BittenByBooks and Rachel Caine - Interview and Contest

Bitten By Books has a great guest blogger today! Rachel Caine's launch party for the newest Morganville Vampires book, CARPE CORPUS, is today. There's a chance to win a Sony Digital Reader or one of three copies of CARPE CORPUS!!!

WICKED GAME - Jeri Smith-Ready

From the back of the book:

LATE NIGHT RADIO YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin is trying to live the straight life, even if it means finding a (shudder!) real job. She takes an internship at a local radio station, whose late-night time-warp format features 1940s blues, '60s psychedelia, '80s goth, and more, all with an uncannily authentic flair. Ciara soon discovers just how the DJs maintain their cred: they're vampires, stuck forever in the eras in which they were turned.
Ciara's first instinct, as always, is to cut and run. But communications giant Skywave wants to buy WVMP and turn it into just another hit-playing clone. Without the station -- and the link it provides to their original Life Times -- the vampires would "fade," becoming little more than mindless ghosts of the past. Suddenly a routine corporate takeover is a matter of life and undeath.
To boost ratings and save the lives of her strange new friends, Ciara rebrands the station as "WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll." In the ultimate con, she hides the DJs' vampire nature in plain sight, disguising the bloody truth as a marketing gimmick. WVMP becomes the hottest thing around -- next to Ciara's complicated affair with grunge vamp Shane McAllister. But the "gimmick" enrages a posse of ancient and powerful vampires who aren't so eager to be brought into the light. Soon the stakes are higher -- and the perils graver -- than any con game Ciara's ever played....

What a SUPERB premise for a book! Excellent music and excellent vamps and humans.
I swear, I could not read this book fast enough. I knew I needed to go to bed and actually sleep. Kept saying, "One more page, oh, one more chapter." Tired as could be the next day, but well worth it. I can't wait to read more of this series and see what happens to Ciara and Shane and the rest of WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock'n'Roll gang. I added a few tunes to the mp3 player and my 'Tunes for the Funeral and Wake' list I keep going as a word doc. You can never be too ready for it to be a party at any time.

I know I will read more of Jeri's series of which she has two and a stand alone (fantasticfiction.co.uk list)

Five bloody rockin' good beans.....

WEBMAGE - Kelly McCullough

From the back of the book: Magic is about to get an upgrade
Ravirn is not your average computer geek. A child of the Fates -- literally -- he’s a hacker extraordinaire who can zero in on the fatal flaw in any program. Now that twenty-first-century magic has gone digital that makes him a very talented sorcerer. But a world of problems is about to be downloaded on Ravirn -- who’s just trying to pass his college midterms.
Great Aunt Atropos, one of the three Fates, decides that humans having free will is really overrated and plans to rid herself of the annoyance -- by coding a spell into the Fate Core, the server that rules destiny. As a hacker, Ravirn is a big believer in free will, and when he not only refuses to debug her spell but actively opposes her, all hell breaks loose.
Even with the help of his familiar Melchior, a sexy sorceress (who’s also a mean programmer), and the webgoblin underground, it’s going to be a close call...

Once I got past the computer geek talk and really got into the mythology aspect of the story, I enjoyed the book. I had to make it my bedside book to make good time with it and that allowed my enjoyment and comprehension increase. It's not really a good book to read in fits and starts which was how it was going as my purse book.

My favorite characters were Cerice, Ravirn's lady love, and Melchior, Ravirn's webgoblin/familiar. Both are strong minded and smart asses...my favorite characterization.

I reckon I'll look for the rest in the series at some point in the future when I am back in the mood for sci-fi/fantasy mix that this was.

Three computer magic beans.....

Finders Keepers Monday

I received some very cool books last week in the mail.
I won a signed copy of THE TROUBLE WITH DEMONS - Lisa Shearin (add link when I get home) via the interview she had with BittenByBooks in May to celebrate BBB's first birthday. TROUBLE is the third in her Raine Barnes, Seeker, series. This means that I now go shopping for books one and two.....MAGIC LOST, TROUBLE FOUND & ARMED AND MAGICAL. Yeah, I really dislike book shopping... Lisa also included a signed postcard (LOVE THESE for my bookmarks) and two signed bookmarks all from the covers of her books! Lisa has a fan for life!

And from my buddy, Sue, on WW GDT Booktalk the Original, I received these as she was clearing the book decks so she could make her move go a little more smoothly and lighter of books:

What Are You Reading Monday - 29 Jun 09

JKaye has her What Are You Reading Monday post up...you can go over and see what others are enjoying.
Here's mine:
Bedside book - BLACK MAGIC WOMAN:Quincey Morris series #1 - Justin Gustainis
Purse book - THE CHATTER OF THE MAIDENS: Hawkenlye Medieval Mystery #4 - Alys Clare
BOCD in the car - THE HERO AND THE CROWN - Robin McKinley

I finished WEBMAGE - Kelly McCullough (review soon) and WICKED GAME - Jeri Smith-Ready (review soon).

So..what are you reading?

Amberkatze with Rachel Vincent

Amberkatze has Rachel Vincent as her guest this week. There is a fab interview and a chance to win any one of Rachel's books. I know where I'm going. Let Amberkatze and Rachel know what kind of cat you'd like to be..you know, if you could be a cat...

TGIF

Have a fairly mellow weekend again ahead of us. Putting the pool together tomorrow after we try another new-to-us restaurant for breakfast. Go to Lowes for some rescue plants and a tarp for the groundcover under the pool. I like mellow no big project weekends...What are your plans??

I Won a Book!!

YIPPPPEEEEE!!! I won this not-yet-released book over on Ann Aguirre's blog! All I did was tell her what I'd 'glamour' about myself if I could do so....

Amberkatze's Interview with Ciara and Shane of WVMP

Amberkatze has way cool interview today! She is interviewing Ciara and Shane from Jeri Smith-Ready's books WICKED GAME and BAD TO THE BONE. This is the series about the peeps at WVMP, The Lifeblood of Rock'n'Roll. There's a hellah cool interview and a chance to win a prize package. The contest stays open until 3 July 09 @ 4pm CET.

Interview, chat and contest on BBB with Faith Hunter

BittenByBooks has an interview, chance to chat and a contest with Faith Hunter, author of SKINWALKER. It's a superb premise of a book that immediately made it to the Wanton Wantin' Book List.

Finders Keepers Monday/TBR Tuesday

From my buddy, Jenna (Imzadidragonfly), I received loaner copies of STORM BORN - Richelle Mead, 1st in Dark Swan series and SUCCUBUS ON TOP - Richelle Mead's 2nd in Georgina Kincaid series. And I received a secret special surprise of a keeper copy of DEATH'S DAUGHTER: Calliope Reaper-Jones series - Amber Benson. Jenna knew this was on my Wanton Wantin' Book List and sent it along....what a SWEETIE!!

From my buddy, Ginny on WW Booktalk, I received BOBBIE FAYE'S VERY (VERY, VERY, VERY) BAD DAY - Toni McGee Causey. This, too, has been on my WWBL for a long while I think ever since Becky (No More Grumpy Bookseller) reviewed it here.

GRAVEROBBERS WANTED: NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY - Jeff Strand

From the back cover:

When you're desperate for money, searching for a little adventure, and aren't the most responsible person in the world, you can end up doing some outrageous things. Which is how Andrew Mayhem, an extremely married father of two, ends up accepting $20,000 to find a key...a key buried with a body in a shallow grave.
But what he finds in the grave isn't quite what he expected, and what begins as a simple evening of morally questionable manual labor turns into a really good way to die. Andrew finds himself investigating a murder while forced into a bizarre game of wits and courage played by an unseen killer with a twisted sense of humor. It's a game that will involve him with a group of filmmakers known as Ghoulish Delights, who are hiding a secret that will test every last bit of Andrew's nerve to discover.
And it's impossible to find a babysitter.

I bought GRAVEROBBERS...based on the interview that JA Konrath and Jeff Strand did with each other back in March, I think.

This book made me laugh and scared the bejeezus out of me. Andrew is trying to find his niche in life. Some might call him a slacker. I know I'd be hard pressed to be married to a guy like this..maybe could be a friend. He's smart and funny, really a smartass is what he is and I am drawn to funny smart smartasses....

He and his buddy, Roger, find themselves pulled into a way to make $20,000. All they have to do is dig up a coffin carrying the body of the husband of the woman who hired them. Then all hell breaks loose.

Andrew is fairly quick on his feet in a believable way. I really never felt the need to roll my eyes at any time while reading his terror filled adventure. He finds himself in this situation, he continues with the terror filled mystery when others would have just given in. And it felt real.

I imagine this book would be what the never-ending series of 'Saw' flicks could be like. The murder, torture, and the mechanisms used to get there are beyond my normal ick factor, yet I couldn't stop reading the story.

Five terror and funny beans.....

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Happy Father's Day to all the fab dads out there.

(Mom, please show this to my Dad please)

BEST MAN TO DIE - Ruth Rendell, narr Davina Porter

A good British mystery is a joy to find. This is my first Ruth Rendell book and it won't be my last.

Inspector Wexford is the main character in this series and he is investigating the murder of Charlie Hatton, a lorrie driver and thug. Wexford also finds himself investigating the accident that kills a wealthy man and puts the man's wife in a coma.

It's a very well done mystery, with some very good twists, fab characters. Davina Porter is the perfect narrator for this.

Four English beans.....

TGIF!!!

Hope you have a happy Friday and a swell weekend. Ours will be quiet. Only big plans are to try a new-to-us place, Village Coffee, over in Boulder for breakfast in the morning. Sunday will be Fathers Day and we will take DH to Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen for their Sunday brunch. Yummmmy!
I know we have a glider to put together. Our wooden glider is on its last glides, so we found one that fits us and the space. Lady K gave her approval when she found she could lie down for naps there.....
Enjoy your weekend! What are your plans?

GARDEN SPELLS - Sarah Addison Allen

This is my favorite book so far this year. Enchanted is a start to how I felt while reading this lovely magical book. I could identify with the emotionally encased main character, Claire, needing to keep people out so as not to be hurt as she was sure she would be. I loved watching her bloom as her garden perpetually did once she realized that some things are worth the possibility of heartache.

I enjoyed disliking the wealthy, self-centered characters of Hunter John and his wife, Emma and their clique of like-minded narcissists.

I loved meeting Claire's runaway sister Sydney and Sydney's daughter, Bay. Sydney ran away from Bascom, North Carolina as a teen to escape what she thought of as a prison. Now she realizes it is a safehaven for her and Bay.

Then there are the magical recipes Claire, a successful caterer, creates for her clients from the flowers and plants in her garden. I had to grin at the apple tree at the center of the mystical garden. It had a character all its own, producing apples year round, throwing them at Claire and others to get attention. Claire buries the apples as they fall so that innocents won't eat one and discover the biggest event in their lives, some wonderful, sometimes awful.

I am loaning this to my sister with the proviso that I get it back for my keeper shelf. I will read this again.

Five magically warm beans.....

Patricia's Vampire Notes Interview with Karen Chance

PVN has an interview with Karen Chance, author of the Cassandra Palmer and the Dorina Baharab paranormal/fantasy series on PVN's blog. The interview is one of the best I've seen this year and had me highlight the first book in both series on the Wanton Wantin' Book List. I especially love the premise of the hero who is Cassandra Palmer, a woman who has had supernatural abilities thrown in her lap and she has a hard time dealing with the responsibilities.

The other series' hero is Dorina who is a dhampir, half human-half vampire, and not much loved on either side...however she has abilities that are admired and needed.

There's a chance to win a signed copy of each of the books pictured here. Contest portion ends 18 June @ 1159pm.....hightail it over there!

TBR Tuesday...more from Mt Git'r'Read

THE EIGHT - Katherine Neville (Keeper Shelf), historical mystery
THR3E - Ted Dekker, thriller mystery
MURDER OF A ROYAL PAIN - Denise Swanson, cozy mystery
MURDER OF A SNAKE IN THE GRASS - Denise Swanson, cozy mystery
THE BODY IN THE KELP - Katherine Hall Page, cozy mystery
THE BODY IN THE BONFIRE - Katherine Hall Page, cozy mystery
THE BODY IN THE BASEMENT - Katherine Hall Page, cozy mystery
THE BODY IN THE MOONLIGHT - Katherine Hall Page, cozy mystery
THE BODY IN THE BOOKCASE - Katherine Hall Page, cozy mystery
AN IMAGE OF DEATH - Libby Fischer Shellmann, suspense mystery
A PICTURE OF GUILT - Libby Fischer Shellman, suspense mystery
BONE HUNTER - Sarah Andrews, suspense mystery
TOUCH OF THE WOLF - Karen Whiddon, paranormal romance
BLACK RIVER - G M Ford, suspense mystery
AN HOUR TO KILL - Karin Yapalater, thriller mystery
A MURDER OF HONOR - Robert Andrews, suspense mystery
ONE HOT MESS - Lois Greiman, suspense mystery

THE WATCHER - Jeanne C Stein

Anna Strong, bounty hunter and vampire, kicks serious ass. She's a Watcher, which means she helps keep supernatural bad guys in line and does some meting out of punishment when necessary.

She does all of this while maintaining her secret that she's a vampire from her bounty hunter partner and her sweetie, Max, the DEA agent. These two have disappeared and it seems to be in connection with the drug lord whose operation Max had infiltrated. Max was discovered and hunted down. Now David has disappeared and Anna is being hunted as well. All this going on while she's trying to find out just who the Wiccan sorceress is and what she's up to.

I am so glad that this is a series and I can keep going along with Anna on her adventures....

Four kickin' ass trouble finding beans......

BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER - Margaret Maron, narr CJ Critt

I read this first in the Deborah Knott series a while back. It must have been a long while back as it was practically like a brand new book for me! It could be that I am getting older and I've pushed some knowledge and memories out to make room for new schtuff....nah...I read it a really really long time ago.....
Deborah Knott is a lawyer in Colleton County, North Carolina and is running for district court judge after a run in with a definite justice is not blind judge. She has one or two things going against her: her daddy was a reknowned bootlegger back in the day and Deborah has been asked by 18 year old Gayle Whitehead to investigate the unsolved murder of her mother, Janie, when Gayle was 3 months old.
The judgeshop campaign and the investigation all snarl up to cause Deborah headaches and trouble, but she perseveres.
My favorite of the series, this one introduces the colorful (but not overdonely so) (is so a word!) characters and family members. I'd love to see Maron's charts for keeping each brother and their families straight. They do come to life while reading or listening to the story.
Five Southern comfort beans.....

SERPENT GATE - Michael McGarrity, narr George Guidall

SERPENT GATE is the third in this series. Kevin Kerney is called in to investigate an art theft at the Governor's office in Santa Fe and the murder of the curator in charge of the collection. Kearney is currently investigating the killing of a small town not much loved police officer not far down the road, so he investigates all.
Kearney keeps his cool under the scrutiny of the governor of New Mexico and the cops who feel passed over when Kerney is selected to head up the art theft investigation. I think that's what I admire about the Kerney and I like how McGarrity writes the various characters.
George Guidall is the perfect narrator for the series. I plan to listen to this whole series and hopefully in order...

Five 'I do love this series' beans......

Part 2....the I Won batch, the I have good book buds, & the I had a B&N coupon batch

I won some books from Joy (yep I won two copies of AFRAID...)

My good buddy, JenG, up in Alaska sent:

And because I had a B&N coupon burning a hole in my pocket....as uber-recommended by Stacia Kane and BittenByBooks:

And highly enthusiastically recommended by J A Konrath:

Finders Keepers Monday, Part 1 - Seester's batch

Seester brought out some lovelies for Mt Git'r'Read during last week's visit at our Dad's: