Throwback Thursday (150)

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:

This is one I picked up for free. I have forgotten about it, and this is why I love doing this meme.

Goodreads Synopsis:
They've been coming here for thousands of years, using Earth as a sanctuary to escape threats from their own kind. Mankind knows them as angels, and one of them left a child upon her death to be raised as a human.

Raea is now a high school senior, and her life as a human is about to end. The crystal shard she bears is not a pretty pendant; it's a collective of powerful entities who chose her as their Keeper, a protector of one of the four shards that power a machine capable of destroying whole worlds. Those who desire the Starfire's power have sent an agent to find her, but she's too busy evading a nosy reporter ready to exploit her secret and dating a hot new foreign student to notice. Nevermind learning what she really is.

Only one person on Earth can help her, the last person she ever expected. But he's not from Earth. Life as a human would be so much easier.

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.

Cover Reveal: Beginning A Beginning, Rugosa Coven, and That One Minute

A few more covers for you! Three different authors and series. Have a look at these three and we'll chat afterward.

Beginning A Beginning

Laurian Pentology #5

By:  Danny Brit

Due Out:  May 2014

Description:
The reopening of Pentagram, the ancient nation of mages, was bound to attract attention.

Now the greatest forces in the world are gathering, preparing for battle -- humans and elves, dwarves and vampires, gods and demigods, assassins and healers, mages split between both sides -- none of whom will hold back, for the result of their battle will be no less than the ultimate fate of their world.

And at the heart of it all is Alaris, the single person with personal ties to all parties, the ultimate puppet master now forced to play tug-of-war with his puppets. 

...What's that?  You thought Alaris was dead? 

Well, when has he ever let that stop him?

Tales from Rugosa Coven

By:  Sarah Avery
Out:  NOW

Pick up at Amazon

Description:

Let a Little Magic into Your Life

In Tales from Rugosa Coven, catch a glimpse of a New Jersey even weirder than the one you think you know, as a covenful of very modern Wiccans wrestle challenges both supernatural and mundane—and, occasionally, each other.

The personal injury attorney who chose kitchen-witchery over his family’s five-generation lineage of old school ceremonial magic would like to miss his dead parents, only now that they’re dead they won’t leave him alone. The professional fortuneteller stands out at forty paces, with her profusion of silver amulets glittering over her Goth wardrobe, but nobody has guessed her secret sorrow, especially not the covenmates who see her as their wacky comic relief. And the resident skeptic, a reluctant Pagan if ever there was one, will have to eat her words if her coven sister’s new boyfriend really does turn out to be from Atlantis.

The Jersey Shore’s half-hidden community of Witches, Druids, and latter-day Vikings must circle together against all challenges. It’s a good thing they’re as resilient as the wild rugosa roses that hold together the dunes.

That One Minute

By:  Regina Glei

Due Out:  NOW

Pick up at Amazon.

Description:

All it Takes is That One Minute…

You think you know what’s wrong with the world…but which one? The one you're in? Or the one that mirrors ours, only one more minute closer to heaven or hell, where "angelics" and "demonics" constantly fight for dominance over our souls?

Ask Chris Burns, struggling in a job he hates and dealing with his wife’s betrayal when she chooses an Italian restaurant owner over a loser like him. What is there left to care about? But when Chris is offered a divine mission to cross that one minute and to save both worlds, he gets a shot at eternal glory.

Can a down-on-his-luck loser prevent a "demonic" uprising? Will he make a difference when faced with battling demons and power-hungry Undersecretaries from the almighty “Ministry of Spirits,” all with his know-it-all doppelganger in tow, constantly trying to undermine his efforts…

... at that shot at eternal glory

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I'm taken with these and the descriptions.

Beginning A Beginning is new to me, and it figures it's the fifth book of the series (always seems to happen for me this way). I'm going to have to look at these as it sounds interesting to me. I love the fantasy sound here and sounds like my kind of read.

Tales from Rugosa Coven... now this sounds like a fun UF witchy read. I'm curious to see what New Jersey has on the Wiccan side, blended with mundane life. Druids and all, yes, I'm curious. It's a collection of three novella's and a start to a new series! Stunning image.

That One Minute. The color variation catches me, the two doorways in the ground. But what really has my eye...the hands in the mist. Dragging you down, down, down... This is a stand-alone novella classified as fantasy horror comedy. We don't get many stand-alone novels anymore, and I do like when we see them. This sounds like one that could be one to pick up.

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Add the books on Goodreads:
   Beginning A Beginning
   Tales from Rugosa Coven
   That One Moment

Book Review: What Kings Ate And Wizards Drank

What Kings Ate And Wizards Drank

By:  Krista D. Ball

Publish Date:  January 15, 2013

Publisher:  Tyche Books Ltd

Format:  eBook, 252pg

Genre:  Non-Fiction

Series:  1st book in Fantasy Lovers Guide series

Recommendation:  WOW! The things I learned. The thoughts it all sparked...

Synopsis:
A Fantasy Lover's Food Guide Equal parts writer's guide, comedy, and historical cookbook, fantasy author Krista D. Ball takes readers on a journey into the depths of epic fantasy's obsession with rabbit stew and teaches them how to catch the blasted creatures, how to move armies across enemy territories without anyone starving to death, and what a medieval pantry should look like when your heroine is seducing the hero.

Learn how long to cook a salted cow tongue, how best to serve salt fish, what a "brewis" is (hint: it isn't beer), how an airship captain would make breakfast, how to preserve just about anything, and why those dairy maids all have ample hips.

What Kings Ate will give writers of historical and fantastical genres the tools to create new conflicts in their stories, as well as add authenticity to their worlds, all the while giving food history lovers a taste of the past with original recipes and historical notes.

First Sentence:
It was early 2011 and I was neck-deep in writing the second ook of my epic fantasy series when Tina Moreau called me up.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

**I read this book for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
An insider look to foods and drinks in fantasy worlds to help make the story feel more authentic to the time. The types of food available can also help draw a darker or enlightened picture of a world. How long does it take to make rabbit stew? And catching the rabbit? How about dressing a deer? Spices and breads and so much more to look into!

We love food. So why not make learning about it fun too? Krista does that here.

For those writing, Krista gets you thinking more in depth of what you are creating. For those loving history, this shares in fun foods at different centuries along with recipes.

This book opened my eyes to how food can reflect and create a world. Food is touched on in different aspects of living. From the poor to the rich. On the move or city living. Even sailors/pirates out at sea. So many aspects and all live very differently. This book of information helped me thinking on the foods in stories, even worlds I've created. Krista tells you how things work and suggestions for the heroes on the run in the woods. How to survive with or without food. Some references are given to help match the food in your land, culture, stature in society, and along with taxes.

Even specific diets. Some of us can think out the diets from what we know of history, but this pins it down for us. There are reasons why there may not be many children born in a time frame. The woman may have been missing certain items from their diet that could result in miscarriages.

Krista presented this book in a fashion that reading about food and history felt like sitting down and talking with an old friend. This book was NOT like reading a history book. Krista made the topic fun. She shares recipes and her experiences. Yes, she's tried making some of the foods and drinks and shares how it was to make it or even taste it. Some good, some not so good. lol. There are myths that surround foods and the times, Krista talks about that and if they are true, false, or a touch of both and why.

But the neat thing with food, it touches different aspects of world and people. Krista talked about health in the middle ages and further back. There are herbs for all things from health to sick to in foods and drinks. Then on to who healers are, even a few thoughts to get you thinking as to a history to your healer choice.

This book was fun to read and learn. I will be using it as a reference guide to help me along. It can be used for anyone wanting to write fantasy, historical, steampunk or Victorian era.

Cover Reveal: It's Elemental and Transcendence

Aaaah, now these are sweet little finds. Awesome new covers to ogle at. I'm going to have to keep an eye out and get these.

Both of these are anthologies, but with different authors and stories.

It's Elemental

Bad-Ass Faeries #4

Edited By:  Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Due Out:  May 23, 2014

Description:

The Bad-Ass Faeries are back and they are in their Elements!

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit…It’s time to get down to basics, for the fae answer to a natural order.

In L. Jagi Lamplighter’s On Rocky Ground, Mab, Mephisto, and Erasmus go to the mountain to pay a debt, but can they pacify the earth before the mountain comes down around their ears?

In James Chambers’ The Flying Rock, Daniel seeks to give his son and daughter a taste of childhood magic before they grow too old to embrace such things, but the winds blow as they will and he soon wonders will his children even see another day.

In James Daniel Ross’s The Legend of Buck Cooper and the Child of Fire it only takes a spark to start a fire, but what will it take to stop one? Buck Cooper and the brigade must stave off the flames of a war most don’t even realize is being waged.

In N.R. Brown’s Melia’s Best Wave an oceanid decides she’s ready for bigger things, like tackling the deadliest stretch of coastline anywhere. Will she conquer the Mavericks or wipe out for all time?

In Jody Lynn Nye’s Fifteen Percent Marcel Dorner learns it’s best to get into the spirit of things when your literary agent is a filandiere, or more than just your career might not survive…

Joined by Kimberley Long-Ewing, Judi Fleming, Danny Birt, Peter Prellwitz, DL Thurston, James R. Stratton, Patrick Thomas, Bethany Herron, Keith R.A. DeCandido and Lee C. Hillman, these authors make it clear why one doesn’t mess with Mother Nature…or Bad-Ass Faeries.

Transcendence

By:  Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Due Out:  October 2014

Description:

What Will You Discover Between the Darkness and the Light?

When the mortal coil wears thin and the great unknown draws nigh you might spy the narrow gap between the mystical and the mundane. You might even notice they’re looking back.

Transcendence takes a hard look at humanity in nine tales of difficult choices, great rewards, and journeys beyond expectation.

• In Skippy, Don does not like what he sees in the mirror…but will he survive it?
• A Fury finds form—and retribution—in The Kindly One.
• If I Had the Chance takes do-overs to a new level.
• Aisa has a death-ly choice to make in The Misses Moirai.
• Ruby Red sweeps you away in a dance on the edge of madness.
• Purgatory is when you think you’re damned…hell is when you are right…
• Fredrich tries to drown his sorrows in Stoli and Solitude.
• For Camirel finding purpose means total transformation in Emberling.
• Transcendence…where you look into the heart of a star and find yourself.

The extraordinary awaits… will you step beyond the bounds of commonplace existence?

I read one Bad-Ass Faeries anthology and loved it. I picked up a second one and need to get time to dig in. Now, I want this one too! And the sounds of Transcendence, very interesting. Sounds like one to think on. That eye really draws my eyes!

You can add Transcendence on Goodreads now too.

Cover Reveal: Trouble on the Waters: Stories of Sailors, Pirates, and Gambling Men

As you all know, I'm a sucker for anthologies. I love all sorts - fantasy, steampunk, swashbuckling, urban fantasy, paranormal romance... You name it, it catches my eye. And Danielle Ackley-McPhail is an author and editor of many of a great looking anthologies.

I happen to have a cover for the next she's edited and has a story in. Another one looking like a great adventure. An adventure of the high seas.

The cover....

Trouble on the Waters: Stories of Sailors, Pirates, and Gambling Men

Edited By:  Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Authors:

Phoebe Wray, David Sherman, Jeffrey Lyman, and Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Due Out:  May 2014

Description:

A life on the water is a constant gamble. Whether a sailor pits himself against the forces of nature or finds himself at the mercy of man, odds are even how the encounter will turn out, depending whose side the luck rolls up on.

In Phoebe Wray’s Sailor of Kannar, Darcy must take her chances in courts of intrigue to preserve her people’s way of life among the marshes.

In Danielle Ackley-McPhail’s Trouble on the Water Rishima Blaque clings to faith and a rock in the middle of the sea in the hopes her husband will find her before the pirates do.

In David Sherman’s Vest of the Pecos, Kitty Belle and Cheyenne Walker join forces once again to pit their wiles against the denizens of a paddleboat gaming salon, only to find themselves facing a gamble of another sort.

In Jeffrey Lyman’s Unsinkable Princess Cordolya bows to her father’s dictates, setting sail for an alliance with a country across the sea, only to find herself beset by pirates, leviathans, and a mage-borne storm. Will luck be with the lady or will she make her own?

No Matter What, Trouble’s Coming for Someone…

Sounds like a whale of a time! Okay, sorry for the weak joke and no whales. Or that I know of. ;) But sounds like great adventures at see.

Add it to your Want List on Goodreads today.

Mythical Monday (45)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Paranormal Romance author 
Kait Ballenger

Talking of Pixies.

For anyone who has read even the back cover blurb of Immortal Hunter, it’s easy to see that the supernatural focus of the book is demons. They are at the center of the novel, seeing as David Aronowitz, the hero of Immortal Hunter, is a demon hunter for the Execution Underground, an international covert organization of hunters who fight to protect humanity from the supernatural creatures who lurk behind every dark corner. Despite that demons are the focus of the novel, I wanted to take a moment today to highlight the other supernatural creature this novel features: the faerie.


Faerie:

1. a tiny mischievous, imaginary being
2. an imaginary supernatural being, usually represented in diminutive human form and characterized as clever, playful, and having magical powers
3. a variant of fairy

Allsún O’Hare, the heroine of the novel, is half-Fae, specifically pixie. So what makes a faerie a faerie in the world of the Execution Underground? Well, you’re about to find out. Below is a Mythical Mondays entry for pixies similar to what would be in the beginner’s guide for Execution Underground trainees—of course, I can’t show you the real entry, since Execution Underground training is highly confidential. ;-) As potential hunters of the supernatural, trainees must be able to recall and understand something similar to the following information:

Pixie

(See also Fae/faerie/fairy/earth angel)

Note: The term Fae is an over-arching term for an entire kingdom of supernatural creature with multiple sub-species existing within the kingdom. For example, a pixie, a sprite, a water spirit, a brownie, and a goblin are all examples of Fae, but exist within different sub-species. Fae are benign creatures and have no interest in hurting humans; therefore, they are not hunted by the Execution Underground.

Appearance: Pixies are characterized by their small stature (smaller than the average human), physical attractiveness to the human eye, and bright eye color.

Abilities: Pixies are capable of producing a powerful, sparkling faerie dust, which causes humans to be easily suggestible to their will. They are a type of nature sprite and draw strength and magical power from the earth. They are capable in fully exorcising demons, their natural enemy.

Behaviors: Pixies are notably mischievous and are often known for dealing in half-truths and pranks. They are easily angered, but not outwardly aggressive.

Weaknesses: Iron

Habitat: The Isle of Apples – a second dimension, capable only of being accessed by the Fae, in which its entry lays near the west coast of the Republic of Ireland.

Natural Enemy: Demons


So there you have it. The Fae as portrayed in the Execution Underground series! I hope you’ve enjoyed this little teaser and that you decide to check out Immortal Hunter!

All Best,
Kait Ballenger


Author Bio:
Kait Ballenger is a full-time romance author, wife, a former professional bellydancer, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series about an international network of supernatural hunters who fight to protect humanity alongside the powerful women they seduce.

With a B.A in English from Stetson University, Kait is a recent graduate of Spalding University’s M.F.A in Writing for Children and Young Adults program, where she studied dual-genre in screenwriting.

When Kait’s not preoccupied with paranormal creepy-crawlies, she can be found spending time with her family or with her nose buried in a book. She lives in Florida with her husband, their doggie-daughter Sookie (yes, like the heroine in Charlainne Harris’ books), and two mischievous cats Elliot and Olivia (yes, like the Law and Order characters), near the love and care of her supportive family. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she will be a bestseller and have people name their pets after her characters too.

Author Links:
Kait Ballenger's site
Twitter:  @kait_ballenger
Facebook page

Purchase Books: (click image to go purchase at Amazon)


Also find at Barnes & Nobles:
After Dark
Twilight Hunter
Immortal Hunter

Also on Book Depository:
After Dark
Vampire Killer (Kait's story is the same as what's in After Dark, this is a UK Anthology with 2 different authors)
Twilight Hunter
Immortal Hunter

Sunday Post #50

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~

It's going to be a two week dose for you this week. I've been so tired with the change in weather and allergies (I might have had a touch of a cold too, who knows) along with so much going on.

First, I'm sorry for not being around as much the past two weeks. I'm struggling with finding what works for me in re-writes, and by re-writes I mean complete tear down and re-write. Words are flipping to different places in the story as I think (at this moment) they relate better there. So, I've been focused trying to find a method that works for me.

Also, I've been busy, lazy? I don't know what the answer is. Yesterday was to be my day to get some big projects done. Well at the last minute the coach invited kiddo to an invitational track meet. We spent the day there then friends came over. The day was spent and gone. So I have some serious work to get done today as when the week starts, time seems to be even more limited.

I'm going to try to get caught up with comments and back in the groove of visiting this week. Wish me luck!

What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
This week is going to be revisions for me and beta reading for a friend. I did get one beta read done, but now I've the notes to pull together.

AND have been reading as chapters come up:
Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron (2 chapters a week for free on her site!)

Current Podcast Book Listen:
I haven't started a new one yet. Will think about it for this week.


Finished Last Weeks:
...

Finished Podcast Book Listen:
Flash in a Can by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Crossing Lines by John Mierau
Marked Man by John Mierau
Harlan's Wake by John Mierau
The List by John Mierau
....

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Evolution: SAGE by S.A. Huchton
(go check out the teasers and excerpt too!)

Posts:


Around the Internet...



Reviews:

Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell

Heaven By Mur Lafferty

Immortal Hunter By Kait Ballenger

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:



Weekly Posts:

***NEW*** Mythical Monday - Freya Robertson on Firebird. And L. Jagi Lamplighter on Gnomes and Oreads.

Throwback Thursday

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

Mythical Monday Is to be Kait Ballenger, but I'm waiting to see if it comes through. (Mon)

Book Review What Kings Ate And Wizards Drank by Krista D. Ball (Wed)

Book Review Half Share by Nathan Lowell (Thurs)

~~~~~~~~~~

Received Last Weeks:

Review:

The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan
Goodreads Synopsis:
'The hounds at our heels will soon know we are lions' Tamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy's best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god. In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might come too quickly. With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-shot finds himself alongside the god-chef Mihali as the last line of defence against Kresimir's advancing army. Tamas's generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye.

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn by Danielle Ackley-McPail & Day Al-Mohamed
Goodreads Synopsis:
Come, Best Beloved, and sit you by my feet. I shall tell you a tale such as sister Scheherazade could have scarce imagined. A tale of wonders, of deeds both great and grievous, of courage that defies description, and above all, Child of Adam, I shall tell you a tale of love. 

The night is for the telling of tales to which the morning may bear Truth. In the oldest of days and ages and times, there was, and there was not, a great evil that reached across the desert and beyond…

In the Nejd there is nothing at all…except secrets. Can Ali bin-Massoud find the key to his family’s legacy before it is too late? More than honor is at stake. A band of thieves wish such secrets to remain hidden. 

It will take faith, knowledge, and yes, love to realize his destiny, and more than a little skill with steam-driven technology. Ali’s very life hangs in the balance.

Hear you the tale of Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn.

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

The Waking Engine by David Edison
Goodreads Synopsis:
Welcome to the City Unspoken, where Gods and Mortals come to die.

Contrary to popular wisdom, death is not the end, nor is it a passage to some transcendent afterlife. Those who die merely awake as themselves on one of a million worlds, where they are fated to live until they die again, and wake up somewhere new. All are born only once, but die many times . . . until they come at last to the City Unspoken, where the gateway to True Death can be found.

Wayfarers and pilgrims are drawn to the City, which is home to murderous aristocrats, disguised gods and goddesses, a sadistic faerie princess, immortal prostitutes and queens, a captive angel, gangs of feral Death Boys and Charnel Girls . . . and one very confused New Yorker.

Late of Manhattan, Cooper finds himself in a City that is not what it once was. The gateway to True Death is failing, so that the City is becoming overrun by the Dying, who clot its byzantine streets and alleys . . . and a spreading madness threatens to engulf the entire metaverse.

Dawn's Early Light by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris
Goodreads Synopsis:
Working for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, one sees innumerable technological wonders. But even veteran agents Braun and Books are unprepared for what the electrifying future holds… 
 
After being ignominiously shipped out of England following their participation in the Janus affair, Braun and Books are ready to prove their worth as agents. But what starts as a simple mission in the States—intended to keep them out of trouble—suddenly turns into a scandalous and convoluted case that has connections reaching as far as Her Majesty the Queen.
 
Even with the help of two American agents from the Office of the Supernatural and the Metaphysical, Braun and Books have their work cut out for them as their chief suspect in a rash of nautical and aerial disasters is none other than Thomas Edison. Between the fantastic electric machines of Edison, the eccentricities of MoPO consultant Nikola Tesla, and the mysterious machinations of a new threat known only as the Maestro, they may find themselves in far worse danger than they ever have been in before…

The Tropic of Serpents: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Goodreads Synopsis:
The thrilling adventure of Lady Trent continues in Marie Brennan's The Tropic of Serpents . . .

Attentive readers of Lady Trent’s earlier memoir, A Natural History of Dragons, are already familiar with how a bookish and determined young woman named Isabella first set out on the historic course that would one day lead her to becoming the world’s premier dragon naturalist. Now, in this remarkably candid second volume, Lady Trent looks back at the next stage of her illustrious (and occasionally scandalous) career.

Three years after her fateful journeys through the forbidding mountains of Vystrana, Mrs. Camherst defies family and convention to embark on an expedition to the war-torn continent of Eriga, home of such exotic draconian species as the grass-dwelling snakes of the savannah, arboreal tree snakes, and, most elusive of all, the legendary swamp-wyrms of the tropics.

The expedition is not an easy one. Accompanied by both an old associate and a runaway heiress, Isabella must brave oppressive heat, merciless fevers, palace intrigues, gossip, and other hazards in order to satisfy her boundless fascination with all things draconian, even if it means venturing deep into the forbidden jungle known as the Green Hell . . . where her courage, resourcefulness, and scientific curiosity will be tested as never before.

Daughter of the Gods by Stephanie Thornton
Goodreads Synopsis:
Egypt, 1400s BC. The pharaoh’s pampered second daughter, lively, intelligent Hatshepsut, delights in racing her chariot through the marketplace and testing her archery skills in the Nile’s marshlands. But the death of her elder sister, Neferubity, in a gruesome accident arising from Hatshepsut’s games forces her to confront her guilt...and sets her on a profoundly changed course.

Hatshepsut enters a loveless marriage with her half brother, Thut, to secure his claim to the Horus Throne and produce a male heir. But it is another of Thut’s wives, the commoner Aset, who bears him a son, while Hatshepsut develops a searing attraction for his brilliant adviser Senenmut. And when Thut suddenly dies, Hatshepsut becomes de facto ruler, as regent to her two-year-old nephew.

Once, Hatshepsut anticipated being free to live and love as she chose. Now she must put Egypt first. Ever daring, she will lead a vast army and build great temples, but always she will be torn between the demands of leadership and the desires of her heart. And even as she makes her boldest move of all, her enemies will plot her downfall....

Once again, Stephanie Thornton brings to life a remarkable woman from the distant past whose willingness to defy tradition changed the course of history.


Free Ebooks:

Reboots by Mercedes Lackey & Cody martin
Goodreads Synopsis:
Space travel is tough. No air, cosmic radiation, absolute lack of other life-sustaining essentials.

What better way to deal with space travel than to man ships with creatures that regenerate or don’t need air, or are immune to various maladies? 

In a future world where zombies, vampires and werewolves co-exist with ‘normal’ humans on Earth, these ships are staffed by a motley crew of various types of undead or near-dead creatures.

Of course no one really knows what happens when zombies and vampires are squeezed together in the close confines of a spaceship.

Don’t you love surprises?

Pandora's Jar by Sharron Riddle
Goodreads Synopsis:
A New Adult Fiction Novel 

It's hard enough being a seventeen year old Veil Walker, but when your boyfriend's a demigod and your mom's dating a soul sucker, things can get a lot worse. 

Pandora has seen ghosts since she was a kid, and now she learns she can bring back the spirits of the dead. Why would she do that? She has enough trouble getting rid of the ones stuck on this side. One annoyingly perky ghost wants Pandora to find her killer, but Ukwa, her super-hot boyfriend, doesn't like the idea. 

When trouble finds her, will she discover the true strength of a Veil Walker or, like the others, will her soul be trapped in her own Pandora's Jar forever?


Free Audio Books/Stories:

Crossing Lines by John Mierau
Goodreads Synopsis:
A wanderer with a troubled past follows a sensitivity to magic that pulls him hard to a mountain in the middle of nowhere, where he’s caught up in impending apocalypse, powerful practitioners…and a blood feud.

Marked Man by John Mierau
Goodreads Synopsis:
A stowaway on a train, running from something horrible, falls into the hands of evil men. Soon, innocent lives will be lost as human monsters will face something ancient, powerful... and hungry.

Harlan's Wake by John Mierau
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a near-future where alien intelligences steer the bodies of the deceased, Tyler’s life is dedicated to the Silvers...but when word arrives that his alien-hating father is dying he goes AWOL and races home to make peace. Can he make it in time?

The List by John Mierau
Goodreads Synopsis:
In which we meet Miles Bell, Her Majesty's spy. Proto-nazi's, murder, betrayal.. and a dark, demonic future waiting to swallow England.

Asunder by John Mierau
Goodreads Synopsis:
20 years after the American civil war, former slave Marcus Riggs is trapped in a British Harbor after the Invaders came to enslave all mankind. Now the invaders are gone, and new Orders clash as humanity rises from the ashes...but are the aliens gone for good?

...

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews to Come:

Half Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Full Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book
Double Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Owners Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
Marco and The Red Granny by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Hell by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Earth by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)
Wasteland by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

War by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Tales of the Children by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work) An Anthology collection in the setting of Land of Caern.

The Secret World Chronicle: Invasion by Mercedes Lackey & Steve Libbey (in audiobook while at work)

The Secret World Chronicle: The Hunt by Mercedes Lackey & Steve Libbey (in audiobook while at work)

Rusted Veins by Jaye Wells

Haunted by Amanda Bonilla

Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine
The Secret World Chronicle: World Well Lost by Mercees Lackey,Steve Libby, Cody Martin, & Dennis Lee

Morevi by Tee Morris & Lisa Lee
What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank by Krista D. Ball
Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #1 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #2 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #3 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Flash in a Can by Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Crossing Lines by John Mierau

Marked Man by John Mierau

Harlan's Wake by John Mierau

The List by John Mierau