Melissa Fox's Blog

J:  Did you know there’s a new 50 Shades book called Grey? I just discovered that this morning.

M:  I’ve been seeing the ads on Amazon and Goodreads for weeks

Every day. Many times a day.

Now this makes me realize I’m spending waaaay too much time online and looking at books on Amazon

J:  I probably had an inkling it was coming but pushed it aside. Then I opened Goodreads to find my feed clogged with reviews. I guess it came out last week.

So, if anyone was wondering if I’d pre-ordered it, the answer’s no.

I did take a few minutes to go through some of my friends’ reviews, though

enlightening

M:  and…?

J:  well, the ones that didn’t like seemed to dislike for the same reasons I’d avoid it

There’s no inner goddess doing the meringue in this one, but apparently his dick gets its own POV

M:  omg

Just what we need. More dick POV

J:  Well, you know how I feel about the whole thing anyway. But let’s get real: about all books past, present and future. Is it necessary to tell the exact same story from another character’s POV? Ever?

M:  no

J:  If it covers new ground, maybe. If it starts before or after the first story… I don’t know. Mostly, no.

And I say this as someone who’d defo read Midnight Sun if it was released

and then probably hate myself afterward

M:  And I say as someone who, for fun, wrote a dual POV story once upon a time.

I like additional scenes, maybe

A lot of the time, what makes the hero so swoony is not knowing what he thinks but building from the author’s creation with clues they give you and adding your own take

I’d rather have hints given to me from the heroine’s POV than a straight POV change because it can be disappointing. Not living up to what I’d imagined in my head.

J:  Like, part of me would love to read Ivan’s POV from Del Dryden’s The Theory of Attraction

just because I want to know how much he liked the heroine before they entered the agreement. Did he have a crush on her already or just take advantage of a willing participant?

I wanna know.

If he’d hinted at it at all in the book, I’d be happy enough, but he didn’t.

He never let slip how he’d felt before.

We can kind of hope… maybe see stirrings of it, but no confirmation

Heh. I’d just be happy enough with a tweet from Del saying “yes. he was crazy about her”

wouldn’t need a whole book about it.

M:  The wanting to know really pulls you in, though, and keeps you thinking about the story and characters. I mean, here we are, what, a year or more after you read the book and you’re still thinking about it? Cool.

I’d rather have hints given to me from the heroine’s POV or what the hero says and does rather than a straight blow-by-blow retelling.

J:  From how I felt after the original 50 Shades, there’s a high potential for ridiculous with Grey.

M:  well, yeah. I personally couldn’t get into the other books. The heroine annoyed me too much (among the usual technical headbangers that have been discussed ad nauseam)

and if his dick has an inner voice… Just no

That’s one mystique that should always and forever remain so

end of conversation

I can’t even write about it without breaking into gagging giggles

A talking dick. eeeeeeeeee

J:  It’s obviously not the subject matter that sucks some folks object to

M:  no, like 50 Shades series or not, the plot and characters strike a chord

a deep one

and there are so many good alternatives or additions, depending on how you feel

J:  In all honestly, I probably wouldn’t have discovered some of these books without the 50 Shades hype

but now that I have, I don’t have much use for Grey. Just being honest. That’s probably mean.

I think that’s maybe when I read Lila Dubois’s Undone Lovers series the first time. Did I send you that one, or did you rec them to me?

M:  I think I got the first one, Undone Rebel, on sale, maybe.

Ohh yeah, read her geekish dom and thought you’d appreciate. I liked the series. She’s republishing them with new covers this summer/fall, her website says.

J:  Definitely a fun read. All three from the Undone Lovers series were fun.

And now she’s doing the BDSM Checklist series, A is For.., B is For…, etc.

which I’ll buy fairly immediately

Oh, I did read the Science of Temptation books first. I remember that.

The Delphine Dryden geek dom series

M:  I liked those as well. Kind of Dom-lite, definitely good and engaging

J:  you know me and my geek heroes, too

M:  doing a good believable geek dom is pretty difficult, but both those authors/series pulled it off well

J:  ugh. the first dom in the Dubois series was my favorite.

I guess I like a bit of humanity in there somewhere

M:  you like a bit of geekiness in there somewhere. heh

J:  that, too

M:  like you said, one thing I do think is inarguably good about the 50 Shades popularity is that it brought erotica more into the light

J:  exactly

M:  Well-written, engaging erotica of all heat levels and types

classics like Emma Holly, Joey W. Hill, Robin Schone, Ann Rice’s nom de plume A. N. Roquelaure

Also opened the door for some great new more-on-the-sexy-side stories, authors, and series

Kit Rocha, Tiffany Reisz, CD Reiss, some of Kristen Ashley‘s, like her Unfinished Heroes series

I like Kit Rocha’s Beyond series (the fist one, Beyond Shame, is free!). Some more than others, but all are solid. Sexy. Well written

And I liked CD Reiss’s Songs of Submission series (first one, Beg, also free, but heads up, it’s not a standalone) right up until the last one which made me all kinds of argh, but I’d still definitely rec

of course, Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series, but I only read the first two before I lost interest

J:  I read Kit Rocha’s first couple

They didn’t stick with me quite as much, but I’m pretty sure it was my craving for a little more geek

I did love Charlotte Stein’s Control and Power Play

the heroes in those were so vulnerable

M:  I don’t think I’ve read those particular titles, but I do like everything else I’ve read by her

they shall go to the top of my TBR list

J:  we’ve talked about Charlotte Stein’s deep POV before

how it takes a bit to get into it, but then you’re INTO it

like, right in the heroine’s head

M:  yeah, her style kind of threw me at first, but then I was all in

J:  I’d read any of these again before reading Grey. Maybe even tonight.

brb

 

We’d love more suggestions, recs, and/or comments about books and authors you’ve enjoyed – share, share!

 

photo credit: Crotch.BlueJeans.Dupont.WDC.20may06 via photopin (license) (We added the speech bubble, so blame us)

We’re Back – the Worldbuilding Edition

J:  Hey, have you read the Irin Chronicles series by Elizabeth Hunter?

M:  yep. You must have lent me the first one (The Scribe), and then the first and second (The Singer) both went on sale a little while ago, so I bought both

J:  The third is out. The Secret

M:  She does great worldbuilding

J:  yeah she really does

and there’s enough…supported information with her mythology

M:  I love when the worldbuilding not only pulls you in and feels like a true alternate reality, whether fantasy, paranormal, dystopian, or even contemporary just with different rules

J:  When an author not only makes me feel like I’m RIGHT THERE in the story, but also that the story could be right here with me, that’s what I love

Urban fantasy just absolutely kills me for that reason.

I’m not escaping to a new world… I feel like those characters have lived right here beside me the whole time

M:  makes you excited and curious and want to know more, even to live in that world

or know the characters personally

the curiosity and intrigue is the best, though. That’s when I know I’m reading something that’s a winner for me

J:  That’s what I loved so much about Twilight, actually

I mean, yeah, the gaspy, will-they/won’t-they romance, pain of teen love thing

she did that really well

but she also made me think, if only for a little while, that the guy next to me at the supermarket could possibly be a vampire

and that’s what I loved so much about Brigid Kemmerer’s Elemental series, too

and why I got super sucked into Elizabeth Hunter’s Irin Chronicles

(well, everything I’ve read by her so far, but most recently the Irin Chronicles)

M: yeah, it’s the intriguing wish fulfillment-fantasy-believability-intrigue thing

and it’s amazing when it is done well

and consistency is so important *coughJRWardcough*

I really enjoyed Hunter’s worldbuilding in both her series

made me want to know more and figure out the mystery. And cheer for a relationship for the MCs

J:  It’s amazing how much more I forgive when the world is solid

like, I believe the characters

and accept their flaws

and love them anyway

things that would piss me off beyond all belief if in a contemporary romance set in the here and now

I don’t know why I’m more likely to forgive, but I am

*coughEdwardCullencough*

M:  Haha. Yeah, that’s an interesting point, really

because it’s not real and we’re already plausibly suspending disbelief, maybe?

J:  perhaps

but if you presented me with a contemporary realistic fiction YA about a boy who crept into a girl’s bedroom to watch her sleep, I’d throw the book out the window

M:  Exactly. Actions, reactions, situations in those made-up worlds don’t make me twitchy in a lot of instances where they would in a contemporary

J:  and the same was kind of true in Hunter’s Irin books

she writes strong females, yes

but sometimes strong to the point of being careless or stubborn

M:  that’s fairly typical for most romances – and a lot of other genres, too

makes the plot easier to forward

add conflict

but yeah. it gets annoying

I just find it an interesting thing that we forgive stuff in alternate reality stuff we probably wouldn’t in straight contemporary

but that’s a whole different subject and blog post

J:  Well, with Hunter’s Irin world, it was much like the vampire world in that I really felt like an Irin or Irina could be next to me

or *gasp* what if I’m part Irina?

she made the characters real in spite of their fantastic nature

and she revealed things in such a logical way that I never felt she was withholding information for drama’s sake (which is also probably another blog)

and so much of her world consisted of real places here – foreign to me, but still real

and so vivid in their descriptions that I felt I’d seen them before

M:  I think that’s such a huge thing, making the reader have that feeling of “maybe I could be one, too”

that ordinary person having hidden “special”

tapping into that inner fantasy

J:  she really does that so well

M:  I’ve read a couple that I was all fangirl over the worldbuilding lately

J:  do tell

M:  one was Ilona Andrews’s new Hidden Legacy series – the first. Called Burn for Me

Have to admit I’ve never read anything by her (them? It’s a hubs and wife team), but I shall remedy. Heard a lot of good things about her Kate Daniels UF stuff

but the Hidden Legacy series is about magicians, like wizards. Which is my fantasy superpower, so that was all win

and she did it so well, when sometimes it can be so eye-rolly

did a great job explaining not only how people came to have the powers (although I do admit I’d like to know more) and also building a whole social structure and hierarchy based on magic ability

and the hero. siiigh. one of my fave kind

J:  you do love the alpha heroes

M:  enigmatic, clever, arrogant, super powerful, and watching how the female MC makes him more “human”

I really liked

she’s all “you can’t do that” and he’s “um, well, I just did, soooo…”

a lot of fun, and not super romancey, more tension and character and worldbuilding

but the tension between the two is so well done, I didn’t need the straight-out sexytimes

and that’s delicious in itself

and she’s a great heroine – smart, capable, not stupid

J:  oooh, I actually prefer the tension and chemistry to straight-up romance, too

not so much the back and forth type, but the type where it builds naturally

and everything the hero says makes me just swoon

because I know that’s what the heroine has to feel

M:  well, he’s not blatant swoon – he’s privileged, arrogant, powerful

which sounds ick, but flaws so skillfully done you can see the heart in him

so when he does caring or swoony things, much more impact

and he holds all the power, literally in his magic and money and social status, etc., but she has more important things to teach him, like being decent and human and family and true caring

a lot of character development for both, which is so fun to see

it’s just total win in my opinion

J:  I’m on board.

M:  and dammit, I want to be a wizard

J:  hahahaha

I felt like that after Harry Potter (okay. I still feel that way sometimes)

M:  another one that I found really interesting was The Others series by Anne Bishop. The first book is Written in Red, the second Murder of Crows, and I’m about to start the third, Vision in Silver

and I could see why I totally got into the Ilona Andrews series, because, you know, wizards

but the Bishop series is about shifters. I’m not usually a shifter fan much at all, but these are good

great mystery and tension, and the word and rules she’s built are so different

J:  how did you end up reading it if you’re not a fan of the theme?

M:  I’d read a couple of reviews and rec’s on blogs, so I figured I’d give it a shot

and the whole world and social hierarchy between humans and the Others – so unique

the shifters are the top of the food chain and just suffer humans existing in their world

and it’s not just animal shifters, but elements and seasons and stuff

and more about the slowly building tension and relationship between the two MCs in this one, too

a lot of action and mystery and intrigue, great character development

but the worldbuilding – so good and thorough

J:  yeah, I really can forgive just about anything when it happens in a really great fictional world

M:  she did such a good job with not just the world but the different characters and interactions

a really vulnerable female MC that needs protection for damn good reasons that slowly unfold, a strong alpha male MC who finds himself all messed up with what’s happening but tries to do the right things

a true alpha in my opinion

and all the amazing imagination of animal and element shifters, how they’re shown and personified

it’s a winner

I like urban fantasy, but I also need that romantic element – just adds so much. and when the slowly building tension is done well, and the developing close caring just goes on and deeper, I’m all in

J:  well, you sold me

I’m gonna start with the wizards first, though. I’ve had a craving since Harry Potter

grown-up wizards are just too hard to pass up

M:  yeah, I really enjoyed that one

I liked the writing style better

not that I wasn’t hooked with Bishop’s series or anything, just sometimes I had to push a little, you know?

Where I just ate the Andrews one up

plus, snarky, arrogant adult wizard. Yeehaw

J:  I need a bookstore therapy session

Amazon will probably have to do

M:  I need therapy for my Amazon one-click addiction. Speaking of which…

brb

photo credit: hammer cuddle via photopin (license)

A Paranormal YA Anthology – On Sale for 99¢!

Not only is this a great sampling of YA authors and stories, including Jen’s latest release Going Under (The Oracles of St. Ambrose Book 1), but 100% of proceeds from the sale of Bewitched Beginnings go to the charity Kids Needs to Read (see info below). That’s right – 100%.

 

 

Bewitched Beginnings: Five full length YA Paranormal novels included in one bundle. Delve into the supernatural worlds created by Angel Lawson, Magan McMinimy, Jennifer M. Barry, Erin Danzer and Sharon Rose Mayes and follow the stories of strong young men and women as they hold their own against the forces of nature.

Wraith by Angel Lawson

Freak. Weird. Crazy. These are the names tossed around seventeen-year old Jane Watts by her fellow classmates. But things aren’t always as they seem. Sometimes there’s a reason for talking to yourself in the hallway at school.

Jane struggles with adjusting to her new home and school after an abrupt move. She wants one thing in life—to be like everyone else at school, but that’s hard to do when you’re the new kid. But she does manage to make one friend, Evan—he’s sixteen, charming, and protective. Everything a girl could want in a best friend…with one minor caveat.

He’s dead.

Caught somewhere between life and death, Evan is tied to Jane and the living world unable to complete the journey to the other side. She thinks he’s here to be her friend, to take care of her, and that’s why no one can see or hear him.

That is until a new boy shows up at school after a rumored stretch in Juvie. Connor can see Evan and he’s not convinced the ghost is being completely honest. From his own experience ghosts tend to need something from the humans they connect to and Evan, despite his arguments isn’t any different.

Jane is resentful of Connor’s intrusion but realizes soon enough he’s right. Evan has secrets about his past and not only did his life end tragically but members of his family are still in danger. Jane must face her fears and battle Evan’s human demons to free both of them.

Going Under by Jennifer M. Barry

Chase Bradford, king of New York City’s high school elite, is dragged to Nashville for his senior year at St. Ambrose Academy. On his second day, the Queen Bee is found dead in the school swimming pool. Chase isn’t surprised, since he saw a vision on the water’s surface during swim practice just hours before Cheyenne died.

Before Chase can properly freak out, he discovers snarky writer Natalie and narcoleptic computer genius Bryan also possess unusual abilities. The three must work together to discover how Cheyenne died and why…before the killer can get away with it. But Natalie and Bryan are from different social circles and pose a threat to Chase’s elite status. High school politics are nothing new to Chase, but the psychic abilities are.

The list of suspects isn’t surprising, since few people actually liked the popular queen of the elite. Chase, Natalie, and Bryan follow every vision, every lead – even Cheyenne’s own father – right up to the shocking end.

Twins of Aurora by Magen McMinimy

Life seems relatively normal for eighteen-year-old Avalina, who spends most of her time hanging out with her outspoken best friend, Jess, her twin brother, Aiden, and his best friend, Nick. Avalina fights against the overwhelming crush she has on Nick, harassment from her cruel ex-boyfriend, and an over protective brother while trying to make it through her senior year of high school.

Their lives are forever changed when the mysterious Araios, who looks remarkably like Nick, appears at a party in their sleepy little town in Northern Idaho. Araios holds secrets Avalina has long forgotten, secrets of a past based in a world of magic, mythical creatures and a royal lineage.

Follow the group of friends as they travel through this thrilling new world while Avalina learns to control the magic she needs to save everyone from the darkness that threatens to destroy Aurora and all who live within it.

Into the Spiral by Erin Danzer

Being struck by lightning is just the beginning…

Seventeen-year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Lambert wants to get out from under her older brother’s shadow. When Ronnie gets a tattoo and then is struck by lightning, she suddenly finds herself able to see and hear things in shadows that don’t appear to others. Then Ronnie meets Gavin Clearwater, the hot new guy in all of her classes and finds out he can see and hear the same things she can.

Gavin tells her about the Spiral Defenders, a group of warriors that travels through space and time to defend the planets of the Spiral. After meeting the Commander of the Spiral Defenders and realizing his intentions might not be pure, Ronnie struggles between following her destiny to become a Spiral Defender and trying to regain the life she had before being struck by lightning.

Blood Pact by Sharon Rose Mayes

Riley Spencer has spent most of her life doing what is normal for her: attending school, spending time with her mother, and training to hunt vampires. It was how she grew up as part of the organization and when Nick comes to town and joins her team everything changes. Now Riley and the rest of her team begin to question everything they have learned about vampires and the organization that trained them to hunt the vampires that hide in the world.

                    

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for chances to win a KINDLE FIRE HD, autographed print copy bundle, swag grab bag, and $15 Amazon gift certificate!
Kids Need to Read Charity

All proceeds from Bewitched Beginnings will be donated to Kids Need to Read.

Kids Need to Read works to create a culture of reading for children by providing inspiring books to underfunded schools, libraries, and literacy programs across the United States, especially those serving disadvantaged children.

Founded by YA author PJ Haarsma, Denise Gary, and Nathan Fillion in 2008.

Kids Need to Read provides books to adolescent juvenile offenders, high school dropouts, youths living in poor urban or rural communities, immigrant kids, kids with learning disabilities, and kids living on Native American reservations. They do not discriminate and submissions are prioritized by severity of need and probability of impact on the children served.

They have provided over 47,000 books to 166 schools, libraries, and literacy programs in 41 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico.

Author Stalking Links

Jennifer M. Barry

http://jennifermbarry.com

@jennifermbarry

 

Magen McMinimy

http://www.magenmcminimy.com

@MagenMcMinimy

 

Angel Lawson

http://www.angellawson.com

@TheAngelLawson

 

Sharon Rose Mayes

http://www.sharonrosemayes.com

@SharonRose

 

Erin Danzer

http://erindanzer.com

@ErinDanzer

 

N to tha A

M:  I’ve actually read some good NA books lately I think you’d like

J:  Oh yeah? No dark seekrits?

M:  Heh, no. All were on sale, too

The first one is The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen – 99 cents

J:  oh yeah!

I read her novella

I like her

M:  Fell Down was good

very solid. I enjoyed

J:  it’s hockey, right?

M:  kind of

J:  her novella was sports, too. Blonde Date.

M:  both MCs play/played hockey

J:  yeah. injury for the girl

looked a little close to home for me

M:  The hockey was more background (and – sigh – not super realistic, but eh)

J:  I’ll definitely read it. Not sure why I didn’t just snap it up after I read the novella because I really liked how she handled the alpha/beta hero in Blonde Date

I’ll start it tonight

M:  I remember you telling me you liked Blonde Date

J:  yeah. thought the hero was really cute in that one

M:  I liked Adam in Fell Down, too

although he does have a girlfriend through a lot of the book – a mostly absent one, but still

but the author made it work

and the hockey stuff…

he broke his leg and can’t play until it heals, but it’s like he just gets a free pass vacation from hockey

An upperclassman on the team, who has been playing for the past couple years? Trust me. He would not get a free pass vacation from hockey

He’d still have to train (as much as he could), have curfew, still have all the rules and schedule of the team

They’d find something for him to do. He’d WANT something to do

but instead, they put in in the “accessible” dorm and it’s like he’s a regular student

no mention of a scholarship or how it affects one, even though his family has no money and the school is super-exclusive

but, one of those things probably no one else would notice and it was only a minor irritation

the rest was totally worth the read

J: I read a cute one, too

The Bowler University series one. Make it Count by Megan Erickson

Dealt with issues. A little like my Side Effects and the to-be-finished-someday sequel, Soundtrack

Yeah, it was cute. The girl has always gotten by on her looks, but she really hates that people assume she’s stupid

She goes to tutoring and finds out her boyfriend’s BFF is the tutor

of course, she doesn’t think she’s good enough because he’s crazy smart

and I just really loved Alec

there wasn’t cheating–not from the main characters, anyway, except for the emotional kind

I guess that’s just as bad in some ways

but it was done in a way that you rooted for them instead of being upset by it

you=all readers (or at least me)

M:  oh, that does sounds cute

J:  it is pretty cute

I’ll get the second one, for sure

M:  how does the author handle the boyfriend? I can totally deal that kind of thing if it’s handled well

J:  the BF was obviously distracted and upset by something way outside their relationship

by the time Alec comes in, she’s feeling very neglected and alone

and when her BF is around, she just feels used

there’s a good reason Max (the BF) and Alec are friends, even if they aren’t much alike

and there’s a good reason the BF is getting distant

by the time things explode between the main characters, she’s broken up with Max

realizes she deserves better, even if it is Max’s best friend

M:  sounds nicely done

J:  it really was

there were a few will-she/won’t-she times where I wanted to punch her, but then, it’s understandable that she’s dealing with a learning disability, finally feeling like she’s worth something after all this time

and also the breakup and the emotional beating she takes when she gives in to her ex’s BFF

but Alec

he’s a doll

M:  ooh, that sounds interesting

J:  total alpha/beta

more beta. just alpha when he needs to be

M:  that’s always interesting, too

esp when it’s done well

J:  plus the next one tells Max’s story

and I’m excited to see how she redeems him

the general consensus is that she redeems him very well

M:  I really like those kind of stories

Hard to find good redemption tales, but there’s just something about them I really like

turning a character around

J:  I think it just recently released

so I’ll probably get it after reading the one you just rec’d

M:  The Year We Fell Down was kinda similar – the hero already has a girlfriend

that trope sometimes makes me frustrated–either it’s more on the cheating side or the BF/GF is a total douche, which I think is often a lazy or easy out

and the GF in this is pretty much a rich bitch cliche, but there’s an interesting reason he’s with her in the first place

which was good, because usually it’s not presented well

Makes me sit there and wonder if the MC is so smart and cool and wonderful, why is he/she with a douche?

If there’s a good reason, I roll right along. Otherwise, it’s teeth-gritting time

J:  yeah. like, it’s easy to hate the BF in this one, until the whole story is revealed

and then you hate him even more for just a few minutes

and for good reason

but then you also forgive

for good reason

M:  now you’ve got me really interested. I shall read

J:  It’s only $1.99

M:  it will go on my list when I’m in the mood for a good NA. I can only read those by rec anymore, as you know

some make me so ragey, but the good ones are worth it

J:  this is not the typical NA

well, it is in some ways

but not in those dark seekrits, party-all-the-time, where-are-the-parents kind of way

I don’t understand why so many authors think the moment a character turns 18 the parents can just disappear

or even high school story authors

M:  Well, kind of like the other NA I’m reading now–the prequel (Elemental) and first book in the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer

The first one – Storm – is free right now. I’m only about 2/3 of the way through, but so far it’s pretty good

solid characters, editing very good, sucked me right in, decent suspense and mystery

it’s free – you should get it

J:  just got it

M:  The parents are conveniently absent, though

J:  sure, some parents are absent, but those aren’t the only kids who have great stories

and dude. if there’s ever a chance for humor or mortification in a high school/NA story, it’s when parents are involved.

use them.

M:  haha – that’s a really good point

It’s like wanting to make the HS kids act like adults but in a teenage setting almost

so – buh-bye parents

and the kids can run amok like 20-somethings instead of HS students

J:  right. never happens

Also, the parents aren’t absent in Make It Count

I think perhaps the authors who leave the parents out must not have had a great relationship with their mom or dad

My parents were just as fun as some of my friends

and they found me hilarious most of the time, in all my seriousness

M:  I don’t think it’s that so much. More the convenience of not having the parents around so there can be amok-running for the main characters

I still managed to have some fun amoking in HS, and trust me, my parents were around

But it is harder for an author to figure out a way around a boy sneaking in to stay the night or go to crazy parties if parents are in the picture. Not impossible, but takes some work

I guess it’s easier just to kill parents off or have them work overnight shifts

Not to say it never happens in real life, but I doubt as much as it tends to be portrayed in books

J:  oh, I had some amok-running, too. It’s actually a part of being a teen, to get around the parents. and I think it should be a part of any story

M:  not sure why it isn’t

J:  even if the parents are absent a lot, they should still have some kind of influence

M:  and like you said, it’s a great point for adding conflict and tension

Actually, running amok sounds pretty good right now. Hmm. brb

 

 

 

J:  hey!

So, did you love Ever After?

M:  I don’t think Kate could write anything I don’t like

I think I’m still starry-eyed over Grimm Consequences, though, and have a so-in-love-with-that-story hangover. I really liked Ever After, but it just didn’t grab hold of me like Grimm did.

I felt a lot more of being told what Gideon felt than experiencing the emotions with him

J:  well, I think I was resigned to love Nate most of all from the beginning

M:  yes, but even loving Nate, I really got into Nicky and Seth’s stories, still got that connection. I just didn’t feel the same intensity with this as with the others

I had no idea why Gideon loved Arabella as much as he did

J:  well, that is a difference I noticed with this one

but the problem, I think, is that with Nicky and Seth, we watched the beginning

with Gideon, he was already in love when the story began

so we didn’t get to experience the falling

even with Red, where Nate already loved her, we got her first feelings

M:  yes, but maybe that could have been made up with experiencing Gideon’s anguish of seeing her again? He told us how he felt, he told us he loved her, but I never felt his emotion, and Arabella never showed us why he loved her, you know? Not like the characters did in the other tales

Arabella never showed anything really loveable, or her pain in leaving him, staying away

I wanted all that heart-tugging struggle of impossible decisions. The set up was perfect for it, but…

J:  I still loved every second. I suppose I did write all that off as entering their love story in the middle

M:  Oh, I really did enjoy, too – so, so worth the read. One of my all-time favorite series.

But Kate did such a great job in Grimm to show the struggle, the anguish, the impossible situations and choices, and this is another great set up and storyline to do that

and it just didn’t grab me by the throat like Grimm, for sure. Man, I loved that story

J:  also, I’m pretty sure I was totally dazzled by the Arthurian legend

you know how I love me some King Arthur

M:  Heh. Yes

that was a great twist – classic Kate and the world she’s created

J:  there was so much there, so much fun, and action, and twisty-ness. So, what would you rate it? I think I went four stars for this one.

M:  Absolutely. Strong 4 stars. Her Transplanted Tales world is just as fun and compelling as the first time I got sucked in. I can’t wait for her new project. So excited to see what she can do with a romantic suspense.

J: Yeah, what’s the story with that?

M:  She’s got two new series coming in 2015, the Templar Legacy series and Protect and Serve. I love me some good romantic suspense. I love Kate’s writing. Something definitely to look forward to

J: Sounds perfect for settling in to read for hours with ice cream. Or coffee. Or beer…

M: Ooh, or an appletini! Mmmm. brb…

Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

Kate is offering a $50 gift card to Amazon, B&N, or BAM (winner’s choice), a signed paperback copy of Ever After, Transplanted tales swag, and 2 winners will receive an ebook copy of the transplanted tales book of their choice!

About the Author

Kate SeRine (pronounced “serene”) is a hopeless romantic who firmly believes in true love that lasts forever. So it’s no surprise that when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed her characters would always have a happily ever after. She’s the author of the award-winning TRANSPLANTED TALES series and will be releasing the TEMPLAR LEGACY series with Kensington and the PROTECT AND SERVE series with Sourcebooks in 2015/2016.

Kate is a member of Romance Writers of America and of Indiana RWA and has been a finalist in the Fire and Ice Contest (2010), the Finally a Bride Contest (2010), and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence (2013), and is the recipient of The Emily (2012) and the National Readers Choice Award (2012). She is represented by Nicole Resciniti with the Seymour Agency.

Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project.

Follow Kate on: Twitter    Facebook    Goodreads

Purchase EVER AFTER on Amazon   B&N   Kobo   iTunes

 

 

Today is release day for book 4 in Kate SeRine’s Transplanted Tales series, EVER AFTER — Gideon’s story!

No secret we’re huge fans of Kate’s series here on FFYW, so we’re excited to share the news, the love, and Gideon’s story. We were both lucky enough to get an ARC and read, and we’ll be posting our J to tha M review on September 8, but in the meantime, follow the blog tour for reviews, Kate’s guest posts, and entries to win her giveaway! Don’t forget to enter here, too, for the chance to win the grand prize of a $50 Amazon, B&N, or BAM gift cert, signed paperback copy of EVER AFTER, Transplanted Tales swag, and 2 winners will get a Transplanted Tale ebook of their choice!

Ever After blog tour Rafflecopter giveaway!

Buy EVER AFTER at:

 

 

 

J:  I stayed up too late reading

in hindsight, the book was not worth it

and now I have a headache

M:  that seriously sucks

what book was it?

J:  um

At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey

it was okay

not worth the hours of sleep I didn’t get

eh, it came up in my search for a geek hero

just checked the reviews for it

I don’t know why, but I always like to see if others had the same objections I had

M:  I do that, too

I just looked it up – heh

virginity auction

billionaire winner

almost as bad as DARK SEKRITS

J:  yeah, but I was convinced by some of the comments in forums that this would be different

and honestly, those took a backseat to the things that really irritated me

M:  oh no

J:  oh, and there were dark sekrits

M:  double oh no

J:  I think my first real objection (outside of plot, which, really, we read the same books over and over anyway. If she could do something different and better, I could be a fan) was a technique issue

or maybe just laziness

in that something would be mentioned and then, to explain it away, the narrator would say something like “We had previously discussed his dislike for onions, so this new revelation didn’t surprise me.”

instead of going back to an earlier part of the MS and just writing in a conversation about hating onions

not that they discussed onions in the book

that really would have sent me over the edge

M:  hahaha

yeah, gotta be better ways to drop in backstory, even little details like that

J:  so flipping annoying

next, I think, was the controlling bastard wearing a sweet geek mask

when he was sweet geek, I adored him

I wanted one of my own

but then he’d go all alpha

and it was distracting

M:  a sweet alpha geek bastard

that’s kind of messed up

or sweet geek alpha bastard

J:  and it’s one of those wtf is wrong with you moments

regarding the author

because it’s obvious the controlling bastardy move was meant to be sweet, too

M:  funny how different people can see or think such opposite things in a behavior

I’m sure sometimes it’s meant to seem sweet – I’ve read a lot of that in books with a hero trying to be a “sweet” alpha

some work. some really don’t

J:  like, um

not trying to spoil it – but **beware, spoilers ahead**

though you’re probably not going to read it

so, he already knew her before bidding, but she didn’t know him

that whole anonymous gamer thing

so he found out about the auction and wanted to know what would make her do something like that

and discovered her mom had cancer and was in danger of losing the house

STALKER MUCH

then secretly contacts the mom through his corporation and starts the process for saving the ranch

all before he even bid on her

M:  of course

J:  now

a real man

would have faced down the girl with his questions and offered to help face to face

instead of stalking and invading privacy and sneaking around

and yes, I can handle forcing help upon someone who needs it

so much more than sneaky creepy help

M:  and giving her the opportunity to avoid putting herself on the auction block

yeah, creepy

So, instead of letting her know she doesn’t need to auction her virginity, he lets her go ahead and do it?

J:  well, the explanation in the book is that, as the anonymous gamer guy, he tried to talk her out of it

and she still was determined

so he won with the intention of never forcing her to go through with it 

M:  but still. he could have saved her that humiliation

this is my problem with the alpha male thing – a personal prejudice, probably – but a true alpha male who cared about his woman (whether she knew she was his woman or not) would just take care of her, not let her get into a position where other men would have even a glimmer of a shot at her or she would be hurt or humiliated, take care and protect her, even if she argued with him about it. There’s a whole other side of issues to discuss there, but in my mind, that what a true romance novel alpha male would/should do

but that’s my suspension of reality moment. Make me believe. Of course, what I believe is totally different than other people, so to each their own

J:  but that’s the thing

a true alpha is usually guileless

secrets maybe

sneakiness, no

M:  yeah. an alpha does what he thinks is best for the person he feels he needs to take care of, even if he doesn’t really ask first

J:  annoying how disappointed I’ve been lately with my reads, actually

M:  I’ve actually read quite a few really good ones

Read a couple by Laura Florand. You must try

Well written – she has such a flowing style. Not lyrical, really, but just smooth and engaging

urges you along with the character and story, brings on the feels, sucked me right in

She writes about chefs – top-of-their-game chefs

and really brings the profession in without being instructional or dry fact, you know? You learn as you become part of the characters’ lives

J:  I’m very interested in chefs

M:  The stories are so believable and she still mixes in all the emotion and reaction. I really enjoyed. The two I read were Turning Up the Heat and The Chocolate Rose (which is still free on Amazon for Kindle right now). Definitely plan on reading more

I think you’d like

J:  I’m on board

oh!

I ran across one of hers on the lists I looked at last night

I should have gotten that one instead

M:  From what you’ve mentioned, I’m pretty positive you’d like much better

J:  I’ll buy after I finish work

or I won’t actually finish work

heh

M:  I burned through a bunch of Kristen Ashley’s that went on sale (The ‘Burg series is still on sale for 99 cents each) so I bought, but that’s a whole discussion in and of itself

my love/hate (but mostly crackalicious love) of her stuff

and, of course, Kate SeRine’s ARC of Ever After, but we’ll talk about that closer to release date

Also went on a tear of Heidi Cullinan’s m/m backlist

always well-written with lots of feels

and she can do that learn a lot about the character’s profession without being boring or dry

In her Special Delivery series, the one guy was a long-haul trucker, one worked in a casino (Double Blind)

very different but both really interesting and totally brought me into their world

oh, and one of hers, Dirty Laundry, where one guy was a bouncer and the other an entomology grad student

interesting, and she totally makes it work

J:  you mentioned that one before, I thought…

hmmm

maybe I found it in one of my geek hero searches

it sounds familiar

yeah, I have seen this one before

I’m even more curious now

M:  I just finished her A Private Gentleman – historical with a highborn lord second son who has a bad stutter and a “professional sodomite” or male prostitute

don’t know why, but I love those kind of setups, as improbable as they are

J:  ohhhhhh a stutter

why this makes my heart thump, I have no idea

Speaking of heart thumps, I’m still avoiding The Fault in Our Stars

because crying my eyes out until I have a gross headache is never my favorite

M:  oh, man, Fault in Our Stars

I want to read that, too, but scared for the same reasons

ugly cry

J:  we keep saying it, but we should get drunk together and just do it

gulp copious amounts of wine

and then cry it all out through our tears

M:  It’ll be interesting to see if that can make me cry. Those are few and far between, as you know

but I can gulp wine and pet you if it doesn’t

we just need to find a few hours when we’re both in the mood for that at the same time

J:  Speaking of gulping wine…

M:  Always the right time for that. brb

photo credit: miss miah via photopin cc

New Novel from Melissa Fox

Guys. Guys! M’s preparing for the release of her upcoming novel on May 19, so I thought I’d share the cover with you here on FFYW. You know I’m almost as excited and proud as I’d be if I’d written it myself. She’s done something so different, so fresh, and I can’t wait to see what everyone thinks. Until we all get our hot little hands on it, here’s a peek at the cover. Drool with me!

 

Here’s the summary, so you can start with the grabby hands:

Infiltrating an international drug cartel is the dangerous chance of a lifetime for Asher Beaulieu of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Falling in love while running the op isn’t part of the plan, but he never had much use for plans anyway. Shrouded in deception and surrounded by temptation, his charmed life explodes in betrayal and tragedy.

Ash rises from the flames a guarded, wary shadow of his former self. His past comes to revisit him, along with an annoying American DEA agent, who forces Ash to reclaim his courage and character before facing another chance at love—and an even deadlier threat.

DEA Special Agent Emmaline Justice is determined to be recognized for her work, not her sex. She doesn’t have time for an intriguing, wounded RCMP inspector. When the contacts she cultivates over long months of an international undercover investigation keep showing up dead, Emma must use her instincts as both an agent and a woman to determine Beaulieu’s role in the case and in her life.

One woman tore him apart. Another is brave enough to put him back together—if his past doesn’t kill him first.

***

What’s that? You want more? Well, I happen to have an excerpt, too!

“You wouldn’t have spent more than two seconds in my company back then.” His voice was rough, like he hadn’t used his vocal cords in a while. She started at the sound, as she hadn’t been expecting him to respond. “I would have taken one look at you, made some comment I thought was clever but would have probably pissed you off, and you would have dumped me right on my fine ass.”

She snorted. “Please, Beaulieu. Who says you have a fine ass?”

Finger tapping his lower lip, he arched a dark brow. Heat warmed her face, but she gave him a grudging nod to acknowledge the silent rebuke. He did have a fine ass, and he knew it. Probably the finest she had ever seen. Conceited bastard.

“You’re attracted to me.” The low rumble of his voice was as unexpected as his words.

Emma caught her breath and went still, poised for flight across the room, but he held her with his gaze.

“I’m attracted, too. Very much. Is that enough for you, Emmaline? Do you expect something more before you’ll have sex with someone? Promises of love, a relationship? You seem the type.”

Oh, he was clever. So very, very clever. She mustn’t forget that. He poked her pride to get her to prove him wrong, to sleep with someone—him—who attracted her without all the pretty words and a promise of commitment. He thought he had her pegged, but she was clever, too.

“What type do I seem to you?” she challenged.

“You seem the type to want dark, desperate things done to you, to do them yourself at least once in your life. You want to experience a man taking you hard, taking you deep, taking you into pleasure so hot you forget who you are. You’d submit your will to that, so long as he can bend your mind and wreck your body, leave you weak and so completely sated you can’t wait to experience it again…and again…and again. You’d be willing, as long as he made it worth your while. And I can. I can do all those things, but I can’t promise you more. Is that enough?”

She stared at him where he sat across the room. He hadn’t moved, but he’d rocked her world. She panted in shallow, short breaths, and sweat slicked over her body from just his words. A quick, sharp shudder wracked her at the thought of what his hands, his body, his mouth would do to her. One side of his lips twitched when he saw her involuntary reaction.

Conceited bastard, indeed.

***

If you want to know more, you’ll have to follow M. You can find her here, of course, but you’re more likely to get better info in the following places:

Website: http://melissa-fox.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaFoxWords

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFoxWords

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6565801.Melissa_Fox

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Fox/e/B009YC0ERO

Blog: http://fightforyourwrite.com

 

 

We’re excited to be a part of Kate SeRine’s GRIMM CONSEQUENCES release blog tour! And Kate, being the seriously nice person she is, agreed to give us more little known facts behind the creation and characters of her Transplanted Tales. Learning about the motivation of both the author and characters adds such a great depth and satisfied the craving Kate’s created for more of her intriguing Transplanted Tales World. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway–link at the end!

The Transplanted Tales: Behind the Scenes

I’ve shared a little behind-the-scenes info about my Transplanted Tales series here and there over the last couple of years, but because Melissa and Jennifer asked so nicely, I decided to divulge a little more.

1)     I’ve mentioned a few times that I hadn’t originally intended Tess “Red” Little to end up with Nate Grimm. What I haven’t said is that I’d planned for him and Trish to end up together. But they’re both better off where they are. ;)

2)     Aside from having a few key scenes in my head when I start, I don’t plan out my stories—not ever. I like to write as if I’m watching the plot unfold as a reader would.

3)     Nate Grimm was inspired by Humphrey Bogart’s characters in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon, and by my husband, who is a consulting investigator with local law enforcement.

4)     The flirty banter between Nate and Tess is drawn from my relationship with my husband. A couple of our exchanges actually appear in the novel. ;)

5)     The Refuge, a haven for wayward Tales looking for a new start, is very loosely based on the small town where I lived as a child (except there were no Tales there…that I’m aware of).

6)     Many of Old Mama Hubbard’s little sayings in The Better to See You are things my late grandmother used to say. This was my way of preserving her words forever.

7)     Bob “Old King” Cole, proprietor of the Tale pub Ever Afters, is based on my friend and mentor, Marshall “Greg” Gregory. Sadly, my dear friend was very ill when RED released and passed away not long after. He never had the chance to read the book.

8)     RED was the sixth full-length novel I’d completed at the time it was written, but was the first I’d attempted to publish.

9)     Trish Muffet’s ringlets are based on those of my youngest sister. My adorable baby sis has the cutest hair EVER. But, of course, she hates it.

10)  In Grimm Consequences, the villain Demetrius was inspired by actor Andrew Scott. You Sherlock fans would know him as Sherlock’s nemesis, Moriarty. He can pull off seriously freaking crazy like nobody’s business.

 

GRIMM CONSEQUENCES release day April 17!

You reap what you so w…

Saying Nate Grimm has a dark past is an understatement. Fortunately, no one’s bothered to look too closely at the Fairytale Management Authority’s lead detective and part-time Reaper. And that’s the way Nate wants to keep it. For after centuries of torment and loneliness, he’s finally found happiness with the hot and hard-charging love of his life, Tess “Red” Little.

Of course, his love for Tess is the reason there’s a posse of Reaper judges after him, led by a sadistic bastard acquainted with Nate from once upon a time. Now, Tess will pay the price for Nate’s transgressions unless Nate severs his ties to the transplanted Tales–and Tess–forever. His enemy has the advantage in speed, malice and brutality. But the Reapers have underestimated the depth of Nate’s love and devotion. And the fury of his wrath. . .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GRIMM CONSEQUENCES by Kate SeRine

J: So

Nate

*sigh*

M:  I really loved this book. I think it’s the strongest of the series so far

Kate really tapped into Nate’s emotions, made me feel and wonder and worry and despair right along with him

I loooove when a story can do that

and a character

J:  I agree that it’s the strongest as far as emotional connection. I wonder if that’s because I was already in love with him from Red, at least a little bit

M:  part of it, probably.

I think it’s how well she hit the sacrifices both Red and Nate made, the selfless choices and decisions because of how much they love each other

J:  Never have I ever read a man who loved a woman so much without seeming corny or overdone

M:  exactly!

so selfless

J:  His devotion was so true

so real

that I never once thought “gross.”

M:  true to his character and a true alpha hero

the kind that doesn’t have to be a dick or pound his chest

he just is and knows it and does hero-y things

J:  well, he’s the embodiment of show, don’t tell, too

he’s not really the flowery-word type

but we never doubt how sincerely he loves her

M: he shows us through his actions

J: learning how far he’s come, too

that was a bit of a risk that really paid off for her

M:  yeah, keeping him mysterious would seem the safer bet

but, oh.

I liked him a lot before. Now I love. I have serious excitement when a character (and writer) can draw me in like that

J:  I had this profound thought that has now left me…

oh! how he’s more human now than he was when he was as an actual human

M:  yes!

J:  that kind of development isn’t easy to make real

to convince readers it actually does happen

after all, power usually corrupts

and he’s pretty damn powerful

and instead, he bettered himself

M:  We can get all technical and talk about character growth, the mechanics of how she showed that, etc. etc. blah blah

but there’s nothing like just being a reader and getting sucked in, hit with all the feels

but yeah

how he grew. how he loved. how he changed

J:  takes some kind of skill to make the reader believe this, you know?

M:  oh, yes, that’s what I’m saying

and to make it look effortless–that’s a serious talent.

J:  I love her. Kate, I mean

and him

M:  yes. this is such a good fun read of a series

J:  and holy if I’m not squirming waiting for Gideon

she’s made him ridiculously sexy with just a few mentions

I’m not sure I could handle a whole book about him

but I’m damn sure gonna try

M:  and holy jumpin around, that cover

you know of my deep and abiding love of good shoulders on a man

J:  I do

M:  yow

J:  Well, I have a deep and abiding love for men in leather pants

M:  and swords

J:  I don’t actually, but that cover makes me reconsider

M:  mmm. hits my happy places

J:  swords? really?

M:  haha – the cover does. shoulders and back and leather pants and sword

I can’t wait. August. sigh.

but the good news is, I pre-ordered, so it will magically appear on my Kindle.

J:  ooh, we should do that space sleep thing

where we go to sleep and wake up the day it comes out

M:  um

J:  nothing could go wrong there

M:  or, we could have a magic hurry up button and just make it come out now

waiting does not hit my happy button

J:  or develop psychic abilities and read it straight from her mind

M:  or beg her to just send it to us, but that might be a little too creepy, even for us

and she’s so super awesome

J:  well, I have my fingers crossed she reads this and hears our pleas

M:  no need to clue her in to the depths of our depravity

J:  I have zero cool

if I met her, I’d damn sure make a fool of myself

I have a history of that, anyway

M:  I’d just want to sit at her feet and have her tell me stories

J:  should we stop being creepy?

M:  heh. why stop now?

I’ve never been one for lists, like my top five favorite heroes

I’ve been hovering around 3 or 4 if pressed to name

but Nate made it into that mention, for sure

J:  I’m not sure who mine would be either…

I think I change my mind too easily

but he’s definitely there

today, anyway

M:  I have a few that make me swoon just remembering their stories

and Nate is swoony

and even though we were lucky enough to read an arc through Netgalley, I pre-ordered Grimm Consequences, too

although I might have to order a paper copy of Gideon’s story, just to have that cover

but Nate’s story is out in April, right?

J:  Yeah. She had to push it back a bit

I will order a print copy of them to complete my set

M:  oh yeah. and Nate’s story, more novella length

which was perfect. so much packed in

J:  oh! that’s what was so impressive about it

I mean, we knew the characters through Red

so that was helpful

but she still managed to make them MORE in such a short number of words

M:  I don’t think you necessarily have to read Red first, but it really helps understand and love the characters

and, I mean, why wouldn’t you?

J:  that’s exactly what I said

why deny yourself the joy?

M:  Let’s do a giveaway when Ever After comes out in August

J:  yes

M:  All the others in the series

J:  we should go for broke

ask her to sign hard copies of all of them

and then run away with them

I mean

and then watch people line up for them

M:  Hate waiting. Appletinis will help. brb

Have you read The Transplanted Tales series? Let us know if you have or not, and tell us what you think!