Thursday, April 28, 2011
Paranormal Romance: 100 Follower Giveaway! Enter to WIN
Paranormal Romance: 100 Follower Giveaway! Enter to WIN: "WOW ! I can’t believe I reached 100 followers . When I started this blog I didn’t expect to get 10 followers let alone 100. So as a thanks ..."
Review - The Shepherd
Marcus Williams and Francis Ackerman Jr. both have a talent for hurting people. Marcus, a former New York City homicide detective, uses his abilities to protect others, while Ackerman uses his gifts to inflict pain and suffering. When both men become unwilling pawns in a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of our government, Marcus finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse trapped between a twisted psychopath and a vigilante with seemingly unlimited resources. Aided by a rogue FBI agent and the vigilante’s beautiful daughter -a woman with whom he’s quickly falling in love- Marcus must expose the deadly political conspiracy and confront his past while hunting down one of the most cunning and ruthless killers in the world.
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My review:
I wasnt sure what to expect going into this story. But as a lover of suspense I really wanted to find out and see how it was. I am really glad I did now. Those quotes on the cover are pretty powerful but definitely well deserved.
Francis Ackerman Jr. is a serial killer the likes that we havent seen in books since Hannibal Lecter. While not exactly on the same level. He reaches a level of madness and insanity that keeps you guessing and reading.
But he is not the only one in the story. We also have Marcus Williams. A former NYC Homicide detective that has moved to a ranch he inherited in this small town. Here he meets the Sheriff and his daughter and gets involved in finding a crime scene. All which happens shortly after he moves in.
The novel links all these characters together in a weaving pattern that keeps you guessing and wondering what will happen next. The book is separated into 4 parts and at the end of each, there is a twist that is completely unexpected. You really have to wonder is anyone who they seem.
While the story does conclude. It does so in a way that isnt what you think. And successfully ties it all together. And since it is a fairly complex story at parts. That makes one successful ending. It also leaves room for more books to come. And I am definitely looking forward to them.
If you are a fan of suspense you should definitely pick this up.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Review - A Forever Kind of Love
You can always come home. Second chances come a little harder.
Chase and Zoe were the high school golden couple. Football captain, cheerleader, prom royalty. After graduation, though, Chase couldn’t resist the urge to experience life outside their small town. He didn’t exactly expect Zoe to wait twelve years for him, but now that he’s back, he finds some small part of him hoping she did.
It’s no big surprise she’s married. The kick in the face is she married his best friend.
Zoe was devastated when Chase left, but she’s filed those bittersweet memories under “Moved On”. She loves her life, and loves her husband. She has all she needs. And Chase keeps an honorable distance.
One cold, wet, miserable day, tragedy turns Zoe’s world upside down. Chase never expected her to simply fall into his arms, but a man can dream. Except his dream doesn’t include the fact that this time, she’s the one hitting the road…and he’s the one left behind.
Product Warnings: This story contains heartbreak, heartache and one last chance for two lovers to find each other.
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My Review:
Wow. Its a roller coaster ride of a story. You really dont know what to expect and at times you really dont know what to hope for. But its a well written and nearly impossible story to put down.
Its not a full length novel, but its just the perfect length to tell the story of these two former lovers in a small town.
If you are looking for a great evening read, or a bittersweet story. You have to pick this up. You wont be sorry.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Books 4 Learning: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway
Books 4 Learning: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway: "I am A Reader, Not a Writer blog is hosting the Hoppy Easter Eg gstravaganza Hop Giveaway. Click HERE for a list of all participating bl..."
Stuck in Books by Valerie: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop
Stuck in Books by Valerie: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop: "Welcome to the Easter Blog Hop Fill out the form below to enter and hop onto the next blog.... Enter to win a music Amazon gift card to b..."
The Journey and Musings of a Single Country Gal: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop!!! April ...
The Journey and Musings of a Single Country Gal: Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop!!! April ...: "Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop hosted by Kathy at I'm a Reader Not a Writer and Yara at Once Upon A Twilight . Thi..."
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books: Giveaway: 400 Followers of Awesome!
iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books: Giveaway: 400 Followers of Awesome!: "Well, daaaaang. After only three months of blogging, I've reached 400 followers!! I could never have reached this level of awesomeness witho..."
Review - Desires of the Dead
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly DertingMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved it. Really got into this one, enjoyed it so much more than the first book. Really enjoyed the story, the characters and the writing. Great mystery.
View all my reviews
Review - The Body Finder
The Body Finder by Kimberly DertingMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked the characters and the story and the writing. But I had trouble really getting into it.
View all my reviews
Monday, April 18, 2011
Guest Post - Nell Walton - The Bone Trail
Dovetailing Mythology in Fiction with a Modern Setting
Last year I ran across a Choctaw legend called about “The Wind Horse” (http://www.indianlegend.com/choctaw/choctaw_002.htm). It is a wonderful myth that centers on how the horse came to the Indian people. There are many legends about this among the Native population in the United States and Canada, but this one particularly appealed to me because of its message of unconditional and limitless love.
When I wrote The Bone Trail, I used the basic tenets of this legend to structure my entire plotline. In the Choctaw version the Wind Horse rescues a crippled boy from a trap, then comes to love the boy. When the boy dies and is transported to the Hunting Grounds, the Wind Horse cannot be parted from him, and goes with him to the other side into death.
In The Bone Trail, the two main characters, Kate and Ludlow, are both (in their own ways) as damaged as the crippled child in the legend. Ludlow carries the burden of severe alcoholism, a failed marriage and the disastrous career choice of becoming a Washington lobbyist ; Kate is saddled with the scars of physical and emotional child abuse as well as a destructive relationship with her fiancé. They are both damaged people; and, to a certain extent, both move through parts of their lives like sleepwalkers, or, as one character describes it, as the “Walking Dead.”
Through the course of the book, they both find healing through their relationship with each other, as well as their mutual passion for horses. In the course of this process they learn that in order for a person to be truly happy, they have to be in tune with the needs of the spirit. They come to realize that when you allow other people to define who you are, you will never find happiness. The Wind Horse winds through the plotline, subtly leading them to these conclusions (as well as helping them to solve a mystery and murder).
I enjoyed taking the legend of the Wind Horse and using it to demonstrate what a healer unconditional love can be.
It is a wonderful legend.
###
Nell Walton is an avid horsewoman and also owns two wild horses, both of which came from a herd near Elko, NV. She is also the founder and managing editor of the online equestrian news magazine, The AllHorses Post (www.allpetspost.org/allhorsespost). She has degrees in journalism and biology from the University of Arkansas, spent many years as a professional journalist and worked as an intern for former President Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. She lives in East Tennessee on a small horse farm with her husband, four horses, one donkey, two cats and two dogs. The Bone Trail is her first novel.
www.allpetspost.org/AllHorsesPost
www.allpetspost.org/TheBoneTrail
Twitter: nellwal
Facebook: AllHorses Post (user name)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=287583265#!/pages/The-Bone-Trail/177304412309524
###
Inspired by actual events, The Bone Trail is the story of investigative journalist and horsewoman, Kate Wyndham, who is sent to northern Nevada to do a story on the disappearance of two wild horse advocates. When Wyndham attempts to gain information from the FBI and local authorities she is stonewalled.
She turns to Jim Ludlow, a local rancher who lives on an Indian Reservation near where the advocates disappeared. Ludlow, a Shoshone Indian horse “whisperer” agrees to try to help Wyndham and they begin a search for answers that may cost them everything the hold dear – it may even cost them their lives.
Last year I ran across a Choctaw legend called about “The Wind Horse” (http://www.indianlegend.com/choctaw/choctaw_002.htm). It is a wonderful myth that centers on how the horse came to the Indian people. There are many legends about this among the Native population in the United States and Canada, but this one particularly appealed to me because of its message of unconditional and limitless love.
When I wrote The Bone Trail, I used the basic tenets of this legend to structure my entire plotline. In the Choctaw version the Wind Horse rescues a crippled boy from a trap, then comes to love the boy. When the boy dies and is transported to the Hunting Grounds, the Wind Horse cannot be parted from him, and goes with him to the other side into death.
In The Bone Trail, the two main characters, Kate and Ludlow, are both (in their own ways) as damaged as the crippled child in the legend. Ludlow carries the burden of severe alcoholism, a failed marriage and the disastrous career choice of becoming a Washington lobbyist ; Kate is saddled with the scars of physical and emotional child abuse as well as a destructive relationship with her fiancé. They are both damaged people; and, to a certain extent, both move through parts of their lives like sleepwalkers, or, as one character describes it, as the “Walking Dead.”
Through the course of the book, they both find healing through their relationship with each other, as well as their mutual passion for horses. In the course of this process they learn that in order for a person to be truly happy, they have to be in tune with the needs of the spirit. They come to realize that when you allow other people to define who you are, you will never find happiness. The Wind Horse winds through the plotline, subtly leading them to these conclusions (as well as helping them to solve a mystery and murder).
I enjoyed taking the legend of the Wind Horse and using it to demonstrate what a healer unconditional love can be.
It is a wonderful legend.
###
Nell Walton is an avid horsewoman and also owns two wild horses, both of which came from a herd near Elko, NV. She is also the founder and managing editor of the online equestrian news magazine, The AllHorses Post (www.allpetspost.org/allhorsespost). She has degrees in journalism and biology from the University of Arkansas, spent many years as a professional journalist and worked as an intern for former President Bill Clinton when he was governor of Arkansas. She lives in East Tennessee on a small horse farm with her husband, four horses, one donkey, two cats and two dogs. The Bone Trail is her first novel.www.allpetspost.org/AllHorsesPost
www.allpetspost.org/TheBoneTrail
Twitter: nellwal
Facebook: AllHorses Post (user name)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/?act=287583265#!/pages/The-Bone-Trail/177304412309524
###
Inspired by actual events, The Bone Trail is the story of investigative journalist and horsewoman, Kate Wyndham, who is sent to northern Nevada to do a story on the disappearance of two wild horse advocates. When Wyndham attempts to gain information from the FBI and local authorities she is stonewalled.She turns to Jim Ludlow, a local rancher who lives on an Indian Reservation near where the advocates disappeared. Ludlow, a Shoshone Indian horse “whisperer” agrees to try to help Wyndham and they begin a search for answers that may cost them everything the hold dear – it may even cost them their lives.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
A Myriad of Books: Half-a-Blogoversary Mega Giveaway!
A Myriad of Books: Half-a-Blogoversary Mega Giveaway!: "It's my Blogoversary, guys!!! *squeals* Okay, so it will be my blogoversary in exactly six months. It's my Half-a-Blogoversary, anyway..."
Book Lungs: 300 Follower Giveaway!
Book Lungs: 300 Follower Giveaway!: "Prize Pack #1 * ARC of Die for Me by Amy Plum - (Discontinued U.S. Cover) ARC of Misfit by Jon Skovron ARC of Exile by Anne Osterl..."
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Ki...
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Ki...: "Today I have the lovely Caitlin Kittredge here to talk about her new book The Iron Thorn. Fill out the form below and 2 winners will..."
Friday, April 15, 2011
LaurieLondon: Welcome to my stop on the Easter Blog Hop
LaurieLondon: Welcome to my stop on the Easter Blog Hop: "Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the internet on this leg of the Easter Blog Hop! When Danielle from Lush Book Reviews asked me to..."
Review - My Frankenstein
Book Description:
In a small village in early 19th Century young Eva is enthralled by the new young baron, Viktor Frankenstein. Viktor promises to transform the traditional little town into a beacon of science and gives the book loving Eva access to his fantastic library. Eva becomes his student and assists him in a secret experiment, though she is kept in the dark about its ultimate aim. Soon after that Viktor introduces Eva to his “cousin” Adam. Adam is horribly disfigured with stitches running across his face. Viktor claims he is mute and simpleminded, but Eva takes pity on him and sets out to teach him to speak.…
What follows is a combination of tragic romance and classic horror as Eva is pulled between Viktor, who grows jealous and takes murderous steps to ensure his secret, and Adam, who possess tremendous strength and rage yet deep inside is innocent and vulnerable.
In his debut fantasy novel, Michael J. Lee retells the classic story by Mary Shelley as a dark romance with steampunk overtones.
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My review:
Frankenstein was never one of my favorite stories. I liked it and appreciated it. But for me it wasn't on the same level as say Dracula. So I was interested in seeing how this story would come out. I have read similar stories in the past, where an author takes a classic tale and retells it from a different perspective. I have to say in this case I was pleasantly surprised with what I read.
I think most people reading this will know the story of Frankenstein. So going in you already have a passing familiarity with the concept. But Michael really goes further. He is not just retelling the story from Eva's point of view. He has really expanded it and brought it into a more steampunk era of progression as well.
Viktor isn't just a mad scientist. He really is a genius that can still be considered completely crazy. He has a secret ultimate plan that involves more than reanimation.
Eva is a great character. She is smart and strong and really progressive for her time. She sees things in a much wider view and an eye toward the future that most of her fellow townspeople can't envision. Sadly this makes her easier prey for Viktor when he comes to town.
Overall the story is not at all hard to follow. It paces well and does not drag. Its easy to read and is a really good thought out version of the story we all already know.
Guest Post & Giveaway - Michael Lee - My Frankenstein
There are three ways you can go when you’re retelling or re-imagining Frankenstein. Three basic approaches.
The first approach is to bring the story into the modern day. Hollywood has been doing this since at least the 50’s with movies like I Was a Teenage Frankenstein and Frankenstein 1970. Several other writers have brought the story into the modern age. Most of them like Vindicator aren’t apparently Frankenstein at first blush. That’s because modern advances in science have given us many more options for resurrecting the dead and near dead. You can think of the Six Million Dollar Man as a Frankenstein story updated to the 1970s. Mary Shelley may have helped spawn science fiction but genre has advanced quite a bit since her time. It’s given us plenty of robot and clone stories. Almost all of these tales owe at least a little bit to Frankenstein but very few retain that true gothic flavor. One of the best examples comes from horror maestro Wes Craven, Deadly Friend. In it a teenage prodigy builds a cute robot. The robot gets destroyed by a cranky neighbor and soon after the boy’s love interest is killed by her wicked father. Our hero uses the parts from his robot to resurrect the girl, mayhem ensues. It’s one of Craven’s better movies. The boy and the girl are so sympathetic that what happens to them is tragic. It predates the Paranormal YA craze by at least a decade and deserves to be rediscovered.
The next method literally involves literally bringing the big guy into modern times. In this case the Shelley story serves as an origin for the creature who survives until present day. You see this paradigm a lot in comic books. There’s the Marvel comics Frankenstein, the soon to be adapted I, Frankenstein, Doc Frankenstein and Dean Koontz’s series. All of these have a kind of super heroic tone to them. The Creature becomes sort of like Batman or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The final version is both oldest paradigm and the one I used. It means going back and retelling the story in its original time period or near enough. Almost from the moment of its publication Frankenstein was adapted to a popular stage play. That tradition continues with Danny Boyle’s acclaimed stage production. In the movies Frankenstein has been retold first by Universal studios who created the iconic square headed look of Boris Karloff and by Hammer studios with Peter Cushing’s amazing interpretation of the doctor. Finally other novelists have taken a stab at the story like Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Theodore Roszack. These retellings all involve looking at the story through new eyes.
To this long history of Frankenstein I’ve made my contribution. How does it compare with those who have gone before me?
I guess you’ll have to tell me.
About the author:
"Michael Lee is a script consultant, judge and entertainment blogger for The Wrap.com and has lived in Detroit, Connecticut, Ohio and Los Angeles."
http://www.thewrap.com/blog/michael-lee
Contest:
Michael is offering one commenter on this blog a Kindle edition of My Frankenstein.
Leave a comment with your email and a winner will be drawn and notified on April 22.
Book Spotlight - My Frankenstein
In a small village in early 19th Century young Eva is enthralled by the new young baron, Viktor Frankenstein. Viktor promises to transform the traditional little town into a beacon of science and gives the book loving Eva access to his fantastic library. Eva becomes his student and assists him in a secret experiment, though she is kept in the dark about its ultimate aim. Soon after that Viktor introduces Eva to his “cousin” Adam. Adam is horribly disfigured with stitches running across his face. Viktor claims he is mute and simpleminded, but Eva takes pity on him and sets out to teach him to speak.…
What follows is a combination of tragic romance and classic horror as Eva is pulled between Viktor, who grows jealous and takes murderous steps to ensure his secret, and Adam, who possess tremendous strength and rage yet deep inside is innocent and vulnerable.
In his debut fantasy novel, Michael J. Lee retells the classic story by Mary Shelley as a dark romance with steampunk overtones.
Check out the next post for a guest blog and contest from Michael. And stay tuned for my review later today.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Review - The Banishing
Book Description:When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon her husband turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.
Genre: Horror
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My review:
I was a little unsure when I first started this book and it took me a few pages to get used to the writing style. But seriously no more than 10 pages in I was hooked.
What starts as a mystery story of why Melissa's husband is changing and seems to be keeping things from her quickly turns into a suspenseful tale of horror. You are right there with Melissa as she figures out what is going on. You can understand why her friends are trying to get her to leave. But at the same time you understand why she has to stay and find out the truth.
The story is set at a good pace, it doesn't lag or seem to go too fast. We find out quite a bit about Melissa and her husband, with only a couple hints as to what type of people her friends are. But as they truly are secondary characters we do find out plenty.
The book comes to quite the surprising conclusion. I have to admit it was completely unexpected. Part of me does wonder what happens next.
If you are looking for a good horror/suspense novel, this is one you should pick up and she is a writer to watch for. I fully expect to see more from her in the future and am looking forward to it.
Guest Post - Fiona Dodwell - The Banishing
The Problem of evil
When I first set out to write a modern day novel of possession, my thoughts naturally gravitated toward the question of whether we, as human beings, could be possessed. Certainly, many religions believe in the existence of a devil and of demons, and there have been many accounts in history that talk of people being taken over by evil spirits. The idea is, in itself, a terrifying one. Imagine becoming something other than yourself; your mind thinking thoughts you can't control, acting out of character, displaying new and ugly qualities. Sound familiar? Could demonic possession truly exist – or are we simply talking about flawed humans? Or, possibly mental illness?
These were questions that haunted me, and I explored it more deeply when I wrote The Banishing. I wanted to take something dark that exists in human nature – in the case of my novel, it was domestic abuse - and ask if could there be flaws in human nature that have sinister origins. Could the evil acts we read about in newspapers or see on the 24 hours news channels be describing events caused by people who were spiritually oppressed or under the grip of a supernatural evil?
Could this be something we believe in today, in this civilised world?
In The Banishing, my main character Melissa firmly believes that her husband has been taken over. He is no longer the man she married. She sees a change in his behaviour that has turned him into a different man. His temper. His raised fists. The voices he hears in his head. Is Melissa on the right track – or is she in denial, unable to face what her husband has become?
In today's world, with psychiatry and medicine taking a prominent role, we would all seek to find a reasonable, safe answer to the evil that exists in the world. But what if evil knows how to masquerade under a safe, acceptable façade?
If you are interested in finding the conclusions my character reaches about the problem of evil, then you can order a copy of The Banishing from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Damnation Books.
Fiona Dodwell lives in the UK with her husband. She has studied a peculiar mix over the years, from film studies to theology to psychology. She has been writing since she was a teenager, having developed a morbid taste for horror. Her first full length fictional novel, The Banishing, has been released with Damnation Books recently.
To find out more about Fiona, you can visit her author page at: www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com
Book Description:
When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon her husband turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.
Genre: Horror
Giveaway:
The giveaway is tour wide- 1 print copy and 1 ebook copy. Winners to be chosen from all the comments at all the tour stops- so you can enter at each tour stop. Giveaway open internationally.
When I first set out to write a modern day novel of possession, my thoughts naturally gravitated toward the question of whether we, as human beings, could be possessed. Certainly, many religions believe in the existence of a devil and of demons, and there have been many accounts in history that talk of people being taken over by evil spirits. The idea is, in itself, a terrifying one. Imagine becoming something other than yourself; your mind thinking thoughts you can't control, acting out of character, displaying new and ugly qualities. Sound familiar? Could demonic possession truly exist – or are we simply talking about flawed humans? Or, possibly mental illness?
These were questions that haunted me, and I explored it more deeply when I wrote The Banishing. I wanted to take something dark that exists in human nature – in the case of my novel, it was domestic abuse - and ask if could there be flaws in human nature that have sinister origins. Could the evil acts we read about in newspapers or see on the 24 hours news channels be describing events caused by people who were spiritually oppressed or under the grip of a supernatural evil?
Could this be something we believe in today, in this civilised world?
In The Banishing, my main character Melissa firmly believes that her husband has been taken over. He is no longer the man she married. She sees a change in his behaviour that has turned him into a different man. His temper. His raised fists. The voices he hears in his head. Is Melissa on the right track – or is she in denial, unable to face what her husband has become?
In today's world, with psychiatry and medicine taking a prominent role, we would all seek to find a reasonable, safe answer to the evil that exists in the world. But what if evil knows how to masquerade under a safe, acceptable façade?
If you are interested in finding the conclusions my character reaches about the problem of evil, then you can order a copy of The Banishing from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Damnation Books.
Fiona Dodwell lives in the UK with her husband. She has studied a peculiar mix over the years, from film studies to theology to psychology. She has been writing since she was a teenager, having developed a morbid taste for horror. Her first full length fictional novel, The Banishing, has been released with Damnation Books recently.To find out more about Fiona, you can visit her author page at: www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com
Book Description:When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon her husband turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.
Genre: Horror
Giveaway:
The giveaway is tour wide- 1 print copy and 1 ebook copy. Winners to be chosen from all the comments at all the tour stops- so you can enter at each tour stop. Giveaway open internationally.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Readaholic: Blog Tour Giveaway: Guardian Angelino - Roxanne St...
Readaholic: Blog Tour Giveaway: Guardian Angelino - Roxanne St...: "Three of my readers will win 1 copy each of BOTH booksOpen to residents of the US & CanadaNo P.O. Boxes The book(s) will be mailed ..."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Review - Bound by Blood
It’s an Immortal War…
Vampires and werewolves have been blood enemies for centuries, but now a new threat is rising...demons are escaping from hell and those demons are intent on wiping out both the vamps and the werewolves.
In order to stop the demons, pureblood vampire princess Morgan LaBeaux agrees to the treaty offered by werewolf alpha Jace Vaughn. She'll mate with him, share her blood with him...and in return, the wolves will aid the vampires in this battle.
But Morgan doesn’t realize just how dangerous the wolves can truly be. Jace has been waiting years to claim her. He’s set a trap for his princess, and now that he has her, Jace doesn’t plan to let her go. He’ll send the demons back to hell, and he’ll keep his vampiress—forever.
The blood binds all.
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My review:
At just around 26,000 words this is not a long read. But it is an excellent one. I loved it. It wasnt rushed and everything was explained. The story had a natural pace that just flowed.
Jace is the alpha werewolf that Morgan goes to in order to make a treaty that will help both sides fight off the demon invasion. What neither one knows though are the secrets they come into the deal with and how they are planning to solve the problem without the other being involved in more than blood sharing.
Needless to say nothing goes as planned and the two sides both have to come to some realizations and acceptance to rid them of their common enemy.
Even though the story was short, we find out plenty about Jace and Morgan to make them fully realized characters. We also get a pretty good sense of some of the secondary characters in the story. I only hope we get to meet up with them all again and find out more about their stories.
If you are looking for a great suspense filled werewolf/vampire tale. Pick this one up you wont regret it.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Readaholic: Giveaway: Someone's Watching by Sharon Potts
Readaholic: Giveaway: Someone's Watching by Sharon Potts: "One of my readers will win a copy of this bookOpen to residents of the USThe book(s) will be mailed out by the publisher MANDATORY ENTRY: ..."
Readaholic: Giveaway: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione
Readaholic: Giveaway: Eternal Rider by Larissa Ione: "Three of my readers will win a copy of this bookOpen to residents of the US & CanadaThe book(s) will be mailed out by the publisher MA..."
The Qwillery: Interview with Jim N. Duncan and Giveaway - April ...
The Qwillery: Interview with Jim N. Duncan and Giveaway - April ...: "Please welcome J.N. Duncan to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. TQ: Describe Deadworld in 140 chara..."
Review - The Priest's Graveyard
Two abandoned souls are on the hunt for one powerful man. Soon, their paths will cross and lead to one twisted fate. Danny Hansen is a Bosnian immigrant who came to America with hopes of escaping haunted memories of a tragic war that took his mother's life. Now he's a priest who lives by a law of love and compassion. It is powerful men and hypocrites who abide by legal law but eschew the law of love that most incense Danny. As an avenging angel, he believes it is his duty to show them the error of their ways, at any cost.
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My review:
This is the first book by Ted Dekker and I didn't know what I was missing. It is an intense, captivating, thrill ride from the start. Completely original, hard to put down tale of a girl who can be considered a lost soul and a priest focused on revenge so something that happened a long time ago.
The first person you meet in Renee. Renee is a girl who moved to California while young with high hopes and dreams. Unfortunately she got caught up in the world of drugs instead. She is rescued one night by a mysterious man, Lamont Myers, who can only be credited with saving her life. Lamont from what we learn is an eccentric individual who lives in Malibu. He gives Renee a home and provides a place where she can be safe.
We also meet Danny Hansen. Danny is originally from Bosnia, where he watched his mother and siblings killed in his own home during the way. He was able to avenge their deaths and learn more about those involved in that religious war before he left for America to try and recover. He ends up a priest in California who has some unusual side projects. He has become, in his mind, an avenging angel to others.
Their stories come together when Lamont goes missing and Renee finds her way out of his house after living there for a year. She is going after his partner Jonathan Bourque who she believes knows something of his disappearance. Danny is looking into Bourque as well for vastly other reasons. Their paths cross one night and they end up working together, with Danny teaching Renee much he has learned about revenge.
Both characters are immensely complex. But not hard to follow. Their stories unfold as time goes on and its easy to keep up.
The theme of judgment is highly focused on. Where is the line crossed about judging others. How far can you go before you are as wrong as they are?
This book was a complete page turner from the beginning, kept moving at a great pace and you couldn't wait to find out what happened next. All the way to the thrilling conclusion where you follow the characters to see what they learn after their life changing journey's. If you are looking for a great suspense novel, pick this one up right away.
Website: getthisbook.com / teddekker.com
Ted on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/teddekker
Saturday, April 9, 2011
FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW: Win Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach!
FANTASTIC BOOK REVIEW: Win Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach!: "This is your chance to Win...WAKE UNTO ME (Signed) by Lisa CachRules 1 Winner! For your chances to win FILL OUT THIS FORM! Additi..."
Friday, April 8, 2011
Reading Between the Wines Book Club: 500 Follower Giveaway!
Reading Between the Wines Book Club: 500 Follower Giveaway!: " <center><a href='http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/'><img border='0' src=' http://i916.photobuck..."
Book Spotlight - Sarah, They're Coming For You
About the book:
Restless spirits of the dead, torment the living for many reasons. But the dark hunters seek one thing. It is not God’s blessing, but a soul for eternity.
For years, Sarah was tormented by these seekers. Each passing year they gained strength. Guided by her great great grandfather Hermann-who intercedes on her behalf-Sarah had faith, but now, she feels her faith in Hermann is slipping, and she grows spiritually weaker.
When a mysterious woman—a link from the past—enlightens Sarah of her journey, every thing falls into place. Sarah has a connection between her ancestral family and her own haunting from the rogue ghosts in the after life. They seek her in order to claim two family members with a single soul.
One thing left to do for Sarah. Go to the family home in Austria and face the ghosts head on, or lose her soul forever.
About the author:
Susan Kronick’s background is the perfect backdrop leading up to her latest paranormal novel, Sarah, They’re Coming for You. She has a Master of Science in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University and a Ph.D. in Paranormal Studies/Psychology from Union Institute and Graduate School, as well as being an adjunct psychology professor at Barry University and Palm Beach State College. A psychic and a medium, she has the gift of seeing the dead since she was a child. She also has taught parapsychology classes through the Palm Beach County School Board, as well as at Palm Beach State College. Susan has extensive experience in the area of investigations of haunting and the paranormal. She lives with her husband and her four spoiled rescue dogs in south Florida. You can visit her website at www.susankronick.webs.com. “Like” her page at Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/susan-kronick/156870670886.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Review - Stilettos & Scoundrels
Presley Thurman, a sassy, thirty-something red-head, was looking to reinvent herself. She didn’t allow the fact she was recently fired to bother her – she was ready to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. Presley was a lover of shopping and Starbucks, and even though she sometimes had bad taste in men, she always had great taste in clothes.
Not looking back on corporate America, Presley decided to follow her dream. With her feisty nature and a spirit to not “sweat the small stuff,” she was ready to tackle any challenge (even if she had no idea how she would pay the bills). When her friend Trevor offered her a job with his online magazine to interview public figures, she jumped at the chance.
However, the new job turned into something unexpected when the U.S. Senator she was slated to write about was murdered – in her home town! Presley was excited – she hadn’t seen so much buzz since the spring sample sale at Saks. She was ready for this adventure, even if it didn’t seem to fit neatly into her life. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity to be in the middle of the buzz.
Presley was determined (not to mention curious) to find the killer and write her story. After all, she couldn’t afford her shoe habit without a job and she was certainly not one to shy away from danger. The only thing standing in her way was an old high school fling, Cooper Sands, head of the Senator’s security. He was not actually standing in her way, but because of his good looks, he was the biggest distraction and one she was having the hardest time overcoming. Cooper felt it was too dangerous for Presley to look for a killer and tried to distract her with reliving the past; which Presley found more dangerous than any killer. While she attempted to resist Cooper’s good looks and charm, Presley was able to discover the Senator’s wife, Helen, had been having an affair… with her best friend’s boyfriend! Did Helen kill the Senator? Or was it the Senator’s love of gambling that got him killed? And what was Cooper’s secret tie to the mob boss Garrison Palazzo?
Presley’s betting her favorite pair of Manolo’s she will find the killer… but will time run out!
-*-*-*-*-
My review:
Loved the plot and mystery involved and the story definitely kept moving and kept you guessing as to what happened. At times though the pace and writing was just a little bit awkward. While mostly the story was told from Presley point of view, there were a couple of instances when for just a paragraph you were in the head of one of the other characters.
Presley as a character had good and bad points. Shes fun, friendly, determined but at times a bit whiny and too caught up in what shes wearing. I appreciate fashion consciousness and all but at times it was almost too much.
Cooper was a great character. I hope we see him again. He sounds like he has quite an interesting background of his own that it would be fun to learn more about.
If you are looking for an easy to read mystery that is well plotted out and with some interesting characters. This is a good one to pick up.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Survivors by Amanda Hava...
Confessions of a Bookaholic: Interview & Giveaway: The Survivors by Amanda Hava...: "Today Amanda Havard is here to talk about her book The Survivors, which was just released yesterday! She's also been kind enough to ..."
Pages of Forbidden Love: ARC Giveaway: Nightspell
Pages of Forbidden Love: ARC Giveaway: Nightspell: " I happen to have an ARC of Nightspell and I feel I should pass it on.This giveaway is for US Only as I can not afford to send it inter..."
Guest Post - Laina Turner Molaski
As a writer, and a goal-oriented person, I tend to focus too much on word count. Whether it’s a daily amount or overall, I look at word count as a measurable. When half the time I figure my writing is crap and no one will want to read it at least I can say it’s 90,000 words of crap (I know I’m reaching). But how can one let go of that need to meet the goal when writing is so subjective. I am asking because I want to know how you all out there do it. Do you feel content if you write a certain amount a day, whether you feel it is good or bad? Or do you look at the quality of what you are writing? Obviously at some point we need to look at quality but when? And do we as writers ever really feel its quality? I know I might for a few minutes at a time but it rarely lasts.
This writing thing makes a job a Wal-Mart or Starbucks look appealing at times where I can just show up, do my job, and go home rather than to sit in front of a computer screen and wonder what the next word will be. It’s tough. Lucky for me, and most writers, it’s the passion for writing that keeps me going.
Laina
~~~~~~
Laina Turner-Molaski is a businesswoman, mom, author, Professor, and a major supporter of shopping. She has an undying love for shoes and coffee, which is why she created her main character and alter ego Presley Thurman.
With a lot of letters after her name and a ton of student loan debt, she is always working to pay the bills. While she enjoys her day job, her passion is writing, and she uses a lot of company time writing her fiction or working on her social website for women, Chiczofrenic.com. She is hoping to sell her book before she gets fired from her day job for goofing off.
Laina is currently living in Indiana, with her family, and is always writing something, whether it’s blogs, articles, business journals and books or ideas for her next novel. She is continuously doing what she loves which is writing or drinking coffee.
This writing thing makes a job a Wal-Mart or Starbucks look appealing at times where I can just show up, do my job, and go home rather than to sit in front of a computer screen and wonder what the next word will be. It’s tough. Lucky for me, and most writers, it’s the passion for writing that keeps me going.
Laina
~~~~~~
Laina Turner-Molaski is a businesswoman, mom, author, Professor, and a major supporter of shopping. She has an undying love for shoes and coffee, which is why she created her main character and alter ego Presley Thurman. With a lot of letters after her name and a ton of student loan debt, she is always working to pay the bills. While she enjoys her day job, her passion is writing, and she uses a lot of company time writing her fiction or working on her social website for women, Chiczofrenic.com. She is hoping to sell her book before she gets fired from her day job for goofing off.
Laina is currently living in Indiana, with her family, and is always writing something, whether it’s blogs, articles, business journals and books or ideas for her next novel. She is continuously doing what she loves which is writing or drinking coffee.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Dystopian Desserts: Fool For Books Giveaway Hop!
Dystopian Desserts: Fool For Books Giveaway Hop!: "Just in case you don't already know, I LOVE GIVEAWAYS! Whether it be entering them, winning them, or hosting them, I'm absolutely addicted! ..."
Cherry Mischievous: Fool For Books Giveaway Hop
Cherry Mischievous: Fool For Books Giveaway Hop: "Win £10 BookDepo book! What is a giveaway hop? Simple - Each participating blog hosts a giveaway and then we link up together allowing our ..."
Bless Their Hearts Mom: Book Review and Giveaway: The Night Season by Chel...
Bless Their Hearts Mom: Book Review and Giveaway: The Night Season by Chel...: "Synopsis: With serial killer Gretchen Lowell locked up, Archie Sheridan can concentrate on more pressing issues, like the Willamette Riv..."
Books for Company: 19th Birthday + 500 Follower Giveaway
Books for Company: 19th Birthday + 500 Follower Giveaway: "So my birthday is on 16th April!! I decided to do a giveaway for my 19th birthday AND reaching 500 followers (Nearly 600!)Sorry there is so ..."
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