Thursday, September 29, 2011

Silver Shark - Ilona Andrews

Winners: Thanks for all the great comments everyone! Here are the names of the random winners of a copy of Silver Shark

If there's an asterix by your name, that means we don't have a contact email for you, so please email naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom with your preferred format within the next 72 hours. Everyone else should be getting an email from us soon.

- *Kalyrra
- kittygopounce
- CYP@ a bookalicious story
- *Jill B
- BerndLSch
- Kalynn
- KristiD
- Christine
- Laura darkelvingirl
- Jacqueline C

__________________________

According to Ilona Andrews, Silver Shark is about "A millionaire boss on a planet in the distant future. [The heroine] is a secretary who can kill you with her brain."

How could I not want to read that?! Now that I have read this novella, I can tell you that it is awesome. It's science fiction romance, but trust me, even if you don't like sf romance, you'll enjoy this.

Here's the more official blurb, along with a link to an excerpt:
Claire Shannon is a Kinsman, a woman gifted with enhanced mental capabilities. Her skills and her life were taken over by the military to fight in war that has raged on her home planet for decades. But as the war ends, she is forced to hide her abilities in order to make a new life for herself as a civilian. It’s a new persona, a new planet and new job that has her crossing paths with the powerful and alluring Venturo Escana. Is she strong enough to hide her true nature from her perceptive new boss? And as they grow closer, will she even still want to try?
Claire was a heroine I rooted for, as she tried to find her way in a beautiful new world that seems insane to her, coming as she does from the relentless gray of a wartorn mining colony. And Venturo was both delicious and dangerous, the perfect millionaire boss hero.

Giveaway: Because I thought this novella was so fantastic, I'm going to give away ten copies. This is an ebook only novella, so if you win, you'll be sent an electronic file in the format you choose (as long as it's available). If you don't have an e-reader, do still enter - as this is a novella (35K), I think you'd be fine reading it on your computer.

To enter the random draw, just leave a comment on this post by 5pm Saturday 1, October 2011, New Zealand time, with your answer to this:

If space travel were possible for everyone, would you jump on board? If so, what would you hope to see in your travels?

Please note that only comments on the Silver Shark post on the main blog will count, so if you're reading this on a feed at Goodreads etc, swing by the main blog to comment. Also, make sure you leave us a way to contact you, or check the blog on Sunday to see if you've won.

By entering you give permission for your name to be posted on the blog should you win.

The winner(s) will be picked using random.org and their names announced on the blog the following Sunday. International entries welcome. One entry per household. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where prohibited.

Contest Now Closed.

96 comments :

Bron said...

Well, I hate air travel of any kind but if it was a 'beam me up Scotty' type of travel that would be okay. I'd like to meet a hunky hero like the guy from Farscape.

ClumsyPink said...

I think the first question would be 'whether I could afford space travel' haha, but YES I'll definitely jump on board. There's something beautifully hypnotizing about space... I'd love to see our beautiful planet Earth...and the Milky Way from afar :) See if there are hidden planets..and extraterrestrial beings...! and just day dream with my head in the stars ;)

Steph said...

If space travel was possible I would definitely jump on board! assuming I can afford it. I would want to visit other planets to see how different they are from our own.

Anonymous said...

Ooo space travel. That's every little Trekkie's dream, isn't it? I grew up with Star Trek and always wanted to know what it'd be like. Natural wonders in nebulae, that giant diamond they discovered last year. But what I hope to see is other forms of sentient life, and I hope to find kindness in them.

Kristi said...

It sounds awesome! I can't wait to read it! I love space stories, they are fun. kristidavis at gmail.com

PATRICIA said...

Space travel ;) I like the idea !!! Meet other races and see that we are not alone it would be amazing , the whole idea of thinking that theres more to know it's great

Amy said...

I actually don't think I'll go space traveling. I would be too scared and I am not fit enough for space travel. I suppose if I go, I would love to see the stars up close (as safety allows).

Rubita said...

If space travel was like in science fiction, I'd totally go space traveling. Right now, though, I'm determined to stay on earth. You have to have gravity and re-entry figured out before I'd be willing to visit any galaxies far, far away. As for what I want to see...well, aside from bizarre alien beings, I've always really wanted to see the earth from space.

Amy Kathryn said...

I would definitely space travel. I would hope to see the same things I hope to see when I travel now....people, places, thoughts, ideas, art, architecture that is so very different from my own and just as beautiful.

Jennifer T said...

I would love to travel to space but I also would be very scared. I want to see if their are any sexy aliens out there.

Kristi said...

Going with my dumb comment above (where I forgot to answer!), I would LOVE to space travel as long as it was very safe. I would want to see how beautiful all the planets looked and gaze out at the stars

dameolga said...

If I got the chance to go space traveling, how could I pass that up! Leaving Earth would be hard, but no way I'm missing out on the chance to see planets and stars from outer space.

harpergirl said...

If I got the chance for space travel, I would probably want to have a thorough understanding of how the space travel works before I signed up to go, so that I might have a chance at being useful in case something were to go wrong, so long as I also got to come back home. I'm not so interested in being a space pioneer, settling new planets. Wait til there's theater, then call me. :-)

bberie said...

Well, I read a story once where the amount of space allocated to each passenger required the body to be separated and put back together at the end of the journey. Perhaps the Alien/Ripley method of cryogenic suspension would work best. Either way I would love to see Saturn and it's rings and moons.

Jen said...

Would love to travel to space provided its very very safe. See what outer space is like and maybe meet a hunky alien or two. Lol!

shortyal2008 said...

I would love to travel to space! I would want to see me a hottie alien man!! lol! But I think seeing anything in space would be neat. I would definitely go if I could.

Kelly Mucalo said...

Yes, another trekkie here, so space travel would be FAB!!! I would love to be able to look back at how beautiful earth is....before zooming away to discover other exciting planets....ooohh, would love it in a Eve Dallas kind of universe, how fun would that be, especially if there was a Rourke!

Emily C said...

I love to travel period, so I think space travel would fall under the "traveling" category :) I always loved astrology and if it wouldn't take 50 years to get halfway there, I'd be up for it!

Kalyrra said...

I would jump on board in a heartbeat, and would love to see "EVERYTHING" there is to see among the stars :)

Anonymous said...

Space travel? sign me up!! I'd love to see the view of Earth from the moon and the many sunsets

hannahsohail(at)gmail(dot)com

alainala said...

i would probably go on up.. if only once to see what it was like.. i would love to see earth from space!!

alainala @ hotmail . ca

Kalynn said...

I like the idea of space travel, but I'm not sure about the reality. Imagining the possibilities is fun, but I even hate flying on airplanes :)

Anonymous said...

Space travel? Why not, especially if it was on some big-ass spaceship like a cruise liner. Seeing some of those planets I learnt about years ago at school would be pretty cool - if they could somehow figure out how to keep the trip to a maximum of two weeks...wouldn't want to be away from terra-firma for much longer than that. :0)
Tracey
talvrez(at)hotmail(dot)com

Diane said...

I haven't even been outside of my own home, Canada. I think I'll try to tour this world before going to the other worlds!

Anonymous said...

I would love to go into space and see the stars and planets up close, but I'm not sure my stomach could actually handle space travel. ;)

ev_eng(at)yahoo(dot)com

Jyothsna said...

Yes!Yes!Yes! I would want to see all those moons on Jupiter..:) What a sight that would be!

jforjyo(at)gmail(dot)com

Sarah L. Appleyard said...

Yes, yes and yes! Space travel, although bringing up a terrible image of me homesick, would be AWESOME. If I could go out into the great unknown I would probably want to find some new planet with a really hunky guy and a lovely beach where I could sit and write about this new world and all its interesting beings, landscapes and cultures!

sarah.l.appleyard@gmail.com

Ginny said...

YES! Like someone else said, it is every Trekkie's dream! And I'd want to see it all...

Anonymous said...

I would totally jump aboard a space flight! Count on me to have dramamine and tequilla in my bag in case its a bumpy flight! I want a window seat so I don't miss the view of earth or that poor poor "always a bridesmaid never a planet" Pluto as we fly by on our way to see other real planets!

Cathy
bluegiraff33@yahoo.com

Amanda said...

If space travel was an option I would love to travel. I think I would want to see other cultures (best part about traveling on planet too), to meet different people, see all the different architecture, try some yummy foods (and maybe just some unusual ones), and especially the different languages. I wouldn't necessarily have to be aliens, just human colonies would end up being unique.

~Amanda
ryn.barker@gmail.com

lia said...

Silver Shark is awesome! I read it when it came out last week (aka don't enter me in the giveaway, I already have it!). The prequel, Silent Blade, is really good too.

pddp said...

Hmm...probably not, I'll be too paranoid about not being able to get back.

Kazza said...

I would definitely take the chance to space travel. I'd go to every planet I could to experience the landscape and the culture. Touristy stuff, most likely.

kazzagal@gmail.com

elizabeth said...

I would love to be a space traveler. I would hope to see new worlds and meet all the creatures that were traveling the universe. Hopefully they would be friendly.

Elizabeth Gray
elizabethgr@sbcglobal.net

Melissa said...

Yes, of course I would jump on board for space travel. I want to see the planets and other space phenomena fly by up close. Is it really like the planetarium exhibit when I was in the eighth grade on a field trip? ;)

jeanette8042 said...

I would definitely jump on board for space travel and I would want to see all the planets and stars.

lilazncutie1215[at]yahoo[dot]com

Mandy said...

Yes!! Space travel would be awesome. I would want to see where a black hole went to. Mandy
Mandyinta@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I would totally love to travel through space! I would love to see all the planets up close and personal for sure. I would particularly love to see both Jupiter and Pluto as I have been fascinated with both planets since I was a child!

-Shannon

supercupe80@yahoo.com

Liz C said...

I'm not sure that I would, I might go once (as long as I could be sure to come back down)just to have a look at earth from space or even a close up of the moon, but honestly I love where I live, I don't really feel the need to visit other planets to see what they've got

Sammy said...

As the all knowing Captain Jean-Luc Picard says 'Things are only impossible until they're not".
So yes please! sign me up for adventures into galaxies far, far away. Who knows, might be lucky enough to hitch a ride on the Serenity.
sammsjp[at]gmail[dot]com

Wrayth Lethe said...

Yesh!!! that would be awesome. I would love to see new planets, fly through star nebulas, experience a space storm, ...well only if my ship is very well protected! ;)

Awesome cartoon films I loved were: Treasure Planet and A.E. Another Earth! And Star Wars. Beautiful places! :P

Jennifer K. said...

Oh, yeah, I'd jump on board for space travel. I loved the various Star Trek series. I'd like to encounter new planets and explore them -- hopefully without any angry/hostile inhabitants trying to stop me.

Reach me at kiziah7@aol.com

Christine said...

If space travel were possible for everyone, would you jump on board? If so, what would you hope to see in your travels? If it was safe, I'd go out and just explore and explore and explore. I'd want to go further into the Milky Way and see what planets were like in there as the galaxy is big and we are in the outer section. I'm sure there's other species in this galaxy. kokopoko at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

I would love to jump on board and see the stars from closer-up! (And my contact info is here.)

Cherry said...

I'm assuming all the kinks and safety regulations have been worked out by then and my ship won't explode when I get on, so...Definitely. Then I could actually visit the Andromeda and see where Nik and Aya are from.

tatsuri at gmail dot com

Jennifer said...

I would like to think that I would travel in space if it was possible. I would love to see the moon and if textures and colors are different in space. I love trying new things.

Contact info: romanoskijs at earthlink dot net

Unknown said...

As much as I would love to say "Hellz yeah!" and jump right in, I think I would be too much of a wuss to really do so. Maybe when I'm a big girl and develop some semblance of guts then I'll say yes. For now, I'll read Silver Shark and then shake my fists at Andrews' mad writing skillzzzzzz.

Annie @ UTC
alltherhage AT gmail DOT com

CYP @ A Bookalicious Story said...

Lol, that would be like the coolest vacation anyone can ever take. If I do go to space, I'd like to see our Milky Way from afar, and see the Sun and the positions of the planets and their moons around them. And when I turn around to the opposite window, I'll be able to see all the other billions of galaxies like stars from my vantage point.

CYP
cypsays_hi@hotmail.com

Jena said...

I would want to meet another species/culture so I definitely would go if offered the opportunity. I also can't wait to get this book, be it by this contest or buying it. I love Ilona Andrews' books!

Anonymous said...

I am a space travel (chicken) virgin . . .. and I would die a space travel (chicken) virgin . . .

Too many fabulous unexplored places on Earth for me yet - let alone being beamed all over the universe ☺

Justine said...

I would definitely hop on! But I don't think I'd want to go any farther out than the gas giants, I want to see the rings of Saturn and maybe walk on the moon., that's about it :)

Kristal said...

The very question made me feel panicky - so apparently no! But I do love to read about it.

kristal_shepherd(at)hotmail(dot)com

Erin said...

I'm not so good with heights or flying, but if it were possible, I'd love to see all of the planets up close. That would be fascinating.

selene784@yahoo.com

ST said...

Ilona has the excerpt on her blog sometime back. It is awesome!

Robi said...

I like to travel, why not in space?. I'd like to see a black hole closely, as much without danger of course.

rpadoan.padoan(at)gmail(dot)it

Derek said...

I would definitely go into space. I would love to go hiking on Mars, have lunch orbiting Jupiter, and hope to find a ring-world in one of the galaxies... :D

Matsie said...

Hells yeah! I would definitely jump on board:D Who wouldn't want to other planets and life forms as well the diffrent cultures and their technology.

felinewyvern said...

I've always loved SciFi Romance and this one sounds really good. Please add my name to that hat as I really, really want to read it and not have to wait until the funds stretch that far :D

Cherry said...

I would definitely jump on board... want to experience for myself new worlds... I would probably go to an earth-like planet and see how they are doing :)

Cherry Mischievous
cherrymischif-darkward [at] yahoo [dot] com

Audrey Atherton said...

If space travel were available to all, I would go to Wareworld. It's a world I've been dreaming about for years, so much it's now part of who I am (and I feel compelled to write about it)

Audrey

audrey.atherton [at] epfl [dot] ch

Ginny said...

Yeah, I think I would try it, but only with an experienced crew :) I wouldn't want to get lost all by myself xD

gwynna.hill@web.de

Blodeuedd said...

Yes I would go, and I would hope to see aliens and freaky planets

blodeuedd1 at gmail dot com

Amber said...

If space travel was available I would sign up first thing and go exploring and looking for hunky alien men for an interplanetary romance ^^

Ooh, definitely read too many scifi novels because I can just picture myself soaring through space now.. please luck work for me! Really want to read this marvelous sounding novella :D

Zenobia said...

To go traveling in space, I'd have to know I'd be able to return. I know that sounds silly, but I don't think I could leave this planet forever.

I'd love to see another ecosystem--from a safe distance. I watch too many science-fiction horror movies.

donnas said...

I think I would. Even if it was to just look out the window at the stars and planets.

Erika said...

I'd do it, just for the photo opportunities.

Gabbie said...

I don't think I would do it. I am way too much of a chicken and having all that open space around me would really freak me out.

Gabbie-ethela AT hotmail DOT com

Rotna Begum said...

I would definitely jump on board a space ship. I wanna board a ship that is capable of going really close to the sun, has shields that won't damage your eyes and is made out of some sort of metal so the heat of the sun won't kill you. I just wanna see the sun up close. I've always been fascinated of space.

asiya_1989 [at] hotmail [dot] com

Anonymous said...

I enjoy travelling and seeing landscapes in different areas (even just within my home country there is so much variation), so the opportunity to travel in space would be amazing. I'd hope to see more inhabitable planets for us to have opportunities to take better care of than we have here, and hopefully without invading any other existing intelligent species' domains. If we were to find other intelligent life, then I would hope it would be a peaceful meeting and co-existence! :D

kittygopounce at livejournal.com

Laura_darkelvengirl said...

Oooh yeah I gotta see the way the worlds look above. I mean who wouldn't want to see all the planets ant once? Maybe find some awesome alien people too. ;)


bookluver1997 AT hotmail DOT com

Diane P said...

At this point in my life I have too much of my own planet to see. If I was 20 years younger it might be an interesting challenge. I love coming back to my home.

Jill B said...

I would definitely jump on board for space travel. And as for what I would hope to see--the unexpected. Shouldn't that be what space exploration is about?

Anonymous said...

I would go. I want to know if the Little Prince ever made it back to his Flower, and where they would live if the baobob overgrew.

Anonymous said...

Definitely, but only if its a Firefly class ship. ::le sigh:: I miss that show.

You can contact me through LJ. bklyangel.livejournal.com

Michelle Bledsoe said...

Yeah, a new Ilona Andrews story. I would go,but only with the cast of Firefly or Stargate SG1 & Atlantis....LOL

koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

Jacqueline C. said...

It would really depend on the mode and length of travel. If it was a fairly quick, easy, and safe process, however, I would. I wouldn't want to serve as a guinea pig for the first public flight, though.

Firefly said...

I don't know if I would travel in space. I think I'm too attached to our planet :-). But, never say never.
contact at ladygodgifu1057@hotmail.com

Ana Rodriguez said...

Thanks so much for the giveaway Nalini! I've been meaning to check this out, since I love everything else by Ilona. I would definitely jump on board on the space travel. I've always dreamed about it since I was little, don't we all at some point? =)

Sajida said...

Ooh exciting!!!! If space traveling was possible possible i would so jump on board....when i was studying physics for O'levels i had this question regarding what would happen if i throw a bucket of water in to space (i know, strange it should be a bucket...i have odd thoughts..moving on :) ) so i googled it and the answers was a sublimation process occurs and the water turns to gas or mist or something along those lines....now if i could go in to space, the first thing i wanna do it test this theory...and then we can go on to other beings and cute milky ways and other galaxies...oh and then i read this article about a diamond planet...ok i will stop now...ahem

Summer said...

I would stay at home -- just that kind of girl. xpfcgrrl ---- @ ---- hotmail.com

Kassy Whetten said...

Are you kidding?! I would totally want to be driving the ship! :) I think discovering something new would be such an adventure!
kassya7@yahoo.com

buttrflysky said...

I would really want to see our planet Earth from space. Plus, I would like to know how it feels to be weightless...though, really prefer Gene Roddenberry's version of space travel over Ridley Scott's.

Anneela said...

I would just jump at the opportunity to space travel to see all the different worlds out there even meet any life forms (once they're peaceful!)

miki said...

i would love to space travel and discover other civilisation and learn from them

isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com

( i hope not having done any double post because there was some trouble for posting)

thanks for the international giveaway

pam said...

Love giveaways! Great intros to new series!

krissa said...

I would probably be much too scared to actually do it, but i would love to hear stories about it or see video from other worlds. It would be very exciting to know what's out there. Just imagine the landscapes... and people :)

krissapl@yahoo.com

Azra said...

I would hope to see distant galaxies shimmering right before my eyes. Stars close enough to wrap my hands around and present to my lover. Little hands on little people waving across the cosmos.

Ranjini said...

It would be a lovely adventure. Went to a planetarium recently, and it was amazing. I'm imagining actually flying through all those stars.

Please sign me up.
ranjini.tv@gmail.com

JamieRebecca said...

i gotta be honest. i don't think i'd be on board for space adventures. i was watching this popular video showing the earth rotating from space.. its like vast dark emptiness outside of earth. that emptiness terries me! i'd be beyond terror if someone wanted me to go into the infinity that is space... unless you've discovered a planet of insanely hot alpha men... then i'd reconsider...maybe.

BeeGee35@aol.com

Roxy said...

I would definitely jump on board if space travel was available. I'd love to see Saturn (mainly cos I want to see the rings!)Also, an asteroid, space junk, aliens. Definitely aliens! As long as they're friendly ;D

rox_anime@hotmail.com

Anonymous said...

I would love to do a space flight if I could afford it. I would love to see how different things are out there.

BerndLSch/at/aol/dot/com

cam said...

I'd totally go if space travel was available to everyone. I'd definitely want to see those wacky moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn!

cmndrs (at) yahoo.com

Nicole said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nicole said...

I would love to see Saturn :)
Forgot my email! GlydeNicole@Gmail.com

Anonymous said...

of course, who wouldn't
a chance to see what is truly out there: to see/ explore planets, new life forms, different cultures, ect..

natashafreeland (at) cox.net

Jenny Schwartzberg said...

I'd love to experience space travel. Perhaps if I live to be very old, I'll get to travel to the moon...