Bea Reviews The Myth Manifestation by Lisa Shearin

Series: The SPI Files #5
Publisher: NLA Digital LLC
Source: the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 16th, 2018 
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository*  | Google | iBooks* | Kobo
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) protect people from predatory supernaturals. This time, we’re the ones who need protection.  

New York is one of the most popular convention destinations in the world—for humans and supernaturals. Every hundred years, rulers of the world’s supernatural races come together to negotiate and renew a peace treaty. Meeting in the same hotel are the governors of our world’s goblin and elf colonies. SPI is saddled with the security nightmare of keeping the living delegates alive and the undead delegates from becoming permanently deceased. We’ve got our work cut out for us.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI. Our security nightmare becomes real when monsters from the delegates’ mythologies begin mysteriously appearing in the flesh to hunt delegates from every side of the debate. And when the hotel gets sucked into another dimension, there’s no escape.

We discover that we’re all pieces in an elaborate and deadly game. A game about to spill out into the real world. Failing to escape is game over and not an option. We have to save the world—but first, we have to save ourselves.

Bea Reviews The Ghoul Vendetta by Lisa Shearin

Series: SPI Files #4
Publisher: Ace
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 31st, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the fourth urban fantasy novel in the series starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) are paid to keep the peace. But that’s not so easy when an endless evil threatens to tear that peace to pieces...

A vampire gangster’s nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it’s not.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren’t wearing disguises or makeup. They’re real. Deadly real. Especially their leader—an ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake. Now, he’s taken my partner, Ian—and his intentions aren’t pretty.

The worst part? This is only the beginning...

The beginning of the end of the human race.

Short & Sweet: Bea Reviews The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

Series: SPI Files #3
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 30, 2016
Challenges: Finishing the Series Reading Challenge |
NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*  | iTunes | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the new urban fantasy novel starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug—with mind-blowing side effects—hits the streets...

It’s called Brimstone. And after the first few hits, you’ll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you’ll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I’d like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts—and souls. Because your local pusher doesn’t stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. And since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, that means a rift to the underworld is open somewhere in the city.

And when—not if—the cartel loses control of it, well...

It’s going to be Hell on earth.

Excerpt from The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

The SPI Files is an urban fantasy mystery series that I really enjoy; it's a lot of fun and a different take on many of the standard creatures. I'm excited to share an excerpt today and later I'll have a review of the book.  

Lisa Shearin currently works as the editor at an advertising agency. She has been a magazine editor and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description. Lisa enjoys singing, reading, writing novels, and fencing. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two cats, two spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and a Jack Russell terrier who rules them all. Visit her online at www.lisashearin.com.

REVIEW And GIVEAWAY of The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin

Publisher: ACE Fantasy
Series: SPI Files #2
Format Read: print ARC
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Challenge: 2015 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe*/OmniLit | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords*
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

After solving The Grendel Affair, the agents have another SPI File to investigate...

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. We battle the real monsters of myth and legend, but this Halloween, we’re searching for diamonds…

A gala opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has attracted the upper crust of Manhattan—and thieves. A trio of vile harpies attacks the crowd and steals the stars of the exhibition: a colorful cluster of seven cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs.
In the right mage’s hands, each stone can pack a magical wallop. Together they have the power to “cure” the supernaturals of the tri-state area—but for many of those vampires and werewolves, that means turning into dust.

I’m Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. With the help of my partner, Ian, and the other agents, I have twenty-four hours to prevent total global panic, find the diamonds, and save the supernatural community. No biggie.

Quote-Tastic - Night Shift by Nalini SIng, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin and Milla Vane

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed you for one reason or another. Everyone's welcome to join in - authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and put up your post :) Don't have a blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.  Quote-tastic is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup.

This quote is from the short story, "The Beast of Blackmoor" by Milla Vane. The hero and heroine are talking and whew, you'll need some cold water! It's part of a very hot scene between them involving voyeurism and public sex.

It's part of the Night Shift anthology. I'm giving away a copy and posted a review here. 

"Who needs leather and a collar? A man's leash grows between his legs. I would only have to tug on it a few times to make you mine." "Then a woman's leash must be much shorter. " She laughed. "So it is. And harder to find."

Review & Giveaway of Night Shift by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin and Milla Vane

Publisher: Berkley
Series: Kate Daniels #6.5; SPI Files 0.5; Psy-Changeling #12.5
Format Read: paperback
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Reading Challenge: 2014 What An Animal
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | ARe* | Barnes & Noble | Kobo* |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance plunge readers into the dangerous, captivating world unearthed beyond the dark...

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smoldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals , when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.

From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway of The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

Publisher: Ace
Series: SPI Files #1
Format Read: paperback
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble

Blurb from goodreads:

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn’t exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out—usually saving my skin in the process.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel—yes, that Grendel—shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him—and the organization behind him—by midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.

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.

Interview with Author Lisa Shearin & A Give Away

Today, I'm delighted to have as my guest, fantasy author Lisa Shearin. Although I haven't yet read her books, several friends convinced me to give her a try so she's on my list of authors to read. Today she's here celebrating the release of her newest book, "All Spell Breaks Loose". It's the sixth, and final, book in her Raine Benares series, and it releases tomorrow, May 29th.

A little bit about Lisa: Contrary to popular belief, most authors do have day jobs just like everyone else. Lisa is happily ensconced at an advertising agency as an editor and quality control manager. In her previous corporate life, she's been a magazine editor, advertising copywriter, and writer of corporate marketing materials of every description.

She's the author of the national bestselling fantasy adventure series featuring Raine Benares, a finder of things lost and people missing. But what Raine finds best is trouble and lots of it. The series began with Magic Lost Trouble Found, and continued with Armed & Magical, The Trouble With Demons, Bewitched & Betrayed, Con & Conjure and ends with All Spell Breaks Loose.

Lisa is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and live's in North Carolina with her always patient and ever-encouraging husband, two spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds and a Jack Russell terrier who rules them all.

Where to find Lisa online:

Website & Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Hi Lisa, welcome to the Nook, and thanks for taking the time to sit down and answer some questions for us.

Bea: Do you have a regular routine for writing?

Lisa: I start each chapter writing longhand in a journal with one of my vintage fountain pens. And my official “writing chair” is a huge a 120-year-old mahogany rocking chair. My thoughts flow better from brain to pen to paper (while sitting in that chair). I think writing longhand gives me a more direct path to my inner storyteller. Once I’ve written a first draft, then I key it in to my computer and start expanding from there.

Bea: Do you consider yourself a plotter or do you wing it?

Lisa: I started out being a complete plotter, but over the course of the past six books, I’ve become more of a pantster. The new series that I’m working on now is being written only from a few paragraphs of “back jacket copy.” It’s so much more fun this way.

Bea: What prompted the decision to end the Raine Benares books? Was it a planned story arc?

Lisa: The sixth book of the Raine Benares series—All Spell Breaks Loose—is the culmination of a storyline that began in 2007 with Magic Lost, Trouble Found. The action contained in those six books cover a mere three-month period in the lives of Raine and her friends. Three months. It’s hard to believe. When I look back over the entire series, I think one of the biggest surprises for me was that the Saghred storyline extended into six books. I had expected three books max. But the characters kept growing, and they and their stories took on a life of their own. There was no way I could stop after only three books. I had to find out what happened.

Bea: What can you tell us about your current WIP? Do you have one?

Lisa: I’ve just completed a proposal package for an urban fantasy/supernatural thriller/comedy series. You all know how I love to mix & match genres. I have the series premise written, as well as the synopses for the first three books, and I just finished the final sample chapter today (for a total of six). I promise that as soon as I get a contract for it, I’ll tell you more—in fact, you probably won’t be able to shut me up. I’m so excited about this project—it’s just pure fun.

Bea: Do you think you might ever write in a different genre besides fantasy?

Lisa: The new series that I’m working on can be categorized as urban fantasy, but it has paranormal and comedy elements to it as well. When I read for fun (which is as often as I can), I read mysteries and thrillers – and best of all if they have a supernatural bent. 

Bea: Do you find that your work as an editor leaches into your work as a writer; for instance do you find that you over-edit yourself while writing?

Lisa: Oh Lord, yes. It’s taken six books to do it, but I finally think that I’ve talked my internal editor into standing back until I at least have a first draft down, then she can critique all she wants to.

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

Lisa: My family does read my books, but my sister is the only one who reads fantasy. She loves them!

Bea: Do you prefer ebooks or print books?

Lisa: A year ago, I wouldn’t have been able to answer that question because I hadn’t tried ebooks. I finally broke down and bought a reader. I really enjoyed it for the first few months, then the paper started calling to me. I’ll be 49 years old next month, so I’m much more familiar with paper than I am with ebooks. Heck, I even used to work at a printer. And I prefer to handwrite the first drafts of my books in a journal with vintage fountain pens. If you cut me, I’d probably bleed ink. So, I definitely feel safe in saying that I prefer paper.

Bea: You touched upon this earlier, what authors and genres do you enjoy reading?

Lisa: I love thrillers and mysteries, preferably with supernatural elements. The authors I’m reading now include James Rollins, Scott Siegler, David Golemon, Greig Beck, David Wood, Jeremy Robinson, and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s Agent Pendergast series.

Bea: Was there anyone who mentored you or was a big help to you when you were getting started writing?

Lisa: Unfortunately I didn’t know any writers when I was growing up until I got to college. So I’m pretty much self-taught.

Bea: How much time do you spend on your twitter and facebook accounts? How important do you think social media is these days for an author?

Lisa: These days I’m spending more time developing my new series. It’s easy for authors to spend too much time on social media. I’m trying to learn to strike a balance between the two. Yes, promotion is important, but unless you write the books you’re not going to have anything to promote. So the writing has to come first.

Bea: You’re active in Greyhound adoptions, how did that come about? You have several currently, what do you find so appealing about the breed? (I confess, I’m a cat person. I like dogs but I love cats. I am a cat slave.)

Lisa: Actually, personality-wise, greyhounds are very much like cats. My husband and I first saw greyhounds at the Renaissance Faire that our fencing group would perform at. We also saw a greyhound when we were doing fencing demonstrations at the Biltmore House in Ashville, NC. When we found out that there are so many retiring from the race tracks that need homes, we just had to adopt some. Greyhounds are the sweetest dogs! Derek and I would like to move out into the country so that we could foster dogs that have just come off of the race track and are looking for their forever homes.

Bea: And for my last question, what would be your ideal day? It can be a work day or a day off.

Lisa: For a work day, it would be when my writing is more like taking dictation, when I’m just an observer writing down what I see. That’s when the story comes to life for me. For a day off, uninterrupted reading time.


Thank you Lisa for stopping by today. Best of luck with your blog tour and with "All Spell Breaks Loose".

Thank you so much for inviting me!

*****************************************************************************

Giveaway! 

Ace is offering up one print copy of "All Spell Breaks Loose" to a US resident. Enter Below.

Please read my Giveaway Policy.

ETA: You MUST leave a blog comment to enter and then tell rafflecopter that you left a comment. If you tell rafflecopter that you left a comment, but in fact do not, your entry WILL be removed. I had to remove two entries already. Please follow all directions in order to have your entry count. I don't like disqualifying people, it's not fun. Thanks :)