The Curse

The Curse 

by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love is part of the Belador series that started with Blood Trinity and continued with Alterant.  There always seems to be so much going on in these books that I feel like I am watching a three-ring circus...and I don't know where to look first.  There are plenty of different conflicts taking place and lots of people who don't trust each other, gods and goddesses who are demanding virtually impossible things (that make one wonder--if this is how they treat those who follow them, how do they treat the others).  The individual characters are fascinating and the tortured heroine is feeling her way along as she tries to overcome the traumas of her past but it's a little difficult watching her reactions to the various strong males who are demonstrating interest in her.  I absolutely adore the little gargoyle who is an amazing handful...it just tickles me to picture her tossing him lug nuts as treats.  This author pair has written yet another enjoyable story, it is just dense (like fruitcake?) with lots of little nuggets that can get frustrating as one waits (and waits, and waits) for them to resolve.

Anyway, if you haven't read the series...I highly suggest that you start at the beginning--and take notes, lol.  My Night Owl Review for The Curse is at this link, for Alterant is at this link, and for Blood Trinity (read this one first) is at this link.

                       

Veteran's Day

Just wanted to stop and say how much I appreciate those who have served or are serving, both in active duty or by supporting those who are.  It is difficult for those of us remaining safe in our homes to conceive the kind of horror and stress that these brave souls endure daily and I know that I am inadequate at expressing my true gratitude and empathy for them.  There are many great authors who give us a glimpse of the lives of those who serve in the military but it is impossible to know what life in the warzone is truly like unless you have experienced it yourself.  I am always shy about greeting strangers in uniform so I try to show my support through agencies like Soldier's Angels, AnySoldier.com and Operation Paperback but there are countless organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project which need support as well.  Those who are able to send letters or Christmas cards may wish to contact Kim at the SOS Aloha blog for addresses to use to brighten some soldier's day with a note or a card.

Some of my many favorite military romance authors are:

Suzanne Brockmann (Troubleshooters series), Mary Margaret Daughtridge, Jessica Scott, Tanya Huff (sci-fi Valor series), Linnea Sinclair (actually sci-fi romance but still a military theme), M.L. Buchman, and many, many more....and don't forget that Anne Elizabeth's delightful new book, A Seal at Heart will be released the first week of December!

                 

                                   

Contests (updated) and a rant about requirements...

Sorcha Mowbray is having a Love Redeemed blog hop at this link.
and for those who are reading on Nov. 11, she is holding an Author Chat at this link...with pretty good chances to win one of her e-books.

There are tons of participants in the aforementioned hops...enjoy!

Romance Books 4 Us has a Thanksgiving (or is that Htanksgiving?) Contest at this link

and there are plenty of other contests going on at the usual places (Writerspace, Fresh Fiction, Coffee Time Romance, Night Owl, etc.)



Those of you who don't want to hear me whine should stop HERE, lol.



I have a complaint (well, actually, I have a lot of complaints but this is the one that is forefront in my mind right now).

I DON'T use Facebook.  I also don't use Twitter (although I discovered I had signed up on it many many moons ago in order to enter a contest...and promptly forgot about it until my brother 'Tweeted' me one day).  I haven't been on Pinterest although it does sound interesting and I don't plan to join it in the near future, either.  This lack on my part automatically disqualifies me for more and more contests, coupons to my favorite restaurants and other goodies and I have idly wondered whether it is worth going through the hassle of trying to set up a Facebook account...a frustrating experience the last time I tried it.  I waste (ahem, devote) far more time to writing this blog than I probably should and I don't keep up with posting about the books that I am reading because of the lag time before some of my reviews are posted on the Night Owl Review site.  (so, I have about 20 that I need to make blogposts for at this time and the number continues to mount!)

In my opinion, far too much time can be spent updating social media sites or reading postings from social media sites and I'd much rather spend that time reading.

Ok, so what does that have to do with anything?  I participate on Street Teams for several authors.  Usually that involves notifying others about new releases, promotions and contests.  I enjoy helping out authors whose books I have enjoyed and am happy to do so on my blog, with or without bribes--although those are always enjoyed, lol.  I was dismayed to discover that I wasn't 'suitable' to join one of my favorite author's 'Ambassadors' team because I don't have three forms of social media that I am active on.  I hate being discriminated against although this is not unusual...I can't apply to do reviews for certain publishers also because I lack the requisite number of followers on my small blog.  I realize that I could increase my numbers by participating in giveaways and requiring that entrants become followers but that just isn't my style.  I greatly appreciate those who have taken the time to follow my blog but I hope that those who do, follow because they share my love of reading and like to hear about the new releases...not because I twisted their arm in some way (sorry, RMR and those of you I begged to follow me, lol).  I don't really want to use my spare money for shipping books to winners, I'd rather use it to buy things for the soldiers who are serving far away from home or donating books to the local library...but that's my choice.

It irks me that I am not considered good enough to join a team that should be comprised of fans who want to share their love of a particular author just because I don't Tweet all day or spend my day 'liking' things on FB.  It is my impression that there are a few of us 'dinosaurs' around...and we are readers too!  I'd love to hear people's opinions on this if you took the time to read this far.  I am going to stomp away pouting and exclaiming, "it's not fair!" and grab my next book now...thank you for listening (virtually).

Lord's Fall

Lord's Fall   

by Thea Harrison is a wonderful addition to a fantastic series.  I devour these titles whenever I find a new one, no matter what else is due on my plate, these books get moved up to the top of the TBR stack.  (and yes, I have several TBR stacks with various degrees of priority--those for Night Owl Reviews, those sent directly from publishers and authors, and those from the library)  Thea Harrison's books tend to bypass any others because I love the combination of romance and imagination in her tales.  I am an unashamed animal lover and her ability to transfer certain instinctual animal behavior into a human paradigm and tell a great story always entertains me.  Some of my favorite quotes have been from her books...including this one from Devil's Gate

  “I don’t want you to curb yourself, deny yourself, cover up your face or head or any part of your body.  I don’t want you to lose or gain weight, or watch what you say, or deny how you feel, or try to be anything but who you are, because who you are is the most beautiful person in the world to me’.

Thea Harrison, “Devil’s Gate” 2012

Sigh...who could resist a declaration like that?  And isn't that what we all want?  Someone who loves us just the way we are?

I love the characters in this story, they were introduced in Dragon Bound and I was so impressed by the way the author epitomized the stereotypical dragon (covetous, hoarding, arrogant, top of the food chain) in an alpha male that was swoon-worthy yet found a match for him who was deceptively mild, self-effacing and cunning.  It just tickled me that a single unassuming penny could be the cause of such upheaval and I enjoyed the repartee between the characters.  This book allowed us to see them a little further along in their relationship even as it shows many of the other factors in their respective lives.  My Amazon review for Lord's Fall is at this link.  All of the stories in the 'Elder Race' series have been extremely entertaining to me and it is my hope that there will be many more to delight this talented author's fans.  Ms Harrison deservedly won a RITA at the RWA in 2012 and I highly recommend both the novels and the interspersed novellas to paranormal fans who love romance and intrigue.  These books are ones for my keepers shelf, I only hope that the novellas will be released in a single volume one of these days since I am definitely an old-fashioned person who loves her books in print!

The novels:
     

The novellas:
     
I had the pleasure of reviewing many of these titles for Night Owl Reviews at this link and I was delighted to meet the awesomely talented author herself at RWA this past summer.

Wicked Release (adults only) is on sale...and a few asides

Wicked Release (adult title!) by R.G. Alexander is on sale at Amazon for a short time.  It is part of her Magian series and an erotic title about a society that is menage based.  (Click on cover for link)
 

Also, Lisa Renee Jones' Dangerous Secrets is free on Amazon for a limited time.  Please click the cover.




and she has a special offer for her Vampire Wardens and Werewolf Society series, only $1.99 for a 5 volume set!




During my wanderings, I came across a few items that were appalling yet hilarious...at least the authors' responses.  I enjoy wandering around various authors' websites and getting a feel for their personalities but I must admit that I never thought about this aspect when I thought about crazy fans.


Karen Hawkins post on letters from prisoners...link to website, click on Goddess Grins tab...WARNING:  Do not drink anything while you are reading, otherwise you may have to clean liquid off of computer screen (0:

Cherry Adair's answers for her incarcerated fans is at this link.  (go all the way to the bottom of the FAQs)

Funny, when I think of the things a writer has to deal with...I think of writer's block, everyday household concerns, etc.  I NEVER thought about this aspect of being a public figure.  Ewww.....

And finally, I was somewhat appalled to read the following since I equate having a published book with fame and fortune, lol.
Sabrina Jeffries' summation on the misunderstandings about the typical romance author's life is at this link.

Enjoy.

Fox's Mask

The Fox's Mask  

by Anna Frost is a delightful young adult story that inventively combines Japanese folklore about kitsune (foxes with magical powers) with an adventurous tale featuring a samurai warrior and his sidekick.  I enjoyed the lyrical nature of the story and the frequent twists in the story...especially the one at the end.  The combination of the mystical beliefs, self-deprecating humor and a nice cast of secondary characters made this an impressive debut.  This is the first story in a trilogy and I look forward to seeing what the inventive author comes up with in subsequent tales.  It is my understanding that the next book in the series is called The Fox's Quest and it will be available in 2013.

Ice Cold

Ice Cold  

by Cherry Adair is part of her enjoyable T-FLAC series that centers around an elite group of counterterrorists.  Rafael Navarro is an expert at explosives and has the nickname ‘bomb whisperer’ but has kept his heart guarded ever since the tragic loss of his wife.  Honey Winston is a cybercrimes specialist who has worked hard to hone her skills and actively reinforces her ‘ice princess’ moniker.  The two are thrown together when a series of serious bombing attacks require their individual skills but neither is thrilled about partnering with each other nor the attraction that they are feeling.  They will have to work together if they are going to save the world as they know it but neither is sure that it is going to be worth compromising the emotional barriers each has erected for self-protection.

This was another fun read from a prolific author who excels at writing romantic suspense.  The intriguing equipment and fun toys that aid the operatives in their respective jobs adds both realism and intrigue to the overall story even as the sizzling attraction between the main characters adds complications to their already dangerous jobs.  It was fun to read about a female computer geek who is an engaging combination of prickly defensive agent and vulnerable woman even as she finds a way to breach the defenses of a macho ladies’ man who deals with past hurts by refusing to ever let anyone into his heart.  An entertaining addition to a fun series.



I had the great pleasure of listening to a talk by this wonderfully warm author a couple of years ago and her statement about the books in her office really resonated with me because she said that they were ‘old friends’ that she revisits every so often.  Only another bibliophile can understand the connection we have with our favorite stories that we go back to when we are feeling blue or stressed or in need of a guaranteed happy ending.  I also had the opportunity to watch Ms Adair in action as she graciously signed books and chatted with her adoring fans at the RWA conference in Anaheim this summer.  It was plain to see that she truly enjoys what she does and loves to interact with her readers and I was thrilled to have a chance to watch her arrange her display table artfully (I believe that she was an interior decorator in her previous incarnation) and to chat with her and reap the benefits of her droll wit.  I have enjoyed the stories I have read thus far and look forward to more adventures featuring the charismatic T-FLAC team. 

Ice Cold is being spotlighted on the SOS Aloha blog at this link on November 6, 2012.