Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

I’m usually a person who goes straight for the action packed books.  Ones that have a lot of fight sequences and explosions. Angelology isn’t that type of book, but once I got into the story I forgot that I was ever looking for that type of book in the first place.  In this one, the Angelologists fight with their intelligence instead of with strength. It’s steeped in Biblical lore and history about angels and the children of angels and humans, called nephilim. The plot constantly had me guessing; whenever I thought I knew where something was going, that idea was thrown on its head.

Evangeline was likable enough, if not a bit boring. Her personality was a bit bland, but her history was rich and interesting.  Although, her relationship with Verlaine was odd. Within the first couple of meetings. Verlaine was thinking about spending the rest of his life with Evangeline. When two people fall immediately in love it always bothers me, and this was no different.

My favorite character by far was Celestine. Her competitive friendship with Gabrielle was great to read.  The history of Angelology was told through Celestine’s point of view.  A top student of Angelology during World War II, she was deeply involved in the recovery of an important weapon that could tip the balance in the war between humans and Nephilim. I felt like she had the best story of everyone, and discovering all the secrets of angelology through her eyes was vivid.

The ending was abrupt, and left me with a lot of questions that I hope to get answered in the next book. However, the biblical lore and history were fascinating to read. The characters, at times, felt secondary next to the story, but they were able to hold their own.  With mystery, ancient battles, and secret societies, Angelology should appeal to a lot of people. I enjoyed it, and I’ll be looking forward to the next book.

Also reviewed by:
Leontine’s Book Review
S. Krishna’s Books
Poisoned Pen
Peace Love and Pat
Smexy Books

It’s hard to be a badass assas­sin when a giant is beat­ing the crap out of you. Luck­ily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My cur­rent mis­sion is per­sonal: anni­hi­late Mab Mon­roe, the Fire ele­men­tal who mur­dered my fam­ily. Which means pro­tect­ing my iden­tity, even if I have to con­ceal my pow­er­ful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the pub­lic, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best bar­be­cue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spi­der, retired assas­sin. I still do favors on the side. Like rid­ding a vam­pire friend of her over­sized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his mas­sive fists. At least irre­sistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detec­tive Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sis­ter was dead. She prob­a­bly thinks the same about me. Lit­tle does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer … who is about to save her life.

Congratulations are in order for our wonderful Katiebabs at Babbling About Books.  Katie just sold her first novel, Lovestruck, to Noble Romance Publishing. Yea Katie!

Interviews:

• Kimberly Derting, author of The Body Finder, by Dark Faerie Tales
• Barb Galler-Smith and Josh Langston, authors of Druids, at Bitten by Books
• Erica Hayes, author of Shadowglass, at Bitten by Books
• Erica Hayes, author of Shadowglass, at SciFiGuy
• R Garland Gray, author of the Darkscape trilogy, by Galaxy Express
• Molly Maddox, author of Alpha, at Patricia’s Vampire Notes
• Carrie Ryan, author of Dead Tossed Waves, by the Book Smugglers
• Marjorie Liu, author of A Wild Light, by FanLit
• Vicki Lewis Thompson, author of Casual Hex, at All Things Urban Fantasy
• Kimberly Dertin, author of The Body Finder, by Ellz Readz
• Anya Bast, author of Wicked Enchantment, by Book Chick City
• Alyssa Day, author of Atlantis Redeemed, by SciFiGuy

Guess what will begin filming in June?  SciFi Wire is reporting that The Hobbit, which is being directed by Guillermo del Toro.  No worries for fans of Peter Jackson and his LOTR franchaise.  Jackson will be producing The Hobbit as well as co-writing the script along with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

If anyone is ever looking for an amazing charity to get behind, then may I highly suggest Child’s Play?  I’m bringing this up because A Comicbook Orange recently interviewed the creators of the web-comic Penny-Arcade, who also founded Child’s Play, and managed to get them to sign a special copy of The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade: 11 1/2 Year Anniversary Book and they are putting it up for auction over on Ebay with all proceeds going to Child’s Play.  Plus, the book comes with an original sketch by artist Mike “Gabe” Krahulik as well as signed by Jerry “Tycho” Holkins in the inside cover.

There were a few new covers posted this week:  Thanks to SciFiGuy, Dark Faerie Tales and All Things Urban Fantasy for finding these great new covers.  Each site also has the blurbs posted for each book.

SciFiGuy has information on a Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference.  It starts today (hey, this is the first I’m hearing about it) and sounds like it could be a great resource for old and new bloggers alike.  I’ve already sat in on one panel – Publicity Departments and What They Do – and it was highly informative. There’s three more panels that I think are going to be really good that are still scheduled for later – What Bloggers Want (4pm EST w/SciFiGuy), Business of Blogging (5pm) and The Legal Side of Blogging (7:30pm) – that I am still looking forward to.  For more details, check out the conference website.

During this past week, I found a really great article over on Philip Palmer’s Debatable Space regarding Is Urban Fantasy Really ALL About Sex?.  He makes quite a few solid arguments (in my opinion), but I do have to disagree with what he says about Ryo and Jane from Nicole Peeler’s Tempest Rising.  I’m currently reading that, so I’ll go into that in the review, but he may make a lot of people think.  The comment are also just as interesting, so definitely go check it out.

Dark Faerie Tales has started a new reading challenge for this year.  The Debut Urban Fantasy Challenge sounds like a lot of fun and I’ll probably be adding one more (possible two) challenge to my list.  Dark Faerie Tales also has a new challenge coming – Debut Paranormal Romance Challenge – but the details are still coming, which I will be on the lookout for.

If you’ve been wanting to read Melissa Marr’s Stopping Time, she has a list of where you can download it for free.

Contests:
All Things Urban Fantasy has another fabulous list of over 150 different contests going on right now.

Vampire Wire is giving away a copy of National Geographic’s Vampire Forensics.  Contest ends March 23rd.

Galaxy Express has an exclusive excerpt to Jess Grangers’ upcoming novel, Beyond the Shadows.  There is also a contest for a bound galley, which ends 9pm tonight!

Carolyn Crane (who is also the mind behind the Thrillion Page – so didn’t know that) is giving away a $100 gift certificate to a “nice” restaurant to celebrate the release of her novel Mind Games.  Contest ends at some point in the near future.

When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.

Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away a copy of Firespell – to one lucky winner.
_______________________________________________

CHLOE’S TOP TEN – THE FIRST FIVE

Hi, everyone! A couple of weeks ago, I invited readers of my blog to identify their questions about publishing or writing. Here are five of the Top Ten questions. I’ll answer the remaining five right here next week–same bat time, same bat channel.

5. Should you submit to an agent or publisher first?

There are two potential answers here–the practical (CAN you?) and the normative (SHOULD you?).

The practical answer to this question will depend upon the publisher.

First, figure out the type of manuscript you’ve written. Science fiction? Romance? Urban fantasy? Contemporary women’s fiction? If you can’t tell, browse your book shelves. Most books will identify at least a suggested category on the spine or the back cover near the UPC symbol.

Second, when you’ve identified your category, identify the publishers who publish in that category. The best way to tell? Scan the shelves at your bookstore. You’ll see one set of publishers in the sci fi area, and a different set of publishers (or imprints of publishers) in the romance area. Make a note of which publishers are publishing your kind of book.

Third, when you’ve narrowed down publishers who publish your category of books, go to their web sites and check their submission guidelines. (Most, if not all, publishers have them online.) In addition to the basic details of submission–what, when and how, the publisher will state whether they only accept agent submissions or whether they also accept agented manuscripts. If they accept unagented manuscripts, you can submit directly to them. If not, you’ll need to submit through an agent. (And agents typically have submission guidelines and preferred categories just like publishers.)

Now, that only answers the question of CAN you submit directly to publishers. It doesn’t get to the other issue–SHOULD you submit without an agent. In the interest of full disclosure, I submitted Some Girls Bite without an agent. (I subsequently got an agent after I had the contract). So it’s definitely possible to get published even if you don’t have one.

That said, my agent has been invaluable, explaining complicated contract terms, negotiating the cash monies (something I’m not comfortable with), and providing support for international sales. (And, she’s a lovely person to work with!)

Unless you have a lot of industry experience and information on these kinds of issues (and you’re willing to do your own negotiating), an agent can serve as an expert guide to the world of publishing.

Ultimately, you need to do your research on both agents and publishers to determine (1) what they take and (2) if they’re legitimate. If something smells off (i.e., either wants you to pay them before anything happens), it might actually be off.

Good luck!

4. Word count, word count, word count

In my experience, it’s perfectly acceptable to use the word count tool in Microsoft Word to determine the length of your manuscript. In fact, it’s what my (fabulous) editor uses to determine the length of mine.

The preferred word count depends on the genre. My Chicagoland Vampires novels, for example, (urban fantasy) are all between 95,000 and 100,000 words. The Dark Elite novels (young adult fiction) are about 70,000 words. There are lists of estimated word counts on the web, and a publisher’s submission guidelines will often include them.

When I’m on a deadline, I have a goal of 1,000 words a day during the week, and 3,000 words per day on the weekends. This is probably a much lower average than a lot of writers, but I have a day job, so it’s the amount I’m able to write and still stay sane (and get all the other normal life stuff done).

3. Do I submit an outline? A manuscript? The outline for a second novel?

A publisher’s or agent’s submission guidelines will tell you exactly what they want you to submit. FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER. You don’t want to risk rejection because you sent them stuff they didn’t want (or failed to send them things they did want.)

A typical submission is the first three chapters (called a “partial”), a cover letter, and an outline, but it really depends on the publisher (or agent).

But note — even if you only have to submit the first three chapters, do finish the manuscript before you submit. :) In the event a publisher or agent requests a “full” (the rest of your manuscript), you want to have something to hand over.

2. What is Merit’s name.

Not telling. But you will find out. And interestingly, she isn’t the one who tells us. :)

1. How hard is it to get published? How can I get published? Is it possible to get published?

This was by far the most popular of the questions so far. The short story is — it’s hard work, but it’s possible.

The long story is, it’s a looooooooooooot of hard work, but it’s possible. (For more details on the publication process, see my answer to No. 5 above.)

I figure publishing is (1) a smallish chunk of luck (example: did you write something fantastic about the Land of Whim when editors are snatching up books about the Land of Whim like crazy?) and (2) a hugeish chunk of did-you-put-your-butt-in-the-chair-and-get-the-thing-written-and-edited.

The act of writing a novel can take weeks or months or years. Generally, my advice is not to think about “publishing” until you’ve written your story. Not just written a manuscript–but really told your story.

There are, however, a couple of general exceptions to that rule:

First, do pay attention to general guidelines regarding word count. If you’re writing a Land of Whim novel, and those novels are typically 100,000 words, try tell your story into approximately 100,000 words. That’s not to say there aren’t fabulous stories that are a little longer or a little shorter, but generally you want to hit the word count for your genre.

Second, if you’re writing about something that’s HOT RIGHT NOW, think about the fact that the submission-to-publication process can take years. Some Girls Bite took about 22 months from submission of a partial to release date.

Other than that, get the butt in the chair and get the words on paper. Next week, we’ll talk about editing . . .

I hope this has been helpful. Thanks for dropping by today!

_______________________________________________

Wait a minute…we haven’t seen what Merit’s first name is yet? I thought I saw that somewhere, guess not though.

Thank you Chloe for sharing your words of wisdom on the publishing industry.  I know of a certain husband who is going to be interested in your answers.

Contest Time! Chloe has graciously offered to give away a copy of Firespell – to one lucky winner.  Recently, Chloe asked her readers what they wanted to know either about writing, research, publication, the Chicagoland Vampires and/or the Dark Elite series.  In order to get your name in the drawing, all you have to do is answer this question: What question didn’t get asked?  Was there something you wanted to know and no one brought it up? Now is the time to do that.  Chloe will be back again next week with another top 5 questions her readers have asked.

As always, there’s more ways of getting your name in the hat:

• +1 for each place you post about today’s contest on your blog, social network, or anywhere you can. Digg it, stumble it, twit it, share it with the world. Wherever you share it, make sure you add a link to it along with your answer.
• +1 to any review you comment on, however, comments must be meaningful. Just give me the title of the review and I’ll be able to figure it out from there.
• +1 Join the Literary Escapism Facebook page and/or follow LE on Twitter
• +1 subscribe to Literary Escapism – either via a reader or email (see the RSS button at the bottom of the sidebar)
• +10 Purchase any of the Chicagoland Vampire novels – Some Girls Bite, Friday Night Bites or preorder Twice Bitten – or any print novel through LE’s Amazon store sometime during this contest and send a copy of the receipt VIA email for your purchase to: myjaxon AT gmail DOT com. Each purchase is worth ten entries, but it has to be through the LE Amazon Link.

The winner agrees to post a review of the novel someplace.  Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter.  Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until March 25th, at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from the Research Randomizer and the List Randomizer.

I have not been contacting winners, so you will need to check back to see if you’ve won.

Yesterday’s Releases:
Warriors – an anthology featuring George RR Martin, Diana Gabaldon, Carrie Vaughn, plus more
The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 2 by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunters Manga)
Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn

New Release Dates:
10/01/10: Kind by Holly Black (The Good Neighbors #3)
10/05/10: Memories of Envy by Barb Hendee (Vampire Memories #3)
11/02/10: Shadowheart by Tad Williams (Shadowmarch #4)
11/16/10: Songs of Love and Deat – an anthology featuring Robin Hobb, Cecelia Holland, Yasmine Galenorn, Diana Gabaldon, Jo Beverley, Carrie Vaughn, Peter S. Beagle, Jim Butcher, Jacqueline Carey
01/01/11: Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (King Killer Chronicles)

New Amazon Links & Release Date Changes:
06/01/10: Assassin’s Honor by Monica Burns
06/15/10: Wings of Fire – an anthology featuring Anthology – Holly Black, Orson Scott Card, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey and more
7/27/2010 King Rolen’s Kin: The King’s Bastard by Rowena Cory Daniells
08/03/10: Whisper Kiss by Deborah Cooke (Dragonfire)
08/31/10: Game of Cages: A Twenty Palaces Novel by Harry Connolly
09/01/10: Spy Glass by Maria Snyder
09/01/10: Truly, Madly, Deadly: The Unofficial True Blood Companion by Becca Wilcot
09/07/10: Assassin’s Heart by Monica Burns
09/07/10: Healer’s Choice by Jory Strong
09/07/10: Cruel Enchantment: A Dark Magick Novel by Anya Bast
09/28/10: Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews
09/28/10: The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 3 by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark-Hunters Magna)
10/01/10: Alpha by Rachel Vincent
10/05/10: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 – a massive anthology featuring over 25 authors
10/05/10: The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
10/12/10: Just Add Magic Cindy Callaghan
11/02/10: Ghost Town by Rachel Caine (Morganville Vampires #9)
11/02/10: Inside Out by Lauren Dane
12/28/10: Mercy Burns by Keri Arthur

I’m still on the hunt for those great novels I’ve read and have forgotten about or haven’t stumbled across yet.  While I still believe that my list of recommendations is fairly good, I still feel like I’m missing a bunch of new authors.  So, here’s my list of those great demonic, fae and magical series I love.  What am I forgetting about?  Do I need to read a certain book, like now?  What are your automatic buys?

• Aisling Grey by Katie MacAlister – You Slay Me (4)
• Dark Magic by Anya Bast – Wicked Enchantment (2+)
• Demonica by Larissa Ione – Pleasure Unbound (3+)
• Elemental Witches by Anya Bast – Witch Fury (4)
• Guild Hunters by Nalini Singh – Angels’ Blood (2+)
• Horngate Witches by Diana Pharaoh Francis – Bitter Night (1+)
• Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews – Magic Bites (3+)
• Meredith Gentry by LK Hamilton – A Kiss of Shadows (7+)
• Morgan Kingsley by Jenna Black – The Devil Inside (3+)
• Rachel Morgan by Kim Harrison – Dead Witch Walking (7+)
• Silver Dragons by Katie MacAlister – Playing with Fire (2+)

1. Get the book you’re currently reading
2. Open it to any random page
3. Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page (Be courteous of your readers)
4. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

This week’s teaser involves Shift by Rachel Vincent, the fifth novel in her Shifters series.

From page 56-57:

A very soft, eerie whispering sound seemed to skitter across my spine, and I watched in fascination as his feathers receded into his skin and his arms began to shorten.

It happened in seconds.

Marc and I stood in silent shock.

From page 368:

Fury raged in me, hot, heavy and completely impotent. But there was nothing I could do without making it worse. I couldn’t Shift my teeth or my hands without him noticing. I needed an opening. Something to distract him long enough for me to make a move.

Check out what I stumbled across at Sordid Fantasy. It’s the cover for the next Midnight Breeds novel, by Lara Adrian – Taken by Midnight, which releases August 31, 2010.

Interviews:

• Jeaniene Frost, author of First Drop of Crimson, by Larissa’s Life
• Devon Monk, author of Magic on the Storm, by SciFi Guy
• Tracey O’Hara, author of Night’s Cold Kiss, by Kylie Griffin’s Blog
• Carrie Vaughn, author of Voices of Dragons, by All Things Urban Fantasy
• Eva Gordon, author of White Wolf of Avalon, at Bitten by Books
• Chris Marie Green, author of Deep in the Woods, at Nalini Singh’s Blog
• Julianna Stone, author of His Darkest Hunger, by Wicked Little Pixie
• Sean Cummings, author of Shade Fright, at Sidhe Vicious Reviews
• Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown, by Amberkatze Reviews

I haven’t seen any mention of this anywhere yet, but Jeaniene Frost let it slip that she’s contributing a story to anew anthology called Haunted By Your Touch.  Like I said, it’s the first I’ve heard of it, so I’m not sure when it’s due out, but I did go searching for more information. Straight from Jeaniene’s blog and her forum:

a brand new world…[with a] supernatural system of demons, partial demons, and fallen angels.

This anthology is a paranormal romance, so yes, expect romantic liasons in my usual style of writing. Now, not saying which subspecies is getting it on with who, but again, these are NOT the same demons from the NH world, so just because the demons in FDOC were creepy doesn’t mean these ones will be. The tone of my novella is similar to Halfway to the Grave, if you want a sexy-to-creepiness ratio example

I did find one more thing about Haunted By Your Touch on Amazon. Two other contributing authors are Sharie Kohler and Shayla Black and it looks to be due out October 26, 2010.

Fifty-Two Stories has posted their latest short story of the year – Rhoda by David Vann

Lili St. Crow found the cover for her third Strange Angels novel, Jealousy, posted over on Barnes & Noble. There’s definitely a different feel to this cover than the previous two; not that it isn’t pretty, just not was foggy or mood inducing.

Orbit Books has unleashed the cover for The Neon Court by Kate Griffin, the latest novel in her Matthew Swift series.

Maggie Stiefvater has announced the title to her third Shiver novel, which will be Forever.  No word on when it will be out though.

Speaking of covers, there were a lot that came out over the weekend and Babbling About Books has quite a collection herself.

Harper Collins has the first eight chapters to Kelley Armstrong’s The Reckoning up for your pleasure. Another free read that is available is the first chapter to Carrie Vaughn’s upcoming Voices of Dragons.

SciFiGuy’s Weekend Report brought some good news for TA Pratt fans.  It seems there will be a fifth Marla Mason novel that is going to be in a serial format.  The first chapter of Broken Mirrors is already available.

For the fans of Lauren Kate’s Fallen, you’ll be happy to know that the sequel now has a title and a cover. The Book Vixen uncovered the cover for Torment, which is due to release September 28th, and it follows the same theme as the first one.

Contests:
Smart Pop Books is giving away three copies of their upcoming title, Ardeur: 14 Writers on the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series.  Contest ends Feb. 19th.

If you’re looking for a copy of Beyond the Shadows by Jess Granger, head over to Something Wicked.  She’s giving a heads up on a few places where she’ll be giving away a few galleys.

Art historian Campbell Stratford is about to make a name for herself with her scandalously sexy tell-all “fictographies” of famous seventeenth-century artists, but she’s more intimately familiar with her subjects than her eager readers can imagine. Thanks to a time portal she accidentally discovered, she has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond. To save their reputations, the Guild protecting dead artists convinces playboy Peter Lely, portraitist to the king, to sabotage Cam’s latest project. A few hours posing on Sir Peter’s modeling chaise leads to a night of seductive passion—then Cam returns home and discovers his betrayal. But before she can turn her angry pen on her lover, Sir Peter makes a surprise visit to the future and transforms Cam’s twenty-first-century life into chaos of classic proportions. . . .

I don’t know what it is, but romance has really been catching my attention lately and Flirting with Forever was one that held it beautifully.  The blurb is a little misleading, but honestly, that works in the novels’ favor.  Going into the story, I was given the impression that Campbell (Cam) had been going back and forth in time for awhile, but instead, her trip was a total surprise to her.  Simply being dumped into an unknown room, surrounded by a bunch of women, would throw anyone off their game, but Cam really goes with the flow.  There were a few times, while Cam was in the sixteenth century, that really had me scratching my head – her cell phone worked? Seriously?  However, she went with the moments and had her time with her artist.  She didn’t adjust her personality or worry about what she could or could not do that would affect history.  She was true to her character.

I think one of the best parts of this story was that it didn’t all take place in the current time or in the sixteenth time, but Cready spent as much time getting these two together for their one night as she did throwing them back together.  Every time Peter and Cam interacted with each other, they kept true to their characters, regardless of the situation they were in, and it always worked.  I do have to say that their chemistry was quite refreshing.  Both of them went into their “moments” knowing they wouldn’t have forever, and generally this usually means a lot of sex, but they weren’t like that.  Yes, they did have their moments, but that was exactly what they were – moments that meant something rather than for instant gratification.

There were a few things I would have liked to see fleshed out more, but they were minor to Peter and Cam.  The roles of Jacket and Anastasia so should have been developed more or given less of an importance. I understand why they were added to the story, and that was needed, but so much more should have been done with them and they just seemed half-thought of.  Does any of that make sense?  It almost seems like Cready wanted them to do more, but wasn’t given the word count to do so.  The impressions we’re given of these two, don’t always hold true throughout the story, but again, that may be a result of the cutting room floor.

Overall, Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready was a very captivating read and one I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a new romance to tackle.  We’re given a great look at an artists’ studio a la the sixteenth century as well as the intricacies of a romance neither Cam or Peter were looking for.  Flirting with Forever comes out March 30th and is definitely worth a second look when you’re browsing through the bookstore at the end of the month.

One day, on a peaceful farm in Kansas, a tornado appeared. The storm raged and ripped the house from the ground. Inside sat a little girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto. The house spun. The winds roared. The tornado showed no mercy, until . . . The house landed in a strange and magical land called Oz. But that’s where the fairytale ends and the nightmare begins. The Wicked Witch of the West has cast a spell on the Land of Oz, a spell that brings the dead back to life. Only the Great Wizard in the Emerald City can stop this curse, but he has never been seen. It’s up to Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion and the Tin Woodman to journey through this dangerous land of hungry undead and savage monsters and find him in the hopes of bringing life back to Oz. Come join hands with them as they travel down the Yellow Brick Road and see if you can make it to the Emerald City . . . alive.

Mansfield Park and Mummies: Monster, Mayhem, Matrimony, Ancient Curses, True Love, and Other Dire Delights by Jane Austen, Vera Nazarian

Spinsterhood or Mummification!

Ancient Egypt infiltrates Regency England in this elegant, hilarious, witty, insane, and unexpectedly romantic monster parody of Jane Austen’s classic novel.

Our gentle yet indomitable heroine Fanny Price must hold steadfast not only against the seductive charms of Henry Crawford but also an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh!

Meanwhile, the indubitably handsome and kind hero Edmund attempts Exorcisms… Miss Crawford vamps out… Aunt Norris channels her inner werewolf… The Mummy-mesmerized Lady Bertram collects Egyptian artifacts…

There can be no doubt that Mansfield Park has become a battleground for the forces of Ancient Evil and Regency True Love!

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim by Mark Twain, W. Bill Czolgosz

Free at last! Free at last! This ain’t your grandfather’s Huckleberry Finn. It’s nineteenth century America and a mutant strain of tuberculosis is bringing its victims back from the dead. Sometimes they come back docile, and other times vicious. The vicious ones are sent back to Hell, but the docile ones are put to work as servants and laborers. With so many zombies on the market, the slave trade is nonexistant. The black man is at liberty, and human bondage is no more. Young Huckleberry Finn has grown up in a world that shuns the N-word, with its scornful eye set on a new class of shambling, putrid sub-humans: The Baggers. When his abusive father comes back into his life, Huck flees down the river with Bagger Jim, seeking a life of perfect freedom. When the pox mutates once again, causing even the tamest of baggers to become bloodthirsty monsters, the boy Finn is forced to question his relationship with his dearest, deadest friend. In this revised take on history and classic literature, the modern age is ending before it ever begins. Huckleberry Finn will inherit a world of horror and death, and he knows the mighty Mississippi might be the only way out…

Celine Kiernan has unleashed the cover for the third novel in her Moorehawke Trilogy, titled The Rebel Prince, which releases October 18, 2010.

Richelle Mead announced the title to her sixth and final Vampire Academy novel.  We’ll be able to pick up Last Sacrifice on December 14, 2010.

Interviews:

• Shelley Munro, author of Romancing the Alien, by Smexy Books
• Lynda Hilburn, author of Dark Harvest, at the Examiner.com
• Sam Trammell, the actor who plays Sam in True Blood, at About.com
• Eileen Rendahl, author of Don’t Kill the Messenger, by Bitten by Books
• Val Cox, fantasy artist, at Dark Faerie Tales
• Nancy Holzner, author of Deadtown, at the RomCon Blog
• Danielle Trussoni, author of Angelology, by Wicked Little Pixie
• Kmont, the mind behind Lurv a la Mode, at the Books Smugglers
• Marjorie Liu, author of A Wild Light, by Marvel News (podcast)
• Linda Wisdom, author of Wicked by Any Other Name, at Book Chick City
• Danielle Trussoni, author of Angelology, by Vampire Wire
• Kim Harrison, author of Black Magic Sanction, by Interview With You

Check out what SciFiGuy found. It’s the cover for the next Morganville Vampire novel by Rachel Caine.  Ghost Town, which releases November 2nd, will be the ninth novel in the series and the first to be released as a hardcover.  SciFiGuy also has the blurb for the book.

Well, it’s not just the classic literature that are getting zombified. Io9 reports that Quirk Books is now adding classic television to their revamping publishing. Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson is a new story telling the tale of what would happen if an undead horde of zombies were to suddenly attack a Star Trek Fanboy convention. I have mixed thoughts on this.

If you’re a poetry fan or know someone who is, Savvy Verse & Wit is looking for a few fellow bloggers for a month long celebration of National Poetry Month.

Contests:

• Chloe Neill is giving away two arcs of her upcoming novel, Firespell.  Contest ends March 18th.
• Shirley Damsgaard is giving away ten arcs of her novel The Trouble with Witches.  Contest ends March 17th.
• Dark Faerie Tales is giving away three copies of Num8ers by Rachel Ward.  Contest ends April 2nd.

We all knew it was coming and it has finally arrived.  The movie trailer for Eclipse has been making the rounds, but hey, I want to post it as well.  Check it out.