31 May, 2011

Jools Sinclair's 44 Book Excerpt (Blog Tour)




Today, I am hosting a stop on the 44 blog tour, brought to you by Bookish Snob Promotions. Author Jools Sinclair has kindly offered an excerpt from the book to pique your interest. First, here's a little more about the author.


Author Bio: Jools Sinclair lives in Bend, Oregon. She is an avid reader, movie watcher, orange cat lover, Frye boot wearer and Komodo Dragon coffee drinker. She admits to having an intense passion for opera and loves faraway lands where espresso bars and pastry shops line the streets. Finally, she is absolutely crazy about her family, who in turn thinks she is absolutely crazy.







44

PROLOGUE

I know I’m lucky.

Lucky to be alive, lucky to be able to walk again, to inhale the juniper-laced air and watch the soft leaves change into crispy ones scattering in the wind. I can spend afternoons with Jesse as he plummets down the steep hills around town on his skateboard. I can watch Barcelona soccer games on satellite, eat pizza, and even see those dumb reality TV shows late at night.

I’ve been on the other side and I’m grateful that I’m here. My life is good, most days.

But this morning wasn’t like most days.

The wind had a bite and as I stood at the edge of the river, ice pellets drilled into my face. The sky was slab gray, with low clouds pushing down around me.

She was there. Floating under the footbridge, snagged and hidden in bony branches and moving in a subtle, unnatural rhythm that the dead dance to when submerged in water. The river rushed around her, forming small riffles at her feet, as if she had always been there, belonging like a large boulder or a rooted tree.

In my vision the night before, I watched her die. It started soon after I drifted off to sleep. The night was pitchfork-sharp and her fear radiated in waves through me as she ran, trying to get away from him. She slipped, falling hard onto the icy pavement, her screams lost in the hollow, empty night as he wrapped his arm around her neck until she fell quiet into his arms.

These visions that started months ago have me following in the footsteps of a serial killer I’ve yet to see, as he roams the city looking for his next victim, never satisfied and always needing.

I stood in the shadows and watched like it was a scene from a movie. I knew I could do nothing. He picked her up and brought her to the water, held her head down. Then he sat next to her, stroking her hair.

But this time, I was ready. I only needed a glimpse. If I could see his face in my vision, I could find him in reality. I summoned my courage, forced myself to swallow the bile that shot up in the back of my throat and followed him as he strolled arrogantly away.

The moon was bright, beams threading through the trees, leaving thick shadows. Instinctually, I backed into the darkness as he suddenly stopped, even though I knew he wouldn’t be able to see me. His breath leaked out in ghostly wisps as he stood silent.

Finally, he turned around, his eyes hooking into mine. He saw me. Somehow he cut through my murky vision and saw me.

But I saw him too. And now I knew who he was.

He stared a while, still and contemplative, as I fought my urge to run. But he didn’t come after me. The bastard just stood there, and then smiled, before stepping away and disappearing into the lonely night.



Great excerpt, Jools! Thank you so much for making a stop at Read My Mind. Interested in finding out more about 44?


Last year after falling through the ice, seventeen-year-old Abby Craig woke up from death.

But she woke into a world she barely recognizes. She can’t see colors, memories have been erased, and her friends all hate her. And then there’s Jesse, who she loves, but who refuses to forgive her the one mistake she made long ago.

Just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, the visions begin. In them, she sees a faceless serial killer roaming the streets. While the police believe that there have been a lot of accidents in town lately, Abby knows differently. And she soon realizes that it’s up to her to find him.

But to stop him, she’ll have to confront more than just the killer. She’ll have to face something else that was lost in those dark waters. The truth.



Purchase 44 at: Barnes and Noble | Amazon



Tomorrow, June 1st, is the last stop on the 44 Blog Tour, and Jools Sinclair will be hosting a grand prize giveaway for any commentors, at her official website. Be sure to check out the full schedule of stops, with links for the tour here.



Tour Participation:
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26 May, 2011

A closer look at Lacey Weatherford's The Demon Kiss with Excerpt and Giveaway!



I am so happy to be hosting an exclusive excerpt from Lacey Weatherford's THE DEMON KISS at Read My Mind today! This book is the second in the OF WITCHES AND WARLOCKS series, and is brought to you through The Bookish Snob Promotions. Here's a little more about Lacey:

Author Bio
Lacey Weatherford has always had a love of books. She wanted to become a writer after reading her first Nancy Drew novel at the age of eight.
When she is not reading, writing, blogging, or doing book tours for her current series, she can often be found out at sporting/musical events which her kids are in or texting like crazy with her best friend.
Lacey resides in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she lives with her husband, six children, one son-in-law, and the family dog Sophie.




And here is the rather steamy excerpt:


“Then kiss me.”
I knew I was tempting fate with this request, but I had to know how he would react.
He hesitated for a moment before he finally pulled me to him and kissed me gently.
I didn’t close my eyes. I wanted to see his reaction, and I found he didn’t close his eyes either, instead choosing to look deep into my mine.
He rolled me over suddenly, so I was on my back and he was leaning over me. He just looked at me for a minute, stroking my hair, and then he brought his mouth down to mine and kissed me like he was starving to death.
I felt the passion between us heat up quickly, but still I didn’t take my eyes off him. I saw the red color flash through his irises, signaling that his desires could be getting out of control.
He didn’t move from me, though, continuing to kiss me. As his fervor began to grow his eyes became redder still.
I watched him, until he left my face to trail his kisses down my throat to the purple mark that was so clearly visible on my neck. I closed my eyes and let him nibble slightly at the spot before he moved back up to my lips.
I reopened my eyes to stare into his flaming ones.
“You’re playing with fire you know,” he commented casually brushing his lips against mine.
“Yes, I know.” I stared up at him.
“Why tempt fate? Or me for that matter?” He pull back a little bit from me so he could look at me.
“Because, if you were going to lose it and do something awful to me, you’d have done it by now. You have more control over yourself than you think.”
“So you’re testing me then?”
“Yes.”
He started kissing me again. This time a little more roughly, passionately. His hands tangled in my hair, occasionally leaving to run up and down my arms, stroking them.
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him down against me tightly, kissing him back with everything I had.
I heard him let out a small groan, and he pulled back away from my mouth so he could kiss my cheek.
“We need to stop this,” he said and moved back down my neck to suck on that same spot again.
“No. I don’t want to.” I held him against me even harder.
I knew I was supposed to be just testing him, but I could feel that control slipping as he sucked at my throat.
“Don’t stop,” I said, breathless.

Wow, that would get me interested! Thanks Lacey, for joining me, and giving my readers a great peek into THE DEMON KISS. Want to find out a little more about the book?



The Of Witches and Warlocks series can be ordered in ebook or paperback anywhere books are sold, including Amazon and Smashwords
Can someone else's past come back to bite you?
After being drained of nearly all the blood in her body, novice witch, Portia Mullins, wakes up to find that her warlock boyfriend, Vance Mangum, has fled in search of his demon father. Determined to keep him from facing the evil alone Portia follows after him, unknowingly setting herself on the path of a new adventure that will take her, Vance, and their coven over international borders, into a foreign place where they will discover that the black magic which awaits them is far worse than they ever imagined. Portia finds herself tangled up in a web of lies and deceit in another's quest for demonic power in the excitingly romantic second paranormal novel in the Of Witches and Warlocks Series, The Demon Kiss.



Just for coming to Read My Mind today, Lacey is offering a giveaway of THE DEMON KISS to one of my readers. Just leave a comment with a way to contact you on this post. Have a question for the author? Has this post gotten you to add the OF WITCHES OR WARLOCKS series to your TBR? Just want to share the love if you've read it before? Just comment relevantly to enter for your chance to win!


Don't forget to visit the other stops on the tour. There are more giveaways, guest posts, interviews, excerpts, and reviews coming! Check out The Bookish Snob on May 27th. And be sure to follow to the last day for the grand prize wrapping up THE DEMON KISS tour.

The Grand Prize winner will receive swag, signed copies of books 1, 2, 3, & 4, AND will be written into an interactive scene with VANCE in book four too!
Want extra entries? You can get 1 more entry for every time you comment on the tour, and 5 more entries for every time you send a Tweet or Facebook the link to that day’s blog post. Make sure you keep track of those as you will be asked to submit verification links when you enter the giveaway.

25 May, 2011

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop (#31)



Summer doesn't start until the end of June, but the unofficial start is just around the corner. To celebrate, I am participating in the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Page Turners Blog. Here's what you could win:

Your choice of any two books (up to $20) from the Book Depository!


Rules:

1. Comment with what books you might like
2. Leave your email or way to contact you
3. Must be 13+
4. Enter only once per person
5. INTERNATIONAL!


Be sure to check out all of the 200+ other blogs also participating in the Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop. See the full linky list at:
I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and good luck to everyone!

24 May, 2011

CONFIDENTIAL: Interview with John Hartness (Blog Tour)



John Hartness is here answering questions and promoting his book, A Hard Day's Knight, through The Bookish Snob Promotions



Bio: John G. Hartness is a recovering theatre geek who likes loud music, fried pickles and cold beer. He’s been published or accepted online in several journals including The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, cc&d, Deuce Coupe and Truckin’.
His first novel, The Chosen, is an urban fantasy about saving the world, snotty archangels, gambling, tattooed street preachers, immortals with family issues, bar brawls and the consequences of our decisions.
He followed up The Chosen with Hard Day’s Knight, a new twist on the vampire detective novel and the first in a planned series of at least five books. The second book of The Black Knight Chronicles, Back in Black, landed in March 2011 and has enjoyed immediate success.
John has been called “the Kevin Smith of Charlotte,” and fans of Joss Whedon and Jim Butcher should enjoy his snarky slant on the fantasy genre. His next novel, Knight Moves (Black Knight Chronicles Vol. 3) is due out in the summer of 2011.
He can be found online at http://www.johnhartness.com and spends too much time on Twitter, especially after a few drinks.


Tell me a little about yourself and A Hard Day's Knight.
I’m a theatre geek and poet from Charlotte, NC. With 20 years in the theatre, I decided that I was getting too old to climb ladders and hang lights, so I started working on my writing. Hard Day’s Knight is my second novel, the first in The Black Knight Chronicles series. I think it’s a fun twist on the vampire story, it’s funny, non-sexy, and doesn’t take anything too seriously.

Which character in the book was the easiest to get on the page? Which one was the hardest?
Jimmy is probably the easiest to write, because he sounds so much like me. That’s why he’s the narrator! Sabrina was the toughest, because I wanted to write a hot, tough cop chick without resorting to too many clichés. I watched a lot of episodes of Castle to work on her.

Was there any research that you did for A Hard Day's Knight that you found especially interesting?
Not really - my research really consisted of drinking a lot to get into the minds of my semi-alcoholic vampires.

Are you working on anything new right now? Can you tell me anything about your current project?
Book 2 of the series came out in February, and I’m working on Book 3, which I hope will hit in late June. I basically continue the evolution of the characters, getting them in more and more trouble and finding more and more ludicrous ways to get them out of it. In Book 3 I introduce a couple of new major characters, one of whom will torment the boys for several books to come.

If you were a biographer, who's life would you choose to write about? (not your own!) Why?
Probably Doc Watson. As one of the biggest stars in bluegrass for years and years, Doc has gone from fame to obscurity to tragedy and back to fame as the fickle tastes of the public have changed.



Quick, choose one:
Coffee, tea or something harder?

Beer. Or Peach moonshine if it’s dark outside.

Midnight or dawn?
Midnight

Audi sedan, Toyota Prius, Honda minivan, or Ford 4x4?
Friends don’t let friends drive Fords. I drive a 2008 Chevy Silverado Crew Cab truck.

Laptop or desktop?
Laptop

Tropical locale or ski resort?
Mountain cabin, but without all the skiers.


Just Five:

Five words to describe James Black from A Hard Day's Knight:

Snarky, vampire, skinny, goofy, anti-hero

And five to describe Gregory Knightwood:
Intelligent, husky, nerd, deceptive, hacker

Five songs that might be playing on Pandora at Black Knight Investigations:
Bloodletting by Concrete Blonde, You Shook Me All Night Long by AC/DC, Bat out of Hell by Meat Loaf, Desire by U2, More Human than Human by White Zombie

Five supernatural creatures that James and Gregory wouldn't want to encounter:
All of them! The guys would much rather deal with mundane predators. But specifically, they hate dealing with zombies because of the mess, werewolves because of the shedding, banshees because of the noise, dragons because of the fire, and mermaids because the boys don’t like to swim.


Finally, five words to get my readers to pick up the book
Snarky non-sparkly vampires saving the world (I don’t count articles as words). Alternately, we could go with - This detective story doesn’t suck!



Thanks so much for answering my questions!
Thanks for having me! I’ll hang around in comments today and answer questions if folks have them!




EDIT: There was a bit of a snafu with Blogger yesterday (when isn't there, though?) when this post was supposed to go up, and because I'm at BEA, I was unable to fix the mess right away. Apologies to John, Bels and the rest of the tour for the late post. I'm not sure if John will still be available to answer questions, but leave a comment anyway! Meanwhile, check out more about A HARD DAY'S KNIGHT:

The Black Knight Chronicles Volume 1, Hard Day’s Knight introduces us to James Black and Gregory Knightwood, proprietors of Black Knight Investigations. They’re dedicated to righting wrongs, defending the helpless, bringing light into the darkest of shadows…

Ok, maybe not so much with the bringing light bit. Our boys are vampires, after all, and not so much for the bringing of light stuff. But Jimmy and Greg aren’t your typical bloodthirsty, sex-starved, viciously studly vampires. Ok, maybe they’re a little blood-starved and sex-thirsty, but they try to keep that all under control. They’re more like your dorky kid brother who just happened to get turned into a vampire and now has to stay out of the sun. Forever.

In Hard Day’s Knight they’re hired to protect a kid from a witch’s curse, but it all turns out to be more than they ever expected as they battle zombies, witches, demons, strippers and their own evil appetites to try and save the world. And maybe, just for once, get the girl.



Be sure to visit the next stop on the tour at: The Wormhole

23 May, 2011

CONFIDENTIAL: Author Interview With Deena Remiel (Blog Tour)




Welcome to Deena Remiel, the author of Trinity (Brethren #1). I'm lucky enough to have asked her a few questions and gotten some pretty interesting answers. Find Deena at:
Website | Blogger | Wordpress | Twitter | GoodReads

RMM: Tell me a little about yourself.
DR: Well. I'm a wife to a great guy and mother to two hormonal girls. I'm an educator for 20 years now, and have been involved in writing of some kind or another since I was a teenager. My family and I live in Arizona. There's this invisible thread between the land and me. I'm drawn to the mountains and the spirituality that runs seamlessly through certain areas. My favorite foods are chocolate, potato chips, popcorn, surf and turf, and soft pretzels from Philadelphia. My favorite things to do are scrapbooking, reading, writing, playing my piano, listening to music, watching musicals and classic movies.

RMM: How would you describe Trinity one paragraph or less?
DR: Trinity is the story of a mother's fierce devotion to her daughter and an Angel's complete devotion to them. Thrust into a war between Good and Evil, mother and daughter must rely on the Brethren to keep them safe and teach them about their powerful family lineage. Faith and trust are stretched to their limits and tested beyond measure as the war rages on.

RMM: Now get me to pick up the book with three words!
DR: Hot angel love!

RMM: How easy or hard was it to flesh out the characters in Trinity? Was there one that gave you particular trouble getting from your head to the page?
DR: It was pretty easy to bring these characters to life. As I made my character cards, they sprang to life before my eyes. However, I think Emma gave me a bit of a hard time throughout. I wrestled constantly with making her as real as possible. Now, I have no idea how I would really react to facing Evil, but I made myself face that question everytime I went to write her scenes. I had to ask myself, what would I do? How would I behave? And then I had to answer as honestly and as real as possible through her.

RMM: Are you working on anything new right now? Yes, I am. Can you tell me anything about your current project?
DR: I'm working on my third novel in the Brethren series. My second novel, Relic, is in edits right now, so I busily getting into the heart of Elixxir. All of these books can stand alone or be read in order. I'm so happy to be working on the Brethren. They are like family to me already. Three more books are planned beyond Elixxir.

RMM: If you were a biographer, who's life would you choose to write about? (not your own!) Why?
DR: I would like to write about the life of a homeless person on the street. I want to know what his/her childhood was like, special rememberances, and what it was like as they grew into an adult. What was the pivotal moment that sent him/her out onto the streets? I'd want to know if they still had dreams and goals,beyond the immediate needs of a homeless person, and if so, what they may be.

And the winner is...:

Coffee or tea?

Coffee (Decaf, unfortunately) Love flavored coffee or creamer. :)

Early riser or night owl?
BOTH! I love staying up late and writing poetry and darker scenes and then waking early to be social and write some more!

Audi sedan, Toyota Prius, Honda minivan, or Ford 4x4?
Um... how about an Audi TT? For the weekend. And then a Toyota Prius for weekdays.

Laptop or desktop?
Laptop

Dog person or cat cuddler?
Allergic to all things animal. So of course, I crave cuddling with ALL things furry and cute.


The Favorite Five:

5 authors who are auto-buy reads for you:

Heather Graham, Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Jayne Ann Krentz, Sherrilyn Kenyon

5 songs you listened to, or made you think of a character, while writing Trinity:
Calling All Angels - train
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Lullabye - Billy Joel
Something in the Way She Moves- James Taylor
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face- Roberta Flack


5 words to describe your favorite character in Trinity:
Agremon: smartass, gruesome, terrifying, faithless, EVIL


Thanks Deena! Here's a little more about TRINITY:

Purchase at: Decadent Publishing
Emma Livingston, a single mom, has been through hell—and back, so she thinks. While dealing with her five year old daughter’s night terrors, she attempts to live a normal life. That is, until the being from those very nightmares comes to visit her. Has her child been dealing with a real demon while she thought he was only a figment of an active imagination?

Michael D’Angelo is known to everyone in Prophet’s Point, Arizona, as their loving elementary school principal. But to The Brethren, he is known as the most powerful Protector. Immortal and angelic does not mean he’s without doubts or fears. While trying to protect Emma and Hannah, his tortured past comes back to haunt him. Can he overcome it? Or is he doomed to repeat a failure he has lived with for what seems like an eternity?

As Emma and Michael come together to protect Hannah, ancient secrets are revealed and faith is tested. When a prophecy is exposed, questions must be answered… Can Emma learn to trust enough to love again? Can Michael believe in himself enough to show Emma how? And will they be able to protect an innocent child, not to mention save the world as they know it, from total annihilation?



Tour Participation:

20 May, 2011

Hedgeland Blog Tour: Excerpt and E-Book Giveaway

Visiting Read My Mind today is Dr. Ann Nyland. In cooperation with The Bookish Snob Promotions, Ann is making a stop here on her blog tour to promote her debut release, HEDGELAND.

Author Bio: Author Dr Ann Nyland was on Faculty at the University of New England, Australia. She is a grammar pedant, ancient languages translator, and best selling non-fiction author of such books as The Complete Books of Enoch; Angels, Archangels and Angel Categories: What the Ancients Said; The Book of Jubilees; A Devil of a Job to Find Satan in the Bible, among others. Hedgeland is her first novel.

Find Ann at: Blog | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook




Blurb: Hedgeland, an urban fantasy of time travel. Dr April Neuland, a Professor of Ancient Languages turned non-fiction writer, has been plagued by dreams all her life, dreams of her past life in the Otherworld. Meanwhile, in a parallel dimension of April's past and Caridwen's future, Worthing, a Future History Professor, has allied with the Military to access Future Internet communications and use new technology to influence April to write an ebook novel revealing where she, in her past life as Caridwen, hid the Kiste, a device to travel through time and space. Hedgeland weaves all three time/space frames: Caridwen, Worthing, and April.


Excerpt: Chapter 7. Worthing.

"Do you mean to tell me you have been using Scientificarium research funds to make toys?" The short man did not raise his high-pitched voice, but spoke sternly, gesturing to a blue box sitting on Worthing's desk. Turns out he was Military Intelligence, although Worthing thought that title a contradiction in terms.

"Um no," Worthing said, trying to gather his wits.

The two sat opposite each other. Worthing was on a post-lecture high, as he liked to call them. Lectures always gave him a buzz. Wits gathered, Worthing tried to talk his way out of the situation. "As you are no doubt aware, High Master, my area of expertise is Future History, and specifically, Caridwen and the Kiste. In Future Time, Caridwen, who will then be known as April, will be very fond of a dramatica to be known as 'Dr Who.' I have asked the Faculty of Science to make replicas of 'Dr Who' items, such as this blue box and this life form known as a 'Dalek,' to aid in my research."

Worthing gave the Dalek a fond but loud pat on the head, hoping to draw the High Master's attention away from the shelves to his side, on which were perched many other Future replicas from the dramatica to be known as Dr Who: weeping angels, cybermen, David Tennant's sonic screwdriver, Matt Smith's sonic screwdriver, and a Rose Tyler action figure. Rose was Worthing's favorite companion, apart from Jo Grant, Donna, Turlough, and Adric, and what a sad ending he would have.

"Professor!" The High Master's reprimand snapped Worthing back to the matter at hand with an accompanying slap on the desk. "Your obvious misuse of Scientificarium funding is of little or no interest to me. We have gathered some Future Intelligence and request that you work with us on the matter of the Kiste."

Worthing wondered if it would be appropriate to ask if there would be any financial remuneration, but decided against it.


HEDGELAND has a fascinating mix of urban fantasy, science-fiction and technology, and otherworldly time-travel. For a chance to win an e-book copy, just comment before June 1st, 6pm, with the one era and/or place that you'd want to visit, if you had the ability to travel through time.

As an added bonus, Ann is having a contest for a lucky reader to become a character in her next book. To get in on the action, keep following the tour, and be sure to check out Ann Nyland's author blog on May 29th.

Here's the next stop on the tour:
Ren's Blogging About on May 21st.

Wanna know where else Ann is visiting during her HEDGELAND tour? Find the master list of tour stops at: The Bookish Snob Promotions Hedgeland Blog Tour Page. Be sure to check out each blog for other excerpts, giveaways, interviews, and guest posts.


Tour Participation:
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18 May, 2011

Book Review: Dark Passages: Tristan and Karen by Sara Reinke

Book: DARK PASSAGES: TRISTAN AND KAREN
Author: SARA REINKE
Genre: PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Published: February 2011, BLOODHORSE PRESS


Series: The Brethren series #4
Source: Author via Bewitching Book Tours, no other compensation given to me for an honest review

From Good Reads:
Tristan Morin is a vampire on a mission: to not fall in love with Karen Pierce. To do so would prove that humans and Brethren were meant to be physically and emotionally bound to each other -- something he, as a full-blooded Brethren, refuses to believe. It would be so much easier if Karen wasn't beautiful. And if there wasn't something about her that draws him like a moth to a flame, damn near impossible to resist.

Karen has always felt an inexplicable attraction to Tristan. More than just the fact he's strikingly handsome, it's as if being with him is something natural, comfortable and right. But soon a brash choice on his part leaves her heartbroken and confused, and a sadistic new enemy will put their tentative love -- and their lives -- to the ultimate test.


My Review:
DARK PASSAGES is definitely different from your average vampire paranormal romance. Right away, it establishes that The Brethren do have special powers, but they can succumb to mortal sicknesses and diseases like the rest of us. I liked this bit of fallibility that Sara Reinke gives her vampires. I like it when an author isn't afraid to put their own twist on an existing mythos.

Reinke explains much of the differences that she has given to the vampires (Brethren) through the eyes of her female protagonist, Karen, who knows about their secret. While some of the explanation came out a little bit like an infodump, I was never pulled out of the story, and I appreciated getting the background, especially since I haven't read any of her previous novels in the series.

There was an underlying danger that threatened the couples' lives, but it really took a back seat to the developing romantic relationship that Tristan and Karen were forming. Though this danger did become real, it wasn't until the end of the novel, and the reader is treated to a fairly emotion-filled journey with the two, mostly from Tristan, as he fights his bloodlust for this woman that he has spent so much time with as a colleague.

I enjoyed reading DARK PASSAGES, and it has whetted my appetite for the other books in the series. There are many secondary characters that are introduced that I would love to find out more about, and two of them do have their own books. Reinke takes the paranormal romance genre and delivers a real romance, not just hot scenes amidst mortal danger. There is a real development to Tristan and Karen's love for each other, one that follows a more real-life timeline, and one that I was compelled to follow to the end.

3.5/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
3.5/5 for language

My Rating: 11/15 (3 stars)

Recommended, if you liked:

Love at Stake (series) by Kerrelyn Sparks
A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson


Find the author at:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | GoodReads

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Amazon

Available formats: NookBook, Kindle, Paperback (Trade)

Challenge Participation:


Tour Participation:

JUST VISITING: Author Sara Reinke (Dark Brethren series)




I'm happy to welcome author Sara Reinke to Read My Mind today, in conjunction with Bewitching Book Tours . Sara started out as a traditionally published (ie.: New York publishing house) author. While it seems that there are many authors who are making the move to self-publishing, each one has their own reasons for doing so. Sara talks a little bit about her motivation for changing up the game, and how she was able to make the switch.


Find Sara at: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook


I’ve often been asked why I decided to go into indie publishing. After all, I had been published by a NY house in the past. And unlike a lot of NY-pubbed authors, I wasn’t opting to release my backlist independently—I was launching new material all on my own. It’s an intimidating prospect. There are no contracts, no advances, no high-end distribution deals or foreign rights dealers wheeling and dealing on my behalf. If I want a top-notch editor, marketing coordinator, cover artist, proofreader, I have to find them—and pay for them—myself. I admit, I’ve sunk some serious money into this venture in the hopes of seeing long-term returns, because so far, short term, I’m breaking even.

But I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I don’t want to be the next Amanda Hocking or H.P. Mallory. When I set out to independently publish, I’d come to a place in my life where I wanted to enjoy writing again, to have renewed confidence in my ability as a storyteller. The pursuit of “NY publishing” is exhausting and discouraging, and I quickly discovered, much to my dismay, that my two-book contract with Kensington wasn’t the automatic “in” to a successful career as I would have hoped. If anything, it only upped the ante against me, because then I had a publishing history and sales statistics by which publishers could judge me and my marketing potential. As exhilarating as it was to receive “the call” from Kensington offering to contract my books, it was emotionally devastating to learn they would not contract any further titles from me. Add to the fact I had an agent who seemed less than enthusiastic in the end to represent me, and by the time we parted ways, it had been two years since I’d had a mass-market release and was feeling about like pond scum in terms of my writing.

I want to make money. I’m not going to lie. Every author does. But I think it’s fair to say that of equal importance to writers is that we share our work with readers, that readers discover, identify with and fall in love with the worlds and characters we’ve so carefully and painstakingly crafted and created. My Amazon sales numbers aren’t staggering compared to others I’ve heard about, but every day is a remarkable new surprise to me as I realize that someone else has bought my book, has learned about me somehow, from somewhere, and decided to learn more about me and my Brethren vampire world.

I also have to admit that after having languished so many years with other people—agents, editors, publishers—utterly controlling every aspect of my writing career, and pretty much running it aground, I like having control of it all for myself. Sink like a rock or swim like a fish, it’s all on my shoulders now and I have no one to thank or blame but myself. I love it. Because having that kind of power is empowering; I believe in myself again, both as a writer and a writing professional. I can’t say that I would ever turn down another NY contract with a nice, juicy advance, but I can say now that I’d enter into such a contract with a lot more demands and expectations than I had in the past. Because I know what I want now, and I know I can get it for myself. That’s a hell of a lot for someone else to top.

About The Brethren Series:

Dark Thirst, Book One in The Brethren Series
is out of print in paperback through Kensington/Zebra, but is available in Kindle ebook format. In it, Brandon Noble is one of the Brethren, an ancient clan of ruthless vampires. Horrified by his birthright, Brandon shuns the ritual of the first kill, earning his family's lasting wrath. When he finds love with a human woman named Angelina -- forbidden among the Brethren -- his fate is sealed. Can Brandon protect Angelina from his enemies -- and his own dark thirsts?

Dark Hunger, Book Two, is available from Kensington/Zebra in mass market paperback and multiple electronic formats, including for Kindle and the Nook. In it, Tessa Noble-Davenant will do anything to protect her brother, Brandon, even if that means traveling across the country with Rene Morin. A cynical, brooding, yet startling sexy vampire, Rene seems to take pleasure in finding fault with Tessa's every move. Despite this, a sensual attraction begins to develop between the two, one to which neither can afford to succumb. Rene and Tessa are being followed -- and a single misstep will put them at the mercy of forces more dark and powerful than they can even imagine...

Dark Passion, Book Three, is available in trade paperback and multiple e-formats through Double Dragon Publishing. In it, Augustus Noble is a man with secrets. His entire life has been built on half-truths, betrayals and lies—desperate measures to keep the woman he loves, Eleanor Trevilian-Noble, as his own. The patriarch of the Brethren, he has struggled for centuries to create an empire of wealth and prestige for her. Now all that he has fought for is in jeopardy—his grandson Brandon has risked it all in a desperate bid for independence and freedom. And just as Augustus can’t allow Brandon to escape the ages-old traditions of the Brethren race, he also can’t let the Brethren—and especially his longtime nemesis—discover a truth that, if revealed, would see them all killed.

In the fourth installment, Dark Passages: Tristan and Karen, Tristan Morin is a vampire on a mission: to not fall in love with Karen Pierce. To do so would prove that humans and Brethren were meant to be physically and emotionally bound to each other -- something he, as a full-blooded Brethren, refuses to believe. It would be so much easier if Karen wasn't beautiful. And if there wasn't something about her that draws him like a moth to a flame, damn near impossible to resist. Karen has always felt an inexplicable attraction to Tristan. More than just the fact he's strikingly handsome, it's as if being with him is something natural, comfortable and right. But soon a brash choice on his part leaves her heartbroken and confused, and a sadistic new enemy will put their tentative love -- and their lives -- to the ultimate test.

Plus, for a limited time, readers can subscribe to my e-Newsletter and receive a FREE ebook copy of Dark Thirst, Book One in The Brethren Series. There’s no better way to be introduced to the world of the Brethren vampires than with the book that started it all! Visit www.sarareinke.com for details.


Thanks Sara! As a special bonus, Sara is also offering one lucky person an e-book copy of DARK PASSAGES: TRISTAN AND SARA. Just fill out the form here to enter. Earn an extra entry by leaving a relevant comment or question that you might want to ask the author.


Tour Participation:

17 May, 2011

Bestseller for a Day: Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott

After last week and the Blogger meltdown, I am happy to be back at the blog. I'm even happier to welcome Amber Scott to Read My Mind today, in celebration of Bestseller For A Day. I was able to ask Amber a few interview questions, so read on to get an inside look!


Find Amber at: Website | Twitter | Facebook


Tell me a little about you and your book.
Me? Okay. Since I recently had an amazing one, I love my girls nights out and can rock a pair of stilettos hard but am a true geek at heart. I’ll make an ass out of myself in public if it means getting friends to laugh to tears. I’m a stay home mom of the two cutest kids ever, a middle child of five strong girls, and sometimes still feel like the awkward teen I used to be. I’ve wanted to be an author my whole life so right now I’m living that dream. And it rocks!

Fierce Dawn was my most challenging book to date to write and to get right. Particularly, it took time and patience and lots of very generous beta readers for me to introduce this new world through Sadie’s eyes. Thankfully the work is proving well worth it. The comment I most often get is that it keeps readers up all night, it’s un-put-downable. I’m not sure there is a higher compliment for an author.

Now get me to pick up Fierce Dawn in five words or less!
Get left breathless and hooked.

Under the Spotlight:
Coffee or tea?

Coffee, all day long until it’s time for wine!

Early riser or night owl?
A little bit of both. Before kids, I used to stay up late and sleep in late. Now, I stay up late and get up early. They got me trained.

Audi sedan, Toyota Prius, Honda minivan, or Ford 4x4?
Ford 4x4. I’m a truck girl. I love the look on faces when little me steps out of my beast of a truck.

Laptop or desktop?
Laptop on a lapdesk.

Dog person or cat cuddler?
I adore cats. They’re prissy and independent. I love dogs, too, but can’t imagine having one while my kids are so young. Puppies are like new babies.


The Favorite Five:

5 authors who are auto-buy reads for you

Ann Charles, Gini Koch, Carolyn Crane, Maggie Steifvater, Carolyn McCray

5 songs you listened to, or made you think of a character, while writing Fierce Dawn
Electric Feel by MGMT—love scenes
Smack My Bitch Up by Prodigy—battle scenes
Angel by Massive Attack—Elijah
Until the End of Time by Justin Timberlake and Beyonce—love scenes
Army of Me by Bjork—Sadie

5 words to describe your favorite character in Fierce Dawn
Elijah—determined, magnetic, teleports, strong, fierce
(The fierce of the title is for Elijah, the dawn is for Sadie)



Thanks Amber!

Here's a little more about FIERCE DAWN:

“X-MEN action meets True Blood heat.”
-Ann Charles
Nearly Departed In Deadwood, 2010 Daphne Winner

“Intensely satisfying!”
-Carolyn McCray
Kindle Bestselling author, 30 Pieces of Silver


Blurb: Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after Sadie Graves.

Elijah Stokes, the man who haunts her dreams, enters her reality claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for Sadie’s life, but for all of mankind's as well.



And now, a little more about Bestseller For A Day, for any readers who haven't participated before:

About Bestseller For a Day:

Making authors dreams come true one promotion at a time.

Each month, for one day, readers, friends, family and peers rally together to drive an ebook up the Amazon Kindle rankings with a goal to pierce the top 100. The aim of the program is to help indie authors get a foothold in the traditionally published dominated market. Authors coordinate with book review sponsors to show readers that the 99 cent promotional price is worth every penny.

As thanks, each author creates give aways for participants and drives traffic to participating review sites. Additionally, readers are offered Bonus Buy reads discounted to 99 cents for the event with that price offered to be rebated back by the participating authors when readers fill out the relevant form.

Fierce Dawn Giveaways:

Amber Scott will be giving away an Amazon Kindle to one lucky winner who purchases Fierce Dawn during the promotion on May 18th and fills out the form located on the http://bestsellerforaday.com site. Signing up the for event newsletter earns readers extra entries toward the Kindle, too!

Additionally, any reader who purchases Fierce Dawn through May 18th can request a signed ebook copy of it after submitting proof of purchase in the form of a five word phrase from the middle of the book sent by email to amberscottbooks@gmail.com!



There's still more! If you purchase the following books at the same time as FIERCE DAWN you can get them FOR FREE! See the Bestseller For A Day site for purchase rules and rebate form.


Stolen Dreams by Stacey Kennedy
Tess Jennings has the ability to see and talk to spirits. On a daily basis, they harass and annoy her to save their souls. Sometimes she helps, other times she ignores them, but one ghost will give her no choice. Kipp McGowan, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, uses his ghostly charms to gain her attention and forces her to expose herself to his partner.

As she’s pulled into the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid she wants no part of, she finds herself in more than one precarious situation. But that’s the least of her worries―Tess begins to have a serious problem on her hands. Kipp might be dead, but he’s drop-dead gorgeous and she’s beginning to forget that he’s a ghost.

Murder and corruption has brought Tess and Kipp together. But as her feelings for Kipp deepen, she suspects she just signed herself up for a one-way ticket to the nut house, and can only hope, straitjackets come in a size four.



Cattitude by Edie Ramer
It's all in the Cattitude...
After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one. But she doesn't count on falling in love with her former owner. Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better.




Fated by Carolyn McCray
Lovers torn apart by history
Bound for eternity

12 May, 2011

H.P. Mallory Books on Sale!

Attention urban fantasy and paranormal romance readers! Have a Nook? A Kindle? Why not try out one of the novels written by H.P. Mallory? Her entire backlist is currently on sale for $.99. Who can beat a deal like that? I've read two of her e-novels, and really enjoyed them. But you have to hurry, because the sale ends on Sunday, May 15th.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble: Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

See my review
Buy for Nook | Kindle


Toil and Trouble: After defending herself against fairy magic, Jolie Wilkins wakes to find her world turned upside down—the creatures of the Underworld on the precipice of war.

The Underworld is polarized in a battle of witch against witch, creature against creature, led by the villainous Bella, who would be Queen.

While Jolie has one goal in mind, to stake the vampire, Ryder, who nearly killed her, she also must choose between the affections of her warlock employer, Rand, and the mysteriously sexy vampire, Sinjin.

And as if that weren’t enough to ruin a girl’s day, everything Jolie knows will be turned inside out when she’s thrust into the shock of a lifetime.

Buy for Nook | Kindle


To Kill A Warlock: The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

See my review
Buy for Nook | Kindle


A Tale of Two Goblins: Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy working in law enforcement for the Netherworld.

When Knight Vander approaches her with a case regarding comatose victims, she agrees to help him, imagining the most difficult part will be combating her attraction to him.

But, what Dulcie isn’t betting on is the fact that the case becomes personal when she learns all the victims are somehow linked to her.

When her best friend falls victim to the Dreamstalker, Dulcie must do everything in her power to ensure her friend’s survival, including associating with criminals and accepting the fact that desperate times do definitely call for desperate measures.

Buy for Nook | Kindle


Kiss Me, Kill Me (Anthology including, A GHOULISH VALENTINE): Dulcie O'Neil can't help her attraction to Knight Vander, much though she tries to fight her feelings. When she begrudgingly accepts his invitation to dinner and a movie, she can't imagine her evening will be derailed by a cemetery full of hungry ghouls and one incredibly sexy man.

Buy for Nook | Kindle

04 May, 2011

Book Review: The Discovery of Socket Greeny by Tony Bertauski

Book: THE DISCOVERY OF SOCKET GREENY
Author: TONY BERTAUSKI
Genre: YA SCIENCE-FICTION/FANTASY
Published: July 2010


Series: Socket Greeny #1 (Upcoming series)
Source: Author via Book Lovin' Bitches E-Book Tours, no other conpensation given for my honest review

From Good Reads:
Work comes first for 16-year old Socket Greeny's mother ever since his father died. That was 11 years ago. Now, in this tech-driven futuristic society, he's zoned on energy drinks and living in virtual worlds because Mom rarely comes home. He doesn't know what she does for a living. The bills get paid and the refrigerator is full, so why bother with details? His only real world thrill is fighting. He doesn't always win, but that's not the point. Breaking skin is a reality rush.

But a world can change in a single moment.

It's a school day like any other, until Socket starts hearing other people's thoughts. He's hallucinating, maybe brain rot from too much virtualmode. Even when time seems to stop, he ignores it. The mind playing tricks. But when his mom arrives at school, he knows it's for real. She's there to take him to work.

The Paladin Agency...


My Review:
THE DISCOVERY OF SOCKET GREENY is a wholely unique and enjoyable read. I like to read science-fiction and fantasy, but I'll admit that I was expecting something different when I started to read this novel. This is where I can experience surprise in a novel, because I haven't fully read the synopsis. I like to know just enough to intrigue me, but not tell me the whole story. So of course, the first step in Socket's journey was pretty much a surprise for me. But, a good one. One that didn't disappoint me.

Tony Bertauski's story drew me in, right from the beginning. I'll admit that I was really intrigued by this virtual world that Socket spent so much time in with his friends. He seemed so desensitized to real life, and anything that was happening around him, that at first, I wondered how he could be a "hero". However, I didn't feel that way for very long, as he moves through this new world his mother has discovered.

If I'm honest, I had some trouble crafting what I wanted to say about THE DISCOVERY OF SOCKET GREENY. It's one of those books that I feel I have to explain fully to really show someone what I liked about it. But, I don't do spoilers. And really, I could have probably summed up my whole review in less than 10 words:

I liked this book. Go try it for yourself.

4/5 for plot
4.5/5 for characters
4/5 for language

My Rating: 12.5/15 (3.5 stars) Highly Recommended


Find the author at:
Website | Blog | GoodReads

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Amazon

Available formats: NookBook, Kindle, Print (Paperback)

Challenge Participation:




Tour Participation:

02 May, 2011

April RAK and May Wishlist

RAK (Random Acts of Kindness) is a really great program that Vanessa and Isalys of Book Soulmates have started. I didn't receive any RAK during April, but I did send out some books.

Book Soulmates To: Theresa
The Southern Arcana series by Moira Rogers (e-books)
Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Banished by Sophie Littlefield

Ashley
Matched by Ally Condie

Lisa
White Cat by Holly Black

Nicci
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley


I'm participating again this month, so if you are a RAK-er, click here or in my right sidebar to see my wishlist. I'm happy to accept new or gently-read ARCs and finished copies of books. I also love e-books, but they have to be in epub or pdf format, thanks.



Want to join the RAK-ers this month? Here's how you do it.

Rules:
• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)


OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.
Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!
Easy peasy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Vanessa at
Twerd413 [at] gmail DOT com
or through twitter: @booksoulmates

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