Pearls Cast Before a McPig

Wishlist Wednesday - Kiss of the Goblin Prince

2012-02-01T14:00:00.000+01:00

Today a book that's on Voodoo Bride's wishlist:

Kiss of the Goblin Prince (Shadowlands #2)
by Shona Husk

Trapped for centuries in the bleak Shadowlands, Dai clings to his humanity with a thirst for knowledge. But now he's free of the goblin curse, and some would say he knows too much—he can make nature bend to his will, influence the minds of others, and command magic. Yet love eludes him. Then he meets Amanda, a single mother with a sick daughter whom he feels compelled to protect. But could she possibly place her trust in the kiss of a goblin prince?

Expected publication: May 1st 2012

RAK Round-Up, Signing up for Another Month and Teaser Tuesdays

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000+01:00

Another RAK month is drawing to a close.

I send out a couple of books and I received a really cool Birthday RAK myself from Aleksandra.

And as I just started reading it I will share a bit with you for Teaser Tuesdays:

Benny's breath caught in his throat as he saw the figure emerge from the doorway in a slow, uncertain gait, his legs moving stiffly, his hands out and reaching for Tom. It was Grandpa Houser.
(page 23, Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry)

I'm still very much enjoying RAK, so I'm signing up for February for sure!

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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RAK:

The RAK movement (=Random Acts of Kindness): it is an initiative organized by the Ladies at the Book Soulmates where everyone posts their whislists and then other people realize one (or more) wishes of a person. Meaning that they send some books to the lucky person they picked! Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

• Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Foreshadow - Book Review

2012-01-30T14:00:00.001+01:00

Foreshadow (The Shadow Imperium Trilogy, #1)
by Brea Essex
ebook

What is it about:
Imagine discovering that your boyfriend was out to kill you—and that the annoying boy from school was your guardian angel.

Rae Davenport has already lost her mother. The only thing keeping her sane is her new boyfriend, Andrei—that is, until she finds out that he wants to kill her. Andrei is a devil, and he wants to use Rae as a sacrifice to get back into Heaven. The only one who can save her is Logan, her guardian angel. He’s only annoyed her in the past, but now he will be her savior.

What did I think of it:
This is an entertaining story.

There are a lot of things happening that I found rather unbelievable (yes, even for a paranormal story), but that put aside this is an enjoyable and fast paced read.

There's some cool intrigue, lots of action and a bit of romance. The writing is decent enough and the world building interesting. I think this story would have worked better if it had been longer and certain scenes/events would have been given more room, but that could just be my opinion.

The ending was very abrupt and kind of baffled me. I suppose the ending is to make people more eager to read book 2, but it just left me feeling frustrated.

I'm not sure if I will read the next book in this series. This first book was nice and had promise, so I might pick up the next book to see how this series developes from here.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Paranormal YA read.

Buy this ebook here

Storm Glass - Book Review

2012-01-29T13:07:00.004+01:00

Storm Glass (Glass #1)
by Maria V. Snyder

What is it about:
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowan understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

What did I think of it:
I loved the Study Trilogy by Snyder, so I just had to try this trilogy as well.

I must say this book is enjoyable, but it doesn't reach the same heights as the Study Trilogy.

Opal is a nice character, but she's a bit too self-doubting for me at times. And on top of that there's a love square going on in this book and I'm getting so tired of all the love triangles, squares, decahedrons and what not in (Young Adult) fiction.

I really liked one of the three love interests for Opal (really despised the other two btw), but even though he ends up with Opal by the end of this book there are some hints and tensions that make me think he might not be a keeper, so I'm not getting my hopes up too much.

Aside from the love blah blah the world building is really unique and interesting and the story is decent and enjoyable. The book ends in such a way I'm curious what will happen next, so I will read book two to see where the story will go, while hoping my predictions about the love square will not come true.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Fantasy adventure.

Deacon's Ark - Book Review

2012-01-27T14:00:00.000+01:00

Deacon's Ark (The New West #2)
by A.E. Stanton
ebook

What is it about:
Josie and Deacon have left Horsetown and are back in search of The City. Joined by Josie’s youngest sister, Sadie, they decide to travel on the riverboat The Green Goddess to save travel time.

But a plague from the Northern Wastes has been loosed on the river’s port towns. Instead of a relaxing cruise, Josie and Deacon have to protect all the people and animals on board -- because if they can’t stop the spread of the plague, they’ll be the only normal ones left in the world.

What did I think of it:
I liked this book much better than the first book in this series.

The characters were much better to relate to than before and I finally began to feel a connection to them and care about what happened to them. (There were the ocassional moments I wanted to kick some sense into some of the characters, but that's a good thing in my opinion.)

The story was so my kind of story: there were zombies that had to be fought!

There was lots of cool action and mayhem and the zombies were also my kind of zombies. Next to the zombies there were some other baddies that really added to the story and I hope to see both the zombies and the bad guys again in future books in this series.

All in all Stanton is taking this series in a direction I'd hoped for when she introduced the setting in book one and I'm curious to see where she'll take Josie and Deacon next.

Why should you read it:
It has zombies in a post-apocalyptic Western setting.

Buy this ebook at Musa Publishing

Blue Diablo - Book Review

2012-01-26T14:00:00.000+01:00

Blue Diablo (Corine Solomon #1)
by Ann Aguirre

What is it about:
Corine Solomon is a handler. When she touches an object she instantly knows its history and its future. Using her ability, she can find the missing, which is why people never stop trying to find her. Like her ex-boyfriend Chance, who needs Corine's gift to find someone dear to them both. But the search proves dangerous as it leads them into a strange world of demons and sorcerers, ghosts and witchcraft, zombies, and black magic...

What did I think of it:
So far I've loved about almost everything I've read by Aguirre, so I was eager to give this Urban Fantasy series a try.

It's not as intense and awesome as Aguirre's Sirantha Jax series, but this first book in the Corine Solomon series sure is a great read.

Corine is an intriguing heroine and her gift is very original. The other characters are all very well written as well. The story is full of action and intrigue. There are some things that conveniently helped carry the story onwards that I hope will be explained in a future book, but apart from that this is a cool read.

It misses some of the emotion and intensity that I've grown used to in other books by Aguirre, but I must say I liked the lighter mood, because it gave this book its own clear voice.

I will most certainly continue to read this series as I will any other books Aguirre has written.

Why should you read it:
It's original, well written Urban Fantasy.

By the Way, What’s a Selkie? - Guestpost by Krista Holle

2012-01-25T11:00:00.001+01:00

Krista Holle is the author of the book The Lure of Shapinsay.

The Lure of Shapinsay is about a woman who falls under the spell of a selkie. As I haven't read many stories about selkies I just had to ask Krista why she chose to write about selkies. Luckily she was kind enough to drop by and answer my question.

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By the Way, What’s a Selkie?

Readers want to know why I wrote a novel about selkies. It’s the same reason people are writing about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and angels right now—paranormal romance is HOT. The practically unheard of subgenre from fifteen years ago is growing faster than ever and the voracious reader can’t get enough. There are a couple of things however, that set the selkies apart from these other mythical creatures—they are way sexier and practically unheard of.

Let me introduce you to selkies, the original shape shifters from the sea. Their legends begin around the tiny Orkney Islands that spangle Scotland’s northern coast. Selkies are seal men and women who live the majority of their life under the sea as seals, but occasionally shed their skins to cause mischief on land. The men and women are renowned for their beauty, with eyes as dark as night and skin as white as cream. But don’t be fooled by these seemingly innocent creatures. For hundreds of years, the men have been creeping out of the cold North Sea to seduce women to their deaths deep beneath the waves.

So real were the selkies of the 1800’s, that nearly every drowning was blamed on the selkies. There are even stories of infants born with webbed hands and feet—definitive proof that a ship builder or fisherman’s daughter was seduced by a rogue selkie. This is the setting I chose when creating The Lure of Shapinsay. I want my readers to feel the same alarm and excitement that the villagers of Shapinsay felt two centuries ago.

In The Lure of Shapinsay, you’ll meet Eamon, a criminally good looking selkie with a penchant for killing sheep. He loathes everything on land, especially humans (land loupers). It’s a pickle for Kait, a feisty blonde, who’s magically lured by the very selkie who wants her dead. She’ll do anything to win her seal man’s heart—even follow him under the sea. The odds of this land/sea relationship working are pretty slim. Even Kait’s brother is bound and determined to keep his sister safe by marrying her off to an aging widower. Why did I want to write a novel about selkies? Sorry, to this land louper, these beautiful feral creatures from the deep were just too darn juicy to pass up.

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Tour Schedule

Make sure to click the above link to also check out other tour stops for more guestposts, interviews, reviews and giveaways.

Teaser Tuesdays - Angels of Darkness

2012-01-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

It was a single note, liquid and pure and anguished, like the most gorgeous, the most despairing foghorn lowing off a storm-racked coast. I would have said it was music, except it was weeping; it was a song with a single tone, and it was agony.
(page 223, Nocturne by Sharon Shinn - Angels of Darkness Anthology)

Get Loaded - Promopost

2012-01-23T14:00:00.000+01:00

Today is the start of 'Get Loaded'.

Five days, five authors, five free books!

Jan 23-Chelsea Fine - ANEW
Jan 24- AK Taylor - Neiko's Five Land Adventure
Jan 25- Jackie Chanel - A Hustler's Promise
Jan 26- Sherry Roberts - Book of Mercy
Jan 27 - Liz Schulte - Secrets (Guardian Trilogy: Book 1)

Be sure to drop by and comment at the above sites on the mentioned date for a free ebook and for even more fun and more prizes also visit The Indie Book Collective to join in on a treasure hunt!

Sins of the Angels - Book Review

2012-01-20T14:00:00.000+01:00

Sins of the Angels (Grigori Legacy #1)
by Linda Poitevin

What is it about:
A detective with a secret lineage. An undercover Hunter with a bullet-proof soul. And a world made to pay for the sins of an angel…

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial killer case—a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell.

Aramael is a Power—a hunter of the Fallen Angels. A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police officer who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.

Now, faced with a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

What did I think of it:
I will confess I skipped over this book a couple of times because of the cover. I just didn't think much of it: female detective in a suit, but with lose hair.... Meh.

But after reading the raving reviews of some bloggers with a similar taste I decided I had to put aside my dislike of the cover and give the book a chance. (The awesome cover of the second book in this series helped as well. Yes, I know: I'm bad.)

Remind me to never again judge a book by its cover!

This is such an amazing read I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

Alex is a strong, but likeable heroine. She has a lot more patience with the stubborn Aramael than I would have had. I like how even though there's an instant attraction Alex doesn't just give in, but fights it until she gets to know and trust Aramael.

Aramael is a very intriguing character. He's stubborn, difficult and it took me a while to warm up to him, but Poitevin manages to write him in such a way that once I did connect with him I could also really understand him and from then on I rooted for both him and Alex to save the day.

Romance and action are woven together perfectly and I was worried just as much for Alex and Aramael finding happiness as I was worrying about the outcome of the overall story.

The ending of this book is both awesome and frustrating and left me hungry for more and I'll be counting the days till the release of the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a nailbiting and awesome UF/PNR thriller.

Fire Study - Book Review

2012-01-19T14:00:00.000+01:00

Fire Study (Study #3)
by Maria V. Snyder

What is it about:
When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before....

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself—and save the land she holds dear.

What did I think of it:
A fitting conclusion to a wonderful trilogy.

Poison Study is my absolute favorite book in this trilogy, but Fire Study is a close second.

All the things about Yelena's behaviour that annoyed me in Magic Study are gone and I rooted for her the entire time. There's lots of adventure and action and even though I could sniff out the bad guy long before the big reveal I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I really like how the relationships between Yelena and those around her developed and changed over the cause of the entire trilogy and how Snyder succeeded in making me fall in love with characters I hated at first.

I can advise this trilogy to everyone who loves a good Fantasy. I will most certainly read lots more books by Snyder in the future.

Why should you read it:
Go read Poison Study and you will know why ;-)

Fateful - Book Review

2012-01-18T14:00:00.000+01:00

Fateful by Claudia Gray

What is it about:
Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It's 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they're sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He's in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it's because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously....

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec's past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

What did I think of it:
Some of you may know I'm a sucker for anything to do with Titanic, so when I read that this book was about werewolves on the Titanic I just had to read it.

Sadly enough Gray didn't use the setting to its full advantage.

This story could just as well have taken place at a completely different location. All the Titanic does is keep all characters in this story in a confined space, so they can't get away from each other. Even the sinking isn't really used as a plot device. A shame!

My disappointment over the under-use of the Titanic set aside, this is an entertaining story. The bad guy is acting like a bad guy should, Tess and Alec are a nice, cute couple, there are some interesting side characters and luckily no love triangle.

This book won't end up in my collection of Titanic books, but I just might try something different by Gray in the future.

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining YA read.

Teaser Tuesdays - Touch of Power

2012-01-17T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

A rustle and then Kerrick emerged from the brush. The fabric of his tunic and pants blended in with the surrounding landscape, but his face, hands and hair remained normal. I was impressed with his level of control despite myself.
(page 62, Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder)

The Hob's Bargain - Book Review

2012-01-16T14:00:00.000+01:00

The Hob's Bargain
by Patricia Briggs

What is it about:
Her gift of sight has shown her visions of mayhem and murder. So, to save her village from ruthless raiders, Aren of Fallbrook strikes a bargain with the magical Hob, who will exact a heavy price to defend the village, a price Aren herself must pay.

What did I think of it:
I absolutely love Briggs' Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega books, but those are all Urban Fantasy, so I decided to give one of her Fantasy novels a try.

The Hob's Bargain is very different from Briggs' UF books, but I totally fell in love with it.

Aren is a wonderful and strong heroine. She is shunned by most people in her village because of her magical gift and some even would want to see her dead. Still she doesn't feel hate and isn't looking for revenge. Instead she uses her powers to help save her village and she's even willing to go as far as to give her life.

The story starts out quite grim, but when Aren finds the Hob and he promises to help it turns less dark and Briggs even succeeds in bringing some sweetness and lightness to this tale about survival.

This lightness also shines from the way this story is written. Briggs' style makes that you might worry about Aren, but she never makes you lose hope.

In the end this is a beautiful fairytale that is both dark and sweet. The Hob's Bargain will be kept with my other favorite reads and I will most certainly read more of Briggs' Fantasy books.

Why should you read it:
It's well written and beautiful Fantasy

A Love Soul Deep - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2012-01-15T14:00:00.000+01:00

A Love Soul Deep (Mystique Antiques)
by Amber Scott
ebook, novella

What is it about:
Since Sara's boyfriend Crew died in an accident a few years ago Sara hasn't been able to get over him. She can't stop thinking she hasn't been able to tell him all she would have wanted to say to him and wishes she had the chance to be with him just one more time. Then she gets a gold locket that may make her wish come true...

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a beautiful and bittersweet lovestory that made me cry, smile and sigh.

The idea of getting a second chance at love, at getting back together with someone who was torn away by death, is both beautiful and scary. What if your memories are wrong? What if you still don't know what to say?

I could really feel for Sara: her love for Crew and the loss she felt were heartbreaking to read. I could only hope that she would find happiness again and that the fulfillment of her deepest wish would bring her all she was hoping for.

All in all this is an emotional and romantic story that stays with you long after you finished reading.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful story about the power of love.

Buy it here

The Disciple - Book Review

2012-01-13T14:00:00.000+01:00

The Disciple by Jemma Chase

What is it about:
In the future vampires overrun the Earth, so a small cadre of vampire slayers are sent back to the pivotal moment when the vampire clans were contained to the European continent in hopes of destroying them in the past to save the future.

In the mid-24th century the vampire threat is so terrible that humanity is on the run and their numbers are dwindling. The only ones willing and able to fight the vampire plague are those in The Order.

In addition to creating specialized vampire-killing weapons, The Order has protected all the world’s leading scientists. They’re rewarded with the ultimate breakthrough: time travel. But there’s a catch -- if you return to your present time, your mind doesn’t come home with you.

Now a select team will be sent back to the Middle Ages, to stop the vampire threat before it can spread. They’re the best vampire slayers of their day and age, but once they go a thousand years into the past they’re strangers in a strange old land. Their perfect weapons aren’t working right, their numbers are too small, and the vampires seem to know who they are. It will take the ultimate leap of faith for the team to have a chance to complete their mission -- and survive.

What did I think of it:
A pleasant, but a bit static read.

This story is told by one of the members of the team that is send back in time and the way she describes everything feels detached. Even though lots of things happen in the story, the way it's told doesn't make you feel the action until somewhere at the end.

This way of storytelling made that I didn't really feel anything for the characters and wasn't invested in the story. A shame as the plot is cool and the world building is great and lends itself for lots of cool things.

In the end this was a pleasant read, but it would have worked better for me if Chase had chosen a different way of telling the story.

Why should you read it:
It's got time travelling and vampires

Buy it from Musa Publishing here

Fate's Edge - Book Review

2012-01-12T14:01:00.000+01:00

Fate's Edge (The Edge #3)
by Ilona Andrews

What is it about:
Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge, and she's determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But when her brother gets into hot water, the former thief takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack of all trades...

Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy-expects his latest assignment tracking down a stolen item to be a piece of cake, until Audrey shows up. But when the item falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job, he's going to need Audrey's help...

What did I think of it:
This book won't end up as my favorite in the series, but it's an enjoyable read.

I had trouble with liking Kaldar I will confess. He's too much the smooth-talker used to get his way to make me feel sympathy for him. And as I really liked Audrey and wanted her to escape from the things that made her life difficult I didn't want to see the two end up with each other, so this made the romance frustrating and unsatisfying.

Luckily the story was really cool and two of the characters from On the Edge returned: Jack and George. I really like these two characters and I hope the Andrews duo decides to give them their own books further on in this series.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and while waiting I might give the Kate Daniels series by Andrews a chance.

Why should you read it:
It's a well written, action-packed UF.

Wishlist Wednesday - Royal Street

2012-01-11T14:00:00.001+01:00

I'm not a big fan of the cover of this book, but the story sounds so cool!

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.

Expected publication: April 10th 2012 by Tor Books

Top Pearls Revisited - Winners

2012-01-10T17:08:00.003+01:00

The giveaways for My Top Pearls Revisited event have ended and The Random Number Generator picked 4 winners!

Barbara E. won a signed copy of Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

IreneRJ won a copy of The Real Werewives of Vampire County signed by Jess Haines

Melliane won a signed copy of Alien Tango by Gini Koch

Jeffe Kennedy won a signed copy of Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Congrats!

All winners have been contacted.
Thanks to everyone who dropped by and commented and a special thanks to Laura Bickle, Jess Haines, Gini Koch and Carolyn Crane for their participation.

Teaser Tuesdays - Under Wraps

2012-01-10T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I stood by while Nina perched on her desktop, hands on hips, teeth bared, dodging the singed-hair-smelling puffs of smoke that shot from Mrs. Henderson's scaled flared nostrils.
Lorrainne, the Gestalt witch and resident UDA Accounts Payable shark, was hopping from foot to foot, muttering a calming spell that made flowers bloom on the desk and then wilt under Mrs. Henderson's dragon-fire breath.
(page 1, Under Wraps by Hannah Jayne)

Dead Man Walking - Book Review

2012-01-09T14:00:00.001+01:00

Dead Man Walking
by Marty Shaw
ebook, short story

What is it about:
It was supposed to be just another execution of a criminal, but then he didn’t die. Now the living are trapped in a prison with the walking dead… and the dead are hungry.

Griffin knew watching an inmate being put to death wouldn’t be fun, but he never expected Callahan to return as something less than human. Now Griffin, along with a handful of officers and inmates, are trapped within the walls of a prison as a legion of the walking dead stalk them for food.

The choice is simple – fight back or die.

What did I think of it:
This is a very cool zombie read.

Shaw sets up and executes a satisfying story full of zombie mayhem in just 37 pages. With that number of pages some things have to be left out, so there's not much room for background or character development. Still Shaw manages to put in enough of both to make me feel sympathy for Griffin and some of the other characters while disliking others.

Shaw's writing is pleasant and although a zombie outbreak in a constricted area has been done before, Shaw gives his own spin to it in an original way.

I hope Shaw decides to write more zombie stories and to make these longer than Dead Man Walking, because my one complaint about this story is that it was much too short.

Why should you read it:
Zombies in prison!

Buy it here

The New Death and Others - Book Review

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000+01:00

The New Death and others
by James Hutchings
ebook

What is it about:
Death gets a roommate...

An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...

A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...

44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?

What did I think of it:
This is an enjoyable read.
It has many short stories and poems.

I liked the shortest stories, which were more impressions in some cases than actual stories, the most. Hutchings has a great way with words and manages to paint a mood with just a single sentence. The longer stories felt a bit like old fables or myths, but a witty observation or cynical remark from Hutchings from time to time brought the writing back to the here and now.

I didn't much care for the poems, I will confess. Most felt to forced in rhyme to be to my liking.

In conclusion: This is an original collection of short stories with a dark, mythical feel to them.

Why should you read it:
If you like fables and myths you should give this collection of modern fables a chance.

Buy it here

Magic Study - Book Review

2012-01-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

Magic Study (Study #2)
by Maria V. Snyder

What is it about:
You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster...

With her greatest enemy dead, and on her way to be reunited with the family she'd been stolen from long ago, Yelena should be pleased. But though she has gained her freedom, she can't help feeling isolated in Sitia. Her Ixian background has changed her in many ways—and her newfound friends and relatives don't think it's for the better....

Despite the turmoil, she's eager to start her magic training—especially as she's been given one year to harness her power or be put to death. But her plans take a radical turn when she becomes involved with a plot to reclaim Ixia's throne for a lost prince—and gets entangled in powerful rivalries with her fellow magicians.

If that wasn't bad enough, it appears her brother would love to see her dead. Luckily, Yelena has some old friends to help her with all her new enemies...

What did I think of it:
Although not as mind blowing as the first book in this trilogy, Magic Study is a great read.

Yelena meets some intriguing new characters and gets caught up in some nasty intrigues and exciting adventures. Luckily my favorite character from Poison Study also returns although his role in Magic Study is much smaller than in the previous book.

Yelena does some serious growing up and along the way there were a couple of moments I felt like slapping her silly, but in the end she luckily made the right choices.

I immediately picked up book three in this trilogy after finishing this book and if Snyder continues to write stories like this I will most certainly read her other books as well.

Why should you read it:
This is very cool, adventure filled Fantasy.

Wishlist Wednesday - Blood and Bullets

2012-01-04T14:00:00.000+01:00

Ok, I will confess it was the cover of this book that drew me in at first, but the blurb sounds very promising as well.

Blood and Bullets
by James R. Tuck

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights…

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl “hires” him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him—and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he’s got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There’s also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon’s greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him…

Expected publication: February 7th 2012 by Kensington

Teaser Tuesdays - Ascension

2012-01-03T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Not sure about this book yet. I'm having trouble with the way it's written and I think there should be a law against sandal wearing heroes.

Why was she here? She pressed a hand to her stomach then took a deep ragged achy breath. She could lie to herself and say she'd come solely to figure out why she had found a business card, bearing the club's logo, lying at her feet.
(page 93, Ascension by Caris Roane)

Sabine - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2012-01-02T14:00:00.000+01:00

Sabine (...and the Beast #1)
by Moira Rogers
ebook, novella

What is it about:
After three years at war, the High Lord of the Forest returns to his lands, a victorious wolf leader intent on claiming his mate. Instead Ciar finds an empty bed and a court with no recollection of the woman he loved. Following her long-cold trail proves far easier than facing what awaits him at the end.

Sabine’s first instinct is to beg her beloved to leave. The High Lord’s mother hired a witch to curse Sabine, desperate to wipe the lowborn wolf from her son’s mind. But the spell worked too well, and Sabine has vanished from the thoughts of everyone who sees her. Including her own family.

The edges of his memory already blurring, Ciar and Sabine must race to find a way to reverse the spell. Yet every searing moment together is not enough to stop the curse’s inexorable progress. His only chance is to bind Sabine to him too tightly to be forgotten, before she disappears once and for all.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a light, delightful paranormal fairytale.

The blurb gave me the idea this story might be a little dark, but it wasn't. Instead it was maybe even a bit too light. I never really felt the despair Sabine had of losing Ciar forever.

That being said: The romance between Sabine and Ciar is hot and sweet and they were characters I could care about and wanted to have a happy ending. There are some really heated scenes between the two of them and those were the best parts of the story.

All in all this is a very enjoyable read with a lovely fairytale feel.

Why should you read it:
If you're in the mood for a romantic fairytale with shapeshifters this is your read.

Buy it here

RAK Round-Up and Signing up for a Another Month

2012-01-01T14:00:00.000+01:00

First of all: a Happy New Year to all of you!

Another month and even year has ended and we're at the start of a new RAK month.

In December I send out a couple of books and I was lucky enough to have some awesome books send to me.

From Michelle I received Ascension, which I'm reading at the moment.

Stella send me Sins of the Angels and Under Wraps.
These books are still on their way to me, but I'm looking forward to reading those as well.

Thanks Michelle and Stella!

I will most certainly join RAK again for January.

===================
RAK:

The RAK movement (=Random Acts of Kindness): it is an initiative organized by the Ladies at the Book Soulmates where everyone posts their whislists and then other people realize one (or more) wishes of a person. Meaning that they send some books to the lucky person they picked! Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

• Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Top Pearls 2011

2011-12-31T14:00:00.000+01:00

And here it is!
My post with my top reads for 2011.

As you might have guessed: Laura Bickle, Jess Haines, Gini Koch and Carolyn Crane again made it in my Top Pearls list of 2011, but because I just spend the last 4 days telling you how awesome their books are I will not talk about their books again, but name the other authors and books that rocked my reading world this year.

Ann Aguirre

I will confess I read Grimspace in 2010, but in 2011 I really discovered what an awesome author Ann Aguirre is.

Her Sirantha Jax series is an emotional rollercoaster ride with me loving Jax in Grimspace, loathing her in Wanderlust and loving her all over again in Doubleblind. I will most certainly be reading the other books in this series in 2012.

Enclave is my all time favorite Young Adult read! It has a wonderfully gritty post-apocalyptic story and world and Deuce is a really cool character. I'm impatiently waiting for the next book in this series.

Stone Maiden is a bittersweet, exotic fairytale and if you haven't read it yet: get the PDF free here (although I can really advice you to get it in print, it's beautiful).

I just started Aguirre's Corine Solomon series and I'm so going to get my trotters on all books in that series as well.

Ellen Connor

Ok, this is actually Ann Aguirre again, this time teaming up with Carrie Lofty to write some amazing Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal Romance.

It's the really amazing setting that makes this trilogy so utterly awesome, although the stories are really cool as well.

I can advice this trilogy to any reader of PNR who loves post-apocalyptic settings and I hope the Ellen Connor duo will decide to write more books together.

Marjorie M. Liu

I won the first three books of the Hunter Kiss series and the prequel novella in a giveaway and I must say I'm so glad I did. Liu's Hunter Kiss series is totally amazing. Maxine Kiss is a heroine I liked from the start and her demon pals are so cool. The stories are intense and full of action. At the moment I'm waiting impatiently for the 4th book in this series (which released this week) to arrive.

The Dirk & Steele series by Liu is just as wonderful as her Hunter Kiss series and so far I've read four books in this series and have a 5th book in my tbr-pile. I will most certainly try to get my trotters on the rest of the books in this series as well in 2012.

Some other amazing reads

Feast by Merrie Destefano: this is a wonderfully dark fairytale that draws you in and keeps you captivated from start to finish.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder: An awesome Fantasy that caught me by surprise and made me fall head over heels in love with its heroine and her love interest.

A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang: So much mentions of bacon in this book, but that couldn't stop me from loving this story about Abby and the Incubus she falls for.

My favorite Zombie Read

Married with Zombies and Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen are both funny and full of zombie mayhem. A terrific combination.

Voodoo Bride's favorite reads of 2011

The Goblin King by Shona Husk: Who can resist a Paranormal romance where the hero is a goblin king?

Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard: This is a perfect mix of Scifi, adventure, suspense and romance.

Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison: Tiago is so amazing! Go read this book now if you want to read a PNR with a swoonworthy hero.

Petals and Thorns by Jennifer Paris: A wonderful BDSM retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

And lastly some series that deserve an honorable mention:

The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh
The Persephone Alcmedi series by Linda Robertson
The Elder Races series by Thea Harrison
The Downside Ghosts series by Stacia Kane

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And that's my Top Pearls list for 2011!
Have a great New Year's Eve everyone and a wonderful 2012.

Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Carolyn Crane

2011-12-30T14:00:00.001+01:00

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

Today: Carolyn Crane

Carolyn had two releases in 2010: Mind Games and Double Cross, book 1 and 2 in the awesome Disillusionists Trilogy. Both are beyond awesome and book 2 ended in such a way I was dying to read the next book.

It looked grim at first for book 3 in the trilogy though, because Spectra didn’t want to contract Carolyn for book 3. Luckily Carolyn managed to sell book 3, Head Rush, to Samhain and that’s why 2011 brought us the audio and ebook version of this awesome conclusion of an amazing trilogy.

Carolyn also released a novella in her Disillusionists world featuring the mysterious Monk in the anthology Wild & Steamy.

What’s next:

2012 will bring the print version of Head Rush (which I'll buy if only so I can hug it) as well as another (as yet unnamed) Disillusionists novella featuring Simon and a novella in The Mammoth Book of Ghost Romance.

Carolyn is also working on a Paranormal Spy series and an Urban Fantasy mystery series.

And now for a short Q&A with Carolyn Crane:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I can’t think of any one moment…or when I try to think of specific moments, they are never better than the moments of laying in bed in the morning with my husband and our two cats, just waking up and talking and laughing and playing with the cats and looking forward to writing. Or reading a good book in bed. This is a lovely question because it just makes me appreciate that time more. I guess I love laying in bed!

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Laying in bed with my husband and the cats! LOL. Actually, probably nothing much different than what I do on any night, except nothing with my day job will be due the next day because it’s New Years Day so I will be able to relax. I used to be sort of jealous of women dressing up fancy to go to a ball on New Year’s Eve, but I so love being at home and laying around and reading and writing, I don’t feel like that anymore.

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

I’m looking forward to self-publishing my Simon novella in February. It’s the first thing I’ll ever publish completely on my own, and I find it incredibly exciting, and scary. I’m also looking forward to springtime, and hopefully having time to work in the garden at our new place!

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Carolyn, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Want to get your hands on a signed copy of either Mind Games or Double Cross?

Now is your chance!
Rules:
- leave a comment for Carolyn
- don’t forget to mention which book you want
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check my previous three posts for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Gini Koch

2011-12-29T14:00:00.001+01:00

Top Pearls Revisited (+giveaway) - Jess Haines

2011-12-28T14:00:00.001+01:00

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

Today: Jess Haines

2010 brought us the really cool Hunted by the Others, the first book in the H&W Investigations series and the novella Spark of Temptation, which was part of the anthology Nocturnal.

2011 brought us even more books:
Book 2 and 3 in the H&W Investigations series: Taken by the Others and Deceived by the Others (both just as cool as the first book if not even cooler), as well as the witty novella What’s Yours in Mine, part of the Anthology The Real Werewives of Vampire County.

What’s next:
2012 will see the release of Stalking the Others, book 4 in the H&W series. (And anyone who read book 3 will probably be just as eager for Stalking the Others as I am.)
Jess is also working on book 5 and 6 and an as yet untitled Paranormal Romance. There are no known release dates for these works yet.

And now for a short Q&A with Jess Haines:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I loved going to Authors After Dark in Philadelphia! Not only did I get to speak on panels, meet some fans and fellow authors, and take home a ton of awesome books, I also got to spend some quality time with my mom. I don't see her enough since she lives in Florida and I'm in California, so that trip was very special to me.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Probably nothing exciting, lol. I usually do a movie marathon and drink some bubbly apple cider as I'm not a fan of alcohol. There's nothing quite like ringing in the new year with a cheesy horror movie and some Martinelli's!

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

A few things. I'll be going to Authors After Dark again, this time in New Orleans. I've never been there, so I'm really looking forward to taking an extended vacation and exploring the city! I'm also looking forward to the release of the fourth H&W Investigations novel, STALKING THE OTHERS (July 3rd, 2012), and delving into some new projects.

Plus I have a few friends and family who I haven't seen in a very long time who I plan on visiting. Since I've reworked my schedule, I have more free time. I've been making good use of it so far in catching up on my TBR pile and finishing some writing projects, but I want to spend some quality time with friends and family, too.

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Jess, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Haven’t read any of Jess’s book yet, or want to get your hands on a signed copy?

Now is your chance to win a signed copy of either Hunted by the Others or The Real Werewives of Vampire County
Rules:
- leave a comment for Jess
- don’t forget to mention what book you would want to win
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check yesterday’s post and to return the next two days for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited (+ giveaway) - Laura Bickle

2011-12-27T14:00:00.003+01:00

Last year I made a list of my top favorite reads of 2010.
4 debut authors ended up on that list and they kept on writing and impressing me with their books. I decided to revisit last year's list and tell you about what these awesome authors have been up to, what we can expect from them in the future, ask them some questions and to give away some books.

First up is Laura Bickle.

Last year Laura ended up on my Top Pearls list twice, under both of her pen-names: Laura Bickle and Alayna Williams

In 2010 she had 2 releases as Laura Bickle and 1 as Alayna Williams:
Released under the pen-name Laura Bickle were Embers and Sparks, which are book 1 and 2 in the Anya Kalinczyk series and they feature psychic medium Anya and her awesome familiar Sparky, a fire salamander.

And released under the pen-name Alayna Williams: Dark Oracle, book 1 in the thrilling Delphic Oracle series, which features Tara Sheridan, a criminal profile who uses tarot cards to guide her in her investigations.

2011 brought book 2 in the Delphic Oracle series: Rogue Oracle.
Rogue Oracle is an amazing read. It’s grim, gritty, scary, intense and in my opinion utterly awesome. If you haven’t read it yet, I can only advice you to remedy that situation as soon as possible.

What’s next:
At the moment it’s looking grim for the Anya Kalinczyk and the Delphic Oracle series. So far there’s been no word that Pocket Books will contract Laura Bickle for more books in both series. A real shame as both series are awesome.

But there is good news as well!

2012 will bring a new series by Laura Bickle:
THE HALLOWED ONES, pitched as "Witness" meets "28 Days Later" in which an Amish girl must protect her family from a violent contagion, even as fear and denial threaten to erode her community from within.

Doesn’t that sound awesome!?

Book 1 will release in the fall of 2012 and book 2 will release in the spring of 2013.

Be sure to keep an eye out for these books and if you don’t, you can be sure I will remind you ;-)

And now for a short Q&A with Laura Bickle:

- What was your favorite moment of 2011?

I got to spend a week this summer hiking with my husband. We found a little waterfall in the bottom of a gorge that tasted like iron. I took my shoes and socks off and waded in that little pool. The sun was shining, and it was really a lovely time, being that close to nature.

We also adopted a new cat, Luna. She's a big sack of sugar - all love and snuggles. Bringing her home was a true joy.

- What will you be doing on New Year's Eve?

Ah, I'm not much of a partier. I'll be ensconced at home in fuzzy jammies, probably reading a book or watching TV. Maybe I'll be writing. There will be a cat draped on me, I'm quite sure.

I might contemplate a list of New Year's resolutions. All the standard stuff: increase word count, lose that last ten pounds, clean out the closets, etc.

- What are you looking forward to in 2012?

2012 is going to be an exciting year for me. In fall, my first YA book will be released by Houghton Mifflin's Graphia line. It's called THE HALLOWED ONES, and it's pitched as "WITNESS meets 28 DAYS LATER." I'm working on the sequel now, and that will be released the following spring.

I'm also looking forward to attending RT Booklover's Convention in April in Chicago. My critique partners, Marcella Burnard and Jeffe Kennedy, will be hosting a reader party with me called: Sidekicks - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It'll be wonderful to reconnect with my fellow authors and meet new readers.

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Laura, thanks for dropping by and I wish you a wonderful New Year's Eve and a great 2012!

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Haven’t read any of Laura’s book yet, or still missing one of them?

Now is your chance to win a signed copy of one of Laura’s books (Embers, Sparks, Dark Oracle or Rogue Oracle)
Rules:
- leave a comment for Laura
- don’t forget to mention what book you would want to win
- leave a way for me to contact you

This giveaway is international and will run until the 9th of January 2012. A winner will be randomly chosen soon after that date.

Don’t forget to check back the next couple of days for news about my other Top Pearls authors of 2010 and for more cool giveaways.

Top Pearls Revisited - Starting Tomorrow

2011-12-26T17:56:00.002+01:00

Last year I made a post listing my favorite reads of 2010.

I will of course also make such a list this year, but I also have something else planned.

The next 4 days I'm going to revisit my favorite reads with 4 posts, 4 authors and 4 giveaways!

So stay tuned and remember to drop by every day between December 27th and December 30th

I Am Scrooge - Book Review

2011-12-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

I am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas
by Adam Roberts

What is it about:
The legendary Ebenezeer Scrooge sits in his house counting money. The boards that he has nailed up over the doors and the windows shudder and shake under the blows from the endless zombie hordes that crowd the streets hungering for his flesh and his miserly braaaaiiiiiinns! Just how did the happiest day of the year slip into a welter of blood, innards, and shambling, ravenous undead on the snowy streets of old London town? Will the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future be able to stop the world from drowning under a top-hatted and crinolined zombie horde? Was Tiny Tim's illness something infinitely more sinister than mere rickets and consumption? Can Scrooge be persuaded to go back to his evil ways, travel back to Christmas past, and destroy the brain stem of the tiny, irritatingly cheery Patient Zero?

What did I think of it:
This is a very entertaining zombie retelling of A Christmas Carol.

Roberts takes the basic story idea runs with it and twists it to his purposes along the way. This does make the story feel forced from time to time, but there's so much cool zombie mayhem that I didn't mind too much.

I wouldn't advise this story to people who take their literature or Christmas serious, because this story makes a fun parody out of both the original story and Christmas.

Overall this is a fast-paced read that get's you in the proper Christmas spirit to go out and fight some zombies ;-)

Why should you read it:
Zombies and Christmas!

Doubleblind - Book Review

2011-12-23T14:00:00.001+01:00

Doubleblind (Sirantha Jax #3)
by Ann Aguirre

What is it about:
It’s not easy to tread lightly wearing steel-toed boots.
Sirantha Jax isn’t known for diplomatic finesse. As a “Jumper” who navigates ships through grimspace, she’s used to kicking ass first and taking names later—much later. Not exactly the obvious choice to sell the Conglomerate to the Ithtorians, a people whose opinions of humans are as hard as their exoskeletons.

And Ithiss-Tor council meetings aren’t the only place where Ambassador Jax needs to maneuver carefully. Her lover, March, is frozen in permanent “kill” mode, and his hair-trigger threatens to sabotage the talks—not to mention their relationship.

But Jax won’t give up on the man or the mission. With the Outskirts beleaguered by raiders, pirates, and the flesh-eating Morgut, an alliance with Ithiss-Tor may be humanity’s only hope. Which has Jax wondering why a notorious troublemaker like her was given the job…

What did I think of it:
After reading Wanderlust and getting totally frustrated by Jax I wasn't sure if I should continue reading this series, but loving about every other book by Aguirre that I read I decided to give Doubleblind a try.

And I fell in love with Jax all over again.

The insecure, angsty, totally frustrating Jax from Wanderlust was gone and in her place was a new and improved Jax. Still vulnerable, but where in Wanderlust this made her turn into a whiner, here she stood her ground and fought for what she believed in, no matter the consequences.

March was brilliant as ever, even in his “kill” mode and I'm starting to love Vel more with every book.

The story was thrilling, suspenseful and awesome and had some excellent world building. Aguirre's writing is beautiful and now that I didn't get frustrated by Jax I didn't even once get annoyed by the use of present tense.

Doubleblind is one amazing SciFi read and I'm definitely going to read Killbox as soon as I get my trotters on it.

Why should you read it:
Bug-like aliens, a cool heroine and a suspenseful story: what more could you want!?

Poison Study - Book Review

2011-12-22T14:00:00.000+01:00

Poison Study (Study #1)
by Maria V. Snyder

What is it about:
Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison…

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear…

What did I think of it:
I will confess that when I borrowed this book from a friend I thought it would be the gazillionth Young Adult Fantasy with yet another love triangle. The food tasting thing sounded cool though, so I set aside my misgivings and decided to give this book a try.

And I'm so glad I did: This book is amazing!

No teen angsty love triangles here. In fact: This book might be marketed as a YA book and Yelena might be about seventeen when the story starts, but I wouldn't call it YA myself per se.

The writing is decent, but it's not the writing that makes this book, it's the story. It has everything I want in a good fantasy:
A likeable heroine who's damaged, but not broken and willing to fight.
A cool, mysterious and dangerous love interest for said heroine.
An intriguing, detailed setting and decent world building.
Some adequate baddies.
And an action-packed, suspenseful story.

What more could you want?

When I finished Poison Study I immediately ordered my own copy, because I know I will want to reread it often and there's only so much times you can bug a friend to part with their copy ;-)

Why should you read it:
It's really cool Fantasy with amazing characters.

Wishlist Wednesday - Nightshifted

2011-12-21T14:00:00.000+01:00

I'm not so sure about the 'falling for a zombie' thing, but otherwise this sounds like such a cool read.

Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander

Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine—from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond…

Edie’s just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she’s haunted by the man’s dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she’s on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul. Grey’s Anatomy was never like this…

Expected publication: May 22nd 2012 by St. Martin's Press

Teaser Tuesdays - Green

2011-12-20T14:04:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Not very far in this book yet, although further along than page 11, but so far I'm loving it. It's very beautifully written.

The first skill a girl-child learns is to sew a small bell to her silk every day so that when she marries, she will dance with the music of four thousand bells. Every day she sews so that when she dies, her soul will be carried out of this life on the music of twenty-five-thousand bells.
(page 11, Green by Jay Lake)

Head Rush - Book Review

2011-12-19T14:00:00.000+01:00

Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy #3)
by Carolyn Crane

What is it about:
JUSTINE JONES FACES HER ULTIMATE ENEMY: HERSELF!

In an attempt to put her unhappy past behind her, Justine Jones throws herself into nursing school and planning her wedding to Otto Sanchez, the man of her dreams. But something is off. Random details aren’tadding up…and is it her imagination, or are her friends and fiancé keeping secrets from her? And what’s with this strange sense of unease, and her odd new headaches?

Justine tries to stay upbeat as Midcity cowers under martial law, sleepwalking cannibals, and a mysterious rash of paranormal copycat violence, but her search for answers leads her into the most dangerous mindgame yet.

With the help of unlikely allies, including her paranoid dad and best frenemy Simon, Justine fights her ultimate foe…and unravels the most startling mystery of all.

What did I think of it:
This book is utterly amazing!
I'm impatiently waiting for the print version to get released so I can hug it to bits.

Seriously:
Crane does it again: She made me rage, cry, chuckle, laugh and sigh in this rollercoaster ending of her Disillusionists Trilogy. There are few authors who manage to get me so involved in a lead character to actually make my blood pressure spike and heart rate increase, but so far Crane succeeded to do so with every book she wrote.

Crane's world building and her characters are both strong as ever. My favorite characters were all present again, there was a very cool new character and Carolyn even indulged me by including my beloved professor Teufelsdrockh (how awesome is that!?).

All in all this book is everything I hoped it would be and more. If you haven't started this series yet, you should run out right now to buy it! It's amazing.

Why should you read it:
It's amazingly cool and utterly awesome Urban Fantasy

Buy the ebook here
Buy the audiobook here
Paperback will be available later in 2012

ps: keep an eye on my blog next week: there just might be a giveaway where you could enter to win a signed copy of either Mind Games or Double Cross

Captured - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-12-16T14:00:00.000+01:00

Captured
by Julia Rachel Barrett

What is it about:
Mari never expects to find herself in a cage in a cargo hold on a spaceship. She quickly learns from her captors she's headed to the meat market. When they try to return her to hypersleep, she resists. After allowing her to stay awake, Mari realizes her survival depends on connecting with the male in charge, Ekkatt. She must make him see her as a sentient being or she will end up as dinner.

Ekkatt has never spoken to any human. They are valued for one thing, the money they bring at auction. The Attun race is vegetarian, but other species prize human flesh and bring in good money. Then the female with red hair speaks to him and forces him to admit she has a name. Mari throws Ekkatt's entire life into question, the biggest question...can he watch her sold to the highest bidder?
** A Siren Erotic Romance

What did I think of it:
I'm always on the look out for a good SciFi Romance where one of the leads isn't human, so that's why I picked up Captured.

And I have to say: It's an enjoyable erotic romance as long as you don't mind that the story has plot holes big enough to swallow up small countries.

Ekkatt thinks humans are little more than animals at the beginning of the story, still he speaks almost every human language and he has visited Earth many times, has seen human cities and has even been in them to abduct humans. Ehm.... either Ekkatt is a little slow in the head or Barrett didn't think this through.

I had some trouble with this and with other glaringly obvious plot holes, but otherwise I enjoyed the romance, which is really hot.

This book won't end up on my reread pile, but I'm willing to try something else by Barrett if the story sounds appealing.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable SciFi romance

Buy from Amazon

Romancing the Countess - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-12-15T14:00:00.000+01:00

Romancing the Countess (Romancing #1)
by Ashley March

What is it about:
Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, thought he'd married the perfect woman-until a fatal accident revealed her betrayal with his best friend. After their deaths, Sebastian is determined to avoid a scandal for the sake of his son. But his best friend's widow is just as determined to cast her mourning veil aside by hosting a party that will surely destroy both their reputations and expose all of his carefully kept secrets...

Leah George has carried the painful knowledge of her husband's affair for almost a year. All she wants now is to enjoy her independence and make a new life for herself-even if that means being ostracized by the Society whose rules she was raised to obey. Now that the rumors are flying, there's only one thing left for Sebastian to do: silence the scandal by enticing the improper widow into becoming a proper wife. But when it comes to matters of the heart, neither Sebastian nor Leah is prepared for the passion they discover in each other's arms....

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
An original and enjoyable Historical Romance.

I liked Sebastian from the start and his reaction to his wife's death and her betrayal was almost heartbreaking. Leah on the other hand was a person full of contradictions and much harder to understand at times. Still she's likeable and I rooted for both to find love again.

The romance between Leah and Sebastian is very well written and I loved the slow and realistic build up. Near the end of the book Leah was testing my patience though, I will confess, and I felt like wacking her, but luckily as this is a romance I finally did get the Happy End I wanted.

I have put the next book in this series (Seducing the Duchess) on my wishlist, because I certainly want to read more books by March.

Why should you read it:
It's an original and well written Historical Romance

Wishlist Wednesday and Giveaway Alert - Bound by Fire

2011-12-14T14:00:00.000+01:00

Bound by Fire by Ronald Craft

An ancient promise.
A forgotten treachery.
Seven souls, bound by fire, will begin their quest for the truth.

Ilian, an apprentice blacksmith, has the heart of a god sealed within him. When Karena, the beautiful red-haired assassin, kills his father and rips his soul from his body, Ilian soon becomes entangled in a rivalry that has spanned over hundreds of years.

Meanwhile, on the other ends of the earth an evil that has been waiting for generations to emerge has finally taken the first step towards changing the known world forever.

-----

Another book that has me drooling over the cover, but doesn't the story sound cool as well!?

And if you live in the US and hurry over to Goodreads, you can still enter to win a paperback copy of this book!

Teaser Tuesdays - Fate's Edge

2011-12-13T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"You're right, my problems are the biggest problems ever," George said. "No, honestly, it's horrible to be me. I'm rich, talented, and I make girls cry."
(page 156, Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews)

Indie Book Blowout

2011-12-12T15:00:00.000+01:00

Today is the start of the 12 Days of Christmas Indie Book Blowout!

Great Books at GREAT Prices
Books that normally sell for $2.99, $4.99, and more are just 99¢ over the 12 Days of Christmas Blowout!

Ànd you can also enter to win a Kindle!

So run on over to the Indie Book Blowout site and find out all about it.

Top Pearls Revisited - Coming Soon

2011-12-12T13:00:00.000+01:00

Last year I made a post listing my favorite reads of 2010.

I will of course also make such a list this year, but I also have something else planned.

I'm going to revisit my favorite reads of 2010 and next to an update on the authors, word about new books, and stuff like that there will be an awesome giveaway!

So stay tuned and remember to drop by every day between December 27th and December 30th

Asha - Book Review

2011-12-09T14:00:00.000+01:00

Asha by Kevis Hendrickson
ebook, short story

What is it about:
Asha is a 15-year old girl with the soul of a demon. She plans to wage war against heaven and hell using humanity as her main weapon. Asha begins the epic tale of the revenge of the dark goddess of demons!

What did I think of it:
An enjoyable short story.

The writing is decent and Asha is an intriguing character. I would have loved to learn a bit more about what makes her tick though, she remained a bit of a mystery which made it hard to connect with her.

The story is intruiging, but doesn't really have a satisfying ending, but this is often the case with first books in an ongoing series, so I won't hold that against it.

All in all it's a nice start of a series and I'm curious how this story will further evolve.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable short story about a demonic teenager

Buy it here

When Josie Comes Home - Book Review

2011-12-08T14:00:00.001+01:00

When Josie Comes Home (The New West)
by A.E. Stanton
ebook

What is it about:
The future’s a wonderful place to be if you were considered worthy -- until a huge solar flare slagged the world computers. Now, over two hundred years later, the unworthies are all that’s left of humanity, and they’ve reverted back to the old, old ways.

Josie escapes from the forced sexual slavery of Horsetown, vowing to return with help to save her sisters. Ten years later, she’s not home -- but her youngest sister, Sadie, insists Josie will return, with her Hero along to help save the day.

(Gini Koch writing as A.E. Stanton)

What did I think about it:
I really liked the setting and world building in this story. Stanton creates a grim and nasty future that's very recognisable because of all the similarities with the Old West.

The story itself is a bit predictable in my opinion, but well written. I did have some problems with the characters though. I couldn't connect with them and this made that I didn't feel really involved with the story.

I think I will give the next story in this series a chance though, because this setting sure has many possibilities that I hope Stanton will explore.

Why should you read it:
It's well written and has a really cool setting.

Buy from Musa Publishing

The Myth Of Mr. Mom - Book Review

2011-12-07T14:00:00.000+01:00

The Myth of Mr. Mom
by Jeremy Rodden, Sonny Lemmons, Christian Jensen, Shawn Scarber, Toby Tate, Leo Dee, Charlie Andrews and Gerhi Feuren

What is it about:
The Myth of Mr. Mom is a collaborative non-fiction essay anthology written by stay-at-home dads that shares the personal stories of eight men from around the world.

The goal of the book is to help bring awareness to the fact that men are just as capable as women of being the primary caregiver, homemaker, and stay-at-home parent. We feel that there is a societal bias against stay-at-home dads that does not exist for stay-at-home mothers and seek to bring our stories to the public.

Filled with humorous anecdotes and eye-opening personal experiences, The Myth of Mr. Mom is simultaneously inspiring and entertaining.

What did I think of it:
This is not a book I would normally read, but because I really enjoyed Jeremy Rodden's Toonopolis: Gemini I decided to give this collection of essays a try.

And yet again I was reminded how rewarding it can be to step outside of your reading comfort zone once in a while.

This is a fun and interesting book to read. Being an open minded person myself when it comes to gender roles and such, I never would have thought there were so many prejudices against stay-at-home dads. The humorous way in which the authors in this anthology write about the prejudices and difficulties they encounter, show that they don't let themselves be taken down though. I think this book would be a great help to all those stay-at-home dads who suffer from the same kind of prejudice if only so they know they're not alone.

Other readers will certainly enjoy this anthology as well. It has many funny anecdotes and it will get you thinking about your own look at life and what hidden prejudices you might have.

As for the writing:
I enjoyed the writing of all the authors in this anthology. Because these are essays it's not a clear indication of their overall writing, but I'm going to investigate what other things these authors have written and see if there's anything that fits my reading tastes.

Why should you read it:
It's an interesting and fun collection of essays about stay-at-home dads

Buy from Amazon

Release Day: Daybreak And Alien Proliferation

2011-12-06T14:00:00.001+01:00

Today is the release day of two fabulous books!
If you haven't pre-ordered them yet, go read my reviews and then run to the store to get your hands on them!

Daybreak (Dark Age Dawning #3)
by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
It's been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. But she needs the help of a shapeshifter named Tru, whom she knew when he was a troubled boy. But Tru is a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses- ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they will unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.

Read my review here

Alien Proliferation (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #4)
by Gini Koch

What is it about:
Alien Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt is expecting her first baby. But the alien attacks are getting more dangerous, and now Kitty and her Alpha Centaurion husband, Jeff, have to find out who's behind the conspiracy to kill Kitty's secret agent mom and what caused Kitty's transformation into a superhuman-and they've got to do it all before the baby shower...

Read my review here!

Play Dead - Book Review

2011-12-05T14:00:00.000+01:00

Play Dead by Ryan Brown

What is it about:
For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits’s bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident—given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach’s clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory. . . in a final showdown where the stakes aren’t just life or death—but damnation or salvation.

What did I think of it:
This book might have zombies,but it's more of a horror-thriller than a zombie book.

Not that I hold that against it:
This is a really cool read.

The writing is very good and the way the story builds up in tension is really well done. Even though I knew what would happen, because the blurb gives a lot of the story away, I couldn't put this book down and had to keep reading. Brown does a really good job at luring the reader into the story. And there still are a couple of really cool zombie mayhem scenes to please any zombie fan.

The characters were also very well written and if I had to name one negative thing it's that there were a few minor characters that I wished had played a bigger part in the story.

Otherwise this is a captivating tale and I will keep my eyes out for other books by Brown.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool horror-thriller with zombies.

Heart of Steel - Book Review

2011-12-02T14:04:00.000+01:00

Heart of Steel (Iron Seas #2)
by Meljean Brook

What is it about:
Growing up in the dangerous world of the Iron Seas, the mercenary captain of the airship Lady Corsair, Yasmeen, has learned to keep her heart hard as steel. Ruthless and cunning, her only loyalty is to her ship and her crew-until one man comes along and changes everything...Treasurehunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in the Lady Corsair-just the captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. When it attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco- and straight into enemy hands.

What did I think of it:
I'm in two minds about this book.

The story and setting are really cool. There's zombies, creepy assassins, airships, you name it. I loved reading about the grim world Brook created and I loved the action and adventure.

Yasmeen and Archimedes however....

I don't think they made a believable romantic couple. It might be just me, but I couldn't feel the connection between them. Don't get me wrong: Both characters are very cool and interesting and I really wanted them to succeed and to find happiness, just not with each other.

This mismatched romance kept me from losing myself completely in the story and while I was totally engrossed in the story when reading The Iron Duke and Here There Be Monsters, here I kept feeling a distance.

I will certainly continue reading this series, because The Iron Seas world is the coolest and darkest Steampunk setting I've come across, but Heart of Steel is my least favorite addition to this series so far. (Although the zombies did make up for the botched romance I will say ;-)

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Steampunk adventure.

Rocky Mountain Heat - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-12-01T14:00:00.000+01:00

Rocky Mountain Heat (Six Pack Ranch #1)
by Vivian Arend
ebook

What is it about:
Blake Coleman is old enough to know that acting on impulse causes nothing but a heap of trouble. But when trouble’s a blonde wearing a cowboy hat and with slim legs that go on forever, what’s a man to do? Wanting the sweet girl next door is just wrong. Hell, he was the one that taught her to ride a horse and now all he can think about is riding her. The responsible thing to do is keep his hands off.

Jaxi has other plans for his hands, and his heart. She may have considered Blake a big brother once but that was a long time ago. She’s all grown up now and ready to convince him that she’s just what he’s been waiting for.

Add the complication of two sexy younger brothers who have suddenly noticed Jaxi and things heat up fast. Blake’s gonna have to decide if a little trouble is worth fighting for.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
I'm usually not much for contemporary romance, but because I absolutely adore Arend's paranormal 'Wolfie' books I wanted to give this story a try.

And it's one hot and sexy read!

Arend knows just how to write a contemporary romance that keeps me interested and that's by sticking to the romance and making it hot, steamy and intense.

There were times I was totally frustrated and even times that things seemed to steer into menage territory, but Arend succeeded to keep the romance within the boundaries that I can handle without getting too upset.

All in all this is a wonderful and sexy romance and I'm very tempted to read more books in series even though I got a feeling some of the Coleman brothers might venture a bit too far into menage territory.

Why should you read it:
It's a hot cowboy romance.

Buy it here

RAK wrap up.

2011-12-01T13:00:00.003+01:00

December is here, so time to say goodbye to November and say hello to a new RAK month.

In November I send out a couple of books, but didn't receive a RAK myself. I did receive some awesome books I won in giveaways though, so I'm a happy piggy.

I'm still very much enjoying the RAK thing, so I'm joining again for December

===================
RAK:

The RAK movement (=Random Acts of Kindness): it is an initiative organized by the Ladies at the Book Soulmates where everyone posts their whislists and then other people realize one (or more) wishes of a person. Meaning that they send some books to the lucky person they picked! Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

• Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Bestseller For A Day - Soul Search

2011-11-30T14:00:00.001+01:00

Soul Search by Amber Scott is Bestseller For A Day!

What is it about:
Three years ago, one horrific night changed his life forever. And now the wolf soul that was invoked to save him is taking over his body, day by day.

Can he master his animal instincts in time to discover who is stealing children's souls before the delicate balance we all depend upon is shattered?

Or will he reject the one woman who can help heal his body and his soul?

------

Read Voodoo Bride's review of this suspenseful and romantic story here

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As always Bestseller For A Day means there's great bargains to be had for you as a reader!

Soul Search is available all week for 99 cents.

And to celebrate Soul Search’s big day, these authors are also dropping the price of their amazing titles to just 99¢:

And you could even win a Kindle!!!

So run over to the Bestseller For A Day site and find out how you can get your hands on these great titles and how you can enter for a chance to win a Kindle.

Teaser Tuesdays - The Zombie Survival Guide

2011-11-29T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The siege has commenced. Zombies swarm around your home, incessantly attacking but unable to enter. At this point, your worries are far from over.
(page 72, The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks)

Trance - Book Review

2011-11-28T14:00:00.001+01:00

Trance (MetaWars #1)
by Kelly Meding

What is it about:
Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.

Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman . . . only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons.

What did I think of it:
This is a very cool read.

Trance was only a kid when all Rangers lost their superpowers and the world suddenly was without its super heroes and super villains. Now she's an adult and just as suddenly she has superpowers again.

I love the above set up, it lends itself perfectly for an action packed adventure. The world Meding creates is intriguing and really cool. Meding really thought about how super heroes and villains would influence society and added this into the story in a natural way.

The lead characters are well defined and life-like and I rooted for Trance from the start. The problems she faces feel real and add tension to the story. Some of the other characters feel a bit one dimensional though and either my villain detector was spot on or the villains of this story are a bit too obvious.

Those two things aside I really enjoyed this story. It's well written and very entertaining. I will keep an eye out for the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's got cool action and super heroes.

Hotter Than Hell - Book Review

2011-11-25T14:04:00.000+01:00

Hotter than Hell
by Jemma Chase
ebook, short story

What is it about:
It’s summertime in Phoenix, Arizona, meaning it’s hotter than hell. So when Ruby Prince walks into the Private Investigator Nicholas Masters’ offices bundled up like she’s in Nome, Alaska, Nick thinks she’s crazy. But what Ruby wants is to find someplace truly hotter than Hell, and what Nick discovers changes his life…forever.

What did I think of it:
Short and Sweet!

This is an enjoyable short read. It reads like a Detective Noir story, but it's not grim like those stories usually are. Instead it's a very sweet, romantic story that, although predictable, is fun to read.

With this story Gini Koch - this time writing as Jemma Chase - explores another style of writing than her usual snark and wit and proves she doesn't need them to keep this reader interested.

Why should you read it:
It's a sweet, romantic short story

Buy from Musa Publishing

Tiger's Curse - Book Review

2011-11-24T14:00:00.000+01:00

Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga #1)
by Colleen Houck

What is it about:
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

What did I think about it:
This book was a huge disappointment.

It started out really interesting and for a large part this book was a great read. Ok, there were some small things that annoyed me: awkward dialogues, ancient prophesies that when hastily translated, rhymed in English, but that is all small stuff. I'd have been willing to let those things slide if that was all that was wrong with this book because until a certain point in this book I was totally engrossed in the story, the characters and their developing relationship.

But then this book suddenly derailed for me. Near the end of the book the lead character Kelsey suddenly turns from a level headed person into a pms-ing dramaqueen and starts angsting and bitching in such ways I totally lost all sympathy with her. If she had been mauled by Ren or any other animal I would have cheered I will confess.

I did finish the book, but that's only because after having really enjoyed the first part of the book I was hoping that maybe things would turn back to before the character switch, but that was an idle hope.

I'm particularly disappointed in this book as it could have been a very enjoyable story if not for Kelsey's teenage drama fest. I will most certainly not continue reading this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a very intruiging and enjoyable story if you don't mind lots of angst and teenage drama.

The Goblin King - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-11-23T14:02:00.000+01:00

The Goblin King (Shadowlands #1)
by Shona Husk

What is it about:
Once Upon A Time...

A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold limp of gold. In legends, he became know as The Goblin King.

For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled.

A Willing Queen.

But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy forever his chance at a Happily Ever After.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
When first hearing about this book I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a Goblin king as a romantic lead. (Yes, the movie Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies, I will confess.)

Then I read the free prequel story The Summons and I knew I had to read The Goblin King.

I love this book!

It's well written, it has goblins, awful men who get what they deserve, a handsome goblin king, intense and hot romance. What's not to love?

The Shadowlands are very intriguing and I hope that Husk will expand on them in the next books in this series. The characters are also very interesting and the romance was very satisfying to read.

Ok, I will admit that Eliza frustrated me from time to time by her actions and her misplaced loyalty to someone I'd have kicked to the curb a long time ago, but apart from that this is a wonderfully romantic read with a hero that had me swooning and almost wishing he would come take me away.

Instead I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book in this series and reread The Goblin King often (and rewatch Labyrinth while I'm at it as well ;-)

Why should you read it:
It's a wonderful Paranormal Romance with goblins!

Teaser Tuesdays - Poison Study

2011-11-22T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Raising his own goblet, he made a toast. "To Yelena, our newest food taster. May you last longer than your predecessor."
(page 18, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder)

Demon Bait - Early Book Review

2011-11-21T14:09:00.001+01:00

Demon Bait (Children of the Undying #1)
by Moira Rogers
ebook, novella

What is it about:
Fifty years after a demon apocalypse devastated the world, summoners still bear the bulk of the blame. Marci lives in secret, hiding the gifts that could cost her a secure spot in one of humanity’s underground cities, and access to their virtual world. After all, her chances of avoiding the genetic-testing lotto are better than her chances of surviving topside.

The bastard son of a terrifying incubus, lust heats Gabe’s blood and sex fuels his magic. Innate charm and charisma help him navigate the cultural gap between the outcast town he calls home and the human settlements he infiltrates for trade. His latest mission nets him an unexpected asset–a summoner strong enough to soothe his darkest needs.

Trust a half demon, especially one who uses a lockdown to trap them together? Not in this lifetime. Yet Marci can’t resist Gabe’s offer to see her safely to a selective outcast settlement where she can live without fear. The journey alone is as dangerous as the way Gabe makes her heart race, but it could be her one hope of a real life.

If only she could be sure Gabe’s telling her the whole truth…

What did I think of it:
This is a very enjoyable romance set in an awesomely cool post-apocalyptic world.

The underground city where Marci lives is intriguing, claustrophobic and utterly cool. I will confess I was a bit disappointed when Marci and Gabe left this city, because I wanted to know more about it, but then they came topside and I forgot all about the city as there were so many new cool things to learn more about.

The romantic tension between Gabe and Marci is well written and believable. I liked Marci from the start and wanted her to not only find a better place to live, but to find love and her place in life. Gabe too is someone I could relate with and I cheered him and Marci on to reach their happy end.

I will most certainly read the next book in this series and I hope there will be many more books after that one, because I want to read lots and lots more about this cool post-apocalyptic world and the creatures that inhabit it.

Why should you read it:
It's paranormal romance with demons in a post-apocalyptic world!

Buy from Samhain
Publication Date: November 29th 2011

Straight to Hell - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-11-18T14:00:00.001+01:00

Straight to Hell (Lilith Straight #1)
by Michelle Scott
ebook

What is it about:
The moment Lilith Straight dies, the Devil appears to claim her soul and cash in on a family curse. Now, Lilith has no choice but to work for him. The job is bad, the boss is worse and she can’t imagine how she’ll explain her new reincarnation to her eight-year-old daughter. But then an arrogant, yet oh so yummy, incubus shows up…and hell heats up just a little more.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This story is much more grim than I'd expected after reading the blurb.

Lilith is a nice and fun person, but the things thrown at her are not only dragging her down, they are also changing her, although she tries really hard to fight it. I was rooting for her to stand her ground and to find a way to turn her life around for the better, but time and time again things turned out wrong.

The tension between Lilith and the Incubus, William, is delicious to read I will say and brings a bit of light in an otherwise dark story.

What keeps this story from becoming depressing is Lilith's defiance and her strong will to not become what the Devil wants her to. It's this that kept me reading to see Lilith succeed and overcome her problems.

To know if Lilith will succeed in finding happiness I will have to read the next book in this series though, as this first book ends with lots of things still unresolved.

Why should you read it:
It's an intense and grim paranormal romance

Buy it from Amazon

Viper Moon - Book Review

2011-11-17T14:00:00.000+01:00

Viper Moon (Earth Witches #1)
by Lee Roland

What is it about:
Cassandra Archer is the Huntress. She has faithfully served the Earth Mother for years, rescuing kidnapped children from monsters-both human and supernatural-dwelling in the ruins of the Barrows District. But when two children are kidnapped under similar circumstances, all clues point to a cataclysmic event on the next dark moon. Now Cass must race against the clock and prevent a sacrifice that could destroy the entire town...

What did I think of it:
This was a fun read with lots of cool action and even cooler characters.

The setting and world building are awesome.
The Barrows District is a dark, dangerous place ruled by evil and it is hidden by magic from the normal people. Cassandra is one of the few who go into the Barrows to try and do good. When the sister of a Police Detective and the son of a gangster get kidnapped Cassandra teams up with the two men to find the two teens. They also get help from the charasmatic owner of a gym/spa that's right on the edge of the Barrows.

Next to some cool action, explosions and icky monsters, there's a romantic storyline with a bit of a love triangle going on and I must say I liked the guy on the losing corner or the love triangle the most, but as the other guy was cool as well, I could live with it.

I did get annoyed from time to time by the fact everyone kept dallying at moments I thought they should actually do something. If not for the fact the bad guys needed to wait for the dark moon they could have succeeded ten times over before Cass had even a clue where to find them.

That point of critique aside I really enjoyed this book. It's fun, entertaining and the setting is really cool. I will certainly give the next book in this series a try once it is released.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun story with a great setting.

Daybreak - Early Book Review

2011-11-16T14:00:00.000+01:00

Daybreak (Dark Age Dawning #3)
by Ellen Connor

What is it about:
It's been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. But she needs the help of a shapeshifter named Tru, whom she knew when he was a troubled boy. But Tru is a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses- ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they will unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time.

What did I think of it:
An awesome conclusion of a brilliant trilogy.

I thought Tru (one of the lead characters) was one of the coolest side characters in Nightfall, the first book in the trilogy, so I've really been looking forward to this book and it sure was worth the wait.

Tru is an amazingly cool character. He's disillusioned, brutal and selfish at first, but the inner growth he goes through in this book is believable and great to read and I liked how this doesn't mean he goes all soft, but still keeps his lethal edge.

Penny was a more difficult character for me to connect with. She's all set on doing good in a way that would make her vulnerable and easy prey if she didn't have her magical powers to protect her. Her character really showed her youth and it was good to see how she toughened up.

The romance between them was intense and they really are a good match as both had character traits the other could learn from.

The story was less gritty and grim than the previous two, but just as exciting. The setting and world are awesome, although there seemed to be less world building, but that's probably because I'm already familiar with the world after reading the first two books, so any world building that was done didn't give me anything new.

I will confess I'm totally bummed out this is the last book in this trilogy, because I could have read many more books set in this totally awesome post-apocalyptic setting. So I'm hoping Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty decide to write more books together.

Why should you read it:
It's the best post-apocalyptic PNR series I've ever come across.

pre-order:

Expected publication: December 6th 2011

Teaser Tuesdays - Heart of Steel

2011-11-15T14:00:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

He was treading close to the unforgivable, he realised. His captain possessed a heart of steel, but he'd managed to wound her pride.
God help him when that bracelet came off.
(page 71, Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook)

Bayou Moon - Book Review

2011-11-14T14:00:00.001+01:00

Bayou Moon (The Edge #2)
by Ilona Andrews

What is it about:
Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

What did I think of it:
I didn't much like or trust William in On The Edge, the first book in this series, but because I really enjoyed On The Edge and because Bayou Moon sounded like an even cooler story than the first I decided to give it a try.

And I'm glad I did.

This story is indeed even cooler than On The Edge!

The world building is really intriguing and awesome. I love the weird, grim world that's created in this book and the mood this world sets for the story. There's lots of weird creatures and monsters and the magic that's used is very original and cool.

I still found William a difficult character, but he was more likeable than in the first book and his difficult character even added to the story. Cerise is one tough cookie, but at least she wasn't as quick to jump to conclusions as the heroine in On The Edge, so I liked her from the start. There were the occasional moments where I wanted to knock their heads together, but all in all I enjoyed the romance between William and Cerise.

All in all I liked this book even more than the first and I'm definitely going to read book three in this series once it's released.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable PNR in a really cool setting.

Blog Tour de Troops - Promo

2011-11-11T13:34:00.000+01:00

Did you know that over 300 overseas US troops have requested books?

And the Indie Book Collective is going to make sure they get them.

This Veteran's Day weekend, November 11th-14th, any reader can participate in the charity that gives back to the troops!

Over 50 authors will be giving away free eBooks, one for each person who leaves a comment on their blog and one for a soldier or veteran.

The purpose: To give away as many books as possible to the soldiers and veterans who request them.

Just visit the Indie Book Collective blog from November 11th-14th to see each day's authors and join in on the blog hop. You're guaranteed to get tons of books and so will the brave men and women who serve their country with honor!

Serpent's Kiss - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-11-10T13:23:00.000+01:00

Serpent's Kiss (Elder Races #3)
by Thea Harrison

What is it about:
Recently, Vampire Queen Carling's power has become erratic, forcing her followers to flee. Wyr sentinel Rune is drawn to the ailing Queen and decides to help find a cure for the serpent's kiss-the vampyric disease that's killing her. With their desire for each other escalating they will have to rely on each other if they have any hope of surviving the serpent's kiss...

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
Another great addition to a wonderful series.

I did have some trouble getting into the story at first, because both Carling and Rune are very difficult persons, but once I got to know them I was hooked. Carling and Rune might both be stubborn and foolish at times, but they're a great match for each other and the romance was both sweet and intense.

The story itself if very different from the first two books, more a personal journey to self discovery than an action filled adventure, but no less compelling than the other books.

I also loved getting introduced to the main characters of book 4, Oracle's Moon and it made me even more eager to get my hands on it when it gets released.

So far Storm's Heart is still my favorite in this series (Tiago is so cool!), but Serpent's Kiss will definitely join its two predecessors on my keeper shelves.

Why should you read it:
It's an intense paranormal romance with two strong and stubborn leads.

Wishlist Wednesday - Precinct 13

2011-11-09T13:44:00.003+01:00

I know almost nothing about this book, but I'm a sucker for a cool title and tagline and this sure caught my attention.

The dead have tales to tell.
Sometimes they just won't shut up.

expected release date: August 7th 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - Trance

2011-11-08T13:08:00.000+01:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Just started this one. These first two sentences alone would have me intrigued even if I knew nothing of the story I'll confess.

The bronze man's head was melting. It oozed fat splats of liquid metal and swirled down the front of his oldfashioned suit jacket to puddle at his feet.
(page 1, Trance by Kelly Meding)

Queenie's Brigade - Book Review

2011-11-07T13:00:00.000+01:00

Queenie's Brigade
by Heather Massey
ebook

What is it about:
Captain Michael Drake desperately needs an army to save Earth after a crushing defeat by alien invaders. When his damaged starship docks at a remote prison colony, he discovers Earth’s last best hope—an army to replace the one he lost.

But, Queenie, the feral goddess ruling the prison, has other plans for the rugged star ship captain. After imprisoning Drake and seizing his ship, she prepares to lead her blood-thirsty band to freedom before the invaders track them down.

Despite her intentions, Queenie secretly falls for the sexy, hotshot captain. Drake makes it plain he wants to win back Earth with her by his side. But is following her heart worth betraying her people?

What did I think of it:
This is an entertaining SciFi Romance adventure in a grim setting.

I liked Captain Drake, even though he was a bit too unconcerned at times about the predicaments he finds himself in. I also had an immediate connection with his crew and after a bumpy start even with Queenie. I really enjoyed the developing romance between Drake and Queenie.

What I did miss was a connection with Queenie's people, I'm not sure if it was the writing or if it is my personal likes and dislikes that were to blame for this though.

The story itself was intense and full of action. I liked the world building and the setting which gave a grim mood to the story, although it never felt truly desparate.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and the story lends itself for a sequel which I would certainly give a try.

Why should you read it:
It's a very entertaining SciFi Romance in a grim and intriguing setting.

Buy from Amazon

Land of Falling Stars giveaway winner!

2011-11-06T17:28:00.002+01:00

Demented Wench was the only one who entered the giveaway, so that means she's the winner of the giveaway!

Demented Wench, I'll send your emailaddy to Keta Diablo so she can send you a copy of Land of Falling Stars.

Antique Charming - Book Review

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000+01:00

Antique Charming
by Natalie-Nicole Bates
ebook/short story

What is it about:
Third-generation funeral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized. She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and its upstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its once former glory. But a strange, late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home still belongs to him.

What did I think of it:
A short and sweet paranormal story.

Bates manages to set up and deliver a mysterious and intriguing story in just seven pages. I liked how she leaves things open for interpretation without giving the story an unfinished feeling. The writing is pleasant. The characters could have been more fleshed out, but that's difficult to do in such a short story and they're rounded enough to relate to them. I hope Bates will either write more short stories and publish an anthology or better yet: write a novel sized story, because I'd love to read more.

Why should you read it:
It's a fast, intriguing read

*

Buy from Amazon

Demonsoul - Promo and Giveaway

2011-11-03T12:07:00.002+01:00

DemonSoul
The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon
By Amy Lunderman
Genre: Paranormal YA

What is the book about:
The people I call family (and I use that term loosely by the way) aren’t the Walton’s by any means. For starters the whole lot of them are demons. Myself included. Who knew right? It’s so bizarre I don’t even believe it. Or want to believe it.

Except, I don’t have a choice.

And I haven’t since the day I was plucked from my mother’s loins. I remember everything as if it was yesterday, and I wish I didn’t. Let’s call it a gift of sorts, my memory, because it’s the only that has kept me alive all this time. Why you ask?

I have a soul.

That’s right, yours truly, Daria Pigwidgeon (a name I gave myself at an early age from a show on MTV my brothers used to watch. And it’s much preferred over scum, which was used often by my parents. Scum Pigwidgeon, not very catchy) is a proud member of her very own soul. And with that came many years of taking care of myself.

Unlike the filthy bottom feeders that are my family, I’m the first one born with a clean viable human soul. The first in generations really. You’d think it’d be a good thing, something to treasure even. Only it’s something that has left me cursed.

And very far from treasured.

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The first book in a young adult urban paranormal fantasy trilogy begins when Daria decides to flee her home in Bakersfield, California. With no clear plan she picks a random place, and heads for the cooler climate of upstate New York. Feeling like she finally has a fresh start she takes her life into her own hands, free of threats. Her first adventure, is in high school, as the new girl.

Making friends and vying for normalcy while staying true to herself to NOT use her demon gifted abilities, life is harder than ever. Just when she thinks she might be finding an unexpected love in the boy next door, new comers arrive in town.

Her family. The ones she ran away from in the first place.

Now she must face what it means to be what she is. A demon with a soul. Except, she's not the only one keeping secrets. And it'll shock her to her core when she finds out who and why.

Book Trailer
Get the book at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble

About Author:
Amy Lunderman is a stay at home mom, with a passion to write paranormal romantic thriller's whether they be adult or young adult. She lives in Rhode Island with her fiancé and their beautiful daughter. She enjoys writing, reading, being a mom, watching movies and television, having dance party, youtube, and status updates on facebook.

Blog
Twitter
Facebook

*

Curious about DemonSoul?
Click here to be taken to a form where you can enter a giveaway of 5 ebook copies of DemonSoul.

5 winners will randomly be chosen from all entries

No purchase necessary to win

Open internationally, void where prohibited

Sapphire - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-11-02T13:02:00.001+01:00

Sapphire by Jeffe Kennedy
ebook/novella

What is it about:
A successful executive, M. Taylor Hamilton is on track with her ten-year plan. Too bad her personal life consists of hitting the gym and grocery shopping. Enter the seductive Adam Kirliss. They may have a working relationship, but everything changes at an office party when he handcuffs her to the rail of a yacht.

Taylor writes off the adventure as too much champagne, but when Adam challenges her to a date, she agrees to meet up with him. And follow his rules. They share a night of exquisite intimacy, brimming with both pain and pleasure. But afterward, fearful of losing her heart, Taylor pulls back emotionally.

Adam is determined to prove that she longs for the loss of control he can give her—and the passionate release it provides. How can he make her see that he wants her, and not just her body?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a seriously hot BDSM romance for adult readers.
Taylor is someone who taught herself that being strong means not feeling anything and always being in control. Luckily Adam Kirliss is able to see beyond the mask Taylor has donned and he takes it upon himself to show Taylor what she is missing by hiding behind her iron clad facade.

The BDSM scenes are delicious and steaming hot. I love Adam Kirliss: he's one hunky alpha hero who knows what he wants and doesn't shy away from using extreme measures to get it (although he makes sure not to cross boundaries that shouldn't be crossed without permission).

Next to this story being an intense and sizzling erotic fantasy for those who love forced seduction and BDSM, this story is about what strength really is. I loved this deeper layer to the story and cheered Taylor on to give in to her deepest desires and to let go of her fears and truly become a strong person.

All in all this is a very intense and satisfying read and I can't wait for Kennedy's next story.

Why should you read it:
It's a delicious and sizzling hot BDSM romance

Buy from Amazon

Author Interview - Jeffe Kennedy

2011-11-01T12:28:00.000+01:00

Today we have one of Voodoo Bride's favorite authors here on our blog:
Jeffe Kennedy

Jeffe is a fun and cool person who writes extremely hot BDSM erotica. Her newest book 'Sapphire' released on October 24. She was kind enough to sit down with us and answer some questions.

Check the links at the end of this post for Voodoo Bride's reviews of Petals & Thorns (a BDSM retelling of Beauty and the Beast) and Feeding the Vampire (post-apocalyptic vampire erotica). And check back tomorrow for her review of Sapphire.

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Voodoo Bride: Jeffe, welcome to Pearls Cast Before a McPig. We’re thrilled to have you here.

- I’m thrilled to be here! As you know, I’m a long-time reader and fan of the pig and the bride.

Voodoo Bride: I absolutely love Petals and Thorns. Finally a version of my favourite fairytale where Beast is actually behaving according to his nature. Do you have any other fairytale retellings planned? If you need any suggestions: Bluebeard is screaming for a hot retelling in my opinion.

- I’ve thought about Bluebeard, but there’s so much scary to that one, I’m not sure how to make it sexy! I do have an idea for Rapunzel – all that hair. I’m also toying with a new idea about a woman torn between two men, one who treats her like an angel and the other who has darker desires. Could be very fun! I’ve noticed, though, that fairytale elements make it into most of my stories. In my novel, Obsidian, which comes out in June, my heroine is a neuroscientist who ends up in Faerie, though it’s not strictly a fairytale retelling.

Sullivan: I’d like a retelling of Three Little Pigs.
Voodoo Bride: You don’t even read erotica!
Sullivan: It could be a zombie retelling!

- Zombie pigs? Now THAT is horrifying! Harder to make sexy than Bluebeard!

Voodoo Bride: I’ve heard you are thinking of writing more stories set in the same world as Feeding the Vampire. Will they feature the same characters or will they be stand alones? And any chance one of them will be novel sized?
Sullivan: And will they feature zombies?

- I do want to write more in that world and all my ideas for it are novel-length. I think Ivan and Misty would be characters, but not the main ones. I’m really interested in what smart women would do in a post-apocalyptic world. Most stories seem to have them being subject to the brutality of men. I can see that strength would win out to an extent, but then there’s always some weak but super smart guy who has all the brutes working for him. Why wouldn’t women do this? I have in mind a woman who’s been a university president who starts a community of women – where men are allowed access under strictly controlled conditions. Vampires, too. And Sullivan, I would add in zombies, just for you.

Sullivan: Yay! You are the best!

Voodoo Bride: How did you come up with the setting of Feeding the Vampire anyway?

- Feeding the Vampire came from a dream. So in the dream, I knew it was a church basement and that the world was in chaos. All the people there were gathered to deal with the aftermath of a great disaster. I had to figure out what I thought had happened, to fit the details of the dream. Earthquakes fit for me. Plus there’s been a lot of thinking about earthquakes this year and how we’re dealing with them worldwide. Very few places aren’t affected by at least the secondary effects.

Voodoo Bride: We’re both big fans of Word-Whores, the blog that you keep with six other authors. How did the seven of you get together and how do you come up with your weekly topic?

- It is kind of interesting how the seven of us came together. I knew Allison, Marcella and KAK through FF&P (the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal online chapter of RWA). I also knew Laura through the chapter, though not as well. At the RWA conference in Orlando in 2010, Allison, Linda and Laura were all at the party for Pocket authors. Allison and Laura knew each other from FFP and Linda hung with them because she and Laura had been in a writer’s group in Ohio together for many years. After the Pocket party, Allison introduced them to me and the four of us spent much of the rest of the conference hanging in the bar together. Allison proposed the idea of the Word-Whores group blog. I suggested roping Marcella and KAK into it. Allison and I both knew Kerry from Twitter, so we invited her to round out our seven days of the week. When we started, we each proposed 8-10 topics and then we all voted on them and took the top 52 for our topics for 2011. KAK made the calendar, so she decided the order.

Voodoo Bride: What can you tell us about your newest release Sapphire? Is it a stand alone or will there be more books?

- Sapphire is different for me in that it’s a contemporary erotic story with no paranormal elements. I don’t know if Kirliss and Taylor will get more stories or not. I might have to let them work out the rest of their relationship in private.

Voodoo Bride: Any other projects you’re working on and can tell us about?

- I already mentioned that Obsidian will be out in June. I’m about to start on a sequel to it, that I’m calling Aquamarine. (They’re totally unrelated to Sapphire – I have no idea what’s up with me and the one-word jewel titles.) I am shopping another novel, The Body Gift, right now. Sullivan would like it – there’s a character with a boar spirit. It’s a contemporary fantasy with shamanistic magic, so all the characters have animal spirits. And I’m almost done writing The Middle Princess, which pulls a lot from fairytales. You know the stories of the three princesses, each more beautiful than the last? Well this is about the middle one – not the heir, not the beauty.

Um, no zombie books, Sullivan. Sorry!

Voodoo Bride: Oh, the Middle Princess sounds intriguing.
Sullivan: I’m more interested in that boar spirit! If I can’t have zombies, a boar spirit is a great alternative.

Voodoo Bride: Jeffe, thank you for answering my questions and for putting up with my zombie-obsessed friend.

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Read Voodoo Bride's reviews:
Petals and Thorns
Feeding the Vampire

And check back tomorrow for Voodoo Bride's review of Sapphire, Jeffe's newest release.

RAK Roundup

2011-10-31T13:04:00.000+01:00

And already we come to the end of yet another month, so it's time for my RAK roundup post.

Again I send out a couple of books and I hope those who recieved them will enjoy them.

I myself got three books this month!

Stella spoilt me again and send me two books!
Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews and Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong.

I already read Bayou Moon and it's awesome. I'll be reviewing it somewhere the next few weeks.

The Bookish Brunette send me Viper Moon by Lee Roland.
I'm reading this book at the moment and so far it's a really cool read.

Thanks Stella and Ashley, you are awesome!

===================
RAK:

The RAK movement (=Random Acts of Kindness): it is an initiative organized by the Ladies at the Book Soulmates where everyone posts their whislists and then other people realize one (or more) wishes of a person. Meaning that they send some books to the lucky person they picked! Doesn't it sound fabulous?

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

• Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Land of Falling Stars - Book Review by Voodoo Bride + giveaway

2011-10-28T13:02:00.001+02:00

Land of Falling Stars
by Keta Diablo
ebook

What is it about:
After her parents die in a fire, Sophia Whitfield struggles to save her beloved home, Arbor Rose. The Civil War has devastated the South, and another blue coat has come to steal her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy inflicts his destruction, she shoots him. And soon discovers the soldier is Gavin, the champion of her childhood.

Gavin's dark secret lurks in Sophia’s future. When she discovers the truth, she's torn between a burning hunger for the man she truly loves and loyalty to Jesse, their childhood friend. The despicable acts of war have changed everything Sophia and Gavin once cherished. Yet somewhere deep in their hearts, the mystical Land of Falling Stars still exists.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A very emotional historical erotic romance.

I loved the romantic and sexual tension between Sophia and Gavin (who is one hunky blue coat) and the scenes between the two of them are really intense and hot.

Next to a really hot romance there was lots of action as well: death threats, a perilous journey and much more. The historical background of the Civil War was intriguing and added to the overall mood of the story.

I fell in love with Gavin from the start. He's hunky, loyal and courageous. Sophia is a much more difficult person to love. From time to time I felt like kicking some sense in her and Gavin forgave her faults much too easily in my opinion. Still I rooted for both of them to find happiness together and to be able to let go of the past.

All in all a very enjoyable and steamy romance.

Why should you read it:
It's an intense and hot erotic romance

Buy this ebook:
On Kindle
On Nook

And now for a giveaway:
Keta Diablo has kindly offered one ebook copy of Land of Falling Stars to one of the readers of this blog.

If you want to be entered for this giveaway you need to:
- leave a comment telling me you want to be entered in the giveaway
- leave a way for me to contact you
- do all this before the 5th of November
- I'll pick a winner at random on November 6th.
The giveaway is international of course and you do not have to be a follower of this blog

Alien Proliferation - Early Book Review

2011-10-27T13:02:00.000+02:00

Alien Proliferation (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #4)
by Gini Koch

What is it about:
Alien Super-Being Exterminator Kitty Katt is expecting her first baby. But the alien attacks are getting more dangerous, and now Kitty and her Alpha Centaurion husband, Jeff, have to find out who's behind the conspiracy to kill Kitty's secret agent mom and what caused Kitty's transformation into a superhuman-and they've got to do it all before the baby shower...

What did Voodoo Bride and I think of it:

Four books into the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series and Koch is still going strong.

Once more Koch delivers a wacky, action packed, delightfully fun adventure that keeps you guessing and laughing from the start.

There's quite some emotional moments in this book as well with at least two moments that had us sniffling.

Kitty's adventures have always been a bit over the top (which to me is one of the charms of this series), but in this book certain events sky-rocket totally out of there, to soar back into credible just before you feel like you're being taken on a ride. This is not meant as criticism in case you're wondering. I think it's amazing how Koch comes up with the craziest things and manages to make them totally believable and although Touched by an Alien will probably always be my favorite in this series, Alien Proliferation is a very close second.

Those who read and loved the earlier books in this series will absolutely love this book as well. For those of you who haven't started this series yet: Go get the first three books now and you'll be all up to speed for Alien Proliferation once it's released in December.

We'll impatiently be counting the days until the release of book 5: Alien Diplomacy

Why should you read it:
It's a fun, wacky and awesome adventure.

pre-order:

Release day: December 6th 2011

Wishlist Wednesday - The Goblin King

2011-10-26T13:02:00.000+02:00

Today a book that's on Voodoo Bride's wishlist:

The Goblin King by Shona Husk

Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

------------

I think it's a horrible cover, but got wacked by Voodoo Bride when I told her. She's been drooling over it since she first saw it.
We did read the free prequel The Summons and that was a pretty cool story, so if Voodoo Bride ever does get her hands on The Goblin King (the book, not the king himself) I might even read it as well.

Teaser Tuesdays - Down These Strange Streets

2011-10-25T13:02:00.000+02:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Elizaveta opened the conference room door and entered like the Queen Mary coming to port in a wave of herbs and menthol instead of salt water, but with the same regal dominance, a regality accompanied by enough fabric and colors to do justice to a gypsy in midwinter - and it was hotter than sin outside.
(page 393, In Red, With Pearls by Patricia Briggs - Down These Strange Streets Anthology)

The Real Werewives of Vampire County - Book Review

2011-10-24T13:02:00.001+02:00

The Real Werewives of Vampire County
by Alexandra Ivy, Angie Fox, Tami Dane and Jess Haines

What is it about:
"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy
No one's more surprised than Sophia when she's struck by an unfamiliar maternal urge to move near her daughters. But instead of being greeted by a welcome committee, she's targeted by kidnappers. . .and saddled with a gorgeous bodyguard on a mission to protect—and seduce. . .

"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox
When a werewolf trophy wife is found dead in Vampire County, Heather McPhee goes undercover to investigate. Heather's never been a mascara-and-manicures sort of girl, but she's willing to learn. Especially with sexy vampire detective Lucien Mead posing as her husband. . .

"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane
Ever since Christine Price moved in with her fiancé, Jonathan, and his twelve year-old son, she's worked hard to fit in with a cadre of local women whose lives seem picture-perfect. Except no one in Jon's upscale neighborhood is quite who they appear to be. Least of all Jon. . .

"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines
Still Waters is like many other exclusive gated communities—except that it's home to one of the largest werewolf packs in the state. But Tiffany Winters isn't frightened of her big, bad new neighbors. In fact, she intends to take her place among the pack. . .

What did I think of it:
Those who know me will probably be able to guess I wanted to read this book because it has a story by Jess Haines. Luckily her story wasn't the only gem in this anthology.
I will give my thoughts about each of the 4 stories.

"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy
I strongly disliked Sophia, the lead character. The plot was largely evolving around a romance and not liking one of the two people involved in the romance isn't a good thing I think. So this story didn't work for me. Maybe I should try something else by Ivy as the writing was decent.

"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox
This story was fun and enjoyable. I really liked Heather and Lucien and wouldn't mind reading other stories with the two of them in the lead. The story did feel a bit chaotic and rushed at times though. I most probably will read more by Fox in the future.

"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane
A really cool story.
The atmosphere, setting and pacing of this story were all great. The characters ranged from weird to mysterious and from cooky to likeable. The story was clever and fun and if it's any indication as to the quality of other work by Dane she might become a must buy. I'm putting her upcoming book 'Blood of Eden' on my wishlist in any case.

"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines
This story is very different in mood and setting (although set in the same world) as Haines H&W Investigations series. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely not! I loved this snarky story which in my opinion fitted the title of the anthology the best. I could easily see this story play out in an episode of Desperate Housewives (if there were werewolves in that show). It is fun, catty, snarky and as with all good stories: much too short. I dont think I need to tell you I'll definitely read Haines upcoming books.

Conclusion: I enjoyed (if not loved) three out of the four stories and will pick up more books more by at least two of the three authors I didn't know yet, which is a great score I think.

Why should you read it:
It's got backstabbing werewives and other cool paranormal stuff.

Releases October 25th

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters - Book Review

2011-10-22T13:02:00.000+02:00

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
by Ben H. Winters and Jane Austen

What is it about:
As our story opens, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home and sent to live on a mysterious island full of savage creatures and dark secrets. While sensible Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, her romantic sister Marianne is courted by both the handsome Willoughby and the hideous man-monster Colonel Brandon. Can the Dashwood sisters triumph over meddlesome matriarchs and unscrupulous rogues to find true love? Or will they fall prey to the tentacles that are forever snapping at their heels?

What did I think of it:
You may know by now that I enjoy reading mash-ups where classic stories are given a paranormal edge by adding zombies, werewolves and what not.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is a worthy addition to my growing collection of mash-up books I think.

Winters does a great job adding tentacles, sea monsters and other fishy things to Austen's story about a mother and her three daughters. I really enjoyed the extra adventure and drama Winters contributed and I will confess I think Winters does an even better job of fitting his text to the original as Grahame-Smith did with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

What I did have trouble with is Austen's original story. I will confess the romance in this book doesn't make sense to me at all! I had two favorite characters and I really felt sorry for them by the end of the book as both were matched with people I think didn't deserve them. (And yes: I checked the original story and there it didn't make sense to me either.)

All in all a very enjoyable mash-up with a disappointing romance.

Why should you read it:
It's got tentacles and sea monsters!!

Stone Maiden - Book Review

2011-10-21T13:02:00.000+02:00

Stone Maiden by Ann Aguirre

What is it about:
Muir is a slave, the lowest of the low. Yet hers is a magic great enough to shake the earth, great enough to topple kings from their thrones, perhaps even great enough to free the gods from their ancient prisons-if only she can free herself first.

Rodhlann is among the last of the Daiesthai, a race of inhuman sorcerers who bled the gods of their magic in order to enjoy limitless power and eternal life. But now, after untold centuries, the Daiesthai have lost the will to live. Only Rodhlann resists oblivion’s siren song. Only he dares to dream of a future for his kind. And for that crime, they will kill him if they can.

What did I think of it:
I'm in love with this book!

The writing is beautiful, the world Aguirre creates both wonderful and cruel and the story itself is epic.

Muir's life changes forever on the day she meets Rodhlann. Her personal growth and the developing relationship between her and Rodhlann are heartbreakingly beautiful and bittersweet to read. I dare anyone to read this book and not wish Muir a well deserved happily ever after. I myself rooted for her from the start.

Muir's life isn't the only one that's changed by her meeting with Rodhlann. The two of them set things on motion that will lead to death, betrayal, violence and hope. There are several storylines in this book following not only Muir and Rodhlann, but also others as they are caught up in the changes.

Aguirre succeeds in making all the characters in this story intriguing at the least and loveable at the best and I found myself caught up in the unfolding events, unable to put down the book as I had to know where it all would lead to.

I can advice this story to anyone who loves beautifully written fantasy. This book is going on my favorites shelf and will be reread often.

Why should you read it:
It's an epic tale about destiny and believing in yourself.

Get the .PDF of Stone Maiden here for free.
Buy it for Kindle here
Buy it in print here

The Ghost in Me - Book Review

2011-10-20T13:02:00.000+02:00

The Ghost in Me
by Shaunda Kennedy Wenger

What is it about:
If you knew a person who was willing to live through your worst nightmare, would you let her? Like any other fourteen-year-old, Myri Anna Monaco has problems she doesn't know how to deal with: a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, a mother who's dating her science teacher, and a "punishment" for a science-project-gone-wrong that lands her in the last place she wants to be--in auditions for the school play. But most girls don't have what Myri has--a ghost named Wren, who not only lives at home, but who is willing to "trade places" whenever she is needed. Although Myri is reluctant at first, Wren's offer becomes a quick and easy solution when her problems collide. However, this brief experience in ghostly possession soon takes Myri's life to new levels. How much will Myri lose to avoid the problems mounting around her? How much will Wren take to fulfill her own desires?

What did I think of it:
This book is meant for the age group 10-14, but can certainly be enjoyed by older readers as well.

The story is fun and recognisable. Ok, not the ghost part obviously, but anyone who's been young once, can relate to how Myri feels. Her fears and uncertainties are more than believable and I can understand why she makes the choices she does and I rooted for her from the start.

The writing is pleasant and the characters feel real. The obstacles Myri encounters could have been a bit more challenging in my opinion, but even without that challenge this is a very enjoyable and fun read.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun, ghostly read for age 10 and up.

Wishlist Wednesday - Sacrificial Magic

2011-10-19T13:02:00.000+02:00

This book is the 4th book in the Downside Ghosts series and I loved the first three books. So I'm looking forward to the release of this one.

Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Expected publication: March 27th 2012

Soul Search - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-10-18T13:02:00.002+02:00

Soul Search
by Amber Scott
ebook

What is it about:
Three years ago, one horrific night changed his life forever. And now the wolf soul that was invoked to save him is taking over his body, day by day.

Can he master his animal instincts in time to discover who is stealing children's souls before the delicate balance we all depend upon is shattered?

Or will he reject the one woman who can help heal his body and his soul?

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A suspenseful and romantic story.

Scott creates a dark and dangerous world where men turn into wolves and spirits walk among us. Grant is a grim hero, but the heroine, Leigh, is more than his match and the developing relationship between them is a joy to read. The tension between them is intense and at times really hot. The action storyline is suspenseful and full of emotion as well. There are quite some twist and turns and I was on the edge of my seat, rooting for Grant and Leigh to not only find love, but to save the day and catch the bad guys.

I hope Scott will keep writing paranormal romance, because I love her settings and her characters. And I hope she writes a sequel to this story as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a paranormal romance with wolves and ghosts.

Buy Soul Search here

An Interview with Karen A. Wyle, Author of Twin-Bred

2011-10-17T13:02:00.004+02:00

Today I have a special guest: Karen A. Wyle.

Karen is the author of Twin-Bred, an original and thought provoking SciFi story. You can read my review of Twin-Bred here.

Karen was kind enough to answer some question about herself and her book.

Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I don't remember exactly when I first decided that I would be a writer. Our local paper published a poem of mine in some sort of kids'-writing column when I was in 3rd grade, but I don't know whether I submitted it -- my teacher may have done so. By age 10, I was determined to be the youngest ever published novelist. I was in the middle of writing the novel when I learned that some upstart 9-year-old in England had got there first. I was quite miffed, but finished the novel nonetheless. (It was a very strange mish-mash, as I recall. I haven't dared to look at it in quite a few years....)

Did you have to do a lot of research on twins for Twin-Bred?
I didn't do a great deal of research especially for the book. I've been interested in twins for many years, so I came to the subject with some background. I did look at some material on womb twin survivors when I first came up with the idea of Mara and Levi.

Will there be any zombies in one of your future books?
I doubt it.

(comment from Sullivan: That's not a definite no, so I'll keep hoping ;-) )

If you could start a new colony on another planet what would you name it?
I might follow the lead of the human colonists in Twin-Bred. All the human towns on Tofarn are named after science fiction writers. I did this as my own tribute to those writers and to science fiction writers in general, but I also thought it possible that humans who were realizing the dreams of science fiction writers and readers might make such a gesture. As to which one: I'd probably pick the Grand Old Man himself, and name the colony
Heinlein.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I hope to start on the sequel to Twin-Bred later this fall, so that'll be more science fiction. I have a sci fi story in rough draft that may be the starting point for a collection of linked stories. My other rough draft is general fiction, if a book taking place in the afterlife fits in that category. (It is not religious fiction. It focuses on family dynamics and the confronting of unfinished business; I created an afterlife with features that assist in the latter.)

I'd love to do historical fiction, but the amount of research involved is intimidating. It may happen.

-----

Thank you, Karen for answering these questions.
I'm looking forward to your next book.

Buy Twin-Bred at Smashwords
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Barnes & Noble

-----

What is Twin-Bred about:
In Twin-Bred, the human colony on Tofarn and the indigenous Tofa have great difficulty communicating with and basically comprehending each other. Scientist Mara Cadell, who lost a fraternal twin in utero, proposes that host mothers of either or both species carry twins, one human and one Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Mara has secretly kept her own twin, Levi, alive in her mind as a companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas. Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee. Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?...

Mark of the Rose - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-10-16T10:17:00.003+02:00

Mark of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles #3)
by Kate Pearce

What is it about:
After hearing that Vampires have returned to the court of Henry VIII, Rhys Williams must form an unwanted alliance with Verity Llewellyn, a lady-in-waiting to the new queen. His childhood companion has grown into a clever and beautiful woman, but she is completely untried as a Vampire hunter.

The revelation that the queen is pregnant only makes the situation all the more dangerous. Who is systematically draining her blood and how, without being noticed? As Rhys and Verity work together to untangle the mystery, the battle to save the queen and the heir to the throne heats up—as does the uncontrollable passion between them.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This book starts with a new story line and has another hero and heroine than the first two books.

I will confess this is my favorite book in this series so far.

It's intriguing, suspenseful and best of all: the romance between Rhys and Verity is very enjoyable and isn't as angsty as the romance was in the previous books. I only now realised how the angst in the first two books influenced my overall enjoyment of the books. In Mark of the Rose I didn't have to worry so much about the romance and this made me lose myself in the rest of the story more easily.

The setting and world building are wonderful and I really loved the action storyline, which is full of intrigue and action. Some plot turns were a bit obvious in my opinion, but not so much as to annoy me.

I'm looking forward to the next book which has the conclusion of this storyline and I think I'll even reread the first two books now that I know how the romance plays out and I can concentrate on the rest of the story more easily.

Why should you read it:
Tudor vampires and vampire hunters!

Ghost of a Smile - Book Review

2011-10-14T14:28:00.001+02:00

Ghost Of A Smile (Ghostfinders #2)
by Simon R. Green

What is it about:
The Ghost Finders answer a distress call from the private research center of one of the biggest drug companies in the world, where a team of police enforcement agents have vanished. They have no idea what they're facing-except a deadline that threatens to remove the entire building from existence if they fail to get to the bottom of the mystery.

What did I think of it:
The first book in this series was a nice read, but lacked feeling. As this sometimes can happen with first books in a series I decided to give book 2, Ghost of a Smile, a chance.

First thing that I ran across: It felt very formulaic.

It started with a first chapter in which our heroes through wit manage to stop a haunting, just like in book 1. In chapter two they are send on their 'real' investigation, just like in book 1. I will confess that alone almost made me put down the book, but I tried to ignore this and soldiered on.

Sadly enough the book did have the same flaws as book 1: the problems the characters run into are too huge for me to be believable, screaming 'DOOM' and 'The end of the world is nigh'. Maybe other people like this, but I like a bit of subtlety. I disliked it especially as the story is intriguing and could so easily have done without the added 'end of the world' threat. And I got really annoyed by the characters who kept snarking at each other. Even when cornered and while they should pay attention to what was coming at them, they had time for snarky conversations. Lucky for them the monsters were kind enough to wait till they stopped griping at each other.

All in all I was disappointed by this book and I will not pick up the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
If you like snarky ghosthunters and end of the world scenarios you might like this book.

Twin-Bred - Book Review

2011-10-13T13:30:00.002+02:00

Twin-Bred by Karen A. Wyle

What is it about:
In Twin-Bred, the human colony on Tofarn and the indigenous Tofa have great difficulty communicating with and basically comprehending each other. Scientist Mara Cadell, who lost a fraternal twin in utero, proposes that host mothers of either or both species carry twins, one human and one Tofa, in the hope that the bond between twins can bridge the gap between species. Mara has secretly kept her own twin, Levi, alive in her mind as a companion and collaborator.

Mara succeeds in obtaining governmental backing for her project – but both the human and Tofa establishments have their own agendas. Mara must shepherd the Twin-Bred through dangers she anticipated and others that even the canny Levi could not foresee. Will the Twin-Bred bring peace, war, or something else entirely?...

What did I think of it:
An original and beautifully written SciFi story.

Twin-Bred is written in a calm, narritive, almost detached tone of voice which fits this story about a scientific experiment really well. The story is really intriguing and I couldn't stop reading as I wanted to find out where this experiment would lead and what would happen to the human and Tofa children who were brought in to the world. Would they really be able to make a difference?

The Tofa are interesting and well worked out aliens. Wyle really succeeded in making them likeable, but at the same time mysterious and a bit creepy. As the story focuses on the humans and the Twin-Bred children, the 'real' Tofa stay mysterious, their actions strange and seemingly dual in nature and they act as a possible threat throughout the experiment.

In a way this story reminded me of Čapek's 'War with the Newts', not surprising as both stories shine a light on how humans treat each other and where we go wrong. But where Čapek's view is a grim one, Wyle still leaves some hope that we as a species might one day see the light.

All in all a beautiful, thought provoking tale.
I will keep an eye out for Wyle's next book.

Why should you read it:
It's an original and beautiful SciFi read.

Buy this ebook at Smashwords
Buy it at Amazon
Buy it at Barnes & Noble

Keep an eye on this blog for an interview with Karen A. Wyle somewhere next week.

Book Lovers and Wishlist Wednesday

2011-10-12T12:21:00.003+02:00

Some of you may have noticed the Book Lovers Inc 1000 followers celebration button on the right.

Yup! Book Lovers Inc has over a 1000 followers and if you ever visited Book Lovers Inc you'd understand why it's such a popular blog.

This week there's a huge celebration with lots of cool giveaways, so head over there to join the festivities and keep an eye out for a guestpost by non other than me! I'll be showing my bookshelves and telling a bit about them as well.

And now for a book that I'd love to add to those bookshelves once it's released in 2012:

Wicked as They Come by Delilah S Dawson

Tish Everett has just left an abusive relationship to find herself and take care of her dying grandmother. When she inadvertently steals an antique locket from an estate sale, she wakes up naked in a strange land and assumes she's having the most realistic dream of her life. Instead she meets the man whose portrait haunted her from inside the locket-- magician, carnival ringmaster, and blood-drinker Criminy Stain.

When the locket is stolen, Tish must choose between her supposed destiny with Criminy in the steampunk Victorian world of Sang and a normal life and family in her own world, where she's the only thing keeping her grandmother alive.

(The first in a three-book paranormal romance series, Simon & Schuster, Spring 2012)

Teaser Tuesdays - Stone Maiden

2011-10-11T12:06:00.001+02:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Yet another book by Ann Aguirre, her writing is just so beautiful.

She wanted to fall at his feet and plead for forgiveness, but her will had hardened until she could not make her knees respond. His livid features burned beneath her eyelids, the icy shine of his eyes and pale skin pulled tightly over his sculpted bones.
(page 119, Stone Maiden by Ann Aguirre)

Black Night - Book Review

2011-10-10T12:59:00.002+02:00

Black Night (Madeline Black #2)
by Christina Henry

What is it about:
Madeline Black is an Agent of death, meaning she escorts the souls of people who have died to the afterlife. Of course, not everyone is happy to see her...

If obstinate dead people were all that Maddy had to worry about, life would be much easier. But the best-laid plans of Agents and fallen angels often go awry. Deaths are occurring contrary to the natural order, Maddy's being stalked by foes inside and outside of her family, and her two loves-her bodyguard, Gabriel, and her doughnut-loving gargoyle, Beezle-have disappeared. But because Maddy is Lucifer's granddaughter, things are expected of her, things like delicate diplomatic missions to other realms.

What did I think of it:
The first book in this series had some flaws in my opinion, but was interesting enough that I wanted to give this book a try to see if things get better.

Well...

The things that bothered me in book one are still present in book two.

There's just too much thrown at Madeline at once which makes the story cluttered and chaotic at times. I'd have liked it better if some storylines had been left out and used for a future book. There are also some inconsistencies in the world building, which started in book one, but still aren't explained in this book. Add to that that out of all the characters my favorite was a character who is supposed to be a not so nice person. So there I was rooting (once again) for a character who was doomed to fail from the start. Now I know this last point isn't the author's fault, but on top of the other things that already bugged me, it was the thing that made me decide I'm not going to continue reading this series. A shame, as the writing is decent and the characters interesting.

Why should you read it:
It's nicely written UF with fallen angels and a gargoyle.

Bound to the Prince - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-10-08T11:31:00.004+02:00

Bound to the Prince by Deborah Court
ebook

What is it about:
Once a proud warrior, elven prince Elathan was living in exile, fallen from grace and separated from his own people. He wanted the mortal woman the moment he saw her standing on Blackfriars Bridge, staring down into the darkness with unbearable pain in her eyes. This strangely compelling female also happened to have luscious curves that made his body ache with desire.
Naturally, he decided to hunt the woman down, drag her to his lair and command her to become his slave of pleasure. But would her frail human body survive a night of untamed passion in the arms of a Fae?

After a devastating breakup with her fiancé, Igraine Chandler was spending her honeymoon in England all by herself, her life utterly bereft of meaning. For who could ever love a plain, slightly overweight nurse from New Jersey with nothing left but a broken heart and her lost dreams of a home and a family?
But she never imagined that she would soon set out into a world beyond her wildest dreams, and help a prince reclaim his throne …

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
This is a steaming hot read.

Elathan is a tortured, bitter (and super sexy) Alpha hero who goes for what he wants and in this case it's Igraine, a human woman who's been hurt, but not broken.

There's an instant attraction between the two, although the fact that Igraine is completely at Elathan's mercy makes their relationship a skewed one at first. Readers who do not like forced seduction might want to stay clear of this book. That being said: for me the seduction and romance totally worked. It was tense, hot and extremely satisfying. I loved how Igraine stood her ground and slowly, but surely turned the tables on her overbearing prince.

There's lots of really steamy scenes as the story focuses on the romance between Elathan and Igraine, but there's a smaller action storyline as well that I really enjoyed. Court plans on making this a trilogy (the next book will feature another smoking hot Elf in search of his lady love as I understand it) and I will most certainly pick up the next book as I want more Alpha Elven warriors.

Why should you read it:
It's a hot, erotic and romantic read

Buy this ebook here

Aliens in the Mail

2011-10-07T15:23:00.002+02:00

Yesterday there was a package for me.
It had Gini Koch's Alien Collective logo on it.

And just look what was inside.
An Advance Reader Copy of Alien Proliferation!
Alien Proliferation is the 4th book in Gini's Katherine (Kitty) Katt series (which is a really awesome series, I can tell you) and it will officially be released on December 6th.
I started reading right away!

Thanks Gini!
You're awesome!

Keep an eye out for the review.

Enclave - Book Review

2011-10-06T13:09:00.001+02:00

Enclave (Razorland #1)
by Ann Aguirre

What is it about:
In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

What did I think of it:
Being a sucker for stories set in a post-apocalyptic world I just had to read this book.

And let me tell you: Enclave totally blew me away!

Let me start with the setting:
Aguirre creates a realistic, gritty, grim and even barbaric world and describes this in such colorful detail I could easily picture it. The Enclave in which Deuce lives and the tunnels around it feel real and alive. I was impressed by how Aguirre described this strange and yet familiar world and succeeded in letting me see it through Deuce's eyes.

As for the characters:
Deuce is a difficult person to love at first, but as she learns and grows I started to grow to like her until I found myself rooting for her. Fade on the other hand is someone I connected with and rooted for from the start and often I found myself agreeing with him when he and Deuce collided with each other.

The story:
Absolutely awesome!
It has everything I love: suspense, kick-ass action, terrifying monsters, betrayal, hope and even love. It's gritty, dark and full of emotion. I like how Aguirre doesn't pull any punches and shows the gruesome reality of a world in ruins and what mankind can turn into when the worst comes to the worst.

So nothing negative to say?
The critical reader might find some small inconsistencies, like Deuce using the word window and then later on in the story she suddenly doesn't know what a window is, but it's nothing major and it certainly didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book.

I will most certainly read the next book in this series 'Outpost', which is expected to be released in September 2012.

Why should you read it:
It's an awesome post-apocalyptic Young Adult story.

Ardeur - Winner

2011-10-05T20:37:00.002+02:00

And the winner of an ebook copy of Ardeur is:

latishajean

Congrats!
I'll send your addy on to Danielle so she can send you your prize.

West with the Wind - Book Review by Voodoo Bride

2011-10-05T12:54:00.004+02:00

West with the Wind by Cindi Myers
ebook

What is it about:
More than gold awaits two lovers at the end of the trail.

Mariah Tate and her dog, Worthy, persuade veteran guide Campbell Jefferson to let them join his expedition headed to California. Camp can't say no to the beautiful widow, but his need to protect her soon clashes with her need to keep secrets. Mariah left more than bad memories behind in Pennsylvania and her growing attraction to the stoic but surprisingly sensitive Camp forces her to face up to the consequences of the choices she's made. Camp doesn't know what Mariah's hiding, but he's determined not to let the only woman who ever made him want to settle down get away. He pursues her across the prairies, through stampedes, Indian raids, desert drought and mountain snows. In the gold camps of California, Camp will discover Mariah's secret, and prove the love she wants most isn't out of reach.

What did Voodoo Bride think of it:
A delightful Historical Romance full of adventure.

I loved both the exciting journey to California and the romance between Mariah and Camp.

The romance is bittersweet and I liked how there's a slow build up which made it feel all the more real and intense. There's the occasional moment where you want to bang Camp's and Mariah's heads together, but mostly I really enjoyed the romantic storyline and I really wanted for Camp and Mariah to work things out between them.

As for the journey:
There's adventure, heartache and disaster along the way to the West and Myers must have done a lot of research to be able to describe the perilous journey in such vivid detail. There's one part of the story that had me raising my eyebrows in disbelieve, I will confess, and that disappointed me as for the largest part this story was so very well researched and believable, but I decided not to let this spoil the book for me as all in all the story is compelling and enjoyable.

Why should you read it:
I can advice this story to anyone who loves Historical Romances that have lots of adventure.

Buy this ebook from Musa here

Teaser Tuesdays - Enclave

2011-10-04T17:00:00.002+02:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I already finished this one, but just had to share a bit.
(review will follow soon.)

"You know you are. You actually believe I let my last partner die because I didn't agree with him. Yet here you are. Alone. With me." His black eyes gleamed wickedly.
(page 48, Enclave by Ann Aguirre)