Giveaway: Dark Descendant & Dead on the Delta

Title: Dark Descendant
Author: Jenna Black
ISBN: 9781451606799
On Sale Now!
Description:

From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she's an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can't die... Crazy as it sounds, Nikki's manhunting skills are literally god-given. She's a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki's new "friends" include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she's a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she'll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy...

Click here to Browse Inside and pre-order your copy today!
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Dark-Descendant/Jenna-Black/9781451606799.

For more our Urban Fantasy Authors visit pocketafterdark.com.

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Dark-Descendant/Jenna-Black/9781451606799

Title: Dead on the Delta
Author: Stacey Jay
ISBN: 9781439189863
On Sale: 5/31/11

Description

Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dreams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood—and for most humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn’t most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicycle-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty work most humans can’t. Including helping law enforcement -- and Cane Cooper, the bayou’s sexiest detective -- collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.

But Annabelle isn’t equipped to deal with the murder of a six-year-old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle’s life is imploding: between relationship drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run—from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of a darkness waiting just for her...

"A sultry start to a promising new series. Dead on the Delta sizzles with action, danger, and romance." -- Jennifer Estep, USA Today bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin series

Click here to pre-order your copy today!
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Dead-on-the-Delta/Stacey-Jay/9781439189863.

For more our Urban Fantasy Authors visit pocketafterdark.com.

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Thanks to Pocket Books, I have 5 copies of each novel, Dark Descendant by Jenna Black and Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay, to giveaway! To be entered, just leave a comment stating which novel you would like to win!

Giveaway Rules:
Must include a valid e-mail address.
Open to US only. No P.O. Boxes.
Giveaway ends June 1st.
Winners will be chosen via Random.org.

Guest Blog + Giveaway: Rebecca Lim

First off, I'd like to thank Rebecca Lim for dropping by to chat a bit about getting published. I had the opportunity to review her novel, Mercy, and really enjoyed it. Look for my review coming soon.

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I’d always wanted to be a writer – from about the time I was seven – but like a lot of people, I had no idea where to start.

School is great for telling you exactly what you have to do to be a doctor, lawyer, scientist, engineer etc., but it can only offer general pointers to people who want to be writers, video artists, baristas and other slightly left-field things.

When I was 17, it seemed possible to combine a career as a lawyer with a career as a writer. But I ended up in the kind of law firm where you risk having your car towed away at 6am because you’ve left it out on the street in front of the office all night. The novels I was writing in those days were falling short of the mark. My creative brain and legal brain were pulling in different directions, so I gave myself a couple of years off law to try and make a go of it, and I’m happy to say that I haven’t gone back (yet!).

I was lucky enough to have a four book series of humorous detective stories for middle readers picked up by an Australian publisher. And that was the start of it. It’s weird, but it feels as if you can’t get published unless you’ve been published before, or have a really pushy agent, so that first break seems so crucial.

What I’ve learnt so far about becoming a published author can be distilled down into a handful of things:

1. Be prepared to work hard and swallow rejection as if it has the power to do you good. Even after a famous literary agent gets his “summer temp receptionist” to email you to tell you that the agent can’t muster sufficient enthusiasm to even read your proposal, you just have to pick yourself up off the floor, stop wailing “Why me?” and just keep going.

2. Read everything you can get your hands on. Read without fear or favour. What I mean by that is, don’t be a book snob who only “does” one type of book. I know plenty of adults who only read “literature”, and boy, are they missing out. You get the best out of reading, and writing, if you remain open minded. The stuff people do to each other in the real world is pretty staggering. There are lots of story ideas swirling around out in the real world every single day. Don’t just read the critically acclaimed books and commercial successes. There is no formula, which leads me to my next point.

3. Write as differently as you can. Just be you. If you want your work to last the distance and not be dismissed as a clone of someone else’s work, just do the best stuff you, and you alone, are capable of.

4. Be prepared to take criticism – whether from a potential publisher, your editors, or the public. The act of reading is a very personal thing and the flipside of creating any kind of art is opening yourself up to a dialogue with your audience. Most editors and publishers are actually there to help you. Most readers want to be treated as sophisticated, intelligent and engaged people who are willing to be challenged. There will always be a small minority of readers who intensely dislike a challenge and who will always read with blinkers on. If your book is savaged by someone because it doesn’t accord exactly with that person’s world view / politics / religious beliefs / prejudices, get past it, move on and keep working.

It always boils down to the work. If you care about being the best writer you can be and doing the best work you can, you will draw a readership. And always remember that it’s a privilege for a writer to be given the chance to connect with people and tell them a story that (hopefully) might move them, or make them think, or make them want to read just one more chapter before they turn out the light.

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Now for the giveaway! Thanks to Authors On The Web, I have two copies of Mercy by Rebecca Lim to giveaway. To enter, just leave a comment with a valid e-mail address.

Giveaway Rules:
Open to US/Canada.
Must leave valid e-mail address.
Will run through Tuesday May 31st at midnight.
Winners will be chosen with Random.org on June 1st.

Title: Mercy
Author: Rebecca Lim
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Release Date: 05/17/11 (today!)
But the Book:

Summary:

A fallen angel haunted by her past. Yearning for her immortal beloved. Forever searching for answers.Who will show her Mercy?

Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time?

The first in a dazzling new series, Mercy masterfully weaves romance, mystery and the supernatural into a spell-binding tale.

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Title: Hounded
Author: Kevin Hearne
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 05/03/11
Buy the Book:

Summary:

The first novel in an original, back-to-back three-book series The Iron Druid Chronicles—introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero.

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old -- when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power -- plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish -- to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

Plot: 5 Stars
Normally, male main characters within the Urban Fantasy genre fall a bit short for me in comparison to many of their female counterparts, but Hounded is by far the best Urban Fantasy with a male lead that I've ever read. And it's definitely my favorite read so far this year. This novel was refreshing in it's use of gods and goddesses (and Druids, of course) that don't normally make appearances in Urban Fantasy, while still blending in the normal paranormal creatures like werewolves and vampires. And there was a perfect balance of humor between the action scenes. Some of my favorite scenes were flashbacks in which Atticus' history unfolded and I learned more about what it meant to be a Druid. Everyone that loves Urban Fantasy needs to go out and get a copy right now!

Pace: 5 Stars
When I picked this novel up from the post office, I put down whatever I was reading at the time, and immediately jumped right in. I had been waiting in anticipation for this novel since last year, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I gobbled it up in just a few days, and can't wait for the next installment. Even though they're being released in three consecutive months, the waiting is killing me. I need the next one right now! There was never a dull moment while reading Hounded. Whether Atticus was out for a run with Oberon, working at the bookstore, or fighting against the bad guys, the pace never let up.

Characters: 5 Stars
Although I absolutely loved Atticus, Oberon, his talking dog, really stole the spotlight. From his random obsession with Ghandi to his lusting for a harem of French poodles, Oberon made me laugh on a number of occasions. The author did a great job of making Oberon able to converse with Atticus, without seeming too human. He still looked at the world like a normal dog would, and had all of the instincts. I loved all of the information about Druids weaved into the novel. There was never a moment in which I felt like the author was dumping details about Atticus' heritage or history, which made learning about him that much more interesting. The Morrigan is one of those characters I hope to see more of in future novels because she's a wild card, completely unpredictable. Atticus' Irish neighbor, Ms. MacDonaugh, brought along her own share of giggles too, especially when she said, "A friend will help ye move...but a really good friend will help ye move a body."

Cover: 5 Stars
I'm not gonna lie, my first thought upon seeing this cover was, "I wanna hit that." The cover model is one hot dude, definitely my type. My personal preference aside, I also think he was perfect to depict Atticus. This cover has a simplicity that works really well, while showcasing two important objects: Atticus' necklace and sword. I always enjoy when important details to the story are included in the cover. It makes the cover extra special. My favorite part of this cover (besides the model) is that the title and the series details below it are in relief. I love it when I can run my hand over a cover and feel different elements. I also really like the font choice for the title. It has a spray paint/grafiti feel that fits the novel. I just wish Oberon could've made an appearance on the cover somehow, although it would have become too crowded. I also love that the next two covers work so well with this first one, while still standing on their own through the use of color.














Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I won a copy of this novel in a giveaway at The Spinecracker.

In My Mailbox (85)

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

Just want to let everyone know that I will not be posting an In My Mailbox next weekend because we'll be in Tennessee visiting family. I will be back with more books to report on the week after, although it may be a bit late depending on when we get back. Also, although they haven't arrived yet, I should be receiving a second copy of Illusions and Divergent that will be a part of the giveaway I am putting together to celebrate reaching 350 followers, so be on the lookout.


Review:
Mercy by Rebecca Lim ARC [Buy now]
Illusions by Aprilynne Pike [Buy now]
Divergent by Veronica Roth [Buy now]
(Thanks to Authors on the Web!)

Won:
Bite Club by Rachel Caine [Buy now]
(Thanks to RK Charron!)
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison (signed!) [Buy now]
(Thanks to Thea Harrison via Twitter!)


Bought:
Never Again by Michele Bardsley [Buy now]
Chosen by Blood by Virna DePaul [Buy now]
Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill [Buy now]

Free reads:
The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross (not pictured)

Library:
Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop [Buy now]


Used:
Last Wolf Standing by Rhyannon Bryd [Buy now]
Last Wolf Hunting by Rhyannon Bryd [Buy now]
Among Theives by Douglas Hulick [Buy now]
The Dream-Hunter by Sherrilyn Kenyon [Buy now]
Taken by Lilith Saintcrow [Buy now]

Great Deals (May 14th)

I was browsing the Book Depository today and found some great deals on some recent releases. Will be ordering a couple once I get paid.

Young Adult:

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Price: $13.49 (25% off)
Release Date: 05/31/11
But the Book:






Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset
Author: Kady Cross
Price: $13.49 (25% off)
Release Date: 05/24/11
But the Book:






Title: Tempest Rising
Author: Tracy Deebs
Price: $9.99 (41% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:






Title: Something Deadly This Way Comes
Author: Kim Harrison
Price: $12.74 (25% off)
Release Date: 05/24/11
But the Book:






Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Price: $13.49 (25% off)
Release Date: 05/24/11
But the Book:






Title: Die For Me
Author: Amy Plum
Price: $10.49 (41% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:






Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Price: $10.60 (41% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book:






Urban Fantasy:

Title: Witches of East End
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Price: $17.99 (25% off)
Release Date: 06/21/11
But the Book:






Title: Graveminder
Author: Melissa Marr
Price: $12.92 (43% off)
Release Date: 05/17/11
But the Book:






Title: Welcome to Bordertown (anthology)
Editor: Holly Black & Ellen Kushner
Price: $17.24 (25% off)
Release Date: 05/24/11
But the Book:






Paranormal Romance:

Title: Blood Law
Author: Karin Tabke
Price: $9.99 (33% off)
Release Date: available
But the Book: