November 25, 2010

Wednesday Wishes, Thankful on Thursday

Hunting for books is one of my favorite things. Finding a new title is my equivalent of "getting rich." Whether the titles been around for a while, brand spanking new, or just not that common Wednesday Wishes is here for me to share them with you.

Sorry everyone that WW is coming a day late yesterday was one of those crazy days.  The hugest white out came in and knocked out the Internet.  Then someone dumped a stray off in said white out, thankfully the kitten was nursed back to health and has a new home.  Then my computer gets a virus. Well the virus is gone and I’m thankful!!

So happy Thanksgiving to all of you wonderful people. 

The Vampire StalkerThe Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

This sounds like any vampire readers/writers wet dream.

GraveminderGraveminder by Melissa Marr

The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

This is a cool cover.  Not what I was expecting for Marr’s adult series, but at least it’s unique. (Trying to stay positive about this cover, it’s so tacky!!)

ReaperReaper (Soul Screamers) by Rachel Vincent

Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

Not as pretty as the series covers.

Never Knew Another Never Knew Another by J. McDermott

Fugitive Rachel Nolander is a newcomer to the city of Dogsland, where the rich throw parties and the poor just do whatever they can to scrape by. Supported by her brother Djoss, she hides out in their squalid apartment, living in fear that someday, someone will find out that she is the child of a demon. Corporal Jona Lord Joni is a demon's child too, but instead of living in fear, he keeps his secret and goes about his life as a cocky, self-assured man of the law. The first book in the Dogsland Trilogy, Never Knew Another is the story of how these two outcasts meet.

Take a real good look at this cover.  Sweet, right!! This cover is so breath taking from texture to layout, it’s perfect.  Really want this book!

License to EnsorcellLicense to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr

Psychic Agent Nola O'Grady isn't sure returning to San Francisco, and living near her unusual family, is a good idea. Her job, with a psychic agency so obscure even the CIA doesn't know it exists, can be perilous, and she's afraid of the relatives getting involved.

Then the Agency saddles her with Israeli secret agent Ari Nathan, and she has a bigger problem on her hands, because tact and compromise are not Ari's strong points. Their mission is to track down a serial killer obsessed with werewolves. He sees them everywhere and shoots whenever he thinks he has one in his sights. Ari assumes the man's psychotic, but in truth he's murdering actual werewolves. Nola should know. Her younger brother Pat, a lycanthrope, was the first victim.

Can Nola's psychic talents and Ari's skill with guns keep them alive long enough to unravel the greater mystery behind the killings? Can they save the werewolves and the world while stopping Nola's family from running headlong into danger?

I new urban fantasy series! Yummy.

Tempest Rising Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

A contemporary paranormal romance out just in time to ride the wave of the newest creature craze: mermaids!

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Tattoos, pretty mermaid scales?? So there!

Under WrapsUnder Wraps by Hannah Jayne

Sick of wrongful-death lawsuits every time a full moon comes around? Call the Underworld Detection Agency.

As a human immune to magic, Sophie Lawson can help everyone from banshee to zombie transition into normal, everyday San Francisco life. With a handsome werewolf as her UDA boss and a fashionista vampire for a roommate, Sophie knows everything there is to know about the undead, the unseen, and the uncanny…

Until a rash of gruesome murders has demons and mortals running for cover, and Sophie finds herself playing sidekick to detective Parker Hayes. Dodging raging bloodsuckers, bad-tempered fairies, and love-struck trolls is one thing. But when Sophie discovers Parker isn’t what he seems, she’s got only one chance to figure out whom to trust. Because an evil hiding in plain sight is closing in…and about to make one wisecracking human its means to ultimate power…

This cover has everything I want in an Urban Fantasy.  From vibrant colors, kiss butt heroine (x-na on the high hills), sexy pose, and a scene of the city. Perfection!

The Hunt of the UnicornThe Hunt of the Unicorn by C.C. Humphreys

Elayne thinks the old family story that one of her ancestors stepped through a tapestry into a world of mythical beasts makes a great fireside tale. But she lives in the real world. In New York City. And she's outgrown that kind of fantasy.

Until she finds herself in front of a unicorn tapestry at the Cloisters museum and sees her initials woven into the fabric. And hears a unicorn calling to her. And slips and falls—into that other world.

Suddenly the line between fantasy and reality isn't so clear. But the danger is real enough. Almost before she can think, Elayne is attacked by a ferocious beast, rescued by a unicorn, and taken prisoner by a tyrant king. Each of them seems to have an idea about her—that she's a hero, a villain, dinner!

But Elayne has a few ideas of her own. She wants to overthrow the king; she wants to tame the unicorn. She wants to go home! And she's willing to become both hero and villain to do it.

Good unicorn covers are hard to find.  This hits the spot on so many levels. 

Daughters of Dracula (The Stoker Sisters, #1)Daughters of Dracula (The Stoker Sisters #1) by Kailin Gow

Two sisters... Born during the time of Jane Austen... Set to marry for advancement, but escaped their fates by becoming vampires. Now vampires in the 21st century, hunted by a sect of rogue hunters, the sisters live in a small beach town of California where they meet Keegan Knowles, a mysterious boy. For hundreds of years they've shared clothes, books, and their home, but will they share the same boy or is it there going to be war?

I heard “Jane Austen” and “Dracula.”  Plus the part about escaping marriage, ahhh thank you!

BruiserBruiser by Neal Shusterman

Tennyson: Don't get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted "Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty" by the entire school. He's the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, BrontË, dating him? One of these days she's going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it's not going to end well.

BrontË: My brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way—no right to threaten him. There's a reason why Brewster can't have friends—why he can't care about too many people. Because when he cares about you, things start to happen. Impossible things that can't be explained. I know, because they're happening to me.

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman has crafted a chilling and unforgettable novel about the power of unconditional friendship, the complex gear workings of a family, and the sacrifices we endure for the people we love.

Really not sure what this book is about, the reviews have me really intrigued.

The False PrincessThe False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

A dazzling first novel, The False Princess is an engrossing fantasy full of mystery, action, and romance.

This just sounds amazing.

Dreamhunter (The Dreamhunter Duet, Book 1)Dreamhunter (The Dreamhunter Duet, Book 1) by Elizabeth Knox

Laura comes from a world similar to our own except for one difference: It is next to the Place, an unfathomable land that fosters dreams of every kind and is inaccessible to all but a select few, the dreamhunters. These are individuals with the ability to catch larger-than-life dreams and relay them to audiences in the magnificent dream palace. People travel from all around to experience the benefits of the hunters’ unique visions.

Now, fifteen-year-old Laura and her cousin Rose, daughters of dreamhunters, are old enough to find out if they qualify to enter the Place. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to discover. In the midst of a fascinating landscape, Laura’s dreamy childhood is ending, and a nightmare is beginning.

This cover is kind of so-so.  The fading words is a really nice touch. 

Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, #0)Fantasy Lover (Dark Hunter, book 0) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This book is part of the Dark-Hunter universe, but does not feature any Dark-Hunters, For that it's considered an introduction to the series hence the #0.

 
Dear Reader,

Being trapped in a bedroom with a woman is a grand thing. Being trapped in hundreds of bedrooms over two thousand years isn't. And being cursed into a book as a love-slave for eternity can ruin even a Spartan warrior's day. As a love-slave, I knew everything about women. How to touch them, how to savor them, and most of all how to pleasure them. But when I was summoned to fulfill Grace Alexander's sexual fantasies, I found the first woman in history who saw me as a man with a tormented past. She, alone, bothered to take me out of the bedroom and into the world. She taught me to love again. But I was not born to know love. I was cursed to walk eternity alone. As a general, I had long ago accepted my sentence. Yet now I have found Grace-the one thing my wounded heart cannot survive without. Sure, love can heal all wounds, but can it break a two thousand year old curse?

Julian of Macedon

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Thoughts:

"Dirty Joke." Is the first thoughts that pop into my head after reading Fantasy Lover. Personally I love a dirty joke, especially a good one. Fantasy Lover is one good dirty joke.

I'm not saying that it didn't have some intense moments. Jillian is our man trapped in the book to be a "love slave," and Kenyon brings the harsh reality of that into light. Grace has been wounded before and no longer trusts men. She's a sex therapist who doesn't have sex, but when you've lost you're virginity to a bet sex starts to sour. They're both damaged and Kenyons straight forward writing amplifies the healing the two do to each other.

I will admit for all the raving out there this was a little disappointing. The plot was very formalistic. Good characters, that dirty humor, and a fun pace makes it seem pretty original. Even though I found myself annoyed at the same old miscommunication ploy (you know the one where neither character can confess their feelings, and they both feel they don't deserve each other because of low self esteem issues) I was still cheering them on.

The Greek mythology was a surprise. Vampires always popped into mind when thinking about the Dark Hunter series. For this Xena and Hercules fan it was a real treat to have Greek myths and tragedies gracing the pages. Gods and Goddess pop up and it's so fun. I love getting takes on other peoples versions of Greek gods. Jillian's life was like a Greek tragedy and I loved it!!

Bottom Line: If you love a dirty joke, with one heck of a punch line, this is the book for you. Greek myth and tragedy mix well together to give the reader a fun paranormal romance. If you've been thinking about reading the series I would say don't miss out on this book 0. I don't know much about this series, but some of the characters that show up in other books are mentioned and met in this book breifly so I think it will add to the series as you read it.

Sexual content:

Full sex scenes, naughty words, and talk about sex. (What part of dirty joke didn't you understand!?)

Rating:  3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.

 

Add it:

Amazon: Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, Book 1)

goodreads: Fantasy Lover

November 22, 2010

Lips Don’t Lie: Author Gossip

As a reader I always want the download on what's going on with authors. Do they have new books coming out, how the latest tour going, any thing juicy! So, I decided to bring the news to my readers. I'm lurking around all of those author blogs anyway, might as well do something productive.

General News:

The Aware (The Isles of Glory, #1)The Last Stormlord (Watergivers, #1)

Larke’s The Isles of Glory series has been one of my top Epic Fantasy series, at least for me.  While copies of these books are pretty much hard to find, her Watergivers series has been getting fantastic reviews around the Epic Fantasy circles.

While I haven’t read this new series she’s trying to get her book-proposal-come-synopsis created for a new concept!  I’ll let the authors own words fill us in.

And I spent the time working on my book-proposal-come-synopsis. Which is something I hate above all other writing jobs. You try writing a summary of a story that is unbelievably complicated and full of weird stuff, each element of which you can't possibly explain in less than a chapter. Sigh. Anyway, it has been done and put aside for a day or two to stew before submitting, but I shall let you all in on the secret...

The titles I have settled on. Now, if you've been around a while, you will know that never yet have the first titles I thought of been what we ended up with, but what the heck. I try. And here they are:

This one's a duology or whatever it is you call two-book-ologies. So the duology is called The Hidden Kingdom. Book One is The Masks of Yedron. Book Two is The Thwarted Prince.


And that's all about it for now. (Author’s Post)

The lovely Alexandra Ivy is going to have  some fun with some blog tours.  When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, #1)So check them out!

Blog Dates:
Nov. 17th
Over Coffee
http://siamckye.blogspot.com/

Nov. 22nd
VampChix
http://vampchix.blogspot.com/

Dec 8th
Bitten By Books
http://bittenbybooks.com/

Dec 13th
Nocturne Romance Reads
http://www.nocturnereads.webs.com/

Dec 21st
Borders
http://bordersblog.com/trueromance/
Interviews:
http://ismellsheep.blogspot.com/

City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments, #4) Cassandra Clare fans all now the misery of waiting for her next book. So Cassandra dear has decided to tease and taunt us. With a little teaser of Fallen Angels, book 4 of The Mortal Instruments book.

Teaser 1)
The Queen’s eyes glittered. “You told me that you did not wish to make a compact with me, for there was nothing I could give you. You said there was nothing in the world you wanted. When you imagine your life without Jace, do you still feel the same?”
*Why are you doing this to me?* Clary wanted to scream, but she said nothing, for the Faerie Queen glanced past her, and smiled, saying: “Wipe your tears, for he returns. It will do you no good for him to see you cry.”


Teaser 2)
“That wasn’t fair," Simon said.
“Maybe,” said Isabelle. “But I watch my brothers give their hearts away and I think, Don’t you know? Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.”

 

New Covers:

Ah, the smell of new covers.  I do love that smell, especially when they’re are Richelle Mead’s books.  Even better, when they are international covers.

French cover, which I love that they’ve kept the wings:

French-SS 

The Germans are sticking with the blind fold.

German-SS

Here’s the e-story cover for Dead Drop, which will be published before the January release of The Kensie.  Really, really like this cover.

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Author Wit:

Have you ever wanted to read a post where one author interviews another?  Well here’s your chance. Aprilynne Pike is being interviewed  by JS Lewis, so feel free to check it out! Here.

Kelly Meding has a fun podcast to check out.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to a favorite author on podcast do it!  The only thing that can beat it is a youtube interview. 

Finding out what books authors have gorged themselves on always spikes my interest.  Maggie Stiefvater shares the secret world of an author with a book addiction.  So check it out, here.

November 19, 2010

Book Blogger Hop and Weely Overview

Book Blogger Hop
If you want to join in this fun event just click on the image above and start hopping!!

"Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"


I feel most thankful for having such wonderful parents.  For those of you who are Grey's Anatomy fans, I like to tease that they're my People.  Also I am thankful for all the many blessing we've received this year and pray the continue.  Very thankful for having more People in the form of great friends and a very stressful sister. 

Weekly Overview:
Well, I'm off to the hop!! TGIF.

November 18, 2010

Review: Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson

Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul, #1)Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson

Genre: Paranormal Romance (AKA Romantic Fantasy)

Once he had scorched the world.

Once he had driven back overwhelming darkness.

Once he had loved with such passion, his name was legend...

TAIREN SOUL

Now a thousand years later, a new threat calls him from the Fading Lands, back into the world that had cost him so dearly. Now an ancient, familiar evil is regaining its strength, and a new voice beckons him--more compelling, more seductive, more maddening than any before.

As the power of his most bitter enemy grows and ancient alliances crumble, the wildness in his blood will not be denied. The tairen must claim his truemate and embrace the destiny woven for him in the mists of time.


Thoughts:

First off before I read this book, I was prepared to dislike it. It's shelved in the romance genre, and no matter how many romance books I read I'll still always be wary of that lay of the land. The description on the back of the book had me giggling with it's silliness, and then someone told me this was a series about finding ones soulmate. Personally the over the top soulmate thing had me trying to check out before I could even crack open a page. Before I found out anything about the book I had already bought it, so I new I was going to read it. This book has loads of great reviews for it, and then there are the reviewers who are skeptic romantics like me who just thought it was hokey.

Well this skeptic has been silenced. Turns out this book has more then hot sex scenes surrounded by thin plot lines. In fact it was quite the oppisite.

The world Wilson built is a fantasy world that many an aspiring writer would love to have developed. You can see the races, sink into the life of the people, and let the history of this rich land poor over you. The Faye are intriguing people who live VERY long lives, many of the Faye characters living for over a thousand years. It's had creating character that can show the weight they carry living that long--sure Wilson doesn't really pull it off--but you can feel it at times. Its a sorrowful note that she hits. The Celierians are the humans in this book that are "good." They've had alliances with the Faye and have fought to keep the Elden off of them for generations. The Eld are the evil Mages of this tale. Who want to crush the Faye at all costs. Of course not all of the people of Eld are mages. Instead of being free people they are nothing but tools, Marked at birth until the age of six when they are nothing more then pawns for the mages to take control of there bodies. There are also other races, notably the Elves. Not much is said about them in history or in the progress of this book. I've always been a fan of elves so I'm curious to get more information on them. Plus, why aren't they really mentioned in the history?

Wilson has created a cast of characters that interact so well. Many times I found myself laughing out loud with the characters, to fist pumping in the air victoriously. Side character stole my heart just as much as our leading characters Ellie and Rain. I found myself at times respecting, laughing, and enjoying the Celierian Queen--clearly she's a bad apple. The plots that are building up around her making me worry, especially after Wilson reveled the love story around how the King came to court her. The Faye protectors of Ellie have warmed their way into my heart with their fierce loyalty and their humorous antics.

The plot builds up nicely with this title and I had no problem sinking into the politics and culture. If you're afraid that this is going to turn into sex and no plot, be assured. There's a lot of plot threads that start to build up and not all of them are resolved at the end of this book. There's a lot of lip biting moments in Lord of the Fading Lands.

The love story between Ellie and Rain plays out nicely. All that sex I was afraid this book was going to be dedicated to, not here. The Soulmate/bond thing isn't something that makes the two characters just jump in bed together. Instead Ellie still gets the choice of falling in love with Rain. It's a pleasure to watch both of them discover each other. Rain at times can be over protective, but lets be honest his enemies are going to want her dead or worse. So clearly a little over protectiveness is nice. Rain nearly destroyed the world when his lady love was killed over a 1,000 years before of the events of this book, so I was worried how much Wilson would play that card. She plays it nicely, never making the reader feel over powered by Rian's suffering, but still making us want to shed a few tears for him. At times Rain can be annoyingly ill tempered to a fault, sometimes reminding me of a spoiled pouting child. In the end that's the charm of Rain Faye to the bone, flying cat at heart. Ellie is still getting fleshed out in this book. You can see the strong and determined woman she is gong to develop into.

Bottom Line:

This book needs to be checked out just for the buzz alone that it's stirring. Don't let the soulmate and romance shelving fool you, this book could hold its own in with the Epic Fantasy. It has a fantasy world that rivals many that I've come across, plus has the added bonus of making me fall in love with more then just the main characters. You'll laugh out loud with this book, have "fist pump of victory" moments, bite your lip in worry, and just get all tangled up with this book.

Sexual Content:

Some witty sexual jokes, a few slightly graphic scenes, and then one sex scene at the end. Nothing to over the top.

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

Add it:

Amazon: Lord of the Fading Lands (Tairen Soul)

goodreads: Lord of the Fading Lands

November 17, 2010

Wednesday Wishes

Hunting for books is one of my favorite things. Finding a new title is my equivalent of "getting rich." Whether the titles been around for a while, brand spanking new, or just not that common Wednesday Wishes is here for me to share them with you.

Bitter Frost (Frost, #1)Bitter Frost (Frost #1) by Kailin Gow

All her life, Breena had always dreamed about fairies as though she lived among them...beautiful fairies living among mortals and living in Feyland. In her dreams, he was always there the breathtakingly handsome but dangerous Winter Prince, Kian, who is her intended. When Breena turns sixteen, she begins seeing fairies and other creatures mortals don t see. Her best friend Logan, suddenly acts very protective. Then she sees Kian, who seems intent on finding her and carrying her off to Feyland. That's fine and all, but for the fact that humans rarely survive a trip to Feyland, a kiss from a fairy generally means death to the human unless that human has fairy blood in them or is very strong, and although Kian seemed to be her intended, he seems to hate her and wants her dead.

Fiary themed paranormal YA book are starting to get my respect. They rarely ever disappiont me, no like some other reads . . .

Wildcat Fireflies (Fenestra, #2)Wildcat Fireflies (Fenestra #2) by Amber Kizer

No details to what this second installment is yet, but hears hoping!

 

 

The Shifter (Healing Wars, #1)The Shifter (Healing Wars #1) by Janice Hardy

Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person into her own body. But unlike her sister, Tali, and the other Takers who become Healers' League apprentices, Nya's skill is flawed: She can't push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it into another person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she'd be used as a human weapon against her own people.

Rumors of another war make Nya's life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purposes. At first Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she's faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price; but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?

This sounds like a very different Fantasy YA read, looking forward to it.

Ultraviolet Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Those Goosebumps you're feeling, are Goosebumps of awesomeness!

Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century, #1)Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century #1) by Cherie Priest

Cherie Priest's much-anticipated steampunk debut has finally arrived in the form of a paperback original. Its plot features the sort of calibrated suspense that readers of her Four and Twenty Blackbirds would expect. Boneshaker derives its title from the Bone-Shaking Drill Engine, a device designed to give Russian prospectors a leg up in the race for Klondike gold. Unfortunately, there was one hitch: On its trial run, the Boneshaker went haywire and, long story short, turned much of Seattle into a city of the dead. Now, 16 years later, a teenage boy decides to find out what is behind that mysterious wall. Can his sister save him in time? Zombie lit of the first order.

This book has been on my maybe back log pile for a while. After some reviews from some goodreads friends it's been moved onto a must read pile. Now if I can only get my hands on it!

Deceived By The Others (H & W Investigations, #3) Deceived By The Others (H&W Investigations #3) by Jess Haines

They're here, and they're real...werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated...

Shiarra's relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family--or in this case, bringing Chaz's entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it's the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack's hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that's even closer than she knows...

After reading book 2, Taken by the Others, I have faith in this series!! (My review should be up later this month for it.)

November 15, 2010

Lips Don’t Lie: Author Gossip

As a reader I always want the download on what's going on with authors. Do they have new books coming out, how the latest tour is going, any thing juicy! So, I decided to bring the news to my readers. I'm lurking around all of those author blogs anyway, might as well do something productive.

General Gossip:

Hush, Hush (Hush, Hush, #1) Check and see if Becca Fitzpatrik will be near you. Tour dates:

Thursday, November 11 6:30PM – 8:00PM Poland Library Poland, Ohio Presentation, Q&A and book signing

Friday, November 12 9:00AM – 10:30AM Austinland Library Austinland, Ohio Presentation, Q&A and book signing

Friday, November 12 12:30PM – 2:00PM Poland Library Poland, Ohio Presentation, Q&A and book signing

Monday, November 15 7:00PM Presentation at the St. Louis County Library Headquarters, 1640 South Lindbergh Blvd.

Tuesday, November 16 7:00PM Anderson's Bookshop Naperville, Illinois

Wednesday, November 17 4:00PM Lemuria Bookstore Jackson, Mississippi

Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6) Mead is such a tease with these two new teasers for Last Sacrifice. Go a head, torture yourself.  You know you want too.

Other LS news is that the excerpt won’t be posted until about November 25th.  I’ll have it posted up on Lips Don’t Lie as soon as I can get my hands on it.

 

The Fledgling Handbook 101

I couldn’t help posting this. Personally checking out who is the reining champ on any bestseller list is the juiciest kind of gossip to me.  Especially that The Fledgling Handbook 101 topped the paperback list, was not expecting that.

Rankings Copyright © 2010 by The New York Times November 14, 2010 THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW Children's Best Sellers This Week PAPERBACK BOOKS

1 THE FLEDGLING HANDBOOK 101, by P.C. Cast with Kim Doner. (St. Martin's Griffin, $12.99.) From history to bodily chang¬es, a compendium on vampirism for neophytesl. (Ages 12 and up)
2 THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak. (Knopf, $11.99.) A girl saves books from Nazi burning. (Ages 14 and up)
3 FALLEN, by Lauren Kate. (Delacorte, $9.99.) Love is thwarted at boarding school. (Ages 12 and up)
4 THE GRAVEYARD BOOK, by Neil Gaiman. Illustrated by Dave McKean. (HarperCollins, $7.99.) To avoid a killer, a boy lives in a cemetery. (Ages 10 and up)
5 THREE CUPS OF TEA: YOUNG READERS EDITION, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. (Puffin/Penguin, $8.99.) A former climber builds schools in Pakistani and Afghan villages. (Ages 9 to 12)
6 THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME IN¬DIAN, by Sherman Alexie. Illustrated by Ellen Forney. (Little, Brown, $8.99.) A young boy leaves his reservation for an all-white school. (Ages 12 and up)
7 HUSH, HUSH, by Becca Fitzpatrick. (Simon & Schuster, $17.99.) A love story of immortals and ancient battles. (Ages 14 and up)
8 SHIVER, by Maggie Stiefvater. (Scholastic, $8.99.) Love among the lupine. (Ages 13 and up)
9 NERDS (BOOK ONE: NATIONAL ESPIONAGE, RESCUE, AND DEFENSE SOCIETY), by Michael Buckley. (Amulet/Abrams, $6.95.) Stealth is challenging when you wear orthodontic headgear. (Ages 8 to 12)
10 BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. (Little, Brown, $17.99.) A secret wrapped in a Southern Gothic novel. (Ages 12 and up)

Pale Demon (Rachel Morgan/The Hollows, #9) Another fabulous author is going on tour soon, and one of my favorites. If only she was some where close to me. Hopefully you're lucky enough to be able to go to one.

2/22: Schulers Lansing, MI
2/23: Borders Ann Arbor, MI
2/24: Books & Co Dayton, OH
2/25: Joseph Beth Cincinnati, OH
2/26: TBD
3/1: Des Moines Public Library  (with Beaverdale Books)
3/2: St. Louis Public Library (with Left Bank Books)
3/3: Hastings Lawton OK
3/4: Book People Austin, TX
3/5: Murder by the Book Houston,TX  with Patricia Briggs
3/10: Sacramento Bee Book Club
3/12-3/13: Tucson Festival of Books

The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan, #2) Charlie Madigan's debut by author Kelly Gay blew me away. Now I find out she is going to have a new YA series! Don't know about you guys, but I'm jumping up and down all of the place.

I couldn’t find any information on this new series, but as soon as I get anything I’ll give you the scoop.

Here’s the book count. the Charlie Madigan’s series has 4 books sold.  So far book 1 and 2 have already been released, book 3 and 4 will be out in 2011 and 2010.  The new YA series has 2 books sold and will be released 2010 and 2011.  So cheers to more good reading!

Undead and Unwed (Undead, #1) Davidson has been giving us giggles for a while now with her many fantastic series. She's just posted a slightly spoiler excerpt of her latest book in her Undead series, you know our favorite vampire Queen. So check it out here.

Remember, there are some spoilers.  Slight spoilers.

 

New Covers:

Remember a couple of LDL posts ago I said I’d have the next Haines cover.  Well it’s finally been released.  Plus, there’s a blurb for it.

The look is really cool.  I like Shairra’s pose, though her face looks creepy. (Or am I the only one.)  I get that it’s taking place in the woods so you want to reflect that, but it doesn’t have the same feel as the other books. You know that solid color thing they had going on.

Hunted By The Others (H&W Investigations, #1) Taken By The Others (H & W Investigations, #2)

They're here, and they're real...werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night.  For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent.  But now business is getting very, very complicated...

Shiarra's relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional.  Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious.  That means meeting family--or in this case, bringing Chaz's entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home.  Then their cabin is ransacked.  Shia starts digging to find out whether it's the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister.  Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack's hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers.  Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that's even closer than she knows...

Ilona Andrews books have some hot new European covers and I couldn't resist sharing the new cover for the USA, even though it's old news by now.

This is the USA cover of the latest book.  Personally this is the best one yet.
MAGIC_SLAYS
This cover is stunning.  It is the German release of Bayou Moon.  The blue tones, the girls creepy eyes, and the wisps just chill me.

Andrews_Land_der_Schatten_02
This the the Taiwanese Edition cover for Magic Strikes.  It’s pretty, but the dress on Kate really freaks me out. basic 3  

Author Wit:

Check out the glamorous life of author Maggie  Stiefvater.