About Books

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    Do you binge?

    4 Comments

    Note: This post will also appear tomorrow at Magical Musings.

    Earlier this year, I finally subscribed to Netflix. I know, I know. I’m a couple of years behind the times.

    But for the first time, I understood why people binge-watch TV shows. Just … one … more … episode!

    In the space of about a month, I watched both seasons of Marvel’s Daredevil, along with Marvel’s Jessica Jones. Since then, I’ve tried some other shows, including Marvel’s Luke Cage, which premiered in late September, and I’ve watched some episodes of shows that I already follow.

    But I find that I don’t always do the same kind of binging when it comes to reading.

    Rocket Raccoon Chasing TaleOne of my goals over the summer was to finally (finally!) whittle down my TBR pile, especially when it came to all the comics/graphic novels. And I did that. I read a lot of comics over the summer, including Rocket Raccoon Volume 1: A Chasing Tale by Skottie Young and Jake Parker, some Deadpool, several different Captain America series, and more.

    But I didn’t sit down and read them all back-to-back-to-back, and I didn’t read just comics. I also read some contemporary and paranormal romances, action-adventure thrillers, and young adult books.

    So why don’t I binge on a certain series or a certain genre when it comes to reading?

    When it comes to a TV show, I want to know what’s going to happen to the characters next, and the Marvel shows are very good at ending their episodes on cliffhangers to keep you watching. Plus, in some ways, a season of a TV show feels like a book to me, especially the superhero-type shows that usually feature a big bad villain who is defeated by the end of the season. When I get to that last episode, I feel like I’ve finally seen the whole story (at least for the current season), and I can set it aside and move on to something else. Plus, sometimes I just want to laze around on the couch and watch TV. 🙂

    When it comes to a book, I still want to know what’s going to happen to the characters, but I also want to absorb the words and story, especially if the characters are really interesting, or the book has some great, snappy dialogue. I tend to savor the experience of reading a good book a little more than I do watching a TV show. And I like to read in one genre, then read something else in a different genre. The variety just makes reading a little more fun for me.

    What about you guys? Do you binge-watch, binge-read, or both? What are some of your favorite movies, TV shows, and book series to binge?

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    Fall reads …

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

    Sunset in Central ParkSunset in Central Park

    by Sarah Morgan — out now

    In the chaos of New York, true love can be hard to find, even when it’s been right under your nose all along…

    Love has never been a priority for garden designer Frankie Cole. After witnessing the fallout of her parents’ divorce, she’s seen the devastation an overload of emotion can cause. The only man she feels comfortable with is her friend Matt—but that’s strictly platonic. If only she found it easier to ignore the way he makes her heart race…

    Matt Walker has loved Frankie for years but, sensing how fragile she is beneath her feisty exterior, has always played it cool. But then he uncovers new depths to the girl he’s known forever and doesn’t want to wait a moment longer. He knows Frankie has secrets and has buried them deep, but can Matt persuade her to trust him with her heart and kiss him under the Manhattan sunset?

    My thoughts: I enjoy reading contemporary romance (I’m a sucker for a good rom-com movie), and this is the second book in Morgan’s new contemporary romance series, after Sleepless in Manhattan.

    Three Dark CrownsThree Dark Crowns

    by Kendare Blake — out now

    Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

    But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

    If only it was that simple. Katharine is unable to tolerate the weakest poison, and Arsinoe, no matter how hard she tries, can’t make even a weed grow. The two queens have been shamefully faking their powers, taking care to keep each other, the island, and their powerful sister Mirabella none the wiser. But with alliances being formed, betrayals taking shape, and ruthless revenge haunting the queens’ every move, one thing is certain: the last queen standing might not be the strongest…but she may be the darkest.

    My thoughts: I love reading epic fantasy young adult books, and this one sounds really interesting.

    Black WidowBlack Widow Vol. 1: S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Most Wanted

    by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee — out on Nov. 8

    They wowed you with Daredevil, now the Eisner Award-winning team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee take Black Widow to new heights -by forcing her to go on the lam! Natasha has a lifetime of secrets, and when some of the darkest ones are made public, nobody is safe. As S.H.I.E.L.D. turns on its once greatest asset, she seeks out her own answers in a knockdown drag-out tale of action and espionage! But will the Widow’s hunt for the Weeping Lion send her back to the one place she never wanted to go? And, when a S.H.I.E.L.D. funeral makes the assembled top brass an attractive target, it’s lucky for them that the Black Widow is still on their side, even if they aren’t on hers.

    COLLECTING: BLACK WIDOW 1-6

    My thoughts: I’m always up for a Black Widow story, and I’ve heard good things about this storyline.

    What about you guys? What’s on your TBR pile this fall?

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    Bright Blaze of Magic, Black Blade #3, to be released in Germany on Oct. 4 …

    Estap_BlackBlade_FlammeBd03.inddAttention German readers. Bright Blaze of Magic, book #3 in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series, will be released in German on Oct. 4.

    And here is a look at the cover art. Isn’t it cool? I always think that it’s so interesting to see how the book covers vary from country to country.

    I really like the white covers that my German publisher, Piper Verlag, has been doing for this series, along with my Mythos Academy series. (Although my favorite German covers are the ones with the flowers on the front and on the spines for my Mythos Academy series.)

    And of course Cold Burn of Magic and Dark Heart of Magic, the first two books in my Black Blade series, are also available in German if you need to catch up on the series.

    I hope that all the German readers enjoy Bright Blaze of Magic when it is released. Happy reading!

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    Unraveled, Elemental Assassin #15, up for pre-order …

    Unraveled finalUnraveled, book #15 in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on Aug. 30.

    The book will be available in print, e-book, and audiobook formats from all the usual retailers. It is up for pre-order at the following sites:

    Amazon Kindle / Amazon print / Barnes & Noble / Books-A-Million / Google Play / iBooks / IndieBound / Kobo

    Audible / Amazon

    The audiobook will be available through Audible and Amazon, and Lauren Fortgang will once again be the narrator. The audiobook pre-order links will be going up closer to the release date, probably sometime in mid-July.

    Here is the Unraveled description. This contains some spoilers from Bitter Bite, book #14. So if you haven’t read that far in the series yet, you may want to avoid reading the description below.

    What could go wrong when you’re trying to unravel a decades-old conspiracy? 

    As the current queen of the Ashland underworld, you would think that I, Gin Blanco, would know all about some secret society controlling things from behind the scenes. I might be the Spider, the city’s most fearsome assassin, but all my Ice and Stone elemental magic hasn’t done me a lick of good in learning more about “the Circle”. Despite my continued investigations, the trail’s gone as cold as the coming winter.

    So when Finnegan Lane, my foster brother, gets word of a surprising inheritance, we figure why not skip town for someplace less dangerous for a few days? That place: Bullet Pointe, a fancy hotel resort complex plus Old West theme park that Finn now owns lock, stock, and barrel. At first, all the struttin’ cowboys and sassy saloon girls are just hokey fun. But add in some shady coincidences and Circle assassins lurking all around, and vacationing becomes wilder—and deadlier—than any of us expected.

    Good thing this assassin brought plenty of knives to the gunfight …

    I’ve always wanted to write a western, and part of Unraveled, book #15, Aug. 30, takes place in an Old West theme park. So the book is my take on a western, Spider-style, of course, with Gin facing down some evil cowboys, among other bad guys. 🙂

    You can read the first chapter of Unraveled by going here. Scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.

    I hope that everyone enjoys the book when it is released.

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    Rob-Con 2016 set for July 30-31 …

    Rob-Con 2016Note: This post will also appear today at Magical Musings.

    I’m doing something fun this upcoming weekend. I’ll be one of the many writers, artists, vendors, fans, and more attending Rob-Con 2016. The event will be held on July 30-31 at Viking Hall in Bristol, Tenn. from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. both days. Admission is $15 for one day or $20 for both days. Kids under 5 get in for free.

    I will be signing books on Saturday only, July 30, starting at 9 a.m. and going until 1 p.m.

    Rob-Con 2016 will feature writers and artists signing and selling their books and artwork, along with vendors who will have everything from comic books to toys to games. If it’s related to comic books, comic book movies/TV shows, or fantasy movies/TV shows, you can probably find it at Rob-Con 2016. Folks are encouraged to come in costume, and one of the highlights of the weekend is the costume contest, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 31.

    Now, I don’t have a superhero costume, but I do have several superhero T-shirts (Captain America, Black Widow, etc.). So that’s what I’ll be wearing. I always see lots of folks wearing really cool superhero T-shirts, which usually leads to me going online and ordering more superhero T-shirts for myself. LOL.

    Whether it’s a comic book convention like Rob-Con 2016 or a romance-writing convention like the RT Booklovers Convention, cons are always a lot of fun. It’s just really great to meet and hang out with people who are passionate about comics, books, writing, or whatever the con is about.

    Comic book and fantasy conventions are held in towns all across the U.S. (and world). If you’re unsure if there’s a con in your area, ask the folks at your local comic book store if they can point you in the right direction. Here’s hoping that you can make it to a con sometime soon.

    What about you guys? Do you plan to attend any conventions or book events this summer?