Velvet is an orphan. She struggles to make ends meet by working in a steam laundry, where the work is back-breaking and exhausting. So when she attracts the attention of the glamorous clairvoyant Madame Savoya, she cannot believe her good fortune.
Raised to the status of Lady's maid, Velvet is given elegant clothes to wear and is brought to live in a grand house in London. But the longer she works for Madame Savoya, the more she discovers about the mysterious world of a spiritual medium. Velvet soon realises that her employer is not quite what she seems and that this knowledge could put her very life in danger . . .
Visit Mary Hooper's website for more information
Review:
Life as an orphan isn't easy for Velvet and she has to work long gruelling hours in the laundry just to survive. Getting the chance to work as a lady's maid for clairvoyant Madame Savoya is her chance to move up in the world. Velvet is excited to be away from the laundry but the more she learns about her new boss the more suspicious she becomes. Is Madame Savoya all she really seems to be and if she isn't what should Velvet do about it?
I really enjoyed Mary Hooper's book Fallen Grace so was excited to get my hands on a copy of Velvet and couldn't wait to start reading. The stories are both set in Victorian London and although they are both about very different subject matters they both capture the era perfectly. I love Mary Hooper's writing style which is both descriptive and very easy to read. She is able to pull you completely into her world and has a way of writing characters that are easy to relate to and care about.
Velvet is a great heroine and an interesting mixture of streetwise (she had to be to survive her upbringing) and naive (especially when it comes to her new boss). Although there were times I almost wanted to shake some sense into her it was easy to understand why Velvet was so keen to believe the best in her boss. After the things she had been through she desperately wanted to believe that her new and better life was real. When she starts to become suspicious she refuses to sit back and ignore things though - she has a good sense of right and wrong and is determined not to be a part of anything dishonest.
I have read about the Victorian spiritualist community before and find the methods that clairvoyants have used to trick people into believing they are genuine fascinating. The tricks of the trade so to speak were truly inventive, if despicable, in the way they took advantage of grieving relatives. What I had never heard about before were the baby farms and that added a horrific element to the story - it is awful to think that things like that really happened and it makes me glad that I'm not living in Victorian times. Velvet is a fantastic read and one that I'm sure will be popular with fans of historical fiction - if you have any interest in the Victorian way of life or clairvoyants then this is definitely a book I would recommend picking up. I'm also adding Mary Hooper to my must buy list of authors and am looking forward to working my way through her back list and picking up anything she writes in the future.
Source: Received from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review
Other reviews of this book:
Read In A Single Sitting
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Amazon Bargain - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
The first volume in the hugely popular and highly acclaimed epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire. There is passion here, and misery and charm, grandeur and squalor, tragedy, nobility and courage.
Now a major Sky Atlantic TV series from HBO, starring Sean Bean.
Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men… all will play the Game of Thrones.
Winter is coming…
(Description taken from Amazon UK)
A Song of Ice and Fire Series:
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons
The Winds of Winter
A Dream of Spring
Visit George R.R. Martin's website for more information
If you're a fan of epic fantasy then I'm sure you've heard of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I've heard so many good things about these books (and the TV series) and have been meaning to pick it up for a while now but I still hadn't got around to buying it.
I had an email from Amazon UK this morning confirming that the first book A Game of Thrones is on sale this week for just £1.99 for either the paperback or kindle version so of course I couldn't resist ordering my copy. I thought I'd do a quick post to share the information in case any of you have been considering giving the series a try. The sale price will only be available until Sunday the 11th of September so if you want to grab your bargain make sure you do it quickly!
Paperback Reissue / Kindle Version
Now a major Sky Atlantic TV series from HBO, starring Sean Bean.
Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.
It will stretch from the south, where heat breeds plot, lusts and intrigues; to the vast and savage eastern lands; all the way to the frozen north, where an 800-foot wall of ice protects the kingdom from the dark forces that lie beyond. Kings and queens, knights and renegades, liars, lords and honest men… all will play the Game of Thrones.
Winter is coming…
(Description taken from Amazon UK)
A Song of Ice and Fire Series:
A Game of Thrones
A Clash of Kings
A Storm of Swords
A Feast for Crows
A Dance with Dragons
The Winds of Winter
A Dream of Spring
Visit George R.R. Martin's website for more information
If you're a fan of epic fantasy then I'm sure you've heard of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. I've heard so many good things about these books (and the TV series) and have been meaning to pick it up for a while now but I still hadn't got around to buying it.
I had an email from Amazon UK this morning confirming that the first book A Game of Thrones is on sale this week for just £1.99 for either the paperback or kindle version so of course I couldn't resist ordering my copy. I thought I'd do a quick post to share the information in case any of you have been considering giving the series a try. The sale price will only be available until Sunday the 11th of September so if you want to grab your bargain make sure you do it quickly!
Paperback Reissue / Kindle Version
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Winners: H.I.V.E Series by Mark Walden
With the help of random.org I am happy to announce the winners of all seven books in the H.I.V.E series by Mark Walden (Higher Institute of Villainous Education, Overlord Protocol, Escape Velocity, Dreadnought, Zero Hour and Aftershock) along with a fab Villain in Training t-shirt, rucksack and wristband are:
Kirsten Murphy (email address starting in_need_of_flipflops@...)
Kara-Karina (email address starting impy80@...)
Alice (email address starting thereaderroom@...)
Congratulations to you all! You should have already received an email from me asking for your addresses so please make sure you look out for it. If I don't hear back from you within 48 hours then new winners will be chosen. The prizes will be sent out by my contact at Bloomsbury so you'll need to give permission for me to forward your address to them. I'd like to say a massive thank you to Bloomsbury for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.
Saturday, 3 September 2011
Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by a beetle-eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel.
The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!
Harry Potter Series:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 20th Anniversary House Editions
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Play Script written with John Tiffany & Jack Thorne)
Pottermore Presents:
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Short Story Collection)
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (Short Story Collection)
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (Short Story Collection)
Incredibuilds:
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Erumpent (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Niffler (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Swooping Evil (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Thunderbird (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Aragog (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Buckbeak (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Hedwig (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Express (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: House-Elves (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Quidditch (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Sorting Hat (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Stag Patronus (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Thestral (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Other Harry Potter Books & Products:
Funko Pop 2019 Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts - Matthew Reinhart
Harry Potter - Creatures: A Paper Scene Book
Harry Potter Hedwig Owl Kit and Sticker Book (Model & Sticker Book)
Harry Potter: Magical Film Projections: Patronus Charm (Activity Book)
Harry Potter Talking Sorting Hat and Sticker Book: Which House Are You? (Model & Sticker Book)
Harry Potter: The Character Vault - Jody Revenson
Harry Potter: The Marauder's Map Guide to Hogwarts - Erinn Pascal (Activity Book)
Harry Potter: Winter at Hogwarts: A Magical Colouring Set (Colouring Book, Gift Tags & a build your own 3D Firebolt in a Keepsake Box)
J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: Magical Film Projections: Creatures (Activity Book)
Metal Earth: Harry Potter Gringotts Dragon (3D Puzzle)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter: The Official Guide
Visit J.K. Rowling's website or the Pottermore website for more information
Review:
I've been a Harry Potter fan for years now, I think I first started reading the series when only the first 2 books were available way back before any of the films had been released. Yes, I was one of those fans that was queueing outside my local supermarket at midnight on release days and who came home and stayed up all night reading just so I could find out what happened next. I've read all of the books several times over the years but have been wanting to re-read the series again for some time now. The trouble is that with all of the new books I keep adding to my to read pile I find it difficult to make time to re-read old favourites. A visit to Alnwick Castle gave me the perfect excuse though - how could I resist reading the book when I was at the castle used to film Hogwarts in the earlier films?
There are already thousands of reviews out there for the series and pretty much everyone I know who likes reading has already read the series so I'm not going to write a detailed review. What I will say is that it doesn't matter how many times I read these books they still make me feel like a child again every time I pick one of them up. I love the magical world of Hogwarts with staircases that move, talking pictures and flying broomsticks. Not to mention the characters we get to see grow up throughout the series, characters who come to feel like old friends that you can look forward to spending time with. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone may not have the most complicated plot, especially when compared to the later books in the series, but it is a solid start and a great introduction to the world J.K. Rowling created. An introduction that is sure to leave you wanting to continue the journey - I can't wait to join Harry, Ron & Hermione on their next adventure.
Source: Purchased
Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.
The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!
Harry Potter Series:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 20th Anniversary House Editions
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Illustrated Edition (Illustrated by Jim Kay)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Play Script written with John Tiffany & Jack Thorne)
Pottermore Presents:
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies (Short Story Collection)
Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists (Short Story Collection)
Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide (Short Story Collection)
Incredibuilds:
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Erumpent (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Niffler (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Swooping Evil (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Thunderbird (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Aragog (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Buckbeak (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Hedwig (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Express (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: House-Elves (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Quidditch (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Sorting Hat (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
IncrediBuilds: Harry Potter: Stag Patronus (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Incredibuilds: Harry Potter: Thestral (Deluxe Book and Model Set)
Other Harry Potter Books & Products:
Funko Pop 2019 Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts - Matthew Reinhart
Harry Potter - Creatures: A Paper Scene Book
Harry Potter Hedwig Owl Kit and Sticker Book (Model & Sticker Book)
Harry Potter: Magical Film Projections: Patronus Charm (Activity Book)
Harry Potter Talking Sorting Hat and Sticker Book: Which House Are You? (Model & Sticker Book)
Harry Potter: The Character Vault - Jody Revenson
Harry Potter: The Marauder's Map Guide to Hogwarts - Erinn Pascal (Activity Book)
Harry Potter: Winter at Hogwarts: A Magical Colouring Set (Colouring Book, Gift Tags & a build your own 3D Firebolt in a Keepsake Box)
J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World: Magical Film Projections: Creatures (Activity Book)
Metal Earth: Harry Potter Gringotts Dragon (3D Puzzle)
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter: The Official Guide
Visit J.K. Rowling's website or the Pottermore website for more information
Review:
I've been a Harry Potter fan for years now, I think I first started reading the series when only the first 2 books were available way back before any of the films had been released. Yes, I was one of those fans that was queueing outside my local supermarket at midnight on release days and who came home and stayed up all night reading just so I could find out what happened next. I've read all of the books several times over the years but have been wanting to re-read the series again for some time now. The trouble is that with all of the new books I keep adding to my to read pile I find it difficult to make time to re-read old favourites. A visit to Alnwick Castle gave me the perfect excuse though - how could I resist reading the book when I was at the castle used to film Hogwarts in the earlier films?
There are already thousands of reviews out there for the series and pretty much everyone I know who likes reading has already read the series so I'm not going to write a detailed review. What I will say is that it doesn't matter how many times I read these books they still make me feel like a child again every time I pick one of them up. I love the magical world of Hogwarts with staircases that move, talking pictures and flying broomsticks. Not to mention the characters we get to see grow up throughout the series, characters who come to feel like old friends that you can look forward to spending time with. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone may not have the most complicated plot, especially when compared to the later books in the series, but it is a solid start and a great introduction to the world J.K. Rowling created. An introduction that is sure to leave you wanting to continue the journey - I can't wait to join Harry, Ron & Hermione on their next adventure.
Source: Purchased
Other reviews of this book:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.
August 2011 Recap
Here is the list of books I read & or reviewed in August: (The links will take you to my reviews)
- Fury - Elizabeth Miles (read in July, reviewed in August)
- Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton (read in July, reviewed in August)
- Six Days - Philip Webb (read in July, reviewed in August)
- Texas Gothic - Rosemary Clement-Moore (read in July, reviewed in August)
- Fallen Grace - Mary Hooper (read in July, reviewed in August)
- The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater (read in July, reviewed in August) (originally posted as a guest review on Book Chick City here)
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling (read in July, review coming soon)
- Nightshade - Maryrose Wood (read in July, reviewed in August)
- Hunting Lila - Sarah Alderson (review coming soon)
- Too Small to Fail - Morris Gleitzman (review coming soon)
- Blood Bound - Rachel Vincent (review coming soon)
- Eternal Rider - Larissa Ione (review coming soon)
- Dragon Bound - Thea Harrison (review coming soon)
- The Soft Edge of Midnight - Stella & Audra Price (review coming soon)
- Wolf Tracks - Vivian Arend (Novella) (review coming soon)
- Touched by an Alien - Gini Koch (review coming soon)
- Send No Flowers - Sandra Brown (reviewed on Goodreads here)
- Dearly Departed - Lia Habel (review coming soon)
- Crypt: The Gallows Curse - Andrew Hammond (review coming soon)
August Guest Posts:
August Books of the Month:
(Choices are made from books reviewed this month)
My top YA read in August:
Things were a bit different around here in August as I was away on my holidays for most of the month so there were less reviews than usual but I had some fantastic guest posts from other bloggers, authors & even a publicist. I'm going to include links to them all below in case you missed any of them. I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who took the time to write a post for me - I really appreciate it!
- Mark Walden talks about the inspiration behind his H.I.V.E series
- Read an extract from Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur
- Catherine Bruton talks about the inspiration behind her debut novel We Can Be Heroes
- A fab post from Hannah of My Book Journey about steampunk, including her top 5 steampunk recommendations
- A blogging debut from 12 year old Kain who talks about his favourite books and authors
- Sammee from I Want To Read That talks about hot boys in YA (one of my favourite subjects!)
- Andy from The Pewter Wolf guest reviewed The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
- Amanda from Floor To Ceiling Books gave some fantastic recommendations for upcoming fantasy science fiction books
- Kirsty from The Overflowing Library guest reviewed The Memory Cage by Ruth Eastham
- Emma from Bloomsbury talks about some of the upcoming books she is most excited about
- Last but by no means least Sophie from So Many Books, So Little Time talks about her favourite YA series
I had an amazing holiday and will definitely be posting about our American adventures over the next few weeks (I'll try not to bore you all to death with a million pictures though!). I've only been back home for a week but things have been more than a little crazy around here & I've just not had time to do a write up yet. Not only have I had a stinking cold but I've also had a broken stopcock that caused flooding in the kitchen while we were away. The stopcock was fixed only for the plumber to discover a burst pipe in the empty house next door that has continued to flood my kitchen all week. Then yesterday I came downstairs to find that there has been a problem with the drain that has left me with sewage all over the kitchen floor (I'm beginning to think that someone has cursed my kitchen lol). I had the drain guys round for 7 hours yesterday & the problem still isn't fixed, they're coming back today to hopefully finish the job! I'm keeping all my fingers crossed that since trouble is supposed to come in threes I've had my fill now & things can get back to normal around here.
(Choices are made from books reviewed this month)
My top YA read in August:
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (read my review here)
Event Reports:
- Back in July I was lucky to be invited to attend the Orion preview for their new Indigo imprint. We got to meet Marcus Sedgwick, Kate Harrison, Sara Grant and Sally Gardner and hear readings from their new books and also find out about the amazing new books Orion are publishing soon. You can read my write up of the event here (including videos of the authors reading from their new books)
- While we were in America I was so excited to attend the Author's After Dark convention in Philadelphia. I had the chance to meet some of my favourite authors (Lara Adrian & Larissa Ione!!), authors I've come to know and love through Twitter (Stella Price & Jaime Saare) and a lot of fabulous new to me authors (Dakota Cassidy, Leanna Renee Hieber, Lia Habel plus many, many more) and I even got to meet some of my favourite international bloggers. It really was an amazing experience and I'll be doing a full write up soon to tell you all about it.
Author's Animal Antics:
The Author's Animal Antics feature is kind of on hold at the moment, I am planning on bringing it back as a more regular feature soon but I just don't have as much time to organise it right now. If you are an author who is interested in taking part though please get in contact (you can find out more about the feature here).
Challenge Updates:
So these are the challenges I've decided to sign up for in 2011 (I may well end up adding others as the year goes on but we'll see what happens)
2011 100+ Reading Challenge - Read 100/100 COMPLETE
2011 Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge - Read 24/24 COMPLETE
2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge - Read 13/25
2011 Debut Author Challenge - Read 12/12 COMPLETE
2011 British Books Challenge - Read 37/50
2011 New Author Challenge - Read 50/50 COMPLETE
NAC Mini Challenge - Steampunk (Feb 2011) - Read 2/5 COMPLETE (This challenge was to read up to 5 steampunk books in February, I knew I wouldn't have time to read 5 so I'm happy with my total of 2)
NAC Mini Challenge - TBR Newbies (April & May 2011) - READ 6/6 COMPLETE (I actually managed to read 8 books for this challenge but only the first 6 count)
Friday, 2 September 2011
Wolfie World Tour Day 2 - Black Gold Extract + Giveaway
So it's day two of the Wolfie World Tour and I have a fab extract to share with you from Vivian Arend's new book Black Gold.
Lone wolf Shaun Steven’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.
One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his forever button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.
When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite define—something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.
Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is done—and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.
It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…
Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.
******************************
Meet Shaun and Gem.
“You come here often?” His delicious voice stroked her, and there was that smile again. The one that made her heart rate double.
Gem shook her head as she laughed. “My first trip north. You?”
Shaun rearranged the pillows against the headboard and leaned into them. “Born and bred in the Yukon. My family has been a part of the Takhini pack for generations. We have stories dating back to the gold rush. Of course, none of us hit it rich, but we did okay.”
“Do you work for the pack?” She could already hear the questions her father would ask, so she’d better get those out of the way first.
“Nope—well, lately I’ve been giving Evan a hand and doing the bouncer thing in the bar, just to keep out of trouble.” He paused and made a funny face.
A bouncer. Gem kept her smile firmly in place. Well, at least his position wasn’t something that would lock him in the north. He could get a job in one of the local bars.
Or they could buy a bar for him if he wanted. There were many possibilities to consider.
Gem pulled her legs up and hugged them tight. “I’m not employed right now. Once I finish my degree, I hope to get a position with one of the family companies. Maybe working in environmental research for green products and controlling the impact of industry. It’s a fascinating field.”
“But you’re here for the summer?” he asked.
“I’m here for a few weeks, yes.”
Shaun frowned. He opened his mouth and paused. When he did speak, it was obvious he’d changed tangent.
“Anyway, I own an aviation company with a friend. Tad does less flying and more of the bookings these days because he’s got a young family, and he’s pretty busy with all his pack work. We’ve hired an additional pilot to help pick up the slack, and I do all the helicopter flights. We contract out to an adventure company called Maximum Exposure.”
“You fly…” Gem adjusted her image of him as a red-necked, untrained brute, just a second before it hit her. “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.”
“Right. You’ve heard of our company? That’s cool.”
“I’ve hired you.”
Shaun sat upright. “The caribou trip? You? You’re the insane scientist who wants to go into the bush for two weeks?”
“Insane?”
Shaun snorted. “Sorry, not you personally. It’s just that almost every occasion in the past that we’ve had a southerner book flights into the backcountry, things have gone nutso. Statistically, you’re a walking time bomb.”
******************************
Don't forget that Vivian is offering a $50 gift certificate to a bookstore of your choice to one lucky winner. All you have to do is comment on one of the Wolfie World Tour posts - the more posts you comment on the higher your chance to win!
To enter the giveaway today leave a comment telling me if you've read any of Vivian's Granite Lake Wolves books. If you have I'd love to know who is your favourite hero and if you haven't let me know what you think of the extract of Black Gold.
You can also answer Vivian's question in her guest post from yesterday (found HERE) and check out the posts on the following blogs over the next few days for more chances to win:
Sept 1-2 Feeling Fictional: England
Sept 3-4 Pearl’s World of Romance: Holland
Sept 5-6 Ex Libris: Hungary
Sept 7-8 Larissa’s Bookish Life: Brazil
Sept 9-10 The Book Pushers: USA
Sept 11-12 My Disorganized Ramblings: Canada
September 13 all the sites will have a release day post, and on the 14th we’ll announce the grand prize winner of a $50 gift certificate chosen from the comments at the various sites. The winner will be announced on Vivian's blog where she is also having lots of separate giveaways while the tour is on so make sure you go and visit.
Thursday, 1 September 2011
Wolfie World Tour Day 1 - Guest Post + Giveaway
I was very excited when Vivian Arend asked me if I'd like to take part in her Wolfie World Tour to celebrate the release of Black Gold, the first book in her new Takhini Wolves series. This is a spin off from Vivian's Granite Lake Wolves series and although we are going to be introduced to a whole new selection of characters we are going to get to see some of the characters we know and love from the previous stories too. I'm a big fan of the Granite Lake Wolves novellas so I can't wait to read Black Gold and I'll be posting my review on the 13th of September so make sure you come back then to read it.
Lone wolf Shaun Steven’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.
One thing’s for sure: his dream mate will have to out-cuss, out-spit and out-hike him. So he never expected the one to push his forever button would be a blue-blooded Southern debutante with a voice as dark and velvety as her skin.
When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite define—something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.
Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is done—and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.
It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…
Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.
So to kick of the Wolfie World Tour I'm going to hand you over to Vivian so she can tell you more about the Takhini pack and where they are based. Check back tomorrow to read an extract of Black Gold!
******************************
No, it’s not a swimsuit, although you can use one there.
When I decided to expand the Granite Lake Wolves books into something other than novellas, it seemed only right to actually move OUT of Granite Lake as well. And the easy solution?
Head to one of the other northern packs. Even deciding which one was fairly simple. It all started innocently enough back in the first of the Granite Lake books: WOLF SIGNS.
Oh goodie. TJ was an idiot. Robyn glared at him and shook his hand hard enough to make him pull back in surprise. She grabbed the pad.
I’m deaf, not stupid. Don’t talk weird for my sake. She flipped the pad around to let him read it while she took another drink.
This was the hard way to get to know people. It was much easier when Tad was along, because she could talk to him and he’d pass on messages and it would end up feeling natural and not this ridiculous slow process. She sighed and grabbed the pad back. Keil laid a soft hand on her arm to get her attention and a curious sensation raced through her body.
Heat slid from his hand to her arm, tickling, tingling. What was that all about? She looked down at his hand and felt the warmth still radiating, small bursts of electricity racing up her arm and making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. He gave a slight squeeze to get her attention and she glanced up at his face.
“What pack?”
She pulled back in confusion and shrugged.
“Robyn, you said you live in Whitehorse. Are you Takhini or Miles Canyon pack?”
Here it was again. What was he talking about? It was too bad he seemed to be slightly crazy because he was the hottest thing on two legs she’d ever seen.
She hoped he was fun crazy and not kill-people-in-the-middle-of-the-night crazy.
Writing a short note she tossed the pad toward him as she got up from the table. Putting on her coat, she took a final quick glance his direction before heading outside for a breath of air.
Yup, he was hot. Out of his mind, but very easy on the eyes. Smelt yummy too. She ignored the strange throbbing sensation in her limbs and forced herself to walk outside.
And with that one sentence question from Keil, it was established that there are two packs in the Whitehorse, Yukon area. Not your typical set up—most wolf packs are exclusive in territory, but it turns out there’s a very good reason for it. Over the next while you’re going to discover that Whitehorse is a little different than Granite Lake in other ways as well.
But for today, let’s get back to the Where the Heck IS Takhini bit again.
Break out the Google maps time!!
Here’s the world. See us? That blue dot to the right in England? We’re right now at Feeling Fictional. **waves** Then look way left. That cluster of dots is where the wolfies live and play.
Now we’re going to jump to western Canada. You can follow that blue line and drive the Alaskan highway northward from Calgary, Alberta to Whitehorse, Yukon in about 24 hours. Small place, Canada.
And in the next map you can see Haines, where the Granite Lake pack is located (bottom dot) Takhini is the dot that’s labeled with Miles Canyon slightly lower to the right. The dot to the left of the two of them is the actual location of Granite Lake.
If you want to play with the map, click through HERE and you can find out where some of the other locations from the Granite Lake books and some very VERY north places you’ll find in BLACK GOLD.
Come back tomorrow for an excerpt from BLACK GOLD.
******************************
There is a giveaway happening with this tour. There’s a $50 gift certificate to the bookstore of winner’s choice up for grabs. If you comment during the tour you will be eligible to win. There’s also a Friends of the Wolfies giveaway happening back at my blog the entire tour, so make sure you check that out as well.
To be entered today, tell me if you knew where in the world the wolfies lived. Or have you ever been up north?
Make sure you leave a comment answering Vivian's question (above) to be entered in the giveaway! Also check out Vivian's blog where she is hosting lots of different authors throughout the tour and will have lots of different giveaways going on. For more chances to win the $50 gift card check back here tomorrow and comment on the extract of Black Gold that I'll be posting and make sure you check out all of the other stops on the tour and comment to increase your chances of winning. The winner will be announced on Vivian's blog at the end of the tour!
Sept 1-2 Feeling Fictional: England
Sept 3-4 Pearl’s World of Romance: Holland
Sept 5-6 Ex Libris: Hungary
Sept 7-8 Larissa’s Bookish Life: Brazil
Sept 9-10 The Book Pushers: USA
Sept 11-12 My Disorganized Ramblings: Canada
September 13 all the sites will have a release day post, and on the 14th we’ll announce the grand prize winner of a $50 gift certificate chosen from the comments at the various sites. The winner will be announced on Vivian's blog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)








