Amazon Free eBooks 2

Bright of the Sky (Entire and the Rose Book 1) by Kay Kenyon
All in Time by Ciana Stone
Daniel X: Demons and Druids (Free Preview) by James Patterson (I don't usually put up the 'previews' but I thought some might be interested.)

Found a couple more Ellora's Cave Naughty Nooners
Reaper's Justice by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Skin Magic by Kim Knox
Thrill of the Hunt by Nathalie Gray

And here's some Star Wars books:
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 1: Precipice by John Jackson Miller
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 2: Skyborn by John Jackson Miller
Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith 3: Paragon by John Jackson Miller

Amazon Free eBooks

I'm going to try to make this a regular thing, where I'll add any new ebooks I find on Amazon for free.

Mozart's Blood by Louise Marley
The Hunters by Jason Pinter
Sullivan's Justice by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky
St. Dale by Sharyn McCrumb

Is There a Place for Negativity in Reviews?

Karen had a post over at Karen Knows Best asking about the 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all' ideology. I responded there as well, but my response got rather long and slightly off the main topic, and I decided to bring the rest of it over here.

Like I said at Karen's blog, I used to be one of those people. You know, the ones that never have a bad thing to say about, well anything. It even went so far as to my jobs. I had a job once that I absolutely hated. The pay was bad, they were giving more and more responsibility without the commiserate raises and titles, and the managers micro-managed everyone to the point where I constantly felt they were looking over my shoulder. When I quit, after finally finding another position, I told my bosses that the reason I was quitting was because the other job was closer to home, better pay, and a more advanced position. These were all true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Before my last day I'd talked with plenty of friends and family about the situation they convinced me that if I didn't say anything then nothing would ever change. So when the Human Resources department called for my exit interview I told them ALL the reasons. That was the start of it for me.

I realized that sometimes the negative can be just as good and helpful as the positive. Perhaps even more so. I've tried really hard to apply that to every aspect of my life. There's a way to say negative things and still remain respectful - I don't like to 'bash' anyone. I try to just say what problems I had, whether it's with a job, or a movie, or a book.

I know how much goes into writing a novel, so if an author put in all that effort don't they deserve my honesty at least? If something didn't work for me, don't they want to know about it?

I still have a hard time writing negative reviews because I know the effort that goes into it, and that even if it didn't work for me there are often others out there that it'll work wonderfully for. But I know that I can't gloss over the things I didn't like and only say good things. Then I wouldn't be being honest.

Plus, if I'm going to take the time to do a review for other readers to look at and use to help them make a decision, I feel that I owe it to them to tell them truthfully what I thought about it and why.

I do think negative reviews have their place, and shouldn't be looked upon as bad just because they're negative. I know that negative reviews have sometimes made me buy and read the book because what they said intrigued me.

I've heard it said that any press is good press. Talking about a book is better than being ignored completely, isn't it?

What do you think?

Free eBooks on Amazon

I was going through my e-books list, and realized that of the 400 I have loaded on my Kindle, quite a few of them were free. I thought others might want to see what Amazon has available for free. They're not always easy to find, so I decided to do a nice list. Obviously these change on a semi regular basis. Some have been free for months, some are only free for days or a couple of weeks. This list is probably mostly romance, though there are some thrillers, mysteries, fantasy and sci-fi books in here too.

These first two groupings are shorter stories, but there are quite a few of them.

Cerridwen Press Scintillating Samples

Stakeout for Love by Christie Walker Bos
Goodbye Blues, Hello Love by Christie Walker Bos
Tween Hopeful and Hopeless by Sam Cheever
Unexpected Comfort by Kelly Ferjutz
Song of the Swan by Kelly Ferjutz
Waiting at Eros by Kelly Ferjutz
Wild Woman by Cara Lyle
Red Satin by Barbara Miller
The Next Big Thing by Madelle Morgan
Christmas Scandal-Not! by Jeanne Savery
Just Like Old Times by Hetty St. James
Message for Minerva by Jean Hart Stewart

Ellora's Cave Naughty Nooners

Sin Eater by Evangeline Anderson
Haunted by the Past by Riley Ashford
Erotique by Nicole Austin
Master's Thief by Nicole Austin
Scoring by Mari Carr
Kayla's Birthday Present by Ashlyn Chase
Nocked for a Loop by Sam Cheever
Seychelles Sunset by Lynne Connolly
Larkspur by Anny Cook
The Bad Widow by Barbara Elsborg
His Voice, His Command by Vonna Harper
Playing Hardball by Madison Hayes
Hot Moon Rising by Desiree Holt
Her Very Special Robot by Ann Jacobs
Eland by Allyson James
Tessa's Ambassador by Cyna Kade
Hunting Evander by Kim Knox
Door Prize by Lynn LaFleur
Changing Perspective by Marilu Mann
Lap Dance by Sally Painter
Danu, The Return by Sally Painter
Not Just an Orgy by Sally Painter
Shapeshifter's Craving by Lee Pearce
Interlude in Pearl by Emily Ryan-Davis
Take Me by Grace Samuels
Desire in the Dark by Naima Simone
First Taste by Paisley Smith
Outlaw Lovers Dossier by Jan Springer
Saturday Night Fever by Ciana Stone
Better Late Than Never by Savannah Stuart
Maui Heat by Ari Thatcher
Spirit's Release by Tea Trelawny

The rest of these are various publishers so they're just in alphabetical order by Author Last Name

My Beautiful Disaster by Michelle Buckman
Critical Care (Mercy Hospital Book 1) by Candace Calvert
Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch by B.J. Daniels
The Bride's Baby by Liz Fielding
All Tied Up (Pleasure Inn Book 1) by Cathryn Fox
Light of Eidon (Legends of the Guardian-King Book 1) by Karen Hancock
Kiss Me Deadly by Michele Hauf
Irresistible Forces by Brenda Jackson
Winter's Passage (Iron Fey Book 1.5) by Julie Kagawa
Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly
First Flight (A Tor.com Original) by Mary Robinette Kowal
Darkfever (Fever Series Book 1) by Karen Marie Moning
Hide in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
The Heir by Paul Robertson
His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls
The Wild's Call by Jeri Smith-Ready
Overtime (A Tor.com Original) by Charles Stross
Wicked House of Rohan (House of Rohan prequel) by Ann Stuart
A Memory of Wind (A Tor.com Original) by Rachel Swirsky
Eros, Philia, Agape (A Tor.com Original) by Rachel Swirsky
Dancing in the Moonlight by RaeAnne Thayne
My Soul to Lose (Soul Screamers prequel) by Rachel Vincent
Once a Cowboy by Linda Warren
Speed Dating by Nancy Warren

Review: Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh

Max Shannon is a human cop for the New York Enforcement with a gift that allows him peace. His mind has a strong natural shield that excludes him from the suggestions that are sometimes planted in his fellow officers' minds by the Psy. This has also precluded him from rising in the ranks, but Max doesn't mind as long as he is sure he's the one making the decisions in regards to his cases. Knowing this it comes as a huge surprise when he's tapped as a special investigator by a Psy Councilor, and not just any Psy Councilor, but Nikita Duncan herself. And he won't be working alone...

Sophia Russo has been a J (Justice) for over 12 years. The long active period has left her with terrifyingly thin shields and she knows it's just a matter of time before she's called in for that final rehabilitation that all Js must either succumb to, or escape from through death. Having first met Max on the case of a sociopath, Sophia was intrigued by, and attracted to, him - something a perfect Psy would never be. Sophia is a long ways from the perfect Psy though, and has been for longer than she's been a J. Knowing her interest in Max will only lead her more quickly to her final end, she's relieved (and disappointed) when she's out of his presence. But then she's called to be Max's liaison and partner on this new deadly case for Nikita.

Can they find out who's killing those close to Nikita before they strike again? Will the bonds Max and Sophia form be strong enough to save them both?

I have to admit, in this world of the Psy/Changelings I was not that interested in the main couple going into this book because of the human hero. I'm not afraid to admit when I am wrong. And boy was I wrong. At a glance humans are the very lowest of the three races. They don't have the mental abilities that the Psy do. They don't have the strength and enhanced senses that the Changelings do. They're thought of as less by many Psy and Changelings. But Max is a fantastic hero. One hundred percent human, he's got an intelligent, quick mind and strong ethics, added to the fact that he's very protective, totally loyal, persistant and incredibly, absolutely sexy-as-hell.

Sophia, on the other hand, is kind, caring, smart and intriguing all with an underlying core of steel. She's strong and vulnerable. Sweet and sexy (as Max would say). She's been a J for longer than most others, and yet she continues to push that, in the end, things are fair. It's such a likable quality, and one that could easily push her over the edge into either too good, or not good enough. The balance is perfectly attained, and Sophia is a character that I'll love for many years to come. She faces some of the same issues that most of the Psy that are still in the Net, but with new, heart-breaking twists.

Max and Sophia are now some of my favorite characters in the story, and I hope that we get to see more of them in the future.

There is a lot going on in Bonds of Justice, with the Psy, the Changelings, and the relationships between many of them. We get to see many of our favorites, including Lucas and Sascha, Faith and Vaughn, Clay and Tally, Nikita, and (my personal favorite enigma) Kaleb. The depth that Nalini Singh continues to give each and every character - whether they've been in the story for books, or a couple of pages - always amazes me.

The plot, attempts to get at Nikita through those closest to her, is solid. It'd be tempting to think that her calling in a human/J combo to figure this out is out of the realm of possibility, but it's not only realistic, it's addressed by the characters themselves. And the reasoning makes the story all that more intriguing. The mystery itself, and the continued work with the serial killer that brought Max and Sophia together in the first place, are too interesting for me to spoil here.

But the real joy here is the fabulous love story between Max and Sophia. I have to admit that there were a few times I had to put down my Kindle in order to wipe the tears from my eyes. The way they come together, with trust, and openness, love and honesty spoke directly to my heart.

Being the tenth book in the Psy/Changeling series I wouldn't recommend starting with Bonds of Justice. Ms. Singh does a fabulous job with providing all the relevant information needed to read it as a stand-alone, but you'd be missing out on some fantastic tension, world-building and romance to skip the previous entries in this wonderful series. See the reading order here for a complete list of the Psy/Changeling series.

Every time I read Nalini Singh's books I think 'she can't possibly get any better than this' ... and then she does. Nalini continues to blow me away with a detailed world, beautiful love story, and fascinating characters. Bonds of Justice is an absolute must read. Intrigue, danger, passion and more fill the pages, tempting you, forcing you, to keep reading well into the night.

Grade: A+


Book Link | Amazon (print) | Kindle | B&N (print) | nook | Borders (print) | kobo | Sony | Book Depository | Berkley

Mid-Year Round Up

So here we are, just over halfway through the year. Summer's just started and it's time to enjoy the long days, sunny skies and warmth.

I wish I could say I have been. But it's rained 14 of the last 23 days...most of those being pretty impressive thunderstorms. I love a good thunderstorm as much as (and probably more than) the next person, but I'm very tired of the humidity that just won't let up. I'm sure most people wouldn't think humidity when they're thinking Wisconsin. And yet I can't remember a summer without it. It's a damp climate up here, so while our heat and humidity doesn't begin to touch on most of the southern climes, it's certainly more than enough for me.

It's been a fairly good year for me so far. I've had time to read, watch movies, see the end of favorite television shows, or story arcs (and get hooked on some new ones) and go to a couple of great concerts.

Earlier this year I took on two challenges for reading, and I think I'm doing pretty well at this point. So here's the update:

2010 Reading Challenge
I've read one book beginning with each letter, except for E, N, Q, X and Y. I haven't been purposefully searching out books that begin with the letters, just reading what's come naturally to me. Here's my list as it stands right now:

A - Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunters 4) by Nalini Singh
B - Breaking Free (Masters of the Shadowlands 3) by Cherise Sinclair
C - Candy Coated Passion by Kat Alexis
D - Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark 6) by Kresley Cole
E
F - From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse 8) by Charlaine Harris
G - Graceful Submission by Melinda Barron
H - He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
I - Ice Cream, You Scream by Kat Alexis
J - Judgement in Death (In Death 12) by JD Robb
K - A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
L - Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood 2) by JR Ward
M - Mistral's Kiss (Merry Gentry 5) by Laurell K. Hamilton
N
O - An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons 3) by Julia Quinn
P - The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Q
R - Roping the Wind (Turner Brothers 1) by Kate Pearce
S - A Spanking for Valentine by Evangeline Anderson
T - The Turning (Blood Ties 1) by Jennifer Armintrout
U - Undercover Submission by Melinda Barron
V - Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breeds 5) by Lara Adrian
W - Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? (Turner Brothers 2) by Kate Pearce
X
Y
Z - Zane's Way by Maggie Casper

New Author Challenge
The other challenge I took on was a retry from last year. I never did manage to even get more than one or two new-to-me authors tried last year. And while I'm not at the halfway point yet this year, I have expanded my horizons by 15 authors already. Here's the list as of today:

1. Jennifer Armintrout - The Turning
The Turning is the first book in Jennifer's Blood Ties series. I loved this first book, and pretty quickly went through the other three. And picked up the first book in her next series: Lightworld/Darkworld.

2. Kate Pearce - Roping the Wind
Roping the Wind is the first book in Kate's Turner Brothers series. It was a really good, fun cowboy read. I supremely enjoyed it. And quickly read the other two. I look forward to reading more of hers.

3. Lauren Dane - Giving Chase
A good fun read. I'm definitely gonna get to some more of her work.

4. Susan Donovan - He Loves Lucy
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the love story between Lucy and Theo was not only touching, but believable.

5. Melinda Barron - Graceful Submission
This was a fantastic book. I loved the development of the characters, and how BDSM was handled in it. I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

6. Kat Alexis - Candy Coated Passion
To be honest the sex scenes got a bit tedious, and it felt like there was little to no growth with the characters. I'd love to see the author do more with them, so it's not just sex scene after sex scene.

7. Maggie Casper - Zane's Way
Hmm. It had the potential for a really good book. The characters were interesting, the storyline was interesting, but it just seemed to rushed. I didn't get enough time of them together, much more time of them apart. Not enough time to see how their relationship grew. Pity, because I missed that.

8. Julia Quinn - The Duke and I
I absolutely adored this book. The characters are lively, quick, smart and interesting. People that I would love to know. The romance is sweet, hot, and beautiful. The dialogue is fabulous. The secondary characters (coming up in future books) are absolutely fascinating. I can't wait to read more from Julia Quinn. (Yes - I know I'm quite late to this party...lol)

9. Jennifer Ashley - The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie
What a fantastic book. I love the way that the author showed the hero having AS. How it wasn't a passed over part of the story, how it was completely integrated into the love story and the overall story. Fantastic romance with a real hero and heroine. I couldn't put it down, and can't wait to read more in this series.

10. Stacia Kane - Unholy Ghosts
Read my review here

11. Charlaine Harris - Dead Until Dark
I really enjoyed this first novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Enough that it made me immediately get the following 9 full length novels and devour them in a week.

12. Desiree Holt - Double Entry
This was a decent book that had some likable characters, although I can't remember much specifically about them. It was a short story, heavy on sex, and light on conflict. I did have some problems with one scene in particular that was just beyond unrealistic for me - not in that it couldn't be done, but in that it definitely shouldn't, and any woman would know that. There was also some unrealistic dialogue that felt more like the author trying to give distinctive personalities rather than the characters actually having distinctive personalities. Other than that, I'd be willing to try another novel by her sometime.

13. Kasey MacKenzie - Red Hot Fury
A debut author with a fresh new look at urban fantasy. I've been working on a review for this. The concept is awesome and intriguing, but there were some definite debut-novel issues I had.

14. Gena Showalter - The Darkest Night
First book in the Lords of the Underworld series. Interesting premise, good characters. A good read, and I look forward to seeing where she takes the series.

15. Cherise Sinclair - Club Shadowlands
The best thing I can say about this author is that as soon as I finished Club Shadowlands I immediately read everything else she has available. I find her characters believable, charming, interesting and hot. The end of Master of the Mountain still strikes me as perfect - just because of how realistic it was. And beautiful. I eagerly await anything and everything Cherise sends my way.

On top of these I thought it'd be fun to keep track of all the books I've read this year. It's been awhile since I've kept an eye on that sort of thing, and it's definitely been fun. I've already read 83 books. 2010 Year In Books.

Here's my list at this point. Some of these were re-reads, but not many. I've bolded the ones that I'd previously read.

1. Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breeds 5) by Lara Adrian
2. Ashes of Midnight (Midnight Breeds 6) by Lara Adrian
3. Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breeds 7) by Lara Adrian
4. Candy Coated Passion (1) by Kat Alexis
5. Ice Cream, You Scream (2) by Kat Alexis
6. A Spanking for Valentine by Evangeline Anderson
7. Deal with the Devil by Evangeline Anderson
8. The Turning (Blood Ties 1) by Jennifer Armintrout
9. Possession (Blood Ties 2) by Jennifer Armintrout
10. Ashes to Ashes (Blood Ties 3) by Jennifer Armintrout
11. All Soul's Night (Blood Ties 4) by Jennifer Armintrout
12. The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie (Highland Pleasures 1) by Jennifer Ashley
13. Graceful Submission (1) by Melinda Barron
14. Graceful Mischief (2) by Melinda Barron
15. Undercover Submission (3) by Melinda Barron
16. Sweet Vibrations by Melinda Barron
17. Amethyst Eyes by Melinda Barron
18. Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson 5) by Patricia Briggs
19. Zane's Way by Maggie Casper
20. Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark 6) by Kresley Cole
21. Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals After Dark 7) by Kresley Cole
22. Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals After Dark 9) by Kresley Cole
23. He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
24. Mistral's Kiss (Merry Gentry 5) by Laurell K. Hamilton
25. A Lick of Frost (Merry Gentry 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton
26. Swallowing Darkness (Merry Gentry 7) by Laurell K. Hamilton
27. Divine Misdemeanors (Merry Gentry 8) by Laurell K. Hamilton
28. Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse 1) by Charlaine Harris
29. Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse 2) by Charlaine Harris
30. Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse 3) by Charlaine Harris
31. Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse 4) by Charlaine Harris
32. Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse 5) by Charlaine Harris
33. Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse 6) by Charlaine Harris
34. All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse 7) by Charlaine Harris
35. From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse 8) by Charlaine Harris
36. Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse 9) by Charlaine Harris
37. Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse 10) by Charlaine Harris
38. A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse collection of shorts) by Charlaine Harris
39. Double Entry by Desire Holt
40. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
41. Unholy Ghosts (Downside Ghosts 1) by Stacia Kane
42. A Tapestry of Spells (Nine Kingdoms 6) by Lynn Kurland
43. Red Hot Fury (Shades of Fury 1) by Kasey MacKenzie
44. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
45. Roping the Wind (Turner Brothers 1) by Kate Pearce
46. Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? (Turner Brothers 2) by Kate Pearce
47. Riding the Line (Turner Brothers 3) by Kate Pearce
48. The Duke and I (Bridgertons 1) by Julia Quinn
49. The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons 2) by Julia Quinn
50. An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons 3) by Julia Quinn
51. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Bridgertons 4) by Julia Quinn
52. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons 5) by Julia Quinn
53. When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons 6) by Julia Quinn
54. It's In His Kiss (Bridgertons 7) by Julia Quinn
55. On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgertons 8) by Julia Quinn
56. Glory in Death (In Death 2) by JD Robb
57. Immortal in Death (In Death 3) by JD Robb
58. Rapture in Death (In Death 4) by JD Robb
59. Ceremony in Death (In Death 5) by JD Robb
60. Vengeance in Death (In Death 6) by JD Robb
61. Holiday in Death (In Death 7) by JD Robb
62. Midnight in Death (In Death 8) by JD Robb
63. Conspiracy in Death (In Death 9) by JD Robb
64. Loyalty in Death (In Death 10) by JD Robb
65. Witness in Death (In Death 11) by JD Robb
66. Judgement in Death (In Death 12) by JD Robb
67. The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld 1) by Gena Showalter
68. The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld 2) by Gena Showalter
69. Club Shadowlands (Masters of the Shadowlands 1) by Cherise Sinclair
70. Dark Citadel (Masters of the Shadowlands 2) by Cherise Sinclair
71. Breaking Free (Masters of the Shadowlands 3) by Cherise Sinclair
72. Lean on Me (Masters of the Shadowlands 4) by Cherise Sinclair
73. "Simon Says" in Doms of the Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair
74. Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair
75. Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunters 4) by Nalini Singh
76. Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood 1) by JR Ward
77. Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood 2) by JR Ward
78. Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood 3) by JR Ward
79. Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood 4) by JR Ward
80. Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood 5) by JR Ward
81. Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood 6) by JR Ward
82. Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood 7) by JR Ward
83. Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood 8) by JR Ward

I also managed to be here more frequently, and posted 3 new reviews. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane - and after even more time passing, I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing where Stacia takes us (and Chess) in the next book (Unholy Magic due out July 6, 2010). Red Hot Fury by Kasey Mackenzie. And last (but most assuredly not least) Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh. Which is one of my top 5 reads of the year.

Speaking of top reads for the year so far, here are my top ten...in no particular order, because that's just too hard.

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Silver Born by Patricia Briggs
Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Breaking Free by Cherise Sinclair
Lover Mine by JR Ward
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley
Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole
Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair
The Turning by Jennifer Armintrout



This is getting a little long, so maybe I'll leave the movies, tv and music for another post ;)

How has your reading been this year? I'm pretty happy with mine so far, and look forward to finding a lot more great books in the second half of it.

Review: Red Hot Fury - Kasey Mackenzie

Marissa Holloway, Chief Magical Investigator for the Boston Police Department has spent the years since fully coming into her Fury birthright maintaining the peace between the arcane and the mundane of the world. Usually by solving supernatural crimes, more specifically murders.

When she's called to the site of a murdered sister-Fury, only to discover the body isn't who she's supposed to be, things get crazy in a hurry. Suspended from her job, Riss finds herself on the run from enemies she didn't know she had.

Unable to trust almost anyone, Riss turns to her ex, Warhound Scott Murphy, to help her solve the mysteries that just keep piling up on one another. But with the protection Scott can offer comes a resurgence of feelings between them. Riss'll have to keep a tight hold on not only passion, but her Rage in order to solve the case, and stop an impending war.

I went into Red Hot Fury excited and interested in the world that Kasey Mackenzie created. Her main protagonist is a Fury, a rarely written about character from mythology. Ms. Mackenzie continued to do this, drawing from not only Greek and Roman myths, but others – including Irish and Egypitian. When the Bastai showed up (Cats from Egypt’s goddess Bast) I was ecstatic.

Red Hot Fury maintains a furiously (ha) fast pace. The storyline moves along quickly, leaving you gasping for breath from one thing before plunging you headlong into the next. There are numerous action sequences which are very well-written and vivid.

Unfortunately the concept and fast pace weren’t enough to make this novel great. While the plot hurtled along, at times it felt like it was doing so to cover up some very incomplete world building. There were gaping holes in how the arcane, magical beings, interacted with each other, the mundanes (humans) and their powers. For example, while I have a good idea that furies can shape-change into a variety of forms, I have little understanding of each of them. I think there are three main forms, but I’d be hard pressed to describe any of them except full-Fury.

I truly liked Riss. She’s an interesting character to read through which is especially important in a first-person POV novel. She’s sassy, caring and smart-assed, with just a touch of naiveté thrown in there to round her out. However, she never felt completely real to me. I didn’t understand some of her thoughts or emotional processes. Sometimes I felt like her inner thoughts didn’t match her outer actions, with no reasoning given for that discrepancy.

All of the other characters in the novel suffered because of the first-person POV. It was hard to get to know any of them well or understand their motivations. More than once I wanted to just jump into Scott’s head and find out exactly what he was thinking.

Ms. Mackenzie has a great idea that I would love to see expanded and built upon in future Shades of Fury novels. However, in the end, despite this intriguing concept, Red Hot Fury didn’t live up to what I was hoping for. Still if you’re looking for a fast-paced, action-packed novel with a fresh, new subject, then Red Hot Fury is definitely for you!!

Grade: C+


Book Link | Amazon (print) | B&N (print) | Borders (print) | Book Depository | Ace

Charlaine Harris Book Order

Sookie Stackhouse (or Southern Vampire Mysteries)

1. Dead Until Dark

2. Living Dead in Dallas

3. Club Dead

4. Dead to the World

* "Fairy Dust in Powers of Detection (also A Touch of Dead)

* "Dancers in the Dark" in Night's Edge (Sookie Universe, No Sookie)

* "Dracula Night" in Many Bloody Returns (also A Touch of Dead)

5. Dead as a Doornail

* "One Word Answer" in Bite (also A Touch of Dead)

6. Definitely Dead

* "Tacky" in My Big, Fat Supernatural Wedding (Sookie Universe, No Sookie)

7. All Together Dead

* "Lucky" in Unusual Suspects (also A Touch of Dead)

8. From Dead to Worse

* "Gift Wrap" in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (also A Touch of Dead)

9. Dead and Gone

* "Bacon" in Strange Brew (Sookie Universe, No Sookie)

* "The Britlingens Go To Hell" in Must Love Hellhounds (Sookie Universe, No Sookie)

10. Dead in the Family

* "Dahlia Underground" in Crimes by Moonlight (Sookie Universe, No Sookie)

* "Two Blondes" in Death's Excellent Vacation

11. Dead Reckoning

* The Sookie Stackhouse Companion

12. Deadlocked

13. Dead Ever After

13.5. After Dead (29 October 2013)



Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information on books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://www.charlaineharris.com/

Judge A Book By It's Cover??

I long ago realized that I judge books by their covers.  This is just something I do, subconsciously. I used to be somewhat contrite that I did this. I would force myself to pick up books with awful covers and read the blurbs, or the first few chapters, but I never bought them. Ever. Okay, maybe I need to qualify this statement. If it's an author that I love, it hardly matters what the cover may look like. I may cringe while buying it, and not look at the cover while reading it, or carrying it, but I'll still buy it. But that is the only time it will happen.

A couple of years ago I stopped being ashamed and just realized this is how I am. I like visually pleasing covers. I don't have a 'type' or a specific standard that I can say what I like, I just know. It either grabs me or it doesn't. I stopped making myself pick up books to check them out despite their cover. Now I just grab what I like to look at, and if I miss out on something because of that, then I guess that's my loss. Usually this works for me. Sometimes it doesn't.

I think for me a big part of it is that if someone puts time and thought into a cover, making it aesthetically satisfying, then I know that they feel the book is worth it, and thus so should I. If a book has a crap cover with fake people, or a cartoon-y feel on an adult book, or something that is just plain 'ole ugly then I assume (yes, I know...one shouldn't assume) that the publisher didn't feel it deserved their very best. And if it doesn't deserve the very best cover, then it doesn't deserve my money either.

As an aside - I used to absolutely hate covers that had people on them.  It took me a long time to get over that - probably the reason that I came to romance so late.  My problem (still) with people on the cover is that they are never what I picture the character to look like.  Obviously as you look below, some of the covers I've picked up because I liked them have people on the covers, so this is no longer a hard and fast rule - though I still do prefer to have it be more vague instead of specific, or to not include the face.

I started thinking about this because I just started reading Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, the first book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series. I always heard people talking about this series, I've watched the last two seasons of True Blood on HBO, and I forced myself to pick up this book numerous times in the bookstore. I just couldn't get past the cartoon vampires on the cover.

I mean, really? This is what you think is going to draw people in? Well, obviously it has because they're wildly popular books so I must be in the minority. Even when they changed the cover after True Blood started I just couldn't make myself start reading it. I have never been able to get the corny covers out of my mind. In fact it's taken months of my best friend telling me to start reading the series for me to even turn to the first page in the first chapter of Dead Until Dark. It's probably a great book (I'll be sure to say when I'm done), but I've always passed it by for nicer looking books.

There are several instances where this worked particularly well for me. I picked up Dreams of Stardust by Lynn Kurland because I liked the way the cover looked. The colors were nice, the picturesque setting was nice. I was intrigued by the jewels and wondered what meaning they had to the story. All in all, a good cover. And I love this book. Love the entire series in fact. Here is the reading order.

The simplicity of the the cover for Outlander by Diana Gabaldon caught my eye and I was incredibly glad I read it. It’s still a favorite – even if I haven’t stayed caught up on the series.

Otherland by Tad Williams featured a golden city on the cover. Someplace fantastical and beautiful. I wanted to learn more about that place. This was a book I picked up not knowing it was part one of a four part series…

This cover led me to one of my all-time favorite authors, Nalini Singh. I think her Guild Hunter novels have some of my favorite covers.

















More books I picked up solely because of the cover and really enjoyed:

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
Almost a total exception to my person/face rule...

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abe

Welcome to Tempation by Jennifer Crusie

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught





















Books I’ve picked up strictly based on the cover, but haven’t had the chance to read yet.

Sebastian by Anne Bishop

Steamed by Katie MacAlister

Greywalker by Kat Richardson

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Lord of the Fading Lands by CL Wilson






















Of course this isn’t always fool-proof. I can’t think of many examples of books where I loved the cover, but didn’t like the book (though I know there have been some). But I do have a very good example of a cover I hated, and a book I enjoyed. In fact, the author of this book became one of my very favorites.

On the left is the original cover for Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning. On the right, the more recent version. I strongly dislike the original version of the cover. I can’t even remember what prompted me to pick it up, but I like the newer version much better.

So I try to remember this when I see a cover I can’t stand, or don’t like…but I still find myself picking up more books based on the cover.

Anyone else do this? What are some of your favorite covers? Are there books you love, but covers that just don’t do them justice?

Review: Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane

Downside Ghosts Book 1

Imagine a world without gods. There is no god. There is only the Fact and the Truth of the Church of the Real Truth – an organization that has ruled the world absolutely since they were able to stop the murderous ghosts from killing all of humanity. Chess Putnam is a Debunker for the Church; she travels around disproving citizens made-up claims of hauntings, or banishing the ghosts if they’re real.

Chess has a secret though – a big drug problem which has gotten her in deep with her dealer, Bump. And now he’s calling in his debt. All she has to do is banish some nasty ghosts from an abandoned airstrip for him and they’ll be settled straight up. Simple.

Or maybe not. Because what Chess thinks will be a simple debunking soon becomes mired in black magic, human sacrifice, corruption within the Church, attraction to Bump’s top enforcer, and a sexy rival drug lord vying for Chess’ loyalty and time. Will Chess be able to banish the demonic ghost, protect the Church that she loves, keep her balance between two sexy men and not reveal her addiction?

I’m going to start off with some background. I probably normally wouldn’t have reviewed this book, but because of some discussions I thought I should at least try to organize my thoughts on it.

I first heard about this book on Karen Marie Moning’s blog. She doesn’t often recommend novels, and my respect for her craft is huge. It got me interested and I put it on my To Be Bought list. Then I read the review at Dear Author and, admittedly, the conversation on the review intrigued me more. I wasn’t so sure about the main protagonist being a drug addict that had little to no growth. It’s not the addiction itself; trials really do make you stronger. Rather, it was the idea of a protagonist with no character depth or anything I could connect with – that’s what I worried about. I have to admit that if I had bought it prior to learning about the drug use I most likely would not have made it past halfway through the book. I don’t usually read reviews of books that I plan to read, but for this one I’m glad I made the exception. I have gone to look since and seen that the ‘drug problem’ is referenced in the blurb and on Amazon, but I’d missed that before.

I guess I’m going to just get the drug thing out of the way. I didn’t like it. I see drug use, the way it was portrayed in Unholy Ghosts, as a weakness. While I like characters that are not perfect, making them more like the rest of us I like to see something along with it, additional depth. Chess can’t function without her drugs. In the beginning chapter she starts getting the shakes until she can swallow her ‘Cepts’ and get that sweet relief flowing through her system. This continues throughout the book, and not just with that single drug but many different drugs.

And just what are Cepts? At one time in the book they’re referred back to as speed, but at other times it seems like they’re something different. Perhaps I misunderstood in my reading, but often she referred to letting up off the speed and yet the drug I saw her take most was the Cepts. Not a huge point, but it’s been bugging me with the confusion.

Not only can Chess not function without the drugs, everything she does is to gain more drugs. She agrees to Bump’s deal so that she can continue to get drugs. She agrees, by lack of response and a sort of physical arrangement, to help a rival drug lord in order to get free drugs. She continues to work for the Church, hoping to get a case she can debunk and thus get a bonus so she can spend a few days in the smoke room. Okay, truth be told, Chess truly believes in the Church. She follows them (mostly) and believes in them….almost blindly.

Honestly, the drug use wasn’t what bugged me most. I didn’t like it, but I do look forward to seeing growth – even if I haven’t seen any in that particular area at this point in time.

I felt no sense of empathy, or compassion on Chess' part. No real sense of right and wrong. She loves the Church, which she feels saved her. She’s loyal to it. And yet she disregards the very base of one of their tenets – which is that she is to represent all that is right and holy in the world. Clearly the drugs she has to hide from the Church would go head-on against that. To me that’s a conflict that’s never really examined or thought about. She goes so far as to asking another character to clean her apartment of them if she should die, before the Church gets there. Moral ambiguity can be interesting, but I don’t feel that this was fleshed out enough. Granted it is the first book in the series of three planned (at this time) so perhaps it will be better explored later.

I did see a very little bit of growth as a character comes to mean something to Chess, she cares about him and his safety, but it seems almost an after thought. And it doesn’t stop her from doing what she wants to do – which is to run off to get high. I see most of her relationships by the end of the book to be mostly measured in this light – what they can do for her.

My biggest problem with Chess is the lack of growth and depth added to the lack of explanation for why she is the way she is and does what she does. If I could have had some understanding of why she chooses drugs, or why she chooses to have no close connections with other people, then maybe I could have empathized myself with her. But she gave me nothing to work with. Chess came across as an unrepentant drug addict that had no real care for anything other than what she needed and wanted. Whatever that happened to be at the moment.

Onto the good stuff.

I didn’t hate Chess – despite what you may think from the above. I think there’s a great deal going on underneath that we didn’t see in Unholy Ghosts, and that is what I’d truly love to read more about. Or maybe I just hope there is. Seeing her gain personal relationships and begin to think beyond what she had is definitely a change for her. I’m interested in seeing how those things affect her going forward and what reactions they cause.

The world that Stacia Kane has built is fascinating, fully fleshed out, and intriguing. I like how she built the Church of the Real Truth, and it’s ‘rules’ for living life. I actually hate the Church a little bit, because I’d never want to live in such a society. Their way is The Way. There is only Truth. Right and wrong are based on the facts of truth and determined by the Church. They bid people to watch their family, friends and neighbors for signs of them committing crimes which they can then be punished for by the Church. For only through debasement can redemption and forgiveness come. Blegh. What a society. And yet they apparently care nothing for those less fortunate that live in areas like Downside.

The magic and the ghosts, their history and use, was interesting and well thought out. I liked how many different aspects of the world we experienced in the short time we were with Chess. Possession. Blood, earth, spirit and dream magic. Objects that require sacrifice to use. Others that will bring about wanted results – from protective to very dangerous. I especially loved the Hand of Glory – because it’s one of my favorite occult objects in stories.

I admit, the character I enjoyed the most was Terrible – Bump’s top enforcer. He had a depth to him that I didn’t see in a lot of the other characters. He had interests outside of his job, educated himself on things that intrigued him, even without the benefit of a public education, and he surprised me more than once – not something easy to do I have to say. I found him to have an unselfish sort of sweetness and protectiveness which only served to add to his appeal. There also seemed to be a bit of insecurity there that I’d love to see further explored. All in all, I’d definitely love to see more of Terrible.

Ms. Kane touches on a lot of hot button topics and doesn’t pull her punches in Unholy Ghosts. She pushes boundaries, and shows a different side of the world than we usually see – even in our urban fantasy. Obviously the book made me think and brought out some strong responses in me. The pacing was superb, the plot interesting and it was a good introduction to the world without having information just dumped on me. I especially loved the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The mystery didn’t really intrigue me as much as the details and intricacy of the world, the spirit world and the tools used for magic.

Unholy Ghosts was a rollercoaster of a ride that I read in a three hour flight. It was vivid and set in a beautifully dark world. I’m very glad I read it and experienced it for myself and I will probably be picking up at least the next novel in the series, Unholy Magic (with City of Ghosts to follow that). I’d love to see Chess pull herself out of the life she’s created for herself and become something more. I want to see the growth. I would like to see what happens to the Church, and to Chess and definitely to Terrible.

Grade: D+

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