Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she's had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl- she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.
Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between the two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in or who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

This was another of my 2010 Debut Author Challenges. I thought there would be a hesitation but it jumped straight into the faery realm. The story managed to weave reality (modern day issues i.e. alcoholism, teenage rebellion) with myth. I actually learned of some new fae mythology because of this book- glimmerglass and spriggans. Reading wise, the story had a very subdued, laidback flow.

Originally I made a note that the first 100ish pages revolved around nothing more than a very tiny bit of everything else, but mostly filled with Dana's moving around from one safe place to another. It bugged me because it felt like THAT was the story when the story should have been more focused on other events. I also wanted an explanation of Dana's cameo. There was a brief glimpse at it, but basically you had to figure it out on your own.

This has been the first book this year that I have been stumped on. Typically I know right away if I reallyyyyyyyyyy love a book or I reallyyyyyyyyyy hate it. This novel, however, has me hesitant. I want to give the upcoming sequel a shot and hopefully that will give me an insight to whether or not I will pursue this new series any further.

Here are a few quotes I enjoyed:

"If lightning had shot from the heavens and struck me dead at that moment, I might have welcomed it."

"...it hurt so much more to leave if you let yourself care too much."
xoxo

Predestined by R Garland Gray

IN AN ANCIENT REALM OF MAGIC,
LOVE HAS A DESTINY OF ITS OWN...

Abandoned at birth on the shores of a sacred loch, Bryna never knew her family or true heritage. She exists as a slave in the fortress of a Roman invader, her only friend an ancient, blind Druidess, Derina. Her life is bleak and without hope. And then Derina tells her she must rescue the prisoner in the dungeon.

Tynan lies naked, chained to a cold, stone slab, both body and mind tortured by the Sorcerer, evil ally of the Roman lord. The Sorcerer's purpose? To discover if this one, at last, might be the Dark Chieftain, the fulfiller of prophecy.

Even deeper in the dungeon, trapped by magical enchantment are the faeries. They await their liberator, the one who has been prophesied.

And the Dark Chieftain awaits a destiny of his own...mating with the territorial goddess...a union that will set the land, and many lives, aright.

First, however, he must gain his freedom and find her.

And Bryna is on her way to the dungeon...

This is another review from the great people at Medallion Press. I contacted Ms. Gray and she has since sent me Predestined & Darkscape: The Rebel Lord along with doing an interview. I wanted to review this book because of its large faery and fantasy background. I felt like I was warped into an alternate reality as I read. The cool thing about this book is that she writes with an ancient language that includes a dictionary reference guide in the back. Another thing I would like to note is that the author did a lot of research before she began writing it. So I guess you could say it is also a historical romance novel as well!

The sex scenes were more than sex, lust, passion, love. It is hard to explain, you just need to read it to understand what I am saying. I guess the simplest way is it is a form of enlightenment, and even that doesn't really come close to what it is. Most of the character "developments" were predictable, yet not disapointing.  The book, to me, is a reminder at how people (men, women & children) all matured at much earlier ages in life back in that era. So many things have been lost over those centuries passed.

I really and truly did love reading this book. I can't wait to read books two and three and continue in this magical journey. Thanks again to R. Garland Gray for her willingness to allow me in doing these reviews and interviews with her. Also another thanks to the wonderful people at Medallion Press, for being such a corteous and always eager group of people in assistance with my reviews.
xoxo

Blonde With A Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson

"Never cross a witch in love.

Sexy witch Anica Revere has one absolutely unwavering rule: Never, under any circumstances, get involved with a man before telling him she's a witch. Still, what's one silly rule? Especially when the guy in question is as cute as Jasper Danes. But when Anica and Jasper have a spat, she breaks an even bigger rule of witchcraft and turns him into a cat. Bad news for him. Worse for her. 

With Anica stripped of her powers for the witchy infraction, it's up to Jasper to undo the hex, but he never expects the hardest part of the bargain to be resisting Anica. The stakes are high, and the chemistry is off the charts. But what'll happen if Anica and Jasper both fall under the strongest spell of all: love?"

After reading Mary Janice Davidson's "Undead & Unwed," I thought Vicki's witch collection would be an exciting change of pace from my frequent vampire obsessions. I want to start off by thanking Vicki for "Blonde With A Wand" book 1,  "Chick With A Charm" book 2, and an autographed postcard featuring the cover art for both novels.

Typically if I am reading a book I am so set in my ways that if after the first chapter doesn't hold my attention I discard the novel and don't look back. It took me until chapter 10 to get into the story, I personally thought those first 10 chapters were a bit of a slow read. However, now that I have finished it I want to say this book does feature all of the great features of an interesting novel: the slow sections, the comedic relief, (not quite tear jerking, but) sad moments, sex, and of course the climactic ending, pun fully intended!

A cool fact about this book is it's publication date, February 2, 2010, is the same as my birthday. Not only were there witches and wizards, but also faeries. Poor Jasper had the misperception it was of the gay variety! Which of course being gay was quite a great laugh as I was reading that part. I'm still laughing by the way! :) Another thing that I liked about this was the fact Vicki wove in animal rescue stories and donations. Sure in the novel they were fiction, but she includes a shout out to the wonderful people at Best Friends Animal Society, which is the world's largest no-kill animal shelter in the world. She actually spent a week there, which goes to show she is more than just a talented author!

There were quite a few sex scenes in this, which of course I had anticipated. Although I had only wished maybe there was a bit more of foreplay or just extend the sex scene for a page or more. It was quite brief while it happened. I loved Jasper's character. The man was clearly aloof in his own playboy reality. During his transformation into the feline world he grew in his humanity. Ironic huh?! But it was a beautiful transformation none-the-less. He learned to appreciate life for more than sex, what great thing is next, and money. Anica, however, I was quite conflicted with. She was quite a boring character for me and I didn't really feel anything for her until chapter 26 of 27. Her sister Lily is a rebel and a lot more adventurous. Maybe that's why I was more drawn to Lily, even tho she was a side character. In "Chick With A Charm" book two, Lily is a more featured character. I look forward to reading this story soon. I was hesistant at first, but now with "Blonde With A Wand" finished, I hope the series continues as well.
xoxo