Book Lovers Inc.

Romance and Me: I need my fix RIGHT NOW! or Reading Withdrawal Symptoms

Stella — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:00:33 +0000

Last week I was between two review books: I have just finished reading a contemporary romance novel and the next book on my reading schedule (oh no, do not think I have a fancy schedule I follow, it is just a thrown together list of books and review dates I have signed up for) was a contemporary romantic suspense story, when I felt like I was suffocating and needed something else. No, it wasn’t because the books weren’t good or were lacking in anything, no it was simply that I overloaded on contemporary stories and needed my historical romance fix. It certainly had physical symptoms like an actual withdrawal:

- my attention span was that of a fly (all over the place, the book couldn’t hold my interest for longer than half an hour),
- I felt bored with the story, the characters and the romance (I stress once again that the story was great, I just wasn’t in the mood for it),
- unrelenting craving for something,
- ending with virtual shivers and my closing the book.

When I tried to understand what was my problem with a/two great well written stories I had an epiphany: they were both contemporaries, and the 2 books I read prior to them were contemporaries as well. That’s when I realized I must have reached my limit and needed some historical romance.

Historical romance has been my introduction to the romance genre and my first (and still ongoing) love. It is my guilty pleasure. I just can’t tire of it (unlike paranormal romances, now it’s enough if I spot “vampire” in a blurb to make me lose my interest in the book, but that’s a story for another post).

So after I identified the root of the problem I didn’t take any risks, I picked a HR I loved and re-read it for pure pleasure. No review needed, no deadlines, just me savouring the story of how the hero and heroine met and fell in love with each other. And it was wonderful *happy sighs* Exactly what I needed. And after I have recharged my HR batteries I picked up the poor contemporary novel I had abandoned and enjoyed it a lot.

So after my experience I wondered,

Do you ever get overload by any of the genres you read?

If you need a breather, a comfort read what is the genre you turn to?

Is there a genre or kind of books you can’t go without for more than a limited time?

Ever experienced reading withdrawal symptoms?

Review: Kiss and Make Up by Faye Robertson

Alisha — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:03 +0000

Format read: ebook provided by publisher
Genre: contemporary romance
Release Date: February 14th, 2012
Length: novel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Amazon

Book Blurb:

The Opportunity of a Lifetime…

Makeup artist Tabby Rogers is thrilled to land a job on a New Zealand movie set with lots of perks, including getting her hands on sexy Kiwi stunt man, Eli Black.

The sexual electricity zapping between them can’t be denied, but neither of them is in a position to handle happily-ever-after. Eli’s jetting off to Hollywood, Tabby’s next assignment is in the UK. But there’s nothing wrong with a short-term fling, right?

Except as the sparks burn hotter and responsibilities pull at them from opposite ends of the globe, it quickly becomes clear that something’s gotta give. Must Tabby sacrifice her hard-won career for love? Or will Eli forever be the one that got away?

My Thoughts:

“I had sex with an orc once.”

Awesome way to open a book, don’t you think? ^_^ It’s a great representation of the charm and wit displayed repeatedly throughout Kiss and Make Up. The premise of this contemporary romance promised a fun, flirty tale starring two magnetic personalities. Makeup actually does not factor all that heavily into this story–in a direct way, that is. That element is involved via the fact that the heroine is a makeup artist who is talented and focused on fulfilling the immense promise of her career trajectory. But Kiss and Make Up absolutely delivers in setting up a warm and breezy romantic tale.

The personalities of the two main characters are easy and enjoyable. I so adored Eli and Tabby as individuals. They were painted as intelligent, sharp, interesting, ambitious, and logical. I recall at one point digging one of the heroine’s ponderings:

Was it possible to fall in love in such a short space of time?

I loved that the character (and by extension, the author), acknowledges this atypical situation as worthy of being specifically examined. It’s just one of many moments that made the Tabby and her crew believable to me, even in the context of a whirlwind romantic tale. Robertson creates very realistic and relatable characters with understandable feelings and behaviors. I got that feeling that I would *love* to be their friends, that they are the kind of people that you could truly meet and connect with. The author deftly touches upon their playful sides, their emotional turmoil, their fears and passions.

Indeed, the story is not over complicated. It’s driven forward by a clear, tightly framed plot line. It was such a breath of fresh air to have a romantic entanglement that did not involve silly, manufactured misunderstandings to build tension. Instead, the dilemmas that develop for each of the two main characters are logical, introduced with just enough sentiment and demonstration to leave a lasting impact. The author manages to make the reader truly *feel* the frustration that the main characters do, yet understand and appreciate the complexity of life and its occasional messiness and inconvenience.

And the steamy aspect? Wow. The attraction between Tabby and Eli is immediate and undeniable. Their interactions are absolutely incendiary while simultaneously being sweet and romantic. Each and every romantic encounter had a smoldering, sensual feel that served also to underscore the genuine affection that the two had for each other. I personally love it when a romance is truly spicy *and* sweet, and when the narrative is visual and tactile enough to draw that out to the max. This book absolutely delivered on those accounts.

I think I had this book rated as a four at one point, but rethought and had to adjust, because there is just nothing I dislike about this book. Okay, that’s a lie. I took very minor exception to one of Tabby’s actions near the end of the book, even though objectively I understood the reasoning behind the character’s decision. This particular action drove the story to the end that any reader would’ve come to expect, but I felt it ever so slightly out of sync with the legitimate convictions Tabby’d had previously. Though ultimately, it all just goes to show how much I cared about Tabby by that point to really want to stand up on her behalf! ^_^

I must make note that the book is set in various towns in New Zealand, and the author writes the setting as a wonderfully lush, inviting place. It certainly shows care for the balance between characters, plot, and settings…the last of which is not often a top consideration in contemporary romances.

Bottom Line: The key words for Kiss and Makeup? Charming. Intelligent. Swoon-worthy. ^_^ In short, this story is such an easy read. Easy for a summer day on the beach or a rainy day in the homestead. The plot, setting, and tone are crafted with a deft hand that makes the plot flow effortlessly and convincingly. The characters–the mains in particular–are intelligent and believable, never romantic caricatures. Here’s a book that contemporary romance fans will want to read through and then keep on hand for a burst of the feel-goods. ^_^

I give Kiss and Make Up 5 stars.

****FTC Disclainer. Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Guestpost “Vanity, thy name is woman” by Author Ju Dimello + Giveaway

Susi — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:00:17 +0000

I’m very happy to welcome Ju Dimello here at Book Lovers Inc. I met her ages ago on twitter and when she recently told me that she sold her first book I knew we had to have here. Ju’s story, Fiery Icicle is a paranormal romance with fae and demons and it will not only make your toes curl. Please give Ju a warm welcome and don’t miss your chance to win the book!

Vanity, thy name is woman

Actually though Shakespeare didn’t write anything about Vanity, that particular statement kinda describes women perfectly. I <3 all things girly! I love window-shopping more often than not and don’t even remind me of those dog-eared pages in the magazines I get my hands on J

From lingerie to jewels, not to forget clothes and footwear, anything / everything captures my attention… And the fun part of writing a story is that, we get to play dress-up with characters (instead of Barbie dolls) Though my characters are paranormal, that doesn’t make them any different when it comes to clothing. And the perks? I spend hours surfing the internet to find something appropriate for them to wear

Though majority of the times the heroes do look yummy with just a pair of jeans and T-shirt and prefer the heroine to wear minimal stuffs or better yet, nothing at all , the onus is on my head (or I consider it so) to ensure the heroine wears enough to tempt and taunt the hero I love me some smoldering seduction game, especially in books. How about you?

I thought I’d share a short version of the blurb and excerpt of Fiery Icicle, my debut release, while a longer one can be enjoyed at : http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10002-fiery-icicle.aspx

Blurb:

Madeline is hoping the lust she shares with half-fae Zach will soon turn into something more permanent. Until Nathanial comes along, claiming to be her appointed guardian, only to strip her veneer of civility with blatant sexuality. In a race against time across the snow-covered mountains of Switzerland to join Zach, they face not only a threat to their lives, but also a dangerous whirlpool of forbidden emotions.

Zach Sinclair considers himself the luckiest fae to have Madeline in his life. They scorch the sheets when they’re together, but when she comes to him with the scent of Nathanial stamped all over, all bets are off. And when Madeline finds out about the unique bond Zach and Nathanial share, it may drive her away from them forever.

This story contains a half-fae intent on claiming his woman, a half-demon bent on resisting her and a passion that’s hot enough to melt the alpine snow

Excerpt:

He tugged the band restraining her silken strawberry-blonde curls, nipping her lower lip before sucking on it. His pulse soared when she moaned and opened her mouth for a searing kiss.

Nothing else mattered except the moment. All of a sudden, she stiffened and squirmed. He held her tighter when she abruptly shoved his chest and reared back.

“Zach, we…” She trailed off, glancing around, appearing as bereft as he at the loss of contact. Her tousled hair, plump lips and glazed eyes made her seem like a woman well loved, and he hadn’t even started yet.

“Need this,” he finished, reaching for her.

She gave in, nails digging into his shoulders, their ragged breaths mingling as one. Her fiery curls surrounded them in a shining halo, filtering most of the fluorescent light. He ran a finger down the enticing column of her throat as she bent over him. Her cleavage enticed him to near madness. He wanted to bury his face in the beckoning temptation nestled amidst the glinting jewel of her halter-top.

He leaned forward in a sensual haze, but then the pilot’s voice over the speakers registered in his addled mind. He couldn’t ravish her in the middle of an airport, though his primal instincts screamed otherwise.

Of course the halter top must be pink What do you say? I’d love to hear from you! Come find me at the following places.
Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook

Buy Fiery Icicle at: EC website, Amazon, ARe
About the Author:

Ju Dimello has two vices. First: Tall, dark, and brooding heroes. Second? Torturing them until they agree to a happily ever after.

To compensate for having been a proverbial geek—complete with thick glasses(she now wears contacts), Ju does the dutiful wife job by day and vents her emotions during the night by writing. Why night, one might ask? That’s when her rugged heroes are tamed by strong, sensuous heroines… one spicy adventure at a time. Better than devouring chunks of decadent chocolate or indulging in extra-cheese pizza to tempt the taste buds? Well, almost…

She doesn’t drink, not even coffee(Oh so boring, right?). Instead, she finds her passion for writing sizzling hot romances better than any stimulating beverages to fortify her through the cold, Canadian winters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Giveaway~~

Ju has generously offered an copy of Fiery Icicle to one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is answer Ju’s question or leave a question for her.

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, May 26th, 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

Review: Running with the Pack by Ekaterina Sedia

Draconismoi — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:00:54 +0000

Format Read: ebook

Number of Pages: 339

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Anthology

Publisher: Prime Books

Formats Available: ebook, paperback

Purchasing Info: Author, Amazon, Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Remember the werewolves of classic stories and films, those bloodthirsty monsters that transformed under the full moon, reminding us of the terrible nature that lives within all of us? Today’s werewolves are much more suave – and even sexy – and they’ve moved from British moors to New York City lofts, shaved, and got jobs. But as the tales of these writers will show you, they remain no less wild and passionate, and they still tug at the part of our being where a wild animal used to be. Running With the Pack includes stories from Carrie Vaughn, Laura Anne Gilman, and C.E. Murphy, and they will convince you that despite their gentrification, werewolves remain as fascinating and terrifying as ever.

My Thoughts:

Why did I buy this book? It’s Susi’s fault. She told me this kick ass cover was all Romancy. In revenge I decided to read about WOLVES. But I couldn’t decide on what kind of wolf. Werewolf, direwolf, talking wolf, psychic wolf, cursed wolf, heritable wolf, angry wolf, mopey wolf, wolf in sheep’s clothing….. so many choices. I settled on the wolf-tasting menu. Why pick one when I can have them all? MWHAHAHAH!

Note: Not really sure how to review an anthology. Each story gets its own commentary, and then I’ll rate the collection as a whole.

*****

Wild Ride by Carrie Vaughn: I think this is a Kitty-verse story. But a wicked boring one. Zzzz. Skip it. (-)

Side Effects May Include by Steve Duffy: Racism and other bullshit imperialism. (-)

Comparison of (Title Longer than the Story) by Marie Brennan: This is utterly hilarious. Granted, I’ve spent quite a bit of time buried in academia reading dry studies. I also greatly enjoyed it when the public health commissions starting making plans for zombie outbreaks. (+)

The Beautiful Gelreesh by Jeffrey Ford: Yes, I get it. People are easily duped. This is literary fiction at it’s worst. I can pratically hear myself arguing with an Lit professor over endless nuances and hidden meanings. (-)

Skin in the Game by Samantha Henderson: Hahahahah. That’s one way to add spice to game night. And vet your new players. Somebody introduce these ladies to poker and start casting for the television series. (+)

Blended by C.E. Murphy: Now this is how Regency Romance should be done. No mindless drivel about clothes. Lots of bloodshed. I want the whole story of Marketa’s childhood! Show those snobby English bitches what’s what. (+)

Locked Doors by Stephanie Burgis: Intriguing. Family Loyalty vs. Survival. One glaring flaw though lady; you really think 30 cans of soup will last your kid for a year? Moving past the poor comprehension of a child’s dietary requirements, I want MORE. Please be a companion piece to a book, please be a….damnit! (+)

Werelove by Laura Anne Gilman: Way to take the figurative blood from the Courtroom and make it literal. I need to start distributing this story to my clients. If you are going to throw-down, then THROW-DOWN. (+)

In Sheep’s Clothing by Molly Tanzer: Sometimes political scifi makes you think. Sometimes it’s preachy. This one is so preachy I needed to go eat some fastfood off a plate coated in toxins from the 3^rd world sweatshop it was manufactured in. (-)

Royal Bloodlines by Mike Resnick: Never read a Lucifier Jones book. This did not inspire me to seek one out. (-)

The Dire Wolf by Genevieve Valentine: I dislike indecisiveness. Make up your bloody mind already. Whine, whine, whine. It’s your fault you’re miserable, and you are trying to make me suffer with you. Whatever. Go find a tar pit to swim in. (-)

Take Back the Night by Lawrence Schimel: I love the idea of an all night bookstore! With or without the werewolves. I am so into this setting that all plot holes are instantly forgiven. On a side note, super-irritated that the feminist-all-night-bookstore-owner things she’s a conservative pissing in the face of her dreams. (+)

Mongrel by Maria V. Snyder: BRILLIANT! This, right here. Totally worth the whole damn anthology. Thankfully it’s the first one I read. If I’d started at the beginning like a normal person, I probably wouldn’t have kept going. Everyone, go get this book, and read this story. Right now. Then write to Maria Snyder requesting she turn this into a full-length novel. Go old school and use pen and paper. Authors appreciate eccentricity, right? (+)

Deadfall by Karen Everson: Kicking ass and taking names. Love it. This is small town life. Every small town needs a werewolf who will go around breaking the bizarre hold misogynist racist assholes hold over the weak-willed. Then we’d have fewer problems down the line with the Good Ole’ Boys club sweeping things under the rug. In fact, we have an opening in Kenai. Any angry werewolf ladies want to move to the tundra and terrorize perverts for me? I have a spare bedroom. And our building is dog-friendly. (+)

Red Riding Hood’s Child by N.K. Jemisin: Very nice. Taking the Red Riding Hood = woman embracing her own sexuality in the face of Puritanical pressures motif to it’s logical conclusion. Also, TAKE THAT sexual predators! (+)

Are you a Vampire or a Goblin Geoffrey H. Goodwin: Why is this even in a book about werewolves? The werewolf bit was tacked on at the end. (Oopsy, I’m writing a werewolf story. Better toss some howling and fur in there.) I’d have preferred an answer to the title question. (-)

The Pack and the Pickup Artist by Mike Brotherton: No. Just no. (-)

The Garden, the Moon, The Wall by Amanda Downum: I’m digging the Greek mythology references, but where the hell are my wolves? (-)

Blamed for Trying to Live by Jesse Bullington: I find it hard to believe an avowed vegan would seek out lycanthropy out of boredom without considering the dietary consequences. (-)

The Barony at Rodal by Peter Bell: Nazi Werewolves make great B-movies, and interminably long short-stories. (-)

Inside Out by Ezrebet Yellowboy: Tragic and lovely. Very reminiscent of Robin McKinley. The story closes totally unresolved, but with enough to let you know how heartbreaking the next 40 years will be for these people. Just the way it is in real life. (+)

Gestella by Susan Palwick: What the…..that ASSHOLE! I want vengeance! I want to paint the walls with his blood! I want him to SUFFER! WHY DOES HE NOT SUFFER?! (+)

*****

And the verdict is……

Huh.

Half awesome, half crap. I was hoping for something a bit more, you know, definitive. So I could passionately order you all to read it. Or vehemently revile the time wasted on compiling this collection.

In the end, this anthology is a good sampler of the multitude of subgenres available within werewolf fiction. Start reading from the back. The last story is one of the best. But be prepared to leave wanting more. Only 2 of these stories take place in established fictional universes. The rest are tantalizing scraps of non-existent novels.

I give Running With the Pack 4 stars. Though it was a 50/50 split on worthwhile vs. worthless, the good so completely trumped the bad, that I’ll bump it up to B.

New Releases: May 14 – 20, 2012

Alisha — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:00:02 +0000

A Patch of Darkness (Sierra Fox, #1) Yolanda Sfetsos

All it takes is one weak seam for everything to fall apart.

In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift.

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix (YA)
As Dead As It Gets (Bad Girls Don’t Die, #3) by Katie Alender (YA)
Bare-Naked Lola (A Lola Cruz Mystery #3) by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez

Edge of Light by Cynthia Justlin
Gilt by Katherine Longshore (YA)
Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

I Couldn’t Love You More by Jillian Medoff
Immortal Hearts (Vampire Kisses, #9) by Ellen Schreiber (YA)
Kiss the Morning Star by Elissa Janine Hoole (YA)

Lustfully Ever After: Fairy Tale Erotic Romance, ed. Kristina Wright (anthology)
Murder in Miami (The Cuban Trilogy, #2) by Noel Hynd
Nailed to the Wall by Jayne Rylon

Railsea by China Miéville (YA)
Smoke (Lydia Strong, #4) by Lisa Unger (YA)
The Siren’s Song (Romancing the Pirate #3) by Jennifer Bray-Weber

…and all was quite on the bookish front. ^_^ This particular week is certainly bringing a softer wave of releases, and the majority of them are in young adult and middle grade categories. There is somewhat of a genre range throughout the YA selections, from urban fantasy to science fiction to realistic fiction to fantasy.

I’ve been long waiting for A Patch of Darkness (new urban fantasy series with a kick-butt heroine–yay!!!) But one book’s premise caught me by total surprise, in a great way: Railsea by China Miéville. Talk about a new and original premise–the book description felt a little bit like reading the poem “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll. ^_^ Twisted and imaginative, that is!

Any surprises or last-minute additions to your TBR list this week? What does it take for you to take serious notice of a book via its description and or cover (without a recommendation)?

Explore This! Eigg and Mallaig, Scotland

Jackie — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:00:46 +0000

In my wildest dreams, I have all the money I could want and I’m able to buy myself a cottage in Scotland. This fantasy has been fueled even further in my current read, Midnight’s Master by Donna Grant. The story takes off from Mallaig in Scotland, which is also the harbour you would travel from to reach Eigg. Once I started looking for pictures of the area, I got all dreamy-eyed at the thought of a quaint life in Scotland *huge sigh*.

Eigg is a small island in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. With a population of 67 (according to Wiki), I certainly wouldn’t have to worry about busy body neighbours, right? But with it’s small number of inhabitants, it makes it a great place for a greener living, environmentally speaking as well as with regards to the lush scenery.

Mallaig is no less picturesque, with it’s harbour and town. It is “the main commercial fishing port on the West Coast of Scotland” (according to Wiki) and a busy port with ferries heading out the islands of the Inner Hebrides. Let’s take a look and I’ll see if I can convince you to visit too :

A warm welcome as soon as you step off the ferry.

A lovely aerial view that makes Eigg look quite remote.

This is the embodiment of my dreams, with the stone wall, the cottage, and the beautiful sea view.

Eigg seems to be a popular destination for photographers, with stunning shots like this.

What's any place in Scotland without ancient stone buildings?

To add some mystery in the mix, Eigg has its own standing stones too.

The harbour at Mallaig.

I couldn't resist this image from Mallaig. It's just so Gothic and wonderful!

A view from the road to Mallaig.

One way of travelling to Mallaig is by train. Does it look familiar? (Hint: Hogwarts Express took the same route )

More romanticizing from me about the mist covering the land. Do you all think maybe I read too much? (Never!)

Have I convinced you that Eigg and Mallaig are must-travel destinations? I’ve personally never been there but on my next trip to Scotland, you can be sure I’ll be visiting! Let me know if any of you out there have already visited too. I’d love to hear!

Review: Last Car to Annwn Station by Michael Merriam

Draconismoi — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:02 +0000

Format Read: ebook from Author

Number of Pages: 326

Release Date: June 27, 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Carina Press

Formats Available: ebook, audiobook

Purchasing Info: Author, Goodreads, Amazon

Book Blurb:

“The fare is ten cents, miss.”

Mae Malveaux, an attorney with Minneapolis Child Protective Services, is burnt-out, tired and frustrated. Passing on an invite from Jill, her flirtatious coworker, Mae just wants a quiet night in. Leaving the office late, she’s surprised to find the Heritage Line streetcars up and running and hops aboard, eager for a quick trip home. But this is no ordinary streetcar. Death is one of its riders, and Mae is thrust into Annwn, a realm of magic and danger.

“Your transfer, miss. You’ll need that.”

Mae’s life is turned upside down as human and fae worlds collide. Her budding relationship with Jill takes a perilous turn when they are hunted by mythical beasts, and Mae is drawn into a deadly power struggle. With Jill at her side, Mae must straddle both worlds and fight a war she barely comprehends, for not only does the fate of Annwn rest in her hands, but the lives of both a human and fae child…

My Thoughts:

Think about your all-time favorite TV show. The one that spans multiple seasons, spent considerable time on character development and world-building, and still managed to hook you every week with an edge-of-your-seat plot.

Now go back and watch the pilot episode. Come on, I know you own all the DVDs.

You love this show. You wrote fan-fiction in high school, and dressed up as one of the characters for Halloween. But you haven’t watched the pilot in awhile, because it kinda bites. (Prime examples include: Buffy, Alias, the X-Files, and Doctor Who). How can this be YOUR show? You see the potential for awesome, there are some great scenes, but overall … meh.

This is the same feeling you get with the first part of Last Car to Annwn Station. It’s rushed, the characters feel like cardboard cutouts, and the leading ladies “flirting” is painful. Not painful in a humiliatingly realistic fashion. Just painful:

“Do you know most of the guys in the office think you’re a lesbian?”

Mae raised an eyebrow. While they had never talked specifically about sex, Mae was pretty sure Jill knew. “I am.”

Jill shrugged. “I know. I’m just telling you what the office gossip is.”

Ow. Owowowow. My brain hurts. HOW is this flirting? Does Jill think Mae is closeted and is warning her she needs to get herself a beard? Or does participating in office gossip about Mae’s sex life count as flirtatious banter?

No. Just no. (Anyone interested in a fantastically developed relationship between leading queer characters that realistically handles past trauma and societal pressures should read Laurie Marks’ Fire Logic)

We stumble along for a bit with Mae and Jill. They don’t have any depth. You won’t care about them. Sure, they are the Good Guys, but Zzzzzz…. You’ll wake up whenever we get glimpses of a different point-of-view character. She is weird, cryptic, and either crazy-dangerous or dangerously-crazy. More, more, more. NO, stupid book! I don’t WANT to read about Mae and Jill’s decision to embrace every lesbian cliche and move-in together right away. GAH! (This is the point where I throw a paper book across the room, or slam the computer shut).

So I stuck it out. Things picked up after a bit and got more interesting. Once the author stopped trying so hard to tell me who Mae and Jill were, and just let me discover it by throwing them in this bizarre world of fae and magic in the Twin Cities, I stopped rolling my eyes, and started caring about what was going on.

I see sequel potential here – particularly one that gives my favorite point-of-view character top billing. (There are 3 first person POV characters in the book. Mae gets most of the screen time, but you get to spend a little time inside Jill’s head, and my very favorite mystery woman. See above re: crazy-dangerous or dangerously-crazy.)

You should read Last Car to Annwyn Station if you think Lost Girl would be vastly improved if Bo and Kenzi finally caught on to how useless Dyson is, ditched his furry ass, and started getting shit done. Or if One Salt Sea bummed you out because Toby didn’t just plant one on May.

In sum, I give Last Car to Annwyn Station 3 stars. If I were nicer, like Marlene, I’d probably go up to 3.5 stars since the last half of the book was so much better than the beginning. But I am a cruel and vicious task-mistress. I don’t forgive mediocre starts just because they end on a blaze of glory.

(Apologies to all Book Lovers. This review has been sitting in my harddrive for ~~a month~~ two months. Along with a couple others. I write them, and then they don’t just magically appear on the site. Susi needs to patch me into the telepathic network available to the full time reviewers. I’m sure it exists. How else could reviews appear at regularly spaced intervals all week?)

Interview Author Gini Koch + Giveaway

Susi — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:55 +0000

We are very happy to welcome G. J. Koch here today. Most of you might now her under one of her under pen names e.g. Gini Koch. Her latest novel, Alexander Outland: Space Pirate is a hell of a ride and today she will tell us a bit her novel and the world it is set in. She also has a giveaway in tow so be sure to take your chance to win your own copy.

BLI: Gini, can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

G. J.: I live in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, Arizona) with my husband, three cats (aka the Killer Kitties) and three dogs (aka the Canine Death Squad), and one very spoiled daughter, who admits to being spoiled, but likes to point out that the pets are more spoiled than she is…which is probably true. The chicklet is heading to law school this year, making her mamma very proud.

Before I started writing I had hobbies and interests. Now? Um…I’m really interested in meeting all my deadlines and my hobby is sleep, which I don’t get to do very often anymore.

BLI: Gini, you’re writing under numerous pseudonyms. Why did you or your publishers decide to go that route? And how do you come up with them?

G. J.: I write in every genre and my voices are different, which is why I have pen names. Your name is your commitment to your readers, and they deserve to get the tone and general story they expect from you when they see your name.

G.J. Koch is very close to Gini Koch in voice and tone, but there are differences. There were enough differences that Night Shade wanted to keep Alexander Outland: Space Pirate coming from G.J. Koch, and since that was the name I’d written it under, I was pleased with their decision (and still am).

I have long stories for how I come up with my various pen names (which would be a full on long post just by itself), but each name means something to me, and each name helps me write in “their” voice. (And that’s all we’ll say about the interesting inner workings of my mind. For now. LOL)

BLI: You are very active in socializing not only on the main social networks but also on your own newsletter. It’s always a party at the Hook Me Up Gang. Why is reader/author interaction so important for you?

G. J.: For me, my readers and my fans are my crack. I love my fans. And, therefore, I like to interact with my fans. Without people reading my books, I’m writing for myself only. I do write for myself first, but if you’re publishing, the goal is to have others read and like what you write.

Before Touched by an Alien came out, I honestly didn’t expect to have fans, to have people who were talking to me about my books after they’d read them. I expected people to read and enjoy the books, I just didn’t expect anyone to personally tell me about it. The moment someone did, and then a bunch of someones did, it really altered my reality, in a great way. So, these days, to me, having reader/author interaction just seems natural. And I wouldn’t want to give it up for anything. ANYTHING. (I told you, my fans are my crack, LOL)

BLI: Your novels genres vary widely – do you have a favorite genre to write in? And is that the same one you prefer to read yourself?

G. J.: You know, it’s kind of funny — when I look at our library at home (and yes, we converted our spare bedroom into a library/closet so we could store more books that way), it’s a pretty even mix of almost every genre out there. I tend to go in phases, reading all I can get in one genre and then switching to another and doing the same thing.

As for writing, I like all the genres there, too. It’s one of the reasons I have all those pen names. I enjoy getting to write something dark and then write something funny, many times in the same day, or same hour. And after writing humor for a good stretch, nothing feels better than writing something in the horror genre. (What can I say? I have, as stated before, an interesting mind.)

It’s a big smorgasbord of options out there and I like trying them all.

BLI: Your new book Alexander Outland: Space Pirate is, as the name suggests, a science fiction novel. What is the appeal of science fiction for you? Where does your love for this genre come from?

G. J.: My love of the genre came from my grandmother. We’re all mega-readers in my family: we read fast, and we read everything, including the back of the cereal box and other labels. But my grandmother LOVED science fiction, especially the hard stuff, because she felt that whatever the human mind could imagine, the human mind could create. And she’s been proved right again and again.

If you’d asked me what I’d end up writing the most, though, when I started writing, I’d have told you fantasy. But I have far less fantasy out there than science fiction, or any other genre at the moment, so all I can say is that I read everything but I seem to filter a majority of it into science fiction. Probably because of my grandmother’s influence.

BLI: Tell us about the world this new series is set in? What makes your world tick?

G. J.: The Alexander Outland series is set in the Milky Way galaxy…but it’s set in the far future, when space travel is as common as intercontinental travel is now.

And that’s what makes it tick, so to speak. There are a lot of planets out there, and Earthlings have managed to get to all of them and join their genetics into the overall gene pool as much as possible. Each planet has its own identity, phrases, and way of looking at things, but ultimately people haven’t changed that much.

This series has no connection to my Alien series — they exist in completely different versions of the galaxy. But, as in the Alien series, there’s always some megalomaniac trying to take over the world and make things tough on an honest pirate and his crew who just want to steal and smuggle in peace.

BLI: What can we expect of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate?

G. J.: In Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, trouble’s brewing out in space, and Alexander Outland — the least likely hero in the galaxy — and his eccentric crew have to save the day, despite the fact they’d prefer to take the money and run.

Alexander Napoleon Outland is the best pilot, and ladies’ man, in the galaxy. But Nap, as his friends call him, is more than that — he’s a schemer with a heart of gold he desperately wants to hide, a soft spot for other people’s cargo and his exotic weapon’s chief, and the unerring ability to find the biggest misfit on any planet or space station and somehow join that person onto his crew.

Nap’s not your classic hero, but that tends to make him the right guy for the job…whatever the job happens to be. He’s also a whole lot of fun to fly with, as long as you don’t mind near-death experiences.

There are aliens, explosions, telepaths, donkeys, space pirates of all kinds, and a galaxy-wide conspiracy. And the most horrifying “underwater” trip any crew’s had to face in a long, long while. But mostly, there are laughs.

BLI: Captain Alexander Napoleon Outland, aka Nap, isn’t only a pirate, he’s so much more. To make it a bit harder on you: how would you describe him while only using other fictional characters’ (or maybe actors’) attributes (e.g. as hairy as Chewbacca *wink*)?

G. J.: Oh, this one’s EASY. (Thanks for the easy question, your check is in the mail.)

Nap’s as handsome as Green Lantern/Ryan Reynolds and Captain America/Chris Evans, combined. A better pilot than Han Solo. As good a pirate and smuggler as Han and Malcolm Reynolds, with both of their morals. Nap also has Jack Sparrow’s ability to think several moves ahead of everyone else. Oh, and he has the mouthiness of Katherine “Kitty” Katt. ;-D

BLI: The crew on this ship is a real conglomerate of interesting characters. Can you tell us about them? And I know it’s like asking for your favorite child, but who’s your favorite and why?

Well, the crew of the Sixty-Nine is made up of misfits and outcasts who, when put together, are stronger and better as a group than the sum of their individual parts. To say much more would give away a lot of the book, so I won’t. Other than to say that they’re all cool and fun and most of them surprised the hell out of me as I was writing the book.

As for my favorite, that is hard to pick, but I’d have to go with Nap, because without him, I wouldn’t have a story. And I do love the Outland.

BLI: Will there be more books in this series?

G. J.: I certainly hope so! Much of that’s up to Night Shade, but I “see” in series, and I certainly see at least a trilogy for this series, probably more. (Master, aka my hindbrain, who runs everything, is sharing that it’s six books, easy. LOL)

BLI: What is next on your schedule? Any other release we should keep our eyes open for?

G. J.: Alien vs. Alien, Book 6 in my Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series from DAW Books/Penguin releases December 4, 2012, and Alien in the House and Alien Collective release respectively in April and December 2013. The next installment of my Martian Alliance series with Musa Publishing, Three Card Monte, will release just as soon as I finish it and get it turned in to my editor (yes, Musa’s waiting on me, not the other way around).

BLI: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

G. J.: They’re the best books ever written and a deal at twice the price! (Hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying.)

Okay, how about this: They’re funny, they’re fun, and they’re sexy.

BLI: Can you summarize Alexander Outland: Space Pirate for us twitterstyle (140 characters or less)?

G. J.: It’s the best book ever written and a deal at twice the price! (Hey, you still can NOT blame a girl for trying!)

No? (Geez, this is hard.) Okay, how about this:

See Nap & his crew take on a military planet, a pirate armada, the craziest animal lover around & the worst underwater trip EVER – & survive.

BLI: What kind of books/genres do you like to read? Any favorite authors/novels you’d recommend

G. J.: I read in every genre. My favorite living author is Terry Pratchett, and I heartily recommend his Discworld series. Beyond that, there are so many authors I like, and so many authors I know now, that it’s really difficult to recommend them all, in part because there’s not enough room or time, and in other part because I don’t want to leave someone off the list and hurt feelings.

Basically, while I have met books I didn’t like, that doesn’t mean that someone else didn’t love them, so I tend to say what my grandmother said, which was, “Read everything, because you’ll get something out of even what you consider the worst book, even if you don’t realize it at the time.”

BLI: Can you share with us some little secret trivia, something that not many people know about you?

G. J.: I used to be almost cripplingly shy. Then I realized that everyone’s afraid and everyone just wants someone to smile and say “hi” to them and I decided to shove the shy into a corner and keep it there. Where it has stayed.

About the Book:

Captain Alexander Outland of the Sixty-Nine (short for Space Vessel 3369, of course) is the best pilot in the galaxy. He’s also a pirate, a smuggler, and loved and loathed by women in umpteen solar systems. His crew of strays and misfits includes an engineer of dubious sanity, a deposed planetary governor, an annoyingly unflappable Sexbot copilot, and a slinky weapons chief who stubbornly refuses to give the captain a tumble. Outland just wants to make a decent living skirting the law, but when an invisible space armada starts cutting into his business, he soon finds himself in hot water with the military, the mob, mad bombers, and an extended family of would-be conquerors. And that’s not counting an occasionally telepathic spy . . . . Like any sensible scoundrel, he hates heroics. They’re risky and they don’t pay well. But to keep his ship and crew in one piece, and make time with a certain hard-to-get weapons chief, he might just have to make an exception-and save the galaxy in spite of himself!

About the Author:

G.J. Koch writes science fiction. Not the hard stuff, though. Because that requires actual scientific knowledge or at least actual scientific research. Knowledge may be power and research may be cool, but they take time away from writing jokes, action, and romance, and being witty in the face of death is what it’s really all about. Check out G.J.’s rollicking Alexander Outland: Space Pirate series from Night Shade Books and reach G.J. at Space…the Funny Frontier.

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~~Giveaway~~

G.J. has generously offered an copy of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate to a lucky commenter!

(paperback for US/ ebook copy for international winner)

All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about the interview or ask G. J. a question.

(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, May 26th, 2012; we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!

Sunday Cravings

Anna — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:00:53 +0000

How are you my fellow Book Lovers? How was this week for you? Any great books you read and want to share? Mine was a really slow as far as reading is concerned week. Too slow but I kind of needed a small break

This week there aren’t that many releases but still, there are a couple of books we can’t help but drool over, no news here!

So, let’s start:

Marlene and Alisha: A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos

In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, Sierra finds herself the target of a power-sucking duo intent on stealing her mojo. And realizing she holds the key to the last hope of sealing the widening rift.

Product Warnings: Spook catching: may contain traces of ectoplasm and otherworldly nasties. Not recommended for those with allergies to ghosts, demons, and with boyfriends who think your power is theirs. While reading, avoid dark patches and stay to the light.

Marlene: Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos is on my TBR pile. I’ve been meaning to try something by her, and this is the first book in a series, so it’s a good place to jump in!

Alisha: I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this series opener. The protagonist sounds like a female Ghostbuster! ^_^ And it looks like there’s plenty of madness and mayhem to keep the entertainment factor high. I’m a huge fan of kick-butt heroines, and Sierra Fox will most certainly fit the bill.

Anna: Guarding Jess by Shannon Curtis

Jessica Pennington’s work as an etiquette coach requires her to be polite and proper at all times, especially now that she has a book coming out. The only thing that rattles her reserve is the increasingly violent emails and texts from her persistent stalker. With the book launch in jeopardy, she reluctantly hires a bodyguard.

Noah Samuels hates stuck-up, prim people like Jessica. He’s more the blunt, straightforward type. But to advance up the ranks at McCormack Security, he has to take the high-profile assignment. After a near miss on his first day on the job, Noah realizes that the stalker isn’t just hype cooked up to sell books-the threat is real.

As the stalker escalates from letters to letter bombs, Noah sees a vulnerable side of Jessica that rouses more than just his protective instincts. But can she let down her guard long enough to trust Noah before it’s too late?

As soon as I read this premise I just knew I had to read this one! After all, most of Carina Press’s releases I have read, disn’t disappoint me in the least.

What about you Book Lovers? Which are your Sunday Cravings for this week?

The Pre-Summer Winner Post

Stella — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:00:32 +0000

Source: ComputerWeekly.com

Hey Everyone!

Though it was only the first week of May where I live it has been so hot and sunny everyone felt like summer had come early this year. With the temperature rising to 27-30 degrees C everyone wanted to enjoy the beautiful weather and spend as much time outdoors as possible. The terraces of the restaurants and the parsk are full at lunch time, and it is funny seeing colleagues start to have a tan just from spending their lunch break out in the fresh air

I just love it when the weather is nice and warm, especially when I’m reading a particularly gripping book that I can take a sandwich and spend my lunch break on a bench in the park reading my lunch hour away. I remember exactly that’s how I devoured Gini Koch’s Touched by an Alien on a sunny park bench at Friday noon about 2 years ago. Let me just say that lunch break flew by quicker than it usually does

How do you spend your lunch breaks in the summer? Do you like to go outside and soak up the sun? Do you read sometimes?

But if you haven’t been as lucky as I have with the weather here are this week’s winners as consolation prize:

Congratulations to

ETA: a lot of winners failed to reply to our e-mails so we had to redraw. New winners have been notified via e-mail as well.

the lucky winner of a West of Want bookmark and the romance trading cards for North of Need and West of Want is:

Shadow

the lucky winner of the $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card offered by karen Erickson is:

~~Stacie Switek~~ Jennifer Bielman

the lucky winners of a copy of If I Fall by Kate Noble are:

~~Monikarw~~ Evie

~~Jennifer~~ Joy Gifford

the lucky winner of an ebook copy of Hunting the Shadows by Alexia Reed is:

~~Susan Saxx~~ as Susan already has a copy, the new winner is Marg

the lucky winner of a copy of Demon’s Bride by Zoe Archer is:

Tamsyn

Congratulations winners, you have been notified by e-mail of your win. You have 72 hours to get back to us, or we’ll have to draw a new winner.

Make the most of your Sunday everyone!

Book Lovers Inc.

Romance and Me: I need my fix RIGHT NOW! or Reading Withdrawal Symptoms

Review: Kiss and Make Up by Faye Robertson

Guestpost “Vanity, thy name is woman” by Author Ju Dimello + Giveaway

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Review: Running with the Pack by Ekaterina Sedia

New Releases: May 14 – 20, 2012

Explore This! Eigg and Mallaig, Scotland

Review: Last Car to Annwn Station by Michael Merriam

Interview Author Gini Koch + Giveaway

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Sunday Cravings

The Pre-Summer Winner Post

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~~Giveaway~~

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~~Giveaway~~