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Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Ends with a Bang for VENGEANCE BORN...

What a wonderful way to end 2011 - reviews are beginning to appear for VENGEANCE BORN, due for release on Feb.7th 2012.

This time there's one from the Romantic Times magazine and Alternative Worlds.

From (February) RT BOOK REVIEWS:
"Enter a bold new series, the Light Blade, where a longstanding war between the demon and human realms rages. Promising new talent Griffin’s characters face danger and hidden secrets that threaten to change the world as they know it. A terrific debut!"
Alternative Worlds (reviewed on 12/3011):
"Tormented Annika the Na’Chi hybrid daughter of the Na’Reish demon chief loathes her sire and his minions as her brutish father constantly with glee reminds her she is a Vengeance Born product of revenge. A healer, she dreams of escaping her torturous life but none of the human blood slaves have ever escaped from the demon realm and lived to tell the story.

The Na’Reish Horde has increased their invasions and abductions in the human realm. Kalan the Lady’s Chosen leader of the Light Blade defends humankind against the demons; he fears his side is losing a war of attrition as his warriors are shrinking in numbers and those still at combat aging. He argues with the Council that radical changes must be implemented now or the demons will soon overwhelm the human realm. When the enemy captures him, a despondent Kalan despairs the massacre is imminent. However, new hope arises when Annika, who he distrusts, offers to free him if he takes her into his realm. Distrusting her new ally but with no turning back as Annika knows her sire branded her for death.

The first Light Blade romantic fantasy is a terrific thriller as the endless war between demon and humans is reaching a critical survival stage for the latter. The lead couple is a strong pairing while the support cast, especially the Na’Chi, the warriors and the Council, enhance the internal squabble in the human realm. With an insightful look at racial intolerance in a time of long-term constant combat and security alert, fans will enjoy Vengeance Born."
 May the momentum keep rolling in 2012!

ROFL Moment!

Seen any ghosts in your library lately?

Then who you gonna call???

Thursday, December 29, 2011

My Holiday Reading List

I'm knocking off some of my To Be Read pile these holidays.

Nothing I like better than to curl up (in air conditioning) with a good book or five. Here are some of the books I plan on diving into over the Christmas break...

NEW AUTHORS 













OLD FAVORITES























What's on your holiday reading list?

Monday, December 26, 2011

It's Boxing Day!

For Aussies this day usually means a recovery from Christmas Day.

A day of veging out at home, usually watching the Boxing Day cricket test between Australia and England, eating leftovers from Christmas lunch/dinner and relaxing.

Childhood memories I have at this time of year...
  • Summer heat - so hot you could fry an egg on a shovel (yeah, I've tried it!)
  • pigging out on Christmas lunch
  • drinking shandies (lemonade/Sprite mixed with a dash of beer)
  • ham in a bag


  • wearing thongs (flip-flops, jandles, not underwear)



  • cats wrecking the Christmas tree and shredding the tinsel
  • Santa stockings
  • backyard cricket with the rellos
  • running under the sprinkler in your cozzies (swimwear)


    • eating watermelon





    • mosquitoes (buzzing at night when you're trying to sleep, if it's not too hot)
    • going to the Christmas church service with nan & pop
    • lots of laughter


    • watching cricket on TV with dad
    • oh, and did I mention the Summer heat?



    I wish everyone a host of good memories!

    Sunday, December 25, 2011

    Merry Christmas!

    May you and your family and friends enjoy the day!


    God Bless and...

     
    圣诞快乐!
    สุขสันต์วันคริสต์มาส!
    Boas Festas! Feliz Navidad!
    З Різдвом Христовим! Joyeux Noël! God Jul!
    Mừng Chúa Giáng Sinh! Meri Kirihimete! Vrolijk Kerstfeest!
    Selamat Hari Natal! Buone Feste Natalizie! Shinnen omedeto! Selamat hari natal!
    Geseënde Kersfees! Froehliche Weihnachten! Noeliniz kutlu olsun! Krismas ki subhkamna! 
    С Рождеством Хрисовым!
    Merry Christmas! 
    کریسمس مبارک
    חג מולד שמח 

    Wednesday, December 21, 2011

    Vengeance Born surprise...

    A nice surprise from Publishers Weekly...
    In Griffin’s well-drawn fantasy world, humans are oppressed and enslaved by the demonic Na’Reish. Annika is a Na’Chi, the result of cross-breeding between the races. She possesses powerful healing powers and her father, Na’Rei Savyr, is leader of the Na’Reish, but she’s nonetheless reviled, considered an abomination. When she rescues Kalan Tyn, leader of the human’s Blade Council, and asks his assistance in freeing the Na’Chi from the Na’Reish, the wheels of romance are deftly set in motion. A complex plot involving the Na’Chi freedom struggles keeps the taut and intricate narrative moving as Annika and Kalan slowly develop their emotional connection. Readers will look forward to future installments in a potentially long-running series. Agent: Elaine Spencer, the Knight Agency. (Feb.)

    Tuesday, December 20, 2011

    The Christmas Shopping List

    There is nothing I like more than being let loose in a bookstore (virtual or real) and filling a bag with books to take home and read.

    Christmas time is my excuse to hit bookstores with my gift list of family and friends to buy for and guaranteed I DON'T come out of a bookstore empty handed. I swear I must have been a librarian or literature professor in a former life.

    Anyhow, if you're wondering what books to buy someone who loves the romance genres I can make some personal recommendations (just try and stop me! - heh, heh).

    A lot of my recommendations belong under the paranromal romance umbrella, but I've thrown in a handful of other genres as well.

    Paranormal Romance
    Nalini Singh -  (NZ author) her Psy/Changeling. Once tasted you'll kill anyone who gets in your way to devour...umm, I mean, buying the rest.









     Larissa Ione - if you like alpha demons/slayers, end of the world plots and twisty storylines set in modern times, then try the Demonica series.

    Mel Teshco - her Winged & Dangerous series is my favorite. I love that she's used gargoyle shapeshifters as her characters (makes a change from the vampires & werewolves).








    Urban Fantasy
    Nalini Singh - the Angel series. Refer to my comment above.










    Fantasy Romance
    Kylie Griffin - (Aussie author) totally bias here, I know :-). Demons, half-breed demons, humans, magic, political intrigue & secrets set in a fantasy style world.

    M.J.Scott - (another Aussie author) SHADOW KIN has been nicknamed a gas-light romance. I recently read this book and loved the complex world-building, not to mention the characters.

    Denise Rossetti - (Aussie author) - the Four-Sided Pentacle or Phoenix Rising series are both great reads. For anyone who loves alpha heroes and wonderful world-building.

    Elizabeth Vaughan - the Warprize series. I don't know how many times I've read the first three in this series. I've worn out the spines and need to buy a new set.








    Post-Apocalyptic Romance
    Joss Ware - Some of you might know she's been a guest here on my blog a couple of times now as I've really taken a shine to her Envy Chronicles series.
    Not only does she give readers a Mad-Max meets zombies style setting, there's romance, mystery and are plenty of pop-culture references to giggle over in these books.


    Science Fiction Romance
    Sara Creasy - Her Scarabaeus series. Solid, engrossing SF with an element of romance where her characters fight to survive with the odds well and truly stacked against them. Techies will love the flavor of her bio-cyph & terra-forming world-building.

    Linnea Sinclair - any of her Dock Five series. For anyone who likes their SF and romance mixed.

    Lauren Dane - the Federation or Phantom Corps series. They're SF with an erotic heat level (fan the face stuff).




    Western Romance
    Sarah McCarthy - I've just discovered her Hell's Eight series. Phew-ey!!! Texas Rangers, bonded through a bloody past, determined to carve their place out of the wilderness, who take on heroines as challenging as the land itself.
    I love a good western but these are hot (aka erotic) as well.

    Lorelei James - more cowboys, this time bull-riders & ranchers in the Blacktop Cowboys series. Again, the heat level is hot, so don't go reading them in a barn.






    Romantic Suspense
    Jo Davis - like firefighters? Then check out the Firefighters of Station Five. Stuff them into your stocking and be prepared for a hot Christmas.









    Historical Romance
    Anna Campbell - (Aussie author) Regency romance at its best.

    Bronwen Evans - (NZ author) her debut Regency romance is nominated for a Romantic Times Awards.

    Anne Gracie - (Aussie author) more Regency romance. Anne's humor makes me keep coming back for more.

    Saturday, December 17, 2011

    GUEST BLOGGING: Over at the Qwillery...

    If you have a minute, wander over to The Qwillery blog.

    I’m talking about strong heroines and you get the chance to learn a little about Annika, the half-blood heroine in VENGEANCE BORN. :-)

    CRAFT: What are tag-lines?

    In the writing world there are a myriad of terms that are bandied around, some more familiar than others.


    Tag lines - ever heard of them? I hadn't until a few years into my journey as a writer. They're the words, usually placed on the front cover of a book, that hint at the story within.

    For example, on the front cover of my first book, VENGEANCE BORN (Bk#1 in the Light Blade series), the tag line reads:

    HER LINEAGE IS BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE

     On ALLIANCE FORGED (Bk#2 in the Light Blade series), the tag line is:

    HER FAITH IS HIS SALVATION


    They hint at something within the book or a theme of the book. In the case of VENGEANCE BORN, the tag line reveals a hint about the heroine's bloodline. In ALLIANCE FORGED, it's a play on the heroine's occupation (she's a priestess) and the role she plays to save the hero.

    Tag lines aren't easy to come up with either - sometimes it might take a couple of weeks to create something that could be only a few words long of a phrase. Ask me how I know! LOL

    When one is created, the cover copy crew, author and editor all consider things like the themes within the book, the occupations of the characters, secrets, events that happen in the book, elements/personalities of the characters. 

    And while tag lines might not seem like much in the grand scheme of getting a book published, it adds a layer of meaning to it that's quite underrated. I know I certainly appreciate them more now that I know the process that goes into creating them!

    Let have a look at some others.





    One drop can kill you...
    or thrill you...




     




    Sworn to vengeance.
    Blinded by love.









    Her next jump may be her last.





     



    The city is alive tonight...
    and it's her job to keep it that way.




     



    The change was only the beginning.





     



    Slave. Sword-wielder. Spy.
    Some girls have all the luck.







    So, next time you take a look at the front cover of a book, check out the tag line and take a moment to appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating them.

    Have you found any clever tag-lines?

    Tuesday, December 13, 2011

    Saturday, December 10, 2011

    Tracy Sumner give-away winners announced!

    Thank you to everyone who left a comment for Tracy Sumner during her time here on my blog.

    Don't forget you can follow Tracy on her blog tour - details here.

    Now, without further ado - the winners of the e-books packs from Tracy are:

    Xandra James
     &
    Juanita Kees


    Congratulations!

    If you can contact Tracy via her Contact page - you can both arrange how she'll get your prize to you.

    Happy reading!

    And don't forget all who commented go into the draw for a Kindle at the end of Tracy's blog tour!