Saturday, January 30, 2010

In My Mailbox! (22)

Which is how many I'm going to be next month! (the 11th) I'm SO old, I know. However, this post isn't about my aging woes (Is that a WRINKLE? Oh, lord..) but about what books I got this week!



Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire
The Jaguar Prince by Karen Kelley
Freaksville by Kitty Keswick (Super yay 'cause this is going to be part of my DAC!)
Original Sin by Allison Brennan
Dare to Surrender by Lilli Feisty
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (I know! I'm stop #2 on the Linger Train!)

It was a very, very awesome book week!

-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Review! Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh


Archangel's Kiss 
(A Guild Hunter Novel, book 2)
Nalini Singh
Berkley
February 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0425233367
ISBN-13: 978-0425233368


New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world… 

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority… 
They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena… 
Archangel's Kiss is just full of pure awesomeness. It is the second book of Singh's Guild Hunter series and pretty much picks up right where Angels' Blood left off. Elena just came out of a year-long coma to find herself completely changed. She's no longer a human but now, an angel. The first made in a hundreds of years. Raphael, the Archangel of New York and her lover, is the one who made her into an angel to save her and now, he has to make sure she heals fast because Lijuan, the oldest archangel, has invited them to a ball and there's no way they can just not attend as that would make them seem weak and that could prove deadly.

While I absolutely loved this book, there was a bit where I was just flat-out confused. There are a lot of possible "bad guys" and it was a wee bit hard to keep track but honestly, I think it was just because I was in a state of perpetual tease! Let's face it, I was really looking forward to Elena and Raphael gettin' it on and at one point, I was like "Screw the plot, don't care whose killing whom, I want steamy lovin'!" And hooboy, Singh totally delivers. I swooned!


I absolutely loved Archangel's Kiss! It's a very sexy and dark sequel to Angels' Blood. Everything - the plot, the characters, the writing - just comes together to form a work of complete awesomeness that will easily be one of my top reads this year and one of which I will surely re-read dozens of times to come.  Archangel's Kiss blew my socks off!  

    And the archangel Illium? Yeah, I call dibs on him!  P.S.: I'm well aware that I sound like a gushing fangirl, I kinda can't help it. You'll see why once you read this book!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

DAC: Review! Firespell by Chloe Neill


Firespell 
(A Novel of the Dark Elite)
Chloe Neill
Signet 
January 5, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451228863
ISBN-13: 978-0451228864



New Girl. New School. Old Evil. 

A new series about a boarding school filled with something worse than homework. 

Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens. 

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet... 

Firespell is the debut YA novel by Chloe Neill (and as such the book I chose to start my Debut Author Challenge, or DAC 'cause I'm lazy, with!) and a very awesome start it is! The story is told from Lily's point of view and her voice is full of wittiness and dry humor which really made for a good read. She's the new girl at St. Sophia's Boarding School and right off the bat, she makes friends with Scout, the weirdo of the school. I felt that Scout was the best character ever, she was so funny and totally awesome. Lily soon notices that Scout goes off late at night, disappearing for hours on end  and she decides to be super nosy and follow her. 


Well, next thing you know, she's face-to-face with real monsters of the human variety. Apparently, Scout is part of a group of kids who have magic and fight other kids who also have magic called the Reapers 'cause they're evil and they steal other people's energy. 


Then Lily finds herself smack in the middle of this fight, even though she doesn't have any magic.. or so they think! 


Firespell is a super quick read - seriously, only 246 pages - and pretty much full of entertainment and excitement. When Lily and Scout aren't fighting monsters, they're fighting the brat squad and believe me, that takes energy too! I really like the story, from the get-go, Lily's voice draws the reader in and I so can't wait for the next book in this exciting new series!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Blog Tour Review! Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles


Gentlemen Prefer Succubi
Succubus Diaries, book 1
Jill Myles
Pocket Books
December 29, 2009
ISBN-10: 1416572821
ISBN-13: 978-1416572824



Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble? 
Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot right hand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?
From the beginning when Jackie wakes up in a a dumpster, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is a complete thrill ride! Instead of ending up with a pounding headache and pregnancy scare after a one-night-stand, Jackie ends a succubus because she slept with a gorgeous fallen angel named Noah. Said fallen angel is determined to help Jackie with her new life, setting her up with the other succubus in the city, Remy.

But things get really bad soon when Jackie finds herself indebted to a dealer and because of that, she has to walk into a club full of vampires and spy on them. And because, let's face it, she doesn't seem to have the best of luck, the vampires find out and next thing you know, Noah is being held by the evil vampire queen and Jackie and Remy, along with the queen's enforcer, a hot vampire named Zane, are on their way to Africa to find an ancient relic for the queen. To say Jackie is having a bad week is putting it mildly.

I really enjoyed reading Gentlemen Prefer Succubi! It's the first book of a super fun series. Myles has such a great sense of humor and it comes through her characters, I just loved every one. And let's admit it, Noah and Zane are SO freaking hot! I was torn for which one to cheer for but at the end, I think I'm leaning towards Zane. Bad boys are just irresistible! I'm definitely looking forward to the second book in the Succubus Diaries, Succubi Like it Hot and reading more of Jackie's adventures.

Check out more info about Jill's books on her site, including Gentlemen Prefer Succubi's awesome trailer!

Saturday, January 23, 2010

In My Mailbox! (21)

So - what books did I get this week?




Need by Carrie Jones (Review)
Captivate by Carrie Jones (Review)
Wild Hunt by Margaret Ronald

And my amazing girlfriend Brooke sent me a package! In it, there was:



Spellbent by Lucy A. Snyder (One word: Ferret!)
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh
On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens (which, according to her, is the best highlander book EVER)

And she also included a FunkeyBoard keyboard sticker set which is just TOO awesome! And now my laptop looks like this:


So effin' cute!

That's all!



-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Review! Captivate by Carrie Jones


 
Captivate (Need, book 2)
Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury Children's Books 
January 5th, 2010 
ISBN-10: 1599903423
ISBN-13: 9781599903422

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town. 

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

I started Captivate with high hopes that I would enjoyed it as I enjoyed reading Need. It soon became noticeable that my expectations were too high, the writing felt stilted and I literally felt awkward reading some parts. Yes, Zara was as quirky as ever but she was stepping into some dangerous TSTL territory at times and I really didn't like that. However, I forged through and I'm glad to say that things eventually got a little better.

 The writing still feel awkward but the secondary characters made up for it. The little love triangle between Devin, Is and Cassidy was one of my favorite parts and Nick is as cute as always. Astley, the new king who has it in his mind that Zara is his queen, was one of my favorite characters, I was so torn between him and Nick! The characterization really rocked, even though I did have some beef with the way Zara acted at times. 

Plotwise, I'm still not sure how I feel about the twists in the story. I did not see it coming at all, which was pretty awesome and I'm absolutely looking forward to reading the next installment. Honestly, the ending is just a huge cliffhanger and I was slightly annoyed but at the same time completely hooked.

So while I didn't exactly like the writing itself I did enjoy the story, especially the secondary characters, and I'll definitely be reading the next book in this series! 

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Quickie Review! Need by Carrie Jones


Need
Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury Children's Books 
December 23rd, 2008 
ISBN-10: 1599903385  
ISBN-13: 9781599903385



Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal. 

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara. 

With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.



I think the best way to describe this book is quirky. The heroine, Zara, is definitely not one of those super-popular-lipstick-wearing girls and it was so refreshing to read about someone who is not so sure of herself, who counts phobias as a way of dealing with things. She just lost her stepdad and got shipped to a completely different environment but she doesn't have that bad of time adapting since soon enough she has two friends and a really cute boy.


Jones did a great twist on pixies. They're not the cuddly Tinkerbell ones - not that Tinkerbell is cuddly, anyway, but you get my point - they are violent and otherwordly and well, scary as hell. And apparently the worst one of them is stalking Zara. 


I really liked Need, the characters are easily lovable, and the plot is refreshing, albeit a little predictable. My favorite scenes were the ones of Nick and Zara, they're so damn cute together! I'm definitely going to be reading the following book, Captivate, in fact I'm reading it right now!

Not right
now now as I'm typing this up but ... you get what I mean!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Review! Beyond the Night by Joss Ware


Beyond the Night
Joss Ware
HarperCollins
January 12, 2010
ISN-10: 0061734012
ISBN-13: 978-0061734014

A man with no future...

When Dr. Elliott Drake wakes from a mysterious fifty-year sleep, the world as he knew it is gone. Cities are now desolate, and civilization is controlled by deadly immortals. Stranger still is Elliott's extraordinary new "gift" – he has the power to heal, but it comes with fatal consequences.
A woman with a past

Jade barely escaped the immortals and is now hell-bent on revenge. She trusts no one... until Elliott. His piercing gaze and tempting touch shatter her defenses, but the handsome doctor seems to have dangerous secrets of his own. Is it safe to trust him with her heart?
If they are to survive in this dark new world, Jade and Elliott must work together to fight the forces that takes them beyond danger.

Beyond desire.
Beyond the night.

One minute, Dr. Elliot Drake is in a cave in Sedona with his friends in an adventure, the next he wakes up fifty years into the future and human civilization as we know it has fallen. Cities are gone, mostly everyone is dead and there's some strange creatures called Gangas that come out at night and literally tear people apart. At least, the ones that are still surviving. Even weirder and shocking is Elliot's new powers, he can heal people now but it's not without dire consequences to himself and others.  After months of scavenging for food with his friends and trying to steer clear of the Gangas, they save a group of teens from the monsters and in the process, Elliot meets Jade.

She's this crazy-brave woman who shows up out of nowhere riding a horse to help them against the Gangas when they're trying to save the kids. Jade is pretty much hell-bent on revenge on the Strangers. They're a race of men, if you will, whom are immortals and are identified by the crystals they have embedded right under their clavicles. She was their prisoner for three long years and now she'll do anything to make them pay. When Elliot and Jade meet, there's an undeniable attraction but they are both hiding deadly secrets and before they can explore their feelings, they have to learn to trust each other.

Beyond the Night is the first book in Joss Ware's Awakening Heroes series, it's written in a post-apocalyptic world where there is no government or rules, and it's pretty much a dog eat dog world. As the first book, it really sets the standard for the future ones. The writing is clear and original, this world is not for the faint of heart. Elliot is a great hero, he's still dealing with his entire world being turned upside down and what I really liked about him is while he's an alpha male who will do anything for the ones close to him, he's not domineering because that would just be annoying. And considering Jade is very stubborn and clearly needs to call the shots, if he was that way, they would just butt heads. However, their relationship is very nicely balanced, and that made Beyond the Night a pleasure to read. I think the world itself was incredibly interesting, I've always like post-apocalyptic plots and the twist that Ware puts on it makes it really refreshing.

I really did enjoy reading Beyond the Night, there wasn't a dull moment and if you're looking for a thrilling post-apocalyptic novel with zombies and steamy scenes (thankfully both of which are not related!) then this book will more than deliver!

Monday, January 18, 2010

It's Monday! What are you reading?


Hosted by the awesome J.Kaye

Read Last week:



Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh (Review)
Death's Mistress by Karen Chance (Review)

Currently Reading:


Reading Next:




I suck at keeping track of the books I read so I'm probably missing one. Or five. Okay, not five 'cause there's no way I read that many in a week but still! I should start keeping better record for this. 

Anyway so I received Captivate to review and after asking around on Twitter, the general census was that I needed to read Need first or I would be lost so the next day, I went out and brought Need, it was on my wishlist anyway! I'm really looking forward to reading both!

That's all!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

In My Mailbox! (20)

I got two books this week and they sound SO awesome!



Gentlemen Prefer Succubi (Succubus Diaries, book 1) by Jill Myles
Too Hot to Hold by Stephanie Tyler.

Ah, the eye-candy! And erm, words.. whatever you call it. Heh.



-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Sourcebooks Fire Promo!


In 2010, Sourcebooks Fire will be releasing its first season of YA titles and we wanted to invite everyone to be part of the process.

If you visit our new website (http://teenfire.sourcebooks.com), you’ll also be able to preview the first few chapters of ALL of our books. Additionally, you can start groups, post comments, upload videos and interact not only with other YA readers, but with Sourcebooks authors who will also have a presence on the site!

If you log on right now, you can:

  • Help Sourcebooks pick the new cover for Bran Hambric: The Specter Key. Sketches by Brandon Dorman (who designedSavvy and Fablehaven) are up and awaiting votes! If you let us know what you think, you could win one of 100 Bran Hambric half-moon charm necklaces, 1 of 50 signed Bran Hambric posters, or 1 of 3 signed hardcover books!
  • Join the Sourcebooks Fire Teen Review board! Would you like to review all of our publications before we print them--and let us know what you think!? If you are a teen that loves YA, you can help us with our new line!
  • Think you have what it takes to be the next big thing in YA? Sourcebooks Fire wants to read YOUR ideas, so we have teamed up with Georgia from #YALitChat and are hosting open submissions for all of February.
  • Check out vlogger James Holder’s video on new years resolutions for Team Jacob, let us know your resolutions, and win one of three advanced copies of Eden Maguire’s US debut Beautiful Dead (March 2010).
  • If you’re in the New York area, come party with us on March 18th to celebrate the birth of Sourcebooks Fire! In attendence will be Sourcebooks Fire authors and friends, with a guest performance by Tiger Beat--the first ever YA authors rock band starring Libba Bray, (our own) Dan Ehrenhaft, Barney Miller, and Natalie Standiford.

As you can tell, we have a lot going on this season! And there’s even more on the horizon for Fall 2010! You can find out all about it at http://teenfire.ning.com/.

Doesn't it sound awesome?!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Quickie Review! Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh


Slave to Sensation
(Spy-Changeling, book 1)
Nalini Singh
Berkley 
September 5, 2006
ISBN-10: 0425212866
ISBN-13: 978-0425212868


In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation"- the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was....
 Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion-and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities-or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation...


I was dared to read Slave to Sensation by my sweets Brooke after I double-dog dared her to read Angels' Blood. Damn. I should know by now that my plans always backfire on me! After I gracefully conceded (Yes, GRACEFULLY, Brooke. Shut it) I said bring it! and brought the book.

I'm sadden (okay, I'm not. Lucas is too yummylicious for that) to say that I really like Slave to Sensation! Lucas, the jaguar changeling, totally made the story for me. He was so earthy and raw and I kinda love him. My heart broke for poor Sascha being imprisoned by just being a psy. Psy do not feel emotions, not anger or sadness or happiness. Nothing. And now, she's breaking open with all sort of emotions that she's never experienced before and doesn't know how to deal with but Lucas is totally there to help her, heh. I totally loved the secondary characters, and the scenes about the two little pups made me turn into goo. Dorian and Hawke were my absolute favorite! What a bunch of hotties!

Slave to Sensation is a intense story about two unlikely people finding each other, emotions run high and it was a thrill ride to read.

And yes, I will be reading the next book in this series. Brooke, I hope you're happy, like I need MORE books on my wishlist!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

On My Wishlist (1)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).





Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…

When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.

The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.



Out June 22nd from St. Martin's Griffin and I'm itching to read it already! 

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Contest Alert!






The Raving Readers has an autographed giveaway next week! It's an erotic contemporary romance entitled Sex On the Beach by Susan Lyons


All who comments on posts on Jan 13 (W) or Jan 14 (Th) have a chance to enter into the drawing. Winner will be announced on Jan 15 (F).


There are NO geographic limitations so make sure you comment on Wednesday or Thursday and you're eligible to win! 

Monday, January 11, 2010

Review! Death's Mistress by Karen Chance


Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, book 2)
Karen Chance
Onyx
January 5, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451412761
ISBN-13: 978-0451412768


Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.

Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane uncle Dracula, Dory’s hoping her life is about to calm down. But then she gets some visitors. A friend wants Dory’s help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous vampire, Louis-Cesare, is desperate to find his former mistress Christine.
Dory and Louis-Cesare quickly discover that the same master vampire Christine is bound to is also rumored to be in possession of the relic. But when the master vampire turns up dead, they realize that there’s more at stake than a missing mistress. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can’t stop the murderer, they may be next…
Death's Mistress is the second book featuring Dorina Basarab. She's a half-human, half-vampire hybrid, or dhampir, and pretty much the pariah of the vampire world but she's also the daughter of Micea, the senator of the North American vampire council. Just as Dory is back home, settling down after having to deal with her psycho of an uncle, Claire, her best friend, shows up. Claire needs her help finding a relic that was stolen from the royal Fey family because it might just be one thing that can save her baby boy.

But to complicate things further, Louis-Cesare shows up, too! He's the super gorgeous master vampire that Dory met when she was dealing with her uncle. Apparently he also needs that relic to bargain for his mistress, Christine, who was stolen from him a century ago. But because, let's face it, Dory doesn't have the best of luck, she soon finds out that the vampire who was rumored to have the relic is dead. And next thing you know, Senate members are being killed and finding the fey item and saving Louis-Cesare's mistress is the least of Dory's problems.

Beginning to end, Death's Mistress is an absolutely engaging story and it more than exceeded my expectations. Dory's the best character ever, she's such a hard ass but she also cares a lot about her friends because honestly, she doesn't have that many since practically everyone is scared of her so when Claire shows up, there's no question that Dory's going to help her. The plot's brilliantly balanced, there's fast paced action with laugh-out-loud moments that hit me out of nowhere because Dory has that dry, dark humor that I absolutely love! And the bit of romance between Dory and Louis-Cesare made me swoon. They have such great chemistry together and it comes right off the page. Every single character brings something to the story, even Stinky! He's Dory's half-breed of a pet but honestly, more like family than anything.

Death's Mistress is a must read for anyone looking for an urban fantasy story that's explosive, fast paced with wonderful characters and a plot that will keep you guessing until the very end! Really! I did not see it coming one bit. This series has easily become one my auto-buys and I can't wait to read the next installment!

Sunday, January 10, 2010

In My Mailbox! [no.19]

So I got a few books this week:


My camera behaved. Sorta.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh. This is the book I was dared by my lovely Brooke to read after I dared her to read Singh's Angels' Blood. Remember that joint review? Well, my turn!
Death's Mistress by Karen Chance.
Turned by Julie Kenner.
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

I already read Death's Mistress and I'll post my review pretty soon. The other books look great!

That's all!

-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

New Authors Alert!

Instead of doing my chores or the many other things I should be getting done, I like to procrastinate by looking for new authors and drooling at pictures of Gerald Butler.

What? I admit it.

Anyway! I found a few authors that are completely new to me, one of which is actually a debut author, and I wanted to give you guys a heads-up.

Don't say Auntie Wendy never gave you anything! (Okay, did that sound as creepy as it did in my head?)


1. Margaret Ronald.

I couldn't find a site for her but she does run a blog, her second book Wild Hunt comes out this month.

Blurb:

Genevieve Scelan thought she was done with magic.

She was wrong.

Sure, six weeks earlier Evie—bike messenger, supernatural tracker, and avid Red Sox fan—had been instrumental in bringing down the Fiana, the organization of magicians that had ruled Boston's undercurrent for hundreds of years. But now they were gone, Boston could breathe easy again, the Sox had a chance at the pennant, and Evie was ready to relax.

Except it turns out that when you take down the guy on top, everyone assumes you're going to fill his spot, and now Evie finds herself at the center of a whole lot of unwelcome magical attention. On top of that, a new client needs her to call up a family ghost and ask about a stolen inheritance; Evie's friend Nate has a supernatural problem of his own; and a legendary pack of hounds has been terrorizing Boston's undercurrent. And try as Evie might to deny the legacy that runs through her blood, when the Hunt is called, the Hound must run . . . 

Doesn't it sound awesome? I can't wait to read it! 

2. Jess Haines.
 
Website | Blog


This is a debut author and her book, Hunted by the Others comes out in May! A little info on the book:


They are the Others — the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again... 

IN A TOWN LIKE THIS, BEING A P.I. CAN BE MURDER 

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm — if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires. 

As soon as Shiarra meets scary, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend–a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing–and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil–whether she likes it or not…


It makes me think of Harry Dresden, girl version and I LOVE Dresden so  I can't wait to read this one too! I'll be reviewing both books on the blog which is pretty awesome and I can't wait!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Review! What I did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips


What I Did for Love
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
William Morrow
January 27, 2009
ISBN-10: 0061351504
ISBN-13: 978-0061351501






How did this happen? 
Georgie York, once the costar of America's favorite television sitcom, has been publicly abandoned by her famous husband, her film career has tanked, her father is driving her crazy, and her public image as a spunky heroine is taking a serious beating. 
What should a down-on-her-luck actress do? Not go to Vegas . . . not run into her detestable former costar, dreamboat-from-hell Bramwell Shepard . . . and not get caught up in an ugly incident that leads to a calamitous elopement. Before she knows it, Georgie has a fake marriage, a fake husband, and maybe (or not) a fake sex life.
It's a paparazzi free-for-all, and Georgie's nonsupporting cast doesn't help. There's Bram's punk-nightmare housekeeper, Georgie's own pushy parent, a suck-up agent, an icy studio head with a private agenda, and her ex-husband's new wife, who can't get enough of doing good deeds and saving the world—the bitch. As for Georgie's leading man, Bram's giving the performance of his life, but he's never cared about anyone except himself, and it's not exactly clear why.
Two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright . . . and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.
Georgie York has been living in the shadows of her old sitcom character for ages now and she's more than a little sick of it. She's ready to play better roles but none is more dramatic than her real life at the moment. She was just publicly dumped by her husband for another woman so now, apart from having a crummy career, she's also the laughing stock of every person in town.  So, really, you'd think things couldn't get more horrible for Georgie. That is, until she ends up married to her archenemy after a night of drunken debauchery. But instead of getting an annulment and hoping to god no one ever founds out about the whole deal, Georgie now finds herself in a fake marriage to a guy she's hated for years. 

His name is Bramwell Shepard and he was her sitcom co-star who was a complete nightmare back then - and still is! Sure, he might be gorgeous but he's still liar and a player. But now, Georgie and Bram are stuck together in a sham of a marriage and in the middle of a media storm. 

But what neither of them ever imagined that while in the middle of a fake marriage, real feelings might emerge.

What I did for Love is the second Phillips books I've ever read and I had a blast reading it. While I laughed out loud a lot and even teared up a little it felt like I was reading the book version of Jennifer Aniston's life at times. Georgie's the funny girl left by her handsome husband for a gorgeous, successful actress that likes to travel all over the world for humanitarian efforts. Yeah, sounds familiar? It's not that it bothered me at all, I did really enjoy the book, Georgie and Bram have great chemistry together and I absolutely loved the secondary character, Chaz. She's Bram's housekeeper and was incredibly real and vibrant. So, in the end, I did enjoy reading What I did for Love, it's a really funny and witty story and I'll definitely be checking out more of Phillips' books in the future.


Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Waiting On Wednesday! (11)


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.






Jaxon Castille: jaguar shifter, warrior, assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he’s finally found her. The hunt is over… 

But the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair; of her treachery; of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant the game changes: the hunter has become the hunted.

On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them and a dark, desperate hunger quickly reclaiming their bodies and souls, Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them. 


Comes out from Avon March 30th and I can't wait! The blurb sounds really good.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Review! Accidentally Dead by Dakota Cassidy.

Accidentally Demonic
Dakota Cassidy
Berkley Trade 
February 2, 2010 
ISBN-10: 042523228X 
ISBN-13: 978-0425232286


The devilish new novel from the national bestselling author of The Accidental Human.
 When mild-mannered Casey Schwartz wakes up in jail, she has no memory of how she got there. But after her sister, Wanda, bails her out, Casey has more to deal with than a foggy memory-like abrupt mood swings and fireballs shooting from her fingertips. But things really head south when a vampire shows up on her doorstep...

Vampire Clayton Gunnersson is seriously hot. And seriously taken-by a demon. In a ritual gone wrong, Clayton tried to get rid of his unwanted bond, but spilled some demonic blood on Casey, getting her possessed in the process. Now, Casey has to share her body and manage to keep her growing attraction to Clayton in check, because falling for her demon's boyfriend just might get Casey killed-from the inside out. 
One day Casey Schwartz's life consists of babysitting two rich brats twenty-four/seven and making sure they don't get into trouble. The next, she's in jail for assaulting an off-duty officer at a club with no memory of it. Oops doesn't begin to cover it. Come to found out, she's now a demon; actually, half a demon; due to a freak accident with the hunky vampire Clayton Gunnersson. Apparently, he spilled some demon blood on Casey which bonded with her somehow and that makes her half a demon now. 

Not cool. Casey's big sister Wanda (the same Wanda from Accidentally Human) ends up bailing her out of jail. However, that's not all of it, because now Casey is starting to have these freaky mood swings in which she might accidentally set people's hairs on fire. And well, people tend to take offense to that.

Unfortunately, that's not the end of Casey's troubles. Clayton, the guy she has to thank for getting her in this mess, has a mate but get this, his mate is a demon and Casey is now sharing her powers. Obviously, Clayton's mate is anything but happy, at all. So, Casey's now in some bizarre love triangle with a super hot vampire who she might be falling in love with and a pissed off demon who is not about to go away any time soon and this could just end up getting her killed. 

Accidentally Demonic is the fourth book in Cassidy's Accidental series and an absolutely great addition! From beginning to end, it's an unbelievably fun story with some serious laugh-out-loud moments that had me snorting and super steamy scenes that could make anyone blush. The book features Cassidy's humor that just makes everything so much better, she's an insanely funny author! But it's not all laughs and giggles, Casey's in serious trouble and only a miracle will save her this time. Or a beef-cake named Clayton, that is! Accidentally Demonic is an outrageously funny story about wonderful characters that will steal your heart from the very start.

He can Chapter-32 me anytime!

Bones is Mine