Daily Dose | Saturday Smack Down: The Hollows versus Atlanta...

Today’s Saturday Smack Down takes on a different twist as we pit world against world, colorful existence against colorful existence and the rich characters that populate both. In this corner, weighing in with over a half-dozen books are The Hollows by Kim Harrison and in our opposing corner are the lands of future Atlanta by Ilona Andrews. Each world is so vivid and real, it is easy to imagine walking around the corner and right into the pages of these wonderful novels.

As always, your vote decides which one you would most like to visit? Which one
could you see as a great vacation destination? In honor of our holiday giveaway, I want to give a gift of my own. This week’s winner will receive a $10 Gift Certificate to Barnes and Noble.

Learn about the two contenders and how to win...

Fresh Pick | FADE OUT by Rachel Caine

Morganville Vampires #7

November 2009
On Sale: November 3, 2009
256 pages
ISBN: 0451228669
EAN: 9780451228666
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Young Adult Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Fade Out by Rachel Caine

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

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Kate Jacobs | Memories, Holidays and Families

We had the opportunity to pose some questions to Kate Jacobs for our blog today, so settle down and learn to know the author behind the bestselling Friday Night Knitting series.

After the controversial ending of THE FRIDAY NIGHT KNITTING CLUB were you concerned about the reception the ending of KNIT TWO would get?


KJ: I always write the story I feel compelled to tell, though I do think of readers and their feelings. I really like the people who read my books! But ultimately I follow my instincts. You know, I chat about the ending of FNKC a great deal because I telephone book clubs regularly (readers simply contact me via my website). There are many readers who are upset by the death of a certain character in FNKC, and, by extension, upset with me. There are other readers who, like me, find it cathartic to grieve her loss. But it’s important to note that the plot twists are relevant to the themes of the book, to the ideas of recognizing how important our friendships are and how necessary (for us) it is to forgive and to absorb that sense of “why wait until tomorrow?” I also hope it’s clear how much practical health information I tried to tuck in there and how crucial it is that we all look after ourselves. In my mind, FNKC ends exactly as it should, even though parts of it are tough. As with any book I write, there are also issues I’m working out in the story, and there's no question that writing FNKC helped me deal with experiences of my own.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t like happy endings. Of course I do! Especially in real life – those happy endings are much more significant. But I do write them into my stories as well. KNIT TWO is a book that picks up five years after the end of the original story and asks questions about how we deal with grief, and how our lives become burdened by legacy. It’s an examination of how life – with its ups and downs, its gifts and its losses – defines who we are. And it has an upbeat ending because otherwise the book is too weighed down, in my opinion, and because I wanted there to be a full circle-ness to each of the stories in the series. Families – and families of friends – learn how to understand and how to grow together. How to accept. The newest and third book in the series, KNIT THE SEASON, smoothes out some of the remaining rough edges from the first two books and answers lingering questions about characters we haven’t seen in a while. It also incorporates memory flashbacks in which I write in the present-tense voice of the character no longer with the group, because to me the holidays are a time when we reflect on good memories of loved ones. We think about where we are going, and reminisce about where we’ve been.

Read more of Kate's interview by clicking here...

Daily Dose Holiday Giveaway: Gift Certificates to Amazon

Let’s kick our holiday season off right here at the Daily Dose. As Heather mentioned a couple of weeks ago, the Daily Dose is going to be hosting a giveaway of some kind everyday between now and December 19, so make sure you stop by regularly. Before we get to the giveaway, let us go over the rules:

1. You comment on the blog in order to be entered into the drawing.

2. You must include whom you want to give the gift. You do not have to name names or post their email information, just a short blurb about what they mean to you or why it’s important they receive it. You can be a real secret Santa as well.

3. Each drawing will last 24 hours unless otherwise noted. (7 a.m. to 7 a.m. CST)

4. Winners will be notified by email so make sure I have that or access to it via your profile. Upon notification, you let me know whom the gift is going to.

5. You may only win one giveaway, once you win one you cannot enter into anymore.

6. Spread the holiday cheer for everyone celebrating Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Christmas and more.

Example Entry: I want to nominate a dear friend from my office. She and her husband are always struggling to make ends meet. They never buy anything for themselves, even at the holidays, but they give everything to their kids. I just want to treat her to something special for her.

Pretty simple, huh?

Holiday Giveaways

Today is Black Friday in the United States! So what better way to kick off our holiday giveaway than with a $25 gift certificate to Amazon from author Michele Bardsley. Michele writes the fabulous and fun Broken Heart vampire series. Ever wonder what a soccer mom would be like as a vampire? Michele as an answer for you as she explores the paranormal PTA for the local school.

The author published her first book in 1998, an e-book – and has since published several novels in e-book and print form. In 2003, she won the Grand Prize from the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, beating out thousands of others with her short story “A Mother Scorned.” The recipient of many awards, Michele’s work engages you with a multitude of emotion that can make you cry even as you laugh aloud.

Let Michele Bardsley be a part of your holiday plans and enter to win this gift for someone you love. Entries close at 7 a.m. Central on Saturday, November 28.

---

A lifelong writer turned author, Heather Long's first book Remembering Ashby is available for purchase at Sapphire Blue Publishing. Coming soon is the urban fantasy: Prime Evil. The Daily Dose explores books, television, writing and more -- all topics that Heather enjoys.

click here to leave your nomination...

Fresh Pick | ANGEL IN VEGAS by Norma Howe

November 2009
On Sale: November 10, 2009
Featuring: Noah Sark
256 pages
ISBN: 0763639850
EAN: 9780763639853
Hardcover
$16.99

Young Adult Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Angel In Vegas by Norma Howe

The Chronicles Of Noah Sark

Good heavens! A teen angel drops into Sin City in this wickedly funny YA novel from the author of the Blue Avenger trilogy.

Who is Noah Sark, really? And what is he doing in the men’s room at Angelo’s Donut Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada? No use asking him; he doesn’t know. But he’s gambling that an assignment from above will shed some light — after all, a life depends on it!

Only master satirist Norma Howe could craft a provocative meditation on free will from blending one (or maybe two) budding teen romances, a psychic fair, a dead frog, a headful of blond curls, and Las Vegas in all its glitz and kitsch (hello, Elvis!) with the dramatic backstory of Princess Diana in Paris.

The jackpot? A wild and witty portrait of an unlikely guardian angel on a desperate mission to save a certain unknown girl from a certain unknown disaster.

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Sara Reyes | Giving Thanks...

I'd like to wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all our US readers. It's one of the national holidays much loved in our home. And as in many homes, I imagine it follows a set tradition. I must admit I never had the problem of deciding which family to go to for Thanksgiving as neither my husband's or my family were options for the holidays and so we decided with our very first married Thanksgiving to do it "our" way. It's evolved over the years as our children aged to delightful adults until it's a very comfortable day, full of our little traditions. In other words, I get to supervise now and they do most of the heavy lifting and cooking, although I still get up at dawn to supervise the muffins being made and the turkey stuffed into the roasting pan.

Then we settle down with coffee / tea and warm muffins to enjoy the Macy parade on television. I discovered the parade when I was in college and it's been one of my favorites over the years. My children are accustomed to watching the elaborate balloons and the marching bands while the house fills up with the smells of baking and roasting. Since the advent of video recorders and DVRs it's been possible to take pauses for cooking and still enjoy the festivities around the nation. We also invite friends who may not be able to go home to help celebrate with us. Of course, in our house, everyone has to help cook, even if you don't know "how" there is some type of prep or clean-up that can be performed. Plus we send them home with a big bag of leftovers!

Read the rest and learn how to win...

Fresh Pick | SHADOWLAND by Alyson Noel

The Immortals #3

November 2009
On Sale: November 17, 2009
Featuring: Damen; Ever
368 pages
ISBN: 031259044X
EAN: 9780312590444
Hardcover
$17.99

Young Adult Paranormal
Buy at Amazon.com

Shadowland by Alyson Noel

She always believed he was her destiny—but what if fate has other plans?

Enter the realm of the Immortals-the #1 New York Times bestselling series that-s been acclaimed as breathtaking, mesmerizing, flawless and extraordinary.

Ever and Damen have traveled through countless past lives- and fought off the world-s darkest enemies-so they could be together forever.- But just when their long-awaited destiny is finally within reach, a powerful curse falls upon Damen-one that could destroy everything.- Now a single touch of their hands or a soft brush of their lips could mean sudden death-plunging Damen into the Shadowland.-- Desperate to break the curse and save Damen, Ever immerses herself in magick-and gets help from an unexpected source-a surfer named Jude.

Although she and Jude have only just met, he feels startlingly familiar.- Despite her fierce loyalty to Damen, Ever is drawn to Jude, a green-eyed golden boy with magical talents and a mysterious past.- She-s always believed Damen to be her soulmate and one true love-and she still believes it to be true.- But as Damen pulls away to save them, Ever-s connection with Jude grows stronger- and tests her love for Damen like never before

Excerpt

"Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence."
   —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Chapter One

Everything is energy."

Damen's dark eyes focus on mine, urging me to listen, really listen this time. "Everything around us—" His arm sweeps before him, tracing a fading horizon that'll soon fade to black. "Everything in this seemingly solid universe of ours isn't solid at all—it's energy—pure vibrating energy. And while our perception may convince us that things are either solid or liquid or gaseous—on the quantum level it's all just particles within particles—it's all just energy."

I press my lips together and nod, his voice overpowered by the one in my head urging: Tell him! Tell him now! Quit stalling, and just Read More...

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Fresh Pick | SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE by Jennifer Banash

The Elite #3

July 2009
On Sale: July 7, 2009
Featuring: Drew Van Allen; Casey
256 pages
ISBN: 0425227839
EAN: 9780425227831
Paperback
$9.99

Young Adult
Buy at Amazon.com

Simply Irresistible by Jennifer Banash

Small-town girl turned Big Apple beauty, Casey McCloy is really beginning to enjoy the high life in her high-rise. She's climbing the social ladder, to the dismay of her neighbor and rival, Madison Macallister. And Casey could end up as popular as Madison now that the two are set to star in their own reality show, "De-Luxe." But reality TV can be so unreal . . .

Madison loves the attention, but having every bit of her life caught on tape is often less than glamorous. Yet fame comes at a price-and she's willing to pay. Meanwhile, now that Casey and her almost-boyfriend Drew Van Allen are currently more off than on, she's beginning to wonder if everything in her life is just an illusion-and how much longer the illusion can last.

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KAREN KENDALL | HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

This year I thought I’d dispel some myths about me, even though I have spent hours in the kitchen today making four cheesecakes (two for my neighbor and two for the actual Turkey Day feast).

There are people out there, including a few friends of mine, who are under the illusion that I’m a gourmet cook. This is only marginally true . . . any skills I have were acquired from watching my mom in the kitchen and then operating in a kind of “monkey see, monkey do” fog over the years.

To tell Karen your Thanksgiving cooking story, and for a chance to win Take Me If You Can please click here.

Anna Campbell | Men of Honour...Don't You Just Love Them?

I have a confession to make. Do you promise not to tell anyone? I’ve got to admit it. I have a HUGE crush on the hero of my latest book, CAPTIVE OF SIN! Not that my longings are going to do me any good. Sir Gideon Trevithick is completely in love with Lady Charis Weston. Sigh. The poor author just doesn’t get a look-in! Not that this author is sour about that or anything. MUCH!

Gideon is a complete man of honor, a characteristic I find terrifically attractive. He’s brave, self-sacrificing, ethical, steadfast, protective. Lucky Charis! In fact, he’s the complete knight in shining armor package. When he gives his word, he never wavers, whatever the price he must pay personally as a result. In CAPTIVE OF SIN, when he stumbles across a runaway heiress hiding in a stable, he promises to protect her from her violent and greedy stepbrothers (who are the complete opposite of men of honor!). Charis has found a champion.

Time to read the rest...Click here...

Fresh Pick | GATEWAY by Sharon Shinn

October 2009
On Sale: October 15, 2009
Featuring: Daiyu
288 pages
ISBN: 0670011789
EAN: 9780670011780
Hardcover
$17.99

Young Adult Adventure
Buy at Amazon.com

Gateway by Sharon Shinn

As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring—and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu”—she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There’s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever. . . .

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Lisa Dale | IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Hi all!

I’m so thrilled to be blogging here with you today! For about a month now I’ve been counting the days until my new book IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT comes out. And guess what? It’s finally here!

Before I write anything more, here’s what the book’s about. I’ll include the book trailer for you, because I think it’s more fun that way. Let me know what you think of it!



Click here to read the rest of Lisa's note...

Fresh Pick | THE BETRAYAL OF NATALIE HARGROVE by Lauren Kate

November 2009
On Sale: November 12, 2009
Featuring: Natalie Hargrove; Mike King; Justin Balmer
248 pages
ISBN: 1595142657
EAN: 9781595142658
Paperback
$9.99

Young Adult Suspense
Buy at Amazon.com

The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

Cruel Intentions meets Macbeth in this seductive, riveting tale of conscience and consequence.

A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school’s Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn’t share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie’s nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party—when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should’ve messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.


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Fresh Pick | ARCHENEMY by Frank Beddor

The Looking Glass Wars #3

October 2009
On Sale: October 15, 2009
384 pages
ISBN: 0803731566
EAN: 9780803731561
Hardcover
$17.99

Young Adult Science Fiction, Young Adult Adventure
Buy at Amazon.com

Archenemy by Frank Beddor

Discover the fate of Wonderland- and imagination itself- in this riveting conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy.

The Heart Crystal’s power has been depleted, and Imagination along with it. The people of Wonderland have all lost their creative drive, and most alarmingly, even Queen Alyss is without her powers. There is some comfort in the fact that the vicious Redd Heart seems to be similarly disabled. Amazingly, she is attempting to team up with her enemy, Alyss, in order to reclaim Wonderland from King Arch. Alyss might have no choice but to accept Redd’s overtures, especially when she begins to receive alarming advice from the caterpillar oracles.

Page-turning and complex, this culmination of the Wonderland saga is intensely satisfying.

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SANDI SHILHANEK | HOW DO YOU FIND COMFORT?

This weekend I find myself in need of comfort. A difficult decision was taken out of my hands, when my beloved pet, Sally passed away peacefully at home on Friday evening.

Now, I need something to distract myself from her loss. I know many of you have what you consider to be comfort reads, and pull one of those from your keeper shelf and indulge. I however don’t have a keeper shelf per se…I have books I’ve kept because they’re autographed and not necessarily rereads time and time again.


To read more of How Do You Find Comfort? please click here.