giveaways!

Ashes of a Black Frost (11/1) | The Shattered Vine (11/3)
Coming soon:

drey's Giveaway Policy

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on covers or links here may result in monetary compensation.

117. Lightborn by Alison Sinclair...

September 30, 2010
lightborn
Title: Lightborn (Darkborn Trilogy #2)
Author: Alison Sinclair
ISBN-13: 9780451463296
Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Lightborn was on loan from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well. If Lady Telmaine Hearne thought that her adventures in Darkborn are over, and she can go back to being a respectable member of Darkborn society, she has another think coming. Because now she has Lord Vladimer's attention, all due to her ability in sensing the Shadowborn. Doesn't help that there were two Shadowborn assassins after her and Vladimer within the first ten pages of the book. Telmaine's story notwithstanding, Lightborn also introduces characters from the other side of the magical divide. And drama. Let's not forget the drama.

Specifically, the assassination of the Lightborn Prince, which puts an untried youth into a leadership position before he's ready, and thrusts Floria White Hand into the role of accused murderer. And so begins this dance, where some light and dark arm themselves against threats--real or perceived--from the other, whilst others either race to diffuse the tensions, or rush to pour oil into the fire. And all the while, a very select few are realizing with growing horror that the Shadowborn are real, and deadly.

I like this series from Alison Sinclair. I wonder where the story will go next, now that the Shadowborn have been introduced. There are hints here and there of their origin, but nothing very specific yet. Just enough to make you go "hmmm..." and whet your appetite for the next installment of this series full of political wrangling, opposite races, magic, and (of course) mayhem. Want to know more? Start with Darkborn. And join me as I travel along Lady Telmaine's road...

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

Winner of C.E. Murphy's Truthseeker!

September 29, 2010
Well. This one I'm not late for! Hah! *grin*

One lucky duck is getting a copy of Truthseeker from the very lovely C.E. Murphy. Out of all the entries, Randomizer has decreed that lucky to be..

rachie203!

Congratulations!! Please get your mailing information to me before the end of day Friday. Thank you so much for stopping by!

Winners!

September 28, 2010
Ok, I'm late again! I'm so sorry... One day it's barely September, then it's almost October!

First up. I have five winners who will receive a copy of Kate Brady's Last to Die, and according to Randomizer, they are:

Anita Yancey!

nfmgirl!

rubynreba!

Tore!

Marjorie!


Next up: One lucky duck will receive a copy of Louisa Edwards' Market trilogy: Can't Stand the Heat, On the Steamy Side, and Just One Taste. And Randomizer says the winner is...

Theresa N.!


Congratulations, everybody!!! Emails have been sent, please respond before the end of day Friday. And thanks so much for stopping by...

Didn't win? No worries. Purchase Last to Die at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository. Purchase Can't Stand the Heat at IndieBoundAmazonThe Book Depository. Purchase On the Steamy Side at IndieBoundAmazonThe Book Depository. Purchase Just One Taste at IndieBoundAmazonThe Book Depository.


FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

116. Elizabeth, Captive Princess by Margaret Irwin...

elizabeth, captive princessTitle: Elizabeth, Captive Princess
Author: Margaret Irwin
ISBN-13: 9781402229978
ARC: 323 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Elizabeth, Captive Princess was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Queen Elizabeth has always fascinated me, and when Sourcebooks offered up Elizabeth, Captive Princess for review, I jumped at it. After all, I did like Young Bess.

Elizabeth's half-brother Edward is King, and has been sickly. When she is summoned to his sick-bed, she instead pleads illness and refuses to make the journey, certain that he is already dead and she may be riding into a trap. Such is the auspicious start to this next novel in Margaret Irwin's trilogy on Queen Elizabeth, which covers the period from Edward's death to Mary's ascension to the throne and marriage to Philip of Spain.

I have never quite grasped all of the nicknames for the people revolving around Elizabeth, and had to actively remember who is whom. Luckily for me, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. Fans of historical fiction and Queen Elizabeth should pick this one up--as well as Young Bess, if you haven't read that yet.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Tour: 115. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis...

September 27, 2010
Today I'm happy to be hosting Jill Shalvis on her blog tour for Simply Irresistible, a quirky, warm-fuzzy, contemporary romance that'll get you going "awwwwwwww"...

simply irresistible
Title: Simply Irresistible (Lucky Harbor #1)
Author: Jill Shalvis
ISBN-13: 9780446571616
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Simply Irresistible was provided by Hachette Book Group for this blog tour. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

About the author:
USA Today bestselling author JILL SHALVIS lives in a small town in the Sierras also run by quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books are, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website at www.jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountain adventures.

drey's thoughts:
Three half-sisters--Tara, Maddie, and Chloe--meet up at a dilapidated old inn in Lucky Harbor to inspect their inheritance. One wants to fix it up. One wants to sell it. One is ambivalent. All three have secrets, and none of them really know how to talk to each other.

In Simply Irresistible, Jill Shalvis gives us a crash-course in sibling dynamics along with a warm-fuzzy romance, and does both admirably. Her characters are fun and irreverent. And I love how each chapter starts with a quote attributed to the girls' mother. For example:

Men are like parking spots. All the good ones are taken, and those that aren't are inaccessible.

Remember, it's always better to be the smartass rather than the dumbass.

The easy road is always under construction, so have an alternative route planned.

And, this being a romance novel, Jax (the hero) is delectably hunky and absolutely delish! I love the dialog between the characters, and I love how real Jill makes them. Pick this one up to curl up with this fall. Or better yet, win a copy!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have 5 copies of Simply Irresistible for you--one copy per household, if you live in the US or Canada (no PO Boxes, please).

To enter, comment and tell me why you want it. That's it. Tweet this giveaway for an additional entry if you'd like to (@dreys_tweets), comment separately with your tweet status. Do it before 6:00pm CST October 10th. Good luck!

Saturday Spotlight: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare...

September 25, 2010
Today's spotlight is for a new offering by Cassandra Clare, whose Mortal Instruments books I really liked. Clockwork Angel is the first in a new series, The Infernal Devices.

clockwork angel

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

114. Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara...

September 24, 2010
cast in chaos
Title: Cast in Chaos (Chronicles of Elantra #6)
Author: Michelle Sagara
ISBN-13: 9780373803194
Paperback: 503 pages
Publisher: Luna, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Cast in Chaos is my own. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
There are days when I feel bad for Kaylin--usually because she's prone to inserting-foot-in-mouth, and then chomping--and then there are days when I feel really bad for Kaylin. *sigh*

Like when she has to deal with dragons, especially when "dealing" involves lessons. Etiquette lessons (you know, so she doesn't tick off the wrong dragon and end up as afternoon snack). And when she has an oracle predicting trouble... Or rather, all the oracles predicting trouble. Then she visits Evanton and disappears into some sort of warp. She knows that something's really, really wrong.  And it's a race against time for Kaylin, as she tries to figure out what.

Michelle Sagara brings a new twist into this latest addition to the Chronicles of Elantra series. At 503 pages, there is a LOT of Sagara's awesome action packed story-telling between the covers, and she even steps into the realm of the Kaylin-Severn and Kaylin-Nightshade relationship possibility. And I really really REALLY want Cast in Ruins to come out, like, NOW, because I need to know what happens next!! *whine*

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub

113. Truthseeker by C.E. Murphy...

September 23, 2010
truthseeker
Title: Truthseeker (Worldwalker #1)
Author: C.E. Murphy
ISBN-13: 9780345516060
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Random House, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Truthseeker is my own. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Truthseeker is the latest offering from C.E. Murphy, and is part of a new duology filled with faeries, magic, time travel, and treachery.

Lara Jensen is a tailor who just happens to know when you tell the truth. You'd think that this is a handy thing to have, but it's just a pain in her you-know-what. After all, how much fun can it be to know when people aren't being honest with you?

Then she meets David, or Daffydd ap Caerwyn, a Seelie prince who's been searching for a Truthseeker for close to a hundred years. The lucky guy convinces Lara to help him find out who killed his brother, but when they get to Faerie, all hell breaks loose. In a race against time, Lara and David have to find and stop the mastermind who's trying to embroil Faerie and Earth in war. If they can survive long enough to do so.

Truthseeker is addicting from the moment you crack open the cover. Its fast-paced action has you spinning as you try to keep up with Lara and David, and while I wasn't so sure why Lara agrees to help him, I'm glad she does. I guess not all princes of Faerie are s.o.b.s. I loved the characters, and the story. A thrilling adventure from one of my favorite authors. Now I'm back to waiting for more. *sigh*

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

September's FEATURED AUTHOR: The Future of a Franchise?

September 22, 2010
Today, our Featured Author--C.E. Murphy--shares some thoughts on the Old Races stories and characters... And what may be a way for us to get more of our favorites!

Once upon a time, a young writer named C.E. Murphy wrote some books called The Negotiator trilogy, which were stories of the Old Races. They were the most difficult books she ever wrote, requiring a total of about eleven total rewrites for the three books, and fortunately, after all that work, people liked them quite a lot.

So much, in fact, that they often ask when C.E. will be writing more of them.

The answer is "Eventually, probably," but the truth is, after the massive, massive amount of work that went into those books, I'm still not ready to face novel-length fiction in the Old Races universe.

I have, however, been writing short stories and novellas. There's Five Card Draw, a freebie short story at my website, and "Perchance to Dream", a post-trilogy Janx story, has been published in Dragon's Lure. Those are readily available.

Less available are the novellas I'm writing, and I'm telling you this not to tease you, but so that you'll sign up for my newsletter, which is where first and most blatant news about the novellas tends to turn up.

I've been writing those on commission. Basically, you the reader have the opportunity to buy in to a novella which wouldn't be written at *all* without your patronage. The two that have been commissioned so far are stories about Janx and Daisani, and one of these days I'll write one about Grace O'Malley.

The whole process is a pretty cool and exciting one for a writer. It's a patronage system like in the days of yore, made possible by the internet, and it's most often called "crowdfunding". It's a way for me to reach a direct market of readers, and to write things I wouldn't otherwise write. There's more detail about my experiences with crowdfunding at my blog, but overall I have to say it's a lot of fun and fascinating to me. So if you'd like a chance to buy in to the next Old Races novella, please do sign up for my newsletter and keep an eye on CE Murphy.net, where I post details when the commissions come open!

I personally think crowdfunding is an excellent way for us readers to get more of what we want... And I want Grace. *grin*

Thank you for being such a sport and visiting us this month! I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed having you here.

112. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater...

September 21, 2010
shiver
Title: Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
ISBN-13: 9780545123266
Hardcover: 390 pages
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc., 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Shiver visited from my local library (yay!). I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
In a world where books with paranormal characters fill shelves everywhere, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver is a refreshingly quiet love story. Grace is not an ass-kicking, half-anything,weapon-wielding, bad-guy-scaring kinda gal. And Sam is... just Sam. Who's watched Grace forever, wishing he could talk to her. Then one day, he does.

In Sam's world, the wolves only turn human in summer, and they only have so many years of turning. Knowing that this may be his last year, he finally approaces Grace. And so their story begins.

Not that Shiver is just about Sam and Grace. There's the pack, and its leader's attempt to provide continuity for it once he can no longer turn. There's Sam's haunting past. There's Grace's dead-turned-wolf classmate, who's sure she knows how he can stay human. And all throughout, there's the knowledge that Sam may never return to human form, lending poignancy to this sweet love story.

Shiver is written sparingly, the words between the covers serve a purpose, and serves it well. I'm off to pick up Linger.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

111. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa...

September 20, 2010
the iron daughter
Title: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
ISBN-13: 9780373210138
Paperback: 359 pages
Publisher: Harlequin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Iron Daughter came from my public library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well. Meghan successfully rescued her little brother in The Iron King, and returned him safely home. But Ash collects on her bargain, and she returns with him to the Winter Court, where he leaves her at the mercy of Queen Mab, and disappears. Whatever happened between Ash and Meghan is apparently dust under the rug now.

When the Summer Court visits to pass the Scepter of the Seasons to Queen Mab, the Iron Fey infiltrates the Exchange, steal the Scepter, and frame Meghan for the death of Mab's firstborn son, Sage. Since nobody believes that the Iron Fey actually exist, Meghan's life is now in very real danger from Mab's anger. What else can she do but retrieve the Scepter?

Rife with intrigue and danger, The Iron Daughter is lush with detail in the descriptions of the characters and the world. I am definitely going to get The Iron Queen when it comes out next February!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

Winners!

September 19, 2010
I have a few winner announcements to make...

My copy of Kelly Gay's The Darkest Edge of Dawn is going to ...

tetewa who's looking forward to Atlantis Betrayed!

And five copies of Anita Shreve's Testimony is going to ...

petite!!

tina werner!!

Lisanne624!!

holdenj!!

Norma!!

Congratulations, everyone! Emails have been sent, please reply with your mailing information before the end of day Wednesday!

Didn't win? Purchase The Darkest Edge of Dawn at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository. Purchase Testimony at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

An Interview with Rachel Vincent...

September 18, 2010
Can y'all w00t with me? *grin* Today, I'm totally freaking lucky to have a visitor... Rachel Vincent stops by to answer some questions, and share a teaser! Come see what she has to say.

alpha blog tour button

drey: Hello, Rachel. Welcome to drey’s library! I’m so excited to have you visit, and am impatiently waiting for Alpha! Readers, Rachel is the author of the Shifters and the Soul Screamers series. And I promised to keep this one short, even though I have so many questions!! So let's get started...

Rachel, tell us about yourself in 10 sentences or less.

Rachel: I am a writer and a resident of San Antonio. I can’t cook, but I love to bake. I don’t carry a purse.

drey: I used to be able to not carry purses. Somehow that changed...

Did you always want to be an author?

Rachel: Yes, even before I knew that was a valid career choice.

drey: Can you share your first sale with us?

Rachel: Stray was my first sale. My agent, Miriam Kriss, sold it in a four-publisher auction in January, 2006, after eleven days on the market, as the first in a 3-book contract.

drey: Wow, she's some agent! Then again, the books are awesome! *grin*

For those who haven’t read your books, can you tell us a little about Faythe and her world? Kaylee and bean sidhes?

Rachel: Faythe is a female werecat struggling to make a place for herself in a strictly patriarchal society which values her womb above everything else she has to offer. She starts off stubborn and spoiled, refusing to fall into line (not that I can blame her) and gradually begins to take responsibility for more than herself and to demand revolution.

Kaylee is a sixteen year old bean sidhe—-banshee, to the uninformed—-who doesn’t figure out what she is and what she can do until the middle of the first book in the Soul Screamers series. But along with the discovery of her species comes knowledge of the Netherworld, a hellish alternate dimension that seems determined to keep pulling her in.

drey: Where do you get your inspiration?

Rachel: I don’t know. Random things lead to “what if” moments, which eventually gang up on me to form the skeleton of a story. But the details are where all the real work comes in.

drey: How hard was it to wrap up Faythe’s story? Who are you going to miss the most? Is there a possibility you’ll revisit Faythe’s world in the future?

Rachel: It was very hard. It feels like saying goodbye, and that’s just never happy. I’m going to miss Faythe the most, because I spent years in her head. But after Alpha, there’s still “Hunt,” the Abby story coming up in an anthology from Tor next year.

drey: Ooooh. More! Yay!

If one of your series were transferred to the screen, which one would it be, and who would be in it?

Rachel: I can picture either of them on the screen. But I’d love to have brilliant unknown actors.

drey: What are you looking forward to next?

Rachel: After I finish IF I DIE (the 5th Soul Screamers book), I’ll be writing the first in my new adult series, scheduled to debut next year.

drey: What can we look forward to next?

Rachel: Up after Alpha is “Reaper,” an online Soul Screamers novella from Tod’s POV, which will be free for at least a little while. It’s currently scheduled for about a month before the Jan 1 US release of My Soul To Steal!

Y'all, find Rachel online at her website, rachelvincent.com, and her blog, www.urbanfantasy.blogspot.com.

And here's a teaser for you from Alpha:
"You should calm down," Dean warned, his breath brushing my ear. "You're getting your lovers all riled up, and that just can't end well." From pg. 122 of Alpha

I so cannot wait to find out what happens!! Aargh!!!



Find out more about Rachel's Shifters series at rachelvincent.com/shifters, and her Soul Screamers series at rachelvincent.com/soulscreamers.

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

110. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn...

September 17, 2010
discord's apple
Title: Discord's Apple
Author: Carrie Vaughn
ISBN-13: 9780765325549
Hardcover: 299 pages
Publisher: Tor Books, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Discord's Apple was on loan from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I love Carrie Vaughn's Kitty Norville series. So how could Discord's Apple be anything but good?

In a future where the superpowers are at each others' throats and annihilation is more likely than peace, Evie Walker is returning to Hope's Fort because her father is dying. Once there, the world as she knows it starts to fall apart, as the secret of her family's legacy is revealed. Passed from father to oldest child, Evie is beginning to receive her inheritance--the storeroom, with its cache of ageless and magical treasures--in bits and pieces of realization.

However, just as she is getting up to speed, others come a-calling, seeking the storeroom, and one in particular wants her hands on Discord's Apple. Why? Well, to remake the world, of course!

Carrie Vaughn deftly weaves a tapestry of love, loss, jealousy, anger, and mythology alive and well in a modern-day apocalyptic world. The characters will surprise you, the stories will enthrall you, and all through this journey familiar faces (well, familiar if you read, lol!) will lead the way. Pick it up for a surprisingly good read. I'd like to go on that ride again, please.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

109. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa...

September 16, 2010
the iron king
Title: The Iron King (Iron Fey #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
ISBN-13: 9780373210084
Paperback: 363 pages
Publisher: Harlequin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Iron King came from my public library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I picked up Julie Kagawa's The Iron King because I really liked the cover. And what I found was an amazing story about a sixteen-year-old girl whose life changes drastically when she finds her brother stolen by faeries and replaced by a changeling.

Meghan Chase is having the worst birthday ever. She is completely embarrassed at school, and comes home to find her mother injured, her brother missing, her best friend isn't human, and faeries exist. When she goes looking for him, she gets entangled in the world of the fae, where everything can be bargained for, and nothing is what it seems.

The Iron King spins a magical tale that conjures the fantastical along with a quest. I had visions à la Alice in WonderlandLabyrinth, and The Chronicles of Narnia floating through my head while reading this one, and loved how today's modernity is represented in the Iron fey. I cannot wait for more.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

September's FEATURED AUTHOR: Catie's favorite reads!!

September 15, 2010
I always love finding out what my favorite authors like to read, especially when they share new-to-me authors that get me hooked! And Catie's no different. Read on to see what her favorite books are...

"What are your favorite reads," drey asks. At least it's not "what's your favorite book," which is an impossible question to answer. This one is hard enough!

Actually, according to my husband, who is much more observant about this kind of thing than I am, Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana is my favorite book, and that's an assertation I can't argue with. It's a book about a country whose name was taken away from it--no one not born there can hear it spoken, and the few who were born there are dying out--and about the fight to break the magic that took the name away. And I love it. I re-read it more often than any other book, and I *keep* loving it, which is quite a trick. The relationships in it break my heart, even after dozens of re-reads, and that's about as much as you can possibly ask from a book, I think.

Neck and neck with Tigana, though, is Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising Sequence, which both as individual books and as a whole are possibly my favorite books ever, too. The wonderful thing about them is I read them first when I was eight and now, nigh unto thirty years later...they're still as fantastic as they were when I was a kid.

Leaping out of genre--at least, out of the SF/F genre--I *love* Barbara Hambly's Benjamin January novels. They're murder mysteries set in 1830s New Orleans, and the main character is a black surgeon, born in Louisiana as a free man of color and trained in Paris. They're simply magnificent books, with incredible worldbuilding. Highly recommended!

And back in genre, I just finished reading Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series, which is military SF that delivers exactly what it says on the box. I really enjoyed those and sort of wish I could write something like it.

I could probably stay here for a week thinking up other favorites, but there's a taste of what I like--and lo, it goes all over the board, doesn't it? But that's what reading is for!

According to Catie, I should definitely check out Susan Cooper. Have you? What did you think of the rest of her list--are any on yours?

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

108. Just One Taste by Louisa Edwards...

September 14, 2010
just one taste
Title: Just One Taste
Author: Louisa Edwards
ISBN-13: 9780312356477
ARC: 331 pages (not including recipes!)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Just One Taste was provided by Nancy Berland Public Relations for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I think Louisa Edwards is a closet geek. There. I've said it... Not that that's a biggie, as I'm a self-avowed geek myself. Hurrah for girl-geek-power! *grin* Ok, ok. Enough of the silliness.

Wes hides his past from everybody, not trusting that they'd want him around if they knew where he's been and what he's done. Rosemary hides from people in general, uncomfortable with social interactions where her brain overtakes her tongue.

With all that hiding, how on earth did they show up as co-stars in a romance novel? Well, because Louisa gets it all down perfectly, that's how. The chemistry between these two just work. Doesn't hurt that Wes appreciates Rosemary's particular brand of humor, and Louisa's story-telling and dialog makes their story believable. I could "see" their interactions in my head.

Just One Taste is a romantic confection with that little touch of offbeat to make it fresh and yummy. A delicious treat for fans of the genre!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

107. Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead...

September 13, 2010
spirit bound
Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)
Author: Richelle Mead
ISBN-13: 9781595142504
Hardcover: 489 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Spirit Bound was on loan from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Wow. Richelle Mead's fifth installment in the Vampire Academy series definitely doesn't disappoint. It's packed with non-stop action from cover to cover, and I couldn't put it down once I'd started reading.

Rose makes it through the trials and graduates, and goes to Court with Lissa while awaiting her assignment, worried that her transgressions would negatively impact her chances of being assigned Lissa's guardianship. Which is when you'd expect that Rose would be on her best behavior. Instead, she decides to do a little sleuthing, a little breaking-and-entering, and a little getting-a-convict-out-of-prison. Busy, busy Rose. And, because she's super-multi-tasker Rose, peppered in between all that is her trying to save Dmitri, getting Lissa and Christian back together, and dealing with Adrian's feelings for her (and hers for him).

But she finds the political waters at court neither shallow nor calm, as Rose manages to shock, awe, and dismay the Moroi--and the guardians--there. Mayhem and chaos follow, and it's about to get worse. What can be worse than losing Dmitri to the Strigoi, you ask? How about getting him back only to have him not want you around anymore? And tensions amp up a bunch of notches when the Queen is murdered. With Rose's stake.

As you can probably imagine, I'm really antsily waiting for book #6!

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

Rachel Vincent's Alpha trailer!

September 12, 2010
Been meaning to post this for a few days now, just haven't gotten around to it. For fans of Rachel Vincent's Shifters series, here's a trailer for Alpha, coming Sept. 28!



I cannot wait!!

Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository Challenges:

A return visit from the lovely Louisa Edwards!

September 10, 2010
Today, I'm very pleased to have the lovely Louisa Edwards visiting drey's library. She has a new Recipe for Love book out--Just One Taste, and is blog-hopping to celebrate! As part of the festivities, she's answering some questions (poor girl!), and has some goodies for you!

louisa edwards
About Louisa:
Louisa Edwards grew up in Virginia and graduated from Bryn Mawr College before moving to Manhattan to work with some of the biggest names in book publishing. She later moved to Ohio, where she worked as a restaurant reviewer. She decided to bring her love of romance and cooking together by writing the Recipe for Love series.

Find Louisa online at her official website, www.louisaedwards.com, and her blog, Recipe for Love.

FTC Disclosure: I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

The interview:
drey: Hello, Louisa! Welcome back to Drey’s Library, and congratulations on releasing Just One Taste! I’m jumping right in... Can you share your first sale story with us?

Louisa: My first sale only happened because I jumped off the paranormal bandwagon (I love to read them, but apparently shouldn’t write them!) and started writing a book I thought would never sell. Okay, not never—I obviously hoped it would sell. But I knew it was risky to do a contemporary romance with an unusual occupation for the hero (a chef is not a billionaire tycoon, a small town cop, or a Navy SEAL, after all.)

My incredibly smart agent suggested that I set aside the paranormal manuscript I’d been working on for the past year and a half, and write something I felt truly connected to and passionate about, and for me, that meant the connection between food and love, and the fast-paced pressure cooker of a professional restaurant in New York City. I wrote the proposal in three months, and she sold it to St. Martin’s in two weeks.

drey: That's awesome! Not about the paranormal manuscript, about selling your book in two weeks! *grin* Where do you find inspiration for your books? And when you have one, how do you capture that “a-ha!” moment?
Louisa: I get inspiration from lots of places—food television shows like “Top Chef” and “No Reservations,” culinary memoirs like Heat by Bill Buford and A Return to Cooking by Eric Ripert, and from my own experiences in the kitchen.

I always tell myself I’ll start carrying around a little notebook to write down the funny things I hear and the snippets of ideas that occur to me in random places, but I haven’t managed it yet! I actually have a note file on my phone for that stuff.

drey: Can you tell us about Just One Taste, your latest Recipe for Love novel?
Louisa: Just One Taste returns to trendy Manhattan eatery, Market, and its crew of misfits and renegades. This time, they’re joined by ex-con-artist-turned-culinary-student Wes Murphy, who's hiding out and nursing a broken heart—until the object of his affections, food chemistry genius Dr. Rosemary Wilkins, shows up at Market, looking to continue their research project on aphrodisiacs!

These two were a total blast to write—Rosemary is shy, awkward, brilliant, and a complete nerd, which gave me free rein to let that part of me loose on the page.

(drey: I was very impressed by the ultra-geekiness that resided in Just One Taste...)

And Wes is maybe the most romantic hero I’ve ever written, because he takes Rosemary exactly as she is and loves everything about her.

drey: Will there be more books in this series? What’s next?
Louisa: Can’t Stand the Heat, On the Steamy Side and Just One Taste together make up the Market trilogy, and while each can definitely be read as a stand alone story, there are subplots that arc through all three books. I feel good about how those subplots were wrapped up in Just One Taste, so I’m moving on to a new trilogy in 2011.

Don’t worry, though! It’s set in the same world, and even in real life, the culinary scene is small; chefs tend to know each other. It’s the same with my characters. You’ll see some familiar faces pop up in Too Hot to Touch, Some Like it Hot, and Hot Under Pressure, my trilogy following a group of talented young chefs through a high-stakes culinary competition! The first one is due out in August 2011, with the other two scheduled fairly closely after it.

drey: Your book on the screen: which one, and who’s in it?
Louisa: You know, what I’d really love to see is a television series based on the Market trilogy. There are so many great reality-based shows about chefs; I think the time is ripe for an evening drama set in a restaurant!

As for casting…well, if I could have anyone in the world, I’d steal Jared Padalecki from the set of “Supernatural” and make him play Wes Murphy. And I think Kristen Bell would make an adorable Rosemary Wilkins! Anyone else have any casting ideas, say for Executive Chef Adam Temple or celebrity chef Devon Sparks?

drey: What’s your favorite accompaniment to chocolate?
Louisa: Strawberries, of course!

drey: Um, yeah, I think I knew that... *wink* What do you indulge in, when not writing?
Louisa: When I’m not under deadline, I like to play around with short stories to offer for free on my website. I’ve done a couple of free reads, just for fun, and I love being able to talk about them with readers on Twitter and Facebook!

drey: What books have you read recently? Why’d you pick them up?
Louisa: Right now I’m in the middle of Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain and Something About You by Julie James. Both phenomenal! Tony’s book Kitchen Confidential was a huge inspiration for the Recipe for Love series, and I adore the way he writes about food, chefs, and travel. I grabbed Something About You because it’s a contemporary romance that got a ton of buzz when it came out, and I wanted to see why. Turns out, it’s because it’s great. : )

On my TBR pile: Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann, Heart of Fire by Kristen Painter, Make Her Pay by Roxanne St. Claire, Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole, and Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie.

drey: Thank you for taking the time to visit again! Come back often!
Louisa: Thank you for having me here! It’s always fun to hang out at drey’s library.

Giveaway!


Ok y'all, put your thinking caps on. Who do you think should be cast in a TV series based on the Market trilogy? Up for grabs: why, the books themselves, of course! 1 autographed set (Can't Stand the Heat, On the Steamy Side, and Just One Taste)! US and Canada residents only. Comment with your ideas, include your email address so I can contact you if you win. Tweet for an extra entry (comment with your twitter status). Do it before 6:00pm CST September 23rd, and good luck!!

Tour: 106. Last to Die by Kate Brady...

September 9, 2010
Today, drey's library is participating in the blog tour for Kate Brady's newest offering, Last to Die.


About the author:
Kate Brady began writing fiction when her doctoral research became tedious. For years, she wrote in the closet, penning several novels that—thankfully—remain there. Now, she leads a double life. Some days, she’s a choral conductor and professor of music education. Other days, she plays with imaginary people on her computer.

Kate lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and an array of furry, feathery, and scaly things. When she has time to read, her nose is most often found in a police story or gourmet cooking magazine! She is currently working on her next novel.

Kate on writing romantic thrillers:
Writing romantic thrillers is like a roller coaster ride: ups and downs, twists and turns, sometimes cranking slowly uphill and other times flying around curves. Occasionally, sadly, the ride jumps the track and I have to go back and try again, to find the right route and speed and context for the story.

The easy part is climbing on—that is, starting the story. For me, all I want is the germ of an idea (What is the villain up to?) and a man and woman who aren’t a couple yet but who will ultimately beat the bad guy and fall in love. The ideas can come from anywhere—-something I read, someone I see in a parking lot, something I hear on the news. My favorite way to write is to simply sit down at the keyboard and see what happens and what characters say. But that can take longer than figuring a few things out ahead of time. So, in the interest of time, I do try to think through some basic character traits before I write: What are the emotional issues driving each of the three main characters? What makes the villain tick?

Then, I dive in. Plotting, I’ve found, isn’t useful for me. In fact, it can be paralyzing. (I have come to accept this as a basic lack of skill on my part: When I have characters in a room and can let them do or say whatever they want, it’s not difficult. It’s when I try to manipulate them or control what happens in a scene that I find myself struggling.) Because I’m along for the ride and rarely know what’s going to happen next, I do find that the first round of edits is pretty substantial. Once I’ve gotten to the end of the book and found out what it’s about, I have to go back and rewrite accordingly. (In One Scream Away, I never knew what was in the bag Chevy Bankes carried until he showed the heroine at the end. Then I went back and threaded that into the story.) Even though it can mean a lot of rewrites, flying into the mist works better for me than trying to plot it all out in advance.

What does it feel like to get the stories “out there?” I didn’t start out wanting to be a published author; I just started writing and then, after several years of doing it only for myself, I decided to see if anyone else might want to read my books. Once I got serious about it and learned how rough the ride to publication can be, I didn’t really imagine making it that far. So, I won’t lie to you: Seeing my books in a bookstore is startling and thrilling and amazing! The final fun curve in a thrilling ride.

last to die
Title: Last to Die
Author: Kate Brady
ISBN-13: 9780446541534
ARC: 418 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My ARC of Last to Die was provided by the publisher for this blog tour. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Kate Brady writes fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat romantic thrillers. One Scream Away creeped me out. And Last to Die had me on tenterhooks, reading as fast as I could to find out what happens at the end...

Dani Cole is a cop who's investigating the murder of a young woman she helped get off the streets. Mitch Sheridan is a world-renowned photojournalist whose foundation is involved somehow. Never mind that the two have a past, will they be able to trust each other enough to solve this mystery? Especially when she suspects that more women have died, but can't prove it. Yet, anyway.

And then the killer targets Dani, and Mitch will do anything he can to keep her safe.

Kate Brady's characters are realistic, her villains are sympathetic, and her dialog is crisp and spare. And the ending will knock you off your feet. If you're a fan of the genre, you will be a fan of Kate Brady's.

Read an excerpt of Last to Die:

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

Giveaway!
Thanks to Hachette Book Group, I have 5 copies of Last to Die for you, if you live in the US or Canada (no PO Boxes, please!). To enter, comment with your email address and tell me why you want it. + 1 for tweeting (copy @dreys_tweets), comment separately with your status. Do it before 6:00pm CST September 22nd. Good luck!

This one's a crazy busy tour. Check out these other stops:
9/6: Our Bookcase, BookHounds, Rundpinne,
Extreme Personal Measures, My book addiction and more..., The Life (and lies) of an inanimate flying object, Just Jennifer Reading, The Thrifty Things, Coupon Scribbles
9/7: Paranormal & Romantic Suspense Reviews
9/8: Book Soulmates, The Book Tree
9/9: drey's library, Rex Robot Reviews
9/10: My Reading Room
9/11: Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks, Freda's Voice
9/13: Readaholic
9/14: Frugal Plus
9/15: One Book Shy of a Full Shelf, Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf, You Wanna Know What I Think?
9/16: The Eclectic Book Lover, Book of Secrets, Books Like Breathing
9/17: A room without books is empty, Mom Blog Showcase, Libby's Library news, Renee's Reads, Book Obsessed, Starting Fresh, DK's Everything Romance Books, My Book Views, WV Stitcher, The avid reader, Thoughts in Progress, Simply Stacie, Book Junkie, Ashley's Bookshelf, Chrissy's World of Books

September's FEATURED AUTHOR: Catie's books!!

September 8, 2010
C.E. Murphy has written quite a few books. Let's hope I get them all down correctly... I should--I've read quite a few of 'em!

FTC Disclosure: I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

For descriptions and excerpts, visit C.E. Murphy's website: cemurphy.net/excerpts-short-stories

First up: The Walker Papers. Urban Shaman is the book that got me hooked on Catie's writing.



URBAN SHAMAN
Seattle police mechanic Joanne Walker has no use for the mystical, but it has a use for her. When a near-death experience awakens shamanic magic within her, she finds herself up against old Celtic gods and a murderer whose magic is greater than her own…
WINTER MOON (anthology containing the novella “Banshee Cries”)
Ritual murders under a full moon lead reluctant shaman Joanne Walker to a harbinger of death…and the realization that if she doesn’t learn to use her magic, the next death may be her own…
THUNDERBIRD FALLS
Joanne’s spirit guide has disappeared and she’s accidentally unleashed demons on Seattle. It’s not the best time to realize she should have long since learned more about her powers…
COYOTE DREAMS
Half of Seattle’s fallen under mystical influence and can’t wake up. Joanne Walker has stepped up her magical studies, but it may not be enough to save her friends…
Rabbit Tricks” (online offering: short story)
WALKING DEAD
The undead have just crashed Joanne Walker’s Halloween party, and she has to figure out how to break the spell that lets ghosts and zombies roam the earth. Unfortunately, there’s no shamanic handbook explaining how to deal with the walking dead…
DEMON HUNTS
Seattle police detective Joanne Walker started the year mostly dead, and she’s ending it trying not to be consumed by evil. Literally. And the cannibalistic demon can only be tracked in its own domain: the Lower World, shamanistic plane of magic and spirits. Trouble is, Joanne’s no match for the dangers she’s about to face–and her on-the-job training could prove fatal to the people she’s sworn to protect…
SPIRIT DANCES (coming April 2011--I so cannot wait!!!)



The Old Races universe encompasses The Negotiator trilogy and other stories. I picked up Heart of Stone because I thought the cover was cool. :)

The Negotiator Trilogy:
HEART OF STONE
New York City defense lawyer Margrit Knight has finally met the perfect man…only he’s a gargoyle, and wanted for murder. Caught in the strange world of the Old Races, Margrit finds herself in a race against the sunrise to clear Alban’s name and keep them both alive…
HOUSE OF CARDS
Margrit is summoned to negotiate a peace treaty amongst rival factions in the Old Races, but even as she does so, her own mortal world threatens to fall apart. Caught between a ruthless vampire mobster, a dragonlord who won’t take no for an answer, a group of subversive selkies, she finds herself alone–because the gargoyle who brought her into their world won’t return her calls…
HANDS OF FLAME
War has erupted among the five Old Races. Torn between conflicting loyalties as the battle seeps into the human world, Margrit soon realizes the only way out is through the fire…

Other stories:
Five Card Draw” (online offering: short story)
“From Russia, With Love” (from the FANTASY MEDLEY anthology; sold out)
“Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” (novella; sold out)
“Year of Miracles” (novella; not currently available for purchase)
“Perchance to Dream” (from the DRAGON’S LURE anthology)

After I finished reading Hands of Flame, I looked around for more books, cried when there weren't any, and heaved a sigh of relief when I found The Queen's Bastard.

The Inheritor's Cycle:
THE QUEEN’S BASTARD
In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. Cunning and alluring, Belinda can seduce at will and kill if she must–but her spying takes on a new twist when her witchlight appears…
THE PRETENDER’S CROWN
Belinda Primrose is no longer anyone’s pawn. Lured by the sensual dark magic of Dmitri, envoy to a neighboring throne, yet still drawn to the witchlord embrace of her former lover, Javier, Belinda has entered a realm where power and control go to those who can master and manipulate their fiercest desires. For the witchpower depends on the skill its wielder holds…

And, of course, with Truthseeker out this month, we have the Worldwalker duology to add to the list!

TRUTHSEEKER
Gifted with an uncanny intuition, Lara Jansen nonetheless thinks there is nothing particularly special about her until Dafydd ap Caerwyn reveals himself as a prince of Faerie and names Lara a truthseeker, a person with the rare talent of being able to tell truth from falsehood. Caught between bitterly opposed Faerie forces and Dafydd’s secrets, which are as perilous as he is irresistible, Lara finds that her abilities are increasing in unexpected and uncontrollable ways. With the fate of two worlds at stake and a malevolent entity wielding the darkest of magic, Lara and Dafydd will risk everything on a love that may be their salvation—or the most treacherous illusion of all…
WAYFINDER (2011)



Last, but not least, written as Cate Dermody, The Strongbox Chronicles:
THE CARDINAL RULE
Alisha MacAleer has dedicated her life to serving her country as an agent of the CIA. Now as her allies begin to show their true colors, she’s reminded of the first law of spying: trust no one but yourself.
THE FIREBIRD DECEPTION
The legendary Sicarii will do anything to get their hands on the artificial intelligence war drone called the Firebird. Betrayed on all sides by her comrades, covert agent Alisha MacAleer’s worst and only choice for allies is the man who once broke her heart…by shooting her in the back.
THE PHOENIX LAW
Alisha MacAleer has walked away from the spy game…but the game won’t let her go. When the Sicarii come after Alisha’s family, she resolves to end this dance once and for all…

Short Stories & Other Things:
» “Cairn Dancer” (from THE PHANTOM QUEEN AWAKES anthology)
» “Blended” (from the RUNNING WITH THE PACK anthology)
» “Take A Chance” : 5 issue comic series
» “Glasslands
» “Previously, on Take A Chance…
» “Them Shoes
» “Ill Met by Moonlight
» “A Compendium of Kitlings
» HIGHLANDER: IMMORTAL BELOVED

Whew! I don't know how she does it, but still, I want more!!! Thanks for writing, Catie! I know I'll be reading! I've read everything except the anthologies, and Truthseeker (which should be here soon), and the Strongbox Chronicles (but I've just downloaded The Cardinal Rule). Have you read Catie's books? Which ones?

105. Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine...

September 7, 2010
kiss of death
Title: Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires #8)
Author: Rachel Caine
ISBN-13: 9780451229731
Paperback: 241 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Kiss of Death was on loan from my public library (I heart my public library!). I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
You know how it gets when you're really into a series, and the number of books in that series starts inching closer to the double-digits, and you get that itty-bitty niggle of worry that this book will not be as good as you're expecting?

Boy, was that a run-on or what? Anyway. I practically inhaled Kiss of Death. Seriously. Yeah, yeah, I know I normally read fast. And this one wasn't a big book to start with. But still. Inhaled.

The gang--Michael, Eve, Shane, and Claire--goes on a road-trip to Dallas. Yes, they get to leave Morganville. With permission, of course. And an expected return. And an escort. Who turns out to have ulterior motives for going along.

This being the gang, you know the trip's not going to go all hunky-dory-like. And it doesn't take long for the first bump in the road--when they have to detour to a small town, almost get into a fight with the locals, lose Eve's car, buy a hearse, and get thrown onto the vamp bus. Which is also from Morganville, by the way. You're thinking, "huh?"

Apparently when Bishop was on his hunt for Amelie, he left souvenirs. Souvenirs that are savage and violent, and intent on this being the last road trip the gang goes on. Ever. And now they either have to be saved, or killed. Who do you think gets to take care of this cleanup?

I'm kinda bummed that Myrnin doesn't feature more in this book. But I won't complain (too much). Because I'm waiting for #9. And keeping my fingers crossed that I inhale that one, too.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library
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