Darkness Possessed tour: Interview with Stephanie Rowe + giveaway

Stephanie Rowe is visiting the blog today to celebrate the release of DARKNESS POSSESSED, the latest book in her Order of the Blade series. I'm sure you guys are eager to see what she has to say so let's get right into it!

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Hi, Stephanie, and welcome to Team Tynga's Reviews. To start, can you please tell us a bit about DARKNESS POSSESSED, the newest book in the series?

Darkness Possessed is the ninth book in my series about ancient immortal warriors and the women they are meant to be with. It's dark, sexy, dangerous, and passionate, filled with intense twists and turns that will leave you hunkered down on the couch, gasping for breath. Zach Roderick has been haunted by a tormented past that has stripped him of his powers. In order to save the woman he loves and his teammate, he must face his past and the darkness that lies within him. Rhiannon Diaz barely escaped a decade of brutal slavery, but he is still hunting her. The only way she can ever be free is to return and face her worst nightmare, a battle she can never hope to win. Alone, Zach and Rhiannon have no chance. Together…they still don't…or do they?

Can readers follow DARKNESS POSSESSED if they haven't read any/all of the series?

Each Order of the Blade book is a standalone plot, so they are intended to be read as standalones. That being said, the two main guys in this book, Zach and Thano, have been in all the prior books, so you will have a greater understanding of their background if you're read some of the other books, but it's not necessary.

How do you keep the series fresh nine books in? Do you have any tips about sustaining a series?

This is a great question. It is critical to keep a series fresh, but you have to stay close enough to the original series as to not to alienate readers. Sometimes, I will bring in a vastly different setting to change it up. This time, I did a major shift in how I treated the sheva bond, which is the soulmate bond between a Calydon warrior and his woman. I actually wasn't sure how readers would feel about it, but it was a risk I had to take because the new direction was right for the story. Then, at the end of this book, I create a spin off new series with two of the characters, and I have the Order of the Blade characters spin off in a new direction as well, although it won't be a new series. To keep a series going, an author has to be brave enough to push the envelope in new directions.

Will there be more stories about The Order of the Blade? 

Absolutely. In this book, we get to know a new group of warriors with a slightly different mission and slightly more attitude. Each of them will have their story told as well.

Time to get personal! What's your...

...biggest vice? Brownies and chocolate chip cookies

...favourite movie? One of my favorite all-time movies is The Princess Bride. It's seriously a brilliant movie. You haven't seen it, grab it off Netflix now!

...funniest memory? The day I accidentally peed on the tennis court during gym class at school because I was laughing so hard. Whoops.

...most dreaded activity? Facing a blank page on a new book. It's terrifying.

Thanks for visiting us, Stephanie, and enjoy the rest of your tour!

Thank you so much for having me!

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Four-time RITA® Award nominee and Golden Heart® Award winner Stephanie Rowe is the nationally bestselling author of more than forty published novels. Stephanie has received starred reviews from Booklist and high praise from Publisher's Weekly. Stephanie is the author of the bestselling Order of the Blade paranormal romance series, and she will be launching a new vampire series in Sept/Oct 2014. She also writes the intensely passionate Ever After series, and the gripping Alaska Heat romantic suspense series. She also published in teen fiction, middle grade fiction, and motivational nonfiction.

For more Stephanie, check out the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Here's the scoop on DARKNESS POSSESSED:

A fatal mistake stripped Zach Roderick of the powers that define him, leaving him a tormented shadow of the warrior he once was. Now, his teammate's life depends on Zach resurrecting the fire that once burned within him. As he undertakes a battle he has no way to win, he is derailed by a tempestuous beauty that awakens in him the dark desires that destroyed him once before.

The scars etched on Rhiannon Diaz's soul are so deep that she will never again be free. The once-powerful guardian is facing her last and greatest battle, and failure means a return to a sexual enslavement that is far worse than death. Her intense and passionate need for the powerful warrior who has vowed to protect her threatens the very foundation of her survival, but his refusal to abandon her drags them both into a world where wild, untamed passion rages, and surrender is their only chance

Purchase: Amazon

There's tour-wide giveaway! Check out the Rafflecopter for details.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by Tynga at 01:55

 giveaway, Interview, Stephanie Rowe  Leave your mark

Twilight by Meg Cabot

I was really worried about this book because this is the end of the series. It can either be really amazing because everything I wanted to happen occurred or it could be really bad because the opposite of what I wanted happened. Well, everything I wanted to happen and more occurred in this book and I found myself crying happy tears at the end of this novel because I was beyond satisfied by this series as a whole. It's been a while since I have been so immensely satisfied by a series before. And now I am doubly excited for future Meg Cabot books because she has announced a book seven for this series! My nerves are coming back only because I was so satisfied with the ending. I don't want anything to mess up my happiness. But, if there's anything I learned about Meg Cabot, it's that she always delivers a happy ending.

The romance was do or die in this book. What shocked me about this series is that I became so heavily invested in this romantic relationship. While I love romance, I can live without it, so it's huge for me to become so invested in a ship. But I wanted this ship to set sail and dock successfully. While I can't tell you the fate of Jesse and Suze, I can tell you that I am overall satisfied with the tale, even though there was a lot working against them in this (previous) final installment.

The plot in this one is just as crazy as the love story. Picking up a few weeks after the ending of book number five, Suze is still learning more about her abilities through an uneasy truce with Paul that is more out of necessity than it is desire. He's a little more bearable, though, so that's a plus. However, Paul made a huge discovery in this book, one that can alter the universe and Suze's life as she knows it. Determined to change his fate against the warnings of all his peers, he explores this new-found talent and puts everyone in jeopardy. Against her better judgment, the hero in Suze is determined to follow Paul into the unknown to save her family, her life, and her love. It's all very dramatic really, but dramatic in the best possible way. It had me flipping pages at a lightning fast speed and holding my breath in anxious anticipation.

All of these aspects combine to make the perfect ending. I couldn't have asked for more suspense or romance, nor would I change a thing. It is a rare moment that a book truly leaves me speechless. Take note, people! While I think this series ends perfectly, I am already counting down the (many) months between now and the eventual release of the much anticipated book seven!

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Posted by Tynga at 01:45

 Avon Books, Fantasy, ghosts, Gifted, Harper Collins, Meg Cabot, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

The Aftermath by Jen Alexander

Prior to last year, I had never read any books about video-gaming and now, I feel like video-gaming and virtual reality are becoming trendy and more popular. I think this new rise in popularity of video-gaming novels can be attributed to Ready Player One and The Eye Of Minds, whatever the reason I love this new crop of novels. The Aftermath is an interesting blend of science fiction and romance that immerses the reader in a dystopian video-game settings. This is a novel that fans of MMOs and RPGS will love because it raises the question: What if your video-game character had a mind of it's own?

Claudia has visions of another life, one where she is someone else and where she isn't trapped in the Aftermath. When Claudia discovers that she's trapped in a video-game called The Aftermath, she is desperate to find a way out and enlists the help of Declan, a moderator of this game. If Claudia and Declan can avoid Flesh Eaters, they can possibly find an escape route and leave the only world that Claudia's ever known.

While The Aftermath is quite entertaining, I feel like the plot in this book is pretty spare. Sure, there are a few twists and turns, but this book relies on the relationship between Claudia and Declan to advance the plot. The problem is that I never really felt a connection to this couple at all and I felt like I had no reason to root for them. Claudia is "the special one", the only who can save the world because she is so unique and incredible and yet, I really never felt strongly about her character.  I didn't like nor hate Claudia because her character was pretty basic and the only thing I really liked about her was her sense of humor. I didn't empathize with Declan either and I hated how he intentionally concealed information from the reader and Claudia; why would Claudia trust someone who she knows is hiding info? I don't care if Declan might've been Claudia's way out because she was doing well enough on her journey prior to his arrival.

I loved how much of this book centered around zombies and video-gaming, two of my favorite things. These two elements meshed really well and helped give this book an unique atmosphere that I haven't seen in too many sci-fi novels. I do think the idea of video-gaming could have been incorporated in further aspects of the book, the introduction of levels or stages could've been a nice addition to The Aftermath. I loved reading about why The Aftermath was created and the reasoning behind this video-game felt frighteningly plausible.

The Aftermath is a pretty good novel with an interesting romance, but I wish I could've connected with the main character and enjoyed the romance more.  This book did capture my attention, despite my qualms with the romance and characters and I loved the cliffhanger that this book ended on. I definitely have an interest in the sequel and I hope that the next book will allow me to empathize with Claudia more and focus on the video-gaming aspect more.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Dystopian, Harlequin, Harlequin Teen, Jen Alexander, Publisher, Review, Science Fiction, young adult  Leave your mark

"When I'm not writing" with Sara Humphreys

Today we're welcoming Sara Humphreys to the blog and I couldn't be happier about it! Sara's the author of the Dead in the City series and she's celebrating the release of the second Dead in the City book, VAMPIRE TROUBLE, which came out at the start of the month. You may also know her Amoveo series, paranormal romance novels about shapeshifters. Without further delay, here's Sara!

When I'm not writing I'm usually spending time with my boys and/or my husband. Family dinners, trips to the zoo, watching Castle or Law & Order, or laughing about something that's probably inappropriate.

With four teenage boys and a hubby, you can also find me doing laundry.

A lot of laundry.

Can we talk about how much I hate laundry? Seriously. It sucks. You do it and five minutes later there's more. A whole lot more. Ugh. It's the never-ending chore.

Wait. The other thing you'll find me doing is dishes. That's second only to laundry because my boys seem to forget that we have a dishwasher. Or a sink. If I'm not dragging laundry up or down stairs, you can find me playing the where-are-all-my-glasses scavenger hunt around the house.

The answer? Everywhere.

Yesterday I found a glass and a plate on the floor next to the couch. The best part? When I asked who left it there, I was met with a series of denials. That's right. It must have been the dog.

Which brings me to the other thing you'll find me doing. Vacumming up dog hair. Our blonde Cocker Spaniel sheds so much,  I can't believe he's not bald. I find tumbleweeds of white hair everywhere.

And you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way. Our house is loud, crazy, messy, and full of life and love.

I'm living my own happily ever after---it's covered in dog hair---but it's all mine.

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Thanks so much for visiting us, Sara! For more about Sara and her books, check out the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Here's the scoop on VAMPIRE TROUBLE:

Shane Quesada, a four-centuries-old vampire sentry, is known for cold, unemotional precision when hunting rogue vampires. Maya Robertson is a youngling vampire who will not be controlled—and to prove it, she rejects Shane’s protection, only to find herself in over her head with werewolf royalty.

When a war between the coven and the werewolf clan threatens to ignite, Maya and Shane flee to Louisiana, where their passion for each other grows, as does Maya’s power. When she finds herself at the center of the conflict, will she finally trust Shane with her life—and her heart?

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

And here's where it all began:

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit  us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Sara Humphreys, Sourcebooks, When I'm not writing  Leave your mark

The Winter King by C.L. Wilson

C.L. Wilson is a new-to-me author and all I can say after finishing THE WINTER KING is, "Why haven't I tried her work sooner?" THE WINTER KING is the a great fantasy novel filled with romance, incredible magic, and compelling characters, and it's also the start of a series, which thrills me to know end since it means we'll be back in Wintercraig and Summerlea soon (though not soon enough for me). This review is actually rather difficult to write since everything about THE WINTER KING is superlative but I will do my best to articulate why I enjoyed it so much.

In many ways, THE WINTER KING reads like a historical romance with a bit of magic, which is what throws the book into the realm of a fantasy novel. Wilson employs the enemies-turned-lovers trope to great effect in THE WINTER KING, with Khamsin slowly melting Wynter's magical and emotional coldness. This trope often puts me off but Wilson does a great job of creating tangible chemistry between Wynter and Khamsin and by showing how they each build up the other. Theirs is not a one-sided relationship; both Wynter and Khamsin have something important to offer the other and are both strong people in their own right. It's a love between equals and that made THE WINTER KING really standout for me, since historical romance (which I love) often finds the woman in a lesser position. Granted, Khamsin's family lost the war but she works to show her worth to both Wynter and his kingdom.

The magic in THE WINTER KING is weather-based and a lot of fun. I haven't read a series with weather magic since Maria V. Snyder's books and I'd forgotten how interesting it could be in the hands of a talented author. Wilson doesn't fully explain where the magical abilities come from but it really doesn't matter since we get a good understanding of how it works, especially in the case of Wynter, who came by his Ice Heart magic in a more gruelling way. And his Ice Heart is a literal measure of his relationship with Khamsin. Some may find it a bit too literal but I thought it was a nice plot device, particularly in the latter part of the book when the unexpected starts happening.

THE WINTER KING is the book for you if you like gorgeously written romance in a historical and/or fantasy setting. You must, must, must try this book! I'm so excited about this series and I already have my paperback on order so that I can read this novel over and over again.

Read an excerpt

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, C. L. Wilson, Edelweiss, Fantasy, Harper Collins, HarperCollins, Magic, Review, Romance, Weathermages of Mystral  2 People left their mark

Stacking The Shelves [117]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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For Review:

Sekret by Lindsay Smith

Broken Hearts And Other Fences To Mend by Katie Finn

Ruin And Rising by Leigh Bardugo

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaria

Of Neptune by Anna Banks

Monument 14: Savage Drift by Emmy Laybourne

From The Library:

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Life In Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

 [inlinkz_linkup id=429339]

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Posted by Tynga at 01:00

   15 People left their mark

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

Lili Proctor is kind of a school reject because she's allergic to just about everything, has seizures, and her mother is the town fool because she speaks non sense all the time. Her best friend is the school's most popular boy and when he finally shows interest in her he messes everything up and cheats on her. This emotional wreckage will bring Lili to agree to the unthinkable and she will find herself in another reality.

The beginning of Trial by Fire is your typical contemporary YA novel. Nerd loves popular boy, when she finally goes to her first party it backfires, etc. Really, it didn't do it for me and I almost stopped reading right there. Where are the witches?? I kept reading though and while it's definitely not my favorite read of the year, it managed to draw my attention for its originality.

I really liked the concept of alternate realities and how every decision results in the creation of two different worlds, creating billions of alternative realities, a metaphorical breath away from each other. And while I didn't like the beginning, it was necessary to be able to really appreciate the difference between Lili's old reality and her new one, and get a feel for how different Tristan is in both worlds.

I was drawn by Lili's quest to find her way back to her own world and loved how she learned how to navigate this new world and how she learned to manipulate magic. What I didn't understand though, is why exactly Lilian brought her onto this world. There are hints of answers, but nothing really solid to grasp. Which kind of bothered me.

One of my favorite aspect really is how magic works in the world. It's very different from anything I've seen before and I liked how it takes more than one person to really work something powerful. The concept of mechanics is highly original.

Character wise I really liked them all. Each had something different, even the two versions of a same person were different enough that they really felt like two different persons (which they are..).

Josephine cooked one hell of a cliff-hanger for us and I am really curious about what will happen next, but it's not the 'please kill me now' kind of suspense and I prefer it that way. I would definitely recommend this title!

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Fantasy amp; Magic, Feiwel amp; Friends, Josephine Angelini, Macmillan, Netgalley, Review, scifi, The Worldwalker, young adult  6 People left their mark

World Of Trouble by Ben H. Winters

World Of Trouble is the conclusion to the Last Policeman Trilogy and Ben H. Winters has written one of the best mysteries I've read in years. Few mysteries have engrossed me like World Of Trouble did and Winters is definitely on fire with this series because each book is a vast improvement over the previous novel. This is a series that needs more hype and appreciation because Hank Palace is a remarkable hero and his adventures are always filled with brilliant shenanigans.

The world is preparing for the end with the meteor quickly approaching Earth and yet, Hank Palace is still trying to solve a mystery and this time, things a bit more personal. Palace is trying to find his sister who recently went missing after Hank denied that there was any chance of destroying the meteor. Hank needs to find out what happened to Nico before it's too late.

It's easy to get lost inside the Last Policeman books because the reader always feels an impending sense of doom as the asteroid looms closer and closer. As the countdown continues, it becomes obvious how grave Palace's situation is and that things won't end quite so simply. I was extremely eager to see what happened next to Hank and I was scared to see what the fate of the world would be in this final book. Winters keeps WoT extremely interesting and brutal, not sparing the world for even a second and he truly depicts such a frightening scenario of what a world awaiting destruction would be like.  This series begs the question: What would you do if your life is doomed? and Winters explores this question full heartedly, showing the apocalypse from so many different angles.

The mystery takes so many twists and this touching conclusion is my favorite book in the entire trilogy. I love how Winters blends two of my favorite genres (sci-fi and mystery) -- two genres that don't often intersect and make this mashup feel so natural and right. I don't want to say much more about this one, in fear that I will give something away but this is a terrific novel and series conclusion. I will definitely read Winter's next novel and I am pretty confident that it will be excellent!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ben H Winters, Dystopian, last policeman, Quirk Books, Review, Science Fiction  Leave your mark

"When I'm not writing" with Shawntelle Madison

Today's guest is Shawntelle Madison, author of the Coveted series featuring Natalya, a werewolf with OCD. I've enjoyed the first two books in the series (COVETED and KEPT) and am looking forward to diving into COMPELLED, which came out in May. Shawntelle also writes a paranormal romance series about the Hadley Werewolves, which are great self-published novellas. (You can read my review of BITTEN BY DECEIT here.) As if two series weren't enough to keep her busy, Shawntelle has several other things on her plate, which can learn about by sticking around!

 

I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m not writing I’m still at the computer. I envy the folks with green fingers who have beautiful herb gardens. (I kill plants, by the way.) Or the fantastic cooks or home organizers who do elaborate projects based on cool stuff they see on Pinterest. When I’m not staring into space or trying to clean up the messes my family make, I’m pretty much in front of the computer working. I’m a self-professed workaholic who works from home. I have no doubt about that. If I had even more time on my hands I’d have a perfect house and lawn and my car would be cleaned out. In the real world things aren’t so perfect. Matter of fact, everything is messy, but I have lots of fun. :)

So what do I do in my spare time? I’m actually a web developer. We are souls who are perfectly happy to sit down in our crypts (cubicles, etc.) and code websites. Have you ever filled out a form and pressed a button and then magic happens? I’m one of the folks who do the coding for that magic moment. Right now I happen to work for the Killion Group, Inc. They do websites and graphic design for publishing companies, authors, and more. I’ve had all sorts of clients from political candidates to musicians. Authors are my favorite.

Have I bored you yet? I was hoping to say my job was action-packed and that I jumped out of planes, but nope, I’m a geek coder.

Now are there cool additional perks to my job? Oh yes! Many of the author websites I work with are challenging and push me to think outside of the box. But the real perk comes from the stock images. The Killion Group creates stock photography for the graphics side of their business. One of the cooliest parts of my job is meeting the models! I have been to several photo shoots and I can say it was hard work helping the models in and out of their clothes. Did I mind getting them drinks? Nope. Did I mind putting gauntlets on hot dudes. Hell no. Recently, I had a custom photo shoot with an Asian model for my Warlock Repoman Chronicles. It was a blast, I tell you. Having a job where I can use my contacts in the publishing industry has been great. I get to connect with other authors as well as publishing professionals.

What would I do if I had even more time? Wow, I get giddy just thinking of the nerdtastic possibilities. If I had more time I’d focus on learning foreign languages. I love studying them. In college, I studied Chinese and Russian. Right now I’m using spare time on Japanese and Korean. With what little time I have, I try to open an app once a day or so and study a bit. (A semester of Japanese at the local community college went well until a writing deadline hit.) It’s so hard to keep up with everything and not feel intimidated, but on the days where I’m hearing a language I’m studying and I catch a word here or there are the most gratifying.  The second thing I’d do, and yes I’m an overachiever/nerd/geek, is that I’d love to create an Apple game for iTunes. I’ve grown up wanting to be a developer, but I’ve always loved game development. I’ve picked apart source code with glee and tried to figure games out, but I’ve never had the time to devote to creating a game. I’m busy now, but I’m a die-hard optimistic. Even if I’m busy now with a family, a household, programming, and writing, I can slowly work toward my goals if I believe hard enough that I can do it.

Who needs sleep and food anyway? :D

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Thanks so much for visiting us, Shawntelle! For more about Shawntelle and her books, check out the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Here's the scoop on BITTEN BY VENGEANCE:

Bitten By Vengeance is the climactic finale to the Hadley Werewolves series.

Cursed witch Nevena wants nothing more than to destroy the dark evil that has escaped her coven's compound. She's outgunned and on her own--until a band of werewolves from Hadley join in the fight.

Drew is a cop bent on protecting his pack. Hadley has been attacked again, leaving him bitter and determined to do what's right. He will help the witches bring down what drove them to Hadley, but he refuses to get close to them...Until the curse on Nevena sucks him in.

Drew discovers what its like to love when Nevena traps both his heart and his soul. But he may lose them both in order to bring down the dark evil determined to destroy everything in its path.

Purchase: Amazon

Here's where the trilogy began:

Shawntelle also writes the Coveted series:

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit  us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Shawntelle Madison, When I'm not writing  Leave your mark

Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep

POISON PROMISE is the eleventh book in Jennifer Estep's amazing Elemental Assassin series and, boy, does it deliver!

For the first time in a long time, Gin's troubles are not directly related to her life as an assassin. Instead, this time around, Gin ends up doing the looking after Catalina, one of her waitresses at the Pork Pig, gets accosted by drug dealers. Of course, things escalate fairly dramatically from there, leading to a dangerous enemy, a whole new side of Bria, and some pretty epic moments, including a standout fight that takes place in a public street.

Personally, I was really interested in the development in Bria's storyline. She's desperately trying to get Burn off the streets and it's become very personal for her. The Bria we get in POISON PROMISE is a far cry from the one we met when she first came into the series, when she was gentler and happier. In POISON PROMISE, Bria is ready to go vigilante to get justice and this newfound ruthlessness was really surprising because Bria is one of the only honest cops in Ashland. On the other side of the coin, though, Bria's sense of justice is incredibly strong so it's not out of character for her to become fixated on bringing the Burn dealer down. She's pushed to her limits by the situation and it's a nice role reversal to see Gin talking her sister down from violence and rash actions.

There's not much doing on the romance front in POISON PROMISE -- but that's a good thing! Gin and Owen are doing well and I'm glad that the focus of this novel was on the Burn storyline, not on tearing them apart as soon as they've gotten back together. They have their stolen moments of romance and it's still really sweet to see Gin have these softer scenes where she can forget about being the Spider and enjoy being in love. I keep hoping that Philip will finally make his move with Eva but I guess I'll have to keep waiting.

POISON PROMISE also advances the M. M. Monroe story arc, giving us some very interesting information. Once you start reading, you'll see what I mean but it would truly spoil your experience to write out what happens. The clues are seeded throughout the novel and it's gotten me very excited to see what Estep has in store for us in BLACK WIDOW. She ends POISON PROMISE in a way that will have you screaming for the next book in the series.

As always, I have nothing but good things to say about this Elemental Assassin novel. You'll love POISON PROMISE, guaranteed.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Assassin, Edelweiss, Elemental Assassin, Jennifer Estep, Pocket, Review, Simon amp; Schuster, Simon and Schuster, Simon Schuster, Urban Fantasy  Leave your mark

Charms and Chocolate Chips

This third book of the series was very similar to the first two and while I still got through it, it almost feels like the series is stagnating a bit. The overall story was enjoyable and the book itself was well written but now I know why I don't read many cozy mystery series: I get bored after a while.

It was, however, nice to learn a little bit more about the main character's magical abilities. We've know from the start that Katie's not just a normal hereditary witch. She's a catalyst and she amplifies anything magical surrounding her. Whether she's attracted to murder scenes or whether she actually causes them is still up in the air, but one thing's for sure, she's good at helping solve the murders. In the previous book, we also learnt that she a lightwitch and we still don't really know what that entails. Hopefully we'll learn what a lightwitch is soon and maybe the next book will expand on it a little bit more.

As for Katie herself, she's starting to get on my nerves. She's known for months now that's she's a lightwitch and if I was in her position, I would definitely make the effort to find out what exactly that means. I wouldn't leave it to chance or to the next murder mystery to reveal more about my powers. Her let it be attitude is definitely the opposite of mine and although I like her as a character, I wouldn't be able to stand her as a friend. The game she's playing with the two guys in her life, Declan and Steve, is mean. She's leading both of them on, and at the moment she's with Declan but she's being friendly with Steve too. Declan's a little jealous of this, I think, and Katie has to continuously reassure him that she's just friends with Steve. I think she's trying to reassure herself at the same times and whether or not she believes what she says is still unclear.

The actual murder story was well thought out. The woman who was murdered was the leader of a conservation group called Georgia Wild that's trying to save a swamp from being turned into a corporate golf course. Since Katie has a strong affinity to plants, it's only natural for her to volunteer for the group. There are many suspects in the case and all of them could have done it, but the writer lets the story brew for a long time. We only learn right at the end who the real murderer is and it's someone I really didn't suspect.

My favourite character is still Mongo, Katie's familiar dog but I am a little worried about him eating human food. He's quite a glutton but at least Katie is starting to limit what he eats. I know some people hate when writer humanize the animals in their story, but I'm all for it, especially when it comes to dogs. I'm such a dog lover that I don't mind at all. Anyways, Mongo is such adorable that I don't think many people who read cozy mysteries care all that much. He's an adorable and loyal little guy.

Since I've committed to this series, I will definitely continue reading it but be aware, it's not one of my favourites. It's a good change from what I usually read so it's a good diversion. I'm just hoping the next book will reveal more about Katie's abilities and I truly hope she'll finally decided which guy she wants to be romantically involved with.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:25

 A Magical Bakery Mystery, Bailey Cates, Library, Magic, Mystery, Obsidian, Penguin, Review, Wicca  1 Person left their mark

Masters of Seduction giveaway

We're participating in a multi-blog giveaway celebrating the recent release of MASTERS OF SEDUCTION, a four-novella set from some great authors: Lara Adrian, Donna Grant, Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy! These novellas are the beginning of their Masters of Seduction series:

In the realm of the Incubi Masters, pleasure is to die for and love is the deadliest game of all . . .

Surrender to sinful pleasures and forbidden passions with Masters of Seduction, the sizzling new paranormal romance novella series from New York Times and internationally bestselling authors Lara Adrian, Donna Grant, Laura Wright and Alexandra Ivy.

This all-new, never-before-published boxed set contains the first four novellas in the Masters of Seduction series. Each book in the collection is approximately 20-25,000 words.

Merciless: House of Gravori ~ by Lara Adrian
Soulless: House of Romerac ~ by Donna Grant
Shameless: House of Vipera ~ by Laura Wright
Ruthless: House of Xanthe ~ by Alexandra Ivy

Purchase: Amazon

The collection is only 99 cents right now (ebook) so you can purchase your copy now and then enter the swag giveaway below! You can also get it in trade paperback format but the price is not nearly as good.

This is a multi-blog giveaway and here's what you could win:

GRAND PRIZE: $10.00 gift card & SWAG pack with goodies from all 4 authors
RUNNERS-UP: Four (4) runners-up will each receive a SWAG pack with goodies from all 4 authors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

   Leave your mark

Stacking The Shelves [116]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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Hello Guys!

This STS is 2 months worth of books. The reason why I haven't done any for so long is that I have been sick, than both my girls have been (still are) pretty sick so I really didn't have time for a post.

I was gonna do a vlog this week to compensate, but I just got a call from my husband who just had an accident at work and is at the ER waiting to see a doctor. Hense, this week will be just a list of the books I got, my apologies!

For Review:

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare

Ruin & Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson

Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall

Bought:

Gamboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead (loved it)

To finish on a bright note, my daughters were christened on June 15th, here are pictures of them :)

What did you get this week?

[inlinkz_linkup id=427528]

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Posted by Tynga at 22:38

 Stacking The Shelves  23 People left their mark

Queen of Hearts by Kristen Painter

Queen of Hearts is the second novella in this multi authors novella series, and unlike what I expected this one is featuring a new set a characters, Claudette and Jason.

I really enjoy this series and the world where it's taking place. It's surprising how authors manages to write such rich stories with so few pages, especially when each story is written by a different author but it works perfectly. Even though Carlson and Painter each have their own flair, the transition between both novellas was really smooth and I can only command them for it.

The plot really was a fun ride with Claudette falling for her target and turning all white knight on him. Of course they fall for each other a bit too quickly, but it can't be helped with a 100ish pages story. They developed a nice chemistry though and I enjoy it. The introduction of grimalkins and gargoyle was a pretty nifty idea!

The conclusion was stressful but once again satisfying and I can't wait to know who will be featured next and which author will write that story!

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Author, Kristen Painter, novella, Paranormal Romance, Review, Self Published, Sin City Collectors  2 People left their mark

Drowned by Nichola Reilly

Drowned by Nichola Reilly is an unique dystopian novel that takes place in one of the most terrifying settings I've seen to date. Though I didn't expect to enjoy this one (mostly due to the ambivalent reviews), I found myself turning the pages voraciously and I needed to desperately find out what secrets lie in the Tides. Drowned is as refreshing a read as a cold glass of water on a hot summer day and this is an excellent start to a new series.

Coe lives in a world where water threatens the lives of each islander's life and the current is extremely unpredictable, slowly taking lives and decimating the Tides's population.  She has a disability, she only has one functional arm and so, she is viewed as a waste of space. The king of the Tides is on the verge of death and the islanders are frustrated with the lack of progress in regards to survival; the island is getting more dangerous with each day and the islanders are tired of living in fear. Coe suddenly gets the opportunity of a lifetime and suddenly, she's thrown  into the middle of the conflict.

I think one of the most significant aspects of this book is the fact that this book features a disabled main character. Though the world is filled with people with disabilities, there are so few books about disabled people which is extremely troubling. Disabled people deserve to be represented in literature and Drowned is one of the select few books I've ever read that featured a disabled main character. Though Coe's disability could be viewed as a handicap, she never lets this fact get to her head and she tries to live her life without letting her disability hinder her life. She still tries to live in her devastated world and be the kind, benevolent person she was raised to be.

Another extremely promising aspect of Drowned is the Tides island where the entire story takes place. Reilly has created such a claustrophobic, tense environment that really puts each character's survival skills to the test and that ensures that no one is truly safe. It's incredibly shocking how someone could live their life constantly in fear and be forced to submit to  mothernature. There was something so frightening about the platform on the Tides and how citizens were required to stand on it during high tide.

Drowned kept me engaged throughout most of the book and I loved how Reilly kept surprising the reader with twists and turns. This was an extremely quick read for me and I read this one in no time at all because I was really enjoying it. The fast paced plot never slowed down even for a second, but I lost a bit of focus towards the ending and the conclusion could've been trimmed a bit. The conclusion was still quite shocking and completely altered my opinion of this book, it was a total cliffhanger and it has made me eager for more. This is a series opener that is worth checking out and I feel that Reilly has so much awesomeness planned for book 2

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Dystopian, Harlequin Teen, Nichola Reilly, Publisher, Review, young adult  Leave your mark

Shattered by Kevin Hearne

Atticus, Granuaile, and the hounds are back in action, now with Atticus' old archdruid in tow. How can this not be awesome? The story is told from all three of their points of view, which gives SHATTERED a greater scope than previous novels. I was worried it would be a bit muddled with all of these different POVs but Hearne has done a wonderful job of giving each character a distinct voice. It's so clear which character is telling each part of the story, even without the helpful images at the start of each chapter.

The year is 2022 now (remember that training period time jump?). In the grand scheme, though not that much has changed: after all, a mysterious foe is still after Atticus. And in SHATTERED we find out just who this foe is. This is one of the great things about Hearne's writing: he doesn't draw anything out. Well, this one's a little drawn out since it's spanned a couple novels but The Iron Druid Chronicles never lets things hang for too long. We get a resolution to this particular mystery and it's one that will have reverberations through the rest of the series. Obviously, this isn't something I would write about at length since naming the culprit would really spoil things but I can tell you that it makes a lot of sense even though I didn't have a single suspicion!

One of the most entertaining parts of SHATTERED is Atticus' relationship with Owen, his archdruid and mentor. There's some serious role reversal since Atticus has to teach Owen what has happened in the past 2,000 years and the dynamic is prickly at best. Owen was a tough and rough teacher, which is not how Atticus has trained Granuaile, and it was really interesting to watch the two of them deal with their new roles, particularly Owen who has a lot to deal with. He's been frozen in time and the world has come a long way since the Morrigan slipped him onto that island.

Of course, that's not to say that Granuaile doesn't have an amazing storyline. In fact, I think hers is going to have some very interesting implications in future novels. She meets up with Laksha (remember her?) and they try to defeat rakshasas in India. It's a whole new landscape for us as readers and I welcomed Laksha's return because I find her so very intriguing. She's had a cool story arc and we get even more development this time around. It was great to see that she's stuck to the less dark path she set for herself when we previously knew her. It's also really interesting to see how the supernatural are treated in India since it's a part of the world that we haven't visited in the series before this.

As ever, Kevin Hearne has delivered an amazing story. There's action, there are new mythological beings, and there are some hilarious one-liners (mostly courtesy of Oberon).  This is a must-read series for any self-respecting urban fantasy fan!

Read an excerpt

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Del Rey, Druid, Kevin Hearne, Netgalley, Random House, Review, The Iron Druid Chronicles, Urban Fantasy  2 People left their mark

Fox & Phoenix by Beth Bernobich

I've been slowly reading my way through every Beth Bernobich novel and story, and while FOX & PHOENIX may not be my favorite, it's definitely a book I want to keep on my bookshelf (and not just because it's pretty). Unfortunately, as I write this, it seems to be out of print, but it is still available as an e-book. This novel is ambitious and I think the author took great care to tell her story. It feels like she cares about her characters, because instead of making them perfect, she made them human.

Kai is the narrator of this story, and unlike in the prequel where he helped Princess Lian out of Lóng City, his goal is to bring her back. In the prequel, he was able to convince her father for her to attend University in Phoenix City, but now that the king is dying, Kai needs to personally bring her back home because it seems like the message about the dying king hasn't made it into Lian's hands. Politics is ever present in this story, and as Kai takes the months long journey to Phoenix City, he encounters many set backs sent by enemies inside the Lóng City court. What I like most about Kai is that he's not the perfect protagonist. He doesn't know the answer to everything, and he's not the best at everything. As a magic conjurer's apprentice, he's alright at what he does, but his once best friend Yùn, is better at it. Sure, she studies more and works harder at it, but since they're both being apprenticed by Kai's mother, Kai thinks he can get a free pass for everything. When the time comes where he needs to use his magic and it fails him, Yùn comes to his rescue, making him envious of her talents. Think of Kai as Harry Potter where his general knowledge and courage makes him a good hero, but he wouldn't be anywhere without Yùn who is knowledgeable and dedicated like Hermione. 

One of my favorite characters is Chen, Kai's companion spirit. Every citizen has a companion spirit and they all take different shapes. Chen is a pig, but no matter what his appearance is, he's a reliable companion and Kai's constant friend. His sarcasm and funny replies is what makes him such a great character, and as comic relief, I really missed him when him and many other companions disappeared for some unknown reason. The spirit companions pull through in the end and are reunited with their human at the most convenient time.

Getting to Phoenix City definitely isn't easy, but getting Lian out might turns out to be even more difficult. Phoenix City politics prevents Lian to return to her city, and leaving the Phoenix City court seems almost impossible. With the help of new and old friends, returning Lian to her city might just save her father's life.

In a way, the story is a there and back travel adventure, and that story, on it's own, wouldn't hold up. What saves the book is the wonderful and magical world Beth Bernobich created. The world building is actually what I liked the most about FOX & PHOENIX. The world is rich with cultural detail and political elements that normally wouldn't be expect in young adult books. I find it clever how she replaced our world's modern need for electricity and/or gas with this world's need for magic. Magic flux is a commodity that controls everything from communication devices to transportation, and like our gas and electricity, citizens need to pay taxes and fees in order to use it. Magic is also something that's traded, even to the point where some regions run dry because too much was used up or diverted to the big cities. The ever present Asian culture is also captivating because, while I can't really pin point exactly which country inspired Bernobich, it allows the readers to identify with some elements they might recognize. Despite the Asian influence, the culture and history is without a doubt straight from the mind of a brilliant story teller that I enjoy rediscovering every once in a while.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:33

 asian culture, Beth Bernobich, Fantasy, Lóng City, Magic, Penguin, Purchased, Review, young adult  1 Person left their mark

Stacking The Shelves [115]

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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Lili here again because my haul this week was insane! Totally unexpected, but super awesome!

Books Mentioned

False Future by Dan Krokos

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Chasing Power by Sarah Beth Durst

Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers

One Past Midnight by Jessica Shirvington

Boomerang by Noelle August

Breakable by Tammara Webber

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas

I Want It That Way by Ann Aguirre

The Queen of Tearling by Erika Johansen

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led The Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut The Moon In Two by Catherynne M. Valente

Don't forget to link your STS posts below! What did YOU add to your shelves?!

[inlinkz_linkup id=425653]

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Posted by Tynga at 01:04

   21 People left their mark

Enslaved by the Others by Jess Haines

Forsaken by the Others, the previous book in the H&W Investigations series, ended with a bang and this installment starts right where we left off. Shia is now in custody of Max and her future is most uncertain. Royce has absolutely no idea where she is, so any hope of rescue is out the window. She will have to step up her game if she wishes to be free again, but can she do it on her own?

I am a big fan of this urban fantasy series, and miss Haines' writing, and I was pleased once again with this new installment. Despite Enslaved by the Others being the sixth book in the series Haines managed to keep things fresh by completely out-rooting Shia. She is taken away from her allies, planted in the middle of no-where, in the grasp of her worst enemy so it's completely different from previous set up. I enjoyed witnessing her take matters in her own hands and do the best she can to get out of trouble.

Arnold finally makes a new appearance in this installment, and I was extremely happy. I've been waiting for so long to see more of him! Thank you Jess :) On the other hand, Royce is once again pretty absent from the premises, so I hope book seven will show more of Shia and Royce and their growing relationship. On that matter, Kensington hasn't bought more books for the moment, but it's probably only a question of time before it's a done deal. I urge you to purchase this novel to increase the sales and the chances of getting anymore novels in the series!

The plotline was steady and gripping and I enjoyed meeting new characters. The conclusion proved to be satisfying if not terribly surprising. If you haven't started this series yet, I strongly suggest you do. And please, don't let the not-super-appealing covers put you off, those are great novels!

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Posted by Tynga at 02:07

 Adult, Hamp;W Investigations, Jess Haines, Kensington, Kensington Books, Netgalley, Review, Urban Fantasy, Vampire  Leave your mark

Guest post by Lila Dubois + giveaway

 Today we have a guest post from Lila Dubois, author of CARNAL MAGIC from Samhain Publishing. It's the first book in the Wraith Accords, which has the look of a great new series. Lila's guest post today is about her own love story (with Ireland) and how this kickstarted her ideas for the Wraith Accords.

Welcome, Lila!

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I was obsessed with Scotland, not Ireland. When I first started sneaking my mom's romances in high school I was all about the historicals in Scotland. In fact, Julie Garwood is my go to comfort read, and my paperbacks of her historicals are being held together with packing tape. I loved stories of the highlands and clans, and always promised myself that I'd go there some day. Fast forward a few years, and I've never been to Scotland, and instead I've fallen in love with Ireland.

In 2007 I met, through a mutual friend, a very cute Irishman who I subsequently married. My first trip to the emerald isle was when we were seriously dating, and knew I needed to meet his family before we went any further. Because of this I didn't get to experience Ireland as a tourist--I basically ignored everything except meeting these people I hoped would be my in-laws. Over the course of a few more visits I was very lucky to get to know Ireland, and soon my early love for Scotland was replaced by a deep love of first Irish people and secondly the country as a whole.

On a quick side note, all that lovely green foliage? It can cause your allergies to go insane if you're from a less verdant place. I spent a memorable week alternately with my face swollen and nose raw or doped up on antihistamines that made me drowsy.

Because we're rathery dorky, my now-husband and I love to give each other books, and not fun books, but reference books. I got him the complete box set history of the civil war and he got me a bunch of books on Irish mythology. Reading those first books of mythology sparked the idea for The Wraith Accords.

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For more Lila, check out the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tour Schedule

Here's the scoop on CARNAL MAGIC:

Two hundred years after the Tuatha de Danaan and Vampires formed a fragile alliance, the Wraith Accords are unraveling. Isabel Santiago is a leader in one of the most powerful of the vampire cabals, and she agrees to join the Fae court as a gesture of goodwill—and damage control.

While Aed mac Goll’s loyalty to Fae is absolute, he’s never supported the accords which gave the Vampires sanctuary and restored the Tuatha de’s link to humanity. The very idea he could desire an undead human is unthinkable, yet he’s drawn to Isabel’s dark beauty and fierce intelligence.

Purchase: Amazon

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There's a tour-wide giveaway: a basket of both Irish and Gothic themed items, include a scarf, books on mythology, handmade soaps, and jewellery.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 giveaway, Guest Post, Lila Dubois, Samhain  7 People left their mark

Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

While most people are off celebrating their last days before the apocalypse, Hank is still trying to solve mysteries and help his neighbors out. Countdown City continues the story that began in The Last Policeman, but this time around things are getting grimmer as the apocalypse quickly approaches. Tensions are at an all time high in this novel and the pacing has really picked up, making the story easier to get lost in and I was so eager to read this entire novel. I read this book in less than an entire day because I was so glued to the page and I couldn't stop reading, despite the fact that I had work that day. I am so glad that I have the third book handy because this is the perfect series to binge because each book is so thrilling and addicting.

Hank is asked to help a woman find her missing husband, the problem is that Hank has no really authority to bring her husband back. Things are chaotic as the asteroid looms closer and closer,  Hank  technically no longer works for the Police and the whole department is no longer concerned with cases. Hank feels a duty to help this wife out, but finding someone is extremely difficult especially when they don't want to be found...

Countdown City is another fabulous noir that mixes mystery and science fiction elements to create a gritty, realistic thriller. Winters is a master at creating mysteries and this adventure is his best yet with tons of twists and turns that keep readers interested. I loved how Winters incorporates so many details into each of his mysteries and how these details come together to create a clearer picture of the mystery at hand. With each book in the Last Policeman, readers will see a much broader, more frightening view of a world that's waiting for the apocalypse; few science fiction novels are as plausible or as frightening as Ben H. Winter's Last Policeman Trilogy. I'm extremely excited to see how it all ends in A World Of Trouble, but I have a feeling it's going to be excellent!

 

 

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ben Winters, Dystopian, Mystery, Noir, Publisher, Quirk Books, Review, The Last Policeman  1 Person left their mark

"When I'm not writing" with Bailey Cates

This week we have Bailey Cates, aka Cricket McRae, as our guest. You may remember her name from Stéphanie's reviews of the first two Magical Bakery books (BROWNIES AND BROOMSTICKS and BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BISCOTTI). The fourth book in the series has just been released and now we have Bailey/Cricket here today to let us know how she spends her time when she's not writing one of her many books.  Enjoy!

I must say this is one of the most unique – and fun – guest features I’ve encountered in the blogosphere! While I love talking about writing and books and story to no end, it’s great to get a chance to share some of my other interests!

Of course, as a writer I love to read, though sometimes it’s hard to find time. One way I fit it in is to read my kindle while on my morning walks. That’s an hour of free reading five or six days a week! I began reading back when I walked to school – paperbacks in those olden days – so I’m well practiced. I hardly ever run into signposts (ha!).

I’ve also begun listening to audiobooks while working in the yard. I write like a madwoman in the winter, but the other three seasons I temper that with a lot of gardening. Flowers are fine, and I have some pretty landscape beds, but mostly I’m interested in growing food and herbs. This harkens back to the themes in my two mystery series, colonial home crafts and traditional herbal medicine (and plant magic, as green witch practices are key in my Magical Bakery Mysteries). I have three large raised vegetable beds at one end of the yard and a kitchen garden by the back patio.



Not only do we eat from the garden starting in May and usually through September (with the help of a cold frame – northern Colorado where I live has a relatively short growing season), but I preserve the excess for our winter enjoyment. Just yesterday I defrosted the big freezer in the garage so that it’s ready for the bags of blanched vegetables summer and fall will bring. And the basement has an old fashioned cool pantry to store onions, garlic, squash and home canned goodies. There is nothing like the flavor of fresh tomatoes from the garden in January!



Cheesecat helps with the gardening as only a cat can:



In the winter I curb my home crafting jones by making soap and other bath products, knitting and crocheting, and yes – I even own a spinning wheel. I do find that one kind of creative activity feeds the others, so a little break from writing to weed out the strawberry patch or boil up some tomato sauce re-energizes me to get back to the keyboard!

Thanks for inviting me to visit!

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Thanks so much for visiting us, Bailey/Cricket! For more about Bailey/Cricket and her books, check out the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Here's the scoop on SOME ENCHANTED ÉCLAIR:

FLOUR POWER

When Hollywood invades Savannah’s historic district to film a Revolutionary War movie, magical baker Katie Lightfoot, and her witches’ coven, the Spellbook Club, take a break from casting spells for casting calls. One of the witches snags a part as an extra, while Katie’s firefighter boyfriend, Declan, acts as on-set security. Katie and her aunt Lucy decide to stay out of the action, but after the movie’s “fixer” fires the caterer, the Honeybee Bakery comes to the rescue, working their magic to keep the hungry crew happy.

But when someone fixes the fixer—permanently—and a spooky psychic predicts Katie will find the killer, the charming baker and her fellow conjurers step in to sift through the suspects…before someone else winds up on the cutting room floor….

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favourite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit  us? Please email me at jenn (at) tyngasreviews (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Bailey Cates, Penguin, When I'm not writing  Leave your mark