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Monday, July 31, 2017

Book Review: Dragonsworn (Dark-Hunters #28) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dragonsworn (Dark-Hunters #28)
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Hardcover, 352 pages
August 1st 2017

There is nothing in the universe the cursed dragon, Falcyn, hates more than humanity . . . and in particular, Greek humans. In a war he wanted no part of, they systematically destroyed everything he’d ever cared for. Now he lies in seclusion, away from the world and waits for the day when evolution will finally rid him of the human vermin.

Medea was born the granddaughter of the Greek god Apollo, and among the first of his people that he cursed to die. But she will not let anyone rule her life. Not even her notorious grandfather. And when Apollo sends a new plague to destroy what remains of her people, she refuses to standby and watch him take everything she loves from her again.

This time, she knows of a secret weapon that can stop the ancient god and his army of demons. Once and for all. However, said device is in the hands of a dragon who wants nothing to do with politics, the gods, humanity, demons or Greek Apollites. And especially not her. He is the immovable object.

My enemy’s enemy . . .

When Apollo makes a strategic move that backfires, he forces Falcyn back into play. Now Medea either has the weapon she needs to save her people, or she’s unleashed total Armageddon. If she can’t find some way to control the dragon before it’s too late, Falcyn will be an even worse plague on the world than the one Apollo has set loose. But how can anyone control a demonic dragon whose sole birthright is total destruction?

Falcyn hates humans and wants nothing to do with them. He really hates most people and doesn't trust many, but he has a right to feel the way he does. Most everyone is scared of him because he's a bloodthirsty dragon shifter and if you make him mad, he'll just eat you and be done with it.

Medea is the granddaughter of the Greek god Apollo, but gramps wants her, and her Apollite family, to die. He isn't a sweet old loving grandpa but more like a monster with demon minions who wants her destroyed. 

This book starts off with a twist right from the very first few pages. Something that Falcyn never saw coming and something that would change him and his life. Things he thought true would prove to be false, but I like twists like that, they make stories interesting and fun to watch how the characters will react to them. It also turns out that Falcyn has something that Medea needs to stop her grandfather from destroying everything she loves, now if only she can get Falcyn to help her. Not as easy as it seems because he wants nothing to do with any of it at first but when they get stuck in a place together and need to find a way home, they get closer even though neither of them is good at trusting anyone. 

Both Falcyn and Medea have felt the pain of loss, the sting of betrayal and it has turned their hearts cold, but they're both after something now, and they may need each other’s help to get it. These two characters were so good together. They both were a lot like each other, and the banter between them is so much fun to watch. Falcyn is surprised that she isn't scared of him or his dragon and he likes how strong, brave and bloodthirsty she is. 

If you've been reading this series from the beginning like I have, then you know that we usually get a lot of insight into the main characters as well as secondary characters. There are usually a few shocking twists or secrets that come to light, and this book is no exception. In fact, the last couple of pages pretty much let us know that big secrets are about to be revealed most likely in the next book. I can't wait to see how this plays out. If you haven't been reading this series and you like Greek mythology, Greek gods, demons, dragons, bear shifters, curses, great bloody battles ect...then you're really missing out. But I would start with the first book and work your way up otherwise these people just won't make much sense. This is a great series, and this book was a fantastic addition to it.

I give this book 5 out of 5 sheep!





Mary Kirkland
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
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The #1 New York Times bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon, who is proud of her mixed Cherokee heritage, lives a life of extraordinary danger… as does any woman with three sons, a husband, a menagerie of pets and a collection of swords that all of the above have a major fixation with. But when not running interference (or dashing off to the emergency room), she’s found chained to her computer where she likes to play with all her imaginary friends. With tens of millions of her books in print, in over one hundred countries, she certainly has a lot of friends to play with too.

In the last few years, she has placed more than 75 novels on the New York Times list in all formats including manga. This extraordinary bestseller continues to top every genre she writes, including young adult, manga, fantasy, science fiction and horror. Her current series include: The Dark-Hunters, The League, Lords of Avalon and Chronicles of Nick.

Her Lords of Avalon novels have been adapted by Marvel, her Dark-Hunter novels are a New York Times bestselling manga published by St. Martins. and the Chronicles of Nick manga are published by Yen Press. And keep your eyes pealed, her books are soon to be hitting both the big and little screens by the same group who specializes in turning beloved literary series into major movie franchises.

Excerpt Spotlight: The Vessel Trilogy by Juliette Cross + giveaway

Genevieve Drake never knew this demon world existed. Now she just wants to survive it. Hunted on the streets of New Orleans, Gen turns to the hunter, Jude Delacroix, who is bound to protect her soul and who’s also captured her heart.


Forged in Fire (The Vessel Trilogy Book One) 
by Juliette Cross
July 31, 2017
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
ISBN: 9781640632172
Word Count: 98K
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Genevieve Drake has never been the helpless kind of girl, has never needed to be rescued. That is, not until her twentieth birthday when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley and a hot stranger rips a monster from inside the guy.

The hot guy? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons. Now her guardian, whether she likes it or not.

But she’s seriously beginning to like it.

On Sale for .99 Until August 6 


Forged in Fire Excerpt
Jude hadn’t moved, his eyes roving up and down. My sweaty tank clung to my torso and loose hair stuck to the side of my face. Having redone my ponytail twice, I tightened it once more as he shoved off the wall.

“Give her a weapon.”

Kat pulled a dagger from a sheath at her thigh, walking toward me.

“I thought we were practicing without weapons today.”

Jude started to circle. A primitive part of me stiffened.

“A demon won’t give up when you throw a few punches, even with the casting power. You need to cut them.”

“But I could hurt you.”

“You could try.”

His shoulders rounded in a relaxed posture. Muscled arms swung just barely at his sides. He was in no way threatened by me. He probably found this comical.

“No sifting,” I warned

“No need.”

He continued to stalk me with slow precision. Kat handed me her dagger. It was heavier than I thought.

“It’s too big,” I said, feeling the weight of the twelve-inch blade.

“Oh, I think you can handle it.”

A dark mischievous look. Wait. Were we still talking about daggers? Heat flushed my cheeks. He circled. I pivoted. Kat disappeared into the corner.

“No power this time, Genevieve. Let’s see if you can deliver more than karate moves.”

“You don’t think I can cut you?”

An eyebrow lifted. Still smiling. Still circling. Arrogant ass.

“I can,” I gritted out, widening and squaring my stance.

Sparks of gold glittered in his eyes, a predator honing in on its prey. He stalked closer, then stopped two feet from me, speaking in a husky tone.

“Prove it.”

My heart jumped, hearing my own challenge thrown back at me. Last night. Scorching kisses, whispered words, rough angles, soft sighs. My eyes strayed to his lips. One corner quirked up into a knowing smile. He was taunting me right there in front of Kat. What kind of game was he playing? Anger flared in my gut. I lunged, swiping out at his chest. Grabbing one of my wrists, then the other, he twisted me around, pulling me tight against his body, my arms crossed and bound in front of me. Completely immobile in less than a second.

Okay, that was embarrassing.

“Too predictable.” Warm breath close to my ear. I shivered. A short rumble of laughter in his chest. “Again?”

I struggled. He released me at once. This time, I did the circling. Leaping left, then dodging right, I ducked under his outstretched arm, slicing as I went. I popped up behind him. Jude glanced down at the tear along the side of his white T-shirt. A small drop of blood seeped through the fabric. Very small, but I gasped anyway. He laughed, stripping off the T-shirt and tossing it to the side.

“Better. Again.”

Not a good move on my part. My concentration scattered to the winds. Cords of muscle and tight, sinewy limbs flexed in preparation for the next attack. Black swirls and barbs of Celtic interlacing traced over tight pectorals and down his chiseled abdomen. My mouth went bone dry. A shift of his upper body gave me a glance of a feathered wing inked across a powerful shoulder blade.

Concentrate, Genevieve.

I fought the urge to shake my head as if dizzy from intoxication. For that is truly what I was, imagining what it would feel like to have his beautiful body against mine, skin on skin. Trying not to imagine what it would feel like.

“Anytime you’re ready,” he said, smirking.

Damn him.

“You know,” I said, thinking to take a different approach, “a demon will attack me, not the other way around. Why don’t you attack first?”

“As you wish.”

Oh shit.

He lunged low. I twisted out of reach, leaping right. He changed position, shot out his leg, tripping me to the floor. I landed on my stomach and pushed up an inch before being summarily pinned by two hundred pounds of hard muscle. Oh. Very hard.

A whisper against the shell of my ear: “Mmm. Close, but not quite. Again?”

“Get. Off!”

He obliged. Another haughty laugh. “The key is to not become distracted or let your anger control you. You must find a way to get the better of your opponent, no matter if you’re outmatched in size.”

Before I’d even rolled completely over, I clipped him behind the knees. He buckled to the floor as I leapt, swinging my body over his. I straddled his chest, pulling his head to the floor with my left hand knotted in that pretty hair of his, exposing his throat and thrusting the point of the dagger beneath his chin.

“Like this?” I hissed.

A genuine broad smile lightened his face, making me more breathless than I already was. Amber and gold shimmered in his irises, nearly cutting out all the black. Nearly. His hands were on my hips.

“Exactly like this.”

by Juliette Cross
7/31/2017 
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
ISBN: 9781640632189
Word Count: 90K
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
While Jude Delacroix spends his days and nights searching for the prophecy, another protector steps in to take his place. Thomas, a guardian angel, claims Genevieve is his to protect if the demon hunter does not. As threats against her life escalate, he offers her the power to sift.

Knowing the transfer of power comes through a kiss, she hesitates. Thomas stirs a desire where there should be none.

On Sale for .99 Until August 6 


Sealed in Sin Excerpt
The moment he entered the room, all my senses rose to full alert. The man packed enough heat and power in his aura to melt a girl into jelly. A mere glance from his dark eyes or slight touch from rough hands, and I was lost.

I focused on flipping the pancakes on the stove, still trying to figure out how to tell him about our trip to the House of Hades, the near-miss with Gorham, and the brief and strange meeting with my guardian angel. Kat preferred asking forgiveness rather than permission, or just omitting the admission of any sins altogether. But I had trouble lying, though I seemed to do it often as of late. I especially had trouble lying to Jude.

“Want some brinner?” I asked, plopping another dollop of butter in the pan.

“Brinner? What might that be?” He leaned with his back against the counter next to the stove, splaying one huge hand on the countertop, watching me pour the batter into the pan. How did this man make watching me cook a sexy thing?

“You’ve never heard of brinner?” I glanced at the door to make sure Mindy was out of earshot. “For someone who’s been alive nearly two thousand years, you don’t know a whole lot.”

He slid a finger down my forearm. I nearly dropped the spatula. He leaned closer, his chest brushing my shoulder, voice dropping several decibels. “Educate me.” And just like that, my heart slammed into my rib cage, my thoughts scattering to the wind. I stared at him, knowing my eyes were no longer hungry for pancakes. He pressed warm lips, a feather-soft kiss, to the slope between my neck and shoulder. “Genevieve?” Another press of lips higher up my neck, melting me into goo.

“Hm?” Eyes closed, I welcomed a third kiss just under my jaw.

“Your brinner is burning.”

“Oh, dammit!”

I snapped open my eyes, grabbed the smoking pan and thrust it under the water faucet in the sink. A hissing crackle spit up more smoke.

“There goes brinner.”

“You’ve made more than enough already.”

He motioned to the ten-high stack with a smirk. I couldn’t even think about eating now. Not after that kiss. And not with this guilt weighing me down.

Something registered in his gaze. He reached out his hand.

“Come here.”

From his expression, I wasn’t sure if he planned to give me a hug or a spanking. I wouldn’t mind either. Taking his hand, I let him pull me into his arms.

Bound in Black (The Vessel Trilogy Book Three)
by Juliette Cross
7/31/2017
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance 
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
ISBN: 9781640632196
Number of pages: 88K
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Genevieve Drake is on a dangerous mission—to find the soul collector, Lethe, and enter the deepest, darkest level of the underworld, where no one has ever gone into and returned.

But when an old enemy makes a surprising appearance, she is tested to the point of breaking and risks remaining in this dark abyss forever.

On Sale for .99 Until August 6 



Excerpt Bound in Black 
Pulse-pounding, bone-grinding music vibrated the entire second floor. Dancers, if you could call them that, melded together in one mass of moving limbs. A few couples and trios needed to find a private corner before their make-out sessions morphed into an all-out orgy. The bartender stopped in front of Dommiel’s throne. A massive dragon’s head—openmouthed and fierce fanged—hung above the oversized wood-carved chair like a crown.

The first time I’d been here, I assumed the head was a magnificent work of art by a local New Orleans sculptor. Because dragons aren’t real, right? Now I knew better. The beast’s head was cut from a high demon’s spawn, probably killed in battle against one of the Flamma of Light, someone on my team. Even now, after the head was severed and stuffed, a low vibration of eerie energy swirled in the air. I hadn’t detected this before. But back in September, I wasn’t the Vessel I was now. My Vessel Sense, VS, amplified every day, detecting any demon within a one-mile radius. Not only that, my fist and blade packed major force. Still, I knew I hadn’t experienced full awakening. Kat, my mentor and friend and the only female hunter I’d met, told me that I’d know when I experienced my awakening. It would be like falling in love. And I definitely knew what that felt like…as well as the tragic heartbreak when that love was ripped from my arms.

I clenched my jaw, willing away those thoughts, and focused on the task at hand.

Dommiel sprawled atop his throne with the latest blonde propped on his lap. With a clean-shaved head and wearing his usual attire—black slacks and white button-down with silver cuff links—he was a contradiction in appearance. If he hadn’t pierced every part of his face—lip, lids, nose, tongue, and the entire cartilage of both ears—he’d be hot. Metalface didn’t turn me on, but some girls were into that. For example, the buxom woman now whispering in his ear, pressing against him with her ample cleavage pouring out of a red patent leather corset. Dommiel cupped her breast with the one hand he had, brushing his thumb casually along the exposed skin above the too-tight casing. He turned his head when I approached.

His groupies didn’t move, though tension rippled in the air. Dommiel’s familiar—a black-eyed raven—perched on the dragon’s head and watched me. For a second, I wished I’d brought Mira. The white hawk that I’d created the day Jude was taken away had become my pale shadow wherever I went these days. But I didn’t want any of these freaks trying to hurt her in this confined space. Before her creation, when I was steeped in a well of grief from losing Jude, I hadn’t known Vessels could create spawn of Light. If demons could beget creatures of darkness, then it made sense I’d have the power to create one of light. Only, no Vessel had ever done it before. George, the commander of the Dominus Daemonum—the Masters of Demons—said it was because no Vessel before me had ever come so close to her awakening. When I glanced up at the beady-eyed bird, I wondered what it would do if I’d brought Mira with me and let her poke out one of those evil eyes. I suppose it would’ve started a shit storm, and that wasn’t why I’d come here.

Standing tall, hands at my sides, I said to Dommiel, “I come in peace.”

He considered me for about five seconds. “If this is peace, I’d hate to see war.”

“Yes. You would.”

In our past dealings, Dommiel had used his sardonic tongue to cut me and keep me in line. I waited for his next smart-ass remark, but something in his gaze told me he recognized this visit was different. I hadn’t come to threaten or coerce him into doing my bidding. I had a genuine offer of partnership—one I never thought to present to a high demon. With a heavy sigh, he squeezed his blonde’s breast still cupped in his hand, then gave her a quick deep-throated kiss before pushing her off his lap. He stood, revealing the silver hook on the stump of his other arm, which had been concealed till now.

“This better be good, Vessel.” He stepped in front of me, leading me past a guard and down a dark hallway. “I haven’t had a taste of her yet and was quite looking forward to it.”

“It looked to me like you just got a taste.”

He shot me a piercing look over his shoulder. “Okay. Let me rephrase. I haven’t yet fucked her until she can’t talk or walk. And I was about to take off that edge when you showed up.”

“Too much information, Dommiel.”

About the Author:
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona.

Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.
From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance.

Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.

Tour giveaway 
$20 Gift Certificate to Amazon 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Book Review: The Silent: (Irin Chronicles Book 5) by Elizabeth Hunter

The Silent: (Irin Chronicles Book 5)
by Elizabeth Hunter
July 28th 2017
Pages: 336
They are called kareshta, the silent ones.

But the silent are waking.

Kyra has lived her life in the shadow of a powerful Grigori brother. She's ignored her own desires for the good of her family, but an unexpected request from Thailand sends her on a mission that could change her life and alter the fate of free Grigori all over the world. Sons of the Fallen hidden in the mountains of Thailand have adapted an ancient human magic for their own purposes. Will this practice bring peace or lead to even greater danger for the Irin race?

A simple diplomatic mission sends Leo to Bangkok, but he didn't expect to see a familiar face in surveillance photographs. He's tried everything to drive Kyra from his mind, since he was convinced the gentle kareshta wanted to hide from the world. How did she turn up halfway across the globe, living with Grigori who may or may not be Irin allies?

Leo has bided his time. He's given Kyra her space.

But this scribe is ready to hear a kareshta sing.

THE SILENT is a romantic fantasy, and the fifth book in the Irin Chronicles series.

The Silent is book 5 in the Irin Chronicles and focuses on Leo and Kyra. Leo has known that Kyra is “the one” for years now but has never openly pursued her. Kyra has always been drawn to Leo, but now that her fallen angel father has died her life span is short.

Kyra travels to Thailand to train the kareshta that can’t shield themselves from all the voices. In trade for her services, the free Grigori of the compound will allow her brothers to come to Thailand to receive the Sak Yant to help them reign in their darker sides and gain power. What she doesn’t expect is Leo showing up there unannounced.

Hunter always weaves such a magnificent story and the Irin Chronicles are some her best writing. Her characters are well developed, filled with passion and relatable as well.


About the Author:
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Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance writer. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided that middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth-graders everywhere rejoice.

She currently lives in Central California with her son, two dogs, many plants, and a sadly dwindling fish tank. She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries and Elemental World series, the Cambio Springs series, the Irin Chronicles, and other works of fiction.

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Saturday, July 29, 2017

Interview: Piers Authors Piers Anthony and Kenneth Kelly (Virtue Inverted -Pakk Trilogy-book 1)


Piers Anthony Interview
Who are your favorite authors?
If I lost my memory and had my choice of reading matter, I hope my favorite would be Piers Anthony. I try to write what I would like to read. As for other authors, I have admired many in the Science Fiction and Fantasy fields, from Robert A Heinlein on down. I am also an admirer of the plays of George Bernard Shaw, and not just because he was a vegetarian.

What advice do you have for other writers?
Publishing is changing so much now that much of what I might say would become dated about ten minutes after I wrote it. So I’ll just say read and study the genre you are in, keep writing and improving, and may the world go well with thee.

What's the best thing about being a writer?
For me the best thing is getting to exercise my imagination and being independent. I can’t be fired for someone else’s mistakes.

What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
It used to be dealing with publishers, who were like insensitive robots interested only in money, regardless what they claimed. But the old order is passing and the new publishers I am dealing with are generally more compatible. Some of them even like good fiction. So now the hardest thing is facing the prospect of my declining ability with advancing age. I’m not capable of simply letting it go and retiring. So when I no longer write well, I hope I am the first, not the last to know it.

Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
My web site is www.hipiers.com where I have a monthly column, commenting on whatever is on my mind, and background information on my titles. I have also written two autobiographical books: Bio of an Ogre and How Precious Was That While.

Where can a reader purchase your book?
From wherever the publisher puts it.
What are you doing to market the book?  
Precious little. I’m a writer, not a marketer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenneth Kelly Interview

What genre do you write and why?
I dabble in Science Fiction, but I primarily write fantasy. Science Fiction is all about high tech gadgets, science, space travel…things that could possibly be in our own world or worlds very similar.  You have to have a good idea of scientific theories, astrology, and modern advances in space travel.  You have to follow certain ‘rules’ if you expect the reader to take you seriously, and while I’m up for a challenge, I prefer my writing to have a bit more freedom for creativity. That’s what I like about fantasy: having more freedom.  That doesn’t mean I can write whatever story I darn well please. 

Fantasy writing still has to have a certain verisimilitude, but it’s not as confined by research and ‘correctness’ of what constitutes good science fiction.  You can experiment a bit more with fantasy.  The rustic, woodland settings, sword and sorcery, outrageous monsters, things that aren’t possible and defy laws of physics and have no explanation and don’t need one; I can create the rules of the worlds my stories take place in.  With fantasy I can let my imagination go crazy in a way other genres wouldn’t permit.  

Tell us about your latest book. 
Virtue Inverted started off as a story I began in high school.  I was very proud of it, showing it off to all my friends and English teachers.  But it wasn’t anywhere close to the work it is now.  Benny Clout’s character was essentially the same, but almost everything else (setting, plot, characters, etc.) was unrecognizable to how it is now.  After I graduated and began college, I quickly realized it wasn’t the masterpiece I’d hoped it would be and sat on it for a few years until I contacted Piers Anthony in 2015 in regards to another book I’d written.  We began to discuss this old story of mine, collaborated and before I knew it we’d completed Virtue Inverted and the following installments.  I don’t want to discuss too much of the story, but I’ll describe it as a hard hitting vampire fantasy. However, it’s not your typical vampire story.

Who are your favorite authors?
This is a hard question because there are so many writers I admire.  I’m obviously a big Piers Anthony fan, and I love the big names of sci-fi/fantasy like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Stephen King.  I love the more modern, popular writers like Robert Jordan, Isaac Asimov, David Farland, etc.  But there are a lot of lesser known writers I don’t feel received the recognition they deserved: John Bellairs,  H. Beam Piper, Niel Hancock, Brad Munson, and John Ruskin.  If I typed the names of every writer I consider a favorite this interview would go on forever.  An easier question would probably be “which writers aren’t your favorite?”  

What advice do you have for other writers?
Keep writing and never give up.  It’s hard to become well established as a published writer; I’m still working on that.  If one project doesn’t take off, set it aside and move on to the next.  You’re first big idea won’t always take off like a jet plane, so don’t become discouraged if your ‘magnum opus’ doesn’t get the reception you think it should.  Look at my example: it took over half a decade and the aid of a bestselling writer before Virtue Inverted was picked up by a publisher.  Also remember that I got lucky, and not everyone will get the chance to write with a man like Piers Anthony like I did. So I’ll go back a hundred times to the same advice: don’t give up and keep writing no matter what!  It’s easy to let everyday life and limited success steal your motivation.  Don’t let it happen.  The only way to be a writer is to write.  

What’s your favorite quote about writing/for writers?
A now deceased English teacher, poet and father figure of mine, Kurt Van Wilt, once told me “write what you know.” I’ll remember this advice after everything else is forgotten.  You have to know what you’re writing about, even in a genre like fantasy.  I’ve never served in the military let alone gone to war, and I’ve never devoted much research to the idea, so for me to write a novel from the point of view of a soldier as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, or something similar, would be ludicrous and any readers who have experienced this would pick up on it.  It’s sort of like that. Writing what you know is what makes your work believable and gives it credibility.     

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I’d have to say Dale Beranger.  He’s a tortured soul with a complicated past, who was a well seasoned adventurer who could handle any situation imaginable at any given time.  You never know what to expect with him.  Having him as a main antagonist and villain is what I feel makes Virtue Inverted the story it is.  I’ve always thought that the villain of a story is what made it compelling, and my own work is no exception.  

Why do you think readers are going to enjoy your book? 
Virtue Inverted is a compelling, fast paced and action packed story. I know how much I hate a boring book, and I don’t want readers to find my work dull.  The narrative is complex, with many twists and turns that will keep the reader on the edge of their seats until the very end.  

Who Designed the Cover?
The cover for Virtue Inverted was done by Mitchell Bentley from Atomic Fly Studios.  I stumbled across his website a while back and loved his work.  So, Piers and I agreed to let him to the cover for our works.  I came up with the general idea for the cover, which Mr. Bentley used to design the finished art.  

Who inspires you?
A short, simple answer would be God, family and friends. So many people have aided and supported me throughout my writing and life.  My parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, and friends, living and dead, have always pushed me to give nothing less than my 110% at any task I set before me.  I feel compelled to make them proud, and to help others in the way they’ve helped me.  

Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
It may seem like a childish inspiration, but an old VHS tape is what inspired me to become a writer.  When I was a toddler, a neighbor gave me some old video tapes full of old cartoons that I would watch on a daily basis.  As a child, I was mesmerized by the colors, characters, places and things I saw, and I would become lost in these amazing worlds I witnessed.  This inspired me as a child to create and tell stories to my parents, who would write my tales down before I knew how to write.  There were few things that stirred my soul more than a compelling story.  Each movie or book I watched or read became a real place, with real friends where I escape the boredom of everyday life.  They kept me motivated and gave me something to live for.  Every story I watch or read inspires me to this day, but it was those old VHS tapes, which I still have, that set me on the path to become a writer, so that I could help inspire and motivate others with my own work.  

by Piers Anthony, Kenneth Kelly 
July 18, 2017
123 pages

Publisher: dreamingbigpublications.com
Virtue Inverted is the first book in a hard-hitting sword and sorcery trilogy by bestselling fantasy author, Piers Anthony, and collaborator Kenneth Kelly. Benny is a poor mountain boy who has found true love in Virtue the vampire. However, Virtue is no ordinary vampire; she's actually a very nice girl. Her bites contain extraordinary power, but will that power be enough to combat the evil that awaits them?

Friday, July 28, 2017

Book Review: Souls Fall (The Soul Wars: Book 2) by J.D. Blackrose + excerpt

Souls Fall (The Soul Wars: Book 2)
by J.D. Blackrose
July 27, 2017
Pages: 119
Book 2 of the stunning new fantasy series The Soul Wars, this novella continues the action begun in Souls Collide.

A visit from the obnoxious Simon Whitleigh, a representative of the Vampire U.S. Assembly, reveals how far Gaspard’s enemies will go to in order to remove Gaspard from influence and power. Meanwhile, Kara meets an interesting neighbor who must be handled with care.

The Soul Wars novella series is a new series of short novels, similar to BookShots. Souls Fall is the second in the series by urban fantasy author J.D. Blackrose.


Gaspard and Kara return in book 2 of the Soul Wars series with Souls Fall. The novella’s that make up the Soul Wars series are short, easy reads but with a great story line. Each book focuses on one story that connects to the previous book and doesn’t overwhelm you.

A seethe from the Northeast region has arrived and they appear to have an agenda. Simon, who represents the Vampire Assembly is requesting that Kara consult for his region for a month’s time. Things quickly spiral out of control and there seems to be more going on than meets the eye.

The chemistry between Gaspard and Kara is interesting and I hope that it is examined more closely in the next book.


Review: Souls Collide (The Soul Wars: Book 1) 

Getting 5 sheep





Denise B

Excerpt:
Rikassa, normally surefooted, skidded on the loose ground and almost pitched Kara headfirst. Rikassa righted herself, raced forward, and plunged headlong back into the marsh, unerringly heading toward the mansion grounds. Kara slipped off Rikassa, so as not to hit her head on branches, and splashed behind her mount. The horse whinnied, and the horses in Gaspard’s barn whinnied in response, sensing her anxiety. Kara stopped a moment to catch her breath and get her bearings, knee deep in swamp muck. It was only then that she saw the white sign, hanging askew from one nail on a large bald cypress tree, practically swallowed by Spanish moss but still readable. “No Entrance! This means you! Fear your death!”

Someone must have put that up there to keep trespassers out of Gaspard’s land, Kara thought. The sign was ridiculously dramatic. Gaspard wouldn’t hurt anyone for wandering on his land by mistake, and he most certainly wouldn’t kill them. She reconsidered for a moment, revised her opinion, and spoke out loud to her horse. “Okay, he might kill someone, but it would be for a very good reason, and after a lot of thought. I wonder who put up that sign?”

The horse shivered, her withers shaking and her tail swishing in unease, letting Kara know that she didn’t care about the sign and it was time to go. Kara led Rikassa away from the bank, comforting her with her hands and voice until they reached the barn. Usually, Rikassa didn’t sleep in the barn, but they both smelled bad and the horse needed a bath and brushing. Horse first, myself later. It was one of the first things her sister Valkyries taught her when she was brought into Odin’s service.

As she tended to her horse, a niggling thought squirmed its way to the forefront of her brain. That overly dramatic No Entrance sign hadn’t been facing the swamp to keep people out of Gaspard’s land. It had been facing inward, warning Gaspard’s guests and residents not to enter the wetlands at that spot. Whatever that creature was, it must be a killer.

About the Author:
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J.D. Blackrose is the fantasy pen name of Joelle Reizes. She loves all things storytelling and celebrates great writing by posting about it on her website, www.slipperywords.com.

When not writing, Blackrose lives with three children, an enormous orange cat, her husband and a full-time job in Corporate Communications. She’s fearful that so-called normal people will discover exactly how often she thinks about wicked fairies, nasty wizards, homicidal elevators, and the odd murder. As a survival tactic, she has mastered the art of looking interested.

Excerpt Spotlight: Dark Experiments (Forever and a Night Series Book Two) by Lana Campbell

Dark Experiments (Forever and a Night Series Book Two) by Lana Campbell
5/21/17
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher: Zombie Cupcake Press
ISBN: 9781546888994
ASIN: B071CP8RV5
Number of pages: 497
Word Count: 120k
Cover Artist: Rebecca Weeks
She wanted nothing to do with him, but only he can save her from an angel of death.

Christian is the exception to Tiffany’s rule that all males are louses. For years Tiffany has lusted after Christian and of late she can’t help but wonder what it might be like to have a brief fling with him. The opportunity to explore her secret fantasy appears when Christian offers her a job as the IT person for his practice, the V clinic. She knows if he gives her the green light, she’s going to have a romp with her sexy vampire. When the night finally arrives and she and Christian have sex, the experience is so overwhelmingly powerful, Tiffany backpedals and tries to turn down the heat between them. She’s human. He’s a vampire. She can’t afford to fall in love with him.

Christian has other ideas. During their sexual encounter, he discovers Tiffany is his life mate and he vows to change her thinking. His intentions are put on hold when he gets caught up in an angel of death’s vicious plan to chemically terminate V clinic patients’ pregnancies. Tiffany herself falls victim to a lethal dose of arsenic and Christian can only save her by turning her into a vampire. She’s furious when she wakes from her turning and discovers what Christian has done. She wants nothing to do with him ever again, but when she’s kidnapped by this angel of death and used as a guinea pig for deadly experiments she only has Christian to turn to save her life.





Excerpt:
Nathan’s men rushed inside, Christian at their heels. He flipped up his sunglasses and looked about the inky darkness of a huge garage, plenty luminous for vampire eyes. Another standard door led to the belly of the building in the far right corner. He headed toward it, behind Nathan’s six men. Asa, Dominic and Nathan took up the rear, single file behind him.

At this point most everyone inside had surely heard the door come down. Christian needed to alert Tiffany and make her ready for whatever transpired once they emerged into the building’s interior.

We’re here. Get ready. Say nothing and stay calm. I’ll be there before you know it.

You’re here? Thank God, Christian.

Are you alone?

Yeah, I’m still alone and tied down to this damned bed. My heart is about to beat out of my chest. That’s my only tell, but no one except a vampire could here it.

I’ll hear it soon enough and it will be music to my ears.

Be careful.

You too.

Two of Nathan’s men took the battering ram to the interior door. Once it was relieved of it’s hinges, Christian rushed inside behind four of Nathan’s men. He expected to be met by the very least the brother armed to defend his turf, but instead two young thin vampire girls with hideously gray skin and gaunt features stood in a long hall just out a doorway to his right. The scent of chili wafted from the room, and Christian assumed it to be a kitchen.

The two girls appeared terrified, frozen in place, eyes wide and flitting from one armed man to another.

“Hands in the air!” one of the humans ordered.

They instantly obeyed.

Christian raised the barrel of his gun toward the ceiling. These poor little things were no threat. “Are you here by choice?” he asked them.

Both shook their heads, still wearing petrified expressions.

“Take us to the four women they brought here three days ago,” he demanded.

Just then a man walked out the doorway, hands in the air. Christian saw a holstered gun on his hip. The others must have too. Every man took aim on him with their weapons.

“Get down! Face down on the floor. Hands behind your head!” two of the human men yelled.

He did their bidding without a word. Seconds later he was swarmed by three humans, stripped of his gun and handcuffed.

Christian glanced at Asa who stared at the two frightened vampire girls with pity. He felt the same emotion himself, but he needed them to lead him to Tiffany and the others.

“Where are the women?” he asked again with less rancor.

The one closest to them finally answered. “D-down this hallway, take a left and you’ll find them in the curtained cubicles.”

Christian wanted to bolt in the direction they’d indicated, but he held back, glanced at Asa then behind him at Nathan, Dominic and Dimitri. They all wore an expression similar to what was on his mind. This was just too damned easy.

“Are you Terry, Charla’s brother?” Christian asked, stepping up to the head of the prone man who craned his head to glare up at him with equal doses of hate and spite.

“How do you know my name?”

“Never mind that. Get up and lead us to the women.” Christian yanked him up and onto his feet so fast, he’d probably dislocated his shoulder. A harsh grunt of pain said he was correct, but he didn’t care. This man was part of this kidnapping and drugging ring. He deserved a bullet between the eyes, but right now he’d serve just fine as a hostage.

The young sickly girls did not deserve such treatment. “Dominic, Dimitri, could you escort these young ladies out of the building? That is if you want to leave. We’ll make sure you get home, back to your lives, families, whatever.”

Both shook their heads adamantly and the two men corralled them around the small posse in the entryway then out of the building.

Christian shoved the barrel of his gun against the man’s spine. “Lead us to them now.”

Terry, craned his head back and gave him a look of disgust. “I’ll lead you right to them, vampire, but it won’t do you any good. By now they’re all on their way out. I’m sorry about that. I really am. I liked that one with the mouth.”

“Tiffany.”

“Yeah. That’d be the one.”

“You’d better qualify that comment and quick if you want to live. Where are they being taken?”

“I couldn’t answer that, but maybe you can. Where do vampires go when they die?”

About the Author:
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Lana Campbell is the author of the Forever and a Night vampire romance series. The first book in her series is Forever and a Night. Her second book Dark Experiments just came out 5/21/17. Zombie Cupcake Press has just recently bought her third book Deadly Secrets, which should be out late summer. Lana loves writing paranormal romance and is an avid reader of it too. She lives in Avoca AR with her husband, oldest daughter and a cat named Felix. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and watching old movies.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Book Review: Star Witch (The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic #2) by Helen Harper

Star Witch (The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic #2)
by Helen Harper
July 10th 2017

Kindle Edition, 271 pages
Published 
Lights. Camera. Inaction. 

Ivy Wilde, the laziest witch in the West, is still entangled with the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment. That's not a bad thing, however, because it gives her plenty of excuses to spend more time with sapphire eyed Raphael Winter, her supposed nemesis. And when he comes knocking because he needs her to spy on the latest series of Enchantment, she jumps at the chance. Hanging around a film set can't be hard ... or dangerous ... right?

The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic is the story of Ivy Wilde, slacker witch extraordinaire. It’s the latest series by fantasy writer Helen Harper, and so far, Harper has another winning series. The series is slated to be a trilogy. I reviewed book one, Slouch Witch, last month and the final series installment, Spirit Witch, is set for release later this summer.

In book two Ivy is still driving a cab and eluding – quite deliberately – greatness. Despite her stellar work with the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenment (The Order), Ivy remains content to stay out of the politics and prestige of the magical organization. But, when Raphael Winter, Ivy’s former partner/would-be lover, requests her assistance, Ivy simply cannot refuse. Her current assignment is an undercover arrangement on her favourite reality television show “Enchantment,” a Survivor-type challenge show where fledging witches compete for top spot.

Star Witch is part romantic comedy, part urban fantasy, part whodunit, part social satire. I adore Ivy as the consummate lazy girl, however, as the story develops, she’s realizing that laziness isn’t nearly as rewarding as being all in. I’m sure I’m starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but I adore Helen Harper’s charming heroines and action-packed story lines. While I wouldn’t exactly classify the book’s ending a cliff-hanger, we aren’t given the satisfying closure I typically prefer. This series is building to a highly rewarding finale. I can’t wait.

Review: Slouch Witch (Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic #1) 


Five Sheep





Bianca Greenwood


About the Author:
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After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time although she still fits in creative writing workshops with schools along with volunteering to teach reading to a group of young Myanmar refugees. That’s not to mention the procession of stray cats which seem to find their way to her door!

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.

Helen currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere!