--that vampires are not warm and fuzzy!

Hiatus

2009-03-08T01:05:00.000-05:00

I've been on a bit of a hiatus, but there will be reviews upcoming very, very soon. I'm currently pursuing a full-time freelance writing career, and my reviews are a very small part of my work. If you are interested in reading anything else I have written or if you like my writing style and would like to use one of my pieces in publication, please let me know! I am a versatile writer and can writer for multiple audiences.

Stay posted for upcoming reviews! I promise there will be some genres other than paranormal romance, but there will be a healthy helping of those as well! My TBR pile is heaping with autobiography/memoirs, some poetry, and at least one mystery.

Night Life by Elizabeth Guest

2008-12-15T15:53:00.004-05:00

It's a vampire book, yep. Seems like they all are these days. What is with everyone's obsession with vampire novels? I couldn't tell you, even though I read them!

Part of the reason that I picked up this book was the Egyptian imagery in the background. I love Egyptian culture, and if it can be integrated into my romance novels, even better! The premise of this story is that a pharoah was poisoned during his rule. Before he died, he drank a potion that allowed him to live again, thousands of years later.

Arisen again and now named Adrian King, he lives in Las Vegas and owns a casino. He meets Egyptologist Christine who has been dreaming of him for years. He shares his secret with her, and she helps to fight his soldiers who have also been raised with him.

I loved the new twist that this author put on the vampire story. I felt like the characters were believable and that the author had done enough research about Egyptian history and culture to sound believable. I'm no expert on Egyptian history myself, so I can't contradict any of her facts. Definitely worth the read, especially if you're always looking for a new twist on the vampire story like I am!

Giveaway!

2008-11-21T23:15:00.003-05:00

If you hurry, you can get in on my friend's giveaway here. You have to post a comment before midnight tonight, Central Standard Time! She's got giveaways every third Monday. I thinks he's pretty interesting, too. You should bookmark her blog/add it to your blogroll or reader!

The Gathering Dark by Christopher Golden

2008-10-27T13:33:00.002-04:00

This was actually the fourth in a series of books called the Shadow Saga. I'd heard of Christopher Golden before, but this was the first book of his that I'd picked up. I decided to read it because of the horror label. I guess I've been trying to scare myself recently!

The story begins in a bar where a magician has made several people disappear. The bartender calls in a guy he knows, Peter Octavian. It turns out that the magician is not a magician, but a demon, and he's swallowed the people who "disappeared." He vanquishes the demon and the people come sliding out of the demon's stomach.

Meanwhile, Keomany is having problems. She owns a sweets shop in Vermont. She comes home from a festival to find the sky a pumpkin orange and demonic creatures have eaten or possessed many of the people in her town. Keomany is an earthwitch with magic of her own to fight back with and manages to escape the village.

Peter and Keomany team up with a priest, Peter's former lover Nikki, the vampire shape-changer Allison, and Kuromaku, a former samurai vampire. A Hellgod has opened a portal from his world into their world and is slowly taking cities from the earth, unleashing his demons upon the unsuspecting citizens of the world. Peter and his team must find a way to defeat the Hellgod and send him and his Whispers back to their own dimension.

While I enjoyed this book, it took more suspension of disbelief than I can muster at times. I can get on board with demons, but evil creatures who eat and destroy are not as believable for me. Also, I wasn't very comfortable with the Earth magic that Keomany had. Overall, it was an interesting book, but not as scary as I would have wished because of my disbelief.

If you believe in earth magic and creatures from another dimension, this book is for you.

Ghost Walk by Heather Graham

2008-10-27T13:24:00.002-04:00

I've been on somewhat of a horror/scary streak, which is appropriate since it's October. This was a ghostly read!

Nikki leads a tour group around what may be the most haunted city in the United States, New Orleans. She's drawn even further into that world when one of her friends, an employee appears in her bedroom late at night.

The next morning, she discovers that her friend has been murdered, and at the time when she appeared in Nikki's bedroom. Nikki goes to the police after multiple sightings of her friend's ghost as well as the ghost of a man who it turns out was an FBI agent. The police don't believe her, but Brent Blackhawk does. He's a paranormal investigator and a man who can also communicate with the dead.

The two of them embark upon an investigation to find out who killed these two people. Brent joins Nikki's tour company and is able to add some stories to the repertoire of the tour guides since he can speak to the dead and find out what really happened!

I enjoyed this book. There was some steam. There was plenty of action and suspense. I really enjoyed the ghost stories of New Orleans. If you are a believer in ghosts, it may be scarier than you can handle.

Edge of Fear by Cherry Adair

2008-10-27T13:16:00.004-04:00

This is one of a trilogy of books, and I've already put the other two on my To Be Read list!

Caleb Edge is one of three brothers who is gifted with paranormal abilities. Caleb can "rewind" into the past and influence the way things happen. He can also heal, among other gifts. He uses his gifts in service to the T-FLAC paranormal unit, working to find terrorists and other evildoers.

Caleb and his brothers are subject to a family curse. One of their ancestors spurned a woman, and she gave them both their paranormal gifts as well as cursing them to lose the women they love. Caleb and his brothers have sworn never to fall in love in order to stop the family line and beat the curse.

Caleb has just been released from the hospital when he is sent after Heather Shaw. Heather's father has disappeared, along with billions of dollars belonging to terrorists who want their money back. Heather has gone into hiding in order to stay safe from the men who would use her to get to her father.

Caleb's been ordered to watch Heather to find out if she is part of her father's scheme as well as to track down her father. Heather is completely unaware of her father's actions or his whereabouts.

The two are (of course) instantly attracted to one another, and steaminess ensues. This one is somewhat graphic, so if that is not your style, choose another book. I really like paranormal romance than involves psi powers, so this book was another hard to put down for me. I would definitely recommend it to those who are interested in paranormal romance, and especially psi powers.

The Secret Cardinal by Tom Grace

2008-10-27T13:06:00.003-04:00

I picked up this book because I thought it was going to be similar to Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. I was quickly proved wrong. Yes, it involved the Catholic church. However, there was no mystery to be solved.

Yin Daoming is a priest in the People's Republic of China. He has been imprisoned most of his career as a priest. He attained the rank of bishop, but was unable to attain a higher rank due to the need of Cardinals to make a trip to Rome to accept their positions. Unbeknownst to the world, he has been made a cardinal in pectore, a Secret Cardinal by the Pope.

The Pope knows his life is coming to an end, and he wants Yin freed. He sets Nolan Kilkenny to the task, along with a group of Chinese men in the armed forces. Soon after he turns this group to the task, he passes away, starting the Conclave to choose the next Pope. Surprisingly, Yin's name shows up to be counted among the papabile, those eligible to become the next Pope.

Yin will be unable to assume the office of Pope if he is not rescued from the Chinese prison where he has spent decades of his life. Kilkenny puts a dangerous plan in place that has a slim chance of success.

I won't give away the ending, but it left me in tears. I really enjoyed that the author brought an issue to light that I wasn't really aware of--the plight of Catholics in China. There was an afterword by the author with several facts, and I think I will probably do some more reading on the subject in the future.

This book was more adventure than religion. However, if you're not interested in religion or the Catholic Church, I would avoid this book. I felt like the details were well-researched. If they weren't (and I don't know enough to say for sure), they were definitely believable! Great book.

Touch of Evil by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp

2008-10-27T12:40:00.004-04:00

I like reading about vampires. But I don't want to read the same old story over and over again. I was thrilled to find a new twist on the vampire story in Touch of Evil! It's somewhat similar to Laurell K. Hamilton's vampires in her Anita Blake books, so if you like Hamilton, you'll likely enjoy this book.

Kate lives in a house she owns and is slowly renovating into several different apartments. She's also a courier, flying expensive items to the four corners of the earth. As she's returning from a courier trip, Tom shows up to rent her apartment. He's been illegally evicted from his apartment for being a lycanthrope. Kate is immediately attracted to him, and the feeling is mutual.

Kate has a history with the Thrall, this book's version of vampires. There are Hosts, who share their bodies with the vampires through the laying of eggs in their bloodstream, and there is the Herd, those who feed the Thrall. Each Herd is led by a Queen. Kate has been bitten by a vampire after being given to them by her former fiance. She also defeated the Queen, so she is considered Not Prey and off-limits for hunting or feeding.

Something changes, and the Thrall begin to come after her. It turns out that they want her to be their next Queen, and it leads to a confrontation between her, the Thrall, and the area's lycanthropes.

The book was action packed, and I couldn't put it down. The vampires are not pretty in this book, and that's something I've thought since I started reading vampire books! They're evil parasites, and the authors certainly made them evil in this novel. I would highly recommend this book to pretty much anyone who enjoys paranormal romance. I know I can't wait to read the next in the series!

What's going on in my Book Kingdom

2008-10-22T20:43:00.005-04:00

I'm gearing up to participate in National Novel Writing Month next month. If you haven't heard of it, go have a look here. I will most likely not be reviewing many books during that time since my energy will be devoted to creative writing instead of review writing.

In the mean-time, one of my friends has a giveaway for a mini wallet going on here. I think it's quite pretty. All you have to do is swing by and leave a comment about the charity organizations you support or have supported in the past!

I'd love to hear what's going on for everyone else who reads my blog. Please comment! I love to read what you have to say.

The Royal Pain by Mary Janice Davidson

2008-10-16T19:33:00.004-04:00

In an alternate evolution of life on earth, Alaska became its own country instead of being sold to the United States. It's not a democracy, but a monarchy. This is the story of the oldest daughter of King Baranov, Alexandria.

Alexandra is having nightmares about an incident that happened in Davidson's previous book about the same family, The Royal Treatment. Her father decides that she needs some time off, so he sends her and her entourage to North Dakota as a liaison to an aquarium there. She meets Dr. Shel Rivers who is determined to think of her as the stereotypical spoiled princess. Alex shows Shel that she isn't at all stereotypical and he helps her get over her nightmares.

This book was not really my type. I liked the idea of Alaska becoming a monarchy as opposed to being part of the United States. It's being difficult to avoid snarky comments about a particular political candidate right now...

The characters were rather rough around the edges. They were meant to be--Alaska is a wilderness. I haven't met many people from there, but the stereotype is that it's mostly men, and mostly manly men. However, I have relatives who live in Alaska, and they're not that type. There was a lot of profanity in this one, and it was pretty steamy, romance-wise. If you're looking for a quick bit of fluff to read and don't mind profanity or explicit romantic scenes, this book's for you.

Fair Warning by Hannah Alexander

2008-10-16T19:18:00.002-04:00

I really like these books! Each one I pick up has such realistic, well-rounded, solid characters. They seem like people that I would like to get to know.

Willow, the main character in this book, has moved in with her brother Preston after quitting her job as a nurse. Her husband, a police officer, was killed in the line of duty, and she suffered a miscarriage shortly after. Her brother manages a small apartment building for Dr. Graham Vaughn.

Shortly after Willow's arrival, Preston's house burns down. Preston is injured in the fire, and Willow loses all her belongings. The police find the accelerant used to start the fire in Willow's car, throwing suspicion on her. The forensics point in other directions, so the police allow her to obtain a hotel room with the promise that she will not leave town.

Other suspicious events happen, and Willow becomes convinced that someone is trying to harm her. Graham and his sister Ginger take Willow in and help her to solve the mystery of who is out to get her.

I really can't say enough good things about these books. I really enjoy reading them. If you enjoy suspense/mystery and you want a book with Christian values, these books are perfect for you. There's also a bit of romance thrown in, the perfect combination.

What makes a book YA?

2008-10-12T19:40:00.002-04:00

My dad and I had this discussion last week. He said that he'd asked the library about the categorization of a book that he'd picked up. They told him that they categorized as YA when the main character was a young person. I can understand that, and I agree with it. However, the particular book that was categorized as YA had an adult as the main character. It did have some violence, although not gratuitous. There wasn't any sex or questionable content either.

Maybe there have been other discussions about this. I haven't come across any as of yet. If you know of any, please send me a link. Otherwise, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What makes a book young adult as opposed to children's or adult?

The Lost Art by Simon Morden

2008-10-12T16:33:00.004-04:00

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading this book. I had picked it up because my dad was reading it, we have similar reading tastes, and because the cover looked interesting. It was certainly worth the read.

The story begins by telling the stories of different parties, but brings them all together eventually. You meet Brother Va, a monk, and Elenya who follows him around. Va's brother monks have been murdered, his monastery burnt to the ground, and a dozen mysterious books have been taken. There's Benzamir, who has nothing, but is able to bluff his way into being given camels and other valuable things. Along the way, he meets Said, the servant of a sheikh's son, Wahir, a boy with a way with camels, and Alessandra, a woman who bargains with the diggers. All the characters come together to search for the books from Va's monastery.

The author didn't do much explaining about the back story of the book, and it was left to me to figure out. I read the summary on the inside flap after I'd read the book, and it made the book a lot clearer! At one point, one of the characters reads a sign in Arabic that says that it was written in the year 2987, so the story is set in the future of Earth. Benzamir is a descendant of those who left Earth, while people called the Users destroyed the Earth and knocked technology back to the dark ages. Benzamir attempts to disguise his technology at first, but eventually lets his companions in on the past as he knows it.

I enjoy figuring out a puzzle, so I kept at the book, especially since the characters were well written. I like books that play with history or predict what the future might be like, so I really enjoyed it. I thought the author's subtle social commentary about the Users and their destructive technology was a good point, and I appreciated it. There was some violence, but only what was necessary. On top of that, the main characters were very distressed when anyone was killed. There was a tiny bit of romance, but it wasn't the usual genre that I read! The book is labeled Young Adult, and I certainly agree with that categorization.

If you want a book that has plenty of action, is somewhat of a puzzle to figure out, and has an alternative history, you'd enjoy this book. If you want something that is modern and clear-cut, this is definitely not for you. I'd encourage you to go out of your way and read something a little different, however. This book is an excellent choice, and I would certainly recommend it!

And the winner is...

2008-10-07T23:47:00.001-04:00

The random number according to Random.org is:

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2008-10-08 04:00:54 UTC

The winner is: Shelly Burns who said

The book that I would most like to read is Sign of the Cross. I also read and loved The DaVinci Code...saw the movie, though. I even picked up Angels and Demons when I heard it was to become a movie...loved it too!

Congratulations Shelly! I've sent an email, but if you don't get it, please contact me by all means!

Thanks to everyone who helped publicize my giveaway and left comments. I really enjoyed hearing which books sounded most interesting to people. I hope that you will all continue to read my blog and leave comments when you find the books I've reviewed interesting! Every blogger needs encouragement. : )

Dark Embrace by Brenda Joyce

2008-10-06T16:43:00.002-04:00

I've read so many werewolf and vampire novels lately that this book came as a bit of a relief. I like books with telepathy and telekinesis better, to be honest. There was a bit of both in this book.

Aidan of Awe, also known as the Wolf of Awe, is a Master of Time, defender of the Innocent. His father, Moray, is a deamhon, and he is determined to turn Aidan to the dark side. He does this by killing Aidan's son, Ian.

Through the centuries, Brianna feels Aidan's pain. They met at a time when Aidan was in the year 2008 saving innocents, and a bond was instantly forged. Unbeknownst to Brianna, she calls for him after she feels his pain. He leaps through time and saves her from a gang of boys, only to take her back to his time with him.

Aidan has spent 66 years grieving over the death of his son. He has amassed an army composed of men who enjoy murder and mayhem and men who are demon-possessed. He has also been committing crimes of pleasure, draining women of their life force. Unlike most, he does not kill the victims of his pleasure crimes.

Brianna is determined to find the Aidan she once knew under the layers of anger, hatred, vengefulness, and depredation he uses as armor to keep people away. Together with the Masters of Time brotherhood that Aidan used to be a member of and the help of Brianna's psychically gifted cousins and friends, they search for a way to stop Aidan's father, Moray.

This was a supremely satisfying book. It was completely up my alley since I love psychic talents. Of course, men in kilts certainly aren't any deterrant for me! I didn't particularly like Aidan, to tell the truth. Brianna is a better woman than me in dealing with him. I really liked how the book ended. I was really happy with how the ends were tied up.

Be sure to look for Joyce's other books, Dark Rival and Dark Seduction!

Hideaway by Hannah Alexander

2008-10-06T16:26:00.003-04:00

I've got to balance out the evil werewolves and vampires with some good Christian lit. This is the first in a group of books about a small town called Hideaway. The books aren't a series--each one has different characters. I've read a couple of the books so far, and I expect to see the same characters keep turning up. One has, but in a very small way.

These are listed as romantic suspense, but I honestly didn't find a lot of suspense in this first book. The suspense showed up at the end, although there were hints of it throughout the book. The lack of suspense did not dampen my enjoyment of the book at all whatsoever. I really liked it, and I'm probably going to go through the books I have before I move on to any other books I have on my TBR list.

Cheyenne Allison is an ER doctor. She is on duty one night when her sister comes in, fatally injured in a car accident. Cheyenne does her best to save her beloved sister, but nothing can save her. A month later, Cheyenne is still working despite her struggle with insomnia. Her boss sends her on mandatory leave, and a nurse at her clinic who is a good friend convinces her to take her vacation in Hideaway at a house she has inherited.

In Hideaway, Cheyenne meets Dane Gideon, the owner/mentor/director of a ranch for troubled boys. The boys are not juvenile delinquents, but youth who have stumbled on hard times in their lives. The ranch is an alternative to a group home or foster care. Dane and his boys show city girl Cheyenne how to cope with country living while she uses her medical knowledge to care for her neighbors.

This book won a place in my heart because of several things. First, Dane's faith is amazing. He uses his blessings and his money in such wonderful ways in God's name. Secondly, both Cheyenne and one of Dane's boys, Blaze are dyslexic. Cheyenne helps Blaze to overcome his dyslexia because of her experience, and I love hearing stories like that as a special ed teacher. And lastly, I love how the authors portray this small town. I grew up in a very small town, and the portrayal rings true to me.

I just have to say it again: I highly recommend this book!

2 More days left to enter my giveaway!

2008-10-05T19:26:00.002-04:00

If you're new to my blog, I'm having my first giveaway. I've reviewed the book here, and the link for entering the giveaway is here.

Everybody likes free books, right? : ) All you have to do is tell me which book I've reviewed so far that you'd most like to read!

Sign of the Cross by Chris Kuzneski

2008-10-02T18:14:00.005-04:00

I love novels that use elements of history as a basis for the plot. My dirty little secret? I loved The Da Vinci Code. I never saw the movie, and I'd like to keep it that way, thanks! I like the twist to history, and I like the adventure, the excitement.

So, if you like Dan Brown's work, you'll most likely enjoy Sign of the Cross. There's so much mystery to the papacy, and Kuzneski dug up an era that I didn't know anything about. In a way, it was somewhat similar to Brown's novels. I felt that Kuzneski managed to come up with enough "new" historical material and conflict, however. It was enough to keep me up reading until 4:30 a.m.!

Several different stories are woven together at first until the main characters come together about halfway through the book. Maria and Dr. Boyd are investigating an archaeological site in Orvieto, Italy when they are threatened by a helicopter and armed men. Jon Payne and David Jones have been arrested and held without charges in Spain. A mysterious man shows up to offer them a deal in exchange for their release if they pursue the now-missing Dr. Boyd.

The only complaint I have about the book is that the author felt it necessary to warn the reader that something was coming up by saying things like "because tomorrow would be filled with even more excitement than today." There was plenty of excitement in the book, and the author certainly didn't need to preface it! I don't know how his editor let things like that get through. It got pretty predictable, eventually.

I think that part of what I love so much is the search for the truth, for the historical details. It amazes me when people know so many languages, both dead and alive and can translate obscure paintings and manuscripts. This was a page turner that kept me going!

Be sure to pick up Kuzneski's next book, Sword of God as well.

Don't forget to enter this month's giveaway!

Help an author in need

2008-10-01T14:08:00.003-04:00

I hope that if/when I become a published author, people will do this kind of thing for me. Gennita Low is an author of quite a few books. She signed on with Mira to do a three-book trilogy. The first book, Virtually His, was published last year. The next installment in the trilogy was due to be published this year. It was pushed back to December, and now has been delayed again indefinitely. Help out Gennita by getting in contact with her publisher, with Wal-Mart so they'll carry the book, and her editor. Below are the addresses:
Book Dept or Sales Dept
Wal-Mart Stores
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716

Gennita Low's Editor (Publisher?)
225 Duncan Mill Rd.
Don Mills, ONT M3B 3K9
CANADA

Gennita Low's Editor
233 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10279

In addition, Gennita is giving away a free downloadable e-book at her website: A Low Profile

Visit her blog, have a look around, and help her out by buying her book Virtually His new. I am certainly one who would like to thwart Wal-Mart's evil ways, so let's all band together to do that. Get them to carry her book!

Catfantastic II

2008-10-01T13:33:00.003-04:00

Speaking of cats, I picked up this anthology of short stories the last time I was at the library. I've read these anthologies before in the past, and always enjoyed them. This one has been no different. I started reading at bedtime, thinking that I'd get to sleep earlier if I had short stories to read instead of a longer novel. Unfortunately, that didn't work all that well since I loved the stories that I read and kept going on to read the next story and the next one, and you get the idea.

If you're a cat lover, you'll certainly love these anthologies. In this particular anthology has been a story about a cat who opened a portal from a British ship to a Nazi submarine in order to help defeat the sub and avenge his former shipmates, a cat whose courage helped a girl save her family from the Chinese emperor, a cat who simply wished to make his mate happy by bringing home kittens for her, and a woman whose service to Bastet in caring for the cats in her life saved her own life.

The stories are great, and I highly recommend that you pick up a copy of this book or any of the other Catfantastic anthologies--there are quite a few. You'll find yourself cheering for the cats (and the people), and sometimes even crying at the bravery and dedication of these cats!

Cat Advice, anyone?

2008-10-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

I live with a crazy cat. Seriously. He ends up tearing through the apartment at warp speed. I think sometimes it's when he's mad at us, but mostly it seems pretty darn random. He stalks us when we walk through the apartment. Not from the front, no! He comes up and bites us from behind. It's crazy. He knows we'll be able to see him if he comes at us from the front.

He has his moments when he cuddles up with us, sure. But those times are few and far between. He'd rather gnaw on our hands or feet!

We've been thinking about getting another cat on the premise that the current cat doesn't really know how to be a cat. He was only 3 weeks old when we adopted him. His behavior isn't getting any better, and I'm afraid that he's always going to be wild if we don't do something now. Anyone have any hints, tricks, tips, advice?

My First Giveaway!!

2008-09-30T18:28:00.009-04:00

I've been thinking about doing this for quite a while, and so here it is! My first giveaway! I'm going to do one a month. Not a lot, I know, but all I can afford right now while I'm still searching for a job. The first book I'll be giving away is Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur. It's one of my favorite books I've read since I started my book review blog.
This copy is not brand new, but it is in near new condition. You can find my review of the book here: Full Moon Rising review

What do you have to do to win? It's pretty simple, really. Look back through my reviews so far and tell me which book I've reviewed so far that you would most like to read and why! Leave a comment by 10 pm on October 7th in order to win my copy of this book. Make sure you leave a way to get in touch with you, either via your blog or via email! Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Good luck!

EDIT: I didn't mention that the 10 pm was EST! So, because of that, I'm going to extend the time to 12 midnight EST. There's still about 90 minutes left to enter! : )

Category Five by T.J. MacGregor

2008-09-30T18:06:00.004-04:00

I think this is one of my new favorite authors! I loved this book! There are several others with the same characters, and I'm going to be looking for them the next time I hit the library.

Mira is a psychic bookstore owner. She lives with her 15-year-old daughter Annie, her (also psychic) grandmother Nadine, and her fiance Shep, an FBI agent in the Florida Keys. As a storm that is predicted to rival Andrew's category 5 hurricane heads towards the Keys, Mira is asked by Shep's supervisor to read a crime scene at a local jail where two inmates have been broken out by a man in an armored Hummer.

As Mira's grandmother says, her readings end up entangling her life with the lives of those she reads. Mira, Shep, Nadine, and Annie end up entangled with Tia, Crystal and Billy Joe. The hurricane is coming closer, and preparations for it must be made. At the same time, the FBI and local law enforcement are trying to find these dangerous fugitives before the hurricane hits land.

This book was really complex, with the stories of the different characters woven together. The author did an excellent job of weaving the stories in such a way that you never lost track of what was going on with any of the characters at any given point in time. In my opinion as a writer, that's definitely a difficult thing to do!

It was action-packed and a real page-turner until the last. I was kept anxious about whether the hurricane would hit or not, and whether law enforcement would locate the fugitives or not. I really related to all the characters, and the psychic "powers" were wholly believable. I wasn't happy with what happened between a couple of the characters in the end, so I'm going to have to read the next book to make sure that things turn out the way I think they should!

I would recommend this book to people who are interested in the paranormal, weather, and thrillers!

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

2008-09-24T22:26:00.004-04:00

I've read several of Armstrong's paranormal romances, and I had high expectations for this book. It's the story of Nadia, a disgraced police officer turned hitwoman from Canada. I'm generally not okay with books about professional assassins. I did read one recently that was pretty funny and that I enjoyed. Generally, the professional assassin has to do vigilante-type killings in order for me to be willing to read about it. That's Nadia, in a way.

Nadia joins forces with a few other professionals in order to track down a hitman turned serial killer. The professionals don't want themselves linked with a serial killer, so it's all in self-interest. She works with her mentor Jack, the game-playing Evelyn who tempts her with vigilante hits, Felix, and Quinn, who is also an FBI agent.

The five of them leapfrog across the US, keeping their identities secret, changing appearance on a regular basis, and planning traps for the hitman-slash-serial-killer. Along the way, Nadia finds herself irresistably attracted to Quinn, but unable to even think about entering into a relationship because of their shared profession. She takes risks and puts herself in the position of bait in order to catch the killer.

While it sounds pretty exciting, it really wasn't. The only part that had me turning pages was the end. Because of the nature of the assassin profession(I imagine), we didn't learn a lot of personal facts or quirks of the characters other than Nadia. I don't want to just get acquainted with one character--I want to know all of them. It didn't feel like an ensemble, didn't feel cohesive, didn't feel like real people.

I think I would recommend giving this one a miss.

Dancing with Werewolves by Carole Nelson Douglas

2008-09-24T22:15:00.002-04:00

This is the first book about Delilah Street, a paranormal investigator. At first, she lives in Kansas and makes her living reporting paranormal news on the local television station. Unfortunately, she runs afoul of the anchorman vampire and his weather witch girlfriend and has her house leveled in a "tornado."

So, Delilah takes herself, her car, and what's left of her belongings to Las Vegas on the trail of an actress on CSI V who is identical to her. Right after she gets to Vegas, she meets Ric, a.k.a. the Cadaver Kid. Ric and Delilah's abilities combine to not only find bones, but to see the circumstances under which the victims died.

Delilah ends up living with the reclusive, strange producer of the current CSI incarnation, tangling with vampires, werewolves and half-werewolves.

I was excited about this book. I've been on a big paranormal romance kick lately. I found myself feeling disappointed at the end. First, there were too many questions and not enough answers. I got lost in the storylines sometimes. There were too many paranormals that were introduced in a rush and not thoroughly explained. There wasn't a lot of choice in the romantic relationship. While I like a certain amount of that sometimes, it didn't feel like it was done right in this book.

There was a lot of backstory that wasn't really explained well. I felt like I was getting into the story in the middle, but I didn't have a chance to ask questions. It seemed a little like the author was flailing around for her story/explanations. Maybe that she didn't have a plan before she started writing.

The story and the concept has a lot of promise, however, and I plan to read the next few books. If they don't get any better, I'll move on to another author/series.

Giveaways

2008-09-24T21:50:00.004-04:00

I haven't won anything yet, but I am seriously addicted to entering giveaways at different websites. I think I may have mentioned this before. There are so many people giving away books, as you may have found during Book Blogger Appreciation Week. There are also quite a few mom blogs that review products and have extras to give away. I am really wanting to win a Soda Club set, but no luck so far. One of the great sites I have found that does wonderful giveaways is A Wrestling Addicted Mommy.

One of my friends does a third Monday of the month giveaway as well. She's had fun stuff like awesome Post-it notes, a little wallet-sized pouch, a cell phone charm made out of a bottle cap, and the like. You can find her website at 5 foot 4 (dot) org. She's got a great photography business, so if you live in or near east Texas, check it out. She does awesome work and I make props for her when possible.

I think I will be doing some giveaways here soon as well. I've got a copy of the very first book I reviewed to give away. I've also got a copy of Keri Arthur's first in the Riley Jensen series. Stay tuned for more!

Spa Girls Collection by Kristin Billerbeck

2008-09-22T14:04:00.005-04:00

If you're a Christian who likes Chick lit, you're in for a treat with these books. I read the first one and was absolutely hooked right away. The first book, She's All That is Lilly's story. Lilly, Poppy, and Morgan met at Stanford and have been friends ever since.

Lilly has an MBA in finance, but works for a harridan of a fashion designer. She does all the designs, but hasn't been promoted since she started working in design. Poppy is a chiropractor and alternative health guru. She avoids additives and preservatives, and practices aromatherapy. Morgan is a diamond heiress who wears her father's diamonds to society functions. The three of them couldn't be more different, but bonded over their differences at a spa on the central coast of California. Every time one of them has a bad day, the three are off for a spa weekend.

Lilly lives in a tiny apartment with her roommate Kim, who works at the same design label. Lilly does all the designs, and Kim is a seamstress. Lilly wants to find a boyfriend, but seems to only stumble across losers. She's dating Robert, but gets dumped. Her upstairs neighbor Nate kisses her, but says that it's a mistake. Lilly decides that she's got to do something other than working at the design label, but doesn't want to return to the world of finance. She decides to start her own label instead. Her former boss supports her, and suddenly, she has to come up with enough designs for a show. Read the book to find out whether Lilly gets her man and comes through the fashion show unscathed.

A Girl's Best Friend is Morgan's story. After her escapades at Lilly's fashion show, Morgan is fodder for the San Fransisco gossip pages. As a diamond heiress, she was already in the public eye, but now the papparazzi are following her around. Morgan has led a privileged life, but reality is about to come crashing down. A man follows her and her spa sisters to their spa where Lilly challenges her to live on the same meager salary that she does. She thinks he's a journalist, only to find out that he is a lawyer. Morgan, a silent partner in her father's diamond business and is being charged for tax evasion along with her father. Morgan has to find a job and learn to live on much less than she's accustomed to while navigating the dating world with her horrible track record and emotional baggage. Read the book to find out whether Morgan ends up in jail!

Cool, Calm & Collected is Poppy's story. Poppy has her own chiropractice practice and alternative medicine practice in the Silicone Valley. She is training for a half triathalon, and loves to run. Her next-door-neighbor in her office building is a plastic surgeon who goes to church with her. She wears her mother's skirts left over from the sixties, and Lilly and Morgan are forever trying to get her to upgrade her wardrobe. Poppy's not really interested in dating, but has to find a date for Morgan's upcoming wedding before Lilly and Morgan set her up on a blind date. She makes a deal with Dr. Jeff the plastic surgeon, but can't stop thinking about her patient Simon. You'll have to read to find out who she finally ends up with because Poppy keeps you guessing until the end.

I really loved these books. I can't wait to read more of the author's books. I didn't even know that such a genre existed! I felt like I could really relate to the characters and their foibles. I felt like I was most like Poppy! They felt like real people that I would have loved to meet and hang out with. I want a group of spa girls of my own. I would say that my only criticism is that I didn't like the way the last book ended. I didn't like Poppy's choice, and there were several storylines that were left open. I'm hoping for another book that ties everything up and where Poppy changes her mind!

Seriously worth the read. I can't say enough good things about these books. Go pick them up today!

Hunting the Demon by Jaci Burton

2008-09-19T18:01:00.011-04:00

Silly me, I picked up the second book in this series to read first. I didn't realize it until after I'd already started reading. Thankfully, it's not one of those books that is incomprehensible if you haven't read the first book. I enjoy that sort of book, but it's often difficult to find them in order at the library, at BookMooch, or even at the bookstore.

I've actually been quite surprised at the number and popularity of paranormal romances recently. There are books about werewolves, books about vampires, and books about demons, among others. I wonder at the appeal of beings that are generally viewed as being so quintessentially evil. And yet, I still read them.

Dominic Diavolo is the son of a demon and a human woman. He was kidnapped by his father at the age of 8. Nic doesn't remember his life before that, and his father told him that he was in an accident and had amnesia.

In truth, Nic has an older brother, Derek, who has been searching for him in the twenty-some years since he was kidnapped. Derek is a member of the Realm of Light, an organization of demon hunters. Shay is also a member of the Realm of Light, and she feels a connection with Nic. She manipulates it so that she is the one who is used to bait Nic.

Shay has a difficult task getting Nic to believe that his father was a demon, as well as overcoming the betrayal Nic feels over his kidnapping. Once Nic catches sight of his first demon, he becomes a believer and joins in the efforts of the Realm of Light to overcome the Sons of Darkness. In the end, he has to fight to master his inner beast, his demon.

I really enjoyed this book, and picked up the first book at the library once I realized there was another. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series as well. I would recommend this book for those who enjoy paranormal romance.

After Dark by Jayne Castle

2008-09-19T18:01:00.007-04:00

This book's spine labeled it as romance. It was, but it had a very strong Fantasy bent as well. I would probably have labeled it fantasy over romance.

I enjoyed this book once I got through the acronyms! The book is set on another world with a whole different set of physics rules. Instead of engines or gas, vehicles move by using psychic power. Most people on the planet have some small amount of psychic talent. People with more psychic talents become either ghost hunters or tanglers. Ghost hunters summon or dissipate the energy of ghosts. Tanglers either set or untangle traps found in the cities left by the people who inhabited the planet before the current inhabitants came through the curtain.

Lydia Smith used to be a para-archaeologist who explored the cities of the past. After a weekend caught in a psi-trap, she loses her job because no one has ever come out of a trap before. She now works at Shrimpton's Museum, which is along the lines of a wax museum. She is trying to start her own consulting business on the side.

She is meeting a new client, Emmett London, when the two of them stumble upon the body of Lydia's shady friend, Chester. Emmett has come to Lydia to get help with finding a curio cabinet that came through the Curtain with his family. Lydia comes to find that Emmett is not telling the entire truth, and the two of them are pulled into a tangle of disappearing teenagers, untrained ghost hunters, and dreamstone that has been worked when it usually crumbled during mining.

My favorite part of the book was Lydia's pet dust bunny. I want to have a dust bunny as a pet! They have six legs/feet and two sets of eyes. They're predators, but they love pretzels.

I would recommend this book to people who like romance, suspense, mystery and fantasy. If you don't like fantasy, move along and find another book.

Missing by Jasmine Cresswell

2008-09-19T18:01:00.003-04:00

These days, I go to the library looking for a good romance. I'm hoping that I'll move along into other genres soon because while I like a good romance, I like those other genres. Some people choose their books by their covers, some people choose their books maybe by titles or by blurbs. I choose my books for their spines. Since I'm on the romance trend, I look for books that say romantic suspense on the spine. I actually don't like straight up romances.

Unfortunately, the suspense was missing in the Jasmine Cresswell's Missing. The story was a very, very slow start. I had no idea who the romantic coupling was supposed to be until at least halfway through the book. I had my suspicions, but it took forever for the author to actually let the reader know.

The book was rife with family disfunction. It begins with the death of Ron Raven, who it turns out is a bigamist! He has two families--one in Wyoming, and one in Chicago. While the two families are recovering from the shock of both Ron's death and the discovery of his other family, Ron's daughter Megan embarks upon a journey to find out what happened to her father with Adam Fairfax, the brother of her father's other wife.

Once the suspense finally arrived in the book and the main characters were in danger, the book was great. Overall, however, I'd have to advise giving this book a miss. It simply moved too slowly to really be considered suspenseful.

If you are interested, Cresswell has two follow-up books as well: Suspect and Payback.

Self-Improvement Starts NOW!

2008-09-17T17:33:00.003-04:00

In addition to participating in Book Bloggers Appreciation Week, I am also working on the 100 Push Ups training program. You can find the website here. You do an initial push up test to see where you start. I am sadly(but predictably) on Level 1. After you identify your initial level, you work on your level, doing pushups three times a week for 6 weeks total. I just started--I am on week 1. I'm just beginning my 100 Push Up journey. If you'd like to join me in my pursuit, leave a comment, a link to your blog, and blog about it, too! We can all become stronger and healthier together!

I'm also working on the President's Challenge. You can find that website here. This is a way to track your activity online. If you complete 6 weeks worth of daily activities, you are eligible for a Bronze Award. I'm working on the basic Active Lifestyle program. I've been spending entirely too much time sitting on my couch book blogging, writing letters, watching television, and crocheting. Again, if you're participating, leave a message. I'd love to find other people who are working on these programs, too!

Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

2008-09-16T15:10:00.004-04:00

Nearly a thousand years ago, Konstantine Varinski made a deal with the devil. In exchange, he and his sons gained the ability to transform into animals--wolves, hawks, panthers, and other predators. The family has terrorized the citizens of their country for the thousand years, raping and pillaging. Any offspring who are born, always boys, are delivered to the Varinski compound and left for these fierce, dangerous men to raise.

The current day Konstantine has broken off ties with the family, changed his name to Wilder and moved to America. He has three sons: Jasha, Rurik, and Adrik who has disappeared. He also has the only daughter that has been born into the family in a thousand years: Firebird. His wife, Zorana, has the Sight and has prophesied that she and Konstantine will be forever apart in the afterlife if the Wilder sons do not find the pieces of the Varinski family icon. Time is of the essence, as Konstantine is dying of a rare genetic heart condition.

Jasha is a prosperous vintner in California's Napa Valley. His assistant Ann, who is also in love with him, has followed him to Washington in order to bring him some paperwork to sign. Ann makes it safely to Jasha's house only to witness Jasha's transformation from wolf to human!

Ann runs and is hunted down by Jasha. In her flight, she uncovers a small ceramic tile with a painting of the Madonna. While she is still scared, she gives into Jasha's overwhelming passion. The two return to Jasha's house where Jasha manages to anger Ann with his apparent distrust of her. Ann jumps into his car and begins to drive away. Her flight is halted when she sees Jasha being shot by an arrow and must dodge bullets herself.

Ann and Jasha go on the run to get away from their persuers. It quickly becomes apparent that they are Varinskis and they are determined to hunt down and kill Jasha and the rest of the Wilders.

This is a great paranormal romance. Plenty of steam for those who like that in their books. The prophecy and its history make the change of the Varinskis and Wilders from men into animals quite convincing. The characters are endearing and believable. I liked the pacing of the book. There was plenty of action, without any noticeable slow parts. I was drawn through the book and this was another that I had a hard time putting down. I really enjoyed this book and the next in the series, the only ones I have read so far.

Be sure to check out the next books in this series, Touch of Darkness, Into the Shadow, and Into the Flame.

Welcome to Book Blogger Appreciation Week

2008-09-15T15:54:00.003-04:00

Welcome to visitors as well as a welcome back to my "regular" readers. I think I have some. No one has been very chatty in the comments. I am proud to say that I have a writer comment on one of my blog entries! Very exciting for me. Please see the list of book bloggers participating here. Happy reading!

With that said, this is a very new book blog. I've posted a few reviews, but not all that many yet. If you have any suggestions for new books to review, I'd love to hear them. I'm going to start blogging a bit about my real, non-bookworm life.

I'm a special education teacher to pay the bills. I recently moved from California to Kentucky. Unfortunately, I moved too late in the summer to secure a permanent position. I've been keeping an eye out for positions opening. It happens--more students enroll or are identified as having learning disabilities. Teachers crack under the pressure and quit. However, no luck so far. My father teaches in an adjoining county, and said that there is a possible opening. I called the school and they said they would know about the position at the end of September/beginning of October. I don't really want to wait that long for a job, to have money coming in. I still have bills to pay.

I did apply and had an interview last week with a youth home. I'm overqualified for the position, actually. I'll take it if they offer it to me, but I'll quit for a teaching position in a heartbeat. The youth home position asks for nothing more than a high school diploma. I've got a college degree and further work in order to get my teaching certification. Teaching pays more, and I think it's probably got better benefits. My best friend called today and said that they'd called her for a reference. She said that she couldn't think of any weaknesses that I have, which was very sweet. They have to have at least three references, so that's all I'm waiting for. Maybe a background check as well. If you're the praying type, say a little prayer for me, please!

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

2008-09-10T14:30:00.004-04:00

This book is the first in the Riley Jenson series. These books have plenty of adult content, if that's what you're looking for.

Riley lives in Australia and works for the Directorate of Other Races. Her boss is a vampire. Riley? Well, she's part werewolf. She's also part vampire. She lives with her twin brother Rhoan. She's a liaison for Guardians--the operatives who hunt down rogue vampires and werewolves. Her brother is a full-blown Guardian, and her boss wants her as a Guardian, too.

Riley, however, is looking for a mate, one that she can promise herself to under the moon. She has two werewolf mates to help with the monthly moon heat that all werewolves have to cope with. Then, she meets Quinn, an ancient vampire. Her brother is abducted, she is betrayed, and Riley is drawn further into Directorate business than she wants to be.

Riley Jenson is a strong female character that you will root for. She is believable, and you feel for her dilemmas. Arthur draws you into the action, and you can't put the book down. It's a real page turner, and you'll be driven to find out what happens to Riley and Rhoan. Definitely a must-read book!

The Dragon DelaSangre by Alan F. Troop

2008-08-28T16:50:00.003-04:00

Living off the coast of Miami, Peter DeLaSangre is the only child of Don Henri DeLaSangre. He is also a dragon, a shapeshifter, and feeds on the humans that are within a short distance. Peter, along with Don Henri think that they are the last of their kind, the last of the four families of dragons that were exiled from Europe.

One night, Peter catches the scent of a female dragon. He embarks upon a journey south, where he meets Elizabeth, one of the Blood family. He defeats another male and claims her as his mate.

The two head back to Miami to start their life only to face the suspicion of the brother of a human woman that Peter ate before meeting Elizabeth. Peter does his best to abate the man's suspicions, but his bad taste in cuisine coupled with other bad decisions lead to disastrous consequences.

The novel was written in first person, and was an interesting twist on dragons. I wanted to dislike Peter for eating people, but he was still a sympathetic character. I am not sure that I would reccommend the book to anyone, although it wasn't a bad book. It was simply forgettable. If you like dragons, and enjoy action, you would probably enjoy this novel, however.

Nominate me, please!

2008-08-27T22:13:00.004-04:00

I'm participating in Book Blogger Appreciation week! You can find more information here: http://www.myfriendamysblog.com/2008/08/bbaw-award-nominations-are-open.html If you feel I deserve it, please send an email to bbawawards@gmail.com in order to nominate me for the category that you feel my blog best fits into. I'd say probably General Book Blog. I haven't really been blogging long enough to specialize yet. Any help you can give in getting my blog more exposure would be great as well!

Thanks and happy reading!

The Book of Names by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori

2008-08-27T21:35:00.002-04:00

This book is in the Da Vinci Code-esque tradition: Religiously themed with a mystery to discover.

David Shepard keeps a journal. All that is written in his journal are names. Names of people he doesn't know, names of people he's never met. He's been "hearing" the names since a near-death accident during his childhood. David doesn't think that the names are real people until he decides to Google the names in his journal. The names in David's head turn out to be people across the world and across the centuries.

David embarks on a journey to discover what these names mean and why he has these names in his head. He meets Rabbi ben Moshe who introduces him to Kabbalah and the Lamed Vovniks. The Lamed Vovniks are the hidden ones. There are 36 of them, and they hold the goodness of the world. When they are killed, it has dire repercussions.

David is horrified when one of the names is the name of his stepdaughter, who has been adopted by her new stepfather. He witnesses the death of the rabbi and goes on the run to Israel with Yael HarPaz. Meanwhile, the secret cult of the Gnoseos is trying to kill the last of the Lamed Vovniks, gain possession of David's journal, and kidnap his stepdaughter.

If you like Dan Brown and James Rollins, you'll most likely enjoy this book.

The Devil Inside by Jenna Black

2008-08-21T18:12:00.001-04:00

Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist called to exorcise a demon from a little girl in Kansas. She begins her ritual only to find herself the one confined after the child touches her during the exorcism. After her fellow exorcist and friend Valerie is brought in to check, Morgan is declared demon-free and returns to her job and lawyer boyfriend, Brian.

Morgan is troubled by sleepwalking incidents that soon escalate into written notes when she is apparently asleep. She discovers that she has been illegally inhabited by a demon, Lugh. Lugh is just as reluctant to possess Morgan. He has been forced into possession by Morgan's brother Andrew, who is legally possessed by the demon Raphael. Morgan has such a strong will that the only opportunity Lugh has to control her body is when she is asleep.

After more than one attempt to murder Morgan, Lugh confesses that he is the recently crowned king of the demons. His brothers Raphael and Dougal are trying to usurp his position as king. Morgan reluctantly seeks the assistance of Adam, Director of Special Forces and demon-possessed and his lover, Dominic, whose demon she has recently exorcised.

Morgan, Lugh, Adam, and Dominic fight to trust one another, to keep Morgan and Lugh alive, and to avoid God's Wrath, an extremist group looking to wipe out all demons, demon possessed, and exorcists.

This was a book that I found difficult to put down. Black found a way to make demons believable and sympathetic. Morgan is a compelling character who you can't help but feel for through the difficult decisions she has to make.