Debut Showcase: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

(click to image to enlarge)

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Amazon USA - UK - Canada)

by Beth Fantaskey (Book Trailer)
Hardcover

Harcourt Children's Books

Excerpt

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

Tia's Take:
The author must have redefined vampires if they can be born as one. Lots of authors have come up with ways to redefine vampires--everything from aliens among us to the blood-sucking fiends we all know so well. According to the author's site, this novel has already gone into a second printing, so I continue to be in the minority with my aversion to vampires. Maybe it's a generational thing, because I know Mulluane will agree with me.

Mulluane's Take:
Eww, yuk, ick....Though I do sympathize with the failure of her "get-a-life-plan". Aside from that, haven't the versions of the name Lucifer already been done enough? I do have to admit one guilty secret, I loved Anne Rice's take on vampires but aside from that, I am not a fan. Give me a good old demon any day! I'm sure though that all the paranormal romance lovers will get a kick out of this one.

Note: This is my first attempt at putting the image elsewhere to solve the image placement problem, which was the subject of the next post down. Please let me know if the image still obscures the text, although at this point, I don't know if there's anything I can do about it.

Image Testing for Email Feed Subscribers

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium". Test text follows . . .

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium".

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium".

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium".

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium".

This image was inserted using Blogger in Draft, with the image to the left of the text. The image size is set to "medium".

This text is meant to appear below the above image.

Ok, now I can't see my cursor. See why I use Blogger in Draft? Nevermind; I'll just carry on.

This image--the Durham books make lovely test images, don't they--was inserted using regular Blogger. The size is set to "Medium" and it is supposed to appear to the left of the text.

Where is my cursor? Oh, there it is. Test text follows . . .

This image--the Durham books make lovely test images, don't they--was inserted using regular Blogger. The size is set to "Medium" and it is supposed to appear to the left of the text.

This image--the Durham books make lovely test images, don't they--was inserted using regular Blogger. The size is set to "Medium" and it is supposed to appear to the left of the text.

This image--the Durham books make lovely test images, don't they--was inserted using regular Blogger. The size is set to "Medium" and it is supposed to appear to the left of the text.

~*~

And this concludes this test of Blogger's image placement, as seen via Feedburner's email subscriptions. If you had trouble seeing the text or these images, please email me at tia dot nevitt at gmail dot com so I can figure out what's going on. Hopefully, you'll at least be able to read this last paragraph.

A Thank You, and Random Things

First of all, a tardy thank you to Jessica Merritt for including Fantasy Debut in her list of Top 100 Science Fiction Blogs. Jessica has grouped her listing by subject, such as TV blogs, movies, science fact, and reviews, where Fantasy Debut appears.

Thank you, Jessica!

Slow Reading Syndrome
My blog is suffering from what I call Slow Reading Syndrome. It's not the book's fault--it's mine. Therefore, in order to not let this blog languish, I will do an as-I-read-it review, which I haven't done in a while. I'll be working on that today, because I am taking a day off!

Book Blogger Convention Update
If you haven't checked out the Book Blogger Convention Network in a while, please stop by and join the discussions in the forum. Or, join the network if you want to get involved. We're still trying to get this thing going and we need people who really love the idea to get involved.

Email Feed Wonky?
It has come to my attention that my email subscribers are receiving posts that are somewhat wonky. The images appear superimposed over the text, making it impossible to read. I know this happens in Yahoo mail, and I have subscribed to my own email feed so I can see this for myself.

A post will follow this one with various test images with text alongside. Sorry about having to perform a live test--as a software developer, it's unthinkable of me to perform a test like this in a production environment. But I can't think of any other way to do this. If you subscribe to the email feed, please email me and let me know whether you can read the text in the next post or not. My email address is tia dot nevitt at gmail dot com.

The Magicians & Mrs. Quent

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent (Amazon USA - Canada - UK)
By Galen Beckett (website)
Spectra (July 29, 2008) (Hardcover)
Excerpt

Publisher's Blurb:
Of the three Lockwell sisters—romantic Lily, prophetic Rose, and studious Ivy—all agree that it’s the eldest, the book-loving Ivy, who has held the family together ever since their father’s retreat into his silent vigil in the library upstairs. Everyone blames Mr. Lockwell’s malady on his magkical studies, but Ivy alone still believes—both in magick, and in its power to bring her father back.

But there are others in the world who believe in magick as well. Over the years Ivy has glimpsed them—the strangers in black topcoats and hats who appear at the door, strangers of whom their mother will never speak. Ivy once thought them secret benefactors, but now she’s not so certain.

After tragedy strikes, Ivy takes a job with the reclusive Mr. Quent in a desperate effort to preserve her family. It’s only then that she discovers the fate she shares with a jaded young nobleman named Dashton Rafferdy, his ambitious friend Eldyn Garritt, and a secret web of highwaymen, revolutionaries, illusionists, and spies who populate the island nation of Altania.

For there is far more to Altania than meets the eye, and more to magick than mere fashion. And in the act of saving her father, Ivy will determine whether the world faces a new dawn—or an everlasting night....

Tia's Take: Oh my goodness! How did I miss this one? I remember taking note of it last July, but then I forgot it entirely. Never mind that it's quite up my alley. It begins like this:

IT WAS GENERALLY held knowledge among the people who lived on Whitward Street that the eldest of the three Miss Lockwells had a peculiar habit of reading while walking.

Does this sound familiar? Anyone? Anyone? Yes, it's a Jane Austen-inspired fantasy! (Did I mention that I have written a Jane Austen-inspired fantasy? No, I have not.) I will be obtaining this novel, by fair means or foul.

Mulluane's Take:
Oh my! Tackles Tia and tussles over the book.... This one is right up my ally too. Secondary world, strong female protagonists, secret societies, magic, what is not to love about that!

Debuts from Locus 2008 Recommended Reading List

Here are the debuts from Locus's 2008 Recommended Reading List, linked to their debut showcase here at Fantasy Debut.

The Ninth Circle, Alex Bell (Gollancz)
The Painted Man, Peter V. Brett (HarperVoyager); as The Warded Man (Ballantine Del Rey)
A Curse as Dark as Gold, Elizabeth C. Bunce (Scholastic)
Graceling, Kristin Cashore (Harcourt)
Alive in Necropolis, Doug Dorst (Riverhead)
Thunderer, Felix Gilman (Bantam Spectra)
Black Ships, Jo Graham (Orbit US) - Review
Pandemonium, Daryl Gregory (Ballantine Del Rey)
The Gone-Away World, Nick Harkaway (William Heinemann, Knopf)
Last Dragon, J.T. McDermott (Wizards of the Coast/Discoveries)
Singularity's Ring, Paul Melko (Tor) - same post as above
The Long Look, Richard Parks (Five Star)
The Red Wolf Conspiracy, Robert V. S. Redick (Gollancz, Del Rey '09)
The Cabinet of Wonders, Marie Rutkoski (Farrar, Straus, Giroux)

Looks like I missed a few. I don't generally cover UK-only debuts and some of these publishers/imprints I've never heard of. They, of course, will be investigated.

Debut Showcase: Would-Be Witch by Kimberly Frost

Would-Be Witch (US - Canada - UK)
By Kimberly Frost (Website - Blog - MySpace)
Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 3, 2009)
Paperback: 304 pages
Excerpt

Author's Blurb:

In the small town of Duvall, Texas, the only thing more troublesome than gossip — is magic.

The family magic seems to have skipped Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets in the way of the supernatural are a few untimely visits from the long dead, smart-mouthed family ghost, Edie. But when her locket—an heirloom that happens to hold Edie's soul—is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it's time for Tammy to find her inner witch.

After a few experiences in dysfunctional magic, Tammy turns to the only one who can help; the very rich and highly magical, Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers-and a 007 savoir faire to boot-but the locket isn't the only heirloom passed down in Tammy's family. She also inherited a warning...to stay away from anyone named Lyons.

Mulluane's Take:
Another Urban Fantasy, sigh. Well I guess it would be pretty hard to break into the market these days with anything else! Atleast the vampires and werewolves are mixed in with witches and ghosts! This is a mystery story that has elements of paranormal romance and humor. For more information you might try this review: Books Books and more Books!

Tia's Take:
I'm actually planning on reading this one. The publisher is supposed to send me a copy. No vampires or demons, so I'm good. The lines about releasing her inner witch and dysfunctional magic hint at a playful voice. Like Maria Lima's Matters of the Blood and Blood Bargain, this appears to be an urban fantasy that isn't urban. I'm hoping--like the above novels as well--that it isn't snarky, either.

I noticed this review just yesterday on Darque Reviews.

Movie Review - Facing the Giants

I've never been much a of a sports fan, but that has been changing in recent years. One thing I've always enjoyed--despite my lackadaisical athletic ability--are sports movies. There's just something about them that gets me in the guts. Remember The Bad News Bears? Wonderful. Chariots of Fire? Unforgettable. More recently, we had A Knight's Tale, which despite it's historical nature and playful plot is, at its heart, a sports movie.

Facing the Giants has been out on DVD for a while, now. But I just saw it.

Grant is a discouraged high school football team coach who has just barely managed to hang onto his job after his sixth consecutive losing season. He and his wife live in an old fix-er-upper with a mysterious stench, the car dies on a regular basis and they can't seem to have children. Oh, and the infertility is Grant's fault. His players abandon him every year during their senior year, seeking out winning schools while in search of sports scholarships. So Grant only has 32 players. The player's parents and some of the school faculty are plotting to have him fired.

In the grand scheme of things, these aren't huge problems, except the infertility. All the major characters have their health and a place to live. However, the devil is always in the details, and it's the small things that tend to wear us down, isn't it? It's Grant's determination that wins our sympathy.

After prayer and discussions with the pastor/principal and his wife, Grant decides to take a new approach. During one unforgettable scene, he illustrates to the rest of the team how than can do so much better than they suspect. He picks the biggest, strongest guy on the team and gets the guy to promise to give his absolute best--everything he has. Then, the coach ties a blindfold around his eyes. On his hands and feet, he must crawl as far as he can go--with another guy clinging to his back. Grant then proceeds to urge him down the field, reminding him of his promise, telling him to give all he has, to do his best until he has nothing left to give.

The movie is worth watching for this scene alone. There are few times in my life when I gave a task everything I had. Basic Training was one of those times. The military--no matter what your branch of service--has a way of dragging your best out of you. Giving birth through a failed epidural was another. Imagine how much better we can all do in life if we ran around giving it our all-out best until we had nothing left. One girl on my high school cross-country team used to vomit after every race. She is one of those who gave it her all. She also was one of our top runners. I try to give my writing my best--whether on this blog or elsewhere--but writing isn't a performance sport, and it can be tweaked and improved right up until it's published, or until you hit "publish post" and the feed readers suck it out to the Internet at large.

This is a Christian movie, and it broke into the mainstream a few years ago. It has the message that if you give God everything you have, He will overflow your life with blessings. I'm not going to argue with the theology behind this message, but I did think the movie would have been stronger had there been one problem left unsolved by the end, perhaps leaving the characters feeling strong enough to face it. A father in a wheelchair is still in the wheelchair at the end, but that's about it

I know that the movie is trying to send a message, but I think it also sets up too many expectations, especially for non-believers. We will all always have problems to contend with, for as long as we are on this world.

Still, I loved this movie. It was funny and touching, and reduced me to tears at several points. I should have seen the ending coming, but I didn't. It just about sent me over the edge. It's some great storytelling.

Facing the Giants - Amazon USA, UK, Canada
Internet Movie Database Entry

Debut Authors Challenge, Random Updates and More

I just had to link this. The Story Siren is hosting a Debut Author's Challenge. You basically read as many debut authors as you can. Since a lot of book bloggers love covering debut authors, I thought I'd bring it to your attention. She's focused on YA novels, but why limit ourselves?

Read about it here!

Random Updates

I have several things in the hopper, including one of Raven's urban fantasy reviews (or two), a One Year Later post and a contest! All in February!

I've been reading Lamentation by Ken Scholes. It's very good and since I have an advance copy, I want to be able to post my review on the release date in about two weeks. I may put up an as-I-read-it post or two, mostly because I haven't done any of those in a while.

I also read Amanda Ashby's Zombie Queen of Newbury High. It doesn't release until next month, so I'll try to stifle myself until then. And don't forget, I'm already stifling myself about Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle.

Future of Publishing?

I took note of this post by Nathan Bransford on The End of Publishing because it made me think about an email conversation with an author (actually, his wife) that I've had recently. In the conversation, I agreed to review a novel that is outside of my usual guidelines, by which I mean, published by a small press. I haven't done that since I reviewed Griffin's Daughter by Leslie Ann Moore last year. I'm very proud of being one of the few websites to discover Griffin's Daughter, which won the 2008 Ben Franklin Award for Best First Fiction.

The article above talks about how the business model for publishing might be changing, and how new authors may have to self-publish more and more in the coming years while we go through this state of flux. In particular, I took note of this paragraph:

At the same time, the Internet and e-books are opening up new sales avenues for authors who either catch on through word of mouth or are able to build their own buzz. As a result, you're seeing progressively more self-published and small-press books rise up through the cacophony of titles and find their readers.

I'm torn. I don't like being a snob, but I genuinely don't have time to vet a bunch of self-published books. At least the good small presses edit their work and make it professional, which happened with Griffin's Daughter, and presumably happened with this other novel I agreed to review. If, in the future, most authors have to publish books on their own in order to be noticed, then I'm going to have to adapt as well.

In the case of this small press novel (not self published!), the author's wife--some of you probably know who I'm talking about--convinced me to review the book because it had already gotten good reviews by several reviewers that I trust.

I'm not sure how I'm going to handle this. I may wait to see which small press and self published books do rise up, like I'm doing now.

What would you prefer--that I stick to major publishers? Or should I occasionally try to find those small press and self-published gems?

Debut Showcase: Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald

Spiral Hunt (US - Canada - UK)
By Margaret Ronald (Blog - Writertopia)
Publisher: Eos (January 27, 2009)
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Excerpt

Publisher's Blurb:

Some people have the Sight. Genevieve Scelan has the Scent.

They call her "Hound," and with her unique supernatural sense Evie can track nearly anything—lost keys, vanished family heirlooms . . . even missing people. And though she knows to stay out of the magical undercurrent that runs beneath Boston's historic streets, a midnight phone call from a long-vanished lover will destroy the careful boundaries she has drawn. Now, to pay a years-old debt, Evie must venture into the shadowy world that lies between myth and reality, where she will find betrayal, conspiracies, and revelations that will shatter all she believes about herself and the city she claims as home.

When the Hunt is on, the Hound must run . . .

Mulluane's Take:

This is an Urban Fantasy set in Boston with mystery, a magic using female PI, Celtic gods and other historical Irish figures. Oh Tia is going to LOVE this one! This review My Favorite Author calls it "fun, frightening and all over fascinating." I'm betting this one goes on Tia's TBR list even if it is Urban Fantasy.

Tia's Take:
Mulluane knows me well. It does look pretty interesting, but mostly because the originality of her gift. No vampires! At least not that I could find. Am I permitted a slight grumble over the fact that the author doesn't have a website? Oh wait. "margaretronald.com" goes to her Wordpress weblog. Since there aren't a lot of reviews out there for this one, I may go for it.

Thanks, Mulluane, for all your great research!

Debut Showcase: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

Bones of Faerie (US - Canada - UK)
By Janni Lee Simner (Website - Blog - MySpace - Facebook - Goodreads)
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (January 27, 2009)
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 256 pages
Excerpt

Blurb from Author's Website:
The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their town by laying down strict rules. Among them: Any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found.

Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see --into the past, into the future--she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds.

Mulluane's Take:
This one almost tempts me to change my tastes in reading, even though it is a post-apocalyptic tale and urban fantasy. (The story takes place in St. Louis). This is a dark story with fairytale elements, magic dropping planes out the sky and evil trees. This reviewer seemed to love it! KidLiterate.

Tia's Take:
Nothing in the blurb would lead me to believe that this is a modern-day urban fantasy. I love post-apocalyptic fiction--as long as it isn't too gritty--so this may be one that I pursue. I especially like the idea of the apocalypse being caused by magical fallout, rather than nuclear or biological. The author is a borderline debut--this is her first YA fantasy. She has written children's novels. I'm pretty much a sucker for YA, so this novel has a lot to interest me.