Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Night Child by Lisa Kessler

UFI welcomes Lisa Kessler Author of Night Child. Thanks for Joining us!!

Night Child is on sale for $0.99 for one week only. Get your copy here.
Amazon: Barnes and Noble: Entangled Page

I love writing vampire novels, but watching a good vampire movie is always fun too! Here are my

Top 10 favorites…
Top Ten Vampire movies: 

10) Love at First Bite – George Hamilton at his best! It’s cheesy and Dracula is tan, but it’s suave and silly fun! Definitely worth seeing if you get the chance.

9) Hotel Transylvania – This was a really cute animated flick about Dracula’s daughter growing up. It’s got a lot of heart hidden under the humor and not just for kids.

8) Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter – This is a fun vampire slaying flick with very evil and powerful vampires and our President learning to throw a mean axe. Totally fun flick!

7) Interview with a Vampire – This one was dark and moody and at times horrific. I thought the adaptation was pretty true to Anne Rice’s series and Tom Cruise really rose to the occasion to take on the role of Lestat. If you’ve never seen it before it’s worth a look.

6) Van Helsing – Hugh Jackman as a vampire slayer. Long Hair. Enough said! J Seriously though this one was another fun vampire movie and the Dracula was great! Very sexy and evil…

5) Fright Night (the remake) – I will be the first to admit that I cringed when I heard Colin Farrell was cast at Jerry Dandridge the vampire next door, but I’m happy to say I LOVED his portrayal. He was so wicked and without remorse. They even went with some classic monster make-up at the end. It was a fun ride!

4) Underworld – I loved the idea of an underground war fought right under our noses between he vampires and the lycans and it’s been going on so long that it’s hazy about how it all started. Lots of cool effects and Kate Beckinsale ROCKED the black leather.

3) Fright Night (Original) I loved the lost love secondary plot and Jerry Dandridge was sexy and wicked! I also enjoyed the old-school monster make-up when he shifted and when he got burned. Classic!

2) Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula – Seeing Dracula as a tortured hero, but at the same time he’s scary and dangerous, made this movie gold for me. I also really enjoyed the atmospheric filming of this one. The thick mists, the castles, it all worked together for a great gothic vampire film.

1) The Lost Boys – Keifer Sutherland is still one of my all-time vampires and you put it together with the rest of the cast and it’s amazing. I loved the concept of the Lost Boys needing a mother figure, and it’s always nice to have dangerous vampires. For me the sex appeal and the danger mixed together makes a vampire movie tough to resist.

So did I miss any of your favorites? Please share… I might need to find them!

Lisa
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Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

When she's not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

Find Lisa and her books
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Night Child
Night #3
A psychic gift...

Muriah La Deaux's latest job requires her to locate an ancient codex detailing a prophecy of an immortal birth. But before she can deliver it, her client is brutally murdered. Now a man with chaos in his eyes wants the codex she's hiding.

An immortal child...

Issa is one of the original Night Walkers, a proud protector of the mortal world. Now, when the survival of his entire race rests on protecting an unborn child, Issa is the only immortal strong enough to protect Muriah on a risky mission--locate the lost scrolls that will trap their foe--but his tenuous grasp on his sanity is slipping.

The ultimate sacrifice...

Muriah's headstrong spirit awakens feelings in Issa that are best left buried. But as the battle between love and chaos ensues, sacrifices must be made...
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Review: The Taking by Kim Derting

The Taking
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
The Taking Book #1
ISBN:   0062293605
ISBN13: 9780062293602
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Edelweiss
A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

Imagine having a fight with your dad, a bright white light, waking up behind a dumpster and heading home thinking you were in so much trouble for being out all night only to find out its been 5 years since you have been seen and everyone you love has moved on with their life. Yeah, that is what happens to Kyra.

Not only does a story like this need great world building to pull it off, but great characters are needed to make you believe in what they are selling. THE TAKING managed to have both. I am pretty sure I would have reacted exactly the same way that Kyra did to the bizarre new life that greets her when she walks back into her life. It was very easy to put myself in her shoes and feel what she was going through. One of my favorite characters besides Kyra, was Tyler. Could he be any more perfect? He was a kid when she disappeared but always had a crush on her and he stepped up to be her rock and confidant from the moment she stepped foot back into her life.

This book was crazy! In a good way! Original, creepy, and intriguing all wrapped up in one great book. Just when you thought you were up to speed another twist is thrown in. THE TAKING starts out a bit slow but quickly picks up the pace. I was into it from page one and it never lost momentum for me. Book 2 was immediately put on my wishlist!

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
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Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Midnight: Century of the Vampire by Ami Blackwelder

UFI welcomes Author Ami Blackwelder. Thanks for Joining us!!


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Ami Blackwelder is a Paranormal and SciFi author. Her stories range from Tween & YA to Adult. Growing up in Florida, she graduated UCF and in 1997 received her BA in English and additional teaching credentials. Then she packed her bags and travelled overseas to teach in Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand in her thirties.

Having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University), her short fiction From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary magazine: Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the USA. Later, she achieved the semi-finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in the Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.

Find Ami and her books
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Midnight: Century of the Vampire
Midnight #1

Available at Amazon
 The world is no longer the way we remember. Few are even still alive to recall the days when midnight didn’t mean cowered away and hidden. Out of sight became our only way to survive since the Century Vampires. If you want to live, trust no one.

By 2125 the world had been overthrown by monsters dubbed Century Vampires. Some kind of mutation in the human genome gave rise to the first ones, or so the scientists suspected. Vamps spent the first one hundred years of their existence growing in number–some born, some turned–all deadly. They wreaked havoc for the past eighty-three years.

Vampires ruled the Earth now...

Century Vampires have only one rule: There are no rules.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/jkvM8oa4-mk

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Guest Blog & Giveaway: Erasing: Shadows by K.D. Rose

UFI welcomes K.D. Rose Author of Erasing: Shadows. Thanks for Joining us!!

When Writing Hell Fans the Flames of Creativity by K.D. Rose
 
There's a little corner in writer hell for every author. For some it's staring at a blank page. For others it may be marketing. For other- others, it could be the difference between writing what someone wants to write versus writing what sells. The good news: whatever a particular author hell may be, escape is possible. Here is the secret. Authors are writers. Escape from author hell can be as simple as writing differently. Creatively. Whimsically. Thinking sideways. Writing with joy. It's so easy to let writing become a chore. But authors choose to write. At one time or another, writing was a passion. Writing should be a desire as hot as some of the sex scenes in romance novels. By changing the writing, even if just for a few minutes, an author's mindset can reboot.

Once freed from their cages, many writers are almost pathologically unable to stop themselves from just a bit of wordplay, witticisms, or quips. And that is a good thing. Like yoga for synapses, we get the chance to limber up, stretch, and oh my− even interact at times.

Question: What do you get when you put 400 writers together on the internet?
 
Answer: Automatic messages hawking 400 books.
 
(The above is one part of writing hell I forgot to mention.) But getting back to mind yoga...it can be a genuine experience to exercise creativity. If you find others to 'play' with, even better! Activities like this are opportunities to not just to get out of the box, but to blow the box up. As a writer, sideways thinking comes in handy. Then again, I'm the one who during the now very old Hadron Collider news (so old it's been a joke on The Big Bang Theory) could not stop myself from making as many Higgs-Boson quips as possible. I'm weird like that, but take advantage when something comes along that adds vitamin C to your own creative juices. I just happen to be a geek.

Facebook has a number of author groups that offer opportunities for writing exercises as well. There are worse things than testing uncharted writing waters among like-minded and supportive authors.

Here are examples of my sideways brain game at the time of the Hadron Collider news. I can't say that writing these made me write books any better, but I can say they gave me pure joy, forced me to think sideways, and lent a brief respite from word counts. They all concern writing hell. #Writerhell was trending on Twitter at the time and authors were having one big brain-fest. These were mine, for better and sometimes for worse. Now you know why they're all under 140 characters.
  • In writing hell you must diagram all your sentences.
  • In writing hell you are paid based on the number of people who understand your writing as you meant it.
  • In writing hell the only font available is wingdings.
  • In writing hell Gore Vidal hears The Simpsons given as the definition of wit.
  • In writing hell Kerouac is in charge of format and Cummings is punctuation editor.
  • In writing hell, you start writing a flashback and suddenly find yourself at NASCAR. You realize you're in a Burroughs cut up novel.
  • In writing hell metaphor is illegal and verbs & nouns require American Express. Adjectives are served free with cocktails.
  • In writing hell syntax is something we grape refrigerator.
  • In writing hell discovery of Higgs-Boson is explained by the national media. Or is that science hell? Streams cross. The Stay-Puft Marshmallow man goes down.
  • In writing hell dictionary.com is the etymology resource of expertise.
  • In writing hell the Algonquin Round Table is held at Amazon.com.
  • In writing hell you must fit all the creativity of the universe into a wee box called "genre".
  • In writing hell books are declared passé by 12 year olds.
  • In writing hell writers chastise other writers for writing in writing hell, then berate themselves. Presses stop. Cats twitch.
  • In writing hell "work" is actually that thing that takes you AWAY from writing. And that is why writing hell flows with ink stained tears.
I certainly got my exercise from doing time in writing hell. And while it may be hell, the witmosphere is dry− very dry.

Finally, remember: the road to writer hell is always paved with bestseller intentions. 
 
(I'll groan for you.)
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K.D. Rose is an author and poet and currently has "Heavy Bags of Soul", "Inside Sorrow" and “I AM (Poetry in Motion)” on sale at Amazon.com. Look for The Erasing Series, Book 1-“Erasing: Shadows” for Lycaon Press available on all publishing platforms. Erasing: Shadows is the first of a Seven Book Series for New Adults in the Paranormal Genre.

"K.D. Rose's writing will set your neurons on fire." – Tophat Raven Art and Literary Magazine.

K.D. Rose is now also an author with Lycaon Press. For more adult-themed books, her alter ego, H.K. Sterling is an author for Breathless Press. K.D. also continues to write poetry and recently created a new literary and art magazine with five other authors around the globe. K.D.'s poetry has been featured in a number of magazines online.

K.D. has an eclectic mind and loves language, physics, philosophy, photography, design, art, writing, symbolism, semiotics, spirituality, and Dr. Who. K.D. is an avid supporter of music, the arts, cutting edge science, technology, and creativity in all forms that encourage us to expand and explore past the artificial limits we often set for ourselves in order to see the everyday connections that exist among all things.

Find K.D. and her books
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Erasing: Shadows
Erasing #1
Amazon Lycaon Press ARe
Bookstrand Barnes and Noble

What if to save the ones you love, you had to unlock the key to a different reality?

Generations of mystery smash together when a seemingly traditional family must shatter their illusions of normality to confront themselves and their friends, leaving no possibility unexplored in order to rescue- well, who exactly? Watch the Ross family, the High Five Gang, and multiple generations dig into an innovative explosion of imagination where they must confront numerous realities, real-world danger, and worst of all—their own teenage hormones!

In a place where nothing is as it seems and shocks are around every corner, even the people you thought you knew may find themselves strangers in this moving and provocative reality-bender. With breathless pacing and psychological intrigue, Erasing: Shadows and the High Five Gang will keep you guessing until the very end.
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New Releases: 4/27-5/3


Mon April 28
 
 Angel Kin (Angel Assassins #1) by Tricia Skinner
 Creators (The Lost Souls #3) by Tiffany Truitt
 Night Child (Night #3) by Lisa Kessler 
 
Tue April 29

 Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland 
 Sleep No More by Aprilynne Pike
 The Taking (The Taking #1) by Kimberly Derting

Happy Reading!

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Monday, April 28, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Nightmare Ink by Marcella Burnard

UFI welcomes Marcella Burnard Author of Nightmare Ink. Thanks for Joining us!!

Character Guest: Isa

Welcome. I’m Isa Romanchzyk. You’re here for Live Ink, right? Come on downstairs. The containment studio is down there. Easier to ground the kind of magic we’ll have to handle in order to do your Tattoo. Have a seat on the recliner there. We have a few formalities to get out of the way first.

You’ve come to me for a Living Tattoo. Acts of Magic laws require that I record everything that goes on in this studio for your protection as well as for my own. Personal ethics require that I make sure you can support Live Ink and that you know what you’re getting yourself into.

You’ve heard that Living Tattoos make you better, that they augment abilities you already have or mitigate a tendency you wish you didn’t. You’ll also have heard that people with Live Ink live longer. A lot longer. They don’t get sick. And if they’re injured, they heal almost instantly. It’s all true.

I’ve had a client with a too hot temper get a Living Tattoo that cooled his anger issues. The first people who got Live Ink fifty-sixty years ago are still alive and show hardly any signs of aging. But it’s important you understand that Live Ink does not make you immortal. You can die. So can your Tattoo. It’s happened.

Yes. I know that the Live Ink Association says that Live Ink is nothing more than a magical construct – that they aren’t really alive. Let’s just say I’ve had some experiences that make me think that assessment is inaccurate. Possibly dangerous.

Regardless.

The media plays up Live Ink as some kind of miracle. It’s hip and fashionable to have a Living Tattoo. It’s made all the more attractive because only a portion of the population can support them. Here’s where the other shoe drops, because there are tradeoffs to having Live Ink.

Live Ink feeds from you, from your blood and your magic. They are entities with minds and wills of their own, in my experience. They anchor in the fabric of your soul and if you don’t have the will and the control of your arcane power to balance the Tattoo, you’ll both die a messy painful death. What does that mean? No recreational drugs ever again. No alcohol to excess. No pain medications that alter your grip on your will. Not ever again.

Here’re the stakes: if you muddy your will, the balance between you and the Tattoo will shift. The anchors forged between you will slip free. Your Live Ink will unravel, which sounds benign. It isn’t. When Live Ink comes undone, it rips free from you, taking your blood and your magic with it as it goes.

If you opt for a Live Tattoo, being Inked will be the easiest part of the process. After my job is done, your work integrating the Tattoo begins. It’s one of the reasons I suggest you be damned sure this is what you want. You’re thinking of sewing a second soul to your skin and into the fabric of who and what you are.

Is that what you want?

Okay then. No one can say you haven’t been warned. Now to find out if you have the magic to support Live Ink. Take my hand and come on over to the etheric with me. Time to find out whether you’ve got what it takes to survive Live Ink.
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Marcella Burnard graduated from Cornish College of the Arts with a degree in acting. She writes science fiction romance for Berkley Sensation.

Her first book, Enemy Within won the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award for Best Futuristic of 2010. The second book in the series, Enemy Games, released on May 3, 2011.

An erotica novella, Enemy Mine, set in the same world as the novels was released as an e-special edition by Berkley was released in April 2012. Emissary, a sword and sorcery short story released in the two volume Thunder on the Battlefield Anthology in the second half of 2013.

Find Marcella and her books
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Nightmare Ink
Living Ink #1
 From “smoking-hot talent”* Marcella Burnard comes a dangerous and captivating new novel that will get under your skin.

With her art and magic, Isa Romanchzyk has the power to create or destroy. In her tattoo shop, Nightmare Ink, Isa helps those in need by binding the power embedded in their Live Ink—the magical tattoos that can enhance the life of the wearer, or end it. But binding tattoos has earned Isa the contempt of her fellow artists—including her former lover Daniel.

When a friend comes to the shop with a tattoo on the verge of killing him, Isa can’t turn him away. For the first time in years, she works Live Ink—something she swore she’d never do again. But a broken vow soon becomes the least of her problems.

The real nightmare begins when she’s abducted and inked with a Living Tattoo against her will. Now, saddled with a powerful, amoral entity willing to do anything to win his freedom, Isa must fight to keep her Living Tattoo from consuming her completely...
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Covet April Release Blast


Covets have all the sexiness, emotion, and happily ever after that readers have come to expect and love from Entangled. They are firmly grounded in the contemporary world, but each novel brings in supernatural twists, breaking the contemporary and paranormal rules, alike. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books you’ll be coveting next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, LIKE their Facebook page, and join the Book Club.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Covet's April releases:



Don't Blackmail the Vampire by Tiffany Allee

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Charles Kane has found the perfect way to trap the man threatening his brother's wife: befriend him, get invited along on the skiing trip, and then search for incriminating evidence. How much better that audacious but adorable Rachel has her own vendetta against the bastard, and is just as eager to nail him to the wall. As far as Charles is concerned, there's nothing wrong with a little blackmail between two consenting adults. Especially when it's time for Rachel to pay up.




Stop Dragon My Heart Around by Susannah Scott

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Leo denies his lust for Tee, Vegas’s favorite casino host, because she doesn’t bear his dragon mark and without that true soulmate, he will lose his dragon form. But when Tee's identity is challenged, Leo’s protective instincts kick in. Can he give up his dragon form for the woman he loves—even if it means shortening his life? Or has Tee had enough of having her heart dragged around?



Trusting An Angel

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Isadora secretly longs for her boss Zerach’s attention, but her scarred body and his playboy ways keep her from acting on her feelings. When Zerach helps her fend off an unwanted advance, she sees him in a new light and can't help but wonder if he shares her feelings. When a demon starts stalking Isadora, Zerach, an archangel with a mission to protect humans from demons, will stop at nothing to protect her. Now he risks not only losing the woman he loves, but also losing his wings.

Giveaway!

Find Out More!

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Edge April Release Day Blast #2


Edge, a digital-first single-title romance line from Entangled Publishing, takes its lead from their popular Select imprint but gives its novels an edge in the marketplace by bringing great stories to readers at reasonable prices in a quick-and-easy way. Whether sexy or sweet, traditional romance or love and lust with a women’s fiction bent, at the center of every Edge book is heart. From Urban Fantasy to Contemporary Romance to Science Fiction Romance, Edge has a book for all romance readers—and right at their fingertips! As they say, all’s fair in love and war. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books are coming next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, and like their Facebook page.

Today I'm happy to be featuring Edge's April 28th releases!!



Night Child by Lisa Kessler
Night #4

Special $0.99 Introductory Price For One Week ONLY!

Find Out More!

Issa is one of the original Night Walkers, a proud protector of the mortal world. Now, when the key to the survival of the entire Night Walker race rests on protecting an unborn child, Issa is the only immortal strong enough to defend Muriah and the prophecy. But Muriah’s headstrong spirit and soulful eyes awaken feelings in him that are best left buried. When the Egyptian God of Chaos sstrikes, Muriah and Issa must find the lost scrolls to trap him. But as the battle between love and chaos ensues, sacrifices must be made…


Call of the Siren by Rosalie Lario
Demons of the Infernum #4 

Special $0.99 Introductory Pricing!

Find Out More!


Siren-demon hybrid bounty hunter Dagan Meyers swore he'd never settle down. Tying himself to one woman is so not his bag. Until he meets the gorgeous angel Lina, and can’t think of being with anybody BUT her. The last thing Lina wants is to develop feelings for the smooth-talking man she knows will eventually leave her. But as they battle a growing darkness—a powerful dark fae who’s harnessed untold power—Dagan and Lina find that love may be their greatest weapon against the evil that threatens to destroy them all.



Angel Kin by Tricia Skinner
Angel Assassins #1

Special $0.99 Introductory Pricing!

Find Out More!

When a beautiful woman comes to The Bound Ones, half-angel assassin Cain is immediately drawn to her. But when Katie fingers him as the killer, he can come to only one conclusion. His twin, who he thought was dead, is very much alive…and sending him a message. Unfortunately, that message is: “You’re next.” Now, with Katie’s life in his hands, Cain must fight to keep them both alive. But Abel has just one goal: destroy his brother, starting with the woman he’s falling in love with.



Just A Kiss by Ally Broadfield

Novella Only $0.99!


Charlotte Lightwood has one season to find a husband or she'll be forced to marry her guardian's loathsome cousin. With no title or dowry, she doesn't have much hope of making a good match. Sebastian Wilkinson, the Earl of Marley, has been the most eligible bachelor on the marriage mart for more years than he cares to count and is very aware of his duty to marry a woman who will add to the wealth and stature of his title. Sebastian makes Charlotte an offer she can't refuse: he will pretend to court her to help her attract more suitors in exchange for her advice about which ladies he should pursue. As they work together, their mutual attraction grows. When they realize they just might be perfect for one another, they must decide whether to bow to the dictates of society or follow their hearts.



The Demon Lord by Paula Altenburg
Demon Outlaws #2.5

Novella Only $0.99!

Find Out More!

The Demon Lord has conquered the mortal world and sampled its pleasures. Now all he needs is to conquer the goddess who is meant to complete him. The goddess Allia, however, has other plans. She is sent by her immortal sisters to win the heart of the Demon Lord and make him her slave but soon discovers that the Demon Lord’s heart is not easily given, and that in order to win it, she must sacrifice her own.
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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Week in Review: 4/20-4/26


Books I've Bought/received

* Darkest Flame by Donna Grant- eARC- NetGalley

* Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin- eARC- NetGalley

* Fireborn by Keri Arthur- eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

* A Vampire's Soul by Carla Susan Smith- eARC- Publisher

* Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones- eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

* Guarded by Mary Behre- ARC- Publisher

Books I've Read

Fireborn by Keri Arthur
Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin
Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones
A Vampire's Soul by Carla Susan Smith
Darkest Flame by Donna Grant
Stop Dragon My Heart Around by Susannah Scott

Reviews Posted

Shattered Secrets by Krystal Wade
Death's Daughter by Kathleen Collins
The Hunt by Stacey Kade
Dark Innocence by Madeline Pryce
Before the Storm by Claire Ashgrove

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

* Monday- Guest Blog and Giveaway for Lost Library by Kate Baray. Edge April Release Day Blast

* Wednesday- Promo and Giveaway the Noon Onyx Series by Jill Archer

* Thursday- Guest Blog and Giveaway for Before the Storm by Claire Ashgrove

* Friday- UFI took part in the Dark and Deadly Blog Barrage , Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Love Me to Death by Marissa Clarke

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 
 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.
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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Quick Thought Reviews

Sometimes I read a book where I just don't have a lot to say about it. Hence the name quick thought reviews. These will be short and sweet.
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Shattered Secrets
Author: Krystal Wade
Release Date: March 3, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills
Book of Red Book #1
ISBN:  1620074842
ISBN13: 9781620074848
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source:NetGalley

After being kidnapped, hogtied, and stuffed in the trunk of a car, seventeen-year-old Abigail Nichols' boy problems seem unimportant.
She couldn't be more wrong.

The boy who saves her holds her heart.

But Derick Crawford also holds secrets.

Magical beings who guide human emotions are fighting an invisible war dating back to the dawn of time, and Abigail's one of them. The more she learns of her heritage, the less she wants to know. Armed with a very old, very massive book to teach them about their history, Abigail and Derick run away to a place where they think they can be safe and happy, only to have their troubles secretly hitch a ride.

Her history book is in a sharing mood, and it tells her to keep a secret of her own.

But has she put her trust in the wrong place?

And will the world survive if she has?

SHATTERED SECRETS started off pretty strong, lost me in the middle and found me again towards the end. There was a unique storyline with some parallels to her previous Darkness Falls Series. 

I really found myself wanting to learn more about the type of people the characters were but their struggles seemed to drag out longer than I felt necessary. When I finally got to the point where we were getting answers it ended. I might read book 2, I might not. It isn't at the top of my list though.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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 Death's Daughter
Release Date: March 31, 2014
Publisher: Carina Press
Realm Walker Book #2
ISBN13: 9781426898112
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source:NetGalley
Juliana Norris, Realm Walker with the Agency, is an Altered. A fact that she runs up against every time she's forced to work with human police officers, and their species-ist commissioner, on cases they can't solve themselves. Which happens more than they would like to admit.

Her gift—the quality that makes her the best Realm Walker in the business, without boast—is the ability to read magical signatures. Whether the gift came from her father, the dark fae god of death, or the mage mother she can't remember, is anyone's guess. And when Altered children start going missing with only wild magical signatures as clues, her heritage is the last thing on her mind.

She can't afford such distractions, and she definitely can't afford to worry about the fact that her mate, master vampire Thomas Kendrick, hasn't spoken to her since she saved him from a demon—maybe it's because she had to stab him to do so. Because whoever is kidnapping these children must be very powerful to wield wild magic. Very powerful, and very dangerous indeed.

There are plenty of situations in book 2 that had my heart pounding. I even shed a few tears. I got most of everything I was hoping for in DEATH'S DAUGHTER.  I nice pace, great writing, action, danger, suspense, and romance. I didn't figure out the mystery until the end and was pretty shocked that I didn't pick up on it sooner. That is a win in my book!

Watching Julianna come farther out of her shell was very entertaining and I can't wait to see more of Juliana and Thomas in book 3.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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The Hunt
Author:Stacey Kade
Release Date: April 22, 2014
Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion
ISBN:  1423153294
ISBN13: 9781423153290
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source:NetGalley

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.

But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.

Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

Most of THE HUNT was spent with Ariane and Zane staying on the run, visiting with Zane's Mom and plotting to turn some other hybrids into allies while also trying to rescue them. Nothing they set out to do goes as planned and by the end of the book you just want to shake the heck out of them and tell them they ruined everything with their constant bad decisions. 

I found the pace a bit slower than THE RULES and although I enjoyed it, I didn't find it as interesting either. If you read THE RULES you will still want to read THE HUNT and the cliff hanger at the end will make you want book 3.

I gave it 3/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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