New Releases: 11/3-11/9

Tue. Nov. 5th

 Call Down the Hawk (Dreamer Trilogy #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
 The Deep by Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs , William Hutson , Jonathan Snipes
 Find Me Their Bones (Bring Me Their Hearts #2) by Sara Wolf
 Girls of Storm and Shadow (Girls of Paper and Fire #2) by Natasha Ngan 
 The Guinevere Deception (Camelot Rising #1) by Kiersten White
 Novice Dragoneer (Dragoneer Academy #1) by E.E. Knight
 Rage (Rogue Team International #1) by Jonathan Maberry
 Shadowscent (Shadowscent #1) by P.M. Freestone
 Sisters of Shadow and Light (Sisters of Shadow and Light #1) by Sara B. Larson
 Song of the Crimson Flower (Rise of the Empress companion) by Julie C. Dao
 The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern 
 Supernova (Renegades #3) by Marissa Meyer
 Tears of Frost (Heart of Thorns #2) by Bree Barton 

 The Toll (Arc of a Scythe #3) by Neal Shusterman
 Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner
 Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Happy Reading!!

Guest Blog + Giveaway: The Shadow Prince by Stacey O’Neale (@StaceyONeale, @XpressoTours)

UFI welcomes Author Stacey O’Neale . Thanks for Joining us!!

Teenage Garage Sale


Looking back on my teenage years, I’m not sure there would be much for me to sell in a garage sale. We didn’t have cell phones in every car, but I’m sure I could try to sell my collection of pagers. I remember how excited I was when my pager had a voicemail service added. I thought that was cool in middle and early high school. I got my first cell phone when I started driving, and it was the size of a brick. It was so big it took up all of the space in my glove compartment.

I suppose I could sell some cheerleading uniforms that I guarantee no longer fit. Sadly, I was a horrible cheerleader. I never wanted to go to practice or cheer, so I rarely knew all of the moves and probably looked pretty stupid out there. The only reason I joined the squad was that we got to wear our uniforms every Friday, and that got me out of our school uniform. Sorry to all those dedicated cheerleaders out there. I’m a cheer failure.

There are other items I could sell and make money on, but I wouldn’t put them up for sale. I have a nice collection of comic books. Some of them are worth a couple of bucks. I was a bigger fan of Marvel, but my brother loved DC. I have a lot of Fantastic Four, Spiderman, Avengers, and X-Men comics. They were a big part of my life growing up. I can see their influence in my stories even now.

I also had a lot of art supplies. During my teenage years, I was into anything artsy. Painting, sculpting, ceramics, drawing with charcoal, woodworking, etc. If it was art-related, I wanted it.   
Creative writing wasn’t an interest of mine until I was an adult. I did love to read, especially in the paranormal and fantasy genres. I did a bit of non-fiction reading too. I liked mythology and spiritualism. Oh, and I’d never sell any of my books. That’s sacrilege. ;-p

***The 2019 updated edition of The Shadow Prince is available on Amazon for free. You can get your copy by clicking here: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Prince-Mortal-Enchantment-Book-ebook/dp/B00IT1DQX0    

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Award-winning author, Stacey O’Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she’s not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Find Stacey and her books 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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The Shadow Prince
Mortal Enchantment #0.5 

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Prequel novella to the award-winning YA fantasy series Mortal Enchantment. Discover a world of elemental powers, courage, duty, sacrifice, forbidden romance and a war for the very elements of life.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan is an elemental prince. Banished to the mortal world, he doubts he will ever return to Avalon and claim the fire court throne. Until he receives a challenge from his estranged mother. If he slays Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental, princess of the air court, she will abdicate her throne. Is he capable of completing such a heinous task? And what price will he pay if he refuses?

Perfect for fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

The Shadow Prince is part of the
Mortal Enchantment box set
OUT NOW!

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Week in Review: 10/27-11/2

Books Received for Review

Give up the Ghost by Debbie Cassidy

Books I've Read

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (Re-read)
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (Re-read)
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs (Re-read)
Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (Re-read)
Hunted by Erica Woods

Reviews Posted

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter (@HunterFaith, @AceRocBooks, @LetsTalkLTP)
A Ghost of a Chance by Debbie Cassidy (@amoscassidy)
The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken (@KensingtonBooks)

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

* Friday- Guest Blog + Interview: The Brutal Time by Christina Bauer (@CB_Bauer, @MyMonsterHouse, @XpressoTours)

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

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You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.

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 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Guest Blog + Giveaway: The Brutal Time by Christina Bauer (@CB_Bauer, @MyMonsterHouse, @XpressoTours)

UFI welcomes Author Christina Bauer. Thanks for Joining us!!

My Top Five Fantasy Worlds

By Christina Bauer, Author

As part of launching my new book, BRUTAL TIME, the lovely folks at Urban Fantasy Investigations asked me to share my top five fantasy worlds. Love this topic! So without further ado, here goes:

Five: Radiance

Grace Draven has built out some sweet fantasy worlds, but Radiance is by far my favourite. It’s got some beloved storylines such as: a forced royal marriage that turns into something else … as well as monster guys who aren’t so monstrous when you get to know them! Plus, Draven does a great job of building out her universe without having it overload the story. Not easy.

Four: Last Hour of Gann

R. Lee Smith needs to start writing stuff again! Last Hour of Gann is a gritty and romantic tale about space travel and alien love. Has that genre been around? Sure. But Lee’s world building and characterization are so superb, this book transcends anything else out there. 

Three: Frankenstein 

It’s hard to come up with new monsters and settings. We all try … but Mary Shelley nailed it like a boss. She really synthesized modern angst about the role of technology and our burgeoning ability to play god. 

Two: Anything by Jane Austen

In terms of world building, Austen very much relied on the actual world around her. That said, I think she KILLED it in terms of coming up with fantasy romance scenarios. Like any great story, these tales feel absolutely real, which is why they’re still so impactful. 

One: Lord of the Rings

There are other world-builders out there, but how many created their own freaking languages? The only one I know of is the amazing JRR Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien also wrote the series as letters to his sons while they were fighting in World War II (Tolkien himself was a WWI vet) and the world building subtly includes a lot of that reality. 

So there you have it … my five favourite worlds! I had fun writing this post and hope to stop by again on a future tour!

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Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.

Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.

Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates

Find Christina and her books

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn / Blog

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The Brutal Time
Angelbound Origins #6

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

    “I love the Angelbound Origins world and just can’t seem to get enough of it!” – The Avid Reader

    As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.

    Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.

    Yipes.

    Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But with so much at risk, the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights.

    Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.

    “These books don’t just capture your attention, they straight up demand it. Christina Bauer has created a fascinating and unique world that you do not want to miss out on.” – Bookhalolic Brittany

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Quick Thought Review: The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken (@KensingtonBooks)

The Blacksmiths Queen

Author: G.A. Aiken

Release Date: August 27, 2019

Publisher: Kensington

The Scarred Earth Saga Book #1

ISBN:  0765328089 

ISBN13: 9780765328083

Genre: Fantasy

Review Copy Source: NetGalley

When a prophesy brings war to the Land of the Black Hills, Keeley Smythe must join forces with a clan of mountain warriors who are really centaurs in a thrilling new fantasy romance series from New York Times bestselling author G.A. Aiken.  
The Old King Is Dead
 
With the demise of the Old King, there’s a prophesy that a queen will ascend to the throne of the Black Hills. Bad news for the king’s sons, who are prepared to defend their birthright against all comers. But for blacksmith Keeley Smythe, war is great for business. Until it looks like the chosen queen will be Beatrix, her younger sister. Now it’s all Keeley can do to protect her family from the enraged royals.

Luckily, Keeley doesn’t have to fight alone. Because thundering to her aid comes a clan of kilt-wearing mountain warriors called the Amichai. Not the most socially adept group, but soldiers have never bothered Keeley, and rough, gruff Caid, actually seems to respect her. A good thing because the fierce warrior will be by her side for a much longer ride than any prophesy ever envisioned …

Strong characters, action packed storyline, betrayal, fantasy and a little romance make THE BLACKSMITH QUEEN a well rounded story.

I loved Keeley's drive to do what's best for and protect her family. The world was full of interesting characters and creatures. I enjoyed the secondary characters and the way that they fit into the story.

Count me in for book two.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

Review: Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter (@HunterFaith, @AceRocBooks, @LetsTalkLTP)

Shattered Bonds

Author: Faith Hunter

Release Date: October 29, 2019

Publisher: ACE

Jane Yellowrock Book #13

ISBN:  0399587985

ISBN13: 9780399587986

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Review Copy Source: Netgalley

Jane Yellowrock must dig deep and find strength within herself if she is to survive in the latest novel in this New York Times bestselling series.

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker, and vampire killer-for-hire, but her last battle with an ancient arcane enemy has brought her low. She seeks retreat in the Appalachian Mountains to grieve the loss of her friends, and to heal--or to die--from the disease brought on by her magic.

But malevolent elements in the paranormal community still seek to destroy Jane, and the younger Son of Darkness stalks her, even into the safety of the hills. With nowhere to run and her body failing, the rogue-vampire hunter and her inner Beast must discover a way to defeat this new threat, and find a form that gives her a chance to fight another day.

SHATTERED BONDS had a whole different feel than previous books for a nice chunk of the book.

We are used to seeing Jane as the bad-ass hunter that saves the day. Well for a chunk of SHATTERED BONDS, Jane is shattered by the cancer that is taking over her body and killing her. It was a pretty somber experience while reading her struggles. She found a way to bring out her inner bad-ass when she needed it, but you were always brought back to the fact that Jane was dying. Having said that, I did find it a little weird that she could hardly move in her human body, but half beast body was perfectly fine. It was hard to go from dying Jane, to kick butt Jane in half beast form in a blink of the eye. That didn't totally work for me.

I absolutely loved how Jane's pack continued to surround her in her time of need. Even when the enemy was once again knocking down her door. The action and danger was a strong part of the storyline. The pace of the story is different from the beginning of the book to the end, but it all flowed  together nicely.

SHATTERED BONDS ended on a pretty big bang that took care of a pretty big story arc. I'm not sure where Faith will bring the story and characters next, but I look forward to finding out.

I gave it 4/5 stars

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

New Releases: 10/27-11/2

Tue. Oct. 29th

 A River of Royal Blood (A River of Royal Blood #1) by Amanda Joy
 Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland
 Fever (Dark Kings #16) by Donna Grant

 Gravemaidens (Gravemaidens #1) by Kelly Coon
 The Light at the Bottom of the World (The Light at the Bottom of the World #1) by London Shah
 Shattered Bonds (Jane Yellowrock #13) by Faith Hunter

Happy Reading!!