Decadent Publishing's Authors' Blog

It's still under construction and I don't know what days I'll post yet, but I think it's coming along beautifully.
http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/
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While you're at it, pop over to
http://gotromancemusings.blogspot.com/2010/09/gather-food-light-fire-get-ready-for.html
to read a post by our executive editor, Heather Bennett, and to win a free download from Decadent.

Tia Nevitt's SEVENFOLD SPELL Debuts at Carina Press!

Tia and I went through that evil, dreaded purgatory known as Queryland together and she landed her first contract just a little bit before me.  SEVENFOLD SPELL's official release is tomorrow, September 27th.  Pop over to her blog, Debuts & Reviews, for promotional activities and giveaways, and then click on her cover art on her sidebar.  That link will take you to her website where you can read an excerpt and learn other nifty things about her and SEVENFOLD SPELL.  Congratulations, Tia!   http://www.tianevitt.com/weblog

Review: The Heat is On by Jill Shalvis

The Heat is On
by Jill Shalvis

Genre: Sensual Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Cost: $5.12

What I Liked:
First, I have to say that my friends have been telling me to read Jill Shalvis ever since I sat next to her at the RWA PRO luncheon that I won with HelenKay Dimon (who is also amazing!). I picked up her book at the Harlequin booksigning, and am just now getting to it in my TBR pile. But I wish I would have taken the time to read it at Nationals, because I so would have liked to have had the chance to tell her to her face what an amazing writer she is, and how much I liked her book.

I have been enjoying my trek through Harlequin Blaze land quite a bit, but I must say that this is by far my favorite of them all. Jill Shalvis writes with a quick wit that is so natural to her characters, it feels like they are real people. Her heroine is one of the few (in any romance novel) that I can say I would honestly like to get to know as a friend. Of course, being that I also write foodie romance, the whole pastry chef angle was right up my alley, and I found myself more than once wanting to go down to my local bakery to pick up a fresh croissant.

But where Jill Shalvis really sparkles is in writing romantic tension. She is truly a master. Her characters ooze, and talk about, and experience, and laugh at (and did I mention OOZE) sexual tension. From the absolute first line until the last. And what's amazing is that even though they've already had sex, they still manage to keep that tension alive. It was truly a pleasure to read.

I am now officially a Jill Shalvis fan, because if (as my friends insist) the rest of her books are as good as this one, I need to read them right now. Additionally, I hope she keeps up this American Heroes line and continues to write about some of Jacob's friends... of course, I have my preferences, but I'm sure whatever she comes up with will be infinitely better than anything I could imagine. Jill Shalvis, my hat goes off to you. You are a warm, kind person, and you write hot, smexy books! There isn't more crackerjack combo!

~Rebecca Lynn

Book Blurb:
Oh, dear. Bella Manchelli is so not having a good day. First, she's deliciously exhausted from last night's sizzling one-night stand. Second, there's a (gulp) dead body at her back door. Third...um, that scrumptious one-nighter is at her front door... and he's wearing a badge!
Police Officer Jacob Madden is all about duty. Until he shows up looking for a homicide...and runs right into last night's slice of sexy heaven! Damn, he just can't think straight when he's around Bella. All he wants to do is lick her up one side and down the other....

Can duty and smoking-hot sex blend for a while? Definitely! Until Jacob discovers that several of the guys Bella's dated have turned up dead. Jacob loves being around Bella. But is he ready to be used as target practice?

Review: Star of His Heart by Brenda Jackson

Star of His Heart
by Brenda Jackson

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin (Kimani)
Cost: $6.25

What I Liked:
Holy moly, this woman can write a love scene! Not even just a pretty but mechanical sex scene (as the pros say, "insert tab A in slot B"). No. A *love* scene. You read the chemistry between Ethan and Rachel, and you can feel it for yourself. Wow.

I tend to like my prose to move pretty quickly, and it took me a little bit to get into this book, but man-o-man, once I did, it was very well worth it.

I have to say, this has happened to me several times over the last few months. I've started reading a book with a slower beginning than I prefer, and thought seriously about putting it down after about two chapters. Instead, I stuck through it and WOW, was it worth it. It's starting to make me question my own taste. These books that I "reluctantly" keep reading end up eventually blowing me away. Like this one did. The characters, I just fall in love with and I'm so interested in. I think I'm learning to give authors a little more grace than I used to. Because I've had some great experiences when I "stuck with it" after not being wowed by the opening.

I had heard, of Brenda Jackson, that she had a reputation for writing HAWT heroes, and this time "they" weren't kidding. Ethan was a super hot hero with a heart of gold. I was so in love with him by the end of the book, I kept thinking Accio Ethan. He did not come. :-) But it would have been great if he had, because he was an intriguing, complex, interesting, compassionate hero. Loved it.

Book Blurb:

Drop-dead-gorgeous Ethan Chambers loves his life as Hollywood's most eligible - and elusive - bachelor. Plus, the talented actor has just gotten an offer he can't refuse: a starring role on TV's hit medical drama. But it's the show's sultry makeup and wardrobe director who's got his pulse racing - and making him think twice about staying single.

Getting the gig on Paging the Doctor has thrust Rachel Wellesley into the unwelcome glare of the spotlight. She wants to paint the story, not be the story. But when Rachel starts falling for the show's sinfully sexy star, she knows it's time to get her own heart checked. But how can she give up these passionate nights in Ethan's arms? Now, as the cameras roll and her creative vision comes to life, is Rachel finally ready for her close-up - with the man of her dreams?

The Guardians of Ga'Hoole "The Capture" by Kathryn Lasky

Here's the link to the movie trailer-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lMihSKkgA
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Countdown to Legends of Ga’Hoole: Guardians of Ga’Hoole Book 1: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky

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WHOOOO----HOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about an awesome year for kid’s book movies!!!! First Percy Jackson, then Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and now this!!!! And it comes out this month!!!
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Okay, so I’m doing sort of the same thing that I am for the Deathly Hallows: reviewing the books! Now I’m betting that they’re going the merge the first six or so into one movie, so that’s what I’m gonna do: review the first six! And no complaints if I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am, ‘cause I have concrete evidence: they show the bad guy in the preview, and he really doesn’t show up till the end of the third book!!
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So here we go, and see you at the movie!
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The story opens with our hero, Soren the Barn Owl, watching as his new baby sister Eglantine hatches. Nearby are his mother and father, his slightly sinister older brother Kludd, and his family’s nest-maid snake, Mrs. Plithiver. Soon, Eglantine is out of her egg and eating her first bug. Ahh, the joys of a happy family.
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But soon that is ruined for Soren when he falls out of the nest! Mrs. Plithiver tries to get help, but before she can, Soren is swept away by a mysterious owl to an equally mysterious stone labyrinth.
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Soon, we find out that the labyrinth is called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls, though it’s better known as St. Aggie’s. There Soren meets a new friend: Gylfie the Elf Owl, and finds out the strictest rule at St. Aggie’s-no questions! That’s right, no questions! Yikes!
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Between them, Soren and Gylfie figure out what’s going on at St. Aggie’s-they’re brainwashers! Using a combination of giving them a number instead of a name, something called moon blinking and repeating their old names over and over and over so it becomes just another sound, they’re slowly turning all the owlets-including Soren and Gylfie!-into brainless zombies!
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Luckily, they manage to find ways around their efforts-for example, they start saying their number instead of their name and staying in one place during the sleep marches so that they stay away from the moon’s glare, they manage to keep their brains unwashed. But the question is, how long can they keep this up? They desperately need to escape.
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But there’s one problem.: the only way out is to fly out. And neither Soren nor Gylfie are ready to fly.
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Yeah. Really.
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So in the meantime the unlikely duo decides to investigate just what St. Aggie’s is really up to. So Gylfie gets the twosome positions in the pelletorium, where owls peck apart the small pellets that all owls throw up (or yarp, as the owls in the Guardians of Ga’Hoole universe say). But why? Soren eventually finds out that they’re looking for flecks-tiny pieces of metal embedded in pellet that have many magnetic qualities. But why are Skench and Spoorn, the two head owls here at St. Aggie’s, after the flecks?
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Not long after, the two are promoted to work in the eggorium, where snatched eggs from all over the owl world are sorted and given to broodies, who sit the eggs until they hatch. Soren sorts the Barn Owl eggs, and Gylfie the Elf Owl eggs. But they aren’t figuring anything out.
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Soon, Soren meets an owl named Hortense, or number 12-8. She’s a broody, like Soren is at that point. Her nest is located high up, overlooking the canyon-a perfect place for Soren and Gylfie’s first flight. But more than that, Hortense turns out to be un-moon blinked, like them! See, she was born near a river that had lots of flecks in it, and it gave her a peculiar resistance to moon blinking. Now she’s living at St. Aggie’s, but is she really all she seems? Not by a long shot, as Gylfie discovers one night. She’s actually an infiltrator, smuggling away the very eggs she keeps warm by giving them to a large bald eagle that comes every so often to take eggs.
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Hortense agrees to let them meet the bald eagle but, that very night, they are discovered! Aunt Finny, a pit guardian, and Skench and Spoorn try to take the egg back, but in the ensuing fight Hortense is shoved off the edge by none other than Finny, who we thought was rather nice but now we know as a person who really hates children! (I think she’d probably get along well with Professor Umbridge!)
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Well, overall, things aren’t going well. They get worse when Soren and Gylfie see what happens to pretty much all the flight-age owls at St’s Aggie’s-they get bitten by vampires! And they aren’t even the awesomely-cute Twilight type! (Aw, man!!) They’re actually vampire bats, and what they do is take out the vital supply of blood that helps the owls’ flight feathers grow. No blood, no growth, no flight, no escape.
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And the bats always come at the new moon. (Hmmmm. Does that ring a bell or is it just me?) Soren and Gylfie have to get out of here before then or they can kiss any hopes of escape good-bye.
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The truth is, Gylfie has some suspicions about one of Skench and Spoorn’s top lieutenants, Grimble. So they go and talk to him and discover he isn’t moon blinked, either! He’s been resisting it too, all these years since he was taken, as an adult owl, to St. Aggie’s. He’s astonished that Soren and Gylfie have discovered a way to resist it. Luckily, though, he agrees to help Soren and Gylfie learn how to fly.
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Well before the next new moon, Soren and Gylfie are ready. Grimble says he’ll arrange it so they can take off from the library, which is the highest point in St. Aggie’s besides where Hortense’s nest was. But then, somehow, they are discovered! Skench bursts in with full armor and battle claws on. But somehow, she is pulled back and slams into the walls, giving Soren and Gylfie just enough time to get on the wing and escape St. Aggie’s at last!
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They fly through the night, until they are far away from the stone walls and seriously non-cute vampires of St. Aggie’s. But still, they don’t have anywhere to go to. They try Soren’s hollow, but when they get there, Soren’s parents are gone, and with them Eglantine and even Soren’s slightly sinister brother Kludd. Now what are they to do?
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Soon after, they meet their new friend Twilight, a huge Great Gray, who was snatched at birth by St. Aggie’s but somehow managed to escape and has lived on his own ever since. The trio decides to head to Kuneer to see if they can find Gylfie’s family. There they meet Digger, a Burrowing Owl whose family was discovered and snatched by-yes, and again-St. Aggie’s. But when the four owls are attacked by two huge Long-Eared Owls, Jatt and Jutt, will they be able to fight them off? Will Soren ever see his family again? And will the four owls-now known as the Band-ever reach that group of noble owls, the Guardians of Ga’Hoole?
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Sorry, but I really don’t want to give it away, so you’ll just have to wait for the next review. But I will say that it should be pretty soon. I want to get the first six done before the movie’s release on the 24th. That means I’ll have to do a few a week. Any complaints? Good. Next up is number two, The Journey. I’d look for it this weekend, OK? Good. Until then, see you at the movie!

Review: Summer Brides Anthology

Summer Brides Anthology
by Susan Mallery, Sherryl Woods, and Susan Wiggs

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin
Cost: $4.79

What I Liked:
I loved every one of these stories. It's obvious that these women are fantastic writers. This was another one of my intended-to-read-a-few-pages experiences, only worse, becuase I would start one novella intending to read a few pages, then start the next intending to just see what the story was like, then start the third thinking I would just check it out. Yeah, that worked out into me spending the afternoon reading about brides, weddings, and love stories. But it was a great afternoon.

As I said, all three were really well-written, well-plotted, tight, and interesting. And satisfying, of course. But I definitely had a favorite.

The last of the stories, Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery was, in my opinion, the best. And it's saying something to be the best of three greats. But I really connected with this heroine. Loved the hero, of course, but I almost always love the hero. It's when I really love the heroine that I stand up and take notice in a book. Susan Mallery's voice is intoxicating. I could actually feel myself getting sucked in to her storytelling. I was actually disappointed when the story ended, because it was too quick. I could easily have followed this story for an entire novel. Fantastic.

All-in-all, I would rec any of these books. Great summer (or fall... or anytime) reads.

Book Blurb:
Three happily-ever-afters from three of your favorite authors
The Borrowed Bride by Susan Wiggs
During her own bridal shower, Isabel Wharton is whisked away by past love Dan Black Horse to his retreat in the Cascade range. But returning to her Native roots, and Dan's loving arms, is harder than she ever imagined.

A Bridge to Dreams by Sherryl Woods
With her vacation plans foiled, Karyn Chambers realizes that her long-awaited escape must give way to staying at home in San Francisco. Little does she know her Prince Charming is right in her own backyard.
Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery
When Katie McCormick finds out that her sister is marrying her ex, she finally agrees to a setup for the big day. To her surprise, Jackson is a catch. But when wedding catastrophe ensues, will their sparks fizzle or ignite into flames?

~Review by Rebecca Lynn

New Releases for Decadent Publishing

Fugitive shifter, Aria Legreve, is always on the run. With her own life at risk, she helps a badly beaten shifter to his Pack, knowing the danger her meddling entails. Hoping to use her status as an Outcast and be set free, her world changes when she meets head on with no other than her Mate—who is dead.

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Alpha Lukas MacLeod has been searching for his wife for the past year, until Aria walks straight into his lair. Fate intervenes and gives them a second chance. Caught up in an intricate web of lies and prophecies in the making for generations, Aria and Lukas must discover a way to balance the darkness in their world, but will their love be strong enough to save their pack and each other?

How much is your soul worth to you? If you're Tom Harper, not a lot. Still reeling from the loss of his soul mate, he thinks a soul is worth nothing without someone to share it with. Grieving, broke and tired, he offers it up for sale. But with a few clicks of a mouse, he realizes that it is worth more than he ever knew and that some things are worth more than all the money in heaven... or Hell.

Meghan Muldoon is at a cross-road. Newly married to a man who dotes on her, someone that she thought existed only in fiction, she struggles to balance the demands of her vocation as an advocate for victims of violence versus those of a newlywed.
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On Valentine's Day, a series of routine crises force Meg to reconsider staying with a profession that fulfills her both professionally and spiritually—or devoting the rest of her life to the one person who makes everything worthwhile.

Carri has definitely caught the eye of the big bad wolf.
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Visiting the Glacier Valley pack to get a little breathing room from life in the city, Carri uses her skills to help install a high tech airspace sensor array for her adoptive grandmother’s pack. Jason is a lone wolf, good at doing his job and good at being alone. Sparks fly between them, igniting desire hotter than Carri's red hood. But the Glacier Valley pack has made it clear Carri is under their protection and off limits. Yet, the heat between them is undeniable, and when Carri makes her choice clear, Jason is ready to claim her as his. He'll go against the pack and any rivals, even take down an alien hunter to have her and protect her.

A decadent-looking savage has captured Francesca DuVall and her brother, Marsh. Now she must spend every waking moment planning an escape from the camp of the brutal savages. What she doesn't count on is the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme.

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Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum in Washington, D.C. . . . most of the time. But when he travels through time to help his beloved People, he becomes Meko, leader of the most revered and feared tribe of the plains, the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers.
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Their worlds are decades apart, yet Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnapped during a raid. He has many battles to fight, but none more crucial than capturing Cesca’s heart forever.
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A decadent-looking savage has captured Francesca DuVall and her brother, Marsh. Now she must spend every waking moment planning an escape from the camp of the brutal savages. What she doesn't count on is the powerful draw of desire interfering with her scheme.
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Ethan Gray is a curator at a national museum in Washington, D.C. . . . most of the time. But when he travels through time to help his beloved People, he becomes Meko, leader of the most revered and feared tribe of the plains, the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers.
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Their worlds are decades apart, yet Meko can’t resist the dark beauty he kidnapped during a raid. He has many battles to fight, but none more crucial than capturing Cesca’s heart forever.
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***To learn more about these and other titles, how to read eBooks when you don't have a reader, and Heat Levels, please hop over to the website-
http://www.decadentpublishing.com/
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To learn about the New Release in Erotica, please hop over to our sister site-
http://enduringromanceandgeneralnaughtiness.blogspot.com/

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX by J.K. Rowling

Countdown to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Month Three-Book Five-Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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Finally, it’s time for The Order of the Phoenix! It’s the thickest yet at over seven hundred pages, but well worth it! And remember after this, there’s only the Half-Blood Prince and then……well, you should know what I mean by now.
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The story opens with Harry trying to find out whether there’s any news about Lord Voldemort on the news. However, he is quickly distracted by a cracking sound not far away. (Read your Chamber of Secrets!) The resulting uproar from the Dursleys sends Harry away to the nearest playground, where he runs into everybody’s favorite-bully-who-really-does-not-like-Harry-and-that’s-not-good person, Dudley.
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However, there are much worse things out there than even Harry’s bullying cousin. One of those just happens to be dementors. Two of them corner Harry and Dudley down a dark alley (which is exactly where you don’t want to meet dementors). Luckily, Harry is able to repel them with a Patronus, and we meet up with an old friend, Mrs. Figg. Turns out she’s really a Squib (a person with magical parents but no magical abilities), and has been watching over Harry ever since he was first sent to Privet Drive way back when. We also learn that Harry had been being watched ever since he returned to Privet Drive. One of those watchers is a slightly odd person named Mundungus Fletcher, who had just happened to wander off just before Harry ran into those dementors.
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As a result, Harry had to use a Patronus, which is magic, which means he’s in very big trouble now! He’s been summoned for a hearing. If he wins, he gets to stay at Hogwarts. If not…..well, let’s just say that wouldn’t be a very good situation to be in.
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On the upside, however, Harry does get to leave the Dursleys early. He’s rescued by a bunch of people, including everybody’s favorite ex-Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Lupin and the real Mad-Eye Moody, who we thought was the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher last year but really wasn’t….ooops, forget I said that. We also meet some new faces, including everybody’s favorite so-clumsy-she’s-utterly-hilarious Nymphadora Tonks (word of caution: don’t call her by her first name!!), the very cool Kingsley Shacklebolt, the slightly familiar Dedalus Diggle, and several other interesting characters.
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In no time, Harry’s out of the house and landing in front of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, the temporary headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. There we meet up with the Weasleys (minus Percy) and Hermione, who quickly fill Harry in on what’s been happening and what’s up with the Order of the Phoenix. We also find another familiar face: everybody’s favorite so-unexpected-we-thought-he-was-a-villain-like-Harry-doesn’t-have-enough-of-them hero, Sirius Black!
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Yep, he’s here, happily enough! However, the happy reunions are quickly overshadowed by Harry’s looming hearing. All too soon, Harry’s going to his hearing accompanied by Mr. Weasley.
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Luckily, Harry has a good judge, Mrs. Bones. Unfortunately, though, Fudge has decided to attend as well, and ever since last year when Harry told him Lord Voldemort is back, he’s had a very low opinion of Harry and would like nothing better than to convict him.
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Fortunately, though, Harry has one last thing on his side: Professor Dumbledore has shown up to support Harry, along with Mrs. Figg as a witness. With more than a little trading of info and Fudge’s bringing up Harry’s past endeavors (including his Aunt Marge incident, which, I may add, he let Harry off for,), Harry is, once again, off the hook! (Yay, yay!!) However, it is not before we meet another, very annoying character: Professor Umbridge.
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It isn’t until Harry, Ron, and Hermione make it back to Hogwarts, however, that we find out just how major a character Professor Umbridge is. Well, long story short, she’s the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, and she, like her boss Fudge, is no fan of Harry’s.
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But more of that later. In the meantime, Harry, Ron, and Hermione meet up with one of my favorite characters, Luna Lovegood. She may be a little crazy, but she’s very nice and quite important as a character.
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Professor Umbridge may be a big fan of the color pink, but she soon shows her true colors: a kid-torturer! Not to mention, she shares Fudge’s opinion about Harry’s saying Lord Voldemort is back: she thinks he’s lying, as if! Combine the two, and Harry’s in detention before you can say “Voldemort”. And this is no ordinary detention, either! Professor Umbridge is so mean; she makes Harry use this quill that writes using Harry’s own blood! Ouch! I know, I don’t like her either.
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But more than that, Fudge has decided that the kids shouldn’t be learning defensive magic anymore, which is simply leaving the door wiiiiiiiiiiide open for Lord Voldemort. So Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to start up a Defense against the Dark Arts group. They meet in the Hog’s Head, a rather suspicious bar in Hogsmeade, to gather members. Some people who show up include the twins, Ginny, Luna, (yay, yay!), and Cho Chang, remember her? Neville also shows up, along with Seamus, Dean, and a bunch of other kids from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. There’s no one from Slytherin, though: they’re all big supporters of Professor Umbridge, big surprise there!
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The only problem is, where are they going to meet? That problem is solved by an appearance from our old friend Dobby the house-elf, who tells Harry of the Room of Requirement. The Room of Requirement is a magical room that’ll produce whatever you really, really need-like a room to practice Defense Against the Dark Arts! Soon Harry’s teaching the kids to use spells like Expelliarmus, the Disarming Spell, Stupefy, the Stunning Spell, and even Patronuses like Harry’s. To name a few, Hermione’s is an otter, Cho’s is a swan, and Ginny’s is a horse. (At least, it is in the movie; I don’t think it says in the book. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Rewind!
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There we go. Okay, so it’s the last meeting of Dumbledore’s Army (that’s what Harry, Ron, and Hermione name it: it fits well, don’t you think?). But that’s not important. What’s really, awesomely cool is what happens right after.
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Cho corners Harry after the meeting ends. At first, he thinks she just wants to talk about everybody’s favorite super-extra-ultra-cute-guy Cedric. But then she turns the whole thing by doing something I probably shouldn’t say in case any boys are reading this right now.
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(pssst…..hey, girls, you guessed right. Harry and Cho do kiss. And it’s awesome!!)
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The whole oh-awesome-I-have-a-girlfriend is ruined that night, however. Harry dreams that he is a snake, slithering down an all-too-familiar corridor somewhere deep within the Ministry. The snake comes upon Mr. Weasley (don don dawww!!) and attacks him viciously! In no time flat Harry, Ginny, Ron, and the twins are at Sirius’s waiting to see their dad at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
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The next day the Weasleys and Harry go to visit Mr. Weasley, accompanied by none other than our three favorite Aurors, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley. While there, Harry and Ron come face-to-face with another old friend-Gilderoy Lockhart, everybody’s favorite totally not-very-good-at-magic-in-general-except-memory charms-ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
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Skip forward to after the holidays. Professor Umbridge is eviler than ever (if that’s possible), and, to add to Harry’s miserable state of mind, Professor Snape has been doing Occulmency with him.
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See, turns out what we suspected all along was true-Harry really is reading Lord Voldemort’s mind. And lately, the connection’s been getting stronger and stronger (hence those funny dreams), and Dumbledore’s worried that Voldemort might figure out he’s got a direct link to Harry’s mind (which he does). So he’s had Snape start to teach Harry Occulmency, which should keep Voldemort out and Harry in control.
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Maybe.
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And that’s not all. The very next D.A meeting is crashed by (whom else?) Professor Umbridge, who was tipped off by none other than Cho’s friend Marietta Edgecombe. Fudge quickly manages to blame Dumbledore and tries to send him to Azkaban. What he doesn’t count on is Fawkes, who whisks Dumbledore off to safety, leaving Professor Umbridge free to take over as headmistress.
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Soon, Harry is heading to talk his career options over with good old Professor McGonagall. He wants to be an Auror, but Professor Umbridge decides to play killjoy and says Harry will never be employed as one (which, I admit, was a predictable response from her. You know, she really hates children).
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Harry gets his comeuppance a little late, though, when another of my favorite Harry Potter scenes play out. Fred and George decide, hey, we don’t wanna stay here with little miss I-really-like-pink-so-much-it’s-utterly-disgusting, so let’s blow the coop! So they do in typical Fred and George style, setting off a bunch of fireworks and completely blowing Umbridge off her feet!
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All too soon, however, Harry is enduring the dreaded O.W.Ls!! As usual, I’m not telling you how he does (you don’t really know until the next book anyway), but I am going to tell you what happens during History of Magic.
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Harry falls asleep during the immensely boring lesson, and no sooner is he asleep than he dreams that Voldemort has everybody’s favorite so-unexpected-we-thought-he-was-a-villain-like-Harry-doesn’t-have-enough-of-them hero, Sirius!
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Before you can say, “Harry, wait! Don’t believe a word Kreacher says!”, Harry’s been caught by Umbridge trying to talk to Sirius. Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna are also caught.
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The next thing you know, everybody thinks Hermione betrays them (but she really doesn’t, so quit punching the screen), and we find out that it was really Umbridge who set those dementors on Harry!!! (It took me like ages to figure that out, so I hope you’re a more observant reader than I am, or you’ll miss a lot.) Hermione tells Umbridge that Dumbledore’s set up some sort of secret weapon in the Forbidden Forest (which he really hasn’t), so Umbridge takes Harry and Hermione out into the forest where, with a little help from our old friends the centaurs (minus Firenze: he’s the new Divination teacher) and Grawp, Hagrid’s all-giant half-brother, they manage to shake off Umbridge and get back to Hogwarts in one piece.
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Meanwhile, back at the school of magic, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna manage to get rid of their Slytherin guards and give Harry and Hermione back their wands. Now for the difficult part: how to get to the Ministry? One slightly hilarious conversation later, Luna comes up with a solution that she really had all along: Thestrals!
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Thestrals are these really cool skeletal horses that are sort of creepy because they can only been seen by those who’ve seen death (like Harry and Luna, for instance), and they eat meat, but they have wings and a really good sense of direction. So the next thing you know, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, and Luna are mounted on Thestrals and headed for the Department of Mysteries.
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There they find a bunch of doors like the ones in Harry’s dreams. Eventually, after seeing a bunch of really cool stuff, they find the right room-a room full of glass balls that have prophecies in them. That’s right-prophecies!
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And one of them just happens to be the reason why Voldemort decided to go kill Harry’s parents (and try to kill Harry, too, but we know that didn’t work out. For the most part, anyway,) all those years ago. And it’s the reason why Voldemort used the connection to lure Harry here, to the Department of Mysteries. That’s right. Sirius isn’t here.
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But a bunch of Death Eaters, including Draco’s dear daddy Lucius Malfoy and the woman-who-tortured-Neville’s-parents-into-insanity (and Sirius cousin, by the way), Bellatrix Lestrange, are.
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And that’s not good.
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One by one, the others are knocked out-Hermione’s hit by a mysterious curse that leaves her unconscious, along with Ginny and Luna, and Ron’s knocked silly and almost strangled by a bunch of brains-until only Neville and Harry are left. It’s looking pretty bleak until the Order of the Phoenix arrives, including Sirius! Luckily, none of the Death Eaters are able to snatch the prophecy from Harry. Granted, Neville has to kick it and completely demolish it, but it’s better than the alternative.
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Things seem to be going pretty well. Dumbledore arrives, and all seems saved-until Harry turns around and watches as Bellatrix Lestrange uses the Avada Kedavra on Sirius, and he topples behind a nearby mysteriously whispering veil.
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That’s right. You heard me. Everybody’s favorite so-unexpected-we-thought-he-was-a-villain-like-Harry-didn’t-have-enough-of-them hero, Sirius Black, is dead.
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Harry only pauses a moment, then dashes after Bellatrix, who beats a hasty retreat. Only a short time later, Voldemort comes in person, duels with Dumbledore a bit, then does something we were pretty sure would happen all along.
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He possesses Harry. Like, control possesses. Controls him. You know what I mean.
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Can Harry fend off Voldemort once more, or will he finish what he started fourteen years ago (not to mention last year in that graveyard, but that’s too recent)? Will Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, and Luna be okay? Will Tonks be okay? And will Fudge finally figure out the truth: Voldemort is back!! And Harry is right! And Professor Umbridge is an absolute toad of a teacher! And Professor Dumbledore is awesome! And-well, I could go on awhile. But you know the drill. You’ll just have to make like Hermione and get the book!
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So, that’s number five over and done with! Up next month we have Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and after that-well, suffice it to say you’d better not get me going on it, or you’ll be here awhile. Good-bye and happy hippogriffs to you until next time! (ha-ha, I made that up myself. Like it?)

Steamside Chronicles by Ciar Cullen

2010, Decadent Publishing
Ebook, review copy
Steampunk romance (Yay for steampunk!)


Summary from Decadent Publishing


Emily Fenwick, formerly with the NYPD, is now the reluctant defender of 1890 New York. Unfortunately for Emily, who hates "the creepy stuff", she ignored her inner voice, went to a carnival in Central Park, and entered a Victorian tent in hopes a psychic would have some encouraging news about her woefully boring love life. The guarantee she received of meeting a tall, dark, and handsome stranger comes with a huge catch - he lives in an alternate dimension of the past.

Jack Pettigrew leads a quirky band of lost souls in a battle to save New York circa 1890. Nightmares have come alive and threaten to terrorize a fragile era. Jack leads the “punks,” who have been sucked back in time through a vortex. Each has a fleeting memory of their own death–or near death–and must determine for themselves why they have been chosen for this mission. Is Steamside their Purgatory? Could an Egyptian obelisk in Central Park be the cause of the time rift, or is Emily herself to blame for the goblins, zombies, and other nightmarish scenes plaguing them?

If the Punks want to return to 2010, they must ensure there’s going to be an 1891. If they conclude they’re really ghosts, then it might be time to party like it’s 1999.

Although being ill sucks, the upside is that I consume a vast quantity of books. It means I'm presented with an opportunity to sit down and read ebooks on my TBR pile. I'm fairly new to them, but, partially thanks to the great books coming from Decadent, I'm really liking them! (Both Decadent and ebooks).


I got drawn to Steamside Chronicles by the cover. Maybe it was the white hair (thanks to anime, I like non-standard colours of hair). Maybe it was the scarab beetle (I only learnt what it was in the book. Before I read it, I just saw it as a bug.) Either way, I was intrigued. That intrigue led to a few hours of not being quite sure what was going on.


I don't mean that in a bad way. There were a lot of key issues which were kept a secret both from Emily and Jack. The story is from both their points of view, which makes quite an entertaining read on how they view each other. I find Emily's voice extremely easy to read. It was a pleasure to read her view on the strange life she found herself in, fighting monsters that were dreams, trying to find out what was really going on. It was the little things such as what she hadn't liked back on Earth, or how she summed up situations. Jack, as the leader of the group had a lot of burdens to carry. Emily is a mystery to him, in several ways. It's a mystery that his sister Annalise (mostly known as Petti) makes it her business to investigate. Finding out who they really are is pretty much the basis of the novel - not just where they are, but who they are as people.


The relationships within this novel were solid. There was the usual sibling watchfulness between Petti and Jack, the (perhaps inevitable) romance between Jack and Emily, plus the friendships of the other people in steamside. I liked how the community was run, how people had certain tasks to do, how they helped each other out. And how the friends had no qualms in making sure one of them did as they were told.


Heat wise, there is some language and romance throughout the entire novel. There were two chapters containing moderately sensual levels of romance.


I enjoyed this book, and will keep an eye out for more books by Ciar Cullen.

My usual review is postponed today, however I have links to 2 reviews from my review blog

I'm currently under the influence of antibiotics, which make the world seem an interesting place, and make it difficult to construct coherent sentences. (I had several typos in writing that the first time round). Apologies for this.

I'm cheating and delving into the archives of books that might appeal from my review blog. Here are two of my favourites (which I think I put under paranormal romance...)

Beauty's Curse by Traci E Hall 

Wild Magic by Ann Macela

I loved these books and I hope you will too!

I'll be off semi-evil antibiotics Sunday evening, so I'll be able to bring you a review in my next Thursday's slot. Or sooner, depending on my schedule.