146) Dark And Stormy Knights by Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn & Others

The Blurb -

Elrod has collected nine original stories by the modern masters of urban fantasy; an anthology that will both thrill fans and serve as a nice introduction to an increasingly popular genre. Several of the stories are set in the authors' series worlds but feature minor characters; Jim Butcher's “Even Hand,” for example, uses the landscape of the Dresden Files series but focuses on Chicago Mob boss Johnny Marcone. Carrie Vaughn's “God's Creatures” features Cormac, who must track down a rogue werewolf. All the stories feature knights of one kind or another, but none is the conventional knight of history. The entire collection is strong, but the two highlights are Rachel Caine's “Even a Rabbit Will Bite,” about two old foes, and Shannon Butcher's “The Beacon,” in which a reluctant hunter must decide the fate of a small girl.

My Thoughts -

If you read my blog on a regular basis you will know that I am not a huge fan of anthologies. Sure I have read a few stunners in my time but usually I end up moaning about the stories and hating myself again for being drawn in by the big cool names. Dark and Stormy Knights is, yet again, one of those moan and groan ones. I however will try and keep the whining down to a minimum because I decided to try this on audio and I think that made it even worse.

A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews

I haven't really read anything by this author. I think my eyes have passed over another short story and I do believe I read her debut release. However I haven't, for some reason, followed up on her books. After listening to this story I have to admit that I do feel the urge to take a look at this author again. It was a good strong story and I liked the idea. Full of the paranormal this was not the best of the collection but it was certainly one of the better ones.

Even Hand by Jim Butcher

I am not up to date with the Dresden series and even though the books are on my shelf I never feel in the mood to pick them up. However it doesn't really matter if you have visited Harry Dresden lately because Johnnie Marcone is telling the story this time around. Which kind of put me off. I mean I don't like Johnnie. He is the bad guy. Sure the story is well written but to be honest this didn't do anything for me. The narrators voice also put me off and I found myself not caring for this tale at all. Could have been much better.

The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher

Finally I get to see what Jim's wife can do! And I was slightly impressed. This story had good and bad parts but all in all it was quite an interesting one. Much better than what the husband contributed and it left me even more eager to try Shannon's books. Well worth reading.

Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine

This story about a dragonslayer who is about to retire really got me excited at the beginning. After all Rachel Caine is one of my favourite writers and who doesn't love dragons? Anyway it became clear to me very quickly what was going to happen to the dragonslayer. The only mystery to me was how long it was going to take. As the story went on and on I found myself wanting to scream at the slayer. How could she be so old and wise yet so stupid. I have to say the story was actually good and fans will love it however it wasn't the best in the book.

Dark Lady by P.N. Elrod

I remember starting the Vampire Files series a long time ago and giving up after a couple of books. This short story started off very good and promising but at some point lost the plot and also lost interest.

Beknighted by Deidre Knight

While I have heard of this author I don't believe I have ever read any of her books. So it was to have a new author pop up in this anthology. Unfortunately this story really didn't grab my attention in anyway and I found it quite boring. Sorry! Although I have to say that the woman reading this story may have played a big part in it. She showed no emotion what so ever and I could have fallen asleep listening to her.

Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson

It was a big mistake to listen to this one. I am obviously not far enough into the Zodiac series to understand who the character was telling this story was. I feel sorry for anyone who has never read the books because this story would make no sense to them at all. As it is I know my way around a little but I still drowned listening to this one and hated the fact that I had no idea what was going on. Time to catch up with this series.

Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow

This wasn't bad. Definitely not my favourite but a very good addition to the collection and one of the strongest. Lilith always writes a good story and I got pulled into this quite quickly and enjoyed it.

God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn

They saved the best to last. Not a Kitty story but set in the Kitty world, this story follows Cormack as he hunts down a werewolf. No fuss, no romance and no rubbish. This was the best of the bunch and my reward to listening to all the stories!

All in all - Not a good anthology. Read the Carrie Vaughn story in the bookstore and if you can get away with it (or on another trip to the bookstore) maybe read the Lilith Saintcrow and Rachel Caine ones too. The Ilona Andrews is also worth some of your time...if you are in the bookstore...why not?

191) Undbound by Harrison, Drake, Frost, Pettersson & Marr

Five bestselling authors get together share five unique stories. Kim Harrison, Jocelynn Drake, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson and Melissa Marr are just some of the biggest names in the Urban Paranormal Genre and there is no doubt that the short tales in this collection will be good.

Dark, deadly and totally supernatural, each story is exactly what readers have come to expect from such amazing authors. Kim Harrison starts things off with a story set in her Rachel Morgan world about Jenks. This series is the one that got me into the genre and it was great to have Jenks telling a story for a change. This small tribute has left me ready for a new Rachel adventure. The sooner the better!

Next up was Jeaniene Frost's contribution and this story is certainly for all the fans out there. Bones takes the lead in this story set back before he was with Cat. It also clears up a little bit about why he wasn't allowed into New Orleans which was a subject in the last Night Huntress book. Bones is a fun character to follow and it was interesting to see things from his perspective for a change. I really hope this amazing author writes from this side again sometime.

Vicki Pettersson is the next writer in this anthology and she adds something from her Zodiac series. The narrator is JJ but the story is just as good as any other set in this world. Granted this series is not on my must buy list but it is on my must read list, which makes this story a welcome addition to the story so far.

The Fire Starter, Mira, is the lead of the next story. Where the previous three authors visited the worlds that have made them famous but from another perspective. Jocelynn Drake keeps to her main lead and tells a short story about the vampires she is famous for. A shame that this was so short. Another well written story from a great author.

Last up was Melissa Marr. I haven't had much experience with this author but what I have read I liked alot. However this short story didn't grab me as much as I hoped. Maybe it was because she wrote something completely different than her usual fae theme? Whatever the reason, it was still a good story but just not to my liking. It hasn't put me off visiting the author again in the future.

All in all this was a very good anthology. You won't hear me say that very often but this book does have some of the Crème de la Crème inside. Someone really knew which authors to put together for a well balanced book. Bravo for getting a good anthology together for the genre. Well worth reading!

118) The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson

Joanna Archer is made up of both Light and Shadow. She has accepted her destiny and is doing her best to do what she has to do. In public she is a Las Vegas socialite but in the city underworld, that mortals can't see, she is something more.

Joanna is slowly losing everything. The strength of the Light is starting to fade and now she has to help save her friends, her future and both of the worlds she lives in. To do this she may have to embrace her dark side or even give up her own life.

After interviewing Vicki Pettersson last weekend I realised I haven't caught up with the Zodiac series! So I promptly moved this third part in the series up to the top of my to be read pile and got started on it asap. However I have to admit it took me a while to get back into the world, as it always does when I have been away from a series for too long.

Finding my way back into Joanna Acher's story wasn't easy. I found things a little complicated and confusing. I however loved what I was reading and carried on till the end. Still a little mystified about some things but still enjoying everything. This series is so different that there is nothing to compare it to. This is one of the most unique series out there in the genre and I applaud the author for coming up with something off the wall.

I am interested in seeing what happens in the future books and looks forward to reading them. I just hope I won't leave such a long gap between them. This is a series you need to keep fresh in your head otherwise you may lose your way.

Vicki Pettersson Contest Winner!

So who won? Who gets to read City of Souls before it comes out? If you entered the Vicki Pettersson contest you had the chance of winning a signed ARC! Who did the randomiser pick? The winner is -


My Blog 2.0 (Dottie)!!


Congratulations to you!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. I will pick a new winner if the prize isn't claimed. 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.

The next author interview and contest will be posted tomorrow! My guest is young adult author Marlene Perez! So make sure you stop by!

Don't forget!

Don't forget to enter the Vicki Pettersson Contest! The contest closes on Saturday so there are only a few days left to enter! You don't really want to miss out on the chance of a signed ARC? Do you???

Oh and to tickle your taste buds a little...

Nancy Haddock
Marlene Perez
Sunny
Kat Richardson

Are just a few of the authors who will be guests on Amberkatze's Book Blog in June and July! So make sure you stop by!

Author Interview & Contest with Vicki Pettersson

My guest this week on Amberkatze's Book Blog is the author of the Signs of the Zodiac series. Vicki Pettersson came on to the scene with an amazing new concept and book four in the series is due out in July.

Read the interview and find out more about the books, the writer behind them and the enter the contest!

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

Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you as a guest here and I hope you will enjoy your time here ;) Maybe you can start things off for us by telling my readers a bit about your Sign of the Zodiac books?

Vicki - Happy to! The Signs of the Zodiac series follows Joanna Archer, a woman caught in the crossfire between battling factions of Shadow and Light in a previously unrealized paranormal underworld. Lest this sound too gloomy, I set Joanna’s story in my bright, raucous hometown of Las Vegas.

Amber - How was the idea for the series born? Was it a long process or something that just came to you?

Vicki - A bit of both. The scene that spawned my interest in Joanna came to me in a dream, fully formed and full of attitude, fun, danger … and questions. In searching for the answers to these questions - Who is this woman? Why is this man trying to kill her? What will she risk to prevail? — I combined a few other elements that had taken hold of my imagination, and ended up unwittingly writing Urban Fantasy. Most surprisingly, the supernatural aspects - the realization that these people were contemporary superheroes and villains - mushroomed up out of nowhere. A character popped up in the third chapter and claimed to be a superhero. Playing along with that turned my burgeoning little series on its head.

Amber - How much research did you have to do for the books so far?

Vicki - The beauty of writing fantasy is that I get to make most everything up. I love that. The only thing I must be sure to do is remain consistent with the rules I’ve already created. I also do a bit of work with the astrological aspects since that element is so important to Joanna’s world. However, for the most part I’ll look things up as I need them. I’m often surprised at how well they dovetail with my imagination. For example, doppelgangers are precursors to tulpas in my books, something I was able to create a new explination for out of a story need. This strengthened my world’s mythology while giving the reader something familiar to mentally hang their hat upon. Doppelganger myths aren’t new, neither are tulpas, but by combining the two I think I’ve created something fresh. Ditto for my take on superheroes.

Amber - The fourth book in the series is due out in July. Did you know the series would go so far? How far do you want it to keep going?

Vicki - I knew from the first book that Joanna had a lot of story in her. I also knew pretty early on that there would be six books in the series. I see a couple more beyond that, but she’s being pushed so fast and hard that she’s having to make tough decisions with each book. To be honest, I’m not sure how much more she can take, and given her personality - facing something head on, guns blazing - I see her driving herself toward the ultimate showdown with the Tulpa. She wants resolution. I should have a better idea of how many books that will require by the time I’m done writing the fifth..

Amber - What other projects are you working on? Do you have any other ideas you want to see put on print in the future?

Vicki - I have two other series ideas that have taken hold, but it’s too early to talk about either. Both are fermenting in the back of my mind, waiting their turn, but I know they have legs because they won’t go away. (Please ignore the inherent irony of that statement.) I’m a one-project-at-a-time sort of writer though, real slow and methodical, and I find it unsettling to work on two things at once. So all my focus is on Joanna and her world, and will remain so for the next little bit.

Amber - How did you end up being a writer? Was it something you always wanted to do?

Vicki - I was a reader. I scribbled a bit as a teen, but writing seemed something magical and mystical … something other people did, and not at all attainable for a little girl from a dusty desert town. Still, I was a lover of the written word, and at some point in my twenty-sixth year the idea of writing a novel took hold. I haven’t been able to shake it since.

Amber - I read you used to be a showgirl? How was that?? And what other interesting jobs have you had?

Vicki - Honestly? Repetitive. I did the same step in the same place with the same people every night for a decade. Even the backstage movement was choreographed - I’d pass the same stagehands moving the same sets into the same places, and we’d share the same jokes. The good thing was this freed up mental energy for my imagination. (That’s a nice was of saying I was bored out of my skull.) The hours were great, the pay was good, and there was a bit of autonomy … important because I don’t really like to be told what to do. The best part of it was that I met and made the best friends of my life - I call them my Tribe - a group of women who are there for me no matter what. They don’t care what I do - or if I ever write another word - as long as I bring wine to our regular gatherings.

As for other interesting jobs … hm. Let’s just say that I rarely kept one long enough to consider it mine. I have a big mouth and strong opinions on what suits me and what doesn’t. Thank God the writing thing worked out. I’m really not suited for anything else.

Amber - What books do you like to read when you have time? Do you have any must read authors/series?

Vicki - Anything by Lehane, Gabaldon or J.D. Robb. All are consummate storytellers in their respective genres. I also sink into Janet Fitch’s work. She writes poetry as prose. Surprisingly, I don’t read much in the Urban Fantasy genre. That feels too insular to me, like a snake eating its own tail, and I’m also on guard against being overly influenced by genre “expectations.” My readers generally cite my originality as the number one reason for enjoying my series, and I don’t want to lose that. There are exceptions, of course, and two are Kim Harrison — because I was reading her before I was published - and Jeaniene Frost, because she’s so unapologetically fresh and edgy. She’s not afraid to Go There in terms of her sex and her violence and her voice in the paranormal romance genre, and I absolutely love that.

Amber - How do you relax?

Vicki - Family time. Playing with my toddler, going to the park. I love being a mother. Also hanging out with my aforementioned Tribe. As long as I have meaningful work, my family, and my friends, I’m a happy (non)camper. (Camping = Not Relaxing. Color me Urban. {Wry g})

Amber - Lots of authors have playlists for their books. What music or bands would find their place on a playlist for the Zodiac Series?

Vicki - The readers on my message board have actually set up a Zodiac channel on Pandora.com, so if you’re really interested, you could check that out. It’s pretty eclectic. Green Day, 3 Doors Down, Evanescence, Metallica, Linkin Park, Within Temptation, Poe… it goes on and on. I’m digging on Ani DiFranco (always), Sarah Bareilles, KT Tunstall, and Katie Melua right now. A bunch of chick rockers. {G}

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

Vicki - I’m sorry, but my answer has to be that I’ve created the paranormal people I’d like to be - superheroes, even with their sullied capes. I write them because they’re interesting to me. Vamps have the whole, you know, DEAD thing going against them. I can’t imagine how painful waxing would be if I were some sort of were. Just tranq me already. So superheroes it is. (Guess I’m writing the right thing for me, huh?)

Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Vicki - Food, shelter, my kid, my lover, my books.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. I hope you will pop by again sometime!

Vicki - Thank you!



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

Contest Time!

Vicki is holding on to an ARC of City of Souls for the winner of this weeks contest. This fourth book in the Zodiac Series isn't due out till July so you will be getting this a whole month before it is released and it will be signed!

To enter the contest you have to comment here letting me know what sign of the zodiac you are!

No zodiac sign = No Entry.

Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!

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

The contest will stay open until Saturday 30th of May 2009 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.

If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.

Enjoy!