Hello all and welcome back to your one stop shopping place for great bookish giveaways. Whether you want to enter one already listed or post a new one, we’re happy to see you either way. Have a great rest of the weekend!
And, please let us know if you’ve won anything recently; the Book Lovers would love to hear! As book lovers, we’re happy to spread the word…and the love 😉 Good luck to everyone!
Here’s the fine print for entering your link: Guidelines: If you have a giveaway you would like to share with our other readers, the rules are simple: 1. The giveaway MUST be available to international addresses (Book Depository does count) 2. Add your link below, in the format shown. (Please use the URL for the contest post, not a general blog URL; you don’t want to make it tricky for others trying to enter) 3. Expired ...]]>
Hello all and welcome back to your one stop shopping place for great bookish giveaways. Whether you want to enter one already listed or post a new one, we’re happy to see you either way. Have a great rest of the weekend!
And, please let us know if you’ve won anything recently; the Book Lovers would love to hear! As book lovers, we’re happy to spread the word…and the love Good luck to everyone!
Here’s the fine print for entering your link:
Guidelines:
If you have a giveaway you would like to share with our other readers, the rules are simple:
1. The giveaway MUST be available to international addresses (Book Depository does count)
2. Add your link below, in the format shown. (Please use the URL for the contest post, not a general blog URL; you don’t want to make it tricky for others trying to enter)
3. Expired contests will be removed during my weekly cleaning, but remember to come back with any new entries
4. Add our blog button to share the love even more! (Not required but we’d sure appreciate sharing the word even more )
First up, Goodreads has clarified their guidelines about their new shelving and reviewing policy which they outlined in their Feedback forum. They also have apologised and emailed to the affected members whose reviews and shelves were deleted a few weeks ago when the new policy was implemented. They also have offered to try to regain those shelves/reviews from a backup server so the users could back up their copies of their deleted data. Although many have remarked this was too little and too late to undo the damage and damaged trust about posting reviews on the site.
Meanwhile, one of their competitors, Booklikes, who seem to ...]]>
First up, Goodreads has clarified their guidelines about their new shelving and reviewing policy which they outlined in their Feedback forum. They also have apologised and emailed to the affected members whose reviews and shelves were deleted a few weeks ago when the new policy was implemented. They also have offered to try to regain those shelves/reviews from a backup server so the users could back up their copies of their deleted data. Although many have remarked this was too little and too late to undo the damage and damaged trust about posting reviews on the site.
Meanwhile, one of their competitors, Booklikes, who seem to be the popular choice for Goodreads refugees have come out and posted their own guidelines about shelving and reviews. As well as outlying their policies on trolling and personal attacks, users who break the rules will be downvoted and have a ‘hidden’ status among the public feed and only their friends will be able to view their activity. And compared to Goodreads, Booklikes are more open to suggestions from their members and are implementing new features every week from hidden and exclusive shelves.
Some of you know that I have succumbed and bought books with wtfery factor, just to see the trainwreck first hand and then need a good dose of the brain bleach afterwards. Well it looks like this has gone mainstream, because dinoerotica is going mainstream. The books written by two authors who have produced a series of 17 page litefuckery classics such as TAKEN BY THE T-REX. I thought the Iguana type alien bondage erotica book I read last year was bad, or the hentai tentacles, the Monster Mash or Big Foot series which is a whole new sub-genre in the erotica section on Amazon and other sites. But I don’t think you can beat dinoerotica which since has gone viral and is selling well. I am just scared what else is on the horizon because WTFERY does sell.
This is a very bad year for major authors dying young, but the sad news that bestselling thriller author, Tom Clancy died earlier this week in hospital. He wrote seventeen novels and there is an upcoming movie adaptions of one his novels, which features one his most popular characters, JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT which is out this December.
News in Brief:
The trailer for THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, the second Hobbit movie was released this week and it looks EPIC!
Sylvia Day has posted the blurb for CAPTIVATED BY YOU on her website, although no news on its release.
Julie Kagawa announced a brand new series which will focus on Dragons on her website. The first book in the TALON series will come out next year.
And now for books to watch out for!
Amy Plum has a brand new series starting next year. AFTER THE END which is set in a post World War 3 setting which is becoming a popular premise at the moment.
World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They’ve survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.
At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.
When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.
Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she’s trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.
MISTWALKER by Saundra Walker sounds very atmospheric and eerie which I likey!
When Willa Dixon’s brother dies on the family lobster boat, her father forbids Willa from stepping foot on the deck again. With her family suffering, she’ll do anything to help out—even visiting the Grey Man.
Everyone in her small Maine town knows of this legendary spirit who haunts the lighthouse, controlling the fog and the fate of any vessel within his reach. But what Willa finds in the lighthouse isn’t a spirit at all, but a young man trapped inside until he collects one thousand souls.
Desperate to escape his cursed existence, Grey tries to seduce Willa to take his place. With her life on land in shambles, will she sacrifice herself?
And finally we have SALVAGE which had me at hello with the blurb and cover!
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Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood.
Stella: Hi Diana, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! 🙂 Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Diana: Hi Stella, thanks for having me! Let’s see…I’m a former television reporter who decided to start ...]]>
Stella: Hi Diana, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?
Diana: Hi Stella, thanks for having me! Let’s see…I’m a former television reporter who decided to start writing romance novels after falling in love with the genre upon discovering it about six years ago. I live on the East Coast and am married with two sons. I also still work in journalism, as a Web Editor for an international news organization.
Stella: Are you a planner or pantser? Can you tell us a bit about your writing process? How do your novels come to life?
Diana: I was a total pantser when I started out but then I entered a number of unpublished contests which required a synopsis that outlined the entire novel. That’s when I started planning the story basics before writing the book. Now, I think I’m a little of both. I start out with an outline but sometimes the pantser in me comes out and takes the plot in a different, and usually better, direction.
Stella: What do you think is the difference between a reader and a real Book Lover?
Diana: A reader is someone who picks up a book from time to time and is not in any big hurry to finish it. A book lover is someone who borders on the obsessive, who must always be reading something and who chooses to read a book over TV, movies and pretty much anything else most of the time.
Stella: What made you become an author? And why did you decide to pen historical romance stories?
Diana: I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember and, as a journalist, that’s been something I’ve done throughout my career. I’ve always thought it would be great to be a writer but I never had any idea of what type of book I could write. However, once I discovered historical romance novels, something clicked in me and I thought, “I want to write this.”
Stella: Do you have a favourite time period? And why that one?
Diana: I enjoy all time periods. I love to read medieval romances but I’m not sure I could write one well. I am very drawn to the Regency period, which is why Tempting Bella, and the other books in the series, are all based in this time period. I’m fascinated by the social rules and restrictions of this time period, and also by the decadence and extravagance.
Stella: Your first novel, Seducing Charlotte was published by Entangled Publishing in April (and I just LOVED it!!), with Book #2 Tempting Bella having been released just last month, congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about your Accidental Peers series? And why this name for the series, what is the meaning/inspiration behind it?
Diana: Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed Seducing Charlotte. The Accidental Peers series is about a group of brothers and their cousin, who seem to stumble into peerages on their way to finding true love. Each title related directly to the plot of the book.
In Tempting Bella, the hero tries to tempt Bella into giving him a chance to be the husband she deserves. In Seducing Charlotte, the hero plots to seduce Charlotte so that she will have to marry him. In Compromising Willa, the heroine fights the stigma of being a “ruined” woman and finds herself compromised into a betrothal she does not want. In Engaging the Earl, the heroine fights for her first love, who feels he is no longer worthy of her because he has returned from war a changed and–he believes–damaged man.
Stella: And what can our readers expect of Tempting Bella in particular?
Diana: Sebastian and Bella are forced to marry in order to settle a gaming debt between their fathers. They must overcome these less-than-ideal circumstances, including mutual suspicion and distrust, to achieve their happily ever after. But it is not an easy road. Bella lashes out in a show of independence and Sebastian will only be pushed so far.
Here’s a quick excerpt that gives you a taste of that battle:
Uttering an uncharacteristically terse thank you to the butler, Sebastian took Bella’s arm to escort her above stairs. His rigid posture, the intransigent set of his expansive shoulders, the very deliberate click of each boot step, all belied that otherwise calm exterior.
He was angry. Furious even.
The hair on the back of her neck tingled. She’d never seen him truly out of sorts. His demeanor brought to mind that ominous lull before a natural disaster strikes.
He hastened his steps, practically dragging her up the stairs. When they reached her chamber, he did not leave her as he usually did. Instead he stepped in behind her.
“Thank you, Louisa, that will be all,” he said to the sleepy girl, who’d waited up for her mistress. “Go and seek your bed.”
As soon as he closed the door behind the maid, Bella spun around to face him, her heart clamoring. “I did not give you leave to enter my bedchamber. Please show me the courtesy of departing at once.”
He pulled off his cravat and folded it in a slow deliberate manner, as though he hadn’t heard her. Removing his tailcoat, he placed it neatly over the back of a chair.
Alarm trilled down her spine. “Why are you disrobing?”
Unbuttoning his waistcoat, he said, “Take off that dress.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He advanced toward her, the muscles in his thighs flexing powerfully as he did so. “You heard me.”
Hugging herself, she stepped back from him. “I will do no such thing. Leave or I will scream.”
Cold anger glittered in his eyes. “Take if off or I will take it off for you.”
Stella: Could you introduce the hero and heroine of Tempting Bella to us?
Diana: Sebastian is a beta hero, which you don’t see very much of in romance novels, but I absolutely adore him. He is all about restrained passion and emanates a quiet, controlled strength. He’s a hero who is secure enough in his manhood that he doesn’t try to force Bella into his way of thinking. Although he marries his wife as a child and doesn’t consummate the marriage until years later, he honors his marital vows, which earns him the nickname “the Saint” among his family and friends. But like all good beta heroes, Sebastian has some alpha in him, and when it comes out, it can be something! (See the excerpt above)
In many ways, Bella is the opposite of Sebastian. She’s beautiful and she knows it. She isn’t shy about flouting convention and is headstrong, emotional, and often acts without considering the consequences. Bella has serious abandonment issues which she takes out on Sebastian. She’s also extremely intelligent, determined and loyal, traits she does share with Sebastian.
Stella: Do you remember how the story(characters) came to be? Any specific event/moment that inspired it?
Diana: I absolutely do! Tempting Bella was inspired by a romantic true story I came across during my research for another book. It is the story of Lady Sara Cadogan and Charles Lennox, the Earl of March, who later became the Duke of Richmond.
At the age of thirteen, Sara was forced to marry the heir to the dukedom in order to settle a gaming debt between their fathers. The groom was very unhappy about being forced to marry the plain girl but he went through with it. After the ceremony, the bride and groom went their separate ways. He took his Grand Tour of the continent while the bride returned to her mother.
Years later, after returning from abroad, March spied an enchanting beauty at the opera and was thrilled to learn she was his wife. The two went on to have a very happy marriage. They had twelve children. The duke died in his late forties and the duchess died one year later. Those who knew the couple said she died of a broken heart.
It was such a romantic story that I had to put my own twist on it!
Stella: Usually authors do some (extensive) research for historical romance novels, so I wonder, what is the most interesting/weird/surprising tidbit you came across while doing research?
Diana: I was very surprised to learn that chamber pots were kept in the dining room during Regency times, and that gentlemen made regular use of them when no ladies were present. Can you imagine how messy things got once the gentlemen had imbibed a little too much? I found the practice so distasteful that I couldn’t resist having the villain relieve himself in this way after supper for my next book, Compromising Willa.
Stella: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read Tempting Bella?
Diana: It’s unpredictable, heart-wrenching, and inspired by one of the most romantic true stories I’ve ever come across.
Stella: Could you please summarize Tempting Bella for us Twitter-style (in 140 characters or less)?
Diana: Forced to marry as children to settle a gaming debt, Bella & Sebastian battle suspicion & misunderstanding to find their way to true love.
Stella: Could you tell us any “behind the scenes secret” related to the writing of Tempting Bella (a real life moment/person inspiring a scene, something that didn’t make the final edits, a character who went through changes, etc.)?
Diana: Tempting Bella originally had a stalker-like storyline threaded through it that put the heroine at risk. One of her closest friends was revealed to be the culprit. That entire secondary storyline was cut during revisions and Bella’s good friend remains just that!
Stella: What is next on your schedule? Any future plans you’d like to share with us? How many novels are you planning on writing in the Accidental Peers series?
Diana: Thank you for asking! I have the two books I mentioned earlier coming out for my Accidental Peers series. Compromising Willa will be available this December, to be followed by Engaging the Earl (Edward’s story) in April 2014. Readers have asked me if the other Stanhope brothers will be getting their own stories. There are no plans for more books in this series at the moment, but I do have a storyline in mind for Basil, the wise-cracking, wickedly handsome youngest Stanhope brother. So it could happen at some point.
Stella: Could you share with us something, a trivia that not many people know about you?
Diana: I’m a Redskins fan which, if you follow football, is a pretty sad experience these days (and for most of the last 20 years). Watching the games with my teenage son is a weekly tradition that’s very special to me because I know it probably won’t be long before he abandons me to go watch the game with his friends.
Tempting Bella by Diana Quincy
Book#2 in the Accidental Peers series
Mirabella can hardly remember the man she married as a girl to settle a gaming debt between their fathers. And it’s just as well. She feels nothing but contempt for the man who married her for her fortune and promptly forgot she existed.
Sebastian has been apart from his child bride since their wedding day, after a teenaged marriage forced upon him to rescue his family from certain ruin. His attempt to honor his vows to his absent wife has earned him the nickname, “The Saint.” But when he encounters an enchanting beauty at the opera, Sebastian cannot resist learning who she is and is thrilled to find she is none other than his long-ago bride.
Already resentful of his early abandonment, Bella is suspicious of her husband’s unusual activities—mysterious midnight outings and apparent liaisons with pretty servant girls. Then there is the mounting evidence that Sebastian is not who he claims to be.
Guarding the painful secret of his true identity, Sebastian is entranced by Bella and is eager to make her his wife in truth. But he soon realizes the beguiling lady has no intention of coming meekly to the marriage bed!
Buy at Amazon – B&N – Kobo – iTunes – Google Play
Excerpt
Sebastian Stanhope’s first glimpse of his future wife came minutes before they were bound for all eternity.
He’d rushed from university in a haze of disbelief after receiving the urgent summons from his father. His father now sat across from him during the long carriage journey to the bride’s ancestral home, barely acknowledging his son’s presence, his open disdain crowding the closed space.
Sebastian sucked air into his lungs, his unease growing as the coach-and-four closed the distance between him and the stranger with whom he would be forever intertwined. He should be grateful. Being joined to the daughter of a duke was a much better match than he, a mere mister, had a right to expect. And, more importantly, the alliance would save his family from certain financial ruin.
A mammoth baroque edifice rose into view, dwarfing the surrounding landscape, its numerous chimneys, towers, and domes sprawling across a blue, cloudless sky. Sebastian’s stomach loosened, a faint cramp deep in his belly.
The fortress hovered over them as the carriage jerked to a full stop on the circular drive. The heavy front doors gaped open. Sebastian alighted and strode into the clutches of a murky future, barely noticing the stone-faced butler who showed them in. Squaring his shoulders, he walked ahead of his father through the mirrored hall. His black Hessians clicked a protest against the marble floor, the sound echoing high into the endless ceilings before trembling away.
His hand went to his cravat, adjusting it even though it had been perfectly wrought that morning. He always took care with his grooming because his appearance was not extraordinary. He stood only average in height, lacking the towering elegance of his four brothers. He’d always been different from the rest of the family. His powerful build and dark features lacked the gilded radiance of his lithe brothers. And their father.
They were shown into a massive receiving room that smelled of beeswax and lemon. Wood surfaces shimmered, reflecting shards of sunlight from tall arched windows at the far end of the chamber. Formal furniture in the French empire style crowded the space, lions’ faces carved into the mahogany side tables seemed to mock him. He surveyed the chamber, every muscle in his body taut, and caught sight of a girl sitting in a window seat by the arched windows. Swinging her hanging legs to and fro, she regarded them with an expression of mild curiosity.
He looked at the butler, acknowledging the portly man for the first time. “Will Lady Mirabella be joining us?”
The butler nodded in the direction of the girl. “This is Lady Mirabella. His Grace will join you presently.” He bowed out of the chamber.
For a moment, his mind went blank. Feeling the blood drain from his face, he turned to his father and murmured, “You cannot be serious.”
Interested? Check out the first chapter, the wedding scene, by clicking here.
Diana Quincy is an award-winning former television journalist who decided she’d rather make up stories where a happy ending is always guaranteed. Growing up as a foreign service brat, Diana lived in many countries and is now settled in Virginia with her husband and two sons. When not bent over her laptop or trying to keep up with laundry, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family and dreams of traveling much more than her current schedule (and budget) allows.
Visit her any time at her website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy of Seducing Charlotte, Book# 1 in Diana’s Accidental Peers series, and a $25 Amazon gift card!
All you have to do is leave a comment and tell us:
What traits do you like to see in your romance hero? What traits do you HATE to see in your hero?
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
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Good luck!
]]>Book Blurb:
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.We owe our good health to a humble parasite – a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system – even secretes designer drugs. It’s been successful beyond the scientists’ wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives…
My Thoughts:
Good news everyone! SymboGen Corporation, the separated-at-birth twin of Umbrella Corporation, will cure disease in a few short years though the revolutionary introduction of a lab-grown GMO. There are only a few side effects….
Well. Only ...]]>
Book Blurb:
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.We owe our good health to a humble parasite – a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system – even secretes designer drugs. It’s been successful beyond the scientists’ wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives…
My Thoughts:
Good news everyone! SymboGen Corporation, the separated-at-birth twin of Umbrella Corporation, will cure disease in a few short years though the revolutionary introduction of a lab-grown GMO. There are only a few side effects….
Well. Only a few permanent side effects.
The narrative of Parasite is driven by Sal Mitchell. The Girl Who Lived. She was declared brain dead after a head-on collision with a bus….and then woke up. A blank slate with as much comprehension of the world as an infant. Different, sure, but alive. All thanks to the little passenger in her intestinal tract.
Talk about PR manna from heaven. SymboGen thinks they are holding Sal in reserve for that rainy day when their pet science project gets out of hand. Too bad for them that Sal isn’t terribly biddable, and the Tapeworms Are Rising. (I suspect Book 2 will chart the introduction and passage of the Tapeworm Rights Amendment.)
As usual, Mira builds a fantastically detailed future that is a recognizable conclusion to our current societal trajectory. The supporting cast are well-rounded, diverse, and, most importantly, entertaining enough to distract from Sal’s characteristic yet infuriatingly naive and tentative approach to life.
I originally intended to wait to post this review until Release Day. But I couldn’t hold back any longer. Because Mira Grant has successfully put me on an express path towards a psychotic break, and I need you all to talk me off the ledge.
Due to Sal’s unexpected re-entry to the land of the living, her parents were declared her legal guardians. Pretty standard as those of us in the legal field know. However, we also know that such rulings are subject to periodic review, so that 6 years down the line, when Sal is totally capable of running her own life, the legal restrictions are removed.
That did not happen here.
Which is really a shame since Sal’s parents turn out to be psychotic wackjobs. (That is my official legal assessment.) They completely and utterly lose their shit when their 26-year-old daughter:
I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “Cass, calm down. Stupid overreaction to normal activity? Absolutely. But overreacting =/= nutjobbery.”
Really? What if that “stupid overreaction consists of:
Their justification? We’re your legal guardians, so we can do this.
I think we can all agree this makes them outright fucking lunatics. Though I know a certain judge who would be more apt to name them “domestic terrorists.”
Which is where my own psychotic break began. When I finally finished my marathon reading session (clear your calendars, this is one of those can’t-put-it-down books), and tried to go to sleep, my mind kept drifting back to the aforementioned INJUSTICE. I could not let it go.
Thus, I began planning my trial strategy. As sane people do. I lay in bed for hours planning out the Petition to Dissolve Guardianship and the various protection orders I would file on Sal’s behalf. I made witness lists, decided what paper evidence to subpoena, considered contingencies based on interim rulings, and weighed the pros-and-cons of bumping certain local judges in favor of others.
Best Case Scenario: The Guardianship is dissolved. Sal gets a protective order issued against her parents, giving her temporary possession of the family residnce. Oh, and did you know that federal employees lose security clearance when domestic violence protective orders are issued against them? Guess who’s gonna be out of a job? TAKE THAT ASSHOLE.
Worst Case Scenario: SymboGen intervenes and manages to convince the Judge that Sal is still incompetent as a result of the accident. Adult Protective Services step in because that means Mommie-and-Daddie-Dearest are seriously abusing a vulnerable person. Criminal charges filed. Sister declared new guardian. Parents restricted to supervised contact with either of their daughters (due to clear family history of DV and court’s understandable concern that the parents were deliberately inhibiting Sal’s recovery), and permanently banned from acceptance or employment in any field requiring contact with children or vulnerable adults. Criminal charges also = loss of security clearance. BOOM MOTHERFUCKERS ARE GOING DOWN.
I only got two hours of sleep that night. And I still can’t let it go. It’s like I put all this effort into a trial and am stuck waiting for a goddamn ruling until Symbiogenesis is released in November 2014.
I will go completely insane long before then. Goddamn you Seanan/Mira, I NEED RESOLUTION!
I give Parasite 4.5 stars!
Two Lonely Hearts . . .
Kalindi MacNeil survived the devastating enemy airship attack that obliterated Liverpool, but even her engineering skills can’t seem to repair her broken heart. Seeking to put her life back together, Kali retreats to a desolate, deserted island—only to discover she’s not alone. Captain Fletcher Adams, an elite man/machine hybrid, a Man O’ War, crashed his battle-damaged airship into the island after the destruction of Liverpool, never expecting to survive the wreck. But survive he did.
One Desire . . .
Believing he ...]]>
Two Lonely Hearts . . .
Kalindi MacNeil survived the devastating enemy airship attack that obliterated Liverpool, but even her engineering skills can’t seem to repair her broken heart. Seeking to put her life back together, Kali retreats to a desolate, deserted island—only to discover she’s not alone. Captain Fletcher Adams, an elite man/machine hybrid, a Man O’ War, crashed his battle-damaged airship into the island after the destruction of Liverpool, never expecting to survive the wreck. But survive he did.
One Desire . . .
Believing he is nothing but a living weapon, Fletcher is wary of his newfound companion—a pretty, damaged, but determined young woman. Together they are stranded on the island, and it is only a matter of time until desire gets the best of them both. Soon Kali and Fletcher each find that they may be just what the other needed. But a danger from beyond the island puts them to the test. Will it rip them apart or bond their hearts forever?
I just discovered that this is the last book in Archer and Rossi’s Ether Chronicles and I am completely bummed. Call me a very sad panda.
Even though this is the final book in the Ether Chronicles, a reader could start with this one, and then decide that they loved the worldbuilding so much that they wanted to start at the very beginning, Skies of Fire (reviewed at Reading Reality). Yes, I know, I’m fangirling a bit now. Sue me. (Please, don’t.)
The series is alternate history steampunk world war, with Britain and the U.S. fighting against the Hapsburgs and the Russians in a Victorian era with aether-powered airships. What makes the series fascinating is that they really do show the world-spanning scope of the war, so the books are not just set in England, but also in America and even North Africa.
And, the discovery of a metal called telumium (yes, I know, it’s this world’s version of unobtanium, but it makes things fun) has created a fantastic steampunk version of the bionic man; Man-O-Wars. They are a combination of airship captain and airship centaur, without the body-blending. Well sort/kinda. Read and find out for yourself.
Skies of Gold has a bit of the Tarzan/Jane myth, only if both Tarzan and Jane remember their “civilized” roots and want to escape from them. Also if Jane is a female MacGyver. (I started to say a prettier MacGyver, but that depends on the eye of the beholder, and, well, nevermind.)
In this case, Tarzan and Jane, make that Fletcher and Kali, both have terrible cases of survivor’s guilt, and in a grand case of coincidence, (there are no such things as coincidences, of course) from the same battle. She was severely wounded when the enemy bombed Liverpool, and his ship crashed after routing the enemy from their bombing of Liverpool.
They’ve also both survived heartbreak when their former lovers couldn’t see past the changes that war had made in their outward appearance. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. They find themselves, and each other, on a remote Scottish island where they each planned to be alone.
When they are discovered by an enemy, they have to return to the world they both left behind in order to save an unsuspecting friend from a trap. They’ve already saved each other.
Verdict: This series is a treat for those of us who love steampunk romance. I’m very glad that if the Ether Chronicles had to end, they finished with a full-length novel, and one as good as Skies of Gold.
Kali and Fletcher are interesting people, and are different types of main characters. Not just because they both have survivor’s guilt, but also because neither of them quite fits their stereotypes. Fletcher isn’t completely alpha, and Kali is both disabled and a minority in addition to being a professional woman. She’s on the island to be independent, and he’s there to be dead. They both have PTSD and they pull each other out of it.
The relationship they develop builds slowly and carefully, and that’s the way it should be. There’s nothing instantaneous here except wariness.
The villain arrives as a bit of demon ex machina at the end, but I was having way too much fun to care. He served his purpose as a means of bringing the story to its (and his) ending.
I’m just damned sorry the ride is over.
I give Skies of Gold by Zoë Archer 4 ½ aether-powered stars!
Title: Cursed (Fallen Sirens, #1) Author: S.J. Harper Genre: urban fantasy Release date: October 1, 2013 by Roc
Description:
Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong. She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.
Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them ...]]>
Title: Cursed (Fallen Sirens, #1)
Author: S.J. Harper
Genre: urban fantasy
Release date: October 1, 2013 by Roc
Description:
Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.
…
A Love Worth Biting For (Hart Clan Hybrids, #1) by Roxy Mews
Allure (The Hoodoo Apprentice, #2) by Lea Nolan
Autumn Bones (Agent of Hel, #2) by Jacqueline Carey
Darkness Rises (Immortal Guardians, #4) by Dianne Duvall
Dragon Rising (The Hidden, #0.6) by Jaime Rush
Drawn Together (Brown Siblings, #6) by Lauren Dane
Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart
Endless (The Violet Eden Chapters, #4) by Jessica Shirvington
Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles, #2) by Kresley Cole
Found in You (Fixed, #2) by Laurelin Paige
Heavy Metal Heart (Demon Rock, #1) by Nico Rosso
Hereafter (Shadowlands, #2) by Kate Brian
Honor & Betray (Honor, #4) by Teresa Mummert
Ice Red (Once Upon a Red World, #1) by Jael Wye
Lucianna (The Silk Merchant’s Daughters, #3) by Bertrice Small
Midnight’s Temptation (Dark Warriors, #7) by Donna Grant
My Immortal Highlander (MacNachton Vampires, #3) by Hannah Howell, Lynsay Sands
My Lady Quicksilver (London Steampunk, #3) by Bec McMaster
Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles, #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Possession (Fallen Angels, #5) by J.R. Ward
Prodigal Son (Truth Seers, #1) by Debra Mullins
Red Hill by Jamie McGuire
Red Hot Dragon (Dragon Heat, #2) by Lolita Lopez
Redemption (Soul, #1) by C.J. Barry
Shadowed (Dark Protectors, #6) by Rebecca Zanetti
Silencing Eve (Eve Duncan, #15) by Iris Johansen
Skulk by Rosie Best
Targeted (Deadly Ops, #1) by Katie Reus
Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer, #6) by Karen Chance
The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #4) by Cinda Williams Chim
The Jack in the Green by Frazer Lee
The Mountain’s Shadow (The Lycanthropy Files, #1) by Cecilia Dominic
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
The Volatile Amazon (Alliance of the Amazons, #4) by Sandy James
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Torn (Connections, #2) by Kim Karr
Unbreakable (Legion, #1) by Kami Garcia
Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1) by Simone Elkeles
Year of the Demon (Fated Blades, #2) by Steve Bein
. . .
. . .
The first full month of Fall (or Spring, on the otha side!) brings with it some cool weather, curl-up-with-’em books. Find something in the lot to get first?
]]>We’re here to squee all over you! Yes, that’s right, it’s time for our “Pick of the Litter” post. And who better to lead things off this month than our resident snarky Dragon Lover! I can’t believe Cass found a book she enjoyed that did not involved dragons. OH NOES! The sky is falling…
Cass: Perdition (Dred Chronicles #1) by Ann Aguirre.
This book was a ton of fun! I loved the idea of a prison ship in space, and how The Man (government? corporations?) just decided to fuck worrying about guards and rioting and shit. They’re in space! Let me figure their own shit out. Leaving room for the Glorious Dred Queen to emerge. I have a sneaking suspicion future books will show how The Man rues their lackadaisical approach to prison oversight and maintenance.
Stella: Some Like It Spicy (A Perfect Recipe #1) ...]]>
We’re here to squee all over you! Yes, that’s right, it’s time for our “Pick of the Litter” post. And who better to lead things off this month than our resident snarky Dragon Lover! I can’t believe Cass found a book she enjoyed that did not involved dragons. OH NOES! The sky is falling…
Cass: Perdition (Dred Chronicles #1) by Ann Aguirre.
This book was a ton of fun! I loved the idea of a prison ship in space, and how The Man (government? corporations?) just decided to fuck worrying about guards and rioting and shit. They’re in space! Let me figure their own shit out. Leaving room for the Glorious Dred Queen to emerge. I have a sneaking suspicion future books will show how The Man rues their lackadaisical approach to prison oversight and maintenance.
Stella: Some Like It Spicy (A Perfect Recipe #1) by Robbie Terman
You all know how much I love food: making it, eating it and reading about it (I can spend hours browsing food blogs and salivating in front of yummy recipes), and I am especially gaga for culinary romances! So when I saw that Entangled Publishing had a new foodie release I got excited and devoured Robbie Terman’s Some Like It Spicy in no time! (I SO LOVED it!! I even love the reference made to the Some Like it Hot movie, one of my family’s alltime favourite classics :-D) Some Like It Spicy was an utterly delightful, entertaining and sweet culinary romance, Robbie Terman just became a must watch&read author for me and I can’t wait to read her next stories! This comes highly recommended, I urge you to pick it up! And now I’m just in the mood to re-read it while munching on some freshly baked pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I made.
Marlene: A Question of Honor (Bess Crawford #5) by Charles Todd
Bess Crawford is a nurse serving in World War I. She’s also probably upper middle-class at most, her father seems to be a retired, or semi-retired, Colonel in the British Army. What she isn’t, is a titled lady of any kind. Bess answers to “Sister”, as in “nursing sister”. Bess does things, she isn’t waiting around to get married. She also meddles an unconscionable amount. She gets her hands very dirty, also occasionally bloody. This story is about the honor of her father’s regiment, from their days in India. It’s also about the dirty little secret of how children who were sent back home to England really got treated (Rudyard Kipling’s real life history is not for the faint of heart), but it’s always about the war and the home front as Bess shuttles between England and France. I enjoy following Bess because she does stuff, and in a credible way, at a time when most women didn’t. If you like the Downton Abbey period, try this series, starting with A Duty to the Dead.
Marlene: Hellfire (Theirs Not To Reason Why #3) by Jean Johnson
This series has been consistently awesome. It is military SF, and there’s only the barest occasional hint of romance, and that only in the sense that human beings do occasionally fall for each other. Romance is explicitly not the point of this series. The point is about saving sentient life. All sentient life. And how immensely HUGE a sacrifice one woman is willing to make. And convince other sentient beings to make. There’s a scene I heard Jean read at WorldCon that brought absolute chills. It still does, just thinking about it. Lose a weekend (the weather’s going to pot anyway. Start with A Soldier’s Duty. Now. I order you;-)
And I’d like to give a special shout out to the clothing store “A Perfect Fit” in Dangerous Curves Ahead by Sugar Jamison. If you’re like me, and you’ve NEVER been able to buy clothing “off the rack”, the store in this book, where they specialize in perfect alterations for absolutely every woman, sounds like a dream come true. Unfortunately, it’s fiction.
So, all you book lovers out there, what were your favorite reads this month?
]]>Some people didn’t want to come with me. Until I told them I was buying. I also planned out how I’ll spend $1 million dollars if I ever win the lottery. Then we did a $100 million version, but I ran out of frivolous things to blow it on and started doing good deeds. Which is less fun to drunkenly contemplate. (Whoo! lets give half a mill to Planned Parenthood so they can do abortions in Texas. Whoo! Wait, I’d rather talk about the luxurious vintage train vacation again….)
Either amount would be one helluvan accomplishment seeing as how I never play the lottery. Maybe I could marry money? Who wants to marry a book reviewing workaholic legal aid attorney?
While I start reviewing ...]]>
Some people didn’t want to come with me. Until I told them I was buying. I also planned out how I’ll spend $1 million dollars if I ever win the lottery. Then we did a $100 million version, but I ran out of frivolous things to blow it on and started doing good deeds. Which is less fun to drunkenly contemplate. (Whoo! lets give half a mill to Planned Parenthood so they can do abortions in Texas. Whoo! Wait, I’d rather talk about the luxurious vintage train vacation again….)
Either amount would be one helluvan accomplishment seeing as how I never play the lottery. Maybe I could marry money? Who wants to marry a book reviewing workaholic legal aid attorney?
While I start reviewing the applicants for my moneyed spouse, let’s take a look at this week’s cravings….
Marlene: Ice Red (Once Upon a Red World #1) by Jael Wye.
Mirror, mirror, full of stars,
Who will claim the throne of Mars?The princess: Engineer Bianca Ross, heir to a megacorporation and the Mars elevator, needs to acquire a mine on the surface to secure her place in the company. All that stands in her way is the mine’s charming owner, Cesare Chan.
The evil stepmother: Victoria Ross is plotting to gain control of Mars. She plans to assassinate Bianca and seduce Cesare to further her goals, and Bianca’s trip is the perfect opportunity.
The charming prince: Cesare shouldn’t get involved. Bianca’s visit could reveal the escaped slaves he’s hiding at his mine, but he can’t ignore a damsel in distress—especially one as beautiful as Bianca.
Alone, neither would stand a chance against Victoria. But together, they could rewrite a tale that’s meant to end with Bianca’s blood.
It just looks like good, science fiction romance fun. I’m always up for that!
Marlene: The Volatile Amazon by Sandy James.
Sarita Neeraj has never felt like a real Amazon. Compared to the obvious strengths of her sisters, her Water powers seem small as her stature. She’s determined to prove herself—unfortunately, all that gets her is captured by an enemy.
Ian serves a twisted goddess, preferring this to an empty afterlife. He’s taken Sarita hostage to coax the other Amazons from their safe haven. But in his ancient Scottish castle, the passion and love Ian finds for Sarita resurrect his honor, until he chafes at the dark will of his mistress.
Sarita has finally found happiness—but before she can enjoy it, she’s “rescued” by her furious sisters. To save Ian from destruction at the hands of the Amazons, Sarita must risk wielding magick that could change her very nature. Only then can she prove the Water Amazon is the strongest of the four—and save them all from destruction.
Meet Earth, Fire, and Air in The Reluctant Amazon, The Impetuous Amazon, and The Brazen Amazon.
I have it and haven’t read it yet which is my bad. The first one (Reluctant Amazon) was pretty good and the second one (Impetuous Amazon) was better. I’m looking forward to catching up (Though I need to read book 3, Brazen Amazon, first).
Marlene: Cursed (Fallen Siren, #1) by S.J. Harper.
Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.
She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.
Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.
Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.
I just read the review of this in RT Book Reviews and it looked yummy. Which is always bad for my TBR pile, but half of S.J. Harper is Jeanne C. Stein, author of The Anna Strong Vampire series, so Cursed has a good start. They’ve got a siren working for the FBI as our heroine. This has serious possibilities.
Cass: Skulk by Rosie Best.
When Meg witnesses the dying moments of a shapeshifting fox and is given a beautiful and powerful stone, her life changes forever. She is plunged into the dark world of the Skulk, a group of shapeshifting foxes.
As she learns about the other groups of shapeshifters that lurk around London – the Rabble, the Horde, the Cluster and the Conspiracy – she becomes aware of a deadly threat against all the shapeshifters. They must put aside all their enmity and hostility and fight together to defeat it.
Two reasons to read this. First, it’s being published by Strange Chemistry. Which is Angry Robot Jr. The second reason is the fact that there are kids shapeshifting into goddamn BUTTERFLIES, fucking SPIDERS, and other NON MAMMALIAN CREATURES! (Plus foxes.) What. The. Fuck. I must read this.
*****
Today, we have a special treat for you, our loyal readers. Our first ever Sunday Un-Craving. Wherein we will harshly judge a book based entirely on it’s blurb, and see if our collective disdain is enough to remove its existence from our minds.
Marlene: I know Cass thinks I want everything on the list, or already have it. But I just read the summary of Eat, Brains, Love and I’ll say right now, that for me that’s not just a no, but a HELLS NO and I’M SORRY I LOOKED. You probably will be too, but go ahead. Misery demands company.
Cass: I was, indeed, sorry I looked. It’s like they took the worst parts of Warm Bodies and Zombieland and that bizarre Amish Zombie YA and put them all together. In one place. Where they can feed off eachother’s terribleness, infect us, then destroy our brains with the terrible. DO NOT WANT!
*****
What about you? Anything coming out this week you’ll read even if you suddenly come into $100 million?
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Hello all and welcome back to your one stop shopping place for great bookish giveaways. Whether you want to enter one already listed or post a new one, we’re happy to see you either way. Have a great rest of the weekend!
And, please let us know if you’ve won anything recently; the Book Lovers would love to hear! As book lovers, we’re happy to spread the word…and the love 😉 Good luck to everyone!
Here’s the fine print for entering your link: Guidelines: If you have a giveaway you would like to share with our other readers, the rules are simple: 1. The giveaway MUST be available to international addresses (Book Depository does count) 2. Add your link below, in the format shown. (Please use the URL for the contest post, not a general blog URL; you don’t want to make it tricky for others trying to enter) 3. Expired ...]]>
Hello all and welcome back to your one stop shopping place for great bookish giveaways. Whether you want to enter one already listed or post a new one, we’re happy to see you either way. Have a great rest of the weekend!
And, please let us know if you’ve won anything recently; the Book Lovers would love to hear! As book lovers, we’re happy to spread the word…and the love Good luck to everyone!
Here’s the fine print for entering your link:
Guidelines:
If you have a giveaway you would like to share with our other readers, the rules are simple:
1. The giveaway MUST be available to international addresses (Book Depository does count)
2. Add your link below, in the format shown. (Please use the URL for the contest post, not a general blog URL; you don’t want to make it tricky for others trying to enter)
3. Expired contests will be removed during my weekly cleaning, but remember to come back with any new entries
4. Add our blog button to share the love even more! (Not required but we’d sure appreciate sharing the word even more )
Last week, I reported that Goodreads will be changing its terms of services over the use of shelving names which now users cant be based on authors and their behaviours. This has upset a lot of members, especially the power users who have volunteered their time and energy on the site as librarians improving the database and highlighting bugs. But the feedback discussion has illustrated some important points about the choices on how users shelve and catalogue their books especially in the instances if an author has homophobic or racist views or have a history with child pornography. I think many readers would like to be aware of examples of these to decide whether they want ...]]>
Last week, I reported that Goodreads will be changing its terms of services over the use of shelving names which now users cant be based on authors and their behaviours. This has upset a lot of members, especially the power users who have volunteered their time and energy on the site as librarians improving the database and highlighting bugs. But the feedback discussion has illustrated some important points about the choices on how users shelve and catalogue their books especially in the instances if an author has homophobic or racist views or have a history with child pornography. I think many readers would like to be aware of examples of these to decide whether they want to read authors such as these. The Book Binge has a great post summing the past week or so which links to a variety of other alternatives by those who feel uneasy and want a backup site, or have decided to move completely and delete their account. And from looking at the delays that Booklikes a new social reading networking site which was experiencing issues with its servers, it does seem that a substantial group of Goodreaders have decided to move away from the site.
With the recent exposé on buying positive reviews, it seems opportunistic scammers are now selling reviews in a unique way on Amazon by making them appear to look like books. Stephen King is the latest target since his book, JOYLAND wont be available in ebook format, one reviewer with the name of Nick Watson has tricked customers thinking it was the real book, although looking at the cover that was a huge clue in itself this is not King’s work. But it has catched out those who didn’t read the summaries and expecting they bought the book instead of a book about the reviews of the book.
News in brief:
J.R Ward has introduced a new character called s’Ex for the BDB series on her Facebook page. Looking forward to your comments about the new character’s name….
Amazon has announced new tablets – you can check out the full details on CNET’s post outlying the new features but it includes better screens and processors for the HDX models.
And Sony Pictures have picked up David Baldacci’s new fantasy novel called THE FINISHER which is about a young girl who lives in a magical world.
And now books to watch out for!
THE LINE by J.D Horn, the first book in the WITCHING SAVANNAH series looks fun and fills the void of a southern paranormal series for those who are missing Sookie Stackhouse. It is out early next year!
Move over, Sookie Stackhouse—the witches of Savannah are the new talk of the South. Bold, flirty, and with a touch of darkness, debut author J.D. Horn spins a mesmerizing tale of a family of witches . . . and the problem that can arise from being so powerful. As Charlaine Harris’ series winds down—and as Deborah Harkness’ series heats up—Witching Savannah is new contemporary fantasy that will be sure to enchant new readers.
Mercy Taylor, the youngest member of Savannah’s preeminent witching family, was born without the gift of magic. She is accustomed to coming in a distant second to the minutes older, exquisite and gifted twin she adores. Hopelessly in love with her sister’s boyfriend, she goes to a Hoodoo root doctor for a love spell. A spell that will turn her heart to another man, the best friend who has loved her since childhood.
Aunt Ginny, the family’s matriarch, would not approve. But Mercy has more to worry about than a love triangle when Aunt Ginny is brutally murdered. Ginny was the Taylor family’s high commander in the defense of the bewitched line that separates humankind from the demons who once ruled our realm.
A demon invasion looms now that the line is compromised. Worse yet, some within the witching world stand to gain from a demon takeover. Mercy, entangled in the dark magic of her love spell, fighting for her sister’s trust, and hopelessly without magic, must tap the strength born from being an outcast to protect the line she doesn’t feel a part of…
In this riveting contemporary fantasy, Horn delivers the full betrayal, blood, and familial discord of the best of Southern gothic.
J.C. Daniels is back with a new book soon! BROKEN BLADE is slated for January and is the 3rd installment in the Kit Colbana series and I cant wait!
Kit Colbana: assassin, thief, investigator extraordinaire. Now broken. She always expected her past to catch up with her but never like this. Haunted by nightmares and stripped of her identity, she’s retreated to Wolf Haven, the no-man’s land where she found refuge years before. But while she might want to hide away from the rest of the world, the rest of the world isn’t taking the hint.
Dragged kicking and screaming back into life, Kit is thrust head-first into an investigation surrounding the theft of an ancient relic…one that she wants nothing to do with. Her instincts tell her it’s a bad idea to just leave the relic lying about, but finding it might be just as bad.
Forced to face her nightmares, she uncovers hidden strength and comes face to face with one of the world’s original monsters.
If she survives the job, she won’t be the same…and neither will those closest to her.
And finally we have Lauren M. Roy’s NIGHT OWLS which looks really intriguing!
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Night Owls book store is the one spot on campus open late enough to help out even the most practiced slacker. The employees’ penchant for fighting the evil creatures of the night is just a perk
Valerie McTeague’s business model is simple: provide the students of Edgewood College with a late-night study haven and stay as far away from the underworld conflicts of her vampire brethren as possible. She’s lived that life, and the price she paid was far too high to ever want to return.
Elly Garrett hasn’t known any life except that of fighting the supernatural werewolf-like beings known as Creeps or Jackals. But she always had her mentor and foster father by her side—until he gave his life protecting a book that the Creeps desperately want to get their hands on.
When the book gets stashed at Night Owls for safe keeping, those Val holds nearest and dearest are put in mortal peril. Now Val and Elly will have to team up, along with a mismatched crew of humans, vampires, and lesbian succubi, to stop the Jackals from getting their claws on the book and unleashing unnamed horrors .