Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Interview + Giveaway: Updraft by Fran Wilde

UFI welcomes Author Fran Wilde. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview? 

I can’t abide okra. It’s my least favorite vegetable and I recoil at it like I recoil from slugs, which are also on my No-Way-No-How-What-Fresh-Hell-Is-This list. Unfortunately, I have okra fiends in the family, and live in what seems to be a slug-sanctuary. Que Sera.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Cooking with family and friends. Sailing – the kind that involves flip-flops, a cheap fiberglass dingy and a rocky beach, not the designer-whites and champagne. Traveling to new places, whether it’s down the street or across the globe.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

When the story clicks. When the characters take over and start writing the story themselves. That’s the best part.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write? 

I try to write first thing in the morning, before I do anything else. With a family that’s hard, and requires getting up early (and I’m not by any means a morning person). Still, once I’ve done 500 words or so before anything else makes demands on my time? I find I can more easily get back into it after returning work/client emails, addressing school & family stuff, and the inevitable –stop what you’re doing and do this- emergency that happens mid-morning more often than not.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres? 

Great question! Leanna Renee Hieber, Seanan McGuire, Gail Carriger, Octavia Butler, Emma Bull, China Miéville, and Carrie Vaughn are among my favorites.

How would you pitch UPDRAFT to someone who has not heard of it before? 

In a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, secrets and betrayal, laws are broken and the consequences will change one city forever.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that UPDRAFT is set in? 

Updraft is set in a city of living bone, high above the clouds. The ground, and the past, are lost to legend. The city’s inhabitants fly on manmade wings, or cross perilous bridges to exchange necessities. But monsters hide in the wind, and the city must be appeased.

Do you have a favorite scene in UPDRAFT? 

I have a bunch of favorite scenes, but one of the earliest is when Kirit breaks the law called Fortify, and encounters one of the above mentioned monsters face-to-teeth.

I’m also pretty partial to the wingfighting scenes.

Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about? 

Kirit is a favorite. As is Nat – her best friend. I think Rumul was hardest to write about because I needed to show his depth and fears, and he’s cagey.
 
What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you? 

I have short stories in a number of publications, including Asimov’s, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Tor.com. A short story set in the same world as Updraft will be out in Beneath Ceaseless Skies in September. Cloudbound, the next book set in the Bone Universe, is due out in fall 2016, and “The Jewel and Her Lapidary” – a novella set in the Gem Universe – is due out from tor.com next spring/summer.
__________________________________

Fran Wilde is an author and technology consultant. Her first novel, Updraft, is forthcoming from Tor/Macmillan in 2015. Her short stories have appeared in publications including Asimov’s, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Nature, and Tor.com (Bibliography.). Her interview series Cooking the Books–about the intersection between food and fiction–has appeared at Strange Horizons, Tor.com, and on her blog,  franwilde.wordpress.com.

Find Fran and her books
__________________________________

Updraft
In a city of living bone rising high above the clouds, where danger hides in the wind and the ground is lost to legend, a young woman must expose a dangerous secret to save everyone she loves

Welcome to a world of wind and bone, songs and silence, betrayal and courage.

Kirit Densira cannot wait to pass her wingtest and begin flying as a trader by her mother's side, being in service to her beloved home tower and exploring the skies beyond. When Kirit inadvertently breaks Tower Law, the city's secretive governing body, the Singers, demand that she become one of them instead. In an attempt to save her family from greater censure, Kirit must give up her dreams to throw herself into the dangerous training at the Spire, the tallest, most forbidding tower, deep at the heart of the City.

As she grows in knowledge and power, she starts to uncover the depths of Spire secrets. Kirit begins to doubt her world and its unassailable Laws, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to a haunting choice, and may well change the city forever—if it isn't destroyed outright.
“Extraordinary worldbuilding and cascading levels of intrigue make Wilde’s debut fantasy novel soar…. This well-written and fascinating exploration of a strange land is an extremely promising start for an exciting new writer.”
—Publisher’s Weekly, « Starred Review «

“The world of the towers grown from bone, where residents strap on wings and soar the air currents, is captivating. As a coming-of-age story, Kirit’s journey to find her place is satisfying, but the real draw is a world that readers will be anxious to revisit in
future volumes of this exciting new series” —Library Journal, « Starred Review « and Debut of the Month

“A lovingly, carefully crafted world—an engineering marvel—filled with captivating characters whose struggles and triumphs will thrill the reader and linger long in the imagination. I want to live in the world Wilde has created!”
— Ken Liu, author of The Grace of Kings.

__________________________________
US and Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: ,

New Release: 9/27-10/3


Mon. Sept. 28th

 Harvest Moon (Moon #4) by Lisa Kessler
Pale Moon Walking by Paula Altenburg

Tue. Sept. 29th

 Brazen (Gilded #3) by Christina Farley
 Ghost for Sale by Sandra Cox 
 Menagerie (Menagerie #1) by Rachel Vincent

Happy Reading!
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Monday, September 28, 2015

Guest Blog + Giveaway: Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima

UFI welcomes Author Jan DeLima. Thanks for Joining us!!

CHALLENGES OF WRITING A SERIES 

Do you read a series in order from book one, or do you begin with later books?  As a reader, I always start with the first book and read them in order.  I’m curious to know what kind of reader you are.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with my books, I write the Celtic Wolves series, which begins with Celtic Moon and is followed by Summer Moon.  Autumn Moon, book three, will be available at midnight.  The stories are inspired by Celtic folklore and are a mixture of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.  Set in modern day, it’s a world where warriors are also wolves and reality isn’t always what it seems.  Each installment features a new couple’s love story, while the fantasy elements span the series.  The books are written for adults and contain graphic love scenes and battle scenes—and a few shocking scenes as well.  It’s those graphic scenes that may have landed my books on the urban fantasy side of things instead of paranormal romance.

Now that I’ve released three novels, I can no longer claim to be a debut author.  But this is the first series I’ve written, and I did run into some challenges.  The main one, for me at least, was how much information from earlier books should be included in later installments.  It’s a precarious balance, because there needs to be enough information for new readers to grasp the world and couple’s backstory without being lost, and yet there shouldn’t be so much that it’s a retelling.

Another challenge is that early review copies are sent to reviewers who haven’t read previous books, and they need to be able to jump right in and understand what’s going on.  

For readers who are starting the series at this point, I’ve worked very hard to include brief reminders of past events and the history of the characters’ origin and world, and I’ve tried to do this in new ways using fresh perspectives.  But, again, it is a series.  Important events have happened in previous books that motivate later actions, and I am respectful of readers who have read this series from the beginning and don’t want earlier events retold at length in each installment.  

Adding to the challenge is the fact that Elen and Cormack have been secondary but significant characters throughout the series, and Autumn Moon is the story where these two finally get together.  Of all the emails I get from readers, this is the couple I’m asked most about.  Cormack and Elen are both outcasts for different reasons, and drawn together as friends because of it.  Elen is feared for her magical abilities, and Cormack has been trapped in wolf form for centuries.  They’ve lived together as friends for hundreds of years, bound by an emotional connection—but not a physical one because of their unique circumstances.  

Everything changes at the end of Celtic Moon, book one, when Elen frees Cormack from his curse.  Cormack is now a man.  He wants more than friendship, but first he must learn his new human form before he can claim the woman he loves.  Instead of adding more magic to the mix, I took a realistic approach with his character.  Cormack doesn’t instantly begin to walk on two feet or speak.  He has to learn, which is frustrating for him because he’s always had the intelligence of a man while trapped in wolf form.  But understanding a language and speaking it with an unfamiliar tongue is a difficult challenge for a proud man.  He doesn’t want Elen witnessing his learning process, and so he leaves with Luc, her brother and the hero of book two, until he can return to her as a worthy mate.  This process takes time.  In Summer Moon, readers get to watch Cormack’s progress as a secondary character—and Elen’s heartbreak as he avoids her.  His pride becomes the conflict here, and I had so much fun with this couple!

From Autumn Moon:
Cormack formed an intimidating figure as he marched beside her with graceful strides. His sword swung from his side, the belted scabbard hanging low off his hip, with his eyes sharp and searching for potential threats. 

He’d left her as a gentle friend but returned to her as a warrior. And why did that make her stomach flutter as if a thousand butterflies danced to his song? 

If you begin this series with Autumn Moon, you will meet Cormack the warrior and not the tortured wolf from earlier books. Cormack’s separation from Elen during his training created some wonderful conflicts to overcome; all the while they are learning each other for the first time with hearts that are already bound.  Their journey was truly magical to write.  

I will leave you with an excerpt from Autumn Moon when Elen confronts him about why he’s stayed away, but I am also interested in my earlier question.  What kind of series reader are you?  Will you start a series midway through?  Or do you start at the beginning?

As always, I hope you’re reading something just for fun!

Jan

An excerpt from Autumn Moon:
 
Elen’s gaze returned to meet his, filled with uncertainty. “Then why?” She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture. “Why haven’t you told me this sooner? Why have you stayed away? Why have you avoided me?” The questions flowed like rivers in spring. “I thought we were friends.”

Her last insult saved Cormack from babbling like an idiot. She wasn’t ready to hear what desires haunted his soul. Like boiling blood through his veins, he wanted her with a fierceness that would frighten her. “I needed to learn how to be human.”

“But I would have helped you.”

“I know.” He cringed at the thought. “But there are some things a man needs to learn on his own. Private things.”

“But we’re Celts.” She scoffed as if he’d made a tasteless joke. “Since when do you value privacy?”

Since I’ve been given a chance to have you. Needing to put an end to her questions, he provided a reason she couldn’t refute. “Yes, I am a Celt, which is why I deserve to have my will respected.”

And, more importantly, his pride.

That first week in an unfamiliar body was not a story for her ears, or the months that followed. Accounts of him dripping soup down his chin or fumbling with buttons and shoelaces. Forming his first words and bumbling the sounds. Or slicing his leg while learning how to swing a sword. Having his face crisscrossed with cuts like an adolescent teen after shaving.

Or enthusiastic body parts that arose every morning without fail. And, yes, their race was known to openly love without shame, and not to judge, as it should be, but Celts also respected each individual’s journey and preference.

And his was, and always would be, Elen. He’d waited centuries for her. Was it too much to ask that she wait a few months for him to be worthy of her?
__________________________________

Jan DeLima is the author of the Celtic Wolves novels, including Summer Moon and Celtic Moon. She lives in Maine with her husband and their two sons. Unlike many authors, Jan didn’t pen stories at an early age, but she has always been a dedicated reader.  It wasn’t until after her children entered school that she began writing. Raised in a military family, she lived in different countries such as Thailand and Germany, but home base has always been Maine.


Find Jan and her books
__________________________________

Autumn Moon 
Celtic Wolves #3
Amazon  BN
The heart of a warrior, the soul of a wolf, and the desires of a man…

For centuries, Cormack has lived between worlds—a man trapped in the body of a wolf, shunned by humans and shifters alike. Only one person has ever welcomed his company: Elen, a kindred outcast who is feared by others of her ancient Celtic race for her strange healing abilities.

Cormack has always valued Elen’s kindness and understanding, but after a desperate act of friendship causes Elen to free him from his curse, he realizes he wants more. He wants all of her—completely and forever.Except before Cormack can win Elen’s heart, Pendaran, the evil leader of the Guardians, captures her, determined to manipulate her incredible power to aid him in his twisted war against the shapeshifting tribes.

Now Cormack must use all of his skills as a warrior and a wolf to save the woman he loves—before Pendaran’s vile schemes destroy them all…
 Excerpt
Too wired to sleep, Elen opened the wine and poured a glass, sipping quietly as she walked over to the bed.  Cormack slept above the coverlet and on his back, with one arm raised over his head, while the other rested by his side.  His hair was still damp from his shower, and he wore jeans but no shirt, as if he’d just rested his head and sleep claimed him first.

His chest rose and fell with even breaths.  She was not one to marvel over physical attributes, but this was Cormack, and his body was meant for pleasure, like a goddess had molded him for her personal divine gratification.  His frame was large, and toned, with wide shoulders and a firm chest that tapered down to his hips.  His hardened stomach would provide the perfect friction were she to ride him just like this.

And as that image flooded her mind, another, more wicked one, followed.  It was greedy, and selfish, but all her niceness had been used up for the day.  He looked peaceful, and innocent, but the man was practically immortal after all.  Their kind did not die from lack of sleep.  They might go mad, of course, but that took a few weeks.  And had he not said, do with me as you will?

She needed to touch him.  That was all.  Well, no, she wanted more, but for now that would do.  Taking a sip of her wine, she gently set the glass on an end table by the bed, and gave into temptation.  Starting by his heart, she brushed lightly across his chest, tracing down the indent between, and lingering on the valleys and curves of his muscles.  Flattening her hand over his stomach, she felt the soft hair that began just above the waistband of his jeans and disappeared below.  She had never seen him in this restful state, at least not in his human form, and took in her ravenous fill.

Her hand lingered over the button of his jeans.  She swallowed, wanting… Oh, how she wanted.  It burned like molten earth, fed by a need that had been denied for too long.  Even now she felt her body moisten and swell just from imagining what waited beyond that closure, and how it would feel inside her.

Or how it would taste.

She thumbed the button.  A quick flick was all it would take.

A sound made her jolt, an intake of breath perhaps, followed by a sudden rise under her hands.  She snapped her eyes to his face.

Cormack was awake.

And watching her.

A fire raged within his cerulean gaze.  “Kill me now if you stop, Elen, because then I’ll know I’m well and truly cursed and I cannot be tortured anymore.”


Prequel for Autumn Moon:
http://jandelima.com/ms-hafwen-excerpt/
 
First chapter for Autumn Moon:
http://jandelima.com/autumn-moon-first-chapter/

__________________________________
Tour Wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels: ,

Review: Pale Moon Walking by Paula Altenburg

Pale Moon Walking
Release Date: September 28, 2015
Publisher: Entangled: Select Otherworld
ISBN: 1633754383
ISBN13: 9781633754386
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Sci Fi
Review Copy Source: Publisher
Where the outlaws are out of this world...

US Marshall Sam Kyote has been sent to the dry old town of Coyote Bluff to recuperate from a top-secret government experiment that's left this law man a little...well, different. But Sam's about to find out that the town of Coyote Bluff has a whole lot of secrets. Most of which lead to Libby Mayden-the sexy, long-legged, and tight-lipped sheriff who saved his ass from an alien ambush.

The last thing Libby needs is a US Marshall poking around her town, especially one who's hotter than the Nevada desert sun. She can't let Sam find out most of her town are wanted outlaws. Between the aliens, the gunfighters, and a searing sexual attraction to Sam, she's in a whole heap of trouble. And Libby'll stride both sides of the law-and Sam-until she's forced to choose between self-preservation...and her heart.

The wild west meets aliens in PALE MOON WALKING. PALE MOON WALKING takes place in the wild west era and I wasn't really expecting that for some reason so it was a surprise. I didn't think I was going to be able to fully enjoy it because I usually enjoy a more present day read, but I did end up liking the story.

 Libby is the sheriff of Coyote Bluff and happens to be the daughter of the late leader of a gang of outlaws. She is extremely independent and knows how to handle a gun. There are a lot of former gang members that have made their home in Coyote Bluff so when a US Marshall comes to town she assumes he's up to no good. Sam is of course a US Marshal, but he is on a leave of sorts. He happens to make his new home in Coyote Bluff, but things quickly take a turn towards the dangerous side when he is attacked by aliens then is saved by the beautiful sheriff that dresses like a man, but he sees her as only a woman he wants to get to know.

The romance between Sam and Libby was fun. Libby is more of a spinster and Sam wants more. They both surprise each other throughout the book and are pretty hot together. Libby has a lot of soul searching to decide if she could live without Sam and I enjoyed being in her head as the story evolved.  

I had a few small issues with PALE MOON WALKING. There are a lot of characters introduced and for some reason I had a hard time keeping some of them straight. I thought that the author dropped the ball on explaining some things about the world which made things a little hard to understand and made me feel like I missed something. Also, I didn't feel like the end cleared everything up. I am not sure if this will be part of a series, if so, then it wouldn't be that big of an issue. If it isn't part of a series I am left with a lot of questions and a feeling of being incomplete.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Week in Review: 9/20-9/26



Books Received for Review


Fall of Heroes by Jennifer Harlow
Spiral of Need by Suzanne Wright

Books I've Read

The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie
Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon

Reviews Posted

Shadows at Midnight by Amanda Bonilla
Dance with the Devil by Angela Dennis

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 * New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for Awakened by Sennah Tate

 * Tuesday- Interview for Dance with the Devil by Angela Dennis

* Wednesday- Promo + Giveaway for A Fistful of Fire by Rebecca Chastain

* Thursday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for Alpha Unleashed by Aileen Erin

* Saturday- Promo for Menagerie by Rachel Vincent; Promo for Blade Dance by D.L. McDermott

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Promo: Menagerie by Rachel Vincent

Menagerie
Menagerie #1 
By Rachel Vincent
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Mira Books
From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent comes a richly imagined, provocative new series set in the dark mythology of the Menagerie…

When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger's Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she's forced to "perform" in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other "attractions"—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she'll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Renowned author Rachel Vincent weaves an intoxicating blend of carnival magic and startling humanity in this intricately woven and powerful tale
Advanced Praise:

“Vincent creates a fantastic world that is destined to pique your curiosity … As Delilah Morrow slowly uncovers a side of herself that she never knew existed, you’ll sympathize with her … desperate to see her succeed.”
—RT Book Reviews, Top Pick
 
“[Menagerie] is a dark tale of exploited and abused others, expertly told by Vincent.
—Library Journal, Starred Review
 
“As depicted by Vincent, Delilah is magnificent in her defiance of injustice, and the well-wrought background for her world sets the stage for her future adventures in this captivating new fantasy series.”
—Publishers Weekly
__________________________________

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.

Find Rachel and her books
__________________________________


Who's planning on Reading Menagerie?
 
Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels:

Promo: Blade Dance by D.L. McDermott

Blade Dance
Cold Iron #4
by D.L. McDermott
For fans of Jeaniene Frost and Kresley Cole, Blade Dance is the fourth book in D.L. McDermott’s fast-paced and sexy paranormal romance series about the Boston Fae—a full-length novel available exclusively in ebook!

Boston schoolteacher Ann Phillips knows better than to trust the Fae, but when one of her second graders turns up to class with both arms covered in magical tattoos, she has no choice but to turn to Finn MacUmhaill, the dangerous and charismatic Fae crime lord who controls Charlestown, for help.

Finn MacUmhaill, leader of the Fianna, has had his eye on Ann Phillips for months, but a recent showdown with an old enemy has left his house broken. Between the crippling blow dealt to the Fianna and his son’s recent defection, he hasn’t had time to woo the pretty redhead. When she turns up on his doorstep asking for his help, he thinks he’s found the way to win her, but before he can act, the child goes missing, kidnapped by a rogue Druid who has discovered the key to destroying the wall between worlds.

Now, Finn and Ann must ally themselves with an old adversary—the treacherous Prince Consort—to save the boy, or risk the destruction of the wall that keeps the corrupt Fae Queen and her Court at bay…

BLADE DANCE is available at a sizzling $1.99 until October 2nd!
__________________________________

A native of Bergenfield, New Jersey, D L graduated from Yale with a degree in Classics and Art History. For many years she managed architecture and interpretation at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, and wrote and directed the Witch City’s most popular Halloween theater festival, Eerie Events. She later earned an MFA in film production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. D L has been a sorority house mother, a Disney/ABC Television Writing Fellow, a WGA Writer’s Access Project Honoree, and a staff writer on the ABC primetime drama, Cupid. Her screenwriting credits include episodes of the animated series, Tron: Uprising. Her short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Albedo One. The director of several award-winning short films, her most recent project, The Night Caller, aired on WNET Channel 13 and was featured on Ain’t It Cool News. She is married with one cat and divides her time between Los Angeles and Salem.

Find D.L. McDermott and her books
__________________________________
Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)