Saturday, July 31, 2010

July Review Re-Cap :)


Can you believe today is the last day of July? It amazes me how time seems to move faster now that I am an adult. I remember, as a child - how slowly time seemed to move - not anymore. :)

Here in Georgia we have year round school - that means that the kids only have a 9 week summer break. That also means that our son is heading back to school on Monday. :) This will be his last year in middle school - that also amazes me - as well as the fact that his older sister will start college in a couple of weeks. :) Now I just feel old. LOL

July was a great reading month for me. I discovered 4 new to me authors: Justin Cronin, Cynthia Eden, Dee Davis and Elisabeth Naughton. I was also introduced to the Romantic Suspense genre - and I am now a fan. :) YaY! For me. Here is a re-cap of my July reads:

5 Stars

The Passage - Justin Cronin
Death's Mistress - Karen Chance
The Darkest Lie - Gena Showalter
Destined for An Early Grave - Jeaniene Frost
Deadly Fear - Cynthia Eden
Entwined - Elisabeth Naughton

4 Stars

Bullet - LK Hamilton
Kings Property - Morgan Howell
Clan Daughter - Morgan Howell
Royal Destiny - Morgan Howell
Salt & Silver - Anna Katherine
Marked - Elisabeth Naughton

3 Stars

Crux - Moira Rogers
Bond of Blood - Diane Whiteside
White Cat - Holly Black
Desperate Deeds - Dee Davis
Lucan - Susan Kearney

2 Stars

Dark Warrior Unleashed - Alexis Morgan
Ghostland - Jory Strong

That was my reading month. How was yours?

M

Friday, July 30, 2010

Reviews & Spotlight: Marked and Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton



Marked is the first book in the Eternal Guardians series by Elisabeth Naughton and a Paranormal Romance from Love Spell.

Book Blurb:

Theron - Dark haired, duty bound and deceptively deadly. He's the leader of the Argonauts, an elite group of guardians that defends the immortal realm from threats of the Underworld.

From the moment he walked into the club, Casey knew this guy was different. Men like that just didn't exist in real life - silky shoulder-length hair, chest impossibly broad, and a predatory manner that just screamed dark and dangerous. He was looking for something. Her.

She was the one. She had the mark. Casey had to die so his kind could live, and it was Theron's duty to bring her in. But even as a 200 year old descendant of Hercules, he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull in her fathomless eyes, to tear himself away from the heat of her body.

As war with the Underworld nears, someone will have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Eternal Guardians - Argonauts, warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.

Theron is on a mission to recover The Princess. When he tracks her to a strip club - he is amazed to find her fixated on a human woman working in the club.

Sending The Princess back home has Theron thinking he will never see that human woman again - but he is wrong.

Acacia Simopolous has been working two jobs to help support her ailing grandmother. Having lost her mother a few years ago - and never knowing her father, her grandmother is all the family she had.

One night at the club where she waitresses, Casey sees a man she's never seen before. And she is intrigued. But she knows she will never see that man again - men like that never give women like her a second glance.

When she sees the man being attacked in the parking lot outside the club - Casey rushes to help. But what she sees is beyond comprehension. Those things are not human. And now, she has placed herself on their radar.

Casey takes Theron home with her and tends his wounds. Later, in the quiet - she convinces herself that she didn't see what she thought she saw. And ig
norance is not always bliss - especially when something wants you dead.

I give Marked 4 out of 5 stars and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series - Entwined.

M

AND

Entwined is the second book in the Eternal Guardians series by Elisabeth Naughton and a Paranormal Romance from Love Spell.

Book Blurb:


Zander - The most feared of all the Eternal Guardians. It's rumored he can't be killed, and he always fights like he has nothing to lose. But as a descendant of the famed hero Achilles, he's got to have a vulnerability...somewhere.

Forces of daemons are gathering and have broken through the barrier
s of the Underworld. Now more than ever the Eternal Guardians are needed to protect both their own realm and the human world. Zander can't afford to think about what might have been with the bewitching physician he once regarded as his soul mate. But with eternity stretching before him, he also can't fathom spending his life without the one woman who makes him feel most alive. Perhaps he's found his weakness, after all...

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy.

Entwined is the continuing story of the Eternal Guardians - Argonauts, warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.

Zander fears he is immortal. Having lived twice as long as his fellow Argonauts, the guardian wonders if he will live forever. After more than 800 years, he has seen his fellow guardians die in battle with daemons or reach the end of their allotted time - and be replaced by new guardians. He recovers from all wounds, even ones so serious they would fell another guardian.

But he can't recover from the wound to his heart. Having found is soul mate ten years ago - and then rejected by her, Zander feels he has nothing to gain by his long life. This attitude makes him reckless in battle. Often to the point of suicidal - if he could die.

His reckless behavior has not gone unnoticed by the other guardians, and with the daemon activity picking up, they can't afford to lose one of their best fighters. But that is what will happen if Zander doesn't get it together - he will be kicked out of the Argonauts - and then what will he have to live for?

Vowing to make his brother guardians proud of him, Zander pledges marriage for the good of the kingdom. After all, being in a loveless marriage for 400 years or so is a mere drop in the bucket for an immortal who will live forever. Right?

I absolutely love this series. :) Eternal Guardians has the same feel as the Dark Hunters. Ms. Naughton has taken Greek mythology and made it her own. :)

I give Entwined 5 out of 5 stars.

M

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Book Blogger Hop


Over at Crazy-for-Books they're having a Book Blogger Hop. Here is a description from the website:

It's Friday! Time for another Book Blogger Love Fest HOP!!

ABOUT THE HOP:
In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! So, I created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Sounds like a blast. Go and check it out - leave your link so others can stop by your blog - and don't forget to check out some of the blogs listed - you may find several you like. I did. :)

http://www.crazy-for-books.com/


This week: Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

WoW, that made me do some thinking. If I have to narrow it down to one author I'm going with Lucy A Snyder and her debut novel Spellbent. I really enjoyed that read and I'm looking forward to the sequel, Shotgun Sorceress releasing in October. :)

M


Review: Ghostland by Jory Strong


Ghostland is the first book in the Ghostland series by Jory Strong and an Urban Fantasy Romance by Penguin.

Book Blurb:

In a post-apocalyptic world where supernaturals have emerged from hiding, wealthy humans delight in decadence while the religious gain power through temptation. For the masses, fear reigns from birth to death, and the afterlife holds beings that only the bravest can summon - or dare to desire...

Taken from her home and family, shamaness Aisling McConaughey has no choice but to enter the "ghostlands" in order to learn the fate of a wealthy man's mistress. But there is always a price to pay for the use of her power. To save the woman's life she must summon the Djinn prince Zurael en Caym - and yield to his savage, sensual rage.

Zurael fears nothing except being called and bound to a human's will. He intends to kill Aisling after she's served as bait to find an enemy in possession of an ancient tablet. But the more he tastes of her innocent spirit, the more he'll use his fiery touch and seductive whispers to keep her hungry for his mercy - even as they weave an erotic spell that he cannot escape...

Powerful forces threaten both their worlds, leaving Aisling and Zurael with an unbearable choice: follow their hearts...or stay true to their honor and risk losing an eternity of pleasure.

My thoughts on Ghostland are conflicted. :)

Aisling has not had the easiest life. Born into a world that has been utterly devastated by war - a war that paved the way for the supernaturals to emerge and take control - Aisling lives in fear of one day being taken. Taken because of her gifts.

Aisling can enter the Ghostlands - the area 'in between', and she can communicate with the beings that reside there. Using these beings as guides, Aisling can find people who have died or are near death. But at a price - Aisling must always pay a price.

During a trip to the Ghostlands Aisling uncovers magic of the blackest kind - and in her haste to stop the ceremony she calls upon a name. A name she is not familiar with - and hopes she can contain the being that appears.

Zurael is angered beyond reason when he is summoned from his home. He has no respect for the 'children of mud' and feels that his life would be better if they were all dead - then the threat of summoning would be gone.

Zurael does as commanded and then vows to return and kill the woman who summoned him. But when Zurael returns home - he can't get the woman out of his head, and he can't deny the attraction he feels.

Ghostland was and okay read. Some parts were better than others. I like the concept - very unique. But it was up and down - and that made for slow reading.

This book has plenty of steamy sexy moments - and if that is your cuppa, then this is the book for you. But that bothered me a little as well. If someone were trying to kill me - and I wasn't sure of my safety - I don't think I would stop and go to happy town. But that's just me. LOL

I give Ghostland 2 out of 5 stars.

M


Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Review: Lucan


Lucan is the first book in the Pendragon Legacy series by Susan Kearney and a Paranormal Romance from Forever.

Book Blurb:

THEIR LOVE IS FORBIDDEN

Healer and high priestess of her people, Lady Cael is fated to life without a mate. But a mysterious explorer named Lucan Rourke doesn't know her secrets, and his touch makes her crave a future that her extraordinary birthright has forbidden her. . .

BUT DANGER IS NO MATCH FOR DESIRE

Lucan has just one mission on Pendragon: to find the mythical Holy Grail, Earth's only hope for survival. His powerful attraction to Cael is a distraction he can't afford, unless he convinces her to join forces with him. Yet working so closely together only heightens their passion . . . even when the terrifying truth of Cael's heritage threatens to shatter Lucan's every belief-and the galaxy itself.



Lady Cael is the high priestess of her people on Pendragon. She is respected - but alone. Isolated by her station, it is forbidden for anyone to touch her - but compassion for her people lead Cael to become a healer.

Now Cael's nephew is dying and she can do nothing to heal him. The only hope she has is finding the lost Grail.

Lucan Roarke is a scientist and archaeologist from Earth - an Earth whose population is slowly being depleted. After years of airborne pollutants - Earth's people have become sterile. No children are being born - and if something does not change soon there will be no more people.

After finding a reference to a planet named Pendragon, Lucan feels that he may have finally found the elusive Grail. With this Grail Lucan is sure that he can cure the sterility that plagues mankind - and save humans from extinction.

Lucan was an okay read. I was certainly surprised in a couple of places and that is always a plus. :)

I give Lucan 3 out of 5 stars and I have the remaining installments on the tbr shelf . :)

M

Pendragon Legacy
1. Lucan (2009)
2. Rion (2009)
3. Jordan (2010)
LucanRionJordan


Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Review: Salt and Silver


Salt and Silver is a Paranormal Romance by Anna Katherine and a TOR novel.

Book Blurb:

When trust fund baby turned waitress Allie and her friends accidentally open a Door to Hell in the basement of Sally's Diner, they don't realize the havoc it will wreak on their Brooklyn neighborhood. Of course, the upside to murder-happy demons coming through the Door all the time is that Allie gets her own sexy and mysterious demon hunter: the dark-eyed, leather clad, Stetson-wearing Ryan.

Ryan teaches Allie everything he knows about fighting the creatures of the underworld - but refuses to give in to the sexual tension that simmers between them. Allie has almost given up on taking her relationship with Ryan to the next level when there's a surge in demonic activity...and the Door disappears.

Now Allie and Ryan have to travel through Hell, literally, to try to stop Hell from taking over the earth. They may not survive the trip, but Allie is about to discover something very important: Mortal peril is a total turn-on.

Salt and Silver turned out to be a very enjoyable read.

The first part of the book was slow going and felt a bit choppy - trying to get the back story of 'how' out of the way.

Allie is a down on her luck young woman of privilege - who has lost all of her privileges. The main one being money. Now working at and living over a diner - Allie is doing all she can just to make ends meet.

When a couple of her friends from her old life come over for a few drinks, they inadvertently open a door to a hell dimension.

Enter Ryan.

Ryan is - for all intents and purposes, the guardian of the door to the hell dimension. It is his job to slay anything that comes out of that door. Over the years he has taught Allie a thing or two about demon slaying - and the two have come to a peaceful coexistence in the diner.

That is until Allie's door goes missing...and the only way to find out what happened is to enter the hell dimension.

Though Allie is quirky and smart mouthed - often bantering back and forth with the 'Doors', Salt and Silver has its serious moments. Not everyone who entered the hell dimension returns.

I give Salt and Silver 4 out of 5 stars and I wouldn't mind another book from the authors who are Anna Katherine.

M


Monday, July 26, 2010

ARC Review: Desperate Deeds


Desperate Deeds is the third book in the A-TAC series by Dee Davis and a Romantic Suspense from Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing.

Book Blurb:

As the demolitions expert for A-TAC, a black-ops CIA unit masquerading as Ivy League faculty, Tyler Hanson has two great loves: literature and explosives. She lives by the motto "Duty First" and doesn't have time for personal attachments...until a steamy one-night stand turns into a professional partnership.

Burned by Betrayal

When Tyler meets Owen Wakefield, a handsome British operative, she seduces him with no intention of ever seeing him again. But then the sexy Brit is brought into A-TAC, and despite Tyler's efforts to keep her distance, she finds herself falling for him. Trusting him.

Owen seems too good to be true - and he is. He's hiding his true motives and identity, and no matter how he feels about Tyler, he can't keep her secrets. One of A-TAC's members has turned traitor and helped terrorists to hijack a shipment of nuclear weapons. As witnesses start dying and evidence starts disappearing, Owen and Tyler must race to find the mole - and prevent a final, cataclysmic act of destruction.

Desperate Deeds was submitted for review and I retain my copy.

Tyler Hanson is the munitions specialist for A-TAC. For the last ten years she has put together and taken apart anything that goes boom - and she is very good at her job.

America and Britain have been secretly working on nano tech nuclear detonators. When it comes time to move those detonators into British hands, Tyler is assigned to lead transport.

But something goes wrong and the detonators are stolen.

Owen Wakefield is assigned to
meet the transport and take the detonators into British possession. When the transport is late, and then doesn't show at all - Owen is part of the team that goes in search of the transport.

What Owen finds is worrisome to say the least - the detonators are gone and it looks like an inside job.

Tyler and Owen, along with the rest of A-TAC must find the traitor and recover the detonators before they can be used.

Desperate Deeds was an enjoyable read, fast paced and well written. I have to say that I like the way Ms. Davis writes - it flows very well. :)

I give Desperate Deeds 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
    Publisher: Forever (July 27, 2010)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0446542024
    ISBN-13: 978-0446542029


Mailbox Monday


Good morning everyone. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. :) Did you watch True Blood last night? Oh my goodness!! So much happened. I am so proud of Tara - she finally did something useful, there may be hope for her yet. LOL

Here is a book I received from paperbackswap.

Book Blurb:


Imagining vampires at the heart of the social struggles of 1920s, Moonshine blends a tempestuous romance with dramatic historical fiction, populated by a lively mythology inhabiting the gritty New York City streets.


Zephyr Hollis is an underfed, overzealous social activist who teaches night school to the underprivileged of the Lower East Side.

Strapped for cash, Zephyr agrees to help a student, the mysterious Amir, who proposes she use her charity worker cover to bring down a notorious vampire mob boss. What he doesn't tell her is why.

Soon enough she's tutoring a child criminal with an angelic voice, dodging vampires high on a
new blood-based street drug, and trying to determine the real reason behind Amir's request - not to mention attempting to resist (often unsuccessfully) his dark, inhuman charm.

Happy Reading!!

M

Friday, July 23, 2010

ARC Review: Deadly Fear


Deadly Fear is the first book in the new Deadly series by Cynthia Eden and a Romantic Suspense from Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing.

Book Blurb:

Two Brilliant Agents

FBI Special Agent Monica Davenport has made a career out of profiling serial killers. But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Like Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.

One Dream Team

Luke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victim's deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.

But can they catch a killer whose weapon is Deadly Fear?

Deadly Fear was submitted for review and I retain my ARC. :)

Deadly Fear is the first book I have read by Cynthia Eden and I enjoyed it very much.

Special Agent Monica Davenport is very good at her job - almost too good. When it comes to profiling serial killers - she is the one you call on for help. Monica has the uncanny ability to get inside the mind of the killer and figure out what he or she is going to do next. An ability she uses to catch and put away the monsters she hunts.

Luke Dante, prompted by events in his past, joined the FBI in the hope of helping victims of violent crimes - especially those crimes committed against women.

The two agents are now working together in the SSD - Serial Services Division. It is this division that specializes in tracking and apprehending serial killers.

And their services are needed in Mississippi. So far two bodies have been found in a very short space of time. And for Jasper, Mississippi - where the body count has been zero in the last ten years - two bodies are 'serial' - even if the MO is different.

I have to say that Romantic Suspense is fast becoming one of my favorite genre's.

Deadly Fear is a great combination of fast paced action and steamy encounters.

I give Deadly Fear 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next two installments - Deadly Heat in February of 2011 and Deadly Lies in March of 2011.

M

Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: Forever (July 27, 2010)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0446559245
    ISBN-13: 978-0446559249


Thursday, July 22, 2010

Book Blogger Hop


Over at Crazy-for-Books they're having a Book Blogger Hop. Here is a description from the website:

It's Friday! Time for another Book Blogger Love Fest HOP!!

ABOUT THE HOP:
In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! So, I created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Sounds like a blast. Go and check it out - leave your link so others can stop by your blog - and don't forget to check out some of the blogs listed - you may find several you like. I did. :)

http://www.crazy-for-books.com/


This week: TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

I have just started reading Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich. This is the 16th book (obviously - lol) in the Stephanie Plum series which is one of my all time favs.

Stephanie is a bounty hunter. She's not a very good bounty hunter - and most of her captures are complete luck. With Lulu as her sidekick, Grandma Mazur getting into all kinds of trouble and trying to choose between Joe and Ranger - I don't see how Stephanie gets anything done. :)

M


Review: Destined for an Early Grave


Destined for an Early Grave is the fourth book in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost and an Avon Fiction.

Book Blurb:

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger...

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.


Destined for an Early Grave is an amazing read. :)

Catherine Crawfield did not have the most ideal childhood. As long as she can remember her mother has told her that vampires are evil. Evil and need to be killed. So that is what Cat did - hunted and killed vampires - secretly and alone.

That is until she met Bones, a vampire - and he tells her how much potential she has. You see, Cat is a rare half human, half vampire hybrid - and she has a few traits from her vampire father that help her in her mission to kill vampires. Bones sets out to train her - to live up to her potential.

Now, years later and bound in vampire fashion - the equivalent of marriage - Cat and Bones head out for a much needed vacation. But the tranquility of down time is breached by Cat's nightmares.

Nightmares of a vampire telling her that Bones is not who she thinks he is - and he, the vampire in the nightmare is the only one who can protect her.

I loved this installment of the Night Huntress series.

I like Cat and Bones a great deal - but Ms. Frost has written secondary characters that are just as important to the story -
I especially like how Mencheres was portrayed - a little more relaxed - even joking once or twice.

I give Destined for an Early Grave 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next installment - This Side of the Grave, due out in March of 2011.

M

Halfway to the GraveOne Foot in the GraveAt Grave's EndDestined for an Early Grave


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Book Promo: How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days


GOT DEMON?

Grace does.

She's got more demon than she can saddle. In fact, she's got a sinfully sexy Crown Prince of Hell named Caspian. She's also got ten days to get rid of him or
Bad Things shall ensue.

See, her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend didn't take kindly to her smutty Mephistophelean contract. It's not that she's conspiring with fiends; that was his idea. It's that she's conspiring against
him with outrageous devilry that runs the gamut from embarrassing to a dead hooker turned dominatrix demon gunning for his soul.

One should never trust demons, let alone shag them. They don't have hearts. Yet Grace is buying hers some slightly tarnished armor and hoping that once he's been shoveled into it, kicking and screaming, he'll find it's just his size.

This wicked witch needs a white knight--or at least a Prince of Darkness for a Happily Ever After.

Release Date 10-26-10

M

Review: Royal Destiny


Royal Destiny is the third and final book in the Queen of the Orcs trilogy by Morgan Howell and a Ballantine Books Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

A delicate alliance between human and orc has been achieved. Now Queen of the Orcs, Dar works toward making that peace last. Her position has helped her to finally feel part of a community, to find a life to call her own.

But sudden, strange outbreaks of unrest and ominous signs throw both realms into turmoil. Dar must draw on her knowledge and skills to confront a merciless long-time enemy - and an evil she once only barely survived. To keep human and orc from destroying one another, Dar risks everything on a desperate gamble - and her own future on a heartbreaking sacrifice.

Queen of the Orcs has been a wonderful journey and I am very glad I took it. :)

Dar, now Queen of the Orcs, has been reborn an Orc. Her outward appearance remains the same - but inside she is Orc - possessing the memories and knowledge of all the Orc Queens that came before her.

But nothing can prepare Dar for the challenges she must face - when her own are questioning her ability to lead and her alliance with the humans is tenuous at best - Dar has no one to turn to for help.

Can she trust the visions she's received? And can she stop the unthinkable from happening - before it's too late?

Dar has finally come full circle. Journeying from peasant slave girl to Orc Queen and finally to the woman she was meant to be.

I give Royal Destiny 4 out of 5 stars.

M


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Book Cover & Promo: Halfway Hexed by K. Frost


A small town that’s about to be in some big trouble.

Pastry-chef-turned-unexpected-action/adventure heroine Tammy Jo Trask is finally ready to embrace her mixed-up and often malfunctioning magic. Too bad not everyone wants her to become all the witch she can be.

First, there are the local residents who form a scripture-spouting posse and kidnap Tammy to “defend” Duvall against witchcraft. Next, someone saddles her with a secret package chock full of dangerous visions, just as the president of WAM—the World Association of Magic—arrives with his entourage to investigate her. And who worse to examine Tammy’s entanglement with off-limits and drop-dead gorgeous wizard Bryn Lyons than his ex-girlfriend? Not to mention that the clash between the locals and the magical visitors leads to a series of unnatural disasters that may doom them all.

Will Tammy Jo's magical synergy with Bryn be enough to help her save the town or will her enemies succeed in putting Tammy out of commission for good? One thing’s certain: this would-be witch is ready to rumble, Texas style…

Release Date: February 2011

*Thanks to Elie at Ellz Readz for posting this cover. You can find her here:
http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/

M

Review: Clan Daughter


Clan Daughter is the second book in the Queen of the Orcs trilogy by Morgan Howell and a Ballantine Books Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

Enslaved by King Kregant's army, Dar survived by befriending the fierce orcs who were also forced to serve. Now she has escaped - only to find that the price of freedom may be her destiny.

Calling on her untried leadership abilities, Dar guides the surviving orc soldiers to the safety of their homeland - but the clan leaders refuse to accept her unless she can release their queen from Kregant's fortress. Shaken by her growing gift for dark prophecy and a fate she feels unprepared to accept, Dar must infiltrate the very heart of the despot's empire. There she will discover unexpected treachery and an ancient power that threatens the future of all.

Clan Daughter is the continuing story of Dar, an enslaved young woman forced to serve in the orc regiment of the Kings army.

Having befriended the orcs - Dar has come to the conclusion that the King is taking advantage of his agreement with the orc Queen and using the orcs to fight his battles so he can take over the country.

Dar convinces several orcs to leave the army and travel back to their homeland - where Dar hopes to convince the Queen to reconsider allowing the orcs to help the King.

Once in the home of the orcs things don't go quite as Dar planned and the home she once hoped to make with the orcs comes with a high price. Dar must save the Queen.

The Queen, having grown sick, is being nursed at the King's own court - by the King's mage, Othar. A dark wizard. And Othar has plans of his own - plans that do not include the orc Queen being reunited with her subjects.

So now, after making the perilous journey from the King to the orcs homeland - Dar has to go back to the King - and save the orc Queen.

I have really enjoyed this series so far and I give Clan Daughter 4 out of 5 stars. I am now reading the final book in this trilogy - Royal Destiny.

M


Monday, July 19, 2010

Mailbox Monday




Good morning everyone. I hope you had a wonderful weekend. :) What did you think about True Blood last night? Twists and Turns, twists and turns. I don't know what is going happen next. LOL

Here is a book I received from paperbackswap.

Book Blurb:

"Cases involving the occult handled with discretion." It was this ad that drew interesting business to the Philadelphia office of Bradley, Ryan and Davis, Private Investigators. Kevin Bradley and his partners were uniquely qualified to handle such assignments because they were far more than the mere mortals they appeared to be.

Kevin Bradley - or Brad - was in reality a powerful daemon lord, and Evan Davis was his half-daemon, half-human son. Allied with them was Lily Ryan, a daemon who could easily seduce mortals to do her bidding.

With their special advantages, solving mortal crimes should have been a cinch for them. but they never got the easy, open-and-such jobs. Instead they faced real challenges, like saving a wealthy woman's brother from inhuman captors who had chosen him as a pawn in a multidimensional, millennia-spanning campaign of conquest.

Or taking on the task of tracking down stolen crystal orbs that had belonged to a long-dead dowager empress of China - pursuing an elusive thief who would prove a dangerous adversary even for detectives able to draw upon powers beyond anything in the mortal realms.

Omnibus edition contains: Eye of the Daemon & Eyes of the Empress

This might be a little different and I'm looking forward to reading them both. :)

M

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Book Promo: Body Master by C J Barry




First in a brand-new sexy paranormal romance series from award- winning author C.J. Barry.

Book Blurb:
Seneca Thomas is an agent with XCEL, a secret government taskforce charged with capturing the dangerous shapeshifters that have infiltrated New York City, passing for humans.

Her Native American heritage gives her a special gift-the ability to see the shapeshifters for what they are.


But when her partner is killed in the line of duty, Seneca finds herself teamed up with Max Dempsey-a shapeshifter.

And when the pair discover a growing army of shifters gathering beneath the city, Seneca will have no choice but to trust the one man she shouldn't.

Release date: 8-3-10

M

Friday, July 16, 2010

Friday Finds: Unbound by Kay Danella



The author of Flame Seeker lets loose in a new novel of erotic romance.


A relic hunter, Asrial stumbles across a rare vase, only to discover that it holds something more precious inside-a djinn named Romir.

Aboard Asrial's ship, Romir finds unexpected freedom and unexpected passion in Asrial's bed. But when the vase beckons him back, Asrial must find a way to release him completely, even if it means returning to the dangers of her home world...


Due out 10-05-10

M

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday




Over at Crazy-for-Books they're having a Book Blogger Hop. Here is a description from the website:

It's Friday! Time for another Book Blogger Love Fest HOP!!

ABOUT THE HOP:
In the spirit of the Friday Follow, I thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! So, I created this weekly BOOK PARTY where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

Sounds like a blast. Go and check it out - leave your link so others can stop by your blog - and don't forget to check out some of the blogs listed - you may find several you like. I did. :)

http://www.crazy-for-books.com/


This weeks question: RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

I have recently discovered two new authors - well, new to me. Thomas Emson and David Wellington. So I am eager to get my hands on their works. I know, more than one book - but I'm really excited to read all they have available. :)


AND





To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
  2. Follow our Featured Bloggers -
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
  5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
  6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!

Happy Follow Friday!

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Review: King's Property


King's Property is the first book in the Queen of the Orcs trilogy by Morgan Howell and a Fantasy by Ballantine Books.

Book Blurb:

Born into hardship, Dar learns to rely on herself alone. When her family betrays her, Dar is conscripted into King Kregant's army and its brutal campaign to conquer a neighboring country. Now she is bound as a slave to a dreaded regiment of orcs, creatures legendary for their savagery and battle prowess.

Rather than cower, Dar rises to the challenge. She learns the unique culture and language of the orcs, survives treachery from both allies and enemies, and struggles to understand a mystical gift that brings her dark, prophetic visions. As the war escalates - amid nightmarish combat and shattering loss - Dar must seize a single chance at freedom.


King's Property is a very good read.

Dar is the product of her father's first marriage - and his new, younger wife does not like her. So when the King's men come round looking for girls to serve in the army - Dar's father gives her to them.

When Dar finds that she is to serve in the orc regiment she is scared - but she realizes very quickly that the orcs are not as treacherous as the men who serve the King.

Dar decides to make friends with a particular orc - but by doing so, she alienates herself from the people around her - which is both good and bad.

King's Property is the story of one woman's journey from captive slave to reluctant leader. I enjoyed it very much.

I give King's Property 4 out of 5 stars and I am reading book two - Clan Daughter now.

M


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cover Find: On the Hunt




Hey all. :) Shannon Butcher posted this on FB today. I couldn't wait to share.

Due out February 2011.

M

Review: White Cat


White Cat is the first book in the Curse Workers series by Holly Black and a Young Adult Novel.

Book Blurb:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

White Cat is a YA book with teeth. :)

Cassel has always thought he was the odd man out in his family of curse workers - having no power of his own he often feels left out when the topic of curse working pops up. So he has tried to make a life of his own by attending
a prestigious boarding school and having a 'normal' life.

His plans take a turn for the worse when he wakes up on top of the roof and can't remember how or why he is on said roof.

And the dreams of a white cat are disturbing to say the least. The cat wants him to do something - but he has no idea what he is supposed to do - or why the cat seems oddly familiar.

White Cat tells a tale of magic users, the mob like family that employs them and the traitors who want more than they are entitled to have - and the lengths they will go to in order to attain their goals.

I enjoyed White Cat and give it 3 out of 5 stars.

M


Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Promo: Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

I came across this book while looking for new releases. :)

From one of the genre's finest writers comes a bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle.

It is the dawn of a new age... The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy.

Cat and Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families.

But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can't be trusted, who can you trust?

Release Date: 9-9-10

M

Review: Dark Warrior Unleashed


Dark Warrior Unleashed is the first book in the Talions series by Alexis Morgan and a Paranormal Romance by Pocket Star books.

Book Blurb:

He's on a mission to annihilate the enemy.

A Talion enforcer, Ranulf Thorsen has served his people for a thousand years, delivering the eye-for-an-eye justice by which his kinsmen live. Weary of the centuries-long fight, the fierce warrior with icy blue eyes has secluded himself on a mountain far from the chaos of the modern world below. Now he's been summoned to face the most dangerous battle of his life -- and the fate of his people is on the line.

But when he meets the beautiful woman he has sworn to defend...

Ranulf and his bitter rival, fellow Talion Sandor Kearn, must find the rogue Kyth who set a violent fire in a nightclub. The near-deadly blaze's unlikely heroine, Kerry Logan, is also a Kyth, possessing the ancient Nordic people's unique ability to manipulate human energy. She just doesn't know it yet.

...who will protect his heart?

Kerry finds more than comfort in her warrior's embrace, and Ranulf hungers to both defend and claim the petite powerhouse for his own. But with time ticking away and their lives on the line, will Kerry believe the wild tale he's telling her, and master her powers...before it's too late?


Dark Warrior Unleashed was an okay read.

Ranulf has lived for a thousand years, serving the Kyth and Dame Judith - their Queen, as executioner. It is Ranulf's job to hit down and destroy any Kyth that goes renegade. And the very worst thing has happened - a Kyth has gone renegade - but not just any Kyth, a Talion.

Kerry has always felt different: too much energy as a child, not fitting in with the group - preferring to work alone and get lost in a crowd, rather than be part of the crowd. When she meets Ranulf she is instantly attracted and soothed in a way that she never experienced.

Dark Warrior Unleashed was an okay read. It did not stand out for me and the characters didn't meet their potential. Ranulf is a Viking and he has the ability to be an Alpha - but he just didn't get there.

The story was predictable - and by the end, wrapped up in a nice little bow.

I give Dark Warrior Unleashed 2 out of 5 stars and I have the next installment on the tbr shelf.

M

Dark Warrior UnleashedDark Warrior UnbrokenDark Warrior Untamed




Monday, July 12, 2010

Mailbox Monday




Hello everyone. :) I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Who watched True Blood last night? What do you think of Alcide? Yep, I agree. LOL

Here are a couple of books that I won from Blodeuedd over at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell. You can find her blog here:

http://books-forlife.blogspot.com/

Book Blurb:

"The morning I died it rained. Poured down so hard it washed the blood off my face."

Thus begins the story of Lori Jean, whose short life and death are woven into this poignant, heart-wrenching novel set in the rural South of the 1950s. Told from the point of view of ten-year-old Lori Jean, a sensitive dreamer of a child who longs for a "normal" family, Roseflower Creek is raw with the emotions of a child burdened by the harshness of her life. Abandoned by her father when she was five, her world is filled with a self-absorbed mother who can't seem to hold her life together and an abusive, alocoholic stepfather who can't-or won't-keep a steady job. Yet Lori Jean is filled with the curiosity and hope common to all children.

After Lori Jean's stepfather , Ray, begins attending AA meetings, he seems like a changed man, and Lori Jean begins to think that finally she and her mama are going to experience some long-overdue happiness-be a real family. But tragedy strikes anew, and Ray, unable to cope, returns to the bottle and his shiftless ways. Fired from his job at the cotton mill, he resorts to stealing, and when Lori Jean uncovers his secret, things begin to spiral out of control. Unable to keep silent, Lori Jean pays the ultimate price for what she knows.

Poignant and bittersweet, Roseflower Creek is a story of the loss of innocence. Told with an honesty and authenticity that only a child narrator could achieve, it is a remarkable first novel that will move readers with profound emotions and haunt them long after the last paragraph has been read.

"Finally, we was gonna be a family. Have ourselves some happy times to look back on. Git ourselves one of them futures-just like regular folks."

AND

Book Blurb:

In 1963 rural Georgia, with the Vietnam War cranking up, pregnant seventeen-year-old Adie Jenkins discovers the diary of pregnant seventeen-year-old Tempe Jordan, a slave girl, begun as the Civil War was winding down. Adie is haunted by the memory of her dead sister; Tempe is overcome with grief over the sale of her three children sired by her master. Adie--married to Buck, her baby's skirt-chasing father--is unprepared for marriage and motherhood. She spends her days with new baby Grace. Buck spends his with the conniving vamp Imelda Jane.

Adie welcomes the friendship of midwife Willa Mae Satterfield. Having grown close to her after Grace's birth, she confides that her baby sister, Annie, survived choking on a jelly bean only to drown in Cold Rock River a few months later. Willa Mae says, "My two little chillins George and Calvin drowns in that river too." What she won't say is who and why.

Adie takes refuge in Tempe's journal. It tells an amazing tale:

When "the freedom" comes, Tempe sets out to find her children but never finds them, and she settles in Macon, Georgia, where she meets Tom Barber, a former slave from a Savannah plantation. They marry and have a daughter nicknamed Heart, and though she's "a bit slow in the head," they adore her. Tom is good to Tempe, and she remains by his side, ever faithful, until she discovers something she can't live with--a truth so devastating she vows never to speak of it again.

Adie continues to pore over Tempe's diary, which seems to raise more questions than it answers. After Tom is killed in a drunken brawl, Tempe takes Heart to north Georgia, settling on a small patch of land and taking up midwifery to support them both. Eventually she marries an elderly neighbor and gives birth to two more children, Georgia and Calvin. Adie is filled with questions. Could Willa Mae be Heart? Could the children in the diary have been hers? How--and why--did they drown? And is it possible that the man who owns the house in which she lives is Willa Mae's grandson?

As Cold Rock River comes to its surprising, shocking ending, questions of family, race, love, loss, and longing are loosed from the mysterious secrets that have been kept for too long--and the depth of the mysterious connection between two women united by place and separated by race and a hundred years is revealed.

Thanks B! :)

M



Review: The Darkest Lie


The Darkest Lie is the 6th installment of the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter and an HQN Paranormal Romance.

Book Blurb:

In this riveting new installment of "The Lords of the Underworld Series", Gideon, keeper of the Demon of Lies, fights to uncover the truth.

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie - until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn't remember the beautiful female, much less wedding - or bedding - her. But he wants to...almost as much as he wants her.

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free. A future with her might mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon's enemies draw closer - and the truth threatens to destroy all he's come to love.


The Darkest Lie was awesome! :)

Gideon can only speak in lies - which makes understanding what he is trying to say puzzling to say the least.

Example:

I hate you man. = I love you man.
No thank you. = Thank you.
I really want to kiss your mouth. = I really want to kick your ass.
You are ugly. = You are beautiful.

You can see how having a conversation with Gideon can become frustrating.

When Gideon does speak the truth he and his demon are reduced to a trembling mass of pain - which can take a couple of days to recover from - so it is in Gideon's best interest to stay away from the truth, especially when he knows his enemies are in the neighborhood.

Scarlet has been on her own for hundreds of years - well as alone as she can be while hosting the demon of Nightmares. When Scarlet sleeps her demon is free to enter the dreams of anyone who is asleep - turning their dreams into their worst nightmare.

Gideon does not remember Scarlet - but he finds her eerily familiar. Scarlet on the other hand, claims to be Gideon's long lost wife - and she is very upset that Gideon does not remember her or the life she led - the life she thinks he tried to save her from.

And she blames him for everything she suffered through...

I loved The Darkest Lie. :) Gena Showalter rocked it out with this installment.

I give The Darkest Lie 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next installment - The Darkest Secret (which I think will be Amun's story) due out in the Spring of 2011.

M

The Darkest FireThe Darkest NightThe Darkest KissThe Darkest Pleasure
The Darkest WhisperThe Darkest PassionThe Darkest LieDark Beginnings
The Darkest FactsInto the Dark