Fierce Reads Giveaway - Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

This spring, Macmillan is launching its "Fierce Reads" line of exciting YA debut titles. I was fortunate to get my grubby little fingers on a paperback ARC of Struck by Jennifer Bosworth, and have decided to pass it along to one lucky commentor.

Here's the blurb:

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.


Other books in the series include Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

Leave me a comment and let me know which new release (from any publisher) you're most looking forward to this spring. You get one entry for posting, one for following our blog, and a bonus entry if you're in our very own Speculative Society Book Club on Goodreads. Contest runs until midnight on Tuesday, April 17th and one comment will be chosen randomly. The winner will be announced in my post on April 18th, or leave your email in the comment so I can contact you directly.

Good luck everyone!
Ella

Steam and Punk

I’m hanging out with Beth Daniels in her Corsets, Goggles, and Airships.  Oh, my! Workshop over at Savvy Authors , and realizing that I need to make some distinctions for myself about steampunk.  Now, mind you, these are for my own convenience. Since I’m the resident steampunk aficionado here (or at least the one charged with reporting),  I do need to know these things. 

What do I need to know? That there is a kind of borderline between Steam and Punk, and while I like both, I tend towards the punk side of things. 

OK, so what’s the difference? 

I consider the Steam aspect of steampunk to be more mainstream. Steam is brass and glass, airships and submarines, goggles and giggles and corsets, oh my!  Punk is politics, subversion, exploitation and what is still wrong in the world.  Steam is fantasy; punk is fury. 

This kind of division is far from new.  Science fiction is full of far-flung escapist adventures as well as serious examinations of How Things Really Are Because They Are Still Like That in the Future.   Even the godfathers of steampunk. H.G.Wells and Jules Verne, seemed to see their worlds along similar lines.  Wells saw the horrors and Verne the technical fantasy.  None of these is the right or wrong lens to view steampunk through.  Just different. 

In terms of critique or review, it’s important to know which end of the lens we are looking through. Are we looking through the narrow end where the world of steam is shown so close-up that we don’t have to see the world we live in?  Or are we looking through the wide end where the world of steam is seen in context with our own situation as only one aspect of our technological and social experience. 

Which direction we are writing in depends on which tropes we are using. At least that’s how I’m organizing it for now, as I sort things out for myself.  When the story stays within the social rules of Victorian middle and upper classes, I think of that as leaning toward the Steam side.  Parasol Protectorate, The Affinity Gate, and The Hunchback Assignments come to mind.  When the story focuses on the technology as wielded by those classes, I also think of that as leaning toward the steam side.  Boneshaker, Leviathan, and The Difference Engine fill that bill. 

On the other side are the stories of the CatastraphoneOrchestra, whose sole intent is to subvert the Victorian morality Seasonals to give voice to the underside of Victorian New York.  The Anachronist’sCookbook  and  ZeppelinCity also shift the POV from the privileged to the workers and hidden classes by favoring the views of labor, the homeless, and children.  

If there is a short way to define what I’m sorting for it’s in that last statement:  Which point of view is favored?  Sherlock Holmes’ or the Baker Street Irregulars’?  It doesn’t matter what the good guys’ intentions are.  It’s all about effect and effectiveness.  Does it work? And for whom?

Slowly, slowly, slowly, I expect to refine my ideas about the borderlines of steampunk.  For now, I’m pleased to have a place to start.  Thanks, Beth!

m

Underwater Romance

I am in the process of broadening my horizons with my paranormal creatures. For the time being I've buried my vampires and caged my were-beasts, and turned my attention to the creatures of the sea. My new Work-in-Progress features mermaids, mermen and shape-shifting sea creatures in  both an underwater adventure and the ability to walk on land.

As I was brainstorming out my concept, I thought that I'd do some research and although mermaids are popular, they are not always good.

According to "The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures" by John and Caitlin Matthews:
"Perhaps the most famous of the many magical creatures of the sea, the general character of a mermaid is well defined. According to these traditions, mermaids are like beautiful maidens from the waist up, with the tail of a fish below. They carry a comb and a mirror and are often to be seen combing their long, beautiful hair and singing with irresistible sweetness on a rock beside a sea. 
But mermaids have a darker side. They lure young men to their death and their appearance presages storms and disasters. According to such beliefs, mermaids not only bring misfortunes but also provoke them, and they avidly seek human lives, either drowning men or devouring them. They are said to be born without souls, and the only way they may obtain one is by marrying a human."

According to the earliest Celtic descriptions, they can be 160 feet in length with hair 18 feet long, fingers 3-feet long and a 7-foot nose!

In every "mermaid" search, the tale of the Little Mermaid came up, but when I read the real story by Hans Christian Andersen, I was shocked by the original story. While the concept was the same, that the young mermaid fell in love with a prince, they events were not so happy.

In the original version that I read, the little mermaid was only 15-years-old when she fell in love with the prince after she rescued him and dragged him to land. In order to be gifted legs by the sea witch, her tongue was cut off and when she did have legs, every step that she took caused her agonizing pain. Despite being unable to speak, the prince developed a soft spot for her, but eventually chose to marry a girl that found him on the beach.

When the prince announced the marriage, the little mermaid was heart-broken. Her sisters showed up on the beach to try to save her life. They had given the sea witch their long beautiful hair in exchange for a dagger that the little mermaid was supposed to use to stab the prince through the heart to avoid being killed for failing to win his heart. The little mermaid decided that she loved the prince too much and opted for death instead. She turned into the pearly foam on the waves.

Personally, I like the Disney story of The Little Mermaid better as I'm a sucker for happily-ever-afters.

After deciding to write a mermaid/underwater romance book, I've being doing a lot of research not only on sea animals, world building and mythology. I also like to check out other authors that have opted to write about mermaid/underwater books, but the list that I found is short, are there any mermaid or underwater sea books that you can recommend?

Thanks for reading!

R.J. Garside

Making Daggers

I found this great tutorial on YouTube on how to make Daedric Daggers from Skyrim, a RPG available on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. While I'm not one to make to real props for my novel, some of you may be and want some ideas on how to do it.

You can visit Storm the Castle to see the written instructions or visit the video below.



What type of real props would you make for your novel?

The Pink Moon of April rises tomorrow

 

"The moon, like a flower

In heaven's high bower,

With silent delight

Sits and smiles on the night."

William Blake

I often include lunar lore in my fantasy writing. While we know much from the science of astrology, a lot is still unexplained and the legends remain compelling.

The Pink Moon in April acknowledges the first early blooms of spring. This name came from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the spring. 

Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and among coastal tribes the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn. Having lived in Perrysburg, OH for many years, I well know that the annual walleye run is a big event for fishermen. During April, adult walleye travel from Lake Erie into the mouth of the Maumee River.              

                           

The exact time of the next full moon is:
Friday * 6th April 2012 * 09:18:42 pm
Central European Summer Time (CEST)
Moon sign: Libra 17° 23'

Here you find this time converted into different timezones for other cities:
SYDNEY = Saturday * 7th April 2012 * 05:18:42 am (AEST)
TOKYO = Saturday * 7th April 2012 * 04:18:42 am (JST)
BEIJING = Saturday * 7th April 2012 * 03:18:42 am (CST)
DELHI = Saturday * 7th April 2012 * 12:48:42 am (IST)
MOSCOW = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 11:18:42 pm (MSK)
BERLIN = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 09:18:42 pm (CEST)
LONDON = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 08:18:42 pm (BST)
RIO = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 04:18:42 pm (BRT)
NEW YORK = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 03:18:42 pm (EDT)
MEXICO CITY = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 02:18:42 pm (CDT)
LOS ANGELES = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 12:18:42 pm (PDT)
HONOLULU = Friday * 6th April 2012 * 09:18:42 am (HAST)

 

Photo credit (top): Moon Flower by rustymermaid

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. The first of her epic fantasy romance series, ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS, is now available--SEEKING A SCRIBE. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, fantasy romance with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Urban Fantasy Perspectives: L.M. Pruitt

Presenting another fantastic author interview with L.M. Pruitt in the newest installment of Urban Fantasy Perspectives:

Welcome L.M.! 

Thanks for having me today, Ella.

How long have you been a writer and fan of urban fantasy?

I think if I had to narrow it down, I’ve been a reader of urban fantasy before we actually started separating urban fantasy from paranormal romance, lol. I remember reading a vampire series by Linda Lael Miller when I was still in high school!  As far as being a writer of urban fantasy, I’d say it’s only been in the last 2-3 years that I’ve shifted my focus to the genre.

What are your favorite things about writing or reading urban fantasy?

For both, I’d say it’s the world building. Everybody likes to imagine creating a world, making up the rules and laws and so on—heck, I was doing it even before I started writing (serious Sims addict here), lol.  At the same time, I also like exploring new worlds, seeing how things are different from “normal life” or how I could imagine them.

Can you explain the premise for the Jude Magdalyn Henries series for us?

Originally, I tried writing chick lit. It didn’t work out, lol. So I took a break from writing and read…everything. After a while of reading everything, a kernel of an idea started to form, an idea centered around a girl/woman, but not any girl/woman. I wanted someone that I’d be willing to hang out in a bar with and at the same time would totally believe that she could lead a group of people and kick some ass.

What are some of Jude's strengths and flaws?

Well, this should be interesting, lol. She’s practical to a fault. Some of this is the result of her upbringing with the nuns and then her time on the street, and some of this is just who she is at her core. She sees a situation and tends to cut right to the heart of the matter. This is also a flaw, because that sort of straight-forward attitude can alienate people and can also open up avenues not expected, which might be not good.

She also, as mentioned above, has a straight-forward, leave-the-bullshit-at-the-door attitude. This works for some people, but not for others—simple as that. There have been statements about not being able to like or connect with Jude, and I can totally believe those statements are true. Jude is not the kind of person that everybody is going to like. It has nothing to do with ethnicity or age or social group. It’s a simple matter of personalities not meshing. So, again, both a strength and a flaw.

And finally, keeping with the strength and flaw together bit, I’d say she loves too hard. It’s not an emotion she gives freely, but when she does it’s from the very center of her. That kind of love can make you blind to both the good and bad  in a person.

Tell us a little about what's in store for Jude in her second novel, Shades of Desire.

It’s been about a month and a half since the end of Shades of Gray, and Jude and her household are trying to get settled in. Only problem—girls from the Covenant keep turning up dead. With the help of the Covenant’s new police liaison, Jude, Theo, Williams and the others need to track down the killer.

Location is usually an important aspect of urban fantasy. How did you decide on New Orleans as the location of Jude's series, and how does the city influence the stories?

I love New Orleans, absolutely and completely. I usually spend a week, if not more, over there every year. So picking New Orleans was easy. Add in the fact that they have a very long and extraordinarily well documented supernatural history, and there’s plenty of fodder for conflict.

Describe some of the supernatural creatures that Jude encounters in her books.

Mostly vampires, but not the nice kind, lol. There’s also some psychics, a dhampir, and a few voodoo priestesses.

Excellent! Do you have a favorite character you love to write? Why?

Oh, I hate this question! Really, I do, lol. I would have to say there’s a tie for my favorite character—Frankie Post, the lead in TAKEN, and Joanne Watson, the lead in a series I’m putting out next year. I love writing Frankie because she’s a modern character who’s also a throwback—the femme fatale of the noir genre who also has all the brass balls and guts of the hard-boiled detective. And Joanne—well, she’s unique, lol—and that’s all I’m going to say about her for now.

What are you working on now, and are there plans for more in the Jude Magdalyn series?

I’m working on the second novel in the Moon Rising series, Harvest Moon Rising, as well as Winged (a 2013 release). The next Jude Magdalyn book is slated for a late May, early June release.

Wonderful! Thanks so much for stopping by and answering my questions.

Shades of Desire
By L.M. Pruitt
Book 2 Jude Magdalyn Series

Blurb:

All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.

Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.

On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job. Did I forget to mention that I've also got enough girls living at the Crossroads to start my own boarding school?

Peace and quiet? Out the window.

Buy Links Kindle
Book 1 Shades of Grey for your Kindle, in Paperback
Hole in the Wall a Jude Magdalyn free Kindle short

Excerpt:

“If someone doesn’t get me a lemon in the next five minutes, everyone will suffer. A lot.”

“Jude, I love you. Which is why I can say you’re being just a little overdramatic.” One look at my face and Theo changed his tune. “But then again, you could say pregnancy is dramatic and you’re just getting into the groove.”

“Nice save.” I tried to sit up again. Halfway through the upward movement greasy waves of nausea rolled over me and I eased back down onto the pillow. Strands of black hair clung to my sweaty face and I closed my eyes, exhaling slowly. “Not as nice as that lemon would be right now, but nice.”

“Elizabeth will be here in a moment. No doubt she’ll have a lemon. And tea. And toast.” Theo turned over to face me, laying one hand over my still mostly flat stomach. If you looked close, you could see the smallest of bumps.

I know, because I checked. Every other day or so.

If anybody told me three months ago, that the week before Halloween, I’d be lying in bed with a man who absolutely adored me—even the crazy parts—I’d have asked them what the hell they were smoking. If they’d thrown in being pregnant, I would have punched them in their jaw. Then gone to the store and bought a dozen pregnancy tests and prayed for them all to be negative.

But that was before the Covenant.

In two weeks, I’d gone from being an orphan raised by nuns, to the latest in a long line of only daughters. Women charged with the protection and well-being of hundreds of people with unique powers. Some made flame burn for hours, while others called the wind to knock you flat on your ass. They were a group of people who came together over two-hundred years ago, bound by a prophecy. One with no past, lost in the present, will bring in the future, through gifts of both this world and the next.

And lucky me, I’d passed the job interview.

I’d sent Hart to a muddy, watery grave-literally. Unless something went crazy wrong, he’d stay under the Mississippi until the Final Judgment. Williams ruled the vampires of the city now and kept his distance as much as possible.

And I, Jude Magdalyn Henries, led the Covenant. Maybe I wasn’t terrific at it. But Gillian would be proud.

All things considered, I think I came out with a pretty good deal.

About the Author:

L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She is the author of the Jude Magdalyn Series as well as New Moon Rising, featuring Cari Gravier, and Taken, featuring Frankie Post. She is currently at work on the next book in the Moon Rising series, Harvest Moon Rising, due out April 2012. Ms. Pruitt makes her home in Florida with two cats--one smart, the other not so much.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LM-Pruitt/364776895104
Blog: http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lmpruitt

Pick up L.M.'s books and enjoy!
Ella

The Familial Witch By Bri Clark

Today we're pleased to celebrate Bri Clark's new release, The Familial Witch. Bri also sent us a vlog that I'm happy to share -  check it out:

Blurb:
Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.

After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien his…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?

Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?

You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.

Amazon Buy Link B&N Buy Link Publisher Buy Link

Excerpt:

Lucien groaned. His head seemed to pound in a rhythm. He opened his eyes to survey his surroundings on instinct. He jumped up, alert. In the process, he knocked over a bowl of water and cursed. He was still in the little cottage. There was no sign of the woman. Bending over to clean up the mess he had made, he caught the fragrance of dried herbs. Sniffing the cloth, he found the source. Then, smelling his forearm, he realized he was the additional source.

A small mirror was positioned on a desk opposite the bed. He inspected himself. There was no trace of his shoulder wound. His skin had healed already. Nevertheless, the silver arrowhead had been within his body for too long. His insides would take longer to heal. It’s like recovering from a poisoning for a mortal. How long have I been asleep? In answer, his stomach ached from the lack of substance. Eternals didn’t have to eat much, but they still needed nourishment. The pounding rhythm started again and he cursed from the ache in his head.

That’s when he realized the rhythm was coming from outside the cottage. Lucien stood on stiff muscles. The smell of peony enticed him again and he followed, as obedient as ever. Walking through the low doorway, he knocked his head and swore again. Stumbling forward, the sun shone in his eyes, blinding him briefly as he went outside. When his vision cleared, he considered he might not be alive for the sight before him was nothing short of angelic.

A statuesque woman stretched her elegant body, turning her face to the sun’s rays. The ivory of her complexion was as soft as a cloud on the breeze. The beams colored her cheeks rose. Chestnut hair was pulled taut in a braid that ended at the small of her back. Her flowing white gown was almost see-through with the sunlight streaming behind it, revealing shapely feminine curves. He smiled in admiration. Lucien was an immortal, but at times, especially lately, he was more of a man than he had ever been. He continued to admire the view that temporarily distracted him from his aching body.

The angel stretched farther with something in her hands. His smile stretched, as well. Then, in one swift movement, she brought down an axe. Two pieces of wood fell over, adding to an already ample pile. The action was so unexpected, so unethereal, that Lucien swore and moved without thought. He stalked over to her and wrenched the axe from her hands.

About the Author:

Bri Clark is a real example of redemption and renewal. Growing penniless in the South, Bri learned street smarts while caring for her brother in a broken home. She watched her mother work several jobs to care for their small family. Once her brother could fend for himself, Bri moved on to a series of bad choices including leaving school and living on her own.


Rebelliousness was a strong understatement to describe those formative years. As a teenager, her wakeup call came from a fight with brass knuckles and a judge that gave her a choice of shaping up or spending time in jail. She took that opportunity and found a way to moved up from the streets. She ended up co-owning an extremely successful construction business. She lived the high life until the real estate crash when she lost everything.


She moved west and found herself living with her husband and 4 kids in a 900 square foot apartment. She now fills her time, writing, blogging, leading a group of frugal shoppers and sharing her southern culture. Her unique background gives her writing a raw sensibility. She understands what it takes to overcome life’s obstacles. She often tells friends, “I can do poor. I’m good at poor. It’s prosperity that I’m not used to.”


Bri and her husband Chris live in Boise. Bri is known as the Belle of Boise for her true southern accent, bold demeanor and hospitable nature.


Bri boasts several positions in the publishing industry. An author, professional reviewer, blogger, and literary strategist she enjoys all aspects of her career from the creation of story to the branding and marketing needed to make her books successful.

Bri Contact Links
Twitter, Facebook, G+, Goodreads, Blog