Giveaway of Dead Iron by Devon Monk

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!!)

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

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 ;)

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

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)

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.

Interview and Giveaway with Gwen Hayes, Author of Falling Under

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!!

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

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

Random Giveaway

Well, when it rains it pours. So, yes, I had sick kids this week and a dog with a foxtail buried in her ear and as the big capper to my week my laptop that has MY LIFE on it, got a really bad virus. So now I'm sharing hubby's desktop. He was about ready to divorce me when I mentioned putting firefox on it. However, he did download Adobe Digital Editions so I can read my huge ass e-book tbr pile on his computer whilst mine is....under the weather. Compromise, it's a beautiful thing :P

So, because I've had some negative crap happening this last week, I have decided to spread positive crap vibes and do a little giveaway. After all, I want to share things that make me happy with you all in the hopes that they will brighten your day, too.

In that spirit I am going to do a drawing for a random winner of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. This book is awesome and really brings home the point that we should never take life or our loved ones for granted. Also, it's the first book I've given an A+ to and I think that should be celebrated. My review is here.

All I ask is that you be a follower of my blog and that you leave a comment on this post. That's it. Contest is international. Contest will end May 6 at 11:59 PM PST. Winner will be anounced on Friday May 7. If I do not here from the winner by May 9, I will redraw for a new winner.

Have fun and good luck!

Kindle 2 giveaway

So, here is your chance to win a Kindle 2, and just in time for the holiday season. It's the gift that keeps on givin. Like the jelly of the month club.
Anyway, just head on over to bibliofreakblog and find out how to enter.

Smooches and good luck!