Swallowing Darkness Countdown

Demon's Hunger Contest on Vampire Wire!

There's a contest to win a copy of Demon's Hunger by Eve Silver over at Vampire Wire! Marta Acosta has 5 copies to give away to 5 winners. Hurry over and enter here!

Here's a blurb from Amazon:
The Compact of Sorcerers, a brotherhood sworn to protect the wall between the human and demon realms, is thrust into battle with an unseen evil that threatens to destroy them all...

Forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn fears she's losing her mind. Her libido has kicked into overdrive, and she's blacking out, leaving hours of her life unaccounted for and no memory of where she's been or what she's done. But when a sexy stranger rescues her from a demon attack, Vivien realizes there's more than just her sanity at stake.

A seductive killer is luring victims, and Sorcerer Dain Hawkins finds himself walking a dangerous line between ancient duty and sizzling desire when the brotherhood--and Vivien herself--begins to suspect that her mysterious symptoms may connect her to the crimes. Can Dain save Vivien from the evil that threatens to claim her? Or will they both succumb to...

Meljean Brook Contest!!

Cynthia Eden Contest on Brava!!

There's a contest over at the Brava Authors Blog to win an early copy of Cynthia Eden's Midnight Sins which isn't out until November 25th. Go here to enter! Trust me you want this book!!

Here's the blurb for the book to get you excited:

Cara Maloan doesn’t look like a monster. In fact, the gorgeous blond nightclub singer possesses heavenly attributes that make Atlanta detective Todd Brooks sure there’s a higher power somewhere. But a twisted killer is leaving a trail of bodies in seedy hotel rooms across town. The male victims show no wounds–it’s as if the life was simply drained from them. And right now, mysterious Cara is Todd’s only suspect.

Cara knows it’s foolish to be so drawn to a man who thinks she’s a murderer. She also knows Detective Brooks would find the truth even harder to swallow. Cara is one of the Others, a race of powerful, paranormal creatures who live among humans. Cara’s particular abilities make men putty in her hands–all except this rugged, sexy-as-hell detective. But now someone, or something, has singled Cara out for serious payback…

As uneasy trust gives way to mind-blowing desire, Cara and Todd will go head-to-head with a killer whose mission is deeply personal, and who’s determined to serve up revenge that’s hotter than hellfire, and just as deadly…

Phantom's Touch Review

Lauren Cole is finally divorced from her producer husband Ross Marchand and wants nothing more than to move on with her life. He helped make her a famous actress by casting her in the lead role of his movies. Lauren has one more movie to make for him and then she can move on with her life. But before that can happen, Lauren wants the antique sword that Ross bought for her but would never let her have.

After stealing the sword from her ex husband’s house, Lauren is in for a surprise when a phantom man immerges from out of nowhere. Aiden Forsyth was cursed into the sword back in the 1700’s by his enemy Rogan. When the Forsyth brothers tried to save their sister from Rogan, he cursed all of them into objects that they’ve been captive in ever since.

Aiden explains to Lauren how he came to be stuck in the sword for so long and how he wants to find his family and get revenge on the man who cursed him. The only problem is, Aiden is not yet free of the curse. He can only become whole at sundown. During the day Aiden is in the sword once again. Lauren researches the Forsyth family in hopes of finding out some answers for Aiden. In the mean time, there is a strong sexual attraction between the two of them and Lauren learns the true pleasures a man can bring into her life.

While Lauren is enjoying her time with Aiden, she has no idea that there is a very determined man who wants the sword for himself. He will resort to any means necessary, even attacking Lauren to get to it. But Lauren can’t let anyone steal the sword from her because she would be losing Aiden right along with it. Will Lauren’s life be endangered because of the sword?

Phantom’s Touch is the second book in a paranormal romance series by Julie Leto. After meeting the first of the Forsyth brothers in Phantom Pleasures, we now are introduced to another cursed brother, Aiden. Aiden’s story follows along the same way as his brother but with new characters introduced to the picture. Previous characters also return to help find the missing brothers.

The romantic scenes and Lauren’s past was well written and gave the story a touch of mystery. I look forward to learning more about the Forsyth brothers and what objects the others are trapped in. Overall, Phantom’s Touch is an intriguing story that leaves readers wondering what is next to come.

Hotter After Midnight Review

Dr. Emily Drake is a psychologist with the unique ability to read her patients’ minds. She’s quietly known as the Monster Doctor since she only treats supernatural beings called Others. Others are vampires, witches, werewolves, shifters, and demons that live amongst us. They keep their identities a secret from the public so they’re not hunted down and killed.

With just one look, Emily is able to tell if someone is human or an Other. When she meets Detective Colin Gyth, she is shocked to discover he is a Shifter. No one on the police force knows the truth about Colin, not even his partner Detective Todd Brooks.

Colin’s latest case is that of a murdered man whose neck was brutally ripped open by what appears to be an attack by an Other. The press quickly dubs the killer The Night Butcher and wait for more deaths so he can be classified as a serial killer. Emily helps the police investigate the murders by forming a profile of the perpetrator. Using her psychic abilities she reads people’s thoughts to try to find out the truth behind the case. But when more people are murdered, things quickly become scary. Colin’s boss is aware of Others but wants the supernatural elements of the case kept quiet.

Will Colin be able to keep his Shifter side in control and not become discovered? Is the killer an Other or is it a human?

While working along side Colin, Emily starts to welcome his bold flirtation. She knows he is a Shifter but doesn’t know specifically what kind of Shifter he is. When Emily finds out the truth will she have a change of heart about her feelings for Colin? Will Colin win Emily over or will her past sneak up on them and cause turmoil and mistrust?

Hotter After Midnight is a nail biting, suspenseful, sexy, paranormal romance that kept me glued to the pages. I devoured Hotter After Midnight all in one day, that’s how good it is! I was physically unable to put it down, not even for a bathroom break.

The writing, characters, and dialogue is so engaging and had me hooked from the first sentence. ‘’The vampire on her couch had a serious blood phobia.’’ Cynthia Eden is officially one of my new favorite authors and has definitely earned a place on my keeper shelf. Run and get this book!

Buy Hotter After Midnight on Amazon
Buy Hotter After Midnight from Barnes and Noble

Read an excerpt on Cynthia Eden's site here

Veiled Truth Review

Veiled Truth is Vivi Anna’s third book in the Valorian Chronicles Series that features an assortment of vampires, werewolves and witches. All Otherworld people live in the city of Necropolis away from any human contact. Together a team of Others solve cases at the Otherworld Crime Unit (OCU) that are usually supernatural in nature. The latest case is deciphering the symbols that are being left at crime scenes.

Lyra Magice is a witch who works for the OCU to solve mystical cases. The answers to the case might be in the four thousand year old book that one man possesses. But this man is Theron LeNoir, the same dhampir (half vamp- half witch) that Lyra once thought she could have a relationship with. She hasn’t seen Theron in five years ever since she decided she wouldn’t become another notch on his bed post, she has more dignity then that.

Theron is arrogant, rich, and egotistical, not Lyra’s idea of her dream man. Without any other choice, Lyra calls on Theron for permission to borrow his book. When he flatly refuses, Lyra takes it upon herself to use a little magic and haul ass out of there with the book.

When Theron shows up at the OCU to retrieve his stolen book, Lyra is in for a surprise. Caine welcomes Theron onto the case to help decode the meaning behind the symbols. Working with Theron will drive Lyra insane and she doesn’t appreciate her body’s response every time he walks into the room. Theron is gorgeous and one look from him sends chills up Lyra’s back.

How will she work alongside this obnoxious man who sees women as nothing more then a good time in bed? Will Lyra and Theron be able to decipher the symbols before it’s too late? Why is Theron so secretive and what is he hiding?

As the case progresses, Theron realizes the answers to the puzzle and discovers that Lyra’s life is in danger. But Theron can’t reveal what he knows because that would also reveal his darkest secrets. What will happen to Lyra? Will she become another body in the morgue or will her team come to her rescue just in time?

Veiled Truth is a thrilling fast read that I inhaled in two sittings. The romance is sexy, the suspense is electrifying, and a touch of magic makes this a very fun read! I enjoyed seeing all of my favorite characters from previous books back and getting to know more about Lyra Magice.

Vivi Anna never disappoints and I can’t wait to read her next Valorian Chronicles book. If you haven’t read this series yet, I recommend reading them in order starting with Blood Secrets, Dark Lies, and then Veiled Truth. I guarantee you will adore this series and become as addicted as I am! Overall, Veiled Truth is pure reading enjoyment from start to finish and I can’t recommend it enough.

The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel Review

Have you always wanted to write a romance novel but you don’t know how to go about it? Are you unsure of how to properly plot a story, create conflict between your characters, write a sizzling sex scene, or how to put together a manuscript properly?

In The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel, romance authors Christie Craig and Faye Hughes, have created an incredibly useful book to use as your guide while writing your own romance novel. The book starts off with a brief history about romance novels and the different subgenres within romance.

I particularly found Chapter 10: The Nuts and Bolts of Characterization to be extremely helpful information on how to develop a character from head to toe, inside and out. Also Chapter 12: Mastering and Choosing The Right Point of View is full of great tips on how to pick the right POV for your novel.

Writers can also learn how to deal with writer’s block, rejection, how to use the five senses to make a book come alive, and whether or not you want to find yourself an agent and how to go about it. In the back of the book is a glossary of frequently used terms in the romance genre and a large list of romance publishers that include major publishers, small presses and e-book publishers.

The Everything Guide to Writing a Romance Novel is perfect for readers who don’t know a lot about the writing industry and would like to write their own romance novel. This How to Book is the ultimate guide for aspiring writers to give them that extra push to writing a book. Overall, the information was easy to understand and I enjoyed learning more about how to write a romance novel.

Break of Dawn Review

Former Hollywood stunt woman, turned vampire hunter, Dawn Madison is recovering from her battle with The Vampire Killer and the loss of her dear friend Breisi. Dawn is staying at the Limpett house and is obeying her boss Jonah’s strict rules that she is not to leave for fear of her safety.

Underneath the streets of Hollywood, is the underground world where vampires live. Dawn joined Jonah Limpett’s Vampire Hunting team after a member of his crew had a vision of Dawn being ‘’the key’’ in a scenario. Since their last mission, Dawn’s father was kidnapped by her vampire mother and taken underground. Without knowing where the underground really is, the team is at a loss on how to find him.

After finally meeting the person behind The Voice - Jonah, Dawn receives some disturbing information from him that causes her to leave the sanctuary of the Limpett house. Without the ghosts known as Friends to protect her, Dawn ventures out to meet up with Matt but instead comes face to face with her mother Eva. Eva’s intentions are hard to interpret and this leaves Dawn at a loss on whether she can truly trust her mother or not. After all, she did betray her when it came to Breisi and this resulted in Breisi’s death.

Will Dawn find The Underground on her own without falling into a dangerous trap? Will the truth about Dawn’s love interests tear her apart? Will Dawn ever find her father and bring him safely home? Will this mission end successfully or will it result in another tragic death?

Break of Dawn is the final book in a trilogy AND the third book in the Vampire Babylon Series. The series will continue with a fourth book, but this will start up an all new storyline and trilogy. I enjoyed the suspense and action of Break of Dawn and how everything came together in the end.

The characters and their chemistry with each other brings an interesting element to the story. I found the fantasy parts very well written and entertaining. Overall, Break of Dawn is a fascinating, suspenseful, urban fantasy novel that will keep readers riveted until its exciting conclusion.

Iron Hunt Review

Maxine Kiss is covered in full body tattoos that serve as her body armor during the day. When sundown comes, the tattoos peel away from her skin and come to life as five demons named Raw, Zee, Dek, Mal, and Aaz. The boys, as Maxine calls them, have been in her family for generations and move on to a new hunter when it is time. After losing her mother and having no other family to speak of, the boys is all Maxine has.

The prison veil that was built ten thousand years ago is starting to fail and the demons that were imprisoned there are coming through. Maxine is the last person alive to protect the world from these demons as all of the Wardens have now died. It is up to her to make sure the demons don’t destroy the world and that’s a lot of responsibility for one person to handle.

Along the way, Maxine comes across a dead private investigator who she believes was investigating her. This leads her to a chance meeting with a man named Jack, a homeless boy named Byron, a woman named Sarai and several demons who know more about Maxine then she does herself.

Maxine’s boyfriend Grant somehow helps her keep her sanity but he is only human and isn’t always available to help her. A man named The Tracker is introduced into the picture as is Blood Mama, a woman to be feared.

Will Maxine put together the pieces of her life and discover the truth about her past and her future? Will Maxine save the world from destruction and protect the innocent from demons?

IRON HUNT is the sequel to the short story Hunter Kiss in the anthology Wild Thing. I was aware of this beforehand so I did read the short story first. I would definitely recommend that readers read it so they aren’t lost for details when picking up IRON HUNT.

IRON HUNT is primarily an urban fantasy story, heavy on the fantasy aspects. There is lots of suspense and mystery but some readers may become frustrated with the elusive manner in which details are presented. Everything is a mystery to Maxine, so it is presented to the reader in the same manner. As she uncovers clues, so do we.

I found the story to be beautifully written and the imagery made the story come to life out of the pages of the book. Overall, IRON HUNT is a fascinating, highly imaginative, fantasy novel that I greatly enjoyed. I look forward to the next book in the Hunter Kiss Series and learning more about Maxine Kiss.

I Love Your Blog

Carolyn received an I Love Your Blog award and nominated me to win one too. Now I am supposed to give the I Love Your Blog award to 7 blogs that I love! If I nominated you, can you please do the same thing on your blog with 7 other blogs and so on? Then this will go on and on and on.

The rules for this award are that you need to:


1) Add the logo of the award to your blog


2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you


3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs


4) Add links to those blogs on your blog


5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

So I'm officially awarding this award to:

1. Kimberly at Darque Reviews


2. Marta Acosta at Vampire Wire


3. Amber at AmberKatze's Book Blog


4. Lori at Lori's Reading Corner


5. Linda at Reading Is So Much Fun


6. Book Binge Ladies at Book Binge


7. Jen at Up Close & Personal with LadyTink

(FYI Wendy, Carolyn already nominated you that's why I didn't. I still love your blog)

Excerpt from The Missing

Excerpt

The weird sense of deja vu exploded into something else entirely. Something that shook her to the core. His eyes narrowed and he reached up, caught her chin in his, staring at her.

She was pale and Cullen thought she looked every bit as shaken as he felt. “The dreams,” he muttered. He caught her face in his hands and forced her to look at him, staring into her pale gray eyes. The ugly, dark bruise around her left eye made her iris seem that much paler and as he watched, the pupil flared, enlarging until just a sliver of gray of visible.

Taige tried to jerk away and he wouldn’t let her. “You had the dreams, too, didn’t you?” he demanded.

Her voice shook as she reached up with one hand to jerk on his wrist, trying to break his hold. “Let go of me.”

Slowly, he shook his head. “You have,” he whispered, dismay spreading through him.

Dismay–and something else. She’d always held herself apart from him in those dreams. But through those dreams, he’d gotten to know her, gotten to know the woman she had become. She was pulling away from him not because she was angry at him, or because she didn’t want anything to do with him.

She pulled back because she still loved him.

releasing 11/4/08…

Want to read more? Click here

Insatiable Desire Review

FBI agent Vincent Valtrez survived a horrific event twenty years ago when his demon father murdered his mother. He killed his own father to try to save his mother but failed and this weighs heavily on his conscience. Vincent is half demon and constantly struggling to be a good person and not to give in to the evil inside of him.

Vincent closes himself off from love and has rules for the women he sleeps with. He will only sleep with a woman one time and then he moves on. This way there is no attachment and feelings involved and Vincent can keep his demon in control. But Vincent’s rules change when he is called back to his old home of Eerie, Tennessee to investigate a serial killer case.

Clarissa King is a psychic and she’s had visions, heard voices, and communicated with the dead and recently departed since she was a kid. Clarissa and Vincent were friends as children but haven’t seen each other for a long time. When Vincent returns home to Eerie, Clarissa and Vincent both experience confused emotions and an odd attraction for each other that they can’t deny.

Vincent is skeptical about Clarissa’s psychic abilities, but when she starts putting together clues and leads that she otherwise would not have known, he starts to believe in her talents. Together, Clarissa and Vincent work together to find an elusive serial killer who is murdering the women of Eerie one by one. Will they find the evil person who is on a killing spree or will something supernatural stand in the way and reek havoc on the town?

Insatiable Desire is the first book in a new paranormal romantic suspense series by Rita Herron. There is nail biting suspense, romance, erotica, mystery, and paranormal elements all within this story. Every once in a while, I read a book that I absolutely love and adore; Insatiable Desire is one of those books. The book ended with a killer cliff hanger that will leave readers eager for the next book, Demon Hunger due out in the summer of 2009.

Charlaine Harris Hits NYT List BIG TIME!

This is really interesting. I just read this post over at Dear Author here. It's about Charlaine Harris having nearly all of her books on the NYT Best Sellers List because of the TV show True Blood drawing attention to the books right now. So I just went to look on Amazon at the list and as of now on the Week of October 5th list, SEVEN of her Sookie Stackhouse books out of eight (not counting the anthologies), are on the NYT List ALL AT ONCE! Check it out here!

I've never seen anything like this before. With the Harry Potter books the last 2 books are usually on there when a new one was released or when the movie is coming out, but this many weren't ALL on there at once right??

Anyway big congrats to Charlaine Harris! I think it's very cool that she has had such great success! I haven't read the books yet, (I know crazy huh?) but I did start the first one and saw that it follows almost exactly from the first episode. So I kind of didn't want to spoil the show, so I didn't continue reading it for now. I will eventually read them though.

So anyway, isn't this crazy that all of her books are on there at once?!

Bitten to Death Review

Bitten to Death is the fourth installment in the popular paranormal/fantasy series featuring CIA assassin Jaz Parks and her boss/partner/potential love interest/vampire, Vayl. This latest adventure takes us to the ancient city of Patras in Greece where Vayl must face a group of vampires that he has known for hundreds of years.

Vayl was part of a Vampere Trust until he decided to leave, which is absolutely unheard of. Jaz and Vayl are in Greece to infiltrate the Trust in hopes of finding the elusive, dangerous, Edward Samos, also known as The Raptor. Samos has plans for what he wants to do with The Trust and Jaz and Vayl must stop him before he gets his way.

While staying in The Trust’s mansion, Jaz, her brother Dave, and Vayl, start to notice the magic and powers the artifacts have over them. The new Deyrar, or supreme leader of The Trust, is an evil woman named Disa who has a long history with Vayl. With her in power everything is bound to go wrong and as Jaz learns more details about Disa, she yearns to take her out. But killing Disa will have catastrophic consequences since she has sneakily bound herself to someone in The Trust who Jaz would not want to see die.

How will Jaz find Samos and take out the bad guys when Disa is playing dirty? Will Jaz and Vayl take the next step in their relationship and admit that they have feelings for each other? Will this mission end in key players being assassinated?

Bitten to Death is a fantastic new chapter in Jaz Park’s life. I was a little disappointed that Cole and Cassandra weren’t around as much but this gave Dave’s character a chance to further develop. There aren’t any big revelations in this story but the reader gets a bigger glimpse of the big picture.

Vayl is still obsessed with finding his sons, and this puts his life in danger once again. Also, the relationship between Vayl and Jaz is slowly becoming more intense and Jaz’s healing is still in progress over the loss of her friends. Overall, Bitten to Death was another fun adventure that kept my interest and was unputdownable. I look forward to the next installment, One More Bite, due out in January 09.