Vanished by Kat Richardsom

read an excerpt

Series: Greywalker 4
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 4, 2009
Purchase Link: Amazon

Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died-for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker-walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she's discovering that her new abilities are landing her in all sorts of "strange cases."

But for Harper, her own case may prove the most difficult to solve. Why did she-as opposed to others with near-death experiences-become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father's early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present troubles in England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle-and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker.

Harper Blaine gets no reprieve from her share of adventure especially now that she's more adept on working the Grey. Unfortunately it's proving to be more of a bane than a gift because her cases as a P.I. leans toward the dangerous paranormalities.

Now her case is more personal because the merry ghosts of her past come a haunting and tells her that her past has a lot to do with her being a Greywalker. So Harper takes a trip down memory lane and discovers that her dearly departed father is a Greywalker and was haunted by a mysterious albino.

At the same time Edward, the alpha vampire of Seattle, hired Harper to investigate a series of mysterious events that happened in London, threatening to topple his leadership. Harper reluctantly took the case but what she doesn't know is this case will help her solve part of her personal mystery involving her father and her identity.

Contrary to Kat Richardson's welcome note, I actually like Harper's mother. Ok she's overbearing and extremely superficial but for the purposes of entertainment and effective conflicts, Veronica Geary is an interesting character. I hope we read more about her in the coming books, she's the exact opposite of Harper and she's the typical pageant/stage mom like Kris Jenner. Obviously Harper is a rebel but there is much to be resolved between this two. So I'm curious on what direction her relationship to Harper will take.

Book four of the series was a mash up by having two major conflicts and although it has a convenient connection the story didn't really flow very well. It feels like there were too much thinking on Richardson's part concerning how the story will go as opposed to letting the characters tell the story on their own. In the end, Harper's initial mystery concerning her dad felt unfinished and I'm hoping that in the coming books, she'll finally find closure.

Aside from her family mysteries, Harper is once again reeled in to vampire politics and this time her case takes her to London. Incidentally her ex-boyfriend Will got caught in the crossfire and now I understand why he really is unfit to be with our heroine and him breaking up with her was a wise choice. Although I wish that Richardson will give this character reprieve and just let him live his own life minus the colorful entanglements with Harper.  

In Underground, Kat Richardson incorporated Native American myths. For this one she made use of Egyptian myth and a touch of Greek and maybe it's an indication that Kat is moving towards that direction like Sherrilyn Kenyon. I like that idea but at the same time I'd rather that she kept the plot and storyline simple and uncluttered. Kat Richardson can be a challenge to read because her dialogue is not very snappy and her approach can be at times a tad journalistic. In my humble opinion, Underground is the most entertaining so far because she just focused on the character and the story wasn't too structured.

There were some fun parts on the book, Harper talking to the bust of Sekhmet

outside Sotheby's and her very informative conversation with Temperance, Chastity and Prudence. I can imagine Harper cursing her fate, running around London talking to statues trying to save herself and her ex-boyfriend Will from vampires and other creatures of the dark.

This wasn't the best of the four and I might have jumped the gun with my Mercy Thompson comparison. Harper Blaine is a strong heroine but her story's development is falling short. So I'm taking a break and maybe a dash of something fun will clean my palate a bit.

Underground by Kat Richardson

read an excerpt

Series: Greywalker 3
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 5, 2008
Purchase Link: Amazon

Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker -- walking the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she's discovering that her new abilities are landing her all sorts of "strange" cases.

Pioneer Square's homeless are turning up dead and mutilated, and zombies have been seen roaming the underground--the city buried beneath modern Seattle. When Harper's friend Quinton believes he may be implicated in the deaths, he persuades her to investigate. But the killer is no mere murderer--it is a creature of ancient legend. And Harper must deal with both the living and the dead to stop the monster and its master…...unless they stop her first.

Harper Blaine's adventure as a private investigator for hire with supernatural abilities continues on book three of Kat Richardson's Greywalker series.

Quinton sought Harper's assistance in investigating the death and disappearance of multiple homeless persons. Some of the bodies found are mangled or bitten severely. As Harper pursues the case she discovers that Seattle has a... zombie problem?

Or a powerful necromancer is behind the reanimated corpses she has been lucky enough to encounter on her filed trips.

But something tells her that this is not the product of sorcery. Her knowledge of the Grey is becoming more and more useful but is it enough to help Quinton and those homeless people solve the mystery behind the deaths?

Let me just rant and get it out of the way: Will is a eunuch! Seriously this guy has no business being kick butt Harper Blaine's boyfriend. First off he dropped off the radar on Greywalker and realized that he couldn't deal with Harper's very exciting life. Then he flies off to London and came back to try things out. Lo and behold! At the first sight of trouble he once again runs and this was when they were attacked by a zombie.

"Harper, I'm sorry. That was just the stupidest thing I could have done." [Will] 

"I don't know--freaking out seems like a pretty normal reaction to what happened. abandoning me under the viaduct... not that was a little rough." It wasn't until the words were out of my mouth that I realized how pissed off I was. [Harper]

Well at least he's consistent.

Underground reminds me of City of Ember (2008) and now I really want to go back to Seattle and take that tour. Another good thing about Kat Richardson is that her books are well researched and filled with trivial stuff not just about Seattle landmarks but whatever topic she decides to take on. I like reading tidbits of information because I'm not much into history so taking it in bits and pieces works well for me.

Aside from this Harper now has a love life. Yes, I'm happy to announce that Kat Richardson finally decided that her heroine deserves a solid man to support her and it's not Will but Quinton! I was actually squealing with glee when these two finally got together and did the deed. But let me just set the right expectations, my comparison to Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson Series was dead on in the sense that Kat is meek compared to her mentor, Charlaine Harris. But like Mercy and Adam, Harper and Quinton are combustible and they are like two piece in a puzzle that fits perfectly.

This series is getting more interesting by the book! If you started with Greywalker and decided to drop it, I STRONGLY URGE you to pick up the book once again and proceed with the series. It just gets better and better and I guess she is taking notes from her buddy Charlaine Harris. So aside from Harper's budding personal life, I'm now excited to ride the Kat Richardson train and take more adventurous supernatural trips on the streets of Seattle.

Poltergeist by Kat Richardson

read an excerpt

Series: Greywalker 2
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: August 7, 2007
Purchase Link: Amazon

Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until she died - for two minutes. Now she's a Greywalker - walking the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she's discovering that her new abilities are landing her all sorts of "strange" cases.

In the days leading up to Halloween, Harper's been hired by a university research group that is attempting to create an artificial poltergeist. The head researcher suspects someone is faking the phenomena, but Harper's investigation reveals something else entirely - they've succeeded. And when one of the group's members is killed in a brutal and inexplicable fashion, Harper must determine whether the killer is the ghost itself, or someone all too human.

In Poltergeist, my new badass heroine, Harper Blaine was hired by a University Professor, Dr. Tuckman, to investigate the members of his case study pertaining to an artificial Poltergeist. Dr. Tuckman feels that someone is screwing up the study that will obviously skew his results.

As Harper treads on the case, the Poltergeist named Celia, is becoming more and more real and malevolent. One of the case study members was murdered violently and Harper's instincts are telling her that Celia has a hand on his death. But who will believe that a ghost is responsible for someone's gruesome death?

Then the other group members are each being attacked or experiencing Celia manifestations. Not only that, she's one of Celia's target too. Now Harper has to sort out the mess and figure out how much of the Poltergeist is real and what was faked before someone else dies.

Poltergeist is better than Greywalker which affirms my belief on second chances. Let me veer off a bit. After the Fever Series by KMM, I learned the virtue of perseverence. Most of us can agree that Darkfever didn't really make us Fever-ish but it was enough to keep us going. In retrospect passing up on Bloodfever would have been a big mistake because not only did it bring Cimmaron and I closer but our blog wouldn't have been born; us falling inlove with David Gandy would be delayed and we would have missed the chance of having some sort of relationship with our fellow bloggers and our followers. Thank God for Fever and KMM!

Going back...

So I'd like to believe that Kat Richardson's Greywalker Series would also be on top of my favorite kick ass heroine series next to Mercedes Thompson and MacKayla Lane. As far as book 2 is concerned, Kat is on the right path. Greywalker is more of a ghost series than vampires, faeries or werewolf and personally I can relate to that better. Let's admit it, the possibility of us having close encounters with a ghost is more likely than crossing paths with a Fallen Angel. So the creep and scare factor is there and persistent.

Since the story is from an investigator's POV we get a little education on effective illusion and all those technicalities that you hear being thrown in Ghost Hunters or other ghost tours? Yup Kat Richardson shared that background stuff with us too. And it's tight, all that EMF, telekinesis and the accompanying psycho babble was well researched and not some made up explanation to justify the story.
Harper Blaine is like my other favorite heroine, Mercy Thompson. She's driven, a strong female and doesn't take crap from anybody. The plot is not as complicated either. Compared to Greywalker, Poltergeist is focused and didn't have the other distractions of its predecessor. Here Harper is just tackling her investigation and mastering the Grey with the help of Ben and Mara Danziger.

The romance part is close to nonexistent. Quinton and Will are still sort of vying for Harper's attention but that arc in the story has yet to pick up. Now unless you're into that added flavor in your Urban Fantasy reads, you'll find that it's not of import here, Kat Richardson still has to make some time and space for Harper Blaine's lovelife to manifest. Harper will keep you riveted by her adventures but for the sake of a realistic grown up read, I do hope she picks Quinton, Will just sounds like a snob to me.

Girl Crush Mondays: Michelle Rodriguez

Mayte Michelle Rodriguez

This muy caliente latina is one bad ass babe.

She's comfortable playing with the boys toting guns and kicking some serious ass.

You've seen her in a lot of action flicks like

Fast and the Furious

Machete

Avatar

Resident Evil: Retribution

You gotta give it to her, even in real life she seems to be mostly

spice with a dash of sugar.

Basically I was a rebel growing up. I got kicked out of six schools. But I don't think that it makes you less of an intellect. You know, if you ever crave knowledge, there's always a library.

*Photos from http://gallery.michelle-rodriguez.com/

This Brilliant Darkness Teaser

When an ancient, troubled entity identifies quirky Christine Grace as his latest threat, all hell breaks loose in the urban forest of Indiana University's Dunn Woods. Will Christine piece together his destructive plan in time to save herself? And what exactly is going on with this peculiar star, Stella Mirabilis?

This fast-paced story moves quickly from character to character, through the headspace of not just Christine and the monster Greachin, but also to Tom, her devoted boyfriend, and Richard, an aging physicist interested in the time-traveling star overhead, and others. Along the way, singing street people, cosplaying environmental activists, and heaven-sent beings come to populate the unique cityscape of Bloomington, IN, where encountering the bizarre is an everyday experience.

"What am I supposed to think? You come home naked in the back of a squad car?" Tom's eyes blazed blue and bloodshot, wide and tired.

Christine put her doughnut back in the box, half-eaten.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Tom picked up the mug of chai Officer Scott had made for him. He gulped it, leaving a moustache of foam on his face, and flopped down into the overstuffed armchair without wiping his face.

Christine threw her wadded napkin at him. "Hey! If I knew what was going on, don't you think you'd be the first person I told?"

Tom took a deep breath and stared at the floor. Finally, he spoke.

"Does this have anything—anything at all—to do with Richard?"

Christine sighed.

"Do you honestly think I wandered out of an ecstatic love tryst completely naked, and passed out behind the Union?"

Tom looked at the carpet, between his knees. He stood up, pacing the room with his hands on his hips. "Honestly? No, I don't think that. But I don't understand why both you and Richard are in the habit of losing consciousness, either. It's like you've been drugged or something." He stared out the window toward the spot where the flying monster had been, weeks ago.

On December 1 Talk Supe will giveaway a copy of this book plus

we get to chat with this brilliant author

Red Tash

about her work and future plans for the series.

If you want to know more about this please visit

http://www.redtash.com/

Iron Daughter (Iron Fey Series #2)

OK! Ms. Kagawa you officially have me hook, line and sinker with your Iron Fey series after reading this novel. I enjoyed the latter half of The Iron King and decided to stick around a little longer because I enjoyed the descriptive and colorful fae world you created. The action picked up a little more in Winter's Passage, which made me a feel a little anxious to read the sequel. Iron Daughter was jam packed with action, adventure, passion, despair, loyalty, friendship, and forbidden love. All the right emotions you need for a good teen romance novel.

When we left Meghan in The Iron King, she was once again leaving her home, going with Prince Ash to turn herself over to the Unseelie Court to fulfill her agreement with him. The Iron Daughter picks up right where we left off and throws us right into the clusterfuck that is Meghan Chase's life. She's delivered to the Winter Court and is essentially a prisoner of Queen Mab. To make things worse her handsome Prince has abandoned and ignored her as soon as they set foot in the Winter Court.

Cold, alone, powerless and burned by the Prince she thought loved her, you'd think things couldn't get any worse for Meghan. Oh, but they do. Thinking she has a chance of being saved by her father, Oberon, King of the Summer Court, during the Exchange of the Scepter of Seasons, all hell breaks loose. First, Oberon is unable to retrieve his daughter from Mab as it was Meghan's choice to willingly enter Tir Na Nog after making her agreement with Ash. Then the Scepter of Seasons is stolen, lives are lost and Queen Mab declares war on the Summer Court thinking they were behind the theft of the Scepter and attack on her court. Being the only witness alive to identify who the true invaders were, Meghan is left pleading with Mab to believe her that the Iron Fey were the ones responsible. Ash being the only person who believes her story about the Iron Fey and the threat they pose to both the Summer and Winter Courts; the star-crossed lovers have no choice but to go after the Iron Fey and retrieve the Scepter.

Lots of action ensues after Ash and Meghan escape the Winter Court. They head back towards the mortal world and Meghan's trusty  best friend makes a return and aides them in escaping from the bad guys. I was relieved to see Puck coming back. I knew he would but I just wasn't sure how long Kagawa was going to keep him on the sidelines. As always, Puck is there to deliver funny lines and cause a little mischief. But Puck isn't only there to bring the tricks and funny, loyal best friend is determined to make a move. He's not quite ready to back down on the competition and gives Ash something to worry about, especially when it comes to Meghan's heart. Aside from the boys in Meghan's life, Grimalkin also makes a comeback and his no nonsense is always entertaining. In the last book, Grim came out as my favorite character and this time around another four legged creature takes my heart. No it's not another feline but a horse. Ironhorse to be exact! In Iron King, Iron Horse was one of Machina's minions but this time around he's come to aid Meghan and the gang and I loved him for it. Who knew we would end up loving that huge metal force. He's a great addition to Meghan's gang of crusaders.
I'm so glad things really started to pick up after Iron King. I can definitely see why this series has so many fans. Again, Kagawa paints a wonderful portrait of Nevernever and while reading the book I feel like I'm living in this fantastical dream world as well. Meghan is growing throughout her journey. There were parts where I was just slightly irritated with her. Specifically in parts where she was totally being emo and so ready to sacrifice her life for Ash. I get that you're in love with him but you hardly know him. Sorry, but a couple make out sessions with a hot guy is not enough for me to want to sacrifice my own life for his. Also, I'm still playing a little tug of war as to which love interest I should be rooting for. My instinct if to go for the handsome Prince but I'm one who likes to be light and humorous. Puck and his one liners is too much fun compared to Ash's icy demeanor.

As a warning the ending was a bit sad and I cursed out loud to Kagawa for taking someone from the story but I won't be giving you a clue as to who it is. You'll have to read the books yourself to find out. Now I'm off for more adventures into the Nevernever……Iron Queen here I come!

Merry Magic and Happy Hauntings

The most wonderful time of the year is just around the corner and Talk Supe would like to celebrate this joyous month with you guys.

So for the month of December

Cimmaron and I would like to share with you

books, movies and whatever news we have to make this month even more festive.

Of course our signature flavor will not be mislaid so rest assured that we'll stick to what we know best: ranting and raving about the very addictive Supernatural world.

So let's celebrate this month with our favorite Fae, Were, Vamp, Angel and the rest of the crew.

Braine & I would like to wish all of our readers and followers a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Hope y'all have a wonderful time spending the day with family & friends, cooking, watching some football and most importantly EATING lots of yummy food. Then when your stomach is full of contentment, I suggest you curl up on a couch or bed and read a good book. 

And for all of you who'll brave the Black Friday shopping crowds, Good Luck & Happy Shopping!

Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase

Series: Jade Calhoun 1
Format: ARC from the Author
Release Date: July 18, 2011
Purchase Link: Amazon

Jade loves her new apartment-until a ghost joins her in the shower.When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord.Being an empath has never been easy on Jade's relationships. It's no wonder she keeps her gift a secret. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade, to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability to save her. Except she'll need Kane's help-and he's betrayed her with a secret of his own-to do it. Can she find a way to trust him and herself before Pyper is lost?

Jade Calhoun empath extraordinaire, is going through a lot of changes in her life. She's got new friends in a new city and just moved in to her new apartment. What she didn't know is that the Big Easy's reputation for being haunted has a ring of truth to it. Jade has a ghost roommate she fondly calls Mr. Sexy. Why? Mr. Sexy gives her vivid dreams of sexual intimacy that leaves her wanting when she wakes up.

Not only that, her landlord and strip club owner, Kane, joins the party but something about her dreams is telling that it's more real than she thinks. Soon after Jade is being haunted and followed in real life. Not only that, her boss and friend, Pyper is being haunted too. However Mr. Sexy is far from seducing Pyper but does the exact opposite, the ghost turns malevolent towards her friend and she made it her mission to not only figure out what her ghost roommate wants but why is he attacking Pyper.

Deanna Chase's debut novel is 200+ pages of ghost haunting, romance and mystery. Though Deanna is a noveau writer the book is not as amateurish as you might expect. It's cohesive and the plot is fairly simple without too many distractions. It stayed focused on the premise and the arcs and revelations remain with the ghost haunting and Jade's special abilities.

I like the characters as well, there weren't a lot of people in the loop so the focal of the story remained tight. Now since this is set in New Orleans, I guess it's expected that a few witches, mediums and ghost hunters will be thrown in the mix. There was just one character, Lailah, that I wasn't a big fan of. She's a minor character but claims to be a low level angel. I find this a bit misplaced, for some reason I don't find that her supernatural class gels well with the menagerie of characters.

Kane, the male protagonist, is your typical dangerous and sexy lead. Sure he owns a strip club which might give him a coat of slime but surely Ms. Chase rectified that by his backstory which justifies his sundown enterprise. On top of his business ventures, Kane is also a dreamwalker and I sort of envied Jade. In retrospect, Kane was already seducing/courting Jade in the background through her dreams and though I understand that she felt violated upon discovering this but at the same time I find it sexy. It's just one of those forbidden things that pushes the right buttons.

On the other hand I question Jade's relationship with her bestfriend Kat, who is incidentally dating her ex, Dan, who hates her. I don't understand how she can maintain a close friendship with Kat when her ex is in the middle and continue to interfere with their relationship. Dan is also very hostile towards her which also raises the question as to why Kat is tolerating all this drama. Anyway I'm glad when Kat cut him lose towards the end.

Jade and the rest of the female characters are strong protagonists and being part of the "underbelly" world as Kane puts it, provides a shade of darkness on top of their already paranormal backgrounds. I also like Deanna Chase's storytelling style, she keeps it simple and on the now, I didn't have to read through pages of backstories and lengthy fillers. And though there are telling bits and pieces that denote Haunted on Bourbon Street as Deanna Chase's first venture into the world of writing, it didn't distract from the delicious turn of the story. So I suggest that if you're into new authors, better put Deanna Chase on your list, you won't regret it.

Writer Wrangler: Deanna Chase

This week's Writer Wrangler is with Deanna Chase

author of the very exciting Haunted on Bourbon Street

set in the Big Easy, New Orleans, Louisianna.

Hello Cimmaron, Braine, and all the readers here at Talk Supe. I’m Deanna Chase, author of Haunted on Bourbon Street. Thanks for having me over today for a chat.

It’s no secret most writers dream of being authors when they’re kids. I’m no exception. I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a love affair with books. As early as thirteen-years-old I can remember reading my mom’s Danielle Steel and Sidney Sheldon novels or anything else she brought in the house.

The thing I remember most about those books was being whisked away to exotic places or different time periods. I couldn’t get enough. Now that I’m a few decades older, I still love a setting of some place I haven’t been before. Mix in a new set of rules and I’m in heaven.

It probably isn’t a surprise that these days I read mostly paranormal and urban fantasy books. After all, Haunted on Bourbon Street is a paranormal romance (with a healthy dose of mystery). When I started working on the manuscript, it never occurred to me to set it anywhere else. You see the idea came to me one night while my husband and I were down in the French Quarter celebrating something (anniversary, birthday, just a night out on the town?). Heck, I can’t remember. What I do remember was having dinner at Muriel’s and watching a ghost tour walk by. That’s when the waiter started telling us all about the ghost that haunted the restaurant and how they left food on a table for him.

We were highly entertained, and after dinner we were walking along Bourbon Street looking for live music when the story started to form. If you’ve ever been to Bourbon Street, you’ll know immediately where the strip club inspiration came from. They’re on every corner with the dancers standing in the doorways trying to entice the party goers inside. It’s highly amusing in a only-in-New-Orleans kind of way.
Anyway, we finally found a live band and there I was scribbling notes on the back of a receipt I’d found crumpled up in my purse. My poor husband. He’s a good sport though. He’s an artist, so he understands. In fact we are both glass artists. That’s our day job. He makes collector’s marbles and I make glass bead for jewelry designers.

The glass art started as a hobby that quickly became a part-time job for us. Greg, my husband, would make glass bead and marbles, and I would sell them for him on eBay. We did that for about three years then we had the brilliant idea of selling our house, quitting our jobs and moving into an RV to travel full-time.

A sample of Greg and Deanna's creation

That was in 2003, and though I was sure we’d lost our minds, it turned out to be the best thing we’d ever done. For almost two years we worked seasonal campgrounds and made beads on the side. Surprisingly it was quite easy to make ends meet. But in 2005 we decided we were done working for other people and made our glass business our full-time job, all while still traveling and working out of our RV.

It was awesome!

However, by July of 2007 we were ready for a permanent home and studio. When we discussed where we wanted to live, New Orleans was always at the top of the list. We discussed Northern California and the Olympic Peninsula (both just gorgeous places to live), but ultimately decided Louisiana was our home.

Since then, New Orleans has been a reoccurring theme in our art for both of us. Greg makes amazing New Orleans marbles and even made one to go with my book. I, of course, write about the city of the dead.

It was right after we moved here that I started to write seriously. A friend of mine signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) and I thought, hey that sounds like fun. So in 2007 I sat down and wrote the worst manuscript ever. There was zero plot and lot of scenes that were just fun for me to write. It was a great exercise and got me writing. But from there I took workshops and joined writers’ groups and spent three years learning everything I could.

Then early this year I finally published my debut novel, Haunted on Bourbon Street. After having it thoroughly combed through by my critique partner and a few beta readers, I sent if off to my editors and a book was born. I couldn’t be happier with my experience or more grateful to the readers who’ve shown their support. It makes it such a joy to sit down and work on the next one.

My writing process usually starts with a thread of an idea. In Haunted it all started with the idea of a haunted apartment above a strip bar. From there I added the empath gift and a hot guy, Kane. And he needed his own gift, but that showed up later. He really surprised me with that one.

I’m not great at outlines. Every time I write one, the story never goes as planned, and they usually end up making me stall out. I’m more of a panster type. I love the joy of discovering the story as I go. Of course, that usually means lot of revisions to the beginning chapters, but that’s okay. I like that part too. Once I’m revising, I know exactly where I’m going and why.

Currently I’m working on Witches of Bourbon Street. In Haunted, Jade finds out—much to her dismay—she’s a white witch. In Witches, she’s forced to deal with that and the blurring lines of white and black magic.

I’m having great fun making Jade do things she doesn’t want to. In fact, today I’m finishing up the last two chapters before I start working on revisions and edits. My plan is for it to be out in late January. I hope you check it out. You can sign up here on my mailing list to be informed when it’s released.

Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn't writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. For more information and updates on newest releases visit her blog at www.deannachase.com

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For more info about her beads and glass marbles and other glass-art, visit their site

http://www.chase-designs.com/index.php

Black Friday Deals for Books Lovers

If you're a book lover and not in the mood to brave the crowds at your local mall, Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart on Black Friday, then Half-Price Books is the place for you to go.

Half Price Books, is the largest family-owned chain of new and used bookstores in the United States. The company’s original motto is "We buy and sell anything printed or recorded except yesterday's newspaper", and many of the used books, music, and movies for sale in each location were purchased from local residents.

Unfortunately, I don't have a Half-Price Books in my city but when I do venture up to Seattle, I always make sure I make a stop at one of their establishments. 

For Black Friday doors will open at 7 am and the first 100 people per store will get a tote bag and $5 Gift Card. 1 out of the 100 bags will contain a gift card for $100!

Additional Deals:

           40% off your highest price item (Print the coupon)

           $15 off your purchase of $50 or more (print the coupon)

Click HERE to find out if there's a Half-Price Books near you!

Girl Crush Mondays: Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale

We all loved her as the vampire Death Dealer Selene who fell inlove with a Lycan in Underworld and she'll be reprising that role in next year's

Underworld Awakening.

I'd also like to note that this femme fatale is married to cutie director Len Wiseman who directed her in the above mentioned movie.

I hope I look like this when I'm 38

Winter's Passage (An Iron Fey Series Novella)

"Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess.

After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck—Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon—who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter—a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat…."

This will be a somewhat quick review since this novella was short. Like less than 50 pages short. Winter's Passage is a story set between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. Picking up right after the end of The Iron King, it follows Meghan and Ash as they travel from Meghan's home in the human world to Tir Na Nog, the seat of the Winter Court. Being the good girl that she is, Meghan is keeping to her promise by going to the Unseelie Court with Ash. Even if it means she'll be held captive and tortured physically and mentally or until someone decides to swallow her alive. 

Of course their trip is filled with a lot of walking or riding a horse or running away from scary fae and trying not to get killed by the scary predator. If you studied the cover of the novella you might be able to guess who/what is following them. 

Before Meghan and Ash start on their trek to the UnSeelie territory, they make a detour to visit Puck who's still recovering from the injuries he suffered in The Iron King. The best friend is still stuck in the old oak tree recovering and no one knows when he'll be back on his feet. I'm hoping it's soon because a good romance wouldn't be good without some tension from a third party. My favorite character in this series so far, Grimalkin, also makes a short appearance. I love that talking Cat! I'm hoping his presence in constant throughout this whole series. 

Meghan annoyed me a bit because as she's being dragged around the human and fae worlds, she rarely asked questions. This was something that bothered me in the first book but if you're constantly being chased and running for your life wouldn't you stop, even for a few seconds, to find out what the hell is going on? Grimalkin and Ash hinted that they knew who was following but Meghan herself didn't bother to ask. I would at least want to know what I was running away. Ash was his usually hot self but drops his cold demeanor a few times to show Meghan his feelings for her. Of course it usually didn't last for very long but enough to enough to give Meghan a glimpse of hope. 

I'm not quite ready to jump on the Team Ash bandwagon. I'm still waiting for Puck's return. I wanna see if he's got some game to sway Meghan toward him. Although there's already strong evidence that Meghan's heart is definitely in Prince Ash's court; I'm holding out until I see what kind of game Puck has. He might have a few more tricks up his sleeve to win Meghan's heart. 

Overall, this was a good, short novella and entertaining. Bring on the Unseelie Queen and all the drama that comes with the Winter Court. 

A Banshee's Tale Winner

And the winner of our giveaway is

Fantasy Dreaming

Congratulations!

We hope you enjoy the book as much as we did.

You'll recieve an email notification later for the details on how to claim your price.

After you're done, we hope that you can find the time to rate and write a

short review for Veronica Breville in either or all of these sites

The Writer's Coffee Shop

Amazon

LibraryThing

Goodreads



True Blood Season 5

Hey Trubies! Do I have some good news for you. The cast and crew of HBO's True Blood is set to start filming Season 5 on November 21st. in Los Angeles. Season 5 will likely premiere on HBO in June 2012.

A few plots points that'll only make your mouth water for more of our fave Louisiana Vamps, Weres & Humans:

• Season 5 will pick up right where season 4 left off, with Sookie holding Tara in the kitchen.
• Alan Ball, Kristin Bauer and Alexander Skarsgard have all stated in various interviews that we’ll see a flashback to when Eric turned Pam into a vampire.
• Although season 5 is based on Dead as a Doornail, Alan Ball said that season 5 will combine elements from multiple books much more than in previous seasons (in other words, we could see events from books 6-?).
• A major character introduced in Dead as a Doornail is Quinn. No word yet on whether he’ll appear on the show.
• We will not see zombies in season 5, but the writing staff are researching “lesser known” supernatural creatures to appear.

For more scoop and spoilers on the upcoming season, check out True-Blood.net

 

(Source: True-Blood.net )

Blockbuster Myths

We've seen a parade of toga clad men and women gracing the small and big screens pulling off roles, pretending to be the quintessential literary heroes of ancient civilization. Mythical gods and goddesses, creatures, men and women come to life to awe and inspire us mere humans with their fantastic feats and labors.

Immortals starring Herny Cavill, Mickey Rourke and Frieda Pinto is a hit and the latest Greek inspired movie to grace our theaters in 3D. After thousands of years later the Greeks still manage to maintain its firm clout on us, they started Drama after all. With this let's revisit Hollywood's past endeavors to bring these mythical Olympian fantasies to life.

Clash of the Titans (1981 Laurence Olivier, Harry Hamlin)

Why I like it: it was faithful to the original story and for a 1981 film, the special effects are good.

What I don't like about it: the special effects

Xena: Warrior Princess TV series (1995 Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor)

Why I like it: Xena was so refreshing a leather clad woman who can swing that sword is every man's fantasy.

What I don't like about it: absolutely nothing.

Hercules: The Legendary Adventures TV Series (1995 Kevin Sorbo)

Why I like it: side by side with Xena I get to have my greek myth fix.

What I don't like about it: Kevin Sorbo isn't really my type.

The Odyssey Hallmark TV movie (1997 Armand Asssante, Isabella Rossellini)

Why I like it: for a TV movie Hallmark went all our for this. You can skip the book and just watch the movie, they kept all the important parts as it is.

What I don't like about it: though the action is non-stop, a 176 minute movie can be a challenge to sit through.

Jason and the Argonauts Hallmark TV Movie (2000 Jason London, Natasha Henstridge)

Why I like it: Hallmark did it again for this one. No coin spared and all the details of the original story was faithful to the original.

What I don't like about it: Jason London

Troy (2004 Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom)

Why I like it: the action sequences are amazing plus a bonus peek at Brad Pitt's bum!

What I don't like about it: they screwed up the story, Achilles was already dead when they made the giant horse!

300 (2006 Gerard Butler and Lena Headey)

Why I like it: Gerard Butler and the photography and cinematography is nothing we've seen before. It's dark, gritty and haunting. 300 delicious, valiant men against a despicable army of persians, hero-complex doesn't even begin to describe it!

What I don't like about it: Leonidas died and though he really did, it's just sad that he didn't witness the fruit of his labors.

Clash of the Titans (2010 Liam Neeson, Sam Worthington)

Why I like it: the special effects are amazing and the cast is tight.

What I don't like about it: as usual Hollywood took too many liberties, Perseus didn't end up with Io nor were there Jins in the original Greek story.

this is part of our Olympian Rule special

LOL Time: Vampire Comparison Chart (Thanks DeAnna!)

ladamania.tumblr.com

Whoever you are we love your sense of humor!

I hope another bout of inspiration hits you and you'll make us

LMAO again and again.

SacredMoon1

DeAnna S. my dear!

Thank you for this wonderful find!

I hope you don't mind but I can't pass up the chance,

I have to share this!

The Iron King (Iron Fey Series, #1)

Click Here to read Ch. 1 Excerpt 

"Meghan Chase has a secret destiny--one she could never have imagined...

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school...or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth-- that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face...and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart."

(From Harlequin Teen's official IRON FAE page, EnterTheFaeryWorld.com)

I'm a big fan of all things faerie and really wanted to absolutely love the book, but the novel just didn't do much for me. The Iron King had been on my watch list for a while and since it received good star ratings on Amazon and Goodreads I figured I would give it a shot. With all the good reviews, I imagined this book would blow me out of the water and get me out of my recent reading slump. Also, with fan girl's all around the world gushing about Prince Ash, I thought I needed to find out about what all the hullabaloo was all about.

After a few distractions, I finally forced myself to concentrate and just read the book. To be honest it took me quite a few pages to be fully engaged. And when I say a few pages, I mean exactly 160 pages well into the book before I was fully invested. The novel is only 393 pages! If you're into numbers, I had to read almost 45% of the book before it had me "hooked". (You are more than welcome to correct me on that calculation. I'm not a math geek.) As a reader, that sure is quite a long ways to read before being hooked. There were parts early on that were great scenes but not enough to make me want to finish reading the book in one sitting. I did find myself putting the book down a few times and picked it back up when I had bother better to read or do.

Julie Kagawa

I don't know why it seems like I'm one of the very few people who've read this book and didn't absolutely love it. I don't think it had anything to do with Kagawa's writing. The story flowed well and she did a fantastic job of painting a bright and descriptive portrait of Nevernever, Tir Nan Og and the Seelie and UnSeelie Courts. Kagawa did a great job in providing enough fae mythology background to bring a non-fairy story reader up to par in basic fae mythology. She weaves in some very familiar faces from classic fae mythology into her series such as King Oberon, Queen Titania, Queen Mab and Robin Goodfellow/Puck.  The whole premise of why Meghan had to go into Nevernever was  clever, the use of iron and the introduction of a new enemy (which I won't delve into too much without giving away any spoilers) was a refreshing change. But even with all the great pieces Kagawa had going for this book something just didn't "click" for me.

Dakota Fanning as Meghan

All the characters were likable. Meghan didn't totally annoy me. She is a bit naive but also kind hearted and extremely loyal to her family and friends. She tackles her newly found background fairly well. I mean honestly, how many of us would not freak out if we found out we were something other human? Can't blame the girl for having a few freak out moments and tantrums. If you're familiar with Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, then you should know of Puck. He's the mischievous mythological fairy who's also been using glamour to pose as Meghan's childhood best friend. He brings a few comical moments and stays very loyal to Meghan. I'm just worried that Puck's reputation as the prankster could get annoying. I'm hoping Kagawa can rein in some of his annoying habits and give us a viable character who'll swoop in and win out hearts. Then we have mysterious Prince Ash. The dashingly handsome Prince of the UnSeelie Court who has been sent to kill Meghan. He's your typical storybook Prince, cold exterior and all. But as we all know there's always something hidden under that cold exterior just waiting to be revealed. But out of all those characters my favorite was Grimalkin, the Cat. I mean who doesn't love a smartass talking cat? He's a little shady and arrogant but turns out to be a great aid to Meghan and her quest.

And of course, we have to get to love triangle. You can't have a YA novel without the love triangle an in this case Meghan is torn between her longtime best friend Puck and UnSeelie Prince Ash. Hmmm….having to choose between your best friend and the beautiful but mysterious Prince who has been sent to kill you shouldn't be a hard choice for Meghan right? I'm still scratching my head as to why so many girls are hardcore Prince Ash fans. Maybe I missed something in between the lines but I wasn't gushing over him. I mean the story did get more interesting as his presence grew but I think it was due more to the natural progression of the story.

Xavier Samuel as Puck

Ben Barnes as Ash

To be honest, after reading the book I wasn't totally swept away by either potential love interests. Which is fairly odd for me since I tend to be the type of person that jumps on a "Team" bandwagon pretty early on in a story. Both guys have some attributes that a girl could definitely appreciate. Puck is the witty and humorous but a loyal best friend; while Prince Ash is breathtakingly gorgeous, cold and mysterious but would still make a lot of girls hearts stop beating. Neither made me love them instantly but I didn't hate them either. Ash does have the upper hand being that he has the whole tall, dark and handsome thing going on. But this is only the first book and both guys are more than willing to battle it out for Meghan's heart; so we shall have to wait and find out who comes out victorious. I just have a very strong feeling it'll be Ash at the end, I mean how many stories do you know of end with the loyal guy best friend winning the heroines heart? Not many, right?

Aside from the Hunger Games and Hush, Hush series, I really haven't submerged myself into the YA world in the past two years. I'm pretty behind on the YA reading curve but I have a feeling lot of tweens and teens really enjoyed this book. The hundreds of good ratings on various sites is a testament. If you're into fae and young romance then you'll probably like the Iron Fey series. Even though I wasn't totally won over by the first book in the series, it won't deter me from reading the rest of the series. The Iron King ended on a somewhat cliffhanger and I definitely learned that Meghan has quite a ways to go before she reaches her happy ending in this fairytale world.

Writer Wrangler: Veronica Breville

It's another episode of Writer Wrangler here in Talk Supe and for this week we welcome Veronica Breville, author of YA read

A Banshee's Tale.

Based on the "About the Author" part of the book you grew up with amazing women who are also storytellers, what kinds of stories did you grow up with?  

Before I answer, I'd really like to thank you for such a cool question.  My mom, Gran, great-grandmother, and my aunt were/are indeed the most amazing women. 

My great-grandmother Helen told us stories about her youth mostly.  She was born in 1899, lived her whole life on a farm, and saw so many new things come to pass.  I think I was always most interested in the stories about being a teacher.  She didn't do it for a very long time before she got married but it was difficult to see how she fit my own stereotypical ideal of a prairie school marm.  We heard about the Great Depression, the Great Dust Bowl, and the advent of television.  I credit her and her daughter, my Gran, with my love of history.

My grandmother (Gran) Catherine, told stories about growing up in rural Kansas and all the mischief she and her siblings would get up to.  She lived through some really tough times but to this day has a smile on her face.  Some things I remember in particular were the stories she passed down to us from her father, who was in the Navy. 

My mom and aunt's stories were more humorous but important all the same.  All four women were/are avid readers and because of that so am I. 

What is it about Celtic Myth that made you write about it and Banshees in particular? 

My heritage played the biggest role in my decision to write about Celtic myths.  My family hails mostly from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.  All myths...Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic...have always interested me. The banshee was a myth that just wasn't written about much and being a spiritual person I could see a side of it that maybe others couldn't. I have also always loved to mess with people's perceptions. That is why Cat's version of a banshee is so very different from the one widely recognized. I have a ton of story ideas not related to the Banshee series that also involve Norse and Celtic myths. Maybe one day I'll get some on paper.

Can you tell us how this story came about and who inspired your characters particularly Catherine and Zane? 

Have you ever had that "A-Ha" moment?  I did right after finishing a series that I truly enjoyed.  The only issue I had was that the female protagonist was on the whiney, wishy-washy side and that bothered me.  At the time my oldest daughter was struggling to find anything she liked enough to read and I handed the books to her.  She devoured them.  She read them over and over, and the entire time all I could think was "I really hope she understands that whining to get your way with a guy is not okay".  

A Banshee's Tale was originally just an idea I'd had for years that I decided to put down on paper, while also creating the kind of female role model I'd hoped my daughters would strive to be.  The further along I got, the more detail I added.  Pretty soon I had chapters 1 through 5 done and I sat back wondering where that all had come from.  I'd always been a writer but having two kids under the age of 3 in the house and a slightly whiney pre-teen puts a cramp in one's creative writing. 

Three years later I'm sitting here writing this and still biting my nails because I know there are things I could change to make it better but Catherine is definitely a strong female protagonist, so that mission was accomplished.

Catherine is based on my grandmother, whose name is also Catherine.  My Gran's strength, loving soul, and exuberance for life were infused into Cat Dalry's personality because anyone faced with the road she had to travel would need all that and so much more.

Zane Laroche is based on probably four different men, but funny enough none that I'm close to anymore, save my husband.  He's also got a little bit of my snark and ability to organize I suppose. 

Will Sayer is based on one of my best boy friends from high school.  Kyle made such an impression on me that even now I think about him and wonder how he and his family are.  Will is also one of my favorite characters and I really look forward to giving him more page time in the future.

Aunt Lucie is a combination of my mom and my own aunt, Jo.  She's sparky, fun, and a hoot to be around but when it's time to get down to business you better bet she will crack the whip harder than anyone else.

We are fond of doing casting couches here in talk supe, if A Banshee's Tale becomes a movie or a TV series, who'd you like to play the characters?

My husband, Curtis, just asked me this question two days ago.  It started me thinking, a very dangerous situation, and I came up with a few passable actors to fill the shoes.  Before I reveal them though, I should mention that I kinda stink at this and all actors/actresses would likely need a different hair color/eye color to match the description completely.

Catherine Dalry
Alix Elizabeth Gitter
LMN's The Bling Ring

Zane Laroche
Alex Pettyfer
Beastly, I Am Number Four

Will Sayer
Logan Lerman (with auburn hair)
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Aunt Lucie
Anne Hathaway
Alice in Wonderland
She was always the actress I imagined.  It's funny that I couldn't imagine who I'd see in the lead roles but I had the two main reading roles firmly in my head

Anna
Annasophia Robb
Soul Surfer
Would need a younger version and an older.  I'm not sure who I would choose for the younger but I always pictured Annasophia Robb as the older version

How do you deal with unpleasant reviews? How seriously do you take fan critic and does it affect your writing?

Again, let me start by saying I adore your questions.  These are some truly tough things to answer. 

The first one I got was really hard to get over and I will admit to having a full blown panic attack.  You see, I know there are things that need to be changed or improved upon, and I fully intend to do that with book 2 but I had read, re-read, and re-read A Banshee's Tale so many times that my objectivity took a nose dive.  In the end I cried on my wonderful husband's shoulder, pulled myself up by my boot straps, and sat down at my computer to write up the out line for book 2.  It was cathartic, all in all.

This is the best quote I've run across regarding how I feel about my writing. I'm not an actual fan of Mr. King's but that's only because I value my sleep.

"Your stuff starts out being just for you… but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right - as right as you can, anyway - it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it."~Stephen King

Can you share with us a funny anecdote or trivia while you were doing research/writing the book?

Have you any idea the sorts of things Google will throw into a search about Celtic myths?  All I can say are there are some sneaky website admins out there who use tags for all the wrong reasons.  When I click on a site because it says it has information about the banshee myth I DO NOT want to be assaulted by pictures of half dressed (and that's being nice) people in compromising positions.  WHEW!

Can you tell us more about the sequel and your plans about the series?

I do have a sequel in the works, and then one more book after that for this series.  I'm not sure about publishing dates but I'm hoping to have book two out before Christmas of 2012.

I have so many other things I'd love to tell you about the series but that would spoil the surprise a bit.  I will say that while Cat and Zane will definitely be in the next two books the emphasis in book 2 will not be them.  Book three?  Now that might be a different situation altogether!

Do you have a blog or a website where readers can follow?

I have both, actually.  I've not been overly active on my blog due to the book launch and a well deserved family holiday coming up quickly but the links are...

 http://veronicabrevillecom.ipage.com/

 http://veronicabrevilleauthor.wordpress.com/

  I also have a Twitter account and Facebook author page...

http://twitter.com/VLBreville
http://www.facebook.com/VeronicaBrevilleauthor

And there you have it folks!

Thanks Veronica, our interview was fun and thanks for being candid.

Good luck on book 2 and we sure hope Talk Supe would be part of it as well.

Thanks to Donna Huber of The Coffeeshop Publishing House

for inviting us to the blog tour.

You guys rock!