When a freak accident leaves Katie Chandler with magical powers, it seems like a wish come true for the former magical immune. But it also means she's vulnerable to magic, just when the dangerous Elf Lord is cooking up another scheme in his bid for power. Anyone who gets in his way disappears--including Katie and her wizard boyfriend, Owen Palmer.
Now Katie's under a spell that obscures her true identity, living a life right out of a romantic comedy movie in a Hollywood set version of New York. Will she be able to find her true Mr. Right in time to break the spell with a kiss and warn everyone, or will she be trapped forever, unaware of the doom facing her world?
My Thoughts :
I have been following the Enchanted Inc series since forever! ;) I can't remember why or how I came across this series but when no new books came out and Katie and Owen disappeared I was quiet worried. Then last year I got a surprise when I saw that the author was continuing the series via e-book. It was exciting news and I have been eagerly reading all the new episodes in this magical series.
Kiss & Spell is the seventh installment in the series and while it wasn't my favourite it was still a very good read. Katie and Owen really seem to grow up in this book and finally see their relationship as one that can win over anything (like it hasn't already) and it is good to see them both so happy.
One of the things I like about this series is the New York location but this time around the book is a little off site. Now this is great for the plot and made for great reading but it also meant that some of the characters I really like were missing for most of the book. Sam, Rod and Merlin were missed and I would have liked to have seen them more. Also Katie's family and room mates were no where to be seen this time around.
I feel that the ending spelt out the end of this series and if it did, well ok. Although I have loved the magical New York setting and the strange and wonderful stories it does feel like the natural end of things. Maybe the author will do a short story set in the future so we can catch up with the characters but really I am hoping she will put her talents to work on a new series. Whatever comes next I will be keeping an eye out for more Shanna Swendson. Super writing and wonderful characters all mixed up in a special world.
If you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading this series then I highly suggest you do! There is something very memorable about these books and I never once felt lost or forgot what happened last time. Even during the long break. A fan of the series? This is a must read! Don't put it off! If you don't have an e-reader then I feel for you. However the Kindle app works on so many devices and it is worth installing and using it just to read the end of this Enchanting series!
All it takes to win a book in the Monthly Giveaway is to go to the poll and vote for the book you want to win and then make sure you enter you name into the hat by using the widget.
Did you enter? Because it is time to see which of the five books got the most votes (the top two places both go to debuts!) and who has won a copy of the winning book!
So the winner this month is : In a Fix by Linda Grimes ! 30% of the votes was enough to get this debut book to the top of this months Giveaway! Congrats!
Are you the winner? Check the widget above and see if you have won a copy of In A Fix by Linda Grimes!
Didn't win this time? Make sure you come back in October for the next Monthly Giveaway!
Want more contests? Check out the sidebar for the current author event --->
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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.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.
The Monthly Giveaway is your chance to vote for a book and win a copy! Have you already entered?
You have the chance to vote for which book you want to win from my five favourite reads from last month!
What is the Monthly Giveaway?
I pick five of my favourite reads from the last month (sorry no ARCs are included unless they have already been released!) then you guys go to the poll and vote for the book you want to win or the one you think deserves to win! Remember! You may not actually win the book you voted for.
Here is a little info about each book on offer this month. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
Another month has come and gone!! So it is time for the September Monthly Giveaway to start!
I read some interesting books in September and as always picking five books for the Monthly Giveaway was hard work. So now I have picked my selection it is time for you all to see what you could win!
Would you like to win one of the books I read in September? Well you can! Just keep reading and enter the Monthly Giveaway!
You have the chance to vote for which book you want to win from my five favourite reads from last month!
What is the Monthly Giveaway?
I pick five of my favourite reads from the last month (sorry no ARCs are included unless they have already been released!) then you guys go to the poll and vote for the book you want to win or the one you think deserves to win! Remember! You may not actually win the book you voted for.
Here is a little info about each book on offer this month. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
Well in the sidebar ---> there is this poll. You vote for the book you would most like to win. Then enter the Monthly Giveaway via the Rafflecopter widget below. When the giveaway is over the winner gets book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for!
Newsletter 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 Wednesday 22nd of October 2012 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced within days of the contest closing.
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
Now that the Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. team has defeated the nefarious Spellworks, the only "competition" in town, Katie Chandler doesn't have much to do as director of marketing, and she's starting to question her role at MSI. Her boyfriend Owen Palmer, on the other hand, is in hog heaven, translating an ancient and powerful magical manuscript.
But then he finds that the cryptic text describing the location of an enchanted gem known as the Eye of the Moon has radically changed. This deadly stone gives its holder enhanced power over others and a craving for more power. It once caused a terrible war before it was safely hidden and then lost - and now it seems to be in New York and set in an elven brooch that renders its wearer invulnerable. Whoever has this brooch could take over the world.
Katie and Owen must find it before anyone else does, and they're not the only ones searching. They'll need all the help they can get, including Katie's visiting grandmother. But who can they trust when their allies fall under its spell? Not to mention the new enemies who are deadlier than anything they've faced before.
My Thoughts :
Enchanted Inc, is a wonderful original series and I couldn't wait to read this sixth book. Especially as the series, or so I thought, had come to an end some time ago. The surprise release of the fifth book, Much Ado About Magic, was a happy moment this book reading year. Then another surprise! Book six was coming out so soon after the fifth one! Don't you just hate waiting so long for new releases? Well I got an Enchanted Inc, treat this year.
However I will admit straight away that this new addition to the series wasn't my favourite. I loved the story and some of the twists and turns are truly surprising and amazing but there was way too much running around and I kept getting lost. I found myself going back to certain parts and reading them a second or even third time because I didn't know where everyone was or what had happened. It was very fast paced.
Although I can say that this is still a very worthwhile read. What takes place inside this book is fun and exciting. With Katie's granny turning up and some other unusual characters there is never a dull moment. I did miss Katie's room mates a little and there wasn't hardly any time spent in MSI. This book is really just a speedy adventure packed day chasing a brooch.
Some magic is involved but not as much as I was used to. This was of course was to be expected due to the lack of magic Katie has but with Owen without his spells as well it was a little dull. The ending however made up for everything and my eagerness for book seven to be released is extremely high! How can you leave things like that? I can't wait to see what happens next.
All in all not the best in the series so far but still a spectacular read. Loads going on and some amazing changes are waiting for you if you are a fan. If you haven't tried this series yet then I recommend you do. Not too girly but full of magic, fantasy and mystery. A must read series!
I thought her Enchanted Inc, series was over but she surprised me and a lot of other fans this year by releasing the fifth book in the series, Much Ado About Magic . The sixth book, No Quest for the Wicked, will be out next month!
I was giving away a Shanna Swendson Enchanted Inc, Book to one lucky person! The winner can pick which book in the series they want and in which format (please not the newest releases are only available as e-books).
So if you haven't started the series yet you can start at the beginning. If you are up to date you can pick the upcoming release and I will send it along when it releases.
So who has won? Hopefully the Rafflecopter has the answer!
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.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.
Have you tried her Enchanted Inc, series? They are fabulous! New York City with magic hidden everywhere! Fun and adventure like Harry Potter for adults. You really need to take a look at them!
You have till Sunday to enter and the winner gets to choose which book in the Enchanted Inc, series they will receive. That means if you haven't already started the series you can wish for the first book and get started!
My author guest this week is Shanna Swendson. Any lovers of her Enchanted Inc, Series will be pleased to hear that, after a bit of a break, that all things magical are back on track!
The fifth book, Much Ado About Magic, is now out and the sixth book, No Quest for the Wicked, is due out later this month. So if you, like me, missed the magical fun and strange happenings of New York City then it is time to catch up!
Read the interview and find out more about the series, the break and the author. Then make sure you keep reading and enter the contest. You could win an Enchanted Inc, book!
Haven't tried the series yet? Make sure you do! This is a definite must read!
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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 Enchanted, Inc Series?
Shanna - I've described this series as "Bridget Jones Meets Harry Potter." It's the story of an ordinary young woman who moves to New York and finds that the city is even stranger than she expected -- and then learns that this is because she's so extraordinarily ordinary that she's immune to magic. Even the magic used to hide the existence of magic from the rest of the world doesn't work on her, and that's why she sees strange things. It turns out that this immunity is very valuable to magical people, who can be affected by magic, and she gets caught up in a magical war when she goes to work for a major magical company.
Amber - The fifth book in the series, 'Much Ado bout Magic', just came out. I have to say it was a surprise as I thought the series was over. What happened?
Shanna - I'd always planned at least five books -- I had the fifth book plotted before the first book was published. The publisher even asked me for a proposal for a fifth book, but then they decided they didn't want to publish it, and that's why the series stopped at four books. Then the Japanese publisher that had done the translation of the whole series asked if there were more books and bought the fifth book. I wrote it for them, and all the while my agent kept nagging the original publisher. We finally decided that if they weren't going to publish it, we could do it on our own. This fifth book completes the initial story arc of the series and sets up some potential future arcs.
Amber - What can readers expect from 'Much Ado About Magic'? Is it magical business as usual?
Shanna - It's sort of business as usual, but more intense. This is when things really come to a head. We find out who's been behind rogue wizard Phelan Idris and what that person's agenda has been all along. We also finally learn the truth about Owen's background. Plus there's some wackiness involving tacky motels and the Empire State Building.
Amber - I love the Manhattan setting! I have been there twice myself. Do you live there or have you just spent a lot of time there? Why did you pick New York?
Shanna - I've traveled there a lot. I've gone there for a number of writing conferences and in my old job I traveled there often on business and I worked with people from my company's New York office, so I learned a lot from them what it's like to live there. I picked it as a setting because the place always seemed magical to me when I was growing up and I only knew it from movies and from watching the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving, and then it was just as magical when I finally went there. I did seem to notice things that others ignored, and I also found that the people were much friendlier than I'd expected. I'd always had the idea of doing a book about a Southern girl from a small town going to New York, and I decided to use that when I had the idea about an ordinary person getting mixed up in a magical business. I'm not sure that the plot would work in too many other places. In the South, if people notice something odd, they stop and look and ask about it. If they notice someone with fairy wings, they'll compliment their costume and ask how they did that.
Amber - There was a 4 year publishing break between the fourth and fifth book. Was it hard to get back into the series as a writer? Or was 'Much Ado About Magic' already written and waiting to be read?
Shanna - I wrote it not too long after writing the fourth book -- probably a longer gap than between the other books, but still not very long. It's very easy to fall back into that world because my brain spends a lot of time there. Katie's voice is a bit different from mine, but once I get started writing, I channel her, and then it usually flows pretty easily.
Amber - Will there be more books in the series? Are there more magical tales to come? Are you working on any other projects?
Shanna - The sixth book in the series, No Quest for the Wicked, which I also wrote for the Japanese publisher, will be released in October, and I'm currently writing the seventh book, which the Japanese publisher asked for. That one will likely be released in the US, but I don't know when (I need to finish writing it first!). The Japanese publisher is interested in anything I write from this series, so it's possible that there could be more books if I get another idea. I have an entirely unrelated project, a young adult steampunk fantasy, on submission with publishers right now, and I just sent my agent a book that could start a new contemporary fantasy series. Once I finish book seven, I have a few other ideas that I want to tackle.
Amber - Much Ado About Magic is currently only available as an e-book. Is there any plans to release it in a print form?
Shanna - There is a print version in the works, but it takes a lot more time to set up because it has to be formatted a certain way, and then there are proofs to review before we can say that this is the final version. It will be print-on-demand and available via CreateSpace at Amazon, though there may be other outlets for it. The details are still being finalized.
Amber - Was the decision to turn to an e-format an easy one?
Shanna - It was something I wrestled with for a long time. I'm one of the holdouts who likes paper books. I don't even have an e-reader. Only a fraction of the people who'd bought the previous books had bought the e-book version, and I worried about leaving out the people who aren't e-book fans. I also like being able to support all the booksellers who helped sell the previous books. However, since I wasn't having any luck getting a traditional publisher to publish this book, it seemed silly to have it sitting on my hard drive with the fans unable to read it. My agent has put together a platform for digital publishing that makes it a lot easier on me and that brings in top-notch professionals to help with the process, and she was able to convince me to give it a shot. I had the same copy editor and the same cover artist who did the previous books, so it should be the same quality as the books that came from the previous publisher.
Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?
Shanna - It's been a long time since I named these people, so it's hard to remember the exact process, but I do pay attention to the meanings. I have some reference books on names that include the origins and meanings. I picked Katie's first name because it sounded like a nice, practical girl-next-door type. My original idea was that she would be trying to go by Kathleen now that she's away from home, while her family still calls her Katie, but once I started writing, she just seemed to be a Katie and wasn't the type to try to switch because she'd grown up. I use some Celtic/Welsh folklore and mythology as part of the background for my magical world, so I give a lot of the magical characters vaguely Welsh names. That's where Owen's first name comes in. It's the English version of Owain, which is a name associated with Welsh and Arthurian mythology.
Amber - If Enchanted, Inc was going to be made into a TV series or Film which actors do you think would most fit the main characters?
Shanna - I was trying to avoid mental casting for a long time because the first book was actually optioned for film and I didn't want to go public with my ideas lest I then be on record with something different from what they actually did, but the option expired, so I guess it's fair game (and besides, enough time has gone by that some of my original ideas have aged out of the roles). I think that David Giuntoli from TV's Grimm looks a lot like my mental image of Owen, and his voice even fits, too. Anna Chlumsky has been showing up in a lot of guest roles lately, and I've found myself thinking that she fits my mental image of Katie, but Emily Rose on Haven has the voice that's in my head. Give her a Texas accent, and that's exactly the tone and inflection I hear in my head when I'm writing, that touch of snarky without being bitchy. She's not exactly the physical image I see, but she's not so wrong that she couldn't work.
Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?
Shanna - I've been kind of on a jazz kick in music lately, mostly because my "soundtrack" for book seven seems to include a lot of jazz standards, whether by old-school artists like Ella Fitzgerald or the more recent versions by people like Harry Connick, Jr. or Jane Monheit. Although I use music a lot to get into the right mental space or capture the right emotions when I write, I think my music choices are more influenced by what I'm writing than by the other way around. TV can be a big influence because if I find something that really captures my imagination, I'll find myself analyzing to see what it is about it that grabs me that way, and then I'll find a way to use that in my work. Not so much outright plot lines, but more character elements or points of conflict. Like a current one seems to be identity issues -- just about everything that currently has me really intrigued involves characters who either have a mystery to their identities (something even they didn't know) or who are learning something they never knew about themselves -- they may know who they are but are learning what they really are. I've used that already, but I'm finding it popping up in a lot of my story ideas. I don't know what that says about my psyche, though!
Amber - What has been taking up your free time lately? Read any good books? Watching anything worth recommending?
Shanna - A lot of my time lately has gone into writing -- getting these books ready to publish, getting some projects out to publishers and my agent, and working on book seven. And then I have ballet classes, and choir practice is about to start again for the fall. I'm also involved in the children's music programs at my church. I'm currently helping with the summer music and arts camp, and during the school year I direct one of the choirs for the really little kids, usually either preschool or kindergarten. Plus, I'm on the committee that puts together our local science fiction convention, Fencon. As for reading, one of my favorite books so far this year has been Code Name Verity, a young adult World War II spy thriller by Elizabeth Wein. There was a new book in the Rogue Agent series by K.E. Mills, which is one of my favorite fantasy series right now, and I'm saving the next Eli Monpress book by Rachel Aaron for my travel reading when I go to WorldCon in a couple of weeks. My current favorite TV series are Grimm (a really cool twist on fairy tales in a police procedural format), Haven (another paranormal procedural type show, but in the Stephen King realm) and for pure fun, I'm totally addicted to Phineas and Ferb on the Disney Channel. I've gotten all my adult friends into it.
Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?
Shanna - I think it would have to be The Princess Bride.
Amber - If you could do magic, what would your favourite spell be?
Shanna - I just want a house cleaning spell -- wave your hand at a sink full of dirty dishes, and they're suddenly clean and back in the cupboard.
Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again!
I am giving away a Shanna Swendson Enchanted Inc, Book to one lucky person! The winner can pick which book in the series they want and in which format (please not the newest releases are only available as e-books).
So if you haven't started the series yet you can start at the beginning. If you are up to date you can pick the upcoming release and I will send it along when it releases.
How To Enter
I have decided to give Rafflecopter a try! Use the widget below to enter the contest. Let's hope I did it right...first time and all ;)
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.
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.
Katie Chandler is back in New York and at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc. – and just in time. The city’s in the grip of a magical crime wave from spells that wizarding whiz Owen Palmer thinks look awfully familiar, and the rogue firm Spellworks is raising its profile in the magical world by selling protective amulets. It’s Katie’s job as the new director of marketing for MSI to fight this battle of public perception while Owen and the other wizards try to uncover what’s really going on.
What Katie doesn’t realize is that her idea to stage a showcase for MSI’s magical achievements is playing right into a devious plot more than three decades in the making. Now Katie has to do damage control that has nothing to do with marketing. To save the magical world, she’ll have to prove who the real enemy is, and doing that will require digging deeper into Owen’s mysterious past than he wants anyone to go. If she fails, she not only stands to lose a magical war, but she could also lose the man she loves.
My Thoughts :
Anyone who knows and loved this series will be as surprised as I was to see this cover and realise there is a new book! Yes this isn't a re-release, a collection of the series or novella it is the fifth, all new and full length novel about Katie Chandler! Why is it such a surprise? Well I thought this series was over, done and gone forever!
Before I continue though I will most likely upset a few fans by revealing that Much Ado About Magic is only coming out in e-book format. I know a lot of people don't have or don't want an e-reader but if you are a real fan you will read this one via the Kindle app on your computer. It is worth it! The good magic filled Manhattan is back and it was even more fun for me this time around because I was just in the city the other week.
What can you expect from the fifth instalment? Well there are surprises in store for Katie when a friend from Texas turns up in NYC and crashes bang into the middle of a magic catastrophe. Owen has a bit of a shock in regards to his parentage and magic abilities. A move, a pay raise and better look at the magic council are also weaved into this very delightful read.
If you haven't tried this series yet then make sure you start off at the beginning. Katie has come a long way and so has the story and if you aren't up to date on what has happened so far then you will be quite lost if you start with book number five.
Sex in the City meets magic with some Mystery thrown in. This is a fun, action packed and magical series . It was one of my favourites and I was sad to see it go so the come back has certainly swept me off my feet. I am even more pleased to say that book sixth is apparently due out later this year! Yay! So Enchanted Inc goes back on my must read and must buy list. I hope it will find its way on to yours too!
*** Much Ado About Magic releases on the 15th of August - Use the Amazon link below to pre-order ***
After leaving New York, Katie Chandler went back home to Texas where things are on the less magical side. This doesn't mean that things are boring. Working in the family store and making sure her family function nicely isn't easy work. Although that doesn't mean Katie never thinks of New York or a certain special person. After all she only came back to Texas so she and Owen would be safe from anymore magical problems.
Then Katie's mother starts seeing things. All the family think she is ill but Katie knows her mother is, like herself, immune to magic. So Katie starts looking for things that could prove that something magical is going on. Otherwise it could be that her mother really is ill and that is certainly worse than magic coming to her little town in Texas.
The fourth book in the Katie Chandler series was another delightful read. Magical and romantic this is a fun chick-lit spell filled read. Unfortunately this seems to be the last book in the series. Even though the author has book #5 half written the sales for book 3 & 4 weren't good enough for the publishers. To say this is a shame is an understatement. Even though this book ended on a good note and left no huge cliffhangers I would still love to see what happens to Katie next. This series has so many possibilities and I was really hoping that when I went to Amazon that I would find book number five ready for me to order.
If you haven't already tried this series I seriously suggest giving it a go. The books are fun and original and the characters are special. Very enchanting and unique I hope the author will try something else paranormal someday.
