It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (August 1, 2011)

Wanted: New Facebook friends who want to play Gardens of Time! I need more neighbors so that I can expand. Please "Friend" me and say that you want to play Gardens of Time. The game is really fun!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.


I managed to get quite a bit of reading done this week despite my Gardens of Time addiction. Of course, I also received a large number of books this week. So my goal to reduce the size of my TBR mountain is currently an EPIC FAIL!


Here is what I read:

These three were review books from my Kindle.

Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson is the first in her Marina's Tales series. I enjoyed this young adult story about a girl who finds out that she is part mermaid. I thought the characters were well-written and the story was interesting. 

The Moon and the Tide by Derrolyn Anderson is the second book in the Marina's Tales series and ramps up the danger and the political intrigue. This one also adds some conflict to the "perfect romance" begun in the first book.

I'll be reviewing these together on August 11.

Alexander Drake's Extraordinary Pursuit by Elizabeth Parkinson Bellows is a middle grade fantasy adventure that was high on adventure but low on character development. I am part of a blog tour for this one and will have a guest post by the author on August 12. My review will be posted on August 13. 

I finished Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede. This was another great entry into the Frontier Magic series. I really like Eff and I just love Wrede's worldbuilding. My review will be posted on August 6.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher went right to the top of my stack when it arrived this week. The last book ended on a major cliffhanger and I had to know what happened. This was a little different than the rest of the series because there was more focus on introspection and memories and less on physical action. I loved it and am eager to find out what happens next. My review will be posted on August 11.

Dick Francis's Gamble by Felix Francis also didn't hit the TBR mountain. I read it as soon as it arrived. This is a mystery about a former jockey turned Independent Financial Adviser who has to find out who murdered a colleague and who has targeted him to murder next. My review will be posted on August 13.

Silk Is for Seduction by Loretta Chase was supposed to be a light read but turned out to have surprising emotional depth. This is a historical romance taking place in the 1830s about a dress designer and a duke. They should not have even met let alone fell in love. My review will be posted on August 10.

Dragon's Oath by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast is the first in a series of novellas that add more depth to characters from the House of Night series. This one focuses on the relationship between Dragon Lankford and Anastasia. He is a noted Sword Master and Warrior in the House of Night series. This tells about his beginnings in the 1800s. It tells about his romance with Anastasia. My review will be posted on August 10.

I am not currently reading anything. I am dithering and not able to make a choice. Here are my possibilities for next week's books:

Supernaturally by Kiersten White -- I loved Paranormalcy and this is the sequel. Parnormalcy was quirky and funny.

Blood Work by Kim Harrison -- This is an original Hollows story in graphic novel format. It should be a quick read.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer -- This is the sequel to Nightshade. How can I resist werewolves?

Face of Danger by Roxanne St. Claire -- This was on Amazon's Best of 2011 So Far list and is romantic suspense.

Black Magic Woman by Justin Gustainis -- I loved Hard Spell. Justin is guest posting on my blog on August 2. I want to try this book in his other series of urban fantasy.

The Marked Son by Thea Berkley -- This is a review book from Entangled Publishing. I have a guest post by the author scheduled for Aug. 20 and want to have my review ready by then too.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach -- I want to read this one to see if I think it is something my high school boys would enjoy. I have heard good things about it.

Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis -- I have also heard good things about this contemporary romance and it has been sitting on my stack for quite a while. 

Or I may decide to read none of those and go rummaging around in the two heaping laundry baskets of books I brought home for the summer for something else that catches my interest.

Those are my plans. What was last week like for you?

In My Mailbox (July 31, 2011)

Wanted: New Facebook friends who want to play Gardens of Time! I need more neighbors so that I can expand. Please "Friend" me and say that you want to play Gardens of Time. The game is really fun!

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

You know, I hadn't realized how many books I had pre-ordered that had a July 26 publication date until the packages started arriving this week. This was a very big mailbox full of physical books and ebooks that will keep my busy reading for quite a while. Here is what I got:

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett was my Amazon Vine choice this month. I thought a retelling of a Greek myth would be an interesting change of pace for me. 

Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong is the finished copy of a book I read for review a while ago. I had to have it for my Women of the Otherworld collection.

I completed my collection of the Mindhunters series by Kylie Brant when these two books arrived this week. 

Waking the Dead by Kylie is the third book in the series and Deadly Intent is the fourth.

I was surprised but pleased to read on someone's blog that Felix Francis was continuing the tradition begun by his father Dick Francis and writing a new mystery. I am a huge Dick Francis fan and had to get Dick Francis's Gamble.

Since I loved Hard Spell, I had to get Sympathy for the Devil by Justin Gustainis. I love his urban fantasy and look forward to reading this series.

I have read quite a few of The Hollows books by Kim Harrison and was interested to see what Blood Work was like because it is an original Hollows story done as a graphic novel. 

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher is the 13th in the Dresden Files series. This was a bit of a departure because Dresden is dead and is a ghost in this one. There is less physical action but more introspection in this fascinating story.

I didn't neglect my Kindle this week.

I added this series by Jennifer Estep -- Karma Girl, Hot Mama, and Jinx. I thought the blurbs sounded entertaining.

Ilona Andrews recommended Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase as a funny and entertaining historical romance. I thought I would add it to my Kindle too.

Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost is a novella that was originally published in an anthology that I do not own. I like Frost's work and wanted this story too.

That is what I got in my mailbox. What did you get in yours?

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Hard Spell
Author: Justin Gustainis
Publication: Angry Robot; Original edition (July 26, 2011)


Description: Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.

Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.



My Thoughts: I loved this urban fantasy version of the hard-boiled detective story. The writing was compelling. I was constantly reading portions to a friend who was visiting. Stan was a remarkable character. His voice was pitch perfect. He is the dedicated, hard-working cop who is determined to keep Scranton safe from supernaturals who break the law. 


Stan's current case has to do with black magic and a vampire/wizard who is killing vampires to get ready to perform a ritual that can end life as they know it. Stan pursues all leads and angles. The case begins with the torture and mutilation of a local wizard and the theft of something from his safe. With no leads or forensics, Stan consults with his witch contact. She contacts the dead wizard but ends up taken over by him. Next comes a very ancient vampire named Vollman who also wants to find the book that was stolen from the local wizard.


The book that was stolen contains the blackest of black magic. Only five copies are in existence. Responsible wizards won't touch it. But someone not only wants it but wants to perform a ritual the needs the deaths of five vampires to complete. Along the way Stan and his partner consult with a visiting professor who has seen a few of the pages. They learn more about the spells but have no way to know what the goal is. They have a name for the wizard/vampire but have no way to locate him or predict what he will do next.


As Stan and his partner Karl follow clues and look for more information, they also have to work around Witchfinders who want to question the witch that Stan contacted. These Witchfinders are a more modern version of the witch hunters of the 1600s. Stan also has to deal with personal issues. His wife was accidentally killed by the vampire that she was seeing during an extramarital affair. That certainly gives Stan a prejudice against vampires. Also, at about the same time that his wife died, his only child developed leukemia. To save her life, Stan went to his wife's lover to have him turn his daughter into a vampire. The relationship between Stan and his daughter is not at all good.

I liked that the world that Gustainis created was so near our own. The way the supernatural creatures fitted in was very believable. I recommend this story to readers who like urban fantasy and who like mysteries. It would also appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's Dresden series or Glen Cook's Garret series. Even before I finished this one I went to Amazon and bought other books by Justin Gustainis. He is now on my "must buy" list.


Favorite Quotes:

Ned once explained to me that academic papers usually have a colon in the title, because so many of them are written by assholes.

It occurred to me that my last sentence sounded like something from a bad Fifties horror movie, accompanied by a melodramatic soundtrack riff. In my job, reality is sometimes like a bad movie--and sometimes it's worse. At least the movie usually has a happy ending.

The author sent me a copy of this book for review. You can get your copy in mass market or ebook versions here. And you should!

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Justin Gustainis sent me a copy of his book Hard Spell recently to read and review. I love this urban fantasy story because the narrator has a quirky voice. The book was published on July 26 and is available as a mass market paperback or an ebook.


Here is the product description:

Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.

Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

Beginning:

This is the city - Scranton, Pennsylvania.

This is the incredibly generic first sentence and first paragraph but it does give a flavor of the story. I need to continue and give you the next couple of paragraphs to really introduce the book.

It used to be a coal town, back in the days when anthracite was king. That was a long time ago--the last of the mines played out in the 1950s. But people here are tough, and they learned to adapt. Today, Scranton's got a healthy economy based on light industry, tourism, and retail. They've cleared out a lot of the culm banks left by the mines, too.

It's a good place to live and raise a family--apart from the vampires, werewolves, ghouls, wizards, and the occasional demon.

Now the urban fantasy becomes obvious.

Friday 56:

She swallowed a couple of times, then said, "And you've exhausted all of the usual means of getting information about this...atrocity?"

"Every damn one," I told her. "Witnesses: none. Forensics: none. Associates: none. Friends and families: none. Enemies: None."

"Well, one, anyway," she said grimly.

Review: The Undertaker by William F. Brown

The Undertaker
Author: William F. Brown
Publication: William F. Brown; 1 edition (January 10, 2011)


Description: Pete Talbott is a California native and harried Boston computer wonk still grieving over the death of his wife Terri, when he found himself at the wrong end of Gino Parini's .45 reading his own obituary torn from that morning's newspaper. Talbott figured it was all a big mistake until Parini showed him his wife's obituary too, and this was a mystery Talbott couldn't leave alone.  From a funeral home in Indiana, to car chases on the Dan Ryan, a bloody Back Bay townhouse, snipers in New York City's Washington Square, sleazy lawyers, corrupt County sheriffs, mafia hit men, the FBI, an army of Chicago cops, and that unforgettable scene in the upper berth of an Amtrak Train, "The Undertaker" is a thrill ride with a touch of humor and romance.  Someone with a penchant for sharp scalpels and embalming tables is planting bodies under other people's names; and if Talbott doesn't stop them, he and his quirky new girlfriend, Sandy Kasmarek, will be next on the Undertaker's list.


My Thoughts: This was a taut, action-packed thriller that grabbed me from the first page and didn't let me go until the Epilogue. This is the story of an ordinary man who is dragged into a situation that he doesn't understand and who outsmarts the variety of villains.


Pete Talbott is just drifting through life after a series of personal blows. He loses his beloved wife after a long fight with cancer and then he loses his job due to downsizing and outsourcing. He moves from California to Boston to work with his brother-in-law at his software company. But one day, Gino Parani drops into his office, shoves a .45 automatic in his face, and makes him read his own obituary. It seems that he just died in Columbus, Ohio and was buried there. That was bad enough but the obituary also said that his wife Terri had died in the same accident. Pete is massively upset because this disturbs the memory of wife and he feels that the only thing he has to live for is her memory.


Going to a funeral in Columbus starts off a chain of events that has him targeted for death by two crime families and a rogue division of the FBI. There are lots of chase scenes and near death experiences as he tries to figure out what is going on. 


Along the way, after he has run to Chicago, he meets Sandy Kasmarek who is the former wife of another of the men who had their identity stolen in this complex scheme. She, too, has faced a lot of difficulties since her ex-husband's death but she isn't grieving. She hated the skirt-chasing loser but had to be the one to settle his estate and assume his debts. She is quirky, funny, smart, and a karate expert. Pete first feels that he is betraying Terri when he starts to have feeling for Sandy. Sandy and Pete travel together on the run from the villains and both learn to rely on each other's strengths and come to love and trust each other.

This was an excellent thriller. I recommend it to those who enjoy political thrillers with lots of action and some romance too.


Favorite Quote:

I realized this business with the obituaries, the funeral, and with Greene and Dannmeyer had lit some fires deep inside me that hadn't burned for a long, long time. I was no longer a stick-man walking. I felt alive, and I liked it. 

I received this ebook from the author in exchange for a review. You can get your copy here at Amazon. 

Review: On Basilisk Station by David Weber

On Basilisk Station
Author: David Weber
Publication: Baen (August 1, 2004)


Description: Introducing Commander Honor Harrington, here is a major new series from a major new author. The Basilisk System was a place to sweep incompetents, fools, and failures under the rug . . . or to punish officers with enemies in high places. Commander Honor Harrington has enemies, and she's about to make more of them--because the people out to get her have made one mistake: They've made her mad.


My Thoughts: The Honor Harrington series is space opera at its best with brave, loyal characters, incredible spaceships, and detailed space battles. Honor Harrington is Manticoran Navy to the core. The Manticoran system has three habitable planets - Manticore, Gryphon, and Sphinx. While the system is governed by a Queen and has a hereditary aristocracy, Honor is from yeoman stalk. She is a native of Sphinx and her parents are doctors. She doesn't have the patronage that many of her fellow Navy officers have. Fortunately, she is both more competent and luckier than most other officers.


The story begins when she receives her first ship command. She is made captain of the Fearless. However, Admiral Hemphill who is in weapons development has gotten hold of her ship and refitted it with new experimental armament. In Honor's opinion (and that of most sane commanders), the new weapons are a bad idea and reduce the ship's effectiveness. However, Honor does what she can to make use of the new armament. Her first deployment in the war games is very successful but the fourteen after that were complete failures. The Admiral blames Honor rather than her won poorly designed weapons and exiles the ship and crew to the Basilisk System. 


The Basilisk System has been the traditional dumping ground for captains that got on someone more powerful's bad side or for the incompetent. Honor arrives to find that the ranking commander in the Basilisk System is an old enemy of hers from the Academy. Captain Lord Pavel Young had attempted to rape her there but her unarmed combat skills saved her then. The commandant had made him apologize to her and wrote up the incident for his file. His political connections kept him in the Navy but his incompetence got him posted to Basilisk System. It also made Young a bitter enemy of Honor's. 


Young's first action when Honor arrives is to send his ship and himself home to Manticore for an "essential refit." That left Honor in charge and in an impossible situation. She had to protect the planet Medusa, monitor all shipping through the junction, and safeguard the system against external threats. At best, she would need to have her ship be three places at once. Honor wasn't the sort of commander who just lets things slide (unlike Captain Lord Young). So she set about forging alliances and getting all of her jobs done. 


Unbeknownst to her, the People's Republic of Haven had plans for the system that would have it ending up in Haven's hands rather than Manticore's. Honor Harrington isn't going to let that happen.


The story is filled with adventure, space battles, and politics. Sometimes, too much politics for me. And sometimes too much description of the ins and outs of space travel and space weaponry. The detail does add a lot of realism to the world. Many people on Baen's Bar devote thousands of words to analysis of the spaceships and weapons written about in Weber's books. 


Me? I like the character development and the character relationships that are forged in this series. I tend to skim over the "techno-babble" much as I do in the works of Tom Clancy. I am also a big fan of Honor's companion Nimitz. Nimitz is a treecat from Sphinx. Treecats are six-limbed predators who bond with certain humans. They have both sharp claws and teeth and are very protective of their humans. They are also more intelligent than Earth dolphins and empaths. And they are suckers for celery.


This book is a good introduction to the series and the price for the ebook is certainly right. I recommend it to readers who like science fiction (and aren't afraid to skim).


Favorite Quote:

The Basilisk System picket wasn't a duty station -- it was exile. Oblivion.

She rose to pace the cabin, cradling Nimitz in her arms, and felt him purr against her chest, but this time not even his efforts could stave off er black depression. Officers who were frightened of her, an executive officer less approachable than a Sphinx iceberg, a crew who blamed her for their ship's failures, and now this. 

I got this ebook free for my Kindle at the Baen Free Library. You can get it there too. If you would like a print copy, check out Amazon here. 

Teaser Tuesday: Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

I just picked up Breaking Point by Pamela Clare because I was in the mood for some romantic suspense and Amazon put this on their list of Best Romances so far in 2011. I haven't read anything else by the author but the book starts out with a bang and I have high hopes for it. I haven't read anything else by the author even though this appears to be the fifth in the I Team series.

Here's the description:

Denver journalist Natalie Benoit and Deputy U.S. Marshal Zach McBride find themselves captives of a bloodthirsty Mexican drug cartel. Working together, they escape through the desert toward the border, the attraction between them flaring hotter than the Sonoran sun. They fight to stay ahead of the danger that hunts them as forces more powerful than they can imagine conspire to destroy them both...

Teaser:

Zach had managed to make it through the last few hours without doing anything dangerously stupid--like kissing Natalie again. Not that it had been easy.

Review: Never Cry Wolf by Cynthia Eden

Never Cry Wolf
Author: Cynthia Eden
Publication: Kensington; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
Saved
Description: RUNNING WITH A DANGEROUS CROWD


Lucas Simone is not the kind of guy you mess with. He's big, he's strong, and his eyes hint at a wilder side most women can't handle. Of course, that's because his predatory instincts are no metaphor--he's a genuine Grade-A top-quality werewolf, tough enough to fight his way to dominance over the scariest pack on the West Coast. There's only one chink in his armor. Unlike most alpha dogs, Lucas has a reputation for protecting the weak and innocent.

Sarah King is counting on that protective impulse--it's the only thing standing between her and certain death. There are only two problems: one, she's not quite as innocent as she'd like Lucas to believe. And two, if he doesn't stop stoking Sarah's animal lust, it's only a matter of time before her own wild side gets unleashed...



My Thoughts: I enjoyed this urban fantasy/paranormal story. Lucas is a strong hero who has weaknesses that aren't as hidden as he would like. It seems that everyone, including the heroine, is playing on them. The man/wolf is a sucker for a damsel in distress. The heroine is definitely "in distress." She is being chased by another werewolf who has enlisted a couple packs of coyotes to go after her too. They all want her dead.


Sarah runs to Lucas but first has to get him out of jail. He has been accused of murder because a body was dumped on his doorstep. This story has it all - werewolves, werecoyotes, demons, vampires, mambos, and charmers. We get to meet a host of Other characters. Sometimes it felt like there were just too many characters. I know that this is not Eden's first book and I am guessing that some of these characters were introduced in other stories. 


The story deals with crosses, double-crosses and bunches of betrayals. It seems like everyone except Lucas has secrets that impact the plot of the book. It was a story filled with rich complexity and kept me reading until I reached the last page and figured everything out. 


I liked the romance between Lucas and Sarah. It began realistically with physical attraction but quickly deepened as the characters got to know each other. It took Lucas quite a while to figure out that he was in love with Sarah but that wasn't surprising considering his background. One of the most touching things was when he described his feelings for Sarah and asked her if that was love. 


I recommend this book and this author if you are looking for good urban fantasy/paranormal romance. The romance was hot and the action was non-stop. 


Favorite Quote:

"I'm sorry that you went through hell." Because that's exactly what it had been. While he'd been walking in his father's blood, she'd been rebelling at her normal life. Ah, damn. She must have seemed like such a fool to him. "I wish things had been different for you."

I bought my copy at Amazon. You can get it there  too.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (July 25, 2011)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Here is what I read last week:

Breaking Point by Pamela Claire was a tense, hot, and exciting romantic suspense novel. I'll be posting my review on August 1.

Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean was an entertaining historical romance with characters I loved. My review will be posted on August 6.

Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn was the latest in the Kitty Norville series. I don't think I'm going to do a review of this one. It was good but not great.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby was a young adult paranormal that wasn't anywhere near as light and fluffy as the cover would seem. I really liked it. My review will be posted on July 25.

I got a couple more off my list of review books this week too.

Vanish by Sophie Jordan follows Firelight. It is a young adult with dragons. I really liked it and look forward to the next book in the series. My review will be posted on August 4.

Deadly Sins by Kylie Brant is the latest in her Mindhunters series. These are romantic suspense. I liked this one enough that I immediately went to Amazon and purchased the rest of the Mindhunters series. My review will be posted on August 3.

And, lastly, I read Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede. I bought this one for my Kindle so that I could refresh my memory of the story before I read Wrede's latest - Across the Great Barrier. It was as wonderful as I recalled. It is a lovely fantasy about an alternate US during the pioneering days.

I am currently reading Across the Great Barrier by Patricia C. Wrede which just arrived this week. Here is the description:

From New York Times #1 bestselling author Patricia C. Wrede, the second in the series of magic on the western frontier.

Eff is an unlucky thirteenth child - her twin brother, Lan, is a powerful seventh son of a seventh son. And yet, Eff is the one who saved the day for the settlements west of the Great Barrier. Her unique ways of doing magic and seeing the world, and her fascination with the magical creatures and land in the Great Plains push Eff to work toward joining an expedition heading west. But things are changing on the frontier.

There are new professors of magic for Eff and Lan to learn to work with. There's tension between William and his father. And there are new threats on the frontier and at home. To help, Eff must travel beyond the Barrier, and come to terms with her magical abilities--and those of her brother, to stop the newest threat encroaching on the settlers.

With wit, magic, and a touch of good pioneer sense, Patricia C. Wrede weaves a fantastic tale of the very wild west.

Next week should be a great one. These books that I pre-ordered should be arriving and will jump to the top of TBR mountain:

• Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
• Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
• Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong (I already read the ARC but this is for my keeper shelf)
• Supernaturally by Kiersten White
• Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
• Sympathy for the Devil by Justin Gustainis
• Dick Francis' Gamble by Felix Francis
• Blood Work by Kim Harrison

Monday I am taking a road trip to St. Paul to meet up with a friend and attend Maggie Stiefvater's signing at the Wentworth Library. I am taking my copy of Forever with me. If the road construction isn't too bad I should get to the Library early enough to start reading it before the signing.

That was my week and those are my plans. What do you have planned?

In My Mailbox (July 24, 2011)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.



This was another good week for my mailbox. Here is what I added to my TBR mountain.

I recently read Deadly Sins by Kylie Brant (My review will be posted on Aug. 3) and became intrigued with her Mindhunters series. I decided to add them to my endless TBR mountain. These three arrived this week.

Deadly Dreams

Waking Nightmare

Waking Evil

 As it happens these are books 1, 2, and 5 in the series. I'm still waiting for 3 and 4 before I settle into a Mindhunters orgy.

I also added some books to my Kindle this week.

Stone Cold Seduction by Jess Macallen is so new that it doesn't have a final cover yet. I got this start of a trilogy from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley. I will be a stop on the blog tour for this one in September. It is urban fantasy.

I also got a new anthology Under Her Skin which includes stories by some of my favorite urban fantasy authors - Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook. 

Then yesterday I found out that I could get one of the books in the Father Koesler mystery series for my Kindle. I remember reading these "religiously" some years ago and want to see if I still enjoy them now. So I added The Gathering to my mountain. This one was free when I added it but doesn't seem to be free today. 

That was my haul for the week. What did you get in your mailbox?

ARC Review: Break Out by Nina Croft

Break Out
Author: Nina Croft
Publication: Entangled Publishing, LLC (July 1, 2011)


Description: The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!



My Thoughts: I went into this story not quite knowing what to expect. At first the banter between Rico and Tannis and the set up of a crew filled with misfits of one kind or another reminded me of Firefly. Then the womanizing by Rico reminded me of Captain Kirk in Star Trek. But soon these characters became themselves and nicely too. Rico is a vampire who has lived over 2000 years. He remembers Old Earth. But he hasn't lost his curiosity and love of life. 


Skylar comes to them with some sort of scheme. She wants to rescue someone from a very secure Collective prison. We know that she has some sort of ulterior motive but we wait for most of the book to find out what it is. Rico is immediately attracted to her looks, her strength, and her competence. He knows she is keeping secrets but he is willing to go along with the plan in hopes of gaining her trust. Tannis is especially interested in the proposed fee that is being offered. 


Rico is a vampire who is as hungry for sex as he is for blood. The story takes a quick turn to the erotic and is definitely for the older (read adult) reader. Skylar is interested too but she fears what Rico will learn if he tastes her blood. This leads to lots of erotic episodes. 


The story was well-written. The characters were engaging and interesting. I want to know more of their back stories and more about the world. There seem to be a number of factions of interest. The Collective are the rich ones who have taken the drug Meridian and who are essentially immortal. There is the Church which has brought a new inquisition into being this time targeting those who have had genetic modifications. And there are also the Rebels. We just get a taste of each of these groups. I am eager to find out more. 


I am especially interested in knowing more about the teaser at the end of the story about one of the crew of El Cazador who is a young girl masquerading as a boy. I recommend this stories for those people interested in science fiction and like their romances very spicy. I know I'm putting the author on my "must buy" list. 


Favorite Quote:

"Hello," he murmured, his voice like warm honey. He held out his hand. I'm Ricardo Sanchez--Rico to my friends. And I'm sure the two of us are going to be very good friends."

Beside him, the Captain snorted, but Rico's gaze never left Skylar.

I received the eARC from NetGalley but Amazon has it here.