Please enjoy this excerpt from She Wulf, an action-packed urban fantasy by Sheryl Steines. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, 5 autographed copies of She Wulf, and 5 copies of its companion, The Day of First Sun. Someone screamed; a terrified, naked shrill cry in the distance. There were sounds of hollering, screeching, grunting, stomping. The ground rumbled under Annie as she threw several layers of animal skins to the ground. Spencer jumped up; the coven roused themselves. “The mead hall,” he said as they threw open the door and ran to the village center. Chaos turned to determination as the coven traveled through the forest toward the mead hall. Annie knew the Vikings were running, screaming, panicked— but all she could hear were footsteps, and her heart pounding in her chest. Spencer had come with her; she didn’t know where he was now. She only knew the steady rhythm surrounding her as the coven followed the trail. Instinctively she went into battle mode. This was what had brought here. Her adrenaline pumped through her, her heart beat quicker,…
Please enjoy this excerpt from She Wulf, an action-packed urban fantasy by Sheryl Steines. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $550 in Amazon gift cards, 5 autographed copies of She Wulf, and 5 copies of its companion, The Day of First Sun. Someone screamed; a terrified, naked shrill cry in the distance. There were sounds of hollering, screeching, grunting, stomping. The ground rumbled under Annie as she threw several layers of animal skins to the ground. Spencer jumped up; the coven roused themselves. “The mead hall,” he said as they threw open the door and ran to the village center. Chaos turned to determination as the coven traveled through the forest toward the mead hall. Annie knew the Vikings were running, screaming, panicked— but all she could hear were footsteps, and her heart pounding in her chest. Spencer had come with her; she didn’t know where he was now. She only knew the steady rhythm surrounding her as the coven followed the trail. Instinctively she went into battle mode. This was what had brought here. Her adrenaline pumped through her, her heart beat quicker,…
Welcome back to my reread of the Guardian’s list of the world’s most difficult books. Previous entries can be found here. This is the third part of the No Place on Earth review in which I’ll be tackling pages 25-50. What happens: When we left them, Kleist and von Gunderrode were both attending an afternoon tea party, neither of them particularly enjoying it. They are aware of each other, sensing a kindred spirit, but have made no move to speak. In pages 25-50, Kleist eavesdrops on a conversation between von Gunderrode and Clemens Bretano, the brother of her friend Bettine in which they discuss von Gunderrode’s character. This causes Kleist to reflect on his own relationship with his ex-fiancée Wilhelmine and how he did not have romantic feelings for her. He notes that he has a bad habit of reflecting on the past, or looking to the future rather than living in the present. Despite his sharing his dreams of death with his fiancé, they shared no emotional intimacy. Once again, Kleist touches on his feelings of depression and the choice he faces of allowing it to overpower him, or to deal with it and live a hum-drum boring existence….
Welcome back to my reread of the Guardian’s list of the world’s most difficult books. Previous entries can be found here. This is the third part of the No Place on Earth review in which I’ll be tackling pages 25-50. What happens: When we left them, Kleist and von Gunderrode were both attending an afternoon tea party, neither of them particularly enjoying it. They are aware of each other, sensing a kindred spirit, but have made no move to speak. In pages 25-50, Kleist eavesdrops on a conversation between von Gunderrode and Clemens Bretano, the brother of her friend Bettine in which they discuss von Gunderrode’s character. This causes Kleist to reflect on his own relationship with his ex-fiancée Wilhelmine and how he did not have romantic feelings for her. He notes that he has a bad habit of reflecting on the past, or looking to the future rather than living in the present. Despite his sharing his dreams of death with his fiancé, they shared no emotional intimacy. Once again, Kleist touches on his feelings of depression and the choice he faces of allowing it to overpower him, or to deal with it and live a hum-drum boring existence….
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Deep Connections was the way in which the author slowly teased out the twin secrets of why the heroine, Brenna, is being stalked and Slater’s family history. That seemed to me very well done. I liked the characters, although I don’t generally subscribe to the “one true love/soulmate” way of thinking. This was a light, easy read and I will certainly look out for the sequel. I gave Deep Connections 3.5 out of 5 stars.
One thing I particularly enjoyed about Deep Connections was the way in which the author slowly teased out the twin secrets of why the heroine, Brenna, is being stalked and Slater’s family history. That seemed to me very well done. I liked the characters, although I don’t generally subscribe to the “one true love/soulmate” way of thinking. This was a light, easy read and I will certainly look out for the sequel. I gave Deep Connections 3.5 out of 5 stars.
So, my copy of No Place on Earth has finally arrived, and I’m ready to make a start on my blog challenge to read the World’s Ten Most Difficult Books as defined by The Guardian. I plan to follow a similar format to Leigh Butler’s wonderful Ice and Fire reading blog; that is, I will read a few chapters each week, note what happens and my reactions to it. I hope to post once a week. Before I get into No Place on Earth, some background information. Christa Wolf was born on March 18, 1929, in Landsberg, which is now Gorzow, Poland. Her father joined the Nazi Party and she became a member of the girls’ version of the Hitler Youth. In 1949, she joined the Socialist Unity Party and studied German literature at universities in Jena and Leipzig. She wrote numerous novels during her lifetime including The Divided Heaven, The Quest for Christa T., A Model Childhood, and Cassandra. She won several awards including the Heinrich Mann Prize in 1963 and Thomas Mann Prize for literature in 2010. She died on December 1, 2011 at the age of 82. Published in 1979, No Place on Earth describes an imaginary…
So, my copy of No Place on Earth has finally arrived, and I’m ready to make a start on my blog challenge to read the World’s Ten Most Difficult Books as defined by The Guardian. I plan to follow a similar format to Leigh Butler’s wonderful Ice and Fire reading blog; that is, I will read a few chapters each week, note what happens and my reactions to it. I hope to post once a week. Before I get into No Place on Earth, some background information. Christa Wolf was born on March 18, 1929, in Landsberg, which is now Gorzow, Poland. Her father joined the Nazi Party and she became a member of the girls’ version of the Hitler Youth. In 1949, she joined the Socialist Unity Party and studied German literature at universities in Jena and Leipzig. She wrote numerous novels during her lifetime including The Divided Heaven, The Quest for Christa T., A Model Childhood, and Cassandra. She won several awards including the Heinrich Mann Prize in 1963 and Thomas Mann Prize for literature in 2010. She died on December 1, 2011 at the age of 82. Published in 1979, No Place on Earth describes an imaginary…
Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson tells the story of Ethan Kaille, a man with a checkered past, who uses his conjuring skills to track down thieves and return stolen goods to their owners. When the daughter of a prominent citizen is found killed by non-conventional means, Ethan is hired to track down her missing brooch and to shed light on her murder. Tor McMillan was kind enough to send me a copy of this book to review. Here are my thoughts. D.B. Jackson’s writing style is light, easily accessible and engaging. It was very easy to become drawn into the story and to empathise with Ethan, the protagonist. Set in mid 18th century Boston, the book is a fun blend of historical drama, fantasy and murder mystery. Now, I am neither American nor a student of American history, so I am unfamiliar with the historical events referenced in this novel – The Stamp Act of 1765, The Sons of Liberty, the riots in Boston – but I was inspired to read more about this period of American history. I was intrigued to read in the author’s note that the novel was originally set in a fictional world and that it was…
Thieftaker by D.B. Jackson tells the story of Ethan Kaille, a man with a checkered past, who uses his conjuring skills to track down thieves and return stolen goods to their owners. When the daughter of a prominent citizen is found killed by non-conventional means, Ethan is hired to track down her missing brooch and to shed light on her murder. Tor McMillan was kind enough to send me a copy of this book to review. Here are my thoughts. D.B. Jackson's writing style is light, easily accessible and engaging. It was very easy to become drawn into the story and to empathise with Ethan, the protagonist. Set in mid 18th century Boston, the book is a fun blend of historical drama, fantasy and murder mystery. Now, I am neither American nor a student of American history, so I am unfamiliar with the historical events referenced in this novel – The Stamp Act of 1765, The Sons of Liberty, the riots in Boston – but I was inspired to read more about this period of American history. I was intrigued to read in the author's note that the novel was originally set in a fictional world and that it was…