Around the Bookish World : News Week-in-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post and it is much quieter compared to the last few weeks. We have news of another digital imprint launching but this time in the UK, and GRR Martin answers some questions and an author asking bloggers to sign a contract for copyright of their reviews. And for anyone asking yes there was an author meltdown but it wasn’t a YA author this time but a romance author over a negative review at Dear Author!

But first up, blogger Insane Hussein posted about a blogger friend who received a pretty wtfery email about a publisher/author asking reviewers to sign a contract which they will own their reviews. Yes, their reviews and also the form of distribution, the contract also stipulates the length and the grading system and the fact that if the reviewer doesn’t review the book, they will have to email them back. If I …

Review: Accused by Kate Kaynak

Format read: paperback copy provided by author
Release Date: 15 August 2011
Series: Book #4 in the Ganzfield series
Number of pages: 272 pages
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Book Depository

Blurb:

“We have ways of making you talk.”

Who now has Isaiah’s files?

Someone in the government knows about Ganzfield… and he has special reasons to target Maddie…

My Thoughts: I am a fan of Kate Kaynak’s Ganzfield series, I loved Minder and Adversary, but the 3rd book Legacy left me disappointed. I expected more, I expected that thrill and elation the first 2 books made me feel and Legacy left me lukewarm. So I started Accused, the 4th book in the series with a bit of trepidation: I wanted it to be just as awesome as the first two books were but feared to be left down. Thankfully my …

On the Book Lover’s Shelves: The Winged Lover

Good afternoon fellow Book Lovers…

Today I am here to share with you the current state of my bookshelves.

To start with I will give you an overview of the entire thing:

As you can see, I only have one bookshelf 🙁 But I have managed to triple stack in most places. The top shelf has reference books, review books and huge series that would make my TBR wall far to big. Above that (couldn’t fit it into the photo) are my accounting books and the only book in the world that I want to burn….the Australian Tax Guide.

Next is the favourites shelf, all of my favourite books and favourite covers go here.

Third shelf from the top houses Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket and Robin Hobb, three masters of writing that I couldn’t fit on the favourites shelf…but they were my childhood favourites.

Fourth down is the Horrible Histories magazine collection plus various two …

Review: Don’t Bite the Messenger by Regan Summers

Format read: ebook provided by publisher
Series: Book #1 (as-yet untitled series)
Genre: urban fantasy
Release Date: 16 January 2012
Publisher: Carina Press
Length: novella (32,000 words)
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon, Publisher’s Website, Barnes & Noble

Book Blurb:

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare.

Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire …

Interview: Regan Summers + Giveaway

Today, BLI’s very pleased to welcome author Regan Summers for a chat about her new book, Don’t Bite the Messenger. Regan talks for a bit about the adventures of her feisty protagonist, Sydney Kildare, and describes the dangerous environment found in her version of Anchorage, Alaska. Please give her a very warm welcome, and stay tuned at the end of this post for a special treat from Regan. ^_^

Alisha: Greetings Regan! Thank you so much for taking time out to visit BLI!

Regan: Thank you so much for having me! I’m so happy to be here.

Alisha: Can you please tell us a bit about Don’t Bite the Messenger–twitterstyle (140 characters or fewer)?

Regan: Messenger is the simple story of a hard-working girl and the handsome distraction and feuding vampires that stand between her and her dream.

Alisha: Rock on. Here’s a full description of the book for those whose interest has been …

Romance and Me: Do you like the Historical Romance Sub-genre?

Hey Everyone!

When creating this bi-weekly feature we brainstormed that it would be a good opportunity to highlight and discuss the various romance subgenres as there are so many. Well the time has finally come to start our venture into Romance Sub-genres 101.

As Jackie needs her blackboard for her Elements of Lit 201 class, why not make this a more relaxed event and take a comfortable seat around the coffee table, you can choose from the sofa, armchairs, the plush carpet or even bean bags and let us begin!

Our first sub-genre to explore will be historical romance. As it is such a vast genre and we can discuss so many related topics it will be the subject of our discussions for a few weeks.

So to warm up the session,  as I knew that our little Book Lovers team was quite heterogeneous on the subject …