New Releases: October 8-14, 2012

Skies of Steel (The Ether Chronicles, #3)
by Zoe Archer
Genre: paranormal romance, steampunk
Release date: October 9, 2012 by Avon Impulse

Description:

In the world of The Ether Chronicles, the Mechanical War rages on, and appearances are almost always deceiving . . . 

The prim professor
Daphne Carlisle may be a scholar, but she’s far more comfortable out in the field than lost in a stack of books. Still, when her parents are kidnapped by a notorious warlord, she knows she’ll need more than quick thinking if she is to reach them in time. Daphne’s only hope for getting across enemy territory is an airship powered and navigated by Mikhail Denisov, a rogue Man O’ War who is as seductive as he is untrustworthy.

The jaded mercenary
Mikhail will do anything for the right price, and he’s certain he has this mission—and Daphne—figured out: a simple job and a beautiful …

Interview with Natalie Anderson + Giveaway

Natalie Anderson, author of Melt

You’ve got to give props to the storyteller who can take you from the chilliest parts of the earth to the biggest summertime festivities…and have it all be sizzling. ^_^ Today, it gives me absolute pleasure to welcome author Natalie Anderson back to BLI. During the her last visit, we got a chance to talk about her release Melt, which was all about a steamy romance that took place in the icy plains of Antarctica. This time, Natalie tells us about her fictional foray into the Summer Olympic Games that took place most recently in London…for which she had not just one, or two, but three winning tales to tell. (Stay tuned after the interview for a chance to win the bronze, the silver, AND the gold–stories, that is!)

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Alisha: Welcome back to BLI, Natalie!

Natalie: Thank you so much–it’s great to be back …

New Releases: October 1-7, 2012

Iron Skin (Iron Skin, #1)
by Tina Connely
Genre: paranormal historical romance, steampunk
Release date: October 2, 2012 by Tor

Description:

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask.

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin.

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a “delicate situation”—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help.

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio…and come out as beautiful as the fey.

Jane …

Wishlist: The Tickle my Funny Bone Edition

Laughter is awesome, cathartic. To me, it’s not exactly the same thing as happiness, though the two do intersect to a great degree (the former can be a manifestation of the latter). You can be sad, afraid, angry, solemn, and still laugh. Nervous laughter, frustrated laughter, hysterical laughter, subtle laughter, amused laughter. Since laughter can incite a measure of happiness, even if momentary, I love to find it in the stories I read. Sometimes a good, dark and broody story is perfect for curling up on a rainy day…but not today. Having things to laugh about feel like a great propect right about now. Goodness knows that these days, we can all stand to have moments of laughter. Below are just a few books, in nonfiction and fiction, that I wish to read as soon as possible–either once I get the time, or once the book is released. It’s …

New Releases: September 24-30, 2012

The Casual Vacancy
by J.K. Rowling
Genre: mystery
Release date: September 27, 2012 by Little, Brown and Company

Description:

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller …

Bookish Rant: A Feast for the Eyes…and Ears

Music affects on a visceral level. Sometimes, all it takes is a few notes of a song to be shaken to your emotional core, or struck by a long-lost memory. Of course, a reading book can have a profound effect, as well–albeit less immediately, perhaps. It may take several hours to read through a book, but that story can take a reader on an emotional roller coaster to rival many live-altering events. That’s why it’s rather natural to perceive a relationship between the two, whether or not it’s immediately obvious.

Some authors make the connection crystal clear for readers, supplying a list of songs that were playing whilst writing a certain story, or perhaps songs that inspired a later idea for a story. Some simply have to have music playing in the background when creating the threads of their characters and literary universes.

Such information, from authors, may make certain connections …

New Releases: September 17-23, 2012

Yesterday’s Heroes

by Heather Long
Genre: urban fantasy romance
Release date: September 18, 2012 by Carina Press

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Aurora “Rory” Graystone
Codename: Halo
Abilities: superior reflexes, I.Q. and aptitude for calculating probabilities
Mission: find missing teammates

Rory knows she’s being watched, and she’s not about to let the hunter catch her in his trap. She’ll confront her stalker, a man she suspects is involved in the disappearances of other superheroes–if she can ignore the sensual heat that fills her every time he’s near…

Michael Hunter
Codename: Hard Target
Abilities: expert tracker and sniper
Mission: kill Rory Graystone

One of five desperate men sent back in time to save the future, Michael believes eliminating Rory is the key to his mission. But even as he takes aim, a split second of doubt causes him to miss his shot.

Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future? Or have …

Bookish Rant: Stand By Me, or, An Ode to the Supporting Character

What’s Snow White without dwarves? Sherlock Holmes without Dr. Watson? Harold and Kumar without Neil Patrick Harris? I’ll tell you: they’re moderately enjoyable characters that are missing that extra ingredient to make their adventures a little more amusing, their observations more profound, their wacky jokes even more hilarious.

I’m a big fan of the supporting figure in many a medium, but it’s that role in genre fiction that really produces some winners. Perhaps it’s the relative freedom afforded to stories that are heavy on world building and long-term character development. But whether a supporting character is nearly a main character, a second-string figure, or a fleeting blip of a presence in a story, they have the power to leave some of the most lasting impressions upon readers.

What makes for a good supporting cast of characters? Tough to answer that subjectively. *I* think good supports are the right balance of caricature …

New Releases: September 10-16, 2012

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain, #1)
by Amanda Carlson
Genre: urban fantasy
Release date: September 11, 2012 by Orbit

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living in hiding for the last twenty-six years, Jessica wakes up to find she’s become a full-blooded werewolf — claws, fangs, fur, everything. It was never supposed to happen: female werewolves don’t exist.

When a mercenary killer comes looking for her, her Pack finds themselves caught in the middle of a war. They must rise up to protect her, but no one knows if she’s means the end of their race-or just a new beginning.

. . .

All He Ever Needed (Kowalski Family, #4) by Shannon Stacey
Because I Need To (Because You Are Mine, #7) by Beth Kery
Captured Heart (Highland Hearts, #1) by Heather McCollum