Source: perfect gift 1 by lusi via stock.xchng

But first, a big congratulations to the winner of our Solace & Grief giveaway…*drumroll*…Mary Preston! To win, Mary had to tell us what mysterious door she’d like to open and where it would lead, and this was her comment:

My Grandmother had a back room we were never allowed to enter. It was kept locked & no-one would say why.  A solid old door locked with a key that lay heavily in my hand. As a child it was always a source  of intrigue for an overactive imagination. I think now it would just lead me to – the skeletons in the closet.

Mm, delicious! Mary, please send me your mailing address and I’ll post the book out to you.

For those who missed out, don’t forget that we’re giving away a copy of Covet by J. R. Ward (click on the link for details and Decadence’s excellent review of the book).

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Covet by J. R. Ward (Fallen Angels, Book 1)

I opened this book with mixed feelings. I love J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which means that before this book was even released a part of me already resented the angels for taking Ward’s time away from the Brothers and leaving me with only one Black Dagger Brotherhood book a year instead of two.

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Read on for a chance to win a copy of Covet. Ends Friday, April 2 AEST.

Jim Heron accidentally dies and is blackmailed by the angels into saving the seven souls (one for each of Dante’s deadly sins) who will tip the balance between good and evil for all time. So, no pressure there.

Vin diPietro is Covet’s romantic hero and the first of the souls Jim must save. Having fought his way to obscene wealth, it’s obvious which sin Vin is most guilty of, and Jim believes that part of his mission is to get him to warm up to his girlfriend and pop the question.

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Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

For lovers of zombies and urban fantasy.

Victory ‘Vicky’ Vaughn is the only professional demon slayer in Deadtown, the section of Boston reserved for its inhuman and undead residents. Years and years ago a plague hit the city, turning a large number of its residents into zombies—walking, talking, thinking, eating undead. Deadtown was primarily created to regulate their residence and that of the other supernatural creatures that made their presence known after the plague.

Vicky is Cerrdorion, descended from the Welsh goddess Cerridwen, and can shapeshift. Ten years ago, when she was learning to be a demon slayer, her father was killed by an evil Hellion who has somehow made its way to Deadtown. Vicky has to find a way to kill it before it takes over the city.

Vicky was a kick-arse heroine. I couldn’t help but picture Milla Jovovich from Resident Evil, guns blazing over a wasteland, as I read about her (except Vicky has a sword). Heltzer did a good job of depicting the scenario—Deadtown is what happens a few years after the apocalypse

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In which I continue my undignified squeeing over a fantastic Australian author.

Thanks to Adele at Persnickety Snark I discovered that this week is Author Appreciation Week. How perfect.

Everyone who follows me on Twitter is groaning, I’m sure. For the past few weeks most of my book conversations have revolved around—or eventually ended up with—Melina Marchetta.

I love her work. I want to marry her books and grow old with them.

When Looking For Alibrandi first came out, I was heavily into category romances and the last thing I wanted to read was an angsty teen novel set in Australia. It wasn’t until last year that I first picked up Marchetta’s work when I read her short story, Twelve Minutes, in last year’s Books Alive anthology. Even then I wasn’t sure I’d read the novel that the short story was based on, The Piper’s Son.

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Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Laura Kinsale’s long-awaited new release is a bit of a romp and a laugh—the Kinsale book for readers who don’t like Kinsale.

Laura Kinsale is my favourite romance author bar none, so when I found out that Sourcebooks was releasing her Regency romance this year, and then AnimeJune offered to lend me her ARC for review, I lost my mind just a tad.

That said, Lessons in French isn’t my favourite Kinsale.

Callie Taillefaire is a thrice-jilted spinster who suddenly finds herself reunited with her childhood friend and almost-lover, Trevelyn. Callie’s father once caught them in a compromising situation and Trevelyn disappeared soon after. She later learned that he had gone to France to reclaim his family estate.

When Trev returns to take care of his dying mother, Callie becomes embroiled in a madcap scheme involving a not-technically-stolen bull, a suitor who seems intent on unjilting her, and conflicted feelings about Trev.

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Solace & Grief by Foz Meadows (The Rare, Book 1)

If you’ve ever wondered what Sydney would be like with paranormal beings lurking about, Foz Meadows’s debut YA novel pits vampires and psychics and a swan-obsessed cat in a medieval dungeon under Hyde Park.

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Read on for a chance to win a signed copy of Solace & Grief. Ends Wednesday, March 24 AEST.

In all my years at Sydney Uni, I’ve always wondered about this door. It’s hidden in a little garden between the Main Quad and the Pharmacy building. Every time I walked past it I wondered. So imagine my delight when I realised that Foz Meadows opens that door for me in Solace & Grief … and leads me to a world of magic, vampires and prophecies.

Solace Morgan walks out of her foster home the day she turns 17, convinced she’s a vampire and that she no longer belongs to her old life. She ends up at the Downstairs Club and meets a bunch of squatters, gets drunk, and before she knows it she’s living with her new set of best friends.

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Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter (The Rarest Blooms, Book 1)

A sweet love story based on a marriage of convenience, Ravishing in Red is a strong start to Madeline Hunter’s new historical romance series.

Audrianna Kelmsleigh’s father was accused of treason, resulting in disastrous consequences. Her family shunned by society, she goes to live with her cousin in a boarding house of sorts called ‘The Rarest Blooms’. She sees an ad in a newspaper relating to information in her father’s case, and wishing to clear her name she rushes off to meet the would be informant. Instead of meeting him, however, she meets Lord Sebastian Summerhays, who is investigating the same issue. He is shot accidentally, leading to a scandal and eventually their marriage. Their marriage is further complicated by the fact that it was Sebastian who led the case against her father, leading her to distrust him.

The good, the bad and the rec

At first look, this appears to be another marriage of convenience story, but Madeline Hunter’s craftsmanship reveals the story beautifully,

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I broke a little rule I have about book signings—I don’t like to go and meet an author without having read anything they’ve written.

Solace & Grief is Foz Meadows’ debut book and technically I could have picked it up earlier in the week, but decided it would be best to buy it from Kinokuniya, because they hosted the launch.

Foz’s family and friends were on hand serving sandwiches, crackers and dip and a nice, spicy fruit slice with plain white icing (I’ve always loved icing sugar). White wine (Kat, do you remember if it was a still white or champers? The glasses seemed a bit wide for champagne and I can’t remember if it sparkled) was also on hand for the celebration. Given that Solace is a vampire, I think it would have been appropriate to serve red wine as well, but since I don’t drink, it made no difference to me.

Scott Westerfeld introduced Foz and her book. He said that he wasn’t familiar with her when she asked him to help launch her book so he asked her to send him a copy first. His praise ended with, ‘It’s a really good book and you should buy it,’

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Too Much Temptation by Lori Foster

Because who can resist a story about an overweight 25-year old virgin and an attractive, successful hero, who want each other in every hot, wet and dirty way?

Grace Jenkins has been attracted to her elderly employer’s grandson, Noah Harper, for years, but he’s been oblivious and engaged to someone else. When his engagement ends under mysterious circumstances, Grace knows he doesn’t deserve to be disowned by his grandmother over the break-up. She visits him to offer her support and ends up in his bed, knowing he isn’t interested in a relationship. Noah and Grace soon realise that they want more, but Noah’s grandmother wants him back with his fiancée and Grace back on the payroll and away from Noah.

This was a book that made a huge impression on me when I first read it about 6 years ago (when I was new to contemporary romance) and one that I’d meant to reread long before now.

Grace is an overweight, shy, 25-year old virgin but has a lot of spine, loyalty and the ability to let go of her self-consciousness over her weight and nudity at those crucial

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Source: Foz Meadows

The Sydney launch of Solace & Grief featured an introduction by Scott Westerfeld, copious wine, much book talk and—not to be underestimated—home-baked goods.

When Foz Meadows first invited me to the launch of her debut novel, Solace & Grief, I had to decline because it was all the way in Melbourne. So I was chuffed to learn that she was having another launch in Kinokuniya in Sydney, which makes sense given that the novel is set in secret places within Sydney landmarks and locations.

(Aside: What do you wear to a book launch? Believe it or not, the answer to this question occupied 20 minutes of my morning. When Decadence arrived I had to laugh because we had on almost exactly the same outfit!)

Scott Westerfeld provided the introduction. I’ve not read any of Westerfeld’s books yet, although I have Leviathan on my wishlist, thanks to various reader-spruikers aided by the weight of an Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Westerfeld gave a wonderful

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