No New Vampires under the Sun

Turns out that there's nothing new under the sun, especially in the world of vampires.  (Snicker!)  I allude to this in the review of Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper today at AAR.

While this is a bumbling vampire story, it's definitely not the first one with an inept protagonist and her hunky, aristocratic fiance.  But as compared to the better-known vampire, Harper's Jane Jameson is less snarky and more even-keeled.

My favorite character in the book, however, is teen football hero and all around BMOC Jamie who thinks it's awesome to be turned into a vampire even though he misses his family and doesn't think it's fair that he can't participate in spots because he'd be really awesome on the field.  Harper wrote a real sweetie in Jamie.

5 Reviewed in Booklist's latest

The November 1, 2011, issue of Booklist carries a whopping five of my reviews:

* Demons Like It Hot by Sidney Ayers, a sequel to her Demons Prefer Blondes that I reviewed for the June 2011 edition of Booklist.  Book two follows closely on the heels of book one, so it's more of a squeekquel.

* Silver Sparks by Starr Ambrose, a cautionary tale about taking on the popular press and one of its icons.  This one asks the question, "What's truth go to do with it?"

* A Place Called Home by Jo Goodman that I read and wrote the review in August, but the publication date got pushed back until December.  It's been so long ago that I had to read the review to remember what the book was about.

* The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton, which is a cautionary tale about childhood love and trust.  I thought another character would have made a better killer, but the one Burton picks isn't totally unbelievable.

* Briar Patch by Linda Sole, which is melodrama writ large.  I couldn't believe what glowing reviews her other books have gotten.  This one was pure soap opera.

Reviews Sent to Editors

Over the weekend I used the new Booklist reviewer submission system to enter reviews into their database for three books.  Doing so took me a while, but I finally managed to get the reviews into the appropriate spaces.  Now we'll see if my editor can manage to find them without any trouble.  The books are

* Baby, It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox:  Can't wait to read the next one in this series!  Fox manages to make the trust fund baby protagonist into a likable, believable person as well as her lawyer playboy love interest.  Quite a feat!
* The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton:  A better answer to the whodunit would have been for the one friend to have faked his death, but that's not what happens.  Still, this is a good solid story.
* Virtual Virgin by Carole Nelson Douglas:  Sometimes clever can be too clever, and this book is a case in point, just as I imagine the previous books in the series were.  Her descriptions, however, are to die for.

Also today I sent to my editor at AAR, a review of my first Kindle galley.  Reading for review on my Kindle will take some getting used to since I usually highlight tons as I read for review.  I did the highlighting with the Kindle, but then didn't go back and look at what I highlighted, a big mistake since I scrambled to find information.  As I said, this will take some getting used to!  The book I read and reviewed:

* Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins:  Turns out the Preacher (Ian Vance), half Scot and half Black, has been mentioned in two other Jenkins' novels in the past and readers have begged for his story.  And what a story it is!  I can't wait to read her other Westerns if protagonist Maggie Freeman is anything like the others.  I absolutely loved kick-ass, take no prisoners Maggie and her romantic showdown with the compelling Preacher.  It's wonderful to find a new author to glom!

New to the Review Book Book Stack

Received two envelopes of books in the last couple of days, one from AAR and one from Booklist.  AAR sent along Leah and the Bounty Hunter by Elaine Levine, Healing Autumn's Heart by Renee Andrews, and Belonging by Robin Hatcher.  Having read the previous Levine books, I'm really forward to reading her newest.  The other two are new authors for me, so I'm hoping the best for both of them.

From Booklist are Virtual Virgin by Carole Nelson Douglas, The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton, and Baby, It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox.  Of this group, I only know Douglas whose Midnight Louie books I'd reviewed as a mystery fiction reviewer for PW.  I'm hoping her paranormal investigator series doesn't have a cute kitty attached to it.

Submitting my Booklist review should be interesting.  I "attended" the webinar on how to submit reviews to their system this week.  Now we'll see how much I actually learned!  It all sounded very easy and straight forward.  I just hope that's true.  Fingers crossed on this one.

New Booklist Review on Amazon

My review of An Englishwoman in France, Wendy Robertson's quirky paranormal fiction story featuring a heartbroken seeress that appeared in the July 2011 issue of Booklist print and online, is now up on Amazon and other online bookseller sites.

The review of Jackie Collins' newest, Goddess of Vengeance, also in the print and online July issue, sadly isn't on the bookstore sites yet. 

I'm still not sure how reviews go from Booklist to Amazon and other online booksellers.  All I know is that I'm not the one making the transfer.

Reading and Writing

Three new reviews went up on the All About Romance (AAR) site in the last few days: Restless Heart by Emma Lang, Rebel with a Cause, and today Texas Blue.  Since I have no more books to read for AAR, they are on my back burner until I get new fodder or I find time to review a book that I just read on my Kindle and absolutely loved.

Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley, an author I'd never read before, features one of the more tortured heroes that I've read in a while - and that's including the Rebel above.  If I'm given the go-ahead and review it, I'll be sure to link to it on the side where the reviewed books are.

So what am I reading?  Demons Prefer Blondes, a talky, talky, talky paranormal, by Sidney Ayers, and Nalini Singh's hardback debut, Kiss of Snow, another paranormal that I'm really enjoying.  In the to-be-read pile are Death Amid Gems, But Remember Their Names, and Nearly a Lady - all for Booklist.

That should be enough to keep me off the streets!

Gamblers, Covered Wagons, Free Spirits, Demons and More

Turned in five reviews last night to my AAR editor:

Texas Blue (circa 1875) by Jodi Thomas is going on my Top 100 list.  In it gambler Lewt Paterson dreams of having a real house with a real family instead the saloon life he grew up with.  To do this, he goes to Whispering Mountain with two other would-be suitors where the three McMurry sisters live.  I've read the previous Whispering Mountain books and enjoyed them, and this fifth book didn't let me down.  Great story by a great writer.