Welcome to Tynga's Reviews — Where the story began. Reviews published before June 2017 may have simplified formatting. Thanks for being here. ♥
Showing posts with label R. L. Naquin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R. L. Naquin. Show all posts

Monday, September 30, 2013

Fairies in My Fireplace by R. L. Naquin

FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE is our third novel-length outing with Zoey Donovan, empath, aegis, and wedding planner. Her world has changed a lot since we first met her in MONSTER IN MY CLOSET (my review here) but it's not a bad thing. Her life is much richer now that she's discovered the world of the Hidden. Sure, there have been problems but the Leprachaun Mafia has nothing on the enemies Zoey and her friends face in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. In fact, Naquin has a blog post up on the Harlequin site that explains just how much she's ramped things up this time around. But you don't have to leave our lovely site to get the scoop because I am ready to dish!

Monster Haven is a six-book series and you can really see things start to get bigger in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. We learn a lot more about the bigger picture in this one since all of the Hiddden are threatened. Goblins, faeries, aegises, they're all disappearing and no one knows why. Zoey's property is overrun with Hidden refugees and she decides to investigate. What she finds was something completely unexpected, for Zoey and for me. Naquin takes the story in a neat direction and I'm curious to see what the longer-term ramifications are. There are some super interesting developments in the last third of the novel -- which I obviously won't discuss here -- that have me eagerly anticipating the fourth novel in the series even though it's not out until next year.

We see some great character development in this book, especially for Maurice. He's always been a lovable character but we see a tougher side of him in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. Don't get me wrong -- he's still sweet andnurturing but we also get to see a fairly badass version of our favourite closet monster. He really steps up to the proverbial plate for the good of his friends and the rest of the Hidden. We also get to see new aspects to some of the other characters in the series, like Iris the skunk-ape. We also meet a cool new character, a djinn named Kam. She quickly became one of my favourite Hidden folk. I think you'll find her backstory to be quite interesting.

FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE is another fun read in her Monster Haven series. If you liked the first two books, you should definitely get this one as soon as possible. If my post intrigues you but you're not familiar with Zoey and her merry band then I would suggest going back to the start and picking up MONSTER IN MY CLOSET. I don't think FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE would be a good place to start since there are a lot of characters and history to take in.

Read an excerpt


Jenn

Monday, March 11, 2013

Pooka in My Pantry blog tour: Tell Me How You Feel by R. L. Naquin + giveaway!

Pooka in My Pantry blog tour

This week, we have R. L. Naquin joining us for her blog tour in support of her latest release, POOKA IN MY PANTRY. POOKA IN MY PANTRY is the second book in her Monster Haven series from Carina Press, which feature an empath named Zoey Donovan, who's just trying to figure out her powers and still manage the wedding planning business she runs with her best friend.

Please join me in welcoming R. L. to Tynga's Reviews!

-------------------------

Tell Me How You Feel
by R. L. Naquin

Every urban fantasy heroine has to have a thing. You know, a unique skill or quality. Something she’s better at than anyone else. She might not even know about it herself. That special something might be as simple as a sharp intelligence that helps her think her way out of trouble. Maybe she shifts into cat form, moves objects with her mind, or has fairy blood.

It could be an inherited, wicked-sharp sword she calls Senor Shinyton Prickleblade.

If there’s nothing at all special about her, start to finish, why would we read her story? I can ask my neighbor how her day at work was and save myself the time. I’m sure her story will be every bit as exciting.

In my Monster Haven series, Zoey Donovan is an empath. She feels the emotions of the people (and creatures) around her.

Pooka in My Pantry by R. L. NaquinIn a sword fight, that’s pretty lame.

While empathy is a pretty crappy offensive skill (second only to the ability to eat Cheetos without getting your fingers dirty), Zoey learns to read a situation in order to handle it better. If you know somebody is yelling at you because they’re afraid of something and not because they’re angry, you can diffuse the situation rather than escalate it.

This poses a huge difficulty from a writing standpoint.

Since grade school, we’ve all heard the mantra “show, don’t tell.” Also, one of the words on the no-no list that authors are given is the word “felt.” (Yes, we have a no-no list which includes words like “just,” “like,” all adverbs ending in “ly,” and any references to “secret gardens” or “throbbing manhoods.”) It’s considered lazy writing to have the main character constantly say she felt sad or angry or nauseated. This is partly because the word “felt” would be overused, but also because it’s telling, not showing. If someone is sad, show it in body language. If they’re angry, make them throw something. We can’t simply write “I felt angry.” Yawn.

But feeling is my heroine’s thing. I could get special dispensation from the Department of Creative License Registration, right? Wrong. I had to get around it.

Monster in My Closet by R. L. NaquinIn order to show you what Zoey feels from other people’s emotions, I subject Zoey to all sorts of physical sensations. Anger might come across as a prickly heat against her face. Fear can ooze across the floor and suck at her ankles. Sadness settles heavy across her shoulders and weighs her down.

Sure. I could have Zoey tell you that somebody is terrified. But that would be lazy. I’m not going to tell you, and neither is she. We’d rather show you.

And then she’s going to somehow take that information and save the world with it. Or at least keep her friends alive.

Not an easy task when the Leprechaun Mafia, The Board of Hidden Affairs, an angry Grim Reaper, three sharks, and a herd of goats are all after her.

So far, nobody’s bothered to ask Zoey how she feels.

For a free short story set in the Monster Haven world (with a bonus peek at the first chapter of Pooka in My Pantry), visit here: Ill-Conceived Magic

-------------------------

Thanks so much for visiting us, R. L., and enjoy the rest of the blog tour!

Want more R. L.? You can find her online at her website or follow her on Facebook, Goodreads, or Twitter.

You can also see the rest of her tour by clicking on the tour button below.

Pooka in My Pantry blog tour

-------------------------

More about POOKA IN MY PANTRY:

Pooka in My Pantry by R. L. NaquinA Monster Haven Story, book two

Zoey Donovan--empath, wedding planner, go-to girl for monsters with personal problems--has been marked twice for pickup by Death. On both occasions, Riley the smoking-hot reaper has refused to follow through. For his breach of protocol, Riley is now on probation. For her refusal to die on schedule, Zoey's right to live is challenged. She will have to undergo a life-or-death trial, but she won't know when or where it will happen...

Staying alive might not be so difficult if the Leprechaun Mafia hadn't strolled into town. Now every business owner with the slightest connection to the supernatural community is being threatened with the most appalling bad luck if they don't pay up. Mirrors are smashed, bodies are dropping, and Zoey's still got clients waiting for fabric samples.

With a little luck, she might be able to save everyone and still have time for a second attempt at a decent first date with her favorite reaper.

Find out how it began in Monster in My Closet, available now!

Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

And here's the scoop on MONSTER IN MY CLOSET, the first book in the Monster Haven series:

Monster in My Closet by R. L. NaquinI stopped believing in monsters long ago. But I knew I wasn't imagining things when I found one in my kitchen baking muffins. I'd seen him before: lurking in my closet, scaring the crap out of my five-year-old self. Turns out that was a misunderstanding, and now Maurice needs a place to stay. How could I say no?

After all, I've always been a magnet for the emotionally needy, and not just in my work as a wedding planner. Being able to sense the feelings of others can be a major pain. Don't get me wrong, I like helping people--and non-people. But this ability has turned me into a gourmet feast for an incubus, a demon that feeds off emotional energy. Now, brides are dropping dead all over town, and my home has become a safe house for the supernatural. I must learn to focus my powers and defeat the demon before he snacks on another innocent woman and comes looking for the main course...

Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon

---------------------------------

giveaway

There is a tour-wide giveaway for R. L.'s tour:
One (1) person will get a set of Monster Haven ebooks (MONSTER IN MY CLOSET and POOKA IN MY PANTRY)
R. L. is also giving away five (5) e-book copies (winner’s choice of either MONSTER IN MY CLOSET and POOKA IN MY PANTRY)

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jenn

Pooka in My Pantry by R. L. Naquin

Pooka in My Pantry by R. L. Naquin Pooka in My Pantry by R. L. Naquin

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 236 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Carina Press
Release date: March 25, 2013

Series: Monster Haven #2

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

A Monster Haven Story, book two

Zoey Donovan--empath, wedding planner, go-to girl for monsters with personal problems--has been marked twice for pickup by Death. On both occasions, Riley the smoking-hot reaper has refused to follow through. For his breach of protocol, Riley is now on probation. For her refusal to die on schedule, Zoey's right to live is challenged. She will have to undergo a life-or-death trial, but she won't know when or where it will happen...

Staying alive might not be so difficult if the Leprechaun Mafia hadn't strolled into town. Now every business owner with the slightest connection to the supernatural community is being threatened with the most appalling bad luck if they don't pay up. Mirrors are smashed, bodies are dropping, and Zoey's still got clients waiting for fabric samples.

With a little luck, she might be able to save everyone and still have time for a second attempt at a decent first date with her favorite reaper.

Find out how it began in Monster in My Closet, available now!

As the cover copy says, POOKA IN MY PANTRY is the second book in R. L. Naquin's Monster Haven series. Last time around, Zoey took on a single opponent but now she finds herself deluged with problems. First, there's the fact that she should have died a couple times but her love interest, Riley the reaper, didn't follow through. As a result, she has a limited amount of time to either die or become an Aegis, a human with special gifts that helps the Hidden (the supernatural population that hides from most humans). She's basically cursed with terrible luck, leading to embarrassing stains, lots of accidents, and generally misfortune. Zoey also has to combat the Leprechaun Mafia, which was one of the funniest things I've heard in a long time. They're not all tiny gingers and I quite enjoyed the surprising amount of menace and damage they brought to POOKA IN MY PANTRY. And then there's the titular pooka, whose name is Silas and who is basically travelling bad luck. Basically, Zoey is not having a good couple of weeks. These three different problems eventually all converge because what kind of story would it be if they didn't? It makes POOKA IN MY PANTRY more action-packed than its predecessor and I quite enjoyed all of the excitement.

There's also a whole lot of worldbuilding in POOKA IN MY PANTRY because we get to see so much more of this Hidden world. It turns out there's a Board of Hidden Affairs, an organization that takes care of the Hidden. It's basically a Hidden government, with different departments like the Human/Hidden Relations Division, a Social Assistance department, and more. Every single Hidden is under their purview, and they're trying to figure out if that includes Zoey or not. If she is an Aegis, she's their responsibility, whether she wants to be or not. (Hint: she doesn't want.) It's really neat to see the mythology of the series expand so much, especially since it gives us some insight into why Zoey's mother isn't around and why no one can really remember her leaving. I thought that R. L. Naquin would draw out the mystery surrounding Zoey's mom for a bit longer so it was exceptionally gratifying to learn a bit earlier than expected.

On a personal level, Zoey makes a lot of progress. She explores her sort-of relationship with Riley, even amidst all of the chaos, and she reveals more about her new life to those around her. It's nice to see her taking chances on people, despite everything that's going on around her. Naquin gives Zoey opportunities to grow as a person and to learn what she's capable of. She "levels up" on several fronts and it's cool to see.

I hope I've shown you just why I liked POOKA IN MY PANTRY so much. It's a great book and a strong sequel to MONSTER IN MY CLOSET. Zoey's not your traditional urban fantasy heroine (as I mentioned in my post on MONSTER IN MY CLOSET but she's a great main character all the same. If you're looking for a series that's a bit different from the standard genre fare, look no further than R. L. Naquin's Monster Haven stories. Zoey's a refreshing voice in the urban fantasy sea and I look forward to spending more time with her.

Read an excerpt

Jenn

Monster in My Closet by R. L. Naquin

Monster in My Closet by R. L. Naquin Monster in My Closet by R. L. Naquin

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 209 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Carina Press
Release date: July 30, 2012

Series: Monster Haven #1

Source: Review copy from Carina Press

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

I stopped believing in monsters long ago. But I knew I wasn't imagining things when I found one in my kitchen baking muffins. I'd seen him before: lurking in my closet, scaring the crap out of my five-year-old self. Turns out that was a misunderstanding, and now Maurice needs a place to stay. How could I say no?

After all, I've always been a magnet for the emotionally needy, and not just in my work as a wedding planner. Being able to sense the feelings of others can be a major pain. Don't get me wrong, I like helping people--and non-people. But this ability has turned me into a gourmet feast for an incubus, a demon that feeds off emotional energy. Now, brides are dropping dead all over town, and my home has become a safe house for the supernatural. I must learn to focus my powers and defeat the demon before he snacks on another innocent woman and comes looking for the main course...

MONSTER IN MY CLOSET is a different kind of urban fantasy story. The heroine, Zoey Donovan, does not kick butt in the traditional UF sense. She doesn't have any martial skills, superpowers, or major supernatural abilities. Instead, Zoey is a quirky, empathic wedding planner who didn't know she was an empath until the early pages of MONSTER IN MY CLOSET. I usually prefer a butt-kicking heroine like Kate Daniels or Gin Blanco but Zoey really won me over with her offbeat sense of style, guts, and smarts. She may not have a lot of muscle but she makes up for the lack with the other aspects of her personality.

That being said, I hesitated to pick up MONSTER IN MY CLOSET at first because of the unusual title and cover. I hemmed and hawed for a while but, having read the book, I think the cover and description perfectly captures the spirit and plot of the novel. They let the reader know that the Monster Haven series is not your average urban fantasy, which is completely true. So if you're waffling about whether or not to give MONSTER IN MY CLOSET a shot because of these reasons I urge you to read the excerpt linked below and see if you like Zoey and R. L. Naquin's voices. I'm a big fan now that I've tried the series out.

Another aspect of MONSTER IN MY CLOSET that I quite liked is its originality. R. L. Naquin has populated her series with some atypical supernatural beings. Can you think of another book that features a closet monster? Or a pygmy dragon or skunk-ape? I can't. :) And that monster? His name is Maurice and he's a thoroughly charming closet monster who ends up becoming Zoey's housekeeper and guide through the supernatural. In fact, MONSTER IN MY CLOSET has a fantastic cast of supporting characters. I was really taken with Andrew and Sarah, two of Zoey's human friends and the Big Bad was suitably menacing, if not truly scary. He was definitely unsavoury, particularly towards the end, and you'll be rooting for Zoey and friends to get rid of this particular demon.

MONSTER IN MY CLOSET is the first in a six book series, according to the author's website, which makes me happy since I really enjoyed my first foray into Zoey's world. I'm quite excited to see what she has in store for us in POOKA IN MY PANTRY, the next book about Zoey and her madcap life.

Read an excerpt

Jenn

Join the Inner Circle

Free 2026 Reading Bingo printable, occasional freebies and new-release updates for all Tynga Publishing reading journals.