About Books

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    Anticipated reads …

    Today I thought I would share some of the books I’m looking forward to reading this year. Note that all the descriptions are from Goodreads:

    Lothaire by Kresley Cole: I know, I know, this one actually came out earlier this week, but I need to catch up and read Dreams of a Dark Warrior first before I tackle the latest book in the Immortals After Dark paranormal romance series:

    ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

    Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness — until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

    A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

    Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder — or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

    CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

    Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past … or risk everything for a future with her?

    Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas: I love Kleypas’s contemporary romances, and I’m looking forward to this second book in her Friday Harbor series:

    Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy’s own sister. Lucy’s bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy’s parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to “romance” Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger.

    Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life — even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful.

    Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore: I thought Graceling, the first book in the Seven Kingdoms young adult epic fantasy series, was really excellent, and I’m hoping this one is too:

    Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle — disguised and alone — to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

    Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

    What about you guys? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2012?

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    Release schedule for 2012 …

    We are moving right along in 2012, so I thought I would share my release schedule for the year:

    Jan 31: Thread of Death, an Elemental Assassin e-novella. Gin goes to Mab’s funeral, and trouble ensues.

    Feb. 28: By a Thread, Elemental Assassin #6. Gin goes on vacation, and trouble ensues (again).

    May 29: Dark Frost, Mythos Academy #3. Gwen has to find a powerful artifact before the Reapers of Chaos do.

    Aug. 21: Widow’s Web, Elemental Assassin #7. This book will fill in some of Owen’s past and backstory.

    To be determined: Haints and Hobwebs: An Elemental Assassin short story in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance. I’m not sure when this book is being released yet, but the story focuses on Gin helping out a ghost, or haint.

    I’m also hoping to e-publish a fourth Bigtime book this year, but I don’t know if it will happen or not. My writing schedule is already full for this year (and next year too).

    Anyway, stay tuned to the blog for updates as they become available.

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    Thread of Death e-novella …

    Well, I have some news to share. There will be an e-novella to go along with By a Thread, the sixth Elemental Assassin urban fantasy book that will be out on Feb. 28.

    The e-novella is called Thread of Death, and it takes place at the end of the events of Spider’s Revenge. Note that the following description contains some spoilers for Spider’s Revenge, so if you haven’t read that book yet, you may want to skip the description:

    Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, might have finally killed her nemesis, Mab Monroe, but that doesn’t mean that it’s smooth sailing. Gin goes to Mab’s funeral to say her goodbyes and runs into some of Ashland’s most notorious underworld power players, including Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid. McAllister wants her dead, and Kincaid has his own murky motives when it comes to the Spider, and Gin once again finds herself fighting for her life. Only this time, she might wind up in the cemetery right next to Mab …

    Basically, Gin attends Mab’s funeral and finds herself in trouble once again. It’s also sort of a round robin story and features the points of view of Gin, along with Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid. The e-novella is around 20,000 words. You don’t have to read the e-novella to enjoy By a Thread or the rest of the series, but it gives a little insight into what McAllister and Kincaid think about Gin. It also hints at and sets up a few things for Widow’s Web, the seventh book that will be out on Aug. 21.

    Thread of Death will be released on Jan. 31 (e-book only). The price is $1.99, and it is up for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers. Hope everyone enjoys it. Happy reading!

  • Books, books, books …

    Giving books for presents makes me happy — and so does getting books as presents myself. New books! Wha-ha-ha!

    Okay, I think that’s enough evil laughter for one day. Here are some books that I got for Christmas this year:

    Baby Its Cold Outside by Addison Fox (contemporary romance)

    Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman (historical western romance)

    Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (fantasy young adult)

    Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (contemporary romance

    I’ve been reading quite a few contemporary romance and young adult books over the past couple of months, and it looks like it’s a trend that’s going to continue into 2012.

    Of course, there are already several books I’m looking forward to this year, including Lothaire (paranormal romance) by Kresley Cole and Rainshadow Road (contemporary romance) by Lisa Kleypas.

    What books did you guys get for Christmas? What are you reading and enjoying right now?