June R.A.K Wrap-Up

The R.A.K program is brought to us by Book Soulmates.  :)

The month of June was a great reading month for me.  I participated in R.A.K once again and sent out several books.  

To Sara @ Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog
Strange Neighbors - Ashlyn Chase
The Legend of Michael - Lisa Renee Jones
To Tempt the Wolf, Heart of the Highland Wolf & Destiny of the Wolf - Terry Spear


To Grace @ Livre De Amour
Demon's Prefer Blondes - Sidney Ayers


To Jessica @ Forever To Nowhere
Wicked - Gregory Maguire


To Theresa @ Fade Into Fantasy
The Vampire Shrink - Linda Hilburn
Dark Harvest - Linda Hilburn


I also received several books:


From Jessica @ Forever Into Nowhere
Steelflower - Lilith Saintcrow


From Sara @ Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog
99 Coffins, Vampire Zero, 23 Hours & 13 Bullets - David Wellington


From Ruby @ Ruby's Reads
Gone - Michael Grant
Memento Nora - Angie Smibert

I want to thank everyone who participated in this months R.A.K.  I'd also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who sent books my way.  I am excited to read each one of them.  :)

I am looking forward to participating in July.  :) 

June Review Re-Cap

 

I can not believe another month as come and gone.  :)  Half the year is behind us.  I had an amazing reading month.  Here is a re-cap:

5 Stars
 
Green-Eyed Envy - Kasey Mackenzie
Apocalypse of the Dead - Joe McKinney
Immortal Danger - Cynthia Eden
The Darkest Secret - Gena Showalter
Hunt the Moon - Karen Chance
Nightshade - Andrea Cremer

4 Stars
 
What A Goddess Wants - Stephanie Julian
Cover Me - Catherine Mann
Dead Reckoning - Charlaine Harris
Trace of Fever - Lori Foster
As Lie the Dead - Kelly Meding
Firespell - Chloe Neill
Forgotten - Cat Patrick

3 Stars
 
Touch If You Dare - Stephanie Rowe
Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield
Lover Unleashed - J R Ward
Delirium - Lauren Oliver

How was your reading month? 

Review: Touch If You Dare by Stephanie Rowe

Touch If You Dare is the second book in the Soulfire series by Stephanie Rowe and a Paranormal Romance from Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

He’s just about ready to explode...

Jarvis Swain is fast turning into a hate machine, and if that happens, the whole world is doomed.  Unless he can get Death’s sexy assistant Reina Fleming to help him...

She’s in desperate need of a badass warrior on a mission...

When Death presents Reina with a dreadful ultimatum, Reina knows she needs to call in someone ruthless, powerful, and confident...

Jarvis Swain is the warrior Reina needs at her back, and she’s got the magic touch that ameliorates his dark side.  But the two of them together are one heck of a volatile combination...

My thoughts:

Reina Fleming has spent her entire life watching the people she loves the most die from a curse placed upon them when she was a young girl.  The only member of her family to escape the curse, Reina has made it her mission to find a way to break the curse before she loses her last sister.  

And time is running out.

Jarvis Swain has been the Guardian of Hate for one hundred and fifty years.  That is a really long time, considering most Guardians die after only fifty years on the job.  But things are getting dicey, and Jarvis has begun leaking hate to those around him. 
 
No problem.  

He just needs to find his brother, the Guardian of Love.  Once he finds his brother - the Love should balance out the Hate.  Well, that’s the plan, anyway.

There is a problem though.  Death has taken Love - and Jarvis has no way to find him..unless he can get Reina to help him.  That works for Reina, because she needs a little help herself.

Now the two just need to work together to accomplish their separate goals.  Right?  Right.

Touch If You Dare is a fun, quick read.  I like the humor and the players and I’m looking forward to the next installment - Hold Me IF You Can - coming in 2012.

I give Touch Me If You Dare 3 out of 5 stars.
 
Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (7-1-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402241968
    ISBN-13: 978-1402241963

Review: What A Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian

What A Goddess Wants is the first book in The Forgotten Goddesses series by Stephanie Julian and a Romance from Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

In His Arms, Her Magic Powers Are On The Rise...

Tessa, Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn, is losing her powers, and now there’s a mean Underworld god determined to run her down.  She needs a hero and fast, because only sexual energy can give her power.  So she seeks out Caligo, whose sexual prowess is legendary...

And She’s The Only One Who Can Bring Him Into The Light...

Caligo is a fabled Cimmerian warrior determined to stay away from spoiled goddesses who trample hearts after they’ve had their fun.  But there’s something irresistibly hot and inviting about Tessa, and he knows he’s her only chance to escape the encroaching darkness...

My thoughts:

Thesan is the Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn - but she has become redundant.  With the rise of the Roman deities, Thesan’s job has been taken over by Aurora.  With her main duty being performed by another - Tessa has only her secondary duty to keep her occupied, that of midwife.  And though midwifery is very fulfilling - Tessa longs for the days of old.

She is not the only one who remembers the power she once held.  Charun, has been trapped in the Underworld for too long - and he wants out.  His plan is to take what power Tessa has left, combine it with the power he can obtain from others - and use it to bust out of Aitas - bringing hell to earth.

Needing protection, Tessa reaches out to Caligo the Cimmerian warrior.

Cimmerian’s are legendary warriors, known for their battle skills.  A Cimmerian will continue to fight with injuries that would have dropped lesser beings.  The secret?  Cimmerians do not feel pain, or cold or warmth.  Over time a Cimmerian will cease to feel any thing.

But when Caligo touches Tessa - he feels warmth.

And he is determined to keep her safe.  No matter the cost.

What A Goddess Wants is the first book I have read by Stephanie Julian and I really enjoyed it.

I give What A Goddess Wants 4 out of 5 stars.


Product Details

    Paperback: 304 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (7-1-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402251475
    ISBN-13: 978-1402251474

Review: Cover Me by Catherine Mann

Cover Me is the first book in the Elite Force series by Catherine Mann and a Romantic Suspense from SourceBooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

It should have been a simple mission...

Pararescueman Wade Rocha fast ropes from the back of a helicopter into a blizzard to save a climber stranded on an Aleutian Island, but Sunny Foster insists she can take care of herself just fine...

But when it comes to passion, nothing is ever simple...

With the snowstorm kicking into overdrive, Sunny and Wade hunker down in a cave and barely resist the urge to keep each other warm...until they discover the frozen remains of a horrific crime...

Unable to trust the shady local police force, Sunny and Wade investigate, while their irresistible passion for each other gets them more and more dangerously entangled...

My thoughts:

Wade Rocha is marking time with an assignment in  Alaska while waiting for his deployment in Afghanistan.  He takes his job as a pararescueman in the US Air Force very seriously - their motto being, “That Others May Live”.  

When a training session at an icy crevasse turns into a real distress call for missing hikers, Wade and his team head into a blizzard without hesitation.  

Wade parachutes from the helicopter and finds Sunny and her dog.  But she claims not to need help - in fact, she offers Wade shelter from the storm.

But Sunny is being very secretive and Wade wonders what she is hiding.  She admits to living nearby - but doesn’t offer more than that.  When Sunny tries to flee without Wade the next morning, he gives chase - and then the two make a gruesome discovery.  

Now Sunny is more involved with the military than she ever wanted to be - and she is afraid that the secrets she is keeping will be revealed.

But someone else has their own agenda - and keeping Sunny’s village secret is their top priority. 
 
One they are willing to kill to keep.

Cover Me is the first book I have read by Catherine Mann and I enjoyed it very much.  I am looking forward to the next installment in this series - Hot Zone, coming December 2011.

I give Cover Me 4 out of 5 stars.
 
Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (7-1-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402244959
    ISBN-13: 978-1402244957

Early Review: Green-Eyed Envy by Kasey Mackenzie

Green-Eyed Envy is the second book in the Shades of Fury series by Kasey Mackenzie and an ACE Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

 Jealousy can be a killer...

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has meted out justice since time immemorial. As Boston's chief magical investigator, it's her duty to solve any crimes committed by or against supernaturals.

Months have gone by since Riss discovered some unwelcome truths about her past--and managed to stop a supernatural war. Since then things have been quiet. Too quiet. But that all changes when the bodies of Bastai, shapeshifters also known as Cats, begin piling up in Boston's magical underbelly--even though the legendary shifters are supposed to have ninety-nine lives.

One common thread ties the victims together: all were old flames of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. And since Harper and Riss's lover Scott Murphy enjoyed a one-night stand before he and Riss reunited, the Fury has twice the incentive to crack the case wide open, before the killer's green-eyed gaze turns in Scott's direction...

My thoughts:

Marissa Holloway is the Chief of the Magical Crimes Unit in Boston, it is her job to investigate -  and solve, any crimes committed by or against the supernatural community.  But Riss is much more than that.

She is a Fury - an immortal being who polices the arcane races.

When the bodies of Cat’s, who have ninety-nine lives, start turning up dead - Riss and her small crew in the MCU begin their investigation.  It is quickly determined that the common factor between the Cat’s is FBI Agent Harper Cruz.

Riss and Harper have a common factor as well - Scott.  Harper and Scott shared a night together years ago and now Riss is afraid he is on the killer’s hit list.

Determined to stop this serial killer before another body turns up - Riss and crew devise a plan to draw the killer out.

And if hunting a serial killer weren’t enough, Riss has to deal with Fury politics and assassination attempts against her own life - as well as those she loves.

I absolutely love this series   I give Green-Eyed Envy 5 out of 5 stars.
 
   Product Details

    Paperback: 304 pages
    Publisher: Ace; Original edition (6-28-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0441020496
    ISBN-13: 978-0441020492   

True Blood Season Four - TONIGHT!!! :)

Hot Damn!!

I am so excited about the season four premiere tonight.

Who's watching?

In My Mailbox: 06-25-11

In My Mailbox is a feature that was started over at The Story Siren. Each week we share what we bought, borrowed from the library or received in the mail.


Here is my mailbox:

For Review

Thanks to SourceBooks, Penguin and HQN

From PaperBack Swap

Won from Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #45

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. 


And here is picture prompt #45:

Party Like A Rock Star
By Michelle Greathouse

Dax secured his earpiece, “Banks can you hear me?”  The feedback was scratchy, then leveled out.  

“I hear you.  And I would like to take this time to protest this undercover assignment once again.  As a non-practicing feminist lesbian, I find this whole ensemble degrading and masochistic.  My boobs are squished and spilling over the top of this dress.  I’ve had to strap my guns to my nekkid thighs and the harness is chafing like a mother fucker.”

Dax had the nerve to laugh.

“Well, we wanted Simon to wear the dress, and though he has some killer legs - he left a lot to be desired in the cleavage department.”  Simon smiled at the compliment.

“Banks, I didn’t know you were a lesbian.”  The young security tech swivelled his chair to check the  readout on his monitor.

“I’m not Simon...though there was that time in college.  I decided to go vegetarian when Ashley Monroe became my lab partner...but that was years ago and now I’m back to eating meat.”

“I didn’t know you went to college, Banks.”  Simon - clueless, but brilliant.

“Well it wasn’t your MIT mister smarty pants - but I did alright."  She sighed and shook her head.  "Simon, have you ever been laid - by anyone?”

An alarm on Dax’s watch beeped.  “We’re up.  Cut the chatter unless it goes pear shaped.”

Banks exited the limo and took a minute to re-arrange the folds of her long black dress, covering any bulge her guns might leave in the fabric.

This was the break they’d been looking for in a year long murder investigation.  Fifteen girls dead - all over the world.  The first found in the states - then bouncing from country to country.  

Piecing everything together, a pattern emerged.  The murders seemed to follow the tour schedule of the heavy metal goth bad - Dead Heart.  But Dax and his group were at a stand still as long as the band was out of the country.

Now, at the end of the tour, the group were back in the States - and tonight the bands manager, Rod Stratton, was hosting an end of the tour party at his mansion.  He was their killer - and tonight, they were taking him in.

Banks stopped at the entrance and flashed her smile at the goons flanking the gate.  She pulled her invitation from her tiny bag and handed it to goon number one, who glanced over the invite while goon number two eyed Banks’ girls.

“Go on in.”

Banks made her way up the stone staircase - all the while scanning for Rod Stratton.  This place was huge, she was thankful Simon had downloaded the blueprints, it would make her search easier.

But luck was on her side.  As Banks rounded the pool she caught sight of Stratton heading towards the bar.  She angled her way around the costumed party goers and sidled up to the bar.

“Can I get a rum and coke”.  Banks propped her head on her hand and waited for her drink.

“Hello pretty lady.  Having a good time?”  Stratton spoke to her breasts.  Dirt bag.

“I am.  Thank you.  It is so exciting to be here.  This is a beautiful house.  Can you believe it?”  Banks played her part of overwhelmed groupie to the hilt.

“I can.  This is my house, would you like a tour?”  Stratton was in host mode.  Banks wanted to get him as far away from security as possible before she took him down.

“I’d love to see the gardens, the fountains are beautiful from up here.  I can’t imagine what they’d look like up close.”

Stratton took her arm.  “Then off to the gardens we go.”

They did not speak as they made their way down the staircase.  Once on solid ground again, they took the lighted path that led them around the sculpted hedges to the first water fountain.

Stratton released her arm and pointed to the fountain.  “What do you think?”

Banks punched him in the face.  “I think you are a piece of shit.  And you are under arrest for the murders of fifteen young women.  You have the right to remain to silent....”
 
Banks lifted her skirt and pulled her cuffs from the harness on her thigh.  Once she had Stratton cuffed and contained she stepped back and took a good look at the fountain.  

It really was pretty.

She could hear the sounds of utter chaos coming from upstairs.  The calvary had arrived.

Score one for the good guys.

The End
Word Count: 762

Okay, this was totally something different for me - I went Contemporary with not one bit of Paranormal.  Huh, I really didn't think I could do it.  LOL

Hope you enjoyed it.  Have a great weekend.    

Winner of Insatiable by Meg Cabot :)

Using Random dot Org - it is time to choose the winner of the Insatiable giveaway:

There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Harpreet Singh
2. Dottie
3. throuthehaze
4. Ricki
5. latishajean
6. laceyinthesky
7. Estella
8. Chey
9. Theresa
10. Laura
11. Sara M
12. SusieBookworm
13. Cheryl F
14. Michelle
15. Tiffany Drew
16. LRatRandom
17. I Heart Book Gossip
18. Mariska
19. Crystal GB
20. Time4Mommy

And the winning number is #15 - Tiffany Drew.  An email has been sent and the winner confirmed.

Thank you all for participating and Happy Reading! 

Review: Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe McKinney

Apocalypse of the Dead is the second book in the Dead World series by Joe McKinney and a novel of Fiction from Pinnacle.

Book Blurb:

 And The Dead Shall Rise. . .


Two hellish years. That's how long it's been since the hurricanes flooded the Gulf Coast, and the dead rose up from the ruins. The cities were quarantined; the infected, contained. Any unlucky survivors were left to fend for themselves. A feast for the dead.

And The Living Shall Gather. . .


One boatload of refugees manages to make it out alive--but one passenger carries the virus. Within weeks, the zombie epidemic spreads across the globe. Now, retired U.S. Marshal Ed Moore must lead a group of strangers to safety, searching for sanctuary from the dead. A last chance for the living.

Let The Battle Begin.


In the North Dakota Grasslands, bands of survivors converge upon a single outpost. Run by a self-appointed preacher of fierce conviction--and frightening beliefs--it may be humanity's only hope. But Ed Moore and the others refuse to enter a suicide pact. They'd rather stand and fight in the final battle against the zombies. An apocalypse of the dead.

My thoughts:

For two years the infected have been quarantined in Texas - along with those survivors unlucky enough to have been left behind after the walls were erected.  

But the survivors have grown tired of barely surviving on what they can scavenge - grown tired of the constant fear of discovery by the infected - grown tired of it all.

When a small boat escapes the quarantine of Texas and heads for Florida, the survivors are elated - until one of them turns.  Then they all turn - and the boat makes it to Florida.

The infected are no longer contained.  And this virus spreads like wild fire.

Now several groups of individuals are fighting for survival and they’ve all heard of one place - the Grasslands of North Dakota.  

A place of safety - of sanctuary.

But some of the refugees aren’t pleased with the way things are run at the Grasslands.  With the infected trying to get in - and a zealot who won’t let them leave - time is running out.

Apocalypse of the Dead is a great read and I loved it.  I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in this series, Flesh Eaters, available now.

I give Apocalypse of the Dead 5 out of 5 stars.

True Blood: The first 3 seasons in under 5 minutes. :)

This is hilarious.  :)  I can't wait until Sunday!

WoW: Dark War by Tim Waggoner

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

 

 

Dark War is the third book in the Nekropolis series by Tim Waggoner.

 

Book Blurb:

 

Meet Matt Richter. Zombie. PI.

From his arrival at Nekropolis, Matt has found himself embroiled in disputes with the city's vampire lords, shapeshifters, golems and other monstrosities.

Nothing has prepared him for the Dark War.

File Under: Urban Fantasy [ Turf | Fang Gangs | Endurance | Dead Streets ] 

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Angry Robot (June 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0857661124
• ISBN-13: 978-0857661128

Review: Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield

 

Aftertime is the first book in the Aftertime series by Sophie Littlefield from Luna Books.

Book Blurb:

The World Is Gone...Worse, So Is Her Daughter

Awakening in a bleak landscape as scarred as her body, Cass Dollar vaguely recalls surviving something terrible. Having no idea how many weeks have passed, she slowly realizes the horrifying truth: Ruthie has vanished.

And with her, nearly all of civilization.

Where once-lush hills carried cars and commerce, the roads today see only cannibalistic Beaters - people turned hungry for human flesh by a government experiment gone wrong.

In a broken, barren California, Cass will undergo a harrowing quest to get Ruthie back. Few people trust an outsider, let alone a woman who became a zombie and somehow turned back, but she finds help from an enigmatic outlaw, Smoke. Smoke is her savior, and her safety.

For the Beaters are out there.

And the humans grip at survival with their trigger fingers. Especially when they learn that she and Ruthie have become the most feared, and desired, of weapons in a brave new world...

My thoughts:

Cass Dollar lives in a world that has been destroyed by terrorist: attacks on crops and live stock have left people starving.  The government, trying to prevent the population from starving to death, engineers a plant that has all of the vitamins and minerals needed to sustain life - kaysev.

But something goes wrong and part of the plant mutates - and this mutated plant has a horrible side effect: it turns the person who consumed it into a mindless being with a craving for human flesh.

Cass was attacked by a pack of these creatures while trying to protect her daughter.  Now Cass has no memory of the attack - but she remembers her daughter.  And she has only one goal - to find her daughter - no matter who or what stands in her way.

Aftertime is the first book I have read by Sophie Littlefield and I enjoyed it.  This book concentrates more on the breaking down of society after the devastation of the terror attacks.  How the survivors live day to day - and how some people feel it is their right to decide how to rebuild and go forth.

The main focus is on Cass trying to find her daughter and what she is willing to do to be reunited.  With that in mind, Aftertime is not as graphic as your typical flesh eating cannibal read.  :)

I give Aftertime 3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Dead Reckoning is the eleventh book in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris and a novel of Fiction from ACE.

Book Blurb:

It’s spring in Bon Temps, and for telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse, the season will turn out to be one full of secrets revealed - secrets that will bring major changes in her life...

With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works.  Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area.  But Sookie suspects otherwise, and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit - and the twisted motive for the attack.

But her attention is divided.  Though she can’t ‘read’ vampires, Sookie knows her lover, Eric Northman, and his ‘child’ Pam well - and she realizes that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master.  Gradually, she is drawn into the plot - which is much more complicated than she knows.

Caught up once again in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human - and that there is a new queen on the board...

My thoughts:

Wherever Sookie goes, trouble follows.  Sam’s bar is firebombed and Sookie caught a look at the attacker seconds before the flaming bottle was thrown through the window.  She is sure that it was a supe.

Then she receives word that an enemy has escaped incarceration and is more than likely headed straight for Sookie - to kill her.

If that weren’t enough, Bill is having some personal issues and comes to Sookie for advice.

Who is not asking Sookie for advice?  Eric - and Sookie knows something is up with him.  Not only is the new Regent causing trouble - which is costing Merlotte’s and Fangtasia money - but Eric and Pam are arguing - and Sookie knows it has something to do with her.

To top it all off - Sookie is hosting Tara’s baby shower - if she survives the week, that is.

I absolutely love this series. :) I am so glad Bubba made an appearance, he is one of my favorite characters in this series.  Jason did a ride by - but didn’t stop to chat, maybe he’ll get more story time next go round.

I give Dead Reckoning 4 out of 5 stars.

Giveaway: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Thanks to William Morrow, an Imprint of HarperCollins, I have one (1) copy of Insatiable by Meg Cabot available for giveaway.

 

Book Blurb:

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.

Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)

But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets - then makes the mistake of falling in love with - Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .

If she even has one. 

This giveaway is open to all followers of this blog with a US mailing address.  Using Random dot Org, the winner will be chosen and announced Friday, 6-24-11.

Good Luck and Happy Reading!  

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #44

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. 


And here is picture prompt #44:

 

The Needs of the Many...
By Michelle Greathouse

They came for her just before sundown, and she offered no resistance.  It had been years, generations really, since anyone had made this sacrifice.

The village prospered, untouched by disease or strife of any kind.  The villagers had grown complacent, had forgotten the bargain made that kept everyone healthy and happy.

Until now.

There was unrest in the forest.  The youngest in the village had no idea what had changed - but they sensed something was different.  And they cried, unconsolable tears that ripped at the hearts of their parents.

Delia’s brother was the same.  He cried day and night for three days, finally succumbing to sleep through complete exhaustion.  Delia heard her parents talking late into the night, recounting stories their grandparents had told them as children.  Stories of those that must be satisfied.

The Elders in the village called for a town meeting and the people gathered in the square, volunteers were called upon - hoping someone would step forward before the elders were forced to choose.  

Delia volunteered.

Her parents protested - but neither volunteered to take her place.  The village sighed in relief, a huge burden lifted from their collected shoulders.

No time was wasted, Delia made hasty goodbyes and returned to the only home she’d known for her entire sixteen years.  She bathed and washed her long dark hair - if for no other reason than to drag out the time.  Once finished, she sat and waited for them in her mothers kitchen, clad only in her robe.   

Lost in thought, the heavy knock startled her, but she rose and opened the door to find two of the village Elders standing stiffly at the threshold.

“Delia, it is time.  What you are doing is a brave thing.  The whole of the village is indebted to your unselfish sacrifice.”

Odd how Delia was now being called brave and unselfish - when those self-same villagers called her head strong and haughty for turning down several of their sons marriage proposals.  

They walked her to the edge of the forest and watched as Delia made her way to the clearing - then they fled.  No one had every witnessed what transpired in that clearing and they were not about to be the first ones to do so now.

Delia stood still, head slightly back and eyes closed, tears coursing down her face.  She felt the breeze stirring, almost a caress, and released the breath she’d been holding.

Gentle tugs at her hair caused her to gasp, but she settled again as a feeling of calm suffused her body.  She never felt the branches that ran up her legs, affixing themselves to her calf and thighs.  Or the ones that attached to her waist, back and arms.  By the time the branches entered her skull, Delia was already drained to the point of death.

If anyone had looked back at the clearing, the only remnant of Delia would have been her discarded robe.

They were satisfied - for now.

The End
Word Count: 507

Well that is certainly different. :) I hope you liked it - kinda creepy, I know.  But I’m pleased.

Have a great weekend.

Review: Trace of Fever by Lori Foster

 

Trace of Fever is the second book in the Edge of Honor series by Lori Foster and a Romance from HQN.

Book Blurb:

Caught In The Crossfire Of Vengeance And Desire

Undercover mercenary Trace Rivers loves the adrenaline rush of a well-planned mission. First he'll earn the trust of corrupt businessman Murray Coburn, then gather the proof he needs to shut down the man's dirty smuggling operation. It's a perfect scheme - until Coburn's long-lost daughter saunters in with her own deadly plan for revenge.

With a smile like an angel and fire in her eyes, Priscilla Patterson isn't who she seems to be. But neither is the gorgeous bodyguard who ignites all her senses. Joining forces to plot Coburn's downfall, Priss and Trace must fight the undeniable heat between them. For one wrong move, one lingering embrace, will expose them to the wrath of a merciless opponent..

My thoughts:

Trace Rivers has seen the corruption that simmers underneath so-called businessman Murray Coburn - and he is completely disgusted by what he sees.  Knowing that the only way to stop Coburn’s smuggling operation is by going inside, Trace infiltrates Coburn’s organization on the pretense of a body guard/gun for hire.

When Priscilla Patterson shows up claiming to be Coburn’s daughter Trace knows that she is capable of derailing his well-planned mission - and his concentration.  

Sparks fly between these two - but before they can do anything about it - they have to shut Coburn down cold.  And Coburn is not going down without a fight.

Trace of Fever is the first book I have read by Lori Foster and I really enjoyed it.  Though the second book in the series, I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone - but I definitely want to go back and read the first one, When You Dare.

Trace is the perfect alpha male - but Priss is no damsel in distress, she is willing and able to kick some a$$ if needed - and I love the equal pairing.

I give Trace of Fever 4 out of 5 stars.
  
Product Details
    Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
    Publisher: HQN Books (5-31-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 037377575X
    ISBN-13: 978-0373775750     

WoW: Bloodlands by Christine Cody

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.

 

Book Blurb:

It was called the New Badlands, home to the survivors of a cataclysm that altered the entire nation. Then the vampires arrived, and it was rechristened the Bloodlands. Not because of the vampire, but because of the gun-for-hire who'd decided to slay every monster in the country by any and every means necessary.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace; Original edition (July 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441020623
• ISBN-13: 978-0441020621

M.M.F.F. Challenge: Week #44

Amy C over at Romance Book Wyrm and Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate - you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. 


And here is picture prompt #44:

 

 I like this one very much.  Not sure if I can continue from last weeks story - but this one has so many possibilities.  :)

See ya Friday.

Review: As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding

 

As Lie the Dead is the second book in the Dreg City series by Kelly Meding and a Fantasy from Dell.

Book Blurb:

Evangeline Stone, a rogue bounty hunter, never asked for a world divided between darkness and light . . .

. . . or the power to die and live again in someone else's borrowed body. After a murder plot meant to take her out leaves an entire race of shapeshifters nearly extinct, Evy is gnawed by guilt. So when one of the few survivors of the slaughter enlists her aid, she feels duty-bound to help - even though protecting a frail, pregnant shifter is the last thing Evy needs, especially with the world going to hell around her.

Amid weres, Halfies, gremlins, vamps - and increasingly outgunned humans - a war for supremacy is brewing. With shifters demanding justice, her superiors desperate to control her, and an assassin on her trail, Evy discovers a horrifying conspiracy. And she may be the only person in the world who can stop it - unless, of course, her own side gets her first.

My thoughts:

Evy Stone was killed and brought back.  Now she inhabits the body of Chalice Frost - a Gifted woman who took her own life.

Evy was trained as a Hunter and with the other two Hunters in her Triad - the team policed the Dregs of the city: vampires, halfies, weres - anything that threatened the humans.  Their Handler, Wyatt, was responsible for sending them out on assignments.

That is until everything went to hell.

Now Evy is on the run - from the very people she once worked for - and they want her back.  Once a Hunter, always a Hunter.

When a group of innocent weres are killed for helping Evy - she gains a new perspective on just who the bad guys are.  Evy is determined to right this wrong - but in the process she discovers skeletons in the closet that may have been better left in the dark...

I really enjoy this world Ms. Meding has created - it is layered with colorful and fascinating characters, plenty of action and unpredictable situations.  

I give As Lie the Dead 4 out of 5 stars.

In My Mailbox: 06-11-11

In My Mailbox is a feature that was started over at The Story Siren. Each week we share what we bought, borrowed from the library or received in the mail.


Here is my mailbox:

 

For Review From SourceBooks

 

For Review From Penguin/NAL

 

 

 

From PaperBack Swap

Purchased

I also received a couple of RAK's - but I am going to wait and do a separate RAK post at the end of the month.  :)

Have a great weekend.