Thursday, May 29, 2014

Review: Queen of Swords by Katee Robert




Queen of Swords
Release Date: July 10, 2014
Publisher: Entangled Select
Sanctify Book #1
ISBN:  1620610655
ISBN13: 9781620610657
Genre: UF/Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher


When the cards tell Ophelia Leoni she's supposed to marry the Prince of Hansarda, the gunrunner grits her teeth and boards the starship that comes for her. It doesn't matter if the ship's commander is the gorgeous stranger she just spent a wild, drunken night with. As a Diviner, she’s painfully aware the cards don't lie. Ever.

Boone O’Keirna knows Ophelia is trouble the second he sees the way she moves. Not about to let the deadly little hellcat marry his sadistic half-brother, Boone pretends to be the Prince’s emissary and kidnaps Ophelia. Too bad they can’t be in the same room without him wanting to throw her out an airlock–or into bed.

Even as they fight each other–and their explosive attraction–Ophelia and Boone sense something is wrong. Too much is going their way. Soon, they realize while the cards may never lie, the truth is sometimes hidden between them...and the future king of Hansarda is not one to take defeat lying down.


My goodness are these characters stubborn. Every single one of them will make you want to wring their necks at some point. Ophelia and Boone will make you the most frustrated. Ophelia is extremely headstrong and independent. She does not trust easily and she has some emotional issue she is working through that make her a little more headstrong than normal. Boone doesn't want to be as attracted to Ophelia as much as he is. He hates that she doesn't remember their time together yet doesn't really want a relationship. They mutually want each other but its like neither wants to be the one to want the other more. Lots of sexual tension and head butting going on.

The QUEEN OF SWORDS has a great cast of characters. Jenny was a ball of fun. I'm excited to see her in action in her own book. It was interesting to see what each character could do. I also really enjoyed Cole. I loved the way he got protective and caring towards Ophelia.

I very much enjoyed the Sci-Fi aspects of this story. Katee did a great job with her world building and I felt like I could picture the things she described and the things that belonged there. If you want to read more about Ophelia's parents, there is a short story that features them called THE HIGH PRIESTESS. Jenny Boone's sister is featured in book 2 QUEEN OF WANDS.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Interview: Spring's Promise by Kelliea Ashley

UFI welcomes Kelliea Ashley Author of Spring's Promise. 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? 

Well, my Husky/German Shepherd/who knows, is seriously afraid of water. He cries like a baby when he has to go out in the rain. On the other hand, we can't seem to keep Copperkitty out of the shower. She even plays in the sink. Where did I go wrong? J


What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Gardening. It's strange, my flowerbeds are so pretty, but my house is a plant mortuary.
 
What is your Favorite part of writing? 

I love not knowing where the plot is going to go.
 
Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write? 

Nope. I wish I did, but when I get the urge to write I just plop my laptop on the kitchen table and go at it. I keep bugging my hubby to make me an office.
 
What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres? 

I love Christine Feehan's Carpathian Series. I also like Lora Leigh's Breeds.
 
How would you pitch Spring's Promise to someone who has not heard of it before? 

I would tell them it is a sweet romance with a dash of sizzling sexy mixed with a little action all tossed into a country setting with relatable characters.
 
Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Spring's Promise is set in? 

It is set in the small town of Penning, New York. It is a town surrounded by farms, lakes, rivers, and scenic woodlands. Anything can happen in Penning.
 
Do you have a favorite scene in Spring's Promise

I do. There's a scene where Ben has Becky up in the hayloft. He is determined to teach her some self-defense moves, not knowing that her father was a marine and a man who wanted his girls to know how to kick a little ass. I won't spoil it, but Becky isn't the one who hits the hay.
 
Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Ben. He is a stubborn ex-SEAL who came to Becky's family farm because he didn't want to go straight home to Montana. At a crossroads in his life, he sure wasn't expecting to find trouble-loving Rebecca Grant waiting to change his directions.

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

If you like Becky and Ben's story, you'll want to read the book that motivated me to write about them. Winter Gifts is my very first publication and my favorite. It is the story of Becky's sister, Maxine. I also have three small flirts coming out from Breathless Press in the next few months that you might enjoy and several books I've already published, but if you love paranormal fantasy, you will want to check out my Sister's of Fate Series. The third story is in the writing stages right now.
 
Thank you Urban Fantasy Investigations for having me over to chat about my new release. I've had a lot of fun and can't wait to return and share more characters with you.

This Or That Interview
 
Character: Rebecca Grant, heroine of Spring's Promise. 
 
Angels or Demons – Angels

Vampires or Shifters –Shifters because their existence could be easily hidden.

Left or Right –Right.

Up or Down –Up. There's nowhere to go when you are down.

Pizza or Pasta – Pasta. I make a mean spaghetti sauce.

Coffee or Tea –Tea. Who knew it would feel so awesome to throw a tea kettle at the head of a stubborn male?

Coke or Pepsi –Coke. I have to go with the classics.

YA or Adult – Adult. I have just recently found out why my sister likes to take romance novels in the tub.

Knives or Guns –Knives, though any sharp object will do in a pinch.

Reading or Writing -Reading.

Facebook or Twitter-Facebook. I love playing games while on long car trips.
__________________________________

Kelliea Ashley lives near the Canadian Border in upstate New York with her husband, a cat named Copperkitty, a dog named Sammy, and several fish, who do not have names and are very lucky her husband feeds them.

A Jill-of-many-trades, she likes to incorporate her experiences from various jobs into her writing. She has been a nurse's aide, a news reporter, a radio personality, a dairy farmer, and a pharmacy technician to name a few. Though she didn't enjoy every job, she did take something important from each and every one of them.

Kelliea grew up an only child with a devoted single mother. She looked at books as companions and writing as a favorite escape. She has always been a bookworm who steadfastly refused to give up her paperbacks until her loving hubby bought her a Kindle for Christmas. Secretly she still adores the smell of a well-read book, but sh… don’t tell her husband.

She has a habit in the form of chocolate and loves a glass of sweet red wine. Romance has always been her favorite genre because she sees the miracle and magic in finding ones’ true love.

Kelliea has several other titles published by Breathless Press. They are for sale on Breathless Press's website, Amazon, Bookstrand, and Goodreads.

Find Kelliea and her books
__________________________________

Spring's Promise
 Buy Link
A man lost and looking for his future. A woman tempted to break her own promises. Can they find a compromise in a season made for new beginnings?

Rebecca Grant came home to the farm to find herself and make amends for the damage she caused her younger sister. She never expected to find herself under Ben's seductive spell. Nor did she expect him to be engaged to a girl back home. 

Benjamin Farrand is a man trying to find his place after leaving the military. He wants to make those he loves back home in Montana happy, but when he falls for spirited Rebecca Grant all he wants to do is find his own happiness in New York. 

When spring brings an attraction for her sister's farmhand, Rebecca faces the challenge of keeping promises or breaking them to fight for the man she loves.
__________________________________

Excerpt:

"I'm going to grab you now, don't move when I do." As he spoke, he moved up close behind her wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her neck. Her muscles tensed beneath his palms, but she didn't give any other reaction. He took a deep breath, but was unprepared for the soft scent of coconut and woman. The urge to sink his nose in her hair was overpowering. Clearing his throat, he tried to shake off the temptation. "Now, your first instinct is to scream and grab my arms to remove my hold on you. That would be a mistake." 

"Okay, so what am I supposed to do?" Her voice came out a bit husky and her breathing sounded uneven. He grinned, knowing she wasn't immune to his touch. He wondered if the kiss in her Blazer had kept her up all night as well. I've been without a woman for too long, what's your excuse, Princess?
 
"Pretend to stomp the inside of my instep. When my hold eases slam your head into my face, then run like hell once you're free. Do it in very slow motion, I don't need a fat lip." 

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of yours." She snapped out in thick sarcasm. 

"That's the kind of comments that are likely to make a man cry. Now, move." 

She huffed out a deep breath, slid her shoe down his leg a little too leisurely and then slowly moved her head back toward him. He gave a mock cry before dropping his arms. "So, now I run." She turned to face him and he noticed her cheeks were a rosy pink color. Oh, yeah. She's hot. Keep it professional, Farrand

"You run like the hounds of hell are on your heels because you don't stand a chance going one on one with any man who's bigger than you." 

"Thanks for the confidence building chatter, Ben." She placed a hand on her hip and tipped her head at him in a silent challenge. He stared at her neatly cut nails and grinned. Though she played at challenging him, Rebecca was a delicate flower. One he'd love to pick up and take home. He cleared his throat. 

"All right, this time I'm going to attack you from behind and you'll do the maneuvers a little faster, but with a measure of control. Try not to actually connect." 

"I'll try." She rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. Again, something in her readiness worried him, but he shrugged it off. "Relax your body. You don't know I'm coming for you. I'm silent in the shadows and you are...watching your favorite show. Sex in the City or The Bachelor." Her head turned and the look she gave him was lethal. 

"For your info. I do not watch either of those shows." Her tart tone of voice upped his respect for her. A little. 

"Then whatever it is you like to watch." He shrugged. 

"I like Duck Dynasty and Lost Girl. See? You don't know a thing about me." She turned back around, her ponytail bouncing against her back as she moved. 

"Duck Dynasty, huh? That does surprise me." 

"I love Si. He's down to earth and funny. Don't judge me." 

He moved then, rushing her with a swiftness that would have stolen the breath of any victim he chose to attack. His arms wrapped around her, but instead of using her foot on his instep, she twisted to the side, planted an elbow in his gut, reached back, and then grabbed his neck. Before he knew it he was flying over her hip and hitting the scratchy hay. Only his extensive training had him moving with the roll to end in a crouch before her. 

"This is the part where I run like hell?" she asked innocently.

__________________________________



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Guest Blog: The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

UFI welcomes Sarah Beth Durst Author of The Lost. Thanks for Joining us!!


One of the best things about living in the town of Lost is that you can always find books.
Lost is the desert town at the heart of my new book, THE LOST. It's a town full of only lost things and lost people. Feral dogs roam the alleys. Keys, wallets, and umbrellas clog the gutters. Suitcases litter the parking lots. It's easy to find half-eaten sandwiches but much harder to find fresh food. You have to scavenge and barter for anything you need. 

But finding books is easy. People are always losing library books, or leaving paperbacks on trains and planes. You might be stuck with nothing but soggy potato chips for breakfast, but you can always have a library full of amazing books. 

So I thought this made for a good excuse to talk about what books I'd look for to fill my shelves in Lost: 

Favorites that I've read ten thousand times but still must own:
THE BLUE SWORD by Robin McKinley
BEAUTY by Robin McKinley
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen
THE BELGARIAD by David Eddings
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER by Charles de Lint
ALANNA by Tamora Pierce
DEEP WIZARDY by Diane Duane
A FISTFUL OF SKY by Nina Kiriki Hoffman
THE DARK IS RISING by Susan Cooper
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE by J.K. Rowling
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE by Diana Wynne Jones
DEALING WITH DRAGONS by Patricia C. Wrede
DRAGONSINGER by Anne McCaffrey
ARROWS OF THE QUEEN by Mercedes Lackey
DREAMS UNDERFOOT by Charles de Lint 

Recent reads that I'd like to reread:
MAGIC RISES by Ilona Andrews
HALF-OFF RAGNAROK by Seanan McGuire
A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS by Marie Brennan
THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY by Mur Lafferty
CHRISTMAS ON 4TH STREET by Susan Mallery
THE WINNER'S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski
STAR WARS: JEDY ACADEMY by Jeffrey Brown
SEVEN WILD SISTERS by Charles de Lint
HERO by Alethea Kontis 

What books would you look for, if you were in Lost?
__________________________________

Sarah was born in Northboro, Massachusetts, a small town that later became the setting for her debut novel. At the age of ten, she decided she wanted to be a writer. (Before that, she wanted to be Wonder Woman, except with real flying ability instead of an invisible jet. She also would have accepted a career as a unicorn princess.) And she began writing fantasy stories. She attended Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her two children, and her ill-mannered cat.

Find Sarah and her books
__________________________________

 The Lost
Award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst has been praised for her captivating novels that merge the darkly imagined with very real themes of self-discovery and destiny. In The Lost, we'll discover just what it means to lose one's way.

It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassible dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing and what she's running from before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found.

Against the backdrop of this desolate and mystical town, Sarah Beth Durst writes an arresting, fantastical novel of one woman's impossible journey and her quest to find her fate.

__________________________________

New Releases: 5/25-5/31


Tue May 27th

 Blur (Blur Trilogy #1) by Steven James
 The Dark World (Dark World #1) by Cara Lynn Shultz
 Divided (Dualed #2) by Elsie Chapman
 The Given (Celestial Blues #3) by Vicki Pettersson

Happy Reading!

Monday, May 26, 2014

May Select Release Blast


Whether you’re looking for a romance that makes you laugh, makes you ‘walk the plank’, keeps you guessing, or stars your favorite paranormal, look no further. Select books have the single-title stories you crave, and the longer length you need to really get ‘lost’ in a great book. To find out more about their titles, chat with authors, participate in special events, and to find out what books are coming next, visit the Entangled website, follow them on Twitter, and like their Facebook page.


Today I'm happy to be featuring Select's May releases:


A Hornet Novel

Available in Print and eCopy!

Find out more!

Giveaway
A Sanctify Novel

Available in Print and eCopy!

Find out more!

Giveaway
Never show fear to a demon.

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Find out more!

Giveaway
Save the Dragons

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Find out more!

Giveaway
A week together could be
just the cure she needs...


Only 99 Cents!

Find out more!

Giveaway
It's never the
same old song...


Only 99 Cents!

Find out more!

Giveaway


Fall in love,
save some immortal souls,
break a curse...
No problem.

Special $0.99 Introductory Price!

Find out more!

Giveaway


Plus don't miss these two special events!



Sunday, May 25, 2014

Week in Review: 5/18-5/24


Books I've Bought/received

* Witchlight b y Sonya Clark- eARC- NetGalley

* Scorched by Erica Hayes- eARC- NetGalley

* Cover Him With Darkness by Janine Ashbless-eARC- Edelweiss

* Crimson Sins by Madeline Pryce-eCopy- Publisher

* Cold Hard Secret by Sierra Dean - eARC- Author

Books I've Read

Cold Hard Secret by Sierra Dean
Crimson Sins by Madeline Pryce
Darkness Falls by Erin Kellison
Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson
Penumbra by Keri Arthur
Generation 18 by Keri Arthur

Reviews Posted

Against the Dawn by Amanda Bonilla
Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones
Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin

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

* Monday- Spotlight & Giveaway for Kiss of Wrath by Sandra Hill

* Tuesday- Promo and Giveaway for Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neal

* Wednesday- Interview for Steel Your Soul by Decadent Kane

* Thursday- Giveaway for Sixth Grave on the Edge by Darynda Jones

* Friday- Interview for Eat Dessert First by Brantwijn Serrah

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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.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Review: Against the Dawn by Amanda Bonilla

Against the Dawn
Release Date: May 20, 2014
Publisher: NYLA
ISBN:  1625174772
ISBN13: 9781625174772
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

Six months can feel like just a couple of weeks when you’ve been away in another realm. Literally.

Now that Darian is back in Seattle, she’s ready to face the life—and the man—she left behind. But it’s not going to be easy when a ghost from her past shows up looking to wreak havoc on Seattle’s supernatural crime scene.

Darian isn’t as careless as she used to be, though. She and Tyler, her sexy Jinn protector, have come a long way in the trust department. And it’s a good thing too—because when Ty contracts her to assassinate a wickedly powerful supernatural who goes by the name of Mithras, it will take all her faith in Ty, and herself, to get the job done.

While Darian does whatever it takes to get to her mark, Xander, the Shaede King is busy making plans of his own. With Darian’s attention divided between Lorik’s secrets and her mission she might not be able to stop Xander from doing anything in his power to separate Darian from her sworn protector and in the process, destroy his own kingdom…

It's been a month full of books with humongous cliff hanger endings. I am sad to report AGAINST THE DAWN is on that list. CRAVE THE DARKNESS left Darian pretty destroyed emotionally and escaping to O Anel. AGAINST THE DAWN starts off with her facing her life again.

No body expects Darian to be unaffected when she gets back and she really isn't. Thankfully she has a lot of people there to help her when she needs it. On top of that, someone from her past shows up and is set on a path Darian doesn't want to go along with but has to to get what she wants. Little does she know his reason for jumping back into her life are far worse than she could have imagined.

The love triangle that shouldn't be, continues in book 4. Darian has made it clear that she has picked Ty but Xander refuses to listen. Although his rule is in question he refuses to leave unless Darian goes with him and that isn't going to happen. Xander is convinced that he needs to get Tyler out of Darian's life and he uses past events to try and accomplish that. Unfortunately it leaves Darian unprotected at the worst possible time. Drama, drama, sweet drama. You cant help but get sucked into it all.

AGAINST THE DAWN was emotional, drama filled and suspenseful. The action was plentiful and if you were hoping to finally get a glimpse into the Jinn you're in luck. Just when things start to smooth out another obstacle jumps up to halt its progress. I have a feeling book 5 just might be more emotionally draining on the characters than CRAVE THE DARKNESS was. Bring it on!

I gave it 4/5 stars

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