Typographical Pretties

First pretties post of the year is here! And just look at these elegant covers. I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. These three hail from two debut authors and one who is on her third novel, and I just have to hand it to their cover designers. That seal on The Queen's Gambit . . . that dripping ink on Traitor Angels . . . the stuff authorial dreams are made of, I'd wager.

The Queen's Gambit by Beth Brower
A young queen determined to protect her homeland. A mysterious traveler with a violent past. They strike an uneasy bargain, but at what cost to them both? I'm just going to go ahead and say that Beth is my dear friend (of the library painting fame) and that I had the opportunity to read a draft of this novel and that you do not want to miss it.
Due out January 19th

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill
Britta Flannery is a wanted woman. In exchange for her freedom after being caught poaching, she is to hunt down her father's killer. Of course, there are complications. A bit of a gender-swapped fantasy Robin Hood, this one sounds. Color me intrigued.
Due out December 27th

Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman
Okay, John Milton training his daughter to sword fight by night even as she helps translate Paradise Lost by day? A secret code hidden in the poem? A dark Italian scientist? And it's a standalone? Take my money.
Due out May 3rd

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Interview with April Lindner + Jane Giveaway!

I'm very excited about today's interviewee. As you know, I had been looking forward to the publication of Jane for months when a review copy happened in my lap and I let out a gasp of joy. Being a modernized retelling of Jane Eyre with a rock star-ized Mr. Rochester named Nico and a cover that hits every last one of my aesthetic buttons, it was sort of made to order for this reader. Needless to say, it more than lived up to my not inconsiderable expectations and I have been recommending it on a pretty much daily basis to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors . . . you get the picture. It's now just under a month until the book is out and, in anticipation of the release, I invited April Lindner over to dish about all things Jane. She kindly accepted. Please welcome April! First things first: The Cover. I am in deep smit with that cover. Did you have any input and what was your reaction upon seeing it for the first time? I adore the cover too, and was blown away the...

Terms of Endearment

Have you ever been reading a book, moving along quite nicely, and then-- bam --a character whips out a particular term of endearment that just yanks you right out of the story? It happened to me recently, and I'm sad to say I couldn't recover. I did try. But she just kept using that term and I . . . I had to get the hell out of Dodge. Buh-bye, story. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. I'm not saying this is the norm (thank goodness). I can put up with a certain amount of treacly back and forth when it comes to the exchange of terms of endearment, especially if they fit the characters, their background, culture, the tenor of their relationship, etc. And the history of these terms at home and from around the world is often fascinating (at times hilarious). But there comes a point where I can't see past the cheese and/or weird anymore and I do not want to be with these people any longer . Shallow? Perhaps. But it's a very individual thing, isn't it?...

Ballad Giveaway!

I think it's time for a giveaway, don't you? Thanks to the generous people at Flux , I have one copy of Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater to give away to one lucky commenter! I'm very excited about this giveaway because I thought it was such a great read and an excellent companion novel to Lament . You can find my review of both books here and here , as well as an interview I did with Maggie last month. I've posted Maggie's awesome book trailer here before, but here it is again because it's totally worth a second viewing. Maggie has since put together a playlist for Ballad , which you can also check out here . The rules for the contest are simple. To enter please leave a comment telling me your favorite ballad or love song. One extra entry if you become a follower, two for current followers. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only and closes on October 1st-- Ballad ' s official release date!

Angieville

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