THE AUTHOR

I live in northeast Ohio, and I write hockey romance. I’m working toward my MFA in the Writing of Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. I played one season of roller hockey when I was fifteen–it hurt enough that I decided I liked it better as a spectator–and it’s been true love ever since! My fictional team is the Las Vegas Sinners, and my real-world team is the Pittsburgh Penguins. I like strong, capable heroines who bring out the vulnerability in their tough guys.

THE BOOK

RELEASE DATE: March 2013 | PUBLISHER: Crimson Romance
GENRE: Contemporary Romance

Jacey Vaughn has a newly minted MBA when her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her his NHL team. Well-versed in business but not so much in hockey, Jacey navigates this new world with a few stumbles. She definitely doesn’t plan on falling for the team captain. At the first hint of scandal, a local Las Vegas reporter latches on, and Jacey finds herself in the newspaper with headlines that hurt instead of help. Jacey’s determined to keep her father’s legacy alive and make the team successful, but while she has no problem denying her feelings to the media, she can’t lie to herself.

Carter Phlynn has known nothing but hockey his entire life. Drafted into the NHL at age eighteen, winning the Stanley Cup is all he’s ever wanted. Nothing has ever disrupted his focus. Not until he meets his new boss. Jacey gets under his skin like no one else, and while dating the team owner would be a disaster for his career and reputation, he can’t get her out of his head. Carter has never had a relationship last more than a month, but the more he’s around Jacey, the more he can’t picture his future without her.

THE INTERVIEW

What is ON THE FLY about?

On the Fly is as much a love letter to hockey as it is a romance between the hero and heroine. I’ve been passionate about the sport for a long time, and in my first novel, I wanted to combine it with my love of happily ever afters. Readers need not be hockey fans when they start the book, but I hope they feel some love of the game by the end!

Tell us a bit more about the hero/heroine in ON THE FLY

I wanted to drop my heroine, Jacey, in a traditionally male career field and let her shine. She stumbles, but she learns fast. She’s strong, independent, and determined. She’s used to taking care of everyone around her and being the rock. It’s hard for her to be vulnerable, which makes her journey there all the more rewarding.

As captain of his team and the golden boy of the NHL, Carter has a good dose of Alpha male, but he doesn’t let his ego get in the way. He doesn’t brood. He knows what he wants and goes for it. He’s not used to opening up emotionally, but he doesn’t shy away from it when he meets Jacey.

How did you research ON THE FLY?

Lots of hockey games! Best research ever. I’d take a notebook and write down little details that meant a lot to me. For example, goalies are the most superstitious of the bunch, so they have rituals they always do. In On the Fly, I describe my goalie at the start of a game. He crosses himself, taps his stick against each side of the goal then hops down into a crouch. I watched a local goalie do that every game throughout a season and thought it was charming. I sat close to the players’ bench, so when I describe the knock-you-down sweat sock smell, it’s accurate. It was important to me to really bring the game alive in my book.

Is ON THE FLY the first in a series or a stand alone novel?

On the Fly is the first in the Las Vegas Sinners series. I’m working on the second book, Full Strength, which follows the goalie, Shane Reese, who is injured before playoffs and handles it so badly he has to see the new team sports psychologist, Allie Kallen. Allie played goalie for her college soccer team until she was injured, so she can relate to Shane better than anyone. Still, they bump heads and have a teasing, tenuous relationship. They can’t be together as long as he’s her patient.

When and where is your favourite time to write?

I like to write on the sun porch in the afternoon/early evening. I’m not a morning person, and I get too sleepy late at night to focus. More than anything, I need quiet to write, and that can be hard to come by!

When did you decide to become a writer?

It wasn’t really a conscious decision. When I was twelve, I started to write X-Files romantic fan fiction. From there, it was a short step to writing my own characters. I did this as a hobby as I planned to become a doctor. Then I took Chem 2 in my junior year of high school and realized I was going against my grain. My real talent and happiness lie in writing, so for my undergrad I majored in Professional Writing and Editing. I wanted to teach, so I got an MA in English. The research papers showed me how much I wanted to focus on fiction, and now I’m graduating with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction On the Fly is my thesis novel.

What was the last book you enjoyed and why?

I just devoured Rachel Caine’s Fall of Night, book 14 in her Morganville Vampires series. I don’t read a lot of YA, but I’m addicted to anything Caine writes. She’s a masterful plotter, and her characters are kickass! Her Weather Warden series is my favorite.

Which authors do you admire?

Rachel Caine as you know Also, Michael Crichton for his wild imagination, attention to detail, and characters worthy of the title “hero”. Jonathan Kellerman for his skill in writing a long-running series. His characters feel like family, and I’ve loved seeing them grow. Janet Evanovich’s humor inspires me, and I try to include that kind of cheeky style in my writing. Dean Koontz for his character Odd Thomas, the most endearing, humble, brave and self-aware character I’ve ever read.

Describe yourself in five words.

Hopeful, dreamer, loving, thoughtful, dedicated.

What’s next?

Before Full Strength comes out, I’m also working on a Sinners short story called Vegas Vows. If it doesn’t appear in a sports anthology romance, I’ll post it to my blog

KATIE KENYHERCZ ONLINE

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The Goddess is the first part in the Idol series, a new trilogy by romance writer Robyn Grady.

This is the first time I have read any of her books and so I had no expectations, other than this was a contemporary romance and that the cover was quite pretty.

The book is about an American girl called Helene Masters, who is on a working holiday on an Island in an Aegean Kingdom, and for some inexplicable reason has been tasked with painting the Prince’s villa on his secluded Island. Through a happy accident she meets Darius Vasily who is the Prince (soon to be King) of Teirenius. Tradition requires Darius to spend a week alone on the Island, only he can’t seem to find it in him to make Helene leave, so offers her a job as his cook and cleaner for the week.

I realise that the author had a lot to squeeze into 205 pages and maybe that’s why the first 15 pages were so full of descriptive cheesiness, for example within the first 3 pages we’ve learnt that his voice was “like black velvet whispering over a stretch of bare skin” and that his eyes “flashed like black diamonds glittering in late-summer sunshine”. It was all a bit too much to take in at first, but once the story got going and the attraction and romance between Helene and Darius blossomed, it was a much sweeter book.

The main problem I had was that the characters just didn’t really excite me. Darius is portrayed as a strong, slightly arrogant man, but he’s got a good, kind streak, and Helene is simply beautiful and very nice. I like my characters to have a bit of bite, sass and grit to them, especially the hero. The only character that I really liked was Thalia, the Prince’s sister, who had fallen in love with a servant. I’m wondering if Thalia’s story will be the subject of a future book as her story was left open.

“The Goddess” of the title refers to a fertility figurine which has the power to “seduce and hypnotize”, and plays to the slightly paranormal side of the book. It is set up well to contribute to a pregnancy scare chain of events within the plot. The Goddess is hidden on the secluded Island where Darius and Helene are staying, but when Darius heads back to his palace he’s supposed to take it with him until he’s had a Son. It’s a good idea, and considering the whole plot is created around The Goddess figurine, it does its job quite well by remaining mysterious and intriguing throughout.

VERDICT:

So yes, all in all Robyn Grady did fit quite a lot of story and sex into her 205 pages, I was happy with the ending and it was a nice diversion to read during my commute but there were no real surprises. Although I quite liked certain characters there wasn’t much development, I couldn’t really tell you much about them except that the hero is a handsome Prince and the heroine is a pretty American. If you’re looking for a quick read and a little bit of light escapism with a sweet love story then maybe this book is for you. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it had been filled out a bit and it was a couple of hundred pages longer, as I enjoyed the author’s writing. However, on the strength of this book alone, I don’t think I’d read the rest of the series.

RATING: 

ROBYN GRADY ONLINE
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Helen Arnold - Key Account Manager

I always wanted to work in book publishing, but I realised very early on into a month or so of work experience post-university that I lacked the patience to be an Editor! I also couldn’t get used to the papercuts that are an occupational hazard of working with big manuscripts all day long. What I do have, however, is an energetic approach to organisation and the endless enthusiasm (and sharp listening skills) of a Labrador. I’ll admit I’m also ever-so-slightly ruthless and money-driven – in other words, exactly the kind of person you’d want pitching your book to retailers! Being an Account Manager in the UK Sales team I work really with High Street and Supermarket shops to get bestselling books into the hands of their customers, and I get a buzz from seeing a book that I’ve pitched finally end up on shelves at the front of stores or in shop windows – without a Sales team, those books wouldn’t get there. Not to mention seeing them climb the Bestseller Charts, and in the hands of commuters!

I show new books to retailers about 6 months in advance of you seeing them in shops, but I’m really lucky to be involved in the process of making a book long before that. It’s so exciting to be part of an author meeting, where we convince writers that Random House is the right home for the manuscript they’ve slaved over and they should chose us to bring it into being as a finished book. Reading early manuscripts is probably the biggest perk of my job, it’s a privilege to be one of the first people to read something really special that goes on to become a best-loved book for lots of people. Then starts the fun process of looking at jacket designs and working with our Marketing and PR teams to put together exciting plans for each book. With last year’s huge boom in the “adult” romance genre post-Fifty Shades, we repackaged some of the all-time bestselling erotica titles from our Black Lace imprint. At first there was a lot of blushing and laughing in meetings to the discuss cover art or the blurb, with all the BDSM terminology flying around (our poor editor having to explain some of the more “niche” phrases to uninitiated colleagues has to be in my top five moments of 2012) but we soon got comfortable with it – as did the Great British public, who pushed our books up into the Bestseller lists.

You’ve probably already heard the buzz about New Adult, which is the genre that will dominate 2013 – in a nutshell, New Adult is YA’s older, cooler, sexier sister. It’ll sneak you the odd cigarette or bottle of booze, let you tag along to parties, and you’ll have a raging crush on all the guys New Adult knows. It’s yet to hit the UK in a big way, but has been storming the American bestseller charts since Autumn last year and by your summer holiday, you’re bound to have something New Adult as your beach read. Retailers are very sharp at picking up on new trends, always hunting for the next big breakout title and this Summer they’re backing our hilarious new novel Losing It from Cora Carmack, which is out on 28th March. I’ve had members of the books buying teams telling me how they were laughing out loud reading Losing It on packed trains, and it will have you doing the same, so keep your eye out for copies in a bookstore near you very soon!

With such amazing series like Twilight and the Sookie Stackhouse mysteries putting Young Adult books on the map a couple of years ago, it’s inevitable that the influence of paranormal fiction will be part of the New Adult-shaped future. Twenty- and thirty-somethings have been spending time in the company of vampires and werewolves for years, but our new obsession is set to be ghosts with the transfixing The Lost Boys. Our Commissioning Editor spotted author Lilian Carmine on the online author community Wattpad where The Lost Boys was first published, while she was racking up over 30 million hits, and quickly snapped the rights. Wattpad and other similar websites are fast becoming a new way for publishing houses to discover new authors and connect with their burgeoning fan bases. Lilian’s fan are clamouring for the physical publication of the book since it was taken down from the site to start the editing process with us in house, which is due to be re-released in Autumn 2013 – perfect timing for a Halloween romance. So many people are already fans of the book that the build-up to revealing the cover is mounting, and it puts such a cheeky grin on our faces to know how the top-secret designs are taking shape. But I’m giving away nothing, you’ll have to endure some more suspense!

www.eburypublishing.co.uk | @eburypublishing | www.blacklace.co.uk | @BlackLaceBooks

GIVEAWAY

We have TEN (10) copies of Losing It and TEN (10) copies of The Accidental Call Girl to give away thanks to Ebury and Black Lace. This giveaway is open to the UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) and ends 31st May 2013. Please leave a comment to enter.

PLEASE NOTE: Before entering the giveaway please take the time to read our Giveaway Policy. We do not contact giveaway winner/s. Winner/s are announced in our Weekly Roundup post, which is published on Sunday’s, with instructions on how to claim your prize. Failure to claim your prize within SEVEN (7) days of the announcement post means you will forfeit your prize/s. So as to not miss these announcement posts, as well as future giveaways, subscribe via RSS or Email.

The Wird sisters are just a bunch of normal girls; apart from the fact that they are a group of grown sisters who all live together –  and they have been endowed with powers that make them stronger and more vulnerable all at the same time. They eventually stop trying to live among humans and move in with the supernatural being in Lake Tahoe, but it’s not long before their presence is causing a stir.

When I first read the synopsis for this novella, I thought it sounded interesting although I assumed that it was YA for some reason. I think the themes of isolation lends itself to that genre, although being a group of hitherto unknown supernatural beings will apparently have that affect on you too. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of strong, relatively mature, female characters who know both their strengths and their weaknesses, and are able to utilise them to survive.

Celia Wird is the main character and the story is told in the first person from her point of view. She is the oldest of the sisters, and has had to look after her siblings since their parents were killed by the same curse that ‘gifted’ them with their powers. She is perfectly comfortable in her role of protector, but that is really all that she knows how to do. When we first meet her she is at a bar with her sisters and lamenting the fact that the men who fall all over her sisters all see the predator inside her. There isn’t much time for that however, as pretty soon she is having to do what she does best and defend her sisters against an attack from the local witch coven. The fight that follows is action-packed and filled with Buffy-worthy attitude and observations – but it doesn’t end there. Soon enough the coven is after the sisters, with a view to getting them out of their city – or worse. Celia lives up to her nature and takes the burden of the challenge on herself, falling victim to numerous attacks and illusions by the witches.

The witches were well-portrayed as the enemy, with both their own set of rules and also the over-arching rules of the supernatural society governing them. They weren’t depicted as an evil race, which I found refreshing as that is something which is often used in UF, but were made up of a mixture of good and bad, just like normal people. The fight between the witches and the sisters starts over some small slight that the witches offer to Emme (the shy sister), and blows up out of all proportion, but it is indicative of the lengths the sisters will go to in order to protect their each other – which is, as much as their powers,  a direct result of the events of their childhood.

The sisters all go well together, but they’re all rather one-dimensional in the way they are described such as shy, flirtatious – or in the case of Celia, predatory. It’s not that big of an issue because this is a novella, and having already read the first full-length novel in the series I can safely say that the characters are developed more,  but it would have been nice to get to know more about  Emme, Taran and Shayna from the start.

The world that is being introduced isn’t overpowering in its differences, which is one of the main issues that new urban fantasy series’ often have. Like many UF novels, it’s actually set in the human world, although the Lake Tahoe within its pages holds more than its share of supernatural beings. Shifters, vampires and obviously witches, all live there, although we don’t see a lot of the other two species in the novella, which was a bit of a disappointment. To be totally honest, I think there could have stood to be slightly more world-building in the novella, as the story was fairly straight forward and could have stood a bit of bulking up. It wasn’t that the story was boring or anything like that: it was a good introduction to the dynamics of the sisters’ relationship and the world they live in, but I think the author could have utilised the opportunity more.

One of my favourite things about The Weird Girls was the tone. It was funny throughout, and Celia managed to be dry even when bad things were going on around her. The humour helped to lift the story, which would have been a little too bland and straight-forward without it.

VERDICT:

All in all, The Weird Girls was a quick and enjoyable read that made me want to read the next one. My preference is generally for novels and that remains true in this case. Although it was interesting enough to keep me reading, I don’t think it was really needed as an introduction. After reading the next in the series, Sealed With a Curse, I found that the events don’t lead directly on from each other, and there are a completely new set of characters in the second book, which could have been introduced in the novella. However, based purely on its own merits, The Weird Girls is one of the better novellas that I have read, and it did make me want to carry on with the series.

RATING:

CECY ROBSON ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER

• 0.5 The Weird Girls
• 1. Sealed With a Curse
• 2. A Cursed Embrace

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Thoughtful Ramblings is where we discuss bookish topics. Ones that have us all hot and bothered and we need a good rant to air our grievances or topics that have us all thoughtful and we just need to have a bit of a ramble…

Are You a Fan of the Anti-Hero/Heroine?

For me, the short answer is yes. I love anti-heroes and heroines. I also like more traditional leads but I get more satisfaction from a book when the lead character could be considered morally grey and has to overcome more than just external hurdles.

There is a trend in television for anti-heroes/heroines. For instance, I’m an avid watcher of Nurse Jackie, Dexter, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones, all of which contain characters who are capable of doing bad things for selfish reasons. I like these characters because I feel they are more realistic. There are very few people in the world who are completely good or completely evil, I like the fluidity of a moral scale.

Now in books I think my favourite recent anti-hero was Costain from Paul Cornell’s London Falling. Costain is an undercover policeman who seems to like his role as villian a little bit too much. I like the fact he is conflicted, you are never sure whether he is going to turn his back on his unit, or come through for them. I like that kind of uncertainty. Likewise, author Raven Dane has a talent for writing really engaging bad boy characters. Cyrus Darian, her Steampunk hedonistic necromancer, is only out for himself but he wins you over even as he is picking your pocket.

But what about the anti-heroine? They seen to be few and far between. I realised this as I made a list of all the anti-heroes I liked. The list for female leads with flaws seems to be rather shorter. The only one who sprang to mind was Chess from the Downside Ghosts series. Chess is a Witch who works for the church, but is also a drug addict and is involve with the local drug dealers and their gangs.

I heard Stacia Kane speak on a panel at a recent convention I attended and she revealed that she gets a lot of flack because her lead female character is a drug addict and isn’t a straight forward heroine. Flaws that we celebrate, or at least take at face value, in a male character are not accepted so readily in a female character – or at least it seems that way. For instance one of my favourite anti-heroes of the moment is Jaime Lannister from George R R Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series. He is the Kingslayer, tries to murder a child and has an incestuous relationship with his twin sister. Yet he has a very strong, albeit warped, moral compass which makes his character interesting. Cersei, his twin, is conniving and a much more political animal, her main motivation is gaining power and will stop at nothing to  protect her children and her position. But a lot of readers find her repellent, and I’m not sure if it is because we don’t expect female characters to behave in such a calculating way.

So, can we have more anti-heroines please? I think we as readers are being short-changed with the  lack of female leads who are trying to overcome their flaws. We see heroines who are survivors and those that are tough, but there seems to be fewer female characters who are fighting flaws as well as bad guys. We need to see more of these type of characters because they challenge us as readers and, in my case, I enjoy reading about the internal struggles as well as the external ones.

So are you a fan of the anti-hero/heroine? And, maybe more importantly, can you recommend a few more anti-heroines?

I love vampire books so when Blood Song came up for review, described as Game of Thrones crossed with Twilight, I jumped at the chance to read it. What I found was a new twist on vampires in a dark fantasy world, but I don’t think it can be compared to either book.

Blood Song opened in a typical fairy story fashion: widowed mother, Queen Renata, who had used up the family fortune, desired that her two daughters, Lillith and Fina, married well, enabling her to keep their estate and position in life.

The grounds of the Amentine palace were once the most magnificent in all southern Brivora. Now, they have fallen into repair. As the wealth of the house of Amentia trickled away over many generations, so too did the magnificence of the palace.

The book is written from main protagonist Fina’s point of view. Fina is the youngest daughter, and something happened to her when she was a baby, saving her life. This caused Fina to change and now looks quite different from her mother and older sister - whereas they have fair colouring, Fina is dark with striking ice blue eyes. Fina also keeps a secret, she dreams about blood!

Not knowing what has caused these differences gives the basis of the plot, as Fina has feelings and desires that she doesn’t understand, knowing that her mother is keeping secrets about what happened while she was a baby, and she seeks to find the answers and find out who she is.

When Lillith, Fina’s older sister, receives the devastating news that her fiancé has died, Renata needs to find a replacement rich husband for her daughter quickly. The pickings are quite slim and the family travel north to meet with a royal family in Pergamia.

Fina is inexplicably drawn north and feels a connection there that she doesn’t understand. She feels the pull of the blood song, and this is where the plot became interesting and where she discovers more about herself.

Fina is quite a feisty girl, and her mother is underhand at times but always seems to get her way. The clash of these two characters was enjoyable and we see Fina grow in strength as she stands up to her mother. There is also another whom Fina seems to get into some banter with, and I liked the development of this relationship between her and Rodden.

Rodden is an important person within Pergamia, although not royalty and definitely someone of whom Renata disapproves of. He becomes someone whom Fina can trust, and he also knows some answers to help her understand who she is. With his help Fina discovers the truth and when things get tough they strengthen each other, especially as they find themselves in enemy territory.

As the story unfolded, I found myself more engrossed. I liked the little twists, the romance, the different type of vampire creature and the dark fantasy world, which came across a little medieval and was rounded off nicely with action, gore and violence.

A simple, easy read that was enjoyable and just what I needed to get me out of a little reading slump.

VERDICT:

Blood Song is a light, quick, yet enjoyable read with a new twist on vampires, some gore and a brewing romance. The writing is simple and flows well, making it easy to turn the pages. It’s not a book that will stay with you though, as I found recalling it to write a review difficult. However, it is a good book to get you out of a reading slump, as not a lot of thought is required, yet I still found it entertaining. I would recommend this one for under 16’s, especially as Fina’s experience reflects that age and maturity.

RATING: 

RHIANNON HART ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER

1. Blood Song
2. Blood Storm
3. Blood Queen

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Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1)

Release Date: June 2013 | Publisher: Penguin | Genre: Urban Fantasy

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America. Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders and soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

RICHELLE MEAD ONLINE
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The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James

When it comes to Urban Fantasy or even Paranormal Romance, it is becoming ever more difficult to find a book with a truly unique hook. For me, Sandy James’ series Alliance of the Amazons is one of those rare gems. Instead of the usual Vampires, Werewolves and Fae (along with those that hunt them), this series is all about a group of four women taking on the mantle of “Amazon” and serving their respective Goddesses element (Earth, Fire, Air, Water) in the fight against Zombies (or revenants as they are called).

The first book in the series, The Reluctant Amazon, is all about Rebecca Matthews, a school teacher and her personal journey in picking up the mantle of being the Earth Amazon. We find that in every generation there is woman who is born with the potential to becoming an Amazon. They will only be called upon if the balance between good and evil is thrown off.

On her wedding day, Rebecca not only gets jilted at the alter by her mamma’s boy fiancé, she also ends up finding out her destiny from the sexy Sentinal/Trainer/300 year-old Highland Warrior, Artair and the Amazons’ guardian, Sparks, who is the previous generation’s Fire Amazon. It seems that along with the previous Air Amazon, Maria, dying during battle, a number of blonde girls have gone missing and the other two Amazons, Heather (Earth) and Trishna (Water), can’t be found. It is up to Artair, Sparks and the new recruits to get to the bottom of who is causing this balance shift and stop them.

This was a book that I couldn’t put down. With each chapter I grew more and more engrossed in the universe that James had created. True, some of the themes and plots (such as the empowering of seemingly normal women) have been covered and explored before in many other formats as well as books, but this was inconsequential. At the heart of this book still remains its vast and different characters.

Since this is effectively Artair and Rebecca’s book, the focus is firmly on them and their story. However, that doesn’t mean that the other characters such as Rebecca’s sister Amazons Megan, Trishna and Gina are not changed, and by the end you do see that they have been evolved by the events in this book.

The overall story arc of some off screen Super-villain is cleverly constructed and for most part of the book you are under the impression that it is in fact one of a number of disgruntled Demigods or ancient powers that is behind this latest attack. In fact, in true Super-villain fashion the prime suspect makes themselves known in a very public way, almost taunting the Amazons with their brilliance. I admit, I did believe that it was this person who was the true mastermind behind this scheme, but when the curtain is thrown back to show the true puppet master and more to the point the motivations for this play for power… Well let’s just say it did take me by surprise. This person was on my suspect list as helping the fake villain and I didn’t expect them to be the head honcho of devilish plans.

This plotline is simmering in the background, while the majority of the book is concentrated on the training of Rebecca and Megan. The difference in personalities is evident, but the bond that is often talked about in books like this is very clear to see, with the little things that each woman does for the other. It is a pleasure to watch these two strangers form a very strong sisterly bond, right from their first meeting in the bar that Megan worked at. They are not rivals for the affections of some male (Though it is very evident from the time that Artair crashed Rebecca’s wedding that these two would end up together). This is the sisterhood that we all dream of having. Yes, you may fall out and there are the inevitable conflicts of personalities, but this group proves that you can transcend all that for the greater good.

Rebecca travels the furthest in this book personally. Since she is the Earth Amazon, she seems the most maternal of the others in the group. Rebecca is always concerned for Megan and the two changelings Beagan and Dolan, who take care of the Amazons’ every need. She makes sure that each of them, especially the Changelings, feel her appreciation for all the help they give her. Rebecca takes her role in the grand scheme of things very seriously, especially as her own Goddess, Rhiannon, doesn’t rate her very highly compared to the previous Earth Amazons (Each Amazon has their own designated Goddess. Earth has Rhiannon, Fire has Freya, Water has Ganga and Air has Ix Chel). This lack of confidence just makes Rebecca try harder to not be a failure to those before her. In the end Rebecca more than proves that she deserves her place as an Amazon.

As for her love interest, Artair, he is definitely the fish out of water when he isn’t within the sanctuary of the Amazon’s training grounds, Avalon (Yup, that Avalon!). Artair has been training the Amazons for over three hundred years and, although he is still doing an excellent job with all the physical aspects of being an Amazon such as fighting and physical endurance, when he is tasked with calling up the next generation of Amazons he has effectively just handed in his notice.

However, he begins to question how he could settle into the modern world since it has changed so much from when he lived there. This is partly down to the new Sentinel/trainer, Johann, showing how much their enemy had adapted to the modern world. Artair’s growing attraction and feelings for Rebecca also make it much more difficult for him to return to the mortal world. The fact that Rhiannon has a major crush on Artair as he reminds her of her Arthur (Yes, King Arthur of Camelot), means that he has to tread carefully. The more time he spends with her, the more he realises he is falling in love with her.

As this is a PNR, it is a sure thing that both Artair and Rebecca will manage to overcome these, along with other obstacles, along the way. Their mutual attraction just jumps off the page and you can’t help but root for these two. They just seem so well matched that when it looks like they are about to be ripped apart, you do scream “NO!” (OK, that was me!).

As I said earlier, there is some character development for the other Amazons, but I expect that they will be explored more intently in their own books. With Megan, the Fire Amazon, being next, it’s sure to be a scorching read, especially given the chemistry she has with the new Sentinel, Johann.

VERDICT:

Though part of the overall plot was solved and partially resolved, there is still plenty of fuel for this to continue in the next books. James has constructed a world that is complex and rich in its own mythology. The idea of feuding Gods and Goddesses isn’t new, but James has made it her own. Having Hindi, Pagan, Roman, Greek and many other cultures’ Deities makes it interesting. You can tell that though they are allied for the common good, it doesn’t mean that they like each other.

The Reluctant Amazon is a great start to a promising series, especially for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Vicki Peterson’s Signs of the Zodiac series. There is the perfect balance of action-packed fights and romance between the star-crossed lovers.

RATING:

SANDY JAMES ONLINE
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BOOKS IN SERIES ORDER

1. The Reluctant Amazon
2. The Impetuous Amazon
3. The Brazen Amazon
4. The Volatile Amazon

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Rachael Hamilton is a post-grad living in Brooklyn, New York. She is an unpaid intern for Mapel&Co publishing and she scrapes together her rent money by working for an agency doing exhilarating tasks such as photocopying. On a night out with her flatmate Eva (theatre buff and star of Pride and Prejudice – The Musical! We all have on of those eccentric friends), she ends up loosing her group and gate crashing the Leopards start of the season party and catching Ryan Carter in a very awkward situation indeed.

Ryan Carter is the golden boy of the Leopards. The quarter back makes women and teens squeal all across the states. However, he doesn’t seem to have the same affect on Rachael as she hasn’t even got a clue about who he is. Even though he initially comes across as your typical jock, there is more to him than meets the eye. Definitely an aspect that I like to see in a character.

Rush Me is a new adult romance which follows the most unlikely couple that is Ryan and Rachael  Out of our two main characters Ryan is definitely the one I favour the most. Initially, I did get on with Rachael. I found her hilarious with her sarcasm, whit and sass. After a while though she started to grind on me. She came across as quite judgemental at some points especially when it came to Ryan, she sees him as a dumb jock until quite late on in the novel. She also talks about barriers when it comes to relationships and how she finds it difficult to lower them. The only reason I found that she had barrier was down to the fact that her ex had joined the church and become a priest after he split up with her. I was hoping for something a little deeper when it came to a justification, however, I did find it hilarious so it didn’t take away from the read too much.

I adored Ryan as our male main character. He did initially come across as a your typical jock, but there is so much more to him. I was as surprised as Rachael when we found out that he did Military History at college. He has a tragic past which has put to good use which makes him more endearing as a character. Together they make a fabulous couple. There is definitely a huge case of opposites attract. They may be from opposite ends of the spectrum but when it comes down to it they both have the same morals and values which define them as people and characters.

The romance in general was very well executed. There is nothing worst when it comes to reading a novel and two characters practically hate each other (like Ryan and Rachael do/did) and then all of a sudden they are in love. There was a gradual build up with every aspect. We as readers, also got to see the ending they deserved.

We had a few sub plots and characters to keep up with. Malcolm and Bri being one of them. I loved how Bri aids Rachael when it comes to her relationship with Ryan and how Rachael helps Bri when it comes to Malcolm. Even though they weren’t the main couple of the novel I genuinely did care for them, their happiness and their ending. We then have Abe. The person from the team who attaches to Rachael.  When I read the synopsis I thought he was going to be the third piece in a love triangle *eye roll!*. This is definitely not the case. The reason they become such good friends is down to the fact that they are both Jewish. It is more a brother-sister relationship that was formed. Abe was one one of my favourite characters. He is so young, innocent and puppy like. I found his attachment to Rachael so sweet and adorable.

One of the conflicts I enjoyed the most in the novel was that between Sophie and Rachael. Straight from the off I wanted to despise her. Upon reading the synopsis I thought that she must be vile. A high school bully dating my brother was my worst nightmare came true. When the pair confronted each other the outcome intrigued me. As people, I think our memories have a nasty tendency of being very selective. Things are never as they seem and the wrong doings that people do to us tend to make the fact that you may have done something wrong in the first place disappear.

VERDICT:

Overall this is a fabulously written novel. Everything flowed so well and there was no part that I found boring or that dragged. There is a great mix of characters and relationships. This is one of the best New Adult novels I have read so far. I will definitely be picking up more of Allison Parr’s work. I would recommend this to fans of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire.

RATING: 

ALLISON PARR ONLINE
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A different, rather grittier tale based on casinos was the fictionalized account of Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi. Casino was written in the 1970s and is based on the rather warped memoirs of an actual Vegas casino operator who ran with the mob. The twisted tale of the Stardust casino is the backdrop for this book and it shows a different side to the glitz and glamour associated with gaming. The book is unputdownable and the story of skimmed cash, betrayals, robberies and government investigations gone awry is captivating.

Oscar and Lucinda is possibly one of the best works of fiction that combines a sort of love affair with casino-style mystery and intrigue. For games of a similar calibre only top sites like www.bookofraspiel.de offer the same kind of entertainment as this great book. Written by Australian Peter Carey, the novel won the 1988 Booker Prize and it tells the story of two gamblers who meet on a ship and take a bet that will change their lives forever. It’s the diverse backgrounds of the gamblers that make the book so intriguing and show how a simple bet can change everything.

Cindy Blake enters the gambling arena with a charming novel called It’s My Party that features a hard and fast look at the competitive worlds of gambling, love and business. The main character is a successful businesswoman by day, and a ruthless poker player at night, but her bets on love have always been a flop. The novel is a light-hearted, riotous look at gambling and how keeping your cards close to your chest isn’t always better.

There are hundreds of great casino stories out there but these are definitely the best novels of all time. Classic or contemporary, they offer gripping reading and are unputdownable .

Nina Douglas – Senior Publicity Manager

Hello! My name is Nina Douglas and I head up the PR for Indigo (Orion’s YA list) and Orion Children’s Books. I work with another publicist – to date this has been a press officer, but I’m thrilled that I’m now in the process of recruiting someone with more experience to work for me! We sit within the Orion Group General Division PR team, which is seven publicists in total and also as a part of the Orion Children’s/ Indigo team, which is also around seven people covering editorial and rights working exclusively on those lists. Marketing, sales, export, production and design are all part of the main group departments and cover more than just children’s and YA books within their roles. In short, we’re a small dedicated team, within a larger dedicated team at Orion on Upper St Martin’s Lane.

My job changes every day; I’ve been working in books PR almost since I left university (UEA) and have just about reached my ten year anniversary in the industry, which is a frightening thought. Both everything and nothing has changed in that time – we work hard at ensuring that we find the opportunities to get our authors, and their work out there and in front of the right audiences in as many ways as possible. The digital world has really opened up the possibilities for a children’s/ YA books publicist. We work hard at talking to readers where they like to spend time and are constantly looking at new ways to engage. This is especially key as traditional media space – which could be tough to crack for a children’s or YA author anyway –for books seems to shrink away before our eyes (though thankfully there are many outlets that buck that trend). Alongside marketing, and in particular the brilliant Jen who looks after the Indigo list, we currently are building our YA communities alongside our sister list at Gollancz. We have just started a new Tumblr and Pinterest to add to our communities on Facebook has been established for quite some time and we have a growing and enthusiastic army of readers and reviewers there) and Twitter (@the_orionstar, @fiercefiction, @ninadouglas).

If I could wish for something, it would be a time turner (Hermione-style) as there never seems to be enough time to do all that we would want to do. Any random day could see us working away (either literally at an event, or for an event) at festivals, launch readings, awards, conferences, special events, press and media pitching, blog tour creation, writing materials, blog posts (I’ve just started guest posting on the Gollancz blog too – www.gollancz.co.uk), planning, budgeting, reporting back, in journalist meetings… the list could go on and on. So if anyone happens to have a time-tuner contact… you know where to find me.

2013 has an amazing list of books to tempt readers. Here are my Indigo (and a Gollancz) picks through to the early summer and one or two later titles to look out for…

HALF LIVES – Sara Grant

Dystopian settings allow for discussion of big issues wrapped in fast paced adventures, in this highly original second novel from Sara Grant including communication to the future and faith. (May)

@authorsaragrant

SHADOW & BONE and SIEGE & STORM – Leigh Bardugo

Optioned for film by DREAMWORKS and DAVID HEYMAN (say no more!) this epic, Russian inspired fantasy has already captured the hearts, minds and creative instincts of an army of fans. A New York Times bestseller, a coming of age adventure, a wonderful and complete other world, and one of the most compelling villains you will have read in a long time.  Shadow & Bone was previously The Gathering Dark in the UK, but from the paperback will have a global identity (one of my books of 2012) (June) @lbardugo

POISON, CHARM and BEAUTY – Sarah Pinborough

I truly cannot think of anyone better to twist and subvert a reader’s expectations of fairy tales. Just wait til you read Poison… Sarah Pinborough kept me entirely enthralled; I raced through the first story in one ‘over-far-too-soon’ sitting – brilliantly done.  (April onwards)

@SarahPinborough

DANCE OF THE RED DEATH – Bethany Griffin

The second part of the adventure that began in MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH – the Edgar Allan Poe inspired dark and debauched dystopian tale. Araby Worth has some very difficult decisions to make and I can’t wait to find out where they take her…

@bethanygriffin

IF YOU FIND ME – Emily Murdoch

Three words: just read it. Powerful, heartbreaking, real – not a genre book, but an incredible read and stunning debut. (May)

@leftywritey

Brief mentions also must go out to KETCHUP CLOUDS (out in paperback in July) by Annabel Pitcher (@apitcherauthor) – a wonderful tale of secrets, lies, guilt and murder. To SOUL STORM (August) by Kate Harrison(@katewritesbooks) – the brilliant Black-Mirror-esque take on our current obsession with social media and celebrity, and a murder mystery sustained over three books! To CRUEL SUMMER (August)– the new novel inspired by Point Horror by the first ever male Queen of Teen nominee, James Dawson (@_jamesdawson). To HAZE, the second book in the wonderful REPHAIM series by Australian YA author Paula Weston (@paulaweston). To the highly anticipated new YA, THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN (September) by Holly Black (@hollyblack). And finally to SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE (October) – something really quite different from the master of gothic, Marcus Sedgwick (@marcusedgwick).

Thanks for indulging my super long list of recommends – and hope to meet some of you on twitter, facebook, tumblr…

GIVEAWAY

We have TWO (2) sets of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and If You Find me by Emily Murdoch to give away. This giveaway is open to UK Residents only and ends 31st May 2013. Please leave a comment to enter.

PLEASE NOTE: Before entering the giveaway please take the time to read our Giveaway Policy. We do not contact giveaway winner/s. Winner/s are announced in our Weekly Roundup post, which is published on Sunday’s, with instructions on how to claim your prize. Failure to claim your prize within SEVEN (7) days of the announcement post means you will forfeit your prize/s. So as to not miss these announcement posts, as well as future giveaways, subscribe via RSS or Email.

When I heard that Richelle Mead was releasing a new series, I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait to get my hands on it, even though I had no idea what it was about. Gameboard of the Gods is a sexy and violent adult dystopian novel, with an undercurrent of paranormal activity and mythology, lots of action and a slow-revealed mystery that didn’t disappoint.

Written from the point of view of three characters: Mae, a Praetorian super soldier; Justin, an exiled servitor; and Tessa, a teenage prodigy, giving very different and entertaining perspectives of this new world based in a divided America, where religion along with genetic deformation and class division brought about a dystopian society, or the Decline.

The RUNA held three things responsible for the Decline: biological manipulation, religion and cultural separatism. All of the early genetic mixing had gone a long way to stamp out group solidarity, and the loose Greco-Roman models the country had adopted had provided a new, all-encompassing culture that everyone could be a part of.

I have to admit that I was uncertain of this book at first. Mae is a volatile super soldier, cold and deadly; Justin is a drunk and drugged-up womanizer who hears voices in his head. These voices were distracting at first, me being me, thought it was a person he was having a conversation with, until he was alone and still talking to the voices, Horatio and Magnus, often referring to them as the ravens.

However, timing is everything, and just as I was thinking ‘what did I miss, I need to start again’, Mead introduced a hot sex scene quite early on in the book. This was great for a couple of reasons: one, I instantly forgot about the voices and why they were there; two, once they realized who each other were the story became interesting and the sexual tension became intense. I spent the rest of the book waiting for another sexual encounter, whilst trying to work out the mysterious plot.

Justin is given a chance to return to the capital despite his exile so he can investigate murders, which may have something to do with a cult or religion. The investigation is dangerous and violent, and his bodyguard Mae may be more linked to the investigation than she ever realized.

Mead’s writing is full of humor, excitement, well-timed information release and amazing sexual tension that had me hooked from the off. If you enjoy Mead’s work and a fascinating mystery then this book is for you. With religion banned, the Gods are looking for humans to do their bidding, giving them powers, bringing many old and unknown Norse, Roman and Greek God myths to light.

Mead is fantastic at keeping you hooked, one more chapter is never just one more chapter. Each time a chapter comes to a close Mead adds more excitement, making my inquisitiveness get the better of me until my curiosity was piqued so much that I found myself at the end of a 464 page book at 5am, forgoing sleep. After reading Gameboard of the Gods, I’ve again remembered why Mead is one of my favourite authors and, as I have a long wait until the next book in her Age of X series, I will be picking up my TBR copy of The Indigo Spell from Mead’s Bloodlines series to keep me going.

VERDICT:

I was unable to put Gameboard of the Gods down, Mead sucked me in making me incapable of only reading one more chapter. As each chapter ended my curiosity got the better of me, demanding that I continued on until I found myself at 5am turning the last page. I can’t put my finger on why I felt that way, but mostly I think it’s Mead’s writing. In some ways her style is slow-burning, but it’s the intensity of the burn that grips me - just as you think you can put down her book she gives a slither of information that ignites the flame once again. A wonderful start to her new Age of X series, and I wish it wasn’t such a long wait until the next book is released.

RATING: 

RICHELLE MEAD ONLINE
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