Review of Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Release Date: May 10, 2011

Series: #1 in the Secret McQueen books

More Info: Amazon

Book Blurb:
 
Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.

Secret McQueen, Book 1

For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.


When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East Coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…

 Product Warnings

This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.

My Thoughts:

The writing wasn't anything spectacular and the plot was nothing unusual, but the concepts and characters introduced caught and kept my interest.  Dean has created an interesting mythology and social structure for her supernaturals. This despite using some of my least favorite tropes - 1) the destined mates, 2) the three way triangle, and 3) a hero, or heroine if you prefer, who is ALL THAT, with a destiny she can't imagine. So, you might expect I wouldn't like the book.

You'd be wrong. The cover blurb drew me in, the tropes irritated me, but it's the world and the characters that held me. Sierra Dean's character building is very good. Secret McQueen is 22 years old but has seen so much and had so much turmoil that many others in her position would likely call it quits. With a foot in  the werewolf world and a foot in the vampire world, all she's trying to do is keep her footing. Life is never that simple.

She identifies herself as a vampire and ignores her wolf half, denying that werewolves are even people. She is really quite ignorant concerning werewolves, something that Desmond, Lucas's second, remarks on:

"It's true, then, what Lucas said. You really are ignorant of the ways of your own people."  I bristled. 'Wolves are not people.'

She very quickly gets a crash course in werewolf customs, including soul bonding, otherwise known as destined mates, one of Bea's top 5 least favorite tropes. Soul bonding, to be fair, is more than just destined mates, it isn't even always about sex. The werewolf king Lucas explains it thus:

"...There is a call put out by the beasts inside of us that is meant for a select few to hear. It was how I chose Desmond to be my second. His wolf answered the call of my own when we were still very young, before either of us had even been turned. The call is the reason you felt me on the patio tonight."

When Secret is around either Lucas or Desmond, she "tastes" them, a certain flavor fills her mouth - Lucas tastes like cinnamon and Desmond like lime. This reminded me very much of Tony in the Salzi books C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp who identifies emotions by associating them with other smells - fear smells like burnt coffee, etc.  It's unusual, though not completely unexpected, for there to be a three way soul bonding. Since Lucas and Desmond are soul bonded to each other, Secret's bond is to both men. Both men are accepting of this but the practicalities of making it work are another matter. There was one scene where I wanted to smack Secret for being sleazy:

"Is it ok to sleep with someone and say my metaphysical connection to him made me do it? Ok, that's actually a pretty good excuse." 

Umm, no, it's not. For me, that's a cop out, a failure to take responsibility for your own actions. It also reminded me uncomfortably of Laurell K Hamilton Anita Blake and the aurdeur (a metaphysical thing where she constantly hungers for sex and it's ok for her to sleep with any guy she wants. Bugs the crap out of me no end.)

At first I found Secret to be arrogant, cocky and full of herself. And she is, but she is also funny, determined, loyal to her friends (what ones she has), impulsive, and smart. She starts out stereotypical but Dean develops her and fills her out. We see her relationships with Holden, her handler from the vampire council, Mercedes, a local detective, and Keaty, her friend and associate, and her developing relationships with Lucas and Desmond. Secret learns a lot about herself in the story and some of those discoveries are not pleasant (family can be such a pain, lol).

It doesn't take long before Secret's new life with Lucas and the wolves collides with her job as a hunter for the Vampire Council and that's when the action really kicks in. The story has just about everything you could want - spooky vampires, hunky werewolves, humans who, for the most part, are unaware that monsters exist, romance, sex, treachery, intrigue, fight scenes, etc. Dean makes it all work together and I flew through the last 2/3 of the book.

The cliffhanger at the end had me going "What? Wait, no! You can't do that." I am looking forward to the next book, the prequel and the Christmas short story (which Sierra was talking about on twitter and I teased her about since she was writing it in April). While there is a lot that isn't new, Dean makes it fresh and interesting. It's worth your while to pick up this book and read it. If I could enjoy it despite some of my least favorite tropes and the occasional dry writing, chances are good that you will too.

I received the ebook from the author for review.

Review: Tiassa by Steven Brust

Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC

Release Date: March 2011

More Info: Amazon

Book Blurb:

  Once, Vlad Taltos knew his trade: He killed people for a lkiving. That skill got him a foothold in House Jhereg, running the rackets for a chunk of urban Adrilankha.

Later, things happened that left Vlad a changed man, on the run from the Jhereg and frequently involved in the affairs of Dragonlords, Empresses and even Jenoine. Far more involved than the average human.

Meanwhile, in the very distant past, one of the gods fashioned an artifact - a silver figurine of a tiassa, a winged pantherlike animal. To Devera the Wanderer, it's a pretty toy to play with. To Vlad, it's a handy prop for a con he's running. To the Empire, it's a tool to be used against the Jenoine. And to the Jhereg, it's a trap to kill Vlad.

As it happens, however, the silver tiassa has its own agenda.

Tiassa tells a story that threads its way through more than ten years of the remarkable lif of Vlad Talto - and, to the delight of longtime fans, brings him together with Khaavren, from the Phoenix Guards and its sequels. Khaavren may be Vlad's best friend - or his most terrible enemy.

My Thoughts: 

I love the Vlad Taltos series, as well as the the other books Brust has written in this world. I love that the style of Taltos varies so greatly from the Phoenix Guards. I admire the fact that the series can be read in any order, because it's not written in chronological order. Actually, I'm very amused by that.

This book, however, breaks that pattern. I would say that  you really need to have read the rest of the books to understand half of what happens in this one. It's not a bad thing, since the rest of the books are great reads. It was nice to have some of the loose ends start to come together.

Now that I've gotten that warning out of the way, I want to say that Tiassa gives me everything I could want in a Vlad book except Morrolan. (There's always that one character in a series that I just adore above all others. Never completely happy when he's missing from the mix.) The sarcasm, the Machiavellian plots, the Shakespearean taunts, the magic, the swordplay - it's all there.

This book was lent to the reviewer.

Review of Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

Publisher: Pocket Books

Release Date: April 26, 2011

More Info: Amazon

Series: #1 in the Descendant Series

Book Blurb:

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.
 
Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .

My Thoughts:


I love mythology, always have. I grew up reading the Greek myths (among others) so the synopsis for this book immediately grabbed me. So did the book. I read it in 2 sittings and stayed up late to finish it.

It's action packed, with hardly a breath for Nikki or the reader. Nikki is a pretty standard UF lead female - something of a loner and an outsider, independent, resourceful, impulsive. She's not as kick-ass as some but over the course of the book that changes. To the best of her knowledge she's just your garden variety human being, and she, like most humans, never knew that the ancient gods were real or that there were living descendants. When she discovers that she is an immortal, descended from Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, the wilderness and animals, she has trouble accepting it. Gradually she accepts the knowledge, and in a desperate bid to protect both herself and her adoptive sister from newfound enemies, she learns how to fight and to fight dirty.

There's quite a lot of dirty tactics in this book in fact, and some moderately graphic violence, including torture. Nikki has to adapt and learn to cope with how both sets of immortals behave. It's a dark book, but if you are familiar with the original Greek myths, or pretty much any mythology, you know that is standard. It's the rare mythological deity who plays nicely, says please, and never hits someone. It's a dark book but there's also hope, humor and some likable characters. It's a largish cast and a few were short-changed in terms of development but  maybe Black will rectify that in future books.

Most of the characters are varying shades of gray when it comes to morality, especially the "good guys", the Liberi Deorum, whom Nikki ends up working with. They are violent, willing to torture, quick to distrust and slow to forgive. The leader, Anderson, comes off as manic depressive or maybe schizoid. He ends up being neither; he's not quite what he seems though he readily admits to being tyrannical.

So, what about the bad guys, the Olympians? They are less well developed, more clearly the bad guys, the black hats if you will. Again, I'm hoping that in future books Black will develop them more and explore the individual characters.

I enjoyed this book and I am definitely looking forward to reading more in the series. It's a solid urban fantasy story with enjoyable, interesting characters, a backdrop of different world mythologies, lots of action and decent character development.

This paperback was received from the publisher for review.

Review and Giveaway of Range Feud by J.A. Campbell

Publisher: Echelon Press

Release Date: April 12, 2011

Series:  #2 in the Into The West series

More Info:  Amazon

Book Blurb:

Tina Harker loves malls, manicures, fun clothes, and horses. She has everything she wants until her dad moves the entire family to Arizona. She's trying to adapt to the tiny town, serious lack of a mall, and the strangeness of the desert, not to mention the rattlesnakes. There's no one in Golton her age and no reason to wear any of her fun makeup. The only thing keeping her going is the horse she rides and the cool things she's learning on the Taggarts’ cattle ranch.
 
Anxious for more adventure, Tina agrees to inspect the fence line for the Taggarts like a real cowgirl. She gets more than she wished for. This time she has to rescue the cute cowboy. Along the way, she finds out people will kill over water. Especially in the desert. Tina is determined to help her cowboy, but she has no idea how, or if, a Jersey girl can stand up to real gunslingers.


My Thoughts:

 "Range Feud" picks up shortly after the end of the first book, "Westward, Yo!". You can read this as a stand alone but it might be better enjoyed if you read them in order. These books are part of the new Electric Shorts series by Echelon Press, a series geared toward the reluctant reader from 7-17, although this series is for ages 13-17.

 

Tina's adventures in the first story led to her being missing for a while and getting a second-degree sunburn. She tries to tell her family what happened but they don't believe her, instead they think she suffered sunstroke and hallucinated her adventures. Tina needs to prove her parents and to herself that she didn't hallucinate. In the meantime, she is settling into her new life fairly well. Although she has yet to meet any other teens around her new home, she has made friends with some of the locals and happily helps at a local ranch in exchange for free rides on one of their horses. She does miss her good friend, Jessica, but they  text and talk often.

On one of her days helping at the ranch, Tina gets drawn back to the scene of her prior adventures where she rescues Rowe. Rowe, a young, good-looking cowboy whom Tina met in the previous book, knows that Tina is not a typical girl of his acquaintance.  There is the beginnings of a sweet romance here but J. A. tantalizes us; at the end of this story, it looks as if Tina and Rowe have to part permanently, which leaves her grief-stricken.

 We also get to see Tina's family and her interactions with them. It's refreshing to see a happy yet realistic family - one without the angst or traumas that are common in other YA or teen novels. The characters all feel real, not idealized or stereotypical. They are likable and relatable.

One of things that I enjoy about this series is the strong female lead. The main character is a girl, one who loves city life and malls, etc...but she isn't the stereotypical mall rat city girl that you find portrayed in movies and tv shows. Tina is a girl with a definite feminine side but she's also willing to get down and dirty, and she's not afraid to use her brain. She comes across as a strong young woman who is growing into a strong young adult. Although she does make some rash decisions, she also deals with the consequences, and when there's trouble, she stays calm (usually) and analyzes the problem. She is strong, capable, competent, intelligent but also kind, funny, energetic and full of life.

 

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

 

JA has generously offered up an ebook copy of "Range Feud"  to one lucky commenter. 

 

 To enter, leave a comment telling us what time era and location you would travel to if you could.

 

Don't forget to leave a way to contact you (see the giveaway policy here)

 

The giveaway runs through midnight EST of Monday May 19th, 2011.

 

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

The reviewer owns this ebook. The review first appeared at Book Lovers Inc.

Review of Those Who Fight Monsters, ed by Justin Gustainis

Authors ed, by Justin Gustainis; authors: C.T. Adams , Jackie Kessler,  Caitlin Kittredge, T.A. Pratt, Lilith Saintcrow, Carrie Vaughn, Cathy Clamp, Rachel Caine, Laura Anne Gilman, Chris Marie Green, Simon R. Green, C.J. Henderson, Tanya Huff, Julie Kenner      

Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy

Release Date: April 12, 2011

More Info:  Amazon  

Book Blurb:

Got Vampires? Ghosts? Monsters? We Can help!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives, is your one-stop-shop for Urban Fantasy’s finest anthology of the supernatural. 14 sleuths are gathered together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases which require services that go far beyond mere deduction!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives brings together popular characters from many Urban Fantasy paranormal investigative series, for your enjoyment.

Meet the Detectives:

Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman's Cosa Nostradamus series.

Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series.

John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series.

Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.

Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.

Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series.

Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.

Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series.

Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series.

Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series.

Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series.

Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series.

Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series.

Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series.

Demons may lurk, werewolves may prowl, vampires may ride the wind. These are things that go bump in the night, but we are the ones who bump back!

My Thoughts:

So, this is the first anthology I've ever reviewed. I spent some time thinking about how I should do it. I hope the format that I came up with will work for you all. If not, let me so I can do it differently if I review any more anthologies.

I'm going to take a quick look at whether the stories as a whole met the title and the theme of the book, then I'll do a quick run-down of each story (there are 14). I'll quote a line that I really enjoyed, state if I liked it and whether or not it left me wanting to go and read more in that series or by that author, also whether it works as a stand-alone or if you need to be current on the books before reading.

The collection features 14 sleuths, some traditional, some not, in original tales of unusual cases involving vampires, demons, succubi, and other supernatural critters. Gustainis, the editor, defines occult detectives broadly by his own admission - "to include any fictional character who contends regularly with the  supernatural." That broad definition allows for a wide range of detectives, supernatural beings and occurrences and mysteries. The stories all fit well in the given range. The authors are all well known to moderately well known in the urban fantasy field; some I had read before, many were new for me.

 

As is true in most anthologies, there were a few favorites in the collection:  Simon R. Green's "The Spirit of the Thing," was one of the best ghost stories I have read in ages. It was haunting and cryptic, and didn't go in the direction that I expected. Jackie Kessler's "Hell Bound" made me laugh and reminded me that I need to catch up on that series (I'm several books behind).

1. "Little Better Than A Beast" by T.A.Pratt - quote: "She considered reprimanding him for not bringing the letter on time, but it would be like hitting a puppy fifteen minutes after it pissed on the carpet -the poor thing wouldn't even understand what it was being disciplined for." An ok story, it didn't leave me wanting to go find more in the series; it works as a stand alone but is probably better appreciated if familiar with the Marla Mason series.
2. "Dusted" by Laura Anne Gilman - quote: "My father's species wasn't much for sunlight, except maybe to nap in while recovering from their hangovers, and I'm willing to admit I'd inherited significant night-owl tendencies." A reminder that the fae have a dark side; it works as a stand alone but if I didn't already read the Cosa Nostradamus it probably wouldn't lure me in. It does focus on a secondary character from the books and gives him a chance to shine.
3. "The Demon You Know..." by Julie Kenner - quote: "There are a lot of things that make moms nervous. The first time you leave your baby with a sitter. The first day of kindergarten. And, of course, the first time your daughter battles a demon right in her own backyard." I suggest reading one of the books first, it's a bit confusing otherwise. I had read the first book when it was released and found it self-consciously cute. Judging by this story, Kenner has gotten past that and I may try the books again.
4. "The Spirit of the Thing" by Simon R Green - quote: "I didn't pay her much attention at first, except to wonder what someone so normal-looking was doing in dive like this...and then she walked right through the table next to me and the people sitting around it." As I mentioned above, it's a very good ghost story, with a touch of humor, and it serves as good introduction to the Nightside series while working very well as a stand-alone story.
5. "Holding the Line" by Lilith Saintcrow - quote: "Even if your heart is breaking, you've got to get the job done." I confess, I'm not a fan of Saintcrow's writing, it just doesn't do it for me and this story was no exception. I just couldn't care what happened to the characters, and if you aren't familiar with the Jill Kismet series, this story is very confusing. I won't be picking up the books.
6. "Defining Shadows" by Carrie Vaughn - quote: "Hardin imagined trying to explain this to the captain. She managed to get the werewolves pushed through and on record, but this was so much weirder." Part of the Kitty Norville series, it's not bad as a stand alone but is so-so as an introduction to the series. Again, if I didn't already read the books, this wouldn't have had me rushing out to buy them. That said, I loved that Vaughn used a non-European supernatural creature, it was a pleasant change from the standard European and American traditions.    
7. "Deal Breaker" by Justin Gustainis (also the anthology editor) - quote: "...bargaining away your soul to a minion of Hell has become a ...a cultural trope that has no basis in actual practice. Sort of like the Easter Bunny, but a lot more sinister." A fresh, funny but not over the top take on the Faust story; very good as a stand-alone and as an intro to the Quincey Morris books. I definitely want to read more. 
8. "See Me" by Tanya Huff - quote: "She's terrified she's going to be charged with murder." "Death by hand job?" I loved Tony in the Victoria Nelson books but was disappointed in Tony's spin off series. This short story though, I enjoyed. Tony shone as a character but it had more of the flavor of the Vicki Neslon stories. Sorry, Henry is not in the story and neither is Vicki. This is another ghost story and like Green's story it's an update of an old one. Not bad as a stand alone but it might be confusing if you are unfamiliar with Tony's books, the Smoke and Shadows series.
9. "Soul Stain" by Chris Marie Green - quote: "So we took care of her, dressed her in her favorite outfits, fed her, adored her." This was very confusing. I haven't read any of the other books in the Vampire Babylon series and there was a lot that I was missing. Green has a different take on vampires and ghosts and I didn't see the ending coming. But, read after reading the books for maximum enjoyment and minimal confusion.
10. "Under the Hill and Far Away" by Kaitlin Kittredge - quote: "He had pupiless eyes, silver. Beautiful, if you were into that Tolkien bullshit. Or Shark Week." Smart, funny, and another reminder that the fae are Other, with a nice little mystery. Part of the Black London series, I intend to find and read them; a good stand alone. 
11. "An Ace in the Hole" by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp - quote: "She should have an aura, but didn't. No scent, no magic aura, but a shifter? That was just wrong on so many levels." Tony is my favorite from the Sazi books so I was excited that he had a story but when I read it, it didn't feel like Tony. He seemed different, calmer, milder, not Tony. It works as a stand alone but might be confusing. I'm behind on this series too and several scenes had me going, "What? when did that happen?"    
12. "Hell Bound" by Jackie Kessler - quote: "Noel actually talked to me and not to my chest. Hmm. To fix that, I took a deep breath. Yep, there we go-now he was staring at my twin assets. Much better." Funny, smart and when I thought I knew where Kessler was going with the story, she threw me a curve ball. Works well as a stand alone and intro to the Hell on Earth series but might be slightly confusing.
13. Impossible Love" by C.J. Henderson = quote: "New Age grasping at straws. Superstition. Nonsense." A modern day tale of demonic possession, it reads a bit like a journal article but not on purpose. It's dry but Henderson deftly mixes various religious and mythological traditions with modern day tragedy; not bad as a stand alone, I doubt if it will inspire many readers to seek out more of the Piers Knight books.
14. "Running Wild" by Rachel Caine - quote: " 'I really love you right now," he said and then thought about it for a second. 'Evil bitch.' " Funny, sassy, typical Caine writing, this works well as a stand alone with only mild confusion. This is from her Outcast series, which is a spinoff from the Weather Wardens series. It was fun and will likely inspire new readers to seek out the books.

This book was received was from the editor for review. The review first appeared at Book Lovers Inc.  

And The Winner Is.....

The winner of April's End of Month Giveaway is Erin O'Riordan. She commented on the review of "Hybrid" by Brian O'Grady.

Erin, let me know which of the listed books you want and the mailing address - beasbooknook at gmail dot com.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. :)

ARC Review of Dead of Wynter by Spencer Seidel

Publisher:Publishing Works


Release Date: May 1st, 2011

More info:  Amazon

Book Blurb:

Dolly, it’s your mother.” Dolly. Jackie Ruth Wynter had called Alice that for years. The conversation that followed led her right back to the place she had run from for years. Her twin brother, younger by just a minute or so, had been fading, transforming into an image of their drunken, narrow-eyed father. Now her father was dead, and her brother, Chris, missing.

Alice resigns herself to return, helping her mother and the local police with the mystery surrounding the crime. But there are some family secrets her mother would sooner take to the grave than reveal.

Reacquainting with her past brings fresh pain and new friendships as she struggles with who to trust with the details of her father’s murder and brother’s disappearance. As the authorities come closer to solving the mystery of the men in her family, she begins to realize her past life as Alice Wynter is the missing part of the puzzle. But who is searching out the former Alice? The sinister mysteries of the Wynter family will capture the reader’s attention well past when the fire has gone out.

My Thoughts:

"Dead of Wynter" is not your typical mystery. There is a mystery, the death of Papa Wynter, but the story is as much about Dolly/Alice's relationships with her family, her brother Chris's high school years, and the secrets we keep and their consequences. Seidel delves into the psychology of the characters and examines their flaws, foibles and morals. The death of Papa Wynter, and Chris Wynter's disappearance, serve as the catalyst for the events in the book.

The book shifts between the present day, told from Alice's first person perspective, detective Don Lambert's first person perspective, and the first person perspective of Michael LaPage, Alice's high school boyfriend and 1984, where we are in Chris's head. It was a little disconcerting at times, shifting so much especially but it helped that the era determined whose head we were in. Mostly, it worked pretty well. My other quibble is that I would have loved if Seidel had given us Ray's perspective, even just a few times. Ray is their cousin, his father is brother to their father. Ray has problems and drags Chris into them. The consequences of their actions reverberate down to the present day. Given Ray's importance to the story and subsequent events, I wold have liked to see his thoughts and the change in his behavior.

Seidel portrays his characters clearly, with a writing style that is spare and unsentimental but not harsh: "Chris felt at that moment that he no longer knew Vic, that the old Vic had died right there on Gartlin's porch." *Note* This quote is from the ARC, the final version may be different or may not exist at all.

The book is a mix of predictable and unpredictable. I did not see the ending, specifically who was responsible for Papa Wynter's death though I did have a guess. Seidel had twists and turns that both flowed from the story and drove the story. I can't be more specific without giving away spoilers. Other than not getting inside Ray's head, my only other quibble is Michael's role. As the former boyfriend and tempting future lover, he worked. But the role he plays towards the end of the story felt forced. Someone needed to fill it, I'm just not sure he was the best choice.

While I don't anticipate reading this again (and that's always a factor in how good I think a story is), this was a well-written, thought provoking psychological mystery.

This ARC was received from the publisher for review.

Interview with Paranormal Romance author Angela Addams

Today I'm pleased to welcome Angela Addams to the blog. Although she's a busy lady, with not only a new release, "Ghost Bride", but also a new baby, she took some time to sit down and answer some questions for me.

Angela, if you aren't familiar with her books, writes paranormal romance/erotica. Her other stories, "Assassin" and "The Temptress", are about vampires while her new is a ghostly love story. On her website you can find her blog, her book list and links to her recommended sites; she's also on twitter as @AngelaAddams. She lives in Ontario Canada with her husband and children, has been fascinated with the[paranormal since she was little, and believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios. She is also another wonderful author to come out of the Online Writers Group at the Kelley Armstrong Board.

Bea: First, thanks for taking the time to do this. Not only are you busy writing but you just had a baby about a month ago. Congratulations on your son.                             

Angela: Thanks for hosting me on your blog Bea!

Bea: Can you please tell me a bit about yourself?

Angela: I write under the pen name Angela Addams and currently have three short pieces published at Cobblestone Press and am agented by Sarah Heller of the Helen Heller Agency. I’m the mother of two, a girl and boy, as well as the proud owner of four very naughty cats.  I love chocolate and steak, but not chocolate covered steak and can’t live without my iPhone. I have an unhealthy obsession with paranormal romance and love watching the Dog Whisperer. 

Bea: What’s a typical day of writing for you? Are you a planner or do you wing it?

Angela: A typical day of writing? Well, that’s a tough one to answer these days because the baby takes up a lot of my time and isn’t really on a set schedule. I try to get some writing done in the morning when he’s sleeping but I also manage to steal an hour or two at various points in the day when I can convince my daughter to keep him occupied. I tend to do a little bit of both planning and winging it. I always start with a general outline and fill in the holes, or finer details, as I go along.

Bea: Is “Ghost Bride” part of a series or a stand alone? What is next on your schedule?

Angela: I do have plans to build a series out of Ghost Bride but right now I’m totally fixated on working on rewrites for my agent which I find all consuming at the moment.

Bea: Did you draw on any particular mythology for “Ghost Bride” or is it all original?   

Angela: I actually got the idea for Ghost Bride on my way to work one morning when the radio station personality I was listening to started talking about the mythology behind ghost brides. I found the story intriguing, did a little research and discovered that there was a belief in Chinese culture that centered around being wedded after death in order to avoid generations of bad luck. I took the idea and put my own spin on it, created a ceremony and story, and Ghost Bride was born. 

Bea: What prompted you to start writing? Would you continue to write if you were no longer published?

Angela: I’ve been writing since I was a little kid (I still have my first “novel” that I wrote when I was six called The Fuzzy Wuzzels – it has pictures and everything!) So being published or not would not stop me from writing – it’s been a compulsion from childhood. However, it is nice to be encouraged by both my publisher and my agent – writing is such a solitary pursuit and it’s hard to know if what you’re producing is any good without some kind of external validation.

Bea: What is your favorite part of writing? What is your least favorite part?

Angela: My favorite part is when I first get an idea and start brainstorming plot points – it’s always a rush and so exciting. When I’m in that zone I even get ideas while I’m sleeping and have to jot down notes when I wake up so that I don’t forget them.

My least favorite part is editing – it gets very tedious and I lose patience quickly so sometimes I rush through it when it’s really a stage in writing that needs the most time.

Bea: According to your site, you’ve been fascinated by the paranormal from a young age. What is the attraction for you?

Angela: I just love all things black and orange – you know, Halloween stuff. I get so excited when I see anything to do with paranormal anything – my kitchen is permanently decorated with jack-o-lanterns and I have Wicked Witch of the West collector dolls adorning my china cabinet in my dining room! I just love everything from the blood suckers to the spell casters and all the creatures in between.


Bea: Do you think that the paranormal is waning in publishing, changing, or holding strong?

Angela: I think that the genre is probably glutted right now with so many paranormal writers out there. At the moment, according to my agent, the focus is on cross-genre stories but I don’t think that paranormal will ever be totally out. I’m not the only one out there who loves supernatural creatures – we just need an infusion of different worlds, characters and mythologies to keep it fresh and interesting.

Bea: Currently your stories are paranormal romance, do you see yourself writing straight up paranormal stories? Do you think you might try a different genre sometime? 
 
Angela: The manuscript I’m working on with my agent is actually more straight up paranormal with a very limited romance thread. I like writing about paranormal stuff but I have also written historical fiction.


Bea: Who are some of your influences? Some of your favorite writers?

Angela: Oh gosh, there are many, many writers who inspire me. Some of my favorites are Kelley Armstrong, D.B. Reynolds, Kresley Cole, Veronica Wolff, Rhyannon Byrd and Jennifer Armintrout.

Bea: Was there someone who was, or is, particularly helpful to you? Was there someone who inspired you in your writing? In what way(s)?

Angela: This is going to sound strange I’m sure but one of the most inspirational people in my life was a high school English teacher I had who really believed in my writing ability and encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming a published author. (Bea here - as the daughter of an English teacher, I think this is AWESOME!) His unwavering cheerleading came at a time when I needed support and an ego boost the most so I count his influence as being particularly important in driving me toward my writing goals.  Another person who I consider a mentor of sorts is Kelley Armstrong. She has given me some great advice and I will forever be grateful for her support.



Bea: What genres do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favorite authors?

Angela: I am addicted to paranormal romance. The authors I listed above are ones that I am devoted to reading. I am also an avid Victorian literature fan – one of my favorite authors in that genre is Wilkie Collins.

Bea: You have an account Twitter and a blog. Do you think that social media is important for an author to be involved in? Do you see yourself getting more involved?

Angela: I enjoy using my blog and Twitter to connect with other writers and readers. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t use it. I think that your heart and interest has to be in it for it to work for you. At the moment I’m using it to get my thoughts out there and to promote my books but it does stretch me to the limit where time is concerned. If I do find myself in the position of leaving my day job and becoming a full time writer I will probably expand my social networking to include other mediums.

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

Angela: I don’t allow my family (as in my mom and dad) to read my work– it’s too graphic for them but I do have a close cousin and quite a few friends who read my stuff both pre and post published. My parents know about my work of course and are very supportive, I just don’t want them to read the sex scenes – I think it would be very awkward! My husband has read some of my work – he’s not a big reader but is always very encouraging and supports the time I need to get work done.

Bea: Currently, your books are only available as e-books ( or that’s all I could find). Will they be available in print? Do you want a book in print someday or do you prefer digital?

Angela: The three shorts I have published through Cobblestone Press are all e-books only – no plans for print versions. I do aspire to be “in print” someday and am working on that aspect of my writing career with my agent.


Bea: Do you prefer to read paper books or ebooks? Why

Angela: I like both actually.  I have an e-reader and love the convenience and portability of e-books but I also collect leather bound books and hard covers for some of my favorite authors.  


Bea: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

Angela: Great question but also a tough one! I think I would be the kick-a## heroine who knows how to get the job done and save the world!



Bea: Anything that you want to add or say to your readers?

Angela: Come and visit me at my website www.angelaaddams.com and comment on my blog or follow me on Twitter @angelaaddams 

Angela, thanks so much for stopping by today. :)