New Authors Mini Challenge: April 2010

I'm going to participate in the April New Authors Mini Challenge organized by Jackie at Literary Escapism. You can learn more about the challenge or join here.

The challenge this month is a Battle Royale between the online writer groups Deadline Dames and Fangs, Fur & Fey. Wow, this is a tough call for me because I love the gals at Deadline Dames, but the point is to read new authors and I've gotten some contest wins recently that include books written by authors over at Fangs, Fur & Fey. The rules are as follows:

-The Challenge will run from April 1st through the 30th. All reviews must have an April 2010 date.

-The goal is to read up to 5 different authors from the either list below. Write up a review on your blog and then come back to the official start post and add your link to Mr. Linky.

-The idea is to try a new author (it is a New Author mini-challenge), however, if you’ve already read all of the listed authors, you can still participant, but don’t re-read a novel. Try something new. Not only is this an excuse to try a certain group of authors, but it’s also a great chance to help promote them.

UPDATE: I just finished the last book for the mini challenge today and posted the review. It's April 29th. I read:

1. The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Eleventh Grade Burns
by Heather Brewer (Fangs, Fur & Fey)

2. Linger
by Maggie Stiefvater

3. Wicked Lovely
by Melissa Marr

4. Be Mine Tonight
by Kathryn Smith

5. Night Shift

by Lilith Saintcrow

6. Magic on the Storm
by Devon Monk

I was only allowed 6 books officially so I didn't enter Devon's book on the challenge page, but wanted to list it here. I entered all the reviews on Good Reads as well. What a great mini-challenge!

~Moonsanity

The Accidental Demon Slayer

The Accidental Demon Slayer
Author: Angie Fox
Publisher: Love Spell
Mass Market: 292 pages
Author's Website

Summary: Straight-laced preschool teacher, Lizzie Brown, never lies, never cusses, and doesn’t really care much for surprises. When her long lost Grandma Gertie shows up on her doorstep on a neon pink Harley Davidson wearing a “Kiss My Asphalt” t-shirt and hauling a carpet bag full of Smuckers jars filled with road kill magic, Lizzie doesn’t think her life could get any stranger. That is, until her hyper-active terrier starts talking and an ancient demon decides to kill her from his perch on the back of her toilet.

I won my copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer in a contest Angie Fox gave to win copies of her "signing screw ups". She has a witty, laid back style of writing and has created unique characters that have the reader laughing and thinking "No, no, she wouldn't do that would she?". Don't let her humor fool you though. She can write a love scene that will make your toes curl and action scenes that will keep you from putting down the book until you know what happens.

Lizzie, the main character, teaches at Happy Hands Preschool, and she is like every younger preschool or Kindergarten teacher I have ever met. She's so used to talking to little ones that she uses words like "Ouchie!" instead of swearing. She wears sensible clothing and shoes, is very organized and doesn't like surprises. In a few hours time Lizzy meets her grandma, who is the leader of a witches coven that doubles as a senior citizen's biker gang, and she discovers that she has come into demon slayer powers that were passed down from the mother she never knew. Did I mention that there is a demon gunning for her in the bathroom, and she can now hear her dog speaking to her? Yeah, Lizzy's world is turned on it's side and stomped on a few times for good measure, all in the first chapter.

Amidst the wackiness, we meet Dimitri, a handsome, charming Greek shapeshifter who claims to be Lizzie's protector. I loved the sexual tension, and the building of suspense as the details of who he is and why he is attracted to Lizzy is revealed.

Lizzy's grandma's coven has a host of crazy characters that add magic and mayhem to the plot. I have to say that I love that they are funky senior citizens. Though I will be the first to admit I love kick-butt witches that wear cool clothing, it's refreshing to see characters that age, love to do cranky and don't fit the mold of most paranormal romance book women.

If you like Michelle Rowen and Kim Harrison you will love Angie Fox. There are three books in her slayer series, all of which are currently available:

1. The Accidental Demon Slayer (2008)
2. The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (2009)
3. A Tale of Two Demon Slayers (2010)




~Moonsanity