Waiting on Wednesday (56)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.


By Jennifer Estep
Publication Date:  March 26, 2013


Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me — Gin Blanco, aka the Spider — it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’ priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

Sweet Stuff by Donna Kauffman

**

From Kensington Books:

Double Fudge. . .Toasted Coconut. . .Key Lime. . .Strawberry Cream. . .
Every bite is a mouthful of heaven.
And the women of the Cupcake Club are bringing their appetites . . .

Riley Brown never imagined she would find her bliss on Georgia's quiet Sugarberry Island after years of Chicago's city life. With a new career and fantastic new friends, she's got it all--except for eligible men. But a gig staging a renovated beach house delivers a delicious treat--six feet of blue-eyed, gorgeous writer as delectable and Southern as pecan pie. Quinn Brannigan has come to Sugarberry to finish his latest novel in peace, and suddenly Riley has a taste for the bad boy author that no amount of mocha latte buttercream or lemon mousse will satisfy . . .

Riley's friends are rooting for her to give in to her cravings and spice up her life, but it's Quinn who needs to learn that life's menu just might include love, in all its decadent, irresistible flavors. . .

The Good:

I enjoyed the premise of this book, with the famous author hiding out and trying to decide what direction to take his career meets woman who fled a bad relationship to end up in a small town.  Quinn reminded me a bit of Castle, which of course made me think of the delectable Nathan Fillion...

The Bad:

While I enjoyed the premise, I wasn’t a big fan of the execution.  I’ve read books by Donna Kauffman before and enjoyed them, but the execution of these characters just didn’t resonate with me. 

For my money, if you are going to read Donna Kauffman, I recommend the Fairy Godmother series.  Super fun and interesting.

~Shel

A Peek In The BiblioBin #55

Welcome to our Stacking the Shelves post! Stacking the Shelves (or as we like to call it, A Peek in the BiblioBin) has been created by the lovely ladies at Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking the Shelves is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This is what we have in our BiblioBin this week. Tell us what's in your bin!


For Review:

Anthem For Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

Purchased:

Wait For You by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Deep Betrayal (Lies Beneath #2) by Anne Greenwood Brown

* * * 1/2

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . .

After the impressive debut of Lies Beneath, I was very much hoping its sequel would continue to carry that sinister sense of foreboding.  Deep Betrayal features complicated family dynamics, a menacing threat to the Bayfield community and a deepening mystery of mermaid mythology.

Once Lily exposes the truth to her father, he becomes obsessed with embracing his merman side. His many long absences take a toll on the family. Lily is still concerned for his safety as Calder’s sisters’ whereabouts and motives are unknown. Her mother’s physical condition appears to be getting worse and her younger sister, Sophie seems to be keeping her own secrets.  As these things unfold around her, Lily also begins discovers some startling abilities of her own.

Deep Betrayal has some intense, creepy moments which I appreciated. It has the same dark undertone as Lies Beneath but with more at stake this time.  The dead bodies washing ashore have brought unwanted attention to Bayfield and the publicity could mean danger for Calder, his sisters and Lily’s dad. Lily’s friend Jack, is unstable and is threatening to expose the mermaids and all the events which previously unfolded, Lily and Calder doing plenty of damage control.

If you enjoyed Lies Beneath, Deep Betrayal will be welcome addition to your “to be read” pile – its alluring plot will keep you well hooked!

~ Bel

Waiting on Wednesday (55)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.

It's been a while since all three of us were so eager for the same book release.  Ms. Cassandra Clare gets us everytime!


By Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: March 13, 2013

Danger intensifies for the Shadowhunters as the New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy comes to a close.

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy

Emblaze (Violet Eden #3) by Jessica Shirvington

* * * *

Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

This is the third installment in the excellent Violet Eden series. People I was so excited to get my hands on this that I may or may done have done a little jig in celebration. The appeal of Emblaze for me is simply Violet. She was empowered from an early age even if she wasn’t aware of it. Her friendship with Lincoln has been the key to her survival and as a result we’re not stuck with a simpering, sniveling helpless young woman. Instead, we have someone who has had all the training and resources at her disposal to prepare her for her calling. It’s refreshing and in order words, Violet is kick ass. Her skills are continually developing and she is beginning to trust her instincts.She doesn't forget who she is even when she's making tough decisions. Everything she does, she does with purpose. Violet is impressive in this one, especially when it comes to her fierce loyalty to her best friend, Steph.

Emblaze also finds this peculiar motley crew of Grigori and Exiles become a more cohesive unit. Other than Violet herself, only Lincoln and Griffin are aware of her true nature and they’re determined that it remain a secret, especially from Josephine, the second in command at the Academy who comes to supervise and observe this group. With the devastating deaths from the previous expedition still casting its ugly shadow over them, Violet and Lincoln know that they cannot be together and work very hard at keeping their distance. It’s maddening and unfair and every moment between them is charged. Violet’s reaction or attraction rather to Phoenix makes things all the more perplexing for her. Stuck in the middle between two hotties – oh what’s a girl to do?

Same as in Entice, the gang is off to another exotic location – Greece –  this time to stop Phoenix from unleashing all hell. There are some dubious alliances and questionable motives all of which had me reeling through some pretty suspenseful moments. With so much at stake, it's great to see what everyone's special powers and gifts are and how they come together to stave off this crisis. And by the time it all comes to a head, Violet receives the shock of a lifetime that unsettles her completely. These new revelations mean unknown ramifications for her and her family. I honestly have no idea where it can go from here but I tell you what. I'll be glued to every single page when the next book comes out!

~ Bel

Click here to read the Jessica Shirvington interview and contest!

Interview With Jessica Shirvington and Contest

So I'm certain you have all gathered by now from my review of Emblaze, I’m a bit of a fan. Okay, a lot! It's a fun series with a kick-ass heroine, how can it not be anything but? With that I am now extremely thrilled to have Jessica Shirvington join us today to talk about Emblaze, Violet and the rest of the gang. (And don't forget to check out the giveaway at the end of the interview too!)

Jessica, thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview.  

You are welcome. Thanks for having me as a guest! 

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the Embrace books and am excited that we are part of your blog tour! By the way, every time I use honey now, I think of Lincoln. That is in no way a complaint!

Haha!

Congratulations on getting picked up by CW! How did you celebrate the news?

There could possibly have been some awkward happy dancing. But to be honest, there are so many stages to a production getting off the ground, right now I am just in a holding pattern waiting to see what happens.

Do you remember the moment that sparked the idea for Embrace?

It was never one perfect moment when the entire story came into my mind. I clearly remember the day I opened my laptop and typed the names Violet and Lincoln at the top. I remember that day because it was the beginning of a major shift in my life. From there it was research and building blocks.

Violet really develops into her own in Emblaze. I’m sure you’ve had a lot of fun watching her grow up. What’s your proudest moment of her?

Yes, she has. My intention has always been for her to grow on the page in every way. And I guess it sounds kind of geeky, but I am proud of her character. She is strong and determined, but she is heartfelt and fallible too. She makes big mistakes but she can admit to them too. In EMBLAZE she puts everything on the line for her friendship with Steph. When others want to put her safety first she has none of it. I think in many ways, those scenes bring her into her own.

Violet and Lincoln have a very clear sense of what’s right and wrong.  Phoenix and Onyx on the other hand are wild cards being Exiles. Do you feel you have a wider berth with their characters because they’re much more unpredictable?

Definitely. And at the same time, I feel that because of their innate darkness I have to be always aware and true to it. No one just flips a switch and makes someone who has only ever known darkness suddenly only choose light. It was very important to me that that never be the case. Especially with Phoenix. He struggles against who he is, but he is who he is at the same time (does that make sense...?)

We’re going to have a bit of fun now. Our motto here at BiblioJunkies is “books, boys and pie”. So … what book had the biggest impact on you as a teenager?

When I was a teenager, I was reading a lot of Patricia Cornwell. The Kay Scarpetta books were one of the few series that really held my interest.

If you could put together your dream cast, who would you have as Violet, Lincoln and Phoenix?

I really don't know. I get asked this a lot and I have given answers before like - a Jensen Ackles or Chace Crawford for Lincoln, or Sebastian Stan for Phoenix. But the truth is I love the idea of unknown actors playing the roles. It seems weird having actors step into their characters when they are already famous for playing someone else. 

Finally, if Lincoln were to make you a sweet treat, what would that be?

He'd probably make something relatively healthy, but also divine. Maybe a perfect apple tart tatin with gooey vanilla ice cream. :-)

Thank you Jessica for spending some time with us today. It's been fun! And also a big thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for helping to arrange this interview. To learn more about Jessica, check out her website http://www.jessicashirvington.com

And as a special treat for stopping by, BiblioJunkies is giving away one autographed copy of Entice. To enter, simply answer this question: Which side would you be on - Grigori (light) or Exile (dark)? This contest will run through Sunday, March 17. One winner will be chosen and contacted. This contest is open to US residents only. 

Good luck and happy reading!

~ Bel

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