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Ever After Tour Signing - Diva and Kim in Austin!
Since Kim Harrison is not stopping close enough to me this year, and won’t be attending San Diego Comic Con, I have decided to live vicariously through some of my lucky followers and friends. Our very own Diva was able to meet Kim during her stop yesterday in Austin, Texas. Diva was so kind as to provide a write-up that I’ll post below. There’s definitely some food for thought in there!
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting Kim Harrison for the first time as her book tour brought her to Austin, Tx. A friend and I, said friend also being a devoted Hollows fan, made the hour long drive to see her and the trip was completely worth it. The signing was held at Book People, which is a very cool independent bookstore and if anyone is ever in the Austin are I highly recommend checking it out. We arrived a little over an hour early and that was plenty of time to secure second row seats right in front of the speaker’s podium.
Kim appeared right on time and even though she has often said that speaking in front of people is slightly outside of her comfort zone, she appeared fresh and relaxed. She began with the usual reading of a book excerpt. This time around it was another Trent/Rachel scene which marks at least the second year in a row that she has selected a scene with the two of them. Good omens, perhaps, for fans of the duo. Once the reading was done Kim began the Q&A portion of the evening. She fielded the usual questions that seem to pop up at every event, i.e. the correct pronunciation of Al’s name, what authors inspire her, why the play on Clint Eastwood titles, why did she kill Kisten. Apparently there is a significant segment of the population that never goes online for this information, lol.
There were a few nuggets of interesting information however. Kim revealed that the pilot/tv adaptation
that the CW network had been working on had cut out Jenks. Blasphemy, I say. The chrysalis that
Rachel snatched from Al and that has long sat on her windowsill will, in fact, come back into play and
we will find out its significance. By the sounds of it this may happen in the final book but whenever
it happens it will shed some light into why Al has been so “bitter” and “vindictive” (Kim’s chosen
adjectives), and why he sees himself in Rachel. So some good stuff in store for Al fans everywhere.There were, surprisingly, no real character based questions so I ponied up the one and only Trent
related question. Looking back through the series, I’ve always been curious about the two times that
Kim was seemingly prepared to pair Trent off with someone. The first time of course being his marriage
to Ellasbeth and the second time being when Ceri was introduced. If you recall, Ceri thought that Trent
was handsome and she seemed like a perfect fit for Trent, on paper. Kim acknowledged that it had
been her intention to pair Trent off both times, that she has tried to toss these women at Trent but it
never stuck. Maybe like none of Rachel’s men have ever stuck? Hmm? Anyway, Kim said that Ceri is
much happier with Quen. Ellasbeth, however, is another story and hang onto your hats people because
Kim confirms that Ellasbeth will be around for the rest. Of. The. Series. Is that a collective groan I hear?
Thought so. According to Kim, Ellasbeth is too strong and determined, has too much money and too
large of an ego to just go quietly into that good night. She also reminded the audience that Trent is
“very duty oriented” sooooo…make of that what you will. Personally, I still refuse to believe that she
would sentence Trent to a marriage with that harpy, shrew of a woman. That’s my story and I’m sticking
to it.Once the Q&A was over Kim took a brief moment to take a group picture with everyone who was
wearing a tour t-shirt. I had mine on! Then signing began and my friend and I were lucky enough to be
in the first batch of people. Kim’s husband was there and he was just as gracious and personable as Kim.
He entertained us all while we waited our turns in line, answering more personal questions about Kim
and their home life – all with Kim’s blessing, of course. While I was in earshot I learned that Kim’s eldestson is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps and that he is due to get out of the military
the same date that their youngest son will be graduating from high school. He joked that he’s not sure if
they’ll be empty nesters that day or have a full house again.Since she seemed so open and friendly, I wasn’t nervous at all about getting some one-on-one face time
with Kim when it came my turn to get my book (and Nook!) signed. She recognized my name as being
one of the occasional posters on her Drama Box and she gave me a big hug, which just totally made my
night. I didn’t ask her any additional questions, just told her that I was going to trust her on the whole
Ellasbeth thing. She laughed but hey, at least it wasn’t the evil, maniacal type of laugh.So there you have it. The Ever After book tour is officially in the history books for me and Kim did not
disappoint. Here’s to looking forward to 2014 and book 12. And to all the Ever After re-reads until then.
Thank you, Diva, for sharing the experience!
COVER REVEAL! Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6)
It’s okay, but I’m not crazy about it. The cover models are constantly changing so it’s hard for me to get a read on how Kate is supposed to look. This model looks like a teenager. I almost thought this was the cover for some new YA series until i saw the title.
http://www.ilona-andrews.com/news/publishing-news/cover-reveal-magic-rises
Don’t Forget! Kim Harrison Live Goodreads Q&A Tomorrow!
Tune in at 2pm EST/11am PT on Wednesday to see Kim live! I will totally be at work but I think I can take a later lunch for Kim!
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/video_chat/59
And if you haven’t seen it, you can catch her Q&A from the other night here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/harper-voyager
Key takeaway: Rachel is technically a virgin after every reset curse!
UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS! I HAVE A NEW SITE!
ATTENTION WORDPRESS FOLLOWERS! Hi everyone! I have a new site, though things look similar. If you follow my site through wordpress.com, please confirm that you have received this message and can still see my posts.
If you follow my blog by email you should get this automatically. Please update your bookmarks. vampirenovelfan.wordpress.com is now https://www.gorilla-safari.com. It’s still a work in progress, but all should be well soon. Thanks!
Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle - You’ll want the next book ASAP!
Synopsis: Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents’ latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen. Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time. When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.
Review: When it comes to books I rarely venture into contemporary territory, but after enjoying Karina Halle’s Experiment in Terror series, I decided to give her new Artist Trilogy a chance. The gritty and offbeat theme seemed particularly enticing, and after diving into the unpredictable and tumultuous world, you don’t really want to come out.
Ellie is definitely one of the darker protagonists, but it makes her decisions all the more interesting. Though she does bad things, she is sympathetic character. Though you can’t excuse some of her actions, she never really had a chance and just survives as best she can with the cards she’s been dealt. After such a tragic childhood, she could easily be worse.
Camden is even more intriguing. Since the book is not from his POV his decisions and reactions can be harder to gauge. Based on the synopsis he definitely has a dark streak and you never really know what will set him off. That said, as I read the actual book he wasn’t as dark as I thought he’d be based on the synopsis. It was more about what was going on around him as opposed to the character himself. I didn’t come into this expecting to like Camden but you can’t help but fall for him over time.
There’s a lot of chemistry between Camden and Ellie and the flashbacks to their past were a good device to cement the relationship and allow the reader to become invested in where things can go from here. In the life of crime, there are forces bigger than the both of them that can change everything, but their moments are far from cliche and corny. That’s one of Karina Halle’s best qualities as an author. Her main characters and their relationships are rarely cookie-cutter, conventional, or contrived.
Based on the subject matter and the main characters with questionable morals, I am not sure if this book is for everyone. It might be too dark and times are rarely happy, but I enjoyed it a great deal. It is one of my favorite contemporary series now and I am thrilled that she writes fast enough so that the second book isn’t too far behind.
*ARC provided by the author.
Once Burned (Night Prince #1) - Jeaniene Frost - Vlad Vlad Vlad!
While Vlad Tepesh lends himself as a fantastic supporting character in the Night Huntress series, his personality has the word “lead” written all over it, and Jeaniene Frost was smart to take advantage of it.
He gets his own storyline that introduces his potential better half, Leila. Though mortal, a freak accident as a child leaves her with the unusual ability to channel electricity into psychic powers. Her powers are attractive to a group of vampires with malicious intentions who need her abilities to reach out to Vlad, the most infamous of them all. His power to wield fire gives him a significant upper hand, but everyone has a weakness and his adversaries may have found his through Leila. However when they meet, you don’t need chemistry lessons to know that fire + electricity = one dangerous combo.
On the heels of a Vlad-less Night Huntress book #6, I wasted no time getting to this spin-off to get my fix. Though this series is the Night Prince, the story is told from Laila’s POV, so we can’t get into his mind quite as much as fans were likely hoping. I didn’t mind it much because I actually liked Laila’s character. Though tragic and sympathetic, she’s not helpless. I look forward to the evolution of her powers over the course of this series. Sparks were certainly flying between her and Vlad, and so far I approve. There appears to be substance to her which I’ll take any day over the typical disposable heroine. Her powers at times reminded me of Rogue from X-Men, who also wears gloves to protect those close to her. She is one of my favorite characters and Rogue/Gambit is one of my favorite all-time fictional ships. It’s just that while Gambit couldn’t handle Rogue’s power; Vlad can handle Laila’s, allowing them to be more tactile.
Vlad himself is everything I wanted and then some. I feel like Frost wanted to let loose a bit more with him here. He’s sexy, hilarious, frustrating, and terrifying all at the same time. I love those types of dynamic characters in literature. However, this book was written making it clear that there would be more to come. Vlad is extremely private and even though he heats up the sheets, it’s a taller order to heat up his heart. With centuries of success comes centuries of pain, so I’m glad it may take multiple books for this resolution. I like it when my characters truly earn their happiness, and standalone books rarely cut the mustard or me when it comes to that.
There could have been a bit more development with the story, but the characters carried it enough that I found the read satisfying and refreshing from Cat & Bones’s world. It’s part one of a trilogy after all. I’m just glad I don’t have a long wait for the next one.
One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress #6) by Jeaniene Frost - Finally All Caught Up!
It’s tough enough trying to take down vampires and ghouls galore, but what about ghosts? Particularly ones that continue to wreak havoc beyond the grave for centuries on end? It’s not an easy fix, but Cat and Bones are determined to do it. Heinrich Kramer, a witch hunter who’s been dead for centuries, has the ability to become corporeal for one night of the year every All Hallows Eve. This allows him to torment and murder innocent women. One of his victims turns to our favorite vampire duo for help because they may be the only ones who can put a stop to it once and for all.
I’ve stated how I tend to like the odd books with this series. As an even numbered book this sort of broke that pattern, though it’s not really a favorite. I am not typically a ghost person, so I believe it says something when I can be engrossed enough to want to see what happens next. Frost makes it very easy to hate the villain and want to see him get his loooong overdue comeuppance.
The story was okay, but I admit that I missed Vlad somethin’ awful this time around. I know that he gets his own novel, but he’s become the character I most look forward to reading about in this series. I understand it’s Cat and Bones’s story but the heart wants what it wants.
Cat has been mellowing out a little more lately, in turn making her less annoying to me, but there were a couple of eye-roll inducing instances, particularly when she harps on how she was apart from Bones for 4 years. I just didn’t connect with that “angst” because they’re together now, have been for a few years, and will probably be together for centuries to come-a luxury (or curse) most couples won’t have.
All in all, while I didn’t have the Fever experience with this series (I read all 5 books in 6 days), I’m pretty proud of myself for sticking it out and getting it done. Now I look forward to Vlad’s book!
Happy Happy HOLLOWS DAY!!
Hi everyone! Today is the big day! Ever After (The Hollows #11) is out a whole month early for our reading pleasure. Since I pre-ordered the hardcover through Amazon, I actually received my book yesterday, which was pretty sweet! And while I can’t wait to read the final product, I have decided to repost my review of the ARC for this book that I read back in October. So yeah, I think it’s been long enough that is refresher is in order, not that I could forget much ~_^! I doubt my sentiments will change. Thank you all for voting on my poll from this weekend. The strength of ebooks is really telling, especially for a series that was established well before this format came to fruition! I myself prefer reading ebooks these days, but I started reading and collecting The Hollows in paper form and I own every hardcover since Book 5 (For a Few Demons More), so I think it only fitting that I collect them all. There are only TWO books left after all. I hope you all enjoy it. I guarantee most of you will, and I encourage you to share your thoughts! HAPPY HAPPY HOLLOWS DAY!!
Review: Ever After – Like the finest of wines, The Hollows gets better with age
As you can see, I present definitive proof that I’ve indeed read the book! And man oh man is it fantastic! It’s my new favorite! I normally worry about using that term too loosely because it could diminish the potential quality of the series as a whole, but I genuinely think it’s the best book thus far. Kim Harrison has done it yet again and all signs point to her doing it two more times, and in epic proportions.
This time the Ever After, home of the demons, is shrinking at an alarmingly fast rate, placing the existence of magic in a pretty vulnerable position; without one there couldn’t be the other. So as if our favorite itchy witch, Rachel Morgan, didn’t have enough problems, this just sprang up to #1. If she can’t solve this one, she won’t have any others. If she can’t fix it, the demons want her head as her botched leyline creation caused this mess in the first place. And no one wants to see that happen more than her old buddy, Ku’Sox, the former day walking demon who had the misfortune to cross Rachel and lose. He even resorts to abducting her friend and goddaughter as insurance…and boy is it effective. Thankfully she’s got Trent Kalamack and Algaliarept by her side to restore balance and take him down once and for all. But the price may be too high for things to ever be the same again.
I know there was criticism about not a lot happening in A Perfect Blood, though I personally enjoyed the old-school Hollows style mystery. But for those of you who didn’t, for EVER AFTER I think a better question is what didn’t happen! There was so much going on that I genuinely can’t recall a dull moment. I think I felt and continue to feel every emotion possible, but I ultimately finished the book in pure euphoria. In case you needed a little reminding, Harrison presents really harsh realities and difficult decisions that prove she’s an author with guts. I don’t think I’ve experienced so many pulse pounding moments since For a Few Demons More (book 5). This book left me reeling like no other.
The scenes that take place in the Ever-After were some of the best of the series. The race against the clock really made this book so intense. Learning the history of the demons and the elves and the eventual degradation of their relationship was great, though I would have loved even more insight. I just can’t get enough of it.
And that brings me to Big Al, who was totally amazing. Fans will absolutely adore him in this book as we learn more about his personal back story. He’s much more prominent here than in A Perfect Blood and that’s fine by me because he literally lights up the pages and keeps things exciting in his own peculiar way.
After having read Trent’s POV in the bonus chapter of A Perfect Blood, I saw everything he did in a whole new light, and boy was it refreshing. He’s got his own personal demons to work through and it really makes you feel for the guy. He is in a rock and a hard place, accepting his actions that have led to certain consequences while still working to find the best solution possible. I loved seeing him use more magic. I feel like elves have a pretty powerful arsenal that deserve more exploration, so it was nice to see Harrison skim the surface here with the insinuation of even greater things. Magic is amped up for the elves, while more human qualities are amped up for the demons, so it was an interesting trade off.
His teamwork with Rachel was one of my favorite parts of the book. The tension was insane and placed so well all throughout. It’s seriously amazing to go back and read passages from Dead Witch Walking and then look at them now. Their progress is usually one step forward, two steps back, but the slow burn for this ship is probably what will make it my all-time #1 favorite if they end up together *fingers crossed*.
This book was just about everything I could ask for, but it wasn’t 100% flawless. With so much ever after, elf and demon action, the story manages to throw in a smidgeon of development in vampire politics. Unfortunately it felt very much like an afterthought and briefly broke the overall flow. We know vampires won’t get a lot of focus until the final book 13, so 10 or so pages of development came off a random at best and forgettable at worst.
All in all, this is an absolute MUST READ for fans of the series. Since Black Magic Sanction and Pale Demon the series has been invigorated and manages to improve as we reach the final stretch. That is a rarity for 95% of series that make it this far. I think it helps a lot that Kim Harrison has an end in sight and continues to write towards that. Many others have jumped-the-shark by this point. The Hollows is absolutely revving up for a grande finale and I cannot wait to be there.
Poll: How will you be purchasing EVER AFTER (The Hollows #11) on or after this Tuesday?
It’s no secret that we’re all Hollows nuts around these parts. I’ve actually been noticing a bit of a calm before the storm when it comes to the interwebs. Though I didn’t have time to hold a proper giveaway (though I hope you’ll like the consolation prize), I am a little curious about evolving buying habits and want to know how you all plan to get your mits on your copy. I’ve been pre-ordering hardcovers since my closest bookstore closed down, and same day delivery means it works out pretty well.
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