Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Review: Anew by Chelsea Fine

Title: Anew (The Archers of Avalon #1)
Author: Chelsea Fine


Synopsis:

Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.

Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.

Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.





Review:



Oh...my...gosh... that ending was positively evil! Ok, I suppose I need to back up a bit, lol... I received this ebook for free very recently when Chelsea Fine was giving it away on her blog. Instantly, I was drawn to the cover – it is beautiful! Then I read the synopsis and I read the reviews, and I knew I had to read this book right away. Anew is the first book in The Archers of Avalon series. It's about a teenage girl named Scarlet who wakes up in the woods – with no idea who she is or how she got there. 2 years later, she meets Gabriel and Tristan – only she doesn't know they have ties to her past.

This story has so many great qualities to it. First of all, there is mystery all the way through. Little by little, pieces of the puzzle start fitting together. There are paranormal qualities about this book, but it's uniquely done. It's not your typical vampire or shape-shifter storyline (not that I don't like those type of stories) – but it's still a paranormal romance which keeps it interesting.

The plot is not only interesting, but quickly paced. I didn't get bored with the story at all – in fact, I couldn't put it down! Another great aspect is Scarlet's relationship with her best friend Heather. Heather is hilarious and because of her, there is a lot of humor involved. The best thing about this book though, is the epic love triangle! One is a handsome and genuinely nice guy. The other is a handsome but moody (and brooding) guy. Both guys are great! I am rooting for Tristan though. The characterization in this book is awesome – I love all the characters and I feel deeply drawn to Scarlet's life.

I think anyone who loves paranormal romances would love this book – regardless of age. I am so glad I stumbled across this author's blog – otherwise I might not ever have known what a great book I was missing out on. But...the ending is killer. Literally. Or maybe not... I am DYING here! The next book in this series is called Awry, and we have to wait until summertime before it comes out. I just might not survive the wait.

Visit the author:
http://www.chelseafinebooks.com/

Find this book at the following places:
Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (kindle)
Barnes & Noble

Friday, January 27, 2012

Some new releases

Title: Darker After Midnight (Midnight Breed #10)
Author: Lara Adrian

In the dark of night, a blood war escalates within the hidden world of the Breed. After existing in secret for many long centuries, maintaining a fragile peace with the humans who walk beside them unaware, a single act of retaliation has put the entire vampire nation at risk of discovery. It falls to the Order—a cadre of Breed warriors pledged to protect their own and humankind alike—to stop Dragos, the power-mad vampire at the center of the conflict, before his push for domination can explode into catastrophe.

At the center of the Order’s quest is Sterling Chase, once a morally rigid enforcer of Breed law, now a warrior fallen from grace, whose biggest battle is the one he wages against his own savage nature. With addiction beckoning him toward eternal darkness, Chase’s path to redemption has never seemed more out of reach—until he finds himself drawn to a beautiful young woman who may be something much more than she seems . . .

Amazon (hardcover)
Amazon (kindle)
Barnes & Noble



Title: Everneath (Everneath #1)
Author: Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Amazon (hardcover)
Amazon (kindle)
Barnes & Noble



Title: Fallen in Love (Fallen #3.5)
Author: Lauren Kate

Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.

And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding-and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first -and last- time, Daniel and Luce will spend a night together like none other.

Lauren Kate's FALLEN IN LOVE is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for.

True love never says goodbye . . .


Amazon (hardcover)
Amazon (kindle)
Barnes & Noble



Title: Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2)
Author: Yvonne Woon

Renée Winters has changed. When she looks in the mirror, a beautiful girl with an older, sadder face stares back. Her condition has doctors mystified, but Renée can never reveal the truth: she died last May, and was brought back to life by the kiss of her Undead soul mate, Dante Berlin.

Now, her separation from Dante becomes almost unbearable. His second life is close to an end, and each passing day means one less that she will spend with the boy who shares her soul.

Just when Renée has almost given up hope, she learns of the Nine Sisters—brilliant scholars who, according to legend, found a way to cheat death. She can’t shake the feeling that they are somehow connected to her dreams, strange visions that hint at a discovery so powerful, and so dangerous, that some will stop at nothing to protect it.

Renée thought she knew the truth about life and death. But there is a secret woven through history that holds the only hope for Dante and Renée. Unless they find answers soon, their time together is doomed to be cut short.

Amazon (hardcover)
Amazon (kindle)
Barnes & Noble



Title: Forbidden
Author: Syrie James & Ryan M. James

She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble




Title: Angel Fire (Angel #2)
Author: L.A. Weatherly

In Book Two of L. A. Weatherly’s wildly romantic, action-packed trilogy, the angels are back with a vengeance . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind. In the wake of the Second Wave, the angel menace has exploded, and Alex and Willow are on the lam. Willow’s prophetic dream points them to Mexico City, where they connect with a fledgling group of angel killers led by the exotically beautiful Kara, an Angel Killer from Alex’s past. But the team remains suspicious of Willow, even after the more-experienced Alex takes over as leader, training them hard for a rush attack on the Seraphic Council, or “The Twelve.” This elite group of all-powerful angels is also under the scrutiny of Willow’s angel-father, Raziel, who has his own sinister plan to defeat them. What Willow hasn’t told Alex is that there was also a mysterious boy in her dream, one she felt overpoweringly attracted to. When brooding, gorgeous Seb shows up in the flesh, he turns out to be another—possibly the world’s only other—half angel. He’s been searching for Willow all his life, and when Alex enlists this rival to help keep Willow safe, he can’t predict what chemistry will pass between them . . . or how far Willow might go to keep Alex safe. Will their love endure or spell doomsday for the human race?





Title: Relic (A Brethren Novel)
Author: Deena Remiel

Raphael, a Brethren Savior, an angel with a forgotten past, has lost his power to heal and is on a self-imposed guilt trip to get it back. If he can’t, his tour of eternal duty as Brethren Savior will be revoked. On his journey, he winds up enmeshed in a web of attempted murder and resurrection, all thanks to a woman he’s only seen in a photograph and by chance on an Arizona desert hiking trail.

Serena Sikes is a wanted woman. Desired by “undesirables” for a gift her brother gave her—a stolen relic with suspected healing powers. Hunted down in the Arizona desert and left for dead, she is found by none other than the angel who cannot heal.

Raphael and Serena are inexorably bound together, for locked deep within the relic’s heart had lived the soul of his long lost wife. Now, it resides inside Serena. Evil lurks around every corner as Raphael tries to keep both Serena and his dead wife’s soul alive and lustful temptation at bay.

Three souls bound together by an ancient relic, bound by a timeless gift, and bound by a love that is eternal.




Title: Spell Check
Author: Ariella Moon

Ever since Evie’s photojournalist dad died, paralyzing fear prevents her from picking up a camera. If Evie can’t pull it together, she’ll lose her position as Yearbook Photo Editor and suffer academic failure. Even worse, Evie risks losing Jordan, her secret crush. Despite a falling out, Evie never forgot Jordan. Now they are lab partners and the chemistry definitely sparks between them. But Evie’s supposed friend, Parvani, wants Jordan for herself. Parvani possesses a brimstone-hissing spell book. Soon the moon will be in the optimum phase for a binding love spell. To save Jordan, Evie must join forces with Salem, the school Goth. The clock is ticking. Can Evie get her mojo back in time to check this spell?

Free ebooks!

Here are some more free ebooks I have found. I don't know how long these will be free, so hurry and grab them while you can! Click on the photos to get the ebook. If you are an author who has a free ebook, let me know and I will announce it on my blog!



Title: Dark Earth
Author: Jason Halstead (Dark Earth series #1)

Eric's dreams were shattered when his wife was taken from him by a reckless driver on a snowy Alaskan road. All that remained was his newborn daughter, Jessica. Uprooting to provide a safer life for his child, Eric moved back home to northern Michigan.

Thirteen years later with Jessica raising the bar in everything she does, darkness returns to the Baxter's life in the form of a crazed gunman. Surviving the assassin and seeking answers, Eric has to dig into the secrets of an unbelievable past hidden between the pages of history.



Title: Breathless (The Jason and Azazel Trilogy)
Author: V.J. Chambers

Jason races into Azazel's life--sweaty, tortured, and hunted by covert forces. Even though her football-player boyfriend doesn't like it, Azazel is drawn to Jason. He's so complicated. He gets in fistfights, but always wins them--efficiently and thoroughly. He reads Plato and argues with their AP teacher. But he's also quiet and serious, haunted by a past he won't talk about. Azazel feels obsessed. She can't let anything get in the way of finding out Jason's secrets, not even her boyfriend, her friends, or her parents. Most importantly, no matter how dangerous Jason claims it is for her to be near him, she can't let him leave. As menace begins to surface from even the most trusted and familiar places, Azazel finds herself flung into a whirlwind of sinister motives and clandestine proceedings. Though Azazel evades each escalating danger, her feelings for Jason may prove to be the greatest danger of all.



Title: Highland Mist (Druid's Glen #1)
Author: Donna Grant

Druid Glen, Book OneAn honorable laird- Conall MacInnes was born to a clan that for centuries has been charged with the guarding of the sacred Druids. It-s a duty he has always met with a willing heart, until the day his sister, a Druid priestess, goes missing and the very Druids he has protected refuse to help him find the last remaining member of his family. Then a three-hundred-year-old prophecy places a Druid in his hands for safekeeping. It-s the chance at revenge he-s been waiting for, but is he willing to pay the cost his revenge will demand-the loss of his mate and the future of Scotland?A willing lass- Glenna MacNeil wants only to be free, to find the purpose of her life. When she is told to look for the dark laird who would free her, she eagerly goes with the powerful Highlander who fights her clan, not realizing she has set in motion events that will change the course of history.



Title: The Mystic Wolves
Author: Belinda Boring

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?

Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason's commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she'll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength - once given, oaths are unbreakable ... even if it means risking it all.

**This is the full length novel version of Without Mercy, Cherished, and Blood Oath*



Title: Hollowland
Author: Amanda Hocking

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.




Title: Overprotected
Author: Jennifer Laurens

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.

Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.

Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.

Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.

Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.

Daddy was wrong.



Title: Rippler
Author: Cidney Swanson

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love. Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments. The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.



Title: Dark Corners
Author: Liz Schulte
This one is free today only!

Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband's violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn't alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband's death is still with her. Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella's life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband's homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Review: Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Title: Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian series #1)
Author: Keri Arthur
Source: purchased

Synopsis:

In this exciting debut, author Keri Arthur explodes onto the supernatural scene with a sexy, sensuous tale of intrigue and suspense set in a world where legends walk and the shady paths of the underworld are far more sinister than anyone envisioned.

A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions. The timing couldn’t be worse. More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the weeklong period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.…

Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need. But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.

In matters carnal, Riley has met her match. But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest. For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan. Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her.



Review:


Photobucket


I really don't know where to start with this book. It's about a woman named Riley who is half werewolf and half vampire. She is more werewolf than vampire though, so during the week every month leading up to the full moon, she has strong urges to mate. In the midst of the moon heat, her brother is taken and Riley is determined to find him. I would say that she would stop at nothing to find him, but well... she will stop for sex – and lots of it. Riley just seems like a slut to me. I get the fact that she “needs” sex during this phase of the moon, but it seems like she will have sex with anyone. She even goes back time and time again to have sex with a man she doesn't even like – just because the sex is good. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind reading about sex, but not when it's emotion-less.

I wouldn't call this book a romance by any means. There is potential, but it doesn't happen in this book. I'm more of a fan of paranormal romance than I am urban fantasy, but I guess I thought I would enjoy this book more. Riley isn't the smartest crayon in the box either. You'd think that you would be suspicious if you blacked out more than once after drinking a glass of wine that someone gives you. And I would consider it rape if I woke up and a guy was having sex with me.

I haven't decided yet if I'm going to read the next book in this series. I AM interested in finding out if anything ever happens between Riley and Quinn. I guess I will probably read the other reviews for the next book. If you are a fan of the Anita Blake series by Laurell Hamilton, you might actually enjoy this book. It does have a heroine who can kick some butt, even if she does make a lot of stupid decisions along the way.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Free ebooks!!!

Title: Bound in Sin
Author: Cynthia Eden



What’s the price of sin?

Human Paige Sloan once loved werewolf Drake Wyler more than life, but then that life was taken away from her. Attacked by vampires, Paige was bitten, and, on a cold, dark night, the life she’d known ended. She was reborn as a vampire—a werewolf’s deadliest enemy.

Paige ran from the vampires who attacked her, and she ran away from her lover. She didn’t want Drake to know what she’d become, and she didn’t want to face the fury of his pack. But a
girl can only run for so long until the past catches up with her.

Some sins mark your soul.

When Paige learns that Drake is being targeted for death, she knows that she can’t hide in the shadows any longer. She has to return to him, and she will do anything—anything—in order to make sure that he keeps living. The vampires might have destroyed her chance to live and love Drake, but they won’t take him. Not over her undead body. She’ll slay them all…and maybe, just maybe…she’ll even have the chance to sin—one more time--with the werewolf who’d marked her as his mate.

Some sins are worth dying for…



Smashwords (free until January 13th)


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Title: The Trouble With Spells (Of Witches and Warlocks #1)
Author: Lacey Weatherford


Portia Mullins had always lived the life of a normal teenager, up until her sixteenth birthday. She is then informed by her grandma that she is actually a witch who is a descendant of a long line of witches and warlocks. After overcoming her disbelief she finds that being a member of the coven comes with one great perk in the form of the school's handsome bad boy, Vance Mangum. Vance and Portia have an immediate connection as a budding romance begins, only to be threatened by turbulent skies on the horizon as Vance's checkered past rears its ugly head to haunt them. Portia is forced to use her untried powers in defense of everything she loves in a desperate attempt to hold on to the one thing that really matters in her life.

Amazon


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Title: Without Mercy (Mystic Wolves #1)
Author: Belinda Boring

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?

When Darcy's outing takes a turn for the worst and tests her to the point of breaking, she struggles to maintain her humanity. Where loyalty and pack mean everything, she surrender
s to the inevitable and only an act of complete trust can touch her. When all is said and done, with memories flooding her mind, Darcy holds tightly to the only thing that makes sense - it was all a dream. Or was it?

Amazon


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Title: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side
Author: Beth Fantaskey

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancé.
Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess.
But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back
her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.

Amazon


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Title: Fairytale

Author: Maggie Shayne

As a boy, Adam Reid stumbled into an enchanted forest-and met a magical lady who showed him his destiny. Now he is a sober and serious adult. And memories have faded of a childhood event that could not possibly have occurred...could it?

Brigit Malone is on a mission-a dangerous, larcenous quest that leads the mysterious lovely into Adam Reid's home...and heart. For sparks fly when her warm ebony gaze meets his sapphire stare--and a passionate enchantment binds them with invisible chains. But it would be insane for Adam to believe Brigit's arrival had been foretold--or that the sensuous minx is truly half-fairy--even as they travel together down an impossible path toward a dire peril only the
magic of love could overcome.

Amazon

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Title: The Emerald Talisman
Author: Brenda Pandos

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

Amazon



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Title: Thirst (Ava Delaney #1)
Author: Chaire Farrell

Ava Delaney calls herself a hybrid - a living, breathing human who happens to have vampire poison running through her veins. The only thing greater than her thirst for human blood is her capacity for guilt. She does her best to avoid the human world, for everyone's sake.

When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realises she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Review: North of Need by Laura Kaye

Title: North of Need (Hearts of the Anemoi #1)
Author: Laura Kaye
Source: received through blog tour in exchange for an honest review


Synopsis:

While attempting to escape the agonizing memories she associates with Christmas, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband and collapses in tears against the snowman at the sight of what she'll never have.

Called to life by the power of Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things, and her heart opens enough to believe he's a Christmas miracle. But this miracle comes with an expiration before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever.



Review:



North of Need is the first book in Laura Kaye's new series, Hearts of the Anemoi. This book centers around a 29 year old widow named Megan. Her husband, John, died 2 years earlier and she is still holding onto the guilt and sorrow. She just can't push past it, until she meets Owen – a handsome snow god.

When she finds Owen unconscious outside of her cabin during a Christmas blizzard, Megan feels compelled to take care of him. Megan has been lonely for so long, it's nice to have somebody around to take care of. As the two of them quickly grow closer, Megan feels guilty about having feelings for another man. Still, Owen makes her smile and feel happier than she has felt in a long time.

The relationship that these two have is really very sweet. You feel sorry for Megan and want her to find happiness, but at the same time it's so understandable why she would have trouble moving on. Owen has been dealing with his own loneliness so these two are just perfect for each other.

I thought the book was a little slow getting started, yet I understand the need for the reader to really get the feel of Megan's pain and suffering. I thought the author did a really good job of making you feel these emotions. I really liked how the book was centered around just these 2 characters, without a lot of outside things going on. I liked seeing Megan slowly open up to Owen. Oh, and the love scenes are SCORCHING!!!

I definitely recommend this book to adult readers who enjoy paranormal romances. It's romantic, sexy, and an overall good, original story. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.


You can find this book at the following places:

Amazon (paperback)
Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble

Monday, January 9, 2012

Blog tour - North of Need by Laura Kaye


I'm very excited to host author Laura Kaye here on my blog during her blog tour for her newest book, North of Need. Now, I have to admit that I just finished this book so I haven't had a chance to get my review written - but you will not regret reading it. I really enjoyed it, and will have my review posted within a day. I was lucky enough to interview Laura, so keep reading to learn more about the author, her book, and to read an excerpt from North of Need.

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I'm excited about your new Anemoi series. Will there be a total of 4 books in this series?

I’m so glad to hear that! And thanks for hosting me here! Will there be a total of four books? Well… LOL There will be at least four books in the series…how’s that? Some things happen in book two that have me considering the possibility of more. *Gulp*

What does Anemoi mean?

In Greek, the word means “winds”. In mythology, the Anemoi were wind gods the Greeks associated with the seasons. There were four Cardinal Anemoi (north, west, south, east) and many Ordinal (NW, NE, etc.) and Interordinal (NNW, NNE) Anemoi, too—just picture the fact of a compass. The great part about the mythology is that it offers some great material for setting up character backstories and conflict in the series!

What would your ideal career be if you couldn't be an author?

Well, being an author isn’t my primary career—yet! I’m a college history professor in my day job, which I very much enjoy. I’ve also been an archaeologist at various stages of my career, and loved that, too. I’ve had a lot of ideal careers!

What's the best thing about being an author?

Two things, I think: 1) the freedom and independence. You can work at your own pace, set your own schedule, write from home or anywhere, really. I love that. 2) it’s an outlet for creativity. And, for me, it’s an incredibly fulfilling way to spend your time.

Do you have any hobbies?

Writing and reading are my favorite hobbies, no question. I love going to the movies, sometimes I enjoy gardening, and I like to shop. But, writing and reading are how I best like to spend my time, free or otherwise!

Do you have a hard time dealing with criticism?

Hmm. Well, everyone does, I think. I certainly have gotten better at it. I guess it also depends on what kind of criticism and from whom it comes. I belong to a critique group that meets monthly and offers very frank feedback on my work in progress. I value it, and I know they make my writing better. I also really value intensive criticism from my editors. Notice I didn’t say I enjoy their criticism, but I value it because I know unequivocally that a good editor is so vital to a good final product. It’s probably harder to receive criticism from readers—not because they’re not entitled to it, they definitely are—but because it means I’ve let them down in some way, and I hate that! It was probably harder to hear criticism on my first book than it is now, six books in, but there’s always some part of my subconscious brain saying Oh I hope they love me, Oh I hope they love me. LOL

Do you do much reading? About how long does it take you to read a book?

I read a lot, actually, which might be surprising for how much I write. I tend to go in cycles: all reading for like a week, then a couple of weeks of intensive writing. Reading is a very good way to recharge for me. And I’m a bit of a compulsive reader—once I start something, if I like it, I can’t stop until it’s done. That means I read most books in a day or two at most.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Definitely! First, butt in chair, hands on keyboard (BICHOK!). You can’t revise what you haven’t written, and you can’t sell what you haven’t written. And, when book one is written and revised, dive right into book two, don’t sit around waiting to hear from agents or editors. Second, find other professionally oriented writers to critique your work. Other writers can give you feedback that friends or families or even beta readers can’t. Third, join writers’ organizations. Both of these two are about pursuing writing professionally by surrounding yourself with writers and resources that can help you succeed. Fourth, practice your craft—by reading in your genre, writing a lot, reading craft books, or taking workshops. Fifth, don’t give up. A writing career is a marathon, not a sprint, and it requires patience, perseverance, determination, and a thick skin.

What's one thing you can't leave your house without?

My iPhone. I’d be lost without it!

Do you spend much time on social networking sites, like Facebook or Twitter, to promote your books?

Er, yes. But not just to promote my books, which I think is important to successful social networking. And, interestingly, to me Facebook and Twitter really lead to different interactions and communities.

Really fun questions! Thanks so much for hosting me here! I’d love to answer any of your questions! Or, share your hobby or thing-you-can’t-leave-home-without with me! xox Laura


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Excerpt:

Out of the darkness, from the heart of the howling snowstorm, a hunched-over man staggered up Megan’s front steps. She wrenched back from the door, her heart pounding in her chest. Panicked, she skittered behind a couch.

Who the hell could he be? Nobody could have walked or driven here in this weather. Her breath came in fast rasps. The lights flickered again, then again. Her eyes trailed to the fireplace tools on the hearth.

Maybe she should grab the iron poker. Just in case.

The lights wavered, struggled to hold on. From outside, a solid, deadweight thump startled a gasp from Megan.

Help him.

The words were so quiet they might’ve been a thought, but in her current state she still whirled, fully expecting the impossible—that someone else was crouched next to her behind the sofa. Of course, she was alone. She peeked around the corner of the couch, her panic subsiding into a feeling of absurdity.

Help who? The man. Just a regular, ordinary man. Who must be in trouble. She remembered how he seemed to stumble on the steps and the thump. He’d fallen. She rushed from her hiding place like a sprinter at the sound of the gun. Peering through the sidelight, she whispered, “Oh, shit.” She was right.

She tore open the door. Jesus, he was big. No one she knew from the neighborhood, though there were always tourists renting surrounding cabins to take advantage of Deep Creek Lake and the Wisp Ski Resort.

God, he wasn’t dressed to be out in this weather. No coat. No shoes.

What the hell was she going to do with him?

Cold wind buffeted her and nipped at her skin, making her nearly frostbitten cheek tingle uncomfortably. Her hesitation wavered, then dropped away completely. What choice did she have? She couldn’t leave him out in this blizzard.

The bitter wind sank into her bones as she stepped shoeless and coatless—like him—onto the porch. She didn’t have to check for a pulse. Each shallow breath sent up a small fog from his mouth. Megan crouched behind his shoulders and wedged her hands underneath. Two fistfuls of red plaid flannel in hand, she pulled. He barely budged as she grunted and tugged. She tried two more times.

Shit, but it was mind-numbingly cold. “Come on, dude. Work with me, will ya?” she muttered, her hair whipping around her face.

Megan rethought the problem and stepped around to his bare feet. How could someone walk to this cabin without shoes? She shook her head and crouched, back facing him, between his legs. Securing an ankle under each armpit, she cupped his heels and pushed herself into a standing position. This time, when she moved, he moved. The guy was so big and heavy, she felt like Rudolph pulling Santa’s sleigh without the help of the other eight reindeer.

The warm air from inside the cabin embraced her body, its comforting tendrils drawing her over the threshold and into the slate-covered foyer. The lights flickered again, sending out a quiet electrical hum that raised the hair on her arms and the back of her neck. She tried to drag the man carefully, but his head still thumped as it crossed the shallow ridge of the doorjamb. She winced. “Sorry.”

As soon as he was clear of the door, she set his feet down and ran to close it. The indoor temperature had probably dropped twenty degrees while she’d been outside figuring how to lug his sorry butt in.

She engaged the dead bolt, and the lights died. She gasped and pivoted, flattened her back to the door. He lay, right where she left him, melting snow all over her hardwoods.



About North of Need:
Her tears called a powerful snow god to life, but only her love can grant the humanity he craves...

Desperate to escape agonizing memories of Christmas past, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband, realizing too late that she's recreated the very thing she'll never have.

Called to life by Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity.

Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things. But this Christmas miracle comes with an expiration--before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever.



About Laura Kaye:
Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Follow Me Friday


It's been awhile since I've participated in one of these Friday blog hops, so I thought I'd go ahead and join in - even though it's late in the day (to participate, click the picture above). Here is the question of the week:

Q: Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?


My answer? 265. It's pathetic. That doesn't even count the ebooks that I have... I have such an addiction, I really can't get enough books. So, how about you - how many unread books do you own? Let me know if you are a new follower, I will return the favor!


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Early Review: Possession of Souls by Lacey Weatherford

Title: Possession of Souls (Of Witches and Warlocks #5)
Author: Lacey Weatherford
Source: Received from author in exchange for an honest review


Synopsis:

Fear and desperation leave Portia and Vance clinging to threadbare hope as life is given, and taken away. Manipulated, driven by bloodlust and the desire to claim sole possession, the stakes are raised higher than they’ve ever been before. Evil rises with the intent to dominate, leading them and their coven to the ultimate confrontation and battle—a battle which will force one of them to make a devastating, life-altering decision. Who will survive the final stand?



Review:


Possession of Souls is the fifth book in Lacey Weatherford's YA paranormal series, Of Witches and Warlocks. This is the final installment of Vance and Portia's breathtaking love story. They not only have to deal with life and death situations, but also their relationship with each other as they are being held captive.

This book will have you in suspense the entire time, wondering what will happen next. The stresses of their situation leave Vance and Portia struggling with their own relationship, and these scenes between them seem just as dire as the life and death situations.

Vance has had such a burden put on him, it would make any normal person go crazy. He grows a lot in this book, putting aside his wants and needs in order to do what he thinks is right. It takes a lot of work and effort to get past his inner demon. Every thing that he goes through just makes you love him even more.

Vance and Portia are one of my favorite book-couples of all time, but I am glad that things weren't blissful between them 100% of the time. These obstacles made the book that much more interesting and suspenseful, and also made their love even stronger. Despite everything, their connection was sizzling more than ever. They had some HOT, yet PG scenes.

This book takes you on another amazing roller coaster ride of emotions. There were happy moments, sad moments, sweet moments, sexy moments... The ending left me speechless - I feel like I really can't say much more without giving anything away. I just want to say that this may be the best Young Adult series that I have read, the writing and emotion put into these stories is just amazing. I'm really sad to see this series end – I feel like I actually know these characters and I'm going to miss reading about them. If you like any kind of paranormal romances, even if you're not a young adult anymore, I seriously suggest you giving this series a try. I don't think you'll regret it.


Visit the author at her website:
http://www.ofwitchesandwarlocks.com/

Possession of Souls will be released on January 10, 2012.
Pre-order the paperback here:
Amazon

Start at the beginning! The Trouble With Spells ebook is currently free at
Amazon and Smashwords

Monday, January 2, 2012

A fresh start!

It feels good for 2011 to be over with. Things have been a little hectic lately, and I'm ready for a fresh start! One thing that has been going on is the fact that I haven't been able to log in to blogger. For awhile, I thought that maybe blogger was having issues...but nope, it's just me! I've been able to go to any other website, but every time I go to blogger it says something about a connection not being established. Once I found out that it was on my end, I tried using different browsers, deleting cookies, logging in under my husband's profile, etc... Nothing worked. My computer has been acting spazzy anyway, so right now my husband is reloading my computer and I'm on his laptop.

My goal for 2012 is to start reading and blogging more. After I started designing book covers, I got so busy that I started slacking in these other areas and I haven't devoted enough time to my blog. I have over 1,000 unread emails in my email inbox, and I know that I have a lot of review requests to respond to. So anyway, I'm hoping that by tomorrow my computer will be working good again and I can get my reviews posted.