I've been working on redesigning my blog for a couple of weeks now. It's something I've been wanting to do for awhile. I'm pretty happy with some of the more dynamic features.
New Features:
Please have a look around. Let me know what you think or if something is broke.
Just as I said, I am giving away my extra copy of Mark of the Demon. If your wondering what I'm talking about click here and read about my mission to acquire a copy of Mark of the Demon and how I ended up with an extra copy. If you've been wanting a copy, here's your chance. Good Luck!
My Review of Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Author's Website | Twitter
Read Chapter 1
Mark of the Demon by Diana RowlandWhy me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.My Ramblings:
Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...
Kara Gillian just had two major milestones in her adult life occur, one she has just become a full fledged summoner of demons, after training for over 10 years under her mentor, who is also her aunt. Summoners are born with the ability to summon demons, it is not something that just anyone can pick up and start practicing. The other major milestone, Kara has recently been promoted to homicide detective, after working her way up the ladder at the Beaulac Police Department, in Beaulac, Louisiana.
Kara has only been a homicide detective for a few weeks, when the infamous Symbol Man makes a reappearance. Three years ago the Symbol Man had murdered 13 people, marking all of his victims with an unknown symbol, then he just disappeared as if he didn't exist. Since getting promoted to a homicide detective, Kara had been studying the the Symbol Man case files because she suspects a connection to the realm of demons. Kara is surprised when she is made the lead detective in the Symbol Man case by her captain, his reasoning to her, she is the only one familiar enough with case, the previous detectives having retired since the case went cold. But unbeknownst to Kara's captain she is the perfect person for the job because of her knowledge in arcane practice of demon summoning.
A task force is formed for the Symbol Man case, and one of the team members is, nice on the eyes but standoffish, FBI Special Agent Ryan Kristoff, who Kara immediately gets off on the wrong foot with. She doesn't know if he will help or hinder her work on the serial killer case. In the meanwhile, the sexy and dangerous Demonic Lord Rhyzkahl, who Kara had accidentally summoned, is invading Kara's dreams in a very sensual and distracting way. Kara has her work cut out for her as she tries to figure who the Symbol Man is and prevent anyone else from becoming his next victim.
I've been wanting to read this book since I first found out about it, and I went to great lengths to my hands on a copy of Mark of the Demon as soon as I possibly could. I was not disappointed. If I could have, I would've read this book from start to finish in one sitting but silly, mundane things like work and family got in the way. [impish grin]
Diana Rowland did an excellent job setting up her paranormal world of demons, which is a very different from what I have seen so far in the Urban Fantasy genre. The demons in this world can be both beautiful and scary, physically and in personality. They are bound by a very strict code of honor, that you don't dare disregard, not even for one moment. And if you do, you won't live to regret it. These demons are also very ambitious and in constant battle with each other in their realm. The lines between right and wrong are far different for them compared to what a human's ideas of the same.
She has made Kara, a flawed, witty character that you can sympathize with, she is not perfect by any means. Kara has insecurities, that I think any woman would have trying to work in male dominant work force and the personality traits of a person who grew up with a somewhat reclusive and eccentric aunt. But she doesn't let her doubts get in her way, Kara can give as good as she gets with plenty of sass to boot.
Mark of the Demon is Diana Rowland's debut novel as a published author. Throughout the story you can see evidence of author's real life experience as a detective and a morgue assistant, she weaves these truths into her story with vivid details. She had me guessing with each new clue and just when I thought I had it all figured out, I found out I was wrong. By the end of the book a lot questions are answered but she leaves you with enough enticement that you need want to read the next book. I would describe this book as CSI meets the paranormal in gritty, passionate detail with a sizzling, suspenseful outcome. I will pursue the next book Blood of the Demon, as doggedly as I did Mark of the Demon.
Today was a very sad day indeed. First, Farrah Fawett lost her courageous fight against cancer at the age of 62. I remember her as the beautiful Charlie's Angel with the brightest smile. Practically every teenage boy and girl had her poster up on their wall. And what girl didn't want the "feathered look"? When I was about 8 years old, I can remember watching with fascination, my mom's friend's teenage daughters fixing their hair into the Farrah Do, and thinking, "When I get big enough to use a curling iron, that was HOW I'm fixing my hair." It's amazing, though I was really young, when I think of her, I just picture, very vividly, that beautiful smile of hers.
Then late today, Michael Jackson went into cardiac arrest and past away at the age of 50. What a shocker! This one really blew me away because it was so unexpected. Michael's Thriller album was the very first cassette tape I bought when I was 13. I remember playing it over and over again while I practiced doing my superb imitation of Michael's Moonwalk, well at I thought it was.
Breia at Literaturely Speaking has giving me the Heartfelt Award. Thank you Breia! The instructions say to nominate up to 9 blogs but it's too hard to just pick 9 blogs, I like so many and feel comfortable with them all.Do you reach for a cup of cocoa or tea when your relaxing, seeking comfort, sharing a plate of cookies with family & friends? You know that feeling you get when you drink a yummy cup of cocoa, tea ~or a hot toddy? That is what the Hearthfelt Award is all about, feeling warm inside.
Suzanne McLeod is having a Fangs for Morganville : Giveaway. She is giving away a signed copy of winners pick of her books The Cold Kiss of Death or The Sweet Scent of Blood and a pick of UK version of Lord of Misrule or US version of Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine plus bracelets. Deadline to enter is end of day on Thursday, June 25th.
Bone Crossed by Patricia BriggsMarsilia, the local Vampire Queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan - and she's out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from direct reprisal by the werewolf pack (and her close relationship with its sexy Alpha), it won't be Mercy's blood Marsilia is after.
It'll be her friends'.
Bone Crossed starts with the last chapter of Iron Kissed, so there is no time lapse. Ever since Mercy killed one of Marsilia's right-hand vampires, she's been waiting for the moment the Vampire Queen would discover it and now she has. She has the message delivered to Mercy in no undeniable terms, that she aware of Mercy's betrayal to the vampire seethe.
At the same time this happens, one of her friends from college shows up asking Mercy for help. Her friend, who lives in Spokane, is having a problem with a ghost haunting her family, her son in particular. But Mercy feels suspicious and torn about the her friend showing up at the same time she finds out Marsilia is out for revenge, providing a convenient place to run to while the dangers from the vampires are rising on the home front.
Mercy is growing and learning from her recent trials of life, including a very traumatic one that has left some deep scars. Plus, she has to come to terms with her independent nature, and admit that sometimes, she just might need help.
All of the characters that have been a part of Mercy's world stay true to form and consistent, while showing a satisfying growth at the same time. Like all of the previous books, this book is no exception to fast, paced action and mysteries that have been a trade mark for the Mercy Thompson series.
I can't wait for Silver Borne, which is showing on Patricia Briggs' website with a release date of February 2010. I'm hoping that we will learn something more of Mercy's coyote heritage, there has been an air of mystery surrounding it since the beginning and I'm ready to know more.
Even though I had pre-ordered Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland (Release date: June 23, 2009), when I found out that book stores were selling copies before the release date, I got excited. I've been looking forward to reading this book for quite awhile. So, at first I kept checking my Amazon.com account to see if they were preparing my copy for shipment, everyday. And each time I checked and it still said the expected receive date was June 25th, I would think, "Come on Amazon! Ship it, ship it! Please!"
So, this weekend I decided I would see if I could find it locally. I was determined to get an early copy, it had become my mission. I know, some of you might be thinking, "Donna, it's only a couple of days to wait." But haven't you ever just wanted something so bad, you had to have it as soon as possible?
Yesterday, Saturday, I went to my local Borders to see if they had Mark of the Demon out on the shelves yet. I asked the sales guy about the book, he checked their inventory and said they had eight copies of the book. He went back to the storage room but came back out empty handed. I got a sinking feeling I was about hear something I didn't want to hear. I was right, he told me that the books were in one of six boxes that they had received a couple of days ago and wouldn't be able to find it just yet but I could come back on Monday. Well, several things ran through my mind as he told me this: 1) I could offer to sort their boxes 2) I could throw a fit until he came back with a copy 3) Just smile nicely, thank him for looking and leave quietly. I did the later, Mom ingrained good manners into me just a little too well.
Today, we went out of town for Father's Day brunch and what do you know? There was a Barnes & Noble right across the street from the restaurant. You see, it was my idea to go to Cheddars, because I knew there was a B&N close by, hence my strategic thinking. Since there was a 30 minute wait until we would be seated, I took the opportunity to go over to B&N to look for Mark of the Demon.
They had it!!! The happy dancing commenced with a giddy smile on my face and I was singing "Hallelujah! Hallelujah!" in my head (I don't sing out loud, people appreciate this).
I'm so thoroughly happy right now! I final got my hot, little hands on a copy of Mark of the Demon. Mission Accomplished!
My husband asked me if I was going to cancel my pre-order since Amazon hadn't shipped it yet, I told him "Nope. Probably going to give the extra copy away after I finish reading my copy." So stay tuned folks, because I will be having a contest for my extra copy here in the near future. But for now, I'm going off to read my precious.
There were 43 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
Timestamp: 2009-06-19 04:09:03 UTC
Thank you to everyone for entering the contest!!!!
Skinwalker - A Jane Yellowrock Novel by Faith HunterA year ago Jane nearly lost her life taking down an entire blood family of deadly rogue vampires that preyed on the helpless local populace of an Appalachian town. Now, after months of recuperation, she’s back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she’s hired by those she’s trained to kill—vampires…
Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. Back from hiatus, she’s hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.
Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own…
I participated in an online chat with Gena Showalter and Deidre Knight. I had the opportunity to ask a question and found some interesting news:
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=7096ffe9-6add-4e12-a999-dd462cc6402b)
Iron Kissed by Patricia BriggsMechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape - but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.
Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her...
The first thing Samuel said was, "You have a real gift for getting into trouble, don't you? That was one thing I forgot when you left the pack."
"How is any of this my fault?" I asked hotly.
He sighed. "I don't know. Does it matter whose fault it is once you're sitting in the middle of the frying pan?" He gave me a despairing look. "And as my father used to point out, you find your way into that frying pan way too often for it to purely accidental."
I have an extra copy of Ecstasy by Jacquelyn Frank. I don't need two copies, so I thought I would post a giveaway since Rapture, the second book in The Shadowdwellers series, releases on June 30, 2009. Perfect timing to clear some book shelf space.
Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
Karen Marie Moning put up on her blog the final-final cover for Dreamfever. They made the cover darker, no sun shining through the cloads, the model's top now has straps and she is now standing on the ledge. I like it. Here is the previous final cover if you would like to compare for yourself. .jpg)
Did you know they are talking about making a new Heavy Metal movie? I personally think that would awesome, I'm pretty excited about it. Here is a write up that Suvudu did on the talks for the new movie.
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
A moment of silence for David Carradine, the star of the 1970s TV show Kung Fu, who past away this week at the age of 72. He was one of my childhood heroes. Back then, I lived for Saturday afternoons to watch Kung Fu, and practice being just like him, in manner and fighting style. May he rest in peace.
