Bookish Rants and Raves: Book Gifting!

“Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Give a man a book and he’ll teach himself how to fish.”

…isn’t that how the saying goes? No? Oh, well. Close enough.

You’ve recommended books to friends and book buddies before, right? Being a bookish lot, we are all likely to partake in gushing about beloved books and ranting about reads that didn’t resonate. Heck, it’s sort of what the book blogging community is all about.

Buying books for other people, however, seems to be a whole other ballgame. I must admit that I absolutely love giving books (or even magazine subscriptions) as presents; if I even suspect you’re a casual reader, I’m getting you a book for a birthday/Christmas/random day present. This means my friends and family members that like to read are some of my favorite people to gift shop for. It’s so fun getting to contribute to something …

New Releases: June 18 – 24, 2012

Wicked Business (Lizzy & Diesel #2) by Janet Evanovich

Lizzy Tucker’s once normal life as a pastry chef in Salem, Massachusetts, turns upside down as she battles both sinister forces and an inconvenient attraction to her unnaturally talented but off-limits partner, Diesel.

When Harvard University English professor and dyed-in-the-wool romantic Gilbert Reedy is mysteriously murdered and thrown off his fourth-floor balcony, Lizzy and Diesel take up his twenty-year quest for the Luxuria Stone, an ancient relic believed by some to be infused with the power of lust. Following clues contained in a cryptic nineteenth-century book of sonnets, Lizzy and Diesel tear through Boston catacombs, government buildings, and multimillion-dollar residences. On their way they’ll leave behind a trail of robbed graves, public disturbances, and general mayhem.

. . .

A Bad Day for Mercy (Stella Hardesty, #4) by Sophie Littlefield
A Few Good …

Interview with Jus Accardo + Giveaway

Happy Monday, ladies and gents! We here at BLI are ready to start this new week off right with a visit from Jus Accardo, author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

We’re fortunate that Jus was gracious enough to answer our barrage of questions about her writerly life and her acclaimed YA series, Denizen.  Oh yeah, and some about her love of gaming and comic lore (which by itself already makes her freakin’ badass, in our book.) Please give her a warm welcome (and don’t forget to check out the end of the interview, for more giveaway goodness)!

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Amanda: Jus can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Jus: I’m a World of Warcraft addict that drinks entirely too much coffee and spends 90% of her time hanging with people who don’t exist.

Amanda: Describe a typical day of writing? Are …

Interview with Diane Alberts + Giveaway

It is my absolute pleasure to welcome author Diane Alberts to BLI today! Diane has been taking over book sales charts with her recent romance releases, including On One Condition, Divinely Ruined, and her most recent effort, Try Me.

Some things that Diane is all about? Awesome characters (including yummy tortured heroes), clever story concepts, and a wealth of writerly passion and inspiration. She talks to us about all of these in the interview below, even sharing some tidbits about her book Divinely Ruined (check out the synopsis and BLI review here). So stay tuned (and give Diane a warm BLI welcome)!

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Alisha: Welcome to BLI, Diane!
Diane: Thank you so much for having me here, today!

Alisha: Can you describe Divinely Ruined for us–Twitter style (140 characters or less)? ^_^

Diane: Rebecca doesn’t want love or a family. Yet Tony tempts her to give it all up for a chance at just that–even if …

New Releases: June 11 – 17, 2012

Last Bastion of the Living: A Futuristic Zombie Novel by Rhiannon Frater

A walled city surrounded by lush land, protected by high mountain summits, and fortified by a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, The Bastion remained humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. On one fateful day, the valley gate failed and the Inferi Scourge overran and destroyed the human settlements outside the walls, trapping the remaining survivors inside the city. Now, decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city of dwindling resources…and dwindling hope.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her entire life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her …