Favorite authors, what makes us stay?

So today, I received some books in the mail, and one of them was "The Brat" by Lynsay Sands. I opened it, admiring the beautiful new copy (the one I read was a library copy, and an old tattered one to boot), and found out it was signed! I instantly became giddy. I love Lynsay Sands, mostly her Argeneau series, and I was overjoyed just to own something she's signed. So that got me thinking about my favorite authors, why they're my favorites, and wondering what everyone else's favorites are.

I have several authors I consider my favorites, and I will read anything and everything they write, whether it's my genre or not. So I'll list them here for you, and include a thing or two about why I love them.

Katie MacAlister (aka Kate Marsh, Katie Maxwell). - She's quirky, her stories are magical, and her Dragons and Dark Ones make me drool. And it was because she started writing a mystery series ("Ghost of a Chance" Kate Marsh), I decided to start checking out other mysteries. And she's writing a Steampunk novel now ("Steamed"), so I'll be trying a steampunk romance as soon as that comes out!

Sherrilyn Kenyon (aka Kinley MacGregor) - I love mythology, and I love how she uses it in her novels. I have enjoyed every one of her Dark-Hunter series books, and own them all. And "Born In Sin" (Kinley MacGregor) is now and always will be my favorite Historical Romance.

Lynsay Sands - As I said, I love her. Her Argeneau series is wonderful. Another series where I love the characters, and keep going back to the series to see those characters again. I think my favorite Argeneau is Lucian. His book is my favorite to date, but she keeps coming out with good ones, that might change.

Laurell K. Hamilton - Two great series here, the Merry Gentry series (faeries), and the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. I can't tell you which I like more anymore. For a while, it was the Merry Gentry series, because she stayed with the plot, the story kept moving forward at a good pace. The Anita Blake series, for a while, got to a point where it was just mindless sex, the plot was confusing and forgetful, and so on. But her most recent book ("Skin Trade") was very good, back to the old Anita Blake that made me love her. Well, with a few nitpicks, anyways.

Jeaniene Frost - I actually read this series out of order. I read the second one first, then went back and read the first. I love Cat. I might love Bones a little more, but shhh. And her most recent book, I've never wanted to cry, smack a character, and laugh at the same time. I can't wait for her next book. And bonus, if you follow her blog, she occasionally has "flash contests" where if you're the first couple people to comment on the post, you automatically win. It's how I won a signed copy of one of her books that if I had a treasure chest, it would be in it.

That said, who are your favorite authors, and what makes you keep going back to them?

Review of "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall

So I just finished "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall, and I will be completely honest in saying I had to force myself to finish it. I reviewed this book as part of an Early Reviewers program, and I refuse to do a review if I haven't read the whole thing, as difficult as that may be.

From the back of the book:
" Still grieving the loss of her mother - and private tragedies of her own - Hope Wescott plays the part of a dutiful admiral's daughter. But longing for the love and acceptance she never felt at home, Hope plunges into Charles Towne society... and an illicit affair with Lord Falkland. For Captain Nathaniel Mason, wealth means security, so he is determined to build his shipping business - ignoring God's call on his life to become an impoverished pastor. He also ignores his attraction to the frivolous, vain Hope Wescott. Hope's adventure seeking lands her in the hands of an unscrupulous ship captain who wants to sell her to the highest bidder. When Nathaniel sees Hope on the auction block, will he listen to God and sacrifice his ship, cargo, and security to save her? "

So... I will be the first person to admit I don't read Christian literature. But I received this book and told myself to give it a fair chance. However, some issues, at least issues to me, arose while reading. I really don't have a problem with God appearing in books, not popping up in the story, I mean, but being present or being a part of the story. I understand some characters have religious ties, I'm okay with that. But this book seems to take it a little too far. I thought this would be a love story, but instead I found myself being preached to, with a little bit of a love story on the side, shoved to the backburner. I think the biggest problem I had with this story was that while the main male - Nathaniel Mason, loved the heroine - Hope Wescott, he wouldn't admit his love to himself or her until she "gave herself to God." He wouldn't even allow himself to picture a future with her until she became religious. Before she "turned to God," he did nothing but judge her, and himself for liking her. Heck, even after she had this miraculous change, he kept judging her. I'm all for issues between characters that they have to overcome to be together, that's part of a good love story, but this seems a little extreme.

All that said, I'm giving this book a TWO out of FIVE. I would give it a ONE out of FIVE, since I thought the story itself was awful. But M. L. Tyndall had a very good, descriptive, flowing writing style, and for that alone, I brought the grade up a point. I really don't suggest this book unless it's your sort of thing. I know there are people out there that liked to be preached to, and by all means, check out "The Blue Enchantress." Me, however, I think I'll stick with my vampire romances, hunky cowboys, and handsome devils.

Happy Reading!

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Blogger Award - Zombie Chickens!

I received an award, which I'm so excited to get! My first ever! And now I get to pass it on!

I received this award from Romantic_Harbor and now I get to pass it on!

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-- excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all."

I'm passing it on to..
1. J_Kaye
2. BOOK_JUNKIE
3. Stumbling_Over_Chaos
4. Park_Avenue_Princess
5. Literary_Escapism

These are some of my favorite blogs, I check them every day, and you all should too! Please let me know of any of those links don't work, and I will fix them, I want everyone to be able to visit these great blogs!

Happy Reading!

BBAW!

Well, it's Book Blogger Appreciation Week!! I'm excited. Since I'm still so new to blogging in general, I decided not to participate in a big capacity. Mostly I'm just sitting back and watching the madness. And entering contests like crazy.

But this week is a great way to discover new blogs. I've already found several (just today!) that I will be following from now on. Next year I plan to participate a little more actively, maybe have some contests of my own, do more to celebrate. This year I can just watch and observe. I'm good at that. I'm close to finishing another book to review, so that should be up in the next few days, barring massive amounts of reading for school. So look for the review of "The Blue Enchantress" by M. L. Tyndall.

That said, happy reading everyone! And Happy BBAW!