Is Melissa Marr coming to a city near you? Plus a Radiant Shadows Giveaway

Author Melissa Marr

Radiant Shadows Book Tour:

On the Radiant Shadows book tour, Melissa Marr will be discussing the details of the upcoming Wicked Lovely movie at each stop plus there will be an opportunity to ask those hot-on-your-mind questions about the characters from the series. So, if your near one the locations below, now is your chance to meet Melissa and have those questions answered. Go, if you can and have fun!

Places you can find Melissa: Web Site | Blog | Twitter | Fan Forum

Tour Locations & Dates:

April 22nd – Denver, CO
Tattered Cover Book Store @ 7 PM

April 23rd – Lexington, KY
Joseph-Beth Booksellers @ 7 PM

April 24th – St. Louis, MO
St. Louis County Library @ 7 PM

April 26th – Boston, MA
Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA @ 7 PM

April 28th-May 2nd – Columbus, OH
Romantic Times Convention

May 12th – Cleveland, OH
Joseph-Beth Booksellers @ 7 PM

May 14th – Philadelphia, PA
Chester County Book Store, West Chester, PA @ 7 PM

May 15th – Richmond, VA
The Fountain Bookstore @ 2 PM


Radiant Shadows by Melissa MarrRadiant Shadows by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely #4
April 20, 2010 by HarperCollins
Hardcover, 352 pages
Amazon | B&N

Cover Copy:

Hunger for nourishment.

Hunger for touch.

Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers. Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.

Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.


Wicked Lovely Series:

  1. Wicked Lovely
  2. Ink Exchange
  3. Fragile Eternity
  4. Radiant Shadows - April 20, 2010

~*~*~*~*~*~* This giveaway is now closed *~*~*~*~*~*~

Giveaway Details:

Thanks to Media Masters Publicity, I have a copy of Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr to giveaway to one lucky commentator. Here’s how to enter:

  1. Leave a comment with your casting suggestion(s) for the Wicked Lovely movie or name your favorite character from the Wicked Lovely series.
  2. Leave your email with your comment if it isn't part of your profile.
  3. Open to the US and Canada.
  4. Deadline to enter this giveaway is Friday, April 9th at 8AM CST.
  5. Media Masters Publicity will be mailing Radiant Shadows to the winner.

Good Luck!

New Releases: Horror, Paranormal Romance, Steampunk Romance, Urban Fantasy & YA for the week of March 30, 2010

Do you hear that? Yeah, that echoing sound. Why, yes – it's the sound of my empty wallet.

This past weekend, I think I checked and double checked my pre-order list to make sure I ordered the books I wanted off on this list. What are you looking forward to today? I have many but my biggest is SILVER BORNE by Patricia Briggs. When it gets here, we’re going to spend some quality alone time together. The “Do Not Disturb” sign will be hung out. (^_^)


March 30, 2010

Never Cry Werewolf by L. A. Banks

Never Cry Werewolf by L. A. Banks
Crimson Moon #5
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

The last fight between the werewolf clans spilled onto the streets of New Orleans—and now the whole city’s on red alert. Martial law has gone into effect. Mediums, ghost hunters, and other supernatural pundits have taken over the media, swarming the Big Easy to expose the hard truth about lycanthropes. And to make matters worse, a beastly killer is clawing up humans…

Secret government operative Sasha Trudeau doesn’t like what she’s seeing—a series of brutal and bloody slayings that appear to be wolf-like attacks. It might be the work of a copy cat killer—vampire or Unseelie or some other enemy of the Seelie clan. But while Sasha races to find suspects and motives, the panic level is rising—and the city’s human population is clamoring for an all-out wolf hunt…

- Reviewed By:


Death Blows by DD Barant

Death Blows by DD Barant
The Bloodhound Files #2
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

FBI profiler Jace Valchek was pulled into this parallel realm to hunt for Aristotle Stoker, a human serial killer who preys on vampires and werewolves. Now she works for the National Security Agency of the Unnatural States of America—and her boss is a vampire.

At a bizarre crime scene, Jace finds a bloodsucker murdered by magic, fried to the bone and dressed in the costume of the comic book hero the Flash—a character who isn’t supposed to exist here. Comic books have been outlawed for their powers, including crossover spells like the one that transported Jace to this world. Soon, she’s following a trail of dead bodies into the sinister underworld of black-market comics—where a deranged madman gives new meaning to the term “super-villain”…

- Reviewed By:


Master of None by Sonya Bateman

Master of None by Sonya Bateman
Book #1
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

ONE UNLUCKY THIEF. ONE UNLIKELY GENIE. ONE VERY ODD COUPLE.Gavyn Donatti is the world’s unluckiest thief. Just ask all the partners he’s lost over the years. And when he misplaces an irreplaceable item he was hired to steal for his ruthless employer, Trevor—well, his latest bungle just might be his last. But then his luck finally turns: right when Trevor’s thugs have him cornered, a djinn, otherwise known as a genie, appears to save him.Unfortunately, this genie—who goes by the very non-magical name of “Ian”—is more Hellboy than dream girl. An overgrown and extremely surly man who seems to hate Donatti on the spot, he may call Donatti master, but he isn’t interested in granting three wishes. He informs Donatti that he is bound to help the thief fulfill his life’s purpose, and then he will be free. The problem is that neither Donatti nor Ian has any idea what exactly that purpose is.At first Donatti’s too concerned with his own survival to look a gift genie in the mouth, but when his ex-girlfriend Jazz and her young son get drawn into the crossfire, the stakes skyrocket. And when Ian reveals that he has an agenda of his own—with both Donatti and the murderous Trevor at the center of it—Donatti will have to become the man he never knew he could be, or the entire world could pay the price. . . .

- Reviewed By:


Embers by Laura Bickle

Embers by Laura Bickle
Lantern Series #1
Urban Fantasy
Amazon | B&N

Summary:

Truth burns.Unemployment, despair, anger—visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern—suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya—with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team—can stop it.Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.

Embers.

- Reviewed By:


Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson Series #5
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

- Reviewed By:


Touch of Seduction by Rhyannon Byrd

Touch of Seduction by Rhyannon Byrd
Primal Instinct #4
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Sold into slavery as a child to a cruel taskmaster, tiger-shifter Aiden Shrader trusts no one. Not even his own kind. Yet as a member of the Watchmen—the organization of shape-shifters who keep watch over the ancient nonhuman races—Aiden is fiercely protective of the helpless. Never more so than when he's asked to guard a little girl with witches' blood—and her beautiful human aunt. A woman who arouses all of Aiden's primal urges…urges he must resist.

To small-town schoolteacher Olivia Harcourt, the massive tiger-shifter with the glowing amber eyes is as much a dark mystery as the enemy stalking her. Yet Aiden is her only hope of surviving. Until their intense passion unleashes her own inner tigress with a ferocity that will make the evil Casus rue the day they messed with her family…and will take Aiden by seductive surprise.

- Reviewed By:


Changeless by Gail Carriger

Changeless by Gail Carriger
The Parasol Protectorate #2
Steampunk Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

- Reviewed By:


Key to Justice by Talia Gryphon

Key to Justice by Talia Gryphon
Gillian Key, ParaDoc #4
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Psychologist to the paranormal Gillian Key has a new patient. He is a vampire who calls himself Csangal, but he is also a creature hiding his true motives-and his true identity: Dracula.

- Reviewed By:


Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron

Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron
The Demonborn #3
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

SHE SEES HIM IN HER DREAMS...
Fueled by her family's murder years ago, Dr. Marlena Bender has devoted her life to understanding violent criminals. But when a serial killer in this small Southern town starts taking the lives of women in diabolical ways--leaving trophies of his kills on Marlena's doorstep--it all hits too close to home. Terrified, Marlena turns to the only man she can trust...the man who saved her life.

BUT HIS SECRET IS HER WORST NIGHTMARE.
Sheriff Dante Valtrez would move heaven and earth to keep Marlena safe, but he's not the savior she thinks he is. A dark legacy runs through his blood and a dangerous secret lies within him. Now a fierce, hot, ruthless desire draws Dante and Marlena together--as a demonic force from his past threatens to rip them apart, destroying everything they hold dear.

- Reviewed By:


Beyond the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy

Beyond the Darkness by Alexandra Ivy
Guardians of Eternity #6
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Salvatore Giuliani is not a happy werewolf. It's his duty as leader to track down the pureblood females who can keep his people from extinction. But the moment he catches scent of Harley, a pureblood held by a pack of mangy curs, his savage need for her obliterates all other instincts. And the only thing worse than being captured is finding that beautiful, independent Harley defiantly refuses to become his mate. Harley has been taught to distrust all Weres, especially their arrogant king. She won't be used for breeding or bonded against her will, not even to a man who makes every nerve tingle with awareness. Yet Salvatore is her key to saving the family she never knew she had - if she dares to succumb to his dark, predatory desire, and face a vicious enemy sworn to destroy them both...

- Reviewed By:


Can’t Teach an Old Demon New Tricks by Cara Lockwood

Can’t Teach an Old Demon New Tricks by Cara Lockwood
Sequel to Every Demon Has His Day
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Get an east Texas girl good and mad,and there’s going to be hell to pay!Rachel Farnsworth doesn’t believe in the paranormal—she can find plenty of evil forces right in Dogwood County, like the Mega-Mart that’s driving her family’s hardware store into the ground. Then there’s her own little hell-raiser—a rowdy toddler who can turn his birthday candles into a blazing inferno with just one breath. But when her marriage goes up in smoke, Rachel discovers her husband, Kevin, isn’t just a deadbeat, he’s also a demon (a sloth demon, no less, which explains why he never helped around the house) with a renegade bounty hunter—a fallen angel named Sam—chasing down a powerful secret Kevin has kept for a millennium or two. Sam’s downfall was a beautiful mortal woman . . . and now, the heavenly attraction zinging between them has down-to-earth Rachel believing in celestial magic. But will it be enough to save her and her son from the dark forces Kevin has unwittingly unleashed on Dogwood County?

- Reviewed By:


The Shattered Sylph by L. J. McDonald

The Shattered Sylph by L. J. McDonald
Sylphs #2
Fantasy Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary from Goodreads:

Years after Eferem and the battle on the Cliffs, Ril is a free Sylph, living with the man he still calls his master in Sylph Valley. Only Ril doesn't care about his freedom. Instead he's a broken creature, crippled in that final battle and, in his own mind, useless.

However, when Leon's oldest daughter Lizzy is kidnapped by slavers and taken halfway across the world, Ril is the only one who can track her. Together, he and Leon follow to a world alien to both of them, following a bond Ril's not willing to admit to, even in the depths of his own heart.

- Reviewed By:


Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead

Succubus Shadows by Richelle Mead
Georgina Kincaid # 5
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Georgina Kincaid has formidable powers. Immortality, seduction, shape-shifting into any human form she desires, walking in heels that would cripple mere mortals--all child's play to a succubus like her.

Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse--that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.

But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't--and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity. . .

- Reviewed By:


Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil by Barbara Monajem

Sunrise in a Garden of Love & Evil by Barbara Monajem
Bayou Gavotte Series #1
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary from Dorchester Publishing:

Bayou Gavotte, Louisiana, has a post office, a city hall, and an active PTA. It has magnolias and passion vine. It also has fetish clubs. And vampires.

A FLOWERING HUNGER… AND A TASTE OF VIOLENCE TO COME Being irresistible sucks: Ophelia Beliveau learned that at puberty. When her friends developed breasts, she sprouted fangs as well. The effect on boys was even more dangerous.

Ophelia’s peril has only increased. As a woman, there’s been only one solution. But she can’t avoid men forever. Solitude satisfies no craving, and now her self-imposed exile must end. A vandal has destroyed her garden. A web of blackmail and murder is being woven across town, with her at its heart. And then there’s Gideon O’Toole, a detective sworn to uncover more secrets than she thirsts to bare….

- Reviewed By:


Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O’Brien
YA Dystopia
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.

Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned.

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code.

- Reviewed By:


In The Darkest Night by Patti O’Shea

In The Darkest Night by Patti O’Shea
Light Warriors #4
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Fleeing from both her dark heritage and the magical council she attempted to steal from, Farran’s greatest fear is to be sent back to the father she has utterly betrayed. Yet when a demon attempts to capture her, Farran knows she cannot stay hidden. She must find help.

Kel Andrews is a magical troubleshooter with troubles of his own. Recovering from being kidnapped and tortured by darksiders, Kel has been removed from active duty by the magical council. When the mysterious Farran collapses on his doorstep, begging for help, Kel feels compelled to assist her in any way possible.

As danger—both demonic and human—closes in on them from every side, Kel and Farran must learn to trust each other as they battle the monsters that are determined to keep them apart.

- Reviewed By:


His Darkest Hunger by Julia Stone

His Darkest Hunger by Julia Stone
Jaguar Warrior #1
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Jaxon Castille: jaguar shifter, warrior, assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he's finally found her. The hunt is over . . .

But the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair, of her treachery, of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant, he game changes: the hunter has become the hunted.

On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them and a dark, desperate hunger quickly reclaiming their bodies and souls, Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them.

But the truth is far more shattering than anyone could imagine . . .

- Reviewed By:


Blood Pressure by Terence Taylor

Blood Pressure by Terence Taylor
A Vampire’s Testament #2
Horror
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

The secret war between vampires and humans escalates and the world will never be the same again…

Christopher Jude Miller – fully grown and still human – has returned to New York to seek answers about his past.  It is there he meets Joie, a young woman connected to his past, and falls into a twisted love triangle. He and Joie also realize that the magical forces that made both their lives possible have unexpected side effects, as they discover that united they have abilities neither knew of before - including the power to cure vampires.

Created after the incidents that brought in the National Guard to contain the vampire zombie plague on the Lower East Side, Clean Slate Global is a covert ops organization formed to rid the world of vampires, run by ex-deputy mayor Jonathan Richmond.  But Richmond unleashes an ancient evil with darker motives.  It plots to use Christopher and Joie’s power to eliminate all vampires from the Earth…with the exception of its own new and improved indestructible army of the undead.

- Reviewed By:


The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells
Sabina Kane #2
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, the leader of the vampire race, just tried to kill her. When she arrives in New York to meet the mage side of her family, the reunion takes the fun out of dysfunctional.

On top of that, the Hekate Council wants to use her as a pawn in the brewing war against the vampires. Her mission will take her into the bowels of New York's Black Light district, entangles her in mage politics, and challenges her beliefs about the race she was raised to distrust. And Sabina thought vampires were bloodthirsty.

- Reviewed By:


Tsunami Blue by Gayle Ann Williams

Tsunami Blue by Gayle Ann Williams
Paranormal Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary from Dorchester Publishing:

NO SAFE HARBOR
With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O’Malley isn’t afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid—because her message reaches the wrong ears.

Now she’s the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering—as soon as they can find her. Blue’s only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive.

- Reviewed By:


April 1, 2010

Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf

Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf
Wicked Games #3
Paranormal Romance
Amazon | B&N

Summary:

She may resist his bite, but she can't resist his charms…

Werewolf princess Blu Masterson won't allow her seductive vampire husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Alone in a secluded estate with her sworn enemy, Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed Saint-Pierre calls out to her most feral desires.

When Blu uncovers her pack's secret plot to destroy the vampire nation—and Creed—she is forced to confront her growing feelings for her sexy undead husband. Will she choose the only life she's ever known or accept his vampire bite?

- Reviewed By:


If you have a book review for any of the new releases listed here, link it in comments and I will be happy to add it to this post. Or if I missed a new book release, please let me know so I can add it also.

-- Summaries are from Amazon.com unless otherwise stated.


A Few Giveaways:

For more giveaways visit All Things Urban Fantasy.

Review: Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert

Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert

Keeper of Light and Dust by Natasha Mostert 
Stand Alone 
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Supernatural Thriller
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Published: 02/02/2010 by Penguin Group (USA)
ISBN: 978-0451229090
Received From: Penguin Group (USA)

Summary from Goodreads:

Mia Lockheart has a secret. Her mother was a Keeper, as was her grandmother—women who were warriors, healers, and protectors. As Mia practices her craft among the boxers and martial artists of South London, and begins a romance with her childhood friend, the fighter Nick Duffy, she has no idea that a man who calls himself “Dragonfly” is watching from the shadows.

Adrian Ashton is a brilliant scientist, an expert in the breaking field of biophoton emissions from cells within the human body. He is also a skilled martial artist—and a modern-day vampire. With the aid of the enigmatic Book of Life and Death, written in the thirteenth century by the legendary Chinese physician Zhang Sanfeng, he preys on other martial artists and drains them of their chi—the vital energy that flows through the body.

Mia finds herself drawn to his dark genius, but when he targets Nick as his next victim, she is forced to choose between the two men. It becomes a fight to the death in which love is both the greatest weakness and the biggest prize.

My Ramblings:

Keeper of Light and Dust is mixture of martial arts, science and mystical intrigue, told from the three main characters' point of view. It also offers a very different look at the makeup of a vampire. Instead of the traditional immortal vampire living off of a person's life blood, the vampire here lives off a person's life energy to obtain immortality. Natasha Mostert has a very easy writing style that's easy to follow and she's subtly reveals secrets about each character as you read, keeping you glued to the book. There's also a great deal of historical facts and information about the different martial arts disciplines, which will make this great reading for those who enjoy these elements.

My favorite part of reading Keeper of Light and Dust was the interest tidbits dropped in about martial arts and beliefs from different Asian cultures. I've never practiced any martial arts myself but I've always been fascinated by it and the discipline it takes to perfect these arts. And I was intrigued by the fact that Mia wasn't only a practitioner of martial arts but also a tattoo artist, these talents gave her such an interesting air about her that I wish she was someone I could actually sit down and have a long chat with. I also found myself more drawn to the bad guy, Adrian more than the good guy Nick. That’s just my preference for the tragic bad boy persona.

While I did enjoy reading it and how it ended, I found myself wanting more to happen than what did by the end of the book. Plus, Natasha Mostert had created such fantastic world surrounding Mia’s heritage but I felt just the surface was skimmed in the story in regards to it.

Keeper of Light and Dust was a suspenseful psychological thriller steeped in mysticism and modern day science that made for fast enjoyable reading. And it isn’t as steeped in the paranormal and fantasy as the typical Urban Fantasy novel; it had more a mystical air to it. I liked Natasha Mostert’s writing well enough that I plan reading her other stand alone novel Season of the Witch.

My Rating: Liked It

Places you can find Natasha: Web Site | Facebook | Discussion Board

Other Ramblings:

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane – Winner!

#60 Book Chick City

Thank you everyone for stopping by and entering the giveaway. The winner has been notified by email.


Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane
The Disillusionists Trilogy, Book 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 03/23/2010 by Spectra
Amazon.com | B&N

Places you can find Carolyn: Web Site | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

The Disillusionists Trilogy:
  1. Mind Games
  2. Double Cross – 09/28/2010

Summary:

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Category: 5 comments

Mark of the Demon & Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland – Winners!


#71 Emmagan – Mark of the Demon

#26 s7anna – Blood of the Demon

Thank you everyone for stopping by and entering the giveaway. The winners has been notified by email.


Places you can find Diana Rowland: Web Site | Blog | Twitter

Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Kara Gillian, Book 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 06/23/2009 by Bantam 
Amazon | B&N

Summary:

Why 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.

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...


Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Kara Gillian, Book 2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 02/23/2010 by Bantam
Amazon | B&N

Summary:

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, MAN AND DEMON, SHE’S ABOUT TO FACE THE ONE THING SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE.

Welcome to the world of Kara Gillian, a cop with a gift. Not only does she have the power of “othersight” to see what most people can’t even imagine, but she’s become the exclusive summoner of a demon lord. Or maybe it’s the other way around. The fact is, with two troublesome cases on her docket and a handsome FBI agent under her skin, Kara needs the help of sexy, insatiable Lord Rhyzkahl more than he needs her. Because these two victims, linked by suspicious coincidence, haven’t just been murdered. Something has eaten their souls.

It’s a case with roots in the arcane, but whose evil has flowered among the rich, powerful, and corrupt in Beaulac, Louisiana. And as the killings continue, Kara soon realizes how much there’s still to learn about demons, men, and things that kill in the night—and how little time she has to learn it.

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Guest Review: Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron

Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron

Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron
The Demonborn, Book 3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Published: 03/30/2010 by Forever
ISBN: 978-0446199490
Received From: Hachette Book Group

Summary:

SHE SEES HIM IN HER DREAMS...
Fueled by her family's murder years ago, Dr. Marlena Bender has devoted her life to understanding violent criminals. But when a serial killer in this small Southern town starts taking the lives of women in diabolical ways--leaving trophies of his kills on Marlena's doorstep--it all hits too close to home. Terrified, Marlena turns to the only man she can trust...the man who saved her life.

BUT HIS SECRET IS HER WORST NIGHTMARE.
Sheriff Dante Valtrez would move heaven and earth to keep Marlena safe, but he's not the savior she thinks he is. A dark legacy runs through his blood and a dangerous secret lies within him. Now a fierce, hot, ruthless desire draws Dante and Marlena together--as a demonic force from his past threatens to rip them apart, destroying everything they hold dear.

VampFanGirl’s (Lovin’ Me Some Romance) Ramblings:

A nonstop action ride, FORBIDDEN PASSION starts things off with a bloody bang. Marlena Bender is back in her hometown of Mysteria, Tennessee determined to solve the gruesome murders of her mother and older sister with the hopes that the past may finally cease to haunt her. When she's not pursuing the answers she seeks, Marlena works as a research scientist at BloodCore as well as a therapist for the adjoining mental hospital. Since the horrific deaths of her family, Marlena's life work has become consumed with unlocking and potentially inhibiting violence in humans. But no sooner has she moved back into her family home when Marlena is gifted with a bloody finger commencing a series of murders that has her running into the arms of the sheriff and her once savior, Dante Zertlav.

Dante, a firestarter demon, has also recently returned to Mysteria but for atonement not answers with the exclusive agenda being to protect the town's inhabitants from his demon brethren that surround it. However, the last person Dante ever hoped to see in Mysteria again was Marlena Bender, the once little girl he was supposed to kill for his demon initiation but wound up saving instead. Dante knows that Marlena wants answers but he never thought their first conversation would be about a bloody trophy some wacko left on her front porch. When that wacko proves to have a demon connection, Dante knows that the demons he betrayed by joining the human world are out to kill him; right now they're only taunting him.

With the serial killer having taken a personal interest in Marlena by showing off his work with bloody gifts, her life is now at serious risk. But no matter how great the peril may be, Marlena's tired of having to endlessly live in fear. After being haunted since childhood by the demonic images of the creatures that murdered her family, Marlena's not about to let this new threat keep her from her home. However, she’s also not about to allow Dante the opportunity to protect her because Marlena believes that the greatest threat of all is the threat of losing her heart to the one man that she knows can’t be trusted. Instead, Marlena returns alone time and again to a house where a gift or a killer may be waiting instead of accepting the protection of a man that supposedly poses the greater danger.

Dante isn't immune from the risk of losing his own either but he's also determined to keep Marlena at a severe distance. For one, the demons already know that she's his ultimate weakness and two, the moment she discovers that he has knowledge of why her family died and that she was supposed to join them in death by his own demon hand, she'll run. Without his ability to watch over her, Dante knows that Marlena is easy pickings and more importantly, he knows that he couldn't ever live with himself if anything should happen to her because of her association with him. Until Dante can defeat the demons that threaten the safety of Mysteria, he resolves to keep Marlena out of his heart but that doesn't stop him from partaking in the delights of her body when offered and if she's hurt by his morning-after cold shoulder, she'll come to understand that it's safer for her in the long run.

With the serial killer's bloody antics escalating along with the furious destruction that the demons are waging upon the town with Nature's elements, no one is safe. Dante hunts endlessly amongst the underground demon population for clues of who is murdering his townspeople as well as the nefarious activities of Zion, the new leader of the Underworld and the demon responsible for waging war on Earth. Both demons he must stop while keeping the stubborn Marlena alive. With countless dead ends and sleepless nights, both Dante and Marlena know that the killer is only getting closer to his target and when he does make his final move, Marlena has a very real chance of ending up dead.

I honestly wanted FORBIDDEN PASSION to be a good read and I held out hope all the way until the very end but to no avail. Both Dante and Marlena were extremely difficult characters to connect with and I thought them both to be over the top stubborn to the point of stupidity.

Dante, with his consistently cold and at time callous treatment of Marlena, along with his ability to keep his heart hidden, became distant not only to his heroine but to the reader as well. I also thought that his later about-face with his declaration of love was completely predictable if not borderline heathenish. I tried my best to sympathize with what he was dealing with, which was the extreme idiocy of his heroine, but by the end he still hadn't worked his way into my reader heart.

Sadly, Marlena wasn't much better and I found her increasingly ridiculous Too Stupid To Live moments very frustrating. In fact, after a while my vision of a Happily Ever After became Marlena’s demise because in all honesty, I thought she deserved to die. Four plus times the reader finds the heroine opting to face death at the hands of a serial killer rather than allow her hero’s protection because apparently her heart was more important than her life. Uh, no thanks. You're just asking for it by that point and death would have been the only thing to wake Marlena from her insane stupidity. I've never wished death on a heroine before but I guess there's always a first...

Finally, I thought that the world building was uninspiring and also lacked originality. Truly, it felt to me that the whole demon world took a backseat to the serial killer and his motives. Perhaps this was the author’s purpose but I would have liked to have learned more about the underground happenings of the demons.

For paranormal readers who enjoy their reads to be action packed, have little to no world building and a Too Stupid Live heroine along with a cold-hearted hero, then this is the novel for you. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.

VampFanGirl’s Rating: It's Okay

Places you can find Rita: Web Site

The Demonborn Series:

  1. Insatiable Desire
  2. Dark Hunger
  3. Forbidden Passion

Other Ramblings:

New Releases: Science Fiction Romance, Urban Fantasy & YA for the week of March 23, 2010

A little variety today, and all the books listed here look like interesting reading. But I’d like to give a special shout out to Mind Games by Carolyn Crane. I was lucky of enough to review Mind Games, and I can't recommend this book enough. Go get it! And be prepared for an all-nighter.


March 23, 2010

 The Devil's Playground by Jenna Black

The Devil's Playground by Jenna Black
Morgan Kingsley, Book 5
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

Morgan Kingsley, a kick-ass exorcist, can deal with Lugh, the supersexy demon living inside her, but does he have to moan softly during her intimate moments with her mortal lover? Understandably, Brian is reluctant to share the pleasures of Morgan’s flesh with a gorgeous rogue from the Demon Realm.

But personal matters will have to wait when the opportunistic owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club in Philadelphia enlists Morgan’s help in heading off a crisis: It seems that demons have started showing up at the hot spot in alarming numbers and in the unwilling bodies of rough trade club-goers. Morgan is sure that Dougal, Lugh’s sworn enemy, is behind this, but why? To find out, Morgan must summon every ounce of power at her command—or risk becoming just another casualty in an all-out demon war.

- Reviewed By:


Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
YA Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

- Reviewed By:


 Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane
The Disillusionists Trilogy, Book 1
Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

- Reviewed By:


 Shadow of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

Shadow of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne
Dark Guardian, Book 4
YA Urban Fantasy
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

I can feel every Shifter's emotions except Daniel's—the only one whose heart I long to know.

hayden was born a werewolf, a Dark Guardian. But her ability to sense the feelings of fellow werewolves has made her life unbearable. She runs away, only to be tracked by charming, mysterious Daniel, a newcomer to the pack and the one Shifter immune to her powers. As she reluctantly follows him home, Hayden finds herself falling dangerously in love. . . .

But even as her feelings for Daniel deepen, Hayden begins to wonder if he is who he claims to be. Where did he come from and why has no one ever seen him transform? When they stumble upon the body of a Shifter still in wolf form, her worries grow. Someone is killing her kind. Is her handsome tracker really a hunter? And is Hayden now his prey?

- Reviewed By:


 Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair

Rebels and Lovers by Linnea Sinclair
Dock Five Universe, Book 4
Science Fiction Romance
Amazon.com | B&N

Summary:

It’s been two years since Devin Guthrie last saw Captain Makaiden Griggs. But time has done little to dampen his ardor for the beautiful take-charge pilot who used to fly yachts for his wealthy family. While Devin’s soul still burns for Kaidee, she isn’t the kind of woman a Guthrie is allowed to marry—especially in a time of intergalactic upheaval, with the family’s political position made precarious by Devin’s brother Philip, now in open revolt against the Empire. And when Devin’s nineteen-year-old nephew, Trip, inexplicably goes missing after his bodyguard is murdered, this most dutiful of Guthrie sons finds every ounce of family loyalty put to the test. Only by joining forces with Kaidee can Devin complete the mission to bring Trip back alive. And only by breaking every rule can these two renegades redeem the promise of a passion they were never permitted to explore. At risk? A political empire, a personal fortune, and both their hearts and lives.

- Reviewed By:


If you have a book review for any of the new releases listed here, link it in comments and I will be happy to add it to this post. Or if I missed a new book release, please let me know so I can add it also.

-- Summaries are from Amazon.com unless otherwise stated.


A Few Giveaways:

If your looking for more book giveaways checkout All Things Urban Fantasy for a super comprehensive giveaway listing that is posted every Wednesday. Abigail is the master at finding giveaways, and she’s become my go-to-lady for the giveaways.


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