Interview With Author Bernita Harris

As soon as I finished Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris I searched out her website and emailed her to ask if I could do an interview. I loved her book so much, and the little things I noticed within the story had charmed me completely. The following is our interview.

Bernita: Brenda, you dear girl, thank you so much for having me visit and for taking the time to read and review Dark and Disorderly. These are really lovely questions!

Brenda: I loved Dark and Disorderly, so the first question I have to ask pertains to whether this will be a stand alone novel or will we be seeing more of the characters in a series?

Bernita: I'm delighted that you enjoyed D&D! This is a writer's true reward!
Yes, a sequel to D&D is in progress. Readers can expect more adventures with the paranormal; and Lillie has to figure out her attraction and conflicts with Johnny Thresher!

Brenda: I love how descriptive you are in your writing. I especially enjoyed the scenes in the cemetaries, and the garden. Did you choose to include these things because you enjoy them yourself, or was it something you added for other reasons? (I loved that Lillie took the piece of mint from the cemetary to transplant it.)

Bernita: I am so glad you liked those passages! Yes, I like cemeteries, older ones in particular, because it was a style at one time to inscribe details of people's lives on their tombstones, like relationships, causes of death, personal accomplishments--so one has stone-carved glimpses of a kind of social , personal and historical record--diptheria or other epidemics that have swept a settlement, ships that have gone down, things like that. Such cemeteries individualize the dead beyond the brief inscriptions popular today.

And I have an herb garden, nothing too exotic, just about two dozen of the regular kinds like basil, thyme, parsley, borage, chives, parsley, savory, etc. for cooking and salads, though some I grow, like lavender and sweet marjoram, for scent for potpourries and sachets.And some I grow just because!

I dry my own herbs. Sometimes I make herbal jellies. Rosemary, sage and mint jellies are particularly good. Herbal history is interesting, I find. While borage can add a cucumber flavor to salads, it was once called the Crusader's herb. A blue borage flower was added to a stirrup cup for those who rode off to war because it was thought to give courage.

Brenda: How difficult is it to write a story with a mystery? Do you find yourself having to go over details later to make sure the "clues" are in place where you want them to appear? Do you outline the entire plot ahead of time?

Bernita: Mystery always improves a story in my opinion! I'm half plotter and half panster. While I don't write a detailed outline, I must prepare, at least mentally, a general outline of the plot before I can begin a story. Sometimes, a story may take an unexpected direction, so a careful writer always has to check and double check details to make sure they are consistent. I always have a certain anxiety about whether I've made those clues and detail either too obscure or too obvious! One doesn't want to hit the reader over the head with a 2x4 as if to say "Did you get it, huh, huh?"--which is insulting to the reader and poor technique--and on the other hand, you don't want them to miss an important fact by being too subtle and so confuse readers. I always dither and fuss over that.

Brenda: I must say that you took sexual tension to a new level with Lillie and John. Were you tempted at any time to break character and just let them do something they might regret later?

Bernita: Indeed, I was tempted! Especially since explicit sexual content is very much in favor with some readers. However, I decided that it wouldn't be consistent, logical , or even particularly realistic in terms of Lillie's character and situation at this point in their relationship.

Brenda: I know you have written short stories, but I'm wondering if Dark and Disorderly was the first book you completed, or the first to be published? I love your style of writing and so hope you will have more for readers soon.

Bernita: D&D is my first novel to be published. I have the requisite two or three "trunk" novels. They acquired some interest but no sale.That interest, however, encouraged me to keep writing.

Brenda, thank you so very much! It's been a pleasure!

ABOUT BERNITA
My review of Dark and Disorderly is in the post before this one here. You can read more about Bernita on her website here: http://bernitaharris.blogspot.com/ . You can also find her on Facebook here.

Dark and Disorderly is available for the Kindle on Amazon.

~Brenda

Urban Fantasy Review With Bernita Harris

Dark and Disorderly
Author: Bernita Harris
Kindle Edition
File Size: 414 KB
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: 8/28/10
Available at Amazon

SUMMARY: Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance. Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband comes to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan's ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband's murder and reanimation.

I asked to review Dark and Disorderly because I thought it sounded like a cross between horror and paranormal romance, which I really enjoy. I was delighted with the book from start to finish. The author has a wonderful way of describing the world she has created for the reader. When the main character is in her garden, or investigating a cemetery, I felt as if I were in that location. Don't get me wrong though, the author's descriptive words do not make this a soft or gentle read. Dark and Disorderly is fast paced mix of mystery, horror, romance and urban fantasy. The twists in the plot are superb and the discovery of what was really happening was paced perfectly.

The main character, Lillie, is stubborn, intelligent, and passionate. Do to her white hair that proclaims her a "born talent" she has been labeled a freak her entire life. She trusts her instincts, but nothing and no one else. I loved her character right from the start. Yes, her self esteem needs an extreme boost, but she does what she believes is right, despite knowing she will be persecuted for it.

John Thresher, is a psi-crime detective that has come to Lillie's town; his presence calms her while at the same time his personality annoys her. He's arrogant, brooding, and yet he's also protective and steady. John throws a wrench into Lillie's life that is unexpected and frustrating for the most part. I loved John for many reasons. First, he's a solid, observant man who always looks out for Lillie, even when he's frustrated with her. He almost always keeps his cool, and he's sexy as hell, especially when he makes small, but caring gestures such as running a bath for Lillie or making sure she eats.

Dark and Disorderly is a great read, and by the end of the book I desperately wanted to know what was next for Lillie. There is another reason the reader will be begging for the next book. The sexual tension between Lillie and John is so hot I thought my Kindle was going to burst in to flame. I kid you not. I understood Lillie not giving into John's advances, or at least not letting it get too far. I have always been annoyed in movies and books when the heroine is at Death's door and suddenly she decides it's time to try out a new man. Never mind that they just met, or that zombies may come upon them just as they take a tumble. It's refreshing to find a heroine who backs up and says "Whoa, wait a minute fella...". Sometimes we forget just how sexy it can be as a couple builds up to that special moment.

Dark and Disorderly is available at Amazon. You can also learn more about the author and her writing at her blog: http://bernitaharris.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour & Contest: Venom

Venom
Elemental Assassin #3
Author: Jennifer Estep
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Released: 9/28/2010
Available for Kindle & Paperback

Summary: It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin.

I reviewed the first book in the Elemental Assassin series back in February (read review), then I bought the second book, Web of Lies. I was especially pumped to be part of the blog tour for Venom, the third book in the series. Gin is one of my favorite urban fantasy heroines, though she would never think of herself that way. In the second book, Gin's life takes some twists and turns that had me feeling frustrated for her. (A sign of a talented writer when you think of their heroine as a real person.) In Venom, Gin may actually get hurt more than in the other books combined, but she also has a solid support group behind her now, and continues to learn about who she is and what she can do magically. This is my favorite book in the series, but it may be because of "sharing" Gin's struggles in the first two books, it made the events in Venom even more pivotal and intense.

Venom is a fast paced, gritty urban fantasy that has kick ass action scenes to keep the reader on the edge of their seats. More than that though, Gin learns to open up, to trust in those who love her, and she comes to some conclusions about herself. As I mentioned in my first review of the author's series, I love that Gin, the former hardass assassin is a gourmet cook. The more stressed she is, the more she bakes. I asked Jennifer if I could share the recipe for Chocolate Chip Pound Cake. Her mother gave her the recipe and had been making it for years, not sure where it originated, which is often the case with well loved recipes. Gin loves to serve the pound cake with a nice cold glass of milk:)

Choco­late Chip Pound Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) pack­age choco­late cake mix
1 small pack­age instant choco­late pud­ding mix
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup veg­etable oil
3 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) con­tainer sour cream
1 (12 ounce) pack­age mini choco­late morsels

Pre­heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 10-cup Bundt pan. In a large bowl, com­bine cake mix, pud­ding, and sugar. Add water, oil, and eggs. Beat with an elec­tric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Stir in sour cream and mini choco­late morsels. Pour bat­ter into pre­pared pan, and bake for 1 hour (check at 50 min­utes) or until a wooden tooth­pick inserted in cen­ter comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 min­utes. Remove from pan and let cool com­pletely on wire rack. Sprin­kle with pow­dered sugar, if desired.

There are more recipes in Gin's Recipe Box.

Jennifer Estep has given her readers some wonderful free short stories in addition to the three Elemental Assassin books. Below, I have them in order of their time frame with links to each. The titles in bold are the books available currently, the other two will be available in 2011.

These two take place when Gin was a teenager:
Web of Deceit Read here
Poison Read here

Spider's Bargain: Free here
Book one: Spider’s Bite
Web of Death: Free here
Book two: Web of Lies
Wasted: Free here
Book three: Venom
Book four: Tan­gled Threads (5/2011)
Book five: Unti­tled (10/2011)

WIN A COPY OF VENOM!
The publisher has kindly allowed me to give away one copy of Venom to a visitor. Please leave a comment with the answer to this question:

What do YOU do when you are stressed out?

I will pick one person randomly on 10/15/2010. Please leave your answer and your email if it's not associated with a Google profile.

Happy Reading! ~Brenda

Blog Tour & Contest: Aching for Always

Aching for Always
Author: Gwyn Cready
Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Release Date: 9/28/2010
Available from Amazon

Summary: In Aching for Always, one map can forever changes the lives of two people--Hugh Hawksmoor, a handsome, determined sea captain who has traveled from the eighteenth century to avenge his brother's death, and Joss O'Mally, whose struggles to keep her mother's mapmaking company afloat ties her to her own past. When they meet, there are fireworks--literally, and Joss finds herself falling for Hugh's ample charms. But when he tricks her into returning to the past with him, each will face the hardest decision each has ever had to make.


I asked to participate in the blog tour for Aching for Always because I had enjoyed the author's last book, Flirting With Forever, and I wanted to check out what she had created for readers this time around. Aching for Always is part time travel adventure and part historical romance. It's an enchanting story revolving around the creation of maps and how a simple adjustment can change the course of history. It takes place in Pittsburgh, which I visited last summer, and loved for it's history and beauty. It's a historic and lovely setting for a romance.

Old fashioned maps have always intrigued me with their beauty and detail. I'd never taken the time to learn more about the making of maps and was taken in by this aspect of the book. The author mixed elements of mystery, adventure, romance and magic together to create a story that captures the reader's imagination and heart. Hugh, our hero, is a brooding naval captain set on revenge, which of course makes him sexy, especially as he alternates between charming Joss and wanting to ring her neck. Our heroine is often like a bouncing ball in the story, not knowing who to trust or give her heart to. Though their romance is very sexually charged and steamy, especially near the end of the book, I actually loved the romance between Joss's mother and Hugh's brother more in some ways. As I was reading, I found myself wishing the author would share more of their relationship. Joss's mother is a passionate mapmaker and Hugh's brother is the man who gives up everything to protect her. Every mention of Joss's mother is captivating and romantic.

WIN A COPY OF ACHING FOR ALWAYS!
The publisher has graciously allowed me to give away one copy of Aching for Always in paperback. I will randomly pick one winner from the comments on October 15, 2010. Please answer this question for me:

Have you read books with a time travel element? If so, is there one you'd recommend to me, and why? If you haven't read any books with time travel, is there a reason you haven't?

Leave your answers in the comments, and include your email if you don't have an email attached to your Google profile.

GWEN'S LAUNCH CONTEST!
Aching for Always Launch Contest is going on now too. The prize is a GORGEOUS Kate Spade handbag with a leopard print that evokes the shoes on the cover of Aching for Always. It's easy to enter. Just click here. But hurry, this contest ends October 4, 2010.

Series Review: Otherkin by Eve Silver

Otherkin Series
Author: Eve Silver
Publisher:HQN Books
Books available at Amazon

Otherkin Books in Order:
Sin's Daughter (7/2010-prequel e-book)
Sins of the Heart (8/2010)
Sins of the Soul (9/2010)
Sins of the Flesh (10/1/2010)
Body of Sin (book 4) June 2011
Book 5 Fall 2011 -

I won the first book in the Otherkin series, and as soon as I finished it I asked for a review copy of the second and third book. This series is fast paced, steamy, passionate and fascinating. It's set in a world where the Egyptian gods each have their own domains in The Underworld, unable to physically manifest themselves in our world (Topside), so they use both minions and sometimes offspring to do their bidding.

Each book revolves around a soul reaper, sons of Sutekh. Each reaper has come from a different background before joining their father in the Underworld. Each has their own issues and scars from their past. They conquered their fear of Sutekh by learning to depend on each other. One has been murdered, but if they find him soon enough they believe they can bring him back to life. This becomes their number one priority.

The heroines in this series are tough, cynical and can take care of themselves which makes for some great banter, kick ass fight scenes and steamy romance. Though each book focuses on one brother, and one of the heroines, there is still interaction between all of them as the series continues. The heroines don't disappear into a mansion or compound, rarely heard from again. They are right there beside their mates, working with them and sometimes on their own. I loved all of them, but especially found Calliope fascinating with her dry humor and stoic mannerisms. Strong and tough personalities abound in the Otherkin series, as mysteries are investigated and traitors are found.

The series has many fascinating elements revolving around trust issues, loyalty and intrigue among the gods, as well as their servants and offspring. It's dark, gritty and at times quite graphic because of the nature of the gods. The soul reapers are the ultimate alpha males, but the heroines aren't damsels in distress by a long shot. Let's just say the sexual tension, and the sex, is intense and passionate, but not over the top. All three couples are unique in their relationships, and I loved the interaction between them.

The mystery of a soul reapers death continues through all three books as traitors are revealed, clues discovered and loyalties are questioned. The third book in the series wraps up some of the intrigue, but ends with a bang, leaving the reader satisfied to a certain extent but wanting more of the Krayl brothers and their mates, which we will get in June with the next release. I, for one, cannot wait.

TEASER WORDS
Blood
heart
murder
sugar
metal hoops
tidy manners
centipedes

Fans of Jessica Andersen, Larissa Ione and Devon Monk will enjoy the Otherkin series. Learn more about it at Eve Silver's website: http://www.evesilver.net .

Friday, October 1st is the release day for the third book in the series, Sins of the Flesh! Be sure to visit the author at her blog for contests and more fun: http://www.evesilver.net/blog/

~Brenda

Review & New Release: On the Edge

On the Edge
The Edge, Book 1
Author: Ilona Andrews
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Ace
Released: 9/29/09
Available in paperback & Kindle edition from Amazon.

Summary: The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale. The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.

I love Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels novels, and at first I thought it would be difficult to wrap my head around a completely different world that was unrelated to Kate and Curran. It only took me the first TWO pages to get rid of that worry. On the Edge starts out with an introduction to Rose, Georgie, Jack and Grandpa that blew away any thoughts I had of Kate's world. In some ways this series is lighter, perhaps less intense. It's a must read for any fans of Ilona Andrews.

Rose, the heroine, is a truly wonderful and complex character. I loved her strength, her wit, her intelligence and the way she protected her family above all else. Declan, our hero, is not a white knight riding in to save the day, though he may actually imagine himself that way. He's pushy, overprotective and at times, a snob. Together, he and Rose, figure out what needs to be done to save her family and friends. It's not easy, and lessons do not come easily for either of them, but it makes for one kick ass story that kept me reading until I had gotten to that last page. I also have to mention that Rose's brothers are funny, touching, and brave. You will fall in love with them, just like I did.

On the Edge is a fast paced paranormal romance, but it also has elements of fantasy that reminds me of Simon Green's Forest Kingdom series, Stan Nicholls' Quicksilver series and books by Tad Williams. I recommend it to fans of paranormal romance but also those who love fantasy.
TEASER WORDS
barriers
shoes
bubbles
blueblood
pancakes
shotgun
flash
willworld
chocolate bar
wolf

NEW RELEASE: BAYOU MOON
The second book in The Edge series is coming out this week on Tuesday, September 28th. It's going to be an awesome read as we learn more about this fascinating world. This is the blurb for Bayou Moon from the author's website:

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

Bayou Moon is available in paperback and for the Kindle from Amazon. You can also learn more about The Edge on the author's website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/

~Brenda

New Release & Review: Mind Games

Mind Games
The Disillusionists Trilogy #1
Author: Carolyn Crane
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Released March 23, 2010
Available in print and digital on Amazon

SUMMARY: Justine Jones isn't your typical kick-ass type - she’s a hopeless hypochondriac whose life is run by fear. She's lured into a restaurant, Mongolian Delites, by tortured mastermind Sterling Packard, who promises he can teach her to channel her fears. In exchange, she must join his team of disillusionists - vigilantes hired by crime victims to zing their anxieties into criminals, resulting in collapse and transformation.

I have been wanting to read Mind Games since before it was actually released. I've been following the author on her blog and twitter, enjoying her wit and intelligence, but had to wait til this month to buy it. I knew it would be a story very different from anything I had read previously, and I was not disappointed. Mind Games is an urban fantasy unlike any I've ever read. In many ways, I can related to Justine, the heroine in the story. While I am not a hypochondriac, I have suffered from anxiety and mild panic attacks for most of my life. It wasn't until I was almost 40 that my family doctor suggested the idea of anxiety disorder to me. Once I left Denial Land, I knew he was right. Reading Mind Games was weird for me because I recognized so many emotional things in the story, nodding my head as I read along. Of course when the supernatural elements kicked in, I stopped identifying and started really getting into Justine's adventure.

Mind Games is fast paced, fascinating, witty, and completely amazing. The author has created a world that takes the idea of the power of the mind to a new level. She also challenges the reader to look beyond black and white to the grey area of good and evil. Is it really so cut and dried? Can someone have motives that are selfish, yet still serve a greater good? For me, there is also a theme of acceptance running through the story. Do we want a relationship where we have to pretend to be something we're not? These are just a few of the ideas running through Mind Games.

I don't want anyone to misunderstand and think that these thought provoking themes slow down the story for the reader. I couldn't put Mind Games down once I started it; staying up way too late reading once began. The characters are complex and quirky. In some ways, I was reminded of going to a large shopping mall and sitting on a bench for an entire afternoon to people watch. What if we could do that but see inside the minds of some of the people who walk by us? Instead of guessing what their story is, we'd get a glimpse into their mind. Reading Mind Games was much like that to me, and I will be reading it again and again, catching new details each time. Perhaps I'll even take it to a mall one afternoon and read it as I sit and people watch.

TEASER WORDS
kebabs
CAT scan
beret
horse book
sheepshead
stun gun
opera
glory hour
open door

NEW RELEASE: DOUBLE CROSS
The second book in The Disillusionists Trilogy, Double Cross, is coming out this week on Tuesday, September 28th! I think it's going to be even better than the first book in the series. Here is the blurb from the author's website:

Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

Double Cross is available for in paperback, and for the Kindle on Amazon. Visit the author's website here: http://authorcarolyncrane.com/books/mind-games .

~Happy Release Week:) Brenda