Guest Blog: The Witch Within by Jacqueline Paige

UFI welcomes Jacqueline Paige. Thanks for Joining us!!

Witches in Fiction
By Jacqueline Paige

Witches in fiction now seem to be the least written about.  The paranormal genre has been flooded with the now more popular shape-shifters and vampires but I still prefer to write about the fantastic characters that can do any variety of magic.

Release Day Blitz: Debt Collector by Susan Kaye Quinn

UFI welcomes Susan Kaye Quinn. Thanks for Joining us!!

What's a Serial and Why Would I Read One?  
 by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of the urban fantasy serial, Debt Collector

A serial is a series of episodes - or short stories - that are connected to tell a larger story.

Must Read TV 

Serials are actually a lot like a TV series, which themselves vary a lot in type. Series like Law and Order and House are more self-contained, with only a few character storylines carrying over from episode to episode. Series like Lost or Heroes would be difficult to watch out of order because the storylines carry more strongly, sometimes with cliffhangers, sometimes not.

Some readers like the week-by-week suspense of Must Watch TV; others would rather wait until the season is done and get it from netflix so they can watch it back-to-back. Likewise, some readers enjoy the suspense of reading a serial episode-by-episode as they're released. Others would rather wait until the entire serial is complete and read it all at once. Either is fine!

Week in Review: 12/7-12/13

Books I've Bought/received

- Strayed by Amber Lynn Natusch- eARC- Author

- Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs- eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

- Windburn by Juliette Cross - eARC- NetGalley

- Black Wolf's Revenge by Tera Shanley - eARC- NetGalley

- White Knight by Kelly Meade - eARC- NetGalley

Books I've Read

Tarnished by Amber Lynn Natusch
Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Bound by Blue by Heather Hamilton-Senter
Chase the Dark by Annette Marie

Reviews Posted

A Secret to Die For by Sierra Dean
Rite of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich
Under My Skin by Shawntelle Madison
A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain

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

* Monday- Interview for Fallen by Laury Falter

* Tuesday- Giveaway for A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain

* Wednesday- Giveaway for Darkness Falls by Keri Arthur

* Thursday- Guest Post for Dark Desire by Lauren Dawes

* Friday- Interview for Red Dress by Erzabet Bishop

* Saturday- I did a comparison review for the Nook Simple Touch and the Kindle Touch (7th gen).

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

BlogLovin

Networked Blogs

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You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

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

Nook Simple Touch vs Kindle Touch (7th Generation)

Although I was very happy with my Nook Simple Touch, The Kindle Touch was on sale for $49 on Black Friday and my husband talked me into getting myself one for Christmas. Since I had both I decided to do a bit of a comparison. If you have tried one or both I would love to hear what you think as well. Have a different e-reader all together? Tell me about it.

In the Box: I purchased my Simple Touch Nook a few years ago so this might have changed, but I got my Nook, USB cord, and a wall adapter.

The Kindle box included the Kindle and a USB cord. It would be nice if they included a wall adapter, but no one does these days. Sigh...

Size/weight: Both devices have a 6" display. The Simple Touch Nook weighs 7.48 oz. and the Kindle weighs 6.7 ounces.

Feel: I like the feel of the Nook Simple Touch better. Its has a soft and smooth rubber type backing that is easy to hold.

The the Kindle is just plastic. This is bad. It slips through my fingers easily and if I am holding it for a long time my fingers sweat (making it more likely I will drop it on my face while laying in bed lol). They seriously need to fix this.

Touch Screen: Both touch screens are easy to use and quick to respond. The Kindle is a little faster in speed.

Adding books: With the Nook, unless you purchase the book from Barnes and Noble you have to plug your nook in, add the file to Adobe Digital Edition, then add it to your nook.

With the Kindle, if you don't purchase the book from Amazon you can simply email your book to your kindle email address and it's added to your device over wifi. "WHAT" you say? YES it's that easy. Man I have been missing out.

Deleting Books: With the Nook you have to again plug it into your computer, open Adobe Digital Edition, then select and delete it. If you purchase it from Barnes and Noble, you can archive the title by going to Barnes and Noble, logging into your nook and archiving it there.

With the Kindle you can simply hold and touch the book icon on your Kindle until a screen pops up and select remove from device. Your book is still on your Amazon account and you can re-send it at anytime.

Battery Life: You know this one is hard for me to gauge because I really don't pay attention. When the battery icon alerted me on my Nook, I just plugged it in. I never thought that it was a poor battery life though. I started using my Kindle on December 4th and have not been notified to charge it yet so, that is a plus (and I have had wifi on the whole time, the charge is getting pretty low though). The official stats state:

Nook: Up to 2 months with wireless off based on 1 hour of daily reading.

Kindle: A single charge lasts up to four weeks, based on a half hour of reading per day with wireless off. 

Other: The Kindle's lack of page numbers is really annoying. I like having the ability to glance down and seeing how far into a book I am. The Kindle does not allow this. HUGE bummer. The Kindle allows you to highlight passages and makes notes which the Nook does not. It's a nice feature to have and I have already used it. The Kindle has some quirk I have yet to figure out. When I drop it on my head while reading (yes this does happen often as like I said above, its slippery plastic shell is not cool) or hits something on accident when I set it down, it changes the font size. Kinda annoying. Anyone know if I can turn off what ever feature is causing this?

I feel a bit bad for my Nook because it has treated me so well, but the ease of adding books on a Kindle is too much for me to pass up. So, although I will be keeping my Nook because it still has a lot of books on it I haven't read, my Kindle will now be my main reader. 

Early Review: A Secret to Die For by Sierra Dean

A Secret To Die For

Author: Sierra Dean

Release Date: December 16, 2014

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Secret McQueen Book #8

ISBN13:  9781619214477

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Author

No one is safe.

Secret McQueen thought she’d seen it all, but that was before she, Desmond and Holden came home to find New York City burning and the streets overwhelmed with the walking dead. Now, in a race against time, she must find out who is responsible for unleashing hell on Earth.

For that, she’s going to need a whole new team of vampire wardens to help round up the perpetrators, who turn out to be a gang that makes Sons of Anarchy look like toddlers on tricycles.

Her quest across the city brings old friends and enemies out of the woodwork and reminds Secret once and for all why mercy and forgiveness are not always prudent. Lives will be lost, sacrifices will be made, and when the dust settles, nothing will ever be the same again.

With no time to mourn her losses, the only question remaining is if Secret can survive long enough to stop the apocalypse…or if this is the one challenge that will finally drown her in rivers of undead blood.

Warning: The final book in the Secret McQueen series has it all: hot kisses, unexpected guests, and enough tear-jerking moments to require a whole box of tissues. You’ve been warned.

The final installment of the Secret McQueen series gave us closure with plenty of action, romance, tears and healing to get us to the finish line.

Secret has grown and changed a lot since we first met her in SOMETHING SECRET THIS WAY COMES. We have watched her fight and we have watched her love. We have seen her at her worst and at her best. We have witnessed her struggle and we finally get to see her complete her journey and heal. If you have read COLD DARK SECRET you know which man Secret has chosen. They still needed that final closure I think and we get that in book 8. We also watch her get closer to the man she chose to spend the rest of her life with and we watched her find closure with Lucas as well.

Although not all might agree with how everything ended, I think Secret truly DESERVED the ending she gets and the other characters deserved what ending they got. Sierra Dean truly ended the series on a believable note with all the little questions answered and characters where they belong. I am sad to see it go, but it went well.

I gave it 5/5 stars

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

Interview: Red Dress by Erzabet Bishop

UFI welcomes author Erzabet Bishop. 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? 

That I'm a very private person when I'm not at work and am at home. It's rare to catch me hashing personal things on Facebook or other social media.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

I love to crochet and watch movies but lately the down time has been in short supply.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

That wow moment when the plot all comes together and you know it is flowing the way it's supposed to.

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

Yes. I write down the main points on sticky notes and put them on a board. Then I move them around to fit. I also use a legal pad to help generate thoughts.

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

I love Kim Harrison. She is amazing.

How would you pitch The Red Dress to someone who has not heard of it before? 

Passion. Lust. Wrapped in red.

Do you have a favorite scene in The Red Dress? 

I love it when Cecily is playing with her camera and sending her husband sexy pictures.

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

I will always identify with the female character better because I'm a woman. With the man, I shoot for what women would want to see in a character they want in that fantasy scenario.

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

I have a good many things out there right now. Urban fantasy fans would love my new piece Written on Skin. I'm working on several new pieces right now and have bunches of new releases coming up: Holiday Cruise, Holidays in Hell, Gingerbread Dreams, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Pomegranate, Charity Benshaw's Enchanted Paddle Emporium and many more.

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Erzabet Bishop has been crafting stories since she could pound keys on her parents’ old typewriter. She has only just learned that it is a whole lot more fun writing naughty books. She is a contributing author to the Silk Words website with her Fetish Fair, Gingerbread Dreams, Holiday Cruise and Temptation Resorts interactive romances, Sci Spanks 2014 Anthology, Potnia, A Christmas To Remember, Taboo II, Forbidden Fruit, Club Rook: The Series, Sweat, Bossy, Cougars, Spank or Treat, When the Clock Strikes Thirteen, Wicked Things, Unwrap these Presents, Unbound Box, Milk & Cookies & Handcuffs, Corset Magazine: Sex Around the World, Vaginas and Vulvas, Man vs. Machine: The Sex Toy Issue, Smut by the Sea Volume 2, Hell Whore Volume 2, Can’t Get Enough, No Safewords II, Slave Girls, The Big Book of Submission, Hungry for More, Gratis II, Gratis III, Anything She Wants, Dirty Little Numbers, Kink-E magazine, Eternal Haunted Summer, Coming Together: Girl on Girl, Shifters, Coming Together: For the Holidays and Coming Together: Hungry for Love among others. She is the author of Lipstick (upcoming), Dinner Date, Tethered, Sweet Seductions: The Erzabet Bishop Collection, Red Moon Rising (upcoming), Red Boots (upcoming), Charity Benshaw's Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming), Holidays in Hell, Pomegranate (upcoming), Red Dress, Sigil Fire, Written on Skin: A Sigil Fire Short, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation.

Erzabet was a finalist for the GCLS 2014 awards in two separate categories. She lives in Texas with her husband and furry children, and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects, and watch monster movies. When she isn’t writing, she loves to review music and books.
Follow her reviews and posts on Twitter @erzabetbishop.

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Red Dress
Buy Link

 Being naughty never felt so nice...

Cecily's husband Neil has kept her waiting one too many times. After another lonely night of movie watching, she decides to take her pleasure into her own hands. Tangled up tinsel, a smoking hot red dress, and a holiday wish come true are in store for Cecily when Neil comes home from work and catches her being a very naughty girl.

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Excerpt:

"What are you doing?" Neil's voice slid along her spine, startling her.

Cecily wobbled on her heels, trying not to fall. She reached out and rested her hand on the bed, trying not to think about what almost might have happened. For once she was glad of her obsession with organizing by list. If she'd reached into that drawer...

Her eyes were drawn to the phone on his hip and she twisted her fingers together. Had he viewed the pictures?

"I was getting changed."

Setting down his briefcase and a large bag, Neil crossed his arms over his broad chest and narrowed his eyes. A curl of dark brown hair fell across his broad forehead, his lips thinning in displeasure.

"I had a meeting that ran late and I had to stop and pick up a few things for our evening. You were supposed to be ready at seven."

"I was."

"But you aren't now."

"No." Cecily blushed and edged the point of her black dress shoe against the carpet. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten."

"Forgot?" Neil's eyes snapped up, his voice sharp. He moved forward, his long legs crossing the span of the bedroom in moments. Fingers gripped her chin and forced her gaze upwards. "I would never forget you. Change of plans. We're staying in...for now." Neil released her and stepped back, his eyes molten.

Review: Rite of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich

Rite of Rejection

Author: Sarah Negovetich

Release Date: December 4, 2014

Publisher: Self-Published

ISBN:   1500675652

ISBN13: 9781500675653

Genre: Dystopian

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

"Before you stands the future."

Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can't wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she's shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.

A life behind barbed-wire fences with the world's most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she's almost certain she can learn to love.

But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence, Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.

Even though you know it's coming, it's still comes as a shock that Rebecca fails her Acceptance. She is sweet, kind, and follows the rules. Little do we know is that she also has a lot of questions and those questions are what leads to her failing. NOT that she is a bad person or that she will become a murderer like everyone thinks. In fact, what everyone thinks isn't how things are at all.

You don't get a good feel for who Rebecca really is until after the Acceptance ceremony. Everything she has known is ripped away from her and I think she handles it as best as someone in her position could. She starts out pretty naive and grows into someone she should be proud of. There is a romance in RITE OF REJECTION. I don't really want to get to much into it because it's kinda complex and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will say that I was happy about how things turned out for Rebecca and her significant other and hopeful for their future.

There is a great amount of both character development and world building in RITE OF REJECTION. You get a good feel for where the story takes place and the characters that are involved. By the end you are invested and you want to know what happens next. As of right now there's no guarantee of a sequel. The author says there is probably going to be one, but until its announced you can never be sure. I hope there's a sequel. I think the characters have a lot more in them and the storyline can be taken to many more places. So in saying that, I would read more.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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