Tag: NetGalley

What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? AKA The Sunday Post 7-29-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Mid-summer blog break part deux (a word which totally flummoxed the online dictionary, however flummoxed did not!)

The above only adds to the never-ending stream of anecdotes (anecdata, which is not a word but should be) that online dictionaries are not all they are cracked up to be.

Monday is the day for Ebook Review Central. And the calendar has come back around to Carina Press’ June 2012 titles. Carina always has a lot of candidates for the featured book slots, and this time was certainly no exception. (I will give you a hint about this week’s features. I feel sorry for everyone else if Shannon Stacey ever publishes three titles in a single month!)

On Thursday, August 2, I’ll be interviewing author Jamie Salisbury about her contemporary romance Timeless Sojourn, and, of course, reviewing the book. Ms. Salisbury is coming to Reading Reality as part of Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour.

 

Now next week I have something really neat coming up. I’ll be interviewing Laurie Frankel, the author of Goodbye for Now, as well as reviewing her new book. Goodbye for Now is both high-tech and a love story. And it’s about letting go. And not letting go. Think of One Day with a touch of A.I. thrown in. I can hardly wait.

 

And I always have new books. I know I’m going to download An Officer’s Duty by Jean Johnson, the second book in her Theirs Not to Reason Why military science fiction series, the minute it’s available. I thought the first book, A Soldier’s Duty, was utterly awesome, so July 31 can’t come soon enough for me.

 

Speaking of fantastic series, the second book in James R. Tuck’s Deacon Chalk series is due out next week. That’s Blood and Silver. The mid-series novella, Spider’s Lullaby, has been out for a while. I’ve read them both, I just need to post reviews, because if you like dark, gritty and snarky urban fantasy, this series is fantastically good. Start with That Thing at the Zoo for background and immediately follow with Blood and Bullets. Rock ’em, sock ’em urban fantasy with guns and attitude instead of spells and attitude.

Something I’m looking forward to reading next week is Julie Ann Walker’s Hell on Wheels. It’s the first of a series about a defense firm posing as Harley mechanics and motorcycle buffs. So all the books are going to have that utterly delicious bodyguard crush thing going on. And they’re set in my favorite home town, Chicago. So you’ve got alpha ex-military males, hot bodyguards, cold city, bad bikes, and the first story is all about breaking the guy code rule dating your best friend’s little sister. The series is Black Knights, Inc. Books 2 and 3 are In Rides Trouble and Rev It Up. If they are as good as they sound, I think I’m going to be glad I already have them all from NetGalley.

What exciting books are you looking forward to in this long, hot summer?

ARCs, Stacks and Hauls

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | ARCs> books

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”

The quote is from Desiderius Erasmus. How totally appropriate, but also one I’ve lived by long before I knew it existed. My mom would tell you I spent my allowance on books when I was a kid. And generally owed her future allowances.

I’ve always collected books. More books than I could read at any given point in time. I love having the choice of what to read next. It’s not the object, it’s the content. Ebooks suit me just fine for most things, and they take up less space. This is a big deal when you move as often as we do, and when you own as many “dead tree” books as we do.

Still over 2,000. We haven’t even unpacked them all from the last move. In December.

About ARCs. I’ve worked in libraries that received ARCs in lots of different ways. One of my former places of work (FPOW) was in a major metropolitan area. The city newspaper still had a significant book section on Sundays, and received books for review. The newspaper donated their review copies to the library. About once a month we received an industrial pallet-load of books, mixed ARCs and “real” books. The “real” books often went into the collection. But the ARCs, never. Staff had the pick of the ARCs for collection development, reading copies, whatever we liked. But they were never put in the collection. If you are wondering what the newspaper got out of this arrangement, they got a tax write-off.

Other libraries I have worked at do sell ARCs at book sales, or they end up in the Friends of the Library book sales. I haven’t worked at a library that has put them in the collection, but I know it happens.

But what does any of this have to do with ARCs now? I can hear the question from here. The recent #ARCgate mess brought up a lot of questions and it made me think about the present and future of ARCs in general, and what any mailbox-type post looks like in particular.

I do get a lot of ARCs. More in one week than I can read in a week. I’ve always picked up more books in a week than I could read that week. The difference now is that I’m getting a lot of eARCs instead of deliveries from Amazon and B&N or borrowing books from the library.

But the ARC “stack” can look like a book haul, and that isn’t the purpose of it for me. I choose eARCs because eARCs are a win/win. My eARC does not automatically deny any other reviewer the same eARC. That’s the beauty of NetGalley and Edelweiss. No print, no postage, not necessarily a limited number of ARCs the way that a print run by its very nature limits the number of ARCs.

And no print ARCs left on my shelves at the end that I’m not quite sure what to do with. Because the last thing my house needs is more print books. One of the clear messages of the whole ARCgate mess is that what you should do with your ARCs after you’re finished is very, well, unclear.

What I’m curious about, dear readers, is how you feel when you see mailbox-type posts on book blogs. Do you see them as the blogger doing a bit to promote books that she or he might not have time to review? Do you see them as bragging? Do you find them useful for adding to your own TBR pile? Do you care?

Please share your thoughts! I’ve been having a serious re-think on this topic after ARCgate, and I’d love to hear from you.

 

Stacking the Shelves (11)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

This week’s Stacking the Shelves (hosted by Tynga’s Reviews) is a double-stack.

That kind of makes it sound like something from Steak ‘n Shake, doesn’t it? Probably a good thing I had a nice brunch with friends.

But I mean a different kind of double-stack. A double-stack of books. Last Saturday’s post was all about the Small Blogs Big Giveaways Hop. If you’re reading this on Saturday, you  still have a few hours left to enter.

Last week’s books plus this week’s books equals a double-stack. I picked up a few things from Amazon, there were some great sales. And a couple of times where I gave in to my compulsion to get book one, where I’d received book two for review. It wasn’t required, but I just couldn’t stop myself.

As always, unless it says otherwise, it’s an ebook.

And about that very last book…We’re both playing Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning right now. When we have a spare few hours to kill. Or are willing to stay up way, way, way past our bedtimes. It’s awesome if you love video Role-Playing Games. I didn’t need the guide, but I love having the guidebooks. Mining all the complexity out of it will be loads of fun. Especially on the second play-through. And maybe the third…

So what will be keeping you up late at night this week?

From the Author/Publisher/Publicist:
Better than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts (print ARC)
Accidental Love by Lacey Wolfe
The Devil You Know by Victoria Vane
Intern with the Vampire (Vampire General #1) by Kit Iwasaki

For Book Lovers Inc.:
A Royal Pain by Megan Mulry
Before Versailles by Karleen Koen (print ARC and ebook!)

For Library Journal:
Feeling Hot (Out of Uniform #7) by Elle Kennedy

From Penguin First Flights:
A Working Theory of Love by Scott Hutchins

From Edelweiss:
The Asylum Interviews: The Bronx (The Asylum Tales #0.5) by Jocelyn Drake

From NetGalley:
Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3) by Julie Ann Walker
Monster in My Closet by R.L. Naquin
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
A Season for Sin by Vicki Dreiling
When We Touch (Whiskey Creek #0.5) by Brenda Novak)
When Lightning Strikes (Whiskey Creek #1) by Brenda Novak
Death Warmed Over (Dan Shamble, P.I. #1) by Kevin J. Anderson
Finding Magic (Downside Ghosts #0.5) by Stacia Kane

Purchased from Amazon:
The Girl Who Disappeared Twice (Forensic Instincts #1) by Andrea Kane
An Affair with Mr. Kennedy (The Gentlemen of Scotland Yard #1) by Jillian Stone
Geekomancy by Michael Underwood (it was on sale for $1.99!)
Her Cyborg Awakes (Diaspora Worlds #1) by Melisse Aires
Alien Blood (Diaspora Worlds #2) by Melisse Aires (two-day freebie sale on Kindle!)
A Sorcerer’s Treason (Isavalta #1) by Sarah Zettel (I caught it when it when it was free)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, The Official Guide by Future Press (print)

Stacking the Shelves (6)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

The size of this week’s Stacking the Shelves (see Tynga’s Reviews for the details about Stacking the Shelves) post isn’t all my fault. Honest. Okay, it’s mostly my fault.

But Sourcebooks sent out a “care package” of three print ARCs to all the librarians on their review list. That’s where the first three books came from.

And I want to say a huge heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the person who assigns review books at Library Journal. All they have is a list of which genres I’ll review for the print magazine. And then it’s hit or miss. The last book I got was The Mongoliad (see review) so sometimes, it’s a serious miss.

But this time, oh this time, I got a book from the top of my wishlist. I opened the mailer, and there it was. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny. And so far, it is a beautiful mystery. One detective’s life is also a beautiful mess.

As always, anything not noted as print is an ebook.

From the Author/Publisher/Publicist:
All Roads Lead to Austen by Amy Elizabeth Smith (print ARC)
That Book About Harvard by Eric Kester (print ARC)
Dear Zari: the Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan by Zarghuna Kargar (print ARC)
The Delphi Bloodline by Donna Del Oro
Nightshifted by Carrie Alexander
Goodbye for Now by Laurie Frankel (print ARC)

From Library Journal for Review:
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (print ARC)

From Goddess Fish Promotions:
Timeless Sojourn by Jamie Salisbury

From NetGalley:
Dearly, Beloved by Lia Habel
The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden
Rogue’s Pawn by Jeffe Kennedy
Dangerously Close by Dee J. Adams
A Scandalous Affair by Karen Erickson
The Ravenous Dead by Natasha Hoar
Blades of Winter by G. T. Almasi
Artemis Fowl: the Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer

From Penguin First Flights Program:
City of Women by David R. Gillham

Bought from Amazon:
Just One Night by Chloe Cole

Are your shelves overflowing this week? Did anyone bring back a ton of books from BEA? Do tell!

Stacking the Shelves (5)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

There are only eight new books stacking my shelves this week. And I’m SO happy!

I went a little, just a little you understand, overboard for a couple of weeks there. This is more reasonable. At least for a biblioholic.

Okay, you know the drill by now. Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. For the details of the meme, and a list of all the other book-addicted participants this week, head on over to Tynga’s and look at the links. There are always plenty of suggestions to stack your shelves with.

Ahem.

Three notes on my stack. Shadow Rising did pop up on NetGalley after being in On My Wishlist #11.

I couldn’t resist buying Nalini Singh’s Tangle of Need. And I refuse to give any space to the US cover. I liked it, but I think I enjoyed Kiss of Snow more. I’m still mulling that one over. Worst part is that now there’s at least a six-month wait until the next Psy-Changeling book. And she’s making horrible noises that she’s thinking of wrapping up the series. Gack!

Kensington sent me a print ARC of James R. Tuck’s Blood and Silver, after having sent me both print and egalleys of Blood and Bullets after another On My Wishlist. I loved Blood and Bullets and need to write the review. Excellent urban fantasy of the extremely hard-ass variety.

And, as always, anything not noted as print is an ebook.

From the Author/Publisher/Publicist:
Blood and Silver by James R. Tuck (print ARC)
The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfors (print ARC)

From Writer Marketing Services:
Eulogy’s Secret by Grace Elliot
Hope’s Betrayal by Grace Elliot

For Book Lovers Inc.:
The Marrying Kind by Ken O’Neill

From Bewitching Book Tours:
Delighting in Your Company by Blair McDowell

From Netgalley:
Shadow Rising (Dark Dynasties #3) by Kendra Leigh Castle

Purchased from Amazon:
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

I’m trying to keep my stacks from overwhelming me. How are you doing? What’s stacking your shelves this week?

 

On My Wishlist-Waiting on Wednesday-Desperately Wanting Wednesday-On Saturday (1)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Desperately Wanting Wednesday> On My Wishlist> Waiting on Wednesday

Yes, I know it’s not Wednesday. On Wednesday, what I mostly want is a clone. I have too many things to do and too little time to do them in.

Which is why I was using On My Wishlist in the first place. It ran on the weekends back in the good old days of March. But when it moved on to new management, it stopped.

So I’m Waiting on Wednesday at Breaking the Spine. Or Desperately Wanting Wednesday with Parajunkee. On Saturday. Mr. Linky will still love me on Wednesday. And I always want books.

If I didn’t well, I’d be somebody else. That person is down an entirely different leg of the trousers of time. I wonder who she is?

And there one book I’m stalking NetGalley for. (Isn’t there always?)

The next Chief Inspector Gamache book by Louise Penny has been announced! The title is oh so appropriate. It’s The Beautiful Mystery. No, really, the title of the book is The Beautiful Mystery.  

Here’s the blurb from Goodreads:

The brilliant new novel in the New York Times bestselling series by Louise Penny, one of the most acclaimed crime writers of our time

No outsiders are ever admitted to the monastery of Saint-Gilbert-Entre-les-Loups, hidden deep in the wilderness of Quebec, where two dozen cloistered monks live in peace and prayer. They grow vegetables, they tend chickens, they make chocolate. And they sing. Ironically, for a community that has taken a vow of silence, the monks have become world-famous for their glorious voices, raised in ancient chants whose effect on both singer and listener is so profound it is known as “the beautiful mystery.” But when the renowned choir director is murdered, the lock on the monastery’s massive wooden door is drawn back to admit Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec. There they discover disquiet beneath the silence, discord in the apparent harmony. One of the brothers, in this life of  prayer and contemplation, has been contemplating murder. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors. Before finding the killer, before restoring peace, the Chief must first consider the divine, the human, and the cracks in between.

If you have not yet had the pleasure of making the Chief Inspector’s acquaintance, you have plenty of time to read the series before August 28th. They are marvelous, like no other mystery series. Start with Still Life. But start now.

 

Diamond Jubilee Celebration Hop hosted by Romance at Random

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Blog Hops> Book Giveaway> Giveaways> Romance at Random

Romance at Random is sponsoring a very special Diamond Jubilee Blog Hop.

First, a bit of trivia:
The Diamond Jubilee takes place in 2012, marking 60 years of The Queen’s reign. The Queen came to the throne on 6th February 1952 (her Coronation took place on 2nd June 1953).

Buckingham Palace is responsible for coordinating the events of the Diamond Jubilee central weekend (2nd–5th June 2012), as well as for organizing The Queen’s program in her Diamond Jubilee year.

Now you’re probably wondering what this has to do with Romance at Random, Reading Reality, or Blog Hops in General. Or Specific.

It has to do with Neville Chamberlain. Not THAT Neville Chamberlain. The other one. Nev. The hero of Ruthie Knox’ terrific new book, About Last Night, which will be published by Loveswept, a Random division, on June 11.

To celebrate Ruthie’s new book, and its hero who is trying to break free from some rather traditional roots that he still respects but doesn’t want to devote his life to, Romance at Random will be randomly giving away copies of some of the jewels in their crown of romantic stories.

Since Ruthie Knox will be here at Reading Reality on June 8 for an interview, I absolutely wanted to participate in this Hop.

Here’s what it’s all about:

Enter below to win beginning 5/21 thru 5/31 – Romance at Random will be randomly giving away some of their jewels of romance, to celebrate the UK’s Diamond Jubilee including:

That’s right, 26 winners in all! 

Enter the hop using the Rafflecopter below then visit all of the participating sites to increase your chances – winners will be randomly chosen and this is a big one . . . it could be you! US only for this one – Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other participating sites for more chances to win those books!

What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? AKA The Sunday Post 5-20-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

It’s Sunday, do you know where your books are?

Mine are back home, after a trip to Cincinnati to see my mom for Mother’s Day. It was a great trip (I also got to see some of my cousins), but it’s good to be back home with my husband and my cats. Also where my big computer and double-monitor set-up is. I work better in my own space.

The combination of My Mostly Virtual Nightstand and The Sunday Post (see Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer for complete details) is a chance to recap, showcase upcoming important events, and talk about the books I have on my nightstand or iPad for the week after this.

Moving right along…

If you are interested in a chance to win a copy of either a fun contemporary romance or a hot romantic suspense story, take a look back at my reviews of Bad Girl Lessons (the contemporary) and Satisfying the Curse (the suspense). The giveaways for both titles (Lessons giveaway) and (Curse giveaway) still have a few days to go.

Coming up this week…LOTS!

On Monday in addition to Ebook Review Central (this week’s feature is Dreamspinner Press’ April titles) I’m participating in a Cover Reveal for Kinley Baker‘s new fantasy romance, Denied. (There’s a tour-wide Amazon GC giveaway)

Also on Monday, I’m also participating in the Diamond Jubilee Blog Hop being organized by Romance at Random to celebrate the upcoming release of Ruthie Knox‘ new book About Last Night. Ruthie Knox will be at Reading Reality on June 8.  Lots of book prizes tour-wide on this blog hop.

Tuesday, May 22, I’ll have the Cover Reveal for Succubus Lost, the sequel to Tiffany Allee‘s urban fantasy/paranormal romance Banshee Charmer. I really liked Banshee Charmer, so I’m looking forward to Succubus Lost quite a bit. I’m interviewing Tiffany on May 31 and I’ll be reviewing the new book in June.

Not to be done with Tuesday, I’ll be interviewing Lauren Clark, the author of Dancing Naked in Dixie, and reviewing her book as part of the Bewitching Book Tours release celebration, which does include a tour-wide Gift Card giveaway.

Wednesday, May 23, Reading Reality will have a guest post from Lilly Cain, the author of the science fiction romance Confederacy Treaty series, and I’ll be reviewing the first book of the series, Alien Revealed also as part of a tour for Bewitching Books.

Thursday I’ll be reviewing Seized, the first book in Lynne Cantwell’s Pipe Woman Chronicles, as part of a Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour.

Looking forward to the following week, Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day in the U.S. The official start of summer. Living in Atlanta, unofficially, it’s already summer!

I only have a few books that have publication dates next week, or that I have on tour. The holiday may have something to do with that!

The book tour scheduled for next week is Dark Inheritance: Fallen Empire by K. Reed. It’s both post-apocalyptic and a Regency romance. I’m really curious to see how that combination works out.

I have four books I picked up from NetGalley. NetGalley is like book shopping, except that I pay with my time to write the reviews instead of my money.

The Bewitching Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell is the sequel to The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale. Earlier this year, Carina Press gave away some of their early titles to subscribers to their newsletter, and I “bought” Twisted Tales then. But I need to read it to review the sequel. Lucky for me, they are both relatively short.

Black Stiletto: Black & White by Raymond Benson, is also a sequel, this time to The Black Stiletto. But I picked this from NetGalley specifically because I read the first book and was absolutely fascinated. The Black Stiletto is the story of a woman in the 1950s and 60s who becomes a masked vigilante, rather like Batman. Except that in this story, her secret identity isn’t revealed until her son discovers her diaries over 50 years later.

A Gentleman Undone is by Cecilia Grant, the same author who wrote A Lady Awakened. Lady Awakened was a debut romance that no one was neutral about. Readers either loved it or detested it. I quite liked it, enough that I want to see if she can do it again.

Because everyone has raved about Larissa Ione’s Lords of Deliverance series, I grabbed Lethal Rider. But I need to read the first three books first. And before Rogue Rider comes out in November.

I also have something from Edelweiss. I take fewer books from Edelweiss, because they timebomb on my iPad much quicker. But every once in a while there’s something I absolutely can’t resist.

Steampunk is one of my weaknesses. So, when Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris’ Janus Affair  popped up on Edelweiss, I was so there. This is the second book in the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, and I have the first book, Phoenix Rising, and I’ve been meaning to read it. Getting Janus Affair from Edelweiss should get me to do it.

My other big weakness is science fiction romance. So I have Luminous by Corrina Lawson, the second book in her Phoenix Institute series. And I have the first book Phoenix Rising, somewhere in my iPad, just waiting for me.

And I just did a double-take. Yes, the first book in both the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences and Phoenix Institute Series have the same title; Phoenix Rising. I triple-checked to be sure. Weird coincidence.

As they say, that’s all the news that’s fit to print for the next couple of weeks. I’m going to be busy, busy, busy. I foresee LOTS of caffeine in my future! (My drink of choice is Diet Coke with Lime)

I’d love to know what you’re looking forward to this week!

 

Stacking the Shelves #3

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

This is Stacking the Shelves, my chance to scream OMG!

That’s not supposed to be the actual purpose of the meme. It’s supposed to be an opportunity to show the books we bought, borrowed, received or that somehow arrived on our doorsteps, whether they may or may not get reviewed (hosted by Tynga’s Reviews). This way, everything gets its chance in the spotlight.

But I spent last week at my mom’s. So I did a LOT of late night, insomniac reading. And browsing the shelves of Amazon from my iPad. And browsing NetGalley from my iPad. At 2 am, everything looks good.

The joy of an iPad, or any other ereader, is that I used to read an entire suitcase of books on one of these trips, and require an emergency run to the local Barnes and Noble mid-trip.  My mom has never understood.

Middle of the night shopping from the comfort of my bed is much, much easier. And requires no explanation. The results, however, are almost overwhelming. Obviously I was trying to escape into books!

Looks like I’ll be escaping into this batch for the next several months!

Bought from Amazon
Improper Relations by Juliana Ross
On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Freeman by Leonard Pitts Jr.
Phantom Universe by Laura Kreitzer
The Royal Scam by Gina Koch

From NetGalley
Lethal Rider by Larissa Ione
Supercritical by Shawn Kupfer
Undercover Alliance by Lily Cain
Forever a Lady by Delilah Marvelle
Dragon Justice by Laura Anne Gilman
Deadly Secrets, Loving Lies by Cynthia Cooke
Asher’s Invention by Coleen Kwan
Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane
The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe
Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt
Kilts & Kraken by Cindy Spencer Pape
Negotiating Point by Adrienne Giordano
Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey
Dead Calm by Shirley Wells
Dance of Flames by Janni Nell
No Money Down by Julie Moffett
Pyro Canyon by Robert Appleton

From the Author
Paradigm Shift by Misa Buckley

For Book Lovers Inc.
I Own the Dawn by M. L. Buchman

From Sizzling PR
Forgotten Memories by Theresa Stillwagon

I know that I was a bad girl this week. But how were you? What did you stack your shelves with this week?

What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 5-6-12 AKA The Sunday Post

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

As I looked for a replacement Mailbox meme, I looked long and hard at The Sunday Post. Why? Because I do a Sunday post, it’s this one, my mostly virtual nightstand.

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Lover (and I love that name, BTW) created her meme in part to fill the gap. But The Sunday Post is also intended as a

“chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.”

I use Virtual Nightstand to do the forward looking parts of that. I’ve chosen Stacking the Shelves as a way of handling the Mailbox bits of the mandate. But Virtual Nightstand is my news and upcoming reviews post.

To make a long story short, I’m going to link Virtual Nightstand to The Sunday Post. Anyone who comes here from that link might wonder why they got here. Or hopefully they’ll just jump down to the cover pictures.

What’s up this week?

Monday is Ebook Review Central, of course! This week is Leap Week, so I’ll be covering two new publishers, Red Sage Publishing and Curiosity Quills. They are permanent additions to ERC. For this first round, you’ll see a round up that takes them back to the beginning of ERC and catches them up to everyone else, so September 2011 through March 2012, if they have titles back that far.

Tuesday, May 8, I’m hosting an interview with Lisa Kessler, author of Night Walker, as part of a Bewitching Book Tour to celebrate the re-release of Night Walker in paperback! I’ll also have a review of Night Walker and an entry for several tour-wide giveaways.

Thursday, May 10 Reading Reality will be the host for a guest blog from Kay Dee Royal, promoting her book Staring into the Eyes of Chance. This is also part of a virtual book tour from Bewitching Book Tours. And I will also be posting a review of this shapeshifter/paranormal romance, the first book in Ms. Royal’s new Lycan International Investigation Agency Series.

On my nightstand, there are books I’m reading to prepare for next week. I always look a week ahead so I don’t get too surprised. Also, next week I’ll be traveling again, which does throw things off a bit!

There are only four, so maybe I’ll have a chance to catch up with myself. Probably not. But a girl can dream next to her nightstand, can’t she?

I asked for A Patch of Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos from Samhain because it sounded like an interesting urban fantasy/paranormal romance. And because some of Ms. Sfetsos’ previous work has been well-reviewed. And because it’s book 1 in a series, so I don’t have to jump into the middle, or read a long backstory. All good things. I’ve averted my eyes from some early reviews.

Railsea by China Miéville is a book that I selected from NetGalley because my husband likes China Miéville’s work. And Galen is supposed to provide a guest review for this one for me.

On May 17 Reading Reality will be hosting a Virtual Book Tour of Bad Girl Lessons by Seraphina Donovan for Book and Trailer Showcase. So, I need to read and review the book before the tour.  This book just sounded like yummy fun. Good girl seeks bad boy to teach her how to have a good time after she gets dumped at the altar. Sex, love and romance ensue.

I have to remind myself that I also have a print ARC of The Mongoliad Book One by Greg and Erik Bear and a host of others on my nightstand. It’s not only a relatively big monster (450 pages), but I owe my editor at Library Journal a review on May 21. This one is sort of looming out there. Like an attacking horde.

So, are there any books on your nightstand that you’re looking forward to? How’s your Sunday treating you? And what do you have planned for your week?