Guest Author Jennifer Rardin

Please welcome my guest for this week, urban fantasy author Jennifer Rardin! She is the author of the Jaz Parks Series which consists of six books with more coming. Jennifer’s latest book Bite Marks (book 6) was just released and is available now at bookstores. Today she will be talking about her series and new beginnings.

New Beginnings

I’ve just begun writing a new book, the eighth in the Jaz Parks series. It has no title yet, though I have thought of one that seems catchy if nobody else is using it (or one that sounds eerily close to it) already. But it does have a general plot. Something to build on as I putter around the house for the next week thinking about the characters I need to bring into the story, how they should relate to one another, deal with the conflict, grow. It all sounds so dusty and highbrow.

Not really.

It’s pretty darn exciting.

I can still remember putting together the outline for Bite Marks, the sixth book in the series, which just released October 29th. Figuring out the threat that my heroes, Jaz and Vayl, would be facing and what continent they’d be fighting it on felt a little bit like planning a real military campaign! When I decided the action would take place in Australia, I nearly broke my computer mouse clicking through potential sites for their ultimate confrontation. More than one afternoon sped past as I read up on aboriginal folklore, the grazing habits of gray kangaroos, and the exact purpose of the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex, NASA’s Australian link to the universe.

But I only have so much patience for research. Then I gotta begin. But where? Good stories, experts tell us, start in the middle of the action. So Bite Marks begins after Jaz has landed in Canberra, Australia with her trusty malamute, Jack, in tow. It’s daytime, so we know her boss, Vayl, must still be slumbering (or whatever it is that vampires do when the sun comes up). And then, the situation deteriorates rapidly. Which, for seasoned Jaz fans, comes as no surprise. But for those of you who are new to the story, read on . . . .

I like that beginning for a book. But I think I can actually top it for my next story. At least, I’m ready to try!

In the meantime you can tell me—what novel have you read that sucked you in instantly with a stellar first chapter?



Contest
Jennifer Rardin's publisher Orbit is giving away two copies of Bite Marks to two lucky commenters. Please be advised these copies won't be signed since they're coming direct from the publisher to the winners. Also, I have an extra new copy of Bite Marks, so there will be a total of THREE winners for this contest. US only please.

How to Enter
Leave a meaningful comment answering Jennifer's question. Please do not leave your email address in the comments section as it's not a good idea for privacy concerns. This contest will run from Tuesday November 10th until 10:00 pm eastern time on Monday November 16th. Winners will be announced on Tuesday November 17th.

Bonus
Gain an extra 10 entries for every friend that you send here to enter the contest. Please make sure they say in their post that you sent them here.

2K Quiz Answers and Winner!

Thanks to everyone who came by to participate in the 2K Quiz! Here are the answers to which Kelly each question applys to.

KM = Kelly Meding and KG = Kelly Gay

1. I have driven from the East Coast to the West Coast, and back again. - KM

2. Give me a glass of strawberry milk over chocolate any day. - KG

3. I own a cat named after a popular, former-vengeance demon from "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer." - KM

4. My niece is named after a precious stone. - KM

5. My possessed vehicle once caught fire, after which I drove the beast home. - KG

6. My absolute favorite novel is about anthropomorphized rabbits. - KM

7. Yes, I admit it. I have a Xena Warrior Princess action figure on my desk. -KG

8. For three and a half months, I interned at John Wells Productions in Burbank, CA. - KM

9. I’m known to have some crazy dreams. Ex.: The Jonas Bros v. Zombies in Kelly's Thunderdome, competing for a delicious piece of buttered bread. There might be a book in there somewhere… - KG

10. My debut urban fantasy novel is nowhere near the first manuscript I’ve written, but it is the first urban fantasy I’ve written. -KG


Now for the winner of Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding, The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay and two surprise books from both authors......

The winner is.... Demon Hunter! Congrats!

Demon Hunter: Please email me through the link in my profile with your name and address. I will forward on your info to the authors and as soon as they receive their author copies, they will send your prizes out to you!

Thanks everyone for playing and please come by again as there will be a new author every week this month with some wonderful books being given away.

Thank you Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay for doing the 2K Quiz here on my blog!

Last day to enter 2K Quiz!

Today is the last day to enter the 2K Quiz to win 4 books plus an entry for a $100 Amazon Giftcard.  You have until 10:00 pm Eastern time tonight to enter. Tomorrow the answers to the quiz will be revealed! Also the winner of the 4 books will be announced AND Jennifer Rardin will be here guest blogging and doing a giveaway! So don't forget to stop by tomorrow for more fun! Scroll down to the post under this one to enter the 2K Quiz!

Debut authors Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay's 2K Quiz Contest!

2K Quiz

As part of our twenty-three day, "Same Name, Same Date, Same Genre – Two Awesome Debuts!" promotional extravaganza, the lovely Rachael has agreed to host this little quiz for us. It's time to test your knowledge and your guessing skills. And yes, there will be prizes!

Written below, in no particular order, are ten statements. Five statements apply to Kelly Gay (The Better Part of Darkness), and five statements apply to Kelly Meding (Three Days to Dead). It's your job to determine which is which. See what you think you know. All entries will be collected and a random drawing made to determine the prize winner.

To enter: In the comments section, please state which numbered statements you believe match up with each Kelly. For example, "Kelly Gay - #A, C, F, I, J. Kelly Meding - #B, D, E, G, H." All commenters will be entered into the drawing, whether your guesses are right or wrong. Once the contest closes, we'll post the correct answers and you can see how well you did.

The prizes: Both Kelly's are offering up signed copies of their novels, The Better Part of Darkness and Three Days to Dead, as well as an additional surprise novel of their choice. So the winner will receive FOUR books total. CAVEAT: The signed copies of our debut novels will be sent when each author receives their Authors Copies from their publisher, which should arrive before official release (it is just not guaranteed).

Bonus: As part of our ongoing promotion, all entries into this contest will be collected and added to the GRAND PRIZE Drawing (as outlined previously on our blogs), to be announced November 24. So by participating in this Quiz, you are eligible not only for the 2K Quiz Prizes listed above, you also gain an entry in the Grand Prize Drawing.

The winner of the 2K Quiz receives not only the Prizes listed above, but also an additional entry into the Grand Prize Drawing (two entries total).

The contest will run Tuesday, November 3 through Monday, November 9. The 2K Quiz winner will be announced Tuesday, November 10.


Ready?

Set….

GO!



1. I have driven from the East Coast to the West Coast, and back again.

2. Give me a glass of strawberry milk over chocolate any day.

3. I own a cat named after a popular, former-vengeance demon from "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

4. My niece is named after a precious stone.

5. My possessed vehicle once caught fire, after which I drove the beast home.

6. My absolute favorite novel is about anthropomorphized rabbits.

7. Yes, I admit it. I have a Xena Warrior Princess action figure on my desk.

8. For three and a half months, I interned at John Wells Productions in Burbank, CA.

9. I’m known to have some crazy dreams. Ex.: The Jonas Bros v. Zombies in Kelly's Thunderdome, competing for a delicious piece of buttered bread. There might be a book in there somewhere…

10. My debut urban fantasy novel is nowhere near the first manuscript I’ve written, but it is the first urban fantasy I’ve written.

Elvis and the Grateful Dead Review

Tupelo, Mississippi is best known for being the hometown of Elvis Presley so it’s only fitting that they hold the annual Elvis Festival in the King’s honor. Callie is helping out by being the official Elvis hair stylist while her cousin Lovie is taking care of the catering.

Everyone who loves Elvis is there, impersonators and all. But when some of the impersonators start dropping dead out of nowhere, all eyes are on the caterer, Lovie. Callie is determined to clear her cousin’s good name no matter what it takes.

Helping out with the investigation is her basset hound dog Elvis, who believes he is The King reincarnated as a dog. Will Callie and Lovie be able to find the true murderer before all the Elvis impersonators turn up dead or will they become the next victims when they get to close to solving the case?

ELVIS AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD is the second book in the Southern Cousins Mystery Series featuring two amateur sleuths that are cousins and a dog who thinks he’s Elvis. The story is told in first person point of view by Callie and also by Elvis in alternating chapters. Without having read the first book in this series, I had no idea what I was in for.

At first, the abundance of Elvis details were too much for me and kind of annoying. I mean you have an Elvis festival, Elvis impersonators, the main character is styling Elvis’ hair, a dog who thinks he’s Elvis, etc. So after 90 pages I put this book down and gave it a rest for a little while.

When I picked this book back up, I had left off at a great part of the story. There were murders to solve and I became very interested in the outcome. There were less cutesy Elvis tidbits and more mystery for the second half of the book and that’s what I liked. I was laughing hysterically over everything Callie and Lovie got themselves into.

The story reads with true southern charm so well that I could actually hear their accents in my head. So overall, even though the first half of the book didn't grab me, the second half did. If you’re looking for laughs galore and a charming mystery that will make you smile, ELVIS AND THE GRATEFUL DEAD is the way to go. Just make sure you love the King and be prepared for a lot of crazy antics!

Reviewed for FF

Fangs, Fur & Fey Contest!

Awesome contest going on at Fangs, Fur & Fey for their 3 Year Blogging Anniversary!! Look what they're giving away:

Grand Prize - One (1) lucky winner will receive a Kindle Reader, retailing for $259.00

Other prizes - Twenty-two (22) lucky winners will receive a gift card in the amount of $20.00 from one of these five book retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, or Powell's - winner's choice which.

Contest starts today, October 30th, and will close on Friday, November 13th, at 11:59 pm Eastern time.

To enter the contest all you have to do is email them your name and address. Go to their site at this link for more info on how to enter.   

The Demon In Me by Michelle Rowen - Cover and Summary!

Michelle Rowen has unveiled the cover of the first book in her Living In Eden Series, The Demon In Me.  Along with the cover and back cover summary is also an excerpt of Chapter 2! Go to her blog at this link to check out the excerpt. 

THE DEMON IN ME

May 2010 – Berkley Sensation

Hell hath no fury…

Fate has led Eden Riley to become a “psychic consultant” to the police, even though her abilities are unreliable at best. Those paranormal powers are about to get her into a jam she couldn’t have predicted. After her hunky police detective partner guns down a serial killer in front of her, Eden realizes that she’s quite literally no longer alone. A voice in her head introduces himself as Darrak. He’s a demon. But not in a bad way!

…like a woman possessed.

Darrak lost his original body 300 years ago thanks to a witch’s curse. This is the first time he’s ever been able to speak directly to a host, plus there’s a bonus. Eden’s psychic energy helps him to take form during daylight hours. He wants to use this chance to find a way to break his curse — finally. Otherwise, Eden’s going to have to learn to live with this sexy demon…like it or not.

And she thinks she might like it.

Available for Pre-Order on Amazon now!

Scandal Sheet Review

Tina Bender writes lies for a living. Sometimes it’s the truth, sometimes it’s embellished, but always it’s gossip. She writes as a gossip columnist for the LA Informer and is constantly getting tips from her insiders about the latest antics celebrities are getting into. Sure not a lot of celebrities appreciate her column and might down right hate her for ruining their reputations, but no one has ever threatened Tina’s life before, until now.

When Tina receives a strange message telling her to stop writing about them in the newspaper, she is left baffled. The voice is disguised with a computer program so they could be male or female, young or old. Without knowing who is threatening her, she decides to continue writing her usual gossip to see which column ignites more threats.

Tina’s boss Felix hires a body guard named Calvin Dean to protect Tina from her mystery enemy. But that doesn’t work for Tina as she likes to break the rules and do whatever she pleases. It’s kind of hard to go about your day with a body guard constantly on your tail. But Calvin is pretty good looking and he can be a fun sidekick while investigating. Will sparks fly between Calvin and Tina or will his constant hovering over her drive her insane?

SCANDAL SHEET is the first book in the Hollywood Headlines Series by Gemma Halliday, author of the High Heels mystery series. There are a lot of similarities between SCANDAL SHEET and the High Heel mysteries so readers who were disappointed to see the series end have a new one to jump onto now.

I loved the name dropping of celebrities scattered throughout the book and was laughing out loud many times while reading this fun mystery. The scene involving the ride It’s a Small World at Disneyland was VERY reminiscent of my experience on it and I was hysterical with remembering how annoying that ride really is.

I enjoyed the mixture of mystery, romance and humor and Halliday definitely succeeds in writing an exciting page turner that makes you laugh and bite your nails at the same time. I immediately warmed up to the characters and couldn’t put this book down at all. My only pet peeve is that the cover looks like a historical romance novel and totally doesn’t fit what the story is about at all.

SCANDAL SHEET is a great start to a new series that I will definitely be following as Halliday writes the kind of books that just make you smile and put you in a great mood. They’re just so enjoyable and I would without a doubt recommend this book to romance and mystery readers alike.

Reviewed for FF

Correction on Guest Author Date

The correct date for Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay's visit to Enchanted by Books is Tuesday November 3rd not November 2nd. Please make a note of this.  I edited the previous post so all the dates are correct now.

Hot Spell Review

Amanda LaGrange is very sensitive about her psychic abilities and takes offense to her childhood nickname of Amanda the Strange. So when she first met Jacob Caine, fellow paranormal investigator for PARA, she immediately formed a strong dislike for him when he called her by her hated nickname.

Now two years later, they have survived working with each other without talking anymore then needed for their jobs. But when their boss Patrick teams them up together to investigate a haunted house, Amanda’s patience will truly be tested.

Jacob has been infatuated with Amanda since first meeting her but he knows he doesn’t have a chance in Hell. After all, she has a boyfriend and is getting ready to leave PARA behind for a ‘’normal’’ job. But when the two of them are thrown together in a locked room over night because of an enchanted clock, their true feelings come to light.

Before they know it they are behaving like two lovers that can’t stay away from each other! Amanda insists that the clock is the reason for everything and is determined to find a way to lift the curse so she can move on with her life, without Jacob. But every time she tries to forget about him, he shows up. Are Amanda and Jacob destined to be together or is this the work of an enchanted clock?

Hot Spell is the first Harlequin Blaze book written by paranormal romance/YA author Michelle Rowen. I don’t normally read Blaze books but when I heard Michelle Rowen had written one, I knew I had to read it. This story has a touch of the paranormal which I don’t think is a regular thing in Blaze books but was a very pleasant surprise for me.

The chemistry between Jacob and Amanda was scorching and I loved their love/hate relationship. I adore love triangles so that was a major plus also. Overall, I couldn't put this book down and stayed up late reading it because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. Hot Spell is entertaining, sexy, romantic and a fun light read that I highly recommend to romance readers.

Guest Author Schedule for November!

I have an outstanding lineup for November of authors who will be guest blogging here at Enchanted by Books and doing giveaways. Please mark your calendars because you don't want to miss this!

November 3rd

Debut Urban Fantasy authors Kelly Meding and Kelly Gay

November 10th

Urban Fantasy author Jennifer Rardin

November 17th

Urban Fantasy author Devon Monk

November 24th

Romance author Christie Craig

Winner of Michelle Rowen contest

The winner of the contest with Michelle Rowen for one of her 2009 releases is:

Moonsanity!

Congrats! Please email me through my blogger profile with your name, address and which one of the following books you would like:

Stakes & Stilettos, Tall, Dark & Fangsome, Demon Princess: Reign or Shine, or Hot Spell!

I will forward on the info to Michelle Rowen and she will get your book right out to you! Thanks to everyone for coming by and commenting on the author guest blogs!

Tainted Review

Lily Carlyle promised her sister Rose that she would always be there for her. She promised to protect her from the man who brutally raped her and would never let any more harm come her way. When the rapist wouldn’t leave her sister alone and continued stalking her, Lily had enough and put justice into her own hands. She went after him with plans to kill him, but somehow Lily ended up dead herself.

Upon waking, Lily finds herself in another young woman’s body and confused about what happened. After meeting a man named Clarence, Lily is informed that she is working for the good guys to make sure the Ninth Gate in Hell isn’t opened releasing demons onto the world. She alone has the ability to prevent this from happening since she is the one from the prophecy. Lily will be trained on how to kill demons as they will now be after her once they find out she is going to destroy their chances of reeking havoc on the world.

But saving the world is the least of Lily’s problems since she has a new identity to become. The body Lily is in is of a young waitress/barmaid named Alice Purdue. How Alice ended up dead is a mystery to Lily and one she needs to find out if she isn’t going to end up dead a second time. Lily knows Alice was murdered but by whom she has no idea. She takes over Alice’s life, working her job, living in her place, hanging out with her friends, even crushing on the same guys.

Will Lily be able to keep her secret and live Alice’s life or will Alice’s murderer find her and put an end to it all? Will Lily successfully complete her mission or will her lack of skills cause catastrophic consequences? Will Lily put her trust in the wrong people and tell them her secrets?

Tainted is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles which is an urban fantasy series by popular paranormal author Julie Kenner. The story starts off with excitement from the first sentence and had me hooked until I finished the book and was begging for more. There are plenty of demon fights and scary situations to leave readers at the edge of their seat rooting for Lily to turn out the winner in the end. The story wasn’t predictable at all and I was constantly surprised by each new turn of events.

Tainted is told in first person point of view and it’s a thrilling ride learning all about Lily's new job. There’s some romance that I thoroughly enjoyed since the chemistry between these two characters was undeniable. I actually held my breath at one point during one of their interactions, that’s how great the writing was! Overall, Tainted is dark, mysterious, dangerous, suspenseful and all around a terrific book that blew me away.  I am dying to read the second book in this series, Torn, and will read everything else Julie Kenner writes!

Dead Man Talking Review

Pepper Martin works as a tour guide at Garden View Cemetery but that’s not all she does there. She has a secret and no matter how bad the situations get, she doesn’t want anyone to know about it. Pepper can communicate with ghosts. The ghosts usually come to her while working at the grave yard and she can see and talk to them. Sometimes they’ve been murdered and want her to solve the case but other times it’s to have their name cleared, like her latest case.

Jefferson Lamar has been dead since 1985 but when he hears about Pepper Martin’s gift, he comes to her, in the form of a ghost, for her help. Jefferson was a Warden at a jail until he was accused of killing a young woman in a hotel room. However, he denies committing the crime and wants his name cleared for the sake of his widow.

Normally Pepper can talk to ghosts and hide this secret pretty well, but this time she’s not working at her regular cemetery when the ghost comes to her. She is working at Monroe Street Cemetery helping out with a restoration project and it’s going to be a hard one. The restoration project involves two teams and Pepper’s team is a bunch of criminals on probation.

When the project becomes a reality TV show, Pepper realizes she’s way over her head. How will she solve Jefferson Lamar’s case when she is being filmed all the time at the cemetery? Will someone find out Pepper’s secret? Will Pepper find the real killer or will she get too close to danger in this investigation and pay the ultimate price?

DEAD MAN TALKING is the fifth book in the Pepper Martin Mystery Series following paranormal investigator Pepper Martin. The first book that I read in this series was Tombs of Endearment and while it was a fun fast read, it left me with a bad taste. I had a lot of complaints and wasn’t interested in reading another book in this series again. However, upon receiving this book I figured I would give this series another try and I am so glad I did!

In DEAD MAN TALKING I found Pepper to be stronger and more independent then she was in Tombs of Endearment. She didn’t depend on anyone but herself in this book and I loved that her character has grown so much. The writing is easy to read and makes the book move along rather quickly.

The story was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the mystery and all of the characters. I would recommend reading this series in order to fully understand events that happen in later books and for better reading enjoyment. Overall, DEAD MAN TALKING is a great story full of ghosts, mystery and laughs and I can’t wait for the next book in the series to see what kind of case Pepper investigates next!

Reviewed for FF

Lenore: Noogies Review

Lenore: Noogies is a colored hardcover collection of the first four comics by Roman Dirge that were originally published in the US in 1997 . The star of the book is a little dead girl named Lenore who doesn’t seem to understand the difference between right and wrong. After rising back from the dead, she spends her days creating mischief. She’s a horrible babysitter and this usually results in a death. She is constantly re-killing one of her potential love suitors who keeps rising from the dead, and she plays with animals like toys until they die. While this may sound very sick, it’s perversely hilarious.

I had never heard of Lenore before so when I decided to read this comic collection, I had no idea what I was in for. I loved the addition of little comic strips of the author himself and laughed out loud many times while reading them.

The original Lenore comics were in black and white and the author went through a lot of hard work to put together this collection. It’s a thin hardcover and only 128 pages long but it's so much fun to read! I read Lenore: Noogies right away upon receiving it and was done within an hour. I haven’t read many graphic novels and was thrilled to get this one.

Lenore is a dark character and some may not enjoy a book like this, but I loved every bit of it. It’s gothic, eccentric, and just out there. Anyway it’s really a nice looking book and if you’re a fan of the Lenore comics you’re going to love this hardcover edition. Overall, I am glad I went on this crazy wild trip with Lenore and am dying to return to her world for more sadistic adventures!

The author Roman Dirge has a really cool website and there are some comics of Lenore on there if you’d like to see his art work.

Lenore: Noogies is available now for order on Amazon!