Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Book Review: A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire #1) by Bella Forrest

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review

I really, really enjoyed this book! This lovely young adult paranormal novel had all the right elements to make it a classic read for my vampire loving heart. The heroine was vulnerable, but strong and extremely likable. It had some dark elements and explored fear and violence. In the heaping pile of young adult, new adult, and adult paranormal books I've consumed, I've come to really have a soft spot for books that don't just delve into sex, blood, and violence. This author did a lovely job of maintaining the obvious darkness that accompanies this genre (hello, duh, blood suckers), but it's no overwhelming or saturated with unnecessary sex scenes.

The romance between Derek and Sofia might be a bit spontaneous, but I appreciate the elements that held the romance from teetering into the ridiculous. The plot twists, world building, and background the author provides wraps the story into a very engrossing, but entirely easy to gobble up story.

Read via Kindle Unlimited.

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Bella Forrest is the million-bestselling author of the "A Shade of Vampire" series.

Sign up to Bella's New Release email list and you'll automatically get notified as soon as her next book is released: www.forrestbooks.com

Visit her website: www.bellaforrest.net

List of Bella's books:

A SHADE OF VAMPIRE SERIES

Derek & Sofia's story:

A Shade of Vampire (Book 1)
A Shade of Blood (Book 2)
A Castle of Sand (Book 3)
A Shadow of Light (Book 4)
A Blaze of Sun (Book 5)
A Gate of Night (Book 6)
A Break of Day (Book 7)

Rose & Caleb's story:

A Shade of Novak (Book 8)
A Bond of Blood (Book 9)
A Spell of Time (Book 10)
A Chase of Prey (Book 11)
A Shade of Doubt (Book 12)
A Turn of Tides (Book 13)
A Dawn of Strength (Book 14)
A Fall of Secrets (Book 15)
An End of Night (Book 16)

The Shade continues with a new hero...

A Wind of Change (Book 17)
A Trail of Echoes (Book 18)
A Soldier of Shadows (Book 19)
A Hero of Realms (Book 20)
A Vial of Life (Book 21) --> Releases December 22nd 2015. Pre-order now!

A SHADE OF DRAGON TRILOGY

A Shade of Dragon
A Shade of Dragon 2 --> Releases January 6th 2016. Pre-order now!

A SHADE OF KIEV TRILOGY

A Shade of Kiev 1
A Shade of Kiev 2
A Shade of Kiev 3

BEAUTIFUL MONSTER DUOLOGY

Beautiful Monster 1
Beautiful Monster 2

This is Bella's website: www.bellaforrest.net

And don't forget to come say hello on Facebook: www.facebook.com/AShadeOfVampire
Instagram: @ashadeofvampire
Twitter: @ashadeofvampire

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Book Tour, Review, & Giveaway: Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn

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Kitty Saves the World

Title: Kitty Saves the World
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville Series (#14)
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor – Forge (Imprint of Macmillan)
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Edition/Formats It Will Be Available In: eBook & Print (Mass Market)
Blurb/Synopsis:
It's all come down to this, following the discoveries made by Cormac in Low Midnight, Kitty and her allies are ready to strike. But, when their assassination attempt on the evil vampire Dux Bellorum fails, Kitty finds herself running out of time. The elusive vampire lord has begun his apocalyptic end game, and Kitty still doesn't know where he will strike.
Meanwhile, pressure mounts in Denver as Kitty and her pack begin to experience the true reach of Dux Bellorum's cult. Outnumbered and outgunned at every turn, the stakes have never been higher for Kitty. She will have to call on allies both old and new in order to save not just her family and friends, but the rest of the world as well.

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review

*** 5/5 Stars ***


Okay, can I just say this first.. I love the main character's name. Kitty. That's awesome! Although the last book of the series, it can be read as a stand alone. Yaaas. It was excellent! I love kick booty female characters. Being in the dishy town of Denver was a nice backdrop. Kitty is well skilled and a lovable character. The arch-nemesis? Sharp, pointy, and evil. Nice plot twists, mystery, and humor. I can't wait to start the rest of the series to see the build up of Kitty saving the world from it's own doom.. even if it's a long road.

Note: I received a copy of this book in paperback form from Tor books during a book review tour in return for an honest review. This did not affect my review in any way.

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author1-300x77Carrie Vaughn-credit Helen Sittig

In addition to being the New York Times bestselling author of the Kitty Norville books, CARRIE VAUGHN is also the author of the standalone novels After the Golden Age, Dreams of the Golden Age, and Discord’s Apple, and the young adult books Voice of Dragons and Steel. Visit her online at http://www.carrievaughn.com.



Author Links:


Amazon Author Page


Blog


Facebook Page ~ Kitty Norville


Goodreads


Website Carrie Vaughn’s Virtual Playground



Author’s Other Works


Kitty Norville Series


Kitty and the Midnight Hour #1


Kitty Goes to Washington #2


Kitty Takes a Holiday #3


Kitty and the Silver Bullet #4


Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand #5


Kitty Raises Hell #6


Kitty’s House of Horrors #7


Kitty Goes to War #8


Kitty’s Big Trouble #9


Kitty Steals the Show #10


Kitty Rocks the House #11


Kitty in the Underworld #12


Low Midnight #13


Kitty Saves the World #14 Coming 2015


Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Short Story Collection)



Stand Alones


Straying from the Path (Short Story Collection)


Voices of Dragons


Steel


Discord’s Apple



Golden Age


After the Golden Age


Dreams of the Golden Age



Anthologies


Dark and Stormy Nights (Kitty Norville Short)


Hex Appeal (Kitty Norville Short)


Running with the Pack (Kitty Norville Short)


Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Kitty Norville Short)

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Book Tour and Review: To Hell and Back by Beth Ann Masarik

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To Hell and Back by Beth Ann Masarik
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Take a journey to Hell with Elise Stevenson as she braves meeting Hades and his companions in this compilation. To Hell and Back consists of the short stories Murderous Regrets, Hell Bound and Hell’s Captive. In these three stories, Elise is sent to Hell to uncover the secrets of the villains in The World Among Us. She dodges the worst of demons, and goes to the very depths of Hell just to interview Hades and the Prince of Darkness themselves among other monsters that appear in the series.

In the short story, Moon Spirit, however, we are brought back to earth, where we meet Raul Blackoak and his family. While Raul is out on patrol, he hears the cries of a damsel in distress. A battle begins between the werewolf and two demons, but before long, the night is saved by a surprise visitor. Raul and his new partner save the day, only for things to become more serious when they bring her back to Raul’s home. Will Raul be able to come to terms with the strange twist of events?

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review

*** 5/5 Stars ***


I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. Never read the author or really had any idea what the stories precluded except for the book blurb. The stories flowed very easily and I would happily devour the series if it's anything like the short stories. A good little collection. Readers get to meet some of Olympus's old gods and their children. Romance, adventure, and snarky characters made this a very quick read. Highly recommended for anyone who might need an hour of distraction and likes paranormal/urban fantasy.

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Beth Ann Masarik was born on Long Island, NY in the year 1984 with an over-active imagination. She used to love playing make-believe games, and now loves creating her own fantasy worlds. Masarik has been writing since she was 15 years old, and had her first newspaper article published in her high school newspaper in her sophomore year. She has taken several creative writing classes, and started writing her very first novel in college, and is currently searching for the right literary agent. Aside from writing novels, Masarik enjoys bowling, gaming, and role playing online. She enjoys reading fantasy novels written by Richelle Mead, L.J. Smith, and J.K. Rowling, and looks to them for role models.


Author Media Links


www.bethannmasarik.com


@theworldamongus


@literarylunes


www.literarylunespublications.com


www.theworldamongussaga.com


https://www.facebook.com/bethannmasarikauthor


https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldAmongUs


https://www.facebook.com/Literarylunespublications



 


 


 


 


Friday, March 6, 2015

Book Reviews, Interview (cool one!) & Giveaway: Under The Moonlight by Ashley Nemer & Soul Mates by Ashley Nemer, L.S. Broomfield

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The concept of soul mates is timeless, but what happens when circumstance comes between soul mates? Will they find their way back to each other? This short story duo packs a hard punch in the realm of soul mates, giving the reader two different paranormal erotica’s that both ask (and answer) that very question.

Wolf Pack...

Lucas, alpha-wolf and playboy extraordinaire, must face hard truths when an old love returns to town bearing secrets of her own.

Souls Caught Fire…

Katrine, vampire assassin and femme fetal, must choose between love and business when a strong and unexplained attraction blooms between herself and her current mark.

If love is meant to be and souls are bound together by fate, Lucas and Katrine must find a way to hold on to the gift they’ve each been given. When life gets in the way, will love be strong enough to unite them with their soul mates?

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review

*** 4/5 Stars for Book #1 ***


Super fast, sweet, and somewhat spicy read. The first novella centers around Lucas and his long lost love. She suddenly comes back into town with a huge surprise and secret. Angry, Lucas takes over. Lucas is consumed with frustration, but soon loses out to love and a new future.

The novella starts out with a hot chase and sex scene. Honestly, I thought it was headed to be more of erotica novel without the good feelings... but I was proven wrong. A very sweet story that makes sense of the opening scene at the end.

*** 3.5/5 Stars for Book #2 ***


Book number two was more of a classic paranormal romance with hot guy meeting hot girl, sparks fly, tempers fly, and we have the hot kiss. Two paranormal factions not normally meant for each other come face to face with the reality that the only thing either one of them will be killing is their hate for each other. Wink wink, nudge nudge.

A quick read, slightly predictable. The main character seemed a bit in love with herself, but again, the main characters were both alpha(ish) in nature and hot to trot for each other. Fun for a fling, fun for an hour read.

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Zara's fate had been decided thousands of years before her birth. She is now fighting against time and family to reclaim the decisions that will ultimately shape her destiny.

Sentenced to live an existence in the Underworld, mated to a man she despises, Zara must find a way to overcome the Gods and their curses, with love as her only guide.

Can James, a sailor, help Zara break the bonds of magical spells or will she end up mated to Xander, the Son of Satan?

Take a dive Under the Moonlight to see where love can take you.

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review

This novella is a mix of mythology, modern relationships, and romance. Zara is one of many prince and princess born to her immortal parents who rule the sea. Using deities of Greek mythology, the author sprinkles their roles through Zara's life. Zara is approaching a pinnacle in her life in which she will chose to live on the land with human or remain in the sea with her people. A handsome bass playing sailor catches her eye. A few awkward dates and a visit from an angry uncle quickly have Zara backing off. James, the sailor, has way more than meets the eye. To add to the mix, Zara is at the center of a family curse that has her tied to Hades son. Ick! Zara has to follow her heart or her duty.

The story flowed well and was interested with the mix of mythology and modern background. Without spoiling the story, my head tilted in confusion during a consummating scene- it was just a bit oddly described and seemed rush. Beyond that, this was an acceptable paranormal romance to pass an hour or two.

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interview

The birth of Under The Moonlight

Some authors find their muses in music or the outdoors or even everyday life. This story found its life through one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jennifer. She is a fellow blogger/writer (The Cubicle Escapee) and loves to help me make new ideas for my many different worlds. Well one day Jen goes “I want to read a story about a mermaid.” Now she had emailed me this statement while I was at work so logically I said “Jen go buy a book!”
Of course … I knew what she meant.
She then goes into detail about what all she needs this story to contain.
-Hades
-A character named Zara
-Mermaids
-Crazy Mermaid Sex
Of course I took this insane request in stride and let it alone. Until she came back at me telling me all the guys where she works wanted to read crazy mermaid sex. And at this point, Under The Moonlight was born.
So when the story was finally finished I had all the elements she required. Except the sex. I had a totally crazy and insane sex scene … but my Facebook fans vetoed it. So that scene got tamed down. Here is exactly what one man said …. His name is David … he’s a writer as well. “I like that you're trying something new here! But I gotta agree, the description of a random hole appearing and such, I dunno. It was a bit off. And as a guy, I dunno if I'd be cool with just sticking things in there, lol.” So while his comment made me laugh out loud it did also make me decide to bring it back home to some regular, ‘normal’ sexual fun.
So there is the story of Under the Moonlight and there should be one moral you all take away from this story …. Never let your friends dictate your writing … it may lead to strange looks and odd scenes.

Jen can be found here: http://thecubicleescapee.com/ or here http://twistedadmiration.blogspot.com/


author

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Hello, and welcome to my Goodreads page! I am touched you have taken the time to visit me.

Here's a bit about me. I've been married just under 6 years and my wonderful husband along with our two pup's, Toto and Doogie, are the center of my world.

Writing has always been something that called to me, or rather being creative in one form or another.

I am so thankful to everyone (and there are a lot!) who has helped me along this journey. Each and everyone of you mean so much to me and I will never forget your love, support and help!

I can be found here: www.ashleynemer.com or here http://ashleynemer.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/ashers83

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Sunday, January 18, 2015

New Release & Review: Growl by Ashley Fontainne

 

Synopsis:
My name is Sheryl Ilene Newcomb. And yes, my initials are
S.I.N. A funny little piece of whimsical humor my parents found amusing when I
arrived. Mom and Dad were two high school sweethearts who adored their guns,
their beer and their self-appointed titles of King and Queen of the Rebellious
Rednecks. The day I arrived, they didn’t think anyone in the town would have
the mental acuity to put two and two together to discover their little inside joke. Shame on the pathetic excuses who called themselves teachers in this dreary city, because Mom and Dad had been right: no one caught on to their little attempt at humor.


Then, it turned out to be true. Looking back with wiser eyes
now, my family and I concluded that the events leading up to my transformation started the summer I turned nine. But the day we realized there was a problem, and no turning back, was a week before I started my senior year at Junction City High. The day the fangs and claws appeared and the monster inside of me
emerged. When mutilated corpses appeared near a pile of brush down by Caney Creek, everything changed.


That day, I changed, forever. Because evil woke up andgrowled, its ominous rumblings heard by every living thing in Locasia County, Mississippi.

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review

Sheryl has been left scarred, battered, and bereft with the loss of those she loves. The main character, 18 year old Sheryl, accounts the background and story of her family's magical (I'm not spilling the beans, I swear) past and insane battle of good vs evil that takes place in her small town. Not sure what genre to put this well written novel in- paranormal, action/suspense, teen romance, mythological? A strong mix of all of the above and a very entertaining read.

The story has some thick twists and turns that resolve themselves in the end. The story follows a handful of generations and the strong element of mythology that lingers in the area. A pondering cliff hanger, or maybe open end, left me going "hmmm!"

Side note: I wouldn't put it in the YA category at all even though the protagonist is younger due to the strong content.

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Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the EVISCERATING THE SNAKE series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley's love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her latest release, the suspenseful thriller The Lie, took home the GOLD medal in the 2013 ILLUMINATION BOOK AWARDS for ebook/fiction.


 







Saturday, December 13, 2014

Book Tour Review: Antique Magic (Alicia Trent #1) by Eileen Harris





Antique dealer Alicia Trent is hired to appraise a huge collection of treasures hoarded by a woman who has recently died in the town where Alicia grew up.

The huge old house poses mystery after mystery from the moment she arrives, but the stakes become deadly when murder is added to the mix. The question then becomes, can she stay alive long enough to unmask the killer?

 

 

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review*** 5/5 Stars ***


Living in the South, it's hard not to like, shop, or collection antiques. I use to go antiquing with my mom and grandma on the weekends. All sorts of baubles and treasures. Some could have been magical, I'm sure. Alicia Trent grew up with an antique appraiser mother and has followed in her footsteps. A local elderly lady has passed and her family has assigned Alicia of setting up the sale of the huge, gigantic, and eclectic collection of items she has crammed into her large home. Alicia moves in, meets the two sons of the passed woman, and stumbles on some murderous and magical secrets. The unraveling of the family's tale, personal struggles, and present is extremely fascinating. Her run ins with trouble, life or death that is, and her discoveries made this novel a quick page turner. Toss in a little romance, some side character stories, and the reader gets a satisfying read.


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excerpt

Without consciously making a decision to do so, I grabbed my robe and headed for the door. If the thief was in the house, it might be my chance to identify him or her. One last glance at the globe showed the black was now mixed with a lot of orange. It looked like a Halloween decoration.


I turned off the light in the room, then quietly unlocked and opened my door. A flashlight would be a big help, but mine was packed in my suitcase. This was the first time I’d needed it. I eased out into the dark hall. A nightlight plugged in at the top of the stairs made a dim glow and I started in that direction. Moving slowly, I listened intently for any unusual noise. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. I didn’t think anyone had stayed overnight in the house except Naomi and me. The stairs were solid and didn’t make a sound as I crept down. Time moved in slow motion and it seemed to take forever to reach the bottom. Once there, I began making my way to the living room. We always turned off the electronic security on that door at night since there were no potential buyers coming in and out after five. Even though I still hadn’t seen anything suspicious, somehow the atmosphere seemed wrong. Danger seemed to lurk in every dark corner. I was anxious to make sure the items displayed for viewing hadn’t been disturbed. Moving into the room and closing the door seemed to take forever. I couldn’t wait to get the light turned on. At first glance everything looked fine. Walking around the items for a closer look, I still didn’t see any evidence of tampering. Maybe I was overreacting and chasing ghosts. I decided to return to my room, but instead I veered into the study for a quick look. I wasn’t quite ready to admit my fears were just my nerves playing tricks. This time I hadn’t done the smart thing and called for Dan. He had to be tired of my crying wolf and not finding any evidence. I’d need a darn good reason before choosing to disrupt the entire household again.

At first the study also seemed undisturbed, but as my eyes adjusted, my heart skipped a beat. Someone had pushed the button that moved the desk aside. The light on the stairs leading down into the passageway had been turned on. Someone had entered the house, but I couldn’t call Dan from here and didn’t want to lose the chance to discover the identity of the intruder. All of a sudden my policy of not crying wolf didn’t seem so wise. I picked up a large letter opener from the desk and started down the stairs. The cloying feeling of danger increased with each step. The second bookcase on the left hand side of the hall was moved aside, revealing a passage I hadn’t known existed. The walls in this new passage were lined withartwork. Creeping silently along, I noticed that the art consisted of a variety of styles. At a quick glance I saw pen-and-ink, charcoals, watercolors and oils. I wouldn’t know what all was there until I had time to investigate. Right now my attention was focused on finding out who was down here and why. The passage climbed steadily upward. There didn’t seem to be any side doors, at least none that were obvious, until the end of the passage. Here one door opened to the right. By now my sense of direction had become confused and I wasn’t sure what part of the house this passage ran through, but it might be somewhere on the second floor.




author


From living off the grid in the Arizona desert, Eileen has moved to the woods of upstate New York. She has authored a standalone adventure novel called Desert Shadow. She is also the author of Alicia Trent Series. The Black Cane : Dowager Diaries Book 1 is her latest release.



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