Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Carolyn Crane

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

Today: Carolyn Crane


Carolyn had two releases in 2010: Mind Games and Double Cross, book 1 and 2 in the awesome Disillusionists Trilogy. Both are beyond awesome and book 2 ended in such a way I was dying to read the next book.

It looked grim at first for book 3 in the trilogy though, because Spectra didn’t want to contract Carolyn for book 3. Luckily Carolyn managed to sell book 3, Head Rush, to Samhain and that’s why 2011 brought us the audio and ebook version of this awesome conclusion of an amazing trilogy.

Carolyn also released a novella in her Disillusionists world featuring the mysterious Monk in the anthology Wild & Steamy.


What’s next:

2012 will bring the print version of Head Rush (which I'll buy if only so I can hug it) as well as another (as yet unnamed) Disillusionists novella featuring Simon and a novella in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance.

Carolyn is also working on a Paranormal Spy series and an Urban Fantasy mystery series.


And now for a short Q&A with Carolyn Crane:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I can’t think of any one moment…or when I try to think of specific moments, they are never better than the moments of laying in bed in the morning with my husband and our two cats, just waking up and talking and laughing and playing with the cats and looking forward to writing. Or reading a good book in bed. This is a lovely question because it just makes me appreciate that time more. I guess I love laying in bed!

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Laying in bed with my husband and the cats! LOL. Actually, probably nothing much different than what I do on any night, except nothing with my day job will be due the next day because it’s New Years Day so I will be able to relax. I used to be sort of jealous of women dressing up fancy to go to a ball on New Year’s Eve, but I so love being at home and laying around and reading and writing, I don’t feel like that anymore.

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

I’m looking forward to self-publishing my Simon novella in February. It’s the first thing I’ll ever publish completely on my own, and I find it incredibly exciting, and scary. I’m also looking forward to springtime, and hopefully having time to work in the garden at our new place!

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Carolyn, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Want to get your hands on a signed copy of either Mind Games or Double Cross?

Now is your chance!
Rules:
- leave a comment for Carolyn
- don’t forget to mention which book you want
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check my previous three posts for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Gini Koch

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

Today: Gini Koch


In 2010 Gini brought us the first two books in her awesome Katherine (Kitty) Katt series: Touched by an Alien and Alien Tango. And under the pen-name of Anita Ensal, Gini released a short story in the anthology Love and Rockets.

2011 was a very busy year for Gini.
Book 3 and 4 in the Kitty series, Alien Tango and Alien Proliferation released. These books brought us The Wedding of the Galaxy, Poofs and some unforgettable moments in Paris.
There was another short story release in the anthology Boondocks Fantasy and I'm glad to say Gini also sold quite a few stories to Musa Publishing under various pen-names. (Gini Koch, Jemma Chase, Anita Ensal. A.E. Stanton and J.C. Koch)


What’s next:

Next to Alien Diplomacy and Alien vs. Alien, book 5 and 6 in the Katherine (Kitty) Katt series (and which I'm really looking forward to), we can also expect many more short stories in 2012.

2013 will bring book 7 and 8 in the Katherine (Kitty) Katt series and we can only hope there will be more in 2014.


And now for a short Q&A with Gini Koch:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

Gosh, there were a lot. Alien in the Family and Alien Proliferation releasing and getting really lovely reviews are two biggies. Selling Books 7 & 8 to DAW was also a biggie. But probably the biggest is my daughter graduating from Arizona State University this December.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

We hold an annual New Year's Eve party, so the Casa should be full of people, and dogs. The Canine Death Squad like to attend the event, too. LOL

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

Alien Diplomacy and Alien vs. Alien releasing and every other release I'll have, my daughter starting law school, and proving that the whole "world will end" thing is just because 2012 is the Mayan's version of Y2K.

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Gini, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Want to get your hands on a signed copy of Alien Tango?

Now is your chance!
Rules:
- leave a comment for Gini
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check my previous two posts and to return tomorrow for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Jess Haines

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

Today: Jess Haines


2010 brought us the really cool Hunted by the Others, the first book in the H&W Investigations series and the novella Spark of Temptation, which was part of the anthology Nocturnal.

2011 brought us even more books:
Book 2 and 3 in the H&W Investigations series: Taken by the Others and Deceived by the Others (both just as cool as the first book if not even cooler), as well as the witty novella What’s Yours in Mine, part of the Anthology The Real Werewives of Vampire County.


What’s next:
2012 will see the release of Stalking the Others, book 4 in the H&W series. (And anyone who read book 3 will probably be just as eager for Stalking the Others as I am.)
Jess is also working on book 5 and 6 and an as yet untitled Paranormal Romance. There are no known release dates for these works yet.


And now for a short Q&A with Jess Haines:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I loved going to Authors After Dark in Philadelphia! Not only did I get to speak on panels, meet some fans and fellow authors, and take home a ton of awesome books, I also got to spend some quality time with my mom. I don't see her enough since she lives in Florida and I'm in California, so that trip was very special to me.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Probably nothing exciting, lol. I usually do a movie marathon and drink some bubbly apple cider as I'm not a fan of alcohol. There's nothing quite like ringing in the new year with a cheesy horror movie and some Martinelli's!

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

A few things. I'll be going to Authors After Dark again, this time in New Orleans. I've never been there, so I'm really looking forward to taking an extended vacation and exploring the city! I'm also looking forward to the release of the fourth H&W Investigations novel, STALKING THE OTHERS (July 3rd, 2012), and delving into some new projects.

Plus I have a few friends and family who I haven't seen in a very long time who I plan on visiting. Since I've reworked my schedule, I have more free time. I've been making good use of it so far in catching up on my TBR pile and finishing some writing projects, but I want to spend some quality time with friends and family, too.


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Jess, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Haven’t read any of Jess’s book yet, or want to get your hands on a signed copy?

Now is your chance to win a signed copy of either Hunted by the Others or The Real Werewives of Vampire County
Rules:
- leave a comment for Jess
- don’t forget to mention what book you would want to win
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check yesterday’s post and to return the next two days for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited (+ giveaway) - Laura Bickle

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

First up is Laura Bickle.


Last year Laura ended up on my Top Pearls list twice, under both of her pen-names: Laura Bickle and Alayna Williams

In 2010 she had 2 releases as Laura Bickle and 1 as Alayna Williams:
Released under the pen-name Laura Bickle were Embers and Sparks, which are book 1 and 2 in the Anya Kalinczyk series and they feature psychic medium Anya and her awesome familiar Sparky, a fire salamander.

And released under the pen-name Alayna Williams: Dark Oracle, book 1 in the thrilling Delphic Oracle series, which features Tara Sheridan, a criminal profile who uses tarot cards to guide her in her investigations.


2011 brought book 2 in the Delphic Oracle series: Rogue Oracle.
Rogue Oracle is an amazing read. It’s grim, gritty, scary, intense and in my opinion utterly awesome. If you haven’t read it yet, I can only advice you to remedy that situation as soon as possible.


What’s next:
At the moment it’s looking grim for the Anya Kalinczyk and the Delphic Oracle series. So far there’s been no word that Pocket Books will contract Laura Bickle for more books in both series. A real shame as both series are awesome.

But there is good news as well!

2012 will bring a new series by Laura Bickle:
THE HALLOWED ONES, pitched as "Witness" meets "28 Days Later" in which an Amish girl must protect her family from a violent contagion, even as fear and denial threaten to erode her community from within.

Doesn’t that sound awesome!?

Book 1 will release in the fall of 2012 and book 2 will release in the spring of 2013.

Be sure to keep an eye out for these books and if you don’t, you can be sure I will remind you ;-)


And now for a short Q&A with Laura Bickle:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I got to spend a week this summer hiking with my husband. We found a little waterfall in the bottom of a gorge that tasted like iron. I took my shoes and socks off and waded in that little pool. The sun was shining, and it was really a lovely time, being that close to nature.

We also adopted a new cat, Luna. She's a big sack of sugar - all love and snuggles. Bringing her home was a true joy.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Ah, I'm not much of a partier. I'll be ensconced at home in fuzzy jammies, probably reading a book or watching TV. Maybe I'll be writing. There will be a cat draped on me, I'm quite sure.

I might contemplate a list of New Year's resolutions. All the standard stuff: increase word count, lose that last ten pounds, clean out the closets, etc.

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

2012 is going to be an exciting year for me. In fall, my first YA book will be released by Houghton Mifflin's Graphia line. It's called THE HALLOWED ONES, and it's pitched as "WITNESS meets 28 DAYS LATER." I'm working on the sequel now, and that will be released the following spring.

I'm also looking forward to attending RT Booklover's Convention in April in Chicago. My critique partners, Marcella Burnard and Jeffe Kennedy, will be hosting a reader party with me called: Sidekicks - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It'll be wonderful to reconnect with my fellow authors and meet new readers.

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Laura, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Haven’t read any of Laura’s book yet, or still missing one of them?

Now is your chance to win a signed copy of one of Laura’s books (Embers, Sparks, Dark Oracle or Rogue Oracle)
Rules:
- leave a comment for Laura
- don’t forget to mention what book you would want to win
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check back the next couple of days for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.