Site Updates…

So, to say I have been behind in regular updates is a massive understatement. I am always whining about being behind, but my recent computer problems got me way off schedule. Since Earl is up and running now, I have 10 pages of new releases to add to the upcoming release pages. That hopefully will be finished by the end of the week. I also have to update the monthly releases with the new cover art that has come out recently. Aaaand, it looks like it is about time to add the new release pages for 2014 – which is scary. Hard to believe how fast time is flying.

On a side note, PhoenixFyre has sent over her notes for the latest Lara Adrian book, Edge of Dawn. That means that the Midnight Breed guide will also be updated shortly to include all released books. She is also working on a Black Dagger Brotherhood guide, and that will be upped shortly after Lover at Last is released.

I still plan on adding an author page for Chloe Neill, but not sure when that will be up and running. The goal is to one day have a character guide for the Chicagoland Vampires series, but that will be a ways down the line.

And finally, I am thinking that it is time to drop the Jacquelyn Frank author page. I find my interest in her books has faded (I didn’t even read the last few books), and it would be one less to try and keep updated.

That is about it. It looks like things might be a bit disrupted for the next few days, so once again sorry for any inconvenience.

Pick of the Week…

Ok, I am totally cheating this post. I have not one, but two picks for this week – but to be fair it is one adult and one young adult, so that must count for something, right? One of last year’s projects was to read the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill, so I am looking very forward to book number seven, House Rules.

Synopsis…

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of 27, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal —tested like never before.

It started with two . . . Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

Chicagoland Vampires reading list HERE.

And my second must-have this week is from Richelle Mead. I really liked the Vampire Academy series, and even though I could’ve slapped Sydney with how the last book ended, I believe she will redeem herself in this one, The Indigo Spell.

Synopsis…

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch–a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood–or else she might be next.

Bloodlines reading list HERE.

Which one is on your must read list this week?

Resolutions – Past and Future

It is that time of year again – time to see how I did with last year’s reading resolutions, and decide what my goals are for 2013.  Looking back, I actually did way better than I thought I would, but I had a couple of missteps.  My goals for 2012 were to read to read the Mercy Thompson series from Patricia Briggs, which I did (and loved).  I also was determined to read Chloe Neill‘s Chicagoland Vampire series, which I also did (and also really enjoyed.  Except for the…you know).  I also got caught up on Jeaniene Frost‘s Night Huntress series, which is another favorite than I just somehow got behind on.  My other resolution was to read every day, even if only a couple of pages.  For the most part, I managed it, so I will also call that a win.

On the could have done better side, I had vowed to finish the Character Guide for Lora Leigh‘s Breeds series.  Er, well…yeah.  Still in progress.  I have been working on it, I swear (but I might have taken a few months off).  That would be the big failure, for sure.

So, that leads me to my reading goals for 2013, which really read pretty much like the ones for 2012.  Here goes…

• I will read, and complete a character guide, for Karen Marie Moning‘s Fever series.  Really looking forward to this, even though I have only so far read the first book.
• I will have read whatever books are being adapted into movies before the films come out (Beautiful Creatures, The Host, Hush, Hush, etc).  If I don’t do it this way, they will sit on the shelves next to my unread Harry Potter and Twilight books.
• I will learn to cut my losses sooner.  No more trying to force myself to like a book that just doesn’t do it for me.  Move on, already.
• I will manage to get up to date, and keep up to date, on existing character guides.
• I WILL FINISH THE BREEDS CHARACTER GUIDE.  OR ELSE.

Looks like that is about it for me – just a matter of better time management on my part.  I am one of those nerd-people who need rules to follow or I slack off.  What do you have planned?  Did you manage to do what you hoped with in 2012, or did time just sort of slip away from you, too?  In case I don’t get to say it before hand, have a happy New Year’s, everyone!

Cover Lover – 7 New Titles

I have been a good girl and doing the updating, and on my quest I have found a couple of new covers over at Goodreads and Amazon.  J.A. London‘s third Darkness Before Dawn book, After Daybreak, will be released on June 25th.

Another one from the young adult isle is Shutdown from Heather Anastasiu.  This is the third book of the Glitch series, due out on July 2nd.

The hardcover re-releasing of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series from J.R. Ward continues on.  This time around it is book four, Lover Revealed.  Look for it on July 2nd.  I like the fact that they kept the same feel for the re-releases, the same art and colors.  I would not have been impressed if there had been a redo, since I do love everything to line up.

The Chicagoland Vampires series from Chloe Neill have great covers, and this next one is no exception.  Biting Bad, book number eight in the series, is due out on August 6th.

Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Dianne Duvall, and Hannah Jayne will release an anthology, Predatory, next May 7th.  I do know that in this one Alexandra starts her new Sentinels series, and Dianne continues her Immortal Guardians stories.  Sounds good.

Now, I was not kind about the cover of the first book in the Seven Signs series from Erica Hayes.  Dude had some sort of belly shirt…chain mail…thing…going on, and it was not a good look.  I can handle the Redemption cover a bit better, even though I can’t quite tell what he is wearing.  Except that it looks like it is made of human skin.  Aaand it is still better than the first book.  Look for Redemption on March 5th.

And the final one for today is from Kat Richardson‘s Greywalker series.  Possession is due out on August 6th.

She Drives Me Crazy

We all talk about the books, characters, and authors we love (I am particularly annoying when I start to gush and have my fangirl moments).  So, not meaning to offend anyone, I decided to do a post about the other side of the coin…what drives me crazy, annoys the face off of me, or generally makes an impression in all the wrong ways.

• least favorite series I forced myself to read through to the bitter end – Sons of Destiny by Jean Johnson.  As I am badly known for, I tend to buy all of the books in a series before I start reading the first one, assuming I will of course feel the love.  Nope.  I liked precisely one character in the entire series, Morg, and I read the books solely to follow his development until his story came along…in the last book.  I decided part way in that Jean Johnson’s writing style just didn’t fit my reading needs, since more often than not I was angry at the books, the characters, and myself for buying them.  I did some sort of odd fist-pumping happy dance when I was finished, yelling that “they didn’t beat me!”  And they still sit on my shelves, because I am too stubborn to throw $100worth of books away.
• least favorite character.  EVER. – Kelly from Sons of Destiny by Jean Johnson.  This is perhaps the easiest question I could ever answer, since my loathing was so absolute.  Random normal chick gets sucked through a portal to another dimension, of course with the specific skill-set (sewing, butter churning, etc) to not only survive but thrive on this somewhat rustic island, and proclaims herself Queen and supreme ruler.  Now you must remember her only superpower is to channel her inner domestic goddess and turn some curtain fabric or something into a cover for her throne – and a matching “court” outfit.  And everyone else on the island is a mage with actual special powers.  Oh, and she is featured prominently in all eight books.  Since she is queen and all.  I so wanted her to die.
• character I should love but didn’t – Ethan Sullivan from Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill.  I liked the books.  Liked the characters and the storyline and the world.  Wasn’t that fond of Ethan.  Heroes usually can do no wrong for me, but he hand-rung and back-tracked more than a victorian maiden, and was the king of mixed signals “want you…need you…can’t have you..can’t stay away from you…want you more than ever…but wait…”.  He did redeem himself in the last couple of books, but I am still not on the bandwagon.  Yet.
• least favorite storyline – Intrepid Female Reporter.  Ever since back in the days of Lois Lane, I have not liked this storyline, but paranormal romance has taken my distaste for this to a whole new level.  Usually the story goes like this – sassy female reporter starts digging into a series of mysterious events.  Hot alpha hero tries stop intrepid female reporter from finding out the truth about whatever he is, and exposing his secrets to the world.  Sassy female being, well, intrepid, finds herself in approximately 312 dangerous supernatural situations that said hot alpha hero must rescue her from (of course after warning her that BAD THINGS would happen).  Intrepid must find “the truth” no matter what the cost , and after a long state of disbelief comes to accept that  vamps/weres/gargoyles/angels really do exist.  And in the case of Shayla Black‘s Doomsday Brethren series, firecracker reporter Sydney Blair becomes the voice of the supernaturals, doing live news broadcasts through a magic mirror.  Complete with her own slogan.
• most eye-rolling author – Christine Feehan.  Now, I have every book from every series that Christine Feehan has written.  They are my guilty pleasure (along with the Breeds), but she can make my eyes roll like no other.  What absolutely kills me every time is the info dump we get on characters.  For example, in the latest Ghostwalkers book Samurai Game, Sam Johnson is a former army ranger, trainer, hand to hand combat expert war hero linguistics expert with degrees in molecular biology, biochemistry, astrophysics and nuclear physics.   His teammate Jonas Harper is an expert pickpocket master of disguise cat burglar who grew up throwing knives in the circus.  I roll my eyes so hard I am surprised I don’t give myself a headache.  Oh, and the main characters, in the middle of their supposed first sexual encounter, stop to have a four page discussion on nanite technology and micro-biology.

So, what makes you cringe, cry, or turn your books into a wallbanger?  Any series you just can’t hack anymore, or any plot device that makes you crazed?

Pick of the Week

There were so, so many new books hitting the shelves this week – I think it was the biggest release week so far this year, actually.  I am reading the Chicagoland Vampires series by Chloe Neill right now, so I am looking forward to this week’s release of Biting Cold.  And Lora Leigh‘s Breeds is one very, very guilty indulgence, so I am happy Stygian’s Honor is on the way.  But my pick of the week is actually the final book from Christina Dodd‘s Chosen Ones series, Wilder.  The thing about this series is that it doesn’t follow “normal” rules, with things like timeline jumps to move the story along.  This one was never a top-tier series for me, but it was a good, solid read that I quite enjoyed.

Synopsis…

As a young man, Aleksandr Wilder abandoned his duty–and for that lapse, he was tortured, tormented … and transformed.  Now he prowls the tunnels beneath the city, fighting on the frontline against the forces of hell, never daring to dream that he can live as a man again.

After seven years fighting the world’s ultimate evil, Chosen One Charisma Fangorn has become a tough, strong warrior without illusions or joy…even her gift of hearing the earthsong has faded.  Deaf to her own instincts, she never suspects that a monster lurks in the dark underneath the streets.

When Aleksandr finds Charisma under attack, he rescues and cares for her, and hope stirs once more in his heart…and in the world. But in the secret recesses of his soul, he knows the truth. A woman so exceptional woman never love a beast…could she?

The Chosen Ones reading list can be found HERE.

So, what are you excited to get your hands on this week?

Cover Lover – House Rules

I love these covers.  I have all of the Chloe Neill Chicagoland Vampire books on the TBR pile…actually, they have their own shelf…and they are some of the best looking books I have.  This new one, for February’s House Rules, is no exception.

This and That…

Not a lot going on, but a few new things have come up this past few days…

• Looks like there is a push back for the first book of Gena Showalter‘s upcoming Otherworld Assassin series.  Last Kiss Goodnight was scheduled for November 27th, but it is now looking like a February 1st release.
• The next book of the Chicagoland Vampire series from Chloe Neill will be called House Rules.  Look for it next February.
• A Love Untamed is the title of the upcoming seventh Feral Warriors book from Pamela Palmer.  It will be out on December 26th.
• There will be a novella from the Moon Shifter’s series by Katie Reus coming this August, called Lover’s Instinct.
• Cassie Alexander‘s second Nightshifted book, Moonshifted, will be released late November.  It will be followed by Deadshifted next year.
• And finally, some info is available about the next couple of Christine Warren The Others books.  November 27′s Drive Me Wild is a re-write of Fur For All, which featured Tess and Rafael.  April 3013 will see the release of Hungry Like a Wolf, which is a re-write of Fur Play.  This one is Logan and Honor’s story.

Pick of the Week…

Well, my pick of the week is a bit of a strange choice for me to make, since it is the fifth book in a series I haven’t even started yet.  Drink Deep is the much anticipated new entry in the Chicagoland Vampires series from Chloe Neill – the first four of which are waiting for me to read.  But since the last one ended on what I understand is the grand-daddy of all cliffhangers, I decided to wait for this one to be released before I start.  Cliffhangers = evil.

Blurb…

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.

Biting Cold will follow on August 7th.

Cover Lover – Biting Cold

Imagine my surprise today when I went over to Chloe Neill‘s website to see what was going on, and saw the bigger than life cover for her next Chicagoland Vampires book, Biting Cold.  It is not due out until next August, so I never planned on actually seeing a cover.  I have the whole series on the TBR mountain, but I am waiting for the release of this one to start them since people warned me of a horrible cliffhanger in the last one.