Yay book signings!

I'm making it my new goal to get out to more book signings. Especially if it's an author I love. However, this means I need to be a little more on-the-ball, since usually I don't hear about signings until they're already passed. But from now on, dangit, I'm keeping up to date!

I knew when "Maybe This Time" was released, Jennie Crusie would be doing a small book tour, and I knew I just had to go one of those days. So I looked up the schedule, sent it to my mother and aunt (also big Crusie fans), and we all said we're going. Well, time passes.. and while checking Jennie Crusie's blog, I noticed she said something about Cincinnati... OH YEAH THE TOUR! Well, I managed to convince my mom and aunt to go, and we got there just in time to browse the bookstore before getting seated.

And what a talk it was! I always love hearing Crusie speak. Talk about entertaining.. and so funny! And I do so love to hear her talk about her works in progress, and even just how some aspects of her life affect her work. But after the wonderful chat, I got my two books signed, bought two other books (Yay for a YA fiction sale!), and then immediately came home to search for the mysterious book Jennifer Crusie wrote years ago and refuses to say the name (apparently, it was one of her first/her first book, and therefore not as good). I found it... and bought it. ;)

Where was I going with this... OH RIGHT! Book signings. I want to go to more! I wish more of my favorite authors were even semi-local, and therefore more likely to travel this area, but darn it, I'll catch them if they ever come close. I did happen to notice the same bookstore hosting tonight's signing will be hosting six YA fiction authors later this month. Though I'm only familiar with two of them, I definitely want to try checking the rest out.

Have a wonderful Friday! 

Review of "Dividing Dark" by Melissa Swaim

Okay, this will not be a usual review. I'm still not sure exactly how I feel about this book, so the review will be done in a "YAY!" or "NAY!" format. Nay meaning something I didn't like/a problem I had, and Yay being something I was excited about/enjoyed.

This title is available from Eternal Press. You can find it here.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not given any monetary incentive towards a positive review.

Type: YA, Paranormal Romance, Aliens (or are they?!), Shapeshifters

About the book (from the site): "  How is a 16-year-old girl with an eating disorder to reconcile the ancient wounds between the Annunaki, the Reptilian Watchers, and the human race? After Flannery “Fee” Birch loses her father in Afghanistan, she ends up in the alien land of Alabama, where she learns the art of spelunking (caving) in order to make friends. To make matters worse, Fee is afraid of caves, heights, and just about everything else…until she meets Faron Rothschild, an outcast from either world, though an emissary for both. Faron’s mixed blood kind took up the role of protecting humans, whom the Anunnaki abandoned and later warred with, while also keeping the Anunnaki secret from the world who forgot them. Not an easy task for a shape shifter who can switch between both sets of his DNA, human and Reptilian. This is a secret that must be maintained at all cost, and Fee, who once tried to disappear from life, pound by pound, must not only rectify her own life, but demand truce between light and darkness.   "

- YAY - for our heroine, Fee, actually acting like a teenager. She's got moodswings like nobody's business, she has no problem complaining and griping a lot, and she grumbles about her mother's.. existance, really. Oh, and she switches between attraction to two different guys amazingly quickly. Yeah, sounds like a real honest-to-goodness 16 year old to me.

- NAY - for Fee's new "friends." Holy crap, what jerks. I understand Fee is still new to the area, and probably just wants someone to hang with, but why put up with those beaches? Okay, so she's into the guy, Niko, at first.. and yeah, if you like the guy, you're willing to put up with a lot (sometimes), but after her attraction shifts elsewhere, why would she continue to deal with them?

- YAY - for Faron and Fee to be similar in age. I'll admit it, some paranormal romance where the hero is centuries older than our teenaged heroine is creepy. But here, Faron is 18, and Fee is 16. Much less squicky.
- NAY - for trust issues. Fee whines and pleads with Faron to trust her with his secrets, and even says she's eagerly awaiting his decision to tell her everything. But she decides to screw waiting, and ends up going with the jerky "friends" to do some exploring of underground tunnels to what? Find out Faron's secret. Which he's told her is dangerous and she shouldn't do. Trouble ensues. AVOIDABLE TROUBLE.

- YAY - for actually showing some health concerns that come with eating disorders. Because Fee stops eating almost completely after her father's death, she's not getting the nutrition she needs. And the author actually included some consequences of that - Fee temporarily goes blind and has to go to the hospital. Also, big kudos to Faron for taking her to the hospital and making her call her mother, even though she was already feeling better.

- YAY - for a vampire myth cameo. By now, most of you know I love seeing different versions of the vampire myth, and comparing it to others. There is some mention of vampire myths in "Dividing Dark," brief, but there.. and of course I caught on to it. And smiled to myself. Also, despite knowing the YA-ness of the book, after hearing about the "biting" part of the vampire myth, I wanted there to be a steamy scene.

And finally - YAY - for some pretty writing and descriptions. There were a few moments when the descriptions just jumped out at me as being well written. And sometimes the language just sounded... pretty. A good kind of pretty, of course.

Sometimes some books just require a different sort of review style. Or maybe my reviewing muse just needed a different sort of outlet this time around. But I feel like this post adequately summed up my feelings on "Dividing Dark" by Melissa Swaim. I encourage any and all of you interested to pick up the book (again, available here) and tell me your thoughts.

Thanks for tuning in, and until next time.
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble" by H.P. Mallory

The author contacted me to review one of her books, and after reading this - I was grateful for the opportunity! You can purchase your own copy here!!

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have received no monetary incentive for a good review.

Type: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts!, Faeries, Sexy men with weird names, Mmm.. Accents, Can I have the guys she doesn't want?, Series

Book Description (From the site): "  A self-deprecating witch with a unique ability to reanimate the dead. A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover. A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes and appetite for witches. The Underworld is in a state of chaos. Let the games begin.   "

When browsing both of this author's pieces, I was instantly drawn to "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble." This book follows the tale of Jolie, who isn't supermodel gorgeous, just a normal girl who occasionally gets visions. And then on a job for a client, she discovers she's able to bring back the dead - not as zombies, but as their former selves. It's quite the talent to have, and in today's war-fearing Underworld, it's much in demand. I love stories where our hero or heroine is tossed into a situation that is totally new and frightening for them, and they have to fight their way through it. This new world is something Jolie just can't hide away from, but she learns to deal with it. Of course, she has a little help from her friends...

Speaking of friends, we'll start with one of the secondary characters, Christa. She was definitely good for some laughs, but she had some genuine good-friend moments, which was good to see. When in a situation as tough as the one Jolie was in, a good friend like Christa will come in handy. And then there's Rand. So stubborn, so delicious, argh! Rand was so frustrating and reliable at the same time. There were scenes I wanted to strangle him, others I wanted snuggle him... and then there were a few times I wanted to do both at once.

One thing that really struck me about H.P. Mallory was how human her characters seemed. Well.. maybe that's not the correct term. She described the flaws and traits of each main and secondary character so well, you felt like you knew them. The author added little motions a character might make when aggravated, or sounds they might make when annoyed and amused. Just little things that could just as well be easily over-looked, and in the grand scheme of things might not even be important, but I loved getting that little glimpse of each character's life.

There are plenty of twists and turns in "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble." Jolie has a lot to deal with, and a lot to learn. I was so engrossed in the main characters journey that I read the entire book in one day - I just couldn't put it down. Good thing this book is a series, Jolie's trials are far from over, and there's an even rougher road ahead.

I'm going to give "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble" by H.P. Mallory a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). It was a great read, and it left me wanting.. or rather NEEDING more. I can't wait to see how this great war that has been building throughout this first novel turns out, as well as how Jolie deals with all the different players in her life. Make sure you all check out this book, as well as her other release (as of right now) "To Kill A Warlock."  Find "Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble" here.

Have a wonderful day!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Maybe This Time" by Jennifer Crusie

Crusie is back with a new romance - her first solo release in some time.

Disclaimer: This book was purchased by the reviewer for my own personal enjoyment. I was not given this book, nor any monetary incentive, in exchange for a postitive review. But I am an Amazon.com Affiliate, which means using my link to buy the book will make me a penny or two.

Type: Romance, Ghosts, Children, Creepy, North Is A Hottie, Gabe McKenna is back!?

From the book jacket: "   Andie Miller is ready to move on with her life. She wants to marry her fiance and leave behind everything in her past, especially her ex-husband, North Archer. But when Andie tries to gain closure with him, he asks one final favor of her. A distant cousin has died and left North the guardian of two orphans who have driven away three nannies already, and things are getting worse. He needs someone to take care of the situation, and he knows Andie can handle anything... When Andie meets the two children, she realizes the situation is much worse than she feared. Carter and Alice aren't your average delinquents, and the creepy old house where they live is being run by the worst housekeeper since Mrs. Danvers. Complicating matters is Andie's fiance's suspicion that this is all a plan by North to get Andie back. He may be right because Andie's dreams have been haunted by North since she arrived at the old house. And that's not the only haunting...  "

I loved "Maybe This Time" so much that I had to write down my thoughts to keep them at least somewhat organized. And my first note was "Crusie is back to her old self." Now... this implies that working with Bob Mayer changed her, or took some of her awesome-ness away, and that is definitely untrue. I loved her collaborations with Bob Mayer, and the girls she worked with to produce some other works. But I was just so happy to see the writing traits that I love this author for shine through in her newest book. She has characters I love, situations I can't get enough of, and humor that makes me laugh out loud.

Let's start with Andie. Andie is a real woman, with flaws (She's a bolter!), but she's strong and compassionate. She goes to take care of these children, originally because there was some money on the line (I'd babysit kids for a month for 10,000 dollars too!), but in no time at all, she's become the mother bear, learning what she has to do to care for these unique children, and willing to take on anyone she has to in her path to help them.

And North. Oh man, North... He's a classic Crusie hero - which means he's a real man, a guy like you could possibly meet on the street. But he's so strong, warm, reliable, someone to lean on, and oh so dreamy. I read a lot of paranormal romance, which is full of bronzed gods, ancient warriors, etc. And I think it is a true testament to Crusie's writing ability that makes her modern day human heroes just as perfect, if not even more so, than supernatural beings. You can really see North's growth as a character, from someone hidden away in his office who thinks shelling out money is the best way to deal with problems, to a guy willing to leave everything behind, and stick with Andie no matter what, even when she says some seriously crazy things.

And the side characters - ah! Southie is perfect as the ex-brother-in-law of Andie, and his current love interest is good for a strangle/laugh. Not to mention, fans of Jennifer Crusie will recognize the private investigator North brings in, Gabe McKenna - the hero from Fast Women. I love Jennifer Crusie for her snark and humor, which is still present despite the darker tone of this book. There may be a single line that comes accross as the perfect one-liner to a reader, but just try reading it to someone else. I did, they'll give you a funny look. Crusie writes so seamlessly there are no real one-liners. If you know the story, it's hilarious, but to an outsider, it's just a weird line.

While Crusie generally writes contemporary romance, this story blends that with a hint of the paranormal to create the perfect ghost story. I read it late at night, and let me tell you, there were a few moments where I didn't want to go to sleep, because I was afraid to turn off the light. And the end was to die for (maybe literally?!). I almost felt cheated after the climax, but once again.. Jennifer Crusie didn't let me down.

I'm going to give "Maybe This Time" by Jennifer Crusie a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). For the first time, I wish my rating system was out of ten instead of five, because "Maybe This Time" deserves an even better score. I hope everyone gets to check out this amazing story, to delight in the storytelling (which was fantastic), and the characters (North is a dreamboat).

Have you read it? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Do you want to read it? Get it from Amazon.com by clicking the image above.

Until next time - Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Some musings for your Friday.. Who sends these books!?

As a lover of books, it's like Christmas every time I receive a book in the mail - even if it's something I've bought myself. Now that I'm a reviewer, as well as enter many contests, I'm getting books a lot more than I used to (yay!). But here's my problem.

WHO'S SENDING THEM?! 

Oh, okay, most of the time I know. But every so often, I have a book come to me, and I have no clue why. No one has notified me that I won anything, there's no letter in it saying this book is for review or no letter at all, the return address is just confusing... and I'm left excited (I got a book, yay!), and more than a little confused (why do I have this?!).

Am I just too obsessed with knowing why? What about everyone else - do you just get excited, with none of the confusion, or are you like me and want to know why?

Well, have a wonderful Friday everyone, and enjoy your weekend! 
Until next time!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Naked Dragon" by Annette Blair

I'll be honest.. I picked this book up because I saw the next book in the series was called "Bedeviled Angel" and I wanted to see if I would like this author. That... and okay, I couldn't wait. No judging.

Disclaimer: This book is on loan from my local library. I was not given this book, nor any sort of monetary incentive, for a review. I am, however, an Amazon.com Affiliate, and will earn an (extremely) small percentage if you buy this book through my Amazon.com link.

Type: Paranormal Romance, Dragons, Certain types of Prehensile Appendages, Magic, Stubborn People, Literal ThinkersFrom the back of the book: "   McKenna Greylock contacts Vivica in desperate need of a jack-of-all-trades handyman to help repair her Victorian bed-and-breakfast. She has a shoestring budget and ninety days to meet the building inspectors approval - or the house will be repossessed and purchased by a duplicitous developer. To McKenna's surprise, Vivica sends the gorgeous Bastian Dragonelli, who not only possesses the speed, strength, and agility to get the job done, but also sets her soul ablaze with a fiery passion she's never experienced before. And if McKenna can accept Bastian's true nature - as a dragon warrior - she'll find her life heating up in more ways than one... "

On a side note, I like book descriptions that end in elipses. It just.. adds a little something extra. Some mystery, some "add in your own thoughts here!" so to speak. And that cover is rather yum-worthy, wouldn't you say? The tattoo is a nice touch, and is actually featured in the story - so not just a randomly added bit of cover image. And I'll admit, I love a man in a tool belt. Especially shirtless. And I know those viewing that small picture can't see it, but Bastian's other tattoo is shown on the cover as well, so kudos to the art designer on this one!

I mentioned earlier that this is my first novel by this author, so I haven't read any of the previous books, which I believe are all set in this world. So that might account for my confusion at the beginning of this book. It wasn't so bad that I didn't want to keep reading, obviously, but I felt like I should know this stuff already, and the quick entrance was more of a refresher course than an explanation. Though now that I've read this one, I do hope to be able to find more by her in the future. And especially read the next one. Because.. well, you know, it says Angel in the title, of course I'm interested.

As for the characters, Bastian was a hoot. English is not his first language (he was a dragon after all), so he takes things extremely literally. And if he doesn't understand a word, his response is "Define [word]." I was amused. And when he finally got a handle on the idea of snark, it was even better. I could generally tell when he was being sarcastic or not, but I did not get the same ease of understanding with McKenna. There were a few times it wasn't until Bastian asked if she was being literal or not that it sunk in that she was being sarcastic. And there were times I was really annoyed with her as a character. I loved that she was strong, and had a goal, and damned if she was going to let a handyman get in the way of her goal... but dang was she stubborn. And there were plenty of times where she would tell herself how much she liked or loved him, and would be biting his head off two seconds later. It was consistant with her type of character, but I think it would have seemed a little more real if her disbelieving comments to him would have softened a little more over time.

And, uh... I think after this book, I'm not sure I will ever look at a "man-lance" the same way again. I won't go into details (because that would be some.. interesting possible spoilers..) but holy cow, it's an interesting read. Seriously people, I suggest picking up this book for the sex scenes alone!! I mean, if you're into that sort of thing.

Well, time for the final verdict! I'm going to rate "Naked Dragon" by Annette Blair a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Yes, McKenna drove me nuts to the point of wanting to shake some sense into her, but Bastian more than made up for it. And I liked this author's humor well enough that I do hope to pick up some more books by her in the future.

Have you read "Naked Dragon" or another book by Annette Blair? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Want to pick up a copy of this book for yourself? Find it at Amazon.com - just follow my link above.

Until next time - Curl up with a good book!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Highland Rogue" by Tess Mallory

Rogues! Highlands! KILTS! Timetravel! It's four things I enjoy wrapped up in one book.

Disclaimer: This book has been borrowed from the reviewer's local library. This book, nor any monetary incentive, was given in exchange for a postive review. This blog is an Amazon Affiliate, so by clicking on the link, the blog owner will earn a (veeery) small percentage of the purchase.

Type: Timetravel, Romance, Scottish Rogues in Kilts, Plenty of Accent-y goodness, Dungeons minus dragons, and Bagpipe Playing Nessie
About the book: "   1711. They call him the Piper. A masked bandit seeking vengeance for his people, Quinn MacIntyre leaves his victims with empty pockets and a haunting tune played on the pipes that once gave him great joy. But when a flame-haired minx stumbles across his path, she awakens a new song in his heart. Now, the outlaw faces a challenge more daunting than the duke's patrols: Letting go of the past and embracing the future. Present day: On her dream vacation in the Scottish Highlands, aspiring archaeologist Maggie Graham discovers a tri-spiral carving on the floor of an ancient cairn and unwittingly sets its dormant magic in motion. Sent tumbling back in time three hundred years, Maggie uncovers the most amazing find of all - a Scottish hero straight out of her wildest fantasies. There are just two tiny problems with this grand adventure: She's trapped in eighteenth-century Scotland, and the man she's fallen for is an outlaw, a thief, a... Highland rogue.   "

Is it just me, or is that cover model on like.. every romance cover imaginable? He's like.. the modern day Fabio. Of course, he's quite handsome, so it's really not a complaint. So! "Highland Rogue"... Well, I was browsing Paperback Swap when I happened upon another book by this author in the "recently posted" category. Of course I had to look her up, it was talking about timetravel! Ever since I read "Outlander" I've been a little over-obsessed with timetravel romances, and I just can't get enough. Luckily, I managed to find some books by Tess Mallory, and "Highland Rogue" hit the spot perfectly!

I loved, loved, loved Maggie. I really identified with her, not so much because of her circumstances - her parents died, and she took over raising her younger sisters, but now that they're all grown up, she can finally do some living for herself - but because of her obsession with Scotland. If one were to look at any mp3 player, or playlist I have.. they'd notice the overabundance of Scottish, Irish, and generally Celtic music. I'll admit it, I even love Bagpipes. And Maggie was definitely a modern woman, and ready to take the time for herself. If only I could happen upon what she did and find myself a nice Scottish Highwayman...

Speaking of that, Quinn is absolutely delicious. Most romance readers fall for the bad guy who isn't really bad, the tortured hero, that sort of thing. And how tortured Quinn is. Because of a mistake, Quinn's best friend Ian is shot and captured - maybe he's dead, maybe he isn't. And if he's still alive, Quinn will do anything to save him. Even if that means continuing his raids on rich English travelers, without the aid of his partner. And now he has Maggie to deal with, and what a distraction she is.

All that said, I'm giving "Highland Rogue" by Tess Mallory a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and I can't wait to check out more by this author. If you're a fan of time travel romance, and sexy sexy Scottish Rogues, you'll love "Highland Rogue" by Tess Mallory.

Already read it? Tell me your thoughts in the comments! Want to check it out? Find it at Amazon.com!


Now, go curl up with a good book!
~!~ Morning Glow