It is only the end of February and there were alerady a few books this year that really made me go Wow! Deadtown by Nancy Holzner was one of them.

So when I finished Deadtown I emailed Nancy straight away and asked if she would like to be a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. Of course Nancy said yes and this is the interview we did. I hope you enjoy it and if you haven't already read her debut novel Deadtown make sure you enter the contest or better yet - Buy yourself a copy!! :)


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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Your amazing book Deadtown came out a couple of months ago. Can you start things off by telling my readers a little about Deadtown in your own words?

Nancy - Thanks, Amber, for inviting me. I'm really happy to be here.

I'd love to say a little about Deadtown. The story takes place in an alternative version of Boston. Three years ago, a virus turned two thousand Bostonians into zombies. The former quarantine zone has become Deadtown, a city-within-a-city that’s home (by law) to Boston’s paranormal community. Shapeshifter Vicky Vaughn lives there, along with her vampire roommate, her teenage zombie apprentice, and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Alexander Kane, a workaholic werewolf lawyer.

Vicky kills other people’s demons for a living: personal demons of fear, guilt, and revenge. When one of her clients is horribly murdered, Vicky must face a a far more dangerous demon—one from her own past—to protect the city.

Amber - Deadtown really was a great read and I enjoyed how different it was to the other Urban Fantasy books out there at the moment. How did you come up with the idea?

Nancy - Thanks, I'm really happy you enjoyed Deadtown. :)

Several things came together and percolated to produce the book. I began my career as a medievalist, and one of the medieval texts I enjoyed was the Mabinogi, a collection of Welsh stories and legends written down in the 13th and 14th centuries. There's a story about Ceridwen and Gwion Bach that involves a great chase scene. Gwion Bach, a shepherd boy, is running away from Ceridwen, a witch/goddess, after "stealing" a potion from her (whether accidentally or on purpose depends on your interpretation). During the chase, he shapeshifts into a hare to run faster, and she changes into a greyhound to pursue him. He leaps into a river and changes into a fish, she dives in after him as an otter. And so on. Finally, the exhausted Gwion runs into a barn and throws himself into a pile of wheat, changing into a single grain and thinking he can hide there. Ceridwen turns into a fat black hen and eats the entire pile of grain, including Gwion. Months later, she gives birth to him anew and names him Taliesin; he becomes the first great bard of Wales.

I thought this story would make a wonderful basis for a race of shapeshifters who were a little different from standard weres. So I invented the Cerddorion, Vicky's race. Welsh mythology is so rich, that I'm having fun using it to develop Vicky's story as I move forward, too.

I made Vicky a demon fighter because of an offhand comment I read on an agent's blog, where she mentioned she disliked the phrase "So-and-so wrestles with his own personal demons." I thought it would be fun to create a character who killed other people's personal demons for a price. So those two things--the mythology and the idea of a personal demon slayer--came together in Vicky.

Amber - Will there be more books in the series? How much more of Deadtown and it's inhabitants can we expect on seeing?

Nancy - Deadtown's sequel, Hellforged, will be out next January. In it, Vicky faces a kind of demon that she's never encountered before and must travel to Wales to get further training from her aunt Mab. While there, she meets Pryce, who calls himself her cousin but is the blackest sheep from the darkest, most twisted branch of her family tree. Pryce has plans for Vicky, and she'll have to fight hard to stop him.

I hope to continue the series beyond Hellforged for at least three more books. I'm working on some proposals now.

Amber - How do you pick the names of your characters? Are they just names you like, people you know or do they have some other meaning?

Nancy - Characters' names come from all over. I use baby name websites, I let possibilities float up from my subconscious, I even scan the phone book sometimes. Characters often go through several names before I find one that sticks. I'll write a few scenes and see whether the name continues to feel right. If it doesn't, I'll keep looking.

In Deadtown, Vicky's full name is Victory Vaughn. Her first name chose me: A phrase came into my head, which in the novel became a dream that Vicky's father had a year before she was born: A girl child shall be born unto you, and her name shall be Victory. I love Victory as a name, and I searched around for a while before I found a surname that worked with it. Vaughn is a Welsh name, of course, and I liked the way it sounded with Vicky.

Amber - I may have made my home in Austria the last ten years but I was born in Wales and will always be Welsh! What made you use Wales and Cymraeg in Deadtown?

Nancy - My number one reason was being inspired by the Mabinogi. Besides that, I think Wales is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I love both the mountains and the coast. Its landscape is thoroughly steeped with the legends and history of the people who live there. Plus I love the sound of the language.

Because Vicky goes to North Wales in Hellforged, I was hoping to make a research trip there, but that didn't work out with my schedule. Maybe for Book 3. :)

Amber - Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Nancy - Right now, I'm revising Hellforged and outlining Book 3. I've also got an idea for a dark fantasy set in the Catskills. There's a lot of possibilities there for a spooky Gothic setting, with abandoned, falling-down hotels, dangerous gorges, impenetrable woods... It'll be fun, I think, if I can make it come together.

Amber - How did you end up being a writer? Did you always want to be one? What kinds of ups and downs have you come against so far?

Nancy - I've always been a reader. And for me, writing was a natural extension of that. I wrote a lot as a child and teenager. In college, I started focusing more on having a career--I went to grad school and eventually became an English professor. I also started a family. During that phase of my life, there wasn't much time for writing creatively.

I started writing again about seven years ago. By that time, I'd left academia. Probably the most difficult thing about taking up writing again was developing confidence in myself as a writer. Then I published several nonfiction books (that's still my day job), which helped. It took several months to find an agent for my first novel, a mystery called Peace, Love, and Murder, and she sold that book to a small press. The book didn't make much of a splash, but that sale was a great confidence booster. Soon after, we sold Deadtown in a two-book deal.

Amber - There are alot of online sites such as Facebook that authors are using to reach their readers. Do you use any of these sites? Do you think they are good or evil? ;)

Nancy - I'm on Facebook and Twitter, and I try to post fairly regularly at my blog and at Good Girls Bad Juju, which is a group urban fantasy and steampunk blog. I also have a Facebook fan page for people who might want to keep up with what's going on with my books but don't necessarily want to follow every little hiccup of my life. I love being able to connect with readers in all those ways, but I have to be careful about my time. Besides fiction, I write how-to books full time, which can be very demanding because the world of technical publishing moves much faster than fiction publishing. So I have to be careful not to suddenly look up from a Twitter conversation, for example, and realize that I've just squandered two hours I was supposed to be using to finish Chapter 12.

Amber - Werewolf or vampire? Both appear in your books but who do you prefer? Team Jacob or Team Edward? ;)

Nancy - I like the animal passion of werewolves. Vampires seem much colder to me. Werewolves act on instinct and appetite; vampires act in self-interest. At least that's my take on them. On the other hand, vampires are more sophisticated. A vampire would probably be more likely than a werewolf to go to the opera with me. (I'm a big opera fan.)

Amber - What books do you like to read? Any favourite authors or series?

Nancy - I read everything. It's the former English professor in me. :) In urban fantasy, some of my favorite authors right now are Ilona Andrews, Devon Monk, and Patricia Briggs. In the past year, I've read terrific debuts by Kelly Gay, Kelly Meding, and Seanan McGuire, and I look forward to reading their next books. But I also enjoy reading mysteries, thrillers, 19th-century novels, literary novels. If it's got pages, I'll pick it up and take a look and then probably read it all the way through. I also like to reread some of my favorite medieval texts; I love stories about King Arthur and his knights, for example.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be?

Nancy - I think it would be fun to be a shapeshifter like Vicky. She can become a bird and soar over the landscape or a lion and defend herself. If I had to choose from beyond the world of my novel, I might pick one of the fey. I really enjoy novels that go into the politics of the faerie courts.

Amber - Thank you for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again soon!

Nancy - Thank you so much, Amber! It's been fun!



My review of Deadtown

Deadtown 101

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Contest Time!

Nancy has said she will send a signed copy of Deadtown to the winner of this weeks contest! However I personally expect you will all want to buy a copy anyway ;)

How to enter?

Mabinogi, a collection of Welsh stories and legends helped bring Deadtown to life. So I want to know what book inspires you??

No Book = No entry!

Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!





The contest will stay open until Sunday 7th of March 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

Good Luck!

Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Nancy Holzner

This week one of my author guests was Yasmine Galenorn. I offered up one book of your choice to the winner of this weeks contest and it is time to announce the winner! However before I tell you who the lucky person is, I have to say I am extremely surprised. I think about 90% of the people who entered this contest said they haven't read Yasmine's series yet! All I can say is 'get on with it people!' ;)

So who won?
Congrats to -


Samantha.1020!!


Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!

My other guest this week was author Naomi Clark. Not only was Naomi giving away a e-copy of her book Silver Kiss but everyone who entered will be entered into her blog tour contest where you could win a signed paper copy of Silver Kiss!

Now I loved the answers you all gave to Naomi's question. I will have to adapt that question for a future author contest...but for now here is the winner!


Karen W.!!


Congrats to you both! Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize. If you didn't win this time that make sure you keep tuned for the next author guest and contest! Also make sure you enter the February Monthly Giveaway!

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address.

If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't recieved your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

Labels: Contests, naomi clark, Winners, Yasmine Galenorn

If you are a scrub like Trella you are a nobody, someone who works on the lower levels and keeps Inside clean for the Uppers. You keep your head down so you won't get noticed. You do your job and try to avoid the Pop Cops.

However Trella has a friend and knows the pipes like the back of her hand. She uses them to sneak around and go places she shouldn't. She sometimes even goes to the Upper levels. Which is why someone needs her help. There is a Gateway to get Outside and Trella is the only one who can find the place. So a rebellion is started and this one girl tries to break down the divide between the Scrubs and Uppers and the Inside and the Out.

The Study and Glass series by this author are a favourite of mine and a must read. They are books that I have kept in my permanent collection and I have also managed to get friends and family hooked. So when I heard about Inside Out I was excited about a new series but then the blurb and cover made me wonder, could this be as good?

The answer is a big Yes. Inside Out may, in some ways, be the complete opposite to the Study and Glass series but the imagination of the writer shines through. Another new unique world has been crafted by the author and yet again she has created a lovely lead character to star in it. The suspense is addictive and the twists and turns shocking. I enjoyed this alot!

More Sci-fi than Fantasy this reminded me a little of Peeps by Scott Westerfeld. However Inside Out is much more brilliant and inventive. This new series has certainly surprised me but I know that Maria isn't finished amazing us yet. There are still questions to be answered and I can't wait to read the next adventure of the Inside to find out what happens to Trella and the rest of her Scrubs.

Inside Out is due for release in April

Maria's Previous releases -

Poison Study
Magic Study
Fire Study

Storm Glass
Sea Glass

Labels: ARC, Books Read, Maria V. Snyder

Kara Gillian is a cop with some unusual gifts. Not only can she use the power of 'othersight' but she is also a summoner of demons. Demons can be helpful but Kara has managed to summon a demon lord and now he wants her to belong only to him.

Her day job keeps her busy and she has two cases open that don't look quite right. So with the help of a handsome FBI agent she starts trying to put, the little evidence she has, together. However the help of the sexy Lord Rhyzkahl will make things go faster so she turns to the demons for help. She knows that the deaths she is investigating are special and are connected. She knows because something ate their souls.

I loved the first installment in this series, Mark of the Demon, and have been waiting for this sequel ever since. When this arrived in the post I wanted to start it straight away but was also worried that I would be disappointed. Afterall the second book in a series is sometimes the make or break. But I started Blood of the Demon this morning and have been snapping it up all day. I was hooked from page one!

I have always been a fan of writers like Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell and the whole crime/thriller genre. However the Paranormal genre has always been my favourite and wins every time when I go to my bookshelf to pick my next read. Then this comes along. A perfect mixture of the both! And written by someone who knows what they are talking about. Suspense, mystery and demons! What else could a paranormal fan ask for?

Well written with an amazing plot, this is a definite must read series for me. This is like a paranormal CSI and I am dying for more. One of the best new series I have come across lately and most likely the best demon themed. Diana Rowland has captured everything I want and the main character is someone I can relate to.

Make sure you try this because I don't think any fans of the Paranormal genre will regret it. This second book has sealed the deal for me and I looking forward to anything else this author has to throw at me. I am addicted!

Labels: Books Read, Diana Rowland, New Releases

This week I have a Friday guest to see you all into the weekend! I was introduced to the writing of author Naomi Clark when I read and reviewed an anthology called Queer Wolf published by Queer Fiction.

Naomi's short story 'Wolf Strap' was the one that stood out in Queer Wolf. So when Queer Fiction wrote to me and said she was expanding on her short story I was eager to have her on the blog as a guest.

So I hope you enjoy the guest blog and enter the contest! You only have till Sunday to enter!

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Ayla Hammond has come home.

After years as a lone wolf in a self-imposed exile she’s rejoining the pack and trying to mend fences with her parents.

She’s convinced them to accept her girlfriend, but can a lone wolf change her ways?
As if homecoming wasn’t hard enough, Ayla also can’t help getting involved in a missing person case.

With pressure to solve the case mounting from the pack alphas, Ayla is starting to question where her loyalties lie –

and if a return to the pack she left behind is really what she wants.



In SILVER KISS, my werewolves always know another werewolf when they meet them. There’s a very distinct scent to a wolf that humans just don’t have. For humans to identify werewolves, it’s not so easy. On the surface, there are just no real clues – unless you’re a wolf who’s spent too much time in wolf-shape. Then you might have the pointed fangs or lupine eyes that give you away!

In traditional folklore however, people had a whole checklist of signs for spotting werewolves, dating right back the seventh century. So if you suspect your neighbour might be creeping out at the full moon to turn hairy, you might want to watch for these signs:

Pale skin
Weak vision
An absence of tears or saliva
Excessive thirst
Ulcers and abrasions on the arms and legs, caused by walking on all fours

Tradition also recommends checking the palms of the suspected werewolf. If they’re covered with coarse, stiff hair, get the silver bullets ready. Overly long index fingers and eyebrows that meet in the centre of the forehead are also giveaways.

Of course, the werewolves in SILVER KISS aren’t hiding what they are – they’re happily out in the open. And you can be sure they’re far too well-groomed to have monobrows.

I’ve got a great contest for everyone. There’s an ebook for a winner at the end of this contest and everyone who enters now will also be in the running for winning a signed print copy of SILVER KISS drawn at the end of the week. Just answer this simple question in your comment to be entered into both competitions:

How do you think you’d know if your neighbour was a werewolf?

Follow the SILVER KISS BLOG TOUR for more chances to win. Check out the itinerary and join me on the next step of the tour. And there are even more prizes on 1st March, the official SILVER KISS release day and I’m live for a Twitter Release Party #silverkiss.

Visit The Silver Kiss Page for a reading as Naomi Clark reads from Wolf Strap! (Released in parts over the course of the blog tour!)

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Contest Time!

As you may have read in the guest blog above, Noami is very kindly giving away an e-book copy of her new release Silver Kiss. Also everyone who enters the contest will be added to a draw to win a signed print copy of SILVER KISS.

All you have to do to enter is just answer this simple question to be entered into both competitions:

How do you think you’d know if your neighbour was a werewolf?

No answer = No entry!

Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!

The contest will stay open until Sunday 28th of February 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

Labels: Contests, Guest Blog, naomi clark

It is the most fabulous cheer leader pyramid ever and Karen Vera is on the top enjoying the attention. Unfortunately some stupid guy brings her alot of unwanted attention and the pyramid collapses. Before Karen has time to take in what has happened, she is lying on the pavement looking disgustingly dead.

However death is not the end for Karen. She learns that she is a genetically undead zombie. Freakishly alive without a pulse she is sent off to DEAD high, a boarding school for the 'death challenged'. But death isn't the only challenge for Karen in her new school. Her roommate hates her, she has to eat animal brains to stay in shape, nobody thinks she is cool and worst of all someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains!

Although not everything is bad. A new BFF is helping her find out if the gorgeous Gavin is the brain stealer. Cos she doesn't want to be seen dead with him if he is the one sending the students to certain zombie death.

I really enjoyed Stay Jay's previous zombie books about Megan Berry so My So Called Death was a must buy for me. Undead Much? and You Are So Undead to Me had me giggling and eager for more. This new book from the zombie loving author was no different and I am glad I didn't wait around to get my hands on a copy.

This book is aimed at young adults but the title, cover and blurb were just too good to pass up on. Not enough books in the paranormal genre characterise zombies as a good and fun topic so I love what Stacey Jay has done to these paranormal outcasts. Slightly different to the Zombie Settler series this book managed to have all the elements I have come to enjoy from the author but it had a new and fresh feel to it.

If you like reading young adult and like a little laugh but need a little mystery then you can't go wrong with this read. I am really looking forward to seeing what the author comes up with next and I hope she sticks to zombies. Although I would be interested in seeing what this author could do with something more adult I am happy with the YA content too. Give this a try yourself or gift it to a daughter, niece or some other young adult who likes a bit of paranormal. This zombie world deathly dangerous but totally fun.

Labels: Books Read, Stacey Jay, Young Adult

I can't believe February is nearly over! It only seems like last week that the January Monthly Giveaway finished! So it is time to celebrate another month of reading and see what book you all want from my Febraury reads!

As always there are five books to choose from and vote for. So make sure you go to the poll and vote for the one you want to win or the one you think deserves to win! Here is a little info about each book on offer. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -


Accidentally Demonic by Dakota Cassidy


First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost


Unknown by Rachel Caine


Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler


Gone by Lisa McMann


How does the monthly giveaway work?

Well in the sidebar <--- there is this poll. You vote for the book you would most like to win. I pick a name from the subscibers list and that person wins the book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for! To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar <--- or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new subscribers. If you have not confirmed your email address then you will not be added to the draw!!! The poll will stay open for votes until Friday 5th of March 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced later than day.

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

For more chances to win -

Post about this giveaway somewhere on the internet eg. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter etc. Make sure you post the link here so I can confirm your extra entry.

Email your friends about this giveaway. Make sure you add my email address so I also get a copy and can confirm your extra entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu

For more prizes -

I will draw more than one winner if I have enough money in the Amberkatze's Book Blog Amazon account. You can help fill this account by using one of the following links below to make your purchases on Amazon.com or Amazon.de

Labels: Contests, Dakota Cassidy, Jeaniene Frost, Lisa McMann, Monthly Giveaway, Nicole Peeler, Rachel Caine

There are so many supernatural dangers that Rachel Morgan has gone up against. As a witch and bounty hunter it is just another typical day if she is being attacked by something or other. However now Rachel has been shunned for dealing with demons and black magic and the coven wants her to pay for her crimes.

Life in prison sounds bad until Rachel finds out that the coven have other ideas of what they can do with her. So yet again Rachel has to rely on her friends and even some enemies to get out of another mess. Even if she does survive there is sure to be more smut on her aura by the end of the fight. Even a death in a family will be payment for coming out of this one alive.

Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series is the series that got me into the Paranormal genre. So it is no surprise that each new installment of the series goes onto my pre-order list as soon as possible. So when Black Magic Sanction arrived I instantly started reading it. There was no way I could wait another minute after waiting a whole year for a new Rachel Morgan story.

When you want something so bad and have waited so long there is always a chance that your expectations are way too high. This may be the case with Black Magic Sanction. I pushed through this one and forced myself to read to the end. It wasn't that it sucked but it just wasn't as special as any of the previous books in the series. I kept waiting and hoping that something amazing would happen but I just felt everything was bland.

Of course this series is a must buy and must read for me. However this time around I feel like I should have waited for the paperback release and saved myself some money. However I know for a fact that next time around I will be pre-ordering the newest edition as early as possible. I still want to catch up with Rachel, see how Ivy is doing, giggle at Jenks and see if Trent does anything cool. On the plus side one of my wishes for this new part did come true. I really hoped that the gargoyle Bis would play a bigger part and he did.

I would be interested to hear what everyone else thought of this one. I honestly didn't hate it but I am not feeling the love either. So I will wait patiently again for another year until another book comes out and hope that I will yet again be able to keep up with the story that I haven't visited for months.

Labels: Books Read, Kim Harrison, New Releases

With no memory of how she got there, Casey Schwarz wakes up in jail and calls her sister, Wanda, to come bail her out. There is no good explanation for her behaviour the previous night and Casey starts to get a little upset about everything. Suddenly fireballs are shooting around and horns are her new fashion accessory. It doesn't take Casey long to realise that her loss of memory is due to more than just some bump on the head or too much to drink.

That is when her sister drops the paranormal bombshell. Things are looking bad for Casey but then a hot vampire shows up with some answers. Clayton is definitely not giving Casey all the information she wants but she finds herself growing attracted to him. However things get even worse when Clayton's 'mate' shows up. So Casey finds herself possessed, evil and full of urges she has to keep in check. Otherwise she could get herself and Clayton killed.

The Accidental series has given me three laugh out loud books so far and I honestly thought they had come to an end. Then this new installment popped up somewhere and I was instantly intrigued. Who was in for an accidental surprise this time? I couldn't wait to find out.

Dakota Cassidy, has yet again written a fun and clever paranormal treat. Fast-paced and full of action, this is girlie and super sexy. However this book has left me feeling a little old and boring. Maybe I need a little accident in my life too. After all these girls seem to be having a fabulous time!

Whatever Dakota writes next is certain to end up on my TBR pile. She makes Betsy look lame and gives the reader an experience they won't forget.

Labels: Books Read, Dakota Cassidy, New Releases

Vampire P.I. Felix Gomez has been called to Charleston to do some work for a werewolf. Unfortunately the job would mean he would be getting involved in a civil war between the local rival werewolf clans. Felix is ready to walk away from the job, go back home and ignore the whole things when someone decides to try and kill him. Felix doesn't like having attempts made on his life so he chooses to hang around a little longer.

One thing leads to another and before Felix knows what has happened he is mixed up in the war he was trying to ignore. An ex-girlfriend is also on the scene and an vampire enemy he thought was dust is annoying him. How Felix manages to get into these situations is beyond him but he can only hope that once again he comes out of it with all his body parts and still alive enough to drink blood.

The fifth book in the Felix Gomez series opens up with a werewolf head in a Tupperware container. The surreal and fantastic story just gets better and better from there on. With a giggle and laugh guaranteed in each chapter, this is not only funny but male friendly. There aren't many books in the Paranormal genre that appeal to the men out there but this one is definitely a book you can read yourself and pass on to the guy in your life afterwards.

Werewolf Smackdown is another great original witty story in this unusual but gripping series. While the books so far haven't come across werewolves before there have been many other paranormal surprises in the previous installments. With each book you can only ask what amazing things the author still has left in store for us. I for one want to find out!

It is hard to find anything to compare this series to. Jim Butcher does so well with the Dresden Files but it is lacking the comedy that Mario brings out through Felix. If anything this is the vampiric version of the Douglas Adams Dirk Gently series and is even similar to the Nightside books by Simon R. Green. However at the end of the day it doesn't matter what to expect from this series. You should expect the unexpected, laugh, enjoy and go back for more. I certainly do!

Werewolf Smackdown is due for release in March.

The previous books in the series are -

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats
X-Rated Bloodsuckers
The Undead Karma Sutra
Jailbait Zombie

Labels: ARC, Books Read, Mario Acevedo, New Releases

Another Sookie Stackhouse audiobook listened to! I am still enjoying re-visiting this series via audiobook and it is becoming quite addictive. It isn't just because this series is amazing but also because the narrator reads it so well. This has to be my favourite series on audiobook so far.

If you haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse books then I recommend you do so immediately. If you have read the books then you will know what happened in this book. Well you would think so! I read the whole series already and listening to this fifth book had me going 'wow I had forgotten about that' and 'that really happened?'. I had completely erased the whole Charles the pirate vampire from my memories and I had just a distance recollection the shootings.

I am extremely happy to be visiting this series again and already listened to book 6 a few months ago before I found the rest of the series on iTunes. So I have already downloaded and started listening to book seven, All Together Dead, and hope to be finished with the whole series in time for the new Sookie Book due out in May.

Labels: Audiobooks, Charlaine Harris

Author Yasmine Galenorn is one of my favourite writers. Her Sisters of the Otherworld series just keeps getting better and she has even found the time to start a new series.

About a year ago Yasmine visited Amberkatze's Book Blog and I appreciate Yasmine taking the time to visit the blog again. The seventh book in the Otherworld series, Bone Magic, came out in January and the debut book in the The Indigo Court Series, Night Myst, is due out in June. Also Yasmine had a short story in the 'Inked' anthology. A busy 2010 so far!

I hope you enjoy the interview! Make sure you enter the contest for your chance to win a book by Yasmine!

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Amber - Yasmine! It is so nice of you to be a guest again on Amberkatze's Book Blog! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Yasmine: No problem. :)

Amber - Maybe you can start things off by telling my readers a little bit about your newest release, Bone Magic

Yasmine - : Bone Magic is book 7 in the Otherworld Series, and it’s a pivotal book—Camille’s life changes forever, so does Chase’s life. Politics shift, alliances are broken and re-formed. We see much more of Otherworld in this book, and the magic that embraces Camille’s life. Since each trio of books rotate through the three sisters’ POVs, starting with Camille (then going on to Delilah and Menolly), this starts off the third triad in the series. There are so many potential spoilers in this book it’s hard to say more but I was immersed in writing it and am thrilled to see how it’s being received

Amber - The Sister's of the Otherworld series is getting very intense! I am loving every word ;) How many more books will there be about the sisters? Is there an end in sight?

Yasmine – I have no idea—as many as I am comfortable writing, and I have no desire to stop yet. There are so many directions in which I can take this series, I can see myself writing for quite awhile on it before feeling drained. Right now, there are 9 under contract—I’m working on the 9th, and three anthologies with Otherworld novellas—Inked and Never After are out now. I’m still working on the Iris novella for Hexed, which comes out in 2011. We go back to discuss more Sisters books with the publisher soon. I’ll announce whatever happens when it happens—but you’ll be sure to see it if you follow my blog or check my website.

Amber - There are quite a few Paranormal books/series set in Seattle. Why did you pick Seattle? Did you consider any other locations for the series?

Yasmine – I live here. I like writing regional work because A) I know this region so well, and B) this is a magical area, very dark and gloomy and perfect for my kind of writing. I think I’d feel uncomfortable writing a series set anywhere else unless it was a fantasy setting that I created in my mind.

Amber - The three sisters and the other characters in the series have some weird but wonderful names. How do you pick character names? Do you they just come to you? or does each name have a reason and purpose?

Yasmine – The characters name themselves, at least the main characters and most of the secondary ones. Minor characters sometimes need a little help, but no—they spring in my head named and ready to rumble. ~laughs~

Amber - I saw have a new YA series coming out this year. Can you tell us a little about that? I am already drooling over the cover for Night Myst ;)

Yasmine – No, no no—trying to dispel this rumor. I am NOT writing a YA series. It’s definitely adult and definitely contains violence and sex. My description of the Indigo Court Series (Night Myst in particular) is:

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their power. Instead, they created a demonic enemy more powerful than they dared to dream. Bent on enslaving the world, the Vampiric Fae have been quietly massing their strength for centuries. Now, Myst, queen of the Indigo Court, is rising again...and a long-prophesied war is brewing...

Born a witch, Cicely Waters can control the wind. When her Elemental warns her that her aunt and cousin are in danger, she packs her Pontiac GTO and returns home for the first time in years. But the magical town of New Forest, Washington has changed. The Indigo Court holds the city in fear; people are vanishing, and strange deaths plague the town. Swept into an unexpected and passionate reunion with her trusted childhood friend Grieve, the Fae prince who taught her how to harness the wind, Cicely finds herself with a fierce and territorial lover. But Grieve has become enslaved by Myst's court, and now both lovers must walk a fine line to survive the machinations of the Vampiric Fae Queen. Caught between two evils, both vying for supremacy, Cicely must fight for her family and her future. As she discovers the hidden secrets to her own heritage, will she lose her soul in the process?

Amber - There are alot of Paranormal Genre authors writing YA books. Did you always want to write something YA? How did the series come about?

Yasmine – No, actually, I am not a YA writer. While I think it might be fun, I’ve come to the realization that I do not write YA and am not geared toward doing so. The series, however, started with a vision of a forest in my mind, with all sorts of twisted and odd creatures—distorted Fae—and the main character, Cicely Waters—was walking through the forest, searching for her aunt. It grew from there.
Amber - Are you working on any other projects or are you happy and busy enough with the two you are busy with now?

Yasmine – I have other things I’d love to write (standalone novels) but right now, I’m writing three books and a novella each year. I simply don’t have time to write anything else.

Amber - Your books have some really amazing covers. How much say do you, as an author, have in the finished product? For example, can you ask them to change the cover if you don't like it?

Yasmine – Very little and no, absolutely not. I get cover consult, my editor and I talk it over, but they have no obligation to use my ideas and I have no say in the final cover. I really love my cover artist—Tony Mauro—who is doing both series for me, and value his work so much. He’s really drawn people to my books, and I love that he so easily envisions my characters the way I do.

Amber - What are you reading, watching and listening to lately? Any recommendations?

Yasmine – Reading—not much, I’m so busy, though I love the House of Night Series by PC & Kristin Cast, the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine, and the Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs. I have quite a wide variety of authors I read and subjects/genres that I enjoy. Amy Tan, Daphne du Maurier, Ray Bradbury, Tolkien, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover Series, Neil Gaiman, Diane Mott Davidson, JA Jance, Greg Bear, Tad Williams, and oh, so many that I didn’t mention here.

What I’m watching: Bones, Fringe, Medium, InuYasha, and Bleach are my top five, also love the nonfiction shows like Cold Case Files, 48 Hours, City Confidential. Love the Food Network challenges. Love old sitcoms that made me laugh when I was younger. And there are others—anime, assorted other stuff.

Listening: now there’s a huge list because I have a playlist for each book. My absolute favorite is Gary Numan—love his work both old and new. He’s gorgeous and talented and seems very pulled together. Also am loving Ladytron lately, Crystal Method, Air, Beck, and so many others that I can’t possibly begin to list them all here. Check my playlists if you want to know what I love.

Amber - There are so many online sites eg, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace etc. to get in touch with fans. Which sites are you signed up with? Is it hard to keep up with them all? Do you think they are good?

Yasmine – It is so freakin’ hard to keep up with all of them and I need my husband and my assistant to help me do that. I have a Face Book Fan Page—I recently closed my profile page to private just to give me some breathing room, and started the fan page. I’ve gotten some flack about it but too bad—you want to interact with me on FB it’s going to be through the fan page. I also have a MySpace page we keep up to date, and I’m on Twitter. I have my blog, and the catch all for my information: my Website which I wish people would check before asking me simple questions on the social networking sites—ninety percent of the time the information is right there on my website. I have a mailing list which people can sign up for too.
I enjoy Twitter most, I think, MySpace second, and I really have a hard time with Facebook but know I should keep a presence there. I don’t autofollow on Twitter, but do try to reply to @ replies as soon as I can. My D’Artigo Sisters have their own Twitter, and so do my cats. :)

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be?
Yasmine – One of the Fae in my world. I love writing about the Fae—they are so powerful, dark and unpredictable.

Amber - Thank you again for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will stop by again soon!





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Contest Time!

This week I am giving away a Yasmine Galenorn Otherworld series book! Winners choice! So if you are new to the series you can start at the beginning and if you are missing the newer installments you can catch up!

How to enter?

Tell me who your favourite sister is! If you haven't already read the series then pick from Witch, Werecat or Vampire! ;)

No Sister = No entry!

Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!





The contest will stay open until Sunday 28th of February 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

Good Luck!

Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Yasmine Galenorn

There were two amazing contests this week and both just came to an end. So it is time to announce the winners and make way for the next guest & contest!

Author Mark Henry was here all week answering your questions . A huge thank you to Mark for checking in and for the great prizes!

Congrats to -


Amily

&

Heatwave16


You both win a copy of the second book in the Amanda Feral series, ROAD TRIP OF THE LIVING DEAD from Mark! Read to the end to find out how to claim your prize!

And congrats to -


Spav

&

Throuthehaze


Who both win a copy of an Amanda Feral book of your choice from me! (keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!)

If you didn't win then please make sure you get hold of a copy of Mark's books and help save Amanda Feral!! It would be a huge shame if we didn't get to find out what happens to the fabulous Zombie!

My second guest this week was author Terry Spear. Terry was also here all week answering your questions and saying Hi! A huge thank you to her for popping in!

Terry was giving away two copies of new book 'Legend of the White Wolf'. Congrats to the winners -


Benita

&

justpeachy36


Also a huge thanks to everyone who entered both contests! If you didn't win this time then make sure you check out the upcomming author events and also the February Monthly Giveaway (coming sometime this week!)

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address.

If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't recieved your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

Labels: Contests, Mark Henry, Terry Spear, Winners

Faythe Saunders is the first female werecat enforcer and future Alpha of her Pride. It isn't easy and she has the scars to prove it but she is getting stronger and stronger each day. The fight between the Prides is helping her learn what she needs to know to become Alpha but then a new enemy flies in from the sky and everyone is clueless.

Still injured from her last battle, Faythe nearly doesn't manage to save Kaci from the attack that leaves the Pride helpless and scared. Prisoners in their own home, the Pride realise who must have set this new enemy onto them but they are not sure how. So Faythe is busy trying to keep her personal life in order while making choices that could see them all killed or have them walking away in one piece.

Whatever happens, there will be casualties and losses. Faythe's main concern is that the people she loves the most are not among those hurt. Even if it means she herself gets hurt or killed in the process.

Shift is the fifth book in the Werecat series and it was, like every book in the series so far, amazing! The new enemy the Pride were up against took me by surprise and I loved getting to know a new side of the world this series is set in. The story was fast-paced, action-packed and sometimes a little terrifying but I couldn't stop picking this up to read at each chance I got.

The whole Mark verus Jace aspect of this book also kept me on tender hooks. I was constantly hoping that Faythe would finally sort the problem out but of course something always got in the way. Now I am eager to see what will happen in the next book, Alpha. Will Faythe really have to make a decision?

If you haven't already tried this series then I recommend it highly. This is one of those series that you read to keep but then buy copies for all your friends. I am totally hooked and love Faythe, Kaci and the rest of the Pride and I don't know how I manage to wait months for the next installment. Rachel Vincent is a must read and writes some of the best books in the genre. Exciting and satisfying, Shift shows that this series is just going to keep getting better and better.

Labels: Books Read, New Releases, Rachel Vincent

...the contests???

Amberkatze's Book Blog is helping save Amanda Feral! Read Mark Henry's guest blog and enter the contest! You could win one of 4 books!

Also Terry Spear is giving away a copy of her new release. Enjoy her guest blog and enter the contest for your chance to win!

The closing date for both contests is Sunday! So make sure you enter before 4pm (Central European Time) to have your name entered into the draw!

Labels: Contests, Mark Henry, Terry Spear

Just to keep you all on your toes, I have a second guest this week! Author Terry Spear is doing a bit of a blog tour to promote her new release 'Legend of the White Wolf'. Her newest book is the fourth part in her Werewolf Series and books 5 & 6 are also due to be released this year.

I hope you all enjoy Terry's guest blog and that it gives you a little idea of how book publishing works. Don't forget to enter the great contest she is running! You can find the details on how to enter at the bottom of the guest blog.

------------------------------------

The Good and the Bad of Publishing

Thanks so much to Amberkatze for having me here today! She asked me to speak on the good and bad of being published.

Well, I can tell you the bad part of being published is deadlines! :-) Once upon a time, long, long ago, I wrote at my own leisure. I wasn’t published, you see. And you thought there wasn’t anything good about not being published! But in those long years past, I could write, or not. I could start another story, if I got stumped on the other, and another, and another. I could have twenty unfinished manuscripts and it didn’t matter. That is the good thing about being unpublished. No deadlines.

Fast forward to today. The good thing about being published is deadlines. I know, I know, that’s also the bad thing about being published. But just think—with a deadline, it means you’ve sold. With a deadline, it means you’ll build up a fan base. With deadlines, it means you’ll quit procrastinating! And you’ll concentrate on writing that story that needs to be told.

Another bad thing about being published is that you can’t write exactly what you want to write. You brand yourself as you build up a fan base. At least until you’re really well established. Then some authors are able to leap into another genre and are able to pull it off. But in the beginning, you have to stick to something so that readers will begin to follow you, and expect that your writing will be funny, or romantic, or mysterious, or suspenseful, or out of this world. You can no longer just write anything for the fun of it. You have an obligation to your readers to write what they expect you to write.

The good thing about being published is that you can’t write exactly what you want to write. I know, I know, that’s also the bad thing about being published. But just think—by writing in a similar vein, you improve your story-telling because you’re no longer a jack-of-all writing ventures, but more of an expert. You develop a following, which means sales, which makes both your publisher happy and you happy, and your readers happy, and they all want more of the same.

Another bad thing about being published is that it is no longer possible to just write the book, sell it, and expect the publisher to sell it for you. Years ago, I remember an author saying how her children’s book was discontinued, and she tried everything to get the publisher to keep it in stock. But sales were just too poor and they wouldn’t do it. She didn’t realize she should have attempted to market it herself. She had the background, the ability, the contacts, but she just figured it was in the publisher’s court. She was done with it once she’d submitted it. She ended up begging another smaller company to reprint the book, and this time she made a monumental effort to market it herself, and it was quite successful. Authors complain that if they didn’t have to spend so much time marketing their books, they could write so much more. So yes, this can be a downside to being published.

The good thing about being published is that you can market your own book! You knew I was going to say that, right? Yep, I love visiting with fans, sharing my secrets as to why I wrote the books I did, enjoying comments, answering questions, expanding my pack when it’s way too small as it is. I worked hard to write the book, edit it, and edit it some more. I want to see that it’s successful, so though I can’t afford to spend a lot of money on the venture, I’m more than happy to write guest blogs, do interviews, and anything else I can to help promote the books. I never want to be in a situation where I have to find another publisher for a book I lovingly wrote because I hadn’t bothered to help market it. And I love when fans want to see more of other characters in new books. To me, this is the ultimate benefit from author marketing!

So those are some of the pitfalls and the great things about being published. Deadlines, branding your writing style, and marketing. And with four books in the werewolf series already out, four more to come, and more after that, I’d say the benefits outweigh the pitfalls any day!

I hope you’ll read the wolf series if you haven’t already! And thanks again to AmberKatze for having me as her guest today!

LEGEND OF THE WHITE WOLF—IN STORES FEBRUARY 2010

Award-Winning Author introduces the next installment of her paranormal romance series
A 2008 Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year Award Winner!
Night Owl Romance Reader Choice Award for Best Paranormal 2008

In this fourth in Spear's series, Private Eye Cameron MacPherson and Faith O'Mallery are both on quests that lead them into the world of magical wolves...

Cameron arrives in the Canadian Arctic to search for his partners in his P.I. business who are late returning from a hunting trip. Faith is there to discover what her father had seen in the same area years earlier that had made him lose touch with reality—man-wolves, he called them.

The two tumble into an icy world of enemies bent on destroying the lupus garou kind. As they turn into lupus garou themselves, and bond with the pack that only they can rescue from destruction, Cameron and Faith find their soul mates in each other.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry Spear has an MBA from Monmouth University. As an eclectic writer, she dabbles in the paranormal, historical and true life stories for both teen and adult audiences. She is the author of Winning the Highlander’s Heart and The Vampire in My Dreams (young adult). Spear lives in Crawford, Texas.

You can find Terry at the following places:

www.terryspear.com
http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com/
http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com
http://fierceromance.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/home.php?ref=home
http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com

--------------------------------------

Contest Time!

Terry is going to send two lucky winners a copy of Legend of the White Wolf. The 2 winners must be in the US or Canada (sorry!) so please don't enter if you don't have a mailing address in either of these countries.

How to enter!

Terry's books are all about magical wolves. So my question is, if you could be any magical animal, what would you be?

No Magical Animal = No entry!

Earn entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

The contest will stay open until Sunday 21st of February 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.

Good Luck!

Labels: Contests, Guest Blog, Terry Spear

This week there were two author contests you all had the chance to enter! The first contest was with author Shelley Munro who said that the winner of this weeks contest can choose any e-book download from her Middlemarch Mates series!

So who won? Congratulations to -


Skyla11377!!


Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!

The second contest this week was with author Stephen Zimmer. He offered an amazing prize package! Who wins a 14 x 20 poster of the cover art, a personalized, signed copy of Crown of Vengeance, a set of 9 art cards from CoV, bookmarks, and a glossy 8 x 10 of the cover art?

Congratulations to -


Tooyfel!!


Well done to the winners and a huge thank you to both authors for offering such great prizes and being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog!

This week I have more author guests! So if you didn't win anything yet, keep trying!

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address and if necessary your choice of book.

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

Labels: Contests, Shelley Munro, Stephen Zimmer, Winners

The night isn't safe for humans and Denise MacGregor knows this more than anyway. Her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield and Denise's friendship with the 'Reaper' cost her dearly. If she hadn't grieved enough in the last year then now she is. Her family is dying one by one and Denise knows there has to be more to it than just a simple heart problem. What she doesn't realise is that a demon is involved.

There is a family secret and the demon coming to collect what he is owed has decided Denise can help him. She is unable to reach Cat and her husband Bones and goes to the only other person she can think of who could help. Spade is one of the last people Denise wants to see but her life and family could all die if she doesn't do something.

Spade is very powerful and has been a vampire for a long time. He wants to help Denise as much as possible but doesn't know what effects she could have on him now that she has been branded by the demon. Soon Spade is in too deep and his feelings for Denise are growing. However he has to be very careful because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

This first book in the Night Huntress World series is good enough to eat. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about Cat Crawford's adventures with Bones but reading about Spade and Denise was just as good and down right addictive. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. The same style, energy and action was packed into this book as those in the Night Huntress series. There is nothing wrong with this spin-off.

At first it was slightly confusing to think 'Denise and Spade' instead of 'Cat and Bones'. However after the first couple of chapters I was right in there with the new main characters. I enjoyed the fact that some of the other characters from the Night Huntress series played a part in this book. Bones, Cat and Ian were all present as well as a couple of others. I felt right at home with the gang and loved reading about things from another perspective.

This reminded me alot of the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands and I hope there will be more. Of course I missed Cat being the main focus but this story was just so well written, with a sit on the edge of your seat plot, that I can't find fault with the new turn the series is taking. Well done to the author for another great read. Keep it up!

Labels: Books Read, Jeaniene Frost, New Releases

This week there are two contests to enter! Both have amazing prizes on offer so make sure you check them out as the closing date is getting closer!

Author Shelley Munro was here and posted a guest blog about Leopards and shapeshifters. If you haven't checked it out already then I recommend you do! Also if you enter the contest you could win one of her books!

My other guest this week was author Stephen Zimmer. As well as a great interview, Stephen is also giving away a special prize package to one lucky winner. Make sure you add your entry! I don't think this kind of package can be found just anywhere.

So make sure you enter both contests by 4pm (Central European Time) on Sunday!

Oh and author Mark Henry is my new author guest on Sunday! Stop by and be zombified!

Labels: Contests, Mark Henry, Shelley Munro, Stephen Zimmer

The djinn Cassiel has been living among the humans and is starting to actually like them. She feels something for Weather Warden Luis Rocha but every time they get close to acting on their feelings, someone tries to kill them. It seems that whoever has been taking the Warden children doesn't want Cassiel and Luis getting too close.

Warden children are being kidnapped and used in someones fight against Cassiel and Luis. Luis himself wants to find his niece and Cassiel is set on helping him anyway she can. The mystery deepens but the trail is fresh. Will Cass and Luis find their way to the 'Ranch' where the children are being kept or will a traitor manage to them?

Unknown is book two in the Outcast Season series and is a spin-off of the Weather Warden series. Full of action this is one you really need to pay attention to because the book is in continuous motion. If you blink you could just miss something important and have to go back and start again.

I am still leaning towards the Weather Wardens and Joanne Baldwin being my favourite but the Outcast Cassiel is really fighting hard for my attention and love. Both series are amazing and that is all down to the author. Not only did Rachel Caine come up with the original Weather Warden series and this newer tie-in but she also writes the amazing Morganville Vampire series. A big huge thank you to the author for coming up with original and fresh great reads. I am a fan and will keep reading till the very end.

Labels: Books Read, New Releases, Rachel Caine

Anyone who has been following my blog the last few months will know that I have been re-visiting the Sookie Stackhouse series via audiobook. Well I just finished listening to book 4 today and it was one of the best so far. Not only did Eric, one of my favourite characters, play a big role in this installment but also alot happened. So many little changes take place in this book that effect the ongoing story. So many characters were present that play bigger roles later on. Dead to the World is where things start getting even better.

This amazing series is one of the best paranormals out there but this book in the series really does stand out from the rest. Of course when I read this one years ago I didn't see the significance but now I see this one as a big piece of the puzzle. Things obviously evolved from this story and grew because of what took place in this book.

I admit, as always, that I had forgotten certain bits and pieces of the story and plot. This is a series that I have dearly wanted to read again but just never find the time. Thanks to audiobooks downloadable from iTunes and my trusty iPod I am a very happy Sookie fan! I am already downloading book five as I type this and will begin listening to it tomorrow on my way to work.

If you are a Sookie fan then I highly recommend these audiobooks. If you are looking for an audio to try then you can't go wrong with this series. If you haven't even heard of Sookie Stackhouse then you need to catch up! Quick! All in all this is a brilliant series that is not to be missed on audio or on paper.

Labels: Audiobooks, Books Read, Charlaine Harris