TITLE: The Lasaran
SERIES #: Aldebarian Alliance #1
CHARACTERS: Taelon & Lisa
AUTHOR: Dianna Duvall
NARRATOR: Kirsten Potter
RUN TIME: 11 Hours & 23 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: April 24, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Audible |Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi series full of action, intrigue, humor, and romance.
Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.
After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.
Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?
REVIEW:
When I heard that Dianna Duvall was starting a new series I was excited. When I heard that the new series would start with Ami’s (from the Immortal Guardian series) brother I did a happy dance. I would suggest reading the Immortal Guardian series first, but I think you could pick up The Lasaran and be okay. But you will miss a lot of the back story of the whys and whose.
That being said I truly enjoyed listening to this story! Kirsten Potter did an amazing job as always. Kirsten’s ability to bring the characters to live is phenomenal. Kirsten Potter is one of my all time favorite narrators. I am already looking forward to her reading the next installment in this series to me.
We get the best of both worlds in this book. We get to see some of our favorite Immortal Guardian’s and learn the history of the Lasaran’s. Taelon was sent on a mission to find out what happened to his sister. But things didn’t go according to plan. This story is his journey and boy is it a journey. I can’t wait to see what is next in this series.
Disclaimer:
I purchased this audiobook and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
Hello! Thank you for joining me. I’m very excited to be here, celebrating the release of THE LASARAN, the first book in my new Aldebarian Alliance series. To help you get a feel for some of the characters you’ll encounter in the story, I thought I would borrow Sheldon (a character from my Immortal Guardians series) and have him interview Taelon and Lisa, the hero and heroine of THE LASARAN:
Sheldon: Hi, guys. Nice to meet you. I’m Sheldon.
Lisa: Nice to meet you.
Taelon: Good to meet you.
Sheldon: Everyone around here is very curious about you, Taelon. You really caught us by surprise.
Taelon: I’m equally curious about all of you.
Sheldon: Would you mind answering a few questions? Not many are in the know as far as what you are, but those who ARE tend to be . . . how should I put this . . .
Marcus: *calls from a room down the hallway* Enormous gossips?
Sheldon: *laughs* Yeah. But we keep it in the family so to speak.
Taelon: *smiles* I’d be happy to answer your questions.
Sheldon: Good. So . . . you’re an alien.
Taelon: Yes. I’m from the planet Lasara.
Sheldon: Okay. I think the one burning question that’s currently on everyone’s mind is . . . What’s up with aliens and butt probing?
Taelon: *blinks* What?
Sheldon: I said, what’s up with aliens and—
Taelon: I heard you the first time. I just have no idea what you’re talking about.
Sheldon: You know . . . Aliens are always abducting humans and probing their butts.
Taelon: *looks askance at Lisa*
Lisa: Hey. Don’t look at me. He said ALIENS do it.
Taelon: I admit this is the first time I’ve heard of such.
Sheldon: Really? Lasarans don’t do that?
Taelon: We do not. And on behalf of the Lasaran people, I can tell you with absolute certainty that none of us are interested in discovering what’s up your butt.
Marcus: *calls from the room down the hallway* Good move! With Sheldon, you never know what you’ll find.
Lisa: *laughs*
Sheldon: *scowls* Oh ha freaking ha.
Lisa: *turns to Taelon* By the way, I forgot to mention that Susan and Dana said you should NOT under ANY circumstances read Sheldon’s mind.
Taelon: *regards Sheldon with suspicion* Why?
Sheldon: It’s nothing. I’m not plotting against you or anything. They just like to tease me about some of the sex stuff they see up there.
Taelon: *eyes widen suddenly* Oh. *looks flabbergasted* Really? That sort of thing is legal on Earth? In public?
Sheldon: *face reddens as guffaws erupt down the hallway* She said NOT to read my mind. NOT to read it.
Taelon: *swiftly nods* I will certainly refrain from doing so in the future.
Lisa: *peers up at him curiously* Why? What did you see?
Taelon and Sheldon: Nothing!
Lisa: *lips twitch*
Sheldon: Anyway, as I was saying . . . *pauses* Wait. What was I saying?
Lisa: You were talking about butts.
Sheldon: Right! Speaking of butts, Lisa . . .
Taelon: *expression darkens* Speak of Lisa’s butt and I’ll kick your ass.
Sheldon: Wow. You’ve really got Earth vernacular down, don’t you
Taelon: *narrows his eyes*
Sheldon: *grins* I wasn’t going to mention her butt. I was going to ask her about someone else’s.
Lisa: Taelon has an awesome butt.
Taelon: *grins and takes her hand* Like it, do you?
Lisa: Hell yes.
Sheldon: Gross.
Taelon: *laughs *
Sheldon: So, Lisa, rumor has it you held one of the network’s special ops soldiers at gunpoint and ordered him to strip down to his skivvies.
Lisa: Actually, I held him at gunpoint and Taelon ordered him to strip.
Sheldon: Kinky.
Taelon: *looks at Lisa* I don’t think that word is translating correctly.
Lisa: What is your translator telling you it means?
Taelon: Curly.
Lisa: *grins* Yeah. That’s not it. Not the way he used it anyway.
Sheldon: You have a translator?
Taelon: Yes.
Sheldon: Where?
Taelon: Embedded in my brain.
Sheldon: Cool.
Lisa: *smiles* It is. But we’ve discovered it’s a little like autocorrect and can really miss the boat sometimes. I’ll explain what kinky means to him later.
Sheldon: *winks* I bet you will.
Lisa: *laughs*
Sheldon: So you really did disarm and hold a network special ops soldier at gunpoint?
Lisa: Yes.
Sheldon: That was pretty ballsy.
Taelon: *smiles* Yes it was.
Sheldon: Strong women are so hot.
Taelon: I agree. *wraps an arms around her* And Lisa is the strongest woman I know.
Lisa: *leans into his side* Flatterer.
Sheldon: Don’t go getting all lovey dovey on me, guys. I still have more questions to ask. Taelon . . . *looks at Taelon and sighs* Ah hell. You’re thinking about her butt now, aren’t you?
Lisa: He probably wouldn’t tell you if he was, but I have no problem admitting that I’m thinking about his.
Tracy (Sheldon’s girlfriend): *strolls down the hallway in form-fitting yoga pants and a tank top.* Hi, Guys. Don’t mind me. I’m just passing through on my way to get a drink after my workout.
Sheldon: *stares after her* And now I’m thinking about HER butt. *rises* Catch you later.
Lisa: *watches him leave, then looks at Taelon*
Taelon: *offers her a boyish grin* I WAS thinking about your butt.
Lisa: *laughs*
______________________________
I hope you’ll enjoy Taelon and Lisa’s story!!
The Lasaran Book #1 Aldebarian Alliance By Dianne Duvall
April 21, 2020
New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi romance series full of action, intrigue, humor, and happily-ever-afters.
Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.
After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.
Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians series and The Gifted Ones series. Reviewers have called Dianne’s books “fast-paced and humorous” (Publishers Weekly), “utterly addictive” (RT Book Reviews), “extraordinary” (Long and Short Reviews), and “wonderfully imaginative” (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.
Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn’t writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she creates in her books.
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online . . .
– (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
– (2) An Aldebarian Alliance, Immortal Guardians, and The Gifted Ones by Dianne Duvall Prize Pack
*Please be aware, that should conditions worsen due to COVID-19, the author reserves the right to substitute an Amazon.com gift card of their choice amount for the prize pack. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
TITLE: Gideon the Ninth
SERIES #: The Locked Tomb #1
CHARACTERS: Gideon the Ninth & Harrowhark Nonagesimus
AUTHOR: Tamsyn Muir
PUBLICATION DATE: September 10, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Emperor needs necromancers.
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.
Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.
Of course, some things are better left dead.
THE LOCKED TOMB TRILOGY
BOOK 1: Gideon the Ninth
BOOK 2: Harrow the Ninth
BOOK 3: Alecto the Ninth
REVIEW:
Where to begin with this book? Let’s start with the cover. Is this not one of the most amazing book covers you have ever seen? If you buy the hardback the edges of all the pages are black (sigh). It looks amazing on my shelf, I am looking forward to getting the other two books in the trilogy too.
Okay on to the story.
It took me a long time to get into this story and I mean a very long time. At about 50% I was finally feeling the story. At 60% I was hooked. The story took a long time to develop. There were many times that I was confused over who was who and everyone’s nicknames for each other. I think what made it hard to get into is that you don’t know the history of the world or the characters right away. It is a slow trickle of information in the book.
But the one character that I loved from the start was Gideon. Everyone loves an underdog. Gideon is great! I loved her sassiness and forwardness.
And with the ending of Gideon the Ninth…… Well I can’t tell you that.
But overall I did enjoy this necromancers sci-fi story. I am looking forward to Harrowhawk the Ninth.
Disclaimer:
I purchased this book and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
TITLE: Nightchaser
SERIES #: Endeavor #1
CHARACTERS: Tess Bailey & crew
AUTHOR: Amanda Bouchet
PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A delicious new heart-pounding romantic adventure from USA Today bestseller Amanda Bouchet!
Captain Tess Bailey and her crew of Robin Hood-like thieves are desperate and on the run. Pursued by a vicious military general who wants them dead or alive, Tess has to decide if she can trust Shade Ganavan, a tall, dark and arrogant stranger with abiguous motivations.
Shade Ganavan had oodles of arrogance, oodles of charm, and oodles of something that made me want to kick him in the nuts.
What Tess and Shade don’t know about each other might get them killed…unless they can set aside their differences and learn to trust each other—while ignoring their off-the-charts chemistry.
REVIEW:
When I learned that Amanda was starting a new series I was extremely excited. I really enjoyed her Kingmaker’s Chronicles so I knew I had to give her new Endeavor series a go.
Tess is awesome! I loved learning who she was and why she is so important! Throw in the smexy Shade Ganavan and his own secrets and you have a great start of a new series. The secondary characters are great too!! Ms. Bouchet does a great job of making you fall in love with the secondary characters as much as the main characters!
I can’t wait to see where and what will happen in this series. It is going to be a great journey for sure!
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
TITLE: Norse Mythology
CHARACTERS: Thor, Odin, Loki and more
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
NARRATOR: Neil Gaiman
RUN TIME: Hours & Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: February 7, 2017
ORDER LINKS: Audible | Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Introducing an instant classic—master storyteller Neil Gaiman presents a dazzling version of the great Norse myths.
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.
REVIEW:
This was a wonderful read (or listen in my case). Mr. Gaiman’s take on the Norse Mythology was great! His narrating was wonderful too! I enjoyed learning more about Thor, Loki and Odin.
I would love to see him write us more stories from the Norse in this format. It was great to get a few of the untold stories. I would love love love to see him write something with the Morrigan (I just love her!!).
Disclaimer:
I purchased this book from audible.com and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini have learned the ins and outs of Washington politics, not to mention how to prevail in intergalactic war and foil dangerous plots. But, in the aftermath of Operation Destruction, the Gower girls’ powers are burned out, the entire A-C population has been “outed” as the aliens living on Earth that they are, and, worst of all, ACE is nowhere to be found.
Then murder and mayhem are served up at an important dinner party at the American Centaurion Embassy, and when the dust settles Alpha Team and the Diplomatic Corps have more problems than just a dead Congressman.
Is there a single criminal mastermind—or multiple enemies—behind all the conspiracies that want Kitty dead and the A-Cs gone or co-opted to become the War Division?
The return of the best assassins in the business, the reappearance of two individuals long-presumed dead, Agent Malcolm Buchanan felled by something no one can identify or cure, and new technology that can block even the most powerful empath on Earth … all of this means the game’s officially afoot.
Then Vance Beaumont comes to Kitty with a wild theory that someone is systematically killing off the House of Representatives…
It’s up to Kitty and the rest of the gang to find out what’s really going on and why. But will they be able to stop the killer or killers before the rest of the U.S. House of Representatives become casualties? And will the replacement Representative for New Mexico’s 2nd District, who happens to be Jeff Martini, be the next to die?
Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have the WONDERFUL G.J. Koch on the blog today… We are going to be chatting about her newest adventure in to the world of Space Pirates…. So buckle up and hang one.. Oh and don’t roll down the windows!!!!!!!
Bnk: G.J., so excited to have you here. I have had your other personality on the blog a few times and she is always great. I am looking forward to learning more about you and what makes G.J. tick.
G.J.: I’m motivated by booze, chocolate, Coca-Cola, deadlines, the voices in my head, and the need for speed (going fast, not the drug, for any authorities who might be reading this). So, pretty much the same things my alter ego’s motivated by.
BnK: For those who don’t know your other persona can you please tell them who you are.
G.J.: I’m part of the mental collective that includes Gini Koch, she of the Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books/Penguin. (Our mental collective also includes Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch, but that’s not important at this precise time.) (Of course, THEY think it’s important. And they’re whining. So check out what they write over at Musa Publishing http://musapublishing.com/ )
Of course, I’m the most important part of the mental collective, regardless of what anyone else tells you.
BnK: Tell us a little about G.J. Koch
G.J.: I write science fiction. Not the hard stuff, though. Because that requires actual scientific knowledge or at least actual scientific research. Knowledge may be power and research may be cool, but they take time away from writing jokes, action, and romance, and being witty in the face of death is what it’s really all about.
Bnk: How does G.J. differ from Gini?
G.J.: I’m taller and slightly better looking.
Oh, fine, fine. Well, in my mind when I’m writing, I actually see G.J. as Gini’s twin brother, who’s even crazier than she is. And yes, they’re in competition. (Isn’t it always the way?)
In terms of the books themselves, G.J.’s have more humor (it’s true!) and less visual sexy times.
BnK: How are G.J. and Gini the same?
G.J.: They both write SF/F, they both have skewed worldviews, they both have a lot of action and humor in their books, and they’re both funny.
And, sanity has reared its ugly head and is insisting I share the most obvious: They’re both me, myself and I. (There, sanity. Happy now? Good. Take off for a bit, will you?)
BnK: Okay let’s talk about books…. Tell me about Alexander Outland:
Space Pirate.
G.J.: Surely! In Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, trouble’s brewing out in space, and Alexander Outland — the least likely hero in the galaxy — and his eccentric crew have to save the day, despite the fact they’d prefer to take the money and run.
Alexander Napoleon Outland is the best pilot, and ladies’ man, in the galaxy. But Nap, as his friends call him, is more than that — he’s a schemer with a heart of gold he desperately wants to hide, a soft spot for other people’s cargo and his exotic weapon’s chief, and the unerring ability to find the biggest misfit on any planet or space station and somehow join that person onto his crew.
Nap’s not your classic hero, but that tends to make him the right guy for the job…whatever the job happens to be. He’s a little bit Han Solo, a little bit Malcolm Reynolds, a little bit Captain Jack Sparrow, and a whole lot of fun to fly with.
There are aliens, explosions, telepaths, donkeys, space pirates of all kinds, and a galaxy-wide conspiracy. And the most horrifying “underwater” trip any crew’s had to face in a long, long while. But mostly, there are laughs.
Bnk: I have to say thank you for the pleasure of reading this book early. I LOVED reading about Nap and his crazy crew…
G.J.: I’m so glad! Nap says that he knew an attractive, discerning lady such as yourself would appreciate his charms and exploits.
*Kelly blushes*
BnK: Does G.J. live spoiler free like Gini? If not, want to share a little spoiler?
G.J.: G.J. lives potentially MORE spoiler free than Gini. Sad, innit?
I can share teasers, though. If I could only think of some… Nope, coming up blank. Guess your readers will all just have to buy the book and find out all the spoilers in real time.
*Kelly shakes heads…..*
BnK: How did you come up with the idea for Alexander Outland?
G.J.: I ran across the name, actually. It was a cool, interesting name, and it immediately struck me as being a super cool name for a space pirate. An interesting, fun space pirate. I tried to figure out what he’d be like and what his world would be like, and the rest is, as they say, coming to a bookstore near you.
BnK: Will we see more of Nap, Slinky, and the rest of the Sixty-Nine crew? *fingers crossed*
G.J.: I sincerely hope so, and my digits are crossed, too! I have at least a trilogy mapped out and, seeing as it’s me, probably more. But that’s up to Night Shade. They’re making their determination in August sometime, so everyone needs to buy Alexander Outland: Space Pirate and hopefully that means we’ll see more of Nap and his crew sooner as opposed to later!
Bnk: G.J., thank you so much for your time. Always love having you on the blog!!!
G.J.: Thanks for having me, it’s always great to be here, under any and every name!
Check out G.J.’s rollicking Alexander Outland: Space Pirate series from Night Shade Books and reach G.J. at Space…the Funny Frontier (http://www.ginikoch.com/GJKbookstore.htm).
BnK: I have one copy of Alexander Outland Space Pirate up for grabs. This contest is open to everyone.. But my international followers if you win you will be getting an e-copy of the book. US I have a paper copy up for grabs. So to enter please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck
Alexander Outland: Space Pirate AUTHOR: GJ Koch PUBLICATION DATE: 6/5/12 ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Captain Alexander Outland of the Sixty-Nine (short for Space Vessel 3369, of course) is the best pilot in the galaxy. He’s also a pirate, a smuggler, and loved and loathed by women in umpteen solar systems. His crew of strays and misfits includes an engineer of dubious sanity, a deposed planetary governor, an annoyingly unflappable Sexbot copilot, and a slinky weapons chief who stubbornly refuses to give the captain a tumble.
Outland just wants to make a decent living skirting the law, but when an invisible space armada starts cutting into his business, he soon finds himself in hot water with the military, the mob, mad bombers, and an extended family of would-be conquerors. And that’s not counting an occasionally telepathic spy . . . .
Like any sensible scoundrel, he hates heroics. They’re risky and they don’t pay well. But to keep his ship and crew in one piece, and make time with a certain hard-to-get weapons chief, he might just have to make an exception–and save the galaxy in spite of himself!
REVIEWED BY: Kelly 4 1/2 Stars
REVIEW:
OMG!!! I loved this story!!! I am so in love with Alexander Napoleon Outland aka Nap, or as he likes to call himself ‘The Outland’. Nap is to die for funny, witty, sexy and an all around good guy. There is no other captain I would want driving my pirate ship.
Alexander Outland: Space Pirate takes us on a wild journey. Nap is the leader of a pirate ship, well pirate spaceship that is, that finds themself in the middle of a plot to take over the universe. And for some reason everyone is aiming for them. Just when they think they know what and who their enemy is after they learn that they are wrong. It will take every trick in Nap’s book and a little luck for Nap to keep his crew safe, save the universe and hope to win the hand of his lady love. Along the way Nap finds himself new crew members, new allies, a few new enemies and in more then one very stinky situation .
Huge thank you to GJ Koch, for letting me read Nap’s book. I am totally in love with him. I am really excited to see what is next for Nap and the Sixty-Nine team.
If you are a fan of sci-fi you really need to order a copy of Alexander Outland: Space Pirate. If you are new to sci-fi you should check out Nap’s book. It is a fun, witty, twisty and turny read.
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome back S.Evan Townsend
to the blog to talk about his newest book Rock Killer
1.Can you please share with us a little about yourself
I’m a 51-year-old writer living in central Washington State. I’ve been writing since I was about 12 years old when I taught myself how to type on a typewriter (this was decades before home computers). Since January 2011 I’ve been writing exclusively, giving up my day job. I have been doing freelance for local publications and for websites in addition to marketing my own books published by World Castle Publishing. In my spare time I enjoy reading, driving (sometimes on a racetrack), meeting people, and talking with friends. I’m in a 12-step program for Starbucks addiction. I live with my wife of 30 years, and two sons (one in high school, the other in college) and I have a son attending the University of Washington in biology. I enjoy science fiction, fantasy, history, politics, cars, and travel.
2.Have you always wanted to be an author?
Well, except when I was five and wanted to be a fireman, yes, I always wanted to be an author. I taught myself to type on a typewriter and started writing. I assume what I wrote when I was 12 was very jejune. But over the past 39 years I’ve gotten better.
3.Can you share with us your typical writing day. Is there anything you have to have while writing?
There really isn’t a typical day of writing. I tend to write in spurts and when inspired. I’ll start writing at 10:00 A.M. and write until 2:00 A.M. some days or I might not write for a few days in a row.
4.Most challenging or rewarding part of writing?
The most challenging, and rewarding, part of writing (not marketing, publishing, etc.) is finding new ways to describe mundane things. Not every hero can be saving heroines all the time; he needs to get out of bed, shave, shower, get dressed, and drive to work. And a lot of times you just skip that but sometimes you can’t and it’s a challenge to write it in such a way that it is interesting for the reader. And when you manage to do that, it’s also rewarding.
5.Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?
My latest book is Rock Killer. It’s a science fiction novel set in the not-too-distant future when asteroids are being mined for their valuable metals without degrading Earth. But some are even opposed to that and they resort to violence to reach their political ends. That is, they are terrorists. Alexander Chun, literally a million miles from help, and without armaments, must stop them before they kill him and his multi-national crew.
6.How did you come with the idea for this story?
In the early 2000s there were eco-terrorist attacks in the Pacific Northwest where I live. Luckily there was only property damage and no one was hurt. But I wondered what motivated such people and I decided that it wasn’t that they were trying to protect the environment, but they were trying to stop human progress. And what if in the future there were still people who had this idea that human progress is bad and they acted on it.
7.Can you share with us your current work in progress?
Right now I’m working on a third book in my Adept series. These are urban fantasy novels set in the recent past. In this third novel, set in 1968, I am bringing in necromancy, nuclear weapons, the Prague Spring and subsequent Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and my character has to stop a plot by rouge KGB agents to destroy America. At least that’s my plan. It may change as I write it. I’m about half-way through it.
8.Who are some of your favorite authors?
My favorite fiction writers are Robert A. Heinlein and Poul Anderson. I also enjoy early Larry Niven. Heinlein always told a great story but had a message behind it. Poul Anderson makes up worlds that you think you visited, they are so detailed. And Larry Niven came up with some amazing ideas such as Ringworld.
9.Do you feel that any of your favorite authors have inspired your writing style?
Oh, yes. In writing Rock Killer I was trying to write a Niven-esque hard science fiction novel. And my tendency to have strong women characters is at least partially from Heinlein and Anderson.
10.What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?
I have a thing for old science fiction. So my TBR pile is mostly old science fiction. Someone is reprinting all of Poul Anderson’s short stories in many volumes and that’s on my TBR pile (I’ve bought most of them already).
11.Is there anything else you would like to add?
I don’t know about other writers but I find there is a dichotomy in being a writer. Writing is a solitary, introverted pursuit. You sit alone at a computer and your “friends” are your characters. But marketing a book is just the opposite. You need to “network” and get out and meet people and be engaged in all sorts of social media. It’s just the opposite of writing. The successful author can do both.
Hi Gini, I am SUPER EXCITED to have you back on the blog to talk about your newest release Alien Diplomacy book 5 in your Alien series.
Gini: Awesome to be back! Thanks so much for having me!
BnK: Gini, for the folks that don’t know you can you please share a little about yourself with my followers.
Gini: I write the Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books. I live in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, Arizona) with my husband, 3 dogs (the Canine Death Squad) and 3 cats (the Killer Kitties), and one very spoiled daughter. Who admits to being spoiled, but wants me to tell you that she’s not as spoiled as the pets. And she’s probably right.
book 1
BnK: Can you tell us about your Alien Series.
Gini: It’s the best series ever written and a deal at twice the price! (Hey, you can not blame a girl for trying.)
The Alien series follows the exploits of Katherine “Kitty” Katt, who first discovers that the Roswell rumors are true, but with a twist — the aliens are here to help us and, as a side benefit, they’re all gorgeous. Kitty first gets involved helping save the world from parasitic superbeings. As the series progresses, Kitty gets deeper into Centaurion Division, and discovers that there’s a lot more evil out there to fight, and a wide variety of conspiracies to prevent and disrupt, with dangers both internal and extremely external to guard against.
BnK: How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Gini: I had a dream. I get at least 50% of my ideas from my dreams. This dream was dark, noir-ish, and scary. So I thought I’d write a dark, short, noir-ish horror story. Instead, Kitty’s voice and personality inserted itself, so by page 3 I realized it would be neither dark, nor short, nor horror. Martini breezed onto the page, charmed Kitty and me, and the rest is, as they say, history.
BnK: Do you see a little of yourself in Kitty?
Gini: Oh, of course. However, I see a little bit of myself in every character I write. Including the villains. Perhaps especially the villains. (Be afraid. Be very afraid.) I am the God, they are my creations, they all have me in them somewhere.
book 5
BnK: I know we have talked about this before, but for those who don’t know. Can you tell us how many books you have planned in this series
Gini: Well, right now I’m contracted through Book 8, so Alien vs. Alien will release December 4, 2012, Alien in the House will release April 2013, and Alien Collective will release December 2013. I’m mapped out, as much as I map, through Book 12. And right now I can “see” through Book 16. So, basically, DAW says that as long as people are buying the books, they’ll be glad to publish the books.
BnK: I know you live totally spoiler free, but can you give us a little something about Alien Diplomacy? Please.. just a little tease. How about a quote or your favorite line.
Gini: Sure. I live spoiler free, but not teaser free. ;-D
In Alien Diplomacy, everyone’s dealing with a lot of change, and most of them aren’t dealing with it all that well, Kitty in particular. We see the return of some of my personal favorite supporting characters from an earlier book, and they affect things in a big, big way. And, for those who’ve been wondering when, if ever, they’d get an answer about what’s going on in Paraguay, that answer begins in earnest in this book.
BnK: Do you think Jeff & Chuckie will ever get along?
Gini: Define “getting along”. LOL Seriously, though, yeah, they will. Just not saying when.
BnK: Speaking of Chuckie, I know he says only Kitty can call him that. But I have proof that he said I can call him Chuckie — >> See
Gini: Well, he’s okay with readers and fans calling him Chuckie. Just no one in the books, other than Kitty (and Kimmy) can call him that.
BnK: Oh back to my question. Will, uummm Chuckie ever get over Kitty? Maybe find a new love interest?
Gini: *cough*
BnK: *looks at Gini* What would that be spoilers??
Gini: Yes, we call that a spoiler where I come from. But yes, Chuckie will have a normal life progression just like everyone else.
BnK: How is the rest of the Team dealing with all the changes they have been thrown over the last year?
Gini: Well, that’s pretty much Alien Diplomacy’s main theme — how do you handle being moved into jobs you don’t want, weren’t thinking you were ready to move to, that turn out to be completely different than expected, or a combination thereof? Every character in the book is experiencing major change in some way, so they’re all dealing, and not everyone’s dealing with it well. But then, that’s the fun, isn’t it? If everyone handled all things perfectly, why would we want to read about it?
BnK: You know how much I love Christopher. How is he doing? Any chance we will ever get a story for just him? Maybe just a short… *drops to knees* PPPPLLLEEEAAASSEEEE!!!
book 2
Gini: I know I should never say never, but it’s really unlikely. I get this question a lot, in regards to Christopher, Reader, Chuckie, a variety of other characters, and I don’t always answer it fully. But because it’s you…
#1 – This series is told in first person, from Kitty’s point of view. If I’d wanted to write other POVs, um, I’d have written this in 3rdperson. LOL
#2 – Y’all have NO idea how hard it is to write a short story, do you? I’m a natural novelist. I do indeed write short stories, novelettes, and novellas (I refer you to what I have up at Musa — see answer to a question below — as well as other shorts published in a variety of anthologies). But they are HARD to do. HARD. So, when y’all ask for “just a little story”, what you’re asking me to do is to stop writing the next novel in the series, and to AGONIZE over something that, let’s be honest, is a throwaway.
I love all my fans dearly, but, seriously, ask yourselves this: What do you really want more? A short story about a couple supporting characters, or the next novel in the series? Because you can’t have both right now. (Oh, and my publisher votes for “next book in series”, and DAW has the deciding vote. ;-D)
#3 – This relates to #1. If I’d wanted to write things from Christopher’s POV, I’d have already done it. One of the things I enjoy about writing first person POV is that the reader can ONLY know what the POV character knows, sees, and experiences. Some readers may catch on to what’s going on FASTER than the POV character (which is, after all, part of the fun), but we don’t KNOW what’s going on in other characters’ minds. I enjoy that. I don’t really want to have to tell it all from another character’s POV. And, when I try, well, we usually end up with an entirely different book for an entirely new series, which is nice and all, but not what you’re asking for.
Can this answer change? Sure. Will it change any time soon. Magic 8-Ball says “unlikely”.
BTW, I do have a couple of characters I’m more than willing to do something with “outside” of the series. But not saying who and not doing anything with it right now. Because deadlines say I don’t have time to play.
book 3
BnK: Can you tell us what you have coming up next for Kitty and the Crew?
Gini: Well, in Alien vs. Alien, we have the return of some characters no one ever wanted to see again, as well as the culmination of the Paraguay situation, along with a whole lot of scary stuff going on. But I’d have to say Alien vs. Alien is all about the birds.
Bnk: Gini, I know you write under a multitude of pen names. Can you share with us a little about what your other pseudonyms? What they are, what they write. What is coming up next for them?
Gini: Sure! My pen names include (but are not limited to) Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch — all of which have releases up at Musa Publishing (http://www.musapublishing.com/). As G.J. Koch I have a new series coming from Night Shade Books, Alexander Outland: Space Pirate, which releases June 5, 2012 ( http://www.nightshadebooks.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=240)
Alexander Outland: Space Pirate is science fiction set in the far future, with a lot of humor, action and romance. I think if you like Kitty & Company, you’re gonna love the Outland and his crew.
book 4
Pop Quiz:
Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi:Neither. I don’t drink Diet drinks, ever. I can taste fake sugar in anything and everything and I HATE the taste of fake sugar. It’s REAL Coca-Cola all the way, baby.
Rolling Stones or Aerosmith:Really? You have to ASK? Aerosmith, always and forever.
Pizza or Burgers:Both, with extra cheese
Bath or Shower:Shower at home, bath at nice hotels
Sun or Snow:I live in Phoenix, Arizona. SUN, baby. Sun.
Boxers or Briefs:Thong or commando
Christopher or Jeff:Both, and Chuckie, Reader, Gower and Buchanan, too (oh, look…a teaser…)
Ebook or Paper:Whatever the reader wants (for me, personally, it’s paper)
Romance Movie or Action Movie: Action
Batman or Superman:Wolverine
Bnk: Gini, thank you as always for being FABOUOLUS!! I love having you on the blog and love your Alien series. I can’t wait to see where you take Kitty and the crew next.
Gini: Taking them to infinity and beyond, and to a really good designer. (Oh, look…another teaser…)
Bnk: Gini, would you like to do a giveaway?
Gini: Sure, I’d love to give away any book from my backlist (Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, Alien in the Family, or Alien Proliferation), signed and personalized. And yes, open internationally.
BnK: Okay to be entered for a chance to win one of Gini’s back list book. Please fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
Gini Koch lives in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, listens to rock music 24/7 (particularly, but not limited to, Aerosmith), and is a proud comics geek-girl willing to discuss at any time why Wolverine is the best superhero ever (even if Deadpool does get all the best lines). She also speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business.
Her interests include seeing how often she can ask, “So, have I told you about this plot twist yet?” of her husband before he goes insane, going to rock concerts with her daughter, and training her pets to ‘bring it’. Gini started writing to have an excuse to stay up late playing on the computer while listening to music and mooning over pictures of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.
Now she’s expanded her thinking — she moons over a wide variety of hunks in order to keep the visual creative juices flowing. So to speak.
BOOK SYNOPSIS: Being newlyweds and new parents is challenging enough. But Jeff and Kitty Martini are also giving up their roles as super-being exterminators and Commanders in Centaurion Division while mastering the political landscape as the new heads of Centaurion’s Diplomatic Corps. Enter a shadowy assassination plot and a new set of anti-alien conspirators, and nothing will ever be the same…
REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly NUMBER OF STARS: 4 Stars
REVIEW: First I have to say a HUGE thank you to Gini Koch for hosting the giveaway that allowed me to win an ARC of Alien Diplomacy. It was great fun and I enjoyed everyone that played.
Now, back to the review…. It is up to Kitty, Jeff and the whole Centaurion Division to again save the world. But this time the threat comes at them from all sides and no one know who is the true target is this time.
I have to say that I LOVE Gini’s Alien Series, but sadly Alien Diplomacy has been my least favorite so far in this series. I enjoyed this story, but was not in love with it. The book felt a little slow to me. Maybe it was just me. Maybe I should not start a book when I am sick. I am not sure, but for me it was not up to the high standard of a story I have come to expect from Gini. I still did enjoy getting back into the head of Kitty Martini.
Now don’t get me wrong I still love Kitty, Jeff, Christopher (the most), Chuckie, Reader and the rest of the crew and I am truly looking forward to their next big adventure.
TITLE: The Lasaran
Hello! Thank you for joining me. I’m very excited to be here, celebrating the release of THE LASARAN, the first book in my new Aldebarian Alliance series. To help you get a feel for some of the characters you’ll encounter in the story, I thought I would borrow Sheldon (a character from my Immortal Guardians series) and have him interview Taelon and Lisa, the hero and heroine of THE LASARAN:
TITLE: Nightchaser
TITLE: Norse Mythology
