Book pick: Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampire series rocks! February 7, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Reviews/summaries.Tags: Chicagoland Vampires, Chloe Neill
2 comments
Here’s the latest book pick from Dot — a regular contributor to this blog! (Thanks Dot!) You can also see what Dot and other paranormal romance fans are reading by going to the “What are you reading” tab at the top right side of this page or CLICK HERE! (Scroll to bottom for latest comments!) And now onto Dot’s pick!
It’s still very cold here in New York but who cares when I can curl up with a hot cup of tea and an all engrossing vampire series. Yes, I do stray from the vamps now and then but something always pulls me back and ’sucks’ me in. Well, isn’t it terrific when we find a new series that keeps us wanting more?
In 2009 Chloe Neill came on the Paranormal Romance scene with two wonderful books in her Chicagoland Vampire Series. The first was SOME GIRLS BITE and the second is FRIDAY NIGHT BITES. The story is about Merit, a grad student in the Windy City who is attacked late at night on campus by a vampire who is chased off by another vampire. Merit is so near death that the second vampire, the vampire master of Cadogen House, chooses to save her by turning her. Merit is a reluctant vampire at first but soon sees that her fate lies with the vampire house that sired her. Once again we have the heroine we love, strong willed, kick ass yet vulnerable. Pit her against her vampire master Ethan and we have clashes of will and strong sexual tension. Throw in a rival vampire master, Morgan, and we have a love triangle. There are supporting characters that lend even more interest to the story. Mallory is Merit’s roommate and has some secrets of her own that are just being discovered. Catcher is Merit’s trainer in weaponry. Merit’s grandfather has even more secrets. Neill peels the layers back 
for us bit by bit, and we can’t wait to discover what is next. Luckily we don’t have to wait long for TWICE BITTEN, book #3 in the series due July 6. (Neill has posted a “sneak peek” chapter from TWICE BITTEN on her Web site HERE!) This is an adult read with some sensuality and implied sex.
Neill also has just published FIRESPELL, the first book in her Young Adult DARK ELITE SERIES. It tells the story of Lily Parker in a fancy all girl’s boarding school in Chicago. Lily doesn’t want to be there but has no choice and she befriends Scout, who has some strange secrets. In Lily’s pursuit of Scout’s secrets she encounters some very dangerous paranormals in some very dangerous encounters. This is definitely a teen read. As much as I liked the Chicagoland Vampire series, I found this first book of the Dark Elite series to be very slow going.
Dot’s Note: In 2009 Chloe Neill and D.B. Reynolds (RAPHAEL, JABRIL) both stormed on the scene as new authors in the Paranormal Vampire genre. I strongly recommend both of these authors for page turning, can’t put it down, up all night reads.book
After Diana Gabaldon series, what would you recommend next? February 4, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Book lists.Tags: Jack Finney, Lynn Kurland, time travel, Traitor to the Crown
1 comment so far
I’ve often wondered if there’s anything else out there that’s sort of like Diana Gabaldon’s sweeping series. And then a visitor to the blog — Petra — asked the same question. What would you recommend after reading that series? What might possibly hold a small candle to the saga of Jamie and Claire?
That’s a tough one! I don’t think there is anything quite like Diana Gabaldon’s books! So I’ll post a couple of suggestions and then see what you have to say!
--Lynn Kurland’s time travel or historical series
These are light-hearted romances. Characters usually travel back in time to medieval England. (Sometimes it’s switched and the knight lands in present day USA!) But Kurland has a wicked sense of humor (where is that chocolate bar or cup of coffee in the 13 century when you need it!) and adds a little bit of romance to keep things interesting. Plus — some nifty historical details. She also has a slew of books so you might want to try STARDUST OF YESTERDAY (heroine inherits haunted castle and falls in love with ghost. Or THE MORE I SEE YOU, about woman who wishes on a star and finds herself with a 13-century knight. Web site: http://www.lynnkurland.com/reading.html
–C.C. Finlay’s Traitor to the Crown series
You want fantasy? American history tinged with some magic? Check out this well-researched trio of stories that begin with Proctor Brown — minuteman and witch. He’s got a loyalist girlfriend. But he wants to fight for the American cause and use his special talents. And he’s not the only witch fighting the American Revolution. (THE PATRIOT WITCH, A SPELL FOR THE REVOLUTION, THE DEMON REDCOAT.) Web site: http://www.ccfinlay.com/index.html
--Jack Finney on time travel
Probably the book I like the best is TIME AND AGAIN. Simon Morley, an illustrator, agrees to participate in a secret govenment project to hypnotize himself into 1880s New York. It works and he goes back to investigate a mystery. Morely finds himself falling in love with his landlady’s daughter in the past. He also has to deal with threats both in the past and present. Finney also has a collection of short stories – ABOUT TIME – that includes “The Third Level,” about a mysterious platform in Grand Central Station that leads into another world (well before the “Level Nine and Three-quarters” in “Harry Potter”). And “The Coin Collector,” about alternate realities, where “a Woodrow Wilson dime” reveals that “every once in a while something from one of these worlds . . . will stray into another one.”
So what would you recommend? Let us know!
Scotsman.com interview with Diana Gabaldon February 3, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Authors.Tags: Diana Gabaldon, Scotsman.com
3 comments
Finally — found it. Been waiting for this to see if Diana Gabaldon would say anything new about her characters or writing or possible movie etc. in this Scotsman.com story. I didn’t see anything new about the OUTLANDER series, but it’s a nice piece about her — and heck — she’s in Scotland. Here are a few excerpts from reporter Claire Black’s interview: (link to complete interview is below!)
Diana Gabaldon/Scotsman.com
Sitting at a corner table tucked against ceiling-height windows, Gabaldon is striking, her long black hair poker-straight, her eyes bright, but the view is gritty reality. The poetic beauty of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is only half an hour away, but the urban sprawl of Glasgow is a reminder of what Scotland really is, a million miles away from Gabaldon’s literary confection, whipped up from guidebooks and historical texts, old paintings and photographs.
***
So it’s interesting that the books came about almost accidentally. The central character was a Scot only because Gabaldon happened to see a Dr Who repeat featuring a man in a kilt as she conjured her character. She chose to fix him in the 18th century simply because being allowed to research the period meant she could avoid having to make the whole thing up. The time-travel element came about because the other main character, Claire, was resolutely modern when she appeared, apparently full-formed, from Gabaldon’s imagination.
***
But it hasn’t all been straightforward. Gabaldon’s novels are impossible to classify in terms of genre: replete with historical detail, they might be described as military history, and focused on the relationship between Jamie and Claire, there are elements of romance, including plenty of lusty sex. But then there’s the time travel. Gabaldon’s first editor had to threaten to quit to ensure that the three-book deal the writer had been offered was honoured. Gabaldon herself has had several skirmishes with editors and the book industry to have her work positioned on the general fiction shelves of bookshops rather than amongst the romance or fantasy. In one letter sent to an editor, she described the problem of her literary identity in typically Gabaldonian terms. “We seem to be in a certain difference of opinion regarding my literary identity. I think I am Alexandre Dumas with a time machine and you appear to think I am Dame Barbara Cartland in the large economy size.”
To read the complete interview, CLICK HERE!
Free Teresa D’Amario read, KMM on Twitter! Gena Showalter book, Alexandra Ivy Q&A February 3, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Authors, Reviews/summaries.Tags: Alexandra Ivy, Gena Showalter, karen marie moning, Teresa D'Amario
1 comment so far
For folks who missed it, check out the cool freebie read from Teresa D’Amario’s “Let’s Tell a Story,” a nifty, fun tale she wrote on her recent blog tour. It’s about a Faery Prince and a SheWolf. Can the two get along? Teresa visited different blogs — including this one! — posting a chapter and asking a few questions afterward. She took reader input to shape each chapter. This was the first blog tour I’d participated in and it was really fun. And Teresa made it fun because she talked to us and encouraged us to participate. (A lot of fun people jumped in to comment, including one of my childhood buddies — the only guy? — who is talented enough that he could get into these manga books if he only had a story!!) Sooooooo — if you want to take a look and start reading a little each night, CLICK HERE for her chapters. I think at some point she has plans to re-edit it and put it on one file. (There are 14 chapters so not sure the last few are up yet. But if you click on her CALENDAR you can get to the original blog tour and find ‘em. More fun that way, no?) Oh, how could I forget. If you liked that than check out her novels LONE WOLF and DARK SUCCESSION. Now, whose doing the next blog tour!
***
Finally, Karen Marie Moning is on Twitter! The author of the sizzling hot/mysterious Fever series and Highlander novels has been Tweeting/twittering since Jan. 27. You can welcome her at www.twitter.com/KarenMMoning …. yah! (Think she’ll give us hints about the last Fever book, SHADOWFEVER, due out Dec. 28?)
***
Just got my advanced copy of Gena Showalter’s INTO THE DARK. Will start reading that shortly. (Release date is May) and will let you know what I think. To read my previous interview with Gena, CLICK HERE.
***
Alexandra Ivy, author of the Guardians of Eternity series — BEYOND THE DARKNESS (book No. 6) comes out March 30 — has graciously agreed to a Q&A. She’s patient, too, because I should’ve sent it out a few weeks back. Working on that now. But if you’re a fan and have a question, lemme know!
***
Last but not least, our resident vampire book expert — Dot from N.Y. — has sent me a great one on the Chicagoland Vampires. I’ll post that next!
Ask Alan Ball of HBO’s ‘True Blood” a question! January 31, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Entertainment, Fun stuff.Tags: Alan Ball, true blood
3 comments
Alan Ball/Wikipedia
This has been up on the Charlaine Harris Web site under news. You’ve got until Feb. 12 to send in a question! Details below!
1/29/10 – 2/12/10
As part of the huge project The Sookie Companion has become, we’re offering a two-week time period in which you can send your questions to producer/director/writer Alan Ball, who will answer them in the Companion. My assistant, Paula, will collect all your questions and send them to the editor at TeknoBooks who’s responsible for coordinating all the elements going into the Companion, which we hope will be out next year. Paula and the editor will weed out redundant questions. Of course, these questions should focus on the TV series “True Blood,” and they should be sent to: askalanb@yahoo.com. This address is ONLY for this special project.
Release dates, book covers for Alyson Noel’s ‘Dark Flame’ & ‘Radiance’ January 27, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in News, Releases.Tags: Alyson Noel, Damon, Dark Flame, Ever, Immortals, Radiance, Riley
3 comments
Wow! Back-to-back news from ALYSON NOEL, author of the Immortal series (EVERMORE, BLUE MOON, SHADOWLAND)! She’s posted her new cover for DARK FLAME, the next book about Ever. It’s due out July 6. Here’s a summary Alyson has posted on her Web site:
Ever struggles to help her best friend Haven transition into life as an immortal — trying to keep her from doing anything that puts them at risk, while attempting to gain control over her enemy Roman, so she can finally obtain the antidote that will allow her and Damen to be together. But when the spell she casts backfires, resulting in a strange, foreign pulse that binds her to Roman instead, Ever turns to Jude and dark magick, desperately attempting to break free of the curse, and ultimately risking everything she knows and loves—including her beloved Damen.
AND, she’s also posted her book cover for RADIANCE, due out Aug. 31. This is the first story in a new series about Ever’s little sister, Riley and includes Buttercup! Here’s the summary she posted on her site:
Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she’s summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can’t quite figure out. Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he’s never met Riley. . . .
Q&A: What ‘Really Angelic” author says when people don’t like her book January 24, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Authors.18 comments
OK — let’s face it. Not every book is Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER. Or Karen Marie Moning’s FEVER series. In fact, some fall incredibly short. I found that to be the case with Enid Wilson’s REALLY ANGELIC: Pride and Prejudice with a paranormal twist. It sure has got a twist. Elizabeth is Darcy’s guardian angel. But it’s almost as if she needs a guardian with all of the scandalous behavior that occurs right from the start. This is not a book for Jane Austen purists. I also told Enid (CLICK HERE for her Web site) it just wasn’t my cup of tea. But Enid, who lives in Sydney and had sent me a copy of the book, agreed to talk about what happens when a reader doesn’t like her book. (You can decide for yourself. Enid will be giving away a copy of REALLY ANGELIC. Details at the end of this Q&A.)
Q. Your previous work included BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL, which has been ranked in the top 50 best-selling historical romances on Amazon USA and received several top reviews. Why mess with a good thing and switch genres?
A. I love to write stories in different genres. My first book IN QUEST OF THETA MAGIC is in fact a futuristic fantasy that features a shapeshifter. I find it more challenging to write a variety of stories than sticking to one genre. REALLY ANGELIC has received two 5-star reviews so far and its sales figure is doing quite well.
Q. We see lots of sequels, twists on the original PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. What possessed you to retell it? And how did you come up with the idea for angels?
Enid Wilson
A. I fell in love with PRIDE AND PREJUDICE when I was around 12. I heard it as a radio drama but it ended at the inn of Lambton, where Elizabeth Bennet told Mr. Darcy that Lydia had eloped with Wickham. Lizzy and Darcy parted way sadly. The drama left me with a very heavy heart.
When I hunted the book down in a library, I was ecstatic that it had a happy ending. It was the first book I used money I earned to buy. I’ve bought several editions of it since and re-read them all. When I discovered the world of Jane Austen retelling about three years ago, I tested my creative skill. I love sexy romance, too, so it is rather satisfying for me to start retelling with a more spicy angle.
The conception of Really Angelic was from this scene (adapted for stand alone reading here):
- As to Elizabeth, when the lightning struck her husband, she had seen with wide and frightened eyes that he was hurt. She had not been quick enough to protect him. As she began to rush to him, another lightning flashed, and Michael appeared directly in front of her, blocking her path.
- “He is hurt, Michael!”
- “It is time.”
- “Time?”
- “Yes, time for you to return to Heaven.”
- “No!” Elizabeth shook her head fiercely. “My husband is injured. I must stay with him and find help.”
- “If your concern is his well-being, you can guard him better from Heaven.”
- “I saved him from the clutches of the demon on Earth. I can guard him well here, too.”
- Michael looked at her soberly. “If you do not go now, there may not be another chance to return.”
- “But I love him. How can I leave him, especially now, when he is hurt? We did not even say goodbye. He would be heartbroken if he wakes and finds me gone, forever,” she said in a trembling voice.
- “He knew of that possibility when he married you.”
- “It will not make it hurt any less. I am hurting now. I shall be heartbroken if I cannot see him anymore.” Tears rushed down her face.
I had this notion of Darcy and Elizabeth separated by a strong outside force, besides their own pride and prejudice and much stronger than the objection of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, From there, I created an angelic world that tested my beloved couple’s love.
Q. In your telling of the tale, Darcy seems really out of control. And Elizabeth has the same problem. How have readers reacted to some of these behaviors, which didn’t occur in the original story?
A. I’ve put a warning in the product description. But be warned: this book is not suitable for Jane Austen purists. My fans who have read the story loved it but one can never tell with Amazon’s reviews.
Q. Did your editor try to talk out of doing the story?
A. Funny you asked this because my editor Judith actually asked me to expand on one spicy scene. I guess that’s her way of showing support and wanting wilder behaviour for the characters.
Q. What do you think Jane Austen would think of your version?
A. I suspect Jane Austen would be diverted by all the attention to and retelling of her novels. I would be, at least. For example in BARGAIN WITH THE DEVIL, I created a character called Ipswich the Good Witch and another writer loved it so much she asked for my permission to use it in her story. I don’t mind it at all. As Jane Austen said in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?
Q. When someone says they don’t like your story, how do you react? Do you ever feel like quitting?
A. If they tell me why they don’t like my books, I’ll try to analyze their comments and find ways to improve. But I write what I love to write so I think I’d only quit if I get bored with writing.
Q. What do your fans say?
A. I have a circle of fans and they love my stories. Here are a few of their thoughts about Really Angelic.
I loved the angel and her love slave. I am sure they both enjoyed that arrangement.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderfully imaginative and hot story with us.
A very refreshing fun story
Q. Do you think if I drank a bottle of wine and read REALLY ANGELIC, I might take things less seriously and would like the book?
A. LOL, is that your usual way of lightening your heart or dulling your senses? As a half Buddhist, I don’t like to force people and there is no way I can. I believe it makes the world more interesting to have differences of opinion.
Q. What’s up next for you?
A. Another retelling, perhaps, if readers are not sick of them. A Martian Mr. Darcy and a human Lizzy…
Enid is giving out a copy of REALLY ANGELIC in paperback for those brave souls who don’t mind PRIDE AND PREJUDICE with an out-of-control twist. Just leave a comment below by 12 February 2010 EST, and she’ll pick a winner. Contest open for U.S. readers only.
U.K. description of DEAD IN THE FAMILY January 20, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Fun stuff, Reviews/summaries.Tags: charlaine harris, Dead in the Family, Sookie
3 comments
Here’s the product description from the UK Amazon site:***
The book is expected to be released in the United States on May 4!
So you wanna run a Web site that sells vampire books? January 19, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Book lists, Fun stuff.Tags: Australia, bookstore, FANGstasticFiction.com
add a comment
Boy, who doesn’t dream of either writing the next great series in paranormal romance and/or running the coolest online bookstore for the genre. I was pinged a while back by the women who run FANGtasticFiction.com — which is focused on paranormal romance and urban fantasy books.
The whole world of Fangbooks started because Alison Sammes and her friend Rosie are both avid readers, particularly of the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres, and trying to actually find these books in Australia was (and still is) pretty diabolical. They wanted a site where folks could go, check out reviews and be able to buy the books. Nothing was out there, so they started their own business. OK — so maybe you never wanna buy a book from ‘em. But check out their site for ideas on what to read and the reviews. It’s nicely organized.
And here’s a little bit more from Alison on how they got their business off the ground!
Q. How long have you been in business?
A. We’ve ‘officially’ been in business since June (we are a registered company), but the Web site only went live near the end of August (with a LOT of work between June and August).
Q. Is this your only job?
A. We both have ‘day jobs,’ but thankfully I only work four days a week, so we’ve got one day where I can run around doing all of the ‘day-time’ stuff. There are a LOT of late nights and weekends spent working on the site and business. It is a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun. It really has just been overwhelming the support and encouragement that we’ve had from authors and publishers. Maybe that’s normal in the world of paranormal romance & urban fantasy, but it has still completely blown us away!
Q. Did you ever stop to think you’d be going head to head with Amazon?
A. I don’t think we ever really saw ourselves as taking on the likes of Amazon. We are both quite specific in our tastes and knew from the start that we really wanted to focus on paranormal romance and urban fantasy. We think much of the appeal with us is that we try to make it easy to find books in the genres. Most publishers only list books as ‘romance,’ ‘fantasy’ or ‘science fiction’ so we go through each months new and upcoming releases and manually separate them out into their appropriate genres (so if you see the odd book in the wrong spot let us know!). I’m sure there must be an easier way to do this, but we haven’t found it yet. This is also how we are able to go further than just say “oh, that’s paranormal” – chances are we’ve actually read the book or the series and we KNOW that it is about vampires despite what the blurb or the publisher may say (I point out the marketing for DIVINE MISDEMEANORS – you won’t find us hiding this one under teen paranormal!).
Q. Will the shop always be online or do you want a real bookstore?
A. We do have dreams of opening a little store one day with quiet fantasies of world domination, although with the way we’re growing, who knows, we might be able to expand to bricks and mortar soon! We love to be able to promote new authors and just some of the wonderful books out there, so I think we look at the idea of having a physical location that people can come to as really just an extension of that. Everything has happened so quickly I don’t think we’ve truly realised that we are a business! In some ways selling books sometimes feels like it’s just the sideline and letting people know ABOUT the books seems to be our core focus! But the two do go hand in hand.
Q. Any thoughts of expanding?
A. We are based in Sydney, so we do have an Australian focus. But, I am about to relocate to New Zealand , so we’ll be expanding the business across two countries (and the thought of having a ‘multinational’ bookstore isn’t at all scary! Honest!). We had originally planned to just sell within Australia but that quickly expanded to the rest of the world.
Q. Toughest things about the biz so far?
A. Three of the hardest things we’ve found are:
– Trying to keep up- to-date with new releases, particularly from debuting authors.
–Trying to get books that aren’t being released in Australia. This came as a bit of a shock to us. We knew that there was sometimes a delay in books being released in Aussie, but we never realized how many really great books just don’t make it over here!
–Trying to get books when publishers are tending to reduce the time when books are available, which is particularly annoying when promoting a series and the first few books are no longer available!
Q. Any other challenges?
A. So as well as trying to stay up-to-date with what’s being released in Australia, we’re also trying to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the rest of the world. We recently added book reviews to the site, as well as our author & series reviews, simply because sometimes you just want to know what the book is like (and sometimes we’ve only read the one book, so a full author page is too much!) We’re also working with literature-map.com and will be adding this to our site soon (and we get to add more authors!) We’ve just joined Twitter (FANGBOOKS) , and I am debating whether to set up a Face Book page.
Of course in-between all of this we still find time to read books! And I obviously can talk about books and our site all day (and will if I don’t stop myself now)!
Freebies for folks who like romance & things that go bump in the night January 15, 2010
Posted by Diana McCabe in Fun stuff.Tags: harlequin, Kiss Me Deadly, Lone Wolf, Michele Hauf, Rachel Vincent, Soul Screamers, Teresa D'Amario
1 comment so far
Yeah, there’s a book contest a day if you look at your Twitter feed. But here are a couple of different ways to win something free — and you can read at the same time! Have a good weekend!
Even if you aren’t into contests, check out this cool blog by a “YA book reviewing, librarian-in-training.” It looks pretty and it’s chock full good book reviews in a genre that sometimes can be overwhelming. The site’s current contest? In celebration of Rachel Vincent’s teen series SOUL SCREAMERS, Tattooed Books is dedicating the site – Jan. 25-29 — to all things SOUL SCREAMERS. She’ll have book reviews, Soul Screamers posts and an interview with Rachel Vincent! The giveaway is a pretty nifty looking necklace. CLICK HERE to go to the blog and see it.
Download a free book at Try Harlequin! 
They’re offering 16 choices — and of course there are some paranormals in there, like Michele Hauf’s KISS ME DEADLY, one of those vampire vs witches stories. CLICK HERE to scroll through their choices.
Tell a story with Teresa D’Amario
This is totally fun — even if you don’t win a prize at the end of her blog tour! Teresa D’Amario, author of LONE WOLF, is stopping at various blogs (she was here last week!) and gives readers a chapter in her online story about a Fae prince and a feisty shewolf. You read her story, answer a few questions/give suggestions about where the story should go, and Teresa works like a crazy woman to get her next chapter up on the next blog! She tries to use the reader comments to shape the direction of the story. CLICK HERE to read previous chapters. Saturday (Jan. 16) you can read the latest chapter at Naughty Editions Review HERE. To find out where her blog tour stops next CLICK HERE.
