Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Shanghai Steam edited by Calvin D. Jim, Renee Bennett and Ace Jordyn

Shanghai Steam
Wuxia Anthology
Edited by: Calvin D. Jim, Renee Bennett, and Ace Jordyn
Works by: Tim Ford, Amanda Clark, Laurel Anne Hill, K.H. Vaughan, Crystal Koo, Brent Nichols, Julia A. Rosenthal, William H. Keith, Shen Braun, Jennifer Rahn, Emily Mah, Frances Pauli, Camille Alexa, Tim Reynolds, Ray Dean, Frank Larnard, Derwin Mak, Nick Tramdack, and Minsoo Kang.

Visit:
Website
Goodreads
Shelfari

Published: 2012
Publisher: Absolute XPress
Genre: Short Stories, Steampunk
Paperback: 168 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon description:
From ancient China to a future Mars, from the British Empire to the Old West, 19 authors show you worlds with alcohol fuelled dragons, philosophical automatons, and Qi-powered machines both wondrous and strange in tales of vengeance, paper lantern revolutions and flying monks. Shanghai Steam is a unique mashup of steampunk and the Chinese literary genre known as Wuxia (loosely translated as martial hero).

PeekAbook:


My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): steam-qi
The variety and perspectives of China with the steam element in this set of short stories works well. I found this to be an entertaining collection of short stories that is a magical mesh of steampunk and wuxia.

--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of author ~--

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to all.

Offer ends: February 10, 2013

TO DO:
ADD this book to your Goodreads or Shelfari reading list.

Let me know you which you did in comments.

AND, leave your email.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of author

Friday, January 18, 2013

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2: The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2:
The Slither Sisters
by Charles Gilman

Visit Charles:
mini-bio
Website
Goodreads
Shelfari

Just released: January 15, 2012
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Paperback: 160 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series:
Professor Gargoyle
The Slither Sisters
Teacher's Pest - release date: May 7, 2013

This second novel in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series begins right where Professor Gargoyle ended.

Seventh-grader Robert Arthur has discovered that two of his classmates are actually sinister snake-women in disguise. Even worse, his new middle school is full of “gates” to a terrifying alternate dimension – a haunted mansion full of strange spirits and monstrous beasts.

For Robert to protect his teachers and classmates, he'll need to return to this haunted dimension with his best friends Glenn and Karina.

Can they uncover the secrets of Lovecraft Middle School before it's too late?


My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): strength
Loved watching how the hero of this series starts to come into his own.

References to H.P. Lovecraft and creatures-related pop-up in this book which are treats to encounter.

Nice twist at the end.

WIN a copy of this book! Click here for giveaway offer.




Thursday, January 17, 2013

Heads Up: Teacher's Pest by Charles Gilman

I'm looking forward to this upcoming title...

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #3:
Teacher's Pest
by Charles Gilman
Release date: May 7, 2013

DON'T BE FOOLED by his friendly smile, his perfect manners, or his shiny red apple. Student council president Howard Mergler is actually a sinister bug-monster in disguise—and he's summoning swarms of roaches, wasps, fleas, and head lice into the corridors of Lovecraft Middle School! Twelve-year-old Robert Arthur is the only student who can stop him--but he'll need help from his best friends: the school bully, the school ghost, and an extremely courageous two-headed rat.

~*~


WIN a copy of book 2 in this series...

The Slither Sisters
by Charles Gilman
giveaway offer is here

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1: Professor Gargoyle by Charles Gilman

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #1:
Professor Gargoyle
by Charles Gilman

Visit Charles:
mini-bio
Website
Goodreads
Shelfari

Published: 2012
Publisher: Quirk Books
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
Paperback: 160 pages
Rating: 5

Amazon | Barnes&Noble

Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series:
Professor Gargoyle
The Slither Sisters - just released: January 15, 2013
Teacher's Pest - release date: May 7, 2013

Strange things are happening at Lovecraft Middle School. Rats are leaping from lockers. Students are disappearing. The school library is a labyrinth of secret corridors. And the science teacher is acting very peculiar – in fact, he just might be a monster-in-disguise. Twelve-year-old Robert Arthur knew that seventh grade was going to be weird, but this is ridiculous!

Professor Gargoyle (Volume I in the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series) is full of bizarre beasts, strange mysteries, and nonstop adventure. It's perfect for readers ages 10 and up. Best of all, the cover features a state-of-the-art “morphing” photo portrait – so you can personally witness the professor transforming into a monster. You won't believe your eyes!


My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): man flesh
From the packaging to the premise, I enjoyed the start of this book series.

The morphing images on the cover from normal to creepy really captures the eye and imagination. (see how the cover works here)

The inside of the book also includes illustrations for some of the chapters which I consider a special treat to any book.

Being the first book in the series you get a good sense as to interesting and unusual things to come and wonder about. And the intro to the main character is established well - Robert is very likable.


PeekAbook:





WIN a copy of the next book in this series...

The Slither Sisters
by Charles Gilman
giveaway offer is here





Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Happy Release Day: The Slither Sisters by Charles Gilman


Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #2:
The Slither Sisters
by Charles Gilman


--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher, Quirk ~--

WIN a copy of this book!

Open to US, Canada, and UK only.

Offer ends: January 31, 2013

TO DO:

VISIT the Lovecraft Middle School site and tell me something interesting you found there.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

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Contest has ended - winner is here

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Friday, January 11, 2013

Happy Birthday Pride & Prejudice!

Celebrate the upcoming 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen on January 28 with this special offer...


PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES: DELUXE HEIRLOOM EDITION
The Classic Regency Romance—Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
Jane Austen
Seth Grahame-Smith

... Quirk has prepared The Deluxe Heirloom Edition of the New York Times Best Seller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies featuring:

* A fancy 4C hardcover package that will endure for generations

* In addition to the illustrations in the first edition, the expanded version features 13 new full-color oil painting illustrations - depicting all of PPZ’s most memorable moments

* A special preface from author Seth Grahame-Smith in which he describes the writing of PPZ

* Best of all, The Deluxe Heirloom Edition features 30% MORE ZOMBIES! Seth has written pages and pages of all-new (and entirely gratuitous) ultra-violent zombie mahem. If you loved the premise and zombie action of the first book, you’ll love this expanded Deluxe Edition even more.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies features the original text of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with new scenes of bone-crunching zombie action. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton-and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers-and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead.


--~ Book Giveaway courtesy of publisher ~--

WIN a copy of this book! -- 2 winners

Open to US, Canada, and UK only.

Offer ends: January 31, 2013

TO DO:

VISIT Quirk books New Releases and tell me in comments which book you would be interested in reading.

AND, leave your email (if I don't already have it)

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Winners for January


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended December 31, 2012

Thanks to all contestants!

Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman
illustrated by Maurice Sendak

Winner: Debbie

A Christmas Home
by Greg Kincaid
Winner: Valerie

~*~

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the prize title links

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar


 
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