Freebies & Deals, on Nook too (8)

As always, Barnes & Noble has their Free Friday thread up.  Go ahead over and see what free books they have this week.

I found this one for free while looking through for this author on Barnes & Nobles.  I LOVED reading this book, and wanted to share that the ebook is FREE!  On Nook...

Chasing the Bard by Philippa Ballantine - At Amazon or At Barnes & Noble
Sive, the goddess of battle, hopes that William Shakespeare may be able to change the fate of her people. The Fey are dying, killed by something beyond the boundaries of worlds. But a dark power imprisoned by human and Fey, plots to destroy both worlds, and unmake all that they have created. 
Can the magic of word and imagination save creation?

I received a newsletter from one of these authors (Maria V. Snyder), which many of you may already know about, but I wanted to still share...
This anthology is only 99c UNTIL APRIL 8, 2012.  Yes, there is an end to this deal.

Spirited; 13 Haunting Tales - At Amazon or At Barnes & Noble
Description:
Haunted houses. Haunted hearts.
And a past that refuses to die.


Leap Books summoned best-selling paranormal and dreadfully talented debut authors to conjure up Spirited, a haunting collection of 13 tales guaranteed to keep you up all night. 


Get entombed in stories of Egyptian treasures, shudder at tales of malevolent spirits, and become enthralled with the adventures of witch-hunters, ghost seekers, and lost souls. From steampunk to cyberpunk, our collection spans past, present, and future hauntings. One story actually leaps off the page with 3-D augmented reality.


With this celebration of things that go bump in the night, Spirited authors hope to slay the specter of illiteracy that plague our youth. All proceeds from Spirited will be donated to 826 National, a non-profit organization that offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because "strong writing skills are fundamental to future success."


Go ahead. Turn the page if you dare. We won’t tell if you sleep with the light on. Because after all, there’s no rest for the wicked.

And Amazon has this one for Free at this time, but only in US.  Sorry.

Bright of the Sky (Entire and the Rose #1) by Kay Kenyon - At Amazon
Description:
Kay Kenyon, noted for her science fiction world-building, has in this new series created her most vivid and compelling society, the Universe Entire. In a land-locked galaxy that tunnels through our own, the Entire is a bizarre and seductive mix of long-lived quasi-human and alien beings gathered under a sky of fire, called the bright. A land of wonders, the Entire is sustained by monumental storm walls and an exotic, never-ending river. Over all, the elegant and cruel Tarig rule supreme.

Into this rich milieu is thrust Titus Quinn, former star pilot, bereft of his beloved wife and daughter who are assumed dead by everyone on earth except Quinn. Believing them trapped in a parallel universe-one where he himself may have been imprisoned-he returns to the Entire without resources, language, or his memories of that former life. He is assisted by Anzi, a woman of the Chalin people, a Chinese culture copied from our own universe and transformed by the kingdom of the bright. Learning of his daughter's dreadful slavery, Quinn swears to free her. To do so, he must cross the unimaginable distances of the Entire in disguise, for the Tarig are lying in wait for him. As Quinn's memories return, he discovers why. Quinn's goal is to penetrate the exotic culture of the Entire-to the heart of Tarig power, the fabulous city of the Ascendancy, to steal the key to his family's redemption.

But will his daughter and wife welcome rescue? Ten years of brutality have forced compromises on everyone. What Quinn will learn to his dismay is what his own choices were, long ago, in the Universe Entire. He will also discover why a fearful multiverse destiny is converging on him and what he must sacrifice to oppose the coming storm.

This is high-concept SF written on the scale of Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld, Roger Zelazny's Amber Chronicles, and Dan Simmons's Hyperion.

Movie Review: 21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

Released:  2012

Rated:  R

Genre:  Action, Comedy

Length:  1hr 35mins.

Recommendation:  Go in relaxed and looking for fun.  Don't take it serious, and you could enjoy it very much.  Or wait for DVD. ;)

Synopsis:
In high school, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was a dork and Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the popular jock.  After graduation, both of them joined the police force and ended up as partners riding bicycles in the city park.  Since they are young and look like high school students, they are assigned to an undercover unit to infiltrate a drug ring that is supplying high school students synthetic drugs.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Well, that synopsis gives you the quick overview of the movie, but does nothing for building the characters you meet here.

We start with Schmidt and Jenko in high school, fit perfectly into the stereo typical parts, dork and jock.  Only to see Schmidt get turned down asking the beautiful girl in school to prom, and Jenko getting told he's not allowed to go to prom because he didn't pass his class.  Then we jump to them in line signing on to the force, quickly they realize they could help each other; one athletic, one book smart.  A strong friendship is created.  Then after they get their assignment, riding bicycles in the city park, (not the explosive action they were hoping for) they do come across a bust.  And screw it up!  So sent to a new "project" recycled from the '80s where they poss as high school students to crack a drug ring supplying synthetic drugs that's killing kids.

I had to laugh, through out the movie.  It was fun.  And these two boys, er men, were great together.  Yes, it's the classic jock and nerd mix but it was still fun.  They both get such an eye opening when they see how much the people in school had changed from the definite line and stereo types of their time in school.

There was a good deal of sexual innuendos, just in case you don't want your kid to hear them.  Other than that, I don't think this movie has much other than language and fast speed crashes and drugs that would cause for the R rating.  Which most of the language, fast speed crashes, and drugs is what is in many movies the kids see now anyway.

There is a nice surprise, just for a few minutes that left me slack jawed for a moment.  It was toward the end, and so worth seeing. hee hee.

I was in the right mood and enjoyed watching this one.  Would I pay theater prices to see it?  Well, I did, but normally I probably would have waited.  Although glad to go and have the time out with a good friend.

Imagine That! Studios

Have you heard of this company?  No.  That's okay, it's small and new to me as well.

Imagine That! Studios caught my eye because of a few wonderful Novella's I've picked up lately.  This company touches in a few different areas and thought you might like to hear about them as I have friends and followers that fall into different genre and areas, and Imagine That! Studios deals in those areas too.

The two novellas I enjoyed, put out by this company (click title to go to my reviews); Aladdin and his Wonderfully Infernal Device and Magic by Gaslight.  And I see they have re-distributed Billibub Baddings: The Case of the Singing Sword, a book I have also read.

They have books in:  Science Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Erotica, and Romance.  There seems to be a touch of magic and steampunk as well.

Imagine That! Studios works in the Digital Publishing area.  They also offer workshops in social media, video editing, and social media for authors and publishers.  Busy crew here!

I'll say their March releases have caught my eye as well.  A few are erotica, and as you know I don't really read those, but there are others I want to get.

One of them that caught my eye is this Short Story: (psst, it's 99c! on Amazon)

Elysium by Emma St. John
Amazon Description:
Jessie is good at everything. She has to be, since home is so much of a mess. One night, she and her parents head out to a regular event, but along the way Jessie learns that nothing is regular about any of them, and she is fated to stand between humanity and the divine.

The Chronicles of the Last Herald are a YA short stories series.



And there are more there, and to come!  I do hope you keep an eye out for this new rising company.

If you happen to want to look you can find them at:
Imagine That! Studios
Twitter: @ITSPublications

Looking Forward To... (94)

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 ever growing 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.)

Next Book Is...

Blue-Blooded Vamp

Sabina Kane #5

By:  Jaye Wells

Due Out:  June 1, 2012

I'm hooked on this series, and this is the final installment.  Sabina has changes so much since the first book, Red-Headed Stepchild.  Sabina is strong, and fun with her secondary characters support.  I just have to finish this series off.

Goodreads Synopsis:
The epic conclusion to the amazing Sabina Kane urban fantasy series.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too. 

The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her-she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute. As they say: when in Rome-SURVIVE.

Cover & Synopsis Released: Tranquility's Blaze

New cover for you!  This is the starts to a new Epic Fantasy series.  I'm really liking the sounds of this one!  I think I'll have to see about getting my little fingers on it.

Sounds like this Lady is one tough cookie, and I'm curious to see what she has in store for us!

What do you think?

Tranquility's Blaze

By:  Krista D. Ball

Due Out:  April 17, 2012

“What will I do? What I do best. I’ll find him and I’ll kill him. And then I’ll kill Garran’s murderer.”

Even if the killer is my sister. 

A half-breed and a female, Lady Bethany clawed her way to the ranks of the Elven Service’s top military elite. They only knew her as their champion against Magic, and not the daughter of a Goddess. She’d expected a long, rewarding life protecting those under her care. But that was before her twin sister returned from exile, addicted to brutal Magic and human sacrifice, twisted inside, and abusing ancient prophecies to overthrow their mother and destroy everything Bethany holds sacred.

The world will burn in flames and innocents will die, unless Bethany can stop it. Unless she can take the life of her own sister.

Book Review: Magic by Gaslight

Magic by Gaslight

By:  Philippa Ballantine

Publisher:  Imagine That! Studios

Publish Date:  March 9, 2012

Format:  eNovella, 27pgs

Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Romance

Series:  Stand-alone Novella

Recommendation:  Yes, a quick read for romance loving women who enjoy magic with a touch of steampunk mixed in.

Book Synopsis:
A novella of steampunk and magic, from one of the minds behind the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences.

Lucinda is a witch in a alternative Victorian London, where being a witch is a death sentence.  Her coven harness sensuality and passion to make magic, and that is a crime according to the Association of Magicians.  Women with control of sex and magic are too dangerous to tolerate.  So Lucinda and her coven live in secret.  That is until she meets a young American magician, and their attraction cannot be denied, but they have always been taught such a thing can never be.

Rules however do not apply to the young and powerful.  Lucinda and Theo find out just how far they are prepared to go.

First Sentence:
The heat was building in her body.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Lucinda watches, learning a horrible lesson, as one of her coven is put to death by electric shock.  The Association of Magicians, all men, rule with their magics and have the world convinced women with control of sex and magic are to dangerous to have around, they are forbidden and sent to death when found.  We then see Lucinda as she prepares to meet the young American man, Theo, in an outing as before.  Lucinda fancies Theo courting her, and hopes to fill her vial of magic by being with him.  But when their fingers touch, skin to skin for the first time, they might find something dangerous and powerful between then.

I liked the world created here in this all to short Novella!  It seems quick, but Pip takes advantage of actions to show the world, and fears instilled into the characters.  Through these pages Pip creates a sensually magical world mixed with a touch of steampunk and romance.  The magic is sensual, and in the end you see how sensual.  This is definitely an adult read for that reason.

This novella is a starts to a world and story I hope Pip continues with.  I want to know more!  I do hope Pip continues with Lucinda and Theo through novella's or even into a novel next.  I'm curious what these two will do with their new found connection, one that is forbidden and told to be deadly.  I have a feeling of why they are to be kept apart, but I want to find all the more out about the history and what could happen next!

With that being said, this is a great thing and the downfall of a novella...I want more!


I read this Novella for my enjoyment.

It's Coming Back!!

I'm so excited and need to share with someone, any one!

After listening to The Shared Desk by Philippa Ballantine and Tee Morris, I was all hyped up.  You all know how much I enjoyed listening to the first volume of Tales from the Archives with Eliza and Wellington finding old cases.

Well...

Tales from the Archives: Volume 2 

will be starting up April 10, 2012!!

Yeah! Yeah! YEAH!!! *doing a little dance*

So, just a few short weeks before I can get back to one of my favorite podcast listens. :)  The neat thing is getting different cases and seeing different agents.

Throwback Thursday (60)

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

I really liked the first book of this series with the Djinn.  I loved the idea!  And the world it is in.  I do need to read the other series this series is set in as well, Weather Wardens.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Living among mortals, the djinn Cassiel has developed a reluctant affection for them—especially for Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate both the human and djinn realms. But the trail will lead them to a traitor who may be more powerful than they can handle...

The Gearheart: Artifice Ep 15 & 16

Isabelle

The Gearheart

By:  Alex White

Format:  Podcast; 18minutes

Genre:  Fantasy

Episode:  15 of 37

Synopsis:
Jonathan speaks to Isabelle for the first time since her attack, and she tells him of the Hangman's wishes.  The Seeress also reveals another piece of the Hangman's past to Jonathan.

My Thoughts and Summary:
We see how broken Isabelle is now, after her incident with the Hangman.  Jonathan has a hard time with seeing her this way, and confesses why he wanted to be locked away.  The Seeress names Jonathan a new title, Harbinger to the Seeress - delivers messages for her and free access to her, as wish.

The name of Wylan is mentioned again, in relation to Cog.

The Seeress mentions her trap and plan from when the Hangman attacked Isabelle, and why.  It sounded kind of like a prophecy in a way.  I'm curious to see how this plays out with the Hangman.  And there is another Chapter that is involved, but I'm not sure which with the echo of the chamber they were in.

And we learn a big secret of the Hangmans!! I'm not telling... nah nah nanah nah. lol

##########

Cog

Format:  Podcast:  21 minutes

Episode:  16 of 37

Synopsis:
Jonathan has another striking vision, and Cog dreams of her destroyed past.  What will they learn?

My Thoughts and Summary:
Oh oh oh! So much information here, again!  Jonathan has a vision while visiting the Seeress.  He sees an unknown Agent, Agent Maeve Manners, arriving secretly through underground waters, but to die there.  He is sent to take those he trusts to save her.

Cog!  Cog has a dream of the past.  Remembering things she probably wants long forgotten, from another life time as Elena Antonello.  A lifetime where a King ruled, and her father wants more.

This vision of Jonathans was interesting.  It's always neat to see the dark side of the visions.  But we get to see Maeve again, if only briefly.  She is an important piece and needs to get to the Seeress.  The others in Maeve's chapter were killed by one of their own, and it seems Maeve might be the one to fill in some pieces about Astrid.

Oh Cog.  Jacopo Antonello is her father, who sounds a little over board and maybe a tad...abusive?  Okay, maybe more with leaving his daughter in that infernal trying to convince her to do the bidding he brought her back to do... kill the man he feels could not possibly be rightful King... might be a bit more than a tad abusive.  Cog won't do what he wants, and we learn where her new name, Cog, comes from.

I'm starting to wonder if this King is in part why Cog is okay with Jonathan's other half.  Or if she truly knows who Jonathan's other half is.  That she feels a loyalty to him.  But all this explains why Audun has a grudge against Cog.

I'm curious to see where all these pieces go! And how they fit together.  I really want to keep going!



Are you curious about The Gearheart yet?  Well, you can go listen, and look through the amazing pictures of characters at http://www.thegearheart.com/ or you can download on your iPod to listen as well.  Do hope you enjoy as well!


I'm listening to this Podcast for my own enjoyment.

Who? What? Where? (60)

Who are you with? Where are you at? What's happening?

Share with us just a little bit of what is happening in the book you are reading, right where you are now.

Just a tiny taste of what's happening, remember try to not give spoilers of the book.

(This is a new meme I'm going to try and will tweak as I go. And please don't laugh at my lame attempt at drawing. ;D )


I'm riding with Alexander, Nap as he likes to be called, Governor, Slinkie, Tanner, and Lionside in a tankfloater through very... special... tunnels and into Disgusting Lake.  I'm waiting to see if what Randolph is to do, to help us escape what is attacking us, will work or make it worse for us.  It's disgusting, but I find it and the banter of the characters funny.

Alexander Outland: Space Pirate
By:  G.J. Koch

Book Review: Spider's Bite

Spider's Bite

By:  Jennifer Estep

Publisher:  Pocket Books

Publish Date:  February 2010

Format:  Paperback 395pgs, pocket size

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st book in An Elemental Assassin series

Recommendation:  Yes, a light, quick assassin action read.

Book Synopsis:
My name is Gin, and I kill people.

The call me the Spider.  I'm the most feared assassin in the South - when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland.  As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me.  My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife.  But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to.  Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge.  And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way - good or bad.  I may look hot, but I'm still on of the bad guys.  Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me.  The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

First Sentence:
"My name is Gin, and I kill people."

My Thoughts and Summary:
Gin, a stone Elemental finishes a job at the asylum and returns to the Pork Pit, like after every job, to meet with Fletcher - her handler and father figure - who hands her a folder with information on her next job.  A job that she doesn't want to take as she wants to go on vacation, but after seeing the obscene pay for it, she will go on vacation afterward.  She is to assassinate the CFO of an important company as he's been found at playing with the books.  Gin thinks the touchy part...he's an Air Elemental, but he may not be the Air Elemental she needs to be worried about.  Taking this assignment quickly turns Gin into the assignment and fall guy, and brings grieving and great danger to the family she's acquired.  Now the man she was to kill, she needs to save in order to save her own neck, along with the man meeting with him - the one and only cop that is on the straight and narrow, and hot looking, Donovan Caine.  Will an honest cop be able to work with an assassin?  Let alone the assassin who killed his partner?

This is not the dark gritty assassin read I usually read.  It had a light feel to it, and a fast read.  And I enjoyed it for that.  It was a quick read for me to sit down, pick up, and flip the pages.  A relaxing read for me.  Hard to believe relaxing with an assassin. lol.

I seemed to be flying through the pages, looking to see what would happen with Gin, what would she find out, what next fight would she get into.  And wanting to see the elemental magics held by her and others.  Then I was worried about Finn, Fletcher's son, wondering if he would stay safe.  And we can't forget about the handsome "good" cop, Donovan Caine.  I wondered if he would come around to seeing the world really isn't all black and white, and Gin falls in the gray area.  And what would become of them.

I really like the elemental magic here.  Being a Stone Elemental Gin can feel all the emotions ~ good and bad from stone; roads, walls, and so on.  But she has a touch of Ice Elemental too.  There are different elementals and degrees to their powers, as we see through the book.  This city Gin calls home, isn't such a happy place, and by the end of the book we start to understand that feeling more.


The first chapter starts with Gin on a job, and hints at what all this world has to hold for us.  And starts us out with action, Gin at her best work - killing with a screw and a pen.  We then slow down for a few pages to meet Fletcher, see more of the world, and get hints to Gin's past.  The hints make us curious to know more.


In the end, I got most of my answers.  I say most as the ending leaves me stunned with what Gin finds Fletcher had a file on.  A file that references Gin's past, which he pieced together and still loved Gin wholly.  I have the second book here, and look forward to following through with Gin to learn more about her, her past family, and keeping an eye out for Donovan.  And there is a tie to that Fire Elemental, Queen Mobstress I'm wondering on too.

I got the feel of much more to come, that ties with who we have learned about here in this book.


I read this book for my own enjoyment.

Teaser Tuesday (112)

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

This Week:

I thought I'd share a few lines from a few Novellas I read this weekend.  Do hope you enjoy!

The tempo of her pulse picked up - not at the first but at the second declaration.  Theo's eyes were now grey in the shadow of the tent, holding hers steady.

Magic by Gaslight
By:  Pip Ballantine
11pg

But then the figure moved so fast that it was next to me and breathing into my ear in the next second.  I'd detected no shift, no sound, no intention that would have given me a clue that it planned to move.

Dead Drop
A Lawson Vampire Bonus Story
By:  Jon F. Merz
9pg

The dragon snatched the little man by the upper arm, preventing him from stumbling or escaping.  His voice dropped into the deep, gravelly timbre of the dragon, inhuman and dangerous.

Defender of Magic
By:  S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart
20pg

Cover Release: Blooded

This is a Novella starting out a new series that sounds wonderful!  The Novella will be release through Orbit Books Short Stories April 11, 2012, and the first Novel will be released in September.

Are you ready to see the New Novella to look forward too?

Blooded: A Jessica McClain Novella

By:  Amanda Carlson

Due Out:  April 11, 2012

The Description from Amazon:

Jessica McClain was born the only female in an all male race. The only problem is-she's no wolf. Called a curse, a witch and the Daughter of Evil by the superstitious wolves, Jessica decides to fight for her freedom, at age nineteen, the only way she can-in the ring.

When she's brutally attacked right after her fight, is it enough to finally earn her freedom off Compound, or will she be forced to endure the hatred even longer . . .

Word Count ~ 19,400

The Gearheart: Artifice Ep 13 & 14

Jonathan

The Gearheart

By:  Alex White

Format:  Podcast; 28 minutes

Genre:  Fantasy

Episode:  13 of 37

Synopsis:
Jonathan's appointment with the Seeress does not go as planned, and malevolent forces arise in when he needs answers.  Will he defeat them?

My Thoughts and Summary:
Oh my!  This is one of those episodes again with so much tying together and coming out!  We meet the Seeress, a woman entwined in tree roots with wounds across her.  We learn of why she is this way, of her own approval to help her "children," the Seekers. We see what is inside Jonathan!!  Oh, this man is powerful, and very dangerous.  Jonathan is a key to more than he even realizes!

This was cool to meet the Seeress, even though the meeting doesn't go as planned, we learn so much about her and Jonathan.  And more!  We learn about what is inside Jonathan, and the dangers of him.  Audun Slade.  A new player now.

There is talks of another Antonello!  Is there a secreted Antonello hidden out there somewhere.  And why does Audun Slade want all the Antonello's dead?  What did they do to him?  I know it was mentioned that Antonello's were extremely strong alchemists.  Maybe that has something to do with it.

There is mention that the Hangman is an enemy of Jonathan's, but I wonder if it is to Jonathan or Audun.  And the Seeress mentions to tell Cog she will be seeing Wylan soon.  Jonathan doesn't know who this is.  Who is he?  Is he the one that Cog remembered a few episodes ago?  The one that told her to never forgive him?

Then!  Isabelle living or dieing depends on Jonathan's actions!  Wow! Talk about a web. lol.

Oh, sooo on to the next episode!

##########

Darren

Format:  Podcast; 23 minutes

Episode: 14 of 37

Synopsis:
Jonathan and Darren deal with the aftermath of The hangman's vicious attack on Isabelle, and Jonathan offers to make a sacrifice.  Will it be enough?

My Thoughts and Summary:
Now we start to see the consequences of some actions.  Isabelle is hemorrhaging energy and Darren doesn't have enough in him to give her what she needs to stabilize her.  She will die.  Cog's life gem is in tact, and she shouldn't get any worse.  Jonathan realizes the Hangman is calling Jonathan forward, through his closest friend, Isabelle.  He has an idea to save her.  But will the Council reverse it afterwards?  Now the Council are suspicious of Jonathan after his episode with the Seeress.

It seems Audun is whispering to Jonathan to crush Cog's life stone.  I'm still wondering what that man has against Cog and her late family, the Antonello's.  Poor Isabelle!  The Hangman has really injured her.  I wonder what anyone can do for her.  Darren has her stable, for the time.  But the Council is ready to snip the ties and let her go, which Jonathan doesn't want to see.  The Seeress is momentarily blind, after Jonathan's visit as well, which is not setting well with the Council.

Darren is telling Jonathan what is going on, and trusting him.  Jonathan seems to have a good friend and maybe an ally here.

On to see how Jonathan gets out of the infirmary where he is guarded by the Queensmen.  And if Isabelle makes it, and how Cog is feeling.



Are you curious about The Gearheart yet?  Well, you can go listen, and look through the amazing pictures of characters at http://www.thegearheart.com/ or you can download on your iPod to listen as well.  Do hope you enjoy as well!


I'm listening to this Podcast for my own enjoyment.

Novella Read-A-Thon Wrap-up

Thought I'd do a quick post to wrap up my weekend Novella/Short Story Read-a-thon.

I visited so many different worlds this weekend!  And enjoyed them all.

I got a little bit of a slow start on Saturday.  The morning was pretty well shoot in the foot with taking one of the girls to the vet and the kid to training.  Then I was feeling so exhausted in the afternoon.  I read a little bit, but dozed off some.  Then went to the movies, and read some more when got home.  But didn't feel like I got very far.

Sunday.  Sunday was a better day for me.  I woke up and started reading.  I even canceled my regular trip to see my dad to relax at home and vegetate.  Only place I went was to the grocery store.  Then I did watch Once Upon a Time with reading on the commercials.  By 9:30 my eyes were tired from all the reading, so I listened to two episodes of my current podcast story.

So what did I get through?  Here's the list:

• Magic by Gaslight by Philippa Ballantine
• Defender of Magic by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart
• Questing Beast by Ilona Andrews
• A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews
• Curran POV 3 by Ilona Andrews
• Gimme Shelter edited by J.R. Blackwell
• Dead Drop: A Lawson Vampire Bonus Story by Jon F. Merz
• Love, Death, and Loneliness by Douglas Brown

I'm a slow reader.  I wanted to get through so many more.  I had more on the Nook ready to read, and short stories printed on the desk waiting for me.

I might have to do this again in the future.  It was nice to visit so many worlds, and feel like I was getting somewhere.  But right now, I have lots of work to do to review all these for you. :)

Monday's Beginnings (135) Vlog Style (20)

It's Monday... and I feel relaxed after a nice laid back weekend.

Well, this past weekend was my novella read-a-thon, trying to get through these I've acquired.  I got through a few, but not as many and I wanted too.  Oh well.  I guess a few is better than none.

Finished Last Week:

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Magic by Gaslight by Philippa Ballantine

Defender of Magic by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart

Questing Beast by Ilona Andrews

A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews

Curran POV 3 by Ilona Andrews

Gimme Shelter edited by J.R. Blackwell

Dead Drop: A Lawson Vampire Bonus Story by Jon F. Merz

Love, Death, and Loneliness by Douglas Brown

Current Read:

Alexander Outland: Space Pirate by G.J. Koch

Reviews to Come:

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep ~ Definitely this week.

Magic by Gaslight by Philippa Ballantine

Defender of Magic by S.A. Archer & S. Ravynheart

Questing Beast by Ilona Andrews

A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews

Curran POV 3 by Ilona Andrews

Gimme Shelter edited by J.R. Blackwell

Dead Drop: A Lawson Vampire Bonus Story by Jon F. Merz

Love, Death, and Loneliness by Douglas Brown

Reviews Posted:

Spiders from Memory by Frances Pauli

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

Movie Review:

Red Riding Hood

Podcast Review:

The Gearheart: Artifice Ep 9 & 10

The Gearheart: Artifice Ep 11 & 12

Books & Covers Shared:

Tempest's Fury by Nicole Peeler

Special Posts:

Next Book Chat for April, book picked is Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews!  Check out the schedule.

Freebies & Deals, & for Nook too

I did a Flash Fiction Friday last week, and closed out the line I had going with Cheyenne and Liam. :) Hope you enjoy.

My WANT List...I've added 6 books.  But once again I've added to the TBR pile things that never made this list.  They might have been short stories, but they are added. :)

Received Last Week:

Purchased:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hexed by Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein

Four of the bestselling names in romance and fantasy come together in this collection of thrilling novellas featuring powerful women who know how to handle a hex or two...

New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews spins "Magic Dreams." Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau finds herself in deep waters when she must challenge a dark being to a battle of wits or risk losing the man for whom she secretly longs.

In "Ice Shards," New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn returns to the Otherworld as Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite, journeys to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of her former lover and break the curse that is keeping her from marrying the man she loves.

National bestselling author Allyson James takes you to Magellan, Arizona, where Stormwalker Janet Begay and her friends are trapped by a powerful curse. It will take every bit of magic simmering beneath her skin for the Stormwalker to survive being "Double Hexed."

From national bestselling author Jeanne C. Stein comes "Blood Debt," in which bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her last name to make it through alive.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews:

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic. When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it rose. 

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community. 

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father. 

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family… 

For Review:

Publisher Synopsis:

Dormitory of the Dead by Kelly Lougheed:

Blood coming out of the bathroom faucets of Charity Hooper's Hawthorn School dormitory doesn't just mean Charity can't wash her face to maintain her porcelain (well, kind of) complexion--it means there's a dead body from 1923 buried in the plumbing, astonishingly well-preserved by the wet sewage conditions.

Well-preserved enough, in fact, for the dead girl's vampire boyfriend to reanimate her as a zombie so they can live happily ever after, massacring innocent Hawthorn students side-by-side.

Faced with such homicidal creatures, Charity would ordinarily consult her English teacher, Ms. van Tessel, whose knowledge of zombie extermination rivals only her knowledge of British literature.  But Ms. Van Tessel has gone mysteriously missing.  Can Charity track down her teacher before the annual midnight Capture the Flag tournament, which will be nothing more than an all-you-can-eat buffet for the vampire-zombie tag team?

Free Ebook:

Goodreads Synopsis:

Glamour by Penelope Fletcher:

Rae Wilder has problems.... Supernatural creatures swarm the earth, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Stalked by a handsome fairy who claims she is like him, demonkind, Rae thinks maybe it was a mistake breaking the rules by going over the Wall into demon territory. Plunged into a world of dark magics, fierce creatures, and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. The changes to her mind and body are startling, but rather than accept her purpose she struggles against who she is destined to be. Throw in a big lust for a vampire who can't keep his hands off her, and life starts to get complicated. Rae is forced to make the ultimate choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control. 

Free Short Stories:

Find all these short stories over at Jennifer Estep's site!

Spider’s Bargain: This short story takes place before the events of Spider’s Bite, the first book in the Elemental Assassin series. In Spider’s Bargain, Gin Blanco takes on a corrupt cop, but only one of them will be left standing in the end.

Web of Death: This short story takes place after the events of Spider’s Bite but before the beginning of Web of Lies. In Web of Death, Gin Blanco’s retirement is interrupted by some unwanted guests.

Web of Deceit: This short story takes place when Gin is a teenager. It’s told from the point of view of Fletcher Lane, Gin’s assassin mentor, and focuses on Gin’s first solo job as the assassin the Spider.

Poison: This short story takes place when Gin is a teenager and is told from the point of view of Finnegan Lane, Gin’s foster brother.

Wasted: This short story takes place in between the events of Web of Lies and Venom. One day, a beautiful woman walks into the bank where Finn works, and trouble soon follows.

Tangled Dreams: This short story takes place in between the events of Venom and Tangled Threads. It’s told from the points of view of Jo-Jo Deveraux and her sister, Sophia Deveraux. When a carjacker follows an injured Gin back to Jo-Jo’s beauty salon, Jo-Jo and Sophia join forced to eliminate the threat.

Tangled Schemes: This short story spans a period of time starting from the last chapter of Spider’s Bite and ending right before the beginning of Tangled Threads. It’s told from Detective Bria Coolidge’s point of view and shows her search for her long-lost sister Genevieve Snow. What Bria doesn’t know is what she’s going to do about the fact that Genevieve also happens to be the assassin the Spider.

Spider’s Nemesis: This short story spans a period of many years, beginning before Gin was born and ending during the events of Tangled Threads. It is told from the point of view of Mab Monroe and shows how the Fire elemental grew up, including her first meeting with Eira Snow, Gin’s mother.

Free Podcast Downloads:

I downloaded more The Gearheart: Artifice episodes, Episodes 21 through 27.

So, another week upon us... Will it be as good of a week as last week for me?  I'm not sure.  I have many things to do around the house now, a price for lounging and reading most of the weekend.

How does your week look?

Here's wishing you all the best in words and pages.