Of Silk and Steam Spotlight + Giveaway!

 

Today I am very excited to be hosting Bec McMaster and her new novel, Of Silk and Steam. I love the entire series (it's one of my very favorite steampunk series) so I jumped at the chance to share it. Stay tuned for my review, which I will be posting soon. In the meantime, enjoy the excerpt from Of Silk and Steam and enter the giveaway to win a copy of Kiss of Steel, the first book in the London Steampunk series.

Title: Of Silk and Steam

Author: Bec McMaster

Series: London Steampunk

Publication Date: March 3^rd, 2015

ISBN: 9781402291944

ENEMIES. ALLIES. LOVERS.

When her beloved father was assassinated, Lady Aramina swore revenge. The man responsible is well beyond her grasp, but his dangerously seductive heir, Leo Barrons, is fair game. When Mina obtains evidence proving that Leo is illegitimate, she has the means to destroy both the killer and his son, a man who troubles her heart and tempts her body.

A woman of mystery, Mina’s long driven Leo crazy with glimpses of a fiery passion that lurks beneath her icy veneer. He knows she’s hiding something, and he’s determined to unravel her layer by silken layer. He just doesn’t expect the beautiful liar to be the key to overthrowing the corrupt prince consort…or to saving his own carefully walled-off heart.

Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Victoria, Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, RWA (Australia) and RWNZ, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds.

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An Excerpt

Barrons looked at her. “Do you trust me?”

“No.” His father would have cut her down without thinking, but Barrons was an enigma. If he were a different man, she would have enjoyed his attentions, but a part of her couldn’t help wondering if his pursuit of her was just a way to get closer, to slip the knife in when she least expected it…

Could she trust that he meant her no harm?

His hand tightened around hers, dark heat sweeping through his irises. He focused on her so intently that she could almost feel it on her skin. “Then let us call a temporary truce for tonight. I shall help you escape. In return…”

“Yes?”

His voice roughened. “I want a kiss.”

A kiss. Tension slid sinuously along her limbs, each muscle clenching. Those motives she could certainly understand. It didn’t mean she had to like them.

Wariness spread through her as he lifted his hand and slowly, carefully brushed the back of his fingers against her lips. She didn’t flinch. Instead she tipped her chin up and glared him down. “Help me escape and I shall grant you such a liberty.” What harm could a single kiss do? “Until then”—she took a step back, her skirts swishing around her ankles—“I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself.”

His hand dropped but the ghostly sensation of that touch lingered, reminding her that it had been a long time since she’d been touched in any way intimately, and never like this. Never…soft. Full of gentleness, as if the very sensation of her skin beneath his was a pleasure in itself, not merely a step to greater satisfaction.

He was far more dangerous than she’d ever suspected, and she’d known, since the first moment she’d met him, that he was dangerous indeed. He was the only man who had ever managed to make her feel something.

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Series Review: Blood Hunter, Books 1-4 by Nina Croft

Blood Hunter Series, books 1-4
by Nina Croft

The series is also known as the Dark Desires series.

Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy / Romance / Action / Adventure

Ages: 18 and up

Note: Because this is a series review, there will be spoilers in all but the first one, since even the premises of the subsequent novels give hints to the previous ones.

I received e-copies of these books through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Break Out (Rico & Skylar)

Description:

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

My Thoughts:

I'm always on the lookout for a fun new space opera and Break Out certainly fits the bill.The stage is a Firefly-esque spaceship full of misfits who pull dubious jobs while trying to survive a dangerous universe. When they are hired to break a prisoner out of jail, they get more trouble than they bargained for.

I love the crew of El Cazador de la Sangre. Rico, the hero, is the charming, ne'er-do-well vampire/owner/pilot. Captain Tannis is the standoffish but unfailingly loyal captain. Janey (of the dark and dubious past), Daisy (who is actually part daisy due to genetic experiments), Al (a suspicious cabin boy) and the Trog (who is mostly very quiet) fill out the rest of the crew. And then there is Skylar, who is lying to them all and yet cannot helped but start to care for them.

The pace is fast-moving, but not so fast that you miss out on the world building, which was very well done. I got a very clear view of the galaxy El Cazador travels without ever feeling like there was too much exposition. Overall, a solid, entertaining beginning to a series. I wouldn't recommend reading it as a standalone, though, because there are several things that are left unexplained.

Deadly Pursuit (Jon & Alex)

Deadly Pursuit picks up right where Break Out ends; with El Cazador and her crew in deep trouble. Jon, the newly liberated werewolf assassin, stars as the hero along with High Priestess Alexia, formerly known as Al when people thought she was a boy. The crew just keeps getting more and more diverse by the page. With a member of the Collective and the figurehead leader of the Church of the Everlasting God aboard, it is only a matter of time before they get someone from the Rebel Coalition to join in the fun, right?

Jon and Alex make a great team and Jon has possibly the best character arc in the series (at least so far). He's a loner with no interest in making friends or falling in love, especially not with a naive, fragile girl. He has lost too many people to want to care about someone who can't protect herself. Their relationship has a touch more sweetness than Rico and Skylar's tempestuous romance.

I like how this series has just the right amount of self-awareness when it comes to the improbabilities and coincidences that conspire to get the characters into trouble. It doesn't overdo it and laugh out loud at itself, but every once in a while there is a quiet chuckle. There are some serious themes that come into play, but mostly it is just good, lighthearted fun.

Death Defying (Callum & Tannis)

Callum Meridian, Leader of the Universe and discoverer of the element that makes people immortal, is a very complex hero. For one, he is not particularly heroic.He has done terrible things over the centuries, some deliberate, others through carelessness, and only now is he beginning to realize the extent of the repercussions. For some reason, this makes him one of my favorite characters in the series, which is weird, because I don't usually go for the morally ambiguous types.

Tannis, captain of El Cazador, is not a particularly heroic person either. Or, at least, she doesn't picture herself as such. Her actions say differently on more than one occasion. While Callum is strangely fascinating, Tannis is the one I wish I could have as a friend.

Death Defying is significantly darker than the previous books. There are not so many laughs, but instead there are dazzling displays of temper, lovely new characters (I knew the Rebel Coalition would show up sometime), answers to questions that I have been asking since the beginning, and a wonderful aha! moment when I realized just how much sneaky foreshadowing led up to the finale. I'm not sure whether said foreshadowing was planned ahead or not, but either way, it was very, very well done.

This book is the one that really cements all the world building of the previous novels and ups the scope of the storyline from this point on.

Temporal Shift (Devlin & Seffira)

Ah, Devlin and Seffira. Since time travel has now been introduced to the series, they have a very difficult time of it. I'm just sadistic enough to admit that I enjoyed every minute of their troubles.

We first met Devlin Starke, the handsome leader of the Rebel Coalition, in Death Defying. Grieving at the loss of his brother, he is out for revenge. This revenge gets sidetracked when he goes through a black hole and into another world. A world that has a very pretty, very young woman who sees the future and promptly informs Devlin that he is going to fall in love with her and together they will save mankind. Devlin says no way in heck and that is how the rocky romance of Devlin and Seffira begins.

I don't want to spoil too much, so I can't tell you my favorite things in this book. I will just say that it takes some very interesting twists and turns, contains several moments that made me laugh and a finale to beat all finales. Ah, the joys of time travel, alien secrets, paradoxes, d-...Nope, not allowed to mention that one. You will just have to find out for yourself when you read the book. I'm not sure exactly where the series is going, but from what has been revealed so far, I like it.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it an 8.10 for quite a bit of swearing and multiple uses of the f-word.

Sexuality:
I give it an 8.10 for multiple scenes of varying explicitness and a great deal of innuendo.

Violence:
I rate it an 8.10 for fights, torture, murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, etc.

                       Lieder Madchen

Blog Tour: Jane Austen's First Love Excerpt + Giveaway!

Hello! Welcome to this stop on the blog tour for Syrie James' new book, Jane Austen's First Love. I have a lovely little excerpt to share with you, as well as a chance to win a prize pack full of goodies. Enjoy!

About the Book:

In the summer of 1791, fifteen-year-old Miss Jane Austen is determined to accomplish three things: to do something useful, write something worthy, and fall madly in love. While visiting at Goodnestone Park in Kent for a month of festivities in honor of her brother's engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bridges, Jane meets the boy-next-door—the wealthy, worldly, and devilishly handsome Edward Taylor, heir to Bifrons Park, and hopefully her heart! Like many of Jane’s future heroes and heroines, she soon realizes that there are obstacles—social, financial, and otherwise—blocking her path to love and marriage, one of them personified by her beautiful and sweet tempered rival, Charlotte Payler.

Unsure of her own budding romance, but confident in her powers of observation, Jane distracts herself by attempting to maneuver the affections of three other young couples. But when her well-intentioned matchmaking efforts turn into blundering misalliance, Jane must choose between following her own happily-ever-after, or repairing those relationships which, based on erroneous first impressions, she has misaligned.

Excerpt From Chapter the Sixth

Jane Austen’s First Love

By Syrie James

Jane Austen, bright and vivacious at age fifteen, is walking the grounds of Goodnestone Park in Kent, home of the Bridges family, where they are to enjoy a month of festivities in celebration of her brother Edward Austen’s engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bridges. Earlier that morning, Jane met a charming young man, Edward Taylor.

          “We are so glad to have this interval to speak to you on our own,” remarked Sophia, as we crossed the expanse of lawn towards the woods, “for soon the house will be full of people.”

          “We heard that your mother has a great many events planned,” said I. 

          “She does, indeed,” responded Marianne. “Monday is our annual strawberry-picking party, which will include an al-fresco luncheon and lawn games.”

          “After that,” added Elizabeth, “is our engagement ball. Edward is to wear his blue coat—he looks so handsome in it—and my new gown is so becoming!” 

          “There is to be a sketching and painting contest,” said Sophia, “a cricket match, horse-races, carriage rides, a dinner-party at a neighbour’s house, a concert, and a Midsummer’s Eve bonfire.”

          To have all these thrilling events before me, was a truly wonderful prospect. “It all sounds tremendous.”

          “I only hope that in between, we can find a moment to ourselves,” said Sophia. “You must tell us what you particularly like to do. What are your interests and occupations, Jane?”

          I thought for a moment. I had many interests; it was hard to know where to begin. “Well,” answered I hesitantly, “although I know that some consider it to be the lowest and most coarse form of behaviour—I love to read—novels.”

          Sophia gave a little gasp. “Marianne and I both love to read, and novels most especially!”

          “Do you?” said I, delighted.

          “My father has an excellent library, and we borrow what we cannot buy,” said Cassandra.

Elizabeth soon left us, and as we continued our stroll with Sophia and Marianne, our shared admiration of the works of Henry Fielding (Tom Jones), Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels), Goethe (The Sorrows of Young Werther) and Fanny Burney was brought to light.

          “Evelina is one of my favourites,” said Sophia, to which Cassandra and I offered our assent.

          “I believe Cecilia is the best book I have ever read,” said I. “Fanny Burney is a genius. I am captivated by her depiction of characters like Mrs. Delville, who are not perfect, but neither are they wholly good nor evil—they possess both noble qualities and incurable defects—as such, they seem to me more true to life than any I have read in novels elsewhere.”

          Sophia’s eyes widened. “What a fine assessment of Miss Burney’s literature. I never thought of that before.”

          I wanted to add that it was my dearest hope to write something equally fine one day; but my own efforts were so unworthy, and the dream so unattainable, that I could not voice it aloud.

Marianne now grew weary (I recalled Mrs. Knight describing her as being something of an invalid), so we returned to the house. As we approached the grand edifice, Cassandra asked, “Should we change our gowns for dinner to-night?”

          “No; you are to be our only guests,” replied Sophia. “That is—you and Edward Taylor and his cousin Thomas.”

          “Is it true that Edward Taylor is your cousin?” said I.

          “He is. His father is a very distant cousin of our father’s,” answered Sophia. “We are told the connection goes back a hundred and fifty years, to the time of King Charles I.”

          “That is a very distant cousin indeed!” laughed Cassandra.

          “How old is Mr. Taylor?” asked I.

          “He is sixteen,” answered Marianne, “although he will turn seventeen later this month.”

          I could not stop my smile. Edward Taylor was exactly eighteen months my senior—the perfect age, I thought, for me.

          “We have not had much opportunity to get to know each other,” added Sophia. “We used to play together as children—he was the sweetest little boy—but when he and his brothers and sisters were very small, his family emigrated to the Continent. They have been gone ever since, other than one annum about two years past, when they returned to Bifrons to check on their property.”

         “The Taylors have lived abroad all that time?” said I, astonished.

         “Yes, and there the family still remains; it is only Edward who has come home for good.”

I wanted to ask why it was only Edward who had come home, but the opportunity was lost, for we had reached the house now, and as Sophia led the way up the main staircase, she went on:

          “As far as we—and Papa—are concerned, Edward Taylor is a member of our family. Papa insisted that he and the Paylers, with whom he is residing, be included in all our festivities this month, and we are so glad.”

          Boldly, I asked: “Does your mother share his enthusiasm for Mr. Taylor?”

          Sophia hesitated; then, catching some understanding in my tone and expression, she replied in a lowered tone: “I think you have guessed that she does not.”

          “Why not? He seems very amiable to me.”

          “Oh! He is,” replied Marianne. “We love Edward Taylor. But Mamma disapproves of the way he was brought up, travelling all over the Continent as he has done since he was five years old. She considers him a little too wild, a great deal too foreign, and worst of all (and I do not agree), pompous and overly-educated.”

          “Mamma’s favourite saying,” added Sophia with a sigh, “is: a little bit of learning goes a long way at Goodnestone. I think she fears that, with Edward’s wealth of knowledge, experience of the world, and many accomplishments, her own children will somehow appear to disadvantage—and of course we do not care a fig about that!”

          We were now arrived upstairs, and all separated to our respective chambers to get ready for the evening—an event which I eagerly anticipated, as it meant I would have the opportunity to see more of Edward Taylor, who grew more fascinating with every moment.

Readers, based on this excerpt and other excerpts on the blog tour, what intrigues you the most about Edward Taylor? If you've read Jane Austen's First Love, why do you think Jane fell in love with him?

About the Author: 

Syrie James, hailed as “the queen of nineteenth century re-imaginings” by Los Angeles Magazine, is the bestselling author of nine critically acclaimed novels that have been translated into 18 languages. Her books have been awarded the Audio Book Association Audie, designated as Editor’s Picks by Library Journal, named a Discover Great New Writer’s Selection by Barnes and Noble, a Great Group Read by the Women’s National Book Association, and Best Book of the Year by The Romance Reviews and Suspense Magazine. Syrie is a member of the WGA and lives in Los Angeles. Please visit her at syriejames.com, Facebook or say hello on Twitter @SyrieJames. 

Grand Giveaway Contest

Win One of Five Fabulous Jane Austen-inspired Prize Packages

To celebrate the holidays and the release of Jane Austen's First Love, Syrie is giving away five prize packages filled with an amazing selection of Jane Austen-inspired gifts and books!  

To enter the giveaway contest, simply leave a comment on any of the blog stops on the Jane Austen's First Love Holiday Blog Tour.

Increase your chances of winning by visiting multiple stops along the tour! Syrie's unique guest posts will be featured on a variety of subjects, along with fun interviews, spotlights, excerpts, and reviews of the novel. Contest closes at 11:59pm PT, December 21, 2014. Five lucky winners will be drawn at random from all of the comments on the tour, and announced on Syrie’s website on December 22, 2014. The giveaway contest is open to everyone, including international residents. Good luck to all!