Winner of Dirty Blood

Yay! It's Friday!!! It's going to be an especially great Friday for the Dirty Blood ebook winner:

A Book Vacation

Congrats! I'll be sending an email to Heather Hildenbrand so she can get you the info to get your free book via Smashwords.

Review of Bloody Little Secrets by Karly Kirkpatrick

17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her.  ~From GoodReads

  Bloody Little Secrets is a soon-to-be released book written by Karly Kirkpatrick. I was lucky enough to recently receive an ARC from the author.
  Bloody Little Secrets gets off to an intriguing start: "I never feared the dark until I became part of it." The main character, Vicky, awakens in a coffin. She must quickly discover what has happened to her, and why. Karly Kirkpatrick has given a refreshing spin on what could have been "just another teen vampire book".  This book is definitely more than that. How does a new, young vampire start over on her own? A lot of the books in this genre brush over the aspect of leaving the past behind. But Bloody Little Secrets does a good job of dealing with the pain of Vicky's former life. Vicky mourns the loss of her family, her old life throughout the book. One particular moment that struck me: "The skin was smooth, even smoother than when I had been alive, or pre-vampire. It's like my history had been wiped away."
  Karly Kirkpatrick did an excellent job of creating an endearing and exciting teen protagonist. In the wrong hands, Vicky could have become whiny and annoying. Instead, she created a strong, take-charge heroine. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if she were the vampire and not a vampire slayer! Vicky is surrounded by a wonderful pack of friends, starting with the boyfriend, Drake. They all feel important to the story, not an after-thought. The dialogue amongst Vicky, Drake and their friends is realistic, funny, and slightly biting (no pun intended, I promise!). There were parts towards the end where I was sitting in the corner, laughing out loud, hoping I didn't look crazy to my family. 
  At times, I feel like I've read every possible type of vampire book. But, I found Bloody Little Secrets to be a refreshingly well-developed, engaging book. The ending definitely left room for a sequel, or series. I loved Vicky and the gang and look forward to reading more of their adventures.

Review: Law of the Lycan Trilogy by Nicky Charles

From Goodreads:

The Mating:
Elise had no idea when she came home that day that she'd end up mated to a complete stranger. A new Alpha and the need for an alliance between packs have made her a pawn in.... The Mating.

The Keeping:
Ryne Taylor was a sexy bad-ass Alpha set on establishing a new pack. Melody Greene was a journalism student researching his work as a photographer or so she said. But could Mel really be trusted or had she stumbled upon his secret? And if she knew, could Ryne save himself and the pack he'd left behind without enacting a deadly ancient law known as The Keeping?

The Finding:
She discovered a dark secret, witnessed a murder and fled into the night fearing for her life. Three years later, Cassie is still hiding from her past, haunted by a dream lover and fighting to control a terrifying beast that seems to grow stronger each day. When Bryan, pack Beta, appears to claim her, Cassie is forced to face the truth of her existence. Innocence, betrayal, greed and love collide with ancient werewolf laws in... The Finding

This was a very interesting trilogy, it was my first werewolf book so I didn't really know what I was getting myself into... but I have to say that I really enjoyed them. Each one had a different aspects that I enjoyed. I loved Kane & Elise in The Mating, the connection wasn't instant but the build up was great. This book offers you love, drama & mystery. The one major thing that I did not like about this book was all the grammar errors. The Keeping was my favorite. I know that is a little unusual because most love the first one, but I just loved Ryne & Mel! Once again the grammar was horrible, but the story line was great! Nicky Charles did a great job keeping you in suspense and laughing out loud. The finding was a great conclusion to the other two books. I liked Cassie & Bryan's story but this book was aggravating because it would jump from one story line to the next, at time there would be five stories going and each one would leave you hanging and then skip to the next. I did love how Ms.Charles followed up on Kane & Elise and Ryne & Mel, so after finishing The Finding I felt satisfied with all the characters endings.

Review: The Soulkeepers by GP Ching

When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor, Dr. Abigail Silva, offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a biologically gifted warrior charged with protecting human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions Dr. Silva's motives for helping him.

~From GoodReads

Prepare for MAJOR gushing!

To say that I found The Soulkeepers anything short of astounding would be an understatement and total lie. The book grabbed me from the very first line: "Death lived up to Jacob's expectations." and never let go. The concept of the storyline was genius. Every line, every word felt well-thought out and meaningful.

  The main character of The Soulkeepers, Jacob, is an endearing, heartbreaking hero. The desperation he feels after the loss of his mother and subsequent upheaval is visceral. The author, GP Ching, does a remarkable job in her narrative describing Jacob's pain and rage. "He turned away from John and shoved the anger down deep, where it coiled like a snake in his gut. Once Jacob does form a connection to classmate and fellow outcast, Malini, that connection feels beautiful and poignant.

  GP Ching also has a way with what I'll call "The Spooky Factor". What I think I mean is, The Soulkeepers never felt like an outright horror book to me, no slashing or blood-letting, but I was completely creeped out (in a good way). The character of Dr. Abigail Silva is frightening, or is she? And without being spoiler-ish, I'll just say when Jacob finds "Oswald", I almost felt as if I were watching an episode of  "The Twilight Zone".

  When I finished The Soulkeepers I was so stunned that I thought I should wait a few days to write a review because I needed time to digest the story. I quickly realized that waiting made no difference. I was just as stunned when "later" came. GP Ching has a style of writing that feels deliberate. There were details to the writing that seemed insignificant, but each made the story all the much better: " her foot came out in a powerful shot that slammed the door in his face. A road sign that read 'Private Property' swung forward on it's hook toward the tip of his nose". A true example of the expression "It's all in the details".

  I don't want anyone who reads this to think that I am, for lack of a better term, blowing smoke. I mean each and every word in this review. My only regret is that I feel I am lacking in giving GP Ching and The Soulkeepers their due. There was not one thing that I didn't like about the book. So here is one last, whole-hearted endorsement. If you want to read a thought-provoking, moving book, get The Soulkeepers. Now.

 

Tuesday Teaser: Bloody Little Secrets by Karly Kirkpatrick

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!
 
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Bloody Little Secrets.  An upcoming book by Karly Kirkpatrick. I haven’t gotten too far into the book, but I really like what I’ve read. And I know that I am only supposed to share two sentences, but I’m going to share a few more.  Here’s my teaser:
“I never feared the dark, until I became part of it. My eyes fluttered open, yet nothing seemed to change. Inky blackness swirled around me.  A scream rose in my throat, but I quickly swallowed it. I pressed my eyes closed, hoping that when I opened them again, I’d be able to see something, anything. Nothing.”
Here’s the link to Karly Kirkpatrick’s site:
http://karlykirkpatrick.blogspot.com
www.darksidepublishing.com

We Have a Winner! The Meant to Be Contest

Happy Monday! That's an oxymoron, I know...

But it is a Happy Monday for the winner of the Meant to Be contest:  Stepahlicious! Congrats, er, Stephalicious (I feel a little ridiculous even typing that!). You have won a Meant to Be tote and trading cards from the author, Tiffany King. You've also won a Meant to Be ebook from The Bookish Babes. I know you'll enjoy all your prizes.

I would like to thank each and every one of you who entered our very first contest. I was a little afraid no one would enter because this is a "baby blog". I should have known better because Tiffany King is awesome! This blog is already what we consider a "success" in no small part because of her.

So, to all who didn't win, please go enter the Dirty Blood contest. It is another awesome book that I know you'll love. Thanks to you all!

Review: Glimmer by ViviAnna

From GoodReads~

Although Nina Decker’s father is one hundred percent human, her mother is not. She belongs to an ancient and rare race of people called the fae. But these fae are not those written about in fairytales, with pretty gossamer wings and fairy dust, no they are sinister, malevolent and unkind, dwelling in another realm called Nightfall. More prone to destroy than to create. Abandoned at the age of ten, to be raised by her father, Nina has never forgiven her mother for that or for ruining her father. A man of only sixty, he appears to be closer to eighty with a frail body and mind. He’s been fae-struck and is slowly fading away to nothing. This is one of the reasons why Nina has never gotten too close to any one man. She doesn’t want to seal his fate like her father’s has been.
But she can’t deny her fiery connection to Severin Saint Morgan, a sexy as hell werewolf and the alpha of the Vancouver wolf pack. He’s an Australian immigrant working at the university as an associate professor, and the publicized face of the werewolf species. He makes her blood boil with desire and makes her tremble with fear. But its only when her mother reappears with startling revelations about an upcoming war between the fae and the werewolves that Nina realizes that she may be a pawn for both sides.

  First off, I just want to say that I think the cover of Glimmer is stunning.  The fact that I found it so beautiful was almost reason enough to read it. Once I started reading, though, I found Glimmer instantly engaging.  The dialogue between Nina, an ER nurse, and her coworkers is quick and witty. Nina is a smart, tough and easy-to-love character.  I loved the fact that Nina was so strong and un-intimidated by anyone: her boss, her father, her fae mother, and especially Severin Saint Morgan.

  Ah…Severin Saint Morgan. I have plenty to say about him as well. Severin is werewolf. What makes him even hotter is that he is an Australian werewolf. When I started reading about Severin, I instantly pictured Martin Henderson (who I think is from New Zealand, but, close enough for me!).  The chemistry between Severin is instant and boiling hot. And wow! Vivi Anna can definitely write a fantastic love scene. I won’t go into the details, but, believe me, you will definitely need a cold shower afterwards. Here’s a small sample, my favorite passage from the book:

   “He tasted how he looked. Wild. Sexy. Dangerous. Delicious. I could have kissed him forever and not ever tire of the flavor.”

  Vivi Anna does a great job at descriptive narrative. The way in which she describes the transformation Nina undergoes into her “true self” is riveting. I found myself writhing a little as I read along. Vivi Anna also gave a great sense of the desperation Nina feels as she struggles with her transformation and deciding who she’ll trust.

  The only criticism I have for Glimmer is that I felt it was too short. The story is not lacking or incomplete. But I was ready to read on into the next “phase” of the story, which I’m hoping will be a sequel.

  So, if all that you’ve just read makes Glimmer seem like your kind of book, go check out Vivi Anna’s site: www.vivianna.net.