Check out who has a sexy new cover. Jennifer Estep has unveiled the cover for the third Elemental Assassin novel, Venom, as well as the cover blurb, which releases September 28, 2010.
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.
Glad you liked the piece…Nikki Peeler also disagrees with what I say about Jane True & Ryu. She’s adamant they are NOT and never will be in love. And she’s bet me five english pounds sterling I’m wrong -sucker as I am, I took the bet. Now she has every incentive to kill off Ryu in the next volume…!
It’s true we read what we want to read…I wanted those two to be in love. But writers don’t always give us what we want…
My impressions on Jane and Ryu are they ended up together due to circumstances. He’s the first guy that hasn’t thought of her past since Jason and she’s not necessarily taking advantage of him, but is enjoying the attention. I see Ryu getting strung out on the “power” of Jane’s essence and that’s clouding his feelings. That once he gets past that, then his feelings won’t be as strong.
I honestly get the feeling that…what’s his name, where’s the book…the barghest is actually a two-formed (or shapeshifter) and will end up with Jane. I see a romance budding there, but it would depend on if that’s his only form. I feel a tension there.
Thanks for the mention :)
Thanks Jackie! I’m excited about the Book Bloggers and Publishers Online Conference too. I’m working during almost all the live audios, but I’m hoping to play catch up when I get off.
Thanks for the mention Jackie.
Can’t wait for The Hobbit, if it’s anything like the LoTR movies, then I will love it. I loved the book too :)
Hi Jackie, glad to see you were able to pop in over at the Book Bloggers Conference. Lots of fun. Thanks for mention too! I’m also a Hobbit fan and look forward to this hoping they give it the same care and attention a they did for LOTR.