Uprising by Imogen Rose Spotlight

Book Description:
The global infrastructure that allows humans and supernaturals to coexist is under threat. A breakdown of this carefully maintained system erupts into worldwide chaos and could eventually lead to Armageddon.

Code Uprising is activated.

The power of the supernatural world shifts from the city councils to Bonfire Academy and the other elite paranormal preps. Now, the staff and students must follow the code, however deadly the ramifications, to return power to the city sovereigns in order to prevent an apocalypse.

PURCHASE LINKS:
http://www.amazon.com/UPRISING-Bonfire-Chronicles-Imogen-Rose-ebook/dp/B00FOXDNC0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382572091&sr=8-1&keywords=Uprising+by+Imogen+Rose

http://www.amazon.com/Uprising-Bonfire-Chronicles-Book-Two/dp/1940015111/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1382572091&sr=8-1


　
About the Author:
Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling series, the Portal Chronicles, which has attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on her second teen series, the Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has lived in several places, counting London among her favorites. She moved to New Jersey in 2001. A self-confessed Hermès addict, Imogen freely admits to being obsessed with Kurt Cobain. She enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies, and hanging out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua.


Web: http://www.imogenrose.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImogenRosePage

Twitter: ImogenRoseTweet

Instagram: ImogenRoseGram

blog: http://imogenroseblog.blogspot.com/


Imogen Rose books - Reading Order

If you are reading both series:
1. Portal
2. Equilibrium
3. Quantum
4. Faustine
5. Momentum
6. Initiation
7. Integration
8. Fusion

Portal Chronicles only:
1. Portal
2. Equilibrium
3. Quantum
4. Momentum
5. Fusion (to be published)


Bonfire Chronicles only:
1. Faustine
2. Initiation
3. Integration  
EXCERPT:

He felt as dead as she looked. With each blow to her lifeless body, he felt his sanity ooze, drop after drop, into the pool of her blood. She was dead. Her only hope now was the guy who had stolen her from him.

The knock on the door filled Quinn with loathsome fury. Had he not already been in his demon form, he’d have transformed because the person on the other side of the door deserved what he had unwillingly subjected Cordelia to.

He flung the door open, growling at the winter faery who was keeping Cordelia’s heart beating. Jagger swept past Quinn to the corner of the room, kneeling down beside Cordelia’s torn-up body. His pale winter hue darkened. He shot to his feet, bringing up his leg and slammed his foot into Quinn’s stomach.

Quinn fell back in surprise, his demon exterior not so much as reddening as a result, but he felt on the verge of losing it and tearing Jagger’s head right off of his fey neck. But he checked himself. If Jagger’s heart stopped, so would Cordelia’s, and Quinn couldn’t allow that to happen.

"What the fuck, Quinn? What did you do to her?" Jagger’s voice was barely audible; his mood had turned from anger to desperation as he looked at the body on the floor again.

Quinn transformed back into his human form, revealing a mess of injuries and broken bones. "I had no choice. It was this or death."

"Or death? She is dead, you moron!"

"No, she isn’t. Her heart is still beating."

"Only because I’m beating it for her," Jagger muttered.

"Only because I’m letting you beat it for her," Quinn said quietly.

"She needs a healer."

"Wander her back to the Academy. But hurry. Potomal’s team is on their way and will be here soon to collect her."

"Potomal?"

"A Wanderer working with Katerina." Quinn winced at the stabs of pain his human body was unable to dampen.

"What about you? What happened?"

"Cordelia didn’t go down without a fight, but never mind that. I’ll heal. I need you to beat me to within an inch of my life. Here, use this." He handed Jagger a tire iron.

"Much as I would love to beat the hell out of you, why? If you’re afraid of what they’ll do to you when they find out you let Cordelia escape, why not just come back to the Academy?"

"No time. Plus, the best way for me to protect Cordelia is from the inside. Hurry."

Jagger glanced down at Cordelia and then raised the iron bar.

 

Giveaway:

$50 Amazon gift card

10 Kindle copies of Initiation

10 Kindle copies of Portal

 

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Starstruck Blog Tour Interview





Book Blurb:
Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict "aunt," she’s not even sure who she is. M’s dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly humdrum life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of. Yes, the middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!

Buy links:

 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/19j21Z2

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1al5xVV

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1b2f1Gr

Kobo: http://bit.ly/18SGN9W

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1eE4EMQ

iTunes: http://bit.ly/15FlSXx

Excerpt

The next morning my alarm actually awakened me, jarring me out of a dream I didn't want to leave, a dream involving Rigel—again. I lay still for a moment, grasping at the retreating shreds of the dream, but it escaped before I could remember any details.

With a sigh, I rolled over and plucked my glasses from the nightstand and put them on, then sat up. And squinted. My vision was blurrier than yesterday—a lot blurrier. I pulled my glasses off to examine them, but they didn't look smudged.

Before putting them back on, I glanced at my clock and blinked. Then blinked again. The numbers were as clear as they normally were with my glasses on. I turned on my bedside lamp and slowly looked around my room. Amazingly, I could read the names of the planets and their moons on my poster of the solar system and easily pick out titles from book spines in my overstuffed bookcase: A Wrinkle in Time, The Hobbit, The Last Unicorn. The blurriness was gone.

"No way," I said out loud.



Author Bio:
Author of sixteen novels to date, primarily Regencies and historicals from Harlequin and HarperCollins, Brenda Hiatt is now indie publishing her historical backlist and continuing to write and publish new books, her most recent a mystery, OUT OF HER DEPTH, from Bell Bridge Books. Her first original indie book, STARSTRUCK, launches in September 2013, a YA science fiction romance. For the past dozen years, Brenda has collected data on writers' earnings, which she shares at her website,　http://brendahiatt.com.

Places to find Brenda:

Site: http://brendahiatt.com/

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/19cUqRL

Twitter: http://bit.ly/1dSNisS

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/19j3wX9

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/18HaKrE

Interview 

1.    What is one of your favorite Myths/legends to write about?I'm fond of Pygmalion and Galatea (aka "My Fair Lady"). I used that theme for my very first Regency, Gabriella, and the idea of someone being transformed/transforming her or himself has cropped up in a lot of my books. I guess that's at the basis of all Cinderella stories, which are some of my favorites.
2.    If you could live back in time, what time period would you choose and why?Regency England. I love what an interesting, transitional time it was, between the bawdy of the Georgians and the repressed Victorians, on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. There's a reason I've set so many books in that period!
3.    Have you ever come across a song that might fit the theme of one of your books?Muse's "Resistance" was particularly appropriate for the theme of Starstruck. (And for Ship of Dreams, the whole soundtrack to "Titanic"!)
4.    Do you remember what you felt when you had your first kiss?Scared and excited and happy and self-conscious all at once! Plus the thought that I could tell my girlfriends I'd finally been kissed. LOL!
5.    When writing do you have a playlist of music you like to listen to? What are a couple songs on it?Lots and lots of Muse! Two favorites, especially for Starstruck, are "Resistance" and "Uprising."
6.    What do you do when you think nobody is watching?Sing along with the radio really loudly. (No, I am NOT a singer! LOL!)
7.    What was your favorite childhood book?Probably The Black Stallion. I loved horse stories. All animal stories, really! Oh, and the Narnia series. A little later I "graduated" to Phyllis Whitney, Mary Stewart, Jane Austen and J.R.R. Tolkien.
8.    What is your favorite addition to chocolate?I'd have to say raspberries, though chocolate added to almost anything makes it better! (Okay, maybe not pizza…)
9.    Do you have any hobbies or activities you enjoy doing?Taekwondo, scuba diving (not that I get many chances in Indiana), walking/hiking, and traveling. And reading, of course!

10. What's something you do to de-stress? Read (especially reread old favorites) and watch sappy romantic movies.
11. We all know about muses...what do you think inspires you to allow your creative juices flowing?Muse! (LOL! I mean the band.) I've written my last three books to their music (plus a few selected others). 

 Giveaway Info:

1 Lucky person will win the chance to name their very own star.
1 eBook copy of Bridge Over Time

10 Fun Facts (things the fans don't know)
1.    I write on a treadmill. I've found 1.3MPH is my ideal writing speed. (Any faster and I make a lot more typos.) Firing up the treadmill and putting on my writing music almost instantly puts me into the Zone.
2.    I have a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo. I'm especially proud of this because I only started out as a white belt about five years ago. (I was the oldest color belt in my school for quite a while!)
3.    I'm obsessed with dolphins, but haven't figured out a way to work them into a book yet.
4.    The Harry Potter series and then the Twilight series are what lured me into writing young adult romance after 16 books aimed at adults. I discovered I enjoyed reading YA so much, it only made sense to try writing it!
5.    I have a daughter who works for DreamWorks Animation. Her name was in the tag-end of the credits of their most recent movie, "Turbo"!
6.    I have a daughter who sings opera, and she's narrating the audio version of Starstruck for me!
7.    I met my husband at a Halloween party, while in costume… dressed as a hooker! His first-ever words to me were, "How much do you charge for your services?"
8.    In re-releasing my backlist romances as eBooks, I've been able to use my daughters as cover models on two of them, The Cygnet and Ship of Dreams.
9.    In 2010, I walked the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago with a dozen other women, several of whom are also writers. VERY cool experience!
10.    My husband proposed to me (though he was joking--we barely knew each other) after first tasting my lasagna. (The REAL proposal happened more than 6 months later.)

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The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold

At once a captivating mystery, a love letter to classic literature, and a sharp-eyed examination of marriage, The Book of Secrets is a gripping novel of family, friendship, and the undeniable pull of the past. 
This book really wasn't at all as I expected...and I confess it took me a little reading to finally go "OOoooo this is getting good." I really wanted to know what the BIG secret was, and how everything comes about. So it starts out with Chloe and Nate who have been married for over two decades, when one night Chloe comes home to see her husband Nate Sinclair has left. He leaves behind a cryptic note saying he has returned their childhood town, she never wanted to see that town again.

Chloe tries to get a hold of her husband, and comes across a notebook which was hidden inside his antique copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. He wrote in a code that they use to use as kids, the pages contain secrets of their past which explains why he went home after all these years. While she begins to decipher the notebook, she beings to revisit seminal moments of their youth: the day she met the Sinclair children and the dangerous games they played to escape their troubled childhoods; the first time Nate kissed her, camped out on the beach like Robinson Crusoe; and the elaborate plan she and Nate devised, inspired by Romeo and Juliet, to break away from his oppressive father. Finally the reason for his sudden absence comes to light, the truth will forever shatter everything Chloe knows---about her husband, his family and herself.

When I got to the end of the book I was in shock. I could not believe what and how this hole secret came to be revealed. Plus the way author uses classic childhood books to not only describe moments in the characters lives but also used to help decipher the code that was being used. We all have secrets some good, some bad but they all help shape us from how we live our lives to the people we come. I feel there is nothing wrong with going back to the past to figure out and learn how the present took shape.

Extremely well written and an incredible must read!

 

Special Giveaway with Lisa Gardner - Spotlight

Lisa Gardner Spotlight & Giveaway
NAL is reissuing New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s exciting romantic suspense Family Secrets Trilogy. Lisa originally wrote the books under the pseudonym Alicia Scott, but they have all of the excitement, twists and turns, and interesting characters that Lisa Gardner fans have come to expect. Mac Namara’s Woman is the second book in the trilogy and is now available in stores and for the first time in e-book format. The first book in the series, Maggie’s Man, is available now and the third book in the series, Brandon’s Bride, releases on December 3^rd.


MACNAMARA’S WOMAN
Three siblings searching for the truth about their family are about to find more than they bargained for.…

When Tamara Allistair lost her family, she quickly learned that the only person she could rely on was herself. Now Tamara wants revenge against the man who wronged her. But going after a target with far-reaching connections is a dangerous gamble, and soon Tamara is the one being threatened.

A man with his own share of family issues, ex-marine C. J. MacNamara knows that protecting Tamara is the right thing to do. Keeping her safe is no easy task, but getting her to trust him is an entirely different challenge. As Tamara attempts to right a wrong ten years in the making, C.J. puts his own life on the line to protect the woman who is more worthy of love than anyone he’s ever known.

About Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner is the New York Times bestselling author of fourteen previous novels. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include Catch Me, Love You More, and the International Thriller of the Year award–winning novel The Neighbor. Her FBI profiler novels include Say Goodbye, Gone, The Killing Hour, The Next Accident, and The Third Victim. She lives with her family in New England.
Website:  ^{www.lisagardner.com}
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LisaGardnerBks
Twitter: ^{www.twitter.com/LisaGardnerBks}







Giveaway
Two lucky winners (U.S. only) will receive a mass market paperback copy of MacNamara’s Woman!

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Elene Sallinger Interview & Release of Awakening

Elene Sallinger

Hailing from Washington, DC, Elene Sallinger first caught the writing bug in 2004 after writing and illustrating several stories for her then four-year-old daughter. Her writing career has encompassed two award-winning children’s stories, a stint as a consumer-education advocate, as well as writing her debut novel, Awakening—a novel of erotic fiction that won the New Writing Competition at the Festival of Romance 2011. Visit Elene online at elenesallinger.wordpress.com.

In Awakening (November 2013), Elene Sallinger brings us two of the most memorable characters in BDSM to date. Claire, a lost soul who can’t shake a masochistic-abusive relationship that lasted 10-years too long, and Evan, a sexy bookshop owner and dominant who is still getting over the loss of his wife to cancer.

Claire Ryan, 35, confused, and alone, misunderstands her own desires and joins a local book club for romance readers, where she reads her way through the shop’s erotica shelf yearning to accept and fulfill her sexual fantasies.  

The minute Claire walks into Evan Lang’s bookshop, she arouses every protective instinct Evan ever had. After weeks of extreme sexual tension, it only takes one touch for him to see how open and responsive she is to his dominant side.

More than just a tale of sizzling sex, as they embark on the path of Claire’s submission, it becomes difficult for Evan to keep his emotional distance. As Claire learns to accept the sensuous woman she is and fully understand her urges, she falls deeper in love with Evan, only to realize he is holding back on his true desires. Will Evan confront his own past in order to save his passionate new love?

Complete with well-drawn characters who confront life’s most traumatic pitfalls, Awakening reveals the true vulnerabilities in adult relationships, showing how two people can learn to trust and love again.

Praise for Awakening:

“If Fifty Shades of Grey intrigued you, Awakening will take you to a whole new level of desire, submission, and unforgettable romance.”

—Judge, UK’s Festival of Romance Contest

“Exquisitely beautiful, touchingly heart-wrenching, and hedonistic enough to keep your body on fire.”

—Coffee Time Romance

Interview:

BBLR: When writing do you have a playlist of music you like to listen to? What are a couple songs on it?

ELENE: I'm one of those people that if I hear music with lyrics, I inevitably end up singing along rather than concentrating, so I cannot have anything with lyrics playing when I write. That being said, I don't like classical music enough to play it often, so I listen to what I call Fusion Instrumental. I have a Pandora station I've created with artists like Lindsey Stirling, Nuttin' But Stringz, The Piano Guys, and sountracks from movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Hero, The Last Samurai, Planet of the Apes, Apocalypto, etc. This music has a defiant and urgent tone, while still being completely instrumental.

BBLR: What do you do when you think nobody is watching?

ELENE: Sing. I can't carry a tune, but I love to sing. So when no one is around, I crank up the tunes and belt out my favorites.

BBLR: What was your favorite childhood book?

ELENE: Anything by Katherine Kurtz in the Deryni series. I read them all and loved every single one. I crushed hard on Kelson, the main character.

BBLR: What is your favorite addition to chocolate?

ELENE: Mint. I love peppermint patties and adding peppermint schnapps to hot chocolate.

BBLR: Besides your own, what is one of your favorite series to keep up with?

ELENE: The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. I adore those brothers and want very much to get down with Vishous.

BBLR: What do you think you would be doing if you weren't writing?

ELENE: Teaching. In fact, I'm pursuing an MFA in creative writing to do just that in conjunction with my writing.

BBLR: What is something you do to de-stress?

ELENE: Knit. It's an extremely meditative act. In fact, I read an article recently about how some Buddhists agree that knitting could be considered a form of meditation.

BBLR: We all know about muses...what do you think inspires you to allow your creative juices flowing?

ELENE: Hmmm … that's harder to answer than it seems. I keep writing because I still have stories to tell. Every day new scenarios and characters percolate in my brain. As long as they keep coming, I'll keep writing.

KINKED Interview with Thea Harrison

Two opponents must confront the cause of their obsessive fury in the latest Novel of the Elder Races…
As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s ever known. Aryal believes the new

To put an end to the conflict, Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Forced to work together, Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion—culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.
Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. But the harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own.


Thanks for such interesting questions!

Q: What is one of your favorite Myths/legends to write about?

A: When I started to write my reply to this question, I realized it wasn’t going to be a simple or easy answer! I’ve had so much fun with the world building in the Elder Races series. It’s almost impossible to pick just one.

I really enjoyed taking the Oracle of Delphi and putting it into a modern context for Oracle’s Moon. When I turned my attention to the witches’ demesne in Louisville, I wanted to make sure it felt as rich and developed as the rest of the world building I’d done for the other demesnes and mythological creatures. That story was fun for a lot of reasons, because I also really enjoyed building the Djinn society based on Middle Eastern legends.

Another favorite has been developing the Elves, in Lord’s Fall and continued in Kinked. And a third was when I created my own version of Vampyres in Serpent’s Kiss. I have two more Vampyre stories that I’m dying to tell. When I get excited about a story, it’s hard to wait for the right time to tell it!

　

Q: You've been gifted (or cursed) with the ability to shift into another form by a witch. What kind of shifter are you and why? (All creatures, including mythological, apply.)

A: Awesome question! I think I have two answers for that one. If it was a gift, then I think it would have to be something winged and strong. I think there’s something to be said for being as fearless as a harpy, although I’m quite sure I wouldn’t win any popularity contests!
If the ability was a curse and meant to be nasty, the witch would probably turn me into my phobia—a spider! That would be the meanest, nastiest thing anybody could ever do to me!


Q: Since Aryal is a harpy and considered an immortal Wyr, how did you approach her character development in order to make her believable and someone that readers can identify with?

A: I’ll be honest, I was worried about writing Aryal. I really didn’t want to compromise her identity. Aryal has strong emotions but no real morals in the abstract sense, no true compulsion to do what is right for its own sake. She’s abrasive and dangerous… And I had to figure out how to also make her sympathetic.

My first decision was to not be in a hurry to write her story. I wanted to take the time to show her character from a couple of different points of view. The reader first sees Aryal from Pia’s perspective in Dragon Bound, but then in Storm’s Heart I was able to show Aryal from Tricks’ point of view, someone who loved her. I also wanted to make sure that humor came into the mix. Still, the real test came when I sat down and actually started writing Kinked. Then I had to get close enough to her to write her as a main POV character. It helped that I had so many established relationships and characters to work with—such as Grym, Dragos and Graydon—and the world-building in place. With that in place, I could concentrate on developing Aryal herself. I’m very grateful to my editor Cindy Hwang for providing such a supportive platform to write Kinked.
Q: Do you have an Elder Race Bible to help keep your facts start? 　If not, how the heck do you keep your facts start?

A: So far I’ve had two things in my favor—I’ve got a bit of a freakish memory for detail when it comes to writing, and I also have fantastic beta readers who are good at spotting issues. Still, the world has become big and complicated enough that I’ve got someone working on a series bible right now. It’s over a hundred pages by now and should be done by the end of the year.


Q: Who was the harder character to write Aryal or Quentin and why?

Neither character was as hard as I had feared they would be when I started Kinked. Still, Quentin was easier. I felt more confident writing his character, and I felt the stakes were pretty high on getting Aryal’s character right.

　

Q: Was there anything about Aryal that surprised you as her story unfolded?

A: I think I probably had the same experience as a writer that several readers have had so far in reading the book—I was surprised at how much I ended up liking and enjoying her. I wouldn’t want to rush out and befriend a real-life Aryal, but I think she’s pretty cool between the pages, and I’m really looking forward to writing more about her.

　

Q: In the event of an apocalypses (zombie, alien, solar flare or 4 horsemen) which of your characters would you like to team up with?

A: I would absolutely like to team up with Dragos—as long as I was someone he valued, otherwise he might ditch me in a heartbeat.

　

Q: What is next for the Elder Race series?

A: I’m now contracted for books 7-9, so I’m writing Graydon’s story which will be released around August of 2014. The main characters have also been decided for books 8 and 9, and I’m eager to get to those stories!

I also wrote a self-published project, a novella entitled Dragos Takes A Holiday, which releases November 25th. I loved spending time with Dragos and Pia, and their little son Peanut gets his POV debut.

It’s been a pleasure to visit with you. Thanks for having me!

Tempt The Stars by Karen Chance

Being a goddess is a lot less fun than you might think. Especially when you’re only a half goddess, and you only found out about it recently, and you still don’t know what you’re doing half the time. And when you’ve just used your not-so-reliable powers to burglarize the booby-trapped office of a vampire mob boss. Yeah, that part sucks. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Cassandra Palmer, aka the Pythia, the freshly minted chief seer of the supernatural world. After all, Cassie still has to save a friend from a fate worse than death, deal with an increasingly possessive master vampire, and prevent a party of her own acolytes from unleashing a storm of fury upon the world. Totally just your average day at the office, right? This is the first book of hers that I have attempted to read, and I have to say it doesn't motivate me to read another one. Frankly, She lost me in the third chapter. I continued to read it until the end, but the pacing of the book is frenzied and the characters, while fairly well developed, seem out of control of their own lives. Too much back story is needed from the previous book (which I wasn't aware existed when I read this one) to really understand this one. This is definitely not a stand alone book. This book is action-packed. It doesn't slow down once it gets going and so much happens here that I feel like I'm going to have to give it another try because I know I didn't absorb it all. I really enjoy the characters but I do wish the author had added in less action and more emotional/character interaction. I enjoyed learning a wee bit more about Pritkin but I feel like I didn't get to know Cassie very well. It was all "look out", "get him", "save so and so", "must find Pritkin", "where are we and whose body are we in?" and I was exhausted trying to keep up. The love interest between Pritkin and Cassie is lovely and I was glad that the relationship is so strong.. Now she just needs to get it through her head that he's better for her than Mircea. (I just really hate that vampire. I mean really. I'm finding it hard not to express how much I despise that man.) She always seems to have to play these round about power games with the vampire and I believe it's childish for that to happen in a relationship were they supposedly love each other.  I do believe that Karen Chance is really beating the dead horse with this one.  So if you are a Fan of the Cassie Palmer Series this is a book you will like and if you are just starting this series be sure to start with the first book "Touch the Dark".

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan

Pepper has been hopelessly in love with her best friend’s brother, Hunter, for like, ever. He’s the key to everything she’s always craved: Security, stability, family. But she needs Hunter to notice her as more than just a friend. Even though she’s kissed exactly one guy, she has the perfect plan to go from novice to rock star in the bedroom: take a few pointers from someone who knows what he’s doing.

Her college roommates have the perfect teacher in mind. But bartender Reece is nothing like the player Pepper expects. Yes, he’s beyond gorgeous, but he’s also dangerous and deep-with a troubled past. Soon what started as a lesson in attraction is turning both their worlds upside down, and showing them just what can happen when you go past foreplay and get to what’s real…

What an amazing book. I had a blast reading it. I almost wish that it had not ended. The book was so well written that I got lost while reading it, in a good way. The characters were explained in such great detail that you could imagine what they looked like and what they were doing.

There were many great parts of the book. I really liked the part where Pepper is kissing Hunter and she is not feeling the same way as she did when she kissed Reece, it really shows that when you are with the right person it feels good. I also felt scared for Pepper when she went back into the burning house to rescue Jaz the Campbell’s puppy and she fell and was not able to get out and then she heard Reece’s voice and kept going and then he rescued her. I definitely would read this book again.

A Lady Most Lovely by Jennifer Delamere

Tom Poole is a refreshing hero who believes in working for his money but his new found riches lead him to spend time in a society that doesn’t necessarily hold the same beliefs. Tom instantly becomes enamored of the toast of the town, the lovely Margaret Vaughn. Maggie is a socialite heiress engaged to a wealthy gentleman when Tom first becomes acquainted with her and I must say I had a difficult time understanding why he so easily fell for her beyond her physical attributes. I felt she got what she deserved when the farce with her fiancee was revealed. The supporting characters were engaging and even though I did not read the first book it did not hinder my ability to follow the story line  If a sweet historical romance with strong Christian nuances is your cup of tea I think this will be an enjoyable read.

The Arrangement by Mary Balogh

As I long time fan of Mary Balogh I was really looking forward to reading this book and let me tell you I was not disappointed! This is such a sweet story with one of the most dashing heroes I’ve ever come across. Sophia might not be a star of the London Ton but she is so very appealing and I found her to be delightful, as did the hero. 

The lead couple is just so darn likable that I couldn’t help but be engaged by even their most mundane interactions…I loved watching the friendship develop and deepen between these two. The romantic in me believes that no one should marry as a solution to problems but when you go in to the arrangement with your eyes wide open, it’s amazing the possibilities that arise.

 I know that this is another treasure by Ms. Balogh that I will find myself rereading if only to fall under her spell again. And I’m looking forward to more in the series.

A Night Like This by Julia Quinn

On A Night Like This in Regency England, anything can happen, especially when a beautiful pianist sitting in at the annual Smythe-Smith musicale catches the eye of a haunted, hunted man in desperate need of redemption.

Julia Quin has such a clever talent with her witty dialogue and entertaining secondary characters. Her settings are fantastic, I always feel as if she’s set me smack dab in the middle of a fairy tale, where I pleasantly lose myself in the beautiful surroundings and historical details. I love the escapism she provides. The debonair Daniel Smythe-Smith has an interesting back story. Make no wonder Anne Wynter so easily falls under his spell and make no wonder how easily I fell under the spell the author wove with this enchanted story. I will admit that these two were not my favorite pair of all the author’s couples but I loved the humorous moments and I adored Anne’s charges, making this a light and breezy read.

Duke of Midnight by Elizabeth Hoyt

A dashing Duke who dispatches villains while in the pursuit of his parents’ murderer, is definitely a worthy hero. And who is more deserving of such a man than the fearless beauty who stands up to the dreaded Ghost of St. Giles and a peer of the realm. Artemis may be a meek lady’s companion, the poor relation who has no choices but she decides to give in to her adventuress spirit and live with the consequences. 

The entire cast of characters in this story were amazingly entertaining, taking the tale from a simple love story to an epic journey. My favorite was the Duke’s beloved servant. The setting was fantastic adding an element of glamour and grit depending on the exact location, the details transported me with ease and I felt surrounded by the luxury and the squalor. I loved this author’s style and I cannot wait to read the continuing adventures of these characters. 

I really want to see Artemis’s twin get his own happily ever after and Maximus’s sister deserves one as well, thankfully there is no shortage of fabulous people who this author can revisit and I am looking forward to reading about each and every one of them.

Her Vampyrrhic Heart by Simon Clark

Tom Westonby may have lost his wife to a powerful curse, but the war against the ancient evil has barely begun . . .

She will come back to me, Tom Westonby tells himself. We'll be reunited. It has been five years since he's seen his beloved wife, Nicola Bekk. Five years since their wedding day - when he won her hand, but in doing so triggered the curse that has blighted the Bekk family for centuries. Nicola became a vampire, and fled, lest she harm the one she loves the most.

Since then, Tom has lived a remote life in Nicola's ancestral home in the woods, patiently awaiting the return of his vampire bride. But little does he know that someone else is returning to the village - someone who holds great power over the supernatural forces that dwell within it, waiting for revenge.
Soon, Tom will be forced to risk his life - and the lives of those he loves - in the fight against an ancient evil that cannot possibly be beaten . . .

 

This book was ok, it was a very slow start and it slowly got better. The title of the book had me wondering for quite awhile how it fit into the story line, would have loved to hear more about the Bekk family and not so much about Tom. I am still confused over the plot twist of  the other charters in the book.  I am a paranormal junkie and this was more fantasy. The element felt obtuse and forced. And if left me completely confused. I mean it was so fast I had to go back and reread to make sure I had actually read what I read. Not sure if this is still a book about vampires or what.

The romance seemed a little force. It didn't have that build up to a great romance that I was looking for. It was like one minute she did not want to be with Tom the next she wanted to take him down to the floor and have her way with him. I don't know if it was the pacing or what, but it didn't feel real to me.  I think that Simon Clark was trying to write a more romantic book then a gory book. So If you are expecting his more gory vampire books you may want to skip this one.

The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark

For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust.

With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school—a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to seventeenth-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear

 

I didn't realize that it was the third in a series. While I wish I had had the chance to read the first two before reading this one, overall that didn't detract from the rating I gave it. The book did fine as a stand alone novel because it gave enough background to be complete, but not to much to make it boring.

 

In the third piece of this trilogy we see the town banding together to defend itself and stand up for what the town of Fairwick embodies. And it sure embodies a lot! Every imaginable type of mythical/paranormal creature calls this town it’s home and together they must figure out a way to regain a town and college lost to those who would control it and banish/destroy all the others. I loved that there was so many different paranormal creatures, I feel that this is what makes this series a must read.

The writing is beautiful and I love the wonderful small town setting. There is a lot of mythology tied into this story. The faerie tale explored in the most depth is that of Tam Lin.The characters are vivid and emotionally charged, which creates the alternate reality for which many authors only strive. The main character, Cailleach McFay, is strong, brave, and loves with her full heart. She is a hero worthy of the classic epics. The other characters are just as alive as Cailleach, staying with readers even after the tale is finished. Cailleach is not the only character at the forefront, but it is her story and she is telling it.

I have to start off by saying that this was the first time I have read a folklore/fantasy and wow was I impressed. I really wish I had read book 1&2 first but that's okay.  I will be reading them soon.

Juliet Dark/ Carol Goodman has written a book that is  fast moving,interesting & fun characters. I definitely recommend this book.