Month: August 2012

Stacking the Shelves (14)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

I have to keep reminding myself that this is two week’s worth of shelf-stacking, in the hopes that it will make me feel just a bit less overwhelmed, at least on the review side. What’s even more daunting is that I’m already scheduling into November. Where’s the summer gone, and why is it still hot outside?

But I can’t say enough good things about the Baen Free Library. One of the places where my husband’s and my reading addictions join is at space opera. A friend mentioned that the David Drake RCN series was good, and lo and behold, the first three ebooks are available free at Baen. (Of course, once they get you good and hooked, the other six books you have to buy. Think of it as a gateway drug. Baen definitely does)

Galen and I liked the sampling so much, we listened to the first book on our trip last week. Audible isn’t free, but we knew what we were getting into thanks to Baen. If you enjoy SF and/or fantasy, check them out. They will happily get you hooked on a lot of excellent series.

Here’s the results of my shelf-stacking for the last couple of weeks. What’s been stacking up on your shelves?

For Review:
The Devil’s Match (The Devil DeVere #4) by Victoria Vane
Senator, Mine (All Mine #1) by Kerry Adrienne
Druid, Mine (All Mine #2) by Kerry Adrienne
The Memory of Roses by Blair McDowell
The Asylum Interviews: Trixie (The Asylum Tales #0.6) by Jocelynn Drake
Few are Chosen by Storm Grant
A Demon and His Witch (Welcome to Hell #1) by Eve Langlais (review)
How I Came to Sparkle Again by Kaya McLaren (print ARC)
A Place Called Armageddon by C.C. Humphreys
Until There Was You (Coming Home #2) by Jessica Scott
Tudor Rose (Tudor Dynasty #1) by Jamie Salisbury
Crystal-Balls and Croissants by Ami Samuel
Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay (print)
The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley
Untamed (The Amoveo Legend #3) by Sara Humphreys

Purchased:
With the Lightnings (Lt. Leary #1) by David Drake (ebook from the Baen Free Library and audiobook from Audible)
Lt. Leary, Commanding (Lt. Leary #2) by David Drake (audiobook from Audible)
Two for Sorrow (Josephine Tey Mysteries #3) by Nicola Upson (99 cent sale from Harper for any ebook version at Amazon or B&N! Lots of sale books available!)
Heart Secret (Celta’s Heartmates # 11) by Robin D. Owens
The Geek Job by Eve Langlais

All are ebooks unless specifically stated otherwise.

Guest Review: Cop Out by KC Burn

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews> Guest Review

Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, ebook
Genre: Contemporary M/M
Release Date: November 18, 2011
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher, Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Detective Kurt O’Donnell is used to digging up other people’s secrets, but when he discovers his slain partner was married to another man, it shakes him. Determined to do the right thing, Kurt offers the mourning Davy his assistance. Helping Davy through his grief helps Kurt deal with the guilt that his partner didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth, and somewhere along the way Davy stops being an obligation and becomes a friend, the closest friend Kurt has ever had.

His growing attraction to Davy complicates matters, leaving Kurt struggling to reevaluate his sexuality. Then a sensual encounter neither man is ready for confuses them further. To be with Davy, Kurt must face the prospect of coming out, but his job and his relationship with his Catholic family are on the line. Can he risk destroying his life for the uncertain possibility of a relationship with a newly widowed man?

Guest Review by Cryselle

Cop Out starts out with a bang, literally; Kurt’s been shot and his partner killed. He’s been paired with Ben a long time, but in a work relationship, not a true friendship. They have nearly no personal interactions, no shared confidences, and Kurt is floored with the realization of exactly how little he knew the man he trusted with his life.

It isn’t until Ben’s funeral and then by accident that Kurt realizes Davy was Ben’s partner for ten years, and then he’s further horrified to find out what sort of narrow existence Davy was forced into by Ben’s secrecy. Nothing of Davy’s personality could contaminate Ben’s life, not even a few colorful items sprinkled around their home.

Knowing that Davy would need support in his bereavement, and thinking it very unlikely that he’d get it from anyone else, Kurt appoints himself a friend and guardian; he’s got quite a bit of spare time during his recuperation, and later he’s a constant, as much as Davy will let him be. Appalled by how far short of a loving relationship between equals Ben and Davy had, Kurt wants to help Davy heal. Little moves like cheering his own favorite sports teams and bringing out the crazy quilt to stain a pristine white room mark Davy’s grieving and recovery, and Kurt’s pleased with helping along each small step.

Kurt’s own life requires some recovery: a new partner with a normal curiosity and friendship to offer helps heal him of Ben’s miasma. His new partner is there for him in a series of small milestones, and to worry about him when he’s not doing well. Simon is the antithesis of Ben; he’s a complete and decent human being.

As Kurt and Davy do a slow build back to normal, Kurt starts’ to question his feelings—this isn’t friendship as he knows it, not with ever-harder-to squash-back sexual feelings, culminating in a bout of angry sex that brings matters to a head. Because Davy rightly calls BS on Kurt for treating him the way Ben did, in many important ways.

This book is an extreme emotional roll-coaster; we see everything through Kurt’s turmoil, first over the existence of a long term relationship he never suspected, then his anger over Ben’s treatment of Davy, and especially over his own growing sexual desires. Kurt’s always thought of himself as straight but not highly sexed, and the slow reveal of the truth, first to himself, and then to family and friends, is the main focus of the story. Cop work is a background topic: even the eventual take-down of the crime lord responsible for Ben’s death is treated as a throwaway scene.

The emotional upheaval makes this a very vivid out-for-you story, and as long as we’re focused on Kurt, it’s enjoyable: even his falling-to-pieces times were well-drawn and believable. Davy though, has a decade of what is essentially an emotionally abusive relationship, and while I loved that he grew confident and even assertive, and refused to tolerate a second round of it, thinking too hard about those ten years is a little stomach churning. I hated Ben deeply by the middle of the book, and he gets no screen time as a live person.

Kurt does eventually decipher himself and comes out, although his choices of people to tell were a matter for headdesking.  Unfortunately, whacking him with a clue-by-four was not an option for the reader.

Davy and Kurt do reconcile nearly as traumatically as they met, and it’s quite satisfying to read. We’re even allowed to share a bit of them being happy together, and one closes the book with a lascivious but happy smile. Escape Rating B

Cryselle can regularly be found blogging and reviewing at Cryselle’s Bookshelf.

Cop Out has previously appeared on Reading Reality as one of Dreamspinner Press’ November 2011 featured titles.

Review: The Marrying Kind by Ken O’Neill

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 4 Stars> book reviews> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

Format Read: ebook from the author
Number of Pages: 264 pages
Release Date: May 30, 2012
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Formats Available: Mass Market Paperback, ebooks
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)  | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads | 

Book Blurb:

Wedding planner Adam More has an epiphany: He has devoted all his life’s energy to creating events that he and his partner Steven are forbidden by federal law for having for themselves. So Adam decides to make a change. Organizing a boycott of the wedding industry, Steven and Adam call on gay organists, hairdressers, cater-waiters, priests, and hairdressers everywhere to get out of the business and to stop going to weddings, too. In this screwball, romantic comedy both the movement they’ve begun and their relationship are put in jeopardy when Steven’s brother proposes to Adam’s sister and they must decide whether they’re attending or sending regrets.

My Thoughts:

This was originally posted at Book Lovers Inc.

When I picked up The Marrying Kind, I was aware that it was a story on two levels. There’s the novel, the fiction about Steven and Adam and their boycott of the wedding industry and what it does to their relationship and everyone who touches their lives, and who their lives touch.

Then there’s the other side. The one concerning the cause of marriage equality that this story was written to promote and support–hopefully without being preachy about it. The movement is simply titled “No Presence and No Presents” and it’s explained at the author’s website.

But I’m reviewing a book. And it’s a good one.

The Marrying Kind tells a terrific story. It’s a love story all right, not just about romantic love but also the love of family. There’s also the joy of finding, and following, your best self, your true path.

Because that’s what happens when Adam has his epiphany and decides he’s not going to take it anymore. He’s going to stop pouring his heart and soul into planning weddings that, as a gay couple, he and Steven are not legally allowed to have.

(The Marrying Kind is set in 2007, before New York State legalized same-sex marriage)

Instead of continuing to torture himself, he starts a movement. And becomes a hero in the gay community. He also nearly runs his business into the ground.

But where this story really shines is its focus on all of the inter-personal relationships that are affected, and often screwed up, by the movement and the new-found fame it’s brought to Adam and Steven.

Because they’re not the only couple in their families. Steven’s brother Peter is planning to marry Adam’s sister Amanda. Which would normally be the happiest time in their lives. But Adam is sticking to his guns, and won’t plan his sister’s wedding. He’s not even planning to go. Steven is caught between his family, his lover and an incredibly important principle he believes in wholeheartedly.

But that’s not all there is to this story. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny. While I wouldn’t want Steven’s mother for a mother-in-law, she makes for terrific comic relief. And then there are all the not-quite-over-the-top wedding stories. Never too many, but just enough.

Verdict: There’s just enough of everything in The Marrying Kind. Just enough silly wedding stories. Just enough family melodrama. Absolutely the right amount of rocky-relationship turns into HEA. And just the right amount of message peeking through.

I give The Marrying Kind 4 stars.

Reviewer’s note: U.S. states that permit same-sex marriage are only able to grant limited  rights and protections under the law. Quoting from Wikipedia, “According to the [U.S.] federal government’s Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 2004, more than 1,138 rights and protections are conferred to U.S. citizens upon marriage by the federal government; areas affected include Social Security benefits, veterans’ benefits, health insurance, Medicaid, hospital visitation, estate taxes, retirement savings, pensions, family leave, and immigration law.” Making those 1,138 rights and protections available to everyone, whether they want to marry a person of the same sex or the opposite sex, is the point of Marriage Equality. 

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Interview with Eve Langlais on Demonically Tempting Heroes

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> Author Q&A> blog tours

Today’s guest at Reading Reality, Eve Langlais,  is here to tempt you to read, not just her latest book, A Demon and His Witch, but all of her her previous forays into the lighter and sexier side of the Underworld, alien abductions, cyborg sex, and every other this or other-worldly variation her mind can think of.

A Demon and His Witch was my first trip to one of Eve Langlais’ laugh-out-loud, good time rides, and I’m already hooked. Take a look at my review and see if you’re not demonically tempted by this demon. (Just look at that cover picture. He’s temptation enough) Me, I’ve already started on another one of Eve’s books, The Geek Job.

Now let’s hear a few worlds from the temptress herself…

Marlene: Eve, can you please tell us a bit about yourself? What happens to Eve in her non-writing life?

Eve: In my non writing life I’m usually reading or wrangling kids lol. My ‘mom’ duties take up most of my free time, but I love it!

Marlene: In your bio you manage to use the words “Walmart”, “werewolves” and “aliens” in pretty close proximity. Help us all understand how that even works?

Eve: I love Walmart, even if my credit card doesn’t. For a family of five, it’s the place to shop for everything from clothes, to toys at Christmas, to just about everything. My heroines are often normal, just like me . They have to shop on a budget. They’re not quite perfect, maybe a little chunkier than society deems acceptable. My heroines might have differing self confidence levels and ways of dealing with the world, but they all have that special something about them that makes aliens and werewolves fall head over heels in love. Is there anything sexier than a male realizing that despite the fact a woman has a few extra pounds and maybe a prickly exterior, she’s his soulmate – whether she agrees or not? LOL.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing for us. Are you a planner, or do you just let the story flow?

Eve: I write Monday to Friday from about 9am until about 2 pm. The only outline is in my mind, although I do have notes about my characters and the world scattered all over my desk. My writing space is not neat by any means.

Marlene: Your books could be described as erotica with plot. What made you choose to focus on the erotic side of the romance equation in your writing?

Eve: Sex is a big part of romance. When I read a story where the characters are connecting on several levels, I don’t just want to read about the emotional changes they undergo, I want to see the sexual seduction. I want to recapture that first moment you fall in love with someone. I want to feel  the awareness, the hot connection that comes from a budding relationship where everything from how he looks at you, to how he touches you makes you feel so alive – and aroused. That to me is one of the best parts of falling love which is why I like my sex scenes to be explicit, hot, and squirm-in-your-chair worthy.

Marlene: On the other hand, the lovers in your trysts are not shy about breaking any of the rules or boundaries. Not just shapeshifters, but aliens, demons, cyborgs, (and any number or combination of any of the above) everything floats someone’s boat in your worlds. What’s your inspiration? Or who? 😉

Eve: My inspiration? LOL. I write what I think is hot. Alien abduction? Awesome (and possible!) Demons with attitude? Wicked – and who doesn’t love the idea of reforming a bad boy like that. Do some of my hot males share some of my hubby’s characteristics? Absolutely, which is why they’re not perfect and often drive my heroines batty.

Marlene: Could you tell us a little bit about A Demon and His Witch? Tempt everyone to read the book!

Eve: A Demon and His Witch is a humorous romp into my version of Hell. You’ve got Remy, a panty dropper of a male, who is paired with a witch who’d rather see all men die. But she’s got good reasons. Her ex boyfriend watched her burn at the stake and she never got over it. When Lucifer pairs her up with Remy to find some missing souls, when she doesn’t want to kill him, she remembers what it’s like to feel like a woman. She doesn’t have a choice because Remy is the king of sexual innuendo, and he throws corny pickup lines, one after another at Ysabel. She wants to hate him, she really does, but in the end, he chips away the armor around her heart and in the end, she can’t help but fall in love.

Marlene: Since I have a demonic feeling you love all the characters in A Demon and His Witch (or possibly just love tormenting them), what’s your favorite scene?

Eve: I can’t tell my favorite scene, because it’s a pivotal turning point in their relationship, but my second actually is between the heroine and Remy’s mother. Poor Ysabel gets caught in Remy’s bedroom, wearing next to nothing by Remy’s mom. Most people would find that awkward, but add in a mother who’s lost a few marbles and rips off her undies so she’s in style and you’ve got snort out loud hilarious.

Marlene: What was the first moment you knew you wanted to write?

Eve: When I was a kid, I loved to scribble down stories. I excelled in my creative writing class and had dreams of writing something epic. Then real life interfered for 20 years lol. But, I think that break gave me the life experiences I needed to make my stories believable –  and hot.

Marlene: What book do you recommend everyone should read and why?

Eve: Depends on what you like. If I’m looking for great urban fantasy, I go to Jim Butcher. Horror, early Stephen King. Mystery is Tess Gerritsen. Hot hunks written by someone else, Laurann Dohner. A giggle with your romance, ME! LOL

Marlene: You’ve already said that there will be more books in this series. So can you give us a hint or are you just going to torment us more? What is next on your schedule??

Eve: Book three for Welcome To Hell is currently stewing in my brain, but it’s got to wait as I’m finishing up work on Already Freakn’ Mated, third in my Freakn’ Shifter series. Then, I might just tackle Freakn 4 because I’ve already got a great storyline in mind LOL. Then, I have to do an alien story! I’m feeling sci-fi withdrawal. But after that, we’ll probably see Welcome to Hell 3 (with a Scottish demon lol) and a third Cyborg book.

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Eve: Funny. Hot. And most of all, romantic.

Marlene: Morning person or night owl?

Eve: Morning! I’m lucky if I  can sleep in until 6 am lol.

Eve, it is so completely appropriate that your name is Eve! You absolutely are a temptress–tempting everyone to read your wonderfully sexy, naughty, and funny (very funny) stories. (Yes, the scene with Ysabel and Remy’s mother was both hilarious and cute at the same time.) Lots of people think they have the in-laws from Hell, but in Hell, everyone does! 

For a good time, read Eve!

Review: A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> blog tours> book reviews

There are absolutely no great literary themes or deeper meanings to be found in A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais. And frankly, if all the demons look like the one on the cover of the book, who the hell cares? Seriously, that man has got something, and if Hell can just bottle it, they’ll have a fortune in souls. Yum. Make that YUM!

When I said there were no deeper themes, I lied. Just a little. (What can you expect in a story where Lucifer, Prince of Lies, is the big boss?)

Ysabel is Lucifer’s assistant. When I say assistant, I mean his administrative assistant. Because Hell mostly works like the worst bureaucracy you’ve ever seen. (What did you expect?) Lucifer really, really needs an Admin to deal with the paperwork!

Why is Ysabel in Hell? Because she’s a witch. A spellcasting witch. One who was burned at the stake in ye olde Dark Ages. These things happened. But the folks who burned her at the stake, well, let’s say they really honked Ysabel off. Her lover’s mother didn’t want to let go of her not-so-little boy, so she led the torch-wielding brigade. The boyfriend didn’t just let it happen, he stood around and watched. With her last breath, Ysabel sold her soul to damn the whole lot of them to Hell.

She didn’t read the fine print in the contract. No one ever does. Five of the a**hats escaped, and Ysabel’s true torments began. It turns out that working in Lucifer’s office isn’t all that bad compared to re-experiencing your own personal burning-at-the-stake every single day.

Of course, if she recaptures her tribe of escaped miscreants, her little fire-show will go away again. But Ysabel is a witch, not a tracker. Lucifer has just the tracker in mind. Of course he does.

Ysabel doesn’t trust men. Not after her first and only lover let his mother burn her at the stake. Would you? So who does Lucifer send her? Hell’s best-known stealer-of-hearts and female panties, the name and number on every female restroom wall in Hell, “For a good f*** call Remy”.

Remy is one of Lucifer’s best trackers. A half-human, half-demon warrior with a string of commendations and a sweet but totally insane demon mother.

And a man who spouts some of the worst and funniest pick-up lines in history. But they work. Even on Ysabel. And isn’t she one surprised witch.

Especially when he brings her home to meet his mother.

Escape Rating A-: This is sweeter than you might expect from the story premise. Which doesn’t mean that it isn’t every bit as snarky, funny and sexy as you do expect from the blurb, because it absolutely is all of those things. But the love story between Ysabel and Remy has it’s surprisingly touching moments.

In order for love to work, even a demon and a witch in Hell need to trust each other for true love to blossom. They have to work pretty hard to get to their happily ever after. Even writing that seems strange–a happily ever after in Hell? But it happens for Ysabel and Remy. Since this is Hell, there’s a miserably ever after for others.

But the twisted way that Lucifer justifies his matchmaking is screamingly funny. After all, he can’t be good without explaining why his good time is going to be bad for someone else…eventually.

Pick this one up expecting a Hell of a good time. And a sequel, because Lucifer has matchmaking plans. Now that he’s been such a terrific success out-cupiding Cupid, he’s got another couple in mind. Look out for A Demon and his Psycho. I know I will.

Review: I Own the Dawn by M.L. Buchman

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 4 Stars> book reviews> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

Format Read:ebook from NetGalley
Number of Pages:416 pages
Release Date:August 1, 2012
Publisher:Sourcebooks Casablanca
Series: The Night Stalkers #2
Genre: Military Romantic Suspense
Formats Available: ebook, Mass Market Paperback
Purchasing Info:Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)  | Author’s Website | Soucebooks 

Book Blurb:

Kee Smith battled through a difficult childhood to work her way up the ranks of the U.S. Army. When she finally makes it into the elite Night Stalkers, she feels thrilled, honored, and vindicated…until she finds out she’s been assigned to the “girlie-chopper” piloted by the only other woman in the regiment.
Kee is determined to show Lt. Archie Stevenson, one of the male co-pilots, that she is just as tough as the guys. Throughout their special mission, Archie doesn’t know whether to make love to her or plant her face-first into the dirt. But he’ll do whatever it takes to break through that shield Kee wears around her heart.

.

My Thoughts:

This was originally posted at Book Lovers Inc.

M.L. Buchman’s military romance series is about the four soldiers who crew one particular chopper in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), famously known as The Night Stalkers. SOAR exists; they operate out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, just as the unit does in Mr. Buchman’s first two books, The Night is Mine, and I Own the Dawn.

What SOAR doesn’t have, at least according to the documents I can find, is female pilots like Emily Beale (heroine of  The Night is Mine), or female soldiers like Kee Smith in I Own the Dawn. To which I say, “Damn!”. I want that to be possible.

The fact that the romances in both books violate the military anti-fraternization regulations to hell and back is a whole other matter. But the romance is so damn good in both cases, I don’t care.

What I enjoy about both stories is that these military women are the equal of their men in every single way, including as soldiers.

“Men of quality are not threatened by women of equality”. Sometimes the old clichés are the best ones.

But in the case of Kee Smith, it’s not her qualities as a soldier that are ever in doubt, it’s whether her background on the very, very wrong side of the tracks that has her doubting herself, and whether she’s good enough for a Boston blueblood like Archibald Jeffrey Stevenson III. The fact that he’s a Lieutenant and she’s a Sergeant is just a matter of Army regulations.

That her mother was a whore and that Kee murdered the gang-banger who shot her best friend in a drive-by shooting, that might be a problem for any real relationship. His people go way back. Her people are the Army. Up ’til now, that’s been fine.

But Archie is not what his world would have made him. Not after following seven years in Emily Beale’s turbulent wake through the Army. Whatever he would have been, now he’s addicted to the danger that SOAR represents. That Kee represents.

Kee’s never let anyone close. Not since her only friend was killed. But when their unit finds a little girl in the Hindu Kush, one lonely survivor of her family, walking across Afghanistan alone, Kee sees herself in the girl, and Dilya finds, not just a protector, but an avenging angel.

Dilya saw the man who murdered her parents. And Kee, the unit’s sniper, promises Dilya that she will kill him for her, if she ever finds him. Little do they know just how many rocks they’ll have to turn over to find the bastard, and how many political plots they’ll uncover along the way.

Archie watches over the girl, Dilya, and finds his way into Kee Smith’s heart–even though she wasn’t planning on letting anyone in–not the girl and certainly not the man.

Verdict: If you love military romance, you’ll love this series. When I read the first book in the series, The Night is Mine (reviewed at Reading Reality), I was up until after 3 am trying to finish (it’s a 400 page book!) I Own the Dawn is a terrific follow-up, and I’m overjoyed that Buchman is planning to write about the rest of the crew! Kee Smith is both tough and tender, and her gradual opening up to Dilya as well as Archie is marvelous. In most military romances, the soldier in the story is the man, and it’s refreshing to have Kee be both all-soldier and all-woman at the same time.

When Kee rescues Archie it’s the icing on a very delicious cake. I so love my tropes reversed.

I salute I Own the Dawn with 4 stars.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Interview with Author Irina Lopatina on Siberian Seasons

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> Author Q&A> blog tours

[image of Irina Lopatina]

Today’s guest on Reading Reality is Irina Lopatina. She is here to tell us a little bit about her writing life, and her life in Siberia. And, of course, to talk about her fascinating debut epic fantasy, White Raven: the Sword of Northern Ancestors.

But before you take a look at the review, let’s hear from Ms. Lopatina …

Marlene: Please tell us a little about yourself. What is life like in Siberia?

Irina: On the one hand, when living in Siberia, you are in quite civilized conditions. For example, like many others here, I grew up in a comfortable apartment house, went to kindergarten and to school, studied at the university and had interesting work. But once you move away from the town, away from usual tourist routes, you find yourself in a completely different world, in the world that existed millions of years before you and that is able to progress even if there are no humans here at all. Siberia is so majestic that it quickly corrects people’s idea about themselves as “kings of nature.”

Marlene: Could you describe a typical day of writing? Do you work from a detailed outline or do you just let the writing flow wherever it takes you?

Irina: Yes, when I work I always have a plan; it is not too detailed but supports the logic of the plot. First and foremost, this plan is made in order to “fix” the story, because if I let the writing flow freely, I will certainly confuse myself and my readers. It is sometimes difficult to control one’s own imagination. 😉

Marlene: What is your favorite scene in White Raven?

Irina: I like the moments when Vraigo wanders in the forest and communicates with evil forest creatures. For example, I like the scene with the yaga. This forest witch turned out to be an amusing character who is supposed to be extremely evil, but in fact she is not. She is a sort of old grumpy neighbor who knows everything about everybody and is sometimes even ready to play pranks, but overall, she is a pretty charming creature. There is a role of a comic old woman in the Russian theater. My yaga would succeed in such a role.

Marlene: You’ve done something unusual in White Raven, you’ve taken your fantasy characters and brought them to the modern 21st century for part of the story. What inspired you to make this twist in your epic fantasy?

[book cover for White Raven]Irina: Yes, there are quite conflicting opinions of this turn of events. However, this travel to our time is an essential and logical part of the White Raven story. It is not caused by a desire to show originality, especially because such ideas are quite widespread in literature and in cinema. One of the key questions that are raised throughout the story is that of magic. Let us suppose that there was magic in ancient times (all the legends and myths tell us about this)–– where did it disappear from our world? While in the 21st century, Vraigo finds only small remnants of this miracle, which are concentrated in certain ancient objects, places and people with special abilities. Honestly, I really wanted to think about this subject, and looking at the matter from two points of view (the ancient hero and our contemporary friend) seemed to me more complete.

Marlene: You’ve said that you tried not to follow the style of other authors, but who are your favorites?

Irina: If we talk about fantasy, I like the brothers Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Stanislaw Lem, and Ursula Le Guin. But I don’t think it is necessary to mimic their style.

Marlene: You’ve said that you enjoy traveling. Is there any special place that you’ve always dreamed of traveling to? Why that place?

Irina: Actually, I almost never travel to any particular destination. My style of traveling is rather a journey or cruise. I want to see everything. Perhaps, ideally, I want to go on a world tour!

Marlene: What projects do you have planned for the future?

Irina: As a rule, I do not talk about my unfinished projects. It is difficult to discuss what doesn’t yet have its final form. But each of these projects has some sort of a key idea that makes its way through the texture of the story. In White Raven it was a struggle (perhaps, that is why the story turned out to be trilogy – the process of struggle is endless), but now I would really like to write about freedom.

Marlene: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Irina: As usual, at my computer. 😉

Marlene: The seasons in Siberia are extremely different from one another. Which one is your favorite?

Irina: Well, I have a rather complex attitude about seasons. I love each of them, and I always look forward to them. I look forward to the first snowfall, and then the time the snow will melt. I wait impatiently for summer, which manages to annoy me in the end. And, in fact, who will endure six months of cold winter? Or the unbearable summer heat with the very distant prospect of New Year holidays? There is a song in Russia: “I always miss something – winter, summer, autumn, spring.”

What an interesting song! But the weather sounds a lot like Anchorage, and I don’t think I ever missed those six months of winter, although some people must have. 😉

Thank you so much for being such a terrific guest!

Review: White Raven, the Sword of Northern Ancestors by Irina Lopatina

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews

There is a fine tradition in epic fantasy of young men with wizardly mentors who go off in search of magic swords. The mentors usually die much too soon, and those swords are necessary to fight off unspeakable evil. Irina Lopatina’s debut novel, White Raven adds some wintry new elements to that fine old tradition.

And so she should be. The folk traditions that Ms. Lopatina draws her inspirations from are  not the usual Celtic flavor. Ms. Lopatina’s tales are much colder and wilder, from the seasonal swings of her native Siberia.

But the epic begins with a young prince, Vraigo, and an old wizard, Agar. Vraigo is a prince, the nephew of Vlady, Grand Duke of Areya, the great northern land. Agar’s death by magic is the first strike in a long war. Monsters have come to Areya, not in ones or twos, but great hordes of them.

There is, of course, a great sword, Urart, to fight the black monsters. Urart is a magical artifact, its power greatest against the unnatural foes. But these monster hordes have an intelligence–something is driving them. And they find a way to infiltrate the palace and steal Urart. With it, they steal any hope the humans, and other free peoples, have of defeating them.

Vraigo is a young man. He has not followed the path that his uncle expects of him. Instead of becoming a war leader, he spends his time in the forests, exploring with the druids and learning the ways of the forest creatures. He knows that the monsters are stronger than even his uncle suspects. But because he has not exactly been an obedient nephew or subject, no one is willing to listen to him.

Vraigo is also a magic user, if somewhat untutored. Magic users are not totally trusted; another strike against him. So when the great sword goes missing, Vraigo knows exactly what he must do, he must follow the trail and get it back, wherever that might lead. No matter how unfamiliar or magical a place the evil thief might have taken it.

Even if that place is as strange as 21st century Earth.

Escape Rating B: There were times when Vraigo reminded me of another young hero with a wizard mentor and a magic sword, a fellow named Arthur Pendragon, but that’s a different tradition. Also a little bit of Luke Skywalker. Which only goes to show that this hero’s journey is universal. (Even Harry Potter if you squint)

What makes White Raven stand out from the crowd is the setting and the mythology. On this side of the world we don’t see much fantasy based on Russian or Slavic myths, so the new-to-us landscape and bestiary is cool and different. Everything sparkles a bit because the world works slightly differently. Climate changes a lot.

Vraigo’s fish-out-of-water tale when he ports to 21st century Siberia makes for a fun switch on the fantasy. It also involves an entirely different set of characters in a way that will probably come up later in the series, because it seems like the author is foreshadowing that the forces behind the monsters are planning to branch out to other worlds than Vraigo’s original one. They are evil with a capital “E”.

At the same time, there are a lot of plot points going on. Vraigo’s story is a big one. Evil is on the march. Vraigo is involved with the druids, the forest people, and he is the nephew of the Grand Duke. There are political implications. Vraigo has three cousins, one of whom is the heir to the Grand Duchy, one is a magic user. And more politics. And lots of magic theory into the bargain.

Then the story moves to 21st century Earth, adding yet more complication. There was probably enough material for two whole books here. This is good epic fantasy, but perhaps it would have been that much better if it had been allowed to be a bit more epic.

Interview with Author Jane Kindred on Angels, Demons and Overlords + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> Author Q&A> blog tours> Book Giveaway> ebook giveaway> Giveaways

Today’s extremely special guest at Reading Reality is Jane Kindred, the author of the dark (and decadently marvelous) epic fantasy tale of angels, demons and heavenly court politics about The House of Arkhangel’sk. I had the pleasure of reviewing the first book in the trilogy, The Fallen Queen, over at Book Lovers Inc. and my review of the book two, The Midnight Court, is here. Jane also wrote an amazing guest post “A Few Select Shades of Black and Blue” (about the current BDSM bandwagon and demon sex in particular) over at Book Lovers Inc.

Now, let’s get to those questions…

Marlene: Before I get into the really tough questions, would you like to tell us a little bit about yourself? Your bio says you started writing in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury? Is there a story in there?

Jane: Didn’t everybody have a wayback growing up? Er…I guess I’m showing my age. For those who don’t know, it was the rear-facing third row of seats in the back of a station wagon. (And a station wagon was a car that forced you to go on family vacations, and played 8-track tapes.) Ours happened to be a Plymouth Fury, which is the same model as the car Christine. Just sayin’. I spent a lot of my adolescence writing love stories and fantasies on the way to and from church…and during church. Which may explain why I ended up writing about angels and demons having sex.

Marlene: Who or what were your inspirations for The House of Arkhangel’sk?

Jane: Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia—or rather, the fictionalized version of her—was the inspiration for the basic idea behind the series, and then I stuck my Anastasia in the middle of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair was another influence; I’ve always loved the idea of a prince enchanted by a wicked queen. And for Belphagor’s character, the germ of him started with an episode of Firefly called “The Message,” about a small-time con man who ended up gambling his own body.

Marlene: Were you seriously into Russian history before you started on the series? And how much research goes into each book to make the historic parallels?

Jane: No, I wasn’t into it at all before the idea came to me, although I’d always wanted to learn Russian, which I did (sort of) as part of my research. The research for the historic parallels was mostly done in one big chunk when I took a Russian Culture class and then read several books on Russian history and the Romanovs. Most of that stayed in my head. (The story of the Romanovs, particularly; it feels like it happened to people I knew.) I still refer back to those sources while writing the other books in the series, and I’m now completely obsessed with Russia.

Marlene: What do you say to readers and reviewers who might see the relationship between the demons Belphagor and Vasily as jumping on the current BDSM bandwagon?

Jane: I haven’t read the book that seems to have caused so many people to imagine BDSM is something that was recently invented. Plenty of books containing BDSM elements have been published since long before the current trend. I can’t imagine why anyone would jump on any kind of publishing bandwagon, anyway, given the speed at which traditional books are published. By the time you write something you think is “in,” it’s not, so it’s never a good idea to write to trends. I started writing The House of Arkhangel’sk in early 2006 and finished the first draft of the trilogy in 2009. Took another year to polish it and find an agent, then another five months before it was sold, and the first book came out seven months later. I’d have to have been extremely prescient to have timed my first novel to be released just before the rest of the world “discovered” BDSM in order to capitalize on it.

Marlene: People usually equate being on “the side of the angels” with goodness. But your angels aren’t necessarily good. And your demons aren’t necessarily evil. How would you define the difference?

Jane: Essentially, my angels are the celestial nobility, while the demons are the peasant class. I decided to use the idea of this class system to reflect conditions in pre-revolutionary Russia. Since no one in that equation is all good or all bad, neither are my characters.

Marlene: Now that they’ve been teased a bit by the first few questions, can you tell readers what they can expect of The Fallen Queen and The Midnight Court?

Jane: They’re epic fantasy on the darker side with a little bit of urban fantasy thrown in. Add an angelic imperial family, a wicked fairy queen, murder, mayhem, love, two naughty leather demons (“leather,” incidentally, is code for BDSM, for those who don’t know), and some dirty Russian words, and there you have it. Oh, plus a bizarre game of dice and cards that nobody could ever possibly win, except my tattooed demon scoundrel.

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Jane: Belphagor, Vasily, and more Belphagor. 😉

Marlene: Turning the tables a bit, what book do you think everyone should read, and why that book?

Jane: The Princess Bride, because it’s the best romantic fantasy ever, and because there’s even more Fezzik and Inigo than in the movie.

Marlene: What are your upcoming projects? What comes next in the House of Arkhangel’sk?

Jane: The Armies of Heaven. And after that…I’m currently working on a second Arkhangel’sk trilogy, and I have another series that began with my novella, The Devil’s Garden, that I hope to find a home for someday soon.

Marlene: What do your two feline overlords think of all this? Do they interfere much with your writing? What are their names?

Jane: The photo I’ve included answers most of that. The one in the photo is Neo. He thinks he owns my lap. The other is Urd, an extremely round calico who demands hourly pettings. I feed these little overlords four times a day (first and second breakfast, first and second dinner—I have to divide up their meals into separate courses). If I didn’t, I’d have no peace.

Marlene: And for anyone else who happens to be going, where and when will you be at Dragon*Con next month?

Jane: I don’t have any particular plans. I’m not on any panels and haven’t looked at the schedule yet to see what I want to attend, but anything Joss Whedon or Star Trek related, and I’m there.

Anything Joss Whedon or Star Trek related sounds like a perfectly good plan to me…assuming that any of our feline overlords let us out of our houses!

~~~~~~~~~***GIVEAWAY***~~~~~~~~

Are you teased? Good! If you are just itching to start reading The House of Arkhangel’sk, or if you’ve read The Fallen Queen and can’t wait for The Midnight Court, the Rafflecopter is waiting. The lucky winner will get their choice of an ebook copy either The Fallen Queen or The Midnight Court.

What are you waiting for?

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Review: The Midnight Court by Jane Kindred

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> blog tours> book reviews

Jane Kindred’s House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy reminds me of Russian tea, initially bitter, often and unexpectedly sweet, and filled with immensely complicated rituals. And incredibly satisfying for those who savor a heady brew.

The Midnight Court comprises the second book in this tale, following The Fallen Queen. The title is apt; in The Midnight Court Anazakia’s court is definitely in eclipse. All is as dark as midnight in a Siberian winter.

And the situation goes all downhill.

At the end of The Fallen Queen, Anazakia and her temporary allies rescued the demon Belphagor from Aeval. In the process, they burned much of the Supernal Palace that Anazakia once called home.

When The Midnight Court begins, it’s been months, and the alliance is fracturing. So is Anazakia’s peaceful household near the earthly 21st century Russian city of Arkhangelsk. Belphagor came back from Aeval’s torture broken; not where it shows, but inside. He’s not the demon he used to be.

And Vasily, his lover, is caught between anger that Belphagor offered himself to save them all, and guilt that in Bel’s absence, he fathered a child with Anazakia.

Ola, the child, is the light of all their lives. She is also a pawn of powers. For Anazakia is still the last heir of the house of Arkhangel’sk, and Aeval has no right to the throne of Heaven she sits on. It should be Anazakia’s. Or her daughter’s.

And Ola’s power is greater than anyone could have imagined. Because Vasily is not, as he was raised to think, a demon. He is a Seraph, one of the host. The little girl is more than a little girl. More than a sweet child or a toddler with tantrums. She is the holder of the fifth radiance, not air, fire, water or earth, but aether.

Some of the powers of heaven want to control her; others want to kill her while she is still a child, to make sure that the “wrong” party does not control her.

Ola is kidnapped, and the hunt begins. Across all of Russia, and through all the orders of Heaven, one tiny little girl is bartered back and forth like a tiny bomb, or a pearl of great price.

Her parents will sacrifice anything to get her back.

Escape Rating A: The Midnight Court (and the whole House of Arkhangel’sk series so far) is the kind of densely multi-layered political pot-boiling gut-churning romance that doesn’t come along very often. The nearest comparison is Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Dart series, as much for the very long game political machinations as for the kink relationship between Belphagor and Vasily.

The part of the comparison that I come back to is the politics. Every layer of every relationship, both personal and political, is going to matter before this series is over, and Kushiel had that same feel to it. Everything counts. Sex is sex but IOUs are forever.

The saying that “revenge is a dish best served cold” may have had Aeval in mind. She manipulated both the Romanov dynasty and the House of Arkhangel’sk to get something she wanted.

Waiting for the Spring of 2013 for the final book of the trilogy The Armies of Heaven, is going to be absolute torture. I stayed up until 4 in the morning to finish The Midnight Court. It ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, in a scene that reminded me a lot of something from The Dark Knight Rises. Read Fallen Queen and Midnight Court and see if you see the same thing. It’s so worth it.