Deborah is a writer and champion of books. She is an independent reader/reviewer, uncompensated for major and minor publishers. With degrees in Fine Arts, ArtHistory/MuseumStudies and English Lit., her interests are eclectic, as are her reading preferences. Surrounding herself with books,artworks, assorted papergoods and a collection of pens, she reads constantly, writes reviews...writes and writes!View Full Profile
Ever since Kait Swanney could remember, the old crones of the village have been warning her to stay away from the selkies. They claim that like sirens of old, the seal men creep from the inky waters, shed their skins, and entice women to their deaths beneath the North Sea. But avoiding an encounter becomes impossible when Kait is spotted at the water’s edge, moments after the murder of a half-selkie infant. Kait is woken unexpectedly by a beautiful, naked selkie man seeking revenge. After she declares her innocence, the intruder darts into the night, but not before inadvertently bewitching her with an overpowering lure. She obsesses over a reunion deep beneath the bay and risks her own life to be reunited with her selkie. But when she lands the dangerous lover, the chaos that follows leaves Kait little time to wonder—is it love setting her on fire or is she being lured?
Interview with Krista Holle :
Hi, Krista. I'm so happy to have you join me at A Bookish Libraria so my readers can get to know you better. Thank you! And, here are some questions for you.
1) Please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren't writing what are you doing?When real life kicks in and I'm not writing, I'm a critical care nurse. I'm also the mother of four daughters. I love watching movies, reading, walking, and collecting seashells. I'm also a cheapskate and a do-it-yourselfer. I once taught myself to reupholster a sofa so I wouldn't have to buy a new one.
2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it? Romance is the most popular genre in modern literature. There's a reason for this. We love the feeling of being in love--falling in love--and experiencing that first kiss. It's my theory that the Twilight books were a huge phenomenon because of the old-fashioned love story, not the vampires. All my books whether YA, historical, or paranormal all have a romantic thread.
The Lure of the Shapinsay is a paranormal romance because I wanted to write a book about selkies, wonderful but seldom heard of mythical creatures. In a nutshell, they are beautiful men and women who live as seals in the sea but occasionally shed their skins to come on land.
3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?"
I started my journey writing in a "dungeon," aka the family's basement. After that I graduated to the "tower," the loft of the house. That is where I keep all my research books and scribble notebooks. That being said, I'm a bit of a roamer. I like total silence when I type, so I migrate with my laptop to the most silent room of the house. As far as charms, hmmm, a friend bought me a Twilight poster that hangs on the wall in the loft. It's not really a muse, but I do like to look at Robert Pattison. With the publication of The Lure of Shapinsay, I framed my cover art and some other selkie artwork. They'll both go above my desk after I buy some hooks.
4) In your opinion, what makes a book a good one? I heard somewhere that there are three secrets to writing a great novel. The problem is, nobody knows what they are. Now that I have that off my chest, I suppose it's a great story, mixed with great writing, mixed with the perfect amount of factor X. Nobody knows what factor X is.
5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood? While all the other kids were reading contemporaries like Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary, I was scouring the library looking for old fairy tales from around the world. I couldn't get enough of them. I fashioned The Lure of Shapinsay to read a bit like a grown up fairy tale.
6) Read any good books in the past 6 months? I've enjoyed reading Hereafter by Tara Hudson and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran.
7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read your book? I think too many books try to cram messages down our throats. After you read The Lure of Shapinsay, I hope my reader feels like they escaped to Shapinsay where they experienced love and adventure. I hope they're 100% entertained.
8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not? I really wanted my title to be simply "Lured" but the title was already taken and I wanted my book to be unique.
9) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song?
Hmmmm, tough one. Maybe Killer's Brandon Flowers' "Crossfire." It describes the torment of a relationship that shouldn't be consummated. He's from the sea, she's a land dweller--they're just out of each other's reach.
10) If you could write your book again, what would you change? I might add an epilogue. More than one reader told me they couldn't get enough, that they wanted me to expound on what happened after the end. Maybe there will be a sequel.
11) What was the worst distraction you had to fight through while writing your book?
I wrote The Lure of Shapinsay while the kids were at school so it was pretty easy for me to stay focused. If you asked me that question about the book I'm currently writing, I'd say Twittering, advertising, Facebooking, and general promoting. It gobbles up huge amounts of time and quality writing becomes more and more difficult.
12) What did you feel or think when you held the first copy of your book in your hands?
The Lure of Shapinsay is an e-book, so I'll let you know when it gets paper published, but seeing that cover image for the first time and realizing I'm now a published author was very surreal to me!
13) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn't otherwise know, please!
The reader will want to know, was Kait ever in love or was she lured. Eamon himself answers this question on the very last page. It's a big fat clue for those that need definitive answers.
Thank you so much, Krista, for taking time to answer so many questions! I think everyone will be more than interested in reading your book....which can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble...just for starters!
GIVEAWAY !!!!!
Krista is offering a copy of her e-book
to those who enter here:
International and domestic entries included!
Simply leave your name and your email with a comment to enter.
All entries welcomed...please tell your friends to enter!
This giveaway will run the duration of "The Lure of Shapinsay" Book Tour...and the winner will be announced February 14th
Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.
And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.
Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.
When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.
The Bookish Dame Tells All:
Well, really, do you think that Summary tells it all? Of course not. First of all, Kali isn't what she seems, even to herself. And, secondly neither are any of her friends or would-be friends...or her family...or theirs, for that matter. This is a book that calls for investigation, at the very least!
"Every Other Day" is a completely delicious book filled with surprises and intriguing people catching even a jaded, constant-reader like me happily off guard! I was spun around with the fast-moving details and the excitement of Kali's hourly traipses between the darkness and light. She was incognito during the day at school, or trying to be...and then the vibrant, bigger-than-life huntress of preternatural monsters during the night. So woman warrior, yet, so vulnerable to the ordinary social traps of the American high school.
Within the very entertaining plot of "Every Other Day" is Ms Barnes's helpful advice and gentle message to YAs. Through her beautifully drawn characters: Syklar (the little psychic ringleader); Bethany (the not so special after all, glamorous cheerleader); Elliot (the hunky, confused big brother & boyfriend); and Kali (the oddly luminous protagonist and narrator of the story), Ms Barnes is able to cull together the moral of her story. That moral seems to be that "sometimes the decisions you have to make aren't always easy or even 'right,' they just have to be made for the greater good." And, she tells us that life isn't easy, and when we get knocked down we can either choose to be down or choose to get up and fight. It's our choice.
Ms Barnes poses the theme of the difficulty in navigating inner (often parental) voices and personal choices young adults have to make as they come into adulthood. Growing in teen years and beyond, there is the struggle for autonomy, while at the same time, there is also the pull to remain in the safety of childhood "protectors" and parents, even if those parents prove to be at a loss and failing, themselves. When recognition of the parent as human and "broken" by life in their own ways happens, young adults are left to examine themselves as individuals, and to "choose to get up" and go on with their own lives...to choose to accept and love their parents, or not.
While "Every Other Day" is a book about the joy-ride and the fright-nights of high school...it is also about discovery...self-discovery, discovering the world around us, discovering the people we thought we knew and could trust, and trusting the people we thought we couldn't count on. It's a beautifully written book by an author who writes with spot-on clarity and character-building.
Great paranormal book, great read for the YA crowd; and, perfect for parents who wonder "what's up?"
This is a perfectly beautiful cover. The darkness of the night sky is foreboding but beautiful, and that accompanied by the title is telling us this is a novel of dark mystery. I love the layout and the font selected. Sure winner for the young adult audience.
Rated: A
Author Blurb:Summary: From ~ Publishers Weekly
Megan Miranda was a scientist and high school teacher before writing Fracture, which came out of her fascination with scientific mysteries—especially those associated with the brain. Megan has a BS in biology from MIT and spent her post-college years either rocking a lab coat or reading books. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, where she volunteers as an MIT Educational Counselor. Fracture is her first novel.
Miranda’s debut is a captivating and intelligent story of love and death with a dash of the supernatural. Seventeen-year-old Delaney Maxwell “dies” after falling into a frozen Maine lake. Rescued and revived by her best friend Decker after 11 minutes under the ice, Delaney spends six days in a coma and awakens with an itch deep in her brain that, again and again, leads her to people who are on the verge of death. Unresolved feelings and guilt over the near-drowning put tremendous stress on Delaney and Decker’s relationship, which is further complicated by Troy, a secretive older boy who is also drawn toward the dying. Delaney continues to struggle in the accident’s aftermath, and a devastating prediction of death only makes matters worse. Miranda’s riveting plot drives to an equally tense climax as she gracefully weaves together themes of suffering, compassion, jealousy, friendship, and trust. The fluid writing, empathetic characters, and big questions raised elevate this paranormal romance into a haunting meditation on what it means to be human and to truly live.
An Interview w/ Megan:
1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you “tick.” When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?
When I’m not writing, I’m usually doing the mom-thing. My kids are 3 and 5, so most of my day is spent with them. Most days I can be found in the backyard hanging out with a bunch of the neighborhood kids and their parents.
2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
My dad actually grew up in Maine, and we used to visit a town with a similar type of feel as the one in Fracture each summer.Fracture takes place in that setting, minus the tourists, in the winter. The first scene I pictured was of a girl falling through the ice of a lake, so I knew I needed a cold setting. I was naturally drawn to a place I was somewhat familiar with. As far as genre, I honestly didn’t realize I was writing a paranormal story until I went to query it! I came at the idea from the science side, but the story began walking the line between science and paranormal…. which is technically just something that science can’t explain yet. I like being on that line :-)
3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special “charms?”
I have a pretty simple (and unprofessional) set-up. Since I write at night, I’m usually writing in bed with my laptop on my lap. That’s it. There’s usually a notebook beside me in case I need to make notes to myself, and sometimes there are sticky-notes involved, but there’s nothing really essential for me, other than silence.
4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?
When a book resonates with me emotionally. It can be any genre, any topic, but if I find myself feeling along with the characters, that book will have a lasting impression on me. To me, that’s the mark of a great book.
5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood?
I loved reading Michael Crichton when I was younger—I loved the way his books were grounded in science, but the stories stood on their own. I also was very drawn to Edgar Allan Poe, and from then on sought out the darker side of literature.
6) Read any good books in the past 6 months?
I’ve read SO MANY good books recently! UNDER THE NEVER SKY, DITCHED, and ROOM, just to name a few.
Oh, I don't know "Ditched," I may have to find that one! I'm reviewing "Under the Never Sky" here next month. "Room" is an amazing book, I agree. Your book is one of those unforgettable books, too, Megan.
7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?
I didn’t really think of a “message” while I was writing the book, but there is definitely something that Delaney comes to discover through her journey—and it’s more of a question than a message: if you had one day to live, what would you do? And why aren’t you doing it? So I guess it would be: carpe diem.Carpe diem --seize the day-- that's what we all need to do to live life in its fullest. I remember having that as our study group's theme in college! LOL
8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?
I was! I didn’t title the book until after I wrote it, so I was able to find something that fit (I felt) with both the internal and external plot. It survived the rewrites and edits, all the way through to publication.
9) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song?
This is such a hard question! There were songs that I felt represented different scenes and different characters, but I didn’t have a song in my head that represented the theme of the book. BUT, I’ve gotten some great suggestions from other people who’ve recently read the book. I think my favorite suggestions so far have been Down by Jason Walker and Bring Me To Life by Evanescence.
10) If you could write your book again, what would you change?Well, I wrote the book 3 times. The 3rd version is the one we submitted to publishers, and so much changed each time. I’m happy with the way everything is in this version, honestly. I feel like it stays true to all of the characters, and their intentions. I’d love to write in more backstory about some of the side-characters, but it’s not relevant to Delaney’s story and there’s not really a place for it. So I wouldn’t *actually* change it in the book. It’s just something I would’ve liked to explore further.
11) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!
One of the characters did a complete 180 between drafts. Changing him turned Fracture into a thriller :-)
Megan, thank you for visiting with me and giving us the background on your book. I'm looking forward to hearing more from you soon. Thanks so much for having me!
The Dame's Review:
Megan Miranda may have meant "Fracture" to be for young adult audiences, but anyone will be eye-locked to this book, taken us up in a heartbeat, and kept sucking up air and holding your breaths while Delaney Maxwell struggles in freezing water to keep from drowning. It's a minor miracle how Miranda can describe the panic that overtakes one who is sure they won't make it to the surface, who is feeling the drag downward to an icy death, and who is facing dark waters with lungs that sting with a foreign intake of disaster. I was completely at her mercy from the first chapter on.
Megan Miranda knows her way around hospitals, but more than that she knows her brain functions well enough to tell us how they are supposed to work. I appreciated that initial knowledge which made her story authentic and suspenseful throughout. Like a waiting game we were suspended with her...was Delaney's brain going to lose its delicate hold on clarity and fall back into a coma/unconscious state at any time? There was that option; and Megan left that possibility open to the reader in several subtle ways throughout the novel. Genius!
Delaney, who was dead, but somehow revived, and woke from her coma, is plagued by her "pullings" and proddings. Without giving the story away, these bring her in tandem with the strange young man who is either is shrouded in darkness or light, Troy. It's through Troy that Delaney must seek how she really feels about her "immortality," her recovery from the coma and her "death," and whether she believes that others have a time and place that death calls on them. This push~pull creates the suspense and thriller mechanism of Miranda's novel, and it's one that will keep you up at night until you have an answer.
I appreciated Delaney's relationships with her parents, her doctor, and her best friend cum love interest, Decker; all of which, along with the ambiguous Troy, lead her to find herself in the new maze of her mind and feelings. What she learns about trust and believing in her own instincts is central to the novel. Although she has to fight through powerful resistance, Delaney is able to overcome the obstacles that hold her back from becoming the strong, new person she needs to be. Her discernment and powers of persuasion become her greatest tools, and Megan Miranda makes us applaud these womanly traits.
Without a doubt this is a coming-into-one's-own book, but it is much more than that. It is beautifully and masterfully written by a woman of intelligence and character who has a message of survival and honesty for us. Her characters are well~developed and believable, struggling with issues that matter. The message is in learning to trust ourselves, to live life seeing the "beautiful moments" in every day, and learning that love is what it's really all that matters. The suspense and the dilemmas Delaney faces make us question some important issues we may have now and in the future. What would you do if you only had one more day to live?
I highly recommend "Fracture" to readers of all ages.
Not much to this cover. Plain and simple, a candle is snuffed out telling us that there is something here having to do with the occult or a ritual, perhaps? The title is vague...does it mean looking for the state of Alaska? This is clearly a contemporary cover, edgy. I don't care for the balance of the "a novel" which is very small, juxtaposed with the title in the red block. The author's name is all important. The prize seal tells us this is a significant, good read. I get that this is a simple, straight-forward novel. Rating: C
Summary:
Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter's whole life has been one big non-event. Then he heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-butboring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into a new life, and steals his heart. After. Nothing is ever the same. The Printz Award—winning modern classic is now available in the successful Premium Edition format with a bonus reading guide and a letter from John Green.
Winner of the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award
In which the author, John Green, reads an excerpt from his book:
The Dame's Thoughts: I hardly feel capable of commenting on the great John Green. Such a simple name for a rather simple man from Indianapolis, Indiana, who is self-effacing and brilliant in telling the brazen truths of teen aged angst and missteps. He is certainly the Pied Piper of these times, and has been touted as the "Catcher in the Rye," Salinger with his insights into the psyche of the slightly demented minds of high schoolers. I find him to be a master at telling the real truth of circumstances and highlighting the bare bones of kids just as they are. It is this very gift of telling it like it is without frills that makes us love his work. It makes all he says relatable to young and old because people don't change; we all have the same passages into adulthood and John Green knows how to target those passages better and with less complication than anyone I've ever read.
Green's characters Pudge and the Colonel, the two main protagonists in a prep school for rich kids, are central in his story about running the gauntlet of growing up isolated from the parental constraints and the confinements of proper supervision. Pudge is exposed for the first time to a freedom he hasn't experienced before, and his naivete' astounds the Colonel such that he becomes the Colonel's protege' in the madness of the school's rough and tumble hazing and tortures. Out of control, acting out behaviors; smoking, drinking, sex and dangerous exploits cast their shadows on the kids at school, causing them to grow up fast, and to become victims of their own warped decisions.
Among the kids in the crowd of Pudge and the Colonel's group is a beautiful girl named Alaska. She is the central figure who is adored by both Pudge and his arch enemy. Alaska comes from a family background shrouded in neglect and oddity, and her less than preppie behaviors make her a stand-out in their world. It is her decision to act out with a violent act that creates the dire impact that causes the boys; and Pudge in particular, to evaluate their place in the world, and to decide how they will make sense of their "labyrinth" of life in a world of grief.
Simply written, hugely significant in its message, a short novel that preppies in particular will relate to with laughter and head nodding, John Green's "Looking For Alaska" will change the way people look at themselves and others in their solitary lives.
I loved this book, and I have bought all of Mr. Green's novel subsequent to reading this one! Read this novel, or be left behind in the wave of what's happening in today's literary world!
“Green writes books for young adults, but his voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization. He writes for youth, rather than to them, and the difference is palpable.”
NPR Review of tfios
His new book is: "The Fault in Our Stars" available wherever books are sold.
Does this look like a book I'd read ordinarily? NO... But, in keeping with my New Year's Resolution to read more books out of my comfort zone, I decided to take the HarperCollins challenge and read an assortment of their Trade Paperback books with a paranormal, urban fantasy, shapeshifting, etc., bent. Here's what I found out:
"Tiger Eye: The First Dirk & Steele Novel" by Marjorie M. Liu~ Exotic setting of Beijing, China, exotic paranormal situation and an author of extraordinary talents to charm a reader! This is a treasure hidden previously from the likes of me! I'm not letting another Liu book get by me. New, huge fan of hers and have to read the next Dirk and Steele novel which is now available. I read an excerpt of this book; and, you can too on Amazon. I was instantly caught up in it and had to run to my local bookstore to purchase the book! Couldn't believe I was rummaging through the romance, trade pb section! But, I was! :] Quote: "A smile on the face hides a dagger on the tongue." Great book. 5 stars
"Diaries of an Urban Panther": I know, this still doesn't look like something I'd read, right? Well, I tried it, and it knocked my cute, jewel bedazzled flip flops off! Violet Jordan, writer for a low-budget horror movie company avoids a pack of dogs/werewolves? or is she one of them? Witty, sharp and creative, Amanda Artista's characters flip off the pages to laugh with you in this paranormal romance. Different from anything I usually read, but I'm in love with Amanda's "Stalker Boy," the beautiful male who saves her Violet. I love Artista's writing style.
"Blood of the Wicked": Is it just me, or is it getting warm in here? I think I'm blushing... Urban fantasy...my first bite. I found this futuristic New Seattle book awesome. A time when "witches" have survived an apocalyptic disaster only to be hunted and killed by a ruling government order whose mission it is to execute them for crimes against humanity. Someone has to be the scapegoats. The covens have become the new terrorists according to the Order. This is a novel a bit gritty and with the use of sexually explicit scenes, which can sometimes be more than I want to fool with, but if you can get past that...a fabulous and infinitely fascinating story. I want to read more from Karina Cooper. I discovered I really like urban fantasy!
"666 Park Avenue": A cute, chicklit novel that's been out for a while, but I hadn't read it, and I loved it for quick and fun entertainment. From the opulence and elegance of Paris's gilded hotels and fancy shops to a hamlet with mysteries deep in the French farmlands and Manhattan, this is a munchie morsel of paranormalcy fun. Witchie! Yum... It's a light read. Isn't the cover great?
"Halfway to the Grave": Here is a book I've had on my shelf for at least a year, along with the rest of the books in this series, and I hadn't picked it up to read. So sorry I hadn't because when I did, I absolutely loved it! Southerners know how to spin a yarn, and a Carolina girl raised on Saturday morning vampire movies can do nothing but grow up to write some of the best novels you're ever going to read. Ohio~"Cat Raven" Halfbreed teams up with vampire "Bones" to track and kill rogue vampires. Replete with ghosts who tell about murdered girls, and various other simply captivating moments, this is a fantastic book that paves the way for a not-to-be-missed series! Perfectly priced, and on ebook, too.
"A Quick Bite": I first discovered Lynsay Sands's Argeneau vampires a couple of years ago. I don't know why I haven't mentioned them before this. I love her snappy dialog. These vampires are so cool and so much fun. The entire series just begs to be read, although I did find it difficult to keep a string of continuity when I tried to follow along. Nevertheless, the characters themselves make Lynsay's books a delight to read. I highly recommend them for good fun.
Here are some other suggestions for trade paperbacks from Harper Collins:
Sable Grace-ASCENSION
Kristin Miller-INTERVAMPTION
Janet Mullany-JANE AND THE DAMNED
Pamela Palmer- DESIRE UNTAMED
Jaime Rush - A PERFECT DARKNESS
Kerrelyn Sparks-HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONARE VAMPIRE
Juliana Stone - HIS DARKEST HUNGER
Joss Ware - BEYOND THE NIGHT
CL Wilson - LORD OF THE FADING LANDS
I've been reading that TPB's are selling at an all-time low volume these days, and it's a shame because they are still quite portable for those who like to read in this manner. The price point remains good for a published hard cover instead of an ebook. Lots of people need and enjoy this size book for their libraries and for swapping. That's why I buy some of them. I like to think of them as my "quick fixes." Especially when I'm travelling and may forget a book along the way. And, I like the covers in hand often better than reading an ebook.
Let us know who your favorite authors are that are published in TPBs.
One of my newest favorites is Nalini Singh who wrote "Kiss of Snow." I might never have ever read her if I hadn't checked into Harper's TPB collection this winter.
What's not to love about this gorgeous cover? And who can fail to see the message in it? This is a paranormal book about vampires, passion and gorgeous people! The well-placed quote from well-known New York Times Bestselling vampire author Patricia Briggs says so on the cover!
The golden tatoos, slightly soiled lacey dress with the red ribbon, and the girl's messy hair tell us she's not quite human. The writing on the cover tells us about the book and the author in perfect font and placement. And I love the silver, distressed frame with its ruby--blood stones. Nearly hidden storm clouds only give us more subliminal reason to believe this is a dark tale of murder, death and vampires.
Perfectly wonderful book cover that entices me to read the book!
Rated: A+
Summary :
House of Comarré series~ Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks. Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.
Something about Kristen Painter :
A little about me: I’m a former college English teacher, but I’ve held a crazy mix of other jobs including maitre’d for Wolfgang Puck, personal trainer, and sales for Christian Dior Bijoux.
On the writing side of things, I’m a two-time Golden Heart finalist and have been on the board of three different RWA chapters. What can I say? I like getting involved. I’m not adverse to bossing people around either.
My forays into writing have been as varied as the jobs I’ve held. I’ve written poetry, articles for magazines, short stories, paranormal romances (that include fantasy, contemporary and steampunk genres) and now I’ve found a home with urban fantasy. I love worldbuilding and few genres give you the kind of license urban fantasy does. I’m also the co-founder of the award-winning writer’s site Romancedivas.com. I blog occasionally at www.fictionistas.blogspot.com and tweet at twitter.com/Kristen_Painter more often than I should. You can also find me on my Facebook author page here: www.facebook.com/KristenPainterAuthor I live in FL with my retired Air Force husband and a horde of feline dependents.
Here's another, more recent picture of Kristen at a New York conference and book signing standing by her book banner! She said she found out when you wear fangs, people want you to bite them! LOL Doesn't she look cool?
Something About Kristen's Characters:
Chrysabelle~is a comarre'. She is the female protagonist of "Blood Rights" and the others of Kristen's follow up books in this series.
A comarre is a "hybrid human bred to be a blood slave of vampire nobility." They are geisha/courtesan-like and almost angelic in their bearing and gentle ways. Kristen said she wanted Chrysabelle to be almost religious in her dealings and routines.
Malkolm~ Tortured vampire nobility. He is the male primary vampire protagonist who is a outcast destined to kill anyone from whom he drinks. His victims are scrolled in different tatoos on his arms and turn to ghosts who torment him.
Tatiana~ Vampire nobility. Wants to be the head Elder. A bit crazy, very ambitious and dangerous to Chrysabelle, Malkolm and others. She is after the special ring they all seek..but for evil purposes.
Maris~ Disavowed comarre'. Chrysabelle's aunt and founder of a cosmetics industry. She's the sister of Chrysabelle's mother who died.
The Dame's Bloodshot-Eyed Review:
Kristen Painter's books are not for YAs. They are adult books with a penchant for other worldly urban fantasy and fine storytelling. (Though anyone can read them, of course!) She's a master at character development, atmosphere building and tension in a plot. I loved her lush and gorgeous details that were in just the right increments; never over-blown and never over-the-top. Kristen takes you on a magical tour with her interesting characters who you'll love getting to know in their complexities and in their torments.
I don't know why I'm on a vampire kick this month. It just seems to be falling that way. I miss Anne Rice and Lestat, I suppose. There's still nobody who does it better than she does for me. But, as a writer who isn't writing for YAs, I enjoyed Kristen's work very much. She's in the category with Laurell K. Hamilton in my book, although Laurell is much more hardcore than Kristen. I like that "Blood Rights" sets the tone for her other books in this series, and that we can expect a thoroughly engaging cast of characters with some new gadgets and new tricks to surmount. In that sense, I think I've found a writer who can fill the gap for me for a while where my vampires are concerned.
Urban fantasy/paranormal is a new world for me, as I have said in earlier posts. I'm learning to enjoy the new language and new worlds developed by this genre's authors. Kristen Painter is an author who whets my appetite for the books. There's not too much for me to digest at one sitting. I feel comfortable getting to know her characters and their settings, and I feel comfortable in getting to understand how their travels will be bringing them through the next books to an overcoming of struggles and disasters.
Kristen Painter gets high points from me! I loved her books, and I look forward to reading the newest ones coming up very soon.
4 stars...just wish they were in the larger paperbacks for my library
Deborah/TheBookishDame
Oh, no! Orchid, Sweetie...how did you get here? Isn't it past your bedtime? The sun's coming up...I know you love Kristen's blood books. I'll read them to you tomorrow night. Promise. Go to your coffin now, dear.
A stack of new books which looked so much better on my camera than on this page--
The Bookish Dame is the very happy recipient of many ARCs and author's copies of books, so I'm spoiled in some ways, not often having to actually leave the house to purchase too many books.
Most often, if I want a book in hard copy for my library, I'll just order online and have it dropped right on my doorstep. Convenient and cool.
Once in a while, though, I like to get out and shop for some of the newest books and first editions for my library. That's when I really have those "bookathon" long afternoons at the bookstore. My arms ache with books, my eyes get blurry, my feet hurt and my stomach gnaws from lack of sustenance. I go in at about noon fueled on toast and tea, and don't show my biopic face again until closing time (10 PM). In my town, there aren't too many who act like I do... :] Eccentric, anyone?
All of the above works for me because I'm a bibliophile who's much of a recluse, anyway. I do entertain company... :] If you're a reader, all's the better! If you aren't, you may have some difficulty dodging my book stacks or seeing me over them. Interior design: Early English Professor/Dumbledore--messy--colorful--everything at arms reach...antiques and collectibles..a plethora of glasses 275 strength.
This past week, I had to get my own copy of:
I think we all know where this book is headed, don't we?
It's time to get your First Edition copy, you libraria aficionados!
Andrea Cremer's books are YA collectibles, in case any of you were wondering. Also, I believe she has been optioned for movies.
First Editions are out now for this final episode in her trilogy, and the odd copy of her last book in hard copy is still out there.
"Switched: A Trylle Novel" #1 in the series
is about a girl whose mother decided when she was 6 yrs. old that she was a monster, and tried to kill her. LOL
Okay...what better way to start a trilogy that YAs will love!
The other rapidly following books:
"Torn" and "Ascend" feature just as gorgeous covers.
I thought I should be reading this book asap.
"Stolen Away" is Ms Harvey's newest book which
will entertain us with faery folk and their wicked ways. I sense another series here.
Released next week
To read an Alyxandra Harvey book is
to enjoy like a great cup of latte. Yummy...
Historical Fiction: 15th century Spain...the Spanish Inquisition...Queen Isabella...Christopher Columbus, and a beautiful Jewish woman who helps the King's chancellor.
Beautiful, deckled-edged paperback, too!
"Jason Crow is a mix of Ironsides and James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux. Plenty of twists and turns along with an electrifying ending."
I was in the mood for some Southern murder mystery hard core! This protagonist is an amputee who's looking for his dad's killer.
Deadly serial killer preys on children and single mothers looking for his "perfect" little family. Strong woman crime scene investigator! I love these type of novels...woman beats psycho killer at his own game, hopefully!
Some YA authors may think they're the first to come out with fairytale retellings...but, no! Romance novelist, and award winner Eloisa James has beaten them to it with her fantastic and fun series of fairytale romances.... Have to have these just for the fun of it! Little chocolate kisses for bedside decorations... These are my secret confession books!
A young widow of Alabama trying to survive the (Damned Yankee!)Reconstructionists after the War...those scalawags! Soon to be released. I can say all this because I'm a Boston girl with roots in the South. :]
Now~Not Shown In My Book Stack Above:
But purchased today...
If a book has these authors' names on its cover
I don't need to know anything else. Do you?
"Rivals Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
and Elizabeth Kostova" Really?
Get out of my way!
This one got past me this past year, but I'm on it now...
What I'm reading just as soon as I post this feature. I've been trying to read all of Kristen's book in this series. Shockingly good!
So, what are you reading or buying these days? And, what do you know about the books I've just bought?
Better yet....What are your secret confession books??
Here are the books I'll be reviewing.
