Amazon Aids & Abets Cyber Bullying

An author has unleashed a vile, venomous, and uncalled-for attack on a reader, Reba Belle, based on Reba Belle's 3-star review of the author's book. The author proceeded to harrass and bully poor Reba Belle: not only did this author reveal Reba Belle's full name, but also that of her husband, children, and other relatives, and she obtained Reba Belle's address from another author.

Amazon refuses to take action on behalf of Reba Belle and, instead, has punished her by banning her from posting and reviewing on Amazon.

Please read the online petition to Amazon here, and sign the petition. There is no donation necessary: the petition is not related to any donations.

Also, please spread the word and consider boycotting Amazon until this situation has been resolved satisfactorily for Reba Belle.

With much gratitude,

Tea

PS. To find out more fully the controversy, please follow this link to Dear Author.

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A Lick of Frost by Laurell K Hamilton

Some improvement but tale is truncated...

Note: This is not a standalone book.

With A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry Book 6), Ms Hamilton has made an effort to bring her storytelling back to focusing on plot and characterization rather than the sex-fests her Merry and Anita series have degenerated into.

The changes pay off for the most part: the various political and legal machinations, as well as Merry's dilemma in dealing with both the Seelie and Unseelie courts, are welcome and interesting enough to carry you through the rest of the book. Unfortunately, A Lick of Frost, like the previous Merry books, ends just when things get really intriguing -- making this book seem more like a weekly TV episode or a serialization of a book rather than an entire tale in and of itself.

A great deal of the book covers the legal entanglement Taranis has brought to bear on Merry and her men. The solution as to how Taranis, the Seelie lady who was apparently raped, Merry, and the 3 accused Unseelie men could all be telling the truth was so simple that I knew the answer long before it was mentioned, so I can't fathom why it took so long for the characters to figure it out.

** MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

The rest of the book deals with the fallout from Taranis's apparent breakdown and the "revelation" of his true colors, no pun intended. The effects of his behavior are felt in both the Light and Dark courts, and the consequences are both hazardous and still to be determined.

Many new characters are introduced and "old" ones are mentioned, but this is pared down and manageable. What's lacking is some of the back story surrounding these characters. For example, it is well known that Merry didn't have a happy time when she lived with the Seelie Sidhe; with the appearance of possible supporters from that court, it would've been nice to have a few lines showing us what Merry's dealings, if any, with these specific Sidhe were like when she was a child.

Cel is mentioned a couple of times, but in passing only, which is surprising as Merry and her men's situation begin to become yet more precarious with both Andais and Taranis. The circumstances become even more dire with the events toward the end of the book.

** MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

All in all, this was a good but not spectacular read, primarily because it felt unfinished. Of course, this is one in a series, but going back to the TV episode analogy, there should have been more of a resolution than was present. Still, the way Ms Hamilton has chosen to deal with the "problems" of Merry's fertility, who her king will be, and Frost (if he turns out not to make her pregnant) are unusual and somewhat unique. It will be fascinating to find out how these will be tied up (if at all) in the next book.

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Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

An excellent start to a new series...

Exit Strategy is about Nadia Stafford, an ex-Ontario cop who has had to rebuild her life after she kills a rape suspect. The hook that latches onto you and pulls you inexorably into Nadia's story is that she went from being a cop in a long family line of cops to becoming a lodge-keeper and part-time assassin. Curiosity impels one to find out how and why she's now a killer.

** MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

Female assassins have been done before, of course, but in general, the women have been depicted as passionless (or apparently cold) killers who are solely fulfilling their job (or duty) and who may or may not have superhuman powers. Nadia, on the other hand, is passionate about the jobs she chooses but she's even more passionate about being a lodge-keeper; she doesn't plan to be a killer for hire forever. Her background is also a troubled one; not only is Nadia from a family of cops, she was present at her cousin's brutal rape and murder when both were teens. The trauma and devastation, therefore, was especially sharp for the young Nadia, who had always justice prevailed. She learned differently when her cousin's rapist and murderer got off scot-free.

There are no paranormal or supernatural elements involved in this story, which helps create a very realistic atmosphere. Nadia is an individual with strengths and weaknesses, hangups and flaws. In other words, she's human and she makes mistakes. These traits are also true of her mentor Jack and the team that has been pulled together to track down one of their own, a pro assassin who's apparently turned serial killer for unknown reasons. There's no superhero, no all-knowing and victorious character, and the situations these individuals find themselves in are credible, without the too-stupid-to-live (TSTL) moments that are so prevalent in TV movies and Hollywood films.

There are also subtle and not-so-subtle romance arcs interwoven throughout the story. They fit neatly into the plot, rather than being pointless plot contrivances. You're not quite sure where each romantic tie will end up, but it's fun to watch.

To cap the above pluses, the intricate and dextrously handled hunt for the killer made Exit Strategy an enjoyable and above-average read. The reader is drawn in and becomes a part of the puzzle, turning the page over and over again to see how the clues tie in and even whether the killer will be caught at all. The chapters regarding the victims give a snippet of their lives and their last moments, as well as help to keep you guessing for a long while what the commn denominator is among them. And, in fact, you even find out why one or two don't become victims. The insight into these people and the killer himself were a nice touch, although I can understand that some readers would prefer to travel the journey blind, the way our protagonists do.

There were some things that kept me wondering, however. It's not stated how Nadia and her cousin were abducted, nor is it clear why, after Nadia takes up her assassin career, she didn't go after her cousin's rapist/killer. I was also somewhat confused as to whether Nadia's scar was truly from a barbed-wire fence mishap or from her abductor. The Helter Skelter killer's motivation was deliberately muddy, but once it seems clear, it becomes a bit convoluted thereafter. Still, these are minor points in what was a pleasurable read.

** MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

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Loose Id Bids on Triskelion's Contractual Assets

Dateline: 11 October 2007, Las Vegas, Nevada

Earlier this week, a representative of Loose Id, LLC entered a bid in the bankruptcy proceedings of Triskelion Publishing for the contractual assets of the company. If successful in their bid, Loose Id, LLC will release the majority of contracts at no cost to the authors who entered into them.

In a few cases, new contracts will be extended to the author from Loose Id in lieu of the Triskelion contracts. If an author chooses to reject the offer made them, their contract will be released by Loose Id, at no cost to the author.

Loose Id's intentions in bidding on the contracts are fourfold: (1) to facilitate the unencumbered acquisition of works offered to the company by former Triskelion authors; (2) to assist authors in securing release or reversion of rights to their work; (3) to potentially acquire and re-publish top flight manuscripts that match Loose Id's publishing guidelines; and (4) to reassure authors pursuing e-publishing careers of the sound business practices and corporate ethics of reputable e-publishers.

At this time, it is unknown whether Loose Id will succeed in its bid to acquire the Triskelion contracts. If the company is awarded the contracts, Editor in Chief Treva Harte indicates that all contracts to be released will be processed within 30 days of closing the deal and any offers of publication to be made shall be made within 60 days of close. No contract acquired by Loose Id will be held by the company against the will of the
author.

Contact information: help@loose-id.com.

The Royal Mess by MaryJanice Davidson

Par for the course...

I enjoyed the first book in MaryJanice Davidson's Alaskan Royal Family series The Royal Treatment. The idea of an alternate reality where Alaska became its own principality combined with MJD's trademark snarky humor and idiosyncratic characters worked. However, the 2 books that followed (The Royal Pain, The Royal Mess) were, respectively, somewhat joyless and a rehash.

My chief complaint about The Royal Mess is that although it does tie up some loose ends (rather briefly), Nicole, the illegitimate daughter of King Al that he never knew he had from a 2-week stand, was essentially identical to Christine, Al's daughter-in-law. Yes, Christine appears in the book, and she and Nicole aren't exactly best gal pals and their backgrounds aren't the same, but their prickliness, snarky dialogue, and behavior toward the king are pretty much interchangeable.

In addition, as with Ms Davidson's other books, which I enjoy but I'm not blind to the inherent faults, the characterization and plot are weak, and much of the backstory is left out. For example, we never really understand who Nicole's mother was and why she made the decisions she did; everything is mentioned briefly and in passing. Considering how bitter Nicole appears to be, that's a conspicuous lack. Also, still not clear to me is why King Al remains so loyal to the memory of his ex-wife, someone who was unfaithful to him, whereas he never strayed. In any case, there's no real character growth or development, and the storyline doesn't really go anywhere, despite the relationship between Nicole and royal bodyguard Jeffrey.

Ms Davidson has indicated this book is the final one in the Alaskan Royal Family saga. I'm wondering if this is because her writing schedule is so packed that she doesn't have time to write more (a very real possibility; I'd like to know what happens with the youngest royals, though) or if the sales from this series haven't been as great as the publishers would have liked. All pure conjecture on my part, of course.

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My Surrender by Connie Brockway

Disappointing...

My Surrender should have been a rousing final to the unevenly written Rose Hunter trilogy (My Seduction, My Pleasure). Instead, it is rife with inconsistencies and incredible blindness on the part of both Charlotte and Dand.

Charlotte is the feisty and rebellious youngest Nash sister. Burning with patriotic fervor and buoyed by the heroic actions of her father in saving 3 young Scotsman years earlier, she decides to enter espionage, although in a somewhat peripheral way. Her characterization veers from smart and sassy to morose and TSTL (too stupid to live). An example of the latter: When events conspire to throw her into the path of a suspected traitor, she only realizes on the eve of traveling to his home that she might need to get rid of her pesky virginity -- all after 2 weeks of pretending to be someone else's mistress, namely Dand's. The only "realistic" flavor within the story's setting is when Charlotte comes to understand exactly what it is she's lost in the eyes of society, and possibly her family, when she ruins herself. The scene with her "adopted mother" is poignant in that regard.

The denouement -- the revelation of the betrayer of Dand, Ramsey, Kit, and Douglas in the French gaol years ago -- wasn't much of a surprise given the hints in the book, as well as the previous ones. However, I was still confused at the end as to whether the betrayer acted both before the battle on French soil and in prison. That is, the author wasn't entirely clear about the fact that if he also betrayed them before they landed in France, how and why he did so. And if he didn't do so, then who did betray the battle plans?

All in all, My Surrender was full of plot holes and roll-your-eye moments when it could have been quite a tale and conclusion to the Rose Hunter series.

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Dream Thief by Shana Abe

Not as engaging as The Smoke Thief...

I really enjoyed The Smoke Thief; the characters were well-fleshed out, the conflict and plot arc were well done, and the action was exciting. Unfortunately, The Dream Thief doesn't measure up quite as well.

The Dream Thief, in contrast to the first book, has sketchily drawn characters, and the execution of the plot arc, which could have been fascinating and exciting -- especially given the grown-up Zane and Lia's dream-premonitions -- is very thin.

The middle section of The Dream Thief consists mainly of these two traveling to find Draumr -- all of which forcibly reminded me of the meanderings of Harry Potter, Ron Weaseley, and Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; that is to say, none of it was very interesting because nothing much of import happens. We don't learn anything very deep about either Zane or Lia -- what makes them tick, how have they become the characters they now are -- and events just roll along. When Lia finally Turns, what should be an exhilarating moment is given short shrift and quickly becomes an event that is easily accepted then done. We also barely see Lia's parents, Rue and Christoff. As these 2 had a large role in shaping both Zane and Lia, the essential absence of them seems rather glaring.

The last part of the book reaches a climax, but it comes and goes so quickly, it's almost a "blink and you miss it" event. We're introduced to other drakon and Draumr but don't learn much about them either, what they've done and how they've lived during the separation of the drakon. The section reads more like a "Hi, 'Bye, Later" series of blip-verts. Considering how much appeared to be riding on Draumr, which then led to the other drakon, this was a huge disappointment on top of everything else.

Overall, my take on this second book is that it's more an outline of a story than a full novel. You see the framework of what could have been an amazing story, but it's still bare bones rather than a full-course meal. I hope the next book will follow the model of The Smoke Thief.

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Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris

The best of the 3 so far...

An Ice Cold Grave continues the trend of the well-written Harper Connolly series (Grave Sight and Grave Surprise). I read this in one sitting and agree with many other Amazon reviewers that this book is the best of the three so far. Not only does Ms Harris describe the wintry climate in such a way as to make you actually feel you're right there in the freezing temperatures with Harper and Tolliver and the rest of the inhabitants of Doraville, NC, but you can feel the tension among them as well.

An Ice Cold Grave is definitely darker than the first 2 books in the sense that there are more violence, more bodies, and more graphic descriptions of what happened to the victims. After all, Harper's talent is to find dead bodies, by nature a dark skill, regardless of whether the deaths are natural or not. On the other hand, Harper and Tolliver's personal and business relationship grows apace, and they each come to terms with what it is they want. {My hope is that this series doesn't follow Ms Harris's other two (ie, The Southern Vampire/Sookie Stackhouse series, Lily Bard/Shakespeare series), as well as a number of other paranomal/urban fantasy series, in that the "heroine" loves and then leaves or is left by the "hero(s)." There seems to be a trend of such women finding and losing one's lover (sometimes many lovers throughout a series) recently. I can think of 6 series offhand that have done this.}

Another nice thing about An Ice Cold Grave is that, for once, Harper and Tolliver aren't treated with suspicion by every person they meet. Sure, there's skepticism, but at least most of those they come in contact with aren't outright hostile, leading to a wearying tango and tangle with such individuals.

We also meet Xylda and Manfred Berdardo again, and both are colorful as always, but they're also sympathetic and poignant characters here. I can't wait to see what becomes of Bernardo and his psychic skills. Will he be a small talent, as he seems to believe, or as great as or better than his grandmother? And how will his path cross that of Harper and Tolliver in future?

I strongly recommend An Ice Cold Grave -- which can be read as a standalone but would enhance a reader's experience if read in sequence. The book consists of a taut story line, mystery, love, grief, betrayal, and pathos, but in the end, there's hope and compassion.

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Poltergeist by Kat Richardson

Not so much paranormal per se, as mystery with paranormal elements...

Like many of the reviewers here, I enjoyed the first book in the Greywalker series Greywalker. I found Poltergeist disappointing in the sense that the paranormal world at large wasn't explored quite the way I expected.

The blurb on the back cover essentially covers the book content of Poltergeist, which is focused on the factual Philip poltergeist experiment back in 1970s Toronto. Here, Harper is focused on finding out whether the poltergeist phenomenon in Zucker's experiment that parallels the Philip experiment in several ways is real, the cause behind the appearance of the poltergeist (real or not), and the underlying motivations of everyone who is involved with the project, from the participants themselves to those who monitor and observe the group.

Aside from Harper's attempts use the Grey to get to the root of the matter of the poltergeist, which lead her to explore the Grey a (very) little more, as well as to seek help from a witch and vampire (briefly), this story is essentially a straightforward murder mystery with quite a bit of historical background on the Philip experiment and the Seattle area. We see very little paranormal-type storyline outside of Harper's investigation of the poltergeist, and what there is of it is very limited. The vampires are pretty much a side note and Mara's witchcraft is mentioned cursorily. We do see Harper's interaction with some characters, including Quinton, Harper's tech expert; Brian, the child of Mara and Ben; and Phoebe, a used-bookstore owner whose family has essentially adopter Harper, but there's almost no mention of on/off lover Will, and Det Solis acts strictly the homicide cop. All else in Poltergeist leads down the road of who killed the lab assistant and why, and by what means.

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The Sharing Knife: Beguilement by Lois Mcmaster Bujold

Feeling cheated...


With Lois McMaster Bujold's stories, when you first begin, you never know exactly what the world you're entering is going to be or who the cast of characters truly are; however, there's always the certainty that that world and the characters will be well drawn, beautifully written, and warmly entertaining. I read The Sharing Knife: Beguilement in one sitting. However...

This book should not have been split where it was.

I can see why the publishers may have done so, to divide the books as a way to separate the farmer and Lakewalker worlds (I'm trying not to be cynical and think it's a way to get more money, instead), but it left me hanging, and not in a good way. I think Beguilement and Legacy (although I've not yet read the latter), would have done better as 1 book, perhaps delineated as Part I and Part II, or somesuch because, after the initial excitement and adventures, what is left in Beguilement is essentially the mundane world that our heroine Fawn left behind in the first place. We do learn more of Dag and Fawn, and it is true that no matter what horrible things are happening on a grand scale, life does go on (look at the world today). I imagine this is what the author wanted to show.

Unfortunately, while I might have been able to accept this within the context of the larger story, the larger story wasn't there. It vanished just when I was ready to leap to the next level, which would have been more of the grounding, blight bogles/malices, mud-men, etc. The pacing of the book slows dramatically, without something to pick up the intensity or the raison d’etre (the sharing legacy) that began the tale.

** MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

Fawn's family was disappointing (and from what I’ve read of reviews for Legacy, it looks like so will Dag’s family be). There was no clear understanding of why the Bluefields so undervalue Fawn, with the exception of the aunt, and why the brothers are such boors to their sister. Not every family is loving, naturally, but the extent to which the brothers, particularly the twins, react, it's almost deliberate and malicious, rather than unthinking. As for Stupid Sunny, ugh. I don't think he was properly punished; what would prevent him from seducing some other unsuspecting girl and then vilifying her? Indeed, why shouldn’t the family know that Stupid Sunny is telling people she’s a slut? At least four of his cronies already knows that he calls her such, and I find it difficult to believe that they wouldn’t share this information. Fawn and Dag are clearly bound together; what does it matter what Sunny says or thinks?

No doubt at some point down the road, the entire series II've read there are another 2 books after Legacy) will be bound into an anthology/omnibus, thus creating the whole of the story rather than a snippet of the tale that trails off unsatisfactorily.

** MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

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The Clan Corporate by Charles Stross

Bad judgments and Machiavellian plots...

Sadly, in this third book of the Merchant Princes series, we get a lot of political intrigue but no character growth. In fact, the best thing I can say about The Clan Corporate is that it depicts very, very well, in an almost no-holds-barred manner, the realistic politics that would govern a realm such as that of the Clans and the royal court(s), and that which has been proven true again and again of the United States' bureaucracy and the behavior of various enforcement agencies. There's infighting, outfighting, and just plain fighting. And all of it, physical and mental, is quite brutal.

Unfortunately, Miriam has fallen into the abysmal trap of being one of those "too stupid to live" (TSTL) heroines (or heroes, for that matter) who tend to abound in movies and books. Granted, she's unused to the level of intrigue surrounding her, and she's essentially muddling her way through with one hand tied behind her back, but for a supposedly intelligent woman, she makes astoundingly stupid decisions, in essence jumping in blindly. If the first 2 books have shown anything, it's that she can't afford to leap without thinking or looking.

Going back to the character growth issue: while all the intrigue is going on in Miriam's new world and in present-day USA, you don't really see any true understanding in Miriam of what she thinks she's doing, until she literally gets a sucker punch -- but even then, she's still seems confused. At least in The Hidden Family, you see her cleverness and her grasp of how technology and knowledge can be used to transform the 2 other worlds she's discovered. Her business sense and patent knowledge showcase Miriam to a high degree. And then she devolves to a sullen, sulky twit in The Clan Corporate.

I also have to agree with some of the other reviewers who mentioned the deus ex machina issue. There's the (un)happy coincidence of one of her former flames playing a large role in events of the present-day world. Add some more coincidences, and you have him crossing over to the Clans' world and running into Miriam while death and destruction are raining down on them. Miriam's handed an escape route from a virtually new acquaintance, and her groom-to-be is taken care of swiftly.

Once you add in another abrupt ending, you have all the remains of an unsatisfying read.

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The Family Trade by Charles Stross

Initially slow going, then picks up...

I came across this series as a recommendation on Amazon's plog. It sounded interesting so I decided to give the series a try via my public library. I won't go too much into the plot summary as that's been discussed in various reviews here and is on the book jacket.

As others have mentioned, the premise of parallel worlds is not new, but the way in which each series deals with such worlds and how they operate are certainly a continual source of creativity. Then, of course, there are the colorful characters and how they interact.

The Family Trade certainly brings an interesting variation to the alternate universe story. Rather than another world in which the technologic advances are far beyond present-day Earth and the protoganist has to catch up, it is Earth which has advanced much further than the other world, or world(s), as the case may be, and the inhabitants that need to catch up. Throw in one world that appears based on medieval society with uses for the modern world and a giant dash of Mafia politics, then another world in which history deviates from present Earth since the mid 1700s on, and you have the makings of an intriguing story verse indeed.

Unfortunately, in this first of Mr Stross's The Merchant Princes series, the book really doesn't hit its stride till midway, after which the story flow moves much more swiftly and smoothly. The first half deals essentially with Miriam trying to understand and absorb the new world she's discovered. Aside from Miriam's annoying tendency to talk to herself about almost every little thing, this part is serviceable, if a bit flat. There's a great deal of information for both Miriam and the reader to absorb as well.

The pace picks up once Miriam has gotten some of the basics of this new world down and then has to survive pretty much by the seat of her pants. She's intelligent and thwarts multiple assassination attempts without being some sort of superhero caricature. She uses her brains and what weapons she has available to her; these in themselves make Miriam stand out from many other books in the sci-fi/fantasy genre. On the other hand, I do have to cavil at the fact that though she is an investigative journalist, she clearly forgot that data should always be backed up, and if it's hot, as in life-threatening data, always have multiple copies stashed in various places.

The romance element of this story is weak. I think the story could have been made stronger by not including this element at this time or by making it more plausible at least. The author made an attempt to provide a rationale, essentially 2 outsiders who are lonely and understand their isolation come together, but there wasn't really much chemistry between them, for this reader at least, and their relationship went from nil to 60 in virtually no time.

I gave 3 stars for the slow first half, the weak romantic thread that would have been better served to be cut, and the very, very abrupt ending.

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Blacklisted by Gena Showalter

A great sequel to Red Handed (Teen Alien Huntress) (see my review here)...

Blacklisted is an exciting and gritty follow-up to Red Handed. Most of the main characters from Red Handed make a peripheral appearance; the focus here is on Erik, who has apparently turned from A.I.R. agent into an illicit dealer in Onadyn, a drug that is used by oxygen-intolerant aliens to live -- and by human drug addicts.

Ms Showalter does an excellent job in several areas:

- in showing how 1 decision can change a person's life in major ways. This applies to both Erik and Camille, albeit they each made separate, unrelated, life-altering decisions at different times that have led them into a somewhat harrowing adventure together.

- in making believable the reasons behind the decisons Erik and Camille made

- in describing the lengths to which female teens might go to in order to pursue those they're infatuated with

- in the pacing and suspense of the story

- in reintroducing some of the main characters we saw in Red Handed

- in showing that "the authorities" can be just as brutal, unsympathetic, and unjust as the criminals they pursue


I did enjoy this book and would recommend it. However, the reason I gave only 4 stars for Blacklisted was due to a combination of things, almost all tied to loose ends:

** POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

- It's difficult to believe that having known and trained with Erik for so long that no one at A.I.R. -- including his former peers and instructors -- seems to question why or delve deeper into the reasons Erik has done what they think he's done. I don't really count the negligible protest by Cara, Erik's former flame because it was only a brief protest. The fact that she may have second-guessed herself is implied, but even so she's still the only person who appears to have at least thought about whether her assumptions about Erik might have been wrong.

- As a corollary to the above point, A.I.R. comprises several aliens among its staff and students. It's been mentioned in both Red Handed and Blacklisted that there are aliens who are telepathic to the extent that they can mind read humans. Since A.I.R. is willing to resort to violence in their interrogations, why weren't they willing to find a mind-reading alien who could probe their thoughts? (Clearly, it had nothing to do with the rights of Erik or Camille, and of course, this would likely have shortened the story considerably, but at least a reason why this option wasn't explored by A.I.R. should have been explained.)

- Erik mentions to Camille at one point that her actions hadn't made much of a difference to what occurred at the club ("the Ship") because his past had caught up to him. That wasn't really explained, although one might attribute it to the fact that his former peers have shown up at the club and indicated they're watching him.

- Camille and her friend Shanel have lied to their parents about their whereabouts and it's clear later that they have no money, yet they're able to order drinks at the club's bar. The inference seems to be that the drinks are charged somehow... which would likely show up in an invoice/statement somewhere their parents would end up seeing.

- After a whirlwind sequence of events, the ending is very abrupt. After all the things the A.I.R. agents have put Erik and Camille through, the denouement is without fanfare, Camille's parents are suddenly in agreement with Camille's actions, and that's it. The issue of Silver is left hanging as well.

** POSSIBLE MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

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Hunting Diana by Doreen Orsini

Intriguing premise but tighter editing needed - MILD SPOILERS

I received Vampires of Mina's Cove: Hunting Diana (Book 1) as a freebie and generally enjoyed the story. The basic background premise on how Mina's Cove was settled is intriguing and certainly a diversion from other vampire tales. I won't go into the plot and summary as others have already done so.

The author's writing style is engaging and fairly straightfoward, and the plot is simple and easy to follow. There were some things that detracted from Hunting Diana, however.

- There were several mechanics and wrong word-choice issues, all of which threw me out of the story. Although not terribly numerous, there were enough instances of commas appearing for no reason or in the wrong spot to be distracting. The use of "accept" instead of "except," "their" instead of "there," etc, also showed up.

** MILD SPOILERS BELOW **

- The change of heart of Diana's father toward his mother and Damian was overly simplistic and not believable. It was also never explained how and where he recruited his crew to capture and kill vampires (eg, how did he convince them vampires exist?)

- One of Diana's defining life moments was when her mother apparently abandoned her. The truth behind that situation was dealt with essentially in a few sentences and no other information regarding the outcome of Diana's mother's life is given.

- It's never quite clear why the Elders forced Damian to mate with Olympia, or why they chose to ignore her obvious predilection to lie and create problems.

- How did Olympia find so many virgins to supply Lucian? And what happened to Olympia's minions, the twins?

- The settling of the town/village outside the city where the Slashers (partially turned humans) are dumped seemed convenient. Given the entire island's location is not too far from NYC, it's hard to understand why the place hasn't been discovered, especially if helicopters come by every now and then to drop off more Slashers.

** MILD SPOILERS ABOVE **

My verdict: 3.5 stars

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The Twilight Lord by Bertrice Small

First and last foray...

Despite the author's well-recognized name and long, award-filled career, I had never actually read one of Ms Small's books. I received The Twilight Lord (World of Hetar, Book 3) as a freebie and decided to give this author a try, even though I'd essentially be starting in the middle of an established series.

Given Ms Small's many, many awards for her historical fiction stories, I'll have to assume that she is truly a wonderful writer. Unfortunately, I only have The Twilight Lord to judge by, and it was not what I would have expected given the author's reputation.

No doubt someone will point out that it's hardly fair to judge Ms Small based on one book, and that one not the first book in a series. I can only point out the following issues do not rely on a book's order in a series:

- The author and editor should have cut out the numerous, numerous repetition and redundancies in the book, especially in those instances where the characters themselves were already aware of X, Y, and Z.

- There were several instances of rape, which, inconceivably, were portrayed for the most part as being pleasurable for the women involved. Not only was this offensive and cavalier, it didn't even serve the purpose of making the villains out to be more villainous.

- Several of the plot points didn't make internal story sense.

- The characterizations of the main characters were unlikable. They were by turns self-centered, cruel, and immature. It was hard to imagine what redeeming characters they had.

- Despite the big "Lara has a Destiny" plot line and the constant avowal of her powers, the only powers you really see her evince is transporting herself from place to place.

- Many of the sex scenes were repetitive and served no real purpose. Sex in a story is great, but only if it furthers the plot. The only sex that furthered the story in this book was the one that involved the prophecy of the Twilight Lord.


Sometimes, when I start a series in the middle, I'm intrigued enough to want to read the entire series and try other books by the same author. Alas, neither is the case here.

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Thin Air by Rachel Caine

A fast read but a bit of a let down...

I've enjoyed the unique, intriguing, and well-written Weather Warden series from the beginning and wholeheartedly recommend this series, as well as Ms Caine's other series (Red Letter series: Devil's Bargain, Devil's Due; Morganville Vampires series: Glass Houses (Book 1), The Dead Girls' Dance (Book 2), Midnight Alley (Book 3)).

Unfortunately, Thin Air is a little bit of a let down from the other books in the series, even though this book starts off with a blast, and the action rolls on from there pretty much without a stop. The excitement of learning how Joanne has come to lose her memory and why spurs the reader to continue reading. Along the way, we see much more of the interaction among the Wardens, among the Djinn, and even between David and Lewis and the perpetually sulky teen, Kevin. All of which is good.

So why the disappointment? you ask.

The notion of the evil twin, as also commented by other reviewers, is a long-established one. That's not to say old ideas can't be given new life, of course. Alas, Thin Air doesn't really take the idea and run with it. In fact, once I read how and why the evil twin came to be and its purpose, I was strongly reminded of the shapeshifter in Patricia Briggs's book When Demons Walk. The creature in Ms Briggs's story had essentially the same reasons for why it did what it did as the evil twin in Ms Caine's book.

In addition, while I was overjoyed to discover the resurrection (so to speak) of a character, I wasn't so enamored of what that brought: Joanne's new power. That did seem somewhat convenient.

The one true twist was the entire scenario involving Eamon and Sarah. I confess I was never a big fan of the these characters (well, yes, of course that's the point; what I mean is the reappearance of these 2 unlikable people seemed out of the blue and didn't appear to serve much of a purpose except to throw a wrench in the works and to showcase Joanne's new power), but it looks like we'll be seeing more of them next. I'm hoping both Sarah and Eamon will be dealt with in a somewhat permanent manner.

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Burning Bridges by Laura Anne Gilman

Not as engrossing as the previous books...

This 4th book in the Retrievers series isn't terrible but it isn't very interesting, either. Mostly, it seems to serve as a bridge (no pun intended) between the previous book and the next.

As other reviewers have commented, the main reason for the serviceable read is due to the concentration of the story arc on the politics among the "major" players in the series, namely the Fatae, Lonejacks, Cosa, and Silence, and the increasing tension due to the escalation of attacks by Nulls against anyone who has, or who appears to have, magic. To be fair, this political situation does have a key role to play in the plot as it also drives what's happening; the problem is that rather than making the information succinct, the various unproductive political meetings take up too much of the story. The various factions don't get very far in their dealings, and neither do we, as the reader.

The situation between Wren and Sergei, played up on in the book's synopsis, doesn't really have much twists and turns as was hinted, until the end of the book, just like the intriguing prologue. A hint of a connection to the prologue appears but it's so subtle that it might as well not be there. In any case, by that point, one has either forgotten about the prologue or one has torn one's hair out wondering what role it plays in the story.

In essence, there's a lot of exposition but not much action.

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The Silver Moon Elm - MaryJanice Davidson & Anthony Alongi

Jennifer begins to grow up - somewhat...

The Jennifer Scales series is contracted for 4 books, which is a good thing as the ending of The Silver Moon Elm (Book 3) opens up a host of plot arcs that beg for a resolution (in a good way).

That said, while I enjoyed this 3rd installment of Jennifer's story, I also found that I didn't enjoy it as much as the first 2 books. Part of this is unavoidable as the book is somewhat more grim than the previous books, despite the presence of Jennifer's snarky humor. Issues of love, friendship, loyalty, family, death, betrayal, and more are raised, and for the most part, dealt with fairly well. On the other hand, Jennifer's whining was annoying in several instances, which, admittedly, is typical of kids (and adults), as was her dealings with her friends, ranging from loyalty to insensitivity.

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A Many-Pronged Tale...

The Creatures is ostensibly a young adult novel that deals with change, prejudice, and conviction. A pair of teens, Vector and Harmony, belonging to a somewhat Utopian colony and called Persons become aware of their growing feelings for each other, which is one in a chain of events that lead to unforeseen consequences.

Outside the Colony of Persons live native inhabitants of the planet called Creatures. Unlike Persons, Creatures are not held in high esteem; lack adequate jobs, housing, food, and health care; and feel strong emotions, including love, anger, resentment, etc. Straddling the 2 groups are the Guards, who have risen from their Creature antecedents to manage virtually everything in the Persons' Colony. The inequality of the lives of the Creatures is gradually brought to bear on the pair of teens and their lives are forever changed.

I really wanted to like this book after reading some peoples' comments in the Amazon book Forum and the other review posted there. Unfortunately, I found Vector dislikable with little to redeem him despite the challenges he faces and overcomes; Harmony, on the other side, seemed too empathetic. They seemed very 1-dimensional. There was also a very unfinished feeling toward the end of the book with some unanswered questions. Of course, given how the tale ends, a lot is deliberately left unaswered, which is fine, but part of what has brought the ending to bear wasn't entirely clear, which was rather frustrating.

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Lucinda, Darkly by Sunny

Author's writing is still in transition...

Sunny's Children of the Moon Monere series (Mona Lisa Awakening (Book 1), Mona Lisa Blossoming (Book 2), "Mona Lisa Three", "Mona Lisa Betwining") is heavily derivative of Laurell K Hamilton's work, but she does manage to put some of her own spin on it. The plots aren't particularly complex, but they do serve to pull the story forward without getting too bogged down in the details.

Lucinda, Darkly: The Demon Princess Chronicles is an offshoot of the Children of the Moon series wherein some characters of the other books appear peripherally. I won't go into the plot or reveal spoilers, but essentially Lucinda has become somewhat jaded over centuries of existence and drifts about, not belonging completely to the world from which she originated (the Monere world) nor the world she now belongs (the demon world). After encounters with 2 rogue Monere warriors (those no longer serving Monere queens, exiled, and on the run), Lucinda begins to "wake up" to the possibilities of "living" again.

The author's writing is still uneven across the stories she's penned thus far. In general, the tales are simplistic and too reminiscent of LKH. In particular, the author appears to be trying too hard to mix in sensuality, erotica, lyricism in her descriptions. In the beginning chapter of Lucinda, Darkly, there are literally pages of overly poetic writing that became tiresome to read, especially when 1 or 2 sentences with a few descriptors would create a much larger impact.

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Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara

Complex and intriguing as always...

The Cast series is not an easy series to read. The world and themes are extremely complex, as are the characters who populate it. Each book requires careful reading (skimming or a fast read isn't really possible, at least not for me) and a lot of thought about what's happening at any given time. Of course, some things are more straightforward than others. I find that I have to reread each book to catch things that I either missed or didn't understand the first time, but I think the endeavor is worthwhile for the most part, although much continues to puzzle me.

This third entry, Cast In Secret, doesn't have as much "action" per se as the previous two books (Cast In Shadow, Cast In Courtlight), but it continues to expand on the relationships among the major characters, chiefly Kaylin and Severn, Kaylin and Nightshade, and Kaylin and the dragons. The Barrani do not play a prominent role, but their presence is keenly felt.

We learn some more details about the struggle that was caused by Kaylin's arrival as a young child in the Courts of Law between those who argued for her survival and those who felt she was too dangerous to live. We see some of the workings of the dragon court, and learn much about the Tha'alani as well as the Oracles, each intricately and deftly woven into a fascinating whole.

I may be wrong, but I think the next book will likely deal with both the interaction between Kaylin and Nightshade and Kaylin's appearance in a more formal fashion at the dragon court. I can't wait!

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The Good Ghouls' Guide to Getting Even by Julie Kenner

Trademark humor but lacking some sense...

Julie Kenner's brand of humor is clear throughout the book, and she's got teenage angst and dialogue down pat (which is true of her Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series as well). Which would seem to make this a shoo-in for at least 4 stars. On the other, though many parts of this book made me laugh, others didn't make sense to me.

**SOME SPOILERS BELOW**

For example, even though the teen protagonist, Beth, herself admits she wasn't quite thinking when she got suckered by Stephen Mills and his pals, there are many instances when she seemed incredibly stupid. All the signs were there that things weren't what they seemed to be when the Queen Bitches invited her to join their squad, but those were discarded. And what bad guy (or good guy for that matter) wouldn't have a product tested before use, esp if it meant a gruesome death if the product didn't work? That is, blind faith probably wouldn't happen. That should have occurred to Beth early on... why would she think that Stephen would use the cream without having someone else test it... which would have been bad news for Beth. Then, when Nelson was unconscious in the gym, that would've been a good time to take care of him, but the thought never occurred to her and she was left with a witness who disappeared. There are several instances of commonsensical things like that that just slipped.

Someone also needs to do some fact-checking. Regardless of whether Beth's dad is a doctor or not, and whether or not Beth has a part-time job in a hospital lab, all blood products in a hospital blood bank are tightly regulated. There's a chronic blood shortage in the USA and elsewhere, each unit of blood is labeled and entered into a database, and whenever the units are removed from the blood bank, they have to be signed out with various forms. Maybe 1 unit of blood (unlikely, but let's be generous; maybe the blood is unusable for whatever reason) could be given out for a student project but several? A dozen?

A "routine" operation can require 6 units of blood or more. Think of how many units would be needed for a trauma patient or a major surgery. No hospital can spare so many units for non-patient care, much less a purported project. Questions would definitely be asked.

Regarding vampires and college. NYU was mentioned. Well, like so many universities, NYU does offer night classes. While it's not the way many students would like to attend college, the opportunity is there. I admit I don't know what reasonable excuse a student like Beth who's going to graduate high school (as opposed to a working adult or one with family) could give for wanting to attend night class rather than regular day classes, but I'm surprised that that option isn't even raised.

There were also loose ends that may have been deliberately left out and might be addressed in the sequel, one of which involved college boys Kevin and his brother. Who are they really and how did they know what was going on at Beth's school and the club where Beth first meets him? The same with Clayton and his grandfather. How did they know about vampires, etc?

**SOME SPOILERS ABOVE**

Things such as the above made what should have been an easy, fun read less smooth than they could have been. I'll be checking out the sequel, Good Ghouls Do, from the library.

See MaryJanice Davidson and Anthony Alongi's Jennifer Scales series as an example of humorous young adult books that work (Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace, Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light, The Silver Moon Elm).

My recommendations for other great young adult books (albeit they're darker tales) are Holly Black's A Modern Faerie Tale series (Tithe, Ironside, Valiant), Herbie Brennan's The Faerie Wars Chronicles (Faerie Wars, The Purple Emperor, Ruler of the Realm, and the upcoming Faerie Lord), Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series (Glass Houses, The Dead Girls' Dance, and the forthcoming Midnight Alley), and Gena Showalter's Teen Alien Huntress series (Red Handed, Blacklisted).

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The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton

Somewhat on a better track...

Just like many readers who have commented have done, I've stopped buying Ms Hamilton's books and simply borrow from the library.

As has been the case with the past several of LKH's Anita Blake books, the author creates intriguing plots and characters in The Harlequin, as well as brings back some "old" ones, but she doesn't quite follow through what could be a brilliant and exciting book. There's no question that Ms Hamilton has a seemingly neverending fount of fascinating ideas; unfortunately, the execution needs polish, lengthening, and tightening.

One thing I was happy to see was that Anita's ardeur wasn't the bulk of the story; in fact, this particular storyline was tamed down quite a bit. I'm not fazed about sex (I also edit erotic romances), but sex for no reason - sex that doesn't further the plot - is a waste of story space and the reader's time. Fortunately, that wasn't much of an issue here.

The idea of the Harlequin, essentially the police/assassins for vampire society, was a great one. Rather like the Borg, from the Star Trek: Next Generation series: serious bad-ass foes - that is, until the Borg got wimpified. Here, the mystery and suspense of who and what the Harlequin are, and why they're in St Louis starts off well enough and then seems to gradually fade into a whisper.

Richard's storyline continues to be a tiresome one: he makes an effort to fit with Anita's new life, he can't deal, he and Anita go back and forth, and nothing changes... which is the same treadmill to nowhere they've both been on for umpteen books. There's a suggestion that this relationship is reaching some sort of conclusion, but while I can understand many of the reasons for why each behaves the way they do, I just wish they'd just get on with their lives, either together or apart.

Nathaniel turns out to be a bit of surprise initially. He's become bolder in speaking his mind and desires, and Anita is listening. I'm really hoping that he doesn't turn into another version of Richard.

Edward appears; although a little more of his "Ted" life is discussed, we don't really see him in action all that much. And going back to my comments about the Harlequin as badasses but tapering down - Otto is called in, which would seem to tie into the whole "need evil to combat evil" idea, but which was also a let down.

Again, there many great themes and new plotlines , but a flat and fast conclusion. The Harlequin would have done much better to explore more of the ideas and characters rather than cram it all in for an unsatisfying overall read.

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Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

NO SPOILERS

Sadly disappointed.

I read the book on Saturday in one fell swoop, and although end products seldom live up to the hype, I had hoped that The Deathly Hallows would be one of the exceptions. It was not. Despite the fact that I enjoyed the HP series very much and the world building is fascinating, comparisons to C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien's works, among others, seem overexuberant and exaggerated.

Parts of The Deathly Hallows were exciting and touching, but at the very least, the middle one third to one half could have been removed and not much would have changed. The story and plot didn't move forward and, thus, we were left with a meandering and plodding chunk of book. In fact, I had the lowering feeling as I read that Ms Rowling was attempting to reprise Sam and Frodo's journey to Mount Doom from The Lord of the Rings. However, though the middle of the book was dreary, the last portion seemed rushed. Many of the creatures and characters brought up in the other books got but a cursory mention - and primarily at the very end.

I admit to needing tissues for at least 2 spots, and some of the questions that were raised in previous books were answered, but not all. Much has been made of the epilogue, which was interesting in its way, but that raised yet more questions - and not just of the characters but of the Muggle and Wizarding world.

Overall, what was a highly anticipated read became almost an exercise in futility.

Addendum: 7/26/07 - In an interview with NBC's Today show, Ms Rowling acknowledged that book 7 doesn't tie up all the loose ends:

"It would have been humanly impossible to answer every single question that comes up, because I'm dealing with a level of obsession in some of my fans that will not rest until they know the middle names of Harry's great, great grandparents."

The quote comes from here.

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Safe Harbor, Christine Feehan

A bit of a let down.

The Drake sibling stories I most wanted to read happened to be the 4 youngest (Libby, Hannah, Joley, Elle). I liked Libby's story, but Hannah's was very disappointing.

Safe Harbor started off well with an action-packed, adrenaline- and fear-filled opening, but then it sort of meandered and fell apart. The sisters' reactions to the events surrounding Hannah seemed muted, Hannah and Jonas's relationship progressed in a rather superficial fashion, and there was virtually no interaction by the girls' parents, which was never explained. A measly 3 mentions of mom and dad, tops! In addition, if not Jonas, then certainly Jackson should have come to the correct conclusion long before the truth came out. The clues were there.

On the other hand, the set-up for both Joley and Elle's books was intriguing, but given how much I anticipated Hannah and Jonas's story and was let down, I'm rather wary about the final books in the Drake Sisters series.

I think all of Ms Feehan's books need tighter editing. There's a great deal of repetition within each book itself and among the books and series; the constant head-hopping (ie, point-of-view [POV] switches) is rather jolting, and the plot holes need fixing.

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The Big Countdown...

fancygens.com

Oh, and it must be said:

Fie on you, you worthless, grubby, pond scum, hagfish book spoilerers! May the cruciatus curse strike you down, and may all your electronics and gadgets melt!

Ahem.

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

A good read but could have been stronger.

The Southern Vampire Mysteries series seems to be getting darker with each book; whether this is because of the vampire/were/other politics that keep intruding on Sookie's life or because she's being pulled almost inexorably away from the world of humans into the paranormal world, I'm not quite certain, but All Together Dead would seem to be pointing to the latter.

The humor of the early books is mostly missing from this 7th book, but Sookie's Southerness remains intact. What didn't ring true was her outspokeness in situations that were quite tense/dire as well as her denseness over things that should have been quite obvious to not only her, but those that surrounded her at the Rhodes summit.

In addition, I used to enjoy the Word-a-Day calendar moments that were woven into whatever was happening in Sookie's life, but there's only 1 mention and it's a few pages later than the word I wouldn't have thought Sookie would know off the bat ("osculatory"), at least not without consulting a dictionary. Context, however, is everything.

Sookie's relationships with Arlene and Tara go off in different directions, and I'm not sure what role Amelia really plays; Sookie's interactions with her men remain complex (with the except of Alcides, who is mentioned but doesn't appear), although I'm happy Sookie isn't turning into another bed-hopping heroine.

The events that transpire very near the end of the book may be somewhat traumatic. Charlaine Harris herself brings up the parallel between what occurs and that of another real-life catastrophe (aside from Hurricane Katrina). The scenes were well done and the depth of destruction, chaos, and despair as well.

If there were increments of half-star ratings on Amazon, I'd probably give All Together Dead 3.5 stars. There are still a great many unresolved issues, but main demerits are due to the blindness of Sookie and other characters to what was staring them in the face, over and over.

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Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson

Betsy grows up... a little.

Undead and Uneasy is primarily about how Betsy deals with things when she suddenly finds herself companionless. She grows more into her role as queen of the vampires, and several loose ends from the previous books appear to be tied up... but not quite all (I'd like a resolution for the remaining Fiends, for example).

The easy, snarky humor of the first few books (particularly the first 2 in the series) doesn't appear quite as much, but this could be due to the darker content, including a surprise revelation near the end of the book. In addition, the cast of characters, the conclusion to the mystery, and the wedding itself appeared to be dealt with very quickly.

All in all, this is still a fast, enjoyable read and has its moments but it definitely could have been a little longer.

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Red Handed by Gena Showalter

A teen element to the Alien Huntress series...

Phoenix is nearly 18 and has had a problem with addiction to the drug Onadyn for several years, including 2 stints to rehab, to the despair of her mother. She's trying to get her act together and make her mother proud; unfortunately, events conspire to make it appear that she's using her drug of choice again... and thus begins a new chapter in her life.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. We get to see how A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Retrieval) agents are recruited and trained, and what that entails. A few characters from the adult Alien Huntress series make an appearance as well (I won't spoil it for you). In many ways, it also reminds me of Holly Black's book Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie, book 2 in the series, which also deals with teenage alienation in a paranormal world.

This book is a great addition to the Alien Huntress repertoire; my one "beef" is the issue of Phoenix's father (again, I won't reveal too much) - the events and rationale surrounding him and his actions are never made clear, which was a bit frustrating because they were/are the impetus that drives Phoenix. Blacklisted is the sequel to Red Handed, and, thankfully, releasing on the tail of the first book.

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Coyote Dreams by C. E. Murphy

The Walker Paper series grows...

I really enjoy C.E. Murphy's lush descriptions; you can practically see, touch, taste, hear, and feel what happens when Joanne "dreams." The car analogies aren't used quite as much as in the previous 2 books, and some readers' comments at Amazon seem to indicate that the introspective and dream passages were long and not necessary, but I disagree; I think they're essential to seeing Joanne's growth and recognition of who and what she is, what path she's forging, and how she begins to heal herself. On the other hand, some of the sequences do require careful reading as what's happening is not always easily understood.

We do gain a better understanding of young Joanne, and we see more of the relationship between Morrison and Joanne (I won't reveal it) as well. There is a resolution (for now) between Morrison and Joanne, but it's not what readers may expect.

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Heart Dance by Robin D Owens

Another great addition to the Celta series.

Ms Owens is one of those authors whose books I always count down till the day of release and who I always wish could write faster and more more more.

In Heart Dance, she continues to showcase her incredible world-building and creation of various Flairs and talents in the HeartMates series, and the conflicts that manifest in each book between the heroes and heroines, sometimes their families and/or their Fams, and Celtan society are believable and fascinating, not to mention detailed and intricate. With the exception of this 6th book (it's new), I've reread every book at least twice. All of the above hold true of Ms Owens's The Summoning series as well, although those have been read over four times each Guardian Of Honor (The Summoning, Book 1) (Luna Books) remains my favorite). I'm eagerly anticipating the next in both series, Keepers of the Flame.

The one thing that didn't quite work for me was what I thought to be too easy a resolution in the matter of T'Willow's MotherDam D'Willow, although I admit that there is a clear setup that leads to it.

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Angela Knight's Passionate Ink

If you're interested in writing erotic romance - or even if you're just an avid reader, like me - then you should definitely pick up a copy of Angela Knight's Passionate Ink, which is published by Loose Id.

Ms Knight is a best-selling author of action/adventure erotic romances who discusses writing in this genre in a straightforward and frank manner and provides excellent examples from her own work - both of things that worked and those that didn't. Although I'm an editor and not a writer, I found this book to be extremely useful in not only evaluating erotic romances, but other fiction genres as well, romance or not.

Loose Id

Amazon.com

Barnes & Nobles

Marjorie M Liu's Soul Song - Sing It!

Marjorie M. Liu continues to provide a fresh voice in the paranormal romance genre with this, her 6th book in the Dirk & Steele series, as well as the first entry in her new Hunter Kiss series, Hunter Kiss, which was recently published in the anthology Wild Thing.

Soul Song is the story of 2 lonely beings, each trapped by life and circumstance, and each connected strongly to music. M'Cal is a creature of the sea whose voice can be used to kill; Kitala is a renowned violinist who has the ability to foresee violent death and whose music exudes a power with as-yet unexplored depths. Brought together through the deadly machinations of M'Cal's keeper, M'Cal and Kitala soon find themselves entwined with each other, secrets, and deadly force.

As with Ms Liu's previous books, the world-building, characters, and dialogue are fascinating and sharp, and the action remains mesmerizing. Despite these, however, the 2 things that didn't really work for me were the drawn-out mystery (and eventually revealed reason) regarding Alice and the seemingly mid-step change and denouement of the witch.

Overall, a solid recommendation from yours truly.

Go and buy your copy now! The links to the book at the various stores are below.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Dorchester

Marjorie Liu's Soul Song - Run for the store!

I was one of the fortunates who received an advance copy (ARC) of Marjorie Liu's book Soul Song (Dirk & Steele, Book 6). As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of hers and to say I was excited is a pale version of the truth, particularly since I've never received an ARC before.

I'll be posting a more detailed review within a day or so. I tried to post at the Dorchester forum but had no luck; however, I will be posting to Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Still, in a word: Amazing! Ms Liu continues to craft finely detailed and complex stories that combine the paranormal with action and romantic elements.

Go and buy your copy now! The links to the book at the various stores are below.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Dorchester

Dashing Through the Rain...

Oh, ah. Wrong climate. Still,

A Happy, Jolly, Fun-filled Holiday Season to All!

Be Safe!

The 12 Days of Kissmas at Loose Id

At Loose Id, we revere all traditions equally, and we wish you each the very best and most joyful holiday season and new year.

But Ids love kisses, so when we sat down to chat with Loowis and Loosey about Holiday promotions for this year, neither batted an eyelash before chorusing The Twelve Days of Kissmas.

Our marketing department groaned at the terrible pun, and at the prospect of coming up with twelve full days of holiday gifts for our readers, but Loowis and Loosey would not be swayed.

The Twelve Days of Kissmas it was.

So, starting December 13 and running through December 24th, Loose Id will be running 12 special promotions for you. Every day, there'll be special "kiss" excerpts on our Idbits mailing list, and here is a tentative schedule of our 12 Days events (sales details subject to change without notice).

December 13: Beginning midday and running through the "What I Really Wanted for Christmas Sale", 2007 VIP Club memberships will be available at 2006 VIP Club prices.

December 14: A limited number of each of Loose Id's print titles will become available for sale off the website. Beginning this day and running through the end of the 12 Days promotion, print books purchased off our website will be 5% off.

December 15: Barbara Karmazin and Rachel Bo's stories from last year's Rated: X-mas will be re-released as individual titles. To celebrate, all of Loose Id's holiday titles will be 5% off starting the 15th and running through the 12 Days promotion.

December 16: Beginning the 16th and running through the end of the 12 Days promotion, all LGBT titles will be 5% off, and buyers will be given links to special sensual Christmas art by artists Jet Mykles and Anne Cain.

December 17: The second classics title will be released, a combined edition of Cyndi Friberg's reader-favorite Dream Warriors 1-3. To celebrate, all of Loose Id's series titles will be 5% off starting the 17th and running through the 12 Days promotion.

December 18: Loose Id will release the first of a very special series of Stocking Stuffers, erotic interludes set in some of your favorite worlds: "The Christmas Tree Bargain," by J.L. Langley, with the characters of The Tin Star.

December 19: A regular release day, and in addition, we'll take $1.00 off the cover price of any Fling for the remainder of the 12 Days promotion.

December 20: The release of "A Christmas Coming," a Stocking Stuffer set in the world of Tainted Love by Louisa Trent.

December 21: The release of "Home for the Holidays, a Stocking Stuffer by Laura Baumbach with the characters from her Details of the Hunt.

December 22: The release of "Dinah's Christmas Desire," a Stocking Stuffer by Mechele Armstrong with the characters from her Dinah's Dark Desire.

December 23: The release of "I'll Be Hot for Christmas," a Stocking Stuffer by Evangeline Anderson with the characters from her The Assignment. And, the release of "Pretty Red Ribbon," a Stocking Stuffer by Jet Mykles with the characters from her Heaven Sent: Heaven.

December 24: The release of "Hell's Bells," a Stocking Stuffer by Sheri Gilmore with the characters from her Hot House: Dante & Hayley. And the release of male/male Christmas title, Snow Angel by Sharon Maria Bidwell.

And then, on December 26, Loose Id will hold its annual "What I Really Wanted for Christmas Sale," a 24-hour special event, in which all e-books will be 12% off.

Join us for The Twelve Days of Kissmas, and make it a very happy new Year!

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Is there proof of a dumb gene?

I read this article on the train yesterday and laughed my fool head off, scaring the man to the left of me.

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Please Read and Warn Your Children

Although this article is over a year old, there is the possibility that copy-catting might occur. A follow-up article by ABC News on November 30, 2006 follows.

The story deals with a number of cruel hoaxes that involved strip searches of young employees and patrons in fast food and other restaurants across the US, but I've no doubt it can happen anywhere.

A Hoax Most Cruel

Strip-Search Case Closed?

Let's Shoot for 3,000!

I know everyone is likely busy from not just the daily grind but also the holiday preparations and festivities. This will only take a few seconds of your time...

Please help The Breast Cancer Site achieve at least 3,000 free mammograms for underprivileged women. They only need 553 mammograms to reach this goal (they haven't set it; it's my personal desire). Since the double-points program continues, I think this is eminently doable in the 18-19 days we have remaining.

And while you're there, how about clicking on the other free charities? All in all, these clicks shouldn't take more than 30 seconds at most.

The Animal Rescue Site (Free food for animals in shelters)
The Child Health Site (Free health services for children)
The Hunger Site (Give free food)
The Literacy Site (Give free books)
The Rainforest Site (Preserve endangered rainforest land - free)

As always, I am in no way affiliated with these charities or their sponsors.

Thanks so much.

T&B

Loose Id Calling for New Submissions

Loowis wants YOU to join the talented team at Loose Id Publishing!

Loose Id, the premier publisher for well-written cross-genre sensual and erotic stories has an immediate need for Interracial (I/R) manuscripts of 20,000 words and up.

Being previously published is not a requirement to join this dynamic team of outstanding writers, including New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors.

Take a chance! Unleash your plot and characters from the traditional and create powerful inventive tales that delight our readers. LI's I/R stories aren't meant to just be about two people with different skin color who happen to fall in love -- we want an I/R that shows differences that could keep people apart but, since it's a romance, how they make people learn to come together.

Loose Id offers professional editing and we subscribe to the highest standards of contract fairness as defined by EPIC and RWA.

Please visit us on the web at www.loose-id.com to get an idea of what we're looking for and send your I/R submission (three chapters and a synopsis in Rich Text Format) to: submissions@loose-id.com

Please feel free to re-post this information.

Link

A Whole Slew of Old and New Reviews!

Okay, I'm almost entirely back on board! Whooo hooooo!

Please check out these excellent reviews (in alphabetical, then reverse chronologic, order) for Brenda Bryce, J. L. Langley, Jeigh Lynn, Willa Okati, Kate Steele, and Eve Vaughn and tell them how much you enjoy their writing by e-mailing them and readig their stories!

Going Nowhere 1: Howling in the Moonlight by Brenda Bryce

• Love Romances and More
• A Romance Review
• Fallen Angel Reviews
• Romance Reviews Today - Erotic
• Coffee Time Romance
• Romance Junkies
• Two Lips Reviews

Tree Sprite by Brenda Bryce

• Romance Reviews Today - Erotic
• Joyfully Reviewed
• Coffee Time Romance
• Two Lips Reviews

The Tin Star by JL Langley

• The Romance Studio

The Tin Star 2: The Broken H by JL Langley

• Fallen Angel Reviews
• Coffee Time Romance
• Romance Reviews Today - Erotic
• The Romance Studio
• Literary Nymphs
• Romance Junkies
• Two Lips Reviews

Moon 3: A New Moon by Jeigh Lynn

• The Romance Studio
• The Pink Posse
• Coffee Time Romance
• Fallen Angel Reviews
• Romance Junkies
• Joyfully Reviewed

The Brotherhood 1: Amour Magique by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Enchanted Ramblings - 6 MAGICAL WANDS!

The Brotherhood 2: Bite Me by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Enchanged Ramblings - 6 MAGICAL WANDS!

The Brotherhood 3: The Dragon’s Tongue by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Joyfullyreviewed

The Brotherhood 4: Good Luck Piece by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Enchanted Ramblings
• Joyfully Reviewed

The Brotherhood 5: The Out of Towner by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Enchanted Ramblings

The Brotherhood 6: Tezcatli's Game by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Fallen Angels Reviews
• Enchanted Ramblings
• Coffee Time Romance
• Just Erotic Romance Reviews

The Brotherhood 7: Single White Fang by Willa Okati

• Erotic Escapades
• Fallen Angels Reviews
• Coffee Time Romance
• Enchanted Ramblings
• Just Erotic Romance Reviews
• Euro Reviews

The Brotherhood 8: Under Hill and Over the Bar by Willa Okati

• Fallen Angels Reviews
• Just Erotic Romance Reviews
• Enchanted Ramblings
• Two Lips Reviews

The Brotherhood 9: Tunnel of Love by Willa Okati

• Two Lips Reviews

By Blood's Decree by Kate Steele

• Road to Romance
• TCM Reviews
• Joyfully Reviewed
• Romance Junkies
• Coffee Time Romance
• Fallen Angels Reviews
• Just Erotic Romance Reviews – 2 Reviews
• Euro Reviews

Blood Brothers 3: Romeo Unleashed by Eve Vaughn

• The Romance Studio

Wild Wishes: Tag’s Folly by Eve Vaughn

• The Romance Studio

The Tin Star by JL Langley Is in Print!

For all you fans of Jamie and Ethan, their story has made the leap from e-Book to print!

James Killian learns the hard way that smaller towns are full of bigots. When he comes out to his father he is not only kicked out of his home but off the Quadruple J where he works as the ranch foreman. With nowhere to go and little money, his savior comes in the unlikely form of his older brother’s best friend, the man he’s been in love with for over half his life.

Ethan Whitehall is a successful rancher and a well-respected man in his community. His ranch the Tin Star has been in Ethan’s family for generations and affords him a certain prestige and power in the small town he calls home. Ethan knows without a doubt that all of that could shatter if his sexual orientation were to ever become public. But when he learns his best friend’s younger brother’s banishment and the reasons behind it, Ethan can’t help but get involved. He’s always had a soft spot where Jamie Killian was concerned, and it may very well be his downfall.

Hotfoot it to Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, or your favorite bookseller and grab The Tin Star!

The Tin Star at Amazon

The Tin Star at Barnes and Nobles

The Tin Star at Borders

Be sure to check out J. L. Langley's Website and blog to find out about new releases, what's coming down the pike, and for reviews!

Extended Double Points for Free Mammograms!

We didn't quite make 600 free mammagrams I had hoped for, but now the bar has been raised to 1,000 with the extension of the sponsored double-points per click! Hurray!

Please click on the image above or the link below to reach the site and click away. I click in the office and at home daily to maximize the points and ask that you do so, too. Thanks!

Link

1 More Day for Double Points!

WHOO HOOOO!!

Thanks to everyone who's been clicking at The Breast Cancer Site!

They've met and exceeded their goal of 500 free mammograms for underprivileged women!

But there is still 1 days left in October, which means 1 more day of double points for each click! Please continue to click away. I hope that at least 600 free mammograms can be achieved.

And while you're there, why not click on the other free charities, too?

The Animal Rescue Site (Free food for animals in shelters)
The Child Health Site (Free health services for children)
The Hunger Site (Give free food)
The Literacy Site (Give free books)
The Rainforest Site (Preserve endangered rainforest land - free)

Thanks so much!

Help Once More to Fund Free Mammograms

The Breast Cancer site is once again doubling the value of every click toward free mammograms.

For the month of October (less than 2 weeks left!), please continue to click daily to help fund this important effort to supply free mammograms to underprivilege women.

It doesn't cost a thing, it's a valuable service, there's no need to register or sign up for anything and each click is worth double this month.

And remember, you can check out this site at Snopes as well.

Thanks!

Updates, Warnings and Some Anecdotes

Thanks for your awesome patience, ladies and gents. :-D

It's been a tumultous few years and an insane and crises-laden computer situation (home and work) 15 months that I have had trouble knowing whether I'm coming or going or both, lol!

To recap my doings for September and October:

• I started a new job and am loving it.
• My supervisor, boss and coworkers are kindred souls.
• I've got a predictable schedule and have been doing an 8a to 4p or 9a to 5p days (depending on how my trains run!).
• My work is challenging but not overwhelming.
• My commute is only 5 mins longer if I transfer to express trains (2 different routes).
• I have more (!!) choices for tea than ever before and there are 2 toasters, large microwaves and industrial refrigerators each;
• I've got a flat screen monitor.
• I'm near all the important sections: emergency exits, kitchen, copy room, rest rooms :-D
• I'm forced to do more walking (ergo, exercise!).
• It's a longer walk to my fave restaurants (ergo, less dining out).
• I completed edits on 5 (!) books that are releasing this month, 4 of which remain under my heavy, red pen-wielding hand.
• I did my laundry and paid my bills on time 2 months running.
• I (finally!) sent my poor niece and nevvy their (long) delayed natal day gifts.
• I (finally!) sent snail mail to my poor neglected friends (a >2-year dearth).
• I (finally!) mailed congratulatory packages to my poor friends on their (former) newborns.

Before I get into my not-so-great anecdotes, please read the following warnings:

1. Used Cellphones Hold Trove of Secrets That Can Be Hard to Erase
2. Many people have heard of Zabasearch.com by now, the free people-search engine that's astoundingly comprehensive and, worse, convenient to the Internet world at large. Please read this, which is written by a Hewlett-Packer researcher in Bristol, UK, whose surname is unfortunately the same as the search engine's name (and here are some things you can do to protect yourself.)

My anecdotes --

• In the weeks leading up to my exit at the old job, 3 similar incidents seemed to indicate that the "spirits," Powers That Be, cosmic universe -- you name it -- were trying to tell me something. Like maybe I'd made the right decision?:
  • 3 weeks prior: It was about 10:30p and I was in the office. I heard a thud behind me, but when I turned around, I couldn't see what had caused the noise and didn't think anything of it. The next morning, I walked around the side of my cube I'd heard the noise from and found my office name plate (heavy) had not only fallen, but it'd fallen and bounced over to 1 side... behind my waste basket (3 inches away!). Keep in mind that that name plate had remained in place for nearly 9 months without a problem.
  • 2 weeks prior: 1 afternoon, a night editor came around that same side of my cube to ask me a question and found my name plate had dropped again, straight down this time. 2-3 mornings later, my cube mate (different department) beside/across from me (about 10 feet separated us) and I happened to be facing each other when my name plate once again made a leap through the air... and landed in the span of carpet between us. We both gave each other an, "It must be a sign" look and hastily averted our gazes. I left the thing there and someone else later picked it up for me. I ended up anchoring the thing with push pins (hey! Thrice was enough!)
• As part of my new job's responsibilities, I follow up with physician authors for whom I have queries. There are a pair whom I've been unable to get responses via e-mail, so I phoned them in the same time period, twice for each within moments of each individual call (redial button!), with slightly differing results.
• For 1, a receptionist forwarded my call to the physician's voicemail... which wasn't active. When I called back, I was told he was on vacation the entire week...
• For the other, I called the UK and wasn't able to get through. I immediately tried again and reached what sounded like a mobile phone's voicemail... that had no identifying name but did mention the number. I left a message, but for all I know, some innocent person received that garbled mess. Hey! Don't mock my nonexistent NYC accent!
• I contacted another physician... and discovered too late that my list of queries was misnumbered, which he naturally couldn't help but notice (in a nice way). What a way to make a great impression. I did mention I edit for a living, right? Gah.
• I was able to meet up with my and Socially Inept's friend (climbergurl from our university days), who had driven in from Massachusetts.
• Through a series of traffic diversions and "normal" NYC congestion, her schedule was entirely thrown off and we ended up in rush hour traffic in Manhattan, then trying to navigate the, er, interesting streets/roads/avenues/terraces of Queens to first pick up Socially Inept from work and, second, to eat at a restaurant that our friend had a hankering for.
• During a lively dining experience (ie, raucous), we discussed job woes (them), dating (climbergurl), traveling (them), infants and kids (mutual friends'), culinary delights (ours), astrology/horoscopes/fate (general), politics (domestic and international)
• After a full meal, I underwent the embarrassment of having my pants, um, split. Yes, go on. I'll allow you a few moments of great mirth and hilarity at my expense. Don't bother holding back now. I can see your smirks; if you hold back your guffaws much longer, you'll split as wide as my pants did. Okay. Done now? Let me clarify. My pants split but not where one would expect such things, namely the seat or waist band. No. I, being the singularly unique moi (no modesty here!), found that the seam along 1 side of the zipper had parted. I comfort myself in the face of your massive amusement with the rationalization that the jeans were old and frayed... and that the seam along both sides of the zipper was sewn along a very small flap of material. All true, by the way. Not that I'm not trying to divert attention or anything. Righto. Moving on now....
• My home computer has clearly decided that it regards me as its most loathsome and weevilest enemy. The overhaul it underwent earlier in the year is not holding up well, with the following results:
• It's corrupting files left, right and center... in random fashion.
• It no longer recognizes rtf files, and opening doc files can be hit-and-miss.
• I thought my work computer was working quite well. Then my boss mentioned this neato fax/phone function combined with Outlook...
• I tried to install the program myself and was unable to. Don't laugh! I did everything right. Honest!
• I entered a job ticket (a Thursday) and got a response the following Monday from a very nice gent. He started to install the program, then discovered a whole host of issues with the thing. After spending an hour with the recalcitrant machine, including doing a bunch of uninstallations and reinstallations (good thing I'm still too new to have a bunch of files stored yet!), he determined that he'd have the rebuild the system on a new machine... which took the poor man 4 days. I felt terrible for him. On the other hand, I think everything is fine now and I can use the speakers and my headphones, lol. (Yes, now you know where my true priorities are.)

Well, I imagine you must be near blind by now, so I'm stopping here. I still won't be able to do my blog-visiting just yet but I hope to be on track by the end of the month.

Wafting gargantuan best wishes to you all!

T.

In Memoriam...

The question that most often comes up in periods of great tragedy (or celebration) is where were you/what were you doing when you heard the news?

On 11 September 2001 when the first hijacked plane hit one of the two World Trade Center Towers, I had been home for about 10 minutes and was proofreading some medical journal articles when my mom called to check on me, to see if I had arrived home safely because she'd heard the news on the radio at work.

I turned on the TV -- something I'd not done for many years, with the exception of the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa. That's when I found out the second tower had been hit and, later, the Pentagon and still yet, a field in Pennsylvania. Through the days that followed, the news media ran nonstep the stories of those who had been killed and those who were searching for their loved ones. The tales of heroism were many and so, too, sadly enough, the beginnings of fraud and offers of false hope.


I had worked the midnight to 8 a.m. shift at a company in the World Financial Center, a mere 1 block west of the North Tower. The subway line that I usually took took to work and home was one among several that ran directly beneath the Twin Towers and that was crushed under millions of tons of concrete and steel when the first tower fell.

I was fortunate to have not tarried too long and to not have personally known anyone who died that day. Some of my coworkers, both those coming off the 3rd shift and those arriving for the 1st shift, were there to view firsthand when both towers were hit. They were also there to see the countless lives lost and the terrible destruction of property.

I ended up working for 2 months in a building 2 blocks east of the North Tower and saw first hand the damage that was wrought: one of the windows in the building was massive -- and overlooked the North Tower site, as well as the small church between Ground Zero and where I worked. Every night and morning as I traveled to work and back home, respectively, the atmosphere was somber and the sights, smells and sounds indescribable. No words I could say and no picture you could view could possibly do justice to that scene. Today, however, if you were to go to Ground Zero, as it is now called, you would think it's just another construction site, albeit a rather large one and more pristine than most.

On a day that is sure to bring forth many terrible as well as triumphant memories and stories, I wish peace to those spirits who are no longer with us, to those who remain behind and to the regions in the world that are still suffering under war, deprivation and disease.

Yes, let us not forget what has gone before, but let us also not forget those who are still in need.

May you all remain safe and well.

Get in on the Action

Please help to stop genocide and other atrocities in Darfur.

Double Points for Free Mammograms and Free Books Coming to an End

Through Saturday, May 27, 283.8 free mammograms and over 39,540 free books have been achieved!

Please click daily at The Breast Cancer Site and The Literacy Site --

each click is worth double until Wednesday, May 31.

Indonesian Earthquake

The large earthquake in Indonesia is expected to result in casualties topping 3,500.

Please consider donating money or supplies to 1 and/or the following or other relief organizations:

Doctors Without Borders/ Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
The Red Cross
Relief International
UNICEF

Thanks.

Addendum 5/28

The death toll has exceeded 4,600.

Another charity, Mercy Corps, like the ones above, also has options for the following:

Wherever the funds are needed
Emergency response
Indonesian earthquake
Gaza crisis
Darfur crisis
Pakistan earthquake
Katrina rebuilding