I love book signings. So it probably won’t surprise you to hear that after discovering The Dresden Files, I wanted to meet Jim Butcher. A few months ago I learned that he was going to be in Denver, Colorado for the MileHiCon. Denver’s not exactly next just down the street, but it’s closer than his other 2008 events. So I made plans to go, and my sister went with me.

Day One
We arrived on Friday, October 24, got settled in the hotel and headed to the main con floor. I’m familiar with romance conferences but not sci-fi/fantasy conventions, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. It did have a different atmosphere. For one thing, there were many more men in attendance than I’ve ever seen at a romance conference. Also, there was an art show, dealer’s room, movies, and gaming throughout the con.

Our first stop was the dealers’ room, where I picked up Backup and Welcome to the Jungle. I also bought a few books by some of the other authors scheduled to be in attendance. Other dealers offered T-shirts, jewelry, chain mail, cloaks, and more. I bought a necklace as well.

Next, we attended Jim Butcher’s reading. He had a laptop on his lap, and he offered to read from the upcoming Codex Alera book or the upcoming Harry Dresden. The audience roar for the latter was deafening. “So, I guess we’ll go with Alera?” he joked, then went on to read the first five chapters of Turn Coat, the Dresden novel scheduled for April 2009.

Loved. It.

There’s plenty of action in the first five chapters. Waiting is going to be tough. The book wasn’t edited yet, so he did a little editing along the way. At one point, he looked at us and said, “What are you doing here while I’m working?” which got a number of laughs.

The hour ended as he reached the end of the chapter, and what an ending! Everyone cheered, and I know I won’t be the only one in the audience to grab that book the moment it comes out.

Then we went to the opening ceremonies where all of the guests of honor were introduced: Jim Butcher, Tim Powers, Patricia Briggs, Michael Carroll, Ed Kramer, and Carrie Vaughn. The first signing was right after that, and yes, I had the cart. My sister and I both had books for people to sign, so it was convenient. There were two lines—one was quite long, the other much shorter. One was for autographs; can you guess which was which? We got in the autograph line, which was much shorter. And I was very grateful for that. Hey, I have my priorities.

The line was stalled for a while, but it finally picked up. I had Jim B sign three things: Proven Guilty, Welcome to the Jungle, and Storm Front on audio. I told him that Proven Guilty was my favorite book. He asked why, and I told him because of Mouse, Charity, and Molly. Seeing Charity and Harry work together is always fun. I also gave him a pen and notebook with skulls on them—I called them a Bob-approved gift.

Then I had Patricia Briggs sign the first book in the Mercy Thompson series. I’ve heard good things about it, and I decided it was a good time to try it. Then we moved on to Carrie Vaughn, Connie Willis, and Tim Powers. All were very kind. By the time we were done with autographs, the autograph line was huge and there was no food line. And very little food left. Ah, well. I still think we did things in the right order.

After dinner, we went to Carrie and the Midnight Hour, where Carrie Vaughn answered questions from the audience who spoke as if they were characters in the world of her books. It was pretty funny and included questions from werewolves, vampires, and ghouls. This ended before midnight, and we went off to rest for day two.

Day Two
The day started with coffee in the Con Suite. Then we attended two more panels, including An Hour with the Butchers. Questions ranged from what Jim thought of The Dresden Files TV series (he liked many things about it: Blackthorne captured Harry’s personality; and disliked others: the drumstick as magic wand) to what was next for Shannon (a paranormal series debuting in 2009).

In the afternoon, we went to the art show—which was amazing—and the dealers’ room, where I bought some cards. We also went to the second signing, where I brought more books for Jim Butcher to sign (the poor guy). He always had a good-sized line of people, but it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be.

I talked to Shannon Butcher for a few minutes and told her I enjoyed her romantic suspense. She thanked me and told me that her next suspense will come out in October 2009. She’s doing a paranormal series as well, with the first to release in May 2009. She did mention that her publisher doesn’t want her to write military heroes any more. She has more she wants to write but may move to a different publisher for those.

Mid-afternoon, my sister and I drove to a comic-book store and Barnes and Noble. I picked up Blood Lite, which wasn’t available in the dealers’ room. I attended another class in the evening, then returned to the hotel room.

Day Three
We started day three by attending the Guest of Honor Remarks. I went to the wrong room at first but found the right one quickly. The stories from each GoH ranged from humorous to illuminating. When it was over, it was time for lunch.

After lunch, we made it to the second half of An Hour with Patricia Briggs, where she was reading for her upcoming novel. It sounded interesting, and I like her writing style, but I wasn’t familiar with the characters. I look forward to reading book one. Next, we attended the third book signing, a panel featuring art by Michael Carroll, and part of a panel about Urban Fantasy. Unfortunately, we had to leave halfway through to make it to the airport for our flight.

This was my first trip to MileHiCon, but I wouldn’t hesitate to go again if they continue to invite authors I enjoy. My impression of Jim Butcher is that he’s down-to-earth, kind, smart, and wicked funny. I loved the trip.

I’ve had Patti O’Shea’s Eternal Nights about as long as it’s been available. The copyright date is 2006. I loved Through a Crimson Veil by this author, and I hoped I would love this one just as much. I didn’t, but Eternal Nights is a pleasant enough read.

Capt. Kendall Thomas has been plagued by dreams of blood, dreams so horrifying they leave her trembling in the night. Kendall has good reasons to be afraid. She’s discovered thieves are stealing artifacts from the alien city on Jarved Nine, and the smugglers will do anything to protect their lucrative sideline—even commit murder.

The last man Kendall wanted to endanger was her best friend Wyatt Montgomery, but the stubborn Special Ops captain followed her when she went to gather evidence, and the smugglers trapped them both in the city’s ancient pyramid. Now by day, they’re chased through labyrinthine tunnels, deeper and deeper into the heart of the temple. But in the cloak of darkness, they can no longer deny the powerful force drawing them together, the passionate dreams that leave them aching with need, the touch of skin on skin that makes them long for . . . Eternal Nights.

This book has plenty of action, solid writing, and an appealing hero. So why didn’t I love it? I’ll give you three reasons.

One: I haven’t read Ravyn’s Flight, the book that precedes it. I didn’t feel lost with in this story, but I had the strong impression that I didn’t have the background I needed to fully enjoy it. Eternal Nights may stand alone for the most part, but reading it made me feel a little like a stranger sitting down to a meal with a group of friends. I can understand the conversation, but I’m missing the history.

Two: A plot element—reincarnation. Since this is introduced early in the book, I don’t think it’s a spoiler. This is not my favorite plot device, and I wasn’t completely convinced by it. At one point, Wyatt tells Kendall:

I was interested from the get-go, but I had to get to know you, I had to fall in love with you the same way any man falls for any woman. I didn’t take one look and skip the important stuff.

I’m glad this potential problem is addressed. However, I didn’t see him fall in love with her. He’s in love at the beginning of the book, and it would have been nice to see more interaction between them before the artifact plot begins.

Which brings me to point three: I didn’t warm up to the heroine. I get that Kendall’s history prevents her from wanting to become involved. But I just didn’t see what Wyatt obviously saw in her.

The end result is a book I read quickly even though it didn’t cross the line into cherished keeper. Eternal Nights: 2.5 out of 5.

I’ve tried to like Justine Davis’s latest books. Really. But they just don’t have the same zing for me that her earlier books did. Have the books changed or my reading preferences? I don’t know, but I’m a little sad about it. My latest Davis read: Her Best Friend’s Husband.

Gabriel Taggert. Former naval officer, man of honor—and her best friend’s husband. Cara Thorpe’s feelings for the one man she could never have had always been her own shameful secret. And when her best friend disappeared without a trace, she lost them both. Until a postcard arrived, eight years late . . .

Receiving an eight-year-old message from her best friend was disturbing enough. Now Cara had to face the man she’d quietly loved for years. Would teaming up with Gabe on a dangerous hunt for the truth jeopardize their own lives . . . and the chance for a future together?

The plot hits on one of my guilty pleasure plots, so I couldn’t resist it. And the start is intriguing. A postcard that arrives eight years after the woman who wrote it disappeared? Talk about a situation that’s rife with emotion. Once the postcard arrives, Cara and Gabe travel to the town where the card was postmarked. The journey brings answers and a passion that fires them both.

There are two threads of the story—the suspense and the romance. Both threads interested me—the revelation of what happened to Hope is particularly moving—but when I finished the book I found myself wondering what Davis could have done with another 40 pages. I would have loved it if the romance in particular had more page count and depth.

In Davis’s best books, the characters are so real they practically leap off the page. I still remember many scenes in A Man to Trust, for instance. Her Best Friend’s Husband wasn’t a bad book, just a little disappointing when I know how much better she can do. It left me feeling nostalgic and wanting more.

Her Best Friend’s Husband: 3 out of 5.