Dale Ibitz's Blog, page 12
December 10, 2012
Author Feature: Kate Hanney
Today's feature is Kate Hanney, author of YA contemporary fiction.Kate lives in Sheffield in England, and has spent over fourteen years working as a secondary English teacher. She began writing because she wanted to tell people about the kind of lives some young people experience. It soon also became apparent, that her subject matter and style of writing was effective in engaging reluctant readers as well as a more mainstream audience, so that became an additional motivation.
Kate's latest book, Someone Different, is a modern day Romeo and Juliet kind of story.
Two very different backgrounds; two young people who need each other.
When teenagers Jay and Anna are thrown together unexpectedly, their secret love ignites.
But when his world of neglect and youth crime collides with her parents' high expectations for her education and show-jumping success, that love has to battle to stay alive. Will their deep feelings and desperate sacrifices be enough to keep them together, when everything else is pulling them apart?
SOMEONE DIFFERENT is a story of how teenage love struggles to survive when the pressures of parents, prejudice and deprivation get firmly in its way. Set against the contrasting backdrops of an inner-city housing estate and an idyllic country estate, the book takes its readers on a dramatic, compelling and sometimes violent journey, in which the characters' only defence against all of this, is each other.
Grabbing a copy of Someone Different is easy!
http://www.amazon.com/SOMEONE-DIFFERENT-ebook/dp/B00A5W04BI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354101461&sr=8-1&keywords=B00A5W04BI
http://amzn.to/WuPb4
December 9, 2012
Sample Sunday
Today, a sample from one of my own books, Strong Blood, 2nd book in the Last Moon Rising series (YA fantasy).
*****
I gazed into the creamy depths of the stone of power lying heavy in my palm. I had the Air Eyid stone.
Ian, descendant of the Fire Eyid, had the Fire Eyid stone.
Slipping my necklace over my head, I jumped to my feet and paced the length of my room. I’d thought Ian, with his sexy, dark hair, eyes sharp as jade, and a Jersey Boy-jacked body, had been a hall god on Earth. He’d duped me into thinking he liked me, and tried to dupe me into giving him my Air Eyid stone. But his heart was as black as his hair, with a burnt-out, corpse of a soul. I swallowed to lubricate my parched throat. And I, in my pathetic innocence, had almost given him my Eyid stone.
Then he’d revealed his plan to me, a plan that would eliminate the Water Eyid, turn Eyidora into desert, destroy humanity, and devastate all seven globes in the planetary chain. He planned to become a new god in this new Eyidora. And then he tried to kill me. Just because I didn’t agree with him. Just because I refused to let him to destroy Eyidora. Just because I refused to hook up with him.
Now we were working against each other, each trying to find the other two missing Eyid stones before the other. A tremble worked up the backs of my legs and skittered up my spine. I shuddered once, violently, and then took a deep, calming breath. If Ian caught wind of where I was going… and why… My swallow clicked in my throat.
He would hunt me down and kill me.
I straightened, dug my nails into my palm, and lifted my chin.
I’d beat him once. In fact, I came close to killing him. I could beat him again.
It was hard keeping secrets from him, though. The gods weren’t the only ones who could ransack my head while I slept; other Eyid-emos could connect with me through dreamstate as well. And Ian was a constant nightmare, alternating between taunting me about trying to save the globe and trying to persuade me to join him. The guy was numb-nuts crazy.
Still, part of me was glad he wasn’t dead. I’d been called a lot of things — childish, selfish — but I wasn’t a killer, evil soul or not, and I was relieved not to have the weight of murder pressing my chest.
But would the globes be better off if I had killed him?
I didn’t want to think about that. I closed my eyes, and the still-childish part of me longed for my mom. There was one place I could go to feel close to her. I bolted from my room and scurried down the hall. Head down, focused on reaching the Portrait Hall – where I hoped I could sort out my nightmares and insecurities – I rounded the corner and smacked into a very firm, very warm obstruction.
An exotic, coconut scent invaded my head and warmed my veins. My breath evaporated in a tiny gasp, a mental sigh popping like a bubble inside my head. A tongue of electricity caressed my spine, and my stomach muscles spasmed. I didn’t need to lift my gaze to know what I’d just run in to.
Tuggin.
I stepped back. We stared at each other in the cold hallway, and that faint buzz of electricity I felt whenever I came into contact with Tuggin skittered over my body. My conflicted feelings about him battled in my chest, taking a couple of nicks at my heart. While my body initiated a melt-down sequence when I gazed at his ice-blue eyes, longish, dirty-blond hair, and over-all Greek Godiness, my brain registered several shortcomings in the demeanor department. Emotionally he was a void – a zero, a big, fat nothing – and snarkier than a hornet trapped in a used pee cup. Not to mention that he disliked me. Immensely.
His black tunic brushed against muscled arms and wide chest, which narrowed down to a pair of solid hips and long, strong, legs. I bit my lip, trying to not think about what lay beneath those clothes. I tried to douse the heat slipping through my gut, but the flare of nostrils indicated Tuggin had already spied the taint of my infatuation. I sucked my lips between my teeth. Damn, but he was serious hall-god material.
Tuggin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His gaze held the warmth of a glacier and the softness of boulder. I tried to meet him glare for glare, the trickling warmth that had ignited my spine a moment ago icing over.
As my Menta-protecter, Tuggin always knew what I was feeling, and what I was thinking. Mentas were trained to fight, to influence people’s thoughts, and to read emotions. Those powers made them pretty well-suited to protecting Council members and Eyid-emos. That was, of course, before the war had erupted generations ago, and those Council members and Eyid-emos who weren’t killed went into hiding. At that point, the Mentas took control of Eyidora.
Those powers also enabled Mentas to become very adept at assassination.
And Tuggin was dammed good at his job; he’d saved my ass on more than one occasion.
I lifted my chin. I was descendant of the Air Eyid, and I had the same powers as Tuggin. And I was learning to use them. Uncle Sal had been teaching me to block lunta intrusion so that no one could force me to do anything against my will. Hiding my emotions, however, was impossible. My emotions always seemed to erupt, no matter how hard I tried to empty my body of feeling.
Tuggin’s gaze melted down my body like butter, then slid back up, coming to rest on my necklace. Goose bumps collided against my skin. I wrapped my arms over my chest, aware that my nightgown didn’t hide much, and wished I’d at least grabbed a bathrobe. And why hadn’t I used the comb to brush my tangled hair rather than pry the board from my wall?
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
I sighed in response to his lilting voice; an alien, seductive voice that had the power to seduce a nun from her convent. Realizing I was melting, I straightened my spine and lifted my chin. Again.
*****
I gazed into the creamy depths of the stone of power lying heavy in my palm. I had the Air Eyid stone.
Ian, descendant of the Fire Eyid, had the Fire Eyid stone.
Slipping my necklace over my head, I jumped to my feet and paced the length of my room. I’d thought Ian, with his sexy, dark hair, eyes sharp as jade, and a Jersey Boy-jacked body, had been a hall god on Earth. He’d duped me into thinking he liked me, and tried to dupe me into giving him my Air Eyid stone. But his heart was as black as his hair, with a burnt-out, corpse of a soul. I swallowed to lubricate my parched throat. And I, in my pathetic innocence, had almost given him my Eyid stone.
Then he’d revealed his plan to me, a plan that would eliminate the Water Eyid, turn Eyidora into desert, destroy humanity, and devastate all seven globes in the planetary chain. He planned to become a new god in this new Eyidora. And then he tried to kill me. Just because I didn’t agree with him. Just because I refused to let him to destroy Eyidora. Just because I refused to hook up with him.
Now we were working against each other, each trying to find the other two missing Eyid stones before the other. A tremble worked up the backs of my legs and skittered up my spine. I shuddered once, violently, and then took a deep, calming breath. If Ian caught wind of where I was going… and why… My swallow clicked in my throat.
He would hunt me down and kill me.
I straightened, dug my nails into my palm, and lifted my chin.
I’d beat him once. In fact, I came close to killing him. I could beat him again.
It was hard keeping secrets from him, though. The gods weren’t the only ones who could ransack my head while I slept; other Eyid-emos could connect with me through dreamstate as well. And Ian was a constant nightmare, alternating between taunting me about trying to save the globe and trying to persuade me to join him. The guy was numb-nuts crazy.
Still, part of me was glad he wasn’t dead. I’d been called a lot of things — childish, selfish — but I wasn’t a killer, evil soul or not, and I was relieved not to have the weight of murder pressing my chest.
But would the globes be better off if I had killed him?
I didn’t want to think about that. I closed my eyes, and the still-childish part of me longed for my mom. There was one place I could go to feel close to her. I bolted from my room and scurried down the hall. Head down, focused on reaching the Portrait Hall – where I hoped I could sort out my nightmares and insecurities – I rounded the corner and smacked into a very firm, very warm obstruction.
An exotic, coconut scent invaded my head and warmed my veins. My breath evaporated in a tiny gasp, a mental sigh popping like a bubble inside my head. A tongue of electricity caressed my spine, and my stomach muscles spasmed. I didn’t need to lift my gaze to know what I’d just run in to.
Tuggin.
I stepped back. We stared at each other in the cold hallway, and that faint buzz of electricity I felt whenever I came into contact with Tuggin skittered over my body. My conflicted feelings about him battled in my chest, taking a couple of nicks at my heart. While my body initiated a melt-down sequence when I gazed at his ice-blue eyes, longish, dirty-blond hair, and over-all Greek Godiness, my brain registered several shortcomings in the demeanor department. Emotionally he was a void – a zero, a big, fat nothing – and snarkier than a hornet trapped in a used pee cup. Not to mention that he disliked me. Immensely.
His black tunic brushed against muscled arms and wide chest, which narrowed down to a pair of solid hips and long, strong, legs. I bit my lip, trying to not think about what lay beneath those clothes. I tried to douse the heat slipping through my gut, but the flare of nostrils indicated Tuggin had already spied the taint of my infatuation. I sucked my lips between my teeth. Damn, but he was serious hall-god material.
Tuggin leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His gaze held the warmth of a glacier and the softness of boulder. I tried to meet him glare for glare, the trickling warmth that had ignited my spine a moment ago icing over.
As my Menta-protecter, Tuggin always knew what I was feeling, and what I was thinking. Mentas were trained to fight, to influence people’s thoughts, and to read emotions. Those powers made them pretty well-suited to protecting Council members and Eyid-emos. That was, of course, before the war had erupted generations ago, and those Council members and Eyid-emos who weren’t killed went into hiding. At that point, the Mentas took control of Eyidora.
Those powers also enabled Mentas to become very adept at assassination.
And Tuggin was dammed good at his job; he’d saved my ass on more than one occasion.
I lifted my chin. I was descendant of the Air Eyid, and I had the same powers as Tuggin. And I was learning to use them. Uncle Sal had been teaching me to block lunta intrusion so that no one could force me to do anything against my will. Hiding my emotions, however, was impossible. My emotions always seemed to erupt, no matter how hard I tried to empty my body of feeling.
Tuggin’s gaze melted down my body like butter, then slid back up, coming to rest on my necklace. Goose bumps collided against my skin. I wrapped my arms over my chest, aware that my nightgown didn’t hide much, and wished I’d at least grabbed a bathrobe. And why hadn’t I used the comb to brush my tangled hair rather than pry the board from my wall?
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
I sighed in response to his lilting voice; an alien, seductive voice that had the power to seduce a nun from her convent. Realizing I was melting, I straightened my spine and lifted my chin. Again.
December 8, 2012
Book Review: The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancey
The Monstrumologist
by Rick Yancey
Summary (from Goodreads):
These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me. So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was feeding on her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagi--a headless monster that feeds through the mouthfuls of teeth in its chest--and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.
The Monstrumologist is the first stunning gothic adventure in a series that combines the spirit of HP Lovecraft with the storytelling ability of Rick Riorden.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
My Thoughts:
The characterizations of our main peeps, Will Henry and the unforgettable Dr. Warthrop who is so well-written as to be utterly human, is without fault. The Anthropophagi are just downright weird, and vile, and appear to be undefeatable (is that a word??). The often repeated phrase, "Snap to, Will Henry!" became a much-loved and expected mannerism of Dr. Warthrop who, on a genius level, lacks many social graces and emotional entanglements. Poor Will Henry, an orphan boy who is practically enslaved to Dr. Warthrop, views his savior with both love and hate. Excellent.
So, you may be wondering, why only 3.5 stars? Let me tell you.
The book started off very, very slow. While the writing is superb on a technical level, it really dragged for me on an emotional level, especially the first half. It's filled with heavy prose, and gobs of detailed description. I admit, this is a matter of personal preference, so while this writing didn't appeal to me, it will (and does) appeal to many others.
The second half of the book moved at a much quicker pace, with lots of action, mysterious figures, unresolved pasts, and sordid twists. If the entire book had been written in this manner, I would have enjoyed it from start to finish.
by Rick Yancey
Summary (from Goodreads):These are the secrets I have kept. This is the trust I never betrayed. But he is dead now and has been for nearly ninety years, the one who gave me his trust, the one for whom I kept these secrets. The one who saved me . . . and the one who cursed me. So starts the diary of Will Henry, orphan and assistant to a doctor with a most unusual specialty: monster hunting. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. But when one visitor comes with the body of a young girl and the monster that was feeding on her, Will's world is about to change forever. The doctor has discovered a baby Anthropophagi--a headless monster that feeds through the mouthfuls of teeth in its chest--and it signals a growing number of Anthropophagi. Now, Will and the doctor must face the horror threatening to overtake and consume our world before it is too late.
The Monstrumologist is the first stunning gothic adventure in a series that combines the spirit of HP Lovecraft with the storytelling ability of Rick Riorden.
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
My Thoughts:
The characterizations of our main peeps, Will Henry and the unforgettable Dr. Warthrop who is so well-written as to be utterly human, is without fault. The Anthropophagi are just downright weird, and vile, and appear to be undefeatable (is that a word??). The often repeated phrase, "Snap to, Will Henry!" became a much-loved and expected mannerism of Dr. Warthrop who, on a genius level, lacks many social graces and emotional entanglements. Poor Will Henry, an orphan boy who is practically enslaved to Dr. Warthrop, views his savior with both love and hate. Excellent.
So, you may be wondering, why only 3.5 stars? Let me tell you.
The book started off very, very slow. While the writing is superb on a technical level, it really dragged for me on an emotional level, especially the first half. It's filled with heavy prose, and gobs of detailed description. I admit, this is a matter of personal preference, so while this writing didn't appeal to me, it will (and does) appeal to many others.
The second half of the book moved at a much quicker pace, with lots of action, mysterious figures, unresolved pasts, and sordid twists. If the entire book had been written in this manner, I would have enjoyed it from start to finish.
Author Feature: Susanne O'Leary
Today's featured author is Susanne O'Leary. She writes a little romance, she writes a little comedy, and she's got a load of books to her credit.
Susanne O'Leary
Swedish by birth and Irish by marriage, Susanne lives in Ireland and is the published author of four novels. She have lived in Australia, France, Belgium and Holland and her globetrotting experiences are reflected in all her stories.
Susanne's featured book today is Virtual Strangers. Warning: this book contains strong language, so while not necessarily for the young, definitely for the young at heart!
Virtual Strangers
Two complete strangers meet on a train and agree to off their significant others. Sounds familiar? It should be, it's 'Strangers on a Train'. 60 years later, two strangers meet online. A man and a woman - Seabee and Annika - hook up on a wannabe authors' site where they flirt, banter and play around with the notion of dispatching their equally impossible partners. It's all a big literary, intertextual joke, until the weekend when both their partners actually do die in what seems to be unrelated freak accidents – or are they? Seabee and Annika find out in a hurry that cyberspace makes strange bedfellows – and if it's not he nor she who did it – then who has done the killings? The two team up to find out who has hijacked their fantasy and turned it into a bloody real-life.
Authors note: This is the novel where Susanne O'Leary stepped out of her comfort zone (chick-lit and womens contemporary) straight into Ola Zaltin's (crime and post-modern). Like the hero and heroine, they met on a writer's site. Together, they wrote a detective story that merged two writing styles and two ways of thinking into one highly unusual and (we hope) thrilling and enjoyable detective story with a romantic twist.
If you like what you see, don't wait to grab your copy of Virtual Strangers, here, here and here!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45098#longdescr
http://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Strangers-murder-cyberspace-ebook/dp/B004PYDIFG/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353846919&sr=1-10&keywords=susanne+o%27leary
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtual-Strangers-murder-cyberspace-ebook/dp/B004PYDIFG/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353847011&sr=1-7
Susanne O'Leary
Swedish by birth and Irish by marriage, Susanne lives in Ireland and is the published author of four novels. She have lived in Australia, France, Belgium and Holland and her globetrotting experiences are reflected in all her stories.
Susanne's featured book today is Virtual Strangers. Warning: this book contains strong language, so while not necessarily for the young, definitely for the young at heart!
Virtual Strangers
Two complete strangers meet on a train and agree to off their significant others. Sounds familiar? It should be, it's 'Strangers on a Train'. 60 years later, two strangers meet online. A man and a woman - Seabee and Annika - hook up on a wannabe authors' site where they flirt, banter and play around with the notion of dispatching their equally impossible partners. It's all a big literary, intertextual joke, until the weekend when both their partners actually do die in what seems to be unrelated freak accidents – or are they? Seabee and Annika find out in a hurry that cyberspace makes strange bedfellows – and if it's not he nor she who did it – then who has done the killings? The two team up to find out who has hijacked their fantasy and turned it into a bloody real-life. Authors note: This is the novel where Susanne O'Leary stepped out of her comfort zone (chick-lit and womens contemporary) straight into Ola Zaltin's (crime and post-modern). Like the hero and heroine, they met on a writer's site. Together, they wrote a detective story that merged two writing styles and two ways of thinking into one highly unusual and (we hope) thrilling and enjoyable detective story with a romantic twist.
If you like what you see, don't wait to grab your copy of Virtual Strangers, here, here and here!
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/45098#longdescr
http://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Strangers-murder-cyberspace-ebook/dp/B004PYDIFG/ref=sr_1_10?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353846919&sr=1-10&keywords=susanne+o%27leary
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Virtual-Strangers-murder-cyberspace-ebook/dp/B004PYDIFG/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353847011&sr=1-7
December 5, 2012
Book Review: I Am Not A Serial Killer, by Dan Wells
I Am Not A Serial Killer
by Dan Wells
Summary (from Goodreads):
John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.
He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.
He’s obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.
Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.
Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.
Dan Wells’s debut novel is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.
My Rating: 4 Stars
My Thoughts:
The premise of this book is chilling, and the characters realistic, the setting utterly believable. You have a kid who knows he's a sociopath, his doctor knows he's a sociopath, his family knows he's a sociopath. But what what John knows best is that he doesn't want to become a serial killer. He's got all the signs; instead of letting his psyche choose his path, he takes matters into his own hands and sets rules for himself, rules that he hopes will stop him from becoming a serial killer.
Except, he loves serial killers. He loves dead bodies. He loves working in the mortuary with his mom. But despite his strange behavior and longings, he is well on the road to remaining somewhat normal on the outside, because of his rules.
He starts breaking rules when someone he knows is in danger from a real serial killer. The problem is, is that once he starts letting his guard down and giving in to his darker tendencies in order to save someone from getting killed, is that he enjoys giving in to his darker side.
This is a very well-written book. What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is that John is, well, not all that likeable. It's kind of hard to root for him because he doesn't really feel anything for anyone deep down, he's just going through the motions, because of course, he's just not normal.
by Dan Wells
Summary (from Goodreads):John Wayne Cleaver is dangerous, and he knows it.
He’s spent his life doing his best not to live up to his potential.
He’s obsessed with serial killers, but really doesn’t want to become one. So for his own sake, and the safety of those around him, he lives by rigid rules he’s written for himself, practicing normal life as if it were a private religion that could save him from damnation.
Dead bodies are normal to John. He likes them, actually. They don’t demand or expect the empathy he’s unable to offer. Perhaps that’s what gives him the objectivity to recognize that there’s something different about the body the police have just found behind the Wash-n-Dry Laundromat---and to appreciate what that difference means.
Now, for the first time, John has to confront a danger outside himself, a threat he can’t control, a menace to everything and everyone he would love, if only he could.
Dan Wells’s debut novel is the first volume of a trilogy that will keep you awake and then haunt your dreams.
My Rating: 4 StarsMy Thoughts:
The premise of this book is chilling, and the characters realistic, the setting utterly believable. You have a kid who knows he's a sociopath, his doctor knows he's a sociopath, his family knows he's a sociopath. But what what John knows best is that he doesn't want to become a serial killer. He's got all the signs; instead of letting his psyche choose his path, he takes matters into his own hands and sets rules for himself, rules that he hopes will stop him from becoming a serial killer.
Except, he loves serial killers. He loves dead bodies. He loves working in the mortuary with his mom. But despite his strange behavior and longings, he is well on the road to remaining somewhat normal on the outside, because of his rules.
He starts breaking rules when someone he knows is in danger from a real serial killer. The problem is, is that once he starts letting his guard down and giving in to his darker tendencies in order to save someone from getting killed, is that he enjoys giving in to his darker side.
This is a very well-written book. What keeps me from giving it 5 stars is that John is, well, not all that likeable. It's kind of hard to root for him because he doesn't really feel anything for anyone deep down, he's just going through the motions, because of course, he's just not normal.
December 3, 2012
Book Review: The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5), by Gena Showalter
The Darkest Passion
by Gena Showalter
Summary (from Goodreads)
For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?
With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...
My Rating: 5 Stars!
My Thoughts:Ok, Gena's Lord of the Underworld series always rock. They're always suspenseful, they're always hawt, they're always sexy, and they never disappoint.
This book is no different.
While Aeron wasn't the Lord I Most Wanted To Read about, there is a lot of intrigue in this story. I loved Olivia, the fallen angel who basically just falls for her man. She's sweet and good and tries so hard to be a bad girl. She wants to experience everything, but there are some angels who want her back, especially away from that naughty Lord.
And Aeron, whose demon is wrath, is anything but good. He can sense the bad things that people have done, and he needs to punish them. Aeron has been pretty battered in some of these past books, because of his demon, so it's nice to see him get a little love.
But that love comes from all directions! It's more than one Lord can handle.
But what is really twisty in this book is Legion, Aeron's little demon friend. She's quite naughty in this book, and I was burning up the pages trying to see how Gena was going to end it, because let me tell you, as I was reading I could see no easy solution or good way to end it.
I was right. It wasn't easy, and it doesn't end well for everyone.
If you like dark, sexy, erotic paranormal, this series is a must-read, and this book doesn't fail to deliver the goods.
by Gena Showalter
Summary (from Goodreads)For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for - Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion?
With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't...
My Rating: 5 Stars!My Thoughts:Ok, Gena's Lord of the Underworld series always rock. They're always suspenseful, they're always hawt, they're always sexy, and they never disappoint.
This book is no different.
While Aeron wasn't the Lord I Most Wanted To Read about, there is a lot of intrigue in this story. I loved Olivia, the fallen angel who basically just falls for her man. She's sweet and good and tries so hard to be a bad girl. She wants to experience everything, but there are some angels who want her back, especially away from that naughty Lord.
And Aeron, whose demon is wrath, is anything but good. He can sense the bad things that people have done, and he needs to punish them. Aeron has been pretty battered in some of these past books, because of his demon, so it's nice to see him get a little love.
But that love comes from all directions! It's more than one Lord can handle.
But what is really twisty in this book is Legion, Aeron's little demon friend. She's quite naughty in this book, and I was burning up the pages trying to see how Gena was going to end it, because let me tell you, as I was reading I could see no easy solution or good way to end it.
I was right. It wasn't easy, and it doesn't end well for everyone.
If you like dark, sexy, erotic paranormal, this series is a must-read, and this book doesn't fail to deliver the goods.
December 2, 2012
Author Feature: Louise Wise
Today I'm featuring author Louise Wise. She doesn't write just chick lit, she writes dark chik lit. Come on, that has to appeal to some of you pretties! (Dale stands, waves)
Louise Wise
Louise Wise lives in England with her husband and four children - all boys. So is it any wonder she took to writing fiction and blogging? Her habit has reduced her to living in a small room at the back of the house, tapping out romantic fiction on her pink (something had to be pink!) laptop and spotlighting/interviewing other authors on her blog.
She emerges for coffee at regular intervals during the day, and slopes off to Real Work at a busy pharmacy several days a week which helps pay for her addiction to writing.
She rarely washes. And doesn't like to be disturbed. But she'll make allowances if you come bearing gifts of vodka and chocolate.
Louise's latest? The Fall of the Misanthrope: I bitch, therefore I am. (Now *that's* a title!)
Valerie Anthrope learned, from a young age, to hold tight to her emotions. Her days are spent keeping people at arm's length, but while she has conceded her nights will be forever haunted by disturbing dreams her life isn't prepared for the bubbly and assertive Ellen, who believes she's been put on this earth to help everyone she encounters. Ellen introduces Valerie to the sexy, but equally upbeat, playboy Lex Kendal.
Valerie's not interested. Lex is and pursues Valerie. Then Valerie's dreams become more sinister until, finally, she learns why. A modern Cinderella with Valerie's emotions playing the ugly sisters, Ellen enacting the fairy godmother, Lex Kendal playing a flirty Prince Charming and instead of a glass slipper, furry Boots. Can Lex win her before her dreams, AKA midnight, strike?
Time to grab your copy of The Fall of the Misanthrope!http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fall-Misanthrope-therefore-ebook/dp/B008ATGF4I/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353781960&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/The-Fall-Misanthrope-therefore-ebook/dp/B008ATGF4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353782039&sr=1-1&keywords=louise+wise
Louise WiseLouise Wise lives in England with her husband and four children - all boys. So is it any wonder she took to writing fiction and blogging? Her habit has reduced her to living in a small room at the back of the house, tapping out romantic fiction on her pink (something had to be pink!) laptop and spotlighting/interviewing other authors on her blog.
She emerges for coffee at regular intervals during the day, and slopes off to Real Work at a busy pharmacy several days a week which helps pay for her addiction to writing.
She rarely washes. And doesn't like to be disturbed. But she'll make allowances if you come bearing gifts of vodka and chocolate.
Louise's latest? The Fall of the Misanthrope: I bitch, therefore I am. (Now *that's* a title!)
Valerie Anthrope learned, from a young age, to hold tight to her emotions. Her days are spent keeping people at arm's length, but while she has conceded her nights will be forever haunted by disturbing dreams her life isn't prepared for the bubbly and assertive Ellen, who believes she's been put on this earth to help everyone she encounters. Ellen introduces Valerie to the sexy, but equally upbeat, playboy Lex Kendal.
Valerie's not interested. Lex is and pursues Valerie. Then Valerie's dreams become more sinister until, finally, she learns why. A modern Cinderella with Valerie's emotions playing the ugly sisters, Ellen enacting the fairy godmother, Lex Kendal playing a flirty Prince Charming and instead of a glass slipper, furry Boots. Can Lex win her before her dreams, AKA midnight, strike?
Time to grab your copy of The Fall of the Misanthrope!http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fall-Misanthrope-therefore-ebook/dp/B008ATGF4I/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353781960&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/The-Fall-Misanthrope-therefore-ebook/dp/B008ATGF4I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353782039&sr=1-1&keywords=louise+wise
November 30, 2012
Author Feature: Catherine Kirby
Today's featured author is Catherine Kirby.
Writing has always been a passion for me. I started with short stories, poems and haikus and finally found myself writing a novel. It was exciting to see it grow and take shape. I had no idea where the story would take me. I just found my starting point and followed the muse. The research was fascinating, time consuming but absorbing. Once I reached those magical words 'The End', I was overjoyed. Then the real work of editing and rewriting began. Once I'd finished my first novel, I was keen to write another. My novels do not follow the same genre but do deal with the intricacies of relationships - what makes them go wrong and what, if anything, can save them from destruction. I hope my readers will enjoy the results.
Catherine's latest work is Sari Caste.
A courageous voyage through destitution, intrigue and murder. Manasa is abandoned by the man she should marry. He marries her sister instead. Meanwhile Manasa finds herself pregnant with his child. She flees her Bengali village wondering where to go. Eventually, she finds herself wandering the streets of Calcutta. Without money or food, life is a daily struggle. Finally, she is taken on by a brothel. She is desperately unhappy until she meets a different sort of man. This man she marries in secret and together they plan her escape from the brothel. Murder, corruption, and intrigue threaten to swallow up the new life they attempt to establish in the beautiful hill country of Darjeeling.
Like it? Here's where you can grab Sari Caste:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sari-Caste-ebook/dp/B0068621V6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1325616377&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Sari-Caste-ebook/dp/B0068621V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=13264774
Writing has always been a passion for me. I started with short stories, poems and haikus and finally found myself writing a novel. It was exciting to see it grow and take shape. I had no idea where the story would take me. I just found my starting point and followed the muse. The research was fascinating, time consuming but absorbing. Once I reached those magical words 'The End', I was overjoyed. Then the real work of editing and rewriting began. Once I'd finished my first novel, I was keen to write another. My novels do not follow the same genre but do deal with the intricacies of relationships - what makes them go wrong and what, if anything, can save them from destruction. I hope my readers will enjoy the results.
Catherine's latest work is Sari Caste.
A courageous voyage through destitution, intrigue and murder. Manasa is abandoned by the man she should marry. He marries her sister instead. Meanwhile Manasa finds herself pregnant with his child. She flees her Bengali village wondering where to go. Eventually, she finds herself wandering the streets of Calcutta. Without money or food, life is a daily struggle. Finally, she is taken on by a brothel. She is desperately unhappy until she meets a different sort of man. This man she marries in secret and together they plan her escape from the brothel. Murder, corruption, and intrigue threaten to swallow up the new life they attempt to establish in the beautiful hill country of Darjeeling.
Like it? Here's where you can grab Sari Caste:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sari-Caste-ebook/dp/B0068621V6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1325616377&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Sari-Caste-ebook/dp/B0068621V6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=13264774
Author Feature: Shaun Allen
Today's featured author is
Shaun Allan
. Get to know Shaun a little better!A writer of many prize winning short stories and poems, Shaun Allan has written for more years than he would perhaps care to remember. Having once run an online poetry and prose magazine, he has appeared on Sky television to debate, against a major literary agent, the pros and cons of internet publishing as opposed to the more traditional method. Many of his personal experiences and memories are woven into Sin's point of view and sense of humour although he can't, at this point, teleport.
And Shaun's latest?
Dark Places
I am Death. I know who you are...
There is darkness and madness in each of us. We must do battle with our own demons.
But...
What if those demons opened the door in the back of your mind and stepped out. What if they became real? If the night, the shadows, the reflections and Death himself walked among us? And what if they were watching you? Waiting? Thirsting...?
Dark Places. Thirteen stories. Thirteen poems.
To grab a copy of Dark Places, go here:http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Places-ebook/dp/B009O51FZ6/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Places-ebook/dp/B009O51FZ6
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/243758
Thirteen doorways.
November 26, 2012
Author Feature: Pam Howes
Today I'm spotlighting author Pam Howes. If you like some sensual romance, you should check her out!
Pam Howes was born in Cheshire, UK. She is a retired Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.That first novel evolved into a series, three books now published. The first, Three Steps to Heaven, is the tale of rock'n'roll band, The Raiders, and their lives and loves. The sequel, 'Til I Kissed You, featuring the same characters, is set in the eighties. This book sees the reformation of The Raiders after a spell of retirement. Always On My Mind, set in 2001,is a further tale of love, betrayal and music. Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write her series. She has three adult daughters, seven grandchildren and lives in leafy Cheshire. As well as writing novels she writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published. She's a member of on-line peer review group You Write On and a part-time roadie to her partner. She much prefers writing to curtain-making as no ladders are involved. A stand-alone true-life romance, Fast Movin' Train is now available.
Fast Movin' Train
Interior Designer Mandy Radcliffe runs a thriving business. Her husband is married to his job and her three daughters are adults with lives of their own. Anyone observing would assume they were a happy and successful middle-class family. Then a phone call and a declaration of love leads Mandy into a secret affair that turns her well ordered life upside down.
Pick up your copy of Fast Movin' Train today:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fast-Movin-Train-ebook/dp/B007748KUO/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328782620&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007748KUO/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_i0NHqb0AH85GT
Pam Howes was born in Cheshire, UK. She is a retired Interior Designer who loves creating stories, but only started writing seriously about twelve years ago. The idea for her first novel, set in the sixties, came from her time as a teenager, working in a local record store and hanging round with the musicians who frequented the business.That first novel evolved into a series, three books now published. The first, Three Steps to Heaven, is the tale of rock'n'roll band, The Raiders, and their lives and loves. The sequel, 'Til I Kissed You, featuring the same characters, is set in the eighties. This book sees the reformation of The Raiders after a spell of retirement. Always On My Mind, set in 2001,is a further tale of love, betrayal and music. Pam is a big fan of sixties music and it's this love and the support and encouragement of her musician partner that compelled her to write her series. She has three adult daughters, seven grandchildren and lives in leafy Cheshire. As well as writing novels she writes short stories, which have appeared in charity anthologies and online e-zines, and poems, many of which are published. She's a member of on-line peer review group You Write On and a part-time roadie to her partner. She much prefers writing to curtain-making as no ladders are involved. A stand-alone true-life romance, Fast Movin' Train is now available.Fast Movin' Train
Interior Designer Mandy Radcliffe runs a thriving business. Her husband is married to his job and her three daughters are adults with lives of their own. Anyone observing would assume they were a happy and successful middle-class family. Then a phone call and a declaration of love leads Mandy into a secret affair that turns her well ordered life upside down. Pick up your copy of Fast Movin' Train today:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fast-Movin-Train-ebook/dp/B007748KUO/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328782620&sr=1-5
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007748KUO/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_i0NHqb0AH85GT
