Monthly Archives: July 2012

Marjorie M Liu-An Interview and Giveaway with the Author

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Marjorie M Liu-An Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe is pleased to present the author of the Hunter Kiss and Dirk and Steele series Marjorie M Liu.

Link to Website: Marjorie M Liu

TRC: Hi Marjorie and welcome to The Reading Cafe. We would like to start with some background information.

Please tell us something about yourself?

Marjorie: I never feel there’s much to tell!  I’ve moved around a lot in my life, which means that I’ve developed a strong sense that people are home, far more so than a place.  I’m bi-racial — with a Chinese father and a white-American mother — and I grew up obsessed with books, art, music, all of which was encouraged, much to my great fortune.  I love gardens, and making gardens.  I love cats, poodles, early morning sunlight.  I love baking.  I love the ocean.  In general, I just love life.

TRC: Your biography states that you were called to the bar, but you did NOT like the job of a lawyer. Have you been able to use your education background in your writing career…e.g. storyline research etc?

Marjorie: Absolutely.  Law school is basically an education in human behavior — oftentimes the very worst of it.  It’s also a training ground for staying organized and on top of your work — which, as a writer, is far more important than anyone realizes. This is a profession that requires self-motivation.  You have to sit down.  And write.  Every day.  Without anyone looking over your shoulder.  Yes, having a passion for what you do makes all the difference in the world, but trust me, that sort of discipline isn’t easy.

TRC: What challenges did you face writing your first novel?

Marjorie: Having the courage to do it, first and foremost.

It wasn’t so much the challenge of writing that first book (though that was an immense undertaking) but instead it was the emotional toll of making the decision to put everything else aside in my life, and just go for it.  I had graduated from law school and been accepted into the bar — I was supposed to be looking for a job, there were a lot of expectations on my shoulders — and here, I wanted to step away from the world and write a book about psychics and shape-shifters.  

I knew in my heart that I had to do it.  I had to give myself this one chance to follow my dreams.  But it required a lot of fierce soul-searching.  Once I began, though — once I was committed — everything else fell into place.

TRC: Do you remember where you were when you saw your first novel ‘for sale’?

Marjorie: I actually don’t.  Isn’t that sad?  It might have been an airport, though I think it was probably the local Barnes & Noble in Bloomington, Indiana.  

TRC: You were recently traveling through Asia and China. What was the highlight of your trip? Did you consider doing any research for a future novel while traveling?

Marjorie: Every trip is research for a future novel.  Every walk outside my front door, even.  Everything I do, everything I see (no matter how mundane), gets filed away into the back of my brain.  Paying attention to the world, living with a sense of wonder — taking nothing for granted — that’s how I try to experience life.   And its feels odd to list those things — they’re not anything you can hold on to — but I think they matter if you want to fully shelter all the living, breathing, evolving parts of your imagination.  

But yes, I did recently go to China.  I think the highlight — one of them — was a trip to the Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi Province, which are home to 51,000 stone Buddhas that are carved directly into a mountain.  To say it was ‘incredible’ wouldn’t even come close to describing that place. I walked into one cave, stared up and up and up into the serene gaze of a giant Buddha, and almost dropped to my knees.  The weight of history and devotion, and spirit, was overwhelming.

 

TRC: You have recently e-released A DREAM OF STONE AND SHADOW (previously in the anthology Dark Dreamers with Christine Feehan), one of your novellas in the Dirk and Steele series. What plans do you have for future Dirk and Steele storylines?

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
KOBO
B&N Nook

Marjorie: Some backstory:  the Dirk & Steele series is set in our world, and is about a detective agency created to help psychics, and other non-humans (mermen, gargoyles, shape-shifters, and other creatures out of legend) find each other and make a safe community that allows them to use their powers and gifts to help others.  It’s paranormal romance, but also paranormal action-adventure punched into one.  

As for future storylines: I’m not sure yet, to be honest.  I’m considering taking a brief hiatus from the series to write something different that’s been brewing in my head.  I do, though, have another e-novella coming out soon — a re-release of a Dirk & Steele prequel called WHERE THE HEART LIVES, which takes place well before the founding of that paranormal agency.

TRC: Will you tell us the premise behind your latest Dirk and Steele novel- WITHIN THE FLAMES?

Marjorie: It involves one of my favorite characters in the series: Eddie, a fire-starter who has been with readers since the first book. Over the years I kept trying to find an “in” with him, the right way to tell his story, but what I finally realized was that he had to evolve before he could carry the weight of his own novel.  Grow up, essentially.  Which is what happened over the course of the series, until finally it was time.  

Anyway, the premise is that Dirk & Steele sends Eddie to New York City to find a young woman named Lyssa, a dragon shape-shifter who has been living in hiding for most of her life — hunted by some of the most dangerous witches in the world: the Cruor Venator, who feed on the fear of their victims.  Worse, though, a traumatic event in Lyssa’s youth left her in the middle of a “bad shift”, which means that part of her body — specifically, her arm — will be forever caught in its dragon form.  So, she’s hiding not just from witches who want to kill her, but from the rest of the world, who can’t be allowed to discover she isn’t human.  

TRC: THE MORTAL BONE is your latest release in The Hunter Kiss series. Please tell us about the premise? How many books do you have planned for this series?

Marjorie: The Hunter Kiss series is quite different from my other work — it’s not romance, for one thing, but instead a fusion of fantasy and science-fiction.  The demons are really aliens from other worlds, and there’s time travel, genetic manipulation, quantum roads (and prisons) — all of which has merged into the myths and legends of our various human cultures.

THE MORTAL BONE is the fourth book in the series, and follows Maxine down a dark path when the demons who protect her are ripped away from her body, and she’s forced to survive without them.  Not only that, an army is coming for her — the kind of army that devours worlds — and she has no idea how to stop it.

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Books
KOBO
The Book Depository
B&N Nook and Paper Books

TRC: The series premise is very interesting: a demon-hunter covered in living tattoos that come alive at night to fight as her own demonic army. Who or what was the inspiration for the heroine? What was the inspiration for the living tattoos?

Marjorie: Maxine as a woman and heroine came to me fully formed — that is, her personality and backstory.  She just…existed for me.  The tattoos, though, were inspired by a documentary I watched late at night on the Yakuza, who are members of the Japanese mob.  Many Yakuza have full body tattoos, which are incredibly intricate and visually powerful.  I’d seen them before, but for some reason — that night — inspiration hit.  I was like, “Wow, what if they came alive?”  And that was it.

TRC: X-23 Vol. 3 was one of your latest releases in your comic book line. You have a rather extensive collection of Comic storylines and characters. On which series are you currently working? Do you have a favorite storyline or character?

Marjorie: I’ve had the privilege of working with so many Marvel characters who I love: Daken, Black Widow, X-23, Gambit, Jubilee, and more.  It’s so much fun writing for them!   As for favorite storylines…it’s hard to choose.  I suppose I’m very fond of my run on Black Widow, called “In the Name of the Rose”.

I’m currently writing the Astonishing X-Men.

TRC: Which ‘genre’ do you feel is the most difficult to write: novella, full-length novels or comic books?

Marjorie: In some ways they’re all the same.  No story is entirely easy.  Comic books are shorter, that’s all, and you have the privilege of working with an artist who can illustrate your words. 

TRC: How much influence does the graphic artist have as it pertains to your storylines etc?

Marjorie: I suppose it depends on the writer.  In my case, I’m always thinking about the artist, what they bring to a story — and I’ll consult with them and say, “Hey, what are you really dying to draw?”  And then I try to make it happen.  Also, these men and women are incredibly talented.  They are phenomenal storytellers.  Which means they’re always making improvements on the script when they sit down to draw.  

TRC: If you could ‘virtual-cast’ your Hunter’s Kiss series, do you have a dream team that would represent each of your characters ..e.g. models, actors, singer?  And if so, who would they be?

Marjorie: Oh, gosh.  I don’t know!  I think an elderly Jimmy Stewart would have made a good Jack (who is Maxine’s not-so-human grandfather).  

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with friends, family and other authors. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Marjorie: I don’t bounce ideas all that often, to be honest.  I have to reach a certain level in the work before I feel comfortable enough to discuss it.  When I do, though, I talk to my family, and partner.  

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Marjorie: The fifth book in the Hunter Kiss series, which might be the last.  Hard to say at this point, but I’m treating it that way, in case.  Maxine’s continues to evolve both as a woman and leader — and there’s a new secondary character that might take readers by surprise.

I’m also writing the next issue of Astonishing X-Men, which never really stops.  I write a new one every three or four weeks.   

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Marjorie:  I love my readers.  To them, I owe everything, and I appreciate their continued support more than I can say.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food

Chinese dumplings.

Favorite Dessert

A bowl of sweet grapes.

Favorite TV Show

Most recently, the Danish version of The Killing.

Favorite Movie

Hard one!  Perhaps THAT TOUCH OF MINK with Doris Day and Cary Grant.  Really, anything with Cary Grant.  He’s my favorite actor of all time.

Last Movie You Saw

Magic Mike

Dark or Milk Chocolate

Dark!

Favorite Song

Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” (but my favorite songs always change, depending on my mood…last week it was Florence + The Machine’s “Breath of Life”)

TRC:  Thank you Marjorie for taking the time to answer our questions.  It was our pleasure to feature your books at The Reading Cafe.  We are looking forward to all of your new releases.

******AN AMAZING GIVEAWAY*******

 

Marjorie has graciously offered a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky member at The Reading Cafe. 

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe.  If you are not a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins like Twitter or Facebook.

2.  If you use Twitter etc, please leave your email address in the comments, so that we may contact you if your name has been chosen as the potential winner.  

3.  Please comment on the interview and answer one of the LIGHTNING ROUND questions

4.  The contest is open internationally.

5.  Contest runs from july 25-28, 2012

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Marjorie M Liu-Bio and Book Lists

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Marjorie M Liu-Bio and Book Lists

FROM THE WEBSITE: Marjorie M Liu

I was born around Philadelphia, spent my formative years in Seattle, and now reside in the Midwest. I went to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, for my undergraduate studies, majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a minor in Biomedical Ethics. I then attended law school at the University of Wisconsin, graduated in May 2003, and was admitted to the bar a couple weeks after. I loved law school. Did not like being a lawyer. Which is why I decided to become a writer.

I’ve studied and traveled extensively through Asia, and spent some time working at the US Embassy in Beijing. I love to read, I love to write, but what I love best of all is proving to myself that dreams do come true.

Oh, and I like poodles. And cats.

 

DIRK AND STEELE series

Tiger Eye
Shadow Touch
The Red Heart of Jade
A Dream of Stone & Shadow (Dark Dreamers anthology)
Eye of Heaven
Soul Song
The Last Twilight
The Wild Road
The Fire King
In the Dark of Dreams
Within the Flames

HUNTER KISS series

Wild Thing (anthology)
The Iron Hunt
Darkness Calls
Armor of Roses and The Silver Voice (enovella)
Inked (anthology)
A Wild Light
The Mortal Bone

ANTHOLOGIES
Inked
Songs of Love and Death
Never After
Huntress
Hotter than Hell
Holiday are Hell (6)
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon
Wild Thing
Masked
Dark Dreamers

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Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind – a Review

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This is the first night of our Sword of Truth 13 night Marathon.  We will begin where it all started…..Wizard’s First Rule.

 

Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind – a Review

In honor of the great Terry Goodkind, I will for the very first time, attempt a review of the book that began a journey so vast, that it changed the way I would read forever. Wizard’s First Rule. The harrowing first installment of the phenomenal Sword of Truth series. I would like to warn any who read this, that I could never find words adequate enough to express the immense joy this series has brought me throughout the fifteen years I have been reading them.

SoT represents far more than fantastic literature for me. Like many others whom have been lucky enough to discover this fine work, this series literally changed my life. Furthermore, it changed my entire outlook on the gift we are all given OF life, and showcases the inner core of strength we all possess, to live in any way, or means we deem as right.

Not only is this series one of the most innovative Fantasy Epic’s ever written…one that will live on generation upon generation, but it is also a work to inspire the heart, stir the senses, and invigorate the soul. If you have been on the fence as to whether or not you would enjoy a novel written of the Fantasy Genre….know that this is a wholly original series unlike anything you have read, or will ever read again. A rare work of literature that transcends genres flawlessly. With that, I will begin…..

If I was ever asked to name the most amazing single book I have ever read. The one novel, in my long repertoire that I will never forget as long as I live, no matter the number of books I complete….I would name Wizard’s First Rule. To this day, even the very first line of this superb novel stays with me, as I somehow knew I was embarking on a journey unlike any other I have experienced.

It is in this moment we meet a woods guide named Richard Cypher, whom lives in a place called Westland. A land without fantastical creatures, or magic. At first glance, you begin to ask yourself, if you are truly reading a fantasy, because Richard’s underwhelming World mirrors our own. In addition, Richard Cypher is as normal as any man you could meet in reality. He has lived a quiet, rustic life with his family. He is infallibly polite, kindhearted, compassionate, considerate, and hardworking. This is a man who would never tell an untruth. A man who could never conceptualize the darkness of evil, or thirst for power–because this is a man who would never even contemplate bringing harm unto another.

Richard Cypher, although by all appearances is not special, or gifted…is the type of hero little girls dream about, and hope to earn the love of upon becoming a woman. This is a type of hero boys idolize, and wish to emulate when becoming a man. As you may have guessed, readers learn more about Richard Cypher with every page we turn. With every book we complete, Richard transforms, and becomes MORE. Yet somehow, as we watch our hero grow, discovering his many strengths, abilities, and gifts, as we watch him change….so too does he somehow…stay exactly the same.

With a finesse few authors could achieve, this hero who is oft times honed in blood, darkness, and shadow–retains the innate goodness of heart, and purity of soul of which we were first introduced in the form of a simple woods guide. Richard is one of those rare characters in literature whom is incorruptible. Yet so too is he flawed, relatable, and REAL. His capacity for love, forgiveness, and understanding never wavers, no matter the horrors he suffers, or the betrayals he receives.

I told myself I would remain unbiased, and unemotional in my depictions of this phenomenal hero in literature….but if it was not already obvious, I will just come out and admit it. Richard Cypher is my most favorite male in all of fiction. None who preceded him could rival his greatness, and none to come, could ever take his place in my heart.

Once again I will reiterate that I can not express accurately with words, the talent of Terry Goodkind. Readers do not just see the world of Sword of Truth, learning its secrets through Richard’s eyes…but the meticulous attention to detail, and vividly bright descriptions, take us on the journey ourselves, walking alongside Richard.

A moment that will forever stay within my head–a brilliant, crystal clear mental image–is the moment when Richard is lounging in the woods early on in the book. Through the trees, glittering amongst the bright rays of sunshine, he glimpses flashes of white. This is a moment with which the reader almost feels as if time slows down, as Richard comes to the realization that the flashes of white is produced by a lone woman, fleeing four heavily armed men, chasing her through the woods. This is the moment that turns Richard’s world upside down, and changes his destiny forever.

Which brings me to our heroine. This is not a series with which a reviewer can offer many spoilers without ruining this incredible journey for others, so I cannot offer much information on the female lead. I will say she is from a place called the Midlands. The polar opposite of the land form which our hero comes from. A place ripe with powerful magic, fantastical beings, and brimming with the ambition of evil. A place where weaponry is forged from much more than steal. A place where darkness rubs elbows with light…and of which is beyond Richard wildest dreams…and nightmares.

In this moment that the lone woman is glimpsed in her flight through the trees, Richard makes the split second decision to offer the strange woman aid. Using his tracking skills as a woods guide to make up ground and reach the men before they can inflict bodily harm. He gives chase. This is the moment when our hero and heroine first meet. Enter Kahlan Amnell, our mystery woman. Dressed in strange attire, a simple, yet symbolic white dress, with fabric that flows with her every movement. A woman whom meets Richard’s eyes with a piercing green stare that is alive with staggering intelligence. One of which peers into his very soul, steeling his breath, and stirring something long hidden within him. No compulsion, no judgment, just a quiet regalness that urges Richard to make the decision to act, or to walk away….

Like her male counterpart, Kahlan Amnell for me, remains the most finely constructed female lead in fiction. This is a woman who will never compromise in what she believes is right and just. A woman who is dedicated to safeguarding the lives of the innocent. A woman whom never wavers in the pursuit of Truth. Possessing limitless integrity, and an unbreakable will. This is a woman whom is feared by the people she exists to protect, and of whom has never known the feel of a simple touch in kindness from another. A woman whom has never known friendship….and sadly….will never know love.

Wizard’s First Rule begins the journey of the Seeker of Truth, and the Mother Confessor. A journey entailing a yin yang of literature, equal parts light, and equal parts shadow. A journey that will address the classic question as to which entity is truly more powerful than the other. Showcasing a true testament to the strength of the human spirit. A literary gauntlet that will test the limits of any reader. Filled with laughing out loud humor, heart wrenching emotion, and unimaginable suffering. You will cry with these characters whom will steal your heart forever. You will hurt with them when they suffer. You will cheer with each triumph earned, and you will be left breathless with each thrilling end.

In closing, I cant promise this series will be easy read….but I can promise that it will be worth every hour spent doing so.

Reviewed by Miranda

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THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #4) by Marjorie Liu-a review

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THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #4) by Marjorie Liu

THE MORTAL BONE (Hunter Kiss #4) by Marjorie M. Liu

THE MORTAL BONE is 7th storyline and the 4th novel in Marjorie M Liu’s Urban Fantasy Hunters Kiss series.

FROM THE WEBSITE: The Hunter Kiss series is about the last living demon hunter on earth — a woman covered in living tattoos that peel off her body at night to form her own personal demonic army — an army that is her only family, dedicated to saving her life — and destined to end it.

Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter, a warrior and according to the 5 Reaper Kings-she is their Queen. But Zee and the boys (the Reaper Kings) have literally been torn from her body by an unknown force that left her injured and filled will pain and heartbreak. With their bond broken, Max is once again mortal in a world of demons and monsters. And the longer the boys are separated from Max, the more violent and vicious they become. The one saving grace, should Maxine get pregnant her daughter will not have to bear the demon burden that has been passed down for 10,000 years.

Grant Cooperon is Max’s soul-mate and her husband. As the last Lightbringer, his power to heal will be tested many times with each encounter against the demon hordes that attack his wife. But when a demon searches for Max, the gift that is presented represents more than a piece of glass stone-The Crystal Skull is one of 13, each with a power of its’ own, and the Skull looks very familiar to Max.

Throughout the storyline, Max and the boys continue to cross the void hoping to find a clue as to what happened between their bonds. And finding someone who knows the whole truth is harder than they think. Each demon Clan has a different story to tell, about the Reaper Kings and the death and destruction they have caused throughout the millenia, and now that they have been ‘released’ from bondage, their reputation has put fear and loathing into every demon they have crossed. The separation from Max has opened the veil between the worlds, allowing the prison walls to crumble. But it is the new Vessel that will truly put fear into the demons, when she fully comes into her powers. The sharing of their souls will make a prisoner out of Max just as the Kings were held prisoner by a 10,000 year old curse.

Zee and boys were keeping Maxine in the dark. Revealing the true nature of their bonding, Max and Grant are stunned to learn that the Reaper Kings were once the Vessel of power that controlled the demon kings, and now that the power has been transferred to another, the demon clans are refusing to follow their new Queen. The boys will continue to take Max on a journey of discovery but meeting with Old Wolf and the Messenger will reveal more to Max and Grant than they could have imagined. Not only is Max destined to save the world, but Grant has some new found abilities as well. With power comes responsibility, and to abuse that power could put everyone as risk. Choices must be made.

THE MORTAL BONE is a fast paced story that reveals Maxine’s history through a retrospective look at the demon history and the ramifications throughout the demon worlds. Knowing that your destiny has already been chosen is never easy, but to learn the fate of mankind is now in the hands of a mortal woman, is something no one would ever have suspected.

Although I strongly urge everyone to read the series in order, I am eternally grateful for authors like Marjorie Liu when they include plenty of the major background information from previous storylines. New readers to the series are less likely to find the storyline confusing, if they happen to read out of order. Another great storyline from Marjorie Liu.

Reading Order
1. Wild Thing (Anthology)
2. The Iron Hunt (Book #1)
3. Darkness Calls (Book #2)
4. Armor of Roses and the Silver Voice (enovella)
5. Inked (Anthology)
6. A Wild Light (Book #3)
7. The Mortal Bone (Book #4)

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Books
KOBO
The Book Depository
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE WINEMAKER’S DINNER: Appetizers by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond-a review

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The Winemaker’s Dinner: Appetizers (The Winemaker’s Feast #1) by Dr.Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond

THE WINEMAKER’S DINNER-Appetizers by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond

THE WINEMAKER’S DINNER –Appetizers is the first novel (July 31, 2012 release) in The Winemaker’s Feast series co-written by Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond. The storyline has been labeled a fictional account of Dr. Ivan’s life and love. But I wondered- How much of the book is fiction and how much of the book is fact? Of course, it doesn’t hurt, when a reader is able to put a face to a hero, and a face that is derived from reality and not from our imaginations. Then again, a good imagination allows the reader to place themself into the novel and experience the storyline first hand.

Dr. Ivan Rusilko is a successful doctor and businessman, but something or someone was missing from his life. And meeting Ms. Jaden Thorne brought everything into perspective-he was missing the other half of his soul. Having loved and lost, Ivan was afraid to put everything he was back into a relationship, but Jaden could be that someone. Knowing what he was going to do, would take time, but eventually everything would fall into place. But when dreams do come true, there may be someone needed to gather the pieces of a broken heart with the realization that sacrifices have to be made.

Jaden knew she had made a mistake. She wasn’t the type of girl to do a one-night stand, but she knew she was out of his league. Yet on the night Dr. Ivan sat with his friends, dining at her restaurant, Jaden knew she had made a bigger mistake then leaving without saying goodbye. If the tears staining her face were not a giveaway to her feelings, then the overwhelming joy at Ivan’s words, would certainly inspire a woman to fall head over heals for the stranger she had met only days before.

Throughout the story, the reader is taken on a trip of romance, of sex and fun. Ivan’s ability to make Jaden feel like she is the only woman in the world sings praises for a character who once thought he was destined for a string of failed relationships. His family’s acceptance was instantaneous, and the couple’s love grew with every encounter and morning after. Ivan is a man capable of melting a woman’s heart with a smile and a kiss. If only there were more men like the hero of this story.

Jaden was on the cusp of making a name for herself in the culinary world. Her position, as executive chef, had garnered a few turns of the head but it was her skill and her abilities that caught the attention of some very famous people-or so she had thought. But to everyone’s surprise except Ivan’s Jaden was thrown in to a spotlight that would eventually find her facing a boardroom of executives offering to make all of her dreams come true. But choices will have to be made, and the biggest sacrifice will come at the expense of a broken heart and a shattered soul. Sometimes the heart will not survive the separation of thousands of miles, and sometimes the heart knows exactly what it wants and needs.

THE WINEMAKER’S DINNER is a sweet story about finding love when and where you least expect it. As an erotic storyline, it was tamer than most, but the sexual energy was palpable and flowed smoothly between the pages of the book. The storyline was fast paced without the usual playing hard to get like many romantic tales-Jaden and Ivan were two adults who knew what they wanted and went into the relationship with their eyes and their hearts wide open. An interesting storyline, that makes you wonder, how much of the novel is fiction and how much is the real Dr. Ivan Rusilko. I have no doubt that comparisons will be made and most of us will never really know where reality and fiction blurred-but it was fun trying to guess. Congratulations to Dr. Ivan and Everly on their new release. I am looking forward to their next collaborative effort in The Winemaker’s Dinner series.

 

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Click HERE for our interview with Dr. Ivan Rusilko on March 19, 2012.

LINKS TO PRE-ORDER:
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Paper Books

 

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Kitty Pilgrim-Interview with the Author

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Kitty Pilgrim-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome former CNN correspondent and the author of the John Sinclair Mystery series new release THE STOLEN CHALICE-Kitty Pilgrim.

Photo: by Carol Seitz

TRC: Hi Kitty and welcome to The Reading Cafe.   We would like to start with some background information.  Please tell us something about yourself?

Kitty: I am a career journalist (24 years) for CNN who now writes thriller novels.  When I wake up in the morning I have always had the urge to write.  This has been going on for as long as I can remember.  When I was four, I dictated my first book.  I wrote stories in gradeschool, plays in high school, news in my early career. During my reporting career I would travel widely and enjoy telling the “story” to my viewers.  Now I am doing the same, except now I get 300 or more pages to tell the story, and can invent wonderful adventures for my archaeologist John Sinclair, and his girlfriend oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton.

Links to:
Website
Facebook
Newsletter


TRC:   As an award winning correspondent and reporter, what do you consider to be the most enlightening moment of your career?

Kitty: It is difficult to narrow down a career of nearly two and a half decades into a single moment that crystalizes my experience as a journalist. I have learned from every story, and gained a broader understanding of the world, day by day.  I have had the privilege of covering many world-changing events  – the collapse of the Soviet Union, the rise of China, the wars in Iraq and Iran, September 11th, and many many more.  

I can say this.  I started out in my career as an optimist, convinced that global communication would make the world a better place. After many years and thousands of miles I still am an optimist.  Most people do want to live in peace and harmony, have what is best for their children and enjoy comfort and security in their later years.  I believe in the inherent goodness of the majority of people who populate this world.

TRC:   You have travelled extensively throughout the world, both professionally and for personal reasons.  What or where is your favorite destination and why?

Kitty: I love the oceans.  Put me on a boat and I am in bliss.  I spend a lot of time on ocean liners – the Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth.  (The Queen Victoria is in my first novel THE EXPLORER’S CODE as a location.)  My partner also has a boat and we spend most of the summer on it, doing my book tour up the New England coast and I usually write every day when I am on the boat.

In terms of land destinations I have been to approximately 6o countries and my favorite is usually the one I am exploring right at that moment.  My recent travels in Egypt for THE STOLEN CHALICE are a cherished memory.  Also I adore the high arctic of Svalbard Norway, not far from the North Pole.  Polar travel is one of my other favorite things to do. 

TRC: THE EXPLORER’S CODE is the first book in your John Sinclair Mystery series.  Would you please tell us something about the premise of this SERIES?

Links to Order-THE EXPLORER’S CODE
KOBO
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
The Book Depository
B&N Nook and Paper Books

Kitty: I have always been fascinated by the great explorers and adventurers – Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton, Howard Carter, Amelia Erhardt.  Isabelle Bird, Gertrude Bell.  People who push the limits of the known world – so first and foremost my characters are explorers..

In this series, I would also like to inform as well as entertain.  In each of my novels the reader will experience new places – usually five or six locations per book. As my characters try to solve the puzzle, they go to some of the most glamorous places in the world, Venice, Paris, London, Cairo, Egypt.  My readers eat the delicious food, stay in the finest hotels, live the life of opulence and luxury.  These books are meant to take the reader out of their daily existence and give them a jolt of mystery, romance and adventure.  We all need a little of that in our lives, even if it’s for ten minutes before we turn off the light at night.

TRC:   Did you base the characters of John Sinclair and Cordelia Stapleton (or any of the storyline characters) on anyone in particular or are they a culmination of many people you have encountered?

Kitty: I wrote Cordelia to be a role model for young women.  So many thrillers undersell the abilities of the female character. I wanted my female protagonist to be smart, strong, and courageous – every bit an equal to the man in her life.  I intentionally made Cordelia an oceanographer because it is a very important and cool profession.  She is a scientist and has a very analytical way of working things out.  When I wrote her I consulted with a real life oceanographer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts – Susan Humphris.  Susan helped me tweak the character to make her exactly the way a marine scientist would be in terms of temperament and intellect.

John Sinclair is pure, dreamy fiction. Many people who read the series ask me “do you KNOW someone like Sinclair?”.  He is a compilation of all the heroic qualities I admire – courage, intelligence, sensitivity.  I threw in a good dose of humanity too – he’s not always perfect – especially when it comes to relationships – but he is well intentioned. 

Basing characters on real people isn’t fair to the real people – or to the characters.  They each deserve to live their own lives.

TRC: THE STOLEN CHALICE is your second novel (June 26, 2012 release) in the series.  Would you please tell us about the premise of this storyline?

LINKS TO ORDER The Stolen Chalice:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
The Book Depository
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books


Kitty: I was very intrigued by era of exploration in ancient Egypt during Victorian times.  I updated this theme to include modern egyptologists and all the turmoil that is going on in that part of the world.  We learn the latest is scientific method for studying mummies.  In terms of plot, in THE STOLEN CHALICE, a terrorist ring in stealing ancient artifacts from museums around the world and using the proceeds to fund their activities.  My characters are drawn in when the Metropolitan Museum in New York is hit by an attack, and simultaneously on that very same night scores of Egyptian antiques are stolen.  I can’t tell you more or it would spoil the plot.  But the action takes place in New York, London, Scotland, Venice, and Cairo.

TRC: With the introduction of many varied and new characters, there are several potential storylines.  Will John and Cordelia remain your primary focus, or will the storylines venture into new territory, with different heroes and heroines?

Kitty: All my books will have John Sinclair and Cordelia Stapleton.  They are irresistible as a couple.  The storylines will explore new field sciences – such as volcanoes, or botany.  We will go to many new exotic places…I am thinking Iceland, or Ethiopia at the moment.  We have a big world out there.  With archaeologist John Sinclair representing land, and Cordelia Stapleton representing water, there is nowhere on Earth we cannot go.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the John Sinclair Mystery series?

Kitty: I have six outlined, and have nearly finished the third in the series. Because I go to different places to research my books, I don’t expect to run out of exotic locales until I am in my eighties or nineties – and that is quite some time from now.

TRC: There is plenty of espionage, intrigue and references to potential bio-terrorism in your storylines.  How much research was involved with the writing of this series?

 

Kitty: This is a heavily researched book.  I call it “fact based fiction”.  As a journalist I believe that my duty is to inform accurately – no matter what the format of writing. So for example in THE EXPLORER’S CODE I researched the historical details of the 1918 pandemic with medical records from the US Army and gave the novel to be proofread by the Harvard School of Public Health – just to make sure my treatment of the pandemic was accurate.

In THE STOLEN CHALICE my terrorist plots are also very true to life – I covered both domestic and international terrorism for CNN for many years am familiar with that subject.  However my terrorists in my books are not based on any real individuals – they are fiction.

TRC: What do you consider your greatest achievement? Personally?  Professionally?

Kitty: Personally,  I raised two sons entirely on my own and put them through college while working as a reporter full time for CNN.  It took enormous dedication and effort to keep everything running smoothly in all of our lives.

Professionally I aspire to inform.  When I do that well, I am happy.  Over the course of my career I have won many professional journalism awards, but when some individual comes up to me and says that they were very interested by something I wrote, that is the greatest achievement.  Connecting with each individual person is what I consider the highest goal.

TRC:  What was behind your decision to write a fictional mystery series?

Kitty: Over the course of my journalism career I had the great privilege of traveling to many exotic places. There were many details I wanted to share that didn’t fit into a news story – food, the feel of the place, what it was like to travel there.  In writing fiction I can bring these places to life for my readers.

I decided to write the novel on a whim, just to amuse myself.  It became a very addictive pastime.  Before I knew it I had a full series, and the characters took hold of my imagination and wouldn’t go away.  I found it so relaxing to write these books – they are so diversionary – that I didn’t want to stop.  After publishing THE EXPLORER’S CODE – I decided to become a novelist full time.

TRC: Many authors have always had a talent or desire to write.  What difficulties or challenges have you faced in your writing career and on the road to publication?

Kitty: I had no real obstacles.  I know it is popular to say I overcame all odds and kept pushing, but I wrote the full manuscript on a whim with no anxiety or thought of having it published.  Then I submitted it to an agent almost as an afterthought.  Mort Janklow matched me up with Scribner – my publisher.  I adore my editor, and my agent.  Everyone I have met in the book world is charming and nice –  from the bookstore owners who invite me to read, to the other authors I have met on book tour.  I hate to disappoint, but I love this new world.  

TRC:  Writer’s Block is a real phenomenon that many writers face at one time.  How do you handle the stress and anxiety of ‘writer’s block’?

Kitty: Ok hate me some more.  I DON’T get writer’s block.  In the news business you crank out story after story on a very tight deadline.   I did that for 24 years on a daily basis.  Now, when I sit down to write fiction, I just bang away at it for a few hours and then go out for a walk.  I do that every day without fail.  The discipline of doing it every day is in my genetic code. 

Part of my secret is I never stop moving, so I don’t run out of new places or ideas.  If I sat alone in a room and tried to invent something I dont think I would get very far, but my novels are based on my experiences.

TRC: Next Six months?

Kitty: I have a very heavy travel schedule – and write on the road.  First of all book tour for THE STOLEN CHALICE runs for the entire summer.  I love this part because this is where I will meet many of my readers.   After that I plan an extensive research trip to the Middle East.  November it will be England – as my characters live in London.  It will be a full six months of travel and writing.
 

TRC:  Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors, family or friends.  With whom do you bounce ideas and why?

Kitty: My partner Maurice is absolutely brilliant.  He is very knowledgeable about achaeology and art, different cultures and travel.  I always joke “Who needs Google?”  In my own home there is a man who has vast knowledge of pretty much everything. (He would hate me saying that, as he is also blessed with considerable modesty)

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

Kitty: The third book in the Sinclair series is almost finished, and I am actively setting up travel to research the fourth.  I work on two at once – one for research, the other to write.  We also shoot videos of the locations of the books so everywhere I go we photograph the places that will appear in the upcoming novels.  These videos are published on my website    Kitty Pilgrim  at the time of publication so people can view the locations in the book.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Kitty: Primarily these novels are meant to be entertainment.  We all have long days and lots of worries.  I think the greatest joy is to pick up a book and let it take you away to another place and time.  In my novels I try to give the reader the most pleasurable experience possible, introducing exotic destinations, delicious food, fabulous hotels and homes, utterly luxury.  Interspersed are  and interesting and accurate tidbits of historical or scientific information.  But THE EXPLORER’S CODE and THE STOLEN CHALICE are not heavy lifting – we don’t need more homework.  These novels are meant to be a delight in every way.    

LIGHTNING ROUND (for a little fun):

Favorite Food – really good spaghetti – in Italy if possible

Favorite Dessert – Baked Alaska. ( I love the combination of hot and cold)

Favorite TV Show – Any kind of news

Favorite Movie – vintage movie: Now Voyager with Betty Davis,
contemporary movie: anything my sons take me to – it can be really silly or scary or just plain good.

Last Movie you saw –  I watch movies non-stop on airplanes so I see everything and anything – if it’s a long flight that can be two or three at a sitting.

Dark or Milk Chocolate – either, why limit yourself?

Favorite Flower – any flower that is white. (I have a white garden)

Last book that you read – Left Neglected – Lisa Genova

Do you have any pets? – Scottish border terrier named “Ensign”

TRC: Thank you Kitty for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of The Stolen Chalice. The John Sinclair Mystery series is a fascinating read.

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THE STOLEN CHALICE (John Sinclair Mystery #2) by Kitty Pilgrim

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THE STOLEN CHALICE (John Sinclair Mystery #2) by Kitty Pilgrim

THE STOLEN CHALICE (John Sinclair Mystery 2) by Kitty Pilgrim

THE STOLEN CHALICE by Kitty Pilgrim is the second storyline in author Kitty Pilgrim’s John Sinclair Mystery series. Kitty Pilgrim worked as a CNN correspondent and news anchor for over 24 years and applies her vast knowledge from around the globe to ensure her storylines are tantalizing and rich in description narration. A fictional series brought to life using political intrigue, espionage, terrorism, mystery, bio-warfare and a little romance, The Stolen Chalice is a thrilling and fantastic story that could very well have been taken from some of today’s headlines.

Second in the series, The Stolen Chalice takes place several months after The Explorer’s Code. Archeologist John Sinclair and his partner Cordelia Stapleton, an oceanographer, return in the second instalment to face terrorists, bomb threats, biological warfare and the realization that you can never escape your past. Stemming from a major art theft at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the couple are pulled into a world of billionaire art collectors, Egyptian mummies, unfaithful spouses, unrequited love and a threat to 12 of the most influential political heads of state including the President of the United States.

Kitty takes the reader to destinations around the globe from New York to London, Scotland to Venice Italy, the open waters of the sea and the arid plains of Egypt. Along the way John and Cordelia’s relationship will face the ultimate test when someone from John’s past is brought in to help with the investigation about a missing sarcophagus and a thousands year old mummy. But the missing mummy is only the tip of the ‘proverbial iceberg’ art collector’s war. There are several storylines throughout the novel that will coalesce in a finale that will build on our ultimate fear in bio-terrorism. The theft of the mysterious Sardonyx Cup and its’ fabled powers to heal will force one collector to open his eyes and realize that the cost of the Chalice is worth nothing in comparison to the cost of a life.

THE STOLEN CHALICE is a well-written and amazing novel from the mind of Kitty Pilgrim. The reader is pulled into an adventure that crosses the globe into a vast array of geographical timelines and memorable landmarks and cities. The book is a fascinating look into the lives and loves of the uber-rich and the well connected. Biological warfare is brought to the forefront in a storyline that makes you think-what if and the power struggles for control from the mind of a mad man will have you sitting up and wondering if the world has already met this man at some point in the last 50 years. I encourage everyone to get a copy and let your minds drift in an adventure that will have you thinking.

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
The Book Depository
KOBO
B&N Nook and Paper Books

READING ORDER:
1. The Explorer’s Code
2. The Stolen Chalice

Reviewed by Sandy

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Within the Flames by Marjorie M. Liu – a Review

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Within the Flames by Marjorie M. Liu – a Review

Marjorie M. Liu returns to the world of Dirk & Steele in the 11th installment; Within the Flames. At last readers are once again given the story of a beloved originally introduced character of this superb series, instead of an unknown. I always enjoy the work of this author, but the journey is all the more rich for me, when a previous side character steps into the lead role. And Eddie has been a long time favorite. I am extremely fascinated when an author is able to blend complexities of a fictional character so seamlessly. The unwaveringly loyal guardian to any he calls friend. The unfallibly polite agent of Dirk & Steele; who was raised by his Momma, and Grandmother…and yet hides a tragic, unforgiving past behind a blazing wall of flame. I can only begin this review of my thoughts, by stating that Eddie–this courteous and compassionate, utterly dangerous young man; with the too old eyes–was WELL worth the wait.

In addition to this long anticipated leading male, was the leading female Lyssa. Though previously unknown to the Dirk & Steele series; I found her to be a finely crafted, uniquely gifted, and yet wholly believable character. One of which only added depth, and intensified my enjoyment of this book. I loved the way M. Liu allowed us to believe we knew all of Lyssa’s secrets from jump, yet continuously showed us MORE, and surprised us around every corner. It was a joy to peel pack the many layers of this multifaceted, original (even unto the PNR genre) heroine.

Eddie and Lyssa by far embodied all that the premise of Dirk and Steele represents. Extraordinary people, with extraordinary gifts, helping those in need under the guise of a well renowned detective agency….and more. We learn so much more with each book how the past returns to haunt the future. A lesson Eddie and Lyssa understood well by the end of their harrowing journey.

The connection between this couple was instant, and tangible, yet in no way an easily formed bond. Past experiences, self doubt, and necessary detachment from the world around them–in order to ensure survival–created authentic obstacles for this relationship to overcome. However, the soul-mate aspect of this series, is a beautiful touch of whimsy that gives each couple a fighting chance, and makes the heart of the reader sigh in contentment upon their culmination.

No matter that this is now the eleventh novel I have read by this author, I still find myself shocked at, staggered by, and completely enthralled with the profound emotion which flows in the pages of each. This has never been, nor ever will be your typical romance series. This is not an author who is afraid to add backbone to her stories. Instead, M.Liu tests her characters repeatedly, and forces them to earn their HEA–compelling readers to stand up, and cheer them along the entire way.

I simply cannot get enough of the magic Marjorie M. Liu weaves, as she crafts each individual plot within this amazing story-arc. For me, Within the Flames was the most entertaining installment so far. Complete with a few old friends, the introduction of new one’s, Roland’s “expressive” and insanely humorous dialog, a well constructed mystery, suspenseful danger, pulse pounding action, and a thrilling, climatic end.

Personally, I could not have asked for more, and anxiously await where this author will take us next.

Reviewed by Miranda
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