Attention Julia Quinn and Kim Harrison Fans

I think if you looked at all the authors that I've reviewed and loved over the last year or so, you couldn't pick two that were more diametrically different in style and content. And yet, they do have a few things in common, other than just general authorial awesomeness:

Both have offered me hours of top notch entertainment over the last year.

Both have signed books for me and graciously ignored my stammering starstruck awkwardness.

And both are in the FINAL FOUR!!! in Harper Collins' March Madness promotion. This is really a HUGE accomplishment. The contest started out with 64 books, paired up and voted off round after round.

If you haven't voted yet, go do so here. You can also sign up to win all 64 books from the competition-- my little bookworm heart just goes pitter-pat at the very thought.

Swag: Which Do You Like?

I've been wanting to do up some bookmarks for Alpha Heroes for a little while now. I like to go to book signings, and I think it would be fun to have something to trade and pass around, and maybe snag a little more traffic. (I'm just planning to print these out on matte photo paper and cut them myself).

I've been working on the design, and obsessing slightly over details. So I thought I'd do a poll. Please vote for the one you like best!


#1 (First try) ~ 1.5"wide by 6" long



#2: (Scripty) I keep thinking that a romance blog ought to have a big fancy flowing cursive script for the title, but I didn't find any that I loved, so I just kind of stuck with italicized Times New Roman. This one has a scripty font, but I'm not sure I love it. Also ~ 1.5"wide by 6" long.



#3 (Roomy) I thought the text was cluttering up the image a bit, so I moved part of it off to the side. Not sure I love the 90-degree text, but it looked weirder on the horizontal. This one would probably be longer, like 1.5"x 7".


4. (Fatso) This one is the most like my header here, but I'm not wild about the proportions. I think it would come out about 2"x6", possibly 2.25x6.


Vote!

Dogs and Goddesses - Review

I'm a huge Jennifer Crusie fan. Huge. I got to hear her speak once, in 1994 or so, and a smarter, funnier, more supportive person you could not even imagine, much less a published author. I believe I said something to her about my being just a dilettante and she would have none of it, the message being essentially, to think positive, although I'm sure it was phrased far more originally and entertainingly.

Given all that, it makes me feel bad to write this review, because OMG, this is a stinker. The premise is, there's this Mesopotamian goddess Kammani, who gets resurrected in Ohio by accident. She has 7 attendants who are demi-goddesses, I think, well, at least 3 of them are, the other 4 are more powerful than mortals but less than The Three Special ones, who together are another goddess, but apart only manifest their powers in uncontrollably wacky sorts of ways. Are you following this? Yeah, that's part of the problem.

Technically, this is a paranormal, but the "world-building," such as it is, is more of a series of punchlines, that strung together barely have any kind of coherence. There's a more serious turn of events in order to build tension for the book's climax, but IMO it falls flat because the authors at no time before that point take any of the characters or the world's rules seriously. I'm all down with humor, you know, but if you're going to make jokes out of your own characters, I'm not going to feel much empathy for them.

The goddesses tend to be interchangeable, with the possible exception of Mina, who's your basic Wednesday Addams, with a dog. The men in the story have zero character development. The dialog of the dogs is kind of funny, though if you like that sort of thing, Betsy's blog is far more entertaining.

(Edited to add)
What others say about Dogs and Goddesses:
Speed-Reading Book Nerd Reviews - liked it
Books, Books, and More Books - about the same reaction as me
A brief but positive mention from Charlene Teglia (an author that I totally love, BTW)
The Good, The Bad, and The Unread - lukewarm but polite

Cover Comment

The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance hits the shelves today*. What do you think of the cover model? I don't know if Josh Duhamel was the actual model, but he sure is a ringer, eh?





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*Well, this was the due date. Looks like Amazon started shipping early. Do you already have it? Early reports?

White Witch, Black Curse - Kim Harrison - Review

I'm going to wrap up this week's unplanned Harrison-fest with a review of the most recent book in the Hollows series, White Witch, Black Curse. I don't think I was quite clear on the fact that I hadn't read it yet when I did the previous two posts. I think I know what's up with that cat now, f'rinstance.

Do you think there's a limit on how many books in a row you can read from a series without getting burned out? I was a little bit let down by this one, and I'm trying to figure out if it's just that I ran out of steam, after reading 5 or 6 of them consecutively, or if maybe this one was a little sloppier than its predecessors. For instance, scent is important in the Hollows universe, and witches have a sharp nose. But she's just now figuring out what a pixie scent is? (p 79 in the hardback edition). That seemed odd to me, since Jenks regularly hangs out on her earring. And, heh-- I remember this from reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys-- every book has to detail certain things over and over again just in case readers have skipped the previous books. I guess it can't be helped, but jeez, how much does Rachel love her kitchen? A REAL LOT, that's how much. Because Ivy remodeled it before they moved in and it has a window overlooking the graveyard and an island and separate stoves for cooking and spelling and at this point I could write the scene myself. Ahem. *OK, grip gotten.* Sorry.

Every Hollows book seems to introduce and feature a new paranormal race or two - we get ghosts and banshees in this one, plus some additional insight into the witch's culture. Considering that Rachel IS a witch, this kind of seems long overdue, but it's good, so, OK. Each book introduces new characters, most of whom continue to appear in subsequent books, so by now, it's getting a little more difficult to keep track. I tend to confuse Glenn and David pretty regularly, for example. But that's probably just me.

I recognized Mia the banshee from the Hotter Than Hell anthology, and definitely got a nagging feeling that I was missing something about the new character, Pierce. Can't confirm, but I suspect there's a little backstory on him in 2007 anthology release, Holidays are Hell. It was enough to bug, so I recommend you go find that short before reading WWBC.

One of the things I really like about the Hollows series is the ongoing character arcs with Rachel, Ivy, and the various Powers That Be in Cincinnati. I like the shifting alliances and powerplays, and the friendships and crushes that come and go in Rachel's life. So it's probably more a sign of my own fatigue than a flaw in the series that the ongoing Rachel/Ivy angst started to feel like it was too much. And while Rachel reaches a fairly important decision (either this book or the last one, they blur) about her relationship with Ivy, it still feels unresolved and the ongoing spun-out tension is starting to feel artificial.

Overall, WWBC had more action and several competing plotlines and, IMO, less character development than previous books. I was a little frustrated that there wasn't more to do with Al in this book-- at the moment, he's definitely one of the most interesting characters and with the setup from the last book, I expected to see a lot of him. *sigh* Maybe in the next book.

It's still a good read, and for Hollows fans undoubtedly a must-read. I would not recommend reading this on its own; I think the cast of thousands and their ongoing histories would be pretty confusing.

For me though, I sort of wish I had taken a bit of a break sometime in the last half-dozen books so it would feel a little fresher. Clearly, the rest of Harrison's fans have no problem with this book; it recently hit 3rd on the NYT best seller list, so congrats are in order there.

A final tidbit: At the end of Outlaw (paperback edition), the extra scene about Al and Ceri included a flock of blue butterflies. The same butterflies appear momentarily in WWBC, and per Harrison's comments at the booksigning, we should "watch for the butterflies." Anyone who's read both want to hazard a guess? (I think they have something to do with Al's potential for 'good,' challenging the Hollows' current belief that demons and demon magic are 100% evil.)

Edited to add:
What others are saying about White Witch, Black Curse
Sci-Fi Guy - Loved it; includes lots of little quotes
Book Series Review - liked it but with caveats about the anthology stories, like me.
*headdesk* Balanced review but overall liked (great blog name, no?)

Thursday Thirteen, Edition 10

So I'm currently really immersed in Kim Harrison's Hollows series, starring the wonderful witch Rachel Mariana Morgan. And it's one of those series that stays on my mind even when I'm not between their covers; partly because I'm reading 6 or 7 books back to back and partly because they're so dense and rich, like a really excellent fudge brownie. And I have this running mental list of questions, observations, speculations, and an irritation or two. (Hey, I love the series, but nobody's perfect).

Since that's what's on my mind at the moment, I have my inspiration for this week's T13. With apologies to those Thirteeners who aren't familiar with Kim Harrison, this one won't be that interesting to you. (But this is a genre-busting series with something for everyone, so really, you should just give in and read the series. Then come back and this list will make a lot more sense to you.) Here is:

Thirteen Random Thoughts about Kim Harrison’s Hollows Universe

1. Dammitall. Is Trent a good guy or not? I NEED TO KNOW. Definitively.

2. If the magic in this world is predicated on balance (eg, the price of an earth charm is blood, the price of a demon curse is the black smut on the practitioner’s aura), what is the opposite, the balance, of the smut? It seems like there ought to be a way to eliminate it, not just move it from one being to another. I’m waiting for the angels to show up.

3. What *is* the crazy deal between pixies and elves, anyway?

4. Mild spoiler: So Rachel has witch abilities, demon abilities, carries the vampire virus, and is the member of a were pack. Oh, ‘scuse me, she’s the Alpha Bitch of a were pack (and we LOVE that). What can she do with pixies? Fairies? Elves? Gargoyles? Trolls? Well, OK, I guess she’s not quite at the tipping point yet for being the nexus of all paranormal races in the Hollows.

5. Ivy’s voice is described as a “gray ribbon,” or “gray silk” too often. What does that even mean?

6. I also think that as an expletive, “the Turn” gets overused. “By the Turn,” “Dammit back to the Turn,” etc. etc. OK, I get that it was huge, but has it actually replaced ALL other profanity?

7. Speaking of profanity though, I adore Jenks’ creative vocabulary. “Tink’s tampons”? And the little interplay between Jenks and his son, where the son says “Tink’s diaphragm” and gets called out on it? Hah, so very father/son, and yet totally warped. Love.

8. A lot of this cover art reminds me of the cover of “In the Garden of Good and Evil.” Cool.



9. I’m very curious about where the focus thing with David could go. I don’t actually think much else is going to happen in this series arc, but according to the setup, *spoiler for FAFDM* the balance of power between the vamps and the weres has shifted. Though I don’t quite get why it was such a *bad* thing for Warren to have it and now it’s an OK thing for David. Still, wouldn’t it be cool to see the Hollows in a couple of generations?

10. Something is UP with that cat Rex. Mark my words.

11. Church bells. Do church bells ring when anyone else in the Hollows does their thing? I don’t think so. What does this mean?

12. I love how Rachel’s mom is emerging as a character. Hope there’s more good stuff in upcoming books.

13. Pretty sure I could do another 13 like this. Have you read any of the Hollows books? What are you curious about? If you could spec a short story in this world about a certain plot point or character, what would it be?

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The Hollows - Kim Harrison - Series Review

I'm reading as fast as I can!

Really.

I got to go to a signing tonight to see Kim Harrison (damn, that woman is GORGEOUS) and got a shiny new copy of White Witch, Black Curse. Since most signings I've been to have the author reading a little blurb, I've been doing my best all week to get caught up on the series. At the moment I'm about halfway through the sixth book, The Outlaw Demon Wails. I kind of wanted to finish that and WWBC before doing a review but I just can't wait that long.

I'd read the first one, Dead Witch Walking, a couple months ago, but the series stalled for me when I couldn't find book #2, The Good, The Bad, and the Undead. Paperback copies are all but unavailable for some reason and I really didn't want the hardback. So I waited for the library system to come through with a copy for me, which was about two weeks ago.

Since then I've been burning up the series. WOW. If you're a reader who loves complicated plots, a wide cast of characters, themes that are all about shades of gray, and the interplay of love, sex, and power, this is a series you'll love.

It starts out fairly typically for urban fantasy. The POV is first person, the main character has certain magical powers, consorts with vampires, weres and demons, wears a lot of leather, has bright red hair, and is frequently described as "kick-ass" or, alternatively, "ass-kicking." You know. The usual.

But you soon get drawn in. More happens in any given Hollows book than you see in some whole series. The plotlines are impeccably drawn, twisted, hairpinned, knotted, cloverleafed, and eventually resolved, dragging the characters and the readers through a world where perceptions of black and white are slowly but surely turned upside down and run through the wash and dry cycle until the blacks are light at the seams and the whites are distinctly gray and it's hard to be 100% sure about anything.

For me though, intricate and meticulous plotting isn't enough to get me to read 6 books and to buy the 7th in hardback (!). The part that keeps me deeply engrossed is Rachel's developing character and relationships; the exploration of what love and friendship and power and sex mean and how all those things play against each other and change everything. Characters who are anything but black or white.

I have to say, there's one secondary character that deserves a special mention. Jenks is a 4" tall pixie with 54 kids, who at 18 is nearly at the end of his life expectancy. Turns out that despite his small size, you really don't want to mess with the guy-- he'll fuck you up. But he'll be making hilarious and obnoxious wisecracks while he's at it. At first, I thought his style of comic relief was a little wrong for the book, overly slapsticky or something. But as his character develops beyond kooky sidekick and convenient reconn man, he really grew on me. And really, you just have to love a guy whose repertoire of profanity includes the sweetly alliterative "Tink's titties!"

One thing that I'm enjoying about UF as opposed to straight genre romance is that the characters have more freedom when it comes to relationships. Since the book isn't *required* to end with a romantic Happily Ever After, there is more suspense and uncertainty about what is going to happen between Rachel and any given character-- just like real life. New and interesting characters show up in each book, adding layers of complication and interest and possibility to Rachel's life. I kept thinking Trent is going to be redeemed and turn out to be The One that Rachel ends up with, but events in For a Few Demons More pretty well derailed that train of thought. It could still happen, I guess, but it would certainly be an interesting character arc to get from where I am now in the series to that particular resolution.

I need to stop here, I think, or I'm going to start spoilering. I'm really enjoying the series and give it a strong recommend. Love it!

Some Useful Info:

• Look for Harrison's books in the horror section rather than romance or fantasy.
• She has a new YA series starting with a short in the anthology Prom Dates From Hell; the first full-length book is Once Dead Twice Shy and is due out in June of this year.
• A new Hollows short story will be included in the anthology Unbound, due out this August. Not much info is available, but you can pre-order now.
• Harrison's website has all the info you need about the books and excerpts from most of them, since I'm lazy tonight and not building all the individual links. There is also a slim chance that a photo of me might show up, as people were taking pictures of the book signing line. Mostly likely I'll be the one with my eyes closed (that always happens to me). However, sadly, I am NOT one of the people in the book tour T-shirts making the vampire-bunny-kiss-kiss gesture.
  
• If you are buying the hardbacks, did you know that several of the mass market books contain bonus short stories? The one in For a Few Demons More was cute--it involved Rachel and Kisten kicking some not-from-around-here vampire ass. It almost read as a deleted scene to me, although it would have really been a tangent as an actual scene. There's another waiting for me at the end of The Outlaw Demon Wails, which appears to be a little story or character sketch involving Al and Ceri and demonic paperwork. Just in time to get me in the mood for doing taxes.
  
• WWBC is Book 7, and books 8 and 9 are already written (though not finished). Ms. Harrison is in discussions with the publisher about the next books and how many there might be to take her to the end of the series arc that she currently has envisioned.
  

Reading Order:

1. Dead Witch Walking
2. The Good, The Bad, and the Undead
3. Every Which Way but Dead
4. A Fistful of Charms
5. For a Few Demons More
6. The Outlaw Demon Wails
7. White Witch, Black Curse