The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Bump stood in the middle of the room, wrapped in a heavy fur coat, with a black silk top hat covering his fuzzy head and unnecessary sunglasses hiding his pale face. He looked like the Abominable Snowpimp. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane 

She'd never outright told him anything. But she'd never had to. He knew. Dames like her didn't hunt down an addiction lessin there was a damn good reason, and she'd sure as fuck hunted it down. He'd watched her do it, from the first time she showed up in Downside. Watched her not even fight with herself over it, least not what he could see.  {snip} Funny, she had all that ink on her skin to protect her from ghosts and magic, and he were damn sure doing what he could to protect her outside that, but weren't anything he could do to keep her safe from the memories. He knew how that felt, too. Wrong Ways Down ~~Stacia Kane

He nodded. "Awful smart, aye." For a second irritation pricked the back of her neck. Wasn't he going to express some sort of amazement? Was "awful smart" really all she was going to get? But then she realized, with and odd, blushing, sort of warmth that it had never occurred to him that she wouldn't be able to solve the problem. That while she'd been flailing around in the dirt, scared shitless that she was about to kill them all, he's had complete faith in her ability to save them. Just as she'd never really doubted he could protect her from the Lamaru. Wasn't that an uncomfortable thought. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane

She didn't think she needed air, not when he was holding her, possessing her, making her feel safer than she'd ever felt. Unholy Ghosts ~~Stacia Kane

Chess lied to herself every day; it was just something she did, like taking her pills or making sure she had a pen in her bag. Little lies, mostly. Insignificant. Of course there were big ones there, too, like telling herself that she was more than just a junkie who got lucky enough to possess a talent not everyone had. That she was alone by choice and that she was not terrified of other people because they couldn’t be trusted, because they carried filth in their minds and pain in their hands and they would smear both all over her given half the chance. ~~ Stacia Kane , City of Ghosts

My Four Favorite UF/PNR Heroines One of the best things about urban fantasy and paranormal romance is that there is no shortage of amazing female lead characters. You can't throw a rock in the UF/PNR section of the bookstore without hitting a female who is not only strong, but faceted, smart, romantic, cynical, optimistic, vulnerable, honorable, damaged, and generally real. And one would think that with so many wonderful female characters, both leads and supporting cast, it would be challenging to narrow down which ones are the best to just a few. However, I have absolutely no qualms about pointing out exactly which heroines are the best, the feistiest, the smartest, the snarkiest, and just plain the best. Girls rule! Zee told us about her favorite heroines in this post , although that has changed a bit. And you may notice that my favorite heroines list bears a striking resemblance to my favorite series list . What can I say? I'm a sucker for a great female protagonis...

... Rusted Veins , Close To You , & "High Stakes"! by: Zee the Terrible and Barbara Bones We have been pretty lucky in our reading this year. Not only have we been getting more of (some of) our fave characters, we've even discovered some new ones! And most of our favorite authors have been kind enough to help us pass time between releases with short stories and/or novellas! Or in one case, help ease the ending of a brilliant series! We thoroughly enjoyed these forays into our favorite worlds, and being reminded of why we absolutely adore both the authors and the books.  We love authors! So we picked three of the best ones, and reviewed them just for you! Just in case you needed a reason to pick them up! 

He stopped walking and kissed her. Hard. Hard enough for her to forget the cold wind and the stupid song in the background. Hard enough for her to practically forget her own name. She wrapped her arms around his neck and strained on her tiptoes, afraid she'd fall over if he let go of her. Except he wouldn't . He never would. That was Fact and Truth, and she believe it, trusted it, more than she'd ever trusted anything in her entire life. Close to You: A Downside Ghosts Story ~~Stacia Kane

My Top Ten Anti-Heroes In the nearly three years that my reading list has been filled to overflowing with urban fantasy titles, I have learned several things about myself and my worldview that I didn't realize or think about before. Like my deep love of kick-ass heroines, my joy in reading profanity sprinkled in books, and how much I adore sharing a reading experience with friends. But nothing has been so crystal clear as realizing how much I love a great anti-hero. Humans are flawed creatures, each of us containing good and bad all packaged within the same unstable wrapping, and that's what I like to see in my heroes. I don't want heroes who always know what the right thing to do is, and always do exactly that. I don't want to read about characters who have no struggle with inner demons, who always follow social norms exactly, who are always virtuous, idolize their mothers unconditionally and have equal room in their hearts for both cats and dogs. Those character...

Her head tilted. "Is that why you don't look very happy?" One of the reasons, but of course he ain't said that. Instead he said, trying to smile, "Thinkin people still be scared on me, I standing back here lookin all happy?" It worked. She smiled back, but a real smile, the kind made him want to grab her again. What the fuck was wrong with every other man in the room, that they weren't all killing each other just to stand next to her? "Wait, people are scared of you?" "Aye, well I ain't figure on why, but seems like it." "Maybe you should take up knitting." She sipped her beer. "It's hard to be scared of somebody while they are knitting." "Aw, naw, don't tell nobody on that, aye? Got people selling blankets I'm making in the Market." It amazed him that he could think of stuff to say that made her laugh, that when he was talking to her it weren't as hard to find the words....

But Chess laughed and looked at him like she weren't so unhappy anymore. Made him feel like a hero, and he'd never been a hero. He was the villain. He was the dude who beat people for money cause he liked it and killed em if he had to, and it ain't bothered him a bit doing it. And that made him the bad guy. He could live with that. He were right up with that; just the way it was, the way he was. But when he was with Chess he wasn't the bad guy no more. He was the one keeping her safe, making her smile. He still wasn't good enough for her, but he were better than he'd ever been. That mattered.  ~ Stacia Kane, Wrong Ways Down

He already saw her a fuck of a lot more than he'd ever expected, or hoped. Almost every day. Never would have seen that one coming; iffen he'd been asked two months past he'd have said she may have been the prettiest dame he'd ever met but she seemed like one of the bitchiest too. But turned out she weren't a bitch at all. She was fucking amazing, and iffen he could spend all his time with her he would. ~ Stacia Kane, Wrong Ways Down

Stacia Kane's Downside Ghosts series is one that took me completely by surprise. It had been recommended to me by Goodreads, based on the books on my shelves, for months, when I finally got a break in my TBR list and picked up Unholy Ghosts , a book which changed everything for me. Since then I've certainly been suffering from Terrible Fever, and I've recommended these to anyone with a strong stomach, and the fortitude to find the beauty that lurks within this deeply dark and disturbing series. I still think this is one of the best series you aren't reading, as I explained in this post . When I finished Chasing Magic , unable to find any mention of continuing the series, I was distraught, but Ms. Kane eventually put my fears to rest, saying that there would be more Downside coming. Although there were no concrete details (and still aren't, really), I was satisfied with that vague answer and ever so patiently waited for more. First up was to be a novella from...

Felt like everybody in the room was watching him stare at her, too, but he couldn't look away. Even though he wanted to. Even though it hurt, a dull ache in his chest because she was in the same room but far away. Because he couldn't just walk up to her and touch her. Because she wasn't his. But then she saw him. Were he the kinda dude thought that "she wants me but won't admit it" bullshit, then the way her face lit up, the way she smiled, woulda made him convinced she'd come there looking for him. As it was...it still made him feel awful fucking good. He ain't could even be embarrassed she'd caught him watching her, she looked so happy to see him. ~ Stacia Kane, Wrong Ways Down

His lips curved the faintest bit, so subtle she doubted anyone else would be able to see it. "Aye? You certain? Maybe you ain't recognize it, is all, needs you a reminder." Damn, it was so hard pretending she didn't really care about him, pretending she didn't feel as if someone had poured her out of a jug to puddle all over everything, so turned on she could hardly breathe. Part of her was absolutely sure it didn't matter, anyway. Even the drunkest Downside alley rat would see the smile fighting to spread across her face, the way her skin flushed. "Why we ain't go on home," he went on. He still didn't look at her, but heat radiated of his body to caress her skin; she imagined if she touched him he'd jump.  She knew she'd jump if he touched her. "Thinkin maybe there's more to chatter on that one." Her nod felt too jerky, too eager, but she couldn't help it. Her muscles didn't seem to be entirely unde...

He kissed her under that wide expansive sky and she kissed him back, and it reminded her that she did have a place in the world, she did have a home, and that home was being built right where she stood. With him. ~ Stacia Kane, Chasing Magic    Downside Ghosts series

"Terrible," she managed. "You know how to use this thing?" He pulled away to meet her gaze, and for a minute he was transformed.  Still the same features, the lumpy nose and the jutting brow and the hard, dark eyes, but not ugly anymore.  Full of character.  Full of strength.  She looked at his face but she didn't see it, not the way she had before.  The smile spreading across his features was intimate, sexy.  The darkness of his eyes concealed so much more that she'd ever imagined. "Oh, aye," he said.  "You gonna let me show you?"

"Ego vos mergam, nec merger a vobis. I sink you, that I will not be sunk by you." (Terrible's tattoo) — Stacia Kane, Unholy Magic       Downside Ghosts series *image from www.allposters.com.au

Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane: The Best Series You're Not Reading The best books are not easy.   They make you think, they shove you out of your comfort zone, they challenge your preconceived notions, they burrow under your skin, and they make you see the world around you differently. Downside Ghosts by Stacia Kane does all of these things.   I love this gritty, raw, emotional, heart-wrenching, dark, and disturbing series. I love a book that can make me cry, and I finished each of the first three books with tears streaming down my face. I know I'm hooked when I think about a book all day long, and hear the story in songs I hear; I did both of those things with Chess and Terrible. Read on for a look at some of the reasons why you should try Downside Ghosts , and let Chess and Terrible burrow under your skin....

My true love gave to me: Ten Kick-Ass Chicas   Nine Naughty Excerpts Eight Most Wanted Novels Seven Dreamy Kisses Six Sexy Couples Five Hot Book Boyfriends   Four Supporting Characters   Three Characters Cities   Two Painful Endings and One Piece of Gandy Candy www.dailymail.co.uk