Category: books

The Infinite, by Lori M. Lee

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Skyscape.)

Lori M. Lee is an author from Wisconsin, via Laos and Thailand. She writes young adult fiction, in the fantasy genre. Her newest novel is The Infinite, the second book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series.

Kai is no longer trapped in the Labyrinth, the poverty-riddled warren of the city she grew up in. Now she’s discovered that being trapped is always a horrible place to be, no matter how big the “cage” is. Her current cage is Ninurta, the city she has called home for her entire life. But being home doesn’t mean things are still the same.

Avan is an Infinite now, and he no longer remembers their previous life, or their love. A rebel group is threatening the fledgling new government, and Kai is afraid her brother Reev is part of it. To make matters worse, a threat from outside the city walls arises, putting the city in even more danger. Now, with her ability to manipulate the threads of time vanished, Kai is powerless to stop the disaster looming over her life, her loved ones, and her very world.

The Infinite picks up where The Gates of Thread and Stone left off, with Kai in a bigger mess than before. Ninurta itself comes to vibrant life on the page, as do Kai’s forays outside the city walls. Avan is no longer the boy she loved from the first book, his character is now shaped by forces far beyond himself, and the reader will be anxious to see if he ever remembers Kai and the live they had.

(Galley provided by Skyscape via NetGalley.)

Gates of Thread and Stone, by Lori M. Lee

(I do not own this image. Image belongs to Skyscape and Lori M. Lee.)

Lori M. Lee is an author from Wisconsin, via Laos and Thailand. She writes young adult fiction, in the fantasy genre. Her first published novel is The Gates of Thread and Stone, the first book in the Gates of Thread and Stone series.

Seventeen-year-old Kai lives in the Labyrinth, a warren of poverty, secrets, and desperation on the edge of the city. Keeping your mouth shut is the only way to survive there. It’s just Kai and Reev, her older adopted brother, against the world, and Kai is fine with that. They’re poor, but they have each other.

Then one day, Reev disappears, and Kai has to choose between keeping her mouth shut and trying to save Reev. No contest. Soon Kai finds herself swept up in the revolution that has been brewing for centuries, as the secrets of her past—and her origins—threaten to overtake her. With the help of Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the forbidding reputation, Kai must fight: to save Reev, to find out who she is, for her very survival.

The Gates of Thread and Stone is a compelling tale of magic and adventure, set in a world both forbidding and harsh and filled with mysteries. The world is not as it seems, and neither is Kai. Her journey of discovery—initially a rescue mission—leads her to place she’s never dreamed of, and reveals things she never considered. The riveting tale will mesmerize readers from the first page.

(Galley provided by Skyscape via NetGalley.)

Part-Time Princess, by Pamela Dumond

Pamela Dumond “discovered” Erin Brokovich’s story and brought it to the big screen. She has written several novels, including young adult, new adult, romance, and self-help. Her new book, Part-Time Princess, is the first book in the Ladies-in-Waiting series.

Lucy Trabbicio has a life. It’s not a fantastic one, but she gets by, as a cocktail waitress at a biker bar. Money is tight, so when a mysterious job opportunity comes her way, she’s intrigued. Turns out the job is to impersonate Lady Elizabeth Billingsley as she travels to the tiny country of Fredonia, to keep Prince Cristoph Timmel interested while Lady Elizabeth takes care of some personal business in the U.S.

Lucy is skeptical, but the paycheck is more than she can turn down, so she agrees, enduring the ensuing whirlwind of makeovers, beauty treatments, and lessons. A princess has to walk, talk, dress, and eat a certain way, after all. Before she knows it, Lucy is off to the Alps and her new identity.

On the flight, she meets bad-boy Nick, who seems to have a very personal history with Lady Elizabeth. Lucy is drawn to Nick, but she’s not who he thinks she is. And Nick isn’t Prince Cristoph, so he isn’t part of the job. Soon, Lucy is swept up in the romance and drama of the royal lifestyle. But parties aren’t enough to satisfy her, and she finds herself drawn to Nick, despite “her” engagement to Cristoph. Lucy is desperate to keep up the façade, even when someone tries to kill her, and Lady Elizabeth promises she’ll be back before the wedding.

But what if she isn’t? Will Lucy continue in her role as someone else, or will she admit who she really is, and risk losing her newfound friends and family?

Part-Time Princess is lighthearted and funny, with breathless romance and mystery, too. The breezy style makes the pages fly by, and Lucy’s antics will have the reader laughing and hoping through every chapter.

(Galley provided via NetGalley.)

The Spinster Bride, by Jane Goodger

Jane Goodger is an author in love with all things Victorian: houses, clothes, carriages, so it’s no wonder she writes Victorian romances. Her latest book, The Spinster Bride, is the last book in the Lords and Ladies series.

Marjorie Penwhistle was once the belle of the Season, with men at her feet and the world on a plate. Now, at the ripe old age of 23 and still unmarried, she’s on the verge of becoming a spinster. Good thing Marjorie doesn’t care about that. She wants to live her life, travel, and care for her brother, who’s a bit different and the recipient of their mother’s ire. When Marjorie isn’t the recipient of it herself, that is, since her mother insists that she marry a man of title and wealth, and won’t take “no” for an answer.

Charles Norris doesn’t have a title. What he does have is a war wound that makes him bitter, and a desire for a wife and a family of his home. He also has a tendency to fall in love with completely the wrong women, so he blackmails Marjorie into helping him find a suitable bride.

Clandestine meetings, secret notes left in hidden spots, and covert plots draw the two together as they search for the perfect wife for Charles. Along the way, they become friends, and fully appreciative of the stellar qualities of the other. It’s a good thing they are entirely unsuitable for each other. Or are they?

The Spinster Bride is a humorous tale of romance and light intrigue, and characters that will make you laugh, sigh, and root for them to see the light. The relationship that develops between Marjorie and Charles shows real depth as the characters show their secret selves and realize perhaps the one they were looking for was right in front of them all along.

(Galley provided by Lyrical Trade via NetGalley.)

The Wicked City, by Megan Morgan

Megan Morgan writes fantasy and paranormal romance. She’s an airport lounge bartender as well as a writer, and knows a thing or two about people. Her latest novel, The Wicked City, is the first book in the Siren Song series.

June Coffin is tired of the jokes about her name. She’s tired of people judging her for her tattoos and her smoking habits. She’s tired of being judged for being a Siren, able to influence people with her voice. But when her twin brother, Justin, is kidnapped by Chicago’s Institute of Supernatural Research, her attitude has a whole new focus.

Desperate to rescue Justin, June takes a walk on the dark side. To oppose her powerful enemies, she’ll need some powerful friends, so she teams up with a non-paranormal man who’s always supported paranormals. Too bad his wife just died, and June accidentally erased his memory. Oops. Her other teammate is a troublemaking paranormal leader who wants a little publicity for his cause, and isn’t afraid to go to great lengths to get it. With friends like these, what could possibly go wrong?

The Wicked City is a gritty paranormal romance with an intriguingly different premise. June is feisty and foul-mouthed, full of attitude, covered in tattoos and piercings, but she has a good heart and will stop at nothing to save her brother. The setting is dark,and the novel is steamy and sassy, with a twist.

(Galley provided by Lyrical Press via NetGalley.)

Hidden Deep, by Amy Patrick

Amy Patrick is the author of several contemporary romance novels. Her first young adult fantasy novel, Hidden Deep, is the first book in the Hidden trilogy, and is available now.

Ryann Carroll and her mother have just moved back to the small Mississippi town her grandmother calls home. After her father’s affair, they needed a change. Ryann loves the change, and the deep woods surrounding her grandmother’s home. Ten years before, she became lost in those woods and almost froze to death, but a mysterious boy saved her life. A boy that everyone convinced her never actually existed.

Which she believes, until he shows up out of the blue one day, while she’s skinny dipping, naturally. All grown up now, Lad is the most attractive boy she’s ever seen, and Ryann is drawn to him more than any boy she’s ever met. But there’s something different about Lad. He says he’s home-schooled, but Ryann suspects something a little more…exotic.

Lad has thought about Ryann for years, even though he risked his life and those of his people when he saved her life. Now she’s back, and Lad is torn between his love for Ryan and the safety of the people he’s sworn to protect.

Hidden Deep is a young adult fantasy novel set in steamy rural Mississippi, and the steam spills over to the attraction between Lad and Ryann. The characters are great, and the unique setting comes to life on the pages of this engrossing read.

(Galley provided by Oxford South Press via NetGalley.)

Bon Appetèmpt, by Amelia Morris

Amelia Morris is an award-winning writer, a food blogger, and a cook who knows that those pictures in cookbooks aren’t really accurate of most people’s results. Her first novel, Bon Appetèmpt, is her coming-of-age tale that explores growing up, living creatively, and finding herself.

Growing up in a small town isn’t easy. Especially when both of your parents are doctors, you have an older brother who excels at wrestling, and you don’t have an athletic bone in your body. It’s even harder when you’re five years old and your father has a child with his mistress, causing your parents to divorce and everything in your world to turn inside out.

Despite having two sets of parents and two different families, Amelia had a hard time fitting in. When she decided she wanted to be a writer, she didn’t realize how hard it was going to be. Add in a husband who also wanted to create things, a cross-country move to L.A., and more bills than money, and Amelia’s struggle to find herself turned into an epic battle. Through it all, she turned to her love of good food—and the realities of creating it—to show that those dazzling pictures in cookbooks are truly larger—and more photogenic—than real life. But it’s the small, messy moments that make life worth living.

Bon Appètempt is not a typical cookbook. Sure, there are recipes of delicious food. But there are also the behind-the-scenes messes, mistakes, and mishaps that fill everyday life. Ms. Morris explores the good, the bad, and the ugly in her memoir of her challenging childhood and her growing into the creative life she always dreamed about.

(Galley provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley).

Heartsick, by Caitlin Sinead

Caitlin Sinead is a new adult author. Her debut book, Heartsick, is available now. In it, she combines romance, mystery, and thrills to keep her readers on the edge of their seats. Her next book, Red Blooded, will be available this summer.

Quinn is a senior at Poe University. She wants to enjoy her senior year: hang out with her best friend, party a little bit, flirt with the hot genius she knows, and figure out what she’s going to do after graduation. Normal senior-year stuff. She isn’t expecting to meet Luke, a handsome local guy, at her favorite bar. She also isn’t expecting people’s eyes to start turning purple.

But after a party, that is exactly what happens, one by one. And no one seems to know what’s causing it. As it sweeps through the town, theories pop up, turning the townspeople against the college students in a series of frightening clashes, until no one is safe.

Quinn is determined to find out what’s going on, but soon she becomes the target of the student religious group and their escalating attacks. She doesn’t like getting involved, but Luke’s support is the only thing that gets her through, and she turns to him, despite the secrets in his past and his dying sister—the reason he moved back to town. Soon he’s the only one she can trust. Luke and Quinn must figure out what’s going on—and who’s causing it—before the entire town goes up in flames, taking them with it.

Heartsick is an intriguing story, set in a small college town full of quirky characters. It starts off a bit slow, but soon starts zipping along, full of gripping scenes, unanswered questions, and a few scary moments. The good and bad sides of human nature are on display, and Ms. Sinead digs into these moments, showing why some people do the things they do, both good and bad.

(Galley provided by Carina Press via NetGalley.)

Kissing Frogs, by Alisha Sevigny

Kissing Frogs is Alisha Sevigny’s first young adult novel. Ms Sevigny’s website says “A shameless romantic, Alisha and her husband have travelled the world together. On a trip to Panama Alisha fell in love with the country, culture, and their national emblem, the Golden Frog.” The result of that trip is her first novel.

Jessica Stone is popular: she has lots of friends, a hot boyfriend, and plans to hit the beach for Spring Break. But Jessica wasn’t always a cool kid. She used to be a really smart, goody-two-shoes type of kid. None of her new friends know about her past, and Jessica intends to keep it that way.

But Jessica’s Spring Break plans come to a screeching halt when she finds out she’s failing Biology. Her only chance to pass: a trip to Panama with the Conservation Club to save the Golden Frog. Like that’s not bad enough, one of her partners on the trip is Travis Henley, who knew her back in her nerdy days.

Except Travis has changed. Oh, he’s still the annoying prankster Jessica remembers, but he has depth. And Jessica finds herself wondering if she still has depth, or if her obsession with popularity has changed her beyond recognition. Soon Jessica finds herself on the adventure of her life as the group fights to save the Golden Frog before it’s lost forever.

NaNo Wishes

It’s November. Not a news flash, I know. But if you’re a writer, you might know this month better as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNo. If you don’t know, NaNo is all about writing a complete, 50,000-word novel in 30 days.

The first novel I ever completed was my first year doing NaNo. I’ll never forget the rush, the thrill of knowing I was writing alongside thousands of other writers all over the world. That alone was inspiration enough, but if my motivation ever flagged or I had questions, the forums were a fantastic place to go find it again or find answers. I didn’t finish that novel in November, but I finished it just a few weeks later. Since then, I’ve honestly forgotten how many times I’ve done–and “won”–NaNo, but I think it’s at least four (For the record, at least twice I wrote 100,000 words during NaNo. Yes, I’m a masochist. And clearly insane. I have papers.) I was even wearing my NaNo shirt when I met Laurell K. Hamilton, and she asked me about it because she’d never heard of it.

I haven’t done NaNo for the last…um, four years, I think. Because of school mainly. I can only juggle so much, and what amounts to two full-time jobs keeps me pretty busy. I haven’t even found time to write a single page in weeks, much less around 1,700 words a day. (There isn’t enough caffeine in the world to keep me awake for all that.) But in early October, when I remembered it was almost time for NaNo, I was tempted. Oh, so very tempted. Fortunately, common sense prevailed. I have a little. And, in the face of working 3 11-16-hour days a week, plus 2 8-or-so-hour days doing homework, and crazy busy weekends filled with half-marathon training…Yeah, common sense sucks, but it was right.

But I’d like to wish everyone doing NaNo lots of luck (and caffeine). If you are so fortunate, I’d really like to hear about how well it’s going.

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