What Book Is That?

Dylan Giveaway WINNER!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:22:00 +0000

I hope everyone has had a fabulous weekend! The winner of a copy of Dylan by C.H. Admirand is...Maureen! She has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond. Thanks to everyone who entered!

AAD Author Spotlight: Rosalie Lario!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday to all, and please join me in welcoming Rosalie Lario as this week's featured Authors After Dark author! Thrill as she tackles the Five Question Quiz:

1. Introduce yourself, Twitter style! Describe yourself or your books in 140 characters or less.

Paranormal romance author of the Demons of Infernum series and The Fallen Warriors series. Lover of all things Supernatural, especially the show!

2. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, or your upcoming projects if you'd prefer.

Touch of the Angel (#3 in the Demons of Infernum series), which released in December 2011, features a half-demon bounty-hunter and his succubus heroine fighting against the evil demon who controls her.

Heart of the Incubus (a novella based in the Demons of Infernum world), which releases in January 2012, features an incubus trying to save his human love interest from a stalker with deadly intent.

Call of the Siren (#4 in the Demons of Infernum series), releases in July 2012.

3. What books (your own or others) do you recommend most often?

I’m a huge fan of Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series and Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander series. Both feature super yummy heroes and interesting worlds.

Love Supernatural (and Dean Winchester) as much as I do? Check out Mark of the Sylph, #2 in my Demons of Infernum series.

4. What part of Authors After Dark 2012 are you looking forward to the most?

I’m really looking forward to meeting a bunch of amazing readers. I hear those who attend AAD truly know how to have a good time!

5. If you've been to AAD before, do you have any advice for first time attendees?

I’m an AAD virgin, so I’ll be learning right along with the rest of you first-timers. I cannot wait to meet you all there! We’re gonna have some fun. ;-)

About the Author:
Rosalie Lario practiced real estate law for several years before finally admitting to herself negotiating contracts wasn’t nearly as fun as dreaming up stories. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with
her husband and son in their home state of Florida, as well as searching out things that go bump in the night.

You can visit Rosalie here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Learning more about her Demons of Infernum series here: Entangled Publishing

Thanks to Rosalie for stopping by today!

Audiobook Review: Murder on the Orient Express

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Title: Murder on the Orient Express
Author: Agatha Christie
Narrator: David Suchet
Length: 6 hours, 49 minutes
Publisher: AudioGO
Copy for review was purchased by me

Synopsis:
Savor one of the most clever of Christie's suspenseful classics. An American businessman is stabbed to death aboard a luxury train, the Orient Express, snowbound in the middle of Europe. Nothing escapes the eagle eye and quick intelligence of the great Hercule Poirot, and clues abound. Sorting through a dozen perfectly respectable passengers, all suspects, Poirot is tenacious in his pursuit of the truth.
*****

I think I picked this up during one of the random $4.95 sales that Audible has every now and then, and I'm so glad I did, because I have discovered a new favorite Christie reader- David Suchet did an amazing job! With such a relatively large cast of characters, to have a different voice for each one that was still believable and didn't make anyone sound like the French guy in Monty Python with his outrageous accent is definitely an accomplishment.

Agatha Christie is one of those authors that's tough to review because people really either like her mysteries or they don't, and I know I definitely do. Murder on the Orient Express is one of her works that I would recommend to anyone, especially if you like locked room mysteries where, if you're paying attention, you can see all the clues coming together and solve the mystery yourself.

I've been devoting a lot of time to doing other things lately, trying to finish up projects and set up a new routine in anticipation of Insanity that's due to start in April. Yes, apparently More Grad School is just what the doctor ordered and I'll be pursuing my BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) certification, working full time as a special education teacher, trying to maintain a gym schedule, and still having time to eat, sleep, and perform other basic life functions. Blogging will be a part of that too, and audiobooks are a good way to fit in reading when things have kind of just gone crazy. I listen to audiobooks while I'm cooking, working on work projects, working out, knitting, or whatever else that makes holding a book or my Kindle not possible. It's a good compromise, and with good books like this one available, there's no way to go wrong!

WINNER of Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:13:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered to win a copy of Alpha Instinct by last week's featured AAD author, Katie Reus! According to random.org, the winner of the book is ...Melissa Lamb! She has been emailed and will have 48 hours to respond.

Hey, while you're here, C.H. Admirand is giving away a signed copy of Dylan and you should click the link to go enter!

AAD Author Spotlight: C.H. Admirand + GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Friday is here again, and I think hot cowboys are just what we all need to get the weekend off to a great start! C.H. Admirand has the hot cowboys covered, and she's here to tackle the Five Question Quiz!

1. Introduce yourself, Twitter style! Describe yourself or your books in 140 characters or less.

C.H. Admirand writes hot small town cowboys with a heart for Sourcebooks.

2. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, or your upcoming projects if you'd prefer.
DYLAN is the second book in my hot cowboy trilogy for Sourcebooks. He’s the middle brother, the quiet one. Didn’t your momma always warn you about the quiet ones? Well I’m here to tell you it’s true, still waters do run deep. He’s met his match in Ronnie DelVecchio, a spitfire from New Jersey who’s driven just about as far enough to leave her ex and her past behind. Sparks and tempers fly when he tosses his lasso around her.

3. What books (your own or others) do you recommend most often?
I recommend Nora Roberts and Julie Garwood more than any other author.

4. What part of Authors After Dark 2012 are you looking forward to the most?
I’ve never been before, so I’m looking forward to the entire event. I’ve been to Lora Leigh’s RAW and Lori Foster’s Reader Get Together, so at least I’ll have an idea of what to expect…I think. LOL!

5. If you've been to AAD before, do you have any advice for first time attendees? I’ll be taking notes since it’s my first time.

Thanks for inviting me, Emily! Readers can find me through:
Twitter at @CHAdmirand, on Facebook, or my website. My website has links to purchase DYLAN and all of my backlist or you can find me on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

*****
Many thanks to C.H. Admirand for stopping by and here's wishing everyone an excellent, cowboy-filled (ha!) Friday! Now, on to the giveaway!

A signed copy of DYLAN is up for grabs here! To enter, just leave a comment with a way to contact you and the name of the last great book you read. No book, no entry! Here are the rules of engagement:

-U.S. only please. Thanks!
-Make sure your email address is valid.
-Contest will run until Friday, January 27th at 11:59 pm EST.

Good luck!

2012 Authors After Dark Reading Challenge- I'M IN!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 04:43:00 +0000

I've decided to break my no-challenges=in-2012 rule for this one, as it's pretty appropriate considering I'm going to AAD in August!

The rules are simple: read books that were written by the authors that will be appearing at AAD 2012!

Guidelines:
•Although AAD 2012 takes place in August, this challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
•Books must be read and reviewed in 2012.
•You can join at anytime during the year.
•Anyone can join (not just book bloggers).

My personal goal for this challenge is to read 30 books by authors attending AAD 2012. Here is where I'll keep track of my books and my reviews:

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Are you ready to sign up? The challenge is being hosted by Midnyte Reader, so head on over and sign up!

Snowed In Giveaway WINNERS!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 00:43:00 +0000

First of all, thank you to all the authors and readers who participated in the Snowed In with Indie Authors Review and Giveaway Festival! Although I didn't get to as many books as I would have liked (December did everything in its power to throw obstacles in my path) there were a ton of great prizes offered up by some very generous authors!

With that said, here are the winners from each giveaway, as well as the winner from the giveaway for a title from Stephanie Julian's backlist from her AAD feature:

The winner of the Kindle-compatible copy of My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond is...Elizabeth Case!

The winner of a digital copy of Fruitbasket From Hell by Jason Krumbine is...Vennie Martinisi!

The winner of a digital copy of Faery Merry Christmas by Jacquie Rogers is...Linda Henderson!

The winner of the $15 gift certificate to the vendor of his/her choice sponsored by MJ Fredrick is...Gloria Dornin!

The winner of a digital copy of Silver and Stone by Jennifer Thompson is...Deanna Boocock!

The winner of a digital copy of inkBLOT is...Jessica Lewis!

The winner of digital copies of Medium Dead and An Unsafe Pair of Hands is...Pam S!

The THREE winners of digital copies of Harmless Adjustment are...Brenda Demko, Patricia German, and Alice Priday!

The winner of a set of romance trading cards from author Nina Pierce is...Helen Keeler!

The three winners of digital copies of The Witching Pen are...Ronda Noel, Nicola O'Sullivan, and Wendy Hoffman!

The winner of the $25 Amazon gift certificate from Gordon Kessler is...James Donley!

And finally, the winner of the title from Stephanie Julian's backlist is...JenM!

Whew! Congratulations to all the winners! All other giveaway prizes that were owed by me were mailed out this past Saturday, so keep an eye on your mailbox if you're expecting something! For now, why not enter to win a copy of Alpha Instinct or His Secret Past by Katie Reus?

Review: Never Cry Wolf

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:28:00 +0000

Title: Never Cry Wolf
Author: Cynthia Eden
Page Count: 534 KB Kindle format; 337 pages print length
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review was purchased by me

Synopsis:
Running With A Dangerous Crowd
Lucas Simone is not the kind of guy you mess with. He’s big, he’s strong, and his eyes hint at a wilder side most women can’t handle. Of course, that’s because his predatory instincts are no metaphor-he’s a genuine Grade-A top-quality werewolf, tough enough to fight his way to dominance over the scariest pack on the West Coast. There’s only one chink in his armor. Unlike most alpha dogs, Lucas has a reputation for protecting the weak and innocent.

Sarah King is counting on that protective impulse-it’s the only thing standing between her and certain death. There are only two problems: one, she’s not quite as innocent as she’d like Lucas to believe. And two, if he doesn’t stop stoking Sarah’s animal lust, it’s only a matter of time before her own wild side gets unleashed…
*****

I am a sucker for a good werewolf story, no matter how similar it may be to other stories that are out there. Some people think that this vein of paranormal romance is played out because the market is so saturated- I just say the more the merrier and happily download another one. Once I popped, the fun did not stop.

Never Cry Wolf wasn't a bad book, and it was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday morning, but it didn't quite hit the spot for me. I think that was probably because in terms of plotting and story development the book is going in a bunch of different directions. I've read a lot of other books by this author so jumping right into the world of the Others and the rules that are in play for that world didn't really bother me, but it seemed at times that this book couldn't decide what it wanted to be about or what direction it wanted to go in and that was problematic.

Sarah King, our intrepid heroine, is a mess, and she is literally a secret wrapped in a mystery and stuck inside an enigma. She has told so many lies and double crossed so many people that she would not know the truth if it jumped up and bit her on the hinder. True to course, all that drama has come back to bite her in a serious way and she is now looking to Lucas Simone for protection, since apparently everyone wants to kill her.

Lucas, on the other hand, is as snarly and growly as they come, but falls fast and hard for Sarah and is willing to deal with all of her issues. Sarah is a charmer who can talk to animals, and her animal specialty is wolf shifters when they're in wolf form. Awkward! She has some other abilities that she neglects to mention (for good reason from her perspective, don't get me wrong) but her lack of full disclosure poses problem after problem for the happy couple. Admittedly, there is a big difference between not telling someone your whole life story on the first date and inconveniently forgetting to bring up your mind control abilities when begging that person to protect you from evil bad guys.

There are a ton of evil bad guys here, too, although why they happen to be evil or bad doesn't really get disclosed, they just are. They are slavering, crazy, self-serving, and murderous, and that's all there is to it. One of the rules of the world of the Others is that being a shifter sometimes means you're just imbalanced and that's the end of it, and that works for me for the most part, but there were just so many people in the cast of characters here that knowing people's motivation would have added some depth.

The story kind of goes through an identity crisis about half- or two thirds of the way through, with the introduction of voodoo elements and meeting a bunch of characters that definitely have the potential to appear as leading characters in future books. For me as a reader, it was about that point that I was ready to start seeing Lucas and Sarah grow as a couple, instead of jumping through more hoops and dealing with an even wider cast of supporting characters. I believed in their viability as a couple but didn't see a lot of scenes between the two of them that supported that.

Like I said, this wasn't a bad book, and it certainly seems like the launch of a series with other couples that will be interesting to read about. I guess I was wishing for more relationship development and more character details and less of the running around and killing bad guys.

AAD Author Spotlight: Katie Reus with a GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! I'm bringing you another author that will be appearing at Authors After Dark 2012 in New Orleans, Katie Reus! Not only is she offering some great prizes for the giveaway and tackling the Five Question Quiz, she's also got one of my anticipated reads for the first part of 2012 coming out! Take it away Katie!

1. Introduce yourself, Twitter style! Describe yourself or your books in 140 characters or less.

Paranormal romance author who lives in the South, loves red wine, old cemeteries, flip-flops and great romance stories.

2. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, or your upcoming projects if you'd prefer.

Alpha Instinct, the first book in my new Moon Shifter series with NAL/Signet Eclipse will be out in about 3 weeks (2/7/2012). When I started writing this book I’d originally planned for it to just be a short novella but the more I wrote the more these characters exploded inside my head and I knew there was no way I could pack everything into a novella. More characters developed and a series was born. This is the first full length series I’ve written and my first NY sale so I’m very excited about it!

This is the official blurb:

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

Alpha Instinct is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, and other major retailers.

3. What books (your own or others) do you recommend most often?

It totally depends on what someone is looking for. If they’re looking for a great military romance I usually suggest Kaylea Cross. For erotic romantic suspense, it’s always Lisa Marie Rice. For awesome paranormal world building and amazing characterization, Nalini Singh or Karen Marie Moning.

4. What part of Authors After Dark 2012 are you looking forward to the most?

I’ve pretty much a conference virgin (though by August 2012 I’ll have gone to another conference before then) so everything seems really exciting to me. Meeting and interacting with readers is the number one thing I’m looking forward to. Cynthia Eden, Manda Collins and I are going to be hosting a pool party (don’t have all the details yet) so I’m very excited about that. Also, the pub crawl sounds pretty awesome!

5. If you've been to AAD before, do you have any advice for first time attendees?

Never been so no advice! I’m going to be a total newbie too.

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash at a young age and the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.
*****

Time for the giveaway! Since it’s not that long after the New Year, tell me if you decided to do a New Year’s resolution or not. What was it? If it’s too personal you don’t have to share details! Answer to win a copy of Alpha Instinct (will be mailed out next month, US only eligible). Since I don’t want to leave out anyone international, another commenter will win a digital copy of His Secret Past, my recent romantic suspense release from Carina Press. The giveaway will run until Friday, January 20th at 11:59 EST.

Thanks again for letting me blog with you today!

FREE Ebook Alerts and Enter to Win One of FOUR Kindle Fires!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:28:00 +0000

Want to win a Kindle Fire? Authors Aiden James, Scott Nicholson, J. R. Rain, and H.T. Night are teaming up Jan. 11-13 to give away $1,000 in prizes, including four Kindle Fires, $200 in Amazon gift cards, and 45 free Kindle books.

There are four ways to enter during Jan. 11-13:
• Share this blog link on social media according to blogger’s directions (post the link on Twitter and include @whatbookemily in the tweet.! I am counting these entries so if I don't see it it, it doesn't count.)
• Follow the authors on Facebook (J.R. Rain, H.T. Night, Aiden James, and Scott Nicholson) and look for "Click to share" posts
• Follow Ereader News Today on Facebook and click to share their free book bundles
• Go to their free books on Amazon, click "like" and then "share" each book on Twitter and Facebook, using the hashtags “free for #kindle” and “#epickindlegiveaway”

TODAY’S FREE KINDLE BOOKS (links will be updated later today hopefully, but all are available on Amazon and in the Amazon UK store so feel free to search if you don't want to wait:)

Scott Nicholson
The Red Church (supernatural thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK; As I Die Lying (psychological thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK; Creative Spirit (haunted house thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK; Disintegration (suspense thriller) Amazon US Amazon UK; The Harvest (technothriller) Amazon US Amazon UK; Zombie Bits (zombie stories) Amazon US Amazon UK; Transparent Lovers (paranormal mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK

H.T. Night
A Boy's Life (Young Adult) Amazon US Amazon UK; Boy Meets Girl (Young Adult) Amazon US Amazon UK; Everlasting Love (Poetry) Amazon US Amazon UK; Getting Yours (Romantic Comedy) Amazon US Amazon UK; Paranormal Love Stories (Vampire/Werewolf Love Story) Amazon US Amazon UK; The Werewolf Whisperer (Vampire Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK; Vampire Love Story (Vampire Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK; Winning Sarah’s Heart: Back to School (YA Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK; Winning Sarah’s Heart: Boys Being boys (YA Romance) Amazon US Amazon UK; Vampires and Werewolves Beginnings (Vampire Romance) Amazon US

J.R. Rain
ARTHUR - A modern-day spiritual adventure Amazon US Amazon UK; BLACK RAIN: 15 Short Stories Amazon US Amazon UK; CURSED - Supernatural horror thriller Amazon US Amazon UK; DARK QUESTS: Two Adventure Screenplays Amazon US Amazon UK; ELVIS HAS NOT LEFT THE BUILDING - A murder mystery Amazon US Amazon UK; GHOST COLLEGE - A supernatural mystery Amazon US Amazon UK; THE LOST ARK - An adventure novel Amazon US; THE VAMPIRE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO -mystery novella Amazon US Amazon UK

Aiden James
Aiden James Vampires (Vampire adventure) Amazon US Amazon UK; Cursed Immortals (Supernatural Thriller/Vampires) Amazon US Amazon UK; The Vampires’ Birthright (Vampire adventure) Amazon US Amazon UK; Cades Cove (Horror/Mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK; Vampire Twist (Vampire adventure/Mystery) Amazon US Amazon UK

If one of the four authors hits #1 on the Kindle Free list, they will give away another Kindle Fire. If at any time during the event, the four authors hold all the Top 10 slots on the Kindle Free list, they will give away a sixth kindle. The bonus Kindle winners will be selected using the #epickindlegiveaway hashtags on Facebook and Twitter.

The Facebook and Twitter hashtags must accompany a link to one of the free books, a participating book blog, or the contest home page at http://epickindlegiveaway.blogspot.com or it won’t count as a valid entry. Thanks, good luck, and enjoy the free books!
###

Going with the flow is going pretty well so far.

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:03:00 +0000

So the first week of 2012 is over, and here's what I have to report:

I am listening to The Iron Duke as an audiobook and LOVING it so far! It was one of my favorite books to read in 2010 (sadly I haven't gotten to Heart of Steel yet- sob!) but listening to it brings a whole different level of detail to the story that I didn't get the first time. Amazing!

I actually don't have a print or Kindle book going right now, I've been dedicating time to some other projects (cooking/baking, going to the gym, work projects, knitting a scarf for my mom, the list goes on) but I'll be sure to let you know when I do!

In other news, I am calling a halt to the festivities for the Snowed In With Indie Authors Giveaway Festival. The giveaways will still close this Friday and winners will be announced Saturday. I'll be contacting the remaining authors to reschedule their reviews, and I will get to everyone in due time. Thank you to everyone who participated!

This is shaping up to be a busy but fun week- what do you all have planned?

AAD Author Spotlight: Stephanie Julian + GIVEAWAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:44:00 +0000

Happy Friday everyone! I hope the first week of 2012 has been kind to everyone. I'm pleased to be featuring Stephanie Julian today here at What Book is That? Not only is Stephanie braving the Five Question Quiz, she's also sponsoring a giveaway at the bottom of the post!

1. Introduce yourself, Twitter style! Describe yourself or your books in 140 characters or less.

I’m a paranormal romance writer with a taste for the darkside and a twisted sense of humor.

2. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, or your upcoming projects if you'd prefer.

HOW TO WORSHIP A GODDESS is the second book in the Forgotten Goddesses series. This is Lucy and Brandon’s story. Lucy is the Etruscan Goddess of the Moon, the patron goddess of the Etruscan werewolves and huge hockey fan. Lucy has a major crush on Brandon Stevenson, a local hockey player who is seriously hot…and seriously hot for Lucy. She would so love to indulge herself but she’s got an Underworld God determined to take her remaining power. But Brandon isn’t the kind of guy to take no for an answer. He’s a great man to have in your corner and Lucy can use all the help she can get. But Brandon has problems of his own. He just didn’t realize how big…

3. What books (your own or others) do you recommend most often?

I’m a huge fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. I constantly recommend those to anyone who will listen. Also Lora Leigh’s Breed books are wonderful. I love Virginia Kantra’s Children of the Sea series and Shana Abe’s Drakons and I love Meljean Brook’s The Iron Seas stories. And though I really don’t read historical, I do read Samantha Kane’s Brothers in Arms series. Love them.

Of my own, I do have favorites. I love Kyle from Kiss of Moonlight. He’s one of my favorite men, as are Justin from Seduced by Moonlight and Cam from Seduced & Ensnared.

4. What part of Authors After Dark 2012 are you looking forward to the most?

Meeting the readers and talking books. For me, that’s the best part of reader events. I love to hear what readers love about books and I love to discuss books that I love with other readers. And I can’t wait to see New Orleans again! My husband and I were there more than 20 years ago and I’ve been dying to return.

5. If you've been to AAD before, do you have any advice for first time attendees?

Don’t be afraid to turn to the person next to you and start up a conversation. We’re all there for the same reason—we love books. Trust me, you will have something in common. And don’t be afraid to talk to the writers. We don’t bite. Unless you ask nicely.

How to get in touch with Stephanie:

www.stephaniejulian.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Julian/52545546702

http://onamoonlitnight.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/StephanieJulian

Buy WHAT A GODDESS WANTS
*****
Thanks Stephanie! Now, on to the giveaway! Stephanie has offered up the choice of one book from her published works to the winner here on the blog. To see the choices, check out Stephanie's website which contains her complete backlist!

To enter, just leave a comment saying a) what book you want to win, and b) a way to contact you. That's it! This giveaway ends on January 13th at 11:59 pm EST. Thanks again to Stephanie for sponsoring the giveaway!

AAD Author Spotlight: PJ Schnyder!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:15:00 +0000

What's this? An AAD feature on a Wednesday! Oh yes, yes indeed, and today's featured author is PJ Schnyder, here to tackle the five question quiz!

1. Introduce yourself, Twitter style! Describe yourself or your books in 140 characters or less.

Author @pjschnyder writes sci-fi & paranormal romance, steampunk and urban fantasy. She's also an otaku, gamer geek and trains in MMA. O.o

2. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, or your upcoming projects if you'd prefer.

My latest release is Drowning Tides, included in the Love's Immortal Pantheon Vol 5 anthology and available individually in ebook format at All Romance eBooks.

It's my first story featuring mermaids and to the PJ Mommy's dismay, these are not your Disney mermaids.

Blurb: Lora loved being a mermaid, reveled in the freedom of the sea. But an ancient danger approaches and her friend, Katherine, needs to live up to her potential or countless lives will end.

In an effort to coax Katherine ashore to spend time immersed in the emotions humans generate so easily, Lora steals the breath of life from unwary divers. For every human life, she has three days and three nights to fill her lungs with air and walk among them.

Seeking the perfect bait for Katherine, Lora goes ashore … but finds love instead.

3. What books (your own or others) do you recommend most often?

Honestly, my recommendations differ based on the person I'm talking to and their likes/dislikes. If we're into historical romance, I love to recommend the Wallfower series by Lisa Kleypas. If the subgenre is paranormal, then Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series is always one I mention. If we're talking dark fantasy, there's Anne Bishop's Black Jewel series and for urban fantasy I always mention Patrcia Briggs. Then there's the more quirky fun, like unusual shapeshifters. I like to recommend Stella and Audra Price for the sexy were snakes or Dana Marie Bell's Halle Shifters for were bears. And if a person is looking for down right quirky, I recommend Robert C Roman Jr's works or Stephanie "Flash" Burke.

If they ask me about mine, I recommend Hunting Kat if the person likes kick-@$$ heroines and a sci-fi setting. If they like shapeshifters then I recommend my Terra's Guardians series including Heart's Sentinel and Red's Wolf. And there's Evie Gift for the holiday taste of steampunk.

4. What part of Authors After Dark 2012 are you looking forward to the most?

Meeting the readers! It is so much fun to meet new readers, catch up with old friends and come face to face with others I've only ever talked to via social media. I love getting book recommendations, meeting authors new to me (because I'm a reader too) and sharing in the overall fun of the convention.

Okay, and confession, I am definitely on a mission to taste fresh made beignets.

5. If you've been to AAD before, do you have any advice for first time attendees?

Stay hydrated.There's an incredible amount of fun and excitement to be had, lots of chatting and maybe some dancing too. In the midst of it all, keep a bottle of water close to hand because NOLA is going to be hot, the authors are hot and the energy is going to be high.

Visit PJ on her blog: http://pjschnyder.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/pjschnyder

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjschnyder

Buy Links for titles mentioned above:

Drowning Tides

Hunting Kat

Heart's Sentinel

Red's Wolf

Evie's Gift

Review: Blind Her With Bliss

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Title: Blind Her With Bliss
Author: Nina Pierce
Page Count: 195 KB (Kindle format)
Publisher: self-published
Genre: contemporary romance
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
She's trying to find herself. He's attempting to hide. Together they'll discover a truth that threatens them both...

Investigating the death of her best friend, uptight accountant, JULIE TILLING, discovers an erotic world of adult nightclubs and Internet intrigue. When shock jock DAMON COREY rocks her world in a wild night of lust, she wonders if she's found love...or the key to solving a murder.
*****

I feel like accountants get a sort of unfair knocking in the world of romance novels. They're always the staid, boring people dealing with crushing loads of responsibility and their lives are, to say the least, devoid of fun or excitement.

This sums up the lot that Julie Tilling, our intrepid, book balancing heroine, seems to have drawn at the beginning of the story. She's dealing with the loss of a friend while at the same time balancing a stifling existence as the band aid for all the various scrapes and problems her various family members manage to dig up.

The plot here is kind of push-started by using some standard tropes- the death of the friend has been written off by the police as a suicide but Julie just can't accept that, so naturally she decides to investigate it herself, despite having no qualifications to do so. This also involves her going "undercover" as a scantily clad party girl at a sex-themed club whose owner may have insight into how her friend died and under what circumstances. This all makes perfect sense to Julie but the reader does have to suspend disbelief to allow the story to get started.

While she's at the club, she meets notorious shock jock Damon (or Demon, as his stage name indicates) and the sparks immediately fly. Damon is a stereotypical nice guy in the most non-nice guy of jobs, and the fact that he doesn't opt for immediate disclosure of certain facts (such as the camera in the office where the two of them have sex for the first time) made me make a kind of strange face. I really wanted to believe that Damon was a nice guy and that Julie wasn't quite so gullible but I didn't quite make it there.

Suffice it to say, Julie and Damon keep trying to figure out what happened to her friend, and in the process, they fall fast and hard for one another. Perhaps the most interesting part of the story for me was watching Julie finally grow a backbone where her family is concerned. Julie was always so reliable and did anything for them, to the point that they just assumed that she existed just to do things for them. Her sisters seemed to be the worst of the lot when it came to this; I understand relying on people and the importance of having reliable people but their condescending attitude towards Julie made me wish she'd put the smack down a lot sooner. Their reliance on Julie smacked a lot of control, and while it's difficult to have an important person in your life shift their priorities, it doesn't make being a creep okay. There are two more books in this trilogy that I believe feature Julie's sisters as the heroines so perhaps their uppence is coming in a future installment.

Was this a perfect book? No, but that's okay. Was the plotting as tight as I would have hoped? No, but again, if one can suspend a lot of disbelief you do get a lot of story packed into a relatively short number of pages, which is no easy task. Overall this is a quick, sassy story with a lot going on that introduces a broad cast of characters and lays the foundation for future installments as well.

*****

Nina Pierce has graciously offered up a great prize to one lucky reader here at What Book is That! One lucky winner will win (depending on his or her location) either a digital copy of the book (if an international resident) or a set of romance trading cards (if a US resident.) This giveaway is open until January 13th at 11:59 pm EST. To enter, just fill out the form below. Good luck!
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2012 is here! And with it, some Deep Thoughts.

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:26:00 +0000

First of all, I hope everyone had a fantastic and safe New Year with more fun, family and friends than you can shake a stick at! 2011 was very kind to me, and I hope it's not too much to ask that 2012 brings more of the same and other, even better surprises!

On this, the first day of the new year, I find myself in an interesting state of affairs regarding the direction I want to take for What Book is That. I am not going away, so let me say that right out of the gate. I am also going to continue working on the Snowed In reviews and giveaways, and more of them will go up before the new January 13th deadline. Will I get to as many as I'd wanted to? Probably not, but I will certainly do the best that I can. Thanks in advance to everyone for their understanding about that.

With the exception of some guest posts and a couple of guest reviews, everything that's posted here at What Book is That is written, conceived, formatted, etc. etc. by me and me alone. I enjoy that in that I have almost complete creative control over what I write here and I work pretty much on my own schedule, working in feedback from folks who have an interest in seeing things get posted here as best I can. Over the past couple of weeks I've come to the realization that I am probably the most brutal task master when it comes to my own projects and as a result I have the unfortunate tendency to completely overextend myself in every facet of my life. This means that things get done, and they get done more or less to criteria, but the focus lately has certainly been on quantity and not on quality.

I feel like this has seeped into my reviewing somewhat as well. My review queue is gigantic (isn't everyone's?) and in an effort to sort of beat it back I try to have as quick a turnaround time as possible. This means that my reviews aren't as long, aren't as playful, and aren't as detailed as I'd like. Don't get me wrong, I haven't said I liked books when I didn't or lied about my opinion of those books, I'm certainly not saying that. I'm saying that I don't feel that my reviews are of a high enough quality to meet my own standards.

For someone whose only goal in starting a book blog was to talk about books and whose criteria for a "good" review are only that I enjoy reading what I've written, this is a problem. In the interests of dealing with it, here's what I've decided:

My focus for 2012 will be on reading and reviewing books I already have. This means review books, library books, books I own, etc. etc. I've made commitments to these people and to myself and I need to honor those commitments. I've changed my review policy to reflect this as well.

My reviews in 2012 will be more detailed, but probably posted less often. Considering that I was up to 3-4 reviews per week I don't feel like this is that big of a concession. Doing things well takes time and I need to allow for that fact, as well as for the fact that life doesn't always permit me to do what I want. Shocking!

I will be focusing a lot on Authors After Dark 2012. I can't even begin to say how excited I am to be going! To that end, I want to do as much coverage as I can, as well as I can, and also read a whole bunch of books by the authors I'm going to be meeting while I'm there!

Nothing is getting posted here unless I personally am proud of it. If that means there are some gaps between reviews, then that is okay. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you'd rather read something fun and excellent then tepid and mediocre, right?

So basically, What Book is That in the new year is going to be going in a slightly, more personally guided direction. I'm grateful to all of you that are coming along for the ride!

As an aside, make sure you take advantage of the RSS and/or email subscription buttons on my blog homepage so that the posts will keep coming to you after this Google Friend Connect nonsense goes down. I'll make a separate post about that in a few days but here's the first heads up.

Here's to a great year and many great books ahead!

Mid Winter's Eve Blog Hop WINNERS!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:49:00 +0000

What better way to start 2012 then with some lucky folks who won stuff here at What Book is That? All of these people graciously provided their addresses in the giveaway form so their prizes will be on the way ASAP (as well as my Thanksgiving hop prizes- I can't believe how thoroughly December got away from me! All will be resolved soon though.)

Anyway, on to the winners:

The winner of the ARC of My Life Undecided is...Quigui!

The winner of the ARC of Pharmacology is...Kaitlynne W.!

The winner of Waiting for You and Rhymes with Cupid is...Martha Lawson!

The winner of How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend and The Unwritten Rule is...deanna_boocock!

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who entered! If you're a new follower here at What Book is That, welcome! I hope you like all the good stuff that's stored up for 2012!

Important Update

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:32:00 +0000

First of all, I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and is smack dab in the middle of awesome holiday revelry with their family, friends, and loved ones. I know I did!

Second of all, owing to the fact that December completely got away from me, I am extending the Snowed In with Indie Authors Giveaway! Giveaways will be going up until January 6th, and all giveaways will now be open until January 13th. Later today, I'll be putting up a list of all the giveaways that are currently open as a part of the festival, so you another shot to make sure you entered everything.

I'll also have my annual graphy goodness post as well as (fingers crossed!) updated review archives for your reading pleasure. It's going to be a big push through the first weeks of 2012 but I'm looking forward to it.

To all of you that are new followers here, welcome! I hope you like what you see. For now, it's onward and upward!

Review and GIVEAWAY: Faery Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:57:00 +0000

Title: Faery Merry Christmas
Author: Jacquie Rogers
Page Count: 197 KB
Publisher: self-published
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
Romance has gone awry in Faeryshire.

Who would've thought Mr. and Mrs. Claus's daughter would be "on the shelf"? Yep, Cheshya's all a'flutter because her 2,000th birthday, the last day she's eligible to take a mate, is on Christmas, only four days away, but Liam of the Red Clan, the only man she has ever wanted is otherwise occupied . . .

Terra Humanus in 1956: carhops on roller skates, the submarine races, a pink Nash Metropolitan, Lucky Strikes, Little Richard, and the Shoreline Sharks Baseball Club starring ace pitcher Liam Stone.

For the past five years, Liam of the Red Clan has lived in Terra Humanus, pitching for the Shoreline Sharks and obsessed with signing as a major league pitcher with the Cincinnati Reds. The faery queen sends Cheshya to help him achieve his goal, but in signing with the Reds, will he lose out on his true heart's desire?

What will it take to make a Faery Merry Christmas?
*****

As we're all gearing up to finish strong this holiday season, fitting in longer periods of reading can be a challenge. Sometimes a shorter book or story is the perfect thing, and for those who enjoy festive or holiday themed stories, here's one that may not have entered your airspace.

I think my favorite thing about holiday stories is the fact that no matter what else goes wrong, the spirit of togetherness always triumphs, and that's the case with Faery Merry Christmas. It's a lighthearted story that's heavy on the happily ever after, and while there wasn't ever a moment that I seriously though the main couple were in danger of falling off the path to that happily ever after, it was a quick and fun story that was nice to read while sitting next to my parents' Christmas tree.

Cheshya is under the gun, so to speak, because she's only got a few days before she officially leaves the faery dating pool forever. She's not optimistic about her chances of tying the knot in the time frame allotted, so instead she goes on a quest where she has to bring disgruntled faeries back around to the point where they want to come back to the faery fold. Easy enough, right?

Well, as luck (or someone anyway) would have it, her first wayward faery is the guy she's carrying a torch for, and the one that's made it impossible for anyone else to measure up to his example. Cheshya grows tremendously as an individual and learned that sometimes, even when you are faery royalty, things just aren't all about you:

The Queen's Quest showed me how to be useful to others and not be so protective of my own needs. For the first time, I understood the purpose and strength of following one's dream, and maybe I should have some dreams of my own that I could control, not that depended on someone else making a decision for me. I no longer had a dream. Or hope.

I enjoyed the various details and the setting elements that were included to add realism- the author's note about the minor league baseball teams and the drive ins made it clear to me that the story incorporated elements that the author had an interest in, which is something I always enjoy in a story.

How, precisely, do things work out with Liam and Cheshya, and what sacrifices do they each have to make to get there? You'll have to read the book to find out!
*****

Jacquie Rogers has graciously offered up one digital copy of Faery Merry Christmas to one lucky winner here during the festival! To enter, fill out the form, and that's that! Good luck!

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Mid Winter's Eve Blog Hop- OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000

Welcome one and all to my stop on the Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop! I have FOUR prize packs up for grabs, all print books, and this giveaway is open internationally! All you have to do to enter is fill out the Google form. To make things easier on everyone this holiday, I'm asking folks to provide their address now, so the prize can just be shipped directly. No confirming, no email tracking, just winning! Please note that in the interest of fairness to everyone, entries where the form is not filled out correctly and completely will be deleted. Thanks.

While you're here, why not take a look around and explore the Snowed In with Indie Authors Review and Giveaway Festival? Giveaways are being posted every day for print books, digital books, gift cards, swag, and more! Enter enter enter!

With that said, here are the four prize packs for this giveaway hop:

Prize Pack 1:

ARC of My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody- please note that since this is an ARC it has a different cover

Prize Pack #2:

ARC of Pharmacology by Christopher Herz

Prize Pack #3:

Finished copies of Rhymes with Cupid by Anna Humphrey (paperback) and Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti (hardcover)

Prize Pack #4:

Hardcover copies of How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend by Janette Rallison and The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

And, here's the Google form for entry:
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Review and GIVEAWAY: Midnight Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Title: Midnight Sun
Author: MJ Fredrick
Page Count: 234 KB (Kindle format)
Publisher: self-published
Genre: contemporary romance
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:

This wasn’t the adventure she’d signed up for…

A sexy boss, a rough crossing, and pirates—all Brylie Winston wanted was a job to help her earn money to buy her own restaurant. She hopes to earn it by working as a chef on a cruise to Antarctica. But she’s slept with her boss, which throws her off-balance even more than the rough seas and warnings of pirates in the area. And he’s determined to have a repeat performance…

Bad boy former snowboarder Marcus Devlin is running from his reputation, sent to learn the family business after decking a senator’s son and making the papers. So maybe he indulged in a last-minute fling before boarding his family’s cruise ship to Antarctica. Perhaps Fate is showing him that wasn’t so bad—the gorgeous redhead who snuck out of his bed is on the cruise. She’ll be a lovely distraction during his exile.

But when modern-day pirates take over the ship, his instinct is to protect her and the other passengers. But what does a spoiled rich boy know about saving people’s lives?
*****

Stop the presses, I'm reading and reviewing a contemporary! The author's website bills it as romantic suspense, and I can certainly agree to that, but nobody shape shifts or has magical powers, so it's definitely a change of pace for me as a reader.

I'm totally glad I read it though, because it was a quick read, very fun, with lots of adventure and a starring couple that were a great match. Add in the unusual setting (a cruise ship bound for Antarctica, which sounds like a lot of fun to me) and you have all the ingredients for an excellent story.

I hadn't read anything by this author previously so I definitely consider this a good introduction. I enjoyed the fast pace of the story and the way that there were plenty of details to make the whole experience fulfilling, but not so many that the story bogs down or the plot suffers, which is definitely a peril in a relatively short novel like this one.

Marcus and Brylie are great- their chemistry comes and goes in fits and starts, and they have their own issues and hang ups that have to be dealt with over the course of the story. We meet them at almost the first moment of their relationship and we leave them at a critical point where they determine what it is they want from each other. It's interesting that they can deal with pirates and danger and adversity and take it all in swing but the idea of actually committing to another person put some serious motion in their ocean.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book (contemporaries not being among my frequent reads) but I definitely had a good time reading. It's also worth mentioning that this is a stand-alone novel, so if you're worn out by the million series out there then this is a good chance to enjoy a stand alone book as well.
*****
MJ Anderson is giving away a $15 gift certificate to the vendor of the winner's choice here as a part of the festival! All you have to do to enter is fill out the form. With all the gift giving and merriment, here's a chance for you to get something for yourself! Good luck!

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Review and GIVEAWAY: Silver and Stone

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Title: Silver and Stone
Author: J.D. Thompson
Page Count: 132 pages (pdf format)
Publisher: self-published
Genre: YA, paranormal
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
Welcome to high school high society hell.

As if senior year at Weatherford Preparatory School wasn’t hard enough, sixteen year old Alexis Bardolph had to add school outcast to the curriculum.

A new found notoriety following a family scandal, her lacrosse star boy-friend dumping her for a former BFF and a string of perpetually bad hair days were among the many things going wrong in her already turbulent teenage life.

But when the haunting nightmares that have plagued her since childhood begin to take an eerily tangible form and several Holler Creek residents are reported missing, Alexis can’t help but wonder if there isn’t more to her hellish dreams than meets the eye.

The unexpected arrival of a mysterious and dangerously handsome new student ultimately leads Alexis to troubling truths that not even her wildest imagination could have conjured.
*****
Silver and Stone is the kind of book where you have to be willing to read to the end to get the full effect. Particularly since I started book blogging, I tend to discard books pretty quickly if they don't stand up and shout hooray and grab my interest- if I had done that here I would have certainly missed out.

I'll be honest, though- I think I finally have to face the music and admit that I may be outside the target demographic for the ritzy private school (or boarding school) filled with bubbleheaded rich twits, all of whom are out to get the main character as a focal point in a YA story. Is there anything wrong with this admittedly tried and true story element per se? No, not at all. I just have to be real and admit that I find myself rolling my eyes when characters worry about their lunchroom standing or their Prada or whatever a lot more than I used to.

To that end, I have to say that the mystery elements of this story were way more interesting to me and that I did have to wait awhile for them to be revealed. Alexis is dealing with all kinds of drama, and most of it seems pretty superficial, but it's certainly important to her, and she spends a lot of time talking about or alluding to things. I admit I wasn't terribly interested in what happened to her mom, or in her blossoming relationship with Lucas, the darkly handsome new kid who just moved next door to her.

That was my mistake, because these two elements are critical to the conclusion of the story, which comes out of the darkness and hits like a ton of bricks. I absolutely did not see the twists in this book coming, which is funny considering I just got done griping about predictable story elements. I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't be fooled by stuff that sounds familiar! The unfamiliar elements are coming, and when they arrive, you will want to stand up and pay attention.

Lucas and Alexis have a very unconventional love story, and it's only just getting started in this first installment in the series. Normally the story element that best describes their situation (and I won't name it here, because that would be a spoiler) kind of makes me itch, but coupled with the supernatural element it totally grabbed my interest and worked for me in a way I didn't expect.

What else is there to say? This story went from (in my opinion) utterly predictable to totally unexpected, and did so in such a precise way that I caught myself kind of chuckling- the author had me right where she wanted me the whole time. Well played, well played indeed.

*****
J.D. Thompson has offered up a digital copy of Silver and Stone to one lucky winner here during the festival. To enter, fill out the form below. Good luck!
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Review and GIVEAWAY: The Witching Pen

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 22:44:00 +0000

Title: The Witching Pen
Author: Dianna Hardy
Page Count: 258 KB (Kindle format)
Publisher: Satin Smoke Press
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
Book One of The Witching Pen Novellas

Elena is a witch with a very special gift. She can make stories come to life with a pen. When she discovers that imagination can become reality at the stroke of her nib, she thinks it's the best thing to have ever happened ... until she meets Nathaniel. With an inexplicable hypnotic hold over her, he is a demon with a familiar face that lurks in the shadows of her world, impervious to her Witching Pen, and determined to make her create the world as he would have it - with her at his side.

In order to prevent the creation of a demon dimension on Earth, and to keep her soul intact, Elena must uncover all of Nathaniel's secrets to overcome him. But what she uncovers only seems to draw her further into his world and to the demon himself, and when the final stone is turned, what she discovers could be the very thing that ends up killing her...

Publisher's Notes:-

Book length: novella (37,000+ words)Print length: 220 pages (paperback)

The Witching Pen is a quirky, fast-paced, adult paranormal romance, with a "Buffy-esque", urban fantasy undertone.
*****

Fun book alert! I freely admit that the angels and demons thing that seems to be popular right now doesn't usually reach out and grab me, but this book was a fun story with some interesting elements reworked in a new way. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Elena has a secret. Well, she has a bunch of them, but probably the biggest one is that she's a super powerful witch with the power to wield a pen. Yes, a pen. Anything she writes with this pen comes to pass; she's learned that this is a tremendous responsibility and one that's best hidden from the world. Add in the fact that she's doomed to be a virgin forever unless she wants to transfer her powers to whoever it is that takes her V-card, and she's got a lot on her mind.

This means that she's got to keep her secret love (and roommate- talk about awkward) Karl at arm's length, which goes about as well as one might think in a paranormal romance. Karl knows everything about her, except for the small details about the pen, but as it turns out, there are secrets about Elena that even Elena doesn't know, which is where the bulk of the story development lies.

This is a quick read and sets things up nicely for future story installments- there isn't a lot of new ground covered here but for me as a reader, that's not a bad thing. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and to read about Elena and Karl finally finding a way to be together as more than just friends/roommates. I'm looking forward to reading what else develops in this series.
*****

Dianna Hardy has graciously offered up three digital copies of The Witching Pen to three winners here during the festival. You know the drill- to enter, just fill out the form below. Good luck!

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Incoming message!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:04:00 +0000

For those who are waiting for more giveaways to go live in the Snowed in with Indie Authors Review and Giveaway Festival, there are more on the way this weekend! The work week is jam packed getting ready for the break so thanks for your patience and be on the lookout for more great giveaways and reviews featuring excellent indie titles!

Review and GIVEAWAY: My Sparkling Misfortune

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:39:00 +0000

Title: My Sparkling Misfortune
Author: Laura Lond
Page Count: 481 KB
Publisher: self-published
Genre: young adult, fantasy, first in a series
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle readily admits that he is a villain and sees no reason why it should stop him from being the protagonist of this book. After all, Prince Kellemar, an aspiring hero, has defeated him in a rather questionable way. Bent on revenge, Arkus attempts to capture a powerful evil spirit who would make him nearly invincible, but a last-minute mistake leaves him with a Sparkling instead—“a goody-goody spirit that helps heroes, watches over little children, and messes up villains’ plans.” Bound to Lord Arkus for five years of service and sworn to act in his best interests, the Sparkling is not easy to get rid of, and of course his understanding of “best interests” is quite different from what Lord Arkus has in mind.
*****

This story is super cute! I love a good fantasy story with a rather unconventional narrator, and this story fits the bill perfectly. Add in the fact that the story is illustrated with really awesome black and white illustrations that would be perfect as writing prompts for young writers and you have a fun, short book that's a great way to spend an afternoon.

If you were to look up curmudgeon in the dictionary, you'd probably find Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle listed as an example. He's rude, a self-proclaimed villain, and he doesn't care what you think about either of those things, thank you very much. He spends his days doing respectably villainous things and he doesn't hold with heroes or the unfair attention they receive. To that end, he tries to summon an evil spirit to give him unimaginable powers. Unfortunately he ends up getting a Sparkling, which is like the Boy Scout of the spirit world. Now the Sparkling is bound to him, and having a supernatural conscience isn't the best thing that could happen to a villain, to say the least.

Because the Sparkling is bound to act in Arkus's best interests, it means that many of the best laid villainous plans get stopped before they can start. It'd kind of like what would happen if Wily E. Coyote had a bound servant whose job it was to tell him every time there was an anvil about to fall on his head. It makes for clever and witty banter between the two of them; it isn't like Arkus WANTS his plans to fail, he just doesn't want some goody goody pointing those things out to him.

Through it all is a really thoughtful conversation on what, specifically, makes someone a hero. Throughout the story, it's pointed out that people that want to be heroes tend to just want others to admire them, but that people who do heroic things tend to just want to be left alone, since in their minds they're just doing what needs to be done. As the story goes on, Arkus has to decide where he fits into all of this; his inner dilemma adds depth and detail to the story that I really enjoyed.

The entire cast of characters in this story is well drawn and each adds something unique to the story. A favorite of mine was Prince Philip, a young man who pretty much wants to be Arkus when he grows up, and reading about how Arkus deals with having an admirer like this was fun. I highly recommend this story for fans of middle grade fantasy who are looking to start a new series.
*****

Laura Lond has graciously offered up one Kindle-compatible copy of My Sparkling Misfortune to one lucky winner here during the festival! You know the drill- to enter, fill out the form below. Thanks and good luck!

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Review and GIVEAWAY: Brainstorm

noreply@blogger.com (Emily) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:53:00 +0000

Title: Brainstorm
Author: Gordon A. Kessler
Page Count: 594 KB (Kindle format)
Publisher: self-published
Genre: thriller
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

Synopsis:
BRAINSTORM: What if a small American town is secretly replicated, populated with kidnapped scientists and psychically talented civilians, and then used as a proving ground while training psychic assassins? Political and military leaders of the Free World are the targets of these psychic warriors, and Project Brainstorm's goal is world domination.

Gold Rush seems to be just another sleepy little Colorado community full of friendly, caring citizens, quaint cottages, and a sort of quiet peace, held gently by the picturesque mountains that surround it. However, something isn't right in Gold Rush, and early on a Monday morning Robert Weller awakens with a cautioning and insuppressible voice inside his head. He soon finds a secret behind every door, a motive with every glance, and a lie beneath every spoken word. After meeting a strange but beautiful woman named Sunny who insists they were once lovers, people begin dropping dead around him without apparent cause. The world he thought he knew twists upside down as paramilitary teams hunt him, and his own wife and the people he considers friends turn against him.

Weller is thrown into the middle of a military mission to rescue thousands of the town's citizens from a plot to destroy the free world. In time, Weller discovers he was once the CIA's top remote viewer, and it's not just the bad guys who will lose if he survives another day.
*****

Twisty turny paths lay ahead in Brainstorm, a story of mishap, mind control, and the quest for power at any expense. This is a full length novel with a full and diverse cast of characters. There is a lot going on in this story, a lot to pay attention to, but it's well worth the read.

The story shifts back and forth between first and third person, depending on what's going on in the story. This means that there are a couple of different story threads going on at the same time, but they're closely related; what starts off as a distraught wife's search for her missing husband evolves into a nuclear showdown that threatens to eclipse the entire world.

The whole situation stems from secret government experiments involving psychic assassins, capable of controlling and manipulating world leaders with the expected catastrophic results. The missing man in question, Dan McMaster, is front and center in these experiments and is a gifted psychic in his own right; his sudden disappearance is seriously concerning to the defense department as his psychic abilities would be of serious interest to less-than-friendly powers.

The big thing to remember about Brainstorm is that nothing is as it seems, and the book says as much when it tells you that everything you know is a lie. We find out details about the world of the book and the creepy, creepy town of Gold Rush as the characters find it out; we have to unravel the mystery ourselves and see if we arrive at the correct answer at the end. There are lots of political elements to keep track of (it's a political thriller so that's to be expected) and the end result is definitely something I did not expect, nor did I see it coming.

You get a lot of bang for your buck here for $.99, and for folks looking for something in the vein of The Manchurian Candidate with a contemporary flair, this is a good bet.
*****
Gordon Kessler has offered up a $25 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky winner here during the giveaway festival! To enter, fill out the form below. Spread the word and good luck to everyone!

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