My Guest this week is author Christina Henry! Her debut novel Black Wings was an amazing read and the second part in the series, Black Night, is already out! My pre-order arrived on my Kindle already ;)
So get to know Christina in the interview below and then enter this weeks contest and maybe you will win a copy of the new release, Black Night!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your new release Black Night?
Christina - Well, things are not going great for Maddy. Lucifer is manipulating her into a diplomatic mission to the faerie court, and her oh-so-annoying unwanted fiancé Nathaniel is coming along. Unfortunately, the last ambassador was beheaded in front of the entire court for a breach of etiquette and as we know, Maddy has a lot of trouble keeping her mouth shut, especially when she ought to!
Amber - Black Night is the second book in the Black Wings Series. What can we expect from the new installment and what do we have to watch out for?
Christina – I think there is a lot more action and adventure in this book. I really wanted to write a book that reflected the things that I enjoy in urban fantasy. The pace is pretty much nonstop, but I had so much fun writing it that way.
Amber - If your books were going to be made into a film or TV series, who could you see playing the lead roles?
Christina – I have always pictured Michael Fassbender as Gabriel. He’s probably the only character who looks like a real person in my head. When I first heard Gabriel’s voice it was Michael Fassbender’s voice.
I have a lot of trouble seeing any particular actress as Maddy, mostly because Maddy is a little bit overweight and every actress seems to be super-skinny!
I’d like Richard Armitage as J.B. He’s so good at walking that line between good and bad onscreen.
Amber - Will there be more books in the series? Are you working on anything else?
Christina – Right now there will be six books in the series. If it seems like there is more story to tell after six then there may be more.
Amber - Is there a paranormal creature you just don't like, and would never use in your books?
Christina – I like reading other author’s stories about vampires but I don’t feel that I have a lot to add in that direction, so I don’t really see vampires becoming a big part of Maddy’s world.
Amber - What paranormal creatures are you dying to fit into a story but you haven't managed to fit in yet?
Christina – I have some ideas that include other paranormal creatures, but since I don’t want Maddy’s world to get too crowded I will probably confine them to short stories for now.
Amber - A lot of authors are writing now in both adult and YA genres. Have you considered writing a YA book?
Christina – I think it takes real skill to write a great YA novel and I don’t think that I have that skill. I love to read so many YA authors and I’m just in awe of how they can make a book accessible to kids and adults.
Amber - What have you been reading and watching lately?
Christina – I don’t watch a ton of TV but I did watch “Game of Thrones” on HBO and loved it. It’s the first time I’ve actually committed to watching a TV show every week since “Deadwood” got cancelled (still annoyed about that…grrrr).
I just finished reading Janet Evanovich’s “Smokin’ Seventeen” and now I’m reading a book called “The Male Brain” by Louann Brizendine. I like to switch back and forth between fiction and nonfiction.
Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?
Christina – “Night of the Living Dead”, with “The Host” and “The Frighteners” coming in at a close second and third.
Amber - And to finish, If you could be any famous person, alive or dead, who would you be? and why?
Christina – I always think that famous people’s lives are probably not as great as they look from a distance, so I think I’ll just stick to being me :)
Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again!
Christin - Thanks so much for having me!
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Contest Time!
Ace, Christina's Publisher, is giving away a copy of her new release, Black Night! Sorry this is US/Canada only!
How To Enter? Just answer the question below!
What ya readin?
No answer = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about 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! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
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 Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 7th of August 2011 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.
Jordan Marsh left L.A. for the quaint Pacific Northwest town of Port Chatham in pursuit of some much-needed R & R. As the prime suspect in her cheating husband’s murder, she had been hoping to immerse herself in the restoration of the charming Victorian she’d just bought—and put all talk of homicide investigations behind her. But as she soon discovers, the coldest of cases cry out to be solved, too.
For this old house comes fully furnished—with two garrulous ghosts who have a century-old murder of their own they’d like her to look into. Now, if Jordan can keep the L.A. police at bay, and sort through a suspect list of shady characters circa 1890, she might just clear a wrongly accused man’s name—and her own.
My Review :
I love a good cozy mystery and if there is something supernatural involved in the story then I can't resist trying it out. So when someone recommended this series to me I it wasn't long before I was pressing 'send to Kindle'. My 'To Be Read' pile may be about to fall over but it didn't stop me from visiting the delightful town of Port Chatham.
As the story unfolded I found myself unable to put the book down. I am not a big fan of historicals but the way the author told the story from the past and the present made reading this mystery even more exciting. I was kept guessing right till the end and loved all the little twists and even more I adored the ghosts!
Great characters and a super debut, I can't wait to read more. I actually already have book two in the series and I am sure it won't be long before I delve into it. I am so excited to see where things go in the sequel! It looks like I have another favourite and yet another must read sries to add to the huge list. A great ghostly cozy mystery! Well worth reading!
The 12th Women of the Otherworld book, Spellbound, is out now! Make sure to check it out if you haven't already.
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 entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
The contest is now closed and it is time to see who won!
Congrats to :
Deranged Pegasus!!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!
Didn't win? Well make sure you enter the Kelley Armstrong Contest which is open till Sunday and the Justin Gustainis Contest which is open till Thursday next week. Also keep a look out for another Author Guest on Sunday! Also next week there will the July Monthly Giveaway (once I get back from holiday....)
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 won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
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. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
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.
I am a huge fan of author Justin Gustainis and he was one of the first writers I invited to be a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. He books are a must buy for me and this Summer he has spoiled all his fans and has two new reads for us!
Sympathy for the Devil is the third book in the Quincey Morris series and Hard Spell is the first in a new series about The Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.
So Justin is here talking about Hard Spell and he will be back next month to talk about Sympathy for the Devil. In the meantime you can read all his books and catch up on the Paranormal goodness but right now you can read the interview and enter the contest. You could win a signed book!
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Amber - Hello Justin! Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog. It is great to have you back on the blog. Maybe you can start things off by telling us a little about your new book, Hard Spell?
Justin – It’s set in an “alternate” version of Scranton, PA. In this universe, all the supernatural creatures of folklore are real – and everybody knows it. “Supes,” as they are called, are accepted by society, if not always loved. But sometimes they break the law, and when that happens it’s a case for the police Occult Crimes Investigation Unit, and my hero, Detective Sgt. Stan Markowski.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for Hard Spell? Is it something you have been working on for a while?
Justin - The book has its roots in a story called “Demons Never Die” that I wrote at the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2008. Where that came from, I’m not sure. I’ve always been interested in occult detectives, but I had never written one about an “official” detective before. And as for Scranton, I grew up nearby and eventually earned two degrees at the University of Scranton (a Jesuit institution, despite its secular-sounding name).
Amber - Hard Spell has a NYPD Blue feeling to it and you mentioned CSI in the book. Are you a fan of detective shows?
Justin - I used to be. I loved “Hill Street Blues,” and “NYPD Blue,” especially. But I don’t watch much network TV anymore – mostly dramas made for HBO and Showtime, like “True Blood” and “Dexter.”
Amber - I am sure when writing paranormal books you can totally make up police procedures and rules but your books have a ring of truth to them. What kind of research did you have to do to give Hard Spell the right legal feeling?
Justin - You mean, apart from those times when I was arrested? Just kidding. No, really -- kidding. I didn’t really do any new research. Instead, I relied on what I had “learned” from TV cop shows and books like the “87th Precinct” series by Ed McBain
Amber - Hard Spell has quite a few paranormal creatures to show off. Are there any supernaturals you still want to fit into a book that you haven't used yet?
Justin - I haven’t done much with werewolves yet –although I think that’s about to change (not to give away too much about Evil Dark, the sequel to Hard Spell that I’m writing now.
Amber - What about ones you could never use? Is there a creature you really don't like?
Justin – Zombies bore me. Maybe it’s because they belong as much to science fiction as they do to fantasy – maybe more so. I’m not knocking science fiction, not at all. I do think the voodoo tradition of raising zombies is more interesting, and I used that a little in one of my earlier books, Black Magic Woman.
Amber - When can we expect the next book in the series? You aren't going to make us wait too long I hope!
Justin - Evil Dark is due for publication in January – assuming I get it finished on time. And since I’m already behind schedule, due to chronic procrastination….
Amber - Quincey gets a mention in Hard Spell! Does that mean this series is based in the same world? Will they all work together on a case sometime?
Justin - Actually my character Quincey Morris is part of a very different universe. There are supernatural creatures in it, but they are not out in the open as they are in Hard Spell. You’re referring to Stan Markowski’s pet hamster, Quincey, I assume. He’s named after the original character in Stoker’s Dracula, not my fictional character.
Amber - Speaking of Quincey, when will we be seeing him and Libby again?
Justin - The same day you’ll see Hard Spell (in the US, anyway). By an odd coincidence, I have two urban fantasy novels being released on July 26th, by different publishers. Sympathy for the Devil is the third book in the Morris/Chastain Investigations series. This time, a candidate for President of the United States is secretly possessed by a demon. He looks like a good bet to win, and if he does, Bad Things Will Happen. Quincey and Libby figure out what’s going on, and try to stop it. But between them and the candidate are several hundred armed and highly-trained agents of the U.S. Secret Service.
Amber - Are you working on anything else? Maybe a YA series? Like so many...
Justin – YA is a huge market, isn’t it? But I don’t think I could write it successfully. I’m just too far away from the target audience (which is another way of saying that I’m too damn old) to write credible young adult characters, I think.
Amber - I know you worked on an anthology 'Those Who Fight Monsters' but would you actually be able to write a book with another author? Share the load? Are there any authors you would like to work with?
Justin - Hmmm – maybe that’s how I could crack the YA market! I could write a book with someone who has a better grasp of the mindset and lifestyle of the young, and sell a million copies. Actually, if I could work with someone who was skilled at plotting, it might be good – that’s the hardest part of writing for me. As to the last part of the question, there are many authors whom I admire – but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’d be good collaborators. I guess the only way to find out would be to try it.
Amber - What has been taking up your free time lately? Read any good books? Watching anything worth recommending?
Justin – Free time? What is this “free time” of which you speak, Earthling?
Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?
Justin - It’s a made-for-TV movie (actually a Gene Roddenberry pilot for a series that was never picked up): Spectre, starring Robert Culp and Gig Young. It’s the movie that turned me on to occult detectives.
Amber - If you could be any famous person, alive or dead, who would you be? and why?
Justin - General George Armstrong Custer – so that, sitting on my horse atop the hill overlooking that immense Indian village, I could say, “Nope, there’s too many of ‘em, boys – we’re going back to the fort!”
Amber - Thank you for being a guest again! See you soon! ;)
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Contest Time
Justin is giving away a signed copy of Hard Spell to one lucky entrant!
How To Enter
Who is your favourite Detective?
No idea = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about 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! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
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 Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Thursday 4th of August 2011 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.
Senator Howard Stark wants to be President of the United States. So does the demon inside him. With the competing candidates dropping out due to scandal, blackmail, and ‘accidental’ death, Stark looks like a good bet to go all the way to the White House. And if he gets there, Hell on Earth will follow.
Occult investigator Quincey Morris and white witch Libby Chastain are determined to stop this evil conspiracy. But between them and Stark stand the dedicated agents of the US Secret Service – as well as the very forces of Hell itself. Quincey and Libby will risk everything to exorcise the demon possessing Stark. If they fail, ‘Hail to the Chief’ will become a funeral march – for all of us.
My Review :
I have been waiting for Sympathy for the Devil for what seems like ages. Quincey Morris #3 was a long time coming but it was worth the wait and then some. Justin Gustainis has yet to disappoint me and this book not only strengthened my love for his stories and this series but it may just be the best so far. I don't want to ruin the book for you guys so to sum it up I can only say that - It was a delicious supernatural scary roller coaster ride that thrilled and grabbed me right till the end.
At first I have to admit that I found the lack of Libby and Quincey a little disheartening. With only a peek of the fantastic duo here and there I was wondering if this story was going to be up to scratch. However the perspective from the other characters and the story being told all comes together in the end. It made for extremely riveting reading and added a lot of suspense! Libby and Quincey may have been missed a little but it didn't hurt the story at all. If anything it had positive effect and the build-up during the whole tale had me hooked.
Spellbinding and a hell of a journey, Sympathy of the Devil is going to appear on my best of 2011 list. Deep, dark and demonic this is a series I just love more and more with each book. I hope that some of the new characters (the ones who didn't die) will appear in future books. It could become even more interesting with them along for the ride. I look forward to book four and what it brings. I know already that I will love it!
Such a great storyteller with an incomparable style, Justin Gustainis needs more recognition and readers. Make sure you try this series if you haven't already. Don't feel like you need to read them in order though. Except for a little information the books in this series could also be read out of order. However on saying that you may just want to buy all three, lock yourself in a room (not too dark...) and gulp them down in one go. Highly recommending these! Read!
***Look out for the Justin Gustainis interview and contest coming up on Wednesday!!***
Oh and you may have noticed...I made a boo boo and used the same contest question twice! So if you are entering the Kelley Armstrong Contest you can totally use your answer for the Artist Arthur Contest and vice versa!
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 entry. Amberkatzes_Book_Blog@gmx.eu
One of my author guests this week (yes there will be more than one!) needs no introduction!
Kelley Armstrong is well known in the genre and if I have to tell you who she is, well maybe you are reading the wrong blog? Of course if you are a fan you will be eagerly awaiting the release of the 12th Women of the Otherworld book, Spellbound, which comes out this week!
Kelley has been a guest here on Amberkatze's Book Blog a few times and this time Kelley has written a guest blog explaining how her books are changing. Some maybe upset to hear about at least one of the changes but I am sure, like me, you will all be excited about the others that will coming along over the next couple of years!
I hope you all enjoy the guest blog and also enter the contest for the chance to win one of Kelley's latest releases, Spellbound or The Gathering.
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The Books They Are A’Changing
I’ve been making a lot of career changes lately. I don’t think I realized how many until readers started pointing them out. The big one is that I’m ending the Otherworld with 13 in 2012 and starting a new adult series (Omens & Shadows) in 2013. That year will also see the first book in a new middle-grade Norse fantasy trilogy (The Blackwell Pages) that I’m co-writing with Melissa Marr. Even my YA series has undergone a bit of an upheaval with a change in narrators this year.
All this has prompted an outpouring of confusion and concern from my readers. There seems to be a feeling that I have the gift of clairvoyance, and I’m making changes in anticipation of upcoming market shifts. Readers ask if I’m ending the Otherworld because Urban Fantasy is crashing. They ask if I’m starting middle-grade because that’s the “hot new thing.” They ask if I’m changing YA characters because the market is shifting away from werewolves and other common supernatural types. No, no and no.
While I’d like to claim the gift of prescience, these changes are driven purely by my flighty muse. My YA world is simply expanding. I don’t like writing long series with a restricted character set, so I’m adding new characters to the mix and adding complexity to the world. As for my venture into middle-grade fiction, blame my kids. I started in YA when my daughter was in that age bracket. Now I have two pre-teen sons and I want to write books “for them” . . . and I love Norse mythology, but it has no place in my other worlds. As for the Otherworld, I’ve long planned to end at book 13—it’s just a coincidence that it came as I was making other changes, too.
I’ve always argued strongly against “chasing the market.” That can seem ironic coming from an author who is part of two very big market trends—urban fantasy and paranormal YA. But when I was writing Bitten in the nineties, UF as we know it today didn’t exist. It was purely dumb luck that, when it came out, writers like Laurell K Hamilton, Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris had created a niche for it.
When I started The Summoning in 2005, Twilight was just finding an audience and I figured, not having vampires in mine, I’d never be a read-alike for that series. Both times, I wrote what I wanted and that’s what I encourage all aspiring authors to do. Market trends come and go. Instead, focus on pleasing yourself—and your muse—first and hope that the market—or some small corner of it—will follow.
So my books, they are a’changing, but I’m still telling stories and still loving it, and that’s the important thing. With these changes to keep my muse challenged and happy, I hope I’ll be able to say that for many years to come.
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Contest Time
Kelley is giving away a copy of one of her latest releases. The winner will get to choose from receiving a copy of The Gathering or Spellbound!
How To Enter
What supernatural power would you like to have?
No idea = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about 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! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
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 Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 31st of July 2011 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.
Her new book, Jinn Nation, is now available to buy as a paperback direct from CreateSpace and will be on Amazon soon! Got an e-reader or Kindle? Jinn Nation is available on Amazon Kindle and Smashwords and for a limited time the book costs only $0.99 / £0.95 to download!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize! Didn't win this time? Then make sure you keep entering the contests! Right now another author contest with Arthur Artist is running and later on a new author contest will be starting!
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 won an e-book please make sure you send me the email address you would like the book sent to!
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. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
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.
A lot can change in a few months. Jake Palmer is living proof of that. In a short time, the once-shy loner has discovered his incredible supernatural abilities and forged a tight bond with his fellow Mystyx. What’s more—he’s fallen for his best friend, Krystal. And fallen hard.
Still, some things remain the same—like the jocks who keep bullying him. Even though they have no idea how powerful Jake has become. And while he tries to follow Krystal’s advice, he may not be able to keep his cool much longer. But there are bigger problems ahead, because the darkness that’s been hovering nearby is about to descend on the town of Lincoln, Connecticut. And when it does, the Mystyx will learn who to trust, who to fear and just how much is at stake
My Review :
I have been following the Mystyx series since the beginning and I have to say it is starting to be quite a ride! This 3rd book in the series is told from Jake's point of view and goes into more details about his powers, family history and where he fits into everything in general. The previous two books have been from the female point of view so I was wondering how things would go from the male perspective.
This book deals with a lot of emotions and Jake has to deal with some hard situations. Being bullied, a death of a relative and falling in love all takes its toll on the young boy and it is no surprise that the 'enemy' decides to try and pull him over onto their side. The tug of war Jake goes through during this book is honest and I wanted to him as much as possible. He really found a place in my heart and I loved this book because of it.
What I really like about this series is the unique new concept. Original but still familiar the Mystyx series deals with areas we are all used to reading about like special supernatural powers. However the author has mixed things up a little and given it all a nice twist and made her mark. Also what I find interesting about this series is the change of character perspective in every book. I have to admit that I don't usually like it when series do this but I love getting to know these new characters, their stories and exploring the powers they possess.
With more depth and intensity than the previous books this is a series that is growing into something bigger and even better as it progresses. I can't begin to imagine what will happen next and how things will end. Until that day comes I am content in wondering which character will take the reins in book #4. Mystyx is worth checking out and definitely one to give to that Young reader in your life.
Charlotte Caine isn't called "the Vampire Chef" because she's a member of New York's undead community-she just cooks for them. Her restaurant, Nightlife, is poised to take the top slot in the world of "haute noir" cuisine.
But when a drunk customer causes a scene, a glowing review from the city's top food critic doesn't seem likely-especially when that customer winds up dead on Nightlife's doorstep. Now, with her brother under suspicion for the murder, Charlotte has to re-open her restaurant and clear her brother's name-before they both become dinner.
My Review :
As you guys already know, I like to read a good cozy. If said cozy has a paranormal aspect to it then I love it. So when I saw 'A Taste of the Nightlife' somewhere I knew I had to have it. Vampires, cooking and mystery! Seems to good to be true doesn't it? Well I took the risk and pre-ordered this one because I wanted something new. To be honest it wasn't a bad decision.
The first in the Vampire Chef series this was pretty good for a debut. You have a great setting, some interesting characters and a nice love triangle. Better yet there was a good mystery, vampires and food! Sure there was a few little cringe and a couple of 'seriously?' moments but all in all I really enjoyed reading this.
My major issue with this book was the names. First Caroline is called Chef Caine by everyone. Really? Would everyone call her Chef when she isn't in the kitchen cooking or in her restaurant? The there was her brother. He is called Chet Caine. Notice there is only one letter difference? So sometimes I had to go back and read a paragraph again because I saw Chet and not Chef and vice versa. Marie-Our-Pastry-Chef was also quite annoying. Always with the hyphens. Why not just call her Marie?
Despite that I am really pleased with this new paranormal cozy. It is only the beginning so there is still some work to be done but I think this series could become one of my favourites. I will be getting a copy of the second book, 'Let Them Eat Stake', when it comes out and I am looking forward to how this series progresses. Well worth checking out.
I have a special treat for you this week! Author Artist Arthur is sharing an excerpt from her new novella, Mutiny, and also giving away a signed copy of her latest release, Mayhem!
Enjoy the snippet from the novella and then enter the contest below! Also keep a look out for my review of Mayhem. I just finished reading it and I loved it!
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MUTINY, a free novella in the Mystyx series, is now available for download. It takes place between MYSTIFY and MAYHEM and follows Franklin Bryant as he braves unchartered territory to embrace a destiny he never imagined existed.
The Blurb :
What did I do to end up in this nightmare?
One minute Franklin Bryant is a normal teenager in school with his girlfriend, Krystal. The next, a reaper leaves him in Trance, the place between worlds where his destiny will be decided. Franklin has been summoned by the demon Charon to help destroy the Mystyx, a group of classmates including Krystal, with supernatural powers that can defeat Charon.
Franklin loves Krystal, but he faces an impossible choice: join Charon and be rewarded with powers beyond his dreams, or refuse and die….
A Mystyx series novella.
Find out now! This free download is now available at eharlequin.com.
You are here…
I’m looking down at the ground, which isn’t really the ground at all. It’s some sort of shiny black surface that feels squishy under my sneakers. At first I thought it was quicksand, but since I’m still standing and not sinking into some gooey substance I guess that assumption was wrong.
Anyway, this is a different place than the cold dark den where I was before. A reaper grabbed me without saying a word, and dropped me off here just as casually as he did when he’d snatched me. Of course his people skills sucked!
I’m not going to move from this spot, because I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing here. Logic says this is not earth, but my fear and heart palpitations say maybe I shouldn’t be standing still but running instead. But running where? I’m not sure.
You are here
Those three words, like the red arrow on the shopping-mall directory that tells you where you are in the maze of department stores and food courts, keep resonating in my head. Well, I don’t see a red arrow anywhere, but I feel like I am here.
But where is here? That’s the million-dollar question I’m waiting for an answer to.
“You are not dead, if that is what you mean,” says a deep voice from out of nowhere.
I turn around slowly, but I’m not prepared for what I see. If I thought the reaper was freakin’ weird, this thing is totally off the charts. It’s just a huge black cloak that hovers above the ground. No hands, no feet, no face, just the cloak. Behind the cloak is a big plume of black smoke that makes my bladder weak. The cloak moves and floats kind of like it has a body, a physical form, but it has no features, like ears, eyes, a nose or a mouth, that would make me think it’s a living, breathing thing.
What did I do to end up in this nightmare?
“Where am I?” I ask, since that seems like the most reasonable question.
“You are in Trance,” says the voice.
“I’m guessing that’s not in Connecticut, huh.”
“It is the realm where you await your final fate,” he continues. “Some are sent to Hades—the land of the dead.”
“Whoa, did you say Hades?
“Hades is for the dead,” the disembodied voice says. “Trance is where you wait until your destiny is decided.”
I nod. “I get it,” I say, trying to mask my fear. “I’m, like, in between worlds.” Of course I don’t get it. What the hell? Why am I here? I think to myself.
“So why am I here in Trance?”
“You have been chosen to help me in my quest to fulfill my destiny,” is the ominous reply from the cloaked specter.
Is this thing…serious? No, none of this is serious. It’s gotta be a dream, and my alarm clock is going to ring and wake me up in a few seconds—hopefully.
“Let me get this straight, you chose me to come here,” I ask, using my arms to indicate the large expanse of nothing that surrounds me, “to help you find your destiny?”
Do I sound incredulous? Probably, since I cannot believe this is really happening to me.
The cloaked figure, bounded by smoke, moves and reaches out, I guess, to avoid enveloping me in its darkness? Is this for real?
“I chose you because you can help and you are connected.”
“Connected to what? And just who are you?”
“I am Charon,” he says, just before extending his arm as if he’s reaching for me. His gesture makes the cloak billow like a sheet, as the ground below shifts from the shiny blackness to an image—a mirage of some sort.
There’s sunlight and asphalt, cars parked on a street and a school. It’s Settleman’s High. Kids are streaming from the doors like insects let loose on an ant farm. One tiny spec grabs my attention. It’s Krystal Bentley.
She’s wearing a white skirt that floats around her thighs like clouds. Her shirt’s light blue and sheer so the white tank underneath is visible. Her hair is out and she has on sunglasses that cover her eyes. I automatically lick my lips, since she looks hot. I pause because and think I might actually be drooling.
Krystal’s not alone, but then there’s nothing new about that. She’s always with the clique she hangs out with, Sasha and that new girl, whose name I forget—and Jake.
“You know these students?” Charon asks.
I nod my head. “Why?”
“That’s why you were chosen. You are going to help me conquer them.”
“Conquer who? Krystal and her friends?”
“They’re interfering with my destiny.”
“They’re just kids, like me. And you are… What exactly are you?”
The emptiness around me grows very cold, like I’m suddenly in a deep freezer. Then it gets hot and sweat actually pours from my face. Something grabs me around the neck and squeezes. I’m gasping and gagging and this feels real, like at any minute I’m going to pass out on this spongy ground and get sucked into an abyss.
“I am very powerful. I will one day rule. You would be wise to help me. If not, you will die,” said Charon.
Just like that, my throat is released and I breathe in gulps of air that is polluted with all that black smoke swirling around the cloaked figure.
Okay, the choice is help him or die. That seems simple enough. Like the blue shirt or the red one, pick one and get dressed.
“What exactly do you want me to do?”
“You must first prove you are worthy. Show your loyalty to me by doing whatever I ask.”
I’m thinking Charon’s demand is way too open-ended. I mean, what if he asks me to jump off a cliff or something insane like that? It wouldn’t be any crazier than me being in a place called Trance and deciding if I want to live or die, though.
“If I prove myself, what happens to me? Do I get to go back to my life as if nothing’s happened?”
“From this day forward, your life will never be the same.”
No kidding. If this was a dream, by now I would have awoken with a mix of dread and confusion coursing through my body.
“You help me, and you will be rewarded with powers beyond your dreams.”
Powers? Who wants powers? I’d much rather breathe the polluted air on earth and walk the streets with kids who have real bodies, not smoke screens. But anyway I hear myself asking, “And if I don’t help you?”
Charon lifts his arms again and this time the black cloud comes closer, shadowing me as the image I see now is not one of sunshine and suburban bliss. It’s dark and tinged with a red aura. Skeletal bodies move aimlessly around in this inferno as three-headed beasts bark ferociously.
“Death,” he says.
This is a different place. It’s still evil, but I can see there’s a different kind of suffering here. It’s crowded with terrified, emaciated beings clinging to and practically peeling off the walls. Their mouths are open, though I can barely hear them. But I can easily imagine their wails and moans.
The jaws from the head of the three-headed beast open up to roar, but then quickly clamp shut. Another creature appears. This one is huge and tall and humanlike, but with grotesque features. The other two heads of the beast encircle him, intent on attacking the giant. The fight is brutal and I get the sense that the fight will be waged to the very end. This is Hades, and I so don’t want to be in this place.
“On the sixth day,” Charon says, holding his arms in the air. A breeze begins to blow around me as I stand perfectly still. “Of the sixth month,” he continues. “At the sixth hour—you will be judged.”
Dream or reality, there’s this deathly silence. I figure he’s waiting for my answer, so I shrug, thinking I’ve got nothing to lose, really. “Done deal.”
MUTINY, A Mystyx Novella
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