25 February, 2012

The Bess Crawford Read-A-Long

I haven't participated in a read-a-long in a while, and this series does appeal to me because of its setting (England, baby) and the fact that it's a mystery series. Right now, I've already read the newest releases of some of my favorite mystery authors (Louise Penny, Val McDermid and Linda Castillo) and I'm waiting in the library reserve queue for Elizabeth George's latest. This read-a-long will help fill the waiting time and I get to discover a new author and series. What else can a reader hope for?




The Bess Crawford Read-A-Long is hosted by Book Club Girl, and all of the details can be found there, but here is the discussion schedule:

March 26th: A Duty to the Dead discussion
April 30th: An Impartial Witness discussion
May 1st: A Bitter Truth (paperback goes on sale)
May 29th: A Bitter Truth discussion (May 28th is Memorial Day)
June 5th: An Unmarked Grave (The new hardcover goes on sale)
June 25th: An Unmarked Grave discussion
June 28th: Book Club Girl On Air Show with Charles Todd (to discuss entire series)

Look for updates along the way here, on Twitter (#besscrawford), and on the Book Club Girl and Charles Todd Facebook pages.

First In The Series (From GoodReads)
The daughter of a distinguished soldier' Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War' helping to deal with the many wounded. There' serving on a hospital ship' she makes a promise to a dying young lieutenant to take a message to his brother' Jonathan Graham: "Tell Jonathan that I lied. I did it for Mother′s sake. But it has to be set right." Later' when her ship is sunk by a mine and she′s sidelined by a broken arm' Bess returns home to England' determined to fulfill her promise.

It′s not so easy' however. She travels to the village in Kent where the Grahams live and passes on to Jonathan his brother′s plea. Oddly' neither Jonathan' his mother' nor his younger brother admit to knowing what the message means. Then Bess learns that there′s another brother' incarcerated in a lunatic asylum since the age of 14 when he was accused of brutally murdering a housemaid.

Bess rightly guesses that the dying soldier′s last words had something to do with the fourth brother. Because the family seems unwilling to do anything' she decides that she will investigate. It′s her own duty to the dead.



Happy Reading!

20 February, 2012

Valentine's Books With Love Blog Hop Winners

Prize: One (1) ARC of FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater


Prize: One (1) hardcover of FALLEN by Lauren Kate.
One (1) ARC of TORMENT by Lauren Kate


Prize: One (1) paperback of THE DEMON IN ME by Michelle Rowen.
One (1) paperback of SOMETHING WICKED by Michelle Rowen.
One (1) paperback of TOUCH AND GO by Michelle Rowen


Winner(s): See rafflecopter announcement below


Congrats to the winners! Initially I was going to let 2 winners choose from the 3 prize packs, but there were so many entries, and I really need to make some room on my bookshelves. So, I went ahead and picked a third winner! Check your emails, winners; to claim your first choice it is first come is first served.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Didn't win this time around? There will be plenty of future giveaways. Please return to Read My Mind for more great bookish content, including reviews, author post and interviews, cover reveals, and contests.

COVER REVEAL: Inbetween by Tara Fuller

Today, I have another cover reveal from Entangled Publishing. The boutique publishing company has putting out some great cover art lately, especially for their young adult line, and Read My Mind is happy to host this one for INBETWEEN by Tara Fuller.


About the author:
Tara Fuller writes novels. Some about grim reapers. Some about witches. All of course are delightfully full of teen angst and kissing. Tara grew up in a one stop light town in Oklahoma where once upon a time she stayed up with a flash light reading RL Stine novles and only dreamed of becoming a writer. She has a slight obsession with music and a shameless addiction for zombie fiction, Mystery Science Theater, and black and white mochas. Tara no longer lives in a one stop light town. Now she lives with her family in a slightly larger town in North Carolina where they have at least three stoplights.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.




Blurb:
Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s
life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving
“accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so
Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling
in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who
makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate
has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him
hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before,
and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves
from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the
only thing he has left... his soul.


Coming August 2012, ENTANGLED PUBLISHING



Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order: Barnes and Noble | Amazon


Thoughts?

16 February, 2012

Bewitching Book Tour Giveaway Winner: Pride's Run by Cat Kalen

Prize: One e-book copy of Pride's Run by Cat Kalen

Winner: See rafflecopter announcement below










a Rafflecopter giveaway


Congrats to the winner! I'll be notifying the tour organizer with your email, so your prize can be redeemed.

Didn't win this time around? Check out the other giveaways that I have going now:

Books With Love Hop which ends 2.19, 11:59PM EST.


Please come back to Read My Mind for more great bookish content, giveaways and reviews!

Bewitching Book Tour Giveaway Winner: The Master by Anya Winter

Prize: One e-book copy of The Master by Anya Winter

Winner: Hai-Yen


Congrats to the winner! I'll be notifying the tour organizer with your email, so your prize can be redeemed.

Didn't win this time around? Check out the other giveaways that I have going now:

Books With Love Hop which ends 2.19, 11:59PM EST.


Please come back to Read My Mind for more great bookish content, giveaways and reviews!

COVER REVEAL: Gravity by Melissa West

Read My Mind is participating in a cover reveal for Melissa West's upcoming book GRAVITY, from Entangled Publishing. I love science fiction, and I really love science fiction romance. So what could be any better? A YA that fits the criteria, of course!


About the author:
Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughter. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.

She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.




Blurb:
In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don't. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last
person she expected hovering above her bed - arrogant Jackson Locke, the
most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind
of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help
him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her
question what she's been taught about his kind. And against her instincts,
she's falling for him. But Ari isn't just any girl, and Jackson wants more
than her attention. Sheąs a military legacy whoąs been trained by her
father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can
know - especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the
information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping
silent will start a war.

Coming October 2012, ENTANGLED PUBLISHING




Add to Goodreads

Pre-Order: Barnes and Noble | Amazon


So what do you think? I like the detailing on either side of the title, though I think the word could be larger. With the picture and author's name at the bottom half, there seems too much space where the title could dominate and stand out. I'd definitely expect a sci-fi novel from this cover, but I do get a bit more of a thriller vibe than a romance. However, I LOVE the blue color.

Comment to share your thoughts.

ARC Review: Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr

Book: REDWOOD BEND
Author: ROBYN CARR
Genre: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Published: February 2012, MIRA (HARLEQUIN)


Series: Virgin River #18
Source: Little Bird Publicity, no other compensation given for an honest review


Katie Malone and her twin boys’ trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie doesn’t have the first clue about putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.

Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the site of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.

In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.


My Review:
I was really happy to return to Virgin River, after my first foray there with HIDDEN SUMMIT last month. One of the reasons that I liked both books, and have made it my mission to read more Robyn Carr, is the realness of the dialog and characters. Even for contemporary romance, I find that Carr writes as realistically as possible, including male and female point-of-view.

In REDWOOD BEND, the sister to Conner Danson, mentioned in HIDDEN SUMMIT, gets her turn at the spotlight. Conner no longer has to testify against the man he saw murder someone, Katie can now leave her temporary protected location, and without a permanent plan in place, she heads to Virgin River with her twin boys. As with Conner, she meets her match almost immediately as the novel opens. The instant attraction, or at least notice, is definitely present.

But, it's what Carr does with the rest of the book that makes it an enjoyable and rich read. None of her Virgin River couples come to love easily. In fact, there is much that the characters do and get involved in that does not necessarily revolve around romance. Dylan is trying to figure out what his next business move will be, while pondering a return to Hollywood, and Katie wants to find a place where she can raise her twin boys.

The fact that there is more to her book than just a sexual attraction between her characters is actually very attractive to me. I like that Katie is a mature character with her own mind and two children that don't always make it easy for Dylan. I like that Dylan has to make his own decisions about issues in his life and the two don't just fall into insta-love and miraculously all problems are solved.

The plot and the romance in REDWOOD BEND develop organically over the course of the book. Though Dylan and Katie have to be separated at one point, it reads like a normal relationship where two people have different goals and have to find their way through, then back to each other. Ultimately, a happy ending is reached. Carr's an author that I can count on to deliver a nuanced and engrossing contemporary novel and her VIRGIN RIVER series is one to read.


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

My Rating: 13/15 (4 stars) Highly Recommend


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

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | Amazon

Available formats: Print (Mass Market Paperback), NookBook, Kindle

14 February, 2012

Valentine's Day Books With Love Blog Hop



Read My Mind is participating in the Books With Love Valentine's blog hop, hosted by Good Choice Reading starting today, February 14th through February 19th. This is a U.S. only contest; I apologize to my international followers, but there have been many other (and will be in the future) contests where I ship internationally. I just can't do it this time.

Here's what's up for grabs:

A: Maggie Stiefvater ARC (YA Choice #1)

















B: Lauren Kate Prize Pack (YA Choice #2)













C: Michelle Rowen Prize Pack (Adult)










The rules are pretty simple:

1. Must have U.S. shipping address
2. Must be 13+ for YA giveaway
3. Must be 18+ for adult giveaway
4. One entry per person via rafflecopter
5. Leave a comment with preferred prize pack (A, B, or C. You can choose more than one, if you like)
6. Two (2) winners will get choice of prize pack. First come, first serve after notification
7. Ends February 19th, 11:59PM (EST)



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Happy Valentine's Day!

10 February, 2012

Under $5 Nook Book Deals (Vol. 3)

(click title to go to Barnes and Noble)


FREE NookBooks

The Summons by Shona Husk

The Wild's Call by Jeri Smith-Ready

Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean

Survivors by Sophie Littlefield

Mayne Attraction by Ann Mauren

Heart At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey








.99 NookBooks

No Dress Required by Cari Quinn

Winning The Wallflower by Eloisa James

Shifter Made by Jennifer Ashley

When Blood Calls by J.K. Beck

Brink Of Eternity by Caris Roane

The Geek Job by Eve Langlais

Chaotic by Kelley Armstrong

The Dead, The Damned, and The Forgotten by Jocelynn Drake








1.99 NookBooks

Devil To Pay by Jeaniene Frost

I Love The Earl by Carolyn Linden

Thread Of Death by Jennifer Estep

Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison

The Hunters: Byron and Kitt by Shiloh Walker





2.99 NookBooks

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Countdown by Mira Grant

Bewitching Book Tour Promo: The Mask by Anya Winter Excerpt + Giveaway



Thank you to Bewitching Book Tours and Anya Winter for today's promo of THE MASK. See my 3 star review for Winter's short and spicy book HERE.


Once upon a time … is how the stories used to start.

Not anymore. Now they start with chocolate (and maybe a little bit of passion).
At least in Anya’s world where passionate pleasures are explored …
One Story at a Time!



Eve Manor is a pastry chef with a passion for chocolate and romance. During the annual masked Black and Lace ball, Eve has a plan. She created a signature chocolate dish that was sure to knock the socks off every famous chef and food critic attending the ball. Everything hinges on the night’s success.

Christian Grier is a man with a secret. In the foodie world, he's known as the Editor-in-Chief of the famous magazine, Sizzle. When his old college roommate, Josh, asks him to attend the ball his company is catering, Christian intended to turn him down. But when Josh reveals Eve's secret plan, he knew he needed to do everything he could to help. Will hiding behind his mask help in his quest to seduce Eve or will she decide he’s not what she wants after all?



---
Excerpt:
Eve wore a slinky black dress that highlighted her luscious curves. She gazed in awe at the masked dancers as they teased one another with their sexy corsets and tight leather outfits.

The Black Lace Masquerade Ball. A dream come true.

“Is it what you expected, kiddo?” Josh Brown, Eve’s boss, cozied up to her and placed his arm around her waist.

“I’m amazed. It’s better than I imagined. I just wish I was on the other side of the table.” Eve sighed as she gazed around the crowded ballroom. Full of her idols, top-notch chefs from around the country, she dreamed to someday apprentice with one of them.

Despite the sequined masks they all wore, Eve could pinpoint each and every chef she admired. Through Twitter statuses, Facebook updates and magazine articles, she felt like she knew almost every person on the floor.

Jillian Thomas, pastry chef for the Banff Springs Hotel, wore a gorgeous black pinstriped corset with a lace edge that did nothing to hide her voluptuous chest. Lacey Sullivan, Executive Editor for French Cuisine magazine, looked fabulous in a black leather corset dress with a slit up the side and showed the red lining of the leather underskirt. God, she was beautiful.

“You will, one day.” Josh pulled her close and brushed a kiss against her forehead. “That will be you out there, wearing a fuck-me corset and come-hither mask.”

“Josh!” Eve’s eyes widened as she checked to make sure no one heard his words.
Josh leaned down and whispered into her ear. “I saw you coming out of Ganache last night,”

Eve’s body stiffened as her cheeks flushed. Oh no. Without turning to look him in the eye, she tried to step away but his hold tightened.

“Something you want to tell me?”

Eve shook her head as she bit her lip.

“Nothing at all? ‘Cause I thought for sure you’d have something to say about that skimpy little number you wore, or the guy who escorted you to your car.”
What the hell was he doing in that part of the city?

“What would Harold have to say if he knew his little sugar plum was into BDSM?”

Eve dug her elbow into Josh’s side before she turned and glared at him. “I’m not.”

“Really? ‘Cause I know it may be called Ganache, but there’s nothing sweet about the club at all.” He smirked and winked at her.

Damn it all. There was no way she was going to admit anything to him. Not here. Especially not with her grandfather hovering over her every time she turned around.

“Can you forget what you thought you saw and just focus on our plan?” She stepped over to the table where she rearranged platters of petite éclairs, mini cheesecakes and mousse-filled martini glasses.

“It’s going to work.”

“I hope so.” Eve glanced over her shoulder at him and gave what she hoped was an innocent smile.

“Don’t bother sweet’ums. This isn’t my first ball, but it is yours. So let me give you the advice a dear soul gave me oh so long ago—the coach turns back into a pumpkin, the horses into mice and yes, as much as I hate to admit it, the prince does revert back to the Beast.” Josh laid his hand over his heart and sighed.

Eve struggled not to roll her eyes. He couldn’t even get his fairy tales right.

“That dear soul knew what she was talking about, didn’t she?” Madison Pearce, owner of Choco Chic Events, stood behind them, notebook in hand.

Josh stood there, eyes closed as he slowly nodded his head. Eve struggled for composure but lost it when Josh winked at her.

“Eve, your desserts are fantastic. I’ve already had several requests for quotes. You’ve outdone yourself.” Madison smiled before she turned to Josh and gave him a stern look.

Eve breathed a sigh of relief before she took a small step away from the two but still within hearing distance. There was a strong undercurrent filled with tension between them. Whatever was going on didn’t include her. She hoped.

So much was riding on tonight. More than Madison knew. These little desserts were nothing. Not even Madison knew of the plan Josh concocted to help her tonight.

“You promised to behave, Josh. Harold catching you in the broom closet with your new boy toy is not behaving. Honestly. I don’t know what’s gotten into you lately.”

Eve knew she should walk away. “Harold shouldn’t be poking around where he’s not wanted,” Josh crossed his arms and glared at Madison.

Uh oh. She really needed to walk away.

“He was getting a mop to clean up spilled wine. Where else was he to go? Seriously, I need you to step up. If you want a partnership, than show me you deserve it,” Madison hissed between clenched teeth.

Eve spied her grandfather across the room. Now was a good time as any to face him. Josh could handle Madison’s tongue lashing on his own.

She wove her way through the maze of guests and stood beside the man she adored more than life.

“The mask has always mystified me.” He nodded his head at a couple dancing close to them. Eve loved the masks they wore. The female’s face was half-clad in white satin with ribbons tailing down from a large pale pink flower. The man’s mask was a light green with an overlay of black strips.

“Do they not realize that they reveal more of the secrets they wish to hide?” Harold clasped his hands behind him as he surveyed the room.

Eve snaked her arm through his. She would have rested her head on his shoulder but PDAs were highly frowned upon. He believed public displays of affections were for the lower class. She tried to see it from his point-of-view, but for the life of her, she couldn’t. She craved to be out there on that floor wearing a mask that would bring out the girl she kept buried. She thought about the hatbox hidden beneath her bed, containing the beautiful silver mask she’d found in Venice, and a black wig.

“Oh, I don’t know. I find them mysterious, enticing. Seductive in a sense.” Eve tilted her head up and waited for her grandfather’s frown.

“Your generation knows nothing about seduction. Wearing undergarments to a social gathering cheapens the art.” Harold’s lips thinned.

Eve pulled away and studied the man who had moved continents to raise her. She would never have imagined he understood the term seduction let alone have thoughts about it.

“Don’t look at me like that, child. I may be English, but I’m not dead.”

---

Thanks for that great excerpt, Anya, and for visiting Read My Mind today!

Anya is graciously offering one lucky reader an e-book copy of the first book in the MASQUERADE series, THE MASTER. Just leave a comment or question for the author to enter.


A semi-naked photo, taken almost ten years, almost ruins everything for Madison Pearce. With a glass of champagne in hand, Madison is about to call her recent job a success, until she is pulled her into a private room and a secret, one from her past, resurfaces.

Along with the lover, she never expected to see again...





Rules:
Must be 18+
One entry per person
Leave a way to contact you in the comment
One winner will be chosen
Ends February 16th, 2:59AM EST (11:59PM PST)

09 February, 2012

Bewitching Book Tour Review: The Mask by Anya Winter

Book: THE MASK
Author: ANYA WINTER
Genre: CONTEMPORARY EROTIC ROMANCE
Published: December 2011, LIQUID SILVER BOOKS


Series: Masquerade #2
The Master (Masquerade #1)
Source: Bewitching Book Tours, no other compensation given for an honest review


Eve Manor is a pastry chef with a passion for chocolate and romance. During the annual masked Black & Lace ball, Eve has a plan. She created a signature chocolate dish that was sure to knock the socks off every famous chef and food critic attending the ball. Everything hinges on the night’s success.

Christian Grier is a man with a secret. In the foodie world, he's known as the Editor-in-Chief of the famous magazine, Sizzle. When his old college roommate, Josh, asks him to attend the ball his company is catering, Christian intended to turn him down. But when Josh reveals Eve's secret plan, he knew he needed to do everything he could to help. Will hiding behind his mask help in his quest to seduce Eve or will she decide he’s not what she wants after all?


My Review:
When I first opened THE MASK on my e-reader, I was a little apprehensive about the page count. I enjoy reading novellas, but this seemed to qualify as a short story at less than 50 pages according to my Nook. I soon got over this concern. Though the page count is small, the story is not. Anya Winter employs a great economy of words here, doing little to set up the physical world, and instead focusing on the main characters, their relationship, and the lovely, lovely desserts that are featured in the story.

The reader knows that the setting is some type of tasting event and the dress code seems to be BDSM formal. (Though there is no heavy BDSM play, there is mention of a club that Eve works at, and Cristian is a member there.) Corsets and chocolate permeate the room and seduction is brought to the forefront when Eve decides to make her move on the man that she has wanted.

I adored the fact that Winter made Eve's seduction first involve her incredible desserts. It was like the reader was able to participate in unique foreplay between the two characters before the sexual contact. To be honest, the scenes between Eve and Christian were smoking hot, even when they weren't naked, but there was a sensuality to their encounter that wasn't just overt sexuality.

Like the desserts that take center stage in the beginning of this book, THE MASK is delicious and naughty; the kind of book brief enough to leave a reader wanting more, just as a small square of rich chocolate or slim slice of cheesecake is guaranteed to do. I enjoyed the time I spent in Eve and Christian's world.

Even though it was short, as a contemporary erotic romance, THE MASK hit all the spots I want from this type of book. Better than that, even with this being stand-alone enough to be read without having read the first in the series beforehand, it made me want to check out THE MASTER and see what else Winter has written.

3/5 for plot
3.5/5 for characters
4/5 for language

My Rating: 10.5/15 (3 stars) Recommend


Find the author at:
Website | Twitter | GoodReads

Purchase book at:
Liquid Silver Books | Amazon


Tour Participation:

Bookish Snob Promotions: A Vampire's Deadly Delight by Liv Rancourt



I'd like to welcome Liv Rancourt to Read My Mind today. For her blog tour, sponsored by Bookish Snob Promotions, Liv has kindly provided an excerpt from her book, A VAMPIRE'S DEADLY DELIGHT!

About The Author:
Liv Rancourt is a writer of speculative fiction and romance. She lives in Seattle with her husband, two teenagers, two cats and one wayward puppy. Writing stories that have happy endings is a good way to balance her work in the neonatal intensive care unit, and she is thrilled to be publishing her first novella with Black Opal Books.



Excerpt:

There’s nothing more fun than killing a vampire…maybe…

“Better.”

In that one word I heard his tension, saw the wooden rigidity of his arms. Yeah, he wanted me. He wanted me bad. This one was strong. And old. As we stood, taking each other’s measure, I could sense the power of his years on Earth. Woo baby, I’d never done one this old. Wasn’t going to stop me, though. I reached for the short sword I kept in a sheath that was strapped to my thigh.

“Sorry we don’t have time to catch up, Shakespeare baby,” I said as I raised the blade I called Mr. Sticky. I imagined pressing it to his chest, making a quick slice up his sternum, right turn across his ribs, then back to make sure I got through his great vessels, the aorta and the vena cava. His heart would be mine. Too easy.

“Jai,” he breathed.

I stood frozen in place, my normal protection against a vampire’s vibe completely gone. They usually don’t scare me. He did. He was so old, so powerful.

Pausing is always a mistake. It gave me time to really look at him. There was something warm, something good, worked into him, one golden thread in the blackened weave of his being. All I usually saw in a vampire was dead—bone and muscle, sinew and dust. This one was different. I didn’t put Mr. Sticky away. I didn’t go for his heart, either.

It was Vivienne who blinked first. She threw the candle at the bed then dove between me and the vampire. He grabbed at her hair. I heard a snap and saw her crumple to the floor, her neck making an awkward L-shaped curve, her head at an impossible angle to her shoulder. The candle went out and before I could respond I felt the vampire leave.

Jai faded and Kristen came back.



Thanks for the sneak peek, Liv!


Readers, be sure to check out the next stop on the tour on February 10th: Stitch, Read, Cook.

Visit Liv Rancourt's website on February 15th for the final stop and a fantastic giveaway.

Come back to Read My Mind on Monday, February 13th for my review.


Kristen has a deadly secret—when she smells a vampire, she turns into Jai, a beauti-licious babe who makes vamps permanently dead. To a vamp, Jai is like ambrosia. They can’t resist her. She uses this attraction, plus her super strength and her trusty blade, Mr. Sticky, to end their undead lives. The thrill of wearing miniskirts without worrying about cellulite stifles any qualms Kristen might have about killing the undead. Being Jai is the most fun she has ever had—until they come up against the one vampire Jai can’t kill. If he and Jai have a history, as he claims, Jai can’t remember it...or him.

But when her work catches the attention of some old enemies—who won’t hesitate to destroy Kristen if it also means the end of Jai—this vampire may be their only hope. Can Kristen and Jai learn to tell the difference between good and evil in time to defeat Jai’s ancient nemesis? Or will being Jai’s hostess cost Kristen more than just a little sleep?


Tour Participation:

Photobucket

07 February, 2012

Bewitching Book Tours: L.J. DeLeon Guest Post + Giveaway



Welcome to L.J. DeLeon, author of the WARRIORS OF LIGHT series! I really enjoyed reading the first book, WARRIOR'S RISE. See my review HERE.

About The Author:
Bestselling author, LJ DeLeon is an Army brat and a world-traveled former CIA Intelligence Analyst who has seen enough of this world to appreciate other worlds. Working for the CIA was great training for writing fantasy, paranormal, and futuristic romance--and understanding the warrior mentality--amazing how real life and fiction overlap. Honor: the ultimate seduction.




Hi, I’m LJ DeLeon and am not only a writer but a bookaholic. I’m never seen without a book and will read anything put in front of me. If there isn’t a book around, I’ll read the ingredients on the back of a box.

My love of reading would come from both my parents. Mom was always reading. Dad had three books going at once—bathroom, bedroom, and family room. Once, I asked why so many at the same time? His answer was classic. Those are the rooms I spend most of my life. By having a book in each room, I don’t have to carry one with me from room-to-room. I’m more like my mother, one book at a time. My father was a career army officer. We moved so often that by the time I was in tenth grade, I was in my thirteenth school. Books were my one constant.

Christmas of 2010, my son gave me a Kindle. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. No longer were piles of books stacked on tables or the floor. My addiction is now hidden. However, to stay solvent, I get an Amazon gift card on the first of the month. That’s supposed to cover my purchases. Ha, I say. If you’re a reader, you can’t get enough books.

So, why did I become a writer? Again, it revolves around reading. We posted at the US Embassy, Berne, Switzerland and there weren’t any bookstores that carried what I loved to read—action adventure, paranormal/urban fantasy, romance, sci-fi, dystopian/post-apocalyptic, and mystery—in English and that were affordable. Once a month trips to the Stars and Strips in Heidelberg, Germany didn’t hack it. That meant, writing stories I wanted to read.

And so began my journey. I write books I love to read, cross genre action adventure/urban fantasy/paranormal romance. Out of this has come the Warriors for Light series, which is about the eternal struggle of good versus evil, made more difficult by not always knowing who is who. To quote Captain Kirk of Star Trek, “Good can triumph over evil, but it must be very, very careful.” I love complex characters, where even the good can step into shades of gray, and the bad will sometimes even surprise themselves.

There are four worlds in the series. The Abyss is the Dark Lord’s domain. hIfreann is the Goddess’ domain and that of her Paladins (the Seraphim—archangels to us norms) and the Saraph—über shapeshifters who can assume any shape but in battle are fire-breathing dragons. Otherworld is where the Fae and most other magickal creatures live. And finally, but not least, is Earth, where human norms unknowingly live beside magicks, some Fae, were-animals, and half-breeds of all the species.

Each world has its own rules and inhabitants. For the most part, they didn’t mingle until the Dark Lord decided he wanted to rule the other three worlds. Now demons roam Earth. Human norm society has been turned on its head. Belief systems are in turmoil. It has become a world where the young Eagle Scout next door just might be a were-eagle, or your favorite running back is a werewolf, or—gasp—your benign-looking Senator is a black magick mage. But worst of all, humans who have always viewed themselves as being at top food chain, suddenly discover themselves prey.

If you stop by my website www.warriorsforlight.com you can read full first chapters of Warrior’s Rise, Dragon Child, and Absolution. There is also a flash fiction/short story Deva’s Promise, which takes place on Deva’s—the heroine of Warrior’s Rise and the leader of the Army for Light—twelfth birthday. This story gives insight into why Deva reacts as she does at the mention of Harpies.


Thanks L.J. for stopping by!

I read anything too. When I was a child, my parents didn't allow books at the table, so I remember reading the same cereal box over and over, every single day, just to have something to read while I had breakfast! Now that I'm in charge, I bring my Nook to the table...


L.J. and Bewitching Book Tours are also giving away a $25 Bookstore Gift Card (winner's choice of store) during the tour. Enter via this FORM and be sure to leave a comment with an unusual place you might stash a book to enter.


Warrior's Rise
For Fae-human half-breed Deva Morgan life as she knows it changes on her thirtieth birthday. One moment she's a barkeep, the next she is a warrior fated to save Earth from the Dark Lord and his demon hoard. Shunned by both her races, she faces a danger-filled quest with few allies. Too bad her powers haven't fully emerged or stabilized.

For Deva it is life or death, on-the-job training with her companion, Padraig Neal, a Fae warrior with a shadowed past. Can he quiet the storm raging inside her, help her harness the growing power within her, and provide a barrier between Deva and a fatal outcome? Will their love be enough to save Deva and stop the Dark Lord's demons from entering Earth?

Dragon Child
A fire-breathing dragon, Moira O'Neal, was exchanged at birth for a Fae princess. Discovering the truth, she escapes the cage of the royal court and joins forces with the sexiest wereleopard on Earthworld. She fights the urge to mate and the trap that comes with it as they race against time to find the missing princess and a master of the black arts who covets her power.

Major Steve Taylor, a wereleopard in the Army for Light, partners with the impetuous Moira in the middle a dangerous mission where failure means all their deaths. Worse, his leopard decides Moira is his mate, leaving the man at war with his cat.

Absolution
He did the unforgivable. Druid Lucan Woods killed his surrogate father and best friend for the greater good. Wracked with guilt, he infiltrates a brotherhood of evil, hoping the mission is one way. Absolution may come from a missing Fae Princess, if he will accept it. Or will he reject her love and use her as a pawn in his drive to destroy the leader of the brotherhood?

Fae Princess Alanna has just learned her twin daughters are alive. She leaves hIfreann to search Earth for them. Only she can touch Luc’s heart. But will he let her? Will he open his stained soul and allow her to enter in time to save them both?


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