Give me magic, gadgets, monsters, zombies, everything that seems impossible, and throw in some tough chicks with swords. That's the stuff.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Getting Away From It All with the Transplanted Tales

Today the wonderful Kate SeRine is back as part of the ALONG CAME A SPIDER blog tour. We'll talk a little about the book, Kate will let us know what our favorite Tales would do for a romantic getaway, and there is a GIVEAWAY.

Along Came a Spider is the third book in the very fun Transplanted Tales series. This time we have Trish Muffet and Nicky Blue battling vampires and the menacing Agency.

The blurb: When Trish Muffet is attacked at a grisly crime scene, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. But since walking away from everything two years before, Nicky’s been doling out vigilante justice as “The Spider,” taking on the vicious predators of the night in hopes it’ll lead him to his ultimate target – Vlad Dracula. And he needs Trish’s help.

Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…

My take: Again, SeRine delivers a very fun, romantic, action-packed romp full of fairytale, nursery rhyme and literary characters. Our couple is wonderful. As the FMA's medical examiner, Trish has her own way of reading the final thoughts of the dead. Nicky was one of my favs from Red, and I was so happy for him to have his chance at Happily Ever After. These two came into the Ordinary world at the same time, but while Nicky pursued a life of crime, Trish used her talents to serve in the FMA. I loved watching them together. Nicky is charming and Trish is a lot tougher than she first appears. They work so very well.

The action was good and there is a furthering of the dangers of living side by side with an unknowing Ordinary world. It seems as though some ends are tied up, but we'll see. There is so much that can happen in this world. It will be interesting to discover where this goes in future stories.

We get to see Red and Nate as well as Lavender and Seth. Gideon also plays a part, and I can't wait for his story in book 4. SeRine knows how to craft a fantastic romantic hero - just the right amount of charm, swagger and power without going full neanderthal. I love the heroines too - smart, capable, imperfect, and very easy to root for.

And now, here is Kate with the romantic getaways of our three couples. She's also having a GIVEAWAY so be sure to use the Rafflecopter below.

Everyone needs a vacation now and then — especially if they spend their time tracking down paranormal serial killers, psychotic sorceresses, blood-thirsty vampires, and freaky phantoms who’ve been chucked out of Make Believe and are causing a ruckus in the Here and Now. Yes, folks, I’m talking about my Transplanted Tales, specifically my heroes and heroines.

All three couples have been through one helluva lot lately and could use a little downtime to recharge and spend some quality time together without the intrusion of misbehaving Tales who need a series ass-kicking. But where do fairy tales go for a romantic getaway? Well, it depends on the couple:

Tess “Red” Little and Nate Grimm – Let’s face it, there’s no way Red could chill on a beach for a week. She’s far too much of an action junky to go for that. You’d be more likely to find her dragging Nate to Australia to go scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, white water rafting on the North Johnstone River, exploring the Outback… Her vacations would have adventure written all over them. And Nate would never try to change her ’cause her spirit is what he loves most about her. But, to keep things fair for Nate, Tess would insist they also hit the Sydney Opera House and make a day of it picnicking in the wine regions of Yarra Valley (she’d just need to take it easy on the wine tastings as she and wine have a love/hate relationship…).

Lavender Seelie and Seth “Big Bad” Wolf – Every day with Seth Wolf is a romantic getaway — he makes sure of that. But even though Seth and Lavender live in a log cabin in the Cascades and are surrounded by tranquil beauty, they still need to get away from their responsibilities at The Refuge now and then. And when they’re not exploring the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest together or traveling back to Chicago to visit with friends and family, you’ll find them taking off to one of their favorite destinations: the Canadian Rockies. For these two, it’s all about communing with nature and with each other.

Trish Muffet and Nicky Blue – Nicky is a “big city” kind of guy and Trish never tires of soaking up knowledge about anything and everything. You’ll find these two traipsing all over the place, visiting the most celebrated museums and historic sites around the world. But they also know how to kick back and take it easy. Snuggling up together in a dark corner to enjoy a little jazz in a Paris nightclub is right up their alley. But, honestly, Nicky doesn’t care where he is as long as Trish is at his side and she’s having a good time. Nothing brings him more joy than seeing the woman he loves glowing with happiness.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ALONG CAME A SPIDER is out now! Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Indiebound

Thank you so much, Kate, for stopping by!

Kate SeRine website: http://www.kateserine.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateSeRine
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateserine

[received an ARC]

Thursday, August 8, 2013

A "Peculiar" Cover Reveal & Ministry Giveaway!

The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is a fun, action-packed steampunk series. With novels, short stories and podcasts, there is much to explore in the universe that Philippa Ballantine, Tee Morris and their legion of fellow writers have created. Of course, when the call came out for bloggers to join the cover reveal, I had to join in. And away we go!

The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels are a multi-award winning steampunk series, which tells the story of the government agency committed to keeping citizens safe from the strange, the unusual, and the bizarre.

In a very successful Kickstarter in July, the Ministry Initiative was funded, allowing the creation of both a roleplaying game and a brand new anthology.

Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences is a collection of short stories that will take readers across the Empire and all over the world, revealing new facets of familiar characters and introducing new agents, allies, and enemies from the Ministry’s colourful history. The authors of this globe-spanning anthology include Delilah S. Dawson, Leanna Renee Hieber, Alex White, Jared Axelrod, Tiffany Trent, Peter Woodworth, Jack Mangan, JR Blackwell, Dan Rabarts, Lauren Harris, Karina Cooper, and Glenn Freund from The League of S.T.E.A.M. And one of the Ministry’s creators, Tee Morris, presents the origin story of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences itself.

Look for the ebook coming in August, with signed print editions to follow.

Feast your eyes on the cover art from the Ministry renaissance man, Alex White, and spread the word about the anthology by entering the giveaway.