Books and Things

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Banned Books

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Tell Me Something Tuesday, a meme started by CambriaHebert, but now hosted on Rainy Day Ramblings. It is a chance to get to know your fellow bloggers by sharing fun stuff, discussions and more. Grab the question and post your answer on your blog and link up at

Rainy Day Ramblings

! Have fun!

This weeks question:

Let's talk banned books. How do you feel about book banning? What are some of the banned books you have read?

My confession... I don't know how many banned books I read. I just read them and don't even always find out if they are banned or not.

However...
I did purposely read Anne Frank's diary in grade school when I found out it was banned:

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annexe" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

I also was shocked to discover that Tiger Eyes (my fave Judy Blume book as a kid) was banned:

Tiger Eyes
by Judy Blume

Davey has never felt so alone in her life. Her father is dead—shot in a holdup—and now her mother is moving the family to New Mexico to try to recover. Climbing in Los Alamos Canyons, Davey meets mysterous Wolf, who seems to understand the rage and fear she feels. Slowly, with Wolf’s help, Davey realizes that she must get on with her life. But when will she be ready to leave the past behind? Will she ever stop hurting?

Heh... I wonder what those sensors will think when it comes out in movie form soon? (IMDb link) I suspect that this book will become popular again soon. But then haven't most young girls read Judy Blume? Even now with mom's telling their girls to read her, I suspect she is still popular. Plus, I do think that most of her books are banned. Another good reason to recommend her to everyone. :D

Oh and my parents didn't mind me reading banned books. They encouraged it.

The thing is, is that I know I've read a ton more than this that have been banned. Harry Potter series is banned so a lot of people have at least read one banned book. Even churches (in almost every religion) have read at least one banned book. :D

How about you? Are you more likely to read a book if it is banned?

"The fact is that censorship always defeats its own purpose, for it creates, in the end, the kind of society that is incapable of exercising real discretion... In the long run it will create a generation incapable of appreciating the difference between independence of thought and subservience." ~Henry Steel Commager

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From goodreads:

“All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently, the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.”

― George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession

AimeeKay Review and Gargoyle Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Mon, 20 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Gargoyle (The Gathering #1)
by Lorraine Beaumont
353 pages
Source: eBook for review provided by Bookish Brunette Book Tours

Briar Cliff Township - New England's best kept secret...turns out is has a few secrets of its own.

For much of the year Briar Cliff is exactly the same as any other small town snugly nestled into the forests of the New England coast. But once a year when the winds change... old stirrings arise from long kept secrets, forgotten misdeeds and a thirst for vengeance.And so the Gathering begins...Something Wicked this way comes...

So I read both Gargoyle and its ‘prequel’ Elyograg. I read them both in order.

I really enjoyed Elyograg. It was neat and innovative. The chapters were written backwards, not the words themselves, obviously, but the timeline. I really was pulled into the story and when I finished it I couldn’t wait to start Gargoyle.

That’s where everything went downhill. Elyograg is presented as “introduction into a new series” – Amazon Summery. The problem is that as I began reading Gargoyle I realized that Elyograg is actually the first few chapters of Gargoyle. Not so bad, considering I REALLY liked Elyograg, but kinda disappointed because I did expect something new.

The other problem is that after those initial chapters the writing just seemed to disintegrate. I know there is a central set of characters, but it hardly focused on them at all. It kept jumping back and forth to other characters. Introducing new ones that didn’t seem to have a point or following up with other characters, again, that didn’t seem to have anything to do with the story itself.

On top of that the story just started to become entangled in itself. The reader is given bits and pieces of what is going on and why, but not enough to really pull the story itself together. It kept jumping to introduce new mysteries, but it never really felt like the story was centered on one thing. Plus some scenes just seemed to come out of nowhere.

Maybe if the story had pulled itself together by the end I would have felt differently, but it ended in a rather drastic cliffie. (Not my favorite type of ending)

Maybe the first few chapters had more work put into them? Maybe that’s why I enjoyed them more than I enjoyed the later part of the book? I don’t know. What I do know is that by the end of the book I was extremely frustrated with the whole thing and I just wanted it to end.

Goodreads Link

Author Bio:

I am the author of the Ravenhurst Series -a time-travel paranormal romance, written with an ensemble cast of characters -Forgotten Time, Shadows of Yesterday, Time to Remember are all available now and the fourth installment Dreams of Tomorrow will be coming this year 2013.

I also write YA/contemporary urban fantasy with a kick-The Gathering Series about Gargoyles. Elyograg, Gargoyle and The Gathering Series Vol. 1 are now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Author Links:

blog: http://www.lbeaumont.blogspot.com,
twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LBeaumont_
goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5819259.Lorraine_Beaumont
pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lbeaumontbooks/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorraine.beaumont.14

Amazon Buy Link

Elyograg (The Gathering #.5)
by Lorraine Beaumont

Elyograg is the first installment in a new series about Gargoyles, it is not necessary to read this book before Gargoyle.

Briar Cliff Township- New England's best kept secret...turns out it has a few secrets of its own.

For much of the year Briar Cliff is exactly the same as any other small town snugly nestled in forests of the New England coast. But once a year when the winds change old stirrings arise from long kept secrets, forgotten misdeeds and a thirst for vengeance. And so it begins...Something wicked this way comes.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the series -these aren't your normal, everyday, ugly Gargoyle’s either. They are tortured, hot, witty and will make you wish you had one for yourself...Imagine what Edward did for Vamps; Jacob, for Wolves, and surprisingly enough, what Loki did for (swallow hard) ugly Trolls… enter a captivating world of magic, mystery, forbidden love, betrayal and sacrifice.

This is a YA/NA/Adult novel with language, violence, and sexual situations. Not recommended for readers under the age of 17.

Elyeograg (Gathering #1) is FREE on Amazon!

Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

All prizes were provided by the authors

The winner for:

is...

Janie M!

(confirmed)

The winner for:

is...

Sebella!

(confirmed)

Note:

Current Giveaway!

Click on pic above to go to sponsored post. $50 gc for Amazon
US/CAN/UK only.

Author Blog Post: Excerpt of A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Excerpt from A Shade of Vampire

I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”

I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair. Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height, broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that was far more imposing than my best friend’s.

My gaze settled on his face.

I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long time ago.

I straightened to my full height and mustered all the courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.

Big mistake.

The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a moment.

“Like what you see?”

“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed, annoyed by his audacity.

He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head toward mine.

“Don’t I have the right to be?”

He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he didn’t.

“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.

My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back, unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.

I would soon realize that I was about to play his game whether I liked it or not.

He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a frenzy.

This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.

“Tell me your name,” he commanded.

I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find myself blurting out my name in response.

“Sofia Claremont.”

As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb over my jaw line.

“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”

I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to sensing absolutely nothing.

My last conscious thought was that I may never see Ben again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can also get an exclusive FREE “sneak preview” of the first 6 chapters by clicking here!: http://forrestbooks.com/sneakpeek.html

(Make sure you check it out now because this preview will not be available for long).

Also, check out AimeeKay's review of the book HERE (hint she really enjoyed it).

A Shade of Vampire
by Bella Forrest

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

Author Bio:

I've been telling stories pretty much since I could talk. Instead of having my parents read me bed-time stories, I would prefer to share with them my own made up tales. As I grew older, I developed a passion for the fantasy genre. I’m an avid reader and a hopeless Potterhead.

If you sign up for personal email updates from me here: www.forrestbooks.com, you'll be the first to hear about my new releases.

LINKS:

Buy A Shade of Vampire from Amazon:

Add A Shade of Vampire to your Goodreads shelf:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255435-a-shade-of-vampire

Love In Bloom Blog Hop: $50 Gift Certificate from Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Thu, 16 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

Oh there are so many good romance books out there. But what about those who love a good action thriller with little to no romance. It's still love, right?

Hm...

What to do...

Well, I was contacted by the marketing dept from Appliances Online and was offered to giveaway $50 gift certificate to those that use Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (which is basically US, CAN, UK). I figured what other way to show the luv is to be able to get what you want. Right? :D Oh and check out this company. Seriously... their blog has lots of crafty ideas and they even have a Pinterest page!

Don't forget that there are a lot of other giveaways going on as well. Just go HERE for the list!

To enter fill out the rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Lucy Beck-Moreau once had a promising future as a concert pianist. The right people knew her name, her performances were booked months in advance, and her future seemed certain.

That was all before she turned fourteen.

Now, at sixteen, it's over. A death, and a betrayal, led her to walk away. That leaves her talented ten-year-old brother, Gus, to shoulder the full weight of the Beck-Moreau family expectations. Then Gus gets a new piano teacher who is young, kind, and interested in helping Lucy rekindle her love of piano -- on her own terms. But when you're used to performing for sold-out audiences and world-famous critics, can you ever learn to play just for yourself?

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr takes readers inside the exclusive world of privileged San Francisco families, top junior music competitions, and intense mentorships. The Lucy Variations is a story of one girl's struggle to reclaim her love of music and herself. It's about finding joy again, even when things don't go according to plan. Because life isn't a performance, and everyone deserves the chance to make a few mistakes along the way.

In the book we have Lucy who is a child prodigy for the piano. She was molded in her grandfathers image of what a successful musician should be, even though she was a small child. She loved the music, but when that became the only world she saw, she became tired of the whole competition scene. She missed so much and after a family betrayal, she walked away. However, can you put that much pressure on a child and expect them to decide what they will or won't do for the rest of their life at the age of 15/16? It's this theme as well as growing into adulthood is what the book is all about.

There were some parts that people may not like. There was some very close to inappropriate behavior from the older adult crushes she had. It never went too far, however, and they also became springboards for her growth. It also made sense that she would have these crushes on older adults since her childhood was filled with adults and looking for that approval from them. She had to grow and relearn much of what may have otherwise come naturally.

I do admit I didn't like Will, an older prodigy who helps her get back to what she loved who does skate closer to the inappropriate behavior than any other character. His manipulations were angering, but I loved the way Lucy handled it in the end. So, I thought her behavior in the end was more adult than then adults that surrounded her. Lucy had great character growth. She does adress his behavior in a very adult manner. Much more adult than Will showed. Without that growth, I'd have to say I would have not liked this book at all.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is a good character growth book and a good music book. It's about finding out who you are and what you love in life.

I received this eARC from Little Brown and no compensation for my review was given.

Headed For Trouble (Troubleshooters #16.5) by Suzanne Brockmann

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann, whom USA Today calls “the reigning queen of military suspense,” breaks out a rapid-fire collection of pulse-pounding, heart-tugging stories and novellas featuring the intrepid men and women of Troubleshooters Inc., fiction’s hottest ultimate counterterrorism squad.

• Tough-as-nails Troubleshooters operative Sam Starrett learns the agony of loving someone in danger—and the hell of waiting on the home front—as his wife, Alyssa, hurtles into a foreign hotspot that’s about to boil over.

• Navy SEAL Frank O’Leary’s ill-fated holiday reunion with his older brother takes a turn for the better—when a chance encounter on a rainy New Orleans street gives Frank a reason to be thankful after all.

• In a maze of tunnels deep beneath a military base in Germany, Jules Cassidy, Alyssa Locke, and their comrades in arms match wits with terrorists on a mission with explosive consequences.

Plus more never-before-released adventures featuring Jenk, Izzy, Gillman, Lopez, Kenny, Savannah, and other members of SEAL Team 16—along with Suzanne Brockmann’s exclusive interviews with her beloved characters.

Looking for the best kind of trouble? You’ve found it!

This isn't actually a book for me... yet. This is a collection of stories, shorts, that give you a bit more insight to the characters in the Troubleshooters series. I haven't read them, but they are on my wishlist. I think that someone in the same predicament like me should hold off on reading this one, but go ahead and get it. Why? Because a lot of the stories happen early on in the series and you would have this book to fill in some of the gaps or just to enhance what you learned about them. There is a guide as to when these stories fit, so it is a perfect companion to reading the series. Unfortunately for those that haven't quite got to book 1 yet, it doesn't quite fit. You really do need at least some knowledge of the characters to really get into these shorts.

One thing I did discover while reading the shorts is that I do like the women in the stories. Often with romantic suspense the woman is a frail thing needing to be taken care of. While this isn't a horrible story, I tend to usually not like the women as much and they sometimes come off as whiny. In these stories often the women are working along side the men in covert operations or have their own case. These are women who could stand on their own and even save the men on occasion. I do think I will like that when I get into the stories.

I don't want to give the book stars. I think I would better keep the book and reread it when I start up the series. I think that would give me a better handle on the stories within this book.

I received this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers and no compensation for my review was given.

I have been enjoying this meme on Felicia's The Geeky Blogger's blog and have finally found some time to join in. The other players are Amanda from On a Book Bender, Christi from Smitten with Reading. Button made by Missie at The Unread Reader

Yep, I nominate this nice cover for ToT even though we don't get eyes and the writing is a bit in the way... ;)

Loki's Wolves (The Blackwell Pages #1) by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok, that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters--wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds, all bent on destroying the world.

The gods died a long time ago.

Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history--because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke.

However, knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids--led by Matt--will stand in for the gods in the final battle, he can hardly believe it. Matt, Laurie, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

This is an MG book. I know I don't often read MG, but when you have Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr as the authors I have to at least check it out. I'm glad that I did. Even adults will probably enjoy this tale.

What I think I most enjoyed about this tale was that it didn't talk down to the reader. They used the norse terms (which I'll never be able to pronounce properly) and didn't shy away from the proper spelling... not even to make it phonetically pronounceable. I liked that because we don't get that in adult literature and it doesn't bother me to butcher it in my head (sorry Icelanders...) and it doesn't slow down my reading my getting the proper pronunciation either. Small quibble that I have, but I've seen books have to draw out everything before so I was glad it wasn't present here. It treated you like you could figure it out for yourself.

The adventure was also engaging. We follow 3 friends... or new to being friends and they start to see each other outside the labels they were encouraged to be used while in their small town. They find out there is more to the person than just their reputation and trust slowly develops. I also loved it when a character found out they were wrong and then admitted it to the others. Adults could use a lesson in that. :)

My biggest complaint is that some of the pacing seemed a bit off. I think it could have been a bit tighter and really made the pages really fly especially for the younger crowd. Still, I think both boys and girls can be really engaged with this one and find someone to connect. The ending is a bit of a cliffie, but yet didn't bother me like some. Still, it will leave you with a huge question at the end and a want for the next book.

I give this book 4 stars. It's a good start to a MG adventure and I think all ages will have fun with the adventure.

I received this ARC from Atom and no compensation for my review was given.

AimeeKay Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

I really wasn't sure if I would like this one or not. Then I heard that it was in 1st person POV....that really had me worried. It is VERY rare that I find a book in 1st person that is written well enough for me to enjoy it. So I fussed and fretted and finally just forced myself to tap on the cover and begin reading it.

I then kicked myself 'cause I should have started reading it sooner!

It was really good. My biggest issue, the POV thing, yea it turns out that not only is it written in 1st person from Sofias POV, but also from Derek's as well. It was very well written and I found myself not minding at all. There's even a last part that is told from a completely different characters POV and that worked out as well.

As for my second biggest issue. I really wasn't sure if I would like the story based on the book blurb. This is what I got from the blurb:

Basically some girl who is JUST turning 17, literally is 16 the night she is kidnapped, is forced into a HAREM and she must find a way to keep on the vampire lords good side so that she can stay in his HAREM and not die.

I guess it was the harem word and that she was just turning 17 that really got to me. I'm not going to delude myself. I was 16 once. I know that teenagers are not pure and virginal until they are married, but I don't know, it just bothered me that there was this all powerful vampire lord putting a girl that is just turning 17 into his harem....*shrug*

So I basically went into this one expecting to have issues, however I was pleasantly surprised. If Sofia was treated as an object on the island it was because of her being the next meal, not as a sex toy. Yes it is ok with me if she is treated as food. Sorry it's a vampire novel. My review, my opinion. There relationship between Sofia and Derek was very PG/PG13. In fact the whole book was kinda that way. Even the references to sex weren't that explicit. Yes people die, and people have horrible things done to them, but there isn't gore or terror or explicit sex.

I truly expected this to be a romance novel. Don't get me wrong there is romance. But there is so much more to the story than that. I think that is the main reason I enjoyed it so much. If it had been strictly romance or even clean sex I wouldn't have enjoyed it simply because of my above mentioned issues. But because the author took the time to develop the characters and you got to see inside both Sofia's and Derek's heads, because the author made it about more than just them, this book really got my attention and held it.

Would I read the next book? Definitely. Would I let my teenage daughters read this one? Yes.
I definitely recommend it whether you are a teen or an adult. Don't let the blurb turn you off or the anything you've heard about the POV, etc. Give this one a chance to win you over before passing it by. I am definitely glad I did.

Buy A Shade of Vampire from Amazon:

Add A Shade of Vampire to your Goodreads shelf:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17255435-a-shade-of-vampire

Bloggy Note:
Come back on the 17th for an excerpt of this book!

Throwback Thursday: Spellcrackers.com

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Thu, 09 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Meme hosted by Melissa My World in Words and Pages. It's about books that are already on the shelves and are waiting to be read. Go to her website to join in!

My submission this week:

The Sweet Scent of Blood
(Spellcrackers.com #1)
by Suzanne McLeod

Genevieve Taylor is a sidhe - one of the noble fae - and she's unusual even in a London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins and scheming lesser fae mix freely with humanity...

Genny is a rising star at Spellcrackers.com, where she finds the "M" in magic - which can mean anything from mischief to malice to murder. The spellcrackers are run by the Witch Council, whose ancient tenets prohibit any contact with vampires. And that's just fine with Genny, who wants as little to do with the bloodsuckers as possible.

But when a sinfully sexy vamp is accused of killing his lover, an old debt forces Genny to help prove his innocence, risking her job, her safety - and the exposure of her own dark secrets. Genny soon realizes that she and her client are both unwitting pawns in a centuries-old power struggle. And it's not just her own neck at stake but the lives of all of London's supernatural beings.

and...

The Cold Kiss of Death
(Spellcrackers.com #2)
by Suzanne McLeod

All Genny wants is to live the quiet life and to do her job at Spellcrackers.com, but there's her tangled personal life to sort out first. She's being haunted by ghosts who want her help. Her witch neighbours want her evicted. Genny's sort-of-Ex - and now her new boss - can't decide whether he wants their relationship to be business or pleasure. And then there's the queue of vampires all wanting her to paint the town red - how long will it be before they stop taking no for an answer? But when one of her human friends is murdered by sidhe magic, Genny is determined to find the killer. She needs help to find the real murderer, and that means calling on some of the most capricious and seductive fae - but her search is hindered by the vampires, who have their own political agenda. All the evidence points to Genny - she's the only sidhe fae in London - and she's named the main suspect; it's not long before she's on the run, not just from the police, but from some of London's most powerful supernaturals.

Heard such great things about this series and I seriously need to start it before I get too far behind on the series.

Any like this on your tbr?

Btw, don't forget to check out the 2 international giveaways going on now:

Click on banner to go to that post!

Author Blog Post: Dianne Duvall with Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Wed, 08 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Thank you for joining me today! I’m so happy to be here at Books and Things, celebrating the release of PREDATORY, the anthology that contains my Immortal Guardians novella “In Still Darkness”, along with stories by Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, and Hannah Jayne!

“In Still Darkness” features Richart d’Alençon, a two-hundred-and-thirty-year-old immortal warrior who spends his nights hunting and destroying psychotic vampires. Though his brother and sister are also immortal, Richart nevertheless considers it a lonely existence . . . until he rescues charming single mother Jenna McBride and is rewarded with a scorching kiss. Unable to resist her lure (or forget that kiss), he daringly attempts what few other immortals have tried: He attempts to carry on a traditional courtship while keeping his vampire hunting profession, as well as his immortality, a secret. Alas, it doesn’t go very smoothly. :-) Here’s an excerpt to give you a little glimpse of their first meeting:

Excerpt

Richart stumbled backward and wrapped his arms around the woman to keep her from falling.

Clinging to the front of his shirt, she buried her face in his chest. “Is he gone?”

“Yes,” he responded, surprised she was so coherent. When vampires and immortals turned, glands formed above the retractable fangs they grew that released a chemical much like GHB under the pressure of a bite. So she should be slurring her words.

Hell, he was surprised she still stood.

“What about the others?”

“They’re gone,” he assured her. Or they would be soon. A quick glance confirmed that they were shriveling up like mummies as the virus, unable to heal their wounds fast enough to keep them from dying, devoured them from the inside out in a desperate bid to live. By the time it finished, nothing would remain of them save the clothing and jewelry they wore.

Weaving on her feet, the woman straightened and looked up at him. She couldn’t be much more than five feet tall and he was six foot one. “Y-your eyes are glowing.”

Her pupils were dilated, blocking out almost all of the pale green, leaving only a few flakes of brown.

Richart retracted his fangs. “Yes. I know it looks bad, but—”

She shook her head. “I think they’re beautiful.”

Was that the drug talking? Or did she really think so?

“You saved me,” she said, awe and gratitude in her melodic voice. Loosening her death grip on his shirt, she cupped his face in both hands.

His heart skipped.

When was the last time a woman had touched his face so tenderly?

When was the last time a woman had touched him at all? Other than his sister punching him in the shoulder, doing her damnedest to kick his ass when they sparred, or doling out a hug here or there, he honestly couldn’t remember.

“Thank you,” the woman whispered. Rising onto her toes, she drew his head down and brushed her lips against his.

The contact hit him like an electrical shock. His heart began to pound as she tilted her head and increased the pressure, brushing, stroking. She combed her fingers through his short, black hair, sending shivers through him.

He parted his lips, met her tongue with his when she boldly thrust hers forward.

Pure heat.

She leaned into him, clutched him tighter.

His body hardened. His breath shortened. His arms tightened around her.

Her knees went limp. Her lips tore away from his as her head fell back. Her eyes closed. Her mouth hung open, lips pink from kissing him.

Richart stared down at her as his pulse pounded in his ears.

Yeah. She was out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Predatory

Four of today's most exciting paranormal authors take readers into the thrilling realm of vampires, immortals, and other supernatural beings with a thirst for illicit desire...

Out Of Control by Alexandra Ivy

Ph.D student Angela Locke has a crush on her sexy professor, Dr. Nikolo Bartrev. When she learns he's actually a Sentinel with extraordinary powers, she joins forces with him to catch a psychopath. But soon, their hottest pursuit is of each other...

Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs

Cassie Tyler agrees to sub for her friend at the funeral home where she works. But she gets more than she bargained for when a group of men attack her and a vampire comes to her rescue. . .

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Immortal Richart d'Alençon can't forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he saved her from a trio of vampires. While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist. . .

High Stakes by Hannah Jayne

When vampire fashionista Nina LaShay's design contest rival is found dead, she's the prime suspect. Sexy photographer Pike is number two. He's the kind of man who makes Nina salivate. But will she have to reveal herself to have him--and to save them both? Or does Pike have a secret of his own?
(my review of Predatory)

Bio

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Her debut novel DARKNESS DAWNS was nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews, for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire by The Romance Reviews, and for Best Book of 2011 by Long and Short Reviews. NIGHT REIGNS, the second book in her Immortal Guardians series, was declared an "utterly addictive" Top Pick by RT Book Reviews. PHANTOM SHADOWS, the third book in the series, was deemed a Top Pick by both The Romance Reviews and by Night Owl Reviews. DARKNESS RISES, Immortal Guardians Book 4, will be released on October 1, 2013.

When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and once even appeared onscreen as a machete-wielding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.

Find Dianne on the Internet

Website: http://www.dianneduvall.com

Blog: http://dianneduvall.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianneDuvallAuthor

Youtube: http://www.youtube

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DianneDuvall

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dianneduvall

One winner will receive a signed copy of her choice of one of the first three Immortal Guardians books —DARKNESS DAWNS, NIGHT REIGNS, or PHANTOM SHADOWS — plus Immortal Guardians swag. It's international too!

Don't forget to follow the tour for more chances at winning!
Predatory Tour

Just fill out the rafflecopter form to enter for this giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Predatory by Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Dianne Duvall, Hannah Jayne

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Tue, 07 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Four of today's most exciting paranormal authors take readers into the thrilling realm of vampires, immortals, and other supernatural beings with a thirst for illicit desire...

Out Of Control by Alexandra IvyPh.D

Student Angela Locke has a crush on her sexy professor, Dr. Nikolo Bartrev. When she learns he's actually a Sentinel with extraordinary powers, she joins forces with him to catch a psychopath. But soon, their hottest pursuit is of each other...

Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs

Cassie Tyler agrees to sub for her friend at the funeral home where she works. But she gets more than she bargained for when a group of men attack her and a vampire comes to her rescue. . .

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall (Immortal Guardians #3.5)

Immortal Richart d'Alençon can't forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he saved her from a trio of vampires. While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist...

High Stakes by Hannah Jayne

When vampire fashionista Nina LaShay's design contest rival is found dead, she's the prime suspect. Sexy photographer Pike is number two. He's the kind of man who makes Nina salivate. But will she have to reveal herself to have him--and to save them both? Or does Pike have a secret of his own?

I know that some people enjoy anthologies and some don't. I admit, I fall into the former category. I like introductions to new worlds that I want to visit because it is part of a series I want to read or just visiting worlds just invented for the short story. I also think that short stories are very hard to write. You have to develop a connection and a world in a very short time. So when it works, I really enjoy it.

In this anthology 2 of the 4 stories was an introduction to a new series and another one was part of an already established series. These were my favorites. Out of Control brings us an interesting world where people develop paranormal abilities and are separated from the "norms". It's a great start to the series and has me interested in further stories. In some way the romance felt a bit forced due to the length, but yet still kept my interest. I'm very curious as to how this world evolves within the series. I'm looking forward to reading it.

In Ties That Bind, I think this one isn't an introduction to a new series. I thought it really started off with a bang and was very gritty and gothic. Much darker than most PNR you read. However, it sort of got a bit funny to me when what kills others is the beauty of the vampire. Some may eye roll at this and some may actually love the creativity within. I did both, but was entertained no matter what my eyes were doing.

In Still Darkness is a part of an established series (Immortal Guardians) which I have read and reviewed. I love this world and the stories and this one was just so much fun going back to that world and learning about another character. You don't have to have read the others to get it, but it makes it just that much more fun if you had. If you love this series (like me) then you will really love this short.

High Stakes is a fun PNR with a lot of tongue in cheek. I suspect I will like this series much better when there is more time to really explore the mysteries surrounding the main character Nina. I also think I will have more fun with a longer novel as it should really bring out Nina's snark. I can see the beginnings of excellent snark... can't wait to see how it is even better pulled off.

All in all I give this anthology 4 stars. Like other anthologies you will enjoy some more than others, but in all, it was an entertaining book. Great for introductions to other PNR worlds which is what I think this book was all about. It pulled it off nicely. :)

I received this eARC from the publisher and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.

Bloggy note:

Come back tomorrow for a blog post and a great giveaway from Dianne Duvall!

Bronze Gods Blog Tour and Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

The Criminal Investigation Division of the great city of Dorstaad doesn't normally allow just anyone access to their case files, but after several days of aggressive negotiations (bribery may or may not have been involved), a group of curious bloggers, Books and Things included, has been allowed to rummage through some of the more peculiar cases that their top inspectors, Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko, have worked on. While we were there, mostly unsupervised, we poked around more than was strictly permissible and found some of their personal correspondence as well. It goes without saying that neither of them was present at the time. I like my limbs right where they are, thank you very much.

Btw, I'm totally throwing Maja under the bus if the detectives catch on to my involvement. It was her idea. Just a fair warning, Maja... ;)

(click on the pics to make larger if needed)

The notes tell a story which starts at the Nocturnal Library, and continues on all the other tour stops, so make sure to check them all out. You can find the links below.

(my review of their case)

Tour schedule:

April 30th The Nocturnal Library

May 1st Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings

May 2nd Jenny @ Supernatural Snark

May 3rd Mary @ Book Swarm

May 6th Melissa @ Books and Things

May 7th Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Bronze Gods

Hy Breasil is grimmer than it used to be.

Before the Architect closed the door, there were regular crossings, and a great war decimated both humans and Ferishers. The native fae who refused to treat with the invaders faded; their bodies withered and died, stranding them as hungry, angry spirits that haunt the countryside.

That means there’s always trouble brewing in Dorstaad.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work for the Criminal Investigation Department, keeping citizens safe from things that go bump in the night. He’s a hardboiled cynic with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s determined to justify her promotion as the first female detective in her division. Together, they’re trying to keep a black tide from drowning the city.

But when the second body surfaces, murdered with the same type of infernal device, the entire CID must face the truth. There’s a madman on the loose, twining magic and blood… and only Mikani and Ritsuko can unravel the intricate, lethal conspiracy before the Royale killer completes his macabre plan, unleashing old, forbidden magic on an unsuspecting populace. If the maniac succeeds, it could mean the end of everything…

Author bio:

A.A. Aguirre is the pseudonym for Ann & Andres Aguirre, a husband-wife writing team. She specializes in compelling characters; he excels at meticulous worldbuilding. By day, she's a USA Today bestselling novelist, and he is a pharmaceuticals tycoon.

Born in Mexico, Andres spent his early years traveling and getting in trouble everywhere else. Along the way, he got a degree from Pepperdine in economics and international business. Ann was born in the Midwest and has a degree in English Literature from Ball State. She's traveled less than Andres and gotten into less trouble, but scaling Macchu Pichu should count for something, right?

Now settled, if not fully domesticated, Andres lives with his love, Ann, their fantastic kids, one whiny cat, and two wistful dogs.

Curious yet? Mystery getting to you? *evil laugh* Well, you are in luck! Ann has graciously let me give away one signed book and it's INTERNATIONAL! What do you have to do to win? Well, you don't have to get your scoobie on, you just have to fill out the rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bronze Gods (Apparatus Infernum #1) by A. A. Aguirre

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Hy Breasil is grimmer than it used to be.

Before the Architect closed the door, there were regular crossings, and a great war decimated both humans and Ferishers. The native fae who refused to treat with the invaders faded; their bodies withered and died, stranding them as hungry, angry spirits that haunt the countryside.

That means there’s always trouble brewing in Dorstaad.

Janus Mikani and Celeste Ritsuko work for the Criminal Investigation Department, keeping citizens safe from things that go bump in the night. He’s a hardboiled cynic with an uncanny sixth sense; she’s determined to justify her promotion as the first female detective in her division. Together, they’re trying to keep a black tide from drowning the city.

But when the second body surfaces, murdered with the same type of infernal device, the entire CID must face the truth. There’s a madman on the loose, twining magic and blood… and only Mikani and Ritsuko can unravel the intricate, lethal conspiracy before the Royale killer completes his macabre plan, unleashing old, forbidden magic on an unsuspecting populace. If the maniac succeeds, it could mean the end of everything…

This book is steampunk but does not go overboard with the mechanicals. I know that some people either look for those things or are wary. In this world it has more the "flavor" of steampunk and fantasy but still comes off more a UF mystery. Let me just say, it is a very interesting world indeed!

In this book Mikani and Ritsuko are our two main inspectors in which we follow this murder mystery. They are tasked with finding out who and why rather quickly even when there seems to be no road in which to follow. Both are good at relying on each other and together they are a formidable force. In other words, very complimentary. So, when there was a hint of romance between the two, I admit I was not in favor of the development. In fact, I was wishing the opposite. However, since this was anything but insta-love, things slowly developed between the two of them. I then found myself rooting for the relationship.

Mystery lovers will enjoy this tale I think the most. The way things were sussed out and the way they applied their minds together was quite interesting. I really enjoyed the ride trying to help them figure out who was killing and why. In the end, I was convinced I was right, but was lead expertly to the wrong conclusion. In fact one I had suspected and dismissed played a bigger role than I thought and it all ended up making sense.

I think my only complaint was the POV shifts. It was a bit abrupt between Mikani and Ritsuko at times, but not so much I couldn't easily figure out who was who. What I did enjoy the most were the characters. All well drawn out including the secondary characters. In fact, I'm quite curious about Theron. He has become a fascinating character to me.

I give this book 4 stars. I recommend it to those that like steampunk, fantasy, UF and especially mystery books. Yea, it's a fun ride for all. :D

I received this eARC from the author and no compensation for my review was given.

Bloggy note:

Come back Monday (6th) for a author blog post and giveaway!

Tour schedule:

April 30th The Nocturnal Library

May 1st Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings

May 2nd Jenny @ Supernatural Snark

May 3rd Mary @ Book Swarm

May 6th Melissa @ Books and Things

May 7th Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Winner: Showers of Books

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

The winner for:

3 books in the Horngate Witches series

is...

Katie!

(confirmed!)

Congrats!!!

More giveaways coming soon! 2 really good giveaways next week, both international! :D

Throwback Thursday: Sealed With a Curse

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Meme hosted by Melissa My World in Words and Pages. It's about books that are already on the shelves and are waiting to be read. Go to her website to join in!

My submission this week:

Sealed With a Curse
by Cecy Robson

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They're the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…

The Wird sisters are content to avoid the local vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region—until one of them blows up a vampire in self-defense. Everyone knows vampires aren't aggressive, and killing one is punishable by death. But soon more bloodlust-fueled attacks occur, and the community wonders if the vampires of Tahoe are plague-ridden.

Celia reluctantly agrees to help Misha, the handsome leader of an infected vampire family. But Aric, the head of the werewolf pack determined to destroy Misha's family to keep the area safe, warns Celia to stay out of the fight. Caught between two hot alphas, Celia must find a way to please everyone, save everyone, and—oh, yeah—not lose her heart to the wrong guy or die a miserable death. Because now that the evil behind the plague knows who Celia is, he's coming for her and her sisters.

This Wird girl has never had it so tough.

I won this one from Between Dreams and Reality. So can't wait to get to it.

Any self-professed weird books on your tbr? :)

Slightly Early Review: Icons (Icons #1) by Margaret Stohl

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

(slightly early...)

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Bestselling author Margaret Stohl delivers the first book in a heart-pounding series set in a haunting new world where four teens must piece together the mysteries of their pasts -- in order to save the future.

This was an interesting mix of genre. It was primarily dystopian but with a sci-fi flair. It's also written in a way you get hints of the immediate future but was also supposed to throw you off of any conclusions. I enjoyed the world, but I admit the parts ment to throw me actually helped me piece together what was coming as well as what was going on. So when the curtain was finally pulled back I was not surprised. However, I was entertained throughout the book.

One of my biggest pet peeves lately with the YA genre have been with the now tired cliché of the love triangle. Although the romance here is slight, it still presents itself with a triangle developing. In fact, this triangle develops, falls apart and then develops again. This was probably my least favorite part of the book.

My second complaint was with the other characters of the book. We mostly seem to get Dolly (which makes sense because we follow her) and Lucas. I was actually VERY interested in Tima and wanted to know more about her. I would have also liked Ro to be fleshed out a bit more. He was a bit too one dimensional and I suspect he could surprise us with greater depth. However, this being book one in this series it wasn't a huge complaint. I'm willing to let the others unfold for me as the story is being told.

In the end I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I recommend the book for those that enjoy a YA dystopian adventure. The book kept me interested and entertained and I do want to know if they will win in the end. Yep, I do want that next book. :)

I received this ARC from Little, Brown Books and no compensation for my review was given.

The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2) by Julie Kagawa

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

Although it took me a minute to catch back up in the story (too long between books... but then again any waiting time is sometimes too long...) but once I did I had fun with this book. This book picks up right after the first book and we find ourselves on the journey we left. As she continues on her single minded journey she runs into an old acquaintance and this alters her goal slightly. This is where I started enjoying myself the most. One word... Jackal!

Oh in the first book Jackal was a heartless bastard. In this one he's just a bastard. He made me laugh and I just loved his snark. Granted I understood why Allie wanted to remove his tongue from time to time, but I really enjoyed his snark within this book. I hope he's in the next book as much as this one... it would be sad to not have him stirring things up when they don't need to be stirred. :D

The ending you are left with a twist and a huge tease for the next book. It's not a cliffie, but you will want the next book fairly quickly. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to Kagawa fans as well as those that like older YA.

I received this eARC from the publisher and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.

Alternate covers:

(YaY! They were more accurate with the cover model)

The Sweetest Dark (The Sweetest Dark #1) by Shana Abé

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”
Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.

This book starts out with Lora, without memory, as a 10 yr. old child on the streets of London. Soon after, with the charity of nearby folks, she finds her way into an orphanage. A few years later and as war looms Lorna finds herself with an opportunity for learning at a privileged boarding school. She also finds herself amongst someone else just as strange as herself. This kicks of the start of figuring out who she truly can become.

Reading more like a historical YA I slid into the lyrical writing of the author and found myself at the beginning of a mystery. The mystery of Lorna. Not just who she was and where she came from, but what she was. I loved the writing, but still felt a bit apart from the characters even though I liked them from the beginning. Still the writing itself engaged me.

The writing isn't the only thing that engaged me, but the mystery of Lorna. Why she perceives things in the way that she does, where she came from... what it all means. During the mystery a letter suddenly appears becomes quite confusing. It seemed to have no part in the tale. You wonder about the editing, but it seems purposeful. As frustrating as this was, as confusing as it was, it also made me curious. Trusting the author I knew it would be of import and slowly the pieces came together. As the parts came together so did my connection to all the major players in the mystery. The letter also finds it's place of import. I also found myself not wanting to put the book down.

I give this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed Shana Abé's writing. Although this book ends fully and feels like a standalone, it is actually part of a series and I can't wait to read the next installment. I'm now on the lookout for other books by this author as well.

I received this eARC from the publisher and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.

Mark of the Sylph (Demons of Infernum #2) by Rosalie Lario Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Half-demon Taeg is desperate to free his pregnant sister-in-law, who is spellbound to an indestructible book that will create an army of the undead. He is convinced that an ancient sword can destroy the book and the spell forever, but this relic has been hidden for a millennia by a powerful glamour. The clock begins to run out on his search when an old rival goes after the book and Taeg’s family in his quest for revenge.

Librarian Maya Flores has a secret: she’s immune to magic and is well aware of the supernatural beings prowling the streets of New York City. Haunted by a brutal demon attack that took her family, she is on a one-woman mission to destroy the evil demons who did it—and any others who get in her way.

Maya is Taeg’s best hope for uncovering the sword.

Unfortunately, she wants nothing more than to kill him. As he fights for her trust and to save his family, she is forced to face the truth that not all demons are evil. And the worst part? She might be falling in love with one, too.

My Review:

I read the first book in this series, Blood of the Demon, (review linked) but that was quite some time ago. So, I forgot most of what had happened. Luckily for me the book was written in a way that I wouldn't have had to read the first book to understand this world (although that never stopped me before... LOL). However, toward the end of the book, some of the things came back to me. Still, I would call this one a standalone, but you will probably want to go back to read that first book.

I did like both the main characters Maya and Taeg. However, a good portion of the book was dedicated to both Maya and Taeg wanting to get together and yet pushing each other away. I know that a lot of people like this kind of tension, but after a bit... for me, it got old. Even after saying that, I have to admit that there needed to be quite a bit of that or I wouldn't have bought her trusting him at all. It's a hard balance to create. I also thought that she trusted him too early in the game. Even so, in the end her trust didn't feel false. I know, I do sound a bit conflicted with this book but that's not always a bad thing. :) It kept my curiosity going.

In the end I give this book 3 stars. I find myself really liking the world here and I really liked the characters including the secondary characters. I'm guessing all the brothers will get a book and I'll happily read them all. I recommend this series to PNR fans.

I received this eARC from the publisher and no compensation for my review was given.

Find Mark of the Sylph on:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

About the author:

Formally trained as a corporate and real estate lawyer, I practiced law for 5 years before finally admitting to myself that negotiating contracts wasn’t nearly as fun as dreaming up stories. As an avid reader of romances and supernatural stories, I knew I wanted to write urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Tales of vampires, demons, and other supernatural beings ensued.

I’m currently working on the Demons of Infernum series, a series of paranormal romance novels featuring four sexy half-demon brothers and their reluctant heroines.

When not writing, I enjoy spending time with my husband and son in our home state of Florida, as well as searching out things that go bump in the night. I still haven’t found any, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

If I ever do find evidence of the supernatural, it remains to be seen whether I’ll jump around in excitement, or run screaming in terror (but I’m betting on the latter)!

Find Rosalie at:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

There is a tour-wide giveaway!

Deets:

3 Prize Packs (3 Winners from within the US) and 1 book retailer gift card worth $20 for an international winner.

Prize Pack Includes:

1 autographed copy of Blood of the Demon (Demons of Infernum #1)
1 autographed copy of Mark of the Sylph (Demons of Infernum #2)
1 autographed copy of For Love of an Angel (Fallen Warriors #1) ~ 35,000 word novella
1 ruby heart angel-wing necklace (like the one worn by the heroine Ruby in Angel’s Kiss, Fallen Warriors #4)
1 nifty double-sided, tasseled bookmark
1 Blood of the Demon refrigerator magnet
Virtual XOXOs from Rosalie (lol…priceless)

INT Giveaway

$20 Gift Card to the Book Retailer of Winner's Choice
More virtual love from Rosalie :-)

To enter

Fill out rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Throwback Thursday: Jane Yellowrock

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Meme hosted by Melissa My World in Words and Pages. It's about books that are already on the shelves and are waiting to be read. Go to her website to join in!

This weeks submission:

Blood Cross
(Jane Yellowrock #2)
by Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock is back on the prowl against the children of the night...

The vampire council has hired skinwalker Jane Yellowrock to hunt and kill one of their own who has broken sacred ancient rules — but Jane quickly realizes that in a community that is thousands of years old, loyalties run deep...

With the help of her witch best friend and local vigilantes, Jane finds herself caught between bitter rivalries — and closer than ever to the secret origin of the entire vampire race. But in a city of old grudges and dark magic, Jane will have to fight to protect both sides, even if no one will protect her.

Oh I read the first book, Skinwalker (review linked) and really enjoyed it. I can't wait to dive into this one. I won it recently and I need to catch up on this series!

So, what is on your UF tbr?

Btw, looking for a good UF series to get into? I'm currently running a giveaway for the Horngate Witches series (first 3 books in the series!). Just go HERE for the post to enter! US only.
If PNR is more your style, come back tomorrow for a review and a blog tour-wide giveaway (that one has both a US and Intl giveaway)!

Showers of Books Giveaway Hop: Horngate Witches series!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 +0000

I'm giving away 3 books in the Horngate Witches series (reviews linked)! Yep, that is the first 3 books in the UF series to ONE winner.

The books:

Bitter Night
(Horngate Witches #1)
by Diana Pharaoh Francis

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon — a Shadowblade — and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances — including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him — and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right — if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....

Crimson Wind
(Horngate Witches #2)
by Diana Pharaoh Francis

THERE ARE GOOD GUYS. THERE ARE BAD GUYS. AND THEN THERE’S MAX. Max knows what trusting the wrong person can cost you. Her former friend Giselle, a powerful witch, enslaved Max years ago, turning her into a Shadowblade—a deadly warrior compelled to fight for Giselle. But there’s more at stake now than Max’s thirst for revenge. The Guardians, overseers of the magical world, have declared war on humanity and on any witches not standing with them. Max and Giselle have come to an uneasy truce in order to protect what’s left of Horngate, their coven’s home. Max would do anything for Horngate—even give herself over to a mysterious otherworldly creature in the nearby mountains in exchange for his help. But first, she intends to save the mortal family she left behind. And Alexander, the Shadowblade warrior who could be her closest ally or her deadliest enemy, is going with her.

On a road trip into the unknown, Max and Alexander face wild magic, desperate enemies, and battles that bruise both body and soul. But the greatest challenge will come from unexpected revelations that test everything Max believes about who she is—and where her loyalties lie...

Shadow City
(Horngate Witches #3)
by Diana Pharaoh Francis

The world is falling apart. The magical apocalypse has come. Now is the time to guard the covenstead against both raiders and refugees. But Max has been stolen by a powerful demi-god who is determined to force her to find a way to use a magical power she never knew she had—even if it kills her. Meanwhile, back in Horngate, a Fury is birthing. When the creature breaks free of the fragile bonds that enclose her, her rage will scour the covenstead from the earth. Max finds herself in the Shadow City, a place of mysteries and magic, where she must battle for her freedom or become a slave to creatures of dreadful greed and power. Back in Horngate, Alexander must swallow his anger and pride if he hopes to defeat the Fury, a creature that no one has ever successfully fought before.

In the end, it will be courage, friendship, faith and loyalty that win the day. Or else so one will live to see tomorrow.

The fourth book, Blood Winter, which is NOT a part of the giveaway was recently published. Just think, you could be totally prepared for that book (review linked in title)!

Btw, don't forget to go to the rest of the participants in this hop! If you need the addy for the list just go HERE!

I'm footing the bill for the giveaway, so it's US only. To enter for the 3 pb books, just fill out the rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain #2) by Amanda Carlson

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...

This book picks up right after the last book left off. It is the journey you were expecting and it did not disappoint. Lots of action and adventure in harrowing circumstances. In fact it was nearly never ending. It makes sense since the evil Selene wouldn't give up her prize easily. You also get some more insight into the world in which they live and you are also learning with the rest of them. Most of the things weren't known to the weres because they had no need to learn them. The group realizes now that is a mistake. So, I suspect we will be getting even more in depth world learning as the series progresses.

We also learn more about Jessica's abilities and we meet more secondary characters. Danny is the comic relief and I can't wait to see more of him. We also meet some vampires and we really get to know the detective, Ray who gave her hell in the last book. With those characters you appropriately like the ones you are supposed to and even warm up to the others except the evil ones. :) My only complaint is that you know no more about Rourke in this book than in the first. Very frustrating but also something to look forward!

I give this adventure 4 stars. I enjoyed it and it reminded me a lot of the Persephone Alcmedi series I recently reviewed. Both have a strong intelligent female with great power who is prophesied to bring justice to the world. I'm enjoying that angle. One warning.... this book also ends with a sort of cliffie. I actually don't like this. The adventure is complete, but the start of the next series is the ending of this one as it was in the first book. I would have liked it better if she stopped one chapter back. I would have still craved that next book (without frustration!). This book is out today!

I received this book from the publisher and NetGalley and no compensation for my review was given.

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1) by Amanda Carlson

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

I have to say that I throughly enjoyed this book. In fact it just took me a little over a day to finish it because I just had to know what happened next. It's a fun UF with a good dose of PNR. I really enjoyed the pace of the book which was quite fast. It seems that like other heroines, Jessica has nothing but trouble coming her way.

What I do think I enjoyed most was a lot of the plot angles were missing in this book that you get with this genre. One was that the heroine somehow forgets that they need to follow rules and that there will be consequences. This is one plot device that always bothers me. However, in this book Jessica is usually on top of those things and never forgets the consequences. Instead of her beast knowing what is best, it is Jessica and she often has to convince or remind her wolf. I liked that because the baser instincts SHOULD be the wolf's and not the insipid female which happens a lot. Even when she has to defy rules, she does it in full awareness. Yes, Jessica may not be a brainiac, but she does have smarts and uses her brain.

I also like that even though she is new and in the dark about what it means (another familiar plot device), she is forging ahead not by bumbling (even though she has no choice at times) but by using the knowledge she DOES have to try to figure out the best way out of or into a situation. I also like the way she was introduced to her mate and that it felt like they were mated even in such a short time. Sometimes that is a hard thing to pull off.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters and how carefully the world is constructed. Plot points were not ignored for the ease of moving things along. In other words, you felt that if there was a threat made, it would be followed through if forced. It would not be moved aside for the sake of the story.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I deducted a 1/2 star since everything was not wrapped up. It wasn't exactly a cliffie but it was a bit abrupt (not too much, but enough) and some things introduced in the end was not solved. That might have been better to start the second book instead of having it at the end of the first. Luckily the second one is already out and available. :)

I received this ebook from NetGalley and the publisher and no compensation for my review was given.

Spellcaster (Spellcaster #1) by Claudia Gray

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa (Books and Things)) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

I had fun with this book. I really enjoyed Nadia as our heroine and Mateo as our hero. In fact, I really loved Mateo... he was the broken hero who comes through despite the consequences. I also enjoyed the other minor characters in this book. All had their place and some, like her little brother, were quite cute.

There were parts of this book that is typical YA. No love triangle so that is a huge plus. :) However, you do have a girl who is just learning her powers coming up against something unfathomable and still sees herself as a lone wolf able to defeat it. You also do get drama, but it is overshadowed by the main story. I also enjoyed the way she did spellcasting. Often it had to do with memories and the way you connect to them. Oh yea, and you get a parent who actually cares and it's a father! Happy with that since the parents are usually absent and non-caring... especially the father.

I give this book 4 stars. The ending is quite open so I can't wait for the next installment, but it isn't a cliffie. You just know that they aren't going to be in for a pleasant ride.

I won this ARC from Pitch Dark and no compensation for my review was given.