Dual Review: A Hint of Frost by Hailey Edwards

Format read: ebook
Release Date: 17 April 2012
Publisher: Samhain
Series: Book #1 in the Araneae Nation series
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Amazon

Blurb:

Hope dangles by a silken thread.

When the head of the Araneidae clan is found poisoned in her nest, her eldest daughter, Lourdes, becomes their clan’s new maven. If her clan is to survive, she has but one choice: she must marry before her nest is seized. All she needs is a warrior fierce enough to protect her city and safeguard her clansmen. Such a male is Rhys the Cold.

Born the youngest son of an impoverished maven, the only things Rhys has to his name are his sword and his mercenary reputation. His clan is starving, but their fondness for the flesh of fellow Araneaeans makes them unwelcome dinner guests. Torn between loyalty to his clan and fascination …

Interview with Hailey Edwards + Giveaway

Today we are excited to welcome Hailey Edwards to Book Lovers Inc! Hailey is the author of fantasy and paranormal romance series, including her most recent release, A Hint of Frost. We had a whole host of questions for Hailey, and she very graciously answers them all (including a tidbit about a secret foot-writing skill!).  Check out what she has to say about her writing and reading habits, her characters, and her future writing plans. Then be sure to check out the end of the post, where Hailey has a few questions for you!

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Stella: Hi Hailey, welcome to Book Lovers Inc! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Hailey: Hi! Thanks for having me. There isn’t too much to know about me. I’m married, a mom, I love to bake and I always have some sort of home improvement project …

Review: Kiss and Make Up by Faye Robertson

Format read: ebook provided by publisher
Genre: contemporary romance
Release Date: February 14th, 2012
Length: novel
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Amazon

Book Blurb:

The Opportunity of a Lifetime…

Makeup artist Tabby Rogers is thrilled to land a job on a New Zealand movie set with lots of perks, including getting her hands on sexy Kiwi stunt man, Eli Black.

The sexual electricity zapping between them can’t be denied, but neither of them is in a position to handle happily-ever-after. Eli’s jetting off to Hollywood, Tabby’s next assignment is in the UK. But there’s nothing wrong with a short-term fling, right?

Except as the sparks burn hotter and responsibilities pull at them from opposite ends of the globe, it quickly becomes clear that something’s gotta give. Must Tabby sacrifice her hard-won career for love? Or will Eli forever be the one that got away?

My Thoughts:

“I had sex with an orc once.”

Awesome way to open …

New Releases: May 14 – 20, 2012

A Patch of Darkness (Sierra Fox, #1) Yolanda Sfetsos

All it takes is one weak seam for everything to fall apart.

In a perfect world, Sierra Fox would have stayed away from the Council she left years ago. But in this world—where spirits have the right to walk among the living—it’s her job to round up troublesome spooks and bring them before that very same Council.

Though her desk is piled high with open cases, she can’t resist an anonymous summons to a mysterious late-night meeting with a bunch of other hunters, each of whom seems to have a unique specialty. The news is dire: something is tearing at the fabric of the universe. If the hunters can’t find who or why in time, something’s going to give in a very messy way.

As current cases, family secrets, new clues and her tangled love life slowly wind themselves into an impossible knot, …

New Releases: May 7 – 13, 2012

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments, #5) by Cassandra Clare

(Non-spoilery book description ^_^)

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

New Releases:

Beauty (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #20.5) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Broken Illusions (Midnight Dragonfly, #2) by Ellie James (YA)
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (YA)

Endure (Need, #4) by Carrie Jones (YA)
Hard Tail by J.L. Merrow
Hemlock (Hemlock, #1) by Kathleen Peacock (YA)

High Stakes by Chad Strong (5/11)
Hunting …

Review: Ricochet by Sandra Sookoo

Format read: ebook purchased by reviewer
Genre: science fiction romance
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Number of pages: 276 pages
Publisher: Samhain
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Book Blurb:

Willa Rayes, only daughter of a legendary Lingorian fighter pilot, can fly any ship in the galaxy. Better than her brothers, in fact. But does that get her any respect? Not as long as she has breasts. Winning the Nebulon Trike will not only force her family to notice her, it’ll be her declaration of independence from men in general.

Then she meets her race partner, Stratton Sinnet. Arrogant and chauvinistic, he ignites her libido like no man ever before. And threatens to send her well-planned strategy straight to hell.

A bounty hunter by trade, Sin enters the Trike for one reason: money. Somewhere among the racers his quarry is hiding, but he’s not worried. He always gets his man, and …

Bookish Rants and Raves: Musing on Series and Longevity

Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter

Series. Love em or hate em, they take a single book and turn in into a network of interconnected stories and characters. For my part, I absolutely prefer series reading. Since I’m prone to getting very attached to characters, unwilling to let them go after one book, the ability to follow their growth and development is absolutely wonderful. And that’s not even to speak of the ability to observe detailed and complex world building, epic story arcs, and narrative style that constantly evolves.

But is there a limit to that? Is it possible to have too much world building, too many character development, or–gasp-a de-evolution in narrative style? Is ennui an eventuality that any given series will be up against at some point? One might imagine that there’s a whole constellation of factors that could influence how to answer those questions. So don’t expect answers …

New Releases: April 30 – May 6, 2012

Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12) by Charlaine Harris

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

Read an excerpt from Deadlocked

A Gentleman Says “I Do” by Amelia Grey
Barely Breathing (The Breathing Series, #2) by Rebecca Donovan
Beguiling the Beauty (Fitzhugh Trilogy, #1) by Sherry …

Guest Post: Kate Noble + Giveaway

We’re very excited to welcome bestselling historical romance author Kate Noble to BLI today! She stops by to talk about the relationship between music and her writing. For Kate, certain music perfectly encapsulates the emotion and tone of a scene or story, making it into a soundtrack of sorts. Today, that soundtrack is to her latest release, If I Fall, a story of betrayal and redemption–perfect for the most poignant of music. Please give her a warm BLI welcome!

The Soundtrack of If I Fall.

Like many authors, I write to music. Plugging my headphones in and shutting out the rest of the real world helps me to inhabit the universe I’m currently mucking about in. If I’m in the middle of writing an action scene, I’ll generally queue up the soundtracks to epic movies, like Gladiator and 28 Days Later. If I’m writing an emotional scene, Jeff Buckley suddenly becomes …

Review: The Prophet by Amanda Stevens

Format read: ebook via netgalley
Series: The Graveyard Queen, #3
Genre: urban fantasy
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Number of pages: 352 pages
Publisher: Mira
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Purchasing Info: Goodreads, Author’s Website, Book Depository, Amazon Kindle

Book Blurb:

My name is Amelia Gray.

I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I’ve broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.

In order to protect myself, I’ve vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar. Now I’m faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Read an excerpt from The Prophet

My Thoughts:

This series is …