Paranormal Haven

Guest Post and Giveaway from authors Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

2012-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what a vampire is looking for in a mate? Thanks to authors Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe, we have a few personal ads from some men who are looking for someone to share their long nights with. So, any takers?

Make sure you keep reading after the guest post to learn how you can enter to win a copy of Gena and Jill's latest release, Dating The Undead.

6’4”, 324 years old, male, slim, sliver hair, hazel eyes: Looking for a woman with the capacity to see beyond my cold, cold flesh and immerse herself in my dark soul. I’ve had many, many years of experience and now I’m looking for eternal love; the kind of love so strong, your mere scent makes me salivate. I love to feel alive and free and desire a partner who can keep up with me from sundown to sunrise. Be ravenous enough to take control, but understand that at the end of time, I am your master. The best things happen unexpectedly; give me the chance to hold your slim white hand and taste your tender neck. I enjoy fine wines, luxury travel, and fast cars; I dream of enjoying these with my mate under a brilliant full moon through all eternity. If this is you, send me your pin.

Ice Daddy looking for a young, hot, vampire-loving babe to light my fire. I’ve had a number of successful business ventures and want a naughty nibbler to share the proceeds with. Must like adventure and be willing to try new things. I may not look 101, but trust me; I’ve had years of experience to master my craft. I will take you to places you have never been. Please send photo (no turtlenecks), vital signs, and blood type.

6’ 1”, 190 lbs, curly black hair, grey eyes. Sexy supermodel vampire looking to blow your mind. With stunning good looks, a jaw-droppingly perfect body, and piercing grey eyes, I’m known for my professional physical skills and unparalleled ability to keep going. All. Night. Long. I’m looking for a lady with a delicious body equipped with abs like ice cold steel. I want to feel the sexy curve in your back and walk my fingers up the trail of your firm thigh, to bring you to heights you never dreamed possible. Think you can keep up with my cool and confident style? Send me an e-mail, please include a picture (upper body necessary, entire body encouraged).

5’ 11”, 200 lbs, wavy brown hair, brown eyes. Nontraditional male vamp seeking sweet, loving female. I am looking to meet my match. I crave a partner, not some meaningless prey. Tender, funny, and complex, I’m not so into the whole darkness thing. I am very active and am looking for someone to explore nature with, go to the gym together, and of course, get steamy in the bedroom. We have the luxury of getting younger with age, and I plan to make the most of it. Message me! (Not looking for a one-night stand).

About The Authors

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the acclaimed “Lords of the Underworld” series and more than thirty other books. She can most often be found walking around talking to the hot otherworldly guys in her head. For more information about Gena and her books, visit her website.

Jill Monroe is the award-winning author of more than eight romance novels. She is convinced that every person she meets is more human, and spends most of her time trying to figure out if they’re werewolf, vampire, zombie – or, in her husband’s case, demon. For more information about Jill and her books, visit her website.

Dating The Undead by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

They’re Drop-Dead Handsome—and We’re Not Kidding!

Welcome to the first and only magazine devoted to loving the immortal man in all of his furry, feathery, fiery glory. As always, this month’s issue is a forbidden-fruit salad of features, fiction, fashion, and more, including:

- Blood Stains on His Collar, Doritos in His Bed: Is Your Immortal Just a Little Bit…Immoral?
- A Kiss is Not Just a Kiss: Immortals We Crave Divulge Their Lip-smacking Turn-ons
- Off the Set with the Real Vampires of Vegas: Your Favorite AfterLifetime TV Vamps Let Their Hair Down
- Killer Cocktails to Slay Your Dragon, Slake Your Vampire, or Singe Your Angel
- Ask Gabrielle: Angelic Etiquette for Modern Gals and Ghouls
- A View from a Guy: Zombie Jack’s Turn
- Undead and Well-Read: What’s Hot Between the Covers This Month
- Angel in the Kitchen: Heavenly Dishes That Don’t Take an Eternity to Prepare

There’s even a page-turning, strange-but-true paranormal romance that’ll keep you up all day! Don’t get caught UNDEAD without it!

For more, visit Dating The Undead's website
You can also check out Stephanie's review

Thanks to Planned Television Arts, we have a copy of Dating The Undead to giveaway. Giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Fill Out Giveaway Form Here

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Book Review: Dating The Undead by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe

2012-02-13T04:42:00.000-08:00

Dating The Undead
Authors: Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe
Publisher: Harlequin
ISBN-10: 0373892527
ISBN-13: 978-0373892525
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information, visit Harlequin's website

Want to know what it takes to date a vampire? Unsure of what to get the werewolf in your life for his birthday? Need some advice on how to get over your cheating ex demon boyfriend? Then look no further than Dating The Undead. This guide is jammed pack with helpful tips and articles on how to strengthen your relationship with your immortal or for those who don't have a ring on your finger, or a mating mark on your neck, learn which creature of the night would be the best match for you.

At first, I was a little unsure of what to make of Dating The Undead. Is it a book or magazine? Is it a Lords of the Underworld user guide? Is it going to be nothing but silly nonsense? Well, I finally checked it out and what I found is that this is a really fun read. There are great articles about Zombies, Angels, Demons, Werewolves, Vampires and Dragons, written as if this is a actual magazine and our world was inhabited by immortals. There are secrets given about each species, relationship advice, fashion advice and articles on what to eat and how to stay fit and energized so you can keep up with your immortal lover. There are even ads, like Dead Bull and Coffin Klein, and recipes, like sweet 'n' spicy angel-bait salsa and chocolate fondue-me (I'd actually make these recipes!). This is just the tip of the iceberg to all the goodies you'll find inside.

Fans of Gena Showalter's Lord of the Underworld series will be interested the sneak peek into The Darkest Seduction and the character spotlight section. As a fan of the LOTU, I thought this was a real treat and like that it also included the first chapter of The Darkest Night, book one and great for those who are thinking about starting this series. Everything in Dating The Undead is so well written that you may actually start to believe this is a real magazine. I believe there's something for every paranormal romance fan in this highly entertaining guide/book/magazine.
My Rating:

Weekly Recap for February 6th - 12th

2012-02-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our Weekly Recap. We will be sharing what books and goodies we got and will go over some of our favorite posts, giveaways, book covers and anything else that peeked our interest during the past week. Lets start things off with sharing what books we got.

For Review

- The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R Kienan
- The Year of Eating Dangerously by K. Bennett
- Fair Game by Patricia Briggs
- Vampires In America: The Vignettes Volume 1 by D.B. Reynolds
- Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison

This Past Week At Paranormal Haven

Monday - Guest post from author Katie Reus
Tuesday - Series review of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series
Wednesday - Picture of the Week and review of Caught Forever Between by Adrian Phoenix
Thursday - Beyond the Blog with Good Choice Reading
Friday - Quick Bites reviews of Hot As Hades by Alisha Rai and Bloodlust by Larisa Ione
Saturday - Interview and giveaway from author Kylie Griffin

Giveaways We Found

- Ex Libris is celebrating her 2nd blogiversary with giveaways
- The Book Vixen is giving away a signed copy of Night Reigns by Dianne Duvall plus swag
- Author Juliana Stone a $25 gift certificate from Amazon and a signed copy of her book, Wicked Road To Hell to two winners
- Once Upon A Series is giving away Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper

Cover Talk

I'm a big fan of James Patterson's Alex Cross series (well, the earlier books anyway). I haven't had a chance to check out his YA series, Maximum Ride, but I love the cover for Nevermore. The wings are some of the best looking I've seen on a book cover. Nevermore is the 8th and final installment in the series and is currently scheduled to be released on August 6th.

Interview and giveaway from author Kylie Griffin

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Today we are happy to have author Kylie Griffin with us to talk about her new release, Vengeance Born. Make sure to keep reading after the interview to learn how you can enter to win a copy of the book for yourself.

Can you tell us a little about your new release, Vengeance Born?
Firstly, thank you so much for having me here today – I’ve been looking forward to visiting for weeks. It’s exciting that I finally get to share a little bit about my debut book.

I think there’s a bit of everything for everyone in VENGEANCE BORN. You get all the fantasy elements, as in a cast of characters, plot archetypes, world-building, magic, etc., a little intrigue and mystery, action and adventure, with the additional element of a romance thrown into the mix, and you end up exploring the gamut of relationships – political, social and romantic – the best of all worlds in the story (no pun intended *grin*).

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not pure bred is virtually powerless. Until an unlikely champion is born…

Annika, half-blood daughter of the Na’Reish King, longs for more than her tormented life among her father’s people. Conceived in hatred and bred as a tool of retribution,she’s gifted with a special talent that can heal as well as destroy.

With the Na’Reish vastly outnumbering them, Kalan, a Light Blade warrior, knows the future of humankind depends on him alone. Incursions into human territory and raids for blood-slaves by the Na’Reish Horde have increased. As Chosen-leader, he faces the task of stopping the demons,and convincing the Council of aging Light Blade warriors that change is necessary for survival.

When Annika learns Kalan is a prisoner in her father’s dungeon, her dream of escape seems within reach. She agrees to free him in exchange for his protection once they reach human territory. Now, marked for death for helping him, Annika must learn to trust Kalan as they face not only the perilous journey to the border but enemies within the Council, and discover a shocking truth that could throw the human race into civil war…

Describe the Na’Reish Horde and the Light Blade Warriors. What are they? What is their ultimate goal?
In VENEGANCE BORN, the Na’Reish Horde are the bad guys and the Light Blade warriors are the good guys. Later in the series, readers may discover this isn’t quite true :-), but for now think of the demon Horde and human warriors as two separate armies who have been in conflict with one another for almost five hundred years.

In Demon culture is divided into Clans and the Na’Reish Horde regularly venture into human territory on raids. The purpose for the raids is two-fold – to acquire human slaves, and from these slaves some will become blood-slaves, a convenient food source for the demons.

The Light Blade warriors are the paladin-like protector of human society. They’re able to use kinetic power to kill by channeling it through touch or via any blade or weapon. They’re a cross between holy knights and law enforcement, serving the Lady, the human’s religious deity, the one they believe responsible for Gifting them with their powers. They uphold the Blade Council’s laws and Her tenets and protect anyone who needs help.

With the Na’Reish being physically larger and stronger than humans – most are seven foot and much brawnier – the Light Blades power to kill evens the odds in battle.

When VENGEANCE BORN opens, the Na’Reish outnumber the humans four to one, and the tension between the two races is growing, with the raids for blood-slaves across the border escalating toward all out war.

Na’Rei Savyr, leader of the demons, would see all humans enslaved while the Blade Council and most humans would celebrate the death of every demon. What neither race realizes is that by taking either course of action will actually do more harm than good – and I can’t share any more than that without revealing a massive spoiler. :-)

Can you tell us a little about Annika and Kalan?
Annika’s a Na’Chi – half demon, half human hybrid. She’s grown up knowing her demon father kidnapped her human mother and raped her to breed a half-blood child to get even with an old enemy.

Being Na’Chi in demon society, she’s also aware that she belongs at the very bottom of the social order. Even the human slaves who serve the Na'Reish rank above her. Yet despite a lifetime of teasing, tormenting and abuse from both humans and demons, she dreams of escaping her life to find out more about her human heritage. She also hopes to find someone who will love her for who she is. Her ability to heal or kill with a touch is the catalyst for achieving her dream.

Kalan belongs to the ranks of the Light Blades, and also the Lady’s Chosen, leader of the humans. One of his hardest tasks is to convince an inflexible Blade Council that they must adapt to survive rather than rely on old traditions and practices or risk losing the ongoing conflict with the Na'Reish demons.

Annika and Kalan’s relationship is very Shakespearean – they come from warring houses, and from the start both believe any romantic involvement is doomed to fail, a tragedy in the making.

They have so much to overcome – personal and external prejudices and misconceptions, opposition from those who know them, and it’s complicated by the rising tension between humans and demons. Throw in a couple of culture-shaking secrets and it makes you wonder if they’re ever going to have a happy ending! :-)

Is there anything specific that inspired this fantasy world you have created?
I write both fantasy romance and science fiction romance and having just completed a 100K space opera I was looking for a change of scenery. So I went looking for an idea from my Ideas File on my computer.

As for what inspired the idea of VENGEANCE BORN – it was Annika.

She first “appeared” to me exactly as readers discover her in the opening scene of the book - descending into father’s dungeon about to meet a human Light Blade warrior – a first for her – about to begin her escape and achieve her goal of beginning a new life.

I played a game of ‘what if…’ to learn more about her. It may seem a bit strange to say that I enjoyed tossing around thoughts of what might happen to a crossbreed child born as the result of a rape, but the idea of a bastard child bred for revenge against an old enemy gave me a huge range of character traits and plot lines to play with.

How would the environment influence her development? Could any one person or influence balance her horrendous upbringing? How could they or it affect her? Which traits would dominate?

I decided that Annika would have strength and courage backed by a determination to free herself – there would be no waiting around for someone to save her (I love a strong heroine) – but, because of her upbringing, she’d also harbor a flawed sense of worth and need for acceptance.

And so, VENGENACE BORN came into being…

Can you give us a hint as to what we’ll see next in your series?
I’ll do better than a hint – how about a blurb for ALLIANCE FORGED, the second book in the series! :-)

There is no mercy in the demon realm. No escape. In this place of desperation and conflict, anyone who is not purebred is virtually powerless. Until a blind priestess lays claim to a half-breed warrior, body and soul…

Hunted and marked for death by Na’Reish demons for their half-blood heritage, the Na’Chi are searching for a new home—something an alliance offered by the human leader could provide. With both races divided by prejudice, when Light Blade rebels brutally attack the Na’Chi, the alliance seems doomed to fail.

Varian, leader of the Na’Chi, a hybrid race of gifted warriors, is cursed with the darker impulses of his demon heritage. Controlling the part of himself that craves the high of the battle is a struggle he’s afraid he’ll lose—until he meets Kymora Tayn, a priestess driven to serve her deity. While he’s unwilling to trust anyone outside his people, he finds himself drawn to Kymora’s strength and passionate nature, and discovers she has the power to calm the darkness inside him.

When the Na’Reish raid human territory for blood-slaves and kickstart a war, the key to the survival of both races—Na’Chi and human— is an alliance. However, when Kymora is kidnapped, pitting human against human, Varian realizes he must embrace his darker half, not only to save the alliance…but also the woman he loves.

I’m now working on Book #3. This story will see a familiar character from VENGEANCE BORN and ALLIANCE FORGED (can’t say who just yet but I suspect readers will be pleased to see this person’s story), and it’s set mostly in the demon realm. So readers will get to learn more about the Na’Reish and the history behind the growing conflict between humans and demons.

Most authors jump into a modern paranormal scene, what made you choose a more classic main stream fantasy setting?
I guess it harks back to my early fantasy/sci-fi reading days. I discovered those genres well before romance.

The first book I read in the fantasy genre was DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffrey (discovered it in a box at a garage sale) – from there I was well and truly hooked. I also read authors like Andre Norton, David Eddings, JRR Tolkein, Mercedes Lackey, Rowena Corey Daniells & CJ Cherryh.

So my love for world-building and all the typical fantasy tropes began there. As a young writer I loved creating worlds from scratch, inventing all the geography, the political structures, the cultures and races, and more often than not, I played with incorporating magic or paranormal elements like gods, powers and quests. My characters couldn’t just be involved in their own little action adventure. It had to interact in a larger, more complex setting. The bigger the better!

Where do you get your best story ideas?
Everywhere!

Adverts, phrases I hear in conversations, music lyrics, photographs, other books that I read – something will catch my attention and my imagination is off and running.

For example, I was TV channel surfing the other say and I caught a half second scene of a World Vision ad. It was a shot of a shanty town somewhere in Africa, with a group of children sitting in front of a house.

The image just stuck and I began to wonder who would live in a shanty town, why would they, how would they earn a living, what sort of life would they live, what would they do to escape such a life, would they care about just themselves or their family, and so on.

Sometimes the emotion of the lyrics in a song will do the same thing. It’ll evoke an image in my mind of someone or a scene, and off my imagination goes again playing that game of a thousand questions until the story or an idea forms.

Most of the ideas remain just that – ideas or snapshots of a scene. I’ll write them down. I have a file on my computer where I keep all of them, and over time some have developed into my stories, while others are still fermenting.

What kind of books do you read, what are some of your favorites?
For pleasure – oh wow, everything from straight fantasy/science fiction to paranormal romance, contemporary romance, western romance, erotic romance, and historical romance.

My favorites? Anything by Anne McCaffrey. Her world-building and the emotional journey of her characters just blow me away. Closely followed by Andre Norton (her Solar Queen & Beastmaster series springs to mind). What an imagination!

Authors in the romance genre that are must reads and auto-buys – Nalini Singh (Psy/Changeling series is my fav.), Denise Rossetti (Four-Pentacle & Phoenix Rising series), Joey W.Hill (Nature of Desire series), Lora Leigh, Lori Foster, Sandra Hill, Sarah McCarthy (Hell’s Eight series), Maya Banks, Linnea Sinclair...just to name a few.

I also enjoy reading non-fiction – mostly research books – anything to do with Celtic, Viking or Egyptian history, martial arts, ancient weapons, herbs, castles, mythology, gardening (plants & vegetables) and photography.

Who is your fantasy hero?
Hugh Jackman, hands down. Gotta go for a fellow-Aussie bloke!

I mean, what woman could resist a 6’2, dark haired, gorgeous guy like him? And if he’s as genuine and laid-back, with that larrikan sense of humor, as he seems in all those TV interviews…sigh…just let me melt away now… (how lucky is Deborra-Lee Furness, his wife of 16years?)

It’s been a great interview – thank you again for hosting me, I’ve really enjoyed my time here! I look forward to answering any questions or responding to comments from your readers.

Kylie Griffin Bio:

Kylie Griffin’s obsession with all things paranormal/fantasy started at an early age, when she used to imagine the jacaranda tree in her front yard was a spaceship used to defend the world from invading enemies. Writing stories seemed a natural extension to her childhood adventures.

Today, she’s a primary school teacher sharing her love for the written word with young children. In her spare time, she writes and reads all things paranormal.

Kylie lives in a small rural village in outback New South Wales, Australia, where she volunteers in a number of emergency service organizations in her local community. Visit her website at www.kyliegriffin.com

We want to thank Kylie for taking the time to answer a few questions for us. To find out more information about Kylie, visit her website and blog or check her out on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads or Shelfari.

Kylie is giving away a copy of Vengeance Born. Giveaway is open internationally.

Fill Out Giveaway Form Here

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Quick Bites Reviews: Hot As Hades by Alisha Rai and Bloodlust by Larisa Ione

2012-02-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Bloodlust
Author Larissa Ione
ASIN: B006MGTJRQ
Get it free here:
Amazon

If you want more information visit Larissa Ione's website

Sir Brynn of Lochlad, finds himself a blood slave to an vampire queen. The more he refuses her the more his body wants her. Will he give into this seductive, domineering, cruel vampire? Will he survive?

Sometimes your body knows what you want when even your mind has yet to catch up. This is how Brynns story is, its erotic a bit dangerous and a lot of angry sex. This was a fun quick read. It took me an hour to finish I would read again. As always I love Larissa’s stories.
My Rating:

Hot As Hades
Author: Alisha Rai
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ASIN: B005GQUA3U
Buy it here:
Amazon for $2.99

For more information visit Alisha Rai's website

The story of Hades and Persephone is a very famous Greek myth. This story is Alisha’s take on the romance that happened between these infamous Greek gods.

Everyone loves a Greek love story and this one is no different. Alisha is amazing with her rendition of this story. Hades is sexy and all alpha male. He is not the angry evil overlord he is always portrayed, you see softness in him that is not normally brought out in his stories.

Persephone is sweet and fun loving just what Hades needs to lighten his world. She shows him compassion when no one else ever has.

I loved this story. I love Greek Mythology (it must come with the name. lol) . I love Hades he is super sexy and yummy you just want to take him home. Alisha did an amazing job in this story. The humor is great and the sexy is explosive. I loved it I will read it again, probably soon..
My Rating:

Beyond the Blog with Good Choice Reading

2012-02-09T05:00:00.010-08:00

Welcome to Beyond the Blog, where we'll not only be featuring some amazing blogs but also the creative people behind them. Today we have an interview with Damaris from Good Choice Reading. Let's get to Damaris' interview so you can see for yourself why we're fans.

Let’s start with a few blog related questions

Why did you start blogging?
We actually came across MundieMoms blog one day and I noticed that it was more than just a forum, but also book reviews and a really great way to learn about new authors. I called up Wanda and Maria and said “Hey, we should start a blog where we share our opinions on some of the awesome books we’ve read. We can also get to know authors and do interviews and stuff.” They were all for the idea. Of course we had no idea how much work it truly is and how dedicated you have to be. We also came across GoodReads and that set us off as well.

How has your blog changed since you first started it?
Oh, it’s changed a lot lol. When we first started we didn’t know the first thing about layouts, buttons, blog roll, nothing! I literally spent hours on the computer a day trying to figure things out and learning the ropes of everything. I basically stalked Sophie from MundieMoms for a while lol. She helped me out a lot. We are now familiar with a lot and every day we learn something new.

What are 3 words that describe your blog?
WOW… this is a hard one. Um… Diverse, Consistent, Entertaining, (Hopefully lol)

Can you tell about the 3 ladies you blog with?
Well, we actually have a fourth member who just joined us this past week and her name is, Amanda. Maria is actually my cousin and Wanda is my uncle’s wife’s sister. I know that’s a bit confusing, but basically we grew up together. Wanda knows Maria and I since we were born. And Amanda we met through blogging. We’ve never really met in person, but I call her my twin. She thinks a lot like me and we have a lot of books in common.

What is a favorite post that you’ve done?
I think my favorite post would have to be when we first started the blog. It was so exciting writing reviews, getting comments, doing our first author interview, etc. We still have lots of fun, but lately our e-mails have been through the roof and it’s a lot harder to keep up. Lol

Let’s get to know the blogger behind the blog, shall we?

Can you tell us about where you’re from?
I was born in Bronx, New York, but lived back and forth between Puerto Rico and New York City. My whole family is Puerto Rican and we have lots of relatives still living there.

What would your dream job be?
My dream job would have to be to run my own restaurant, hotel or bookstore. I’ve always had a thing for the Hospitality business and loved working at restaurants and hotels, but of course I became I mommy and now I don’t have much flexibility. Owning a bookstore I think is every reader’s dream job. I would give anything to own a bookstore and host lots of author events.

Are you a morning person or is coffee a must before you are able to function?
I am only a morning person when I have somewhere to be. If I don’t have anything to do or anywhere to go, DO NOT wake me up. I need my beauty sleep lol.

It’s noon on Sunday, what are you up to?
Probably reading or blogging. My life isn’t really the exciting right now lol. I actually take Sunday to sit back and relax and ignore the world.

What is your favorite thing to do (aside from reading) in your down time?
I love going to the movies, going out to eat, having movie night with my girls or family, cooking something new, or just simply laying back and watching TV.

If you could sit down and chat with any author, who would you pick and what would you like to talk about?
I think I would love to have a sit down with Nicholas Sparks. I love all of his books and would love, love to meet him in person. I missed a signing he recently did and I was bummed for days. I would love to talk about where he gets his stories from and why does he like to make them so sad? Lol

If you could be anyone (real or fictional) for 24 hours, who would it be and why?
I would love to be P!NK. I am a huge P!NK fan and would love to see what her world is really like. She seems so full of life and she’s so daring. I think it would be a lot of fun.

You just won your dream vacation, all expenses paid. Where are you going?
Greece! I would love to visit Greece. I’ve been thinking about this for the past 8 yrs, but haven’t had any luck getting there. lol

Oh, we forgot to mention you get to take your fantasy man with you. So, who are you taking?
Ha! Anyone who knows me knows I have a HUGE and I mean HUUUGGGEEE obsession with Paul Walker. I would take Paul Walker with me. :-)

Thank you Damaris for taking some time out for us. If you want to know even more about Damaris, here's where you can find her around the web

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Google+

Book Review: Caught Forever Between by Adrian Phoenix

2012-02-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Caught Forever Between
Author: Adrian Phoenix
Hoodoo Novella
Publisher: Dreaming Nomad Books
ASIN: B0070RW0L8
Buy it here:
Amazon

For more information visit Adrian Phoenix's website

When everything u have is suddenly taken away from u in one night and you fear that it will never return there is no nothing you will not do for justice. That is exactly how Cassandra felt after her Michelangelo was shot in the head at their tattoo parlor. She was determined to seek revenge for him in hopes that maybe then he will open his eyes. But when see approaches a mamba about her revenge she finds out the hard was that everything comes with a price and revenge just may have the highest price of all.

This story was short and action packed. I loved Devlin he's got the whole bad boy battered soul thing going for him. This was a nice little bit to hold me over till the next in the Hoodoo series.

I don't think you need to have read any of the Hoodoo series to enjoy this short. There is carry over characters but you do not need any prior knowledge about them to enjoy the story in its whole.

My Rating:

Picture of the Week and giveaway winners

2012-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Winner of an e-copy of In the Service of the King by Laura Kaye is ... DeAnna S

Winner of Bond With Me and His Dark Bond by Anne Marsh is ... Heather C

Congratulations! You all now have 3 days to respond to our emails [or message us at paranormalhaven(at)gmail(dot)com] or another winner(s) will be chosen.

My journey into Nalini Singh's incredible world that is Psy-Changeling

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

In the paranormal romance adventure that is the Psy-Changeling series, we're taken into the future to a time where the Psy, a race that physically resembles humans but have a variety of psychic powers and receive life giving biofeedback from a interconnected Net, are the dominate race. But there's trouble brewing. Silence, the protocol they use to remove all their emotions in order to keep their kind from going insane, is starting to fail and the deadly results of it are starting to spill out into the human and Changeling, shape shifters, worlds.

In the first book in this series, Slave To Sensation, we meet Sascha Duncan. She's the daughter of a Council member and has a dangerous secret. She feels emotions and a Psy who feels emotions is considered broken. Rehabilitation is their only solution and that results in the patient become nothing more than a walking vegetable. Sascha's only hope is Lucas, the alpha of the DarkRiver feline Changeling pack. This is when the Changelings start becoming more involved in what's happening with the Psy and refuse to allow them to simply brush their dark secrets under the rug.

There's a lot to love about this series and the Changelings are my favorite. There are different species of shifters but the two main ones are the felines in the DarkRiver pack and the wolves in the SnowDancer pack. Both are ruled by stern but caring alphas who only want what's best for their people. The Changelings have alpha males and females, healers with hearts of gold and pups who can make even emotionless Psy become playful. They're a race who needs touch, not just in a sensual way but as a part of their actual survival. The Changelings love and protect in a way that's so fierce, you can almost feel their emotions and it's a real pleasure just to be able to read about it. They're unlike any shifters I've read in other books and are the backbone of this world.

There are Changeling-Changeling matings and even human-Psy matings but it was the Psy-Changeling books I enjoyed the most. The Psy have no logical reason to touch one another so they become sensitive to physical contact. Touch must be gradually brought into the relationship. This is true even with human-Psy relationships but with the Changelings, the right to skin privileges are not freely given. Trust must be earned and it feels like there's an extra layer to their relationships when compared to other ones that gives you a intimate look into these characters.

The majority of the series is told from the Changelings' POV but you do get to see through the eyes of the Psy and at times it was downright terrifying. They feel nothing so killing someone for political gain is not unusual and if someone happens to crack and become a serial killer, it's for the greater good to just cover up the crimes. It's not fair to call all Psy villains because they're not. The real focus of my disdain was on the Council and how they react to situations involving the primitive Changelings and flawed Psy who need to be terminated. As much as I disliked them, I couldn't help but become engrossed in the Council's happenings and watching it dramatically change as it becomes more obvious of Silence's negative effect on the Net. The big issue I had with the Council, and only real complaint at all with this series, is the Council's full proof plans. They never worked out the way they were planned and the failures become all too predictable. Almost seemed pointless to even include those scenes in the books.

You can read reviews and accolades about this series but it's not until you've experienced Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world for yourself do you truly understand how amazing it is. The details put into developing these wonderful characters and the world they inhabit makes this series stand out in a genre that all too often recycles the same story lines and characters over and over again. I definitely recommend this series and say start with book one because you won't want to miss anything.
Series Rating:

Guest post and giveaway from author Katie Reus

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to Stephanie for having me here today!

Mondays normally aren’t my favorite day of the week. I know they get a bad rap but come on, who’s happy about the weekend ending? This Monday, however, I’m making an exception. Why? Tomorrow Alpha Instinct, the first book in my new paranormal series (Moon Shifter), will be releasing from Signet Eclipse and I’m incredibly excited.

I love the paranormal and I love romance so getting to combine the two is always fun. When I first started creating this world, there were a lot of unanswered questions like location of the series, what skills and gifts would my shifters have, etc. but the one thing I always knew about this world was that paranormal beings and humans would coexist. Maybe not in harmony all the time, but they would live, work and breathe together. In so many paranormal worlds shifters and vampires and other paranormal beings live on the fringe of society, forced to hide their existence (or they do so by choice). And I absolutely love that. But in the Moon Shifter world I wanted a different kind of conflict for my shifters. A couple decades ago their leaders made a decision to reveal the paranormal beings of the world to humans. Not everyone was behind the choice, but once they were revealed, there was no going back.

In Alpha Instinct, even though they’ve been ‘outed’, there is still a huge divide in some areas of the world between the humans and other paranormal beings. This is due in large part to distrust on both sides. For Ana, the heroine in Alpha Instinct, she was taught from a young age not to trust outsiders and especially not humans. Then when she was close to fifty years old (shifters and vamps are not immortal, but close to it) all of a sudden her world changed in an instant. Including that additional conflict into this world added conflict I didn’t even see coming until I was fully immersed in the story.

What do you enjoy about paranormal romance? One reader who comments on the blog today will be randomly selected to win a print copy of Alpha Instinct (US eligible only). Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Alpha Instinct official blurb

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…

A little about me: I’ve been reading romance from a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, Facebook or find me on Twitter @katiereus.

Thanks again for having me here today!

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Weekly Recap for January 30th - February 5th

2012-02-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

Purchased

- Werewolf in the North Woods by Vicki Lewis Thompson

For Review

- A Seal In Wolf's Clothing by Terry Spear
- Spellbound Falls by Janet Chapman

This past week at Paranormal Haven

Monday - Review of Lothaire by Kresley Cole
Tuesday - Review of His Dark Bond by Anne Marsh plus a guest post and giveaway from Anne
Wednesday - Picture of the Week
Thursday - Review of Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner plus a interview with Cynthia
Friday - Review of Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin
Saturday - Guest post and giveaway from Laura Kaye

Giveaways We Found

- Ex Libris is giving away an e-copy of The Fairy Godmother's Apprentice by Laura Briggs
- Urban Fantasy Investigations is giving away a copy of Burned by J.F. Lewis
- Books with Bite is giving away a cute Hunger Games bracelet
- The Qwillery has a copy of copy of King Of Darkness by Elisabeth Staab to giveaway
- Reading With Tequila is giving away 5 books in her February review book giveaway
- The Book Nympho is giving away some swag from author Felicity Heaton

Cover Talk

The cover for Even White Trash Zombies Get The Blues is very cool, and a tad bit creepy. The second book in author Diana Rowland's White Trash Zombie series is currently scheduled to be released on July 3rd.

I'm sure you've already had a chance to view the cover for Jeaniene's Frost Once Burned but since it's Vlad's book, we're posting it again. The first book in the Night Prince series, a spine off from Frost's Night Huntress series, will be hitting stores on June 26th.

Guest post and giveaway from author Laura Kaye

2012-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to Paranormal Haven for hosting me here! I’m celebrating the release of my new dark vampire romance, In the Service of the King, the first in the Vampire Warrior Kings series. Vampires have always been my first love as a reader and a writer. For me, what makes them so incredibly sex, alluring, and intriguing are their most decadent, illicit characteristics: their animalistic fangs, their deep need for blood, and the way sex and biting and blood are all intertwined in the world of vampires.

And so those were exactly the qualities I sought to write about in In the Service of the King, and I thought I’d give you a couple examples.

For Kael McQuillan, warrior king of the vampires, his fangs respond to his emotions and physical urges:

The way she looked at him sent ripples of electricity through his blood. His fangs elongated. Kael pressed his lips together and dropped his hand, backed away.

And, again:

Kael inhaled and the heady scent of her offering collided with every nerve in his body. He gasped and his mouth dropped open. Though he wouldn’t need them, his fangs stretched out and demanded he taste the thick warm liquid, quench his endless thirst. Ancient instincts whispered dark promises in his ear and urged him to claim her, skin to skin, mouth to throat…

Because they represent his preternatural nature and power, Kael's fangs are also thrilling for the human heroine, Shayla McKinnon. Here's their first kiss:

His large frame bent down over her, surrounding her in his heat. His full lips sucked and pulled at hers and his tongue demanded entrance and exploration, which she freely granted. His hard muscles bunched and thrummed around her, setting her body on fire everywhere they touched. The scent of powerful masculinity filled her nose, and the exquisite flavor of his tongue in her mouth intoxicated her. And, oh God, every time she felt the passing hardness of his fangs as they kissed made her whimper and moan.

Just imagine this moment. The darkly erotic threat of a supernaturally powerful being at your throat:

He pulled away from her mouth and she gasped for breath, then moaned as he trailed open-mouthed kisses and licks and long teasing drags of what had to be his fangs along her jaw and down her neck. He sucked on the pulse point below her ear. “I will take care of you, Shayla,” he whispered. She shivered and tilted her neck for his exploration.

And, since his fangs are so intimately connected to sensory input, I like to think they would be among a vampire's erogenous zones:

Kael fisted his hands in her hair but couldn’t decide whether to pull her away or hold her there forever. Definitely forever. Now that he’d accepted the magic weaving around them, he felt it down deep. Being with Shayla this way was as right as breathing, as drinking blood. Her tongue curled around his right canine and he sucked in a breath and growled. His fangs were so f*cking sensitive and her tongue was relentless.

By the end, Kael's not the only one with a taste for sex and blood:

Shayla’s thoughts had completely devolved to animalistic urges and she reveled in it. The heady spice of his blood—its taste and scent—unleashed an erotic euphoria within her that she didn’t think she would ever be able to give up or live without. So as the thick red spilled down from his neck, Shayla’s whole body ached to have it.

If you love vampires as much as I do, hopefully you share my obsession with fangs and bloodlust. And, if so, I might just have the perfect book for you!

Thanks for reading,
Laura Kaye

Buy Laura's Books

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GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate her new release, Laura is giving away one e-copy of In the Service of the King at each stop on her New Release Tour, 1/30 – 2/15! In addition, all commenters from across the tour will be entered to win a prize bag filled with swag and various vampire items, perfect for the vampire lover! RULES: Must leave e-mail address & if from U.S. in comment. Ebook prizes open to international; prize bag to U.S. only.

About In the Service of the Kings
Book 1 in the Vampire Warrior Kings Series
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
Kael, Warrior King of the Vampires, loathes the Night of the Proffering. He needs the blood of either his mate or a human virgin to maintain his strength, but hasn't enjoyed the ritual since he lost his mate centuries ago. Kael doesn't want a new companion, yet his resolve is tested when he lays eyes on his new offering, Shayla McKinnon. He is drawn to Shayla's beauty and poise...and the submission she offers. She is eager to give him anything he wishes, including her innocence, to please him. Will Kael give in to their overwhelming desire--even if it means risking Shayla's life?

About Laura Kaye
Voted Breakout Author of the Year in the 2011 GraveTells Readers’ Choice Awards, Laura is the bestselling and award-winning author of a half-dozen books. Hearts in Darkness is a finalist for the EPIC eBook Award for Best Novella, Forever Freed won the NJRW Golden Leaf Award for Best Paranormal of 2011, and North of Need, the first book in the Hearts of the Anemoi series, was named GraveTells’ Best Book of 2011 and won their 5-STAR Gold Heart Award, and won Sizzling Hot Read of the Year at Sizzling Hot Books. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Book Review: Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Vengeance Born
Author: Kylie Griffin
Series: The Light Blade, book 1
Publisher: Berkley Trade
ISBN-10: 0425245365
ISBN-13: 978-0425245361
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information visit Kylie Griffin's website

Annika is Na’chi, a half human, half Na’Reish(demons). The Na’Reish and humans don’t get along, but the Na’Reish need blood slaves to live. They are like vampires with all pointed teeth, purple eyes and odd markings on their skin. Because Annika is half-blood, and the Na’Reish like pure bloods she is treated unfairly, and has to deal with abuse from nearly everyone. All but a human slave named Hesia. Hesia shows her the ways of a healer. When the Na’Reish captures a Light Blade warrior, it is Annika who heals him, and makes a deal with him. She will set him free if he will take her to the human lands, and protect her.

It took me a while to get into this one. The first 150 pages slid by slowly. Not because there wasn’t a lot going on, but because our couple was trying to make it out of the demon lands. I knew things wouldn’t heat up until they were in the human lands, and I was right about that. Once there the story becomes much more interesting.

Other than the slow start there is a great deal of narrative from Annika. She constantly recalls the awful life she had lead, and distrusts the Light Blade hero, Kalan. She also constantly tells Kalan how awful her life was, and keeps worrying about how it will be. It was very interesting to watch how she was welcomed within the human lands. To me she wasn’t that strong of a heroine. She has some really neat powers, and grew up in a very hard world, but is all soft. Despite her short comings, by the end of the novel I was rooting for her.

Kalan isn’t much better when it comes to narrative. The story is in third person, but the switch between her thoughts and his is not a smooth one. He fights the Na’Reish, and doesn’t trust Annika at first. In fact he almost knocks her around at the start. Soon he works past his distrust, and comes to understand her. After this point he constantly reminds readers how brave Annika is, which drove me nuts. Despite that there romantic scenes are warm, but by the time they truly got together some of the tension was lost.

There is a side story with the other Na’Chi. Annika doesn’t know there are anymore, but the human slave, Hesia has spirited them away, and they live out in the woods. I actually thought this was kind of silly. Considering how strong the Na’Reish are, and the fact they have demon dogs, it seems like they would have found the Na’Chi in the forest long before. We are not given a true scope of how big the forest is, but Kalan and Annika make it out in around two days on foot. All the same Hesia urges the group of Na’Chi to follow Annika to the human city. Once they do they stir the pot. The city is already coping with Annika being different.

This was a book I was looking forward to, and it is safe to say I was a little disappointed. The narrative bogged me down, and slowed my reading. On the plus side this is a very interesting world, and I love the differences of the Na’Reish from the usual demons or vampires. Annika doesn’t do it for me as a heroine. We are constantly told how brave and strong she is, but we often see her about to break into tears. Considering her life before, I expected a woman with some edge and steel in her back bone. Despite my reservations I look forward to see where the story goes.
My Rating:

Interview with author Cynthia Garner

2012-02-02T10:30:00.000-08:00

Today we have the pleasure of interview author Cynthia Garner. She's here to talk about her new paranormal romance series, Warriors of the Rift. Book one, Kiss Of The Vampire, is now on sale. Let's get into the interview so you can learn more about Cynthia and her books.

What is your Warriors of the Rift series about?
About every 73 years or so, a comet streaks by the Earth and opens a rift between our dimension and another. Entities from that other dimension—convicted criminals, political dissidents, and religious heretics—are sucked into our dimension. Overtaken by a massive, unrestrained desire for survival, they are driven to take over human hosts. The type of species they are dictates how their new bodies react to the invasion. This has been happening for thousands of years, giving rise to our myths of vampires, werewolves and other creatures that make us quiver beneath our covers. Humans found out about the rift roughly three years before the start of book one, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, and an uneasy truce has existed between the preternaturals and their human neighbors. But with another rift due to open in less than two years, tensions are rising.

What sets it apart from other books in the paranormal romance genre?
The biggest difference is the basic premise of how people become vampires or werewolves or…whatever. While a vampire can turn a human into a vampire by biting them (they actually release some of their other dimensional essence into the human’s bloodstream), most vampires are actually a result of entities taking over human hosts. All preternaturals can procreate the old fashioned way, and if they produce children with humans, in all cases but one so far those children go insane before they reach their mid twenties. But more about that a little later.

Can you tell us about the first book in the series, Kiss of the Vampire?
Book one is the story of Nix de la Fuente, who is half demon, half human, and Tobias Caine, a vampire. Here’s the great blurb the folks at Grand Central wrote: Half-demon, half-human, Nix de la Fuente is accepted by neither and mistrusted by both. Determined to prove she’s more human than not, she devotes herself to solving crimes between the world’s mortals and its most unsavory undead. But her latest case brings her face to face with the one vampire she could never resist…

Called in to investigate a string of violent murders, special agent Tobias Caine isn’t interested in rekindling his relationship with Nix. Yet one look and the vampire knows his need for her is as strong as ever. Once, their all-consuming passion nearly cost Nix her fragile hold on her humanity. Now, as their hunger for one another intensifies, exposing them to an unimaginable danger, it could cost them both their lives.

How would you describe Nix de la Fuente and Tobias Caine?
Nix is a misfit. She’s part demon and so has to hide that part of herself from her human friends and colleagues, because of all the preternaturals demons are still the most feared by humans. As a hybrid, she faces a very real danger of going insane because of the battle waged between her preternatural side and her human side. She’s finally discovered that doing tai chi keeps her centered and calm, and keeps the demon locked away. So far she’s defied the odds and, at the ripe old age of twenty-eight, still has control of her sanity. She’s dedicated, independent and intelligent.

Tobias came through the rift in 1793, chasing a former friend who murdered the leader of his people while Tobias was tasked with protecting him. He’s been after the assassin off and on for over 200 years. The year he spent with Nix was the happiest he’d ever been, but after seeing her continue to lose more and more control of the demon while she was with him made him leave her and take up his search once more. He’s determined, stoic, and the walking definition of tall, dark and deadly.

What is the Council of Preternaturals?
There are governing bodies set up all over the world to try to control the behavior of preternaturals. Scottsdale is the regional council in the American West, governing Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Each council is made up of thirteen members from the various preternatural clans: vampire, fey, and shapeshifter. Only demons don’t have a seat on the council, of their own choice. They don’t recognize anyone’s authority but their king, Lucifer Demonicus, to dictate their actions.

Without giving away too much, what is your favorite scene or line from Kiss of the Vampire?
I love any of the scenes with Tobias and Dante MacMillan, the human cop who is assigned to Nix’s sector. They start out kind of rubbing each other the wrong way, but by the end there’s a bromance going on.

Will readers see Nix and Tobias in future books or will you have a different set of characters for each book?
Each book has its own hero and heroine, though Tobias does appear in book two, and both he and Nix will also make an appearance in book three.

If Kiss of the Vampire was made into a movie, who would you like to see cast as Nix and Tobias?
When I created these two characters, I had specific actors in mind: Morena Baccarin (Homeland, V, and Firefly) as Nix and Joe Flanigan (Stargate: Atlantis and First Monday) as Tobias. I’d love to see them actually play the roles.

What else can we expect to see from you in 2012?
Book two in the series, HEART OF THE WOLF, releases July 1st. I’m also anticipating a novella that is a prequel to KISS OF THE VAMPIRE and takes place in the other dimension to be released in electronic format in June or July. Right now we’re so early in 2012, it’s hard to say what else I might get up to!

We want to thank Cynthia for taking the time out for us. For more information, visit Cynthia's website or blog or check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

Kiss of the Vampire is on sale now. For more about it, check out Stephanie's review.

Book Review: Kiss of the Vampire by Cynthia Garner

2012-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Kiss of the Vampire
Author: Cynthia Garner
Series: Warriors of the Rift, book 1
Publisher: Forever
ISBN-10: 0446585114
ISBN-13: 978-0446585118
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information visit Cynthia Garner's website

Nix de la Fuente is called to the scene of a grisly murder of someone she was once close with. Constantly being looked down upon for being half demon, half human, Nix can't afford to let her emotions get the best of her. A task that proves difficult with the arrival of the man that broke her heart. Putting his personal case hold, vampire Tobias Caine is called in to find whoever is killing his kind. He's never stopped loving Nix but had to let her go for her own sanity. Seeing that she's more calm and confident, Tobias' feelings for Nix are stronger than ever. With their case becoming more dangerous at every turn, Tobias and Nix will fight for the future neither one thought they could have.

I'd say I like, not love, Nix. She's a half breed that doesn't get much support from either side. People fear that she will go insane as most hybrids do because of her humanity fighting her demonic blood. Demons don't consider her one of them because she's a half blood and ridicule her. I was happy to see that she didn't feel sorry for herself and found ways to beat the odds. Other than that, there wasn't anything really extraordinary about her and I wasn't all that thrilled with the direction her character went at the end of the book. I don't want to give anything away but it all happened too quickly and I can't help but feel like it was an easy fix to her problem.

I did like Tobias a little more but again, I wasn't all that in love with him. He works for the Council of Preternaturals, worldwide councils made of preternaturals that try and govern their kind, and once had a relationship with Nix. He loves Nix but his vampiric side calls to the demon in her and brings her that much closer to the edge. Thinking it was best for her, he leaves Nix and continues his search that first brought him to earth. I normally don't care for when one character makes decisions for another but his leaving actually did help Nix so I understood. It took me a while to feel that way but in the end I understood and admired the strength it took to leave her so she would get better.

Tobias came to earth through a rift that opens up between our world and the paranormal one every 73 years. When preternaturals, that's what demons, vampires, weres and others of their kind prefer to be called, cross over, they possess a human body. Year 73 is quickly approaching and tensions have started to rise. I was disappointed not much more than this was given in description about the rift or what it's like in the paranormal world. I thought since Tobias was from that realm we'd get a little inside peek but no such luck. I'm really hoping we'll learn more about it in the next book.

Kiss of the Vampire is the first book in Cynthia Garner's Warriors of the Rift series and as expected at times the momentum of the story slowed so the rules and players in this new world could be presented. I wasn't interested in all of it but I really liked the variety of preternaturals and look forward to learning more about the mysterious Council. Nix and Tobias may not have blown me out of the water but they still made for a pretty solid couple with a lot of heat in the bedroom. Though I had a few issues, my interest in the world that is Warriors of the Rift has been peeked and I look forward to reading more.
My Rating:

Picture of the Week plus giveaway winners

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Our Picture of the Week comes from author Laura Wright's Facebook Page. Thank you Laura!

The winner of All Things Wicked by Karina Cooper is ..... June M

The winner of Under Attack by Hannah Jayne and The Bitter Seed of Magic by Suzanne McLeod is ..... Sherri (Urbangirlreader)

Congratulations! You all now have 3 days to respond to our emails [or message us at paranormalhaven(at)gmail(dot)com] or another winner(s) will be chosen.

Guest post and giveaway from author Anne Marsh

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

I recently did a Time Magazine interview, which was loads of fun—except the interviewer mentioned, in print, to millions of readers that I’d switched from writing paranormals to writing contemporaries. Umm. No. I’m writing both. Because I’m greedy that way. Still, the interview got me to thinking… why do I enjoy writing paranormal so much? What makes writing about fallen angel bad boys so exciting?

1. Angel bad boys get the best names. Adrian Blackhawk. Raphael. Lysander. Raziel. Strong, biblical, take-no-guff names for men who are blunt, cut-the-crap kind of men. The names along scream hero.

2. Fallen angels also get the best cribs. I don’t need to read stories set in a four bedroom ranch in the suburbs (I can just get up off my couch if I want to see that). I love the otherworldly, paranormal landscapes. I’ll take the shrouded gates of Raziel’s home, the otherworldly English country home of Ward’s angels. I gave mine a Russian palace, a slamming Moscow dance club, and a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

3. Arsenal of death? Check. Fallen angels also get some of the coolest weapons out there in the paranormal world. Sure, contemporary romance heroes sometimes look like they cleaned out a military base and the shape shifters come armed with all manner of claws, but the fallen angels get the really cool weapons. Divine swords. Wings. Spells and magic and runes. These guys can really pack a punch.

4. On a related note, power. Fallen angels aren’t your average beta hero. These guys are as alpha as they come. Whether its Jim Heron and the motorcycle-riding angels in J.R. Ward’s Covet and Crave or Nalini Singh’s Archangels, these males know how to fight. My boys prowl through M City, hunting down fallen angels gone bad and fighting archangels gone bad.

5. All that power gets put to good use, too. There’s nothing like an epic battle between good and evil to really heat up the pages of your book. Ward’s angels are pitted against the ultimate demon from hell, with the world at stake. Raziel and his Fallen are facing divine wrath and my own Fallen are on the front lines of a heavenly battlefield.

6. Dark, dark, dark. Maybe there’s a light paranormal out there with a fallen angel hero (and, if you know of a good one, let the rest of us know!), but all the books I’ve read have had a dark side. Sometimes, a very, very dark side. I love apocalyptic settings, where all the extras and the civilized trappings get stripped away and all that’s left is the very core of the hero and heroine. Even the threat of apocalypse now (Eden Campbell and Angel Slayer, anyone?) is enough to keep me turning pages.

7. Domination and doms. Fallen angels are dominant alphas, more comfortable with kicking ass than discussing feelings. Their heroines tend to be feisty, spunky women who know how to stand up for themselves and what they want. Eden Campbell isn’t going quietly into that good night—and neither is Nicole St. James.

8. The fall. What makes a good, honest-to-the-bone male take that step off the edge? What would tempt him or drive him? For Gena Showalter’s Lysander and Cynthia Eden’s Keenan, it just might be desire. Raziel doesn’t know why he’s taken the plunge, but he’s very sure it has everything to do with the woman in his arms.

9. Redemption. He may have fallen, but he’ll always pay the price for his sins. He does what he believes is right and, if that action comes at a cost, he’ll pay. I read because I want to know how and when and why the fallen angel can earn his way back into heavenly good graces. What does it take to reform the bad boy? For my Fallen, it’s the love of the right woman.

10. Sensual… I don’t know why Heaven’s bad boys are so sensual (maybe that’s what makes them bad boys to begin with?), but they are. The fallen aren’t choir boys—they’re earthy, sensual, hedonistic males who are as capable tearing it up in the bedroom as they are on the battlefield.

What do you think makes fallen angel such sexy heroes? Here’s a little excerpt that gives you a hint of why I really enjoy my angel bad boys so much…

“I want all of you,” he said, and that hoarse note was back in his voice, squeezing her heart and turning her insides molten.

She pulled his dark head down to hers, closing her eyes because all this was almost—but not quite—too much. She hadn’t been asking for love, but that was what she’d found when she’d found Zer.

“You’ve got it. You’ve got me. I love you,” she whispered, sensing rather than seeing his slow smile as the wicked shadows wrapped around them and he filled her world.

He leaned into her. “Falling or flying,” he promised, taking her mouth—and her heart—in a hard, hot kiss. “We do it together.”

For more information about Anne and her books, check out her website or visit her on Facebook and Twitter. Anne is giving away a copy of Bond With Me and His Dark Bond to one lucky winner.

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Book Review: His Dark Bond by Anne Marsh

2012-01-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

His Dark Bond
Author: Anne Marsh
Series: Fallen, book 2
Publisher: Brava
ISBN-10: 0758266790
ISBN-13: 978-0758266798
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information, visit Anne Marsh's website

Three thousand years ago, Zer and his fellow Demonions were charged with the task of defending the Celestial Throne. After being tricked into rebelling against the Archangel Michael, he and the men who followed him were stripped of their wings and most of their emotions and sent to earth. Any chance of salvation lies in the Fallen finding their soul mates.

Nessa St. James is one of the few remaining soul mates and though the thought of her with someone else makes his blood boil, Zer will do what it takes to convince her to bond with another. Nessa has been kidnapped from the university where she teaches and told by the wickedly seductive Zer that she needs to bond with a Fallen so they can protect her from their enemies. Nessa doesn't have a death wish but Zer has another thing coming if he believes she'll simply submit to his demands.

His Dark Bond takes place in a alternate Moscow in the future where if you're willing to trade pieces of your soul to the emotion hunger Fallen, you can have any one wish you desire. The Fallen can become addicted to emotions to the point where they turn rogue and feed off of humans until they die. Zer's own addiction and guilt of leading his men into a failed rebellion has made him think he doesn't deserve one of the remaining soul mates. I love Zer, not just because he's a fine example of what an alpha should be but for his unwavering loyalty and dedication to his men. It was their choice to stick by him all those years ago but he takes on the full burden of their fall and would give everything, even his chance to have a mate, to give them what they had back. I think Nessa is a great match for Zer, even if he doesn't believe so at first.

Zer and Nessa's first encounter is when he barges into her class and kidnaps her and she gives him attitude the entire time. Zer is very dominate and accustomed to having things his way. Nessa's stubbornness and refusal to ever take the easy way out is downright sexy to him and her naughty side makes it impossible to keep his hands off her. Nessa is a intelligent, strong willed woman whose genetic research has led to her uncovering a forgotten tribe of people that have a direct link to the soul mates the Fallen are searching for. Her work is important to her and she doesn't have time for a distraction like Zer. Nessa is a great heroine. I not only loved the sass she'd throw Zer's way but also that she wants to give him more of her, more than he thinks he deserves. This unlikely combination really worked and when things got hot and heavy, which at times involved elevators and voyeurism, I had a hard time not blushing.

The pool of candidates for soul mates is so small because of Cuthah. He is the lieutenant to Michael and has known of the Fallen's road to redemption the entire time. He has no desire to see the Demonions once again defending the Celestial Throne, something he wants for himself, so he has gathered rogues and spent years tracking down and killing as many soul mates as he can. Cuthah is vile and a worthy adversary to the Fallen. A few times I thought the fights between them were drawn out more than necessary but they gave the reader some action and really showed how dangerous the world of fallen angels can be.

Anne Marsh did a great job creating a cast of characters you can't help but love and a story that hooks you in from the start. This is a darker paranormal romance with an alpha that is rough around the edges and unapologetic in everything he does. If this is the right combination for you then I say definitely check out His Dark Bond. This is book 2 in Anne Marsh's Fallen series and I suggest if you have time, go back and read book 1. It's not necessary story wise but I think Mischka and Brends' story is worth reading.
My Rating:

Reviews for other books in the series:
Bond With Me

Book Review: Lothaire by Kresley Cole

2012-01-30T04:30:00.000-08:00

Lothaire
Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortal After Dark, book 12
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN-10: 1439136823
ISBN-13: 978-1439136829
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information visit Kresley Cole's website

Lothaire, powerful vampire and enemy to all, has been told that the young human Elizabeth is his destined bride. But surely it's the evil goddess who has possessed her that's to be by his side for eternity, not the weak mortal. He has decided to remove Elizabeth's soul so that his true bride can take over this delectable body which would get him one step closer to his ultimate goal, becoming ruler of two vampire kingdoms. What he never factored into his plans was Ellie's strong will to live and ability to rile him up like no one else. Lothaire is downright cruel to Ellie and as we learn about his earlier years, we see it was his family that helped shape the vampire he is today and why he has this strong hate of mortals. But Ellie doesn't seem to care he's one of the deadliest creatures around. She's not going to sit and take his insults while he plans to eliminate her soul from her body. She's going to fight every step of the way.

Ellie wants to live and she'll use her body if that helps buy her a little more time to convince Lothaire to leave her soul intact. Lothaire knows the motives behind Ellie's desires but has no issues with using her body while he continues searching for a way that will allow him to give her body to his bride. As expected, it's not that simple. Their reluctant bond only strengthens as Lothaire introduces Ellie into a life she never thought she could have and Ellie challenges Lothaire at every turn and is able to reach him through the dense fog that clouds his mind and hides his sanity.

Lothaire and Ellie's relationship is unconventional and explosive from the start. Watching them work through one obstacle after another to be together is both exciting and heartbreaking. Lothaire is so much more than a cold blooded killer and I relished ever chance we were given to peek behind the curtain into his past. Ellie is a fighter through and through and I loved the down home goodness inside of her. There is no quick admission of love between these two and any scrap of feelings towards the other person is painstakingly earned. This is a fantastically done example of when opposites attract.

While there were some other things happening, this book was all about Lothaire and Ellie. Lothaire, in all his wonderful arrogance, made a true fan out of me by the end and there wasn't anything I didn't love about Ellie. Together they were even better and could make the words sizzle off the pages. The only thing that kept me from giving this a perfect rating is I thought there should have been a little more suffering on Lothaire's part for what he did to Ellie. I thought he got off fairly easy for all the damage he inflicted on her. Other than that, Lothaire is a highlight in a series that has delivered one great read after another.
My Rating:

Lothaire is the most hated vampire in the Lore. Every move he makes is motivated by his own end game, never caring who he may hurt in the process. Ever since he was cast out with his mother from the Horde and had to listen to others rape and murdered her, he vowed to avenger her and take his rightful place as ruler of the Horde. Part of his plan was to find his one mate to bond with, to rule at his side.

He then had someone search for his mate. Once he found her he was sorely disappointed. No way could a lowly human be his mate. But curiosity kept bringing him back to her till she was finally 18. But what he found was not the meek human he had seen so many times before. No what was in her place was a goddess, covered in blood and once he seen her, his heart started once again. He knew this being that inhabits the human must be his one mate. All he had to do was swear to the Lore to find a way to extinguish Elisabeth’s human soul from her body so that Saroya could fully take over.

What Lothaire didn’t count on was the way this human soothed his soul. She defied and questioned him at every turn but as soon as he touched her she seemed to burn for him. Every moment was spent thinking of her, he couldn’t get her out of his head. But there was no way to keep her even if he was willing to lower himself to take a human as a mate. He vowed to the Lore to cast out her soul; but will he be able to follow through with it?

Elizabeth had lived a very average life on her mountain with her family. Then almost overnight she was possessed by an evil vampire, put on death row for murder, kidnaped by a man determined to extract her soul so he may live happily ever after with his vampire queen. But what she didn’t expect was the feelings she started to feel for this dangerously handsome vampire. He tears her down at every turn but she can’t deny the reaction her body has for him. He can be so tender when he wants to with her. Maybe if she can seduce him then maybe he will let her live. If only she can keep her heart out of it because she knows she could never keep this sexy vampire.

I loved this book. I started to like Lothaire last book but OMG this book rocked my world. I couldn’t put it down I loved it. There was nonstop action. Yes Lothaire was an ass to Ellie most of the book but you understood why he acts the way he does. Ellie is a strong willed stubborn woman without being overly so. I actually liked her and I do not like female characters very often but I thought she held her own very well with Lothaire. I loved how he tender he was at times with Ellie. Even when he was being a jerk I still loved him. There are very few books in this series that I didn’t like and this one was just as good if not better than most of the previous ones.
My Rating:

Weekly Recap for January 23rd - 29th

2012-01-29T04:00:00.000-08:00

Purchased

- Signed copy of Darker After Midnight by Lara Adrian

For Review

- The Wolf Who Loved Me by Lydia Dare
- Dire Needs by Stephanie Tyler
- The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn

This past week at Paranormal Haven

Monday - Review of To Walk the Night by E.S. Moore
Tuesday - Upcoming releases from our favorite authors
Wednesday - Picture of the Week
Thursday - Beyond the Blog with The Book Nympho
Friday - Urban Fantasy Giveaway
Saturday - Review and giveaway of All Things Wicked by Karina Cooper

Giveaways We Found

- Author Katie Reus is giving away goodies all during her blog tour and the grand prize is a new Kindle.
- Pen to Paper is giving away books 1-4 of The Vampire Diaries: Stefan's Diaries by L. J. Smith
- Red Hot Books is giving away an audiobook of Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones
- Author Rose Pressey is giving away a copy of You Dropped a Blonde on Me by Dakota Cassidy

Cover Talk

I don't know if it's because I've really been into the color purple lately or if it's the cool blades on her arms but I like the cover for The Eldritch Conspiracy. The 5th book in the Siren Song series currently doesn't have a release date.

Archer is looking pretty bad ass on the cover of his upcoming release. I haven't even read book 2, Hunter's Prey, and I'm already excited for Archer's Lady! The 3rd book in Moira Rogers' Bloodhounds series will be out on July 3rd.

Book Review and Giveaway: All Things Wicked by Karina Cooper

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

All Things Wicked
Author: Karina Cooper
Series: Dark Mission, book
Publisher: Avon
ISBN-10: 0062046934
ISBN-13: 978-0062046932
Buy it here:
Amazon
Book Depository

For more information visit Karina Cooper's website

Juliet has lost her sister, and the coven she was a part of. She finds the man responsible for destroying her coven, Caleb, and decides that she is going to destroy him. When she manages to corner him, she calls what is left of the coven, only they are not as happy to see her as she thought.

This is the third book in the series, and there may be a couple spoilers from the first two books. After this book, I definitely encourage readers to start at book one. There is a great amount of back story that has been building in the first two novels that comes out in this one. The biggest issue is that the story’s hero was not the nicest guy in the books before this. In fact Caleb has been known to torture witches and steal their powers. He wasn’t on my good side, and I thought it would be impossible for me to like him. I was very glad to be wrong, he is a little dense, but I actually found myself enjoying his POV far more than Juliet’s.

Juliet has found ways of being sheltered. Caleb describes her often in the book as being soft, and he is right, she is very soft. I had a hard time with her because of her constant freak outs. Her knees often buckle, and she shuts down into fits of tears, or screams until she is not just soft, but weak. At the start of the novel her magic is described really well, and she is easy to identify with, but as the novel goes on this side of her does not come off as strong. Her character draw backs were not enough to deter me from the conflict and attraction she has with Caleb. The steamy scenes were not as steamy for me as the ones before it, but still enjoyable.

This book took the series in a direction I didn’t see coming, and introduced some new characters. There is a lot of action going on, and the story is very fast paced, but the action itself lost me. I found myself rereading more than once, and wondering how much of the novel before this one I forgot. That being said, I did enjoy this one a little more than the installment that came before it. It took away from the church vs. witches theme, and landed it somewhere else.

I hope this isn’t the last book. There are some characters that seem like they might take the next book, and the story isn’t finished. They have more to do. Freedom for the witches, saving the world, or just changing it would make me a happy camper. It leaves off with a mystery solved, but the world is not all better, there is still a mean evil Church, and witches to save. I have not yet heard anything about another book, so if this is it I am left disappointed in the overall scope. If not then I still look forward to the next mix of romance, post-apocalyptic and magical installment.
My Rating:

Reviews for other books in the series:
Blood of the Wicked
Lure of the Wicked

We are giving away a copy of All Things Wicked. Open internationally and ends on January 31st, the release date for All Things Wicked.

Fill Out Giveaway Form Here

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Urban Fantasy Giveaway

2012-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Under Attack (Underworld Detection Agency, book 2) by Hannah Jayne

She's one of the Underworld Detection Agency's best. But her job is really starting to bite ...

Sophie Lawson is a human immune to magic, which comes in handy for helping paranormal beings transition into everyday life. But fallen angel Alex Grace and his search for the Vessel of Souls is one curse she never saw coming. Suddenly an unexplainable string of killings and destruction has even San Francisco's demons fearing for their immortal lives. And Sophie isn't about to trust Alex's all-too-vulnerable charm or his secret agenda. Now their hunt is revealing dangerous secrets about Sophie's past, and a malevolent power hellishly close to turning one irreverent human into the ultimate supernatural weapon...

For more information visit Hannah Jayne's website

The Bitter Seed of Magic (Spellcrackers.com, book 3) by Suzanne McLeod

On the surface, Genny's life seems ripple-free right now. Finn, her sexy boss and -- well, Genny's not sure what else she wants him to be -- has stopped pushing for a decision on their relationship. The seductive vampire Malik al-Khan has vanished back into the shadows. And the witches have declared her no longer a threat. But unless Genny can find a way to break the fertility curse afflicting London's fae, she knows this is just the lull before the magical storm.

Then a faeling -- a teenage girl -- is fished out of the River Thames, dead and bound with magic, and Genny is called into investigate. As she digs through the clues, her search takes a sinister and dangerous turn, exposing age-old secrets that might be better left buried. Then another faeling disappears, and Genny finds herself in a race against time to save the faeling and stop the curse from claiming its next victim -- herself!

For more information visit Suzanne McLeod's website

We will pick one winner to receive both of these books. Open internationally and ends January 31st.

Fill Out Giveaway Form Here

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Beyond the Blog with The Book Nympho

2012-01-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Beyond the Blog, where we'll not only be featuring some amazing blogs but also the creative people behind them. Today we have an interview with Jennifer from The Book Nympho. Let's get to Jennifer's interview so you can see for yourself why we're fans.

Let’s start with a few blog related questions

Why did you start blogging?
I love books and I don’t really have that many friends around to talk about them with. So I got to talking to people on Shelfari and Goodreads and thought it would be fun to talk about the books on a my own blog.

What are 3 words that describe your blog?
Fun. Sassy. Honest.

What does your family/friends think of your blog?
They laugh or look at me weird when they hear the title. What can I say. My husband helped me come up with the name. So it's no surprise to him.

What is a favorite post that you’ve done?
So far I would have to say the guest post I did at The Bookish Brunette for the Saints and Sinners event. http://www.bookish-brunette.com/2011/11/saints-sinners-dark-dargerous-and-hella.html. Mostly because I got to share my thoughts on Jericho Barrons and it was cool to be a guest blogger on an awesome blog.

What is one piece of advice you’d offer to someone who is new to the blogging world?
If you are thinking of starting a book review blog start writing and saving reviews before you start. That way you have a backlog to grab from if real life gets in your way of reading from time to time.
Also keep in mind that quality is more important that quantity. I would much rather a blogger post 1-2 reviews a week that are well written and thought out than one that post a review everyday that is not as good.

But most importantly have fun with it. If it feels like a job you won’t be likely to continue with it.

Let’s get to know the bloggers behind the blog, shall we?

Are you a morning person or is coffee a must before you are able to function?
I have no problem getting up in the mornings but don't talk to me til about 9am. Don't really care for coffee unless it's what I call a coffee milkshake. You know those fluffy drinks you can get at Starbucks, where there is 90% chocolate/sugar and 10% coffee in it.

It’s noon on a Sunday, what are you up to?
Taking a break from reading to fix my 5 year old son lunch.

What is something that people might be surprised to know about you?
I’m really a man….

Ok here is my real answer. I hated to read growing up. It was like 15 years between the last book I read for fun and when I started a couple of years ago. Now I read 1-3 books a week. (I’m going to school part time so some weeks I don’t get to read as much as I would like to.)

What is your favorite thing to do (aside from reading) in your down time?
I would rather be outside than inside. I love fresh air but it's hard when I'm chained to a desk all day at work and then I have to get my kid feed and bathed once I get home. So when the weather is good on the weekends I try to take him to park near my house. (Hate the winter months and being stuck indoors.)

What was your first full on, geek out fan moment?
My hubby took a picture of me while I was reading How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf in bed (I was giving him the finger in the pic because A) he was bothering me while I was reading and B) I hate having my picture taken) He made a comment about "nice title". I posted the pic on the blog and the tweeted it. The author, Molly Harper tweeted back "im glad he liked the title!" I was shocked that an author took the time to commented back and follow me. It was so cool. So I did a screen print and added it to the post.
http://thebooknympho.blogspot.com/2011/05/dude-leave-me-along-when-im-reading.html

You just found out the paranormal world is real. What is your reaction?
HELLA YA! Where's the hot vamps and weres?! And where do I sign up for sword fighting classes and hot sex?

You’re stranded on an island (not really sure how that happened) and when you look in your bag you’re thankful to see your 5 favorite books are in there. What’s in your bag?
Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Lover Eternal by JR Ward
Lover Mine by JR

You just won your dream vacation, all expenses paid. Where are you going?
Dublin in search of Jericho Barrons.

Oh we forgot to mention you get to take your fantasy man with you. So, who are you taking?
Well in that case my search is over. Barrons is already with me so it doesn't matter where we go because we will never leave the bedroom.

Thank you Jennifer for taking some time out for us. If you want to know even more about Jennifer, here's where you can find her around the web

Blog
Goodreads
Shelfari
Facebook
Twitter

Picture of the Week

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

We hope you enjoy our Picture of the Week as much as we do!

Upcoming releases from our favorite authors

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

For those who have been following us for a while, you know that we are big fans of authors Adrian Phoenix and D.B. Reynolds. Not only do we enjoy their writing but these ladies are wonderful and have been really great to us and our blog. We wanted to show our support for them by telling you a little about their new (or upcoming) releases.

Adrian Phoenix has just released a new short story that takes place in the world of her Hoodoo series (Black Dust Mambo and Black Heart Loa). "Caught Forever Between" is now on sale from Smashwords. Here's a little more about "Caught Forever Between":

Deep in the bayou, justice comes in many forms. When Cass finds her partner lying on the floor of their New Orleans tattoo shop in a pool of blood, the world as she knows it ends. Lacking faith in the police and their ability to find whoever shot Alex, Cass puts the word out that she's seeking justice, justice she will willingly pay for.

For more information, check out Adrian's announcement post.

D.B. Reynolds has decided to put all her Vampire Vignettes into an anthology. Not only will fans get to re-read their favorites short stories from D.B.'s Vampires In America series, they'll also get two brand new vignettes. D.B. has set Valentines Day as the release date for the e-version with print copies available on Amazon hopefully sometime soon after that. For more information, checkout D.B.'s announcement post.

If you haven't had the chance to start the Vampires In America series, the e-book of Raphael (book one) is still only $2.99 on Amazon.