Episode Thirteen - Craig DiLouie

Okay, it's just a picture, but those hands in the window creeped me out. And that's before I even turned a page of Craig DiLouie's new book Episode Thirteen.

I like 'intelligent' horror - a story that doesn't rely on a slash and burn rampage, but instead is a slow burning path to the 'don't go in the basement' moments. And DiLouie is one of those authors who hits all the right notes for me.

So, you may have watched one or two of those paranormal phenomenon and ghost hunters shows. Episode 13 takes us to an abandoned mansion that was used for some questionable testing forty years ago. There have been reports and sightings over the years. As the building is to be demolished, the Fade to Black paranormal research team have a small window for their investigation.

Episode Thirteen is told using an epistolary style - which is one of my favourite methods of story telling. We meet and come to know the five members of  Fade to Black through a series of journal entries, magazine articles, memos, memories, texts, transcripts and more. I like that we get to know each of the players through their own words, instead of through the eyes of just one main character. There are some very differing personalities - I think every reader will find one that resonates with them. 

I will say that the tension, uncertainty, creepiness and fright factor insidiously grows with every chapter. Things get a bit heavy at the end, but I really enjoyed the journey there. 

But...what about the house? Is it haunted? Well, I'm not to spoil the book for you, so you'll have to find out for yourself! Read an excerpt of Episode Thirteen. 

Limetown - Cote Smith, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie

I listen to a great number of books - but I also enjoy podcasts. One of the podcasts I have lined up to listen to is Limetown. But - there's a newly released audio book prequel called Limetown, written by the original creators - Cote Smith, Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie. So, I decided to listen to this audiobook first before delving into the podcasts.

From Simon and Schuster:

"From the creators of the #1 podcast Limetown, an explosive prequel about a teenager who learns of a mysterious research facility where over three hundred people have disappeared - including her uncle - with clues that become the key to discovering the secrets of this strange town."

I love stories like this - the unexplained, investigative journalism, conspiracies and more. Teenager Lia Haddock is the lead character. Candice Thaxton reads this characters. She's a favorite narrator of mine. She has such an expressive voice and interprets the books she reads very, very well. Her intonation rises and falls in a unique way.She emphasizes and depicts much with her voice. Her voice is also clear and easy to understand. And her voice matched the mental image I had created. Jacques Roy(another favorite) read the male roles - the missing Emile, Jack and more. He has a lovely measured pace of speaking that draws the listener in. He captures scenes of emotion and action with that same lower tone, but with urgency. Again, he's easy to understand and pleasant to listen to.

Listen carefully - the plot is fairly intricate and moves from present to past until the two catch up with each other. I was immediately drawn into the story. With this background, I'm looking forward to starting the podcast. Listen to an excerpt of Limetown.

The Last Magician - Lisa Maxwell

I loved the age recommendation for Lisa Maxwell's New York Times bestseller, The Last Magician......14-99. Because really, who doesn't love a magical tale? At any age.

The Last Magician is set in New York City in the early 1900's. Esta has travelled back in time from the present day to steal one last artifact from a sinister group that has been killing off those that are truly magic. Can she do it - and save the magic?

Ahh, what's not to love - time travel, magic, good vs. evil, romance. Yes, romance - a lovely yes/no/maybe so attraction! Dastardly villains, thrills, dangers, intrigue, action and much more. Maxwell's world building was excellent, the plotting detailed, the characters engaging and the story moved forward at a good pace.

I chose to listen to The Last Magician. As I've mentioned many times before, I find I become more immersed in a story while listening. A magical world seemed like the perfect book to get lost in.

The reader was Candace Thaxton. She has an unusual voice - it is very, very expressive with intonations that rise and fall in tone many times in each sentence. Her voice is somewhat gravelly and quirky, if that makes sense. I liked it and thought it matched the book she was narrating. She enunciates well - her words were clear and easy to understand. She conveyed the emotions of the characters well. Actions, time, place and tone of the story as well. See for yourself listen to an excerpt of The Last Magician.Or if you prefer, read an excerpt.

And at the end I wondered.....what if there was still a bit of magic in the world? Even better - there's a sequel in the works!

Dark Company - Natale Ghent - Guest Post AND Giveaway!

Natale Ghent's latest book is Dark Company.

I'm always curious as to how an author comes up with the idea for their novel. Natale reveals the impetus for Dark Company in the guest post below....and I had goosebumps by the last paragraph.

Oh, and did I mention I have a signed copy of Dark Company to giveaway as well?

"I have a confession: I've met the dark head-on. This may seem like a bold statement but let me explain.

There was a time when I was a practicing hypnotherapist. I had an office and clients. I helped people overcome phobias and find the source of things they couldn't reconcile or face on their own. I practiced past-life regression and heard some incredible stories. I did this part-time along with my writing because I enjoyed it.

I’ve always been fascinated by the mind and what it’s capable of, and how it can be twisted by life experiences and straightened out again by love. But the part of hypnosis that grabbed me and held me so firmly was the dark world of spirit and entity release.

This is an area that isn’t talked about much, even in hypnotherapy circles. But the more work I did, the more I understood that dealing with people’s pain meant dealing with the dark energy that comes along with it. As I delved deeper and deeper into the source of things for a client, I almost always found some kind of darkness at the root of it.

It was rarely obvious or easy to see. It was often disguised as something innocuous, something completely unrelated. It would assume a seemingly harmless form, like a dark triangle or circle or some other geometric shape, on some part of a person’s body.

In each case, the closer I got to discovering the truth about the dark thing hiding itself, the more it would try to fool me. It would lie. It would change into something else. And I would chase it around with questions until eventually it would reveal itself and I could transform it.

Most of the dark energy I met was quite easy to deal with. In fact, most of it was grateful for the opportunity to reinvent itself. But occasionally I would meet something so dark, so sinister, I had no choice but to destroy it.

This isn’t work for the faint of heart. It isn’t work for people who are easily frightened or overcome. It’s a battle of wits and wills. An endurance test. Sometimes the session would go on for hours. But the results were immediate and powerful.

There was an interesting spin-off to all of this as well: the souls of people who had died but were trapped on the earth plane started coming to me for help after office hours. They needed assistance crossing into the light. They came in droves at night and in the wee hours of the morning. They were weary and confused and sometimes demanding. I would help every one of them—every one that I could see or hear. But the more souls I helped, the more would come, until I was overwhelmed; I soon had little time or mental freedom to write.

I will never forget what made me stop practicing. It was late at night. I was sleeping after an exhausting day when I was suddenly aware of someone sitting on the end of the bed. When I opened my eyes, I saw the silhouette of a young woman. She had her back to me, her head turned to one side, looking at me from the corner of her eyes. She was patiently waiting for me to acknowledge her.

Maybe it was the exhaustion, or the fact that I was struggling to accomplish both my writing and my healing work at the same time, but I sat up and said, “I can’t help you.” She didn't push the matter. She simply turned her head, rose, and disappeared.

I wish I had handled it differently. I wish I had taken the time to help her before closing the door. But I didn’t.

It was shortly after this that the character who inspired Dark Company made herself known. I was driving home from up north and she just got in the car, buckled herself in, and proceeded to talk to me. Maybe she felt my work with the dark wasn't finished. Maybe she felt I had gone so far down those murky alleyways, that to turn around and walk away from it all would be a shame. Maybe she thought it was a good way to open the door again. Whatever the reason, I’m so glad she did."

Goosebumps!

For more about Dark Company, please visit www.darkcompanybook.com. Or get started now - read an excerpt of Dark Company. Or watch the book trailer.

"Natale Ghent is an award-winning author of, among other books, Gravity Brings Me Down and Millhouse. Her work has been critically acclaimed, garnering awards and recognition internationally."You can connect with Natale Ghent on Twitter. "

And courtesy of Doubleday Canada, I have a copy of Dark Company to giveaway to one lucky reader. Open to Canada only, ends April 18/15. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Winter People - Jennifer McMahon

It seems to be things that go bump in the night week for me! Jennifer McMahon's latest book is The Winter People.

I love the dedication.....

" For Zeila. Because one day, you wanted to play a really creepy game about two sisters whose parents had disappeared in the woods ..... Sometimes it just happens."

And that's exactly what happens. Ruthie and Fawn live with their mother Alice in West Hall, Vermont on a hardscrabble farm near a rocky ridge known as The Devil's Hand. When Alice disappears without a trace, the girls search the house for clues - and come upon a diary hidden under the floorboards. The diary is from 1908 and belonged to Sara, a former resident of the house. What Ruthie reads seems impossible. But again, there have always been rumours and legends about Devil's Hand. And people do go missing.....

McMahon weaves her story through past and present as the girls search for their mother and we catch up by reading Sara's diary from 1908.

"She's one of the winter people. The people who are stuck between here and there, waiting. It reminds me of winter, how everything is all pale and cold and full of nothing, and all you can do is wait for sparing."

I really enjoyed the build up of the story and found it hard to put down - I wanted to know what had happened and what was going to happen. But I found one of the final characters involved in the ending overdone and the conclusion was a little too predictable and somewhat familiar. (Think Pet Semetary) For me, this somewhat detracted from what had been a good horror/ghost story up until then. Of the two narratives, I preferred Sara's from 1908. It was scarier and more atmospheric.

Still, The Winter People kept me turning pages on a dark winter night. Entertaining, but not my favourite McMahon book. (Island of Lost Girls is my fave)  Read an excerpt of The Winter People.

You can find Jennifer McMahon on Facebook.

Giveaway - Kitty Steals the Show - Carrie Vaughn

Want to get your hands on the newest release in Carrie Vaughn's New York Times best selling series? Thanks to the great folks at Tor Books, I have a copy of Kitty Steals the Show up for grabs! Simply leave a comment to be entered. US only, ends Aug 19/12.

From the publisher:

"Kitty has been tapped as the keynote speaker for the First International Conference on Paranatural Studies, taking place in London. The conference brings together scientists, activists, protesters, and supernatural beings from all over the world—and Kitty, Ben, and Cormac are right in the middle of it.
Master vampires from dozens of cities have also gathered in London for a conference of their own. With the help of the Master of London, Kitty gets more of a glimpse into the Long Game—a power struggle among vampires that has been going on for centuries—than she ever has before. In her search for answers, Kitty has the help of some old allies, and meets some new ones, such as Caleb, the alpha werewolf of the British Isles. The conference has also attracted some old enemies, who’ve set their sights on her and her friends. All the world’s a stage, and Kitty’s just stepped into the spotlight." Read an excerpt of Kitty Steals the Show.

Carrie Vaughn is the New York Times bestselling author of the Kitty Norville books, including Kitty’s Big Trouble and Kitty and the Midnight Hour. She is also the author of the stand-alone novels After the Golden Age and Discord’s Apple, and the young adult books Voice of Dragons and Steel. Vaughn had the nomadic childhood of the typical Air Force brat, with stops across the country from California to Florida. She earned her B.A. from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and a master’s in English from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She has worked as a Renaissance Festival counter wench, a theater usher, an editor, a buyer at an independent bookstore, and an administrative assistant. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

The Reckoning - Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu's latest release - The Reckoning - is the second book of The Taker Trilogy. I read and reviewed the first in the series - The Taker - last year and enjoyed. I was curious to see where Katsu would take her characters in the second installment.

As a quick background... "In 1817 Lanny was sent to Boston to give birth to her illegitimate child. But she never made it as far as the convent. Instead she fell in with Count Adair and his household. Adair is a centuries old alchemist with the ability to bind his minions to him for life - never aging and never dying."

The Reckoning picks up the story a few months after The Taker left off, in the present day. Lanny has run away with Luke, a mortal, starting yet another new life. But their calm is about to be shattered - Adair is on the hunt to reclaim Lanny. Lanny has spent much of the last 200 years trying to escape from her past. The book treats us to many of her memories as she explores her life and determines the choices she's going to have to make in this time. I enjoyed these flashbacks and their historical detail as much or more than the present day story.

The Taker set up the characters, the settings and the story for Katsu's trilogy. The sense of urgency and action, although present, is not as prevalent in The Reckoning. Instead, this second entry deals more with emotions - wants, needs, desires and love. Adair is given a depth not seen in The Taker.

The Reckoning is outside of the genres I normally read but had no problem holding my interest as a story. I am pragmatic by nature though, so I found myself unable to swoon with Lanny as she determines who she wants to spend her eternity with.  Readers who lose themselves in a character will enjoy Lanny. Personally I found myself more drawn to Adair this time 'round. His self exploration was much more interesting to me. Those who like a little spice in their reading will enjoy the 'swiving' scenes.

Katsu has a rich, imaginative, storytelling voice. Fans of early Anne Rice would enjoy Alma Katsu. You can find Alma Katsu on Facebook and on Twitter.

Again the ending was slightly unsatisfying as it simply leaves the door open for the third book. Although - I am very curious about this Queen of the Underworld. I would recommend reading The Taker before The Reckoning to have a full appreciation of the story. Read an excerpt of The Reckoning.

(The ARC I received had a different cover that mirrored the tone of the hardcover edition of The Taker. I have to say I preferred it to this cover - which seems a little YA for me. In my opinion, it  comes off as a bit sensationalistic and really doesn't connote the rich tone of Katsu's tale.)

Embrace - Jessica Shirvington - Review AND Giveaway

Resident teen blogger Ella is back with her review of Embrace, the first book in a trilogy by Jessica Shirvington.

"I’m not actually sure how to summarize without giving anything away. Let’s see: Violet Eden is about to turn 17, but she’s not excited, because it’s also the 17th anniversary of her mother’s death (grim stuff, I know).  Luckily, she has her (hot,older) friend Lincoln, to distract her. Not long after though, weird changes start occurring within her, and things get a little more interesting…

I liked it, and not just because it has the coolest cover since The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. A nice addition to the angel mythology, and, I was happy to see, the Lilith lore. It was action-packed without going too fast, and the characters were nicely fleshed out. I personally think it stands out among the many angel books that are currently floating around. Violet, the main character, is pretty cool, despite a series of terrible errors in judgement, and has huge potential to become a bad-ass, enchantingly lacking in the whining and Mary-Sue-ishness than can be found in way too many fantasy heroines. Case in point: she’s been unwittingly being trained by her friend Lincoln to be a warrior for several months, which means we get to skip the annoying ‘OMG, I wish the boys would stop protecting me, even though I have absolutely no self-defense skills of my own’ stage of the game, without an upsetting deus-ex-machina burst of magical power from the middle of nowhere.  On top of that, Lincoln is a total babe, and Phoenix is the original bad-boy (literally?). I love that Jessica managed to make this book fairly self-contained, but still leave enough loose-ends that I won’t forget to look for the sequel. So glad Australia decided to share!"

As always Ella, thanks for a great review! And if Ella has whetted your appetite, we have a copy of Embrace to giveaway! Simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to US and Canada. A winner will be randomly chosen March 31st. Or get a head start - read an excerpt of Embrace. You can find Embrace on Facebook as well.

The Taker - Alma Katsu

The Taker by Alma Katsu opens in present day Maine at a small rural hospital Dr. Luke Findlay is called upon to examine a young woman named Lanny - a murder suspect - before she is taken to jail. When she slices herself open with a scalpel and the wound begins to heal instantaneously Luke is stunned. She begins to tell him her story - and he is mesmerized. Against all good judgement, he helps her escape and goes on the run with her. And as they drive she continues her story.

In 1817 Lanny was sent to Boston to give birth to her illegitimate child. But she never made it as far as the convent. Instead she fell in with Count Adair and his household. Adair is himself a centuries old alchemist with the ability to bind his minions to him for life - never aging and never dying. His lifestyle is depraved - an unrelenting search for the hedonistic.

Lanny's story is the tale of her years with Adair and the love she so desperately seeks with the father of her child. Can she reclaim that love? What is love? How far will she go? Will Adair let her have that love?

The modern day story of the doctor and Lanny takes a backseat to the pages from the past. I quickly became caught up in Lanny's recounting of her years with the Count. I very much enjoyed the historical detail of the times. Maybe it's my pragmatic nature, but Lanny's obsessiveness with Jonathan, the father of her child, became a bit tiresome after a while.

The Taker isn't my usual fare, but Alma Katsu has crafted an addicting tale that's hard to define. It's paranormal, but without the use of creatures - simply immortality. There's history, mystery and yes, romance. Think Twilight for adults. The Taker was a different read, going in directions I hadn't predicted. I was a bit frustrated by the ending, which I found unsatisfying, until I found out that The Taker is the first book in a planned trilogy. I'll definitely be picking up the second book - The Reckoning - to see where those loose ends go.

Read an excerpt of The Taker. You can find Katsu on Twitter and on Facebook. Watch the book trailer here.

The Thirteen - Susie Moloney- Review AND Giveaway

I first discovered Canadian author Susie Moloney when I read her novel A Dry Spell way back in 1997. She followed that up with The Dwelling in 2003. Both seemed to fall under the horror genre - a la Stephen King - with everyday occurrences and things becoming sinister, such as a lack of rain and a house that just won't sell. But Moloney also does a fine job of exploring reactions and behaviour as a result of those occurrences.

Moloney's latest novel - The Thirteen - centres on the perfect little town of Haven Woods. Things are, well, just as they should be, according to the thirteen women who seem to have a grip on the town. Until one of their own breaks rank and upsets everything. What to do? The leader Izzy calls Paula -daughter of one of their group (coven) and convinces her to come home - with her daughter Rowan. After all thirteen is the magic number and a sacrifice is needed...

Moloney has crafted another entertaining tale, drawing upon today's fascination with all things paranormal. But it just didn't grab me as much as her past books. Paula is unable to contact the doctor tending to her mother in the Haven Woods Hospital. Or even a nurse (other than one of the thirteen posing as one). No cleaners, no other patients, nothing. Really, after the fourth or fifth visit and she is still acquiescing, it stretched credibility. It reminded me of a slasher film where you want to yell at the lead character to "open your eyes and look around!"

Desperate Housewives sprang to mind and indeed this is one comparison that the publisher uses as well - "The Witches of Eastwick meets Desperate Housewives in Susie Moloney's The Thirteen, her new and long-awaited novel."

Once I got past being annoyed at the hospital situation, I did enjoy the book. Moloney has a wry sense of humour that is fun to catch. She again explores the human dynamic with lots of back stories of many of the characters and emotion drives some of the plot line.  I was never really 'horrified', but did appreciate Moloney's take on urban witches and the desire of many to 'have it all.' The action in the last few chapters had me quickly turning pages and the ending employed a great hook.

Read an excerpt of The Thirteen.

And thanks to the lovely folks at Random House Canada, I have a copy of The Thirteen to giveaway. Open to Canada only, one win per household. Simply comment to be entered. Ends Sun. Sept. 11 at 6 pm EST.

Bitten - Kelley Armstrong

I haven't really gotten into reading the paranormal genre. But when I was offered the opportunity to read Bitten, the first book in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, I bit. I had heard Kelley speak at a library conference and was impressed by her.

Bitten is the story of Elena, the only female werewolf. She isn't happy, has turned her back on her Pack and is trying to live a normal life in Toronto. But when the Pack calls on her to help with a dangerous rogue bent on destroying them, she reluctantly agrees. She'll help them, but then she's done with them - for good.

I was easily caught up in the story from the first few pages. Armstrong's writing is sharp, crisp and intriguing. The storyline is solid and doesn't depend on 'glances and moments'. Bitten is a combination suspense/thriller/mystery with yes - some romance thrown in. I became enamoured of the characters - they were well drawn. The book was a definite page turner - I'll be picking up the next book in this adult series.

Kelley Armstrong is a Canadian author and one of the pioneers of the paranormal genre. Bitten originally came out in 2001.

Read an excerpt of Bitten.

** Remember you still have time to enter the giveaway for a spankin' new copy of Bitten. Ends Sunday April 18th at 6 pm EST.**

A Touch of Dead - Charlaine Harris

Okay I fully admit it - I was a Sookie newbie. I'd heard so much about Charlaine Harris's series and placed a lot of holds for patrons, but hadn't gotten around to reading one.

A Touch of Dead , a short story collection, was the perfect 'starter' for me. Okay, for anyone else out there who hasn't read a Sookie story yet, here's the basics - Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in small town Bon Temps, Louisiana. She just happens to be telepathic. Vampires have 'outed' themselves to the world; fairies and goblins, witches, shapeshifters and werewolves are part of the town's population as well.

Harris has an absolutely wicked sense of humour. In 'Dracula Night', an awe struck vamp hopes that Dracula himself will come to his party. Kind of like Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin as one character remarks.

How's this for an opening line in 'One Word Answer'? "Bubba the Vampire and I were raking up clippings from my newly trimmed bushes about midnight when the long black car pulled up."

The supernatural becomes part of the everyday landscape of life in Bon Temps. The stories are fun, but do contain an element of darkness as well. There's romance also, as Sookie is still looking for a boyfriend. Sookie is an engaging character, very likable. Harris seamlessly blends the everyday with the paranormal, creating charming, bewitching tales.

I honestly wasn't sure I would enjoy this as it isn't my usual style, but you know - I'm hooked. I'll be heading back to start at the beginning of this enchanting series. HBO has also based a hit series on Sookie called True Blood that I want to check out. You can read an excerpt of A Touch of Dead.

Anyone else spellbound?