Tag: reading

  • Review: THIRD PATH (Stargate Atlantis) by Melissa Scott and Jo Graham

    And thus, we finally come to the conclusion of the Stargate Atlantis Legacy series, which continues the story past season 5 of the television series. Overall, this novel was both a bittersweet and very satisfying ending to a much larger and more complicated story line. 

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  • Review: STEAMPUNK WORLD edited by Sarah Hans

    DISCLAIMER: I share a publisher with one of the authors discussed below. However, I purchased my copy of the book at full price from the anthology’s editor, not the author, and I do not consider our relationship to have bearing on my review choices. I was not a contributor to the Kickstarter campaign that initially…

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  • The Real World Returns…

    My husband and I are home safe from our amazing vacation. We spent a great 10 days aboard Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas, which sailed out of Baltimore to tool around the Caribbean for a few days. The time was well-spent relaxing and recharging and just spending some quality time together before the husband…

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  • March Wrap-Up & April Goals

    Some highs and lows this month, for sure. See last Friday’s post about the major milestones in my life I’m currently in the middle of. March Wrap-Up: Complete the scene-by-scene outline for book 4, Steel Time. It turns out that the power in the ‘verse that can stop me is my own brain! I have…

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  • Book Review Policy

    As I slowly get caught up on the never-ending list of finished books that need to be reviewed, I figured I should put together an official review policy (even though I definitely don’t consider myself an official book reviewer). Go here or click the “Review Policy” tab at the top of the page for information…

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  • Review: CLOSER TO HOME by Mercedes Lackey

    I think my biggest complaint about this book is probably the fact that the back cover text has very, very little to do with the actual plot of the novel. And if that’s my biggest complaint, I will definitely call this book a win. I’ve read every Valdemar book by Mercedes Lackey, many of the…

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  • Review: MAGIC BREAKS by Ilona Andrews

    Not only is this one of my favorite books series, it is also one of the major inspirations for my own writing. So it’s no surprise that I absolutely loved and devoured this set of the series.

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  • Review: ARMADA by Ernest Cline

    Because I loved Ready Player One so much, I didn’t argue very much when my husband insisted on pre-ordering the hardcover of Ernest Cline’s second novel, Armada. My husband read it first, and I have to admit that my stomach sank a little bit when he described it to me. My takeaway was that it…

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  • Review: TO SIR by Rachell Nichole

    Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this novel at full price. This was my second official foray into the erotica genre–this time, without the cushion of the paranormal to root me in something familiar! I also normally stay far, far away from novels where the protagonist is also an author. However,…

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  • Review: THE COST OF HONOR (Stargate SG-1) by Sally Malcolm

    A good media tie-in novel should hit a number of criteria. Expand upon the established universe. Give the reader better insight into the internal motivation of the characters. Build a setting that goes beyond the restrictions of the original format. Sally Malcolm’s conclusion to the story she started in A Matter of Honor does all…

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  • Con Report: Cleveland ConCoction 2016

    I was excited to be part of the Dog Star Books invasion of Cleveland ConCoction this year, and I’m happy to report that this was one of the best conventions I’ve ever attended. I hadn’t been to a full media (versus strictly literary) convention in a few years and this was a fun way to…

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  • Countdown to Cleveland ConCoction!

    As the Dog Star Books authors prepare to invade Cleveland ConCoction (March 11-13), our fearless leader* Matt Betts is conducting interviews so that other con attendees can get to know us ahead of time.** Go here to see my answers to some science-fiction questions*** and be sure to follow Matt’s blog to learn more about the rest…

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  • February Wrap-Up & March Goals

    Though I didn’t hit any major milestones in February, I feel like I had a decently productive month. Let’s see how the numbers look. February Wrap-Up: Not look at book 3. Success! I did, however, do a bunch of fun work for book 2, Steel Magic, like write the back cover text, coordinate potential pre-release…

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  • REVIEW: A NEW DAWN (Star Wars) by John Jackson Miller

    Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Star Wars Rebels is a kid’s show. A New Dawn is not a kid’s book, which was a surprise and provided a bit of interesting cognizant dissonance while I read it. It is not necessary to be familiar with both to enjoy either, but both of them…

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  • Review: ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE by Gail Carriger

    Gail Carriger’s foray into young adult fiction is set in the familiar world of her Parasol Protectorate series, but with a bit more…everything. Which is funny, because her adult series is pretty awesomely extreme all on its own. This novel drew much more from the steampunk genre than on the supernatural in regards to plot,…

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  • Review: AFTERMATH by Chuck Wendig

    I’ve been sitting on writing this review for a while because this book ended up being pretty contradictory for me. In the end, my rating averages out to a low 4 stars.

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  • Con Report: DogCon IV

    This past weekend (October 23-25, 2015), I attended the fourth annual DogCon, the annual convention hosted by my publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press. Its a wandering convention, and this year we took over Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!

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  • Review: KITTY SAVES THE WORLD by Carrie Vaughn

    I had really high expectations for this book since it is the end of a 15-book saga by one of my favorite authors. Vaughn exceeded every single expectation. Bring together a bunch of old allies: Characters from every major adventure show up to help Kitty through this final battle. All of them play a significant…

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  • DogCon IV this weekend in Philadelphia!

    I am so excited to be attending DogCon IV this weekend, the annual convention hosted by my phenomenal publishing company, Raw Dog Screaming Press. This will be the third DogCon I’ve attended, and both previous events have been a blast. With the fantastic line-up of activities planned for this weekend, this DogCon will be right up…

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  • KW Taylor: New Dog Star Books author!

    Some facts you might not know about speculative fiction writer K.W. Taylor: Like me, she is from Dayton, Ohio. By law, all Dayton writers must go by their initials for publication. Her adorable tabby cat Dharma and my blue-point Siamese Alex are having a sordid long-distance romance. In our spare time, we front a postmodern industrial synth band…

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