Ciel Halligan, an aura adaptor with a chameleon-like ability to step into the lives of her clients and fix their problems for them — as them — is working a job at the National Zoo with her boyfriend, Billy, and his ten-year-old sister, Molly. It's supposed to be a quick fix, giving her time to decide if it's wise to pursue the romantic relationship her charming scoundrel of a best friend wants, or if she should give Mark, the CIA spook she's crushed on since hormones first rattled her pubescent brain, a chance to step up to the plate.
Molly has already begun to show signs of being an adaptor herself. She's young for it, but she's always been precocious, so it's not impossible. What is impossible is her taking on the form of the baby orangutan she touches — adaptors can only project human auras. Until now, apparently. Worse, Molly is stuck in ape form. She can't change herself back.
Escaping from the zoo with their new baby orang, Ciel and Billy head for NYC and the only person they know can help: Ciel's brother James, a non-adaptor scientist who's determined to crack the aura adaptor genetic code. But when Billy winds up in jail, accused of attempted murder, Ciel begins to suspect Molly's unusual adapting ability is more than just a fluke. Who's been experimenting on Molly, and what do they hope to gain? And will Ciel survive to find out?
My Thoughts :
It feels like forever since I read the first book in this series, In a Fix. The concept was fresh and new and I really liked a lot about the debut. However the question was how the author planned on continuing things. The first book introduced the reader to so many possibilties. Human changlings could be used in so many different situations and for a lot of reasons. So it was extremely interesting to find this second book staying in the States and playing things a little closer to home this time around.
I needed a few chapters to get used to the characters again. The concept wasn't something I could forget but it took me a while to remember who was who. It doesn't help that the characters can change themselves into each other but at some point things clicked into place and it stopped giving me a minor headache. The idea of one of the changlings turning into an animal was a nice spin on things and it was a nice plot that opened out into an even nicer story that twisted and turned all the way till the end. At some points complicated, I nearly did lose the plot but I was rewarded with a spectacular end to the mystery and an even better funny ending.
This is one of those series that I will definitely keep coming back to because it is original and very special. It is also one I will keep reading due to the wonderful family and friends that all have their uses, annoyances and quirks. It is a nice set of characters and they have fun. Therefore I have fun. I want to know what comes next and I am interested in what happens to this strange and wonderful family. Ciel is a kick-ass leading lady and there isn't a shortage of guys to drool over.
So I eagerly await book number three. I seriously hope there will be one! I can't wait to see what Ciel gets involved with next and how her relationship with her family, friends and guy continues. If you are looking for something new and adventurous then you really need to try this series. There isn't anything quite like it and the author has done a spectacular job bringing a unusal and intricate idea.
My author guest last week was Linda Grimes. Her debut book, In A Fix, introduces a refreshingly new concept which made me go wow! I can't for more and will be pre-ordering the sequel, Quick Fix, as soon as possible!
Linda wasn't just here talking about In A Fix, she was also giving away a copy to one lucky entrant!
The contest is now over and it is time to see who won! All you have to do is check out the widget below. You should be able to see the name of the winner now ;)
Didn't win? Still make sure you check out In A Fix. Add it to your Christmas wishlist or buy it for a friend and read it first ;)
Want more contests? Check out the sidebar for the latest author contest --->
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.
Find out more about the book and the author behind it by reading the interview I did with Linda. Hopefully it will have you adding the book to your wishlist or shopping cart sometime soon! After all In A Fix did win the Monthly Giveaway last month! So I know you all want it!
If you want to try your luck at winning a copy then make sure you enter this weeks contest. Linda is giving away one copy of In A Fix to one lucky person!
So you may have wondered where I have been? Well I was away and didn't really have much internet time and also didn't read very much. Sorry!! I am back now and as an apology I have a nice author interview and contest to share with you!
Book two, Quick Fix, is on my radar and will certainly be a pre-order for me. I just loved the first book so much that I had to contact the author and ask her on the blog. The following interview is the result of our contact and if you read till the end you can enter the contest and win a copy of the amazing In a Fix!
Enjoy!
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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 debut book, In a Fix?
Linda – It's a pleasure to be here. You have a great blog!
In a Fix is light urban fantasy. It has a contempory setting, is packed with humor (well, I think it's funny, anyway), and has a paranormal aspect in the form of "aura adaptors"--individuals who can project the appearance others by altering their own auras; i.e., the energy that surrounds them. Guess you could call them human chameleons.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the In A Fix? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Linda - It came to me while I was in the car on the Fairfax County Parkway. I saw a vanity license plate with the name "Ciel" on it, and the character popped into my mind pretty much exactly how she is in the book. She started talking to me right away. I think the story must have been in my head somewhere all along, just waiting for the right trigger to release it.
Amber - How do you pick the names for the characters? Do they have any special meanings?
Linda - See above. Sometimes they just fall into my path. *grin* But mostly, for me, characters come with names, which they tell me in their own good time. They are who they are.
I found out after the fact that Ciel means "sky" in French. I didn't have a clue at the time – I'd never heard of the name before. The other names in the book (Billy, Mark, Thomas, Nils, Laura, etc.) don't really have any special meaning. Those are just the names the characters already had when they showed up in my head.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do for In A Fix? Anything interesting or is the research boring?
Linda - Oh, I love research! Books, websites, YouTube, you name it. There are so many great resources online these days. For instance, if I'm writing about a place I haven't visited personally, I'll go search for it on YouTube. It's a great way to get a feel for another location if you can't afford to go travel there in person. YouTube has some great videos of the Swedish Medieval Festival Ciel gets caught up in. Trebuchets (a kind of catapult), too. Fun stuff!
Amber - When will there be a sequel to In A Fix? Can you tell us anything about it?
Linda - Quick Fix (Book 2 of the series) is coming out next summer (2013). You'll get to meet more of Ciel's family—her other brothers, parents, aunts and uncles. Plus, there's a baby orangutan integral to the plot. That's about all I can tell you without spoilers.
Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author? Why did you pick the Urban Fantasy genre?
Linda - I've wanted to write since I was a kid (wrote my first "novel" when I was ten – highly embarrassing Trixie Belden fan fiction), but got sidetracked in high school by theater. It was a great creative outlet for many years, but I finally returned to my first love--rearranging words on the page. All that "drama" wasn't wasted, though – everything I learned about acting comes in handy when I'm writing different characters.
I didn't consciously decide to write urban fantasy – that's just the way the story unwound.
Amber - I am sure that being an author has its ups and downs. What experiences have you had so far?
Linda - Boy, does it! It's a regular roller coaster ride. But you know what? The downs (writing slumps, rejections, things like that) are what make the ups (completing a book, finding an agent, selling a book) so much more special. Life is about contrasts. Without them, I think even the good stuff would start to feel ho-hum after a while.
Amber - I am a huge Kindle fan. Do you have an e-reader yourself? What are your views on E-books?
Linda - I love my Kindle! Didn't think I would -- paper books are such a great sensory experience that I couldn't imagine wanting to read any other way -- but the convenience of an e-reader won me over. You can carry a whole library with you wherever you go! What could be better than that?
Amber - A lot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music that influenced In A Fix?
Linda - The opening of In a Fix always puts steel drums – island music -- in my head, so I guess that could be considered a soundtrack of sorts, even though I don't listen to music while I write. I need quiet to concentrate. Quick Fix was probably more influenced by music, one song in particular. But I can't tell you what it is -- that would be too much of a spoiler.
Amber - What have you been watching lately? Any recommendations?
Linda - I recently caught up with all the back seasons of Supernatural on Netflix. Wow! I don't know how I missed that for so many years -- it's fantastic. I also watched a series called Life, about a detective who spent twelve years in jail after being wrongfully accused of murder. Sadly, it only lasted two seasons. It's a real gem, in my opinion. And when my husband is at work, I've been known to sneak in some old episodes of Charmed.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Linda - I will devour anything by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series), Vicki Pettersson (Signs of the Zodiac series and her new Celestial Blues series), Harlan Coben (especially the Myron Bolitar mysteries), Jim Butcher (the Dresden Files series – I have a literary crush on his wizard, Harry Dresden), Kristan Higgins (delicious rom-coms), and Tawna Fenske (hilariously fun and sensual rom-coms). To name only a few. I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more as soon as this interview goes live.
Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?
Linda - Oh, gosh...it's so hard to narrow it down. Let's see…one that really gave me chills, in spite of not being terribly violent, is The Changeling. The one from 1980, starring George C. Scott. Reeeally spooky. I've never been so afraid of a bouncing ball. Oh, and I like The Sixth Sense, too. I guess I prefer the psychologically scary stuff to the graphic stuff.
Amber - So if you could shapeshift into anyone and live their life for a while, who would you choose?
Linda – Anybody who can sing. Just once I would love to be able to belt out a tune without making listeners cringe.
Amber - Thank you for being a guest! I hope to you will be back soon! ;)
Linda - Thank you for inviting me! I'd be happy to come back anytime. :)
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Contest Time!
Linda is giving away a copy of IN A FIX to one lucky entrant!
You must live in the US or Canada to enter!
How To Enter
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the contest.
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 you must claim your prize within 7 days of the winner being announced!
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 ;)
Snagging a marriage proposal for her client while on an all-expenses-paid vacation should be a simple job for Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire. A kind of human chameleon, she’s able to take on her clients’ appearances and slip seamlessly into their lives, solving any sticky problems they don’t want to deal with themselves. No fuss, no muss. Big paycheck.
This particular assignment is pretty enjoyable... that is, until Ciel’s island resort bungalow is blown to smithereens and her client’s about-to-be-fiancé is snatched by modern-day Vikings. For some reason, Ciel begins to suspect that getting the ring is going to be a tad more difficult than originally anticipated.
Going from romance to rescue requires some serious gear-shifting, as well as a little backup. Her best friend, Billy, and Mark, the CIA agent she’s been crushing on for years—both skilled adaptors—step in to help, but their priority is, annoyingly, keeping her safe. Before long, Ciel is dedicating more energy to escaping their watchful eyes than she is to saving her client’s intended.
Suddenly, facing down a horde of Vikings feels like the least of her problems.
My Thoughts :
Recently I have been reading a lot of series that are already established and are more or less ready to end or should be thinking about ending. There is definitely a need for some great new books that have great exciting concepts and are uniquely fresh. In A Fix fits all of the above requirements and then some.
The blurb already spurred some hope but it wasn't until I had read the first few chapters that I knew this was the next good new thing. We have had enough werewolves and shapeshifters in many shapes and forms but an aura adaptor is certainly new to me. What the author has done to the idea is absolutely ingenious and I loved every moment of Ciel's debut.
Many new authors seem to pack to much into their debut book. Lots of information and long drawn out explanations are a huge bore and take the fun out of the read. Linda Grimes manages to make you feel at home straight away. No long-winded descriptions but the bare essentials to keep you in the loop and hooked. I didn't feel like I was missing any key pieces of the puzzle and Ciel led me the whole way through the story as if she had been doing it for years.
I don't want to go to deeply into the story and plot because I feel it would ruin the element of surprise and fun. The blurb says enough and if the human chameleon aspect even slightly tickles your fancy then you need to try this one. This isn't over the top but well written and realistic. The characters rock and I love the love interests (yes plural) and like Ciel I think I would find it hard to choose.
If you are looking for something new and fresh, look no further. In A Fix is one of the best debuts I have read in a long time and a series I am putting on my must read list. I will be pre-ordering the second book, Quick Fix, as soon as possible. Loved this and hope you will all give it a try and love it too!
