Looking for some good fantasy, scifi and PNR? Today is a good day for you! Look at all the pretties...pet all the pretties...buy all the pretties!
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Excerpt Spotlight: Sleeper (Hunter: A Thieves Series Book 3) by Lexi Blake
Sleeper (Hunter: A Thieves Series Book 3)
by Lexi Blake
October 17, 2017
476 pages
When Neil’s past catches up to him, Kelsey must choose between her new family and an old love…
With tensions rising between the Council and demonkind, Kelsey finds herself investigating a series of murders that threaten the fragile truce between them. If she can’t stop these killings soon, they could ignite a fire sure to burn the supernatural world down.
Unfortunately for her, Kelsey’s problems don’t stop with a pile of dead halflings. Her connection with Marcus is frayed at best, and Gray hasn’t been heard from in months. Her only semblance of peace comes from a new man in her life. When Gray storms back into the picture, her love life goes from incredibly complicated to apocalyptic.
Just as Kelsey begins to unravel the mystery, the forces of Heaven decide to take an interest in her actions. Outclassed with these powers in play, Kelsey knows that one misstep could leave the human and supernatural worlds in ashes.
Excerpt:
“Your Highness, please back away. In fact, it would be best if you left the room altogether.” Felix put himself between me and Roberts. “Kelsey, I need you to push her down. Push her back down for a few moments. Marcus will be back soon and he’s going to take care of you. Being around those angels unsettled you. I don’t know if you noticed, but at the end of the meeting, your ward fell off. You didn’t have it on when Oliver shook your hand. He’s unbalanced and now you are, too. It’s like a contagion for someone like you. Oliver’s illness has called up your inner wolf and she’s angry.”
“Your Highness, please back away. In fact, it would be best if you left the room altogether.” Felix put himself between me and Roberts. “Kelsey, I need you to push her down. Push her back down for a few moments. Marcus will be back soon and he’s going to take care of you. Being around those angels unsettled you. I don’t know if you noticed, but at the end of the meeting, your ward fell off. You didn’t have it on when Oliver shook your hand. He’s unbalanced and now you are, too. It’s like a contagion for someone like you. Oliver’s illness has called up your inner wolf and she’s angry.”
“Perhaps if I touch her,” Henri began. “I’m an academic. I don’t have the same connection she has with Marcus, but I might be able to help.”
“I’m not unbalanced.” It didn’t matter that my hands were shaking and they had been ever since I’d left the angels behind. “I’m going to talk to the wolf whether you like it or not. He’s been handling silver. It’s the only reason his hands wouldn’t have healed. Even then, a couple of hours would have done it. Unless the freaking silver he held came straight from Heaven. What about it, Roberts? How did you spend last night?”
The wolf was shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
That wasn’t an answer I was willing to accept. I was about to explain that to everyone when Chad stepped up and got in my face.
“I’m taking him out of here now,” Chad explained. “You’ll let me or we’re going to have trouble.”
I was ready for trouble. I was fairly sure I grinned, the idea of fighting a vamp lifting my spirits high. For the first time in what felt like hours, I went still. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Chad turned, his shoulders squaring, and I felt the world begin to bend around me. Chad belongs to one of the rarest classes of vampire—the magicians. As far as I knew, he was the only one walking the night at this time. He could form illusions so real you could taste food, feel imaginary rain on your skin, utterly believe whatever he wanted you to believe. I’d come up against him before. I might be one of the only people in the world who could see through him.
“It won’t work,” I said calmly as reality seemed to go dark and I heard the hissing of snakes all around me. “Do you not remember what happened the last time you pulled this shit on me? It took three tranqs to take me down. I don’t think you have those on you today.”
“I won’t need them.” Chad lifted his hand and the world shifted.
“Holy shit,” Casey said, climbing up on his desk. “What the fuck is happening?”
Snakes were happening. They were crawling from the woodwork, twitching and hissing my way. The fibers of the carpet beneath my feet lengthened and formed more snakes until they were a menacing mass, threatening everyone in the room.
Well, except for Chad, who had lifted his husband into his arms and prepared to take him away.
I let my wolf loose a bit. She knew this was all an illusion. That primitive part of my brain that Chad was accessing, the lizard brain that merely wanted to survive, was taken over by the wolf inside me. The alpha wolf didn’t want mere survival. She wanted to dominate, and that meant seeing past fear, trusting her instincts over what her eyes perceived.
The minute I opened the door, I felt her surge through me.
“I’m not letting you go. I can’t. I’m conducting a murder investigation, and I believe your boy here just became my prime suspect.” My hands twitched, eager for a fight, and I realized how long it had been since Marcus and I had thrown down.
Too long. Remember that whole thing about needing sex or violence to feed my inner wolf? Well, she was hungry and there was a whole lot of violence in Chad’s eyes.
I welcomed it. I could feel the need rise like a wave threatening to engulf me. This was why I had a trainer in the first place.
I gritted my teeth because Chad turned on his power. I could feel those fucking snakes climbing my legs and sinking their fangs into me. I refused to pay any attention to them despite the fact that I ached to rip the fuckers off me and toss them aside. To do that would have given the magician more power. If I bought into it, if I took my eyes off the only thing in the room that was real, I would end up like Casey, who was screaming like a girl.
“Let me pass, Hunter,” Chad said.
I stood my ground like the good Gandalf I was. Except I kind of wanted to shove my nonexistent staff right up old Chad’s ass, and then we would see if he sent snakes my way again.
The anger rose, rapid and quick, a flash fire coursing through me. I didn’t even realize when I had reached for the fireplace poker. All I knew was it was suddenly in my hands and I was going to use it. I could see myself shoving that piece of wrought iron right through his heart. It wouldn’t kill him. I would need wood for that, but then again, I didn’t want the fight over so quickly.
I raised the poker, ready to start.
“Stop it, both of you.” Donovan stepped in between us, but I didn’t care at that moment. I hadn’t felt this way in forever, not since Marcus had taken me in. I hadn’t been so out of control that I didn’t care who I hurt as long as I got to hurt someone. I would fuck up Donovan, too. All that mattered was seeing blood, feeling bones crush.
“You see, I told you she’s far gone and I can’t fix her anymore. I’ve called Gray and he has an idea of what to do,” Marcus was saying.
I wasn’t listening.
I started to bring the poker down Donovan’s way, but I was stopped in mid swing. A hand held my wrist, an arm going around my middle and hauling me back against muscled flesh.
“Stop it,” Trent growled in my ear. “You stand down right this second.”
website -FB-twitter
amazon author page
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Book Review: A Mortal Indiscretion (The Justin and Ambra Series Book One) by Barbra E. Ross + giveaway
A Mortal Indiscretion (The Justin and Ambra Series Book One)by Barbra E. Ross
4/27/16
Genre: Paranormal Romance,
Romantic Suspense, Vampire Romance
ISBN: 978-1530762804
ASIN: B01DFJ3TG4
Number of pages: 632 pages
Word Count: 259981
Cover Artist: ProEbook Covers
A sexy vampire. A little deceit. A love worth dying for. What more could you want from a vampire romance?
A man. A vampire. A love story....
One night changed everything for bachelor Justin Bertolli. A womanizer at heart, never quite ready to settle down, he meets the woman who would change his life forever. Ambra Taylor is that woman, but is she all that Justin bargained for? Told from a male protagonist point of view, A Mortal Indiscretion delivers wholly unique narratives that don’t succumb to the same old recycled concepts. Everything unravels in Justin’s world. Although Ambra is a vampire, she is the vulnerable one of the two characters, providing a refreshing twist on standard tales. She is not waiting for her prince to come save her on his white horse. She simply desires love, to feel human love again and will do anything to protect the love of Justin. When Justin discovers the truth about who and what she is, will he still love her? Will he still want her? Find out, as their hearts collide in this epic tale of love.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/spyRnzDG8dI
Cover whore that I am, this one did not jump out to me. At all. Where is the hunka burnin love? Where are my rip hard chiseled abs, my Ares God of War on his steed looking and sexy as hell?! He's not on this cover. (Sadly.) And while I ALMOST walked away, I gave the synopsis a little read.
"A man. A vampire. A love story...."
That right there caught my eye and told this vampire mistress to give it a chance. I was about to say okay when I saw the page count......633 pages!!!! Holy batwater Batman! Some fan me with a chocolate cupcake, quick! How come I can read a series of books that are each easily 350 pages but I just can not get into a story that says 600+? I AGAIN, almost said no. But something about the plot here kept my choice in the game. I'm glad it did!
This story is told from the male's POV and what a change that was! I know there are writers who do the back and forth POV like my girl crush Kresley Cole (le sigh), but not a lot actually. Color me impressed with this writer's style of making her characters come to life. I loved a lot of the different interactions between not only the main couple but the secondary characters as well. The story does take some time getting the reader to where it wants you to be, it could have been a shorter tale. But hey, if you like world building than you will enjoy that more than I did.
Aside from my need for non-stop action, there were a few grammar issues. If I am pointing them out, then yeah it was an issue. Cause I can't spell nothin!
Just enough romance to keep me interested, nothing too graphic though which was nice. If the author wanted to take this series down that path I could totally see that.
Overall the ending really does make up for any imperfections this first book had. I liked it, I now look forward to book two!
Getting 4 Sheep
KD
goodreads
Barbra E Ross lives in Michigan. She is a nurse by day and a writer of fiction at night.
Excerpt Chapter 7:
“Why did you not give her a chance? Then maybe you would be…”
“She isn’t you. No one makes me feel like you do. No one,” I said and she looked over at me.
“You still believe that? After all I have put you through? After all I have done?”
“Yes. I believe it. I know it.”
“But you must realize, that I am not what you thought I was. Don’t you?”
“Yes. I know that.”
“But, I do not understand. Does it not upset you?” she asked.
“Yes. It upsets me. But you owe me the truth, and you are going to tell me the truth now, right? No more lies?”
“Yes Justin. And then, maybe you will go running to that girl. Maybe you should go after her right now. There may still be a chance.”
“No. I don’t run away. That is your thing.”
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, naked. She turned her back to me. I looked at her back, so sexy. Shoulders strong and defined. She had her arms across her chest. She knew I was going to ask the questions. I think she was mentally preparing herself for the blows.
“Go ahead Justin. Ask.”
“First of all… You’re not gonna tell me that you have to work in the morning, are you? Because I ain’t falling for that shit anymore,” I said. It just slipped out of my mouth. Like I didn’t have a filter between my brain in my mouth.
“No. I suppose you would not.” She turned to look at me.
“And you are staying here with me, right? I am going to have the pleasure of your company during the day? Right?” I pressed, as I felt my anger rising.
“Yes, I will stay. But I cannot go out with you during the day. You will have to keep the shades drawn. It is just not that simple to explain.” She kept her head down as she spoke these words.
“Fine. I can handle that. Tell me, what exactly would happen if I did open the shades Ambra?”
“I would burn up and die,” she stated, flatly.
“What are you Ambra? Are you ready to tell me to my face now?” I was insistent. “Because I really need to know.”
“I am…” She started and then, she became silent again.
“Say it, dammit! I want to hear you say it to me,” I was really getting pissed.
“I am a monster,” she whispered.
“What? What kind of monster? You tell me God dammit!” I yelled.
“A vampire,” she said it so quietly, keeping her back to me.
“You turn around and say it to my face. You have kept this from me for so long. I want you to look me in the eye! I deserve it!” I grabbed her shoulders as I yelled at her. She turned to me, tears flowing down her cheeks.
“Justin, I am a vampire.”
“Why did you not give her a chance? Then maybe you would be…”
“She isn’t you. No one makes me feel like you do. No one,” I said and she looked over at me.
“You still believe that? After all I have put you through? After all I have done?”
“Yes. I believe it. I know it.”
“But you must realize, that I am not what you thought I was. Don’t you?”
“Yes. I know that.”
“But, I do not understand. Does it not upset you?” she asked.
“Yes. It upsets me. But you owe me the truth, and you are going to tell me the truth now, right? No more lies?”
“Yes Justin. And then, maybe you will go running to that girl. Maybe you should go after her right now. There may still be a chance.”
“No. I don’t run away. That is your thing.”
She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, naked. She turned her back to me. I looked at her back, so sexy. Shoulders strong and defined. She had her arms across her chest. She knew I was going to ask the questions. I think she was mentally preparing herself for the blows.
“Go ahead Justin. Ask.”
“First of all… You’re not gonna tell me that you have to work in the morning, are you? Because I ain’t falling for that shit anymore,” I said. It just slipped out of my mouth. Like I didn’t have a filter between my brain in my mouth.
“No. I suppose you would not.” She turned to look at me.
“And you are staying here with me, right? I am going to have the pleasure of your company during the day? Right?” I pressed, as I felt my anger rising.
“Yes, I will stay. But I cannot go out with you during the day. You will have to keep the shades drawn. It is just not that simple to explain.” She kept her head down as she spoke these words.
“Fine. I can handle that. Tell me, what exactly would happen if I did open the shades Ambra?”
“I would burn up and die,” she stated, flatly.
“What are you Ambra? Are you ready to tell me to my face now?” I was insistent. “Because I really need to know.”
“I am…” She started and then, she became silent again.
“Say it, dammit! I want to hear you say it to me,” I was really getting pissed.
“I am a monster,” she whispered.
“What? What kind of monster? You tell me God dammit!” I yelled.
“A vampire,” she said it so quietly, keeping her back to me.
“You turn around and say it to my face. You have kept this from me for so long. I want you to look me in the eye! I deserve it!” I grabbed her shoulders as I yelled at her. She turned to me, tears flowing down her cheeks.
“Justin, I am a vampire.”
Barbra E Ross lives in Michigan. She is a nurse by day and a writer of fiction at night.
GIVEAWAY
$25 dollar gift card and a signed copy of A Mortal Indiscretion
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)