Thursday, October 9, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Black Spring by Christina Henry

UFI welcomes Christina Henry Author of the Black Wing Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

The Top Ten Worst Monsters I’ve Faced - and How I Got Rid of Them
By Madeline Black 

I don’t consider myself a professional monster hunter. However, since I discovered I wasn’t just an Agent of Death but the daughter of a fallen angel and the many-greats granddaughter of Lucifer it does seem like monsters keep crossing my path with depressing regularity. While all of them haunt me, some seem to give me nightmares than others. Here are the ones that just won’t leave me alone even though they’ve met their bitter end – or if they haven’t yet, I’m working on it.

10) Ariell – OK, so you may not think a lunatic rogue angel is very scary, but she bore a kid from a nephilim on purpose and then used that kid to loose said nephilim on the world. I find that extremely scary. I didn’t actually kill her. I weakened her with lightning bolts and then the aforementioned nephilim tore her in half and ate her. So this is only partly on me.

9) Giant Spiders – I do not like spiders. Let me repeat – I. Do. Not. Like. Spiders. Sometimes I’ve used a sword and sometimes I’ve used fire, but if you are an oversized arachnid you’d better get out of my way because all those wriggling legs are creepy.

8) The giant squishy tentacly thing in Amarantha’s forest. It probably has a name but I didn’t learn it before I set it on fire.

7) The reptile-mammalian thing in the cave on the edge of Amarantha’s kingdom. She had a whole lot of nameless yuck in that place. This thing wanted to cocoon and eat us, so I stabbed it in the eye, which seemed like a good idea at the time.

6) Titania and Amarantha – Both Queens of Faerie. Both way more trouble than they were worth. I really didn’t want to kill either of them, but they decided to take offense at everything I did and forced me to, uh, end their respective reigns.

5) Lucifer – Hmm, let’s see? He made me his Hound of the Hunt so that I’m always at his beck and call. He’s twisted every traumatizing event in my life to his advantage, and he’s after my unborn child. Definitely a monster, even if he is my grandfather. I haven’t managed to get rid of him yet, although not for lack of trying.

4) Puck – He doesn’t present as a monster, but anybody who would manipulate his own niece into a) destroying a whole species and b) killing his worst enemy for his own selfish purpose qualifies as a monster in my book. Again, still hanging around even though he’s not wanted. It’s apparently very difficult to dispose of these ancient beings without blowing up the entire universe.

3) Azazel – He spent the majority of my life as my deadbeat dad, and then he created
a serum that let vampires walk in the sun and loosed them on the city where I live. He also did something so unforgiveable I can hardly speak of it. Not much of a father, really, so I reversed the spell he was trying to use to crush my heart and crushed his instead. I’m starting to realize this list sounds a little bloodthirsty – and that it’s full of people who are related to me.

2) Ramuell – He ate my mother’s soul. Enough said, right? I exposed him to the light of the sun and he kind of…melted.

1) The Maze – There is nothing worse than an invisible entity that knows all your worse nightmares. I didn’t actually kill it, unfortunately. I just didn’t succumb to it in the battle of wills that it called a game. I survived, though. That’s a win in my book.
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CHRISTINA HENRY is the author of the BLACK WINGS series (Ace/Roc) featuring Madeline Black, an Agent of Death, and her popcorn-loving gargoyle sidekick Beezle: BLACK WINGS, BLACK NIGHT, BLACK HOWL, BLACK LAMENT, BLACK CITY, BLACK HEART and BLACK SPRING. She is also the author of the forthcoming dark fantasy ALICE (summer 2015).

Christina was born in New York and now lives on the North Side of Chicago with her husband and son. She sees no conflict in rooting for both the Yankees and the Cubs.

She also enjoys running long distances, eating large quantities of cinnamon rolls, reading anything she can get her hands on and watching movies with zombies, samurai and/or subtitles.

Find Christina and her books
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Black Spring
Black Wings #7
A former Agent of death, Madeline Black now has everything to live for, most importantly, her unborn child. But Chicago has become ground zero in a struggle between ancient creatures, and only Maddy can stop the carnage…

The mayor of Chicago has announced a plan to round up the city’s supernatural beings and put them in camps. With her due date looming, Maddy’s best move would be to lay low for a while. But not everyone is willing to respect her privacy. Hounded by tentacled monsters, a rogue shapeshifter, and a tenacious blogger, Maddy turns to her most powerful ally, her uncle Daharan, only to find him missing.

Just when it seems like things can’t get any worse, Maddy gets an invitation in the mail—to Lucifer’s wedding. Turns out everyone has been invited, friends and enemies alike. And with that kind of guest list, it’s highly unlikely there will be a happily ever after.
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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Interview: Touch of a Ghost by L.M. Brown

UFI welcomes L.M. Brown Author of Touch of a Ghost. Thanks for Joining us!!

This or That
Charcter: Benji Richards

Angels or Demons : As a ghost I’m not sure I believe in either of them, but since I don’t really want to end up in Hell I will have to go with angels.
Vampires or Shifters : Again, I don’t believe in either of these. That might sound strange coming from a ghost, which most people don’t believe in either, but I think if they did exist I’d have run across one by now. If they do exist I would pick shifters. The ability to turn into an animal sounds a lot of fun.
Left or Right : Right. If I’d run in that direction instead of to the left I may have lived a bit longer.
Up or Down : Up. Down tends to remind me that I’m technically six feet under already.
Pizza or Pasta : Unfortunately for me neither of these were particularly common back when I was alive, at least not for my family. Ghosts can’t eat, except on Halloween, but it’s rare I actually bother.  It just reminds me what I’m missing the rest of the year.
Coffee or Tea : Tea. I am a typical Brit, not that I can drink anything these days.
Coke or Pepsi  : Coke. Though I can barely remember what either of them tastes like it has been so long since I was able to eat or drink.
YA or Adult : Adult. I may be in the body of a teenager but I’ve been around for decades. I’m an adult in mind if not in body.
Knives or Guns : I don’t like either of them, but if I had to choose one it would be knives. When I had to make the choice about whether to join the army it wasn’t a difficult one to make. My father was shot and killed during the war. I swore I would never carry a gun and thankfully I never had to.
Reading or Writing : Reading. Though Drew tells me I should write my story, I don’t want to since it’s not over yet.
Facebook or Twitter : I’ve never used either. We didn’t have computers back in the 50s and I’ve only a vague concept of what these are. Drew is on Facebook and I sometimes see him using it. I don’t really have any friends to connect with though.  Most of them are dead and the few that aren’t know I am. It would probably give them a heart attack to receive a friend request from beyond the grave.
Trick or Treat: Definitely treat. Though if I ever run across Drew’s ex on Halloween I would probably want to prank him. But mostly I prefer the treat and on Halloween night I hope to get one of the best treats ever.
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L.M. Brown lives in England, in a quaint little village time doesn't seem to have touched. No, wait a minute—that's the retirement biography. Right now, she is in England in a medium sized town no one has ever heard of, so she won't bore you with the details. Keeping her company are numerous sexy men. She just wishes they weren't all inside her head.
L.M. believes there is nothing hotter or sweeter than two men in love with each other… unless it is three.
L.M. Brown loves hearing from readers so don't be shy.
Find L.M. and her books
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Touch of a Ghost
Buy Link
What if you could only touch your lover one night of the year? Halloween night is all you have when in a relationship with a ghost.

Drew Jessop wants a life without ghosts. He doesn't want to see, hear, or talk to them. Ignoring them should be relatively simple. But Drew soon finds that Benji Richards, an eternally gorgeous ghost from the fifties, is not so easy to ignore.

Halloween night is approaching and both Drew and Benji know what it could mean for them. From sunset to sunrise, it is the one night of the year when a mortal can feel the touch of a ghost.
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Excerpt 

Drew leaned forward and put his empty bottle on the table. The match had finished and the commentators were recapping the highlights, so Drew reached for the remote control.

"Well, thank you for having us." Flora stood up and stretched, as though her joints were still giving her grief as they had apparently done in life.

Drew turned off the television and picked up the crisp packet together with the nearly empty bowl. He tossed the last few crisps into his mouth as he stood up and walked into the kitchen. He left the beer bottles on the table as he contemplated whether to have another. Remembering he had an early start in the morning, he decided against drinking too much. He had a feeling Flora might have an opinion on alcohol intake too. However, when he turned back toward the living area, Flora had vanished.

Benji, on the other hand, still lingered. He remained on the sofa, his arm stretched along the back and his chin resting on it as he stared at Drew directly.

"You're very rude, you know?" Benji commented idly. "Not saying a single word to us all evening like that. You could at least have said hello."

Drew ignored him as he turned off the lights.
 
"I know you can see us. Your eyes give you away."

Drew suspected Benji might be guessing, but if he said a single word in response that guess would be confirmed. He had to keep quiet. That way he could still maintain a normal life.

"Not going to admit it, huh?" Benji said. "Well, I'll stop by again tomorrow. Maybe you'll be more talkative then. If you are, I might just tell you how I know you're gay, if you ask nicely." With that comment, Benji flashed Drew one final killer smile and vanished from the room.

Drew reacted to Benji the same way he would any other handsome man. His mind may tell him Benji was off limits, but his body thought otherwise. Drew wondered whether he could keep up the pretense of not seeing and hearing the ghosts who were as real to him as the rest of the human race. If this evening was anything to go by, it might not be as easy as he thought.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Review: Broken Soul by Faith Hunter

Broken Soul
Author:Faith Hunter
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: ROC
ISBN:   0451465954
ISBN13: 9780451465955
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher
Jane Yellowrock is a vampire killer for hire—but other creatures of the night still need to watch their backs....

When the Master of the city of New Orleans asks Jane to improve security for a future visit from a delegation of European vampires, she names an exorbitant price—and Leo is willing to pay. That’s because the European vamps want Leo’s territory, and he knows that he needs Jane to prevent a total bloodbath. Leo, however, doesn’t mention how this new job will change Jane’s life or the danger it will bring her and her team.

Jane has more to worry about than some greedy vampires. There’s a vicious creature stalking the streets of New Orleans, and its agenda seems to be ripping Leo and her to pieces. Now Jane just has to figure out how to kill something she can’t even see….

Jane is BACK and someone's after her. Nothing new, right? Well, they got to Reach so it might be more serious than she thought. Jane will do just about anything to keep those she considers her friends and family safe. Even if that means putting herself in more danger. BROKEN SOUL brings us more from all the characters we love, the action that keeps us on the edge of our seat and the world that we just can't get enough of.

On the romance side of things. Jane still has a bit of contact with Rick. Thankfully she is FINALLY moving past him, I was really proud of her. Jane and Bruiser. WOW. That's all 'm going to say about that. You will want to experience it for yourself. I will say that it's really nice to see Jane share herself with others. Not only in a romantic relationship, but in general. She has come a long way from the person she was in book one and it has been great witnessing it.

We got some interesting surprises in book 8. An ally turned out to be something way more than anyone could have thought. Jane and Beast learn a lot of new tricks and we find out that Beast is much stronger (in an "I might be able to take control of Jane whenever I want" stronger) than we thought. I can't quite see where things will be going with that whole storyline, but I am excited to read more.

I'm really looking forward to book 9. There's a lot of lead up to the European Counsel visit, but we don't get there in BROKEN SOUL. All hell is about to break loose and I just know the ride is going to be fantastic.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

New Release: 10/5-10/11


Tue. Oct. 7th

 Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
 Emergent (Annex #2) by Rachel Cohn
 The Invisible (Brokenhearted #2) by Amelia Kahaney  
 Poison Fruit (Agent of Hel #3) by Jacqueline Carey
 Silverblind (Ironskin #3) by Tina Connolly
 Stray (Four Sisters #1) by Elissa Sussman
 Unraveled (Crewel World #3) by Gennifer Albin 

Happy Reading!!

Monday, October 6, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: The Kasadya Series by Karen Swart

UFI welcomes Karen Swart Author of The Kasadya Series. Thanks for Joining us!!

My Top Ten Fictional Villain Characters by Karen Swart
In no specific order

• Loki - Movie -Yeah, I just love this guy. I mean his twisted, but really entertaining. 

• Dimitri the strigoi - Vampire Academy - For some unexplained reason I actually enjoyed Dimitir
when he went all bad vampire. He kept Roza busy for a while .lol 

• Lothaire - Immortals After Dark - Ooh sexy as hell and a bad boy. I think he was just
misunderstood through the most part of IAD. 

• Xcor - BDB- Okay yes the dude have some issues, but just look how he just melts around Layla. 

• Ryodan - Fever Series - Now this guys have issues. In some way I like him but in many ways I
wish Dany just wacked some manners into him. Can’t wait for Burned, I really hope she dishes
out some payback. 

• Christian Mackeltar -Fever Series - Again, I just think the guy is misunderstood, but I am really
hoping he crushes Ryodan. And now an Unseelie prince, he is really creepy. 

• V'lane - Fever Series - Did not see this one coming, was a huge surprise in the end. 

• Adam Black - Highlander Series - For the most part in the Highlander series this guy just totally
messed with everyone, and then he got some payback. 

• Ballen - Kasadya Hellhound Series - Yeah my own character, but for the first two books I really
didn’t enjoy writing about him and then in the end he just kind of persuaded me to give him
another chance.
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I am a complete book addict, and really proud of it. My entire world is made of books. From reading to writing to blogging to helping other authors. A day without my world of books would be impossible. I am a mother of three, two boys and a little princess. Happily married for 8 years with my high school sweetheart. I live in South Africa, just on the rims of the Kalahari Desert in a small town with one shop and friendly faces.


Find Karen and her books
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Hellhound Awakened
Kasadya #1
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords
In a constant battle between good and evil, evil is dominating the battle field and leading mankind to its destruction. With our Creator's intervention a creature destined to conquer and destroy is created. He gives mankind hellhounds to fight back and reclaim freedom.

Join seventeen year old Kasadya Levourne as she fights against evil to protect us. With each step she faces destruction, and yet she has the talent to give it back tenfold. Stubborn and hardheaded she makes her mark in the fallen world and starts a battle none can escape. Not even her trainer, the very attractive Chax de Luca, was prepared for her presence.

Will evil prevail? Or will Kas and her fallen friends succeed in protecting us against it?

Hold on to your seats, this is going to be one hell of a ride.

Hellhound Twisted
Kasadya #2
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
She fought against all odds and became the warrior she was meant to be … or so she thought. In a world where the rules have changed, can she embrace her destiny and become the hellhound she was meant to be?

Kasadya is back in Exsilium and finds her world a little different. Her half-breed fallen friends join her, and they are ordered to complete their apprentice training in order to obtain the right to be guardians. She must learn that her own fate cannot be denied and that others are set to follow. But most of all, she must learn that to trust is the greatest battle of all.

The tables are turned and Kasadya is put to the test. Will she be able to prevent her own death, or that of a friend? Or will her actions call forth the destruction of Earth and Exsilium?

For a Phoenix to rise, it must first die. —Chax De Luca

Hellhound Born
Kasadya #3
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
In a world filled with evil, the Fallen prepare for the ultimate battle against the demon world!

Kasadya is ordered to unleash her crazed born transformation to complete her divinity. But there is a chance that her born will be uncontrollable, and she will be destroyed. There is just one person that can save her; her charm, her destined mate. Left without a choice, she must surrender, and place her life in his hands.

In a race against time, the Fallen must stand together and fight the evil threatening to invade earth. If her divinity was in reach, victory would be theirs. That is until she starts having visions of the final battle, and her true destiny is revealed. She just found her love and place in the Fallen world; will she be able, and willing, to sacrifice it all?

Hellhound Defined
Kasadya #4
Amazon / Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
For centuries his only reason for existence was to destroy evil. But when he finally found his mate, that all changed for the deadly Chax De Luca. When the hellhound Kasadya captured his heart, he surrended it to her, thinking he’d finally found what he’d been looking for. Little did he know that his mate would sacrifice herself to save them all.

His fury is legend. His wrath, merciless. His love for his mate, undeniable. He’s going to hell to retrieve his heart, and if that means that he must destroy hell itself, then so be it.

Kasadya awakes to a world in peril, her mate forever changed, and a war filled with evil creatures intending to enter Earth’s realm and destroy all that she holds dear. Can she complete her divinity in time to save her loved ones and mankind? Will she have to choose? Or will all be lost in the final battle?

The final battle is here, and with it, secrets are revealed and worlds are changed forever.

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Sunday, October 5, 2014

Week in Review: 9/28-10/4


Books I've Bought/received

- Trace of Magic by Diana Pharaoh Francis- eCopy- NetGalley

- Wickedly Wonderful- Deborah Blake- eARC- Publisher

- Protecting His Witch by Zoe Forward- eARC- Author

Books I've Read

Protecting His Witch by Zoe Forward
Meridian Six by Jaye Wells
Trace of Magic by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Armageddon by Christina Bauer
Firebug by Lish McBride
Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey
Reckoning by S.J. Harper

Reviews Posted

Burning Desire by Donna Grant
Predator & Prey by James D. Horton
Chained by Night by Larissa Ione

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

* Wednesday- Guest Blog for Divinity by Michelle L. Johnson

* Thursday- Interview for Bad Dreams: A Blood and Fire Short by Brantwijn Serrah

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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.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Review: Burning Desire by Donna Grant

Burning Desire
Author: Donna Grant
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: St. Martins
Dark Kings Book #3
ISBN:   1250060702
ISBN13: 9781250060709
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley
The Dark Kings have fought for centuries to preserve their dragon magic. But can one warrior resist the greatest temptation of all?

A DESIRE THIS POWERFUL

In his quest to destroy the Dark Fae—his nemesis—the Dragon King known as Kiril goes to Ireland as a spy. When a gorgeous, mysterious woman tries to seduce him, Kiril instantly sees through her glamour to the Dark Fae beneath. Shara isn’t just any Dark; she’s from one of the most powerful bloodlines—and despite the dangers, Kiril can’t stay away from her. He’s enthralled by her smile, enslaved by the undeniable passion…

IS A WAR WORTH FIGHTING FOR

Shara has one chance to make things right with her family—and to prove her worth. It seemed like such an easy mission…until she actually meets Kiril. His charm, his sexual magnetism is too much for her to ignore. Shara knows that falling into Kiril’s arms can bring her nothing but trouble. Yet she discovers an inner strength she didn’t know she had…and an attraction that knows no bounds. But is her desire for Kiril worth the risk of eternal doom for them both?

BURNING DESIRE wasn't my favorite book of the series. I can't decide if it was the couple or the storyline that didn't fully do it for me. I'm going to say it was a combination and try to explain why.

BURNING DESIRE follows Kiril as he meets his mate Shara. As we know, Kiril is a Dragon King and is undercover in Ireland trying to find out information about the Dark Fae and what they are up to. Shara is a Dark Fae, but not your normal Dark Fae. After spending 600 years locked up for disappoint her family she is ready to earn their respect. She must seduce the Dragon King and help capture him. The only problem is she can't quite help falling for him. Kiril instantly knows that Shara is a Dark Fae and what she is there to do, but he plays along anyways because he's drawn to her. He doesn't instantly trust him, but he is drawn to her and he can't help wanting to get to know her better, or maybe he really just wants to get her into bed and doesn't care? You decide. I don't know, I liked them together and all but their relationship didn't draw me in like the other couples of the series.

Since Kiril is in Ireland and the other Dragon Kings are in Scotland we don't get as much of them as we usually do. I missed having them and the rest of the girls around. Maybe that is what is holding me back from totally loving BURNING DESIRE. We see way more of Ulrik in book 3 than we have and I have to say I really don't like him. I was starting to think he wasn't involved in the Dragon Kings troubles, but it is now very obvious he is. 

Overall I just didn't feel like much was accomplished in BURNING DESIRE.  Sure there was action and bad guys, but it wasn't as exciting to me as previous installments. Hopefully book 4 will get grab my attention more.

I gave it 3/5 stars

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