Category: awesomeness

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic, by Meghan Ciana Doidge

Meghan Ciana Doidge is a writer from Vancouver, Canada. She writes about magic and the supernatural, fantasy with a tint of romance. The newest book in her Dowser series, Cupcakes, Trinkets, and other Deadly Magic, is out now, and mixes werewolves, vampires, and cupcakes for a sweet twist on the urban fantasy genre.

Jade’s life was normal: bake cupcakes for her boutique bakery every morning, get in the occasional bit of trouble with her sister, Sienna, create art out of the magical items that seemed to find their way to her. Well, maybe not normal, but when you’re a dowser, half-witch and half…something else, “normal” is relative. Right up until the moment the vampire showed up on her doorstep.

Someone has been murdering werewolves in Vancouver. Someone with a lot of power at their disposal. Someone whose magic smells a whole lot like Jade’s.

She manages to convince the vampire investigator of her innocence, but is swept up into the search for the black magic murderer. Jade discovers that everything she has always thought she’s known is not the truth. Her family has been hiding things from her, things that will affect her life, her abilities, and her future…if she manages to stay alive at all when her barely-tested powers battle black magic for high stakes. And chocolate.

Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic is a light-hearted urban fantasy with darker shadings. The characters are unique and well-realized, and the setting does not have the traditional feel of most urban fantasies. Instead, the author offers up appealing glimpses into the quirky setting of Vancouver that will have the reader eager for more. The tasty cupcake descriptions aren’t bad, either.

The Girl with the Windup Heart (Steampunk Chronicles) by Kady Cross

The Girl with the Windup Heart, by Kady Cross (Harlequin Teen)

Kady Cross is the best-selling author of the Steampunk Chronicles, a series set in London in the late 1890s. She combines magic and technology with the urban English culture to produce an intriguing and well-detailed world. The Girl with the Windup Heart is the final installment in the series.

Mila was a childlike part-automaton girl when she first came to live at Jack Dandy’s house. Now she’s developed a fierce personality and desires and interests of her own. When Jack refuses to see her as she is—a woman in love with him–her heart is broken and she runs away to create a life for herself. She ends up in the West End, amidst the flamboyant characters of a dazzling circus. But danger straight out of Jack Dandy’s past haunts her even there, and she will need Jack’s help if she is to survive.

Griffin King is hot on the trail of London’s latest serial killer, but he never expected his search for the murderer to lead him where it does: to the Aether, and the lair of his nemesis, The Machinist. Soon Griffin is trapped and being tortured for control of the Aether itself. If he breaks, everyone will suffer, especially Finley Jane and their ragtag group of friends.

The world of the Steampunk Chronicles is the most fascinating aspect of this series, filled with magic and technology that has never existed in our world, but set in the English culture that is ruled by manners and class-consciousness. Ms Cross’s characters are distinctive and intriguing, without being unbelievable or unrealistic, despite their unique backgrounds and abilities. The camaraderie between the group offers a solid support against the dangers of their world and the powers of their enemies, both human and other. The Girl with the Windup Heart is well-written and flows between wildly different settings with ease and grace.

(Galley provided by Harlequin Teen via NetGalley)

Out of curiosity, I always check out Goodreads to see what other people think of a book. I may not agree with their opinions, but they have a right to them. However, this time….I found one of the first reviews was overwhelmingly negative, with the reviewer not liking the world, the writing, the relationships, the characters, basically everything about this series. Nothing positive to say whatsoever. Now, this is the ONLY book of this series I’ve read. I enjoyed it. But you can bet that if I had disliked the first book in a series as much as the reviewer claims to, I would not have read farther. So tell me why, at the end of this scathing review, does the reviewer make it clear that he/she has read EVERY SINGLE BOOK in the series? Just a question: if you hated something this much, why did you continue reading it?

Seconds Before Sunrise, by Shannon A. Thompson

Seconds Before Sunrise, by Shannon A. Thompson, is the second book in the A Timely Death series. Ms Thompson is the talented Indie author of several other novels including Minutes Before Sunset and Take Me Tomorrow. She is also the recipient of a Goodreads award, and blogs frequently about writing and life.

Eric knows that his duty to the Dark—his people—is far more important that his own desires. That’s the only reason he went along with the plan to make Jessica forget everything she knew about their people, and their love. But he had no idea how hard it would be to be forgotten, to have to watch Jessica go about her life as if they’d never met, never loved each other. It is enough to drive him crazy, and he cannot afford distractions now, so close to his 18^th birthday, the day the fate of the war between the Dark and the Light will be decided. So he withdraws from everyone, even himself.

But a horrible accident serves as a frightening wake-up call, and he realizes he cannot do this alone. He must turn to those around him, those he loves, if he is to survive and not surrender.

Jessica knows something is changed; she just doesn’t know what. Her memory is gone. Her desire to find her parents is gone. And her self-confidence is gone. She feels like she’s lost a piece of herself. The only thing she has is the boy from her nightmares, and she wants to find him, even if it drives her crazy.

Seconds Before Sunrise keeps up the fast-pace of Minutes Before Sunset, with twists and turns that will keep the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters are even more compelling, fighting their dual natures as they strive to remain true to themselves. The action takes several unexpected paths, leaving the reader guessing. Ms Thompson has done a superb job of bringing both of her worlds to life, both the magical, and the mundane. Seconds Before Sunrise is an engaging read sure to appeal to fans of both fantasy and young adult, with a twist that makes it different from other novels in these genres.

The Muse is Awake

I haven’t talked about writing in a while. I haven’t written in something like 15 months. To be honest, I’ve barely managed to do anything besides work the day job, do school stuff, and try to rest and recuperate from both those things. Writing…has more than fallen by the wayside. It’s dropped completely off the radar.

I had started to wonder if the Muse inhabited that part of my brain that was damaged by my stroke. I’m happy to report that it doesn’t! Yesterday, I was at work, and walked by my boss’s office. He had Enya playing, and I felt the Muse sit up, take a deep breath, and stretch. It was like she’d been resting for a long time. (Apparently, she moonlights as Rip Van Winkle.) Now she’s awake, and ready to play. And all it took was some Enya to shake her up and get her moving again (I’ve written to Enya a lot in the past.)

Now I can feel her in there, tinkering with the edges of The Fall, teasing it with her tiny, ever-moving hands as she searches out the bits that no longer fit, so she can rip them to shreds and build something new and shiny. She likes shiny, and at this point, The Fall is pretty much new and pristine, so it counts. Plus, she knows we have a lot of work to do to get it into shape for our new vision of it. It’s no longer going to be the same old dystopian zombie tale. It will still have zombies and be dystopian. But now it will be more.

I’m glad the Muse is back. I’ve missed her.

The Devil’s Hour

I was supposed to read The Devil’s Hour, by Raymond Esposito, months ago and post a review, however….well, having no Internet since the end of April has put a cramp in my style (whatever that is). My limited Internet time went for school. Now that my summer classes are over, I’m hoping to get caught up on a lot of things. My apologies to Raymond for the delay.

Raymond Esposito writes stories tinted with edge-of-your-seat horror, and that also explore the darker, hidden side of people. He is the author of the Creepers Saga, which currently consists of You and Me Against the World and All Our Foolish Schemes. His newest work is The Devil’s Hour, a book certain to keep the reader up at night.

Sam Drake has a pretty good life…if you consider being divorced and supported by your ex wife while you write about thing that go bump in the night good. He has a big house in a nice neighborhood, neighbors that he likes, and a few he doesn’t. Life, so far as Sam is concerned, is good, now that the divorce is behind him and he’s finally moved on with his life. But “good” vanishes in moments when a car crashes in Sam’s neighborhood, and a wall of black smoke wipes out the outside world.

The car crash is bad enough. The things inside the wall of black smoke are worse. Suddenly, being outside in this crazy new world is more than Sam and his neighbors can handle. But not everyone makes it back inside. And those that do must face creatures from their worst nightmares. Sam’s neighborhood is no longer a sanctuary from the world. Now it’s a demented funhouse filled with terrifying things that used to be familiar and ordinary. And not all of the nightmares came from the cloud of black smoke. Some of them were hidden in the neighborhood all along….

The Devil’s Hour is not for the faint of heart. Creatures straight out of nightmares haunt these pages, stalking both the characters and the reader. Fear comes alive on the page, as the reader becomes comfortable with Sam, a man haunted by fears like any other person. Except his fears live and breathe, instead of merely keeping him awake at night. The pages fly by, racing from one crisis to the next, leaving the reader breathless with adrenaline… and fear.

###

Raymond….I know I told you I don’t do horror very often, being something of a chicken (More accurately, I have an overactive imagination and a lot of things scare me that shouldn’t. Chickens, for example….) But seriously? This book creeped me out a lot. I found myself staying up way too late reading it…and flinching every time the air conditioner clicked on. You took some of my worst fears and brought them to life. (Clowns AND dolls? Are you kidding me? Are you a mind-reader? Maybe I need one of those tinfoil hats…) In all seriousness, this book scared the crap out of me, but I couldn’t put it down. Well done, sir. Well done.

City of Heavenly Fire….and what’s been going on

I moved at the end of April, and have not yet successfully managed to find an Internet company that can get us service in the house that is just outside the city limits and in a slight valley (making it impossible to get a signal from the towers). I need recommendations for satellite internet company!

***

City of Heavenly Fire, by Cassandra Clare (Margaret K. McElderry Books)

City of Heavenly Fire, the sixth and final installment in the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, released in May. Cassandra Clare has also written The Bane Chronicles and The Infernal Devices, series also set in the Shadowhunter world. The first book of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, was made into a movie, as well.

I am coming.

Half threat, half promise, the words Sebastian left behind haunt Clary as they will soon haunt all Shadowhunters. Along with Jace, she and her friends are the only ones who realize just how dangerous her brother, Sebastian is, just how ruthless he can be. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants: power and Clary at his side. Even when the first Institute falls, the Shadowhunters still refuse to listen to Jace and Clary, despite the horrors Sebastian visits on them, using the Mortal Cup.

Nothing in this world can stop Sebastian, so Clary and her friends must leave this world behind as they search desperately to find a way to destroy Sebastian, who is threatening the uneasy peace between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. With their world crumbling around them, and those they love falling to darkness, Clary and Jace must find a way to put a stop to Sebastian for good, before he destroys everything the Shadowhunters have fought for over the centuries.

City of Heavenly Fire brings all the promises from the first five books of the Mortal Instruments series to life in this riveting final chapter. The fear and despair of the characters breathes from every page, laced with adrenaline and whispers of hope. Love is lost and friends fall as the Shadowhunters battle the evil and darkness of Sebastian and his allies.

The action is non-stop in this final installment to the best-selling Mortal Instruments series. The characters readers have come to love are all here, although not all of them will make it out alive, as the Shadowhunters battle Sebastian in the final face-off.

War of Wings, by Tanner McElroy

Tanner McElroy is a local author who grew up in Lake Highlands, Texas. His first book, War of Wings, hit shelves March 21^st. In it, he combines biblical knowledge, epic adventure, and angels in the tale of how Lucifer fell, and the first war in heaven.

Life in Heaven is idyllic and peaceful, full of beauty and praise for God. The angels spend their days in productive work and honoring God. Everyone is happy. Everyone, that is, except Lucifer and Gabriel.

Gabriel, the archangel, is bored with his building projects, bored with war games, bored with how perfect everything is in Heaven. He wants more. He’s not content with the status quo like his brother Michael, and he thinks he must be the only angel that feels this way. Then he meets Arrayah, the virtue angel, and he starts to question everything he has always believed. Soon he’s on the edge of the most profound decision he will ever make.

Lucifer is the highest of the cherubim, admired for his worship songs as well as his beauty. He’s not content with being the highest of the angels, though. He wants more: to be promoted to God’s equal. But when he finds out that God intends to promote a Son instead, Lucifer turns to reason over faith. Convinced that he is as powerful as God, Lucifer’s followers divide Heaven as the angels take sides in the first war ever known.

All of the angels in Heaven must choose a side: their faith and God, or Lucifer and his new ideas and reason. No matter which side they choose, Heaven will never be the same.

War of Wings is an epic story on the grandest scale imaginable. The rich details of life in Heaven make a vivid backdrop for larger-than-life characters with desires everyone can relate to. Though the setting is more than most can imagine, McElroy does a fantastic job of bringing it to life, and his angels are not images of perfection, but characters with real thoughts and feelings. The glimpses into the different hierarchies of the angels are fascinating, just as his views of life in Heaven are, and even the dramatic Fall of Lucifer and his supporters is drawn in vibrant color for the reader to appreciate.

Minutes Before Sunset, by Shannon A Thompson

(Shannon A Thompson, AEC Stellar Publishing, Inc)

Shannon A. Thompson is an Indie author who has published poetry, short fiction, and young adult novels. She is currently working on her A Timely Death trilogy. The first book, Minutes Before Sunset, won a Goodreads award for Book of the Month. Ms Thompson also pens a popular blog giving tips and advice to fellow writers.

Eric Welborn is a typical teenager in some ways—angst, family drama, wanting to do his own thing—but that’s where he and “typical” end. He lives as a human during the day, but he has another, secret, life as well. For Eric is also a shade, the first descendant of the Dark, destined to do battle for his people when he turns eighteen. But Eric isn’t sure just how true everything he’s been told about the Prophecy is, and his frustration makes him do things he really shouldn’t.

Like ditch his guard and wander off on his own, where the Light, ancient enemies of his people, could sense him and destroy him before the Prophecy could be fulfilled. Eric meets a nameless shade who knows nothing about their people—or their world. As he teaches her, he realizes she’s far more powerful than she should be. Which means everything he’s thought was true for his entire life is a lie. Now Eric doesn’t know what to believe, or who to turn to. He just knows the nameless shade is the only one he feels he can trust.

Minutes Before Sunset is a fast-paced, well-written read that will appeal to fans of fantasy, as well as young adult readers. Ms Thompson has created an intriguing setting that is not your typical fantasy fare, with two separate worlds—the “real” world of high school and prom, and the world of Prophecy and Light and Dark. She brings both of these worlds to life, and her characters struggle with their lives in both worlds. Not only is the setting riveting and unique, but the characters are compelling, a combination sure to transport the reader to this magical world. The second novel in the A Timely Death trilogy, Seconds Before Sunrise, releases March 27^th.

Prince of Shadows: not your mom’s Romeo and Juliet!

Rachel Caine has written several popular urban fantasy series (the Weather Warden, Outcast Season, Red Letter Days, Revivalist), as well as young adult (the Morganville Vampires). Ms Caine lives in Fort Worth, TX, and will be attending the DFW Writer’s Conference on May 3^rd and 4^th. Her newest novel is Prince of Shadows: A Novel of Romeo and Juliet.

The Capulets and Montagues live for one reason: power. They don’t care how they get it or who they have to kill. Their children aren’t people, they’re pawns in a game of chess to be used to cement alliances and show prestige. What they want doesn’t matter. Only the family matters.

Benvolio Montague knows how little value his family—especially his domineering grandmother—places on him. His job is to protect the family’s honor, do as he’s told, and keep his cousin Romeo safe. During the day, Benvolio follows the rules. But at night, he roams Verona as the Prince of Shadows, stealing from his enemies and doing as he pleases, sometimes with his friend Mercutio at his side. But one night, the Prince of Shadows encounters Rosaline Capulet, destined for a convent, and everything changes. Rosaline isn’t like anyone Benvolio has ever met, and he and the girl who wants more than her family has given her forge a connection.

Mercutio hides a dark secret as well, a secret that will forever haunt both families. Benvolio’s job is to keep Romeo—the family heir—safe, and prevent him from doing anything foolish. Safety is one thing. But when Romeo’s rash actions embroil the Montagues in a bitter clash with the Capulets, only the Prince of Shadows can keep tragedy from destroying both families.

Prince of Shadows follows Shakespeare’s storyline, but focuses on Benvolio, Mercutio, and Rosaline. The ill-fated Romeo and Juliet are minor characters at best. Ms Caine brings fair Verona to life, and the lives of the Montagues and Capulets as well. She uses Shakespeare’s famous lines, interspersed with more natural dialogue, to incorporate the play into her storyline. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, but Prince of Shadows explores the behind-the-scenes action, delving into the secrets in the shadows, and exploring the darkness there. This is not your mother’s Romeo and Juliet!

The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, by Jenny Han

With the flurry of madness surrounding the holidays over, the next big thing to look forward to is summer. Summer: warm weather, lazy days, sunshine, summer love. Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy includes The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer.

For Belly, summer means Cousins Beach. Every summer for her whole life, her family has spent summers there with the Fisher family, Conrad and Jeremiah.. But this year will be different. Belly just knows it. She’s finally grown up now, and Conrad will finally notice her. She’s been in love with Conrad her whole life, but he has always treated her as a little sister. This year, everything will change.

And things do change. Now Belly has what she always wanted: a relationship with Conrad. At first, it’s everything she always dreamt it would be. But Conrad starts pulling away, and the pain is more than Belly could have ever imagined. Now all she wants is to put Conrad behind her. When Jeremiah calls to tell her that Conrad has disappeared, Belly has to decide if she’ll let him go forever, or help Jeremiah find his brother.

Belly has put Conrad behind her. She’s been with Jeremiah for two years now, and everything is great. When they decide to get married, Belly’s happiness is complete. Or almost. Because as the fateful day draws nearer, she realizes things are still unresolved between her and Conrad, and she realizes that no matter which one of the Fisher boys she chooses, she’ll have to break one of their hearts.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: