What are You Reading Wednesday?

It's that time again - time for what Are You Reading Wednesday! I know I've missed a week or two, but let's get into the swing of things. To play along, just tell me:

What are you reading now?
What did you just finish reading?
What are you going to read next?


What Am I Reading Now?

I am currently reading Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs.

The second novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson Novels series.

A demon-riding vampire has gone on a killing spree unlike any the Tri- Cities has ever seen-and the undead and werewolves sent to stop him haven't returned. A coyote is no match for a demon, but shapeshifting mechanic Mercy Thompson is immune to many vampiric powers-and those are her friends who are missing, including the two werewolves circling around her heart. Game on...

I received this book and a few others as a prize in the spring Cleaning Giveaway on Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews.

I have read several of the Mercy Thompson novels before and I enjoy them, so when I had the chance to win this book and a few more, I jumped at it. So glad to have won - thanks Laurie!


What Did I Just Finish Reading?

I just finished Beltane by Erin O'Riordan.

Twin sisters Allie and Zen have always shared everything: including an unconventional upbringing at Pagan Spirits Farms. They even fall in love at the same time. Pagan priestess Allie thinks she’s met the man of her dreams in her buttoned-down lawyer fiancé, Paul Phillip. But is he everything he seems? Zen, a witch gifted with the sixth sense, falls for Orlando. But there’s a catch: Orlando is married to someone else. As the celebration of Beltane nears, the sisters seem destined to be unlucky in love. But the Goddess moves in mysterious ways, and May Day may turn out to be magic for them after all.

You can find my review of Beltane here!


What Am I Reading Next?

Hmmm...good question. I think it's going to be a review book, but I am not sure which one yet. I have several options.

So, tell me:

What are you reading now?
What did you just finish reading?
What are you going to read next?

What Are You Reading Wednesdays - Las Vegas Edition

Here's my fourth post in my new weekly topic - What Are You Reading Wednesdays! This week instead of covering the usual currently/finished/next questions, I am going to post 3 of my favorites. Since I am in Las Vegas this week at a convention, I will not have time to read anything new. I decided to take one of my favorite books that I've read a million times with me, but I covered that in last week's post, so I am going to give you something fresh today.



First Favorite - The Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher. This is a fabulous series and I have read all of them multiple times. I will give you some info on the first book Storm Front:

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things — and most of them don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a — well, whatever.

There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get...interesting.

Magic. It can get a guy killed.

If you have seen the TV series, trust me, the books are way better! I was very disappointed with the TV series, but I started reading the books long before the series came out. I have shared this series with so many friends, and now I am sharing it with you. Give it a try.



Second Favorite - The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. The first book is One for the Money, but I read the 8th book first. I remember sitting on the couch laughing my butt of at that book. Here's a bit about One for the Money:

One for the Money
ONE FINE MESS
Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash-fast-but times are tough, and soon she's forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family...

ONE FALSE MOVE
Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie's bail bonding company. She's got no experience. But that doesn't matter. As does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants, to the time Steph hit him with her father's Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water-wanted for murder...

ONE FOR THE MONEY
Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn't. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she'll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight-and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man...

This series is now on book 18, and though they may be a little fluffy, I just love them. I even have got my parents reading (and loving) them - now they have to buy each new one the day it comes out. Can't you tell I'm from a reading family?



Third Favorite - The Last Herald-Mage Series by Mercedes Lackey. I have read these books over and over again since I was about 14 or 15, and they are still a go-to favorite when I just need something that I truly love. And while I love almost all of Lackey's books, these own a special place in my heart, and in the hearts of several of my friends, as well.

Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Book 1) -

In Magic's Pawn, an ancient age in the history of Valdemar comes to life--an age when the kingdom was ravaged by the ungoverned fury of bandit warlords, ferocious ice dragons, and the wild magic of wizards.

This little blurp barely covers anything about this book at all - tragic love, great epic battles, true friendship, and loss are all within. If you have never read it, please give it a try.


Magic's Promise (The Last Herald-Mage Book 2)

The wild magic is taking its toll on the land, and even Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage to ever walk the world, is almost at the end of his strength. But when his Companion, Yfandes, receives a call for help from neighboring Lineas, both Herald-Mage and Companion are drawn into a holocaust of dark magic that could be the end of them both.



Magic's Price (The Last Herald-Mage Book 3)

Valdemar- the once-peaceful kingdom protected by the magic of its Herald Mages- is now beseigned on all fronts. The king lies near death, the neighboring land of Karse wages a relentless war against Valdemar, and the forces led by a master of dark forbidden magic are massing to stroke the final devastating blow against the kingdom.

And Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage Valdemar has ever known, has become the primary target of the evil which is reaching out to poison all the land. With all his fellow mages slain, Vanyel alone remains to defend his people against the dark master's army. Yet a dream vision has revealed to Vanyel the fate which awaits should he and his Companion Yfandes take up the dark master's challenge. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, the dream will become a horrifying reality in which both Valdemar and its last Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price....



So this week, to play along, just tell me some of your favorites.

What Are You Reading Wednesdays (on time this time!)

Here's my third post in my new weekly topic - What Are You Reading Wednesdays!

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


What am I currently Reading?

I am currently reading The Dig by Michael Siemsen.

A mysterious woven metal artifact is found at a paleontological dig in Africa. Mystified experts, confounded by the impossible timeline they get from traditional dating methods, call upon a stubborn nineteen-year-old with a unique talent. Matthew Turner's gift is also his curse: When he touches any object, his awareness is flooded with the thoughts and feelings of those who touched it before him. It is a talent that many covet, some fear, and almost no one understands. Despite being exploited as a child and tormented by the unpleasant experiences imprinted on him from the various items he has "read," Matthew agrees to travel from New York to the forests of Kenya. There, threatened by unknown enemies and helped by a beautiful but prickly ally who begins to understand his strange ability, he journeys back in geological time to make a discovery so shocking that it forces us to rewrite all human history.

I am only a few chapters into this book, but I am really enjoying it so far. This is one of my review books, and there will be a review posted for it in the next couple weeks.



What did I recently finish reading?

I just finished The Truth by Terry Pratchett.

The denizens of Ankh-Morpork fancy they've seen just about everything. But then comes the Ankh-Morpork Times, struggling scribe William de Worde's upper-crust, newsletter turned Discworld's first paper of record.

An ethical joulnalist, de Worde has a proclivity for investigating stories -- a nasty habit that soon creates powerful enemies eager to stop his presses. And what better way than to start the Inquirer, a titillating (well, what else would it be?) tabloid that conveniently interchanges what's real for what sells.

But de Worde's got an inside line on the hot story concerning Ankh-Morpork's leading patrician Lord Vetinari. The facts say Vetinari is guilty. But as William de Worde learns, facts don't always tell the whole story. There's that pesky little thing called the truth ...


I just love the Discworld novels! They keep me amused and they are so different than anything else out there. If you haven't read any of them yet, I highly recommend trying one.



What will I be reading next?

That's a good question. I will be leaving very early Saturday morning to board a flight for Las Vegas! I will be working at GTS (GAMA Trade Show) for the week and I will not have a lot of time to read. However, I am one of those people who has to read before they go to bed at night, so I think I am going to be taking something lighter, not something I have to review. I am thinking about taking on of my favorite books/series of all time - The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop.

This is a single volume with all three books in it - Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness. Here's a little bit about each book:

Daughter of the Blood:
Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence-and corruption.

Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men-sworn enemies-know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love-and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining...

Heir to the Shadows:
In this violently passionate, "darkly fascinating world," the Blood rule: a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels. Ambitions unfurl in this second novel of The Black Jewels Trilogy, as the realm's dreams of a liberator have finally been made flesh...

Jaenelle, singled out by prophecy as the living embodiment of magic, is haunted by the cruel battles the Blood have fought over her-for not all of them await her as their Savior. Nothing, however, can deflect her from her destiny-and the day of reckoning looms near. When her memories return. When her magic matures. When she is forced to accept her fate. On that day, the dark Realms will know what it means to be ruled by Witch.

Queen of the Darkness:
Jaenelle Angelline now reigns as Queen-protector of the Shadow Realm. No longer will the corrupt Blood slaughter her people and defile her lands. But where one chapter ends, a final, unseen battle remains to be written, and Jaenelle must unleash the terrible power that is Witch to destroy her enemies once and for all.

Even so, she cannot stand alone. Somewhere, long lost in madness, is Daemon, her promised Consort. Only his unyielding love can complete her Court and secure her reign. Yet, even together, their strength may not be enough to hold back the most malevolent of forces.


So now you can tell me -

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Just leave me a comment to let me know.

EPIC 100 Comment post: What Are You Reading Wednesday (a day late, again)

Here's my second post in my new weekly topic - What Are You Reading Wednesdays! Borrowed from Should Be Reading's lovely blog.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


What Am I currently Reading?

Currently I am reading Mistral's Kiss, by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, princess has now become a full-time occupation.

My aunt, Queen Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in faerie–trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards . . . and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or his followers, if I fail to conceive.

Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s new captain of the guard, has come to my bed–defying her and risking her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to bring this magic forth, he may live another day.

If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may survive.


I have read several of the books in this series, and I like them all.


What Did I just Recently Finish?

I just finished Dylan (The Secret Life of Cowboys), by C.H. Admirand.

THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULDN'T TAME...

Dylan Garahan might be an old hand at lassoing fillies, but one night at the Lucky Star club, and he ends up wrapping his rope around someone that even his formidable strength can't tame. She's wily and beautiful... and she's his new boss. Dylan's had his heart broken before, but even an honest cowpoke has to wrestle with temptation...

UNTIL HE GOT HIS LASSO AROUND HER...

Ronnie DelVecchio might be fresh off the bus from New Jersey, but she's a hard-edged businesswoman and has had her fill of men she can't trust-although she might consider getting off her high horse for that big, handsome rancher with a Texas drawl.

I love, love, love this book! I am definitely going back and reading the first one, and I will be reading the 3rd when it comes out later this year. I will be doing a review post on this book this week. C.H. Admirand has also generously donated a signed copy of the first book of this series, Tyler(The Secret Life of Cowboys, for 1 lucky reader. The giveaway for that will be with the review, so stay tuned!


What Am I Reading Next?

I think next will have to be Remington and the Mysterious Fedora by Chuck Waldron.

Surprise is in store when, in the back of a strange used goods store, Josh finds an old Remington typewriter and a fedora with some very mysterious powers. As Josh embarks on his first novel writing adventure, he finds that his new hat has its own story to tell – of a time before history began – and is quite demanding of Josh’s attention. As the story consumes him, Josh’s life begins to unravel, and he soon finds he is unable to separate himself from the hat and the story. When the last page is written, Josh is left with more questions than answers...both about the story and his own life.

This is another book I am reviewing. I am greatly looking forward to this book. Chuck Waldron has generously offered a copy of Remington and the Mysterious Fedora to one lucky reader of this blog. The giveaway for that will be when I do the review of this book, in the next week or two.

So now you can tell me -

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Just leave me a comment to let me know.

Or, you could just tell me your favorite book or author :)

What Are You Reading Wednesdays (a day late)

I'd like to start a weekly topic - What Are You Reading Wednesdays! Borrowed from Should Be Reading's lovely blog.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


What am I currently reading?

Currently I am reading Moonlight Cove by Sherryl Woods.

Jess O'Brien has overcome a lot—the challenges of attention deficit disorder, the near bankruptcy of her beloved Inn at Eagle Point and her self-perception as a screwup in a family of overachievers. Now she's ready to share the future with a man. Her friends persuade her to join a dating service—but she gets no takers! Which is fine with her childhood friend, psychologist Will Lincoln, who's already chosen the perfect man for Jess: himself.
Will has loved Jess practically forever. He knows her faults and her strengths. But for all Will's sincerity and charm, Jess fears he views her as some psychological case study. With her family and the town of Chesapeake Shores behind him, Will finally makes his case. But is it enough to convince Jess to take the risk of a lifetime?

I'm really liking this book so far. I love that it deals with adult ADD.



What did I just recently finish reading?


I just finished The House on Olive Street by Robyn Carr.

The loss of their close friend draws four women together. And a summer spent sorting through personal effects offers the perfect challenge—and the perfect escape.

Sable—her bestselling novels have made her a star, but the woman who has everything, in fact, has nothing but a past she is desperate to hide

Elly—the intellectual who has hidden herself within the walls of academia, afraid to admit she is tired of being alone

Barbara Ann—the talent behind twenty-six romance novels wakes up one day to discover she's lost control of her career, her sanity and her family

Beth—her popular mysteries have become the only way she can fight against the secret tyranny of an abusive husband

In the house on Olive Street, away from their troubles, the four women discover something marvelous: themselves. And along the way they realize a dream. For, in telling the story of a remarkable woman, their own lives begin to change.

I really enjoyed this book. I just could not put it down. I was up until 3:18 am one morning reading it, and the only reason I know that is because I looked at my cell phone, said, "Oh, crap, it's 3:18 in the morning - I have to go to bed right now!" I would have stayed up until I finished this book but I had to be up early the next (or rather that same) morning.



What am I reading next?

Next on my schedule is a book I just received in the mail today - Dylan (The Secret Life of Cowboys) by C.H. Admirand.

THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULDN'T TAME...

Dylan Garahan might be an old hand at lassoing fillies, but one night at the Lucky Star club, and he ends up wrapping his rope around someone that even his formidable strength can't tame. She's wily and beautiful... and she's his new boss. Dylan's had his heart broken before, but even an honest cowpoke has to wrestle with temptation...

UNTIL HE GOT HIS LASSO AROUND HER...

Ronnie DelVecchio might be fresh off the bus from New Jersey, but she's a hard-edged businesswoman and has had her fill of men she can't trust-although she might consider getting off her high horse for that big, handsome rancher with a Texas drawl.



I received this book from the author to review here on my blog, and I am really looking forward to it. Also, C.H. Admirand is going to offer a copy of the first book in The Secret Life of Cowboys series, Tyler, to a lucky reader for a giveaway! So stay tuned for my review of Dylan in the next week or two.

So now you can tell me -

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Just leave me a comment to let me know.