Blog Archives
New Release: Rush Too Far by Abbi Glines
A bold, new phenomenon has taken place in publishing due to an abundance of readers who clamor for new content. This phenomenon covers the ability to rewrite editions, switch points of view on a previously published story, draft an alternate ending, and more.
One of the more prolific romance authors to offer up alternate view points for her storylines and casts of characters is Abbi Glines, whose Rosemary Beach novels are published by Atria (Simon&Schuster). For many of her novels, often told from the female lead’s viewpoint, Glines returns to the steamy scene of the crime and republishes the male lead’s novel as well.
Such is the case for the book Rush Too Far, which tells the story of Blaire Wynn and Rush Finlay’s heated romance, but this time from Rush’s point of view. I have to say that books like this are actually tricky: there’s a fine line that has to be balanced in several directions. It can’t be so filled with obscure references to a previous book that new readers are lost, but it also can’t be so overexaggerated that long-time fans feel the repetition. That’s coupled with the interesting dynamic that various characters in Glines’ books each have their own series, so at times I felt just a little lost while trying to keep the characters straight.
Overall, this book was another example of everything fun about the romance genre. It keeps things in the realm of steamy fantasy, when the reality of relationships can be far less storybook-worthy. Rush Too Far is available now!
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Review: Haunted Empire by Yukari Iwatani Kane
Verdict: 3 Stars
I expected a lot from Haunted Empire, and I did get a lot of information. It just wasn’t the stuff I thought I would read about. Where was the controversy? Where was the speculation about Apple’s downfall? Basically, where was the information that CEO Tim Cook took issue with?
There was a lot of background information, and I will say that the beginning of the book contained an even closer look at Steve Jobs. It’s funny to read a book that contains information on how Jobs fought with the guy writing his book! There was a lot of really in-depth and thrilling–both heartwarming and negative–information on who Jobs was, told only through the most hidden conversations that made me ask several times, “How did the author find this out?” That’s not to question Kane’s veracity, but to really highlight that she included conversations no one else would have known about.
But while the content within the book gave detailed information about Apple’s woes since the untimely passing of Jobs–I’m not above admitting that I cried several times during Kane’s depiction of the CEO’s last few months and final death–there was nothing of note about where the company is headed with Cook at the helm, at least not in terms of the uproar that followed the book’s publication. Yes, there is certainly mention that Apple hasn’t released anything profound since losing its original dreamer, but it’s also understandable. Kane even paints a picture of a company that is still reinventing itself as a new company, having gone through downturns in the past with various underwhelming CEOs.
At the same time, Kane herself gives so much insight into not only the legal woes that have plagued Apple lately (and kept the company fairly busy with its leadership and its finances tied up in courtroom drama), but also unintentionally details the cyclical nature of Apple’s innovations. It’s hardly newsworthy that the company that brought us the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and resulting app and music stores in the space of such a short time frame would rest on its laurels for a moment before attempting to launch anything quite as world changing again.
Haunted Empire was insightful and interesting, but hardly earned its reputation as the tell-all, “bearer of bad tidings” book that the hype told us to expect.
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Book Review: Luck of the Dragon by Susannah Scott
Run, don’t walk, to get a copy of Susannah Scott’s adventure/fantasy/romance title Luck of the Dragon. Better yet, it’s about dragons…FLY to get your hands on a copy.
As a book reviewer, I get a lot of books. A LOT. Books show up unannounced on my doorstep (literally, when UPS drops them off) from everyone from self-published authors to Big Five publishers. It’s pretty cool, actually.
So when a book really stands out, I SHOUT about it. GO GET THIS ONE.
Lucy De Luca has worked hard to make something of her life despite her “humble” beginnings. With a father in jail, a deranged mom who drank herself from boyfriend to boyfriend, and a brother who’s so far in bed with the mob that he can see the thread count on the sheets, it’s been hard for Lucy to distance herself from all of that to become an expert in her field. Her Ph.D. in gemology not withstanding, when her twin brother needs her help to get Gino off his back, she manages to run afoul of the Vegas mob scene while gaining the attention of handsome, wealthy casino owner Alec Gerold.
Oh, and Alec’s a dragon. King of the dragons, to be exact. And if he doesn’t find a mate in the upcoming ceremony, he risks losing his dragon form altogether. Of course, if he takes his true mate–Lucy, the human–he also risks sparking a global dragon war that could cost him his throne.
Fun stuff, people.
Actually, I have to tell you that this is not my go-to genre when I want a good book to read. I can’t really say I’m a romance fan, and I’m certainly not your girl when it comes to dragon lit. But the writing pulled me in from the first page and made this book a one-sitting read. Excellent story line, tasteful explicit scenes, and a really smart, sassy, EDUCATED heroine made this one a total delight.
Luck of the Dragon is available now, and a sequel is on its way!
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New Poetry Title from Morgan Dragonwillow and Tui Snider
Check out this post over at SeeLorcaWrite.com and be sure to join the Rafflecopter giveaway!
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Driving the Demon is Free This Week on #Amazon
Take a look at this week’s free title, Driving the Demon by Lorca Damon!
“Three things happened on the same day: my grandfather died, my parents split up, and I got suspended from school for five days for being a terrorist.”
Caid Thomas has it pretty rough. ADD medication that doesn’t help him focus, a failing grade in chemistry, and now, an exploding locker, a dead grandfather, and a mom who’s been cheating for some time. When his grandfather’s parting gift is a beat-up Dodge Demon and a weathered copy of Cather in the Rye, Caid realizes a road trip out West was meant to be.
Along the way, though, Caid meets some kids with actual problems. Divorced parents is nothing compared to trying to escape a meth dealer in the projects of Detroit or defending yourself against the man who’s been molesting you for most of your life.
As the trip stops being a nightmare and starts to become a mission, Caid learns a lot about who he thought he was, but more importantly, who he knows he needs to be.
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InstaFreebie Lets Authors Control Their Book Giveaways
We’re always excited to see a new book promotion tool for authors and publishers, and it’s even more exciting when this tool is free and easy to use. This latest option is from Libboo, and it’s a nearly instantaneous way to send out review copies of a book without worrying about DRM, without having to foot the bill for printing/shipping, and without having to purchase copies of your book.
Even better, a new feature is in the works that will let authors TRACK the copies that get sent out and shared! Authors will be able to build up their email lists and interact with the people who claimed free copies of their books, and readers will know that they’ll be kept informed when new titles by authors they enjoyed come out.
Try it out now by claiming THIS free book…and THIS one!
Authors will enjoy the complete control over how they use their free books. For example, the first link above is only good for the first 100 copies, a number decided by the author. The second link is offering unlimited copies of the book through a pre-determined date, again, selected by the author. The author can share the link within only their support network of reader fans, OR can say to their fans, “Share the snot out of this code!” and let an unlimited number of people claim the book. DRM encryption is also optional at the author’s discretion.
It does require having an ePub file of the book in order to upload it, but once it’s uploaded, readers can select ePub, MOBI, or PDF for their own reading. Go try it out and see how the tool can serve your promotional needs.
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New Tool from @InstaFreebie Lets Authors Share Their Books for Promos
Authors–and readers–can never have enough help with book discovery. Both self-published and traditionally published authors throw their books out there like the proverbial message in a bottle, hoping the waves carry them to readers everywhere. At the same time, readers are fighting to find meaningful, enjoyable books in their favorite genres, and are just waiting to connect with another great read.
Now, Libboo has launched a new tool (currently in public beta) that lets authors send out review copies of their books AND lets their audiences share the link to the free book with their own social networks. At the same time, the book can be DRM-protected or not as the author chooses, AND the author can track the book to the people who claimed free copies, thus building a reader base.
Wanna see how it works? Sign up for a free account at InstaFreebie.com and then claim THIS free book today by clicking HERE! It really is that simple.
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Look What’s Coming Soon from Laini Taylor!
The series is almost complete!
ReadioactiveBooks has a galley of the final installment and will be posting a review soon!
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Take A Chance by Abbi Glines
I’m dying to give a spoiler alert because the ending is really the most impressive thing about this book, not for its wow-factor, but because it speaks to the level of control a formerly self-published author has over her writing, and I LOVE IT (Interesting note: Glines’ publicist didn’t actually SAY there would be bodily harm if I gave away the ending, but it was definitely implied…and she’s feisty). There’s no way a debut novelist in the romance genre would EVER get away with some of the story line twists that Glines pulls, and it comes from having the ability to say, “You know what? I’ve done it before and I can do it again, I don’t NEED you to make me a bestseller.” Rock on, Glines!
I will say, the book wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, I can EASILY envision people loving this book, but I’m still a little squeamed out by reading about the sex lives of 20-year-old virgins and their much older, much more experienced partners (yeah, a play-by-play of the MC giving her first hand job was almost a deal breaker for me). No matter how well an author depicts the nature of true love, it always feels like there’s an element of taking advantage of when you have that dynamic happening between the couple. I would rather meet two awkward but starry eyed fumbling teenagers any day than the incessantly overdone story line of the beautiful, inexperienced wallflower and yet another Christian Grey.
At least in Take A Chance, Glines sets up a very plausible reason for Harlow’s wallflower status; sure, she’s filthy rich, her daddy is super famous, but after her mother was killed in a car wreck when Harlow was an infant, she was raised by her grandmother…away from the spotlight and the prying eyes of the paparazzi who don’t know she wasn’t killed with her mother. Harlow has known her dad and adores him, even with his rock star flaws like sex, drugs, and well…the rock and roll should be obvious.
Take A Chance is available now.
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Anyone Else Tired of Gorgeous Wealthy Guys with Impressive Cocks?
BOOK REVIEW: Just One Night – Kyra Davis
Verdict: 3 Stars
This book points out many of the things that are wrong with the romance genre. First, back up and understand that the popularity of a book such as this is the supposedly real-life scenario of a woman informally engaged to a man whom she’s been dating for six years (longer than many marriages last these days) who seizes the opportunity to have a wild one night stand with an insanely gorgeous wealthy (aren’t they all, these days?) man. The story line speaks to readers whose own lives are certainly no 50 Shades, but thrusts them into Kasie’s wild-but-temporary adventure.
Unfortunately, Kasie makes just about as many stupid decisions as she possibly can, and it almost felt like an insult that the readers are expected to identify with her and cheer for her. Not only does she stay with her fiance long after he begins emotionally and verbally abusing her for her (skanky) indiscretion, but she cannot bring herself to decide what it is she wants out of life.
While billed as sizzling compliment to one very famous work of erotica starring a billionaire control freak, hasn’t that story line been done to death? Even the fans of the genre have cooled in their pursuit of inexplicably wealthy, unattached, youngish men, mostly because the genre just keeps feeding them the same story lines.
What is actually interesting about the book is its long journey to publication. It was written originally as three digital-only stories that have been woven together and made available in print, displaying the power of readers to make a bestseller out of an e-series prior to the publisher investing in paper.
Just One Night was a perfectly pleasant, although tired, read, and is available now.
Readioactive Books 