Guest Blog & Giveaway: Forgotten in Darkness by Zoe Forward

UFI welcomes Zoe Forward Author of The Scimitar Magi Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

Download Forgotten In Darkness FREE on Kindle until 11/9

Why you'll love Forgotten In Darkness

I’m thrilled to be celebrating my release of Forgotten in Darkness, the second in my paranormal romance Scimitar Magi series, here at Urban Fantasy Investigations! I’ve got a scrumptious excerpt for you down below, but first four reasons I think you just might love my new book.

Magi – The Magi are a bonded group of hard as nails, hot as fire, destined for one woman, alpha male defenders of the innocent. I just love everything about them. Their fierce protectiveness, their supernatural powers, and of course they’re just plain hot. Yeah, you can’t go wrong with gorgeous paranormal warriors!

Crazy Sexual Tension – From the first moment Dakar sees Shay, he not only wants her, he needs her. And he feels that need deep into his soul. The pull between them is so great because she is his senariai or soulmate. But there’s a catch. She is also the woman who has murdered him repeatedly for centuries because of their curse. This time around to break their curse he must resist their attraction and kill her first.

Alpha Hero – Dakar is a bad-ass, take-charge, no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoner kinda guy. His fighting ability and supernatural fire power are something to behold.

Destined Love —How can you not swoon over knowing there is one someone who is meant to complete you? One person who makes you whole? The senariai is this and so much more to her magus. She’s the only one who can save him from loosing his soul to evil.

Need more convincing? Read on…

As she pushed out of the shower, she [Shay] froze. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. The drip drip drip from her body onto the tile floor echoed in the room.

       Dakar rested casually against the doorframe. Yet there was nothing casual in the dark gaze that raked her from head to foot with a single encompassing look. Black sludge swirled in his golden eyes when his gaze returned to hers. The dark T-shirt and jeans hugged his massive frame, keeping few secrets.

       His vitality seared her like an almost palpable force.

       “Are you in any pain?” he asked. His gaze dropped to where the knife had struck, and then to her previously damaged thigh.

       She recovered, snagged the towel off the hook, and pulled it around her. Somehow even covered, she still felt exposed. “Did you even consider knocking before coming in?”

        His lips quirked and creases appeared at the edges of his eyes. “You would hide yourself from me?” He chuckled. “Pointless.”

       She whispered, “Please, get out of here.”

       “You have watched me. Even came to me the other day in a vision. We know each other.”

       “That was a dream. There’s no way you also—”

He whispered into her ear, “Did you enjoy taking advantage of me?”

       She jumped. How had he moved so fast? She turned away from him.

His arm wrapped around her, pulling her backwards, tight to his body. “I might be inclined to let you do so again.”

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Zoe Forward writes action-adventure paranormal romances. She lives in North Carolina with her family and an assortment of pets. A graduate of Duke University, she majored in biological anthropology, but always had a special love of archaeology, especially anything Egyptian. Although a deep part of her wishes she had pursued a career that would have her at a dig site in a hot, sandy country, she's a small animal veterinarian, caring for everything from chinchillas to dogs...and even one hermit crab in there. When she's not being a vet, a mom, or sneaking out to a movie with her husband, she's at her laptop writing.

Find Zoe and her books

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Forgotten In Darkness
Scimitar Magi #2

After an unjustified two-century stint in purgatory, Scimitar Magus Dakar returns to the human realm, renewing his eons-old curse. Once again he must murder the woman he loves. To break the vicious cycle, he must kill her before she strikes her deathblow, something he's never done in the past.

Archaeology grad student, Shay McGinnis, suffers a near-death attack in pursuit of a piece of Scimitar Magi lore. But did the magnificent warrior who pinned her to the wall injure her or the daemon he fought? In her search for answers, she draws the attention of both an ancient evil sorcerer and the warrior Dakar. The attraction between her and Dakar is instant, and for Shay confusing. She wants to be with him, but intuition equates him with death. Not random death. Hers.

Will this be the lifetime they break the curse before they are murdered by an age old enemy or worse kill each other yet again?

*Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language, action-adventure, and an exceptionally hot tatted hero.*

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Review: Darkness Splintered by Keri Arthur

Darkness Splintered

Author: Keri Arthur

Release Date: November 5, 2013

Publisher: Signet

Dark Angels Book #6

ISBN:  0451419596

ISBN13: 9780451419590

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher

When Risa loses the second key to hell, she angers several powerful people, and she’s starting to feel the pressure from all sides. She gets a visit from her father, who gives her an ultimatum: Get back the key or he will kill her friends.

Risa also finds herself under the scrutiny of the vampire council, some of whom consider her a monster who should be destroyed. But they offer her a bloody bargain: Take on the lethal head of the council, Madeline Hunter, and others will support her.

As the search for the keys to hell heats up, Risa realizes that she has no choice. For the sake of the people she loves, she must find the keys — and get rid of Hunter — before the second gate is opened and brings the world closer to all hell breaking loose..

DARKNESS SPLINTERED picks right up after the events of DARKNESS UNMASKED. Risa is in a pretty bad state. Her father of course jumps right in and threatens the life of her friends so she has no time to wallow in her misery and jumps right back into the fray of finding the keys. There is plenty of action, suspense, danger and romance at every turn of the page.

I was disappointed in Risa as the book started. She not only put herself in danger but also the baby she is carrying. Thankfully her pity party doesn't last long. I am so over Risa's Dad, Madeline Hunter and all the others threatening her and using her to get what they want. I can not wait until she opens up a can of you know what and puts them all in their place. I just KNOW that it is coming. (It has to right?) The state of Risa and Azriel's relationship was in ruins at the end of DARKNESS UNMASKED, I don't want to give spoilers away but I will say that I felt how hurt Risa was and I am happy with how things played out in DARKNESS SPLINTERED. 

I am a tad disappointed (I guess I like that word today) with the pregnancy so far. Where is her morning sickness, her fear of hurting the baby? I just wasn't feeling it but then again it is still early on so maybe that is why. I can say without a shadow of doubt though that I have enjoyed watching Risa grow and adapt to her situation. I really can't wait to see how everything ends. 

The series is almost over, only 1 book left. Will Risa take her enemies down a peg? Will she close the gates? Will we get to see her baby born? So many questions, I am excited to find out the answers. 

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Less Than Perfect by Kelly Jensen

UFI welcomes Kelly Jensen Author of Less Than Perfect. Thanks for Joining us!!

My Three Favourite Things

My three favourite things in fiction are: apocalypses, aliens and love stories. It’s an odd combination and you don’t often find all three in one book. Aliens and apocalypses can skip hand in hand down a desolate road together, but the end of the world isn’t necessarily a great time to fall in love. But a heart wants what a heart wants, and there is something about flinging people together in circumstance and seeing how they fall together (or apart).

An apocalypse is usually going to be a trying circumstance. Most of us lead cozy lives and we’ve spent a number of years putting everything together. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to have it all taken away? In an instant or over the course of months as the world we know slowly crumbles around us. Do you have a plan? We know what to do in case of fire. There’s a system in place to help us out with that. But what if everything is on fire and there aren’t enough volunteers to fight the flames?

Gloomy premise, isn’t it? But that’s an apocalypse. The system breaks down and the world no longer works the way it’s supposed to. That’s when we have to fend for ourselves, which means playing to our strengths and, in some cases, figuring out who we are.

That’s why I love these sorts of stories. I don’t revel in the details of the end. What I am interested in is the after. What’s next? What sort of people will roam the wasteland? With our creature comforts destroyed, what or who will we turn to? Who will we become? What sort of future will we build for ourselves?

People love new beginnings; the first page of a journal or sketchbook, the opening chapter of a story, the first scene of a movie, a new house, a new town. A holiday can feel like that, too.

In my novella, Mikayla and Reg get to explore the beginning of their romance. It’s not the best time to fall in love, but finding someone to be with makes their journey less gloomy! Despite the fact everything is falling apart around them, they have something fresh and new in front of them. A reason to smile. The moments they take out for themselves become precious and that respite gives them the strength to move forward. They’re both strong enough to do it on their own, but isn’t it better to do something together?

That’s why I love love stories. There is always a reason to fight (or do more normal things in more normal circumstances!). But having someone to fight with, or for, is a very human need, I think. We’re a collective sort of species. We belong in groups and partnerships. We adore doing things for other people. And, it’s just sweet. Love is lovely.

Aliens, generally, are not lovely. But they’re so cool to write because anything goes! A writer is not restricted by the known, or what makes sense when it comes to aliens. That’s why I like reading and writing about them. They need to be a reflection of ourselves so we can relate to them. So, recognisable. But from there, you can do what you want. You can make an entire species with a quirk that makes little sense and build a world from there. Then, of course, there is the challenge of writing a world and a story that makes sense to the reader. It’s a logic exercise, I suppose.

What I love best about aliens in stories, though, is the ‘reflection’ I mentioned before. Aliens are different. The usual rules don’t apply. So we have to define them by what we know, which means we get a really good look at ourselves. Us, in all our imperfect glory.

That’s the idea at the core of my novella, which is why it’s called Less Than Perfect.

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If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories of the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly Jensen lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter. When she’s not busy being a mom, Kelly spends her time volunteering at the local library, playing video games, and studying Kiryoku, a martial art combining Shotokan, Aikido and Tang Soo Do.

Less Than Perfect is her first book.

Find Kelly and her books

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Less Than Perfect

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 Mikayla’s read every book in her collection of post-apocalyptic novels at least twice. She thinks she’s prepared for aliens taking over Earth. She’s not.

Nor is she prepared for the attention of a good-looking refugee named Reg.

All Mikayla and Reg want is a safe place to see out the end of the world, hidden away from the aliens that call themselves The People, but cities of the depopulated United States not infested with The People are rife with gangs, the detritus of civilization and disease.

On a mission to restock their supplies, Mikayla and Reg are captured by The People and prepared for the procedure that will make them perfect, but no longer quite human. In order to escape, they need to rely on each other…if Mikayla can trust a man who seems too good to be true.

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Review: Magic and Loss by Nancy A. Collins

Magic And Loss

Author:Nancy A. Collins

Release Date: November 5, 2013

Publisher: Roc

Golgotham Book #3

ISBN:  0451464923

ISBN13: 9780451464927

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Golgotham has been the city’s supernatural district for centuries. Populated by creatures from myth and legend, the neighborhood’s most prominent citizens are the Kymera, a race of witches who maintain an uneasy truce with the city’s humans...

It has been several months since Tate Eresby developed her new magical ability to bring whatever she creates to life, but she is still learning to control her power. Struggling to make a living as an artist, she and Hexe can barely make ends meet, but they are happy.

That is until Golgotham’s criminal overlord Boss Marz is released from prison, bent on revenge against the couple responsible for putting him there. Hexe’s right hand is destroyed, leaving him unable to conjure his benign magic. Attempts to repair the hand only succeed in plunging Hexe into a darkness that can’t be lifted—even by news that Tate is carrying his child.

Now, with her pregnancy seeming to progress at an astonishing rate, Tate realizes that carrying a possible heir to the Kymeran throne will attract danger from all corners, even beyond the grave...

Another great series comes to an end. I will keep this spoiler free. 

There were some pretty emotional points in MAGIC AND LOSS. Hexe's attempt to repair his hand went horribly wrong and he did things and said things that any woman who didn't know him better would have run for the hills. It was definitely a dark point in the book but there are also happy things that were thrown in like Tate's job, meeting new family members and the birth of the baby. I was so excited at the end of book 2 when I figured it out. The pregnancy went by pretty fast with the time jumps but I never felt like I was left behind or that the situations didn't make sense. I do wish that more time was spent with the baby after they were born. I wanted to see more of Tate and Hexe as parents. We finally get the story behind how exactly Tate's Mom knows Hexe's Mom and I am so glad that was included in the book and I loved that Tate's Dad knew all about it and was never fooled.

I really enjoyed the Golgotham series.  It was different, fast paced and the world building was exciting to follow. I am sad to see it end but everything was tied up and put where they were supposed to be by the end.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Ghost Guard by J. Joseph Wright

UFI welcomes J. Joseph Wright Author of Ghost Guard. Thanks for Joining us!!

When I thought up the idea of a ghost special agent, a sort of paranormal James Bond character who uses (among other things) his masculine charms to defend the denizens of the spirit world, of course the first question that came to mind was—what would sex with a ghost be like?

Rever Ott is Ghost Guard’s top agent, a dead man of distinctive taste and ability with a devil-may-care attitude. He’s a one in a billion ghost. Fatally handsome, endowed with supernatural skills beyond almost any other spirit, he has one particular talent that proves quite handy. The art of seduction. Rev has the uncanny ability to get into a woman’s mind, tap into her innermost forbidden desires, and make her fall in love, and lust, with him. Rev uses his sexual talents with supreme confidence and cleverness. But there’s a problem. Sexual encounters take a tremendous amount of energy from a ghost. If a ghost is drained of too much energy, it spells certain doom. Because of this, when Rev has to employ such tactics, it irritates his teammates. Especially Abby Rhodes.

Abby is a young, beautiful, and gifted clairsentient with the ability to see the dead. One of only two living Ghost Guard agents, Abby is running from a past that still haunts her, driven by a desire to protect the innocent and defenseless spirits of the afterlife. She’s also driven by another desire, the desire to be with Rev, although her own stubbornness won’t allow her to admit it.

She takes her job seriously, and that’s why she absolutely hates when Rev goes off script and uses his seductive prowess during missions. She thinks it’s reckless, impractical, and way too risky. She knows what Rev knows. Sex is a dangerous game for a spirit. Expend too much energy and it can mean disaster. Expiration is what they call it. Death for a ghost. And Abby knows Ghost Guard can’t afford to lose Rev. But everyone on the team knows why Abby is really angry. They know the one secret she harbors, the dark and hidden truth behind her rage. She wants Rev. That much is obvious to everyone except Abby and Rev himself.

Sparks fly as Abby fights off Rev’s constant advances, and the sexual tension reaches a fever pitch when an immortal enchantress tries to steal Rev away. Abby knows Rev can fulfill any sexual desire. He can be the lover of every woman’s dreams. Romantic and passionate. Suave and strong. Touching all the right spots and hitting all the right buttons in ways no living man ever can. On the outside she swears she can’t stand his philandering, his casual relationships with other women, and his flippant behavior. On the inside, she’s angry at her own attraction to Rev. Because deep down she really wants the preternaturally carnal experience. Her intrigue has taken over, and she desperately wants to know the answer to the question—what would sex with a ghost be like?

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J. Joseph Wright penciled his first novel in the fourth grade, but, after failing to publish it, toiled away in obscurity until his freshman year in high school. Upon reading and, inexplicably, enjoying one of J.’s witless essays, his English Comp teacher, a man of questionable taste, recommended he write for the school newspaper. Soon J. was regaling the student body with a fantasy horror fiction column, gaining a robust early fan base, albeit from a captive school audience.

After college, J. left a highly lucrative career in public television for an even more lucrative career as an independent author, and now writes Adult Horror, Sci-Fi, Children’s Fantasy, and even some Paranormal Romance. His novel Jack James and the Tribe of the Teddy Bear was a Finalist in the Kindle Book Review 2013 Best Indie Book Awards.

Find J. Joseph and his books

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Ghost Guard

IN THE SPIRIT REALM, ONLY ONE FORCE CAN PROTECT THE INNOCENT SOULS OF THE DEAD...

Never before have living agents been teamed up with ghosts on such a level. Never before has a paranormal crew been equipped, trained, and specially assembled to hunt ghost hunters, face angry mobs bent on otherworldly revenge, or do battle against ancient immortals from the stars. Never before has the spirit realm seen anyone like Rever Ott and Abby Rhodes. Only problem is, Rev and Abby don't know whether to fight the enemies of the supernatural, or fight their love for each other.

The cloak and dagger intrigue of James Bond with the supernatural eccentricity of Ghostbusters and the primal darkness of Underworld.

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International 

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A few other giveaway's the author wanted you to know about

- There will be a KINDLE FIRE HD Raffle starting on NOVEMBER 8th and running till DECEMBER 8th on his site

-Goodreads Book Giveaway of an Autographed Ghost Guard running till DECEMBER 1st!

http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/70316-ghost-guard

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: White Heart of Justice by Jill Archer

White Heart of Justice 

Noon Onyx #3

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Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting…

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.                       

However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…

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Jill Archer is the author of the Noon Onyx series, genre-bending fantasy novels about a post-grad magic user and her off-campus adventures. DARK LIGHT OF DAY and FIERY EDGE OF STEEL, the first two books in the series are available now from Penguin/Ace. The third book, WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE, will be released May 27, 2014. Jill lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.

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Guest Blog: Trancehack by Sonya Clark

UFI welcomes Sonya Clark Author of Trancehack. Thanks for Joining us!!

Future Noir With a Touch of Magic 

Trancehack begins with a mystery. Detective Nate Perez, new in town and unfamiliar with the careful tightrope of life in a zone city, gets his first big case since moving to New Corinth and it’s a doozy. He quickly finds himself tangled in a web of murder, drugs, blackmail, societal pressures, political conspiracy, secrets and lies - and love. He falls hard for a woman the law won’t let him make a life with, captivating witch Calla Vesper.

In 2065, it’s been half a century since the Magic Laws were passed, sending the Magic Born to live in urban zones and denying them basic rights of citizenship. It’s a bleak world for both Magic Born and Normals alike. People deal with it in different ways. There’s a magically enhanced version of ecstasy called nightshade. Arcades where gamers who can’t afford home systems can lose themselves in other worlds for a few hours. There are nightclubs too, like the zone’s infamous dance hall, Sinsuality. Lovers get by on stolen moments and borrowed time, trying to get the most out of the night and dreading the reality revealed by daybreak.

When creating this world, I drew on a love of mystery novels and noir I’ve had for years. Movies like Chinatown, Blade Runner, LA Confidential. The novels of Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy, Michael Connelly. Dark worlds of neon-filled night and forbidden love. Even the Magic Born’s nickname for the zone, FreakTown, was based on one of those movies. I even entertained thoughts of someone paraphrasing the famous line from Chinatown - “Forget it, Nate. It’s Freaktown.” But it didn’t work out.

For me, the perfect fictional world has to include some kind of paranormal element. In the Magic Born series, that element is magic, of course. A few of the witches, Calla among them, are able to use astral projection to enter cyberspace - something called trancehacking. There are other instances in the book of magic combined with technology. I like to think of that combination as witchpunk. It was a fun, exciting way to bring magic both into the future and into the neon-filled city night.

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Sonya Clark grew up a military brat and now lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a heavy helping of magic and lots of music for inspiration. Learn more at www.sonyaclark.net. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Find Sonya and her books

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Trancehack
Magic Born #1

 It’s 2065. Those born with magic abilities live in government-run zones, without rights or freedoms. Fear of magic created this segregated world and fear keeps it intact.

A high-profile murder brings Detective Nathan Perez to Magic Born Zone 13. He’s had little experience with the Magic Born and isn’t sure what to expect during his first encounter with a witch, but he never thought he’d be so drawn to her.

Trancehacker Calla Vesper uses magic to break into computers and aid the Magic Born underground. She has no interest in helping a cop, even if he is smoking-hot, but money’s tight and Nate offers a tidy amount for help navigating the Zone. Calla’s determined to keep it all business, but sparks start flying before the investigation even gets started.

When Calla’s trancehacking and Nathan’s investigation uncover a conspiracy, Calla becomes a target. Nate can protect her by keeping her role a secret—but then who will protect Nate?

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