Another Sunday, another stash!

After taking a week off of reviewing to read (OMG!), recuperate our sanity, and fortify ourselves for the weeks ahead, we are back, with a vengeance! First, a few tidbits of news.

Giveaway Winners:

We had quite a few giveaways this week – we’re shameless like that. And now we have a few winners to announce!

The winners of the Jeri Smith-Ready Giveaway, taking home a copy of Wicked Game and Bad to the Bone, are:

The winner of Shade Fright by Sean Cummings is:

And, the winners of Dark Life by Kat Falls are:

Congratulations to all the winners! You know the drill. Send us an email (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we will get your goodies out to you as soon as possible. Thanks again to all that entered!

And don’t forget, our giveaway of Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten is still open!

Patricia Briggs’ Silver Borne Book Tour:

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she’d previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn’t take enough of Mercy’s attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam’s life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn’t careful, she might not have many more to live…

ZOMG! We’ve only got a month to wait until the official release of the fifth Mercy Thompson book, Silver Borne! To promote her newest title, the awesome, esteemed Patricia Briggs will be traveling the west coast on a book tour where she will sign books and answer reader questions. If you are lucky enough to live in one of the tour cities, we HIGHLY recommend making your way out to a signing. Patty Briggs rules.

Silver Borne officially hits shelves on March 30, 2010. You can read the first chapter of the book online HERE.

Steampunk Week Teaser:

A bit of a teaser now. We Smugglers have planned our next big event – in two week’s time, we shall host the first of our two-part Steampunk Week! Details will follow soon, but for now we give you our official posters for the event (courtesy once again by the fantastic, amazing, incredible KMont of Lurv ala Mode)!

We’ll have guests, posts about the steampunk subgenre, and, of course, steampunk reviews galore.

This Week on The Book Smugglers:

On Monday, Thea reviews YA speculative fiction title NUM8ERS by Rachel Ward. We’ll also have a grand prize giveaway opportunity for the book’s release, so stay tuned for a chance to win.

Tuesday, Ana reviews Something About You, the newest book-crack title from Julie James! We’ll also have a copy of Something About You up for grabs.

Wednesday, we have Urban Fantasy/Paranormal author Stacia Kane over for another Interactive Q&A and giveaway opportunity to celebrate the shiny new release of her latest Megan Chase novel, Demon Possessed! Also, Thea reviews Incarceron by Catherine Fisher – a YA dystopian novel that blew her away.

On Thursday, Ana reviews the brilliant, poignant YA novel The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. Later, Thea reviews Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde – one of her hands down favorite reads of 2010.

On Friday, we have a joint review of new title Spider’s Bite, as author Jennifer Estep changes gears from lighthearted paranormal romance to gritty urban fantasy.

Finally, on Saturday, we are having a crazy wicked cool giveaway, courtesy of Simon & Schuster to celebrate the release of Kresley Cole’s newest novel in her Immortals After Dark series, Pleasure of a Dark Prince.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole enraptures again with this seductive tale of a fierce werewolf prince who will stop at nothing to protect the lovely archer he covets from afar.

A DANGEROUS BEAUTY…

Lucia the Huntress: as mysterious as she is exquisite, she harbors secrets that threaten to destroy her — and those she loves.

AN UNCONTROLLABLE NEED…

Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae: the brutal Highland warrior who burns to finally claim this maddeningly sensual creature as his own.

THAT LEAD TO A PLEASURE SO WICKED….

From the shadows, Garreth has long watched over Lucia. Now, the only way to keep the proud huntress safe from harm is to convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do this, Garreth will ruthlessly exploit Lucia’s greatest weakness — her wanton desire for him.

We will be giving away 20 COPIES of Pleasure of a Dark Prince!

It’s another crazy week…

Weekend is nearly over for us in the UK but you guys in the US still have one day off to look forward to! Meanwhile, here is what we have planned this week:

On Monday, Ana reviews The Infinite Instant by Danielle Parker

Tuesday, it’s Thea’s turn and she reviews Heroes at Risk by Moira J Moore

Followed by our joint review of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire on Wednesday

Then on Thursday, Thea reviews Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

and finally on Friday, another joint review, this time of Orphan’s Tale – In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente

PLUS:

We are chuffed to bits that this week, in association with Angry Robot – the new Harper Collins Imprint for genre fiction – SF, F and WTF? – from Monday to Friday, we will be exclusively publishing 5 daily extracts from Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero by Dan Abnett which will be released in October:

Sir Rupert Triumff. Adventurer. Fighter. Drinker.

Saviour?

Pratchett goes swashbuckling in the hotly anticipated original fiction debut of the multi-million selling Warhammer star.

Triumff is a ribald historical fantasy set in a warped clockwork-powered version of our present day … a new Elizabethan age, not of Elizabeth II but in the style of the original Virgin Queen. Throughout its rollicking pages, Sir Rupert Triumff drinks, dines and duels his way into a new Brass Age of Exploration and Adventure.

Be sure to stop by to check it out!

Giveaway Winners:

The winners of the Flash Giveaway are…

Batch 1  – Contemporary Romance: Marie (comment #44)

Batch 2 – Romantic Suspense: Carolyn H (comment #7)

Congratulations! Please send your snail mail address to contact@thebooksmugglers.com

Speaking of giveaways:

You can still enter our ultra cool Catching Fire Giveaway here. It runs till September 15th and it’s open to residents of Canada and US only.

Reasons Why We Want To Marry Neil Gaiman:

# 1023: For His Library

Seriously, check.this.out and prepare to drool : Neil Gaiman’s Library

On our Radar

Urban Fantasy – The fifth Mercy Thompson book by Patricia Briggs which has the cool cover (but not a blurb yet)

Young Adult:

Daughters of the Sea tells the story of 3 mermaid sisters who are separated at birth by a storm and go on to lead three very different lives. Book 1 is about Hannah, who spent her early days in an orphanage and is now a scullery maid in the house of rich, powerful family. She is irresistibly drawn to the sea and through a series of accidents and encounters discovers her true identity. Hannah relizes that she must keep the truth a secret but she also knows that soon she will have to make the choice – to be a creature of the land or the sea.

Young Adult:

For Zack Thomson, living in the Nicholls Ward isn’t so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange and severe allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. He could watch as much television as he wanted; his best friend Charlie visited him often enough; and Nurse Ophelia–the prettiest no-nonsense nurse ever–sometimes took him bowling. Of course, that didn’t mean he had it easy. His allergies restricted his diet to strawberry smoothies, and being the only kid at the hospital could get lonely. But it never once crossed Zack’s mind to leave…until the night someone crashed through the front doors and told him to run. Now he’s on a race for answers–about his past, his parents, and his strange sickness–even as every step takes him closer to the darkest of truths.

Young Adult – The sequel to the very cool Suite Scarlett!

Ever since Mrs. Amberson, the former-aspiring-actress-turned-agent, entered Scarlett Martin’s life, nothing has been the same.

She’s still in charge of the Empire Suite in her family’s hotel, but she’s now also Mrs. Amberson’s assistant, running around town for her star client, Chelsea – a Broadway star Scarlett’s age with a knack for making her feel insignificant.

Scarlett’s also trying to juggle sophomore year classes, her lab partner who is being just a little TOO nice, and getting over the boy who broke her heart.

In the midst of all this, her parents drop a bombshell that threatens to change her New York life forever…

Aaaaaaaand that’s it from us today!

~your friendly neighborhood book smugglers

A big thank you to everyone that commented and entered the contest! We’re stoked that you all loved our very first in-person interview with Patricia Briggs, and we hope you all enjoy her work as much as we do.

Now, down to business! Our lucky winner of Bone Crossed is…

Congratulations! Drop us an email (contact AT the book smugglers DOT com) with your snail mail address, and we’ll get the book out to you as soon as possible! Thanks again to everyone who entered…stay tuned. We have another huge giveaway on the horizon!

Since this is a pretty big event, we are bringing you the interview in two parts. Continuing from where we left off yesterday, we give you the conclusion of our interview with Patricia Briggs!

Remember, we are also giving away a copy of Bone Crossed–details follow at the end of the post.

But now, back to the interview!

The wonderful Patty Briggs!

Thea: There’s also an overwhelming response to Bran, from Cry Wolf because he’s so powerful, and are we ever going to explore his relationship with Leah?

Patty: Absolutely. It’s really fascinating, that relationship. It’s kind of a lonely and an unhappy one, but one that he chose on purpose because it was unhappy. So it’s an interesting mindset to play with. I don’t know that I would do anything about it, we’d have to see how the story works and what I want to do with it. I think Leah in many ways is a tragic heroine but she also has a tragic flaw and causes her own problems. Bran really does care about her, and he doesn’t want to. So…yeah there’s a lot of potential in there.

Thea: The Alpha and Omega books versus the Mercy Thompson books, they seem much more romantic and relationship driven. Was that intentional?

Patty: Yes, that was on purpose. I actually envisioned it almost as a paranormal romance, but it’s not quite. It’s still Urban Fantasy, but it is much more relationship driven. We’ll keep that going because this is an important part about who she is.

And, this will come about in the Mercy books too. She and Adam have a long way to go, I mean, they have a LOT of problems. They have a lot of things to work out, because just something so simple as are they going to get married? Both of them are really uncomfortable with a non-married relationship because of their own personal issues. Adam because he’s older, and in his generation, people didn’t just shack up. It’s a ‘you are who you grow up to be’ kind of thing. Mercy because she grew up basically as an orphan in the wind, people passed her back and forth. Very good people and she never had any abuse issues or anything, but she just kinda got passed from one family to another to another, so she has some issues with it too. But if she does, if she marries him, then she’ll move into the house with him and leave Sam by himself.

Thea: Oh, she can’t do that!

Patty: She can’t. And he can’t live with her and Adam! I have to work that out.

Thea: Would Mercy want to move in with Adam? She’s so independent and she loves her cars and her trailer…

Patty: And her job! She’s not gonna give up her job. Yeah, so its real relationship stuff.

Thea: Verrrry interesting. So, you’ve written a lot of traditional fantasy, do you have any plans to return to that genre?

Patty: I’m under contract for the unpublished sequel to Masques with Wolfsbane, so I still have to do that. I have a story for Ward in my Dragon Bones series that I’m gonna have to do. I have Raven stories, a sequel for When Demons Walk in my head–

Thea: OH that was my favorite! [an inner aside: *squeeee*]

Patty: Mine too, yeah for many years it was. Until I met Ward! Ward is so different and such a fun character to write. He’s so different on the outside from what he is on the inside, so that’s fun. I can’t see not writing traditional fantasy. I still read it, I still love it, but I have a lot of books under contract that have to get done, so it will be a few years probably.

Thea: Well, it’s good to look forward to! Also, they’re pulling out new covers for your traditional fantasy books, right?

Patty: Yeah, and in many ways I’ve been blessed by the good cover fairy from the beginning. I’m really kinda sad to see the old covers go.

Thea: Oh I loved them, with the girl hanging off the pole dramatically–

Patty: [laughs] The girl cutting off her leg. My agent always joked, “that’s the one with the girl that’s gonna cut off her leg, right?” [laughs] But they are dated, and the new covers are great.

Thea: Plus, new readers will discover them too. So, how about you as an author. Who are some of your influences?

Patty: All over the board! When I die, if I keep getting better and I work really hard at my craft, I want to write as well as Lu [Lois McMaster] Bujold. Jayne Ann Krentz–I read her for conversations because her conversations just sparkle. When my people are talking and bogged down, I go and I read her work and try to see, “How do you do that?” and get that rhythm. I read everybody and most of them I like. I read cross genres, I read romance a lot, I read westerns. Anything by Louis L’Amour I’ve probably read thirty times because he’s a terrific storyteller! He tells the same story over and over again, and it just wouldn’t matter. The books had terrible typos, you know he would get up from fights twice or shred his shirt again, or whatever but it doesn’t matter. He was such a good storyteller, you didn’t care.

For mysteries, Dick Francis is a great favorite of mine. I love his mysteries. Anything with a character focus. I don’t read as much literature as I used to before I had kids, which was 20 years ago. With literary fiction, I need quiet and contemplative space, and I don’t seem to have that! [laughs]

One thing I really like, one of the perks is getting to read books before they come out. Nalini Singh has a terrific book coming out in March, Angels’ Blood. And Ann Aguirre has one coming out too with Blue Diablo and she’s a terrific writer.

Probably the biggest influences are the early people I read. Andre Norton, she was my first science fiction and first fantasy book and she made sure I made it through adolescence. She and Simon and Garfunkel. [laughs] Also, and things like The Black Stallion. Here’s this dangerous beast, and he loves me. He’ll take care of me, because he loves me. It doesn’t mean he’s not a dangerous beast. And to me that’s the essence of what a vampire is in the modern urban fantasy. Or a werewolf for that matter. Here’s something powerful and destructive, but because he loves then he can tone it down–even if it’s just for one person. It’s a very empowering thought; it’s a very empowering thing.

Then there’s Black Beauty, you know, do kind unto others and take care of the people around you.

So as you can see, it’s all over the place. [laughs]

Thea: If you were stranded on a desert island, what five books would you bring with you?

Patty: Oh that’s awful! [laughs] The Complete Works of Shakespeare just because it’s that big. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, which is just awesome and I can read it over and over again. Laurell K. Hamilton, probably Bloody Bones [...] anywhere from book 3 to Obsidian Butterfly. Anything by Jim Butcher, it doesn’t matter, I can read it to pieces. And then…I don’t know. Maybe an encyclopedia.

Thea: Any letter? “X”?

Patty: Yes! I would know more about the letter X than anybody else.

Thea: We Book Smugglers are faced with constant threats and criticisms from our dear significant others concerning the sheer volume of books we purchase and read—hence, we have resorted to ‘smuggling books’ home to escape any scrutinizing eyes. Have you ever had to resort to smuggling books?

Patty: No, because my husband is just a doll. After this last move, he bought me a Sony E-book reader because he said he’s really tired of moving boxes of books. [laughs] But no, he’s always been terrifically supportive. When I said, “No I can’t get a real job honey I have to write my books,” and making much less than I would working at Wal-Mart, he said that’s just fine, that’s ok. He’s just the world’s best guy.

Thea: And that’s about it! Thanks so much again for everything, Patty. It was a blast!

Me again, with the awesome “Mercy’s Garage” patch! I’m still recovering from the awesomeness that is Patricia Briggs.

Patricia Briggs lives in Washington with her husband, children and six horses. For more information about Patty and her books, check out her website: www.hurog.com.

———-

And now for the Giveaway!

We are offering one more copy of Bone Crossed for a lucky winner. The contest is open to everyone, and will run until Tuesday at Midnight PST. To enter, leave a comment! We’ll announce the lucky winner on Wednesday.

Good luck!

Patricia (“Patty”) Briggs is a writer that needs no introduction. Author of traditional fantasy novels, Patty turned her skills to the growing Urban Fantasy genre back in 2006 and started a little series about a shapeshifting mechanic named Mercy. Three years and three NY Times bestsellers later, Mercy has become one of the most beloved heroines in the genre today.

I have been a reader of Patty’s books since middle school (my favorite? When Demons Walk), and absolutely love her Mercy Thompson books–they’re in my top 3 favorite Urban Fantasy series’ of all time. Bone Crossed was one of the most highly anticipated books of 2009 from SFF and romance readers alike, and in my opinion was the best book of the series so far! Needless to say, I’m a huge fan. When offered the opportunity to meet up with Patty and interview her–IN PERSON!–I pretty much had a massive coronary. We’ve never interviewed anyone face to face (the anonymity of the internet is so alluring!), but we would not let inexperience stop us intrepid Book Smugglers! Of course, I quickly accepted (with encouragement from the oh-so-cheeky Ana) and promptly began freaking out about what questions to ask, what to wear (in honor of Mercy, I went with my pink wolf shirt), and the mechanics of conducting an in person interview without the safety net of a keyboard and monitor.

Me, with the *really* bright tie-dyed wolf shirt and kickass “Mercy’s Garage” patch from Patty!

This morning was the big day–and I’m proud to report that the interview was awesome. Patty is one cool, sweet, amazing woman, and I managed not to say anything too stupid or droolingly fangirly (I hope!). Not to mention the interview was incredibly informative. Want to know about Adam and Mercy’s relationship and where it might go? Will Sam find inner peace at last? Which preternatural creatures may star in the next Mercy book? How the Alpha and Omega books fit in with the Mercy timeline? We have these answers, and many, many more.

Since this is a pretty big event, we are bringing you the interview in two parts–Part I is below, and Part II will go up tomorrow. We’re also giving away another copy of Bone Crossed–details are below. Without further ado, I am proud to present you with our very first (and hopefully not the last) in person interview. Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you Patty Briggs!

Thea: First and foremost, thanks so much for taking the time to chat!

Bone Crossed is your newest novel and the fourth installment in your bestselling Mercedes Thompson series. Everyone loves your series, from fantasy fans to romance fans. When you began writing Moon Called (book 1), did you anticipate how successful and well loved this series would become?

Patty: I knew it was going to be bigger than the fantasy novels just because Urban Fantasy is doing better than standard fantasy was. I had no idea it was going to do this. I had a wonderful phone call that for years I had saved on my cell phone (but eventually my cell phone died); one of the head honchos at Penguin called me up and I wasn’t there to answer the phone, and she left me this wonderful message that basically said, “Wow! We’re really surprised you did that well!” [laughs] It was much more polite than that, and she didn’t mean it that way but that’s essentially what she said, and I thought, “Well thank you!” But truthfully no, we had no idea. I just got hit by the good publishing fairy.

Daniel Dos Santos did these awesome covers, aren’t they beautiful?

Thea: They are gorgeous, and really distinct. They don’t look like anything else out there.

Patty: Because the covers were so awesome, they bumped Moon Called up their list. (The way publishing works is they have a list of books that comes out every month, in order of how well the publisher expects the book to do–the first book is hardcover, if it’s not hardcover, then it gets the glittery stuff and advertising push and on down) When the team got a look at the sketch that Daniel did for Moon Called, they said “We need to put glittery stuff on this!” and pushed the book up to number one! Which is awesome. It got the glittery stuff and the media push, and it came out at a really good time, about two weeks before [Laurell K.] Hamilton’s Micah. And I think people looking for Micah early saw this on the shelf and picked it up and they liked it! And I think that’s what happened, and it was really cool. I’m very happy, it means I can write two books a year. And that’s really fun.

Thea: Bone Crossed is your first hardcover, and it’s a big jump! It’s very cool and must be exciting.

Patty: It scared me to death when they told me they were gonna do this in a hardcover, I thought, Oh I’m gonna lose so many readers. But it doesn’t seem like it! At the book signings, the hardcovers are easier to sell than the paperbacks!

It’s a beautiful book too. People say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I’m a reader, and I can tell you that a book with a beautiful cover is more fun to read. And if it’s a good book, that’s even better!

Thea: Definitely! I love that Urban Fantasy is getting this bigger push and we’re seeing more hardcovers. So, on to Mercy. I love Mercy, and she’s one of my favorite Urban Fantasy heroines because she is so level-headed and the way she knows how to stand up for herself without crossing the line into annoying bravado territory. Part of this stems from the fact that she is a Walker in a world surrounded by much bigger and badder creatures. Why did you decide to make Mercy an outsider as a walker as opposed to a werewolf, or some other paranormal creature with an arsenal of superpowers?

Patty: When I write I start with little things and then implications. I was under contract to write a paranormal Urban Fantasy with a female protagonist, with a complicated love life that involved werewolves and vampires. She herself didn’t have to be a werewolf or vampire, but she had to be a part of the supernatural community. And that’s what they gave me, because that’s what was doing well. My editor asked me if I could write a book like this, and I said, “YEAH! I’d love to!” My editor and I exchange reading lists, and she knew what I liked to read before she asked me. I like under-powered characters. As a writer they’re more fun, because it’s easier to get into danger and the risk is obviously much bigger, and they have to be smart to get out of it. They can’t just bully their way through, and it makes, for me, a much more interesting story.

So I thought: wolf…coyote. I thought, wow OK! And that automatically meant that she had to be Native American, because coyotes are a native species. Werewolves and vampires are European, well in my world they came over here, and in folklore they’re European. So I thought, OK, she’s a shapeshifter coyote. She’s Native American and that works because Native American mythology has tons of shapeshifters. That’s just a given, that the Native American world is much more cohesive than the European world. Europeans traditionally try to say or think they’re different from everything around them, and Native Americans say no we’re all the same, we’re all part of the same whole.

The mechanic part came in because we had two dead Opal GTs in the backyard that my husband was working on and we had VWs for years. We had this awesome guy who was running a VW repair shop who used to help us out all the time because we were too broke to pay him to fix the car. He’d sell us the parts at his cost and tell us how to fix the car. And when my husband ran into trouble, he could call up and he’d tell him what to do. I mean, these guys were just terrific, and very good people. And they had awesome stories, and we had some fun things going on. So, I thought, OK, she’s a Volkswagen mechanic, and everything else comes from that. What kind of person would do that, and you get…

Thea: Yeah, like in the first chapter she’s all grimy and she can never get the grease off her hands, her t-shirts are dirty, etc.

Patty: Yeah!

Thea: So, Mercy’s learning a little more about what it means to be a walker. In book 2, I think, she first sees a ghost and starts talking to her, which is actually abnormal, right?

Patty: Right, I try to make it clear that she always saw ghosts, and she thought everyone else did too. It’s not until a little bit later that she figures out, wait that’s weird!

Thea: Are we gonna meet another walker at some point?

Patty: Absolutely. She’s not unique–there are more walkers out there, they’re good at blending in, as she is. And they’re aware of her. They knew her father, and they’re aware of her, but they kinda want to see what she’s gonna do. And they’re not really organized, you know they’re pretty laid back and yeah she’s gonna run into one of them. I don’t know if it will be in the next book, which is, we have a title for it! SILVER BORNE–and I’m gonna deal a lot with Samuel in this one because I think he’s suffered enough. Of course he’s gonna suffer some more [laughs] but I think we’ll bring things straight in the next one.

Thea: Speaking of Samuel, let’s talk about the triangle. There was Adam and Sam and Mercy–something we’ve noticed on our blog is that most folks were rooting for Adam. But there was lots of love for Sam too! In Bone Crossed I kinda got the feeling that there was something still between Mercy and Sam, as she wondered if love would be enough for them. Is there ever gonna be backtracking that way?

Patty: No, I don’t think so. Mercy is pretty straightforward. You know it’s funny when you write, because really until I wrote Iron Kissed I REALLY didn’t know who she was gonna pick. But once she picked him, I thought “Oh yeah, that’s absolutely right”. She’s always kinda known that. She just didn’t want to say no to Samuel because she was afraid what would happen because he’s so fragile right now, and she knows it. And that was part of it. And also because bone deep she’s really still a little scared of Adam. Samuel she grew up with, and she knows him inside out and backwards–she thinks. She’s finding out things she didn’t know about, and who wouldn’t when you’re that old, you know he puts up a good front! But Adam is still a little bit of an unknown, and it’s like any relationship. That really happens, as you change the relationship you go “do I really know you as well as i think i do?” so there’s some of that too. But no, I’m not gonna backtrack on that. I think that Sam will find his. Maybe.

Thea: Or at least be happy?

Patty: Or at least he’ll find a happier place!

Thea: On that note, in Cry Wolf, we actually see Sam and he’s such a mess! I mean, I knew he was kind of damaged from the Mercy books, but I never saw how much of a mess he was and how scared everyone was for him. So that’s pretty cool with crossing over…

Patty: I have a great time doing this second series in the third person. I can tell you a lot more about Some of the things that are going on and I really enjoy it.

Thea: It definitely adds another layer of information that we wouldn’t ever see from Mercy’s perspective. Back to Bone Crossed for a second–there’s Stefan who comes back big in this book. Everyone loves Stefan and the vampires!

Patty: I love Stefan. He’s really fun to write too because he really is a very good person in a really horrible situation, and he’s been there for a long time. He really loves Marsilia, and he really believes in what she’s trying to do and he really loves her. And she really destroys him in this book.

Thea: Oh gosh, yeah.

Patty: It’s really horrible as a writer to go “YES!!!!” [laughs] But happy content people don’t make good stories, and they aren’t necessarily strong people either because they don’t have to be. I would like to be a happy content person and I would never want to star in a novel!

I really hate thousand year old critters that feel like they’re 20. Because I really think there’s a lot of stuff in there–and Marsilia and Stefan and Andre grew up in the renaissance in Italy, which was a scary place to be. There’s all sorts of these machinations going on, and I figured, they’re STILL going on, so that’s where that comes from.

Thea: So can we expect more from the vampires in the next book?

Patty: Next book I have an awful lot going on. I bring out lots of witches in the next book, and I do Samuel and werewolves and the fey. So the vampires take a second seat until the next book. That’s the good thing bout a series–there’s always a next book!

Thea: I love the fey too, hanging out with Zee and at the local bar, and in this book we meet Baba Yaga, and it’s really cool. I’m excited to see them again!

Patty: I love the opportunities the fey give me for cameos. And I can bring [Baba Yaga] back or not, because it’s ok.

Thea: So your universe has vampires, fey, ghosts, werewolves, walkers and witches. So they’re the next supernatural creature to take the stage in your next book?

Patty: Yeah, they’ve always been in the background, and I’ll showcase them in the next book. I’m still working on Hunting Ground (book 2 in the Alpha and Omega series), so this is all in the ether right now. I always reserve the right to change it if I have a much better idea or a better way to do it! [laughs]

Thea: Of course! Do you do any research for your characters and supernatural creatures?

Patty: I get this question a lot, and I really hate to say yes because research implies you sit down and work. I grew up with fairy tales and stories like this. My mother was the librarian at my elementary school, and I can’t remember not knowing fairy tales. My sister was four years older than I am, used to read them to us so we didn’t have to go to be earlier. My mom would say “Your lights!” And she’d say, “Patty couldn’t sleep so I’m reading her a fairy tale.” “Well ok!” [laughs] So, it’s something I’ve always done. I love fairy tales, I love folklore, I read Katharine Briggs’ Encyclopedia of Fairies for pleasure!

Thea: So, on to Hunting Ground, which is coming out this August. Will it cover Anna and Charles again?

Patty: Yeah, it will cover Anna and Charles again, and the other question I get a lot is will I ever catch up timelines? I really want to because it makes me crazy and I’m sure it makes readers crazy. But yeah, this one still takes place before Blood Bound. I couldn’t just let the wolves ‘coming out’ be offstage. So this book is about Bran bringing the werewolves out to public and they’re not happy about it. He invites them over to Seattle for a conference to discuss the matter–of course we know he’s not going to back down! But he’s gonna tell them what he’s planning to do and that kind of thing. Charles objects, and in the end, Charles and Anna get sent instead of having Bran. Charles is pretty concerned that something is gonna happen to Bran, he doesn’t know what, but something. Could Charles interrupt that? And I just had a great time!

Talking about research, Charles is a pilot and he had to take this little airplane hop over, and I had my husband read it and he said “Nope, that’s wrong!” So I talked to a small plane pilot, and we went out on a small plane to see how it’s done. We took a trip over to Seattle in January and looked around at seeing the sights and what good places there were to hold things…

Thea: Everything seems to happen in Seattle, pacific northwest, that’s where all the supernatural creatures are! [laughs] I need to go!

Patty: Actually there are, you need to see the Troll bridge. Type in “Troll Bridge Seattle” on the internet. But yeah, it makes sense from a standpoint being that some places just don’t have the facilities for a bunch of European werewolves, staying in rinky-dink hotels. And Bran doesn’t really want to bring them into his territory anyways, and Seattle is the nearest big town. Spokane’s not quite big enough. I have a short story coming in Strange Brew, which is a St. Martin’s anthology with Jim Butcher, about a witch and one of the wolves from the Emerald City pack, so that’s a little easter egg.

Thea: Oh how cool–I’ll keep an eye out. There’s also an overwhelming response to Bran, from Cry Wolf because he’s so powerful, and are we ever going to explore his relationship with Leah?

….TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW!

Yes, I’m terrible, leaving you with this cliffhanger. You want to know about Bran? Or if wedding plans are in the cards for Mercy and Adam? Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of our interview with Patricia Briggs, where she talks more about Mercy, her fantasy novels, and her influences!

The fabulous Patty in our impromptu conference room!

Patricia Briggs lives in Washington with her husband, children and six horses. For more information about Patty and her books, check out her website: www.hurog.com.

———-

And now for the Giveaway!

We are offering one more copy of Bone Crossed for a lucky winner. The contest is open to everyone, and will run until Tuesday at Midnight PST. To enter, leave a comment either today or tomorrow! We’ll announce the lucky winner on Wednesday.

Good luck!

Title: Bone Crossed

Author: Patricia Briggs

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Ace Books (Penguin)
Publication Date: February 2008
Hardcover: 320 pages

Stand alone or series: Book 4 in the ongoing Mercy Thompson series.

Why did I read this book: The Mercy Thompson books are some of my very favorites in the Urban Fantasy genre, and Patricia Briggs is one of those amazing authors who I have read since middle school. I absolutely loved Iron Kissed, and Bone Crossed was easily one of my most highly anticipated books of 2009…so when I received my ARC and a chance to interview Ms. Briggs, it was a no-brainer!

Also, we’re giving away a copy of Bone Crossed! Details follow after the review.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
In a world where “witches, vampires, werewolves, and shape-shifters live beside ordinary people” (Booklist), it takes a very unusual woman to call it home. By day, Mercy Thompson is a car mechanic in Eastern Washington. By night, she explores her preternatural side. As a shape-shifter with some unusual talents, Mercy’s found herself maintaining a tenuous harmony between the human and the not-so- human on more than one occasion. This time she may get more than she bargained for.

**NOTE: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST THREE MERCY NOVELS. IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE FIRST THREE BOOKS AND WISH TO REMAIN UNSPOILED, AVERT YOUR VIRGIN EYES!**

Review:

Bone Crossed begins immediately following the dramatic and tragic events of Iron Kissed. After being raped and beaten–and then ripping her attacker to shreds through her drugged haze–coyote shapeshifter (a “walker”) and VW mechanic Mercy Thompson is still incredibly shaken. She decides that she will not let her assailant cow her and make her live her life in fear of others, and she boldly tries to fully accept her mate-bond with Adam (the Tri-Cities pack Alpha whom Mercy has accepted as her mate in the previous book). She soon discovers that despite her anger at feeling victimized, she still has a long way to go before she is fully over her traumatic ordeal.

Luckily (or perhaps not so luckily), distractions arrive in the form of Mercy’s mother–though hurt because she had to hear about her daughter’s rape through national news, she’s willing to be there for her daughter–and then the unexpected appearance of Stefan. Mercy’s Scooby Doo loving vampire friend teleports into Mercy’s trailer…during daylight. Stefan is seriously burned and emaciated, a walking death wish to any living, warm blooded folks around him. Adam, with the help of the pack, is able to keep Stefan alive, but it’s clear that someone intended him to kill Mercy–two of his three words of warning to her ring ominously: “She knows.”

In Blood Bound (book 2), Mercy worked with the local vampire seethe, enlisted by the local Vampire Queen Marsilia to find a dangerous demon-ridden vampire responsible for a string of brutal murders in the Tri-Cities area. Mercy discovered that the dangerous sorcerer-vampire was actually Andre (Marsilia’s right hand man)’s creation, and that with Andre’s help, Marsilia planned on creating more of these creatures. With the help of Stefan and the pack, Mercy was able to kill the demon-vampire, and to ensure Marsilia would not be able to create any more like it, Mercy and the gang also killed Andre. Fast forward two books later, and Marsilia has learned who was responsible for Andre’s death, and now she has a death warrant out over Mercy’s head. When Marsilia has Mercy’s body shop spray painted and decorated with a curse mark stating as much, Mercy now faces every vampire, witch and renegade supernatural creature gunning for her death. Not only does this present a problem for Mercy’s life expectancy, but it also threatens the local werewolf pack as Mercy has officially become Adam’s mate and the pack is obligated to protect her from any threats. Unfortunately for Mercy, most of the pack already weren’t thrilled with having a Walker for their Alpha’s mate, and the news of the vampires gunning for her threatens their already crumbling unity.

Matters are further complicated when Amber Chamberlain, an old sort-of-friend shows up on Mercy’s doorstep and asks for her help, claiming that there is a ghost in her house and that it is terrorizing her son. Figuring that she might as well get out of the Tri-Cities until Adam and the Pack can negotiate a truce with the Vampires, Mercy makes off for Amber’s home in Spokane. There she finds a strange, malevolent ghostly presence like no other she has seen before and she manages to stumble into an even bigger problem with the master vampire who maintains sole possession of the city, whom everyone refers to as “the Monster”.

Needless to say, there’s an awful lot going on in Bone Crossed–not only is Mercy facing death threats from the spiteful Marsilia, she’s also got her hands full with a very old and powerful vampire who wants to enslave Mercy as his own. Not to mention the pressures being put on her by the werewolf pack to fully accept Adam’s bond–and she’s still fragile and hurting from the events in Iron Kissed! It’s a tall order, but Mercedes Thompson meets all these obstacles with her trademark frank level-headedness.

As usual, Ms. Briggs’s characterizations are in top form in Bone Crossed. One of the many things that draws me back to Mercy time and time again is her no-frills attitude, her empathy, and above all, her intelligence. Mercy’s neither the bad-attitude-super-bitch nor is she a weepy damsel in distress–like the Popeye song goes, she is who she is. Mercy tackles all of the problems facing her head-on, refusing to make herself some poor martyr. When the pack is threatened because Marsilia has a vendetta against her, Mercy accepts the pack’s protection and help (instead of stupidly trying to go it alone). When the pack snarls and bristles at Mercy’s rank when she’s just a mere coyote, she is able to stand up for herself and establish her place as Adam’s mate. When things get hairy out in Spokane with James Blackwood (aka “The Monster”) and Mercy realizes that no one can come out and save her, she does what she needs to do to save herself. I really appreciated the fact that Ms. Briggs also took under careful consideration Mercy’s state of mind following the harrowing events of Iron Kissed. There is no reboot, magically-all-better button for this character–she’s a rape victim with her story splashed across national headlines, and this clearly takes a toll on her during Bone Crossed. Physical intimacy with Adam, though she trusts him and loves him, triggers panic attacks, and it’s only gradually that Mercy is able to work out some of her issues. Her fear of being vulnerable plays into her narrative in Bone Crossed in a huge way–and it makes her decisions later in the story all the more poignant.

I was extremely happy to see Stefan return in this latest novel, as well as a reemergence of the vampires storyline from book 2. Stefan is in an incredibly interesting character–for all that he seems harmless and a good friend to Mercy, puttering around in his Mystery Machine, he’s also one of the strongest vampires in the Tri-Cities. Also, his motivations are always slightly suspicious, as seen in his role in Blood Bound–this latest novel explores Stefan’s loyalties and feelings beautifully. As for the rest of the bloodsuckers, they are in true terrifying form. The storyline involving Marsilia and her seethe is wonderfully excecuted; vampire politics are very complicated (a byproduct of their immortality, one supposes), but everything comes together in the end and makes sense (in a twisted vampire kind of way).

And–what I’m sure most folks have been waiting for–there’s Adam and Mercy’s relationship. In Iron Kissed Mercy puts an end to the romantic triangle by choosing Adam Hauptman over old love (and heartbreak) Samuel. Just because Mercy has accepted Adam as her partner, however, doesn’t mean that they are a bonded pair. Since Mercy also happens to be a Walker and not a werewolf, the ties of pack magic are even more complicated. Regardless of these complications, Mercy and Adam’s relationship takes a huge step forward in Bone Crossed. Adam doesn’t play as large a role in this installment, but the presence he does have with Mercy, comforting her, giving her the space and respect she needs is truly heart-warming (melting?). To be fair, I was always gunning for Adam, so I was giddy to see the two of them finally together in this novel. To those curious out there, biting their nails and hoping for an answer: YES. Mercy and Adam go the final mile. They round all the bases. Grand slam, outta the park home run…if you get my drift with all the baseball analogies.

BUT, I will say that Ms. Briggs keeps things interesting. Sam hasn’t quite faded from memory–he’s still around, and for a second there, Mercy seems to wonder if what they had could have been enough…I’ll be interested to see how this plays out in future novels!

Bone Crossed also brings a few more answers and interesting developments for Mercy as a Walker. To date, we haven’t seen any other Walkers, but her unusual powers and reactions to magic are explored much more in-depth in this latest book. Beyond just seeing and talking to ghosts, it turns out a Walker’s abilities encompass much, much more. This is a plotline that has been dangled tantalizingly since Moon Called and I cannot wait to see what the next book brings for Mercy!

As I have come to expect from Patricia Briggs, Bone Crossed is a riveting read. The plotting is superb and we get more of those characters we have grown to love. I couldn’t put this book down. My lone regret was the lack of presence of the Fey as the momentum of the series switched back to the vampires. Of course, you can’t have it all, and I expect we’ll see more of the fey in the next Mercy book. We’re introduced to a new, disturbing character in Bone Crossed (a certain mythological character who shall remain nameless in this review), who makes an interesting comment about Mercy–and I’m dying to see more of how it all plays out.

Notable Quotes/Parts: I loved this scene with Mercy diffusing the tension between Alpha boys Adam and Sam.

“What do you know about Blackwood?”

Adam’s voice and posture were just a little too aggressive for an Alpha standing in Samuel’s kitchen. Another day, another time, Samuel would have let it go. But he’d had a bad day…and I thought that the vampires hadn’t helped. He snarled and snapped a hand out to shove Adam back.

Adam caught it and knocked it away as he came to his feet.

Bad, I thought, carefully not moving. This was very bad. Power, rank with musk and pack, vibrated through the house, making the air thick.

Both of them were on edge. They were dominants–tyrants if I’d have allowed it. But their strongest, most urgent need was to protect.

And I’d been recently harmed while under their protection. Once with Tim and a second time with Blackwood–and to a lesser extent with Stefan. It left them both dangerously aggressive…Samuel was more dominant, but he wasn’t an Alpha. If it came to a fight, neither of them would fare well. In a few breaths, the pause before battle would stretch too long, and someone would die.

I grabbed my full-glass of juice and tossed it on them, putting out a forest fire with a thimbleful of cranberry juice. They were standing almost nose to nose, so I got them both. The rage in their eyes as they turned to me would have caused a lesser person to run. I knew better.

I ate a bite of pancake from Adam’s plate that attached itself like glue to the back of my throat. I reached across the table and took Samuel’s coffee cup and rinsed the sticky knot down my throat.

You can’t pretend not to be scared by werewolves. They know. But you can meet their eyes, if you’re tough enough. And if they let you.

Just one of the reasons I love Mercy so much–she knows how to handle big bad snarly wolves.

Also, if you haven’t already, make sure to check out the first chapter of Bone Crossed, available on the author’s website.

Verdict: Bone Crossed embodies everything I have come to love with this series and is the most gripping story to date. The character growth, the layered plot and the engaging writing makes this Mercy installment my favorite to date. Bone Crossed not only lives up to its massive hype–it surpasses it. Highly recommended.

Rating: 8 Excellent

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Hey, we’re having a Giveaway! We are giving away ONE copy of this pretty new hardcover to a lucky winner! The contest is open to everyone and will run until Sunday February 1st at Noon (PST). To enter, simply leave a comment. For the heck of it, tell us why you love Mercy, and which guy you were rooting for–Adam or Sam?

ALSO STAY TUNED! On February 8th, Thea will get to meet and interview the talented Patricia Briggs! We’ll post the interview shortly after…and who knows, maybe throw in another giveaway.

This is too cool for words.

Fans of Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson books might have heard the good news that Dabel Brothers Publishing will be releasing a 4-part comic book miniseries based on the books this November, titled Mercy Thompson: Homecoming. Patricia Briggs herself penned the storyline, with art done by Francis Tsai (of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and Iron Man, and Impaler fame). Check out the press release from Dabel Brothers HERE.

So, the kicker is, the first eleven pages are available for download online! See two pages of the art below:

You can download the pages HERE. (Origninally directed from Fantasy Book Critic!)

Mercy looks a little to pretty for my tastes here, and judging from the art, I think I still prefer the original covers for the books (see below)–but still, the comic artwork looks great (At least it isn’t as nearly as odd as the Anita Blake comic books depictions!). I’m excited.

Bone Crossed, pictured above, is book 4 in the Mercy series, to be published in February 2009. During the wait, I’ll be getting my Mercy fix with the comics.