Review: Con & Conjure by Lisa Shearin

Con & Conjure
Author:Lisa Shearin
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Publisher: ACE
Raine Benares Book #5
ISBN:  0441020186
ISBN13: 9780441020188
Genre: Urban Fantasy

My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker who finds lost things and missing people. My relatives, on the other hand, steal things. They’re the most notorious criminal family in the seven kingdoms. Sometimes I wonder if they have the right idea, especially since what I’ve found lately is likely to get me killed. And the Saghred, a soul-stealing stone that has given me unlimited power, is to blame for every last bit of it.

Ever since the Saghred bonded to me, the goblin king and the elven power brokers have wanted to possess its magic themselves. But to get it, they’ll have to get me, and their pockets are deep enough to make that happen. With the help of my highly qualified family, I’ve rigged the perfect con—one that will financially ruin the elves who are spoiling for war. My family’s run elaborate scams before, but none involving this much money, government officials this highly ranked, or a war this close to starting. In our way is a goblin thief who’s after the Saghred, and my ex-fiancé—an elven assassin who may be after me. I broke up with him. Let’s just say it could have gone better.

If either the goblins or the elves get their hands on the Saghred, they have every intention of using it. Which means total annihilation will be inevitable…

CON & CONJURE Continues right where BEWITCHED & BETRAYED left off. These are books you definitely want to start with the beginning on as the events play off of previous books as well as having new things happening and you might get lost quick. If you like magic, swords and fantasy I would definitely give Lisa Shearin's Raine Benares series a shot.

Raine's adventures in CON & CONJURE starts off with action and ends with action. Lisa did a wonderful job of keeping me on the edge of my seat with her well plotted adventures. There are a few times that I thought for sure that the stakes were just to high and Raine or one of her friends and family just wasn't going to make it out this time. Raine really struggled a lot throughout the book and I think that made me like it even more as it wasn't easy for her to overcome everything. Raine and her relatives are the focus of book #5 and her friends take a back roll. The humor was right up there with the previous books even though the book was a bit darker.  The set up for the next book is fabulous and I cant wait to pick it up.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Reviewer Wanted: St. Martins Moon by Marc Vun Kannon

St. Martins Moon
Author:Marc Vun Kannon
Release Date: May 2011
Publisher: Echelon Press
ISBN:  1590806840
ISBN13: 9781590806845
Genre: Futuristic Paranormal werewolf w/romance
Review Copy Source: From Author for Review 

The Moon is haunted...

Joseph Marquand didn't want to go back, he really didn't, but duty called and curiosity beckoned, and besides, it's not like his nights could get any worse.  A werewolf attack on the Moon itself was something of a novelty, especially for Earth's greatest werewolf hunter, and if he could lay a few of his own unquiet ghosts to rest at the same time...Well, one ghost.  Cynthia's ghost.  The reason he'd quit space.
The people of Coventry Base definitely didn't want him there.  Except for Candace, who was definitely in the minority.  They'd found shelter there for a reason, and they were more afraid of the werewolf hunter than they would ever be of a werewolf.
Then the nightmares began, and the wolves of Coventry Base found that they were haunted by far more than just their curse.  They were being haunted by Marquand's curse as well.  The werewolf hunter had become the werewolves' only hope for salvation, but Marquand's only hope for salvation was in one woman with no hope, and another who didn't even know she existed.

…but the werewolves don't know that!

SO I'm looking for a guest reviewer to read and review it this book for me. Here is how it will work.

*I will send my copy of ST. MARTINS MOON (PDF copy) to you through email.
*You will be expected to review it within 3 weeks of receiving it.
*You will send me your review and I will post it as a guest review giving you full credit on my blog. You are also welcome to post it on your blog if you have one.
*Having your own blog is not required.


If you would like to be considered to review ST. MARTINS MOON by Marc Vun Kannon please leave a comment on THIS post including the following information.

1. Why do you want to review this book?
2. Do you post reviews online anywhere? e.x. Amazon, Goodreads, Librarything Barnes & Noble, Borders etc. (Not required but would like to know)
3. Will you be able to review it within 3 weekw of receiving it?
4. What is your email address so I can contact contact you?

Week in Review: 4/10-4/16

Books Ive Bought/received

* Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep- Arc- From Author for review

* Alien Tango by Gini Koch- win from Book Noise

* Silver Zombie by Carole Nelson Douglas- win from Book Noise

* Bite Club by Rachel Caine-Signed ARC- win from Mina Burrows

* Enclave by Ann Aguirre- purchased at Borders


Books I read

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready
The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson
Bite Club by Rachel Caine
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Deceived by the Others by Jess Haines- I wasn't scheduled to review it until May but I couldn't take the pressure of waiting that long lol.

Reviews posted

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper
Hell Fire by Ann Aguirre
License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr
Hounded by Kevin Hearne

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Tonight I am participating in a panel to discuss Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin Series. Jennifer will be stopping in as well. There is a great chat room area for you to participate in and write questions for the author or about the series.  Stop in and check it out =)

4/17/2011 8pm EDT

Join Tricia, Stacy, Jen & Tori for some book talk about your favorite Urban Fantasy Books/Authors. wickedenchantment.com http://redhotbooks.blogspot.com http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/ http://www.smexybooks.com

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* New Releases for the week.

* Deborah Cooke stopped by with a guest post on Wed.

* Michael J Lee joined us on Thursday with a guest post and is also offering up a kindle copy of his book My Frankenstein Ends 4/21

Early Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Hounded
Author:Kevin Hearne
Release Date: May 3, 2011
Publisher: Del Rey
Iron Fruid Chronicles Book #1
ISBN:   0345522478
ISBN13: 9780345522474
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Librarything Early Review Program

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old—when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power—plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish—to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

I must say I'm so glad I won this book. I had not heard of it before I requested to win it but I dont think I would have even looked twice at it if I didn't win it and need to read and review it. I thought Atticus was a brilliant character. He was level headed, described as incredibly good looking which is always nice, powerful and ready to defend him self and his friends. The other characters were always interesting and engaging. I couldn't wait to see who Kevin would introduce next. Oberon, Atticus' dog is hilarious and his obsession with french poodles kept me laughing. Kevin's writing flowed wonderfully. There aren't a lot of books out there with a male character as the lead and I must say Kevin really pulls it off in making me want to read more. I really enjoyed all the Celtic Mythology. HOUNDED is a wonderful addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and i would recommend it without hesitation. Ive already requested and received the next two books in the series (HEXED and HAMMERED) and cant wait to dive into them.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Review: License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr

License to Ensorcell
Author:Katharine Kerr
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: DAW
Nola O'Grady Book #1
ISBN:   0756406560
ISBN13: 9780756406561
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Psychic Agent Nola O'Grady isn't sure returning to San Francisco, and living near her unusual family, is a good idea. Her job, with a psychic agency so obscure even the CIA doesn't know it exists, can be perilous, and she's afraid of the relatives getting involved.

Then the Agency saddles her with Israeli secret agent Ari Nathan, and she has a bigger problem on her hands, because tact and compromise are not Ari's strong points. Their mission is to track down a serial killer obsessed with werewolves. He sees them everywhere and shoots whenever he thinks he has one in his sights. Ari assumes the man's psychotic, but in truth he's murdering actual werewolves. Nola should know. Her younger brother Pat, a lycanthrope, was the first victim.

Can Nola's psychic talents and Ari's skill with guns keep them alive long enough to unravel the greater mystery behind the killings? Can they save the werewolves and the world while stopping Nola's family from running headlong into danger?

This book had a ton of mixed reviews so I was uneasy about starting it. I really like the cover and as you know by now I'm a "judge the book by the cover" kind of girl so I bought it and brought it home to read. NOW I had NO clue what the word Ensorcell meant and had to look it up so if your anything like me you will want to know that Ensorcell means to enchant or fascinate.  Nola is kind of a loner and has an eating disorder that is definitely noticeable and talked about. I have read a few reviews where that has bothered a few people so I thought I would include that in case your one of those people that that would bother.  I loved the use of San Francisco for the setting and landmarks. Kerr described things so that you feel right there inside the city right along with her characters. Nola's power is neat, she's comfortable with it and has no problem with making sure others know she is comfortable and confident in what she does. There was some slow parts in the plot, and some flow issues sporadically. The sex scenes were awkward and didn't really flow within the story. They would be getting down to business but the writing would just say, we had sex then jump right into the next paragraph being the next day. I thought the book was ok but am glad I read it as I think it has potential. It was different and I would like to see what happens with Nola in the future.


I gave it 3/5 stars

Guest Post & Giveaway : Michael J. Lee

UFI welcomes Michael J. Lee Author of My Frankenstein. Thanks for Joining us!!

Screen Play vs. Book
 by Michael J. Lee

A little while ago, my friend Vivi Anna talked about adapting her books to the big screen.

I have a slightly different perspective on that. My Frankenstein was originally a screenplay that I turned into a novel. Also, in the past I worked as a reader for a production company and I sometimes read novels with an eye towards adapting them into movie projects. It was an amazing experience and it really opened my eyes to the differences between the two story telling forms.

For starters there’s a huge difference in just the number of words. Novels don’t even start until around the 50,000 word limit. Screenplays on average have around 15,000 words. A screenplay is between 90 and 120 highly formatted pages. Novels can be over a 1000 pages single spaced.

So how do novels fill out all that extra space? Well you could describe every single item and action down to the last molecule. But if your goal is a compelling story rather than a cure for insomnia you have to use a different method. Sure a novelist has to describe a lot more than a screenplay writer. But most of novels fill out those blank pages with what I call lateral movement. These can be subplots that are taking place away from the main characters, personal histories, or private thoughts. Things other than the forward movement of the main plot. This results in a deeper, richer story. It’s a useful tool because a character who physically just entered a scene can have an entire history described in a few paragraphs. In a screenplay he just walks in and the audience knows nothing about him. All that richness has to be expressed in some other way.

Screenplays on the other hand are all forward motion. It’s a very linear method of story telling. There’s no time for remembrances of things past. Your characters aren’t there to watch sugar crystals melt into coffee cups. They are there to do something. Action is character, character is story. The writer here is also part of a team. Directors, DP’s, editors, and production designers are all responsible for creating the mood and setting. Stunt people and FX wizards are there to provide the magic and the adrenaline. Your main job as a screenplay writer is to give the actors something to do. And that means more than just good dialogue (although that helps immensely.) It means creating and maintaining believable character motivations from the beginning of the script to the end.

The problem with converting books to screenplays is often you have to cut a lot of material. The problem with converting screenplays to novels is you have to add. What’s easier, cutting or adding? That depends on the story and the writer.

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Author Bio

Michael Lee is a script consultant, judge and entertainment blogger for The Wrap.com and has lived in Detroit, Connecticut, Ohio and Los Angeles.

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My Frankenstein
March 3, 2011

In a small village in early 19th Century young Eva is enthralled by the new young baron, Viktor Frankenstein. Viktor promises to transform the traditional little town into a beacon of science and gives the book loving Eva access to his fantastic library. Eva becomes his student and assists him in a secret experiment, though she is kept in the dark about its ultimate aim. Soon after that Viktor introduces Eva to his “cousin” Adam. Adam is horribly disfigured with stitches running across his face. Viktor claims he is mute and simpleminded, but Eva takes pity on him and sets out to teach him to speak.…

What follows is a combination of tragic romance and classic horror as Eva is pulled between Viktor, who grows jealous and takes murderous steps to ensure his secret, and Adam, who possess tremendous strength and rage yet deep inside is innocent and vulnerable.

In his debut fantasy novel, Michael J. Lee retells the classic story by Mary Shelley as a dark romance with steampunk overtones.

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Find Michael and his books

Website 

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Winner will receive
- One Kindle Copy of My Frankenstein

 RULES
1)  Leave a message for Michael =)
2) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway Ends 4/21/2011 at 10pm EST

Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another

Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

Guest Post: Deborah Cooke

UFI welcomes Deborah Cooke Author of Flying Blind. Thanks for Joining us!!

I was the kid who got in trouble for reading…
By Deborah Cooke

I read a lot when I was a kid. In fact, I read pretty much all the time. I loved reading. I loved visiting other worlds and being other people and having great adventures. My mom always said that no one could be bored if he or she had a book to read, and I was never bored. I read even when I wasn’ t supposed to read. I read in bed, under the covers with a flashlight. I read early in the morning, before everyone else was up. I read during class. I read in the car. I read when I was walking – and sometimes collided with the wall.

The earliest stories I remember reading were fairy tales. I just loved them and I hunted down collections of them. I read the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, the colour-coded collections of fairy tales by Andrew Lang, and collections made by country. There was a good library in my school and a better public library within walking distance, and I don’ t remember anyone telling me that I couldn’ t read a particular book. I still read fairy tales. Later, I discovered retellings of my favourite fairy tales – by Angela Carter, Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen – and gobbled them up as well. I particularly enjoy twists on familiar tales and suspect that my love of this genre of fiction is the reason I so like happy endings.

It seemed only natural to me that I moved from fairy tales to fantasy fiction. The dragons and demons of fairy tales lived on in this part of the library, but were much more interesting and multi-dimensional characters. I read Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Ursula K. LeGuin, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and the work of so many other wonderful writers when I was a teenager. This was where I met medieval stories, like the Arthurian cycle, which were thick with romance and gorgeous imagery.

I also read the usual books that kids were expected to read. Between my two best friends and I, we had ALL of the Nancy Drew books, and swapped them constantly. My mother also had some books that she had collected with her friends, called The Beverly Gray mysteries. These were much more dramatic than the Nancy Drew books and I loved them for their over-the-top action. Maybe these books gave me my ideas about intrepid heroines – women who get things done and don’ t need to be saved, thank you very much.

Finally, I used to raid my mom’ s book stash when she wasn’ t looking. My mom has always read mysteries, so it was on her bookshelves that I first discovered the work of Phyllis A. Whitney, Agatha Christie and Victoria Holt. I particularly enjoyed the more gothic of these books, and the mingling of romance and mystery. I suspect these are the books that ultimately led me to writing historical romances, because I wanted to tell the same kinds of stories but tell them my way.

I also read the dictionary in grade six. It was issued to us as one of our textbooks, and I used to read it when the class was boring. I started to read the dictionary out of desperation, but I found the origin of words and their meanings really interesting. Maybe that dictionary is the reason I’ m a writer, because I do love language and I am still fascinated with words. The funny thing is that when I got in trouble for reading - instead of paying attention to the 748th explanation of how to solve this particular kind of math problem - and the teacher realized it was the dictionary I was reading, I’ m not sure he knew what to do about it.

I still pull down the dictionary every once in a while – I have a much bigger one now – and let it fall open on my desk. Then I read every entry on that double page spread – and I laugh when I remember the look on my teacher’ s face when he discovered what I was reading that day.

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Author Bio:

Deborah Cooke has always been fascinated with dragons, although she has never understood why they have to be the bad guys. She has an honours degree in history, with a focus on medieval studies. She is an avid reader of medieval vernacular literature, fairy tales and fantasy novels, and has written over forty romance novels and novellas. 

She has also been published under the names Claire Cross and Claire Delacroix. 

Deborah makes her home in Canada with her husband. When she isn't writing, she can be found knitting, sewing or hunting for vintage patterns.

In October and November 2009, Deborah was the writer in residence for the Toronto Public Library, the first time that the library has hosted a residency focussed on the romance genre. The blog that Deborah created for the residency can be found HERE.

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Flying Blind
The Dragon Diaries #1
June 7, 2011

Zoë is the Wyvern of the Pyr – the one female dragon shape shifter with special powers.  But Zoë is at the bottom of the class when it comes to being Pyr, and her powers are AWOL. Worse, there’s no reference book to consult, and the last Wyvern is dead…. 

Everything changes when Zoë’s best friend is bullied and Zoë reacts. Before she can blink twice, her inner dragon is loose, and she’s suspended from school and headed to a shape shifter boot camp with guys she’s known all her life. But soon she’s doubting her powers – and even some of her friendships. 

Zoë quickly realizes she has to master her powers yesterday – there’s danger ahead and boot camp is a trap. A secretive group, the Mages, want to eliminate all shifters and the Pyr are next in line – unless Zoë and her friends can solve the riddle and work together to save their own kind…

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Find Theresa and her books

Website / Facebook / Email

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