Christmas Recommendations!

With Christmas bearing down on us (there are only 24 sleeps left before THAT day), I thought I'd share my Christmas recommendation-for-book-presents list with you.
Yes, these are all books I've read at some stage this year and loved! Some are by auto-buy authors, some by authors-new-to-me.

If any of these catch your eye, check them out at your preferred books seller and know that you're giving a wonderful gift this Christmas!

Intirguing steampunk series by a fav.Aussie author of mine

Awesome zombie apocalypse series by a fellow Aussie!

Aussie romantic suspense at its best

Yes, fav'ing the Aussies again - a great fantasy romance series!

Hot BDSM romance!

A gritty and dark paranormal romance

Always a sucker for a good military romance

And can't go past a bit of self-promotion!

So, do you have any Christmas recommendations for me? I'm ALWAYS looking for new books to add to my library!

Massive Book & Swag Giveaway!

Riverina Romantics have organized another HUGELY AWESOME giveaway for you.

So many talented authors in the one place, giving away a whole heap of goodies ... lots of e-books! E-books galore!!!

Yes, there's a signed print copy of VENGEANCE BORN up for grabs (open internationally)! And check out the cool swag!

Head on over and enter the Rafflecopter to win!

INDUSTRY: Interview with...My Bookish Ways

I thought it might be of interest to showcase some of the great book bloggers and bookstores that specialise and help promote the romance genre.

I've been lucky enough to be interviewed, hosted or promoted at many of these places and found it intriguing to interview them about their passion and love of books and authors.

Please welcome my next guests - Kristin from My Bookish Ways...

 
Book Blog: My Bookish Ways
My Bookish Ways (Kristin Centorcelli) has been reviewing books since late 2010, in an effort to get through a rather immense personal library, while also discussing it with whoever will willingly sit still (and some that won’t).
 
Web address: www.mybookishways.com
Review preferences: Urban fantasy/Sci-fi/Suspense

Highlights of your blog: I do interviews. Lots of interviews.

What inspired you to begin your blog?
Actually, it’s mostly a “who” that inspired me: Jessica (aka The Spinecracker). I guest reviewed a few times for her blog, and she told me I should start my own.

Since my book pile is actually what most people would call a book mountain, I thought it might be fun to tackle my own blog.

Do you have a favorite part of the job?
I get a huge kick out of interviewing authors. Love it.

What hazards come with the territory?
Review-wise? Deadlines. I now review for Mystery Scene Magazine and Library Journal, and deadlines are the name of the game.

I actually sort of like having deadlines, because I do well with them, and it gets my butt in gear, but it still stresses me out. 


Top 10 books:
Just 10??? But, there are SO many. There may be more than 10 in this list, and I blatantly cheated by adding some of my favorite series (because it’s SO hard to pick a fave out of a series.) I kept it to the supernatural/horror realm, because if I get into suspense, you’ll be reading this all day, possibly all week.

1. The Man From Primrose Lane by James Renner
2. Watchers and Lightning by Dean Koontz
3. The Terror (and Carrion Comfort) by Dan Simmons
4. Spellcast by Barbara Ashford
5. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
6. Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs
7. The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett
8. Breed by Chase Novak
9. The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Series:

1. Charlie Parker series by John Connolly
2. The Collector series by Chris F. Holm
3. The Iron Druid Series by Kevin Hearne
4. Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs
5. Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter
6. Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry
7. Miriam Black series by Chuck Wendig
8. Madeleine Roux’s Zombie series
9. The Sabina Kane series by Jaye Wells
10. The October Daye series and Newsflesh series by Seanan McGuire (Mira Grant)
11. Jesse Petersen’s Living With the Dead series
12. Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series
13. The Dresden Files, anything by Stephen Blackmoore
14. The Sirantha Jax series by Ann Aguirre

and the list goes on...

Auto-buy authors:
Oh good! A chance to list more authors :-D See list above, AND…
Rachel Caine, Karina Cooper, Marianne de Pierres, Caitlin Kittredge, James Herbert, Diana Rowland, Suzanne McLeod, Kim Wilkins, Jonathan Barnes, Elaine Cunningham, Richard Kadrey,  Devon Monk, Daniel Hecht, Myke Cole, Teresa Frohock, Sophie Littlefield, Joe McKinney, Vicki Pettersson, Mike Shevdon, Ilona Andrews, Mike Carey…hey, you asked! What’s super scary is this is in NO WAY a complete list!

It’s a wonder that I’m actually able to do things like pay bills and eat, isn’t it? 

Things that make you go "Ahhh" in a book?
 Wow, that’s kind of a hard one. There’s always a feeling I get when I start a book that I end up loving, kind of a fluttery, stomach butterfly sort of thing, where I just know it’s going to be good.

Probably the most important thing for me is that I need to be able to connect with the characters. If I don’t get invested in anyone, a book can fall flat.

Most memorable author interview?
There are two that immediately come to mind (although I love them all). Jonathan Maberry was my first interview, so that one is very memorable, plus he’s a great guy and an excellent interviewee.

Also, really enjoyed Dave Freer, author of The Steam Mole and Cuttlefish. He’s very different, very funny, and very original.

Kristin, thanks so much for being a part of my guest blogger series!

INDUSTRY: Interview with...Sassy Book Lovers

I thought it might be of interest to showcase some of the great book bloggers and bookstores that specialise and help promote the romance genre.

I've been lucky enough to be interviewed, hosted or promoted at many of these places and found it intriguing to interview them about their passion and love of books and authors.

Please welcome Stacey as she sits in the hot-seat and answers my questions!

We (Stacey & Renee) are two girls who became friends through the love of Twilight and books. So come and join us. Check out what to read and what not to read. Enter a few competitions and maybe meet some new friends!

Book Blog: Sassy Book Lovers 
Web address: http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/ 
Review preferences: We like to keep our options open when it comes to preferences.
Highlights of your blog: At the moment we have an Indie Author Appreciation week happening.

 
What inspired you to begin your blog?
My friend Renee and I both love reading. We got talking one day and thought it would be a great idea to start a blog, a place where we can post our thoughts of the books we've loved and also somewhere to discuss books and meet other book lovers.

A week later we had our blog up, a Facebook page, Twitter and already receiving requests from Indie authors for reviews. It was most definitely a 'wow' moment. 

Do you have a favorite part of the job?
My favourite part would have to be meeting new authors. We'll be celebrating 2yrs in March and over those 2yrs we've meet some amazing authors, their talent is just phenomenal! But nothing bets the feeling of another book lover finding a new read through your review.

What hazards come with the territory?
One major hazard is other reviewers stealing your review or apart of it. Horrible right? Sure is!

I had someone contact me last year saying they noticed someone had used a part of my review in a comment on their blog. I was completely shocked!

That lady was nice enough to delete it for me but I still worry that it will happen again. To all my fellow book bloggers, be careful! 

Top 10 books:

Here's my top 10 from 2012 favourite reads...
10.  The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
9. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
8. Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
7. Foretold by Jana Oliver
6. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
5. Blood Bond by Heather Hildenbrand
4. Devotion by Kristie Cook
3. Relic by Deena Remiel
2. The Selection by Keira Cass
1. Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry
 
Auto-buy authors:
I have so many LOL! Mmm my favourite's that I buy no matter what .. Deena Remiel, Kristie Cook, Aimee Carter, I have so many more but just can't think of names right now. Sorry to all my fav authors I haven't forgotten you intentionally, lol. 
 

Things that make you go "Ahhh" in a book? 
When everything in the story finally clicks in my head or something major happens. I'm usually giggling, swooning, crying, yelling or all together, lol!

When a book can make you do all those things you know it's a keeper! 

Most memorable author interview?
I don't think I have one in particular, every author I've interviewed has been memorable I've taken a little something special from each one. :)

You can follow Sassy Book Lovers on their blog, Facebook and Twitter.

INDUSTRY: Interview with...My Book Chatter

I thought it might be of interest to showcase some of the great book bloggers and bookstores that specialise and help promote the romance genre.

I've been lucky enough to be interviewed, hosted or promoted at many of these places and found it intriguing to interview them about their passion and love of books and authors.

Please welcome my next guest - Cath from My Book Chatter...

Book Blog: My Book Chatter


Blogger Bio: 
*snort* I hate describing myself but here goes…


I’ve been reading since the age of four, and think people that don’t enjoy the art of escapism are missing out and I will try to convert them!


I’m happily married to an awesome non-reader truck driver who works too many hours and has so far evaded my conversion techniques (I will never give up, never surrender!)
.

I have three gorgeous and crazy daughters, who often drive me bonkers with their daily trials and tribulations, but I wouldn’t change them for anything – they are my world.


I LOVE books, food, and coffee – all in excess, and I’m probably a couple cans short of a six-pack! (Translation: I have a few loose screws/the lights are on but nobody’s home/I’m away with the fairies/loopy/weird…you get the idea!!)
.

I would love to one day write my own book, but lack the skill and patience to put in the hard yards, so I’ll continue to read other peoples stories. 
I’m honest, tend to swear like a trooper, and I love hard and forever.



Web address: http://mybookchatterchat.blogspot.com
.au

Review preferences: I will read just about anything but prefer:

• Paranormal Romance
• Urban Fantasy
• Young Adult/Teen Fiction
• Historical
• Contemporary Romance 
(or any mixture of the above!)



Highlights of your blog: 
I think my honesty is my blog’s highlight. I review for a number of Indie author’s and while I would never be disrespectful towards an author or their book, I will point out things I didn’t enjoy or things that don’t make sense to me, and for the most part it’s taken well.



What inspired you to begin your blog? 
To be honest I was feeling disillusioned and a little cheated by some of the books I was reading.

They had all these really great and often gushing reviews and 5 star ratings, and I found them to be full of over clichéd characters and unimaginative plots. I was often left confused and perplexed – was I the only one that didn’t get it, that didn’t enjoy the book?


I guess I just wanted to add my voice to the mix, for someone to hear my opinion.



Do you have a favorite part of the job?
 When someone contacts me to let me know that they have loved a book that they otherwise wouldn’t have read if not for my review, that just blows my mind!



What hazards come with the territory?
 My reviews have been known to offend people to the point that they feel the need to send me hate mail!
It sounds strange I know, but there have been a couple of books that I didn’t particularly enjoy, and upon reading my review, hardcore fans felt the need to email me nasty messages that included lots of swearing and threats of bodily harm.

I usually just ignore them, or email them back thanking them for their comments - LOL!



Top 10 books:
 Are you crazy?! That’s a super hard question to answer! 


Oh gosh, MY top 10 books of all time would be…

• 
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis

• Charlotte's Web by EB White

• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
• The Never-Ending Story by Michael Ende
• IT by Stephen King
• The Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier

• Poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

• Lightning by Dean Koontz
• The BDB series by JR Ward (probably just the first 6 though)

• The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh (I can’t choose just one!)

I know I kind of cheated, but it’s hard too hard to choose.




Auto-buy authors:
 There used to be so many more but I’ve gotten picky lately: Nalini Singh, Melissa Pearl, T.G.Ayer, Jeaniene Frost, Anna Campbell, Merrie Destefano, Pamela Palmer, and *grins like a loon* Kylie Griffin.



Things that make you go "Ahhh" in a book?
 I’m a sucker for unrequited love, especially when a girl is completely oblivious to her best friend being in total never-hurt-her-in-a-million-years, I-want-to-treasure-you-forever kind of love.


And it sounds simple but I love an honest emotional connection; when my heart beats a crazy tattoo in my chest, or I’m crying uncontrollable rivers of tears… whether it’s between me and a character, or between the 2 MC’s of the story - but it has to feel real and unadulterated. It can turn an “Ahhh” moment in to an “Ahhh” book.



Most memorable author interview?
 I haven’t done many interviews on my blog, but I recently had author Toni Kenyon visit with a guest post and she did an excellent job.

There was lots of funny banter between us and people leaving comments and it was like having an awesome day out with a close friend, I had a lot of fun.




You can follow My Book Chatter on her blog, Facebook, Goodreads or Twitter.

INDUSTRY: Interview with...Riverina Romantics

I thought it might be of interest to showcase some of the great book bloggers and bookstores that specialise and help promote the romance genre.

I've been lucky enough to be interviewed, hosted or promoted at many of these places and found it intriguing to interview them about their passion and love of books and authors.

Please welcome my first guest - Jodie from Riverina Romantics...

Book Blog: Riverina Romantics - A blog dedicated to lovers of sexy and seductive romances. We read. We review. We have a good laugh.

Web address: www.riverinaromantics.blogspot.com 

Review preferences: We are different from other review sites. We don't take a lot of review requests. We read the stories we want and review them if we love them. I started the site to help promote authors in a positive light and won't publish reviews less than three stars.

What inspired you to begin your blog? I started reading when my first son was born. Since then my addiction to romance grew. I began writing reviews on Goodreads and I still remember the sensation I got when someone 'liked' my review, (Yeah, I need to get a life). The next step was to start a blog. I love interacting with readers and authors and discussing the books I love.

Do you have a favorite part of the job? The freebies are nice. The blog actually costs us money to run. Sometimes we pay for the giveaways, then there's the swag and postage. So getting to read free review copies is a great bonus.

What hazards come with the territory? Because we don't post low scored reviews we don't really have a lot of hazards, although the blog does take up a LOT of time.

Replying to emails, scheduling posts, organising reviews, chatting with publishers and authors - it's all a great big time suck. But well worth it. I've made some great connections and met a lot of really inspirational people (online, of course).

Top 10 books:
These are in no particular order:

1. Anything by Cindy Gerard
2. Hot Head by Damon Suede
3. Defiant by Pamela Clare
4. Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Pamela Clare
5. The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter
6. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
7. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
8. A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole
9. Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
10. Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

Auto-buy authors: Cindy Gerard, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter - although I'm a little behind at the moment.

Things that make you go "Ahhh" in a book? When the emotional connection between two characters is so palpable that you get shivers.

Most memorable author interview? I love interviewing Cindy Gerard - for the simple reason that she is my favorite author. She is such a sweet person and a great inspiration. Interviewing her was the highlight to my blogger life.

You can also follow Riverina Romantics on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter!