Winner: Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize: Print Copy of Undone Deeds

The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Early Review: Blood and Bullets by James R. Tuck

Blood and Bullets
Author:James R. Tuck
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Deacon Chalk/Occult Bounty Hunter Book #1
ISBN:   0758271476
ISBN13: 9780758271471
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights…

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl “hires” him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him—and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he’s got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There’s also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon’s greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him…

I'm so used to reading books where the main character is a woman it was a bit hard to get into a male main character at first. Deacons family was murdered by the monsters he now hunts and he has made it his life's work to hunt them down until he dies doing it. While reading I had to do a double take as James threw in some of my favorite vampire hunters into his book and it defiantly made me like Deacon a tad bit more. Deacon at one points throws in that he knows not only Anita Blake but also Cat and Bones, All characters I can't get enough of. There were quite a few times that I felt like stuff was repeated way to much. Sometimes saying something once is enough and Deacon didn't quite get that memo so I found myself kinda skimming through parts of the book. As other reviewers mentioned Deacon is a mans, man so you kinda have to be into heavy guns, lots of swearing and little emotions from the main character to really get into Deacon but there were some great parts in the book that i was glad to have read.

BLOOD AND BULLETS was faced paced, full of action, and had some interesting characters. There were lots of monsters, and the world was easy to like. I'm not sure if I would read more books in this series but I will certainly take another look at it when the next book does come out. 

I gave it 3/5 stars 

New Releases Jan 29- Feb 4

Tue Jan 31

Burned (Void City, #4) by J.F. Lewis
Control Point (Shadow Ops, #1) by Myke Cole
Destiny and Deception (13 to Life, #4) by Shannon Delany
His Dark Bond (Fallen, #2) by Anne Marsh
Incarnate (Newsoul, #1) by Jodi Meadows
Lenobia's Vow (House of Night Novellas, #2) by P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
A Little Night Magic by Lucy March
Moonrise by Ivy Devlin
Tangled (Torn Trilogy, #2) by Erica O'Rourke
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3) by Darynda Jones

Undone Deeds (Connor Grey, #6) by Mark Del Franco

Wings of the Wicked (Anglefire #2) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Wrong Side of Dead (Dreg City #4) by Kelly Meding

Happy reading =)

Promotional Post & Giveaway: Burned by J.F. Lewis

** Available January 31, 2012 via Pocket Books**

Burned
Author: J.F. Lewis
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Void City Book #4
ISBN:  1451651864
ISBN13: 9781451651867
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Void City's resident badass vampire has a secret to keep, everything to lose, and a plan to win it all. Eric has taken control of the city's supernatural hierarchy, putting all the deals and contracts that allow Void City to function up for renegotitation. When he installs his insane vampire daughter, Greta, as Void City's sheriff of the supernatural, bloody mayhem ensues. 

To further complicate things, the love of Eric's life is back from the dead, immortally young, at a cost that has put Eric under the thumb of a very powerful demon. The mysterious mouser Talbot, morose mage Magbidion, and all of Eric's thralls are trying to help him keep things under control... 

But with early onset Alzheimer's, vampire hunters, demons, a band of chupacabra, a cursed cousin with a serious grudge, and Rachel as his new "handler"... there's just not an app for that.

Useful Links:

Twitter / Facebook 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week in Review: 1/22-1/28

Books Ive Bought/received

* The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn- Arc- Publisher


* Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley- Arc-Publisher


Books I read
 
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Deliverance by Dakota Banks
The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

The Marked by Inara Scott
Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Reviews posted

Untraceable by S.R. Johannes
Banshee Charmer by Tiffany Allee
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday I put up a promotional post and giveaway for Mark Del Franco's Final installment of the 
Connor Grey Series Undone Deeds.

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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Early Review: Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

Alpha Instinct
Author: Katie Reus
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Signet
Moon Shifter Book #1
ISBN:  0451236092
ISBN13:9780451236098
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher 

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…

After all the men and pregnant woman of her pack dies Ana stepped up as the Alpha Female. The only problem with that is that in her world the men have all the power and woman are not given the support to lead their own pack. A neighboring Alpha is set on having Ana and her pack for himself and will stop at nothing to have it. All this leads Ana to accepts the protection and help of her childhood love Connor even though she vows not to let him back in her heart because she doesn't want to get hurt again.

I enjoyed watching Ana and Connor shift around their feelings for each other. From the start you could feel their bond and protectiveness as well as their attraction for each other. Connor stated off way to pushy which lead Ana to believe he wasn't really wanting her but the pack she had behind her and because of Ana's reaction to him Connor pushed that much more to get her to want him as a mate. The sexual tension was there from the start and it was quite a frustrating ride until they finally gave into each other. There was a great amount of conflict, action and emotion behind ALPHA INSTINCT. I had many guesses at who was responsible for poisoning the pack but I didn't see the real killer until they were about to be revealed. There were a few slow parts but Katie did a good job of keeping me interested in the story. I enjoyed getting to know all the secondary characters. I was kinda sad to see that future books would be following different characters as they find their mates but Ana and Connor were a great start to the series.

Liam, Connor's brother starts his journey with his mate in the background of ALPHA INSTINCT I liked getting to know him and his match a little before their book starts next. I really enjoyed the first installment of Katie Reus' Moon Shifter series and am most defiantly planning on continuing with Liam's mating journey in book 2.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Winner: Blood and Bullets by James R Tuck

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize:ARC of Blood and Bullets

The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder
Author:Marissa Meyer
Release Date: January 5, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Lunar Chronicles Book #1
ISBN:   0312641893
ISBN13:  9780312641894
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling

I was pretty skeptical about CINDER. The cover is neat but the blurb really didn't get me super excited to read the book. I held out for quite a while before even picking it up out of my TBR pile but I'm glad I did finally decide to read it. When reading the blurb and seeing that the main character Cinder was a Cyborg I figured that meant she was a manufactured robot but in reality it just meant that she was hurt and had metal parts put into her to save her life. Because of that people pretty much treat her like a diseased second class citizen.  Her evil stepmother has guardianship (aka ownership) of her and can treat her pretty much however she wants. She doesnt remember anything about herself or her life before her accident when she became a cyborg and was adopted by a man that died right afterwords leaving her with her stepmother and the story leads us to find out who she really is and what she is destined to do.

Cinder was a great character to get to know. Even though she is treated like crap she goes along her daily business doing what she has to do with her head held high. While working the Prince comes to her for help fixing his android and they seem to instantly have an attraction but because of what she is she doesn't let him get close to her for a long time no matter how hard he tries. I really enjoyed Kai. He did some pretty crappy things towards the end but I think he will redeem himself in future books.

CINDER ended up being an awesome debut novel that I hard a hard time putting down. There is a lot of emotion, There is a lot of creativity, there is a lot of mystery and suspense and Marissa did a really good job of revealing things at a great pace. I did find a few things predictable but I cant wait to see what comes next. SCARLET isn't set to release until 2013 boo ;)

I gave it 4/5 stars

 

Winner: Immortal Hope by Claire Ashgrove

Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Prize:Paperback copy of Immortal Hope

The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Review: Banshee Charmer by Tiffany Allee

Banshee Charmer
Author:Tiffany Allee
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency Book #1
ISBN13: 9781937044992
Genre:Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

BANSHEE CHARMER was an easy to read, fast paced paranormal Romance. The length of the book is kinda short. I didn't feel like information was lacking but I would have liked to have a little longer of a book.

Kiera is a half Banshee detective who can use her scream to harm, kill or stun someone. There are not a lot of Banshee type books out at the moment and it was nice to read about a different paranormal type. The romance part of the book was kinda lacking. Kiera was easy to like and get to know. There was a love interest (sexy mysterious Aidan) and there was some nice hot scenes but there was more investigating and mystery than there was romance and getting to know each other. I love investigation types book so I really enjoyed the "police investigation" parts of BANSHEE CHARMER. I liked following the evidence that was revealed and trying to follow along in where Kiera thought the leads were.I didn't feel like the mystery of the story was predictable. I knew what Aidan was from a pretty early point but the bad guy was a mystery throughout.

BANSHEE CHARMER ended up being a great mystery and I will read book 2 to hopefully get some more romance between Kiera and Aidan.

I gave it 3/5 stars

Review: Untraceable by S.R.Johannes

Untraceable
Author:S.R. Johannes
Release Date: November 29, 2011
Publisher: Coleman & Stott
The Nature of Grace Book #1
ISBN:  0765328089
ISBN13: 9780765328083
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Teen Book Scene Tour

16 year old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

I had a hard time getting into UNTRACEABLE in the beginning. I had a hard time connecting with Grace and figuring out where she was going with all her nature talk and investigating. It is definitely written a little different than the other books I normally read.  After a few chapters I got to know Grace's situation and personality a little better and grew to like her back to nature attitude, the way she doesn't give up on things and the fact that she could take care of herself.

The story ended up getting a little dark and intense, and there are a few cringe worthy moments. The story definitely had a way of throwing the unexpected at you which I enjoyed. Some of the situations seem a bit unbelievable at times but other times you get into the groove and the scenes make more sense and flow a little better. I never guessed who some of the bad guys were as well as getting some of the bad guy guesses completely wrong and it was nice to be surprised at their reveals. By the end I was thoroughly engrossed in the plot and just when I thought the story would would be ending one way Ms Johannes threw in another curve ball at the story. UNTRACEABLE ending with a nice little cliffhanger that makes me want to see what comes of some new information. UNTRACEABLE doesn't have any paranormal or fantasy like situations but It was still a nice read for those looking for a YA novel.

I gave it 3/5 stars

New Releases Jan 22-28

Tue Jan 24

A Devil Named Desire (The Devil's Bargain #2) by Terri Garey
All Things Wicked (Dark Mission #3) by Karina Cooper
Fallen in Love (Fallen, #3.5) by Lauren Kate

Forbidden by Syrie James

Horizon (Aftertime, #3) by Sophie Littlefield

Happy Reading =)

Promotional Post & Giveaway: Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco

*Available Jan 31 by ACE*

Undone Deeds
Author:Mark Del Franco
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Connor Grey Book #6
ISBN:  1937007251
ISBN13: 9781937007256
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Connor Grey is a druid consultant for the Boston PD on their "strange" cases. So his world is turned upside down when he suddenly finds that he himself has become one. Wrongly accused of a terrorist attack that rocked the city to its core, Connor evades arrest by going underground, where rumors of war are roiling. A final confrontation between the Celtic and Teutonic fey looks inevitable—with Boston as the battlefield...

 Useful Links:

Facebook Fan Page 

Week in Review 1/15-1/21

Books Ive Bought/received

* The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting- Arc- Publisher

* The Selection by Kiera Cass- ARC- Publisher

* Burned by J.F. Lewis- Publisher

* Unbroken by Rachel Caine- Publisher

* The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney- Publisher

Books I read
 

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep
By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory
Here by Denise Grover Swank
The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney
A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang

Reviews posted

Switched by Amanda Hocking
Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep
Horizon by Sophie Littlefield

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday Author S.R. Johannes visited with a teenage garage sale guest post.

* Wednesday a promotional post and giveaway for Immortal Hope by Claire Ashgrove was posted.

* Thursday I posted an interview with author of Blood and Bullets James R. Tuck. Im also offering up my ARC for a giveaway

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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Early Review: Horizon by Sophie Littlefield

Horizon
Author:Sophie Littlefield
Release Date: January 24, 2012
Publisher: Luna
Aftertime Book #3
ISBN:  0373803427
ISBN13:  9780373803422
Genre: Dystopian
Review Copy Source: Netgalley

Cass Dollar is a survivor. She's overcome the meltdown of civilization, humans turned mindless cannibals, and the many evils of man.
But from beneath the devastated California landscape emerges a tendril of hope. A mysterious traveler arrives at New Eden with knowledge of a passageway North—a final escape from the increasingly cunning Beaters. Clutching this dream, Cass and many others decamp and follow him into the unknown.
Journeying down valleys and over barren hills, Cass remains torn between two men. One—her beloved Smoke—is not so innocent as he once was. The other keeps a primal hold on her that feels like Fate itself. And beneath it all, Cass must confront the worst of what's inside her—dark memories from when she was a Beater herself. But she, and all of the other survivors, will fight to the death for the promise of a new horizon….

At the end of REBIRTH I was extremely angry at Cass for what she was doing with Dor. I really liked Smoke and hated her self destructiveness that led to the whole sticky situation. After finishing HORIZON I see that it was the best thing that could have happened to her.

HORIZON takes place a few months after the end of REBIRTH. Cass, Ruthie and all the others that she came with have settled into community of New Eden. Things are going well besides that fact that Cass started drinking again (lightly) and she doesn't feel like she really fits in. Behind the curtains Cass has continued her affair with Dor and they cant seem to stop themselves from being drawn to each other. Just when Cass realizes she really wants to be with Dor, Smoke wakes up confusing Cass even more. The Beaters are changing and getting smarter some how and the island becomes unsafe.

There are some new characters introduced. The one that sticks out the most is Red. I wont tell you much about him because that would be some major spoiling but I must say that Red was the absolute last person I expected in the story but he fit in extremely well. There is a lot of sacrifice and soul searching in HORIZON. There is a lot of loss and death. The emotions hit an all time high at the end of the book and I was shocked that it went where it did but it really did make sense when all was said and done. Cass is an extremely broken character and goes through a lot but I like that Sophie doesn't magically "fix" her. She ends up in a good place but she is still flawed and broken inside just happier and in a better place. I would actually love to read more about Cassie in the future I think her story is far from finished but if this is the last book then I could be happy at where it all ended.

The Aftertime series has definitely been a hit for me and if you like Dystopian or zombie books, this series should be on your bookshelf.

I gave it 5/5 stars

Early Review: Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep

Thread of Death
Author:Jennifer Estep
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Elemental Assassin Book #5.5
ISBN:  1451685327
ISBN13: 9781451685329
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

Gin Blanco, aka the assassin the Spider, might have finally killed her nemesis, Mab Monroe, but that doesn't mean that it's smooth sailing. Gin goes to Mab's funeral to say her goodbyes and runs into some of Ashland's most notorious underworld power players, including Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid. McAllister wants her dead, and Kincaid has his own murky motives when it comes to the Spider, and Gin once again finds herself fighting for her life. Only this time, she might wind up in the cemetery right next to Mab.

Gin is recovering from her huge showdown in which she finally killed Mab Monroe. She decides that she needs to go to Mab's funeral to say her final goodbye's. As we all know nothing is ever simple in Gin's life so of course the funeral doesn't go as it should and she finds herself revealing more about herself to her enemies then she planned.

Even though this is a novella it is still full of all the action and suspense that I have always loved in Jennifer's books. There are a few different POV switches. We get inside both Jonah McAllister and Phillip Kincaid heads. Jonah definitely needs to be taken care of in the very immediate future. I'm kinda shocked that he is still alive at this point. We get a little insight into Philip and a past with Owen that we didn't know existed. Even though this should be read before BY A THREAD I think THREAD OF DEATH gives some great hints to what will happen in book 7 WIDOW'S WEB.

I gave it 4/5 stars
 

Interview & Giveaway: James R. Tuck

UFI welcomes James R. Tuck Author of Blood and Bullets. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

Well, there’s a lot. I love comic books. I am quite the Southern cook. My dog is a spaz. I own a pair of toe-shoes that I enjoy wearing. I am obsessed with 24 on Netflix. Hmmmm, let’s see, what else? Oh yeah, boxer-briefs…the best of both worlds.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

Down time? There is no down time. LOL. I have three full time jobs going on. Writing, owning and running a tattoo shop, and building a career as a professional writer. But when I am not doing any of that I love spending time with my family. They are really great and I enjoy them as a group or individually.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

It’s a toss up. I love when someone enjoys my book. That is the best feeling in the world. When something I made up is cool to someone else. 
I also LOVE being able to now go up to writers that I have loved reading for years and speak to them. When you are a fellow writer, not only do they not look at you like you were three-headed monkey with a sock full of poo, they actually accept you and take you in and show you the secrets of the Illuminati. 
(Wait, not the last part. The Illuminati is made up, it doesn’t exist. Really. It. Does. Not. Exist.)

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

Nope. I am very loosey-goosey about when and how I write. Every day is different and that means that every day I have t9o adjust when and what I write. I do try to have pants on when I write though. The coffee shop gets really uptight about that for some reason.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

Man, I love this genre. Of course I love Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. The Dresden Files. The Nightside series. I love, love, love the Mercy Thompson series from Patricia Briggs. The Void City series from J.F. Lewis kicks ass. Faith Hunter’s books always deliver. Jonathan Maberry writes a helluva book. Jenna Maclaine has a great series that I am eagerly waiting for the next installment of. Larry Correia’s books are fun. Linda Robertson’s stuff rocks too. Two of my good friends Adrienne Wilder and Annabel Joseph are tremendous writers. If you don’t mind the racy stuff definitely look them up. There are a ton more, but off the top of my head those are some great ones.

How would you pitch Blood and Bullets to someone who has not heard of it before?

It’s a non-stop thrill ride of kick-ass.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Blood and Bullets is set in?

It’s a dark world where the monsters are truly monstrous. It’s a hard world where Deacon is driven to harsh choices to keep humanity safe from evil they don’t even know exists. It’s a world where you will find not only vampires but Were-spiders, cursed Immortals, and undead strippers. It’s crazy.

Do you have a favorite scene in Blood and Bullets?

I really like the scene where we meet Charlotte. It’s spooky and interesting. Everyone who has read the book loves her and her first appearance on the page.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

I love them all. Deacon is the main character for a reason. I have a lot of love for him, but Father Mulcahy, the chain-smoking, coffee-swilling, foul-mouthed Catholic priest who is his mentor, Kat, the damaged girl who helps run his club, Larson, the wanna-be vampire hunter, and the others that I can’t tell you about without spoiling the book. LOL. I will say that Father Mulcahy is a scene stealer though.

What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

Well, there will be six releases in the Deaconverse by the first part of 2013, three full novels and three e-novellas. After that I have a lot of things in the works that I can’t talk about. There is a short indie movie that I am in the first stages of. It’s from a short zombie love story I wrote that can be found in the e-anthology called One Buck Zombies. It’s only .99 cents and it has my story “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and four other zombie stories from four other authors. It’s available everywhere e-books are sold. Other than that, check my website for more stuff as it develops. www.jamesrtuck.com

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Born and raised in Georgia I grew up enjoying all that the south had to offer. Good food, adventure in mild winters and hot, muggy summers, excellent music, and good church folks.

Now I live in a nice house that has a great yard with the missus, the daughter, the son, the nephew, and six goofy dogs. I own my own tattoo shop, family tadition tattoo, and i am a published author.

Life is good

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Find James and his books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Blood and Bullets

Deacon Chalk #1
February 7, 2012

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights…

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl “hires” him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him—and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he’s got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There’s also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon’s greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him…

__________________________________

Promotional Post & Giveaway: Claire Ashgrove

**Available Now from Tor Books**

Immortal Hope
Author:Claire Ashgrove
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Tor
Curse of the Templars Book #1
ISBN:   0765367580
ISBN13: 9780765367587
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Centuries ago, Templar knights defied the archangels and unearthed the copper scroll that revealed the locations of the gates to hell. Cursed for their forbidden act, they now roam the earth, protecting mankind from evil. But darkness stalks them, and battles they fight bring them ever closer to eternal damnation. One promise remains to give them salvation—the return of the seraphs.

Embittered by his purpose, Merrick du Loire must honor an ancient pact and bring peace to his cousin’s soul, releasing him from the clutches of their enemy. When he stumbles upon history professor Anne MacPherson, he discovers that she possesses a sacred artifact that marks her as a seraph. Duty demands he set aside his personal quest and locate the knight she’s fated to heal. As Merrick struggles with conflicting oaths, Anne arouses buried hope and sparks forbidden desire that challenges everything he’s sworn to uphold.   

Anne has six weeks to complete her thesis on the Knights Templar. When Merrick takes her to the Templar stronghold, he presents her with all she needs—and awakens a soul-deep ache that he alone can soothe. Yet loving Merrick comes with a price. If she admits she is destined for him, her gift of foresight predicts his death. 

About the Author: Claire Ashgrove has been writing since her early teens and maintained the hobby for twenty years before deciding to leap into the professional world. Her first contemporary novel, Seduction's Stakes, sold to The Wild Rose Press in 2008, where she continues to write steamy, sexy stories for the Champagne and Black Rose lines. Adding to these critically acclaimed contemporaries, Claire’s paranormal romance series, The Curse of the Templars, will debut with Tor in January 2012. For those who prefer the more erotic side of romance, she also writes for Berkley Heat under the pen name Tori St. Claire.

Claire lives on a small farm in Missouri with her two toddler sons, fifteen horses, four cats, and five dogs. In her “free” time, she enjoys cooking, winning at rummy, studying ancient civilizations, and spending quiet moments with her family, including the critters. She credits her success to her family's constant support and endless patience.

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Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched
Author:Amanda Hocking
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: St Martins Griffin
Trylle Trilogy Book #1
ISBN:   1250006317
ISBN13: 9781250006318
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Librarything Early reviewers

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

 I won a copy of of SWITCHED from Librarything's Early reviewers program. The cover was definitely the first hing that stuck out to me and the blurb left me interested in finding out more about Wendy and her life. Wendy has always wondered why her mother tried to kill her and when she discovers the truth about herself she isn't sure why she ever wanted to know the truth. 

I liked Wendy but didn't think she was fantastic. She was super independent and strong willed for most of the book and then would fall back into a role of being a meek needy pushover. Finn of course ran hot and cold because of his duty and his feelings for Wendy. At times I wanted to smack him upside the head and tell him to hold her already but of course that would never happen in their situation. He was pretty consistent in wanting what was best for Wendy and his people though. I knew who Rhys was from the moment he was introduced. I'm excited to see how Wendy's family reacts to him and to see if they find out the the truth about him in book 2. 

I enjoyed the story's ideas and creativity but there were many times that I found myself bored with the events, especially in times where the plot slowed and stalled a bit. I enjoyed the characters and their development. If anything will push me to read book 2 it will defiantly be because the characters drew me in and it was easy to care about them and I want to know what happens to them. The world building was nice, but I wish that the Trylle community was more mystical then it was. I will probably read some reviews before I read book 2 but I do want to know what happens next to some of the characters so I will probably pick up a copy from the library.

I gave it 3/5 stars