Tainted Blood by Joann I. Martin Sowles

Tainted Blood is the third installment in The Brookehaven Vampires series:

Laney’s life is suddenly tangled by deceit, and as she tries to pull her past, present, and future together, she finds herself and her friends fighting for their lives. Thrown into the midst of a conflict that has been brewing for centuries—a conflict that no mere human should be anywhere near—Laney and her friends will discover that the mythical creatures of lore are not so mythical after all.

As Carter and Kiera’s relationship moves forward, Laney and Oliver’s becomes strained…confusing…dangerous.

Laney would have never thought Oliver was capable of causing such pain, such heartache, such fear. When he becomes a danger to everyone they know, especially her, Laney must make the choice to save herself, or those she loves.

As if this weren’t enough, a visit from Oliver’s brother could bring Laney’s life to a tragic end.(courtesy of Amazon.com)

Sowles is an independent author that also publishes her own work.  As such if often takes a little while between releases, and I am always jumping when I hear she has a new book coming out to be able to continue to read Oliver and Laney's story.  As the third in the series, I felt this book moved pretty quick seeing as we know most of our characters.  I also think that having some of the 'real' young adult drama come into play connects you to the supernatural characters involved.  I'm not going to discuss the 'drama' in particular, so you'll have to grab the book :).

Laney and Oliver have been trying to just get some time to themselves and not have to deal with the craziness of Oliver's world.  I felt their pain as they continue to get pulled apart.  Of course, as Sowles brings in this side of Oliver we have not seen and we end up with issues flying left and right you are definitely turning those pages to find out what happens next.  Carter is one of my favorite characters.  He has some interesting situations to deal with and I was probably as anxious as the characters in the book to find out the results. 

We continue to see more characters lives unfold and the story moves as a really good pace. 

Overall I enjoyed Book 1 - Book 2 moved fast but had a couple of turns I wasn't sure about, and Book 3 really brought things back around.  Great YA read, enjoy the path I think I see Sowles going with quite a few characters.  Can't wait for some more Laney and Oliver and Carter.

Vital by Jamie Magee

Willow’s journey continues in VITAL, the fourth book in the INSIGHT series. Combating a crumbling family life, a circle of suddenly inconsiderate friends who seem determined to anger her, and a plethora of emotional trials too numerous to withstand, Willow feels overwhelmed. She has pushed herself beyond her own limits and in so doing has closed her mind. Dreams are no longer coming to her.

As she deals with this tumultuous environment, Willow also notices a change in her beloved. Once her source of support and compassion, Landen is suddenly filled with a newfound rage. Fierce and possessive, he forces Willow to wonder whether the bliss of their love has faded away, or if something darker is affecting Landen’s soul. Always watchful of Willow, Drake sees this change and the growing rift between the pair. Both he and Willow remember all too well what happened during Venus’s passing; will Drake take advantage of Landen’s compromised emotions?

Amidst all this turmoil, Willow finds herself obsessed with finding her: the elusive twin. The girl who looks exactly like Willow, and who must be Drake’s soul mate. Willow knows in her heart that to find this girl will remove a tremendous weight from her shoulders, clearing her mind and heart. But a mysterious warning about the chart of her past forces her to consider this course carefully.

And she must consider it soon. Even now, Mars approaches and Willow’s most important battle is at hand. Will she finally break beneath the torment the universe has set upon her, or will she stand beside her friends and loved ones as Mars unleashes its wrath? (courtesy of Amazon.com)

This is my FAVORITE book so far in the series, and maybe in total by Jamie Magee.  Each time I crack a book open from her it's better than the previous book.  Magee has an enormous talent and I am thrilled that she is writing and publishing books.  I am completely in the Insight world when I read, I've said this before about her books, but it's one of the best explanations.--- When I complete a book by Jamie Magee, I literally have to blink a few times to come back to reality.---  I have a hard time putting one of Magee's books down and Vital was one that I didn't put done until I finished. This is a series that can not go ignored.  As the 4th book in the series Magee has already set up our characters and their world which is freshly intertwined with astrology/zodiac; yet in this book I felt like I was falling in love with the characters all over again. I felt this is a pivotal book for what is to come from Magee.

Drake's character speaks to me, so I can never get enough of him.  Willow has grown as we enter this 4th book, we can see her actions are more planned.  This is a tangled situation for Willow, Landon and Drake, but for them to survive they have to find a way to make it work.  I am desperately waiting for Drake to find his soul mate, he is my favorite character in the Insight series.  Magee also writes a series called See (currently there are 2 books out in this series) which has a slightly different basis - the easily explanation I have is revolving around music and souls which I think go together very nicely.  (Potential Spoiler) Insight and See are starting to intertwine which further shows Magee's talent to bring the 2 worlds together.  Magee's character development and concepts are off the charts.

As such Magee gets 6 slices for Vital.  I am anxiously awaiting the next book Vindicate - Out Jan 11 2013

Liz Strange Giveaway

Here we go!!!

Liz Strange has offered 1 lucky winner an eBook copy of Book 1 in her David Lloyd Investigations series, Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. 
In Honor of the Release of her 2nd book in the series, A Fresh Set of Eyes, which is now released as of June 28th.

All you have to do is comment below and make sure you are a blog follower by July 27th. 

Make sure you leave your email in your comment and tell us, what do you love about a good mystery/suspense novel?  Or just give a comment to Liz?  Did you read David Lloyd yet? Have you read her Dark Kiss triology? 

We want to hear from you and give you a chance to read Book 1 because we know you will be dying for Book 2 as soon as you do.  You owe it to yourself to sit down with a good book.

Read our reviews of Missing Daughter, Shattered Family and A Fresh Set of Eyes here on the blog, posted today.  4 slice reviews. 

We will pick a winner July 28th. 

Order on Amazon.com -- Missing Daughter, Shattered Family or A Fresh Set of Eyes

A Fresh Set of Eyes by Liz Strange

A mother turns to David to help free her son and another young man from prison, where they have spent the last ten years for a double murder many feel they did not commit. The police investigation was spotty, the evidence non-existent, and yet someone had to pay for the vicious assault on two young brothers. Never one to shy away from a tough situation David agrees to look into the case, despite the tense situation with his partner's family and the physical and emotional needs of the former-prostitute he's taken under his wing.



With so many lives on the line, David must find a way to help them all without hurting the most important person - himself (courtesy of goodreads)

Book 2 in the David Lloyd Investigations series by Liz Strange

In this sequel, Strange bases our mystery of a famous injustice case where we can find one mistake can corrupt a judgement on a murder case. 

David and Jamie are moving their relationship forward and Jenny is cleaned up and things can only keep moving in that direction.  David uses his heart to help pick cases where he can make a difference.  He has a sense for wrong and right.  Strange doesn't put David so close to the line of fire in this case as in Book 1. 

I thought that Strange took a case from the 'real' world and truly let it unfold.  I thought I was part of the investigation of the actual case.  Her investigative writing is very CSI and the suspense really twists in your gut.  We get to see how our previous characters from Book 1 are panning out.  Jamie has a lot to tackle with his family and with his coming out.  Fricking Jeremy gets a little of what he has coming to him. 

I am anxious to see where the David Lloyd series is going, I think David has quite a future in solving crimes :)

Missing Daughter, Shattered Family by Liz Strange

When a brutal homophobic attack ended David Lloyd's career as a police officer, his life was changed forever. Five years later David is running his own private detective agency, where a missing person's case comes to his attention. Digging into the circumstances of her disappearance forces David to realize he has not dealt with what happened to him, and that he can no loner deal with his long-time partner's fear of being honest about their relationship.


Solving the case might not only bring peace to a shattered family, but could finally put David's own demons to rest. (courtesy of goodreads)
 
This is book 1 in the David Lloyd Investigations series by Liz Strange.
 
 
One of the best things about the was Liz Strange can write is that she has a knack for bring in a M/M relationship as instinctive and fluid.  Her books focus on the relationship as ordinary as it should be and not forced or for shock.  That's not what this review is about but I wanted to say that I love how Liz writes the relationships, true and just like it should be.  We open up to a horrible attack on our lead character.  Leaving his career from injuries David has become a private investigator.  He is in a relationship with real problems he has to work through when a case walks through his door. 
 
As soon as David here's the case he's wrapped up in it.  Strange manages to keep you on your toes trying to guess what the out come will be.  As I was reading this book, I literally couldn't wait to figure out our mystery.  David is a classic character, I could just picture him sitting on my couch hanging out, some one I could be close friends with.  He's tough on that outside with a heart of gold on the inside.  The more and more he unravels about this case, the crazier the events happen to him.  Someone definitely doesn't want him to find out where the missing daughter is.  Strange also manages to rope in the reality of life, relationships are not easy, they require work. 
 
Strange gives David the answer to his mystery - and it's one heck of a twist.  David also inherits some family along the way.  Strange gives you a natrual story that flows for our lead character as if you are a spectator on the side lines, you're on a roller coaster as you figure out the mystery, wilder than the Hulk at Universal :)
 
 
 

Witness by Jamie Magee

I have to say I don’t know how Jamie hits it out of the park every time!

Book 2 in the series, Witness packs all the juice you need to get you through a “read it in one day” binge.  I said it before with See,  I’m one that loves music so to have this books concept around feeling the music and what music can do just immediately has me hooked.  That being said, don’t think that this book is lacking in action.  Magee manages to wrap up quite a bit of strategy and conflict inside this story.  While SEE and Witness are not deeply wrapped in the Insight series, they crossed over and we are starting to see where they will intertwine, and honestly, I CAN’T FRICKING WAIT FOR IT!

Let’s stick with just Witness cause I’m getting anxious when I think about what could be coming ;)
Ok, so Charlie is starting to get her memories back, but her journey is just the beginning. Finding your soul mate and having him be there even when you are not yourself is huge.  He’s giving you everything, and you aren’t sure where you are in the whole mix because you just have pieces and feelings.  Intense.  Magee punches those feelings right at you.  As I said before, I end the book and I look up blinking to come back to reality.  I’m in the room with Charlie the whole time.  You forget the characters are in their late teens in Magee’s books.

Magee brings Charlie into an interesting mix of confusion and we meet a new character that could be tied to Charlie in the past that is forgotten.  The whole while, Charlie is struggling as she learns twists and has to act quickly with the right choice.  Magee has also brought in a few new people and we visit Chara (from Insight series) and big things there :) :)

Magee doesn’t give you fluff you don’t need, she has a way to pull in new characters and wrap you up in them just as you are with the main characters.  Love Draven by the way.  I can’t say enough good things about these books, especially when trying hard not to spoil it for you.  Try on SEE, I think it hits you better if you have done the 3 books from the Insight series, but you can truly enjoy SEE and Witness without.

Witness was a win for me, and there is a line about love at the end of the book that is amazing…

5 Slices

Giveaway and Blog Tour from Jamie Magee for Witness

We have the pleasure of once again being a stop on Jamie Magee’s Blog Tour.  This time she is touring to promote Witness - - this is Book 2 in the series, quickly following on the heels of SEE.  You will find the summary of both books below and our review for SEE can be read here 


Look today here on the blog, for our review of Witness as we also had the pleasure of reading it ahead of time and you can too!!!  




Jamie is giving away 1 ebook each of SEE and Witness to one lucky commenter.  Did you hear that?  BOTH BOOKS!!! Witness is not released until the 19thof this month so you will also get to read it early!  Of course, Jamie never stops just there, she also has some awesome swag, bookmarks and  guitar picks to giveaway along with the ebooks.  Wonder the significance of guitar picks???  WELL READ THE BOOKS :) you’ll be hooked.  


To win for the giveaway here on our blog, leave a comment below, tell us if you’ve read on of Jamie Magee’s books in either series, ask a question, or just let us know you say hi.  Make sure you are a follower over to the right  leave your email address and we will be choosing a winner on July 8th.  (international too :) )


THAT STILL ISN’T ALL!! Jamie brings us awesome books and packs in the giveaways.  She will be choosing a winner from all the commenters on the entire tour to win printed copies of both SEE and Witness, along with a $25 gift card to Amazon (swag bookmarks and picks too) and this is also international.  So you can see the list of participants below and make sure to visit and comment on their blogs for more chance to win.


THAT’S 2 GIVEAWAYS in 1 POST !


Thanks Jamie – as always it’s a pleasure to have you come by, love your books and helping promote you any time.   Next time maybe you can bring Draven by or Drake  you know they hold a special piece of my heart.


Visit Jamie at one of these links – she’s lots of fun, and I still wonder how she pumps out these works and has time to do anything else.  AMAZING!




Face Book http://www.facebook.com/Insight.Jamie.Magee 
Twitter http://www.facebook.com/Insight.Jamie.Magee
Blog http://authorjamiemagee.blogspot.com/
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-Magee/e/B004DAU5JY

Summary of SEE 
Forgetting who you are, your ambitions, your passions is crippling….but remembering – embracing your purpose with a new sense of determination is more than empowering….it's life altering. Charlie Myers is on a life altering path that will cause the dammed to humble in silence.
One night…just a few friends, how could it go so wrong? That was the question seventeen year old Charlie Myers was asking when she found herself in the ER. Outwardly nothing was wrong with Charlie, she was a vision of perfect heath, internally she was battling a raging headache…one the doctor told her she would overcome shortly, but Charlie knew something else was wrong …very wrong.
Part of her had been stolen…she was missing memories. Those memories were sacred. They held the key to her sanity. They told her that the sinister whispers, the shadows that came to life before her were not as ominous as she felt they were. They held the bond with her late father, a famed musician. They caused her to forget the one talent that allowed her to face the darkness that haunted her every waking hour. They also masked a much deeper bond, the face of the one that had stolen her heart, long before the age of seventeen.
Sitting in the ER with her angry mother she couldn’t figure out what she was missing, or even how. Her thoughts told her that she needed to protect Britain, a friend of hers, but that didn’t make any sense – Britain didn’t need to be protected from anyone, he was strong, young, and absurdly wealthy. Charlie also knew that even though her friend Bianca called Charlie her best friend, she didn’t trust her …she was almost sure she despised her, but she couldn’t figure out why, or understand how random thoughts were telling her that she adored both Britain and Bianca – that they were her saviors – that they brought silence to the unstoppable whispers, but the silence scared Charlie. In her mind anyone or anything that could bring silence to something that dark could not be good.
Charlie wanted to stay in NY, figure out what she was missing, why, and who was behind it all, but her mother had other plans. Against her will, Charlie was sent to Salem to live with her sister, within that small town Charlie found her memories and so much more.
Her story begins now.


Summary Of WITNESS 

Forgetting who you are is hard, but not as hard as remembering. Remembering that you have no idea how to face your demons, how to save the lost.
Charlie is at a sacred threshold.The ‘glass box’, as she calls it, is slowly falling. Her childhood has ended. The moment she has yearned for, the moment where she can go and do anything, anything at all without seeking permission is now. She’d dreamed of this time, all of her friends had, but now that it’s here, she doesn't know which way to run, or if she should even run at all.
Charlie knew that running would be a goodbye forever, and she didn’t want that, she wanted to freeze the time she was in, to stay in the calm before the storm, the illusion that she could out wit the ones who seek her, hold the one she loves, and play the music that gives her passion. She’ll soon discover no one can hide from their fate, that time does not stop in place, and that whether she chooses to perceive it or not, the darkness has come.
What Charlie feared most, losing him, is a threat now more than ever. A realm, a dark and twisted dream world has called him, and now she must fight to save him, and others like him. Standing in her way is a soul from another life, a boy that promises that he will destroy her world, to save her life. With this threat in hand, with the dark path that her friends are on, Charlie must fight to find a way to leave, to trust that beyond her dimension there are souls that can help her, help all of them. The only question is, will she find them before it's to late, and if she can't, how is she going to use her gift, the gifts they all share to save them.




BLOG TOUR MEMBERS -


July 6th Seduced By Books - http://seducedbybooks.blogspot.com/ 


July 7th The Shadowed Realm -  http://xtheshadowrealmx.blogspot.com/


July 8th The Cozy Reader - http://thecozyreader.com/


July 11th MoonStars Fantasy World - http://moonstarsfantasyworld.blogspot.com/


July 12th The Reading Geek -  http://thereadinggeek.blogspot.com/


July 13th Lovey Dovey Books - http://www.loveydoveybooks.blogspot.com/


July 14th The Lovely Books - http://jessicaslovelybooks.blogspot.com/


July 15th Sassy Book Lovers -  http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/


July 15th  Delphina Reads Too Much - http://www.delphinareadstoomuch.com/


July 16th  Page Flipperz - http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/?zx=6ba9dca96e7fe7b5


July 16th Between the Lines -  http://www.betweenthelinesbookblog.com/


July 18th Paranormal Reads - http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspot.com/


July 19th WITNESS RELEASE DATE


July 19th Better Read Than Dead - http://www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/


July 20th Book Reader Addicts - http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com/


July 20th Parnormal Books Fan  http://paranormalbookfan.blogspot.com/


July 21 Taking it One Book at a Time - http://takingitonebookatatime.blogspot.com/


July 23rd Insane About Books - http://insaneaboutbooks.blogspot.com/


July 24th Lovey Dovey Books - http://www.loveydoveybooks.blogspot.com/


July 25th D's Bookworld - http://ds-bookworld.blogspot.de 

Kiss the Dead by Laurell K Hamilton

When a fifteen-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it’s up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she’s faced with something she’s never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people—kids, grandparents, soccer moms—all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there’s one martyr, there will be more…


But even vampires have monsters that they’re afraid of. And Anita is one of them…(courtesy of Amazon)



I'm a big fan of the Anita Blake series, after all, having Amy hand me this series 3 years ago is what got me back into reading!  The dynamic in the series of a strong kick ass female that is set in her ways and yet, still manages to come this far and open up is great.  I have a few favorite characters and Hamilton keeps the story going whether it's a crazy vampire or an insane lover, there's always action and hot sex!  If you read Hamilton, you better be open minded and ready to be turned on but remember there's action and lots of blood.

This all being said, I read Kiss the Dead in about 5 hours.  I didn't want to put it down.  If Hamilton ended the series right here today with this book, I wouldn't be disappointed.  Don't get me wrong, I don't want her to end the series, I'm just saying that this book would bring comfort to the series ending.  I don't want to give to many spoilers away, but if you think you might be concerned, don't read on, just take my advice and read this one.

Bottom line, this book has me happy for Anita.  This is a change for some of the books, Hamilton usually has us lost in crazy sex scenes, but halfway through the book and not one scene yet.  Hamilton brings up the true Anita here, the US Marshal, the Executioner, as she works with the cops and SWAT team to find what has happened to the girl.  Well done action in only Anita's bad ass way.  Anita is with Zerbrowski (we all loves him) and it's amazing how far he's come to be Anita's partner and respect her.  Finally Anita has a game plan with all her men.  I still love Micah, Nathaniel, and Jean Claude the best for her.  We see some drama with Sin and Nicky will do anything for her, even if it costs him his life.  Anita has come full circle (many argue they don't like it or the amount of sex, well then read something else), coming full circle shows you that Anita has grown, she's comfortable in herself now.  She went from warding off men to opening her heart to quite a few and would do anything to protect them, which she shows again here as 4 end up in a bad situation.  And I'm just going to say --- fricking Asher, REALLY?  This book could be a turning point for the series.

6 slices

Stalking the Others by Jess Haines

Vampires, werewolves, mages - the Others are very real, and wreaking havoc in Shiarra Waynest's life. But now, she's retuming the favour...Once, she was one of the good guys - or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia's recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon...Of course, with all the threats against her, Shia's not sure she'll live long enough to find out. The enigmatic vampire Royce wants her back in his clutches, as do two powerful werewolf packs, along with the police. Instead of going into hiding, Shia is enlisting the aid of her enchanted hunter's belt and every dirty P.I. trick she knows. If she's going down, she'll take out as many of her enemies as she can - and hope that in the process, she keeps whatever humanity she has left...(courtesy of Amazon)



The H & W Investigations series is one of my favorites because it takes me from a mostly “were” girl to root for for the “vamp”.  I adore Royce.

Haines is a talented writer.  In her past books, she has had me so wrapped emotionally in the book, when our leading lady, Shia, dealt with some crazy ass stuff in the last book, I was right there with her.  In fact, it took me a day to be able to come down from it  I won’t say what, for those of you that have not read the series, but I was dying after I finished.

Haines packs in action and our heroine is not perfect.  She makes mistakes along the way, but she is learning to hold her own in the world of the Others.  This book starts me out still pissed as I rehash our adventures. Haines keeps the action going and steps up Shia’s characters for buttkicking. Shia is a little lost as our book begins, her world is turned upside down in Deceived.  Here she's on a rampage and has to figure out exactly who she can trust.  To me, there is one constant hanging around :) :) :)

Our book ends with a bang.  FINALLY.  I say again how much I love Royce.  Haines had me reminiscing of some of my favorite series as well as freaking out that I have to wait for the next book with the tease she gives in the end.  I can't tell you the end....and I'm itching to find out what happens.  The tease is of the first chapter in the next book!!!!!  One of the best feelings when reading a book is the anticipation of what is coming.  Haines definitely carves up that anticipation.  You like Shia and you can't help (thanks to Haines writing) really feel like you are right there with her in this book. 

For those of you that haven’t read the series, it’s a rocking time.  Shia is a PI that wants nothing to do with Others, she’s been hit a little too close with them before.  But she is tossed in with them as she helps the local vamps.  Over and over again, she’s battling with the Others, or against some, and she’s stuck with them no matter what.  Now…she could become one.  Haines is a talented writer, she brings in humorous banter between her characters that has you feeling as if these are friends hanging out with you.  She keeps action going, along with our steamy chemistry on the romance side.  You won’t be at a loss picking up these books, and let me know when you catch up, so we can hash out these details.  I’m dying to really talk shop on Royce! 

H&W Investigations is HERE with Jess Haines and Stalking the Others

STALKING THE OTHERS BLOG TOUR
Guest Post Stop 6: The H&W Gang Discuss Their Phobias

By Jess Haines


Hello there!  Jess Haines here.  I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series (HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, and the upcoming STALKING THE OTHERS).

Shiarra has been having a pretty bad time of things lately. She’s here with some of her friends (and otherwise) to tell you about it.  Over to you, Shia!

____________________

Sara: This one is pretty obvious.

Shiarra:  Yeah. Any bite-y, clawed thing of the night.

Chaz:  Oh, come on. You weren’t afraid of me.

Shiarra:  That’s because I didn’t know what you were. Plus, it’s a little hard to be afraid of a guy you’ve seen wandering around your apartment in his Ghost Busters boxer shorts.

Arnold: I prefer Captain Hammer on my boxers.

Royce: I don’t wear boxers.

Everyone Else: …

Shiarra: We don’t want to know what you’re wearing under those business suits.

Sara: …actually…

Arnold:  Hey!

Sara:  Kidding, honey. Kidding.

Royce:  I should hope so.

Arnold: My boxers are the only ones you should be looking at, damn it.

Sara:  Yes! I know. Anyway. On topic.  I’m afraid of spiders, snakes, and the IRS.

Royce:  I’d have to agree about the IRS. Dealing with the corporate taxes and licensing and such when most of your businesses and shell corporations have been around longer than the country’s established government can be a nightmare.

Chaz:  Yeah? Well, I hate fleas.

Shiarra:  Ew.

Chaz:  And ticks.

Shiarra:  Double-ew.

Chaz: Tapeworms, too.

Shiarra:  Enough already!

Chaz:  What? I do.

Royce:  Dogcatchers, too, I would imagine.

Chaz:  Shut up, fangs.

Arnold: I bet we can all guess what the vamp is afraid of. Sunlight, garlic, fangirls…

Shiarra: …body shimmer lotion…

Sara: …teenaged wangst…

Royce:  Yes, yes, we get the point.

Shiarra:  Vampire baseball?

Royce:  What does that even mean?

Shiarra:  Never mind. My comedic brilliance is wasted on you.

Sara:  I got it.  Heh.

Royce:  This is ridiculous.

Arnold: Oh! Oh! I want to share my phobia!

Sara:  Okay, your turn.

Arnold:  I’m afraid of summoned planar beings that haven’t been harnessed into a body and metaphysically cohered to a mage who is trained how to control it.

Chaz: Was that English?

Shiarra: It sounded like words, but nothing came out.

Arnold: Oh, come on. Do I really have to explain that?

Sara:  I think I get what you’re saying. You’re afraid of familiars that have broken away from their masters somehow. Or never had a master. Right?

Arnold:  That’s what I said.

Shiarra:  Next time, use small, normal people words.

Chaz: I don’t get it.

Shiarra:  Big surprise.

Chaz:  No, I mean—I don’t get how they can’t have a master. How do they get here if no one is controlling them?

Arnold:  Believe me, it can happen, and it’s not pretty.

Royce:  Indeed. They are not easy to banish or kill.

Arnold:  How would you know?

Royce:  Have you ever seen a familiar survive beyond the death of its master? I have.

Shiarra:  Yeah, that’s all kinds of creepy right there.

Sara:  It wouldn’t be that bad if he didn’t look so pleased with himself while he said it.

Arnold:  Wow. Great. I’m ready to go. Forever.

Royce:  That’s right. Run away, little mage. When you’ve been around as long as I have, you see and do things far beyond the ken of mortal men.

Arnold: You guys?

Sara:  Let’s get out of here.

Shiarra:  Right now.

____________________


You can learn more about Shiarra and the rest of her friends in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS .   For the next stop on the blog tour, be sure to visit the official STALKING THE OTHERS blog tour calendar!

You can also visit me on the web:

http://www.jesshaines.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessHainesAuthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/Jess_Haines
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Jennifer!
_____________________________________________________
Always welcome here Jess, especially if you bring Royce :) Check out our review of Stalking as well as Hunted, Taken, and Deceived.  You will not be disappointed in this series, especially not in Stalking, but you have got to get out there and start at the beginning so you can catch up before the release on July 3rd :)

Kensington is hosting a giveaway - they have 15 copies in the pot to giveaway.  The giveaway is open to US/Canada only - enter below for your chance to win one of the books :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome Author K D Grace

A Big Welcome from Seduced to K D Grace!!!!

K D Grace was born with a writing obsession. It got worse once she actually learned HOW to write. There's no treatment for it. It's progressive and chronic and quite often interferes with normal, everyday functioning. She might actually be concerned if it wasn't so damned much fun most of the time.

K D's critically acclaimed erotic romance novels, The Initiation of Ms Holly, The Pet Shop and Lakeland Heatwave Book 1: Body Temperature and Rising are published by Xcite Books and are available from all good paperback and eBook retailers.

Her erotica has been published with Xcite Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and Scarlet Magazine.

Find out more about K D Grace on her website http://kdgrace.co.uk. She's also on Facebook and Twitter


More than Landscapes - blog post from K D Grace

By now everyone who has read anything I’ve written or blogged about my novel, Body Temperature and Rising, knows that BTR, along with the whole Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy, is set in the English Lake District and that I’m totally in love with the place. Most of the places in the trilogy are real places that I’ve walked and explored in the Lake District, and it was the real places that inspired me to write the trilogy. However those real experiences in the landscape also inspired the ‘Magicscapes’ in the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy.

Before I go any further, I’d like to clarify for my American readers just what a fell is, since there seems to be a bit of a language barrier, and some people have thought that the fells are woodlands. A fell is an upland stretch of open countryside, a moor or a barren or stony hill. And the fells in the Lake District are formidable. They include Scafell Pike the highest mountain in England! The word comes from Middle English and Old Norse and means mountain or hill. There! Language barrier crossed!

My husband and I are avid walkers and the Lake District is one of our very favourite places to walk. We had just had four lovely days walking in May sunshine, truly Lakeland Heatwave conditions, when we decided to walk part of a ridge walk known as the Newland’s Horseshoe. We’d heard the weather was supposed to change but it certainly didn’t look like it when we headed up onto the ridge. We were planning to make it on around to the fell called High Spy and then drop down into the village of Rosthwaite afterward for coffee and a break. It wasn’t a particularly long walk. We thought surely we’d beat the weather. We thought wrong.

The rain started just as we reached the top of the ridge. We were just about to the summit of the second fell, Maiden Moor when the mist descended. Before long the mist around us blotted out everything else and we walked in strange silent nothingness that, even though we knew we couldn’t easily get lost on this particular walk, was frightening.

Later when we were sipping coffee and dripping all over the hard wood floor of the tea shop in Rosthwaite, we wondered what it would have been like had we been somewhere we hadn’t been so familiar with and if we’d not known how to use a map and compass. It was a chilling thought.

That was the experience that inspired the opening scenes in Body Temperature and Rising, but it also inspired one of the two magicscapes my characters frequent in the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy. The feeling of walking in thick nothingness was the inspiration for my version of the Ether, the magical void, which is the dangerous place where powerful magic can be worked by witches who are skilled at riding the Ether. The Ether has no landmarks, no light nor darkness, no shape nor form, and in the Ether there is no concept of time, which makes it a particularly dangerous place to hang out. However a powerful witch can create from the void whatever he or she is skilled enough to imagine and bring to fruition. The Ether is like a lot of raw material waiting to be magicked into something useful … or treacherous. And sex in the Ether --- for those brave enough to try it -- totally sizzles. A lot of the action of the second Lakeland novel, Riding the Ether, takes place in this void.

There’s another magicscape that was also inspired by my time in the Lake District … that and by my time snoozing beneath the blankets every night -- the Dream Scape. All three Lakeland Heatwave novels spend a fair amount of time in the Dream World dealing with dream magic, which happens to be the preferred magic of the Elemental Coven’s high priestess, Tara Stone. I found inspiration while walking through thick woodlands in the Lake District with slivers of sunlight filtering down through the darkness. I also found inspiration for the Dream World from the old slate quarries and the ruined landscapes littered with tailings. We all know our own personal dreamscape can be beautiful or horrific, confusing or insightful and all things in between.

It was fun to picture the Dream World and the Ether as other worlds overlaying the beautiful landscape of the Lake District, other worlds that could only be reached through magic. And it was so easy to imagine, with all the caves and mines and dark mysterious woodlands, that you just might be able to walk in through one world and come out into another. To be honest, who am I to say you can’t? Certainly the world of the Lakeland Heatwave trilogy could only have been inspired by my walking in those wonderful places and experiencing the beauty, the magic and sometimes the danger of such an amazing landscape.

Body Temperature & Rising....

American transplant to the Lake District, MARIE WARREN, didn’t know she could unleash demons and enflesh ghosts until a voyeuristic encounter on the fells ends in sex with the charming ghost, ANDERSON, and night visits from a demon. To help her cope with her embarrassing and dangerous new abilities, Anderson brings her to the ELEMENTALS, a coven of witches who practice rare sex magic that temporarily allows needy ghosts access to the pleasures of the flesh.
DEACON, the demon Marie has unleashed, holds an ancient grudge against TARA STONE, coven high priestess, and will stop at nothing to destroy all she holds dear. Marie and her landlord, the reluctant young farmer, TIM MERIWETHER, are at the top of his list. Marie and Tim must learn to wield coven magic and the numinous power of their lust to stop Deacon’s bloody rampage before the coven is torn apart and more innocent people die.
More info, excerpt and buy links http://kdgrace.co.uk/books/lakeland-heatwave-book-i/

Thank you to Writer Marketing for bringing K D Grace to our blog today.  And a Thank you to K D for making the time - Something so simple as a hike turned into one crazy thought :) 

check for our review of Body Temperature and Rising

We have a WINNER

Our winner from Jamie Magee's Blog tour stop is

Heather from Red Headed Bookworm

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

I've already let Jamie know that you have won.  Continue to follow Jamie's blog tour for a chance at the big prize!

Jamie Magee Presents SEE Blog Tour and Giveaway

Coming out this week!!! (May 5th)

SEE - by Jamie Magee (back cover summary)
Forgetting who you are, your ambitions, your love is crippling….but remembering – embracing your purpose with a new sense of determination is more than empowering….its life altering. Charlie Myers is on a life altering path that will cause the damned to humble in silence…


One night…just a few friends how could it go so wrong? That was the question seventeen year old Charlie Myers was asking when she found herself in the ER. Outwardly nothing was wrong with Charlie, she was a vision of perfect heath, internally she was battling a raging headache…one the doctor told her she would overcome shortly, but Charlie knew something else was wrong …very wrong.


Part of her had been stolen….she was missing memories. Those memories were sacred. They held the key to her sanity. They told her that the sinister whispers, the shadows that came to life before her were not as ominous as she felt they were. They held the bond with her late father, a famed musician. They caused her to forget the one talent that allowed her to face the darkness that haunted her every waking hour. They also masked a much deeper bond, the face of the one that had stolen her heart, long before the age of seventeen.


Sitting in the ER with her angry mother she couldn’t figure out what she missing – or even how. Her thoughts told her that she needed to protect Britain, a friend of hers, but that didn’t make any sense – Britain didn’t need to be protected from anyone, he was strong, young, and absurdly wealthy. Charlie also knew that even though her friend Bianca called Charlie her best friend that she didn’t trust her ….she was almost sure she despised her, but she couldn’t figure out why – or understand how random thoughts were telling her that she adored both Britain and Bianca – that they were her saviors – that they brought silence to the unstoppable whispers….but the silence scared Charlie. In her mind anyone or anything that could bring silence to something that dark could not be good.


Charlie wanted to stay in NY, figure out what she was missing, why, and who was behind it all, but her mother had other plans. Against her will, Charlie was sent to Salem to live with her sister….within that small town Charlie found her memories….and so much more.


Her story begins now.

Our Review --

Jamie Magee gives you stories that jump off the page and straight into your heart somehow managing to bring forward emotions mixed with drama and suspense that you feel to your bone.  I’m amazed when I finish the book and I look up and have to blink a few times to come back to where I am.  

See was one of her top books for me.  Magee drops you right in the middle of chaos and you’re desperately wanting to know what’s going on that you are gripping the book (or ereader) so hard.  Magee forms unbreakable connections with her characters.  I love the horoscope/astrological basis for her books.  Soul mates destined to come together based on the alignment of the planets and time.  I get good chills when I read Magee’s books.  

Our Charlie has lost something very important – her memories – and she knows they contain something very important.  As Magee takes you through the confusion Charlie is dealing with, you are able to meet her old friends for the first time just as she has to do again.  You can feel her emotions unfold.  Music is Charlie’s only way to release, she’s never realized how important one particular song could be.  As a music lover (home alone with my kids and the TV’s off and the Radio is on shuffle) I thought Magee’s concept had me feeling right at home in this book.  

If you have not had the pleasure of reading her Insight series (3 books to date) you need to add it to your pile, and then make sure you grab See as there is a little linkage with this series and the Insight series (but you do not have to read Insight before See).  I’m hoping for some very interesting things to unfold in the coming book 2 and the See series and book 4 and 5 in the Insight series (book 4 out in October).  Magee brings in some of our characters from Insight as Charlie is working to learn her past.  Magee says book 2 will be out here soon (July), I’m on pins and needles waiting to “SEE” where Charlie goes.

5 slices for sure

GIVEAWAY!!!!! 

For this stop Jamie Magee is giving away an ebook of SEE to one lucky winner along with some great swag.    You need to make a comment below to be entered into the drawing for our stop.  (we will select a winner from all our comments posted by May 8th)  

Jamie is also combining all the comments from all the blogs on the tour to give away a printed/signed copy of SEE and Insight (her debut) along with bookmarks and picks (we love swag) - as well as a 25$ amazon gift card!!!!! WOW!!! The more you comment, the more chances to win on her big prize.  We have a listing of all the blogs participating below.  ALSO, you get a bonus entry if you follow Jamie Magee's blog and find her on facebook "like" her page and tell her Seduced by Books sent you.  

Blogs on the Tour

May 2nd Sassy Book Lovers ~ http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com/

May 3rd Jamie Magee’s Blog http://authorjamiemagee.blogspot.com/

May 4th Seduced by Books http://seducedbybooks.blogspot.com/

May 5th The Reading Geek ~ http://thereadinggeek.blogspot.com/

May 6th Page Flipperz ~ http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/ 

May 8th Taking it One Book at a Time ~ http://takingitonebookatatime.blogspot.com/

May 9th - Moon Stars Fantasy World ~ http://moonstarsfantasyworld.blogspot.com/

May 10th - Better Read Than Dead ~ http://www.angelsdemonsandvampires.com/

May 11th Book Reader Addicts ~ http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com/

May 12th Paranormal Reads ~ http://paranormalreadsreviews.blogspot.com/

May 13th Judge Not by the Covers ~ http://judgenotbythecovers.blogspot.com/

May 14th The Shadowed Realm ~ http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Shadow-Realm/275903885816648

May 15th YA Holic http://www.ya-aholic.com/

May 16th Book Reader Addicts (character interview) http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com

May 17th - Ya Holic ( interview)  http://www.ya-aholic.com/

Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs

Once again, I’m catching up on reading existing series as well as pushing together a review of the series instead of each book individually.

Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series was a big one to read on my list because once again, it’s mostly shifters :)

Briggs gives you a strong female living on her own as a ….mechanic. She’s a loner coyote raised by werewolves. She’s forced herself to be independent and doesn’t cow down to the local wolf pack or their Alpha who just happens to live behind her. She finds herself in interesting situations throughout the series when she really just wanted to be left alone. Briggs brings in the difficult politics of a wolf pack and the world of the paranormal as Mercy tries to navigate. 

 
Being the lower end of her where she was raised, Mercy has worked hard to take self-defense classes and ground herself to being strong. She’s constantly driving the alpha mad in a both humorous ways as well as sensual. Mercy finds herself in trouble several times throughout the series, but she works to get herself out. Very determined to keep that independent streak. Briggs brings in the romantic twist as her alpha wolf can’t deny her, just when things would start to align, she tosses in a triangle to keep you on your toes.  Briggs turns up the heat and adds some fun play with dating.

I enjoyed the banter as well as the feelings Mercy has to deal with to figure out her life. A favorite, as I’ve said before, I love when the series revolves around the main characters in every book. In the third book, Mercy has already battled the vamps and won, the fae and won, but now she battles an emotional tragedy when she is held captive. There are videos to prove what she’s gone through and her alpha has seen them. It’s a rough go but Briggs did this book so well. The reality of things just don’t go away over night and Mercy really has to work through them just was frankly well done. Supporting characters really show their true colors as they help Mercy heal (loved Ben, with out him who knows what would have happened). As Mercy navigates being the 2nd in the wolf pack betrayals will happen. Through it all she fights to defend herself.

Briggs takes every turn and brings in an interesting paranormal mystery, she pulls in every form of other there is and it just blends so well. I look forward to the next in the series (6 Books so far- in order-, Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne, River Marked). I’d say books 2, 3 and 4 were may favorites so far in the series.  Excited to see where Adam and Mercy end up next and what happens with Samuel and Stefan.

4 slices for the series

Lover Reborn by J R Ward

What I can say about this one is INTENSE – We all loved Wellsie and what she gave back to John and how Tohr gave himself to her when she passed. Knowing this was Tohr’s book, I went in as open minded as I could. We learned more of his past in Lover Mine and Lover Unleashed as we learned about Xhex and No’One.

Ward definitely turned the corners on this book. So much has happened in the story line. The B.o.B. are in full force, the lessers are coming out of the wood work, and the Brothers still have to validate their worth to the glymera. Ward takes Tohr through some crazy Shasta – because he can not let go, he’s hooked Wellsie in between, she can never settle. Not your typical love story – two broken souls just getting by – most of the book (which is set over about a year) Tohr goes through the motions…it’s not working.

What I love about Ward is one book does not end a couple’s story, and what I loved most about this book, probably because Xhex is one of my favorite characters, is John and Xhex. John is just unbelievable. This installment had me looking inside my own life and reflecting. I enjoyed the dive into Xhex and her mom.

I could have smacked Tohr half the time with some of his comments, but then we have all become to love these guys like our own Brothers. In series, they always have a book that is a bridge between the series continuing on, most of the times that bridge, is a small one and insignificant. This book is the fricking Golden Gate. It’s huge and not just in pages, the story line is up, down, around, flips you back, forward, you name it. It’s all good, as I said in the beginning, Intense. That is the only way I can describe it with out giving anything away. I am so looking forward to the next, Quinn and Blay’s book. After the turns of events here in Lover Reborn, it’s going to be another fricking ride for sure!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I fought hard not to read the Hunger Games series. I didn’t want to read a book just because it was popular. Sure, I would get to it, because I’m obsessed with reading, but in time. Then, the movie was coming out and my friend started to ask me if I got them yet…

So I grabbed it. Let me tell you now - Hunger Games is worth all the hype! The concept of districts in North America rebuilding themselves from the revolution but set in a more sci-fi direction was intriguing. Separated into 12 districts and the Capitol, America is not what it seems.

Book 1 starts to explain where we are and how the Hunger Games have come to fruition. Of course, it comes quickly to the action of Katniss and how she has been “selected” to represent District 12. Lives are impacted drastically, as Katniss is stripped from her family. She no stranger to hardship and fighting for her life. Collins manages to quickly wrap you into her characters emotionally. From less than half way through book 1, you are so emotionally vested, I felt like I was on the train and in the capitol. Collins kept the descriptions real, crisp, I could picture it but not overly descriptive where I wanted to skim.

Peeta and Katniss tackle the Games head on. Katniss is amazing. The character dimensions are so deep. On to the bond Katniss and Peeta form, as much as Kat has been through, when it comes to Peeta she assumes the worst. She’s so intuitive to survive and I just wanted her to fall in love. Trust me , I’m not at all disappointed at Book 1, it caught me offguard as I was expecting one thing to come to another. Could Peeta be the ying to her yang?

The Games … wow, you get the craziness of the entire concept, and with it comes the brutality of what is set to occur. It’s a fight for only 1 to survive. Thank goodness I could roll immediately into book 2. Collins just dug into my heart as she ended book 1 – my heart ached.

Book 2 (Catching Fire) is packed. We’re back from the Games, we’re touring and we’re thrown, spinning in the crazy web of the Capitol. Bonds have been formed, everything is on the table to be broken. Collins delivers intense emotion and action. The train, it gets me every time. Again, we’re invested in these characters. The losses we’ve had, having us together again. Collins brings in new characters and tosses up the dynamic.

Once again, Peeta rocks an interview. I don’t want to spoil anything about these books. What I can say is the shake up is insane! Collins in her cliffhanger end, takes it away with this one. I now know why people were so insane to get Mockingjay.

If I thought Book 2 had so much going on, book 3 tosses so much more into this series. Collins has to take you full circle and conclude the series. I would not have imagined she could do it so well in this 1 book. I felt it was a little rushed toward the end, but I was so pleased with the outcome I could overlook it. Although there is no true “game” in this book, there is still heart-wrenching war and destruction. Katniss has to come to terms with herself and her role in this mess while figuring out who to trust. Collins did a remarkable job.

Overall I give this series a 6 – I did not put it down, nor has any of my friends who read it since. Well played, the romance is sweet and the Games are brutal.

On a movie note, I thought the casting is just as I pictured. Well done and I’m anxiously awaiting the next movies. I hope they keep as close to the book as the first did.

On a “Battle Royale” note, I have this on my TBR pile, I heard of it after I read the series. The book holds a similar story line but with out the romance from what I hear and the continuation as we have in Mockingjay. I don’t think Collins “stole” the story, and I hope that Battle Royale is a great read as well. There are many books out there where there is a similar note, and if one does better than another and brings them both to light, that’s cool. The more there is to read the better. Just want our blog readers to know, I’m not in the blind about the book and will read it as well.

“Deep in the meadow, under the willow

A bed of grass, a soft green pillow

Lay down your head, and close your eyes And when they open, the sun will rise.”

Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn

A WHOLE LOT OF KITTY!

There are so many series/authors I missed while I was ‘not reading’ after I finished school. I can never thank Amy enough for getting me back into reading 3 years ago. That being said, I’m playing catch up and finding great paranormal authors that have been out long before the “Twilight” craze.

Carrie Vaughn is one of those authors I had on my “To Be Read” list. I finally got the chance to start her Kitty Norville series. As you know I’m a fan of the shifters/weres, while I love all the fae, vamps, witches, etc, shifters remain my favorite. I’m going to combine the reviews for the books as one for the series. I read the 9 books (plus short stories) in about a week so the line between what happens in each is a little blurry for me.

Starting out with Kitty and the Midnight Hour we meet our radio talk show host. Kitty Norville is the ost of the late night talk show and dives into the paranormal talking to callers about their wacky experiences. Guess what….KITTY is a werewolf. Yep, that’s right, her name is Kitty and she’s a dog one night a month, and thus you can see Vaughn sets up a humorous line that keeps you smiling throughout the series. Of course, the radio public starts out having no idea she is a wolf. It’s all taken with a grain to the ‘norms’ of the world as she talks freely about the world of Others and only she has to deal with the angry vamps and weres. As Vaughn sets up the characters, book 1 started out just a little slow, but definitely takes off about midway through. Kitty is in a dysfunctional pack. Vaughn manages to give us a female character that isn’t very tough at all and has been a dependent wolf, but you just instantly like her. Tricky Vaughn pulls Kitty into fighting for her place and building her up to be our heroine. And then, some one puts a hit out on her which comes to light right on her show and the world learns she’s a wolf. Of course, just like you will be, America (and her would be assassin) adores their talk show host and they only want more of her.

Vaughn resolves the hit against Kitty and Book 1 ends with a very violent, emotional end. Kitty is a lone wolf roaming America doing her show once a week at various sister radio stations. As book 2 starts, she’s formed an interesting bond with her former assassin and his cousin, her now lawyer. Vaughn keeps the books packed with humor and action. So far, there is just a little heat tossed in. I will say, I truly love a series where the main character is the main character in all the books, you get to know them and watch their character evolve. (The Hollows, Anita Blake, Merry Gentry, Kate Daniels, World of the Lupi, just to name a few) Vaughn definitely does that here, you are watching Kitty go from a terrified wolf to a loner. Kitty ends up in Washington, and just as her wolf secret was outed before publicly, she is yet in another horrible situation. There is always a main mystery/plot and a few subplots to keep you going in Vaughn’s books. Don’t forget, a little humor and a little heat, which we start seeing much more from Kitty here in book 2 and the remaining books.

I won’t take you through a summary of the other 7 books currently out (book 10 due out July 2012) but these first 2 truly set up Kitty’s character with the crucial events surrounding her wolf. Vaughn further develops Kitty into an Alpha, she ends up treating a turned wolf (and close friend), falling in love, getting married, and all while defending her place in the world. Vaughn doesn’t give you the expected in those scenarios either. Vaughn also doesn’t let everything just ‘work out’, just as in reality, there are things Kitty can’t control and she’s not above the law, you also get aggravated when she doesn’t think some things through. Kitty works with vamps, meets odd packs, has a couple more attempts on her life, and works hard to not lose herself.  As I said, action is not lacking in these books, there a win all around. 

 I give the series 4 slices – Start book 1 and I think you will be pleased and looking for more of this little wolf they call Kitty.