9.13.2010
Shadowland Winner!
9.02.2010
Shadowland Contest!
This contest is open to the US Only. To be entered please tell me the last book that you read that blew you away. Also leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. This contest will end on September 10th at 6:00 pm EST. Have fun!
PS: Please no spoilers!!
Winner of My Darcy Mutates + Keychain...
hangnhu! Congrats! I will email you and forward your address on to Enid. Thanks everyone for participating and thanks again Enid for being a great guest!
EDITED: I emailed you and haven't heard back. You have until September 4th at 6:00 pm EST to claim your prize or I will pick a new winner.
EDITED: The new winner is Meredith! Congrats! I will email you now through the address you provided.
8.26.2010
Guest Author Enid Wilson + Giveaway!
What if old Mr. Darcy was still alive... What if Mr. Darcy had a rakish soul? What if Netherfield Park was haunted? What if action of Pride and Prejudice had played out in Egypt? This collection of 14 short stories contains sexy, over-the-top "pick-me-up" stories across the historical, fantasy and modern genres. They are not for the faint-hearted. Some may call the stories wild and say that they bear no resemble to the original, but Wilson finds Miss Austen's characters timeless and inspirational.
Dear readers,
I’m happy to be back at Enchanted by Books. First I want to thank Rachael for having me back. And I want to congratulate Enchanted by Books and her on winning an award for being one of the Top 50 Romance Book Blogs for 2010! It’s such a great honour and Rachael deserves it.
My latest book, My Darcy Mutates, has just been released. It’s a collection of 14 Pride and Prejudice-inspired steamy story stories. A blog host asked me once why I wrote different genres when my second novel Bargain with the Devil attained the top 50 best selling historical romance ranking in Amazon.
I fell in love with Pride and Prejudice when I was around 12. But reading it again and again didn’t seem to be enough. I wish Jane Austen was alive and wrote more sequels. I started to think of all kinds of “what-if” to continue my fascination of Austen’s work.
Of course, it’s not enough to put Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Regency era. In My Darcy Mutates…, I’ve put them in future and modern times. Some may call my stories wild and say that they bear no resemble to the original, but I find Austen's characters timeless and inspirational. But be warned, the book is not for the faint-hearted.
Below is an excerpt of My Darcy Mutates…
What if Netherfield Park was haunted?
“I like to listen in on the lives of the living, from time to time. Mr. Hurst likes to drink and sleep. His wife is called Lousia. They seldom spend their nights together. In fact, they have not done so once since they moved to Netherfield. But you are right, my dear. Matchmaking is my favourite. I know what I shall do.” With a quick turn, Emma Knightley disappeared, leaving nothing but a puff of white.
Luckily, George could find her anywhere. With a fast swirl of the air and another puff of white, he joined her in another bedroom, where she was perched on a chair beside a bed where a handsome young man lay sleeping.
“George, young Darcy here loves the lively lady staying in the guest chamber, Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Unfortunately, he has the laughable notion that, since she has no connections or money, and has a mother and sisters who are improper, he should not show her any sign of admiration. Shall I make him confess to her?”
“How can you do that? We do not possess the magical power to make the living speak as we want!” Knightley rolled his eyes and shook his head. After so many years of marriage, he still did not understand how his wife could unerringly find all the gossip of the world.
“All things are possible. I can put him and Miss Elizabeth in the same room, and I can turn quite scary every time he does not reveal his true feelings to her. Let me wake him and take him to his heart’s desire.”
Knightley put his hand on her arm. “Wait, Emma. You might well scare them both to death.”
“Well then, if you do not like that plan, I suppose I could strike him on the head every time he does the wrong thing.”
“You will knock him witless then. Do you want to do that to a sensible young man?”
“What would you have me do, then? It is only on this night that I can play at matchmaking for the living,” Emma said, pouting again. But then her face brightened. “I know! I shall simply put him in her bed. I know how much he loves to gaze upon the form of the fair maiden. He will not be able to resist her, when he lies so close beside her. He will simply have to marry her, after tonight!” She clapped her hands, congratulating herself on the brilliant idea.
***
CONTEST:
Visit Enid Wilson's blog at
http://steamyfantasy.blogspot.com/
8.13.2010
Dark Flame Review
In the mean time, Ever has screwed up once again with dark magic. She is now bound to Roman and finds herself drawn to him constantly. Like a zombie, she floats over to his house wanting to be with him despite Roman being an evil Immortal who tried to kill her boyfriend Damen. Because of the spell Ever finds herself physically unable to communicate what is going on to Damen or to anyone else for help. The only place she can find solace is in Summerland.
Without any other options, Ever decides to trust in her boss Jude and takes him to Summerland with her. Jude has no knowledge of the Immortals and trusting in him could result in exposing herself to the world. Can Jude be trusted and will he find a way to help Ever break the spell that is binding her to Roman?
Will Roman figure out that Ever is under a spell and use this to his advantage? Will he ever give Ever the cure so she can be with Damen? How will Haven adjust to her new life?
Dark Flame is the fourth installment in The Immortals which is a YA paranormal series featuring an immortal teenager named Ever Bloom. As always there are plenty of exciting moments but this time I was able to almost predict what would happen in the end. It wasn’t as much a surprise to me as previous books but that may just be because I have figured out how Alyson Noel writes.
It’s definitely an interesting premise and I am intrigued to find out what happens next for Ever and Damen. The writing was solid and as always there wasn’t a dull moment. Haven was transformed into a rather bitchy and ignorant girl whom I didn’t particularly like, but becoming Immortal changes people I guess. It would have been interesting for Ever and Haven’s friend to be around a little more, so maybe he could catch Haven acting weird now and drinking the Immortal drink also, but I guess he had to go to Italy for a reason.
I enjoyed reading about the magic spells and all the little rituals Ever did when performing them. My only main annoyance is the same one I had before about the ‘’no touching or we die’’ thing. I hate how they found this easy solution around the problem. I just think it would have been a great idea for magic NOT to be the solution this time and to leave them in love but unable to even touch each other’s hand without the fear of dying.
I know a lot of people hate that Ever continues to make mistake after mistake in this series. But if everything went right, then there would be no tension and suspense to see what happens in the next book right? In all fairness the blame in this installment isn’t necessarily on Ever at the end, it’s on someone else. But Ever caused the problem once again so I guess she doesn’t learn; again though she’s a teenager and teenagers make mistakes over and over! I guess the predictability of Ever messing everything up can get tiresome but I believe in the end she will save the day and turn out the hero in all of this. I have faith that will happen and hope I am not let down.
I did find a lot more to my liking in Dark Flame and I think this book made up for the previous one, Shadowland. The next book, Night Star, (due out November 16, 2010) is actually the final book in the series so I am interested to see how Alyson Noel will wrap everything up. Alot like the Twilight series, people either love it or hate it, and I for one love it. More please?
Read my reviews of the previous books in this series at the following links:
Evermore - Book 1 Review
Blue Moon- Book 2 Review
Shadowland- Book 3 Review
8.11.2010
Winner of Crave!
Now for the winner of their own copy of Crave!
The winner is....
Sandy6265
Congrats! I will email you through the address you provided and forward it on to the authors for your prize. Thanks again to everyone who posted!
8.06.2010
Winner of Immortal
Jasmine1485
Congrats! I will contact you through the email you provided. Thanks Gene for a great interview and to everyone for posting!
8.01.2010
Guest Authors Melinda Metz & Laura J. Burns + Giveaway!
They’ve written novelizations for a lot of famous TV shows such as Buffy, Everwood, and Charmed. They were both staff writers on the TV show Roswell and Melinda’s YA series Roswell High was even the basis for the show! Laura writes the YA series called the Chloe Gamble Series and together they are an unstoppable team!
Shay has always been different—and she is about to find out why.
Shay could never do the things her friends could—never try out for sports, never go to parties, never fall in love. Because of the mysterious and incurable blood disorder she was born with, she can barely make it through three days of school a week.
But now, her doctor-turned-stepfather has a brand-new treatment that he thinks will change everything. And it does. As soon as the new blood starts pumping into Shay’s veins, she has visions of a different life…Gabriel’s life. She sees an orphanage, loss, fangs, blood, and lust that she can’t explain.
Is Gabriel real? And if he is, could he really be what she thinks he is?
INTERVIEW
Welcome Melinda and Laura!
1. Please tell us about your new co-authored YA paranormal novel Crave?
LJB: Crave is a vampire romance, but we went in a slightly different direction with it. Our heroine is introduced to the vampire world in an unusual way, through blood transfusions. She's been sick all her life, and is basically being kept alive by other people's blood. When she begins having visions during a new type of transfusion, she thinks it's probably just a side effect, a hallucination.
MM: Those visions she starts having—they're of the life of a vampire. She sees through his eyes, feels his emotions, and the power of his body. When the transfusions end, she continues to have his strength for a little while, and she's able to live more fully than she ever has before.
2. How did you come up with the idea for this novel?
MM: We both have a love of vampires, and we kept looking for a way to put a spin on a vampire romance. We got intrigued by the idea of a girl falling for a vampire by seeing his life through visions—visions that might or might not be true.
LJB: We also liked examining the personality of a chronically ill teen—people have always treated Shay as if she is fragile and sweet, as if she should be handled carefully, when all she really wants is to be strong and normal, and to do the regular (and not necessarily smart) things that her friends do.
3. How did you go about writing this book together?
LJB: We've been writing together for years, so we have our method down pretty well! At the beginning, we spent a lot of time just talking about CRAVE--about Shay, our heroine, and what her life has been like. About Gabriel, our vampire, and his history. We figured out the things that they want, what their personalities are, that sort of thing. Once we felt as if we knew them, we outlined the book together. Only when we know everything that's going to happen do we split up. Each of us writes about half the book, then we edit each other's halves.
MM: We do talk a huge amount before we start writing any book! Some of it on topic, a lot of it off, as we slowly piece together the story.
LJB: By the time we’re done writing and re-writing, we never know anymore who wrote which part.
4. What made you decide on the YA genre? What is it that you like about writing YA books versus Adult books?
LJB: We were both YA book editors before we became writers. It's a genre that we feel very comfortable in. Personally, I don't see much difference in writing for teens versus for adults. Teen characters are every bit as complex and interesting as adult characters, and teen readers are, too. I think it's more of a distinction in the way books are sold than in the way they're written.
MM: I think I like writing about teen characters because they are going through so many things (falling in love with a vampire, for example) for the first time.
5. Who are some of your favorite authors? Did any of them inspire you to write?
LJB: I always tell people my two favorite authors are Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien, and everyone acts like that's weird! I think, as a paranormal writer, I learned the absolute most important lesson from Tolkien's books--to make sure that the mythology of the world you've created is rich, textured, and fully thought-out. It's the details that really make a fantasy book great.
MM: Stephen King is one of my faves. I must have read The Stand six or seven times when I was a teenager. I don't think he inspired me to write exactly. But I admire the way his "bad" characters don't become cartoons of evilness. Like in Cujo, you never forgot that down deep, Cujo was a good dog. His layered characters (even the animal ones) inspire me.
6. Is Crave going to become a series? How many books are projected for it?
LJB: It's always been planned as a two book project. We're working on the second one now.
MM: We're all done with the plotting and on to the writing. We left Shay and Gabriel in a pretty horrible place in the first book. I think we managed to get them out in an interesting way. But then things quickly got bad for them again!
7. What are you currently working on?
LJB: The second CRAVE book--we don't have a title yet--and a new paranormal book proposal.
MM: We have a new policy where we devote one day a week to working on our proposal. We're so psyched about it, it's hard not to let it take over the whole week.
8. If you had to pitch Crave to readers in one sentence, what would you say?
MM: Transfusions of vampire blood give a dying girl a second chance at life—but a life that's nothing like she ever imagined.
LJB: Hey, that’s pretty good!
9. What was it like writing for all of those famous TV shows?
MM: It was fun—and kind of surreal. Laura and I shared a trailer on the Paramount lot when we were on the writing staff of Roswell. It was right near the fake New York street, which made us feel right at home, because we'd both just moved from NYC to L.A. to work on the show. At one point, the opening musical number for Austen Powers 3 was being filmed right next to us, so close there was an elephant in the next trailer over. Also, in case you're wondering, those cute Roswell actor guys? Even cuter in person.
LJB: It’s basically about as much fun as you can imagine a job being.
10. If Crave was to become a movie, who would you have play your characters?
LJB: I picture Ellen Page as Shay, but I guess she's too old!
MM: Maybe Mia Wasikowska for Shay. Love her! And for Gabriel—well, the model on the cover looks a LOT like Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Why not just go with him? ;) He's not too old to play a vampire.
LJB: Or we can just find the model from the cover, and get him to do it!
11. If you could run away with any hero from any YA paranormal novel, who would it be and why him?
LJB: Have you ever read the Vampire Diaries books? I'd run away with Stefan, because he's so passionate!
MM: I'd run off with Pudge from Looking for Alaska. Okay, he's not from a paranormal novel. He has no paranormal powers, except that he's able to keep all those "last words" quotes in his head. But he's smart, funny, and willing to think about the really big life questions. Also, he's romantic. Um, he'd have to be older than 15, though, or I'd have to be younger, otherwise there would be, at the very least, some legal and moral questions.
12. Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?
MM: Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream is realllly good.
LJB: I can’t argue with that.
Melinda and Laura are giving away one copy of Crave to a lucky reader. Contest is open WORLDWIDE so everyone is elgible to enter. Please leave a comment or question to be entered. Also leave an email address so I have a way of contacting you if you win. Contest will end on August 9th at 7:00 pm EST.
Pre-order on Amazon or B&N!
7.30.2010
Guest Author Gene Doucette + Giveaway!
Welcome Gene!
Immortal is, as you described it above, a mashup of a few different genres: a little sci-fi and contemporary fantasy, some historical fiction, and a few other genres. The story is narrated by Adam, a man who has been around for roughly sixty thousand years. And in a lot of ways he isn’t anything special: he doesn’t get older and he doesn’t get sick, but other than that he’s fully capable of being wounded and—in theory—killed. So almost more important than the long lifespan is the fact that he is highly intelligent—smarter than I am, at least—and very clever.
The book flits between the present narrative—in which Adam finds himself in a fair bit of danger—and stories about his past that inform the present circumstances. We all draw from past experiences to help us understand current events. With Adam, that experience spans nearly all of modern human history.
2. How did you come up with the idea for this book?
I’m not all that sure, actually. The first draft of Immortal was finished a little over six years ago. All I remember is that I wanted to write a novel—this would be the third one I’d completed—and I wanted to write it in first person. Playing the role of immortal man as author just seemed like something fun to try. I had also been publishing as a humorist, and a lot of that was in first person, so it was a natural voice for me.
3. What are you currently working on?
That depends on what day it is. I have two novels that have been completed and are sitting around waiting for me to look at them again. Neither of them will be going anywhere until after Immortal is out, for different reasons. I’ll have to revisit both of them at some point. I also have a feature screenplay that’s won a couple of awards—based on one of the novels I wrote before Immortal, called Charlatan—that is done until someone else tells me it needs a rewrite.
The one thing I’m doing that does involve immediate writing has to do with a film project I’m not at liberty to discuss because of a non-disclosure agreement. (In my other life I’m a screenwriter, if you hadn’t guessed.) It’s a fun project, and should take up enough of my time while waiting for Immortal to debut that I don’t go insane staring at the calendar.
4. Who are some of your favorite authors?
I am simply in awe of Neal Stephenson. I don’t actually read a tremendous amount of fiction—perhaps unsurprisingly I spend much of my reading time buried in books on history and science—but when I do I like to pick up something that I simply can’t imagine writing myself. Stephenson is like that; he’s on an entirely different plane from the rest of us.
I’m also a fan of quirkier works that kind of fit into contemporary fantasy, except not really. Christopher Moore is a great example. Eric Garcia, too—he wrote a series of detective novels starting with the premise that dinosaurs didn’t go extinct, they’re just hiding. Good stuff.
5. What makes Immortal different from other books?
I think the narrative structure of Immortal is fairly different. Adam is an extremely informal, albeit not entirely reliable narrator. His take on history is interesting because he was there for so much of it, and if you asked him, he’d tell you that a lot of the stuff we consider epic in hindsight really wasn’t much of a big deal when it was happening.
But I’m cheating. What really makes the book different is that it’s a contemporary fantasy with the usual allotment of non-human creatures, but without any magic. Adam’s world is exactly like the world we live in because it IS the world we live in. It’s just that he’s been around for so long he’s managed to encounter some of the less common species most of us would have to live five lifetimes to come across.
6. What made you decide to not have any magic in your books despite it being a fantasy type story?
I don’t know if I can call it a decision, so much as a series of incremental steps. Fairly early into the book I realized I wasn’t going to get far in an immortal man story without some other fantastic elements, but it was important to me that this be a guy who simply lived for a long time. I didn’t want him to be a wizard or an alien or a god or anything that would somehow make his life experiences less applicable to us mortals. I needed him to be a version of you or me, just older. I also wanted the history he lived through to be our history as much as possible. If you throw magic into history, it affects a lot of things that I didn’t want to see changed.
One particularly cool consequence of swearing off magic is that it has helped me to avoid some of the tropes one sees in most fantasy novels. Fantastic beings are a little less fantastic, a little more down-to-earth, a bit more real than they might be otherwise. A place can be found for them in our world.
7. How long did it take you to write Immortal? What is your writing process like?
The first draft took only a few months, but there were rewrites so I guess I can’t really answer the “how long did it take” question definitively. And my writing process is a bit insane. I began Immortal with Adam, and with a vague idea of what the ending was going to be like. Beyond that I made it up as I went along. And I’ve approached everything that way: start at the beginning, keep going until I reach the end. I don’t take notes or outline or write sections outside of the order they appear in the book. And since I’m “the reader” I have to keep myself interested while I’m writing, so my first drafts tend to be propulsive and breathless; I only put in space to exhale and assess in later drafts. Basically, I write from the seat of my pants… while falling down a flight of stairs.
8. Will there be a sequel to Immortal? Will this be a series?
There is a sequel to Immortal, which is one of the novels I alluded to earlier. It’s called Hellenic Immortal, and it’s basically done, although since I’m the only one to have read it, that conclusion may be premature. And there will be a third book. I’m doing research for that book right now, a process that may take some time because I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen in it yet. It has to exist, though, because there are questions raised in the first book that are not answered in the second book and will have to be addressed in the third.
Beyond that? I don’t know. There might be more books in Adam.
9. Who would you have play Adam the Immortal in a movie?
Hah! That’s a tough question. Adam looks thirty-two, so it would have to be an actor that could play that age. Both Robert Downey Junior and Johnny Depp project the kind of intelligence the role would need, but I don’t think either of them can pull off thirty-two any more. Jeffrey Donovan from Burn Notice could probably do it.
10. Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers?
How about some links? You can read more about Immortal at genedoucette.me/immortal including a sample chapter. And genedoucette.me/category/immortal will give you a summary of my blog posts on writing it, plus some shorter book excerpts.
Immortal will be available from Amazon on 10/1/10. Your proverbial local bookstore will have it too, but probably not right away—hopefully before Christmas.
Gene is giving away one copy of Immortal to one lucky reader. Contest is open WORLDWIDE so everyone is elgible to enter. Please note that he doesn't have ARC copies yet so there will be a slight wait to receive your prize. Contest will end on August 6th. Leave a comment or question for Gene about his book to be entered. Please leave your email address with your post so I can contact you if you win.
Demon Princess: Reign Check Review
When Nikki returns to school to see Rhys (king of the faery realm) is the new foreign exchange student; she fears that her secret will be discovered. He is Mr. Popular and all the girls are interested in him, little do they know he isn’t even human. Nikki finds him cute but his constant distrust of her because she is a demon is becoming kind of annoying.
King Rhys is visiting Erin Heights High School to investigate Princess Nikki since learning of her prophecy. Apparently she is going to destroy the world but they both doubt the validity of this prophecy. After all, how could a girl as sweet and innocent as Nikki hurt anyone?
Nikki misses her Shadow servant Michael and is upset that a relationship between them is strictly forbidden. Her best friend Melinda is acting really strange and then there’s that guy Chris who saw Nikki turn into a Darkling and hasn’t talked to her much since. Will Nikki be able to win the trust of King Rhys and put an end to all this prophecy talk? Will Michael find a way to visit Nikki despite their union being forbidden?
Demon Princess: Reign Check is the second book in a YA paranormal series written by the fabulous Michelle Rowen. Nikki is stuck in a love triangle between two boys who are complete opposites. She has strong feelings for Michael (her Shadow servant) but Rhys (the Faery King) is here in her world and is dateable.
Her relationship with Michael is so forbidden that it could possibly get him killed if anyone found out about it. But with Rhys, there are no laws about demons and faeries dating. Unfortunately Rhys has an intense hatred for Nikki’s kind and she isn’t someone he would want to date. But despite their differences, they have a chemistry together that is undeniable.
I enjoyed Rhys’ presence making things a little more complicated for Michael and Nikki. Although I am a fan of Michael, Rhys comes off as more mature and wise beyond his years. I think the fact that Nikki and Rhys didn’t like each other made me root for them to be together even more.
The story moved along at a fast pace with secrets to be discovered around every turn. I loved learning more about Demon Princess Nikki Donovan and I greatly look forward to the next installment in the series. Overall, Demon Princess: Reign Check is a fantastic, suspenseful, paranormal that kept me up all night reading until its exciting conclusion and I highly recommend it to YA readers!
7.22.2010
Winner of Liz Strange e-books!
♥s.shapeshift_ Congrats! Please email me through the link in my profile and I will forward your email on to the author for your e-book prizes!
Thanks Liz for guest blogging and to everyone for participating in the post!
7.16.2010
The Book Blogger Hop!
The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Crazy For Books where bloggers and readers get the chance to discover new blogs! This is my first time participating and it looks like alot of fun with over 200 new blogs to discover.
RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?
Watch for my review of Dark Flame coming soon!
Welcome new readers! Below is an interview and giveaway with paranormal author Liz Strange. I have lots of reviews and interviews to read through so feel free to browse through my site. Thanks for visiting! And please leave a comment, I love comments!
7.14.2010
Interview with author Liz Strange + Giveaway!
Hi Liz, thank you so much for guest blogging!
1. Please tell my readers about your books.
The Dark Kiss Trilogy is a dark paranormal romance series, which follows the “lives” of Rachel and Giovanni, and their circle of friends, allies, and enemies. The books primarily focuses on the relationship of the two main characters and those in their inner-most circle, but there is also a back-story involving a centuries old vendetta and the search for the first vampire.
2. What are you currently working on?
I am working on an erotic fantasy novel involving some of the secondary characters from the Dark Kiss.
3. Who are some of your favorite authors?
I enjoy Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff, Michael Slade, Anne Rice, Kathy Reichs, and Karin Slaughter. I read mostly horror, fantasy, and mystery/forensic novels.
4. If you could be turned into a vampire by any famous person, who would it be?
Oh, that’s so hard. I’d love it to be some powerful woman like Cleopatra, or someone really brilliant like Oscar Wilde.
5. If you could write a book about any subject and it would sell no matter what, what would you write about?
Well, in honesty I’ve already written about something that completely fascinates me – vampires. I guess I’d have to turn to my inner geek here, and say I’d love to write a story involving ancient cultures, and perhaps a historical mystery. I’d love to have a story set on Easter Island.
6. What inspired you to become an author?
I get asked that I lot and it never seems to get easier to answer. It’s just something I’ve always had in me, ever since I was a little girl. I have so many things churning around in my brain, if you could see them, you’d understand that I need to write them down.
7. Do you have any weird phobias?
I do. I don’t like people touching my feet. It completely freaks me out. I also don’t like driving over bridges, clowns, and the idea of alien abduction.
8. You write paranormal, fantasy and horror books; what are the major differences in writing in each of these three different genres?
These genres all fit together nicely, but I think it’s the tone that sets them apart. Writing horror can be exciting, but also draining because it’s so dark. With paranormal and fantasy its lighter, for me anyway, though I do find that my dark tendencies do drift into most of my works. I enjoy all three because you can stretch your imagination, and create creatures and circumstances that do not exist in reality.
9. If you could have any magical power, what would it be and why that power?
I’d love to be able to turn invisible. It would be so fun to be able to eavesdrop on situations I would normally never see.
10. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
I’d just like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their interest and support. Happy reading everyone!
Liz is giving away an e-book of My Love Eternal (book 1) and A Second Chance at Forever (book 2) to one lucky reader who leaves a comment or question for her. This contest will run for one week and will end on July 21st at 7:00 pm EST. Open to everyone, everywhere!
Waiting on Wednesday
This is my first time participating in Waiting on Wednesday! Here is my pick!
When Blood Calls (book 1) by J.K Beck
August 31, 2010
Attorney Sara Constantine is thrilled with her promotion—until she finds out that she must now prosecute vampires and werewolves. The first defendant she’ll be trying to put away? Lucius Dragos, the sexy stranger with whom she recently shared an explosive night of ecstasy.
When Lucius kisses a beautiful woman sitting next to him at the bar, he’s hoping only to avoid the perceptive gaze of the man he’s planning to kill. But what starts as a simple kiss ignites into an all-consuming passion. Charged with murder, Luke knows that Sara is determined to see him locked away—unless he can convince her that he’s not a monster. And that might mean making the ultimate sacrifice.
My thoughts:
J.K. Beck is the alter ego for Julie Kenner whose urban fantasy trilogy I adored. I am so excited for this new trilogy by her and I can't wait to get my hands on this first book! I've already been hearing great things about it and I want to read it SO bad!!
7.13.2010
Winner of e-book of Once Bitten
CECILE! Congrats! I will email you through the address that you provided. Thanks everyone for stopping by and stay tuned for my interview with author Liz Strange coming soon! Thanks Trina for guest blogging!
Blood of the Demon Review
What kind of creature would do this to people and why? With her aunt out of commission since losing her soul, Kara has no one else to turn to for advice so she summons her sometime lover and demon, Lord Rhyzkahl.
Kara has feelings for Special Agent Ryan Kristoff since working side by side with him on The Symbol Man case. He is well aware of demons and what Kara can see since he met a demon up front and personal last time.
But there’s something more to Ryan then Kara knows and even the demons know the truth. When one of them calls out Ryan, Kara isn’t sure if she can truly trust him anymore. She longs for affection from a human being but right now Lord Rhyzhal might just have to do.
The case becomes sinister when Kara realizes all of the people turning up dead are connected somehow. Will Kara be able to solve the case before another person’s essence is stolen from them? Will Ryan prove to be trust worthy or has he been lying to Kara all along? Can Lord Rhyzkahl be trusted and will Kara decide if she will become his personal summoner or not?
Blood of the Demon is the second book in a series by paranormal suspense author Diana Rowland. I was blown away by her debut book Mark of the Demon and could not wait to get my hands on this next installment.
Rowland pens a fantastic mystery with enough twists to keep readers guessing until the final showdown. The suspense is relentless and add in just a touch of romance to keep things interesting, made Blood of the Demon a sure winner for me. This was a fantastic book and I can not wait to see what happens next with Kara! The third book in the series is titled Secrets of the Demon and is due out January 4, 2011.
7.12.2010
Winter's Passage Review
Never one to not keep her word, Meghan willingly goes with Prince Ash in the hopes to look for the injured Puck on her way there. But once again they are met with evil beings in the Nevernever who want to snatch Meghan away and bring her themselves to the Queen. Will Prince Ash be able to protect Meghan or will someone kidnap her before he can safely deliver her to the Queen?
Winter’s Passage starts off with some backstory of what happened in the previous book and then the action begins once again! After finishing The Iron King, I was so glad to have this novella on hand to read immediately afterwards.
Anything written in this world is a welcome escape and it was great to run away with Meghan once again. I eagerly look forward to The Iron Daughter, the second book in this series. Overall, this is a fun novella but make sure to read The Iron King first because this will spoil it for you if you haven’t read it.
Download your legal free copy of Winter's Passage at this link. Offer ends July 31st so don't delay!
Thanks Net Galley for providing me with this e-book copy for review!
Don't forget to enter my contest with Trina M. Lee for a free e-book at this link!
7.11.2010
Contest for The Dark Divine on Squeaky Books!
Enna Isilee over at Squeaky Books is having a contest giving away Bree Despain's The Dark Divine! Head on over to Ennalee's blog (Click Here) to find out how to win. In the meantime, check out this awesome trailer for the book!
Originally from this link
Originally from this link
The Iron King Review
Meghan Chase has always realized something was different in her life. When she was six years old, she watched her father walk into a body of water and then disappear forever from her life. For some reason, her family tends to forget about her and she only has one friend, a guy named Robbie.
Meghan hopes for a great 16th birthday, but instead comes home to her four year old brother not being himself anymore. He’s been replaced with a changeling and her real brother is off in the Nevernever or Faeryland. This is what she is told by her friend Robbie who happens to be Puck from a Midsummer’s Night Dream.
Robbie aka Puck offers to take Meghan to the Nevernever through a closet door so she can search for her brother and bring him home. But along the way they run into goblins, trolls and other supernatural creatures that all see Meghan as an odd specimen in their world. Will Meghan and Puck be able to save her brother or will Meghan lose Puck and get trapped forever in the Nevernever?
The Iron King is the first book in The Iron Fey Series, which is a YA fantasy series by author Julie Kagawa. I wanted to read this book for a long time for numerous reasons.
1. The cover is absolutely gorgeous
2. The summary sounded really interesting
3. EVERYONE was talking about how great this book is
4. There are a ton of fantastic reviews highly recommending this book
5. It was published by Harlequin Teen and I have loved every book I’ve read from them so far
So based on these reasons, my expectations for The Iron King were through the roof. I would classify this book as fantasy and not a paranormal at all. It definitely has that ‘’take you away into another world’’ aspect to it and to me that is pure fantasy. The story starts off with introducing us to Meghan Chase and I had my first déjà vu moment.
A lot of reviewers complain a subject matter is too similar to other books, but I’ve rarely hard that happen to me. But it happened to me with this book. The first book I thought of was Michelle Rowen’s Demon Princess Series. There are a lot of similarities and I kind of felt like, ok I’ve read this already…but then it got really good and I forgot about how similar it was to Michelle Rowen’s book (which is a great book by the way!).
Every scene is so picturesque and I really felt like I was right there with Meghan on her journey to the Nevernever. This was such a cute story and I can see now what everyone was raving about. It’s easy to read, sweet, exciting, imaginative, suspenseful, and just a joy to read.
Sometimes I’ll read a book and I just get this warm feeling in my chest, like contentment, happiness that the book is so good. I had this feeling with Twilight, and now I’ve gotten it with The Iron King. I was so sad for this book to end and can not wait for my next escape into the Nevernever . Overall, I adored reading The Iron King and I will be without a doubt reading The Iron Daughter next!
Thank you Net Galley for providing me with this e- book copy for review!
7.09.2010
Winner of Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker
SANDY JAY!
Congrats! I will email you through the address you provided. Thanks everyone for posting and thank you Marla for guest blogging!
Make sure to check out my interview & giveaway with Trina M. Lee, below this post!
7.05.2010
Guest Author Trina M. Lee + Giveaway!
Thank you so much for being here today Trina!
1. Please tell us about your series, trilogy and stand alone books.
Love in Death’s Embrace is a stand alone story about a vampire hunter that must kill a certain vampire and his entire bloodline in order to escape a curse. Falling in love with a vampiress of that bloodline makes that a tad complicated.
2. What influenced you to become a writer?
I started writing at a young age. I won my first writing award at the age of 9. I started writing so that I could be part of fictional worlds. Reading was always a big part of my life but I wanted to make my own worlds. By the age of 12 my writing was focused primarily on vampire type stuff. The movie The Lost Boys really got me into vampires.
3. What is it about vampires that readers find so alluring?
I’m not sure. I think it varies by reader. For me it was the darkness, their power and even their limitations, like being unable to walk in the sun. It set them apart from humanity, made them so much more than the rest of us, but a terrifying mystery as well. They are dangerous but I can’t help but be drawn to them. Some of the newer vampires, the ones that don’t drink human blood, they hold no appeal for me whatsoever.
4. What is your favorite book?
Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden. That book actually made me cry. It’s a fantasy setting, the main character is an elven vampire. I love several books but this one remains a favourite.
5. If you could be any supernatural creature what would you be and why?
I think I’d have to go with vampire. I love werewolves too but vampires were always my first love.
6. If you could have one magical power, what would it be?
The ability to manipulate energy. From moving things with my mind to healing with energy, that kind of thing.
7. What are you currently working on?
Currently I’m working on a few things. A short story about two werewolves from opposing packs and their forbidden love. Also the 4th book in the Alexa O’Brien series and a new book that isn’t part of any series yet about a fallen angel and his reunion with a woman he’d once saved who is now a vampire.
8. If you had to describe your stories in one sentence, what would you say?
These are not your daughter’s vampires and werewolves.
9. What is a typical writing day like for you?
No day is ever really like another. I’m usually busy with promo, family and writing, there is a lot to juggle. Pretty much every day involves all three of these, though some more than others.
10. Who are some of your favorite authors?
Kim Harrison: Her Hollows series kicks ass, I love it.
Anne Rice: Her vampire chronicles were a big part of my world in my teen years.
Richard Laymon: His horror is the best. I’m picky with horror novels but his always freaked me out but kept me eagerly turning pages.
11. What genre would you love to write a book in but haven’t yet?
Horror. I really want to try my hand at it and plan to do so in the future, hopefully sooner than later.
12. What is your favorite TV show?
It was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and I still watch the DVDs a lot lol) but for newer shows I’d have to say Castle for a drama type show and Two and a Half Men for sitcom.
13. If you had to describe Trina M. Lee in 3 sentences, what would you say?
Hmm that’s a tough one. Trina M. Lee spends more time with vampires and werewolves than the average person. She has a blunt, in your face attitude but is caring and compassionate. She loves animals and is a sucker for anything furry with four legs.
14. Do you have any plans for another series?
At this point my Huntress series still has a lot ahead. I plan to do some spin off books with secondary characters taking their turn in the role of main character.
15. What can we expect next from you?
Book 3 in the Alexa O’Brien Huntress series, Only Vampires Cry Blood, is coming out in the fall.
16. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
There is a free read on my website, a prequel story to my Huntress series. There is also an excerpt for each of my books on my site http://www.trinamlee.com./ I look forward to meeting new readers and paranormal fans so feel free to email or contact me on twitter. Twitter.com/TrinaMLee
CONTEST:
Trina is giving away an e-book of Once Bitten, a signed post card, and a vampire bite tattoo to one lucky reader who leaves a question or comment for her on this post. The contest will end on July 13th at 7:00 pm EST. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Contest is open to everyone worldwide!
I started writing at a young age. I won my first writing award at the age of 9. I started writing so that I could be part of fictional worlds. Reading was always a big part of my life but I wanted to make my own worlds. By the age of 12 my writing was focused primarily on vampire type stuff. The movie The Lost Boys really got me into vampires.
3. What is it about vampires that readers find so alluring?
I’m not sure. I think it varies by reader. For me it was the darkness, their power and even their limitations, like being unable to walk in the sun. It set them apart from humanity, made them so much more than the rest of us, but a terrifying mystery as well. They are dangerous but I can’t help but be drawn to them. Some of the newer vampires, the ones that don’t drink human blood, they hold no appeal for me whatsoever.
4. What is your favorite book?
Vampire of the Mists by Christie Golden. That book actually made me cry. It’s a fantasy setting, the main character is an elven vampire. I love several books but this one remains a favourite.
5. If you could be any supernatural creature what would you be and why?
I think I’d have to go with vampire. I love werewolves too but vampires were always my first love.
6. If you could have one magical power, what would it be?
The ability to manipulate energy. From moving things with my mind to healing with energy, that kind of thing.
7. What are you currently working on?
Currently I’m working on a few things. A short story about two werewolves from opposing packs and their forbidden love. Also the 4th book in the Alexa O’Brien series and a new book that isn’t part of any series yet about a fallen angel and his reunion with a woman he’d once saved who is now a vampire.
8. If you had to describe your stories in one sentence, what would you say?
These are not your daughter’s vampires and werewolves.
9. What is a typical writing day like for you?
No day is ever really like another. I’m usually busy with promo, family and writing, there is a lot to juggle. Pretty much every day involves all three of these, though some more than others.
10. Who are some of your favorite authors?
Kim Harrison: Her Hollows series kicks ass, I love it.
Anne Rice: Her vampire chronicles were a big part of my world in my teen years.
Richard Laymon: His horror is the best. I’m picky with horror novels but his always freaked me out but kept me eagerly turning pages.
11. What genre would you love to write a book in but haven’t yet?
Horror. I really want to try my hand at it and plan to do so in the future, hopefully sooner than later.
12. What is your favorite TV show?
It was Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and I still watch the DVDs a lot lol) but for newer shows I’d have to say Castle for a drama type show and Two and a Half Men for sitcom.
13. If you had to describe Trina M. Lee in 3 sentences, what would you say?
Hmm that’s a tough one. Trina M. Lee spends more time with vampires and werewolves than the average person. She has a blunt, in your face attitude but is caring and compassionate. She loves animals and is a sucker for anything furry with four legs.
14. Do you have any plans for another series?
At this point my Huntress series still has a lot ahead. I plan to do some spin off books with secondary characters taking their turn in the role of main character.
15. What can we expect next from you?
Book 3 in the Alexa O’Brien Huntress series, Only Vampires Cry Blood, is coming out in the fall.
16. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
There is a free read on my website, a prequel story to my Huntress series. There is also an excerpt for each of my books on my site http://www.trinamlee.com./ I look forward to meeting new readers and paranormal fans so feel free to email or contact me on twitter. Twitter.com/TrinaMLee
CONTEST:
Trina is giving away an e-book of Once Bitten, a signed post card, and a vampire bite tattoo to one lucky reader who leaves a question or comment for her on this post. The contest will end on July 13th at 7:00 pm EST. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. Contest is open to everyone worldwide!
6.30.2010
Guest Author Marla Martenson + Giveaway!
Please welcome my guest author for this week, Marla Martenson! Marla is the author of two self help books titled Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate is Waiting and Good Date, Bad Date. Her newest book is a memoir about her life as a matchmaker in Beverly Hills and it’s titled appropriately, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker.
In this book which I recently reviewed, Marla dishes about the celebrities she has run into while working and what life is really like working in the town that was made famous in Pretty Woman. Please welcome, Marla Martenson!
Hi Marla! Thank you so much for being here today to talk to my readers! I loved your book and I have so many questions for you!
1. What made you decide to write a book about your job as a matchmaker?
Since I had written two self -help books already about dating, I really had nothing left to say on the subject as far as giving advice, so I was thinking about what I could write next. I really enjoy reading Jen Lancaster’s memoirs and I am a big fan of the chick lit genre, so I decided to write a memoir about my experience as a matchmaker, which is a very unusual job. It turned out so well and was so much fun to do, that I am now writing the sequel to Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker.
2. Please tell me about your worst client experience and your best experience.
I guess the worst client experience was the story in the book about Frank Stein, a lawyer who was screaming at me over the phone, threatening to sue me because I tried to match him up with a 48 year old woman. “I don’t date 48 year old women, they don’t look good!” He barked at me before he threatened to sue me.
The best experience I had was when I was invited to the wedding of a couple I matched up (that story is in the book as well) I felt like I really made a difference in someone’s life.
3. Do you still work as a matchmaker?
I do still work as a matchmaker, however I now have my own boutique company called Cupid For Hire, visit me at http://www.cupidforhire.com/
4. How many of your clients have ended up married as a result of you matching them together?
I have been a matchmaker for almost nine years now, so there have been countless couples that have gone on to get married, I have no idea how many.
5. Do you have any plans to write a fiction novel?
Funny you should ask, because I have a novel that is halfway finished. I started it about five years ago and I got stuck in the middle and busy with my other books. I was just thinking about it today though and how I really need to get back to it because it is very funny. It is about a single waitress in Chicago and all of her dating disasters and adventures.
6. What are you currently working on?
I am currently trying to finish up the sequel to Dairy of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker. It will be published in spring of 2011. There are more outrageous stories and funny situations that I deal with so stay tuned.
7. If you could match any two celebrities up, who would it be?
I would love to be able to find Jennifer Aniston a good guy since she is always going for the bad boys. And if Rod Stewart was single and I was single, I would like to match the two of us up together. J
8. How do you stay so positive even when things are going wrong in life?
That is a good question. It’s not easy these days with the economy so bad and hearing about the oil spill, and day –to- day stresses that we all deal with. I tend to be a very cheery and upbeat person in general, but I find myself getting down sometimes like everyone else. I am usually able to pull myself out of it pretty quickly by thinking about all that is good in my life, starting with my health and having a place to live. I really do recite affirmations and pray and am grateful for what I do have instead of focusing on what I don’t have, and it helps me keep a positive attitude.
9. What is your #1 piece of advice for couples?
My # 1 piece of advice would be to have a short memory. My husband and I get into squabbles and become aggravated with each other, but luckily we let it go and forget about it very quickly. Don’t bring up something your other half did last week, month or last year, its over and done with, move on and be happy.
10. If your book was a movie, who would you have play yourself and your husband?
My book is actually being shopped as a film or TV series and there are several fabulous actresses that I could picture playing me, such as, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Sara Jessica Parker, Sandra Bullock or Kristin Davis. I only have one man in mind to play Adolfo, and that is Antonio Banderas!
11. What authors do you enjoy reading?
I read a lot and there are so many amazing authors out there. As far as chick lit goes, I love Jane Green, Jen Lancaster and Caprice Crane, I like to read anything by David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro, they are incredibly witty and brilliant. I also adore Rohinton Mistry, Khaled Hosseini and Elizabeth Gilbert. And as far as self help goes, I enjoy Wayne Dyer, Dan Miller, Deepak Chopra and Eckart Tolle to name a few.
12. What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading several books on marketing, since I am in the middle of promoting Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker and need all the advice I can get.
13. How long does it take you to write a book?
I have been putting out a book per year. It generally takes me anywhere from six to nine months to write a book, but that is not sitting down everyday all day like a full time job, since the first three books were all written while I was working full time at the matchmaking company. If I could just write, I imagine I could finish a book in three months.
14. What is a typical writing day like for you?
I never have a typical writing day, some days I write for a few hours, some an hour and some days not at all. But I write on my MacBook Air at a little desk in the living room, or snuggled up in my bed with a pillow as a desk. Since I have been writing memoirs, sometimes I have to wait until something interesting or exciting happens to me so that I have something to write about. I often will plan to do something different or crazy in the hopes that a good story will come out of it.
15. If you could have one wish, what would it be?
Oh boy… just one? I would wish that Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker makes it to number one on the New York Times bestseller list.
16. Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
I love and appreciate all of you and I want to encourage you to go for your dreams. I wanted to be a published author since I was about eight years old. I finally got the courage to go for it a few years ago and got published at the age of 45. So, it’s never too late for a dream to come true!
CONTEST:
Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker Review
Marla Martenson works as a matchmaker in Beverly Hills by day and writes self help books about love by night. Beverly Hills is an extremely superficial place to be with rich, bald, fat men only wanting gorgeous stick thin women with big breasts who are 20 years younger then them.
Marla herself is a beautiful woman but with living in Beverly Hills, she can’t help but to feel fat (at only 120 pounds) or not perfect enough at times. She recites affirmations at the end of every chapter of things she wants to be true because she believes if you speak it out loud you will speak it into existence. Marla’s positive attitude and upbeat personality shine through the pages of this book and you can’t help but read with a smile on your face.
Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker reads like a fiction novel told in first person point of view, but is a memoir. The emails scattered throughout the book from Marla’s clients are a lot of fun to read and always hilarious. Marla’s interactions with her Latin musician husband Adolfo, are so funny that I had to bookmark certain parts. They call each other Lucy and Ricky and you can definitely see why. Marla has red hair but more brains then Lucy and Adolfo is Latin and a musician just like Ricky Ricardo!
My favorite part of this book was the part where Marla would sneakily run to the garbage shoot to throw her husband’s unpaired socks away behind his back so he wouldn’t know about them. I read Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker in two days and couldn’t put this book down for a second.
I felt completely satisfied upon finishing this book since Marla’s great energy can’t help but rub off on you! Overall, I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy a humorous memoir that will keep them laughing and entertained. I look forward to reading anything and everything else Marla Martenson writes since I am now hooked on her writing. I would love for her to write a fiction novel since she definitely has the talent to write a great story.
Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is available for order on Amazon
Visit author Marla Martenson's website
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