Review of Green-Eyed Demon, by Jaye Wells

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. She has to save her sister from her mysterious captors. And in order to do that, she has to broker a deal between the mages and the vampires before all hell breaks loose.
But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won’t be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about, she’s got to save herself from the ghosts of her past. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.  (From GoodReads)

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Green-Eyed Demon is the third book in the Sabina Kane series, by Jaye Wells.  When I requested this book, I didn’t realize that it was the third book in a series. So, I was understandably worried about reading Green-Eyed Demon.  I was wrong. I was able to easily jump into Sabina Kane’s world. Jaye Wells gave just enough information that new readers could easily catch up, but not so much that old readers would be bored.  I quickly became a fan of this book/series.
After reading only two sentences, I was already in love with Sabina. She is tough, with a vulnerable side she keeps hidden. She was funny and had caustic wit about her.  Sabina is constantly struggling to control her tongue and her temper. She is a half-vamp and half-mage. Sabina is joined by Adam, a hunky mage, and Giguhl, a mischief demon who is also Sabina’s minion.  Giguhl has named the three-man team “Team Awesome”. And they are awesome. Their mutual respect and friendship is obvious, and deep running.  What also makes this trio interesting is that Sabina and Adam are clearly attracted to each other. The will they/won’t they aspect is fun to read, especially with the Giguhl as Sabina’s advisor in matters of the heart.
What I liked most about Green-Eyed Demon is that it was a very funny book. The humor is clever. I found myself smiling a lot as I read this book. Here’s an example: Sabina doesn’t really like humans, so when she meets a mostly human voodoo priestess, she is instantly skeptical. The lady in question, Zen, accuses Sabina of being a “dark-race supremacist”. When Sabina denies this, she is asked if she has any “mortally challenged friends”. The book kept me laughing at the things Sabina and company say, do and see. There is one very funny scene involving mage rock stars, dwarf strippers and Peeping Toms.  Trust me. It was good!
I have to say, on the whole, that Green-Eyed Demon was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Any book that makes me smile is going to get high marks. Now, I need to rush back and read the first two books in the series, before book four comes out!

* I received Green-Eyed Demon via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Review and Giveaway of Bone Dressing, by Michelle I. Brooks

Time is running out … the Dark that's been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her …
Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.
Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves … bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can’t stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn’t remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything … including her very own life?
Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself. (From GoodReads)
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As I sit here, pondering exactly how to write this review, I feel a little overwhelmed. This book, Bone Dressing, took me completely by surprise. I'm terrified that I won't give this epic, bountiful book it's just due with me review. I have so much I want to say about Bone Dressing, but I strive for "spoiler free" reviews. Nevertheless, I must try.

First off, I LOVED Syd Roberdeau. Michelle Brooks throws you inside this character's head from the get-go and it's "away we go". Luckily, inside Syd's head is an awesome place to be. Her inner dialogue is sometimes sad, but also insanely funny. Syd is a wise-beyond-her-years, seventeen year old who has been forced by life to grow up too soon.  She has a mouth like a sailor, a hair trigger temper, and is strong and confident.

Soon into the book, we are introduced to Beau, Sarah and TJ. Who/What are Beau, Sarah and TJ? That, I can not tell you, but I will tell you that each one is a terrific addition to the cast of characters. Sarah is a little sweetheart who often keeps the peace between Beau and Syd. TJ is, well...TJ. You'll understand what I mean after you read the book. And Beau? I took an instant liking to Beau, as does Syd. Beau is a funny, intense, mysterious and surprisingly caring towards Syd. He is a smart alec with a bit of swagger.

Syd and Beau have an instant chemistry. They often reminded me of magnets. The pull between them often seems beyond their control. Syd must finally find the strength to remove the walls surrounding her heart, or Beau will leave. As she tries to find this strength, we are left with an emotionally wrought, heart-breaking scene. This moment brought me to tears right along with Syd. When the moment comes that the two may finally kiss, Brooks wrote the perfect scene. The words come out sensual without being remotely cheesy. The anticipation is torturous.  This was one of the best "will they or won't they kiss" moments I have ever read. I was literally holding my breath and talking to the book in my hand!What binds Syd and Beau is more than a typical relationship. Beau seems to be Syd's salvation. Or, maybe, at the very least, he is there to facilitate Syd while she tries to save herself.  He is the calm in the storm of her life/lives, able to say exactly what she needs to hear:
         "Just breathe, Syd. And let it be. It's all good. Stop trying to control the day and just live it."

So, I know until now I've only talked about the main characters.  But about halfway through Bone Dressing, this book turned entirely on it's head.  I had my own A Christmas Story moment. I actually said "Ohhhh, fuuuudge!" Just like poor Ralphie. My husband thought I was insane. I just shooed him away, and re-calibrated my brain. This turn in events, to me, was brilliant and unexpected. I just wanted to slap myself that I didn't see it coming. I love books that are able to surprise me and don't have huge, flashing signs that signal a change coming.

Bone Dressing is the first book in what I expect to be a truly epic, seven book series. I can honestly say that I have NO idea what will happen next. There are quite literally hundreds of different roads Syd, Beau and company can take. Michelle Brooks has written engaging characters with what I consider a brilliant, distinctive Southern voice. Bone Dressing moved me in many ways I'm not sure I can give name to. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to read and review this beautiful book.
You can learn more at: http://www.bonedressing.com/
  Or here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11204117-bone-dressing
You can purchase Bone Dressing at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Dressing-1-Michelle-Brooks/dp/0615477593/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309236757&sr=1-4
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bone-dressing-michelle-brooks/1031138275?ean=2940011297700&itm=1&usri=bone%2bdressing
SmashWords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54809

*I was given this book by the author, who asked for an honest review*

I've decided to do an ebook giveaway (via Amazon)of Bone Dressing. The author, Michelle I. Brooks, is adding to more ebooks (via Smashwords) to the giveaway. To enter, just fill out the form below. This giveaway will run from June 28, 2011- July 5, 2011.  This giveaway is international.

Teaser Tuesday: Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

My Tuesday Teaser is from Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells.

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. She has to save her sister from her mysterious captors. And in order to do that, she has to broker a deal between the mages and the vampires before all hell breaks loose. But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won’t be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about, she’s got to save herself from the ghosts of her past. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.

“The desire to meet my long-lost twin was one of the reasons I’d left Los Angeles. The fact our vampire grandmother, Lavinia Kane, wanted me dead was the other.”

Here’s the link to check out Green-Eyed Demon on GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7757683-green-eyed-demon

Review of Falling Under, by Gwen Hayes

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. (From GoodReads)

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So...I've been waffling a little because I wasn't sure I was going to write a post for this book. Falling Under is a book I bought for myself, purely based on the cover. I think this quite possibly may be the most gorgeous cover, EVER. I like to have a few books I read just for myself, no note-taking, just reading. But I just can not help myself. Here's the deal. I LOVE this book. Major love. I can't-freaking-wait-for-the-sequel kind of love. You may be asking yourself: "Has she completely gone off her rocker?" And, maybe I have. My kids have been away for two weeks. I've been staying up until 2am every night reading. Reading all day. Reading, reading, reading. So you don't think I'm just babbling, let me tell you why I loved Falling Under.

The Characters.
Haden and Theia. He's a dark, mysterious stranger with hidden, dangerous secrets. She's a reserved good girl, always forced to push her true self down to please a demanding father. When their worlds collide, the love they share could possibly destroy everyone around them. And sure, sometimes they acted in ways that infuriated and exasperated me. I literally wanted to shake Theia at a few different points. Real characters, just like real people, do that to us. Theia and Haden weren't kept apart by little misunderstandings or jealousies or any other minor obstacles. They were given horrible, disastrous obstacles. The kind of obstacles that are life-threatening and earth-shattering.

The Villain.
Well...to avoid spoilers, I can't say who is the villain in Falling Under. But I will say this. This villain is literally what nightmares are made of. He/She and the world they live in scared the crap-ola outta me. I'm still kinda creeped out.

The Story.
Like I said before, I bought this book based on the cover. I barely skimmed the synopsis. So, I didn't even really know what it was about before I started reading. For the first bit, I thought it was a tortured by differences love story, a la Twilight.  There were a few similarities. The dangerous boy falling in love with the innocent girl. Will he kill her; will he overcome his nature to be with the girl he loves? I would have been completely fine with that. But this book took me to so many different places, a whole other world. At certain points, it reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. I really could go on and on. I was left swooning one moment and creeped-the-hell-out the next. I loved that this book continually surprised me and kept me on my toes.

Gwen Hayes' Writing.
This is the first book of Hayes' that I've read. She roped me in from the first line: "Everything changed the night I saw the burning man fall from the sky." She wrote real, heart-breaking, evil, fear-inducing characters. Hayes gave a beautiful depiction of this world and a spectacular, horrific other-world. She managed to keep my head spinning and inspire a few nightmares. Gwen Hayes also earned herself an enthusiastic (in case you didn't notice) new fan, probably for life.

The sequel to Falling Under, Dreaming Awake, is set to release January 2012. I'm dying to get my hands on that book. But until then, I'll longingly look at my precious, Falling Under, and stalk Dreaming Awake of GoodReads. Take a look.

You can take a look at GoodReads:
Falling Under: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7948945-falling-under
Dreaming Awake: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10640020-dreaming-awake
Gwen Hayes' Blog: http://gwenhayes.blogspot.com/2011/06/cover-for-dreaming-awake.html

Teaser Tuesday: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

 

My Tuesday Teaser is from Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.
As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.
And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. (From GoodReads)

 

“His expression, wild and unrestrained, put a cold terror in my heart. I stepped back. He began to move towards me and then stopped himself. He drew in a ragged breath and it sounded like the word “no” escaped his lips before the windows of every vehicle in the parking lot shattered.”

 

This book leaves me swooning one minute and creeped-the-hell-out the next. Kinda great.

You can learn more about Falling Under at GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7948945-falling-under

Review of Fang Me, by Parker Blue

The vampires want it. The demons want it, too. And someone is willing to kill Val for it.Val and Fang have to find the powerful Encyclopedia Magicka before either of San Antonio's warring underworld factions locate it or the consequences will be deadly for the entire city. As usual, Val's vampire enemies (they still call her The Slayer) want her dead. Even some of her fellow demons may be less than trustworthy, since they'd like to grab the legendary book of spells before she does. Val has a personal claim to the Encyclopedia--her demon father left it to her when he died--but someone stole it recently. And that can't be good.Battling vamps and dodging demons, Val struggles to unravel the mystery and find the thief. At the same time, she's fighting her attraction to sweet, sexy Shade--her favorite shadow demon. Rumor has it that Val will lose her part-demon, vampire-fighting powers if she gives herself to him.With a crowd of vamps and demons out to trick her or kill her, it's not a good time for her to risk her job as the city's best vampire hunter by falling in love. The stakes are high and aimed right at her heart. But Lola, Val's hungry little lust demon, doesn't like being denied. Will Lola finally get her way?What's a part-lust-demon-teen supposed to do? Whatever it takes. (From GoodReads)

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Fang Me is the third installment in Parker Blue’s Demon Underground series.  We once again have Val Shapiro fighting for the better good, and learning to co-exist with her succubus, Lola. As always, Val is having a hard time finding a balance with “feeding” Lola and maintaining control over her, and dealing with the guilt she feels when Lola gets out of hand.  Val and Shade are becoming closer. And they are trying to walk a fine line with their healings and relationship because Val has learned that if she does “do the deed” with Shade, she will lose many of the powers that make her “The Slayer”.  Even though Val has always wanted to be normal, she’s not sure she will ever be ready to give up those powers.  Meanwhile, the Demon Underground is scrambling to find the Encyclopedia Magika before it falls into the wrong hands. And there is a new demon in town to help search for the books, Trevor.  Val gets some serious bad vibes from Trevor, but everyone else loves him. Is Val just jealous? Or is she right about him?
Fang Me is a really short book. But it is packed with tons of action and fun. Val and Fang are their usual snarky selves, for which I am always grateful. Towards the end of the book, I was a little surprised by one of the big decisions Val makes.  I really didn’t see that coming in this book. But Parker Blue managed to throw another situation in Val’s direction that helps her maintain her “Slayer-ish-ness”.  I love that even when the book is action and tension-filled, it still maintains it’s light, funny tone. I thought Fang Me was a fun, entertaining read and I am looking very forward to reading Make Me when it comes out.

*I received Fang Me, part of the Demon Underground series, via NetGalley*

Review of Try Me by Parker Blue

This part-demon teen vampire fighter and her faithful terrier hellhound are once again patrolling the dark city streets of San Antonio, Texas. Val's hunky human partner, Detective Dan Sullivan, is giving her the cold shoulder since she beheaded his vampire ex-fiancée. Vamp leader Alejandro is struggling to keep the peace between vamps, demons and humans. The mucho powerful Encyclopedia Magicka has been stolen, someone in the Demon Underground is poisoning vamps, and Val's inner lust demon, Lola, is getting very restless since Val's now partnered with sexy Shade, the shadow demon with the blond good looks of an angel. The second book in Parker Blue's Demon Underground urban fantasy series plunges readers deeper into a heady world of passion, friendship, intrigue and mystery. Parker Blue lives in the wilds of Colorado with her own faithful hellhound, and she's hard at work on the next Val Shapiro book in the Demon Underground series. (From GoodReads)

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Try Me, the second book in the Demon Underground series, begins days after the end of Bite Me. The tough, yet vulnerable, Val Shapiro is once again having a crisis of conscience. Believing that she will be forever ruled by her inner succubus Lola, Val feels she will forever be on the outside looking in.  Val’s co-workers in the SCU are suspicious of her part-demon nature. And once again, she has to prove that being part demon does not make her evil. Now that she and Dan are on the outs, Val decides it is time to move on with someone new.  That someone new happens to be Shade, a shadow demon. Shade is able to help Val control Lola, which turns out to be a win-win situation.  The Demon Underground is now working with Alejandro’s New Movement group to find out who is poisoning the vamps. Just another day in the life of a part-demon vampire slayer!
Once again, I love reading about Val Shapiro’s crazy life! Val is just a really fun character to read. On the outside, she’s tough, snarky and sarcastic. She’s The Slayer. But, of course, on the inside Val is unsure of herself, always feels she will be alone. Val’s real feelings are told mostly through the interaction between her and Fang, her loyal (and hilarious) hellhound. I honestly adore Fang! He’s without a doubt my favorite character in the series. He always calls Val on her bull. Their verbal sparring is priceless.
I really like that the Demon Underground world is being expanded. All of the different types of demons and what they do has really made this book interesting. The character of Shade has been a nice addition. He’s a nice, straightforward, although swirly, guy! The sexual chemistry and tension while he helps her control Lola has been hot. Try Me left us with a super-surprising ending in regards to Val’s powers and her future, a perfect setup for book three, Fang Me.

*I received Try Me via NetGalley*

Cover Reveal! Everblue by Brenda Pandos

Best friends share everything with each other.
Or do they?
Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn Frances
Lanski is tired of her boring, single life. Spending time
with her best friend Tatiana, dreaming about kissing
Tatiana's twin brother Fin, and swimming competitively
are her only sanctuary. The girls plan to leave their
drab lakeside town far behind for college. But when Tatchi fails to return home after a
family emergency, and no one knows where the family has gone, Ash chooses to do
something drastic to find them.

Ashlyn is about to discover what she’d thought to be true her whole life, wasn’t,
and the truth, too fantastical to imagine. Secrets lurk beneath the deep blue waters of
Lake Tahoe, secrets that will change Ashlyn's life forever.

Everblue, book #1 of Mer Tales
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Tentative Release Date: 7/31/2011
Follow Brenda on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brenda-Pandos-
Author/147707291958883
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11700785-
everblue
Twitter: @brendapandos
Blog: brendapandos.blogspot.com
Want to know more?
Check out Brenda’s blog at: http://brendapandos.blogspot.com

Review of Bite Me by Parker Blue

An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not. (From GoodReads)

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Bite Me is about Val Shapiro, a seemingly normal teenage girl. As the book opens, Val takes down a nasty vampire. I loved how the book opened with an action sequence. You can get a real “feel” for the character. I felt like I knew Val right away, and I liked her. Val is part-demon, succubus, to be precise.  Succubi thrive on lust, and Val feeds that part of herself, aptly named Lola, by taking down vampires. Even though Val is a kick-butt vampire slayer, she also has a vulnerable side. She has always been treated differently by her human mother. Secluded from the rest of the world, she only has her family to rely on. Until they kick her out, on her eighteenth birthday. Now, Val is certainly down on her luck.
Things start to quickly look up for Val, though. She is quickly befriended by a part-hellhound. Spike, her new pet/friend, can communicate with Val. Spike quickly became my favorite character. He’s funny, snide and loyal. Oh yeah, he rides on the back of Val’s motorcycle in a basket, with goggles on. In addition to Spike, Val also is taken in by Dan Sullivan, a member of the San Antonio Police Department. The SAPD has a Special Crimes Unit, dealing with the dark-side of San Antonio. Sullivan helps Val get a job with the unit and get a home with his sister. Now, all that’s in her way is taking down a new vein of vampires. Along with her partner Sullivan, Val is determined to get to the bottom of this evil organization, before they get to her sister.
I enjoyed Bite Me, even though it was quite short. It never felt truly lacking with it’s length, most of my questions were answered.  I am looking forward to quickly jumping into Try Me so I can learn more about the really cool Val Shapiro.

*I received Bite Me, part of the Demon Underground series, via NetGalley*

New Cover Reveal of The Soulkeepers by GP Ching

 GP Ching, has recently announced a new cover of her amazing book, The Soulkeepers. As a big fan of the book, I was very excited to see the "face" of Jacob.

The next book in the series, Weaving Destiny, will be out Fall 2011. Return to Eden will be available Winter 2011.

You can learn more about GP Ching at:

    gpching@gmail.com

    http://genevieveching.blogspot.com

    www.darksidepublishing.com

Review: The Curse Girl by Kate Ellison

When her father tries to steal magic from the mysterious, beastly master of the "Curse House" outside her home town, seventeen-year-old Beauty is the one who becomes the Beast's prisoner.
But the Beast, Will, isn't anything like she expected. He's the same age as she is, for one thing. He's also really handsome, contrary to local legend. Well, maybe the whole "beast" thing is meant to be metaphorical, because he's a total jerk.

Between the house's weird magic and Will's snobby attitude, the situation is nearly unbearable, and Beauty only wants to escape. But there are complications. The witch who cursed Will left him a riddle to solve and four years to figure it out. And now that Beauty's become a part of this messed up fairy tale, she'd better help Will figure out the riddle so they can break the curse, or she's going to remain a prisoner in the curse house too.

Because the four years are almost up ... (From GoodReads)

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I have been sitting here for about 10 minutes, trying to start writing. But I can’t seem to stop ogling the gorgeous cover of The Curse Girl. From the beautiful girl, to the gorgeous bluish/purplish colors, and the magic dust (or is it stars?); the cover to this book is a definite win.
As you might have deduced from the synopsis, The Curse Girl is a re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve never read a re-telling of a classic tale, so I was excited to take this book on. When the story opens, Beauty (who also goes by Bee) has been betrayed, then abandoned by her father.  Bee has been given up to the Beast to pay for her father’s sin.  When her father leaves Bee at the Curse House, she must enter the spooky mansion and become a prisoner of the curse herself.  As you might imagine, given that his nickname is Beast, the owner of the mansion, Will is arrogant, hateful and condescending. The house is filled with employers and family members who have also been saddled with the curse. Bee must decide whether to succumb to her fate, or work with Will to solve the riddle that makes up the curse.
The Curse Girl is filled with several memorable characters. There is Bee, of course. Bee is a funny, snarky, spunky girl. She never lets Will’s “beastly” personality get her completely down. She is immediately up to the challenge of solving the riddle.  Will, as I stated before, definitely has some character flaws. While he is often irritable and rude, you always get the sense of his underlying despair and vulnerability. Will’s sister, Rose, is a delightful little girl. She is often the peacemaker to Will and Bee. There is also Liam, a boy chained in the basement of the mansion, whose screams wake Bee at night.  The most surprising character of The Curse Girl is the house itself. Kate Ellison managed to make the house into another living, breathing, albeit spooky character.
While all of these elements make for a great story, The Curse Girl is not limited to the modern world. There is also Fae Land, the home of all mythical creatures. There are faeries, trolls, witches, elves vampires and werewolves.  No one in Fae Land is trustworthy, and all are dangerous.  Of course, the mystery to breaking the curse is the driving force of the story. What will break the curse? Will Bee and Will find a way to work together before time runs out?
The Curse Girl is a story filled with a tremendous sense of magic and wonder, which made it a very charming book. Kate Ellison managed to take a “tale as old as time” and create a charming story of her own.

You can find The Curse Girl at:
Smashwords- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59665
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00512ZWUU/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
Barnes & Noble- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-curse-girl-kate-ellison/1031207364?ean=2940012417725&itm=2&usri=the%2bcurse%2bgirl
GoodReads-http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11415787-the-curse-girl

*I received a copy of The Curse Girl from the author, Kate Ellison, who asked me to give an honest review*

Review and Giveaway of Flawless Ruins, by Kieryn Nicolas

In 2238, life in America is finally perfect. The Wars are over and the CommWall is in place, blocking communication with what remains of other continents. The women are content to have great education, choice careers, and glamorous hair. Best of all, when every girl turns seventeen she’s given her Like; an adorable, perfect spouse tailor-made just for her.

Everyone looks forward to the day she gets her Like, and Morgan Waters is no exception—until she accidentally stays out past curfew and stumbles across someone who appears to be a Like but claims to be a man. Morgan’s perfect world crumbles down around her in the midst of a forbidden romance, forcing her to deal with the realization that her life may not be so flawless after all. ~From GoodReads
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Kieryn Nicolas has built an entirely new world in her new book, Flawless Ruins. The year is 2238. After an all-out nuclear war, the world has been completely re-structured. No division may have contact with another. Almost everything we know about life has changed. All information is controlled by a government, run only by women. Which seems nice, right?  Well, not so much.  In this new world, men are now “Likes”.  “Likes” are companions to the women of this world. They clean, cook, and basically live to serve the woman they belong to.  They literally have no mind of their own.
Flawless Ruins is told from the point-of-view of Morgan and Neil. Morgan is a teenage girl who is happily living her life, oblivious to the lies surrounding her. She is anxiously awaiting the day she will receive her “Like”.  Neil is a teenage boy, forced to live a life of servitude to the women who rule his world.  When Morgan and Neil have a chance encounter, their whole lives are turned upside down.  Everything they have ever known will be put to the test.
Kieryn Nicolas did an incredible job writing this book. She did a well-rounded job of building a completely new world, with all the details neatly kept together. The emotions portrayed in her writing was pronounced, I felt them right along with the characters. They are two kids basically pushed to the brink of sanity. Neil’s utter frustration and desperation at his plight was tangible and suffocating.  Nicolas gave Morgan, whose world is completely shattered with each new revelation,  the appropriate responses of incredulity and depression.  The build-up of understanding, trust, friendship and ultimately, the relationship is beautifully paced.  In Flawless Ruins, the suspense is ramped up continuously and builds to a crescendo that left me frantically flipping the pages, wondering what will happen to Morgan and Neil.

When it comes to books, I am a stingy, stingy person. I hardly let anyone borrow books from me. When someone asks to borrow a book, I literally pretend not to hear them and change the subject as quickly as possible.  So, as much as this pains me, I am going to give my signed copy of Flawless Ruins to one lucky person. You should see my face while I’m typing this. Seriously, it’s scrunched up into a not-so-pretty scowl. But, I really enjoyed this book, and I want someone else to be able to enjoy it as well. My one stipulation:  Please review this book. You DO NOT have to be a blogger. Reviews can be posted on GoodReads (my favorite),  Library Thing, Amazon, etc.  Many authors rely on reviews and word-of-mouth to get their books to the masses. I feel so strongly about this.
So, here’s the deal-io. This giveaway will be up June 16-June 23. It is for US/Canada residents only (sorry). All you have to do is fill out the form. There will be no hoop-jumping (following on twitter, GoodReads, Facebook, etc.) for this (it’s exhausting, isn’t it?). But, you can earn an extra entry by following this blog.  Now, go forth and enter!

We Have Winners!!

We have two giveaways to announce winners for.

The winner of an e-book of The Vampire Relationship Guide by Evelyn LaFont is...
                        Brittany Wittig


Congrats Brittany. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

The winners of the HUGE giveaway of The Childe by CA Kunz is...

Grand Prize- Paperback copy of The Childe (autographed), a Childe bracelet, button and bookmark--
                  Jamie @ Bookarella
1st Runner-Up--A Childe bracelet, button and bookmark--
                  CC Jackson, author of Stay.
Winner of The Childe button and bookmark--
                  Gina & CiCi of CiCi's Theories blog (a great blog that I follow!)

All of the winners have been notified by email. If any of the winners do not respond w/in 48 hours, I will announce new winners.


Congrats to all and Happy Reading!

The Trailer: Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace

Today we have the trailer of Descended by Blood from Angeline Kace. Descended by Blood will be out on August 26, 2011.

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. In a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it. ~From GoodReads

Expected publication: August 26th 2011 by Accendo Press

http://angelinekace.blogspot.com/

Review of The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 1: Meeting and Mating by Evelyn LaFont

Josie wants what she’s never been able to have; sex with a vampire. When she receives an invitation to a party thrown by one of the world’s richest vamps, she doesn’t stop to question her luck; she just jumps into her favorite stilettos and heads out to the event of a lifetime, secretly hoping that she’ll come home with a party favor in the shape of a sexy coffin dweller.

But the great undead, much to Josie’s chagrin, aren’t just pale sexbots with pointy teeth waiting to satisfy her carnal desires; they are dangerous; and sometimes cranky. With a single-minded focus on fulfilling her sole sexual longing, Josie unwittingly entrenches herself in the twisted and sometimes antagonistic world of vampire relationships with no one to guide her, but herself. ~From GoodReads
*Title is a 136 pagenovella     
ebook, 140 pages
Published March 30th 2011 by Helios Media, Inc (first published March 29th 2011)
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The Vampire Relationship Guide is a book that’s been on my TBR-list for a while.  I am a big fan of Evelyn LaFont. I think pretty much everything she writes is brilliant, and funny, and smart. So even though I’ve wanted to read this book, I was a little hesitant. What if the book didn’t live up to the expectations I had put on it. Well, crises averted. I am happy to say the The Vampire Relationship Guide: Meeting and Mating was everything I hoped for/expected from LaFont.
First off, I love Josie. She’s a real “guy’s girl”. She lives an life uncomplicated by marriage, children or a stressful career. And she is completely content. She’s funny and fearless. Josie is the kind of character that we can vicariously live through. She usually has good intentions; but almost always says or does something to end up in ridiculously funny situations. Josie is an endearing character.  While reading the book, I felt as if I were chatting with my favorite friend.
Another aspect of the book that I liked is the men.  Josie becomes involved with not one ridiculously attractive vampire, but two. The men are everything you can ask for: unbelievably handsome, charming, rich and mysterious. The buildup of the relationships is hot and sometimes so lingering, I thought I would go crazy (in a good way!). Towards the end, I was caught by surprised. Because while this is a funny, sexy little book, it also has heart. The tenderness shown to Josie by one of the vamps, who shall not be named, was so darn beautiful.
The ending of the The Vampire Relationship Guide was set up perfectly for book two, The Vampire Relationship Guide: Volume 2, due out August 31, 2011.
I like to post favorite passages from books. While there were many, many quotable lines, this struck me as one of the funniest:
“The cab smelled like it’d been slept in by ten retired circus clowns who’d gotten jobs scooping horse poo with their hands. I was so upset about what happened between ____ and me that I didn’t even bother to care that I was steeping myself in Eau de Poopie Clown.”
The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 1: Meeting and Mating is currently on sale for $0.99. You can find it at these sites:
Amazon-http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Relationship-Guide-Meeting-ebook/dp/B004UI6HGE/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301533618&sr=1-1-catcorr
Barnes & Noble-http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Vampire-Relationship-Guide-Volume-1/Evelyn-Lafont/e/2940012319654/
Smashwords-http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/50548
GoodReads page-http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10945927-the-vampire-relationship-guide-volume-1
You can find Evelyn LaFont @ http://evelynlafont.wordpress.com/

Teaser Tuesday: The Curse Girl by Kate Ellison

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

 

My Tuesday Teaser is from The Curse Girl by Kate Ellison

 

When her father tries to steal magic from the mysterious, beastly master of the "Curse House" outside her home town, seventeen-year-old Beauty is the one who becomes the Beast's prisoner.
But the Beast, Will, isn't anything like she expected. He's the same age as she is, for one thing. He's also really handsome, contrary to local legend. Well, maybe the whole "beast" thing is meant to be metaphorical, because he's a total jerk.
Between the house's weird magic and Will's snobby attitude, the situation is nearly unbearable, and Beauty only wants to escape. But there are complications. The witch who cursed Will left him a riddle to solve and four years to figure it out. And now that Beauty's become a part of this messed up fairy tale, she'd better help Will figure out the riddle so they can break the curse, or she's going to remain a prisoner in the curse house too.
Because the four years are almost up ... ~From GoodReads

“ ‘I prey on innocent villagers and terrify their children,’ he said with a nasty smile. ‘And sometimes when I’m feeling really evil, I read books or paint.’”

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11415787-the-curse-girl

http://thesouthernscrawl.blogspot.com/p/curse-girl.html

Review of Blood Skies, by Steve Montano

 

In the time after The Black, human survivors of the Southern Claw Alliance clash with vampire legions of the Ebon Cities in a constant war for survival. Earth as we know it has been forever damaged by an arcane storm that fused our world with distant realms of madness and terror. Things that once existed only in our nightmares stalk the earth.
Now, humanity is threatened by one of its own.
Eric Cross, an enlisted warlock in the Southern Claw military, is part of an elite team of soldiers and mages in pursuit of a woman known as Red -- a witch whose stolen knowledge threatens the future of the human race. The members of Viper Squad will traverse haunted forests and blighted tundra in their search for the traitor, a journey that ultimately leads them to the necropolis of Koth.
There, in that haven of renegade undead, Cross will discover the dark origins of magic, and the true meaning of sacrifice...
Experience a dark and deadly new world in the debut novel of the "Blood Skies" series from author Steven Montano. ~From GoodReads

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  Every now and then, I like to read something out of my “wheel house”.  So, when Steve Montano asked me if I would read and review his book, Blood Skies, I happily accepted. . If you’ve read any on my reviews, you can see that Blood Skies is definitely not the genre of book I typically read.  When I finish a book, I almost always write a review immediately. Other times, I like to let the book “stew”  and then write a review. Blood Skies is the type of book that I needed to let stew.

 

Blood Skies is what I’ll call an “apocalyptic fantasy”.  The story revolves around Eric Cross, who is a warlock and a soldier in the Southern Claw Military.  Warlocks and witches have spirits, a visible being who is literally a part of them. The spirit  heals, protects and fights for the person they belong to. Cross and his comrades, who includes his sister, Snow, who is a witch, are literally out to save the world. To fully explain the workings of their world would take a review longer than I want to write and definitely longer than you want to read.  But here’s what I do want to tell you:

Steve Montano is a writer with a beautiful, poetic style.  Montano is somehow able to paint a vivid picture of a bleak world. His world building is stunningly descriptive. His descriptions of the land, the sky, the sometimes terrible creatures who inhabit this world are so consuming, I  sometimes had to step back for a bit. The terror had me literally holding my breath.

Besides world-building, the author also did a brilliant job of conveying Cross’ emotions.  He gave an in-depth account of the terror and Cross’ struggles to maintain his sanity.  Surprisingly, there is also a tremendous amount of love in Blood Skies. Eric Cross has such deep, sometimes shattering love for his team, but especially his sister, Snow, and his spirit.  Sometimes, those passages regarding that love almost brought tears to my eyes. I wanted to share a tiny bit:

(Regarding Snow)“…and seeing her there now, so tall, so beautiful, filled him with worry and nearly brought a tear to his eyes.”

(Regarding Spirit) “His spirit still held him as if impassioned, and she was stuck to his skin like lover’s sweat.”

  I’ll be the first to say that Blood Skies is not for everyone. But if you’re like me, and want to step out of your comfort zone, Blood Skies is a good place to start.

 

Published June 10th 2011 by Darker Sunset Press

http://bloodskies.com

 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11439413-blood-skies

http://www.goodreads.com/daezarkian

Blog Tour: Flawless Ruins by Kieryn Nicolas

Today, we have Kieryn Nicolas at The Bookish Babes. Kieryn is the author of Rain and Poison Ivy. Her latest book, Flawless Ruins, will release on June 15th. I’ve had the pleasure of reading Flawless Ruins, and loved it. Later this week, I’ll have a review of Flawless Ruins, along with a giveaway of the book.  So, did I mention that in addition to being a terrific author, Kieryn is also a high school student? Well, she is, and has written a guest post about being a student and author. Enjoy!

High school is, to use a cliche, both a curse and a blessing when it comes to writing.

The curse:
1.I spend nine hours a day, five days a week, in or en-route to and from school. That’s a lot of hours when it comes to having time to write. (Also, I’m pretty burnt out by the time I arrive home.)
2.Because school starts early, I have to wake up very early to get ready, which is a problem when I do my best writing late at night.
3.It is said that biologically high school is the time when humans need the most sleep, but get the least amount of it. This is true. Being tired is a nasty affliction concerning writing; sometimes I finish homework early, and instead of writing I fall asleep.
4.Once I’m done with those nine hours of school, I have homework. (Apparently nine hours isn’t enough.) No further explanation needed.

However, the blessing...

1.My genre of choice (YA) happens to focus a lot on high school and, having much experience with current high schools, I feel pretty qualified to use it as a setting.
2.I learn, see, and hear new things every day (in mass quantities). Anything I experience on a daily basis could turn into a story idea--a great environment for a writer.
3.My friends (most of whom I meet and interact with at school) are unique and awesome and perfect to draw from for characters.
4.It’s almost summer break, which means time to write!

Bio: The three activities that Kieryn would like to take up most of her time are writing, Taekwondo, and being with her friends. The three things that actually take up most of her time are school, homework, and the REM cycle. She enjoys swing dance, reading, traveling, writing, sorting through college brochures, and running (Team in Training).

 

In 2238, life in America is finally perfect. The Wars are over and the CommWall is in place, blocking communication with what remains of other continents. The women are content to have great education, choice careers, and glamorous hair. Best of all, when every girl turns seventeen she’s given her Like; an adorable, perfect spouse tailor-made just for her.
Everyone looks forward to the day she gets her Like, and Morgan Waters is no exception—until she accidentally stays out past curfew and stumbles across someone who appears to be a Like but claims to be a man. Morgan’s perfect world crumbles down around her in the midst of a forbidden romance, forcing her to deal with the realization that her life may not be so flawless after all. ~From GoodRead

Published June 2011 by Echelon Press

http://kierynnicolas.com

BOOKLUVR MINDY'S BOOK REVIEW CLUB

This week, The Bookish Babes is hosting Bookluvr Mindy's of magicalurbanfantasyreads.com weekly blogger/review club. Since this week's post is a little late going up, the link is being extended to June 14th.

Here are the rules:

• Each week that you would like to participate, add your blog Url in the InLinkz located on the hosting blog. Make sure you submit the name of your blog in the name field.
• Select at least 5 different blogs/reviewers who are participating (assuming at least 5 participate), find a review of a book you have not read, read their review and leave an honest, real comment. Since it would be nice to still get more followers, as a courtesy for joining the Bookluvr’s Book Club it would also be nice to follow the blog you are reviewing!
• If someone makes a comment on your review, be generous and at least become a follower of their blog. Maybe even consider reading and leaving a comment on one of their reviews.
• *Optional* In addition, if you come across a book you have already read and you like/dislike the review, it would be fun to chat back and forth about the book! Maybe even on twitter!
• Since this is a weekend review book club, you may enter as early as the Bookluvr’s Book Club is open and then come back anytime throughout the weekend to pick your 5 reviewers to read their reviews.
• This is also *Optional*, if you find a fabulous blog and/or review, it would be totally awesome if you would feature their blog as well. And let them know you have featured them on your blog!

 

The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto:Review and Book Giveaway!

When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end. ~From GoodReads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  The Book of Lost Souls starts out like a great joke. A witch (Ivy), a vampire (Raven) and a werewolf (Shayde), turn a lizard into a date for the witch. Given an opening like that, I knew this was the book for me. I became instantly immersed in this cool, fun world author Michelle Muto has created. 
  In the town of Northwicke, there are Regulars (humans), and Kindred (supernaturals). The Regulars and Kindred have warred in the past, but now peacefully co-exist. Their agreement is based on mutual trust. The Kindred trust the Regulars to keep their secrets. The Regulars trust the Kindred to keep them safe. The Kindred consist of a wide range of supernatural beings. There are varying from witches, to demons, to trolls. The main character, Ivy, is a witch. Her friends are Shayde and Bane, were wolf twins; Raven and Gareth, vampire siblings, Nick, a demon; Spike, who is Gareth's pet lizard-turned-hottie. And I must not forget Devlin, Ivy's Beezlepup, a fox-dog hybrid.
  Ivy and company are terrific, fun characters to read. When Muto wrote the dialogue, she was absolutely spot-on. The conversation of the characters was real, did not feel forced or awkward at all. These teens were basically good kids. They get into some , or a lot, of mischief. They aren't annoyingly perfect. There is no hand-wringing, whining or brooding. Especially Ivy. Ivy is funny, smart and is able to get herself out of trouble (with some help from her friends). One of my favorite of her friends is Nick. Michelle Muto really hit a home run creating Nick. I was so relieved to read about a really good guy. He's funny, really cool. He seems to have no secrets or agenda. He is a guy who lays it all on the line, letting Ivy know exactly who he is and what he wants. The chemistry between Nick and Ivy had me on edge. Will Ivy ever give in to Nick's charm? Will she realize he's not the bad boy she's made him out to be? Will she ever fully trust Nick? Will the finally kiss???
  The Book of Lost Souls is a funny book, yes. But it is a whole lot more than that. This is a book about friendship, trust, regret and believing in the good in one's self.
  If there was ever an "indie published" book that you should read, it is The Book of Lost Souls. To quote the movie Mary Poppins, it is "Practically perfect in every way".  I wish I had a "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval" type of thingy to give this book. Maybe I should work on that. In the meantime, I'll go work on begging Michelle Muto for Book 2. 


 Check out the links to purchase The Book of Lost Souls:
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/46322
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004QWZ8LO/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10772961-the-book-of-lost-souls
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-book-of-lost-souls-michelle-muto/1030400176?ean=2940012239211&itm=1&usri=the%2bbook%2bof%2blost%2bsouls


Now for the Giveaway. Michelle Muto has graciously offered an ebook, via Smashwords, to one lucky person. This Contest is International. It runs from June 8-June 17. I'm going to try something different for this one. All you have to do is leave a comment  answering the question "Which type of Kindred would you like to be?" (Don't forget to leave your email address.) The winner will be given a coupon code, good for purchase until June 20. Good Luck!

Teaser Tuesday: The Book of Lost Souls by Michelle Muto

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!



When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father, who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.

Making the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover. Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to eating meal worms before the week’s end. ~From GoodReads

I love everything about this book. The characters. The story. The humor. I could honestly go on and on. I've had a hard time deciding which teaser I wanted to post. I decided to go with a scene between Nick and Ivy. So, here goes:

"Look, Ivy. I may not be who you end up with. I'm not even who you think you want," Nick said in a low whisper and she drew nearer to hear him better. He lightly stroked her face and an unexpected warm thrill passed through her.
"But Ives," he said softly, "We both know that right now, I'm just what you need."

Good stuff, right? I strongly urge you to go check this book out!
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10772961-the-book-of-lost-souls

Blog Tour: Betrayal by Mayandree Michel

Where there is love and power, there is always... betrayal.

At seventeen, Cordelia is an ordinary teen with an extraordinary and frightening secret. A secret that induces vivid dreams which she not only experiences true love, but crippling fear while barely escaping with her life each night.

After a life altering event, Cordelia has an unexpected encounter with Evan, the mysterious boy from her dreams, who reveals who and what she is, a descendant of the Greek gods. At that moment everything she knows of her world is a lie, and she must leave the present and go into the past to assume the role she was put on this earth for, safeguarding her ancient empire amidst evil forces that toil hastily to destroy it.

In a race against time, Cordelia must decide if she is truly a part of this dangerous world, or risk defying the gods, and ultimately lose the boy who has put a claim on her heart.

Betrayal is the debut novel by Mayandree Michel. She is currently hard at work on the second installment of the Descendants series. Learn more about Mayandree at http://www.mayandreemichel.blogspot.com/. ~From GoodReads

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I have been planning to read Betrayal since I spotted it on GoodReads. So I was excited when this blog was accepted to be part of Mayandree Michel's blog tour. I would like to thank Mayandree once again for letting me review her book, Betrayal.

The cover of Betrayal is what initially drew me to this book. Take a look. It is stunning. From the lush, gorgeous dress to the swirl of scenery surrounding Cordelia, the symbolism is prevalent. Once I started reading Betrayal and was able to tie different elements of the story to the visual elements of the cover, I loved it even more.

Once I got past the cover of Betrayal, I found myself quickly drawn into Cordelia's world. From the suffocating dessert heat and unforgiving sun, to the lush garden's surrounding the homes, the dank creepiness of an abandoned home, Michel was able to lay out the surroundings of Cordelia's life perfectly, without becoming to "wordy".  I found the author's writing style (most of the time) to be smooth and melodical. I felt the love that she put into these characters and their world. She was able to convey a sense of the characters emotions and personality with a simple gesture or reaction. I was able to quickly become familiar with them and anticipate how they may react to any given situation.

What I loved most about Betrayal was the way the main character, Cordelia, was written. Like many books of this genre, Cordelia is a young woman who must face a brutal reality and determine her course. While many of these young women seem to be able to instantly adapt to their new situation and always seem to know what to do next, Cordelia does not. Cordelia's responses seem true to how a person would react if faced with a reality they thought was a myth. She goes through phases with her emotions, confusion, shock, betrayal and reluctant acceptance. Upon being thrust into a new life, Cordelia doesn't blindly accept any portion of "truth" given to her, she digs for the truth, only accepting what she can verify herself.  And while Cordelia is finding her own truth, she undergoes a metamorphosis from a scared, unsure girl to a confident, in-charge Empress. Joining Cordelia on her journey of self-awareness was painful and fascinating. I loved learning the facts about her life as she did.

So...while I loved reading Betrayal, I did have a problem with this book. Errors. I try, so hard, not to let them bug me. But at a certain point you have to ask "What's going on here?" There were problems with word useage, punctuation mistakes, spelling errors. I don't mean to be harsh. Ever. But they just kept coming, all the way to the end.  There may be readers out there who do not mind these mistakes. But I feel that I owe it to readers, like me, who do care, and point this out.

Having said that, I REALLY enjoyed this book. I loved Cordelia and all the other characters. I loved the world Michel has built. Almost all of the really big questions in the plot were answered. Enough to leave me satisfied with the ending. And exceedingly curious to read the next book in the series, Sacrifice, due out in December.

Favorite passage from Betrayal:
  "His eyes were closed. It was if he wanted me to believe that he was snoozing. Strangely, I could hear his heartbeat. I knew it wasn't my own because it seemed to be coming from the leather tufted chair which Evan lounged in. I placed my hand on my chest, and the rhythm of our  heartbeats was the same-exactly the same-fast; a beat that reminded me of a ticking time-bomb prepared to explode at any second."

Websites: http://mayandreemichel.blogspot.com
                http://betrayalthedescendants.blogspot.c...
                http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayandree-...

Guest Post & Book Giveaway w/Evelyn LaFont: Sex, Alcohol and Romance Heroines

Today, we are excited and honored to have a guest post on the blog from the fabulous and always funny, Evelyn LaFont. Evelyn is the author of The Vampire Relationship Guide and creator of the new e-zine, VampLure.com.

Because she is so awesome, Evelyn is giving one ecopy of her book, The Vampire Relationship Guide, to a lucky winner. So, read her guest post and then fill out the form for the giveaway. Enjoy!


Sex, Alcohol and Romance Heroines

Hi, my name is Evelyn and I like sex. And alcohol. And dirty jokes. And swearing. But I’m not a slutty, alcoholic sailor filling minds with dangerously degenerate sexual imagery, I swear. I’m really…pretty average. I’ve been married for 13 years, I’ve never had an affair, I keep a relatively clean home and I know how to act right in public.


So if I—an average mortal woman—can handle this dichotomy of personality points then why the hell can’t the human women we read about in our romance novels? Sure, some of them have one or two of the above…um…idiosyncrasies, but they never have all of them. One heroine drinks a bit but can’t actually get drunk and is totally virginal. Another doesn’t drink AND is a virgin, and all the rest have had sex with a couple of people but aren’t used to licking taint or anything even remotely different from eyes-clenched-shut missionary sex.

Yeah, I’m painting some pretty broad brush strokes here, I mean, I haven’t read every mainstream romance or PNR series out there but still, can’t us average sexual, potty mouthed, drinking WOMEN have some representation?

Instead, we are often stuck with heroines we love, but who we haven’t really been able to identify with since we turned 16. Since we are making a conscious effort NOT to read YA when we pick up adult romance and PNR books, I can’t help but wonder about this curious lack of characters with a normal, scratch-and-dent moral fiber.

Is it because we feel guilty for not being, “clean?” And by we, of course, I mean someone else because I know that you and I don’t feel guilty about having a happy and healthy sex drive, getting our drunk on and telling the occasional joke that would make a circus-elephant-poop-sweeper blush.

Luckily, the emergence of indie authors into the mainstream could be just the key to readers getting access to a much more diverse selection of heroines who represent the average woman. Josie, the heroine of my Vampire Relationship Guide series, has an active sexual past and in book one, is really focused on adding vampire sex to her list of conquests. Of course, like a normal woman, she does have some mixed emotions involving the possibility that she might look slutty in her search for coffin coitus, but trust me, she gets over it, and it’s magazines like VampLure (which you human women can read too at VampLure.com) that helped her get over the moral…hump. Kind of like Cosmo does for us dirty, old, married ladies.


Evelyn Lafont is an author and freelance writer with an addiction to Xanax and a predilection for snark. Her debut novella, The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 1: Meeting and Mating is a comedy about dating, sexing, and living with vampires and is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. She has also developed a monthly e-zine to accompany the series, which can be found at VampLure.com.

On to the Giveaway! This contest will be open June 5-June 15. Fill out the form, the winner will be chosen using Random.org. I will notify the winner and Evelyn LaFont via email. The winner will then be given a code for the free ebook. This contest is international. Good Luck!

Josie wants what she's never been able to have--sex with a vampire. When she receives an invitation to a party thrown by one of the world's richest vamps, she doesn't stop to question her luck; she just jumps into her favorite stilettos and heads out to the event of a lifetime, secretly hoping that she'll come home with a party favor in the shape of a sexy coffin dweller.


But the great undead, much to Josie's chagrin, aren't just pale sexbots with pointy teeth waiting to satisfy her carnal desires; they are dangerous--and sometimes cranky. With a single-minded focus on fulfilling her sole sexual longing, Josie unwittingly entrenches herself in the twisted and sometimes antagonistic world of vampire relationships with no one to guide her, but herself. ~From GoodReads

It's My Birthday (& I'll Give Away a Book If I Want To)

Alright, folks! June 4th is my 33rd birthday. That's right, I've been bringing sexy back since 1978. And I've decided to celebrate rather than be depressed. So, if you are like me, there is no better way to celebrate than by getting a new book.
I couldn't decide what book to give away. I wanted it to be a book that I have read and loved. So, I chose City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. I think everything Cassandra writes is GOLDEN! And City of Glass happens to be one of my favorite books, ever!!
This giveaway will be easy-breezy. All you have to do is fill out this 2-question form. And, it would be awesome if you would wish me a Happy Birthday. That might keep me distracted enough to stay away from mirrors, looking for wrinkles!!

Thanks guys!!

Feature and Giveaway of The Childe by CA Kunz

Cat Colvin is pretty much your typical run-of-the-mill teenager growing up in in the small port town of Astoria. Sure, she is taller than average, has a mane of fiery red hair that is impossible to tame, is left handed, and has one eye that is sky blue and one that is amber, but that is where the differences end . . . unless you include the “minor” detail of her slow metamorphosis into the Childe.

We all know how difficult high school can be, and for Cat Colvin it is no different. Except for the fact she has the daunting task of trying to hide her budding Childe traits as they begin to reveal themselves at the most inopportune times.

This first book in this coming of age fantasy series follows Cat's life through the twists and turns toward finding out what and who she really is. Come and take the plunge with Cat into a world filled with biting humor, darkness, and yes, a few life lessons as well. ~From GoodReads

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  The Childe is the first book in a fantasy series from mother/son team Carol and Adam Kunz (hence, CA Kunz).  In The Childe, we meet Cat Colvin, a seemingly normal girl in an everyday world.  Cat is just like every other teenage girl out there, trying to blend in and fit in.

   The Childe is filled with a lot of fun, likeable characters. Cat and her friends, Julie, Amanda, Matt, Elle; they all are fun, relatable and realistic. Cat's parents, Sam and Rachel, are endearing. Her brother, Taylor is a typical older brother. He is snide and sarcastic with Cat, but if anyone messes with her, they'll have to get through him first. Ryan is the dreamboat star athlete who obviously is smitten with Cat, and obviously has some secrets of his own. Cat's "nemesis", Isaac, is an infuriating jerk, and more than a little scary. There are a lot of peripheral characters who add more to the mix, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of them in the next book in the series.

  The book begins with a seemingly evil and powerful woman proclaiming the coming of The Childe. The book contains a lot of foreshadowing. There is definitely much going on that Cat, and the reader, do not know about. A lot of the characters discussing the "goings on" behind closed doors.The mystery continually built throughout the book, leaving more questions than answers. Normally, this drives me insane, and it did a little with this book. But, I will let it slide because I have a feeling a lot will be answered or elaborated on in the sequel.

  All in all, I would say that The Childe is a fun, easy read. Perfectly enjoyable for the summer ahead.


                                GIVEAWAY

* Grand Prize- Autographed Paperback copy of The Childe, a 6-moonstone bracelet, 1 The Childe button,

                       & The Childe bookmark

*Runner-Up- A 6-moonstone bracelet, 1 The Childe button,  1 The Childe bookmark

*2 Lucky people will receive a The Childe button & bookmark

Contest will run from June 1-June 15. Please fill out the form below. Good Luck!

*Following this blog is not required, but you will earn an extra entry if you do. We like to reward our loyal followers!*