Blessings From The Book Gods

It's been bad for my writing life, but deliciously good for my reading enjoyment level. I have no idea what was in the water across the US last year when my fav authors were writing their books that just hit the shelves, but go back, find more of it and keep drinking it!

Lately, it's been just one super book after another! Sometimes, series get stale. But I've had the good fortune to read the latest Patricia Briggs' Mercy book, Silver Borne, Jim Butcher's Changes (#12 in the Dresden Files), and now Lisa Shearin's Bewitched & Betrayed, book 4 of Raine Benares. Each one might be my favorite in the series so far and each was absolutely incredible.

As a teaser for each, let me see what I can come up with:

• Silver Borne - Remember the book on the fey that Mercy borrowed to get Zee out of trouble when he was framed for murder? Well, she hasn't returned it yet, and if you thought the library was tough, they ain't got nothing on the fey. Oh, and there's the little detail of us being introduced to the woman who is going to be Samuel's love interest. Oh, yeah. Gotcha.
• Changes - This one is easy. What would Harry do to save the daughter he didn't know he had from Red Court vampires? Read it and find out. My new favorite secondary character is Mouse. I always liked Mouse, but for a little while in the book, we got to hear Mouse 'speak'. Loved it!
  
• Bewitched & Betrayed - *read the following in a sing-song voice* Raine picks her boyfriend... Raine picks her boyfriend... *end sing-song*. 'Nuff said. It was supa. Just supa. The actions, the relationships, the humor - it was all a lovely delight. I just finished it and I'm still giddy and squeeeeing. And if Lisa doesn't get the book contracts she's proposing later this year, I'm going to go around pimp-slapping publishing house big-wigs. She MUST keep writing books. And they need to pay her enough that she can quit her full-time job and write more. And faster, because now there's no more Raine fix until next year. Weeping, weeping. :(
  

Anyways, all of you, go forth and purchase books. And to my sister, P - if you don't start reading those Shearin books, I'm going to kick your... breadmaker. No more dinner rolls for you. Just see if I don't. READ THEM OR FACE MY WRATH.

New Book Releases and Contests

Okey-dokey. Until yesterday, I hadn't checked my usual sites for about a week. Talk about out of touch. Here are some things to be aware of:

• Lisa Shearin's next Raine Benares book, Bewitched & Betrayed, is coming out next week -- Tuesday April 27th. If you see it out in stores before then, DON'T BUY IT!!!! She's going to pitch two new book proposals later in the year and needs good FIRST WEEK sales for Bewitched & Betrayed to help her chances. Buy the book (and an extra as a gift for someone else :) ) next week when it'll do her the most good. Then send her your name and mailing address and she'll send you a free bookmark and other free book "swag". It's a win-win for everyone. If you want some Lisa Shearin book lovin' for free, check out a Lisa Shearin contest being held over at the blog of Rob Thurman (of Cal Leandros and Trick of the Light goodness). The contest ends tomorrow (the 23rd) so get over there!

• Nalini Singh is running a contest giving away a free ARC of her upcoming books Bonds of Justice. Yum!

Yes I'm still here...

I've just been busy lately and haven't been making oodles of progress on the writing front. I finally got back to editing my SF novel today though, and after that I'm going back to see what I can do about beefing up my UF novel.

If you all haven't been to Agent Kristin's blog lately, stop over there, because she's been posting some Q&A data with some interesting agent/submitting questions in there. The posts so far are here, here and here.

In other news, I can't win the DABWAHA (Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors) because Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood, which I picked to win the whole thing, got ousted by Larissa Ione's Ecstacy Unveiled. :( For those of you not familiar with it, DABWAHA is the romance reader's version of March Madness where they pit 64 of the best romantic interest novels of the previous year against each other for prizes and bragging rights (for both writers and readers). Now, I'm okay with Larissa Ione doing so well. I love her novels - they're steamy and intricate. I just really wanted Angel's Blood to take it. Next year, I promise that I'll give you all plenty of warning to go make your picks and vote for your favorites. They've got almost a thousand entrants this year, and I'm actually tied for 94th (or was last I checked) with - wait for it - Nalini Singh herself!!!!! Squeeeeee! OMGOMGOMG! Okay, back to the real world. If any of you simply want to see what it's all about, here's the DABWAHA link.

I hope you had a great weekend, and good luck in the upcoming week.