Tuesday, August 20, 2019

New Releases: 8/18-8/24


Tue. August 20th

Happy Reading!!

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Monday, August 19, 2019

Quick Thought Review: Dead End by Debbie Cassidy (@amoscassidy)

Sometimes I read a book where I just don't have a lot to say about it. Hence the name quick thought reviews. This will be short and sweet.

Dead End
Release Date: August 6, 2019
Publisher: Self-Published
ASIN:  B07SKCDHBS
Genre: Fantasy RH
Review Copy Source: Author

When death starts taking liberties, it’s time to fight back.

The council’s word means nothing to me. Their refusal to open their eyes no longer matters. I have a job to do and no one will get in my way.

Lie, cheat, deceive, I’ll do what it takes to save the people I love, and avenge the ones I’ve lost. I won’t be doing it alone. My guys are with me; by my side every step of the way.

No more excuses.

No more waiting.

We have a window to bring Genesis down. One shot. And I’m going to take it.

To heal a broken sword, you’ll have to forge it in fire. Bring on the flames.

A Post-Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy World with a slow blurn Whychoose Romance

Although short, each book in this series has been quickly paced and full of action.

I enjoyed the characters and storyline of this series. DEAD END ends things and leaves us content with the series ending. The harem is full of different men that work well together, but the romance isn't a main part of the storyline.

Why not a full 4 or 5 stars? There was something throughout the series that I had issues with and mentioned in previous reviews. It bothered me that it was never taken care of and I couldn't help think about it in each book when it wasn't resolved. DEAD END does address it a bit which was nice, but it still felt like an afterthought.

If you enjoy Cassidy's previous books, I would definitely give this series a shot.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Sunday, August 18, 2019

Week in Review: 8/11-8/17



Books Received for Review

Mirror Bound by Monica Sanz
Realm of Knights by Jennifer Anne Davis

Books I've Read

Rise against by Hailey Edwards
Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep
Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter
Wicked Gods by Michelle Hercules

Reviews Posted

A Pack of Love and Hate by Olivia Wildenstein (@OWildWrites)

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

* Monday- Promo + Giveaway: Zinnia by Christina Bauer (@CB_Bauer, @XpressoTours, @MyMonsterHouse)

* Wednesday- Promo + Giveaway: Taken by the Beast by Conner Kressley & Rebecca Hamilton (@InkMuse, @ConnerKressley, @XpressoTours)

* Thursday- Interview + Giveaway: Altered by Vicki Stiefel (@VickiStiefel, @XpressoTours)

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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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Friday, August 16, 2019

Review: A Pack of Love and Hate by Olivia Wildenstein (@OWildWrites)

A Pack of Love and Hate
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Publisher: Twig Publishing
ISBN:  1948463105
ISBN13: 9781948463102
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Author

ONLY ONE CAN WIN.

Volunteering to duel alongside Liam Kolane against the ruthless Creek Alpha could get Ness killed, but the alternative, leaving her hot-headed Alpha to die alone in the dueling ring isn’t an option. Not even when he places ridiculous conditions on her, like not spending time alone with August, her intended mate.

Ness didn’t want a mate, but that was before August stepped back into her life, before he picked up the scattered pieces of her heart. Between their shared history and the magical tether that binds them, Ness finds herself falling dangerously hard for the sexy shifter.

But Liam’s heart is on the line. A heart that still beats for Ness.

Only one man can win her love, the same way only one Alpha can rise from the duel.

Let the fight begin...

Ok, so if you read my review of A PACK OF VOWS AND TEARS you know that I hated the ending. I was honestly scared to start A PACK OF LOVE AND HATE. Thankfully my dislike of the situation Ness put herself in didn't last long into the final book of the series.

Even though I think Ness doesn't always make the best decisions I LOVED how A PACK OF LOVE AND HATE progressed. It was everything I hoped it would be, but was scared to hope for. My biggest worry had to do with the romance. Thankfully I was worried for nothing. Book 3 was full of drama, romance, suspense and action and I enjoyed everything about it.

The Boulder Wolves series ended on a great note with everything tied together and resolved by the end of it. It was my favorite installment of the series.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Thursday, August 15, 2019

Interview + Giveaway: Altered by Vicki Stiefel (@VickiStiefel, @XpressoTours)

UFI welcomes Author Vicki Stiefel. 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?

I was the first person in my extended family to get a tattoo. I now have seven—I get them because I love them and also for each book published. The tattoo on my hand—my most popular—is often remarked upon by strangers. love it, but who knew others would?


What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Climbing mountain peaks and soaring in hang gliders. In my dreams. Rather, I read, play with my pup, knit, fly fish, drink wine while watching Stranger Things, and occasionally scuba dive (this one’s real).


What is your favorite part of writing? 

I love to edit because because the words I need to massage and refine are already on the page. All of which is easier than creating words from thin air. And yet, if truth be told, my favorite part of writing is my first draft. Why? Because I get to meet new people and explore new worlds, even if that sometimes feels harder than lifting the Titanic from the ocean floor. Yup, first drafts are both terrifying and thrilling. And who doesn’t want to be terrified and thrilled?

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

I write every day. Even if the writing’s lousy. Even if I stumble over every other word. Even if it’s frustrating as hell. Because just like with tennis or skiing or golf, muscle memory comes into play. The routine keeps me writing-fit. And, yes, the discipline works, even if occasionally I have to toss a bunch of words away.

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

 Number one fave is Grace Draven’s Radiance. I love all her writing, in fact. I also love books by Ilona Andrews, Amy Harmon, Thea Harrison, Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, and many others. Add to the pile Nalini Singh, Anne McCaffrey, and many more.

How would you pitch ALTERED to someone who has not heard of it before? 

Mashup Pitch: ALTERED is a combination of Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series (for the romance and symbiont animal/human relationships) and Anne McCaffrey’s Pern/Dragon series (mistrals fly, though they don’t breathe fire), with a healthy dose of Outlander travel (parallel world travel) and romance (Rafe and Kit sizzle).

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that ALTERED is set in? 

Eleutia is Earth, but not. Rather it’s a parallel world unknown to Earthly humans. Though much is similar to our Earth—weather, topography, etc.—humans, creatures, and lifestyles on Eleutia evolved very differently. Clans exist throughout the world, ones that are human, but with their respective animal counterparts or symbionts.

Scientists (Alchemics) control Eleutia, but that control is near invisible unless someone steps out of line. So laseblasters, hovercraft and other high tech gear exist, but so do flying horses (mistrals), a Clan of cast outs, and semi-human goddarts with delay arrows within a society that’s primarily agrarian/trade. Only the Alchemics are allowed to invent technology, and they parse it out in small doses, while they forbid the use of any but Small Magics.

But darkness is slowly blanketing Eleutia—but 20 percent of all births are female—the human species on Eleutia dying out.

Do you have a favorite scene in ALTERED?

Gosh, I have so many favorites, but if I have to pick, I’d say the climax. Kit chooses, and I’m hoping Kitlyn’s choice pleases, surprises, and thrills readers.

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

I’ve got seven other novels. As I write a novel, their characters are my favorites. But looking back, I’d say Kitlyn because of her circus days and her premise—how does a middle-aged woman react to being in her own new and younger body? Kit’s pretty together, but she’s also a stranger in a strange land. Kit challenged me in many ways, and the more complex she became, the more I loved her.

What about the hardest to write about?

Rafe, Kit’s love in Altered. I’m always most comfortable writing brooding, isolated, and tortured heroes. While Rafe has his problems, he’s a man who fits his life and is comfortable with it. He’s a good guy, and the test for me was making him as fascinating as my broody-moody heroes. I figure readers will tell me if I’ve succeeded.

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

Many! I’m currently writing Changed, the second book in the Made Ones Saga. I’ve said it will be out in 2020, but if I get it done sooner… I’m also mind-mapping the third book in the series, as well as writing a novella for the saga. Last, but definitely not least, I’m working on Chest of Fire, the fourth book in my Afterworld Chronicles.

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Vicki's fantasy romantic suspense series, The Afterworld Chronicles, launched with Chest of Bone, followed by Chest of Stone and Chest of Time. She is currently pounding the keys on her series' fourth novel, Chest of Fire, and the first in a new series, The Made Ones Sags: Altered.
Her mystery/thrillers include Body Parts, The Dead Stone, The Bone Man, and The Grief Shop, a Daphne du Maurier prize winner. All feature homicide counselor Tally Whyte. All are available as ebooks.
She co-wrote (with Lisa Souza) and photographed the 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters. With her late husband, William G. Tapply, she ran The Writers Studio workshops in creative fiction.
Vicki taught fiction writing and modern media writing at Clark University.
She loves both a well-crafted sentence and unlocking the doors of a student's imagination.
She grew up in professional theater and planned to become an actress, with a bent for song and dance. She didn't. Instead, she's been a professional photographer, a high-school teacher, a hamburger slinger, a scuba-shop manager, and an editor.
She's Blake's and Ben's mom, her favorite role of all.
Her passions include scuba diving and fly fishing and knitting; photography and movies; vinho verde and bourbon (not together!); Maine lobster and chocolate (also not together!); and musical comedy scores, which she sing in the shower, unfortunately not an Equity venue; and a fascination with people in all walks of life. .

Find Vicki and her books
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Altered
The Made Ones Saga #1

    The Eleutians are dying out, one female at a time. To save their species, the powerful Alchemic Clan conscripts women from parallel worlds, altering them into the perfect breeding stock.

    Kitlyn, a retired circus equestrian broken in both body and spirit, awakens on a strange world in her own much-younger body. She has been transformed into a Made One, but the gift of youth and the promise of a new life come at a terrible price.

    Rafe, the Wolf Clan’s warrior champion, vows to find the cause of the species’ decline. He’s certain the Alchemics’ bid to save the Eleutians is but a thin veneer masking a dark purpose.

    That vow becomes hard to keep with the threat of an inter-clan conflict and the arrival of the proud Made One named Kitlyn.

    To save herself and those like her, Kit must carve a dangerous path in this new reality and make a choice that may cost her her freedom, her life, and the life of the Eleutian warrior she’s come to love.

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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Promo + Giveaway: Taken by the Beast by Conner Kressley & Rebecca Hamilton (@InkMuse, @ConnerKressley, @XpressoTours)



Taken by the Beast
 Conduit #1

It’s not until a missing girl is found chained up in Abram’s home that this beauty realizes one of her romantic interests is a beast.
When I took this job at New Haven’s first ever Night Club, it was just to try to get on my own two feet. I hadn’t expected to fall for my boss.
Now, I can’t seem to stay away, despite all the warning signs he’s hiding something from me. It’s not until I find a missing girl chained up in his home that I realize he’s a beast. And by then, it’s too late.
Magic is real, and I’m really in trouble. My boss might chain me up next, and I think I’d like it.
This hot alpha male shifter is sure to be your new favorite book boyfriend in this scorching hot beauty and the beast retelling! See what fans of Celia Kyle, Ilona Andrews, and J.R. Ward are calling their latest paranormal romance addiction.
Excerpt:

I shook my head. I didn’t want to stay here, in some place where they spun tales tall enough to make your best friend sleep with a gun under her pillow.
I didn’t want to be that person, not for anything. And something told me that if I stayed here long enough, I wouldn’t be able to help it.
No, I would go to sleep, wake up, collect the supplies I needed from town, and fix the stupid fence. Then I would get a job, save up like crazy, and make a break for it. Maybe I could call my (former) agent and beg him to take me back.
Hell, the Sears Catalog always needs models.
I punched my pillow, trying not to think about this ridiculous place, about all it had seen me lose.
“Idiots,” I muttered, climbing into bed. “They turn their town into a pressure cooker and then they make monsters out of thin—”
A sudden howling cut off my words.
Tensing, I threw off my covers and lurched for the window.
The sound was nothing. A dog, or something. I would prove that to myself.
I glared out into those goddamn woods. See, nothing. Absolutely—
A shadow moved between the trees, hulking and burly, but also tall. Too tall to be an animal.
I blinked hard, once, and then again. When I looked back, there was nothing there.
Stop it, Char.
This place would drive me crazy if I let it. It was nothing. An animal.
I got back in bed, trying to feel more New York and less New Haven.
But somewhere in the back of my mind, I couldn’t let go of the howl…or the markings…or the dead girl who looked just like me.


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    New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Harlequin, Baste Lübbe, and Evershade. A book addict, registered bone marrow donor, and indian food enthusiast, she often takes to fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next.

Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages: English, German, and Hungarian.

Find Rebecca and her books


Conner Kressley is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author. He is an avid reader and all around lover of storytelling. He's been obsessed with mythology, magic, and all the things that go bump in the night since he could remember. Also, pizza. But who isn't obsessed with pizza?
When he's not writing (or even when he is), Conner can be found in the western Texas watching old movies, geeking out over books (comic and otherwise)He loves hearing from his fans. So please, feel free to reach out on Facebook or through his website at connerkressleybooks.weebly.com

Find Conner and his books
Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

New Releases: 8/11-8/17


Tue. August 13th

Happy Reading!!

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