Patricia Briggs Signing

Can you guess Patrica's theme music?

By: Sharon Stogner

Co-Creator & Media Relations

On March 15 Patricia Briggs did a signing at Barnes & Noble in Charlotte, NC. Lucky for me it is only a 90 minute drive. I don’t know much about Briggs since Fair Game was her first book I've read (I will be rectifying this mistake as soon as possible by the way). There were only about 20 of us there, which meant we had time to play around after the signing. Fortunately what happens in B&N, stays in B&N ;) Patty is such a warm and funny person and she likes to talk…a lot <G>. She talked about the Mercy Thompson series, the Alpha &Omega universe and upcoming projects. Since everyone else asked all the basic stuff I threw in some of our fun interview questions from here on the blog. Rather than transcribe the whole talk (I did mention she liked to talk, right?) I will just post the highlights of what she said:

A Bram Book: Bran is not in a happy place right now and Briggs likes people to walk away from her books with a good feeling, and unless Bran takes a left turn at Albuquerque we won’t be seeing his book. But a short story is another matter. She is working on some short stories in the Mercy Universe. Especially Warren (do I have this right?). She said he isn’t bothered by killing people at all and Mercy doesn’t know this.

I asked if we would see more of Alistair, the powerful Fae from Fair Game (cause I have a thing for Fae). She is contracted for 4 books. Three in the Mercy series and one in the A&O universe. There are so many characters she wants to give a book too and since Charles and Ann are in a happy place right now (happy people don’t make good books) she will leave them alone for a while. She also mentions that Fair Game is a great starting point for people and Mercy fans need to read it because the twist at the end of Fair Game changes things in the Mercy universe too.

Jesse: Adam doesn’t want her to be a werewolf or part of their world because he doesn’t like being one, but Jesse might feel differently. Which means conflict (she smiles here). She doesn’t know exactly what will happen, but Jesse’s future will be adventurous.

How did she pick Mercy’s career: in 2005 Patty was asked to write an Urban Fantasy with a heroine connected to the supernatural world and she should have a complicated love life with a vamp or werewolf. At the time it UF with vamps and werewolves was still new. She picked weres because at the time vamps were popular. Then she decided the heroine had to be underpowered so she could have conflict. Her reasoning was…I am from Montana…underpowered…coyote…coyotes are popular in Native American myths so Mercy should be N.A. too. As far as a job for Mercy, she wanted it to be something she knew about and since bagel bagger didn’t sound so great she went with mechanic. She and her husband owned VWs and were always fixing them on their own. (By the way, she says NEVER get a EuroVan) There was a mechanic in their Montana town, Buck, that sold them parts at cost and told them how to fix their cars when they couldn’t afford to have him do it. He became Zee in her Mercy books.

Other favorite authors: She told Jim Butcher that he almost ruined her marriage because her husband likes his books better than hers. She doesn’t know why Lynn Viehl isn’t a NY Times bestselling author. She loves her books. She mentioned Meljean Brook's steampunk series, Ann Bishop and Ilona Andrews as well as lots more.

I asked her what theme music she would like playing whenever she entered a room. She picked the theme to Jaws <G>

Memorial Day weekend she will be attending the only Con in Montana and George R.R. Martin will be there.

Last year was the single most disastrous year she has ever had. She and her husband spent 9 months in her 30 X 10 foot writing trailer along with the dog, 4 cats, 2 snakes, and a bird (this is why there is only one book this year) They were having an addition put on the house that was to take two weeks. But they found black mold, and had to take the roof off and replace. Everything had to be taken out and stored in the front yard in moving containers.

The Mercy books are kind of a microcosm of the werewolf world. They are in a small town and events that take place don’t have an impact on the rest of the world. The Alpha & Omega series is where the big things happen that affect the werewolf world. Charles is the enforcer for Bran and is in contact with all the packs. A&O was where Briggs wanted to tell the backstory of how the werewolves came out to humans. She also wanted to write a serial killer novel set in Boston. The twist at the end of Fair Game was something she wanted to happen in the Mercy universe and this turned out to be the perfect place for it.

I also asked her what fictional character she would like to have her back during the zombie apocalypse. She said Superman or Harry Dresden.

they smacked my hand when I tried to give Patty bunny ears

That was the gist of the Q&A, she signed all the books you wanted her too and spent lots of time talking with each person and taking pictures. A small group of us stayed a while after to chat. Including author Tess Hilaire (Deliver Me From Darkness) and fellow blogger Ana from HerdingCats, Burning Soup. I tried to capture Patty so I could give her away on the blog, but she got away….

next time I bring rope!

Sheep Book Review: Hero the Zero by Joan Holub

Hero the Zero

Henry Holt & Co/Macmillan

Hardcover picture book

Author: Joan Holub

Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld

Zero is a number, and a very important number ~ but all the other numbers are having a hard time figuring out just how important he really is. In this hilarious new book by Joan Holub and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Tom Lichtenheld, we learn the value of the letter zero, and have some laughs along the way. Enjoy this cleverly crafted book trailer, featuring numbers 1-9, and of course, the star of the show, Zero himself.

Every once in a while I get a chance to review a children’s book. My kids are no longer interested in picture books, well…they have moved up to graphic novels! Joan Holub has written an amazing amount of children’s books and I have read many with my kids. Her newest book Zero the Hero just came out and I was lucky enough to win a copy! Once I was done with it I donated it to my 10 year old’s elementary school.

Poor Zero, all the other numbers (1-9) tease him because when playing addition, subtraction and division games he means….well, nothing! But when they get to multiplication, the numbers become scared of Zero because anything times zero is zero. Zero has the power to make them disappear. Zero only wants to help others and runs away so he won’t hurt the other numbers. Of course after he has left the other numbers start to realize they need Zero, but before they can find him the Roman Numerals attack, spears, togas and all! Zero comes back to save the day and he shows the Roman Numerals what happens when he does multiplication (he uses a rock. Zero X rock = zero). The Roman Numerals get scared and run away.

This story is full of silly number puns that children and their parents can enjoy and the cheerfully bright cartoon illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Tom Lichtenheld are full of visual humor. There is also a message about what it means to be a friend, this is an excellent choice for kindergarten through third grade kids.


5 "round" sheep

Be sure to check out Joan’s other books, including her middle grade series The Goddess Girls and The Doll Hospital (my daughter has read some of these and loved them)

Sheep Book Review: Angels' Flight by Nalini Singh

Angels' Flight, by PNR author Nalini Singh, is a Guild Hunter Collection of four novellas. The first three stories have been previously published with the last story being a new addition to the Guild Hunters series. I enjoy Singh's writing so much that getting three repeats and only one new story wasn't a total heartache. I would have liked to know this fact ahead of time but the online description doesn't clearly state this, it is mentioned on the back book cover so to those who know the saga be warned. However, for those of you not yet into the series this book is a great way to dive in head-first!

Angels' Pawn (2009)

In Angels' Pawn a vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless...

Janvier is a muscle-bound vamp who's set his sights on the Guild Hunters deadliest woman, Ashwini. These two decide to team up and set off to find out who's been playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with a powerful Angel. Action and adventure heat things up while the sexual angst builds between the two protagonists. While this book was smut free and definitely left things hanging, I really enjoyed getting to read more on these previously mentioned characters. This story has a very sappy train station ending that left me banging my fist over the lack of closure, but it only adds anticipation for the next stories.

Angels' Judgement (2009)

In Angels' Judgment a hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all...

Sara, the soon-to-be head of the Guild Hunters is tested by the Angels who want to gauge her skill and determine if she is worthy of this position. Deacon is the Slayer who's teamed up with Sara to help her pass the test; he's known as the silent hunter whose task is to take out rogue agents of the Guild. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it and Deacon is one hunky beef cake and the best man for the job. Sara has been an intriguing character in this saga and getting more information on how she came to her position was awesome. The chemistry between Sara and Deacon was wicked and I loved it. I would have loved a full book dedicated to the couple, but I'll take what I can get!

Angels' Wolf (2011)

In Angel's Wolf a vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.

Nimra the Angel who's ruler of the Louisiana territory has a traitor among the members of her court. Fortunately she gets some much needed help and friendship, from the once broken and beaten Noel. This vamp has a scarred past, yet comes out fighting his way back into the world. Intrigue and mystery take center stage in this novella as Nimra and Noel team up to discover the traitor as while bonding along the way.

Angels' Dance (2012)

In Angels' Dance an angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.

Jessamy an ancient Angel is trapped at Refuge, a sanctuary for most but a prison for her. This Angel was born with a malformed wing, something unheard of in this world of warriors. She's secluded herself off from most of the other Angels, content with teaching the younglings and keeping the histories. Let me just say that Jessamy is one of the nicest characters I've read in this whole series. Unfortunately the soft-spoken, kind-hearted Angel has someone out to get her, but rescue comes in the form of the brute male Galen! *sigh* These two are a fantastic couple and I loved every single word on the pages of this story. If a novella ever needed to be longer it was right here! While this story is the only new addition to the saga as a whole, it takes place in the past of the overall timeline. This story keeps new readers from feeling lost with the overall saga while letting folks invested in the series get a better glimpse of our romantic pair.

As a whole this series is off the chain. The latest book was only a tad disappointing for me personally, but I'm grateful for what I did get!

Getting 4 'Let's Dance baby!' Sheep

KD

Revoluticon Battle Report

Greetings, dear readers, and today I'm collecting my thoughts after the glorious event which was Revoluticon this past March 16-18. And let me tell you, it was one heck of a convention and I am still recovering from all of the excitement. I met lots of cool people, went to some pretty cool panels and even did my own super-special awesome panel. All while wearing my ever-trusty press hat.

It says Press, that makes it official

First off I'll talk a little bit about my panel and how that went overall. There were a few initial set backs, such as getting the one panel room that didn't have a projector so I couldn't show my hand-crafted powerpoint for the awesome people who showed up. I also was up against some pretty big events in the time slot so I ended up getting an audience of about four.

Half of the people in this picture are people I used to live with.

Well, okay, about three other guys showed up after I started and they didn't get to be in the picture, but it was still a pretty small crowd. But out of the people who attended all of them left at least a little more interested in Warhammer 40,000 and a little more knowledgeable so I would call it an overall success. And for any staff members of Revoluticon reading this, I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to talk at your con and hope you're all foolish, I mean wise enough to let me give more panels about my obsession in the future.

Aside from giving my own panel, I also got to attend a couple of really informative or funny panels at the convention. The people over at The Analytical Couch Potato gave a really interesting panel about Klingons from Star Trek and viewing Klingons from a feminist perspective. I personally would like to hear more from them in the future. I also got to talk with the awesome nerd comedy team +2 Comedy and catch a little bit of their stand-up performance. Unfortunately I had to leave halfway through their show to set up my own panel, but I would definitely suggest checking them out and they might be doing a convention near you.

Alex Pearlman (Left) and Noah Houlihan (Right) of +2 Comedy

Finally I got to meet a couple of aspiring artists at the convention like the team of With a Grain of Salt Designs, as well as the art of Julie A. Wright and Lesser Key Studios. They had some interesting stuff and while not all of it was my taste it was definitely pretty good.

Artists doing artist things.

If only they had something that included three of my main passions: History, reading, and science fiction. Oh wait.

Awesome bookmarks from Julie's table

Perfect.

- Kalpar

Sheep Book Review: Born of Ashes by Caris Roane

Born of Ashes, by author Caris Roane is the fourth installment in her Guardians of Ascension PNR series. Caris is a truly brilliant writer, where she leads...I willingly follow!

Plot:

For years, she was kept as a human slave—one of seven unwilling “blood donors” for the death vampires who thirst for absolute power. Now, Fiona is a free woman, haunted by her memories of being strapped to a gurney, drained of blood, then revived at the last moment. She lives to avenge her captors—but only one warrior can help her…

Jean-Pierre has lived and fought for over two-hundred years. He knows the triumph of slaying a death vampire, but has never known anything like the feelings that arise when he becomes Fiona’s guardian. Her beauty, her pain, her passion—and her growing power—consume his senses. Now the warrior must draw his sword once more…and fight the gates of hell itself—for love.

With French floating around and a group of muscled up warriors in smexy battle gear what's not to love? These books have everything you could want in a PNR. First on the list is Entertainment, from Second Earth and beyond Caris takes the reader on one heck of a ride with battles from left and right and spectacles only this imaginative woman can create. Real Housewives moments and shadow boxing only add to the overall drama. In addition, the male camaraderie and banter between these warrior brothers always brings a smile to my face. When you fight nightly side to side with these guys for centuries you're bound to forge some solid friendships.

Second you have some well thought-out plot-lines. Each book rides alongside the main storyline, and no matter who's the lead male and female the story picks up where the last left off. But intertwining new changes and checking back in on previous characters keep things fluid. Changes always need to be made in a storyline for the series to continue to grow and Caris's approach is so subtle you don't see it happening until the climatic ending. It's pure brilliance!

Third is the amazing editing and grammar department, I found only 1 small mistake in a 430 page book. Granted I'm not an editor (which is why we have the wonderful B.A. here) but when little ole me can see major grammar errors then there's a big problem. Hats off to the folks at SMP for knowing and delivering a fantastic editing job.

Fourth is our sexy romance department. Yes, these are PNR's so there better some pretty great sex scenes. Jean-Pierre is one coffee-flavored stud muffin of love. He's all about getting the job done, ladies, and the man delivers like the stallion he is! Truly incredible stuff that left me fanning myself for a while afterwards. The chemistry between Fiona and Jean-Pierre was sweet and truly lovely to read, if soft and sweet could ever really be this hot and heavy then sign me up!

This series as a whole has been a solid hit one right after the other. If you don't know this writer you can easily pick up from here and go forward. Granted you'll loose the overall essence of this world she's created but it can be done. If Madam Endelle can't bring a wicked smile to your face (and good undead gods what will she wear next?!) then the Warriors who rock these ladies' nights daily will!

Getting 4 and 1/2 Strawberry lovin Sheep

KD