Thief Taker, by D.B. Jackson

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I'm veering from my normal reviews to shout-out an author and a novel that has been banging around in my head for the last year. Failing my search for Brent Weeks at the WFC 2011 signing event, I stumbled across David B. Coe (aka: D.B. Jackson) sitting at the table where Brent was supposed to be. It was David's sincere 'hello' that first caught my attention, followed immediately by the stunning cover of his novel "Thief Taker." Growing up in Kentucky, my brother and I played with tri-corner hats and Kentucky long-rifle replicas as kids--so I am the target audience for that cover. Two minutes of conversation had me hooked--both on the author and the novel.

Tales of the Emerald Serpent: Between

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Fantasy Anthology

"[Todd Lockwood's] strength is in his artist's eye, offering beautiful description beside precise characterization."

I'm a writer. What I mean by that is that I'm not an artist. I've taken some drawing classes and feel I can appreciate art when I see it, but it takes an exceptional artist to grab my attention and a truly unique one to make me gush.

Todd Lockwood is that artist.

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

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Middle Grade Fiction

"I would recommend Tuesdays to any young reader--especially those with a love for strong, inquisitive young princesses!"

Tuesdays at the Castle is a delightfully fun romp through a shapeshifting castle inhabited by three royal siblings. Jessica Day George does a wonderful job bringing the castle and its personality to life without the castle saying a word. When the castle doesn't like someone, their quarters get smaller, dirtier and with less opulent furnishings--it may even move their quarters farther from the privy! Only one person can navigate the ever-changing hallways of Castle Glower--Princess Celie, the youngest of King Glower's children.