From the Stacks: Quintessence by David Walton

This NetGalley book was absolutely stunning. I am so glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

Summary:

"Imagine an Age of Exploration full of alchemy, human dissection, sea monsters, betrayal, torture, religious controversy, and magic. In Europe, the magic is thin, but at the edge of the world, where the stars reach down close to the Earth, wonders abound. This drives the bravest explorers to the alluring Western Ocean. Christopher Sinclair is an alchemist who cares only about one thing: quintessence, a substance he believes will grant magical powers and immortality. And he has a ship."

My Thoughts:

All in all, I'm giving this book a 4.5/5, because at times it really did feel a little slow to me. However, the descriptions were amazing, and the mysterious and amazing island of Horizon is absolutely magical. The summary makes it sound as if the story focuses on alchemist Christopher Sinclair, but really, I found him to be a secondary character to the Parris family. Most of what happens seems to center on Dr. Parris and his daughter Catherine.

Considering the time period and such, I thought the characters felt very true to life, and I really did feel as if I was reading a historical novel, that just happened to have these creatures capable of turning invisible, walking through walls, healing themselves, and forming mind-links.

The slowness I mentioned earlier came from how a great deal of the book is the voyage across the ocean, which I guess makes it all the more realistic because for the characters, the journey would have been long and dull and tedious.

I absolutely adored Catherine Parris. She is a young woman who feels as if she is being pigeon-holed by her mother to dress up, go to dances, and attract a suitable, wealthy, and high-ranking man to marry...which is not exactly what she'd like. Sure, she wants to marry, but she also is intrigued by the work her father does as a physic, especially since he is doing the "appalling" act of dissecting corpses to discover how the human body truly works. Along the voyage she joins in on his studies and shows just how intelligent and clever she is, and I love how some certain characters begin to see just how amazing she is and come to respect her opinion just as well as a man's.

There is so much going on in this story: discovering the alchemical truths of Horizon, basically a coming-of-age story, struggles with religion, science, and morality, as well as life and death, and a definite struggle between the natives of Horizon and these English invaders. I very much enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to people who like historical novels, tales of alchemy, and it really does have a sort-of steampunk vibe to it as well. 

Quintessence at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/quintessence-david-walton/1111298355?ean=9780765330901

Quintessence at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Quintessence-David-Walton/dp/0765330903/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363698966&sr=8-1&keywords=Quintessence

Other Readings:

Currently I am reading a couple manuscripts for friends, so there won't be any review on them or anything else...yet. When they become published novels, that's a wholly different story. I'm also working on finishing up Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn, and City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte.

From the Stacks: A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont

Here is another NetGalley From the Stacks review. The only issues I had with this book had to do with the fact that I was dealing with a wonky formatted proof copy, but I can't hold that against the content of the book or my review, since I knew that NetGalley often gives their reviewers the uncorrected proof copies of books.

Summary:

"The compelling heroine of Eve Marie Mont’s novel A Breath of Eyre returns to find truth and fiction merging through the pages of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic, The Scarlet Letter…

Emma Townsend is back at prestigious Lockwood Prep, but her world has altered immeasurably since her tumultuous sophomore year. The best change of all: her boyfriend, Gray. And though Gray is leaving for Coast Guard training, Emma feels newly optimistic, even if the pain of her mother’s long-ago death still casts a shadow.

Yet Emma isn’t the only one who’s changed. Her friend and roommate, Michelle, is strangely remote, and old alliances are shifting in disconcerting ways. Soon Emma’s long-distance relationship with Gray is straining under the pressure, and Emma wonders if she’s cracking too. How else to explain the vivid dreams of Hester Prynne she’s been having since she started reading The Scarlet Letter? Or the way she’s found herself waking in the woods? As her life begins to echo events in the novel, Emma will be forced to choose between virtue and love. But can she forge a new future without breaking her heart?"

My Thoughts:

When I first picked up this book, I was really curious to see how Eve Marie Mont would get Emma into the world of Hester Prynne and The Scarlet Letter. In A Breath of Eyre, Emma ended up going to the hospital four times, and I sincerely hoped that would not be the same method for the translation this time. If you remember from my review of the first book, that was definitely one of the points that really bothered me. Thankfully, it wasn't the same. Instead, Emma goes into a pseudo dream state while running...and she only goes to the hospital once, so that's a definite plus.

Knowing that The Scarlet Letter was central to this book, I really should have known that it would deal with some serious matters in the lives of Emma, Michelle, Gray, Owen, Elise, and Jess. Okay, yes, the adultery issue from the original book is not nearly the same in this...Emma kisses someone in a moment of weakness, and yes, that someone does happen to be in a relationship, but it is not nearly as drastic as what Hester Prynne experiences. Of course, high school being what it is, the gossip mill takes care of everything and the issue blows completely out of proportion. A Touch of Scarlet really is about growing up, figuring out who you are, taking a stand with friends and against injustice, and it also broaches the matter of sexuality. I thought it was all very well done, and even in the midst of some serious bullying and such, Emma and her friends, both old and new, still also find a way to joke around with each other.

Now, like some other reviews I've seen, I did feel like some of the characters changed almost too drastically. Emma was a good strong protagonist in A Breath of Eyre, even standing up for herself and Michelle in front of the honor council, but for a majority of A Touch of Scarlet, Emma seems to have withdrawn from everyone, becoming so attached to Gray that when he isn't around she is basically a mess, not really knowing who she is or what she is doing. (I know in some circles, this is known as the Bella syndrome, because it is basically how Bella acts after Edward leaves her in New Moon). Of course, I also think, considering all the mistakes she has made through the book and because of everything she has learned, by the end of the story Emma has definitely become a stronger person than she was before. So, this book tore her apart and put her back together.

I will be really intrigued to see what happens in A Phantom Enchantment, because seeing Emma in the world of The Phantom of the Opera should be pretty fun, while also dealing with a number of mature themes that I believe teens and young adults deal with quite frequently these days. So, I really look forward to reading the final book of this trilogy. Overall, I really think this book is more a 4.5/5.

A Touch of Scarlet at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-touch-of-scarlet-eve-marie-mont/1112034923?ean=9780758269492

A Touch of Scarlet at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Scarlet-Eve-Marie-Mont/dp/0758269498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362515424&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Touch+of+Scarlet

Other Readings:

Okay, now I'm getting into some of the books that I've been meaning to read for a while, and even bought, but have sat on my shelf for quite some time. First up on my list: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter, followed by Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews, and Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire.

From the Stacks: Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

I read this...last month, I think. It was an interesting book, and my only big issue with it was sometimes weird formatting in my e-book, which is not really the author's fault so that won't factor into my review. Well...actually in the case of this being a self-pubbed book, I guess it is the author's fault, but I still won't factor that into my review, because it happens sometimes.

Summary:

"The Fire Breathers have come. The Underworld calls. A choice must be made…

With her feared half blood and flame-colored hair, DEIRA D'ANU is a constant reminder of human betrayal and the war that claimed the light from Innis Fail. Now, darkness and frost creep across the land, strengthening the Lord of the Underworld. War is imminent—an allegiance with the Fire Breathers is vital. When their champion, Balen, sees Deira, he believes she is the key to finding the light and stopping the dark frost.... 

But the Underworld calls to Deira, tempting her to turn her back on a world that never cared and betray the champion willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe and save his world from darkness."

My Thoughts:

Okay, I'm not going to lie...when I went online to get the links for where to purchase the book below, I discovered that a new cover had been designed...same basic picture and background, but they changed the font for the title and moved the author's name from the top to the bottom. I like the new version better, really. Oh well.

Overall I thought this book was a pretty decent story for just $0.99. I enjoyed the setting and for the most part I really liked both Deira and Balen, but...and I can't exactly place my finger on what exactly bothered me...something was missing from the story. Yes, when I reached the end, I admit to being curious as to what will happen in the sequel. Maybe the relationship between Deira and Balen could have had more to it. Now, as I'm sitting here, I'm struggling to remember most of the story, but I do remember finishing it with a sense of "oh, is that all?"

I like fantasy settings; I like stories with elves and magic. This one even had portions of romance and even a bit of a mystery. Perhaps I'll just have to pick up this book and read it again...most likely right before the sequel is released. Doing a little browsing through other reviews, it seems that this is the first of a duology, and others are saying that the next book should be out this year. For now though, my review stands at 3/5. Embers in a Dark Frost was good. It just didn't wow me.

Embers in a Dark Frost at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/embers-in-a-dark-frost-kelly-keaton/1113774766?ean=2940015831795

Embers in a Dark Frost at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Embers-Dark-Frost-Fire-ebook/dp/B00A4JG8Z8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363302925&sr=8-1&keywords=Embers+in+a+Dark+Frost

Other Readings:

Tomorrow I'll have a Bonus From the Stacks up, a NetGalley review of A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont. Right now any reading I'm doing is at a leisurely pace...because I am a week away from the first session of Camp NaNoWriMo, so my focus will shift from reading to writing. But don't worry. I've read 60 books so far this year, so I have my reviews typed up and ready to go. You may find through April that I'll just ignore this section of my post...or maybe I'll do a quick update on my writing progress.

Sounding Boards, Betas, CPs, and Word Wars

Wow...this is my 100th post here on this blog. That's really sort of outstanding. I started this blog in February 2012, to try and start getting into the habit of blogging, both about books I've read and my own writing projects. My hope has always been that someday I'll have books published and this will be an easy place to keep readers up to date on what is going on. Of course, I also have my Twitter account, Facebook profile, and Google+ account, so I think I'm fairly accessible.

Anyway, the idea for today's post comes from one of my writer friends. I was trying to figure out what to blog about today, because I've spent a lot of time talking about Project Death: Resurrection while I'm working through the editing progress, and I am also waiting until next week to further discuss Souls Unknowing, which is to be my project for Camp NaNoWriMo. My friend, who I've called Owl since shortly after meeting her in university, asked me if I had discussed CPs yet. No, but I will remedy that now.

There are so many who think of writing as a lonely solitary pursuit, but in my experience that is so far from the truth. Writing has introduced me to some of my absolute best friends, and they all help with my writing process in different ways. I am one of the MLs for my NaNoWriMo region. What that means is that I schedule gatherings so we can hang out, write, or both. My region felt that just hanging out in November wasn't enough, so we've formed a year-round gathering of nerds, which is awesome. One of the members of our group is not a writer, per se, but I tell you what, she is always there to listen if you are having issues, and ...this is a little scary, but she is really good at concocting torture and death scenes. She is a sounding board, and sometimes you really just need to explain what you are trying to do in order to see what will work and what will end in disaster.

My next big help in the writing process comes from so many different people, and that is participating in a Word War. Basically, two people (or a group...really there are no rules) set a time limit and see how many words you can write within that time. Now, it isn't meant to be a competition, but instead a way to help boost your word count. However, I am a competitive person by nature. It doesn't matter though because Word Wars really do help me write without thinking. It's like a 15 or 30 minute session of NaNoWriMo. Most of the time I find that I can pound out roughly 1,000-1,200 words in a half-hour, and by doing a few Word Wars in a day, I have found that I can push through most blocks and issues I have with my characters and plot.

Then there are the people who help after the first draft has been finished: Betas and CPs. They can be the same people or different ones, and you can have one or two up to a larger group, depending on what sort of response you are after. I myself have 3 different people who I would consider to be my Beta/CPs. Oh, for those who don't know, CP = Critique Partner. The way I look at the difference is that Critique Partners are the people you go to for the nitty-gritty details: grammar, characterization, plot holes, etc. They will look through everything with a critical eye in the hopes of making your story the best it can be. Betas I see more as people looking over the manuscript in a broad sense, making sure that things flow and make sense. I almost see them as my first reviewers, the ones who see what I'm working on after I've tortured myself over dialogue and wording and all the details. Of course these people are also my cheerleaders, the ones I talk to whenever I'm having a block or another issue with my story and it usually helps me clear up whatever is going wrong.

My friend who has been my Beta/CP the longest (I'm talking since high school) is also the one who regularly gives me a kick in the pants when I start to procrastinate on a story, and I am extremely grateful for that.

I know my friends want to see me achieve my goals, and so I'm extremely glad to have their opinions about what works and what doesn't in my stories. They also help me when I'm torturing myself about book cover designs and back cover blurbs.

Update: Project Death: Resurrection is improving daily and I hope to have my editing done by the end of the month. I hope to be able to have publication details up in the next month or two.

Also, next week I will be writing up my Introduction to Souls Unknowing post, just in time for the start of Camp NaNoWriMo session #1. It's going to be a blast.

From the Stacks: Elemental: the First by Alexandra May

Another NetGalley review, but this is one that was released in...2011, I believe. I think the publishers do this sometimes to sort of refresh people on the story and get them ready for the sequel. I believe the next book will be released some time in 2013.

Summary:

"Just who is Halíka Dacomé?

To Rose Frost, moving house every six months is normal. Another new town here, another new school there, her ability to adapt is as easy as breathing. But everything changes when her parents go overseas and Rose moves in with her grandmother. She enjoys meeting new friends and catching up with old ones from her childhood holidays — except now she must hide a precious secret from everyone, a gift from birth that defies modern day science. 

Her dreams become riddled with a warrior woman called Halíka Dacomé, but are they visions or messages from the future? She starts her own investigation but encounters more questions than answers. Living right on the edge of Warminster in Wiltshire doesn’t help with its folklore and myths about strange lights in the sky and ghost stories of the Salisbury Plain

Not only that, her troubles really take hold one night when the mysterious Aiden Deverill with his alluring smile, his gorgeous dark looks and hypnotising blue eyes, saves her from a freak fire. Or did he? 

For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that despite assurances people are not always what they seem. What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret, Aiden Deverill and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy."

My Thoughts:

When I requested this book from NetGalley I was halfway interested in it, but was a little unsure if I would like it or not. Now that I'm finished, I'm actually still on the fence. I mean, it was a decent story, there was enough description of the setting that I could almost visualize it, and some of the characters were all right...but there were a few things that bugged me about this book.

Namely Rose, the main character. Rose is one of those characters. Everyone else talks about how beautiful she is but she thinks she's kind of plain, maybe pretty on a good day. She's also nice, has loyal friends, is supposed to be smart and athletic...and oh yeah, she also happens to have these special abilities. Come on now...seriously. Where are all of her flaws? Also, for someone who is supposed to be as smart as we are told she is, she really struggles with this mystery, even with all the clues placed in front of her. Just slightly ridiculous.

Again, we have another young adult story with a supernatural love triangle. *sigh* Can we go back to the days when not every YA PNR had to have a love triangle? That would be great. Elemental: the First has the mysterious Aiden, who Rose suspects may have powers and be special like she is. Sorry to spoil this, but yeah, he does. And Rose feels drawn to him despite literally everyone else telling her that is is not a good guy, to be careful around him, and even better, to just stay away from him. But no...not Rose. Even after hearing about all the truly awful things he has done, she still goes off with him.

That brings us to the third point in the triangle: Morgan. He lives in the cottage on Rose's grandmother's property on account of his parents being gone all the time. My favorite part about Morgan: he has a motorcycle. Morgan is somewhat portrayed as the nice, hard-working, sort of guy-next-door...and he clearly has issues with Aiden. Yet he keeps all sorts of secrets from Rose, except when Aiden is involved and then he joins the posse of people telling Rose that Aiden is no good. 

Oh yeah...I totally forgot something else...Rose is followed around by spy/military type guys, and she's not supposed to know it, but finds that out fairly quickly so the one spy/military guy gives her his phone number and says that instead of them trying to guess where she's going to go next, she should just text him so they can be ready...and Rose does. Really? 

Finally, there is the whole Halika Dacome story line. Despite hearing numerous people mention Halika Dacome, and the fact that she has abilities such as healing that everyone speaks of Halika having, plus all of her strange and vivid dreams leading up to her sixteenth birthday, Rose couldn't put it together that she is basically the vessel or reincarnation (whatever) of Halika Dacome? And yet we were told that Rose was smart.

Obviously, there were some definite flaws in this book. Still, I can say that I actually read the whole thing and it only took me a couple of hours, so it is a pretty quick read. So, it gets a solid 3/5 because even though the above points bothered me, I still kinda liked the story. Did I like it enough to want to read the sequel whenever it is released? I don't know. Maybe.

Elemental: the First at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elemental-alexandra-may/1111137560?ean=2940011454899

Elemental: the First at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elemental-The-First-Alexandra-May/dp/1463708343/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363444494&sr=8-1&keywords=Elemental+the+First

Other Readings:

Goodness, this week With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent is being released. I am so excited and so saddened by this fact, because I really don't want the series to end. I hope the ending is good, but I'm expecting a few exciting twists and turns in the final book. All I'm saying is that if Kaylee and Tod don't end up still together in the end, I will be very upset.

In other news I'm trying to finish up the eight books I have left to finish up my NetGalley reviews and my regularly scheduled reviews through April. I have to get it all wrapped up before April 1st because then I'll switch from reviewer mode to writer mode and be fully ensconced in the first session of Camp NaNoWriMo.

From the Stacks: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

I don't care that this book is written for a much younger audience (basically half my age). It is a very enjoyable series and I think Ally Carter is a great writer.

Summary:

"Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she's simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That's why Kat isn't surprised when she's asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn't been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long-and in Kat's world, history almost always repeats itself. But it's the third problem that makes Kat's crew the most nervous, and that is...the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she's not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend-the gorgeous Hale-and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules."

My Thoughts:

This was a really quick read, probably because of the intended audience, but I don't care. It was so worth it and I can't wait to read Perfect Scoundrels (book  #3). I sort of stumbled into reading Ally Carter's books. Sometimes when I go to the library, I don't have specific books in mind and I browse through the stacks looking for anything that sounds interesting. I found the Gallagher Girls series, which is about teenagers being trained as spies. I've only read the first book but I really enjoyed it. So when I heard that she was making another series, this time about teenage thieves, I couldn't resist.

These teens are extremely smart and I like that fact. They are good at acting and researching and planning and I like seeing that it isn't just physical ability that is highlighted. The brainiacs get lots of love too. There are a nice variety of characters from Kat and Hale to Gabrielle and Simon. They work well together as a team, and honestly, these books are sort of like a teen version of the TV show Leverage. Kat is the thief, Hale and Gabrielle both seem to be grifters, and Simon is definitely the hacker of the group. It's pretty awesome.

The action moves quickly, and I enjoyed learning more about Kat's family, as well as seeing the relationship between Kat and Hale develop farther. I like that Kat is struggling with how she feels and how to act when it comes to those feelings. It makes her very very real to me. I like that they aren't automatically a lovey-dovey couple; I don't think that would be true to who they are. They still have some more growing and maturing before anything can really happen between them, and that's perfectly okay. Kat and Hale are still rather young.

I love seeing how they pull off their heists, even when things go wrong and they have to regroup and try to fix their mistakes. These characters are incredibly realistic and have flaws and that really endears them to me even more. The action and the heist details sound realistic and plausible enough...or at least they hold up against other similar type stories or movies or TV episodes, which I guess is good enough.

So, all in all, this book steals a perfect 5/5 from me. I can't wait to read more.

Uncommon Criminals at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/uncommon-criminals-ally-carter/1100564887?ean=9781423147954

Uncommon Criminals at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Uncommon-Criminals-Society-Novels-Quality/dp/142314807X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358823091&sr=1-1&keywords=Uncommon+Criminals

Other Readings:

Next week With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent is out. I will be so incredibly sad to see the Soul Screamers series come to an end. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of these books. In the meantime, I am working on reading a couple more NetGalley books. I think I'm going to try and slow down on them just a little. I was approved for 18 books in January and February alone and while I like to have them read and reviewed quickly, they sometimes have made me really shift around my From the Stacks schedule. So, I'm going to try reading some of the other books I've had stacked up around here. Besides, I really need to buckle down and finish the books for my book clubs this month. For Sword & Laser we are reading Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh and for Vaginal Fantasy, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor is the main pick, while Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione is the alt pick. I imagine it should be an interesting experience to jump from one book to the other this time. They all seem to be quite different.

Welcome to my Writing Sanctuary

I realize that I haven't posted any writing posts lately, and that is going to change, mostly because Camp NaNoWriMo is right around the corner. Because of having my From the Stacks reviews now on Mondays and Fridays, I won't be using my old schedule of writing updates on Tuesdays and reviews on Fridays. Instead, you can now look forward to reviews on Mondays and Fridays and writing updates on Wednesdays.

I've already made the decision to use the April session of Camp NaNoWriMo to do a complete rewrite on Souls Unknowing. I will have a post up with a general overview of the story in a couple of weeks and then every Wednesday through April I will let you know how the NaNo process is working for me, because it is more of a help to my writing than anything else.

Until then I need other writing-type posts to add here, and today I'm going to give everyone a peek into where I do a lot of my writing these days. I was inspired to do this because of a recurring blog I've found by Meagan Spooner, who has authors guest blog with numerous pictures about their writing spaces. It sounded really cool and I like seeing where all of these creative juices flow and such. So, without further ado...here is my writing space.

 Here is the corner of the room that houses my desk and one of my four bookshelves.

As you can probably tell by the right hand side of my desk that is piled up with stuff, I really need to be more organized. That really should be one of my priorities before Camp NaNo starts up. A clean writing space would probably be more productive. Anyway, my desk chair is not as comfortable as I'd like; after sitting in it for a couple hours I have to get up and move around or something, which is not helpful when I want to spend a day writing. Also, those books to the left and behind my computer are my writing books. They include the 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, the 2012 Guide to Literary Agents, a book on Character naming complete with origin and meanings, a Writer's Guide to Character Traits, and the 2nd edition of Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy. That beach hammock poster that is sort of blocked by my desk was given to me by one of my best friends in university and even just seeing portions of it there helps to relax me.

This was the 2011 NaNoWriMo poster covered in Baty-isms

To the right of my desk, on the back of my bedroom door, is this wonderful poster that serves as a great inspirational motivational reminder for me. I have been extremely passionate about NaNoWriMo since 2006, considering how much it has helped me really work through the first drafts of a number of novels. Chris Baty founded NaNoWriMo in 1999 and has had many awesome sayings. One of my favorites is "Whatever you think you are, you are more than that." I have a sticker with that saying on my laptop below the keys and right beside the mouse pad, so I can always have it there to remind me that I can accomplish so much more than I thought I could.

This is the biggest of my bookshelves.

I am a bibliophile. Most of my room is filled with bookshelves, so much so that I actually don't have any empty wall space. I'm to the point where if I buy more books then I'm going to have to reorganize half of my closet to put some bookshelves in there. I realize I could try going all digital, but my NOOK dies after 4 straight hours of reading and then I have to put it to charge and pick up a dead tree copy anyway, so I keep a hefty supply of both. At my last count I had well over 1,000 dead tree copies of books and almost 600 NOOK books. Someday, when I have a place of my own, I plan on having one room that is nothing but bookshelves and a couple comfy chairs to read in.

Just to the left of that bookshelf is actually a dry erase board. In university I used it to keep track of both mine and my roommate's homework assignments for each of our classes. Now I use it to sort of plot some of my novels...which is why I don't have a good picture of it because right now it is covered in scribbles that might include spoilers for my current WIPs. (or is that WsIP?).

This is my bed, aka my other writing space, plus my other two bookshelves

Okay, so over half of the space in my bedroom is occupied by my huge California King Water Bed, so I'm limited in how to organize things. In grad school, I actually wrote a number of my papers from the comforts of my bed. I have a number of extra pillows that I took out of this picture, and I use them to prop myself up because...well, water bed. Above and around my bed I have a number of posters: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Avengers, an awesome phoenix, and Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. Then, you can see a little bit of it above my bookshelves, I have a map of Ancient Rome that I picked up when I was in Rome in spring 2009. I actually love to look at that poster. I have had it above/beside my bed ever since I came home. Another souvenir from my trip to Italy is that stuffed lion on my bed. His name is Genova, because I bought him at a little gas station/convenience store in Genova (Genoa) Italy.

Anyway, that's just about it for my primary writing space. When I can, I also try to go to the library or to Panera...not really Starbucks though because my local one really doesn't have that artsy-writer vibe that I like.

I hope you enjoyed the look into my writing space. Please feel free to make comments and/or ask questions if you'd like. Who knows, you may spark my interest for another writing blog.

From the Stacks: The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Happy Monday, everyone! Well, today I am reviewing The Water Witch, which is the sequel to The Demon Lover, a book I reviewed last week.The Water Witch went on sale last month, and I was lucky enough to receive a copy from NetGalley.

Summary:

""You have only to call my name to bring me back," he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. "You have only to love me to make me human."

Seduced by a powerful incubus demon, Callie has succeeded in banishing him to the Borderlands but Liam still haunts her dreams, tempting her with the knowledge of how to bring him back.

But loving an incubus usually ends in death for a human. For her own sake, Callie must learn to control her desires and ensure Liam remains trapped for all eternity in his watery prison.

Only there is a more dangerous creature than Liam in the Borderlands. The Water Witch is looking for a way back."

My Thoughts:

So, I'm not gonna lie...I was blown away by The Demon Lover, and I loved the balance between the plot with the Grove and IMP, and Callie's relationship with her incubus...but in The Water Witch, I felt like the relationship basically took a complete back seat, and I desperately wanted more. Yes, I felt that the issues with the Grove and wanting to close the last door to Faerie was a major one and really needed to be dealt with, but it was that Gothic romance vibe I fell in love with in the first book.

The Water Witch was shorter in length than the first book and so I felt like everything need to be compressed into less space. It only took me a couple days to finish the book, and I do want to find out how the story concludes, but to me, I truly felt like I was missing some of the magic from the first book, which seems ironic considering the fact that Callie is learning more about her own magical ability and casting more spells and such in this book.

Speaking of that...Callie learning a whole bunch of history of magic and so so many spells seemed incredibly too easy. I get that these books are magical in and of themselves, but to pseudo-skim through hundreds of pages and the information is basically magically downloaded into Callie's brain...to me, it just felt like an easy way to move past her training.

The saving grace to this book was "human handyman" Bill. Come on, Callie, how could you not figure out who he was? It seemed quite obvious to me, but you were too busy pining over Liam being stuck in Faerie. Sorry, guys, I don't want to spoil it for you, but sometimes it really bugs me when we have an intelligent protagonist, who is ignorant when it comes to matters that are plainly obvious to the reader, and sometimes to the other characters.

Still, I enjoyed the read nevertheless, and look forward to reading the third book. The Water Witch gets a 4/5 from me.

The Water Witch at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-water-witch-juliet-dark/1110620826?ean=9780345524249

The Water Witch at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Water-Witch-Fairwick-Trilogy/dp/0345524241/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362517589&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Water+Witch

Other Readings:

I'm halfway finished with Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor, which is the main pick this month for Vaginal Fantasy (despite being a YA book and not really having the same heat level for the romantic plotline as I'm used to) and I'm getting into Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione (the alt. pick for Vaginal Fantasy, which I've been told more than makes up for the main pick).

From the Stacks: Breathless by Brigid Kemmerer

Because I really can't help myself, here's an extra bonus From the Stacks post this week. NetGalley approved this novella for me yesterday and I cannot avoid the allure of the Merrick boys so I devoured it. Luckily, you won't have to wait too much longer to get this next dose of the Merricks...Breathless goes on sale April 30th.

Summary:

"Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace."

My Thoughts:

I have reviewed this entire series, though my other reviews I included a novella with a book, because it feels odd to me to give a full-length review to a novella due to its length. Take Breathless for example...I think it was 53 pages total, which is maybe 1/4 of the length of one of the books. Still, plenty of stuff happens in that short time and it really makes me very very excited to get the Nick Merrick book in 2014 (I really wish I didn't have to wait that long, but oh well).

Of all the Merrick brothers, Nick is the one who is mostly level-headed (especially when you consider that his twin is Gabriel, who has control over fire), but like all the Merrick brothers, Nick has his issues and his secrets. I am basically dying to have Nick tell his brothers. Yes, I'm sure Gabriel will razz him a little about it, but overall I think they will be very accepting. After all, they are all the family the others have. Okay, so I think the summary basically gives Nick's secret away, but in case you haven't figured it out, I'm not going to spoil it for you here.

I also felt like this novella might have made me appreciate Quinn as a character a little more. I've just seen her as this huge drama queen always getting into arguments with her mom, but after she learns Nick's secret, I really admire how she handles it, and now I actually really want the best for Quinn. I want her to be able to use this dance partnership with Adam to get a scholarship so she can get away from her toxic family.

So, needless to say, Brigid Kemmerer once again gets a 5/5 from me, and I will be anxiously counting down the days until I can read Spirit, the next book in the series, which will follow Hunter. Also, I really have to say, after this novella I don't know which Merrick brother is my favorite...Michael or Nick.

Breathless at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/breathless-brigid-kemmerer/1114307180?ean=9780758285539

Breathless at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breathless-Elemental-ebook/dp/B00B1UVSAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362843351&sr=8-1&keywords=Breathless+Brigid+Kemmerer

Other Readings:

Right now I'm actually listening to the audiobook of Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal, which is narrated by the author, something I find to be awesome. I am also reading The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe. 

From the Stacks: Magical Redemption by Nicola E. Sheridan

I wanted to review this as soon as I finished reading it on January 14th, but my review schedule had already been planned and I had the other reviews written...so this was the first point where my schedule still needed a review. Anyway, welcome to the amazing third and final book in the Magic series by Nicola E. Sheridan:

Summary:

"'How did a woman as good as you, ever get stuck with a devil like me?'

When Jinx finds herself the Genie of the coldly handsome Lucian, she knows she's in for a rough time.

Lucian is being hunted by the Magical Mafia, otherwise known as the "Family." Years ago, he pledged himself to serve but in a moment of weakness betrayed them. Now, unable to love or live freely, Lucian finds himself falling for Jinx, but knows a future between them is impossible. As they hide from incredible and malevolent magical beings, they search for a way to be together, before fate and the Family separate them forever."

My Thoughts:

I first discovered Nicola Sheridan through an author friend's blog, and since I started reading her books, I have become a huge fangirl. Seriously, I love her books that much, and I quite often suggest that other people read them. Magical Redemption was certainly no exception. Each book in the series focuses on a different couple, but they are all tied together with a few common threads. From Magical Gains to Magical Creations that thread was from Imran to Omar, who happened to be brothers, and then from Magical Creations to Magical Redemption, we have the wonderful character of Lucian, who had a supporting role in the second book, but a lead role in this last one.

By the way, when I say that Lucian is a wonderful character, I mean that he is complex and has to go through quite a journey and evolution, not that he is a wonderful person like a white knight/savior type. Quite the opposite in fact. Lucian is an incubus and he uses his skills to get what he wants or what his employer wants. Anyway, by the time this third book begins, Lucian is in a rough spot after the events at the end of the second book. His only way out of it...is by using Jinx, who is a genie.

Jinx is our first female genie of the series, and she is a complex character as well. She has to be in order to stand up next to Lucian and still be memorable. Her past is troubled and learning more about that earns her a great deal of sympathy. I also really really liked that Jinx was not the stereotypical image of what is sexy. She is described as having a large nose as well as not having gigantic breasts. What's even better about this is that Lucian doesn't care about that. Especially as the story progresses and we see layers pull apart for both of the main characters, it becomes clear that their relationship isn't completely built on physical attraction.

There was a moment about 2/3 of the way in that I hadn't expected, a wallop of a curveball and I applaud Nicola Sheridan for that twist. I think I stopped and gaped at my NOOK screen for a good few minutes. The world was incredibly vivid and helped me really imagine the place, the characters were well rounded, and (Sorry SPOILER) there is a happy ending. I absolutely cannot wait to see what is next for Nicola Sheridan. Magical Redemption is an outstanding 5/5.

Magical Redemption at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/magical-redemption-nicola-e-sheridan/1113803799?ean=9781615727797

Magical Redemption at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Redemption-Nicola-E-Sheridan/dp/1615727795/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1358822636&sr=8-4&keywords=Nicola+E+Sheridan

Magical Redemption at Eternal Press: http://www.eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781615727780

Other Readings:

My review for The Water Witch by Juliet Dark will be up on Monday, and right now I am digging into Elemental: the First by Alexandra May. Of all the NetGalley books I've snagged so far, this is the one I was most on the fence with. The premise sounds interesting enough, so hopefully I'll enjoy it. I'm also kind of in a steampunk mood, so I'll be reading more of Quintessence by David Walton. Oh, and I know I said a week or so ago that I was going to completely devour Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead, but on this one I think I'm going to try and take a page out of one of her character's (Georgina) book, reading only a little at a time...meaning two chapters every time I open it. That way I can make the experience last a little longer.

From the Stacks: A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz

Welcome to another bonus From the Stacks, thanks to my NetGalley reading. A Conspiracy of Alchemists is on sale today, and for several different reasons (I enjoyed it and...well, steampunk) this is another book I am adding to my need-to-buy list.

By the way, my picture here doesn't do this cover justice. The colors are a tad more vibrant and her hair is actually red. This is the danger of trying to take a photo of a cover for an e-book. I had to avoid the glare from the light in my room.Still, the cover looks amazing even like this.

Summary:

"LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—the intrepid heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold.  

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

When an unusual cargo drags airship-pilot Elle Chance into the affairs of the mysterious Mr. Marsh, she must confront her destiny and do everything in her power to stop the Alchemists from unleashing a magical apocalypse."

My Thoughts:

I really enjoy reading steampunk novels. I don't think I'm crafty enough to be able to write my own version of alternate history in a novel to be able to have my own steampunk adventure. However, I am more than happy to simply immerse myself in the worlds created by others. That being said, let's jump into discussing A Conspiracy of Alchemists, which is on sale today!

Let's start with the main characters: We have Elle, who is an airship-pilot, is very good with mechanics, enjoys physics, and is also beautiful. Seriously, she seems to have it all: brains, beauty, and she can fight back...though she is not a strong fighter so that keeps her from being too perfect. Also, in a world where there is magic (as in both warlocks and alchemists), Elle does not want anything to do with it, which is too bad because she is basically the epicenter of this potential magical apocalypse mentioned in the summary.

Moving on to Mr. Marsh. He is a man of many secrets, but I felt drawn to him from the very beginning. He is wealthy, good-looking, and tries to be a perfect gentleman, particularly around Elle, but come on, it is obvious from the beginning that Elle and Marsh will end up together. It doesn't matter what story it is, every one will have some elements that are fairly predictable. That does not mean that I did not enjoy watching the both of them struggle against what they were feeling, particularly Marsh since Elle is sort of supposed to be off-limits. Oh well.

Though not a character that we get to see a lot of, I have to mention Elle's father. I don't really care how he was described in the book; I kept imagining him as Maurice from the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. He just struck me as a somewhat kooky inventor, but I enjoyed that and it gave my imagination a nice image to associate with him. Huh, and now that I think of it, the Chance family's housekeeper actually makes me think of Mrs. Potts. That's just me though; other people probably imagine that differently, which is the beauty of our individual imaginations.

Anyway, I thought this was a fun read, rather intriguing. I loved seeing how the inventions of cars and helicopters and coffee/cappuccino makers fit into this steampunk Europe. This book starts in Paris, travels to England, and then heads off to Italy and then Constantinople, which means getting to see all of these beautiful locations and how each of them has different aspects of steampunk incorporated, such as automatons and the different modes of transportation.

Oh, did I mention that there are vampires...I mean Nightwalkers...in this book? Yeah, a number of them plus the Alchemists are the villains in this book, and it really works. Now, I will say that there was one surprise close to the end of the book, where a character believed to be good turns out to be working with the bad guys, which was a definite shock to me.

This was definitely an intriguing world and according to Goodreads the sequel will be out in August, so I am very much looking forward to this. It reminds me of other steampunk books I've read and reviewed here, such as Soulless by Gail Carriger and The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. Now I can add Liesel Schwarz to my steampunk author shelf. Another 5/5...because I totally want more Marsh. :)

A Conspiracy of Alchemists at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-conspiracy-of-alchemists-liesel-schwarz/1110955422?ean=9780345545077

A Conspiracy of Alchemists at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Conspiracy-Alchemists-Chronicles-Light-Shadow/dp/0345545079/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362498647&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Conspiracy+of+Alchemists

Other Readings:

Well, I've been bouncing around and reading a few pages of one book and then jumping over to read a few pages of another book, so although I've been reading a lot, I still have quite a few books to finish...including The Water Witch by Juliet Dark, Quintessence by David Walton, and Magic Kingdom For Sale--SOLD! by Terry Brooks. 

From the Stacks: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

Welcome back to another NetGalley review. I'm telling you, I have found some amazing books from this site, ones that I will definitely be buying as soon as I get a job again.

Summary:

"Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.
 
But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart."

My Thoughts:

This book was published at the end of 2011, but I imagine that NetGalley had it available since it was also promoting the second book, The Water Witch, which was just released February 12, 2013. I had seen the book before in giveaways on Goodreads and had already marked it for my to-read list. Boy, am I glad I was given the opportunity to read it.

Holy smokes! This book combines so many elements I enjoy when I'm reading. Protagonist and narrator Callie is a scholar of fairy tales and folklore, which is pretty darn awesome. She also regularly makes allusions to books such as Jane Eyre and other fantastic pieces of Gothic fiction. Then, once you throw in all the fairies, witches, vampires, demons, etc. in the small town of Fairwick, the story just became all the more amazing.

I should probably also say that since one of the main characters is an incubus, you should know what you're in for when you start reading. An incubus is a demon lover, basically a sex demon, so...there, you've been warned. 

The more of this I read, the more I was drawn into the story and the world and I really did not want to stop reading. There is so much going on. Now, I will say that the summary makes it sound like this is the main focus of the story, banishing Callie's demon lover, but it's not. There is another major story line, one which involves the last door from our world into the fairy realm, and Callie plays a huge role in that as well. 

The story line with the door also gives us a big reason to very much dislike Callie's grandmother, though really, I didn't like her in the beginning either. She isn't what I expected from a grandmother; she seems distant and secretive and not supportive, but I guess she has her reasons for that, which we learn by the end of the book. But I am so not going to spoil any of the revelations for you. I am just going to recommend that you go out and get this book. It's amazing. Once I finished I had to jump into The Water Witch right away. I need to know what happens with Callie, her demon lover, and all the residents of Fairwick. It's safe to say, this story has me under its spell. A definite 5/5.

The Demon Lover at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/demon-lover-juliet-dark/1100643394?ean=9780345510082

The Demon Lover at Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Demon-Lover-A-Novel/dp/0345510089/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362153280&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Demon+Lover

Other Readings:

Right now I need to focus my attention on reading some library books and some more NetGalley reads. I am currently reading: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink and Magic Kingdom For Sale--Sold! by Terry Brooks.

From the Stacks: Hammered by Kevin Hearne

Well, here I am, back to revisiting the first author/series I covered in my From the Stacks posts here on the blog. I absolutely adore the work of Kevin Hearne and The Iron Druid Chronicles have some of the best novels in them that I can remember reading. Now I've finally gotten around to the third book, Hammered, and that has only reinforced how much I love this series.

Summary:

"Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully-he's ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he's asked his friend Atticus O'Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus's home base of Tempe, Arizona. There's a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plane of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself."

My Thoughts:

This is the part where I squee and jump up and down like the crazy fan-girl I am. Seriously. I have loved every second of reading these books and I can't help but fly through them. They only take me a couple hours of serious reading time, and I'm always sad when I reach the end, because it means the adventure is over. However, this is only book three, and I still have the fourth and fifth books on my bookshelves just waiting for me. Also, the sixth book will be out in June. After that I will have to wait longer for the books because starting with book seven they will be released in hardcover first, and while I am super-excited for Kevin Hearne because that is huge and amazing news for an author, it sucks for fans who like to have completely matching sets. I will have to have all of my books in paperback, which means I will have to wait longer to have more awesome adventures with Atticus.

Anyway, I should probably talk about Hammered here or it won't be much of a review. When reading these books I always have so many nerdy moments that make me feel great, because honestly Atticus is a geek and always has awesome pop culture references. In Hammered that includes a conversation where Atticus starts off having a Shakespeare quote contest and that devolves into Atticus using lolcat speech. Hilarious. Also, I just have to say...Atticus sat down in a bar and had a few drinks with Jesus Christ. Sure, in the past we've seen the Morrigan and Bacchus and numerous other deities and in this book we also have Thor and Odin and basically all the Norse bigwigs, but I did not see Jesus Christ coming. It was quite amusing and I marked quite a few quotes I enjoyed immensely.

As usual, Oberon was witty and laugh out loud amusing. He is seriously one of my favorite characters. Granuaile continues to refer to Atticus as sensei, which is just fun, and come on...I know I'm not the only one who wants the two of them to end up together, not just in a master-apprentice way.

There was a huge battle in Asgard towards the end of the book, and I totally admit that I cried at one of the main deaths within that scene. And at the end I had a complete OMG shocker/sad-face moment with the Widow MacDonagh. I really can't wait to dive into the next book, which is on schedule for next month so yay. Hammered clearly gets a 5/5 for me. It is great writing and characters who feel so real and events that make me laugh and cry. Pure amazingness.

Hammered at Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hammered-kevin-hearne/1101001933?ean=9780345522481

Hammered at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hammered-Iron-Druid-Chronicles-Three/dp/0345522486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357834034&sr=1-1&keywords=Hammered

Other Readings:

This week I received a copy of Terra by Gretchen Powell, which I won from a giveaway, and I'm excited to jump into it. Other exciting to-reads for me include Quintessence by David Walton and Timepiece by Myra McEntire.