Sunday, May 31, 2015

Week in Review: 5/24-5/30



Books Received for Review

Shades of Loss by L.M. Pruitt - eCopy- Bewitching Book Tours

Shades of Vengeance by L.M. Pruitt - eCopy- Bewitching Book Tours

Books I've Read

Endgame by C.J. Daugherty
Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn

Reviews Posted

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Sisters of the Craft Series by Lori Handeland

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

* Monday- Interview & Giveaway for Stricken by Marcia Colette

* Wednesday-Promo for The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato

* Thursday- Interview & Giveaway for Witches Be Burned by Stacey Kennedy

* Friday- Giveaway from author Nalini Singh to go along with my review for Slave to Sensation.

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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.
 

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Saturday, May 30, 2015

Early Series Review: The Sisters of the Craft Series by Lori Handeland

In the Air Tonight
Release Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN:  1250020123
ISBN13: 9781250020123
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Four centuries ago, in a small Scottish village, three baby girls escaped the wrath of a witch hunter. Today, one young woman will learn about her secret history, her heart's destiny, and the sisters she never knew she had...

With her blue-black hair and dark eyes, Raye Larsen has never fit in with the Scandinavian community of New Bergin, Wisconsin. Being adopted is part of the reason she feels like an outsider, but what really sets Raye apart is her ability to see dead people. Everywhere.

She’s learned to keep her visions to herself . . . until she stumbles onto the ghost of a murder victim who needs Raye’s help. Enter Bobby Doucet, a distractingly handsome homicide detective who has been tracking a killer all the way from New Orleans. Could this be the break in his case he’s been looking for all along?

Meanwhile, the deeper Raye gets involved with the case—and with Bobby—the closer she comes to unlocking the mystery of her own origins. What she discovers about herself could destroy everything she knows . . . and everyone she loves. Is finding the truth worth the risk?

Heat of the Moment
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN:  1250020131
ISBN13: 9781250020130
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

A spell that tore three sisters apart is broken four hundred years later, when the magic in their blood reunites them. Now, one of them will discover her gift—and reignite a love long thought lost…

Flame-haired Becca Carstairs was born to be a veterinarian. Since childhood, her affinity for animals has been special, and her healing touch nothing short of magic. But only Becca knows the truth—that she alone can hear the creatures’ voices. She’s always trusted her sixth sense… until a string of missing pets, an attempted murder, and a face from her past converge into one explosive mystery, with her at its center.

Is haunted Owen McAllister, the boy who broke her heart ten years ago, related to the sinister crimes that have peaceful Three Harbors, Wisconsin, on its guard? Or is his reappearance part of the answer to questions that have troubled her all her life? As Becca delves into her strange heritage, she’ll have to fight for her life… and the man she will always love.

Smoke on the Water
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ISBN:  125002014X
ISBN13: 9781250020147
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley

Abandoned beneath a black willow tree on the banks of a northern Wisconsin creek, Willow Black spent her entire childhood in foster care. Her entire life she's had terrifying visions, and it is these visions that eventually land her in a psychiatric facility. And so Willow takes her meds and believes she is getting better. Until she meets a fellow patient who doesn't think she is crazy at all. She thinks Willow is a witch.

Willow's psychiatrist, Dr. Sebastian Crane, works hard to resist his feeling that he and Willow are destined to be together while also working to convince her that strange occurrences aren't the result of witchcraft… until he is thrown into the middle of a storm of supernatural events that can't be explained any other way…
**WARNING: I stayed away from spoilers, but this review talks about all the books in the Sisters of the Craft Series**

You can't read one of the books in the Sisters of the Craft series without reading them all so I decided to write a series review instead of individual book reviews.

IN THE AIR TONIGHT follows Raye. I found her to be strong and loyal, but lonely. Being adopted has made her a bit of an outsider in the town she great up in, but she doesn't really have a want to go anywhere else. Bobby drew her attention pretty quickly and they had a lot of chemistry. He has some issues believing in the supernatural so has a hard time with Raye's abilities.We learn a lot about where the sisters come from and why the conflict exists in IN THE AIR TONIGHT.

HEAT OF THE MOMENT follows Becca. She has a great family and never knew she wasn't a blood part of it. She is independent, confident in her career, but we find out that she is still heartbroken over her teenage love OWEN. They both have to work through their pasts to make it to the future stronger and together. I really loved Reggie. I don't know how someone couldn't, he was a great addition to the story.

SMOKE ON THE WATER follows Willow. Everyone, including Willow thinks she's crazy. She currently resides in a psychiatric facility. When the man she's been having visions of for years walks into her life as her new psychiatrist she doesn't know what to think besides the fact that they belong together and he is going to save her. I don't have a ton of thoughts on the events of SMOKE ON THE WATER that revolves around getting to know Willow. That part of the story was a little slow, but I enjoyed the addition of Mary in her story and it really drew the other books into the story before the sisters actually all met up. The relationship between Willow and Sebastian wasn't as smooth as the other couples, but it really couldn't be easy because of where they were and their relationships.

I actually loved each of the sisters in their own way. They were all able to complement each other and work together from the start. Each book did a great job in continuing the major storyline and building up the world it takes place in. The story was wrapped up nicely at the end of SMOKE ON THE WATER and although I would have loved to read more about the sister's futures, I was happy with the way things ended. The Sisters of the Craft series gave me a great few days of reading. If I was you, I would wait until they are all out so you can read them back to back.

I gave the series 4/5 stars

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

Friday, May 29, 2015

Review & Giveaway: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Slave to Sensation
Release Date: September 5, 2006
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN13: 9780425212868
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher
Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

I have had Nalini Singh's Psy-Changling series on my wishlist for quite some time (*cough* years) and I finally had a bit of free time in my reading schedule to jump into the first book SLAVE TO SENSATION. I admit that the previous cover for this book made it hard to want to pick it up so the revamped cover is a nice treat.

Sascha isn't like the other Psy, she feels, and when Lucas walks into her life, she isn't sure if that is a good or bad thing. Lucas is a Changing and alpha of a very powerful pack and Sascha tempts his animal from the moment he lays eyes on her. He isn't sure why, but he wants  nothing more than to tear down the walls she has around herself and discover why she seems so much different tan the cold Psy he's used to. Sascha and Lucas come from two different worlds, but find themselves coming together the more time they are in each others company. There was a lot of push-pull to their relationship, but you could tell from early on that they would be a hot couple.

Besides the couple and the romance that grows throughout, SLAVE TO SENSATION also has the pleasure of having a really great cast of supporting characters and I really look forward to reading their stories as the series continues.

SLAVE TO SENSATION was a great introduction into the Psy-Changling world and made me want to read and know more about the characters introduced. I loved that I was immediately able to jump into the next book in the series and since book 13 is set to release on June 2nd, I have quite a few books to read before I catch up.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
 
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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Interview & Giveaway: Witches Be Burned by Stacey Kennedy


UFI welcomes Author Stacey Kennedy. 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 am a total chicken when it comes to things that go bump in the night. I hate horror movies, I hope that I never see a ghost for real, and I believe in anything that is totally unbelievable. Which, of course, is hilarious because I write stories about scary supernaturals.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

I am a proud TV addict. I watch a lot of TV with my hubby. What can I say? I love storytelling in any form!

What is your Favorite part of writing?

World building is my favorite part of writing. I enjoy creating things from my imagination and somehow making them work in a story. It’s an exciting way to spend your day.

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

I need coffee. It’s a must-have, and I can’t write a single word without it.

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

Anything by Keri Arthur and Chloe Neill. I’m a HUGE fan of both these ladies, and if I ever got to meet them, I would go fan-girl all over them!

How would you pitch WITCHES BE BURNED to someone who has not heard of it before?

Kyden is the leather kilt-wearing, sword-wielding hero. Nexi is a rookie guardian and witch, who is battling to find her place in this new paranormal world she’s entered. Toss in a romance in there, and it’s basically just a fast-paced sexy ride!

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that WITCHES BE BURNED is set in?

In this series, we have guardians, witches, vampires, werewolves, and demons -- just about any supernatural creature there is. The heroes are typical alpha-men, but show a softer and sweeter side with their heroine. The heroines are strong women, who are ready to fight right alongside their guys. You’ll also find a sense of family and close friendships among the characters. I, for one, think that is so important to storytelling, because it’s so important in our lives. I know I need my friends and family all the time, so I couldn’t imagine writing a story without that element.

Do you have a favorite scene in WITCHES BE BURNED? 

The scene below is my favorite from Witches Be Burned, because it’s so Nexi and Kyden. They are both strong characters, but the power play between them somehow ends up being sexy and fun!

The thing I love about these characters is they are who they are, and they aren’t trying to change each other. But it’s an amusing time watching these two battle it out!

In no time, she was outside with Kyden next to her. The night air brushed her skin and the silence drifted around them. She couldn’t resist moving closer to him, his heat simply calling to her. He might be angry, but he happened to look off-the-charts hot that way.
He dipped his head, his warm minty breath brushing across her face. “Now, then, dare to tell me why you came tonight when I never ordered it?”
As the Elite Guardian, Kyden did have authority over her. In those terms, she never should have showed up at the scene. But she knew if she didn’t push this matter, he’d always keep her out, coming up with one excuse or another.
She smiled sensually. “What can I say? Watching you fight is the best kind of foreplay.”
“Ah, so that’s why you did this?” One brow arched. “Need some excitement, do you?”
“Of course.” She grinned, blinking innocently at him and wiggling against the growing hardness resting against her belly. “I thought it might make for a fun night.”
The arousal in his eyes was replacing the hard edge. “I’ll hold you to that, you know.” A deep flush crept over his cheeks, hinting at sexual promise. “If your plan was to start something tonight, I expect it to be finished later.”
She stood on her tiptoes, dropping a quick kiss on his lips. “Whatcha waiting for? Let’s finish it now.”
That’s all she got out before his lips crushed against hers, stealing the world from around her. When Kyden touched her, time stopped. His kisses possessed her soul and she experienced the burn of each one right down to her toes. It wasn’t just a joining of lips, but a joining of passion that she’d never believe existed if she hadn’t experienced it herself. Apart, they were Nexi and Kyden. Together, they were something different, something stronger, something that created a fire that could never be extinguished.
By the time he broke away, they were both breathing heavily.
“That, Álainn”—the nickname, meaning beautiful in Gaelic, a language passed along from the older generation in the Otherworld, fueled the need swelling inside her, especially because he had a way of purring the word—“would be in your immediate future, if I wasn’t someone who actually followed protocol. Tonight needs to be reported to the Council.”
“See, and that’s why your Goody Two-shoes way”—she stepped back, forcing some cooler air between them—“sucks.”
Kyden’s devilish grin—a smile that belonged to a man so arrogant from knowing his worth—slowly spread across his face. “Yet I’m not the one who is often in trouble with the Council, am I, darlin’?”
She accepted the jab—she was a bit of a rule breaker and didn’t possess a filter when it came to her mouth. “I would follow the rules if they made sense. And, might I add, weren’t made up from some caveman beating his chest to protect what he calls mine.
He dropped his chin, brought his eyes level to hers, and a tightness appeared in his features, igniting a fierce heat in her belly. “You do realize that any other guardian would be punished for showing up like you did tonight.” His voice was far too husky to be taken seriously.
She rubbed herself against his hard length pressing so deliciously against her in a tempting offer. “Oh, I’m not worried. I can give the one who dishes out the punishments sexy times. Doesn’t that exclude me from such punishments?”
“No, Álainn.” Intensity crossed Kyden’s expression, causing Nexi to wonder how she could get him to break the rules just for tonight, as he added, “It means my punishments can be more creative.”

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

Easiest character: Kyden. I never have trouble writing a sexy, alpha-male hero. It’s always a fun time being inside his head.

Hardest character: Nexi. She’s complicated and very strong headed, so sometimes she is tricky to write. I never want her too come off too strong, but I always want to make sure I stay true to her character. It sometimes takes a few tries to get her character right.

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

I’m ending the Club Sin series in October, so we still have two more books coming out before we have to say goodbye to the series. After that, I’ll be working on the spin-off series, The Dungeon’s Key, which is releasing in 2016. The first book in the series is Micah, and I can hardly wait for that series to come out! It’s sexy fun!!

Club Sin - http://www.staceykennedy.com/the-club-sin-series-4-book-bundle/
Micah - http://www.amazon.com/Micah-Dungeons-Key-Stacey-Kennedy-ebook/dp/B00TCI48WC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429804467&sr=8-1&keywords=micah+stacey
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Stacey Kennedy is the USA Today bestselling author of the Club Sin series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled, and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion—always staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on Mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter, and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones, and Sons of Anarchy.

Find Stacey and her books
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Witched Be Burned
Magic & Mayhem #2
Amazon B & N iTunes | Kobo | Publisher
In Stacey Kennedy’s steamy paranormal romance novel, a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.

Nexi Jones has lost her family, she’s been stripped of her guardian duties, and she’s still learning the ins and outs of white magic. At least she has Kyden, the smoldering hot elite guardian who’s been there for her every step of the way. But just as Nexi completes her training, tragedy strikes the Otherworld when a fellow guardian is murdered by a group of rogue vampires. Ready or not, she and Kyden trek into the Earthworld to hunt down a killer—and Nexi alone will be put to the ultimate test.

Although Kyden knows that Nexi must fight her own battles, his guardian instincts are raging as he struggles to keep her close. The ruthlessness of these vampires is like nothing he’s ever seen. And at their helm is the Black Witch Astoria, a demon with one burning desire: to shed Nexi’s blood in the name of vengeance. What troubles Kyden even more, though, is the warlock who covets Nexi’s heart. Let the devil do his worst . . . all Kyden can do is love and protect Nexi until his last breath.
Excerpt #2:

Hot irritation burned like a blast of Fire magic through Nexi as her feet connected with the grass below. She snapped her eyes open the split second the raw energy from the portal vanished. Dressed in her typical female guardian gear of a brown leather bra and kilt, with a scabbard across her shoulder that held her sword on her back, she nearly stepped forward but then noticed Haven approaching. Heady amusement nearly stole her irritation, but that emotion didn’t belong to her. It belonged to Haven.

More important, it belonged to their soul-bond.

A deep connection gifted these two witches belonging to the same coven. The link was a sensitive one, allowing for emotions to be shared, making them closer. Nexi often wondered if that’s why the bond existed—it made the ties to a coven that much tighter.

As Nexi caught sight of Haven’s smile, she grumbled, “This is so not funny.”

“Yeah, it kinda is.” The softness in her voice was just so Haven, as was the warmth in her stare. “I told Kyden he was dead for leaving you behind.”

Dead is an understatement.” Nexi shook her head in pure frustration, gazing around the tree-lined street. When silence greeted her, she added, “You think he’d know better than to piss a woman off who carries a sword and damn well knows how to use it.”

Haven snorted a laugh. “Apparently not.”

Nexi sighed, cooling the irritation inside. Anger would get her nowhere with Kyden, and would only put him on alert. “That caveman needs to get some sense smacked into him.”

Haven gave a leveled look. “He’s just worried about you.”

“I get that—and appreciate it,” Nexi replied with a bit of bite. “But being worried and shielding me completely are two totally different things.”

Sadness reached Haven’s eyes, leaving Nexi wondering if her soul-sister agreed with Kyden. Maybe Haven wanted Nexi away from the danger as well. It’s not that Nexi didn’t understand why Kyden’s macho behavior had increased this past month, because, well, she did.

While Kyden had a typical upbringing in his supernatural life, Nexi’s life had more of a dramatic flair. Twenty-five years ago, the power hungry vampire, Lazarus, wanted to return Earth to the time when vampires were hunters instead of feeding off bagged blood or willing humans. To do this, he killed Nexi’s birth mother, Tillie, for the power within her blood. A task only obtained by drinking a witch to death. A large portion, or even half, of a witch’s blood wouldn’t have any effect, but to drain a witch to her last breath resulted in a transfer of powers.

When the power wasn’t enough for him to succeed in his takeover of the Council to rule the Otherworld, he went into hiding to avoid being hunted by the Council for his crimes. It was at that time, Nexi’s birth father, Drake, sent her into the Earthworld to live among humans for protection.

Then Lazarus devised his plan to return for Nexi to steal her unique power.

He and his pack of werewolves almost killed Nexi and Kyden in the process.

Yet there was one thing Lazarus never counted on: Nexi.

He certainly didn’t see it coming when she ended his life—since her magic, as both
guardian and witch, proved stronger than the vampire jacked up on Tillie’s magic.

She sighed at her thoughts and added to Haven, “I get that Kyden’s . . . sensitive . . . about it all, but he needs to stop protecting me.” Since that night with Lazarus, she hadn’t looked back. Of course, Kyden wasn’t seeing eye-to-eye with her on that point. With her witch magic now centered in soul, and with six months of guardian fighting behind her, she’d never been stronger. Something that Kyden was choosing to ignore, and the reason why he hadn’t taken her out on an assignment yet.

Haven placed a comforting hand on Nexi’s arm and a dose of balmy love seeped into the bond. “Perhaps the problem is you’re both just guardians who want to protect what they feel is most important to them.”
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Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Guest Blog: The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato


Nurturing Strength by Beth Cato

I enjoy reading of leather-clad heroines who talk and act tough and can hold their own against boorish men or ten-foot demons. I envy that gritty sort of strength. It makes me think of Sarah Connor as portrayed in Terminator 2, locked in the psych ward but honing her body to an athletic prime in preparation for judgment day.

I wanted to evoke a different sort of strength in my novels, The Clockwork Dagger and the forthcoming The Clockwork Crown. Octavia Leander is physically strong, but not from doing push-ups in a cell. She's a medician, trained as a doctor in mundane and magical methods. She can assist in hauling patients or supplies, and on her academy's farm, toss hay bales or carry calves.

As a healer, she's opposed to violence and killing, but she's not afraid of wielding a gun, either. She'll also rush to save the person's life afterward.

Octavia has served on the front lines of war for years. She's not about to be coddled by the men at home who think a woman shouldn't even cross a street by herself. The Clockwork Dagger series is steampunk fantasy, combining Victorian and Edwardian expectations, clothes, and technology in a different world. Manners and propriety are of great importance, but that doesn't mean Octavia is weak or simpering. She'll tell a man what's-what without the need for any profanity. Sometimes, a glare says plenty on its own.

Most of all, Octavia is strong through her compassion. She cares. For her, healing people isn't simply a job but a calling. Her magical powers are drawn from a mysterious world tree known as the Lady, and Octavia's skills are unlike any seen before. As The Clockwork Crown begins, her magic has changed in new and disturbing ways.

All Octavia really wants is for the war to end, and to be able to settle down in a quiet village and tend to people. Instead, her powers have attracted assassins and kidnappers. She's on the run for her life. She's terrified, but she's secure in her faith. Octavia has a strong will to survive because she cares about people, and in turn, they care for her. She doesn't simply want to save herself; she wants to save everyone. To me, that's the greatest sort of strength.


The Clockwork Crown
Clockwork Dagger Duology #2
Amazon   BN
 Rich in atmosphere, imagination, and fun, the action-packed, magic-filled sequel to The Clockwork Dagger is an enchanting steampunk fantasy, evocative of the works of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger

Narrowly surviving assassination and capture, Octavia Leander, a powerful magical healer, is on the run with handsome Alonzo Garrett, the Clockwork Dagger who forfeited his career with the Queen’s secret society of spies and killers—and possibly his life—to save her. Now, they are on a dangerous quest to find safety and answers: Why is Octavia so powerful? Why does she seem to be undergoing a transformation unlike any witnessed for hundreds of years?

The truth may rest with the source of her mysterious healing power—the Lady’s Tree. But the tree lies somewhere in a rough, inhospitable territory known as the Waste. Eons ago, this land was made barren and uninhabitable by an evil spell, until a few hardy souls dared to return over the last century. For years, the Waste has waged a bloody battle against the royal court to win its independence—and they need Octavia’s powers to succeed.

Joined by unlikely allies, including a menagerie of gremlin companions, she must evade killers and Clockwork Daggers on a dangerous journey through a world on the brink of deadly civil war.
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Beth Cato hails from Hanford, California, but currently writes and bakes cookies in a lair west of Phoenix, Arizona. She shares the household with a hockey-loving husband, a numbers-obsessed son, and a cat the size of a canned ham.

She’s the author of THE CLOCKWORK DAGGER steampunk fantasy series from Harper Voyager. The newest book, THE CLOCKWORK CROWN, comes out on June 9th, 2015.

Find Beth and her books
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Tour Schedule

May 25
Book reviewed at To Read, or Not to Read
Book featured at Mikky’s World of Books
May 26
Interviewed and Guest blogging at Mom with a Kindle
Book featured at Bibliophile Mystery
Book featured at Reader Girls
May 27
Guest blogging at I Smell Sheep
Guest blogging at Urban Fantasy Investigations
May 28
Book featured at Chosen By You Book Club
Book reviewed at Urban Girl Reader
May 29
Book reviewed at Martha’s Bookshelf
June 1
Book reviewed at A Peek at My Bookshelf
June 2
Book reviewed at Booked on a Feeling
June 3
Book reviewed at Nicole Has Read
June 4
Book reviewed at Shhh…Not While I’m Reading
June 5
Book reviewed and Guest blogging at Reading Reality
June 8
Book excerpt at Review From Here
June 9
Guest blogging at Bent Over Bookwords
June 10
Book reviewed and Guest blogging at Tien’s Blurb
June 11
Guest blogging at The Dark Phantom
June 12
Book excerpt at The Revolving Bookshelf
June 15
Book reviewed at RhiReading
June 16
Book reviewed at Bibliophilia, Please
June 17
Book excerpt at Literal Exposure
June 18
Book excerpt at The Literary Nook
June 19
Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

Monday, May 25, 2015

Interview & Giveaway: Stricken by Marcia Colette


UFI welcomes Author Marcia Colette. 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 amusement parks. I have Hershey Park, King’s Dominion, and Disneyland still on my bucket list. I’m hoping to check off Hershey Park sometime this summer. My all-time favorite is a cross between Busch Gardens (Tampa Bay or Williamsburg makes no difference) and Disney World.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time? 

Watching movies. The scarier the better, but they have to make sense. No gore for the sake of gore. Like sex, it has to further the story along or it’s pointless and I’ll start rooting for the bad guy(s). Any movie where they say, “Don’t go into the basement” and the protagonist does it, I’ll be turning the channel or leaving the theater.

What is your Favorite part of writing? 

Coming up with the ideas. Fleshing them out is a close second. Notice, I didn’t say “plotting”. Plotting tends to steal the thrill for me. I just want a basic idea or premise, get a good feel for the characters, and then I let the story take off from there.

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

Not really. I guess you could say that I have my first and only cup of coffee in the morning while I’m writing.

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

I love Kelley Armstrong and Laurell K. Hamilton (pre-Obsidian Butterfly). I’ve also come to love Richelle Mead and cannot get enough of her. Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn, Seressia Glass, Kalayna Price, Lori Handeland, and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Those are just the ones I could name off the top of my head.

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

A concierge doctor with a small conscience meets a werewolf hybrid who’s trying to run from hers.

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

It’s set in the present day where the supernatural world hides in in plain sight among the humans. Anyone who risks exposure will find a bounty on their head. Alexa York is a human hybrid, and also considered a contamination to the gene pool. So to prove her worth, she joins a bounty hunting group as a sniper whose specialty is the crossbow. She’s also married to a full-blooded werewolf, who is considered an interloper, now that he’s an outcast from him insane pack. So he and Alexa are on the run, dodging one pack after another who have sworn allegiance to her husband’s former pack. Or as Alexa likes to call them, “a cross between Sons of Anarchy and The Hills Have Eyes.”

Do you have a favorite scene in Stricken

Yes! It’s when Alexa confronts one of the staff members for not calling Dr. Aiden Joss to the plate when his personal problems put the rest of the staff and the patients in danger.

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

Without a doubt, Alexa has been my most favorite. Even though it’s been a few years between the first book and this one, which even resulted in a new publisher, her story has always stuck with me. I love her and the world she’s in. The hardest one to write about was Loreal Ingram in The Spider Inside Her because I had to touch upon some deep stuff that I’ve held close to my heart for years. Things that make me wish I really could shapeshift into a Hyde-like spider and seek revenge for those who can’t.  

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

I’m currently working on the next book in my Alexa York series and another book that’s about her sister, Genevieve. I’m also in the process of rewriting book #2 in my other urban fantasy series about an angel, Yvette Mills, who lives as a human on Earth and is tasked with sending ghosts into Judgment. It’s not an easy job because some of them don’t want to go and will even go so far as to enlist demons and wraiths to help them get rid of her.
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Author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause people to shift into spiders, psychotic and telekinetic mothers are locked away in attics, and murderous doppelgangers are on a rampage. Let's not forget about the hunky werecheetah coalitions who live throughout North Carolina. As long as she can make it believable, that's all that matters.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Marcia now lives in North Carolina with her mom and beautiful daughter. They’re not raising zombies in the backyard. There aren’t any hellhounds living in the den, only a rabbit and a cockatiel. So where she gets her ideas is as much a mystery to her as anyone else.

The best place to find her--when she's not stirring up trouble--is on her blog where she loves connecting with readers.

Find Marcia and her books
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Stricken
Alexa York #2
Purple Sword
 A bodyguard job like no other.

Personal tragedy convinces half-werewolf Alexa York to get away to the town of McCormick, Pennsylvania where she's charged with protecting Dr. Aiden Joss, physician to the supernatural community. Not only does she need the money, she needs the distraction. Unfortunately, she gets it in spades when Joss's personal issues and a myriad of dangerously sick patients make her new job nearly impossible.

A mysterious disease is running its way through the New York Order of the Amazons and leaving bodies in its wake. The same warrior who had chosen her clan over Joss has asked for his help. Even though the disease is real, Alexa has reason to believe his ex's sincerity is not.

Given the other numerous problems she has to deal with that are outside of her job description, Dr. Joss might be the biggest threat to his own safety. But, protecting him comes first. That’s difficult to do when his efforts to find an antidote put everyone in his remote clinic in danger, including Alexa.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Present day.

I stood on the porch of Dr. Aiden Joss’s luxurious home irate as hell. Someone was supposed to meet me at the airport in Philadelphia. I ended up having to take a cab because all of the rentals were booked from the only airport about twenty-five miles from the small town of McCormick, Pennsylvania. The taxi driver must have mistaken me for an oil baron with the fare he charged. He ended up having to leave me at the front gate because the intercom was busted. Thankfully, being a human hybrid had its advantages. After tossing my duffle over the ten-foot wall, I followed by leaping over. Some security.
The downpour turned my black, wavy hair into thick tresses snaking down my neck and upper back. Sadly, my duffle bag was just as pitiful as I looked, since it wasn’t waterproof. I’d exercised more care when picking out my purse and laptop bag.
The front door opened. A tall, bulky man who looked like he missed his calling as an NFL linebacker stood against the golden glow of the interior. His face was criminal-hard, though something in his dark eyes said otherwise. He wore a white shirt and jeans with a brace around his left knee. He blinked.
“Oh, boy.” He hurried to unlock the storm door and let me inside. “You must be Ms. Alexa York.”
I struggled getting past him with my wet duffle, carry-on and my drenched clothes clinging to my cold body. “I am. I take it the phones don’t work around here.”
He took my stuff and set it aside. “The power has been flickering all night. They just got the lights back on about three minutes ago. The phone is Internet, so when the power goes out, everything goes out.”
I unzipped my sodden jacket. “I get it. No phone, no phone calls. Which is why I was stuck at the airport.”
He sighed. “Again, my apologies, ma’am. With so much going on, I only had a chance to worry about one thing at a time.”
I glanced at him before answering. So much going on? The house was quiet and not a soul in sight. What could’ve possibly had him too busy to pick me up when he knew I was coming? Heck, I was here to be his replacement while he was on the mend. If he didn’t want me here, forgetting me at the airport or not sending a car to pick me up worked in his favor.
He offered his hand to me. “My name’s Sammy. I’m Dr. Joss’s med tech and assistant.”
“Med tech?” I looked him up and down. “But I thought you were his—”
He chuckled. “I’m really his assistant. I’m only his bodyguard when I have to be. And given the kind of world that lies beyond those gates, I find myself playing the latter more often.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry if I sounded a little crotchety, but—”
Sammy waved a large hand. “No need to apologize. I’d be a lot more than pissed had I been in your shoes. Speaking of which, let me show you to your room so you can get some dry clothes on.”
Snorting, I glanced at the puddle forming around my duffle. “Dry clothes, huh. That would be nice.”
“No worries, Ms. York. I’ll find you something.”
“It’s Alexa, by the way.” Those close to me called me Lex. We weren’t there yet.
“Alexa, then.”
My room was upstairs on the second floor along with five other bedrooms. Every piece of furniture was stained pine and sitting against light blue walls. Thankfully, I had my own private bathroom. When I looked out the bathroom window, light was coming from the woods somewhere behind the trees where it shouldn’t be.
I sure hoped Dane had told me everything I needed to know about this so-called mission. I would hate to learn something the hard—painful—way. Though that would never be his intention, I also knew his idea of what information was important to know was different from mine.
Had it not been for Wesley Dane, a full-blooded werewolf friend of my family, I wouldn’t be here to play bodyguard for one of his closest friends. It wasn’t the thousand dollars a day, tax-free money for my services that had brought me here. I needed the distraction more than anything.
“So, how much do you know about me?” After snuggling into a thick, warm robe I found hanging on a hook, I dried off my hair with a towel and opened the bathroom door.
Sammy was still there, though keeping his distance by waiting in the hall. I thought it was weird, but whatever, seeing as this was more his house than mine. “Enough,” he replied. “You’re half-werewolf, which is extremely rare. You’re also married, which means either your husband, who’s a full-blood, or Dane is going to tear Dr. Joss apart if anything bad
happens to you. Although, that sort of defeats the purpose of you being the doctor’s bodyguard.” He half-smiled.
“Are you expecting me to be torn apart?”
“No.” He chuckled. “But I expect you’ll be put through the wringer.”
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