March 22, 2013.

Isn’t this cover just gorgeous! I didn’t even read the back blurb before I snatched the book up in my greedy little hands and hurried toward the check-out.

 

 

Title: Last Kiss Goodnight: An Otherworld Assassin Novel

Author: Gena Showalter

Genre: Historical Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Pocket Books

Release date: December 2012

Pages: 436

ISBN-10: 1451671598

ISBN-13: 978-1451671599

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

 

DESCRIPTION:

THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION . . .

Black ops agent Solomon Judah awakens caged and bound in a twisted zoo where otherworlders are the main attraction. Vika Lukas, the owner’s daughter, is tasked with Solo’s care and feeding. The monster inside him yearns to kill her on sight, even though she holds the key to his escape. But the human side of him realizes the beautiful deaf girl is more than she seems—she’s his.

 

THE ULTIMATE PRICE . . .

Vika endures the captives’ taunts and loathing, hoping to keep them alive even if she can’t free them. Only, Solo is different— he protects her. But as hostility turns to forbidden romance, his feelings for her will be used against him . . . and he’ll be put to a killer test.

 

 

REVIEW:

I’ve enjoyed Gena Showalter’s writing in the past, so I didn’t hesitate to purchase this book. After reading it though, I’m actually torn on how to feel. I loved the hero and the romance between the main characters, but the book just didn’t flow like a normal Showalter. The first chapter was a little choppy for me, and I found it jarring to start a story from someone else’s point of view other than the main characters. And while the plot was unique, I’m not sure I believed in the story enough to suspend my disbelief, which is a real shame.

 

What saved the book for me was the romance between the main characters. Both Solo and Vika are tortured people, yearning for something more, but not sure they really deserve to be saved. They didn’t immediately fall in love, they had doubts, but each knew that they wanted to give their love a chance…even if it cost them. I also liked the uniqueness of all the characters, even the villains. I’m not sure I’ll purchase the next book, but I might borrow it.

 



February 22, 2013.

I first read Jory Strong in an anthology and loved her work. When I placed my last book order, I added this book to my list because of the blurb. Sounds like something right up my alley.

 

 

Title: Healer’s Choice

Author: Jory Strong

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy

Publisher: Berkley

Release date: September 2010

Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 978-0425236536

Rating: ★★★☆☆ 

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

Born into a world of violence and paid-for sex, Rebekka longs for a family of her own and dreams of freeing those trapped in the shapeshifter brothels of the red zone. A witch’s prophecy claims she’ll one day use her gift to heal the Weres made outcast by their mixed human-animal forms.  
 
 
But Rebekka knows that everything comes at a cost. A plea to save five children sends her into the arms of Aryck, a Jaguar enforcer-and into territory controlled by pure Weres. It’s a place where humans and outcasts aren’t welcomed, where plague threatens and the fate of the Weres hangs in the balance. And where the choices Rebekka and Aryck make are paid for with their hearts…if not their souls.

 

 

Review:

It wasn’t long after the first chapter that I ran across a little snag. This is book three in a series. I hate reading books out of order, but the blurb was so interesting that I kept reading.

 

I found myself drawn to Rebekka and her unique magic. Her almost compulsive need to help others drew me into her world. I enjoyed the first meet between the characters and their instant attraction. Aryck was a wonderful alpha hero and the perfect match for Rebekka. He could be an ass, but when he realized his mistakes, he was quick to make amends. Their opposing view points on some issues kept the tension steady through the book. I loved the way shifters and outcasts were depicted. The world building was fascinating, while the different threads of the book kept me interested in what would happen next.

 

Unfortunately, when an issue came up for Rebekka, people from past books magically appeared and took care of some of her problems. The funny thing was that Rebekka didn’t question that the problem just went away. After the first few times, it became a little annoying and took away from what could have been a more compeling story. I had a love/hate relationship with this book. There were characteristics of the book that I adored, but others parts were I felt cheated out of the whole stroy. Maybe reading the books in order would solve my qualms? Hmmmm…

 



February 21, 2013.

 

 

Synopsis~

A tormented zombie (Nicholas Hoult) experiences a profound transformation after entering into an unusual relationship with the daughter (Teresa Palmer) of a military leader charged with eradicating the walking dead. As the unlikely pair build a tenuous bridge between the living and the dead, those on both sides of the battle begin to sense that nothing in their world will ever be the same again. Warm Bodies is based on the novel by Isaac Marion. Rob Corddry and John Malkovich round out the starring cast. — (C) AMG

 

 

To celebrate publishing my book, I begged asked my husband to take me to a movie. I’m a huge fan of zombies, so when I saw a preview of Warm Bodies, I had to see it.

 

 

 

The show was not what I expected at all. I thought the movie was hysterical! My husband almost fell asleep. Go figure.

 

The actors were wonderful, especially Nicholas and Teresa. I loved this scene…he tells her to act dead. When she started moaning loudly, he turned toward her and said not that dead. lol

 

The storyline wasn’t that terribly good, a number of logic issues throughout, but there was something very moving about two people so opposite, with no hope of a happily-ever-after, falling in love.

 

This is not your straight-forward zombie movie. There is some violence (people do get eaten), some okay graphics (the boneys were awesome), but the zombies themselves were so very human-like that I was a little disappointed. You won’t have decay or body parts falling off. Warm Bodies tickled my funny-bone and landed purely in the romantic comedy category for me.

 

 

Favorite graphics: Boneys!

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

 



February 17, 2013.

For reaching one of my goals this year, I’ve rewarded myself to a small book order. Here are two of the book that came in the mail.

 

 

Here are the blurbs:

 

Silence (Queen of the Dead)~

It began in the graveyard…

Ever since her boyfriend Nathan had died in a tragic accident, Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. For Emma, life had stopped with Nathan’s death. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there–Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death…

 

Emma was not quite like others teenagers. It was true that other girls had experienced grief. Other girls had also lost their fathers, or had their boyfriends die in a senseless accident. But though she hadn’t known it till that night in the graveyard, unlike those other girls, she could see, touch, and speak with the dead. In fact, Emma could draw upon the essence of the dead to work magic. That was what Necromancers did. But Emma had no desire to be a Necromancer. She just wanted to help the ghosts who walked the streets of Toronto, unable to escape from the land of the living. And that was just as well, because had she chosen the path of the Necromancer, Eric would have had to kill her.

 

Instead, Eric and his fellow Necromancer hunter Chase found themselves violating every rule they were sworn to follow, becoming part of Emma’s group, helping her to stand against those who preyed upon the dead. But whether Emma and her friends could survive such a battle was anyone’s guess. And whether Emma could learn to use the magic of the dead against her enemies without herself falling victim to the lure of such power remained to be seen. Eric seemed to think she could, and her living friends would never abandon her. But only time would tell what Emma’s true destiny was…

 

 

Healer’s Choice~

Born into a world of violence and paid-for sex, Rebekka longs for a family of her own and dreams of freeing those trapped in the shapeshifter brothels of the red zone. A witch’s prophecy claims she’ll one day use her gift to heal the Weres made outcast by their mixed human-animal forms.

 

But Rebekka knows that everything comes at a cost. A plea to save five children sends her into the arms of Aryck, a Jaguar enforcer-and into territory controlled by pure Weres. It’s a place where humans and outcasts aren’t welcomed, where plague threatens and the fate of the Weres hangs in the balance. And where the choices Rebekka and Aryck make are paid for with their hearts…if not their souls.

 

 

Don’t they both sound intreging? Which one would you choose? What are you reading this week?

 



February 02, 2013.

Sorry for being gone for so long. I’ve been working my fingers to the bone with late nights, but I finally have some exciting news to share!

 

After weeks of edits, I finished BloodSworn. I never thought I would get it done. When I realized that I was only re-wording sentences…over and over…I decided enough was enough and drew my line in the sand. lol

 


BloodSworn is now live and available to order in both ebook and print on Amazon!

 

Don’t you just love the name of the book and the cover? I’m more than thrilled the way things have turned out. I hope you join Merrick and Trina as they go on a wild adventure, fighting for their lives, and the love that neither of them ever expected to find.

 

Below is the blurb and excerpt. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Blurb:

The last BloodSworn witch must confront her fate if she hopes to save the man who forced his way into her lonely heart.

 

Ten years after they bound her powers and banished her, Trina Weyebridge had successfully carved out a new existence in the human world. She put her life as a witch behind her. But, her magic would not be denied, the bindings holding them in check are weakening. Vampires who crave a taste of the powers stored in her blood are hunting her with deadly force and have kidnapped her sister to lure her out. In a desperate bid to free her sister and gain her own freedom, Trina bargains with the all-too-tempting lion shifter who calls out the long forgotten wild side in her…she would be his concubine in return for pack protection. She’d be safe…until they found out the truth.

 

UNDENIABLE DESIRE. FORBIDDEN LOVE. INESCAPABLE DESTINY.

 

When Merrick spots a female intruder living on his property, he’s intrigued by her daring. Curious to find out more, he follows her and comes to her aid when she falls prey to an attack. After weeks of unnatural silence, his beast awakens at her touch, and he suspects that she might be the only one able to save his race from a disease killing his kind. Not willing to take the chance of losing her, he binds her to him the only way he knows how…by claiming her as his own. All he has to do to save her is uncover the secrets of her past, stop a pack revolt, convince her that she’s desperately in love with him in return, and prevent a war.

 

 

Here is a little peek:

Trina was halfway bent down to kneel and grab her bag when she saw him.

 

The same man from her dreams.

 

A very naked man.

 

Merrick.

 

Her mind rebelled. She couldn’t have had a sexy dream about the man who might very well destroy her. Vampires had been in this very house not a day ago. She couldn’t forget that, no matter how much her body wanted to be worshiped by him.

 

Merrick lay stretched out, dwarfing the extra-large couch. He didn’t look comfortable, but that wasn’t what captured her attention. The sun highlighted the golden color of his skin. It was just how she imagined his cat would appear.

 

The only thing blocking her view was the sheet draped haphazardly over his slim hips. Her brain short-circuited at the thought of him completely nude.

 

Him sleeping within a few feet of her and all without a stitch of clothing on struck her dumb, and her emotions jumbled at the conflicting emotions.

 

She swallowed hard and fanned her face. No matter how much she might have wished it, there was no way that image would ever be far from her mind. Every time she saw him now, she would picture him stretched out as if for her pleasure.

 

It didn’t matter that she was a doctor, that she’d seen hundreds of naked bodies. She knew layers of skin and bone, but nothing in her studies had ever shown a man structured quite like him, with muscles quite so defined and begging to be stroked.

 

Doctor.

 

She shook her head at the reminder, as if she could banish the impulse so easily. She needed to get a closer look at him to decide what was the best course of action…for medical purposes she told herself sternly when her pulse betrayed her and sped up.

 

She just didn’t know if she’d survive it.

 

One thing would help…getting him clothed.

 

But she couldn’t tear her gaze away from that sheet. Or more precisely, what it hid. Where was a gust of wind when you needed one?

 

Her fingers itched to explore all that exposed flesh, but she feared it had nothing to do with science. Her body urged her to touch, while the sane, sensible part of her mind seemed to have taken a vacation.

 

Then she saw the lines of strain, the stiff way he held himself even in sleep. She needed to see his back.

 

“Merrick, roll over.”

 

Trina found herself sprawled across the floor with a lion, in all but animal form, half sprawled over her with his face just inches from hers.

 

She hadn’t even seen him move.

 

Was it her imagination or were his teeth sharper, his body larger, and his eyes shaded just this side of golden?

 

She gave a tentative smile, knowing better than to try and escape. “Hello.”

 

“Are we under attack?” He blinked as if confused, finally recognizing her. His sleepy expression sent her heart thumping hard against her ribcage. The rumpled appearance only made him more attractive, more approachable and more touchable than was good for her.

 

Especially when she felt the sheet tangled around her feet.

 

No matter how much she told herself not to do it, it was too late. Her eyes flickered downward.

 

Yup, naked.

 

And such a nice naked backside, too.

 

It was her turn to blink when she felt his arousal.

 

“Attack?” It sure felt like it, and she was unarmed. She cleared her throat when he continued to gaze around the room. “I woke you to begin your physical therapy.”

 

Vivid green eyes met hers. The wildness had retreated, yet she very much felt like a mouse under a cat’s paw. Heat seeped in her pores, but the calculated look he gave her brought back some of her sanity.

 

“Get up.” She resisted touching him. It would be a mistake as once she started, she was very much afraid she wouldn’t stop.

 

Frown lines crinkled the corner of his eyes, and he levered himself up on all fours. Trina didn’t wait, but scrambled backwards, her eyes anywhere but on him and his now very happy dangly parts.

 

“It’s safe.” The humor in his voice had her head snapping up. He stood, the sheet tucked around his waist. He wore a slightly disgruntled expression that looked sexy as hell and a too-knowing gaze that did things to her body that should be illegal…or bottled.

 

 



January 16, 2013.

 

 

Synopsis~

It has been eight years since Batman vanished into the night, turning, in that instant, from hero to fugitive. Assuming the blame for the death of D.A. Harvey Dent, the Dark Knight sacrificed everything for what he and Commissioner Gordon both hoped was the greater good. For a time the lie worked, as criminal activity in Gotham City was crushed under the weight of the anti-crime Dent Act. But everything will change with the arrival of a cunning cat burglar with a mysterious agenda. Far more dangerous, however, is the emergence of Bane, a masked terrorist whose ruthless plans for Gotham drive Bruce out of his self-imposed exile. But even if he dons the cape and cowl again, Batman may be no match for Bane. — (C) Warner Bros. 

 

We had a chance to see this movie Friday. I was expecting something spectacular. Something to wow me. And some of the movie did…the rest of the story kind of fell flat.

 

One character did surprise me. Anne Hathaway played the perfect Catwoman. Not only was she gorgeous in the suit, she was the perfect prickly cat. And talk about hot! And those moves…yawza!

   

My biggest issue was Christian Bale as Batman. I didn’t think he cut it. Yeah, he had the brooding, tortured hero thing going, but his role in this movie just didn’t do it for me. He started okay, but things went quickly downhill.

 

I did liked the plot (although I guessed the end pretty quickly). The fighting was great as well. The special effects were nicely done. Unfortunately, the combination wasn’t enough to push the movie into a higher rating for me. I suspect this is a case of expecting more from a movie because of all the hype.

Favorite part of the movie: Catwoman.

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

 



November 16, 2012.

I thought I would take a few days off to read and watch a couple of movies, but I ended up working a little and sleeping extra hours. lol I did manage to finish one book.

 

 

Title: The Bite Before Christmas

Author: Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Avon

Release date: November 2012

Pages: 325

ISBN-10: 0062022601

ISBN-13: 978-0062022608

Rating: ★★★★½ 

 

DESCRIPTION:

This holiday season, two of today’s most popular paranormal authors invite you into their worlds—where creatures are always stirring . . . and no one sleeps through the night.

 
 
Review:
The Gift by Lynsay Sands
 
Teddy Brunswick is perfectly comfortable with the immortals who live among us. But he never counted on being snowed in with one over the Christmas — especially not a tasty little bundle like Katricia Argeneau. She seems to really like Teddy, but who can tell for sure? After all, the snowstorm has derailed Katricia’s blood delivery, which makes Teddy the only available meal on the menu…
 
 
The Gift is a short Argeneau Novel. I don’t remember if I’ve read any book in this long-standing series, but this is not my first novel by Lynsay Sands either. Her writing is smooth, the story is engaging with just enough worldbuilding to draw me  in without feeling overwhelming. I loved Teddy and his old-world charm. What a perfect hero! Both characters were a hoot. The story was short and cute. The only thing that detracted from the book was the romantic involvement in the last few pages slowed things down. I would have loved more plot and less sex. 4 Stars
 
 
Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost
 
Cat and Bones are looking forward to a normal holiday–at least as ‘normal’ as it can get for a vampire couple and their otherworldly friends and family. But the arrival of a mysterious stranger bearing the ‘gift’ of long-buried secrets threatens to shatter their yuletide cheer and take a bite out of their lives.
 
 
Home for the Holidays is a short peek into the Night Huntress series with our beloved Bones and Cat. I’m a huge fan of this series, so I was expecting a lot. I was not disappointed! Some short stories really skimp on the worldbuilding, not Jeaniene Frost! This was a complete story with romance, mystery, heart-break, and the big bad guys to defeat. I loved it! If you like this series, you don’t want to miss this breif interlude into their life. 5 Star
 
 

 



October 25, 2012.

I’m a day early with the review, but I’ll be participating in a Holloween blog hop this weekend, so make sure you stop by if you want to chance to win a $5 Amazon gift certificate!

  

Title: Poison Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Mira

Release date: December 2008

Pages: 427

ISBN-10: 0778327116

ISBN-13: 978-0778327110

Rating: ★★★½☆ 

*Notes: I purchase it with the old Luna cover. New cover has been reissued.

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered a reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust, and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

 

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

 

 

Review:

I selected Poison Study because of the wonderful description in the first chapter. The scene was so well crafted, I had to know what happened next.  Because of the laws in Ixia, if you take a life, even in self-defense, your own was forfeit. After a year in prison, Yelena was finally going to be executed. Until she was offered a choice to become a food taster. It was not the safest occupation, but she had the run of the castle and freedom she’d been denied for years. Wills clash between her and Valek as they struggle to keep everyone alive, and she begins to suspect that not all is what it seems.

 

While I liked this book, I didn’t love it. The story itself was great. The characters unique, the plot interesting enough to keep me reading. Yelena was a scrappy survivor I could sympathizes with. Unfortunately, I felt the first person writing distance me from getting to know her better. Poison Study is a book that will linger in my mind because of the wonderful world-building, and although I’m curious to find out what happens to Yelena, I’m not sure it was enough to get me to buy the next book.

 



October 21, 2012.

I’ve had both of these books on my to be read pile for a while. You can probably tell by their original covers. I’m a little leery of them as they are both first person, which I’m not a fan of reading, and there is a lot of hype around each series, another thing I’m not a fan of reading…I usually end up disappointed.

 

 

Here are the blurbs:

 

Bitten~

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She’s also a werewolf.

 

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel that begins the Women of the Otherworld series.

 

 

Poison Study~

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered a reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace, and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia. And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust, and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

 

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

 

 

What are you reading this week? Curious minds want to know!

 



October 05, 2012.

  

 Title: Cast in Peril Author: Michelle SagaraGenre: Fantasy

Publisher: Harlequin Luna

Release date: September 2012

Pages: 544

ISBN-10: 0373803508

ISBN-13: 978-0373803507

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

 

 

 

DESCRIPTION:

It has been a busy few weeks for Private Kaylin Neya. In between angling for a promotion, sharing her room with the last living female Dragon and dealing with more refugees than anyone knew what to do with, the unusual egg she’d been given began to hatch. Actually, that turned out to be lucky, because it absorbed the energy from the bomb that went off in her quarters.…

 

So now might be the perfect time to leave Elantra and journey to the West March with the Barrani. If not for the disappearances of citizens in the fief of Tiamaris—disappearances traced to the very Barrani Kaylin is about to be traveling with…

 

 

Review:

I’ve been reading this series for years. Private Kaylin Neva is an unusual heroine. She is flawed. Her past is dark and mostly horrible. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She’s perfect! Her heart is in the right place. She’s been hurt in the past, but does her best to do right by the people she’s supposed to protect. I also love the hint of romance between her and Severn. I worship Severn, and his quest to win back Kaylin’s trust. His mysterious past just makes him more facinating. And his never-ending love for Kaylin makes my heart ache for him. I always wish we saw him more in the books.

 

This book continued where the last one ended, leaving Kaylin to deal with lions, dragons, elves (Barrani), magic and a few new characters. This series is straight fantasy and very detailed oriented. The world-building is superb and the plots just get better and better. I like how each book gives me something new, something a little more from both the plot and the characters. The draw back? This book is only part one. The storyline wasn’t finished when I reached the last page. This is the first time that happened in this series. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. Why? Because I have to wait a full year to find out what happens next!

 

Though it’s possible to read this book by itself, you might miss out on the subtleties with the many characters and intricate backstory. I would suggest reading them in order. If you like action-adventure stories wrapped in mystery, that devil in magic, added with a dash of fairytales, you will adore the Cast series.

 

 

Previous books in the series: