Review: Dearly, Departed ARC

Dearly, Departed
by Lia Habel

Love can never die.
Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love. 
From Amazon

There are few books that I deem as extrodinarty. Books that literally take ones breath away. There are great books, unforgettable books and books that are just plain fun to read. But not many that leave me in awe. Dearly, Departed reminded my why I love reading. Reminded me about passion and life.

Lia's characters are so incredibly strong and resilient. Both living and dead. They come alive in full color and paint a world unlike any I have ever imagined. Dearly, Departed is the first steampunk book I have read. The first zombie romance I have read. Now I need to know where I can find another.

I always imagined that a steampunk world would be over whelming and distracting. That it would be all encompassing. But Lia's world is so elegantly written and simplistic while complex. I could easily envision the world, technology, weapons  and wardrobe. The world is written from the viewpoints of two different sects, each with different views and lifestyles. I found this fascinating and an entirely entertaining way to learn the cultures and histories of the stories characters.

Like the world the characters are extreme, "real" and fascinating. The heroine, Nora, is of quick wit and completely morbid. LOL. I loved her unapologetic personality. Her drive and passion. She and her best friend, Pamela, have the strength and fortitude all kick-ass heroines should have. But unlike most leather cad heroines, they daintily and primly conquer thier fears and their worlds.

The hero, Bram, could not be more perfect. A dangerous rouge. A light-hearted gentleman. Reading from his view point as well as Nora's and Pamela's (and a couple others) was so enlightening. I cannot imagine finding the story nearly as engrossing as I did if it had not been told from so many characters perspectives.

Dearly, Departed is a story about surival. About adaptation and the humane will to live. It is about impossible love and improbable friendships. In no other paranormal romance books have I read more about the human spirit and soul. I can truly say that I have been inspired by a zombie and the girl he falls in love with.

For more information on this book please visit Lia Habel's website!
Dearly, Departed will be available October 2011. Preorder now from: Amazon | Indiebound | B and N

What the... AAD Contest!

So I got this band in my swag at Authors After Dark. We cannot figure out what it is suppose to be.

A lion, a dog maybe (both anatomically correct perhaps *winks*). But most bands are simplistic in design. 

This one is all lumpy! WHAT THE?

So let's have some fun! What do you think it is!? 

 

One randomly chosen guesser will win both Masked by Moonlight by Nancy Gideon and

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang both of which I received at Authors After Dark this year.

The band is not included... as my daughter proclaimed running with it from the room.

Make sure to encode your email address to avoid spam (book (at) domain (dot) com).

This contest is for US addresses only and ends September 2nd.

Christmas in... August

I bought myself a little treat and thought I would share.

Thank you to Amazon for your awesome Buy 4 get 1 Free deal!

Another Kind of Dead
Kelly Meding

She can heal her own wounds. She can nail a monster to a wall. But there’s one danger Evangeline Stone never saw coming.

Been there. Done that. Evy Stone is a former Dreg Bounty Hunter who died and came back to life with some extraordinary powers. Now all but five people in the world think she is dead again, this time for good—immolated in a factory fire set specifically for her. Evy and Wyatt, her partner/lover/friend, can no longer trust their former allies, or even the highest echelons of the Triads—the army of fighters holding back from an unsuspecting public a tide of quarreling, otherworldly creatures—they can trust only each other. Because when the Triads raided a macabre, monster-filled lab of science experiments and hauled away the remnants, they failed to capture their creator: a brilliant, vampire-obsessed scientist with a wealth of powerful, anti-Dreg weaponry to trade for what he desires most of all—Evy Stone: alive and well, and the key to his ultimate experiment in mad science.

Lover Mine: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
 J.R. Ward

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very  different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin, Book 2)
Jennifer Estep

Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. 
Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco. You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

Venom (Elemental Assassin, Book 3)
Jennifer Estep

What kind of assassin works pro bono?

It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists. At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.

Review: Blood Rights ARC

Blood Rights
by Kristen Painter

Rebellion has a price…

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign. From http://kristenpainter.com/

Much like it's extraordinary cover design Blood Rights is an intricate story woven from rich characters and their majestic world. Kristen's world flourishes with riches, controversy, secrecy and nobility. Blood Rights is a book about new beginnings and devastating ends. About birth via fire, so to speak.

I am actually finding the book review hard to write as I try to summarize the complexity of Blood RIghts. It is almost like I have just begun with chapter one and need to read more to fully describe the personalities and setting of the book. Blood Rights is inundated with action and peril. Making the pages flow quickly and leaving the mind to ponder the twists. Each action causes reaction. I cannot even begin to imagine the storyline involved with the story and it's next books. I would say that it reads a bit like an epic fantasy but set in a new paranormal filled world. A world filled with vampires, shifters, ghosts, fae and magic.

Though there is a distinct heroine and hero, I struggle to call the other characters "secondary". The book is told from many view points, giving unique perspectives and emotion. Chrysabelle is a fantastic heroine. Filled with honor, values and innocence while being fearless and unforgiving. Both her and the hero, Melkolm, are enigmas. Fierce fighters in both emotion and life. They love to hate each other and have an incredibly dynamic alliance. I cannot wait to see how their relationship plays out in the next two books.

Detailed hierarchies, customs, rituals and lore fill the pages of Blood Rights. Each chapter adds new dimension to Kristen's world. Blood Rights is a fantastic tale written with a refreshingly new view of the paranormal. A tale of trial with blood, hope, passions and loyalties. I look forward to the second and third books which release this year. Flesh and Blood released November 1st, 2011 and book three Bad Blood comes out December 1st, 2011.

For more information on this book please visit Kristen Painter's website!
Blood Rights will be available October 2011. Preorder now from: Amazon | Target | B and N

AAD 2011 The Books

The best part of AAD!? Ok, maybe the authors, but really for a blogger, reader and lover of printed material the books come in a close second. See all my pretties! Including 5 wonderful ARCs (I am reading Blood Rights by Kristen Painter now). I also had to buy two of Estep's books so I can read the series in sequence (I got number 5 as an ARC). Thanks for contributing to my book OCD Authors After Dark!

Some books are duplicates for me, though I did try to avoid them as to share with the other convention goers. But to be honest, without my Excel spreadsheet I was lost as to what was already on my shelves. These wonderful books will appear in contests!

The books I am most excited about are Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep, Assassin's Honor by Monica Burns, Enemy Mine by Karin Harlow, Jessa Slade's books and Erin Kellison's books! Oh and then there is Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn and Lydia Dare's books. The ARCs! Deceived by the Others (bought) by Jess Haines. So yah, I am excited all of the books.

Being a blogger most certainly comes with perks, expecially at Authors After Dark. Next year I will not be attending as a blogger *sobs*, as I am staff *big grin* but I hope that those who do attend as such enjoy the special goodies and extra books as much as I did both this year and at last years convention.

So readers, what books are you excited to read!?

AAD 2011 Overview

First and foremost, I cannot believe that it is already the 17th! Just yesterday I was tapping my foot with impatience. Authors After Dark took so very long to come and was over so fast. All in all, I had as wonderful of experience again this year as last. I loved meeting up again with old friends and meeting new friends. Many of the authors were AAD veterans and gave warm welcomes. All of the new authors to AAD were approachable and lovely.
(More to come later...)

This year AAD was one day longer and I felt it. The convention was also considerably larger, with about 300 attendees. I was busy from the start of the day till the end. My biggest complaint about the schedule was picking and choosing from so many imaginative panels. I admit I may have done one or two "pop in and out appearances" just to get to everything. Like last year, the panels were amazing. Unlike last year, this year I was on two panels (Promotional Design and Bloggers Tell it All) and I wrote another (Spontaneously Paranormal). Regardless of which side of the table I was on I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction, banter and conversation.

Books!? Oh Yes!!! Not quite as many as last year, but then last year I had uncanny luck with winning. This year... not so much. But that is just fine. I have a huge pile of books and I cannot wait to start reading my ARCs. I will do a post specifically on the books later. I also got a ton of swag in all shapes and forms. My favorite would be a mouse pad from Jean Murray, I am using it now. There was also a ton of pens, trading cards, snacks, pins, bookmarks and samplers. Watch for swag giveaways in the future!

The staff did a remarkable job. Like any big event there are bound to be unexpected problems and unavoidable challenges. I take my hat off to Stella and all of the staff for working so hard on making the event run as smoothly as possible even with last minute complications. The staff for AAD starts planning more than a year ahead of each event and countless hours go into preparation and planning. Unfortunately, we all know what happens to "best laid plans". So for this hard work and dedication I THANK YOU all!

Regardless of any confusions, I think most attendees would agree that Authors After Dark delivered what was promised in a spectacular event that both promotes and encourages the reader and author relationship. I am always amazed with the closeness of the romance community. I feel so privileged to have been part of AAD this year, to have had the opportunity to meet so many astounding authors and put faces with the voices I network with daily. Authors After Dark is my one thing that I do just for me and I cannot think of a better gift to myself.

I cannot wait to see everyone again in NOLA!

New Release: RETRIBUTION

RETRIBUTION
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

...Harm no human…

A hired gunslinger, William Jessup Brady lived his life with one foot in the grave. He believed that every life had a price. Until the day when he finally found a reason to live. In one single act of brutal betrayal, he lost everything, including his life. Brought back by a Greek goddess to be one of her Dark-Hunters, he gave his immortal soul for vengeance and swore he’d spend eternity protecting the humans he’d once considered prey.

Orphaned as a toddler, Abigail Yager was taken in by a family of vampires and raised on one belief- Dark-Hunters are the evil who prey on both their people and mankind, and they must all be destroyed. While protecting her adoptive race, she has spent her life eliminating the Dark-Hunters...