Perguntas mais frequentes: já foi a Nova York?

Uma vez que Crónicas Obscuras – A vingança do lobo decorre na Grande Maçã, esta questão é das mais frequentes. Infelizmente, não, nunca fui a Nova York.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Perry Mason

Who doesn't love Perry Mason?  If you are one of those strange people who don't love him, I would have to assume that you were born on Mars and have 4 eyes in the middle of your forehead, maybe a tail as well.  If that's not the reason, well then you are just plain strange.

Perry starred in a series of novels and short stories by Erle Stanley Gardner, over 80 of them actually, and he has been in the collective memory of us all ever since.  Now my memories of him don't come from the books.  I'm actually reading my first one right now, The Case Of The Daring Divorcee, and I'm loving it so far.  Instead I first grew to know, and yes have a crush on, Perry by watching the TV show that aired from 1957-1966.

Since I'm only 33 years old, I wasn't able to watch the show when it first aired, but every time it would come on in syndication I would gobble the episodes up like Halloween candy.  There was something so imposing but attractive about the way Raymond Burr brought the character to life.  Perry was an intelligent defense attorney who with the help of his secretary Della Street, and his PI, Paul Drake, would take on those cases that seemed the most dire and undefinable.  He would take on for the most part murder cases where the defendant looks extremely guilty.  He actually seemed to enjoy the case the most when it was harder than what he had dealt with before. 

What really set him apart were his tactics and the way he would play the trial as if it was a board game.  He was great at manipulating the evidence and the actual people involved in the case.  He would deliberately mislead the police, keep information back, and do whatever else it took to protect his client.  Lucky for him he always did it ethically (for the most part) and he could get the real murderer to crack on the witness stand.  Those breakdowns on the stand were always the pay off for me.  Watching Perry wear down the real culprit and get them to confess under oath was always a pleasure to watch.

I think the other thing I always found fascinating about Perry Mason, was the mystery about who he was outside of work.  His personal life was really never explored in the show or in the books for that matter.  The reader/viewer, with the help of very, very few random clues, were left to their own devices to fill in the gaps about him as a man.  His motivations, his wants, and desires are all left undisclosed, making Perry probably one of the most famous characters that we know very little about.  He is a brilliant enigma that I never get tired of being around.

For anyone interested, CBS.com has 39 full episodes of the TV show to watch online.

Death Mask by Graham Masterton

Synopsis From Back Cover:

He appeared as if from nowhere, brutally slashed a man and a young woman in an office elevator, then vanished again without a trace.  The woman survived and gave the police a detailed description of the killer's bizarre face, yet the police can find no sign of him anywhere.  It's as if he never existed.  But now he's killed again.  And again.  One woman holds the key to his terrifying secret...but how do you stop a murderer who isn't there?

With a body count well over 30 (maybe even over 40, I lost track) this has to be one of the bloodiest books I have read in a very long time, and I loved every minute of it.  I haven't read much of Graham Masterton's work, but of the few books I've read, I loved every single one.  This one is no different.

Molly is a gifted artist who has worked with the police in the past, sketching pictures of suspects and missing people.  Lately her work is coming off the page and appearing in the real world.  So far it's only happening with roses, but who knows what's next, or why and how it's happening.  So when she is contacted to do a sketch of the man who attacked the victims in the elevator, she is presented with a killer who has a very red face, almost mask like in appearance, and black slits for eyes.  He is then dubbed Red Mask and his reign of tear is just getting started.  Through twists and turns Molly, with the help of her psychic mother-in-law Sissy, must figure out a way to stop Red Mask before he slaughters more innocents, including Molly's young daughter.

Death Mask explores the idea of where art ends and life begins.  Did the Red Mask exist before he was sketched or did he jump off the page the way the roses did?  If he did jump off the page, then who attacked the first two victims in the elevator?  Why does two attacks happen at the very same time in two different locations in the city?  Molly and Sissy must explore all the questions and more to figure out where the Red Mask came from and why he's doing these horrendous acts of violence.

Now while this book is classified as horror, which is where it belongs, I think a good argument could be made for fans of mystery and urban fantasy to give this one a try.  There are strong elements of both genres that serve to explain, highlight, and serve as a catalyst for the bloodletting action.

If anyone is still reading this review by this point I would like to share something I found.  While I was wandering around all things Graham Masterton I came across a gem of a short story.  As most of you know I'm a big fan of "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.  It's my favorite poem and I'm addicted to all things associated with it, so when I found this short story, "Half-Sick of Shadows", that combines the story of that tragically doomed Lady and the Lamia legend, I almost fell out of my chair.  Please go read it yourself, I promise you won't be dissapointed.

This will qualify for two challenge, the Typically British Reading Challenge 2010 and the Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge 2010 both of which are hosted by Carolyn of Book Chick City.

Perguntas mais frequentes: quanto tempo demorou a escrever "Crónicas Obscuras - A vingança do lobo"?

Esta pergunta tem surgido em todas as apresentações.

Resposta: onze meses.

Talvez pudesse ter levado menos tempo, todavia, infelizmente, não vivo de escrever. Ganho a vida como arqueólogo e, como compreenderão, ao fim de um dia de trabalho nem sempre tenho paciência para gastar os tempos livres a escrever, por mais que “corra por gosto”.

Mailbox Monday for 6/28/10

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

I went into Barnes & Noble to pick up The Mageborn Traitor by Melanie Rawn, which was a rebuy for me, and I ended up walking out with two other books.  On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony, another rebuy, and Peril at End House by Agatha Christie went home with me as well.  All three of them are in paperback.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie was a bargain book hardcover from Borders.

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure and Zan-Gah: And the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman were both recieved by the publisher for review.

Noah's Castle by John Rowe Townsend was received from the publisher for review.

I bought The Actor's Guide to Adultery by Rick Coop in hardcover for $1 from the Friends of the Library bookstore.

I received an extra copy of Never Wave Goodbye by Doug Magee from the publisher, so expect a giveaway with the review next month.

Sunday Funnies

Perguntas mais frequentes: não receia ficar rotulado como escritor de "dark fantasy"?

Nada. Até porque não vejo esse rótulo como algo depreciativo.   

Make the Buzz Stop - World Cup Chat

I'm confessing to dork factor - that's me in Sweden in 1974. Yep, sixteen years old - first picture is at the Wickman family summer home. Second pic is in Norway - me with Gustav and the father, Arne. Cool people who really showed me a good time as an exchange student. That was my first experience with World Cup Soccer. Television was a bit bleak (truly -Fred Astaire musicals were a highlight) , but soccer ruled and at the time Sweden had a contending team (I believe). My memory's a tad vague on that point. Nonetheless, it was all consuming.

Thank God for technology - I tivod the USA vs. Ghana game today and could zoom through it quickly. Ghana dominated, but the USA tied things up. Then extra time - total bummer - Ghana kicked butt and that's the way it goes. Rah for USA - L.Donovan was great but his killer right foot couldn't do it all. Maybe in four years..........who knows??

It's rather amazing to think about how many people in this world are watching soccer. Very cool - brings the world together in a peaceful situation. Let's sing "Imagine" with John Lennon.

So, cheers for the USA. Now who should I root for?? Hmmm............
I have to say, in the world of sports writing - I'm enjoying the Wall Street Journal - they
are awarding best acting awards to the soccer players who collapse on "injury" and then are back for the next play without a limp. Yeah......right.

CSN Stores Review Coming Up!

Can I say how super excited I am to be given an opportunity to review one of CSN Stores great products.  They seem to have every thing imaginable under the sun so narrowing down what I'm going to review is going to be a little hard.

They have every item of furniture you could ever need to have in your home.  I've been needing to look at new TV stands for a while now so that was the first place I looked.  I'm absolutely in love with this one, Nuevo Silva TV stand.

Of course you can never have too many bookcases and I'm thinking of getting a smaller one corner that I currently have nothing there.  It's screaming for adornmanet.  This one caught my eye, Sauder Studio Edge Akimbo Bookcase Bronze.

Or I may get a globe for Aidan who is fascinated by geography right now, a larger crockpot so I can start cooking whole chickens which my son loves to eat, or maybe even a new rug for my living room, maybe even new wall sconces for my bathroom, the possibilites are endless.  I'm going to leave my final decesion a secret right now but I promise it's probably something I mentioned in this post.  Come on back to find out what I'm reviewing.  In the meantime please head on over to CSN Stores to look around and discover what they have to offer.

The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Someone--or something--is killing Seattle’s gay men.

A creature moves through the darkest night, lit only by the full moon, taking them, one by one, from the rain city’s gay gathering areas.

Someone--or something--is falling in love with Thad Matthews.

Against a backdrop of horror and fear, young Thad finds his first true love in the most unlikely of places—a new Italian restaurant called The Blue Moon Cafe. Sam is everything Thad has ever dreamed of in a man: compassionate, giving, handsome, and with brown eyes Thad feels he could sink into. And Sam can cook! But as the pair’s love begins to grow, so do the questions and uncertainties, the main one being, why do Sam’s unexplained disappearances always coincide with the full moon?
 
After the disaster that was The Secret Keeper, I was a little gun shy about reviewing anymore gay fiction that was written by an author I was unfamiliar with.  I would happily read if for my own enjoyment, but I wasn't sure I would wanted to agree to reviewing a book that I wasn't sure I would enjoy.  After a few days of thinking about it, I realized that I was being a little odd about it.  Why should I hold back on gay fiction when I wasn't having any doubts about other genres of fiction.  If I was willing to take a chance with a book that sounded good I shouldn't be holding gay fiction to a different standard.  I'm not even sure why I was thinking those thoughts to begin with, and I'm too tired to figure it out now.  Needless to say I agreed to review the book, and for the most part I'm glad I did.
 
Now some of you may remember a guest post I had written for Tasha at Truth, Beauty, Freedom, And Books about my take on male/male romance written by women.  While the book I'm reviewing this time around is written by a gay man, I must say that some of my qualms hold true even here.  I've never been a big fan of erotic fiction because for the most part the sex doesn't come across as believable, the storylines normally dont' for that matter either.  For the most part erotic fiction is sex fantasies put down on paper, at least that's what I normally get out of them.  So I'm always a little hesitant when reading a book that I know is going to have quite a few sex scenes, which as you can tell from the cover, this book does have.  Enough chatter from me, let's get to the book and it's review.
 
Despite all my reservations this was a quick paced romp of werewolves and sex told using a sexy couple who have an obvious attraction to each other.  What I loved about the relationship between Thad and Sam is that while it's definitely sexual, there is deep if rather quick connection between the two of them.  A connection that neither one can deny, even if they wish otherwise.  Theirs is a believable relationship that works despite the obvious mistrust that secrets can create between two people.
 
The only thing that bothered me was Thad's fickleness when things wouldn't go his way.  When he is faced with complications between him and Sam he turns to his friend Jared, who he may have feelings for.  This is explored at the end of the book, which while believable given the circumstances, leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth for Thad.  I still like him, just not sure I would ever want to date him.
 
Overall I enjoyed this one.  If you like hot sex between two guys with a dash of murder, mystery, and werewolf mayhem thrown in, I strongly recommend this book to you.
 
This will qualify for the GLBT Reading Challenge 2010 hosted by Amy of The Zen Leaf.

Wild Hunt by Margaret Ronald

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Genevieve Scelan thought she was done with magic.  She was wrong.

Sure, six weeks earlier Evie - bike messenger, supernatural tracker, and avid Red Sox fan - had been instrumental in bringing down the Fiana, the organization of magicians that had ruled Boston's undercurrent for hundreds of years. But now they were gone, Boston could breathe easy again, the Sox had a chance at the pennant, and Evie was ready to relax.

Except it turns out that when you take down the guy on top, everyone assumes you're going to fill his spot, and now Evie finds herself at the center of a whole lot of unwelcome magical attention. On top of that, a new client needs her to call up a family ghost and ask about a stolen inheritance; Evie's friend Nate has a supernatural problem of his own; and a legendary pack of hounds has been terrorizing Boston's undercurrent. And try as Evie might to deny the legacy that runs through her blood, when the Hunt is called, the Hound must run...
 
This is going to sound really strange but if I had written this review even a few days ago, I feel it would have been more positive.  For some reason over the last few days I've been going over in my head what I thought and felt while reading this book, and I'm now coming away with different thoughts.  I still really enjoyed the book and felt it was a good follow up to the first book in the series, Spiral Hunt, but now I'm also thinking it was a bit more confusing as well.
 
I'm absolutely in love with both Evie and Nate after this book and I was ecstatic to see them grow as characters and as a couple. Evie is forced into a situation where she is out on a limb with no sign up being able climb back down. With the defeat of Fiana, she is now being looked up to as the assumed leader of the magical community of Boston. Who else but the one who defeated the magic mob would take over? Nature abhors a vacuum, power can't survive in one. Evie needs to decided what she cares about more, her own life or that of the city. The choices she makes on the way will thrill and fascinate you. Evie is written with such a sense of humor that you can't help but like her and root for to come out on top.

Nate on the other hand is going through changes of his own.  He is still taking care of his younger sister, who seems to be growing in her own powers, and having to deal with a long absent father who wants to talk to him.   Little does Nate know but he is about to need Evie in a way that he never anticipated or that his father will be the catalyst for the change he is about to go through.
 
The characters and how the events they are participating in change their lives, is what I loved about this book.  They are both so human and so real that you as the reader are not only able to understand every decision they make, but you are hard pressed to think of a different way to handle them.
 
Now to what I'm not so sure I liked as much, namely that this book had way too much going on.  Evie is such a fun character that you want more of her and less of the crazy circumstance she finds herself in.  This book is chalk full of Chinese mythology, ghosts, time travel, lycanthropy, the Wild West, spirit roads, water spirits, the Wild Hunt, and the Gardner Museum.  There is so much going on that you almost feel sorry for Evie, she is never really able to stop and catch a breath.  Now since this is an urban fantasy book, every single element comes together at the end, but sometimes it's a little distracting to keep track of everything that is going on.
 
Even with all that being said, this was a solid second book in a series that I plan on following for as long as it lasts.

Perguntas mais frequentes: de futuro, pensa enveredar por outros estilos literários?

A possibilidade já me passou pela cabeça, mas não acredito que o faça. Não só ainda tenho várias histórias de Crónicas Obscuras para contar, como este género literário permite-me experimentar todos os outros. Policial, romântico, erótico, espionagem, etc, usando o universo de Crónicas Obscuras como base, posso criar narrativas dentro de todas estas temáticas.  

BBAW 2010 Registration Is Now Open

Well it's almost time for Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2010.  It's just around the corner and now is the time to get registered.  Registration ends on July 7th, so if you are interested in nominating your blog or even in voting you need to get over and register.

BBAW is a celebration of all things book blogging.  It's a time for awards, interviews, prizes and getting to know our fellow bloggers on a level you may not have before.  I had a blast last year and got to know some fantastic bloggers who I now consider friends.  So needless to say I'm very excited to participate this year as well.  Now I'm a little self effacing at times so for me to submit myself into the awards process took a little prodding from some friends (thank you guys).  Now that I've decided to take the plunge I'm excited to see what happens.

As part of this year's nominating process we are being asked to select a niche that we feel our particular blog falls into.  I'm rather all over the place as far as the books I review so the only niche that I would feel comfortable saying I'm in would be Best Eclectic Blog.  Once we decide on the niche, we need to select 5 posts that paints the picture of our blogs. 

So with no further ado here are my 5 posts for Best Eclectic Blog:

The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff

The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet by Myrlin A. Hermes

Dream House by Valerie Laken

In The Woods by Tana French

January GLBT Mini Challenge: Why Reading GLBT Works Is Important To Me

Laugh Riot Read

My sister introduced me to Jen Lancaster's writing and I'm hooked. I'm also envious. Her style is my style only on steroids. Funny, snarky, colorful - her sentences are laugh out loud snortingly hysterical, and her footnotes are not boring.

Pretty in Plaid follows her life in fashion - through Girl Scout days, Jordache jeans in the eighties, and the ubiquitous navy suit for all upcoming career gals. Yes, comparisons to the Love Boat are made, and slowly Jen works her way in shoes to almost the Manolos. I laughed out loud as she, the political science major, realizes college never prepared her for collating and faxing. How do these machines work?

If you are looking for a light summer read and chuckles galore, I recommend author Jen Lancaster's collection:

Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a condescending egomaniacal, self-centered smart-ass, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office.

Bright Lights, Big Ass

Such a Pretty Fat

and her latest, which I have not read yet: My Fair Lazy

Enjoy!

(Her blog is funny too: http://www.jennsylvania.com/ )

In The Sanctuary Of Outcasts by Neil White

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Daddy is going to camp.  That's what I told my children.  But it wasn't camp....

Neil White wanted only the best for those he loved and was willing to go to any lengths to provide it - which is how he ended up in a federal prison in rural Louisiana, serving eighteen months for bank fraud.  But it was no ordinary prison.  The beautiful, isolated colony in Carville, Louisiana, was also home to the last people in the continental United States disfigured by leprosy - a small circle of outcasts who had forged a tenacious, clandestine community, a fortress to repel the cruelty of the outside world.  In this place rich with history, amid an unlikely mix of leprosy patients, nuns, and criminals, White's strange and compelling new life journey began.

I had first heard about this book while I was driving in my car listening to NPR, which is always on if I'm in the car.  It was June 3. 2009 and it was sometime between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.  I only know the time because it's the only time that The Diane Rehm Show is on here in Wichita.  I remember sitting in my car and listening to the author talk about his experience in the prison as well as what landed him behind bars to begin with, and I was utterly fascinated by the story.  I actually sat in the car until that hour was over, just so I wouldn't miss anything.  I'm listening to the show now while I'm writing my review, you can click here if you are interested in listening to it, which I would advise anyone interested in this story to do so.  So needless to say when I got a chance to read the book for myself, I grabbed it with both hands.

Now that I got that rather lengthy introduction out of the way I will get to what I thought of the book once I did get a chance to read it.  In a few words, I loved it.  This was a fascinating memoir into a short period of time in the author's life, that thankfully changed him for the better.

Neil White was a magazine publisher who was living the American dream.  He had a loving wife, two adorable children, and a thriving business.  He published various regional magazines serving the Gulf Coast.  Little did anyone else know that the only thing keeping this "successful" business afloat was the fact that Neil was kiting checks between two checking accounts.  Now he didn't know, or didn't want to know, that what he was doing was against the law and when he got caught, he had to pay the consequences.  Those consequences sent him to the federal prison at Carville.  What he did not realize was that Carville also served as the last leper colony in the United States.

What this book accounts is how Neil, who was  initially scared of the patients he was sharing this space with, grew to accept these people without fear or suspicion.  Through encounters with various patients Neil began to understand who they are as people, not as "lepers".  They became friends and bonds of trust grew between patients and prisoners.  Neil relates his story with humor, some of which is self effacing at times, which allows the reader to not only get to know him, but his fellow prisoners and the patients.

It was a pleasure to read how Neil grew as a person in prison and how he learned to see life in a new way.  Through interacting with the patients and his fellow prisoners, Neil was finally able to understand that what he had done to those he hurt, including his family, was his fault.  That the harm he caused was real and he needed to make amends.  Through the friendships he built, he was able to see his life in a new way and when he got out of prison, he was able to take those lessons and build a new one for himself and his children.

I'm going to end this rather rambling review here, as there is so much I could talk about that if I don't end it now, I'll never stop.  All I want to say is that I encourage everyone to read this book, that there is a lot all of us can learn from Neil and from those who suffer from Hansen's Disease (the more accepted name for leprosy).

I would like to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

To find out more about Neil White and his book please visit his website.

To read more reviews of this book please visit the other stops on this tour.

To read more about Hansen's Disease and Carville, please visit The National Hansen's Disease Museum.

Perguntas mais frequentes: porquê "dark fantasy"?

Porquê este género literário e não qualquer outro? 

A verdade é que desde que me lembro gosto de mitos e lendas, monstros e deuses. Não tenho a certeza de onde veio esta preferência, porém, creio que se fosse obrigado a apontar um culpado teria de acusar a caderneta Monster in My pocket, que recebi quando devia ter seis ou sete anos. Após toda uma infância  a imaginar histórias, escrever sobre o tema foi algo natural para mim.

Favorite Fictional Character --- Mona Robinson

As most of you can tell by now I have a special fondness in my heart for the sitcoms from the 80s and the crazy characters than inhabited them.  So today I thought I would bring to your attention one of my favorites that doesn't get the recognition she deserves.

While a lot of attention is given to the character of Blanche Devereaux, who was portrayed by the brilliant Rue McClanhan, of The Golden Girls fame, not enough is given to Mona Robinson of Who's the Boss?, one of the funniest characters to ever grace a TV screen.

Like Blanche, Mona enjoyed men and would date everyone from a college student to a silver fox who controlled the boardroom and the bedroom.  Mona, as played by the vivacious Katherine Helmond, was what could only be called a sexually liberated woman who was comfortable in her own skin and though everyone else should be as well.  She was independent of needing a man but she also knew what having a man around added to her life.  She never felt the need to apologize for who she was and I have a lot of respect for anyone who is willing to live life without worrying about the judgements of others.

She also never held back while pushing Angela and Tony together or commenting on how the odd situations those two found themselves in would look to anyone else.  She was motherly and always good for advice.  Both Angela and Samantha would turn to her when they needed someone to talk to, as did Tony.  She was the glue that held this family together through the good times and bad.  She was the one who brought the laughs and the sage wisdom all at the same time. Mona was a dynamic character who just when you thought you had her figured out, she would surprise you with another layer to her personality. 

I can only wish that the current crop of TV writers would begin to pay more attention to characters like Mona, instead of the one dimensional stereotypes that seem to inhabit our screens today.

Winner Of The Pack by LM Preston

It is time to announce the winner of The Pack by LM Preston.

Using random.org, I typed in the number ofentries and the winner was..........

Melissa!

I will email her and let her know.  She will then have 48 hours to send me her shipping info so I can forward to the author.  If not, I will select another winner.

E-Reader Epiphany

Price cuts for e-readers. It's war and I'm still in the paper world. However, I thought I'd comment on something I know nothing about.

I'm a late adopter on most technology. Gasp, I still don't own a cell phone and it's almost become a talking point of amusement to not have one. I will someday. I just don't choose to throw my money at some provider who's giving me the privilege of constantly saying, "Huh?", "What?", and "Call me back", or just hear a plain "click,silence". Did my friend fall off the cliff? Oh, it was just the black hole of Luna and I635.

Anyway, back to e-readers. As a writer, this is a huge, huge publishing conundrum. Should I write for the e-market? Or are the key dollars still in hardcore paper publishing? Tough to say and I've read a ton on the subject with no conclusions.

Amongst friends, some love, love, love their Kindle,et al and download everything. Others say, "It's great for a trip, but when home I stick with old fashioned sales from Half-Price Books or free material from the library." I personally do not like to download and read on the computer. I have not tried any of the e-readers, but the concept doesn't thrill me yet. I truly get tired of being on a computer all day at work. My desire to point and click is nil by 5 pm.

Other friends have e-readers and the novelty has worn off. They are back to tangible books. Another had a Nook, was excited to get her Nook, and after two weeks returned it - not so thrilled after the trial shot. And she's a super duper reader.

The jury is still out from what I understand. Pricing for actual e-books is still up in the air. Recording sales, piracy issues, and the whole cutting up the market segment pie is worrisome to publishers. Apple and the iPad lurk - appealing to younger market trendsetters, it can literally upset the cart.

I'm reading every article (on old fashioned news print) and seeing what shakes out. I just wish I'd bought Amazon stock and Apple stock a long, long, long, long time ago.

Spiral Hunt by Margaret Ronald

Synopsis From Back Cover:

Some people have the Sight. Genevieve Scelan has the Scent.

They call her "Hound," and with her unique supernatural sense Evie can track nearly anything—lost keys, vanished family heirlooms . . . even missing people. And though she knows to stay out of the magical undercurrent that runs beneath Boston's historic streets, a midnight phone call from a long-vanished lover will destroy the careful boundaries she has drawn. Now, to pay a years-old debt, Evie must venture into the shadowy world that lies between myth and reality, where she will find betrayal, conspiracies, and revelations that will shatter all she believes about herself and the city she claims as home.

I read this one while I was out of town for business and I must say while I'm not head over heels in love with it, I'm pretty damn close.  This was an interesting introduction to a new series that will have a long, and prosperous futures, at least I'm hoping so.  As some of you may know, I'm a little new to the world of urban fantasy, and while I sill prefer traditional or high fantasy, I'm learning to love the world of magic and monsters set in our modern world.

Evie is a unique character even in the world of urban fantasy, well at least for me she is.  I've never run across another character who's sole magical ability seems to be a really strong sense of smell.  She can sense the scent of anything, whether it's a person, object, or even an event.  Everything, and I mean everything, leaves behind an odor and Evie can pick up on it.  She uses this ability as a detective to supplement her income as a bicycle messenger. 

Evie has been straddling the world we all know and that of magic all her life, never really fully in one of the other.  The magic world is controlled by the Bright Brotherhood, a cabal of magicians that seeks to control everything that goes on in the city of Boston.  She has tried to stay out of their way and as a result, while she may know about the world they inhabit, she really doesn't understand the rules.  When she gets that late night call from her ex lover, Evie is forced to learn those rules really quickly.

Outside of a few close friends, Evie is a loner.  She prefers her own company and that of a Red Sox game most of the time so when she is forced to team up with a sexy magician, she isn't sure whether or not to trust him.  He seems to be all right and is always there to get her back, but is he who he claims to be?  Or should she trust the guy she's known for years who is raising his kid sister, who seems to have talent of her own, but is unaware of the world that Evie is finding herself being enveloped by.  The back and forth pull that Evie feels for both of these men is an interesting dynamic to the book, and one that I thought the author did a wonderful job in portraying.

This book is flavored by Irish and Celtic mythology, which the author must have spent an inordinate amount of time researching.  Fin Mac Cool makes an appearance and he is actually the vehicle to explain Evie's ability.  I won't go into too much detail of what happens in the book, though there is a lot of action and characters making decisions, that while you many not completely understand at the time, all make sense by the end of the book.  I have already finished the second book in the series, Wild Hunt (review to come later), and I can't wait to see what happens to Evie next.

Perguntas mais frequentes

Agora que voltei a ser desafiado para sessões de apresentação de Crónicas Obscuras - A vingança do lobo, achei que seria interessante partilhar um pouco da experiência convosco. 

Admito que sou novo nisto das apresentações literária, mas do pouco que discerni, quer a fazê-las, quer a vê-las, só existem duas maneiras dos autores as dirigirem: podem divagar, como se tivessem apaixonados pelo som da própria voz ou procurar interagir com o público. Uma vez que não tenho grandes dotes oratórios, opto sempre pela segunda, sendo a minha parte favorita destas sessões as perguntas do público.

Por isso, decidi partilhar convosco algumas das questões mais frequentes, assim como a minha resposta às mesmas.    

Mailbox Monday for 6/21/10

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page

I've been pretty hard on Stephen King as of late, namely I haven't really liked a new release from him in a very long time.  Michelle of The True Book Addict is a humongous fan of his and is always trying to convince me to give him another try, so when I saw Nightmares & Dreamscapes and The Talisman by him and Peter Straub in hardcover for $1 a piece at the Friends of the Library Book Store I figured I would give them a try.  The Talisman will be a reread, but not one that I've read for many years, and Nightmares & Dreamscapes will be a new one for me.  I also picked up Archangel by Michael Conner in hardcover for $1 as well, it's an alternate reality story set in Minneapolis, MN in the 1920s after a virulent plague that only kills whites.

The Secret (Of Happiness) by Demosthenes Armeniades was sent for review.  It calls itself an offbeat fairytale-thriller so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Happy Father's Day

I just wanted to quickly tell all the fathers out there, both biological or otherwise, have a Happy Father's Day!

Sunday Funnies