Midnight's Master Review

Holly Storm is a reporter for News Flash Five and always goes too far in her investigations for a top story. When we first met her in the second book in this trilogy, Midnight Sins, Holly witnessed the wrath of Niol, a demon of the highest power, level ten. After discovering he was a demon, she’s found herself still strangely drawn to his club Paradise Found and goes to Niol for his help when her friend Carl is killed. Niol isn’t looking for love and the last thing he wants is to be involved with a human like Holly. But he finds himself attracted to her and can’t think of anything else besides getting her in his bed.

Niol and Holly team up to find a killer who is targeting demons and murdering them one by one. There seems to be some kind of connection to Holly since Carl was a friend of hers and now she’s afraid anyone she’s made contact with that may be a demon could end up dead also. With the help of Detective Brooks, Detective Gyth, Dr. Nathalia Smith, Dr. Emily Drake, Cara and Captain McNeal, the characters that readers have come to love in the last two books all come together to solve a serial killer case where demons are the ones being hunted and the humans are the culprits. Will Holly and Niol find love together or will the killer get his hands on Niol and take out the biggest demon in town?

Midnight’s Master is the third and final book in the Midnight Trilogy starring different Others such as shifters, charmers, demons, witches, and succubae. Niol was a character in both of the previous books and clearly stood out as the star. Now he gets the honor of front stage in Midnight’s Master and we finally get a closer look at the level ten demon.

This was my favorite story out of the three since all of the characters that I loved are together in this book. The suspense was exciting and Holly really shined in her role as Niol’s love interest. There are plenty of surprises in this book that will keep you reading long into the night. The romance is extra steamy and Niol is a fabulous unconventional hero who you can’t help but root for.

I would strongly recommend for readers to read this trilogy in order and if possible, one after another so details are not forgotten from the previous book. While each book in this trilogy can be read as a stand alone story, characters from a previous book show up in the following and it can lead to spoilers if you haven’t read them in order.

I adore Cynthia Eden’s books and their combination of genres such as romance, erotica, paranormal, and mystery. I read Midnight’s Master all in one sitting and was captivated from the first page to the last. Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to a great trilogy and I look forward to reading Eden’s story in the Belong to the Night anthology due out September 2009.


Midnight's Master is released tomorrow June 30th!
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Visit Cynthia Eden's blog

Order of the Midnight Trilogy
1. Hotter After Midnight
2. Midnight Sins
3. Midnight's Master

Eternal Hunter Cover and Blurb

Cynthia Eden posted this on her blog a couple days ago. This is the cover and blurb for the first book in her new paranormal bounty hunter series for Kensington Brava. ETERNAL HUNTER will be a January 2010 release. I can't wait! It sounds absolutely fabulous. I love the cover too!



Blurb:

Cynthia Eden delves into the dark realms of the Others, where desires and dangerous games await the unsuspecting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Assistant DA Erin Jerome has a secret. Make that two. One: She’s not entirely human–she’s Other, desperately trying to keep her supernatural strength under wraps. Two: she’s got a killer stalking her–an Other rogue set on “gifting” her bloody corpses, not to mention nights lying awake in terror. Small wonder she’s been having bad luck with men.

But the bounty hunter on her new case isn’t worried about any of that. Jude Donovan is a shapeshifter himself, and the new DA’s midnight hair and addictive scent tell him all he thinks he needs to know: She’s gorgeous, she’s definitely not human, and she’s bringing out the animal in him in a really good way. He might have to track a psychotic Other stalker through half of Louisiaian. But he might also get the chance to watch Erin’s wild side come out and play.

Visit Cynthia Eden's blog to find out more about her books!

Rona Sharon Article

Rona Sharon is the author of critically acclaimed historical novels of intrigue, passion, and danger. Her latest, Royal Blood, is a tale of lust and violence in the treacherous Tudor Court. From her home on the Mediterranean Coast in Tel Aviv, surrounded by thousands of years of history, Rona brings her passion for culture and travel to her writing and never fails to deliver a story that carries a punch . . . and a dagger.



Blood, Fire, and Pillars of Smoke: The Rise of Vampires in Pop Culture
By Rona Sharon, Author of Royal Blood

As popular themes go, vampires may very well win the prize of "most commonly resurrected." You may love them, hate them, or are trying very hard to ignore them, but surely you have wondered at least once what made the damned princes of darkness so bloody interesting.

If you prefer "real world" storylines and are observing the phenomenon as a baffled bystander, you might be interested to know that thousands of years before achieving mass popularity in movies such as Underworld and Twilight, and TV series like True Blood, vampires had manifested in pagan mythology, monotheistic demonology, and spiritual rituals.

Throughout history, vampire myths appeared in nearly every culture. From the ancient Middle East (Mesopotamia, Judea, Egypt), these archetypical baddies invaded Europe, where they found fertile soil in Slavic paganism, and also materialized in Africa, Asia, and the Aztec Empire.

Curiously, the earliest vampires were females -- violent dark goddesses like the Sumerian Lilitu, the Egyptian Sekhmet, and the Indian Kali, all possessing immense supernatural forces. These vampiric goddesses had both the powers to create and to destroy, to give birth and to devour.

In the Dark Ages, tales of vampires sparked public hysteria. Corpses were exhumed and stabbed. It had taken the vampire various reincarnations, through the Hebrew Talmud, Arabian Nights, Boccaccio's Il Decameron, and eclectic poetry to reemerge as the suave ageless nobleman.

This 19th century "makeover" was a direct outcome of the violent volcanic eruption in Indonesia in 1815. The Judgment Day atmosphere caused by dark skies and a frosty summer inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as well as plays and operas starring the alluring vampire lord.

From this point on, the revenants' star was on the rise and shining ever so brightly with each literary, musical, or theatrical piece conceived (oftentimes as a result of consuming laudanum) in their honor. Lord Byron, Edgar Allen Poe, and Alexandre Dumas, to name a few, contributed to their eternal fame, but it was the Irish novelist Bram Stoker's Dracula that had the mightiest impact on the imagination and cast the glory of the bloodthirsty count and his court in perpetuity.

Evidently the public's fascination with vampires is not an original fad. The vampire is the most popular fiction character of all times. What is it about vampires exactly that appeals to so many people? And why, being familiar with this totally fictitious half-man, half-monster icon, people are still happy to spend their time on movies, books, and TV series that feature vampires?

Entertainment and escapism come to mind. As much as we are riveted by "real world" plots, sometimes the brain needs to zone out in fantasyland. This explanation is plausible, but it fails to prove why the vampire in particular outperforms any other fantastical creature.

We should keep in mind that the vampire has only recently assumed the role of the compelling, gothic, martyred, seductive, gorgeous, off-limits, struggling, sympathetic, romantic outcast in love with a human. The slick hunk in black leather pants, driving a sports car in a metropolis by night, was not the bloodcurdling image that had haunted the graveyards of our ancestors.

Granted, the spooky effect has value. Sexologists believe that scary moments stimulate the libido and therefore couples may bond effectively having watched a horror movie together. However, while this theory is bound to stick in your memory, it does not offer sufficient evidence, either.

Vampires, whether pale and beautiful or ghoulishly foul, have always been identified with death, blood-drinking, and sex, feeding on emotions such as love, guilt, dread, desire, pity, and sadism.
Far be it from me to undertake psychoanalyzing why we are obsessed with death, blood, and sex. In my capacity as a historical novelist, I choose to explore the mysteries of the human psyche through stories in the hopes of understanding why we were put on this earth and how we may improve our lot in life. Ironically, as I study the tapestry of man's fleeting existence, I see how the fruits of one generation's labor -- art, science, architecture, etc. -- are reaped by its successors.

Now, a vampire -- omnipotent, never-aging, and immortal -- may travel the centuries unscathed, unconstrained by a deadline in his pursuit of enlightenment and happiness. Would he or she be a cheerful voyager or one cursed with loneliness? Then there is the future to consider. What if the world and/or mankind are doomed to a cataclysmic end? Would anyone care to witness that?

Vampire symbolism is tied in heavily with the awareness of the powers of darkness, chaos, and the occult -- ancient mysteries that add a chilling dimension to the rich layers of history and cast a question mark on the future. Doomsday prophecies made for an absorbing read as I was doing research back in 2007 for Royal Blood, my Tudor Vampires novel. Here's an example:

"Awake, ye drunkards, and weep . . . For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion . . . Sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand . . . And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come."
– Book of Joel

The vampire -- a human lookalike possessed of superior abilities, as well as frailties, dependent on man for sustenance, multifaceted and obscure -- remains an enigmatic figure. Friend or foe? Through him, we get to experience latent fancies and scenes in which the secrets of creation are unraveled. Thank heavens for fiction, I say. The world, I predict, has not seen the last of the vampire crazes. The undead are here to stay, our prolific imagination will undoubtedly continue to produce them, and even the most discriminating realist may yet cross over to the dark side.

©2009 Rona Sharon, author of Royal Blood



Book Blurb:
In the Tudor Court of 1518, your friends and enemies can be one and the same...

During the annual celebration of the Order of the Garter, Sir Michael Devereaux arrives in King Henry VIII's court on a mission for his benefactor. The celebration's endless feats and sumptuous women delight the charismatic newcomer, who becomes captivated by the enigmatic Princess Renée of France. But evil, it seems, has followed Michael to the court. Shortly after his arrival, an unknown killer claims several victims, including the Queen's lady-in-waiting, and the powerful Cardinal Wolsey asks Michael to help with the investigation. As he searches for the killer, Michael is haunted by disturbing images of the victims—flashes of violence that lead him to doubt his own sanity. Michael soon realizes that the key to solving the crime is connected to both the Pope's Imperial vault in Rome and a mystery from Michael's own past—revealing a secret that is so damning, it could forever alter the future of mankind.

Powerfully evocative and steeped with detail from the breathtaking era of the Tudors, Royal Blood is historical storytelling at its richest—an unforgettable tale of intrigue, passion, and danger.

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Visit the author's website at http://www.ronasharon.com.

Dial Emmy For Murder Review

Alexis Peterson is a popular actress on the daytime soaps and is recognized wherever she goes. After being accused of murdering the head writer on The Yearning Tide, Alex decided a change was in order and is now working for The Bare and the Brazen.

While presenting at the Daytime Emmy Awards, a fellow soap star turns up dead, hanging right over her head for the entire world to see. The last thing Alexis wants is another scandal, so she assists Detective Frank Jakes in his case to find the killer. The chemistry between Jakes and Alexis is still hot as ever but she’s still involved with Paul even if he is away at this time. Will she be able to resist temptation or will she take the next step with Jakes?

When more male soap stars turn up dead, Jakes realizes that Alexis can really help him with this case. She knows people at the other soaps and can get the inside scoop on what was really going on with these now dead soap stars. What would cause these men to be murdered and why leave the bodies to so easily be discovered?

Dial Emmy For Murder is the second book in a mystery series featuring soap actress Alexis Peterson. The author Eileen Davidson is a soap actress herself so I thought I was in for a real treat with this book. I’ve loved soap operas since I was a little kid. I remember my mother watching them late at night on tape and I’d beg her to let me see them too.

When I heard about this series, I thought it would be a fun book to read since I love soaps and it sounded like a light entertaining read. I was hoping for something really funny but with some mystery to it.

The story starts off with the murder and Alexis ends up in the investigation to find the killer. I kept waiting for the main character to talk about the set of the show, read lines with other actors, have a love scene, talk about her script, something to do with the soaps, anything. The murdered people are all soap actors and that’s about the only thing that revolved around soaps in this book. There wasn’t really any humor and the suspense wasn’t very thrilling. The mystery wasn’t hard to figure out and doesn’t require much thinking.

On a positive note, the print in this book is easy on the eyes and the chapters are nice and short. After reading so many dark urban fantasy books, it was nice to read something lighter for a change. After about 100 pages, I warmed up to Dial Emmy For Murder a bit but still didn't have a clear picture of any of the characters in my head. Overall, Dial Emmy For Murder is a quick read that cozy readers may enjoy, but I wouldn’t rush out to buy the next book.

Mark of the Demon Review

Detective Kara Gillian is a bit of a loner because of her secret life as a demon summoner. It’s hard to get close to someone when you have a summoning circle drawn on your basement floor and you leave your candles and tools laying around for anyone to see. When not summoning demons, Kara works as a Detective for the Violent Crimes unit. She is recently promoted out of Property Crimes and is very excited to be working some homicide cases.

During a summoning to complete her Summoner Training, the wrong Demon comes through the portal and into Kara’s house. He doesn’t seem all that bad, especially when he shows Kara what she’s been missing from not having a man lately. But after her encounter, Kara realizes what a huge mistake she has made and that this Demon is not one to play around with. When he starts invading her dreams and the line between reality and dreaming is confused, Kara starts to regret ever doing the summoning in the first place.

A serial killer dubbed The Symbol Man killed thirteen people when Kara first joined the police academy. He was never apprehended and now three years later, he has begun his killing spree once again. Kara has always been interested in the case since first sensing arcane power around one of the deceased bodies. She has studied the case files and is the most educated on The Symbol Man out of everyone in the police force. So when Kara is given the lead on the case for her first job in Violent Crimes, she is thrilled to be given such a big opportunity to prove herself as a Detective.

The FBI has joined forces on this case and with them comes a gorgeous but obnoxious man named Agent Kristoff. Kara works side by side with him while trying to keep her knowledge of the occult under wraps so everyone doesn’t peg her as a crazy satanic worshipper.

When the case turns out to definitely involve the world of the occult, Kara is at a crossroads on what to do. Does she keep her occult knowledge and position as a demon summoner a secret and try to solve the case herself or does she put her trust in a member of the FBI in the hopes that he doesn’t think she’s a lunatic? If Kara doesn’t entrust in someone for some help, more people could end up killed. Will Kara’s decision turn deadly or will she solve the case and come out alive?

Mark of the Demon is a delightful collaboration of genres including urban fantasy, suspense, romance and police procedural. Debut author Diana Rowland takes everything that I love in a book and puts it all together to write an outstanding novel. Take a dash of Charmed mixed with some Dexter and you have Mark of the Demon.

Mark of the Demon demands to be read in one sitting and is impossible to put down. There are some graphic scenes in this book so it is definitely not for the faint of heart. I enjoy the gritty and grimy aspects and was indeed shocked and scared while reading this book and it’s not easy to scare me! Mark of the Demon is a breath taking, heart stopping, white knuckler thriller that grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go! Run and get this book when it releases June 23rd. The next book, Blood of the Demon is due out January 26, 2010.

Eve of Destruction Review

Eve Hollis is a newly turned Mark and is still adjusting to her new life slaying Infernals. She has already battled numerous demons but has never been properly trained. Eve joins her fellow Marks on a field trip to an abandoned military base for a whole week of training with Raguel the Archangel as her teacher. Alec and Reed are both on other missions and unable to be there with her while she trains.

Even though Eve is more experienced then her peers, she is eager to learn so she can properly defend herself and kill Infernos. When a group of paranormal researchers show up at the base to film for a TV show, the Marks’s job becomes increasingly difficult. School turns deadly when one of the Marks ends up murdered and there’s nothing Eve can do to stop it. Without knowing who the culprit is, everyone’s lives are in danger.

In the mean time, Reed is popping up at the base whenever he has the chance and the close proximity to him is driving Eve stir crazy with lust. Alec has been distant lately and Reed is right there tempting her. Will Eve ruin her relationship with Alec by tasting the forbidden fruit with Reed once again or will she forego temptation and stay true to her man?

Eve of Destruction is the second book in the popular Marked Series and is even better then the first book Eve of Darkness. The suspense and action is completely thrilling, the love triangle heats up, and the mystery is tightly plotted. I was hooked from the first page in this installment and was absolutely delighted with this story.

The characters are well developed and I couldn’t stop thinking about this book whenever I had to put it down. Everything is described so vividly that it is easy to picture it playing out in your head like a movie. I would definitely recommend Eve of Destruction to urban fantasy readers who enjoy a fast paced, action packed story with a romantic storyline mixed with the dark and gritty.

I WANT THIS BOOK!

I was just browsing my Amazon wishlist and saw To Crave a Blood Moon by Sharie Kohler has a cover up there now! I am DYING to read this book. I adored her first two books and can't wait to read this third installment. To Crave a Blood Moon comes out August 25th.

Eve of Darkness Review

Evangeline ‘’Eve’’ Hollis has considered herself agnostic for some time, but her life is about to dramatically change and there’s nothing she can do to stop it. While going to a job interview, Eve finds herself strangely drawn to a man she meets in the building. His resemblance to an old fling of hers named Alec Cain, is uncanny and before she could consider what she is doing; they’re having sex in a stairwell! But Eve comes back to reality quickly when the man produces angel wings and brands her arm screaming that she now has ‘’The Mark of Cain.’’

Eve would like to disregard the tattoo branded on her upper arm and what happened as just a bad experience with an overzealous religious fanatic, but she knows something profound has happened to her. When Alec Cain shows up to help her, Eve begins to remember the man she was head over heels for when she was a teenager. She realizes it’s not a coincidence that she was just thinking about him today and now he is here at her door.

Eve has been Marked and is about to start a whole new life…working for God. Eve will fight the bad guys as a bounty hunter of sorts and Alec will help her through it all. But before she could be properly trained, the bad guys are popping up out of nowhere and everything becomes very dangerous for Eve and her family. Will Eve be able to adjust to her new life as a Mark or will she loose her life before she even begins her journey?

Eve of Darkness is the first book in a new urban fantasy series called The Marked Series by S.J. Day, which is the pseudonym for popular romance author Sylvia Day. The concept of being Marked is not hard to understand but at first it may seem overly complicated. Eve being agnostic and having to suddenly come to terms that she is standing before the Cain and Abel from the bible, and that God is now her boss was an interesting part of the story for me. I enjoyed reading about Eve and her coming to terms with her new life, the life she never asked to turn out quite like this.

There are plenty of fight scenes, romance and action to keep readers in suspense long into the night. The writing is addictive, the characters are well fleshed out and I couldn’t wait to find out more about what it means to be Marked. Overall, I really enjoyed Eve of Darkness and I look forward to reading the second book, Eve of Destruction. I would recommend this series to romance readers who enjoy an action packed, suspenseful novel with a healthy dose of romance mixed in.

The Dead Man Review

Jack Davis used to work for the FBI but was forced into retirement because of his movement disorder called tics which causes his body to spasm uncontrollably out of nowhere. He misses the job and still takes the odd job every now and then. When Jack’s friend Simon tells him about an opportunity to work at The Harper Institute of the Mind, he jumps at the chance to work again.

Milo Harper is a billionaire and is the CEO of The Harper Institute of the Mind. At the institute, scientists study the human brain, particularly nightmares and how to control your own dreams. People volunteer as test subjects and get paid a couple hundred dollars for their time. But to them, the money isn’t as important as finding help for their nightmares. If they can learn to control their dreams, hopefully they can eliminate having nightmares.

Numerous people are turning up dead in the same way as they dreamed. These people all volunteered at the institute and told them in detail what their nightmares were. The family of the deceased is suing the institute for liability and Milo Harper is at a loss on what to do. He hires Jack Davis to help him figure out why these people are dying before he loses his entire fortune and all of his volunteers.

Could the institute’s project have caused the people to commit suicide by teaching them how to overcome their inhibitions? Or is there a serial killer on the loose inside the institute who is picking their victims out of the list of volunteers and making their worst fears reality?

The Dead Man is the best mystery that I’ve read in a long time. The writing is eloquent and profound while still being fast paced and exciting. There is a large list of characters and red herrings that will leave the reader on the edge of their seat trying to put together the pieces to the puzzle. I would recommend this book to mystery readers who enjoy a tightly plotted story that will keep them guessing to the very end.

Red-Headed Stepchild Review

Sabina Kane is considered the red headed stepchild because of being born to a vampire mother and a mage father. She was raised by her grandmother and identifies with being a vampire rather than a mage. Sabina works as an assassin for her grandmother, Lavinia, who is the head of a vampire group called the Dominae. Normally after being born into a family in the Dominae, a person would have a bigger part in the organization; but because of being a half breed, Sabina is left with the only position available to her kind, an assassin.

Lavinia has never let Sabina feel like she was truly part of her family. Instead she has lived her entire life as an outcast. As head of the Dominae, Lavinia, is the person to give orders and is constantly putting Sabina’s life in danger. After asking Sabina to kill her own friend, now she wants her to assassinate the leader of a rival vampire organization by first joining them as a spy. If the vampire finds out about her plans to assassinate him or that she is still working for the Dominae, she will be killed on the spot.

After meeting a demon, mage, and a faery, Sabina realizes there’s more to life then just the closed off world her grandmother has kept her in. Sabina has always thought that her father’s mage family resented her and wanted nothing to do with her, but after finding out the truth from a mage, she is in for a world of surprises. Could everything that Sabina has grown up believing be a lie? Will Sabina side with her grandmother - the only family she has ever known, the rival vampire clan, or a mage that holds all of the answers to Sabina’s life?

Red -Headed Stepchild is the first book in an urban fantasy trilogy by debut author Jaye Wells. Sabina is an assassin, but that doesn’t mean she’s fearless and wants to be killed. The character is fully developed and all aspects of her life are explored as she discovers the truth about herself and her past.

There are plenty of laugh out loud scenes as well as dark moments. Sabina makes several friendships while on her assignment and together a demon turned hairless cat, a feisty, hyper faery, and a sexy mage with a mysterious agenda all assist her with her road to discovery. I loved everything about Red Headed Stepchild and look forward to the next book in the trilogy, Mage in Black due out January 2010.

30 Days of Demons

Bitten by Books Contest with Yasmine Galenorn!

Interview, Chat and Contest with author Yasmine Galenorn on Bitten by Books today! Yasmine will be giving away a $50.00 and a $25.00 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. Hurry over to Bitten by Books and enter now!

Black and White Review

The Academy is a school for super heroes where they go to develop their skills and be bred into the ultimate hero. At only thirteen years old, Callie Bradford became Iridium and Joannie Greene became Jet. They were roommates and best friends even though they were complete opposites.

Iridium’s special power was Light while Jet’s was Shadows. They were as different as Black and White, Night and Day, but despite their differences they watched out for each other and were supposed to be partners in fighting crime. But during their fifth year at The Academy, something went drastically wrong and Iridium decided that being a hero isn’t what she wants anymore. Instead she took on life as a super villain and lived a life of crime and destruction. While Jet was the Hero of New Chicago, Iridium ran the city’s underworld.

Now its five years since Jet and Iridium attended at The Academy and their lives couldn’t be anymore different. Jet has been trying to capture Iridium for quite some time and turn her in to the proper authorities, but Iridium is too smart to be captured and escapes every time. After a chance run in, in the underworld, Jet and Iridium both discover secrets about The Academy that could forever change their lives. Jet is on a secret mission for Night, her mentor from The Academy, and she is starting to question things for the first time in her life. Is there something suspicious about The Academy and the people who run it or is Jet just being paranoid? Will Iridium and Jet face each other and put an end to their feud?

Black and White is the first book in an amazing new series written by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge. Kessler writes as the hero Jet and Kittredge wrote as the villain Iridium. There are no words to properly describe how much I adored this book. The story alternates in narration by both the hero and villain, changing every chapter. Also Black and White is broken up into the present tense and the past with every flash back revealing another piece of the puzzle. In the present tense, both Jet and Iridium are trying to figure out the secret about The Academy. In the past tense, the two girls are attending school together and learning how to become a superhero.

Black and White has action, suspense, mystery and fantastic characterization. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it and could not stop thinking about it! I was immersed, obsessed and in love with this book for three days of non stop reading and I did not want Black and White to end. When I read the last page, I sighed and said goodbye to these characters for now, but I know they will be back again. The next book Shades of Gray will be out July 2010 and I can not wait to read it. Kessler and Kittredge are the ultimate writing duo and are sure to gain a huge following with this exciting new fantasy series.