Guest Blog: Jess Haines

**I am so excited and Honored to introduce my VERY First Guest Blog written by one of my Favorite Authors Jess Haines. Thank you so much for joining me here at Urban Fantasy Investigations Jess**

The H&W Team Talk About Whether They’ve Been Naughty or Nice This Year

By Jess Haines

Hello there!  Jess Haines here.  I’m the author of the urban fantasy novel HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, and its upcoming sequel TAKEN BY THE OTHERS (coming January 4, 2011 from Kensington).  I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to some of the cast—Shiarra Waynest, the lead character, Chaz, her on-and-off werewolf boyfriend, Sara, her business partner, Arnold, a mage who occasionally lends her a hand, and Alec Royce, a vampire Shiarra meets in the course of her adventures.

Shiarra is going to tell you a little bit about whether she and her friends are getting gifts or coal in their stockings this Christmas.  Over to you, Shia!

____________________

Shiarra:  Okay, I’m here, and—WHOA.

Chaz:  Do you like it?

Arnold:  What the hell is that?

Chaz:  It’s a reindeer antler headband.  With some added tinsel.  And bells.  I liked the Christmas lights.  You press a button here and it either blinks or stays solidly lit—

Royce:  Can I leave on the grounds that this is too ridiculous for anyone with an ounce of dignity to endure?

Sara:  No.  If we have to put up with it, so do you.

Shiarra:  Honey, could you maybe put those away for a while?

Chaz:  But… *puppy dog eyes*

Shiarra:  Err…

Sara:  Good god, you guys.

Arnold:  I thought I was overdoing it with the Santa hat.  Yeesh.

Shiarra:  Man, and I thought today’s topic was going to be uncomfortable.

Arnold:  Hey, I like this topic.  Put me on the naughty list!  I want some of that Santa’s coal bubble gum in my stocking this year.

Sara:  You’re so ridiculous, sweetie. 

Arnold:  I know.

Sara:  I was good.  I didn’t throttle my sister or let any of my clients or any of the people I was investigating get away with fraud or infidelity.

Shiarra:  I was sort of good.  Does it count if I broke a law or two because I had no choice?

Arnold:  Beats me.

Royce:  I suppose it may depend upon the circumstances and what you did.  I can speculate, but I’d be curious to hear what laws you believe you have broken.

Shiarra:  Yeeeeeeah—no.

Chaz:  Don’t worry, love, I don’t care what you did.  Anyway, I think I was pretty good this year.  I helped save some lives, tore apart some vampires…

Royce:  That’s not a rousing endorsement in my book.

Shiarra:  But it is in mine.  Keep up the good work, honey!

Chaz:  You got it, babe. 

Royce:  I almost wish it was possible for me to be ill.  Ugh.

Arnold:  You are such a Grinch. 

Shiarra:  No coal bubble gum in your stocking, mister.  You get the real deal.

Sara:  No kidding.  I’d toss in a few stakes and garlic cloves for good measure.

Royce:  Just try it, children.  I might have a few solstice surprises in store for you.

Arnold:  I don’t think anyone is interested in what kind of surprises you’ve got planned.

Royce:  Of course not.  The only times I ever see any of you are when you wish to steal something that belongs to me or when you come crawling to me for assistance.  I’m getting rather tired of this farce.

Shiarra:  You complain too much.  Are you trying to distract us from whether you’ve been naughty or nice this year?

Royce:  What?  Of course not.  I think it’s rather obvious where I fall upon the spectrum of morality.

Shiarra:  I don’t know.  You’re scary and occasionally mean, but sometimes you do nice things.  You donate to charities and you helped me a couple of times when you didn’t have anything to gain, even if it was in a really weird way.  I think you’re nicer than you’d like people to think.

Royce:  I have my reasons for acting as I do.

Arnold:  Such as?

Royce:  Cultivating donors isn’t a task done overnight.  Gaining the trust of a human that fears me—such as Ms. Waynest—is an endeavor that takes time and patience.  The payout is what makes the hunt worthwhile.

Shiarra:   …okay, I could’ve gone my whole life not knowing that. 

Chaz:  Don’t worry, love, I won’t let him touch you.

Royce:  Don’t be too quick to make promises you cannot keep.  You might end up on that naughty list, after all.

Shiarra:  I am all kinds of done with this topic.

Sara:  Naughty list.  The vamp is definitely on the naughty list.

Royce:  As if there was ever any doubt.

____________________

So what about you?  Is Santa going to put you on his naughty or nice list this year?

Thanks again for having me and the gang over, Stacy!

_____________________

To read more about Jess Haines and the H&W Team visit her website at www.jesshaines.com

May 1 2010

January 4 2011

Review: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

Double Cross

Author: Carolyn Crane

Release Date: September 28, 2010

Publisher: Spectra

Disillusionist trilogy Book #2

ISBN: #  9780553592627

Genre: Urban Fantasy
SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL...

Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

I was completely floored by the ending, you WILL be left reeling. WOW this is another one of those books I have a hard time reviewing without giving away spoilers. Justine and the gang are looking for a group called The Dorks who are killing Highcaps and Justine's Latest zapping "victim" is a Ezmerelda who can go into peoples dreams and control them. She connects to people through touching them and it just so happens she got to touch both Justine and Packard. That leads to her bringing forth sexy dreams of Justine and Packard to dream about each other as well as horrible events that neither would have shared otherwise. The mind games continue, lots of growing and hard decisions are made, the love triangle continues and then BAM mind blowing turn of events. This was by far my fave book of the series and I cant wait to read book 3.


I gave it a 5/5 stars

New Release's Nov 29-Dec 5

 Tuesday 11/30

*Devoured by Darkness: Guardians of Eternity #7 by Alexandra Ivy
 

*Matched by Ally Condie 

*Black Wings by Christina Henry 
  

*Hungry For You: Argeneau #14 by Lynsay Sands
 

*Eternal Flame: Night Watch #3 by Cynthia Eden 

*In Dark and of Dreams: A Dirk & Steele Novel #10 by Marjorie Liu

*Vicious Grace: The Black Sons Daughter #3 by M.L.N Hanover

*Vampires Not Invited: Night Tracker #3 by Cheyenne McCray
 

*Counterfeit Magic: Women of the Otherworld #16 by Kelly Armstrong

*Bone Gods: Black London #3 by Caitlin Kittredge

*Of Love and Evil: Songs of the Seraphim #2 by Anne Rice

If you know of any I have missed feel free to post it in a comment and I will update my list.

Review: Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines

Hunted By the Others

Author: Jess Haines

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Publisher: Zebra

H&W Investigations Book #1

ISBN: #  9781420111873

Genre: Urban Fantasy
They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not… 

Shiarra Waynest is a Human PI who does NOT want to work anything having to do with the Others. Her business is having money issues so she decides to take a mage up on a seemingly easy case of recovering an artifact that is owned by a local, very powerful (and sexy) vampire Alec Royce. She instantly finds herself in over her head with The White Hats (an anti-other group), the vampires and even the Weres who can be controlled by the artifact. She gets help from Sara her best Friend and business partner, Arnold a Mage she has just met from The Circle that has a hidden agenda and eventually her ex boyfriend Chaz who happens to be a werewolf. They all play roles in making the story exciting, dangerous and entertaining. The action was fantastic, I love when I can lose myself in a good fight and there were many points in the book where I refused to put it down to even make dinner. Hunted By the Others will leave you far from disappointed its a MUST read!!

I gave it a 5/5 stars

Week in Review 11/21-11/27

Books Ive Bought/received
Exorsistah by Claudia Mair Burney- Win from All Things Urban Fantasy
Grave Witch by Kalayna Price- Bought a copy at Borders with my 50% off coupon :)


Books I read
My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
Living Nightmare by Shannon K Butcher Review Posted
Almost Human First Trilogy 3-in-1 by Melanie Nowak


Other reviews posted
Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent
          *My Soul to Lose
          *My Soul to Take
          *My Soul to Save
          *My Soul to Keep
Crusade by Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié
Nightshade by Andrea CremerHarvest Hunting by Yasmine Galenorn  
Harvest Hunting by Yasmine Galenorn 
Red Hot Fury by Kasey MacKenzie ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Larissa's Bookish Life: 3rd Blogoversary & Xmas Giveaway!

Head on over to Larissa's Bookish Life It is her 3rd Blogoversary and she is having a wonderful Xmas Giveaway!! Congrats Larissa!!!

Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life: 3rd Blogoversary & Xmas Giveaway!: " Hey everyone! So here’s the thing, tomorrow, November 26th, this little blog of mine is going to be 3 years. For the first couple of yea..."

Review: Red Hot Fury by Kasey MacKenzie

Red Hot Fury

Author: Kasey MacKenzie

Release Date: June 29, 2010

Publisher: Ace

Shades of Fury Book #1

ISBN: #  9780441018925

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Hell hath nothing worse than a Fury scorned...

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston’s Chief Magical Investigator for the past five years, she’s doing what she was born to: solving supernatural crimes.

It’s far from business as usual when the body of one of Riss’s sister Furies washes up in Boston harbor. Riss discovers that the corpse’s identity has been magically altered, but as soon as she reports her findings, she’s immediately—and inexplicably—suspended from the her job. Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss starts to realize that someone may be trying to stir up strife between mortals and Arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to untangle this case. Without the support of the mortal PD, Riss turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back—shapeshifting Warhound Scott Murphy. But since Scott is also Riss’s ex, she’ll have to keep a tight leash on more than just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder—and stop a war…

This is the first book in a brand new series by a brand new Author and WOW was it great. Marissa (Riss) is a fun, sexy, independent Fury who works with the Boston PD as there Chief Magical Investigator and someone is trying to kill her at every turn she takes. Riss is called to a murder scene to find that the victim is her missing Best friend who has been gone for years and then discovers that it isn't her body at all just a double made to look exactly like her. This leads to her investigating the whole thing which sends a group of bad guys after her that want her dead before she figures out their secret. Scott Murphy Riss's Ex is a shapeshifting Warhound (kinda like a private Eye/bodyguard) who is smoking hot and goes along for the ride. I thoroughly enjoyed Red Hot Fury, I thought the whole concept of the book was fantastic. There is tons of action and mystery to keep you interested. There isn't a ton of romance in here but there is some high sexual tension at some points. All in all a great start for Kasey Mackenzie.


I gave it 4/5