tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60142954738036640422024-03-14T03:18:16.407-04:00The Book SwarmAll A-Buzz About Awesome BooksMary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.comBlogger1109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-88118021631237392492014-07-07T08:09:00.001-04:002014-07-07T08:09:35.167-04:00Moving to Wordpress...soon!I've been working with the lovely<a href="http://www.parajunkee.com/"> Rachel of Parajunkee</a> to move The Book Swarm to Wordpress and update my look (I love my pup pics but it's definitely time for an update).<br />
<br />
We're in the final steps of moving the rest of my social stuff and graphics and things (and this is why I needed to hire someone who *knows* versus me doing it myself) so I'm taking a few days off blogging as I figure out how to use Wordpress. Um...it's a bit confusing, especially after the simplicity of Blogger. I think I'm going to be fumbling for a while. (Don't you love how I use the word "we" when it's really Rachel doing all the work. She's fab.) I'm hoping to be fully moved and forwarded this week (yes? maybe?).<br />
<br />
Any suggestions for a Wordpress noob? Rachel installed a bunch of plug-ins including the Book Blogger one that <a href="http://www.nosegraze.com/">Nose Graze</a> created. Any others you can't live without?Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-17938689455448920142014-07-04T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-04T00:00:07.523-04:00Happy Fourth of July, 'Merica!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Happy 4th of July, fellow Americans!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Everyone else: TGIF!</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDnrkkdLhtqbE1Xm62VQRwmszneLt1yBNe5w_lX6EaRBrXl2VKUbOzu1s2h_QCsUedf_It-Zltln0vEkd0-3BugSWMdCukgyqcvfg5oQTIDk0yRcISmCBZADELxsrSXOXwIdi2h1n7HQ/s1600/IMG_0157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDnrkkdLhtqbE1Xm62VQRwmszneLt1yBNe5w_lX6EaRBrXl2VKUbOzu1s2h_QCsUedf_It-Zltln0vEkd0-3BugSWMdCukgyqcvfg5oQTIDk0yRcISmCBZADELxsrSXOXwIdi2h1n7HQ/s1600/IMG_0157.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A favorite puppy picture from the 4th last year. </div>
Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-42505033360380937252014-07-03T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-03T00:00:06.759-04:00Speed Date (and Giveaway!) with Wynter: THE WINTER KING by C.L. Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FiSY-7RUf0evpfHA2FTozuVMc1-7y29hZCvFFGZuLAIobVxZ0frCQFdUImJcZFGwoT9BQGlTiJW5CnOrwPcUWwDI6zgnnmU1lzSFGNRA8_V-Jhlz0srXKvnk2ml_Bs1QTVPiE6xOCzY/s1600/10485751+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FiSY-7RUf0evpfHA2FTozuVMc1-7y29hZCvFFGZuLAIobVxZ0frCQFdUImJcZFGwoT9BQGlTiJW5CnOrwPcUWwDI6zgnnmU1lzSFGNRA8_V-Jhlz0srXKvnk2ml_Bs1QTVPiE6xOCzY/s1600/10485751+(1).jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10485751-the-winter-king"><span style="color: #0b5394;">THE WINTER KING by C.L. Wilson</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Fantasy Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">594 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Available July 29, 2014</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Publisher: Avon</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Review copy provided by publisher</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Wynter Atrialan, the Winter King, once lived in peace with his southern, Summerlander neighbors, but when the prince of Summerlea steals Wynter’s bride and murders his young brother, Wynter calls upon a dangerous Wintercraig magic called the Ice Heart and marches against Summerlea.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>After three bitter years of battle, a victorious Wynter arrives at Summerlea’s royal palace to issue his terms of surrender. The prince of Summerlea stole Wynter’s bride and slew Wynter’s Heir. He wants the loss replaced. The Ice Heart is consuming him. Wynter hopes holding his own child in his arms will rekindle the warmth in his heart before he becomes the monster of Wintercraig legend, the Ice King.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>The Summer King has three very precious daughters whom he loves dearly. Wynter will take one of them to wife. She will have one year to provide him with an Heir. If she fails, he will send her to face the mercy of the mountains and claim another princess for his wife. And so it will continue until Wynter has his Heir or the Summer King is out of daughters.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>The plan is perfect—except for one small detail. The Summer King has a fourth daughter. One of whom he is not so fond. And she is a fiercely passionate creature, with a temper as volatile as the forces of her weathergift, the power of storms.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b>FIRST DATE</b>: I'm in love. Yes. It's insta-love. See, it can happen! (Just not in, like, every YA book ever.) This is my first C.L. Wilson...however, as soon as I finished it, I bought and read her entire Tairen Souls series. Yep. Read it in about five days. Why isn't there more fantasy romance like this out there? Like Tairen Souls? I need it. I crave it with every fiber of my being. *shakes it off* Maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but I can't help it. I got so wrapped up in this drama-filled world.<br />
<br />
<b>SECOND DATE</b>: Princess Khamsin is as wild as the storms she calls out of the skies. Hated by her father, she's beaten into agreeing to marry their conqueror, Wynter. Wynter, of course, doesn't trust her as far as he can throw her but he can't deny the passion between them, the spark that jumps every time their skin touches. I don't know what it is about characters who come into situations where they have to prove themselves, where they are determined to win over the people and their lover. I'm drawn to it. I suppose it's the underdog complex -- typical American, wanting the underdog to win. And I was rooting for Khamsin to win everyone over including her gorgeous, standoffish husband. I rooted the hell out of it, even as I wished for a Winterman of my own (can he please be broad of shoulder and have a magnificent, heated palace?). Actually, if I can't have a Winterman, I'll take a hot-blooded Calbernan sea lord like Dilys Merimydion to warm my bed (guess I'm not that picky). And, according to an interview C.L. Wilson did with Jessica of Rabid Reads (read <a href="http://rabidreads.ca/2014/07/early-review-interview-the-winter-king-by-c-l-wilson.html">the whole interview HERE</a>), we'll be getting a book with Merimydion (woo-hoo!).<br />
<br />
<b>THIRD DATE</b>: While it's got some draggy bits (hey, it's a nearly-600-page romance), THE WINTER KING made me happy. Gruff, I-drank-from-the-soul-of-the-Ice-King-and-might-be-consumed-by-it-soon Wynter made me happy, especially as he attempted to reconcile his feelings for Khamsin. The cheesy-but-awesome cover (ah, 80's romance memories!) made me happy. All in all, a successful speed date.<br />
<br />
<i>Hey, wanna win a copy? Enter below!</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b90efe35/" id="rc-b90efe35" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-22669472716000315272014-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-02T00:00:08.990-04:00Pre-Squee and Giveaway: BURN FOR ME by Ilona Andrews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvx7hVlimJ_jBhnYAk_yHKexo3HbCKOpVYBRJq1szRzbLp8ypaqGsgqdQ46tog_P2OJaHzziehSwIyuYlC-q-gPMmlPQf3vKxJSSgkzm3FXhTrbw8A2lpXYRkABzmVp4r6gHbGobQVVE/s1600/Pre-Squee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvx7hVlimJ_jBhnYAk_yHKexo3HbCKOpVYBRJq1szRzbLp8ypaqGsgqdQ46tog_P2OJaHzziehSwIyuYlC-q-gPMmlPQf3vKxJSSgkzm3FXhTrbw8A2lpXYRkABzmVp4r6gHbGobQVVE/s1600/Pre-Squee.jpg" height="264" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Welcome to the Pre-Squee, a new weekly feature here at The Book Swarm and the <a href="http://bewitchedbookworms.com/">Bewitched Bookworms</a>. Some books, though they might not be coming out for a few months, need an early squee -- we just can't hold in our excitement about them! Sure, we'll do full reviews closer to the release date but this feature gives us a chance to share a little bit of our love, whether it be for the story, cover, characters, or whatever. We're quite flexible in our book love.</span><br />
<br />
I'm Pre-Squeeing for a new Ilona Andrews series that doesn't come out until OCTOBER. Not that I want it to be October or anything but I want y'all to have the chance to read this one, like, now. Because it's awesome. So very awesome. In fact, I stayed up way past my bedtime (because, stupid me, I started this around 9pm at night. What I was I thinking?) to finish it. Action, magic, chemistry and plenty of heat -- what else could you ask for?<br />
<br />
I'm hearing that this is only a trilogy, which makes me terribly sad. I want ten books, minimum. Maybe more. Seriously, I've now read (and reread -- I'm starting a reread of this one soon) everything that the fabulous writing team that is Ilona Andrews has shared with the world and firmly believe that they can do no wrong.<br />
<br />
And guess what? I have an extra copy to give away. Anyone interested? Rafflecopter thing-me-a-bob at the bottom! (US only. I know. Sorry. It's just so damned expensive to mail outside of the country and this is a me giveaway, rather than a pub one. Though the publisher was awesome enough to send me an extra. Thanks, Avon!)<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY6gjcvqx13Raar_FpNuiFwwwx5AXYs9wjLqRFSYfoCtwXV-fy0VI6_VofpxL463stFgILm0dqWLwjiIxJLde_6U3iUC3N881BfcqpwbU-I7AZ7BiCYrupJuR6aTxPl028sUhxzCE95I/s1600/20705702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbY6gjcvqx13Raar_FpNuiFwwwx5AXYs9wjLqRFSYfoCtwXV-fy0VI6_VofpxL463stFgILm0dqWLwjiIxJLde_6U3iUC3N881BfcqpwbU-I7AZ7BiCYrupJuR6aTxPl028sUhxzCE95I/s1600/20705702.jpg" height="400" width="247" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20705702-burn-for-me"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>BURN FOR ME (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews</b></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;">Urban Fantasy/Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;">384 pages, paperback</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Expected publication: October 28, 2014</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000;">Publisher: Avon</span></div>
<span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #990000;"><i>Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.</i></span><br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b90efe36/" id="rc-b90efe36" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-48482754202110090772014-07-01T00:00:00.000-04:002014-07-01T00:00:03.232-04:00Top Off Tuesday: Photoshop is not always a good option<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s1600/top-off-tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s320/top-off-tuesday.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Started by </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Christi</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span><a 14px="" 19px="" ba77ee="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://onabookbender.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Amanda</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, Top Off Tuesday is where a bunch of us share hot-hot-hot book covers (some we've read, some we've just drooled on). Head over to </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia's blog</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to share your ToT link and see what everyone else is swooning over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I love firemen. Well, firefighters in general. They're fire tamers and rescuers who risk their lives to save people. What's not to love? But I'm focusing on those I lust over -- the men of that particular profession. Hell, I get giggly when I see them getting their lunch at Publix (local grocery store). And, after the day I've had, I needed a little fireman action. This cover, however, stopped me in my tracks (and not necessarily in a good way. Ken doll...photoshopped bottoms...and is that even his arm?). I leave you to ponder...</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi59iNwTfJSyRbmjWQFlKXIgDuKQY-SyUBhj2blbSV_zF8pz7jXRQN6hvWnDSM4q-DKvk8R5iAmt-BhXU7adry8oteYo5C_rsBTRyBUPh2UWaeTiMbMHNgZP0lmquz1oaENuR5bvTER0/s1600/18513485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIi59iNwTfJSyRbmjWQFlKXIgDuKQY-SyUBhj2blbSV_zF8pz7jXRQN6hvWnDSM4q-DKvk8R5iAmt-BhXU7adry8oteYo5C_rsBTRyBUPh2UWaeTiMbMHNgZP0lmquz1oaENuR5bvTER0/s1600/18513485.jpg" height="400" width="248" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18513485-desperately-seeking-fireman"><span style="color: #cc0000;">DESPERATELY SEEKING FIREMAN (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel #4.5) by </span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18513485-desperately-seeking-fireman"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jennifer Bernard</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">208 pages, ebook</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Available now (December 2013)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Publisher: Avon</span></div>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Fire Captain Jeb Stone and incredibly successful press secretary Nita Moreno have both been burned by love before. That's why neither of them is looking for more than a few steamy nights of passion.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>When circumstances find them stranded on an island together, babysitting a cross-dressing senator and the very pregnant wife of San Gabriel's most famous captain, they allow the sparks they feel to take center stage. But as their feelings grow, can they each allow the other past the barriers both have built to protect their hearts?</i></span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-63453394510743735072014-06-30T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-30T00:00:02.391-04:00Summer TV Season: New ShowsSo, it's summer here in the Northern Hemisphere and the temperatures are lovely and hot -- blisteringly so, at times. No, seriously, I'm not complaining. Not after that Winter from Hell we survived. I'd so much rather be hot than cold. But there are still times when I want to be in the air conditioning, chillin' on the couch, catching up on my TV and movie viewing.<br />
<br />
It's also the start of a new season of TV (*headdesk* It was so much easier when there was the Fall and Spring seasons. At least then, I couldn't get hooked on a new show. Of course, that also shows my age...) and I'm trying my hand at some new shows (I can't help it. I just love a good story whether it's a book, movie or TV show. I'm an addict.). As with every season of new shows, some are winners, some are losers and some need more studying to be sure (sadly, I've got a bad track record with shows I like getting cancelled just as I get addicted. Dammit.).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">NEW SHOWS</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGhyCw1tOQkgE9-cMd8FkIyeuClVKiIdBM7YM2Oq_5MPkuIOy8-dJQ8kkZTT56qD-a5NkKZ6gnDZR7nyzmE8j0CBuJVKPuS33EFhp42g7QNTqarNjqGTpE9GI-WY0J_SmGRtKLBWETyU/s1600/the-musketeers-530e68d7d21fe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxGhyCw1tOQkgE9-cMd8FkIyeuClVKiIdBM7YM2Oq_5MPkuIOy8-dJQ8kkZTT56qD-a5NkKZ6gnDZR7nyzmE8j0CBuJVKPuS33EFhp42g7QNTqarNjqGTpE9GI-WY0J_SmGRtKLBWETyU/s1600/the-musketeers-530e68d7d21fe.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/musketeers/">THE MUSKETEERS</a> (BBC America)<br />
Historical Awesomeness<br />
<i>Set on the streets of 17th century Paris, series gives a contemporary take on the classic story about a group of highly trained soldiers and bodyguards assigned to protect King and country </i>(IMBD).<br />
<br />
Um, hello adorably scruffy men with swords and fancy hats! Of course, I'm going to watch you run around and shoot things and screw. Are you planning on getting nekkid during any of those activities? Even better. First episode had plenty of witty dialogue and adorable rogues -- as long as they don't get overwhelmed with the cuteness of it all, I think this might be yet another BBC winner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHoyWRL_x1qK-QdY6Szb9oN8ucFQ_5E7HdzPK50-U0Ze25hBFCS7ck6GMWkd6p_8OIiZZBkI8zikIN-QJ-owcVhrjIGBngMX-DxcJsHCfZbTrVwKk-gQn2MwPjYM9lYW8dpJzcM2eQfQ/s1600/dominion_2560x1450_1280x725_277380163764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHoyWRL_x1qK-QdY6Szb9oN8ucFQ_5E7HdzPK50-U0Ze25hBFCS7ck6GMWkd6p_8OIiZZBkI8zikIN-QJ-owcVhrjIGBngMX-DxcJsHCfZbTrVwKk-gQn2MwPjYM9lYW8dpJzcM2eQfQ/s1600/dominion_2560x1450_1280x725_277380163764.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3079768/">DOMINION</a> (SyFy)<br />
Post-apocalyptic dystopian<br />
<i>Follows the perilous journey of a rebellious young soldier who discovers he's the unlikely savior of humanity</i> (IMBD).<br />
<br />
Ninety-nine percent of the angels out to kill those darned humans who made God disappear...um, okay. Hard-scrabble humans fighting for survival against powerful forces...better. Adorably cute and rebellious soldier who now has to save the human race...could be good! The first episode wasn't fabulous however, I'm intrigued despite myself. I think I had high hopes for Nalini Singh-esque angels but that's gonna happen. Still, I'll give it a couple of episodes and see.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402207/">THE LAST SHIP</a> (TNT)<br />
Apocalyptic disaster<br />
<i>The crew of a naval destroyer is forced to confront the reality of a new existence when a pandemic kills off most of the earth's population</i> (IMBD).<br />
<br />
A Michael Bay production means plenty of explosions and chases...and, a lot of times, means very little plot. But there is one! An apocalyptic one filled with bad Russians (is this 1988?) and a race to find a cure. The first episode certainly had some theatrical oomph, which might get old after an entire season. Then again, it might not. Relatively brainless means perfect for summer, I guess.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2568204/">TYRANT</a> (FX)<br />
Contemporary Drama<br />
<i>The story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation </i>(IMBD).<br />
<br />
Are they trying to make dictators sexy? And what's with all the women getting raped? Is that their way of showing how evil and despicable the main character's brother is? There are other ways of going about that. Despite myself, I'm intrigued. I really want to hate this show but I'm also curious -- almost like slowing down at a bad wreck. (Has anyone else attempted this one? Any thoughts?<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3155320/">EXTANT</a> (CBS)<br />
Science Fiction<br />
<i>After spending a year in space, where she lived and conducted strange experiments, astronaut Molly Watts (Halle Berry) tries to resume a normal life with her family consisting of her husband, John, a gifted scientist, and Ethan, their son, a boy like no other. He is not their biological son as Molly is infertile. Ethan was designed by his father as the first prototype of a future line of "Humanichs", "human robots". But the return of Molly will have dramatic consequences for the entire planet and the fate of mankind</i> (IMBD).<br />
<br />
I can't pass up a creepy astronaut-returned-from-space-with-something-MORE story, especially not one staring Halle Berry and produced my Steven Spielberg. Shut up and take my money. Or let me DVR it, anyway. It doesn't come out until July 9th, but you'd better be sure that I've already got this programmed in.<br />
<br />
So, y'all. Anything new that you're watching?Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-19551811335306387852014-06-27T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-27T00:00:08.050-04:00Multiple Mini Swarms: Paranormal Romance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22566609-pia-saves-the-day"><span style="color: #45818e;">PIA SAVES THE DAY (Elder Races #6.6) by Thea Harrison</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;">Paranormal Romance (novella)</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;">101 pages, ebook</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;">Publisher: Thea Harrison</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><i>Pia and Dragos’s magical young son Liam (the Peanut), is growing at an unprecedented rate, and if that isn’t enough, he is also exhibiting new, and unpredictable, magical gifts. To protect him, the concerned parents decide to move to upstate New York.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><i>Both Dragos and Pia relish the idea of leaving behind the city. They finally have the space to indulge their Wyr side, and Liam can grow in safety. It’s a breath of fresh air—literally—but their idyllic situation is shattered when Dragos is injured in a freak accident.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-small;"><i>Stripped of his memory and bereft of Pia’s taming influence, there’s nothing holding back Dragos’s darkest side. And in order to restore her family and save her mate, Pia must confront the most powerful menace in Elder Races history.</i></span><br />
<br />
Pia and Dragos have their Happily Ever After, their magically gifted chid and a successful Wyr. They're building a gorgeous house and massive, multi-million-dollar facility in Upstate New York. Of *course* something's going to go wrong. Dragos is injured and loses his memory, reverting to more dragon than man. I like that Pia took control of the situation. Even though it's not in her nature to be aggressive, she'll do just about anything for her man and for her son. She had her moments of obsessing over what Dragos did to her but then she'd refocus on what she had to do to get her family back. A fast-paced novella for those familiar with with the Elder Races and Pia and Dragos.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21976635-temptation-in-shadows">TEMPTATION IN SHADOWS by Gena Showalter</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Paranormal Romance (novella)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">83 pages, ebook</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-small;"><i>Tall, lean, muscular—and definitely rough around the edges—Sean Walker is not your typical nightclub bodyguard. He’s a controller of shadows, able to wield darkness at will. But when a mysterious woman at the club turns out to have powers greater than his own, he has no choice but seduction…</i></span><br />
<br />
Gabby can hack computers with her mind. Hack them. With her mind. And Sean can control the shadows, making himself disappear. Sean knows Gabby's in trouble and needs to get her trust quickly so he...kidnaps her and then stages her "rescue". *headdesk* I'm generally a Gena Showalter fan but this book did not blow my skirt up. The couple just did not have great, lasting chemistry and I didn't really believe the love connection. Both of their powers are pretty cool but, besides that, it read more like a suspense with a little romance.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18310679-willing-sacrifice#other_reviews"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">WILLING SACRIFICE (Sentinel Wars #8) by Shannon K. Butcher</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Paranormal Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">371 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Available now (March 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher: Signet</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><i>They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes: the Synestryn. Now a warrior weighs the price he will pay for love....</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><i>Theronai warrior Torr has never forgotten Grace, the human who stole his heart and nearly gave her life to save his. So when he is summoned to the aid of Brenya, the powerful woman who healed Grace, he is devastated to find that Grace’s cure has left her mind devoid of any memory of Torr or their love.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-small;"><i>However, despite not knowing who he is, Grace is inexplicably drawn to the dark warrior. As they team up to stop the invasion that threatens the people Grace now considers family, her memories slowly start resurfacing. But sometimes the past is best forgotten—a lesson that Torr may learn too late....</i></span><br />
<br />
Even though Grace once loved Torr enough to risk her life for him, she has no knowledge of the handsome warrior. He, on the other hand, can never forget her, nor tell her of his love. Except...(you know there's got to be an exception to that rule) he must now work with Grace to save the people she loves like family. The chemistry between the two is fantastic (Butcher is great at writing sexual tension) but, and I hate to say it, the story was a little dry. Usually, there are a million things going on but this one seemed stuck on a world other than Earth. Still, not a bad read.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18176505-slightly-spellbound">SLIGHTLY SPELLBOUND (Southern Witch #4) by Kimberly Frost</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Paranormal Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">320 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Available now (May 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Publisher: Berkley</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><i>With two kinds of magick at odds inside her and two gorgeous men vying for her attention, Tammy Jo Trask is used to being pulled in opposite directions. But in the latest Southern Witch novel she’ll have to make some serious decisions—like how she intends to stay alive.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><i>Tammy Jo’s romance with the wizard Bryn Lyons is on hold while her ex-husband is in town trying to remind her of the good old days. Choosing between them isn’t easy, and it doesn’t help that a skeletal creature is spying on her, a faery knight is hunting her, and she just made friends with Evangeline Rhodes—a rich witch who thinks her own family is trying to kill her.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-small;"><i>When Evangeline disappears under suspicious circumstances, Tammy Jo is determined to find out what happened. As she uncovers a secret more dangerous—and personal—than she could have imagined, she also discovers that, in both love and magic, you can’t stay neutral forever.</i></span><br />
<br />
I guess I should have read the blurb more carefully because there was a massive -- and I mean massive -- love triangle in this book. I knew there was one but I didn't think it was going to be that big a part of the plot. Unfortunately, this ruined some of my enjoyment, especially since the ex was pretty whiney about her being a witch-fae and being involved with a wizard. Darned normals. Tammy Jo's a bit too wacky, winding up in bad situations because she doesn't think things through, and I don't like that she always has to be rescued. Come on, girl. You've got powers. Let's kick it up a notch.Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-58769193431957411432014-06-26T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-26T00:00:05.433-04:00Guest post and Giveaway: THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE by Shirley Jump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Today, we welcome Shirley Jump, author of THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, to the blog as part of the Kismet Blog Tour. This is one of those books that made me hungry, made me crave chocolate and other sweeties (I'm easily influenced when it comes to sweets, I'll admit). Luckily, Shirley's kind enough to share a couple of yummy-sounding recipes with us. I've got to try that Lemon Garlic Chicken and, hey, I even have a dutch oven!<br />
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Oh, hey! Don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaway<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16148432-the-bride-wore-chocolate"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE (Recipes with Romance #1) by Shirley Jump</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">320 pages, ebook</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Available now</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Publisher: TKA Distribution</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>Life couldn’t be more perfect for Candace Woodrow. Her gourmet gift basket company is thriving, and she’s set to marry steady, dependable Barry. There’s just one wrench in the fairytale. Two weeks before her wedding she wakes up in the wrong man’s bed. Candace thinks she’ll be able to run out the door and forget all about Michael Vogler, but the Boston millionaire has other plans for the jittery bride.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>As the wedding approaches, Candace’s life is further complicated by a thrill-seeking grandma and a meddlesome mother whose marriage track record rivals Elizabeth Taylor’s. She attempts to drown her sorrows in chocolate, but with a sexy bachelor appearing on her doorstep at every turn – she finds herself wondering if there’s enough of the sweet stuff in the world to stop her heart from racing every time he comes near.</i></span><br />
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<b>*Special bonus material: Recipes written by the characters inside!*</b><br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16148432-the-bride-wore-chocolate" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | Get a Copy: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Wore-Chocolate-Romances-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B008G3JY3W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1396368238&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bride+wore+chocolate" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>GUEST POST</b></span></div>
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<b>GO-TO EASY LEMON-GARLIC CHICKEN</b><br />
When I’m on deadline, my meals are usually one of two things—take-out, or five-minute wonders. Meaning, I can throw it together in five minutes and then not worry about it. My favorite cookbook for that right now is Michael Symon’s 5-in-5. It’s chock-full of quick, easy recipes (5 ingredients, 5 minutes of prep). I’ve sort of tweaked one of his recipes, and had great success with it with my family, which is where this GO-TO EASY LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN came from:<br />
<br />
6 boneless chicken thighs<br />
Salt and pepper<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
¼ cup red onion, minced (or shallot; I never have shallot on hand)<br />
2 lemons, juiced and zested<br />
¼ cup parsley, chopped<br />
Olive oil<br />
<br />
Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil over the bottom. Trim the chicken thighs, then sprinkle each side with salt and pepper. Layer in the pan, and cook until browned on either side—about 6-8 minutes per side. Add the garlic and onion, cook for 30 seconds, then add ¼ cup of water and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan. Add the lemon juice and zest, cook for another minute, then add the parsley and a small drizzle of olive oil to complete the sauce. Serve with steamed vegetables—broccoli, zucchini, carrots, asparagus, all pair well with this.<br />
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That’s it! Easy and quick :-) And if that’s not easy or quick enough for you, keep the local pizza place on Speed Dial. :-)<br />
<br />
Another easy one I like (especially for lunch), is jazzed-up Ramen Noodles. I LOVE Thai food, and this is a quick and easy substitute.<br />
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<a href="http://eating-my-words.com/recipes/jazzed-up-ramen-noodles/"><b>JAZZED-UP RAMEN NOODLES</b></a><br />
One package Ramen Noodles, cooked according to package directions<br />
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Pinch cayenne pepper or ground red pepper flakes<br />
1 wedge lime<br />
1 scallion, minced<br />
1/4 cup cilantro, minced<br />
fresh veggies like green beans, optional<br />
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Make the Ramen noodles. Add remaining ingredients. Stir. Eat. LOL. It doesn’t get any easier than that! And it’s really good and tastes fresher than just the plain old Ramen.<br />
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<b><i>Tell me, what’s your favorite quick and easy recipe? Any that would work for stressed writers under deadline?</i></b><br />
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We have a fantastic giveaway accompanying this tour! Up for grabs:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1) Two (2) Le Creuset Heart-Shaped Ramekins</div>
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2) One (1) Le Creuset Square Covered Casserole</div>
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3) 100$ Amazon/iTunes/B&NGift Card (your choice)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
4) Paperback Set of Shirley Jump’s Books : THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, THE DEVIL SERVED DESIRE, THE ANGEL TASTED TEMPTATION, THE PLAYBOY SAVORED SEDUCTION, and THE BOSS COURTED TROUBLE</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/207d1c533/" id="rc-207d1c533" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script><br />
<b>TOUR SCHEDULE</b><br />
Monday, June 9th - <a href="http://www.cassandramsplace.com/">Cassandra M's Place</a><br />
Tuesday, June 10th - <a href="http://curling-up-with-a-good-book.blogspot.com/">Curling Up with a Good Book</a><br />
Wednesday, June 11th - <a href="http://www.kindleandme.com/">Kindle and Me</a><br />
Thursday, June 12th - <a href="http://romancingrakes4theluvofromance.blogspot.com/">Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance</a><br />
Friday June 13th - <a href="http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/">Supernatural Snark</a><br />
Monday, June 16th - <a href="http://onabookbender.com/">On a Book Bender</a><br />
Tuesday, June 17th - <a href="http://www.bewitchedbookworms.com/">Bewitched Bookworms</a><br />
Wednesday, June 18th - <a href="http://www.lainaturner.com/">Laina Turner</a><br />
Thursday, June 19th - <a href="http://devilishlydeliciousbookreviews.wordpress.com/">Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews</a><br />
Friday June 20th - <a href="http://www.dailymayo.com/">Daily Mayo</a><br />
Monday, June 23rd - <a href="http://smexybooks.com/">Smexy Books</a><br />
Tuesday, June 24th - <a href="http://www.stitchreadcook.com/">Stitch Read Cook</a><br />
Wednesday, June 25th - <a href="http://melissaseclecticbookshelf.com/">Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf</a><br />
Thursday, June 26th - <a href="http://www.bookswarm.blogspot.com/">The Book Swarm</a><br />
Friday June 27th - <a href="http://www.whatsbeyondforks.com/">What's Beyond Forks?</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>About Shirley Jump</b></span><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/shirleyjump">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shirleyjump.author" style="line-height: 1.5em;">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/shirleyjump/" style="line-height: 1.5em;">Pinterest</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/81339.Shirley_Jump" style="line-height: 1.5em;">Goodreads</a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romance and women’s fiction to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners.</i><br />
<br />
Look for her new and improved re-released Sweet and Savory Romance series, including the USA Today bestselling book, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, on Amazon, and her Sweetheart Sisters series for Berkley, starting with THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN and continuing in April 2014 with THE SWEETHEART RULES. Visit her website at <a href="http://www.shirleyjump.com/">www.shirleyjump.com</a> or read recipes and life adventures at <a href="http://www.eating-my-words.com/">www.eating-my-words.com</a>.<br />
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<br />Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-82455700080889329142014-06-25T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-25T00:00:06.366-04:00Pre-Squee: I WANT IT THAT WAY by Ann Aguirre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Welcome to the Pre-Squee, a new weekly feature here at The Book Swarm and the <a href="http://bewitchedbookworms.com/">Bewitched Bookworms</a>. Some books, though they might not be coming out for a few months, need an early squee -- we just can't hold in our excitement about them! Sure, we'll do full reviews closer to the release date but this feature gives us a chance to share a little bit of our love, whether it be for the story, cover, characters, or whatever. We're quite flexible in our book love.</span><br />
<br />
My first pre-squee is for Ann Aguirre's I WANT IT THAT WAY, which doesn't come out until August 26. But, trust me, if you like sweet romances with well-written characters (including some fab secondary characters), you'll want to pre-order this book. And probably the other two, also (AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME drops in September and THE SHAPE OF MY HEART releases in November). <br />
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Now, with a pre-squee, we don't get into the deep-down of the book (that's for reviews) so I'll just share that these two are adorable in their interactions as they dance around each other. And the chemistry? *fans self* These two sizzle! (Perfect for August, don'tcha think?)<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20945757-i-want-it-that-way"><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I WANT IT THAT WAY (2B Trilogy #1) by Ann Aguirre</b></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NA Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">352 pages, paperback</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Expected Publication: August 26, 2014</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Publisher: Harlequin</span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B…. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i>The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.</i></span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-46425036807509050562014-06-24T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-24T00:00:02.321-04:00Top Off Tuesday: CHANGING HIS GAME by Justine Elvira<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Started by </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Christi</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span><a 14px="" 19px="" ba77ee="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://onabookbender.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Amanda</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, Top Off Tuesday is where a bunch of us share hot-hot-hot book covers (some we've read, some we've just drooled on). Head over to </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia's blog</a><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to share your ToT link and see what everyone else is swooning over.</span><br />
<br />
"Brandon Boner" *snort* Worth it just for that porn name. Now, drop that towel and show us what you've got!<br />
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Hey, did you ever play that game, What's Your Porn Star Name? Combine the name of your first pet with the street you grew up on. Mine's Sophie Second (not great because, of course, sloppy seconds comes to mind with that one and I don't think I'd want to be the porn star who has to go second...).<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18480475-changing-his-game"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">CHANGING HIS GAME by Justine Elvira</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">255 pages, ebook</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Available now (January 2014)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Self-published</span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Adult Films. XXX Movies. Porn.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>These are the kind of movies I've never planned to watch. It was a taboo topic where I grew up. As a kid I had only heard of it in passing. In middle school my parents would talk about my creepy uncle Frank and how he should look for a job instead of watching "those movies" all day. In High School boys thought it was funny to ask my friends and me to star in the amateur adult films they were making. In college most of my guy friends watched them, but I never had. When I moved to California that changed.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>After surprising my fiancé at home and catching him screwing another woman, I hopped in my car and started driving. I was running away from my old life and I needed a change. I remembered my friend Tawny inviting me to visit her in Los Angeles, so that's where I went.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>I didn’t find Tawny when I got there, but I did find her gorgeous roommate, Jared. Our friendship started out rough, but he gave me a place to stay and helped me get back on my feet. He became my best friend. My best friend who millions of women happened to lust over.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Jared plays by a different set of rules, where anything goes. His lifestyle is unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before and it scares me. When you live your life on the edge, eventually you'll fall over. I didn't want to see that happen to him.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>At night he’s just Jared, my Jared, and I’ll deny it to anyone who asks, but I’m completely in love with him. During the day he’s Brandon Boner, and the world is in love with him.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Oh yeah, did I mention he’s a porn star?</i></span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-2307455632158111672014-06-23T12:00:00.000-04:002014-06-23T12:00:00.763-04:00Author Interview: ELUSIVE MEMORIES by Amanda Shofner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I'm excited to welcome Amanda Shofner, author of ELUSIVE MEMORIES, to the blog today! As one of Amanda's beta readers, I may be a little biased (nah!) but I have to say, Great story! Y'all need to check it out. Amanda also runs a writing community, <a href="http://www.thewritingsidekick.com/">The Writing Sidekick</a>, and the blog, <a href="http://onabookbender.com/">On A Book Bender</a>. She's one busy chickadee!<br />
<br />
Amanda's also got a Google+ Hangout going on this evening at 9pm EDT (<a href="https://plus.google.com/events/ckes8bsesdg6etkhrfcs2hdrfos">you can find the info here</a>). She's a lot of fun to chat with so grab a drink and join the party! Oh, and that gorgeous cover? Designed by the fabulous Jenny at <a href="http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/">Supernatural Snark</a>. The perfect package for Amanda's book!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21901129-elusive-memories"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">ELUSIVE MEMORIES (Hunted #1) by Amanda Shofner</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Urban Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">164 pages, ebook</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher: The Path of Least Revision</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Northern Alliance Betterment Society, better known as the Hunters, has persecuted the Gifted for years. When Sam Benson is taken and her memory stolen, she certainly isn't their first victim. But she’s determined to use her family's influence as memory-bringer elders to make sure she's one of the last.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">As soon as she escapes the Hunters' compound, anyway.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Two Hunter guards claim to be working to get Sam free, but only one has her best interests at heart—and holds the key to mounting an offense against the Hunters. With her memory fractured and the Hunters set against her, can she choose the right person to trust?</span></i><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">AUTHOR INTERVIEW</span></div>
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Sam, the main character, has her memories stolen by an anti-Gifted group called the Northern Alliance Betterment Society. What are the challenges of writing a character who has no memory of who or what she is?</span></i><br />
<br />
There were three main challenges:<br />
1. Remembering what Sam knows and doesn't, especially as I got into edits and events changed.<br />
2. Attempting to walk the line between not enough and just enough information for the reader.<br />
3. Making the lack of memory believable/having a explanation and reason, whether it's explicitly stated or not. <br />
<br />
The third was probably the most difficult because I created the rules after I'd written everything, so I had to make sure everything fit (and change what didn't). One thing I learned: rules are easier to create before you write. You can always change them, but man, it's easier on a couple levels to have the world rules hashed out beforehand.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">ELUSIVE MEMORIES is self-published. How did you choose that route to publication?</span></i><br />
<br />
I'm shifting my editing business into book coaching, which includes offering advice on the self-publishing process, so I had to know what it's like to self-publish. And I mean know every step along the way, including writing, editing, dealing with feedback, formatting, cover design, and marketing. I already had a couple non-fiction titles out, but I wanted to get the fiction side too. And I like the control that self-publishing gives me, not just creatively, but time-wise too.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">How has your publishing experience been so far and what are your goals for the future?</span></i><br />
<br />
I've sold books and learned a lot about the whole writing and publishing process. I count that as a success. I've wanted to write fiction since I was 10, so living out my childhood dream is pretty cool, especially since so many people never follow their own writing dream. I've also had help from pros: Jenny, who gave Elusive Memories an amazing cover, and Christi Snow, who's shared some of her publishing secrets and saved me a ton of headaches. <br />
<br />
And, because I'm here on Book Swarm, I do have to give a shout out to my beta readers, like Mary, who helped me mold Elusive Memories into a better book (<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">woo-hoo!</span></i>). Publishing isn't something you can accomplish on your own, and I'm so, so thankful for everyone who had a hand in my publishing journey.<br />
<br />
As for the future, I think everyone who publishes secretly hopes they'll be the next overnight sensation, but the truth is, most successful authors -- whether they're traditionally or self-published -- are successful because they have multiple books, great marketing, and strong fan bases. I plan to keep writing, improve my craft, and build a community of readers. I have five books I know I want to write, one of which I'm working on now. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">You run a writing community on Google+ called The Writing Sidekick. How did it come about and what's the benefit to being a part of a writing community?</span></i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thewritingsidekick.com/">The Writing Sidekick </a>started as a way to test the viability of a paid writing community. Though I've abandoned the idea of a paid community, I do like having the private community as a way to bring writers together and provide support and motivation. Writing is an intensely lonely activity, and it's easy to think that no one else could possibly have the same struggles that we do. The opposite is true, actually. I love to see people interact and work toward their writing or editing goals. The Writing Sidekick makes that happen.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Do you have any required writing supplies?</span></i><br />
<br />
Not really. I don't eat or drink while I write (unless it's alcohol), but I do require food before I write. If I'm hungry, nothing happens and that includes general human functions. <br />
<br />
Scrivener, one of my computers, and background noise seem to be the only constants. I can write with music or TV. I write in different rooms. It all depends on my mood when I sit down. And for me, the fewer "must-haves" I have, the easier it is to write because I'm more flexible with my habits. <br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Thanks for joining us today, Amanda! </span></i>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-91883110104442556862014-06-23T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-23T00:00:08.424-04:00Straight as an Arrow: SHIELD OF WINTER by Nalini Singh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17159944-shield-of-winter"><span style="color: #38761d;">SHIELD OF WINTER (Psy/Changeling #13) by Nalini Singh</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Paranormal Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">431 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Berkley Hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she'll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…</i></span><br />
<br />
Let me put it out there that I'm a terrible series reader. Some series, I read forever, slavishly devoted to characters and plotlines that I probably should have give up on long ago. Some, I only read a couple (some even just one), never to pick up again. And some, like the Psy/Changeling series, I pick up in the middle and become utterly devoted...except I still haven't read the first nine or so books (more or less...at that point, it's more like base jumping off the Sears Tower into a baby pool. You're either gonna make it or go splat.). It's not that I don't have every intention of going back to the beginning. I do. I just haven't gotten around to it yet. And, because of that, I lose out on a lot of the nuances that Nalini Singh has built into this series. I miss out on the relationships and the dynamics.<br />
<br />
But, you know what? It doesn't matter. Even without all those past experiences and knowledge under my belt, I still loved this book. Built into the story are all the nuances necessary to understand why Vasic is so very cold, right down to his very soul, and why Ivy is so very broken and why they're so utterly perfect for one another.<br />
<br />
With HEART OF OBSIDIAN (the book right before this one) Kaleb, the most powerful Psy in the world, broke the Silence for the sake of the future of his race. In SHIELD OF WINTER, Ivy and the other Es, with the help of the Arrows, set about fixing things so the Psy would survive the break of Silence. These two books together made a fulcrum, swinging us up and over a massive climax and, quite possibly, into a new overreaching plot arc.<br />
<br />
As an Arrow, Vasic has had to work in the darkness and keep a solid shield of Silence, without even the slightest trickle of emotion. Of course, when he meets Ivy, a "broken" Psy, one who has emotions, who can't live without them, his Silence cannot stand up against her and his shield cracks just enough to let her in. The slow dance, the slow burn that builds as they grow to trust and love each other is gorgeous in its entirety. Can I go back and read this one all over again...for the first time?<br />
<br />
There's quite a bit going on in this story besides the broken Silence. There's also the battle against the infection corrupting the Net that every Psy needs to survive and thrive. Thousands are infected, breaking out in homicidal rage and killing everyone they come across for no apparent reason. Then there's Vasic's biofusion gauntlet: a pretty cool bit of hardware that's going to kill him soon. No ifs, ands or buts. Man's gonna die because there's no way to remove it (without killing him, that is. Which kind of defeats the purpose). There's also the ongoing threat of a Very Bad Dude who wants Vasic back under his thumb. It's a lot, yeah. But, hey. We're at book 13. That means there's a lot of crap that *has* happened, that still needs to be addressed. But I never felt like it was too much.<br />
<br />
Maybe this summer I'll head over to the library and get the first pile of these. Ooh! Binge time!! I do love a good book binge, don't you? And that'll give me an excuse to ignore the outside world as well as a chance to reread these last couple books and pick up on all the nuances I missed the first time around.Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-58379287339059696262014-06-19T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-19T00:00:01.522-04:00Speed Date with Merry: SHIVER OF LIGHT by Laurel K. Hamilton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15734760-a-shiver-of-light"><span style="color: #b45f06;">SHIVER OF LIGHT (Merry Gentry #9) by Laurel K. Hamilton</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Paranormal (Menage) Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">384 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Publisher: Berkley Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>I am Princess Meredith NicEssus. Legal name Meredith Gentry, because “Princess” looks so pretentious on a driver’s license. I was the first faerie princess born on American soil, but I wouldn't be the only one for much longer...</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Merry Gentry, ex–private detective, now full-time princess, knew she was descended from fertility goddesses, but when she learned she was about to have triplets, she began to understand what that might mean. Infertility has plagued the high ranks of faerie for centuries. Now nobles of both courts of faerie are coming to court Merry and her men, at their home in exile in the Western Lands of Los Angeles, because they will do anything to have babies of their own.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, is a more dangerous problem. He tried to seduce Merry and, failing that, raped her. He’s using the human courts to sue for visitation rights, claiming that one of the babies is his. And though Merry knows she was already pregnant when he took her, she can’t prove it.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>To save herself and her babies from Taranis she will use the most dangerous powers in all of faerie: a god of death, a warrior known as the Darkness, the Killing Frost, and a king of nightmares. They are her lovers, and her dearest loves, and they will face down the might of the high courts of faerie—while trying to keep the war from spreading to innocent humans in Los Angeles, who are in danger of becoming collateral damage.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">FIRST DATE</span></b>: I was both wary and excited to go on this date with Merry. When last I left her and her multiple lovers (five years ago), she was smexing it up almost as much as Anita Blake (The Vampire Hunter with the Magical Hoo-ha). Sex with Merry was magical, giving Fae back the magic that they'd lost over the years and returning fertility where there had been none for ages. It was too much. But, as I like the story and the power-play between Merry, the Light and the Dark, I had high hopes that this new novel would go back to the storyline, rather than an all-out orgy (as with Anita's last couple books). And Merry came through (with less sex, that is.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">SECOND DATE</span></b>: This is a book I read as an escape. I didn't expect it to be perfect. I hoped there would be less sex (there was -- still some smexy times, especially of the oral variety, since Merry just had some kids and all). I hoped there'd be more of a storyline (um...sort of. Taranis raped Merry and now believes that one of her kids is his. I don't know why it takes so long to get a paternity test but they spend much of the book fussing about it and not getting it done. There's a lot of talking and petting and description and not too much story beyond that and the fact that human soldiers are now worshipping Merry, even though this breaks the treaty the Fae have with the US government.). So, yeah. It wasn't perfect. It certainly wasn't as good as I'd hoped a five-years-in-the-making book would be but, you know, I still enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">THIRD DATE</span></b>: I have no idea if/when there's going to be another Merry story. This book read more like a reintroduction to the world with a lot of set-up about the uber-powerful babies, Merry's worshippers, Taranis's increasingly psychotic behavior and threats of a coming war. It wasn't perfect--more like hanging out with old friends that you haven't seen in a while (powerful, weird and overly-sexed friends that are more fun with a couple of drinks under your belt but friends nonetheless).Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-34587040320116264312014-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-18T00:00:00.984-04:00And then there were three: SHATTERED by Kevin Hearne<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16280678-shattered"><span style="color: #38761d;">SHATTERED (The Iron Druid Chronicles #7) by Kevin Hearne</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Urban Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">352 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Del Rey</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>For nearly two thousand years, there was only one Druid left walking the Earth—Atticus O’Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword kept him alive while pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he’s got company.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Atticus’s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What’s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>And Owen has some catching up to do.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus’s chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury’s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki—or merely a pain in the arse.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>But Atticus isn’t the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer’s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i>As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they’re hoping that this time . . . three’s a charm.</i></span><br />
<br />
Have I told you yet how much I love this series? Atticus and his pup Oberon (especially sassy Oberon and his poodle/sausage obsession), even Granuaile, the newest Druid in the world and Atticus's lover. It's fun and fast-paced and pulls from mythologies from pretty much every pantheon around the world. However, this is one series that needs to be read pretty much in order because Atticus's actions in the world keep building and rebounding upon one another (sometimes, this is good...sometimes, not so much).<br />
<br />
We're now on book seven and Atticus is no longer the only druid in the world. Granuaile is a fully capable druid in her own right and Atticus rescued his old (read: ancient) mentor off a Time Island and pulled him into the modern world. Told from the perspectives of each of the druids, this novel reads more like three stories that just happen to overlap at times.<br />
<br />
Granuaile's story is definitely my favorite timeline, considering she gets to play with some normally reclusive Yetis (while helping them build an ice hockey rink) and fight an evil sorcerer in India. Atticus had a good time, too, as he get to annoy his old teacher (now called Owen) while teaching him how to live in the craziness of the modern world. In the end, Atticus, Owen and Granuaile do all get together to save the world and live to fight another day (woo-hoo for more Iron Druid!).<br />
<br />
As much as I love the series overall, this wasn't my favorite. It was kind of a slog to read the perspective of Owen, crochety old bastard that he is. He'd make an excellent secondary character but, as a main character with his own POV, I just didn't like him very much (granted, he's not supposed to be very likeable because he's like one of those old school nuns who enjoyed breaking wooden rulers over students' knuckles). Let's just stick with Atticus and Granuaile, shall we? Or, better yet, give Granuaile her own series (which I'd definitely read) and let's get back to Atticus and his awesome pup, Oberon. Bacon, anyone?Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-6203644273633238672014-06-17T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-17T00:00:00.437-04:00Top Off Tuesday: Just a little crack...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Started by </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Christi</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> and </span><a 14px="" 19px="" ba77ee="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://onabookbender.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Amanda</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, Top Off Tuesday is where a bunch of us share hot-hot-hot book covers (some we've read, some we've just drooled on). Head over to </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia's blog</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> to share your ToT link and see what everyone else is swooning over.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mmm...loverly. A little lower...a little lower... STOP TEASING ME! I crave! I do!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtD9zKgQKfO5sEUQRZAmAucNm_lhO18AOPNsOzlw9t3Ph4LeWD8hamhVHU5TpH53dGhHw2TUCqgCnOj0LuH48-TEnh8A6Fj8r1gBkzWuupJlc_5f3v3XpYZWyO18WSpuszD5uBQUwXS20/s1600/21915684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtD9zKgQKfO5sEUQRZAmAucNm_lhO18AOPNsOzlw9t3Ph4LeWD8hamhVHU5TpH53dGhHw2TUCqgCnOj0LuH48-TEnh8A6Fj8r1gBkzWuupJlc_5f3v3XpYZWyO18WSpuszD5uBQUwXS20/s1600/21915684.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21915684-what-a-lady-craves"><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WHAT A LADY CRAVES (The Eton Boys Trilogy #1) by Ashlyn Macnamara</span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Historical Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ebook</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Expected publication: August 12, 2014</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Publisher: Loveswept</span></div>
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Henrietta Upperton is about to marry Alexander Sanford, when he rushes off to India to salvage his family’s fortune. Then comes the devastating news that he has wed another. Eight agonizing years later, a storm washes Alexander ashore—injured, widowed, and hunted—and one glimpse of his ruggedly handsome face reawakens the desire Henrietta thought she had buried deep inside. Her body still yearns for his touch, but she’s determined not let him wound her again . . . not this time.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>For Alexander, honor always comes first. But only now does he realize that when given the choice between two virtuous deeds, he picked the wrong one. On the run with his life in tatters and a pair of daughters in tow, Alexander burns for Henrietta. He knows he does not deserve forgiveness. And yet he longs to wrap his arms around her warm body once again. What’s more, he is sure the lady craves the same.</i></span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-37251077996497152002014-06-16T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-16T00:00:09.214-04:00Mini Swarm Reviews: A Plethora of Historical Romances<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPHKO0KncBB9GgZGC2mUISg-JrpLwWCs3ipA8arwckL3tldc6fdYPWT_d9EoJRitu83tyDZ7JYbx3ldTpyOEOWNSUa9Ig5O-U91-fJfnZe6Yqamphkx5ULYJrBsjGAVrsUdkmhd2w7G0/s1600/18169923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPHKO0KncBB9GgZGC2mUISg-JrpLwWCs3ipA8arwckL3tldc6fdYPWT_d9EoJRitu83tyDZ7JYbx3ldTpyOEOWNSUa9Ig5O-U91-fJfnZe6Yqamphkx5ULYJrBsjGAVrsUdkmhd2w7G0/s1600/18169923.jpg" height="200" width="121" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18169923-abducted-by-a-prince"><span style="color: #0b5394;">ABDUCTED BY A PRINCE (Cinderella Sisterhood #3) by Olivia Drake</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Historical Romance</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">352 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Available now (April 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>She Was Stolen Away...</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Ellie Stratham gave up her childhood dreams of a fairy tale romance long ago. To repay her late father’s debts, she’s forced to serve her spoiled cousin, Lady Beatrice. But Ellie has devised a secret plan to escape her life as a drudge. A plan that is thrown into jeopardy when she’s abducted by a mysterious stranger.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>But Can He Steal Her Heart?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>A notorious seducer of women—and a scoundrel to boot—Damien Burke has earned his nickname as the Demon Prince. But his plot to kidnap Lady Beatrice to make her brother return a priceless heirloom backfires—and he ends up with their penniless cousin, Ellie, as his hostage. By the time Damien realizes his mistake, he and his fiery-willed captive are trapped in a remote castle during a wild winter storm. And he soon finds that the true hostage may be his own heart.</i></span><br />
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You know, it's got to suck when you've got a plan (kidnap a Lady to get an heirloom back) and it backfires so spectacularly (you kidnapped the wrong girl, a girl who means pretty much nothing to her family and, therefore, will not be of any help in getting back said heirloom). Bad enough Damien is known as the Demon Prince and people are scared to death of him. But now he's got a useless, penniless kidnap victim on his hands. And she's making his life extremely difficult (good girl!). A fun, fast-paced Cinderella story where the evil cousin gets hers and the two lovers live happily ever after. As they should.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18210684-the-countess-confessions?from_search=true"><span style="color: #cc0000;">THE COUNTESS CONFESSIONS (Boscastle #14) by Jillian Hunter</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">352 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Available now (February 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Publisher: Signet Select</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>All Emily Selwick wanted was to convince the man she had adored for years that she was the woman he ought to marry. She never expected that her ill-fated deception at a party would uncover a scheme against the Crown and ensnare her in the sensual trap of an enigmatic stranger.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>Damien Boscastle, the Earl of Shalcross, knows he must marry Emily to defend her honor and keep his mission secret. But, by saving her reputation, he will draw her into his arms as well as a dangerous intrigue.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>After a whirlwind courtship that leaves her breathless, Emily finds herself wed to a husband who vows not only to protect her from his menacing world—but to train his wife in the pleasures of passion.</i></span><br />
<br />
Before you say anything, no. I haven't read the other 13 books in this series. Actually, this is my first one and works perfectly as a standalone (I didn't realize there were so many others in the series until I went to write this review). Damien is seriously swoon-worthy what with his spy skills and, ahem, bedroom skills. Through a series of unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it) events, Emily and Damien wind up married. While this story wasn't perfect, it was fun and, sometimes that's all you need.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15808459-taming-a-wild-scot"><span style="color: #38761d;">TAMING A WILD SCOT (Claimed by the Highlander #1) by Rowan Keats</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">346 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Available now (November 2013)</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Signet Eclipse</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Wrongfully accused of murder and left to die in a hellish Highland dungeon, Ana Bisset has lost all hope of freedom. But the beautiful healer’s luck takes an unexpected turn when a hooded stranger appears as her rescuer. After a harrowing escape, Ana settles alone in a quiet village where no one knows her past or her reputation. The last thing she ever expects is to meet her mysterious savior again...</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Niall MacCurran is no hero, but a warrior on a dangerous mission to expose a threat to the realm. After his decision to free Ana, he now realizes that it is he who needs her help—willing or no—to advance his quest. But his growing feelings for the delicate yet resilient beauty soon jeopardize their safety—and not even Ana’s healing gifts may be enough to protect their love, or their lives.</i></span><br />
<br />
There's just something about a man in a kilt (probably because I grew up surrounded by that...we went to a lot of Highland Games!). Of course, I picked this one. But, unfortunately, it was kind of a slog. I wanted castles and romance but I got huts and hiding. Not exactly what I was looking for. Plus, there wasn't a great connection between the hero and heroine -- not enough sparks for my taste. Oh, well.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17707614-how-to-master-your-marquis"><span style="color: #0b5394;">HOW TO MASTER YOUR MARQUIS (A Princess in Hiding #2) by Juliana Gray</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">292 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Available now (January 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Publisher: Berkley Sensation</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Of all her sisters, Princess Stefanie is by far the least amenable to law and order, which is why she’s appalled to find herself masquerading as an unbearably drab clerk for the most honorable barrister in England. But her dull disguise turns out to have its privileges: namely, the opportunity to consort unchaperoned with her employer’s exceedingly handsome nephew, James Lambert, the Marquess of Hatherfield.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Hatherfield quickly realizes that his uncle’s spirited new clerk is, in fact, a lovely young woman of daring habits. The outwardly impeccable marquis isn’t about to reveal her deception. After all, he’s hiding a dangerous secret of his own. But when one too many escapades with the madcap princess bring Hatherfield’s troubled past to light, it is only Stefanie’s sharp wits that stand between the marquis and utter disaster, and only Hatherfield’s daring that can save the princess from the shadowy agents bent on finding her.</span></i><br />
<br />
I do like a good "in disguise" story, especially when there's a sassy princess and difficult Marquess involved. Though I haven't read the first in this series, that isn't a problem (I'm interested in meeting the first couple now!) as the book can be read as a standalone. Stefanie/Stefan is in disguise as a law clerk though Hatherfield catches on pretty darn quickly that she's a she and not a struggling law clerk. And, of course, he's feeling those pangs of lust, too, which leads people to believe that he plays for the other team. But not everything is gender-bending shenanigans. There are some dark tones in this story, too, especially when it comes to Hatherfield's past. Told in both the present and with flashbacks, this novel looks good on my historical shelf.Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-15758067705377786312014-06-13T04:00:00.000-04:002014-06-13T20:06:35.171-04:00Multiple Mini Swarms: How bizarre, how bizarre<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2K39obTivUDsjDThrc8nD3ClGy4KbZ60N00qwaErVg0mOTjNhtQ1gFAblpuAwIjIGivZSmykMzG5_xxi43isszh6oPwUVcIQbFNnPtIruP1_9AvP_Ngg6gnLHTjA2oPhK4D1hodp_UU/s1600/18651963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2K39obTivUDsjDThrc8nD3ClGy4KbZ60N00qwaErVg0mOTjNhtQ1gFAblpuAwIjIGivZSmykMzG5_xxi43isszh6oPwUVcIQbFNnPtIruP1_9AvP_Ngg6gnLHTjA2oPhK4D1hodp_UU/s1600/18651963.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18651963-vivian-divine-is-dead"><span style="color: #990000;">VIVIAN DIVINE IS DEAD by Lauren Sabel</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">YA Romantic Suspense</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">288 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Available now (June 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #990000;"><i>When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine's fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killing villains on-screen did nothing to prepare her for escaping a madman in real life. Some people say he's a hero, others tremble in his presence, but one thing is clear: he won't stop until Vivian is in his grasp. Why didn't she pay more attention during those judo lessons for her role in Zombie Killer?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #990000;"><i>Vivian finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick. He is everything Hollywood boys are not-genuine, kind, and determined to see Vivian for who she really is. But even he seems like he can't be trusted-what could he be hiding?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #990000;"><i>Beat up, hungry, and more confused than ever about who she's running from, Vivian is living in a real-life blockbuster horror flick. But there's no option to yell "cut" like there is on set....</i></span><br />
<br />
I'll admit it: the reason I wanted this book was because of the cover. I don't know what it is but it's just so eye-catching! The inside, on the other hand, isn't bad but it isn't as stunning as the cover. Teen celebrity Vivian has lived her life in the spotlight for a very long time. Then she gets a death threat that sends her running. The whole story's pretty fast-paced, as Vivian races around Mexico, trying to keep ahead of those trying to kill her. I'm having a hard time talking about this story because it's kind of odd and I don't want to give anything away, should you choose to read it. I wasn't a big fan of Nick, the love interest. Kind of a punk, actually. It's enjoyable but...just one of those books.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOneB953gBX_gqDXMcYgphsmZkLcvUsKV9JtXspsp4BdeFqRCGeLHt6aryKNbexEaxZrSmJvik5zPPOqlJX25IAmSa_BoWXLQOohF5L98JJCYoeL580PJsltZgY2jqp_zhTBCHSDHZCjM/s1600/18000952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOneB953gBX_gqDXMcYgphsmZkLcvUsKV9JtXspsp4BdeFqRCGeLHt6aryKNbexEaxZrSmJvik5zPPOqlJX25IAmSa_BoWXLQOohF5L98JJCYoeL580PJsltZgY2jqp_zhTBCHSDHZCjM/s1600/18000952.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18000952-the-wicked-we-have-done">THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE (Chaos Theory #1) by Sarah Harian</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">NA Dystopian</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">272 pages, ebook</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Available now (March 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Publisher: Penguin/InterMix</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>She doesn’t plan on making friends.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.</i></span><br />
<br />
This one was pretty weird. Evalyn killed someone and now she's part of this experiment where she's thrown in this obstacle course that shows people their crimes and deepest fears. The theory is that, if they survive it, they're "clean" of their crimes. Even if they really did them. The teens form groups and, of course, some of those groups turn deadly. People are killed, craziness ensues. It was just...bizarre; a mish-mash of hot titles (Hunger Games, Divergent) and scientific woo-woo (kind of virtual reality except they were really there). The writing was there but the story left me scratching my head.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17565845-panic"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">PANIC by Lauren Oliver</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">408 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Available now (March 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Publisher: HarperCollins</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i>For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.</i></span><br />
<br />
What the hell are these kids thinking? I mean, I get that there's nothing to do in their town but playing this crazy game of dare (aka Panic) for some money? People die. Okay, I liked the atmosphere and the characters were well drawn (of course. It's a story by Lauren Oliver.). But I just couldn't get into this story. I kept wanting to put on my teacher hat and scold these kids for being so stupidly reckless. And, because I had that reaction, I'm sure there are plenty of young adults who will love this book.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18530135-royally-lost"><span style="color: #a64d79;">ROYALLY LOST by Angie Stanton</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">336 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Available now (May 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Publisher: HarperCollins</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?</i></span><br />
<br />
I had such high hopes for this story. A runaway prince, a regular girl on vacation with her family in Europe...it had all the hallmarks of a perfect summer read. Except...it was so boring. Spoiled, bratty Nikolai runs away from his responsibilities and, by pure chance, keeps running into spoiled, bratty Becca who doesn't want to spend any time with her family. I read the whole story but only because I kept hoping there would be a spark, a glimmer of the promise this premise had. Alas... *sigh*Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-38554662669744617432014-06-12T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-12T08:35:15.725-04:00A Triplet of Dates with Devi: The PARADOX seriesI picked up this first book on <a href="http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2013/12/fortunes-pawn-review-giveaway.html">Wendy Darling of The Midnight Garden</a>'s recommendation and couldn't read them fast enough. I almost cried when I realized the third one wasn't coming out for another month or so after I finished book #2. I've read a couple of reviews that call this "scifi lite" but I don't see it that way. Fast-paced and well-written, it's a fully-fleshed out universe with several races of bloodthirsty creatures, cool weaponry and solid characters. Seriously, if you liked bad-assed Ripley in Aliens, were a fan of Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica or had strong appreciation of Star Wars's Princess Leia's smart mouth and way with a gun, you've got to check out this series.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790894-fortune-s-pawn"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>FORTUNE'S PAWN (Paradox #1) by Rachel Bach</b></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">320 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Available now (November 2013)</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Publisher: Orbit</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Review copy purchased</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>Devi Morris isn't your average mercenary. She has plans. Big ones. And a ton of ambition. It's a combination that's going to get her killed one day - but not just yet. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn't misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she's found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn't give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">FIRST DATE</span></b>: Filled to the brim with sass and ambition, Devi finds her way onto the most dangerous trade ship she can find. If she can survive for a year or so, she can have just about any job she wants. With her gorgeous suit of armor, Devi steps aboard the ship and into more trouble than she could possibly have imagined because, of course, The Glorious Fool and its crew are not what they seem. Besides the captain, the space cadet, the bird pilot and the mechanic, there's Rupert, the quiet cook who looks after the captain's mute daughter (he's also the love interest but I just wasn't feeling it. Too mysterious, too hands-off. Good for a quickie--which happens--and then get back to business). Devi is a full-on alpha female. She's tough, she's focused, and she's not someone I'd want to cross or piss off. Ever. I love her.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17866699-honor-s-knight"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>HONOR'S KNIGHT (Paradox #2) by Rachel Bach</b></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">358 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Available now (February 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Publisher: Orbit</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;">Review copy purchased</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Devi Morris has a lot of problems. And not the fun, easy-to-shoot kind either. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>After a mysterious attack left her short several memories and one partner, she's determined to keep her head down, do her job, and get on with her life. But even though Devi's not actually looking for it -- trouble keeps finding her. She sees things no one else can, the black stain on her hands is growing, and she is entangled with the cook she's supposed to hate. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="color: #38761d;"><i>But when a deadly crisis exposes far more of the truth than she bargained for, Devi discovers there's worse fates than being shot, and sometimes the only people you can trust are the ones who want you dead.</i></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">SECOND DATE</span></b>: I couldn't wait to get back to Devi and the awesome craziness that is the Paradox series! As soon as I finished the first book, I downloaded the second. (It's times like these I absolutely adore ereaders. Instant gratification.) Devi had some serious trouble in the first book, trouble that's spilling over into the second and is threatening not just her life but that of the entire universe. It's a lot for a woman who really wants to just do her job to the best of her abilities to deal with but she does the best she can. Especially now that she really doesn't have anyone she can trust, not even her captain. Not after what she's learned. Not after what happened. (Ooh, am I mysterious enough for you??) Rupert's still in the picture, though Devi realizes that she really can't trust him (I mean, would you trust someone named Rupert? Nope. Not me.). However, neither of them can fight the attraction that keeps pulling them back together, no matter what's going on around them.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18295835-heaven-s-queen"><span style="color: #b45f06;">HEAVEN'S QUEEN (Paradox #3) by Rachel Bach</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Science Fiction</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">379 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Available now (April 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Publisher: Orbit</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">From the moment she took a job on Captain Caldswell's doomed ship, Devi Morris' life has been one disaster after another: government conspiracies, two alien races out for her blood, an incurable virus that's eating her alive. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">Now, with the captain missing and everyone -- even her own government -- determined to hunt her down, things are going from bad to impossible. The sensible plan would be to hide and wait for things to blow over, but Devi's never been one to shy from a fight, and she's getting mighty sick of running. </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="color: #b45f06;">It's time to put this crisis on her terms and do what she knows is right. But with all human life hanging on her actions, the price of taking a stand might be more than she can pay.</span></i><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #b45f06;">THIRD DATE</span></b>: It's never fun to be on the run, especially when practically everyone in the universe is looking for you -- to use you, stick you in a cage for a lifetime of experimentation or kill you. But Devi doesn't take this latest development sitting down. She's got to rescue her crew, save her lover and do it all while breaking into the most secure and dangerous prison in the universe. Piece of cake. Devi has a lot to do and a short time to get it done and she's not going to take any shit from anyone while she's doing it. I swear, hanging out with this girl is like drinking shots of napalm with a smile and a slice of cheese.Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-69296247068652452652014-06-11T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-11T00:00:05.326-04:00Waiting on: ATLANTIA by Ally CondieI know, I know. I should be happy with the fantastic books I just got from BEA. But I can't help myself. I'm a greedy, greedy girl who wants ALL THE BOOKS. Atlantia was one of the samples Penguin gave out during BEA. Samples annoy me. Samples might work for some people but they just frustrate me (much like serials that I have to wait more than a day for). I'm intrigued by this one, which looks to be a standalone (I'm guessing--there's no series name or number after the title in Goodreads), which is a huge positive.<br />
<br />
I like the simplicity of the cover and the beautiful shell. Though, to be honest, the cover echoes a lot of the harder erotica books, with just an object and not much else on the cover. Positive this isn't erotica, and I'm pretty sure that's not what the cover meant to bring to mind. Oops.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21944884-atlantia"><b><span style="color: #76a5af;">ATLANTIA by Allie Condie</span></b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #76a5af;">YA Fantasy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #76a5af;">368 pages, hardcover</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: #76a5af;">Expected publication: October 28, 2014</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #76a5af;">Publisher: Dutton Children's</span></div>
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i>Can you hear Atlantia breathing?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i>For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #76a5af;"><i>Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Waiting On is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine</span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-46392157219391561282014-06-10T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-10T00:00:06.594-04:00Top Off Tuesday: TANGLED INNOCENCE by Carrie Ann Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s1600/top-off-tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s320/top-off-tuesday.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Started by </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Christi</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> and </span><a 14px="" 19px="" ba77ee="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://onabookbender.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Amanda</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, Top Off Tuesday is where a bunch of us share hot-hot-hot book covers (some we've read, some we've just drooled on). Head over to </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia's blog</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> to share your ToT link and see what everyone else is swooning over.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Um...err... *wipes drool off chin* Wowzers. But damn that title! It's blocking my view!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18190715-tangled-innocence"><b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TANGLED INNOCENCE (Dante's Circle #4) by Carrie Ann Ryan</span></b></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Paranormal Romance</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">230 pages, paperback</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Available now (April 2014)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Publisher: Fated Desires Publishing, LLC</span></div>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>As one of the seven lightning struck women, Nadie Morgan has known for a while now that her fate would be forever changed…and revolve around a certain dragon. From the first time Dante Bell saw Nadie, he knew she was the one for him. There's just one problem--there's another in his life he's waiting on as well.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>When Jace Goodwin, a bear shifter and Mediator, finally comes back to the human realm after years away under circumstances out of his control, his first stop is to Dante's Circle where he not only finds his dragon, but the woman they both have been waiting for. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Once secrets are told and the sparks fly, Nadie's new life becomes something she never thought possible. However there's another realm at play and Jace and Nadie's dragon will have to fight harder than he's ever fought before to keep the life he's waited eons for.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Warning: Contains one not-so-innocent human, a bear known for his bear-hugs, a tattooed and pierced dragon with a fiery temper, and a connection so explosive, you'll be fanning yourself from page one.</i></span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-14250005948312624702014-06-09T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-09T00:00:00.912-04:00Harry's at it again: SKIN GAME by Jim Butcher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMVGmnTShQrk83EGQF8yIikAutjEQ9InUHJfwzcKmm4FE8qPnU0F_RCQqL1x9hdXEvzoPSVG92NXNrejQYJMZEOSdRddCRESoYYgs5Fr1b4WWXvNGcoqj504eJ4Ot6H1vVfkjTiUcBlQ/s1600/19486421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMVGmnTShQrk83EGQF8yIikAutjEQ9InUHJfwzcKmm4FE8qPnU0F_RCQqL1x9hdXEvzoPSVG92NXNrejQYJMZEOSdRddCRESoYYgs5Fr1b4WWXvNGcoqj504eJ4Ot6H1vVfkjTiUcBlQ/s1600/19486421.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19486421-skin-game"><span style="color: #b45f06;">SKIN GAME (The Dresden Files #15) by Jim Butcher</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Urban Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">454 pages, hardcover</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Available now (May 2014)</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Publisher: Roc</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day….</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>He doesn’t know the half of it….</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>It’s a smash-and-grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he’s dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance…</i></span><br />
<br />
I know what you're thinking. <i>She's reading yet another one of those never-ending series. And reviewing, to boot!</i> Yes. Yes, I am. Because I really like this series. Sure, there have been some ups and downs, some serious craziness but, in the end, it's a fantastic series. And, yes, there will be spoilers for other books in here. I can't help it -- there are fourteen other books before this one. It'd be pretty impossible to avoid, unless I just said, "Hey, read this! It was a fun, ridiculous and crazy ride." I mean, it was but how 'bout a little more than that? I'm game if you are.<br />
<br />
So. Last we saw Harry, because of his (very stupid) deal with Mab, he was her new Winter Knight. He's been hiding out on the creep-tastic island that houses both a very scary Spirit of the Island (who Harry's become pretty good friends with) and a prison filled with the worst of the worst. He's also got a splitting headache because of something growing in his noggin which will kill him when it finally hatches and the only one who can help him isn't getting his messages.<br />
<br />
I'm still irritated with Harry for making that deal (though he did do it for very good reasons, as always. He's just too noble for his own damn good.) and it irritates me even more to see him under Mab's thumb. Because he's Winter Knight, he has to hear and obey her orders. She's very good at giving orders, with very little wiggle room. Her latest order involves Harry working for a Very Bad Dude to repay a debt. Needless to say, Harry's not happy.<br />
<br />
It's always impressive how Harry grows in each story. While it's not always for the better, Harry's development as a person is one of the reasons I've stuck with this series for so long. He's still coping with the mantle of Winter Knight and it doesn't rest easily on his shoulders. The power behind the Knight aches for release, for violence and Harry's doing everything he can to restrain both it and himself. But at his core, he's still someone who puts others first and takes way too much of the blame when things go wrong (and they always go wrong).<br />
<br />
Well, I'm certainly not stopping after this one. Write faster, Jim Butcher! I need to know how Harry gets out of his deal with Mab and shucks the mantle of the Winter Knight. Or does he ever? Mab's not going to let him go easily. I'm also hoping for some novellas (or a spin-off?) with Molly, Harry's ex-apprentice.Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-39761868365218037672014-06-06T00:00:00.001-04:002014-06-06T00:00:07.698-04:00End of an Era: SHAMAN RISES by C.E. Murphy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyFrbVBSo-xhQh1ggtx4kfSby2K87UJhzaL368FJ4FgI8egJIIjTTyG_SsOi6ORRjMnicogZn0bAkbLOjz7EfwVvs5LN2wxBgLfprTw0C3scnirFzRjwvsGIyf-Q2QkTHfClGfzZUnjo/s1600/17451921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyFrbVBSo-xhQh1ggtx4kfSby2K87UJhzaL368FJ4FgI8egJIIjTTyG_SsOi6ORRjMnicogZn0bAkbLOjz7EfwVvs5LN2wxBgLfprTw0C3scnirFzRjwvsGIyf-Q2QkTHfClGfzZUnjo/s1600/17451921.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17451921-shaman-rises"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SHAMAN RISES (The Walker Papers #9) by C.E. Murphy</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Urban Fantasy</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">384 pages, paperback</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Available June 24, 2014</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Publisher: Harlequin Luna</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Review copy provided by publisher for honest review</span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Joanne Walker has two choices: </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Defeat the enemy…or lose her soul trying. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>For over a year, Joanne has been fighting the Master—the world's most abiding evil. She's sacrificed family, friendships, even watched potential futures fade away…and now the Master is bringing the final battle to Joanne's beloved Seattle. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Lives will be lost as the repercussions of all Joanne's growth come to her doorstep. Before the end, she'll mourn, rejoice—and surrender everything for the hope of the world's survival. She'll be a warrior and a healer. Because she is finally a Shaman Rising.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2005, I picked up <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/297929.Urban_Shaman">URBAN SHAMAN</a>, the start of a new urban fantasy series. Nearly ten years later, I read the last book in the series, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17451921-shaman-rises">SHAMAN RISES</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Joanne is definitely one of my favorite urban fantasy heroines. She's bad-assed when she needs to be but she's so very broken, especially at the beginning, that she has this tenderness and deep caring that is really the essence of her becoming a capable shaman. She wants the best for people, she doesn't want to hurt anyone though she is forced to do so at times. Still, she causes injury only as a last resort. And, really, isn't that the essence of shamanism? Working in concert with the land and in harmony with the world around you? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This last installment was a bit bittersweet. It's been such a long, hard journey for Joanne but, with the help of the fabulous Gary, her mentor Coyote, her spirit animals, Morrison and everyone else in her life, she moves from being completely resistant to the mere idea of her being a shaman to a woman capable of great things because of her ability. SHAMAN RISES just didn't let up on poor Joanne. She's put through the wringer as she battles the Master for her city and, yes, the world. Disaster upon disaster piles on Joanne's shoulders so much so that I got exhausted just reading about it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's been a long, hard journey for Joanne Walker, going from a police grease monkey to the confident, knowledgable shaman she is in this final book but it's been an amazing journey. If you haven't yet dipped your toe into the urban fantasy subgenre, I highly recommend starting with this one. In fact, I have the urge to reread the entire series, now that it's all over, just so I can spend more time with Joanne.</span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-52343287177671823822014-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-05T00:00:01.119-04:00BookCon: Hell on Earth or a Saving Grace?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt1hf0JMmEvnJTita3j1ZtDly4HQ2H4Bq9924-rdKPEd7C_EMOwdI9LVaP7y0dNMNb0y4VUZ94tFZCrhrH744om5OFpUghtCAAPMtZwPeTLFsyFYIF-dCIuXj93tJN3oxs-OGPx37gvo/s1600/140502_BookCon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt1hf0JMmEvnJTita3j1ZtDly4HQ2H4Bq9924-rdKPEd7C_EMOwdI9LVaP7y0dNMNb0y4VUZ94tFZCrhrH744om5OFpUghtCAAPMtZwPeTLFsyFYIF-dCIuXj93tJN3oxs-OGPx37gvo/s1600/140502_BookCon.png" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Last Saturday was BookCon and, yes, it was a complete and utter madhouse, especially compared to the solid organization of this year's BEA. With an additional 10,000 attendees stuffed into half the space, Saturday's BookCon was overcrowded, chaotic and, at times, downright dangerous. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFSvXMkTXaJAHHMFWsHUsa9MoRnM00CGaF6c7Td83or4Vxl9W-ffTC9T_V_Xt0jqHIgKvvVeX3OlMW3WFLKINZwov9naNE9ihkMGFegry7j7TTTSn7FlvxnLz03HZSuscEP0UUeHFHxs/s1600/BookCon-waiting-510x351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFSvXMkTXaJAHHMFWsHUsa9MoRnM00CGaF6c7Td83or4Vxl9W-ffTC9T_V_Xt0jqHIgKvvVeX3OlMW3WFLKINZwov9naNE9ihkMGFegry7j7TTTSn7FlvxnLz03HZSuscEP0UUeHFHxs/s1600/BookCon-waiting-510x351.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">More than 9,000 people waited for BEA’s BookCon to open at the Jacob Javits Convention Center just before 9 a.m. Saturday when this shot was taken. Photo: Porter Anderson (<a href="http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/06/a-footprint-on-the-convention-floor-beas-author-hub/">PublishingPerspectives</a>)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The cheek-to-cheek crowd surrounding the unticketed signings of Libba Bray and Alexandra Bracken (going on right next to each other at the exact same time in the middle of the autograph area) was a riot waiting to happen as people jockeyed for position while security guards barked at them to disperse. I was a bit scared as I tried to wiggle myself through that seething mass of humanity to get to a signing for Barry Lyga and spent a good amount of time beyond the velvet ropes in the quiet land of BEA goers to retain my sanity (I felt for the poor security guards who had the job of turning away cranky BookConners). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<a href="http://www.vulture.com/2014/06/bookcons-debut-was-chaotic-but-promising.html">NY Magazine's Vulture.com</a> said, "Fans took their cues from shows like Comic Con, lining up so early for panels that organizers quickly lost control. By 10:45 a.m., the lower level was cordoned off. From the escalators above, the group waiting to see Stan Lee looked like a refugee camp."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
However we might feel about it, the palpable excitement and incredible potential of a Con like this cannot be denied. Seriously. All these people, excited about books. From what I've read, BEA is losing money each year and a Con like this, if done right, could be just the boost the Expo needs to survive and even thrive. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With this first year of the Con, organizers came in with a lot of star power packed into one day: Lena Dunham, Amy Poehler, Cary Elwes, Grumpy Cat, Jason Segel, Stan Lee, Tina Fey and more. There were also plenty of rock star authors like John Grisham, Kathy Reichs, Lemony Snicket, Veronica Roth, Cassandra Clare, Sylvia Day, Rick Riordan, R.L. Stein, Libba Bray, John Green and Jodi Picoult, hitting a multitude of genres. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
And teens. Excited, hyper, dramatic, thrilled teens. (Woo-hoo!) Whoever claims teens don't read anymore needs to be dropped into the middle of a screaming mass of Libba Bray fans at BookCon. Then they'd realize how wrong-headed that statement is. Then. They'd. Know.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRPKjZ2-abicMAX_x83KVhSWWoyLi9fEqUQGwz_3QoQx12xBw6lAdQWXUj1KZM9DlByg0QGpQnZ3HWSGJ3tNAZoKTkLfQ1WzdFYQVhDdx-wW4OV46QE1PWYHpQqaEOugEc8y2KDNH9PY/s1600/IMG_0565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvRPKjZ2-abicMAX_x83KVhSWWoyLi9fEqUQGwz_3QoQx12xBw6lAdQWXUj1KZM9DlByg0QGpQnZ3HWSGJ3tNAZoKTkLfQ1WzdFYQVhDdx-wW4OV46QE1PWYHpQqaEOugEc8y2KDNH9PY/s1600/IMG_0565.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The line for Jennifer Armentrout went all the way to the <br />back wall and turned right. But at least we were organized! </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Some BEA attendees weren't thrilled with BookCon. I believe some of that disappointment stems from the fact that we didn't actually have a full three days at BEA, like we'd signed up for originally. Unless someone braved the Con, the other half of the floor where only badged BEA folks were allowed was dead. A lot of the main publishing contacts were gone for the weekend or bravely manning a booth on the Con side. Many bloggers stepped onto the Con floor and ran away as quickly as they could. Personally, though I would have liked to talk to some of the publishing folks who were too busy to chat on Thursday or Friday, I stayed until about 2pm and had fun people-watching (lots of TFiOS shirts, people in tutus and a Slithern student), commenting on the size of the crowd (ridonkulous) and visiting with friends (which I wouldn't trade for anything). It was the Day of Craziness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<a href="http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2264">Shelf Awareness</a> said, "The announcement that next year's show will consist of a two-day BookExpo, followed by two days of BookCon, caused several BEA attendees to feel that this is a turning point for the show." ReedPop, the company running BookCon, is also looking to partner with retailers to sell books on a major scale, according to Vulture.com, so BookCon will run more like other cons. Will this result in fewer giveaways over the weekend? Possibly...probably...who knows. Publishers, like the rest of us, are still trying to figure the whole thing out and how it will work best for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
What I'd like to see next year at BookCon (even if I don't wind up attending...):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A much clearer website with big, clear information on when/where to get tickets to events</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Tickets for more of the signings and panels, which might cut down on the pressure and the lines</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Big-name authors at the ends of the autographing area, rather than in the middle, to cut down on crowding</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Clearly marked lines and room for people to line up without crashing into one another or getting chased away</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A larger signing area</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A larger area period -- that space was just too small for so many people</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">These are just some quick observations from someone who didn't really attend the Con, just watched from afar except for a couple of forays around the floor and a couple of signings. I think the potential is there, if they can get it together. The readership is certainly there. Ten thousand excited attendees supports that conclusion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Wanna read some more about BookCon?</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/05/shows-events/bea/bookcon-troversy-uproar-over-lack-of-diversity-at-beas-consumer-day/#_">BookCon-troversy: Uproar Over Lack of Diversity at BEA’s Consumer Day</a> via the Library Journal (May 2): discussing the BookCon panels filled with primarily white men (and some women)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://wuwm.com/post/weneeddiversebooks-campaign-comes-inaugural-bookcon">#WeNeedDiverseBooks Campaign Comes To Inaugural BookCon</a> via WUWM Milwaukee Public Library (June 2): a follow-up to the kerfluffle over the massive lack of diversity at BookCon and the resulting panel, "The World Agrees: We Need Diverse Books"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/02/new-york-bookcon-literature-pop-culture">New York's BookCon: 'Where literature and pop culture collide'</a> via The Guardian (June 2): a (poorly written) article giving a bit more of a rundown of the Con day itself</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.thebookseller.com/news/bea-bookcon-incredibly-encouraging.html">BEA: BookCon 'incredibly encouraging'</a> via The Bookseller (June 2): a positive take on the excitement generated at BookCon</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And who says teens don't read?</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2014/05/31/veronica-roth-alex-london-bookcon/9808823/">Screaming teens greet Veronica Roth at BookCon</a> via USA Today (June 2): Veronica Roth is a rock star in the teen scene</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://observer.com/2014/06/twilight-of-the-tweens-prepubescent-readers-invade-new-york-for-first-annual-bookcon/">Twilight of the Tweens: Prepubescent Readers Invade New York for First Annual BookCon</a> via the New York Observer (June 2): a rather snobby take on the teen invasion of BookCon</span></li>
</ul>
Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-28298195122535158312014-06-04T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-04T00:00:04.452-04:00Waiting On...BEA 2014 Edition<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Really, what I'm Waiting On at the moment is time. Time to read. Time to sit down for a days on end and read fabulous books day after day with no interruptions except maybe a cabana man with fabulous abs and arms to die for to bring me fruity drinks with ridiculous straws and sustenance in the form of chocolate and Pirate's Booty so I can keep up my massive reading binge. (What? I'll bet I can survive for many days on chocolate and Pirate's Booty.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, the cabana man is nowhere in sight but, as summer break is right around the corner, I might be able to swing a few uninterrupted days of reading. (Maybe I'll just pretend I forgot to charge my phone...)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This comes just in time because, as you might know, I was playing at BEA last week and picked up some books that are well-worth waiting on.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0-Lxcke6QqdPSNT-tejgyAnzSYxMkkmMfGADtSq-sG5uQT13n2IlADPU0FgFtXnfAx-TYiFPYk_wiDmdwsgHyeBnfp0Csf1QAlK2VEOgPTt-4wOthhubPIx-h8-n9mDffx3vKwMtkqQ/s1600/IMG_0578+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0-Lxcke6QqdPSNT-tejgyAnzSYxMkkmMfGADtSq-sG5uQT13n2IlADPU0FgFtXnfAx-TYiFPYk_wiDmdwsgHyeBnfp0Csf1QAlK2VEOgPTt-4wOthhubPIx-h8-n9mDffx3vKwMtkqQ/s1600/IMG_0578+copy.jpg" height="211" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9943276-mortal-heart?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MORTAL HEART (His Fair Assassin #3) by Robin LaFevers</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This one was my to-die-for book at BEA. I've absolutely adored the series and can't wait to read Annith's story as well as catch up with the other assassin nuns, the Handmaidens of Death.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20419003-made-for-you?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MADE FOR YOU by Melissa Marr</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm a massive Melissa Marr fan -- she's not only a talented writer but a very gracious person -- and was thrilled to hear she'd be at BEA so I could say hi again and get this new story signed. It's billed as a contemporary YA novel that's a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. I'm in.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16059938-black-ice?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BLACK ICE by Becca Fitzpatrick</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll admit it, I wasn't the biggest fan of Fitzpatrick's first series (Patch was too much of a manipulative bastard for me) but this one sounds quite delicious -- a romantic thriller set in the wilds of Wyoming.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMziz_lr7O3HcmPbT0-hD5FEUlx9gKqHUR3ZRLpVvnJl5su4Gz1oUYws8rNvBJwpeZcYXaGqQhG23fsilaOGVoy1naiM80mJ0bUe-J6k2DUO5fg0YjZWMW27VALeBPVt2ke5tgXJ6HnI/s1600/IMG_0577+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMziz_lr7O3HcmPbT0-hD5FEUlx9gKqHUR3ZRLpVvnJl5su4Gz1oUYws8rNvBJwpeZcYXaGqQhG23fsilaOGVoy1naiM80mJ0bUe-J6k2DUO5fg0YjZWMW27VALeBPVt2ke5tgXJ6HnI/s1600/IMG_0577+copy.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18196040-the-walled-city?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THE WALLED CITY by Ryan Graudin</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This YA dystopian's setting is actually based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City">Kowloon's Walled City</a>, a densely populated and mostly ungoverned settlement in Hong Kong. That alone intrigued me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17331828-talon?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TALON (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's by Julie Kagawa. There are dragons. 'Nuff said.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18530258-trial-by-fire?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TRIAL BY FIRE (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1) by Josephine Angelini</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An alternate Salem where witches rule and a girl from another world must both survive and thrive? Nice. Plus, I had the opportunity to meet the lovely author and that just made me more interested.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYohizB-Z4Qj5rpZ_ToyeB7EHBMXpFefW5pE2Cq0R3XgOBxIyF2ztR7PyjQ-w5NQw90HkIjrFLsYJnQqN2sEyhF2XCDVfG7fSFcy-fPHTdNbLn0TmbFHq_2h1INbIleRm9tMxLGQGM-8/s1600/IMG_0576+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIYohizB-Z4Qj5rpZ_ToyeB7EHBMXpFefW5pE2Cq0R3XgOBxIyF2ztR7PyjQ-w5NQw90HkIjrFLsYJnQqN2sEyhF2XCDVfG7fSFcy-fPHTdNbLn0TmbFHq_2h1INbIleRm9tMxLGQGM-8/s1600/IMG_0576+copy.jpg" height="217" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13138734-this-shattered-world?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THIS SHATTERED WORLD (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really enjoyed the first in this series and was thrilled when Disney-Hyperion offered us a copy at the Book Blogger Con. I do miss the girl in the gorgeous dress but this cover's colors are so pretty and I'm interested to meet two more characters from this world.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13590919-the-young-world?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">THE YOUNG WORLD by Chris Weitz</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know, I know. Another post-apocalyptic dystopian. But I just couldn't pass it up, especially after seeing this ad in my bathroom stall:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNgnWaXCydQbt4v65BLGFjTOP6YM8sIMa6Z2Sqh-F-guWv6rrvWKOrCcuzAiZ4xlSSmDrc_IvYL6_3MaANLVallt7zrOJpZZzyqIlyq1Q4PiiK6e8IamVgODQGIphBJh8xi9bge_2QMM/s1600/IMG_0566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNgnWaXCydQbt4v65BLGFjTOP6YM8sIMa6Z2Sqh-F-guWv6rrvWKOrCcuzAiZ4xlSSmDrc_IvYL6_3MaANLVallt7zrOJpZZzyqIlyq1Q4PiiK6e8IamVgODQGIphBJh8xi9bge_2QMM/s1600/IMG_0566.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*snort*</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18367581-afterworlds?from_search=true"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">AFTERWORLDS by Scott Westerfeld</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, it's Scott Westerfeld. I loved his Uglies series and rumor has it this is rather meta as it involves a YA writer but alternates chapters with a fictional character in the "Afterworld". Color me intrigued.</span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6014295473803664042.post-89402756431203182292014-06-03T00:00:00.000-04:002014-06-03T00:00:07.974-04:00Top Off Tuesday: A Date with the Cavemen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s1600/top-off-tuesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xGI3B1vygCoR5k7urqP5BABjlRysvDQteOLC2SPI_Adv9X1JcCXhS6HPWa67B8gsbjfbTCbqZXLPHxenP4S9X1ZWs8Q32j41ZZZyYZzN9tO3O48LMzjWpzDgmTcm4gwm-n39gSk8RYk/s320/top-off-tuesday.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Started by </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Christi</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> and </span><a 14px="" 19px="" ba77ee="" color:="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://onabookbender.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Amanda</a><span style="color: #38761d;">, Top Off Tuesday is where a bunch of us share hot-hot-hot book covers (some we've read, some we've just drooled on). Head over to </span><a 14px="" 19px="" font-family:="" font-size:="" href="http://geekybloggersbookblog.com/" initial="" line-height:="" sans-serif="" text-decoration:="" verdana="">Felicia's blog</a><span style="color: #38761d;"> to share your ToT link and see what everyone else is swooning over.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While all of BEA is one crazypants, non-stop, run-your-feet-off experience, one of my favorite parts is the Ellora's Cave booth. Why? Because it's stocked with Cavemen. Cavemen you can ogle, who flirt with you, and who are willing to take pictures with you. It's become a tradition for J<a href="http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/">enny of Supernatural Snark </a>and me to get our pics made with as many Cavemen as we can find. I'd say we scored with this delicious trio.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VB29C8DKsLsi17q8akZWCEgwmxsQ3oKk6ghcgg5UEUCpWyvO0ogK7fgqQs0x2NbL6jziR4hqYEShSimaTULwGOowSFymV2SH6YdHomuSJQztqSYvgIctd1nDKvOvNCuqEa8gts7Nrnw/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VB29C8DKsLsi17q8akZWCEgwmxsQ3oKk6ghcgg5UEUCpWyvO0ogK7fgqQs0x2NbL6jziR4hqYEShSimaTULwGOowSFymV2SH6YdHomuSJQztqSYvgIctd1nDKvOvNCuqEa8gts7Nrnw/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Viking Caveman, me, All-American Caveman, Jenny, European Caveman.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And, look! A semi-Top Off Tuesday non-cover featuring Viking Caveman:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbZnVXOG4ds8D-Zb6K0ovFQt76Qu4X9pXMzHIiuSLHrlg1Ehs60FVGaSQo8Q4qI5AWDS7puBeo2z9R0tlakJHL0TyBgx3u-scsgZABI8FSyNgWj9YY39NUd-VX5n9b4DvbnFMkA2_cM8/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbZnVXOG4ds8D-Zb6K0ovFQt76Qu4X9pXMzHIiuSLHrlg1Ehs60FVGaSQo8Q4qI5AWDS7puBeo2z9R0tlakJHL0TyBgx3u-scsgZABI8FSyNgWj9YY39NUd-VX5n9b4DvbnFMkA2_cM8/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" height="320" width="232" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Damn. Look at the guns on that dude. And, I can tell you, he doesn't have an ounce of fat on his waist. (What's my hand gripping? Pure, unadulterated muscle. *swoons*) I need to practice my photoshop skills so I can remove that shirt of his. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And it seems many BEA attendees appreciate that booth. As we were walking away, giggling like little schoolgirls, an older, be-suited gentleman chimed in with his enjoyment of the Ellora's Cave booth and the Cavemen. I really wanted to high-five him. Instead, I merely agreed fervently that, indeed, there was nothing wrong with that display.</span>Mary @ BookSwarmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04099395167194720599noreply@blogger.com38