Skin Game (2009)
Written by: Ava Gray
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 307 (Mass Market Paperback)

The premise: taken from the author's website: A beautiful fugitive—wanted dead or alive.
Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target’s strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist—anything she wants… for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father’s murder; with deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano’s inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.
Reyes has nothing but his work. Pity for Kyra, he’s the best and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He’s been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash—and bring her back to face Serrano’s “justice.” Dead will do, if he can’t locate the loot. He’s never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce heat and her outlaw heart. So Reyes has a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

My Rating

Worth the Cash: another tricky rating, because by all rights, the book is very solid with an engaging premise and interesting characters. I liked all the details surrounding Kyra's ability, how those details made her more human than super-human, and Reyes was the type of character you could sympathize with (even though he's a hit man). But whether it was because I read this book during an EXTREMELY busy week or I was turned off by Kyra and Reyes's initial meeting, but I wasn't engaged by this book like I expected. Maybe it's because I know the author, under her real name Ann Aguirre, does a fantastic job with angst, and there was very little angst in this book until the end, and then, of course, Gray had my full attention. Perhaps I prefer my romances to be slightly more subtle or more in the background, but that's not fair to say either, because I've read books that are straight up romance that I connected with better. So maybe my reaction is more of a "I had a horribly busy week while reading this" kind of a thing. I'm certainly interested in the sequel, Skin Tight, which focuses on two secondary characters that appear in this book, as Gray does introduce larger plot elements that don't get resolved (no worries, the immediate story is DEFINITELY resolved), so I'm curious to see what she's going to do with the four-book cycle. Plus, even though I wasn't fully engaged, I like this author a lot, and have faith that the next installment will work better for me. If it doesn't, no skin (ha ha) off my back. :) At any rate, if you're a fan of Ann Aguirre, you of course have to pick this up. If you've never heard of Ann Aguirre, but you're a romance reader, know this book includes rough sex and characters who are certainly darker than your traditional hero/heroine. If you can handle that, you'll be just fine.

Review style: no spoilers, which surprises me, since I thought there would be. But if you're paranoid, then there's no need to click the link below, which leads to the full review. However, if you're interested, comments and discussion are most welcome!

REVIEW: Ava Gray's SKIN GAME

Happy Reading!

The Blurb On The Back:

There are only eight breeding female werecats left ...

And I’m one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I’d been warned about Strays – werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back ... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I’m no meek kitty. I’ll take on whatever – and whoever – I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays – ‘cause I got claws, and I’m not afraid to use them.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Although the world-building here is careful and well thought-out, the same cannot be said for characterisation. With Faythe, Vincent has mistaken physical strength for character strength and the result is someone who is a narcissistic, petulant ninny and certainly not someone I’m in a hurry to read more about.

Just posted Review: Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance

x-posted a little, for obvious reasons
Spec the Halls, my contest for winter holiday-themed science fiction, fantasy, or horror (stories, poetry, art, or other creative works), closes to submissions Friday, December 18th. So far we have only a dozen or so submissions, so if you submit a good piece, the odds of winning are relatively high! Or go there to enjoy the entries. http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls.html Spec the Halls: A Winter Celebration of the Weird and the Fantastic http://www.aswiebe.com/specthehalls.html

So I was driving home from the store a couple of nights ago -- it was a beautiful night, dry and crisp and clear -- and I was passing Christmas tree lots, as one so often does around Christmas time. I glanced at each one, vaguely noting their prices and their offerings; I needed to get a Christmas tree, but felt no particular sense of immediacy about it (perhaps because my 11-year-old daughter wasn't in the car with me).

That changed, however, when I passed the lot with a huge plywood sign, on which was painted with the words "Last Dry Day!"

That sign almost made me stop the car right then and there and buy a tree. (Of course, I didn't; remember, I wasn't too keen on having my absent 11-year-old kill me in my sleep.) But that "Last Dry Day" message swiftly reoriented my thinking from "buy sometime" to "buy now." How? By shifting the buying trigger. Instead of the trigger being the easygoing "obtain a pleasant but ultimately non-essential object" it became the vastly more powerful and immediate "avoid unpleasant mess and hassle."

There's a lesson here to learn when it comes to book marketing as well. In most cases, books are viewed by the buyer as pleasant but ultimately non-essential objects. How can we, as authors marketing our work, shift that thinking to something more powerful and immediate? What buying triggers can we trip?

• The Scarcity Trigger. Amazon has a very cool "only [x] left in stock" message that pops up when supplies are running low. Online sellers that offer this information to buyers are doing you a favor -- direct your buyers to them first. And when supplies are low, make sure you mention on your blog or Facebook or Twitter. It may push a few customers over the line from thinking about buying to hitting the "buy now" button.

• The No-Spoiler Trigger. Does your book have a surprise ending? Is there a twist that readers won't want to find out in advance? Make the most of this fact in your marketing. Send the message loud and clear to potential buyers: don't wait, the secret won't stay a secret long!

• The Special Offer Trigger. This trigger is used often, but can still be effective. It involves providing some "special extra" to those who buy the book now. The special extra can be a prize -- for instance, urban fantasy author and writing instructor A.M. Dellamonica recently offered a prize of a manuscript critique of up to 6,000 words of fiction. To enter, readers had to buy her debut INDIGO SPRINGS and post a review before a certain date. This strategy not only ensured her a few extra sales, but several more reviews as well! But you don't have to offer a big ticket item; it can even be something as small as a moment of author interaction. At cons, make sure you participate in author signing events. If there aren't any organized events, let readers know that you'll be available in the dealer's room.

These are just a few examples, I'm sure our readers can think of more. Post your ideas in the comments!

Well, gang, there are four hours left, but the Kickstart page very much looks like Tu Publishing made the goal! We'll give you the official word tomorrow, but I'm going to believe it's smooth sailing from here out!

This is a site for Science Fiction and Fantasy stories. So your story should have some elements of one or the other, or both. We will accept any length story, starting from flash fiction (700 words or so), going all the way to novels (50,000+ words). We also accommodate stories that might not be finished yet. You can submit the first few chapters, then write some more and update your story with them later. Chapters should be at least 700 or so words at a minimum.

Full writers guidelines are here.

This is a free site, all I can offer right now is exposure.

Give Up the Ghost (2009)
Written by: Megan Crewe
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Pages: 244 (Hardcover)

The premise: from BN.com: Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance . . .

My Rating

Worth the Cash: which isn't bad for a hardcover. Crewe has a tendency to twist expectations a bit, and every time I thought something major was resolved in the book, Crewe turned that resolution n its head and let it lead into more interesting territory. It's a good story for anyone who's ever felt out of place, especially in high school, because Cass's story is about not just finding her place (and trust me when I say it's NOT about finding her place in the normative social cliques), but about Cass finding a way to interact with the real world again, instead of just the world of ghosts. I personally would like to see Cass's story continue, because while she grows and changes in this book, I feel like it's time for her to make a change in her world, and her ability to interact with ghosts is just the way to do it. This is an incredibly fast, fast read. I finished it in less than a day, and I'll be very happy to pick up Crewe's next offering, whatever it might be. As a writer, Crewe shows a lot of promise, so it'll be exciting to see what she does next.

Review style: expect spoilers, simply because it's a short book and the things I want to talk about are directly related to the more spoilerific aspects of the book. If you want to remain clean, there's no need to click the link below. But if spoilers don't bother you, or you want to chat about the book, the come on over! Comments and discussion are always welcome.

REVIEW: Megan Crewe's GIVE UP THE GHOST

Happy Reading!

Book club selections @ calico_reaction. Hop on over! We'd love to have you!

December: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
January: The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

LJ Name/Nickname: notthatheroine
Are you a writer? Yep
Are you trying to get published? Absolutely
What do you write about? I write about impossible things, monsters, strong women, people stuck in between worlds, and whatever strikes my fancy. In short, I like writing in difference branches on fantasy.
What are you reading now? I'm currently in book limbo, trying to pick what to read next. I'm leaning toward Graceling.
Who is your favorite urban fantasy author? Oh gosh...not sure...it changes depended on what I'm in the mood to read.
What urban fantasy book is your favorite? This year, it's a tie between Shiver and The Demon's Lexicon. I like YA books.
Who is your favorite character? Is this favorite character ever or favorite urban fantasy character. Either way, I don't think I can pick one.
Do you write fanfic? What fandoms? No, but I have been know to occasionally read fanfic.
Anything else? Not that I can think of at the moment. I'm just looking to get to know some fellow urban fantasy fans and chat about the genre.

Hey all - if anyone's interested in winning an e-copy of AFTERLIFE, my debut UF novel, just head on over to my blog here and leave a comment. Thanks!

Congratulations to all our winners -- and congratulations to Tu Publishing for the huge jump in funding that has happened over the past week! I hope the trend continues and we hit the goal by the 14th!

Stay tuned here to hear news about Tu Publishing's fundraising goals over the next few days... we hope to have great news for everyone on the 14th.

The winner of the giant box of manga is hipwritermama ! Send the donation receipt and your address to webmaster@gomedia-ent.com. Congrats to Tu Publishing for a great auction!

And the winner of my critique offer is robinbridges for $65. Please contact me, Robin, at tiffanytrent at msn dot com once you're all settled up.

Thanks for helping out, everyone!