Friday Book Club

Time to talk books! What are you reading and loving this week?

I just read and really enjoyed In Sheep's Clothing by Meljean Brook, a 30 page short you can download for free from her website.

Your turn!

Good News & More

Archangel's Shadows is now out worldwide! I hope you all enjoy the book!! 

I woke up today to the news that Archangel's Shadows hit both the New York Times & USA Today Bestseller lists. A great big thank you to all of you - I'm so happy that you continue to be excited by the series and the Guild Hunter world. :-)

~ 

Thank you to everyone who attended Auckland event last night. It was fantastic!

I spoke to questions from the audience, and the discussion ranged from how I keep track of series details, to plotting, to questions about the next generation of characters & how much I don't like skipping time unless it's very necessary (it'll be more likely to happen in the GH series than the Psy one).

A special shout-out for the Remuera Library staff who hosted me - you were incredible!

I gave away a goody bag that included several of my favorite books and authors. Here they are if you're looking for reading recommendations (I'll be doing a lot of book giveaways over the holidays this year, so keep an eye out).

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (I love the entire Iron Seas Series. If you don't want to dive into a full-length book, Meljean's novella Here There be Monsters is an amazing intro into the world. If you already have the Burning Up anthology, you'll have this novella, so don't accidentally buy it twice!)

Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens (My favorite in this historical series is A Secret Love, but the entire Cynster series is fantastic).

A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev (My favorite book this year! I've been raving about it everywhere - I'm not sure I posted on the blog though. It's an amazing romance full of emotion and heart and it left me with a goofy smile on my face at the end. You don't have to take my word for it though: here's the link to an excerpt, and here's the link to the Amazon review page for the book).

Festive in Death by JD Robb (I think the In Death series is the longest running series I've kept up with. It's just amazing. That's all I gotta say. Naked in Death is book one).

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"One of the best rock band stories I have read in a long time – in that it doesn’t hide the hard things and still finds a way to bring that awesome ending that romance readers long for."

- Jo at Joyfully Reviewed has an in-depth review up for Rock Addiction.

"Both main characters are well drawn and human. They could be people we already know so we want them to fall in love and be rescued … only they don’t need it.

They both have deep and abiding friendships, which prove they are capable of long-term relationships and love; they just don’t see it as it is revealed to the reader. We fall in love with them both as each page turns." 

- From ARRA's feature book review of Rock Addiction

The Kraken King - Meljean Brook

A book rec for you today!

You all know I love Meljean Brook's work. She's also a friend, but we first became friends because of how much I love her work, so if this recommendation is biased, it's only because I'm a fan. :-)

Much as I adored Meljean's Guardians series (which by the way is now complete), I think her Iron Seas adventures are becoming my favorites of her books.

The Kraken King is the newest book in her Iron Seas world.

The interesting thing is, this book is being released in serial form, with a new episode releasing each week (each of the episodes is around approx 80 pages I think). But don't panic if you hate serials - the entire book will be released in one go once all the parts are complete. So you have a choice to read it in installments or wait for the full book.

I'm not usually a serial format reader (too impatient!), but I decided to try this because (1) Meljean! (2) I don't have too much reading time at the moment, so these bite sized pieces are perfect, and (3) The heroine of the book, Zenobia, writes serial adventures herself, so this seemed the perfect way to read her story.

I finished Part I last night and I loved it!! The chemistry between Zenobia and Ariq is intense and raw and just delicious. The world Meljean describes, with her Krakentown created of the hollowed out metal shells of sea monsters, her airships and more, is so well realized and so unique.

Here's the link to the excerpt for Part I on Meljean's site. Do check it out even if you think this isn't your type of read. You might be happily surprised!

I can't wait to read Part II, which I've also downloaded. Now, of course, I have to resist the urge to e-mail Meljean and say, Give me the rest now or else I'll loose the kraken on you!

Are any of you following this story? What do you think so far? If you are a Meljean fan, which of her books would you recommend to newer readers?

Night Shift Anthology - November 25th

News about the Psy-Changeling novella I mentioned a while back! Bastien's story will be in the NIGHT SHIFT anthology later this year. Bastien is Mercy's oldest brother, first seen in BRANDED BY FIRE. Check out the amazing lineup! 

No cover yet, but it should be coming soon. :-)

Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance plunge readers into the dangerous, captivating world unearthed beyond the dark...

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smoldering story with Secrets at Midnight, as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella, Magic Steals, when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.

From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms.

Amazon paperback pre-order already up (Thanks Shayera for the heads up). And it's also now available for pre-order on Kindle and Itunes.

Ebook & more paperback pre-order links to come as they go live.

Reading & Writing

I'm working on the first draft of Psy-Changeling #13 (Vasic's story), and he's making me a little crazy. So difficult to get him to talk!

In other news, I opened up Whisper of Sin to check something tonight and ended up reading the whole novella. I adore Emmett and Ria. This particular exchange between Emmett and a young Dorian (the story is set a few years back) made me grin.

"Sooooo...what happens if I flirt with Ria?"
"I use your ribs to make a wind chime."
"That's what I thought."

If you haven't read this novella, it'll be available on its own in electronic format in March next year. It's currently available as part of the Burning Up anthology, which is completely awesome and includes one of my all time favorite novellas by Meljean Brook - "Here There Be Monsters".

It's now after midnight and I feel like a little more reading - hmm, what to choose (not that I don't have a towering tbr pile!)

What are you up to?

Book Recommendations

While I was on book tour, I was asked to post more about what I'm reading and would recommend, so here I go!

First, a link to the Dear Author's (international) giveaway of Meljean Brook's Guardians backlist. The seventh and final book in the series, Guardian Demon is out in August, so if you're looking for a series that is complete, this is a fantastic one!

Meljean even as a "Story So Far" primer if you want to dive straight into the awesome final book,  but I'd recommend reading the whole series - why miss out?! My favorite in the series is probably Demon Moon, but I've loved the entire series. (If you click on Meljean's name in the tags at the bottom of this post, you can see my posts about her series over the years).

The second recommendation is for Jessica Clare's Beauty and the Billionaire. I had to get this as soon as I heard the words "virgin billionaire hero". *grin* There's also a beauty and the beast theme, with the hero having scars that have caused him to withdraw from life, but our beauty is a pajama wearing ghost writer who isn't afraid to go after the man she wants.

It's a fun, sexy story that I inhaled in one sitting and one that left me with a smile on my face. And, it's only $2.99, which is a steal.

Hope you enjoy these books if you decide to try them! And if you've already read them, please share your thoughts. :-)

Archangel's Storm, Chat Info, Riveted, & Heroes

Amazon, B&N, BookDepo, B-A-M
Chapters, IndBnd, Powells

B-On-B, Diesel, Ibook, Kindle
Kobo, Nook, Penguin, Sony

Not long to go until Archangel's Storm is out. Sometimes people ask me if I still get excited with each new release. Answer - YES!! Each book is different, and so each is a whole new experience. I can't wait for Jason to fly into your hands.

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I'll be doing a chat on  Mo's Book Buzz Wed 5th September from 9-10PM EST.

Go to: http://www.romrevtoday.com/ and then you'll see the RRT Chat link up top.

If you're in New Zealand, that's Thursday 1pm.

If you're in another time zone, you can use the World Clock Meeting Planner to convert 9pm EST, Wed 5th to your timezone. (I'm afraid the chat's going to very late night/early morning for those of you in Europe.)

___________

There are lots of great books coming out alongside Archangel's Storm on September 4th, including my bud Meljean's Brooks', Riveted, part of her amazing Iron Seas series.

If you haven't tried this series out, check it out! It's one of my favorites.

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I also have a request to pass on to all of you from fabulous historical author Anne Gracie. She's going to be doing a talk on heroes, and she'd like you to nominate your favorite "enter the hero" scenes from the Psy/Changeling series - ie. any scene where the hero makes his entrance.

Last but not least, I hope you all have an awesome start to the week!

Wild & Steamy Anthology

I was originally interested in this ebook anthology for Meljean Brook's The Blushing Bounder, as it's set in her Iron Seas world (which I love with a mad passion). However, I really enjoyed all three stories.

The reason I'm posting about this today is because the anthology is currently free at most retailers, so check it out! As far as I know, there are no geographical restrictions.

If you don't have a e-reader, the anthology is short enough that I think you'd have no trouble reading it on your computer, or printing it out to read.

Wild & Steamy

 

The Blushing Bound by Meljean Brook - While the search for a killer puts Constable Newberry’s life in danger, he faces a danger of another kind: to his heart, by the woman forced to marry him. What will it take for this prudish bounder to convince his wife to stay?

Vixen by Jill Myles – Miko’s denied her were-fox nature for far too long and turned her back on her vixen heritage. But when she meets two very sexy cat-shifters, she has to decide if she truly wants to give up on her frisky side, or embrace it. Because the were-fox in her doesn’t want to choose between both men…it wants them both.

Kitten-tiger & the Monk by Carolyn Crane – A Disillusionists novella: Sophia Sidway, Midcity’s most dangerous memory revisionist, seeks out the mysterious Monk in the wasteland beneath the Tangle turnpike, hoping for redemption…but it turns out that the Monk is not all that pious, and the turnpike is no turnpike at all.

Kindle | Nook | Smashwords | All Romance Ebooks

Wednesday :-)

First up, the September newsletter has gone out. If you didn't receive it and would like to, email my assistant (naliniDOTassistantATgmailDOTcom) and she'll shoot it to you. You can also let her know if you'd like to be added to the mailing list for future newsletters - or you can subscribe yourself at this link. _______________ 

Executive Editor Anne Sowards from Ace/ROC is doing a big giveaway on Dear Author, including early copies of Angels of Darkness. There's still time to enter!

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I taped an interview with Morgan Doremus of RT Book Reviews while I was at RWA, and that interview is now live.
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Also, my bud Meljean also has a release this week. I haven't had a chance to read Demon Marked yet (and I even got an ARC!!), but I'm really looking forward to inhaling it soon.

This book is part of her Guardians series. It's book seven in the series, so if you haven't tried it yet, start with either books one or two. Or if you really want to dive in with Demon Marked, Meljean has a primer for the series on her website.

Click on the Meljean Brook tag at the bottom of this post if you want to read my posts about the previous books in the series (including my mad, mad love for Drifter from Demon Night).  

After I finish Demon Marked, I plan to resume hounding Meljean for Michael's book. (Shh, don't tell her).

And I think that's all for this update. Have an awesome day/night everyone!

Cover Love: Angels of Darkness

Love, love, LOVE!!!


This anthology will be out in October. My novella features Noel, the vampire who was seriously injured in Archangel's Kiss.

Update! The artist is John Blumen. See more of his beautiful work here!

Meljean Brook - Demon Night

Contest closed.

Winner: The random winner of the signed copy of Demon Night by Meljean Brook is Miss Delirious. Congratulations! An email is on the way to you.

I loved this book and I have a wild crush on the hero, Ethan. Wild, I tell you!

And since I totally stalk Meljean at conferences, I have a signed copy to give away.

Explore the seductive corners of the dark, as a forbidden attraction tempts danger under the canopy of the…DEMON NIGHT

Charlie Newcomb worked hard to get her life back together. But all that is shaken when she’s set upon by three vampires desperate to transform her beauty into something evil. Because Charlie is the vital link to something they want—and need. It’s Charlie’s flesh and blood sister, a medical scientist whose knowledge could be invaluable to the predators.

But to get to her, they must first get to Charlie, now under the intimate protection of Ethan McCabe. As her Guardian, Ethan is attracted to her vulnerabilities—as well as her strengths. The closer he gets, the more protecting her becomes not just his duty, but his desire. But will it be enough to save Charlie when the demon night falls?

Here's the link to Meljean's site, where you can read all about her awesome books.

The complete rules for this giveaway are here, but to enter just leave a comment on this post. How about sharing some of your favorite fictional heroes?

(NB: If you're reading this on the Goodreads feed, follow this link to leave your comment/entry on the original post on the main blog).

Friday Book Club

I mentioned The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook over on Oddshots but I want to post about it here as well - because I adored this book!

It's the first full-length book in Meljean's new Iron Seas series. There was also a fantastic novella "Here There Be Monsters" in the Burning Up anthology. (Both stand alone, so you can read them in any order.)

The Iron Duke is one of my favorite reads for this year. I picked it up and literally couldn't put it down. It's set in a wonderfully realized world and has an amazing overarching plot, but Rhys and Mina's love story is the center of the book. Both beautifully drawn characters, these two have the most sizzling chemistry.

Quite simply, I loved, loved, loved it!

If you want to read some detailed reviews, Meljean has links to several over on her blog.

Now your turn! What've you been reading and loving lately?

Friday Book Club

Time to talk books!

Recently, I read ARCs of Julie James' A Lot Like Love and Meljean Brook's The Iron Duke. Both are fantabulous books that I loved to pieces, so keep an eye out for them! More closer to their release dates.

Talking of ARCs, you might want to make a note to drop by the blog next week. Just sayin'... :D

Okay, your turn, what've you been reading and loving this week?

Link: Meljean Brook - Demon Blood Giveaway

You all know how much I love Meljean's work - Demon Blood (out July) is no exception. It's rich and dark and lushly emotional. A beautiful read.

If you haven't tried this series, you definitely should. Meljean's giving you a chance to do just that by giving away 20 copies of Demon Blood over at Oddshots, so swing by and enter.

Plus, for those of you who've been following the series, she's just announced that she's been contracted for two more books - including Michael's! I can't wait to read it!

Friday Book Club

Book club time!

Currently, I'm reading Demon Blood by Meljean Brook (out in July). I think Meljean's writing gets more beautiful with every book. The emotional intensity of the relationship between Rosalia and Deacon is so incredibly compelling - I stayed up way too late last night reading "just one more page."

If you haven't read Meljean's books before, she has lots of info over here.

Your turn! What've you been reading and loving this week?

More presents!

A quick link: Meljean Brook is giving away a whole set of her books over at: http://www.theoddshots.com/

Demon Forged - Meljean Brook

Today, I visited the house that was used to depict Pemberley in the most recent Pride and Prejudice movie. Gorgeous, of course! But it was the grounds that absolutely took my breath away. They went on for miles, with lakes and sculptures and rock gardens...

More to come on that, but in thist post I want to talk about a fantastic book that's just been released!

Demon Forged is amazing. If you haven't read Meljean's Guardians, you're missing out! I think this book can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll enjoy it more if you've read the others in the series.

Lots of info and excerpts, including a primer on the series, on Meljean's site.

Here's the blurb for Demon Forged

Four centuries ago, Irena and Alejandro would have succumbed to the need smoldering between them — if a demon and a monstrous bargain hadn’t shattered the possibility of love. Torn apart by shame, Irena avoided Alejandro for centuries — until a vampire’s call for help throws her into his arms again.

Alejandro can control fire, but he’s never been able to control — or quench — the flames between him and Irena. And he knows Irena, hardened by her hatred for demonkind, will never accept that he now works at a demon’s behest. But even as he fights for a second chance, a shocking betrayal and a deadly prophecy shake the foundations of the Guardian universe, and all Hell threatens to break loose…

You'll love it. Trust me.

Friday Book Club

It's Friday Book Club time again! This is all about recommending books, so leave a comment about a book you enjoyed, and, if you like, a few words about why.

I've been reading fabulous book after fabulous book. Most of it's not releasing for a while, so I won't tease you...too much. But I have to share - I'm on that happy good-book-run high.

Meljean Brook's Demon Forged will be out in October and it's fantastic. It has all the elements I love in Meljean's books - strong, gorgeously drawn characters, a world so real I totally believe it, and the punch of powerful emotion.

Ilona Andrews' next Kate Daniels book (out March 2010) is awesome. I'll post more on this closer to the release date, but trust me, you'll love it.

I'm currently halfway through Ilona Andrews' On the Edge (out in October) and it's soooooo good! The world and the characters are so real they leap off the page. I can't wait to get back to it!

More to come on all these books nearer their releases, but if you're not reading Meljean and Ilona, you need to!

Okay, hit me with your recs!

Links & OOTB Tour: Kiss of Darkness by Jennifer St. Giles

First up today, I've got an OOTB tour with the lovely Jennifer St. Giles!

Kiss of Darkness by Jennifer St. Giles
Out now!

In Kiss of Darkness, a vampire bite has Sheriff Sam Sheridan on the fast track to hell and demons are taking over Twilight Tennessee. He's battling not only to save both his soul and his town, but also his love for one woman, Emerald Linton.

Emerald has a secret that could destroy both her and Sam. She is an angel, and if she can't save Sam from turning evil, then she'll have to kill him, no matter how much of her heart belongs to him.

Sam is determined to take as many demons and vampires down with him as he can and to protect Emerald, but as the seductive dark power in him grows will he condemn Emerald to share his doomed fate, or will they both find a way out of hell?

Excerpt: http://jenniferstgiles.com/kissofdarkness.shtml

Website: jenniferstgiles.com

Blog: jenniferstgiles.blogspot.com

Reviews

"A FANTASTIC PARANORMAL THRILLER, FRAUGHT WITH DANGER, THRILLS AND SENSUAL PASSION." PAULA MYERS FRESH FICTION

“In the first of back-to-back Shadow- men releases, St. Giles unleashes hell. With each successive chapter in this pulse-pounding series, the stakes increase. The lead protagonists have been snapping at each other since they met, and the author skillfully builds on that tension to up the sexual ante. St. Giles is on a roll!” 4 stars Hot RT Bookclub.

“In my opinion this series is one of the best. It is definite a keeper. The struggle between good and evil is told in a way that holds your attention. I, for one, cannot wait for the next installment of this entertaining series. You must read this series. It is great.” Top Pick Night Owl Romance
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Also, you should go wink at Meljean Brook.

Oh, and don't forget to drop by Beth Kery's blog where she's got guest authors and giveaways galore to celebrate the release of Daring Time.

And most definitely don't forget to come back tomorrow <-- subtle hint. I'm off to edit the final scene in the second Guild Hunter book!

Books I'm looking forward to...

Here's a very partial list of book I'm looking forward to. Of course, I must first finish writing my own book (the cave beckons) and catch up with the tbr ;-)

Demon Forged - Meljean Brook - releases October 2009 (How cool is that cover?!)

Ghostland - Jory Strong (I was tempted to steal this ARC for myself in the ARC contest. The concept sounds very intriguing). - releases April 2009

Hunting Ground -Patricia Briggs - releases August 2009 (I just love her writing, her world, everything).

What are some of the books you're waiting for?

p.s. I've read Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews and it is spectacular. Post about that later this week!