Books in News #8

A wrap-up of recent events, announcements, releases, or other news circulating the web.

Welcome back my amazing followers and lurkers, today is Books in News #8, your weekly fix of all things written and other related matters.

Let’s begin this round with positive news. The comic books fever has never truly receded. Each year we see announcements of any given attempt at reinventing the genre and bring it forth to a new generation. Although I don’t personally read comic books, not currently anyways, I have grown loving them and respect the various forms of empowerment that they inspire. So this particular bit of news brought a smile to my face when I read it, and still does. Being a comic book fan has no age, gender, or even nationality, it has become a multicultural phenomenon. So it’s really no surprise that little kids want to emulate their favorite powerful and cool characters. So is the case of Anthony Smith, a 4-year-old who refused to wear a hearing aid because superheroes do not wear them. This kid’s parents contacted none other than Marvel, asking whether or not there was a superhero that had some extra help. Marvel replied that yes, Hawkeye had used a hearing aid before his hearing was restored. However, in true superhero fashion, Marvel went above and beyond and created a completely new super called Blue Ear, a hero that can rescue the innocent bystanders thanks to his hearing aid. Inspire kids’ dreams and help them realize that they are incredible no matter what, now that is what I call Super!

News: Goodreads Q&A with Jeaniene Frost (Original Transcript)

Hello my amazing followers and lurkers, I’m calling forth all Jeaniene Frost’s Fans to come out of the woodwork!! The Goodreads Group Gotta Have Paranormal Romance with a Kick had a Q&A with the author of the Night Huntress, Night Huntress World and Night Prince novels! I went through the thread and have prepared a transcript for your enjoyment; get ready to get some first-hand news straight from Jeaniene Frost’s keyboard ~.^

The dynamic was that fans will write questions and for two hours Mrs. Frost answered them. The questions will be in bold and the name of the user that originally posted it will be underlined. If I have to make a comment of any sort the text will be in pink. I will transcribe them as the original posted wrote them; I will not change their questions, or the answers.

I will try to get reorganize the questions so that I can distill the information for easier (and faster) access. Those will go on another post later this (or next) week; in the meantime, here is the original transcript in the order that Jeaniene answered the questions:

Jeaniene: Hi everyone! Thanks so much to the moderators for inviting me to come out tonight, and thanks so much to YOU for keeping me from being lonely ;-). I'll start answering the questions already posted, but please feel to free to ask away on any new ones.

Elizabeth wrote: "Are u gona write more then nine Cat and Bones books?Please say yes"

Jeaniene: Sorry, I have to say no. Since I started their series, I knew how it would end, and each book brings Cat and Bones closer to their final resolution. Besides, they've earned some time away from the evils of my keyboard, righ? *wink*

Emily wrote: "Ms. Frost, How did you come up with your first book idea? Also, how long did it take you to write it?"

Jeaniene: I came up with the idea for Cat and Bones from a dream. I've always had very vivid dreams and as a teen, I used to write them down and make little (unfinished) stories out of them. Anyway, right around the time that I was having a mild meltdown about turning 30 and having done nothing toward my goal of being an author one day, I had a dream where I saw a half-vampire woman arguing with a full vampire man about why she'd left him years before. In the dream, I knew she still loved him and hadn't wanted to leave, but felt like she had no choice. I also knew he'd been looking for her that whole time and was NOT going to go away quietly. When I woke up, I kept thinking about those people and wondering who they were and how they'd gotten to that point (let alone a half-vampire and a vampire together? How did that happen?). Answering those questions eventually become my first book, Halfway to the Grave.

As for a timeline, I have some detailed information about that here: http://frost-light.livejournal.com/107613.html

t'irla ~aka s'layer~ wrote: "I adore your books! When can we expect Ian's book I love his bad boy self:) Will Tate and the boys be making a come back in the future? I also get a big kick out of Cat's Mom and I know she loved Rodney but Will she be meeting someone else and getting her HEA? I have a million more questions but will give others a chance :)"

Straight to Heaven Blog Tour: Author Interview

Hello my amazing followers and lurkers, today I'm hosting my second stop on the Straight to Heaven Blog Tour for Michelle Scott. Yesterday I brought you my review of the first book on this series. Today I'm bringing you an interview with the author!

Michelle Scott received her MFA from Wayne State University. Her stories have appeared in such places as Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, All Possible Worlds and Realms. Her fantasy novel, The Dragons of Hazlett was nominated for a 2009 EPPIE Award. Michelle’s YA novels include the vampire romance, Blood Sisters, and the fantasy Uncommon Magic. Her latest fantasy novel, An Anthem for the Battle Lands, was recently released from Mundania Press, LLC. Michelle lives in southeast Michigan with her husband and three children.

Interview:

First of all, Welcome to Journey with Words and thank you for stopping by to answer a couple of questions and to let my readers get to know you a bit better.

Michelle: Thank you so much for hosting me! I’m glad to be here.

Q: Tell me a bit about yourself.

Michelle: I’m a pretty average person (a middle-aged mother of three) who loves to read and write urban fantasy. I’m also a huge movie buff and am addicted to movie theater popcorn with extra butter and Milkduds. I’ve been writing for nearly twenty-five years which is as long as I’ve been married. Since my husband is a teacher, in the summers, we love to make road trips with our kids. So far, our favorite vacation spot has been Glacier National Park in Montana because it reminds us all of the Lord of the Rings movies, lol.

Q: What types of stories do you turn to when you want to read a book? Are you a Paranormal Romance girl, or do you like them more action oriented, more grounded on reality than fantasy… what genre you prefer the most?

Michelle: I’m urban fantasy through and through! Although I do enjoy PNR, I’m more about action than romance. For a while, I was reading a lot of science fiction and horror, but I’ve changed my obsession to witches and demons. I also read a lot of non-genre and historical fiction. I have to admit that I love interpersonal drama and emotional. Strong characters are what win me over every time.

Q: When did you realize that writing was your passion?

Review: Straight to Hell by Michelle Scott

Title: Straight to Hell
Series: Lilith Straight, Book 1
Author: Michelle Scott (Click to read Interview)
Publisher: Self Published
Length: 179 Pages (approximately)
Publication Date: September 8, 2011
Reviewed Format: MOBI Format provided by the author
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Lilly Straight had it all, the husband, the daughter, the house, the money, the perfect life we all dream about every now and then. But after a series of events force her to give up her haute couture life style, Lilly most find a way to make ends meet if she wants to be able to support her family. It is at that moment that you belief you have begun to figure things out that life chooses to play one of its crazy cards and literary turn your world topsy-turvi. That is exactly what happens to Lilly, thanks to an accident she was sent straight to hell and now must honor a bargain with a demon done by one of her ancestors some generations back in order to be able to continue to care for her family. As succubi, Lilly must tempt people so that they fall to their doom, but is she capable of sacrificing other’s souls in order to save her own?

Straight to Hell was a surprising reading with a story that once it has grabs you it refuses to let go. The story mixes the typical aspects and struggles of everyday life while adding as extra pressure the paranormal realm to create a compelling story with the age old battle of good vs evil. The book follows the life of a struggling mother trying to find her footing after practically losing all she was used to and finding herself barely able to scrape by for survival. To top things off she has to look after her nice and her irresponsible younger sister. And as if that wasn’t enough there is a very sexy incubus who’s giving the rounds around our heroine.

Pavlov’s Dogs Blog Tour

Welcome back my amazing followers and lurkers. Today I have for you a taste of a new Dystopian book called Pavlov’s Dogs. Let’s give a warm welcome to the authors behind this novel: D.L. Snell and Thom Brannan. So stick around because I have the authors' bio, a book synopsis and a excerpt for your enjoyment.

So who are these authors you may ask?

D.L. SNELL is an acclaimed novelist from the Pacific Northwest. Anthologies include Pocket Books’ Blood Lite series, edited by best-selling author Kevin J. Anderson. Snell’s first novel, Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines, also attained critical acclaim from popular novelists such as New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry.

Where can you stalk him? You can find Mr. Snell @:

• Goodreads
• His Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

THOM BRANNAN (est. 1976) has been a submariner, a nuclear operator, an electrician and now works on an offshore drilling platform. He lives in or around Austin, Texas, with his lovely wife, Kitty, a boy, a girl, a cat and a dog.

Where can you stalk him? You can find Mr. Brannan @:

• Goodreads
• Amazon

So what exactly is Pavlov’s Dogs about?

Zombies Versus Werewolves: Who Will Win?

Pavlov’s Dogs is a new action, sci-fi, horror novel that answers the burning question all fans want to know.

With the rise in popularity of zombie fiction, readers have been dying to know which monster can beat the walking dead. Novelists Thom Brannan and D.L. Snell answer one of those questions in their newest book, PAVLOV’S DOGS (Permuted Press).

PAVLOV’S features genetically enhanced werewolves designed to operate as spec ops soldiers. They can transform at will and are fearsome killing machines. When the dead rise, the mastermind behind the Dogs wishes to unleash his creations against the undead hordes and send them on rescue missions to bring survivors back to his island. But many members of the doctor’s team raise critical questions: The Dogs are still prototypes, untested. What happens if they’re not ready for battle and their systems fail? More importantly, what happens when a Dog gets bitten by an infected human? Can the werewolves win out against the hordes?

Books in News #7

A wrap-up of recent events, announcements, releases, or other news circulating the web.

Welcome to the 7th installment of Books in News. Today’s news are from the week between Sunday May 13, 2012 and Saturday May 19, 2012.

Let’s begin with some TV news, the CW has officially canceled two of its new series, The Ringer and Secret Circle, while renewing Hart of Dixie and ANTM. Now, I actually like (and might be one of the apparent few by the sounds of the fans) Hart of Dixie, but I think that ANTM has run its course, but that is just me.

In book news, a study suggests that you are what you read, yup, just like you read it. According to a new study published at the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, connecting with our favorite characters might, unconsciously, make us replicate their actions and belief systems in real life. Apparently those who read books with good protagonists do more good actions, while those who read books with evil protagonists (say, a serial killer) are more inclined to justify the character’s actions. It's an interesting concept, I guess the same can also be argued about TV programs and movies.

Movie Review: The Avengers

Movie: Marvel’s The Avengers
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 143 minutes
Format: Regular and 3D
Rating: PG–13
Studio: Marvel Studios
Country: USA
Language: English
Official Website: http://marvel.com/avengers_movie/

Director: Joss Whedon
Producer: Kevin Feige
Writer: Joss Whedon

Music: Alan Silvestri
Based on: The Avengers by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Cast: Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson

Release Date: May 4, 2012
Find it: In a theater and Imax theater near you
Scores:

• Metacritic: 69/100 (critics); 8.6/10 (users)  
• Rotten Tomatoes: Fresh: 93% (critics); 96% (users)  
• My rating: ★★★★★

No wonder the movie has made millions, it’s amazing! It is the funniest of all the superhero movies to date. Now I want to see it again.

Did you saw Thor? If you did, know this, Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) is back and with a thirst for vengeance. If you didn’t saw that movie, Loki is Thor’s adopted little brother, who believes he is the only one fit enough to be king.

So Loki is back searching to get revenge on Thor by taking over Earth and subjugating every last human being, whom he compares to ants. Yup, according to Loki, we are ants and he is the boot. His weapon of choice to take over worlds? The Tesseract, known in the comic universe as The Cosmic Cube; it’s a self-sustained source of immeasurable power. Humans (world leaders) want to use it and uncover its secrets to solve the worldwide energy crisis –or so they say– while Loki has other plans for it. So naturally, humans are scrambling in order to avoid succumbing to Loki’s reign of terror. In comes Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) closely follow by Agent Coulson (played by Clark Gregg) with a plan, a last hope that will prove either the perfect solution or the biggest mistake ever; The Avengers Initiative.

Review: The City of Eternal Hope

Title: The City of Eternal Hope
Series: Standalone
Author: Rina Grant
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Length: 14 Pages (approximate)
Publication Date: January 10, 2012
Reviewed Format: Kindle Edition
My Rating: ★★★★☆

A good short story about the decisions we make in life and the consequences that arise from them. The City of Eternal Hope tells the sorry of Bhasset, a female demon, and her downfall from grace. Bhasset’s job is to lure unsuspected humans into willingly give away their souls to her. But when she sets her eyes on Tim she doesn’t realizes that her doom is close. This is a (as far as I’m aware) a kindle only short story of approximately 14 pages long. To tell you more about it will give away the whole plot, but if all you want is to read a quick story that makes you rethink your choices in life you can check this one out.

ARC Review: Gabriel by M.A Abraham

Title: Gabriel
Series: Elven Chronicles, Book 1
Author: M.A. Abraham
Publisher: Smashwords Edition
Length: 183 pages
Publication Date: 2012
Reviewed Format: Advance Reading Copy in PDF
My Rating: ★★★★☆

Book Description:

"He has returned from the wars a hero to his people, savior of their Empire and honored as such, but his world is empty, despite the peace he has won for his people. There is no light where he lives, no soft touch to comfort him, to push away the darkness of his memories. He lives only to serve his King and the world he lives in. He is the High Lord General Gabriel Eagle Claw, Commander of the Combined Elven forces sent into the outside world to bring their people home he travels with his troop to the valley where he has been told they await his coming. She is like a forest creature, wild and free. Warrior trained alongside her brothers. She guards the life and spirit of the forests that surround them, as well as those who live in the valley with them. She also guards a secret, for she is more than just a simple Elven maiden tending to the care of the elements they live in. Bur when blue eyes meet silver each knows they have met their Life Mate, but such things are not as quickly accepted as they are recognized. He would have order in his ranks, she must be free to mark her own trail, he would bind her, tie her, control her. She would test his patience and will to the limit, and challenge his rights to own what she would not give freely."

Review: 

One of the main reasons I love the fantasy genre so much is for its epic worlds and descriptions. The adventures have a monumental feeling with a wonderful lore supporting the main story arc. That is exactly what I got when I read Gabriel.

Books in News #6

A wrap-up of recent events, announcements, releases, or other news circulating the web.

Hello my amazing followers and lurkers and welcome to another edition of Books in News. Like I mentioned in last week’s meme, May is a pretty busy academic month for me so today’s meme will be on the short side. Sorry for that, I’ll try to make it up on future posts.

If you are a Jeaniene Frost fan you most know by now that a new spin-off series of the Night Huntress will hit stands next month. The new series, called Night Prince, will feature the always funny, hot, Romanian vampire Vlad Tepesh and his Leila, his love interest. Well, reviews from the ARCs of the first book, Once Burned are popping up in various blogs, among them, author Charlaine Harris added her two cents to what I know will soon turn into an avalanche of reviews. Another post and giveaway of the book is being currently hosted by Vampire Book Club.

Now let’s move on from vampires to witches. Kim Harrison’s next installment on The Hollows series has a new publication date. Lately the books have been published on February of each year, but not the next book. Ever-After, the next book about Rachel Morgan and her journey is expected to hit stands on January 22, 2013.

And in news of another of my favorite authors, the next book on the Fever Series, Iced: A Dani O’Malley Novel, is already available for pre-order. Check your favorite buying spot for the book. In the meantime here are the links to Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

That is it for today, thank you for stopping by.