Pocket Full of Tinder (Noon Onyx #4) by Jill Archer-a review

POCKET FULL OF TINDER (Noon Onyx #4) by Jill Archer-a review

Pocket Full of Tinder

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 15, 2016

Noon Onyx is back! In this long-awaited fourth installment, Jill Archer returns readers to the dangerous world of Halja, where demons, angels, and humans coexist in an uneasy state of détente.

Maegester-in-Training Noon Onyx feels like she’s done it all – mastered fiery magic, become an adept fighter, learned the law, killed countless demons, and survived having her heart broken by both love and an arrow, but now she’ll face her greatest challenge yet…

Far to the north lies an outpost famous for its unrest – Rockthorn Gorge. The town’s patron has specifically requested Noon’s help. Her assignment? Help the neophyte demon lord build his fiefdom and keep what’s his. The problem? Lord Aristos – Noon’s new employer – is her erstwhile lover, Ari Carmine, the aforementioned heart breaker. And the number one thing he wants is her.

When Rockthorn Gorge’s viaduct is destroyed by Displodo, an enigmatic bomber, killing a dozen settlers and wounding scores more, Noon sets off early to aid in the search and rescue. Ari is listed among the missing and the suspects are legion. But Noon’s search is just the beginning. Her journey forces Noon to confront not only those she loves, but also enemies hell-bent on destroying them.

•••••••••

REVIEW: POCKET FULL OF TINDER is the fourth installment in Jill Archer’s UF/Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic NOON ONYX series.

BACKGROUND : Archer’s series focuses on the simmering truce between Angels and Demons 2000 years after Armageddon , and the destructive nature of the Maegester and their dark ‘waning’ magic. But for 22 year old Nouiomo Onyx (aka Noon) a reversal of fortunes has occurred at her birth-she was imbued with the dark waning magic (once only accorded to men) and her twin Nocturo (Nightshade) was the waxing magic (once only accorded to women). Women are the creators not the destroyers. Noon’s ability to wield waning magic will become both a curse and a blessing- in more ways than one.

Told from first person point of view (Noon Onyx) POCKET FULL OF TINDER is the continuing story of Maegester-in-Training Noon Onyx, as she struggles with who she is and what she has become. At the end of book three-White Heart of Justice-Noon walked away from the only man she has ever loved after a perceived betrayal and lie of omission forced our heroine to choose between love and a happily ever after, and living a life she knows as a lie. POCKET FULL OF TINDER is witness to Noon’s latest assignment that will bring our heroine face to face with her new employer at Rockthorn Gorge-Lord Aristos aka Ari Carmine aka the man that she loves. What ensues is the rebuilding romance between Noon and Ari, and the search for the person(s) responsible for the continued attacks against, and the destruction of a dam project near Rockthorn Gorge.

POCKET FULL OF TINDER is a heartbreaking story line; a revealing look at two people whose hearts were shattered by betrayal; whose lives will be destroyed by power and greed; whose happily ever after is never meant to be. We get up close and personal with the hierarchy of demonkind, angels, and the political elite in a post-apocalyptic world governed by magic and power. The premise is complex and original; the characters are passionate, magical and unique; the romance is emotional and intense. Jill Archer NOON ONYX is an amazing, imaginative and fantastic series with flawless text, and a breathtaking premise.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Dark Light of Day
Fiery Edge of Steel
White Heart of Justice
Pocket Full of Tinder

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

About The Author

Jill ARcherJill Archer writes dark, genre-bending fantasy from rural Maryland. Her novels include Dark Light of Day, Fiery Edge of Steel, White Heart of Justice, and Pocket Full of Tinder. She loves cats, coffee, books, movies, day tripping, and outdoor adventuring.

Website: http://www.jillarcher.com/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bAzF7n
Blog: https://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/archer_jill
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillarcherauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782149.Jill_Archer
Discussion Questions: http://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com/book-clubs/

Share

White Heart of Justice (Noon Onyx #3) by Jill Archer-Blog Tour, Review and Guest Post

White Heart of Justice (Noon Onyx #3) by Jill Archer-Blog Tour, Review and Guest Post

White Heart of Justice Banner

White Heart of Justice
Noon Onyx 33
by Jill Archer
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Genre: dystopian, UF,

White Heart of Justice

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE
(Noon Onyx #3)
by Jill Archer
Genre: dystopian, urban fantasy

ABOUT THE BOOK: May 27, 2014

Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting…

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.

However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE is the third instalment in Jill Archer’s dystopian Noon Onyx urban fantasy/post apocalyptic series focusing on Maegester In Training Nouimo (Noon) Onyx.

BACKGROUND: Archer’s series focuses on the simmering truce between Angels and Demons 2000 years after Armageddon, and the destructive nature of the Maegester and their dark ‘waning’ magic. But for 22 year old Nouiomo Onyx (aka Noon) a reversal of fortunes has occurred at her birth-she was imbued with the dark waning magic (once only accorded to men) and her twin Nocturo (Night) is gifted with the waxing magic (once only accorded to women). Women were the creators not the destroyers. Noon’s ability to wield waning magic will become both a curse and a blessing.

Told from first person POV (Noon) the premise follows Noon and her latest second year ‘assignment’ as a Maegester in Training (MIT). To make reparations for the destruction of school property Noon is entered into a ‘competition’ for the Laurel Crown-the winner is offered his or her choice of position-and the competition is difficult and nearly impossible to win. Noon is commissioned to find and retrieve the ‘White Heart of Justice’ –a magically imbued sword-that has been missing for hundreds of years. The sword’s special abilities are known only to a few and if it falls into the wrong hands Armageddon may see a second coming.

Jill Archer takes the reader through the snow swept plains of a dark and dangerous landscape where once teaming villages laid claim to the land. Now, the icy cold desolation is only the beginning for Noon and her chosen guardian angel Raphael. Our duo will encounter mystical demons, marauding creatures and the walking dead. Noon’s once beloved friend Peter is determined to stop Noon at every opportunity and in this the storyline takes a decidedly shadowed and treacherous turn.

The secondary characters set up the story revealing history, background and the circumstances of Noon’s upcoming quest for the White Heart of Justice; they challenge Noon about her ability to be successful and push our heroine forward in her task. The world building continues from the previous storylines as Noon encounters the people from her past and possibly her future. As with all dystopian storylines and series there is a foreboding of evil-one in which Noon must face head on in order to survive.

WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE is a graphically detailed and intensely personal tale of one woman’s journey to prove she is worthy of acceptance into a world of which she does not belong. Jill Archer’s dystopian world of Angels and Demons is breathtaking in its’ vulnerability; disturbing in its’ discrimination; and passionate in its’ expectations and needs. White Heart of Justice and the Noon Onyx series is a must read for fans of urban fantasy and dystopian fairy tales where Armageddon is only the beginning-not the end.

Noon Onyx series

Reading Order
1. Dark Light of Day
2. Fiery Edge of Steel
3. White Heart of Justice (May 2014)

Copy supplied by the publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest Post-White and Aqua

Fantasy Covers: Jill Archer Discusses the Noon Onyx Covers

I am a cover lover.

Everyone has heard the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover” so many times, it almost gets an auto eye roll these days. We know we shouldn’t but we do.

Or do we?

The truth is probably a bit more complicated. Disregarding any sort of scientific method, I’m going to use myself as the quintessential “every reader” and let my experiences disprove the age-old adage. (I know, no two readers are alike, but bear with me).

In truth, I don’t judge a novel by its cover. I know that the words inside have only a passing relationship with what’s portrayed on the cover. The rational, clinical, cynical part of me knows that covers are designed for that other part of me – the part of me that wants to be viscerally and instantaneously moved by a single image. The part of me that has an instinctive knee-jerk reaction to touch what I like. To pick it up, to hold it in my hand, to flip it over so that I can see more of it.

Let’s face it. The cover of a book is our gateway drug to a whole other world. It’s neither the red pill nor the blue pill. It’s blissfully purple. Because covers are our first glimpse into a verisimilar escape from reality. They are our ticket to Fiction.

When my editor first contacted me about the cover design for my first novel, Dark Light of Day, I was thrilled. Contractually, my publisher was under no obligation to consult me. But I was asked for my thoughts. And I gave them! So many, in fact, that had I been in charge that first cover would have resembled a fantasy I Spy page. It would have had creepy, gothic academic buildings in the background, filigreed ornaments, tarnished bells, and bits of half-digested corn-dolls in the foreground, all interspersed with Seraphim court jesters, demon shape-shifters, diabolical illusions, and the book’s recurring motifs: fire, flowers, gardens, greenery…

Uh, what about Noon?

Well, I had thoughts about her too.

But my editor patiently reminded me of what I should have known already. Eight seconds gives bull riders an eternity to make an impression. What reader spends eight seconds looking at a cover?! Try one second. Two seconds, tops.
So we went with Noon, front and center.

After that, the process became more streamlined. I was asked for input on possible settings, poses, clothing, and how to illustrate her magic. Starting with Fiery Edge of Steel, I also opted (in lieu of the ridiculous everything-but-the-kitchen-sink list I’d given them for Dark Light of Day) to include a brief story summary, similar to back cover copy.

So how did my covers turn out? Here are the stats:

••••••••••••••

Dark Light of DayDARK LIGHT OF DAY
Cover artist: David Palumbo
Setting: St. Lucifer’s Law School (“St. Luck’s”)

Pose/expression: In brilliant ambiguous Mona Lisa fashion, Noon either looks defiant or unsure of herself. Perfect for the character in this book.

Clothing: A bustier and cloak. Frankly, Noon would never wear a bustier in book #1. But the cloak cleverly hides her demon mark.
Magic: A fireball. Loved it. I now give out Atomic fireball candies at book signings.
Other details: Terrific! In her other hand, Noon is holding a stack of books. Great signal to readers that she’s a student. And – it was subtle – but I appreciated the blackened vine motif on St. Luck’s gates. It was a nod to the fact that Noon’s touch is deadly to plants.

••••••••••••••••

Fiery-Edge-of-SteelFIERY EDGE OF STEEL
Cover artist: Jason Chan
Setting: New Babylon docks

Pose/expression: Noon advances toward the reader holding a flaming filleting knife. She looks feisty.

Clothing: A bustier and cloak again. Even though Noon still wouldn’t wear this in book #2, I was glad they chose this clothing because, with the cover artist change, it gave the covers some continuity.

Magic: The fiery blade, of course. Noon’s waning magic allows her to shape weapons out of fire. What makes this cover so amazing is that I had to choose the title before seeing the cover. And yet, how lucky did I get that the cover and title synched so perfectly?

Other details: I gotta admit, I love Jason Chan’s style. The clothes are awesomely detailed and Noon looks arresting, which is great because she has some tough choices to make in book #2.

••••••••••••••••••

White Heart of JusticeWHITE HEART OF JUSTICE
Cover artist: Jason Chan
Setting: Wintery

Pose/expression: Grasping a sword with both hands, Noon looks contemplative. There are grave consequences for missteps in book #3.
Clothing: The fur-lined hooded cloak was a nice change and I liked the way the double-disc cloak clasp echoed Fiery Edge of Steel’s single-disc cloak clasp. I adored the gloves.

Magic: The fiery war bird MADE this cover for me. I didn’t know if they’d be able to work it in – but they did! I don’t want to say too much about it other than it’s a signal to readers that Noon uses her magic in new and different ways in this book.

Other details: Do we need any with this cover?! It’s fantastic! But to finish off the stats, I’ll say that I like the sword’s hilt. It’s apropos of nothing in the story, but it works. And it’s clear, at least with my covers, that Jason Chan loves a sweeping left visual arc. Lastly… the cover quote! I love how The Reading Café’s quote references the dark world of my stories while the cover itself is so light, bright, and white. It’s an ingenious juxtaposition of cover elements that deftly represents the entire series.

So those are my thoughts on my covers. What about you? What do you think of the Noon Onyx covers? What other covers have you loved? What visual elements make you want to pick up a book (or click on it for more info if you’re a digital reader)?

Thank you to Sandy for inviting me to guest blog today. Best wishes to everyone here at The Reading Café!

~~Jill~~

excerpt

Prologue

I can’t be with you anymore. That’s what she’d said. Six words that had become sixty then six hundred then six thousand . . . sixty thousand . . . six million . . . reverberating in his head, bouncing around inside his brain, driving him absolutely mad. There were no other words. No other memories. Only that last one of her. Standing at the edge of the oozy stew of the destroyed keep’s moat, flanked by two Angels, one preternaturally beautiful, the other full of purpose. The same purpose he’d had until those six words stripped him of it.
Flying out, he’d barely cleared the wreckage of the keep. His heart beat against the walls of his massive chest, and his monstrous wings beat against the infinite, empty sky, but the beats were slow and grew slower still. Slower. Until finally . . .
Stop.
He made it across the river and then dropped like a ten-ton stone, crashing into the brush, breaking tree limbs and a wing. He lay there amongst the blackening scrub refusing to shift back into human form.
Man’s thoughts were unwelcome.
In time, the rogares came. Water wraiths. He killed them all. And then sickened by the smell of blood and meat he couldn’t—wouldn’t—consume, he left his nesting place. By then, the wing had healed, but unnaturally, so that flying straight was impossible. For days, he traveled in circles, never getting far. It wasn’t just the wing. The yearning to return to her was nearly unbearable. The emptiness inside of him an abyss.
Was she still in the Shallows? If he could just . . .
But then he remembered the Angels. And the look on her face when she’d said the six words. And the feelings in her signature. She’d need more than mere weeks for them to abate. She might need months. Hopefully, not years. Years meant nothing to him, but they did to her. And then the reminder that her time was more precious than his drove his yearning to a new level of ferocity. Ruthlessly, he tamped it down. He realized then that it might be best to return to man’s thoughts. After all, she was a woman.
And he wanted her back.

Chapter 1

“Glashia calls Noon the ballista.” Waldron Seknecus’ low voice rumbled through the Gridiron, a deep, cavernous underground space used by the upper years at St. Lucifer’s for sparring. “Because of how she fights now. Watch.”

He was speaking to three other spectators: my father, Karanos Onyx, executive of the Demon Council and the man who would ultimately employ all of the magic users who trained here at St. Luck’s; Friedrich Vanderlin, an Archangel who was the dean of Guardians over at the Joshua School, the Angel academy we shared a campus with; and a woman who looked unsettlingly familiar to me, though I couldn’t remember when we’d met or who she was. I cleared my mind and concentrated on my opponent, Ludovicus Mischmetal, who preferred the moniker “Vicious” for short. He was a second year Maegester-in-Training at Euryale University. We were competing against one another in the New Babylon MIT rank matches, which St. Luck’s was hosting this year.

All second-year MITs were required to compete. The top-ranked MITs from each school would then be eligible to compete in the Laurel Crown Race. The object of the race was to bring back an assigned target. Targets were either rogare demons or priceless artifacts that needed to be recovered. Participation in the Laurel Crown Race was voluntary, but the MIT who returned to New Babylon with his (or in my case, her) target before any of the others, won the coveted Laurel Crown. Winning the Laurel Crown often set a future Maegester up for life because winners could choose where they wanted to spend their fourth-semester residency. And ofttimes, those residencies turned into permanent positions. Everyone else would receive offers, but it would be the Council that decided which of those residency positions they accepted.

Last semester, we’d been given our first field assignment. It was an assignment that had been full of rogare demon attacks and other lethal situations. That assignment had lasted a mere three months and I’d barely survived it. My residency would last for twice as long, so I was well aware of how important the residency venue would be. Winning the right to choose where I spent next semester, not to mention who I would be working for, would go far in preserving not just my happiness, but also my life. The Maegester who was judging the match, a middle-aged man with thinning, ginger-colored hair and a near permanent frown, called out for us to begin.

I’d watched Vicious spar with other MITs. He was smart. His infliction of pain would be very calculated, very precise. There was nothing personal about his desire to beat me. He just wanted to win the match so that he could retain his current Primoris ranking at Euryale and compete for the Laurel Crown. Of course, I was similarly motivated.

Vicious gave me a curt bow, his long, black, razor-cut bangs briefly falling forward before he shook them back and used his waning magic to fire up a weapon, a flaming broadsword. It hissed and spit with fury in the damp air of the Gridiron as Vicious raised it toward me in an opening invitation to spar.

As a sparring partner, Vicious looked fairly intimidating. His front teeth were shiny, silver, and sharply pointed (likely, his real ones had been knocked out in fights) and he was much larger than me. He wore the usual black leather training pants and vest, but he’d elected to go shirtless underneath the vest. I guessed it was an intentional show of muscle, literally. He flexed his forearms and grinned at me, his message clear: I might be a woman playing a man’s game, but he wasn’t going to spare me any blows.

That suited me fine. Sparing me blows wouldn’t win me the match.

 

 

About The Author

Jill Archer

 

FOLLOW: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Jill Archer is the author of the Noon Onyx series, genre-bending fantasy novels about a post-grad magic user and her off-campus adventures. DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL, the first two books in the series are available now from Penguin/Ace. The third book, WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE, will be released May 27, 2014. Jill lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

 

Giveaway

The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the author.

Click HERE for giveaway details and information.

4/24/14 – 6/3/14

WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE

SNEAK PEEK TWEETS

Below are some fun, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, sneak peek tweets about White Heart of Justice (say that five times fast!)

Anyone who tweets one of these will be entered to win ANY fantasy book of their choice from Book Depository (https://www.bookdepository.com/) up to $10.00, so long as Book Depository ships to your address. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. International participants age 18 and older. Ends at midnight EDT on 6/3/14. See my Giveaways page (http://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com/newsandevents/giveaways/) for official rules. One tweet/entry per person.

Lucem in tenebras ferimus. Into the darkness, we bring light.” @archer_jill #DARKLIGHTOFDAY

“When traveling into the unknown, sometimes the biggest danger is the one you bring with you…” @archer_jill #FIERYEDGEOFSTEEL

“One out of every two hunters who follow the Old Trail will not return.” @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Finally! I’m looking forward to seeing Noon embrace her fiery magic. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Ari Carmine is smokin’ hot. I wanna see if Noon can forgive him for that nasty surprise at the end of B2. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I heard a rumor that Rafe Sinclair makes a wish and I wanna know if it’s granted. @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Nocturo. Tall dark handsome. Heard his scalpel’s put to good use. Is he gonna threaten Brunus w it again? @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

I love the characters, but I’m really just in it for the monsters and magic. Bring on the ice demons! @archer_jill #WHITEHEARTOFJUSTICE

Armageddon is over. The demons won. But it’s not as dark as all that. Parts of it are romantic and sweet. @archer_jill #NOONONYXSERIES

Share

White Heart of Justice (Noon Onyx #3) by Jill Archer -Cover Reveal and Giveaway

White Heart of Justice (Noon Onyx #3) by Jill Archer-Cover Reveal and Giveaway

White Heart of Justice Banner 4

White Heart of Justice
Noon Onyx #3
by Jill Archer
Genre: Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic
Release Date: May 27, 2014

White Heart of Justice

Pre Order Links: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / Indie Bound / The Book Depository

WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE

A Noon Onyx Novel

Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting.

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race-an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.

However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse-and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again.

about the author

Jill Archer

 

FOLLOW: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Jill Archer is the author of the Noon Onyx series, genre-bending fantasy novels about a post-grad magic user and her off-campus adventures. DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL, the first two books in the series are available now from Penguin/Ace. The third book, WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE, will be released May 27, 2014. Jill lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

 

 

rafflecopter giveaway

 

Jill is offering the following giveaway on her WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE cover reveal tour:

US only: Signed copies of DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL

International: $25 eGift Certificate to bookstore of choice

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. Please contact the author if you have any questions.

CLICK on the link and follow the instructions:
Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Review

FIERY EDGE OF STEEL (Noon Onyx #2)- a review

Fiery Edge of Steel

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK; Release Date May 2013

Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.

Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.

When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…

Noon Onyx series

REVIEW: FIERY EDGE OF STEEL is the second instalment in Jill Archer’s dystopian Noon Onyx urban fantasy/post-apocolyptic series.

BACKGROUND : Archer’s series focuses on the simmering truce between Angels and Demons 2000 years after Armageddon , and the destructive nature of the Maegester and their dark ‘waning’ magic. But for 22 year old Nouiomo Onyx (aka Noon) a reversal of fortunes has occurred at her birth-she was imbued with the dark waning magic (once only accorded to men) and her twin Nocturo (Night) was the waxing magic (once only accorded to women). Women were the creators not the destroyers. Noon’s ability to wield waning magic will become both a curse and a blessing.

Fiery Edge of Steel premise falls quickly on the heels of Dark Light of Day when our heroine Noon Onyx has been given the unenviable task of tracking down a killer and bringing him or her to justice; a potential rogue demon who has murdered numerous men and women in a small fishing village hundreds of miles away. The investigation will determine innocence or guilt and it will be up to Noon to mete out justice or the sentence when all is said and done.

Jill Archer takes the reader on a journey through hellacious swamp lands and black waters infested with numerous demons and magical creatures from childhood nightmares. The storyline is awash in mythical legends and lore once believed to be the foundation of many spiritual systems of belief. The world building continues to be aggressive, involved, detailed and dramatic. Any lull in the action will be countered with a renewed construct of Archer’s imagination.

Saying that, the storyline and premise are infinitely detailed with a spiritual belief system that rivals any religious construct or history and, is used to build upon the world of which Archer continues to create. The characters are colorful and many mask their true identities and purpose. The relationship between Noon and Ari continues to grow but will be met with a force so destructive that their love may never survive. As their journey proceeds, so too, do the threats against Noon and her companions as they search for a murdering demon.

Jill Archer brings originality to a genre that can get bogged down in the supernatural but the magic with which she weaves her story will pull the reader into a world of gifted angels and terrifying demons. But not all is as it appears in the world of Noon Onyx. Sometimes even demons can be an angel in disguise.

Reading Order
Dark Light of Day
Fiery Edge of Steel
White Heart of Justice

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Cover Reveals December 6, 2012

Cover Reveals December 6, 2012



TITLE: Bound

AUTHOR: Elisabeth Naughton

SERIES: Eternal Guardians

RELEASE DATE; N/A

HERO: Titus

 

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: For Whom The Spell Tolls

AUTHOR: H.P. Mallory

SERIES: Dulcie O’Neill

RELEASE DATE: N/A

 

 

 

TITLE:  The Girl With the Iron Touch

AUTHOR:  Kady Cross

SERIES:  Steampunk Chronicles

RELEASE DATE:  May 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Enemy Mine

AUTHOR: Katie Reus

SERIES: Shifters

RELEASE DATE: February 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Love Irresistibly

AUTHOR: Julie James

SERIES: FBI/US Attorney #4

RELEASE DATE: April 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Falling Blind

AUTHOR: Shannon K. Butcher

SERIES: The Sentinel Wars

RELEASE DATE: April 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: As Twilight Falls

AUTHOR: Amanda Ashley

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: May 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE:  The Outcast Prince

AUTHOR:  Shona Husk

SERIES:  Annwyn

RELEASE DATE:  July 2013 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Hungry Like a Wolf

AUTHOR: Christine Warren

SERIES: The Others

RELEASE DATE: June 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Antigoddess

AUTHOR: Kendare Blake

SERIES: N/A

RELEASE DATE: September 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE:  Dream Eyes

AUTHOR:  Jayne Ann Krentz

SERIES:  Dark Legacy

RELEASE DATE:  January 2013

 

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Nightblade

AUTHOR: JC Daniels (Shiloh Walker)

SERIES: Colbana Files #2

RELEASE DATE: March 2013

 

 

 

TITLE: Kiss of Temptation

AUTHOR: Sandra Hill

SERIES: Deadly Angels #3

RELEASE DATE: March 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Fiery Edge of Steel

AUTHOR: Jill Archer

SERIES: Noon Onyx

RELEASE DATE: May 2013

Share

Jill Archer-Interview and Giveaway with the author

JILL ARCHER-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

ABOUT JILL: Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jill earned a bachelor of science from Penn State University and later moved to Baltimore to attend the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude. She went on to practice law as a “dirt lawyer” for ten years, specializing in real estate law, municipal development, commercial leasing, and anything involving exceedingly lengthy legalese-like contractual monstrosities.

Jill now lives in rural Maryland with her two children and husband, who is a recreational pilot. Weekends are often spent flying around in the family’s small Cessna, visiting tiny un-towered airfields and other local points of interest.

Link to :  Jill’s Website

Jill Archer’s new novel DARK LIGHT OF DAY will be released September 25, 2012.

TRC:  Hi Jill and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of DARK LIGHT OF DAY.

Jill:  Thanks, Sandy! I’m happy to be here.

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Jill:  I live in rural Maryland with my husband and two daughters. When I’m not reading or writing, I like to hike, bike, watch movies, hang out with friends, and take day trips with my family. I love coffee and wine and I prefer chewy sweets to chocolate ones.

TRC:  Many authors develop an interest in writing at an early age. What or whom sparked your interest?

Jill:  I’ve been a lifelong reader, but didn’t ever think of attempting to write a novel until I went on maternity leave for the first time. (My oldest is now ten).

TRC:  What challenges or difficulties have you faced as a writer?

Jill:  Many! But I think that’s just how it is. 🙂 When I started, my only goal was simply to finish a novel. Period. For years, that was my sole goal. Initially, I worked on a “novel” that was really just a string of scenes with common characters. With my second attempt, I made it to “The End” but it wasn’t marketable. Shoving that manuscript in the bottom of a desk drawer where it belonged was tough, but necessary.

There was also a time, just before Dark Light of Day sold, when I stopped writing for awhile. My mother had passed away and I needed some time off from writing about dark things and dark places. I found a part-time job at a small, local law firm, helping one of the partners with his cases. Returning to something I’d known for years was very therapeutic. When my agent called to give me the news about the sale, I was ready to return to writing.

TRC:  DARK LIGHT OF DAY is the September 2012 release in your new Noon Onyx series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

LINKS TO ORDER
The Book Depository
Amazon Paper
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper books

Jill:  In a nutshell, Dark Light of Day is the story of a first year law student who is being trained to represent demons.

 

TRC:  There is plenty of legal terminology and references throughout due to the nature of the storyline. Did your degree and career as a lawyer assist in the writing of this series?

Jill:  Absolutely. I used my experiences as a law student, adjunct professor, and legal practitioner to create the character, the world she lives in, and the assignments she and her classmates are given. That said, Dark Light of Day is fantasy. Any real world inspirations were used merely as jumping off points. I did not overly concern myself with legal accuracy. I don’t think anyone will be reading Dark Light of Day to educate themselves on the law. 🙂

The truth is, I find certain legal symbols and concepts fascinating. And if I can use them as the basis or background for an interesting story, all the better.

TRC:  Did you ever think your law degree would help in the writing of a paranormal storyline?

Jill:  Ha! No! Not one bit.  At first, I couldn’t believe I was even considering writing a book based on the above premise. But then — that’s when I knew I probably *should* write it and see how it turned out. I told myself I would figure out what to do with it after I finished it — whether I’d 86 it down deep in my desk like my first completed manuscript, or take a leap of faith and try to sell it.

TRC:  How much legal research was required in the writing of this novel?

Jill:  I didn’t keep track. It was gloriously freeing in a way, not having to worry about billing the research in six minute increments. 😀  In all seriousness though, a lot of it was just double checking my understanding of terms and concepts before I used them.

TRC:  There is a phenomenal amount of information contained within this storyline. How were you able to keep everything and everyone aligned without mass chaos and confusion on the page and in your head?

Jill:  At its heart, Dark Light of Day is about Noon’s magical and academic struggles, which are closely related. And there are elements of mystery and romance. Weaving the various sub-plots together was difficult at times. I tried to tie the sub-plots together with common themes, motifs, and/or plot nexuses.

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

Jill:  I’ve sketched out a total of 7 books. I’m currently contracted to write 3.

TRC:  What do you have planned for the next installment in the Noon Onyx series?

Jill:  My general response for all future books is “new assignments, new adventures, new adversaries!” 😀  But I’ll also share that, in Book #2, some characters return, some new ones are introduced, and Noon gets her first field assignment.

TRC:  What challenges did you face getting this particular storyline to publication?

Jill:  One of the biggest challenges was the character’s age. Noon is a student trying to survive a crushing course schedule. She has parents who don’t get along and boy troubles. The book is also written in first person. So, initially, we pitched it to some young adult editors.  But Noon’s twenty-one. She’s very much an adult. And, though she struggles with some of the things that YA protagonists often struggle with, many of the scenes and themes were written with an adult audience in mind. So I was delighted when it sold to Ace, one of Penguin’s adult science fiction and fantasy imprints.

TRC:  If you could virtually cast the characters in DARK LIGHT OF DAY, which actors or models do you think would best represent the major players in the storyline?

Jill:  I love movies and some TV shows, and I read Entertainment Weekly, but honestly, I have no idea. Casting, like book covers, is an art probably best left to someone other than the writer.  That said, it would fun to hear readers’ thoughts on this question. Other people are probably more in tune with who the young stars of today are than I am. Also, one of the *best* things about reading (as opposed to watching) is that every reader has their own interpretation of the characters and world. Each individual fills in the blanks of the story with their own imagination.

TRC:  Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the pressure and anxiety of writer’s block?

Jill:  It depends on what’s causing the block. I mentioned taking time off from writing after my mother died. That was necessary and I didn’t try to fight it. I knew I needed to get out of my house and do something that was both familiar and routine to me, and yet different enough from what I had been doing to put my mind in a better place.  For those times when inspiration is lacking… well, I spend time staring at my computer screen… staring out of my office window… staring into space… It’s frustrating and feels counter-productive, but eventually something breaks loose. Sometimes, though, a change of venue is needed. I go on a hike, or pack up my computer and head out to write somewhere else. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie or read National Geo. Anything that frees the mind and gets you un-stuck. Not panicking is the key.

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

Jill:  Book #3. (New assignments, new adventures, new adversaries! ;-D)

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Jill:  My publisher is running a Goodreads giveaway for Dark Light of Day. Tomorrow, September 21, 2012, is the last day to enter to win a free copy. I’m also in the midst of doing a blog tour for Dark Light of Day and am running several giveaways myself. If anyone is interested in hearing more about the prizes, tour stops, or article topics, all of the information is on my website on the page “Dark Light of Day Blog Tour.”

If anyone wants to connect with me, I love meeting new people online. My contact info is below. Please feel free to reach out!

* Website: www.jillarcher.com

* Blog: http://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com/

* Twitter: @archer_jill * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillarcherauthor * Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13556956-dark-light-of-day

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food — anything cooked by someone else

Favorite Dessert — homemade, fresh peach pie

Favorite TV Show — Game of Thrones

Favorite Movie — for summer 2012, Prometheus

Last Movie You Saw — Hunger Games (I saw it opening night, but my husband didn’t so we rented it and watched it together)

Dark or Milk Chocolate — Milk

Last Vacation Destination — Ocean City, New Jersey

Do you have any pets? — a chocolate lab and a gray tabby cat

TRC:  Thank you Jill for taking the time to answer our questions. Good luck with all of your future writing endeavors. We wish you all the best. Keep us in mind with your future release in the Noon Onyx series.

Jill:  Thank you for interviewing me, Sandy, and for letting me share more about Dark Light of Day with your readers here at The Reading Cafe. Best wishes to you too!

Jill Archer is offering an Ace/Roc Science Fiction and Fantasy Sampler to ONE lucky member at The Reading Cafe.

1. You must be a registered member to qualify for the giveaway. 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.

2. If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter, please post your email address with your comment, as Twitter does not allow for email addresses etc.

3. Giveaway open to continental USA only.

4. Giveaway runs September 20-22, 2012

Share

DARK LIGHT OF DAY (Noon Onyx #1) by Jill Archer-a review

DARK LIGHT OF DAY (Noon Onyx #1) by Jill Archer-a review

DARK LIGHT OF DAY (Noon Onyx #1) by Jill Archer is set to release September 25, 2012.

Book blurb: Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, the world from slipping back into chaos.

Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret—she was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of and some will consider her an abomination.

Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harboring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.

DARK LIGHT OF DAY is the introductory storyline in Jill Archer’s Noon Onyx series. Archer’s series focuses on the simmering truce between Angels and Demons 2000 years after Armageddon , and the destructive nature of the Maegester and their dark ‘waning’ magic. But for 21 year old Nouiomo Onyx (aka Noon) a reversal of fortunes has occurred at her birth-she was imbued with the dark waning magic (once only accorded to men) and her twin Nocturo (Night) was the waxing magic (once only accorded to women). Women were the creators not the destroyers. An embarrassment to her parents, Noon’s only recourse is to hide in plain sight.

Hoping to avoid her destiny as a future Maegester and the power to decide life or death for a demon, Noon must try to suppress her powers before she declares. But her powers have been recognized while away at Demon Law school by a demon hunter and a Maegester-in–training and her future choices could be fatal. But a friend is convinced he can help Noon.

Peter Aster is an angel and has been Noon’s bestfriend since childhood. Trying to keep Noon’s true identity a secret, Peter will risk everything to help his childhood friend including his family, his education and his friendship with Noon. But Peter’s revelations and his true feelings for Noon pushed Peter beyond his limitations.

Ari Carmine is a Maegester-in-training and with his waning magic he recognized Noon’s powers immediately. Hoping to come to an understanding, Ari gives Noon the option of declaring herself a Maegester before the people in power declare her death. Ari has ulterior motives for Noon’s declaration-his motives were personal. But a classroom assignment will pit Ari against Noon, and their attraction to one another could prove each other’s fall. 

Meanwhile, a rash of demon attacks has everyone on edge. When the truth about the attacks is finally revealed, Noon will have lost at friend, a client and possibly the love of her life.

The novel is divided into two sections. Winter and Spring. Winter reveals the darkness and magic that surrounds Noon, as well as the man who marks her as his own. Spring’s revelations will throw Noon into a world that she never thought would be possible-a world of love, of betrayal, of guilt and revelations.

DARK LIGHT OF DAY is a fascinating storyline. There is a phenomenal amount of back-story, information, and otherworldly terminology that at times had me confused, but once I got my head out of reviewer mode, I placed myself into the storyline and experienced the adrenalin and excitement first hand. The character development is smooth, but I kept waiting for the proverbial ‘other shoe to drop’. Jill Archer has created a dark world that will grab your attention from the very start.

LINKS TO ORDER
The Book Depository
Amazon Paper
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper books

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

Share