Sunday, July 31, 2011

July R.A.K Wrap-Up


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

If you have not participated in the R.A.K program - you don't know what you're missing.  :)

Give it a try.

This month I sent three books out.

To Ruby @ Ruby's Reads



To Missy @ Two Readers Reviews








To Kati @ Romancing Rakes







I received two books this month.  :)


From Anna @ Anna' Book Blog







From Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews







I can't wait for August.  :)  

July Reading Re-Cap


Another month has passed us by - summer is drawing to an end.  The kids head back to school in a week - the holidays will be here before we know it.  Honestly, I stopped by the Dollar store today and they were already putting out Halloween candy.  Good grief!

I had a pretty good reading month for July.  Here is a rundown:

5 Stars

Mystical Warrior - Janet Chapman
Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich
Killer Move - Michael Marshall
Hit List - Laurell K Hamilton
WolfsBane - Andrea Cremer
Shadowflame - Dianne Sylvan

4 Stars

Dead Iron - Devon Monk
A Shot in the Dark - K A Stewart
Grave Dance - Kalayna Price
Undead & Undermined - MaryJanice Davidson
Afterlight - Elle Jasper
Chosen By Blood - Virna DePaul
Raven - Suzy Turner


3 Stars


The Betrayal - Diane Noble


How was your reading month?

Saturday, July 30, 2011

In My Mailbox: 07-30-11




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 what I received this last week:  



Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey
Dark Parties - Sara Grant

Bedbugs - Ben H. Winters
Thanks to Quirk Books

Spycatcher - Matthew Dunn

Winner: Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink


It is time to announce the winner of the Circle of Fire giveaway.  Using Random dot Org - here we go:


There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
  1. Kate
  2. Winnie
  3. Marce
  4. Latisha Jean
  5. A Simple Love of Reading
  6. Michelle O'Boyle
  7. Sara M
  8. Ricki
  9. Martha Lawson
  10. Dottie
  11. Crystal GB
  12. Estella
  13. April X
  14. Tynga
  15. Beverly
  16. Donna S
  17. Lieder Madchen
  18. Christina
  19. Madison M
  20. Lisa Richards
And the winning number is #14 - Tynga.  Congrats!  An email is on the way.

Thank you all for participating in this giveaway, be sure to check out the current giveaway:  The Creed Legacy by Linda Lael Miller. 

Friday, July 29, 2011

Flash Fiction Friday: Week #51

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 #51:
 


Striking Cobra
By Michelle Greathouse

The streets were alive with the sounds of morning activities.  Vendors called out to draw attention to their wares, children sped by on their way to school and businessmen hurried to the first meeting of the day.

Takeshi watched all with a calculating eye.  His target, if true to schedule, would pass this way any minute now.  Every morning was the same, a leisurely stroll down to the docks where he ran his illegal activities under the guise of a legitimate shipping company - stopping first for a cup of tea and morning repast at the cafĂ© he bought for his youngest mistress.     

In his arrogance, Orochi held himself above other men, thinking no one would dare to question his authority, to denounce his cruelty.

But someone had.  And they had contacted Takeshi, an assassin with a sense of honor.  Takeshi had no qualms about killing - men, woman, rich, poor - if they were deserving of death.  But he did not kill for fun or sport.

Orochi did.

Men, women, children - all were potential players for Orochi’s entertainment.

Takeshi heard whistling, a tune he recognized from his own childhood, and turned to see Orochi sauntering down the street.

When he drew nearer, Takeshi fell in step behind him and followed to the nearest alley.  Quick as a cobra strike, Takeshi pulled Orochi into the empty alley, pulled his knife and without ceremony, slit Orochi’s throat.

Takeshi wiped his blade on Orochi’s overly expensive suit and left him laying in the alley.  The kill was quick and almost painless - more than Orochi’s deserved.

With one final look, Takeshi left the alley, blending once again, with the morning commuters.

The End
Word Count: 287

Short and sweet!  I apologize once again for my lack of participation in MMFF lately - summer time has just been busy.  LOL  

School starts back 8-8, so hopefully, I will have more time for my writing.

Have a great weekend.                
         

Review: Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan


Shadowflame is the second book in the Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan and an ACE Urban Fantasy.

Book Blurb:

Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance... 

 
My thoughts:

Miranda Grey has reluctantly settled into the routine of being Queen.  Not one to sit on the sidelines and let others make decisions for her, Miranda takes to the streets of Austin, Texas determined to make her presence known.

And her presence has been noted - and not in the way Miranda was hoping.  When an attempt on her life is made, Miranda agrees to an increase in the Elite guards surrounding her.  But even with their training, they are not enough to catch the person responsible.

Now bodies are turning up - rather, body parts are turning up - leading Miranda’s husband, David, to suspect the Red Shadow.  But the Red Shadow are hired by humans - and though Miranda is quick to get on the wrong side of people, most humans wouldn’t hire a vampire assassin in retaliation for a sarcastic bad attitude.  

So just who is after Miranda - and why?

I have found a new author to add to my list of favorites - Dianne Sylvan.

Shadowflame is everything I love about Urban Fantasy - a kick ass heroine and plenty of action, compelling characters and interesting world building.  Shadowflame has it all - and I can’t wait for more.

I give Shadowflame 5 out of 5 stars.

       
Product Details


    Paperback: 368 pages
    Publisher: Ace (July 26, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0441020658
    ISBN-13: 978-0441020652

Thursday, July 28, 2011

(US) Giveaway: The Creed Legacy by Linda Lael Miller


The Creed Legacy is the third book in The Creed Cowboy series by Linda Lael Miller.

Book Blurb:

Rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboy Brody Creed likes life on the move. Until a chance encounter with his long-estranged twin brother brings him "home" for the first time in years. Suddenly Brody is in Creed territory - at thirty-three, he's a restless bad boy among family with deep ties to the land and each other. And a secret past haunts him as he tries to make plans for his future.

Carolyn Simmons is looking for Mr. Right in Lonesome Bend, as the ticktock of her biological clock gets ever louder. Then she falls for gorgeous Brody Creed, the opposite of everything she wants. Until lassoing his wild heart becomes everything both of them need.


I have one (1) copy of The Creed Legacy up for grabs.

This giveaway is open to all followers of this blog with a US mailing address and the book will be mailed directly from the publicist.   

Winner will be chosen using Random dot Org and announced on 08-04-11.

Good Luck! 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

WoW: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost


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


One Grave at a Time is the sixth book in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.

Book Blurb: 

The grave is one wrong step away.

Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity--forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead?

Release Date:  08-30-11

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Review: Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Savor the Danger is the third book in the Edge of Honor series by Lori Foster and a Romance from HQN.

Book Blurb:

She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty - with no memory of what happened - he knows he's been drugged.  Even if Alani doesn't.

After she was kidnapped, Alani vowed never to trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts down a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible - or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?

My thoughts:

Jackson Savor is a mercenary working to put an end to human trafficking.  He and the men he works with have made it a personal mission to stop this illegal and destructive practice.  

Alani Rivers is very aware of the destruction human trafficking can have on a person - she was kidnapped herself and if it had not been for the timely arrival of her brothers associate, Dare, she would have been sold to the highest bidder.

Though she has overcome a great deal - Alani still suffers with trust and safety issues.  She wants to be strong - and she has made progress - but she still has a way to go - especially when it comes to trusting men.

Jackson can’t get Alani out of his mind.  He does not see her as a victim, does not treat her with kid gloves the way her brother, Trace, does.  Jackson sees her as the beautiful woman she is - and he wants her.  More than he’s ever wanted any other woman.

But now trouble has come knocking on Jackson’s door - and Alani is caught in the middle.  Jackson is determined to keep her safe - no matter the consequence.

I think Ms. Foster saved the best for last with Savor the Danger.  I really enjoyed this installment - probably because Jackson has always been my favorite.  

I give Savor the Danger 4 out of 5 stars.


   Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: HQN Books (6-28-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0373775822
    ISBN-13: 978-0373775828

Monday, July 25, 2011

Cover & Promo: The Guardian by Sherrilyn Kenyon


The Guardian is the fifth book in the Dream-Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Book Blurb:

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm's most vicious guardian.

Seth's time is running out. If he can't hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn't been able to break the god in his custody. Then there's the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn't just guarding the gates of Olympus - she's holding back one of the world's darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive...


Release Date:  11-01-11

Sunday, July 24, 2011

In My Mailbox: 07-24-11


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 what I received this last week:  


For Review from Penguin:

Basilisk by Rob Thurman
Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan
Bloodlands by Christine Cody

For Review from SourceBooks:

Tempted by Elisabeth Naughton
Unleashed by Sara Humphreys
The Goblin King by Shona Husk

From PaperBack Swap

Lure of the Wicked by Karina Cooper
The Reckoners by Doranna Durgin
Velvet Haven by Sophie Renwick

Happy Reading! 

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Giveaway: Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink (US,CAN)

Thanks to the generosity of Little, Brown Books
I have one (1) copy of Circle of Fire for giveaway.

Circle of Fire is the third book in the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink.



Book Blurb:

With time dwindling but her will to end the Prophecy stronger than ever, Lia sets out on a journey to find the remaining keys, locate the missing pages of the Prophecy, and convince her sister Alice to help--or risk her life trying. Lia has her beloved Dimitri by her side, but Alice has James, the man who once loved her sister--and maybe still does. James doesn't know the truth about either sister, or the prophecy that divides them. And Alice intends to keep it that way.

There are some secrets sisters aren't meant to share. Because when they do, it destroys them.


Giveaway is open to all followers of this blog with a US or CAN address.  Circle of Fire will be mailed directly from Little, Brown Books.

Winner will be chosen on 7-30 using Random dot Org.   
 
Product Details
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (8-3-11)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0316027375
  • ISBN-13: 978-0316027373

Friday, July 22, 2011

E-Review: Raven by Suzy Turner


Raven is the first installment of the YA Raven Saga by Suzy Turner.  

Book Blurb:

After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...

Her whole life had been based on a lie. Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was... well, not very motherly.

After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that's not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn't who, or what, she thinks she is.

Lilly has a very special ability and it's just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again.


My thoughts:

Lilly Taylor has lived her entire thirteen years without the comfort of caring parents.  She rarely sees her father, and her mother is almost cruel with her distance.  Lilly is given a place to live, food to eat and clothes to wear - but that is all.  She is allowed no friends, no television, radio or anything else normal teenagers have.  Her only escape is school - but even in that she has a routine.  Straight to school, straight home.  Her mother watches her comings and goings.

When her routine is broken and Lilly does not see her mother waiting for her, she rushes home to find her parents gone.  Simply vanished.

Now Lilly is being sent to live with a grandfather she has never met, in a place she has never before visited, Canada.

What Lilly finds is a group of people unlike any she could have imagined.  They all greet her with open arms - and for the first time in her young life, Lilly experiences a feeling of true family.

But behind all the happiness is a family secret - a secret that Lilly must be told - and that secret answers so many questions - and raises so many more.

I absolutely enjoyed Raven.  We were left with a bit of a cliff hanger - but that makes me eager for  
more.

I give Raven 4 out of 5 stars.

Author Website:  Suzy Turner


Thursday, July 21, 2011

ARC Review: WolfsBane by Andrea Cremer

WolfsBane is the second book in the NightShade series by Andrea Cremer and a YA novel from Philomel/Penguin.

Book Blurb:

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered.  But then the Searchers make her an offer - one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack - and the man - she left behind.

Is Ren worth the price of her freedom?  And will Shay stand by her side no matter what?  Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

My thoughts:

Calla is with the Searchers, the very people she has been taught to hate - and kill.  The people that she has been taught hate her and want her kind dead.

But the more time she spends with the Searchers, the more she learns about their history - and her own.  Calla realizes that everything she’s ever been taught has been a lie.  She agrees to help the Searchers in their quest - and they agree to save her pack.

Shay is learning about his role as Scion - and what part his parents played in his destiny.

The Guardians and Keepers have gone to extremes to find out all they can about Calla and where she may be - resorting to torture, imprisonment and out right murder.

Ultimatums are given and Calla’s pack makes their decisions - some stick by her while others choose to stay with the Guardians.

A secret is revealed about Ren - but we don’t find out about how he feels, that is left on a cliff hanger and I’m sure it will be addressed in the next installment.

All in all, WolfsBane is an amazing read.  I am truly invested in this series and can’t wait for more.

I give WolfsBane 5 out of 5 stars.


Product Details
    Reading level: Young Adult
    Hardcover: 400 pages
    Publisher: Philomel (July 26, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0399254838
    ISBN-13: 978-0399254833

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

WoW: Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn





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




Darkness Descending is the first book in the new Vampire Armageddon series by Devyn Quinn.
Book Blurb:

Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for Armageddon. 

Jesse Burke, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric angels, has been protecting New Orleans from the onslaught, unaware that she has a much greater destiny awaiting her in the face of the oncoming apocalypse... 

Release Date:  08-02-11

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Review: Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton

Hit List is the twentieth book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton and a novel from Berkley.

Book Blurb:

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect  monsters  are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, US Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.

But some monsters are very real. The Harlequin have been the bogeymen of the vampire world for more than a thousand years; they are a secret so dark that even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. Now they are here in America, hunting weretigers, and human police.

The Harlequin serve the Mother of All Darkness, the first vampire. She was supposed to be dead, but only her body was destroyed. Now she needs a new one, and she's decided that Anita Blake's is the body she wants. Edward thinks the serial killings are a trap to lure Anita closer to the most dangerous vampire they've ever hunted. The vampires call Edward  Death,  and Anita the  Executioner,  but Mommy Darkest is coming to kill one, and possess the other, and she doesn't care how many others have to die along the way.

My thoughts:

Anita and Edward are tracking a killer.  So far they have found bodies of independent weretigers in several states - and they know who’s doing the killing - but they can’t tell the normal authorities, that would be like giving them a death sentence.

The Harlequin, on the command of Mommy Darkest, are killing the weretigers.  They are trying to draw Anita away from her power base of St. Louis - trying to weaken her - in the hope that she will be easier to contain.

Because Mommy has had a taste of Anita - and she liked it.  She wants to possess Anita’s body now that she does not have one of her own.

But Anita is not going to just give herself over to the Mother of All Darkness without a fight.  And though she is away from her usual crew - she is not alone.  Edward has her back.  And in a situation like this - Edward is a great person to have at your back.

Unfortunately Anita gets hurt, and when she is down Edward calls for backup - Olaf and Bernardo.  Though both men are great in a fight - Anita and Olaf have an uneasy accord.  He wants to sleep with her and kill her...and maybe sleep with her again.  

Icky

The showdown between Anita and the Mother of All Darkness is a long time in coming - and when push comes to shove - Anita is not above using all of her considerable gifts to make sure she is the last one standing.

I really enjoyed Hit List.  I love it when Anita and Edward are working on a case - instead of Anita sleeping with every Tom, Dick and Dick.  

I don’t mind sex in my story - as long as sex is not the story. :)

I give Hit List 5 out of 5 stars and I am looking forward to the next installment.  

Monday, July 18, 2011

Winners: BlogFest & Undead & Undermined Giveaway






Good morning everyone.  I have several winners to announce - so let's get right to it.  :)  All winners were chosen using random dot org.

Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson

Winning numbers:
#6 - Lisa Richards
#10 - Tetewa

BlogFest 2011

Prize #1 - Winning #23 - Sherry
Prize #2 - Winning #07 - AEKZ2
Prize #3 - Winning #01 - Sharn3960
Prize #4 - Winning #30 - Jennifer Mathis

All winners have been sent an email.  :)

Thank you all for participating.  I was completely blown away by the number of entrants - especially for Prize #4.  Who would've thought you guys would be so open to a surprise box of books?  I will definitely have to do that again.  :)

Happy Reading!  

Sunday, July 17, 2011

In My Mailbox: 07-16-11

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 what I received this last week: 

For Review:

Working Stiff - Rachel Caine
DownPour - Kat Richardson
Isle of Night - Veronica Wolff
The Magicians - Lev Grossman
The Magician King - Lev Grossman
Thanks to Penguin

The Betrayal - Diane Noble
Blood Brothers - Josephine Cox
Thanks to William Morrow

The Immortality Virus - Christine Amsden
Thanks to Author Christine Amsden

From PaperBackSwap

Dead World - J N Duncan
Moonlight Warrior - Janet Chapman

Thursday, July 14, 2011

BlogFest 2011 Giveaway (US)

Hello everyone.  This is my stop, #118, on the BlogFest train.  :)  BlogFest is hosted by A Journey of Books.

My giveaway is open to all followers of this blog with a US mailing address.  This is what I have up for grabs:

Prize Pack #1

Prize Pack #2

Prize Pack #3

And for those of you who like surprises:
Prize Pack #4

Prize Pack #4 is a box of gently used books.  Some are arc's - others are finished copies.  This is a box of books from various genre's.  Do you feel adventurous?

To enter, just leave a comment with a valid email addy and the (1) prize pack of your choice.

Here are the next five blogs that are participating.

119) Middle of the Road Reviews
120) Minding Spot
121) The Unread Reader
122) Mom vs. the Boys
123) My Disorganized Ramblings


Good Luck!!

Review: Chosen By Blood by Virna DePaul


Chosen By Blood is the first book in the Para-Ops series by Virna DePaul and a Paranormal Romance from Berkley Sensation.

Book Blurb:

Five years after the Second Civil War ends, humans and Otherborn - humanlike creatures with superhuman DNA - still struggle for peace.  To ensure the continued rights of both, the FBI forms a para-Ops team with a unique set of skills...

Leader of an Otherborn clan, half-breed vampire Knox Devereaux would do anything to find a cure for the anti-vamp vaccine slowly starving his people into extinction.  When the FBI contacts him about leading a team of hand-selected Others on a mission to reclaim the stolen antidote, Knox accepts.  His new assignment places him in direct contact with Special Agent Felicia Locke, the beautiful human he’s craved since their very first meeting.

Felicia’s experience as a hostage negotiator makes her a natural asset to a team divided by suspicion and prejudice.  While being in close contact with Knox makes the desire she feels for him difficult to deny, Knox must marry a vampire, and she’s not about to be his human lover on the side.

As the team embarks on its dangerous mission, Knox is determined to convince Felicia that the passion that connects them is enough to transcend both race and her human idea of morality.  But Felicia is intent on teaching Knox that complete trust and love are the only forces strong enough to unite human and Other, once and forever.

My thoughts:

Felicia Locke is a human FBI agent who has struggled for years with the knowledge that she is in love with her best friends husband.  She has hidden her feelings well - even from beings who are capable of reading ones mind.

Knox Devereaux is the leader of his clan - despite his half-breed blood line.  It is because of his half-breed existence that enables him to survive for longer periods of time without the fresh blood a full-blooded vampire needs.

In Knox’s world, nothing comes before his clan - to that end, Knox has agreed to work with the FBI’s Para-Ops Division to retrieve an antidote to the vaccine given to humans years ago.  The vaccine that prevents vampires from receiving the nourishment they need to survive.  This antidote is the only thing that can prevent the already dwindling vampire race from complete extinction.

Chosen By Blood is the first book I have read by Virna DePaul and I completely enjoyed it.

I give Chosen By Blood 4 out of 5 stars.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

WoW: Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding

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

Another Kind of Dead is the third book in the Dreg City series by Kelly Meding.

Book Blurb:

She can heal her own wounds. She can nail a monster to a wall. But there’s one danger Evangeline Stone never saw coming.

Been there. Done that. Evy Stone is a former Dreg Bounty Hunter who died and came back to life with some extraordinary powers. Now all but five people in the world think she is dead again, this time for good—immolated in a factory fire set specifically for her. 


Evy and Wyatt, her partner/lover/friend, can no longer trust their former allies, or even the highest echelons of the Triads—the army of fighters holding back from an unsuspecting public a tide of quarreling, otherworldly creatures—they can trust only each other. 

Because when the Triads raided a macabre, monster-filled lab of science experiments and hauled away the remnants, they failed to capture their creator: a brilliant, vampire-obsessed scientist with a wealth of powerful, anti-Dreg weaponry to trade for what he desires most of all—Evy Stone: alive and well, and the key to his ultimate experiment in mad science. 


Release Date:  08-02-11
 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Review: Afterlight by Elle Jasper


Afterlight is the first book in the Dark Ink Chronicles by Elle Jasper and a Paranormal Romance from Signet Eclipse.

Book Blurb:

There is a reason we fear the night....

As Savannah’s most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe is quite familiar with the local underground scene.  She lives and works on the edge of it every day.  Now she’s about to step over the edge.

When her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by centuries-old vampires, Riley discovers a world of shadows and blood - and those who exist there.

Her ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, who is attracted to Riley’s beauty as well as to her one-of-a-kind blood type - a blood type he is not alone in craving.

To save her brother from certain undeath, Riley will face dangers she’s never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour all in its vile grasp.

My thoughts:

Riley Poe was a wild child growing up - gave her mother all kinds of grief - until she lost her mother at the hands of someone who professed to love Riley.

Left alone with a younger brother to raise - Riley cleaned up her act, got an education and opened her own tattoo business.

Now, years later, Riley is a well known and respected tattoo artist.  She is raising her brother to be a productive member of society and with the help of her elderly neighbors - doing a pretty good job of it.

When a teenage prank gone wrong unleashes an evil unlike any Riley has ever heard of - she learns that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to her elderly neighbors - and in order to beat this evil, she is going to have to listen to what they have to say - and do what she is told.

Even if it means doing nothing for the time being.  Patience has never been Riley’s strong suit - and taking orders from others is at the bottom of her to-do list.

I love reading books that are set in Georgia, and having lived in Savannah for several years, I really enjoyed Afterlight.

I give Afterlight 4 out of 5 stars and can’t wait for the next book in this series.