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.

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Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

New series, in which triplet descendants of Medusa learn they are destined to guard the door between the world of monsters and the world of men – pitched as a mythological Charmed.

Greek mythology seems to be the turn of YA Paranormal reads, I’m really excited!!

Blood Secrets: An Alexandra by Sabian Jeannie Holmes

WHEN ALEXANDRA SABIAN SINKS HER TEETH INTO AN INVESTIGATION, SHE DOESN’T LET GO.

Alex allowed a case of murdered vamps to get personal and is suspended from the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation. Now she’s facing an official inquiry but has a chance to redeem herself. The catch: She must once again work with Varik Baudelaire, her former mentor and ex-fiancé, as he spearheads a search for a missing college student. But Varik has been keeping secrets from Alex and his mysterious past is on a collision course with his present.

When Alex and Varik discover a carefully handcrafted doll at a crime scene, neither of them can see how close the danger really is or that a killer known as the Dollmaker has made Alex the object of his horrific desire. Now the only way out of the Dollmaker’s lair is through the twilight realm of the Shadowlands, where all secrets—for better or worse—will be revealed.

Haven’t read the first book yet, but I just love the sound of each book. Plus the covers are so cool!!

Trial by Fire: A Raised by Wolves Novel  by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA (June 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606841688
ISBN-13: 978-1606841686
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #454,028 in Books

Still waiting to my hands on a paperback copy of the first book, but I want to read this series so bad!

Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville, Book 9) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever. Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatized by the horrors of war has made her start wondering how long the US government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat. Have any famous names in our own history might have actually been supernatural? She's got suspicions about William Tecumseh Sherman. Then an interview with the right vampire puts her on the trail of Wyatt Earp, vampire hunter.

But her investigations lead her to a clue about enigmatic vampire Roman and the mysterious Long Game played by vampires through the millennia. That, plus a call for help from a powerful vampire ally in San Francisco, suddenly puts Kitty and her friends on the supernatural chessboard, pieces in dangerously active play. And Kitty Norville is never content to be a pawn. . . .

I’ve only read the first two books of the series but I buy anything from Vaughn now.

Sirensong (Faeriewalker, book 3)

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (July 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312575955
ISBN-13: 978-0312575953
Shipping Information: View shipping rates and policies
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #73,695 in Books

Don't know what it is about this series, but I'm head over heels in love with it. Bite Club (Morganville Vampires, Book 10) by Rachel Caine

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine is "a first- class storyteller" (#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris).

After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville...

Rachel Caine need I say more . . .

Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Bantam (July 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345525779
ISBN-13: 978-0345525772

 

Meding’s first book was so awesome that I can’t read the second book until this third one comes out.

Review: Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh


Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance

Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.


Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.

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Review:

Forget about everything you’ve heard about angelic Angels and step into Nalini Singh's world—where the only things angelic about Angels are their appearances. Angels rule over the masses as all powerful beings since the beginning. Humans are nothing to them, simply toys in there immortal existence to play with and destroy. Angels can turn humans into Vampires to serve them for one century of servitude for immortal life and anything goes. In Singh's world the Angels might as well be the demons of Hell. Tempting, seductive, and something you'd willingly give your soul to—even knowing you won't be coming out on the other side whole again.

This is a dark and seductive world; rich in its complexity, but cutting in its bold taste of darkness. The world is terrifying at times, as Angels can causally claim the loss of a couple hundred lives as nothing in the grand scheme of things. Angels are untouched by time find themselves untouched by human emotions. What is the use of love when there is fear? What use is family when there is power? After seeing the harsh cruelty that Angels live in one can really appreciate the harsh joy of living a short—human—life.

Elena is a strong kick-vampire-booty heroine that is every UF reader’s dream slayer. She's got a clever mouth and an even cleverer blade. Raphael is the tortured immortal Archangel that just might be as evil as he is drop dead gorgeous. He can tear out hearts while unconsciously seeking out redemption for the kind of monster he's become. The two have a heated sexual tension throughout the book that reminisces some of early Anita Blake’s forbidden passion between Anita and Jean-Claude. In the end it might even surpass that legendary lust/romance because both Elena and Raphael take turns telling the story, heightening the emotions. There's only one love scene, but all the foreplay, tension, and downright lustiness had me feeling like I needed a cold shower to the end of the last page.

What I love about Angel's Blood the most has to be the cast of characters. The Guild Members that Elena works with are all so fleshed out that I was falling in love with them and could understand why she would choose them as her family. Ransom is a bad boy with commitment issues is and an absolute hoot. Sarah, a loving mother and wife, is the head of the Guild Hunters and is a force of woman you don't want to mess with. There’s a crazy pair of characters that I absolutely want more about: a grenade launching hunter and her annoying bayou Cajun prey. Hearing about their antics just put smile on my face. The vampires Dimitri and Venom exuded enough sex and lethal death to make me swoon for them every time they popped up onto the page. The evil villain was well done, his body count is spine shivering high and the manor of the deaths are enough to make anyone queasy reading them. It’s the terror that an Archangel can go to a point of such moral depravity that other beings that waste human life can actually look upon him with horror.

There are enough answers and mysteries solved to satisfy for this first romp into Singh's world, but plenty left in the dark to keep readers willing to sell their souls just to get the next book. The side of the book claims that it is Urban Fantasy Romance, and I can say that sums this read up nicely. It has all the grandeur of the finest UF, and all the hot edgy romance of some of the best PNR out there. There's still a lot of room for Elena and Raphael to grow, which is a good thing that the next book is still focused on the two. Pull on your big girl/boy pants and jump into a darkly seductive world of Angels and Vampires.

Sexual Content:

Graphic sex scene and other explicit scenes. (Graphic gore of mutilated bodies as well, this is not for the easily squeamish.)

5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!

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Add it:

Amazon: Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter)
goodreads: Angels' Blood

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.

The New Covers portion of Author Gossip is going LIVE!! Which means I’ll be posting the hot new covers as I get them!!

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General Gossip:

After reading Dreams of a Dark Warrior fans of Cole’s Immortals After Dark series are eager for more on the crazy (crazy-sexy) Lothaire. Well I am at least.  The ladies in IMA are always gossiping whether Lothaire will “kiss you or bite you,” well I’m ready to take a bite out of him!!  So luckily the next book in the series is going to be all about him. Unfortunately the book isn’t due out until early 2012—yeah that’s just cruel.

To ease the pain I have some great news!!  There’s more IAD books signed on along with a new IAD spin-off series and a YA series, all with Pocket Books!  That’s right everyone more joy to go around.  No news on what the YA series is about, but hopefully Cole will release the news soon. (Source, Kresely Cole’s Newsletter.)

Kimberly Derting’s debut The Body Finder was one of the hottest YA releases of 2010.  So it’s with great pleasure that the author releases news that she’s coming out with more not only in The Body Finder series, but a completely new project.  Derting says it better then I could.

I have a new book called THE PLEDGE releasing November 15th, 2011 from McElderry (Simon & Schuster)! I can't express how excited I am about this project! Oh, and the cover is so unbelievably beautiful! I can't wait to share it with you soon!

Here's just a little teaser about THE PLEDGE:

A romantic fantasy set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

(Really, there's so much more to it, but that's all you get for now!)

I'm also thrilled to be working with the fabulously-talented Gretchen Hirsch once more (she was one of my original editors for The Body Finder…YAY!!!).

Speaking of The Body Finder, there will also be at least TWO MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES AFTER DESIRES OF THE DEAD…*happy dance*!!! I'm beyond excited to spend more time with Violet & Jay…and Farrin (my equally awesome editor at HarperCollins)! I can't wait to see what the covers will look like for books 3 and 4! But before I get ahead of myself, I should probably get back to finishing book 3. And, well, naming it. :)

 

Tomorrow is the debut of Caitlin Kittredge's first YA series.  So you all have to know what's coming!  That's right a teaser, I just love them.

"THERE ARE SEVENTEEN madhouses in the city of Lovecraft. I've visited all of them.

My mother likes to tell me about her dreams when I visit. She sits in the window of the Cristobel Charitable Asylum and strokes the iron bars covering the glass like they are the strings of a harp. "I went to the lily field last night," she murmurs.
Her dreams are never dreams. They are always journeys, explorations, excavations of her mad mind, or, if her mood is bleak, ominous portents for me to heed.

The smooth brass gears of my chronometer churned past four- thirty and I put it back in my skirt pocket. Soon the asylum would close to visitors and I could go home. The dark came early in October. It's not safe for a girl to be out walking on her own, in Hallows' Eve weather."

-from Chapter 1, The Ashes of the World

I've been wondering if Stacia Kanes series would continue or not well the news is finally in!  The title will be SACRIFICIAL MAGIC.  It works for me! Now I’ll let the author tell you about her “secret project.”

I’m also working on a new project, which a few people have asked me about. I’m not saying anything about it, really, because I don’t want to jinx it. It’s something I’ve actually been sort of fiddling with for a while, but have had a bunch of false starts on, so I’m hoping this is the one that will stick. Keeping my fingers crossed, anyway. It’s called DREADFUL THINGS. Only about 7k words so far, but words I’m really pleased with. Lots of worldbuilding, which is tons of fun, and hints of Dark Doings in my heroine’s past, and murders and magic and rooftops and sewers and all those things that make books worth writing. So we’ll see where it goes, anyway.

 

New Covers:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Shera Thoughts: Love this cover.  It fits with Vampire Academy but it is clearly its own series.  Much the same way that Cassandra Clares new series matches the old and new.

Author Says:  That's right! The Bloodlines cover and a video about the series is LIVE, right here at Entertainment Weekly!
Enjoy!

Previous Covers:  N/A

Aftermath by Ann Aguirre

Shera’s thoughts: These covers are so awesome, and the latest cover in Aguirre’s series is no exception.   It’s as action packed as a comic, but slicker!

Author says: N/A

Previous Covers: 

Riven by Kait Nolan

Shera’s Thoughts:  It’s striking, but something is missing, maybe character.  I’ve just seen to many covers with a hinted nudity of the female and strong male looking out.  Then of course the read roses in the background.  At least this cover looks better then the over two. 

Author says: 

As if I hadn't had enough squeeable excitement this week, the fabulous Robin of Robin Ludwig Designs has already created my delectable new cover for the third novella in the Mirus series, Riven. Go ahead, drool.  You know you wanna.  Aren't Orrin and Dahlia pretty?  Yep, Orrin.  Remember Mr. Sparky from Forsaken By Shadow?  He's the hero of this little tale.  Look for Riven sometime this summer (it's the project I'm tackling after I finish Red).

Previous Covers:

Ectasy/Agony by Bettie Sharpe's blog

Shera’s Thoughts: Meh.  It doesn’t stand out.  Pink/white/black scheme comes off as a chic’flic thing.  Then legs and a man’s good looking chest, please we’ve seen it before.

Author Says:

Here's the cover for the Agony/Ecstasy Anthology due out from Berkley Heat in Fall 2011. I love the color scheme, and was, in fact, contemplating redoing my website in hot pink, white and black when Jane sent the cover image.

Previous Covers: N/A This is an anthology.

Dragon’s Oath by P.C. and Kristen Cast

Shera’s Thoughts:  If this was the next book in the series, I wouldn’t like it. Since this is a Novella it’s all good!!  It looks a little cheap, but I like reflections in swords, it’s just cool.

Auhtor Says:

Ooooh! Check out the cover of DRAGON'S OATH! Its release date is July 12th of this year. It's the first of the House of Night back story novellas. Here's the back copy:
Before Zoey is Marked and arrives at the House of Night… before she rises in power to confront utter darkness, and the House of Night is divided… there's Dragon's Oath, the thrilling story behind the House of Night's formidable fencing instructor and warrior – the love that will transform him, and the mercy that will come back to haunt him…
I'm writing it right now, and NO I won't answer any questions about it (mostly because the plot unfolds as I'm writing, so I don't know the answers yet!).
XXXOOO
PC

Previous Covers: N/A

Green-eyed Evny by Kasey Mackenzie

Shera’s Thoughts: It’s not as stunning as the first cover of the series.  I like how it’s the same top but a different color, but her eyes are wiggy.  They just don’t look right with their glow effect.  The Medusa hair is awesome though.

Author says: N/A

Previous Covers: