Book Blog Hop & Follow Friday - July 30, 2010

Crazy-For-Books

Parajunkee's View

Join in on the fun! Click on the names of the hosts above to jump over to their blogs to sign up.

I really enjoy the fun of this and meeting new bloggers. I try to stop by and comment on the blogs. :) And I always stop back by here to reply in the comments to all visitors comments.

The Book Blog Hop has a great new twist to it... A question to answer to get to know each other a little better.

This week:

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

This is a hard question for me as I have picked up a few new-to-me authors this year.  I would have to say recently it would be Stacia Kane in Urban Fantasy, Celine Kiernan and Glenda Larke for Fantasy.  Although I could definitely add a few others to the list...if you would like me to. :)

If you are wondering what I read more of and blog about:

I enjoy reading Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Science Fiction... just about anything in these areas, and I will read YA books in these areas as well (I just have been a little short on reading YA lately). I hope you take a look around and enjoy the reviews and meme's I do: Monday's Beginnings, Teaser Tuesday, Favorite Fictional Character, Balderdash, and Looking Forward Too... (new one up every Friday)

I am also starting a new Blog Book Discussion here with Robyn at The Bookoholic Zone.  We will be switching back and forth the discussion posts here on our blogs.  The first book we are reading is Mind Games by Carolyn Crane.  Please join in with us!  We just posted the first discussion Post on Thursday.  It's on the first 125 pages of the book, you can jump in with any and all thoughts whenever you would like.  Please stop by, we would love to hear your thoughts! Link to it is HERE.

I also have a great Celebration going on.

There are so many things to celebrate for me this time of year.  So Stop by and enter to win!  There are three prizes I am giving.  CLICK HERE.

Please leave a coment on any posts. I love getting comments and I do respond to them all.

Thank you for stopping by!

Looking Forward To... (13)

There are so many amazing books already on the shelves and new ones coming out.

For a list of books yet to be released I'm looking to get, you can also look on my right Sidebar at the list titled Desired Reads - just scroll down.  Of course there are tones of other new books to come out that are amazing as well, but these ones are part of series I have already started or for one reason or another caught my eye (and haven't seen much on other blogs yet).  But I will highlight one here each week.

(mentioned in order of Release Date then Alphabetical if there are more than one book coming out on the same date.)

The Next Book Is...

Way of Kings

By: Brandon Sanderson

Due out August 17, 2010

If you love fantasy books you should have heard of, if not read, books by Brandon Sanderson.  He has the Trilogy Mistborn, and a few stand alone books: Elantris and also Warbreaker.  He also has a YA series going: Alcatraz.  And he has been working on/finished the well known series by Robert Jordan: Wheel of Time.

But now Brandon is starting his own saga series.  I can't wait to get into this hefty book, at 1008 pages.  As Brandon is well known for his amazing magic systems and outstanding story telling.  This book is the first book in his saga called: Stormlight Archive.

Synopsis from Good Reads:
Widely acclaimed for his work completing Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time saga, Brandon Sanderson now begins a grand cycle of his own, one every bit as ambitious and immersive. 

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. 

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. 

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable. 

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity. 

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war. 

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making. 

Speak again the ancient oaths, 

Life before death. 
Strength before weakness. 
Journey before Destination. 

and return to men the Shards they once bore. 

The Knights Radiant must stand again.

Book Blog Chat...Mind Games, Stop 1

Time to start Discussing!!  Books that is...

Mind Games By Carolyn Crane

is our first book discussion.  And I think we have a great one here.

So how is this going to work you ask.  We have some breaking points, which Carolyn was kind enough to help us with.  (Thank you Carolyn.)  Carolyn was kind enough to also suggest a few questions at each point and after reading the sections Robyn from The Bookoholic Zone and I have come up with many more thoughts too. 

Our Schedule:
     Thursday July 29th:  stop 1, page 125
     Thursday August 5th:  stop 2, page 251
     Thursday August 12th:  the end of the book

You are welcome to come back to this thread at ANY TIME.  Even if you don't get to reading the book until next week, next month, when ever.  It will be here.

Do keep in mind, if you have not read the book yet... there WILL BE SPOILERS here.

Today is July 29th.  Time to start in on the discussions...
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Let's start with Carolyn's great thought provoking questions, as I think the answers may lead into the questions Robyn and I have as well:
~ Does Justine have a right to be angry with Packard?  Was it a less than honest way to get into the business, being she was going to quit...
~ Does a person have a right to interfere with another person's life if they think it's going to save their life?

Now the questions Robyn and I have constructed:
~ Who is really Nemesis?  Do we believe it to be Henji?
~ Packard seems to have stirred up quite a bit of thoughts and questions...
      Was Packard right in doing what he did?  What do you think would have happened if he told her in the first place?  Would she have said no?  Why is Packard fast-tracking Justine's training?  With Packard being stuck in the restaurant like he is, how does he find out about the clients they are to work on? How does he get a read on them to know what person can disillusion them? He is the only one who can sense this and set it up, but he can never leave the restaurant.
~ Simon's jealousy of Justine.  Do you think it will effect the storyline in some way?  Could he turn against her for some reason?  Where do you think the jealousy stem from?
~ How do you think Cubby and her will end it?  Will he find out the truth?
~ The young woman Rickie... How is she connected with Packard?  In order to be trapped in her apartment just like Packard is in the restaurant.
~ Will Justine ever come to break free from Packard or will she come to accept him?

Any thoughts on other characters thus far in the book; Cubby, Chief Otto Sanchez, Shelby, or any of the other Disillusionists.

Favorite Fictional Character (27)

Meme Sponsored and hosted by the creative mind of Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

I have been looking through my books as I have started to tote them up for a short time.  And Just about every series or book I have read have wonderful characters I have enjoyed reading.

I have a new series I started this year, which only the first book is out but I am looking forward to reading more of the series... A Shadow's Son by Jon Sprunk.

I enjoyed reading of Caim.  Caim is the main character, and an assassin in this book.  He is rather good at what he does, one of THE best.  As I read the book I started to see Caim really isn't as ruthless as thought an assassin would be.  He is simply just doing a job, in which he is paid for.  He even thinks he is doing something to help people.

But there are a few things that make Caim even more special.  First is his close friend, whom no one else hears or sees ~ Kit.  Kit is a special character in herself and I don't want to give anything away on her, so you will have to read the book.  But Caim also has some wonderous and unusual abilities.  He is in some way affiliated with the dark, or shadows.  Caim has an ability to become part of them, and no one will see him ~ hide in the shadows.  As well as Caim has amazing abilities that come to the surface in this book.

I look forward to reading more of Caim and learning more of his heritage and seeing what all he is capable to do as he learns more.

Time to Celebrate...With a Giveaway!

ENTRIES ARE CLOSED.  WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Well, I came up with what to do to celebrate!

As you may have read in my previous Time to Celebrate post, I have a lot going on right now... and wanted to celebrate it all with all of you!

(If you would like to read the original post and see the trailer, CLICK HERE)

~ The Blog Turned 1 year old July 21st

~ I was quoted in a book trailer

~ My Wedding Anniversary was July 27th

~ My Birthday is August 3rd

Okay, so what is up for grabs?  Lets get into that...

I have thought to give away 3 gifts:

1st... $15 Amazon.com gift card

2nd... $5 Amazon.com gift card

3rd... This wonderful Magnetic Bookmarker (I love these as I don't loss my spot!)  I says beside the music note, Create.

Here are the rules:

~~> The Ecard for Amazon.com ~ if they mail to you, you can enter!  I am going to trust you know who will ship to you.

~~> Must be a follower by Google Friend Connect

~~> I am going to give a few extra chances to win since there is more than one prize.

+1 For Commenting on this post

I am grateful to have all the followers I have so I am going to make Old and New followers the same number:

+2 Followers 

+2 Tweet about the contest - 

3 Gifts to Give! Another year older...in more than 1 way & 200 Followers! @mellhay blog: http://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/

(Can tweet several times, BUT only get extra entry one time.)

+2 Sidebar

+4 Blog post

+1 Adding up your total entries

~~> Please leave links to be eligible for the extra chances, so I can verify. If I'm not able to verify the links of extra chances, they will be eliminated.

~~> Please leave an email address, so when the winner is pulled I will be able to contact you.  If you don't want to leave your email address in the comments, please email it to me with your screen name you commented under.

~~> The Contest will end:  August 3, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.  Winner to be pulled August 4, 2010 using Random.org.

~~> Winner will have 48 hours to contact me back with an address to ship to.

Book Review: A Wild Light

A Wild Light

By:  Marjorie M. Liu

Publisher:  Ace Novel

Publish Date:  July 27, 2010

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Format:  Paperback; 302 pgs, pocket book size

Series:  3rd in Hunter Kiss series; 1st ~ Iron Hunt review here, 2nd ~ Darkness Calls review here

Recommendation:  Yes! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy, with mystery and action with great characters.

Book Synopsis:
Obsidian shadows of the flesh…tattoos with hearts, minds, and dreams. By day, they are my armor. By night, they unwind from my body to take on forms of their own—demons of the flesh, turned into flesh.

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness around her—a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened or of the man she loves, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

With blood on her hands and her sanity in question, Maxine must face the truth about who she really is and embrace the love of the only man who can help her—before she loses what she cares about most: her family.

First Sentence:
It was my birthday, the anniversary of my mother's murder, and on the way to the party, I made a special point to stop and kill a zombie.

My Review and Summary:
It's Maxine's birthday.  Her and the boys are on their way to perform their special ritual, no one knows of, to celebrate her birthday and the death of her mother ~ as they are the same day.  Then off to her party with her family, even her thousand million year old Grandfather is excited to celebrate a birthday with his grand daughter.  Zee warns Maxine there are whispers of troubles to come.  Then, Maxine wakes the next morning before dawn feeling every fiber of herself exhausted and weak.  Curled up on the floor and blood around her with the dead body beside her...  With loss of memory and an empty feeling in her heart, Maxine needs to solve the mystery.  Along with the loss of memory of how this person died, she had one important person erased from her memory... Why?  All this with the weight of the failing veil on her as well.

This is another great installment to the Maxine Hunter Kiss series.  Marjorie is great at starting a new book with the new story, mystery, and dropping you right into the plot.  She adds in through this story history to refresh your memory of the past happenings and relationships, but she doesn't reiterate completely to bore you or retell the previous.  She brings you in quickly to a new story and dedicates the time to it.

You don't have to read the previous two books to read this one, but I would say you should. You do get brief refreshers on what you need to know had happened to keep you up with the happenings. But I found them great memory joggers to remember the happenings in more details.


I enjoy this series with the strong character Maxine is and the boys at her sides.  Maxine is also joined by a few other strong characters.  Maxine is a character with weaknesses, and flawes, but she makes it through a stronger person.  You get to watch Maxine grow more in this book, more in her own way other than what is expected of the Kiss women.  Many of the characters of past come back in this book; Grant, Jack, Byron, Crazy Mary, and a few others.

You learn more of the scar under Maxine's ear, and her ancestor she resembles.  I learned much more of Maxine, the boys, and all the great magical characters.  I felt like more pieces of the puzzle of Maxine, her family, and the veil started to fall into place, pieces I didn't realize I was missing before.

I am glad to hear that Marjorie will be doing more books in this world with Maxine and the boys and I will be looking forward to them.

Would you like to visits Marjories site and learn more about her books?  Go Here.


I received a copy of this book for Review.


This book qualifies for my Speculative Fiction Challenge hosted by Book Chick City.

Teaser Tuesday (37)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

List the book and author so other participants can get their hand on it if they choose to read it as well.

This Week:

(In Celebration of Release Day for Marjorie M. Liu of A Wild Light, I will pull my teaser from here. And I just finished reading this amazing book.)

"The Old Wolf is still my master, second only to God. And I am here to watch you, Hunter Kiss, and help when I can. Despite my...current indisposition." He lowered his arm, and the chains rattled.

A Wild Light

By Marjorie M. Liu

pg 62

Let's Get This Book Club Rolling...

Let's get this book club rolling...

Before we get started with the discussion of Mind Games by Carolyn Crane, we would like to introduce ourself. And for you to do the same. :) Robyn, my partner in crime here in these discussions has a post up where we are introducing ourselves and a little more information on us. Stop by there with this link and say hello and introduce yourself if you'd like.

We look forward to having some great discussions and chatting with you.

Monday's Beginnings (48)

So, here we are again... another Monday.

How are you faring in reading at the beginning of this week?  Are you starting a new book or finishing one up?

I am hoping to get some reading in today.  I would like to finish A Wild Light by Marjorie M. Liu here today and start of the review for you all.  Since tomorrow is the release date! :)  I am really enjoying the book.  I have about 100 pages left as I spent a good bit of time over the weekend reading it.  I am also working on another book, Land of the Burning Sands by Rachel Neumeier, book 2 in the Griffin Mage series.  I think I have about 200 pages left here.  And I have 2 other books I plan on starting this week... Mind Games for the Urban Fantasy Blog Book Discussion I am doing with http://www.robsad79.blogspot.com/.  And... Antiphon by Ken Scholes, this one is an Early Read from Barnes n Nobles book forums.  I have read the first two books in this series and LOVED them.  I am really looking for this one as well.  I am doing both these last two books in sections by week for the discussions, so I have others to read in between as well.

What did I get done last week?  Well, I didn't really finish any books yet.  But I did get one review up for you all to read, Darker Angels by M.L.N Hanover.  If you would like to read the review, CLICK HERE.

As for my Wishlist... I am trying to keep this to a minimal anymore as the TBR pile is about to bite me.  But I have added a few books to the list.  There are two I added last week.  But all the authors should be proud of you all introducing me to all their amazing books.

Books Received Last Week:

Books Purchased:

The Trouble With Heroes
I read a review of this book on another blog, and loved the way this sounded like such a fun Anthology.  Added with the fact I love Anthologies, and an author I have really enjoyed ~ Ken Scholes ~ is one of the authors in this anthology... I just had to get it.

GoodReads Synopsis:
These 22 all-new tales pay tribute to the true heroes—the people who enable and put up with heroes. From what it’s like to be Hercules’ wife (complete with an appearance by Hercules in drag) to the trials of H.P. Lovecraft’s housekeeper, from the perils of being King Kong’s girlfriend to the downside of dating a shapeshifter, this anthology turns heroism on its head, revealing the behind-the-scenes drama, as opposed to glorious rescues. From the Pied Piper’s power trip to David acting like a giant you-know-what after slaying Goliath, these stories show heroes in all their ignominy and shine a light on the unsung faithful standing in their shadows.

Stormlord Rising
I read the first book, The Last Stormlord ~ review HERE ~ and enjoyed the world and characters so much, I had to pick up the second one.  Now this one is to be released July 27th, but I received it early from Borders (where I preordered it).

GoodReads Synopsis:
The last Stormlord is dead. War has come to the cities of the Quartern. The violent, nomadic Redunners have put every rainlord they could find to the sword and the cities are left without hope.

Shale has been betrayed, drugged, and left at the feet of his greatest enemy. Now, he must decide to work with those who have plotted against him or let thousands of the waterless die. He has great power but is no Stormlord. At least, not yet...

Terelle has escaped the Scarpen in search of her homeland and her people, the mysterious Watergivers. But a desperate message will send her back to find Shale and face her worst fears.

The people of the Scarpen are in danger. Shale and Terelle must find a way to save their people and punish those who have destroyed all they ever loved.

Black and White
This one I have been wanting for a while now.  I have enjoyed reading books from both of these authors, separately, so to read them together is going to be a treat.  And the premises of the story sounds fun too.

GoodReads Synopsis:
It's the ultimate battle of good versus good. 

They were best friends at an elite academy for superheroes in training, but now Callie Bradford, code name Iridium, and Joannie Greene, code name Jet, are mortal enemies. Jet is a by-the-book hero, using her Shadow power to protect the citizens of New Chicago. Iridium, with her mastery of light, runs the city’s underworld. For the past five years the two have played an elaborate, and frustrating, game of cat and mouse. 

But now playtime’s over. Separately Jet and Iridium uncover clues that point to a looming evil, one that is entwined within the Academy. As Jet works with Bruce Hunter—a normal man with an extraordinary ability to make her weak in the knees—she becomes convinced that Iridium is involved in a scheme that will level the power structure of America itself. And Iridium, teaming with the mysterious vigilante called Taser, uncovers an insidious plot that’s been a decade in the making…a plot in which Jet is key. 

They’re both right. And they’re both wrong. Because nothing is as simple as Black and White.

Books Received For Review:

A Wild Light
I have enjoyed this series very much, so it was a great pleasure for me to be offered this book to review for her release.  Back into the world with Maxine Kiss and her boys, I love reading about both.  I am hoping to have this book review done soon for you.  The first two books are Iron Hunt (review HERE) and Darkness Calls (review HERE) and a short story in the anthology Inked (review HERE)

Synopsis:

Obsidian shadows of the flesh…tattoos with hearts, minds, and dreams. By day, they are my armor. By night, they unwind from my body to take on forms of their own—demons of the flesh, turned into flesh.

For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness around her—a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened or of the man she loves, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

With blood on her hands and her sanity in question, Maxine must face the truth about who she really is and embrace the love of the only man who can help her—before she loses what she cares about most: her family.

Antiphon

This is another book I have been waiting for.  I have read the first two books, Lamentation & Canticle ~ reviews HERE (Lamentation) and HERE (Canticle).  I was excited when Barnes and Nobles bookclub forum was doing an Early Reader for this book and jumped at the chance.

GoodReads Synopsis:

Nothing is as it seems to be.

The ancient past is not dead. The hand of the Wizard Kings still reaches out to challenge the Androfrancine Order, to control the magick and technology that they sought to understand and claim for their own.

Nebios, the boy who watched the destruction of the city of Windwir, now runs the vast deserts of the world, far from his beloved Marsh Queen. He is being hunted by strange women warriors, while his dreams are invaded by warnings from his dead father.

Jin Li Tam, queen of the Ninefold Forest, guards her son as best she can against both murderous threats, and the usurper queen and her evangelists. They bring a message: Jakob is the child of promise of their Gospel, and the Crimson Empress is on her way.

And in hidden places, the remnants of the Androfrancine order formulate their response to the song pouring out of a silver crescent that was found in the wastes.

So, how are you faring this week?  Does it look like a good reading week?

Here's to you having a great week in words and pages.

Are you a Fan of Urban Fantasy? What about a Blog Book Club?

Are you a fan of Urban Fantasy?  

Well, Robyn over at The Bookoholic Zone and I are and thought we would try something new.

What about a blog book club?  

We'll have posts that you can come back to and discuss throughout the week.  One week we'll discuss it at my blog and the next over at hers.  Even if you read the book you can join in on our discussions.

We're starting with Mind Games by Carolyn Crane.  Please remember, even if you have read the book, Please join us.

Mind Games is a book of 371 pages.  We are going to break it down to three separate discussions, flip-flopped between Robyn's blog and here at mine. The stopping points, if you choose to stop as you don't have to but these are what the discussion is based on, are pages 125, 251, and the end.  We have received a few great discussion ideas from the author, but we are not limited to discussing just these, we can discuss anything that comes up in the comments you would like to touch on.  We are looking to post these discussions on Thursdays, but you can comment at any time you would like.  Read at your own pace as the posts will be here when you are ready.  Keep you eye out for the next post.

We'll be starting with an introduction post so everyone can get to know each other.  If you have any questions please feel free to contact me or Robyn.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday - July 23, 2010

Crazy-for-Books




Parajunkee's View

Join in on the fun! Click on the names of the hosts above to jump over to their blogs to sign up.

I really enjoy the fun of this and meeting new bloggers. I try to stop by and comment on the blogs. :) And I always stop back by here to reply in the comments to all visitors comments.

The Book Blog Hop has a great new twist to it... A question to answer to get to know each other a little better.

This week:

Tell us a little of what book you are currently reading.

I am currently reading the second book in the Griffin Mage trilogy, Land of the Burning Sands by Rachel Neumeier.  I have been following Gereint through his travels.  Gereint is a slave per say, bound by magic to do as his master bids him.  But Gereint has found a way to escape these chains.  Yet Gereint ends up right where he started again.  I am enjoying this journey, and I get to see Griffins along the way.

If you are wondering what I read more of and blog about:

I enjoy reading Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Science Fiction... just about anything in these areas, and I will read YA books in these areas as well (I just have been a little short on reading YA lately). I hope you take a look around and enjoy the reviews and meme's I do: Monday's Beginnings, Teaser Tuesday, Favorite Fictional Character, Balderdash, and Looking Forward Too... (new one up every Friday)

I am also starting a new Blog Book Discussion here with Robyn at The Bookoholic Zone.  We will be switching back and forth the discussion posts here on our blogs.  The first book we are reading is Mind Games by Carolyn Crane.  Please join in with us!  We haven't started yet, so there is still time.  You can check out what the set up is at nine o'clock when we post the post.

Please leave a coment on any posts. I love getting comments and I do respond to them all.

Thank you for stopping by!

Looking Forward To... (12)

There are so many amazing books already on the shelves and new ones coming out.

For a list of books yet to be released I'm looking to get, you can also look on my right Sidebar at the list titled Desired Reads - just scroll down.  Of course there are tones of other new books to come out that are amazing as well, but these ones are part of series I have already started or for one reason or another caught my eye (and haven't seen much on other blogs yet).  But I will highlight one here each week.

(mentioned in order of Release Date then Alphabetical if there are more than one book coming out on the same date.)

The Next Book Is...

Stormlord Rising

By Glenda Larke

Due out August 1, 2010  OR July 27, 2010

Let me tell you a little secret on this release date first.  I had thought the release date was August 1st, but I have been known to be wrong with these.  Then it was noted that a few places had the release dates changed to July 27th, Borders and Amazon.  So I have preordered my copy in hopes that it was July 27th.  And... my copy is officially on its way to me.  So it is looking like if you order it you can get it for July 27th.

This is the 2nd book to the Watergivers series.  I enjoyed reading the first book with the abilities to manipulate water.  The world created here with water, or the lack of, is wonderful.

You can check out my review of The Last Stormlord here.  

You can also read how much I loved a few of the characters, here and here.

The synopsis from GoodReads:
The last Stormlord is dead. War has come to the cities of the Quartern. The violent, nomadic Redunners have put every rainlord they could find to the sword and the cities are left without hope.

Shale has been betrayed, drugged, and left at the feet of his greatest enemy. Now, he must decide to work with those who have plotted against him or let thousands of the waterless die. He has great power but is no Stormlord. At least, not yet...

Terelle has escaped the Scarpen in search of her homeland and her people, the mysterious Watergivers. But a desperate message will send her back to find Shale and face her worst fears.

The people of the Scarpen are in danger. Shale and Terelle must find a way to save their people and punish those who have destroyed all they ever loved.

Balderdash (37)

is a weekly meme hosted by Ryan at Wordsmithonia.

This is very easy to do!

If you comment on blogs you can do this too.

Write down all the word verifications you get while posting comments on other peoples blogs.

You then play Balderdash with them.

In case you don't know how to play:

You take the made up word and come up with an authentic sounding definition for it.

Do this for a week and then post your best or favorite ones every Thursday.

Here are mine for this week:

Kuumin - a knife from the natives of Kuu, in which the point is curved a ninty degree angle toward the finger grip and cerated on the opposite side for the backward cutting to catch and tear in close combat.

rustemo - the rust resistant waxy material used on metal while polishing to keep it from wearing and rusting through.

tiquain - a precious stone found in the western deserts from deep below the surface of the desert sands after being polished by the blowing sand storms and then pushed deep below with all the sands on top.

Time to Celebrate!

Time to Celebrate!

There is a lot for me to celebrate at the moment.  I believe there is 5 wonderful things here:

~~ Well, it is hard to believe its been a year ago I started blogging.  Yup, July 21, 2009 was the first blog post I did.  I never would have thought of growing the way I have here.  More into Book Reviews and daily memes on books.  I have enjoyed all that I have done here and looking forward to keeping up with it.

~~ I was so happy last night, as on the eve of my blogs 1st Birthday I got an email from an author who's book I reviewed with a trail of that book.  To my pleasure and surprise I was quoted in the trailer!  I was thrilled!  This is the first time for me to be quoted by an author.  Would you like to see it?  Here it is... I listed as my link names me Mels World Book Reviews.  Do you want to read the review of Dante's Journey?  It's here.



~~ The number of wonderful people I have meet here in one year.  Just amazing in thought.  Which brings me to my next celebration... I have passed the 200 Followers mark. HURRAY!!!

~~ Then My anniversary is on July 27th.  It will be 8 years married but 13 years together.  Hard to believe.  Time really does fly by.

~~ Then, last but not least I have a Birthday coming up... August 3rd.  But I am not telling you my age.  I am starting to not like the multiples of 5.  And I am not old enough to be my age. :) Does that make sense?  No, good... I'm not old enough to make sense. ;)

So what am I going to do to Celebrate?  Good question.  I am not 100% sure yet.  I have a few thoughts but haven't worked anything out.  

Any ideas?

I have thought about purchasing one of those lovely magnetic book markers I love (if the store has any left) for a giveaway.

Also, maybe a giveaway of a gift card, for Borders or Amazon (your pick).

Is there anything else to do?  So Stay tuned for a giveaway coming up. :)

But, I would love all my friends to celebrate with me.  Thank you all!

Teaser Tuesday (36)

Teaser Tuesday

is a weekly event

Sponsored by MizB of Should be Reading

Here's how it works:

Grab the book you are currently reading (anything at all)

Open the book to any random page.

Share 2 teaser sentences from anywhere on the page

Please Make Sure They Are Not Spoilers!

(Don't Give Too Much Away)

Just enough to pique our interests

List the book and author so other participants can get their hand on it if they choose to read it as well.

This Week:

This thought brought the sweat out on Gereint's forehead and streched all his nerves tight; he felt now that every step he made outside the Amnachudran townhouse was dangerous, and looked over his shoulder until he was back within its protection.

Land of the Burning Sands

The Griffin Mage: Book Two

By Rachel Neumeier

pg 113

Book Review: Darker Angels

Darker Angels

By:  M.L.N. Hanover

Publisher:  Pocket Books, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Publish Date:  October 2009

Genre:  Fantasy

Format:  Paperback; 360 pgs, pocket book size

Series:  Second in The Black Sun's Daughter, Quick Review of Book 1 ~ Unclean Spirits

Recommendation:  Sure, if you are looking for a quick relaxing Urban Fantasy read.  Not really one to knock the doors in for, but a decent read.

Book Synopsis:
In the battle between good and evil, there's no such thing as a fair fight.

When Jayne Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations - and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayne has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a body switching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.

Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayne races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayne will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and wont rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most...

First Sentence:
"Hey," my dead uncle said. "You've got a call."

My Review and Summary:
Karen Black is at a school where most of the children will probably not graduate, or will end up in loads of trouble, to meet with Daria ~ the bright young girl in fourth grade who's now telling outlandish lies, such as her sister got ate by a snake.  Karen seems to think Daria is in trouble... big trouble.

Jayne and the guys have been traveling at rushed speed for months to inventory her deceased Uncle's many, many homes and stocks.  While in Athens, Jayne receives a call from Karen asking for Eric, Jayne's deceased Uncle, for help.  Jayne and the guys decide even though they are exhausted from the pace they have been keeping to go help Karen.  So, they head off to New Orleans, to help Karen with her case of ten years in the works... To help save the next expected victim of a voodoo demon...

This was a quick easy read for me.  I just let myself enjoy the book and go with the flow of the characters.  The crew members; Jayne, Aubrey, Ex, and Chogyi Jack.  Jayne brought these characters together in the first book Unclean Spirits.  They still are new to working closely together with each other and it sounds like they are still trying to find their places in the group.  The characters are all so different from each other, yet they compliment each other nicely.

Jayne is the main character, and in a way the leader of the group - yet Jayne is new to the whole world of the demon Riders and magic.  She still feels out of her league with taking charge of cases or situations and lets her self be lead to thoughts a little bit.  But this is believable in the world that is built here.  But I like how Jayne is not as weak as she may think she is in this area.  And I still have questions on Jayne, such as why she is able to do a few things she does (like being able to cross into the Crossroad of the demon path).  There is much more to Jayne than even Jayne knows.  I am wondering how her Uncle set her up so well with magic and protections, without her knowing.

The first third to half of the book was a little relaxed for me.  There was a lot of setting up here; for the plot, characters, and religious beliefs.  Then about half way through the book it started to accelerate.  I could see what was coming and the clues where set for me to find them, but I still enjoyed letting the story unfold in itself.  There where a few moments where I wasn't sure of what was being said in the way of Voodoo, but I enjoyed the voodoo spin on this book.  The demon riders that mixed with the believes of the New Orleans Voodoo.  This book didn't hit me like a book to drop everything you have and dart out to get it, I still liked the read.  It was a quick, relaxing read for me as I got through it in record timing.

I had seen that the third book of this series will be released in November.  I will eventually pick it up, as I have enjoyed Jayne and the crew.  And curious to see where Jayne goes next along with the growth of the characters.


I purchased this book for my own reading and enjoyment.


This book qualifies for my challenge Speculative Fiction hosted by Book Chick City.

Monday's Beginnings (47)

So, here we are again... another Monday.

How are you faring in reading at the beginning of this week?  Are you starting a new book or finishing one up?

I only got a little bit of reading done today.  I am hoping to get some more done later tonight.  And I didn't get any reading done over the weekend, at all.  But family time does have to make an appearance once in a while. ;)  As for books... I did get two books finished last week; Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane and Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover.  I did get the review of Unholy Magic posted, click here.  And the review of Darker Angels will be up in a day or two.  I did late last night pick up Land of the Burning Sands, The Griffin Mage: Book Two by Rachel Neumeier.  I read the first book, Lord of the Changing Winds a few months ago and reviewed it, click here (if you would like to read it).

As for my Wishlist... I have added four more books.  Thank you all for these great additions to the list.  I am trying to keep this list on a smaller side here for just a little while.  I know I am not going to be able to read them all, but I will surely try. :)  But the authors should all be thrilled that you are all introducing me to their books because I just can't pass them up.

Books Received Last Week:

Purchased:

The Emerald Storm by Michael Sullivan
Okay, so I have read and reviewed this one already.  But I had received a pdf file to read on my computer, and I have the first three books on my shelf.  So... I had to have a book to keep the series complete on my shelf.  And I ordered this one from the link at the authors site to get a signed copy.  Just great!  I am looking forward to going through my notes and putting the post-it notes in this one as my way of reviewing for Winterstide in October. If you would like to read my review of this book, it is here.

Goodreads Synopsis:
A MESSAGE IS INTERCEPTED. A SINISTER PLAN LAUNCHED. TWO THIEVES STAND IN THE WAY.



Ex-mercenary Hadrian Blackwater sets course on a high seas adventure to find the lost Heir of Novron. His only hope lies in confronting the ruthless and cunning Merrick Marius. Fearing his friend is not up to the challenge, Royce Melborn joins his old partner for one last mission. Their journey finds them adrift amid treachery and betrayals forcing Hadrian to face a past he hoped never to see again.
 
Won:
 

I won a pick of a book from Book Depository under $10 from Book Lovers Inc. on their commenter monthly giveaway.  And this is the book I picked.  I have been wanting this book for a while now as it has the story by Marjorie M. Liu with the starts of Hunter Kiss, Maxine and the books.  And its another anthology to add to my collection.

 

Synopsis from the back of the book:

Enter the forbidden and recklessly exciting world of the demon horde and their willing victims.

 

Listen to the secrets of a beautiful animal whisperer who's drawn intimately closer to danger, and to the most suspect of all male animals - man...

 

Get swept away by the passions that rise out of the unfathomable depths of the lost city of Atlantis...

 

follow the dark shadows that stalk both the living and the undead in a world of restless vampires and guardian angels...

 

I won Poison Study from E.J. Stevens at From the Shadows when she did here 400 follower giveaway.  I am so so excited to have this one as I think the books sounds great.
 
GoodReads Synopsis:
About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.



And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear....

So, how are you faring this week?  Does it look like a good reading week this week?
 
Here's to hoping you have a great week in words and pages.