Cover Love Thursday! #5 - Cameo the Assassin by Dawn McCullough-White

I was struck by two thoughts when I first saw this cover:  This is historical and this is paranormal.  The parchment with the old fashioned script screamed historical to me but the white eye immediately told me there was something a little on the darker and fantastical side about this book.  I haven't read it yet but as far as I can tell from the descriptions I've found, both historical and paranormal apply to this book.  That eye is totally mesmerizing and grabs me every time I see it.

Cameo the Assassin  by Dawn McCullough-White

Smashwords / Amazon

Goodreads

The Kingdom of Sieunes is rife with taverns, dirty streets, and clay pipe smoking citizens all toiling to feed their families and keep themselves in something little better than rags. With a foiled revolution just ten years prior still burning in the hearts of many, the royals enlist the aid of assassins to keep things in order.

The townsfolk entertain themselves by dreaming of better times to come and regaling in stories of the undead said to walk the graveyards at night... and of Cameo the killer with corpse-like eyes... Scarred and jaded Cameo is one of the most effective assassins in the employ of the Association, moving from one mission to the next as long as the alcohol keeps flowing.

Her acceptance of the murder-for-hire lifestyle is thrown into doubt when she meets a local highwayman with a penchant for fine clothes and women, and then she begins to think about breaking with the company but no one ever breaks with the Association under good terms.

~~~~~

Hop on over to Goodreads and show your love...cover love that is!  Click the link below and add your favorite indie paranormal over art then vote for your favorites.  (Anyone can view but Goodreads membership needed to vote... it's free!).

Indie Books - Paranormal Cover Love

Vote on your favorite Indie Book Cover Art

~~

While you are there, check out the other list for voting on your favorite PNR/UF indie books.  A great way to recommend your favorites to other readers and find some new awesome books to read for yourself. Both links are on the left sidebar too.  

Indie Books - Paranormal Fiction
Vote for and Recommend your favorite PNR/UF Indie Books

Weekly meme hosted by Indie Paranormal Book Reviews

Got some cover lovin' going on?  Share a link to it in the comments and tell us why you love it :)

Contest Alert! Win a copy of Heroes 'Til Curfew by Susan Bischoff

Where's Dylan?

Help Susan Bischoff find a cover image of her main character, Dylan, for the next Talent Chronicles book cover.  Winner gets a copy of her next book, Heroes 'Til Curfew.  This sounds like a fun contest.  Hey, if you are going to waste time surfing the net, might as well do it looking for pictures of cute guys! :)

Check out Susan's website for all the details of the contest.  This contest runs until the cover is finalized.

Teaser Tuesday! #3 - Sept 28, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

~~~~~

My Tuesday Teaser this week is from Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson

Smashwords / Kindle

Stay tuned later this week for a review of Flaming Dove, a Dark Fantasy of Angels and Demons

 

Page 46

She glared at him, baring her fangs. "I work for no one. I do not serve Heaven and I never will.  Heaven is your domain, Michael.  I'll even give you Earth once I take over Hell.  Hell is mine, and I serve no one..."

~~~~~

Do you have a teaser to share?  PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

 

Review & Ebook Giveaway: Hush Money by Susan Bischoff

Title:  Hush Money
Author:  Susan Bischoff
Genre:  YA Fantasy/Supernatural Powers
Formats:  ebook, paperback
Publication Date: August 2010
Word Count: approx. 50,000 (short novel)
Page count on Sony Reader:  142 (story only), 168 (with extras)
Print Length: 192 Pages
Source:  ebook provided by author 

Talent Chronicles, Book 1

Description from Goodreads: 
They call their abilities Talents, and that’s what they call themselves as well. Talents are people born with supernatural powers, feared by the population at large. Possession of an “unregistered ability” has become illegal, and those who are discovered are forcibly removed to government-run research facilities. For Talents, keeping their secret is the most important thing in their lives. For some, that need for secrecy begins to define who they are.

That’s how it is for Joss, a high school girl who does everything in her power to go unnoticed. She's incredibly bright, but strives to maintain grades that are good yet not too good. She doesn't participate in school activities, keeps quiet in class, eats by herself. Despite her longtime crush on Dylan, she wouldn't even think about trying to talk to him. Joss doesn't make friends of any kind, because friends can draw attention, friends can make you slip up, friends can make things complicated.

When new girl, Kat, steps in to rescue Joss from an uncomfortable situation with Marco, the class jerk, she doesn’t realize what she’s getting into, and it blows up in her face. Joss finds herself torn between a desire to do the right thing, to find some way to help a girl who was kind to her; and her need to mind her own business and fade into. For the first time, Joss begins to question the way she operates, and starts to long for connections with other people--especially a connection with Dylan, who's finally starting to talk to her.

But what's up with Dylan's sudden interest? As Marco’s best friend, can he be trusted at all?

It's bad enough when a girl's got to worry about friends, boys, over-protective dads, and shoes that pinch, but when you throw in blackmail, government agents with guns, and really annoying little sisters...that's just about too much to handle, even for a girl with an ass-kicking superpower.

*****

My Review: 
I have one word for this book...awesome!  I loved everything about it--the voice, the story, the writing style, the dialogue, and the characters. All were great.  I really can’t think of anything I didn’t like. 

The writing style and voice of this story grabbed me from the beginning. The teenage dialogue was fantastic and believable with just the right amount of snark.  The characters were flawed but very likeable and fleshed out.  You can see how Dylan and Jocelyn (Joss) grow and change throughout the story, both personally and in their relationship to each other.

The story narration switches back and forth between the first person point-of-view of the two main characters, Joss and Dylan.  Each section where the POV switches begins with the character’s name and that was very helpful to keep focus on which character was narrating. I really enjoy the dual POV as it allows me to see how each character interprets what is going on in the story. 

The plot moved along swiftly and was paced well with plenty of action and interaction between the characters.  It kept my interest and I didn’t want to put it down. 

I did sort of wonder if there is a reason for all these kids to have special powers. Usually there is something that triggers a superhero power like Spiderman getting bitten by a spider or the Incredible Hulk with the gamma waves.  I also wondered why there is such a large concentration of Talents in this particular area.  Hmmm… hopefully all will be revealed eventually in future books.  I really look forward to seeing more of Joss and Dylan’s growing relationship and the adventures of the whole “Talented” gang.  Though the story arc for this particular book was mostly wrapped up at the end, there are definitely some unresolved issues and a little cliffhanger action going on that will make you eager for the next book, Heroes ‘Til Curfew.

If you like YA fiction with a superhero type theme (think Heroes TV show or X-Men movies) and a wee bit of romance then I highly recommend giving this book a try. 

Rating:  5 – I LOVED IT!

Typos found: 1 (count adjusted as new version recently released with typos fixed)

*****

This book is available in both paperback and ebook.  You can find Susan Bischoff on the web at:
Blog: http://www.susan-bischoff.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susan_bischoff
Facebook: Susan's Facebook Page
Goodreads: Susan's Author Page

Get the book!  Smashwords, Kindle, Paperback  
(as of this posting the ebook is only .99 cents on Smashwords and .89 cents on Kindle! Totally awesome deal!  Heck, you can't even get a cheap cup of coffee for that!) 

Read an excerpt! http://susan-bischoff.com/talent-chronicles/hush-money/

And now for the book giveaway!!

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

The random.org gawds have spoken and the winner of an ebook copy of Hush Money is...

arceli

(Confirmed!)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Susan is giving away one EBOOK of Hush Money to one lucky commenter.  Winner will receive a Smashwords coupon code for a free download in the format of their choice (.mobi / .epub / .pdf / .rtf  / .lrf / .pdb)

Deadline for entering this giveaway is Friday, October 1st, 10:00 PM (EST). Winner will be announced here and will be notified by email.  Winner has 48 hours to reply before another winner is chosen.

1 entry for answering the following question and leaving your email addy in comments. (No email = No entry)

If you could have a superpower what would it be? 

EXTRA ENTRIES:  Do as many of these as you want - the more you do, the more entries you get! 

**Please put all entries into one post**

+1 Be a follower of this blog (new or old) via Google Friend Connect
+1 Be a follower of Susan Bischoff's blog by email or RSS: http://susan-bischoff.com/
+1 Sign up for the Indie Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Newsletter:  http://www.indieurbanfantasy.com/contact/contact.html
+1 Read this excerpt from Hush Money and tell me something about Joss.
+1 Vote on the poll at the top of left sidebar "Do ebook covers really matter?"
+1 Share this Giveaway on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or other social network - 1 point per site.  Come back here and leave the link(s).
+3 Choose ONE of the following and leave a link where it can be found. (only one 3-point entry per person)

• Add this giveaway to your blog's sidebar.
• Do a quick shout out for this book or the giveaway on your blog.
• For Non-Bloggers: comment about this giveaway in any appropriate forum at Goodreads,  LibraryThing, or other book related forum.

+1 Add up your points for me! (Don't forget the initial entry and this one).

Good luck everybody! :)

Friday Finds: Freebies & Bargains

Friday Finds is a way to share good deals for indie paranormal books I find online.  All Friday Finds are priced from Free ~ $3.00 and an awesome deal for the word count.

Books listed in Friday Finds have not been reviewed unless noted below.  Click on the cover to go to Smashwords to get more info and download a sample.  

Prices can change at any time so get it while the gettin' is good! :)

The Rhine Maiden
Erin Evans
$0.99 /  Word Count: 75,770

 

The Second Half of Life
Sionna Cailey
$0.99 / Word Count: 63,713







The Hunger
Ciana Stone (Syneca Featherstone)
$1.00 / Word Count: 94,133








Blood in the Marsh
Ciana Stone (Syneca Featherstone)
$1.00 / Word Count: 108,464

A Matter of Trust
Ciana Stone (Syneca Featherstone)
$1.00 / Word Count: 101,897 










Clea: The Lost Fury Chronicles
The Otherworld
Brenda McCreight
$1.99 / Word Count: 67,750








Immortal
Lauren Burd
$1.99 / Word Count: 79,070










Bound by Blood
Kimberly Hoyt/Danielle Bourdon
$2.99 / Word Count: 110,840

~~~~~~~

Authors:  if you have a special deal, sale, or discount code available, let me know and I'll post it on the next Friday Finds.  Must be $3 or under after discount. Note expiration date if it is time limited.

Contest! Win $100 Gift Certificate to Oberon Designs

LK Rigel is giving away a $100 Gift Certificate to Oberon Designs.  Entry deadline is October 2nd.  Contest rules and entry form located on LK's blog.

Cover Love Thursday! #4 - To Kill a Warlock by HP Mallory

I have to admit when I first saw this cover and the cover from HP's other book, Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble, pop up on Smashwords, I immediately zeroed in on it.  I knew they were right up my alley.  See cover, want book, add to cart, happy camper!  Okay, I admit I did go through the motions of reading the description and checking word count, etc., but it was more of a formality. The cover told me what I wanted to know!  Gotta love that and the price was right.  "Houston, we have lift-off!"   How on earth can people think covers don't matter?  Gah!

I'm happy to say that my judge-a-book-by-the-cover mojo was spot on!  When I read Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble I got exactly what I expected from the cover.  I'm really looking forward to reading To Kill a Warlock (I just gotta squeeze it in somewhere).  I think the cover had a makeover recently and though I like some of the changes, I still prefer this version overall. 

To Kill a Warlock by HP Mallory

Smashwords / Amazon

Goodreads

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie.

Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full.

As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.

~~~~~

Hop on over to Goodreads and show your love...cover love that is!  Click the link below and add any great indie cover art then vote for your favorites.  (Anyone can view but Goodreads membership needed to vote... it's free!).

Indie Books - Paranormal Cover Love

Vote on your favorite Indie Book Cover Art

~~

While you are there, check out the other list for voting on your favorite PNR/UF indie books.  Both links are on the left sidebar too.  

Indie Books - Paranormal Fiction
Vote and Recommend your favorite PNR/UF Indie Books

Weekly meme hosted by Indie Paranormal Book Reviews

Got some cover lovin' going on?  Share a link to it in the comments and tell us why you love it :)

Review: Out of Time by Monique Martin

Title: Out of Time
Author: Monique Martin
Genre: Time Travel Romance/Paranormal
Format: ebook
Publication Date: 2010
Word Count: approx. 97,754 (Novel)
Page count on Sony Reader: 226
Source:  Ebook version provided by author




Description: 
When a mysterious accident sends Professor Simon Cross and his assistant, Elizabeth West, back in time to 1920s New York, they find it's more than a the world of Prohibition and speakeasies. It's a world where the underground is run by the underworld, and where vampires and mobsters vie for power in the seedy underbelly of Jazz Age Manhattan.

As a professor of the occult, Simon's life was a ritual of research and stoic solitude until he met Elizabeth West. A gambler's daughter, Elizabeth knows a bluff when she sees one. Behind Simon's icy glares and nearly impenetrable armor beats the heart of a man in desperate need of love.

Simon spent his life searching for vampires and now that he's found one, it just might take from him the only woman he's ever loved. Together they fight demons real and imagined, as trials of murder, intrigue and danger push Simon and Elizabeth together and pull them apart.

Out of Time is an award-winning story of love and redemption.

*****

My Review: 
After reading the description above I expected to experience a world, or underworld that is, chock full of 1920’s style vampires and demons.  Actually, there was only one vampire in this story and you really don’t see much of him until about half way through the book.  The main focus of the story is really the romance between Simon and Elizabeth with themes of love (of course!) and redemption.

The time travel part of the story happens very early in the book…I liked that.  Simon and Elizabeth are unexpectedly thrown into a situation where they must depend on each other to find a way home. Each of them has feelings for the other that are not outwardly evident.  Elizabeth thinks that Simon, who is 20 years her senior, has no interest in her. Simon feels an attraction to Elizabeth but has spent years building a wall around his emotions. The prescient nightmares of Elizabeth’s death certainly didn’t help. Little does he know that Elizabeth will find the crack in his wall, and when they are thrown together into 1920s NYC, that wall will start to crumble.

Simon and Elizabeth are very likeable characters and the romance between them is a slow waltz through the first half of the book.  The romantic tension builds and builds until a final confrontation pushes them both towards each other and Simon’s wall finally comes tumbling down. 

You don’t really see much of the lone vampire that makes up the paranormal aspect of the story until halfway through the book.  Because of this I think the first half of the book was paced a little slower than the second half.  I would like to have seen a little more action in the first half, but I enjoyed the growing romance between Simon and Elizabeth. This carried me through to the second half of the book where more of the intrigue and suspense take over when it becomes evident that vampires actually exist and one in particular has more than a passing interest in Elizabeth.

I was immediately comfortable with the writing style and the dialogue felt natural, not forced. The only point of contention I had is that Simon, who is British, and a secondary character who is an Irish priest, didn’t sound British and Irish in my head.  I would like to have had a little more “accent” in the dialogue and characterization to really round out their characters. Simon would come out with a “Bloody Hell!” or “Bugger!” occasionally but he still had an American accent in my head. 

Out of Time is primarily a time travel romance with a little history, a little intrigue, and a paranormal twist.  It also turned out to be quite enjoyable!  I look forward to seeing what Monique Martin has for us in the future :)

Rating: 4 – I Really Liked It

Typos found: 7

*****

You can find Monique Martin on the web at:
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/_MoniqueMartin_
Goodreads: Monique's Author Page

Get the book!  Kindle, Smashwords

Cover Love Thursday! #3 - Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson

Awesome cover!  When I first saw this cover, it grabbed my attention immediately and I knew I wanted to read it.  Luckily, I will be digging into it soon for a review here on the blog!  I'll be eager to see if the story ends up being what I expect from the cover.  Yes, I'm a total judge the book by the cover kinda gal ;) 

Flaming Dove by Daniel Arenson

Outcast from Hell. Banished from Heaven. Lost on Earth.

The battle of Armageddon was finally fought... and ended with no clear victor. Upon the mountain, the armies of Hell and Heaven beat each other into a bloody, uneasy standstill, leaving the Earth in ruins. Armageddon should have ended with Heaven winning, ushering in an era of peace. That's what the prophecies said. Instead, the two armies--one of angels, one of demons--hunker down in the scorched planet, lick their wounds, and gear up for a prolonged war with no end in sight.

In this chaos of warring armies and ruined landscapes, Laila doesn't want to take sides. Her mother was an angel, her father a demon; she is outcast from both camps. And yet both armies need her, for with her mixed blood, Laila can become the ultimate spy... or ultimate soldier. As the armies of Heaven and Hell pursue her, Laila's only war is within her heart--a struggle between her demonic and heavenly blood.

~~~~~

Hop on over to Goodreads and show your love...cover love that is!  Click the link below and add any great indie cover art then vote for your favorites.  

(Anyone can view but Goodreads membership needed to vote... it's free!).

Indie Books - Paranormal Cover Love

Vote on your favorite Indie Book Cover Art

~~

While you are there, check out the other list for voting on your favorite PNR/UF indie books.  Both links are on the left sidebar too.  

Indie Books - Paranormal Fiction
Vote and Recommend your favorite PNR/UF Indie Books

~~~~~

Weekly meme hosted by Indie Paranormal Book Reviews

Got some cover lovin' going on?  Share a link to it in the comments and tell us why you love it :)

Teaser Tuesday! #2 - Sept. 14, 2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

~~~~~ 

 

My Teaser this week is from Out of Time by Monique Martin

Stay tuned later this week for a review of Out of Time, a Paranormal Time Travel Romance

 

Page 126 (per ereader)

 

Elizabeth didn’t feel like a vampire hunter. She sure didn’t look like one. She’d always pictured them as grim men in long cloaks, stalking through the cemeteries of seventeenth century Europe. Her light floral pattern dress and ankle strap pumps were hardly de rigueur.

~~~~~

Do you have a teaser to share?  PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

 

 

Review: The Portal Between by Sarah Barnard

Title:  The Portal Between
Author: Sarah Barnard
Genre: Fantasy
Formats: ebook, paperback, hardcover
Publication Date: 2008
Print Length: 204 pages
Word Count: approx. 79,343 (Novel)
Page count on Sony Reader: 207
Source:  Ebook version provided by author

The Portal Series, Book 1


Description: 
Sam has been missing for 2 years. Her best friend, Kate, has custody of Sam's 2 young children. Kate's husband, Jack, left her and she struggles alone with her own children and Sam's.

Hallowe'en, Samhain, a dark moon and abruptly, in a flurry of mystery and magic, Sam is back. Suddenly, Kate's already insecure world is torn asunder as Sam is seriously hurt and forces completely beyond her comprehension and experience flood into her life.

Lily, Kate and Sam's friend from before Sam vanished, shows more and more signs of being so much more than she first appears.

Lily guides Kate as they seek out Sam's tormentor and kidnapper (Ametsam), who has taken Kate's daughter Hayley from her home into his own world. They journey into his realm, a magical world found only by the opening of magical Portals. Retrieving Hayley they only just make it back safely.

Lily is revealed as the dreaded "Mistress" that Sam was taught to fear while she was held there - but she's not as scary as Sam was lead to believe. Someone has been telling lies.

Lily guides Sam on a journey of self discovery as Sam learns more about her own magical abilities and eventually they are ready to face Ametsam on his own territory. Lily and Sam finally confront Ametsam. Sam, realising her full magical potential, defeats him in a magical duel that tears his fortress apart.

But the personal damage is done, Sam no longer belongs in Kate's world and she remains behind. Kate is left alone once more.

*****

My Review: 
This is another book that took me longer to read than it should have because I just wasn’t pulled through it.  I picked it up, put it down…picked it up, put it down.  I can’t really say “I liked it”. It was really just an “okay” read for me.
.
My main issue with this story is that nothing exciting or portal-related happens for half the book. There is a short scene near the beginning when Sam comes back through the Portal, but after that there is really no portal or alternate realm action at all. It is referenced occasionally but the bulk of the first half of the book revolves around domestic life -- dealing with the kids, dealing with Sam’s injury and hospital stay, dealing with social workers, making soup, going shopping, the relationships between Kate, Sam, and Lily including intimate relationships (I’ll get to that in a minute), preparing for the holidays, etc…and a lot of tea making.  I thought I was reading domestic-lit rather than a paranormal fantasy.

This leads me to the next issue. There seemed to be a lot of information that is left out, left up to the reader to figure out, or lack of appropriate response.  For example, Sam comes back through a magical portal after being gone for 2 years and nobody sits her down and asks her what happened?  How did you disappear?  Where did you go?  What happened there? How did you get back?  And then there is Lily.  She is eventually revealed to be more than she appears to be and when she and Kate go through the portal to get her daughter (there’s another issue I’ll get to) when they get back nobody ever says, Who are you?  What are you?  Why are you here? Where did you come from? Some of this is explained near the end but not much and it should have been addressed earlier in the book.  All the weird stuff going on just seems to be taken in stride with maybe a little “confusion” but otherwise no great concern.

Back to Kate’s daughter -- if your little girl was just pulled into a portal to another world by a big, scaly, mean, demon thing, wouldn’t you be freaking out?  I would!  But Kate seems to be pretty controlled about it. Lily goes through the portal after Hayley so does she just assume Lily will take care of her until she finds a way to get through herself?  Lily and Kate's trip through the portal is the first glimpse we get of the other side.

Another thing that took me a little by surprise is the lesbian relationship between Sam and Kate and another two I can’t mention without a spoiler.  It wasn't a problem but I could not find any description, tag, label, category, or review that even hints at this so it was an unexpected element.  It is very low-key and I would call the heat level “sweet” as it was practically non-existent, but it was definitely there.  This does not affect my rating but I thought it should be mentioned since it isn’t anywhere else.

The second half of the book has more action involving the portal but still quite a bit of the “domestic-lit”.  By the time Lily and Sam go back through the portal to face Ametsam I had lost a lot of interest in the story and Sam’s sudden magical abilities were another source of confusion.  The book also seemed to end a bit abruptly, more like the end of a chapter than the end of a book.

With all that said, I don’t think the writing was bad; it just didn't keep my interest. I needed more to happen in the first half of the story to pull me through and support what was going on in the second half of the book.

If you like a paranormal story with a good dose of action at regular intervals throughout the story to keep you interested, then this book is probably not for you. However, if you like stories more about family and relationships and domestic life with some fantastical action thrown in eventually, then you might like this one.  I tend to lean toward the former.

Rating:  2 - It was okay

Note: After seeing reviews elsewhere my rating seems to be in the minority so I am including links to reviews on Amazon and Amazon UK for your perusal.

*****

This book is available in both paperback and ebook versions.

You can find Sarah Barnard on the web at:
Blog: http://www.sarahbarnard.co.uk/blog/
Website: http://sarahbarnard.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UKSarahBarnard
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahBarnardUK
Goodreads: Sarah's Author Page

Get the book!  Kindle US, Kindle UK, Smashwords, Paperback UK

WINNER! Samson's Lovely Mortal Giveaway

The random.org gawds have spoken and the winner of a signed paperback copy of Samson's Lovely Mortal is...

Nancy
(confirmed)

Thanks to all who participated!

 

Cover Love Thursday! #2 - Claimed by Zoe Winters

This is my favorite cover of the three books in Zoe Winter's Blood Lust series of novellas.  All the covers received a makeover recently and the graphics really pop now.  There are two other books in this series with covers having a similar feel so you know they go together. They all scream paranormal romance and rival any traditionally published book cover. 

Claimed (Blood Lust, novella 2)
by Zoe Winters

For a vampire, Anthony isn’t a picky eater, but he’s drawn to Charlee’s blood more than any other. Like a fine wine saved for a special occasion, he’s denied himself this pleasure. But one night, high from the potent magical blood of another, he claims his prize and loses control. Ashamed of almost killing the one woman who means anything to him, he wipes her memory of the event. When Charlee awakens with complete amnesia, Anthony is the only one who can clean up the mess he’s made.

~~~~~

Hop on over to Goodreads and show your love...cover love that is!  Click the link below and add any great indie cover art then vote for your favorites.  (Anyone can view but Goodreads membership needed to vote... it's free!).

Indie Books - Paranormal Cover Love

Vote on your favorite Indie Book Cover Art

~~

While you are there, check out the other list for voting on your favorite PNR/UF indie books.  Both links are on the left sidebar too.  

Indie Books - Paranormal Fiction
Vote and Recommend your favorite PNR/UF Indie Books

~~~~~

Weekly meme hosted by Indie Paranormal Book Reviews

Got some cover lovin' going on?  Share a link to it in the comments and tell us why you love it :)

Teaser Tuesday! #1 - Sept 7, 2010

Yes, I know I said Tuesday would be Cover Love day but I apparently had a bout of day-of-the-week dyslexia....I meant to do Cover Love on Thursday!  So stay tuned later this week for some cover lovin'  :)

~~~~~

Without further ado, here is IPBR's (Indie Parnormal Book Reviews - so not typing that all the time, lol!) first Teaser Tuesday.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

~~~~~

My Teaser this week is from The Portal Between by Sarah Barnard.

Stay tuned later this week for a review of The Portal Between

Page 89 (per my ereader)

"He'll try again when the boundary is weak." 

"The scaly thing?" Kate had to ask, but she thought she already knew the answer.

~~~~~

Do you have a teaser you'd like to share?  Post it in the comments :)

Review (Short Story): The Necromouser by Mary E. Lowd

Title: The Necromouser
Author: Mary E. Lowd
Genre: Fantasy
Formats: ebook
Publication Date*: 2008
Word Count: approx. 2,734 (Short Story)
Source:  Smashwords Freebie!!

* Published on Smashwords Aug 2010, but original copyright is 2008




My Review:
Shreddy, a disgruntled cat, discovers the ability to bring back mice from the dead with the help of a broken All-In-One machine.  He devises an evil plan to use the mice to get at the yummy orchid his owner has cordoned off to protect it from Shreddy.

This was a quirky, fun, and quick read that any cat lover is bound to appreciate. I'm not sure I "got" the ending but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.  I often find short stories to to be unsatisfying but this one did not disappoint.  I'd love to read more of Shreddy's adventures and hopefully there will be some more to come in the future. And hey, it's free!  Can't beat that with a dead mouse ;)

Rating: 4 - I Really Liked It

*****
You can find Mary E. Lowd on the web at:
Website: http://www.marylowd.com/main.html

Get this story FREE at Smashwords!

Review: Make Willing the Prey by Luna Lindsey

Title: Make Willing the Prey
Author: Luna Lindsey
Genre: Horror/Dark Fantasy
Formats: ebook
Publication Date: August 2010
Word Count: approx. 35,767 (Novella)
Page count on Sony Reader: 90 (Epub)
Source:  Ebook version provided by author





Product Description: 
Faeries: Cute, sparkly, magical and serene. Only one of these is true; they’re magical. Save the rest for vampires. If you attract the attention of a faerie, you might wish all they wanted is your blood.

Sandy Windham is a lonely history major piled up to her elbows in books, facts, and the names of dead kings. Old wars and dynastic successions mean more to her than finding love. She's the least likely person to ever believe in faeries, and she especially wouldn't want to marry one. That's why she's caught the eye of Haun, a wicked faerie who's been put to an interesting challenge: Get a banal girl to marry him.

At first Sandy is delighted to receive so many luxurious gifts from a secret admirer. All she has to do is play his silly little games. It's flattering and fun, and she hopes to one day meet this mysterious romantic.

But before long the seduction turns chilling and Sandy wants the game to stop. By then it's too late. She and her friend Jina are ensnared in a web of illusions they may never be able to escape.

Once upon a time, fairytales were scary. Now they are again. Make Willing the Prey is a dark urban fantasy and horror novella that will startle you into believing in faeries.

*****

My Review: 
This book took me much longer than it should have to read.  I kept picking it up and putting it down.  I just wasn’t finding much to pull me from one page to the next.  The characters seemed flat to me and the plotting was a little slow until they got into Haun’s house.  I was also frustrated with some of Sandy and Jina’s behaviors that didn’t make sense to me.  One was the whole secret admirer thing.  Haun’s version of wooing isn’t quite what you might expect.  It seemed creepy to me from the beginning and I couldn’t see why Sandy who was a practical and down to earth person wouldn’t notice it, and in fact, thought it was flattering…at first. 

Haun eventually traps them in a house where most of the creepy action takes place, though at times I thought the author was trying to pack too much scare factor into the story. I will admit I was curious how and if Sandy and Jina would get out of the house and was mostly satisfied with how this was resolved.  The way the epilogue ends seems to imply that there will be a continuation of the story.

I like fae stories. They are one of my favorite paranormal characters and I like to see how different authors approach the fae character. When I think of “wicked” fae I guess it is more in the sense of paranormal romance than horror. In terms of the horror genre I think the author did a good job of creating a creepy little evil faerie, but I don’t particularly like horror so this book just didn’t click with me -- too much horror and too many bugs for my liking. I think someone who does prefer to read horror might give this book a better rating.  It just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Rating:  2 - It was okay

*****

You can find Luna Lindsey on the web at:
Blog: http://www.lunalindsey.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4122401.Luna_Lindsey
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jamgrrl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luna-Lindsey-Author/138659596170552?ref=ts

Get the ebook!  Kindle Store, Smashwords