tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76836880048769830222024-02-18T19:56:07.620-08:00Kathy's Book PileUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger266125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-38995656479617780542016-07-12T13:56:00.000-07:002016-07-12T13:57:41.468-07:00A Trip to Hogwarts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first learned that Universal Studios in Florida was building a Harry Potter theme park, I wanted to go so bad I could taste it. However, the distance and expense rendered a visit unlikely.<br />
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When plans were announced for a Potter land at Universal Studios Hollywood, then I knew I could start planning for a very feasible (and much less expensive) trip. This week, my family hit the road and arrived at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.<br />
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Quick verdict: Loved it. The whole experience made me happy. All of the little details, the rides, the food, everything.<br />
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Downside though, there are crowds. So. Many. People. We saw that they sell Front of the Line tickets and scoffed at the price (staring at $199, basically twice the cost of our 1 day ticket). However, after spending much of the day in lines, we came around to the idea that maybe getting those for the people in our group who actually enjoy rides might be worth it.<br />
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Now on to some specifics. And pictures, of course.<br />
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<b><u>Forbidden Journey</u></b> - Best. Ride. In. The. Park. Combo of 3D movie-ride and animatronics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Weasley's Flying Car</td></tr>
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The line for this ride starts below the castle, then winds its way through the doors, passed the potions classroom, through herbology, galleries of portraits, and Dumbledore's office. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby mandrakes in herbology</td></tr>
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Any Potter fan will adore the details: the walloped remains of the Weasley's flying car, baby mandrakes in pots, the scores for the House Cup. The moving portraits were fantastically done - subtle perfection in execution. The ride was thrilling. Our favorite parts were the Walloping Willow and dragon sequences.<br />
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<b><u>Flight of the Hippogriph</u></b> - The one outdoor roller coaster in the park. The line winds around Hagrid's house and pumpkin patch. This ride is very quick, a few drops and quick turns, but overall an extremely smooth ride. Not too jarring. Very good starter coaster if you have a young budding enthusiast.<br />
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<b><u>Hosgmeade</u></b>: There's a combo of shops here (ones that any fan knows are really in Diagon Alley, but whatever. Eventually they will expand). Zonkos was cute, but honestly not enough joke stuff. The Exploding bonbons look fun. It's connected to Honeydukes, which is a glorious candy shop. You can choose from pre-packaged items or fill a box. Dervish and Bangs had Quidditch supplies (I got myself a Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain shirt - H-Puff for life!). At the Owl Post, there are all sorts of owl stuffies, icnluding an awesome Hedwig puppet. Just outside, there was a stand with stationery, journals and postcards, as well as a mailbox so you can mail letters from Hogsmeade. I geeked out here. Bought a couple of postcards, mailed one home to have a souvenir arrive in the mail. It has a Hogsmeade postmark, as well as a Hogwarts castle postage ($14.95 for a sheet of 10 real stamps). We also walked through Gladrags. I didn't even look at the cost of the robes. I was a little afraid of the sticker shock, but they did have gowns from the ball in GOF. Hermione's dress can be seen in the front window (and if you buy an interactive wand from Ollivanders, you can make it levitate).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hogwarts Express</td></tr>
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Speaking of Ollivanders - it's just over an hours wait for the wand choosing. Luckily, if you just want to look around, there is another entrance, where you also might have to wait in line. Once inside, it is packed with people. I think I managed one blurry photo before I gave up. We found some wands, but at around $40 for a collectible and $47 for an interactive wand, we decided to get other souvenirs. True, the interactive wands are awesome and if you have the money, you will likely enjoy them while you are at the park. There are scattered places around the Wizarding World where you can "cast a spell" and make something happen (like the shop windows). However, I have 3 kids and of course, all would need a wand, and $150 for (lets face it) an hour of fun was pushing it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MyLRKUk1uF5c3l0HPtXJyj5yEvEtcBJyejyiEtHW_XkcMjePITluz2fpAHDOQ3uHBwknpACRZ2swMwzIqd_Dr9lDAuxzTi8zr61x4WtdfhxCRE54E5pm2PzXL6cusdkeh_JU4UnkMpc/s1600/20160707_133201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MyLRKUk1uF5c3l0HPtXJyj5yEvEtcBJyejyiEtHW_XkcMjePITluz2fpAHDOQ3uHBwknpACRZ2swMwzIqd_Dr9lDAuxzTi8zr61x4WtdfhxCRE54E5pm2PzXL6cusdkeh_JU4UnkMpc/s200/20160707_133201.jpg" width="112" /></a><b><u>Food and Drink</u></b>: I did try a few beverages on my visit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoN1mUfecgxTjOAKwtd0iK4D4WpAW6jkf2aOwxGeZC-uKzdGtZJNAR9rK1CW8H9mAEq7_02iTYveGJltoFNd-Gk15L-KHnI4hGnOrkYBjRyZ13to7xj_MWFAe0upv9XcTE_QJ-inxck4/s1600/20160707_160801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoN1mUfecgxTjOAKwtd0iK4D4WpAW6jkf2aOwxGeZC-uKzdGtZJNAR9rK1CW8H9mAEq7_02iTYveGJltoFNd-Gk15L-KHnI4hGnOrkYBjRyZ13to7xj_MWFAe0upv9XcTE_QJ-inxck4/s200/20160707_160801.jpg" width="200" /></a>I started with Pumpkin juice after the Forbidden Journey ride. It comes in a very cute container and tastes like pumpkin pie. I liked it better than I thought I would, to be honest, and I would get it again.<br />
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Later in the day I tried the Butterbeer. It's served both cold and frozen. Both were delicious. You can get it in a disposable cup or in a plastic Butterbeer collectible stein. Of course, we had to get the steins. At $12, it's not cheap, but it was tasty and I will enjoy that little stein until one of the kids manages to destroy it.<br />
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While the more adventurous in our party went on rides, the other 3 went to the Three Broomsticks for breakfast. I got to try a sample and it was excellent. The ambiance inside was fantastic as well. Had we not had the kids with us, that would have been our dinner spot (I'll talk about where we found the best grub later). If I hadn't had the kids with me, I'd have been in the Hogshead Pub too. Eh, next time.<br />
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<b><u>Shows</u></b>: There are two shows at Wizarding World: the Toad Choir and the Tri-wizard Rally. The Toad Choir was very fun. There were 4 performers, one from each house, and they encompassed the traits of their houses perfectly. Boychild liked the puppets.<br />
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The Tri-wizard Rally had students from Beauxbatons & Durmstrang. Lots of dancing and acrobatics, the Durmstrang boys were especially thrilling with flips and staff sparring. Girlchild loved it. Both shows are free and not too long (which is good as it is basically standing room only) and there are quite a few shows throughout the day.<br />
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<b><u>Souvenirs</u></b>: Lots of t-shirts. Of course, Gryffindor fans will have the best selection. I went in with the mindset that I was getting a H-Puff shirt, but I also was tempted by the Azkaban and Platform 9-3/4 shirts. Also tons of scarves, hats, ties, pins, keychains, stuffed animals, books, swords, and so on.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;">Rest of the Park: </u> We went there for the Wizarding World, but that is not all that Universal Studios has to offer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Pink Donut - it's huge!</td></tr>
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<b><u>Springfield, USA</u></b> - Homage to all things Simpsons, this was our 2nd favorite area. Located just next to Potter Land, it has a very fun motion ride, lots of carnival games (that we did not spring for), the Kwik-E-Mart for your favorite Simpsons merch, and the best places to eat in the park. You can get a Krustyburger, grab chicken from Cletus', head to Luigi's for pizza, get tacos from the Bumblebee Man's truck, get a flaming Moe at Moe's, enjoy some Duff in the brew garden, get a Giant Pink from Lard Lad, and more. To say that my kids are picky eaters is an understatement (my son is the honeybadger of picky eaters), and everyone was able to find something. We went there for lunch and dinner and grabbed a donut to take home.<br />
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I personally tried the pizza (standard fare, decent size slices, and comes with a side ceasar salad for $7-something). The bread sticks came 3 to a plate with marinara. Not really garlicy, more buttery, but still filling. I had to try the Buzz Cola - a zero calorie cherry soda that was quite refreshing.<br />
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Dinner was carnitas tacos from the Bumblebee Man. 2 to a plate for around $8-9. Good portion size, very filling. Skimpy on the chips though. Finished the meal with a Duff Beer. Decent lager, not heavy at all. (I'd had a bud light in the Jurassic Park line and this was much better, but then, what isn't better than Bud light?) It was fun to get a Duff beer. So I did.<br />
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I have to say that compared to other theme parks I've been to, I felt that the food was really good. Everyone found something they wanted. No one hated what they got. The childrens were fed, the hanger retreated. Whining was at a minimum (not gone, just better than it normally would be).<br />
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<b><u>Other rides</u></b>:<br />
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<b><u>Studio Tour-</u></b> The ride that started it all. I've been on this many, many times over the years and it has absolutely changed since the last time I was on it (ok, that was over 10 years ago, so time has passed). Bruce the shark is still there, as well as the backlot with facades and sets from many famous tv shows and movies. Mrs. Bates is still rocking in the window of the Bates family home. We still experience a flash flood and an earthquake, as well as the parting of the waters. The avalanche tunnel is gone and we no longer go over the rickety bridge. The giant animatronic King Kong is gone, but we do have a new 3D motion experience that was our favorite part of the tour. We head to skull island, experience a dinosaur attack and get "rescued" by Kong. The tour ended with another fast-moving 3D experience featuring a high-speed chase with the Fast and the Furious crew.<br />
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<u><b>Despicable Me</b></u>: Fun 3D motion ride where you "turn into a minion". I've heard that this is a good barometer of whether someone can handle other motion rides. If this is too much for them, the answer is no.<br />
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<b><u>Silly Swirler</u></b>: In the Minion Fun Land. Basic ride that the littles can go on. Kind of like Dumbo in that it goes around in a circle and you can move it up and down. I really wish they had a few more rides like this in the Minion zone. They have a water park, but honestly the last thing I wanted to do was chase after wet kids or deal with wet clothes after. Note: If you ever go there and want to turn the kids loose int he water park, bring water shoes and swimsuits - shoes are required and you don't want sopping wet sneakers.<br />
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<b><u>Jurassic Park</u></b>: You might get wet if you are sitting on the end of the row. A boat ride, dinosaurs, a big drop. It was a long wait though. Luckily, you could buy beer in line. YOU COULD BUY BEER IN LINE! It was crap light beer, but whatevs. It helped pass the time. You could also get ice cream, water and soda. It's a great idea. They need to add some of those carts to the lines at HP land.<br />
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<b><u>The Simpsons Ride</u></b>: I used to love watching the Simpsons, so, totally worth it for nostalgia alone. This used to be the Back to the Future ride (you're still in a Delorean, it just has a new paint job.) Another movie-motion ride. Very fun and funny.<br />
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There you have it, our trip to Wizarding World at Universal Studios Hollywood. If anyone has been to the other Wizarding Worlds, let me know how it compares!<br />
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I'll send you off with a few more pictures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honeydukes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helga Hufflepuff having a convo with the other founding members of Hogwarts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up at the castle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hagrid's House</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hagrid's motorcycle</td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-84638363274852303532016-07-12T11:35:00.000-07:002016-07-12T11:35:27.293-07:00Review: United States of Japan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPovB_EOe9aCZTJeaxJM73lxn056u4TJoDPeSuNieg5TD3iFS3XLVGuZ4rnjI-15ojboLgkltGD2Wh6ZYVQOtMyH9-SdLI_rQr2v9eLnut2PirA15lkynX9J_n-aVxcuJFQGrT9C7j9wY/s1600/usj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPovB_EOe9aCZTJeaxJM73lxn056u4TJoDPeSuNieg5TD3iFS3XLVGuZ4rnjI-15ojboLgkltGD2Wh6ZYVQOtMyH9-SdLI_rQr2v9eLnut2PirA15lkynX9J_n-aVxcuJFQGrT9C7j9wY/s400/usj.jpg" width="258" /></a></div>
<b>UNITED STATES OF JAPAN by Peter Tieryas</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Things I want from a summer read: action, fast-pace, action, intriguing world, action,well-rounded characters, and did I mention action?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Set in an alternate history where Japan and the AXIS powers won WWII, Imperial Japan controls the Western half of the former USA, criticism of the Emperor is a death sentence, and the George Wahingtons have been in rebellion since the end of the war, we follow two characters on a hunt for a missing general. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Captain Beniko Ishimura is a censor, frequently passed over for promotion, but also knows more than anyone thinks he does. A complicated and tragic family history, a lackadaisical manner that belies his real intelligence, Ben is a survivor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> Agent Akiko Tsukino is a member of the secret police, executing anyone who criticizes the emperor with extreme satisfaction. Unfortunately, she is a part of a government that would rather find a scapegoat than admit to any mistake or embarrassment. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">They are an extremely unlikely duo that does not meld into a buddy cop routine, but is no less fascinating to watch. So much tension all throughout, from external forces of the government, the shadowy criminal underworld, rebels, to Ben and Akiko's own motives and secrets.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Excellent pacing, lots of action. There is a mecha on the cover, and they are a part of the story, but leave any Pacific Rim dream battles aside for now, although the battles we do get left me thrilled.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">The world is tech-filled, dangerous, and quite honestly, other than rooting for Ben and (some of the time) Akiko, I didn't really like the idea of a US ruled by either Imperial Japan or the George Washingtons. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">There is a conclusion, no cliffhangers, although much is left open. I'm glad for this. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: merriweather, georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">I will be on the lookout for more from Tieryas.</span><br />
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UNITED STATES OF JAPAN <a href="https://www.amazon.com/United-States-Japan-Peter-Tieryas-ebook/dp/B010JYXJPE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1468294668&sr=1-1&keywords=united+states+of+japan">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/united-states-of-japan-peter-tieryas/1123049814?ean=9780857665331">B&N</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/united-states-of-japan?sp_AC=1">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/united-states-of-japan-9780857665331/62-0">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/United-States-Japan/Peter-Tieryas/9780857665331?id=6682917438524">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780857665331">Indiebound</a><br />
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[received review copy]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-33892281897533419522016-07-11T20:03:00.000-07:002016-07-11T20:33:32.102-07:00Review: The Fifth SeasonWhew - it's been a while. Time to get back into things and share some recent reads, that are also phenomenal summer reads. We'll start with my latest.<br />
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<b>THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin</b><br />
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Book 1 of the Broken Earth Trilogy.<br />
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I don't even know if I am ready to write about this. Probably not. This is one of those books where I want to tell you as little about it as possible because so much of my enjoyment came from peeling back the layers, just immersing myself in this chaotic world that has "ended" more times than the surviving civilization can recall.<br />
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So, we start with the latest end of the world (which usually is the beginning of a new one, of course), a land where civilization has been "destroyed" many times over and rebuilt again, survivors (and all the myriad ways, pro and con that they survive), people who have magical control over geology, strange beings that look human but aren't, slavery, injustice, vengeance, conspiracies, and something very big that is missing....<br />
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And that's all you get. Even talking about the characters might give something away and I will not do it.<br />
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When I first started the book, it took a little while to familiarize myself with all the "players" and the timeline. Then I got to the "Oh shit" moments as I put it all together. Followed by a few more "Damns," "Oh shit," "Oh no!" "NO NO NO" right up to a big exhale and needing to read book 2.<br />
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Fantastic read. I'm glad THE OBELISK GATE comes out in August so I don't have too long to wait.</div>
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THE FIFTH SEASON ($4.99 for the ebook!) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Season-Broken-Earth-ebook/dp/B00H25FCSQ/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468291755&sr=8-1&keywords=the+fifth+season+n.k.+jemisin">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fifth-season-n-k-jemisin/1117543436?ean=9780316229296">B&N</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-fifth-season-11?sp_AC=1">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/the-fifth-season-the-broken-earth-1-9780316229296/62-0">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Fifth-Season/N-K-Jemisin/9780316229296?id=6682917438524">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316229296">Indiebound</a></div>
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Pre-order THE OBELISK GATE <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01922I1GG/ref=series_rw_dp_sw">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-obelisk-gate-n-k-jemisin/1123110036?ean=9780316229265">B&N</a> | <a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-obelisk-gate?sp_AC=1">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/obelisk-gate-broken-earth-book-2-9780316229265/62-0">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Obelisk-Gate/N-K-Jemisin/9780316229265?id=6682917438524">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316229265">Indiebound</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-62174275760220787902015-10-08T20:29:00.000-07:002015-10-08T20:29:59.451-07:00Where Have I Been?Hello, all! It's been awhile. I haven't been doing much of any of my usual postings lately, not here, not on Stellar Four, not anywhere (except for bits on Goodreads, which are barely a scattering of notes). So what's up?<br />
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Short version: family health issues, family member with cancer, loads of routine tests for FC, IEP meetings and evaluations for FC, death of loved one (fuck cancer forever), and my brain needed a freaking holiday.<br />
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Yeah.<br />
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Let's break things down a bit.<br />
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Family health issues: aside from the illnesses that tend to strike a household filled with school-age kids, there were a few other issues. I got through my routine dermatologist screening with no new problems (yay!), but then had a painful cyst that took me out of action for awhile. The hubs was hit on the freeway (he's OK, but the car was not). And we got news that my father in law had liver cancer. For while it looked like things were going OK, then suddenly, he was gone.<br />
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On a much more positive note, FC began to walk unaided - no walker, no braces, just her own strength and volition and feisty 'tude. I'd always hoped that she would be able to, but seeing her walk, play with other kids, and now attend preschool, it's one of the best things that's ever happened. She also had several tests that went pretty much OK. We're looking at surgery in a year or two, but that wasn't unexpected.<br />
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FC: I felt like a hamster in a wheel for much of the late spring/summer when it came to FC. Everything was hurry up and wait. She turned 3 and had to transfer into the school district for services. This meant lots of meetings and evaluations, culminating in an IEP* where I did get what I thought was best for her. Then came a few months of quiet followed by "OH MY GOD YOU NEED TO FILL OUT ALL THESE FORMS RIGHT NOW!!!!" followed by more quiet, then "Hey, you start tomorrow."<br />
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The thing is, I've talked to lots of folks who have been through the process. Before it all started, I <i>generously</i> gave myself a year to work through everything. That said, when I was in the middle of it, it didn't take long to get to "I need to have this sorted now!"<br />
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She's now in a great program with fantastic teachers, but it's taken awhile to calm myself down, to stop feeling like another shoe's about to drop.<br />
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That might be what takes a year, or twenty.<br />
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Brain vacation: I gotta be honest, at the end of the day, I was lucky to do a little tweeting. My reading was off, my interest in writing anything more than 140 characters was down to almost nothing.<br />
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I just needed a break.<br />
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When FC went to preschool, and the other kids were already in school, I DID NOTHING. No extra things off the to-do list, no special projects, NOTHING.<br />
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I sat on my ass, ate what I wanted and it was glorious.<br />
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I just needed some time with no deadlines to regroup.<br />
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I started doing some more things on THE LIST, started exercising more, starting doing archery more (it's calming, I like it, and it brings out my inner Merida), started volunteering (mostly book related), and now I'm easing back into posting again.<br />
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I'm sorry if you e-mailed me and got no response. It might very well have been during a time when my life turned to crap and I couldn't deal with anything new.<br />
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I'd like to get back into what made me happy for so long - talking about and recommending good reads.<br />
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Have anything new I should be reading?<br />
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*IEP = Individualized Education Program. Basically a contract between us and the school about accommodations and services for FC.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-20922886920286477092015-08-18T21:55:00.000-07:002015-08-18T21:55:02.316-07:00Stop at Nothing Blurb I'm a giant fan of Kate SeRine's Transplanted Tales books. Coming this November is a new Romantic Suspense, <b>STOP AT NOTHING</b>.<br />
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The blurb: "When a high-profile investigation goes wrong, FBI Agent Kyle Dawson is transferred back home where he is forced to confront his demons…and the only woman he ever loved. Three years ago, Kyle and Abby Morrow shared a wild, passionate summer—then Abby broke his heart. <br />
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<b>NOW SHE NEEDS HIS HELP</b><br />
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Kyle never stopped loving Abby. So when Abby uncovers evidence of a human-trafficking ring, leading to her sister’s kidnapping, he swears he’ll stop at nothing to bring her sister home and keep Abby safe. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse and blindsided by their own explosive desires, they must set aside the past before it’s too late."<br />
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My take: SeRine is great at bringing the action, heat, and some fantastic couples, so I'm in.<br />
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Pre-order: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stop-at-Nothing-Protect-Serve-ebook/dp/B0108GOL4G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439959675&sr=8-1&keywords=stop+at+nothing+serine">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stop-at-nothing-kate-serine/1121731778?ean=9781492618348">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Stop-Nothing/Kate-Serine/9781492618348?id=6399597668226">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781492618348-0">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492618348">Indiebound</a><br />
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
About the Author:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqRs8HD2_IKPndCIpaW8eH3rquCgGavW9Ryzw-AmAlcZ1GjvadCzgxW1qYrRLZ7JD7evGiQr2FpG7lVxktTvTP45W0Hhah3uN7mhb50yQR-v6GYAsbZuhiR3wKS-80e5vbIjL75Rq0V4/s1600/Kate+SeRine+photo+-+Sourcebooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqRs8HD2_IKPndCIpaW8eH3rquCgGavW9Ryzw-AmAlcZ1GjvadCzgxW1qYrRLZ7JD7evGiQr2FpG7lVxktTvTP45W0Hhah3uN7mhb50yQR-v6GYAsbZuhiR3wKS-80e5vbIjL75Rq0V4/s200/Kate+SeRine+photo+-+Sourcebooks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) has been telling stories since before she could hold a pen. When she’s not writing, you’ll find Kate reading every book she can get her hands on, watching low-budget horror movies, or geeking out over pretty much any movie adaptation of a comic book. As long as action and suspense are involved, she's in!<br /><br />Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project—probably while consuming way too much coffee. Kate is also the author of the award-winning paranormal romance series, Transplanted Tales.<div>
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website: <a href="http://www.kateserine.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.kateserine.com</a></div>
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Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/kateserine" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/kateserine</a></div>
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Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KateSeRine">https://twitter.com/KateSeRine</a></div>
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Goodreads: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/kateserine" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank" title="http://www.goodreads.com/kateserine
Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">www.goodreads.com/kateserine</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-34394107424329252822015-02-08T13:39:00.003-08:002015-02-08T13:40:49.552-08:00SOME FINE DAY Launch & Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5nb5oUh55c5x9mrbRd4BU4nttqXCmGu5eJUNBCtrCKb0ZpTLTw_3yWo9CsPXxaYKLp6aBr9JX78jJ9vgV3zuVwpEw0qXdHUVIosKZ6drWfYdDVyMOT1yrzOEyAw-y6_v1rZv7PyziE8/s1600/SFD+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5nb5oUh55c5x9mrbRd4BU4nttqXCmGu5eJUNBCtrCKb0ZpTLTw_3yWo9CsPXxaYKLp6aBr9JX78jJ9vgV3zuVwpEw0qXdHUVIosKZ6drWfYdDVyMOT1yrzOEyAw-y6_v1rZv7PyziE8/s1600/SFD+cover.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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I've <a href="http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2014/12/some-fine-day.html">mentioned</a> a while ago how much I enjoyed SOME FINE DAY by Kat Ross. The ebook has been available for a couple of months, and the paperback will be released February 17. To celebrate, Ross and Skyscape have an excellent giveaway.</div>
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<span id="E13" qowt-eid="E13" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Grand Prize: Kindle Paperwhite with custom cover, preloaded with S</span><span id="E14" qowt-eid="E14" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ome Fine Day</span></div>
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<span id="E16" qowt-eid="E16" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Second Prize (2)</span><span id="E17" qowt-eid="E17" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span id="E18" qowt-eid="E18" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">S</span><span id="E19" qowt-eid="E19" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">igned</span><span id="E20" qowt-eid="E20" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> copy of Some Fine Day</span></div>
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<span id="E22" qowt-eid="E22" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Third Prize (2): CD audiobook of Some Fine Day</span></div>
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<span id="E24" qowt-eid="E24" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This contest</span><span id="E25" qowt-eid="E25" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> r</span><span id="E26" qowt-eid="E26" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">uns </span><span id="E27" qowt-eid="E27" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">from </span><span id="E28" qowt-eid="E28" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Feb</span><span id="E29" qowt-eid="E29" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ruary</span><span id="E30" qowt-eid="E30" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 7</span><span id="E31" qowt-eid="E31" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> to Mar</span><span id="E32" qowt-eid="E32" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ch</span><span id="E33" qowt-eid="E33" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 7</span><span id="E34" qowt-eid="E34" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">. Enter using the Rafflecopter link below.</span></div>
<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="558031df4" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/558031df4/" id="rcwidget_wd19b065" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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<span qowt-eid="E34" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's some more about the book:</span></div>
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<span id="E37" qowt-eid="E37" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">Synopsis</span><span id="E38" qowt-eid="E38" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">: </span><span id="E39" qowt-eid="E39" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">A generation ago, continent-sized storms called hypercanes caused the Earth to flood. The survivors were forced to retreat deep underground and build a new society.</span></div>
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<span id="E42" qowt-eid="E42" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the story that sixteen-year-old Jansin Nordqvist has heard all of her life.</span></div>
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<span id="E45" qowt-eid="E45" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jansin grew up in a civilization far below the Earth’s surface. She’s spent the last eight years in military intelligence training. So when her parents surprise her with a coveted yet treacherous trip above ground, she’s prepared for anything. She’s especially thrilled to feel the fresh air, see the sun, and view the wide-open skies and the ocean for herself.</span></div>
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<span id="E48" qowt-eid="E48" style="font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">But when raiders attack Jansin’s camp and take her prisoner, she is forced to question everything she’s been taught. What do her captors want? How will she get back underground? And if she ever does, will she want to stay after learning the truth?</span></div>
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<span id="E51" qowt-eid="E51" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Some Fine Day is available for purchase on </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Some-Fine-Day-Kat-Ross/dp/1477849378/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1422807876&sr=8-1" id="E52" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E52" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E53" qowt-eid="E53" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">Amazon</span></a><span id="E54" qowt-eid="E54" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/some-fine-day-kat-ross/1117447023?ean=9781477849378" id="E55" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E55" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E56" qowt-eid="E56" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">Barnes & Noble</span></a><span id="E57" qowt-eid="E57" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><span id="E58" qowt-eid="E58" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> You can find more reader re</span><span id="E61" qowt-eid="E61" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">views on </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23379420-some-fine-day" id="E62" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E62" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E63" qowt-eid="E63" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">Goodreads</span></a><span id="E64" qowt-eid="E64" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<span id="E66" qowt-eid="E66" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You can </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="http://katrossbooks.com/trailer.html" id="E67" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E67" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E68" qowt-eid="E68" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">check out the trailer here</span></a><span id="E69" qowt-eid="E69" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7XSv5ggU2OX9O-pIAV2yTnFhVaG4zfcw3MzrVz7CXNMTatBL-R3IZIqQG5k-Chkzfo0Mu6JfiNWVxfZPegsQURq8gbnHD9z-7RiypeCeHSv07EPqmLoLaSrO9leg6c5hYbLenFBwZ98/s1600/katross300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7XSv5ggU2OX9O-pIAV2yTnFhVaG4zfcw3MzrVz7CXNMTatBL-R3IZIqQG5k-Chkzfo0Mu6JfiNWVxfZPegsQURq8gbnHD9z-7RiypeCeHSv07EPqmLoLaSrO9leg6c5hYbLenFBwZ98/s1600/katross300.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<span id="E71" qowt-eid="E71" style="font-weight: bold; white-space: pre-wrap;">About the author</span><span id="E72" qowt-eid="E72" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">:</span></div>
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<span id="E74" qowt-eid="E74" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Kat Ross was born and raised in New York City and worked several jobs before turning to journalism and creative writing. An avid traveler and adventurer, she now lives with her family—along with a beagle, a ginger cat, and six fish—far enough outside the city that skunks and deer wander through her backyard.</span><span id="E75" qowt-eid="E75" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span id="E77" qowt-eid="E77" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You can find Kat on </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="https://twitter.com/katrossauthor" id="E78" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E78" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E79" qowt-eid="E79" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">Twitter</span></a><span id="E80" qowt-eid="E80" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> and her </span><a class="qowt-field qowt-field-hyperlink" href="http://katrossbooks.com/" id="E81" qowt-divtype="qowt-field-hyperlink" qowt-eid="E81" target="_blank"><span class="qowt-stl-Hyperlink" id="E82" qowt-eid="E82" style="color: blue; white-space: pre-wrap;">website</span></a><span id="E83" qowt-eid="E83" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-21748645796729600662015-01-17T16:09:00.000-08:002015-01-17T16:09:20.247-08:00Review: DARKWALKER<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmwXaFmSwgxTQNdfzmArP_DKwUuvvyTi3FvLWtGUvN6MUIHMfTVt4tBVF-bE7wgJiWiyTAJkxXv_BaBeqQd46f2_WCDgiliyOHpFH5uFqB4h9ebOU751RPjSVLS1DunywmDfX2mkp8Oc/s1600/darkwalker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxmwXaFmSwgxTQNdfzmArP_DKwUuvvyTi3FvLWtGUvN6MUIHMfTVt4tBVF-bE7wgJiWiyTAJkxXv_BaBeqQd46f2_WCDgiliyOHpFH5uFqB4h9ebOU751RPjSVLS1DunywmDfX2mkp8Oc/s1600/darkwalker.jpg" height="400" width="247" /></a></div>
<b>DARKWALKER (Nicolas Lenoir #1) by E.L. Tettensor</b><br />
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<u>The blurb:</u> "<b>He used to be the best detective on the job. Until he became the hunted...</b><br />
<br />Once a legendary police inspector, Nicolas Lenoir is now a disillusioned and broken man who spends his days going through the motions and his evenings drinking away the nightmares of his past. Ten years ago, Lenoir barely escaped the grasp of the Darkwalker, a vengeful spirit who demands a terrible toll on those who have offended the dead. But the Darkwalker does not give up on his prey so easily, and Lenoir has always known his debt would come due one day.<br /> <br />When Lenoir is assigned to a disturbing new case, he treats the job with his usual apathy—until his best informant, a street savvy orphan, is kidnapped. Desperate to find his young friend before the worst befalls him, Lenoir will do anything catch the monster responsible for the crimes, even if it means walking willingly into the arms of his own doom ...<br />
<br /><u>My take:</u> Really liked this. Easy to get into, fast-paced, good read.<br /><br />Lenoir is a cranky expat living in a backwater country compared to his more genteel homeland (think a Frenchman living in exile in England, but this is a different world, so it's more kind of French and English-like). He is a detective with the Metropolitan police, a brilliant detective but often bored, very arrogant and blunt, always searching for decent food, and haunted by nightmares from his past.<br /><br />He is called into a case of a missing corpse and is drawn into an even bigger conspiracy when his orphan informant/sidekick (one of the few people he allows himself to care about) is kidnapped. He has to navigate the various villages, nobles with long reaches, and the secretive and persecuted Adali (similar to the Romany). <div>
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The world feels familiar enough but is still it's own separate universe from ours. There is a supernatural element, shown in Adali magic and healing and the Darkwalker. It starts out subtly, then grows.<br /><div>
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The Darkwalker is very interesting and I loved how it was introduced and the interactions with Lenoir. Very good "monster". I don't want to talk about it too much because you just need to read it.<br /><br />There is no romance in this book but relationships between characters are key. Lenoir is firmly in the center of the story, but we do get to see things from other characters' POV as well.</div>
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I need to read book 2. Luckily, MASTER OF PLAGUES will be out February 3.</div>
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Buy DARKWALKER <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Darkwalker-Nicolas-Lenoir-E-L-Tettensor-ebook/dp/B00C5QULVK/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1421539125&sr=1-2&keywords=darkwalker">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/darkwalker-el-tettensor/1116071623?ean=9780451419989">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/darkwalker">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Darkwalker/E-L-Tettensor/9780451419989?id=6215391895956">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780451419989-1">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451419989">Indiebound</a></div>
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E.L. Tettensor</div>
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website: <a href="http://www.eltettensor.com/">http://www.eltettensor.com/</a></div>
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twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/ETettensor">https://twitter.com/ETettensor</a></div>
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facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eltettensor">https://www.facebook.com/eltettensor</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-30737217673387992352015-01-03T16:20:00.003-08:002015-01-03T16:22:01.983-08:002014 Movie ReportI am not a big movie fan. Actually, this isn't true. I do love movies. I just rarely find many that are worth the time to watch them, especially when I could use that time (and money) for more books.<br />
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Here are the ones that I remember watching in 2014. Mostly ones I loved, because honestly I refused to sit through many that I disliked.<br />
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<b>Pacific Rim</b>: My enjoyment of this film can be summed up with "FUCK YEAH, SWORD!" I almost yelled this out loud in the theater. I've found that if you give me giant robots fighting monsters as well as Idris Elba and Ron Perlman, I will not care about plotholes or inconsistencies.<br />
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<b>Guardians of the Galaxy</b>: LOVED IT. When I first saw the trailer and a raccoon firing a machine gun off a sentient tree, I prayed that it would be good. AND IT WAS! Very fun, great action, great characters. I could have done with a toned down mom death scene, but still. Had to pre-order the blu ray.<br />
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<b>Interstellar</b>: I loved this. Felt like the best mix of 2001 and 2010, but was also its own thing. Great acting and effects. Also really liked the storyline, the best and worst displays of humanity, and the overall hope. Was happy to have spent the money to see it in the theater.<br />
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<b>Big Hero 6</b>: Loved this movie so much. I might have gotten teary in parts. A boy, his robot, his friends and a supervillain.<br />
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<b>Ghostbusters</b>: Introduced the children to this one. Realized I need to watch it more often.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83pIYTXORK0Mryy5blAD5kEDBV8hKfIlG6z2yryberU9WVYKekAI1xj1PPz61PHLMBvifthEu6BxThQxnWSZxVz8GFxnqZjBBSgfTbO_SP26LgawqizJyqyxPiWVDgEa2AYgRAemA6MY/s1600/diehard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83pIYTXORK0Mryy5blAD5kEDBV8hKfIlG6z2yryberU9WVYKekAI1xj1PPz61PHLMBvifthEu6BxThQxnWSZxVz8GFxnqZjBBSgfTbO_SP26LgawqizJyqyxPiWVDgEa2AYgRAemA6MY/s1600/diehard.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Die Hard</b>: Watched it Christmas Eve, as you really should. Yippee ki yay!<br />
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<b>Snowpiercer</b>: I was enjoying this most of the time, even if the very linear nature of everything (as it kind of had to be when you go from the back to the front of a train) felt a little too on the nose. Then, in the end, they had a part reminiscent of the Architect scene in Matrix 2. THEY MADE ME REMEMBER MATRIX 2! Unforgivable.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-24044540288711646502015-01-02T11:46:00.000-08:002015-01-03T16:21:05.641-08:00Recipe: Crockpot Lava Cake<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSJgjzStOujV-VygivmkFkqs6J16YRBYLuvlggHBR31dE4OiLo9_D6m98XhbjxOUCkQZRBG77j8w1uVsQV6nLDpMMJUOpIbkgE7Fs3TaqWqQnH6YgblkGxh-h044BHfRR6H2hPGIiRjA/s1600/20150102_111304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSJgjzStOujV-VygivmkFkqs6J16YRBYLuvlggHBR31dE4OiLo9_D6m98XhbjxOUCkQZRBG77j8w1uVsQV6nLDpMMJUOpIbkgE7Fs3TaqWqQnH6YgblkGxh-h044BHfRR6H2hPGIiRjA/s1600/20150102_111304.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Might not look pretty, but it tastes good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I got this recipe years ago from one of the hosts of Good Day Sacramento (I can't remember her name - I know, bad, bad, bad). I hand wrote it on a piece of paper and stuck it in my favorite cookie cookbook.<br />
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We recently attended a neighborhood gathering and I was supposed to contribute a dessert. The hubs mentioned this cake, that I haven't made in forever but is easy and oh so tasty. It's perfect for folks who like chocolate but aren't overly fond of super-sweet desserts. It took me awhile to find the recipe, so in the interest of keeping this for posterity, I am typing it here.<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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Cake:<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
2 tbsp baking cocoa<br />
2 tbsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
2 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
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Filling:<br />
3/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup baking cocoa<br />
1-1/2 cups hot water<br />
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1. Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE7z4pNDq0Ga9IsqLfr38E94otrOhpqEbwTmclF25XD8d5tmoAIiYTYmxI-I8AZ0Bz3ztnNlI9cPHq_oGhmjHyDfNZ3d9_EKAtTcK5eNavpKS9iyskBlNjsDhe6Eh_ZkFN3WPHz1UNPI/s1600/20141231_172732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSE7z4pNDq0Ga9IsqLfr38E94otrOhpqEbwTmclF25XD8d5tmoAIiYTYmxI-I8AZ0Bz3ztnNlI9cPHq_oGhmjHyDfNZ3d9_EKAtTcK5eNavpKS9iyskBlNjsDhe6Eh_ZkFN3WPHz1UNPI/s1600/20141231_172732.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a>2. Mix the first 5 ingredients for the cake. Stir in milk, oil & vanilla until smooth.<br />
3. Spread mix evenly in crockpot. This looks more like cookie batter than cake batter. Just go with it.<br />4. Time for the filling. Mix brown sugar & cocoa in bowl. Stir in hot water until smooth.<br />5. Pour mixture over the batter in the crockpot. DO NOT STIR.<br />
6. Cover and cook on High 2 hours.<br />
7. Turn off the crockpot & let the cake stand uncovered 5-10 minutes.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-67335067320965543292014-12-04T12:15:00.000-08:002014-12-04T12:15:22.032-08:00SOME FINE DAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYShGpvsuSt-YuBYRdzMgFqfAM6nCPGaOaTveiiTnoGJ_ZHz2GAIVaDaUxcrsfQmz1neHBmrHmqb29ue3IyvsdyL4ZZpZL84mu1CIEMNjk9gBGLfq3DmlFix6OxhJUB0vwPH6oas5ImKw/s1600/somefineday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYShGpvsuSt-YuBYRdzMgFqfAM6nCPGaOaTveiiTnoGJ_ZHz2GAIVaDaUxcrsfQmz1neHBmrHmqb29ue3IyvsdyL4ZZpZL84mu1CIEMNjk9gBGLfq3DmlFix6OxhJUB0vwPH6oas5ImKw/s1600/somefineday.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
I first reviewed SOME FINE DAY by Kat Ross over on <a href="http://www.stellarfour.com/2014/06/some-fine-day.html">Stellar Four</a>. At the time, the release of this YA book was cancelled when Strange Chemistry shut down. Luckily, this very fine story was picked up by another publisher, <a href="https://www.apub.com/about">Skyscape</a>. You can get the Kindle book now, and the paperback will be out in February.<br />
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Note: There have been some editorial revisions and I haven't read the updated copy, but I really enjoyed it the first time I read it and I plan to read this one too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Some-Fine-Day-Kat-Ross-ebook/dp/B00NKTTE1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417722219&sr=8-1&keywords=some+fine+day+kat+ross">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/some-fine-day-kat-ross/1117447023?ean=9781477849378">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Some-Fine-Day/Kat-Ross/9781477849378?id=6154863564847">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781477849378-0">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781477849378">Indiebound</a><br />
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Here's the review again:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;">Set in a world where super-powered hurricanes devastated the planet, a highly trained soldier who never saw the sun before gets an unwanted extended excursion on the surface and learns that her life has been a lie in SOME FINE DAY by Kat Ross.</span><br />
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This was a fast-paced, Young Adult read. I got Jansin. For so long she's been going along with the program, enjoying the life as one of the near-elite, but she feels disconnected. She left her family at a young age to go to the Academy, she isn't sure that her boyfriend really likes her or just wants a well-placed connection with her father, the general, and she isn't a diehard believer in the goals of her government. Yes, she is well-trained, but that doesn't mean she wants to go to war. She's at a crossroads, like most of us at graduation, and that is when her father gifts her with a vacation to the surface.</div>
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Seeing the sun, feeling the air and the ocean, it makes it hard to go back underground. Of course, then she ends up captured by hypercane survivors and staying alive becomes her goal. Then, as she comes to find her place on the surface world, she has to question where she wants to belong.</div>
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I liked that, although as I said this is a fast-paced book, the action unfolds over almost a year, so when Jansin makes friends, she didn't just meet them a day ago and now they are a cohesive team. Jansin is not someone who trusts easily and the story reflected that. The ragtag bunch of survivors was endearing and I wish we got to spend more time with them. </div>
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On the romance front, there is a love interest but no triangle. Also refreshing, said love interest is not a bad boy, nor does he continually push her away because <i>reasons</i>. He's smart and fairly level-headed.</div>
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Jansin's home of Raven Rock is a fascist regime and it's easy to on the surface paint the underground societies as evil, that left the rest of humanity to die above. However, we do get at least some hope that not all of the governments are as harsh as Raven Rock. Also, it can't be denied that while life is absolutely not perfect below ground, that living there did save lives. </div>
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The end goes quickly and there are some loose ends, a few that I really wish has been solved before the finish, but overall I liked where it went. I'll be looking for more from Ross.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-47793631079918903922014-11-20T11:51:00.000-08:002014-11-20T11:51:02.984-08:00A Must for Our Holiday ShelfCharles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a holiday staple and one that I look forward to sharing with my family. This year, I found the Penguin Chalk edition and I need to have it on our bookshelf.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.penguin.com/read/series/puffin-chalk/2815">Puffin Chalk</a> editions have colorful chalk designs on the covers of select books in the Penguin Classics line. I absolutely adore the one for the venerable holiday tale:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB9dWx9mYW4T98WzwW1X71K2wWyXoejXJAX23v3y1RPPqTaybnWZoZhdoD1DyCsi6x76PWHx6n0sZz4xyB3-wWOI5qbYYwjsYuulI6-lVQ0uLHSNYraSGj9pss_LBLm_TaxsjrSOnGoo/s1600/christmas+carol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB9dWx9mYW4T98WzwW1X71K2wWyXoejXJAX23v3y1RPPqTaybnWZoZhdoD1DyCsi6x76PWHx6n0sZz4xyB3-wWOI5qbYYwjsYuulI6-lVQ0uLHSNYraSGj9pss_LBLm_TaxsjrSOnGoo/s1600/christmas+carol.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></div>
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This edition also has a mini biography of the author, a cast of characters list, Victorian Christmas traditions, and a glossary.<br />
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Getting it on the shelf so it's ready for our family read-a-long this December.<br />
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Available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Puffin-Chalk/dp/0147512891/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416512423&sr=8-1&keywords=9780147512895">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-christmas-carol-charles-dickens/1116639901?ean=9780147512895&itm=1&usri=9780147512895">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9780147512895">Powell's</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Christmas-Carol/Charles-Dickens/9780147512895?id=6154863564847">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780147512895">Indiebound</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-12144899878736949892014-11-17T09:36:00.000-08:002014-11-17T09:39:26.882-08:00ALL IN: Back to Sin City with Amanda Carlson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKogWTWoiJSElXf26CzNlobWRB910En6854cYslHL_tYWj0wG7gMe6wILb58Np2VnaQ0560KGoc-4ykAu1ud_oGt9B4q31R4927TaD7OqXPnChT0a0QP3ro7I8Poln-6pVSh_xDRK58c/s1600/allin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHKogWTWoiJSElXf26CzNlobWRB910En6854cYslHL_tYWj0wG7gMe6wILb58Np2VnaQ0560KGoc-4ykAu1ud_oGt9B4q31R4927TaD7OqXPnChT0a0QP3ro7I8Poln-6pVSh_xDRK58c/s1600/allin.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<b>ALL IN</b> by Amanda Carlson is the latest novella in the Sin City Collectors series.<br />
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This book stars Ginger, a succubus who is also the head of a supernatural spy ring, and Luke, the werewolf younger brother of Diesel, the lead from <a href="http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-ante-up.html">ANTE UP</a>. When we start our story, Ginger and Luke have been tracking Ginger's brother, Damien, who is a member of a incubi cult, the Sumerians. Both leads carry a lot of emotional baggage. Ginger loathes that she has to feed off the emotions of others, and has been slowly starving herself. Luke's father was killed by an incubus and he's not completely sure if the feelings he has for Ginger are real or a result of her powers of persuasion.<br />
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This story is less action-packed than previous Sin City novellas, but it does open up the world more. Damian's is a piece of work, and the threat of The Sumerians and the extent of their crimes are coming to light. I can see lots of issues for future books to solve.<br />
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I liked both characters. As we get to them a month into their time working together, I did feel that we missed some of the banter that got Luke over his prejudice against succubi and Ginger her fear of commitment. We get to meet a new character, Raoul, and I'm very much looking forward to his story.<br />
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The pace was right, and since it's a short novel, the angst over whether or not they should be in a relationship doesn't go on too long. We also get to see a different supernatural power in the succubi.<br />
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Still really liking this series. A perfect pick me up when I need a quick read. Looking forward to more.<br />
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ALL IN: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Sin-City-Collectors-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PJLJHOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416245134&sr=8-1&keywords=all+in+sin+city">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-in-amanda-carlson/1120788684?ean=2940150531369">B&N</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/all-in/id941190997?mt=11">iTunes</a> | <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Amanda_Carlson_All_In?id=ONhVBQAAQBAJ">Google</a><br />
International: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Sin-City-Collectors-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PJLJHOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416196512&sr=8-1&keywords=all+in+by+amanda+carlson">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/All-Sin-City-Collectors-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PJLJHOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416196554&sr=8-1&keywords=all+in+amanda+carlson">Amazon Canada</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com.au/All-Sin-City-Collectors-Novella-ebook/dp/B00PJLJHOU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416196593&sr=8-1&keywords=all+in+amanda+carlson">Amazon Australia</a><br />
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Amanda Carlson:<br />
website: <a href="http://www.amandacarlson.com/">http://www.amandacarlson.com/</a><br />
twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson">https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson</a><br />
facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson">https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson</a><br />
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Sin City Collectors on facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors">https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors</a><br />
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[received a review copy]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-13047191345071981912014-10-13T21:37:00.000-07:002014-10-13T21:37:22.004-07:00"Temporarily Out of Order"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLprSFdtikpPEMIQmBxF_SbEoXSyMf7p4ZXtyjPXSH8yi3B3bde9bsxajToKKI1mmQETR4lVtO5xspXq74AD_5Y39sLrsaTBgdTQCrhBY6SfG9PqwVQBL1ZkWDnFI6WEMA-chGz7P4hJw/s1600/tempoutoforder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLprSFdtikpPEMIQmBxF_SbEoXSyMf7p4ZXtyjPXSH8yi3B3bde9bsxajToKKI1mmQETR4lVtO5xspXq74AD_5Y39sLrsaTBgdTQCrhBY6SfG9PqwVQBL1ZkWDnFI6WEMA-chGz7P4hJw/s1600/tempoutoforder.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="template asset" data-edit_url="/projects/543968884/temporally-out-of-order-anthology-sfandf/assets/2547021/edit" data-id="2547021" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #0f2105; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">
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I'm currently reading CLOCKWORK UNIVERSE: STEAMPUNK VS ALIENS and having a lot of fun with it. The same folks behind that anthology are in the final hours of a kickstarter campaign for another one: TEMPORARILY OUT OF ORDER.<br />
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<i>"While sitting at the airport waiting for a flight, I saw a phone booth with a note reading “Temporally Out of Order.” Obviously it was a typo, but the mistake takes on a whole new meaning when viewed from a science fiction/fantasy frame of mind. This anthology will take on the challenge of interpreting what “temporally out of order” could mean for modern day—or perhaps not so modern—gadgets, such as the cell phone, laptop, television, radio, iPod, or even that microwave or refrigerator! Edited by Joshua Palmatier and Patricia Bray, it will contain approximately 14 stories with an average length of 6000 words each. The anthology will include short stories by: David B. Coe, Laura Anne Gilman, Faith Hunter, Stephen Leigh, Gini Koch, Seanan McGuire, and Laura Resnick. Additional authors will be added as stretch goals, including Jack Campbell, Jean Marie Ward, and Juliet E. McKenna. All other slots aside from the named authors will be filled by the open call for submissions following the successful completion of the kickstarter."</i><div>
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This project is already funded (YAY!) but there is still time to support this antho and help them reach some stretch goals. They're a little under $500 away from the first goal, which would give bookmarks to pledgers at $20 and above, but most importantly (IMO) increase the $ for the writers.</div>
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At $15 you get a copy of the book. However, if you are a t-shirt fan, then the add-ons might be right up your alley. Take a trip over to the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/543968884/temporally-out-of-order-anthology-sfandf">kickstarter page</a>. Just do it now. As of this writing, there are only 35 hours to go. Tick tock, my friends.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-78895580257544286452014-09-16T13:51:00.001-07:002014-09-16T15:06:55.491-07:00Guest Post: 10 Things about Mandy Baxter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSSkrIKLhkLEtXNEq_7QPabyzS852610oiEXWVOvSd0IIZoyTZKAsIJvNYg9WhUVx8pWlg5B01z_tLxAvnXA-273n7DyFFdcblk5vz_15EZd8maObK30DndkGSFlwqlCniDn1_r0nsv4/s1600/One+Night+More+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSSkrIKLhkLEtXNEq_7QPabyzS852610oiEXWVOvSd0IIZoyTZKAsIJvNYg9WhUVx8pWlg5B01z_tLxAvnXA-273n7DyFFdcblk5vz_15EZd8maObK30DndkGSFlwqlCniDn1_r0nsv4/s1600/One+Night+More+(3).jpg" height="400" width="242" /></a></div>
Today Mandy Baxter is here with her new steamy Romantic Suspense ONE NIGHT MORE. She's also sharing 10 things about her and has a GIVEAWAY!<br />
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The blurbage: "<b>Savvy, hard-riding, rule-breaking—they’ll go anywhere and do anything it takes to protect and serve. But this U. S. Marshal has just met his match—and playing for keeps is one sizzling game…</b><br />
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Getting saved from disaster by a handsome stranger—Harper Allen has no problem with that. But when he leaves without a word or a clue to his real identity, the newbie reporter writes it off as the best one-night-stand she’ll never have again. Until a year later, when Harper comes face to face with the man assigned to hide her from a senator’s killer…<br />
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Galen Kelly hasn’t forgotten a single sensual minute of his night with Harper... or that she betrayed him. But with the FBI also on their trail, he’s got to pretend he’s never met her or risk both their lives. But as danger closes in, Galen may not be able to protect himself from taking the biggest risk of all…"<br />
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My take: This was a fun, quick read. You know I usually go for a few more monsters, aliens or fantasy elements, but this one had a lot of action which is generally what I look for when I read contemporary romance. True, there are some misunderstandings, but the dangerous situation as well as the believable trust issues kept it from becoming the annoying BIG MISUNDERSTANDING. It can be a tough balancing act, to keep the miscommunication at a level where it creates drama but doesn't alienate the reader.<br />
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Oh sure, I still had moments where I wanted to yell at both characters but thankfully it was at the same time the secondary characters were also admonishing our leads, so it worked out. It was also fast-paced, so the story moved along at a good clip. The burgeoning friendship and the adorable text exchanges were among my favorite parts.<br />
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I also loved the easter eggs. Like Harper, I too enjoyed <i>Full Blooded</i>. I also agree with her stance on Marvel superheroes and <i>Supernatural</i>. Like I said, fun read. It's also a little different from my usual reads, so it makes for a good palate cleanser between heavier fantasy works (I'm always on the lookout for those). I liked the supporting characters too, so I'll check out the next book in the US Marshals series.<br />
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Now it's time for Mandy to take over and tell us a few things about herself. There is also a GIVEAWAY, so check out the details below.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ten Things About Me</span></b></div>
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<b>I’m a rabid soccer mom/soccer fan.</b><br />
Not the breaking kneecaps or sabotaging referees kind, though I have been known to shout “Go home, ref! You’re drunk!” on at least one occasion. Also, during the World Cup this summer, I might have jumped out of my chair at a local restaurant and screamed whenever Argentina made a goal.<br />
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<b>I love the water.</b><br />
Streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, even puddles. I love the sound, the way it smells. Everything. I even love rain. I once had an astrologer do my chart and he told me that I would always live near water. I think he’s right. I can’t imagine not living near a lake or at least a creek.<br />
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<b>I’m a theater/musical/ballet nut.</b><br />
Even as a kid I loved all things dance/music/acting. I took ballet and drama, sang in my high school choir. I’m lucky that the hubs is a theater fan, too. I can get him to plays and musicals, no problem. I’m still working the ballet angle, though. For those events, I’m usually flying solo.<br />
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<b>My ultimate thrill is driving fast.</b><br />
I’m a super nervous flyer, heights make me nervous, and I wouldn’t go parasailing for a million dollars. Okay, maybe for a million dollars, but I wouldn’t enjoy it. And whereas I’m not much of a thrill seeker, I absolutely love to drive fast. I used to own a Subaru WRX and the first year I got six speeding tickets. I could totally be a race car driver. Vroom!<br />
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<b>I’m an animal person.</b><br />
I love animals. Anything that’s furry, scaly, or covered in feathers is going to get a cuddle from me. I draw the line at insects, though. Particularly spiders. Just…no. We own dogs, a cat, chickens, ducks, and geese. I have a goose that loves to be cuddled and he puts his neck up for hugs. When I scratch under his feathers he throws his head back and howls. It’s totally adorbs.<br />
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<b>I’m a canner.</b><br />
I’m not super domestic but I am a food preserving fool. We have a garden and greenhouse and a very short season to get fresh fruits and veggies. So, in the fall, I’m freezing and canning said veggies and fruits. It’s time consuming, but I figure when the zombie apocalypse hits, I’ll be set!<br />
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<b>I sing in the car.</b><br />
And probably annoy everyone who’s ever had to ride with me. I’m not usually a shy car singer, either. Nope, I belt it out. My current favorite sing in the car song is Amnesia by 5 Seconds of Summer. It’s actually the theme song for my novella, ROCKED BY THE BILLIONAIRE that will be out in December. It was the perfect ballad for the story.<br />
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<b>I dance around the house.</b><br />
In the same vein of singing in the car, I like to bust out a move in the middle of my living room whether there’s music or not. My seventeen year old son particularly loves it when I try my hand at breakdancing. Hehe.<br />
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<b>I’m an amateur carpenter.</b><br />
More to the point, the hubs and I are. Most of our home improvement projects are DIY jobs. Last year we built our greenhouse and this year we’re building a covered patio out back. Next year’s big plan is a detached office for me with a cellar below. I totally think I need a pink tool belt.<br />
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<b>I’m a sucker for 90’s grunge and alternative.</b><br />
How I long for the days of the flannel shirt! It drives the teen and hubs crazy but my radio station is more times than not tuned in to Lithium on Sirius. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Collective Soul, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpinks, Bush. OMG, BUSH!! 90’s Gavin Rossdale is my dream man. I could gush for hours about my fave 90’s music.<br />
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And there you have it! Tell me one or two interesting facts about you....<br />
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Comment below for a chance to win a copy of ONE NIGHT MORE (US/Canada only). Winner announced September 26, 2014.</div>
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Thank you so much, Mandy!</div>
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ONE NIGHT MORE <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Night-More-Marshals-Novel-ebook/dp/B00IUPCMDK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1410900297&sr=1-1&keywords=one+night+more">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-night-more-mandy-baxter/1117555676?ean=9781420134797">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/one-night-more-1">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/One-Night-More/Mandy-Baxter/9781420134797?id=6084227634096">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420134797">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9781420134797-0">Powell's</a></div>
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Mandy Baxter</div>
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website: <a href="http://mandy-baxter.com/">http://mandy-baxter.com/</a></div>
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facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMandyBaxter">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMandyBaxter</a></div>
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twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/MandyJBaxter">https://twitter.com/MandyJBaxter</a><br />
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[received a review copy]</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-83701359854561139692014-09-12T13:26:00.000-07:002014-09-12T19:10:38.683-07:00Review: RED BLOODED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z-PflP-C7nq33Nbi8uj-sZSHoAjag2Ch-3zy2PzNu-OrrD0Wc0HsruFGVT2iyZdEQaIU0WeT5GseVmlqv3caVDN8mDf2sK3TQXp0bvDsX0wfxEDAshQGZax9ag174ZFUMgE2OuRi_oE/s1600/redblooded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Z-PflP-C7nq33Nbi8uj-sZSHoAjag2Ch-3zy2PzNu-OrrD0Wc0HsruFGVT2iyZdEQaIU0WeT5GseVmlqv3caVDN8mDf2sK3TQXp0bvDsX0wfxEDAshQGZax9ag174ZFUMgE2OuRi_oE/s1600/redblooded.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
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<b>RED BLOODED (Jessica McClain #4) by Amanda Carlson</b><br />
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I adore this series. It is action packed, has interesting characters, supernatural politics and an ever expanding universe. We've been all over, the city, a mountain, high-flying road chases, vampiric New Orleans, and now Jessica is on a rescue mission to Hell.<br />
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If you aren't up to date on the series you might find some spoilers ahead.<br />
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We start this latest adventure with Jessica and her ragtag band of supernaturals in training with Tally, the head witch. At the end of book 3, Tyler, Jessica's twin, was kidnapped by the Demon Prince. Jess and company are planning a rescue mission to the demon underworld and need to be prepared for demon magic. Of course, things do not go as planned. Jessica's magic is something different and neither she nor the witches know how to handle it. Jessica finds herself thrown into the demon world on her own and has to think fast to avoid capture.<br />
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I am a sucker for stories set in the demon world (for example, Diana Rowland's Kara Gillian books) and so I was super excited to see how Carlson approached the Underworld. I was not disappointed. It was appropriately icky, creepy & oddly pretty in parts. This is also one of the more action-packed books, closer to book 2's level. As a whole, this series is action-packed, but these two books take it up several notches.<br />
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This does mean that it's lighter on the romance angle, but that's fine for me. I like that this is a mated pair that is not attached at the hip 24/7. Jessica has skills and also a lot of learning she needs to accomplish, like yesterday. I like that she has a partnership with Rourke, albeit one that is still new and still needs to be worked on, but Jessica is not a damsel in distress.<br />
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We also have more allies and villains. Jessica has been making all kinds of deals, some good, some perhaps not so good. The Fate theme is explored even more here, and I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say that when it was all said and done I'm really interested in the way this story is going. Many possibilities and more challenges, of course.<br />
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I also like that although in book one we mostly had the boys club with the wolf pack and Jess, more and more female characters have come into play. Some heroes, some villains, some who knows. It's the variety I like. Of course, my other favs are there too. Ray is quickly becoming all kinds of interesting. A total transformation from his start in book 1.<br />
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Jess has been on so many journeys, surviving, fighting, defending, rescuing, and all the while learning and getting a crash course in supernatural politics. This isn't a series where it's a procedural with a mystery to solve. It's more of a step by step progression of a character's journey from more or less ordinary to extraordinary, with all of the bumps, bruises, mistakes and triumphs that come with it. Can't wait to see what happens next.<br />
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Buy RED BLOODED: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/red-blooded-amanda-carlson/1117993384?ean=9780316404334" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">B&N</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> | </span><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/red-blooded-1" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">Kobo</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Red-Blooded/Amanda-Carlson/9780316404334?id=6098691835636" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">BAM</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780316404334" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">Indiebound</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780316404334-0" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">Powell's</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blooded-Jessica-McClain-Amanda-Carlson/dp/0316404330/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409868938&sr=8-1&keywords=red+blooded+by+amanda+carlson" style="background-color: white; color: #880243; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 22.1760005950928px; text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a><br />
<br />
Amanda Carlson<br />
website: <a href="http://www.amandacarlson.com/">http://www.amandacarlson.com/</a><br />
twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson">https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson</a><br />
facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson">https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson</a><br />
<br />
[received review copy]Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-28604843086399267272014-08-30T14:26:00.002-07:002014-08-30T14:26:37.422-07:00Joining the Pile on TuesdayI was checking my pre-orders and noticed that four are coming out on Tuesday, September 2. These aren't the only books released that day, nor the only ones I want in September, but all of these were ones I knew I had to have.<br />
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<b>FORGED BY DESIRE </b>(London Steampunk #4) by Bec McMaster<br />
This is one of my favorite paranormal romance series. The world is fantastic and I love how McMasters uses the vampire and werewolf myths. Dark, gritty, so good.<br />
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Blurbage: "Captain Garret Reed of the Nighthawk guard has a deadly mission: capture a steel-jawed monster preying on women. He hates to put his partner, Perry, in jeopardy, but she’s the best bait he has. Little does he realize, he’s about to be caught in his own trap.<br />
<br />Perry has been half in love with Garrett for years, but this is not exactly the best time to start a relationship—especially when their investigation leads them directly into the clutches of the madman she thought she’d escaped..."<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forged-Desire-London-Steampunk-Book-ebook/dp/B00J8QDJ6Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409433057&sr=8-1&keywords=forged+by+desire+bec+mcmaster">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forged-by-desire-bec-mcmaster/1116882565?ean=9781402291913">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/forged-by-desire">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781402291913">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Forged-Desire/Bec-Mcmaster/9781402291913?id=6084227634096">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781402291913-0">Powell's</a><br />
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<b>ACCEPTANCE</b> (Southern Reach Trilogy #3) by Jeff Vandermeer<br />
I spent part of my summer in the Southern Reach, and it was creepy, intriguing, kept me up at night, kept me wondering who to trust. I can't wait to see where we go next and to what end.<br />
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Blurbage: "<b>The final installment of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy</b><br />
<br />It is winter in Area X. A new team embarks across the border on a mission to find a member of a previous expedition who may have been left behind. As they press deeper into the unknown—navigating new terrain and new challenges—the threat to the outside world becomes more daunting. In <i>Acceptance</i>, the last installment of Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach Trilogy, the mysteries of Area X may have been solved, but their consequences and implications are no less profound—or terrifying."<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Acceptance-Novel-Southern-Reach-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00ILWNU2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409433381&sr=8-1&keywords=acceptance+jeff+vandermeer">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/acceptance-jeff-vandermeer/1115783444?ean=9780374104115">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/acceptance-14">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780374104115">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Acceptance/Jeff-Vandermeer/9780374104115?id=6084227634096">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780374104115-5">Powell's</a><br />
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<b>HOUSE IMMORTAL</b> (House Immortal #1) by Devon Monk<br />
Frankenstein with a twist, you say? And by Devon Monk? Why yes, please sign me up.<br />
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Blurbage: "<i>One hundred years ago, eleven powerful ruling Houses consolidated all of the world’s resources and authority into their own grasping hands. Only one power wasn’t placed under the command of a single House: the control over the immortal galvanized....</i><br />
<br />Matilda Case isn’t like most folk. In fact, she’s unique in the world, the crowning achievement of her father’s experiments, a girl pieced together from bits. Or so she believes, until Abraham Seventh shows up at her door, stitched with life thread just like her and insisting that enemies are coming to kill them all.<br /><br />Tilly is one of thirteen incredible creations known as the galvanized, stitched together beings immortal and unfathomably strong. For a century, each House has fought for control over the galvanized. Now the Houses are also tangled in a deadly struggle for dominion over death—and Tilly and her kind hold the key to unlocking eternity<br /><br />The secrets that Tilly must fight to protect are hidden within the very seams of her being. And to get the secrets, her enemies are willing to tear her apart piece by piece.…"<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/House-Immortal-Novel-ebook/dp/B00IOE3NL2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409433634&sr=8-1&keywords=house+immortal">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-immortal-devon-monk/1118663180?ean=9780451467362">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/house-immortal">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451467362">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/House-Immortal/Devon-Monk/9780451467362?id=6084227634096">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780451467362-0">Powell's</a><br />
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<b>MAPLECROFT</b> (The Borden Dispatches #1) by Cherie Priest<br />
From the moment I read "Lizzie Borden and Lovecraft" I was, shall we say, screaming "HELLS YES!" I can't wait to read this book.<br />
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Blurbage: "<i>Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks; and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one....</i> <br /><br />
The people of Fall River, Massachusetts, fear me. Perhaps rightfully so. I remain a suspect in the brutal deaths of my father and his second wife despite the verdict of innocence at my trial. With our inheritance, my sister, Emma, and I have taken up residence in Maplecroft, a mansion near the sea and far from gossip and scrutiny.<br /> <br />But it is not far enough from the affliction that possessed my parents. Their characters, their very souls, were consumed from within by something that left malevolent entities in their place. It originates from the ocean’s depths, plaguing the populace with tides of nightmares and madness.<br /> <br />This evil cannot hide from me. No matter what guise it assumes, I will be waiting for it. With an axe.<br />
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<b>Amazon</b> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maplecroft-cherie-priest/1118663256?ean=9780451466976">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/maplecroft">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451466976">Indiebound</a> | <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Maplecroft/Cherie-Priest/9780451466976?id=6084227634096">BAM</a> | <a href="http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780451466976-0">Powell's</a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-1758463194532267092014-08-29T02:16:00.000-07:002014-08-29T02:16:05.970-07:00Guest Post: RIVER Blog Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, Skyla Dawn Cameron is here as part of the <b>RIVER</b> blog tour. I loved her UF vamp story <a href="http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2013/10/bloodlines-review-demons-of-oblivion.html">BLOODLINES</a>. RIVER is an older young adult werewolf tale that has an very cool twist.</div>
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The blurbage: "Description: <i>Defiant, nocturnal, moody–though River sounds like a typical teenager, she’s anything but. She’s a werewolf.</i><br />The life of an alpha female wolf was irrevocably changed the night she was attacked and bitten, and awoke confused, alone, and human. Three years later, thrust into a world where she doesn’t belong and living in foster care, River barely tolerates humanity and still doesn’t know who bit her or why.<br /><br />But River isn’t as alone as she previously thought; someone’s been watching her, someone who holds the answers she’s been seeking. Though the human who changed her seems to be a step ahead of her at every turn, River is determined to beat his game and return to her pack and mate.<br /><br />And as if being stuck in a world she hates, with a life she never asked for, and faced with a destiny she doesn’t want wasn’t bad enough, River still must find a way to survive every human’s greatest challenge: high school."<div>
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Oooh, werewolf tale where the wolf is cursed to have to live as a human? I'm in.</div>
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I asked Skyla to talk about one of her favorite werewolf stories. Be sure to check out the GIVEAWAY too!<br /><br />
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<b>A Werewolf Twist: Ginger Snaps</b></div>
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You’ll notice the big prize in the River giveaway is a DVD/Blu-Ray combo Collector Edition of the film <b>Ginger Snaps</b>.<br />
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It’s an indie Canadian horror film from 2000, with a stellar cast and a smart script that twists a lot of typical werewolf tropes into something that’s darkly funny, horrific, and ripe for conversation.<br />
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Lycanthropy as a metaphor for losing control isn’t new—it’s explored repeatedly in films and literature, usually centered around a male protagonist. But when else do we feel less in control than during puberty? Right off the bat, <b>Ginger Snaps</b> tackles the metaphor head on, with two sisters as protagonists who are three years behind getting their periods and the night one of them surfs her first crimson wave, she is bitten by a werewolf. Talk about cursed.<br />
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The transformation, of course, follows a twenty-eight day lunar cycle, as the bitten sister Ginger grows more and more bold, irritable, violent, and...furry. This leaves her sister Brigitte to battling to save her. <br />
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Horror as a genre—one I love—is unfortunately one often seeped in misogyny, which is refreshingly not present in this film. The story is firmly placed on the shoulders of two sisters, their friendship, the strain of growing up and changing, and the promises they’ve made to each other all being given thought and weight. Female bonds are important, the film reaffirms, even if they’re fraught with problems. T&A is in the form of a tail and...um...well, picture a female animal’s torso, and you get the idea. And also? Practice safe sex. Viruses get passed when you don’t, even lycanthropy. And none of this sacrifices the psychological horror present in the movie or truly tense final showdown between a werewolf and the human sister trying to save her.<br />
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There have been some lengthy essays written on the movie, much more detailed and academic than my quick review here, but it all boils down to: horror fans tired of the usual clichés and sexualized violence against women, you need to check this film out. (Bonus: any Orphan Black fans? You need to see Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed for a young Tatiana Maslany.)<br />
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So what’s your favourite werewolf movie?</div>
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Now on to the GIVEAWAY. (ONLY for US & Canada (due to the movie being Blu-Ray and the regions of Blu-Ray's and shipping costs over seas). The prizes are listed below. Use the Rafflecopter to enter. Thanks, Skyla!<br />
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- DVD/Blu-Ray combo of Ginger Snaps<br />
- River poster print<br />
- River tote bag<br />
- wolf charm bookmark<br />
- River postcard<br />
- wolf charm necklace<br />
- Animal Speak pocket guide version by Ted Andrews<br />
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The Rafflecopter code is:<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cbad5b647/" id="rc-0cbad5b647" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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Buy RIVER <a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Wolfe-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00MV6TJFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409303355&sr=8-1&keywords=river+skyla+dawn">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/river-skyla-dawn-cameron/1100388399?ean=2940046115208">B&N</a> | <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/468771">Smashwords</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/river/id911131898?mt=11">iTunes</a> | <a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-river-1601109-142.html">All Romance</a> | <a href="http://www.skyladawncameron.com/product/river/">Author's Site</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
You can read the first seven chapters of RIVER now at: <a href="http://skyladawncameron.com/river/">http://skyladawncameron.com/river/</a><br /><br />Links to Find Skyla:<br />Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/skyladawn">@SkylaDawn</a><br />Site/Blog: <a href="http://skyladawncameron.com/">SkylaDawnCameron.com</a><br />Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SkylaDawnCameron">Skyla Dawn Cameron</a><br />Book Design: <a href="http://skyladawncameron.com/indigochickdesigns/">indigo chick designs</a><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-74879177940785780772014-08-26T10:37:00.002-07:002014-08-26T10:38:45.184-07:00Ever After Excerpt and Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today the Book Pile is a stop on Kate SeRine's <b>EVER AFTER</b> blog tour. This action packed fairytale/legend based series has been a favorite of mine since book 1. This time around we have a gender-swapped Robin Hood, Arthurian legends, the Seelie court, old friends, and one of my favorite supporting characters from books 2-3, Gideon. Kate has also given us an excerpt from EVER AFTER and there is a giveaway too!<br />
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Unseelie, the inspiration behind Little John, and Robin Hood's lover, Gideon has been in the service of the Seelie king since the day his love perished in a heist gone wrong. We've known him as the stoic, lonely knight in shining armor who has been a very helpful ally to our friends from previous books. Now he stars in his own tale and I am so very happy. Apart from the Nate novella, this is also a romance from the male characters POV only, something that is a bit different, but I really liked it.<br />
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Any time you have an abandoned love theme, it takes awhile to get on the side of the abandoner, especially when the abandonee is your only narrator. Arabella worked though. She had good reasons for what she did. Thankfully, there aren't any BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS. Just hurt feelings and time needed to sort things out. It helps that Arabella fits right in with the kickass ladies of the Transplanted Tales.<br />
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I did like the relationship and of course the action. I also liked the introduction of Merlin. Another fantastic addition to a great series!<br />
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On to the GIVEAWAY! The blog tour prizes are: Grand Prize ($50 gift card to Amazon, B&N, or BAM - Winner's Choice); signed paperback copy of EVER AFTER, and Transplanted Tales swag. Also, two winners will receive an e-book copy of the Transplanted Tales novel of his/her choice. The giveaway is international, but the swag may differ slightly for an international winner due to shipping costs.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ccb9ec18/" id="rc-ccb9ec18" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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Now for the excerpt!<br />
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<b>Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Ever After… </b></div>
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"I kept my gaze straight ahead, trying to ignore the images her words brought to mind and wondering just where the hell Merlin’s hotel was anyway. I wasn’t exactly eager to see my old pal again now that I knew what he’d been up to with Arabella, but I’d kiss that bastard on the mouth if it’d get Arabella to change the subject. A subject that was torturing me with erotic images of us together that I had no business thinking about just then. <br />
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“Are you always this serious?” she asked, polishing off her chili dog. “You never used to have that perma-frown going.” <br />
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She was right, of course. I hadn’t been nearly as serious or severe when she’d known me. Not externally anyway. But what she didn’t realize was that any light-heartedness she’d witnessed had been more her doing than any inherent trait of mine. Her smile, her fearlessness, her brash eagerness to embrace every experience as an adventure—it was contagious. <br />
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And I’d craved it. Arabella had been a breath of fresh air to a dying man. Quite literally. The path I’d been walking had had only one destination. But she had offered me a detour that led me away from certain damnation and into her arms, giving me a glimpse of what the Ordinaries would call heaven. The memories of that happiness and the pure hell I’d experienced after I thought she’d died came back to me in a painful rush, making me wince. <br />
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“Oh, and there’s another scowl brewing, just there between your eyebrows,” she teased, wagging her index finger at my forehead. When I frowned at her, fulfilling her prediction, she gave me a playful smile, genuine this time. “Although, I have to say, you’re quite handsome when you’re worried about me.”<br />
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“Handsome?” I grumbled, letting her drag me along behind her. “I’d rather never have to worry about you and you think me repugnant.”<br />
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She sent a flirty grin over her shoulder. “Never happen.”<br />
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“You not giving me cause to worry? Oh, yes, I’m well aware that you take great delight in tormenting me with your antics. You always did.”<br />
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She laughed. “I meant, you’d never be repugnant to me—even if you were old and grizzled and all those gorgeous red-gold curls fell out, I’d still think you were the most handsome man I’d ever seen.” She abruptly stopped and spun around to face me to say something more, but having not anticipated her sudden halt, I slammed into her, my arms going around her to keep us both from stumbling. Laughing, she grabbed onto my jacket to steady herself. <br />
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I cursed under my breath and took a step back, putting her at arms’ length. “Sorry, lass,” I threw over my shoulder as I strode away, walking ahead of her now. <br />
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“Gideon!” she called, jogging to keep up with my long strides. <br />
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Fortunately, at that point we finally arrived at the hotel and casino where Merlin was staying and performing his act. I strode into the lobby, making a beeline for the elevator. As luck would have it, the doors happened to open just as I pushed the UP button. Not so fortunately, Arabella and I were the only passengers. <br />
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“I’m not gonna be just another one of yer games, Arabella,” I muttered. “Not this time.”<br />
<br />
She pressed the button for the penthouse, then stepped directly in front of me, crossing her arms over her chest. “For the record, you were never a game to me. And you’re not a game now.”<br />
<br />
I studied her for a long moment, wanting to believe her. “You have chili on your mouth,” I told her, avoiding the conversation about us.<br />
<br />
She swiped at the corner of her mouth. “Gideon—”<br />
<br />
“You missed it,” I said. “It’s the other side.”<br />
<br />
“Bugger all…” She huffed and wiped the other corner. “Listen, I—”<br />
<br />
“It’s still there.”<br />
<br />
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” she grumbled, throwing her arms up in the air as we jolted to a stop and the doors opened. A man in a loud silk shirt started to get on, but Arabella threw a glare at him over her shoulder. “Take the next one.”<br />
<br />
The guy grunted and started to get on anyway, but Arabella blocked his path. “Oi!” she snapped, giving him a shove back into the hallway. “Hop it, mate!”<br />
<br />
As soon as we were on our way again, she turned back to me, her lips pressed together in an angry line. But before she could take the piss out of me, I cupped her cheek and pulled her toward me, wiping the smudge from the corner of her mouth, letting my thumb pass over her lips more than was necessary. <br />
<br />
“There,” I said, my thumb now smoothing over her cheek as I marveled at the softness of her skin. “That should do it.”<br />
<br />
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.” With that, she grabbed my jacket and pulled me down to receive a hard, hungry kiss. I wanted to resist her. I knew I should push her away. But I was far too weak. I kissed her back, lost in the sweet taste of her. I snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her hard against me, lifting her up on her toes. When she released me and took a step out of my arms, she closed her eyes for a moment. “I’m sorry, Gideon. I shouldn’t keep doing that, but—bloody hell, I’ve missed kissing you.” <br />
<br />
I wanted to tell her how much I’d missed kissing her, too. I wanted to drag her back into my arms and capture her mouth again, show her just what we’d missed out on all these years. But I didn’t. I shoved my hands into my pockets to keep from peeling off her clothes right then and there and caressing every inch of her body, and took a step back, putting a safe bit of distance between us."<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Want more? Buy EVER AFTER <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ever-After-Transplanted-Tales-SeRine-ebook/dp/B00IMHOSJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409074293&sr=8-1&keywords=ever+after+kate">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ever-after-kate-serine/1118767344?ean=9781601833259">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/ever-after-20">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781601833259">Indiebound</a><br />
<br />
Thanks, Kate!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.kateserine.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 16.866666793823242px;" target="_blank">www.kateserine.com</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-21829808351671702502014-08-18T09:26:00.000-07:002014-08-18T10:34:32.870-07:00Review: ANTE UP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1vpS1tZKIsEyvO-ukH8M9g0NSgj-HS-XBPgi8EChUKwKXntO6jwSRQB8r0KKdPCta6hwCDy_TVTnQTo1JPP_SU-SEi8omhSUsGXfa78tWKJ9sRPasi1RBUwCM_QTYke36YK0UNLGAqA/s1600/Ante+Up+Sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1vpS1tZKIsEyvO-ukH8M9g0NSgj-HS-XBPgi8EChUKwKXntO6jwSRQB8r0KKdPCta6hwCDy_TVTnQTo1JPP_SU-SEi8omhSUsGXfa78tWKJ9sRPasi1RBUwCM_QTYke36YK0UNLGAqA/s1600/Ante+Up+Sml.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
The latest novella in the Sin City Collectors series is out today. <b>ANTE UP</b> by Amanda Carlson features Diesel and Sofia, two characters we met in ACES WILD.<br />
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The blurb: "Diesel Jones is a shifter who has issues with the moon, but he quickly finds that Sofia Cabrera, a clever witch who just moved in to town, is his only hope to reach his goal of becoming a Collector. When they pair up to take down an incubus, she not only saves his life, but wins his heart in the process…"<br />
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My take: I really liked ACES, but this one I loved even more. Amanda has definitely "upped the ante," laying the foundation for more action and enemies, as well as more couples and fleshes out the world and various supernatural factions a little more.<br />
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Diesel is a werewolf who has trouble keeping control around the full moon. Sofia is a witch who first worked for the bad guy in ACES, but now wants to make a home for herself in supernatural-friendly Vegas. Sofia is definitely attracted to Diesel and vice versa ever since they met in book 1. They are still in the getting to know each other stage when Diesel gets a trial run job for the Collectors. Meanwhile, Sofia has been getting cryptic messages from an old friend, and then suddenly, someone is trying to break into her mind. It will take all of them working together to get out of this one.<br />
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I liked that this was no insta-love relationship. They've been getting to know each other and then when they are thrown together in a dangerous situation, they learn they make a great team, in a fight as well as in the bedroom. The romance totally worked.<br />
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Great action. Diesel's condition made him even more sympathetic. I loved Sofia's confidence. She is at the top of her game and knows it. I really liked how magic was used here. It made sense and was well thought out.<br />
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Looking for a quick, action-packed paranormal romance? Definitely visit the Sin City Collectors.<br />
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[received review copy]<br />
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ANTE UP: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ante-Up-City-Collectors-Novella-ebook/dp/B00MQDHLXI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408335968&sr=8-1&keywords=ante+up+carlson">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aces-wild-amanda-carlson/1119632099?ean=2940149472369">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/ante-up-2">Kobo</a> | <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/aces-wild/id881082848?ls=1&mt=11">iTunes</a><u> </u>| <a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Amanda_Carlson_Aces_Wild?id=QQmdAwAAQBAJ&hl=en">Google</a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Amanda Carlson:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">website: </span><a href="http://www.amandacarlson.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #9f0c8a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amandacarlson.com/</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">twitter: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson" style="background-color: white; color: #9f0c8a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px; text-decoration: none;">https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson" style="background-color: white; color: #9f0c8a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson</a><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px;">Sin City Collectors on facebook: </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors" style="background-color: white; color: #9f0c8a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.790000915527344px; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-21697805896382372452014-08-04T05:00:00.000-07:002014-08-04T05:00:04.874-07:00Shadow Hunter Review & Giveaway<h3 style="text-align: left;">
If you haven't read Shadow Hunter, the prequel to the EXECUTION UNDERGROUND by Kait Ballenger...NOW is the time for ONLY $0.99 cents!</h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.readersconfession.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ShadowHunter_FINAL.jpg"><img alt="ShadowHunter_FINAL" class="aligncenter wp-image-2612" src="http://www.readersconfession.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ShadowHunter_FINAL-647x1024.jpg" height="508" width="321" /></a></div>
<br />
<address style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Shadow Hunter (Execution Underground 0.5)</i></b></address>
<address style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>by Kait Ballenger</i></b></address>
<address style="text-align: center;">
<b><i>Release date: August 4, 2014</i></b></address>
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<br />
<b>Blurb:</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
See where it all began in this exciting prequel to The Execution Underground, Kait Ballenger’s sexy paranormal series about the men who hunt evil and the women who love them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York. But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family—and she works solo. But when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf, the line between good and evil blurs as they must decide between their lifelong beliefs…and their newfound desires.</div>
<b>Goodreads Link: </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299907-shadow-hunter">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22299907-shadow-hunter</a><br />
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<b>My take: </b>You know I love those action-packed romances. Execution Underground has been on my radar, and I thought that the prequel novella would give me a good taste of the series. Loads of action, so yay. The romance in this one is of the "younger sister of the hero's dead best friend" variety. While not always my favorite trope, it worked here. Damon is in town to kill the vamp that murdered his best friend. Tiffany has the same goal. Throw in some freaky vampire-zombie hybrids along with the attraction and romance and you have a good PNR. I do have to say, though, that Ballenger is not afraid to pull out all the stops. That end! It is a cliffhanger. Made me look up the other books in the series to see when we might get this one resolved.<br />
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We get a little peek at the other members of the team. I was happy to see that it looks like there is a ghostbuster in the bunch. I read a lot of vamps and shifters. I'd like to read a romance dealing with nasty ghosts. I'm on board. I'll be moving these up the list.<br />
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Be sure to check out the giveaway of the first two books in the series. Enter using the Rafflecopter below.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Buy Links</span>- <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K4M3I26?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00K4M3I26&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Amazon</a> | </b><b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-hunter-kait-ballenger/1119434584?ean=9781459256347">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shadow-hunter-10">Kobo</a> </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y9xppvN_7bKvc5tjxfKe_1Y-NjYGXG05frbuvmTxQwEIVdXayOl_te5seKM9Y4YoE1G9jUgvBWuLmcthcJhUBvqGJ-CQtkd7bofsID-b_pnQqxo34BIVIgF1FlDn5yqEz7U8mWRBjMM/s1600/AuthorPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9y9xppvN_7bKvc5tjxfKe_1Y-NjYGXG05frbuvmTxQwEIVdXayOl_te5seKM9Y4YoE1G9jUgvBWuLmcthcJhUBvqGJ-CQtkd7bofsID-b_pnQqxo34BIVIgF1FlDn5yqEz7U8mWRBjMM/s1600/AuthorPhoto.jpg" height="200" width="197" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>About Kait:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Kait Ballenger is a full-time romance author, wife, a former professional bellydancer, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series about an international network of supernatural hunters who fight to protect humanity.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
With a B.A in English from Stetson University (2011), Kait is graduate of Spalding University’s M.F.A in Writing for Children and Young Adults program (2013), where she studied dual-genre in screenwriting.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When Kait’s not preoccupied with paranormal creepy-crawlies, she can be found spending time with her family or with her nose buried in a book. She lives in Florida with her husband, their doggie-daughter Sookie (yes, like the heroine in Charlainne Harris’ books), and two mischievous cats Elliot and Olivia (yes, like the Law and Order characters), near the love and care of her supportive family. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she will be a bestseller and have people name their pets after her characters too.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She is represented by Nicole Resciniti of <a href="http://www.theseymouragency.com/Published-Authors.html">The Seymour Agency</a>.</div>
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Website: <a href="http://www.kaitballenger.com/">http://www.kaitballenger.com</a><br />
Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/kaitballengerauthor">https://www.goodreads.com/kaitballengerauthor</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/kait_ballenger">www.twitter.com/kait_ballenger</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynschulzromanceauthor">https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynschulzromanceauthor</a><br />
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<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/338a04114/" id="rc-338a04114" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-64187283290637028782014-07-09T08:30:00.001-07:002014-07-09T08:35:43.136-07:00Guest Post: Having a Drink with Malone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRxNjYRC6xqy0o8prd-b1gztYzTpArB5zRUeuE4j2TElJ9boknmvCLaGmjkuk7gRCizupWLlD76OwF4OZL4EZWTdQWOkvEH4_kUjNO8a1lW4SOSM_fK-Ol7Ld0yZQcfhK2hDQtDqLHso/s1600/buriedlife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkRxNjYRC6xqy0o8prd-b1gztYzTpArB5zRUeuE4j2TElJ9boknmvCLaGmjkuk7gRCizupWLlD76OwF4OZL4EZWTdQWOkvEH4_kUjNO8a1lW4SOSM_fK-Ol7Ld0yZQcfhK2hDQtDqLHso/s1600/buriedlife.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></div>
<div>
Today Carrie Patel, author of THE BURIED LIFE, is here.</div>
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<br /></div>
The blurb: "The gaslight and shadows of the underground city of Recoletta hide secrets and lies. When Inspector Liesl Malone investigates the murder of a renowned historian, she finds herself stonewalled by the all-powerful Directorate of Preservation – Ricoletta’s top-secret historical research facility.<br />
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<br /></div>
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When a second high-profile murder threatens the very fabric of city society, Malone and her rookie partner Rafe Sundar must tread carefully, lest they fall victim to not only the criminals they seek, but the government which purports to protect them. Knowledge is power, and power must be preserved at all costs…"<br />
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You know me and many of my favorite characters, and now we can add Inspector Malone to my list. Tough, kickass, not exactly a people person, but oh so very, very intriguing, tagging along in this thrilling world Patel has created and trying to unravel its secrets was a treat. I asked Patel to fill us in on the type of drink Malone would choose to unwind. Take it away!<br />
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I’ve got a bit of a cheat sheet for this one at the end of chapter three. Inspector Malone breaks the ice with her new partner over a couple pints of pale ale. I couldn’t exactly call it an India pale ale (worldbuilding!), but that’s what I taste every time I read the scene.<br />
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A hoppy IPA is a good fit for Malone because, perhaps, it shares so much in common with her; it’s crisp and it gets the job done quickly. Malone’s not the kind of person who particularly enjoys getting sloshed, but alcohol is the great social lubricant, and people skills are not her strong suit. That her new partner is a people person sends her reaching for that second pint.<br />
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But if Malone went home for a drink instead of to the neighborhood dive, she’d pour herself a single malt whiskey, neat. Something that can be enjoyed slowly while digesting the events of a day and the details of a case.</div>
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Thank you for stopping by, Carrie! I happen to relax with a good IPA fairly often. Excellent choice!</div>
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THE BURIED LIFE is out July 29! Pre-order: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Life-Carrie-Patel-ebook/dp/B00I75ET7U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1404919238&sr=8-4&keywords=the+buried+life">Amazon </a>| <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780857665218">Indiebound</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Carrie Patel:</div>
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website: <a href="http://www.electronicinkblog.com/">http://www.electronicinkblog.com/</a></div>
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twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Carrie_Patel">https://twitter.com/Carrie_Patel</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Angy Robot: <a href="http://angryrobotbooks.com/books/the-buried-life-by-carrie-patel/">http://angryrobotbooks.com/books/the-buried-life-by-carrie-patel/</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-82004542771713691242014-06-24T09:16:00.003-07:002014-06-24T09:16:46.759-07:00What's in a name?If you follow me here or twitter, pinterest, or goodreads, you might have noticed a little change. "Kindle-aholic" has made way for "Kathy", which I already use for Stellar Four and SF Signal.<br />
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To be honest, it was mostly laziness that prevented the change before. However, as time went on, the old moniker that I originally used on Amazon and just carried over to the rest of the internet made me sound more like a pro-Amazon blogger than what I am, a book lover who doesn't care where you buy your books, so long as you are reading.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-17996411493634528762014-06-24T08:44:00.002-07:002014-06-24T08:44:58.462-07:00Review: Iron Night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjDmcOZQeRaXd0TPuI7iutLyykHEL5F7BKPk_RSaVUV8okFv3W-6I73Y5R3RCwq7xebxxApu40wITNLGwK_h0RK2I4-O0EBAvPQnnGiqb3UUfA3CE7rHegTCLOJd7x5igaRbQ3WW65fU/s1600/ironnight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjDmcOZQeRaXd0TPuI7iutLyykHEL5F7BKPk_RSaVUV8okFv3W-6I73Y5R3RCwq7xebxxApu40wITNLGwK_h0RK2I4-O0EBAvPQnnGiqb3UUfA3CE7rHegTCLOJd7x5igaRbQ3WW65fU/s1600/ironnight.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<b>IRON NIGHT (Generation V #2) by M.L. Brennan</b><br />
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M.L. Brennan's Generation V series quickly made my auto-buy list. I adored the magnificently eff'd up the whole world and mythology, as well as the unconventional hero who has shown fantastic character growth through the first two books.<br />
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Over at Stellar Four, I did an <a href="http://www.stellarfour.com/2014/03/getting-to-know-generation-v-ml-brennan.html">interview</a> with Brennan and got to talk about all of my favorite parts from the books, but in going over the ol' review backlog, I see that I never actually wrote a review for this one, so fixing that now.<br />
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Note: As always, I'll try to avoid spoilers, but this is book 2, so some spoilers for book 1 are inevitable.<br />
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At the start of book 2, Fort has made some changes in his life. He has been working out with Chivalry and has started helping his older brother with some of his duties. He's also getting a crash course in the supernatural, a world that he tried to escape for most of his life. All the while, he is still trying to hang on to his humanity.<br />
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Then he finds his roommate murdered, and Fort is back in the shit again. Luckily, he still has Suze, his kitsune friend who delights in antagonizing him, but is also there to kick ass. Adding to his problems, he has to work with his older sister, Prudence. Fort is convinced she hates him, and she is responsible for the most traumatic event in his childhood. Theirs is a complicated relationship, though, and their interaction was my absolute favorite part of the book. The last part of the book, just <i>damn</i>.<br />
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Excellent action, character and relationship progression, and a wholly interesting world, if you haven't jumped into this UF series yet, I suggest you give it a try.<br />
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IRON NIGHT <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Night-Generation-V-Novel-ebook/dp/B00DGZIA1W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403624244&sr=8-1&keywords=iron+night+brennan">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/iron-night-ml-brennan/1115700174?ean=9780451418418">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/iron-night">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451418418">Indiebound</a><br />
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GENERATION V <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Generation-V-M-L-Brennan-ebook/dp/B009KUWUZ4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ZCAM691VDSK9MJXXXCB">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/generation-v-ml-brennan/1113142911?ean=9780451418401">B&N</a> | <a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/generation-v-1">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780451418401">Indiebound</a><br />
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M.L. Brennan<br />
website: <a href="http://mlbrennan.com/">http://mlbrennan.com/</a><br />
twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BrennanML">https://twitter.com/BrennanML</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-70324509235679825952014-06-20T08:38:00.001-07:002014-06-20T08:41:06.883-07:00Cover Love: ANTE UPA couple of weeks ago I reviewed <a href="http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2014/06/aces-wild-review-giveaway.html">ACES WILD</a>, book 1 in the Sin City Collectors series.<br />
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Today, I've got the cover for ANTE UP, Amanda Carlson's second book in this series of paranormal romance novellas.<br />
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The blurbage: "Diesel Jones is a shifter who has issues with the moon, but he quickly finds that Sofia Cabrera, a clever witch who just moved in to town, is his only hope to reach his goal of becoming a Collector. When they pair up to take down an incubus, she not only saves his life, but wins his heart in the process…"<br />
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And the cover:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrC3f8pBV6hc76_s9KGunvtrsKNiNYNctnlG1r8b3WF1HMlF0fCIZ7767tXY9lZUjsa7WdlynwZg2W3rNWtVcJnX-WtTEEeZwYtkLONn50gkPjn5IYMIzShwpVOom2SLU3QStbru7XOk/s1600/Ante+Up+Sml.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrC3f8pBV6hc76_s9KGunvtrsKNiNYNctnlG1r8b3WF1HMlF0fCIZ7767tXY9lZUjsa7WdlynwZg2W3rNWtVcJnX-WtTEEeZwYtkLONn50gkPjn5IYMIzShwpVOom2SLU3QStbru7XOk/s1600/Ante+Up+Sml.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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I really love how all of these covers fit together. The colors pop and I love that the models are diverse.<br />
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Let's see them side by side:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOD0G1lffgsDvRBj5oPCk3i8OFPtAyongc8MVGPSqPIzWXRjgpBcY27eObl3pbB3AbYhrOr-Eyic78MXAsB6FL0ikTQG2v9Ep6tF9me0ytXCl7YhhfVbZo_6a2SVrLAgF1XRFUSDv8cc/s1600/sincity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnOD0G1lffgsDvRBj5oPCk3i8OFPtAyongc8MVGPSqPIzWXRjgpBcY27eObl3pbB3AbYhrOr-Eyic78MXAsB6FL0ikTQG2v9Ep6tF9me0ytXCl7YhhfVbZo_6a2SVrLAgF1XRFUSDv8cc/s1600/sincity.jpg" height="192" width="400" /></a></div>
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So very pretty! Can't wait to read more in this series.<br />
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Amanda has a giveaway for 5 copies of ACES WILD. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter:<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/p97c9klor/" id="rc-p97c9klor" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
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Buy links for ACES WILD:<br />
US: <a href="http://amzn.to/1nLLRmk">Kindle</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/1oUzp3j">Nook</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/U39hZL">iTunes</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/1k4RplO">Kobo</a> | <a href="http://bit.ly/1ngvC0e">Google</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1mCI6wM">Amazon UK</a><br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/1puLSNA">Amazon France</a><br />
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Amanda Carlson:<br />
website: <a href="http://www.amandacarlson.com/">http://www.amandacarlson.com/</a><br />
twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson">https://twitter.com/amandaccarlson</a><br />
facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson">https://www.facebook.com/authoramandacarlson</a><br />
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Sin City Collectors on facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors">https://www.facebook.com/sincitycollectors</a><script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7683688004876983022.post-9915911197302356362014-06-09T20:10:00.003-07:002014-06-09T20:10:47.625-07:00Review: Two Serpents Rise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0TnNNpBDfybm2WLb1MV2wI7ZlKvsxNlcRKdKr3UvPKc7kMZcrnqYzjaqQ3sE_Q3C47Vhkd0FF-EoWYJEoFiKEu1FJHdU3QcSBlPeZPY_bCcx0pIp06HgEOaUmRdhWbjilt3gyYg2-VQ/s1600/twoserpentsrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi0TnNNpBDfybm2WLb1MV2wI7ZlKvsxNlcRKdKr3UvPKc7kMZcrnqYzjaqQ3sE_Q3C47Vhkd0FF-EoWYJEoFiKEu1FJHdU3QcSBlPeZPY_bCcx0pIp06HgEOaUmRdhWbjilt3gyYg2-VQ/s1600/twoserpentsrise.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
TWO SERPENTS RISE (Craft Sequence book 2) by Max Gladstone<br />
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When I read book 1, <b style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://kabookpile.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-three-parts-dead.html">Three Parts Dead</a>, </b>I got a story that completely blew apart my expectations. So, when it came to book 2, I was a little more prepared for the world that awaited me. I still was surprised and enchanted by not only how different this series is, but how much it completely works for me.<br />
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Take your everyday corporate structure - contract law, risk management, acquisitions, and chuck it into a maelstrom of a world where gods and human mages battled, and the humans won. It is a world still in recovery and still out of balance.<br />
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Caleb Altemoc is a risk manager for one of the Deathless Kings, a very powerful mage who slew gods in the war and is now head of a ginormous corporation. He is called in when demons are found in the water supply. His search for answers brings him into contact with the crafty cliff runner Mal and points fingers at his father, one of the last of the gods warriors and a known terrorist. Personal and professional tumble together as danger rises.<br />
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I enjoyed the characters and the relationships. It gives a different view of the world than the one we see in book 1 and expands on more of the issues affecting this world out of balance. In no way was life perfect under the old gods. However, it's not perfect under the mages either. There is a lot of room for growth or further despair.<br />
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I'm really looking forward to where Gladstone takes us in the next book.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2