Thursday 23 February 2012

Review: Halfway to the Grave

Halfway to the Grave [Night Huntress Series #1]
By Jeaniene Frost
Author website

Series order:
Halfway to the Grave #1
One Foot in the Grave #2
At Grave’s End #3
Destined for an Early Grave #4
This Side of the Grave #5
One Grave at a Time #6

Buy from Amazon

From Goodreads:
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.


 Alexia’s Review:
I friggin’ LOVE this book!! Cat and Bones totally rocked my world. Jeaniene Frost has an amazing writing style. The story line is original and epic of note.

Catherine Crawfield (a.k.a Cat) is a kick ass chick that doesn’t take any BS from anybody. She is straight forward, sarcastic, witty and unbelievably strong willed. I love that she stakes first and then introduces herself J Her witty comments had me in a fit of giggles.

Bones… can anyone say – hotness monster on a stick, dipped in sexy and sprinkled with gorgeous? He is absolutely mouth-watering! When I first read about him I thought, “whoa… careful Cat, he’s dangerous”, but as their ‘partnership’ progresses, his true colours come out. He is extremely protective of Cat and will do anything for her. He won’t let anyone or anything stand in his way of having Cat by his side. He is definitely swoon worthy!
 
I am addicted to this series – I just can’t read fast enough. Jeaniene Frost is an amazing author and I’m sorry that I haven’t started reading this series LONG ago! So please excuse me, while I dive into the next instalment, One Foot in the Grave ;)
Delicious – make mine a double

Friday 17 February 2012

Feature & Follow #4

 
Hi peeps…
If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature & Follow is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow is hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read.
 How does this work? Leave a comment on this post so that I can follow you back. I’d really appreciate it if you could follow me via Linky Follower. For more details regarding Feature and Follow have a look at the following websites -
Make sure to follow back if someone follows you! Let’s start spreading some blogger love…
 
Q: BeefcakeandBabes Asks: I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What’s the most unique character name you’ve come across?

A: It has got to be the brothers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood… Rhage, Zsadist, Butch/Dhestroyer, Wrath, Vishous, Phury, Tohrment and John/Tehrror.
 
What unique names have YOU come across?

ARC Review: Air

Air [The Akasha Series #2]
By Terra Harmony
Author website

Series order:
Water #1 – see my review
Air #2 see teaser

From Terra:
She carries more than just elemental powers. In ‘Air’, the sequel to ‘Water’ of the Akasha Series, Kaitlyn has a secret. One she won’t be able to hide much longer.  As the strongest Gaia the planet has ever seen, she must face mankind’s greatest enemy as he campaigns for ‘One Less: Depopulation’. Everything depends on Kaitlyn fully embracing her role as Gaia. Her family. The Seven. The Earth. Something has to give, and it won’t be Kaitlyn.

Alexia’s Review:
Terra Harmony did it again – completely knocked my socks off. Air is the second installment in The Akasha Series and it is action packed to the core.

Kaitlyn dominates in this novel; she really goes all out and pushes herself to the limit. Kaitlyn went through really tough times in the first novel, Water, and I thought that you’d see the ‘scars’ left behind in this novel – but no, she owns it. She is friggin’ kick ass!! I absolutely love her. She is strong willed and super skilled. I admire how she has progressed as an individual.

Micah and Shawn – oh boy, where do I even start? There is a huge feud between the two of them over Kaitlyn. It’s a typical ‘three’s a crowd’ situation. Kaitlyn has so many big choices to make that affect not just her but Shawn and Micah.

I really thought I had the plot figured out but BAM there’s a twist. I fell in love with a character that I despised in the first novel. I couldn’t make up my mind with who the good guys and the bad guys are. It’s 50/50.
 
At some parts I found it a bit slow, but that being said, I still enjoyed every minute of reading. I could not put this book down – I read it within a few hours of receiving it. The ending – holy moly, another major ‘sit on the edge of your seat’ cliffhanger! What an epic ending! I’m REALLY looking forward to reading the next installment – can’t friggin’ wait!
Superb cocktail creation

Sunday 12 February 2012

Review: Meeting Destiny


Meeting Destiny [Destiny #1]
By Nancy Straight

From Goodreads
Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.

A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

Alexia’s Review
What a great story – it sucked me in straight away.

Lauren is this amazingly strong person. She is honest, trustworthy and dependable. I love her!! She has super ‘bad luck’ – there’s always something going on that involves her in some way. Lauren perseveres through all situations that she finds herself in. She’s a real tough cookie! Through all this she has a recurring dream about a man telling her that he is her destiny.

And so we meet Max, the paramedic that swoops in and saves Lauren’s life. She immediately has a connection with him and visa versa. They are such a powerful couple.

Lauren is also ‘semi’ dating her childhood friend, Seth. He is a force of nature on his own. Always there for her, always wanting to protect and care for her. She becomes so accustomed to having him in her life, and them always being together that people assume they are in a relationship, she just never bothers to correct them.

The author takes you on an exciting journey with the characters solving mysteries and making life changing decisions. This novel has humour, romance and action – fabulous read!

I’m not a fan of novels that end with major cliffhangers but I get why it needs to be done… holy moly what an ending!! It leaves you wanting more J

Superb cocktail creation

ARC Review: 31 Flavors


31 Flavors
By Leia Shaw & Cari Silverwood

From 31 Flavors website:
31 Flavors is a book that is heavily based on a true love story. Although the sex scenes are obviously fictionalized much of it really happened. Sidney and Nick are real. This isn’t just another erotic BDSM story. We all felt (Leia, Cari, and Sidney) there was a place for a novel where the readers might draw parallels with their own lives -- a story where idealistic, perfect people did not exist, where mistakes are made, and in particular where the top or Dom is not some godlike creation and the submissive or bottom is just your average girl-next-door.

Many women have a desire or even a craving for BDSM in their relationship with their partners. This story tells how Sidney and Nick’s marriage survived and flourished after they explored BDSM. However, we are all different. Communicating with your partner is the foundation stone needed before anything else should be contemplated.

Sidney volunteered to tell her story. We hope someone out there will benefit from the tale, or at the very least, that some of you shed a few tears and chuckle a few times as well as needing to change your underwear, because it’s one helluva sexy, funny, and romantic story. 

Alexia’s Review
Wow… just wow! This novel is brilliantly written, it is well balanced with humour (at some parts hilarious), saucy sex scenes and genuine life drama. Leia Shaw and Cari Silverwood captured all the emotions that surrounds ‘real life’ so awesomely.

Oh man… I just have to say, I am struggling to put my thoughts into words. This novel completely blew me away! Ok, so here we go again…

I fell in love with the characters and their background stories. Sidney is such a strong woman – she was dealt tough cards in life but in the end she finds herself and pulls through. She’s confident enough to explain to her hubby, Nick, in subtle tones what she wants / needs behind closed doors. Nick is so amazing with her, he doesn’t know much about what Sidney is suggesting they try, but he tries his best to cater for her needs (with a few ups and downs). They meet each other half way.

I friggin’ love how they progress as a couple as well as individuals. They compliment each other in every way.

The authors did an amazing job with this real life story. There were times while reading that I thought “OMG that’s so true”, and there were times that just wanted to jump into the novel and give Sidney a hug and say, “never ever doubt who you are”. I was captured from the get go…
 Superb cocktail creation

Tuesday 7 February 2012

The Iron Maiden Blog Tour

Welcome to The Iron Maiden Blog Tour! Resa Nelson, author of The Dragonslayer Series has stopped by with a guest post, author bio and information about her books…

The floor is yours Resa!

How Research Led Me to Take a Leap of Faith
by Resa Nelson
 
Doing research for my 4-book Dragonslayer series included library research in lots of different areas, plus physical research – I took a course in blacksmithing and courses to learn historically accurate ways to use medieval weapons because my main character is a female blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers. 

When I’m writing a novel or short story, I’ve learned it’s important to follow my intuition.  I depend on it all the time.  I also depend on my intuition when I do research.  I begin by thinking logically.  For example, for my Dragonslayer series it seemed obvious that it would be a good idea to read up on history (focusing on the Middle Ages), weapons, blacksmithing, and accounts of people who reported seeing dragons through history.  I also searched for ways to do physical research to expand my research experience.  By following my instincts, step-by-step, I ended up in at an event that influenced me so much that it changed the ending of Book 1, which had a long-reaching impact on the entire series.

It began when I started reading books about medieval weapons.  Most of the books were excruciatingly boring, but a few stood out as exciting and engaging.  These books were written by Ewart Oakeshott and had been published decades ago.  Oakeshott’s enthusiasm for weapons infected me.  As I read his books, his passion jumped off the page and made me feel excited about weapons, too.  I admired his ability to share his passion about weapons through his writing.  My intuition piped up and wondered if he might still be alive.

So I went to the Internet and did a search for him.  I was happy to discover he was scheduled to speak at an international seminar about medieval and Renaissance weapons in just a few months’ time!  My first thought was that I didn’t have enough money in my budget to go.  After all, the seminar was being held in England, and I live in the United States.  When I added up the airfare, hotel, and other expenses, I didn’t see where the money could come from.

At that time I was a freelance journalist.  The next day one of my editors contacted me and gave me two new assignments, which came as a complete surprise.  I figured out what I’d be making from these assignments – it was exactly the amount I needed to go to the seminar in England.  But there was another obstacle in my way.  I’d been called for jury duty and had to put in a request to postpone it.

While waiting to hear if my request to postpone jury duty would be accepted, I contacted the seminar organizer, told him my situation, and he worked with me to make temporary arrangements in case I could come to the seminar.

Happily, I received approval to postpone jury duty – I was free to go to England!  But there was one more obstacle lurking around the corner.  I went online to book a flight and found one that would work.  But I had problems with online payment – the site wasn’t accepting my method of payment.  After a while I figured out what the problem was and how to fix it.  But by that time someone else had bought the airline ticket I’d wanted.  Even worse, when I searched for new flights, all of the ones I could afford had been snapped up.  Only ridiculously expensive tickets were left.  I felt angry and heartbroken.  Why were there so many things blocking my decision to go to the weapons seminar in England when my intuition kept telling me not to give up and to find a way to get there?  It seemed impossible.  I gave up on the idea of going.

My intuition piped up one more time.  A new thought occurred to me:  why not try the same website early the next morning?  Although I still felt convinced there was no way I could get to England, I set my alarm to go off at 5:00 am.  I dragged myself out of bed, started my computer, and went to the same website to look for a new flight.  Imagine my surprise when I found exactly the flight I wanted at an even better price than what I’d found the day before!  I immediately bought it.

Paying attention to my intuition is one of the most important things I do in life.  But I’m also a believer in not giving up.  After all, as a writer my job is to throw obstacles and problems at my characters all the time – my characters learn and grow from figuring out how to get around obstacles and solve problems.  The obstacles and problems I encounter in my own life help me learn and grow – and give me inspiration for the obstacles and problems I create for my characters!

During this blog tour I’m telling lots of stories about the research I’ve done for my Dragonslayer series.  You can find out where I’ve been and where I’m going next by checking my website, my Facebook page, or following me on Twitter.

If you’d like to sample my work for free, you can download a free “mini” ebook called “Dragonslayer Stories” from my website.  No cost, no obligation, nothing to sign up for, no information gathering.  I like giving away samples of my work so you can decide for yourself whether you like it or not. 

You also can enter to win a copy of the first two books in my series, which I’ll give away at the end of this tour on Feb. 14.  To enter, just send email to ResaBonusGifts@aol.com.  (I won’t keep your email address – this just makes it easier for me to keep track of entries.)  I’m also doing a book giveaway on GoodReads, so you can enter to win there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Synopsis for The Dragonslayer’s Sword [The Dragonslayer Series #1]
For Astrid, a blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers, the emergence of a strange gemstone from her body sets in motion a chain of events that threaten to destroy her life. Her happiness is shattered when her lover--the dragonslayer--disappears without a trace, and the life that she knows and loves implodes without warning.

Astrid lives in a world of shapeshifters whose thoughts have the power to change not only themselves but others. Everything Astrid knows to be true is called into question when she learns the truth about her past and the mysterious family from which she was separated as a child.

Reality turns inside out as Astrid gradually learns the truth about the people she loves as well as those she disdains. With the fate of dragons, ghosts, and slaves in foreign lands resting on her shoulders, Astrid faces the challenge of deciding who she is and how she will stand up inside her own skin. Will she withdraw and hide from the world that has disappointed her so much...or will she rise to lead others to freedom and peace?

See my review here!

Synopsis for The Iron Maiden [The Dragonslayer Series #2]
Astrid is reluctant to travel the winter route beyond the Northlands, even though it’s her duty. She’d rather stay home in her village, surrounded by friends and neighbors. Ignoring the bonds of tradition, she decides to spend the cold winter months in the warmth of her blacksmithing shop. Why should she leave the comfort of her cottage to serve and protect foreigners who might raid and harm her native Northlands?

Everything changes when a traveling merchant steals Starlight, the first dragonslayer’s sword Astrid forged and her last link to her sweetheart DiStephan. Having no time to alert her friends, Astrid races in pursuit of the merchant, determined to reclaim Starlight as her own and return home in time for dinner. Instead, her quest leads her to new lands, unexpected friendships with foreigners, and a harrowing encounter with the damage done by the followers of a new god that considers women as nothing more than servants to men. All the while, she must be ready to face any dragon traveling the winter route.

In Book 2 of the Dragonslayer series, Astrid must learn that deciding who she is isn’t a decision she can make just once. It’s a decision she must make every day.

See my review here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Resa
Resa Nelson has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop.

Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Her first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award, the highest honor in science fiction and fantasy. It was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in a 4-book series. Book 2, The Iron Maiden, was recently published. Book 3 is scheduled for publication in Summer 2012.

Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."

In real life, Resa is a fan of chocolate, travel, summer, museums, ballet, movies, and Broadway musicals (her favorites are Les Miserables and Wicked).  She lives in Massachusetts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Links
- Website – Resa Nelson
- FREE “mini” ebook – Dragonslayer short stories
- Goodreads giveaway – enter here
- Facebook page
- Follow Resa on Twitter
- Ebooks ($4.99 each) are available directly from Mundania Press here (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10) – how freaking cool is that?!
- Paperbacks are available from Mundania Press (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10), Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Friday 3 February 2012

Review: Not An Angel

 Not An Angel [A Poryria Vampire Novel]
By Dawn Chartier

From Goodreads
Kira McCoy wants to die. Losing her husband and daughter tragically left her without hope. Now her disturbed brother-in-law will stop at nothing to have her for himself. All she wants is to find peace, but instead finds herself on top of a bridge ready to end her suffering.

Protector of the Poryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embrace death. Defending humans is not part of the plan, but he cannot stop himself from saving Kira.

Realizing that he shares a special bond with Kira, Trace defies his Queen and rushes into the heart of darkness in order to rescue the woman he loves. Will Kira be able to reach past her own pain to pull them both into the light?

Alexia’s Review
This is one of those ‘OMG’ books – what a compelling novel. The storyline reached out, dug its claws into my mind and refused to let go. I could not put this book down.

The female character, Kira has lost so much in her life. She lost her husband and child thinking that it was all her fault. She has so much hurt and sorrow. There were times that I cried with her. Her brother-in-law wants her – he wants to control her and does everything in his power to get to her. Can I just say… what an alpha male douche bag!! He made me so mad I could scream. Kira realizes what he has planned for her and she finally breaks away from him, at least she tries to…

Along comes Trace – the man of Kira’s dreams. They have this instant connection that just sucks you right in, it makes it impossible to not carry on reading to find out what is about to happen. Trace has lost someone close to him as well. He goes through life just concentrating on his job until he sees Kira, he immediately feels the need to save her and help her – not realizing that together, they will work through their heartaches.

Trace is a hottie of note! Just the type of hero any girl wants to jump in and save the day. He and Kira go through major trials while together, but they always make it out at the top. They are there for each other and they both save each other at some point in the book. Kira is a woman filled with passion and love. She is strong and very admirable. Together they are unstoppable!

This novel had everything from suspense to action to romance and humour. I really enjoyed this book and I will definitely like to read more ofDawn Chartier’s novels.
Superb cocktail creation

Review: The Society of Sinners

The Society of Sinners [The Sinners Series #1]
By Charity Parkerson

From Goodreads
"Evil lives in the dark. We instinctively know this as children."
Nestled high in the mountains...
The quiet community of Jackson Station is where everyone knows your name and...species?

Vampires have existed since almost the beginning of time, but not in the way we have been led to believe. These were not men cursed by the devil but warriors blessed by God to have great strength, agility, and eternal life.
Eternal life came at a price, the price of human blood.

Some chose to live within their own society; The Society of Sinners.
The Society of Sinners is the first in the new sinners series by Charity Parkerson introducing a paranormal world filled with vampires, werewolves, changelings, and a God's greatest warrior.

Alexia’s Review
I really, really, REALLY enjoyed this book. It has a great storyline and is well written. This novel has 5 parts, namely:

Part One – Brandon
Brandon and Stacy’s story starts off with Stacy, Brandon’s neighbour, catching him having a snack on the pizza delivery guy. Apart from Brandon being a one of a kind vampire he is also a stripper – yes, you read right *winks*. He is a mindbender vampire and he can read people’s thoughts as well as control them… Stacy calls him a “mind humping freak”!

During their story you meet a few characters and learn about their mission in life – which can be compared to the back bone of this novel. You’ll hear about these characters throughout the whole novel.

Part Two – Jazz
Jazz’s story was my favourite. He is “Art Assass`i De`u - The Killing God”. He basically gets his ‘assignments’ directly from God. He is always hunted, he has never really known warmth or comfort, he feels no emotion and he has never known love… until he met Cherish.

Cherish has a very sad past, she was a student and one evening after class, she was attacked, murdered (turned into a vampire), raped and kept against her will for 2 years. She finally escapes and now lives a very quiet life, working at a bar. She has always had eyes for Jazz when he comes to the bar for a few drinks on Friday evenings.

They have so much chemistry and such a strong relationship that it was difficult to not fall in love with them.

Part Three – Gabe
Gabe and Taylor’s story was a bit weird but still friggin’ awesome. Their first meeting was extremely steamy. Gabe is a Were and Taylor is mortal. After a few more of those steamy meetings Taylor finds out that her life has changed… in a big way. When Gabe finds out about Taylor’s little secret he makes it his mission in life to make her his wife.

At a very young age Taylor got married and learnt the hard way how life works. She works at the only diner in town and was barely scraping by each month until Gabe came in and saved the day.

This couple went through a lot of ups and downs and eventually they made it work. I lurve the ending to their story!

Part Four – Dominic
Dominic is a Tracker. Dominic and his wife, Mika were separated for a very long time. Their positions within the Society came between them. Mika has suffered and blames herself everyday for allowing that to happen – she is at the point of self loathing.

The very thing that separated them so many years ago brings them back together. Mika’s job required her to betray a friend of hers and that was her last straw. Dominic then realizes what Mika’s position within the Society has done to her throughout all the years and he swoops in and saves her from herself, from her emotional turmoil.

Dominic can hear everyone’s thoughts except for Mika’s. She is the one and only person that he can’t hear. I loved how they found each other again after all those years and how they work through their issues together.

Part Five – Dimitri
I can’t say much about Dimitri’s story without giving too much about Gabe and Taylor’s story. There is no other way to describe Dimitri other than – he is a tortured soul. He is very old and lost his wife. He went over to the dark side for a good couple of years. He has so many issues but he really tries to break away from everything and start anew. He then meets the person that he believes he has waited all his life for. 

Overall… I enjoyed how all five parts of this novel ties into one. I loved all of the main characters / couples in the book! Their stories captured my interest from the get go. This novel has everything in it, from action to steamy romantic scenes to laugh my ass off humour. The male characters are absolutely swoon worthy! This is the first time I’ve read a book written by Charity Parkerson and it’s definitely not the last.
Superb cocktail creation