Musical Interlude: Little Toy Gun

Today's Musical Interlude comes from the band Honey Honey. I have the CD First Rodeo, and they are very talented with a unique style. This video was directed by and co-starred Kiefer Sutherland for you Lost Boys fans:)



~Moonsanity

Book Review: The Unbound Anthology

Unbound
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Eos
ISBN: 0061699934

I picked up Unbound in the store the week it came out because I was waiting with bated breath for Jeaniene Frost's new story, Reckoning, featuring Bones, her charismatic vampire master with a scathing wit and looks to die for. Yes, that is my description. The author no doubt has her own, but I couldn't resist.  I won't lie, I read that story first and loved it. How could I not?  If you haven't read her Night Huntress books (please do) you can still read the short story because it takes place beforehand. It's set in New Orleans and will make you shiver. No, not because of Bones, but because of the creepy elements surrounding  mayhem during Mardi Gras.

There are also stories from  Jocelynn Drake and Kim Harrison. Kim wrote a stand alone story with my favorite pixy, Jenks and teenage gargoyle Bis.  If you haven't read Kim's books this is a perfect introduction to the world she has created. Jenks solves a case on his own with a little help from some friends.  I smiled throughout the entire story and so will you.

Jocelynn Drake's story, The Dead, the Damned and the Forgotten, is a prequel to her Dark Days books featuring Mira, the nightwalker (vampire) who is also known as The Firestarter.  It takes place in her beloved Savannah, Georgia, which has been home for a very, very long time now.  The books take her to places like Italy and Machu Picchu, so we don't see her at home that often.  I liked the story because it gave me a better feel for how she interacts with those she cares for, and those she has to discipline. She has to find that line between keeping her home safe and having the reputation of a heartless killing machine, all well solving the mystery of a death in her domain.

The other two authors in the book are Melissa Marr and Vicki Pettersson.  I had heard good things about both of them but hadn't read any of their books.  Dark Matters drew me into the world of Vicki Pettersson's books. After reading it,  I knew I had to get her books.  The story involves a man and a woman who are on opposite sides of a war against good and evil.  I really can't tell you much more without giving it away, but the ending is haunting.  The story is tragic on the surface, a love story, set in a time of war. I loved it.

Melissa Marr is the author of the popular Wicked Lovely book series, which is young adult.  The story in Unbound is, according to the back of the paperback, is her first adult supernatural thriller. It's called Two Lines and  I loved it! I've read on her blog that she will be writing an adult series in the future. Rather than try to describe her story, I'll let you read this quote from her blog. I could not possibly say it better:

"the question has been asked already, no, it's not a prequel or a set-up for a forthcoming book in this world. It's just a story about a glaistig, some zombie powder, some criminals, & a bit of necessary violence." (from http://melissa-writing.livejournal.com/)

FINAL SAY ON THE BOOK: I highly recommend it for fans of the authors AND to readers they are new to. It was the first analogy I've read that I loved every story in the book.

DIVERSIONS, WISDOM & DETAILS (new windows will open)
The Beyond on Blog Talk Radio: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/
An Episode with all the authors talking about "the dark world of UNBOUND, where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting."

Kim Harrison's Website: http://www.kimharrison.net/index.html
Her quarterly newsletter is a MUST have.

Jeaniene Frost's Website: http://www.jeanienefrost.com/
Deleted scenes, interviews, podcasts and videos

Vicki Pettersson's Website: http://www.vickipettersson.com/home.html
Excerpts, videos, and pictures.

Jocelynn Drake's Website: http://www.jocelynndrake.com/DarkDaysMain.html
Essays, history and videos.

Melissa Marr's Harper Teen Page:
http://www.harperteen.com/contests/wickedlovely/
She has the coolest screensavers, ring tone and decal download! Also podcasts, playlists and a newsletter.

~Moonsanity

In My Mailbox: November Ist, 2009

This is my first In My Mailbox post.  It's a cool meme from The Story Siren. You can find more information on it here: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2007/12/in-my-mailbox.html. I have so many cool books to tell you about, plus a neat non-book package that came in my battered mailbox during the last week and a half or so. After this I'll stick to what comes each week.

First, I used an Amazon gift certificate for the following books:
Be Mine Tonight (The Brotherhood of Blood, Book 1)by Kathryn Smith
The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1)by Vicki Pettersson
Legacy (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 4) by Jeanne C. Stein
Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, Book 2) by Patricia Briggs
Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 3) by Karen Chance

I've read Hunting Ground and Embrace the Night out of this last already, and need to review them.

I won a writing mini-pack from Eleni Konstantine, who's been having these cool interviews with writers on the value of critique partners and other words of wisdom. You can read them here: http://elenikonstantine.com/  I had to practically wrestle my daughter to the ground to keep the pen. I won because well, she's only nine and I'm bigger:)

Next, I bought these I bought on ebay for a good price.
Crimson City by Liz Maverick
Stray by Rachel Vincent
Skykeepers by Jessica Andersen

I've read Stray and Skykeepers so far, and loved both. Yes, they are my "Review or Die" list. (As fast as I read I need more motivation than just "To Be Reviewed".)

On Day 10 of  the Bitten by Books  contest, 31 Days of Dark Delights, I won When Ghosts Speak by author Mary Ann Winkowski. A note on this book: I've never been a fan of nonfiction paranormal books, so instead of reading and reviewing this myself, I had an ephinany. My son belongs to a small group called Zombie Defense and Paranormal Studies. Once a week they meet and discuss and/or debate all things paranormal. He told me about half the kids think zombies, vampires and such are cool, but not real. The other half believes some of these things could exist. I gave them the book to have their first book discussion. They will meet next week, and look it over together then discuss it. Cool, huh?

I joined PaperBackSwap.com, and the first book I chose was Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon. The series has been recommended to me SO many times that I had to get it started.  I finished the first book, but I think I will wait to review until I read more of the books, and get a good feel for the series.

My Goal This Week: Review Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series plus her anthologies.

~Moonsanity

The Zombie Today Show

Yesterday was a little depressing as I shared about a couple of eerie, yet sad authors, so today I've set that aside to share some zombie fun. That's right. I'm introducing you to The Zombie Today Show, and this cutie named Dylan:

You can visit him and his partner Roger McKnight, who is also a zombie. I know you will chuckle, and perhaps you'll fall on the floor laughing like any idiot  intelligent person would when they are confronted with zombies reviewing books.  Visit Dylan and Roger here: http://www.readersentertainment.tv/zombietoday/ for a good time. I'm still laughing:)

~Moonsanity

The "Weird Tales" of Robert E. Howard & H.P. Lovecraft

In the spirit of Halloween I wanted to explore the world of horror beyond Edgar Allen Poe, who as most of you know wrote in the 1800's. His writings have been an inspiration to generations of horror writers and poets. What about later writers? Who makes you shiver with fear? For me it's H.P. Lovecraft (his picture is to the left), who I discovered in college, and about the same time Robert E. Howard, of Conan fame. I don't think we can look at one, without looking at the other. They were close friends, and died about a year apart. Actually, many people confuse some details of their lives. H.P. Lovecraft actually died of cancer after checking himself into a hospital in March of 1937. Robert E. Howard committed suicide in 1936, planning to die before his mother who was laying inside their home in her sick bed, unconsious. When it was clear she would not wake up, and would soon die, he shot himself outside their home. She died the day after her son, and a double funeral was held. He had left this message on his typewriter:

“All fled, all done


So lift me on the pyre.


The feast is over


And the lamps expire.”

I've noticed over the years that people tend to confuse the two deaths, claiming that Lovecraft committed suicide, rather than Howard. I think this is because of the two, Lovecraft seemed more "disturbed" to those reading bits from his biography.

After reading both authors' biographies I was struck by the loss of these two creative, brilliant minds under such tragic circumstances. Through letters these two men reached out to each other. For many years they corrisponded and challenged each other. Lovecraft had a huge influence over Howard's writing, and vice versa. They continue to influence writers today, but they would never know the impact their writing had on fellow writers.

You can read some of the stories both authors wrote at different periods of their lives at the links below. Lovecraft is known as a horror writer, but didn't start out as one until he began writing for Weird Tales. Robert E. Howard wrote some fiction that I would call horror, but it best known for his fantasy books and tales.  He is often called the Father of Sword and Sorcery, which is another blog entirely.

The Call of Cthulhu
by H. P. Lovecraft
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/thecallofcthulhu.htm

He
by H.P. Lovecraft
http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/he.htm

Spear and Fang
By Robert E. Howard
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0607951.txt

In the Forest of Villefére
By Robert E. Howard
http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0607931.txt

I hope you enjoy a little eery reading this week!

~Moonsanity

A Vampire Haiku

I had mentioned that VampChix is having a cool scavenger hunt this week. Today is a guest blog by Ryan Mecum, author of Vampire Haiku and Zombie Haiku. Our challenge is write a vampire related haiku. I took up the challenge and composted the following:

Draws me in slowly
His natural charisma
Staying despite fear

Hold your applause. I haven't written haiku since high school. I may start doing so now that I'm on a roll. Perhaps, I'll write Werewolf Haiku next:)

~Moonsanity

Halloween Goodies For Readers

It's Halloween week, and for fans of Paranormal fiction there are a lot of goodies out there for the taking.

The first one I found today and just finished reading. It's a cool little short story from Christina Dodd. This story takes place after the last Darkness Chosen book, Into the Flame. IF you haven't read all four books you'll want to save the short story until you do because it has spoilers. You can read it here: http://www.christinadodd.com/paranormal_scene_wilder.html

Writerspace is hosting the 2009 Halloween Mash Chat. It's on Wednesday, October 28th from 8 pm to 11 pm Eastern Time in the Writerspace Readers Chat Room. You can register here: http://www.writerspace.com/halloween/. They have authors galore and prizes too!

Kim Harrison is throwing her Annual Halloween Costume Contest! Category winners received a signed cover flat of a Hollows book. Grand prize winner is pulled from the category winners, and will receive a signed ARC of BLACK MAGIC SANCTION. All the details on entering are here: http://www.kimharrison.net/Halloween09.htm Isn't that fun?

VampChix are having a Vamp Bash this week! It's a scavenger hunt with author interviews and prizes through Friday the 30th. Vamp fun for all:) It's here:http://vampchix.blogspot.com/ (I'm multi-tasking and doing their hunt as I type this. *snicker*)

~Moonsanity