A hodgepodge of things to be excited about:

There's a couple of things I'm excited about this week that I thought I'd share:

First, I'm super excited about Chloe Neill's upcoming Chicagoland Vampires novel, Drink Deep.  I know a lot of people were upset about the last book, Hard Bitten, (my review here), but I loved it.  Was I upset?  Of course!  But Ms. Neill has promised an HEA for Merit and I'm going to trust her.  I don't know if I can wait until November; someone pass the Valium and keep me away from spoilers...

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city iself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.

Drink Deep is on shelves November 1.  More info at the author's website.

On that note - Ms. Neill has released the cover of the NEXT book in the Chicagoland series, Biting Cold (out August 2012).  This will be book 6 in the series.  *drumroll please...*






Isn't it gorgeous?!?  I really love all the covers for this series; they did a fabulous job of catching Merit as I see her.___________________________________
Another favorite author of mine, Stacia Kane, revealed the new cover for the next book in her Downside Ghosts series, Sacrificial Magic:

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Sacrificial Magic hits shelves March 27, 2012. Dark Faerie Tales has an exclusive look at Chapter 2!!!

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Also, Ilona Andrews has posted a snippet from Andrea's book - Gunmetal Magic (due on shelves May 31, 2012).  Go here for the snippet.  You want to.  Trust me on this.

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And, for you Becca Fitzpatrick fans, Sea Lion Books has this Hush, Hush wallpaper:

They've got several great books being adapted into graphic novel format - go check them out!!

What have I missed? 

What great book news are you excited about?

I may be on the downslide into DownSide*

*Sorry, couldn't resist :)

Just so we're clear, this (again) is not a review so much as a one-sided discussion...

Okay, so I just finished the 2nd book in Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series - Unholy Magic. I'm reallllly starting to feel the Terrible luv - OMG I just want to hug him. I liked the glimpse we got into the man behind the sideburns in this book.

I still like Chess, even though she spends most of her time rollin' balls - somehow she still seems to get the job done. I can only imagine how formidable she'd be if she were clean. We also get a bit of Chess' history, which so far has only been hinted at. While I do not condone drug use, I can sort of understand what happened in her case...


So, here's the thing: I had my son put a bunch of new songs on my iPod, and my daughters and I have been listening to the same few songs over and over (how else are we going to learn all the words? LOL). Every time this one comes on I think about Chess and Terrible:


So, yup, getting ready to start book 3, City of Ghosts, and planning to make it last because I don't know how long I'll have to wait for book 4 :)

Super Short Shot: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

From the author's website:
The world is not the way it was. The dead have risen and constantly attack the living. The powerful Church of Real Truth, in charge since the government fell, has sworn to reimburse citizens being harassed by the deceased. Consequently, there are many false claims of hauntings from those hoping to profit. Enter Chess Putnam, a fully-tattooed witch and freewheeling Debunker and ghost hunter. She’s got a real talent for nailing the human liars or banishing the wicked dead. But she’s keeping a dark secret from the Church: a little drug problem that’s landed her in hot and dangerous water.

Chess owes a murderous drug lord named Bump a lot of money. And Bump wants immediate payback. All Chess has to do is dispatch a very nasty species of undead from an old airport. But the job involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and crossing swords with enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust with a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it. Hell, yeah.

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This isn't an actual review, more of a one-sided discussion, if you will...

I saw all the bloggy and twitter buzz about this series. Terrible, Terrible, Terrible...everyone's talking about Terrible.

So, I decided to give it a go. I had some other obligations, so it literally took me over a month to read this book. Once I actually got into it, I enjoyed it. Chess is an interesting heroine and for whatever reason her drug addiction didn't bother me at all; I liked her. The plotline was pretty involved towards the middle/end, but once Chess figured it out I got it too.

It also took me awhile to get the Terrible love. I can tell you exactly where it hit me (Two spots actually: When they were talking after she'd been chased through the tunnels alone, and she thinks to herself that he's 6'4" (the height does it for me every time), and then when he (spoiler: beat up Doyle) for her. But, I like Lex too. I'm not sure how that's going to play out, but he (spoiler: beat up Doyle) too and I guess that strikes me as chivalrous in some f'd up way.

I'm getting ready to start Unholy Magic and am looking forward to it; I like this Downside world and I'm curious to see where Ms. Kane is going to take Chess next.

My rating: