Usually, if anything bad pertaining to blogging/authors/publishers/etc happens…I vent quietly to one or two people. I think it’s not right to air our dirty laundry in public, because really this isn’t a personal blog but a “business” albeit one I pay for, one I spend MY time on & one I use to promote OTHER PEOPLE (authors/companies/whatever). Contrary to popular belief, I do not get paid to do this. Nadda, zip, ziltch. But today is different, it happend to me & people I know who aren’t as outspoken (okay big mouthed) as I am. Who won’t defend themselves because they are a new blogger, or because they are hurt that an author spoke to them like they were a piece of crap on the street.

I’ve noticed some rather crappy things around the net this week & it’s not only bothered me, but authors have observed this & aren’t happy either.

Here’s the thing.

Even before I blogged, I would spend over $100.00 a month on books (prior to knowing the book depo existed). Now think about it, that’s over $1200.00 a year I would spend on books. Now it’s a bit less, thanks to wonderful Publishers/PR & Authors…yet I still spend in the range of $60-$80 a month on books. That is MY money, keep in mind I was laid off in July but yet that’s my only indulgence, books. I don’t ask for presents now, I ask for gift-cards to bookstores. Add to that, the cost that I myself pay to host this blog & domain name, money out of MY pocket no one elses.

So when I read & actually encounter authors telling me when and where and how I should spend MY money on their books, you can bet your ass I am upset & angry. Not only was I told not to buy books online, but to go in store because online won’t help NYT rankings…I was told afterwards that my sales didn’t count because I am Canadian. I was not the only one either, countless times readers were being spoken to rudely & it’s so freaking wrong. I couldn’t sleep I was so angry lastnight & it takes a lot for me to be that angry. For the record, I have never read this authors books & was asking about her FIRST BOOK.

In any case, after that lovely exchange, every single one of that authors books got taken out of my cart. No thanks, I was & am extremely offended.

Yes, bloggers/readers have feelings.

I work my ASS off, to the point where I could be either found staring at a book for hours or emailing an author for an interview, or spending HOURS sitting at my computer working on this site. FOR FREE! I do this because I love to read & I love to share good books, I don’t have to do this, none of us do. I don’t pirate books, I buy them with cash that is hard to come by for all of us!!

I have to give kudos to both Bree/Donna (Moira Rogers) & Stacia Kane for sticking up for us readers & bloggers and a special thanks to the author who apologized to me on behalf of all authors, I do not blame all of you for a few peoples actions.

But I will never buy a book, when I am told how, when, & where I should spend MY money the same way I wouldn’t expect an author to read my review & change their book because I didn’t like it.

Ayla Hammond has come home.
After years as a lone wolf in a self-imposed exile she’s rejoining the pack and trying to mend fences with her parents.
She’s convinced them to accept her girlfriend, but can a lone wolf change her ways?
As if homecoming wasn’t hard enough, Ayla also can’t help getting involved in a missing person case.
With pressure to solve the case mounting from the pack alphas, Ayla is starting to question where her loyalties lie –and if a return to the pack she left behind is really what she wants.

Although there are no vampires in SILVER KISS, let’s face it – you can’t go far these days without finding werewolves versus vampires, whether it’s in books or films. I guess there are lots of reasons why they might be natural enemies, and lots of reasons why people prefer one or the other. Me, I’m for the werewolves. At least they’re actually alive!

Of course there are lots of advantages to being a vampire that werewolves don’t have: eternal life and youth for one. But who wants to live forever? You just end up alone, jaded, and miserable if the films are anything to go by! At least being a werewolf is only a part-time gig. Once a month is all you have to deal with, then you can go back to your regular life if you want to.

Another reason werewolves beat vampires? No need to drink blood! Come on, the films might make it look glamorous, but would you really want to give up chocolate, steak, cheesecake, and red wine? I don’t think so. Werewolves get to eat whatever they want… and if the occasional sheep or rabbit works its way into your diet, well, it’s all protein, isn’t it?

I’ve got a great contest for everyone.  There’s an ebook for a winner at the end of today and everyone who enters now will also be in the running for winning a signed print copy of SILVER KISS drawn at the end of the week.  Just answer this simple question in your comment to be entered into both competitions:

Which would you rather be – a werewolf or a vampire? And more importantly, why?

Follow the SILVER KISS BLOG TOUR (http://www.queeredfiction.com/silverkiss.htm) for more chances to win.  Check out the itinerary and join me on the next step of the tour.  Tweet about it @queeredfiction and #silverkiss for more entries into the drawings!

Visit the Silver Kiss page at http://www.queeredfiction.com/silverkiss.htm for a reading as Naomi Clark reads from Wolf Strap! (Released in parts over the course of the blog tour!)

March is a big month for new releases, as always you can find this months list on the front page of my blog. Happy shopping!

Michele Hauf emailed me yesterday to let me know in advance TODAY she is hosting a ONE DAY ONLY contest to promote the release of her new release: Vampire’s Tango. Here’s the deets…

This contest takes place today only—March 1st.  Follow me on Twitter @michelehauf <http://www.twitter.com/michelehauf> .

 All you have to do to be entered to win a copy of HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND <http://www.michelehauf.com/hvh.html>  is RT (retweet) any of my posts about Vampire’s Tango <http://www.michelehauf.com/tvt.html>  today.  

I have 4 posts planned, starting in the morning through afternoon.  Each post has a link to learn more about the story, watch a video, or even to download free music at Amazon.  I want to spread the word, and you, my Tweeple, can help me.  For every RT, you’re entered once.  You can only RT 4 messages.  I’ll draw names tomorrow and announce winners on Twitter, March 2nd.  I’ll decide then how many winners there will be, but there will be at least 5.  

So go forth and tweet, Tweeps!  And many advance thanks for your support!

For more details, head over to Michele’s blog! http://dustedbywhimsy.blogspot.com

Because I not only love Synde’s work but because Synde is such an awesome person, I’ve decided on a new feature here on Writings of a Wicked Book Addict….Sunday’s with Synde. We’ll be showing Synde’s new Vampire Academy Inspired Jewellery!

Sterling silver chain holds little melon cut aquamarines framed by sterling silver beads from Bali. A large Aquamarine drop sways from a sterling silver toggle clasp, more ice blue aqua’s dangle below delicately..3 different tones of aqua make this necklace one to have
17″ plus drop

You can buy Synde’s Work @ Cemetery Cat Designs

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• List Price: $6.99 US/$8.99 CDN
• Publisher: Tor Books (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765364255
• ISBN-13: 978-0765364258

Buy Serpent Moon on March 2nd at:

• Chapters/Indigo
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble

Eric Thompson has always lived in the shadow of his older brother, the Alpha of the Canadian werewolf pack. While he has strength and speed and a howl that can truly make his pack whole, he doesn’t have his brother’s viciousness—and the pack wasn’t worth either of them dying. To Eric, a leader should lead wisely and well, and his brother has done neither. So he left to become a lone wolf.

Holly Sanchez has likewise lived in the shadows. A full human born to the Omega of the Boulder pack, she was attacked and turned into the very thing she had come to hate. Worse still, she became an alphic healer—except that as a wolf, she now terrifies the very animals she’d hoped to one day treat as a veterinarian.

But as the world goes mad and species begins to attack species, Holly and Eric learn that they may only have their special gifts, and each other, to rely on to hold together the fragments of what was once a mighty shapeshifter population.

For She has finally come, and the world will never again be the same.

In Serpent Moon we begin with Eric, who is in training to become the Alpha of his own pack & Holly who is still mentally recovering from being attacked & turned. Holly has found out that a group of her former friends are attacking Sazi & trying to change them back to humans, also there’s a monster (Marduc) on the loose attacking Sazi. Holly is also still coming to grips with the change that she had spent her whole life wishing would happen (she comes from a family of borns). Eric & Holly come together to try to stop Marduc & repair the relationship that almost happend before Eric ran away.

Serpent Moon is actually the eighth book in the Tales of the Sazi series, but if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, Serpent Moon is also a great stand alone. You learn enough about all of the characters that you can follow along with the story, which is extremely fast-paced & heavy on the action. Though Holly was an attack victim, she is by no means weak at all. Though she is still struggling with Holly post attack & Holly after attack, can she still be the same person she always was? Adams & Clamp write one heck of a love scene, in the middle of attacks & brutality. My only issue was one of the death’s really wasn’t explained, a whole house-fullof people were killed, but it was mentioned only in a passing kind of way. I would have liked to have known what happened, other than they all died.

If you are looking for an action driven Paranormal Romance, pick up Serpent Moon.

Well you don’t win Anton, but you do win a copy of Dead Matter! Congrats to Karen!

• Reading level: Young Adult
• List Price: $ 17.99 US/ $22.99 CDN
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Chicken House (February 1, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0545142997
• ISBN-13: 978-0545142991

Buy Num8ers at:

• Chapters/Indigo
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble

Ever since she was child, Jem has kept a secret: Whenever she meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die. Burdened with such awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. The two plan a trip to the city. But while waiting to ride the Eye ferris wheel, Jem is terrified to see that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today’s number. Today’s date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!

Jem is 15, her mother died of a drug overdose & she’s been in & out of foster care since then. She has a secret, she can look into someones eyes & see the date of their death. While standing outside of the Eye Needle with her buddy Spider, Jem sees something startling: all the people in line have the same date of death, today’s date & Jem can do nothing to stop it. Both Jem & Spider go on the run after the Eye is bombed, fearing that they’ve been labeled terrorists. While on the run, they end up falling in love but there’s a problem…Jem can see Spider is running out of time & she’s doing everything she can to stop it.

When I started this book this morning, I didn’t intend to finish it in 5 hours. I put the book down after the first 125 pages to rest my eyes, got back up after 10 minutes & did not put it down until I finished.

The concept of being able to see someones date of death & not being able to do anything to stop it, just sucked me right into the book. I was routing for Spider & Jem the whole book! I absolutely loved that Jem finally let down her shields with Spider, Jem as a foster child & someone who can “see” death, just couldn’t get too close to anyone. But when Spider befriends her, she can’t help but like the 6’4 gangly loner. Jem is such a strong character you can’t help but fall in love with her!

I admit, I even got a bit emotional during the last few chapters. It’s one of those books that you must have someone to talk about with when you finish, because the very last sentence in Num8ers will make your skin crawl in a good way! Thankfully the sequel is due out this summer!

After finishing Num8ers, I jumped online knowing Mandi @ Smexy Books had been reading it & thankfully we finished at the exact same time. Honestly, I was about to explode over the last sentence, I am SOOOO glad I had someone to share it with. It really is that type of book, that you must share what you thought about it with someone else. The ending reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games, a shocking end where your mouth opens & you really think about it.

Though this book is targeted to YA, I must warn there are some mature scenes (death, sex, language) but in the context of the book, it works. I don’t find that it was added for shock value at all, it just works.

If you want to read a YA that will suck you in from start until finish, Rachel Ward’s debut novel is one of the best of 2010!

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Price: $ 27.95 US/ $29.95 CDN
• Publisher: Viking Adult (March 9, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670021474
• ISBN-13: 978-0670021475

Buy Angelology when it is release on March 9th at:

• Chapters/Indigo
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.
Genesis 6:5

Sister Evangeline was just a girl when her father entrusted her to the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York. Now, at twenty-three, her discovery of a 1943 letter from the famous philanthropist Abigail Rockefeller to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent plunges Evangeline into a secret history that stretches back a thousand years: an ancient conflict between the Society of Angelologists and the monstrously beautiful descendants of angels and humans, the Nephilim.

For the secrets these letters guard are desperately coveted by the once-powerful Nephilim, who aim to perpetuate war, subvert the good in humanity, and dominate mankind. Generations of angelologists have devoted their lives to stopping them, and their shared mission, which Evangeline has long been destined to join, reaches from her bucolic abbey on the Hudson to the apex of insular wealth in New York, to the Montparnasse cemetery in Paris and the mountains of Bulgaria.

First, I must say Angelology has the most beautiful book cover I have ever seen in my life. When I took this book out of the envelope it came in, I just sat and stared at it. The pictures online don’t show how beautiful it is.

I am not going to reiterate the description of the book, because this one really does it justice and I couldn’t explain it any simpler than an ages old battle between the Nephilim (dark angels) and humanity.

Nephilim: Known for their beauty, the Nephilim are decendants of angels & humans who have perpetuated war & subverted the good in humanity for centuries

Angelology is a really complex book, if you think you can read it in two days, sorry not going to happen. It’s so detail rich and there are so many different angles of the story, you just couldn’t read it quickly or you would miss something important. It is crammed with history from the present to WW2, with multiple characters and references to real people (Abigail Rockefeller).

Angelology: The study of angels. Angelologists are humans who have devoted their lives to fighting the Nephilim

Angelology wasn’t something I would have normally picked up to be honest with you, but I am glad I had a chance to read it. It gives such a different take on Angels, so much so they even come across as scarier than vampires. Trussoni’s writing is unlike anything i’ve ever read, you really can picture the worlds shes crafted right down to the ice forming on the river. The pace of the book starts gaining speed within the first few pages and the plot is intense.

Angelology has had a lot of press, with people calling it the next DaVinci Code. Trust me, it’s better! There’s also talk of Will Smith’s production company taking it on. If you want to fall into a world that quite possibly could exist without our knowledge…pick up Angelology March 9th.

I ran across Synde on Twitter a few months ago, either through Dakota Cassidy or Mark Henry. I found out she designs jewellery (Cemetery Cat Designs) based on Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Series, how cool is that? I have fallen in love with her work, that I just had to interview her & show her jewellery off. A big welcome and a thank you to Synde for taking the time out of our normal music discussions to do this interview!

WLP: How did you start making jewellery based on Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Series?

Synde: I was sitting around with Team Seattle and I had just given Richelle Mead a bracelet I made for her.  I think it was Mark Henry that actually said you guys should make Vampire Academy jewelry. We all laughed about it and moved on to whatever we were gathered for. Cut to a month or two later when Mark and Richelle and I were having coffee. Mark brought it up again, and we all talked about it. A week later Richelle and I were meeting to begin the process..It has been from my viewpoint a partnership made in heaven..Richelle is a joy to work with! She approves all my designs before they go up on my site.

WLP: How did you all meet to begin with?

Synde: I met Richelle at a signing for Succubus on Top..When I stepped and said my name Synde(cindy) and spelled it for her…Mark(again!) and Richelle both said in total unison “OH! that’s how you say it..we thought is was pronounced snide-e!” I think we all just kind of bonded over that. I started running into her at other Team Seattle readings, and we started talking.

WLP: What is your favorite piece of jewellery that you’ve made?

Synde: My favorite piece is one I made for myself ages ago..then I decided to sell it.. It’s nothing fancy, but I brought those pieces of Turquoise back from Tibet..They meant a lot to me..it was the first time I made a piece that I knew wasn’t for me even though I wanted it to be.

WLP: What about your favorite Vampire Academy piece?

Synde: I love making the Siberian tears Necklaces, aquamarine really inspires me..I love the color..

WLP: How do the books inspire you to make the jewellery?

Synde: I really trust in the author to talk to me about their feelings..then I read the book with that in mind. There are a few authors I would like to work with.

WLP: Okay, you led me into that one. Which authors would you like to work with?

Synde: I can tell you a couple… Mark Henry, Dakota Cassidy, Stacia Kane & Tiffany Trent

WLP: Finally, what are your favorite materials to work with?

Synde: My favorite stone would either be Aquamarine or Turquoise…love both and sterling silver! I am all about the silver..I am very moon oriented..silver is the moon’s color..that pic I just sent you is of a Necklace Called Siberian Tears..for Dimitri

I want to again thank Synde for creating such wicked jewellery, I have become slightly obsessed with her newest creation…I will cut someone if they buy it! Okay not really, BUY IT. But don’t wear it at the same time I wear mine, cause then I will cut you!