Dancing & Linkage

Guess who's still dancing? Me, me, me!! :-) Thanks for celebrating with me!

Couple of links I saw today:

Meljean Brook is giving away signed copies of Demon Angel and Demon Night. Mmm, Ethan...

Jaci Burton is giving away all sorts of stuff on her blog to promote the release of Riding on Instinct!

And as it currently stands, Illium is edging out Dmitri in the poll on the sidebar. Is it those blue wings?

Sunday Linkage

In case you haven't seen this yet, Harlequin is offering free downloads of 16 books as part of it's 60th anniversary celebrations. They've got a whole range of books from Desire, to Suspense, to Steeple Hill, so make sure to check it out.

Ilona Andrews is running a contest to give away an ARC of Magic Strikes (which I might possibly already have *evil grin*) - all you have to do is spread the word that the writing team of Ilona Andrews (Ilona and Gordon), will be at Opusfest, March 13th to 15th. Click on the link for more info.

Meljean Brook is giving away a copy of Carolyn Jewel's Scandal. You have till Sunday night to enter.

p.s. If anyone asks, I was not on the interwebs today.

Demon Bound - Meljean Brook

Demon Bound is part of Meljean Brook’s Guardians series. Follow this link to read all about what makes Meljean's world unique.

The series is defined by brilliant characterizations and intricate world-building. But don’t let the latter scare you – I find Meljean’s writing style wonderfully easy to read. If you want to check things out for yourself, the author has a ton of excerpts on her website.

Demon Bound is the story of Jake, one of the new and inexperienced Guardians, and Alice, an older (and rather creepy) Guardian. Alice keeps pet spiders. Yes, big, black, crawly spiders.

I’m going to be honest. When I realized Jake was the hero of DB, I was skeptical. Sure, he was cute in the other books, but a hero?*

Well, that’ll teach me to doubt Meljean. This book is wonderful! Not only is Jake a great hero, Alice is a brilliant heroine, spiders and all. I think what I love most about Meljean’s books is that her characters are all very unique individuals—and they remain true to who they are even as they grow and change through the books.

As well as the love story, there are some major developments in the overarching backstory—I’m hoping Meljean writes the next book really fast, ‘cause I want to read it right now!

Needless to say, Demon Bound is totally recommended!

If you haven't tried the series yet, I've got something to tempt you - leave a comment on this post about anything your heart desires, and I'll throw you into the draw for a signed copy of Demon Night, the previous book in the series...Drifter, mmm...

Plus, because it's November, I'll pick two more winners, one of whom will get Jessica Anderson's Night Keepers, while the other winner will get Robin D Owens' Heart Dance - both signed :-)

Comment away! Contest closes Sunday Nov 9th, 2008, midnight New Zealand time. I'll announce the winners next week.

*I wrote this up when I first read Demon Bound, but this morning, I saw this "What the hell was I thinking?" post by Meljean. *g*

Demon Night - Meljean Brook

I was lucky enough to get a chance to read an advanced copy of Demon Night (out Feb 5) and boy was it good. Meljean is now officially one of my favorite authors. And this book's hero? He's wuuuuuuunderful!

Seriously, you'll love Ethan McCabe a.k.a. Drifter. If you don't believe me, go read this excerpt where you get to Meet Drifter. Now tell me you don't want an Ethan of your own. The way he talks...I just went weak at the knees. And the love scenes - wow, just wow.

You're probably wondering what this book is about (aside from Ethan), so I'll tell you that it's part of Meljean Brook's fantastic Guardians series. Since I've read all three books, it's hard for me to judge if you can read it as a stand alone, but I definitely think you'll enjoy Demon Night a lot more if you read Demon Angel & Demon Moon first, because characters reappear, and there is an overarching plot.

If you want to read the backcover blurb & the opening chapter, follow this link to Meljean's website. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. Write like the wind, Meljean!

Demon Moon - Meljean Brook

I enjoyed Meljean Brook's Demon Angel very much, so when she offered to send me the ARC of Demon Moon, I was all over it. I devoured it soon after receiving it and immediately demanded she send me the third book as soon as it was done! I didn't think it was possible but for me, Demon Moon was ever better than Demon Angel.

And what makes that even more amazing is that I wasn't sure if I would like Demon Moon at all. While I thought Colin was an amusing, intriguing character in Demon Angel, I wasn't sure Meljean could pull him off as a hero. Because seriously, how vain is he?!

But pull it off she did. Colin is a wonderful hero - and he's the same man we saw in Demon Angel. He didn't get a magical personality transplant, thank goodness. No, what happened was even better - in Demon Angel, we saw Colin as the world sees him. In Demon Moon, we get to go inside his head and discover the real man. I'm a total Colin fan now.

Equally, his heroine, Savi, is also unusual in the best sense of the word. When was the last time you read about a part-Indian computer hacker who handles the idea of an arranged marriage as easily as she does vampires and nosferatu?

Hmm, what else can I say without being spoilerish? Oh yeah - the ending. I sent Meljean an email at one in the morning after I finished Demon Moon accusing her of making me cry. Talk about intensity. I was convinced there was no way she could bring about a happy ending for Colin and Savi. It just seemed impossible. Well...without giving anything away, let me say the plot twists were amazing and you won't be sorry you picked this up. :)

Demon Angel - Meljean Brook

I am very sleepy right now. It's all Meljean Brook's fault. Her Demon Angel kept me up way past my bedtime.

For two thousand years, Lilith wrought vengeance upon the evil and the damned, gathering souls for her father's armies Below and proving her fealty to her Underworld liege. Bound by a bargain with the devil and forbidden to feel pleasure, she draws upon her dark powers and serpentine grace to lead men into temptation. That is, until she faces her greatest temptation—Heaven's own Sir Hugh Castleford...

Once a knight and now a Guardian, Hugh spent centuries battling demons—and the cursed, blood-drinking nosferatu. His purpose has always been to thwart the demon Lilith, even as he battles his treacherous hunger for her. But when a deadly alliance unleashes a threat to both humans and Guardians in modern-day San Francisco, angel and demon must fight together against unholy evil—and against a desire that has been too long denied...

Who will be the first to succumb?

I was hooked by Hugh's and Lilith's characters in the anthology where they first made their appearance. That novella was about another couple but from the first glimpse of these two, I just wanted to know their story.

I am absolutely delighted to report that Demon Angel lived up to my extremely high expectations. Hugh is not only sexy, he's got the whole quiet-yet-capable thing going on. Sigh. Then there's Lilith - she could've been unlikeable but she's not. She's a witty, funny and a perfect foil for Hugh.

The relationship between the two of them was beautifully developed, all 800 years of it! I really liked the buildup through time, as they met each other again and again. And when they do finally come together, it's absolutely right. I don't think either of these characters would fit with anyone else.

The author's voice just works for me - smooth, lyrical, easy to read. And I can't not mention the world-building, it's so vividly done. My favorite secondary character? Sir Pup, the hellhound. Hand's down. I vote he should get his own book.

I also love the cover for Demon Angel - it looks almost like a painting, don't you think? Next up is Demon Moon and I tell you, I'm chomping at the bit for that vain vampire Colin's story!