Book Spotlight: Spirits (Sparks Saga, Book Two) by RS McCoy

Bonjour, Beardies!

It has been far too long, so please forgive my absence...

Today, however, I have a special treat, and it's not just my return from the depths of non-existence.

A while back, I spotlighted the first book of Sparks, an exciting new series by RS McCoy. The book, also titled Sparks, was phenomenal. After reading the 5-star book, I was so happy that RS McCoy stumbled upon the blog and requested a review. There was one hiccup, however. Although a top-rated book for me, the editing was lacking. Luckily, RS McCoy agreed to my pleading that I edit it for her. I couldn't let such a great story suffer the stigma of a bad editor.

With that said, I also edited Spirits, the subject of this Spotlight. Let it be known, however, that I show no bias to either book given my involvement—my involvement was a direct response to my absolute love with this series and not the other way around, and I can't wait to give you all the juicy details. And by details, I mean Gems—not spoilers.

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Book Spotlight: Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe, Book 1) by Rosamund Hodge

Greetings, Beardies!

I deeply apologize for being absent for so long. I have had months full of classes, work, and light reading to keep the cold at bay. I am also anticipating attending grad school in the fall. So as a precaution against freaking out about the future, I have returned to reading retold fairy tales. My personal favorite is Beauty and the Beast and boy did Rosamund Hodge deliver!

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Book Spotlight: Horns by Joe Hill

Noswaith dda, Beardies!

The BBC would like to apologize for the next announcement.

'Tis I, Jessica, here with my first ever review on The Bearded Scribe, and I'm truly excited about it. I decided to start with one of my favorite stories because it's very easy for me to discuss. I picked up this book because I love Stephen King and, being bored and carrying around 50 cents, saw his son's book Horns at a Helping Hands store. It was about a week or so before I even opened this book. Frankly, it scared me. I don't like reading about anything dealing with the Devil except The Bible. Even then, I get shaky and uncomfortable. I started reading on a night my daughter—not even two at the time—was running a high fever and needed constant rocking. I was so exhausted, and my brain was fried, so I grabbed the first book I could reach and started reading. Well, I couldn't stop. She fell asleep around three in the morning but I couldn't stop. I rocked her all that early morning and most of the next day just reading with my mouth gaping at this beautiful, heartbreaking novel. I cried just as hard as my daughter had been by the time we finished up Joe Hill's Horns. Right now, as it happens, I'm up with my five year old who is sick. She's playing Final Fantasy V with her dad and watching me write.

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Book Spotlight: The Orphan & the Thief by ML LeGette (An 'I Am A Reader Not A Writer' Tour)

Tour Schedule

Cheers, Beardies!

There are few books that have stumbled into my inbox that make me think, "Damn! That's a great title!" The Orphan and the Thief was one of these and, upon seeing its marvelously creative and beautiful cover, I knew I had to read its premise. But don't worry, Beardies—while I love outstanding covers and think they really enhance a book's appeal (after all, why put a cover on them at all if not to entice?), I do not judge a book by its cover. If anything, I judge a cover by its book. (Some covers really do their book little service, no?)

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Book Spotlight: Death of the Body (Crossing Death, Book 1) by Rick Chiantaretto (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)

Good Day, Beardies!

I was driving home from work the other day, rocking out to a little Bruno Mars on the local radio station. All of the sudden, the music turned to static and, in what seemed like incredibly slow motion, a car pulled out in front of me to turn left but stopped in my lane. I was driving the speed limit, which was 50 MPH for this particular strip of road, and all I could picture in my head was me T-boning this car. As I was slamming on my brakes and swearing under my breath, the car realized I was about to plow into him and he moved out of my lane, continuing on his way. The music came back on shortly thereafter, and I continued down the road toward my house. Normally, I would consider this an average daily commute, but after reading today's Spotlight, Beardies, I was freaking out. I'm still not fully convinced demons weren't somehow involved in this situation. Anyway, you guys, I cannot rave enough about this book! Let's get to it, shall we?

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Book Spotlight: Visible (Ripple Series, Book 4) by Cidney Swanson

Salut, Beardies!

Although I’ve never been an athlete, I’m a lifelong lover of Olympic sports. Every Olympic year, I seem to fall in love with some new sport in which I’ll never be able to actually participate, and follow it with rapt attention…until I get distracted by a book. Such was the case a couple of weeks back, when a new email pinged into my inbox just as I was starting to decide that I should abandon all other pursuits and take up slopestyle snowboarding.

But who needs a snowboard when you have a book? The email that distracted me contained news of our pal Cidney Swanson’s return to the world of the Ripple Series, and that news drove the Olympic dreams right out of my head! No sooner was the book safely on my Kindle than snowboarding was forgotten—no doubt saving me much humiliation and a hundred broken bones, not to mention a fortune in hospital bills—and today’s Book Spotlight was born.

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Book Spotlight: The Transmigration of Cora Riley (A Forgotten Relics Novel, Book One) by Ellie Di Julio (A Bearded Scribe Blog Tour)

Bonjour, Beardies!

When Ellie Di Julio approached me about a blog tour to promote her title, The Transmigration of Cora Riley, I was drawn in by the amazing cover. Yeah, yeah... I know you should never judge a book by one, but it captivated me to read the premise, and I was sold. Magic, a soul-searching quest, and a trip to the Underworld; what could be better?

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Book Spotlight: Knights of Rilch (Serengard, Book 2) by Rachel O'Laughlin

Salut, Beardies!

Have you missed me? I can’t believe it’s been almost five months since I wrote my last Book Spotlight! The past months have included action, adventure, and enough high drama to fill a whole novel, but why would I bore you with the details when I have a fantastic book to tell you about?

This week, our friend Rachel O’Laughlin celebrates the publication of her second novel, Knights of Rilch, the follow up to last year’s Coldness of Marek, which we reviewed as part of a Fae Books blog tour. I’ve been waiting with bated breath for this book ever since I finished the first one, so I was stoked when Rachel asked me to be among the first reviewers for it!

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Book Spotlight: Sparks (Sparks, Book One) by RS McCoy (A Bearded Scribe Tour)

Bonjour Beardies!

I am so excited to talk about this next title, so I'll keep my introduction of it short. I get several emails daily inquiring about our Promotional Services; when I received RS McCoy's email, I had already turned down every single one in my inbox that day until I came to hers. Now before everyone thinks I'm a cruel jerk, I'll let you know I turned down the others because they were not Speculative Fiction titles and, therefore, did not fit the requirements. Which is why Ms. McCoy's email was so darn refreshing; after I read the premise of it, I had to read it!

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Book Spotlight: Heritage (The Grimoire Saga, Book 3) by SM Boyce

Bonjour, Beardies!

Yesterday I featured a Book Spotlight on Treason, the second installment of SM Boyce's Grimoire Saga, and today the I am excited to announce that the third installment, Heritage, releases today! Let's begin, shall we?

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Book Spotlight: Treason (The Grimoire Saga, Book 2) by SM Boyce

Bonjour Beardies!

A while back, I featured a Book Spotlight on SM Boyce's Lichgates, the first book in her Grimoire Saga. She was kind enough to send me the second book in the series, too, but I only just found the time to read it—just in time for the release of the third book, Heritage, which is due out and will be featured in its own Spotlight tomorrow. Until then, let's take a look at Treason.

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Book Spotlight: The Final Descent (The Monstrumologist, Book 4) by Rick Yancey

Hello again, Beardies!

Can anyone please tell me where the last seventeen months have gone? It’s hard to believe, but that’s how long it’s been since I presented our first-ever Book Spotlight on Rick Yancey’s Monstrumologist Series. At the time, I believed it to be a trilogy, and complete. I was saddened, as I always am at finishing a series I’ve loved, and (although my research at the time turned up nothing) I remember wondering if a fourth book could possibly be in the offing. As it turned out, I was right. Rick Yancey had, in fact, planned a four-book series, but just before the publication of The Isle of Blood, Simon and Schuster decided not to publish the fourth volume.

Simon and Schuster may have heard enough from Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop, but Mr. Yancey’s legions of fans had not. Outraged, the fans mounted a campaign to resurrect the series, reaching out to the publisher through letters, blogs, and social media. Shocked by the outpouring from the readers, Simon and Schuster reversed their decision, and Book Four, The Final Descent was finally released in September of this year. And so today, Book Spotlight comes full-circle. Before I start really waxing philosophical, though, let’s talk about The Final Descent!

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Book Spotlight: Far Far Away by Tom McNeal

Cheers, Beardies!

You wouldn’t know it from the temperature outside, but fall is definitely coming. Down in the wetland behind my house, the leaves are starting to change, and the new slate of library programs started this week. Fall has always been my favorite season, and for some reason, I always associate it with creepy fairy tales—the creepier, the better. Although not a fairy tale in the traditional sense, today’s book is definitely a fantastic, creepy read for the season.

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Book Spotlight: Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School, Book 1) by Gail Carriger

Salut, Beardies!

If you felt the earth shake this Labor Day weekend, it might have had something to do with the fact that your Bearded Scribe editors did something we haven’t done since our days together at Alma College—sat down and worked together in the same room. An epic reunion years in the making, it included scenic tours of beautiful Atlanta, writing, lots of coffee, and my very first taste of the awesomeness that is Dragon*Con. Seeing all the fantastic steampunk costumes at Dragon*Con put me in the mood to write about steampunk. Luckily, I recently finished a great steampunk read!

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Book Spotlight: Steel Lily (The Periodic Series, Book One) by Megan Curd

Cheers, Beardies!

Exciting things are happening here in Metro Detroit! I have the day off and there’s a new, independent coffee shop down the street from me. Those two things, plus fantastic fall-like weather, combined with the fact that we’re hosting Megan Curd and her fabulous novel, Steel Lily, today, mean that your Assistant Editor is happy as a clam. I could rhapsodize about the leather recliner, soft jazz, fireplace, and house special Mayan Mocha…but why would I do that when I have a truly fantastic book to tell you all about?

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Book Spotlight: Mars Burning (Saving Mars, Book 4) by Cidney Swanson

Cheers, Beardies!

First of all, a happy first anniversary to the Mars Rover Curiosity, and the happiest of Publication Days to Cidney Swanson! Mars Burning, Book Four of the Saving Mars Series, is live on Amazon today, and will arrive at your favorite bookseller soon! I was lucky enough to get an ARC from Cidney  though, so I don’t have to wait to bring you this Spotlight!

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Book Spotlight: Losing Mars (Saving Mars, Book 3) by Cidney Swanson

Salut, Beardies!

There are two great pieces of news in Metro Detroit today—one, by the time you read this, the library’s 2013 Summer Reading Program will be history and my life will be back to what passes for normal. I love Summer Reading, but I look forward to the end of it the way schoolchildren anticipate summer vacation! The other great piece of news is that our dear friend, Cidney Swanson, has written a new book! Mars Burning, Book Four of the Saving Mars Series, will be published on August 5. To celebrate, we’ll be Spotlighting that book on the day it releases. First, though, here’s a long overdue Spotlight on Book 3, Losing Mars.

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Book Spotlght: Defying Mars by Cidney Swanson (Saving Mars Series, Book 2)

Greetings and salutations, Beardies!

Last summer, I had the honor of being a first reader of our friend Cidney Swanson’s Saving Mars. It was one of my favorite books of the year, and the reviewers over at Kirkus agreed with me, naming it one of the best books of 2012. In early December, Cidney asked me to be a first reader again, this time for the second book in the series, Defying Mars. I immediately said, "Yes!" Though I loved the book, I wanted to wait until I had time to do it justice before featuring it in a Book Spotlight, and that, unfortunately, took months. This post has been a long time coming, so let’s get to it!

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Book Spotlight: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Salutations, Beardies!

My name is Hannah. I am so psyched to be here (insert ridiculous girly energy here). I'm from Michigan, study English at an accredited institution, and love chocolate and fantasy, with a special weakness for retold fairytales. Fantasy is my escape from daily life, my bread and butter for the mind, with a side of jam every so often if the book be extraordinary. I hope that I can articulate some of my current favorite and up-and-coming favorite books for you and that you find my recommendations decent.

I am one of those ridiculous readers that may decide to read a book because of its cover. I plead guilty. Arrest me, Literature Police, and lock me in a book prison where the books have no covers. However, in my defense (if I even get a trial in the first place, as my offense is grave indeed), I advocate that art and literature go hand in hand down a beautiful path into a thick wood of joy and have picnics together. I like book cover art. The cover art for Seraphina is a beautiful ink rendition of an Italian-esque town, which features a flying dragon; it’s framed in scarlet with gold lettering. I had to have it. Therefore, I bought it. And I was not disappointed, in either the cover or the story. Of course, now that it has won the Morris Award for 2013, there is a different version of the cover in purple, green and silver. I'm just glad that I got the original with which I fell in love.

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Book Spotlight: Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, Book 1) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Good evening, Beardies!

As a librarian, I know there’s a hard and fast honor code when it comes to movie adaptations of books: Read it before you see it. Tonight’s Spotlight book, Beautiful Creatures, came out in the heyday of young adult paranormal romance. At the time, I was heartily sick of paranormal love stories and let this book pass me by without even a second thought. When the movie came out though, I became honor-bound to read it—especially when my friends gave me a copy for my birthday and made me promise to read it so we could go see the movie together.