1.

Ilona Andrews – Well whatever they write I re-read, frequently lol. Their novels hit every button and transport me to different worlds. I get laughter, tears, anticipation, hope, mythology, characters that I have seen what inspired them, romance, vivid landscapes, you name it. I just have to want to read something I know will be good.
Reviews: Silent Blade Silver Shark Magic Bites Magic Graves On The Edge Fate’s Edge

2.
Anne Bishop – Another author who spotlights up the darker side of human nature and shows that society evolved manners as a way to allow that side to openly exist while providing guidelines so they don’t take over society yet provide an essential element. These could also serve as a Do Not Disturb sign.

3.

Patricia Briggs – When I want a reminder that the heroines don’t have to be the strongest, fastest, have the ability to kick butt and take names while wearing spike heels. I love how they hold their own against the alpha males without trying to be more of an alpha then the guys.
Review: Seeing Eye

4.
Cynthia Eden – Her paranormal world-building and how several different stories/series all end up touching. Plus she has dragons!
Reviews: Bound by Blood Angel of Darkness

5.
C. S. Friedman – How far will your morals stretch to defeat the worst evil known to your world? How seductive is an evil that fights with you against a common enemy? Will good or evil prove the strongest influence? What happens when your dreams, nightmares, thoughts can become reality and if enough people believe will that reality affect those who didn’t?

6.
Julie Garwood – My introduction to adult romance, historical romance at that. She is an author that continues to transport me fully into her worlds regardless of how many times I read her work.
Review: The Ideal Man

7.
Laura Anne Gilman – New York as I have never seen it before. I also get to see strong understated heroines who care about their world and make a difference.

8.
Thea Harrison – I discovered her this year. I think I will let our reviews of her releases do the talking for me.
Reviews: Dragon Bound Storm’s Heart Serpent’s Kiss True Colors

9.
Tanya Huff – We were lucky to have Ms Huff join us earlier this year. I turn to Ms Huff for a couple of different reasons. One is when I need to remember what makes a family especially when I am far away from mine, Enchantment Emporium. I also re-read her Valor series when I need a reminder of succeeding against the odds and how much a leader cares for their people.
Reviews: The Enchantment Emporium The Wild Ways

10.
Louis L’Amour – Discovering and taming the country. Exploring. Surviving the odds, You are only as good as your character, your word. Feuds. Families that never forget if you mess with one you mess with them all. Strong men and women set in a world with familiar names, sites, and landscapes. Hours of discussion with the adults who introduced these books to me. And they include a thread of romance.

11.
Shelly Laurenston/G. A. Aiken – I know that if I need a laugh I can always turn to Ms Laurenston/Ms Aiken. If I am reading them at work I always have to stifle bursts of laughter. Regardless of the species, dragon, wolf, big cat, bear, hybrid, human her characters are full of life and have their own particular world-view, which doesn’t always interact smoothly with the expected world order and therefore provide me a lot of amusement.

Don’t forget 12-22 are going up tomorrow.

Happy reading!

E’s Top Comfort Re(Reads) of 2011 Part 1 is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

New York Times bestselling authors Jeaniene Frost and Ilona Andrews bring you two short stories of paranormal.
Jeaniene Frost’s story, One For the Money, features vampires Cat and Bones trying to protect a spoiled heiress with a price on her head and an undead hitman on her trail. Previously published in Death’s Excellent Vacation. Also includes the first three chapters from Jeaniene’s story in The Bite Before Christmas anthology, as well as a sneak peak at ONCE BURNED, the first novel in the new Night Prince series.

Ilona Andrews story, A Questionable Client, is a prequel to her award-winning Kate Daniels series. In a world beset by magic waves, Kate Daniels works as a mercenary. She is tired, hungry, and there is foul-smelling blood on her boots. All she wants to do is to go home, but when Mercenary Guild offers her a job she can’t refuse, she find herself protecting a man against Russian wizards. Previously published in Dark and Stormy Knights. Also includes first two chapters of FATE’S EDGE, book 3 in the Edge series, and first two chapters of Magic Grieves, a Kate Daniels novella.

This blurb came from Ilona Andrews’ website here, it is also available on Jeaniene Frost’s website here.

Those of you who have follow us on Twitter have probably seen one or more of us raving about the works of Ilona Andrews and Jeaniene Frost so it should come to no surprise that we were certainly willing to review this latest offering. I do want to state up front that the new material in this isn’t the two novellas, which were previous published in DEATH’S EXCELLENT VACATION (Frost) and DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS (Andrews), but the excerpts from some of their upcoming works. I personally happen to enjoy seeing short stories from anthologies being released as separate electronic books at a later date. It certainly helps my OCD book organization, and in addition I have had several conversations with different people lately about purchasing anthologies for specific stories or authors and only reading those works. If you do this then the price you pay to read one, two or maybe three stories is pretty high. This spreading trend is a way that for some authors you can get, after a bit of a wait, the story you were looking for at a much more reasonable cost.

ONE FOR THE MONEY by Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost treats us to a short snapshot into the lives of Cat and Bones. We get to revisit a vampire hangout first introduced in HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE as well as meet up with one of the consistent supporting characters. I don’t know who Ms Frost was channeling as she developed her spoiled heiress but she certainly had to be a bodyguard’s worst nightmare. I have often wondered if people with bodyguards ever think that they might be endangering themselves by their behavior towards said bodyguards. It was blatantly obvious that this particular heiress wasn’t worried about that at all. I really liked how despite the short word count not only did we get to see Cat and Bones being themselves but Ms Frost also included character growth and some new facets to vampires.

I was looking forward to seeing the confrontation with the individual who put the price on the heiress’ head but that was handled differently then I expected and actually set the stage for some potentially significant character growth. This proved yet again there is a reason why some people write and other people (me) read.

A QUESTIONABLE CLIENT by Ilona Andrews

I had previously purchased DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS so with this release I was able to revisit the very entertaining story of how Kate meets a rather infamous reoccurring character. I have to say that Ilona Andrews never disappoints with snappy, humorous, and informative prose. While this story could serve as the introduction to the Kate Daniels world, I think readers will enjoy it more if they are already familiar with the idiosyncrasies of Kate and her client. One of the things that impressed me the most with the writing of this novella is how Ilona Andrews was able to reach back and write Kate in the same character voice as she started the series. If you haven’t read any of the Kate Daniels stories yet then this will be a minor spoiler.

These authors have teamed up before to release their short stories together and just like then, I enjoyed these as well. Another thing I really like overall is the official blurb. It makes it clear that the short stories have previously been published and that it contains excerpts from future works so readers don’t think they are getting something else.

Talking about the excerpts I am just going to say that I wish I had a time machine so I could move forward and read their finished works!

I give MAGIC GRAVES an A

Links to purchase
BN Nook | Kindle eBook

Review – Magic Graves by Ilona Andrews and Jeaniene Frost is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Changing the Game by Jaci Burton – August 2nd

An erotic new game from the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Play.

Sports agent Liz Darnell will do anything to win back her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley. And Gavin’s more than ready- especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of all.

Secrets of Bella Terra by Christina Dodd – August 2nd

Brooding and sexy Rafe Di Luca has returned to his family’s luxurious vineyard resort for one reason: to find out who attacked his beloved grandmother. His homecoming stirs up a decades-old feud, forcing him to work with Brooke Petersson, the woman he once seduced and betrayed…but never forgot.

In Seconds by Brenda Novak – August 30th

They’re back…

Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She’s been on the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the gang members who blame her for the death of one of their own. She’s finally found peace and stability in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when Laurel thinks she and her children are safe…the nightmare starts all over again.

The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel’s brother, will never forget and they’ll never forgive. And now that they’ve finally tracked her down, they’ll stop at nothing.

Sheriff Myles King, who happens to live next door with his thirteen–year–old daughter, appoints himself Laurel’s personal guardian. His growing attraction to her could change his life—Myles is beginning to picture marriage and family. But it could also end his life. If he can’t save her, everything he’s built, everything he wants, could be destroyed. In seconds…

Once and Again by Lauren Dane – August 30th

Seven years ago, Lily Travis was only too glad to see her hometown of Petal, Georgia in her rearview mirror. Thanks to her father running off with a twenty-year-old, though, here she is, trying to pick up the pieces. First order of business: meet with her brother’s teacher in a quest to pull his grades out of a downward spiral.

Nathan Murphy is pretty much resigned to his bachelor status—until he looks up from his desk to see an all-grown-up Lily walking into his classroom. Of all the women who turned out to be totally wrong for him, she’s the only one who felt right. At least until his foolish, immature mistake drove her away.

Lily has to admit that time has been more than kind to gorgeous, sexy Nathan. Except there’s no room on her full plate for another complication. Especially with a man who broke her heart once before.

With a little help from his friends, Nathan has a plan to rekindle the flame. It isn’t long before they’re burning up the sheets. Winning her heart? That’s another matter.

Warning: Hot, sexy high school teacher in denim and boots. Strong-willed females abound. Bad words and naughtiness, too. Come on, you know you want to read it.

Good Girls Don’t by Victoria Dahl – August 30th

Too much of a good thing…

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman—or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break–in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems—starting with the fact that his partner, Simone, is pregnant and everyone thinks he’s the father.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tension could tear her tight–knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath. He’s not who people think he is—and neither is she.

Paranormal

The Lady of the Storm by Kathryne Kennedy – August 1st

Acclaimed for her world-building, in Kathryne Kennedy’s new series love miraculously prevails over strife.

Storm lord’s daughter Cecily Sutton’s powers over sea and sky have put her life at risk. Giles Beaumont is reluctant to protect her, until he falls under her enchanting spell…

Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison – August 2nd

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle “Tricks” Periwinkle found sanctuary among the Wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle’s death, there are those who don’t want to see her ascend the throne…

Able to wield thunder and lightning, Wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the Wyr’s best weapons. And he’s the one sent to protect Tricks when she’s almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them- a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds.

Blood of the Demon by Rosalie Lario – August 2nd

Keegan lives to exact revenge on the evil demon who sired and abused him. When his father devises a plan to bring on the apocalypse, he and his three half-brothers, interdimensional bounty hunters for the Elden Council, are charged with capturing and delivering their father for punishment.

Art gallery owner Brynn Meyers has no idea that her ability to read memories embedded in objects and drain people of their life force means she has demon ancestry. Unfortunately for Brynn, she’s also the key to raising an ancient zombie army, which puts her on every demon’s Most Wanted List.

And no one wants her more than Keegan’s father.

Keegan must protect Brynn from his father by any means necessary, but he’ll have to learn to harness the other half of his genetics—the far deadlier, uncontrollable half—when he starts to fall for the one woman standing between him and the vengeance he so desperately seeks. The one woman he’ll never be able to resist.

Heart Search by Robin D. Owens – August 2nd

Latest in the long-running series from the award-winning author of Heart Journey.

Noble Laev T’Hawthorne must rebuild his life after marrying a woman he believed was his HeartMate, only to fall victim to her greed.

Abandoned at fifteen, Camellia Darjeeling values her independence above all-even as her father and uncle emotionally scourge her and extort money. For Camellia, trusting men, even her HeartMate, is too risky.

When Laev and Camellia meet, they refuse to acknowledge that they are true HeartMates. But their destiny cannot be avoided…

One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost – August 30th

The grave is one wrong step away.

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans’ voodoo queen just keeps on giving–leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity–forever. But how do you kill a killer who’s already long dead?

 

Historical

The Many Sins of  Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley – August 2nd

A renowned rake, Cameron Mackenzie doesn’t care if Ainsley Douglas has a virtuous excuse for sneaking around his bedchamber. He only cares that she’s at his mercy. One kiss at a time, he plans to seduce her. But what starts out as a lusty diversion may break Cam’s own rules.

In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks – August 30th

Bestselling author Maya Banks’s beguiling new trilogy features three unforgettable brothers risking everything to save their clan and their legacy—and to surrender their hearts to love.

Ewan McCabe, the eldest, is a warrior determined to vanquish his enemy. Now, with the time ripe for battle, his men are ready and Ewan is poised to take back what is his—until a blue-eyed, raven-haired temptress is thrust upon him. Mairin may be the salvation of Ewan’s clan, but for a man who dreams only of revenge, matters of the heart are strange territory to conquer.

The illegitimate daughter of the king, Mairin possesses prized property that has made her a pawn—and wary of love. Her worst fears are realized when she is rescued from peril only to be forced into marriage by her charismatic and commanding savior, Ewan McCabe. But her attraction to her ruggedly powerful new husband makes her crave his surprisingly tender touch; her body comes alive under his sensual mastery. And as war draws near, Mairin’s strength, spirit, and passion challenge Ewan to conquer his demons—and embrace a love that means more than revenge and land.

Urban Fantasy

Home Improvement: Undead Edition – Anthology with Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, James Grady, Heather Graham and Melissa Marr

The editors of the New York Times bestselling Death’s Excellent Vacation bring home a new collection…with a never-before- published Sookie Stackhouse story!

There’s nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who’s ever wondered, “What’s that creaking sound?” or fans of “how to” television who’d like a littleunreality mixed in with their reality shows, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner return with an all-new collection of the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.

Sookie Stackhouse resides in these pages, in a never-before-published story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. And New York Times bestselling authors Patricia Briggs, James Grady, Heather Graham, Melissa Marr, and nine other outstanding writers have constructed more frightening and funny fixer-upper tales guaranteed to shake foundations and rattle readers’ pipes.

Sci-Fi Romance

Aftermath by Ann Aguirre – August 30th

DEAD HEROES GET MONUMENTS. LIVE ONES GET TRIALS.

Sirantha Jax has the right genes—ones that enable her to “jump” faster-than-light ships through grimspace. But it’s also in her genetic makeup to go it alone. It’s a character trait that has gotten her into—and out of—hot water time and time again, but now she’s caused one of the most horrific events in military history…

During the war against murderous, flesh-eating aliens, Sirantha went AWOL and shifted grimspace beacons to keep the enemy from invading humanity’s homeworld. The cost of her actions: the destruction of modern interstellar travel—and the lives of six hundred Conglomerate soldiers.

Accused of dereliction of duty, desertion, mass murder, and high treason, Sirantha is on trial for her life. And only time will tell if she’s one of the Conglomerate’s greatest heroes—or most infamous.

*All Blurbs from Goodreads*

August Must Have’s is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

There has been a TON of Internet buzz lately about book reviews. Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Shiloh Walker, and so many other great authors have all written blog posts about it. And you know what, they all say pretty much the same thing. As an author, you just have to kinda take a review about your book and let it roll off your back, regardless of what it says. That is, in my opinion, the best advice an author can give or get.

As a book reviewer, I like to share my thoughts on different books I’ve read because I love interacting with my fellow book lovers. Some of the best friends I have, both online and in my every day life are fellow book lovers that I’ve met on Twitter, author forums, or through my/their book blogs. The book blogging community is huge, and we all love to sit around and talk about the books we’ve read. I don’t get paid to do this. I have a full time job I go to every day, and the reading and reviewing is something that I do because I love it. Most of the other reviewers out there are in it for the same reasons.

As a review reader, I respect the bloggers that are honest. Do I always agree with them? Hell No! Would I write the same review as they did, even if we both thought the same thing? Of course not! Reading a book is a very personal experience. I might love a romance book because the hero and heroine are long time friends that have gone from friendly competition to true love. Someone might hate that exact same book because they were once in love with their best friend who ended up with another. Either way, as a reader we form our own views and opinions. It’s personal. As a reader, you may or may not agree with my opinion, but it doesn’t change the fact that the opinion is mine and is real to me.

That being said, Rowena from The Book Binge wrote what I thought was a very good review about a book she didn’t like. She gave a synopsis of the book (which from what I read, wouldn’t be something I would have even considered reading), and then said why she didn’t like it, and even gave quotes from the book to back herself up. She had a personal experience with that particular book, and unfortunately it wasn’t a good one. But was she professional and honest about her thoughts? Yes.

The author then responded with what I thought to be a rude and spiteful follow up on her own blog titled “Authors helping authors” in which she called Rowena and one other review site unprofessional and unqualified to review her book. The backlash from the blogging community has been huge, and I can only hope that the authors who do visit that site for advice, take this particular post with a grain of salt, because it is THE WORST way to go about responding to a review.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, now everyone is throwing in their own two cents in the comments. Many of which I agree with, authors like Shiloh Walker, Lauren Dane and Julie James have come forth to give their opinions. Likewise fellow bloggers have come forth to stand behind the reviewers for their honest opinions. However, there are the few people still commenting about how this author should be praised and commended on a job well done. I just want to remind everyone out there: book bloggers and reviewers are your customers. Sure, sometimes you give us your books for free, but we also buy more books than the average Joe. Don’t insult our intelligence, it’s guaranteed we won’t continue to support you after that.

I can only hope that this author learns from her mistake, and that any authors who read her blog don’t take this one to heart. To my fellow reviewers out there: please do not deviate from what you’ve been doing. I would much rather read your honest review and form my own opinion, than buy a book based on bull shit.

Lions, Tigers, Reviews! OH MY! is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis out February 1st

This alpha male is going to bring out her wild side…

Sunshine, Idaho, is a small and sunny town—the perfect home for man and beast. Well, maybe not for man, as pilot-for-hire Brady Miller discovers when his truck is rear-ended by what appears to be Noah’s Ark.

The co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has good reason to be distracted behind the wheel—there are puppies, a piglet, and a duck in her Jeep. But, she doesn’t find it hard to focus on the angry, gorgeous stranger she’s collided with.

Lilah has lived in Sunshine all her life, and though Brady is just passing through, he has her abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie—both animal and human—that keeps him coming back for more…

*Blurb from author’s website*

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton out February 1st

Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game…

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara’s not interested in getting to know football’s most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara’s life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick’s latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn’t intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.

*Blurb from author’s website*

Primal Anthology by Lora Leigh, Michelle Rowen, Jory Strong and Ava Gray out February 1st

When desire cannot be controlled…When personal will is overpowered by carnal cravings…When only one fearless impulse feeds you, body and soul…

You can’t deny it. It’s something primal.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds …in Kyote’s Ghost, an all-new novella that explores just how savage, how far, and how deep a man is willing to go in the name of desire.

Ava Gray, known for her “riveting romantic suspense” (Publishers Weekly)…now tells a tantalizing tale of an ordinary man—blessed and cursed with extraordinary powers—who gets a second, deserving chance at life and love.

Set in the same dark, seductive corners of the Nightshade universe…the new novella by Michelle Rowen draws an innocent young woman into the dark world of a vampire whose eternal love could be the death of her.

Jory Strong’s “worldbuilding is nothing short of stunning” (Genre Reviews)…and all the more so her startling novella of an angel who crosses the boundaries of desire when he falls desperately in love with a mortal female.

*Blurb from Ava Gray’s website*

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole out February 15th

HE VOWED HE’D COME FOR HER . . .Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past lives.

SHE AWAITS HIS RETURN . . .

When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals—unaware that he belongs to their world.

TO SATE A DESIRE MORE POWERFUL THAN DEATH . . .

Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan’s torments, will Regin rekindle memories of the passion they once shared—even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?

*Blurb from Goodreads*

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost out February 22nd

Danger waits on both sides of the grave.

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

What about you? What books are you anxiously awaiting in February?

February Must Have! is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

We would like to give a huge welcome to Ilona Andrews, author of the Kate Daniels series, and upcoming Bayou Moon, which will be out on the 27th of September.

I used to be a nerd.  Still am, if you manage to get me going, but I was especially nerdy in adolescence.  You know how Hermione always knows the answer to every question?  That was me.

Being a nerd when you’re a girl is hard, mostly because you get grief from both sides.  Knowing the molecular composition of butane off the top of your head (C4H10) somehow tells girls that you clearly wouldn’t be interested in something fun, like watching a movie or having girl hang out time. Boys tend to overlook you, because they’re not quite sure how to deal with you and some of them suspect that you might be smarter and they don’t like that – they’re insecure enough as is.

Nerd girls read a lot.  I’ve read everything I could get my hands on.  At that point, we didn’t get much SF/F, but I had classics.  I loved Wells and Jules Verne.  It was Adventure spiced with just enough science to be entertaining and smart.  One small problem: Jules Verne wrote about men.  These were books about men written for boys.  Girls were these delicate creatures, who were much admired for their bravery in the face of danger, but who had to shielded and protected.

I moved on to Sherlock Holmes.  Same there.  The LOST WORLD was one of my favorite books of all time.  There are two women in that story: a professor’s wife whom he puts on a pillar during a spat and the object of hero’s affection who has about as much personality as a wet paper napkin.  The rest of the classics weren’t much better: SEA WOLF kind of had a girl in it, but she didn’t have that much screen time, Thomas Mayne Reid’s the BRAVE HUNTRESS was about a man, and of the two women in it one was a shrinking violet and the other was rather mannish, and CONSUELO, despite all of its lush setting and Gothic tendencies, had an heroine’s whose brain had been amputated at birth.  (Also, my father made fun of me for reading that last one.)

The message was clear: men get to have fun adventures.  Women get to be vapid flowers.

My father brought me collected works of Alexander Dumas, which I inhaled, and out of that collection emerged QUEEN MARGOT.  I liked Margo – she was smart, she was ruthless, she did occult magic, and I so badly wanted her to fall in love with her husband, Henry of Navarra.  I didn’t care that it wasn’t historically accurate, I wanted more like that.

At this point, the iron curtain fell, and we started getting science fiction and fantasy.  I loved sword and sorcery stories.  I loved Howard, and Leigh Brackett, and Edmond Hamilton, but it still didn’t quite hit the spot for me.  The stories were once again about men, and women were beautiful objects to be rescued, or beautiful and evil, or beautiful and completely lacking in femininity (Red Sonja).  I was getting seriously confused, because I 1) had a brain, 2) was bad at pretending to be vapid, 3) couldn’t pull off the Amazon thing physically, and 4) had no desire to become a man so I could have adventures.  There had to be a book out there that was written for women like me, a book written about normal women who weren’t super powerful warriors.

Somehow, no doubt one of my parents brought the book to me, I stumbled onto ANGELIQUE.  I’ve read it in under three hours.  Here was a book about a woman, who still managed to stay feminine and beautiful, and who had to use every drop of her intelligence and cunning to survive.  The only drawback of that novel was the complete lack of magic.

I finally figured it out: I wanted to read about Angelique blended with Leigh Brackett’s lyrical language, spiced with Well’s gift for horror/Verne’s talent for science, and Howard’s flair for magic and monsters.  I wanted feminine women and manly men, who didn’t ignore each other’s existence, trying to fight the evil demons, be they physical monsters or inner terrors.

Sadly, I couldn’t find those books at the time.  But now, almost twenty years later I finally have them and not just one or two titles, but an entire genre of books that offer me all those things. Not all of them are great, but when I find those that are, I feel as if they were written especially for me.  I’m thirty four years old and I when I open a paranormal romance that’s just right, I sink into it and giggle like a fifteen year old, because it makes me happy.  Long may it live and prosper.

My favorite Paranormal Romance authors are:

Nalini Singh

Meljean Brook

Jeaniene Frost

Jill Myles

I hope you check them out!

Guest Post with Ilona Andrews is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

A

Adams, Angela:

Assassin (Erotic Romance)

C.T Adams, and Cathy Clamp:

Serpents Moon (Urban Fantasy)

Aguirre,  Anne:

Doubleblind (Sci-Fi Romance)

Killbox (Sci-Fi Romance)

Shady Lady (Urban Fantasy)

Enclave (YA)

Andrews, Ilona:

Magic Bites (Urban Fantasy)

Magic Bleeds (Urban Fantasy)

On The Edge (Urban/Paranormal Romance)

Silent Blade (Science Fiction Romance)

Angell, Kate:

Curveball (Contemporary Romance)

Archer, Zoe:

Collision Course (Space Opera Romance)

Armstrong, Kelley:

Frostbitten (Urban Fantasy)

Waking the Witch (Urban Fantasy)

Augustin, K.S:

In Enemy Hands (Sci-Fi Romance)

B

Banks, Maya:

The Darkest Hour (Romantic Suspense)

Betts, Heidi:

Tangled up in Love (Contemporary Romance)

Brashear, Jean:

Midnight Surrender (Contemporary Romance)

Briggs, Patricia:

Seeing Eye (Urban Fantasy)

Brook, Meljean:

Here There Be Monsters (Steampunk)

Brown, Lorelie:

Jazz Baby (Historical Romance)

Bjold, McMaster, Lois:

The Sharing Knife: Beguilement (Fantasy Romance)

Butcher, Jim:

Last Call (Urban Fantasy)

C

Carr, Robyn:

Virgin River (Contemporary Romance)

Forbidden Falls (Contemporary Romance)

Angel’s Peak (Contemporary Romance)

Moonlight Road (Contemporary Romance)

Midnight Confessions (Contemporary Romance)

Caine, Rachel:

Death Warmed Over (Urban Fantasy)

Chance, Karen:

Vegas Odds (Urban Fantasy)

Chandler, Elizabeth:

Dark Secrets: Legacy of Lies (YA)

Dark Secrets: Don’t Tell (YA)

Ciotti, Beth:

Out of Eden (Contemporary Romance)

Collins, Suzanne:

The Hunger Games (YA)

Catching Fire (YA)

Mockingjay (YA)

Creasy, Sara:

Children of Scarabaeus (Sci-Fi Romance)

Croft, Sydney:

Riding the Storm (Erotic Paranormal Romance/Suspense)

D

Dahl, Victoria:

Crazy for Love (Contemporary Romance)

Lead Me On (Contemporary Romance)

Midnight Assignment (Contemporary Romance)

Dane, Lauren:

Coming Undone (Erotic Romance)

Dean, Sierra:

Something Secret This Way Comes (Urban Fantasy)

DeStefano, Lauren:

Wither (YA)

Dooley, Diane:

Blue Galaxy (Sci-Fi Romance)

Draven, Grace:

Master of Crows (Fantasy Romance)

Durst, Sarah Beth:

Ice (YA)

E

Echols, Jennifer:

The Ex Games (YA)

Eden, Cynthia:

Bound by Blood (Urban Fantasy)

Elkeles, Simone:

Perfect Chemistry (YA)

Elrod, N.P:

Helcate’s Golden Eye (Mystery/Urban Fantasy/Vampire)

Estep, Jennifer:

Touch of Frost (YA)

Evanovich, Janet:

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen (Comedy/Crime)

F

Falls, Kat:

Dark Life (YA)

Featherstone, Charlotte:

Sinful (Historical Romance)

Fichera, Liz:

Captive Spirit (Historical Romance)

Foley, Gaelen:

My Irresistible Earl (Historical Romance)

Foster, Lori:

When You Dare (Romantic Suspense)

Frank, Jacquelyn:

Adam (Paranormal Romance)

Frost, Jeaniene:

Destined for an Early Grave (Urban Fantasy/Vampire Romance)

G

Galenorn, Yasmine:

Night Myst (Dark Urban Fantasy)

Goodman, Jo:

Never Love a Lawmen (Western Romance)

Grace, Sable:

Ascension (Urban Fantasy)

Grant, K.T:

For the Love of Molly (Contemporary Romance)

Grant, Michael:

Gone (YA)

Gray, Ava:

Skin Game (Paranormal Romance)

Skin Heat (Paranormal Romance)

Greene, Jennifer:

Ain’t Misbehaving (Contemporary Romance)

Gruen, Sara:

Water for Elephants (Fiction)

H

Harper, Molly:

The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (Contemporary/Paranormal Romance)

Harrington, Hannah:

Saving June (YA)

Harris, Charlaine:

Bacon (Urban Fantasy)

Harrison, Kim:

Pale Demon (Urban Fantasy)

Harrison, Michele:

The Thirteen Curses (YA)

Hawkins, Rachel:

Hex Hall (YA)

Heiber, Leanna Renee:

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Paranormal Romance)

Higgins, Kristan

All I Ever Wanted (Contemporary Romance)

Hobson, M.K:

The Native Star (Fantasy/Steampunk Romance)

Hunter, Faith:

Signatures of the Dead (Urban Fantasy)

I

Ione, Larissa:

Sin Undone (Paranormal Romance)

Eternal Rider (Paranormal Romance)

Ives, Susanna:

Rakes and Radishes (Historical Romance) This was a DNF

J

Jeffries, Sabrina:

To Wed a Wild Lord (Historical Romance)

Jewell, Carolyn:

Indiscreet (Historical Romance)

K

Kantra, Virginia:

Shifting Seas (Historical Paranormal Romance)

Katherine, Anna:

Salt and Silver (Urban Fantasy)

Kawaga, Julie:

The Iron King (YA)

The Iron Daughter (YA)

Kendell, Beverly:

Sinful Surrender (Historical Romance)

A Taste of Desire (Historical Romance)

Kenyon, Sherrilyn:

Bad Moon Rising (Paranormal Romance)

Kleypas, Lisa:

Love in the Afternoon (Historical Romance)

Tempt Me at Twilight (Historical Romance)

Kinsale, Laura:

Flowers From The Storm (Historical Romance)

Kinsella, Sophie:

Twenties Girl (Chick Lit)

Kittredge, Caitlin:

Ginger (Urban Fantasy) This was a DNF.

Knight, Angela:

Blood and Roses (Paranormal Romance)

Koch, Gini:

Touched by An Alien (Sci-Fi Romance)

Alien Tango (Sci-Fi Romance)

Alien in the Family (Sci-Fi Romance)

Kowal, Mary Robinette:

Shades of Milk and Honey (Historical Fantasy Romance)

L

Lissner, Carren:

Carrie Pilby (YA)

Lofty, Carrie:

Scoundrel’s Kiss (Historical Romance)

Song of Seduction (Historical Romance)

M

Maclaine, Jenna:

Dark Sins (Urban Fantasy) This was a DNF.

MacLean, Sarah:

Ten Ways to Be Adored, When Landing a Lord (Historical Romance)

Mackenzie, Kasey:

Red Hot Fury (Urban Fantasy)

MacGregor, Trish.J:

Esperanza (Supernatural Thriller) This was a DNF

Mahy, Margaret:

The Changeover (YA)

Mallory, Anne:

One Night is Never Enough (Historical Romance)

Maverick, Liz:

Crimson and Steam (Urban Fantasy)

McDonald, L.J.:

The Battle Sylph (Fantasy Romance)

The Shattered Sylph (Fantasy Romance)

McGuirre, Seanen:

A Local Habitation (Urban Fantasy)

McKinley, Robin:

The Blue Sword (Science Fantasy)

The Hero and The Crown (Science Fantasy)

McMann, Lisa:

Wake (YA)

Mead, Richelle:

Spirit Bound (YA)

Milan, Courtney:

Proof by Seduction (Historical Romance)

Trial by Desire (Historical Romance)

Unveiled (Historical Romance)

Miller, Linda Lael:

McKettricks of Texas: Garret (Western Contemporary Romance)

Moning, Karen Marie:

Shadowfever (Urban Fantasy)

Moskowitz, Hannah:

Break (YA)

Moultan, Courtney Alisson:

Angelfire (YA)

N

Nantus, Sheryl:

Wild Cards and Iron Horses (Steampunk)

Naughton, Elizabeth:

Entwined (Paranormal Romance)

Naylus, Mary:

The Dresskeeper (YA) This was a DNF.

Neill, Chloe:

Firespell (YA)

Nevitt, Tia:

The Sevenfold Spell (Fantasy Romance)

O

Oliver, Lauren:

Delirium (YA)

P

Pang, Allison:

A Brush of Darkness (Urban Fantasy)

Parry, Bronwyn:

As Darkness Falls (Romantic Suspense)

Dark Country (Romantic Suspense)

Perkins, Stephanie:

Anna and the French Kiss (YA)

Pfeffer, Susan Beth:

This World We Live In (YA)

Phillips, Carly:

Kismet (Contemporary Romance)

Phillips, Christina:

Forbidden (Historical Erotic Magical Romance)

Preble, Joy:

Dreaming Anastasia (YA)

Purnhagen, Mara:

Tagged (YA)

Q

Quinn, Julia:

What Happens in London (Historical Romance)

Ten Things I Love About You (Historical Romance

R

Rai, Alisha:

Veiled Desire (Erotic Romance)

Never Have I Ever (Paranormal Erotic Romance)

Reynolds, D.B:

Raphael (Urban Fantasy/Vampire Romance)

Roberts, Nora:

Bed of Roses (Contemporary Romance)

Happy Ever After (Contemporary Romance)

The Search (Contemporary/Suspense Romance)

Rogers, Moira:

Wilder’s Mate (Steampunk/Paranormal/Western)

Rustand, Roxanne:

Save the Last Dance (Contemporary Romance)

S

Schnyder, PJ:

Heart’s Sentinel (Paranormal Romance)

Schwartz, Jenny:

The Price of Freedom (Paranormal Romance)

Scott, Jessica:

Because of You (Contemporary/Suspense Romance)

Shalvis, Jill:

The Sweetest Thing (Contemporary Romance)

Sharron, L:

Amethyst Bound(Paranormal Romance)

Sheldon, Dyan:

My Worst Best Friend (YA)

Singh, Nalini:

Archangel’s Kiss (Urban Fantasy)

Archangel’s Consort (Urban Fantasy)

Play of Passion (Paranormal Romance)

Whisper of Sin (Paranormal Romance)

Kiss of Snow (Paranormal Romance)

Lord of the Abyss (Paranormal romance)

Singleton, Sarah:

The Island (YA)

Smith, Kathryn:

When Marrying a Scoundrel

Smith-Ready, Jeri:

Shade (YA)

Snyder, Maria.V.:

Storm Glass (YA)

Inside Out (YA)

Spencer, Jorrie:

Anchor (Paranormal Romance)

Stacey, Shannon:

Undeniably Yours (Contemporary Romance)

Stevens, Gabi:

The Wish List (Paranormal Romance)

Stiefvater, Maggie:

Shiver (YA)

T

Thompson, Vicki Lewis:

Claimed (Contemporary Western Romance)

Q

Quinn, Julia:

What Happens in London (Historical Romance)

Ten Things I Love About You (Historical Romance)

V

Vaughan, Carrie:

Kitty Goes to War (Urban Fantasy)

Vaughan, Elizabeth:

Warcry (Fantasy Romance)

W

Walden, Heather Kilough

Avenger’s Angel (Paranormal Romance)

Walker, Shiloh:

A Forever Kind Of Love (Contemporary Romance)

Ward, J.R:

Dark Lover (Paranormal Romance)

Ware, Joss:

Night Betrayed (Romantic Suspense)

Westerfeld, Scott:

Leviathan (YA/Steampunk)

Wilson, CL.:

Queen of Song and Souls (Fantasy Romance)

Crown of Crystal Flame (Fantasy Romance)

Z

Zink, Michelle:

Prophecy of the Sisters (YA)

Review Index is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times Best Selling author, whose latest book in the exciting Night Huntress series hit the number #7 spot. The Night Huntress series consists of:

Halfway To The Grave (2007)
One Foot In The Grave (2008)
At Graves End (2009)
Destined For An Early Grave (2009)

Jeaniene has also started the Night Huntress World books – spin off books from The Night Huntress series that feature characters we have seen from Cat’s and Bones’ books. Jeaniene’s début book in the Night Huntress World is First Drop of Crimson, which is released tomorrow. Eternal Kiss of Darkness is the second spin off book, and features Mencheres as the hero. That will be released in July this year. Here is the blurb from Jeaniene’s official website for Eternal Kiss of Darkness:

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking.  But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn.  Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all.  Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him.  Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

First Drop of Crimson is released tomorrow – whoo hoo – and Jeaniene kindly agreed to do an interview. Here it be:

The Book Pushers: Jeaniene, thank you kindly for agreeing for this interview and welcome to The Book Pushers!

Jeaniene: Thanks! It’s great to be here and I’m flattered that you took the time out to interview me.

The Book Pushers: First Drop of Crimson is the first book in the spin off series: Night Huntress World. Could you tell us what we can expect in this book, and are there any surprises in store?

Jeaniene: Based on some of the early responses which went along the lines of “Wow, I didn’t expect ______ to happen!” I’ll say yes, there are surprises in First Drop. Readers can expect a far deeper look into the vampire world than they’ve previously seen, for starters.

Half of FDOC is written from the point of view of a Master vampire, whereas the Night Huntress series is only written from Cat’s narrative, and Cat starts out with only guesses about the undead world. So Spade has centuries of experience with things that Cat might not have even discovered yet.

First Drop is also the first full-length novel where demons are introduced. Demonic possession was previously glimpsed in a short story called “Devil to Pay” in the Four Dukes and a Devil anthology, but FDOC offers a much bigger look into demons. Raum, one of the villains in First Drop, is a demon who’s ancient, cunning, and can traverse through realms as well as shapeshift into any person or thing. So he’s unlike any former adversary in the Night Huntress books, and the consequences of the demon’s brands on Denise are something even Spade could never anticipate.

The Book Pushers: Denise has had to endure a lot of heartbreak previously. Do we see Denise in a new, stronger light with her relationship with Spade, or will it be a slowly budding romance that unfolds over time?

Jeaniene: First Drop is not the start of a new series featuring Denise and Spade. It’s a stand-alone novel, so the romance unfolds in its entirety within the course of this book. While writing FDOC, I discovered many layers to Denise. In my mind, she’s just as strong as Cat, but in a different way.

As you mentioned, Denise has been through the worst sort of heartache, but that’s just the beginning of her problems when First Drop opens. Yet no matter how many horrible, twisted things are thrown at her, Denise doesn’t break. She finds herself inner heroine instead. Gotta love that about her.

And of course, Spade is an equally complex, strong character. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Spade when I began this novel, but he still managed to surprise me. I may have developed a serious crush while writing him, but as an author, I take that as a good sign.

The Book Pushers: While writing First Drop of Crimson, what did you do to re-charge your brain between writing sessions?

Jeaniene Frost: First Drop WAS a recharge for my brain. Prior to, I’d written five straight Cat and Bones novels (Five? Then why are there only four out now?? readers might question. Well, my original third C&B novel ended up getting scrapped completely, but I did write it, even though it will never see the light of day). So switching characters – and switching POV’s from first person to third person multiple – was like taking a literary vacation. I love Cat and Bones, but after five books in a row, I needed a break from them. And hey, they needed a break from me with all the torture I constantly put them through, right? *wink*.

The Book Pushers: Will we see any familiar characters in First Drop of Crimson, or perhaps some new characters that will feature in future books?

Jeaniene: There are both new and familiar faces in First Drop of Crimson. Readers will see Mencheres, Ian, Cat, Bones, and Fabian pop up as side characters. New characters are also introduced in FDOC, but if I tell you who might make appearances in future books…well *evil grin*, then readers will know in advance who lives and who doesn’t, which would spoil the fun of finding out.

The Book Pushers: What made you decide to make the Ghouls intelligent, and not just raving beasts?

Jeaniene: Much like the original idea for the Night Huntress series, ghouls just showed up in my dreams one night with their supernatural tendencies in place. So from that, I knew they were just similar to vampires in strength, speed, appearance, intelligence, and control. The only difference was their diet. I still would like to write a novel featuring a ghoul hero, even though I can practically hear my editor screaming in horror at the idea. Ghouls are not her favorite creature.

We had this huge conversation when she first read ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE about exactly how much, um, other sustenance a ghoul could eat before readers would get disgusted. I didn’t see the difference between ghouls eating the occasional person versus werewolves eating the occasional person (and I STILL stand by that opinion . But my editor’s point was that readers could more readily swallow – ha! – werewolves eating people while still considering them sexy because werewolves ate while in another form, whereas my ghouls never altered from their human appearance.

Here’s a snapshot into that conversation (if you’re squeamish, you may want to skip this part):

Me: But my ghouls are MUCH more civilized than werewolves. They don’t eat people while they’re still alive and screaming like some werewolves do. Ghouls wait until a person’s dead and then cook up some parts with seasoning and sauces. Really, it’s just like what people do with beef or pork, and once you filet, season, and sauté something along with veggies or potatoes, I doubt it looks much different than –

Editor: STOP! *gagging noises* Are you trying to make me a vegetarian??!

So after this long conversation, we came up with the formula of ghouls indulging in the occasional Homosapien consumption along with frequent helpings of raw animal meat. And at the end of that chat, my editor told me she was skipping dinner. For the next several days.

*grin* Was it wrong of me to be amused by that??

The Book Pushers:  What’s your favourite creature in the Night Huntress world – the being you have the most fun writing about?

Jeaniene: I write the most about vampires and they’ve been my favorite creature since I was a kid, so I’ll have to give the Fanged Ones a nod. There’s so much flexibility in vampire mythology that it leaves a lot of room for imagination.

I will say that I’ve had fun adding ghosts and ghouls to the usual vampire equation, too. And as I mentioned, in recent stories I’ve added demons into the mix. That opened up a new realm of possibilities that was very exciting for me. Squaring a vampire off against a demon opened up a ton of new things in terms of conflict, powers, and peril – all fun stuff when you’re writing.

The Book Pushers:  Do you have a Pre-Release Disorder? We have heard of some – like a certain nameless author you know well *hint, hint* -  going into hiding. Are there any oddities that occur when a new release of yours is imminent?

Jeaniene: Me, suffer from pre-release anxiety that results in odd behavior? Never! Just pay no attention to the tin foil wrapped around my head. Or the mindless rocking back and forth while screaming.

Seriously, during the time leading up to release, I’m a bundle of excitement mixed with nerves. With every new book, I can tell readers unequivocally that I loved the story. What I can’t guarantee is how many other people will love it. As authors, we know not everyone will like our books. That’s called variety of opinion and it’s a good thing. But it’s also never the goal to disappoint readers, even though tastes vary and it’s a statistical impossibility for one book to make everyone happy. So the combination of knowing some readers will share my love for the story is exciting, but the knowledge that, inevitably, some readers will not is a bit of a bummer. That’s why, pre-release, I’m giddy…but I also have the urge to throw up. Sounds a little like pregnancy, doesn’t it?

The Book Pushers: What type of scene is the most challenging for you to write: Love scenes, fighting scenes…?

Jeaniene: Both of those are equally challenging, because they involve incorporating every aspect of the character’s feelings amidst a series of specific movements. No, I’m not being cute by saying that. Whether writing a sex scene or a fight scene, there’s action involved that has to have a smooth flow from the cause to the effect, all while balancing the character’s physical and emotional responses.

Example 1: Spade vaulted forward on his belly, slicing into every bit of flesh he made contact with as he made his way into the freezer. Hard forms landed on him in a pile. Spade kept an unyielding grip on the knives in his hands, ignoring the pain from the stabs where his vest didn’t cover him, and slashed out with relentless purpose.

Example 2: His mouth covered hers, swallowing her gasp as he pulled her to him. Spade’s tongue probed past her lips in sensual demand, making heat scorch up her spine. She opened her mouth, groaning at the sensual flicks of his tongue combined with the hard feel of his body pressed along hers.

Both scene segments have high emotions, physical stimuli, and another person’s actions causing additional physical and emotional reactions. Only difference is one scene is a fight to the death and the other is the start of a love scene, but all those elements still have to be present for both to be realistic. When writing dialogue or other interactions, I don’t have to concentrate so much on every move the character makes, or the cause-and-effect physical response of the other character like I do in fight/love scenes.

The Book Pushers: Since you know Spade so well, we thought you’d be privy to this sort of information. Does Spade do Briefs, Boxers or Commando?

Jeaniene: Spade would wear boxers. High-end fabric, too, like silk. He’s probably the most refined out of my characters, though he’s far from a dandy. Because of his background – titled lord turned convict turned Master vampire – Spade was an interesting character to write. He had such extremes in his circumstances and in his personality. Put Spade in any fancy restaurant and he’d know the best wine to order…but he also wouldn’t hesitate to break that pricey bottle and cut someone up with it, if he had to.

The Book Pushers: What combination of characters – and if you could bring in other characters from other books – would wreck the most havoc upon the world?

Jeaniene: I don’t think the Night Huntress world could handle additions from characters or species that exist in other fictional realms, lol. There would be untold mayhem if Melissa Marr’s faeries existed alongside my vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and demons. Or if Ilona Andrews various shapeshifters, necromancers, gods, wizards, and magic came to visit. What’s great about reading in the paranormal genre is its diversity; you can choose from demons, faeries, angels, vampires, werewolves, succubae, dragons, gargoyles, witches, ghosts, druids, elves, mermaids, trolls, sirens, and more, all set up in whatever particular world an author showcases them.

And what’s great about being an author in the paranormal genre is getting to mix and match creatures according to what you want to exist together, under the rules you create for them. It’s a blast (and if only I had half as much control in real life…)

The Book Pushers: Will readers need to be current on your Night Huntress series before they read First Drop of Crimson?

Jeaniene: Not in my opinion. While current readers of my series will probably get some deeper context in First Drop because they’re already familiar with the world and characters, it was written for first-time readers to be able to pick it up without difficulty. I actually think it’s more “first time” friendly than my Night Huntress series because readers aren’t missing important chunks of Cat and Bones’s relationship by starting at, say, book three versus book one. This is the first time Denise and Spade take center stage and the first time sparks really fly between them, so new readers aren’t missing anything crucial from events in the past Cat and Bones books.

The Book Pushers: We saved this for last: Will there be a chapter 32 in First Drop of Crimson? *grins*

Ha ha, you had to ask, didn’t you? Okay, I’ll never exactly duplicate the events in the infamous Chapter 32 because then readers would scratch their heads and think, “Haven’t I already read this before?” But, Chap 32 lovers, fear not: First Drop of Crimson is a sexy book. I might have even blushed a few times while writing certain scenes. Does that answer your question? 

For anyone interested watching the book trailer for First Drop of Crimson, you can go here to check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/JeanieneFrost

And you can read the first 20% of First Drop online at HarperCollins here:

http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061583223

Thanks again so much to everyone at The Book Pushers for having me!

Jeaniene

And that concludes the interview. Big thanks again to Jeaniene Frost who totally rocked it!

And yes, once again giveaway time.

I’m going to be giveaway three copies of First Drop of Crimson, and it’s open internationally – to where ever The Book Depository ships – which is nearly everywhere.

To enter the giveaway, answer this question in the comments below: If you could combine a kick ass fighting team, that consists of other characters from other books, who would they be?

Giveaway will close next Monday night, GMT time.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

Interview & Giveaway: Jeaniene Frost is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they‘ve fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it’s time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed with Cat awakes one night in terror. She’s having visions of a vampire named Gregor who’s more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn’t know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won’t stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who hunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor’s hold over her. She’ll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she’s ever faced… even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Review: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs. The second book in the Alpha and Omega series. Coming August, 2009.

Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could get – until she became a werewolf. And now she’s not just part of any pack, but under the direct supervision of Bran, leader of the North American werewolves. And her mate is his son Charles, the pack enforcer. With all the advances that have been made in forensics, the werewolves will not be able to hide their existence from humans much longer – and Bran wants their coming out party to be on his terms. But his European counterparts don’t see things the same way. Anna and Charles are chosen to represent Bran at a key meeting. But when a French werewolf, one of Bran’s most vocal opponents, is found murdered, Charles’s reputation shoots him to the top of the suspect list. And among the wolves, there is one penalty for breaking the law: death. The killer must be found, or Charles will take the fall. ~Blurb is taken from Amazon.com. Couldn’t find any other ‘official’ blurb. But, for those of you who are wanting the book, like, right now, can read the first chapter up on Patty’s official website here: Chapter 1: Hunting Ground

Destined to An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost. The fourth book in the Night Huntress series. Coming July, 28th, 2009.

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they’ve fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it’s time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She’s having visions of a vampire named Gregor who’s more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn’t know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won’t stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who has her heart, only Cat can break Gregor’s hold over her. She’ll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she’s ever faced … even if getting that power will result in an early grave. ~ Blurb is taken from the Author’s official website, where an excerpt is also available: Jeaniene Frost

Black Hills by Nora Roberts. New stand alone novel by La Nora. Coming July, 2009.

Lil Chance fell in love with Cooper Sullivan pretty much the first time she saw him, an awkward teenager staying with his grandparents on their cattle ranch in South Dakota while his parents went through a messy divorce. Each year, with Coop’s annual summer visit, their friendship deepens – but then abruptly ends. Twelve years later and Cooper has returned to run the ranch after his grandfather is injured in a fall. Though his touch still haunts her, Lil has let nothing stop her dream of opening the Chance Wildlife Refuge, but something – or someone – has been keeping a close watch. When small pranks escalate into heartless killing, the memory of an unsolved murder in these very hills has Cooper springing to action to keep Lil safe. They both know the dangers that lurk in the wild landscape of the Black Hills. And now they must work together to unearth a killer of twisted and unnatural instincts who has singled them out as prey … ~ Blurb taken from Book Depository.

DoubleBlind by Ann Aguirre. The third book in the Jax series. Coming soon, September 29th, 2009.

It’s not easy to tread lightly wearing steel-toed boots.

Sirantha Jax isn’t known for diplomatic finesse. As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, she’s used to kicking ass first and taking names later—much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.

And Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren’t the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to manoeuvre carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent “kill” mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks—not to mention their relationship.

But Jax won’t give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts
beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an
alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity’s only hope. Which has
Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job… ~ Blurb taken from the Author’s official website, where excerpt is also available here: Ann Aguirre

Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh. The sixth book in The Psy- Changeling series. Coming July, 2009.

Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.

But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire… ~ Blurb taken from the Author’s website, and excerpt can also be found here: Nalini Singh

On The Edge by Ilona Andrews. First book in the new Edge series. Coming, September 29th, 2009.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it . . . ~ Blurb taken from the Author’s official website. Chapter 1 can also be found here: Ilona Andrews

Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran. Coming, June, 2009.

Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London’s favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous.

But Sanburne’s golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath . . . and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within—in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart. ~ Blurb taken from Author’s offical website, where excerpt is also available here: Meredith Duran

Future Releases is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter