Breaking News--Two Short Reviews

Hello hello!

So, I try not to review too many books apart from my top-ten list, but I was overflowing with enthusiasm and love, and I just had to post these.



Re: Rags & Bones by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Kelly Armstrong, et alhttp://www.amazon.com/Rags-Bones-Twists-Timeless-Tales-ebook/dp/B00BAXFB46

"I don't even know how to talk about this book. I loved it, and it was so beautiful it hurt. I admit that I'm prejudiced--it was an anthology of some of my favorite authors, about retellings--one of my favorite things--and folklore--another favorite thing--and it was illustrated by Charles Vess. I don't think it would be physically possible for me not to love this book.

And I still loved it more than I expected to. In the interest of balance, I'll mention that the last story left me cold and the organizational structure of the stories didn't make too much sense to me, but enh.

I loved it, you should buy it, and this will be going onto the list of some of my favorite books, with an honoured place. I am going to seek out the authors, too; some of the stories really caught my attention. It's well-written, spooky, mournful, romantic, haunting, and still very simple. It crosses genres.

Long story short, I can't say enough good things about it. Buy it and see why for yourself."




Re: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig http://www.amazon.com/Blackbirds-Chuck-Wendig-ebook/dp/B007B2D4DU

"I adore urban fantasy horror, and Wendig just nails it. I'm going to quote fanmail I sent the author:
"So I am pestering you again because I just finished Blackbirds. How could you do that to my heart?! How? And it is a series...I am so scared and so excited. It was marvellous and awful and...I don't even know, but I think I have a big throbbing crush on Miriam Black." Miriam is like a manic pixie dream girl rendered goth, if the MPDG was a human being with damage and scars and a sad but realistic history and a romantic streak, and if MPDGs were prone to beating the living shit out of the men they're supposed to save. Her story is the story of America, and I can't wait for the next one.
It's tight, it's gritty, it's sorrowful, and it's funny as phuque. Oh, sure, I'll admit that the interrupted narrative gives it a slightly choppy flavour, but that's far from a dealbreaker.
Buy it, love it, and for the love of the gods, don't be a wimp about the cursing. The swearing is part of the soul of this book, and Miriam is going to haunt my dreams--cigarettes, cheap hair dye, scars, and all."

Also, I desperately want Miriam Black to meet Shadow from Gaiman's American Gods just to see what would happen.

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Breaking News: PSSST! Free Post-Apocalyptic New Adult novel with QUILTBAG people and POC

Hey guys and gals and people and pandas!

This is free today! As it says on the tin, it's a book loaded with diverse characters. There is also madness, possible magic, and monsters. If you're good, there will be a dragon. If you're bad, there will definitely be a dragon.

Get it here!




Pass it on! MWAH!

A Quick Update--The Night Circus

This is not an analysis, it's a tantrum.

Okay guys, I just...NEED...to flip a table about this book. I have touched on the lack of black people, people of colour, queers, variously abled people, and etcetera before; it's bothersome. Diehard fans might want to cover their ears. This is going to be a three or even a two-star review for me because the feels are so mixed.

I need to preface this by saying that I am a professional freelance editor and that it has kind of ruined all books for me because I understand how they're made. At least, I don't look at them the same way as civilian readers or even writers do.

And this book was not edited well enough. The contractions that are nonexistent in dialogue really tipped me off. There were a few funky commas, which I can permit, but CONTRACTIONS! ARGH! Normal people use them.

I love Poppet and Widget and Bailey. I love the descriptions of the circus and the dreamy atmosphere. I like the food and the sensory descriptions.

But I can't stand Marco and Celia. They're BORING, and have no personality other than to want each other. What does Celia *like*? Isobel was a more interesting character in every way, and Marco treated her very poorly, which I always hate. Then there's the whole gimmicky time travel thing with the chapters, which was awesome at first and is now annoying the living piss out of me. I will probably do a more in-depth analysis on my blog, but I'm frustrated. And then there's the stupid Game, which is a war of attrition, for...reasons?

I want to love this book so hard. I really like it. I just wish it was about anyone except Celia and Marco--in fact, about everyone *except* them.

*pant pant* I will let you know what I think when I finish the book.

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

The Underlighters: Launch!

August 30^th: the Dust is here! Now available exclusively on Kindle and in print—The Underlighters!

Buy from Michelle Browne’s author page here: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Browne/e/B00BGWZRCW

The Underlighters

Nightmares are bleeding into her waking world. Children are going missing. To save them, she must overcome her wreck of a personal life and a closet full of skeletons. She doesn’t know if the horrors in the shadows are real...or if she is going mad. 

18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swal-lowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work. 

Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. As more monsters strike down citizens, they change their minds. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail… 

5 stars: “…You will be rewarded with a dive into the depths of imagination that may leave you questioning, breathless and inspired.” –www.TracingTheStars.com

5 stars: “… Engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. “—Sara Celi

5 stars: “…A wonderful read that is full of life, nightmares, fear, and dreams.” –Casey Peeler

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for an exclusive chance to win a very exclusive prize pack! Three winners will be selected…don’t miss out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Art by Kit Foster, © 2013. used with permission of the artist. http://www.kitfosterdesign.com/

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. More interviews and witty commentaries are coming. Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

The Underlighters: Something Wicked This Way Comes

The Underlighters

Nightmares are bleeding into her waking world. Children are going missing. To save them, she must overcome her wreck of a personal life and a closet full of skeletons. She doesn’t know if the horrors in the shadows are real...or if she is going mad. 

18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swal-lowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work. 

Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. As more monsters strike down citizens, they change their minds. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail… 

5 stars: “…You will be rewarded with a dive into the depths of imagination that may leave you questioning, breathless and inspired.” –www.TracingTheStars.com

5 stars: “… Engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. “—Sara Celi

5 stars: “…A wonderful read that is full of life, nightmares, fear, and dreams.” –Casey Peeler

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Janelle’s world is about to get very, very dark. Are you ready? On August 30^th, nightmares are going to become a little too real for comfort.

Art by Bonnie Patton, © 2013. used with permission of the artist. http://bpwordeater.com/

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. More interviews and witty commentaries are coming. Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming (Includes Book 1 of the Nightmare Cycle)

Now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo eBooks

Nightmares bleed into the waking world. 

Featuring a full-length novel, "The Underlighters", and eleven stand-alone short stories, this collection blends fairy tales, horror, and science fiction. A city of shadows lurks underground. Restless ghosts, eerie dolls, and spiteful stepmothers wait among other dreams. These are haunting stories of love, madness and small disasters.

"The Underlighters" is a dystopian horror coming-of-age adventure that follows the life of Janelle Cohen from insignificance to bitter-sweet triumph. "Footsteps in the Snow" is a Lovecraftian nightmare set in a Canadian winter. "A Shot of Vodka", a darkly realistic exploration of life after trauma, rounds out the collection. More and stranger stories fill in the gaps. 

This genre-breaking anthology is a new and ferocious look at the frailty of the human condition. Gender and sexual mores are rewritten; dreams and reality merge. Primal fears take physical form. This beautifully-written thrill ride will captivate you long after the last page.

Buy it here: 

Amazon 
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords

Breaking News: Another Giveaway! All the Amazing Books!

Hello hello!

I have a huge surprise for all of you: some friends and fellow authors and I are getting together for a MASSIVE giveaway! Some of the books are free and some are available to be won, including a copy of The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming. Many of the others also ended up on the Top Ten of 2012 list I put up earlier this year. Others are going to be on this year's list, and the rest are just damn good anyway.

So, GET CLICKING! The Rafflecopter for the big giveaway is posted both here and above. This means you have TWO chances to win my book! Isn't that insane? With the second, you could scoop up an armful of others, too.

Take a deep breath and don't even try to keep calm. Just browse the pretty covers.

MODERN GOOD READS PRESENTS:

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE & OFFICIAL GIVEAWAY 

MAY 29TH-JUNE 2ND

★ 10 BOOKS ★ 5 DAYS ★

AMAZON FREEBIES

SIGNED COPIES

BOOKS GIVEN AWAY DAILY!

Everyone Burns by John Dolan, FREE ON AMAZON US

May 29th--June 2nd

The Escape of Princess Madeline by Kirstin Pulioff, FREE ON AMAZON US

May 29th--May 31st

American Midnight by B.R. Snow, FREE ON AMAZON US

June 1st & 2nd

The Ruby Brooch by Katherine Lowry Logan, FREE ON AMAZON US

June 1st & 2nd

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THE FOLLOWING NOVELS ARE OFFERED VIA 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

ALL ENTRANTS MUST JOIN 'MODERN GOOD READS' GROUP

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/99986-modern-good-reads  

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Be sure to leave a blog post to indicate you are a MEMBER of 

MODERN GOOD READS (mandatory for entry to the giveaway)

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/99986-modern-good-reads

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. More interviews and witty commentaries are coming. Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out!