Maybe Tomorrow?

Wishlist Wednesday (#3)

2011-01-12T16:38:00.000-08:00

The Gathering
Kelley Armstrong
Harper Teen
(April 2011)

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students–for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya’s determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya’s home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts experiencing “bad vibes” about certain people and things. It does’t help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret…and he’s interested in one special part of Maya’s anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.
- taken from KelleyArmstrong.com

The Gathering is the next installment of Kelley's Otherworld spin off. She set the scene for us through The Darkest Powers trilogy of books and I for one cannot wait for more information on the 'Edison Group'. Though I'm sad to leave Chole, Derek, Simon and Tori behind I'm intrigued by Maya's story. Mountain Lions? Bad Vibes? April can't come quick enough!

In My Mailbox (#28)

2011-01-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

Bought/Gifted (or Delivered) This Week:

The Dark Divine - Bree Despain

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Secret Society - Tom Dolby

The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff

Dust City - Robert Paul Weston ...from my very secret santa ;)

Need - Carrie Jones

Counterfeit Magic - Kelley Armstrong

For Review:

Nocturne - Syrie James
In The Dark of Dreams - Marjorie M. Liu
Dakota Child - Linda Ford

So this is a mishmash of an In My Mailbox this week. It's a collection of all the books I bought prior to Christmas, received for Christmas etc. I fell off the blogging and reading wagon prior to Christmas. I won't bore you with the details but it was a simple case of everything piling up plus work and blah. But with all that past I'm back online and hoping to get more reading done in the new year!

Hope you all enjoyed the holidays and new year! So have any of you read any of the books above? Are they any good? Am I in for some good reads in the new year?

Guest Post: Jess Haines & Friends (+ Giveaway!)

2011-01-04T00:18:00.000-08:00

The H&W Gang Talk About What Annoys Others

By Jess Haines

Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the urban fantasy novel HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, and its upcoming sequel TAKEN BY THE OTHERS (coming January 4, 2011 from Kensington). I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to some of the cast—Shiarra Waynest, the lead character, Sara, her business partner, Chaz, her on-and-off werewolf boyfriend, Arnold, a mage who occasionally lends the girls a hand, and Alec Royce, a vampire Shiarra meets in the course of her adventures.

Shiarra is going to tell you a little bit about what annoys Others—aka, supernaturals. (This should be good…) Over to you, Shia!

____________________

Shiarra: Okay, we’re going to find out what annoys the hell out of a werewolf, a vampire, and a mage. I think this is the best day of my life.

Sara: Arnold doesn’t like it when you rearrange his D&D manuals.

Arnold: Yeah. Do you know how long it takes me to find the hit die of a Beholder when you move my books around?

Shiarra: That wasn’t what I was talking about. I mean like, what kinds of questions do people ask you about being a mage or whatever that pisses you off?

Chaz: I hate it when people ask if I’m really allergic to silver. Isn’t it obvious?

Arnold: I hate it when people ask if I studied at Hogwarts.

Sara: What about the vampire? He’s being too quiet over there.

Royce: I’m not sure that I want to participate in this discussion.

Shiarra: Oh, give me a break. People must ask you something that ticks you off. You’ve been around long enough that it’s inevitable that someone had to have asked you a stupid question at one time or another.

Royce: I don’t get many questions that surprise or annoy me anymore. I’ve heard them all.

Arnold: I’ve got one for you. Do you sparkle in the sunlight?

Royce: *snarls*

Chaz: Hey, man. That’s not funny.

Sara: You’re right. It’s freaking hilarious.

Royce: Very funny, mage. How big is your wand, exactly?

Arnold: Big enough to impress the ladies.

Sara: AHEM.

Chaz: I want a wand!

Everyone: …

Shiarra: No, honey, you really don’t.

Chaz: But—

Royce: I’m sure I could arrange—

Shiarra: DROP IT.

Arnold & Sara: *snicker*

Shiarra: Okay, seriously. What ticks you off, Royce?

Royce: Must I answer this?

Everyone: YES.

Royce: The most irritating is when someone asks if vampirism is contagious.

Shiarra: Seriously?

Arnold: Wow. I thought the Hogwarts thing was bad. People actually ask that?

Royce: Yes. The second most irritating question is when people ask if there’s a cure if they change their mind.

Sara: Uhh…

Shiarra: That’s… dumb.

Royce: I’m aware of that, thank you.

Chaz: So… have you actually changed any of these people?

Royce: *gives Chaz a dirty look*

____________________

What do you think, folks? What other kinds of things could annoy Others?

Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Beth!

____________________

Anytime Jess! Big thanks to Jess for taking the time to bring the gang over for an impromptu Q&A! Hope you guys enjoyed it! In honor of the new year, Maybe Tomorrow's first post review of 2011 and because I enjoyed these books so much I'm going to give away both books to one lucky follower!

The rules are simple, one be a follower of Maybe Tomorrow via GFC and two be from any of the countries listed at the Book Depository for shipping. Simple!

Review: Taken By The Others by Jess Haines (4/5)

2011-01-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

Title: Taken By The Others (H&W Investigations #2)
Author: Jess Haines
ISBN: 1420111884
Pages: 160
Publisher: Zebra Books
Source: via Book Faery from the author in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

Jess Haines draws readers deep into the mesmerizing world of the Others--werewolves, vampires, and mages who make their home among humans, and are turning Shiarra Waynest's life upside down. . .

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest's most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she's dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia--for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce's interest is a lot more personal. That's not sitting well with Shia's werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side.

Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she's discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties--and even her desires. . .
taken from Goodreads.com

Taken By The Others picks up where we left Shia last. In a position she’d rather not find herself, in the midst of a supernatural feud between two very age-old vamps who would like nothing more to possesses Shia and for two very different reasons.

It seems the death of one of the vamps who was just a little persistent in trying to kill Shia didn’t go down too well. Max Carlyle is out for revenge and believes Shia is the only way to get give comeuppance. Using Shia as a pawn to extract revenge against Royce Shia is in the midst of a tug of war battle that has no sign of a pleasant ending if she doesn’t find a way out.

Caught between two vampires, while dealing with a were for a boyfriend which a slight jealous streak and oh, did I mention the mages and the vigilante group that wants to recruit her too? Shia certainly has her work cut out for her and it’s a journey with plenty of ups and downs that keeps the pages turning.

All the faves are here from the first novel, including the mysterious and illustrious Royce who still treads very finely between the lines of friend and foe. His actions continuly keep you guessing at his intentions and his history with Carlyle is deftly played out as we with Shia start to learn more about his origins.

Final Thoughts...

In many series main characters can often lose themselves and become a shadow of their former selves in their bid to evolve and grow. Shia remains true to the woman we were first introduced to in Hunted By The Others. But with her eyes now wide open to the world of the supernaturals she’s gained some true grit while keeping her sarcastic wit.

What I love about Haine’s is her ability to build a world around these characters. Since becoming a fan of paranormal fiction I’ve always wondered how the world would adapt to supernaturals. Yes, I imagine the panic and outright hysteria, but what would happen after the dust settled? I love Haine’s introduction of the politics surrounding the supernaturals step out into public knowledge. Legal documents that must be signed prior to engaging in relationships with a were, lawsuits against vampires over unlawful biting. Haines has taken this and weaved it into the story in a way that it could almost be plausible if supernaturals came out tomorrow.

Taken By The Others is a fantastic follow up to Hunted By The Others and had me gripped from the first word. If you’re a fan of paranormal and urban fantasy novels then this is right up your street. Haine’s is a refreshing storyteller in a market that sometimes threatens to be over-saturated. A top pick to start the year off!

Teaser Tuesday (#25)

2010-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

- Grab your current read

- Open to a random page

- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week is The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry

He posed with Santa Claus in a fake sleigh onstage, as if the sleigh were real, as if Santa were real, as if the fame were real. Of course, none of it was, but he did not realize it. Not yet.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

In My Mailbox (#27)

2010-11-14T22:13:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Bad Girls Don't Die - Katie Alender

Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld

The Lost Symbol - Dan Brown

One For The Money - Janet Evanovich

Jessica's Guide To Dating On The Dark Side - Beth Fantaskey

For Review:

Dark Prophecy - Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld

So I'm breaking my silence. Not sure what happened, I guess things got on top of me and everything fell to the side. I'm going to be tackling my review pile in the next couple of weeks so expect a hopefully (fingers crossed) steady stream of reviews. I've got a few giveaways planned too so keep an eye out!

So what did you guys get in your mailboxes this week? Feel free to share your links and if you've read any of these books I'd love to hear what you thought of them!

Look forward to catching up with you all!

Green Books Campaign: Bad Boy by Peter Robinson

2010-11-10T12:10:00.001-08:00

Nov. 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. This year’s participation of both bloggers and books has doubled from the event’s inception last year.

You can find out more by clicking here!

--------------

As much as I strive to be green I can't seem to pull myself away from my paperbacks. Nothing beats picking out a book from the shelves and skimming through it's pages. E-Books are here, but I don't think they have a chance of outselling paperbacks any time soon. In the meantime I will be a little more conscious when picking up a book in store.

Title: Bad Boy (Inspector Banks #19)

Author: Peter Robinson

ISBN: 0061362956

Pages: 352

Publisher: William Morrow

Source: from publisher via Green Books Campaign in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis...

Banks is on holiday, headed for Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. His daughter, Tracy, home in Leeds and angry with her father, is headed for some very deep trouble. Robinson's nineteenth Inspector Banks novel is a stunner.
Handguns are illegal in the U.K., and whenever one is reported, the police swing into high gear. But things go very wrong when the police swoop down on a home in Eastvale to seize a reported handgun. In the confusion, Patrick Doyle, a former neighbour of Banks, is shot. Doyle's daughter, Erin, is to blame for the gun being in the house, and while she's in police custody, her housemate in Leeds, Tracy Banks, decides to let Erin's boyfriend know that the police have been around their place. Bad decision. When Banks returns home from holiday, Tracy is missing. And that's not the worst of it.
Robinson's latest Inspector Banks novel is a powerful story of how the volatile emotions of love and resentment can turn deadly when fear comes creeping in.

My Thoughts...

This is the 19th book in the Inspector Banks series written by Peter Robinson. The book starts with a distressed woman trying to track down Banks at the police station. Unfortunately Banks is unavailable having left for a overdue vacation. Mrs Doyle is an old friend of Banks and is looking for some discretion in helping her with the discovery she made in her daughters bedroom.
The police are required by law to seize any handguns in the UK as they’re illegal. An arranged seize of the firearm is set up and all appears to be a run of the mill procedure. Though things go horribly wrong when Patrick Doyle is killed. Things start to spiral from there onwards as Banks’ daughter Tracy disappears in connection with Erin, the Doyle’s daughter, who is the cause for the hand gun being in the home.
Tracy is friends with Erin and makes the misguided decision to inform Erin’s questionable boyfriend of the recent police activity at Erin’s parents.
Banks is on vacation in San Francisco recovering from the stress of his last case and upon his arrival home discovers the news of his daughters disappearance.
The first couple of chapters went by in a bit of a blur. Just when I was expecting action, it cut straight to the next scene. I'm not too fond of quick switches to cover large scenes, but with pressing issues that are soon to follow I guess it may have slowed the focus.
Overall the book is moving at a decent pace, it's not my normal genre of choice but sometimes it's good to read something outside your usual genres in order to mix things up every now and then.
It does stir memories of headlines in the British press some years ago of gun violence and this book does bring some interesting debates. This is the 19th book in the series and so far there’s not alot that isn’t explained. If I hadn’t know prior to reading that this was part of a series I don’t think I would have noticed.
A good read for anyone looking for something outside the norm to get to grips with!

Wednesday's Wishlist (#2)

2010-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Changing The Game

Jaci Burton

Berkley Heat

(September 2011)

Win at any cost. That’s always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she’ll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She’s had a thing for this player’s moves since she first laid on eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.

Gavin’s more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz’s way to see just how far she’s truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.

* * *

I have no idea what this book is about, I'm still staring at the cover...

Plain Kate Winners (Round Two!)

2010-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so neither of the winners have gotten back to me, so I've drawn new names!

Canadian Winner...

Danya

International Winner...

Kisah

Both have been emailed and they have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner.

Big thanks to everyone who entered! Big thanks to Scholastic also for providing this opportunity!

In My Mailbox (#26)

2010-10-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Crave - J. R. Ward

Grave Witch - Kalayna Price

McKettricks of Texas: Tate - Linda Lael Miller

McKettricks of Texas: Garrett - Linda Lael Miller

Nightwalker - Jocelyn Drake

Faeries Gone Wild - Anthology

Dark Origins: Level 26 - Anthony E. Zuiker

The Nanny Returns - Nicola Kraus & Emma McLaughlin

The Chosen One - Carol Lynn Williams

Once Bitten Twice Shy - Jennifer Rardin
I Love You To Death - Amy Garvey
Norah's Ark - Judy Baer
Heartsick - Chelsea Cain

For Review:

Behemoth - Scott Westerfeld

This weeks IMM is actually two weeks worth of books as I didn't have time to get my post up last weekend! I'm still a little disorganized and I still haven't picked up a book for a good read which is slightly worrying, I may start experiencing withdrawal symptoms! lol

Hope everyone had a great weekend, what did you get in your mailboxes this week? Feel free to share your links!

Wednesday's Wishlist (#1)

2010-10-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

Instead of Waiting On Wednesday and On My Wishlist Post's I'm going to have my own mix of the two. It'll be what I'm putting on my wishlist this week. It could be something that's been out for ages or coming out next year. I'll include a synopsis and any other bits and pieces I find!

* * *

Counterfeit Magic

Kelley Armstrong

Subterranean Press
(November 2010)

Return to the world of Kelley Armstrong's best-selling novels Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic for a long original novella.

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.

When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business.

Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.

As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

* * *

This is a limited press by Subterranean. It's a little pricey, but I'm a huge fan of Kelley's so I'm sure this will be worth the price. There's two editions, one leather bound and one hardback. You can order a copy here from Subterranean. The good news is that it's longer than Kelley's last release from Subterranean, Angelic.

Get Books With GetGlue!

2010-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about GetGlue? It's one of the most addicting social network sites out there! Not a day goes by without me checking in with what I'm doing. You might have seen people tweeting about what they're checking in on on Twitter also.

The fun thing about GetGlue is that for everything you check in on you have the chance to earn stickers. For example, if you check in on Glee five or more times you earn the Gleek sticker!

Now they've expanded their book check in selection! There's a great range of authors & books to check in on and earn new stickers. Stickers which you can order to be sent out to you! How cool is that?

If you've got a GetGlue account you can find me here, checking in on all my fave things!

Catch Up With BBA @ Paper Cut Reviews!

2010-10-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

So no Teaser Tuesday this week, I'm still struggling to finish Rouge so instead I'm going to play catch up with a fantastic event Steph is hosting at her blog Paper Cut Reviews.

BBA's pick this month is Nightwalker by Jocelyn Drake. Unfortunately my copy only arrived last week while I had family visiting (not impressed), so I'm a bit behind. But from what I've been reading it looks to be a fantastic read!

Nightwalker week is on until October 19th and Steph has some pretty exciting events planned.

Oct. 1st
*Character Profile:Mira and Danaus

Oct. 2nd-4th
*Cover makeover
*Create a button

Oct. 5th
*Ideal Danaus

Oct. 6th
*Jocelynn Drake Interview

Oct. 7th
*World Summary:Paranormal Hidden with in the Real World.

Oct. 8th
*Cover Love

Oct. 9th-11th
*Review Hunt: Link Reviews
*Mira vs Danaus:Who would win in a battle?

Oct. 12-19th
*Which Breed of Shapeshifter is sexier? (I will explain the relevance)
*If you could have an elemental ability what would it be? Why?

You can also check out BBA's discussion posts over at our Goodreads group here. So go check it out! Big thanks to Steph for pulling this together and making it such a fun event!

Plain Kate by Erin Bow Giveaway Winners!

2010-10-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Apologies in the lateness in posting the winners. Better late than never!

Canadian Winner...

Nicole

International Winner...

Carrie (In The Hammock)

Both have been emailed and they have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner.

Big thanks to everyone who entered! Big thanks to Scholastic also for providing this opportunity!

Review: The Jedi Path: A Manuel For Students of The Force (4/5)

2010-10-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Title: The Jedi Path: A Manuel For Students of The Force

Author: Daniel Wallace

ISBN: 1603800964

Pages: 160

Publisher: becker&mayer!
Source: short extract from publicist in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

The Jedi Path, Fully Illustrated, with Removable Features and a Mechanical Vault With the push of a button, the doors of the vault open in a wash of light and Star Wars sound effects. The inner platform rises, revealing this exclusive edition of The Jedi Path.

This ancient training manual, crafted by early Jedi Masters, has educated and enlightened generations of Jedi. It explains the history and hierarchy of the Jedi Order, and what Jedi must know to take their place as defenders of the peace in the galaxy—from mastery of the Force to the nuances of lightsaber combat. Passed down from Master to Padawan, the pages of this venerable text have been annotated by those who have held it, studied it, and lived its secrets.

From Yoda and Luke Skywalker to Count Dooku and Darth Sidious, they have shaped the content of the book by leaving mementos tucked within the pages, tearing out pages, and adding their personal experiences as tangible reminders of the lessons they’ve learned. Through wars and rebellion, only a single copy of this manual has survived. It is now passed on to you.

Removable features: A letter tracing the book’s history, a severed Padawan braid, a metal Jedi Credit medallion, a Jedi starfighter patch, a burned poster of the Jedi Code, a map of the Jedi Temple, a lightsaber diagram sketched on the back of a napkin from Dex’s Diner, and a note on the missing pages torn from the book by a Sith.

Created in collaboration with Lucasfilm—along with an acclaimed Star Wars author and revered Star Wars illustrators—this volume provides new insights into the history and lore of the Jedi Order while introducing never-before-seen ships, creatures, characters, and details about how one trains to become a Jedi.
taken from Goodreads.com

Now, after watching fifty hours plus of CSI I feel I’m adequately qualified to report in on field duty. I’ve watched enough House to diagnose the most baffling of medical maladies (it’s never lupus, right?). My Jedi training however, is a little rusty these days and what better way to get up to speed than with the Jedi Path: A Manuel for Students of the Force?

Jedi Path is written by Daniel Wallace and is a certain treat for any Star Wars fan. When I was given the opportunity to review a small excerpt there was a lot of jumping for joy. As a fan of Star Wars there was no convincing and I answered with an immediate yes.

Much like any well worn textbook, there were plenty of notes from their previous and present owners in the margin. It was amusing to see Yoda’s anecdotes next to Anakin’s and Dooku’s, especially knowing what was to come after their Jedi trials.

What makes this book even more special is that it’s the last of its kind. After the wars and rebellions many a copy has been lost. This is a treasure that has been passed on to you, the reader. It covers everything from history, creatures, Jedi’s past and present to the hierarchy of the Jedi Order.

Final Thoughts...

Although I didn’t get to read the whole book, this was a great taster that left me eager for more. If you know of any hardcore Star Wars fans then this may be the gift to buy them this Christmas.

The only set back is the price. The Vault Edition retails around sixty dollars, which is not cheap for the casual fan. But with the depth of information in it’s pages it’s certain to delight for young Padawans, apprentices and Jedi Masters alike (look at the video below, ohmi!).

End line, if you’re a casual fan then this might be a miss due to the price. But if you’re hardcore then this is definitely worth checking out. Especially for the epic opening of that awesome case!

In My Mailbox (#25)

2010-10-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

All I Ever Wanted - Kristan Higgins

Kiss of Crimson - Lara Adrian

Double Cross - Carolyn Crane

Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler

A Dirty Job - Christopher Moore

Infinite Days - Rebecca Maizel

Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Blue-Eyed Devil - Lisa Kleypas

The Dark Hunters #3 - Sherrilyn Kenyon

Torment - Lauren Kate

Sin Undone - Larissa Ione

Won:

My Soul To Take - Rachel Vincent (Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks)

Paranormalcy (ARC) - (A & C Book Junkies)

For Review:

The Perfect Love Song - Patti Callahan Henry

Bad Boy - Peter Robinson (for Eco Libris)

Well, when I break a book buying ban I don't do a half hearted job! lol. Truth is a couple of those books are pre-orders I allowed myself a couple of months back. I also went to the States, first time in months and the dollar exchange is pretty good and MasterCard knows me so well that they sent me a 20% off voucher for Chapters, so how could I resist?

I'm going back onto my book buying ban this week again, I really want to make a dent on my TBR pile while catching up with my review books, just wish there was more time!

I've been absent from the blogging community for a while due to family visiting and sickness. I'm trying to get back into my old routine, but I'm trying to work out some stuff out at the same time. So if you don't see me around that's why. I try and comment on other blogs as much as I can. Hopefully things will settle in the next couple of weeks!

So what did you guys get in your mailboxes this week? Have you read any of these books? Am I in for a treat?

Review: Havoc by Chris Wooding (4/5)

2010-10-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Title: Havoc

Author: Chris Wooding

ISBN: 1407105116

Pages: 384

Publisher: Scholastic
Source: from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

Seth finally managed to escape the terrifying comicbook world of Malice, but he left his best friend Kady there. Now he must go back and rescue her. But can he find a way back in? Kady has her own worries. She's trying to reach Havoc, a group of rebel kids plotting to destroy Tall Jake, the evil ruler of Malice. But somebody is watching the comic and can see what everyone is up to. Is there no way to escape?
taken from Goodreads.com

Havoc sees the return to the world of Malice and it’s sinister inhabitant Tall Jake. Seth, after successfully escaping the pages of Malice, is looking for a way back in. While Kady, still stuck in the comic, is looking for the elusive rebel vigilante group Havoc, intent on joining them in order to both bring down Tall Jake and to escape the world of Malice.

This was a great continuation from the first book and continues the tradition of mixed media. Again, I found myself enthralled with the story and waited eagerly in anticipation for the pages of Malice that were slipped in throughout the book.

This works well for the story, instead of pages of descriptive battles, we have visuals that convey the scenes just as well. And considering that this book is aimed at children aged nine to twelve, it makes for easier reading and offers a distraction from the bulk of text. It’s also exciting, as I mentioned on my review of Malice, it’s something different and makes for a more interactive reading experience.

Malice operates on the currency of belief. Tall Jake exists because of the fear of the comic and it’s grown into a wild spread urban legend. It’s this that has given Tall Jake power, but how do you destroy belief? This is something that’s touched and almost explored, which I think is a great discussion point.

I was surprised when the book took a sudden turn and I started to realise that things were starting to wrap up. I had hopes that this series would run at least for another book. Though in retrospect, there isn’t enough content there to stretch to another book, it’s my wishful thinking that wanted to see it.

Final Thoughts…

I’m hoping that this is not the end of Malice and Havoc certainly leaves it open for further adventures. The doors to Malice are certainly not closed and I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ve not seen the end of Tall Jake.

These books, both Malice and Havoc are targeted for ages 9-12 (though if you’re a twenty-something like me for a love for a semi-macabre tale you’ll enjoy them too). I have two nine year old God-daughters, and I wouldn’t give them this to read as they’re quite sensitive to content like this. I would recommend these books for a slightly older audience.

Review: A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu

2010-09-24T00:44:00.000-07:00

Title: A Wild Light (Hunter Kiss #3)
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
ISBN: 0441019013
Pages: 320
Publisher: Penguin Group
Source: Provided by publicist in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather's dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.
taken from Goodreads.com

A Wild Light is the third in the Hunters Kiss series by Marjorie M. Liu. It’s a series that I’ve had on my TBR list for a while and when the opportunity to read A Wild Light came about I jumped in with both feet.

Now usually I start a series from the very beginning. It’s my number one rule, I can’t even watch a TV series if I’ve not watched the first episode. I need to know what happened from the start!

So why did I jump in at number three? Well I honestly thought I might be able to pick up what had happened previous, so many people have done it. So why not throw caution to the wind and jump in?

I was wrong, but before you get the wrong idea, let me explain.

While a short recap here and there is explained, there are some things which are somewhat expected of the reader to know. Which I guess is expected in an established series, writers can’t recap everything otherwise their novels would be twice as long!

Marjorie has created a very rich and substantial world within these books. The characters, though I knew little about them, were obviously far from shallow and all seemed to have intricate backgrounds which I was dying to explore.

I sympathized with Maxine’s amnesia, and from the moment she finds herself looking down at the body of her grandfather it’s hard not to be grasped by the mystery shrouding his death and Maxine’s attempt to claw back her memories.

Yes, there were times that the story felt like it was running away from me, but I did manage to follow the plot and see it through to it’s resolution and did enjoy it.

Final Thoughts…

I decided not to rate this book as I felt doing so would be unfair. I willingly reading without any prior knowledge of this series and without those foundations I wasn't going to get the full experience of the world Liu created.

Has this experience turned me off the series as a whole? No, I fully intend to grab the first book in the start from where I should have kicked off. Liu has obviously built a very rich and vivid world, one that cannot be summed up in a couple of pages.
Once I have read the first two books in the series I will come back and re-review this book to give it a fair rating.

Hunter Kiss Series:

1. The Iron Hunt

2. Darkness Calls

3. A Wild Light

Author Interview: Erin Bow & Giveaway!

2010-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on the release of Plain Kate! Before we go on, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

Like Kate I'm pretty plain. I live in a little rowhouse in a little city. I have two little kids -- Eleanor and Vivian; they are two and four -- and a writer husband whom I love to death. I have a little garden. I love to cook. I love my bicycle. I'm addicted to coffee. I own all seven seasons of Buffy and about 3,500 books.

The publicity people would at this point throw in "studied particle physics" and "won national poetry awards," because that makes me seem interesting. But if I am it is not because of those things. It's because I have five kinds of flour and have strong opinions on the relative merits of various dictionaries.

If you could sum up Plain Kate in three words what would they be?

"Read the book"?

No sorry. How about:

"A new fairy tale"

"Haunting but hopeful"

"Cat steals show"

Can you tell us a little of the main character Kate?

Her name is Katerina Svetlana. People call her Plain Kate because she's not good looking, but it suits her because she's also plain spoken, plain dealing. Those things make her the wrong person to cross wits with a black magician, so naturally that's exactly what happens to her: he frames her for witchcraft - a death sentence - and forces her to give him her shadow in exchange for his help in escaping. He choses her because he thinks she's weak, but he's wrong about that. The whole rest of the book is really he and Kate discovering exactly how wrong he is.

Do you have any rituals for when you write? A certain place, music etc.? (I read about the office at the pole dancing studio, did it work out? lol)

Yes, it worked out! I write in a pole dancing studio.

I tried writing at home and in coffee shops a year, but it just wasn't working. Then I found an ad for a spare room in a pole dancing studio that taught only at night and wanted a day-time tenant. I went to see it, and was surprised by the poles (they weren't in the advertisement), but the spare room was huge and high-ceilinged, with a big window looking out over the main street. I rented it on the spot. I've only had it for a month, but I love it to death. I think it's absurd and improbable and hilarious. Even the bordello red paint is growing on me!

I do listen to a "soundtrack" for my books; the same stuff over and over as I write. For Plain Kate, it was Bukkene Bruse's The Stone Chair: haunting fiddle-driven Norwegian folk music. And I drank Earl Grey Lavender tea with honey.

What made you want to make the transition from writing poetry to novels, and especially a YA novel?

Transition might be the wrong word, because I still write poetry, and because I fiddled with prose for a long time before diving into PLAIN KATE.

I write what I like to read. My favourite books in the world are books of poetry and books for (or ostensibly for) young people: LeGuin's Earthsea Trilogy. Rosemary Sutcliff's work. Beagle's The Last Unicorn. I might not ever write something that good, but if I'm going to write, I want to try.

What was the momentum behind Plain Kate? What was the spark that started off the story?

I actually remember the moment. I had just finished reading a huge collection of Russian fairy tales. I'd been talking to my dad about the wooden cradle he was building. And I was on a plane. I was fascinated by the way the plane separated from its shadow, leaving it behind on the ground. I watched the shadow get smaller and fainter and more distorted, and then I opened up my notebook and the first chapter of Plain Kate came tumbling out.

It was all quite clear in my head: Katerina Svetlana, called Plain Kate: a wood-carver girl, an orphan, forced to sell her shadow. I didn't know what would happen next -- it took me years to find out -- but the character who was born in that moment kept me going.

And finally, if you could drop everything right now and travel to one place for a week where would you choose and why?

The first place that comes to mind is the place where my current work in progress is kinda-sorta set: the Black Hills in South Dakota. I would get a cabin there by a little stream and walk in the pine needles and boulders and write my head off. It sounds divine.

It's sad and telling that my knee-jerk answer is "the setting of my novel" instead of "Florence" or "Beijing," but there you go. I told you I wasn't interesting.

-------------------------------------------------------

Well, I think Erin is far from un-interesting! Thank you Erin for taking the time to answer these questions and a big thank you to Nikole at Scholastic for this fantastic opportunity!

Erin will be making an appearance at Word On The Street in Kitchener, ON on the 26th of September if you'd like to go say hi!

You can find out more about Erin and her work at these websites:

Erin's official website

Erin's blog

Scholastic Canada

Review: Plain Kate by Erin Bow (5/5)

2010-09-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

Title: Plain Kate
Author: Erin Bow
ISBN: 0545166640
Pages: 311
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

The drizzle had broken into patches as they walked. As Drina scooped up the pale sand, Kate found herself standing in the smudge of shadow cast by the deadfall. She had never before noticed the way shadows gave things weight, made them look heavy and real and connected to the ground. Without hers...

She edged into the light.

Her shadow looked strange and thinned. It seemed not cast against the ground, but floating above it, like a fog. What Linay had said was true: No one would notice this, at first. It was just an uneasy little change, like the half-felt movement of a boat that slowly induces a great sickness.

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden talismans are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade”: a dangerous nickname in a country where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the angry town, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes she can't live shadowless forever -- and that Linay's designs are darker than she ever dreamed.
taken from Goodreads.com

Plain Kate, despite it’s simple title, is far from plain. Erin Bow weaves a poetic fairy tale-esque story of a young girl called Kate. Orphaned at a young age and forced out into the world, a harsh reality from the comfort and love of her home she shared with her father. A craftsman skilled in the art of carving, it was his desire to see his daughter follow in his footsteps and become a master carver.

After his death she is forced to take refuge in the bottom drawer of her fathers stall in the market. There she adopts a cat named Taggle as she sells what modest carvings she can in exchange for food from those who haven’t written her off as being a witch.

Superstitions and myth run thick through the village and anything out of the ordinary is cause for concern and fingers soon point to Kate when the village falls under hard times.

It’s then she meets Linay, a stranger who seems to have an answer to all Kate’s problems with just a simple exchange.

The magic in Plain Kate’s world is based on a scale of give and take. Nothing is without it’s consequence.

It’s not until Kate agrees to an exchange of her shadow for an escape from the town that she realizes that Linay’s intentions are not so sincere and that life without a shadow is not going to be easy.

Erin weaves a fantastic story here in Plain Kate, a story that’s far from plain! I was sucked in from the opening pages. Erin’s descriptions and layout of the world she’s created here comes to life with each page turn.

No review of Plain Kate would be complete without mentioning the infamous Taggle who almost manages to steal the show. I don’t want to go into too much detail about my favourite fictional mog but he brings a rational, and often tactless, perspective to Kate’s woes. As her only friend through the book, is her support system when things go wrong.

Final Thoughts...

Plain Kate took me through a whirlwind of emotions and I couldn’t tell you the last book that made me both laugh, gasp in shock and bawl my eyes out. This roller-coaster of emotions (oh how I hate that cliched saying lol) only cements this books readability for me.

Erin makes a refreshing change in the recent trends that are appearing in YA books as of late. If you’re a fan of rustic fairy-tales then I recommend Plain Kate. Even if you’re not, I’m sure anyone, after being sucked in to the poetic rhythm of Plain Kate, will love it!

Please check back tomorrow for an interview with Erin Bow and a chance to win a copy of Plain Kate!

Teaser Tuesday (#24)

2010-09-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

This week is Rogue by Rachel Vincent

Furious, I snapped the phone shut and tosses it onto the desk behind me, then bent to pick up my chair. What the f&*k is wrong with him? I slammed the chair on the floor, but that did nothing to help burn off my anger.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

To Censor, Or Not To Censor?

2010-09-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

So there's been a lot of buzz within the blogging community about the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's a book I heard about a while back, consequently because of Kristen Stewart, she plays the main character in the movie adaptation. I've not seen it, but I've been told it is indeed a good representation of the text.

The book details the story of Melinda, a young girl who attends a party and is raped by a senior boy. Calling 911, the police arrive and break up the party for underage drinking. With the blame pointed at Melinda and no outlet to express her emotions, she becomes an outcast and soon falls into a depression.

The reason this book has received a large amount of press is due to one man, his name is Wesley Scroggins. It is his belief that the subject matter in this book is not suitable for

Sex education curriculum in the fourth grade includes topics on reproduction. Is this what parents and taxpayers in this community want their children exposed to in school? Is this how taxpayers want their tax money used? Equally shocking is the content of the high school English classes. In high school English classes, children are required to read and view material that should be classified as soft pornography.
- source

While I haven't read the book, so I can't comment directly on the text, I cannot agree on any level that a scene involving the rape of a young girl can be equated as pornography.

Definition of PORNOGRAPHY
1: the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement
2: material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement
3: the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction pornography of violence>
- source

From my understanding the text is there not to stimulate sexual excitement, nor is erotic, nor is it there intended for shock value alone.

I don't believe that anyone really has the right to censor a book based on their own thoughts of the matter at hand. What I deem inappropriate, may not be to many others and like wise. How can one individual speak for so many?

For example, my review of the eighth-grade sex education curriculum revealed that children at the middle school are being introduced to concepts such as homosexuality, oral sex, anal sex and specific instructions on how to use a condom and have sex.
- source

Mr. Scroggins you cannot sweep these topics under the rug, they will not go away nor cease to exist with ignorance. Believe me, if they're not finding it out from a book they're finding it out from their friends or even over hearing you yourself talk about it when you think they're not listening or don't understand such adult concepts.

While I agree parents have the right to introduce literature that they deem age appropriate or suitable to their child's maturity when they see fit. They should also be encouraging their children to discuss the topics that are brought about in these books. If there is not an avenue for open discussion then that only leads to isolation. Isolation of thought, isolation of fear and isolation of truth.

Fear of these 'taboo' subjects is what fails children, and even adults, in these situations. The fear that if they bring what has happened to them to light that they will be damned. In reading these books, Speak for example, children are allowed the knowledge that these actions are not acceptable nor should they be ignored.

Have we not moved forward? Are we not in a time where freedom of speech should be in it's prime?

The unfortunate thing Mr. Scroggins has failed to realise is that while he is allowed to voice his opinion in a public forum, so is everybody else. In bringing to light his strongly worded views on this book, and others, he has only enticed interest. I'd forgotten about this book, had this not have happened I wouldn't now be looking for a copy to read, the same with many readers/bloggers I'm sure. I'm also looking at the reading list he has highlighted also.

I'm sorry if this post is not coherent, it's almost 1am and I'm half asleep. I just felt I couldn't go to sleep until I had voiced my thoughts on this situation.

So what are your thoughts on censorship? Were books censored to you as a child? Do you think you'd be a different person had you not read the books you did? If you're a parent, what are your thoughts on censorship? Do you want someone else deciding what your child should read or not?

In My Mailbox (#24)

2010-09-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Bring On The Night - Jeri Smith-Ready

Red-Headed Stepchild - Jaye Wells

Hot Finish - Erin McCarthy

Kiss Me If You Can - Carly Phillips

Won:

Dracula My Love - Syrie James (via LibraryThing)

Deadly Fear - Cynthia Eden (via Paranormal & Romantic Suspense Reviews)

Well, I guess I'm still doing good on my book buying ban if I haven't paid back the person who bought those books. I didn't pay for them, so I haven't broken my ban, right lol.

I'm a little annoyed at myself though, I thought Bring On The Night was the first in the series, it's not. After the last time I tried to read a book out of order, I'm shall be looking into reading this in the right order!

So what did you guys get in your mailbox's this week? Did you have a good weekend? Have you read any of these books? Am I in for some good reads? Could I ask any more questions? lol ;)

Read It & Pass It On Program!

2010-09-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Sorry I've been MIA around here lately, work has been busy and for some reason they won't allow me to read & blog while I'm there, I don't understand ;)

Anywhoos, when I got an email from Steph over at Paper Cut Reviews this week I knew there was no way I couldn't post about the fantastic program she's started with the help of Chas from Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews.

Read It Then Pass It Program...

Who can participate:
Anyone who has a blog and is willing to pass a book on to another blogger:)

How do you do this:
Just make a post explaining a little bit about this program and the book you are passing on. Then randomly pick a blogger to pass on your book. Please stress that the blogger who receive this passed on book must in turn pass on a book of their choice to another blogger.

What books can you pass on:
Any books you would like just make sure they and in good condition

How often do you have to pass a book:
As often as you would like. Once a week...every two weeks...every month whenever you can. Just make sure if you receive a "Read it then Pass it" book you in turn pass a book on in a timely manner.

Do you have to post a review:
I would like that once you read the book please post your review with a link to the next Read it then Pass it blogger you have chosen.

Please link me Steph @ Paper Cut Reviews and Chas @ Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews in your "Read it then Pass it" post so those who need more info can contact us :)

Last but not least:
Grab our button or make your own but most importantly Have FUN with this Program!!!
taken from Paper Cut Reviews

I think this is a fabulous idea even though I'm horribly attatched to my books! Though saying that I'm going to have a look through my shelves to see if I have any books I'm willing to part with.

Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (3/5)

2010-09-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World #2)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
ISBN: 0061783161
Pages: 361
Publisher: Avon
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.
taken from Goodreads.com

Eternal Kiss of Darkness is the second in the successful Jeannie Frost ‘Night Huntress World’ series. This time we get to peek into the world of Mencheres. An older than dirt vampire, who sees nothing more than his departure from this world in a void of darkness, and no he’s not being melodramatic. He’s gifted with the power to see visions of the future and lately his powers have been on the fritz. He can’t see through the darkness that engulfs his visions. Leaving him to interpret them as a sign that his time is coming to an end.

In his attempt to get his affairs in order so to speak, he runs into Kira who saves him from an attack from a gang of ghouls. Fearing that she knows too much and being draw by her, a feeling that hasn’t surfaced for decades, he takes her into his world. Risking both their lives in the process.

Mencheres was introduced in the Night Huntress series and is Bone’s ‘vamp granddaddy’ of sorts and now the co-ruler of their line and is certainly an intriguing character. But it seems his loss of his visions is his undoing. Believing that that they signify his end he moves to put his affairs in order before leaving his line and it’s responsibilities to Bones. The trouble with knowing what is going to happen before it does is a luxury he’s grown far too dependent on, rather than live in the moment his visions are his crutch. Once they’re gone his own existence is brought into question.

Kira is an interesting character also, she’s not afraid to speak up and is not content to sit back and allow others to take care of her, she reminds me a bit of Cat. A private detective by trade it’s her inability to help others that finds her entangled in a world that she once considered myth. Because Mencheres cannot wipe her mind of the events she’s witnessed she has no choice but to stay with him.

Final Thoughts…

My innocent illusions of Disney’s Thunder Mountain will forever be tainted by a certain, ahem, acrobatic performance. It certainly puts a whole new meaning to ‘climbing the walls’.

I love the Night Huntress series and when Jeannie Frost announced that there would be spin offs I was very eager to see what she had planned. While I’ve enjoyed the series thus far, the knowledge that there will be no further books exploring these characters besides their stand alone books, leaves me feeling a little deflated.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed both books, but I couldn’t help but feel sad at the end knowing that the next time we will see these characters will be behind Cat and Bones as secondary characters in their next book.

If you’re a fan of this series and the world Frost has created, I urge you to give this book a read. While it doesn’t focus on the series main characters, which may not be appealing to some, it still is a fun read. While the mystery and suspense is easily wrapped up in the last couple of pages there’s enough going on and appearances from old friends to keep you turning the pages.

In My Mailbox (#23)

2010-09-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

The Count - Helena Dela

Won:

Beyond The Night - Joss Ware (thanks to Amanda at Not Really Southern Vamp Chick)

For Review:

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

My book buying ban is still in effect and so far I'm doing quite well! I did break last week and buy a book from eBay, but it was The Count by Helena Dela. A book that I was desperately trying to track down after Bella at Obsessed asked for help in finding it

Thanks to Amanda at Not Really Southern Vamp Chick for the swag and book! I've had Beyond The Night on my wishlist for quite some time so I'm looking forward to reading!

My biggest surprise this week came in a big cardboard box! Inside was that funky black envelope you can see in the picture above. And inside that was a copy of Mockingjay! How cool is that? I've yet to read Hunger Games, it's still sitting on my shelf. But I'm very much looking forward to reading this series, I've heard nothing but good things!

Hope you all had a great weekend and here's to another great reading week!

Waiting On Wednesday (#16)

2010-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine where you showcase a book you are patiently (or impatiently if it's me) waiting to be released.

Title: Double Cross (Disillusionists #2)

Author: Carolyn Crane

Publisher: Spectra

Release Date: September 28th 2010

Synopsis...

SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL...

Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.
taken from Carolyn Crane's Official Website

I'm very excited that September is upon us! That means we're that bit closer to being treated with the second installment in the Disillusionists trilogy by Carolyn Crane! I read the first not long ago as part of BBA and was sucked in and couldn't put the book down! I shall be running out on the 28th to grab my copy! I need to know what's happening next! Plus I'm still undecided if I'm team cucumber or team kebab. Which team are you?

Teaser Tuesday (#23)

2010-08-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

This week is The Pregnancy Test by Erin McCarthy

"Excuse me, Mr. Sharpton, where is your wastebasket?"

"What?" His head snapped up, but Mandy didn't wait.

She dropped to her knees and stuck her face under his desktop. As she tossed her tea and toast onto his discarded coffee, it occurred to her that she had followed Caroline's instructions. Her friend had told her to make a knockout impression, and this was certainly that.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

2010-08-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Waking The Witch (WoTO #11)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0307357597
Pages: 336
Publisher: Random House Canada
Source: Supplied by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency.

So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime.

To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.
taken from Goodreads.com

Waking The Witch is the eleventh book in the Women of The Otherworld series by Kelley Armstrong.

Jesse, an old friend of Lucas’, turns up at the office with a case that appears at first to be simple enough. Investigate the disappearance and murder of a young woman in a small town. Easy enough, right?

But with Paige and Lucas away on a well deserved vacation, and Adam out of town on a conference Savannah is left in charge of the business. Fed of being receptionist and responsible for the legwork for Cortez-Winterbourne Investigations, Savannah sees this as the case that will propel her from underling to co-investigator.

Believing this will be the case that proves she’s finally ready to handle her own cases Savannah quickly accepts and heads to Columbus.

What starts as a ‘simple’ murder investigation spirals into three unsolved murders with a possible supernatural edge and it’s not long before Savannah’s possibly in over her head as the death rate keeps growing.

Where do I start? It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of this series, but I did start this book with some trepidation. What if it wasn’t as good as I expected it to be? Is Savannah ready to carry her own book? Will I miss the appearances of the other supernaturals in this book?

It was just as good and better than I expected.

Savannah is more than ready to narrate her own book.

And there are some very surprising appearances.

Waking The Witch feels a little different from the previous books; I’d even go as far as to say a departure. This one definitely has more of an edge of mystery to it and plenty of twists and turns and there was not a moment where I wasn’t dying in anticipation of turning the page.

It was great to finally see Savannah evolve into her own character. We’ve always seen Savannah through the eyes of others, mostly from Paige and Lucas’ point of view and how she’s a part of their life. So, it made a pleasant change to see how they have influenced Savannah in turn.

Like her mother, we expect Savannah to be tough and not let her emotions rule her head. But even Eve is susceptible as see in Haunted and seeing Savannah in torment in the last chapters was heartbreaking. I’ve always wondered how Kristoff’s death affected her, and finally hearing from her that she has known the truth all along, while others shielded her is tough.

Final Thoughts…

I usually pride myself on catching the ‘twist’ before it happens, (granted it’s only happened a handful of times lol) but Kelley pulled the rug from under me with the twist at the end of this book. I had my suspicions, and they were right, but the twist just came smack out of nowhere!

I can’t wait to find out what happens next after the cliff hanger Armstrong left us with. Think if I asked nicely she’d push publication up to next week?

If you’re a fan of this series then I think you won’t be disappointed. Waking The Witch is an excellent addition and has swiftly been ranked up there with my other favourites in the series.

If you’ve never picked up a Kelley Armstrong book before I wouldn’t be worried with starting with Waking The Witch. Relationships and character history is briefly explained, though there are some scenes which benefit from having read the first couple of books. But ultimately I would always recommend reading the series from the start, there’s so much good stuff!

Tidbits…

Paige’s iPhone app? Priceless and so typically Paige!

While I don’t know if I can agree with Savannah on her view of Harley’s, I do love a good looking Triumph.

Have you read this book? If so and you would like to discuss it, please stop by Maybe Tomorrow’s group at Goodreads where I’d love to discuss this book with you!

Waiting On Wednesday (#15)

2010-08-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine where you showcase a book you are patiently (or impatiently if it's me) waiting to be released.

Title: This Side Of The Grave

Author: Jeaniene Frost

Publisher: Avon

Release Date: February 22nd 2011

Synopsis...

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance…
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage.
Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war. …to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.
taken from Jeaniene Frost.com

So, I was going to make a whole post dedicated to the release of the cover for This Side of The Grave, but it's been splashed around the book blogging community here there and everyone (and quite rightly so, have you seen that inside slip cover? Hello Bones! lol). So I thought I would slip it in my Waiting On Wednesday post, because I'm dying to get my hands on this book!

And here's the inside slip cover too, not that I really needed an excuse to post it! ;)

Teaser Tuesday (#22)

2010-08-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

This week is Hunted By The Others by Jess Haines

From somewhere out of my sight, I heard a prolonged crashing and clattering. It sounded like the whole place was about to fall down around our ears. A minute later, dust-covered and triumphant, Arnold appeared from behind the books and carefully picked his way back to where I stood.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

In My Mailbox (#22)

2010-08-23T07:57:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Rogue - Rachel Vincent
Pride - Rachel Vincent
Going Too Far - Jennifer Echols

eBooks:

For The Love of Mollie - K. T. Grant
Simple Need - Lissa Matthews
Pleasure, Pregnancy & a Proposition - Heidi Rice

From The Library:

Living Dead Girl - Elizabeth Scott
The Pregnancy Test - Erin McCarthy
If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Won:

Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard (from Mug of Moxie)
Taken By The Others - Jess Haines (via The Book Faery for review)

For Review:

The Clockwork Three - Matthew J. Kirby
Plain Kate - Erin Bow
Confessions of The Sullivan Sisters - Natalie Sandiford
Havoc - Chris Wooding

Wow, for someone who is on a book buying ban I did quite well this week! The first three books were previously ordered so they don't really count. I did buy a couple of ebooks this week, though they were all under $5 each, so I think it's pretty reasonable. And since my little foray into Harlequin books a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd do some research on the genre. Can you believe how many books are published by them? It's crazy! And I also discovered a lot of books I've previously read have been published by them! And I swore I'd never read one of their books lol.

It's been a busy couple of weeks, hopefully things start to slow down now and I can get back on track! If you've emailed me in the past couple of weeks you will hear a response from me this week I promise. Also I've discovered my desktop email client hasn't been downloading all my emails from my GMail account. Which is rather embarassing as there are some from June!

So what did you guys get in your mailbox this week? Anything good?

Just A Little Catch Up...

2010-08-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been M.I.A for the last week, things have been a little crazy here. For starters I did eight days in a row at work. Which wouldn't normally have been so bad had there not been a lot crazy stuff going on there.

I can't go into it, but it left me feeling rather deflated and with an altered perspective. Thankfully it's over now and things can move on back to where they were before!

I've also not been sleeping well, another reason why I haven't been blogging or reading for the better part of the last two weeks. I managed to read for a couple of hours today without falling asleep in front of the TV, that's got to be a good thing right? lol

I'll be back to my normal posting schedule this week, though my In My Mailbox post will be a day late. Anyway, I hope everyone is well and I look forward to catching up with everyone! I hope you all checked out Chas' Dakota Cassidy week for BBA! I know I'll be catching up with her posts in the next couple of days!

BBA: Dakota's Month of Accidents!

2010-08-13T23:31:00.000-07:00

If you didn't already know, this months pick for Book Bloggers Anonymous is Dakota Cassidy's 'Accidental Werewolf'. I read it back in May and really enjoyed it! I've got the next book in the series, Accidently Dead ready to go in my TBR pile!

Now the lovely Chas over at Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews is this months BBA host and she's got some fantastic posts lined up for next week, including a post from Dakota herself!

Helping her out with this exciting line up is Felicia from Geeky Blogger's Book Blog. I really can't wait to see what they've got lined up!

Here's next weeks schedule!

Monday 8/16 - Guest Post with Dakota Cassidy
Tuesday 8/17 - Reviews **Linky Tools available to link your review
Wednesday 8/18 - Character Sketches by Dakota
Thursday 8/19 - Interview with Cover Artist, Katie Wood
Friday 8/20 - Felicia's Post

Now if that's not enough to get you excited, how about a pretty cool giveaway? If you're a BBA commenter over at Goodreads, Chas will be putting those names into a hat to win some yummy Hawaiian chocolate, and maybe a few other surprises!

So I hope you'll be joining us for this month's BBA read!

Important Links:

Book Bloggers Anonymous

Livin' & Lovin' Life Reviews

Geeky Blogger's Book Blog

Review: Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes (4/5)

2010-08-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Blood Law (Alexandra Sabian #1)
Author: Jeannie Holmes
ISBN: 055359267X
Pages: 371
Publisher: Dell
Source: Purchased by me for TTBG Tour

Synopsis...

To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.

A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.

Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.
taken from Goodreads.com

I honestly thought that this would be another run of the mill vampire books. Lately I’ve kinda OD’d on paranormal books and have started moving to other genres so not to go totally overboard. But as this was the next pick for the Travelling Book Gnome, I was willing to give it a go.

No sooner had I started I began to realise how this is not your average vampire novel.

Alex is a vampire and is the local enforcer for Jefferson Mississippi, a liaison between the humans and vampires as part of the FBPI, the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations. Working in a town that’s home to a vampire hating sheriff and a church that’s conspiring against them too, Alex is constantly feeling like she’s running against a brick wall.

When decapitated undead-dead vampires start turning up in a fashion that’s eerily similar to her fathers Alex is pushed to her limits as dormant talents start making appearances as does a familiar face from her past that she’d rather forget about.

This book felt like an episode of CSI wrapped in a book, with a dash of paranormal and a hint of romance thrown in, which for me is a perfect combination! But like an episode of CSI, it did feel like the case was wrapped up pretty quick. Though the twist at the end turned things on its head pretty quickly and I can’t help but wonder how much of this will resonate in the next book.

I found Holmes vampires here very different than what I usually read in other books. They’re very humanized but are a separate race from the humans they live among.

Please note the next bit might only make sense if you’ve read the book already!

While I could understand Alex’s reasons for leaving Varik, I think ultimately it was her own reactions that scared her more than anything. The history of their relationship is not looked into with much detail, but from Alex’s thoughts its apparent she was very much devoted to him. To the point where maybe she would have given herself over to him in a moment of hysteria, which I felt was largely the reason for her leaving him. Instead of forgiving him in a of doing something that is attributed to their race. While not instantly forgiving, Varik was at fault there; it just felt to me there was a deeper rooted reason there beneath the surface.

Wow, I hope that made sense!

Moving on…

I usually fall somewhere between loving and hating multiple third person narratives. On one hand, I enjoy seeing things from all angles, it gives a fuller perspective. But on the other hand, I like discovering things at the pace of the narrator. But here I felt like it suited the book. I don’t think the story would have been as enjoyable with first person and would have lost a lot of the plot.

Final Thoughts…

One thing I didn’t enjoy so much was the constant scrapes Alex got into. It felt like she spent the majority of the time in the hospital. I hope in the next book Alex doesn’t get into as many scrapes.

Alex steps over many a line in the progress of this investigation, as would anyone I think if they were as emotionally involved in the case as she was. The consequences are in motion at the end of the book and it’ll be interesting to see how they play out in the next instalment.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love The Travelling Book Gnome and Book Bloggers Anonymous and other book groups for introducing me to books I might never have picked up on my own.

The action doesn’t stop moving and the plot turns at a decent pace leaving no moments where I willed the story along. This is a series I will definitely be investing in, Jeannie Holmes has created an interesting world here and I can’t wait to find out the mystery behind the ‘Talents’ and Alex’s fathers death.

........

Have you read Blood Law and would like to discuss it? Then head over here to share your thoughts!

Waiting On Wednesday (#14)

2010-08-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine where you showcase a book you are patiently (or impatiently if it's me) waiting to be released.

Title: Grave Witch

Author: Kalayna Price

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: October 5th 2010

Synopsis...

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around…

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life…and her soul.
taken from Goodreads.com

I actually found out about this book from over at YzhaBella's Bookshelf and you can't tell me that synopsis hasn't got you curious?

I don't think I can remember reading a book that had death as a main character of sorts (which I'm guessing he is by the sounds of this) and I'm quite excited by it!

You can click here for an exclusive sneak peek at Kalayna's official site and I dare you not to want to read more after reading it! October can't come quick enough!

Teaser Tuesday (#21)

2010-08-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

This week is A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu

I was going to be sick again. I bowed my head, closing my eyes, focusing on the dark spirit curled so tightly in the nooks of my soul. I could feel it, separate from me, like a cancer made of iron, heavy and dull, with a metallic taste like blood.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts (2/5)

2010-08-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Title: Bed of Roses (The Bride Quartet #2)
Author: Nora Roberts
ISBN: 0425230074
Pages: 358
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Froom the library

Synopsis...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts cordially invites you to meet childhood friends Parker, Emma, Laurel, and Mac - the founders of Vows, one of Connecticut's premier wedding planning companies.

Since she was a little girl, Emma Grant has always loved romance. So it's really no surprise that she has found her calling as a wedding florist. She gets to play with flowers every day and work with her three best friends in the process. She couldn't ask for a better job.

And on the surface, Emma's love life seems to be thriving. Slim and sultry, she brings color into every room she enters, just like the arrangements she creates. Men swarm around her, yet she still hasn't found Mr. Right. And the last place she's looking is right under her nose.

But that's just where Jack Cooke is. He's been best friends with Parker's brother for years, which makes him practically family. The architect has begun to admit to himself that his feelings for Emma have developed into much more than friendship. And whn Emma returns his passion - kiss for blistering kiss - things start to get complicated at Vows.

Jack has never been big on commitment. Emma yearns for a lifelong love affair. If the two are to find common ground, they must trust in their history - and in their hearts...
taken from GoodReads.com

So I’m on this contemporary fiction, rom-com, chick lit, whatever you want to call it, kick right now and after reading four books over the weekend after needing a break from my regular reads (post coming soon) I thought I’d venture further a field from my usual chick-lit authors.

Now I had my pre-conceived notions of a Nora Roberts novel. The cover alone was enough to scare me away on a good day. But, I thought it was time to try something different. Sometimes when you do this you get something good, other times you end up wondering whether it was worth the risk.

Sadly this appears to fall under the latter.

Bed of Roses is the second in the Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts. I bypassed book one, as the library didn’t have a copy, breaking my ‘I must read a series in order rule’. I couldn’t even tell you what inspired me to pick this up.

Emma is one of the four best friends that run Connecticut’s premiere wedding service, Vows. She’s the florist, need a bouquet at the eleventh hour, she’s your girl. She can create a work of art with a few snips and a yard of ribbon.

She’s also a hopeless romantic, with her parents relationship ‘this’ close to a Disney romance who could blame her?

In walks Jack Cooke, architect and serial womanizer. There’s always been attraction there between them brewing under the surface. They’ve known one another for years, Jack is practically family – his best friend is Del, who happens to be Parker’s brother, one of Emma’s best friends and partner at Vows.

Unable to fight their feelings the pair gives in on the chance that there might be something worth discovering. Trouble is they both have differing opinions on what defines a traditional relationship and it’s not long before Emma realizes that she and Jack might be heading in two different directions.

How do you deal with loving someone that might not possibly have any intentions of loving you back?

This was an easy read for me and I finished it within a day of on and off reading. To me it fell flat; I didn’t feel any sparks between Emma and Jack. There was nothing there and I found her arguments in the last chapter ridiculous. Maybe it’s just me, but it felt like she was expecting far too much from a relationship that was only a few months old.

The details of the jobs she was working on through the book became too much of a focus. I know Emma is a florist, flowers are going to be mentioned, it’s her job, but the descriptions just kept going on. I don’t know how many guys would actually listen to so much talk about flowers? I just felt they were there to fill space.

Final Thoughts…

Now I’m not going to write Nora Roberts off completely, it’s not like she hasn’t got a trillion other books that I might get on better with, I’m going to reserve judgment until I’ve at least read one more of her books.

Sometimes some authors aren’t the right fit for some readers, while others it was like they were made for one another.

If you want an easy romance that requires little concentration (apart from when you’re trying to figure out who’s related to who and who’s engaged to who) then this is a good read to pass a couple of hours. But if you enjoy your romance novels with spark and fizzle, then I would maybe pass this one over.

In My Mailbox (#21)

2010-08-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Tempting - Susan Mallery
Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane
In The Blood - Adrian Phoenix
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Laid Bare - Lauren Dane
Hunted By The Others - Jess Haines
Hard & Fast - Erin McCarthy

From The Library:

Vision In White - Nora Roberts

Won:

A big thankyou to both these blogs for hosting such awesome giveaways! If you've not checked them out already please do! They're both great blogs with some great reviews & content!

Linger - Maggie Stiefvater (from About Happy Books)
Waking The Witch (Signed ARC) - Kelley Armstrong (from Paranormal Bites)

For Review:

A Wild Light - Marjorie M. Liu
Waking The Witch - Kelley Armstrong

So you know that book buying ban I was on? I was doing pretty good then bam! Chapters throws in a buy two get one free deal. So I'm all 'wow, $6 each for a book!' and then it just spiraled from there. Granted a few were previous orders from the BookDepository, but still its no excuse when my TBR pile is growing even bigger!

So my plan for this week is to buy NO books, none, nada, zilch! If I do an In My Mailbox post next week it'll be only if I've had books sent to me or previous deliveries recieved. I'm going to officially sign up for Tara's Book Buying Anonymous over at 25 Hour Books! Especially since I'm dying to catch up with Sherrilyn Kenyon's Night Hunter series!

So what did you guys get in your mailbox this week? Any recommendations (that I will pick up from the library! lol)? Or are you on a book buying ban? I want to hear about your week! Feel free to share your IMM posts or new books in the comments!

Friday Book Blogger Hop (#10)

2010-08-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Jennifer over at Crazy For Books has start the Book Blogger Hop - a fantastic way to discover other blogs!

So, click here to start discovering other great blogs online and join in on the hop!

Hope everyone's enjoyed a great reading week! I know I have!

Blogs I discovered last week...

Smash Attack Reads!

Today & Everyday

Geek On The Brink

End of Story, Next Book.

Manga Maniac Cafe
A Book Obsession
A Moment With Mystee
(\__/)

Paromantasy
Bring Me Another Book...Strange Candy Reviews

Vampire Book Club

So, Jennifer has added a new twist to the blog hop! Each week she will ask a question for us to answer at our own blogs. So here is this weeks question...

Do you listen to music when you read? If so, what are your favorite reading tunes?

Yes and no, sometimes I find it too distracting and spend more time skipping tracks than reading. But if I do I prefer something more laid back and mellow to listen to.

I'm also checking out the Friday Follow list over at Parajunkee's reviews! Go check it out!

Also, if you choose to follow me, a big thank you! But please let me know, I'd like to check out your blog too if you have one!

WoTO Giveaway Winners!

2010-08-05T00:07:00.000-07:00

Amy S.

1st Prize (US/Canada Only)

- Waking The Witch (supplied from the BookDepository.com)
- One signed WoTO book
- Two WoTO books*
- WoTO swag

as Amy owns the whole series, the bonus books will be split between two winners

Cathy M.

2nd Prize (US/Canada Only)

- One signed WoTO book
- One WoTO book*
- WoTO swag

Kate/YzhaBella

3rd Prize (US/Canada Only)

- One signed WoTO book
- One WoTO book
- WoTO swag

Stella

International Prize (Outside Canada/US)

- Waking The Witch (supplied from the BookDepository.com)

Terry Mac

BONUS

- One WoTO book

Natasha J.

BONUS

- One WoTO book

12 Winners of a piece of WoTO Swag:

Aik

Bella

Gayzelle

Josette

Bri

Jessica Peter

Barbara Ann

Heather M.

Carmen

Katy C.

Robin K.

All winners have 48 hours to respond to my emails. If nothing is heard then another winner will be selected in their place. The choice of WoTO books are contained within the email. If you have previously stated that you own the whole series, you forfeit the bonus books in the package.

Prizes will be posted in the next week or so depending on my schedule. Books from the BookDepository will be sent as soon as I get confirmation emails back.

I've learnt a lot doing this giveaway and unfortunately there were a few issues. I don't see any point in going into them, but one I will mention. Please do not add my giveaways to sweepstakes websites without my permission. It's just not cool.

Review: Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman (3/5)

2010-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Title: The Left Hand of God
Author: Paul Hoffman
ISBN: 0525951318
Pages: 384
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Source: Sent by publisher in exchange for honest review

Synopsis...

They call him Cale.

He is destined to save the world...

...or destroy it.

In the Redeemer Sanctuary, the stronghold of a secretive sect of warrior monks, torture and death await the unsuccessful or disobedient. Raised by the Redeemers from early childhood like hundreds of other young captives, Thomas Cale has known only deprivation, punishment, and grueling training. He doesn't know that another world exists outside the fortress walls or even that secrets he can't imagine lurk behind the Sanctuary's many forbidden doorways. He doesn't know that his master Lord Bosco and the Sanctuary's Redeemers have been preparing for a holy war for centuries-a holy war that is now imminent. And Cale doesn't know that he's been noticed and quietly cultivated.

Then, Cale decides to open a door.

It's a door that leads to one of the Redeemers' darkest secrets and a choice that is really no choice at all: certain death or daring escape. Adrift in the wider world for the first time in his young life, Cale soon finds himself in Memphis, the capitol of culture-and the den of Sin. It's there that Cale discovers his prodigious gift: violence. And he discovers that after years of abuse at the hands of the Redeemers his embittered heart is still capable of loving-and breaking.

But the Redeemers won't accept the defection of their special subject without a fight. As the clash of civilizations that has been looming for thousands of years draws near, a world where the faithful are as brutal as the sinful looks to young Cale to decide its fate.
taken from Goodreads.com

Cale has been at the Sanctuary of the Redeemers for as long as he can remember. It’s not a place to make friends and learn life experiences. It’s a place where you are a born sin and will spend your days redeeming for sins that you have no comprehension of let alone chance of committing.

The brutality the Redeemers deliver in the name of redemption is enough to keep the boys at the sanctuary heads down in fear of drawing attention. Examples are made of those who step over the line.

So when Cale opens the wrong door and witnesses a brutal act, he knows if he wants to stay alive he’s going to have to leave and never look back. What he doesn’t count on is those he brings with him on his escape from the halls of the sanctuary.

They embark on a journey to Memphis, a vast city and pure decadence in comparison to the dank dwelling they leave behind. But the Redeemers are not happy to let them go, Cale is there’s and they won’t stop until he’s back.

I’m still struggling with my feelings on this book and I’ve put off writing this in hope that I would settle on a definitive answer, but sadly, I’m still undecided.

On one hand I really did enjoy it in parts, it was a break away from the books I’ve currently been reading and I enjoyed the escape. The world Hoffman builds is an intriguing alternative and both the cities and characters have a depth I would love to see further explored. But on the other hand, I was a little disappointment in the swift build up at the start, which to me felt like it fell flat in the middle, but it did swiftly pick up once again at the end.

Cale as a character I find intriguing. There’s obviously some value attributed to him by the redeemers. But what that true value is, is yet to be discovered.

Final Thoughts…

While I’m still on the fence about this book, I do think I will pick up the sequel when it’s published. I’ve found with some books that are first in a planned series that they don’t after pick up until the second book. So I’m not going to give up on this series, I’m going to reserve judgement.

Hoffman has created a vast and rich world here and there are plenty of battles yet to be fought and I 'm curious to know what the Redeemers are up to.

...........................................

You can find out more about The Left Hand of God at these links...
Fan art, alternate endings, video interviews and reviews
The map of the world described in the book

Teaser Tuesday (#20)

2010-08-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

This week is Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes.

Varik bit into the soft flesh of his wrist. His fangs pierced the skin and muscle beneath, puncturing the veins. He ignored the pain as the warm flow of blood filled his mouth. Gentley cradling Alex in his arms, he held his bleeding wrist to her mouth as if offering a bottle to an infant.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

WoTO Month: Waking The Witch

2010-08-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Title: Waking The Witch (WoTO #11)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0307357597
Pages: 336
Publisher: Random House Canada

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency.

So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime.

To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.
taken from Goodreads.com

Today is the release date for Waking The Witch here in Canada and also the last day of WoTO month here at Maybe Tomorrow. I hope you've enjoyed my posts and discussions. Its been fun revisiting these books and confirming why it is I love them so much!

Introduction
Why I Love Kelley Armstrong
Bitten (Covers | Discussion)
Stolen (Covers | Discussion)
Dime Store Magic (Covers | Discussion)
Industrial Magic (Covers)
Haunted (Covers)
Broken (Covers)
No Humans Involved (Covers)
Personal Demon (Covers)
Living With The Dead (Covers)
Frostbitten (Covers)
Men of The Otherworld (Covers)
Tales of The Otherworld

So who's excited for Waking The Witch? Or who's read it already, as it came out in the US a week ago! I'm very excited about seeing how far Savannah has come now. She's the only character we've seen 'grow up' through the series of the books.

REMEMBER, you have until 11:59 PST today to enter my WoTO giveaway. If you've not entered yet do so, there are two separate giveaways. One for US/Canada and another for international! Winners will be announced later this week!

In My Mailbox (#20)

2010-08-01T00:05:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. Created by The Story Siren.

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Eternal Kiss of Darkness - Jeaniene Frost

Blood Law - Jeannie Holmes (TTBG's next pick!)

Dark Thirst - Sara Reinke

Witch Magic - Kelley Armstrong

From The Library:

Tesseracts Thirteen - Nancy Kilpatrick & David Morrell

Bed of Roses - Nora Roberts

Won:

Alibi - Teri Woods

Interesting week this week! First I want to thank Terri at Paranormal & Romantic Suspense Reviews for hosting the giveaway for Alibi! I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into that one! Eternal Kiss of Darkness! I did a little happy dance at the mailbox for that one! The Travelling Book Gnome's next pick is here! So keep an eye out for that!

Umm, bought Witch Magic from eBay. Even though I don't like the cover at all, I bought it to add to my Kelley Armstrong collection as it was a steal. It's an omnibus of both Dime Store Magic and Industrial Magic.

Now I also have to say a HUGE thank you to Missy Jane for sending me this amazing swag!

I'm still drooling over those playing cards! It's going to make playing solitaire sooo much more fun! Missy was a fantastic first host for The Travelling Book Gnome and I can't wait to check out more of her work!

So that was my mailbox this week! What did you guys get? Feel free to share your links and lists!

The Travelling Book Gnome!

2010-08-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

For those who don’t know me, I’m the Travelling Book Gnome Cedric. No last name, I’m like Cher or Bono, one name, one gnome. And don’t get me confused with the Travelocity guy; he does planes I do books!

So I’ve been doing my travels with this book, They Call Me Death by Missy Jane. Seeing as I’ve been in company with this book for over a month I’ve read it quite a few times and got to say it ain’t bad. If you’ve not read it yet then I suggest you check out my current and past hosts for their reviews and an exclusive prequel…

Not Really Southern Vamp Chick
Paper Cut Reviews
Can’t Find A Bookmark

Lovin’ & Livin’ Life Reviews

Maybe Tomorrow

After travelling international airlines courtesy of the US postal services I arrived in Vancouver, BC a couple of weeks back. After being left in a very dreary postal box for some hours, Beth came a picked me up some time after midnight, and soon I got settled in these new digs.

So this place isn’t too bad. Though there’s this hairy gentleman that keeps giving me quite strange looks, like he wants to pick me up and take me away every time he escapes from upstairs.

Beth has moved me up on to her shelf next to these oversized chess pieces. She swears it has nothing to do with Twilight, I asked her if she played chess but she quickly changed the topic. Muttered something about aesthetic qualities before walking off.

I was previously hanging out next to some guy called Edward for a while. But his sparkling got too much for me and I left my shades in Hawaii (Chas, if you find them I shall pick them up on my next swing by!).

I’m definitely enjoying my time here in Vancouver, the mountain views are fantastic but I’m getting itchy feet! I should be heading out of Vancouver pretty soon for another round trip!

So keep an eye out for me as I’m starting to get my bag ready. Our next pick is Blood Law by Jeannue Holmes and I would love it if you stopped by on my travels to these wonderful blogs to say hi, and to welcome our newest member Natasha!

Paper Cut Reviews - Steph

Not Really Southern Vamp Chick - Amanda

Can’t Find A Bookmark - Ky

Book Mark Your Thoughts – Natasha

Lovin’ & Livin’ Life Reviews - Chas
Maybe Tomorrow? - Beth

WoTO Month: Men of The Otherworld Covers

2010-07-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

So here is a small selection of the covers I've managed to find online. What do you guys think? If you had to go by cover, which one would have made you pick it up off of the shelf? And which one is your favourite? Which one do you own?

Or if you have a different cover feel free to take a picture and email it to me at xmaybetomorrow@gmail.com and I'll post it up here!

......................................

Vintage Canada, 2010
This is my favourite. While it's never mentioned if any of the pack have any tattoos, I do like the pose they had the cover model in for this cover. Especially since the book is a collection of stories from the men of the pack, the crouched somewhat 'attack' pose sits well.

Spectra, 2009
If you haven't noticed, all of the books in the WoTO series have the pentagon necklace placed somewhere on the American and original covers. I was curious as to how they would deal with that on this cover and love how they've incorporated it here as a tattoo.

Orbit, 2009
The UK covers keep the ongoing design here. Though I can't say I'm a fan. The hounds of hell thing going on here kinda creeps me out. What do you guys think?

Review: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane (4/5)

2010-07-31T00:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Mind Games (The Disillusionists Trilogy #1)
Author: Carolyn Crane
ISBN: 0553592610
Pages: 371

Publisher: Bantam/Spectra
Source: Purchased by me for BBA

Synopsis...

Mind Games heroine Justine Jones isn't your typical kick-ass type - she’s a hopeless hypochondriac whose life is run by fear.

She's lured into a restaurant, Mongolian Delites, by tortured mastermind Sterling Packard, who promises he can teach her to channel her fears. In exchange, she must join his team of disillusionists - vigilantes hired by crime victims to zing their anxieties into criminals, resulting in collapse and transformation.

Justine isn't interested in Packard's troupe until she gets a taste of the peace he can promise. Soon she enters the thrilling world of neurotic crime fighters who battle Midcity’s depraved and paranormal criminals.

Eventually, though, she starts wondering why Packard hasn’t set foot outside the Mongolian Delites restaurant for eight years. And about the true nature of the disillusionists.
taken from Carolyn Crane's website

Mind Games was the second pick for Book Bloggers Anonymous, and I must admit it wasn’t love at first sight for me, but it was BBA pick and was willing to give it a chance despite my indifferences. Though we started out on rocky grounds, by the end I was unable to put the book down and was horrified once I’d realised I’d completed the whole thing and would have to wait for the sequel!

At first, the whole idea of a main character that’s a hypochondriac didn’t sit comfortably with me. As the book progresses you begin to understand her neurosis and her need to be free from it. She knows on some level that there is quite possibly nothing wrong with her, she tries to quell the panic but it manages to seep out before long she’s unable to control it.

It’s this that attracts her to Packard. He recruits her for his merry band of vigilantes, set on righting wrongs that have gone unpunished. He teaches her how to channel her fear into others, alleviating her of her hypochondria for temporary lapses in time.

Packard is a bit of a character and I’m looking forward to learning more about him. I think our opinion of both him and Henji, has been tarnished by the other in their retelling of their history to Justine. I did feel for Packard though, being trapped inside a building and never being able to make any changes to the space, not even the menu, it would drive me crazy within the space of half an hour. How he’s last so long is beyond my means to comprehend.

Silver Widow? I still get the creeps when I think of her; I start brushing off imaginary ants!

Final Thoughts…

Despite calling the ‘twist’ in the begging I did enjoy seeing how Carolyn played it out and I thought it was very well done.

The delusionist angle is such a unique slant on the paranormal genre. I especially enjoyed it after reading so many books that seemed to be the same thing over and over again.

I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series. Carolyn has created a nice little niche in her supernaturals here. I’m fascinated by them and cannot wait to learn more about their skills and further talents.

I also couldn’t complete this review without mentioning Team Cucumber and Team Kebab, a far cry from Team Jacob and Edward. The former is for Otto while the latter is for Packard. Now me, I’m kinda in the middle of them both.

WoTO Month: Bonus Giveaway Winner!

2010-07-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Melanie who answered the question, "In Living With The Dead, we meet Robyn Peltier - a PR consultant who is unwittingly thrown into the world of the supernatural. What would you do if you found out your best friend was a half-demon and that all things supernatural really do exsist?"

I would definitely freak out at first but after a while I would think it's pretty cool. :)

You've won your choice of one novel from the list below! I've sent you an email and you have 48hrs to respond with your mailing address!

No Humans Involved
Bitten
Stolen
Haunted
Dime Store Magic
Personal Demon
Dates from Hell (ft. WoTO Novella)

Thanks to everyone who entered! Remember you have until Tuesday to enter my WoTO giveaway!

WoTO Month: Men of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

2010-07-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Men of The Otherworld
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0307357260
Pages: 384

Publisher: Random House Canada
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong has captivated readers with her spellbinding Women of the Otherworld series. Now, for the first time, in this collection of four tales she gives center stage to the men who love these sexy, supernatural women—the men who live on the other side of humanity…the wild side.

As a curious six-year-old, Clayton didn’t resist the bite—he asked for it. But surviving as a lone child-werewolf was more than he could manage—until Jeremy came along and taught him how to straddle the human-werewolf worlds, gave him a home…and introduced him to the Pack. So begins this tantalizing volume, featuring three of the most intriguing members of the American Pack—a hierarchical founding family where bloodlines mean everything and each day presents a new, thrilling, and often deadly challenge. For as Clayton grows from a wild child to a clever teen who tests his beloved mentor at every turn, he must learn not only to control his animal instincts but to navigate Pack politics—including showing his brutal arch nemesis, Malcolm, who the real Alpha is....

From the nature of fear, weakness, and courage, to the triumph of belonging and the complications of love and loyalty, these mesmerizing tales reveal the trials of a werewolf coming-of-age, and lay bare the hearts and minds of the men strong enough for the women of the Otherworld—and adept enough to take on two worlds.
taken from Goodreads.com

Men of The Otherworld is an anthology of tales set in the realm of the Women of The Otherworld and what sets it apart is that it is dedicated (if the title wasn’t obvious enough) to the men who support these fantastic women.

There are four novellas in this anthology…

Infusion – Malcolm Danvers

Infusion is the story of Malcolm Danvers, Jeremy’s father. The pack in this story is certainly a sharp contrast from the pack as it is now. Here we learn the old traditions and where the brewing resentment Malcolm has for both his father and the son he finally sires stems from.

To the best of my knowledge it’s never made clear in any of the books what ever became of Malcolm. It’s suggested he came to an end by a mutt who was one step ahead of him. As cruel as he is, he’s an interesting character who I wouldn’t mind appearing in another book if he’s still around.

Savage – Clayton Danvers

Clay, like Elena is a bitten wolf and in Savage we learn how Clay actually got what he asked for.

Elena comments on Clay’s origins in Bitten and here is where we learn the real story behind Clay’s origins. Bitten as a child he was left to the bayous of the south living in wilderness. His existence captures the attention of the pack and in order to save him from the hands of his father, Jeremy sets about bringing him home and assimilating him into pack life.

Easier said than done!

Ascension – Clayton Danvers

Ascension is a continuation from Savage and takes us through to Jeremy’s campaign to become the new pack alpha.

We also find out the story behind those infamous ‘Polaroid’s’ and despite their gruesome creation, the evident loyalty Clay has for Jeremy is exposed here.

Kitsunegari – Jeremy Danvers

While visiting with Jaime, Jeremy finds he is the attention of a rather mysterious individual set on having him in more ways than one. Snatched from his mother as a baby and taken into the arms of the pack, Jeremy knows little of his heritage but has always suspected it has supernatural originals

This is one story I would love to see expanded. Jeremy’s ‘other’ powers have been hinted at during Elena’s narration. His somewhat ‘telepathic’ abilities, his sixth sense to trouble and the meaning behind those runes he draws. Jeremy is an intriguing and complex character and I think we’ve barely skimmed the surface.

Final Thoughts…

If you’re a fan of the series then you will love this collection of novellas. We get to see many different layers of the pack. The ‘old school’ with Malcolm and the subtle changes through Clayton’s arrival and Jeremy’s ascension to alpha.

I hope there are more novellas like this from the ‘guys’ inhabiting the Otherworld. They’re equally as interesting as the women and I’m sure they have equally exciting backgrounds I’d love to see expanded.

And another bonus is that the profits from the sale of this book goes to World Literacy of Canada.

Friday Book Blogger Hop (#9)

2010-07-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Jennifer over at Crazy For Books has start the Book Blogger Hop - a fantastic way to discover other blogs!

So, click here to start discovering other great blogs online and join in on the hop!

Hope everyone's enjoyed a great reading week! I know I have!

So, Jennifer has added a new twist to the blog hop! Each week she will ask a question for us to answer at our own blogs. So here is this weeks question...

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

Hmm, I think it would have to be Chris Farnsworth. I LOVED his debut novel, Blood Oath. I thought it was a pretty good take on the vampire genre. And who doesn't love the idea of the President who has a vampire for a bodyguard?

I'm also checking out the Friday Follow list over at Parajunkee's reviews! Go check it out!

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (4/5)

2010-07-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
ISBN: 0545123267
Pages: 392

Publisher: Scholastic
Source: supplied by publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
taken from Goodreads.com

I’ll be truthful; I’ve been putting off reading Shiver for quite some time, why? Because there was so much hype surrounding the book. When I say hype, I mean continuous gushing everywhere I looked. Too much hype surrounding a book can either intrigue me or turn me off. It’s a bit of a backwards philosophy for a book lover like me, I know, but I had a growing TBR pile and didn’t need another book thrown into rotation. I just knew I’d eventually get around to it.

That was until I received a copy from Scholastic and it went into my review pile. Expecting something along the lines of Twilight but with wolves, I had somewhat of a preconceived notion of what I was getting myself in for. But if everyone else thought it was so good then I must have been in for something good, right?

All I can say now on reflection is that I’m sorry I waited so long to pick this up (but secretly happy because I don’t have to wait too long for Linger!).

The book is told in alternating POV’s between both Grace and Sam.

Shiver starts with Grace and her retelling of her attack by the wolves as a child, before opening up to her fascination with these wolves that inhabit the woods behind her home, despite this. It doesn’t stop Grace from wanting to find out more about them and the yellow-eyed wolf that haunts her.

Sam lives two lives. One in the warmer summer months, trying to get by without being noticed as he lives those brief months human, and the second, in the colder months as a wolf.

Both of them are thrown together after a hunting party in the woods to cull the wolves goes wrong. In disbelief, Sam doesn’t understand why he’s human when winter is looming – but the chance to spend what time he has left with Grace is subdue his confusion, as he’s sure this might be his only chance.

Each chapter is marked by who’s turn it is to narrate and the temperature at the time, which I found a really great way to keep track of the story and how it picks up pace as the temperature continues to drop. It makes you more aware of the precious time that Sam and Grace have together.

It was nice to read a YA novel that depicted a relationship that wasn’t condensed with angst, mixed emotions, or jealousy sticking it’s nose in.

Final Thoughts…

I have learnt a valuable lesson. Do not let hype rule what you read! Thankfully, it doesn’t happen too often. But it’s made me re-evaluate some books I’ve put on the backburner.

The only real gripe I had about it was Grace’s parents. Is it me or has there been a trend of YA novels where the main character is put in the position of raising themselves? It might just be me, but I’ve noticed it in a few of the books I’ve read lately.

Another thing (bare with me, I’ve been up since 3:30 this morning unable to sleep), and somewhat unrelated to this book. What happens to these teen paranormal relationships once they’ve grown up? I’d like to see a book deal with the after of these teen relationships. I mean, once you’ve been out with a werewolf or vampire, where do you go from there?

Okay, let’s close that train of thought and conclude with this…

I’m not going to spoil the ending, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is definitely a unique take on a paranormal staple and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m happy to say that I will be grabbing a copy of Linger as soon as I can get my hands on one and I’m sure I’ll devour it just as quick as I did Shiver!

WoTO Month: Frostbitten Covers

2010-07-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

......................................

Little Brown Book Group, UK, 2010
I really like this cover could possibly be my favourite out of the bunch. So when you think of Alaska, you think of snow, and this white washed cover with the shadowed background is pretty chilling. I especially like what they've done with the font!

Random House Canada, 2009

Now this is the cover I have, while I like how it fits in with the other books on my shelf I still have trouble figuring out what's up here. It's a someones head and shoulders right? But it just doesn't look right does it? Or is it just me? *turns head sideways* nope, still having trouble.

Orbit, UK, 2009

I like this cover, though I might not be enticed by it's design to pick it up off of the shelf, I do think the colours are eye catching. Why the wolf is in a globe I don't know. But like the new UK cover it displays the Alaskan coldness.

WoTO Month: Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (4/5)

2010-07-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Title: Frostbitten (WoTO #10)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 1841497762
Pages: 339

Publisher: Vintage Canada
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

When word comes of a series of humans apparently killed by wolves near Anchorage, Elena and Clay are sent to check things out. But they find more than they bargained for among the snow and trees of the savage Alaskan wilderness.
taken from Goodreads.com

Frostbitten is the tenth book in the WoTO series and brings us back to Elena. It’s been brought to the attention of the pack that there have been several human killings, suspected to be by wolves, in Alaska. What starts off as a routine mutt hunt turns in to something unexpected for both Clay and Elena who have been sent out by pack Alpha Jeremy to investigate.

Frostbitten is the return to the North American pack and somewhat possible subtle conclusion to the werewolves. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m the first in line to say that I would love to see this series go on and on forever. But knowing Kelley has been contracted for thirteen books in the series (Waking The Witch is number eleven), if they were to be finished then, I would be happy with the ending in this book, even if it does leave a few opened plots.

That being said I would love to see an Elena narrated book in the future in her role as alpha. Her dynamic with Clay makes for excellent reading and there’s no doubt that this couple work well together as proved here in Frostbitten.

Clay and Elena have come full circle. Elena is now open in her admittance to her feelings for Clay, a far cry from Bitten, especially considering that they’re now married. A commitment Clay has always believed in, wearing his wedding ring before it was even official, but Elena was none too convinced by. It seems that having children has shifted things for Elena.

Final Thoughts…

After the adventures of the previous books with Jaime, Hope and Robyn, it was a welcome return to Elena. I thought it might take me a while to get back into Elena’s narration, but it was familiar as always and took me no time to get reacquainted.

One thing I’m curious about is the lack of more female werewolves. Now, it’s been proven that it can be done. Twice we’ve seen it, Elena of course and Sondra in Stolen. So it does make me wonder why there hasn’t been an appearance of another female werewolf? (or shewolf as someone corrected me the other day). What do you guys think about this?

Kelley opened a lot of possibilities for further storylines here. I want to know more about other packs, we briefly meet the Russian pack, and the unique pack Elena comes across in the Alaskan wilderness is something I definitely want to see explored!

Again, if you’re a fan of Kelley’s then I don’t suggest skipping this. You don’t need to read the other novels before this one, but I think it would help. If only to explain further the relationships and growth of some of the characters.

Waiting On Wednesday (#13)

2010-07-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine where you showcase a book you are patiently (or impatiently if it's me) waiting to be released.

Title: Crave

Author: J. R. Ward

Publisher: Signit

Release Date: October 5th 2010

ISBN: 0451229444

The battle between good and evil has left the future of humanity in the hands of a reluctant saviour and his band of fallen angels. Seven deadly sins that must be righted. Seven souls that must be saved.

While his first task was success, Jim Heron is battling a demon that can take any form for the soul of someone he must identify on his own. If that weren't enough, his old boss Matthias wants Jim to assassinate an AWOL member of The Firm - Isaac, the man Jim is pretty sure he is supposed to save. Jim knows first hand that once you're in The Firm, there's no getting out. But when Jim finds Isaac to warn him, he has been picked up by the police for illegal street fighting, and it is clear that Isaac is falling for his gorgeous public defender. Is their love the redemption that will save Isaac's soul? Or has the demon Devina set an elaborate trap?
taken from Goodreads.com

Ohmigiod. I don't know where to start with describing my love for this spin off of the BDB. I must admit I was a little bit wary at first, I didn't know what to expect. But once I started I couldn't put it down! Now I'm dying in anticipation as to how this story is going to play itself out! October can not get here quick enough for my liking!

Pre-Order from the BookDepository.com

Teaser Tuesday (#19)

2010-07-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

This week is Jatta by Jenny Hale.

He had patience, more patience than she did. Beyond the fire, other creatures where whinnying their fear; her predatory hatred was bubbling up. She debated whether to risk the blaze to dismember all four, or to tear apart this perplexing one here.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 'teaser’ in the comments here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Review: Malice by Chris Wooding (5/5)

2010-07-27T00:05:00.000-07:00

Title: Malice
Author: Chris Wooding
ISBN: 1407103946
Pages: 384

Publisher: Scholastic
Source: from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis...

Everyone’s heard of it but nobody’s read it. Luke, Seth, and Kady have heard all the stories about Malice, a secret comic about a strange, awful world full of tricks and traps, and overseen by a sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake. But if rumors are to be believed, the children in this comic are real?

Luke is the first to fall into this trap and Seth and Kady are the next to follow. They have left our world and entered the sinister comic book. The question is: can they make it out alive? From acclaimed author Chris Wooding, a novel that’s half fact, half comic and all thrills.
taken from Goodreads.com

Now the cover itself was enough to get me excited! For starters, this book is a cross between a graphic novel and novel, not the conventional standard, but it made for very intriguing reading.

Malice is the title of a notorious comic book that’s not easy to come by. Its origins are unknown and no one knows who’s behind the publication. But with the comic comes the story of Tall Jake, a character from the comic book, who is rumoured to appear when perform the ritual of burning select ingredients while calling his name.

Some even believe that Tall Jake has taken children away into the pages of Malice. But with no one to prove this, it’s all spin for the urban legend that is Malice.

That is until a group of kids decide to really find out how much truth there is in Tall Jake. What they don’t expect is to find out that there’s a lot more to the legend of Tall Jake than what appears in the pages of Malice. And if they want to defeat Tall Jake they’re going to have to forget him first and there’s no guarantee they’ll ever remember.

Now who hasn’t heard of the urban legend of Bloody Mary (and who hasn’t tried it themselves? I still can’t look in a mirror at night!) – the summoning of Tall Jake follows the same principles here. If you call Tall Jake while burning a select gathering of ingredients and he’s supposed to appear when you’re alone and into the pages of Malice.

Not even ten pages into the book I was already creeped out! Seriously, I was reading in bed and had to keep looking up at the wardrobe door. I was positive something was about to jump out at me! The world that has been created within Malice’s comic book pages, a place we soon learn does really exist, is fascinating.

There’s also something going on with some cats that at first caused me to raise an eyebrow at but as it moved on I want to know more about them.

And Mrs. Benjamin? Still creeped out *shudders*

Final Thoughts…

I only had one problem with this book and it was the translation of the British vernacular. I’m British and living in Canada, so I’m used to the differing of words and sayings that are translated between the continents. But when you are British and reading a book set in the UK and suddenly the characters are referring to their mothers as mom instead of mum and talking about their cell phones rather than their mobiles I find it oddly jarring.

I’m very excited that there’s another book out later this year and despite being much older than the intended audience I shall be running out to grab myself a copy!

WoTO Month: Win A WoTO Novel!

2010-07-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

I'm going to give away a copy of one of Kelley's WoTO books from the list below to one follower in the next 48hrs.

No Humans Involved
Bitten
Stolen
Haunted
Dime Store Magic
Personal Demon
Dates from Hell (ft. WoTO Novella)

Rule One: You must be a follower

Rule Two: You must leave a comment and your email address answering the following question...

"In Living With The Dead, we meet Robyn Peltier - a PR consultant who is unwittingly thrown into the world of the supernatural. What would you do if you found out your best friend was a half-demon and that all things supernatural really do exsist?"

- 1 Entry per follower
- You must be a follower of Maybe Tomorrow
- You must answer the above question

- Open internationally to wherever the Book Depository ships

- No substitutions will be made
- Giveaway ends 11:59 PST Wednesday 28th July

WoTO Month: Living With The Dead Covers

2010-07-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

......................................

Random House, 2008
While I like the colours used here, I don't think this would jump out at me from the book shelf. It really doesn't say much about the book itself. But I do like the inclusion of the WoTO pentagram/necklace, wrapped around the models wrists.

Vintage Canada, 2010
I like this cover, the red hues really stand out against the black background. The blindfolded model I suppose you could say is Robyn and is blinded by the reality of the supernaturals that live around her but she's oblivious to.

Orbit, 2008
I really like the colours here. The grey background really highlights the blues from the orb. Now this cover would grab my attention from the book shelf. The crystal ball of course is there because of the clairvoyance elements that dominate the majority of the book.

In My Mailbox (#19)

2010-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday I will post what books I’ve received/bought/borrowed that week. This meme is hosted by The Story Siren.

I'm a little late posting this, my weekend started with so many good intentions and ended in very little being done! But sometimes you need a lazy weekend!

I've been doing pretty good on the book buying ban, just two slip ups this week! The others were all $3 or under! How awesome is that?

Bought (or Delivered) This Week:

Smooth Talking Stranger - Lisa Kleypas

An Unforgettable Lady - J. R. Ward (as Jessica Bird)

The Riverman - Alex Gray

A Mermaid's Kiss - Joey W. Hill

Black Thorn, White Rose - Edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

The last three books of the list were my bargain books! The Riverman and A Mermaid's Kiss were both a quarter in work for charity and Black Thorn, White Rose was $2.50 from the library and looks practically brand new!

I saw the review for Smooth Talking Stranger on another blog and would like to give them credit for highlighting it. If it's you, please let me know! It's the kind of romance/chick-lit book you can get lost in for an afternoon, perfect!

A Mermaid's Kiss is really not something I would normally pick up, but I saw a review for it on another blog praising it and knew I'd seen the cover somewhere. So the next time I was in work I picked it up, I'm willing to give it a go even if it is WAY outside my normal picks. But I just can't get over the cotton candy pink cover!

So what did you guys get this week? Anything good?

WoTO Month: Living With The Dead by Kelley Armstrong (3/5)

2010-07-26T08:03:00.000-07:00

Title: Living With The Dead (WoTO #9)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0307358046
Pages: 464

Publisher: Vintage Canada
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

They’re smart, sexy, and supernatural. They’re the men and women of the Otherworld—a realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves who live unseen among us. Only now a reckless killer has torn down the wall, trapping one very human woman in the supernatural cross fire.

Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband’s sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she’s still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane—the world’s most famous celebutante wannabe—can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn’s best friend, and Hope’s somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn’s side.

Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder—and they’re all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it’s only a matter of time before her friend is caught. But it’s not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who’ll spill any amount of blood—human and inhuman—to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she’s safer knowing nothing about.

taken from Goodreads.com

Like it’s predecessor, Personal Demons, Living With The Dead breaks away again from tradition. All of the books in the series so far have been in first person narration by members of the interracial council or affiliated with them. This book is third person narration, seen mostly from the perspective of Robyn, a civilian. Meaning she’s as far from the supernatural world as you can get.

Robyn is a PR consultant. There’s not a situation she can’t flip around and make you forget any wrong had ever been done. After the death of her husband, she moved to LA to take on the task of PR rep to one of the slew of Paris Hiltonites that have swarmed in popularity across Hollywood. Not her first career move of choice, but one to offer her enough distraction from the emptiness she no longer wants to feel.

And it’s working, that is until her number one client Portia Kane is murdered. Robyn is named as the number one suspect and instead of turning herself in she goes on the run and it’s her friend Hope Adams, along with her boyfriend Karl, who hope to navigate Robyn through a world she has no place in.

Somehow, Robyn has found herself embroiled in the world of the supernatural without even knowing it. What she doesn’t realise is that Portia’s killer is actually a clairvoyant from a commune set to ‘breed’ the perfect clairvoyant and that the catalyst for Portia’s death is a photo Portia unwittingly took on her cell phone. Adele will stop at nothing to get it back, as that photo could undo her ticket out of the commune and into life with one of the most prominent cabals, and she believes Robyn is in possession of this damming evidence.

Meanwhile Detective John ‘Finn’ Findlay is getting some unique help from the ‘other side’ in his search for Robyn Peltier. Finn has some supernatural abilities of his own but is unaware of the reality of supernaturals that exist outside of his family’s quirk. In his search for prime suspect Finn is going find himself sucked into a whole world even a seasoned detective like himself is going to find a hard time believing.

I will be honest and say that this has been my least favourite of the WoTO books. But to repeat my comments from my Personal Demon review, it didn’t stop me from enjoying it despite being my least favourite so far.

I have to applaud Kelley for creating a character that summons so many emotions for a character. It’s not an easy feat but Kelley managed to do this with Adele. Adele is a character I truly loathe but at the same time I kind of feel for her, not that it excuses her actions. She had been sold into the commune by her mother and sees her pregnancy as the only way out. Her naivety and young age have hindered her past and present choices too. But despite all this, I really felt uncomfortable when reading Adele’s scenes, she really made my skin crawl.

Final Thoughts…

I honestly would like to see Robyn again at some point, the same for Detective Finn. They are both intriguing characters. Robyn is an outsider to the supernatural world and it’s interesting seeing an outsiders thought on the supernaturals. And Detective Finn is a low level necromancer who’s lost his way somewhere along the line. I’d like to see what has become of him after discovering there’s a lot more out there than what he thought was possible.

A good look at what it’s like in the world outside of the supernaturals and a different change of pace from the previous books.

WoTO Month: Person Demon Covers

2010-07-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

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Orbit, 2008

I'm not really keen on this cover. I like the colours, the green is attention grabbing. But the mask itself? It's a little out of place. While I think it may have something to do with the brothers talents (without giving too much away) I think I might be going out on a limb there.

Random House, 2008

I'm a little fonder of this cover. While the cover model is not who I picture in my mind for Hope, I do like the image of her embracing the stone gargoyle, kind of like her acceptance of her demonic side perhaps? Plus I really like how they're incorporated the pendant here, how it hangs from the masthead of Kelley's name.

Random House of Canada, 2010

Out of the bunch this would have to be my pick, but then I've already said I'm bias in my opinion of these covers. I like the simplicity of the rope entangling the statue, Hope feels confined by her demon side through the book, and this is a good visual representation of this.

WoTO Month: Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong (3/5)

2010-07-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

Title: Personal Demon (WoTO #8)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0553806610
Pages: 352

Publisher: Vintage Canada
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

In her acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series, Kelley Armstrong has created a scintillating realm where the supernatural and the human coexist on the edge of darkness, romance, and eternity. Now Armstrong tells the captivating tale of a young woman with an insatiable lust for danger. She can’t help it. It’s in her blood.
Tabloid reporter Hope Adams appears to live the life of an ordinary working girl. But in addition to possessing the beauty of a Bollywood princess, Hope has other unique traits. For she is a half demon—a human fathered by a demon. And she’s inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunger for chaos—along with a talent for finding it wherever she can. Naturally, when she’s chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance….

The head of the powerful Cortez Cabal—a family that makes the mob look like amateurs—has a little problem in Miami: a gang of wealthy, bored offspring of supernaturals is getting out of hand, and Hope is needed to infiltrate. As spells, astral projections, and pheromones soar across South Beach, Hope weaves her way through its elite hot spots, posing as upscale eye candy and reading the auras of the clientele—and potential marks.

As it turns out, Hope is a little too good at this job. And soon she’s in a little too deep, needing to be bailed out by her jewel-thief werewolf ex-boyfriend and by the Cortez heir himself. And when a killer goes to work, Hope is among many targets at the pinnacle of Cabal rule. For a woman who didn’t know what she was getting into, there’s only one way out: it’s time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts—and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears . . . and desires.

Sexy and suspenseful, Personal Demon is a thrill ride through a world on the wild side of our own.
taken from Goodreads.com

Personal Demon is the eighth installment to the Women of The Otherworld series. Here we’re introduced to half-chaos demon Hope Adams. As a chaos demon she gets her kicks from the thrills of chaotic events. Now working for the Interracial Council, Hope has found a way to get her kicks the safe way, something her ex, Karl Marsters, has taught her well.

But when Benicio Cortez turns up in her hometown of Philadelphia, a vast contrast to the warm beaches of his usual haunt, Miami, the home of the Cortez Cabal, wanting to cash in an owed favor, Hope has a hard time resisting the idea of a controlled indulgence of pure chaos.

Hope agrees to cash in Benicio’s IOU, even if it’s without her werewolf ex-Karl, an equal party in this favor. She’s to infiltrate a gang of supernaturals that have been making their presence a little too well known as they attempt to bring down the Cortez Cabal.

Meanwhile Lucas is being kept up to date of Hope’s involvement with his father’s cabal, something he’s set in not being a part of. No matter how many time his father marks him as the sole heir. When things start going not exactly in line with his fathers words, and two of the gang members turn up dead, both Lucas and Paige head down to Miami to find out what it is that is really going on.

Karl also turns up to cash in his part of the debt and to ensure that Hope hasn’t fallen prey to the overwhelming lure of chaos that seems to have suddenly started following her the more she finds herself involved with the gang and its members.

From here out it’s constant twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve got it worked out, Armstrong throws you a curve ball you certainly won’t be expecting. It’s hard to say at this point that you don’t need to read the other books to understand what’s going on here. While it’s not necessary to read up on the previous books, some understanding what has taken place in the series so far is helpful.

This book was also the first break away from the number one tradition of the WoTO books, which is a female narrator. In Personal Demon this is broken by a dual narration from both Paige and Lucas. At first I was a little jarred by reading Lucas’ POV, but as the story moves on you start to realize how much of what is happening with Hope has consequences for Lucas.

Personal Demon is not one of my favorites of the series, though far from my least favourite. It’s mostly due to my lack of response to Hope as a character. I just didn’t feel a connection. I think it threw me, the introduction of a new character without any real previous history. Yes, Hope was introduced in No Humans Involved, but it was so quick that I was surprised to find that she was next in line for narrator.

But (big but here), I do understand the need to show Hope’s story here. Hers is a small part of a bigger picture that is happening in the realm of the Otherworld, which will greatly impact both Lucas and Paige.

Final Thoughts…

Granted that I didn’t feel a connection with some parts of this story arch, it didn’t take much away from an enjoyable read. It also cleverly ties in a storyline from Stolen, which I thought was very cleverly done. I still kick myself for not picking up on it. I think it was a great twist.

Hope is an interesting character; one I may have needed some time getting used to before reading her book, but still intriguing.

The events in the last couple of chapters are sure to resonate in later books. The shape of the Cortez Cabal has vastly changed and it’s future is almost cast in doubt. It was hard reading Lucas’ thoughts and his fight to choose between his beliefs and loyalty. Whether his final choice is a good one or not will remain to be discovered.

Overall, I did enjoy it and though we may not always get along with every character, it’s good to appreciate a change in POV and how sometimes they can bring a new prospective on a series.

WoTO Month: No Humans Involved Covers

2010-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

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Random House, 2007
I think this one sums up the book pretty well in it's cover. The graveyard, Jaime with her heels. Not ideal footwear for when you have to flee zombies, but it wouldn't be Jaime if she didn't. And the graveyard of course, representing her necromancy talents.

Orbit, 2008

I like this cover, though there seems to be a trend with the hues of blue being used. The camera lens and the spirits surrounding it bring up the TV show that's being taped in the book that Jaime is apart of. I like it when covers actually choose to highlight something of the book, unlike the next cover...

Random House of Canada, 2010

Now, I love this cover for it's simplicity, but it really doesn't say much about the story. So much so that I can't even begin to imagine what it relates to. Granted it wouldn't stop me from picking it up in a bookstore, but the other two covers say a lot more about the book than this one.

WoTO Month: No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

2010-07-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

Title: No Humans Involved (WoTO #7)
Author: Kelley Armstrong
ISBN: 0307358410
Pages: 400

Publisher: Vintage Canada
Source: Purchased by me

Synopsis...

Readers around the world have fallen for Kelley Armstrong’s intoxicating, sensual and wicked tales of the paranormal, in which demons and witches, werewolves and vampires collide – often hilariously, sometimes violently – with everyday life. In Armstrong’s first six novels, Elena, Paige and Eve have had their way with us. Now get ready for Jaime Vegas, the luscious, lovelorn and haunted necromancer. . .

Jaime, who knows a thing or two about showbiz, is on a television shoot in Los Angeles when weird things start to happen. As a woman whose special talent is raising the dead, her threshold for weirdness is pretty high: she’s used to not only seeing dead people but hearing them speak to her in very emphatic terms. But for the first time in her life – as invisible hands brush her skin, unintelligible fragments of words are whispered into her ears, and beings move just at the corner of her eye–she knows what humans mean when they talk about being haunted.

She is determined to get to the bottom of these manifestations, but as she sets out to solve the mystery she has no idea how scary her investigation will get, or to what depths ordinary humans will sink in their attempts to gain supernatural powers. As she digs into the dark underside of Los Angeles, she’ll need as much Otherworld help as she can get in order to survive, calling on her personal angel, Eve, and Hope, the well-meaning chaos demon. Jeremy, the alpha werewolf, is also by her side offering protection. And, Jaime hopes, maybe a little more than that.
taken from RandomHouse.ca

Jaime is the necromancer representative for the interracial council. To Hollywood and the rest of the country she’s Jaime Vegas, spiritualist and communicator to the dead via her televised séances.

Jaime is in Los Angeles for the taping of a TV special, the raising of Marilyn Monroe’s spirit, staying in a house along with two other mediums. The only thing is Jaime can really see the dead, a rare gift.

Seeing dead people is an everyday occurrence for Jaime. So on her arrival a dead man hanging from the ceiling may be enough for her to eat her breakfast someplace else, but it’s nothing new.

It’s when these sprits start making contact, with whispers and touches, Jaime knows there’s something more going on here and is determined to get to the bottom of it. But these events just so happen to coincide with a visit from the packs alpha, Jeremy. Someone she has the world’s biggest crush on, the type where it’s sometimes impossible to form a complete sentence around.

But Jaime wants to prove that she’s not a useless part of the council that she can be called upon for help rather than hindrance. So with the help of Jeremy, Eve and newcomer, half-chaos demon Hope, Jaime starts to unravel the horrors that some humans will resort to in an attempt to gain supernatural abilities.

Now, this review might be a little bias, Jaime could possibly be my favourite WoTO character. It didn’t start off this way, I found her at times somewhat annoying. Her constant need to be rescued, her ditzy-ness around Jeremy was a stark contrast to the other women featured in this series.

But as I reflected on this book it was these qualities that made her so endearing. She’s the only supernatural that comes across, I suppose, really human. In her emotions for Jeremy we see that this super confident semi Hollywood celebrity that she really is vulnerable. And it’s through Jeremy that we learn about her childhood and her relationship with her mother, the catalyst to the start of her career.

Seeing ghosts as your supernatural ability doesn’t sound like a big deal and it certainly pales in comparison to say Elena’s wolf side and Paige’s kick ass magic. It’s not until we see things through Jaime’s prospective do we realize what it really entails. The constant pestering from spirits, flashes of death bodies and residuals on constant repeats. It’s enough to send someone mad, which we saw in Tee in Broken.

I also enjoyed this book as we finally got to see Jeremy away from the pack. As the alpha he has the protection of the pack, there’s no need for him to go out and deal with rouge mutts, that’s what Elena and Clay are there for. So to see him in the role that may have usually fallen to those two was kinda fun. Jeremy can kick ass with the best of them! There’s a lot more to him than the peaceful alpha of the North American pack.

The storyline in this book also showed the depraved side of humans. How in order to claim a higher power, some people are willing to do anything to grab it, including murder. Often in PN/UF books, the big bad is always a vampire, werewolf or some other creature and it’s easy to dismiss their actions, they’re a ‘monster’, it’s not real. But when it turns out to be ‘humans’ behind these acts, it does make you stop and think about the lengths some people will go to for things they believe in.

Final Thoughts…

I hope this isn’t the first and last time we get Jaime as a narrator. I would happily read another book of Jaime’s. She’s one of those characters that take you by surprise. You don’t like them at first but suddenly you find yourself cheering them on and can’t place your finger on when this all changed.

What did you guys think of No Human’s involved? After writing this I think I’m going to pick it up again for another read!

Cover Release: River Marked by Patricia Briggs

2010-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

Guess what I found today? Both See Michelle Read and All Things Urban Fantasy have posted the cover to Patricia Briggs' next installment to the Mercy Thompson series, River Marked.

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…
taken from Goodreads.com

It seems that in this book we're going to learn a little more about Mercy's heritage, which I'm pretty excited about. And that cover is stunning! It could almost beat Bone Crossed as my favourite!

So what do you guys think? Has this got you excited? 2011 can't get here quick enough!

Maybe Tomorrow?

Wishlist Wednesday (#3)

In My Mailbox (#28)

Guest Post: Jess Haines & Friends (+ Giveaway!)

Review: Taken By The Others by Jess Haines (4/5)

Teaser Tuesday (#25)

In My Mailbox (#27)

Green Books Campaign: Bad Boy by Peter Robinson

Wednesday's Wishlist (#2)

Plain Kate Winners (Round Two!)

In My Mailbox (#26)

Wednesday's Wishlist (#1)

Get Books With GetGlue!

Catch Up With BBA @ Paper Cut Reviews!

Plain Kate by Erin Bow Giveaway Winners!

Review: The Jedi Path: A Manuel For Students of The Force (4/5)

In My Mailbox (#25)

Review: Havoc by Chris Wooding (4/5)

Review: A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu

Author Interview: Erin Bow & Giveaway!

Review: Plain Kate by Erin Bow (5/5)

Teaser Tuesday (#24)

To Censor, Or Not To Censor?

Definition of PORNOGRAPHY

In My Mailbox (#24)

Read It & Pass It On Program!

Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (3/5)

In My Mailbox (#23)

Waiting On Wednesday (#16)

Teaser Tuesday (#23)

Review: Waking The Witch by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

Waiting On Wednesday (#15)

Teaser Tuesday (#22)

In My Mailbox (#22)

Just A Little Catch Up...

BBA: Dakota's Month of Accidents!

Review: Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes (4/5)

Waiting On Wednesday (#14)

Teaser Tuesday (#21)

Review: Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts (2/5)

In My Mailbox (#21)

Friday Book Blogger Hop (#10)

WoTO Giveaway Winners!

Review: Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman (3/5)

Teaser Tuesday (#20)

WoTO Month: Waking The Witch

In My Mailbox (#20)

The Travelling Book Gnome!

WoTO Month: Men of The Otherworld Covers

Review: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane (4/5)

WoTO Month: Bonus Giveaway Winner!

WoTO Month: Men of The Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

Friday Book Blogger Hop (#9)

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (4/5)

WoTO Month: Frostbitten Covers

WoTO Month: Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (4/5)

Waiting On Wednesday (#13)

Teaser Tuesday (#19)

Review: Malice by Chris Wooding (5/5)

WoTO Month: Win A WoTO Novel!

WoTO Month: Living With The Dead Covers

In My Mailbox (#19)

WoTO Month: Living With The Dead by Kelley Armstrong (3/5)

WoTO Month: Person Demon Covers

WoTO Month: Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong (3/5)

WoTO Month: No Humans Involved Covers

WoTO Month: No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong (5/5)

Cover Release: River Marked by Patricia Briggs