Welcome! |
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It's a new year - and what a year it's already turning out to be. The start of the new year has brought with it a swag of new releases for us to enjoy ... as well as notice of release dates for the coming months. We've got a few highlights for you below, but keep your eyes out for new books by Nalini Singh, Jacquelyn Frank, Alexandra Ivy, Karen Chance, Jackie Kessler, Keri Arthur, Laurell K Hamilton, Rachel Vincent ... and so many more. As well, we're getting ready for our Tasman Sea takeover ... yep, we're moving into New Zealand so from now on the shop will operate in both countries ... and after that we're looking at distribution throughout Asia. We're sorting out the currency conversion and distribution issues now but come the end of January we'll be ready for the full ANZAC experience. This has also been a time for reflecting on our Top Reads of the last year. The full list is on the website, but highlights were: Night's Cold Kiss -Tracey O'Hara Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire Sweet Scent of Blood - Suzanne McLeod One aspect of these that stands out is that they are all Urban Fantasies. Don't get us wrong, we still love our Paranormal Romances, but it seems that during last year there was a significant increase in the number and quality of the Urban Fantasies available. There's an edginess emerging to books, an exploration of the impact of the hidden on our visible world, that is exciting, unpredictable and quite remarkable. We can't wait to see how this develops in 2010. What we do know is that there are more really good PNR and UF books available now than ever before, and, with the growth of SciFi Romance, UF Romance and Steampunk authors are going to continue to stretch the boundaries of their imaginations and continue to surprise and delight us. So roll on 2010 ... we're ready!
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Fang Blog:We've received some wonderful feedback from people that they liked the way we have a mix of news, reviews and a bookstore all on one site - so we've taken it up a notch. Our home page is now an interactive blog where we'll give updates on releases, reviews and author news ... and where you can add in your comments. We're hoping to build a community of people who like Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy ... so come and blog with us!
fangbooks on TwitterWe're having a heap of fun on twitter (we're fangbooks) tweeting with readers and authors. I don't know if you're twitter-ers but it's an amazing insight into the way authors write, exchange ideas and egg each other on, as well as a great place to find out about chat rooms, competitions and new releases. Send us a tweet and let us know what books you'd like us to find for you or tell us about the books that you've recently read.
Rosie@FANG |
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January Competition - win a copy of Embrace the Darkness |
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We had great fun with our December competition for a copy of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and we received loads of great ideas for future competitions. This month's competition is for a copy of Alexandra Ivy's Embrace the Darkness, a Guardians of Eternity book which I just love. And the competition? Choose one of Keri Arthur's books and give us a short review of why you liked it. The review doesn't have to be indepth, but should deal with plot, characters, world building, how it made you feel, balance of action and character development, etc. Word length is 200 -600 words. We've set out some guidelines for reviews under the Author tab on the website so have a look here ... So keep it clear, keep it clean and come out typing .... (and yes, any reviews we receive may be posted to the site. Oh and yes again, we're the judge, jury and executioner for all competitions. *grin*) |
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Highlights of Recent Releases - the ones we've read and can highly recommend |
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Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn Have you heard the one about the werewolf called Kitty? Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn is everything I had hoped it would be ... and after the first five books in this series I had very high expectations! Kitty is a late night radio host and Carrie Vaughn has great fun with this - all the crazies come out to play in typical late night talk back radio style. What makes this even wackier is that Kitty's show, The Midnight Hour, deals with all things supernatural, so the topics get really out there with some wonderful conspiracy theories interspersing the commentaries and advice. The radio show provides a great backdrop, and some light relief, to the action which can get pretty hair raising and surprisingly emotional. The entire series has been one of my finds of the year! And this latest release Kitty Raises Hell is a constant adreneline ride as Kitty and Ben come up against vampire politics, a sadistic cult of lycanthropes and a demon reeking of brimstone and fire. It's a buzz, a thrill, a race against time .... all those wonderful elements! TOO DARN HOT!
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Born of Ice by Sherrilyn Kenyon Born of Ice completes the science fiction romance trilogy that was a story of the heart for author Sherrilyn Kenyon. The story of how these books came to be is almost as fascinating at the space rebel plots. Sherrilyn started writing these books in 1990, had one taken up by a publisher with options on another one which was never published. She spent many years facing rejection notice after rejection notice - and yet kept on writing. Now with the success of the Dark Hunter series behind her she has been able to resurrect these early books, rewrite them quite thoroughly and tie them into a loose trilogy about space assassins, intersteller politics, conspiracies, kick-butt fight scenes, space battles and, of course, romance. At times the plots are a little lumpy, and some of the resolutions to problems are more than a little contrived, but as simply a fun read and a testament to Sherrilyn Kenyon's storytelling, this is a series to check out. (Born of Night was my favourite though LOL). Devyn Kell spent his life in service to the League until he learned of the double dealing and backstabbing that was costing innocent people their lives. Refusing to play those politics, he became a Runner - someone who makes sure planets get the weapons, medicine and supplies they need to survive. May the gods have mercy on any who get in his way, because he definitely won’t. Alix Garran is a woman on the run from a past she can’t escape. Signing on to work for Devyn as a System’s Engineer, she finds a cause she can fight for - and a man she can respect. But as Alix’s past catches up to her, and Devyn’s old enemies turn lethal, they have to fight together…or fall alone.
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Lover Avenged was absolutely worth waiting for! JR Ward kept her fans on tenderhooks for months waiting for Rhev's story to come out, but having read it I can understand why this was a long time in development. Frankly I never liked Rhevenge. I was stunned at the thought that he was going to be given his own story, because OMG why? He's a drug lord, a pimp, a sympath ... just all around nasty. And yet, what a book, I'm left gasping for breath at JR Ward's genius. She took this unlikeable reprobate and told his story in a way that ripped my heart out. This is a complicated book. It's big, there are lot of sub plots and, well, I gave it my only 5/5 of 2009! Read the review of Lover Avenged here..... Rehvenge, as a half-breed symphath, is used to living in the shadows and hiding his true identity. As a club owner and a dealer on the black market, he s also used to handling the roughest nightwalkers around - including the members of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.He s kept his distance from the Brotherhood as his dark secret could make things complicated on both sides - but now, as head of the vampire aristocracy, he s an ally that Wrath, the Blind King, desperately needs. Rehv s secret is about to get out, though, which will land him in the hands of his deadly enemies- and test the mettle of his female, turning her from a civilian into a vigilante...
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Matters of the Blood by Maria Lima Perhaps if you've been overseas you've been able to get this fangtastic book before, but with it's Australian release in November most of us are just now discovering Maria Lima and her powerful Blood Lines series From the opening sentence ('I know the dead and the dead know me'), it just grabs hold of your imagination and refuses to let go. At times chilling, bordering on turning into a thriller, Maria Lima certainly knows how to get the blood pumping. She also knows seduction... read the whole review here ... If you thought your family was strange... try being Keira Kelly. A member of a powerful paranormal family, Keira elected to stay among humans in the Texas Hill Country when the rest of the clan moved (lock, stock, and grimoire) to Canada. But family duty means still having to keep an eye on cousin Marty -- a genetic aberration who turned out 100% human, poor guy. And recently Keira's been having violent dreams -- or are they visions? -- featuring Marty as the victim of a vicious murder. Something sinister seems to be brewing in little Rio Seco. Can Keira get to the bottom of it all while avoiding entanglement with her former lover, Sheriff Carlton Larson? And what does she plan to do about the irresistible and enigmatic Adam Walker? When this old friend shows up as the new owner of a local ranc and wants to get better acquainted, Keira is more than happy to be welcoming...until she suspects that Adam could be intimately connected to the dangerous doings in Rio Seco.
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Spotlight on Favourite Authors |
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Have you discovered Jenna Black? |
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If you haven't yet discovered Jenna Black then you're in for a treat. This is a woman with an amazing imagination and the ability to create a powerful presence in her books. Her Morgan Kingsley series is definitely one to try! Think about this .... an exorcist who gets possessed by a demon! Yep, a cheeky thought isn't it? Jenna Black could have treated this premise in a number of ways - this could have been a very successful tongue in cheek/fangs in neck chick lit book. However Jenna Black chose to make this an Urban Fantasy series with touches of police drama and political machinations - plus quite a dash of horror. I wouldn't say that there's romance in this series, but there's definitely passion! Start with The Devil Inside to get a good feel for the plot .... but the fourth book Speak of the Devil is my favourite so far as the characters come into their own and the plot threads really start to come together. Devil's Playground is due out in May 2010 so you've got time to explore this very very clever series.
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Debut Author - Seanan McGuire |
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If you haven't jumped into the brilliant new world of Seannan McGuire - please do because you don't know what you're missing out on! Her debut novel Rosemary and Rue is a dark Urban Fantasy that picks you up and takes you on a frantic, dangerous ride into the world of the fey. This is a wonderful blend of the familiar and the original. We’ve got a familiar feel to the story, we’ve got the Sidhe Courts, a little death and destruction and the blend of the mortal world. The entire novel is almost comfortable, there is a certain formula to it that readers of urban fantasy will most likely pick up. However, that’s also part of the devilish delight in reading this, you know that there is something shocking coming up, you just can’t guess what it could be – it’s almost like getting a small wrapped box for your birthday, you know it’s going to be something good, but just how good is it going to be! Read the whole review here .... Seanan McGuire is a wonderful new voice in Urban Fantasy. She's thrown herself into the genre with grit and guts and shown that she may be new ... but she's tough! |
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Have your read our Interviews with Authors? |
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Nalini Singh is one of my favourite authors. I love her Psy/Changeling series and I've already read Angels' Kiss three times! It was an absolute delight to talk with Nalini recently. Have a look at our interview with Nalini here ..... |
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The divine Michelle Rowen has given us some wonderful books in her Immortality Bites series - she's funny, smart, cheeky and writes a darn fine book! And even though this series is at an end, there are lots more treasures in store for us. For an absolute treat have a read of her interview with fang! |
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New Reviews: Want to know what's hot to read ... check out what we think! |
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| Night Falls Darkly by Kim Lenox: Like sneaking the last chocolate, Night Falls Darkly will leave you devilishly satisfied! Archer, like all good Dukes, is no match for his clever staff and the witty and charming enigma that is Elena Whitney. This is a wonderful...Read More... Penumbra (Spook Squad #3) by Keri Arthur: Lock the doors and take the phone off the hook, you will not want to be interrupted for this! You'll never view a storm the same way, not once you've been electrified by Samantha Ryan. The elusive Joshua comes into focus as we are lead...Read More... Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson: This has got to be one of the best witchcraft stories I've read, and manages to create a really great story without the need to dive into the darkest pits. This is probably light enough to make it into teen paranormal, but the story i...Read More... Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead: Good versus Evil - but the Angels and Demons are drinking buddies, and we are on evil's side. What a concept! Succubus Blues was the first ever book published by Richelle Mead, and just what a debut this is! We've got Georgina Kincaid...Read More... Storm Front by Jim Butcher..... Five Stars!: Wow. I have just decided that Jim Butcher is the god of Urban Fantasy! His is a name I've seen pop up from time to time, but had never actually read any of his books. Again I get to compare with the likes of Patricia Briggs a...Read More... |
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A mere TASTE of January's Paranormal Line Up |
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Meljean Brook: Demon Forged The Guardians series just keeps getting better and better. We've met Irena in past books but this time she'll be tested as never before. This has just come out and already the Distributors are having to order more copies in! It's proving to be a very hot seller! |
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Carol Nelson Douglas: Vampire Sunrise Paranormal Investigator Delilah takes to the tough Vegas streets and takes on vampires, gods, werewolves and insane celebrity zombies. Sounds fun - but this is quite a dark UF. |
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Amanda Ashley is a terrific writer and each of her books only cements her reputation. In this a cursed vampire must find and punish his nemesis before he can embrace love. |
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Pamela Palmer: Passion Untamed I'm sorry ... it's really hard to get past the cover of this book, which doesn't do the story or the author any favours. But don't let it put you off, Pamela Palmer tends to write really good stories and this is bound to be another sexy adventure. |
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Yet another delightfully good YA read from this talented author. When the blurb includes "Somehow Shannon needs to figure out how to get back to Oklahoma without being killed, married to a horse or losing her mind… " you know this is going to be good! |
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Book One Edge of Hunger of this series was a great read - with clans of paranormal beings hidden within normal towns and cities and one man with his abilities "awakening" so that he can prevent catastrophe escaping to feel on humans. I can't wait to continue to story. |
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For years Gena Showalter has delighted adults with her PNR - now she's releasing her first YA book and so far the reviews have been great. |
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Jessa Slade: Seduced by Shadows Sera is a Talyan with hellish powers who must fight beside a league of warriors in the supernatural battle taking place in the shadows. This is a fascinating take on demons, redemption and the things that stalk the streets at night. |
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Think Underbelly meets the supernatural in this dark and dangerous Melbourne populated with faeries as you've never seen them before. |
News and Views |
Now that we're running a blog, you can always check out our news and views by going to our home page. Some highlights??? |
Hush, Hush has just won the inaugural Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards run by All Things Urban Fantasy. It was wonderful to see the interest that this garnered and hopefully it will raise the bar in terms of cover art. I think we're all pretty tired on the cliche'd covers we get on so many books.
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We had a wonderful time talking with Tracey O'Hara when she visited Galaxy Books in Sydney in December - her Night's Cold Kiss is amazing. In fact this has been listed as a finalist in Australia's Aurealis Awards for the category of Best Horror Novel. The winner will be announced on 23 January and we've got our finger's crossed for Tracey. And this month Galaxy Bookstore in Sydney hosted Nalini Singh at a book signing, so we popped along and met her ... she's just as nice as we thought she would be! |
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