In Ghosts, you'll meet a man entranced by a picture of a woman who haunts him from beyond the grave.
Minor Deaths introduces you to Lisa, a Jumper, who must face a creature on one of her Jumps who threatens to lure her away from her body back on Earth.
Mortuary Man is the tale of a man's obsession with the dead.
Willowborn The Devil's Wind comes to Painter's Peak and brings with it a most unusual transformation.
Memory's Child is a story of the water Fae, and love both found and lost.
Siobhan and the Siren was Yasmine's very first published short story.
My Thoughts :
I am way behind on my yearly reading goal and I am trying to play catch up. This involves reading some novellas so I will at least be back on track. There will be some serious reading going on over the Christmas holidays to make up for things but right now I am reading whatever I can, when I can. So when I came across this collection of short stories by Yasmine Galenorn I decided to give it a go. I am behind on her books right now and don't think I have managed to pick up anything written by her at all this year so it seemed like a good idea.
Unfortunately these stories were not my thing. Not one of them really stood out and make me get excited and while they were all very well thought out and very interesting I didn't like them very much at all. Maybe I was expecting something different. Something more familiar. Maybe my expectations were too high. Whatever the reason, this collection was a bit of a disappointment.
However I think that any fans of the author should give this one a go. I think the stories were well written and had some great concepts. They just weren't for me.
Finnish house sprite Iris Kuusi has fallen in love again. But she is carrying a dark secret. Now, she must journey to the frozen Northlands to confront the shadow of her former lover who haunts her dreams, and to discover, once and for all, whether she actually committed the horrible crime for which she was cast out. Only by breaking a curse she's been under since her youth, can she free herself to embrace the love waiting for her at home.
My Thoughts :
Ice Shards is a short story from the Hexed Anthology. Set in the Sisters of the Moon series it tells the story of Iris and her trip to prove her innocence. It has been hundreds of years since the house sprite ran away from her old life and started anew. For readers of the series it is a chance to get to know Iris better and to also find out her secrets.
The story was well written and very detailed for a short story. However I didn't really think I got to know Iris as well as I expected. The plot while well thought out did spend most of the time building up to Iris coming up against her own personal demon but the part where she finally beats it is over quickly.
It was nice to travel with Iris, Camille and the rest of the crew but it wasn't a very satisfying story. Maybe because I knew (this story takes place a few books back) what the conclusion to the story was. After all the author points out what Iris could gain from proving her innocence and I knew she already had reached this goal.
The surprise in this novella was the even shorter story, Shattered, inside this special e-book release. The story is about Menolly and what happens when she arrives home after being made a vampire. Quick but impressive this was the story I enjoyed the most from both in this small collection.
Worth checking out if you are a fan of the series and didn't invest in Hex. It is nice to find out more about the characters backgrounds and see how well the author has planned the whole series.
We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch with three sexy husbands. My sister Delilah is a two-faced werecat and Death Maiden. And me? I’m Menolly, a jian-tu turned vampire in love with a wildly hot werepuma. Unfortunately, life is about to get very, very nasty…
Nerissa and I can’t decide on what we want to do for our promise ceremony and we’re bickering like an old married couple. My sisters and I head to Otherworld for a meeting with Queen Asteria. Once there, we discover that Shadow Wing has dispatched Telazhar—a malevolent necromancer—to reignite the Scorching Wars. And as soon as we return back home, we find Gulakah, the Lord of Ghosts, waging a battle to control the magical beings over Earthside. Caught between two terrible enemies in a battle spanning two worlds, we can only hope we’re in time to stop all-out annihilation.
My Thoughts :
Shadow Rising is Menolly's fourth book and the twelfth book about the sisters. Last time it was Delilah's story and next Camille will take the reins again. It is a nice change each book and I have come to like each sister equally over the years. Each one has her strengths and powers and the constant support of the people around them. It is nice to get close to them each book and also find out more about their life. The people, other than their family, who are important to them are easier to understand and get to know each book. I love the change each time.
Menolly being a vampire is quite restricted in her actions seeing as she can't be up in the day like her sisters and the rest of the family/friends. However she does manage to be just as involved as the others and does her bit like the rest of them. It is weird not knowing what the rest of the crew are up to while Menolly is sleeping but it is nice to spend dream time with her.
A lot happens in this book but then again there doesn't seem to be one book in this series where the sisters and their extended family get a break. The house is practically breaking apart with the amount of people living there and so many supernatural badies are hanging around it is unbelievable. With so much going on I have to admire the characters for not just giving up.
Which makes me wonder how much longer this series will continue. It doesn't seem like the sisters are making much progress in finding the seals or stopping anything from happening. There are constantly new small problems arriving and bigger ones mixing themselves up with it all. Is there an end in sight? While I really enjoy the series I want to see things come to an end and I think that has been the main basis of my reviews for the last few books in the Otherworld.
So despite my wish to see things finally come to an end I will be back for more and will keep coming back till the Sisters finally save everyone and everything! I love the unusual and unique supernaturals and the plots are always ones that will keep you hooked till the end. I find the author getting a little more heated than needed in the sexual activities of the Sisters. Maybe if they spent more time looking for the seals than shagging then they may have been done by now...
The twelfth book in the Otherworld series and things are getting more and more complicated. Once upon a time I knew who was who and remembered what was going on. Nowadays it is more of a guessing game with hope that the author will remind the reader who everyone is, why they are in important and what happened in the previous eleven books. It is hard to keep up but somehow I am managing it. I am sure I am missing something somewhere but as long as the main characters keep taking the reins I am happy to keep coming back for more.
I am back! Normal viewing will commence! And to start off I have some long awaited Monthly Giveaway results to share with you and a contest winner to announce. So off we go!
There were, as always, five books to vote for and one lucky newsletter subscriber will win a copy of the book that got the most votes. So which book won?
Margay was here on the blog telling us about her latest book Sloane Wolf and was also giving away a copy.
So congrats to :
Clenna!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize! Thanks to everyone who entered! Try again next time!
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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.
I have picked five of my favourite reads from last month and you guys can 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.
You have till the 22nd of July to vote and enter the Monthly Giveaway! Make sure you validate your newsletter subscription to be entered!
Here is a little info about each book on offer this month. Just click on the book title and author to see my review -
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
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
June wasn't a good month for reading. I got some books read but they weren't extremely amazing ones but the five I liked the most are now up for grabs!
Would you like to win one of the books I read in June? 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. I pick a name from the subscibers list and that person wins the book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for!
To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar ---> or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new 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 Sunday 22nd of July 2012 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced within days of the contest closing.
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
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
One bath-and-body spa employee knows that murder isn't pretty.
When police suspect that Venus Envy's new makeup artist has drowned, Persia Vanderbilt knows there's more to it than meets the eye.
My Thoughts :
This third and unfortunately last book in the Bath & Body Mysteries was like the previous books, brilliant! I already knew before I started the series that there were only three books in this cozy collection but I have to say I was disappointed to see it end. The plot was great, the characters friendly and the style was just perfect. Everything I have come to expect from Yasmine Galenorn who wrote these books under the name India Ink.
Things are really taking off at Venus Envy and Persia's ex also takes off in another, not so nice way. This book was full of cleaning up loose ends while making sure there was a great mystery to solve. I loved it. However one mystery is still open. Where did Persia get all her money from?
I am so glad that I finally got around to reading this series but a little upset that there are no more. I really got to like Persia, her aunt and all the other quirky interesting characters. Although the author managed to clear up everything I still felt there were more stories there and I really would have liked to see what happened to Persia next.
A definite must read for lovers of cozy mysteries and a serious must try for any Galenorn fans!
When a pushy saleswoman at a rival boutique winds up dead, Persia Vanderbilt of Venus Envy steps out from behind the counter to find the killer.
My Thoughts :
When I picked up the first book in this cozy series I didn't think I would be reading the second part straight after. I am not a huge fan of reading a whole series one after another but the activities of Gull Harbor and Persia Vanderbilt had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see what she got up to next and picked up this sequel straight away.
This time around I was even more impressed by the plot, characters and style. Just to remind you, India Ink is actually Yasmine Galenorn and I really love her books. So it isn't really a surprise to find that this series is just as good. Yes it doesn't have any paranormal aspects to it but it is a super read.
The plot this time around incorporated a little more action but it fit perfectly to the story. Also Persia's relationships with her friends and family became very solid while her ex turned up and made things extremely interesting. Any followers of Galenorn's Otherworld series will be amused to see that Deliah was always destined to be a cat. Persia and her aunt have quite a few animals hanging around and I loved this little touch.
The Bath & Body Mysteries are so good I couldn't stop myself from picking up the third and last book as my next read. I have so many other books and even some cool new releases and ARC's waiting for me but I couldn't get away from Gull Harbor! Yasmine always tells a good story!
From custom blended oils to relaxing spa services, the store Venus Envy takes care of all the beauty needs of Gull Harbor, Washington. Behind the counter is Persia Vanderbilt, a woman with a nose for mixing scents--and a mind for solving murder.
My Thoughts :
I love a good cozy and while I was taking part in a read-a-thon over the weekend I decided to tackle a few dusty paperbacks that have been sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time! So when I saw the Bath & Body Mysteries still sitting there waiting for my attention I decided it was high time I at least read the first one. After all these books are actually written by Yasmine Galenorn!
Yasmine is well known for her Sisters of the Moon series but not everyone knows that she also writes an amazing cozy mystery! I have already read and thoroughly enjoyed her Chintz 'n China Mysteries and I went to a lot of trouble to get copies of this other series. Why I hadn't gotten to them before now is not a huge puzzle. Too many books - Not enough time!
Anyway back to the books! This introduction into the series was absolutely superb. Well written and it had everything I have come to expect from this amazing author. The plot was good the characters even more so. There is also a slight paranormal hint to the book with the mention of a ghost living in Persia's house and friends of the family having abilities.
The setting of a spa is very relaxing and it was interesting to read about Persia's job and how she mixed up different oils for different people and why. The mystery kept me guessing till the end and by the time I was halfway through the book I knew I was going to read the next installment straight after. I was caught up in Gull Harbor and all the goings on.
Well worth reading if you like cozy mysteries and a definite must read if you enjoy Yasmine's other work.
The February Monthly Giveaway is over! The poll is closed and it is time to see which book won the most votes and which subscriber of Amberkatze's Book Blog has won of copy!
If you didn't take part this time then make sure you check in next month! Until then you can try your luck in the Rachel Caine Contest. Read the interview and enter yourself and you could win one of the authors books.
So which book won? Let's see!
Last place, with only 6% of the votes, goes to Shaded Vision by Yasmine Galenorn. I am a little surprised by this! Was expecting this long running series to get into the top three!
With 13% of the votes, at fourth place, is Old Haunts by E.J. Copperman. You guys aren't really cozy mystery people? huh? Even if there are ghosts involved? ;)
Well that wasn't the result I was expecting but I am so happy that Katie's book won! Now the question is who has won a copy of Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus!
Congrats to the subscriber with the email address beginning with :
Thescribbler_1!!!
Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize and remember you can also pick Kindle format!
Didn't win this time? Keep trying and make sure you check out the weekly author contests.
Oh and make sure you check out the books that were on offer this month! They were my five favourite reads! Use the links from Amazon and Book Depository to order and help keep the contests coming!
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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.
Please use the links around the site to buy your books and help keep the contests going!
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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
February is a short month but thanks to a Read-a-thon I took part in I got quite a few books read. Goodreads even tells me I am ahead in my goal to read 175 books this year.
Want to win one of the books I read in February? Well you can! It is time for 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. I pick a name from the subscibers list and that person wins the book with the most votes. So you may not even win the book you voted for!
To subscribe to Amberkatze's Book Blog all you have to do is use the box in the sidebar <--- or at the bottom of this post. Everyone who is already subscribed will be entered in the contest as well as new 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 Tuesday 13th of March 2012 4pm (all times are in Central European Time). The winner will be announced within days of the contest closing.
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
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
