Featured Title: Anywhere She Runs Genre: 4.75 / 5 Stars - Top Pick Street Date: 4/27/2010 Review by: Robin Price: $7.99 Publisher: St. Martins Press
Adeline Cooper was a small town deputy in her hometown of Pascagoula, Mississippi. Until the night of a big drug bust in which her cousin was shot and killed by a DEA agent. During the bust a lot of things went wrong and the blame was put on Adeline. With her career as a cop gone. Now she is a police officer in Huntsville, Alabama. Adeline gets a strange envelope left on her doorstep with no Pascagoula. They were postmark or return also having a relationaddress. Inside is a ship. Wyatt knew the paper with cut and truth about what went paste letters about a down during the drug princess. She thinks bust but he lies and it is a joke from her allows Adeline to take co-workers due to her the blame for it. birthday come up and Ms. Webb brings her new promotion. us another edge of But when the second your seat story. The letter arrives from Fed- inaction between the ex, she knows this is hero and heroine is no joke. She takes this very believable. The information to her boss amount of suspense and the next thing she and romance is just knows she is on her right. This story had way back to her homeme hooked from the town to help work this first page and did not missing persons case. let up until the end. Wyatt Henderson is now the sheriff in
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Great Reads by The NOR Staff......4
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Romance by Mary Eason..............11
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Urban Fantasy and the Paranormal by Roxanne Rhoads....................................................27
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The Battle by Michael Davis.......................................31
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Author Interview by Tammie King..............................45
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Cooking Up A Storm With Kyrainse............................40
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Free Horror Read by Minnette Meador......................50
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SFF Insider by Shartyrant............................................55
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Tantalizing Tidbits by The Book Nerd.........................64
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History Bits by Lilyraines............................................67
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Teen Reads by MonicaBBB.........................................71
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Manga Insights by Lexile.............................................88
Shannon K. Butcher Author Interview
Great Reads
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Apollo’s Choice By Sascha Illyvich After gaining in popularity to the point of causing the other gods fear on Olympus, Apollo is banished to a different time and world by Hera. Cursed to remain in 1990’s in the body of a bass player for an up and coming grunge band, Apollo must figure out a way to return to Ancient Greece and restore his powers. The Rasner Effect By Mark Rosendorf
Rick Rasner escaped death in a New York City bridge explosion - but he couldn’t escape becoming an unwitting participant in a top secret military experiment. When the Duke Organization, a group of ruthless killers, set off a violent explosion, they wiped out Rick Rasner’s life as he knew it. Our Sacred Balance By Marguerite Labbe
Lovers Kristair and Jacob believe they’re done with the supernatural and on the road to a new life. But the supernatural isn’t done with them. A stalker is targeting vampires, tearing them from their sanctuaries and leaving them to burn in the sun, and when the vampires of Pittsburgh call upon the ancient Kristair, he cannot refuse them aid despite Jacob’s objections. 4
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Great Reads
Starlight & Promises By Cat Lindler In 1891, during a voyage to the uncharted isle in the Furneaux Islands near Tasmania, the sixth Earl of Stanbury discovers a saber-toothed tiger thought to have been extinct for more than 10,000 years—a find that will astonish the world and bring great acclaim if he is able to return to England. Married by Morning By Lisa Kleypas
For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters-a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges’ older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. Whispers in Autumn By M. Jean Pike
Paranormal Studies expert Dove Denning came to Shadow Lake to attend her friend Emma’s wedding. After helping the police with a brutal murder investigation, the solitude and tranquility of the lake are just what Dove needs to ease her spirit—but the spirits that whisper to her aren’t so at ease. 5
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Romance www.NightOwlRomance.com
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Suspense & Mystery www.SuspenseInsider.com
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Science Fiction & Fantasy www.SFFInsider.com
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Night Owl Reviews™ WEtap Media, LLC ™ 319 NE Hyde Circle, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 NightOwlReviews@gmail.com Editor-In-Chief: Tammie King Associate Editor: Sarah McDermed Associate Editor: Kim Wollenburg Advertising: Tammie King NightOwlReviews@gmail.com © Night Owl Reviews 2010
These are just a small portion of the reviews that Night Owl Reviews has available on our website. For a full listing and the most up to date reviews visit our website www.NightOwlReviews.com. Reviews are provided by our review staff. Reviewers get books via NOR and we get books direct from the publishers, authors and publicists. Reviews are based on reviewer thoughts. 6
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Ellora’s Cave
Q & A With Author Eve Langlais
Question:
Can you please start by telling us a little about what you are working on or have coming out? --Tammie King
Answer:
I’m very excited about my June 1st first release with Champagne Books titled ‘Take A Chance’. It’s the very first story I ever wrote and I can’t wait for everyone to fall in love with the characters like I did. Romance, magic and a tropical island
Q & A With Author Giovanna Lagana
Question:
Could you please tell us a little about yourself? --Tammie King
Answer:
I’m a freelance writer and editor. I work for a few publishing houses. I’m also a mother of three kids, so you can imagine how busy my day can get. But I love every minute of it and wouldn’t change it for the world. :)
Romance by Mary Eason
From Wuthering Heights To Twilight – The Young Adult Romance Has Finally Come Into Its Own
As a teen, I grew up reading Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights along with Nancy Drew Mysteries and the Hardy Boys. When Mom wasn’t looking, I threw in some Harlequin romances as well. As a young adult growing up in the seventies, the selection of novels geared toward my age group proved very limited. Boy, have times changed. Today, young adult romance novels are some of the hottest sellers around. If you doubt me, check out the sales for the final book in Twilight series, Breaking Dawn that
sold 1.3 million copies in the first 24 hours alone. Young adult romance novels, typically depict a central character growing into his or her own identity through the experience of an important relationship. Don’t let its name fool you: Young Adult fiction is not watered down adult fiction. It’s also not children’s fiction with older characters. It is literature that doesn’t waste a breath. YA fiction moves at a clip that keeps pace with busy teens who are pressed for reading time, whose attention spans are brief, who are accustomed to and crave instant gratification. YA lit is
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the movie version of a great story... gripping from the first line, never slowing down, with all the slow parts edited out. YA literature is crisp, lively, and hip. Is YA Fiction Trashy? Some critics claim that YA lit is all about catty cliques and clothes and broken hearts and sex and shallow, petty characters. Unfortunately, because of a considerable number of trashy reads for teens, YA has, in the past, been ghettoized in many book stores. The good news is that today, YA lit is finally getting the respect it deserves and teen readers are finally getting the selection they deserve.
Whether your 15 or 51, I think most readers will agree, there’s something for everyone in the YA romance genre. Even if it’s just a walk down memory lane. So, are you ready to check out some upcoming YA romances that are sure to make the reading cuts? Okay, here we go… Star Crossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
16-year-old Digger thrives as a spy & sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner & lover Tegen is killed, she disguises herself in a group of young nobles & sneaks out of the city. Accepted as a ladyin-waiting at the stronghold of the powerful Nemair, she
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finds new peace & friendship (*and* some new targets). But when an old client from the city comes to the castle, she realizes her hosts may be planning the ultimate uprising against the king - & rather than true peace, she may be at the heart of the rebellion.
home, off on some mad excursion to Yellowstone in Montana. Torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her friends, from society, and verging on no prospects, Maggie is furious and devastated by her father’s betrayal. But when she arrives, she finds herself drawn to the frustratingly stubborn, handsome Tom Rowland, the son of a park geologist, and to the wild romantic beauty of Yellowstone itself. And as Tom and the promise of freedom capture Maggie’s heart, Maggie is forced to choose between who she is and who she wants to be.
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (Coming October 1, 2010) Faithful by Janet S. Fox
Sixteen-year-old Maggie Bennet’s life is in tatters. Her mother has disappeared, and is presumed dead. The next thing she knows, her father has dragged Maggie away from their elegant Newport
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Publisher: Speak; Original edition (Coming May 13, 2010)
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Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces. Is love a great enough power against evil? Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (Coming September 14, 2010)
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“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.” Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeenyear-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home—her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger
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is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power—and the courage to fight her own inner demons? A wildly original approach to the issue of eating disorders, Hunger is about the struggle to find balance in a world of extremes, and uses fantastic tropes to explore a difficult topic that touches the lives of many teens. Publisher: Graphia (Coming October 18, 2010)
The Mermaid’s Mirror by L.K. Madigan Lena has lived her whole life near the beach – walking for
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miles up and down the shore and breathing the salty air, swimming in the cold water, and watching the surfers rule the waves – the problem is, she’s spent her whole life just watching. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, Lena vows she will no longer watch from the sand: she will learn to surf. But her father – a former surfer himself – refuses to allow her to take lessons. After a near drowning in his past, he can’t bear to let Lena take up the risky sport. Yet something lures Lena to the water … an ancient, powerful magic. One morning Lena catches sight of this magic: a beautiful woman – with a silvery tail. Nothing will keep Lena from seeking the mermaid, not even the dangerous
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couldn’t be more different. Lani’s reserved and thoughtful; Erin’s bubbly and outgoing. Lani likes to do her own thing; Erin prefers an entourage. There’s no possible way they could be interested in the same guy. So when Erin starts dating Jason, Lani can’t believe she feels such a deep connection with him—and it may be mutual. The more Lani fights it, the more certain she feels that it’s her fate to be with Jason. But what do you do when the love of your life is the one person you can’t have?
waves at Magic Crescent Cove. And soon … what she sees in the mermaid’s mirror will change her life …
Publisher: Viking Juvenile (Coming May 4, 2010)
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (Coming October 4, 2010)
And last, but never least… The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti Best friends Lani and Erin
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Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting
story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion. Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Coming June 5, 2010) Hope you enjoy all of these great reads. Until next time, All the best… Mary Eason
Mary Eason is the author of books such as “A Night to Remember” and “Root of All Evil”. You can find Mary online at www.maryeason.com.
Romance
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By Invitation Only By Sheri McInnis, Jodi Della Femin Penguin Group 4.75 / 5 Stars - Top Pick Toni Fratelli is heading back home to live with her father. She’s been living in New York City but the restaurant that she opened with friends has failed leaving her few choices. The best one is to return home to the Hamptons to work out of her father’s restaurant and start a side catering business. Everyone Toni tells, except her best friend, Layla, thinks moving to the Hamptons is great. They don’t understand that living in the Hamptons rich and living in the Hamptons as a worker are two entirely different things. Toni knows she’s in for hard work and hopes to get lots of contracts with those rich vacationers so she can pay back her loan for the restaurant that
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didn’t make it. Chris Uhm is in finance and he’s good at it. As he is in the middle of a big deal, he encounters a woman on the sidewalk. For some unknown reason, he is intrigued by her and though he’s acted like an ass, would love to bump into her again. But once the deal he was working on concludes, Chris with his partners are off to the Hamptons for the summer. Chris gives up meeting up with his mystery woman until he sees her on the street far from New York City, in the Hamptons! Normal everyday situations with a humorous twist cause the reader to smile, if not laugh, and continue to give this story a wonderful real life feel. As an added bonus to the story are little blurbs from “The Guru’s Guide to the Hamptons”. These blurbs not only add interest but give you some history of this area. They also
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Romance
let you know where to go and what to see. Fantastic touch! I really liked this book. It is a wonderful story with great characters. I could see this story actually happening due to the terrific story telling. The love interests were natural and progressed at a normal speed, no jumping right into bed with someone you don’t know!
Reviewed by Terri
Wishing For A Home By T.A. Chase Liquid Silver Books eBook 4.75 / 5 Stars - Top Pick
Derek St. Martin is a country singer who is at the end of his rope and on the brink of a nervous breakdown...or in need of rehab. Edward his step-brother and the only family member Derek is close to - steps in and finds a place where Derek can stay, relax, heal, and not have
to hide the fact that he is gay. Max Furlo is the foreman at the ranch Derek will be staying at and thinks he will have extra work “babysitting” the singer. But Derek is not what Max expected and soon things start moving along between the two men. Both men would like a relationship, but Max is not willing - with good reason - to live in the shadows. Will Derek’s career be able to take his coming out? Is there a middle ground on which these men can meet that would provide the best of everything for both of them? Wishing for a Home is a touching story about coming back in touch with yourself and re-arranging some priorities to stay true to what you want and who you are. I really enjoyed reading the book and did not want it to end. 20
Reviewed by Lilyraines
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Romance
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The Chief By Monica McCarty A Highland Guard Novel Random House 4 / 5 Stars Christina Fraser is between a rock and a hard place. That hard place being a certain highlander chief named Tor MacLeod. For most of her life, all she’s wanted is to escape her father’s temper and run to a nunnery with her sister but she soon finds out her father has other plans for her. She has been bartered in marriage to Tor by Robert the Bruce and her father to get him to agree to train an elite group of highlanders to help free Scotland from English rule. Tor never wanted to get in the middle of this war, he was more than happy keeping to himself in his lands and protecting his people. However, due to extenuating
circumstances, he doesn’t have much of a choice and agrees to marry Christina and to train the most skilled of Highlanders in secret. Unfortunately, Tor and Christina’s marriage is off to a rocky start. He’s been burned by women before and is not openly trusting at all. While the chemistry between them is explosive, their relationship outside the bedroom leaves something to be desired but Christina is determined to breach Tor’s icy exterior. If their marriage is to survive, then something’s got to be done. However, when her plan to do so ends up endangering herself and others, Tor will do anything to save his people and his wife. The Chief is the first book in a brand-new series and a really great start! The characters are highly entertaining. Tor will make you swoon! Sure, there 22
Romance are moments where he’s a super alpha male but that’s just what’s so fun about the story. He’s not one of those overbearing alphas and Christina’s more than capable to get him to dial it down a notch even though at times she’s really naive. Considering this is the start of a series, I’m highly intrigued about the coming books because some of the other Highlanders in this super-secret group sound really hot! The Chief has got it all: the hot romance, great action scenes and lovely characters and I had a wonderful time reading it.
Reviewed by Wendy
If You Were My Man By Francis Ray Invincible Women Series #6 St. Martin’s Press 4 / 5 Stars Frances Ray is just one of those authors that just nails
it. I loved reading about Nathalyia. She was savvy and didn’t let Rafael’s hot looks sway her initially, which was great since Rafe was used to women falling over him due to his appearance. Ray does an excellent job by building the romance in an old fashion way with the hero and heroine going on dates and making out. I loved reading about this Alpha meeting the perfect woman for him. Now I need to find out if there are stories about Rafe’s siblings out there.
Reviewed by Reese
On the Edge By Raine Latimer Ellora’s Cave eBook 4 / 5 Stars
This was one sexy-sexy-sexy book. This is a hot quick read with sex scenes that will make you blush and sweat. Ex marine John Langley al-
Romance lows his lover a night out alone to fulfill an intimate fantasy. Unable to go through with it, Lucy goes home only to discover that John has arranged a surprise that far surpasses any fantasy she could come up with. Ok, John was not only HOT he was sweet and sensitive. I love how he supported Lucy’s career with gifts and gestures without stepping on her toes. Whatever she wanted he was right there with it barely a step behind. These two were truly in tune and it was great to know that their romance was based on more than just fantastic sex.
Reviewed by Reese
I’ve Got You By Linda Engman The Wild Rose Press eBook 4.5 / 5 Stars - Top Pick
Amber Bradley has a list, a list
that her friends say she is crazy to have. It is a list she puts a check on whenever there is a possibility of meeting THE ONE. Amber knows it’s not normal to have one but all the men she has dated so far have not met all her checks. So meeting auto mechanic J.T. Craig is a surprise to her. Every time she is on a date he seems to be there. Meeting him for the first time at a friend’s wedding was the only time she’s ever been in his arms. Yet now she has a strong urge to not only be in his arms but something more. He is definitely the opposite of the men she has dated and she cannot understand why she craves his kisses and warmth. Something about J.T. makes her wonder how he is in bed. She knows that he is not the man for her yet she cannot deny the attraction any more. As an attorney she knows her pros and cons yet sometimes life confuses her throwing her a curve ball. Can she succumb to
Romance the attraction and be with J.T.? Josh Craig or J.T. to his friends knows there is no chance of being with a woman like Amber. Yet something about her makes him work harder. He’s seen the idiot guys she dates and wonders why she does it each time. She is passionate, beautiful, sexy and way out of his league. But there is something about her that intrigues him. He knows he can never be the man for her, for he is not like the lawyers’ she dates but he is determined to prove her wrong. Underneath the hood is a man who is per-
fect for her in every way. Can J.T. prove to her that they are fated for each other? This is a first I have read by Linda Engman and won’t be the last. She is definitely talented. Her major talent is bringing a story to life. In this title she makes two people so opposite from each come together. I loved that even though Amber is a lawyer she could not win this case. Her heart tells her to go for J.T. yet like a woman she denies any attraction or love. This is definitely a book that warmed my heart. I can’t wait for more by Linda Engman. Reviewed by Melinda
Urban Fantasy and the Paranormal by Roxanne Rhoads
Roxanne Rhoads is a story stumpet, tome loving tart, and lover of all things paranormal. She is also a freelance writer and the author of erotic paranormal romances.
What’s New in Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy The weather is getting warmer and the new releases are getting hotter. Many much anticipated new additions to popular book series are being released like Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris. The newest Sookie Stackhouse book hit shelves May 4th as did the final book in Tate Hallaway’s Dead series Honeymoon of the Dead. I just recently found this series and I am sad to hear it is already
coming to an end but all endings open to new beginnings and a new series by Jess Haines debuts with Hunted by the Others. Gena Showalter’s latest The Darkest Passion is the newest installment of the Lords of the Underworld series and is scheduled to hit stores May 25 as is Vicki Pettersson’s 5th book in the Signs of the Zodiac series Cheat the Grave and Caitlin Kittredge’s 5th book in the Nocturne City series titled Daemon’s Mark. Also on
May 25 you can check out the debut novel of Alayna Williams titled Dark Oracle; the third book in the OSI series by Jes Battis, Inhuman Resources; the newest Keri Arthur book, Moon Sworn which is the 9th book of the Riley Jensen Guardian series; Web of Lies book 2 of Jennifer Estep’s Elemental Assassins series; and book 2 of the Night Tracker series by Cheyenne McCray No Werewolves Allowed.
New paranormal and urban fantasy YA books that are hitting the shelves on May 4th include: Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey; The Reason, Ghost Huntress Book 3 by Marlee Gibson; Shade by JeriSmith-Ready; and Spells book 2 of the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike. On May 18 Ellen Schreiber’s newest book in the Vampire Kisses series, Love Bites will be out- this is one my daughter is eagerly awaiting another is Spirit Bound, book 5 in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series and she’s already had the chance to read the 2nd book in Michelle Ro-
wen’s Demon Princess series, Reign Check (thanks to an ARC I received and BTW she loved it). Reign Check will be in stores May 25 as will Kim Harrison’s 2nd Madison Avery book Early to Death, Early to Rise and Jenna Black’s first foray into YA, Glimmerglass. Wow, so many fabulous books coming out this month and not SQAL with Laura Bickel by Roxanne Rhoads And now, welcome to a new feature I hope to include in this column every month- the Super Quick Author Interview AKA the SQAI. Today we have Laura Bickle whose novel has received some rave reviews (including one from me).
only do I have my own long wish list to consider but also my daughter’s.
RR: Let’s start out by getting the name of your newest release and the genre. LB: My newest release is the urban fantasy, EMBERS, from Pocket-Juno (April, 2010).
RR: Can you describe your heroine in 3 words?
LB: Anya is resolute, serious, and isolated.
RR: Name one unique trait about your heroine
LB: Anya is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern. Where other mediums allow spirits to communicate through their hands and voices, Anya attracts and devours ghosts. She’s like a human bug zapper, in that way. RR: Name the sexiest trait of the main man in your newest book
LB: Drake, the supernatural arsonist, is also a Lantern. Anya has never met another Lantern, and is intrigued and disturbed about what she could become. RR: Give us 3 words that can describe EMBERS
LB: Dark, gritty, and a little bit disturbing
RR: What’s the heat level: arctic
winter, flirtatious, romantic, sizzling, or scorched panties hot? LB: Flirtatious
RR: Sum up your book in 2 sentences or less.
LB: Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern— suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon an ancient entity that will burn the city to cinders. RR: And please finish this sentence:
LB: The best thing about being an author is… creating new worlds that have both elements of our familiar world and the fantastic.
The Battle
Part 3 – Coincidence By Michael W. Davis (www.Davisstories.com) “The Battle” is a series of articles about one author’s real-life trip through a minefield of experiences as he’s learning to deal with personal difficulty. There is no ulterior purpose, other than to share thoughts in the hope others may find counsel in the shared journey. Have you ever had something happen by random chance that strangely aligned with where you were in the path of your life at that particular moment? It occurs so often in human history that we’ve evolved a fussy ethereal word for the experience. We refer to this as a coincidence. Now, if you look in the dictionary you’ll find the following definition: a chance occurrence of events remarkable either for being simultaneous or apparently connected. At the end of five decades of life experiences, I’ve become convinced that sometimes things we want to believe are random are indeed not. Now I know you’re thinking, “What the hell does that mean?” Well, imagine for the moment that in fact events that appear to strangely coincide are not happenstance, but rather that there is an order to events above human influence. If you accept, and many do, that our existence is here and now, and there’s nothing beyond tomorrow, the implications could be scary, really scary. On a personal level, I’ve recently been offered a glimpse into this conundrum, specifically: is there order beyond our world? This awakening, for me, is the culmination of several years of
pondering that finally came to clarity at the price of my current life “battlefield” (cancer). I’ll admit; I’m one that believes in a higher order. Call it divine intervention, God’s hand, Allah, doesn’t matter. At certain critical junctures in our daily existence things happen that cannot be random. Such a statement would appear misaligned with someone from a technical background like me, a mathematician, and engineer, yet the reverse is true. For me, the more I learn about life, love, evil, and the universe, the more I am convinced there is purpose, there is reason to apparently coincidental events in our life. And I’m not alone. Newton professed the more he learned of science, the more he was assured of a higher order. That admission almost cost him his life as a heretic. Need a specific example? Okay, I’ll summarize two that will be discussed in detail in a future post, but
they’ll provide a taste of what I mean. I recently finished writing two novels. One dealt with maintaining perspective across all the things we encounter from day to day. The second (contracted as Shadow of Guilt) examines the premise: To every crossing of paths; there is a purpose, a reason. Both stories began in my mind over a year ago. Weird thing is, they were completed the week I experienced my own life-altering incident. Many of the scenes in each book evolved around the main characters struggling with the very issues of perspective and human connectivity that I faced. As I finished up on those scenes, I felt an uncanny personal affinity and gained enlightenment to my personal plight. Weird, really weird, that words written six months ago would align and provide me comfort at the moment I needed them badly.
Another example I’ll share deals with crossing of life paths, specifically a lady I knew ten years ago. She was sitting in the cafeteria one day at lunch by herself. My typical habit was to pack a sandwich and work during lunch. A combination of events occurred that morning and I left my bag on the kitchen table or I would have never been in the cafeteria. For some reason as I raced away from the tray line to return to my office, the wave or ‘vibe’ a co-worker gave off seemed out-of-kilter with the woman’s nature. I hesitated, but I could not pass her by. Something prevented me from turning a blind eye. Long story short, after I sat down I learned of recent personal tragedies that were causing her severe dark thoughts. Her kids were in Europe, and she had no one close to give her perspective. Over the next six months she, my wife, and I became very close, way beyond office
associates. Evidently her perspective returned just before I retired and moved away. We remained long-distance close until I became consumed by writing (and that oversight is about to be corrected, via Facebook). Sure, with all the thousands of events in our life, there are bound to be some random intersections, but coincidences occur just too damn often to ALL be happenstance. Bottom line, I’m not pushing a theological agenda in this post; to do so would turn many readers off. I am just relating that I personally am convinced there is order, purpose, a guiding principle to our path, if we open our spirit to the possibility that all things are not coincidence.
Simon & Schuster About a family torn apart by an accusation of murder
Suspense / Mystery The Rasner Effect By Mark Rosendorf L&L Dreamspell 4.5 / 5 Stars - Top Pick Rick Rasner is an assassin who has killed many people. He went against Jake Scarberry a merc on the other side. After bombing a famous bridge Rick wakes up not knowing where he is or who he is. He has lost his memory. Dr. Obenchain helps him by finding him a job in a child psychiatric ward for troubled teens and children. The head of the ward, Katherine Miller, is very mean and cruel to the patients. Rich has a hard time dealing with her. In the mean time Dr. Obenchain helps him deal with getting his memory back. As the book progresses Rick starts taking patients and meets Cara Blue a moody teen. Rick helps Cara deal with her moods. After a time the Duke organization comes looking for
Rick and the stakes ramp up. A confrontation is coming to a head. Will Jake Scarberry make an entrance? What’s in store for Rick and Cara? Will Rick gets his memory back? Get ready for a showdown like no other. The Rasner Effect is a well-crafted action suspense that just doesn’t stop. The evil characters are chilling and the friendship between Cara and Rick exciting. Each character was interesting in their own right. The action was top notch and nothing was predictable. This is a story that I really enjoyed.
Reviewed by Silvermage
Fantasy In Death By J.D. Robb In Death Series #30 4.75 / 5 Stars - Top Pick
Bart Minnock is on top of the world. He has a dream job in a company he founded and runs
Suspense / Mystery with his best friends, a great girlfriend, an apartment full of grown up toys, and is trying out his company’s latest role playing game in his private holoroom. But when the battle with his nemesis reaches the critical point where he always loses, he loses more than the game this time. He loses his head. Literally. Now it’s up to Lieutenant Dallas to figure out who did it. And why. As all fans of this series, I waited with baited breath for the next installment. With so many books in the series you would think that freshness would be lacking but this is far from the truth. This particular tale was different than the previous ones, at least for me. It seemed a little edgier and out there. Maybe it was the technological nature of the crime. The edginess also carried over into the relationships between Eve and those who are important to her in her life. The paradigm
of the relationships between the victim and his best friends made her evaluate her own. Her conversations with Peabody had me laughing out loud. Also, in previous books Peabody was almost reverent with Eve. That appears to be wearing off, and while she is still respectful, some cheekiness sneaks through. We were also privy to a new side of her and Roarke’s relationship, which made them more “real.” Unequivocally this is one of the better in the series, and one of my personal favorites.
Reviewed by Leslee
Heirs of Cain By Tom Wallace 4.75 / 5 Stars - Top Pick
During the Vietnam War, they were necessary but not mentioned. Their leader, Cain, became a legion. They became one with the shadows and seemed to be able to go where no man
Suspense / Mystery should be able to. They were assassins, trained by the government and took out those that the government wanted gone. None were as lethal as Cain. Michael Collins teaches literature in Florida. Vietnam was years ago and he’s pretty much put that part of his life in the past where it belongs. When an Army general comes to visit, Michael isn’t impressed. He can tell by the man’s awards that he is just a paper pusher. Yet, he calls a good friend and retired general, Lucas to find out what is going on. Michael’s past is quickly becoming his present. Among the group of 6, there was one Native American who went by the code name
Seneca. He was excellent at killing but the problem was he liked it. He liked the blood, the fear, the power. Seneca was a bit psycho and Cain had wanted him gone. Lucas had insisted he stay due to his effectiveness and Cain had worked on keeping him under control. After Vietnam, Seneca became a hired assassin, working for whomever paid the best. Now, it seems that Seneca is after something or someone big in the USA and needs to be stopped which is why Cain has to be resurrected regardless of Michael’s feelings or wants. I read the prologue of this book and was instantly back to the
Suspense / Mystery era of Vietnam. It was full of the violence and prejudice that was typical of that time and place. For me, this snapshot was enough for me to put this book down for a couple of days. Thank goodness I had to pick it back up to review because otherwise I would have missed an excellent book! The imagery that is throughout the book is done in a way that you can feel the humidity of the jungles of Vietnam and the waves along side a yacht in Florida. Regardless of the setting, you are there. The emotions that come across are tangible. Weather it’s fear or confusion, it’s there and alive. The characters are wonderful. Not in the sense that they are loyal, patriotic Americans or better than life but that they are real. They have quirks, feelings and lives. Even secondary characters come alive with Snake, a former member of this group in Vietnam, having
addiction issues yet he’s stilling trying or the night guard who wishes he had spent more time with Cardinal, another member of the group. It’s also a nice change to have older main characters. The suspense builds until you can’t put down the book. It will hold you in its grip until the last little bit is reviled and then, it’s done. This story is so intense though that you will still be breathing it and thinking about it for a while after you’ve turned the last page. This book is full of violence. It also has a lot of flashbacks to the Vietnam era. Drug addiction and domestic violence are also themes within this story. Powerful and compelling, this story will keep your interest as you travel through the missions that no one ever wanted you to know about. Seneca may be working and needs to be stopped but the bigger question is who is he working for. The answer surprises everyone.
Reviewed by Terri
Night Owl Reviews
Cooking Up A Storm
With Kyraninse
Title: Nuts in the Kitchen
Author: Susan Herrmann Loomis
Rating: 4.75 / 5 stars - Top Pick
I have a confession to make: I don’t particularly care for nuts in any setting outside of sweets, and even then sometimes the texture makes me opt out. It’s mostly a textural issue, yes, because unlike for some, contrasting textures grate across my nerves rather than enhance the eating experience. So
I usually shy away from nuts on my salad or nuts in stir-fries, or even crunchy peanut butter in my sandwiches. I will even admit to making the famed Kung Pao Chicken with no peanuts. Sacrilege, I know. I decided this probably makes me the best person to review this book, for if Loomis manages to convert me to nuts outside of sweets, then this is probably a book for anyone. At the very worst, I’ll get some ideas for cooking outside of my current repertoire, admit to being horribly biased, and get shamed all around for it. Win-win, no?
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It is with great relief and joy that I say that this book is definitely becoming a keeper on my bookshelf. Loomis gives lovely and somewhat unexpected ideas for using nuts I have never thought about or come across. For those who are similarly texturally challenged as I am, there are plenty of recipes where it will not become an issue, and the ones that do call for chopped nuts as garnish will function well enough without. Although, of course, they are probably better with said nuts. Now I know to add ground nuts to thicken soups or sauces, that nuts will add a haunting and sometimes elusive taste to my baked goods, and nuts even make an interesting additive to my main-course starches. For those who have young children or just who have a love
for Nutella, there’s a recipe for making it yourself that is probably well worth the admission price alone. I will probably make and keep on hand the nut sprinkles for those days when I just want a quick idea for a meal because what is faster and easier than gomasio or a savory nut sprinkle on white rice? The recipes in the book range across several cultures and includes almost everything, from sweets to stir-fries to breads. I really do appreciate how Loomis traverses the globe to find different
types of recipes and ways to use nuts other than what we’re used to in America or even the West. Even if one ends up not choosing a specific recipe in the book, the ideas alone are enchanting and illuminating. For example, although I can’t remember if there is specifically a recipe that uses the idea of utilizing ground nuts as a base for a pie-crust, I know that this idea is definitely in keeping with the ground walnuts in waffles that do pop up within the very first pages. Or extending the idea of
using nuts in soups and sauces and in pesto to making a creamy, nutty sauce for pasta. Spicy peanut sauce noodles, anyone? Asides from the engaging chatter of where Loomis got her ideas, the snippets of her life, and the origins of the recipes, I also truly enjoyed the portraits of and about nuts that she drew in lovely detail. Pistachio music springs to mind, as does the peek into a nut oil mill. She reminds us, with every short essay on how food is integral to life and how the preparation and
consuming of it is something that crosses cultures to draw people together. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking and experimenting in the kitchen -- except those who have nut allergies, of course. Tongue-in-cheek aside, I not only intend to keep this book, I aim to seek out more of her work in the future. Kyraninse lives on the East Coast and enjoys cooking and reading.
Author Interview Shannon K. Butcher http://www.shannonkbutcher.com by Tammie King
Q: A:
Shannon please tell us your latest news?
want readers to grasp?
Q:
Is there a message in your series that you
Q:
I’m excited about the release of the latest book of The Sentinel Wars series, RUNNING SCARED. This book is about Zach and Lexi, who met in book one of the series. I’ve been looking forward to sharing this with readers for a long time and am thrilled that it’s finally available!
A:
I just want my readers to have a good time. I don’t really write the books with any deeper meaning. I do focus on serious situations and the books can get pretty dark, but I’m a firm believer in happy endings. I love putting a character through their darkest moments so their happy ending is well deserved and satisfying. If you had to do it all
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over again, would you change anything in The Sentinel Wars series?
A:
In a perfect world, I would have been able to write the entire series before releasing any of the books, but that simply isn’t realistic. Maybe reality will bend to my whim for a future series.
Q:
I read that you haven’t always been a writer. That you started after working with your husband Jim Butcher. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
A:
I was an engineer with no thoughts of writing. Jim was busy working away on his career, and sometimes he’d get stuck. He’d ask me to read his work, asking me what was wrong. I never saw a
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problem. He said it was because I didn’t know what I was looking for. Because I love knowing how things work, I asked him to teach me what to look for, so I could help. He did. Eventually, I was able to quit my job. Six weeks later, I was bored out of my mind and decided I’d give the writing thing a shot. I wrote several really bad books and eventually worked through my “million words of garbage” and got to a point where I was willing to let others read my work. My 9th finished book, NO REGRETS, was the one that earned me an agent and a book deal.
Q:
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How does your husband feel about having two authors in the family?
way to put all those things together. I actually engineered The Sentinel Wars world to be a place where all my favorite types of stories and characters could coexist.
A:
He claims he likes having me around. He also likes it that we can travel together. It’s great being able to talk shop and bounce ideas back and forth. We really enjoy our lives and our careers these days, though we’ll never write something together. We’d rather stay married. :)
Q:
Q:
I first got introduced to your Sentinel Wars series via an excerpt booklet and have been hooked since. What inspired you to write this series?
A:
I’m a very dataoriented person. I knew what things I loved about different series and decided to try to find a
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I’ve enjoyed all the characters and have been waiting for Lexi Johns book. Since she was a key character in the opening to book one I’m thinking you had this whole series mapped out from the beginning. Would you say you are a plotter, pantster or both?
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A:
To say I’m a plotter would be an understatement. I am obsessive about planning things out to the point it could be considered a sickness. I know how the series ends. I know which characters survive to the end and which ones don’t. I have spreadsheets full of characters’ history and secrets and traits—most of which haven’t even been written into the series yet. I have actually charted out how the series develops and in which books specific plot points and character secrets will be revealed. I did leave wiggle room in the middle to add or remove books, but that flex-
ibility is all part of the plan, too. Don’t judge me. I really can’t help myself. :)
Q:
Can you tell us what you’re currently working on and if you have any more series in the works?
A:
I just finished book 5 of The Sentinel Wars, currently titled BLOODHUNTING. Book 4, LIVING NIGHTMARE, comes out this November, and I hope to keep writing these books for a while. I have so many characters left to torture. :) My next project in line is book 2 of my new romantic suspense series, The Edge. The
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first book comes out next year, and I’ve had a ton of fun working on that series so far.
other genre. It’s nice to be able to switch between them and cleanse my mental palate.
Q:
Was it a big leap for you to go from writing suspense to also writing paranormal? And do you have a preference?
Q:
With there being many cross genres, have you thought about writing fantasy or sci-fi romance with a suspense twist?
A:
I grew up reading scifi/fantasy books, so paranormal romance was almost a given for me. I actually started writing that genre, and have several awful practice books that are some kind of paranormal. It just kind of worked out that a suspense book was the first one I felt was good enough to show anyone. I love both genres. When I start a new book, I’m so excited to be writing it, and then by the end of that book, I’m ready for a change to the
A:
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I think the pacing and dark grittiness of suspense books translates well into the paranormal romance genre. I try to use what I learn writing each genre to help enhance my skill in the other. I figure that as long as I fulfill reader expectations and don’t let folks down, I can play around with mixing and matching styles to see what works and hopefully learn from what doesn’t.
FREE SHORT HORROR READ! HILDA’S TOYS By Minnette Meador
Hilda hated her dolls. She wasn’t sure why---they hadn’t done anything wrong. It was the way they looked at her. Scary. Not something she wanted to tell her mom or dad, particularly---they would just think it was dumb. It was something she locked up inside, the way she locked up the dolls in her toy chest. She filled it to overflowing, pushed them down until they were as tight as a jack-in-the-box, and then got her little sister to hand her books as Hilda sat on the trunk. Eventually the books kept the lid down. Now the dolls couldn’t get out. Without her dolls, there wasn’t much left to occupy
the long stretch between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, and dinner and bedtime. Hilda, at six, didn’t like TV anymore (Barney and Sesame Street had become so...blasé these days) and it was Sunday; nothing on but noisy men shouting at funny, crying people, and big boy cartoons. She didn’t care much for her three-year-old sister Lizbeth either (she was so immature). Not to mention the fact that her friends were, as her mother said, “wasting a perfectly good Sunday by doing that Jesus stuff.” On Sundays, Hilda’s mom liked to close her eyes, cross her legs all the way to her hips, and make weird noises in front of fat, little bald-man statues. Hilda glanced at her toy shelves filled with “educational” stuff her aunts and uncles always gave her. They bored her stupid (one of
her favorite Dad sayings)— as if she weren’t educated enough, thank you very much! She loved her books, but they were keeping the dolls in. Hilda brought her eyebrows as low as they could go, flattened her lips the way her mother did, and scanned the room for an alternative. That’s when she saw it. At first she wasn’t sure what she was seeing; it looked like a long white snake with scanty red scales and a large red nose as it wriggled out from under her bed and slithered its way through the maze of toys and clothes on the floor. She sat frozen watching it in terrified fascination. It moved quickly in front of her bedroom door, cutting off her retreat and Hilda backed against the wall as thousands of sharp prickles crawled up her back, down her arms, and into her
face. The white cloth glided around her bed and stopped in front of the toy chest, no more than a foot from her outstretched legs. She tucked them under herself so quickly the carpet burned her plump little calves. Hilda knew what it was, but she was having problems grappling with the possibility. It was a white knee-high sock, one that had been lost months before. Mom had thumb tacked its pair on the bulletin board above the washer just in case it showed up; Hilda thought it always looked weird hanging from the board like some tortured ghost. The socks had been Hilda’s favorites, with strawberries embroidered on the sides and bright red toes. When this one rose up in front of her now and began to fill with an invisible arm, Hilda’s little hands began to shake and hot tears fell
down her cheeks. She was so scared it was really hard to breathe. The sock puppet looked twisted and wrong, its upper red lip spotted with dust bunnies and those strange red strawberries dotting the now dirty gray sides. There were no eyes, which made it even more hideous. It looked blindly at Hilda and formed the red and gray lips into a smile. “Hello, Hilda.” The puppet’s voice sounded old, like Grandpa’s, and strained like Daddy’s when he had laryngitis. The sock smelled funny, but not stinky like when she would wear it for weeks at a time. It smelled like the barbeque before daddy lit it and meat that Mom had left in the refrigerator too long. Hilda covered her nose and began her “I want it!”
cry, but this time she wasn’t faking. “Who are you?” Her small voice sounded faint even to her. “I’m Charlie, Hilda. I want you to come with me so we can play at my house.” The sock puppet smiled at her, but it looked like one of those creepy movies she wasn’t supposed to watch, even though her brother let her sometimes just to scare her. “I don’t want to go with you,” she whispered. “You have to, Hilda. We have to leave now.” Charlie grew longer in front of her and almost reached the top of the toy chest. That smile got bigger and scarier. Hilda began to sob. Just at that moment, Hilda’s door flew open and Mom stepped in with a load of dirty laundry in her arms. She spotted Hilda sitting terrified on the floor, the
mound of books on top of her toy chest, and the mess in her room. Sweeping in with the grace of a dancer, she set the laundry on the bed and put her hands on her hips. “Why on earth would you put all your books up there? They go on the shelves.” Without waiting for a reply, Mom gathered the books and pulled them off the trunk. As soon as she did, the lid popped open with an audible bang and an avalanche of dolls came cascading down on Charlie, burying him under a pile of rubber hands, arms, torsos, and heads. All that remained of the sock was an inch of red toe. Hilda thought she heard a groan, but Mom seemed oblivious to it as she stared wide-eyed at the pile of dolls. “What in the name of....” Mom said and then whirled on Hilda. “Honey, you could
have been hurt like that. Don’t put so many toys in the box, okay?” She tucked the books onto their shelves as smoothly as a ninja and then brushed her hands against her pants. Hilda blinked a few times and felt herself nodding. Her hands were shaking like the horsey ride at Safeway. Mom glanced down at the pile and spotted the bit of red. “What’s that?” As she reached for it, Hilda gasped and jumped up. “No! He’ll hurt you!” Mom plucked the sock from under the pile and threw it on top of the other laundry where it landed limply. “Don’t be silly, Hilda. A sock can’t hurt you.” She gathered the laundry back into her arms and stared at the sock on top. “Hey, this is the one we’ve been looking for.” Mom smiled back at Hilda. “Nice job.” With that, she sauntered back to
the door and looked over her shoulder. “No dinner until this mess is cleaned up, young lady. Get to it.” “Yes, Mom.” Hilda scanned her room as if it were a lion’s cage. From then on, Hilda always jumped into bed from four feet away so nothing could grab her feet, kept her books in the bookcase, and found a new way to stuff the toy box without Mom knowing the trap had been set. At Hilda’s insistence, a little light was now required every night before she would go to sleep. The next day when the now matched pair of socks appeared neatly at the top of her drawer, she picked them up with Daddy’s barbeque tongs and stuffed them into one of her purses. She snuck them to the neighbor’s empty yard, and buried them as far down as she could dig, placing a
fat, little bald-man statue on top that she had “borrowed” from Mom. Hilda never wore kneehighs after that. When she grew up, she wouldn’t let her daughter wear them either. Find More of Minnette Meador’s Worsk at: www.minnettemeador.com
SFF Insider
by Shartyrant
Science Fiction & Fantasy News & Reviews Assassin’s Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden is a novelized version of the video game Assassin’s Creed II. Unlike the game, the book is set only in the fifteenth century. A teenager in Italy trains to become an assassin after the murder of his family. On a quest for vengeance against a group of assassins and the Knights Templar, he discovers a secret regarding the Codex. His discovery will change his views of not only the world, but also of the origin and future of the human race. I rate this one 3.75, as it has an interesting premise and a surprise twist
at the end. I hope there will be a sequel!
Gardens of the Sun by Paul McAuley is an epic space opera. A sequel to Quiet War, the new book details what happens after the war is over. The majority of the first wave of humans leaving Earth have been forced into prison camps or escaped to other places to avoid persecution. The novel focuses on what could happen with human evolution and expansion in the future. It also deals with the ramifications of not only the war, but the fight going on to determine the direction the human race is to take in the years ahead. An
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intriguing look at one possible future, what humanity is, and what it could become. Rated 4. Heavy Metal Pulp: Pleasure Model: Netherworld Book ,1 written by Christopher Rowley & illustrated by Justin Norman, is the first book in a trilogy. Detective Rook is investigating a murder where Plesur, a vat-grown human “sex toy�, is the only witness. As Rook progresses with his investigation, he finds the murder ties into a vast government conspiracy. He must try to keep himself and Plesur alive as there are others who would prefer the truth not be revealed. The story blends mystery and sci-fi with a pulp/noir tone similar to most Heavy Metal Magazine stories. I rate this one 3.75 for an interesting premise that deals with the ethics and potential of growing humans for various duties. Be forewarned that the story ends abruptly with no real conclusion. The sequel will be out in June. 56
Science Fiction & Fantasy Ghosts and Echoes By Lyn Benedict A Shadows Inquiries Novel, Book 2 Penguin Group 4.25 / 5 Stars Lyn Benedict continues her Shadows Inquiries series with Ghosts & Echoes. Sylvie Lightner is trying to recover from the tragic events that occurred in Sins & Shadows but the minute that she returns from her respite away from the office, she is presented with a series of thorny problems, none of which she wants to deal with. A cluster of inexplicable robberies, a Chicago policeman that is apparently haunted by a ghost and Sylvie’s defiant younger sister all seem to be separate issues that snowball into one giant tangle of complications in Sylvie’s life. She cannot count on any of her previous
resources except for the faithful Alex, who continues to work her mundane magic of fact-gathering for the arcane battles that Sylvie inevitably gets embroiled in. Sylvie discovers that she is very well acquainted with the ghost that is haunting the policeman, her sister Zoe is involved in arcane procedures that endanger her very soul and the robberies are expedited by a disgusting tool known as the “Hand of Glory” which is more than just a murderer’s hand. Sylvie has never been one to back down from a fight but even she must sometimes admit she is in over her head. This hard truth still doesn’t stop her from trying to protect and save all of those that she cares deeply about while minimizing the damage to innocent (or not so innocent) bystanders. The difficulty lies in determining who is expendable and who truly deserves to be saved.
Science Fiction & Fantasy This is an enjoyable addition to a series that melds multiple pantheons and paranormal tenets into a sometimes chaotic story that still manages to immediately intrigue the reader. Familiarity with the previous book in the series is helpful but not essential for enjoyment of this sometimes creepy but nonetheless entertaining story. Reviewed by Elf City of Night : A Novel of the House War By Michelle West DAW 4.5 / 5 Stars - Top Pick
As usual, Michelle West pulls no punches. Picking up from where The Hidden City left off, West tosses the reader into a world that is epic in its length and breadth. She shows us the depths of human depravity on one page and on the
next reveals human emotion at its best. It is hard not to like Jay, difficult not to cry for her sorrows and cheer her on when finally it seems like she’s getting somewhere better. Her ragtag collection of friends really tugged at my heartstrings and it was beautiful to see their relationships change, deepen, and shift during the course of the book. Unfortunately, this is a pretty dark book. Unlike The Hidden City, where evil and tragedy lurked around the corner, City of Night rubs it in your face. Definitely realistic, and in fact, if things had turned out differently, then I might even think that West was going soft on the story. Brilliant storyteller that she is, although I cried for every loss, every setback, I don’t think I would have wished it different. Life must go on, and to do so, certain things must give. Not every story can have
Science Fiction & Fantasy a pretty ending -- the most we can hope for in this world is to believe that there is still hope. I can’t wait for the next book, even as I’m tensed in preparation for it. Keep your tissue box at hand and curl up with this book -- I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
Reviewed by Kyraninse
Wicca Girl By R. Allen Leider Marietta Publishing 3.75 / 5 Stars
In 1091, Satan makes a pact with a young girl so she can be the queen of witches. Druscilla fights off a Viking that ransacks her village and later she gets engaged to a Baron. A young woman who also wants the Baron poisons Druscilla. However, the poison does not kill Druscilla but puts her in a dormant sleep until 2010. In 2010, she becomes a
spy for the British. Druscilla fights off an Inca warlock with her new found “blood sister” Cheralyn who is Satan’s daughter. This is a start of a trio of books. R. Allen Leider weaves an interesting tale in Wicca Girl. The characters are intelligent and vibrant. I enjoyed this story. There were a few parts that were slow, but this was still a very entertaining beginning to a series of books.
Reviewed by Arianne
Hellfire Lounge By R. Allen Leider Marietta Publishing 3.75 / 5 Stars
This book is about Satan, Wicca Girl and her sidekick, Cheralyn (Satan’s own daughter) sitting at a bar telling stories of paranormal events. There are some really good stories in this book; however,
Science Fiction & Fantasy there are a few that didn’t click well for me. Here are a few of the good ones. C. J. Henderson Twilight of the Gods In the past a young dragon named Skreve’tor had a secret that he kept from other dragons so they would not laugh at him. He loved fried bacon! Not raw bacon or whole pigs at one time. He got hooked on bacon by an old man who was being hunted by wolves. Skreve’tor saved the man’s life and the man, a butcher, made him bacon. They came up with a deal if Skreve’tor would protect his farm from harm he
would give him bacon when he wanted it. This worked for a while until another dragon showed up and started eating the pigs. Skreve’tor attacked the other dragon. This is an interesting tale of two different societies becoming friends. The characters are fleshed-out. C. J. Henderson Life is Good A man, Edward, sentenced to prison for a crime he did not commit finds some new friends in prison. The two men he makes friends with are lifers, people who committed crime so heinous they cannot be let out prison and who also got lucky
Science Fiction & Fantasy that their state did not have the death penalty. The lifers tell Edward that they will break him out of prison if he gives them his stuff he collected in prison. Edward does this and when they are in the basement of the prison Edward realizes that they are going to kill him. However, something happens to stop them. The author blends and weaves a fascinating tale of revenge. The story flows from beginning until the very end. R. Allen Leider The Warlock Murders The cannibal
witch Druscilla, also known as Wicca Girl and Queen of Witches, helps Scotland Yard find a nine hundredyear old serial killer preying on young English women. She realizes that the warlock is working at Scotland Yard and she met him when he was introduced to her as one of the detective working on the case. Will she capture him alive? The author weaves and blends an entertaining tale of intelligent characters. They are brought to life with great depth to them. Reviewed by Arianne
Night Owl Reviews
Tantalizing Tidbits by The Book Nerd
For the past few months or so, I’ve been mentoring a little girl who’s been going through a pretty tough breakup with her boyfriend, and it’s been difficult for her to get over him. In addition, she quit her job and now has to survive the thrilling adventure of living back at home with her parents. At 26, she’s not really all that young, and to be honest I don’t know how much mentoring I do, because a great deal of our conversations are spent with me doing something that would probably surprise you. Listening. Yep, despite loving to talk about myself, which I do quite regularly, paying attention to what others have to say is a pretty good character trait
to have every now and then because you get to find out really juicy stuff. Recently, she was unable to reach me because I was probably off getting into someone else’s business, and she was forced to call her mom. When Erin told me that she couldn’t get in touch with her mother on the phone for about two hours, I figured, “what’s the big deal?” and was ready to move on to the next topic of discussion. Parents have things to do and can’t always be reached right away, and I tactfully suggested that. Apparently, Erin was really frustrated over the loss of that immediate connection she’s grown used to over the years. By the time her mom finally called her back three hours or so later, Erin was quite annoyed. But it didn’t end there,
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unfortunately, because Erin had the gall to ask why her mother didn’t call her back right away. Uh oh… a BLINKING RED warning signal immediately became visible in my head, but I wisely kept silent. I don’t know about you other parents out there, but I’m not all that keen on my grown son asking questions about my whereabouts – mostly because he’s just being nosy, but Erin had to learn the hard way, it seems. Her mother hesitated briefly, and then asked if Erin wanted the truth or a lie? Erin innocently responded, “Of course I want the truth!” “Well, your father and I were in the shower, and then we went to bed”. Oops! Can we say TMI? I struggled to hold in the laughter as Erin shared how totally grossed out she was that her parents were still having sex at their age. Even as a young kid, I believed in “happily ever after” (HEA) whenever I picked up a romance novel, and I still look
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for that today; so the fact that her parents who’ve been married for over 30 years are still having a little hanky panky, and are clearly in love is wonderful. Still, I had to do some damage control by attempting to erase that picture of afternoon delight from Erin’s memory, as we talked about something on HGTV. Love isn’t dead in 2010, just somewhat hidden. Even better, older people aren’t just in love, they’re having plenty of sex to go along with it! I know that statistically, 60% of marriages end in divorce, according to Bride magazine, but wouldn’t you think they would have a stat that said 40% of people are happily married or something like that? I know it’s the same, but it just seems more fun to focus on the marriage part in a bridal magazine after all, don’t you think? There are lots of couples out there who have been married for 40, 55 and 60 years! Why isn’t somebody
Lords of the Underworld It’s a JENaissance! It’s a JENaissance!
The Book Nerd
Companion Book My Fair Lazy
My Fair Lazy
It’s a JENaissance! It’s a JENaissance!
Hugs,
Companion Book Lords of the Underworld
talking to them? Where are the dang figures for those people? But what about you? As readers of romance do you feel that love can truly stand the test of time in the real world? Do you want HEA in every book you read? Is it simply too much for us kids to take to imagine our parents are happy and having sex when we’re not around? According to Erin, she’d much rather read about her perfect love story in a book than hear about it LIVE and in person from her mom. To her that’s just a little too weird. Unable to suppress the giggles this time as I pictured her parents in the shower, I’m sure you know by now that I couldn’t resist asking Erin if she planned to inquire about her mother’s whereabouts in the future. It looks like I’ll have to get back to you on that, because suddenly there was dead air. Apparently Erin lost her phone signal-when I got a call back four days later.
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History Bits by Lilyraines I love history and Egyptian history is fascinating. Here are a few books that I’ve enjoyed reading and researching. The first book I’m going to discuss is Valley of the Kings by John Romer. What Valley of the Kings provides the reader is two intertwined lines of study. The first revolves around the kings, queens and nobles who were buried in the Valley between 1570 and 1085 B.C. The second revolves around the travelers, scholars, and archeologists who explored these tombs to
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find out more about the past. This book is, for me, a great insight into the Valley of the Kings and how it is viewed from an archeological standpoint, as well as its history. I also liked reading about the scholars and archeologists who came to the Valley in the “early days” of the profession and what they did – even though some of their practices might horrify some present day professionals. The author’s passion for his chosen field comes through in the writing. While I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to someone who
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enjoys reading about Egypt, I feel that readers should be aware that – even though the U.S. version was published in 2003 – it is simply a reissue of the book Mr. Romer published in 1981 and does not reflect the excavations and findings that have come about between the first publication date and its reissue. Also, the spellings (which was noted in the Introduction) of some of the names reflect the spelling that was adopted by the person who discovered the tomb. At the time of the book’s original publication, there were unresolved issues in the chronology of the New Kingdom – which Mr. Romer also notes in the Introduction, mentioning that he has refrained from
discussing them. There are various sketches that denote room placement within the tombs, topographical maps that outline how the Valley was excavated, as well as photographs of different people (like Lord Carnarvon) involved in the excavations around the turn of the 20th century and other related material. What the book also has is a comprehensive bibliography of source material that a reader who wishes to know more about the cited material will find enjoyable. The second title of interest is The Egyptian Book of the Dead ((The Papyrus of Ani) Egyptian Text Transliteration and Translation); E.A. Wallis Budge
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The Egyptian Book of the Dead represents not only the rituals that are involved when preparing the dead, but details how the disembodied spirit should behave in the Land of the Gods as well. Select chapters were carved into 5th Dynasty pyramids, some of the text was in papyrus form, and even the Christian Era saw scenes from the book being painted on mummy cases. A complete scroll of these rituals and behaviors – known as the Papyrus of Ani (Royal Scribe, Overseer of the Granaries of the Lords of Abydos, Scribe of the Offerings of the Lords of Thebes) and written around 1500 B.C. – was acquired by Dr. Budge who was a purchasing agent for the British Museum (1888) at the time and would later
become known as one of the most renowned Egyptologists of the day.
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Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaahs by Zahi Hawass, Kenneth Garrett (photographer) This a coffee table type book and is National Geographic’s official companion book to the Exhibition of Tutankhamun’s treasures that travels around the globe. The book provides two things. One, is text written by Zahi Hawass – Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities – that provides insights into pharaonic history, includes vignettes into the people’s daily lives during Tutankhamun’s time, the gods and goddesses that were worshipped in
elaborate ceremonies, and the rituals surrounding royal deaths and burials. Hawass also provides an account of Howard Carter’s 1922 discovery of the tomb as well as archival photos. Which leads to the second point, which could also be said to be the center point of the book – beautiful photographs of different objects that date back to the reigns of Akhenaten,
Nefertiti and Tutankhamun. Some of the photographed objects include: sculpted life-sized statues, inlaid furniture, funerary urns and implements that were said to guarantee safe passage to the Afterlife. All three of these titles are interesting reads and I hope you find at least one that Intrigues you.
Teen Reads by MonicaBBB We have talked about many Young Adult book themes in this column to date. Carrying on into the last of the young adult book theme articles, this one is going to talk about fairy tales. I mentioned fairy tales in my article on fairies briefly, but I didn’t go into much detail. Fairy tale rewrites are becoming a very popular theme in young adult literature, so I am going to share some of the history of fairy tales and give you a few recommendations on some great ones to sink your
teeth into. While very few fairy tales actually contain fairies the tales bear that name due to the fact that they contain many fictional creatures such as goblins, witches, giants, trolls, gnomes, and the like; as real to many authors and readers as fairies might be. Some of the earliest fairy tales were intended for adults and children, but have evolved to focus mostly on children as the time passed. The tales themselves start with “Once upon a time� in order to make the tales fit for every continuous generation. There are quite a few authors
who are starting to get into this theme, although, it is somewhat difficult in today’s time to distinguish between fairy tale elements and legends. Legends have a basis in history where fairy tales are
just stories that are fictional. So, in a time when fairy tales were created, demons, witches, vampires, and werewolves were all real monsters of the time, therefore some legends are mixed up with fairy tales today because of the
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fictional nature of those creatures in the present time. There are some excellent authors who have put out some fairy tale rewrites. Shannon Hale has a whole series of teen reads covering the fairy tales ‘The Goose Girl’, ‘Maid Maleen’, and a very unique rewrite of ‘Rapunzel’ called Rapunzel’s Revenge. Another fairy tale read is Sister’s Red by Jackson Pearce, it is a very unique
look at the story ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. Fairy tales have always been a major part of children’s literature, it is good to see them making their way into young adult literature as well. I wonder how fairy tales will be updated next. MonicaBBB is a lover of books and more books! 73
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Young Adult
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Beautiful Creatures By Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl Grand Central / Hachette / Forever 5 / 5 Stars - Top Pick While surfing the Internet earlier last week I happened upon an article about Warner Brothers optioning the rights for a new book called Beautiful Creatures. Curious, I headed over to Amazon to download a sample for my Kindle. When I finished the first chapter there was no question if I was going to purchase the full version. I don’t want to rehash too many plot details, suffice to say that it’s a boy meets a not-sonormal girl. They fall in love and drama ensues. What sets this novel apart and above the run-of-the-mill entry in the genre is Garcia and Stohl’s treatment of characters and place. All the characters of this novel, from the main pro-
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tagonists Ethan and Lena, to those with more supporting roles, like the Sisters, were crafted with a deliberate care that gave them all a refreshing depth. For me though, the star of the show was Gatlin, the town in which the novel is set. The authors painted the fictional South Carolina town in incredibly bold and vivid brush strokes. While reading, I longed to be back there (I live in Ohio now). In my opinion there isn’t a better literary setting than the South when it is done well, and it is done very well in Beautiful Creatures. These factors really made Beautiful Creatures unputdownable (heard that term in a commercial so I had to use it) for me. My Kindle and I were inseparable for the 3 days or so that it took me to finish reading the book. I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre and readers in general. This was a great book. One of those
Young Adult books that grab you fast and hard from the start and doesn’t let go till the very end.
Reviewed by Meaghan Alexis
Confessions of a Teenage Psychic By Pamela Woods-Jackson The Wild Rose Press 4 / 5 Stars
Caryn Alderson has just moved from Texas with her mom and her business partner. She is worried about school and making new friends because she has an odd and unusual gift . . . she is psychic. When Caryn meets Megan they become fast friends. She also meets a boy named Quince who she likes a lot but he has a very mean and hateful girlfriend who dislikes Caryn. Later Caryn meets one of Megan’s friends, Annabeth who discovers Caryn’s secret. Annabeth keeps her secret but soon convinces Caryn to share
this ability with their friends. Trouble quickly starts brewing at their high school and Caryn’s friend Megan is in the thick of it. Factor in a talking dead uncle and the world finding out about her psychic ability, and Caryn’s life is not simple by any means. I really liked this book. It was very cool when she starts talking with her dead uncle Omar. Also, it had lots of twists and turns throughout the book, the plot never going where you expect. Once I started Confessions of A Teenage Psychic, I couldn’t stop reading till I finished the whole thing. I recommend this book to every teenager and especially if they happen to be a teenage psychic. If you like reading about high school life with a little fortune telling and ghost talking, this is the book for you. Reviewed by ReaderGirl
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Manga Insights Topic: ‘Josei’ Josei manga, as it stands in America, is a severely underrepresented category. Aimed at late teens to early adult women, josei doesn’t typically have the flash and cheerfulness of its shoujo counterpart. It instead focuses on a more realistic viewpoint that’s heavy on character development and relationships. Designed to appeal to the growing number of young women entering into marriage and the workplace, the category began in Japan in the late seventies. The stories often featured forbidden love affairs at the job and sexual fantasies of women in
by Lexile
their twenties and thirties. Much like the western romance publisher Harlequin (or Mills and Boon in the UK), josei earned a reputation as escapist reading for attention-starved women and bored housewives. Marginalized, josei remains the smallest category of manga in Japan and is barely recognized in America. Two highly-popular and well-recognized josei series in the West are Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya and Tramps Like Us by Yaoi Ogawa. Nodame tells the story of Megumi Noda, an extremely talented pianist who plays by ear, and Shinichi Chiaki, a musically talented perfectionist with many phobias. Tramps meanwhile tells the story of Sumire, a successful newspaper reporter with decid-
edly unfeminine qualities and the homeless man she takes in as her ‘pet’. Indicative of both series, as well as the genre itself, is the fact that characters evolve and grow as people because of their partners. Romance, while present in this type of story, is not the primary factor for characters’ personal growth. Typical josei titles of today are about family, jobs and personal growth. Because of the mature nature of the audience, josei can explore topics in greater depth or ones that are considered inappropriate for shoujo titles. Sex is common fodder for stories, but so is depression, anxiety, and difficulty with adjusting to life as an adult. It’s not unusual for a former shoujo creator to become a josei creator. Talent such as
Yumi Tamura (famous for her fantasy epic Basara), Chiho Saito (creator of Revolutionary Girl Utena), and Moto Hagio (considered the Grandmother of shoujo manga-ka) have all made the move, bringing their own unique interests to the table to expand the genre. Next month I’ll discuss josei’s male counterpart, seinen, an enormous category filled with sex, blood and violence. Lexile is...your friendly, neighborhood otaku. She’s been known to wander aimlessly through bookstores, correcting customer misconceptions about manga for years--much to the chagrin of her tolerant friends and ire of the bookstore employees. You can find her at her personal blog Poisoned Rationality if she’s not busy with the mundaneness that is real life.