Hey, guess what? I wrote another Ben and Tenzin caper!
[image]
Also, I'm bringing back the word "caper." Because it's swell. Omens & Artifacts is cominHey, guess what? I wrote another Ben and Tenzin caper!
[image]
Also, I'm bringing back the word "caper." Because it's swell. Omens & Artifacts is coming out in just four days! That's right. January 31st. I'm doing a very short preorder. The book is available right now at
And all the other retailers should be coming on line in the next few days.
Have you been missing Benzin? You know you have.
[image]
(And now you're thinking evil thoughts about Ben. You're welcome.)
[image]
Merged review:
Hey, guess what? I wrote another Ben and Tenzin caper!
[image]
Also, I'm bringing back the word "caper." Because it's swell. Omens & Artifacts is coming out in just four days! That's right. January 31st. I'm doing a very short preorder. The book is available right now at
Brigid and Carwyn are two elemental vampires finding the lost and righting wrongs, searching for meaning in an endless stretch of immortality. And trying not to blow things up, but that might be more aspirational. —— When Summer Mackenzie and her boyfriend disappear in the fog-shrouded forests of Northern California, it sets off more than one alarm. The sheriff’s department is looking for them, the state rangers are on their trail, and even private security companies have gotten involved.
But Summer wasn’t an ordinary college student; she was a human born into the immortal Mackenzie clan, a line of powerful vampires from the Great Smoky Mountains. Now Carwyn ap Bryn and Brigid Connor are getting messages from allies across the world, old rivals, and new friends, all wanting to know where Summer is and why hikers along the Lost Coast keep going missing.
If Brigid and Carwyn can’t find Summer, tensions between vampire clans might just snap, leaving more than just the immortal world bloody.
They may know how to search the wilderness, but the Northern California woods hold more than the average share of mysteries. Secretive immortals, suspicious humans, and ancient myths are all at home in a land where human highways come to a dead end, and dense forests meet rugged coast. ____
Martyr’s Promise is a supernatural mystery in the Elemental Covenant series by Elizabeth Hunter, USA Today bestselling author of A Hidden Fire, Suddenly Psychic, and over forty other works of fantasy fiction....more
And the thing I did was bundle all three Elemental Legacy novellas together WITH The Bronze Blade. So just be aware that these arI DID A THING!
[image]
And the thing I did was bundle all three Elemental Legacy novellas together WITH The Bronze Blade. So just be aware that these are all previously published! But if you haven't hopped on the Ben and Tenzin train yet, this is the perfect (and way cheaper) way to start!...more
And you can read the first chapter here—> GRIT: Prologue
I know you're not supposed to have favorite booAVAILABLE NOW!
[image] -------- I LOVE THIS BOOK!
And you can read the first chapter here—> GRIT: Prologue
I know you're not supposed to have favorite books (like you're not supposed to have favorite kids) but this is one of my favorite books. I love Melissa and Cary. They are hot. They are real. And they have ridiculously large amounts of chemistry. Forplaaaaaaaaay, hnnnng.
Melissa also has a ten year old, goat-obsessed daughter. Because contemporary romance just needs more goats, amirite?
And GRIT is now available for preorder! I hope you consider grabbing it. It'll be out September 3rd.
1. Kat likes cheese. A lot. In this, she is my kindred spirit and I love her.
2OH DAN AND KAT, HOW I LOVE YOU.
Things you need to know about this book:
1. Kat likes cheese. A lot. In this, she is my kindred spirit and I love her.
2. Dan cusses. A lot. If you think Penny has been exaggerating in her warnings about this, SHE IS NOT.
3. You will laugh. You will growl. (Likely in frustration, but if it's for other reasons, no judgement. No judgement here.) This is a SLOW BURN ROMANCE. Just sit back and enjoy it.
[image]
SO.
My friends.
This is the last Knitting in the City book. Are you a little sad? Yeah, that's okay. I mean, it's sad to say goodbye to friends, even if they're pretend people. But also enjoy the fact that these books really last. They're very re-readable, so you never really have to say goodbye.
BUT ON TO THE BOOK!
Dan and Kat have been a background low-burn tease in this series since the first book. So we've been waiting a while for this, and for me, this did not disappoint at all. I loved it. I really loved it. I knew I was going to love Kat not only because of the aforementioned cheese-love (which really can't be discounted, I have a near-French level relationship with cheese) but also because she was just SO low key. I mean, what was going on with her??? I needed to know! Lots of readers who love this series were waiting to find out what was going on with Fiona (who I also love) but I wasn't so much, because it was kind of obvious from the first knitting needle stabbing that Fiona was a secret-agent-ninja-badass or something. I mean... of course she was.
BUT KAT. I just knew there were some very very deep waters going on there, and there were and I don't want to say too much, but Kat stole my heart and I'm honestly a little jealous of Dan. But then again, I'm not a sexy, dirty-talking-beast of a Boston Irishman who's afraid of his mother (WHO IS AWESOME) so I get it, Kat.
I get it. (Get your man, my cheese-sister.)
[image]
Dan the Security Man and his Internal Monologue of Elegant Cussing also stole my heart. I am somewhat blasé about cussing (probably because I studied linguistics and recognize curse words to be a sociolinguistic construct). I mean, I'm not going to let my 12yo talk like Dan, but I will admit that I have a weakness for fictional men who like to let their vocabulary get dirty.
And Dan, my friends, has a way with the f-word. To borrow a phrase that Dan would appreciate, that man has made the f-word his bitch. He wields it like an artist wields a paintbrush to delightful and imaginative effect. I'm not going to quote him because that would push this review into the R-ratings and I'm not going there today. Needless to say, many of the laughs that scared my dogs were a result of Dan's creativity, and the name "Jimmy-Four-Balls" will never leave me.
So, two GREAT characters with undeniable chemistry take on Big Pharma and each other in a riot of hijinks, subterfuge, Irish and Jewish guilt, kidnappings, REVENGE! and poorly timed make-out sessions. I mean, how can it go wrong?
Verdict: Buy it. You won't be sorry.
P.S. If you haven't read any of the Knitting in the Series books, I do not suggest you start with this one. Any of the other ones you can start with and hop around, but this one really depends on prior series knowledge. Just go read Neanderthal Meets Human and get on that; it's a riot....more
Listen, when people ask me what I think about Building from Ashes....
[image]
IT'S COMPLICATED, OKAY?
So here's the deal: I love these characters so mucListen, when people ask me what I think about Building from Ashes....
[image]
IT'S COMPLICATED, OKAY?
So here's the deal: I love these characters so much. Like... SO MUCH. That I often feel someone else—like someone who's a way better writer than me—should have written their book. But of course, that's not how it works because they're MY imaginary people and I'm the one who knows them best. But I am unworthy. But no one else can do it.
Does that make sense to anyone but me?
Clearly, this was a very personal book for me. First, there's Carwyn, who...
[image] (Let's just accept for the purposes of shared imagination here that, though Fassbender doesn't look exactly like Carwyn—Carwyn is a way bigger guy—that THAT SASSY GRIN RIGHT THERE? Totally Carwyn. Are we all on the same page now? Good.)
So we have Carwyn, who is my fictional love. He's the one who always makes me smile. The prankster. The protector. He's the MAN. Err... vampire. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
And then we have Brigid, who is...
[image] (For the purposes of this review, Brigid will be played by Katie McGrath in full Morgana freaky eyes.)
She is the grounded survivor. She pulls no punches. She takes no shit. She was forced into immortality and yet somehow, she totally owns it in her own burny, spiky way.
Needless to say, fun-loving Carwyn and acerbic Brigid are an opposites attract story. But see... There was only ever her for him. And only him for her. I don't know why, but when I was building these two characters, they just fit. And I adore them.
[image]
Carwyn and Brigid are some of the few individuals in the Elemental World that I feel like I might eventually write another book or at least a novella for. Because they're awesome and I feel like they still have so much changing and growing to do together.
Which is a weird thing to say about a thousand year old vampire, but there ya go.
[image] (Yes, yes, I just gave you an extra Fassbender gif. It's because I love you. You're welcome.)
Wow, wow, wow. I loved this book. It's been a while since I finished and this isn't a proper review, but this book is really wonderful. Reid just getsWow, wow, wow. I loved this book. It's been a while since I finished and this isn't a proper review, but this book is really wonderful. Reid just gets the varied dynamics of relationship and this was a phenomenal effort on her part. Highly recommend....more
I was lucky to read an advance copy of Moonshadow, from Thea Harrison last year, and I loved it. Would you believe I liked the second book in this serI was lucky to read an advance copy of Moonshadow, from Thea Harrison last year, and I loved it. Would you believe I liked the second book in this series, Spellbinder, even more? It was SO GREAT!
[image]
Sidonie is a world-famous musician. We're talking Djinn travel around the world to listen to her play while in their true forms (which if you've read the Elder Races series, you know is a very big deal.) She's amassed favors and money and celebrity. But all that means nothing when she's captured and taken against her will into the fae realm. She's realistically vulnerable and confused and angry! She's also determined and has such a strong sense of self. I think it's sometimes easy for mortal characters to get lost in paranormal worlds, but Sid totally holds her own in every scene and I love her. One of my favorite heroines this year.
[image]
And Morgan. Oh, Morgan le Fae. Did you think you knew Morgan's story from Moonshadow? I promise you don't! I do love a morally ambiguous hero, and Morgan is all that. He's a mega-powerful mage and yet he's completely trapped. He's entranced by Sid, but also knows his interest in her is highly dangerous. He does wrong things for the right reasons and right things for selfish reasons. He makes STUPID DECISIONS SOMETIMES! THAT WAS A STUPID MOVE AFTER SID DID THE THING WITH THE THING, MORGAN, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
[image]
Okay, calming down now.
If you can't tell already, I loved Morgan and Sid's story and I tore through it. I need to go back and read it more slowly. The chemistry was sizzling and the way Harrison worked Arthurian legend into this book was so clever. And did I mention the sizzling chemistry? Thea Harrison writes amazingly hot scenes. When Morgan and Sid finally kiss and it's in the dark and they still can't really see each other and it's just...
[image]
Oh yeah. All that.
Read this book. It's out today and it's a standalone, so if you haven't read Moonshadow, that's totally fine (but read Moonshadow when you get a chance because it's great.)
All the stars. Top pick for me. I'll be re-reading this one. BUY IT NOW!
Okay, I'm going to have to calm down a little about this book, because... my heart. OH MY HEART. I love this whole series, but this one was really excOkay, I'm going to have to calm down a little about this book, because... my heart. OH MY HEART. I love this whole series, but this one was really exceptional.
I'm going to make a statement, and those of you who know me and the depth of my Kaleb-love will understand the gravity of this statement:
Valentin may be the STRONGEST Psy-Changling hero we've ever met.
This in no way detracts from my Silver-love, because I've been eager to read more about her for several books now and I was not disappointed in the least. But I just have to point this out about Val, because he's amazing and probably not for the reasons you are imagining. SO MUCH DEPTH here.
Okay, who's had the lovely experience of dating in the past five years or so?
*raises hand*
Anyone? IT CAN'T BE JUST ME. Okay, yes I recently became engOkay, who's had the lovely experience of dating in the past five years or so?
*raises hand*
Anyone? IT CAN'T BE JUST ME. Okay, yes I recently became engaged to hot trekking guide I met in Ethiopia (I'm not kidding, this actually happened) who rocks my world and I absolutely adore, BUT not all that long ago, I too was in this squicky, confusing world of dating in the 21st century.
Let me tell you something, folks. It's not pretty.
It's. Not. Pretty.
Seriously, you'd think with all the modern advances in technology we'd have this stuff figured out, right? I mean, I can search for something on my phone and the next time I open my laptop, I see online ads for the EXACT THING I NEEDED HOW DO THEY DO THAT IT'S CREEPY?
But anyway, there's an app for everything, isn't there? There's an algorithm. There's a formula. With ALLLLLLL the people connected to the world wide web at this point, we should be able to find the people we're compatible with, shouldn't we?
Or... not. After all the times I tried online dating, I didn't meet my love online. I met him at a lake in Ethiopia where I was doing research, and he offered to climb an acacia tree to get honey for me (I swear I'm not kidding, this actually happened.)
And Marie... well, she's kind of had it with online dating too. In fact, she's kind of had it with dating PERIOD. (Marie is imminently relatable, my friends.) We live in a service economy! Shouldn't there be a way to find everything you need: charming company, physical affection (not THAT), life affirmation, etc. through paid services by trained professionals? I mean, what's so great about meeting someone anyway? Dating isn't all it's cracked up to be, and people lie about who they are, so why bother?
And since we needed to push that envelope a little farther, why bother with humans AT ALL? Matt is an AI (artificial intelligence) researcher and... a REALLY bad date. I mean, seriously. He's awful. I really didn't like him at all when he and Marie first meet. But then they spend a bunch of time together "researching" (not THAT), and I warmed up to Matt. And then I LOVED Matt.
This book is funny and sweet and hot and all the things I expect from a Penny Reid book. It's also thoughtful and challenging. It will make you think about the role of technology in our lives now. The things that are essential and the things that only people can provide. It explores how, in a world where we are intimately connected to our technology, we can be disconnected from each other. It's slow burn. It doesn't rush. But when it finally heats up, HOLY SMOKES.
It's the fifth book in the Knitting in the City series (which I recommend for romantic comedy fans) but it can be read alone. So if you're new to the series, feel free to jump right in.
First off, this is absolutely a re-release. I want to make that very clear. If you have bought Beneath a Waning Moon, you alreaTOM AND JOSIE ARE BACK!
First off, this is absolutely a re-release. I want to make that very clear. If you have bought Beneath a Waning Moon, you already have this story. Same Tom and Josie. Same gothic romance. BUT new stuff too.
So when Grace Draven and I decided to release the BaWM stories individually (they're both part of larger series) I knew that I wanted to include something extra for readers who wanted to purchase the stand-alone edition. Also, I just really, REALLY love Tom and Josie as a couple. For real, they're one of my favorites. She's kind of odd and hilarious and yes, slightly insane. He's kind of rough around the edges and not-terribly-handsome and older.
(Though, holy cow, someone in my reader group posted a picture of this as her Tom.
[image]
and UMMMMM yes. That definitely works for Tom.)
Anyway, I really love these characters. I love their dynamic. So when I was re-releasing Monster, I decided to put in a bonus short story. And let's just say that "Night in the Waking City" is a nice long, juicy short story. Josie's gettin a little crazy. Tom's gettin a little growly. Adverbs are being abused. (Just read it, it'll make sense later.)
I think you'll really enjoy revisiting these characters and a few reader favorites might show up in NYC, too. *cough*Benzin*cough*
Hope you enjoy! And... thank you, Fiona, for that visual inspiration for Tom.
So when one of your favorite authors emails you and asks if you'd possibly have time to read and blurb her new book, and you're like "okay, that's cooSo when one of your favorite authors emails you and asks if you'd possibly have time to read and blurb her new book, and you're like "okay, that's cool, I'd be happy to do that" but inside you're basically [image]
Yeah. Totally me when Thea Harrison asked me to read Moonshadow, her newest book and the first in a new series.
So here is my OFFICIAL blurb for the book:
"Thrilling and deliciously sexy, Moonshadow is a smart, action-packed introduction to a new adventure in Harrison's complex and compelling Elder Races world. Intrigue goes hand-in-hand with an addictive romance that will please new and established readers alike. I can't wait to see what comes next."
And my unofficial one is:
GAH! This is so good, you guys! She totally set the series in the Elder Races world, which is so awesome because I love that world, but it's like totally new and you could start here and I've been wanting to learn about the Light Fae/Dark Fae court rivalry for ages and if you love the Elder Races, you will totally love this, but if you have no idea what I'm talking about, don't worry just jump in and enjoy! I promise you won't be lost at all. This is so good!
So you can see why I went with the first "official" blurb when I emailed her back. Because I'm totally cool. Really.
Here's the synopsis for the book:
Her past is a blank, her future uncertain….
Recovering from a shooting, LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross leaves her job and travels to the U.K. to search for answers about her childhood. When she encounters a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, she becomes entangled in an ancient hatred between two arcane forces.
He has given his body and soul to fight for his people….
Barred from his homeland along with his surviving brother knights, Nikolas Sevigny is embroiled in a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear. Only by uniting his people’s resources can they hope to prevail against Isabeau, the deadly Queen of the Light Court. He will do anything and use anyone to return home to Lyonesse.
When Nikolas encounters Sophie, he sees a tool to be used. The insouciant witch might be the key to unlocking every passageway that has been barred to the knights of the Dark Court, even as a fascination for her takes root in what’s left of his soul.
Sophie has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, yet the fierce Nikolas is so compelling, she can’t deny the temptation that endangers her guarded heart.
As magic threatens Lyonesse, Queen Isabeau unleashes her merciless Hounds, and Nikolas and Sophie become embroiled in a race for survival. Meanwhile, the passion that ignites between them burns too hot to be denied and quickly turns into obsession.
Thank goodness they both know better than to fall in love…
OF COURSE THEY KNOW BETTER THAN TO FALL IN LOVE. Of course they do.
I don't want to give too much away, because the synopsis really does capture the book very well, but there was a ton of action, lots of humor, two protagonists I found alternately wonderful and maddening (in the best way, of course) and a great set up for more books in this very promising series. I highly recommend this one for new and old fans of Harrison's work. This would be an excellent and fun vacation read.
So grab it now! I believe the original price is $5.99, so the $2.99 release price is really a steal.
I might like this series even more than the original Hidden series that started with Lost Girl. Though it's setAnother gem from Colleen Vanderlinden!
I might like this series even more than the original Hidden series that started with Lost Girl. Though it's set in the same world, you could easily start here. The interplay of ancient gods in modern Detroit is worked out beautifully, and the increasing depth of the mythology and expansion of the world (there's a lot more travel and history in this series) serves as an exiting backdrop to the action, which Vanderlinden has always written well. The relationships, both of romance and friendship, are what center this book for me. If you're not familiar with the author's work, you could start with Guardian or go back to the beginning with Lost Girl.
Recommended for fans of kickass urban fantasy or paranormal romance....more
Of all the couples in Cambio Springs, there were no two people LESS suited for each other than the future alpha of the McCann wolves and the most ambitious daughter in the cat clan.
But hearts are unpredictable. So are mountain lions. Ted came back to Cambio Springs. Alex didn't.
And then he did. [image]
The question is:
How do you go back? Do you even try? What if the one that got away is really THE ONE?
I loved writing Alex and Ted, but they were NOT easy. There were times I wanted to take a hammer to both of their heads during the first draft of DESERT BOUND. But somewhere about halfway through this book, I realized just why they loved each other so much, and how much it had cost them when they lost it.
And then... it was easy. And it was real. And I fell in love with both of them all over again....more
SO, back in the day, I didn't really leave reviews for my own books. What was that about? I don't know. So I'm going back and updating reviews for my older work.
Do I love this book? Yes, it's one of my favorites.
Do I recommend this book? Yep.
Do I want the hero for myself? Uh, yeah. It's Malachi. He's swoon-tastic, and I don't hand that label out lightly. I mean... he's kind of Oscar Isaac, but with more Burak Özçivit, but also with tattoos and kind of broody.
[image] (Just go with it; it makes sense in my head.)
And it has one of my favorite heroines ever, Ava, who is sarcastic and suspicious and wonderfully funny, but also vulnerable and voraciously curious. And also maybe dealing with mental illness, but if you have a problem with that, it's your deal, not hers.
[image]
And it takes place in one of my favorite places in the world, Istanbul.
[image] (
So yeah, I hope you read it! And I hope you enjoy....more
The ENTIRE Cambio Springs series (yes all three books AND the short stories) are currently FREE to read if you have Kindle Unlimited!
JuUPDATE:
[image]
The ENTIRE Cambio Springs series (yes all three books AND the short stories) are currently FREE to read if you have Kindle Unlimited!
Just thought you should know.
REVIEW:
Once again, I'm going back and writing a review for an older book of mine. Shifting Dreams came out in the days when the common wisdom for writers was:
"Don't go to Goodreads! Goodreads is for readers. Leave the readers in their space and leave GR alone."
So... that's what I did. BUT FORGET THAT. You guys are having too much fun over here. I'm jumping into the pool. Take that, Common Wisdom.
SO Caleb and Jena. CALEB AND JENA, YOU GUYS. [image] I love them so much. Like SO MUCH. For real, I gave Caleb the name of one of my very first crushes in the world. I'm not even lying about that. PLUS... cowboy hats. [image] YES, my country is showing. I make no apologies. And JENA! [image] She's a chef, a mom, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a hawk shapeshifter... and she probably does not have time for your shit. And I love her for it.
I wrote Jena back in the days when I first became a single mom (which whoa, was a while ago) so she's just super real to me. I love her. Love her kids. I love that she has no time for herself, but still manages to maintain her humor and love and appreciation. I love that she can also be kind of a mess sometimes, because can't we all? I mean, I'm a grown up, but I don't always feel that way. And I love that she has her girls. [image] I love Cambio Springs.
I may travel a lot and fly hither and yon (extra points for using 'yon' in a sentence today!) BUT I grew up in a small town. I live in a small town. Small town people are my people. And while I don't live in the Mojave desert, I have spent quite a lot of time in desert towns and... [image] Quirky. Quirky is a good name for them.
I was driving through the desert one night, smelling the creosote out the window after it had rained, and I just got to thinking, "If there was a place in the world where you could hide—really hide—it would be out here."
And so Cambio Springs was born. A whole town of shapeshifters and the people who love them, hidden out in the desert, trying to survive. Small town rivalries, intense loyalty, LOTS of secrets and no secrets at all. Cambio Springs may be a town full of shapeshifters, but I feel like anyone who has lived in a small town will recognize this place.
This is another one that I didn't review at the time of publication because authors weren't supposed to be on Goodreads.
[image]
So, anyway. THIS[image]
This is another one that I didn't review at the time of publication because authors weren't supposed to be on Goodreads.
[image]
So, anyway. THIS SAME EARTH! Sophomore book. Holy cow, I was nervous. People were actually waiting to read a book that I wrote. THE PRESSURE! GAH!
There are parts I love. Parts I hate. There's groveling (or Giovanni's version of it, which basically amounts to a stoic and reserved apology) and my first (but not last) literary homage to Jason Momoa.
[image]
*whispers* I'm sorry, Mano...
Anyway, this is the second Gio and Beatrice book. Everyone except Tenzin is back and this is the book that really started to expand the world. A Hidden Fire focused on Beatrice's entry into the Elemental world, but this book lets her dive right in. She has to make some pretty serious decisions, which means Giovanni needs to be...
Persuasive.
[image]
Please note: I love writing Giovanni being persuasive. Persuasive Giovanni may be my favorite Giovanni. Hmmm.
So, if you haven't read This Same Earth yet, then I suggest you do. See if Giovanni can persuade you....more
Loading...
