Author of the Week!

Here's Julie's Bio from her website: http://www.juliekagawa.com/bio.html

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.
Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.

Well, I (Patricia, in case you're wondering) just finished reading The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa and so since it's my turn to choose Author of the Week, it's a perfect time  to select Julie Kagawa.  I chose Julie mostly because I truly love her writing. The way she tells a story makes you think that you are truly living it. I love that one minute her characters make me laugh and the next I am swooning over one of  my favorite bad boys, Ash while the next I am crying like a baby. It's like being in an emotional rollercoaster and I'm loving the ride.  I love how her characters grow and evolve over time. Meghan, the main protagonist, is such a great example of this. I am totally addicted to her books!

Julie has written The Iron Fey Series, which includes: The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, Winter's Passage (a short story) , and The Iron Queen.  Next  to come will be a novel from Ash's POV called The Iron Knight. I am anxiously awaiting for this one.  Thanks, Julie, for giving us all such a great escape from the mortal world and sharing with us the wonders of Faery. I can't wait to see what else you will come up with.

A special thanks to my blog partner and friend, Jaime, for pointing me in the right direction and introducing me to these and other wonderful and imaginative stories. You were right I do love these books. What would I do without you?

Also check out my review of The Iron Queen, as well as, Jaime's review of The Iron Queen below. :)

Our featured author of the week Adrian Phoenix!!!

Adrian's bio from http://adrianphoenix.com/blog/adrian-bio/
   Adrian Phoenix is the author of The Maker’s Song and Hoodoo series and short stories (the short stuff usually under Adrian Nikolas Phoenix).
   She lives in Springfield, OR with three cats– Amiga, Diabla, and Ember. She is the mother of two sons, one living in Springfield, the other in Vancouver, WA.
   She loves to read and see movies, enjoys hiking with her grand-dog, Cielo, (immortalized in Black Dust Mambo), and hanging out with friends.
   She also loves creepy things and yearns to go on a paranormal investigation. She also hopes to do a haunted tour one day.
   She also loves, loves, loves music – and anything by Trent Reznor is high on the list. She also loves to hear from her readers and fans, so please feel free to contact her via the CONTACT link or via the post at PO Box 1468, Springfield, OR 97477.

  Jaime's turn this week. So I found Adrian in the grocery store of all places. I was in the magazine aisle and I rarely checks the books out there so I decided to take a look. I saw the cover for A Rush of Wings and was intrigued by the book description so I bought it. I then drove home unloaded my groceries and started to read by about 3 a.m. I knew I should go to sleep but I couldn't I had to find out what happened to Heather and Dante who by the way is one of my book boyfriends.
   Adrian has a way of bringing the right amount of suspense and romance to keep you reading till the wee hours of the morning. In her Maker series she combines vampires, angels, and a bad ass FBI agent to create one of the most dangerous and beautiful worlds I've read. You can feel the connection between Heather and Dante as their steamy scenes come off the pages. They're so hot you might want to have a fam on hand.
   In her new Hoodoo series the first book, Black Dust Mambo she brings to life the world of hoodoo and New Orleans and the action starts right away. The story is absolutely breathtaking and you'll fall in love with her heroine Kallie. I also love the way she turns the focus away from the main characters in some places so you can see what's going on with some of the other characters.
   Adrian's books are very enjoyable to read and I can't wait to get my hands on Etched in Bone the next book in the Maker series and Black Heart Loa book two in the Hoodoo series! Adrians books contain some steamy sex scenes so they may not be for younger readers.

Author of the Week

Here is an excerpt from Maria V. Snyder's Biography on her website (http://www.mariavsnyder.com/bio.php)

Maria V. Snyder changed careers in 1995 from being a Meteorologist to a Novelist when she began working on her first novel, Poison Study. Published in October 2005, Poison Study won the 2006 Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel, won the Salt Lake Co. Library's Reader's Choice award, was a 2005 Booksense pick, was nominated for four other awards, and received a Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly. She has also published numerous freelance articles in regional magazines and in local newspapers. Teaching fiction writing classes at the local college gives her the enjoyable opportunity to encourage novice writers and to keep improving her craft.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Maria attended 12 years of catholic school before going to Penn State University to study Meteorology. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology, Maria discovered, much to her chagrin, that forecasting the weather wasn't one of her skills. She found employment in the environmental field as an air quality scientist, and it was during those years that she began writing. After writing many science fiction short stories, Maria started Poison Study, her first novel about a food taster.

I (Patricia) chose Maria because I have absolutely fallen in love with her books. I started with the Study Series and then moved on to The Glass Series. What a wonderful, magical and imaginative world she has created. I love the progress and evolution of the characters throughout both of these series. Not to mention that I fell in love with Valek.

I most recently read Inside/Out. Talk about wow factor. This book totally surprised me in the end. I can often see where a book is going but not this one. I was so happy to find this awesome twist. I am very much looking forward to reading Outside/In which comes out March 1, 2011, Harlequin Teen.

Maria's writing is  incredibly descriptive without it becoming a bore. When I read her books I feel like I am a part of that world. Whether I am in some magical place with Yelena and Valek  or crawling through pipes with Trella.

Thanks, Maria, for such great stories. I can't wait to see what else you come with.

Author of the week

  We're starting something new! Each week we will be picking one of our favorite authors featuring them, and letting you all know why we think they are just so awesome!!!
  I'm up first (Jaime that is) and I decided to choose an author whom I absolutely love all of her books but has also become a friend as well over the past year or so. Her name Jeri Smith-Ready!
  Here's Jeri's bio from her web page http://www.jerismithready.com/.
   Award-winning author Jeri Smith-Ready lives in Maryland with her husband, two cats, and the world’s goofiest greyhound.
   Jeri's plans to save the earth were ruined when she realized she was more of a “problem maker” than a problem solver. To stay out of trouble, she keeps her Drama Drive strictly fictional. Her friends and family appreciate that.
   When not writing, Jeri she can usually be found—well, thinking about writing, or on Twitter. Like her characters, she loves music, movies, and staying up very, very late.
   One other thing I know about Jeri as we talk football quite a bit is she's a big time Ravens fan.
   Now for why I chose Jeri. I absolutely love all of her books espically her WVMP series and her new YA series Shade with Shift coming out in may. Jeri writes kick butt no nonsense heroines, with leading men that are so darned sexy they just melt your heart. Take Shane McAllister from her WVMP series, if there was a real life equivalent to him that would be my perfect man. Then she goes and writes Logan and Zachary  in her Shade series and I fell in love again with the Green eyed Scottish boy and the punk rocker. They both stole my heart a second time.
   As for Jeri's writing it is amazing she sucks you into the story so you feel like you're actually living inside the book. There were plenty late night reading sessions. So if you want to live a book instead of just reading one I suggest you check out Jeri you will not be dissappionted.

Also I had the amazing luck to meet Jeri at the Romantic Times Convention in Los Angeles and I have to say she is an amazing person :D