That's QUEEN Bitch To You

This is funny, when it probably shouldn't be...

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with Evanescence all over again...

2011-12-02T23:29:00.000-08:00

There's more goodness on the album, but you get the drift and it's an awesome one at that.

And because I'm totally missing her (and Amy Lee is totally channeling her with that beehive she's rockin') here's a little Amy Winehouse.

Thanks for tuning into the Queen B's Music Hour ;)

Winner of Dead Iron by Devon Monk

2011-07-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

We have a winner of a copy of Dead Iron by Devon Monk and it is....van_pham!!

I have sent out an email and look forward to hearing from you. Congrats!!

Thanks to all who entered!

Winner of Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford

2011-07-10T16:28:00.001-07:00

is Nixie!!!

Congrats, Nixie! I have emailed you and look forward to hearing back so we can get you your prize.

Thanks to all who participated.

I have no content so I bring you...

2011-07-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Meeeeee!!! At a Britney Spears concert. Don't hate. I lurve me some Brit Brit. There was the cutest gay couple in the section bordering the stage (you know, the one you sell your kidney for?). They almost made me believe in love...except I'm married which is kinda like being inoculated for it. I kid. Mostly.

Anyhoo....

Here I am in Vegas (for the fist time) for my last bday with one of my sistahs in the law and an awesome and totally random Mad Hatter. (A lil' Vegas advise for noobs: Pace yoself. Trust me on this.)

And lastly, me and my sis, Jen, Who also blogs. We are serving time at in-law Christmas. God bless my MIL, she has a well stocked wine room.

Winner of Grave Witch and Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

2011-07-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

And the winner is marybelle!! I will be emailing you shortly. Congrats!!

Thanks to all who entered.

Queen B's hubby reviews: A Shot in the Dark by K.A. Stewart (Jesse James Dawson #2)

2011-07-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Jesse James Dawson's vacation is interrupted by a pack of hell-spawned creatures. To save friends, family and himself, Jesse will have to put his trust in his most dangerous enemy-his personal demon.

Note: I received a copy for review from the publisher.

Buy links: A Shot in the Dark: A Jesse James Dawson Novel (Jesse Dawson)
book depository

My dearest and my darling reviewed the first in this series for me last year. Now, he is back with his usual charm and panache (back off, bitches, he's mine...and he totally snores) to review the newest offering in the Jesse James Dawson series by K.A. Stewart. Please show him the love...

After reading the first book in this series I was a little skeptical, as the first book had interesting concepts with imperfect but adequate storytelling. I am pleased to announce that this outing is extremely solid. Now that the characters and world have been established this book concentrates on a well done combination of action and tense anxiety. The story follows protagonist Jesse James Dawson, who eviscerates demons with cheery abandon. When someone makes the mistake of selling their soul to shady characters, they call in a champion like Jesse to fight in their stead. Now that Jesse has a few notches adding up on his belt, the underworld is conspiring to end his winning streak. Things quiet down after the ending events of A Devil in the Details, and (against his better judgement) Jesse proceeds to go on the annual paintball vacation with all of his best friends. The boys all head out to a cabin in the Colorado Rockies, where an ambush is flagrantly waiting for them. The situation quickly devolves into a seige of the tiny cottage. This was the highlight of the book, as all the action was punctuated by tense scenes of scrambling to mount defenses, as well as blaming eachother for the situation. Fighting eachother as well as demonic entities makes for a nice bit of drama. The atmosphere had a palpable sense of foreboding for almost the entire story, and really added to my entertainment.

There was some heavy handed foreshadowing that made the story extremely predictable, but this did not hinder my enjoyment of their fight for survival. The action scenes are well written and had me on the edge of my seat. Overall I enjoyed part two much more than the first. Indeed, this book seems like a major departure from all of the mundane activity of the previous story. Well done Ms. Stewart, you have gotten me to care about what happens next in the series. The only other issue I had was whenever Jesse had an inner monologue it came across a little like a womans' voice. I had this same criticism of A Devil in the Details, but honestly it is not as bad this time around. However, at some points it almost seemed like the author was deliberately trying to sound like a man, which kinda made it worse. At any rate these moments were few and did not affect the flow of the story that badly, but they were noticeable. Despite my gripes I did enjoy the story, and the characters were developed nicely (everytime Axel, the demon, shows up he steals the show). So if you've read the first book you really should pick this one up and see what's new in Mr. Dawson's world.

Final Grade: B

Giveaway of Dead Iron by Devon Monk

2011-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today is the release day of the fabulous Dead Iron by Devon Monk, and to celebrate the publisher has generously offered to give one lucky person a copy of the book. Open to continental U.S. only. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Giveaway will run from now until Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST.

For more info about this book and Devon Monk's new series as well as an excerpt, go here.

Stay tuned for my review of Dead Iron, coming soon!

Review: Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford (And Giveaway!!)

2011-07-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

Cole Kenjiro McGinnis, ex-cop and PI, is trying to get over the shooting death of his lover when a supposedly routine investigation lands in his lap. Investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman’s son proves to be anything but ordinary, especially when it introduces Cole to the dead man’s handsome cousin, Kim Jae-Min.

Jae-Min’s cousin had a dirty little secret, the kind that Cole has been familiar with all his life and that Jae-Min is still hiding from his family. The investigation leads Cole from tasteful mansions to seedy lover’s trysts to Dirty Kiss, the place where the rich and discreet go to indulge in desires their traditional-minded families would rather know nothing about.

It also leads Cole McGinnis into Jae-Min’s arms, and that could be a problem. Jae-Min’s cousin’s death is looking less and less like a suicide, and Jae-Min is looking more and more like a target. Cole has already lost one lover to violence—he’s not about to lose Jae-Min too.

Note: I received a copy for review from the author

Buy link: e-book
paperback
Author's Website
Rhys on twitter
Pub Date: July 1, 2011

Dirty Kiss is a well written mystery/romance featuring two very different men that have to face familial and cultural obstacles along with a fanatical killer just to be together.

The story is told through the eyes of Cole, a Japanese/Irish former cop who is now a private investigator. Cole has faced hate and loss in his life and although he hides behind a great sense of humor and a few close friendships, he's basically cut himself off from any hopes at romantic feelings again. I really liked Cole. He's a guy that I can see having a drink with down at the bar and he's also the guy you call when your back's against the wall and you need a loyal friend to turn to. For all the betrayal and lack of understanding he's faced in his life, he's not a bitter or hateful person. He lives his life as he pleases and he knows that not everyone is going to like it, so he accepts if they choose not to be in his life. He's damaged, haunted and wounded but he's so worth fighting for.

The man that finally reaches through the protective shell that Cole has encased his heart and even his sex drive behind is the enigmatic and beautiful, Jae. Jae has also faced hatred, betrayal and very hard times, but unlike Cole, Jae is a captive to his cultural and familial obligations and knows that he will never have the luxury of saying "eff you" to the world and living as he pleases. This is frustrating to Cole, but over time he begins to understand what it means to have such a strong sense of family and culture, all the beauty and ugliness of such ties and how they make their members both stronger and weaker.

The romance is sweet with two wary and wounded men that come from two different worlds trying to learn to trust and discovering if what they have is worth fighting for. The supporting cast is vivid and full of dynamic and varied characters. My personal favorite being the incomparable Scarlet. The mystery is intriguing and the threat of violence hanging over Cole and Jae give an urgency to the relationship. The ending is satisfying and leaves the door open for more growth and adventures while giving the reader, and I believe the characters, hope for the future.

The book is thought provoking, sexy and at times graphic.

I recommend this book to fans of mystery, suspense and gay romance.

Final Grade: B+

Now, thanks to the lovely author, I have one copy of Dirty Kiss for a lucky commenter to win. Just comment on this post and leave your email address. The contest will run from now until Friday, July 8, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. Contest is open internationally. (Much thanks to Rhys!)

Good luck!!

Winner for signed copy of Kindling the Moon

2011-06-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

And the winner is..... Jennifer with the comment:

Please enter me.

Congrats, Jennifer!! I have your email addy and will be contacting you shortly for your shipping address.

Thanks all for playing and even if you didn't win, there are more contests coming and this book is awesome enough that y'all need to go buy it. It has the Queen B Stamp of Approval ;)

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

2011-06-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Where there's smoke there's fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum. The bail bonds office has burned to the ground, and bodies are turning up in the empty construction lot. To make matters worse, Stephanie is working out of a motor home she shares with a dancing bear, and Joe Morelli's old world grandmother has declared a vendetta against her. And just when Stephanie decides it might be time to choose between the two men in her life, Morelli and Ranger, a third man from Stephanie's past moves back to Trenton...

Break out a cold drink and slap on some sunscreen, this summer is sure to be a scorcher with Smokin' Seventeen.

The last few books from 13 on have really lost all charm and appeal for me. Recycled lines, plots, jokes, sexual tension that's not even a ping on the radar and less than no character development. I honestly felt like after 12, Ms Evanovich reached a point where she might actually have to go forward with the characters and series, so she backed off. Unfortunately, she took it so far that she basically put it in reverse.

These books are not supposed to be taken overly seriously. They're supposed to be ridiculous and funny and larger than life and zany with some action, suspense and smexy times thrown in. Unfortunately since 12 she hasn't delivered on most of that.
However, this book was worlds better than the last 4. I actually laughed hysterically at a few parts and she definitely stepped up the steaminess which felt like overdrive considering the absolute desert we'd been wading through for several books, but you won't hear me complain. At this point I felt like I needed it as bad as Steph did.
I do believe that there will be something happening with the relationship choice soon, unfortunately because of the awful way it's been written this far, if it isn't handled right in the next couple books, either way she goes is just going to feel off for me.
I honestly feel that at this point the relationship with Morelli has been so very destroyed, plus the character of Morelli has been cut up pretty bad, that she really needs to make a clean break with that relationship at least for a few books while she and Ranger try to make an honest go of it. If, in the end, the Ranger thing doesn't work she can run back into Joe and they can start fresh with her and Ranger as friends and allies. Or, she and Ranger might really shock themselves and work and she and Joe can be good friends and she'll have an in at the police station. Either way, something that makes sense needs to happen at some point, but that's just my two cents.

All in all a much stronger and sexier and funnier addition (though the mystery and the third love interest was basically nonstarters)that will leave fans hopeful that we're getting our Stephanie Plum back.

Final Grade: B

As an aside, a big gripe I have is that in order for dumb luck to save Steph and not Ranger, she constantly runs to Morelli with all her concerns and possible leads which he never is able to do anything about instead of going to Ranger who is the only one to ever be effective at protecting her, and then she gets almost killed. Every time. Just saying.

Review: Sabine and The Beast by Moira Rogers (and the beast #1)

2011-06-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

A curse can erase her from his mind, but never from his heart.

…and the Beast, Book 1

After three years at war, the High Lord of the Forest returns to his lands, a victorious wolf leader intent on claiming his mate. Instead Ciar finds an empty bed and a court with no recollection of the woman he loved. Following her long-cold trail proves far easier than facing what awaits him at the end.

Sabine’s first instinct is to beg her beloved to leave. The High Lord’s mother hired a witch to curse Sabine, desperate to wipe the lowborn wolf from her son’s mind. But the spell worked too well, and Sabine has vanished from the thoughts of everyone who sees her. Including her own family.

The edges of his memory already blurring, Ciar and Sabine must race to find a way to reverse the spell. Yet every searing moment together is not enough to stop the curse’s inexorable progress. His only chance is to bind Sabine to him too tightly to be forgotten, before she disappears once and for all.

Product Warnings
This story contains cruel betrayal, destined love, vile curses, smoldering reunions, wicked deeds between wanton shapeshifters and a happily-ever-after worthy of any fairy tale.

Buy link: Sabine
Author's Website

Sabine and The Beast was a very enjoyable read. There is definitely a fairy tale feel, but updated and made sexier. The romance between Ciar and Sabine is very sweet. Right from the beginning, the reader knows they have a strong history and their commitment to each other and desire to be together forever is never in doubt. The story was very poignant as Ciar struggles not to forget the woman he loves and Sabine wonders if she has the strength to carry on if he does. Even her own mother forgot her and this last forgetting may be too much for her to bear.

There is sex and it is hot, but it's always more tender and emotional which suited the story and the characters well.

Speaking of characters, the reader isn't introduced to too many since this is a shorter story and it's dedicated to Sabine and Ciar and their plight, but the few that are met are very interesting. I loved the bit with the First Warlord and how gruff, but loyal and fair he is. The world is shown well and it's easy to feel that you're there and watching the drama and romance unfold.

My one gripe with the story was that I personally felt Ciar didn't deal strongly enough with hs mother. I know she's his mom and all, but she showed no remorse when all was said and done. I mean, she could have been like, "Dude, I wanted my son to forget you, but I didn't realize EVERYONE would. That was a bit harsh and I'm kinda sorry about that." Instead, she was like, she's not noble, whatev, don't care. In that case, I think I would have sentenced her to three years living with the common people. Take that, snotty wench. But that's just me...

We hear a lot about the lions in this one and so it's a good thing that the second book is featuring them. I'll be off to get that one next.

All in all, a sweet, sexy and emotionally satisfying read that leaves you wanting to visit this world again.

Final Grade: B

Quick and Dirty Review: Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean

2011-06-23T03:00:00.000-07:00

Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.

Secret McQueen, Book 1

For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.

When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…

Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.

Something Secret This Way Comes
Author's Website

This book didn't make sense to me. The protag is supposed to be tough and smart and feared and independent. Then she meets this random stranger who's all, "We're meant to be" and she just kinda goes with it. She doesn't really question things she should and nothing gets explained to her very well. I absolutely did not feel the romance between her and Lucas and Desmond. Of the two, I thought she had a better emotional connection with Lucas, which was tenuous at best, and yet the only sex she ever had was with Desmond.
Here she is contemplating a life with one or both of these men and she never finds out if she can actually have both or if she has to choose, she lets them parade a well guarded secret out in public which made no sense, she won't tell them what she really is which kind of negated the whole possible true love angle for me and she became utterly weak around them. Also, when she was with one, she kinda forgot all her gooey feelings for the other.
The vampire part was honestly the most interesting and it was made so very obvious that she'll have at least one love interest from that quarter which would be welcome for me if she could even handle the love interests she has now.
The story was an interesting premise and it has a lot of potential for future stories to grow on, but I felt like the author tried to jam too much in to too short of a space and so everything suffered. The plot, the action, the romance, the character development.
I would read more from this author and I'm sure I'll try the next one in the series, but if the romance and characters don't get explored better in the next, I won't be reading any more in this particular series.

Final Grade: D

Early Review of Grave Dance by Kalayna Price (Alex Craft #2) and a giveaway!!

2011-06-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

After a month of down time, Grave Witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But when her new case forces her to overuse her magic, it might be the last mystery the Grave Witch ever gets to solve...

Buy links
book depository
barnes and noble
Grave Dance: An Alex Craft Novel
Author's Website

Contest is now closed.

I fell in love with this author and this series with the first book, Grave Witch, and I've been anxious to jump back into this world in the second book, Grave Dance. You can check out my review for Grave Witch right here. So, you may well imagine my delight when my copy arrived. There may or may not have been a happy dance. My motto: If it doesn't show up on YouTube, it didn't actually happen.

In Grave Dance, Alex is facing a new threat as well as still dealing with the repercussions of the events that took place in Grave Witch. I like that this book, while standing alone in plot, builds very well on the story arc that was introduced in the first book. There's a great feeling of continuity and it is very easy to sink back into the world and to reconnect with the characters. Now we find that Alex is dealing with her growing fey powers and also weaknesses that are affecting her life. Business has taken off since the events in Grave Witch and the enigmatic Death has stepped up the heat in their flirtatious relationship. However, one person is noticeably absent: Falin, the man that shoved his way into her life and made her care and then disappeared without so much as a word or warning.

I love that Alex has no problem loving her friends, but when it comes to romantic relationships, she's like a fish out of water. She doesn't want to care for Falin and she knows that a real relationship with Death, a soul collector, is less than realistic, but these two dynamic and secretive men have gotten under her skin and they have no intention of stepping aside and making it easy for her.

I like Death. I love the parts with him and the other soul collectors and I'm enjoying what we've been slowly learning about them. Having said that, for me it's Falin all the way. He's such a fascinating mix of strong and dangerous alpha male and yet he's vulnerable and not ashamed or afraid to submit to a powerful female. He's so tough and dominant in his interactions with other people, but from very early on in the first book he has worn his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Alex. The explanation for his absence as well as the complications from his divided loyalties really brings a great and realistic conflict to the story. I know there's no easy fix, but I couldn't help rooting for Falin and Alex to find a way.

I have to confess that I'm not a huge fan of the fey and I usually don't enjoy stories that take place in whole or part in faery, with a few notable exceptions. This series is one of those exceptions. I really enjoy the fey in this world and the glimpses of faery that we get are fascinating and well developed. The author conveys well the fact that faery is both beautiful and deadly and filled with a magic all its own. I was very happy that we get to see more of it in Grave Dance and I can't wait to see what happens with the discoveries that Alex made there.

We meet some new characters in this installment and my mind is already abuzz with where these introductions will lead in later books, but I also enjoyed the interactions with already established characters. I enjoy Alex's relationship with her three best friends and it was great (and terrible) to see how the events that take place in her life really affect the lives of those closest to her. Something that made me very happy was seeing Alex's dad again. I can't wait to learn more about this man and see what's really going on with him. He's a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in bacon...or well, he's fun to read about and I want to know all his secrets.

In the end, I think Grave Dance is a solid entry that continues the development of the story and characters very nicely. I didn't love it as madly as I did Grave Witch, but the truth is I am so very in love with this series because of the wonderful world building and fabulous characters that I'm hooked and there's no turning back for me.

Final Grade: A

Now, because I'm awesome and because I enjoy these books so much, I want to share the love with all of you. Therefore, I am giving away a copy of both Grave Witch and Grave Dance to one lucky winner. I am shipping out of Book Depository so this giveaway will be international as long as you are in a country that they ship to. You can check for your country here.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your email addy to enter. Contest will run from now until July 5, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. I will announce the winner on the blog and I will contact him/her by email. If I do not hear back from the winner by Friday, July 8, I will redraw for a new winner.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!!

Review and Giveaway: Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett (Arcadia Bell #1)

2011-06-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

Note: I received a copy from the author for review

Pub Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: Pocket Books/Simon $ Schuster
Format: Available as e-book as well as paperback

Buy links
Amazon: Kindling the Moon: An Arcadia Bell Novel
book depository
Author's Website

Edited to add: Contest is now closed and winner notified.

Kindling the Moon is a wonderful debut novel by author Jenn Bennett. I really enjoyed her take on demons and magicians and the mythos of the world she has created. The characters were fascinating and dynamic and very relatable considering that they tend to be anything but ordinary humans. We have a good mix of mystery, action, love, lust, betrayal and family dynamics to keep the reader turning the pages to see what happens next.

Arcadia is a good protagonist. She's powerful, smart, sassy and honest with herself about her strengths and weaknesses and she owns when she screws up. She tries to be a good person and has compassion for others, but she's also not afraid to do what has to be done to survive and to protect the people she cares about. I like that in a main character. I don't enjoy wishy-washy characters and their forced angst because you know that in most cases, it's just so the reader doesn't feel that the MC is a sociopath. For me, if you show just cause and you're billing the character as tough and a badass, I don't need a bunch of faux angst and rehashing things while we cruise the guilt trip highway. I'm good, thanks.

I really enjoyed the supporting cast of characters as well. Father Carrow was one of my faves. In my opinion, he's a great example of a subtly layered character that doesn't fit in a box and I give the author props for not trying to put him in one. All the characters had layers and depth. They all had strengths and weaknesses and flaws and so they were very intriguing to read about. At one point I wanted to smack Lon, our enigmatic love interest and father to the exuberant and lovable Jupe, but I had to give the author and Lon credit because it was worked out promptly in the next chapter where he called himself on his crap and apologized. I liked that it didn't drag into "the thing that keeps them apart until the next book" scenario. It made it more believable. Parents aren't always rational when it comes to their kids' safety and if they already blame themselves for past parental mistakes, they are likely to lash out, but at least he didn't paint himself firmly into unreasonable asshole corner by not being able to admit that he was being a bit hypocritical. I had to learn to go with the flow in this story because the characters would do something that irritated me and I was so used to those types of things not being addressed in other books/series that I wasn't expecting it to happen here. Well, for the most part I was wrong. I really enjoyed that a lot of questions that popped in my head were admitted to and possibly answered by the characters as well.

My one honest issue with this story was that for a generally smart cookie, Arcadia (or Cady) came off as almost deliberately obtuse about a few of the most obvious things in the book. If you follow my reviews at all, you'll know that that is a big pet peeve of mine. There was one part where something that I felt Cady should obviously be concerned about or at least attempt to research she was completely blase about and naturally that came back to bite her in a big way. Instances of this popped up here and there in the story, but it wasn't enough to make me want to stop reading and the characters were likable enough that I wanted to see where the story led them.

Something else that I enjoyed about Ms. Bennett's writing style is her descriptions of characters and setting. I often times have a hard time visualizing these things, but the descriptions were so concise and clear that I had absolutely no trouble getting great mental images that really enhanced the reading experience for me.

I recommend this book to fans of UF and even Paranormal Romance. A fun, fast and highly entertaining read that left me more than willing to take another ride with Arcadia in whatever new adventure awaits her.

Final Grade: B+

Now, thanks to the very gracious author I am able to offer up one signed copy of Kindling the Moon for one lucky winner. Contest is only open to the Continental United States and is going to be open until Tuesday, June 28 at 11:59 pm PST. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. That's it!

Thanks for reading and good luck!

ETA: I will announce the winner here on the blog on June 29. If I don't hear from the winner by July 2, I will redraw for a new winner.

Review: Visions of Magic by Regan Hastings

2011-06-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

In the ten years since magic has reemerged in the world, witches have become feared and hunted. For weeks Shea Jameson has been haunted by visions of fire. When she unintentionally performs a spell in public, she becomes one of the hunted. Her only hope is Torin, a dangerously sensual man who claims to be her eternal mate.

So, I'm going to borrow a bit from my goodreads review of this one and say this: The premise of the book could be interesting. Maybe. The writing was not good. It certainly wasn't the worst writing I've ever read, but it was by no means the best. It was slightly below average. The whole book was slightly below average. It never pissed me off enough to want to throw it across the room, it never incited any extreme emotion in me at all, it was just...meh. The author tried so hard to be mysterious, but it just turned into annoying and unnecessary vagueness that caused very predictable conflict and eye rolling moments. Also, there were holes in the story that I don't remember being explained well enough.

I enjoyed the idea of the romance: this guy who has stood by his woman for generations and countless incarnations. He takes the whole "for better or worse" thing to a new level. He loves her sweet and sassy and he loves her bitchy, cruel and power hungry. That's sweet and should have hit all my turn on buttons, but while I was able to appreciate it, it never really did much for me.

I liked the concept of women of power banding together to right their own wrongs and this brotherhood of powerful men that have to stick together not just to protect their women but because to deal with these chicks the men need a whole emotional support system. Ha! Awesome.

Honestly, Visions of Magic had promise, and while it was at times enjoyable, it was ultimately very forgettable.

Final Grade: D+

Review: Negligee Behavior by Shelli Stevens

2011-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

When lingerie heiress Brandy Summer gets cold feet and runs out on her Vegas wedding, she has nowhere to turnso she hijacks a hunky biker waiting for a red light and begs him for help. What she doesn’ t know is that her instincts are right: the groom has a hidden agenda. He needs her money to pay off his gambling debts and she’ s his ticket to the good life.
Marco Vargas isn’ t sure what he’ s getting himself into when he rescues Brandy, but figures he’ ll do the chivalrous thing. He offers her a job in his bar and the chance to sort out her feelings. But it seems that keeping Brandy hidden is easier than keeping his hands off herand what will happen when Brandy discovers that Marco has secrets of his own?

Note: I received a copy for review from Netgalley
Buy link: Negligee Behavior

Negligee Behavior was a disappointing read for me. There were awesome supporting characters so I know the author is capable of writing nonirritating players. Unfortunately, I found the lead pair to be very cliched and very often aggravating. However, when they (especially the heroine) were not being ridiculous, the story was an entertaining one.

Our heroine, Brandy, is such a goody girl that it drove me kinda crazy at times, especially since she made a lot of judgments about others. As the story progress, though, and she was in the company of a wider range of personalities, she began to relax and become more enjoyable.

The hero, Marco, was sexy and hot, but his "dark secret" was a bit lame. He was a very nice character most of the time, but occasionally he would make absolutely ridiculous assumptions that had me rolling my eyes. I really did enjoy watching Brandy push his buttons, though. It was one of the most entertaining parts of the book.

The sexual tension was combustible and the love scenes were steamy and the ending was satisfying. Overall, I have to say my favorite characters were Sebastian and Val and not the lead pair. Brandy's parents were pretty cool, too. I wish my mom was that fun and supportive. Ha!

Final Grade: C-

Review: The Rake and The Recluse by Jenn LeBlanc

2011-06-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Francine Larrabee woke up on the wrong side of the century. She was fairly certain she went to sleep in her own comfy bed, but she doesn’t quite seem to be there now. Only adding to her problems is that she has no voice, is constantly being glowered at by a large, stunning man who is obsessed with propriety, and she is apparently betrothed to another horrid little man, determined to ruin her, and any other girls that get in his way.
How does she find herself in the past, when she couldn’t even find herself in her present? How does a self sufficient businesswoman survive in a time when women were still considered property for the whole of their lives and what is she going to do with this man who draws her to him so fiercely.

Note: I received a copy from the author for review.

Buy links:
Available as Nookbook from Barnes and Noble
The Rake and the Recluse
The Rake and the Recluse

Author's Website
Author's twitter

The Rake and the Recluse was a bit of a different experience for me because I've never read an illustrated romance before. I found that because of Ms. LeBlanc's skill at photography that I actually really enjoyed it.

The story itself is a time travel: modern woman lands in the 1800s plot. So, it's a contemporary woman stuck in a historical romance. I do have to give the author credit for coming up with a more unique way to explain how the heroine, Francine, ends up in the past, but it also led to other inevitable questions and concerns that were better off shoved to the back of my mind, otherwise I wasn't going to enjoy the story.

I will say that I was a bit surprised by the length of the book. It's a good solid story with lovely pictures, but I admit that it felt as if it could have still been a good story and been a bit shorter. For me, a romance really needs a reason to be that long.

As far as the characters go, I really vacillated in my feelings for Francine. I get that she had damage from being an orphan and obviously waking up in an entirely different time would freak anyone out, but she's supposed to be this modern woman and she seemed to only have two gears, meek and mild and clingy for fear of being tossed on her rump or a shrieking and inappropriately unreasonable hoyden in the name of being an independent female. It grated a bit. And quite honestly, the only reason she won any measure of independence was because her doting husband and his equally doting brother allowed her to be eccentric. This is not feminism, it's lucking out with not having complete assholes as family. However, I did enjoy her interaction with the characters around her and when she wasn't being ridiculous, she was actually quite enjoyable.

Now our hero, Gideon, was delightful. He started off so starched and stuffy and damaged and reserved, but once he gave over to love, he held nothing back. He seemed to love as fearlessly as any warrior fights a battle. His interactions with his little brother were just fabulous to read. I loved them both. They may bicker and not see eye to eye but they are always a united front against the world and they always have each other's best interests at heart. It was so much fun to watch Gideon be felled as well as healed and strengthened by love. He really came alive right before my eyes. His brother's story is supposed to be next and it looks very intriguing. It would be so much fun to watch that silver tongued devil succumb to the power of love and fidelity. Nothing like a reformed rake...

Overall this was an entertaining read filled with vibrant characters and a sweet romance. The photos are lovely and suit the story very well. I could tell that a lot of thought and work went into the making of this finished product.

This book is available as an e-book or as a physical book. Buy links for both are provided at the beginning of the post.

Final Grade: C+

Quick and Dirty Review: Shimmerlight by Jill Myles

2011-06-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Chloe Sorenson's just started a brand new job at Ms. Muffet's art gallery. However, no one told her that the latest auction piece - a sculpture of a handsome Roman soldier - comes to life. Think it's hard to explain to your boss why you're fondling a statue? Try explaining to the statue why you're holding his, uh, fig leaf. Chloe never thought that touching the statue would turn him into a sexy, aroused man, but she's not saying no to this delicious Roman soldier. The curse requires that she touch him at all times? Such a hardship...

But there's a problem in their lust-fueled relationship; she's falling dangerously in love with a guy that cursed to be hard as a rock - literally - unless she can somehow free him. And the statue of Titus just went up for auction. If she doesn't do something, he's going to be out of her life and trapped for all eternity...

This novella (16,000 words - about 70 pages) contains explicit scenes, including some backdoor play.

Buy link
Shimmerlight (An Erotic Time Travel Romance)
Author's Website

Shimmerlight is a short erotic story that is sweet and sexy. We have our heroine Chloe who is a young widow that is just finished with school and entering the workforce. This is her first real job in her chosen career and she's very nervous about doing a good job and pleasing her employer, Ms. Muffet (yes, that's her name). She's lonely and in need of some TLC.

Enter the hero, Titus. He, too, is lonely and in need of TLC. He's been trapped as a statue for centuries and for a virile young warrior, that's a tough punishment. The two of them come together well. They bring new life and joy to each other in a very sexy and fun way. The hitch in the happy proceedings is that Titus' statue self is going to be sold soon and they have little hope of being able to free him in time. How can these two star-crossed lovers find their Happily Ever After?

This is a very short and fast read. It has lots of sex for the length (ha!) and is able to pack in emotion and a plot at the same time, which is no easy feat in a short story, in my humble opinion.

Final Grade: B-

Wherein Life is Messy

2011-06-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

So, I had some great content (or at least in my own my mind it seemed great) planned for this week, but then BAM! family emergency strikes. Le sigh. Everyone is ok, but here it is Thursday already and I feel like it should be Tuesday and I'm so behind, I think I'm backwards, and I'm still dealing with the family fall out. Good times.

I am planning (knock on wood, cross fingers, whatever) on resuming my posting on Monday. If I can, I'll try to pop in with something short and sweet before then, but no promises.

I apologize for the delay and hope to catch y'all next week.

Hope you all are having a much less drama filled week than mine. :P

The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1) by Amanda Stevens

2011-06-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman’s brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I’ve been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims— lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I’ve vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next.

Disclaimer: I received a copy for review from Netgalley

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Pub Date: 4/19/11
Buy link: The Restorer (Graveyard Queen)
Author's Website

The Restorer took me by surprise. This was a much darker, sexier and sinister read than I had been expecting. At first I had some trouble with the mythos of this world. I didn't completely understand why things were the way they were, but as the story unfolded it became a bit clearer. Quite honestly, the dark, eerie and sexy quality of the story put me into a place where I didn't really care if it all made sense or it all my questions were answered. It was like a warm, sultry Southern night where you wake the next morning and wonder if it was all dreams or....if it was real and you're not sure which answer you'd prefer.

There was so much going on in this story, so many undercurrents. We had Devlin and his ghosts (both real and emotional) and we had the mystery surrounding him, we had the mystery of the murders and several characters that may or may not be tied to it, then we have the mystery of the supernatural and what is going on with that world and ours and why the rules that Amelia have lived by for so long no longer seem to be enough to protect her. Amelia's family seems to have their own secrets as well and Amelia needs to know the truth. It was like she was wading through a world of dreams and nightmares of lies and half-truths and I was hooked wanting to know just what was going on. In some ways this story could seem convoluted and confusing, but it was written well enough and the threads were all woven together to make it a cohesive and rather fascinating story.

The Restorer really didn't read like a romance to me, in that there was very little romantic interaction between Devlin and Amelia, but the interaction they did have was so full of tension and yearning that mixed with an all around intriguing story, I was hooked. The ending left me on pins and needles to find out what is going to happen next. I can't wait to revisit this world and these characters and discover all of their secrets.

Final Grade: B+

Review: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

2011-06-02T00:49:00.000-07:00

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Pub Date: May 2011

Buy links:
Dragon Bound (A Novel of the Elder Races)
Barnes and Noble
book depository

Dragon Bound is a great start to a new series by Thea Harrison, whom you can find on twitter here. She's loads of fun and really nice which doubles my fangirl love.

Dragon Bound was a really fun read. The world is so well established that I had no trouble picturing it and all its inhabitants. The story was easy to follow and the characters were very likable.

Dragos is a typical alpha male in a lot of ways. What I did love is that he is unapologetic about it. He tries to compromise a bit, in deference to Pia's feelings and to show her that her thoughts and feelings do matter, but he also admits that his instincts are strong and he can only bend so far. That was nice. I like strong characters that stay strong. Yes, I think there should be compromise and give as well as evolution of the character, but I hate to see a Protag completely neutered or assassinated to make them more palatable. It also doesn't hurt that Dragos is a hottie with all the fiery passion one would expect of an eons old dragon. I loved that Dragos was both raw and rough but also civilized and intelligent. Nice juxtaposition of the two.

Pia is also typical for a heroine in some ways. She's nurturing and giving and all about life and love and softness. However, what made her stand out and made me really like her is that she's all of those things, but she's also tough, logical, willing to do what she has to do to survive or protect the ones she loves and she's not bad in a fight. This made her a bit more layered and kept her from being so perfect that she was unrelatable. She stands up to Dragos and at times is frightened by him, but she knows when to stand firm and when to be cajoling and yielding. She's not manipulative, but she knows her guy and how to keep him in line and behaved. Which I would imagine would be a necessity if you were mated to a friggin' dragon.

Overall, there's action and romance, humor and great characters that I can't wait to read more about. Which is very convenient since there are several more books planned in the series. For excerpts of the second book, due out in August and titled Storm's Heart, and information about the series, please visit the author's website here.

Final Grade: B

Ummm....That's not actually a hard question. The answer is Kirk. Duh.

2011-06-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

I love me some Weird Al. What? I'm not ashamed. Anyways, love this song and vid and since it's stuck in my head, I'm gonna torture you with it. I'm nice like that ;)

Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance (Cassie Palmer #5)

2011-06-01T00:54:00.000-07:00

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pub Date: June 7, 2011
Format: Paperback
Note: Received review copy from publisher.

Buy links:
Hunt the Moon: A Cassie Palmer Novel
Hunt the Moon at Book Depository
Author's Site

In the fifth entry in Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, Cassie is busier than ever preparing for her upcoming coronation as Pythia, the world's chief clairvoyant. But someone doesn't want Cassie to become Pythia---and will go to any lengths to make sure the coronation ceremony never happens.

I've been a fan of this series since book one, but I do have to admit that often times I find the books are so fast paced and action packed with so much going on that I end up feeling lost, confused and frustrated. Also, in previous books I've found Cassie to be a bit of an irritating protagonist. Now, one has to stop and remember that even though there were four previous books, they only take place over the span of a couple months whereas by this time in most series we would have had at least a year go by, so I really do have to consider that it's not reasonable or realistic for me to expect Cassie to morph into super butt kicking, uber hero chick in that amount of time. Especially considering that most of that time she's been flying by the seat of her pants, jumping from one crisis to the next and basically just trying to keep herself and the ones she loves, alive. Enter Hunt the Moon.

This book has to be my favorite in the series so far. As L. Blanchard from Dangerous Romance said on my goodreads review, this book is a game changer. It was much easier to follow. Still action packed (with some of the best action scenes yet, in my humblest of opinions) as ever and fast paced, full of twists and turns and new developments that will knock one's socks off, but I didn't feel as lost. There was a cohesiveness and engaging quality that made me pay attention better and keep up. Not to mention that I just really enjoyed Cassie as a character in this one. She really shines. She goes on an emotional roller coaster and finds her footing fast. She's more decisive, and the reader can see her starting to know her own mind and heart better. She's getting comfortable in her skin and owning her powers and the world is on notice: Cassandra Palmer is no one's pawn and she's getting ready to play with the big boys, and quite possibly make them cry.

The secondary characters were fabulous in this one. Not only has there been definite character development in Cassie, but it's noticeable in the supporting cast as well. We learn more about Pritkin and Mircea as well as the Circle and the Vampire Consul. I feel like the world is beginning to expand a bit and I can't wait to see more of it and Cassie's dealings with it instead of her just having to react to assassination attempts and Armageddon on the daily.

Now, for the part where I lose my cool and show my true colors.... PRITKIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so I like Mircea. I do. I believe he honestly loves Cassie and does his best by her. I also believe she loves him in a layered way of him always meaning comfort, security and safety for a girl that knew of none for a large part of her formative years. Also, he's a father figure (which really doesn't squick me out, just sayin) and he's always been around. Now, that admiration and security turned into attraction (also based heavily on the geis) and desire and I think it's all valid and he's a fascinating character that I don't want to completely lose in the series, BUT the dynamic that Cassie and Pritkin has just blows all else right out the water. I love that she really doesn't come out and define her relationship with Pritkin nor does he ever really lay out all he feels for her, but their actions and Cassie's inner dialog speak volumes my friends. I'm not saying it's cut and dry, and I really don't want it to be; however, when two people are as committed to each other and have the combustible chemistry of Cassie and Pritkin, you must forgive this reader for her absolute and unfettered delight. For fans of Mircea, don't fret, he gets some great scenes in this one and I think he's much more likable in this one as well. For fans of Pritkin, well, honestly he just steals the show for me.

And the ending? Wow. I have read two UF's in a row now where the endings have just been EPIC and left me frothing at the mouth (accurate but perhaps unflattering) for the next installment. That would be Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews and Hunt the Moon. It was so satisfying and yet so damned teasing as Cassie is catapulted on to another adventure that is sure to be one hell of a ride (excuse the pun for those who've read it) and I wanted to jump straight into it with her. I was so bummed and yet so keyed up and happy when the I turned to the last page. I cannot wait for the next book. This series has picked up momentum, which doesn't seem possible considering its already crazy pace, and it's getting stronger with each new entry.

For those new to the series, I really recommend you start with book 1. So much happens in each book that I think it would be really hard to start in the middle and really understand what's going on and who's who. Also, in my own personal opinion, the books really start picking up around book 3 and then 4 was a much stronger installment and now 5 is just killin it, so give the books a chance to unfold and take you on a wild and crazy journey.

Final Grade: A-

That's One Way to Exercise Your Child. They Should Market That

2011-05-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

This is too cute. Someone should give that otter an extra fish for a job well done. You know that kid's gonna sleep like an angel tonight.

Quick and Dirty Review: Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville #8)

2011-05-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They're killer werewolves—and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart—his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness—on her show.

Very bad weather is on the horizon.

I really enjoyed this one....right up until the end. The action was great, character development was there and I can see that the series isn't stalling out or becoming redundant. All good things. But then there's Cormac.

Cormac is such a fabulous character. I love his dynamic with Kitty. Love his dynamic with Ben. Love the three of them in this committed yet slightly awkward pack of three. The thing is, there has to be resolution at some point. The Cormac/Kitty unresolved issues have to be resolved. Now, I am a hardcore Cormac/Kitty shipper. I love Ben. I really do, but I want him out. HOWEVER, I could be ok if we see Kitty and Cormac air out their feelings and issues and just be committed to being bffs/family. What I CANNOT deal with is any sort of assassination of the character of Cormac or some overly convenient plot development that makes the Kitty/Cormac/Ben issue moot. So, you'll understand how wary I am of the new development regarding Cormac and his abilities. I can see how it could be cool and add a lot of angst/action/drama and so forth to the story, but I can also see it being an out that will be used to gloss over the Kitty/Cormac/Ben triangle and completely change Cormac beyond all recognition. I want to trust Carrie Vaughn not to do this, but I'm nervous, y'all.

Anyone else with me on this?

Also, I felt like there was a lead up to possible issues with Kitty's leadership of her pack. Anyone else catch that one, or am I delusional?

View all my reviews

Final Grade: 4 star rating translating to about a B on this one.

Music for a Saturday

2011-05-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

I love this vid and song (minus Kanye...sorry buddy). Hubby was even impressed. He called it "very Bowie-esque." Love it!

ARC Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh cue fangirl screaming

2011-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight...

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

Note: I received an ARC from the author for review.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date: May 31, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Book is #10 in the Psy/Changeling series
Buy links
Amazon: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling)

Book Depository: Kiss of Snow

Author's Website: Nalini Singh

Ms. Singh's prose are always lush and evocative. A sensual delight one cannot help but revel in. And boys and girls, I did me some revelin'....let me tell you. ::dreamy sigh::

I don't want to get too spoilery with this one (and we all know I loves to get spoilery) so I'm going to try to be extra good, and possibly extra vague this time around. Wish me luck...

Let's just break it down:

Hawke: Is the hotness. He is so controlled, but the boy is on the verge of breaking. Everyone and their baby sister knows it, but that man is one stubborn son of a gun. Good thing for us that he melts like butter when our sassy heroine turns up the heat. I really enjoyed watching Hawke struggle in this one. He's so ruthless and logical and commanding. He's like a wildfire that consumes everything in it's path until it smacks into the wall that is Sienna. She has a strength of spirit and will that both infuriates him and captivates him. He wants to dismiss her out of hand, but he can't. She's not like anyone else he has ever known and she reaches places in him that no one else even knows exists. What I loved was that he put up a good fight, but the man's no fool, he knew when he was done for. Once he knew the gig was up, he launched a full scale, take no prisoners assault that had me sure that I'd set the page on fire the next time I touched it. Slow and steady, but relentless is Hawke's strong suit.

Sienna: Do not dismiss this girl out of hand. Hawke gave it his best shot and couldn't do it. She's been through hell. Things even her family didn't have to undergo. She's had less of a childhood than even normal Psy. She's dangerous and she's haunted by that fact. She's a trained tactician and killer and she's good at it, but she also wants to be more. She wants to be a useful and valued member of the group. She wants to feel like more than just a freakish weapon of destruction, but she's afraid. She knows what the price of letting go of her iron control could be and she's not willing to pay it. Yes, she throws down the gauntlet with Hawke and yes she matches him step for step, but she always keeps a part of herself out of it, she always has a backup plan. How much do you wanna bet that that's not good enough for the uber demanding alpha that is Hawke? She's tough and strong and she's seen more than people twice her age, but she's also vulnerable and fragile. I really enjoyed her character and seeing her get a chance to shine.

I loved seeing all the people that rallied around Hawke and Sienna. We all know how loved and admired Hawke is, but I really wanted Sienna to get some love. She's been so isolated, so guarded and misused for so much of her life that I really wanted Hawke and the pack to work to deserve her trust and show her love. Sure, they're willing to capitalize on her strengths and use her as a soldier, but can they show her the love and acceptance that she never dreamed of having?

Many of our favorite couples from past books make appearances in this entry and it was so great to see them and what was happening in their lives. There is one couple in particular that had a huge development happen in this book and it was so great to see. It made my mind whirl with possibilities for later in the series.

The secondary romance of Walker and Lara was wonderful, too. It's so nice to see this scarred and damaged family not only interacting with each other and strengthening their own bonds, but also integrating into the Changeling world and finding happiness and love where they least expect it.

Sienna and Hawke's road to happily ever after is hard fought and hard won. They come up against a lot of obstacles and sometimes the reader can't see how they can possibly overcome, but have faith, Ms. Singh has never let us down before and she certainly doesn't start now.

I couldn't stop re-reading this book for a week. I was ruined for all others. The only real disappointment I had was that I wished there would be more Hawke and Sienna centered books. An entire series of them like Elena and Raphael from the Guild Hunter series and I still wouldn't be bored with them. Hawke surprised me with his playful tenderness that he mixed so well with his blazing passion and possessiveness and Sienna blew me away with her fierce loyalty, determination and all around fire. These two are a fabulous match.

Here's one of my favorite snippets (that hopefully isn't too spoilery):

He lifted his hand to run a strand of her hair through his fingers.

Fighting every cell in her body, she stepped back. "Stop it. No touching. No acting possessive."

Hawke's wolf prowled to the surface, a primal presence behind the human skin. "Oh?"

"All or nothing." She held her ground though she was shaking inside, her blood going alternately hot and cold. "If you want me, take me. Or let me go."

Grade: A all the way, baby.

Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

2011-05-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Note: I received a copy from the publisher for review.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub Date: May 31, 2011
#5 in the Kate Daniels series

Buy links:
Amazon: Magic Slays (Kate Daniels, Book 5)
Book Depository: Magic Slays
Author's Website

Magic Slays is the fifth book in the Kate Daniels series and it is nothing short of another strong and solid addition.

There is action, drama, humor, romance and gut wrenching emotion galore. Basically, it's crack. So much happens in this book and in a rather short amount of time. We see Kate struggling to get her business going, getting thrown into the midst of a supernatural battle and all the politics that involves, not to mention struggling to find comfortable footing with her mate, Curran (that could be a whole book on its own) and dealing with personal hits that just keep on coming. Every time you think she should just roll over and play dead, but we know our Kate and we know that aint gonna happen. She may be dazed and down, but she's never out and she's never more dangerous than when she's up against it and everything she holds dear is on the line.

We learn so much more about Kate and her background, heritage and powers in this one...things even she didn't know. We meet new and fascinating characters and see more of the supernatural community of Atlanta as well as it's political undercurrents. What I loved with the passion of a thousand suns was seeing Kate having to embrace who and what she is. If she's going to survive and save those she loves, she has to stop running, stop fighting and be who she was born to be. The scenes at the end where *major spoilerage* happens were (excuse my fangirl gushing here) OMG EPIC! I think I may have squealed and then gushed to hubby for like an hour with non stop chatter about the all around Epic awesomeness that was this book and this scene and what does he say? "Thanks for spoiling it for me."
God, he's such a downer. Anyway.... all I can say is READ IT. There's so much good stuff here and it has my poor fried brain in hyper drive thinking of all the ways the rest of the series could play out. My mind, it's boggled.

Oh, and of course, all of this gushing is without even mentioning the relationship between Kate and Curran. Their love is not a smooth one, but it is a passionate, pure, all consuming one that will utterly decimate anything that tries to stand in its way. Yeah, that's hot.

Final grade: A.

Smexy Books review A

PINATA FAIL

2011-05-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

My 6 year old had his birthday party last weekend and there was a pinata involved. Worst. Pinata. Ever.
I give you the evidence:

Mondays Need Epic Winning

2011-05-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

And so I bring you my husband's new addiction and possibly the catchiest damn ear worm in....like...ever.

You're welcome.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2011-04-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Genre: Paranormal YA
Pub Date: 4/19/11
I received a copy for review from Netgalley

EVERY GIRL who has taken the test has DIED.

Now it's KATE'S TURN.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...

I have always loved Hades and any new takes on the Hades and Persephone story. Unfortunately this book did not add anything good to it.

The Good:
I rooted for Kate. I wanted Kate to pass the tests and I wanted her to find happiness and peace. I rooted for Kate and Henry as individuals and also as a couple. I wanted them to trust each other and what they felt for each other. I wanted it to work and that's what made me stick with this story even when I had a raging headache and wanted to give up. I liked Henry and I liked Kate. I did like other characters in the story, but by the end it feels like it's all been lies so I'm not sure anymore how I feel about any of the side characters. I'm on the fence, as it were.

The Bad:
This was a horribly contrived story. Almost every aspect of it was forced and pushed and I ended up feeling like I would have had some serious words for people if I was Kate. There was so much deception and omission and vagueness that it did not add an air of mystery but was just annoying. Furthermore, if I was supposed to be surprised by who the bad guy was or even the big reveal about Kate's mother, then I'm sad to say, I wasn't. For all the vagueness and mystery surrounding the tests and Henry's feelings and what's going on, it was way too easy to pick out the villain and know what was going on with Kate's mom.

When the big reveal comes and we find out who the council is and what the tests are, none of it made any sense. I mean, they were winging half the tests and even testing her at the meeting where they're supposed to tell her if she passed or not. It was just so forced and the whole premise made no sense. Why did Henry truly need Kate if his heir could have stepped in and helped him out? How much help is she really going to be if she's only there six months out of the year? Are we supposed to believe that she can be his Queen for six months out of the year and then go live a "normal" life the other six months? Cause I don't buy that for a second.
If the gods and goddesses all have such important jobs, why do they have nothing better to do than to spy on and deceive a girl for six months?
Honestly, the more I think about this book, the more things don't make sense.

Finally, the ending was completely unsatisfying. I understand that it's a set up for the next book, but still, it just felt so sudden and incomplete.

Overall, this was a very frustrating read for me. I honestly don't know if I'll try the next book. I want to hope that now that the tests are done that the heavy handedness and use of contrivance will not be so prevalent in the next book, but I don't know if I want to find out. Possibly. I really do enjoy Greek mythology and I want to see what happens between Kate and Henry and I want to see if the reader gets to see more of the Underworld and what Kate will be doing there. So, maybe I'll try the next one.

Final grade: C-

The Goddess Test (Harlequin Teen)

The Goddess Test at the book depository

Author's Website

Review: My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

2011-03-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Genre: Romance
Publish Date: March 29, 2011
I received a copy for review from Netgalley

Just when she thought she had life and love all figured out…

Divorce attorney Harper James can’t catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister’s destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she’s being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic.

Harper can’t help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick’s eyes, Harper’s always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting—just around the bend.

After reading the first few pages of this book, I was seriously crushin' on Harper James. So much so that I felt I could have read an entire book from her point of view and I didn't need the hero for me to enjoy it. I hadn't met Nick yet and I was concerned that he could not possibly be awesome enough to deserve my new book bff, Harper.

Harper James was abandoned by her mother when she was 13. Her father had the emotional range of a log with her and now she's a successful divorce attorney so she's pretty used to people just leaving, or at least, not being there when you need them. Harper could have so easily been bitchy or cold, but instead she was funny as hell, honest with herself, knew her hangups and loved her dysfunctional family and few friends with all her heart. When her stepsister, Willa, who she's always felt very protective of, calls to say she's marrying Harper's ex-husband's brother, Harper knows things are going to go south from there. Harper's inner dialogue was so great and her snippy fighting with Nick was hilarious. She kinda reminded me of KC. Which made me love her even more.

Add into this her mother issues, her ticking biological clock, worry for her sister, her stepmother confiding in her that there might be trouble with her and her dad's marriage, her intense love and hate feelings for her ex and a boyfriend that she's trying hard to get to walk down the aisle and Harper has her hands and heart full trying to navigate one potential land mine at a time.

I did enjoy the hero, Nick. He was very intense and could also be funny and tender. I loved that he knew what he wanted and had no fear about expressing his feelings. His feelings for Harper are so intense that I think I got flushed a few times while reading. The one issue I had about Nick and Harper's relationship is that Nick was a bit demanding of her. There were times I wanted to yell at him to give her a freakin' second to breathe, but by the end I felt that he had learned to make some concessions for her and that helped a lot.

My final grade: A. This book had me laughing out loud and tearing up and rooting for everyone from Harper and Nick to Willa and Chris to Harper's dad and stepmom.

Author's Website

Buy from book depository

I highly recommend! Enjoy!

Falling Under Giveaway Winner

2011-03-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Thanks for entering in the giveaway for Falling Under and checking out my interview with the cool Gwen Hayes. Without further ado, the winner of a copy of Falling Under is....Melanie with the comment:

"My first time hearing about this book and author. Looks great! I love the cover!

Thanks for the interview!"

Congrats Melanie! I will email you soon.

Cover: Crossed (sequel to Matched) by Ally Condie

2011-03-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I just saw this cover posted on goodreads and the author's site and I got all excited! I love these covers. I think they are very evocative of the story itself and more beautiful for their simplicity. I read Matched awhile back and liked it. I'm hoping that the second has a little more action and is just as well written. I can't wait til Nov.

What do you think? Have you read Matched? Are you anxiously awaiting the sequel?

Early Review: The Vampire Voss by Colleen Gleason

2011-03-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Voss, also known as Viscount Dewhurst, relishes the sensual pleasures immortality affords. A member of the Dracule—a cabal of powerful, secretive noblemen marked with a talisman that reveals their bartered souls—the mercenary Voss has remained carefully neutral…until Angelica.

Angelica Woodmore possesses the Sight, an ability invaluable to both sides of a looming war among the Dracule. Her very scent envelops Voss in a scarlet fog of hunger—for her body and her blood. But he is utterly unprepared for the new desire that overcomes him—to protect her.

Now Voss must battle his very nature to be with Angelica…but this vampire never backs down from a fight.

I received a copy from Netgalley for review.

Note: Mild spoilers

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: 3/29/11 according to Netgalley and 3/22 according to author's website
Format: Paperback and e-book

I've never read Ms. Gleason, but I've always heard good things about her books, so I didn't know what to expect. I did hope for a good solid and entertaining read. The Vampire Voss started out strong, but quickly went a way that left me less than enthralled with the story.

Voss himself is a rather fascinating character. He's an opportunistic mercenary that revels in his existence as a vampire. He loves feeding, loves debauching women and he loves procuring and selling information about his fellow Dracule. He's not overly tall or physically impressive, but is instead almost pretty, very into the latest fashions and lives by his wits as well as the edge his vampiric powers give him. I appreciated that Ms. Gleason showed how much of a vampire he really is. How much he enjoyed being one, but after a time it began to feel a bit much. More on that later.

Angelica started out as a great character. She has the ability to see a specific event in the future, people's deaths, and she knows about and accepts her gift for what it is. She even has a little side gig going on where she sells the information to interested parties in the ton. She's very forthright and open. Not a withering belle, this one. I really appreciated this about her. However, as the story progresses and events unfold, I couldn't help but be disappointed in her singular ability to be oblivious to the obvious. They are attacked by Vampires. She comes to terms with the fact that vamps exist, but when it becomes painfully obvious that Voss is, indeed, a vampire, she just doesn't see and is therefore absolutely shocked and betrayed when the truth comes out. This was irksome to me.

As for the romance between Voss and Angelica, again, I loved how it started. Voss is so very hedonistic and Angelica is brazen and wiser than many, but still very much an innocent. Voss wants nothing to do with the attraction he feels for her, he's a look out for number one kinda guy and he only wants the information he can get from her, but he cannot fight the pull between them. Their first kiss and the dialogue surrounding it was unbelievably heated. The way he always asked her to use his name and not his title, the way he couldn't fight the protective feelings she brought out in him, this all made me hope for a passionate romance, but that seemed to go flat about halfway through the book. I won't go into details, and again, I appreciate the realism of Voss being a vampire and needing blood and desiring sex to survive, however, I find it less than romantic when the hero does every available body but the heroine for most of the book. Aside from romantic and character issues that I had with the story, the ending was, in my opinion, a complete cop out. I was not left satisfied.

In the end, there were great moments, but it just wasn't enough to make me happy. And aside from my issues with the main characters, I really didn't like many of the other characters in The Vampire Voss, either.

Final Grade: C-

This book is the beginning of a trilogy. The next book features the annoying and unreasonable older sister of Angelica and the dour Dimitri. While the third, by my guess, features the bitchy (although I sympathize with her) female vamp, Narcise, and Angelica's and Maia's vampire hunter brother. I'm hoping the characters are better in their own books.

The Vampire Voss

Interview and Giveaway with Gwen Hayes, Author of Falling Under

2011-03-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

ETA: Contest is closed and winner notified.

Today I would like to welcome the lovely and funny Gwen Hayes to the blog. She was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions, though I tried to spare her from all my needy demands for WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT BOOK?!?! ::clears throat:: I'm mature like that.

Anyway, read on for the interview with Gwen Hayes and a chance to win a copy of Falling Under, which I reviewed here, thanks to her lovely publisher.

1. Are there going to be more books after Falling Under, and if so, how many?

I’m getting ready to turn in book 2 this right now!

2. “Madame Varnie” is one of my new favorite characters of the year. Where did you come up with the inspiration for this very layered and awesome character? Are we going to find out more about Varnie in the future?

Amelia is so special that she needed someone extraordinary to fall for her. Varnie certainly is off-center from normal. He is in book 2—whether or not he gets what he wants is something you’ll have to read to find out.

3. I loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Theia’s group of friends. They each had such vivid personalities and their bonds were so strong and real. Were their personalities and relationships something you’d always envisioned or did they develop more organically?

The friendships were one of my favorite surprises when writing this book. I loved how different the girls were from each other but it still worked. When I set out to write a book, everything happens organically. I don’t know anything until the character finds out most of the time. It’s fun—but a stressful way to write.

4. Who was the easiest character to write?

Haden. For some reason, I know him very well.

5. Who was the hardest?

THEIA. Oh my God. She’s still difficult. She refuses to listen to reason. I think part of the problem is that she struggles so hard to be something she’s not, so sometimes she does things so out of character—but not really—that I just have to shrug and go along with it. There were times I tried to persuade Haden to go for Amelia instead, believe me. (Queen B says: While I adore Amelia, I'm glad Haden didn't listen to you :P)

6. Haden is a very intense guy. Did he ever surprise you with his intensity?

I adore Haden. That said, I would never have dated him myself…but he’s been a dream to write. I love getting to dig in to his angst and splatter it on page.

7. Theia goes through a pretty hard time while coming into her own in the last half or so of the story, did the story ever take turns that you weren’t expecting? Was it ever hard to write?

I really never know what is going to happen, so everything is a big *surprise*. It was hard to write some of the things she did—I really didn’t like the lengths she went to for love sometimes. She’s not exactly a feminist. (Queen B says: There is something to be said for going after what you want, though :D)

8. Haden’s mom is a pretty scary person. Will we be seeing more of her?

*grins*

9. Will we learn more about Haden’s dad?

The absence of Haden’s father and Theia’s mother drive the characters in so many ways. I feel bad for Haden, but no….his father’s legacy to Haden is that he isn’t there.

10. This is my first time interviewing a YA author and I’m very curious about the genre. How much sexual content and darker subject matter is allowable in YA? Also, given the nature of who and what Haden and Theia are, will there be sex at some point?

The genre doesn’t dictate the subject matter in this case. What’s allowable is what works in the story, I think. But, when you put sex and drugs or what have you in a YA, you have to know you are going to alienate a big chunk of your audience—so it’s a fine line. We all know some teens have sex. Some swear. Some drink or smoke or do drugs—and I’m not writing public service announcements, I’m writing about teenagers. Some books broach those subjects better than others.

As for my books, I tend to write very evocative, romantic scenes, but at this point in my career—at least with the characters I’ve worked with so far—if they have sex, it won’t be on the page.

11. Are we going to see more of the relationship between Theia and her father?

Yes and no. Ha! Don’t you hate that? I don’t want to give too much away. (Queen B says: Yes. Yes I do hate that. LOL)

12. What was the inspiration for some of the more colorful and macabre settings and characters?

I think I channeled a little bit of Tim Burton when I was writing the scenes in Under. Wouldn’t that be cool if he did the movie? (Queen B says: That would be squeetastic!)

13. Can you give us any hints for any upcoming books?

Darkness had a taste of Theia…and it comes back for more. (Queen B says: Yeah, you're not a tease or anything. I can't complain though, I like it too much :P)

I want to thank Gwen for answering my questions and for being such a delightful tease today. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book ::rubs said hands together in anticipation::

Now on to the giveaway!!! Thanks to the publisher I have one copy of Falling Under for a lucky commenter. To enter you must leave a comment on this post and be sure to leave your email address in the comment. One entry per person. Open to US and Canada only. Giveaway ends Monday March 14, 2011 at 11:59 pm PST. I will announce the winner on Tuesday the 15th. Winner will have until Thursday the 17th to respond or I will redraw.

Good luck and happy reading!!

Wilder's Mate by Moira Rogers

2011-03-08T11:56:00.000-08:00

Genre: Steampunk Western Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: 3/8/11
Format: E-book
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Note: I won a copy of the book from the author on twitter

Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to hunt down and kill vampires on America's frontier. His enhanced abilities come with a high price: on the full moon, he becomes capable of savagery beyond telling, while the new moon brings a sexual hunger that borders on madness.

Rescuing a weapons inventor from undead kidnappers is just another assignment, though one with an added complication--keeping his hands off the man's pretty young apprentice, who insists on tagging along.

At odds with polite society, Satira's only constant has been the aging weapons inventor who treats her like a daughter. She isn't going to trust Wilder with Nathaniel's life, not when the Guild might decide the old man isn't worth saving. Besides, if there's one thing she's learned, it's that brains are more important than brawn.

As the search stretches far longer than Wilder planned, he finds himself fighting against time. If Satira is still at his side when the new moon comes, nothing will stop him from claiming her. Worse, she seems all too willing. If their passion unlocks the beast inside, no one will be safe. Not even the man they're fighting to save.

Wilder's Mate is the fist in Moira Rogers' new Bloodhound series. At around a hundred pages it's a pretty fast and easy read. The story is a lovely mix of steampunk fun and paranormal romance, so fans of either should enjoy it.

Wilder is a great hero. He's alpha, but he's actually very tender and caring and very observant. He realizes early on what Satira needs on an emotional level in order to be satisfied on a physical level and he strives to give it to her. He's insightful, brave and noble. He was actually a very different character than I had assumed just based on the summary and it was a bit refreshing.

Satira is an interesting character. She's brave but not too stupid to live with it. She does admit to herself and Wilder that she's desperate enough to save her mentor that she would indeed be willing to do some stupid things, but I could understand what drove her and that she was always aware of what she was doing. Satira was a bit of a contradiction. In some ways she is far from innocent and in others she is very naive which I think is one of the things Wilder liked about her. She's a good heroine but her neediness and constant inner doubts did annoy me after awhile.

Overall the story is a good one. There's adventure and sex and a wild west meets steampunk feel going on that made for fun reading. The romance was good and felt real enough. My one complaint on that end is that Satira was so needy. It was a bit hard to believe she wouldn't have fallen hard for any man that didn't treat her bad and made her feel needed. Aside from that, it was a good story with likable characters and interesting twists.

Final Grade: B

Wilder's Mate: Bloodhounds, Book 1

Author's Website

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

2011-03-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River-one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help...

Note: Review may contain spoilers

I love the Mercy Thompson series. I have since the first book. And I've been to two signings with Patricia Briggs and I can honestly say that she is a lovely person who is very gracious and has a wonderful sense of humor and I think the books reflect that.

Having said that, I have some mixed feelings about River Marked.

The first half or so of the book is especially mixed for me. I really did enjoy that we were able to spend more time with just Mercy and Adam, because frankly, they really needed to spend time without the demands of pack and family. So that was really great. However, it also felt rather slow and didn't hold my attention as well as the books usually do and I hate to say that. I really do. I did love the small bit of Stefan and Bran and Sam that we got. ::sigh:: I do love Bran and his relationship with Mercy and it's so great to see her finally recognizing and accepting his fatherly love for her. And I loved that we learned a bit about Charles and how he's protective of Mercy even when she didn't realize it. So fab.

The Native American mythology was fascinating and handled well, to my ignorant mind, but it still dragged for me. Also, I felt like Mercy was being deliberately obtuse for half the story. It bothered me that she was so blind to things. Mercy has always been smart and a fast thinker so this obliviousness really bothered me.
Some of the relationship issues annoyed me a bit as well. But as usual, Mercy and Adam worked through them with honesty and a courage that does their relationship credit.

The second part of the story really got interesting. The new characters that were introduced were great and revelations about Mercy's dad just felt right and made the story very interesting. I loved the character of Coyote. He is so much trouble and yet, he seems to care a lot about what happens to the world of man. Mercy learns a lot about herself, her heritage and her relationship with Adam in this book. Her devotion to those she loves is always wonderful to read. It's also great to see her growing into her skin more and more. Many of the revelations in this entry leads to more questions but that was great for me because it makes for plenty of material for more books in this series which continues to be one of my favorite in the Urban Fantasy genre.

Overall, River Marked is a solid entry in the Mercy Thompson series. A bit of a slower start than the previous books, perhaps, but the second half and the ending more than make up for it.

Final Grade: B+

As a side note, I went to the Patricia Briggs signing in SD this weekend, 3/6, and someone asked her about the writing of the traumatic events in Iron Kissed. I have to write a paraphrasing of what Ms Briggs said because it was such a great answer and really touched me.

Basically she said she really struggled with writing that part of the book and that she was unsure is she should do it, knowing that it would probably alienate a lot of people. In the end though, she didn't want to send the message that if something bad happens to you, that you are no longer worth being the heroine. That that character can no longer carry a UF series. Also, she didn't want to send a message that if you're smart enough and strong enough, you can keep bad things from happening to you and that only weak people have these things happen to them. She wanted to show that you can face really horrible things and come out on the other side. And be worthy of love. She also said that even though things may not end perfectly for Mercy at the ending of each book, she likes to leave the reader in a better place. She never wants to end on a note of despair. And as a reader, I really have to say that I appreciate that. I also appreciate that she took a chance and wrote something that not everyone liked, but that was true to the characters and the events happening in the book. I appreciate that she took the stance that even the strongest people go through bad shit and that they can triumph and it doesn't lessen their worth. Thank you for that, Patty. I think that's ultimately a wonderful message.

River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6)

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

2011-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

Note: I received a copy for review from the publisher
Genre: Young Adult
Publish Date: March 1, 2011

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

I happen to enjoy dark stories and dark and dangerous characters, so when I read the synopsis for Falling Under, it sounded right up my alley even though I assumed it would end up being a rather watered down and less edgy story than what the blurb led me to believe. Well, I woulda lost that bet.

Where to begin? I'm still feeling a bit shaken and stirred after finishing this book just a couple hours ago, so you'll have to bear with me, while I attempt to put my thoughts into some sort of coherent pattern here.

Let's start with our leading lady, Theia. I have to confess that the book was a bit of a slow start for me and a lot of that had to do with the narration in Theia's head. She sounded so....not 17 (and I usually enjoy that fact in my leads) that it threw me off at first. To be completely fair, though, Theia is British, has had an extremely (understatement) sheltered upbringing and her father is both overbearing and completely cold and closed off emotionally so one can understand why Theia did not have the voice of a typical teenager. It took me a little while to warm up to Theia, but a few chapters in and I was feeling much more comfortable in her head and by the end...well, I really think she grew into a fascinating and layered character that I liked very much.

Haden (which I've now decided to name my next child) is a fabulously layered and interesting character. He's dark, dangerous, vulnerable, arrogant, self-deprecating and charming by turns. This is not a faux dark and dangerous leading man. He has dark cravings and though he fights them, they are also bound up with the good and pure feelings he has for Theia and the results of this twisted, but no less pure, love can be messy, ugly, and also brilliant and lovely. I can absolutely understand why Theia would put her soul on the line for him even though the "lonely male" card has been played over and over before, Haden really owned it in this story and made it work for himself. It's rather like taking in a wounded and half starved wolf. He may be grateful, but he may just eat you for your trouble. And you may still think it was worth it in the end...

The story itself had moments where the cliches ran thick and the imagery could be heavy handed, but it worked for the book. Many times the book even called itself on the comparisons that could be made. Even still, I enjoyed the lush and vivid setting that at times was beautiful and strange and at others was dark and beyond disturbing and often blended the beautiful and disturbing together. I felt swept up in the current of the tale and buffeted about like I was in a storm at sea. There were times where the story turned on it's head and I thought for sure I was not going to like the new developments and I thought to myself "Why?!" But then an insidious voice would whisper to me..."Why not?" and I was completely pulled under again.

Something that really worked for this story were the side characters. They were vital to the story itself and were not props. They were vivid and very much their own people but they came together in such a beautiful way. The characters are all bound together and fiercely loyal and I really felt there was a "no man left behind" unspoken motto for most of the book and I loved it. Another thing that I found worked well for the story were the moments of unexpected humor. There was definitely some "bad juju" ,as the characters called it, goin' down and yet in the midst of all the heavy someone would say or do something that made me unexpectedly laugh out loud. Those moments of humor and lightness really helped to balance the story out. Oh, and Madame Varnie is one of my favorite characters. Maybe ever.

Falling Under is definitely darker, edgier and frankly, more erotic than a lot of YA's that I read and it really worked for me. There was still a lovely bit of innocence and purity that ran through the story that really helped balance the book and the characters so that they were relatable and made you hope, even when things looked impossible, that there was light at the end of the tunnel.

The ending was very satisfying for me and really helped bring the characters to a more equal footing as well as showcasing a lot of growth for several of the people we come to really care about. We really get to see just how far Theia and Haden are willing to go for each other and how far their friends are willing to go, too.

I'm going to include one of my favorite passages and it really highlights, for me, Haden's struggle with the darkness in him. If you don't like spoilery stuff then don't read on:

"This isn't a crush; it's an obsession. You are never not in my thoughts. Your scent carries across a room and paralyzes me with longing. I don't want to hold your hand. Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I know that only I possess it entirely. Are you scared now?"

Oh, Haden, you had me at setting me on fire and eating my heart. ::dreamy sigh::

My final grade: A

It's a bit of a slow start but once the story gets a hold on you, you need to know where it's going to take you next.

Author's Website

Seriously, Cosmo, you're just telling me what I already know...

2011-02-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

So, this article was circulating on Twitter this week. I noticed that it starts off with what the ladies can say to the guys in order to enhance their "special moment" and hey, that's cool. Although whenever I've read that in my fiction books, I've been a little dubious about it's sexiness, so consider yourselves vindicated oh authors whose heroines use that phrase. I humbly apologize for ever having doubted you.

Then we get to the good stuff. That is, we get to the part about what sexy talk enhances a woman's pleasure and, being a woman, I was very interested in this part. I thought maybe I could pass a little helpful advice on to the hubby. "Look honey, it says in this article that if you say this to me, I'll have the best orgasm ever."
But as you read it, you will realize that it's actually telling women what to say out loud to maximize their own enjoyment, not what the gents should say to the ladies. Now, I'm all for women doin' what they gotta to get their "happy time" but why the hell do we always have to do all the work? Not only do we have to talk dirty to our partner during sex, but we also have to talk dirty for ourselves? Come on fellas, step up a bit here. I'm not askin' for much, just for you to carry some of the load, that's all.

Seriously though, the fact that women are responsible for their partner's and their own pleasure? So typical... LOL.

I defy you not to dance...

2011-02-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

to this awesomeness. Come on, you know you wanna...

Oh, and Happy Friday!

What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long

2011-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

For years, he's been an object of fear, fascination . . . and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that shadow the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he'll seduce Ian's innocent sister, Genevieve—the only Eversea as yet untouched by scandal. First he'll capture her heart . . . and then he'll break it.

But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by gentleness . . . And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke's dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice . . . is there anything she won't do for a duke?

Genre: Romance
Pub Date: 2/22/11
Note: I received a copy for review from netgalley

What I Did For a Duke is actually part of the Pennyroyal Green Series, but it's the first one that I've read. Fortunately, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read the previous books. We are introduced to Genevieve Eversea and her her loud and crazy family. One of her brothers, Ian, is caught by the Duke of Falconbridge in bed with the Duke's fiance. Escaping with his life (but not his clothes) the Duke leaves Ian with a warning, his punishment will fit the crime.

What I loved was that this story could have been the same tired story of seducing the innocent to pay back the brother/father/cousin that wronged the powerful and worldly hero of the story. However, the premise may be one we're familiar with, the characters were entirely fresh and far from cardboard cutouts.

Alex, the Duke, is cold and intimidating, but he also possesses a wry and sometimes self-deprecating sense of humor. It's just that very few ever get to see it. He's not a boy. He's nearing forty, he's been married before, he's fought in wars and duels and he knows what it is to love and lose. I appreciated this about him. He was no untried boy running amok around society. He's smart, witty, calculating and he knows his own mind. He doesn't spend the book fighting what he wants. He identifies what he wants and he goes after it.

Genevieve was a great heroine. She's exceptionally clever. So clever in fact that she's on to the Duke pretty early on in the story. She even calls him out on it. Which both irritates and impresses him. She's a little irreverent, she's kind and generous and yet a little scandalous subject matter doesn't send her into hysterics, but instead intrigues her agile mind and her great sense of humor.

I loved Alex and Genevieve together. They have a bit of the same sense of humor and could also appreciate the differences between them. Their witty repartee was great fun to read and the chemistry between them was both believable and undeniable. I loved how they spoke to each other, got to know each other and how Genevieve learned to appreciate the difference between a man that knew himself already and one that had a lot of growing up still to do.

I felt a bit disappointed at the end just because I wanted to spend more time with this couple. I wanted to see them into their HEA. This is not a couple that readers would quickly become bored with.

Final Grade: A-

What I Did For a Duke: Pennyroyal Green Series

What I Did For a Duke at book depository

Author's website

Review: Stone Kissed by Keri Stevens

2011-02-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Note: I received a copy for review from netgalley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: 12/10
When Delia Forrest talks to statues, they talk back. She is, after all, the last of the Steward witches.

After an arsonist torches her ancestral home with her estranged father still inside, Delia is forced to sell the estate to pay his medical bills. Her childhood crush, Grant Wolverton, makes a handsome offer for Steward House, vowing to return it to its former glory. Delia agrees, as long as he'll allow her to oversee the restoration.

Working so closely with Grant, Delia finds it difficult to hide her unique talent—especially when their growing passion fuels her abilities.

But someone else lusts after both her man and the raw power contained in the Steward land. Soon Delia finds herself fighting not just for Grant's love, but for both their lives...

This was a fun and touching read that I read in one night. Keri Stevens' characters really come alive in this story, and considering many of those characters are made of stone, I think that says something.

Delia is a sweet girl with a lot on her plate. Her estranged father is in critical condition and suffering from terrible burns. The home that she adores and always felt safe in has been burned and must now be sold to pay for her father's mounting hospital bills. The man she's had a secret crush on for years is back in her life and more than a little cold and intimidating. Then there is the small matter of how the statues in town are talking to her nonstop and even starting to move around. Delia could have easily been a victim or a doormat of a character, but somehow her sweetness was also met with an equally stubborn and strong side to her. I liked her, I really did. A few times I would have liked to see her smack Grant upside the head, but overall I think she handled him quite well.

Grant....::sigh:: Grant is a dark and broody and moody type. He doesn't trust or love easily, but the few that he does, he will do anything to protect and care for. Occasionally this leads to him being overbearing and bossy, but you know that he's that way because he cares. Delia was great for Grant. She challenged his preconceived notions and his world view and she made him laugh. The two of them together were really great and watching Grant when he went weak for Delia? Yeah, that was very satisfying. It's always fun to watch a big, strong guy fall and fall hard.

Final Grade: B+

Author's Blog

Cover: Passion by Lauren Kate

2011-02-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is the cover for Passion the third book in the Fallen series by Lauren Kate. She has had visually stunning covers for this series so far and this one seems to be no exception. At first glance I didn't know how I felt about it. The more I looked at it the more I like it, though. It's haunting and beautiful with a wistfulness about it.
Pubs seem to be hitting the ball out of the park with YA book covers lately. What do you think about this one?

Marketing Ploy Fail

2011-02-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

So, it was brought to my attention on twitter that a book had been written based on the upcoming movie, Red Riding Hood. This was not totally strange to me, even though it's usually a movie based on a book, but I've seen this before with movies and television series moving into books. What was odd to me was that, for starters, the book was apparently published in January of this year while the movie won't be out until March. This didn't totally make sense to me considering that the movie would be spoiled for a lot of people and if they liked the book they may go see the movie, but if they didn't like the book, the movie may be out ticket sales. Also, that's a few months time for the hype of the book to die down and people may lose interest in the movie. I'm not a marketing genius by any means, but I would think it would make sense to release the book at the same time or after the movie releases.

Apparently the publishers thought of this however and the answer they arrived at boggled my mind just a bit. It seems that when you get to the end of the book, there is no last chapter. What you get instead is instructions to go to a website to read the last chapter. Now, if you visit that website now you will be informed that you will have to wait to read the last chapter until after the movie has been released. Now see? No spoiled ending and the publisher keeps you on the hook and your interest piqued. After all, you do want to know how the story ends, don't you? The real kicker here is that there is no warning on the cover of the book or in the book description telling the book buying public that you will be paying full price (at least $9) for a book with no tangible ending. Now, I could be overreacting here, but I feel like that's a major fuck you to the intelligence of the book buying public. Do they honestly think we would find it cute to turn to the what should be the first page of the last thrilling chapter only to get a message that basically says "Ha ha! Bet you thought there'd be an ending here. Sucka!"?
Are we supposed to give them points for creativity? Novelty? Big, huge brass balls?

ETA: So I just went on the website redridinghoodbook.com and was greeted by a huge and cheerful countdown widget announcing on 23 days left til you can have the satisfaction of knowing how the book you paid for in ~~monopoly~~ real money is going to end! Ooh, the suspense, y'all!

Ok, I put it to you, the book consumers of the world, how would you feel having picked up what you assumed to be a finished copy and then found out there was, not even a lack of a happy ending, but simply a lack of any ending at all? I mean sure, there'll be an ending on the website, but whenever you want to re-read the book are you supposed to go back to the website to re-read the last chapter? How long will the site be up? Do they expect you to pass down an incomplete book to your kids (if it's even good enough, I can't say)? Is this a sign of things to come in the publishing industry? What are your thoughts?

Review: Outside In by Maria V Snyder

2011-02-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Young Adult
Publish Date: Feb 15, 2011
I received a copy for review from netgalley.

Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.

I had trouble with the previous book about Trella and the people of Inside called Inside Out as some of you may recall. However, I had hoped that after the coming together of the people of Inside and the discoveries that were made by Trella about herself and the state of her world that this book would be better and that the characters would have grown and therefore be more enjoyable to read. I was sadly disappointed.

The first part of the book I could not stand Trella, yet again. She didn't want to be bothered with helping the council fix Inside, she didn't seem to have a real job, and she never went back down to check on the Lowers where she originally came from. Nope, it seemed that as long as she had a room in the Uppers section that was much more spacious than the Lowers, and everyone left her alone to explore, she was happy. If you asked more you got whiny Trella. And on top of that everyone is telling her how she's the only one who could help them, save them, fix them. It was irritating because she comes off as one of the worst heroes ever. However, I did like that when there was a crisis or emergency, she always stepped up to help and when it became obvious that Inside was heading towards yet another disaster, she put on her big girl panties and went about rescuing everyone and their brother.

The side characters had been somewhat likable and relatable in the first book, but in this one, I was hard pressed to find one character that I actually liked. Riley whined if she spent too much time working with the council or helping others and then would turn around and tell her how disappointed he was in her because she didn't do enough to help. I actually felt kinda bad for Trella when it came to Riley and that's saying something. Some of the other characters that were so confident and ready to help in the first book suddenly became an annoying hindrance to the cause in this one.

Going into this book, I had hoped to see how Inside was going to come together and erase the damage that was done in Inside Out as they expanded into the expanse and learned about their past and where they were going and Outer space. I was hoping to see how they would overcome any difficulties and crises that would pop up in the natural progression of things. That was not this book. The plot was so implausible that I actually shook my head several times. We had to go back to being under an evil rule and have rebellion 2.0 to get the people to care and work together and if the only way they can come together and get things done is when they're under attack, I don't see how they're going to survive to get where they're going. Also, the whole concept of the Outsiders was just a bit much for me.

Final grade: D+

These books were not for me, but I can see how others would enjoy them. The idea behind them is good and there is a lot of action and the requisite romance so I don't expect everyone else to be as annoyed with them as I have been.

Review: Kiss of Darkness by Loribelle Hunt

2011-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: Jan 2011
I received a copy for review from Netgalley

Winter, a hybrid, has spent her life at war. A group of humans who are part demon, the hybrids, along with the lupines and nightwalkers, have dedicated their lives to defeating demons and protecting humanity. Yet, despite their united cause, the three groups share an uneasy alliance.

When hybrid military compounds come under attack from demon insurgents, Winter has no choice but to turn to the lupines and nightwalkers for assistance. It's a partnership based on necessity and she has no intention of letting down her guard with either group.

Marcus, the nightwalker Lord, has other plans. The immediate attraction between him and Winter promises a passion he can't ignore. To claim her as his own, he'll not only have to fight the demons who seem hell-bent on destroying her, but her own misconceptions about him and the nightwalker race. It's a battle he refuses to lose.

Kiss of Darkness is a fun paranormal romance full of hot alpha guys (that aren't afraid to take orders from women), action, sex, lust, and some very kickass women that know how to get the job done.

Winter is a warrior and a leader and she's running out of time. Soon the demon that shares her soul will take over completely and there will be nothing left of the woman she once was. Winter agreed to share the soul of a demon and become a Hybrid in order to fight full fledged demons, protecting the innocents and also avenging the murder of her husband. Now, 60 years later, she meets a mysterious and powerful man that makes her yearn for things she fears she shouldn't and she's not even sure she can trust him or his people.

Marcus is a sexy alpha hero. He wants to protect Winter and lock her up somewhere safe, but what made me love Marcus is that he realizes that he can't do that to her. She's a warrior and a Hybrid, not what he would have chosen for himself, but now that he has her, he knows that loving her means letting her be who she is. He also helps Winter learn to trust and to give and he stops her from constantly taking foolish risks with her life.

Kiss of Darkness is also populated with great side characters. Something that was both a blessing a curse about the book was that it seemed to actually be three love stories in one. We get Marcus and Winter, and then Winter's friend Gia with Marcus' brother Lucas as well as Winter's friend and second in command, Dupree, and the girl he wants but denies himself. The set up seems to be for Lucas and Gia to have their full story next and I have to say that I would love to read it.

Overall, a fun and sexy read with likable characters and steamy romance.

Final grade: B

Red Riding Hood- The Movie

2011-02-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if this is going to end up being cheesy, but it looks like it's going to be dark and gorgeous and therefore and I am suckered into wanting to see it. It comes out in March and I'm pretty sure I'll be dragging the hubs with me to see it ;)

Review: Pale Demon by Kim harrison

2011-02-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for her own mysterious business. But Rachel isn't the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that's not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

The ninth installment in Ms. Harrison's Rachel Morgan series is a fast paced ride full of demons, elves, witches and pixies and everything in between. The first half of the book was a little irritating for me at times. Rachel and Trent bicker and make assumptions (par for the course) and Rachel and Co get into trouble at every turn. The second half of the book was much more satisfying for me. Things start really happening and we get to the meat of the story. I do have to say that I guessed Trent's big secret pretty much from the get go and didn't understand why no one else seemed to put the pieces together.

We learn more about demons and Al (who I can't help loving), and we also get to see Rachel and Trent coming to some sort of uneasy alliance. After the developments of Trent's secret and his promise to let Rachel have a part in it and the price they paid to help each other, I'm very interested to see where their relationship goes. I love the affect they have on each other, whether fighting side by side or just fighting with each other, it's never a dull moment.

Ivy and Jenks are fabulous as usual, although I can't help but feel that the whole Jenks gets a restart at life storyline is a bit of a prop and not very fair to him and is more about Rachel and her selfish need for him to be in her life. We see a bit of him trying to deal with living without his wife and learning to enjoy life all over again.

On one hand, we're told that the issues between Ivy and Rachel have finally been worked out, but then a few pages later, it looks like we're heading back into the same twisted territory. I really hope that in the next book we see that they really have come to a better understanding of each other and how to be in each other's lives.

The story progresses quickly and the action comes fast and furious. I enjoyed Rachel a bit more in this one. I think and hope that she's starting to grow up and come into her own and it's a nice change to see.

Final grade: B

Author's Website

Pale Demon at book depository

Review: Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

2011-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

One of my favorite passages: "You asked me once what you should call me."

Elena scowled. "I think you said something like 'master,' but I've decided I had to be hearing things."

"What would you like to call me?"

That made her pause. "Husband" was too human, "partner" factually wrong for a being as powerful as an archangel, "mate"...perhaps. But none of it was quite right. "Mine," she said at last.

He blinked, and when he raised his lashes again, the blue was liquid fire. Yes, that will do. "But for public consumption, you are my consort."

Raphael and Elena are back in New York, the city he rules and the place that has been Elena's home all her life. Elena is stronger now, physically, than she was in the beginning of Archangel's Kiss, but she's still nowhere near as strong as she needs to be to hold her own against ancient vampires and powerful archangels. Vampires begin attacking all over the city, weather has gone crazy all over the world and even archangels are beginning to act strangely. None of this bodes well for the world but especially for Elena and Raphael. Add to that Elena still dealing with the painful memories of her past and the hateful attitude of her father while still trying to be there for the sisters who need her and the city and friends that she has sworn to protect as her own and Elena has herself a full plate.

I have always loved the relationships and interactions of the characters in Ms. Singh's books. The supporting cast of characters are always well formed and bring a life to the story that it just wouldn't have without them. Raphael's seven are devoutly loyal to him and we see more of them in this book. Elena's friends would walk through fire for her and she feels the same about them. We get more interaction between Elena and Sara, Ransom, other guild hunters and Elena's family. One thing that irritates me slightly is how Elena's family continually puts their crap on her and she just takes it. I would love for her to one day put them in their place. We also see Elena dealing with the realities of becoming an angel: knowing she will outlive her friends, how people on the street and even people she once worked with now view her and how much more she has to learn. I really enjoyed that aspect. Elena may have made Raphael a little more human, but he's definitely brought a huge amount of change to her own life as well.

With all the craziness going on and the imminent awakening of Raphael's mother, Raphael begins to act oddly and Elena is there to ride the storm with him. That is something I adore about their relationship. There is never a question of walking away, of not riding the storm with each other. Sometimes it's painful, sometimes it's ugly, but their bond is bone deep and shines with a purity that is simply breathtaking. I enjoy that they don't say the words "I love you" all the time. There's no need and they would seem rather pale in the light of what they feel, the lengths they would go for each other. I give much love to Ms. Singh for letting this series be darker and edgier than many romances. Their love is not a gentle thing, but then they are two strong-willed warriors and nothing is ever easy for them.

Final Grade: A

Author's website

Review: Reign of Pleasure by Emma Petersen

2011-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Deposed queen Rhiannon’s sexual proclivities have finally gotten her into trouble. After Rhiannon took a pleasure slave who didn’t belong to her, the courtesan’s master is asking the ultimate price for the trespass—not Rhiannon’s life, but her body…and complete submission for three days. Rhiannon is determined to submit only her body, but Lord Ignius Sebastian, her new master, will settle for nothing less than her soul.

2 fave quotes: "I wonder if all the warriors who tremble when your name is uttered know what a fucking coward you are" Oooh, watch out girl, you are baiting the tiger.
and:
"All I've ever wanted to be is yours." Yeah, that line and my panties come off. I'm that easy.

I am a fan of Emma Petersen. I loooooved Master of the Game. Was smitten with Seducing St. Nic and now I find myself quite taken with her latest, Reign of Pleasure.

Rhiannon is a deposed immortal queen. She has refused to remarry after the death of her beloved husband and king two centuries ago and the Council will not reinstate her to full Queen privileges until she remarries and produces an heir. Rhiannon is willful and stubborn, clinging to the memory of her husband like a talisman against the demands of her Council and the maneuvering of her suitors. It took me a little while to warm up to Rhiannon. I admired her loyalty to her husband's memory, but even she admits that she's a bit of a spoiled brat. She does come into her own as a woman and into her own skin as the story progresses and it was nice to see.

Ignius Sebastian.....::sigh:: Emma Petersen writes some very drool worthy heroes in her stories and Ignius did not disappoint. He's dark, dangerous, mysterious and feared by his peers. He was dominate and masterful and yet capable of such emotion and tenderness. He's very fierce and not to be crossed, but at the same time you know that Rhiannon is his one weakness. Any man that bides his time for 200 years so he can pounce is hotness in my book. You gotta love a patient man ::wink wink::

The plot was decent. The story is novella length so naturally there is more time spent exploring the relationship and smexy times of Rhiannon and Ignius. And yeah, those are some good smexy times, too. ::cough:: I did really like a few of the side characters in the short time we got to see them. Just a good, sexy read with mild BDSM. And some girl on girl...but mostly, Ignius bringin the goods, if you know what I mean ;)

Final Grade: B

Reign of Pleasure at Ellora's Cave

Author's Website

Spaz reviews Reign of Pleasure at Wicked Lil Pixie's 4.5/5

Because I Need a Laugh (NSFW and bad language galore)

2011-02-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

So, a dear friend of mine is having a really bad time right now and I feel completely useless. And between my life drama and others I know that are having a rough time right now, I figure we could all use a little laughter and this always brings a smile to my face. This is the audio of Christian Bale's infamous rant on the set of that silly terminator movie. First is the original audio and then I have the fabulous mixed version to music. It's epic and awesome.

A bit of a heads up: If you haven't heard this before and our offended by the F word, don't listen to this. Seriously, Christian lurves himself the F-bomb. If he could cuddle it and take it to bed, he totally would.

See? This shit makes me giggle. Every time. ::sigh::

Review: Baby Don't Lose My Number: Fated, Book 2 by Karen Erickson

2011-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Never press the “ignore” button on love…

Fated, Book 2

In these uncertain times, Mia Skinner’s Blackberry is her lifeline to independence…and a twenty-four/seven chain to her overbearing boss. When she loses it on a girls’ night out, it’s a disaster with pink slip written all over it—until she takes a chance and calls her number. And ends up talking to Mr. Sexiest-Voice-Alive.

The moment Jacob Miller lays eyes on the phone’s beautiful owner, a bolt of lust makes him want to make a sexy mess of her tidy outfit and perfectly straight hair. Which is a good sign. It means he’s almost fully recovered from a near-debilitating construction accident. Perhaps a little horizontal healing will get him back on his feet for good.

As their passion burns bright and hot, a funny thing happens. Mia’s ignoring her phone—and Jake’s the one itching to get back to work. But he’s building a plan that’ll let her hang up on her increasingly creepy boss for good. If Mia’s willing to meet him in the middle.

Warning: Delicious, toe-curling sex including a lusty scene in a truck flying down the freeway. A hero whose greatest thrill is lavishing all his attention upon the woman he wants more than anything in the world.

Jake Miller is hot. I want me a Jake of my very own. ::dreamy sigh:: He's big, buff, funny, sexy, sweet and steady. He's the kind of guy who's rock solid and always there for the people he loves. I don't care how independent and feminist we may be, there's still a part of us that wants that strong, stable partner than we can lean on when life gets stormy, and Jake is that guy.

Mia is a great heroine. She's a workaholic that's afraid of change and afraid of losing her job to the point of putting up with the escalating inappropriate behavior from her douche of a boss. Her friends try to get her to lighten up and not take so much crap from him, but she just keeps going....right until she meets a sexy guy that makes her laugh, and feel sexy and special in a way that no one else ever has. She's kind and capable and not afraid to lean on Jake when she needs to, but she's also there for her man to lean on when he needs it too as he recovers from the physical and psychological damage of his accident.

Baby Don't Lose My Number is a short, sweet and sexy read. The relationship progresses fast and that might bother some readers, but for me, it worked for Jake and Mia and I loved how they could be hot and sexy or sweet and tender together.

Final Grade: A-

You can download a sample of this book to your kindle or the kindle for pc program if you have it.

Author's Website

Review: My Give A Damn's Busted by Carolyn Brown (DNF)

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Summary (from Goodreads):

The latest in a line of (formerly) unlucky in love ladies to run the Honky Tonk, Larissa Morley is ready to show the world she means business! But trouble walks into her happy life when tall, handsome and rich Hank Wells shows up at her bar determined to see the doors of the Honky Tonk closed for good. With her happiness on the line, Larissa will stop at nothing to save her beloved bar. Honky Tonk patrons and readers alike are in for one heck of a sexy showdown as these two lovers face off!

Ok, so I had to have this book just based on the title and the summary. A smartass, witty heroine and sexy man bent on closing her down, but he didn't count on the heat, baby? Sounds like my kind of fun and sexy read. Except it wasn't all that fun....or even that sexy. ::sigh:: I feel led astray, peeps. Let me explain...

Larissa Morley is billed as a feisty (god help me), sassy, witty, tough cookie of a character. She's so country that it feels like she majored in country at the local college. She drives a vintage Mustang (I give her total props for good taste) and runs the local "beer joint." It's so rustic and "vintage" that she won't even call it a bar, it's a beer joint, get used to it. The thing is that all this sass and brass and quoting country songs like there would be a test at the end, felt a bit forced. Especially considering her background and the fact that she basically reinvented herself as this person. Also, her feisty wittiness came across more like immature bitchiness, but that could honestly just be me. She can be funny and she does have revelations about herself and the people around her through the book, but...it just wasn't enough.

As for our hero, Hank Wells (as he sometimes goes by), he's supposed to be this rich and savvy businessman that moonlights as a cowboy from time to time. He comes across as more of a pansy assed mama's boy to me and let me just say it's good that he wasn't in charge of building the family fortune because he's dense as a brick and makes assumptions (usually wrong ones) left, right and center.

The last thing I'm gonna pick on is that the book seems to want to box people into caricatures of who they're supposed to be. The rich are all stuck up and snobby sticks in the mud and the hard working lower class are all fun, interesting and hard working people and you have to pick a team. You're either one or the other, there aint no middle ground. Again, to be fair, I got 3/4 of the way through the book before I stopped so maybe the last bit isn't that way, but that's how it felt to me through most of the book. And frankly, the love scenes between Larissa and Hank left a lot to be desired. As a romance, it felt lacking and as a fun and witty read, it just didn't deliver for me.

I can see how others might enjoy this book, it just didn't have the magic touch for me.

Final grade: DNF (did not finish)

ARC Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Publisher: HarperCollins
Imprint: HarperTeen
Pub Date: 02/01/2011
ISBN: 9780061726828

Note: I received a copy for review from NetGalley.

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

It was hard to write a spoiler free review for this book. My feeble words just don't seem to do it justice, but I'm going to make the attempt anyway ;)

Delirium is a beautiful story of forbidden love and the strength of the human spirit. The writing is lush and evocative. You smell what Lena smells, feel the sensations she feels and see the world as she sees it as she navigates through this dystopian world where loving is a crime. Ms. Oliver is adept at writing characters that the reader just can't help falling in love with. From the vibrant and beautiful best friend, Hana, to the handsome and brave love, Alex, to Lena's mother who we learn about in stories of Lena's childhood but she seems so alive that she rivals any other supporting character for a memorable place in the reader's heart.

Our main protagonist, Lena, is just an average every day teenager who is looking forward to life after high school. She looks forward to having the procedure that will keep her from becoming infected with Love, the most deadly of deadly diseases, and her life after graduation, going to college, getting matched with her ideal mate and living in peaceful contentment for the rest of her life. Safe. Secure. Smooth. Then Hana introduces her to an underground world of forbidden music and people and she meets Alex, who opens her eyes and her heart to a world that she never knew could exist. As she evolves farther and farther from the girl that just wants peace and contentment, she begins to realize that the government has lied about so many things, is it possible that they've lied about the dangers of love?

I really enjoyed this story and I love that Ms Oliver isn't afraid to break your heart, in the best possible ways. It's poignant and beautiful and leaves you aching for more.

My final grade for Delirium: A.

Microwaves

2011-01-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

Who cleans their microwave? I mean, I always just figured that the radiation from the microwaves would just, I don't know, kill all the yuckies in there. But I'm beginning to think that I'm in the minority here, so I put it to you: Do you clean your microwave? How often: Annually? Semi-Annually? Monthly? Weekly? Can you convert me to your anal-retentive microwave cleaning ways? Maybe I'm just some kind of cave-woman throw back. ::hangs head in shame::

Review: Banished by Sophie Littlefield

2010-12-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

There isn’t much worth living for in Gypsum, Missouri—or Trashtown, as the rich kids call the run-down neighborhood where sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell lives. Hailey figures she’ll never belong—not with the popular kids at school, not with the rejects, not even with her cruel, sickly grandmother, who deals drugs out of their basement. Hailey never knew her dead mother, and she has no idea who her father was, but at least she has her four-year-old foster brother, Chub. Once she turns eighteen, Hailey plans to take Chub far from Gypsum and start a new life where no one can find them.

But when a classmate is injured in gym class, Hailey discovers a gift for healing that she never knew she possessed—and that she cannot ignore. Not only can she heal, she can bring the dying back to life. Confused by her powers, Hailey searches for answers but finds only more questions, until a mysterious visitor shows up at Gram’s house, claiming to be Hailey’s aunt Prairie.

There are people who will stop at nothing to keep Hailey in Trashtown, living out a legacy of despair and suffering. But when Prairie saves both Hailey and Chub from armed attackers who invade Gram’s house in the middle of the night, Hailey must decide where to place her trust. Will Prairie’s past, and the long-buried secret that caused her to leave Gypsum years earlier, ruin them all? Because as Hailey will soon find out, their power to heal is just the beginning.

This gripping novel from thriller writer Sophie Littlefield blazes a trail from small-town Missouri to the big city as Hailey battles an evil greater than she ever imagined, while discovering strengths she never knew she had.

This book was darker than I had expected. That is in no way a complaint, but it's worth commenting on. I would not recommend this book for very young readers, but more for middle teens and up, in my humble opinion. Besides being dark, the story was thrilling right up to the last page and kept me engrossed right to the end.

Our lead character is Hailey, a small town girl with a crappy home life and who sits at the bottom of the social ladder at school. I have to say that she has The. Worst. Grandma. Ever. Her Grandma only sent her to school because social services made her, she's abusive, neglectful and deals drugs out of her basement. Yeah, she's a real winner. The one bright spot in Hailey's life is little four year old, Chub. She's more of a big sister/mother to him and caring for him and loving him is one of the only things that keeps her sane and grounded. I loved her relationship with Chub and how it was so natural for her to look out for him and take care of him.
Hailey is a good character and her voice is easy to follow, but my favorite character in the story had to be Aunt Prairie. Aunt Prairie is probably The. Coolest. Aunt. Ever. No matter what happened in the story from car chases to being shot she was always undaunted and in control. Her unflappable calm, sense of humor in even the direst circumstances and her unwavering loyalty to Hailey and Chub was refreshing and awesome to read. Even though Hailey is the MC, I really felt like this was Prairie's story of growing up, making mistakes and finding redemption and a way to make things right.
There is plenty of action in this story and that surprised me a little. I was thinking with the special ability of healing that this book would be rather tame, but I was quickly disabused of that notion and I loved the path the story took.
This book was full of action, suspense and yes, even zombies and I enjoyed every minute of it.

My final grade: B+

Author's website

ARC Review of Matched by Ally Condie

2010-11-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

<br>
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Note: I received a copy to review from the publisher. Publishing date: Nov 30, 2010

This book is a lot like it's cover: Simple, elegant, thought provoking, sad at times, hopeful, haunting, beautiful and layered.

Matched is a wonderful coming of age story that would not have been half so haunting if handled by a less skillful story teller that weaved less evocative prose and relatable characters, even some of the ones you don't like.

I think this story will mean different things to different people. For me, a big part of it is the importance of the successful survival of our species and society balanced against the needs and happiness of individuals. It's a delicate balance that is easily lost and as was asked by one of the characters in the story, where does it end? Where's the line?

Beyond this, it is also a beautiful tale of love in all it's faces and guises. Familial love, friendship love, content love, passionate love, forbidden love, love of a society. It's also about loyalty balanced against personal desires. What we're willing to do for love of others and love of self. It's a story of growing up and becoming awake, aware of the world around us and seeing it and maybe ourselves for what it and we truly are for maybe the first time. Struggling with our place in the world and what's expected of us as well as what we want from the world and ourselves.

Under all that is also a mystery. I'm very curious about this world. The inhabitants don't know a lot about their history or even really what is going on around them in the present. They know only what they are told by the Society, so I'm very curious about what is going on in the rest of the world and even about the possibility of a rebellion and an underground. All these possibilities as well as the questions left at the end and the intriguing characters that I want to see more of kept me wanting more long after the last page of this book was finished. I hope we get to go back and visit this place. I feel a storm coming and I want to see what will happen. So many times it's easy to tell where a story is going and in this case I'm just along for the ride. I don't know where this story will go from here, but I really want to find out.

I want to take a moment and just mention the beautiful writing. It is truly evocative and sensual in that when Ms Condie described the rain I could see the approaching storm clouds, feel the electricity and excitement of the impending storm dance on my skin and watch as the drops fell from the sky. I could feel the moisture and taste it. That is the gift of a truly talented story teller and that is what Ms Condie is.

Overall I highly recommend this book. It is haunting and sad as well as beautiful and hopeful by turns. It is scary and stifling and comforting and loving and funny. Cassia is a truly great narrator and character and I enjoyed her voice immensely.

My grade: A. It was a little slow at some parts, but still lovely and when it picks up I really had no idea how the author was going to handle things and where she was going to take me, but I trusted her to get me there.

New Trailer for Matched by Ally Condie

2010-11-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Random

2010-10-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have recently become addicted to Resistance by Muse because I've decided it's the theme song for Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I type this as I listen to....guess....Muse. Ha! I think I'm even gonna cry a bit....course that could be the wine talking...

Quickie Review: Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk

2010-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

# Pub. Date: November 2008
# Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
# Format: Mass Market Paperback, 368pp

Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by Offloading the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it's Allison Beckstrom's job to identify the spell-caster. Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical Offload that has her father's signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control...

I have a confession to make....I don't seem to like stories where the author tells us what's going on from the get go, even subtly, so that the only people who don't know what's happening are the main characters. It's frustrating for me as a reader to watch the protag fumble around in the dark while I'm trying not to yell, "Behind you, stupid! THE MONSTER IS BEHIND YOU!!!" I mean, not like I would ever yell at a book or anything. ::nervous chuckle:: Anyhoo, it tends to make me start thinking less of the MC when in actuality, maybe he/she/they aren't really stupid, they just haven't had it laid out like a Sesame Street lesson as the reader maybe has, but it still frustrates me....can you tell?
This was an issue that I had with this story. It's basically a good story filled with action, sex and a bit of mystery, but I felt like Allie, our protag, was made to be a bit dense for the story to work and that made it frustrating in some parts. I did like the fact that there's a price for using magic and Allie pays pretty dearly at certain points. I also liked her best friend Nola, but I was on the fence about her love interest, Zayvion. Oh, he was hot and calm and possibly even her soul mate, but the constant dancing around each other and uncertainty of their relationship got old in some parts. I kinda wanted to yell, pick a lane sister! Or at least have an honest conversation between the two of you BEFORE you jump into bed.....again. But that's just me.
Overall, I liked the story enough to want to read the next in the series, and hope that the series gets stronger as it evolves.

My final grade: B-

For all the Rachel Caine fans out there

2010-10-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

Rachel Caine is going on tour to promote the new release of Ghost Town, the next in the Morganville Vampires series. Here are the dates and locations of her signings:

October 26th: Murder By the Book at 6:30 PM
2342 Bissonnet St.
Houston, TX 77005

October 27th: Mystery Bookstore at 7:30 PM
1036-C Broxton Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024

October 28th: Books, Inc. at 7:00 PM
Not Your Mother's Book Club
Town & Country Village
855 El Camino Real #74
Palo Alto, CA 94301

October 29th: Powell's (Cedar Hills Crossing) at 7:00 PM
3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005

October 30th: Third Place Books at 6:30 PM
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

October 31st: Uncle Hugo’s at 4:00 PM
2864 Chicago Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55407

November 1st: Anderson’s Book Shop at 7:00 PM
5112 Main Street
Downer’s Grove, IL 60515-4601

November 2nd: Borders at 6:00 PM
Exton Square Mall
298 Exton Square
Exton, PA 19341

November 4th: Barnes & Noble at 6:00 PM
*With Heather Brewer, author of the Vladimir Tod series!
1442 Turner-McCall Blvd
Rome, GA 30161

November 6th: Barnes & Noble at 2:00 PM
1430 Plaza Place
Southlake, TX 76092

November 20th: Borders at 2:00 PM
2190 N. Rainbow Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89108

Awesome Covers Alert

2010-10-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

My girl, Gini, shared the covers for the next two books in her series that stars Kitty, Reader, Martini and Co, and I loved them so much that I had to share with you all.

Doesn't Daniel Dos Santos do the best covers? I love 'em. I especially love the one for Alien In The Family. Total awesomeness. What do you all think?

I can't wait to get these books in my grabby lil hands.

You can get the latest news about upcoming books, interviews and giveaways on the author's blog, here.

A Little Friday Hotness

2010-10-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

So, I recently stumbled across pictures of Odette Yustman and I instantly fell in love. She is just so pretty. So, naturally I had to share.

I can see her as Kate Daniels (even though I always picture Kate as Angelina Jolie) or maybe Sascha from Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh.

Which character(s) can you picture Odette as?

Yum

2010-10-06T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, I recently discovered the most delicious flavored balsamic vinegars and oils. Naturally, I wanted to share with you all. You can check out the website here. We have the pomegranate and raspberry vinegars. I use those with the blood orange oil for dipping french bread or on salads. So delish. My son really likes the sun dried tomato oil, too. Ok, now I have to go eat cuz I just made myself ridiculously hungry...

ARC Review: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

2010-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Not even death can save her now.

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead-she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a "shade" involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her, and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why...

Note: I received this ARC from the publisher.

The first word that comes to mind to describe this book is "refreshing." That's because the main character, Alex, is a rarity in books now days in that she possesses common sense and uses it. She is able to be logical and reasonable and that was so refreshing for me to read. Alex is just a great character all around. She's very relatable, she has bad days at work, she has bills, friends and a dog and yet she's a total commitment phobe and has definite family issues. Alex is a grave witch, which means she can commune with ghosts, shades and even Death himself. Her abilities though come at a price and that was refreshing, too. She's noble but practical. She doesn't have a burning need to save the world all by her lonesome, with nothing but her pluckiness and a fab hairdo to save the day. No, she asks for help and even calls in the cops when it's necessary and when she knows she can help or needs to put herself at risk because it makes sense to do so, then she does. She also calls herself on her shit. She knows when she's unreasonable or being ridiculous and she admits it. I loved Alex a lot.

The cast of supporting characters were also very cool from her two girlfriends, Holly and Tamara, to her housemate Caleb to Detective Andrews to Death, they were all interesting in their own right and possessed their own personalities, abilities and secrets.

Yes, there is a smokin hot love scene (let me just say, yum) and yes there is sexual tension and a possible triangle, but it worked because this story always felt like it was about Alex. I never lost sight of that fact as I read. It's about her experiences, hang ups and interactions and so the romance was a great part of it but it never over shadowed the mystery, action and characters. Again I say, refreshing.

I absolutely recommend this book to any fan of UF or Paranormal. It's a great book filled with great characters and some dark and scary and fascinating happenings.

Final grade: A.

ARC Review: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

2010-10-01T03:00:00.000-07:00

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Note: I received this ARC from the author.

The Iron Duke is a page turning read populated with fascinating characters and a world that comes alive on the pages as much as any character in the story. There is action and mystery and romance. The Iron Duke has air ships, sea monsters, nanoagents and a fascinating alternate history that kept me glued to each page.

Our heroine, Mina, a Detective Inspector, is all about her family and her job. As she says, she goes where the bodies are and that leads her to the front step of the Iron Duke. She's straightforward and brave and has had to fight all her life, first agains the Horde that controlled all of England and then the racial intolerance of her own countrymen because she has Horde blood. Her mother was raped when the Horde put her in a mating frenzy. Because she was under Horde control for so long, and they controlled all her emotions, forcing her to feel lust, fear or apathy, she distrusts the strong feelings that Rhys, The Iron Duke, instills in her. Mina was a good leading lady. She was strong and fearless when she needed to be and accepted help when she needed it. She was never too stupid to live or annoying to read.

Our hero, Rhys, is a hottie. He's powerful, ruthless and has his own code he lives by. If you're an enemy he will be your worst nightmare, but if you're his, he will do whatever it takes to take care of you. Rhys was a great character in that he was very alpha, but he knew how to let someone else be good at something. He also recognized the strength in Mina and how good she was at her job and he respected that and never tried to change it. The love scenes between them were hot and also tender and filled with honest emotion that left me very satisfied.

The world itself is it's own character. There are zombies, kraken, air ships, nanoagents, all sorts of fascinating steam technology and so much more. This story really did keep me glued to the pages to see what else was going to happen.

My final grade is A-.

Thoroughly Sexy Thursday

2010-09-30T15:23:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to show some love for a girl that I think rocks the sexy and also the fun and the cute like no one's business, Shakira! Work it girl, and from me to you, thanks for makin hips sexy again. Rock on.

A little something to help us get through Monday

2010-09-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

This video just tickles me for some reason. Enjoy!

Finally! I can be a werewolf, too!!

2010-09-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

So, if you happen to be an ebay shopper you may have run across this little gem here, a spell to really really for reals turn you into a werewolf. I'm slightly speechless about this. It's going for $100 so far and has one bid. Who bids on this stuff?

If you're a vampire lover, don't feel left out, there's one for you, too. The starting bid is $199 or you can buy it now for $500. I'm sure that's a real bargain, you know, for becoming a vamp and all.

I want to thank the lovely cleolinda for bringing these to my attention on her livejournal. Wow. Thoughts people?

The book fairy strikes again!

2010-09-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

The book fairy was very kind to me this week. These came in the mail:

and last but not least:

I'm ridiculously excited that the 80's are back

2010-09-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

Well from ripped jeans to this music vid, it looks like the 80's are making a comeback and I'm beyond excited. Bring on the shoulder pads, baby, I can take it!!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!

2010-09-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, the 5 winners of the Dust giveaway are as follows:

S.

Robin K

van_pham

KittNLuv

Britta

Congrats!! I will email those that gave me their email addresses in the comments, otherwise please contact me at brk.nlssn@gmail.com with your mailing address. If I don't hear from you by Friday, you're out of luck and lose your chance for a copy.

Thanks for playing!

Review: Dead, Undead or Somewhere In Between by J.A. Saare

2010-09-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

No one knows better than Rhiannon Murphy that one bad corpse can ruin your whole day. She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her-until now. The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he's not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no. But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it's only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn't their first stroll around the undead block.

Note: I received a copy from the author for review.

Dead, Undead or Somewhere in Between is a fast paced fun read that has one hell of a twist at the end. I really enjoyed the story and there were plenty of interesting characters to spice up the world.

Rhiannon is tough. She talks big and can back it up. Occasionally her narration sounded like she was trying a bit too hard, but for the most part I found her very likable. She's tough but she's also damaged goods and her scars run deep, bringing a touch of vulnerability that made her likable and relatable.

Disco is a great foil for Rhiannon. He's patient, calm and tender and he's powerful enough to give her a sense of security. The two of them play off each other well and make for a believable relationship. Whether arguing or kissing, they're fun to watch.

There were plenty of side characters that were well written and added great dimension to the story. The pace is fast and there is plenty of action. And I will just warn you that you won't see the ending coming and that's a nice change of pace for me.

My final grade: B+

I recommend this read to people that like gritty UF laced with romance and a bit of mystery.

You can check out the author's website here.

Book Rec?

2010-09-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

My 9 y.o. is just starting to enjoy reading and he says he wants to read something with "magic and fairy tales" in it. Do any of you lovely peeps have any suggestions? We weren't very impressed with the Percy Jackson series, so not that one. Any suggestions are welcome! :D

Quickie Review: Dust by Joan Frances Turner and a giveaway!

2010-09-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.

Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life…

Note: I received a copy from the publisher.

Dust is definitely different in that we get to see the world through the eyes of Jessie who is a zombie. Jessie is for the most part a good narrator, but there were times when she read a little too teenage for me. Yes she died as a teen, but it's been 9 years now and at times she sounded like she hadn't matured at all. There are some interesting twists and turns in the story and some interesting side characters you meet along the way. For the most part the story is engaging and enjoyable if you're a fan of zombie and horror stories. One word of warning: This book is not for the faint of heart. Getting every gruesome detail of life as a zombie is at times a bit unsettling, but fascinating all the same.

My final grade for Dust is a B-.

Now, on to the fun stuff!

The publisher has graciously offered to give away a copy of Dust to five lucky winners! All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. You must be a resident of the continental United States and the contest runs until next Tuesday the 14th at 11:59 PM PST.

Good luck!

Review: Queen of Shadows by Dianne Sylvan

2010-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed by her uncanny ability to manipulate people's emotions through her music, Miranda Grey comes to the attention of vampire lord David Solomon. Believing he can help bring her magic under control, David discovers that Miranda's powers may affect the vampire world too...

Note: I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher.

I had a hard time categorizing this book in my head. It was a little too romancey to be hard core UF, but it wasn't quite romancey enough to read as paranormal romance. Mostly, it read as one woman's journey from near insanity into a kick ass woman in control of herself and her destiny.

I liked that this book didn't shy away from dark and gritty subject matter. So many times I feel like books wuss out at the last minute and that was so not the case with Queen of Shadows. It did read a little long since it mostly focused on Miranda and her journey to self empowerment, but overall it was enjoyable. Miranda and David are great characters that were believable and relatable. The secondary characters were interesting and full of flavor. Sophie and Faith were both pretty kick ass, in my humble opinion. There is definitely a theme of strong women empowering themselves and other women in this book that I really enjoyed.

The ending was pretty much awesome and made up for a lot of the lagging bits. There's a lot of violence and dark subject matter in this book, but it all made sense and therefore added to the story.

I recommend this book to fans of dark but romantic urban fantasy.

Final Grade: B

Squee!!

2010-09-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

I got something in the mail today!!

A signed ARC of....

Seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas, where nanotech is fused with Victorian sensibilities—and steam.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

I'm supposed to be reading something else right now, but so far I can't pull myself away from this one.

Much thanks to Meljean Brook for running the awesome contest that I won this in.

I'm alive.......I swears....

2010-08-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

So, I know I haven't been posting much recently and that's because I've had some personal stuff I've had to deal with and now I'm busy trying to catch up with my reading so I can bring you all some new reviews and even some giveaways coming up in the near future. Thanks for your patience and I'll be seein ya real soon :)

I Can Haz Goals?

2010-08-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been doing a lot of self work and searching and I have come up with three major things I want to do over the next year or so (though I'm not going to say they have to be completely finished in this year, but at least started).

1) Become a certified yoga instructor

2) Take up painting or some form of art

3) Take psychology or some type of classes (history too, maybe :P)

I'm not a huge book trailer peep....

2010-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

But as some of my twitter friends found out, these two trailers for the book, Dust, had me laughin my ass off. Check them out:

To find out more about Dust by Joan Frances Turner you can go here.

I love the post man

2010-08-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

So, in the last few days the book fairy has been very nice to me. It's been like frickin Christmas in August over here. And a few of the books that the post man brought have me so excited that I just had to share with you all.

What I got recently:

I've started this one and so far I am really enjoying it. Review will come later.

I'm a little nervous about these last three because I haven't read the rest in each of these series, however they look so interesting that I just may start from the beginning and get caught up for them. :P

I am very excited to start this one. I loved Robin McKinley's Sunshine and this sounds like such a fascinating read.

And last, but in no way least:

Squeee!! I've been wanting this one since I first heard about it. I can't wait to dive in to it. I could just kiss the book fairy!! LOL.

I'm having a wet dream about these shoes

2010-08-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or are these drool worthy shoes? ::sigh:: They are so out of my price range, but a girl can dream, right? :P

Shiny

2010-08-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

So, I've been in a severe reading funk lately which has been a combination of my mental state and the books out. I do believe I have found some books that look appealing and may tempt me off of my unintentional book diet.

I want to read:

and this one looked intriguing enough that I picked up a lovely signed copy in San Diego at Mysterious Galaxy today:

What do you think? Have any of you read any of these or are any on your book radar?

I'm developing a foot fetish...

2010-08-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really, but I'm loving this new nail polish for your toes called Piggy Polish so much that it's making me almost like my feet. Seriously, I hate my feet. But now that my toes are biohazard green or mermaid blue or lemonade yellow or pretty purple....I hate them a hella lot less.

There's even a website for Piggy Polish right here.

The colors I've tried are:

And a bright green called "Get Ogre It." I can't find that one online at the moment, but I originally found it at my local Ulta store so if you're interested you could look there.

I figure since it's summer, all my girls would be interested in havin some hot colors for their lil piggies ;)

Men

2010-08-03T22:05:00.000-07:00

So, I was having a random convo with my hubster, Mr T, as I am wont to do, and I mentioned that I prefer the term "self-castigate" as opposed to "self-flagellate." To which he responds, "That's because it sounds closer to castrate." Which led to this exchange:

Me: Does EVERYTHING have to be about your nuts?

Mr. T: Yeah. Pretty much.

::headdesk::

The Queen B's hubby reviews A Devil in the Details by K. A. Stewart

2010-07-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

When it comes to demons, always read the find print. Jesse James Dawson was an ordinary guy (well, an ordinary guy with a black belt in karate) until one day he learned his brother had made a bargain with a demon, Jesse discovered there was only one way to save his brother: put up his own soul as collateral, and fight the demon to the death. Jesse lived to free his brother-and became part of a loose organization of Champions who put their own souls on the line to help those who get in over their heads with demons. But now experienced Champions are losing battles at a much higher rate than usual. Someone has changed the game. And if Jesse can't figure out the new rules, his next battle may be his last...

Note: I received this book to review from the publisher.

My darling hubby, aka Mr T, agreed to read and review this book for me. I tried to read this one and I just couldn't get into it so my man threw himself on that grenade for me and put together his very first review! So, show him some love! Plus he's cute. What? I know we're all shallow like that...

When my wife approached me to see if I would be interested in reading an urban fantasy about a demon hunter featuring a male lead, I was fairly excited. I am told by the Queen that the UF market is saturated by a deluge of hard ass female protagonists. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but my sex isn't equally represented. I have read a lot of UF's with female leads, most of which I've enjoyed immensely, but that got me thinking that my resplendent wife is correct in her assessment. There simply isn't a large number of gentlemen kicking ass as the main character. My wife should know because she is far more prolific than I in the book department. So upon learning of this book, "A Devil In The Details", I was looking forward to it, with high expectations for my gender. I was hoping that this book would be a trailblazer for the guys, leading the charge for an influx of hard ass male protagonists. Is that what I got? Well... Not so much.
The story of bartering for souls is engaging but honestly this book could have been much better. The protagonist, Jesse, is generally likable with a good sense of humor and self worth. It's too bad that he reads pretty much like a female in a male's body. I swear that I tried not to be biased or judgmental of the character, but despite all my effort he still came across like a woman. I am not saying that men are better than women or any of that male chauvinistic bullshit, but if I'm reading a male character I want it to read like a male character. Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne is a fantastic example of how to write a male character. It's hard to describe but almost all of Jesse's internal dialogue is decidedly female. From the things he notices, to his reactions to certain events, it all has a feminine quality with a few good exceptions. In short, this book is not the most stellar paradigm of a male lead. Now there is one more major issue that knocked this book off my must buy list; it was too mundane. It was an interesting angle that Jesse is a family man, and he has to deal with family shit like the rest of us. All the cooking and cleaning along with the work schedules and play time were fun and relatable for the first 40 or so pages, but when you're 200 pages in and you're still dealing with all the banal errands..... Let me tell you that I was not relating anymore. Of course it is peppered with interesting events here and there, but for the most part this book kinda slogs through the daily grind. The purpose of reading is to be transported away from your grind, not reminded of it every other page. The action scenes however, are worth reading, but those only occur at the opening and the close of the book. Perhaps the inevitable sequel will be more action oriented, but even if it is I'm not sure I'm willing to witness it. Also Jesse's family is so perfect and sweet it's enough to cause a damn cavity. Seriously, if I was a woman this book would piss me off because I will never be as perfect as this dude's wife. That's why I'm giving this book a solid C rating. There is a decent story lurking beneath a pile of mundane crap. Some will have the patience to dig for it and others won't.

I want to thank my handsome hubby for reading and reviewing this one for us. Thanks baby!! ::waves and blows kisses::

My girl, Wendy, also reviewed A Devil in the Details and you can read what she had to say here.

Follow up Twisted Love Post

2010-07-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a great montage of the twisted love of EJ and Sami. The embedding is disabled so a link pops up for you to watch it on youtube.

I love that song too. It's definitely their theme song, lol. It's also mine and Wendy's. What? I dare her to deny it...

I'm a fan of twisted love...

2010-07-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can't help it. My theory is, it aint real if it aint twisted. Just a bit. You know, enough to make it a lil intense, a lil fun, a lil....hawt. Yeah, you know you like it, too. *evol grin* This couple is one that embodies twisted love. I'm not a huge soap opera fan and I'm not very faithful to them *gasp* After all, they reel you in on some nail biting story line and then shit on you. So I've learned to protect my self by only watching when it's good and skipping the rest til it gets good again. Shallow maybe, but better than the alternative.
Days of Our Lives is not one of my faves and they've really been sucking lately, but this couple keeps me coming back. They have such fabulous chemistry. Sparks fly when they banter, their looks between each other are melting the ice caps and when they kiss? My tv nearly shorted out. They torture each other constantly and they love each other against their wills, their families' wishes and all reason. I am addicted to them since day one. The writers (curse their black black hearts) have never given them a real break and I hope they wake up and do so eventually, you know before soaps go extinct? Yeah, thanks. Anyway, here is a lil clip of my sexy couple that embody all my fave twisted loves from books to movies and tv.

I give you, EJ Dimera and Samantha Brady:

I think I need a nice frosty glass of iced tea to cool down now. They are so yummy delicious. I should be kind and show a clip of EJ with his shirt off. Y'all would need a drool towel. LOL. Don't you think they're delicious together? *sigh*

ETA: Just a lil recap of their highs as a couple for those that are unfamiliar with them: He bargained with her, sex and he'd save her then husband's life. They married to end a decades long vendetta. She tried to light him on fire. They had a son together. Her ex-husband shot him at their wedding. He lied about being deported so she'd stay married to him. They had hot hot sex b/c she was jealous. She got pregnant, again, and lied about it. He saved her from an assassin. She didn't tell him about their daughter til it was almost too late. He kidnapped their daughter and lied to her about it and he flooded her appartment so she'd move in with him. For all their sins they are devoted parents, he's great with her kids that aren't even his. He'd lie, cheat and steal to be with her and he brings out her inner bad girl, and she makes him want to be a better man....when he's not lying, cheating and stealing to win her over ;)

Winner! and Apologies

2010-07-12T23:24:00.000-07:00

So, we had a family loss this last week and I haven't been around the internet that much lately. Consequently, I completely forgot to announce the winner for the Custom Business Card Contest!! Yes, yes, sucky Queen B is sucky.

Now, I don't want to hold up the proceedings any longer so, the winner is....... heidenkind!! Woot! I'm so happy for you, girl!

I am sending the email you provided over to Robin and congrats to you!

Sorry for the delay and I hope that all of you are having a good week so far.

The 3 P's to Writing Success by Gini Koch, Part 3

2010-07-09T01:57:00.000-07:00

Alright folks, today we bring you the exciting conclusion to the 3 P's to Writing Success by Gini Koch, author of the fun and fabulous Touched By An Alien which is out now and Alien Tango which releases Dec of this year.

Check out the first and second P's, Professionalism and Patience, here and here.

Now, let's dive into the last and my favorite, Perseverance.

Part Three

Okey dokey, you’re acting all professional and you’re now just letting the wait time fly by because you’re so focused on writing. So, what happens now, when, well, nothing happens? You do what every author you’ve ever read or heard of does -- you keep on keeping on.

Perseverance
There is nothing -- not talent, no luck, no skill, no fortune -- that can win out over perseverance. Water patiently wears down rock, and as long as you persevere, you can achieve anything.

Perseverance is what keeps you going when your beta readers say your book is a complete mess. It’s what enables you to take the latest rejection, sigh, turn around and sub to the next market or agent. It’s what separates the men from the boys, the women from the girls, the successful from the wannabes and never weres.

Perseverance is also what helps you go to one more writer’s conference. Try one more market. Give yet another story idea a go. It’s what you need to finish a book or short story, get a short story published, find an agent for that book, get a publisher, and then hit the shelves.

Want to know what the definition of a published author is? Someone who never gave up.

Perseverance is necessary once you have an agent and publisher, too. Because you need to continue on. Harper Lee did indeed write a Great American Novel. But it’s all she ever wrote. Truman Capote wrote great works, but none compare to “To Kill a Mockingbird”…however, Capote was published over and over again. Why? They were contemporaries and BFFs. But Capote persevered and continued on and Lee didn’t.

Are you Harper Lee or Truman Capote? Probably not. But they both persevered; Capote just persevered more, and so, was published more.

Louis L’Amour is the King of Perseverance. The man was rejected over 350 times (close to 400) before he sold one thing. He’d send a short out, get whatever his number of rejections was for when he decided it wasn’t going to sell, turn the story over and put it into a box, and then send the next story out. He wrote and wrote and subbed and subbed. And how he’s Louis L’Amour -- you know the name even if you’ve never read a single thing he’s written. Because he persevered and became the name in Western fiction.

Oh, and that box he put all those rejected stories into? When he passed away, his family found it, turned the stories over…and they’ve all, all, been published now. Most of his South Seas stories were in that box, along with many others. His family and estate thank him for that box.

Let’s look at more recent examples. J.K. Rowling was rejected all over the place before she finally landed an agent. And her first three books were middling successes in the U.K. It took Scholastic coming to the Frankfurt book fair, and her publisher putting “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (the title was changed to Sorcerer’s Stone for American audiences) out at that book fair, and the Scholastic editor recognizing that this was a book that could be huge in the U.S., for her to become, by the time Book 4 hit the shelves, a huge success. That was years of work and perseverance to become the bestselling author of our age and the richest woman in England.

Personally, I had well over 100 rejections before I sold a single humorous short. I had over 100 more before I landed my agent. I still get rejected. Ray Bradbury still gets rejected, so, really, it’s hard to complain. I get rejected just like the Grand Masters do. So, you got rejected? So what? Cry me a river and let me know when you pass up Louis L’Amour’s rejection level…I might have sympathy for you then. But I doubt it.

Why am I not sympathetic about this? Because, whining about rejections doesn’t get you published. Perseverance gets you published.

Gini’s Motto: For every setback, every disappointment, every roadblock, every hurdle, every painful experience on the way to publishing success, I have a simple response -- write another book.

So…what are you waiting for? Go on…and write another book. And another. And another. Follow the Three P’s and you’ll find that at least one of those books will be where you want it to be -- on the shelves of the bookstore, and in readers’ hands.

Gini Koch speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. The first book in her Alien series, “Touched by an Alien”, released April 6, 2010 from DAW Books, receiving a starred review from Booklist as well as other excellent reviews. “Touched by an Alien” has also been named by Booklist as one of the Top 10 adult SF/F novels of 2010. “Alien Tango” releases December 7, 2010, and “Alien in the Family” releases April 5, 2011, with “Alien Proliferation” following later in 2011. You can reach Gini at her website, http://www.ginikoch.com, or via email, gini@ginikoch.com.

Many thanks to the incomparable Gini Koch for this awesome series. I know I've learned a lot and I hope you all have too. As always, feel free to ask Gini any questions you may have in the comments. :D

The 3 P's To Writing Success by Gini Koch, Part 2

2010-07-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

Time for the second part of our 3 part series on The 3 P's to Writing Success as given us by the lovely Gini Koch. In our first section we tackled the first P: Professionalism, in which we learn the importance of acting like a professional for the aspiring writer. In this second post we will tackle the next P: Patience.

If you need to catch up with the class, check out part one.
Without further ado, here's what Gini has to say about the importance of patience when wanting to become a published author:

Part Two
Okay, you’ve made the commitment to become a professional, or at least play one on TV. Now what? Now you have to face the biggest hurdle any aspiring author will -- learning how to chill your jets.

Patience
This is, apparently, the hardest thing for any aspiring author to accommodate. But publishing is a very slow business. And the more impatient you are, the slower it goes.

Most newer authors are impatient with everything, and they make the mistake of giving themselves unrealistic deadlines, and then send their stuff out well before it’s ready for prime time.

What’s an unrealistic deadline? Saying, “I want to be published by X date or age”, “I want to win this contest and that’ll prove I’m good”, “I’m going to finish my first book by X date”, and so on.

What’s wrong with those statements? They put a limit you, personally, have no control over, and put another limit onto what others will do. You can’t know when you’ll be ready to publish. If you’re 25 now, it may sound realistic to say you want to be published by the time you’re 30, but what do you mean by published? If you have a blog, guess what? You’re already published. It’s not paying you anything nor landing you an agent, but hey, it’s published.

I firmly believe that you get what you ask for…but only what you ask for and only if it’s in the realm of reality. So, if you give yourself an age limit, you’re assuming that your writing will be ready…and you’re likely to be wrong.

Focus on contests is also a waste of most of your creative energy. Contests aren’t necessarily a judge of whether or not you’re good -- they’re a judge of how your particular piece stacked up against the other entries. Can contests work for you? Of course they can. But most cost money and it’s the rare author who sees a return for that money.

So, better to say, “I want to be a successful, published author” and let the rest of the whys and wherefores take care of themselves. You’ve still put out the ultimate goal, you just haven’t put limitations on it -- limitations that are likely to slow you down, not speed you up.

But there are other forms of impatience in this business. Thinking your book is ready before it is, and/or ignoring when someone says your book isn’t ready, is one form. Watching the incoming mails and emails when you send out a submission or a query is another. Fretting over how long a reply from an agent or editor takes is another. And so on. Any time you’re fretting, worrying or complaining about how long something is taking, or how you want X so you can do Y, you’re being impatient.

And impatience is a killer. It kills drive, morale, creativity, and karma. Impatience is the single worst flaw you can have in a business that moves at a glacial pace.

So what to do? The best way to handle impatience is to write another book or short story. Keep yourself focused on writing, on creating more and better product to sell, as opposed to focusing on what’s already out on submission or that things are taking a long time. The more you write, the better your writing gets. The better your writing gets, and the more product you have to sell, the more likely that you will sell.

Another way to fight impatience, and the despair and frustration that goes along with it, is to have your markets identified. If you’re subbing short stories, have your markets for each story on a list. Send your story to Market A; if they reject, heave a sigh and then immediately sub it out to Market B; repeat until it sells…whether that means it sells as is or you have to revise it in order to sell.

Looking for an agent? Make sure your query letter sparkles (oh yes, it matters because, let me say it again, nothing you’re writing is all that different and special, and your idea is neither new nor so intriguing that an agent’s going to wade through a crappy query letter to read your literary genius), and ensure that your entire manuscript is perfect and ready to go. Then identify the right agents for your book, query 6-12 of them and then…work on another book. When one rejection comes in, go to the next agent on your list, send them a query, and go back to writing.

You got an agent! Whoo hoo! The waiting is over, right? Wrong, oh so very wrong. Now you get to wait, and be rejected, at a higher level.

Editors read new stuff slowly, as in, you’re at the bottom of their pile. The better your agent, the faster you’re read (my agent got “Touched by an Alien” read by the Sr. Editor at DAW in less than 6 months…this is very fast), but the fact remains that you will wait much more than you will not wait. And then hear a no, and wait some more, as your agent sends your book to the next editor in line.

If you publish with a major, it’s going to be 18 months to 2 years, easy, after you sign your contract to when you see your book on the shelves. Spend that time writing. Create more product for your agent to sell. The more product you have out there, the better your odds.

But remember -- it’ll happen when it’s time for it to happen. You can demand all you want out of the universe, but the only thing that really works is the last P on the list.

Gini’s Motto: The moment you stop asking ‘when’ and demanding ‘now’, the moment you say ‘whenever I’m really ready’, is the moment everything truly starts to work for you.

Gini Koch speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. The first book in her Alien series, “Touched by an Alien”, released April 6, 2010 from DAW Books, receiving a starred review from Booklist as well as other excellent reviews. “Touched by an Alien” has also been named by Booklist as one of the Top 10 adult SF/F novels of 2010. “Alien Tango” releases December 7, 2010, and “Alien in the Family” releases April 5, 2011, with “Alien Proliferation” following later in 2011. You can reach Gini at her website, http://www.ginikoch.com, or via email, gini@ginikoch.com.

Gini will be stopping by to answer any questions in the comments, so if you want to ask her anything, fire away! LOL.

The 3 P's to Writing Success by Gini Koch, Part 1

2010-07-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

As you all probably know by now, I have mad love for author Gini Koch. Not only does she write a fun and fast paced series, starting with Touched By An Alien, but she is one of the funniest and most generous people I've met recently. She has given me some really great writing advice and she's master of the motivational/kick in the butt speech and I love it. So, because I'm demanding, I asked her to write up something for the blog and because she's nice, she agreed.

This is going to be a 3 part series of posts on Gini's advice if you are an aspiring author that wants to be published one day. Enjoy and bring your notebook to class, they'll be a quiz after.....just kidding, but I bet I got the 'ol heart rate up a bit, eh? LOL.

The 3 P’s to Writing Success
By Gini Koch

There are many things aspiring writers can do to achieve publishing success, but there are three things that will ensure a more successful, pleasant, and profitable road. And, because I’m a nice girl, I’m going to tell you what they are.

They’re the 3 P’s to Writing Success: Professionalism, Patience and Perseverance.

Part One
Aspiring authors are many things -- creative, excited, confident, scared, eager, etc. -- but unless they learn how to act like great big boys and girls, what they all manage to consistently be is annoying. Why? Because they act like spoiled, petulant, demanding know-it-alls who expect the world and the business of publishing to change for them. Therefore, the first step to becoming a successful, published author is to act like one.

Professionalism
Most writers aren’t professionals. Oh, many may work in professional jobs, but when it comes to their writing career, they act like rank amateurs. And, truly, no one wants to work with an amateur. Because amateurs are, quite frankly, big, huge PIAs.*

Professionals understand that agents and publishers have requirements for manuscript submissions for a variety of reasons, most of them related to how said agent or publisher does business. Amateurs decide that the rules aren’t for them, because their book is special.

Professionals understand that anything they do or say will come back to haunt them, particularly if they’re saying it about people working in a very small, insular industry. Amateurs decide that they can trash anyone who doesn’t think their work is staggering genius, because their book is different.

Professionals understand that they need to work at their craft, try different approaches and styles in their writing, and slog on through the “apprentice” years, in order to become good enough to be published. Amateurs toss their first finished MS out, regardless of worth, usually without real editing, simply because it’s done and, well, their writing talent is exceptional.

Professionals understand that they can learn from others and do their best to attend as many writing conferences as they can, join good online writer’s forums, join and become active members in the writing associations that most relate to what they write, and so on. Amateurs don’t listen to anyone, especially published authors, editors, and agents because their book is so amazing and those professionals are just jealous of their genius.

Professionals listen to advice, weigh it, and then, even if the advice isn’t something they like, follow the advice, particularly if it’s coming from people who are where they want to be (successful, published authors with agents and viable careers). Amateurs ignore anything they don’t like, because their book is so much better than anyone else’s.

Professionals find critique partners, beta readers, and others who can provide feedback and constructive criticism, and professionals take that criticism as professionals, without ruining relationships. Amateurs either get no feedback before sending their MS out, or they argue every single piece of feedback, including spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax errors, because their book is such staggering genius that agents won’t mind if it doesn’t look perfect, and besides, they only want to hear how great their writing is, because it is.

*Note: Your book isn’t special at all, kids. There are only three plotlines in the entire world, and a limited number of variations on those three themes (oh, and those themes are: good versus evil, boy meets girl, man against nature). You’re not doing anything new, and if you’re just starting out, you’re not doing it well, either. Move over to acting and then thinking like a professional ASAP, because the sooner you do, the faster you’ll become a professional…and professionals get published.

Gini’s Motto: If you can’t take constructive criticism, nay if you cannot take criticism at all, perhaps a career in the arts is not for you.

Gini Koch speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. The first book in her Alien series, “Touched by an Alien”, released April 6, 2010 from DAW Books, receiving a starred review from Booklist as well as other excellent reviews. “Touched by an Alien” has also been named by Booklist as one of the Top 10 adult SF/F novels of 2010. “Alien Tango” releases December 7, 2010, and “Alien in the Family” releases April 5, 2011, with “Alien Proliferation” following later in 2011. You can reach Gini at her website, http://www.ginikoch.com, or via email, gini@ginikoch.com.

I'd like to thank Gini for stopping by and giving us some great advice. Also, she will be checking in to answer any questions you may have in the comments, so feel free to ask away. ;)

Tune in later this week when we tackle the remaining P's: Patience and Perseverance.

Check out Gini's books, Touched By An Alien which is out now and Alien Tango which you can preorder:

Touched by an Alien

Alien Tango

Review: The Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey

2010-07-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

With signs and traditions pointing to an all-out war set to break out among the kingdoms, Rosamund, the king's daughter, is "playing dead" as two princes show up at the palace intent on waking her with a kiss. But, as the two of them start to fight it out, Rosa's godmother cuts them all short and takes charge. Now, with two princes competing for the hand of Sleeping Beauty-one of them, the one with roving hands (Prince Leopold) probably "should" be her prince, while the other (Prince Siegfried) doesn't seem to belong here at all-more complications occur. The king dies and the neighbors start looking at Rosa's kingdom. But with the palace filling with young and old princes intent on winning Rosamund's love, invading the kingdom and putting those young men in peril would mean incurring the wrath of thirty other countries!

Mercedes Lackey's The Sleeping Beauty is a lovely and fun fantasy romance. In some ways it's a very old school fantasy romance, but yet it felt more modern and fresh. I really enjoyed it. It almost reminded of Shrek (but without the crudeness) or Hoodwinked in a way because all the characters knew they lived in a fairy tale land and a force known as The Tradition is trying to force them down different paths to make a proper fairy tale happen. Unfortunately, The Tradition is not smart so it senses that you have all the ingredients for heroic dragon killing scene, except maybe the dragon's not actually bad and maybe the village didn't need to be destroyed so the hero could slay the dragon. So our characters are valiantly trying to outmaneuver The Tradtion and stay one step ahead of "destiny" before their lives and the whole kingdom goes to hell in a handbasket.

The whole cast of this book really was wonderful. The villains were properly villainous and the heroes were very heroic, but they also had a sense of humor and wisdom and their own back stories. The Godmother, Lily, was probably my favorite character. She is so not your typical Godmother. She's definitely good, but she'll do what it takes to get the job done. Oh, and she's hot. No grandmotherly looking Godmother for the Kingdom of Eltaria.

Rose, our heroine is a great character. She's smart, capable, has a good sense of humor and is by turns tough and vulnerable. She made a very likable heroine.

I won't say which suitor wins her hand, but I was very happy with the outcome.

The title of the book is a little misleading. This really isn't a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. It's a veritable mash up of fairy tales from Snow White to Cinderella to just about any fairy tale you can think of. There are dragons, dwarves, fae, unicorns, firebirds, heroes, princes and magic all over the place. The story was smart and fun and I kept wondering how it all would end.

I give The Sleeping Beauty a definite B+.

Custom Business Card Contest!

2010-06-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

Robin from over at Intense Whisper is running a contest for custom business cards and she was kind enough to let me host this week! This chicky is talented, y'all. She can do covers, bookmarks, postcards and a lot more. So, check her out at the links provided below. Without further ado, here is the info:

Robin Ludwig Design Inc. would like to offer one commenter 250 - custom designed FULL COLOR business cards. The business cards are printed on heavy 16 point cardstock and glossy UV coated on both sides. All the winner needs to do is email their content to Robin Ludwig Design Inc. Once the content is received the business cards will be custom designed, proofed, printed and then shipped directly to the winner! Great promotional pieces for bloggers and for author swag.

In addition to business cards, Robin Ludwig Design Inc. also offers postcards, brochures, bookmarks, website services and book cover design.

Robin Ludwig Design Inc. can be found online here:
Website: http://www.rldprint.com/index.html
Blogger: http://rldprint.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rldprint
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rldprint

Please follow Robin Ludwig Design Inc. online for weekly deals, contests and more!

Contest open to US residents only. No PO boxes.
Custom design does not include logo creation.
Business cards must be ordered within 45 days of contest end date.

Ok, peeps, here's how we're gonna do it. I'm a fan of simple so all you have to do is leave a comment to be entered to win. As stated above, only US residents are eligible for this one. Contest will run through next Wed, July 7 and end at midnight PST.

Good luck!!

I was away this weekend

2010-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

and apparently I forgot that my guest post over at Wicked Little Pixie's was up this weekend. So, stop on by and see what I'm ~~ranting~~ talking about now. Check it out here.

Also, because I was away from my computer I borrowed my darling Jen's computer (since I was crashed on her couch). She doesn't have Firefox like I do, but instead has Internet Explorer. I happened to be perusing my blog to see how it looked in IE and I noticed the horrible truth: it looks awful. There are random links to products that I didn't put there, and then they were all over twitter and it was a pain to navigate. Anyway, my apologies to all my IE peeps out there. Seriously, my blog looks better than that, I swear *sobs*. And may I recommend a switch to Firefox or Chrome (which I'm hearing good things about)? Just a suggestion.....

Anyway, I'll put some pics up (hopefully) of my weekend fun and all that good stuff later this week.

Hope you all had a great weekend and I hope Monday is kind to us all.

Muah!!

Review: Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield

2010-06-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

I received a digital galley from Netgalley. Shadow of the Vampire is out on July 1.

Even vampires should never sleep with the enemy.

Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with incredible powers.

Alexia is ordered to torture and kill the dragon lord. Yet with each reckless encounter, she finds herself consumed by his fiery passion. A passion Declan battles, as well. Will he be able to resist the fire of lust she kindles within him and keep revenge in his heart? Or will he risk everything to quench the burning desire and claim the vampire as his own?

Shadow of the Vampire was cool because it was a bit darker and grittier than many paranormal romances out there that I've read lately. It didn't shy away from violence, blood, war, abuse, manipulation and even the emotional aftermath of rape.

I wasn't sure what I thought of our heroine, Alexia, at first. I thought I wanted her to be stronger and tougher and yet, she really was. She'd been raised by a less than stellar example of a mother and isolated from all others who could help or guide her or even protect her. An evil man that she's supposed to trust is manipulating her mother and abusing her and she feels the walls closing in on her but she has no way to save her mother, herself and her people from a threat she can't imagine. That's just what's going on in her home. There's also the age old war between her vampire people and the Dragons and it's heating up, in a big way. She's a competent fighter that kicks ass on the battlefield, but inside she's a scared girl that longs for love and security.

Declan, our hero, is hot. He's calm and noble and passionate. He's also a dragon lord. He endures horrible torture, some of it at the hands of our heroine, and yet he never breaks. As time goes on and danger is closing in, Alexia and Declan are forced to help each other and they learn about each other and each other families, fears, scars, and their people. They learn there's more to the two races and what's going on between them than they thought and they learn to trust each other. Alexia puts herself on the line to save him and he has to make a choice: Save her and face the complications or leave her to her fate and go on as before. But can he really ever be the same after tasting her and knowing her?

Shadow of the Vampire was a moving read filled with war and political intrigue, evil machinations and passionate love. There were a few things that my anal retentive self wondered about here and there, but the story was engaging enough that I let those things go and just went with it.

There were enough questions at the end that I'm sure we haven't seen the last of this world and these characters and the story being set up for Declan's sister, Talon, has me anxious to read that one, too.

Final grade: B

Buy from book depository

Or Amazon Shadow of the Vampire (Hqn)

Review: Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

2010-06-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Forgive My Fins is a very light and fairly fast paced read. Lily, the protag, seems practical and down to earth in a lot of ways and even mature when she talks about her need to protect her people by keeping their existence a secret and when she thinks about one day becoming the ruler of the sea and all the responsibility that will entail, but for the most part she was a very immature and oblivious character. Most of the characters were except for Quince and a few of the merfolk that we meet.

Quince is a great character. He was by far my favorite. He was strong mentally and physically, knew what he wanted and went for it. He had a great sense of humor and was very protective of Lily. Some strange things happen to him in this book and he always took them well and rolled with the punches, adapting quickly to his circumstances. He did feel like he was somehow older and more mature than every other teenager in the story, though.

The mermaid angle was neat and I enjoyed seeing the undersea kingdom. If one was to think too much while reading this story, one might find questions and possible holes and what not so I tried not to over think the story.

The ending was slightly irritating to me because it seemed to make all the mermaid drama meaningless and for someone who is so very loyal and loving to friends and family, Lily seems to be able to drop them easily and follow whatever it is that she wants with single minded purpose.

Overall, I felt like Forgive My Fins read like a younger YA even though the characters were getting ready to graduate high school. It was a light and entertaining read that I don't think holds up to a great amount of scrutiny, so I recommend that one pick up this book without major expectations.

My final grade is a C+

Forgive My Fins

Robot Chicken and Pearl FTW!

2010-06-19T00:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've got some friends that are havin a raw deal lately so this post is for you. A lil Robot Chicken and Pearl to perk you up.

WARNING: THESE VIDEOS ARE FUNNY BUT COULD BE OFFENSIVE. SO, IF YOU'RE EASILY OFFENDED, DON'T WATCH ;)

This one kills me, every time:

Here we have Boba havin a lil special time with a frozen Han:

We all love dentists, right?

Even Eternia has it's scandals:

This one just tickles me. I don't know, I'm weird:

Again, I'm weird:

Gotta love nerds :P

Pearl, the landlord. So wrong, so funny, so cute :P

The Landlord from Will Ferrell

Hope these made someone laugh ;)