Tuesday, May 25, 2010

BLOOD LAW Reviews

Yes, the reviews are starting to trickle in for BLOOD LAW. As is often the case, it's a mixed bag. Here's a glimpse of what people are saying so far:

RT Book Reviews (Current RT subscribers can read the full review online. Non-subscribers will have to wait two months or find a print copy.)

4 stars -- "Another new voice makes a compelling debut in the urban fantasy genre. Set in a small Southern town, prejudice, fear and hatred bring Holmes’ story to a boiling point, as the heroine must face a complicated past and an uncertain future. Holmes gives every indication of being a promising new talent with a great future ahead!" - Reviewed By: Jill M. Smith

Booklist (Reviews for the American Library Association. Registration/subscription required to view.)

"Fast paced and full of action, the story never flags, from the discovery of the first body to the exciting (and violent) finale. The characters are fascinating and well developed, but plenty is left for the future: this has excellent potential as a series. With a world similar to that of Kim Harrison’s Hollows series (including Black Magic Sanction, 2010) and a main character with much of the same style as Harrison’s Rachel Morgan, this makes a great read-alike for Harrison fans. Followers of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse, who appreciate the small-town southern setting (with vampires), are another good audience." - Jessica Moyer

Booklist also gave BLOOD LAW a YA/M recommendation for mature teens. "YA/M: A must for teens fans of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the TV show based on them, True Blood." — Jessica Moyer

Publishers Weekly (Registration may be required to view.)

"With all the tension between human and vampire populations exposed, the story reads like a badly conceived morality play on racism, including 1960s vampire demonstrations for equal legal rights, which they earn in a scant seven years. A dash of religious zealotry and flimflammery adds little flavor. Holmes does deviate from tradition in that her vampires, while light-sensitive, are not night creatures—in which case, why bother?"

Um...okay. Thank you, RT Book Reviews and Booklist, for these wonderful reviews. I'm very happy (read: giddier than a cat with a new bag of catnip) and humbled to know my work is not only liked but is being recommended to others. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I honestly debated posting the Publishers Weekly (PW) review. I don't know many authors who like to discuss their negative reviews, and as a debut author -- PW was the first review I saw for BLOOD LAW, by the way -- it was especially troubling. However, since we now live in an age in which 'transparency' is the new buzz word, I decided to post it in order to show BLOOD LAW at its fullest -- warts and all. Plus, since it's already plastered on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and a handful of other sites, why hide it?

And...I suppose I should thank the anonymous PW reviewer. After all, he/she did take the time to read the book and express his/her opinions on it. Even though his/her opinion seems to differ wildly from RT, Booklist, and the feedback I've gotten from those lucky enough to score an ARC of BLOOD LAW, I respect his/her right to stand forth and proudly say, "I didn't like this book."

-- Jeannie

Sunday, May 23, 2010

May-June BLOOD LAW Contest

"May-June! Bring me that book!"

"What book?"

"That one about the vampire."

"Which vampire?"

"You know -- that one with fangs."

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"Never mind! I'll get it myself!"

The time has finally arrived -- the FINAL BLOOD LAW ARC CONTEST is here!

Up for grabs: ONE (1) Advance Reader Copy of BLOOD LAW, featuring the highly collectable original cover. This is the LAST advance copy I have (other than my own personal copy) so if you don't enter, you will miss your chance to read BLOOD LAW before it hits the shelves.

Because this is the FINAL contest I'll be holding before BLOOD LAW is released, I'm going to include a few extra goodies. Winner will receive the following:

1 BLOOD LAW advance reader copy (ARC), autographed
2 BLOOD LAW bookmarks, autographed
1 BLOOD LAW cover flat, autographed
2 "Suck on This" shot glasses from Crimson Swan, the vampire bar featured in BLOOD LAW
2 ink pens -- one from Crimson Swan vampire bar and one for BLOOD LAW
6 pack of Vlad's Tears, "The World's Finest Synthetic Blood -- The Choice of Vampires Since 1984" (Actually it's candy, but it's still cool.)

To receive these wonderful items, you must perform the following actions:

Leave a comment on the Wayward Muses and Shiny Objects blog.

That's it -- just leave a comment. No strings attached. Post a comment. Doesn't get any simpler.

Naturally, there are a few rules:

1. Contest begins May 24, 2010 and ends MIDNIGHT June 22, 2010. All answers must be received BEFORE the deadline.

2. Leave a comment on the Wayward Muses and Shiny Objects blog. While the contest posting is cross-listed on several sites, only entries on the Wayward Muses blog will be considered valid for this contest.

3. You may enter only ONCE -- that's one (1) time -- in order to keep it fair.

4. Contest is open to international participants.

5. Winner will be determined by a random draw.

Good luck and have fun!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Updated CONvergence Schedule

The RT Booklovers Convention was a huge success and more fun than I could shake a stick at! I'll have a full report once I'm fully conscious and have finished sorting through all the photos.

While you're waiting for my riveting RT report, feast your eyes on my updated schedule for CONvergence (Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Bloomington, MN -- July 1-4):

Thursday, July 1

8:30 PM -- Psychology of Criminals

Location: Atrium 4

About: Many SF/Fantasy villains are portrayed as just plain evil, but in reality there is a deeper psychology behind criminal behavior that is not explored outside crime novels. Is criminial Psycholyg ever effectively explored in genre characters?

Panelists: Christoforo Pasquarette, MontiLee Stormer, Jeannie Holmes, Sherry L.M. Merriam, Dana Baird

Friday, July 2

5:00 PM -- Jeannie Holmes and Joel Arnold signing

Location: Autograph Table

About: Jeannie Holmes and Joel Arnold will be available to sign their work.


7:00 PM -- Bad Boys Are Cuter!

Location: Atrium 4

About: Why are we attracted to the bad ones? Batman, Darth Vader, Dracula, Wolverine. Good guys or bad guys, why are the dark brooding one so damn sexy?

Panelists: Amada Marquez, Tracie Peters, Jeannie Holmes, L.A. Banks, James Turnbull


10:00 PM -- Jeannie Holmes Reading

Location: Vista Suite

About: Jeannie Holmes reads from her newly released novel "Blood Law" and other works.

Saturday, July 3

11:00 AM -- How to Create a Good Villain

Location: Bloomington

About: What makes a villain stand out from all the others? How do you write a villain like Dracula or Marissa Coulter and not one like any number of villains we can't remember to use as an example.

Panelists: R. Scott McCoy, Jeannie Holmes, S.D. Hintz, Christoforo Pasquarette

Sunday, July 4

2:00 PM -- Super Sparkly Fangalicious Necromatic Notions!

Location: Bloomington

About: No, it's not on Broadway yet. The evolution of the vampire in modern fiction from sexual liberator to fuzzy love bunny. Fang bangers unite!

Panelists: L.A. Banks, Tangee Harrison, Jeannie Holmes, Nick Larson, Dayna Jean Wolter