What's on the Nightstand? #3 and # 4

    So what's on the nightstand this week? The last couple of days I've been making my way through the second and third of Stacia's books in the Chess Putnam series. I like to read series books in order so it was a practice in willpower to wait for my Christmas money so I could go get the them. 

        Despite my bookworm impatience, our Christmas vacation this year was one of the most laid back and relaxing I've ever experienced. We (the parents, the sister, the nephew and my boys) were all gathered around a cozy pot of mom's veggie soup discussing this point at length on the 26th. Usually Christmas is a couple of rushed days spent running from place to place like a chicken with it's head cut off. Misery, misery, misery and for what? But this year we had place one on The Eve and place two on The Day and that was it. Happy happy joy joy! It was awesome. 

    Sister and I both agreed that The Eve and The Day this year were totally different from quite a few years we'd both endured previously. I guess the one thing that's changed for the sister and her hubs is that they've been married for a while now and are past that newlywed stress. They have settled nicely into parenthood with little BG and are about to dive headfirst into their first home. God love them.

    Personally, this is the best my physical body has felt in so many years I can't remember. My brain is calm, clear and free of too much cortisol. Best of all, I'm sleeping like a normal person again. Those things can go a long way to making life either very good when you're healthy or very bad when you aren't. My boys seemed to have loads of fun on each day of our vacation and that in itself was a gift. My hubs had to go back to Hernando early for work but even that wasn't stressful. It all worked out smoothly. 
    Speaking of things working out smoothly, that isn't something I can say for Chess. Making my way through all three books, I just had to shake my head at how fast Stacia's girl can get herself in a double-dyed hot jam. 
   
 #3 Unholy Magic

 Unholy Magic indeed Chess. Poor girl, in this installment she has really made a fine mess of her fledgling relationship with Terrible (swoon). There were many moments when I felt my heart race in time with hers. My eyeballs couldn't see the words fast enough in places. It was a chore to make myself read calmly in some parts the suspense is so good. 

I found myself rooting for Lex one minute, then scolding myself for being a nub, then wanting to smack Chess upside her head in the next minute for being a big chicken and shoving her potential moments with Terrible right into the pooper. It was up and down so much I was dizzy. LOVED that feeling though. Lots of chilling, thrilling and nail-biting moments in this one. All in all, Stacia did it up right just as I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

#4 City of Ghosts. Stacia's third book in the Chess Putnam series is a wonderful read, full of suspense and lot and lots of steaminess between Chess and Terrible (wink, wink...love me some Terrible!). In the first book I really had to concentrate to get the feel for the Downside's unique language. It threw me for a loop at first, but once it clicked in my head then I couldn't imagine it any other way. It fit the scenes perfectly and by book #3 it was as if it was a normal thing. 

   I could really feel the internal struggling from Chess in this book. She wants all the same things as other people but there's always that old voice of past pain smacking her back down and telling her that she doesn't deserve anything good. Stacia does a masterful job projecting this to the reader. This kind of pain and where it comes from isn't easy to write about but she nails it.

    If you are into dark urban fantasy, then you definitely need to pick up all three books. Stacia's books have been my first experience with it and Chess's adventures do not disappoint. I'm on pins and needles now as I wait on number four in the series so hurry up with it Stacia!

I enjoyed a rousing game of trivia via twitter with Stacia over the Christmas holidays. It was pretty dang fun trying to get my answers in before everybody else. She didn't make it easy on us either! Sadly, my fingers nor my blackberry's signal were fast enough to let me win one of the rounds. Never the less, it was great fun!
    Stacia is a southern transplant to Atlanta, GA where she lives with her hubs and children and that makes for double points in my book. She maintains a very active twitter and blog on her personal website  http://www.staciakane.net/ where a complete listing of her books can be found.