Friday, April 17, 2015

Review: Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti

Total Surrender
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Publisher: Forever
Sin Brothers Book #4
ISBN:  1455574503
ISBN13: 9781455574506
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley
A fight he must win...

Piper Oliver knows she can't trust him. They warned her that the tall, dark, and sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and deadly charm, but she won't be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she's done. Something isn't adding up, though, and she won't rest until she uncovers the truth-even if it's buried in his deep, dangerous kiss.

A passion she can't resist...

Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers-even kidnap the gorgeous woman who's working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. But the forces determined to destroy his family won't let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for-and so is his burning desire for her. But with every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?

We've been waiting and waiting and Jory's story is finally here. Piper was stubborn and a little too naive. She is a total bad ass when it comes to computers and hacking and she is working on fixing the prisoners chip problem before the deadline comes and he dies from it. Jory is strong and loyal. He misses his brothers and is ready to escape and get back to them. The only problem is that the sexy woman that is working on his chip problem has gotten under his skin and now she's in danger and doesn't believe him.

The connection between Jory and Piper is there from the beginning, but Piper has a lot of things to work through before she gives in. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the answers we got in book 4 and the constant twists in the storyline kept me glued to the pages. I loved how the new characters (even those that seemed to not matter) fit into the storyline. There has been a major showdown in every Sin Brother book and TOTAL SURRENDER'S showdown is even better because of all that happened.

TOTAL SURRENDER was a great way to finish out the Sin Brothers series, but I am still left wanting more. There is still so much story potential and I want to see what happens next with the Dean brothers and their families. Things were left off in a way that makes me think there could be a spin-off? One can hope!

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Promo: Demon's Vengeance by Jocelynn Drake



Demon's Vengeance
The Complete Final Asylum Tales
The complete novel that comprises Demon’s Fury, Demon’s Vow and Inner Demon.

Powerful warlock and tattoo artist Gage has managed to escape the magical Ivory Towers who terrorize the rest of humans and monsters—but at a price. Now he must join forces with his nemesis, Gideon, to stop an entity that is using forbidden Death Magic to commit gruesome murders across the nation. And if that’s not keeping him busy enough, an investigator recruits Gage to help her track a killer … who might be targeting tattoo artists.

When Gage discovers a demon locked away, it offers him access to dark magic in exchange for its freedom—a dangerous opportunity, but one that could save his loved ones. Gage must choose between what is right and what is easy.

For More Information
  • Demon’s Vengeance is available at Amazon.
  • Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
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Love comes in many varied forms. There is the love of family, love of country, and love of chocolate. But for Jocelynn Drake, one truly treasured love is the love of a good story. This Midwestern native spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book. When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard, frowning at her monitor, or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cat Demona, walking her dog Max, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game. Outside of books, cats, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, fast cars, and Anthony Bourdain (but only when he’s feeling really cranky).

Find Jocelynn and her books
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Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Review: Vengeance of the Demon by Diana Rowland

Vengeance of the Demon
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: DAW
Kara Gillian Book #7
ISBN:   0756408261
ISBN13: 9780756408268
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: NetGalley
Demon summoner Kara Gillian is on the wrong side of the law, and there's evidence to prove it. Too bad the courts don't accept "fighting demonic forces" as justification for murder and mayhem.

Yet Kara has problems that go way beyond her legal woes. When the enemy demonic lords spur their human accomplices into high gear, master summoner Katashi aggressively pursues their goal to establish a permanent gate between Earth and the demon realm. To hell with the consequences for humanity.

The line between ally and enemy blurs as Kara gathers the remnants of her posse to prevent a devastating demonic incursion, but a shattered trust may cost them the war and put Kara behind bars. With treachery rife, and her loved ones in danger, Kara must call upon the essence of who she truly is in order to rally back from a crushing loss.

And if she can't, the world is going straight to hell.

VENGEANCE OF THE DEMON was not my favorite installation of the Kara Gillian series, but I still enjoyed it. Not much time has past since the events of book 7, FURY OF THE DEMON, and Kara is busy trying to clear her name, keep her friends safe and catch the enemies that are keeping her on her toes.

Some of the things that made this book a 3.5 star book for me. I hate to say it, but I was really disappointed with the whole baby storyline. I guess it makes sense in the grand scheme of things, it just didn't feel like it totally fit in and when the whole birth/aftermath was a bit fast for my liking. The relationship with Kara and Mzatal. I can't go into details, but it was hard to read and even harder to not be super disappointed at the way things are going.

One of the best things about this series is the relationships/friendships that Kara has collected over the course of the series. They are all very loyal to her and I love when they all band together to take on the challenges of each book. There is always plenty of action involved when Kara is on the case and I always look forward to seeing what she will pull out of her sleeves. A lot happens in VENGEANCE OF THE DEMON and although I didn't like everything that went on, I kept reading and it had me wanting more after it was over.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

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

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Interview & Giveaway: Retaliation by Imogen Rose


UFI welcomes Author Imogen Rose. 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 hate writing… apart from my books. I avoid doing blog posts and any other kind of writing.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

I love traveling, watching movies, and shopping.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

Like I said above, I don’t really like to write. What I enjoy about writing books is the actual creative process. I am not a planner, so when I sit down to write a story, I never know what is about to unfold. I love how my characters take over and take me on a journey into their world.

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

Being a busy mom, my writing has to adapt to whatever else is going on around me. So, no, I don’t have any routines apart from flipping my laptop open.

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

I have so many, but I’ll take the opportunity to give some of my fellow indie authors a shout-out— Lauren Burd, JJ Bonds, Amanda Hocking, and Ednah Walters.

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

Retaliation is the third book (but there are also two prequel books) in the Bonfire Chronicles. In the last book (Uprising) there was a major conflict within the supernatural world forcing Code Uprising to be evoked to restore the balance of global supernatural infrastructure. Retaliation finds us eighteen months into the future. A new spate of killings start, and this time the human world is targeted, as the political power struggle in the supernatural world sills over to the human one.

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

Retaliation is set in the world we live in, but unbeknownst to us, we share it with the supernatural one.

Do you have a favorite scene in Retaliation

My favorite scenes are the ones with the subterranean trolls (Lucy and Fergie).

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

That’s impossible to answer, I love so many of them. It’s hardest to lose a character, like Lucy in Retaliation.

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

I am working on the next book of the Bonfire Chronicles. My narrator (Sue Leib Bernstein) is busy working on turning my stories into audiobooks, and my translators (Jutta Hildebrand, Alison Piron, and Amandine Gat) are working of the German and French editions of the Portal Chronicles. I will also be working on a screenplay edition of Portal.
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Globetrotter Imogen Rose was born in Sweden, educated in London (where she received a PhD in immunology), and is now an all-American Jersey girl.  She is the author of two bestselling YA series— the Portal Chronicles and the Bonfire Chronicles, both of which have been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.

In addition to writing, Imogen loves to travel, explore Madison Avenue (she is a self-confessed Hermès addict), watch movies, listen to music, and hang out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua. When she is not writing, she can usually be found sipping a chai latte at an ice rink while watching her daughter slam pucks.

Find Imogen and her books
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Retaliation
Bonfire Chronicles #3
Kindle Kobo iBooks Nook Paperback
Ever since Bloody Fall, humans have lived in fear.

Even though the apparently senseless human massacres have ended, President Elizabeth Ryan's administration has been under a cloud of disapproval for failing to bring the terrorists to justice.

She braces herself as a new spate of carnage is unleashed.

Cordelia and Faustine are recruited back into action as the supernatural agencies go on high alert. Has their nemesis re-emerged?
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Tour Wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Releases: 4/12-4/18


Tue. Apr. 14th

 Forged (Taken #3) by Erin Bowman

Happy Reading!

Monday, April 13, 2015

Interview: Bound by A.M. Hudson


UFI welcomes Author A.M. Hudson. 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’m great at baking cakes. I could have made a career out of making amazing wedding and party cakes if I wasn’t so in love with writing.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

Watching Reign, TVD and Outlander… I like TV shows. I also spend time with my 4 kids and husband.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

When I get into the flow and I pour page after page of really good stuff out.

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

Nope. I have 4 kids. So my routine is: close my bedroom door. Sit on my rocking chair. Open laptop. Write. Get up to fix problems with kids…. One hour later … close bedroom door. Rinse and repeat.

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

I can’t say I have favorites in those genres. I rarely read from the genre I write in case I accidentally copy an idea.

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

A witty paranormal series about the dark world of vampires and witches.

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

Vampires kill. But since a new species was rediscovered twenty years ago, one that feeds on vampires, there is order among immortals. Humans, unaware of this dark world around them, sometimes get dragged into the chaos or caught up in a romance with a sexy bloodsucker. Bound takes place in Australia before our heroine Elora learns about this world, but in book two she is taken to the University of Loslilian, where vampires and witches go to advance their skills or learn more about their powers.

Do you have a favorite scene in BOUND? 

I love the witty banter between Ric and Lora (ELora), but I’d have to say the scenes where she helps ghosts cross over are my favorite.

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

Of all my characters from all my books, Jason Knight is my favorite. He was supposed to be killed off in my other series, but I just couldn’t do it. Now he’ll be getting his own series. The hardest to write was Ara from Dark Secrets, because I wrote her like a case study, so every time she could make the smart decisions I would make, I wrote her doing the opposite. She was exhausting, but she’s an award-winning character and I love her. I’m proud of how she’s grown.

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

Too many to mention. I think after Bound I’ll work more on a mystery novel I’m writing about a hidden room holding a dark secret. Keep your eyes out for The Skeleton Key sometime in 2016.
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AM Hudson lives and works in Australia. She has four sons, a husband that plays in a band, and writing is her full-time job. In her spare time she reads books and spends too much time on Facebook.

Some of her works include: The Dark Secrets Series (complete), and Willa Wicked.


Find A.M. Hudson and her books
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Bound
Bound #1
Amazon
 Elora can speak to the dead, but she has an affinity with the undead.

Born of immortal blood, her curse not set to trigger until around her twenty-fifth year, she was sent away to remain unaware of and hidden from the world of magic. And from vampires. But after Elora befriends the cocky, self-loving Ric Mason, she discovers secrets about him and his distant link to her family that reshape her entire world.

A dark, sexy three-book series that will have you screaming for more...

Excerpt: 

In my state of distraction, I hadn’t noticed how far into the prison we’d walked. I passed the other tour group on my way out, trying really hard not to advise a few people to check over their shoulders, and when I reached the yard, I stopped dead. A wide space of black grass, darkened by the absence of the orange lights and by the high cream wall, stared back at me, empty and oddly quiet. Usually, there were other groups lingering after their tours, but tonight … no one. Nothing. Not even flashes of torchlight showing the whereabouts of the rent-a-cops.

A cold shiver passed over me, pushing the summer heat away from the thick walls behind me.
I put my head down and brought my shoulders up, making myself as small as possible, casting my eyes to the glowing streetlight outside the prison gates. A hundred paces across the yard, that’s all that stood between me and freedom. A hundred paces through almost pitch darkness. A hundred paces past four ghosts that just made themselves visible to me, knowing I could see them.

They all looked up as I stepped out onto the grass, their eyes falling on the tight fist of fear in my chest. My heart raced as each step drew me closer, and I tried to remind myself that they had no physical power. They couldn't actually hurt me. I hoped.

Tales of horror, of the tortures and other atrocities that led these murderers to prison, filled my head as I walked between them. I could feel the hairs stick up on the back of my neck as another one came up behind me. I wasn’t sure who it was, but his energy felt dark and menacing. Every cell in my body screamed at me to turn around and just take one look. But if I did, or if I ran, they’d know I was afraid and they’d feed on that—they’d follow me, most likely outside the prison walls and to my car. If I let them think they had no power over me, they might let me be once I reached the gates.

My breath hitched and my stride shortened as I quickened my pace. I hugged my chest, holding tight to the keys, but as I my heart leaped forward, just six steps away from the gates, my hand went loose for no reason and the keys dropped to the ground. The clunk didn't register until I stepped outside the prison walls and as I spun around to look back at the shiny metal cluster—a few steps away into the pitch blackness I’d just walked through—the spirits closed in, standing shoulder to shoulder. No faces now. No form. Just wavering pulses of light. They hovered there just in front of the keys as if challenging me to cross the threshold back into the prison.
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Sunday, April 12, 2015

Week in Review: 4/5-4/11



Books Received for Review

- Desiring a Demon by Missy Jane - eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

- Brand of the Pack by Tera Shanley - eARC- NetGalley

- Waking the Dragon by Juliette Cross - eARC- NetGalley

- Gathering Frost by Kaitlyn Davis - eARC- NetGalley

- The Werewolf Wars Prada by Kristin Miller - eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

- Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones- eARC- Publisher via NetGalley

Books I've Read

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright
Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright
Carnal Secrets by Suzanne Wright
Dark Instincts by Suzanne Wright
Eight Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
The Werewolf Wears Prada by Kristin Miller

Reviews Posted

Omega by S.M. Reine
Jinn and Juice by Nicole Peeler

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

* Monday- Promo for Three Hours by Dannika Dark

* Tuesday- Interview & Giveaway for Diamond Moon by Celia Breslin

* Wednesday- Cover Reveal for Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

* Friday- Interview & Giveaway for Melancholy by Charlotte McConaghy

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

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