I want to know what everyone is reading. What are you currently reading and what are you planning on picking up after your done?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Review: Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
Author:Sarah Beth Durst
Release Date: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1416986456
ISBN13: 9781416986454
Genre: Young Adult
What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet!
Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons—the ordinary one and a magical one—and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets.
When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage—and a little magic—to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.
ENCHANTED IVY is a great blend of magic, fantasy, mystery and YA level romance. The plot is catching from the beginning. The story is fast paced yet detailed. Lily is loyal, determined, stubborn and an all around great character to follow. The plot was a tad bit predictable and times but still a lot of fun. The romance between Lily and Tye is sweet and the little triangle when adding in Jake isn't to far fetched or over the top. The end doesn't leave anything open and wraps everything up nicely. ENCHANTED IVY brings an imaginative adventure to the college application process and if you are looking for an easy and light read you should pick it up.
I gave it 3.5/5 Stars
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Review: Sparks by Laura Bickle
Author: Laura Bickle
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: Pocket
Anya Kalinczyk Book #1
ISBN: 1439167680
ISBN13: 9781439167687
Genre: Urban Fantasy
WITHOUT A TRACE
Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department—while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell—but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.
After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains—or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims—and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she’s unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit’s poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more—she’s collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky’s freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city
I enjoy this series because its different. Its nice to hit a book that has something completely new and different in it every once in a while. Laura's characters are easy to like. There is none stop action and twists and turns. We get to see some of Anya's past and find out some stuff that even Anya didn't know about which will change her outlook on events she has gone through. I was actually starting to like Brian in the beginning but after some events in the book I just cant get into him again. Anya and Brian definitely have some issues that they need to work out and I'm interested to see how that plays out in future books. Just like in book one the plot is exciting and really pulls you in, the book is well paced. Sparky continues to be an awesome Sidekick and has life changing events of his own going on throughout the book. I cant even begin to guess what Laura will come up with for the next book but I'm excited about this series and I will continue reading it.
I gave it 4/5 stars
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Interview & Giveaway: Theresa Meyers
UFI welcomes Theresa Meyers Author of The Truth About Vampires. Thanks for Joining us!!
Thanks for inviting me today!*How would you pitch The Truth About Vampires to someone who has never heard of it before?
Sure! THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRES is the ultimate expose investigation. All her life Seattle reporter Kristin Reed sought her breakout story. She never thought she’d find it in the crimson lair of a real life creature of the night. Kristin never believed vampires existed—until with dark brooding eyes and a decadent chocolate scent, Dmitri Dionotte called out to her….
Dmitri and his clan’s true nature was cloaked in secrecy until a warring vampire order threatened their existence. Kristin was just the woman he needed. She couldn’t resist their story…or Dmitri. Her blood pulsed hot and furious when he touched her, and with his kiss, all logic fled. But each night she spent with her vampire lover brought her closer to death and destruction. A death not even an immortal could triumph over.
*Can you tell us a little bit about the world that The Truth About Vampires is set in?
When I was creating the world setting of my new Sons of Midnight mini-series for Harlequin Nocturne, I was interested in doing something different and let my imagination run wild.
I had to think not just about how my vampires would interact with people (treating them as juice pouches to be pierced, drained and tossed vs. treating it as a symbiotic relationship), how they preferred to feed (some authors like the whole idea of either bottled blood or vampires who choose to feed off of animals instead of humans), and what their strengths and weaknesses were. I also had to think about how my vampire society functioned.
The vampires in The Truth About Vampires, and my June book The Vampire Who Loved Me believe in a kind of trinity—three circles that overlap each other—life, death and vampire. None is wholly like the other, yet vampire straddles both life and death. My civilized vampires, who retain their own free will, live in clans, with a clear-cut code of conduct, laws and consequences for stepping outside those boundaries. But there are always those on the fringes of society who don’t live by the rules and those are reviers who gather in migrating nests and have a more hive-mind mental state and can be controlled by a single leader. And then there’s the ancient gods and goddesses that come into play…but I digress.
For my vampires I chose to create a world with a more biological base. While they are stronger, and their senses are stronger than humans, because of their modified DNA, they are not all powerful beings without weaknesses. Which made me have to think exactly what would be their weaknesses? Well for one, any organism can be affected by their food. So for my vampires dead man’s blood is a swift-acting poison that immobilize them for several hours. Why? Because there’s no life force left in the blood, and it’s the life force that is actually what nourishes them in their state between life and death. It’s also the reason why animal blood is more like a virgin cocktail, while human blood has the real kick to it—the type of life force is different.
But I wanted my vampires to be more than just super-strong beings that fed on blood, so I gave them some super-powers! My vampires can walk through walls, flux (turn invisible), transport to places they’ve been before. They can read each other’s thoughts, materialize objects and change to suit the most intimate fantasies of their prey—so whatever turns you on most—that’s what they become for you and you alone. Most importantly they form emotional bonds that last beyond a single life-time to be reborn again to find true love.
Their transition from human to vampire is caused by a virus, which in sufficient quantities and with a lowered immune system can transform a person into a vampire. So it’s not just about a bite, if the blood supply were tainted, it could happen to anyone. Sure they may not sparkle, but when you are trying something totally different, not every bit of vampire lore is going to apply.
*Do you have a favorite scene In The Truth about Vampires?
Wow. Good question! I think the scene where Dmitri and Vane fight was the most fun to write, but I really liked the chemistry of Dmitri and Kristin when she goes into the night club Sangria decked out in her vampire bait of a slouch-shoulder red sweater ready to take him on for undercutting her story in the newspaper.
*Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
*Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
I actually had fun with a lot of the characters in this book. I like them for different reasons. The favorite one to write was probably Kristin, because she's the one seeing this whole new world for the first time and really trying to balance out how to make it all work without freaking humanity out with the existence of vampires. She's hungry, but responsible as a journalist which is a tough combo. The hardest character to write was probably Bradley, Kristin's fellow reporter. I wanted to strike the right balance between spoiled rich kid and someone who just wants to be noticed without letting him take over too big a role.
*What are some of you Favorite books or Authors in the Paranormal Genres?
My current paranormal obsession is split between Gail Carriger's Souless steampunk series (who can resist vampires and werewolves running about London in bustles and top hats?) and Yasmin Galenorn's Otherworld series (her half fae-half human D'Artigo sisters totally kick ass.)
*You write books in different Genres, What is your favorite to write?
*You write books in different Genres, What is your favorite to write?
I don't have a favorite because I really enjoy all the different worlds I get to play in with the different series I write. For the Sons of Midnight I get to be in contemporary paranormal urban fantasy of what it would be like to live with vampires and the consequences of it all. For my steampunk The Legend Chronicles books I get to dabble in my deep abiding love for all things Victorian and be creative and fun with the inventions and supernatural creatures my characters get to deal with. And besides, who can resist three brothers all named after their father's favorite guns. It's just too much fun to play cowboys and like I'm part of a league of supernatural hunters at the same time. For my new dark fae Shadow Sisters series, I really get to get deep into worldbuilding creating the actual warring kingdoms of Shadowland and Wyldwood, so it's a great chance to imagine everything a little differently. And let me tell you dark fae, they aren't your mother's tinker bell types, they're more akin to demons and shapeshifters, I'm just sayin'.
*What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
For the next two months I'm writing the third book in the Sons of Midnight mini-series, The HALF-BREED VAMPIRE. At least that's the working title for now. It’s looking at the dynamics of other supernaturals and how they work with vampire society, in this case werewolves and a vampire with a secret that’s going to blow his happy little world apart faster than the big bad wolf.
Book number two in the series, THE VAMPIRE WHO LOVED ME, will be out in June (it’s Achilles and Beck’s story, fyi, for those reading The Truth About Vampires. They were just such strong secondary characters I couldn’t let go.).
Then in May I’ll switch gears and starting writing my second steampunk romance, which involves airships, a sheriff from the wild weird west who’s from a family of hunters and a vampire countess from Europe. The first one, THE HUNTER, comes out this fall.
I'll also have a dark fae novella, SHADOWLANDER, the first glimpse of my new Shadow Sisters series coming out this fall.
* Where can readers read more about or get updates on you and your books?
The easiest place to find me is online at my website, www.theresameyers.com, but you can also catch up with me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Theresa_Meyers or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
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Author Bio:
Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!.
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The Truth About Vampires
Harlequin Nocturne - Vampire Romance
March 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0373618549
ISBN-13: 978-0373618545
ISBN-13: 978-0373618545
Pulling back the veil on a world shrouded in darkness, Theresa Meyers' stunning debut reveals a sinfully handsome vampire whose secret is about to exposed...
All her life Seattle reporter Kristin Reed sought her breakout story. She never thought she'd find it in the crimson lair of a real life creature of the night. Kristin never believed vampires existed—until with dark brooding eyes and a decadent chocolate scent, Dmitri Dionotte called out to her...
Dmitri and his clan's true nature was cloaked in secrecy until a warring vampire order threatened their existence. Kristin was just the woman he needed. She couldn't resist their story...or Dmitri. Her blood pulsed hot and furious when he touched her, and with his kiss, all logic fled. But each night she spent with her vampire lover brought her closer to death and destruction. A death not even an immortal could triumph over.
__________________________________
Find Theresa and her books
__________________________________
Visit Bewitching Book Tours to find out where Theresa has been
and where she will be next on her THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRES tour.
__________________________________US ONLY
Winner will receive
-One Signed copy of The Truth About Vampires
-One Signed copy of The Truth About Vampires
RULES
1) Leave a comment or question ON THIS POST for Theresa
2) This giveaway is open to US followers only
3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.
Giveaway Ends 3/30/2011 at 10pm EST
Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email with your mailing address or I will pick another
Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Review: Blood Smoke and Mirrors by Robyn Bachar
Author:Robyn Bachar
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Samhain
ISBN: 1609280717
ISBN13: 9781609280710
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: E-copy from Author for Review
Even a bad witch deserves a second chance.
Wrongly accused of using her magic to harm, the closest Catherine Baker comes to helping others is serving their coffee. Life as an outcast is nothing new, thanks to her father’s reputation, but the injustice stings. Especially since the man she loved turned her in.
Now the man has the gall to show up and suggest she become the next Titania? She’d rather wipe that charming grin off his face with a pot of hot java to the groin.
Alexander Duquesne has never faltered in his duties as a guardian -- until now. The lingering guilt over Cat’s exile and the recent death of his best friend have shaken his dedication. With the murder of the old Titania, the faerie realm teeters on the brink of chaos. His new orders: keep Cat alive at all costs.
Hunted by a powerful stranger intent on drawing her into an evil web, Cat reluctantly accepts Lex’s protection and the resurrected desire that comes along with it. Lex faces the fight of his life to keep her safe...and win her back. If they both survive.
Warning: This book contains one tough and snarky witch, one gorgeous guardian, explicit blood drinking, magician sex, gratuitous violence against vampires and troublemaking Shakespearean faeries.
Robyn was on my blog for part of her tour for BLOOD SMOKE AND MIRRORS and I really wanted to read this after I got a look at the cover and synopsis so here I am. I love the cover, it definitely drew my eye and got me excited about the book. Cat is going about her business working and being her mousy self when all of a sudden Lex her super sexy ex that betrayed her walks back into her life and sets her on a path to trying to become the next Titania. Robyn's writing was well done and the world and story were very well laid out. The relationship between Lex and Cat is down right frustrating and slow moving just like all the good books make the lead relationship lol. They really are perfect for each other and following along as they make mistakes and grow closer was a pleasant journey. Cat is a smart ass after my own reading heart. Seriously she was well put together not afraid to say what she means and very down to earth. I think Cat's story is far from over so I hope Robyn is continuing the story as I still have a lot of unanswered questions and situations were left wide open. I enjoyed the story and would read it again. Pick up a copy if you have the chance.
I gave it 3.5/5 stars
New Releases March 21-27
Tuesday March 22
The Dark and Hollow Places (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #3) by Carrie Ryan
Night Magic (Wing Slayer Hunters #3) by Jennifer Lyon
Invincible (Chronicles of Nick #2) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Seduce me in Dreams (A Three Worlds #1) by Jacquelyn Frank
Wither (Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Wither (Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Thursday March 24
If you see a mistake or know of another release that is not listed let me know!! Happy Reading
Monday, March 21, 2011
Review: Embers by Laura Bickle
Author: Laura Bickle
Release Date: March 30, 2010
Publisher: Pocket
Anya Kalinczyk Book #1
ISBN: 1439167656
ISBN13: 9781439167656
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Truth burns.Unemployment, despair, anger—visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern—suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya—with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team—can stop it.Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.
This book had such mixed reviews it took me almost a year to finally read it. Ive read Laura's other series under the name of Alayna Williams and really enjoyed it, I also saw a review of this series from a reviewer I trust the opinion of and finally decided to give it a try. Laura has a wonderful way of bringing unique situations to her books, her writing style is also very engaging. Anya was easy to like and easy to follow, she is very troubled but is also really strong and independent. Sparky Anya's familiar was awesome, his personality shines through the pages and I always looked forward to what he would do next. I wasn't crazy about the love interests, I especially didn't understand the draw to Drake besides the fact that he was a lantern. EMBERS was a neat read with great supporting characters and situations you haven't likely read before so I would recommend you give it a try.
I gave it 4/5 Stars
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