Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
Happy New Year, everyone, and huge thanks for sticking with the blog for another 365 days!
*grinning*
Hope you have a brilliant year and that all your plans and dreams come true.
On my side there are no resolutions again.
Last year I wished to read more fantasy which I did very successfully this year, but this time I want to make an effort to read more YA. Let's hope it happens!
Cheers!
xoxo
What are your New Year's resolutions for 2015?
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Thursday, December 25, 2014 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
My Top Reads of The Year 2014!
Monday, December 22, 2014 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
This is
the moment I always eagerly await for the whole year. That moment when I look back and choose the best reads of the said year.
Surprisingly I read more average books in 2014 than really awesome ones. Still, there was enough for a memorable list.
Here it is:
The Rosie Project was quirky and wonderful although I can't say the same of its follow up. Deadshifted rocked my world and took Cassie Alexander's writing on a whole new level. Fabulous urban fantasy! Songs of Submission serial by CD Reiss opened my eyes to this extraordinary writer, and I haven't looked back.
Written in Red introduced me to Anne Bishop's own brand of urban fantasy (I can't say I've ever read UF quite like this). I adored Magic Breaks which was a huge milestone in Kate Daniels series and a seriously kick-ass read. Seraphina was poetic, whimsical and wholly gorgeous.
The Saint made me deeply fall in love with Soren. He was a formidable hero before, but now my crush is dangerously close to worship. Fortune's Pawn introduced me to another charismatic couple against all odds, and I loved this epic sci-fi romance. The Unfinished Symphony of You and Me was so impossibly cute and at the same time profound, that I could not leave it out from the list of books that made such an impact on me this year.
Burn For Me - a beginning of a new series from Ilona Andrews was a total breakthrough and a pure darling. Actually I need a re-read! Beauty and The Mustache - the book with one of the very few 10/10 ratings this year brought me to tears. It was poetry in motion and I wish it got made into a movie. Heir of Fire showed how much Sarah j. Maas has grown as a writer as I devoured this epic book.
Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series sucked me right in and I emerged two months later with a hell of a bookish hangover. Her world was unholy exquisite. The Perilous Sea was a brilliant follow up to The Burning Sky, and what a gorgeous couple! I wish all YA Fantasy relationships were like that. *grinning* Master of Crows started my love affair with Grace Draven. What an author, ladies and gents! Beautiful...
The Scholomance and Cottonwood - both reads from R.Lee Smith (who had her place of honor in my 2013 Top Reads) were mind blowing, unforgettable unique stories, and I only wish more people knew about her. Shades of Milk and Honey was absolutely adorable - beautiful and whimsical and charming.
At last, World After throughout the whole read left me on the edge of my seat. What a gripping, intense book! Really enjoyable follow up of Angelfall. Chronicles of the Warlands series were the last three books I read before this post went live and they were exquisite!
Honorable mentions go to
My Beautiful Enemy and A Case of Possession - amazing historical fantasy reads with larger than life characters.
At last, World After throughout the whole read left me on the edge of my seat. What a gripping, intense book! Really enjoyable follow up of Angelfall. Chronicles of the Warlands series were the last three books I read before this post went live and they were exquisite!
Honorable mentions go to
My Beautiful Enemy and A Case of Possession - amazing historical fantasy reads with larger than life characters.
This is it.
Have you read any of these?
What did you think?
What are your top reads of 2014?
See my top reads of 2013 here.
See my top reads of 2013 here.
Christmas With... Tiffany Reisz!
Sunday, December 21, 2014 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
back to schedule
Nora’s Christmas Wishlist
Dear Santa,
I have been a very good
Dominatrix/erotica writer this year. Please send one of the following
to my house in New Orleans.
1. Vinyl catsuit (see my attached
measurements)
2. Tub of petroleum jelly (I just need
that for getting in and out of the vinyl catsuit)
3. A flogger – elk (will also accept
moose as a substitute)
4. David Gandy’s phone number
5. Idris Elba’s phone number
6. A major league baseball team (you can
surprise me – I won’t be using them for the baseball so I really
don’t care which team it is. Just no Yankees please. Griffin will
never forgive me).
7. A Roomba
8. A cat to ride the Roomba
9. A shark costume for the cat to wear
while riding a Roomba
10. Five golden cock rings
Thanks, Santa! Merry Christmas to you
and yours! Also, I was kidding about number ten. I already have
plenty of cock rings.
Love Always,
Mistress Nora Sutherlin
P.S. Oh, can I have world peace for
Christmas?
P.P.S. Søren was reading over my
shoulder so I had to throw something “Catholic-y” in there.
Tiffany Reisz lives in
Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend (a reformed book reviewer) and two
cats (one good, one evil). She graduated with a B.A. in English from
Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and
her professors proud by writing BDSM erotica under her real name.
When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).
When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. Her first full-length novel THE SIREN was inspired by a desire to tie up actor Jason Isaacs (on paper). She hopes someday life will imitate art (in bed).
Find Tiffany
My reviews of
The Siren | The Angel | The Prince | The Mistress | The Saint | The King
Christmas With... Melanie Karsak + Giveaway !
Saturday, December 20, 2014 | Posted by
kara-karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews
back to schedule
Chasing Christmas Past
An Airship Racing Chronicles
Short Story
By Melanie Karsak
Part 1
A light dusting of snow covered
the bowsprit of the Stargazer.
The wind blew gently. A cascade of fat snowflakes gusted across the
deck of the airship. When the flurry hit the bulwark, the flakes
became a little whirlwind that drifted upward into the purple and
blue twilight. I rubbed my hands together. It was Christmas Eve, and
it was bitter cold. I sighed deeply, my breath fogging the air. From
the streets of London below the airship towers, I could hear the
holiday revelers singing Hark!
The Herald Angels Sing.
The scent of roasted chestnuts perfumed the wind. My stomach growled
hungrily, and I began dreaming of the mug of mulled wine waiting for
me at my favorite haunt, Rose’s Hopper. Nothing sounded better than
sitting in the corner of the tavern, drinking Christmas Eve away.
Leave the roasted geese, plum pudding, and midnight mass to all the
joyful mums and dads and fat-cheeked children. Tonight, I would
drink. Tomorrow, I would race.
The balloon of the Stargazer
shifted in the breeze. I’d already started strategizing. Cold air
meant the balloon would get better lift which we could use to our
advantage, but flying in snow was annoying as hell. Not that it
mattered much. I knew what to do. I’d run in the Yuletide Airship
Race since I was a girl. What made the 1820 race any different? I
wasn’t going to let a little snow get between me and the fat stack
of coins waiting in Calais. This year I would win for sure.
I pulled out my little bottle
of laudanum. My fingerless gloves were good for more than just
gripping the wheel of the Stargazer.
The cap on the laudanum bottle was always annoyingly tricky. With
shaking hands—the chill of the wind, of course—I undid the lid
then took a drop. I quickly stuffed the bottle back into the pocket
of my wool trousers just as Angus came out of the gear galley.
“Bloody hell! I think my
balls are frozen,” Angus said with a laugh as he attempted to
smooth down his kilt. “Are you done fussing, Lily? The ship is set
to go. Let’s head to the Hopper. Jessup is probably half-drunk
already.”
Grinning so hard the muscles on
my face ached, I asked, “What possessed you to put on a kilt on
this freezing night? And don’t tell me you’re commando in this
kind of weather.”
“What kind of Scotsman would
I be if I wasn’t natural underneath? And didn’t you see my
festive adornment?
Instead of a sporran hanging
from his waist, Angus had tied a bunch of mistletoe. “Christ,
Angus. What…what the hell,” I choked out, laughing so hard I
started to cough.
“All that opium smoke is
burning your lungs, lass. Now, let’s go. If that buxom Rebecca
isn’t at the Hopper tonight, I think I’ll cry,” he said with a
grin, extending his arm to me.
“Well, you can always hope
for a Christmas miracle,” I replied with a wink.
Angus and I headed to the lift
that would lower us from the airship tower to the city street below.
As we rode downward, I gazed out across the city. The rooftops were
covered with a powdering of crystalline snow. The gaslamp light made
everything sparkle. The waves on the Thames twinkled with golden
light. While the revelers had moved off, I could hear their dulcet
tones from a distance. They were singing Silent
Night. It really was
Christmas Eve. I gazed up at the darkening sky. One shining star—was
it the north star?—glimmered. I wondered, just for a moment, about
Byron. Where would the illustrious George Gordon, Lord Byron spend
Christmas Eve? What shenanigans would he be up to? I hadn’t heard
from him for more than a month. Who knew where in the world he was
and what misadventures he was wrapped up in. I missed him.
“Happy Christmas,” Edwin,
one of the tower guards, called cheerfully when Angus and I reached
the bottom of the lift. “Here, Lily,” he said, tossing a package
to me. The brown paper package was warm to the touch and smelled
heavenly: honey roasted walnuts.
“Happy Christmas! And thank
you. Want to come to the Hopper with us?”
Edwin shook his head. “Shift
is about to start. Get some sleep tonight! You damned near had it
last year,” he reminded me encouragingly then headed to the lift.
I sighed deeply, looped my arm
in Angus’, and we headed to the tavern. I clutched the small
package of walnuts against my chest. Maybe the laudanum was already
playing with my emotions, but Edwin’s small gesture moved me. It
wasn’t like my foster fathers, such as they were, ever saw fit to
give me a Christmas gift. I hated to admit how much I adored
receiving even small things like Edwin’s gift. They felt like
affirmations of love.
Angus and I crossed the
snow-dusted cobblestone street to the tavern. The gaslamp outside
flickered, casting blobs of orange light on the ground. Inside,
someone was playing the piano very loudly, over-striking the keys.
Raucous voices sang Christmas carols. Over the crowd, I could hear
Jessup, my teammate and balloonman, singing Here
We Come a-Wassailing.
“Christ, sounds like someone
is squeezing a cat,” Angus said as he pushed the door open.
“That’s Jessup,” I
replied with a giggle.
Angus winked at me. “I know.”
“Stargazer!” Several of the
tavern patrons erupted in cheer when Angus and I arrived.
“Just in time,” Ollie, the
tapster, yelled. “Lily Stargazer, get over here! We were about to
parade the Yule log! Come for a ride! It will bring you some luck
tomorrow. Come on, Lil’!”
They had just hauled in the
Yule log from the back and were adorning it with holly boughs. Snow
dripped from the bark onto the stone floor.
“Not me,” I called back.
“Make Angus ride!”
“I can’t ride in a kilt.
The bark will chafe,” Angus retorted with a laugh.
Without another word, Angus
threw me over his shoulder and carried me across the tavern. The
patrons cheered. I was hanging on haphazardly, but Angus set me down
on the log gently. For all his brawny shenanigans, I knew Angus would
be careful with me. He and Jessup were the only men I trusted—save
Byron, in his own way—and I loved Angus like a brother.
“Okay, okay,” I said,
situating myself on the log like it were a horse. I sat astride,
Yankee style. I gripped the gritty, wet bark for dear life, seriously
wishing I was already drunk.
“Got it, gents?” Ollie
asked. “One, two, three!” They heaved the log into the air.
Laughing, I clung to the log as
they careened around the room. Once I felt stable, I waved to the
patrons, princess-style, as I made the tour. All the usual faces were
there, other airship jockeys looking worn down from running
transports in the freezing wind, some travelers waiting to hop the
next airship, and a handful of tinkers. I even spotted one of the new
tinkers, an Italian, who had recently set up shop at Hungerford
Market. His name was Salvatore something, but everyone just called
him the Italian. He winked at me, lifting a mug of wine in toast as I
paraded by. I smiled at him. Nice looking chap. I needed to find a
reason to stop by and meet him.
I spotted Angus crossing the
tavern toward Rebecca. The moment she saw the mistletoe hanging from
his belt, she burst out laughing. A pretty girl with curly brown hair
and red cheeks, she seemed like the kind of woman who could keep you
warm for the night and make you a hearty breakfast the morning after.
Maybe Angus would get his Christmas miracle after all.
When they finally stopped in
front of the fireplace once more, they helped me off the broke into
the traditional Yule log song. The men loaded the heavy log into the
fire:
Old lady ash, you’ll burn
so bright
And light the way for all
the night
Mistress Yule, keep away the
cold
And help us burn away the
old
Mother forest, bring us luck
Cleanse away the mire and
muck
This Christmastide let
dreams come true
Make your wishes on the Yule
After that, the patrons threw
small sprigs of herbs into the fire with the Yule log. I saw Mary,
the ever-cheerful barmaid, kiss a sprig of parsley, close her eyes,
then throw it into the flames. If I knew her right, she was wishing
for a way out of the tavern—preferably via someone male dressed in
velvet and silk. A basket of herbs and flowers was passed around. I
took out a small purple flower. I wasn’t keen on superstition, but
I pressed the flower into my palm and closed my eyes: let
me win tomorrow…and let me see George soon.
I tossed the flower into the fire. It crackled as it burned. I sighed
heavily. Around me, everyone was smiling and feeling cheerful. They
had even roped me into the merriment, but the feeling had been
fleeting. In the end, I felt…detached. It was like the joy everyone
else was feeling was always just out of my reach. I was always racing
after bliss. My whole life seemed to be filled with chasing, not
catching, butterflies. Sure, I’d had moments of passion or the
thrill of an opium high, but I’d never known true contentment. That
was something reserved for other people, better people.
Ollie pushed a mug of mulled
wine, a Smoking Bishop, into my hands. “Happy Christmas, Lily,”
he said, kissing me on the cheek. I watched as he made his way
through the crowd, passing out more mugs filled with the steaming
nectar. The scents of orange, cinnamon, and cloves wafted from my
mug. I sipped the liquid, burning my tongue. The drink left a sharp
aftertaste of spice behind. Tonight, the tavern smelled divine. The
scents of the pine boughs decorating the fireplace mantle, the baking
gingerbread, and the mulled wine, fragranced the air. The scents
delighted the senses, but still my heart felt empty.
I cast a glance at Jessup, my
teammate. He was still lingering by the piano.
“Lily, come sing!” he
yelled to me.
I smiled fondly at him, shook
my head, then headed for a table in the corner near the fireplace. I
wiggled into the corner bench and proper my feet up on the chair
closest to the fire. I pulled my gloves off then unwrapped the crinkly
brown paper on Edwin’s package, popping a toasted walnut in my
mouth. I savored the sweet flavor, chewed and swallowed, then washed
it down with wine. I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the
wall. My whole body felt tired. Beside me, the fire roared. I could
hear the wood popping and crackling. It was such a sweet, calming
sound. The radiating heat warmed me; I had felt frozen deep into my
core. When I opened my eyes again, I grabbed the mug, the wine now
cool, and finished it. No absinthe for me tonight. It was Christmas
Eve, after all. Even the green fairy needed a night off.
Ollie brought me another drink.
The tavern patrons had started dancing. They waved for me to join
them, but I shook my head. I watched as the Italian rose, set a few
coins on the bar, then headed back into the night with the
rough-looking aircrew of the Mockingbird.
Where was he off to with that motley troupe? Just as he was about to
exit, he turned, smirked slyly at me, then left. Yeah, I definitely
needed to find a way to introduce myself to him. Later. After the
race.
I gazed back across the tavern.
Everyone was having so much fun. Angus’ mistletoe had done the
trick. He and Rebecca were already lip-locked, and he was putting a
firm squeeze on her backside. Jessup was surrounded by boozy revelers
who sang song after song. I loved a good party, but tonight I
felt…lonely. How could that be? I was surrounded by people I knew,
whose company I enjoyed. And it was
Christmas Eve. I smiled as I watched the revelry, but my chest ached.
My mind kept rolling back to Christmas Eves past. Never, not once,
had I had what others would consider a normal holiday. Certainly not
with my foster fathers. And before that, we kids at
the orphanage had never been given anything. As for my mother and
father in my distant memories…there were no memories, not good ones
anyway. I had no memory of feasting on roasted duck or receiving
nicely bundled gifts. Not once had I ever felt the magical glow of
love, something people talked a lot about, on Christmas. The holiday
made me feel really…alone. I pulled out my bottle of laudanum and
took another drop…and then on second thought, another. Soon, my
head started to feel drowsy. The lonely feeling drifted away. Soon, I
felt nothing…what better gift was there on Christmas Eve?
*
* *
Thank you for reading! Part Two
of this short story will be released the week of Christmas. Subscribe
to the author’s newsletter to learn more details on where to get
part two of the story!
If you are impatient to read the full story NOW, get it on Amazon US/UK!
If you are impatient to read the full story NOW, get it on Amazon US/UK!
If you enjoyed this brief look
into the life of airship racer Lily Stargazer and her crew, the main
characters of The Airship Racing Chronicles, you can find Book I of
the series, Chasing the Star Garden, on Amazon
Thank you so much to Karina for
inviting me to share this holiday tale with you! I hope you enjoyed
this little view into a steampunk Christmas in 1820 London!
GIVEAWAY
Melanie is giving away TWO of her ebooks in The Airship Racing Chronicles, Chasing The Star Garden and Chasing The Green Fairy to ONE commenter. The giveaway is international.
Comment below to win and good luck!
The winners will be chosen on Jan 2nd, 2015.
The winners will be chosen on Jan 2nd, 2015.
Melanie Karsak is the author
of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing
Chronicles (Chasing the Star Garden and Chasing the Green Fairy) and the
award-winning horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series. She grew up in
rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English
from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant
collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida
with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at
Eastern Florida State College.
Find Melanie:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
BLOG ARCHIVE
-
▼
2014
(212)
-
▼
December
(18)
- Happy New Year!
- Merry Christmas, Everyone!
- My Top Reads of The Year 2014!
- Christmas With... Tiffany Reisz!
- Christmas With... Melanie Karsak + Giveaway !
- Christmas With...D.B. Reynolds + Giveaway!
- Christmas With...Anne Cleeland & Giveaway!
- Christmas With...Penny Reid!
- Christmas With... Elizabeth Hunter!
- Christmas With...Grace Draven!
- Christmas With... Feature 2014 Schedule!
- Friday Mini Reviews #35: Elizabeth Hunter, Grace D...
- Sci Fi YA Review: A Long,Long Sleep by Anna Sheeha...
- Urban Fantasy Review: Seventh Grave and No Body by...
- The Postman Knock #105
- Contemporary Romance Review: Scenes from The City ...
- Mystery Romance Review: The Koldun Code by Sophie ...
- December New Book Releases I'm Dying To Read!
-
▼
December
(18)

In case of zombie apocalypse
Hey, guys! I feel like I should say this just in case :)
If you'd like to sponsor a fellow book addict who sometimes can't sleep at night worrying that she won't have enough books to read if internet goes down in the event of zombie apocalypse (I'm convinced it's one of the top five ways to go for human race) you can donate through Paypal to olivesandacorns at gmail dot com or buy a book through any of the links provided with my reviews which will send me a small percentage from the sale. All proceeds will go towards my enormous TBR. I will also shelter you on the remote farm in Portugal when zombie apocalypse starts provided you survive getting there. There will be books, yay?
Thank you! Love you all
If you'd like to sponsor a fellow book addict who sometimes can't sleep at night worrying that she won't have enough books to read if internet goes down in the event of zombie apocalypse (I'm convinced it's one of the top five ways to go for human race) you can donate through Paypal to olivesandacorns at gmail dot com or buy a book through any of the links provided with my reviews which will send me a small percentage from the sale. All proceeds will go towards my enormous TBR. I will also shelter you on the remote farm in Portugal when zombie apocalypse starts provided you survive getting there. There will be books, yay?
Thank you! Love you all

Powered by Blogger.

Noteworthy Blogs
-
Link Salad and Other Stories3 hours ago
-
-
-
December 2019 Must Haves3 days ago
-
-
-
-
[784]: Well Met by Jen Deluca6 days ago
-
-
-
