Teaser Tuesday

This weekly book blog meme is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading.
Here are the rules:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
- Share the title & author too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

 

 

“Is my singing so dreadful?” she asked with a lightness she didn´t feel.

She didn´t even see him move. One moment he was sitting silently, and the next he stood before her and – oh, God. He was kissing her. But not so much a gentle caress of mouth to mouth as it was devouring.

p.186

Monthly Teaser for Shadowfever

 “I heard Cruce hated the king, wanted his concubine, and cursed the Silvers to keep the king away from her, that he planned to take the king’s woman, and all the worlds inside the Silvers for himself,” I said.
V’lane shook his head, golden hair shimmering in the sun. “It was not so simple. Things rarely are. To use a human word, Cruce loved the king, first and above all.  The creator of the Unseelie is a being of unbearable perfection.  If he is indeed Fae, he is from the most ancient, most pure line that ever existed. Some say he is The Father of All. Some say he had outlived hundreds of queens before the time of the queen he slew. Many of the forms he can take are beyond even Fae ability to absorb. He has been described as having enormous black wings that can enfold the entire Unseelie Court.”
I shivered. I’d seen the hint of those wings in the White Mansion. I’d felt the concubine’s awareness of them, had empathically shared her fascination with their feathery touch on her naked skin. “I thought the queen was the most powerful of your race.”
“The queen is heir to the magic of our people. It is a different thing. That magic has never accepted a male of The True Race, although…”
“Although what?”
He gave me a sideways look from beneath his lids. “I tell you too many things.” He sighed. “And enjoy it too much. It has been a long time since I knew another worthy of confidences. There is an ancient myth that should all the contenders for the matriarchal throne be no more, the magic would likely gravitate toward the most dominant male of our race. Some say our rulers are your Janus head, your yin and yang: the king is the strength of our people, the queen is wisdom. Strength draws from brute force, wisdom draws from true power.  In harmony, the king and queen lead a united court.  Opposed, we war.  We have been opposed since the day the king killed the queen.”
“But other queens came along. Couldn’t the king make peace?”                
“He did not try. Again, he abandoned his children. Upon finding his concubine dead,
through his act of atonement, he did what he had sworn never to do. By pouring all his dark knowledge into the pages of an ensorcelled tome, he inadvertently created his most powerful “child” yet. Then he vanished.  It is rumored among Seelie and Unseelie alike that he has been trying to—as you humans would say about a lame horse—put it down ever since.  The Hunter you saw the other night was allegedly the kings’ own for hundreds of thousands of years. It carried him from world to world, hunting his nemesis. The king, like any Fae, loves nothing so much as his own existence. As long as the Book is free, he knows no peace. I suspect if his Hunter is here in your city, the king is, too.”
I gasped. “In Dublin?”
V’lane nodded.
“In human form?”
“Who could say?  There is no predicting one such as he.”

Just like every month, Karen Marie Moning has released a ne wteaser for Shadowfever, this time featuring V´lane.

Enjoy!

Coming up in September

September is going to be quite a busy month for me as it seems! I´ve decided to have a special challenge for me in September and it runs under the tilte “Urban MANtasy”. While re-organizing my read/tbr list and wishlist, I´ve noticed that I almost exclusively read books by female authors. I don´t why that is but I decided to change that in September. This month I´m only going to read books by male authors. (Thus the Urban MANtasy).

Here´s a little list of the books I´m planning to read (might still be changed):

Shade Fright (Valerie Stevens, #1) by Seam Cummings

Death Most Definite (Death Works) by Trent Jamieson

Strom Front (Dresden Files, #1) by Jim Butcher

A Kiss Before the Apocalypse: A Remy Chandler Novel  by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Skin Deep by Marc Del Franco

Child of Fire by Harry Connolly

Dante´s Journey by J.C. Marino

Mob Rules by Cameron Haley

These books are all first in a series or stand alone books, some new and recently released, some are already quite old. It´s quite a ling list that only gives me three days for one book which is quite a tight schedule. As usually, I´ll also try and post a few interviews with the authors above about their books and mal authors in the Urban Fantasy genre.

This is the first time I´m doing something like this and I´m really curious how this will work out! As Reading Challanges are a bit lonley if you´re doing ot alone. I all invite you to join me. Whether you and to join the challange as a whole, if you want to do a guest review in September about a book written by a male author, if you are a male author who wants to present your book or maybe want do design a little button for the challange *hint, hint*, just let me know! I´m open for everything!

Just contact me under my e-mail adress which you can find under review policy or send me a message via goodreads!

 

xoxo,

Christine

Review: Mockingjay

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: August 24th 2010 by Scolastic Press
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

 

 

 

I guess there´s no need to tell you that I started reading Mockingjay as soon as I got my hands on it. This will be a rather short review, as I´m trying to avoid any spoilers for all of you who haven´t read it yet

With Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins achieves what few authors ever achieve: each book is an improvement to the previous book, even though this seems hardly possible. once again, you dive right into Katniss world right after the very first sentence. If you thought the world of Panem was a desperate and gloom place before, wit until you read Mockingjay. The brewing rebellion of Catching Fire has become a full blown war. What I´ve always admired about Suzanne Collins as an author is her ability to create such deep, powerful and atmospheric scenes that always captivate you and put you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. I also loved her use of First Person POV in her whole Trilogy, as all the emotions are even better transported and so much more personal through the eyes of Katniss.

Just like in the previous books, the characters we know change, evolve and grow and not always is the change for the better. It is however in every case masterfully written and skilfully designed by Suzanne Collins.

In the first part of the book, Katniss has to come to term both with her new surroundings and the role the rebels have designed for her. She definetly grows in this book, in every aspect: she grows up even more, grows into her role as Mockingjay (once she accepts it) and face/voice of the rebellion, but as the story goes on, she also grows slightly insane due to all the things she sees, does and has to suffer from. Some might argue that Katniss seems to be cold and unfeeling when it comes to her love interests, but I guess you always have to keep in mind the things she has gone through. No could come out of something like that undamaged.

Especially Gale changes in my opinion more to he negative. His sympathy for the rebels and their cause has always been known, but Mockingjay portrays him as someone who becomes rather ruthless.

I don´t want to give away too much about the story, but as always, it´s gripping, surprising and captivating.

Even though Mockingjay is a Young Adult book, Suzanne Collins is not afraid to picture war with all its cruelties. Also, just like in the previous books, the underlying social criticism and political issues send a message that can´t and should not be forgotten. This book seems to pose the moral question of “How far can you go in a war before you become what you fight?”.

These two aspects however make me doubt the recommendation of th German amazon page, which recommends it to kids from the age of 12.

The end was not how I would have wished it to be but it is nonetheless the fitting and right end for it. It´s not a Happily Ever After, but not as horrible as it could have been.

Real or not real, Mockingjay is the perfect end for a remarkable, astonishing and thouroughly brilliant series? Definetly true. For me, it´s one of one of the best YA series I´ve ever read.

5 of 5 points from me!

Joint Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Hi guys!

Today, I´ve got something special for you. Together with Anna from Books Brighten Your Mood, I´ve planned a joint review of Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost. Before we start with the review though, I´d like to introduce you to Anna. I met her through the Blog Hop, we started chatting and somehow, we ended up with the idea of a joint review. This is one of the most fun things I´ve done so far in my addmitedly short blogger life. Thank you so much, Anna! We did a little Q&A to introduce ourselves, below is mine with Anna, and if you check out her blog, you can read what I had to say (we found out some quite funny coincidences about us as well! The world really is a small place! We didn´t know what the other one would anwers to the question, I swear!).

Now meet Anna!


Where are you from?
I was born in Volos,a city somewhere in central Greece but for the last 4 years I'm living in Athens with my fiance and i have to admit these are the best years of my life!

Where do you work?
I've finished studying psychology last year and since then i'm trying to find a job!

What do you like to do in your free time?
Well, obviously I read a lot,but apart from that I like hanging out with my friends,watching movies or tv series and from times to times i totally spent entire days playing Sims!!!

When did you start blogging?
I'm really new in this wonderful world!I started running my blog in July and to be honest i'm still learning how things work,but i love it!I love meeting all those people from different countries that share the same passion with me for books!


What's your favourite book?
That's a really difficult question cause depending the genre and age i read a book,there are many books i really love.But if i should pick one book that really touched me that would be Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.I may read totally different genres of books right now,but this book is always in my heart.

Where do you like to read?
My bed!!!I like to be comfortable when reading my book and i can't fall asleep if i won't read even a single page!


And now to our fabulous review!

Title: Eternal Kiss Of Darkness
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Published: July 27th 2010 by Avon
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

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

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

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

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


Our thoughts on the characters:

Anna:
I loved Kira!!!She is one of my favourite leading characters!I loved how strong she was,independent and caring.I loved the way she proceeded with her life no matter how bad things were and all in all i thought that she was a really well written character.Frost really does a good job when she's delivering a new character and its past.I love the way she presents her characters in every book she's written and she doesn't fail in this one either!
Mencheres on the other hand... Ok,i have to admit it wasn't one of my favourite characters to begin with and at least for me,he failed to deliver the whole sexy,bad style other male heroes have in this series.He's a well written character nonetheless,and Frost gives us an insight in the psychology of a man who's lived more than 4000 years and surely Mencheres is a noble man,but sexy...?I just couldn't see him that way.

Christine:
I have to agree with Anna here, sexy is definetly not the first thing that pops into my mind when I think about Mencheres (maybe it was his hair, well past his chest is a bit too much for me). I also found his change from a man who is tired of being alive or rather undead to a man who is madly in love just a bit too rushed. I know that it has to fit into one book, but somehow, it was hust too head over heels for me. What I really liked however was that Jeaniene Frost didn´t make him the typical über-alpha vampire male but someone who feels the weight of his past and all the things he has seen on his shoulders and is honest enough to feel shame over some things he has done instead of trying to excuse them.
Kire grew very fast on me. As I´ve mentioned before, I´m a sucker for charaters who know the values of family. So it´s no surprise that I liked very much how Kira cared about her sister even to the point of giving up her personal freedom to save her sister. I also appreciate it that the romance between Kira and Mencheres really starts after he has kidnapped her, because everything else would be too (as Kira herself called it) Stockholm Syndrom). In addition, even though Mencheres is incredibly powerful as a vampire, Kira is very strong in her own way, be it in self-restraint after becoming a vampire or as a character altogether. In my opinion, they are a quite well-matched pair.
As from this book on, I also join the “Give-Vlad-His-Own-Book Club”. He is simply awesome. Enough said. :)

All about the plot:

Anna:
The plot here was a bit slow for my taste.The romance didn't grab me as it usually happens with Frost's other books and that was mostly due to two reasons:firstly,as i said Mencheres wasn't my sexy kind of guy,so i couldn't imagine him as a woman's wet dream and secondly the sex scenes lacked a certain spark.
The action scenes,again,just weren't enough.Surely,since Mencheres was so strong a vampire and could kill anyone with his mind's power only,there wasn't the need for any scenes with stakes and punches,but well,i missed them!
To sum it up,although i liked this book,it just didn't grab me and make me wanna finish it in a day.

Christine:
As a criticism to this book, one could say that it´s the basical “girl meets vampire and falls in love and they live happily ever after against all odds” story, but to be honest. We all knew about that before we read it. At least I did and in my opinion, there are far worse stories of that kind. Jeaniene Frost mixes action and romance in a way that it is well balanced, eventhough the story did not keep me glued to the pages. Other than Anna, at least I enjoyed the bathtub scene (which seems to become a more and more common place for dirty business). Give mee a sexy man in a warm tub and I´m sure I could think of something as well! :)
One thing however was a little predictable for me: the whole solution to Mencheres problem of seeing darkness instead of any visions. After mentioning what Kira´s name meant, the meaning of his vision became quite obvious.

And in comparision to Jeaniene Frost´s other books?

Anna:
As it's obvious from the things i said previously,this book,although i liked it,was my least favourite in the series...It had less action packed scenes even from First Drop of Crimson and the romance didn't catch my attention.Although,the strong point of this book was his main heroine.Kira isn't Cat,which is a good thing,but she was so well developed as a character that after a few pages i felt that i already knew her from previous books.Mencheres wasn't as sexy as Bones or Spade but he had other qualities.He was noble and more caring than Spade,at least those aspects of him were presented in more details.I don't want to compare Mencheres with Bones...Bones is one my favourite male characters and no matter how better Mencheres might be i'd just failed to see it!

Christine:
First of all, let me say that I read my last Cat and Bones book (which was book two I guess) about one and a half year ago and I´ve read an estimated ton of books ever since so my memories about the books are not as detailed as they should be for doing this I guess. That very fact is now something between a blessing and a curse.
I seem to have missed a huge part of the story like the events regarding Mencheres´ wife, her inpact on Cat and Bones´s life and their wedding, on the other hand, it allows me to see this book more as one of its own. I have to agree with Anna that I also preferred Cat´s stories, her personality and, well... Bones, but as I mentioned before, there are far worse “girl meets vampire” books out there. Standing alone, Eternal Kiss of Darkness is an entertaining and romantic read that´s stands apart from others due to his more balanced and equal pair of characters.
I really enjoyed the appearance of Cat and Bones in this book (there could even have been more of them) and Eternal Kiss of Darkness has made me want to catch up with Cat and Bones after book two. It lacked however the certain spark in comparision to, for example Halfway to the Grave.

And now our favorite scenes:

Anna:
When Kira meets Vlad!!!I've said in previous reviews that i absolutely love Vlad!When he made his appearance at the book,a smile instantly spread on my face!Is it too much to ask for a book with Vlad???

Christine:
Hmm... let me think. I guess I´ll go for Kira´s egg practicing scene, because it shows her determination and self-control I find very admiring. I also had to laugh for a moment when the secret hide-out place turned out to be Disneyland. I almost suspected to see some vampire verison of Minnie Mouse. :)

And finally: our verdict

We both independetly gave four stars/points to Eternal Kiss of Darkness. Anna didnßt like it as much as Cat´s books, but still enjoyed it. As for myself: It wasn´t one of the best books I read in the last few moths, but I certainly enjoyed reading it and it made me want to read the two books of Cats and Bones´s story I´ve missed.

In my Mailbox - Special Edition

Look what I finally got today! This has finally made my week. This week was not really how I planned it. Not only did I catch a cold (don´t ask me how, it´s still pretty warm here), but my grandmother had to go to the hospital (It´s nothing serious, but still. The hospital ir a one hour drive away and my grandfather who was never seperated from her before wants to visit her daily). So if my blogging was sparse this week, I´m sorry!
But back to business: I finally got Mockingjay! Yay! Now being sick isn´t so bad anymore. I´ll spend my day tomorrow on my couch and read. I´ll be back with my review! :)
Have a great weekend and happy reading with whatever book you have!

Interview and Giveaway: Trent Jamieson

Today, I´d like to welcome Urban Fantasy author Trent Jamieson whose brand new Urban Fantasy series “Death Works” started with “Death Most Definite” (released August 5th 2010). His series caught my eye because of their refreshingly different take on death and his awesome guest post over at Dark Faerie Tales. Also, his book is set in Autralia, a country I´ve always dreamt of seeing one day.

So please welcome Trent!

Can you describe “Death most Definite” in your own words?

It’s a story about Death and love. Fast paced, funny and dark. Steven de Selby is part of a company called Mortmax Industries that works for death. He’s a Pomp, short for Psychopomp, tasked with the job of sending the dead to the other side. But when someone starts killing Pomps, Steve needs to grow up, face his responsibilities, and find out who is killing his friends and family, all the while falling deeply in love with a ghost by the name of Lissa.

“The Corporate Side of Death” seems to be the premise of your book. How did you come up that idea?

The way companies operate fascinates me, particularly from the perspective of someone on the lower rungs. Picturing Death operating that way seemed interesting to me, and something that might be fun to write about – and it was.

Is anything beside your Australian setting special about your books? Anything that a normal reader would find surprising?

I’d like to think Steve’s a bit different from your normal hero. He’s a guy just doing the best he can. The Underworld is different, too, well, I think it is. For one there’s a great Moreton Bay Fig Tree at its heart, the size of a city.

Do you have more books planned in this series? If so, can you share a liitle teaser about them?


Yes, there’s two more that I have written. Managing Death (out Dec 2010) and the Business of Death (April 2011). In them Steve really has to grow up, and more of Death’s dark secrets are revealed.

In a guest post on Dark Faerie Tales, you spoke very lovingly of Brisbane. Is your book a little bit of a homage to your city?

Yes, I’m so pleased to be able to write about Brisbane. I think it’s a great city, and one that keeps getting better – not that it’s without its problems, but if you didn’t have those, you’d have much less drama.

Did you do a lot of research for your book?

Quite a bit, but mainly spending time in the locations I was writing about, and looking through books on Death and traditions relating to death.

Can you name the key ingredients of your books in short words?

Darkness, Romance, and humour.

In September, I´ll focus mostly on male authors. Urban Fantasy however is a genre dominated mostly by woman. Are guys too cool to write it? Why did you chose to write Urban Fantasy? Or was it more coincidence?

Not at all! Maybe not cool enough. I think it’s taken us longer to find it, also as a genre Urban Fantasy perhaps took a little longer to become popular in Australia. I don’t know if I chose to write Urban Fantasy, but the story certainly chose me and I loved writing it – and I’d say that’s the same for most people who write. If the story isn’t grabbing you, it doesn’t matter what the genre is.

Would you say that your mood has an influence on your writing?

Yes. But I have a pretty steady mood. Which sounds glib, but I’m a pretty calm person, though if you dig a little deeper I can be a bit of a worrier. If I’m in a bad mood, or really stressed it’s hard to write, though, sometimes the writing can be a bit of an escape.

How far ahead are you plotting your books?



With this series about a book ahead, though the first three books wrap things up nicely, and work well on their own. I’m in the middle of edits for book three.

Where do you get your inspiration from? Music, books, TV shows or real life? 



All over the place. All of those things you’ve mentioned. Books though are my central influence. Nothing inspires me more to write than a beautifully written story or a poem. Good prose is energizing to read!

A question that I am always curious about (but could be kind of personal) is: are your characters based on people you really know or maybe even a little bit about yourself or are they all purely fictional?

It’s only a personal question if I name names :). Yes there’s bits of friends and family and me in there, but they’re all mixed up, and of course there are things that are totally made up – that’s the fun bit about writing, you get to make things up.

How did you chose the names of the characters in your book?

Do they have a special meaning?

They have to sound right. And some are nods to Death mythology and other stories, but I don’t want to give any of that away it’s part of the fun of the book.

What do you like most about being an author?

Getting to write about weird things, other worlds, and interesting characters.

And what annoys you?

Not having enough time to do it! And my ridiculously short attention span.

Did you ever have a writer´s block? If so, what did you do to deal with it? 


Occasionally. I take a bit of time off, and try not to worry about it too much.
 Guilt, stress, anxiety are the major causes of writer’s block for me. Managing those is incredibly important. The last thing I want is for my writing to make me miserable.

Tell us something about your favourites: 


Favourite authors? 


This changes all the time, what a tough question! Here’s a few. Fritz Leiber, Neal Gaiman, Hope Mirrlees, Michael Swanwick, Marianne de Pierres, Cormac McCarthy, China Miéville, Tansy Rayner Roberts, Margo Lanagan, Jeff Vandermeer, Peter M. Ball, Angela Slatter and Kate Griffin. Glad you said, authors!

favourite paranormal creature? 


Vampires. Old school, scary vampires.

favourite all time hero/heroine?

Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser (I count Fritz Leiber’s two great heroes as one) or Coraline or Dorothy Gale. But like the author question this changes.

favourite all time villain? 


Darth Vader or the Joker or Heathcliff (I know, he’s more of an anti-hero)

Which one do you prefer, book or e-reader? 


Book. Though there’s something terribly seductive about fitting your entire library into an e-reader, only it just wouldn’t smell like a library – give it time, I guess.

favourite distraction? 



reading

Is there a book you love above all? One that had a great influence on you or your life? 



To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee (who I didn’t mention in my favourites, so you get an extra!)

Was being an author something you´ve always wanted or did it just happen? 



I always reckon that being an author isn’t about wanting, it’s about doing, and then being patient, and learning and not giving up. I’ve been writing since I was five, just took a long time to get to publication.

I figure, if it’s something that you want then start doing, and even if it doesn’t lead to publication or great success you’re still going to have fun doing it, and you’ll have entertained yourself with lots of stories along the way.

Is there any question you´ve always wanted to be asked? And if so, what would be the answer?

That’s a pretty good one. I’m always happy to be asked for my id when I go to the pub (though that doesn’t happen very often these days).
But, seriously, I've been very lucky with the questions people have asked. If I get to talk about my favourite authors, about the people that helped me, and inspired me on my way (including, and especially, my wife, Diana) and about the city that I adore, I feel pretty lucky. Writing's mainly about sitting in a room typing down stuff you've dreamed up, it's not all that exciting, but great books, wonderful cities and amazing people, that's pretty cool. Without `em I doubt I'd have a book out now!

A question that is inspired by another interview I did with an author: If you would be Superman, what would be your kryptonite? 



Chocolate (oh, the battles we have had, and yet I can never defeat it.) (Amen to that. :) )

What are you reading at the moment/planning to read/waiting for to be released? 



Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott. It’s a great supernatural mystery story about obsession, absolutely wonderful stuff – and creepy, too!

 

 

 

 

 

And now to the giveaway:

You can win a SIGNED copy of the Australian edition of “Death Most Definite”, so that you “can experience the weird Australian spelling”. :) (I´m a little bit jealous, I would also love to get my hands on that! But my US copy will do as well!)

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL (thanks Trent!) and ends September 7th!

All you have to do is leave a comment or question for Trent, follow my blog and fill out the form!

Teaser Tuesday

  This weekly book blog meme is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading.
Here are the rules:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
- Share the title & author too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

 

 

“Obviously, I´m willing to bunk with you when the circumstances call for it. I can act subservientif necessary, but don´t expect it once we´re alone. I can act affectionate and even kiss you to make things look real. But it stops there, I´m not letting you drink from me.”  

Spade couldn´t help himself. “With all that delectable garlic in your blood? I shed a tear.”

Her gaze narrowed. “You´re making fun of me.”

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

*sigh* I am supposed to be on a book diet. yet somehow this month is full of temptations. This week, my sister has given my a gift card for amazon worth 50 Euros (approx. 60 dollars). How can I say no to that? I decided to buy the first books in series I´ve always wanted to read and books for September, as I have something special planned for September (more about that this week!)

Here´s what I got:

Boston P.I. Remy Chandler has many talents. He can will himself invisible, he can speak and understand any foreign language (including the language of animals), and if he listens carefully, he can hear thoughts.
Unusual, to say the least for an ordinary man. But Remy is no ordinary man; he's an angel. Generations ago, he chose to renounce heaven and live on Earth. He's found a place among us ordinary humans; friendship, a job he's good at and loves.
Now he is being drawn into a case with strong ties to his angelic past. The Angel of Death has gone missing and Remy's former colleagues have come to him for help. But what at first seems to be about tracing a missing person turns out to involve much more; a conspiracy that has as its goal the destruction of the human race.
And only Remy Chandler, formerly known as the angel Remiel can stop it.

 

 

 

Seven years ago Kaylin fled the crime-riddled streets of Nightshade, knowing that something was after her. Children were being murdered—and all had the same odd markings that mysteriously appeared on her own skin.…
Since then, she's learned to read, she's learned to fight and she's become one of the vaunted Hawks who patrol and police the City of Elantra. Alongside the winged Aerians and the immortal Barrani, she's made a place for herself, far from the mean streets of her birth.
But children are once again dying, and a dark and familiar pattern is emerging. Kaylin is ordered back into Nightshade with a partner she knows she can't trust, a Dragon lord for a companion and a device to contain her powers—powers that no other human has. Her task is simple—find the killer, stop the murders…and survive the attentions of those who claim to be her allies!

 

 

 

 

Steven de Selby's day had started ordinarily enough - a routine funeral visit (all in a day's work for one of Death's minions), followed by a trip to the local mall.
But then the dead girl appeared - standing right in front of him, where she wasn't supposed to be, warning him to run. And then the gunshots began.
Unfortunately for Steven, this is only the beginning of his problems. It seems that his coworkers are being killed off, enabling the undead to proliferate. He also has to travel down into the underworld and avoid getting shot at - all while suffering from the most horrific hangover.
And it seems that Steven will be the only one who can prevent the coming apocalypse, since Death himself has gone missing...

 

 

 

 

Harper Blaine was slogging along as a small-time P.I. when a two-bit perp's savage assault left her dead. For two minutes, to be precise.

When Harper comes to in the hospital, she begins to feel a bit ...strange. She sees things that can only be described as weird-shapes emerging from a foggy grey mist, snarling teeth, creatures roaring.

But Harper's not crazy. Her "death" has made her a Greywalker-able to move between our world and the mysterious, cross-over zone where things that go bump in the night exist. And her new gift (or curse) is about to drag her into that world of vampires and ghosts, magic and witches, necromancers and sinister artifacts. Whether she likes it or not.

 

 

 

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . .

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul...

 

 

HARRY DRESDEN — WIZARD
Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.
Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever.
There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's black magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get interesting.
Magic. It can get a guy killed.

 

 

Demon hunter Maxine Kiss wears her armor as tattoos, which unwind from her body to take on forms of their own at night. They stand between her and her ...more Demon hunter Maxine Kiss wears her armor as tattoos, which unwind from her body to take on forms of their own at night. They stand between her and her enemies, just as Maxine stands between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veils. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment—and one man—changes everything.

 

 

 

 

 

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

 

 

 

 

When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…
All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.
So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She’s fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems and his true mission is far from innocent.
This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life…

 

 

 

 

I´m still hypervantilating ever since the mailman brought this huge package… Who needs a book diet if you get books for (almost) free! :)

And what is in your mailbox?

Blog Hop Friday/Follow Friday

It´s already Friday again, time for some blog hopping!

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://edgyinspirational.blogspot.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!  
8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Another blog hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.
RULES: (in hopes of simplifying things for everyone!)
1. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below (be sure to include how long you've been blogging and what genres you review!). If you post about the Hop on your blog, please link directly to your Hop post (don't forget to answer this week's question - see below!).
2. Visit other blogs in the Linky List! Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)
3. Post about the Hop on your blog! Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!
4. In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!):

How many blogs do you follow?

I don´t know exactly how many blogs I´m following. I´m following back eveyone who follows me and says so. However, I don´t have the time to read all of them every day. I´ll try to stop by a few every day, depending on how much time I actually have. I´d love to spend more time reading through more, but sometimes, other things tend to steal my time.

So if I´m following you and I don´t stop by every day, I´m sorry!

Now to all of you: happy hopping, enjoy reading and have a great weekend!

When I´m Not Reading…

When I´m Not Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Missie @ The Unread Reader.

 

As I´m still staying with my parents in my lovely little hometown, my “When I´m not Reading” activities are quite different from what I´m usually doing.

Last weekend for example, my mother decided she wanted to redecorate our bathroom, completely with a new color for the walls. And since it´s so much fun to paint together, we would do it by ourselves instead of letting someone do it. When she chose the color she wanted, I began to fear the worst. The color was called Killarney Green 3E (Yes, my mother was a huge fan od McLeod´s Daughters). It´s very well... green for such a small room like our bathroom, but well, who am I to disagree. To shorten things: after we painted the whole room, she didn´t like it anymore. My dad and I refused to repaint it, so now, we have a bathroom that looks like a meadow in spring when the sun shines: very very bright green. We secretly call it the Green Hell.

Besides painting the house of my parents in questionable colors, we also indulge in something that is kind of a tradition in the region where I grew up: each year in August and early September, mushrooms start growing in the woods. Here´s what the ones we collect look like:

It´s actually quite fun, because they don´t grow everywhere and you have to remember where you found them last year. It seems like I´m the one who can remember best, so my mom and dad are always quite jealous when I find more than they do. So now, they´ve thought of something to stop me from finding more than they find: I get to take our dog. Snoopy is really a cute and fine and harmless odg, but he is part Border Collie (you know those sheepdogs? Who have to be incredibly intelligent and seem to never tire? Yeah, that´s our dog.) Meet Snoopy:

Since we don´t have any sheep to herd (who does, really?), he most willingly herds anything else that moves faster that the average human (that also includes childern. Our neighbor´s daughters had the time of their life when he decided to herd them and approximatly 10 of their friends during one of their birthday parties. He didn´t harm anyone, just herded them. He is such a clever dog. *sigh* Every since this incident, the often play Snoopy: one is our infamous dog who gets to catch all the others...) Another example are birds. And as you´ve possible already suspected, there are quite a lot of birds in the woods. And Snoopy is a very strong dog who also seems to suffer from ADD. Somehow, everytime I seem to find mushrooms, Snoopy finds a bird at exactly the same time which he decides he has to herd or whatever and drags me away from the mushrooms (he really is stronger than he looks) Needless to say that I almost never get the chance to actually collect any mushrooms. I once tried to explain to him that we´re not colleting small brown bird but small brown mushrooms, but somehow, he didn´t listen. Too bad. I still love him!

Review: “The Hunger Games”

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published: October 1st 2008 by Scholastic Press
Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with every one out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

 

 

Those of you who follow my blog regularyly might remember that I´ve spent three days last week in my very own litte “Hunger Games Read-a-thon”. I literally read everywhere how amazing this series is and contest and the hype for Mockingjay, the final book in the series, is huge. So, after putting my initial scepticism, I finally started reading them.

“Hunger Games” is the first book in Suzanne Collins´s dark and gripping dystopian young adult novel.

“Hunger Games” introduces the reader to a land that used to be America but has now changed dramatically. Divided into 12 Districts and in the iron grip of the Capitol.

In this world, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen lives in District 12, the coal mining district. She lives with her mother and her little sister in Ther Seam, where people suffer from hunger and starvation almost regularly. To spare her family this very fate, is willing to do almost everything. After the death of her father very early in her life, she was forced to take resposibility for her sister and mother. That´s why she hunts illegally with her best friend Gale in the woods, which is highly illegal.

One day, a very special event is about to happen: the reapings, a ceremony where the Tributes for the annual Hunger Games are chosen. Hunger Games are a gruesome reminder of the power of the seemingly allmighty Capitol: in every District has to send two children, one boy and one girl between 12 and 18 years, into an arena where they have to fight til death until inly one is left alive.

This year, against all odds, Prim, the 12 year ols sister of Katniss is chosen, but without a moment of hesitation, Kantiss takes her place. At this moment, a emotional powerful, disturbing and moving journey to the Capitol and the HUnger Games begins for Jatniss and her fellow Tribute Peeta.

Suzanne Collins takes her time to introduce her readers to the cruel and gloomy world of Katniss and writes skillfully about the daily struggle for survival. For me, the Katniss´s detached point of view was sometimes really disturbing. The story picks up the pace when Katniss begins together with Peeta the journey to the Capitol where they are faced with a totally different world: the incredible luxury, decadece and also their often inhumane bahavior.

They also meet their mentor Haymitch, the only tribute from Distric 12 who has survived and won the Hunger Games. Haymitch is a broken man, who tries to find oblivion and relief by drowning his thoughts in alcohol.

Effie, their escort, who is at first sees them only as job and chance to start a carreer but slowly becomes attached to Peeta and Katniss.

Cinna, stylist and soon confidant and friend of Katniss. He is for a great part responisble for their early success and creates Katniss image of the Girl on Fire. Even though he is resident of the capitol, her seems to be one of the few people who see the games for what they really are rather than some twisted kind of entertainment.

Even though the Tributes from Distric 12 are usually considered outsiders, Katniss and Peeta manage to win over the crowds with the help of their team. One day however, the day when they have to face each other in the arena finally arrives.

The thought of children having to murder each other live on TV in a nation wide show is absolutly apalling and the enthusiasm the watchers of the Capitol show is simply disgsting, just like the cold-bloodedness of how they sell Katniss and Peeta´s relationship as “star-crossed lovers”

Even though Katniss is a very strong character who is used to survival, the Ganes are a whole new level. While she never feels any guilt about killing someone in the arena in order to survive, she knows she can´t kill to contestants: Rue, a 12 year old girl that reminds her strongly of her own sister and  Peeta. Ever since he once gave her bread for her family and earning his mother´s anger for that, sh feels indebted to him. Because of that debt, she tries avoiding having to kill him, until an announcement of the Gamemakers that both tributes of one District can survive.

The events in the arena build up to a shocking, surprisng and moving finale that not only ends this book perfectly, but also makes the way for book two, “Catching Fire”.

You could write so much about this book: how Suzanne Collins has managed in a disturbingly realistic way to create a not thus far fetched vision for the future with socio-critical elements that should all make us think. Or Gouvernment control, being constantly watched and reality shows the border on inhumane, just to name a few.

But one thing makes “The Hunger Games” so perfect for me: the way how it creates such an gamut of emotins. How it makes you feel the oppressive and hopeless atmosphere in the Seam, the shocked consternation about the (wilful?) ignorance of the residents of the Capitol, the cruelness of the Careers and the ease they kill each other with. How it made me cry (seriously) for Peeta and Katniss. How Rue´s funeral brought tears in my eyes. How I held my breath at the very end, hoping for any solution. I could continue with this list for a long time.

Hunger Games is a powerful, addictive novel that shocks you yet still keeos you glued to the pages with its complex characters and strong, suspensful and enthralling story.

5 of 5 points from me.

Teaser Tuesday

This weekly book blog meme is hosted by MizB at Should be Reading.
Here are the rules:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away. You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)
- Share the title & author too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

 

“You have nine eyes,” Sam said.
At least they focused as one. I couldn’t imagine having them all space cadetting out. Talk
about a headache.
Turning my attention from her happy sitting room, I forced my nine eyes on her, hoping the
extra seven would be all the more penetrating.
“Can you focus please?” I snapped.
Sam held her hands up. “Okay, okay. Sheesh, I guess getting changed into a gigantic booger
put you into a crappy mood.”
“Gee, you think?”

Musing Mondays

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should be Reading
This week´s musing asks:

“What books are you wishing for MOST right now?”

 

Gaah, too many! :)

After last week, I really want to to have “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins, “Clockwork Angel” by Cassandra Clare and “Paranormalcy” by Kiersten White in the Young Adult genre.

“Sparks” by Laura Bickle, “Queen of the Shadows” by Dianne Sylvan, "Death most Definite" by Trent Jamieson and “Truthseeker” by C.E. Murphy.

That is however is only kind of a snapshot, because which book I want is always changing based on what I read or find online. So ask me tomorrow and this list might look totally different!

Now you tell me, What books are you whishing for most?

Technorati-Tags: Musing Mondays

In my Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.

 

Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire -- unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.
A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . .
After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all-consuming desire . . .
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

 

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose.

A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate.

Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

 

 

 

 

 

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.
Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.
At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.
But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

 

 

 

 

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!
But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps?
Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

 

Technorati-Tags: In My Mailbox

A little meager this week, but I have a strict limit for this months…

Review: Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble

 

Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
Author: H.P. Mallory
Published: July 2nd 2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead. A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover. A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches. The Underworld in a state of chaos. Let the games begin.
Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.
Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!
Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

 

I read “Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble” after a few book of Dark Urban Fantasy and to be honest, it really enjoyed the lighter note of it.

Jolie is a psychic who has no idea that she is actually a witch. Together with her cat and her best friend she leads a relatively quiet life. Okay, she doesn´t have a boyfriend, but so what. All that changes when one day smoking hot Rand walks into her life. Not only does she meet the very first ghost in her life, she also discovers she has very extraordinary powers. From now on, ghosts are the most normal things she will encounter.

Jolie is is a very down to earth character who sometimes has to struggle with all the changes in her life and sometimes seems to be a bot overwhelmed by it. However, she never gives up or is whiny as other characters. Christa, her beautiful, flirty and fun-loving best friend is on her side. Rand, the male lead character is everything you wish for: atrractive, mysterious and powerful, yet still caring and charming whenever he is alone with Jolie. There are some really hot and steamy scenes between those two.

The story picks up the pace quite fast and you´ll never have a dull moment reading it. Jolie finds herself in the middle of the powerstruggle of a supernatural society whose rules Jolie doesn´t know. Throughout the book, you´ll never know whom to trust. Throw in another sexy and recently brought-back-to-life werewolf and you´ll get a picture if the chaos Jolie´s life and love-life is.

I really enjoyed the worldbuiling in this book. Other than most of the other Urban Fantasy books, H.P. Mallory has chosen England as the main location. Pelham Manor, Rand´s house was described with very much love for deteils and atmosphere and I could really picture the splendid manor with all its beauty and luxury. The supernatural society is inhabited with creatures like weres, ghosts, vampires and fairies. The schemes and powerstruggle guarantee for a lot of action and excitment and Christa sightly ADD-like behaviour adds light and funny moments.

The writing is really good and just right for the story. H.P. Mallory finds the right balance of action, humor, romance and sexy scenes to guarantee for a thoroughly entertaining read. The end leaves a lot open for the next book in the series.

Favourite scenes: I really loved the scenes with King Odran and his Fairy court. He has a very unsual and blunt charm I found very refreshing and amusing. Sinjin, the mysterious and sexy vampire adds further spice to this book.

If you´re looking for a funny light and sexy read for your summer, then Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble is exactly the book.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble gets 4 out of 5 points from me!

Interview and Giveaway H.P. Mallory

Today, I´d like to welcome H.P. Mallory, indie Urban Fantasy author of “Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble” and “To Kill A Warlock”. H.P. has agreed to answer my many questions. What´s more, she´s giving away a copy of “Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble” and “To Kill a Warlock”! So please give a heartly welcome to H.P.!

 

Can you describe “Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubbe” in your own words?

While the book is literally about Jolie's journey as she realizes she's a witch, falls for her boss and ends up at the center of a custody battle (Underworld style), on a simpler level, it's really about Jolie learning about herself and learning to love herself, really.

Is it possible to share a little teaser about “Toil and Trouble”, the second book in the series?

Toil and Trouble will really focus on the war between Bella and Rand but there will be an enormous surprise along the way. How's that for a teaser? LOL

Do we get to see more of Rand and Jolie? Will Sinjin be in the second book as well?

You'll see a ton of Rand and Jolie and yes, Sinjin will be thrown in as well.

Do you have more books planned in this series?

I'm basically allowing the series to go where it wants to, whether that means 3 books or 10. I think it's really up to my readers--if Jolie and Rand are in demand (poet and didn't know it moment!), then I'll keep working on subsequent books!

Did you do a lot of research for your book or books in general? Did you choose a real house or setting as model for Rand´s house or the settings in your book?

I didn't really do a lot of research for either of my books. Fire Burn takes place in a real location, Alnwick England and I did visit the town and loved it. To Kill A Warlock takes place in a fictional setting so I wasn't able to visit that, unfortunately! And, yes, many of the places I've visited figured in Fire Burn. Rand's house is fictitious but based on real life locations in Britain. There are so many stately and ancient homes in England that Rand's home could easily exist just about anywhere.

One quote kind of caught my eye: "I guess I was keeping company with Stonehenge, the Egyptian pyramids...hmm what else has never been explained? Every episode of LOST." Are you a fan or an unfortunate victim?

:) I'm a fan. I managed to watch the entire show but I must admit that the ending threw me. I was hoping for something a little more finite.

I love your funny and very unusual covers and the design both of your website and your blog. Can you share the name of the cover artist? Did you have any say in the selection of the cover?

Well, I had total say on the covers because I designed them! LOL While I didn't create the artwork, I did massage it in photoshop, added the backgrounds and the special touches (red eyes, vampire teeth, horns, etc) on the images both on my covers and on my website (www.urbanfantasynovels.com). I really wanted the covers to echo the humorous tones of the books but also reflect the scary side of them as well.

You have very recently released the first book in another Urban Fantasy series, called “To Kill a Warlock”. can you tell us a little bit about it? Are there any parallels to "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble"?

Sure, To Kill A Warlock is also the first book of a series and it's about a fairy named Dulcie who acts as law enforcement for the Netherworld. When a warlock is murdered, she has to figure out whodunnit. I've also thrown in a few love interests along the way just to keep it exciting. LOL

Can you name the key ingredients of your books in short words?

1 cup flour, 3 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon...JK. This is a good question--I would say: humor, mystery, surprise, sexuality, passion and a touch of horror

You describe yourself as an indie urban fantasy and paranormal romance author. What exactly made you decide to try to make it on your own? Can you share a few of your experiences, successes and blow-backs as an indie writer?

Well, when I first wrote Fire Burn which was about two years ago, I decided I should try and get an agent. I sent out a ton of queries and ended up landing my dream New York agent. So, I thought my fate was sealed--I'd sell the books to the highest bidder and retire a millionaire! Well, needless-to-say, that didn't exactly pan out. My agent ended up not being able to sell the book and then she went MIA and I never heard from her again. I sent out a ton more queries for round 2 and got a bunch of agents interested but they all wanted me to change the tone of the book by removing the humor. Well, that's just the way I write so I couldn't bring myself to do it. Then I read an article about someone who had self published and was doing amazingly well so I thought, what the heck, I'll try it. And I'm soooo glad I did! My books are doing really well and I love the fact that I'm in control of my own career. And the crowning glory has been the fact that many of my readers said they love the humor in the books. So, take that, agents!

Would you say that your mood has an influence on your writing?

Yes. I outline all my chapters so my mood might influence the tone of a chapter but it won't necessarily dictate the chapter, if that makes sense?

Where do you get your inspiration from? Music, books, TV shows or real life? 

I get my inspiration from so many different things. Music really influences me and I like to listen to it while I'm writing. TV, movies and books definitely influence me too but I'm very careful to make sure that influence doesn't turn into replication. I think it's extremely important to maintain your own unique story and not borrow from existing ideas.

A question that I am always curious about (but could be kind of personal) is: are your characters based on people you really know or maybe even a little bit about yourself or are they all purely fictional?

My characters are purely fictional in everything from their looks to their personalities.

How did you chose the names of the characters in your book? Do they have a special meaning?

I'm not good with being inventive about names so on both my books, I went through a baby naming book and wrote down all the names I liked. Then the characters just sort of fit their names I think.

What do you like most about being an author? And what annoys you?

Nothing really annoys me about being a writer. I wish I had more time in the day to devote to my craft but that isn't really an annoyance. And as far as what I like most about being an author, I love being able to invent people and places and situations. I love being creative and seeing how far my imagination will take me. And it's icing on the cake when other people like my stories. That is the coolest part about the whole thing!

Did you ever have a writer´s block? If so, what did you do to deal with it?

I don't really get writer's block because I outline everything but there are days when the words don't flow as well or as quickly as other days. Sometimes it's more of a chore and on those days, I tend to focus on editing my previous chapters.

Tell us something about your favourites:
Favourite authors?  Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte to represent the classics, from modern Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance, I love the Sookie Stackhouse series and I also loved the early works of Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake series)
favourite paranormal creature? Vampire
favourite all time hero/heroine? I think my all time favorite heroine is Lizzie Bennett from Pride and Prejudice
favourite all time villain? Can't really think of one.
Which one do you prefer, book or e-reader? Books will always be important to me--especially the classics. I love having hard copy books in my library and I will always love them. But, the ereader is just so darn easy. So, I'd have to say I love them both.
favourite distraction? Watching True Blood

Is there a book you love above all? One that had a great influence on you or your life?

As an English major, I've had many love affairs with books. But here are just a few of my favs: Emma, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Gone With the Wind, Hamlet, Anything by Edgar Allen Poe, Dracula, Anything by Oscar Wilde, The Catcher in the Rye, The Day of the Locust, A Cool Million, The Graveyard Book, Northern Lights (all 3 books in this series), those are just a few that come to mind

Was being an author something you´ve always wanted or did it just happen?

Ever since I was 12 years old, I've wanted to be an author. And I'm thrilled to be making that dream a reality.

 

Is there any question you´ve always wanted to be asked? And if so, what would be the answer?

Question: Would you like us to publish your books, turn them into movies and pay you enormous amounts of money? Answer: Yes

A question that is inspired by another interview I did with an author: If you would be Superman, what would be your cryptonite?

Sugar. I have a sweet tooth that won't quit. LOL

What are you reading at the moment/planning to read/waiting for to be released?

I'm reading another indie author, Amanda Hawking--her first book in a series. It's called “My Blood Approves”.

And finally: Is there anything you want to say to your/my readers?

I just wanted to say thank you for taking a chance with my books. It really means so much to me that there are people out there who enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. And I love hearing from my readers--whether it's a question, comment, or concern, just drop me a note at hpmalloryauthor at yahoo dot com.
Also, if you'd like to check me out on the web, you can find me at:
www.urbanfantasynovels.com (website)
indieurbanfantasy.blogspot.com (blog)
www.indieurbanfantasy.com (website I manage which is devoted to all indie authors in urban fantasy and paranormal romance--there are some great books on this site so be sure to check it out!

http://twitter.com/hpmallory (twitter)

http://www.facebook.com/people/Hp-Mallory/10000124964376 (Facebook)

Thank you so much to Christine for reading my book and for the interview!

 

Thank you, H.P., for answering all my questions! It´s been both a great pleasure and honor for me!

 

And now to the part you are probable waiting for:

Like I mentioned before, H.P. is giving away a copy of her two books!

 

The giveaway is open INTERNATIONAL, two winners will be chosen, one gets “Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble”, the other “To Kill A Warlock”

All you have to do is leave a comment for H.P. and fill out the form below! The giveaway is open until September 10th, The winner will be drawn with random.org.

Good Luck!