Submissions are now open for new speculative fiction anthology from EDGE

From their press release:

Calgary, AB, September 6, 2013 (immediate release)
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing has announced that submissions are open for Tesseracts Eighteen: Wrestling With Gods, edited by Liana K and Jerome Stueart.
For this new Tesseracts volume, the editors are seeking original short stories and poems which are "as diverse a representation of both real-world religions and faiths of fictional cultures as possible. Stories should not be looking to pass historical or cultural judgment, instead they should feature character-driven plots that include faith, doubt, miracles, spiritual journeys, and diversity of opinion within a faith."
The Tesseracts anthology series is Canada's longest running anthology. It was first edited by the late Judith Merril in 1985, and has published more than 500 original Canadian speculative fiction (Science fiction, fantasy and horror) stories and poems.
Some of Canada's best known writers have been published within the pages of these volumes - including Margaret Atwood, William Gibson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Spider Robinson (to name a few).
Submissions should be emailed to tesseracts18@edgewebsite.com

For more information:

Submission details: www.edgewebsite.com/books/tess18/t18-catalog.html
Or find details posted on the Tessracts Eighteen blog: http://tesseracts18.com

Release date:

Tesseracts Eighteen: Wrestling With Gods will be released in September 2014 in paperback and eBook formats.

About The Editors:

Liana K:
Liana K is an award-winning TV producer & writer who has also stepped in front of the camera as the co-host of the legendary late night show Ed & Red’s Night Party, the Canadian Comedy Award-winning this Movie Sucks!, and Ed the Sock’s I Hate Hollywood!  An episode of I Hate Hollywood was lauded by mental health workers for de-stigmatizing mental illness.  Another early episode was well-received for its look at religion in Hollywood.

Liana also provides commentary, reviews and video interviews for video game site gamingexcellence.com.  She is co-columnist of 411 Mania’s “The 8 Ball”, and host/writer of Liana K’s Geek Download, heard weekly on the internationally syndicated radio program Canada’s Top 20.  She has edited and contributed writing to a comic book mini-series: Ed and Red’s Comic Strip.
She has hosted and produced the Prix Aurora Awards ceremony three times.  She is founder and chair of the Futurecon organization, which uses Science-Fiction and Fantasy elements to reduce various types of stigma and raise money for various charities.
Her stranger achievements include: modeling for videogames, having her superhero toy & art collection featured on TV’s Space channel, researching and presenting a paper on Mormon Cosmology in the Twilight Saga, and having a DC Comics character named after her. Liana is an avid cosplayer and her costume work made her the face of Western cosplay on Wikipedia.


Jerome Stueart
Jerome Stueart makes his home in the Yukon Territory. Hailing from Missouri and West Texas, Jerome came up to the Yukon to work on northern science fiction. He fell hard for the place.  Stueart is a graduate of Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop in San Diego (2007) and of the Lambda Literary Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices (2013).  He has been published in Fantasy, Geist, Joyland, Geez, Strange Horizons, Ice-Floe, Redivider, On Spec, Tesseracts Nine, Tesseracts Eleven, Tesseracts Fourteen and Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead.  He earned honourable mentions for both the Fountain Award and Year’s Best Science Fiction 2006. He co-edited Inhuman. As a cartoonist he was featured in the Yukon News, and as a journalist he wrote for Yukon, North of Ordinary, Air North’s in-flight magazine.  He’s worked as a janitor, a trolley conductor, an embedded reporter in a remote northern research station, a Religious Education director, and a marketing director.  He wrote five radio series for CBC, and one of them, Leaving America, was heard around the world on Radio Canada International.  Jerome has taught creative writing for 20 years, and taught an afterschool course in fantasy and science fiction writing for teens for three years.  He teaches a workshop he designed called Writing Faith in churches across Canada and the US.

Contact Information:
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
Brian Hades
403-254-0160

Contact:
publisher@hadespublications.com
www.edgewebsite.com

I want to read this when it's published; it sounds potentially wonderful. 

Review of Carniepunk, an anthology

Publisher: Gallery Books
Format Read: eGalley (I was about 2/3 of the way done when the pub sent a finished print copy)
Source: The publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 23, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Blurb from goodreads:

A star-studded urban fantasy anthology featuring bestselling authors Rachel Caine, Rob Thurman, Seanan McGuire, Jennifer Estep, and Kevin Hearne, whose stories explore the creepy, mysterious, and, yes, sometimes magical world of traveling carnivals.

The traveling carnival is a leftover of a bygone era, a curiosity lurking on the outskirts of town. It is a place of contradictions—the bright lights mask the peeling paint; a carnie in greasy overalls slinks away from the direction of the Barker’s seductive call. It is a place of illusion—is that woman’s beard real? How can she live locked in that watery box?

And while many are tricked by sleight of hand, there are hints of something truly magical going on. One must remain alert and learn quickly the unwritten rules of this dark show. To beat the carnival, one had better have either a whole lot of luck or a whole lot of guns—or maybe some magic of one’s own.

Featuring stories grotesque and comical, outrageous and action-packed, Carniepunk is the first anthology to channel the energy and attitude of urban fantasy into the bizarre world of creaking machinery, twisted myths, and vivid new magic.  

Bea's Thoughts: 

I'll do my usual anthology process and give a mini-review of each story. I was excited about this anthology as it has a mix of authors I love, authors I've been wanting to read and one I hadn't heard of before. All the stories involve carnivals to one degree or another, but the punk aspect is vaguer and missing completely from some of the stories. I've marked my favorites with an asterisk.

Review of Different Dragons, edited by Dana Bell

Publisher: Wolfsinger Pubs
Format Read: Kindle book
Source: Purchased with a coupon provided by one of the authors, J.A. Campbell, in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Buying Links: Smashwords | Amazon* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate link; clicking & purchasing results in a small commission for the blog.


Blurb from Smashwords:

 Ancient reptiles escaped the great flood via a portal and now wish to return.

In the desert a dragon lures children, animals and adults to its lair, and only a brave dog can rescue them.

A dragon arises in China and seeks to keep its hoard, while two con men try to steal it. 

Searching for his father, a young man solves an ancient riddle and discovers an awful dragon truth.

Nanites, demons, and other mythical creatures join or battle the dracos, as do the humans who encounter them. 

These and other tales await within these pages, because here - be Different Dragons 

Spotlight - A Celtic Tapestry

Blurb

The wheel of the year turns, bringing the joy of spring, the warmth of summer, the richness of autumn, and the merriment of winter. But eight Celtic festivals link these seasons together, bringing with them romance, lust, danger, and even magic. From a city under threat from night-time creatures at Ostara, to a selkie caught by the light of the Lughnasadh moon, to a writer caught in the flames of a fiery goddess at Imbolc.

Eight authors have come together to give their own twist on these festivals, weaving each story with a blend of myth, magic, and contemporary telling…to create A Celtic Tapestry.

Get Yourself Some Animal Attraction and Help Some Animals! New Romance Anthology

As you know I'm an animal lover. While I'm partial to cats, I love all animals and believe they all deserve to be treated decently and domestic animals given a good home. Several of romance's hot authors have come together to write a book to help animals.

"Animal Attraction" brings you four sizzling tales of finding love unexpectedly—with a little help from man’s best friend. All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of this book will benefit the Animal Adoption Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

 Blurb from goodreads:

All Author and Agent proceeds from sales of the book will benefit the AAF - Animal Adoption Foundation - a no-kill animal shelter in Hamilton, Ohio.

Buckhorn Ever After by Lori Foster
Shohn Hudson & Nadine Moest.
Shohn is Casey’s younger brother, son to Sawyer and Honey....Includes appearances from other relatives (Link to family tree on Lori's website: http://lorifoster.com/buckhorn-brothe... ).

Gimme Shelter by Heidi Betts
When animal lover Erica Castillo’s sexy neighbor shows up on her doorstep at midnight, in the pouring rain, with three tiny kittens cradled in his strong arms, she can’t turn him away. But will Dean Maxwell’s rescue efforts make him a temporary hero…or the forever kind?

Imagine Me and You by Maisey Yates
Partner In Crime by Jules Bennett

Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Formats: ebook
Buying Links:  Amazon |  Barnes & Noble | Harlequin

So go indulge in some animal attraction and help some animals while you're at it!

Dragonthology, A New Anthology

 

If you love dragons, this book is for you. It features a range of stories in different genres, each one starring a dragon. One of the contributors is J.A. Campbell, who, as you know, is a favorite author of mine. The other contributors are Jason Andrew, G.L. Jackson, Jay Wilburn, Marian Allen, Sandra Graves, and Troy Lambert. 

I haven't read it yet but it's sitting on my Kindle, impatiently waiting it's turn. I love dragons and I'm a Julie fan so it was a no-brainer for me. I remember Julie posting snippets from her story on facebook, teasing us. Now her story and the book are here and to celebrate its release, the publisher, Untold Press, is giving away a $25 Amazon GC - http://untoldpress.com/contests-and-giveaways/dragonthology-release-tour-giveaway-25-amazom-gift-card

Dragonthology

Authors: G.L. Jackson, Jason Andrew, Marian Allen, Jay Wilburn, Troy Lambert, Sandra Graves, J.A. Campbell

Genres: Fantasy + Mystery, Sci Fi, Humor, Dystopian,

Release Date: Jan 1 2013

Publisher: UntoldPress

Length: 54,552 words, 171 pages, 435 KB 
Format: Kindle

ASIN: B00AVLQZ6G

Buy Link

Amazon US:  http://www.amazon.com/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Amazon IT:  http://www.amazon.it/Dragonthology-ebook/dp/B00AVLQZ6G

Jan 1 –March 31- Amazon Prime members can borrow for FREE

Book Blurb (from the publisher):

Enter the pages of the Dragonthology. No single story has ever been great enough to contain the mystical, wondrous creature known as the dragon. We assembled the greatest draconian tales and put them between the covers of a single tome to satisfy your hunger for everything dragon. Seven magnificent stories, ranging from science fiction to mystery, await you within.

The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon by G.L. Jackson

A washed up has been, Private Investigator Clark is down to his last $100. That is, until the night a mysterious femme fatale walks through his door weaving a tale of intrigue in hope of recovering an artifact steeped in mystery and danger. What follows is a raucous ride through a little known human and dragon history, played out on the streets of New York City.

Unto the Breach by Jason Andrew

Jonathan Heller uncovers an unusual secret during one of the bloodiest campaigns of World War One in the middle of horrific trench warfare.  Can he convince an ancient dragon that humanity is worthy of life during their darkest hour?

The Dragon of Sullivan Hall by Marian Allen

A dormitory full of fun loving female students, an angry red dragon with a litter full of hungry whelps, and a particular student of Irish descent. This won’t end well for the dragon.

Egg Hunt by Jay Wilburn

A lonely smuggler must make decisions he never dreamt possible in the darkness of space to elude capture and protect his precious cargo of dragon eggs. When one of them hatches, it threatens to damage his ship. Can a person change enough to save a ship, a dragon, and himself?

The Clan by Troy Lambert

Dragons return to the earth and humanity enslaves them with the last remnants of technology of their dying race. Now the technology of old is fading. Will the dragons be able to rise again? Will the humans declare war, or will a peaceful solution be found? It all rests in the hands of an ancient dragon, and a lowly shepherd and his clan.

Dragon Seeks a Wife by Sandra Graves

What happens when a dragon falls ill and is told he will die in a year and a day unless he finds his one true love? The only thing a dragon can do. He sets out on a quest to win the hand of the perfect mate for a dragon–the daughter of the king. Aided by a Quetzal bird sorcerer, he begins his quest. An old fashioned fairy tale with a Meso-American twist.

Darkness Taken by J.A. Campbell

In a land where children are warriors and the only adults are mythical creatures, all are called to fight the Darkness. Til and her dragon partner, Heliodor, complete the perfect Welcome Ceremony, but their joy is short lived. The Dark has slain a unicorn and taken her foal back to the Darklands. Can Til and Heliodor venture where none go and rescue the young unicorn?

Author Bios:

Marian Allen 
Marian Allen writes science fiction, fantasy, mystery, humor, horror, mainstream, and anything else she can wrestle into fixed form.

Allen has had stories in on-line and print publications, on coffee cans and the wall of an Indian restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky.

Allen is a member of Quills and Quibbles and the Southern Indiana Writers Group, and is a regular contributor to SIW's annual anthology.

Find out more about Marian at  http://MarianAllen.com  and follow her on twitter @MarianAllen

J.A. Campbell 
Julie has been many things over the last few years, from college student, to bookstore clerk and an over the road trucker. She’s worked as a 911 dispatcher and in computer tech support, but through it all she’s been a writer and when she’s not out riding horses, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer. She lives in Colorado with her three cats, her vampire-hunting dog in training, Kira, and her Irish Sailor.

She is the author of many Vampire and Ghost-Hunting Dog stories and the young adult urban fantasy series The Clanless.

Find out more about Julie at  www.writerjacampbell.com  and follow her on twitter @Pfirewolf

G.L. Jackson 
G.L. Jackson lives in the hills outside Portland, Oregon with her family. She's a licensed massage therapist, but when she's not working at that she's either writing, reading, taking photographs, or indulging in philosophical discussion with the birds, stray cats, raccoons, and other creatures that stop by on a daily basis. Much to the chagrin of her parents, she cut her literary teeth at an early age by writing and performing plays with her two sisters. From there she moved on to stories both short and long, but poetry has remained elusive.  Born and raised on the east coast, she's fallen in love with the Pacific Ocean. The Case of the Bloodstone Dragon is her first detective story.

Find out more about Gwynne at gwynnejackson.wordpress.com  and follow her on twitter @notsuestorm

Jay Wilburn 
Jay Wilburn lives in Conway, South Carolina with his wife and two sons. His novel, Loose Ends: A Zombie Novel, is available now. He has a novella, Circuit Rider, in the acclaimed anthology Realms of the Undead.  He has published a number of horror and speculative fiction stories.

Follow his many dark thoughts @AmongtheZombie on Twitter or at JayWilburn.com. 

Jason Andrew 
Jason Andrew lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife Lisa.  He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.   His short fiction has appeared in markets such as Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic SF, Frontier Cthulhu: Ancient Horrors in the New World, and Dark Tales of Lost Civilizations.  In 2011, Jason received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s List for Best Horror of the Year for his story “Moonlight in Scarlet”.  Jason also writes for awesome RPG games such as Vampire: the Masquerade and Shadowrun.

Find out more about Jason at www.jasonbandrew.com  and follow him on twitter @jasonbandrew

Sandra Graves 
Raised in Colorado by European immigrant parents who passed on their love for both great literature and great music, Sandra has had her nose in a book since she first learned to read.  When she isn’t reading, she’s either writing fiction or designing her latest artwork project.  She also owns and operates her own business.

Sandra spent her school years in Denver and her summers attending musical events in the mountain valley of Aspen.  Throughout her youth she was a talented cellist, achieving first chair position in the Colorado Youth Symphony as well as a position in a semi-professional symphony while in high school.  She earned an MA degree in Anthropology from Eastern New Mexico University where she met her husband.  They have been married for more than thirty years.

She currently lives in Minnesota, a state far away from her beloved mountains but featuring thousands of lakes and rivers.  She is combating homesickness by writing a novel that takes place in the years of the Colorado gold rush. She’s looking forward to the necessity of doing on-site research within the next year.

Find out more about Sandra at www.IsisRising08.com 

Troy Lambert 
Troy began his writing life at a very young age, penning the as yet unpublished George and the Giant Castle at age six. He grew up in Southern Idaho, and after many adventures including a short stint in the US Army and a diverse education, Troy returned to Idaho, but the north end of the state this time, where he currently resides.

Troy works as a freelance writer and researcher by night, and the Museum Operations Specialist and Head of Research at the Wallace District Mining museum by day. He truly loves to write dark, psychological thrillers and released Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, last September to great acclaim and with reasonable success. His new thriller Redemption is available now.

Troy lives with his wife of eleven years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer. The sequel to Redemption, titled Temptation will be released early in 2013.

Find out more about Troy at www.troylambertwrites.com  and follow him on twitter @authortroy 

Book Blast: All I Want by Jolene Perry, Kaylee Baldwin & Rachael Anderson

"ALL I WANT"

THREE STORIES. THREE COUPLES. ONE HOLIDAY.

Pretty Near Perfect
by Jolene Perry

The last thing Norah needs is to be attracted to anyone – especially in her deceased fiancé's parents' home. Collin’s starting a new career, and has no business getting involved – especially while staying with his roommate’s family, who very kindly offered to take him in for the holidays. Unfortunately, you just don’t always pick the most convenient time and place to fall for someone.


Six Days of Christmas

by Kaylee Baldwin

When Natalie goes home with her best friend for Christmas, she expects plenty of quiet time to work on a winning ad so she can turn her dream internship into her dream job. Instead, she gets time-consuming Christmas festivities, a house full of children, and Jimmy, her best friend’s brother - someone who makes her question everything she’s always thought she wanted.


Twist of Fate
by Rachael Anderson

When a postcard meant for Kenzie winds up in Ty's mailbox, Ty's faced with a decision. Should he tell her that her fiancé is breaking up with her and let it ruin her favorite holiday, or should he do what he’s wanted to do since he met her - make a move and hope that he can win her over before she discovers there won’t be a wedding after all.

Purchase All I Want

Kindle Ebook * Paperback

Author Jolene Perry

Jolene Perry is an enigmatic figure. She is most often seen behind her laptop, staring at the words flying onto the screen with reckless abandon.

She survived growing up in rural Alaska, driving like a lunatic, and her husband’s careers in the military, as a perpetual student, and an Alaska State Prosecutor. She also survived as a middle school math teacher using her degree of Political Science and French.

One day Jolene was playing her guitar (probably some-thing juvenile for her kids) when she wondered what it would be like to write a song for a rockstar, and her first book was born. (that book is shelved)

She now lives a very glamorous life as a stay at home mom, elbow deep in dirty dishes and peanut butter sandwiches. She doesn’t even attempt to keep up with the laundry because non-writing time is precious, and her family is sorta awesome.

Links:

Website * Twitter * Blog * Facebook

Author Rachael Anderson

Rachael Anderson is the author of four contemporary romances: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, and The Reluctant Bachelorette. She's the mother of four, can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Links:

Facebook * Website * Twitter 

Author Kaylee Baldwin

I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, and graduated from Arizona State University

with a degree in English literature.
I currently live in southern Arizona with my husband, Jeremy, and our three children. When I am not writing, I enjoy reading, starting new craft projects, and spending time with my family.

Links:

Facebook * Website * Twitter

All I Want Blog Tour

November 26th to Decmber 21st

Includes a $25 gift card giveaway

Tour Schedule

Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card of Paypal Cash

Ends 12/22/12

You need not enter your twitter name for each entry. Simply enter it when you follow the authors then you can leave the others blank.

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gunslingers and Ghost Stories

A few weeks ago I shared the cover for a forthcoming anthology, "Gunslingers and Ghosts Stories". One of the contributors, J.A. Campbell, shared an excerpt from her story, and some information about the book, with me but didn't have a complete listing of the authors or stories. Well, she emailed me recently with that information, so, for your enlightenment and reading pleasure, a complete listing of the stories.

Blurb and Author Lineup For Gunslingers and Ghost Stories:

Ghosts are not just found in haunted houses. They have a disturbing
tendency to turn up where you least expect them: like saloons,
brothels, Indian ruins–and sometimes even in the middle of a gunfight.
Saddle up for a haunted ride through the Wild West. Featuring spooky
stories by Joel Jenkins, Dana Bell, Laura Givens, Henrik Ramsager, Kit
Volker, Kenneth W. Cain, Adrian Ludens, C. J. Killmer, Darla Upchurch,
John Howard & J. A. Campbell.

1. Old Mother Hennessy - Joel Jenkins
2. The Ruins - Dana Bell
3. Chin Song Ping and the Hungry Ghosts - Laura Givens
4. Gentleman Caller - Henrik Ramsager
5. Smoke People - Kit Volker
6. Avenged - Kenneth W. Cain
7. Ghost Soup - Adrian Ludens
8. The Empty Holster - C. J. Killmer
9. Forever in Oro - Darla Upchurch
10. Mountain Man - John Howard
11. The Saloon of Doom - J. A. Campbell 

Publisher: Timescape Books, an imprint of Science Fiction Trails
Editor: David Riley
Release Date: December, 1st 2012
Formats: Print, possibly ebook

Only a month to go until it's released!

Excerpt & Cover Reveal! Gunslingers and Ghost Stories, an anthology

JA Campbell, a regular visitor here at the Nook, has another short story coming out. Her story "The Saloon of Doom, a Ghost-Hunting Dog", about Brown the Ghost-Hunting Dog, who just happens to be Doc’s ancestor, was accepted by the anthology, Gunslingers and Ghost Stories. The anthology will be available in print, and possibly in ebook. The full cover is seen above, and yes, it is dark and a bit spooky, appropriate for the content.

Anthology: Gunslingers and Ghost Stories. All the stories will be between 1,000 and 7,000 words.

Publisher: Timescape Books, an imprint of Science Fiction Trails

Editor: David Riley

Release Date: December, 1st 2012 (the perfect holiday gift!)

I don't have a list of authors yet other than Julie.

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

Excerpt

The Saloon of Doom – A Brown, Ghost-Hunting Dog story.

The Saloon of Doom is about Brown, a Border Collie who hunts ghosts with her human, Elliott. It takes place in the fictional town of Miller, Colorado and is set in 1900. Those of you familiar with Doc might recognize Miller, Colorado from his story, The Moths of Miller Place... it's the same town Brown is Doc's ancestor.

Excerpt:

“Never seen a dog quite like yours. She really hunt ghosts?”

“Of course, Sheriff, and she works sheep. She’s a Border Collie from the old country.”

“Huh. Brown’s not too original of a name for a brown and white dog.”

Elliott shrugged.

I raised my hackles and growled when a local dog trotted over.

He was some sort of blue colored cattle dog. He wagged his tail but didn’t invade my space.

“Hi. I heard that you’re here ‘bout our ghost.”

“Yes.”

“It’s a bad ‘un. Chased everyone outta the saloon every night last week.” The dog looked around then whispered conspiratorially. “Even Willy, the town drunk. Had him swearing he’d give up the drink. Heard it from the Alley Cat.”

I sniffed delicately. “Ghosts aren’t dangerous. They just scare people.”

The dog gave me a disbelieving look. He shook his whole body as if to rid himself of an itch. “If you say so. Got an old fish, says you’re wrong.”

I wrinkled my nose. “What would I want with an old fish?”

The cattle dog tilted his head. “City dog, ain’t ya?”

I nodded.

“Well, you’ve been warned. Take care.” He loped off before I could respond.

SCIENCE FICTION TRAILS

www.sciencefictiontrails.com

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

So, what do you think? Do you like the cover? Will you pick this one up?

Review & Giveaway of Beach Season by Lisa Jackson, et al.

Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

"The Brass Ring" by Lisa Jackson - It's a beautiful June day, perfect for a wedding - until Shawna learns that her fiancé, Parker, has been involved in a car crash. Though his injuries heal, his memories of her are gone. Yet Shawna won't stop reaching to reclaim the love they once shared..."June's Lace" by Cathy Lamb - June MacKenna is done - with her high-pressure legal career, her cheating soon-to-be-ex, and the stress of city living. In her studio on the Oregon coast, she creates beautiful lace wedding dresses, with no intention of ever wearing one again herself. Then songwriter Reece rents the house next door, and sets out to change her mind..."Second Chance Sweethearts" by Holly Chamberlin - Thea Foss is putting a bad marriage behind her in the pretty vacation town of Ogunquit, Maine. What's past is past...Until her first love wanders into the local diner, reminding Thea of the person she once was, and the life it's not too late to claim..."Carolina Summer" by Rosalind Noonan - Jane Doyle needs to get out of New York - the farther the better. She's headed toward Florida, but thanks to a storm along North Carolina's Outer Banks, she finds herself stranded in a beautiful, remote town that soon feels a lot like home. And thanks to the local sheriff, she finds herself staying longer than she planned - and feeling less lost at sea than ever...

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

The book had four stories so I have a brief review of each one. They follow the same order as in the book. In addition to the beach and summer theme common to the stories, three of the four also have exes who are stalkers, abusive or both. That is not my idea of a little light summer reading and I had to readjust my expectations while reading.

JUNE'S LACE by Cathy Lamb

A light sweet frothy confection, complete with eccentric family members.The ex in this one is emotionally and verbally abusive. It's a sweet love story, and I liked that June was honest about her relationship with her ex with her new guy; both she and Reece had some careful balancing to do before they could be together completely.

SECOND CHANCE SWEETHEARTS by Holly Chamberlin

I just could not get into this one. It's over 90 pages and I read 30 before giving up. I couldn't relate to Thea (though I do like that name) and the author was taking too long to get things moving. Plus, I felt like she was giving us information in dribs and drabs; instead of an info dump, it was an info drought. The story was too short for that technique to be effective. I moved on to the next story and when I finished the book, I went back to this one and tried again, and gave up again.  Although it didn't work for me, you may enjoy it. Before I gave trying to read it, I got the impression that Thea's ex was abusive but since I didn't finish it, I could be completely wrong.

CAROLINA SUMMER by Rosalind Noonan

Again, a story where the author, albeit a different one, took too long to tell us why the lead female, Jane, was running and hiding. No abusive ex this time, but a stalker. This one gave a more realistic portrayal of small town living, including the inevitable gossip that happens. I liked Jane though towards the end of the story when she thinks someone may be in her apartment, she goes all stupid. I also wondered how she was able to hold on to her job while she was down South (I can't say more without spoiling the story). Still, it was a good story and I enjoyed it.

THE BRASS RING by Lisa Jackson

This is a reprint, though I only knew that from reading the author's note at the end of the anthology. I liked the premise; I don't know how realistic it is, but it's a thought provoking one. It brings up questions of personality, character, innate traits vs. learned traits, the malleability of a person's emotional make up, and so on. Parker has difficulty believing that Shawna could still love him as he's no longer the man she fell in love with. He believes, and I agreed, that Shawna that she doesn't properly appreciate that he's a different man; she still sees the Parker who existed before his accident and not the man he's become. There's also a secondary plot line that I thought was unnecessary; the basic premise provided more than enough dramatic and romantic tension. Still, I liked Shawna, I liked her brother and I liked both of the Parkers, though the second one is a harsher man.

Overall, a good anthology; it's not quite as light as the title and cover imply it has some good stories.

I received this book from Meryl Moss Media for review.

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

 
Today I'm giving away my copy of "Beach Season". The giveaway is open to residents of US and CA. You do not need to be a follower in order to enter. Enter via the rafflecopter widget below.

Blog Tour Review of Love is Murder, edited by Sandra Brown

Click here for more blog tour info & the schedule

Publisher: Mira Books

Release Date: May 29, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from press release):

Prepare for heart-racing suspense in LOVE IS MURDER, edited by New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, this original collection features 30 of the hottest bestselling authors and new voices writing nerve-racking romantic suspense today.

Bodyguards, vigilantes, stalkers, serial killers, women (and men!) in jeopardy, cops, thieves, P.I.s, killers—these all-new stories will keep you thrilled and chilled late into the night.

Go on vacation with Allison Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid, where she saves a man from drowning, only to discover he is in far greater danger on land. Meet Roxanne St. Claire’s “bullet catcher”—bodyguard Donovan Rush—who may have met his match in the sexually charged “Diamond Drop.” Debut author William Simon shows us what happens when the granddaughter of the president of the United States is kidnapped. And Lee Child’s pitch-perfect “I Heard a Romantic Story” puts a whole new spin on LOVE IS MURDER.


Love Is Murder is the third Thriller anthology written exclusively by members of International Thriller Writers, Inc. Barely seven years old, ITW has a roster that reads like a who’s who of thriller writing, with 1635 members representing 28 countries worldwide and over three billion books in print. Headed by current co-presidents Douglas Preston and Kathleen Antrim, its board of directors has included such notables as Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Steve Berry, James Rollins, M. J. Rose, Carla Neggers, Gayle Lynds, David Morrell and David Hewson. More information is available on the ITW website, www.thrillerwriters.org.

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

Ok, first of all, this book is 600+ pages long, and 570 of them are the stories. That is a BIG book, and I haven't finished all of the stories; I have been jumping around, picking which ones I want to read. For my review, I picked four stories; two of them are by authors I've read before and two of the authors are new to me. I initially received a digital galley of the book and the formatting was so bad, and confusing, that I gave up reading it. Happily, I also received a print galley and that was much better. So, this review is based on the print galley that I received.

LOCKDOWN by Andrea Kane

In this story, Kane mixes characters from her FBI series and her Forensic Instincts series; the story is easily readable as a separate entity. The characters mix well together, being from series with similar worlds, and the world building is simple yet clear, which is one of Kane's strengths. This story has adventure and two, well actually, three, romances: Sloan and Derek, Kim and James, and the failed romance of Kim and her ex, Ted. Ted wants his ex-wife and their son back and he's willing to go to any extreme. FBI Agents Sloan and Derek Parker work with the local police to thwart him; I enjoyed seeing them in action. We don't really get to see much of James and I would have liked to seen Claire's psychic gifts better explained for people who haven't read the first Forensic Instincts book, but overall, it was a fast-paced, nicely detailed story that didn't feel short. It works all by itself and while I was left wanting more, I wasn't frustrated; just pleasantly hungry for more. :D

I've read Kane before.

COLD MOONLIGHT by Carla Neggers

There was a time when I read everything that she wrote and enjoyed them very much. Then they started feeling formulaic and I began finding other authors and it's been a while now since I've read a book by her. With this story, I felt like I'd never left. That was both good and bad: it was familiar, which can be comforting, but it wasn't anything that she hasn't done before. The romance didn't feel real or believable to me. Part of that may have been because I felt as if I was dropped in the middle of an ongoing story. Since I'm behind on her books, I can't be sure, but the story and characters felt like they were part of a larger, ongoing story and this was just an excerpt. The overall writing is decent but the story is confusing and I didn't believe in the romance.

I've read Neggers before.

DYING TO SCORE by Cindy Gerard

I've been hearing a lot of good buzz about Gerard and have been wanting to try her. I didn't love this story but I did enjoy it and I'll be trying out her full length books. The story has characters from her Black Ops series but only once or twice did I feel like I was missing something. Crystal "Tinkerbelle" Reed and her husband Johnny are on a mission with fellow operatives Doc and Archangel to gather intel on a paramilitary training compound when things go very wrong. Tink, as Crystal is called, holds her own and is not just a token female on the team. She rescues Johnny and their interaction at the end of the story is sweet, funny, and very real. The military op mainly serves as the story device for Johnny to get hurt and Tink to rescue him but it is a short story, it's hard to do it all. I enjoyed all of the characters and the story; it also served as a good introduction to Gerard's Black Ops series.

Gerard was a new author for me.

I HEARD A ROMANTIC STORY by Lee Child

One of my brothers-in-law, not the one who just died, but the other one, who's still alive, is a big fan of Child's. He's received several Child books from me for Christmas and birthdays over the years, but I've never stopped and read any of Child's books. That will be changing. This story, which is very short at only seven pages, had me laughing just about non-stop. We never meet the lovers in this story, we hear about them from the narrator. All of the characters are nameless. The narrator is very stream of conscious, which I wouldn't enjoy in a full-length book but it works wonderfully for this story. It's a bittersweet love story, told with ironic, dry humor by the narrator and it most definitely does not have a happy ending. Child packs a lot of detail, humor, pathos, and emotion into this story. I haven't finished the anthology but I feel confident in saying that this short story is the highlight of the book.

Child was a new author for me.

List of contributing authors, in order of appearance:

Sandra Brown, editor, no story
Roxanne St. Claire
Carla Neggers
Beverly Barton
Robert Browne
Andrea Kane
William Simon
Laura Griffin
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Dianna Love
Patricia Rosemoor
Jon Land & Jeff Ayers
Heather Graham
Mariah Stewart
D.P. Lyle
Cindy Gerard
J.T. Ellison
Bill Floyd
William Bernhardt
Brenda Novak
Vicki Hinze
Julie Kenner
James Macomber
Alexandra Sokoloff
Pamela Callow
Debra Webb
Toni McGee Causey
Lori Armstrong
Allison Brennan
Lee Child

I received an print galley and a digital galley for review.