Mixed Book Bag

Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference, 2012

2012-02-11T11:31:00.000-06:00

Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference

If you are a book blogger this is the conference for you. It is held over several days and you can participate live or the panels are recorded so you can listen later. I had been blogging for a little over two years but had not interacted with other bloggers when I attended last year. I learned so much from the conference. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced blogger this conference has something for everyone. I have already signed up for this year and blocked the days off on my calendar. I was glued to the computer last year afraid to miss one minute and I expect to be the same this year.

If you would Post the word on your blog. I heard about the conference last year when it was posted on a blog I visited.

Here is the body of the email I got announcing this years conference.

We wanted to give everyone a heads up that the Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference 2012 will be held March 7-12. We already have some great panelists lined up including Sue Grimshaw from Random House Romance, Jennifer Bonnell from Penguin YA editing, Lindsey Rudnickas from NetGalley, Kristin Lamb from Wana Consulting, Don Dauria from Samhain Publishing, Kate Lied from Bloomsbury Teen, Ariel Tachna from Dreamspinner Press, Danielle Poiesz from Book Country, to name just a few. You can find the tentatively scheduled panels at http://pacomediagroup.com/?p=45 .

Like previous Conferences, most panels will be recorded live with attendees able to listen in, call in and chat online with other attendees. The recorded panels will be available for approximately one month after the Conference has ended so you can listen again or catch any that you may have missed. A few of the panels will be pre-recorded based upon the availability of the panelists. If there is a specific topic you would like to hear please let us know.

Registration is now open at http://pacomediagroup.com/ . We have free books for all paying attendees generously donated by different publishers. In addition, we are giving away a group of books to one blogger who posts about the Conference, you can read the details on how to enter http://pacomediagroup.com/?p=91 .

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

2012-02-11T03:30:00.000-06:00

Fantasy

City of Dragons continues to follow the stunted Dragon's and misfit keepers struggle to find the dragons homeland. The main cast from the earlier books in this series are still here.

Sintara, a dragon queen, and the rest of the stunted dragons are still struggling to become the majestic creatures their memories tell them they should be. While Thymara and the rest of the outcasts assigned by the rainwild traders to tend the dragons, struggle with helping their dragons, they under go drastic changes to themselves.

As Alise Kinncannon Finbock, the Bingtown trader, continues to explore her obession with Dragons and Elderlings, and flee her loveless marriage, Ms Hobb expands the story from the Bingtown and Chalced side of the story, with Alise's husband Hess and bringing back Selden Vestrit from previous series.

The intriguing plots to make money off the dragons and their city by the rainwild traders, played against the struggle of the keepers and stunted dragons to grow into Elderlings and Dragons make this an interesting read if you aren't just looking for swords and sorcery in your fantasy reads.

Harper Voyager published City of Dragons by Robin Hobb in 2012.

Review by Doug Jones

Book Beginnings on Friday, February 10, 2012

2012-02-10T03:30:00.000-06:00

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Katy from A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

I am reading Seeds of Earth by Michael
Cobley. The book has a 2009 copyright but has not been released in the US. I read about it on another blog where they were lamenting the fact that it and the other two books in the series were still not available in the US. I ordered it used on Amazon from a seller in the UK. I expected to wait several weeks for it to come but it arrived in one week. This is Science Fiction Space Opera and I will write a review when I finish the book.

"Dusk was creeping in over the sea from the east as Greg Cameron walked Chel down to the zep station. The great mass of Giant's Shoulder loomed on the right side of the path, its shadowy darkness speckled with the tiny blue glows of ineka beetles, while a fenced-off sheer drop fell away to the left. The sky was cloudless, laying bare the starmist which swirled for ever through the upper atmosphere of Darien. Tonight it was a soft purple tinged with threads of roseate, a restful, slow-shifting ghost sky."

The Bastard by Brenda Novak

2012-02-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

Historical Romance

I requested an ARC of The Bastard by Brenda Novak from Netgalley. I had seen her contemporary books and wondered how she would fair with Historical Fiction.

The Bastard is set just after the French Revolution and features Jeannette Boucher a French beauty whose family has arrived in England penniless. She agrees to marry older man to save her family. On her wedding night she learns that he is impotent. He is planning to get an heir by selling to rights to her body to friends.

Jeannette escapes and stows away on a Royal Navy frigate. Crawford Treynor is a bastard who has worked his way up in the Royal Navy. He is drawn to Jeannette and helps her stay safe. They are attracted but neither wants marriage.

This one just did not do it for me. I almost put it down after the first few pages. It would briefly draw me in but then it would lose me again. The Bastard is an ebook and is only $2.99 at Amazon so it would not be that much to give it a try if you are a Novak fan.

Brenda Novak, Inc. published The Bastard by Brenda Novak in 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Only one book a year comes out in this series and I have been waiting almost a year for this one. It will be out in March and I have it pre-ordered.

When Maidens Mourn (Sebastian St. Cyr #7) by C. S. Harris

From Goodreads:

When Gabrielle Tennyson is murdered, aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his new reluctant bride, the fiercely independent Hero Jarvis, find themselves involved in an intrigue concerning the myth of King Arthur, Camelot, and a future poet laureate...:

Chain Reaction by Zoe Archer

2012-02-07T03:30:00.000-06:00

Science Fiction Romance

Chain Reaction is set in the same universe as Collision Course and contains some of the same characters. There is some world building in Chain Reaction and what there is does the job. If you want to know more about this universe you need to read both books.

This is pretty standard fair. Celene Jur is the top pilot in the elite 8^th Wing. Nils Calder is a tech-head in 8^th Wing engineering. Their paths would seldom cross but as fate has it both are needed to find and destroy a weapon that could spell the end of the 8^th Wing. There is danger, there is attraction, and there is action. I liked the story but I could have done with a little more action and a little less attraction. I know SFR needs romance and I like romance but I prefer it sprinkled into the action not the action sprinkled into the romance. But for all of that it is a good story with two very likeable main characters.

This universe has a lot to offer so I would guess we will see more stories about the 8^th Wing.

Carina Press published Chain Reaction by Zoe Archer in 2012.

I received a free copy of Chain Reaction from NetGalley.

Teaser Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T03:00:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser.

My Teaser today is from a book I got from Amazon Vine. Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea is by Sophia Nash. This is the first book I have read by this author and if the story continues to hold my attention it will not be the last.

""Well, so far it seems as if your've been living your husband's life story, not your own."

"Look, plans rarely work. Don't you know that by now?" Page 35

Musing Mondays Februrary 6, 2012

2012-02-06T06:33:00.003-06:00

This week’s musing asks…

Did you do any reading in lieu of watching the football game, yesterday, or were you foregoing reading to watch the game? If you read a book (or books) what did you choose?

I did a little of both. I am trying to finish Ghost of a Chance by Simon R. Green. It is the Science Fiction Book Club selection for February and we meet this Wednesday. I read during most of the game and watched when the commercials came on. Just the opposite of what I would usually do. Here in the Central Time Zone the Super Bowl ended just a Downton Abbey came on so I closed my book and watched. No reading during that program.

In My Mailbox, February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

In My Mail Box is hosted by The Story Siren and is an opportunity to share the books I get each week.

I got the following things in my mailbox this week.

From Amazon Vine:

Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophia Nash

Against The Light by Dave Duncan

Purchased from Amazon:

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens
Ghost of a Chance by Simon R Green
True Colors by Thea Harrison

Free ebooks from Amazon:

Majesty's Offspring by AJ Vega
Second Star by Dana Stabenew
Prophecy by TC Southwell
Farthest Space by Ellen Fisher
Snake Skin by CJ Lyons

Other Great Book Related Things:

I ordered a cover and other accessories for my new Kindle on EBay. Check out how nice the pink cover looks (the price was right so the color did not matter).

I received two gift cards from non-book sites; a $50.00 Amazon gift card and a $25.00 Barnes and Noble gift card. More happy reading.

Hex by Allen Steele

2012-02-04T03:30:00.000-06:00

Science Fiction

I like the Coyote series so I have to give Hex a mention. This is Space Opera with Coyote characters. It is not set on Coyote and is a side story to that universe.

The danui offer information about planet suitable for human life located in their star system. Coyote sends a ship to check it out. For conflict we have the Captain and her estranged son both on the ship. For further conflict once they get to the system them find no planet but a massive sphere orbiting the system. No one talks to them when they arrive so they just blunder in. Adventure and danger follow.

It is a good Space Opera and if you like Science Fiction I recommend you give it a try. It can be read as a stand-alone. For me I did not feel much connection to the Coyote series. Anyone who has followed the Coyote series will want to read the book. To me that was the main reason for it to be written. It was predictable but fun to read.

Berkley Published Hex by Allen Steele in 2011.

Book Beginnings on Friday Feburary 3, 2012

2012-02-03T04:00:00.000-06:00

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Katy from A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

In spite of trying to finish the book for our Science Fiction Book Club and another Amazon Vine book I put both down when this book arrived yesterday.

A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries is the last book in the Hellions of Halstead Hall Series. The mystery of who killed their parents has been running through the series so we should find out in this book. I had to start it as soon as it arrived to find the answer to the mystery. Here are the opening two sentences:

"When Bow Street Runner Jackson Pinter entered Halstead Hall's library, he wasn't surprised to find only one person there. He was early, and no one in the Sharpe family's ever early."

Boneyards by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

Science Fiction

Boneyards continues the story started in Diving into the Wreck and City of Ruins. I really like this series and Boneyards did not disappoint. Boss is back and so is the Dignity Vessel and crew she found in the last book. Coop, the Captain of the Dignity Vessel Ivoire, is looking for clues to location of the Fleet. He and Boss are exploring the locations of Sector Bases that were under construction when he and his crew got caught in foldspace and sent 5000 years back in time.

Coop wants to find the direction Fleet was traveling and hopes follow even if it will be years and a totally new crew when they catch up with the Fleet.

The Enterran Empire is still trying to find how to build the ancient stealth tech that was on Fleet vessels. They are looking at everything wrong and keep killing the people doing the research.Ivo Squishy was once part of that research and wants to put an end to people being accidently killed. Unknown to Boss she puts together a team to wipe out the Empire’s research.

Both of these actions collide with unexpected results. This was written so that it could be the last book in the series but I hope it is not. Boneyards is good old-fashioned space opera. There is action, suspense, great characters, and wonderful plot lines. The ending allows for further action or as a resolution for some of the characters. I will just have to wait and see if there will be further books.

PRY published Boneyards by Kristine Kathryn Rusch in 2012.

Just note – this is another book with a woman in a tank top on the cover. I guess they think that will help sales.

Captive Surrender by Linda Moone

2012-02-02T04:00:00.001-06:00

Science Fiction Romance

I read Captive Surrender several months ago and somehow missed writing a review. This is another book I received from NetGalley.

Captive Surrender is another human and alien romance. Maurra is a member of the Psi Police Corps. She goes to the aid of and alien being attached by a group of Kronners. Both she and Safan, the alien being attacked, are captured and held on the Kronners’ ship. There is more going on that meet the eye and Maurra and Safna must escape or be a part of a very sick plan.

Captive Surrender is a well-written and well-organized story. The sequence of events builds keeping the tension at a high level. Safan is a surprise as he is not what he first appears or what his appearance would lead you expect. Maurra has to find other ways to fight when her psi abilities are blocked but she rises to the occasion. Everything in Captive Surrender fits to make an entertaining story.

I enjoyed the story and hope to see more from Linda Mooney.

Carina Press published Captive Surrender by Linda Mooney in 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T04:00:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Road to Danger by David Drake, the latest in the RNC series. It is due out April 1, 2012. Here is what Baen Publishing has to say about The Road to Danger.

"Captain Daniel Leary with his friend—and spy—Officer Adele Mundy are sent to a quiet sector to carry out an easy task: helping the local admiral put down a coup before it takes place. But then the jealous admiral gets rid of them by sending them off on a wild goose chase to a sector where commerce is king and business is carried out by extortion and gunfights.

With anarchy and rebellion in the air, a rogue intelligence officer plots the war that will destroy civilization and enlists the help of a brute whom even torturers couldn't stomach.

And, of course, it's up to Leary and Mundy to put a stop to the madness."

Teaser Tuesday January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser today is from Penelope & Prince Charming by Jennifer Ashley. This is one of the free books I loaded on my new 6" E Ink Kindle. The book was published in 2006 and is out of print

"Damien had never believed in magic, but his people did."

"Alexander, a man Damien's own age with cold blue eyes in a dark, handsome face, had calmly and ruthlessly blocked every one of Damien's attempts to step into his father's shoes."

What Else I Read in January of 2012

2012-01-31T02:53:00.001-06:00

Paranormal:

The Golden Shield of IBF by Jerry Ahen - This is a fun paranormal that start at Dragon Con in Atlanta and moves to another world before coming back to Dragon Con.

No Proper Lady by Isabel Cooper. The book cover makes this look like a Historical Romance but don't be fooled. Joan comes from the future to destroy the person who loosed demons on the world. In her time humans are loosing and she is the only hope for the future. She arrived in the past and is found by
Simon Grenville. Simon practices magic and agrees to help Joan but first he must turn her into a proper English lady. It was a good story, exciting at the first, it slowed down in the middle and picked back up in the then. If you like Paranormal you might ant to give this one a try.

Science Fiction:

One Good Soldier by Travis Taylor - I started this one some time ago and just got around to finishing it. It is the last in the series and does a good job of wrapping everything up.

Science Fiction Romance:

B Cubed Book One Born by Jenna McCormick. I found this one on the SFR Brigade Push Contest. It is erotica. While there was quite a bit of world building with the story it was primarily sex. I like more story less sex so it was not one of my favorites.

The Warlord's Comeuppance by Gail Koger. Another book I found on the SFR Brigade Push Contest. The opening was great but the rest was a disappointment. Don't be fooled by the opening.

Romance:

Mad About the Earl by Christina Brooke. I read the first chapter in this book when it was included in Heiress in Love and immediately put the book on my pre-order list. I was surprised by how the story developed. It was not at all what I expected from that teaser chapters. It was a good story but I felt it was a little uneven.

Musing Mondays January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T07:05:00.000-06:00

This week’s musing asks…

How far along are you in your current read before you start thinking about what you’ll read next?

My answer:

I always have a list in my head of books I want to read so when I start a new book I am already thinking about my next read. That does not mean I will actually read what I plan. Things happen. I see something that looks interesting and it goes to the top of my list. I think that list in my head is a defense to a make sure I am never out of a book to read. I suspect I would panic if there was not a book around to read. Do I need help? I don't think so. There are much worse things to panic about.

In My Mailbox January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T04:30:00.000-06:00

In My Mail Box is hosted by The Story Siren and is an opportunity to share the books I get each week.

Once again my mail box was a little empty. I only got two new books this week. Both are from Amazon Vine.

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas - Lisa is one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading the first book in her new contemporary romance series.

Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik - I have followed the adventures of Captain Will Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire. The alternate reality series is set during the Napoleonic Wars and this time they are off to South America.

I did buy myself a small treat. I went to Staples in December and turned in a drawer full of printer cartridges. When I got my Staples Rewards this month I had almost enough for the small 6" E Ink Kindle. I purchased it yesterday. It is my third eReader (Yes, I know no one needs that many). It is very basic but I plan to use it only for items where Amazon has exclusive rights. I have already loaded all the free books that were sitting in my Kindle for Mac file on my computer. I do not like reading on the computer so they had remained un-read.

As the Pig Turns, An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-06:00

Mystery

Agatha is at it again in As the Pig Turns. While stopped in traffic she takes her hands off of the wheel to wipe her nose and is ticketed by a policeman out to make his monthly quota. The next day he gave her another ticket for going 2 miles over the speed limit. Agatha blew off some steam in the local pub saying he should be roasted like a pig. So guess what? Someone killed him and tried to roast him just as Agatha said should happen.

Agatha wants to walk away from this murder but is hired by his ex-wife to solve the crime so she takes the case. Much mayhem follows.

There is a cute scene at the first of the book that is not a spoiler. Agatha helps the local vicar (who cannot stand Agatha) solve a problem. I loved it when Agatha asked if she could call him Alf and he said no definitely not.

This is one book where Agatha does not spend a lot of time obsessing about a man. Charles and James are both in the story but she seems to have lost interest in either. However, after all is solved a new man shows up. I will have to wait to see if he is still around when the next book comes out.

Minotaur Books published As the Pig Turns by M.C. Beaton in 2011.

Book Beginnings on Friday January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T05:30:00.000-06:00

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Katy from A Few More Pages. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

I am just starting the The Moon Maze Game by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes. The first sentence tell you that it is Science Fiction.

"Botanica was a medium sized crater recently sealed to hold an atmosphere of oxygen baked from lunar rock and nitrogen imported from Aeros asteroid."

I just started so I don't have anything to say about the story yet.

The Martian Alliance 1: The Royal Scam by Gini Koch

2012-01-27T04:30:00.000-06:00

Space Opera/Science Fiction Romance

I have two complaints about The Royal Scam. First and foremost it just was not long enough. It is listed as a short story and it is. Thankfully there are to be more to follow. My second is unusual. After I bought The Royal Scam from Musa and downloaded it to my computer I tried to side load to my Nook (the only way to get it there if I did not buy from Barnes and Noble) I was told I did not have permission to load the story to that location. It took me a long to read because I had to read on my computer and I kept forgetting it was there.

Now to the story: It is fast paced, full of action and humor. Gina managed great character development in a short number of words. By the end of the story I felt like I knew most of the crew of the Hummingbird. There are no wasted words in the story; each is used to convey something important to the reader. Things are not as they seem at the beginning of the story and there is a lot of room for future adventures with the crew of the Hummingbird.

I don’t want to give any of the story away so just let me urge you to buy and read The Royal Scam. If you were not a Gini Koch fan before you read it you will be after. I consider it to be a must have short story for Space Opera/SFR Fans.

Musa Publishing published The Royal Scam by Gini Koch in 2011.

The Dimensional Shift by Frances Pauli

2012-01-26T02:56:00.000-06:00

Science Fiction Romance

I found The Dimensional Shift on the SFR Brigade’s Pitch Contest and went to Barnes and Noble to purchase and download the ebook. This is cute story with an unusual main character. Chloe’s job is cleaning rooms in a local hotel in the northern US. Her job is seasonal as the hotel has few guests in the winter. On one of her last days of the season a woman in room 306 walks in from the balcony while she is cleaning. The only problem is that there should not have been anyone in the room. Drew, the only occupant, was out and when he returned confirmed that the woman must have broken in. Meeting Drew leads to a job offer for Chloe.

Drew offers her a job at twice the pay at a hotel he helps manage. She does not have to move and she can commute to work from her living room. The hotel is an inter-dimensional hotel catering to being from different dimensions. Chloe will be working in the human section. Chloe is still cleaning rooms but is drawn into an ongoing mystery. She must use her skills to find the answerers to several question, not the least of which is whether or not her boss, Drew, is interested in her.

I enjoyed the story. At times it was a little slow, mostly because of the world building. The characters were fun and unique. The concept was interesting and lends itself to future stories. In fact the second book featuring Chloe is already out. I was going to purchase it but found that it was not available as an ebook at Barnes and Noble. That was a surprise. I need to check the publisher’s web site to see if I can purchase it there.

Awe-Struck published The Dimensional Shift by Frances Pauli in 2010.

Waiting on Wednesday January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-06:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am waiting on Wen Spencer's Elfhome. It will be released on July 1, 2012. It is available to purchase as an eARC but I am waiting for the final copy of the book.

Here is what the Baen Website says about the book.

"Pittsburgh, PA: magically transported to a world of elves and magic. Now Tinker, once a downtrodden waif from that city, but lately a full-blooded elf ruler, must root out and destroy an evil plot that involves the kidnapping and breeding of elf children. Sequel to Tinker and Wolf Who Rules."

Teaser Tuesday January 24, 2012

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser is from the book I am reading now, Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder. I just started the book but have already been drawn into the story.

" I touched the back of his neck with my hand."

He arched back in silent surprise before collapsing."

Here is what Goodreads says about Touch of Power.

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

Musing Mondays January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T07:02:00.000-06:00

This week’s musing asks…

Why do you think that the Young Adult genre is so popular with even the adult readers? Do you read YA books, yourself?

Musing Mondays is sponsored by Should Be Reading.

I think that the story lines are what a catching on with both Young Adults and adult readers. I don't read much YA but when I do it reminds me of the adult fiction I read years ago. I am reading more YA as I find reviews on other blogs. It is just a small percent of what I read and that percent probably will not increase.