Review - Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

A new review has been posted on the website for Cape Storm by Rachel Caine. This is the eighth installment in the Weather Warden series, and is a 'Starred Read'!
http://darquereviews.com/12612/231212.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/109759.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)


Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Book Giveaway - Reminder - Strange Brew - Anthology

Don't forget to check out the Strange Brew giveaway! See the original post for details on how to enter:

http://darquereviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-giveaway-strange-brew-anthology.html

Be sure to check back on July 7th for the winner. :)



Good Luck and Happy Reading!

Book Giveaway - Strange Brew - Anthology

We have a new release day giveaway for a copy of the anthology Strange Brew! A big thank you goes to the St. Martin’s Press publicist who is kindly sharing a copy of this book.

About the Book:
Today’s hottest urban fantasy authors come together in this delicious brew that crackles and boils over with tales of powerful witches and dark magic!

In Charlaine Harris’ “Bacon,” a beautiful vampire joins forces with a witch from an ancient line to find out who killed her beloved husband. In “Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs, a blind witch helps sexy werewolf Tom Franklin find his missing brother—and helps him in more ways than either of them ever suspected. And in Jim Butcher’s “Last Call,” wizard Harry Dresden takes on the darkest of dark powers—the ones who dare to mess with this favorite beer.

For anyone who’s ever wondered what lies beyond the limits of reality, who’s imagined the secret spaces where witches wield fearsome magic, come and drink deep. Let yourself fall under the spell of this bewitching collection!

About the Giveaway:
Release day for Strange Brew is July 7, 2009 and you have until early that morning to leave a comment on this post to enter. This giveaway is open to US addresses only.

There are 9 stories in this anthology by a very talented group of authors in Urban Fantasy. I’d love to hear which author’s story you’re most excited to read.

The authors are: Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Karen Chance, P. N. Elrod, Charlaine Harris, Faith Hunter, Caitlin Kittredge and Jenna Maclaine.

I know, what a tough decision!

You can visit the St. Martin’s Press website: HERE

If you’d like a better look at the stories included in Strange Brew, feel free to check out my review on the Darque Reviews website: HERE

Good luck, and happy reading! Be sure to check back on July 7, 2009 to see if you’re the lucky winner.

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Strange Brew - Anthology

A new review has been posted on the website for Strange Brew.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/190196.html

Authors included in this anthology are:
Patricia Briggs
Jim Butcher
Rachel Caine
Karen Chance
P. N. Elrod
Charlaine Harris
Faith Hunter
Caitlin Kittredge
Jenna Maclaine

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Giveaway - Winners - Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine

A big thank you to all of the readers who stopped by to comment, and to those of you who shared the link on your own blogs as well. :)

The giveaway winners for Carpe Corpus are:

BreiaB

Alice's Dream

dilitealex

Angiegirl

Brooke Reviews

Congratulations! Just send me your mailing address to darquereviews AT gmail DOT com and Ms. Caine's publicist will get those books out to you. :)

Happy reading!

Guest Post & Giveaway - Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine has been kind enough to share a guest post with us today. Thanks so much Rachel!

NAL – Jam (Penguin Group) has also offered to share a five book giveaway! (see below for details)

SPILLING SECRETS

Rachel Caine is the New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series, as well as the bestselling Weather Warden and Outcast Season series. Her newest release, CARPE CORPUS (Book 6 of the Morganville series) went on sale June 2. CAPE STORM, the next Weather Warden book, will be out August 4.


Can I tell you a secret?

I didn't really intend to write the Morganville series. Or any vampire series. Or any young adult series.

Here's what happened: I got an inquiry from my publisher, who wondered if I'd be interested in writing a YA series for their NAL JAM line of books. I was ... to put it mildly ... a little thrown. "But I don't write young adult," I said. I was, at the time, writing the fourth book of the Weather Warden series, which is -- for language, violence, and yes, sex -- decidedly not YA. In fact, I didn't know anything about the YA market, other than it was vaguely on the other side of the store. So although I was deeply flattered by the inquiry, I was pretty much decided it wasn't for me. Especially since what the publisher was interested in was something vampire-themed.

Now, I'd done vampires before ... more than once. And I really didn't think there was anything I had to say about them, especially post-Buffy. How could I possibly come up with something new anyway?

I happened to call my dear (recently departed) friend Ter Matthies. She was one of those "long drive home" people you could talk to for an hour and a half about, oh, anything. During the call, I mentioned the YA thing. Ter immediately said, in that forthright way she had, "You obviously should do that."

"I should?"

"Of course."

"Um ... why?"

"Because you'd be great at it. You understand how to create interesting characters, and you think sideways. It's just a matter of writing characters that are younger, and making them believable. You can do that."

I think I spluttered "But ..." a couple of times.

"Don't think YA is like the old days," she said. "Most of the books I read now come from the YA shelves. There's incredible stuff over there."

"Really?"

"Really. They're telling the best stories over there. So just say yes."

"But -- they want something with vampires. And I don't want to do the good-guy vampire thing anyway."

"Then don't," Ter said. "How would you make it different?"

I happened to be listening -- believe it or not -- to a CD of the theme music from The Sopranos. "Well," I said, not quite seriously, "Maybe the vampires are like the Mafia. You pay them not to hurt you." I thought about it for a critical second. "Maybe they've taken over a small town. Isolated. And my younger characters are just trying to get by." We both talked about the concept of "blood money" for a moment, and thought that was kind of interesting.

Ter thought about it. "What else?" (She was great at asking this question. It's an awesome question. I ask it of myself, all the time.)

"Well," I said. "Maybe the reason they've taken over the town is that there's something wrong with them. Something they're trying to fix."

This time there was a long silence. "You mean, they're sick?"

"Yes," I said. "Maybe something like vampire Alzheimer's. Maybe they've lost the ability to control themselves at a certain point. Maybe they're really vulnerable now and can't make new vampires, so this is their last stand." I paused, and said, "It's like a nature preserve. They're predators, but they're beautiful, and they're endangered. So it's not a good versus evil sort of situation, except on a very personal level."

Ter, who regularly snarked about the deals made in Publisher's Lunch, was silent. I thought, Oh no. That really sucked.

Then she said, "A cross between the Mafia and a tiger preserve. I'd read that." And she meant it. "Write that. I dare you."

The rest of the conversation was about friend-type stuff ... how cool Alan Rickman was as Snape in the Harry Potter movies. How much we both loved Remus Lupin. How we really needed to spend more time together. You know. Life.

That was the spring of 2006, I believe. The first Morganville book came out in October 2006.

Because Ter dared me to do it.

I'm writing this because Ter was sick by the end of 2007, and slipped away from us in 2008, and I never did get to spend more time with her. I never got to properly thank her for pushing me beyond my limits, one more time.

That's the real story of Morganville. I said no. Ter made me think sideways, and look what happened.

And she was right about the YA shelves. There's so much good stuff over there, it's dizzying. Go look, if you're not already there.

Thank you, Ter. I love you.

This one's for you.

- - Rachel Caine

To learn more about Carpe Corpus, please visit Ms. Caine’s website: HERE

You can visit the Penguin Group website: HERE

Read a review of Carpe Corpus: HERE

Visit Ms. Caine’s author page on Darque Reviews: HERE

GIVEAWAY – How to enter:

This giveaway is for five copies of Carpe Corpus, sponsored by NAL/Penguin Group, and open to U. S. residents. There are two ways to enter:

1. To enter just leave one comment on this post anytime over the next week.

2. For a second entry, post the giveaway info on your blog or website and email me the link (DarqueReviews AT gmail Dot com) with ‘Carpe Corpus’ in the subject line.

The five lucky winners will be announced on Monday, June 15, 2009. Be sure to check back and see if you’re one of them!

Good Luck and Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine

A new review has been posted on the website for Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine. This is book six in the Morganville Vampires series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/166612.html
You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/109759.html
Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Undone by Rachel Caine

Undone
Outcast Season, Book 1
Rachel Caine
ROC
February 3, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-451-46261-9

Book Blurb:
Once she was Cassiel, a Djinn of limitless power. Now, she has been reshaped in human flesh as punishment for defying her master—and living among the Weather Wardens, whose power she must tap into regularly or she will die. And as she copes with the emotions and frailties of her human condition, a malevolent entity threatens her new existence...

My thoughts:
Refusing to do the task that her master has ordered, Cassiel has been cast out from the Djinn. Forced into a fragile body, with little knowledge of surviving as a human, she’s forced to rely on the Weather Wardens for help. They provide Cassiel with what she needs to stay alive, including the energy she’d die without.

Cassiel has been partnered with Manny, a warden who’s willing to work with her. Following a surprise visit from his warden brother, Luis, they’re all on alert. Something or someone is focused on destroying them, and only as a team can any of them hope to survive.

This is the first installment in the Outcast Season series, a new storyline that shares many of its wonderful characters with the Weather Warden series. Ms. Caine takes readers on a fabulous new journey and introduces us to a powerful new heroine who’s been forced into a reality she’s not equipped to handle. Undone well exceeded my expectations, and I’m really looking forward to seeing where the series will go from here.

To learn more about the Outcast Season series, please visit Ms. Caine’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule
The Morganville Vampires, Book 5
Rachel Caine
NAL – Jam
January 6, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-451-22572-6

Book Blurb:
In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.

Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.

My thoughts:
When Claire Danvers isn’t working with a half crazy vampire to create a cure to the disease that’s slowly eating away at his people, or busy trying to save her friends from the deadly threats they face, she’s attending classes in college. There’s been little time for class of late, because Morganville is facing one of their biggest challenges yet, Bishop. Amelie, the Founder who currently holds the lease on Claire’s life, is gearing up to make a stand. No one in Morganville is safe, and those who survive the coming battle may almost wish they hadn’t.

This is the fifth installment in the Morganville Vampires series. The residents of Morganville are about to engage in a fight for power, and not even the threat of a storm closing in can stop it. Ms. Caine uses her dazzling story telling skills to share the darkest chapter yet on the characters that have charmed readers from the start. In the midst of death and destruction brought to this well-built world, there’s always strong friendship and the touch of romance to add light and warmth to the storyline. Lord of Misrule is an engrossing read that once begun is impossible to set down. Ms. Caine has cliff-hanger endings down to a science, and she’s used that talent once more to leave readers anxious for more.

To learn more about the Morganville Vampires, please visit Ms. Caine’s website: HERE

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Gale Force by Rachel Caine

Gale Force
Weather Wardens, Book 7
Rachel Caine
ROC
August 5, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-451-46223-7

From the Publisher’s site:
Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is on vacation when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him. She’s thrilled to say yes, even if some others may be less than happy about it.

-

Unfortunately, Joanne’s pre-marital bliss is ended by a devastating earthquake in Florida. And she can’t ask David and his kind for assistance. Because the cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered—and a power even the Djinn cannot perceive.
-
My thoughts:
Joanne Baldwin is supposed to be enjoying some time in Florida away from her duties as a Weather Warden, but it’s not an easy job to set aside. There’s a wildfire that’s been burning along Alligator Alley for three days, and for Joanne it’s impossible not to be involved. Phil Garret, an investigative reporter, is after her for a story on the Wardens, so someone has been feeding him information. She also has a future with David to plan, but in the midst of that chaos a dark force is at work that must be dealt with. An earthquake is only the beginning.

David is among the strongest of the Djinn, but even he hasn’t been able to truly unite them as they once were. After they released themselves from serving the Wardens, the Djinn also divided. While David leads half of them, Ashan, a Djinn who truly despises Joanne, leads the other half.

The war among the new and old Djinn, as well as the war between the Djinn and Wardens, has caused death and destruction. With so many lost the trust between them is nearly non-existent. Even David is having a hard time believing in Joanne when she describes the force they’re working against, because it’s something the Djinn can’t see.

This is the seventh installment in the Weather Warden series and it’s as captivating as the previous books. Joanne’s life is forever changing as she continues to grow with new power, and her relationship with David has taken an unexpected turn. Ms. Caine is a top-notch writer and her skill in weaving a mesmerizing tale is easily seen. Her characters are wonderfully dimensional, and the world they live in is solid and believable. The chemistry between these strong characters always sizzles, and Gale Force stands out with their deep and fluctuating emotions. This is one that fans won’t want to miss, and I’d strongly suggest that anyone new to the series read each book in order.

If you’d like to learn more about Ms. Caine and her work, you can read an interview with her: Here

To read an excerpt of Gale Force and learn more about the Weather Wardens, you can visit Ms. Caine’s site: Here


Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Interview - Rachel Caine

Darque Reviews welcomes Rachel Caine!

Hi Ms. Caine, thanks so much for sharing your time with Darque Reviews! We’re looking forward to learning more about you and your work.

Can you tell us how long you’ve been writing, and how many books you’ve had published?

RC - I started writing when I was 14, but I didn’t sell anything until I was nearly 30 – long learning curve, I suppose! I published my first book, Stormriders, in 1992. Since then, I think the total is about 25 novels to date, with three more still to do this year.

We’d love to hear about your Weather Warden series and your upcoming August 2008 ROC release, Gale Force (Weather Warden, Book 7). Can you tell us about Joanne Baldwin and her role with the Wardens?

RC - Joanne started out in trouble with the Wardens – a magical organization that controls all sorts of magical forces – and while her status has definitely risen, her talent for getting into trouble is also going strong. She’s quick with a quip and has a sharp eye for absurdity, but she definitely takes her role as a Weather Warden seriously – she’s prepared to die for others, and in fact, it wouldn’t be the first time. By Book 7, Joanne’s risen to the top of the organization, but she’s gained a lot of enemies along the way. Her love affair with David, the leader of the New Djinn, is still going strong, but now that he’s asked her for a formal vow, it’s putting them both at risk.

There are Djinn that are as beautiful as they are dangerous. How did they develop, and what is their relationship with the Weather Wardens?

RC - The Djinn come from two sources ... the “True Djinn,” who have been around since the dawn of time and were never human, and the “New Djinn,” humans who have been transformed into Djinn by the circumstances of their deaths. Not surprisingly, there’s a pretty big division between the two, at least in terms of internal politics. None of the Djinn are entirely happy with the Wardens, who more or less perverted the trust that the Djinn gave them way back when, and now Djinn and Wardens exist in an uneasy state of truce – but only because they need each other.

Undone is the first book in a new Weather Warden series titled Outcast Season. Can you tell us about the series and when we might see the first release?

RC - Outcast Season follows a True Djinn named Cassiel who has a serious disagreement with her leader Ashan, and gets exiled into human form. She’ll die without help from the Wardens, but the Wardens want something in return for their generosity ... namely, she has to become part of their organization. But looking human and being human are two very different things, and Cassiel has a lot to learn about herself, and the world around her.

Undone is out in February 2009, and there are four books total in the series.

Another fabulous series is your Morganville Vampires young adult series. Feast of Fools is the 4th book in this series, scheduled for a NAL June 2008 release. Can you tell us about Claire Danvers and her Morganville friends?

-

RC - Claire moved to Morganville for college, but she’s getting a lot more of an education than she ever expected. She’s acquired some great friends, (like Michael, Eve, and her now-boyfriend Shane), and some strong allies (like the most powerful vampire in town, Amelie). But now she’s apprenticed to a crazy, brilliant vampire scientist Myrnin, and neck-deep in town politics ... and Amelie’s evil father has rolled into town to take over. What’s a girl to do? Especially with final exams looming!

What are working on now, and what can we expect to see in new releases over the next few years?

RC - I just turned in the fifth Morganville book, Lord of Misrule, and I’ll be starting on the next Weather Warden novel shortly. In addition, there will be three more Outcast Season books coming in the next couple of years. I plan to also do another Stargate SG-1 book this year, and I have some other irons in the fire that aren’t finalized quite yet – but I’m staying busy!

Oh, I’d also like to put in a good word for a marvelous new charity anthology coming out soon called Tears of the Phoenix ... the profits go to the repair and support of the New Orleans Public Library system, which sustained such horrible damage during Hurricane Katrina. It’s being released in two editions, paperback and hardcover, and in the next few weeks you can preorder copies at the website: http://www.tearsofthephoenixanthologies.org/

Is it difficult for you to switch gears from writing an adult series to a young adult series?

RC - Actually, not at all ... I really enjoy the change of pace, and the style and characters are very different. I’m very lucky to have so many varied opportunities.

Who are some of your favorite authors? Have any of them been an influence in your writing?

RC - I have so many favorite authors, I don’t think you have enough space for them here! But I’ll give you the short list: Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, P.N. Elrod, Vicki Pettersson, Stephenie Meyer, Laura Anne Gilman, Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, C.J. Cherryh, Roger Zelazny, Tanith Lee, Judith Tarr. I’d probably say that the biggest influence on my writing has been Roger Zelazny, if I had to choose one in particular. I still re-read his Books of Amber just about every year. I also love the classics – the Scarlet Pimpernel series by Baroness Orczy, Men of Iron by Howard Pyle, the Sherlock Holmes stories.

When you’re able to find some free time, what do you enjoy doing?

RC - What is this free time of which you speak? When it rolls around, we have a pretty fierce home theater system and loads of movies and TV shows. Also, I’m trying to get myself back into reasonably good order on playing the clarinet (which I did for a number of years) and learn guitar and harp.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers or aspiring writers before we go?

RC - I’m a reader first, last, and always – I love writing, but there’s just something so magical about reading a new book for me. So hooray for readers!

And for your aspiring writers ... patience is a virtue. It can seem to take forever to get noticed and published, but honestly, there’s no substitute for hard work, dedication and learning the business. And I look forward to shaking hands with you at a book signing someday!

It’s been a pleasure speaking with you Rachel. Thanks so much for joining us!

RC - Thank you for the opportunity. It’s a pleasure!


Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Visit Rachel Caine’s Website here:
http://www.rachelcaine.com/

Visit Rachel Caine’s Blog here:
http://rachelcaine.livejournal.com/

Friend her on Myspace and Facebook!

Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools
The Morganville Vampires, Book 4
Rachel Caine
Signet
June 3, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-451-22463-7

Claire Danvers is away from home and attending college in Morganville, a town run by vampires. Her intelligence has been found useful to Amelie and she’s been working with Myrnin, an older vampire, whose grasp on reality is deteriorating with a baffling vampiric disease. Under Amelie’s protection, Claire, her boyfriend Shane, and her friends Eve and Michael are relatively safe. Then a stranger rolls into town with plans that will destroy the balance Morganville works to maintain between the vampires and humans.

Mr. Bishop is much scarier than his daughter, Amelie, and that’s saying a lot. He’s also brought some friends along who are beyond anything Claire’s friend, Michael Glass, can stand against. The town will be turned upside down when he starts by dragging Claire’s parents into it for leverage, and then takes over Michael’s house holding them all until Amelie agrees to face him. Mr. Bishop has plans that soon escalate to trying to take over Morganville. With Claire’s knowledge, and help from an unlikely source, the residents of their town may have one small chance. It’s up to young Claire to pull things together and save the family and friends she cares about.

This is the fourth book in The Morganville Vampires series and is as thrilling as the previous installments. Claire’s life has changed drastically since moving to Morganville for college, and we’ve read along as she’s matured into a young woman. She has good friends, an honorable boyfriend and a stronger place in their local society. In sharing her well-imagined world, Ms. Caine gives readers the danger filled supernatural moments they crave while adding friendship, romance, and teen issues to give the story a realistic feel. A fast-moving series where there’s always a surprise just around every dark corner.


Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews