Countdown to Smugglivus – Meljean Brook

And here is Meljean Brook:
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Meljean:

Favorite New-to-me Authors/Books from 2008:

I know I’m going to forget some and come back later and say, “Oh my god, that was published this year? I need to add…!” There aren’t as many here as I’d have liked to see, simply because I didn’t read as many books as usual this year (and many of them weren’t new-to-me, but authors like Nalini Singh, Patricia Briggs, Kresley Cole and Loretta Chase.)

Life As We Knew It — I talked about this briefly on my blog, but Thea’s review is a billion times better. This is a fantastic character piece that describes one teenager’s experience as the world ends. Okay, so it doesn’t end … but it does get pretty hairy.

The Hunger Games – Another YA (which is surprising to me, because I’m not a huge YA reader) in a harsh setting, but unlike LIFE AS WE KNEW IT, this one is action-packed and violent, with a little romance triangle and (I hope) a revolution-in-the-making. I just loved it. I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy; it can’t come soon enough.

Joanna Bourne – Both of her books had unique characters, unique settings, and gorgeous prose. Also, I got to sit next to Joanna during the RWA conference this year, and she said my books were full of “menace” and that pretty much made my year. When I grow up, I’m going to write like Joanna.

Sherry Thomas — Again, gorgeous writing, and unique storylines. I’m a heroine-centric reader, and that’s one thing I love about Thomas’s work: her heroines aren’t innocent, but clear-eyed and mature.

Meredith Duran — At the risk of repeating myself: THE DUKE OF SHADOWS has lovely writing, a unique setting, and a ton of angst (I love angst.)

Carrie Lofty — Because what is better than Will Scarlet? Why, Will Scarlet striking sparks with a heroine who has a sharp tongue and a sharper mind! I’d been looking forward to this book since I first learned of it, and it did not disappoint.

Chelsea Cain — I’m counting this as 2008 because I read the mass market version of HEART SICK. The characters aren’t really likable, but I was sucked in by the story. And the relationship between Gretchen and Archie is just wonderfully twisted. I didn’t like SWEETHEART as much, but her characters still grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Isabel Allende — my BFF sent ZORRO to me for research (I like to read translations of a language for my current characters so I get a feel for the rhythm of their speech, but after a slow start Allende sucked me in.) I’ve already got THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS in my TBR, but I have no idea when I’ll get to it, sigh.

Roxanne St. Claire — when I want a change from historicals, paranormals, and Harlequin Presents (but I still want romance) I turn to romantic suspense. Her Bullet Catchers series is fun and hot.

Mike Carey — I almost didn’t include this one because I’ve read his comic book work, but then decided it doesn’t matter if the format has changed. And, okay, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW wasn’t printed in 2008, but I read him in 2008 … so I’m cheating a little. But, in brief: demons. A fantastic narrator. And he wrote the Lucifer comics.

As you can tell, I went pretty heavily for historical romance this year (and is why I’m heading the steampunk way. I love historicals, would love to write one, but for the life of me can’t write “straight.” So I’ll twist history up a bit, mix steam and nanotech, but they still get to wear those awesome dresses, and retain all of those lovely issues of class and sexual repression.)

The best movie of 2008:

THE DARK KNIGHT (is anyone surprised that I’d choose this one?) I loved BATMAN BEGINS, but I thought THE DARK KNIGHT was the perfect Batman movie. It defined him and his role in such an amazing way. I know there is a lot of focus on the Joker and Ledger’s portrayal of him (which was brilliant) but it was the writing and the screenplay that made this a winner for me.

The movie that came out in 2008 that I’m dying to see but haven’t yet because it wasn’t released near me and I haven’t had time, anyway:

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN

The best movie that never existed:

THUNDERCATS

Next year, I will finally read:

I have a ridiculous amount of books by new-to-me authors that I haven’t yet read sitting on my shelves. As soon as C.L. Wilson’s fourth book in her Tairen Soul series comes out, I’ll finally start the first. I’m also looking forward to Victoria Dahl’s TALK ME DOWN, which I’ve heard a lot of good buzz about, and Diana Peterfreund’s RAMPANT, because Killer! Unicorns! (and I also want to kiss the girl on the cover. I want to kiss her and touch her pretty, pretty white hair.)

Then there’s THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, which I’ve wanted since it showed up on the sidebar, even though it is also YA! Grr. And so that takes me to the next category:

The blog that tripled my flippin’ TBR pile this year:

The Book Smugglers. Yeah I’m looking at you, Ana and Thea. For romance, my tastes run closer to Ana’s; for horror, they are closer to Thea’s (with the exception of Anne Bishop, hee hee) So now I have more books that I can possibly read.

Honorable mention goes to Dear Author, because Jane’s tastes are really close to mine, and Jia always ends up with books that I haven’t heard of before, but usually want to try after she reviews them.

I also want to officially declare 2009 THE YEAR OF NALINI SINGH!

Okay, seriously. The woman has a gazillion books coming out next year. First is a Guild Hunter ebook (I read it; it’s fantastic); then ANGELS’ BLOOD, which I’ve been dying for since I heard of it (I read it; it’s beyond fantastic); then BRANDED BY FIRE which has the hottest freaking first chapter I’ve read in ages, followed by BLAZE OF MEMORY; and, of course, the MUST LOVE HELLHOUNDS anthology that has a Guild Hunter novella, and novellas from Charlaine Harris and the awesome Ilona Andrews, and … oh, what’s this?

Ahem, me. (And it’s the only 2009 release I’m sure of yet; DEMON FORGED might be out in 2009 or 2010. I will know more later.)

Because it’s Smugglivus, here’s a little bit from my novella, Blind Spot (this is unedited and could change completely before it is published):

That morning, two hours after she received an anonymous e-mail that included an address and a short message, Maggie Wren boarded a flight from San Francisco to New York. Accompanied by the hellhound that Maggie’s employer had demanded she bring with her, she arrived at JFK mid-afternoon. The address led her to a brownstone in Brooklyn. Despite the busy streets and the glaring sun that exposed her movements, she picked the lock at the front door and dismantled the security system.
With a silent hand gesture, she instructed the hellhound to check the first level. Upstairs, the first two bedrooms stood empty, except for a shirt and jeans strewn over the floor of the second. Maggie kicked through a third door when she found it locked.
Her target–Geoffrey Blake–was sitting naked on the wooden floor, handcuffed to a radiator. He’d drawn his knees up and rested his back against the wall beneath a lace-curtained window. Although her foot slamming against the door could have woken the dead, his eyes remained closed.
Maggie swept the room with her gun before shoving the weapon into the holster beneath her blazer.
She crossed to Blake’s side, retrieving her lock picks from her jacket’s inside pocket. He wasn’t completely naked, she noted. Her gaze skipped to his black jockey undershorts as she crouched and reached for the handcuffs. Yellow smiley faces grinned up at her from the elastic waistband.
“At least someone is happy to see me,” Maggie said. Or maybe the smiley faces were just thrilled to be hugging his muscled abdomen. Smug little bastards.
“I would be,” Blake replied in a deep, dry voice, “if I could see you.”
He raised his head and opened his eyes, revealing irises of light blue–and no pupils. From rim to rim, the color was solid.
Maggie’s fingers twitched. The metal pick slipped out of the keyhole and jabbed his wrist. She murmured an apology, her mind racing.
Blind. Yet nothing in Blake’s dossier had indicated it. How had he kept the disability unlisted on his official records? Why keep it hidden?
And why hadn’t Maggie’s employer prepared her before she’d flown across the country to rescue him? More than that–what the hell had her employer been thinking by letting Blake come to New York alone? Had he actually expected his nephew–a man who couldn’t see, for God’s sake–to track down Katherine Blake, who’d disappeared from a New York hotel room two days ago?
That the woman was Blake’s sister was even more reason not to have sent him. Caring too much led to carelessness. Which, Maggie thought, was probably why Blake was handcuffed to a radiator.
But at least his blindness explained why her employer had insisted that she bring the dog.
“You didn’t know,” Blake said.
Maggie worked at the lock, pulling herself out of assignment mode and slipping back into the deferential courtesy required by her newest occupation: household management and personal security.
Which, she’d often thought, was just a nice way of saying that she was a butler with a gun.
She popped the first cuff, moved on to the second. “Mr. Ames-Beaumont must have considered your blindness irrelevant to my objective, sir.”
“Is it relevant?”
“No, sir.” She had to get Blake out of here, either way.
“Sir?” His faint smile didn’t soften his strong features. The beginnings of a dark beard shadowed his jaw. His nose, Maggie thought, would have done a Stoic emperor proud. “If you are calling me ‘sir,’ then you must be the recently acquired–and, according to Uncle Colin, the already indispensable–Winters.”
There was no point in correcting him. She’d been called more offensive names before. And she didn’t know why Ames-Beaumont had taken to calling her ‘Winters,’ but considering the salary he paid her, she’d decided that he could address her however he wished.
The billionaire owner of Ramsdell Pharmaceuticals had high standards for his employees–and the closer to his family those employees were, the higher those standards were.
And he’d called her indispensable. Not easily disposed of and replaced. She’d never been that before.
But she couldn’t afford to acknowledge the warm glow the second-hand praise brought, or the despair that it would change.
Yes, “Winters” was much better than what he’d soon be calling her. When Ames-Beaumont discovered her deception and her connection to the man who’d endangered his family, the vampire would kill her.
After she sent his nephew home in one piece, perhaps he’d make it quick. And if she found Katherine, maybe Ames-Beaumont would let Maggie go.
Or at least give her a head start.
“Your clothes are in one of the other bedrooms.” she said, and stood. “Let’s get you dressed and head out.”

Happy Smugglivus!

Meljean

And for the giveaway two lucky winners will receive a copy each of Meljean’s Demon Bound! To enter, leave a comment here. The contest will run until Saturday, December 27 at midnight (Pacific Standard Time).

Thanks again to Meljean for the excerpt, and for the giveaway!

Next on Smugglivus: Dorchester Publishing and a HUGE giveaway