Happy Halloween to all you Paranormal Supernatural loving Bookaholics!
I hope you all have a great day whatever you do! Trick or Treating or just curling up with a good book. Celebrate the lovely Autumn weather and think about Christmas coming...
No big event this year! Sorry! But the Monthly Giveaway will be going up this week and there is the Naomi Clark Contest to enter!
Thanks to everyone who visits Amberkatze's Book Blog on a regular basis! I don't think I tell you this enough but I appreciate it!
It is great to have Naomi back on Amberkatze's Book Blog to celebrate her second book in the Urban Wolf Series!
Enjoy reading about some famous Werewolf girls and then enter the contest to win some great swag! Every entrant this week wins! So don't be shy!
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Werewolf Gals by Naomi Clark
Although obviously *Ayla Hammond* is my favourite kick-ass werewolf girl, there are some other pretty awesome ones out there. In both book and film, werewolf girls are strong, brave, beautiful, and occasionally cruel. I'm sure all you guys have your own favourites, but these are mine (in no particular order):
*Ivy Cole* – Ivy Cole and the Moon by Gina Farago
A dark, Southern Gothic morality tale with a tough but compassionate heroine. Ivy Cole's grandma always told her that sometimes, some people just need killing, and it's a lesson Ivy has taken to heart. This is an amazing book with a unique perspective on werewolves, and I highly recommend it to fans of both werewolves and horror.
*Laura Greenacre* – Maneater by Thomas Emson
Laura definitely fits in the "cruel" category of werewolf girls. She's more animal than human and operates with a completely different moral code than the rest of the world. And she's fascinating for it. Best of all, Maneater is set in the UK – definitely a bonus for me!
*Ginger Fitzgerald *– Ginger Snaps
Moving to film now, and how can I not mention Ginger Snaps? This is the best modern werewolf film for me, drawing
parallels between lycanthropy and STDs, throwing in drugs and high school tension, and all carried along beautifully by Katherine Isabelle, who turns Ginger into a compelling anti-heroine. And a bonus mention for her on-screen sister, B, who makes a damn fine werewolf in her own right in the sequel, Ginger Snaps Unleashed.
*Slyvan Mir *– The Midnight Hunt by LL Raand
Slyvan is a total ass-kicking alpha female. She takes no prisoners and rules her pack with an iron fist. She's not always a sympathetic character, given her hard nature, but she is always exciting to read about. Action and power are probably the two best words to sum her up.
*Luna Wilder* - The Nocturne City books by Caitlin Kittredge.
Not only does Luna have the perfect werewolf name, she's a classic example of the werewolf struggle – nature v civilisation. Luna works for the police and is constantly forced to reign in her animal instincts to do her job effectively. She's also a lone wolf, a character type I have a particular fondness for (as you'll know if you've read the Urban Wolf books!).
There are so many others I could talk about:
*Kitty Norville*, *Elena Michaels*,* Vivian Gandillon*,* Sargeant Angua*...I could go on for days.
But for me, these five are the most memorable. I'd love to hear from everyone else though – are there any werewolf girls I've overlooked?
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DARK HUNT
(*Urban Wolf book 2*)
Ayla Hammond is taking on Paris.
Hoping for a romantic getaway in the City of Lights with her girlfriend, Shannon, she finds a city under the dark thrall of Le Monstre.
Getting caught up in mystery and murder was the last thing Ayla and Shannon expected to find in the City of Love, but as the body count grows and tension rises between Parisian werewolves and humans they find themselves stalked by an unknown terror.
What is Le Monstre and why does it make Ayla's wolf want to turn tail and run? Can it be stopped before they become its next victims?
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Naomi Clark lives in Cambridge and is a mild-mannered office worker by day,but a slightly crazed writer by night. She has a perfectly healthy obsession with giant sea creatures and a preference for vodka-based cocktails. When she's not writing, Naomi is probably either reading or watching 80s cartoon shows, and sometimes she manages to do all three at once.
Naomi is giving away plenty of swag in the DARK HUNT blog tour. There are daily ebook giveaways and hampers of goodies up for grabs at the grand finale of the tour including ebooks, limited DARK HUNT t-shirts, personal horoscopes and tarot readings by Naomi Clark, as well as postcards from Ayla, Shannon, Vince, Joel and Glory (urban wolf series characters).
How To Enter
Leave a comment here (ask Naomi a question; tell her about the books that have excited you (or just say hello!) with your email address to be entered. Enter at each point along the tour for more entries and more chances to win. Every comment earns you a *FREE* copy of SILVER KISS (*Urban Wolf book 1*). Prizes will be awarded at the end of Naomi's
blog tour.
No Comment = No Entry
'Please enter me' posts will not be counted as an 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 6th of November 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.
Dani was here talking about her Changeling Series and what it is like to be an author. She was also giving away a Dani Harper bookbag and a signed copy of Changeling Dream to put in it!
Now the contest has closed it is time to see who won!
So congrats to :
Amber Hughes!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!
Didn't win this time? Keep checking in for more contests and the Monthly Giveaway is coming up sometime this week as well!
Make sure you check out Dani's books!
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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 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.
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
My Review :
Dearly Departed has been on my 'to be released' wishlist for a while and when I got the chance to get an early copy I couldn't stop myself from snapping it up. Something about the blurb spoke to me and the promise of a Steampunk and Paranormal mixed story really wasn't something I could pass up on. However when I started reading I have to admit I was ready to give up after the first few chapters. There was something about the story that kept making me think this wasn't going to be what I hoped for but I am extremely glad I held out and kept reading because Dearly Departed is one of those hidden treasures that makes reading a worthwhile hobby.
It seemed to take forever for anything really exciting to happen but once the ball got rolling it was action and excitement all the way to the very end. The Steampunk element shone through from the very start and as the author began building up the world I had to wonder what Paranormal element would appear (the original blurb didn't give as much away). The author set the scene so well that I could imagine actually being there with Nora. The history of how 'New Victoria' came about was interesting and well thought out.
For a debut this is an amazing book with a super plot. The concept was very original and once the story started moving along I was hooked. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was the constant character change. I am not a huge fan of the POV changing in books but sometimes it works well or is needed. In this case I think changing between Nora and Pamela was necessary and Bram's side of things wasn't too boring. However I could have done without the few other characters that put in an appearance in the driving seat.
All in all this was turned out to be quite a spectacular book. I wouldn't be surprised if this one ends up on the big screen one day. It would certainly make a great film. This is one to be enjoyed by all ages despite the young adult angle and there is much more to this story even if you don't really like zombies. I can only highly recommend trying this new author and keeping an eye on this series. It has all the makings of being a huge hit.
I read Dani's debut book, Changeling Moon, last month and loved it. Now I am eager to read the second in the series, Changeling Dream, which you all get the chance to win in this weeks contest!
Don't miss out and also make sure you check out Dani's books!
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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
Drama. Scandal. Secrets. And a whole lot of supernatural goings-on.
"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy
No one's more surprised than Sophia when she's struck by an unfamiliar maternal urge to move near her daughters. But instead of being greeted by a welcome committee, she's targeted by kidnappers. . .and saddled with a gorgeous bodyguard on a mission to protect—and seduce. . .
"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox
When a werewolf trophy wife is found dead in Vampire County, Heather McPhee goes undercover to investigate. Heather's never been a mascara-and-manicures sort of girl, but she's willing to learn. Especially with sexy vampire detective Lucien Mead posing as her husband. . .
"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane
Ever since Christine Price moved in with her fiancé, Jonathan, and his twelve year-old son, she's worked hard to fit in with a cadre of local women whose lives seem picture-perfect. Except no one in Jon's upscale neighborhood is quite who they appear to be. Least of all Jon. . .
"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines
Still Waters is like many other exclusive gated communities—except that it's home to one of the largest werewolf packs in the state. But Tiffany Winters isn't frightened of her big, bad new neighbors. In fact, she intends to take her place among the pack. . .
My Review :
As far as I know I have never read anything by Alexandra Ivy before. I know of her and maybe I have something on my tbr shelf from her but this story was my first experience with the author. It was clear from the beginning that this story related to or fit in with the series that the author writes. She does a nice job of trying to explain who is who despite the fact that hardly any of the characters mentioned actually appear in this story. However it does give the reader a nice feel for who Sophia is.
Sophia is a werewolf (all four stories in this anthology, as you guess by the title, are about werewolves) and needs a bodyguard. In steps the typical yummy male character that obviously has a secret to hide. A little cliché, this story isn't bad but it wasn't the best in the book either. I am pretty sure that if I was familiar with this series I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more but this little peak into a world I don't really know wasn't very exciting for me.
Next up in the book was Angie Fox's contribution. Now I have read at least one of Angie's books before and remember her as being a fun writer who made me giggle a lot. This second story was interesting enough and mostly due to the main character Heather being able to extract the truth from people. Not a huge unique spin but it was different and unusual enough to stand out. The romance aspect of the story was kind of cute but yet again it was your typical plot of 'girl and boy have to work together and end up together'. Murder on Mysteria Lane didn't really make me laugh but, just like the previous story, it wasn't too bad.
The third story in The Real Werewives of Vampire Country was my favourite of the four contributions. I had never heard of Tami Dane before but after reading 'Werewolves in Chic Clothing' I will be looking her up to see what else she has written. I was hooked straight away and there was a lot of mystery attached to this story. I could relate with Christine and was very curious to find out what had really happened to her fiancé's previous wife.
A nice story that kept me interested till the end this is definitely the best of the bunch and worth checking out. Great writing style and a nice well thought out plot. I wonder where this author has been hiding....
Last up was an author I know quite well. Jess Haines' short story takes place in the world of her H&W Investigation series but I have to say it could have taken place anywhere. There small were references to the series but all in all this story was a chick-lit of bitchy women who just wanted to flash their fashion and money everywhere. I have to admit I was expecting something better from this author and was left quite disappointed. There was no real plot to grab on to and the characters all seemed to mix into one another. I had a hard time remembering who was who.
All in all this anthology is a good read. Definitely a must read for any Werewolf fans or anyone who wants to try out some new authors. I rarely give recommendations or great reviews for anthologies but The Real Werewives of Vampire County has introduced me to at least one new author I want to look up (Tami Dane), another new author I need to give a try (Alexandra Ivy) and another one I need to catch up with again (Angie Fox). So this wasn't a waste of time!
***The Real Werewives of Vampire County is due for release in November***
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of reading Dani's debut, Changeling Moon. Now I am eager to read the second in the series, Changeling Dream, but I have to catch up because book three, Changeling Dawn is already due out in December.
Of course when I read a good book I usually contact the author and ask them to be a guest on the blog. So naturally I couldn't wait to get in contact with Dani!
I hope you enjoy the interview and take the time to enter the giveaway. Dani is giving away a copy of one of her books!
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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 changeling series?
Dani – Hi, I’m Dani and I write about sexy shapeshifters… They call themselves Changelings, and they live right here among us. Your boss could be a Changeling. But so could the gal that does your pedicure. The coach of your company baseball team or even the cop that gives you a ticket for not wearing your seatbelt again could have furry tendencies. Your BFF could run on four feet at night and you wouldn’t know. Changelings hide in plain sight and live very human lives most of the time. Love, however, complicates their lives wildly.
The overall story is best summed up in a short video I just released (see below).
Amber - I throughly enjoyed Changeling Moon, the first book in the series, but it seemed like Zoey and Connor’s story was over. Is the second book, Changeling Dream, about a different character?
Dani – The Changeling series centers around the Macleod family of shapeshifters. There are four brothers and two sisters, and each book focuses on one of them. However, characters from earlier books are never gone completely, and pop up to support (or annoy) members of the family and the Pack. Some readers have said that the series is also about the small northern Canadian town where the Changelings live. It’s definitely one of those quirky places with a personality of its own!
Readers have been very interested in other members of the Pack too, like the RCMP’s sexy Sergeant Fitzpatrick and the pilot, Holt Lalonde. I’ve also had a couple of requests for a prequel about the small but mighty Jessie Watson, purveyor of fine food by day and leader of the Changeling pack by night.
Amber - So all the books can stand alone? Or is it better to read the books in order?
Dani – I designed the books to stand alone, so it’s possible to read them out of order. You wouldn’t wonder who the characters are and their relationship to each other. However, some readers say it’s better to read them from the beginning because then you get all the layers of the Changeling world built up gradually. Myself, I’ve read several series out of order (like the Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward … *drool*) and I don’t think it’s affected my enjoyment. So it’s definitely up to the reader.
Amber - How do you pick which character you will write about next?
Dani – Usually it’s whoever is the loudest in my head at the time. I don’t think of a storyline and figure out who would fit – I listen to the character and he or she tells me what the story is about. It’s a tougher way to write, because the character sometimes takes his doggone sweet time letting me know what’s going on (*cough – Culley – cough, cough*). And other times, the characters can’t wait to let me know what they’re up to.
Amber - Book three, Changeling Dawn, is due out December 27th. Can you tell us a little about the story and which characters it involves?
Dani – I’m truly excited about Changeling Dawn, which focuses on the youngest of the Macleod siblings, Kenzie. I think it’s my best story yet and I can hardly wait to share it with my readers. Here’s the blurb:
Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding the fact that she’s a werewolf. She’s not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen. But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska.
An isolated archeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a shadowy research facility — as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his own…
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the series? And why wolves?
Dani - As far as I’ve been able to figure out, my new Changeling series was probably inspired by REAL wolves! One bright sunny morning when I lived on my little farm in northern Canada, I was stunned to see a pack of wolves – about 7 or 8 – lope leisurely across my yard not far from the house. No mistake about what these big dark creatures were. I’d seen hundreds of coyotes before and these clearly dwarfed them.
The wolves were amazingly beautiful creatures, running with ease and grace, seeming to float along rather than touch the ground. Their teeth gleamed white from grinning black lips, their tails were great plumed banners. Most of all, I had the strong impression that the wolves were happy as they ran together. It remains one of the most incredible experiences of my life.
However, I really didn’t sit down and plan the series. I started writing a story one day and the entire Macleod family turned up in my head. What a noisy, demanding bunch they were too! And then they all turned into wolves. I told them not to, but my characters never listen.
Amber - What other projects are you working on? What comes next?
Dani – At this moment I’m working on Book 4 in the Changeling series. It’s about Culley Macleod, the smart-ass brother in the family, and I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a more frustrating character. I’m hoping the heroine kicks his butt for me and so far, I think she’s going to do just that.
In other works, I’m very fond of the faery folk, maybe because of my Welsh-Irish family. So I have some things I’m developing there. In the future, I can see myself one day naturally moving into Urban Fantasy as well as PNR.
Amber - Why did you decide to start writing? Did you start writing paranormal stories or did you start with other genres?
Dani – I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was big enough to hold a storybook. It was important to me to create the story, not just read it. Most of my career was spent writing for the newspaper business and other media. Sometimes I would write little fiction stories just for the fun of it, and in my free time, I read a lot of science fiction and horror and tales of the supernatural – but I never seemed to read romance. Then I stumbled on a story by Christine Feehan that rocked my world! Carpathians? Vampires? Paranormal and romance together? What a FANTASTIC genre! I’ve been hooked on PNR ever since.
Amber - How long did it take to get published?
Dani – As with most writers, it was a long road. There are about 10 years between the time I first started looking for a publisher and the time I signed a contract with Kensington. I had some stories released by small e-pubs in the meantime, but it was finding an agent that really made the difference for me. And yes, I have a very tall stack of rejection notices from both agents and publishers – I’ve heard that’s a requirement of being a writer, kind of like paying your dues, LOL.
Amber - Is there a paranormal creature you just don't like, and would never use in your books?
Dani – Zombies. I’ve tried and tried to work with them but they just don’t listen. And they’re not very sexy. Shuffle, shuffle, THUNK (*sound of body part falling off*), shuffle, shuffle.
Amber - What have you been reading and watching lately? Do you have any recommendations for us?
Dani – Just finished three GREAT books and I recommend them heartily!
1. Lover Mine from JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
2. Hunt the Moon – Book 6 of Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer series.
3. River Marked – Patricia Briggs’ latest in the Mercy Thompson series.
As for what I’m watching, I’m a die-hard Supernatural fan. Sooooo glad that Season 7 has finally arrived and I’m getting my Sam and Dean fix regularly again. It’s the only program that I watch without fail. I really like Vampire Diaries and True Blood too, and I’m eager to try out some of the brand new paranormal offerings this fall, but I’ll have to clone myself or something in order to fit it all in.
Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?
Dani – Hmmm. Tough one. If I had to narrow it down to a single movie, I would probably say HELLBOY. I can watch it again and again. I have a huge affection for graphic novels brought to the big screen. Just enjoyed THOR tremendously.
I don’t think it would be stretching it to include all the horror and sci-fi that I love as well. I could watch the 2008 remake of STAR TREK over and over too – and it’s probably no accident that the star of Thor is in this movie as well!
Amber - If you could be any famous person, alive or dead, who would you be? And why?
Dani – Not sure I could get all the features I want in a single person. I’d like to look like Sarah Michelle Geller, write like Stephen King, JR Ward and Karen Chance, have the visionary brain-power of Albert Einstein and be as athletic as Venus Williams. (Is there a place I can order this?)
Amber - Thank you for being a guest! I hope we will see you again soon! ;)
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Contest Time
Dani has a giveaway for you all! You could win a Dani Harper bookbag and a signed copy of Changeling Dream to put in it!
How To Enter
Dani wants to know what is your favorite paranormal romance or urban fantasy series?
No Series = No Entry
'Please enter me' posts will not be counted as an 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 30th of October 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.
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 couple of weeks ago my friend Jackie at Literary Escapism contacted me about a new feature she wanted to start.
All I had to do was come up with three books for her to feature and have a reason behind it. Oh! And they had to be tempting! I quickly came up with two ideas and sent them over.
The first of my ideas has started off the feature and I wanted to share the link with you all.
The name’s Torres, Bonnie Torres, and I’m a paranormal scene investigator—rooting out the truth about crimes of magic. It’s dangerous and boring and scary and fascinating. Though not everyone in the Cosa Nostradamus is happy we’re around, which can make things…tricky.
Working two cases—looking into a murder for the NYPD, and a rich man’s break-in—should be well within our abilities. But when things start getting weird in the Electric Apple, Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations is stretched to the limits, trying to keep one step ahead and out of trouble. Add in rumors of a powerful creature gunning for us and it’s not just our rep on the line this time—if we don’t solve this case, everyone will suffer.
Fortunately, around here, when the going gets weird, the weird hire us.
My Review :
Tricks of the Trade is the third installment in the Paranormal Scene Investigations Series. I really enjoyed the first two books and was looking forward to this third part. However I have to say straight off that this wasn't my favourite so far. It wasn't bad but it just didn't have that certain something that the other books had.
I don't want to give anything away about the plot but it seemed a little dull compared to the last two books. It was nice to have a slower, easier and not so complicated story but it lacked the excitement and suspense that were present in books one and two. Never the less I enjoyed Tricks of the Trade but I have to admit I was expecting something more powerful.
There is a lot to like about this series. The concept is different and unique which is always refreshing in the Paranormal Genre. I love the CSI aspect but with magic. It has been done before but the author has put her own twists on it and made it her own.
The main character is nice and easy to get along with. She doesn't try to be more than she is and just does her job. No over the top super powers or abilities. Also the location rocks. New York is an amazing city that I have had the luck to visit and it is nice to be on the streets again with the PUPI's.
Well worth checking out this series if you haven't already. If you are waiting for this new release then don't rush. Put it on your wishlist for Christmas or buy it for yourself with all those book vouchers you get for the holidays.
***Tricks of the Trade is due for release on the 15th November***
Well it seems that four of the winners in the Cynthia Eden Contest weren't too bothered about claiming their prizes! I have given them longer than a week to claim their books but now it is time to get some new winner. So here are the names of the new lucky people!
Congrats to :
Mbreakfield!!
&
Skyla11377!!
&
Deanna!!
You have all won a digital copy of Cynthia's novella, BOUND IN DARKNESS!
And the new winner of the copy of ANGEL OF DARKESS (due out on 11/29/11) is :
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.
Even if you aren't a zombie fan I highly recommend trying her series! It is fun, witty and just amazing! Want to find out more? Read the interview!
Want to try before you buy? I am giving away a copy of one of Jesse's books to one lucky entrant! Make sure you enter the contest before it closes on Sunday!
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
She plays for Team Spirit.High school senior Tara Luna's got all the usual teen problems: a new school, her attraction to a hunky guy, feuds with the Mean Girls, being regarded as an oddball outsider-PLUS she has psychic powers, a duo of protective, meddlesome ghosts AND an angry, threatening teen girl ghost who wants Tara to solve her murder-or else.Now you know why she calls this "my lunatic life."
My Review :
I have never come across this author before but after looking her up I see that Sharon Sala has quite a lot of published books already under her belt. Which is no wonder if My Lunatic Life is anything to go by. As far as I can tell this is the authors first Young Adult novel but you wouldn't be able to tell. She manages to keep things clean, fun and exciting. I have to say I loved this book!
Although this is a Young Adult book it could also be a nice cozy mystery. With two ghosts to help her and psychic abilities, Tara has all the makings of an amateur sleuth and she proves herself in this debut. I loved Tara instantly and found her witty and totally different to your usual teenie characters. Definitely more grown-up, intelligent and not one of those 'constantly getting into trouble' characters. It was all quite refreshing.
The concept was great and it reminded me a lot of Victoria Laurie's books. This was a good mixture of the Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter mysteries but aimed at older teens. The writing style was totally cozy mystery and the characters were all fun to get to know. I seriously can't wait to get together with them again.
Before rounding up I have to say that the only thing that put me off this book was the cover. It looks very childish which doesn't reflect well on the actual story inside which is, as I already mentioned, quite grown-up. Also the school uniform was never mentioned and I am pretty sure Tara didn't wear one. So why does the model on the cover look like she has one on? My Lunatic Life is a 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' candidate!
I read this in one day and enjoyed it right till the end. Then I was sad to see it was over and actually wanted to read it again. Although I am not rushing out to check out any other Sharon Sala books I am definitely going to be reading more books in this series. Tara is the kind of girl you wished you were way back when. Oh and this is also a great book to share with that young lady in your life so you have something to chat about.
Vacationing in Winter Harbor, Maine, is a tradition for Vanessa and Justine Sands, and that means spending time with the Carmichael boys. This summer, Vanessa is determined to channel some of her older sister’s boldness, get over her fear of the ocean, and maybe turn her friendship with Simon Carmichael into something much more.
But when Justine goes cliff-diving after a big family argument, and her body washes ashore the next day, Vanessa is sure that it was more than an accident. She is more certain of this, when she discovers that her sister was keeping some big secrets and Caleb Carmichael’s gone missing. Suddenly, the entire oceanfront town is abuzz when a series of grim, water-related accidents occur, with the male victims washed ashore grinning from ear to ear.
Vanessa and Simon team up to figure out if these creepy deaths have anything to do with Justine and Caleb. But will what Vanessa discovers mean the end of her summer romance, or even life as she knows it?
My Thoughts :
If I had read this book and not listened to the audiobook I am pretty sure I would have not finished this one. As it was I contemplated giving up on Siren after listening to the first few hours. However I decided to keep going in the hope that the story would warm up and get better as things progressed but as it was I ended up feeling disappointed and bored.
The concept isn't that bad and there is a serious lack of this paranormal type of creature in the genre. However the whole mystery of what was going on in Winter Harbor was ruined by the obvious title of the book. The only mystery was how the lead character Vanessa fit into the whole thing and how she would stop it. Other than that the rest of the story was a slow, yawn filled and unnecessary build up to nothing totally exciting.
What bugged me about this book in particular was the leaps in the story. One minute Vanessa is on holiday and suddenly she is running out of a funeral. I seriously though I had fallen asleep and missed some of the story but it turned out that the author thought it would be cool to give the reader a shock and make them go back (or rewind) and read the previous few pages again.
Also the lack of the paranormal element till the last third of the book left me wondering if I was wrong about this being paranormal at all. I kept asking myself why am I still listening to this? No cool mermaid like creatures or special abilities other than making men smile to death. It was an anti-climatic end to a very long-winded introduction to the creatures I was dying to finally meet.
All in all this story is very tame and certainly quite lame. I hate giving books bad reviews but this one dragged on way too long and didn't really keep me interested most of the time. If a copy of the sequel happens to come into my possession I may give it a go to see if the author manages to rescue the good concept. Otherwise this is one a younger teenager may appreciate despite the characters being in their late teens.
Now I am not a huge zombie fan but I loved Jesse's Living with the Dead series! I don't think I have read so many books in the same series in such a short time frame before. They were so much fun!
I hope you all enjoy this interview and check out Jesse's books. Also make sure you enter the contest for your chance to win one of Jesse's Zombie fun filled action books ;)
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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 Living With The Dead series?
Jesse - The Living With the Dead series is about a couple on the verge of divorce who get caught up in a zombie outbreak started in Seattle (where they live). In the first book they use their marriage couselor's advice to escape the city, in the second they start a small business and in the third they pretty much try to save the world.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the series? Was
it a long process or did it just come to you?
Jesse - I actually just had the idea for the scene where Dave and Sarah realize their marriage couselor is a zombie and sat down and wrote the book.
Amber - Are Sarah and David based on a couple you know? Was it easy working with them or were they high maintenance characters?
Jesse - This was a book I wrote to entertain myself since it is something far out of the genre I normally write and published under. I wrote it to have fun and I did, no real struggles from it. It was a golden book in a lot of ways, one that just wrote itself and I just tried to keep up.
Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author?
Jesse - I have always wanted to write and have been lucky enough to be able to live that dream since my first book was released in 2005. And this series (which came out in 2010) just continues that dream.
Amber - I am not a huge fan of zombies but I am loving this series. Are you a huge fan of zombies?
Jesse - I love zombies! I love zombie movies with a funny twist best like Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland, but I'll take a good creepy zombie movie, too.
Amber - Did you have to do a lot of research for the books? Watch a lot of the Walking Dead?
Jesse - Because of the production time it takes to get a book from the author to print, all three books were done by the time The Walking Dead came out (though I did do a series review of each episode of the show on my blog). I watched a ton of zombie movies, though, since Dave and Sarah also use some of their zombie movie knowledge to help them out.
Amber - How about the marriage problems Sarah & David face? Research or more personal experience?
Jesse - Research. I have a great husband.
Amber - I was a late starter but you are already three books into the series. Are you done or will there be more?
Jesse - The series is, unfortunately, over at this point. My publisher doesn't want more books. But there is a short story collection out set in the same world called IN THE DEAD that you can get for just 99 cents. And I'm getting lots of requests to write more, so if I do I would publish those works independently and offer them on Kindle/Nook. My Facebook/Twitter and website are a great place to keep up with all that news.
Amber - What else are you working on? More zombie's? Something completely different?
Jesse - I'm writing a monster story currently (monsters in a therapy group in New York). And I'm still writing in my other genre. So I'm busy, busy!
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Jesse - I read across the board but to me saying something is my favorite book is like trying to pick a favorite movie! It is so dependent on mood and genre and so many other factors.
Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?
Jesse - I don't actually listen to music while writing. With the zombies being set in a comtemporary world, I definitely sometimes get sparks of ideas from what I watch (anime, news, reality tv, etc).
Amber - Favourite Zombie movie? Why?
Jesse - Probably Shaun of the Dead. It's funny, touching and captures everything a zombie movie should be while also making me laugh. You really can't ask for more.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Jesse - I think I'd always choose to be more hunter than monster. Too much hair/blood drinking/itchiness/scaling for me.
Amber - Thank you for being a guest on the blog! I hope you will stop by again sometime.
I am giving away a copy of one of Jesse's books, winners choice! The winner can pick from any of the three Living with the Dead books or In The Dead as their prize. Kindle or paperback.
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The contest will stay open until Sunday 23rd of October 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.
