Happy Thanksgiving US readers...

Gobble Gobble!!

Here is something that everyone can answer no matter where you live.... 

What book have you been thankful to read in 2016?

Review: The Operator by Kim Harrison

The Operator

Author: Kim Harrison

Release Date: November 22, 2016

Publisher: Pocket

The Peri Reed Chronicles Book #2

ISBN:   1501149911

ISBN13: 9781501149917

Genre: Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Edelweiss

On-the-run ex-agent Peri Reed returns bigger and bolder than ever in this second highly-anticipated installment in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's new suspense trilogy, The Peri Reed Chronicles.

Peri Reed’s job eats her mind, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing.

Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and the agency who turned her into the very thing she fought against, Peri abandoned the wealth and privilege of Opti for anonymity riddled with memory gaps and self-doubt. But when a highly addictive drug promises to end her dependency on those who’d use her as a tool for their own success, she must choose to remain broken and vulnerable, or return to the above-the-law power and prestige she once left: strong but without will—for whoever holds her next fix, will hold her loyalty.

Yet even now as then, a love based on lies of omission might still save her life.

THE OPERATOR—Like THE DRAFTER— was filled with a lot of action and suspense, but I had a hard time staying in the story and connecting with Peri in book two.

I really enjoyed THE DRAFTER, in fact, I gave it 5 stars. So when I got THE OPERATOR, I thought that it would be another fast paced, enjoyable read by Kim Harrison. For the most part it was, but I found myself getting bored and really disliking Peri at points throughout the book. I knew from book one that she was impulsive, but it seemed worse in THE OPERATOR and her impulsiveness lead her to some bad situations which was annoying. She was constantly in danger and there was plenty of chances to get the upper hand but she just didn't. It was one cluster after another. It just got to be too much by the end.

Let's talk about the relationships of the book. On one hand we have Silas. I really like Silas, and he really likes Peri. Peri unfortunately doesn't remember him like he remembers her but there was some development on this front and I really enjoyed that part of the story. Then we have Jack. We ALL know Jack from book one. I can't stand Jack and Peri says she can't, but for a lot of THE OPERATOR she had no problem standing him. It was very aggravating and I really could have done without his character all together.

I just don't know what to do about this series. It started out fantastically, but THE OPERATOR fell short for me. I will probably give book three a chance because i really love Kim Harrison's past work and that counts for something.

I gave it 3/5 stars

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

Promo + Giveaway: Alien Nation by Gini Koch

Alien Nation 
Katherine "Kitty" Katt #14

ON SALE: DECEMBER 6, 2016

IBSN: 9780756411435 | 560 pages  | DAW MASS MARKET | $7.99

It’s a typical day of bureaucracy and stress for President and First Lady Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, made more stressful when alien spacecraft are spotted making a beeline for Earth, none of them from the Alpha Centauri system. Then a cryptic request from an old adversary pulls Kitty out of the White House and into an explosion—and an even more explosive situation. Not only is the Mastermind back in the game, influencing the Club 51 True Believers to find and destroy all Centaurion bases, but he’s also found a dangerous benefactor and created some frightening new cloning abilities.

And, just to make things a little more challenging, those alien spacecraft are coming to ask Kitty for protection, and asylum on Earth. Police stations being blown up and war helicopters in play aren’t enoughto keep Kitty down, especially when she’s got some new alien friends helping out. But what these aliens share will rock the world—the other aliens on theirway to Earth are fleeing an enemy so terrifying that even a Z’porrah ship is trying to get to Earth for safety and protection. And if Earth isn’t able to stop this threat, there may not be anything left of humanity. Now Kitty and Company have to figure out where the Mastermind is and stop him, before any new aliens land. And then they have to save the world from a deadly invasion. Or, as Kitty calls it, Thursday.

Sci-fi action meets steamy paranormal in Gini Koch’s Alien novels, as Katherine “Kitty” Katt faces off against aliens, conspiracies, and deadly secrets. • “Futuristic high-jinks and gripping adventure.” —RT Reviews 

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Gini Koch lives in the American Southwest, works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. Touched by an Alien, the first in her Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt Series, received a starred review from Booklist and was named one of Booklist’s Top Ten adult science fiction and fantasy novels of 2010. Gini started writing as an excuse to stay up late playing on the computer while listening to rock music and mooning over pictures of hunky men. She’s thrilled all that drooling has finally paid off.

Find Gini and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

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US/Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Releases: 11/20-11/26

Tue. Nov. 22nd

 Fate of Flames (Effigies #1) by Sarah Raughley

 Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

 The Operator (The Peri Reed Chronicles #2) by Kim Harrison
 The Revealed (Lakewood #2) by Sarah Kleck

Happy Reading!

Interview + Giveaway: Children of the Veil by Colleen Halverson

UFI welcomes Author Colleen Halverson. 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?

One thing I don’t talk about a lot is that I have synesthesia, specifically auditory-tactile synesthesia which means I feel sound. Depending on the type of music it can feel like a wave or a tingling sensation. Listening to YoYo Ma’s Bach concertos is like a full body massage. It’s very cool. I had never heard the term until a professor of mine used it to describe Emily Dickenson, and I sat there in class saying, “But that never happens to you? To any of you? Where you feel music?” They all looked at me like I was crazy. I just figured that was normal.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I like to run and take walks, and I also do martial arts. For a writer, I also watch an obscene amount of television.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

I love drafting the most. Every new story feels like a brand new adventure for me.

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

Check Facebook, check Twitter…honestly, not really. But when I do get down to business, I require a nice cup of Earl Grey to get me started.

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

I love JR Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. If I ever met her, I would probably fangirl like a raving idiot. I also love KM Moning’s Fever series. Those books really inspired me to tap into my knowledge of Irish folklore and mythology to write my own novels.

How would you pitch The Aisling Chronicles to someone who has not heard of it before?

It’s about a young woman named Elizabeth Tanner who discovers she is half-Fae and must learn to wield and control her powers in order to take down the patriarchy, I mean, the secret, magical government trying to use her for political gain.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Aisling Chronicles is set in?

In the world of The Aisling Chronicles, there exists a secret government that controls the three magical races of Ireland: the Fae, the Druids, and the Fianna (a kind of warrior class). Half of the novels take place in our mortal world, but Elizabeth and Finn also travel into Tír na nÓg, aka the Faerie realm.

Do you have a favorite scene in CHILDREN OF THE VEIL?

I have so many favorite parts, but I think the part I love the best is when Elizabeth and Finn, her Fianna warrior alpha hottie, go to the underground Faerie court in London. It’s a raucous, wild place and through a series of unfortunate events, Finn has to fight this horrible cyclops for Elizabeth’s honor. I’m not usually one for the damsels in distress, ahhhhh!!! But it sure is cool to see Finn do his thing, which is fight and be a total warrior badass. I’ve probably read that scene a hundred times, but my shoulders still tense up each time.

Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

My favorite character to write is Malachy Moray. He’s a dearg-dubh, which in my world is like a Fae Irish vampire, and he’s sort of like David Tennant meets Tyrion Lannister kind of character. It’s funny because originally I had wanted to make him this dark, sort of Angel-like vampire villain, but he wasn’t having it at all. He’s very, very silly.

The hardest character to write is probably my main character, Elizabeth. But hard in a good way! Elizabeth challenges me because she takes me to some deeply complex and emotional places at times. I need to paint her with a very fine brush and some of these scenes required a lot of close reading and editing to strike the right notes with her, especially those scenes with Finn.

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

I have a new book coming out January 9th called THE CAPTAIN’S REBEL. This is an erotic historical romance that takes place during the Napoleonic Wars. It features a feisty Irish heroine who, in order to take back her ancestral lands, dresses up as a cabin boy and joins the Royal Navy. She meets a stern and demanding sea Captain, and, well, let’s just say she doesn’t just polish his boots…

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As a child, Colleen Halverson used to play in the woods imagining worlds and telling stories to herself. Growing up on military bases, she found solace in her local library and later decided to make a living sharing the wonders of literature to poor, unsuspecting college freshmen. After backpacking through Ireland and singing in a traditional Irish music band, she earned a PhD in English with a specialization in Irish literature. When she’s not making up stories or teaching, she can be found hiking the rolling hills of the Driftless area of Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

CHILDREN OF THE VEIL is the follow up to her debut urban fantasy novel, THROUGH THE VEIL.

Find Colleen and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Children of the Veil
Aisling Chronicles #2
Amazon BN Kobo iTunes
Amazon UK Amazon CA

Elizabeth Tanner has one goal: to find her mother in whatever dimension she’s imprisoned. But to do that, she has to face her estranged father, and to do that, she needs a shot of whiskey…or seven. But after an attempt on her life and the return of her lost love, she wakes up with one hell of a hangover and a whole barrage of questions.

Finn O’Connell doesn’t know why the Fianna want him to aid Elizabeth in her search, but he’ll take any excuse to be near her again. Together, they dive headlong into the shadows of her mother’s secrets and find themselves embroiled in a Fae rebellion that will test Finn’s loyalties and their love.

With the Faerie realm verging on chaos, Elizabeth and Finn will embark on a quest that will lead them from the streets of Chicago to London’s seedy Fae underground. But rescuing Elizabeth’s mother means journeying to a place Finn can’t follow, and Elizabeth is forced to make a choice between finding her at last or saving her own soul.

Excerpt #1:

My legs buckled and he snatched me into his arms, my head lolling against his chest. I breathed in the smell of leather, fresh folded laundry, and that pure, manly scent of Finn-ness. God, I had missed him.
“Who…?” I managed to say, the words feeling like caked mud in my mouth.
He didn’t answer, but slipped me into his car and I sank into the leather seat, darkness eating at the edge of my sight. The purring engine lulled me into a daze, and I must have passed out because the next thing I knew, we were stumbling up the stairs to my apartment.
“I live here,” I slurred.
“I know,” Finn mumbled, his muscled arm propping me up. “Where are your keys?”
Snowflakes collected on the crown of his head, his eyebrows knitting together. The curve of his mouth filled my vision, and my fingers slipped over the soft skin, tracing the delicate cupid bow on his top lip. His face softened, multiple Finns swimming through the muted streetlight.
“Mmmmm…” I murmured, running my hand against the side of his face, trying to keep from seeing double. “Stay still.”
He placed a gentle hand over my hand. “Elizabeth, your keys. It’s freezing out here.”
I brought his palm next to my face, brushing my lips against his callused fingers. Need burned through my body, and I fell against his broad chest, covering his mouth with mine with a moan. For a moment, he kissed me back, his hands pressing firm against my shoulders. The falling snow tickled my neck, sending icy trails down my spine, and I pressed into him seeking his warmth. He made a low sound in his throat.
“You’re drunk,” he whispered.
“I don’t care.” I whispered into his ear.
Finn disentangled himself from my arms, and I slipped on a patch of ice, falling on my ass with a giggle. He leaned over me, patting my jeans in search for my keys. His hands strayed to my waist, tickling my side, and I laughed, grabbing his hands.
He hovered over me, his hair grazing the firm line of his jaw. “Elizabeth, stop. I mean it. Where are your keys?”
He rifled in my coat, and something landed on the balcony with a thud. The book of Yeats’ poetry lay in the snow, white powder quickly accumulating on its worn cover. Finn made to grab it, but I snatched it away, wiping it off and sticking it safe back inside my coat. He stared down at me and swallowed hard, the tinkling crystal of falling snow the only sound in the silent street.
“Elizabeth…” He whispered, his hand brushing away a wet lock of hair plastered to my cheek.
I shrugged away, rifling in my jeans pocket for my keys and threw them at him. A wave of dizziness washed over me and I curled up on the balcony, willing the snow to blanket over me, desiring nothing but to become the winter so I could sleep for four months and reemerge whole again. Stinging numbness gripped my fingers and toes, and I shivered, burying my head against my arm.
“Let’s get you inside.” Finn’s arm slipped beneath my shoulders and under my knees.

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Tour Wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week in Review: 11/13-11/19

Books Received for Review

None this week.

Books I've Read

Hunter by Sarai Henderson
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones
Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright
Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Reviews Posted

Once a Gypsy by Danica Winters
Bound by Shannon Mayer
Dragon Heartstring by Juliette Cross

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

* Wednesday- Guest Blog for Demon Assassins Series by Ann Gimpel

* Thursday- Promo + Giveaway for Fever by Lola Taylor

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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.

Review: Once a Gypsy by Danica Winters

Once A Gypsy

Author: Danica Winters

Release Date: November 1, 2016

Publisher: Diversion Publishing

Irish Traveller Book #1

ISBN:  1682303071

ISBN13: 9781682303078

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Review Copy Source: Publisher

Thrilling and romantic, Once a Gypsy starts a brand new series from award-winning author Danica Winters.

“A haunting and fresh voice in paranormal romance. Be prepared for Danica Winters to ensnare you in her dark and seductive world.”―Cecy Robson, author of the Weird Girls series and 2016 Double-Nominated RITA® Finalist

Even for a clairvoyant, the future is never a sure thing.

Helena has always struggled to fit in with her Irish Traveller family. It’s not just her opposition to getting married or her determination to attend university; Helena also has one talent that sets her apart from the rest of her clan―the gift of the Forshaw, the ability to see the future.

Graham is the groundskeeper at a manor in Adare, Ireland. Though the estate appears idyllic, it holds dark secrets, and despite his own supernatural gifts, Graham can’t solve Adare Manor’s problems by himself. Desperate for help, Graham seeks out a last resort: Helena, whose skills are far greater than even she knows.

When he promises to teach her to control her powers, Helena resists, afraid both of the damage her abilities might do and her increasing attraction to the handsome groundskeeper. Her entire way of life is at risk: Any involvement, especially romantic, with non-Travellers like Graham is forbidden. But Helena’s future is anything but certain, and fate has other plans for her family, her powers, and her relationship with Graham.

ONCE A GYPSY was nothing like I thought it was going to be. That isn't bad, but it was not the book I thought I was going to read which is kinda funny considering I just re-read the blurb and it describes the book exactly. I don't know why I thought it was going to be different.

Although I really enjoyed the characters in ONCE A GYPSY I felt that they got lost in the story. There was a lot to get through and a lot going on at once which made it hard to focus on the characters themselves. The good thing is that we get a lot of information about Helena's family and their Traveller lifestyle. Since the book is ONCE A GYPSY it was good to get a feel for everything that Helena is considering leaving behind.

The romance between Helena and Graham was cute, but I didn't totally feel the romance for a lot of the book.  Helena has a lot to work out within herself before she will let herself be with Graham, but she gets there. Graham was always pretty strong in his want for Helena, but there is the need he has for her powers behind everything he does. I just wish there was more sparks between the two throughout the book.

I got through ONCE A GYPSY and had no problem keeping my attention in the book, but it didn't really leave me with a yearning to read more of Helena's story. We will see how I feel when book two comes out.

I gave 3/5 stars

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