Who? What? Where? (90)

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 )

This Week:

I'm currently working on NaNoWriMo, trying to make new friends in a world similar to ours, where the gods are locked away and some are working hard to change things...for good and bad. 



Others have shown interest in joining in this post, and linking up.  So I've created a linky for that.
My only requests; copy the picture to use, and link back to My World...in words and pages.
Please visit any joining in.
Thank you!

Monday's Beginnings (167)

It's another Monday...

NaNoWriMo has begun.  And my life has halted for it.... Okay, not all of my life, but the bookish part has.  It's only been four days, five now, and I miss you all!  I miss the emails seeing responses to comments here and at your blogs when I comment.  I'll get by...

Hope all are doing well.  Me, I'm doing fantastic, even though I'm missing you all.  As of yesterday I'm over 10,000 words on Nano project; Cursed, By The Rain.  (working title)  I'm actually TWO days ahead of the word count for the month, which is great as there is two days I'll probably not be able to write.  If I keep at this pass, I could finish early.  Sweet!  I was starting to worry I wouldn't have enough to write 50,000 with yesterday afternoon. Then I sat down with my handy dandy notebook and looked at my vague synopsis, this always brings me back to what I'm to be doing, and now I've got a huge map of what the characters are to do.  Now I need to come up with the little things to make the scenes, but the idea is there and they will take me though the motions of the rest.

I've also come to thinking I need a mystery character.  I want another view, but can't do from one character as that would give to much away.  So I think I need a new mystery character.  With being NaNoWriMo I'm going to throw in this un-named person to see if it will give me what I am needing then see where he takes me.  It's all for fun! :)  and I'll learn a lot about the world. ;D

That's my Nano update at this time.  Not much to say, but way ahead of the game at four days in.

So, on to the bookish stuff from last week now...

Current Read:
The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White --- yes, this is an english book. I figured it'll help me when I finally get to re-writes. ;)

Finished Last Week:
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

Reviews to Come:
House of Grey Vol. 2 by Collin Earl
Endgame by Ann Aguirre
Curran POV Vol 1 by Gordon Andrews
Curran POV Vol 2 by Gordon Andrews
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews

Book Reviews Posted:
The Weird Girls by Cecy Robson
Christmas in Chains & Devil's Bargain both by Seleste deLaney
What Have I Done & The Cost of Love both by Seleste deLaney
Of Course I Try by Seleste deLaney
The Ghost of Vampire Present by Seleste deLaney
Kiss of Death by Seleste deLaney

Podcast Reviews Posted:
I've not started a new one yet. Maybe in December, or January depending on how the holidays go.

Movie Review Posted:
No movie review, sorry, been running out of time.

Books and Covers Shared:
No new covers this week.

Special Posts:
Freebies and Deals, on Nook too (30)
GIVEAWAY on the tour for Cecy Robson's now books ~ Swag!
Nano, Nano, NaNoWriMo Time!

I did not do a Flash Fiction Friday.  With being NaNoWriMo time, I'll not be doing these.  Maybe some day I'll give you a clip from my NaNoWriMo if you would like. :)

My WANT List...Well, I must really be slacking.  I only added 2 books last week.  But that's okay as I've got so many books on the Want List, I don't know if I'll ever get to them all.

Received Last Week:
Free:
All are ebooks this week.  There were lots of amazing free ebooks last week, and well, I couldn't pass them up!

God's War by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference...

On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on...

There's not a chance in hell of ending it. 

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price? 

The world is about to find out.

Infidel by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nyx is a bodyguard in Mustallah, the capital city of Nasheen. The centuries-long holy war between Nasheen and Chenja is taking its toll, with shortages and rationing causing the Queen to lose power and popularity. While protecting the daughter of a Ras Tiegan Diplomat, Nyx is attacked by a group of assassins. Nyx survives, but begins to suffer from a strange, debilitating condition that nobody can identify. Caught up in a whirl-wind of intrigue involving Bel Dam Assassins plotting against the Queen, Nyx must learn who the rouge Bel Dam is, and find a cure for her illness, while avoiding the wrath of the queen she is trying to protect. The danger that swirls around her may have finally become to much, and Nyx's colleagues and friends began to die. Will Nyx be next?

Iron's Prophecy by Julie Kagawa
Goodreads Synopsis:
Meghan Chase is finally getting used to being the Iron Queen, ruler of the Iron Fey. Her life may be strange, but with former Winter prince Ash by her side at last, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

But when they travel to the Summer and Winter courts’ gathering for Elysium, the oracle from Meghan’s past returns with a dire prophecy: “What you carry will either unite the courts, or it will destroy them.” Now Meghan faces a devastating choice that may determine the future of all fey—and her and Ash’s unborn child… 

A novella from the bestselling Iron Fey series

Into The Mirror Black by Tim Marquitz
Smashwords Synopsis:
Driven by darkness, Tyson sets the stage for the elder gods' return. (A short story) 

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom's obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.

Won eARC, For Review:

Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs
Goodreads Synopsis:
While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. 

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. 

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back...

So, how did your week go last week?  Hope it was a good one.  How does the new week look for you?

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

Freebies and Deals, on Nook too (30)

As always, Barnes & Nobles Friday Freebie thread.

I did find these this week:
Freebies:

Cornerstone by Misty Provencher
Smashwords (where you get any eformat you need)
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nalena Maxwell has been branded ‘The Waste’ at her new school, due to her mom's obsessive paper hoarding. Nalena desperately wants something to change in her life, but when she receives a sign (and it's the wrong dang one) inviting her into a mysterious, ancient community, too much changes. What she knew of her family, what she thought of her life and what she believed about her future, is no longer applicable. Seventeen years worth of family skeletons come crashing into Nalena's life and it is the boy...the one that smiles at her like he wants to hear everything she'll ever say...that already knows her powerful secrets. But it is only Nalena that can choose between protecting the life that is already crumbling beneath her feet and the one that might sacrifice everything she could ever have.

Into The Mirror Black by Tim Marquitz
Short story in time for Halloween, for you.
Smashwords (where you get any eformat you need)
Synopsis:
Driven by darkness, Tyson sets the stage for the elder gods' return.





From November 1st through November 8th, you can get FREE copies of God's War and the second novel Infidel by Kameron Hurley.  This is celebration of the third books release: Rapture.
Follow this link to Night Shades site and send an email to the address provided.  They'll send the instructions to you of how to get download them!  That easy!

God's War by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn't make any difference...

On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on...

There's not a chance in hell of ending it. 

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price? 

The world is about to find out.

Infidel by Kameron Hurley
Goodreads Synopsis:
Nyx is a bodyguard in Mustallah, the capital city of Nasheen. The centuries-long holy war between Nasheen and Chenja is taking its toll, with shortages and rationing causing the Queen to lose power and popularity. While protecting the daughter of a Ras Tiegan Diplomat, Nyx is attacked by a group of assassins. Nyx survives, but begins to suffer from a strange, debilitating condition that nobody can identify. Caught up in a whirl-wind of intrigue involving Bel Dam Assassins plotting against the Queen, Nyx must learn who the rouge Bel Dam is, and find a cure for her illness, while avoiding the wrath of the queen she is trying to protect. The danger that swirls around her may have finally become to much, and Nyx's colleagues and friends began to die. Will Nyx be next?

Deals:
This first book of the series is now a deal of $2.99, if you'd like to get.  I've heard good things of it, and need it myself.

Blood Rights by Kristen Painter
Barnes & Nobles ~ Nook   /   Amazon ~ Kindle
Goodreads Synopsis:
Rebellion has a price.

The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

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.

Any thing else?  What have you found this week?  Sounds like a great one.

Book Review: Kiss of Death

Kiss of Death

By:  Seleste deLaney

Publisher:  Mundania Press

Publish Date:  August 2012

Format:  207pgs

Genre:  Romance, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Series:  1st in Blood Kissed series; Prequel #1 ~ Of Course I Try, Prequel #2 ~ The Ghost of Vampire Present, Short Stories ~ 0.1 ~ Christmas in Chains, 0.2 ~ Devil's Bargain, Short Story 0.3 ~ What Have I Done, 0.4 ~ The Cost of Love

Recommendation:  Mmm, Yes, a complicated romance with vampires and action.  There is something very special about Jocelyn...

Synopsis:
Too many years of killer vamps have triggered the curse of the Blood Kissed.  They've awakened the bloodline that can alter their world, because her blood has the power to control them all - even make them destroy each other.

Jocelyn thought her troubles with vampires were over when she drove a stake through her boyfriend Max's heart two years ago.  Even though she's engaged to Chad, she's never really forgotten him.  Now Max is back, and Chad is taking her into the heart of the vamp community - and they're the ones trying to keep her alive.  The ones who love her and each seek to claim her for their own.  Because once the elders know who she is, they're going to want her...or want her dead.

First Sentence:
The alley wasn't the cleanest place in the world, but none of the women tonight had seemed to mind.

Purchase At:
Amazon   /   Barnes & Nobles

My Thoughts and Summary:
Max is watching over Jocelyn, his love, who "killed" him.  At Christmas he made a promise to not bother her but to only come when she was in danger and needed him.  Max knows Jocelyn is in trouble with the vampire world, eventually they will find her.  And she doesn't know it.  Max keeps to the shadows, watching and learning about her new boyfriend, until the day Chad takes her openly into a vampire club that could be her death.   Jocelyn feels she is losing her mind since Christmas with the ghost of her grandma visited, and still visiting, and the strange dreams of three vampires visiting.  But she still dreams of it in her nightmares and worries.  Kidnapped by her past love, thought to be dead, Jocelyn's mind breaks down and tries to put the pieces together, which is dangerous to her as well as who is after her.  Jocelyn doesn't realize how powerful she is and by coming out in the open she has vampires, vampire hunters, and a magic yielder after her before the weeks out.

First, this is a romance read with a story full of paranormal happenings.  There are a few intimate scenes as well.  So if you like romance and love with a story line  this one is it.  Definitely an adult read with sex scenes present.  And there is a love triangle as well.

Max is a curious one to me.  For some reason he's stronger than others his age, like elder strong.  And for this he has to be careful the Elders don't find out.  Oh when I read the one novella, I thought his and Jocelyn's relationship might have been a touch abusive, but in this story I see it in a whole new light.  And I think he's my favorite of them all.  Chad...well, he's a keeper too, but he's still a little young yet.  Young in the way of knowledge of vampires ways, naive in a way.  Then there's Remy.  Ahh, he is powerful and flamboyant   The other elders don't much care for him.  But, I get a feel he has a bigger plan in the making here.  He is gently pushing people into things by helping in other ways.  No magic there, but he is a manipulator and very talented at it.  And we have Jocelyn, who is a bit close-minded for a while.  Her grandmother even comments on it while giving her cryptic hints to what she needs to know.

We get to see different sides of the story with point of views from Max, Jocelyn, Chad, and the elder Dominik.  And I like getting all this information to know what and why things are happening.

I really enjoyed this story and meeting these characters.  These characters really stood out to me.  So different.  And I felt they really blended and clashed in a genuine manner.  I really was taken by them all!  There is a blend of action and romance here.  My only thing is I'm not sure how Jocelyn is to 'control' the vampires yet.  We learned about her blood and the history, but I'm not sure how it will work to take control.  Making a stronger soldier, yes, but I think she might have something else that she's not aware of yet.

I do look forward to reading more of Jocelyn, Max (sigh), Chad, and Remy as well.  Great combination of characters and personalities.  Really enjoyed relaxing with this one, and flipping the pages.

Do you have to read the short stories and novellas before reading this?  No, I don't think so.  But you will learn all the back story that leads into this and why things are so confusing to Jocelyn.  The poor girls mind has been scrambled more than a few times.  The relationship connections that you read in the short stories and novellas are made here, but you could get the feeling up front and get to see more of those events transpire if you read them.  At least the short stories are free, go ahead and give them a try.



***I read this book for an honest review from the publisher.
***This review is a collection of my person thoughts while reading.

NaNo, NaNo, NaNoWriMo Time!

Nano, Nano, NaNoWriMo!

So many of you know I loved this last year.  I had so much fun writing a story idea I had during this month.  Yes, it's a hot ugly mess, but it's much more than I've ever accomplished before.  Learned  a lot about the story, characters, and even myself in writing.

I had a blast!  And can't wait to do it again.  Can you tell I'm excited?  This is me, as I and so syked to get started...

(Thank you Frodo, @1FantasyFanatic on Twitter, and of Frodo's Blog of Randomness for creating this clip together for me.  This IS what I wanted!)

But I thought I'd stroll down memory lane from what I learned last year as I NaNo-ed.  These are things I definitely want to do again as it worked well for me.

What I learned last year:
(if you would like to read my post on what I learned last NaNoWriMo)

1.)  FRIENDS ~ Friends are a big thing when wee little people (and newbies like me) are crunching to get 50,000 words in just 30 short days.  They make if fun, and help the momentum going forward.  Also, they remind you NOT TO LOOK BACK.  This is a forward movement run.  At least for me it is.

2.)  Sprints ~ Sprints helped me keep moving forward.  I already have in mind, somewhere in that head of mine, what I want to do and I over think from time to time.  Sprints kept me going, and kept things going in the story.

3.)  When Stuck, DON'T STOP ~ This is huge.  Don't give up because something doesn't piece together right.  Skip ahead a little bit if need be, but keep going.  Throw something stupid in.  There's going to be tons to clean up when done, so don't fret over it.  Jump ahead and fill that in later.

4.)  FIX IT LATER! ~ This is one key to remember as I went through.  For me NaNoWriMo was to get out the basic idea and story.  I'll fix the story holes and editing later.  Hell, I know it's going to need a complete re-write before editing, but this is the bare bones to start with and evolve later.

My last lesson, and is one I LOOOVE...
5.)  When in Doubt, Kill your Character...or try ~ Oh, this got me through so many times last year.  If I started to get bored with the writing and to humdrum, I tried to kill my character.  You would be surprised what you learn from the 'other characters' reactions.  Their personalities start to come to the surface, and keeps the story interesting for me.  I like my action, and in my fantasies it works wonderfully.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for the blog here...
I'm not going to be around much.  I will warn you, I won't be visiting many blogs or even posting here much.  I'll try to do a Monday Beginnings Post to check in with my friends.  And I'll try to get scheduled the Throwback Thursday Posts so others can link up and continue even with me not around.  If you want to find me, I'll most likely be around Twitter as that is where I meet up with a few Nano friends and write together.

If you are curious as to how Nano is going, I'll share it in the Monday Beginnings Posts I do.  I also have a Nano numbers calendar on the left sidebar to show what my numbers are each day.  The goal is 1,667 words a day to read 50,000 words by the end of the month.  Last year I think I finished 4 or so days early, so I'm working for more than the daily goal.

So, yes, I'm excited to get back into NaNoWriMo and creating my own world again. :)

Book Review: The Ghost of Vampire Present

The Ghost of Vampire Present

By:  Seleste deLaney

Published By:  Decadent Publishing, LLC

Publish Date:  December 10, 2010

Format:  eBook, 36pgs

Genre:  Urban Fantasy Romance

Series:  Prequel # 2 in Blood Kissed Series; Prequel #1 ~ Of Course I Try, Short Stories ~ 0.1 ~ Christmas in Chains, 0.2 ~ Devil's Bargain, Short Story 0.3 ~ What Have I Done, 0.4 ~ The Cost of Love

Recommendation:  Oh yes! Love this sexy vampirian take on a Christmas Carol!

Synopsis:
Jocelyn has finally found her knight in shining armor in Chad, and ghosts are the last thing on her mind.  Even when one shows up in her bedroom on Christmas Eve...

First Sentence:
I've dreamt of Max almost every night since I killed him.

Purchase At:

Amazon ~ Kindle   /   Barnes & Nobles ~ Nook

My Thoughts and Summary:
Jocelyn dreams of Max almost every night, but last night was different.  It's Christmas morning and last nights dreams weigh heavy on her mind as she waits for her visiting old college room mate to wake to talk to her.  First a ghost, here crazy grandmothers ghost, warning and wanting to help her, then three visitors after that and not all were welcomed guests.  Past, Present and Future men collide in one night.

Oh this novella is a very interesting and sexy Vampire twist on A Christmas Carol.

Oh the hints in this novella!  There is something special about Jocelyn.  What?  I'm curious.  Max is remembered, and I'm curious how he manages to do this.  The current boyfriend, that cute guy named Chad from the dance in Of Course I Try...yeah it's him. Yum.

Jocelyn has been trying to be stronger since Max.  She's started self-defense classes and fighting better along with becoming more physically fit than she ever has.

I have to say I love the description of the ghost.  Yes, it's someone she knew.
"She's the antithesis of the fairy godmother I'd always wished for.  All she needs now is a lit cigar between her fingers to totally bastardize that particular childhood fantasy."

The telling of this story starts with Jocelyn waiting for Kait then when she comes out we get the front row seat of the happenings as we are there with her.  Then we are back to the morning and Kait leaves and Jocelyn gets ready for Christmas at her mothers and waits for her boyfriend.  We seen clues that last night might not have been a dream... but then things change and answers aren't connecting with what happened, so maybe it all was after being out with the girls drinking and all.

I'm left curious as to what was real and what was a dream.  I think it's all real, but there is more than real and not here, there's secrets.  I want to know what they are.  There is something special about Jocelyn, but I'm not sure what exactly it is.  I'll definitely be reading the first novel, Kiss of Death very soon to figure it all out.

This is definitely a romance, with intimate moments.



**I read this novella for my own enjoyment.
**The thoughts shared in this review are of my personal opinion.

Throwback Thursday (89)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

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:

Aaah, yes.  I do love my anthologies.  I so needed this one and a great friend blogger sent it to me.  You know how you are.  And I'm sorry I've not read it yet.  But I'm SO THRILLED to have it here in my collection.  Goodness I need to get to it along with several other books.

Goodreads Synopsis:

WELCOME TO THE SECOND "GOLDEN AGE" OF SUPERHEROES AND HEROINES Superheroes have come a long way since the "Man of Steel" was introduced in 1938. This brilliant new collection features original stories and novellas from some of today's most exciting voices in comics, science fiction, and fantasy. Each marvelously inventive tale shows us just how far our classic crusaders have evolved--and how the greatest of heroes are, much like ourselves, all too human.

In "Call Her Savage," MARJORIE M. LIU enters the dark heart of a fierce mythic heroine who is forced, by war, to live up to her own terrible legend.

In "A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)," BILL WILLINGHAM presents a fully-realized vision of a universe where epic feats and tragic flaws have transformed the human race.

In "Vacuum Lad," STEPHEN BAXTER unveils the secret origins of the first true child of the space age--and disproves the theory that "nothing exists in a vacuum."

In "Head Cases," PETER DAVID and KATHLEEN DAVID blast through the blogosphere to expose the secret longings of a Lonely Superhero Wife.

In "The Non-Event," MIKE CAREY removes the gag order on a super-thief named Lockjaw . . . and pries out a confession of life-altering events.

Also includes stories by Mike Baron - Mark Chadbourn - Paul Cornell - Daryl Gregory - Joseph Mallozzi - James Maxey - Ian McDonald - Chris Roberson - Gail Simone - Matthew Sturges . . . and an introduction by Lou Anders, "one of the brightest and best of the new generation of science fiction editors" (Jonathan Strahan, "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year").

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to and join as well.  Thank you.