Urban Fantasy Investigations

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Interview: Heather Terrell

UFI welcomes Heather Terrell Author of Fallen Angel and Eternity . Thanks for Joining us!!

Character Book Picks: Michael

Well, if you would have asked me last year for a list of my favorite books, the answer would be wildly different than the list that has hooked me over the past few months. Some pretty crazy things have happened to me and my girlfriend Ellie over those months, things that changed how we think about ourselves. You might think that I’m off my rocker, but recently, Ellie and I found out that we’re Biblical creatures and that we have a huge role to play in the future of our world. This has really, really changed what I read in my not-so-copious spare time.

So to answer your question, last year, when I still thought of myself as a regular teenaged guy, I liked mysteries and thrillers. I read books like The Bourne Supremacy series, especially when I wasn’t forced to read classics like Jane Austen for English class. But now, I don’t have the time or luxury to read stuff like that. I feel like I need to read everything I can about leadership, my personal history, and the future of our world.

Over the past few months, I’ve managed to read the entire Bible, cover to cover. No mean feat. I figure that if I’m some kind of Biblical creature then I should know the source material, right? I’ve read the back-story of my history, from those gospels that didn’t make it into the Bible, the Book of Enoch in particular. I’ve also tried to squeeze in books on leadership and books about what we’ve done to the earth, so we can make sure that never happens again. Books that I can’t imagine are on your “to read” lists.

But they are on mine. If I don’t read them, how can I possibly be prepared for the huge job that lies ahead?

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Heather Terrell is a lawyer with more than ten years' experience as a litigator at two of the country's premier law firms and for Fortune 500 companies. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston College with a focus in History and Art History, and a cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Heather is the author of the historical novels The Chrysalis and The Map Thief, which will appear in more than ten countries, as well as Brigid of Kildare. She is also the author of the upcoming young adult series, entitled Fallen Angel.

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Eternity
Fallen Angel #2
June 28, 2011

The end . . . or a new beginning?

As Ellie comes to grips with her destiny as the Elect One, her relationship with Michael grows tense. When she meets a mysterious boy named Rafe, things get even more complicated.

Yet the time has come for the Elect One to stand against the group of evil fallen angels who are bent on destroying the world. In order to face the immeasurable malevolence heading her way, Ellie tries to put her personal life aside. But she soon learns that whoever holds her heart also holds the key to mankind’s salvation—or destruction. As the end days approach, Ellie is faced with an epic decision. Who does her heart really belong to? And is her love strong enough to save the world?

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Find Heather and her books

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Friday, July 29, 2011

Review: Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler

Eye of the Tempest
Author:Nicole Peeler
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: Orbit
Jane True Book #4
ISBN: 0316128082
ISBN13: 9780316128087
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers.
Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world.

Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped...and Jane's just the halfling for the job.

I could not put down EYE OF THE TEMPEST. There is non stop action, fantastic kick butt characters, tons of sexual frustration, laugh out loud commentary and some great surprises thrown in to make what I feel is the best Jane True novel yet. Jane has really grown into the supernatural world and herself. She gets some more answers and finds a new ally in her fight to protect. Her and Anyan are attempting to start up a relationship that has been forming for a while, and I'm super excited about it. I have always liked Anyan and hope book 5 has a lot of him in it. I wasn't sure how I felt about Blondie at the beginning but she really brings something new and fresh to the series. She turns out to be extremely loyal and I think Jane has a friend that will stand by her side through anything in her. The war is officially on and I will be there every step of the way. Cant wait for TEMPEST'S FURY in 2012.

I gave it 5/5 stars

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Guest Post: Jon Skovron

UFI welcomes Jon Skovron Author of Misfit. Thanks for Joining us!!

This or That List

•    Coffee or Tea - Coffee in the morning, green tea the rest of the day.

    •    Angels or Demons - Demons. But I’m biased.

    •    Pizza or Pasta - Pasta

    •    Virtual or Real - That line is soooo blurry for me...

    •    Left or Right - Left. Did you know that the Latin word for left is “sinistra”?

    •    Reading or Writing - Can’t write unless you read.

    •    Borders or Barnes and Noble - B&N, because Borders chose not to carry my first book, Struts & Frets.

    •    Book signing or Panel speaker - Panel speaker. I used to be an actor and I still love being in front of a crowd.

    •    YA Paranormal or Adult Paranormal - When I was a teen, I would have picked Adult Paranormal. Now that I am adult, I pick YA paranormal.

    •    Coke or Pepsi - Neither. MOAR TEA PLZ!!!!

    •    Up or Down - Everything that goes up, must come down.

    •    Facebook or Twitter - Facebook is ok, I guess, but I’ve been on Twitter since 2007.

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Jon Skovron has never really fit in, and has no plans to start now. After twelve years of Catholic school, he went on to study acting at a conservatory program for four years before returning to his first love,writing. His second novel, Misfit, will be published in August, 2011 by Amulet Books.

His first novel, Struts & Frets, was published by Amulet in 2009. Washington Post Book World said, “Skovron perfectly captures that passion—sometimes fierce, sometimes shy—that drives so many young artists to take the raw stuff of life and transform it into something beautiful.” Bestselling author Cory Doctorow said, “Struts & Frets will feel instantly authentic to anyone who’s ever felt the pride and shame of being an outsider”.

Jon lives with his two sons outside Washington, DC.

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Find Jon and his books

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Misfit
Aug 1, 2011

Jael has always felt like a freak. She’s never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad’s always been superstrict—but that’s probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family’s dangerous history and Jael’s untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

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Winner: Rebirth by Sophie Littlefield

Thank you to everyone that entered!!

PRIZE: One copy of REBIRTH by Sophie Littlefield

The winner chosen by Random.org is…

Rain Maiden

Congrats!! I have emailed winner who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or I will pick another.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Review: Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

Shadowflame
Author:Dianne Sylvan
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Publisher: ACE
The Shadow World Book #2
ISBN: 0441020658
ISBN13: 9780441020652
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance...

If you thought QUEEN OF SHADOWS was fantastic you are going to be blown away by SHADOWFLAME. Dianne brings us back to the shadow world a few months after the happenings of book one. Miranda and David are comfortable in their life together, Miranda is still working on her music, everything is going great and then BAM not so much. We get to meet some of the other area primes, some you will love, one you will hate, another you wont know what to think of. Miranda loses more of her humanity and I have to tell you some of the events will have you bawling your eyes out as hard as in book one so have the Kleenex ready. Dianne really knows how to rip your heart out and get you feeling everything the characters are feeling as you read. Having said that, I really hated the situation between David and Devin and felt that nothing was really resolved or came of what happened between them besides a lot of hurt. It made for good reading but I don't see how the future is going to pan out for everyone with this. (sorry to those who have not read this yet and have no clue what Im talking about but it would be a major spoiler to tell you about it). I'm a back to back book reader and this is one of those books that when your done you cant even begin to think about picking up another book. Go out and buy it now, if you have not read Queen of Shadows yet go buy that one too because you wont want to miss them.

I gave it 4.5/5 stars

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Guest Post: Jennifer Estep

UFI welcomes author Jennifer Estep who has a new YA series coming out Mythos Academy. Thanks for Joining us!!

Greetings and salutations! First of all, I want to thank Stacy for having me on the blog today. Thanks so much, Stacy!

So today, Stacy asked me to list some of my favorite books from the last few years. Where do I start? I’ve always loved to read, but every year, I discover more and more great new books and authors. It seems like I always have at least twenty books in my to-be-read pile with even more that I have my eye on. Yes, my name is Jennifer, and I’m a book addict. LOL. Anyway, here are some of my favorite reads from the last few years:

Beauty by Robin McKinley: I’m a sucker for retellings of the old Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, and McKinley’s book is just a lovely story about a girl who discovers just how kind and noble a beast can really be.

Beastly by Alex Flinn: This is another retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but the twist is that the story is told from the Beast’s point of view. It’s a really interesting take on the classic story.

The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal: This book focuses on a princess who finds out that she’s not really a princess after all. It’s just a great fantasy book about a girl who has to figure out what her place in the world really is.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I heard a lot of folks buzzing about this book when it first came out, so I decided to give it a chance. When I read it, it just blew me away. It was that good.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore: This was another book with a lot of buzz, and it was well- deserved. This is a great epic fantasy adventure with a really strong heroine.

Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas: These wonderful contemporary romances feature smart, strong women and the lives and loves of the wealthy Travis family in Texas.

The James Bond series by Ian Fleming: Is there anyone who saves the world and looks better doing it than James Bond? I don’t think so, and I love these classic spy stories.

The Dortmunder series by Donald E. Westlake: John Dortmunder is a smart thief with an eccentric crew and quite possibly the worst luck in the world, but things always seem to work out for him in the end. These are really funny comic crime capers.

What about you guys? What are some of your favorite reads?

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Jennifer Estep writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.

Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, was published today, July 26. First Frost, a prequel e-story to the series, is available now as a 99-cent download. Kiss of Frost, the second book, will hit shelves on Nov. 29. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more information.

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Find Jennifer and her books

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Touch of Frost
Mythos Academy #1
July 26, 2011

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .

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