Review of Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin

Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Series: Raine Benares #1
Release Date: May 29, 2007
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from author website):

A girl with attitude. An all-powerful amulet.
This could only mean trouble.

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound…

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they’re after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine—but is the resumé enhancement worth her soul?


Teaser:

We went below. Phaelan was at the table in the center of the cabin, the remains of some kind of meal in front of him. With Phaelan's night owl tendencies, who knew which meal it was supposed to be. I crossed the cabin in three strides and greeted my cousin with a big hug. Phaelan wasn't the touchy-feely type, and normally I respected his personal space, but things hadn't been normal for days so I felt entitled.

Piaras had to duck his head to get through the door, and my cousin's smile vanished when he saw the young elf's bruised face. The color hadn't faded, but at least the swelling had gone down.

"What happened?" Phaelan's voice promised many bad things for whoever had caused that bruise. 

"Nothing good," I told him. My voice suddenly sounded as exhausted as I felt. I think it was the sight of somewhere to sit, and no one standing between me and there, waiting to kill me. I pulled up a chair and sat down, my muscles tight and protesting from a night of running and other less healthy activities. "I should probably start from when I left home yesterday morning." 

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

A month ago, I interviewed Lisa Shearin in conjunction with the release of her newest, and last, Raine Benares book, "All Spell Breaks Loose". I hadn't yet read any of the books in that series but Has from The Book Pushers had suggested it, as had a few others. It sounded like something I'd enjoy, and the author Lisa also made it sound interesting, so I requested book one from my library. While I didn't love it, I did enjoy it. 


Raine Benares is a finder which often translates to a thief, and she's proud of it. She's good at what she does. Her family, well her mother's side of the family, has a long and proud history of skirting, or outright breaking, the law. Raine has never known her father and her mother died young so she was raised by her aunt and uncle. She's also sorceress, though her magical abilities are weak.

The story starts with Raine helping out Quentin, a friend and occasional employee. The action comes quickly after that and a lot happens. People get hurt, alliances are broken and made, there's even the beginning of a potential new romance. Shearin uses traditional species from fantasy and fairy tales: trolls, orcs, elves, etc. and a Middles Ages inspired world, mixed with modern speech patterns and a few tweaks of her own. It's not a terribly original world but she makes it hers nonetheless and it has enough familiar elements that I could focus on the story and the characters.

The characters are fully developed, with none of them being perfect, and even the villains have moments of just being normal. I especially liked Raine's voice and character: intelligent, self aware, a sense of humor that was sometimes ironic, sometimes dry, the ability to laugh at herself and also to see her flaws, loyal, and compassionate but not weak. Shearin has a strong cast of characters that flesh out the story and provide Raine with friends and family. Though she often works alone, she's not a loner or a misfit. The story dragged a bit at times, but it kept me engaged most of the time and I ended up staying up until 2AM to finish it. I'll be checking my library for the next book in the series; yes, I'm going to actually read a series in order, lol. Go me!

I borrowed this paperback from my library.

Forbidden: New Kelley Armstrong Cover

Yes, another Kelley cover reveal. :) She's a busy lady, which is good news for her readers. This is for her upcoming novella from Subterranean Press, due out in December. I confess, this one is a bit bland color-wise for me, but it does have a creepy look to it. I'm such a Kelley fan, I ordered my book already; the cover was not a concern either way. :D

This cover is for the signed, limited edition. The trade edition will have a different cover, which has not been revealed yet.

What do you think? Do you like it? Will you buy it?

It's almost burning time!

On Monday, I talked to the research nurse in charge of the study that I'm participating in. I was approved and accepted into the research study back in April. I was sick enough but not too sick. :D But, I had been on prednisone too many times in a 12 month period so we had to wait three months, hoping I didn't need any prednisone in that time period, and then within that new 12 month time frame, I'd have an acceptable number of prednisone doses. I'm now 2 weeks away from that magic one year mark. I WILL stay off prednisone for the next two weeks. I WILL! Now, that might seem easy, but my allergies are a trigger for an asthma episode, as is humidity (it's summer where I live) and stress. Trying not to stress, about anything, will stress me, lol. So, it's not impossible that I develop an asthma episode in the next two weeks, which would mean going on prednisone, which would mean pushing back the surgery.

Once I hit that lovely, delightful, magical one year mark, I go back to the asthma specialist and repeat previous tests to ensure that I'm still a match for the study. If those results come back acceptable, then we set a date! Right now, the earliest possible date is July 24th, a mere month away. Squeeeeeeeeeee!

When I have that date, I'll post it. Heck, you'll hear me shouting in joy all the way around the world.

Now, the surgery is not a cure for asthma. Nor is there a guarantee that it will, in fact, provide me any relief. BUT...I have nothing to lose. We have tried everything else, I'm on a boatload of meds, yet asthma still rules my life. It's worth a try. Now, I just need some allergy relief and then I'd be downright healthy.

So, please, if you wouldn't mind, cross your fingers, pray, send positive vibes, and so on, that everything works out for me. It will be much appreciated.

Spotlight On: This Tangled Thing Called Love by Marie Astor w/an Excerpt

 

Today I have a fun contemporary romance by Marie Astor to share with you. Marie is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre. Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, On the Rim of Love, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window.

If you would like to learn more about Marie’s writing, please stop by her website: www.marieastor.com to sign up for book release updates and events or visit her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

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Book Blurb (from author):

Twenty-eight-year-old Claire Chatfield has everything a girl could possibly wish for: looks, a promising career at New York’s top architectural firm, and an engagement ring from one of New York’s most eligible heir-bachelors! Life should be a dream, but when Alec Brunell, a sexy tango dancer, moves into the apartment one floor above from Claire’s, he unwittingly awakens Claire’s old insecurities, making her question her life choices. Will Claire brave her fears and allow herself to take a chance on Alec, or will she continue to play it safe?

In order to secure his place as his father’s successor, thirty-three-year-old David Lawson must settle down with a wife befitting the future head of Lawson Enterprises - and who could fit the prerequisite better than the stunningly beautiful and incredibly bright Claire Chatfield? There is just one glitch – David Lawson is in love with another woman – a Hollywood Legend Claudia Block.

A successful tango instructor, Alec Brunell has never lacked for women’s attention, but he finds himself at a loss when faced with his downstairs neighbor, Claire Chatfield. Upon hearing of his occupation, most women swoon with desire, but Claire runs for the door. Still, her iciness only adds fuel to his fire, as Alec is determined to change Claire’s view of him.

Dance Me to the Stars is a love story about finding one’s perfect match - sometimes following one’s heart is as convoluted as learning the steps of tango.


THIS TANGLED THING CALLED LOVE
By: Marie Astor
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B0078IPNCW
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK
Length: 439 KB, 254 pages
Release Date: FEBRUARY 12, 2012
Website
Twitter
Facebook
goodreads

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 Excerpt

 

“So what do you want to do today?” Claire asked after she had loaded the dishes into the dishwasher. She had replaced her evening dress with indigo jeans and peasant blouse – that was another recent change – David had suggested that she leave a few of her things at his place, so that she would not have to rush home to change when spending the weekend with him.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. Didn’t I tell you? I have to get back to the office. I’m working on a major deal that is due to close on Wednesday and I’ve got to go over the financials one more time to make sure everything is in shipshape.”

“Oh.” Claire fought back the disappointment – she had been looking forward to seeing David all week, and already, their time together was over.

“I tell you what - why don’t you go to the pool downstairs, maybe do some shopping, and I should be back around seven or so.” David reached for his wallet and handed Claire his credit card. “Do you forgive me?”

Most women would jump at the chance, but Claire wanted David, not his credit cards, and if she knew anything about men, it was that you could not let a man think that you sat around moping for him. “That’s all right, David. Actually, I’ve just remembered that I have a few work things to catch up on myself.”

“I’m really sorry, baby. I swear I’ll make it up to you next weekend.”

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Giveaway

Marie will be giving away three prizes of custom made jewelry to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour (Continental US only).: Prize #1: Coral necklace sterling silver chandelier coral earrings set, Prize #2 Blue opal sterling silver plated necklace and Prize #3 Sterling silver chandelier earrings with green aventurine, rose quartz and amethyst .

The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/04/virtual-book-tour-dance-me-to-stars-by.html

The Sunday Post Mailbox & Recap #7

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

It was a busy week last week, whew! There was a lot going on at the blog. This week, I have a busy work week so the blog will be quieter, plus I've got a quietish summer planned for the blog. No big plans for the summer, apart from my surgeries, just wanted to lighten my workload a bit.

On the blog last week, I had:

1 review: Deep Autumn Heat by Elisabeth Barrett

1 interview: Benedict Jacka

2 guest posts: Linda Lael Miller and Elisabeth Barrett

2 cover reveals: Kelley Armstrong and Mira Grant

3 spotlights: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson    Revealing Hamilton by Sarah J Carr    Minder by Sandra Cox

3 giveaways (all still ongoing): The Taken by Vicki Pettersson   Vampire Bay by Sandra Cox   Deep Autumn Heat by Elisabeth Barrett

Books Won

I won this on Dream several weeks ago and it arrived a few days ago. I love it! I immediately took it to school, where the kids haven't been as enthusiastic as me. I haven't given up yet though. Review to come.

Received for Review

Purchased

This is put out by my employer so no review. But, I was hearing good things about if from my co-workers so I bought it.

Kindle Freebies

Swag

Remember I posted last week that I bought Kelley Armstrong's new ebook, "The Hunter and The Hunted"? Well, she did a promo with it where she gave away bookmarks to the first 1000 people who emailed, to a special address, their order receipt. The womens bookmark is signed, the mens is not. One of her board members, Xaviere, did the art. She also did the artwork for "Forbidden" and "Beginnings".

So how was your week? Leave a link in your comment and I'll come around during the week for a visit.

Cape Cod and Romance: A Guest Post by Elisabeth Barrett w/a Give Away

Small towns, the ocean, food, and yummy brothers. Mix them all together and you get Elisabeth Barrett's new romance, "Deep Autumn Heat". It's the first in her Star Harbor series, about the Grayson brothers. DAH is about Sebastian Grayson, a chef and former bad boy.

Photo by Tim Herby

Elisabeth Barrett is thrilled to make her debut with Loveswept on July 9 with the release of DEEP AUTUMN HEAT, the first book in her Star Harbor series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers. Elisabeth lives in Northern California with her husband and three children. She grew up in New England and can’t get enough of Cape Cod. You can connect with Elisabeth on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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A huge thank you to Bea for hosting me. I’m thrilled to be here! Today, I’d like to talk about my debut novel, DEEP AUTUMN HEAT, the story of two stubborn chefs who butt heads, both in the kitchen and out, before falling madly, deeply in love. When Sebastian Grayson, chef-owner of New York City hotspot Helena, returns to his Cape Cod hometown of Star Harbor, Massachusetts, to recharge, the last thing he expects is to find inspiration. But when he steps foot into the Lexie Meyers Kitchen and takes one bite of Lexie’s delectable coconut cake, he immediately gets hooked – on her.

Several folks have asked why I decided to set the book on the Cape. There’s an easy answer – I lived there!

I spent three idyllic summers working at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, and living on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. Even back then, I knew how romantic it was—the long, sun-drenched days, the warm, star-filled nights. I have so many memories from my time there, it’s hard to pick just one, but I’ll tell you my favorite.

One summer night, some friends and I went swimming in the dark waters of Vineyard Sound. We were right by the shore, and in the water, there were millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton (which, incidentally, I was studying in my lab). When I swept my hand through the water, the tiny specks shimmered and glittered in the moonlight. I floated on my back, looking up at the full moon, my long hair twining around my shoulders like a mermaid’s. It was one of the most magical nights of my life.

Now can you understand why I had to set my first book on Cape Cod?

It also helps that I am from Connecticut, and have lived most of my life in New England. From the get-go, I knew that I’d have to depict the Cape in all its glory – every season represented to showcase the area’s beauty. That is actually the chief reason I decided to make the books into a series instead of standalones. I really wanted to bring the wonder and the beauty of each season on the Cape into the books.

Also, most of the towns on the Cape are small, and for those of you who’ve grown up in or even visited small towns, you know they sometimes take on a life of their own. Star Harbor itself becomes one of the protagonists – the character bringing everyone else together. People are drawn to Star Harbor because of its community, camaraderie, and beauty. DEEP AUTUMN HEAT releases on July 9, and I hope you enjoy reading about Star Harbor as much as I enjoyed writing about the little town.

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Book Blurb: 

 

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.

Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.

Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

DEEP AUTUMN HEAT
By: Elisabeth Barrett
Publisher: Loveswept (Random House)
ISBN: 9780345534330
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK
Length: 300 pages
Release Date: JULY 9, 2012
Website
Twitter
facebook
goodreads
Buying Links: Amazon    Barnes & Noble      Random House

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Thank you Elisabeth, it's been a pleasure working with you. 

Elisabeth and Random House are offering one digital preview copy for giveaway. You will need a NetGalley account to access the book.

To enter the giveaway, post your answer to the following question in the comments, along with a way to reach you - email, twitter, etc. 

Are you a small town or a big town person? Why?

Elisabeth, I have a question of my own for you: What IS the secret to Lexie's coconut cake?

ARC Review of Deep Autumn Heat by Elisabeth Barrett

Publisher: Random Loveswept

Series: Star Harbor #1

Release Date: July 9, 2012

Buying Links:  Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Random House

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

In this sexy new Star Harbor romance series, featuring the too-tempting Grayson brothers, a celebrity chef turns up the heat for a local café owner—and things start to sizzle.

Lexie Meyers decides there’s nothing sweeter than watching Sebastian Grayson’s perfect, wicked mouth devour her coconut cake. He’s hot, he’s hungry, and he’s sizing her up like she’s the best thing on the menu. But she’s been burned in the past and flings just aren’t her thing. Too bad Sebastian can’t resist a challenge.

Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies, Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers. Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude, makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s lost her mind . . . or just her heart.

Teaser:

Typically, whenever Seb was around, women just dropped whatever they were doing to cater to him. It was a bit unsettling to realize that this woman didn't and wouldn't put him first.

 It was also odd to find a woman in the business who didn't worship him because of his celebrity.

Unsettling, but attractive.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I confess. For a book about Sebastian, I was much more interested in Theo, his twin. He's quiet, reads a lot, is a writer, and seems to lack Seb's arrogance and overbearing behavior. I had a hard time warming up to Sebastian: he's not only arrogant and overbearing, cocky, rude, aggressive and thinks he's God's gift to women. Every time he said or did something nice, he ruined it by being obnoxious: on two separate occasions, he ambushed and publicly embarrassed Lexie in her diner, in front of customers and employees, he bullied his way into hanging around the diner while Lexie was working, even when she didn't want him there, and so on. Yet at other times, he respected her work as a chef and deferred to her in her kitchen, helped her when she was attacked (though he then was obnoxious about insisting he take her home, though she preferred to be alone).

Lexie starts out as strong, determined, skilled, loyal, a bit stand-offish, private, and ambitious. She relocated across country to escape an abusive relationship, threw herself into opening and running her diner, and makes little time for a personal life. She really does need a nudge in that area of her life, but Sebastian doesn't nudge, he harasses and pesters until he gets what he wants. Towards the end of the story, when Seb has actually gotten serious about her, and when her ex shows back up, Lexie's backbone gets a little wavery. While I understand her reluctance to take a chance on Seb, she also treats him poorly, then gets mad because he doesn't call. Huh? She wants her coconut cake and to eat it too? Then when her life is threatened, she gets all "oh help! All I can do is stand here and scream!" before getting her nerve back and standing up for herself.

One other problem I had with "Deep Autumn Heat" is the excessive number of mysteries/crimes happening in the story: 1) Lexie is receiving threatening letters demanding to know her coconut cake recipe, 2) Someone is sabotaging the equipment at the diner, 3) Lexie is attacked by an unknown person 4) the diner's fresh produce deliveries are also being sabotaged 5) there's a drug ring in town 6) there's a mysterious missing pirate treasure. All that in a book billed and marketed as a romance, and not as a romantic suspense or a mystery. Lexie's mysteries get resolved in the story, some in a predictable fashion, some less so. The drug ring and the pirate treasure will be back in future books; they have to be because one Grayson brother is the local sheriff and another is a DEA agent. It was a little disconcerting to have all of thus happening in what I thought was a romance. I enjoy mysteries and also romantic suspense, but I like to know what I'm getting. If I think it's one genre, only to read and find it's a different one than promised, it annoys me and also makes me scramble to re-arrange my expectations.

So, by now you may be wondering if I liked ANYTHING about the book. Why yes, yes, I did. I liked Lexie, came to like Seb somewhat, have a crush on Theo, enjoyed the other secondary characters, appreciated that Barrett resisted the impulse to make all of the small town people cutely quirky, enjoyed the Massachusetts setting, the sex scenes, there's humor and my attention was engaged the entire time. Barrett's style was easy and relaxed, and the story's flow was smooth. Despite my rantings and ravings at times as I read, I did enjoy the book as a whole and will read more in the series. If only to see who Theo ends up with! 

So, now that you know what you're getting, stop back after you read and tell me what you thought of the book. I'm curious as to other people's reactions to this book.

I received an eGalley from the publisher for review.

Live Chat With PNR Author D.B. Reynolds! Saturday June 23rd

D.B. Reynolds writes the hot, sexy, Vampires in America series. Full of dangerous vampires, passionate males and females, intrigue, hot sex, and good stories, these books will keep you warm while you read.

Tomorrow, Saturday June 23rd, you can chat with D.B. for an hour, live at goodreads, at 2PM PST. The chat is being hosted by Chopin's Cafe and there will be a giveaway. Click on the link to RSVP, and I'll see you there!

Spotlight On: Minder by Sandra Cox

Welcome! Another spotlight today, yes, it's been a busy, light-filled week this week. Today I'm featuring a new YA novel by Sandra Cox. It's a YA paranormal from MuseItUp Publishing that was released last month.

Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes Crossover YA, YA Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel Romance and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat.

Email:sandracox1@gmail.com
Website: http://www.sandracox1.com
Blog: http://sandracox.blogspot.com

Book Blurb:

Among the northern tribes there is a legend passed down from generation to generation about shape-shifting Minders—guardians of the innocents—and how they came to be.

It is said that nowadays only a handful of Minders exist, hunted to near extinction by a fearsome beast. Of the remaining Minders, only one wears a garnet-studded collar, the symbol of protection and royalty.

On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Aurora Valente goes through some disturbing changes. She purrs and craves raw meat. Most alarming of all, she’s taken to chasing wildlife.

Her aunt gives her a beautiful, antique choker and tells her the story about a shapeshifting Minder princess, and the beast that hunts the Minder’s descendants.

To Aurora it’s only a story...till later that night when her whole world takes a turn into terror. A horrific beast chases her through the woods, where a puma with the eyes of a stranger comes to her rescue.

While the beast and puma fight, she feels her bones break and reform. Her scream comes out a snarl. She lands on all fours, a beautiful panther.

"Even when my aunt told me the story, and handed me an ancient garnet-studded band, I had no idea the tale applied to me.

After all, it’s only a legend…"

MINDER
By: Sandra Cox
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
ASIN: B0088HOXNM
Genre: FICTION, PARANORMAL, YOUNG ADULT
Format: EBOOK
Length: 372 KB, 167 pages
Release Date: MAY 25, 2012
Website
Buying Links:  MuseItUp     Amazon    

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EXCERPT

 

At the cliff’s edge, I stopped and listened to the steady lap of the waves against the rocks. I sucked cold air deep into my lungs. Night sounds surrounded me. A purr of contentment rose in my throat. I’m getting used to the purr. It’s a great way to express pleasure.

I pivoted toward the house and saw my aunt silhouetted in the window, the light at her back. I lifted my hand. She waved back.

The wind shifted. I smelled a rabbit. My butt twitched as the perfume of warm flesh filled my nostrils. His rapid heartbeat pulsed through my ears. I forgot all about Aunt and went bounding into the forest.  

The rabbit saw me. With a frightened squeak, he hopped away, his little powder-puff tail white in the dark. I leapt after him and laughed with exuberance from the sheer joy of being alive.

The rabbit ran deep into the woods. I followed. Fear gave the bunny speed and he stayed just out of my grasp.

It happened gradually.  My joints began to stiffen. The hair on the nape of my neck rose. A horrific scent filled my nostrils and made my stomach flop. No longer the hunter, at some point, I became the prey.

A heavy body crashed through the underbrush not far behind me.

My legs pumped and my heart pounded. Panicked, I pulled the mace out of my pocket. 

Try as I might I couldn’t outrace whatever chased me. I swear I could feel hot breath on my back. As it closed the gap between us, it gave a piggish squeal of pleasure.

Sweat poured out my pores.  My legs cramped. My sides on fire, I pushed myself harder.

A growl sounded behind me. It echoed and reechoed off the trees. Goose bumps roughened my skin. I glanced back. My heart moved up to my throat. My joints locked and made it almost impossible to run.

Still looking over my shoulder, I tumbled head first over a log. Rough bark scraped my shins. The can of mace rolled out of my hand. The scent of rotting wood and insects filled my nostrils as I landed on my elbow, my knees cocked at an awkward angle over the log.

I started to pull my legs back and scramble to my feet but I wasn’t fast enough. The beast’s hot breath penetrated my sweats, moments before his fangs pierced my thigh to the bone.

A scream filled the night. It took me a moment to realize it was mine.

Fire swirled through my blood. I swear I felt it bubble. My bones pushed hard against my skin. My vision blurred as muscle and tendons began to shift beneath my skin.

As the beast lumbered over the log after me, a wildcat shrieked nearby, his high-pitched snarl as terrifying as the monster that ripped my flesh.  

The beast paused, his massive head swung in the direction of the feral sound. My heart pounded and stretched as if caught in a vise, but my vision cleared. What I saw filled me with abject terror. It was the stuff nightmares are made of. A black bear, no a huge wolf, with glowing crimson eyes, bore down on me.

A leonine scream of challenge echoed through the pines, bounced off rock and echoed in my ears. Fighting the pain coursing through my vibrating body, I forced my aching neck to turn.

The moon shown full on a beautiful puma, his lips drawn back, his tail lashing. He tilted his head and snarled. And the hits keep on a coming. Would I become beast fodder or puma silage? At the moment, I wasn’t in any condition to fight off either. 

For one brief moment, the cat looked directly at me. My breath caught in my throat. Those eyes were eerily reminiscent of the stranger in the restaurant. The man called Kylar. Then the puma turned his attention to the beast. His ears back, he roared another challenge.

The beast threw back his head and responded, his mouth open he howled at the moon. The sound sent chills down my spine. A spine that felt like it was breaking and re-forming.

The puma screamed in response.

The beast turned from me and lumbered toward the puma. Even though the cat was large it was still half the size of the beast. They ran toward each other. The earth trembled as they clashed like titans their challenges ringing in the night.

I couldn’t concentrate on them any longer. My bones were stretching like rubber bands. It hurt like hell. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I bit my lips till they bled trying to keep from shrieking. Not wanting to draw the attention of the two wild animals fighting only yards away.

I crawled to the log and somehow got to my feet. Everything swirled around me. As my clothes fell off my pencil thin form, I stopped worrying about drawing attention to myself and began to screech. “What’s happening to me?”

Every inch of my body felt on fire as my joints exploded and my bones reformed. My cries turned to snarls. Sleek black fur sprouted through my skin.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God,” I tried to say, but a cat’s cry escaped my lips.  Warm blood, from the monster’s bite, coated my hind leg, but it was a minor concern compared to what was happening to me. No legend. Aunt Gin knew.

Then the pain disappeared. A dull ache where the monster bit me persisted but other than that I felt glorious. I threw back my head and roared.

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To celebrate the release of "Minder", Sandra is running a month long contest on her blog; prizes include a free download of the book, jewelry, a Starbucks gift certificate and a book dedication. Go here to enter. 


Additionally, I have one eBook copy of "Vampire Bay", the third book in her Hunter Series.  To enter, just post a comment, along with a way to contact you - email, twitter handle, etc. Entries are open until 11:59PM EST, Saturday June 30th.


Please read my giveaway policy.


Follow the blog tour: http://cblspromotions.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-barrage-minder-by-sandra-cox.html

Interview with Benedict Jacka

UF author Benedict Jacka has stopped by for a brief chat today. He's the author of the Alex Versus series and also a MG series, the Ninja series, now out of print. The first two Versus books were released this year: "Fated" in February and "Cursed" in May; the third book, "Taken" is due to come out this summer, in August.

A little about Benedict, in his own words: One overcast day in November I sat down at a study cubicle in my school library. I was 18 years old and in my final year at City of London School, and the library was on the third floor, looking out over the River Thames. I was supposed to be working but instead I stared out of the window across the water, and when I finally picked up my pen what I began to write in the back of my exercise book wasn’t schoolwork but the notes for a story.

To this day I can’t tell you why I started that story that afternoon. I’d written stories before, but no more than any other bookish kid – usually they were done for a school assignment or quickly abandoned. But for some reason this one stayed in my head and sometime over that winter I opened up a Word file on my computer and started writing. I didn’t really have a plan, I just wanted to see what would happen.

I kept writing, and then kept writing some more. Winter turned into spring, spring turned into summer, and by the time I finished at the end of that year what I had wasn’t a story but a 100,000 word novel. Somewhere along the line I’d had it suggested that it might be publishable, so I sent it to some agencies to see if they were interested. They weren’t, but by the time that had been established I’d finished a second novel and was ready to send that out instead.

I kept writing through my time at Cambridge University, leaving three years later with a BA in Philosophy and a very good agent, Sophie Hicks from Ed Victor Ltd. My first three novels had been children’s fantasy, but the one that finally got published was children’s non-fantasy, a book called To Be A Ninja (later reprinted as Ninja: The Beginning).

It took me a little under 7 years to go from that day in the library to being published for the first time, and it’s been just short of another 7 years from that first publication to today. As I write this it’s the first days of 2012, I’m 31 years old, and once again I’m home in London – I’ve lived in different cities and countries, but London’s the place I always come back to. Along the way I’ve worked for a year in the Civil Service, taught English to kids of various nationalities in England and Romania before doing it full-time for six months in China, spent an interesting period working in North London as a bouncer, and most recently went back to college for a GDL/LPC in order to become a solicitor. I’ve also studied a few martial arts (boxing, Krav Maga, and ninjutsu), gone in for competitive ballroom dancing (yes, seriously), spent an enormous amount of time reading (especially Agatha Christie, Tolkien, Jack Vance, Jim Butcher, and Robert Jordan), and skated across most of London at one time or another (still my favourite way to get around. Don’t laugh, it’s more fun than a car or bus and with London traffic it’s about as fast.) I also love gaming, both on computers (Final Fantasy, Suikoden, Fire Emblem, Halo, EVE) and tabletop RPGs (Star Wars, WoD, and especially D&D – I play once or twice a week and GM too).

Where to find Benedict online:

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Bea: Benedict, what inspired the series, was there any one thing or was it a series of ideas and events?

Benedict: "Fated" was the adult evolution of a setting I'd used for multiple books in the past – I'd written four novels in the setting already, but they were all children's fantasy rather than adult. I never really expected "Fated" to get published (the last four hadn't been) but somehow it did and things just kind of snowballed from there!

Bea: Is Alex inspired by or based on anyone you know?

Benedict: Personality-wise he's mostly based on me, although it's filtered through a different background. I do tend to use my own emotional reactions as a starting point when writing him, but over the series he's developed into more of his own person.

Bea: What's next for Alex and the series? Do you have a long term story arc, or are you winging it?

Benedict: I'm starting to work out a long term story arc now, but I didn't have one at the beginning. Fated, Cursed, and Taken are all semi-standalone books – it's only by the time you get to Taken that the changes start to get noticeable. Right now I'm in the middle of Book #4, and I'm starting to seriously lay out how the long-term story will go. Of course, that assumes my publisher keeps printing them!

Bea: When you write, are you a planner or do you make it up as you go?

Benedict: A mixture of both. I plan out the skeletal structure of the book in advance, but individual details (especially character interactions) get made up as I go along. I deviate from the plan pretty often, too.

Bea: You've written childrens books and now adult urban fantasy, do you think you might try another genre sometime?

Benedict: Not sure. I'm really enjoying adult urban fantasy at the moment, so I can't see myself changing any time soon, but who knows!

Bea: Does you family read your books? What do they think of them?

Benedict: They do, and they're very supportive. :)

Bea: Do you prefer print books or ebooks?

Benedict: I'm about 50/50. I like ebooks for the convenience of getting hold of them so easily, but to actually read I prefer the paper kind.

Bea: What are your favorite genres for reading? Your favorite authors?

Benedict: I read a fairly wide spread – fantasy, sci-fi, crime, childrens, thrillers, and a bunch more. Favourite authors change over the years, but the long-running ones have been Tolkien, Agatha Christie, Jack Vance, Jim Butcher, and lately Lois McMaster Bujold.

Bea: I noticed on your site, that your only social media link was for goodreads. Do you prefer not to do social media such as twitter, facebook, linkedin? Do you think that there is too much emphasis on social media for authors?

Benedict: Oh yeah, I forgot about that page! Wait a sec while I go update it.(Note the clever avoidance technique, he didn't answer either question. lol But, he DID update his page with his twitter and facebook accounts - Bea)


Bea: What would be your ideal day, whether a work day, school day or day off?

Benedict: Uh . . . you've got me on that one. I never really think about how I want my days to be.


Bea: Benedict, thanks so much for visiting and answering some questions for us. Best of luck with "Cursed"!

Benedict: Thanks for having me! Cursed's now out in the US and UK, and Taken will be coming out at the beginning of September. Nothing I can say yet about future books in the series, but things are looking good!

Liz has "Fated" in her TBR pile, and I've got "Cursed" in  mine, so reviews will be coming sometime this summer. In the meantime, go get your copies now so you'll be ready when "Taken" comes out at the end of August!

When Will You Rise? Cover for Mira Grant's New Book

It's hardly a secret that I'm a fan of Mira Grant and her Newsflesh trilogy. "When Will You Rise", from Sunterranean Press, contains a novella and a short story set in the world of Grant's award-nominated Newsflesh trilogy, along with seven black and white illustrations. "When Will You Rise" is right on schedule to ship this fall, according to the publisher. Now, the cover!

Zombies! Run!

The Rising Cover! New Kelley Armstrong Book

I'm a few days late posting this, its been a crazy week. On Monday, Kelley revealed the cover for the next and last book in her Darkness rising YA series, "The Rising". It continues the blue color story of the first two books, but it's not my favorite cover in the series. That would be "The Gathering", but I like this one too. I'm not sure if it's the same model on this cover as on the other two, but she looks older than I envision Maya to be.

So, what do you think? Do you like it? Dislike it? Love it? What are your thoughts?

Spotlight On: Revealing Hamilton by Sarah J Carr

Murders. Medical experiments. Conspiracies. Dysfunctional families. Stir it all together and you get "Revealing Hamilton", a sci fi medical mystery released at the beginning of this month. It's the first in a new series, JackRabbit7. "Revealing Hamilton" is Sarah’s first full-length novel under contract with Ruby Lioness Press. Sarah is at work on book two, "Embracing Hamilton".

Sarah Carr is a novelist who can be found most evenings with a cup of tea in-hand and her imagination racing from plot to plot. When away from her work, part of her mind is constantly brainstorming her next story and she always has writing paraphernalia within reach.

She wrote stories as a child, but became more serious about her passion during her twenties. In her spare time, she likes to read, splash in mud puddles, smell bookstores and eat Honeycrisp apples. Yearly, she participates in NaNoWriMo and has mentored others through the program. Due to her dedication to National Novel Writing Month, she is part of an amazing writing group.

Born and raised in Washington State, Sarah still resides in the area. Her life is richly filled with her supportive, yet swashbuckling husband and their golden, Nugget.

Book Blurb:

A conversation with a stranger changes Amelia Hamilton's life forever. When she learns her grandfather faked his own death, normalcy slips from Amelia's grasp. To make matters worse, he is coming for her in less than seven days. What she hasn't determined is why.

Amelia's grandfather, Marius Benedict, once headed The Physician Coalition, an elite group of doctors who threw the Hippocratic Oath out the window. Years ago, they used a low-risk medical research study as a front for their experiments. Without their consent, innocents were injected with JackRabbit7, a hazardous substance used to alter their DNA. The victims were left with less-than-desirable super-human powers or excruciating death. Years after he disbanded the group, Marius has a new plan and is reforming The Coalition.

Max, a mysterious stranger from the Insurance Agency, offers to help keep Amelia safe. He introduces The Agency as an underground government organization that contains and eliminates those who intend to harm the world. To protect The Agency, the truth of their activities are concealed and replaced with sugar-coated stories in the media.

Over the course of the next week, Amelia has to accept the truth and learn who can be trusted. At midnight on her 23rd birthday, a contract between The Coalition and The Insurance Agency will expire, giving Marius full rein to approach his granddaughter and finish the project he started with her so many years ago.

REVEALING HAMILTON
By: Sarah J Carr
Publisher: Ruby Lioness Press
ASIN: B00884O7XQ
Genre: FICTION, SCIENCE FICTION, MEDICAL, MYSTERY
Format: EBOOK
Length: 895 KB, 324 pages
Release Date: JUNE 1, 2012
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If you like a little sci fi mixed with your mysteries, pick up this book and immerse yourself in the battle between The Physician Coalition and the Insurance Agency as they fight for dominance.

Give Away & Spotlight On: The Taken by Vicki Pettersson

Urban fantasy author Vicki Pettersson, author of the popular Zodiac series, has expanded her repertoire to include mystery. She has a UF mystery noir series, Celestial Blues, and the first book, "The Taken", was released a few days ago on June 12th. I haven't been wildly impressed with the one book and two short stories in her Zodiac series but I do like mysteries so I will give this book a try.

At the end of this post is a giveaway.

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Photo from author website

A little about Vicki: She's the author of the NYT-bestselling Signs of the Zodiac series – a six-book urban fantasy series set in her hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Vicki holds a BA in English, essentially qualifying her for nothing (her words, not mine! ~ Bea), which was why she opted for a decade-long career as a showgirl in the now-retired Folies Bergere. That’s fine; she's now retired too, passing the time as a scribbler until she's old enough to join the cast of the Palm Springs Folies (55 is the minimum age requirement). There she hopes to once again fritter away her nights with sequins, eyelash glue, and her best girlfriends. You gotta have a dream, right? Besides, you know the saying: You can take the girl out of the show, but you can’t take the show out of the girl.

Since Vicki has a few years yet before she can un-retire, she's now writing a new supernatural noir trilogy, also set in Vegas, but with an entirely new world and cast of characters. Featuring a supernatural private eye, and a rockabilly reporter with a nose for trouble, the Celestial Blues series debuts with THE TAKEN, on July 12, 2012.

She currently divides her time between her family in Las Vegas and Dallas. It’s a hell of a commute.

By the way, Pettersson is pronounced “Pet-ter-suhn” – it’s Swedish.

Book Blurb:

He’s a fallen angel. She’s a rockabilly reporter. Together they must solve a deadly string of murders plaguing the mortal and the immortal worlds.

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was over fifty years ago when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Now he’s a Centurion, an angel who assists other murdered souls through their journey to the afterlife. But while Shaw might be an angel … he’s no saint. Haunted by the mysterious events surrounding his own death, he seizes a chance to wreak some vengeance when he witnesses a deadly attack on journalist Katherine “Kit” Craig.

Joining forces, the unlikely avengers take to the streets, hunting a killer whose trail of bodies stretches across Las Vegas and into an immortal netherworld. It is a dangerous trek that lead them into the darkest corners of Sin City and into the heart of an evil conspiracy extending beyond the lights of the Strip that could destroy them both.

But destruction isn’t the only threat Griffin faces. The closer he gets to Kit, the more he finds himself bewitched by her mortal charms. Can he resist falling under her spell? And does he want to?

THE TAKEN
By: Vicki Pettersson
Publisher: Harper Voyager
ISBN: 9780062064646
Genre: FICTION, URBAN FANTASY, MYSTERY
Format: EBOOK, PAPERBACK
Length: 711 KB, 432 pages
Release Date: JUNE 12, 2012
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Thanks to Harper, I have one paperback copy of "The Taken" for one lucky US resident. Harper will mail the book directly to the winner. 

To enter, follow the directions in the rafflecopter widget.

Please read my Giveaway policy. 

Using Personal Stories In Writing: A Guest Post by Linda Lael Miller & A "Big Sky Country" Excerpt

 
I'm sure you've wondered, as I sometimes do, when reading whether the author has used anything from their personal life, real events, in their writing. Have you ever thought about whether or not an author should use personal events? Romance author Linda Lael Miller offers up her opinion today.

Photo from author website

As the daughter of a town marshal, Linda has come home to the western lifestyle that gave birth to one of today’s most successful authors. She left Washington years ago and pursued her wanderlust, living in Arizona and London and traveling the world. Now the author of more than 100 novels, the “First Lady of the West” is glad to be back home, writing contemporary and historical stories that have earned her awards and placements on all the national bestsellers lists.

Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold FLETCHER’S WOMAN in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Linda’s 2011 contemporary Creed Cowboy trilogy—A CREED IN STONE CREEK, CREED’S HONOR and THE CREED LEGACY, released in March, June and July, respectively—each debuted in the number one position on the New York Times bestseller list.

First up is Linda's guest post, then a brief excerpt and book info at the end. Enjoy!
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 Using personal stories in writing: do or don’t?

Yes, I use personal stories in writing, but they’re usually heavily disguised or simply a jumping-off point for working out the plot.  For example, my dad told me lots of stories about his youth, and many of them served to inspire story ideas—especially the ones about old-time ranchers and the rodeo circuit.  A particular favorite concerned one of his employers, a bachelor farmer whose hay crop was ruined by a sudden hard rain, with some hail mixed in for good measure.  This man was outside his cabin when Dad saw him from a wisely-chosen hiding place nearby, stark naked except for work boots and socks, shaking his fist at the heavens and challenging God to “come down and fight, you so-and-so.” Modified, this became the opening scene in my historical romance, “Memory’s Embrace”, in which the hero is arguing with God.  In Keith Corbin’s case, though, his anger was tied in with a deep spiritual belief, since he was a minister.  Another favorite came from my mother, who was raised in Choteau, Montana.  It seems there was an elderly bar-fly who rode his horse to town every day of his life and tied him up in front of the saloon.  The old man eventually died, but the horse came to town anyway, for days on end, and stood there patiently waiting.  I used that one, too, in “The Man from Stone Creek”.  Any writings about story-telling and its effect on my writing would be incomplete without the fabulous tales my honorary grandmother, Florence Wiley, told about her childhood outside of Coffeyville, Kansas.  She actually remembered hearing the shots the day the Dalton brothers tried to rob the bank in town.  Later, the dead outlaws were strapped to boards and displayed along main street, to show the wages of sin is death.  Fortunately, grandma’s parents were forward-thinking people for their time and didn’t take the kids in from the farm to see the grim exhibition, but plenty of others did.  On another occasion, a man rode up to the gate and stood talking with Grandma’s pa, who was working in the field.   The man slept in the family barn that night, and his name was Jesse James.

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Excerpt

Practically everybody I knew said I ought to put you up for adoption, once I knew John had intended to marry someone else all along, but I just couldn’t do it. I guess it was selfish of me, but you were my boy and I wanted to see you grow up.”

“I know,” Slade said, as he stooped to kiss her forehead. He’d heard all of it before, after all, and while he understood Callie’s personal regrets, the fact of the matter was, he was glad she’d kept him. She’d sacrificed a lot, working long hours to build the business that had supported them both, though just barely sometimes, passing up more than one chance to get married, move away from Parable and finally enjoy a degree of respectability.

Instead, she’d stuck it out, right there in the old hometown, where she believed she had every right to be, as did her son, whether John Carmody, his high-society bride or the snootier locals had liked it or not.

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Book Blurb (from author website):

The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father…until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn’t sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody—including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen, rodeo queen, beauty queen, whom Slade has never forgotten.

But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect, plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter, Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she’s responsible only for her own actions—such as her effect on this lawman’s guarded heart.

BIG SKY COUNTRY
By: Linda Lael Miller
Publisher: HQN Books
ISBN: 9780373776436
Genre: FICTION, ROMANCE, CONTEMPORARY
Format: EBOOK, PAPERBACK
Length: 248 pages
Release Date: May 29, 2012
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