Sunday, July 13, 2014

Week in Review: 7/6-7/12


Books I've Bought/received

- Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall- ARC- Author

- Free Agent by J.C. Nelson- Publisher

-Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells- eArC- Publisher via NetGalley

- Stone Cold Lover by Christine Warren- eARC- NetGalley

Books I've Read

Free Agent by J.C. Nelson
So I Married A Werewolf by Kristin Miller
Forbidden Kiss by Shannon Leigh
In Still Darkenss by Dianne Duvall
Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall
Frozen by Melissa De la Cruz
Lailah by Nikki Kelly

Reviews Posted

Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson
A Vampire's Soul by Carla Susan Smith
Night's End by Yasmine Galenorn

  ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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

* Monday- Guest Blog for Taming Fate by Amalia Dillin

* Wednesday- Interview with author K. E. Shade

* Thursday- Guest Blog & Giveaway for Wonderfully Wicked by C.J. Burright

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* 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, July 12, 2014

Review: Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson

Reckoning
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin
ISBN:  1250053536
ISBN13 9781250053534
Genre: YA Dystopian
Review Copy Source: NetGalley
One girl. One chance. One destiny.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorne takes the Reckoning. This coming-of- age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide? Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . . The heart-stopping first book in a new trilogy by UK author Kerry Wilkinson, Reckoning is the story of one girl's determination to escape the whims of a cruel king, and what she must do to survive against all odds.

I was engrossed in RECKONING from the first chapter. As in most Dystopian books the world of Silver Blackthorn is broken into 4 different classes of society. Then on top of that there is an Offering. A select few are chosen from each class to be an offering for King Victor. No one knows what being an offering entails and no one ever sees an offering again after they are whisked away but it is treated as a privilege and celebrated.

Silver is a easy to understand girl who just turned sixteen and takes the Reckoning to find out where in the world she will fit in. We get to witness her feelings about leaving all that she has known and loved and then watch it all come to a head as she is picked to be an offering. From the time she steps off the train nothing is as she thought it would be and nothing will ever be the same.

The RECKONING is full of danger, mistrust, survival and unlikely friendships. The whole story flowed and flexed in just the right places. The world was well written and developed and the characters made it all the more exciting. I kinda wish I would have waited to read RECKONING because all I want to do after finishing is read more.

I gave it 5/5 stars

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

Friday, July 11, 2014

Review: A Vampire's Soul by Carla Susan Smith

A Vampire's Soul
Release Date: July 3, 2014
Publisher: eKensington
ISBN:  1601832915
ISBN13: 9781601832917
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source:Publisher

INTO THE DARK...

Rowan Harper’s world has been wrenched apart. The man she thought she loved—the man she does love—is a vampire, and not the kind that glitters. Running away isn’t an option. Gabriel isn’t just her lover. She’s bound to him in ways she can’t comprehend, ways that put both of them in desperate danger even as Rowan’s desire for him blazes anew.

The rules of her life before are gone. But she has a power of her own, a power she is remembering in fits and starts even as time races against her. With her life and Gabriel’s very soul on the line, Rowan has to choose who to believe—and who to trust…

A VAMPIRE'S PROMISE left us with a huge cliffhanger. Thankfully we only had to wait a short time to get our hands on A VAMPIRE'S SOUL.

Emotions are running high as everything Rowan thought she knew has been exposed for what it really is. Her pain is deep and her feelings for Rowan are still just as strong as they were before a bomb of information tore at them.

There is plenty of drama, romance, mystery and intrigue. New and old characters are involved throughout book 2. The pace is just as easy flowing and my heart broke and soared at different times. Although I was very happy with the story as a whole the ending left me extremely sad. A new chapter of Rowan's life has been opened but a huge part of her life was closed. Unfortunately I can't go any further into my thoughts without giving things away. I can say that if you liked book 1 you will most definitely be happy with book 2.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Wonderfully Wicked by C.J. Burright

UFI welcomes C.J. Burright Author of Wonderfully Wicked. Thanks for Joining us!!

Hey. I’m Lydon v’al Endrian from Wonderfully Wicked by C.J. Burright. Let’s get one thing straight: I’d rather be brushing a feral cat’s teeth than writing a blog post, but apparently C.J. thinks her time’s more precious than mine. So while she’s performing authorly duties (i.e. eating bonbons and napping on the couch while watching Supernatural reruns), I’m tasked with drudging up something creative from the dungeons of my mind. I’ll try not to scare you. Nah, no promises.

One thing you should know about me—I’m a V’alkara, which means I have the sweet ability not only to invade dreams, but to take pieces of them for myself. Better yet, I can assume the forms I steal, which makes Halloween parties a blast. Who wouldn’t want to be fat Elvis stuffed in a rhinestone jumpsuit for a day? Horrifying. And since my world revolves around the nightmares of my dreamcaster, Kalila (I call her Little Monster. She deserves it, trust me), this is a handful of nightmares I’ve enjoyed with her so far…and their meaning, according to Freud. Kinda.

freedigitalphotos-ChristianMeyn
Spiders. I think the creepy-crawlies can be cuddly, but for some reason they make Kalila a little twitchy. Here’s what Freud says about spiders: "A spider in dreams is a symbol of the mother, but of the phallic mother, of whom we are afraid; so that the fear of spiders expresses dread of mother-incest and horror of the female genitals."
 
What the…? Kalila’s mom went AWOL at birth and I promise you, my Little Monster has no horror relationship with her womanly bits. This is a more believable explanation, from The Huffington Post: "Spiders weave a web -- a beautiful, intricate trap to catch its prey," says Richmond. "As such, spiders are associated with manipulation."

In other words, spiders are a representation of me. No wonder I like them…and she dreams about them. She might deny she likes me, but dreams don’t lie.

freedigitalphotos-GrantCochrane

Death. Kill a girl once in her nightmare, and she won’t let you live it down. And screw Freud—he’ll just say death in a dream means she’s repressing her sexual needs or some other B.S. Instead, I’ll refer back to The Huffington Post, which has a pretty decent series on dreams and their meanings. In case you want to psychoanalyze your deepest, darkest dream desires. Perverts. According to Sumber, dreams about death often indicate "the symbolic ending of something, whether that's a phase, a job or a relationship." In other words, Kalila’s ready to ditch her old life and start a new one with me. I knew she couldn’t resist my charm much longer. And that knife to my shoulder? A love tap.

freedigitalphotos-farconville


Chased by monsters. According to dreammoods.com (Freud has nothing on them), chase dreams stem from avoiding anxiety in real life. Exactly. Kalila isn’t running from me, she’s running from herself. She fears her future. And she should. With the V’alkara brotherhood hunting dreamcasters down, she won’t have it easy. Neither will I.

Sayanora, suckers. Oh, and pick up a copy of Wonderfully Wicked. C.J. needs more bonbons. And if you can’t bring yourself to fork out the dough (tightwads) *cough*, comment for a chance to win a freebie copy plus other stuff—fuzzy socks (who wouldn’t want black fuzzy socks?), chocolate covered coffee beans (Kalila’s an addict), a kitty cat self-defense keychain (meow), and a bookmark. Score.
__________________________________

C. J. Burright was born and raised in Oregon and loved it so much she never left. While she has worked for years in a law office, she chooses to avoid writing legal thrillers and instead leans toward urban fantasy, paranormal romance, or—since all things medieval and magic fascinate her—fantasy romance. A member of Romance Writers of America and Secretary for the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal special interest chapter, C. J. also has her 4th Dan Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and believes stories should always include a gratuitous fight scene. In what spare time she has, she enjoys working out, reading, gardening, and rooting on the Seattle Mariners with a nice glass of wine. She shares a house with her husband, daughter, and a devoted herd of cats.

Find C.J. Burright and her books
__________________________________

Wonderfully Wicked
The Wicked #1
 A dreamcaster with the ability to channel creatures from her nightmares, headstrong and cynical Kalila Montgomery longs for a peaceful, picket-fence life… until the man literally of her dreams kidnaps her.

Survival quickly becomes her number one goal, yet a growing attraction to the man in her nightmares is impossible to ignore. While she fears he will kill her, other, more terrifying enemies surround her, and Kalila succumbs to his scheme to escape. She may be his one hope for freedom…

A deadly combination of power, cunning, and cold-hearted charm, Lydon v'al Endrian fears nothing. Feels nothing. Chained to a brotherhood of men with the supernatural ability to invade dreams, he hunts dreamcasters to be harvested for their dreams and killed. His target: Kalila Montgomery. But Kalila awakens an undeniable dark desire and a longing for a freedom long-lost.

To gain everything he craves, Lydon must seduce Kalila before his plot is discovered… a hopeless challenge which, if failed, will earn him a death-sentence. Caught up in a dangerous world of secrets and obsession, doubt and betrayal, Kalila and Lydon face the nightmare of their lives, where love will either deliver them—or destroy them both.
__________________________________
US ONLY


Comment for a chance to win a freebie copy of Wonderfully Wicked plus other stuff—fuzzy socks (who wouldn’t want black fuzzy socks?), chocolate covered coffee beans (Kalila’s an addict), a kitty cat self-defense keychain (meow), and a bookmark. Score. 


Mortal Enchantment is ON SALE!


Mortal Enchantment kindle edition on sale for $0.99 for the next 7 days. 

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Interview: K. E. Shade

UFI welcomes Author K. E. Shade. 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 love to cook. Once I learn the basics of a recipe, I'll often tweak it to suit my own tastes. My favorite time of year to cook is winter because my house doesn’t have air conditioning. Plus, I love making soups that take several hours to make. For me it's not tedious. Chopping all those veggies up is pure therapy.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

Now that my sun room has been remodeled, I love sitting out there to read. Plus, I always have a fur baby to keep me company.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

 Shaping the characters. Not the way they look but their mannerisms. Personalities are ley, in my opinion, to drive the story.

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

 I don't have any hardcore rules but I know if I don't keep the television off or my earbuds piping in the music, distraction comes that much easier.

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

 Kim Harrison, Christine Feehan, and Julie Belfield. I snatch their books up as soon as I see them.

How would you pitch Her Beauty Within to someone who has not heard of it before?

A clash between two different societies, both living in the same magical environment.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Her Beauty Within is set in?

The story is set in a large oak tree, called Mother Oak by the occupants. It rests along a small stream. Pixies live on the top branches of the trees and sprites down below. Each has their own part in keeping their ecosystem going.

Do you have a favorite scene in Her Beauty Within?

 When Adele finally accepts her new surroundings and the fact that her title is not a birthright but something she must earn.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Adele for both. She was cruel and quite ugly, not caring about anyone but herself. Stripping her title and making her work to be accepted into the society she's thrust into.

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

As seems to be the case, I have several projects in the works. One is a fantasy series, another is a naughty twist on some of the classic tales such as The Count of Monte Cristo. My brain never stops, which makes it difficult when I'm the middle of my morning commute to work.
__________________________________

K. E. Shade is multi-published author Kastil Eavenshade in disguise pandering her romantic shenanigans. When not catering to the whims of three rescued kitties, she's dreaming up her next heart-beating tale. No period in history—past, present, or future—is safe from the clutches of her muse. Her passions beyond writing are drawing, cooking, and watching Pittsburgh Penguins hockey. She credits her parents for her free spirit as they've always supported her in every aspect of her life. Without them, she wouldn't be here.


Find K.E. Shade and her books
__________________________________

Her Beauty Within
July 4, 2014
Buy Link
In order for Adele to find her one true mate, she's got to learn to see beyond the veil of vain beauty. 

Adele lives a privileged life. High in the great oak that is her kind's home, the pixie does as she pleases including playing cruel pranks on the wingless sprites who dwell in the tree. When one of the Council of Eight decides Adele needs to be taught a lesson, the pixie is cast down into the world of the sprite. Without the finery that made her one of the privileged of the society, Adele must find the meaning of true beauty and what love entails, or be cast out forever.


An Outlaw in her Bed
July 11, 2014 
Buy Link
When Ella realizes that her mysterious guest, Travis, has a deadly past, she has to come to terms that it may just be the cause of her husband's untimely death. 

Ella Gilby lost her husband to the perils of living in the wilderness of the new frontier. When her son finds a wounded man in the barn, she does what any Christian woman would do for a needy soul. She takes him in until he's able to move on, but never expects the attraction to blossom between them.
__________________________________


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Review: Night's End by Yasmine Galenorn

Night's End
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Berkley
Indigo Court Book #5
ISBN:   0425259234
ISBN13: 9780425259238
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher
Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than they could have imagined. Now, in a final push, Myst returns with a vengeance to bring the Golden Wood forever under the rule of the Indigo Court.

Newly crowned Fae Queens Cicely and Rhiannon have embraced their destinies and claimed their thrones. But Myst is rising once more, and now, at the helm of her armies, she begins her final assault on the Golden Wood. As Fae, vampires, and magic-born alike fall under the tide of blood, Cicely and her friends must discover a way to destroy the spidery queen before they—and their people—face total annihilation.

Cicely has gone through a lot in a very short time. Her life was turned upside down when she came back to New Forest and now that she is a Fae Queen she has to not only protect herself but her court as well from Myst who once again is ready to attack the Golden Wood. I have always felt that Cicely was a very strong character. The slow reveal of information about her past and what she was meant for when she was born was intriguing and I was never bored with it. Her relationship with her cousin Rhiannon has remained strong and I have enjoyed watching them fight for their friends and family while growing closer.

Although this is Urban Fantasy there is some romance to be had in the Indigo Court series. Cicely and Grieve have a long history as soul mates and this lifetime together they are finally able to be with one another after a long struggle. I have always been a bit disappointed that Lannan was brought into their story. I'm not really into the sharing of Cicely so it never felt right and I wasn't really satisfied with how things turned out in that department.

The events of NIGHT'S END happened at a nice pace with plenty of action and lots of danger. I felt like the series was over by the end and all loose ends were tied up to my liking. We got a tiny glimpse of the characters future at the end of NIGHT'S END which was nice, I wouldn't mind another little short story diving a bit more into it as I am always interested in what happens after the fact but overall I was happy with the conclusion to the Indigo Courts series.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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