PostsLet It Snow Books: Guest Post by Hailey Edwards + Giveaway
I will honestly admit I was afraid of the fantasy genre. I feared it was too complicated and far-fetche so I kept away. But that all changed thanks to Hailey Edwards, who converted me with , the first book in her Araneae Nation series, which I loved! And now I'm taking small steps and discovering more and more of this exciting new genre. Today Hailey stops by to tell you about some of HER best reads of 2012 and for a chance to win one of her books just tell us which books YOU loved in 2012 :-)
Top Twelve of 2012
by Hailey Edwards
Stella gave me the great idea to make a list of my own to share with you all today. I love books. I love talking books, reading books, gifting books, and yeah. I even like writing them. ;)
This was a stellar year in terms of finding new authors and getting hooked on new series. Since word of mouth is my favorite way to learn about new books, let me tell you all about these.
Here are my top twelve reads of 2012 in no particular order. Some I loved, some I liked, some I took issue with, but they were still the best of what I read this year.
1. . I loved this book. Great pacing, characters, and the spin on angels? It wowed me. I love the idea of angels, but I have never read an angel book and come away from it satisfied. This book changed that.
2. – First off—my dad loves this series. He’s been after me to read them for years. I finally got the flu and was stuck in bed this past week and decided to give them a try. Such a rich, detailed world and fantastic characters. I love Burrich. He really holds the trilogy together for me.
3. – I put off reading this series because I had heard so many glowing reviews that I thought it could never live up to the hype. It was another of my Flu Reads, and I loved it. The author’s sense of humor meshed with mine, which rarely happens, and the story itself was refreshing. Great characters and a smoking hot hero? Sign me up for book two, please!
4. – I don’t read a lot of YA. I tried to change that this year, so when Kresley Cole’s new series debuted, I snagged a copy. Let me say this…I didn’t read the blurb. I just saw “Kresley Cole” and bought it. About one-third in my mind was blown. Love, love, love the hero. Jack is my favorite hero of 2012. (I have a thing for Cajun accents. *swoon*)
5. – I’m a huge fan of Karen Moning’s. I actually credit her books with making me want to write my own. I found her through her Fever books, and I really loved the first two in that series. I feel like Iced is right up there with them. I was hesitant to read it because Dani was the narrator and, well, I didn’t know if I could handle an entire book told in her pov. She’s hyper and annoying at times, but you can see the character growing and evolving, and I dig that kind of thing. Plus this book had a very clear story arc that wrapped in a single book. Love that. I’m not a cliffhanger kind of girl. So even though I put off buying Iced, I’m on board for the rest of the Dani novels.
6. – Dragon Kin books are a guilty pleasure of mine. They’re goofy and over the top, hot and funny. They’re feel good reads that I snap up on release day every time. This particular book dealt with a couple I have been anxious to see finally get together. As is often the case with highly anticipated couples/books, I felt a little let down in terms of the romance, but I really enjoyed this book overall.
7. – I loved and hated this book. I am a huge fan of the Otherworld series. Bitten is the best werewolf novel I have ever read. I love these characters and that world, and Thirteen marked the end of that. While the book was fast-paced and the story gripping (this was another long awaited h/h pairing), it hurt to read that final page and realize war had broken out and the characters would be forever fighting a battle we could no longer witness.
8. – I enjoy this series. What I love about it is the mythology you learn and the narrator’s druid skills. I love his dog too. What I don’t like is how thoughtless Atticus can be. There is a difference between doing great harm to save yourself and doing great harm because you can, or because the result would make your life easier. My mom loves this series, so I keep reading so she has someone to talk to about them. But I am waiting for some character growth to happen.
9. – Angela James recommended this book on Twitter with enough enthusiasm that I picked up a copy. It was perfect. The pacing, the jokes, the action, all perfect. Flawless even. I really enjoyed it. Book two is solid, but book three made me decide this series was not for me. Still, the first book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone, I think.
10. – Oh how I loved this book. At first the heroine made me go huh? But she grew on me and is a good match for Lothaire. She humanizes him in a way another heroine couldn’t have done. (Though it did have the side effect of making me say Do pizdy there for a while.) A solid addition to the IAD world and an introduction to KC’s other new series, the Dacians.
11. – The Celta books are favorites of mine. I am sad that the previous generation of heroes and heroines have been left behind in favor of following the younger generation, but honestly, there are so many Celta books now, that’s the path that makes the most sense. For me, I had rather follow up on the lives of the many children introduced in the first half of the series than on characters introduced solely for the purpose of continuing the series, ones that I have no emotional attachment to. The Celta world is so inventive, and I love the rules of their society. I definitely recommend this series to lovers of science fiction romance and fantasy romance.
12. – I haven’t actually read this one yet, but it’s on my Kindle waiting for me. Dresden Files is my favorite urban fantasy series. When you read Harry, you feel how beat down and tired he is. How world weary and worn he is. But he rolls out of bed every day determined to make a difference in the world. He makes bad decisions, he does things even he doesn’t agree with, but it’s never done for a selfish purpose. If Harry does something, it’s to make the world a better place, and that’s why I admire him. His life could be so much easier if he were a different sort of wizard. I like that Harry takes the hard road. Every. Single. Time.
How about you? What book did you read and love this year? Leave me a comment and you’ll be entered to win your choice of title from my backlist in any digital format.
Book #1 in the Araneae Nation series
Hope dangles by a silken thread.
When the head of the Araneidae clan is found poisoned in her nest, her eldest daughter, Lourdes, becomes their clan’s new maven. If her clan is to survive, she has but one choice: she must marry before her nest is seized. All she needs is a warrior fierce enough to protect her city and safeguard her clansmen. Such a male is Rhys the Cold.
Born the youngest son of an impoverished maven, the only things Rhys has to his name are his sword and his mercenary reputation. His clan is starving, but their fondness for the flesh of fellow Araneaeans makes them unwelcome dinner guests. Torn between loyalty to his clan and fascination with his future bride, Rhys’s first taste of Lourdes threatens to melt the cold encasing his heart.
Amid the chaos of battle, Lourdes’s sister disappears and is feared captured. Lourdes and Rhys pursue their enemies into the southlands, where they discover an odd plague ravaging southern clans as it travels north, to Erania. Determined to survive, Lourdes will discover whether she’s worth her silk or if she’s spun the thread by which her clan will hang.
Warning: This book contains one mercenary hero with a biting fetish, one determined heroine who gets nibbled, and an answer to the age-old question, “What does dragon taste like?” Matricide and sibling rivalry are available upon request. The house special is revenge, best served cold.
Read my review - Dual review at Book Lovers Inc.
Buy at - - Book Depository
Book #2 in the Araneae Nation series
The only way to save her is to bind their souls as one.
Born with the ability to communicate with the dead, few things take Mana by surprise. But when a canis lopes into her life, announcing himself as the long-dead father of a childhood friend, she’s shocked. To make matters worse, he has a dire message that she alone can deliver.
Now Mana must face Vaughn, the male who inspired one too many girlish fantasies, and impart the spirit’s message—without acknowledging her source—so the soul can be laid to rest.
With rumors of a burgeoning clan war setting his nerves on edge, the last thing Vaughn needs is for an innocent to get caught in the crosshairs. But the woman he remembers as an awkward girl refuses to leave his side until he’s heard her out. That’s not the only change in her that calls to him. Her kindness soothes his battle-scarred soul—and he craves her in ways a warrior shouldn’t.
When they are both captured, they learn of an even greater threat. The plague devastating the southlands has come to his clan home. And his best—and only—chance to keep his people alive is the female who walks among the dead.
Product Warnings: This book contains one fierce hero with a nose for danger, one stubborn heroine who smells like trouble, and one wolfish spirit who makes most relationships with the in-laws seem downright tame. Fur, fangs and some biting should be expected. But never fear, the hero has a sword, and he knows how to use it.
GIVEAWAY RULES:
Hailey has generously offered winner's choice of any of her backlist titles to a lucky commenter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open worldwide and ends on 5 January 2013!
Good luck!
