Presenting...
There, by Denise Grover Swank
November 28, 2012
November 26, 2012
An Anthology featuring the best for the best cause
A few weeks ago, Hurricane Sandy was all over the news. Now, we don't talk about it so much, but the disaster is still there--the people is still out of homes, the rebuilding is still in progress... There's still a need for help, and there will be for a long time to come.
Author R.T. Kaelin was conscious of this and sent out a call from his blog. You can visit this original post here, but the gist of it? To Prepare an anthology of donated short stories, sell it via e-book, and send full proceedings to the American Red Cross for relief effots. The genre and style of this anthology is varied, so that most everyone will get to enjoy it: fantasy
(traditional or urban), sci-fi, mystery, pulp, romance, action… The only constant is the theme: Triumph over Tragedy, which incidentally will also be the title of the collection.
I'm glad to say that the response to this call was almost immediate. And I'm proud to know that so many wonderful authors I enjoy are also rockstars willing and able to help with this. Some names that might ring a bell? Robert Silverberg, Michael J. Sullivan,
Mark Lawrence, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Phillip Athans, Stephen D. Sullivan, Jean Rabe, Maxwell
Alexander Drake... And on it goes to reach the 40 contributors to this project.
If you want the full list, please click the link below and follow through to the Indiegogo page where they're accepting pre-orders of the collection. Do consider ordering a copy for yourself or for a friend and, if you can't afford to get this awesome book, share this post (or the IndieGoGo page) with other readers who can.
November 22, 2012
Review: Clockwork Angel, by Cassandra Clare
Author: Cassandra
Clare
Title: Clockwork Angel
Series: The Infernal
Devices (#1)
ISBN: 9781416975861
Publisher: Margaret
K. McElderry Books (August 31st 2010)
My rating: 4 of 5
stars
“Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.” GoodReads’ blurb
Clockwork Angel might
be the final proof: I was mostly indifferent to Mortal Instruments because of
the poor audiobook performances. This time I got it in print and I enjoyed it
much more!
November 20, 2012
Review: Timeless, by Michelle Madow
Author: Michelle
Madow
Title: Timeless
Series: Transcend
Time Saga (#3)
ISBN: 9780615692937
Publisher: Dreamscape
Publishing (November 20th 2012)
Disclaimer: Copy received for review
Buy your copy: Amazon's
Author Page
My rating: 4 of 5
stars
"IT'S A RACE AGAINST TIME.
In Remembrance, Lizzie and Drew changed the course of fate so they could be together.
In Vengeance, Chelsea set fate back on its original, deadly path.
Now, strange things keep happening to Lizzie. Things that are omens of darkness to come. A curse has doomed her to die an early death, just as she did in her past life. To make things worse, even if she can figure out who cast the curse, it's irreversible. There's only one option left for her to save herself. It's crazier than anything she's heard yet, and to do it, she'll need Drew and Chelsea's help.
Because to make things right, they must go back to when it all began" GoodReads’ blurb
What do you mean, it’s
over? That’s a joke, right? I wanted more!!
Ahem. Okay. So, on to
actual reviewing.
November 16, 2012
Guest Post:Violence, thuggery and slapstick in YA fiction by John Barlow
Today's a very special day: author John Barlow, who's an old friend of this blog and already shared with us a great post about writing thrillers, is releasing a new novel. This time, he tries his hand with a YA dystopian adventure called Islanders that promises to be something else. To celebrate, John's joining us once more here at Stories of my Life to share another fun guest post to tide us over until my review of Islanders is up (expect it soon!). Also, there's a giveaway for you!
Ben Brewer has lived all his life on the Island. But things are getting unbearable. There’s hardly any food and there’s nothing to do. Plus, the adults are so scared they won’t let anyone leave.
Thirteen years ago, the Mainland was torn apart by war and contaminated by biological weapons. Ben’s parents were leaders of the Resistance. They moved all their friends and comrades to the safety of the Island. But then his dad went back to fight, never to return.
Ben was born a few months later. He has never met his dad.
When a message arrives, saying that his dad is still alive, Ben decides to go to the Mainland. He needs to know the truth about the War. If his dad is still alive, why did he never come back?
With him go Bad n’ Worse, the toughest two kids on the island; Silver, the smartest girl; plus her brother Coby, Ben’s best friend. When they get to the Mainland they find a world gone mad, a chaos of weird genetic mutations, and a life of slavery for those who didn’t escape.
Ben discovers that one man yields total power: Jack Sullivan, his dad’s oldest and bitterest enemy. If Ben is ever going to uncover the truth about the War and find his dad, he’ll have to risk everything and put himself at the mercy of Sullivan. And that’s just the start of it...
Violence,
thuggery and slapstick in YA fiction
My YA
novel, ISLANDERS, is out today. The story is about a 13 year-old boy, Ben
Brewer, who has lived all his life
on an island. He was born during a devastating war back on the Mainland, a war which tore the country
apart and saw the release of deadly biological weapons. Ben’s parents were leaders of the
Underground, fighting for freedom. As the war got worse, they moved all their
friends and comrades to the safety of the Island,
where Ben was born. But then his dad went back to fight, never to return,
presumed dead. Ben has never met his dad.
November 14, 2012
Review: Proven Guilty, by Jim Butcher
Author: Jim Butcher
Title: Proven Guilty
Series: Dresden Files
(#8)
ISBN: 9780451461032
Publisher: Roc
(February 1st 2006)
My rating: 4 of 5
stars
“There's no love lost between Harry Dresden, the only wizard in the Chicago phone book, and the White Council of Wizards, who find him brash and undisciplined. But war with the vampires has thinned their ranks, so the Council has drafted Harry as a Warden and assigned him to look into rumors of black magic in the Windy City.
As Harry adjusts to his new role, another problem arrives in the form of the tattooed and pierced daughter of an old friend, all grown-up and already in trouble. Her boyfriend is the only suspect in what looks like a supernatural assault straight out of a horror film. Malevolent entities that feed on fear are loose in Chicago, but it's all in a day's work for a wizard, his faithful dog, and a talking skull named Bob...” GoodReads’ blurb
It takes talent to
keep a series going strong through eight books, but Butcher manages it.
Frankly, at this point I thought there was nothing else I could say, nothing
new beyond “one of the best urban fantasies ever”, but I think I’ve found
something to comment:
November 12, 2012
Review: Before I Wake, by Rachel Vincent
Author: Rachel
Vincent
Title: Before I Wake
Series: Soul
Screamers (#6)
ISBN: 9780373210619
Publisher: Harlequin
Teen, June 26th 2012
| 
My rating: 5 of 5
stars
“I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it.
The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…
Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.
But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life.” GoodReads’ blurb
How do you rate a
book that kept you up until five in the morning for three days in a row? How do
you rate it when it makes you look at the shadows in an entirely different way?
When it really makes you wonder if the lead character will actually manage to pull
it off?
Exactly. This is Top
Quality (totally deserving of the capitals, too)!
November 9, 2012
Cover Reveal: Destiny, by P.T. Michelle
Destiny (Brightest
Kind of Darkness, Book 3)
By P.T. Michelle
Expected Release Date: March 31, 2013
Summary from Goodreads:
By P.T. Michelle
Expected Release Date: March 31, 2013
Summary from Goodreads:
When destiny is on the line, will
love be enough to light the way?
In order to save Ethan, Nara gets pulled
deeper into his dark world, where everything she thought she knew about Ethan
and herself turns on its head.
Ethan and Nara turn up the heat with
bone-melting seduction and heart-rending moments, but surprising revelations,
lies, treachery, betrayal, and unimaginable evil will challenge their
relationship and their future together.
As the stakes rise, encompassing more
than just her relationship with Ethan, will Nara make the ultimate sacrifice?
***
Other books in the Brightest Kind
of Darkness Series: (titles link to Goodreads)
About the Author
P.T. Michelle is author of the
young adult series BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. She keeps a spiral notepad with
her at all times, even on her nightstand. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can
usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything
beautiful or odd in nature.
***
Want to help spread the word about
DESTINY's upcoming release? Click the link below to get the countdown widget
script to put on your website or on your blog's side bar. :)
November 7, 2012
Review: Hard Bitten, by Chloe Neill
Author: Chloe Neill
Title: Hard Bitten
Series: Chicagoland
Vampires (#4)
ISBN: 9780451233325
Publisher: NAL Trade
(April 12th 2011)
My rating: 3 of 5
stars
“Meet Merit, a "wonderfully compelling vampire heroine" (USA Today bestselling author Julie Kenner).
Chicago is beset by supernatural tensions, and Merit-vampire protector of a safe haven called Cadogan house-is worried that the humans will be reaching for their pitchforks any minute. It doesn't help that yet another vampire rave is broken up by the mayor, and a new inhibition- reducing drug is circulating through the community.
It's up to Merit to put her house in order-literally. And if that takes getting a little blood on her hands, so be it.” GoodReads’ blurb
Good things, bad
things happen in Hard Bitten. I’m still not sure which side outweighs the other
in competition, though.
November 5, 2012
Release day: Touching Evil, by Amber Garr
With one touch, Leila can see it all.
Leila Marx is trying to put her life back together after her fiancé is murdered. When Detective Garrick Pearson enlists her help with a difficult case, she is thankful for the distraction and the opportunity to use her talents as a touch clairvoyant. Leila and Garrick quickly delve into the mystery behind a series of missing teenage girls and mummified corpses while discovering their own growing attraction to each other.
Conner Hoffman is an intriguing lawyer and striking half-demon who enters Leila’s life unexpectedly. Although her visions are terrifying, she is fascinated by his charm and his legacy. When it becomes evident that the murders are linked to a paranormal event, Conner introduces Leila to a world unbeknownst to ordinary society. She suddenly finds herself immersed in supernatural politics, sorcery, and danger as she becomes the killer’s next target.
Staying alive will mean relying on friends, accepting the unbelievable, and trusting in her heart again.
Visit Amber's website to read an excerpt, watch the trailer, and meet the characters.
In celebration of the release, Amber is holding a giveaway!
Open to everyone. Yeah!
About the author:
Amber Garr spends her days conducting scientific experiments and wondering if her next door neighbor is secretly a vampire. Born in Pennsylvania, she lives in Florida with her husband and their furry kids. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain that she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a Royal Palm Literary Award Winner, the author of The Syrenka Series trilogy and The Leila Marx Novels, and when not obsessing over the unknown, can be found dancing, reading, or enjoying a good movie.
November 1, 2012
Review: Ironside, by Holly Black
Author: Holly Black
Title: Ironside
Series: Modern
Faerytales (#3)
ISBN: 9781847380630
Publisher: Simon
Pulse (April 24th 2007)
My rating: 4 of 5
stars
“...the time has come for Roiben's conronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing - her love for Roiben. But when Kaye drunkenly declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest to find a faerie who can tell a lie.
Miserable and convinced she belongs nowhere, Kaye decides to tell her mother the truth - that she is a changeling left in place of the human daughter stolen long ago. Her mother's shock and horror sends Kaye back to the world of Faerie to find her human counterpart and return her to Ironside. But when Kaye returns to the faerie courts, a battle of wits and weapons is being waged over Roiben's throne, and she soon finds herself at the center of it all.” GoodReads’ blurb
I read an loved the
first book in this series, Tithe, and all the reasons still apply in Ironside
(you can find my review of Tithe here, by the way). This sequel also addressed
all the issues I hoped it’d address... I’m just not too happy about the answers
it gives.
Kaye is feeling out
of touch with Roiben, so she does something extremely stupid during his
coronation (but I can’t really fault her for it... I might have been equally
tricked in her circumstances) and he, long-suffering knight that he is, does
the best thing he can think of to save her from herself:
Roiben sends her off
in an impossible quest that she must solve if she wants to ever see him again.
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