I Love Fairy Tales Giveaway

As you've probably figured out by now, I love modern retellings of old fairy tales. That's why I ended up writing the Baba Yaga series, based on an updated version of the old Russian Fairy tales of a sometime wicked/sometimes not witch. Of course, like all modern retellings, my version is a little bit different from the original.

Barbara, my modern Baba Yaga, complete with her dragon-disguised-as-a-dog

A rendition of the classic Baba Yaga, riding in her mortar, steered by a pestle. (Barbara's now looks like a BMW motorcycle)

I've been thinking* about just how much I love these kinds of stories lately because my lovely friend Sierra (also my research goddess) recommended a cool book by Naomi Novak, UPROOTED. This isn't an updated fairy tale at all, really, just a new one set in a Slavic world like the one the Baba Yagas come from. There is a poor peasant girl who turns out to have magic, a powerful magician named The Dragon, and, well, it's just wonderful.

You should read this.

I have so many fairy tales, both old and new, that I love. Jim C. Hines did a great series that put an entirely new spin on the traditional princesses, starting with The Stepsister Scheme. Robin McKinley has written a bunch of them. So I thought we'd spend a little time celebrating all of our favorites. Which means a fun giveaway, of course!
I've put together a prize pack including the winner's choice of one of my Baba Yaga books (Wickedly Dangerous, Wickedly Wonderful, or Wickedly Powerful), a cute stuffed dragon, a 3D magnet that says "You say WICKED like it is a Bad Thing" (that one cracks me up), a Wicked Good Beer bottle opener (I found those on Cape Cod last summer and couldn't resist--they're magnetic too, so they can go right on the fridge), a broom pen, and some bookmarks and such. A fun fairy tale kinda giveaway, you might say.

Sorry, black cat not included. She was just supervising, as usual.

 You can enter using the Rafflecopter form, and as always, you get extra points for doing the stuff that makes me really happy, like buying a new book or putting up a review of one of the ones you've read (it has to be a new review, but you can always copy an older one to a different place, like Goodreads). Or you can just leave a comment here, answering this question:

What is your favorite modern or classic fairy tale?

I can't wait to see what you all have to say!

*This is what happens when I'm laid up with a twisted knee.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jim C. Hines Stories of Magic and Vice Versa

My author pal Jim C. Hines and I were tickled to find out that we both had books out on the same day, February 2nd. So we decided to swap guest blog posts. I can tell you that I love everything of Jim's that I have read (which is all but a couple of the first series he did, which I own but haven't caught up on yet), and can genuinely recommend both the writing and the man. (If you're not following his blog, you should be. Just sayin'.)

Stories of Magic, and Vice Versa

Jim C. Hines

Deb and I are new book twins this week. For her, it’s Wickedly Powerful, which I’m guessing you might have heard of? In my case, it’s a book called Revisionary. I’m going to talk mostly about the latter, but if you haven’t checked out Deb’s Baba Yaga stuff yet, you totally should. What I’ve read of it so far has been lots of fun.

Revisionary is my twelfth published fantasy novel. It’s also the fourth and final book in the Magic ex Libris series. Without getting too spoilery, this is a series about:

• A magic-using librarian from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula who can pull things out of books.
• A motorcycle-riding hamadryad with shapeshifting wooden swords.
• A spider who sets things on fire when he’s scared or angry.
• A secret magical organization run by Johannes Gutenberg, who’s in an on-again, off-again relationship with Juan Ponce de Leon.

 Note from Deborah: YES, this is as cool as it sounds!!!

The basic idea behind libriomancy is that people like my librarian Isaac Vainio can open a book and tap into the belief of the readers, using their passion and imagination to help create things from the pages. There are limits, of course. Whatever the libriomancer creates has to fit through the pages. No making an X-Wing and flying off to a galaxy far, far away. Pulling intelligent creatures from books tends to end badly (as exemplified in the bloody massacre known as “The Smurf Incident”). And Gutenberg has locked some books whose potential power is simply too dangerous for the world.

Part of the fun in writing these books was getting to indulge my inner fanboy and play with toys from other worlds. Isaac is a shamelessly enthusiastic geek, and he loves this stuff—books and magic and possibilities. Even when he’s running away from enchanted clockwork insects that really, really want to kill him, a part of his mind is marveling at the artistry and wonder of those murderous little automatons.

Most of us understand that books are magical. But the series title “Magic ex Libris” isn’t quite right. It means “magic from books,” which works…Isaac is constantly pulling everything from healing potions to light sabers to pixie dust from various books about his person. But books are simply the medium. At its heart, the series is about the magic of story. It’s about imagination and asking “what if?”

I’m a big believer in the power of story. Story can change the world, for good or for ill. Look at the number of sharks hunted and slaughtered in the wake of Jaws. Or consider Abraham Lincoln’s alleged comment to Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin: “So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.” Think of stories that have opened your mind or changed the way you think about things.

I remember receiving an email from a reader early in my career. She’d read my goblin books while in the hospital for a nasty procedure, and said the humor and fun of the story helped her get through the days. Understand, my goblin books aren’t exactly Deep, Life-Changing Literature, but they provided comfort and escape during a very difficult time. I’ve seen people sneer at “escapist” literature, but if that kind of escape isn’t magic, I don’t know what is.

One of my favorite examples of the power of story comes from Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura in the original Star Trek. Nichols originally intended to quit the show after the first season. Then she met a man who introduced himself as her biggest fan—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In Nichols’ words:

“[H]is face got very, very serious. And he said, what are you talking about? And I said, well, I told Gene just yesterday that I'm going to leave the show after the first year because I've been offered - and he stopped me and said: You cannot do that. And I was stunned. He said, don't you understand what this man has achieved? For the first time, we are being seen the world over as we should be seen. He says, do you understand that this is the only show that my wife Coretta and I will allow our little children to stay up and watch. I was speechless.”

Stories can show us the world, and they can show us ourselves. They can create love and hate and despair and hope. They can change lives. They’re powerful. They’re magical.

I wanted to write a series that celebrated that magic.

Sure, I also wanted to write about a librarian who pulls out a lightsaber to fight a vampire in the steam tunnels of Michigan State University. And undermining various urban fantasy tropes was a lot of fun too. But ultimately, Revisionary and the rest of the series is all about the power of imagination and passion and story.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Deb for lending me the blog. You can check out excerpts from the books over at my website if you’d like. Or leave a comment here, and I’ll pick one person at random to win an autographed copy of Libriomancer, the first book in the series. (If you’ve already read Libriomancer, I’m happy to send you a later book in its place.)

 

Purchase links: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound

Website: http://www.jimchines.com

Thanks for dropping by, Jim!

Jim C. Hines is best known as a fantasy novelist and the guy who did those gender-flipped SF/F cover poses. His first novel was Goblin Quest, the tale of a nearsighted goblin runt and his pet fire-spider. Actor and author Wil Wheaton described the book as “too f***ing cool for words,” which is pretty much the Best Blurb Ever. After completing the goblin trilogy, Jim went on to write the princess series, four books often described as a blend of Grimm’s Fairy Tales with Charlie’s Angels. He’s currently working on the Magic ex Libris books, which follow the adventures of a magic-wielding librarian from northern Michigan.

IT'S RELEASE DAY! Wickedly Powerful is Out at Last

Is it just me, or have we been waiting a looonnnnggg time for book three in the Baba Yaga series to come out?

Well, it's here now! Happy Release Day to Me! (And to everyone else who has been waiting for it.)

Well, what are you hanging around here for? Go buy it/read it/spread the word/other activity of your choice.

Yay! Release Day!

(And happy release day to Jim C. Hines, who also has a book out today. And will be here tomorrow with a guest blog, while I guest blog over at his place.)

UNBOUND with Jim C. HInes

I have a lot of authors whose books I like, many of whom are on the "I've got to get to this sooner or later" list. There is, however, a much shorter list of "authors whose books I must buy as soon as they come out." Even if they are (gasp) hardcover. One of those is Jim C. Hines, who wrote the fabulous Princess series, a bunch of fun books about goblins, and his current series which involves two of my favorite things: books and magic. How can you not love that?

Jim's newest book is out today, January 6th, so I invited him to come seduce chat with you all about it.

I love the covers for these books!

First off, thank you Deborah for loaning me the blog today!

So my book Unbound comes out on January 6, which means I’m doing the authorial freak-out thing where I desperately try not to refresh my Amazon ranking every sixty seconds, and instead run around searching for non-obnoxious ways to publicize my book.

It’s so much more comfortable promoting other people’s books. I’d much rather go on about how much I enjoyed Wickedly Dangerous. (Review here.) I could spend all day praising various authors and the amazing books I’ve read over the past year. Because books are awesome, and there are so many people out there creating incredible stories.

And in a way, that brings me right back to Unbound and the Magic ex Libris series, which is all about the literal magic of books. My protagonist, Isaac Vainio is a librarian and a major book-lover from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. He’s also a libriomancer, with the ability to reach into the pages and create anything that physically fits through the book, which meant I got to write a scene where he pulls out a light saber to fight a vampire.

The whole series is a love letter to books, and to the science fiction/fantasy genre. It’s my way of celebrating the stories I’ve loved for as long as I’ve been able to read. Those books showed me possibilities. They made me think there was nothing humanity couldn’t accomplish. They created a sense of wonder, and they gave me hope about the world.

Maybe I’m getting old and grumpy, but I don’t see that sense of hope as much these days. (Also, when I was a kid, we booted up our computers on 5.25” floppy disks, and we were grateful!)

Ahem. Anyway, I have nothing against grimdark and dystopian and generally dark stories. But with this series, I wanted to get back to the joy and the hope. Isaac spends a lot of time fighting and/or running away from things that are bigger, badder, and stronger than he is. But no matter how bad things get, he never loses his love of magic and books. He loves the variety magic brings to the world, even when that variety is trying very hard to kill him. Every new discovery is like a pile of magical presents on Christmas morning.

Isaac isn’t the most powerful libriomancer, and his enthusiasm gets him into trouble from time to time. But he’s also clever and well-read, and that’s a much more important kind of power.

Unbound starts Isaac out in a pretty dark place, following the events of Libriomancer and Codex Born, but no matter how bad things get for him and his companions, I never wanted to lose that core of hope and wonder.

What else should I say about the books? Isaac has a spider named Smudge who eats too much candy and magically sets things on fire. Usually on purpose. He has a dryad companion named Lena Greenwood who rides a motorcycle and kicks assorted ass throughout the series. In book three, he gets to hang out with Johannes Gutenberg and Ponce de Leon. Also, he’s got an enchanted convertible that he stole from the aforementioned Ponce de Leon.

I’ve got sample chapters and such on the website. But whether you like the books or not, the important thing is to take away is that yes, books are amazing and powerful and inspiring, whether you’re reading them in print or on a smartphone or an e-reader, or listening to audio books, or whatever other format works best for you.

Because books are magic.

 ***

Here's where you can find the books and Jim:

 

·  HARDCOVER: Amazon | B&N | BAMM | Mysterious Galaxy | Schuler Books | Indiebound

·  EBOOK: Amazon | B&N | BAMM | Kobo | iBooks

My website: http://www.jimchines.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jimchines

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimhines

 

Blog Hopping with Maria V. Snyder

 Author pal Maria V. Snyder invited me to take part in a blog hop. Each author thanks the person who invited them (thank you, Maria!) and then answers a few writing related questions, then passes the "hop" on to someone else.

Here is Maria's contribution (I love her books--she's one of the people who inspired me the most when I got serious about my own writing, so if you haven't read her yet, you might want to start!)

Maria's blog hop post

And here is mine...

Question One: What am I working on?
Answer:
Well, there's the Sekrit Project I can't talk about yet (soon, I promise), but mostly I am working on a new novel, which I am provisionally calling One Born Every Minute. It is a complete departure for me, since it is a humorous contemporary romance, rather than a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy. I love writing with humor (there's always at least a little bit, no matter what I write) and I'm having a ball writing something that is out and out funny.

Question Two: How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Answer:  My paranormal romance books (the Baba Yaga series) aren't quite as grim or sexy as a lot of the books out there now (not that I have anything against grim and sexy--it's just not what I write), and there is always a hint of humor. The Baba Yaga books are loosely based on a bunch of Russian fairy tales, which isn't exactly the norm either. Also, I have dragons disguised as dogs. Go ahead, find someone else who has THAT.

Question Three: Why do I write what I do?
Answer: I suppose that the simple answer is that I write the kind of books I love to read. I adore books about witches (especially ones that break the normal stereotypes) and I really like modern retellings of old fairy tales. (Check out Jim C. Hines Princess Books to see what I mean.) I like kickass female protagonists who mostly rescue themselves, with maybe just a little help from the good-looking guy who shows up. Not to mention dragons that turn into dogs. Or is it the other way around?
I also write what I do because that's what shows up in my head. I might say to myself, "Gee, I'd like to write a humorous romance next." But what shows up after that it pretty much out of my control.

Question Four: How does your writing process work?
I always love reading other authors' answers to this question, since no two authors I know work the same way. My friend Alex Bledsoe tend to get up very early, to write before his kids are awake. Maria said in her post that she works from 10 pm to 3 or 4 am--if I tried that, all you'd get would be drivel!

Every book is a little different (they all want to be written in their own particular way, believe it or not--some can be outlined in detail, others prefer to be mostly made up as I go along...it's very annoying). In general, I tend to start with an idea (what if there is a woman who is the only honest one in a family of thieves, who is forced to work with an uptight cop and pretend to be a thief?), then create the main characters, figure out the basics of the plot, then delve deeper into the protagonists, which usually introduces me to the secondary characters. I try to write up a "blurb" for the story (like the one you would find on the back of a book jacket), to sum things up, then write up detailed character studies and a basic outline before I start actually writing.

Once I'm into the story, I write almost every day, usually from about 6:30-7pm to about 9:30-10:30 pm. At which point I clean a bunch of litter boxes and stagger off to bed. When things are really rolling, I often do two stints on the weekend days. (No, I don't have a life. And your point?) I aim at producing at least 1,000 words a day, although on a good day I can get two or three times that much, and on a bad day, I'm happy to produce a page (about 300 words). In theory, I can write the first draft of a novel in about 3-4 months, then I send it out to a few folks, including my fabulous critique partner Lisa, and my equally fabulous agent Elaine. Revisions take about a month, not counting waiting-for-responses-time. Then, if the book is already sold, it goes off to my editor, then I do MORE revisions. Oh, the joy. Then I have a glass of wine.

And eventually, the finished book comes out, and I celebrate!

Next up on the blog hop, be sure to check out the lovely and talented Nancy Holzner, author of the Deadtown books (which I LOVE). Nancy has had a tough year, with the loss of her husband, and hasn't been blogging at all. Hopefully this little blog hop will be a easy way for her to hop back to it. (Yes, I did that. I'd say I'm sorry, but of course I'm not.) She'll be posting her piece of the puzzle sometime next week.

People are Talking About Me (and Feline Friday)

People have been talking about me this week. Well, at least, they've been talking about my books, and that's a good thing!

Author Jim C. Hines had a great review of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS on his blog HERE (Spoiler: He liked it!)

Author Lisa Shearin was kind enough to spread the word at her blog HERE

(These are both amazing authors--two of my favorite writers AND people. If you're not reading them yet, you should definitely check them out.)

Rebecca Elson talked about The Witches Broom on her blog, The Magical Buffet

You should go check these things out and say hi--tell 'em Deborah sent you :-)

Maybe the most exciting of all was a review in one of the major romance publications, RT Book Reviews. They gave WICKEDLY DANGEROUS four stars (they only go up to 4 1/2, so 4 is great) and a really glowing review. (I'm not sure if you can read the review if you don't have a subscription, but here is the link in case you can.) RT BOOK REVIEWS

My wonderful publisher, Berkley, is giving away twenty copies of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS on GOODREADS -- go see if you can snag a copy!

It is hard to believe that the novella will be out on August 5th! That's next week! *faints* Wickedly Magical

And the lovely folks at Berkley sent me the first print copy of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS, hot off the presses. Magic the Cat was very impressed. Isn't it bee-oo-tiful?

Your Feline Friday picture

She doesn't look like she wants to give that one up, but pretty soon I should get my box of author copies, and then I suspect we'll be having some giveaways... In fact, I will probably do something next Tuesday, to celebrate the release of the novella, so stay tuned. (If you're not signed up for the newsletter, you might want to be...just saying.) I know I'm going to do an ARC giveaway on my Facebook Author Page (they don't let you do giveaways on your personal page, silly people), so if you want in on that, you should go like me.

 As you might expect, the next month or so is going to be a lot of "OMG THE BOOKS" around here, but I'll try to keep it interesting. Next up is a blog post on the origins of the Baba Yaga (the original stories, not my updated take on  it). I hope to have exciting news to announce soon about the Super Sekrit Project too.

Nothing but good times ahead! So are you as excited as Magic is about the book?

Fabulous Review of Wickedly Dangerous

*doing the happy author dance*

Author Jim C. Hines read an advanced reader copy of WICKEDLY DANGEROUS and reviewed it on his blog HERE (spoiler alert: he LIKED IT!).

I'm thrilled that Jim liked the book, not just because I love his writing and really respect him as an author, but because his Princess novels -- fabulous, original, kick-ass updates of some classic fairy tale characters -- are part of what inspired me to write the Baba Yaga series in the first place.

Go read Jim's review, then come back here and happy dance with me.

With a Little Help from my Friends: Writers Helping Writers

I've been in the writing biz for about 8 years, give or take. I started out in 2005 by sending out a proposal and 1st three chapters of a book on witchcraft to Llewellyn Worldwide and arrived, as of last Friday, in the fiction publishing world by getting a two book contract from Berkley for my modern fairy tale, THE BABA YAGA.

Finally. Whew. And yay!

But along the way, a remarkable thing happened. You see, I didn't make this journey by myself. I'm not sure I could have made it by myself. Certainly it wouldn't have been as rewarding or as fun.

At the time I wrote that first book, Circle, Coven & Grove, I knew a few folks who wrote, none of whom had been published (except my father, who has three nonfiction books about his specialty). My mother, a gifted writer in her own right and the best line editor I've ever met, read the manuscript before I sent it out, which resulted in a polished book (with a lot fewer commas) that needed virtually no in-house editing from Llewellyn at all.

Which was great, but I decided that if I was going to seriously try to have a writing career (and I was--that first book not only got me hooked on being published, it proved that I could actually FINISH A DAMNED BOOK, in which case I had no excuses not to work on a novel), I needed to figure out how the business worked.

So I set out to do some research, and also to purposely stalk follow authors online who I liked and admired. I thought I might learn something from them, and also perhaps make a few connections that would be useful.

Smartest thing I ever did in my life.

Not just because many authors talk on their blogs (and Facebook and Twitter) about the writing biz, although that is certainly part of it. I learned more about agents, editors, the craft of writing, and the joys and pitfalls of the publishing world than I could ever have dreamed to. And won a few free books along the way :-)

But mostly because I made some of the best friends a writer could hope to have. It turns out that the Biz is full of smart, funny, warm, generous people--many of whom take time and energy they really can't spare from their own writing to mentor those who are following in their footsteps.

During the long 8 year slog from "I think I'll write a novel" to "OMG I got a book deal!," sometimes the only thing that kept me from giving up was the encouragement and support from these fabulous authors (and a few fabulous agents who didn't sign me, but stayed in my corner nonetheless). They gave me pointers, hooked me up with useful people, and sometimes just repeated over and over, "SOMEDAY IT WILL HAPPEN. HANG IN THERE. YOU CAN DO IT."

I could write out a whole list of names of people you should stalk follow if you are an aspiring author, but here are a few of the folks who helped me the most, and who are always generous and smart and kind when dealing with those who are following in their footsteps. If you're going to stalk follow anyone (and support them by buying their books, of course), you want to include Candace Havens (who has practically made a career out of helping other writers), Jim C. Hines, Lucienne Diver, Alex Bledsoe, Annette Blair, C. E. Murphy, Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich (whose Story Wonk podcast is an education in itself), and Heather Long.

These folks are just the tip of the iceberg, of course. I suggest starting with the authors you like and admire, and who write the kind of books you want to write. People who don't hesitate to share their experiences and their advice. You can learn a lot from a writer. But even better, writers make the best cheering section in the world.

And sometimes, if you're as lucky as I am, the very best friends.

For the aspiring authors, I have this message :SOMEDAY IT WILL HAPPEN. HANG IN THERE. YOU CAN DO IT.

Two Men I Love: Recommended Reading

A quick reminder: the next online witchcraft class, "Witchcraft on a Shoestring," starts next Monday, August 27th. Registration closes on the 26th at 6 PM EST, and the class is starting to fill up. I hope to see a few of you there Witchcraft/Writing Workshop blog

I have a stack of books I want to put up in a Recommended Reading post (long overdue), but I just finished reading two that particularly knocked my socks off, so I thought I'd put them up in one post right away, since they just came out.

I realized some time ago that I seem to read a lot more women authors than men. I've never counted, but I'm guessing it is at least 65/35...maybe more. I'm not sure why this is, really. I do have some male authors I have been reading for years, like the late Dick Francis (British mysteries) and the fabulous Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files). And then there are the two men I am currently madly in love with [don't tell their wives!]--

Alex Bledsoe and Jim C. Hines

If you are a regular reader here, you have probably seen me mention Alex before. I even put up a picture of Magic the Cat hogging the new book when it first arrived that blog post. He is an incredibly imaginative and original writer, with a number of different series out, but my favorite has always been his Eddie LeCrosse books. Eddie is a sword jockey--like a cross between a 50's private detective and a sword and sorcery hero. His adventures started with The Sword-Edged Blonde and continue with his 4th Eddie book, Wake of the Bloody Angel. There are pirates (including a mostly-retired pirate queen who is one of the best female protagonists I've seen in years), monsters, and mystery...as well as Eddie's unconventional and enduring love story. This was undeniably the best of them all: gripping, funny, and smart. You're going to want to read this book.

Jim C. Hines is another one with a couple of different series. I adored his Princess series, with kick-ass heroines based on fairy tale princesses like Snow White (but not like any Disney princess you've ever seen, I promise you!). He just started a new "Magic Ex Libris" series, beginning with LIBRIOMANCER in which the hero is a magic user and a librarian. Oh, man--you had me at librarian! This book sucked me in from the first page and didn't let go until I finally put it down at 2 in the morning. (*shakes fist at Jim*) This is another one that featured a female side-protagonist who was completely original, likeable, and fascinating. Hines creates an entire world of magical use involving books; it is unlike anything I've ever read before and will appeal to the reader-geek in everyone. I can't wait for the next book in this series, and to find out what happens with the...er...unconventional love affair that was revealed at the end of this one. I'd give this book six stars, if I could. 

So here are two more books I can recommend highly. What are you reading now that you recommend?

National Read A Book Day--What I've been reading!

Happy National Read A Book Day! Of course, around my house, EVERY day is read a book day. Which would explain why I had to buy yet another bookshelf last month...

I have a stack of books I've read recently that I liked even more than usual, and I've been meaning to blog about them. Seems like National Read A Book Day is the perfect day to do so. Some are books in series I've been reading and enjoying, others are new books by a few of my favorite authors, and I've got a couple of new discoveries in there as well. Every single one of them comes with  my highest recommendation, and I hope you'll go out and try one or two and come back to tell me if you liked them as much as I did.

Favorite Series:
GHOST STORY by Jim Butcher -- The Harry Dresden series (which I first discovered from the short-lived but wonderful TV show based on the books) is amazing, magical, clever, and funny urban fantasy. For these of you who might not be familiar with it, Harry is the only professional wizard in Chicago. This book has been eagerly awaited by fans of the series, since Butcher left us hanging at the end of the previous book. *shakes fist at author* And it doesn't disappoint. At all. If you haven't read these, I suggest you start at the beginning, with STORM FRONT.
THE SNOW QUEEN'S SHADOW by Jim C. Hines -- the final installment in the "Princess" series, this book features the same kick-ass heroines as the others, and winds things up very satisfactorily. Hines' take on the traditional fairy tales is second to none; these are NOT your childhood princesses, I assure you. Read this whole series, too. The first book is THE STEPSISTER SCHEME.
MAGIC SLAYS & MAGIC BLEEDS by Ilona Andrews -- I got behind on this series, which meant I got to read two in a row. Huzzah! Another urban fantasy series, this one is set in Atlanta, but in an Atlanta that is very different from the one we know. Kate Daniels is one of my favorite heroines, and the world-building here is second to none. The series starts with MAGIC BITES.

Favorite Authors:
I don't always read fantasy or urban fantasy; sometime I like a nice contemporary romance, especially one with a touch of humor or an exotic locale. (I'm actually very picky about the romance I read, however, so the few favorite authors I have are REALLY good.)
I have a weakness for British contemporaries, and my absolute top author there is Katie Fforde. I like her work so much, I actually order the books directly from England, rather than waiting the extra year for them to come out here. (Although I do usually wait until the hardcovers are available used through an Amazon seller.) I somehow got one behind on these as well, so I just read two and loved them both. These books are all stand-alones, so they don't need to be read in any particular order. If you're a fan of Jennifer Crusie's writing, you'll like SUMMER OF LOVE, A PERFECT PROPOSAL and everything else Fforde has ever written.
Mindy Klasky is another author whose work I love, whether it was her humorous paranormal series or her earlier fantasies. I don't normally read the Harlequin Special Edition books, but when Mindy came out with one, I made an exception. And I was glad I had, because THE MOGUL'S MAYBE MARRIAGE was sweet and charming and lots of fun to read.
Starhawk is a well-known Pagan author of nonfiction (THE SPIRAL DANCE is a must-read classic) but I'd had her novel THE FIFTH SACRED THING on my bookshelves for years without getting around to reading it. My writing partner Lisa recommended it, though, and she was right--it was amazing!

New Discoveries:
One of the best parts of reading is when you find a new author whose work you love. I just read three new or new-to-me authors, one of which I liked a lot and two of which I loved with a white-hot passion that had me telling everyone I know to run out and buy their books.
I've been in fairy tale mode, so I really enjoyed the YA fantasy THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT by Julie Berry. If you like charming stories set in earlier eras with likable heroines, you should definitely check this out.
I was lucky enough to get an advance reader's copy at RWA of Rosemary Clement-Moore's new book, TEXAS GOTHIC. Run out and buy this book. (No, really--I'll wait.) I love books that feature magic and witches, especially if the author finds a clever new approach. This YA has a terrific protagonist, Amy Goodnight, who is saddled with a charming but eccentric family and a lot of secrets. I read this book in two days, because I just couldn't put it down, and I can only hope that Rosemary writes another one with these same lovable and quirky characters.
And I just finished a fabulous debut novel, MAKING WAVES by Tawna Fenske. Another contemporary romance, with just the right amount of humor and spiciness, this is another book you should run out and buy immediately. If not sooner! I was laughing out loud by page five. Heck, it is worth reading it for the Jell-O salad alone. Fenske is my new favorite discovery and I can't wait to read her next one.

So, now that I've told you what I've been reading, what about you? Any new books by old favorites? Any great new discoveries you have to shout about? What are you reading for National Read a Book Day?

Review: Red Hood's Revenge by Jim C. Hines

I loved the new Jim C. Hines book, and you can find out why at Debuts & Reviews
http://www.tianevitt.com/weblog/

What I'm Reading: 3 great books and a magazine

I just finished one great book and a terrific magazine, and am in the midst of two other fabulous books (one fiction, the other nonfiction). They're all so good, I wanted to share!

Just finished: Jim C. Hines' Red Hood's Revenge. The 3rd installment in his fairy tale series, the first 2 were also incredible. If you like fantasy, fairy tales retold in completely new ways, and just plan terrific writing, you will want to read these books. http://tinyurl.com/34hfdlt

Also read from cover to cover, the new issue (#21) of Witches & Pagans Magazine. Yes, my new column is in there, and that's nice, but there are also a ton of other interesting articles and two great interviews with Ellen Dugan and Starhawk. If you are a Pagan, you MUST read this issue.
http://tinyurl.com/39lydnx

Currently reading (started last night and already on page 122, which will give you some idea of how fast and fun this book is): Mindy Klasky's To Wish or Not to Wish. This book is the third and final installment of her genie series, but it can easily be read on its own (although the first 2 books were equally wonderful and I highly recommend them). If you like genies, live theater, fun heroines, realistic characters, and humor with your romance, you can't do any better than to read this book--or anything that Mindy has written, for that matter! She is easily one of my favorite authors, and I love her writing! Run out and get this book today!
http://tinyurl.com/3yudekl

The final book is a nonfiction book I'm reading as research for the current work in progress. But I'm finding the information fascinating enough that I am happy to be doing it. The book is Irish Witchcraft from an Irish Witch by Lora O'Brien, and it is exactly what it sounds like. I'm getting lots of great (and presumably authentic!) info, and the book is well-written and put together in a way that makes it easy to use.
http://tinyurl.com/345guwc

I highly recommend all of these books, and hope one of them catches your fancy. What you reading now, and what do you think of it? Is it something you would recommend to others?

Sexual Assault Awareness Month & Spell Sunday

Support rape crisis centers and enter to win an Advance Copy of Red Hood’s Revenge, by Jim C. Hines.

Jim C. Hines (fabulous author of fantasy and all-around cool guy) is running a contest on his blog. He asks, although does not insist (take that, Michigan Charitable Gaming Office) that you make a donation to a rape-crisis center. If you feel like it. But either way, do by all means go to his blog and enter the contest for a free copy of his new book, RED HOOD'S REVENGE.

As my contribution to Sexual Assault Awareness Month, today's Sunday Spell from MY upcoming book, EVERYDAY WITCH A TO Z SPELLBOOK will be a "Rape Recovery Spell."

I would hope that none of my blog readers would ever have to use such a spell, but sadly, since the statistics say that one in every four women will experience some form of sexual assault in her life, I doubt such a thing will be true.

If you do have a need for this spell (or know someone who does), I hope it brings you peace.

Optional Extras: Blue candle, bowl of water, soft cloth, sage smudge stick
Notes: This spell is not about revenge or justice (for a good spell aimed in those directions, look in Z. Budapest’s book, The Holy Book of Women's Mysteries)—rather it is a spell for healing spiritually, physically and mentally. If you are comfortable doing so, you can cast the spell naked. You can even have friends there to help you if you like, and do the spell in a bath or pool. As you say the spell, use the cloth to wash yourself clean of pain, fear and distrust. If other women are helping you, they can each have a cloth, or some soothing lotion, or if you are immersed in a pool or bath they can just scoop up water and pour it over you. This spell can also be used by men – simply change the first lines to read: I am a man, made in the image of the god.

I am a woman
Made in the image of the goddess
I am strong
In the face of adversity
I have been violated
But I will triumph in the end
And rise like a phoenix
From the ashes of violence
I wash myself clean
Of the anguish and fear
I wash myself clean
Of the negative energy
And I emerge from the water
Clearer, wiser, stronger than before
I am a woman
Made in the image of the goddess
No one can steal my power
I am whole again

Afterwards: Take some time to simply sit and feel yourself healing. This may be a very emotional spell to say—allow yourself to cry if you need to do so. The sage can be used before or after the spell, or both.