Book Review: Fairytale Christmas: A Fair Folk Saga (The Fair Folk Saga Book 1) by Merrie Destefano + Giveaway

Fairytale Christmas: A Fair Folk Saga (The Fair Folk Saga Book 1)

by Merrie Destefano
December 4, 2017
Genre: YA, fantasy, folktale,
Three thousand years ago, a war began between the immortals and the mortals. It's a war that continues to this day...

Before history began, a legendary queen battled a foreign army, braved the death of her husband, and faced betrayal at the hand of someone she trusted. This is the story of Eire, Queen of the Faeries, the Immortal One, and the leader of the Tuatha de Danann.

To this day, her homeland, Ireland, bears her name, and this is the story of the war that drove the Immortal Ones into exile. It's also the tale of how she found help from an unexpected place, leading her to a love like she had never known before.

Fairytale Christmas is a story that spans thousands of years. It's also the beginning of all of our fairytales and legends; it's where mortals and immortals survive because they love one another, proving that love is the greatest gift of all.

This is the first installment in the Saga of the Fair Folk, a journey that lasts until the end of time.

amazon

What a magical and beautiful cover and fitting for a story about Erie, Queen of the Faeries. The reader experiences Erie’s betrayal and eventual fight for her life and that of her two sons from her point of view. The story moves quickly and has lots of action and suspense. The writing has a fairy tale quality to it much like Merrie’s novel Feast, which you should also read. Merrie has a flair for writing magical tales.

As strange as it sounds, I think this would have been a stronger story without the introduction of the romance. The love shown between Erie and her sister, and Erie and her sons was magical enough. Maybe if this had been a longer story there would have been enough time to develop chemistry between Erie and Kellen.

I don’t know how much of this story is from the folklore and how much was Merrie’s imagination, but this is a beautifully written story about family and fighting against a terrible adversary. If you are looking for just a romance story, you might be disappointed. But if you like fairy tales about good vs evil then check it out.

3.5 “howling” Sheep

SharonS

About the Author:
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Born in the Midwest, magazine editor Merrie Destefano currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies, and listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time.

GIVEAWAY

http://merriedestefano.blog/giveaways/12-days-of-christmas/

$.99 Pre-order Fairytale Christmas: A Fair Folk Saga (The Fair Folk Saga Book 1) by Merrie Destefano

Fairytale Christmas: A Fair Folk Saga (The Fair Folk Saga Book 1)

by Merrie Destefano
December 4, 2017
Three thousand years ago, a war began between the immortals and the mortals. It's a war that continues to this day...

Before history began, a legendary queen battled a foreign army, braved the death of her husband, and faced betrayal at the hand of someone she trusted. This is the story of Eire, Queen of the Faeries, the Immortal One, and the leader of the Tuatha de Danann.

To this day, her homeland, Ireland, bears her name, and this is the story of the war that drove the Immortal Ones into exile. It's also the tale of how she found help from an unexpected place, leading her to a love like she had never known before.

Fairytale Christmas is a story that spans thousands of years. It's also the beginning of all of our fairytales and legends; it's where mortals and immortals survive because they love one another, proving that love is the greatest gift of all.

This is the first installment in the Saga of the Fair Folk, a journey that lasts until the end of time.

Pre-order for only $.99

amazon

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter

blog-tumblr-instagram

goodreads-newsletter
Born in the Midwest, magazine editor Merrie Destefano currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds, a Siamese cat, and the occasional wandering possum. Her favorite hobbies are reading speculative fiction and watching old Star Trek episodes, and her incurable addiction is writing. She loves to camp in the mountains, walk on the beach, watch old movies, and listen to alternative music—although rarely all at the same time.

Book Review: Beta (War of the Alphas #2) by S.M. Reine

Beta (War of the Alphas #2)
by S.M. Reine
Pages: 365
April 22, 2015
Deirdre Tombs has lived most her life as the weakest of shapeshifters—an Omega who can’t turn into any animal. Now the terrorist known as Everton Stark has made her his Beta. He wants her by his side when he defeats the Office of Preternatural Affairs, kills Rylie Gresham, and becomes Alpha of all shifters.

The faeries from the Winter Court have an offer to make Stark’s domination easier. They know where to find a cursed sword that can kill anything, and they’ll give it to him…for a price.

Deirdre’s the only one who can keep Stark from getting this powerful weapon—if she wants to. But as brutal as Stark may be, he’s also the only one who can give Deirdre what she wants.

Vengeance.

And Deirdre doesn’t know where her loyalties lie anymore.

Omega is book 2 in the War of the Alphas series by SM Reine. This series is a continuation of Reine’s long running series which focuses on what happens after Genesis. You can read this series as a standalone series but you get more depth and understanding of the characters and the story setting if you read all of her books.

Deirdre is a mystery shifter, an Omega. She is a shifter; just no one knows what kind. She’s considered weak, a throwaway. Everton Stark has other ideas for her and makes her his Beta. A Beta is the right hand of the Alpha. Deirdre is by far one of my favorite characters in Reine’s books. She is loyal, and tries to fight for the underdog even when her moral compass is out of whack. Reine has an excellent way of bringing her stories to life. Not only can I vividly picture the towns and characters, I feel so connected with each and everyone of them.

5 Sheep

DeniseB

About the Author:
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Hi everyone! My name is Sara, and I'm the New York Times Bestselling Author of urban fantasy known as SM Reine. I collect swords, cat hair, and typewriters (which I do use for writing!). You can usually find me writing on my treadmill desk at 2am whilst listening to dubstep. Yes, dubstep.

If you would like to know the instant I have a new book available, you should enlist in my Army of Evil! I'll only email you when I have a new release, which is generally no more than once a month. I can't write any faster than that. :) http://smarturl.it/armyofevil

Guest Post: How to Defend Yourself from Faeries by Dani Harper

“Storm Warrior – How to Defend Yourself from Faeries” 

By: Dani Harper

***********************************************************

Just forget Tinkerbell.

If you’re going to survive, there are a few things you need to know about faeries. 

They’re not cute. 

They’re not little. 

And they’re definitely not nice.

Oh sure, they can be beautiful to look at, so alluring that you’ll walk away with them without a single backward glance. But they can be ugly too, or so terrifying that your heart could stop from fear. Whatever they look like, however, faeries are very dangerous creatures. Long-lived dangerous creatures who get very, very bored. 

To a bored faery, a mere mortal represents a diversion – you could become a pet or a toy, a target for pranks or just a target, period. To many of these immortal beings, a human is nothing more than an insect in a jar, an object of fleeting interest. (Or for some, a snack). 

But just like dealing with zombies, following a few basic rules can save your life.

1. Steer clear from known faery territory. This includes strange solitary hills in odd places, such as in the middle of a field. Round grassy knolls often conceal entrances to the faery realm. Their kingdom exists beneath the mortal world, so all caves, mines and abandoned wells are suspect. Taking up spelunking as a hobby is a bad idea.

2. Don’t invite faeries to your home. Sure, it’s cute to attract hummingbirds and butterflies with your landscaping selections. But plant the wrong thing, and you could be issuing an invitation to the Fair Ones. Need a shade tree? Do NOT pick an oak, an alder or a hazel. Foxgloves, ferns, and rosemary in your garden are also said to attract faery creatures.

3. Always wear clothing with pockets. That’s where you’re going to keep your repertoire of faery repellent. And no, it doesn't come in a handy spray or moist wipes. Keep a handful of raw oatmeal in your pocket, some red berries (like holly or mountain ash, even Craisins), a few iron nails and a horseshoe. Why a pocket and not a super big handbag? Because you’re trying to keep the faeries away from you, not your Coach. Okay, okay, throw some in the Coach too….

4. Double-check your date. If a stranger who looks like a movie star asks you out, it could be because you’re totally charming, hot and sexy yourself. Or it could be that your dream date is a faerie. They may be trying to lure you away with them. Keep a four-leafed clover in your pocket and you’ll be able to discern exactly who – or what – is trying to buy you a drink.

If you can’t avoid the faeries, or repel them, you’re going to have to appease them.

This is why you keep bread on your person at all times. Whether it’s hardtack, stale, whole wheat or Wonder, bread is a universal symbol of life, of hearth and home. If it fails to repel a faery, you can offer the creature the bread as a gift. This represents an act of hospitality that not only might save you from mischief (or sudden and immediate death), but gain you a favor.

Other appeasements: dropping a piece of silver in any body of water that you pass. Yup, you’re going to start checking your change for old silver dimes. Or you can dismantle that old charm bracelet from that relationship with Mr. Wrong, and keep the pieces in one of your pockets. (Speaking of pockets, by now it should be obvious that a fisherman’s vest is a potentially lifesaving investment.)

My newest release tells the story of Rhys, a fierce Celtic warrior who’s been a captive of the Fair Ones beneath the Black Hills of Wales for millennia. How did someone so big, strong and capable (not to mention hawt) end up a prisoner of the faeries? And how did he end up naked in Morgan Edwards’ front yard? 

The answers to these questions and more are in STORM WARRIOR, Book 1 of the Grim Series. Here’s the blurb:

Two thousand years ago, Rhys was the fierce Celtic warrior branded by the Romans as “the Bringer of Death.” Mortally wounded in battle, he was captured by the Fair Ones, cunning and powerful masters of the Welsh faery realm. They spared his life…but for a price. As a grim, he has roamed the earth as a messenger of death—until a single act of kindness breaks the ancient enchantment and delivers him into a strange new world…

As a child, Morgan Edwards marveled at the faery tales spun by her beloved grandmother, stories of the magical beings hidden in the heart of ancient Wales. But now Morgan is all grown up, a veterinarian who believes only in what science can prove—until the night a massive black dog saves her from a vicious attack, and life as she knows it changes forever. Suddenly a stranger stands before her, the man of her dreams made flesh and blood not by science, but by a magic that could bring them their hearts’ desires...or cost them everything they have.

*check out the I Smell Sheep review of Storm Warrior

Book Review: Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake

Angel’s Ink (Asylum Tales #1) by Jocelynn Drake Looking for a tattoo—and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions—a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks—to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price. 

No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment—execution—will be swift. Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead—or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage might just make it through this enchanted world alive. 

I say this every time, but I love urban fantasy and the genius world building that goes along with it and of course kick ass snarky characters. Angel’s Ink has all of it. This is a solid start to promising urban fantasy series. Unlike a lot of UF that has a lead female protagonist, this one has a male. Gage is a good guy, so unlike his fellow warlocks and witches who have god complexes. Gage is trying to live a normal life and stay off the grid, but he is a loose end the Ivory Tower wants to tie up, i.e. kill. Unfortunately in his attempt to do a good deed for a customer, he ends up bringing a war to his front door and his friends, Bronx and Trixie get caught up while their own secret pasts come knocking too.

I have not read the two novellas published before Angel’s Ink about Gage’s co-workers Bronx and Trixie, but I did read the back-story about the Great War, Warlocks and Witches: The Subjugation of the Races, that explains why the warlocks and witches are in control and how they got it. It is a powerful piece about the atrocities of war and I think you should take the time to read it at some point. You can find it free on Jocelynn’s website.

Angel’s Ink is told in first person POV from Gage. I like his voice and attitude. He had to make some tough decisions and I felt his frustration and pain. The world building isn’t rushed and as a lover of series I am glad too much wasn’t revealed. When dealing with an open world with magic and all sorts of creatures there are so many possibilities for the author and it looks like Jocelynn is going in the right direction with this one. She has created a unique and interesting world I will want to visit again.

My one issue is with Trixie. She is Gage’s love interest and I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Mainly because of Trixie. I won’t say I didn’t like her, but she isn’t my kind of character. She started out strong and I thought she would be kicking ass, but she ended up being teary eyed in most of the book. If the romance had been taken a little slower and not resolved in this book and Trixie had been stronger I would give Angel’s Ink 5 sheep, but I am giving it 4.25 Sheep.

There is a lot of humor. Here are some of my favorite parts:

“You got it,” I said, somewhat relived that the three of us weren’t going to be drawing dicks on the arms of satyrs that evening.” 

“Instead of risking his neck and mine, the troll had decided to go the wiser route and take advantage of a known obsessive-compulsive trait in vampires. Seeds, buttons, and even flower petals; if they could be sorted and organized, the vampire was compelled to stop whatever he was doing and complete the task.” [...] “The two vampires glided out of the parlor while I fought the urge to throw a handful of f***ing buttons at their backs.” 

Gage: “Holy Sh**, Chang! That’s Medusa’s head!” Chang: “Yeah, it’s great. You interested? It still works.” 
Gage: “Be careful with that thing,” I said, taking another step away from it while shielding my eyes with a raised hand. 
Chang: “No worries. The safety is on. Her eyes are closed.” He laughed manically at his own joke before patting me on the arm. “Open the eyes and bang! Instant lawn ornament. You need something like that?” 

4.25 “OCD” Sheep

Sharon Stogner (edit Kalpar)

About the Author:

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Love comes in many varied forms. There is the love of family, love of country, and love of chocolate. But for Jocelynn Drake, one truly treasured love is the love of a good story. This Midwestern native spends the majority of her time lost in the strong embrace of a good book. When she’s not hammering away at her keyboard, frowning at her monitor, or curled up with a book, she can usually be found cuddling with her cats, Harley and Demona, walking her dog Max, or flinging curses at the TV while playing a video game. Outside of books, cats, and video games, she is completely enamored of Bruce Wayne, Ezio Auditore, travel, tattoos, explosions, fast cars, and Anthony Bourdain (but only when he’s feeling really cranky).

Asylum Tales

Dark Days Series

Sheep Review: Deadlocked by Charliane Harris

This post is more of me telling you how much and why I love this series and why you should read it. I also talk about Deadlocked and there are no spoilers

by Sharon Stogner
co-creator & media relations


With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.


There are tons of reviews out there on this book already so no need for me to say what has already been said. Instead I will do one of my favorite things...gush and talk about this series and why you should read it. First I will say if I had to judge Deadlocked against the other books in the series it wouldn’t be at the top as far as main storylines go, but I don’t look at the books in this series that way. Instead I see them as a continuation of one fabulous urban fantasy story so I can't tell you what happened in each book. There is only one more book left (excuse me while a take a moment *sob*) and Harris has started to wrap up some secondary storylines, as well as setting up the events for the last book; the secondary characters seem to all be getting their nice and tidy HEAs, which is fine with me. The faerie story line appears to have ended with a surprise I didn’t see coming, which makes me sad 'cause I love those characters.

The big question is Sookie’s love life. Harris said in the talk I went to that this series isn’t one of those HEA romances. In this book Eric’s fate seems to have been decided and Bill has declared his feelings in a very romantic way. Then there is her best friend Sam, and while Deadlocked changes things for him dramatically, where Harris is going with this remains unknown. Has anyone given thought to the idea that Sookie's HEA might not include a man at all...maybe she will be happiest just being self sufficient and all the ones she loves in a good place.

Now, why do I love this series so much? Harris’ writing voice. I LOVE first person POV books and Sookie’s character resonates with me perfectly. I can slip easily into her head because we think so much alike. Maybe because I am a southern girl and her inner dialogue feels natural to me.

"There is something about JB, something warm and simple that's really appealing, especially when added to hid non-threatening good looks. He's like a great loaf of homemade bread."

"He was just being polite because I am Claude's cousin," I said. "Like hell! He was looking at you like you were chocolate-chip-cookie-dough ice cream," she said. "He wanted to eat you up."

I was pretty sure she was right, but maybe not in the sense she meant; not that I could read Bellenos's mind, any more than that of any other supernatural creature...but elves are what you'd call unrestricted in their diet..."

Will you like this series? Don’t judge the books by the TV show, they are hardly the same beast. The books have characters that don’t even show up in the show like Bubba. He is actually Elvis, but his transition into a vampire didn’t go so well and he doesn’t like it when people use his real name. Also, he eats cats.

Grab the first book Dead Until Dark and read a few pages or download a sample and see if you like looking at the world through Sookie’s eyes. Next year will be book #13 and the last. I will be sorry to see this world end, but like Harris said, it is time to move on.

I found this over on parajunkee.com and it definitely applies here

I give Deadlocked 4 Sheep

and the series as a whole 5 Sheep!

All the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse / Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)
Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 2)
Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3)
Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4)
Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 5)
Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 6)
All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 7)
From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 8)
Dead and Gone: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 9)
Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10)
Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

Sheep Comic Review: The Order of Dagonet + giveaway

The Order of Dagonet
Written by Jeremy Whitley
Art by Jason Strutz
26 pages. Full color.

I met Jeremy at Mysticon this year and he kindly gave me some comics from his small press Firetower Studios. Firetower is based in my home state of NC and in the same city where I lived most my life. One comic, Princeless, was a fabulously funny new take on the fairytale princess which I reviewed here recently. He also gave me the first 3 issues of The Order of Dagonet (signed!) to review and then pass onto some lucky reader.

First, a little history lesson from the back of the first issue. The Order of the Dagonet was created by King Edward VIII to honor outstanding achievements in fields related to entertainment. It was meant in fun as a reference to Sir Dagonet, a jester King Arthur knighted as a joke. Technically all the modern day knighted celebrities carry the same responsibilities and rights as knights of England and could be called upon to protect the Monarchy at any time. That idea formed the basis for this comic book series.

The series starts out with all the mythological faerie creatures of England being released and deciding to take England back because man has mistreated England. A call goes out, from Merlin none the less, for the Knights of England to come to her rescue. Only instead of the mounted warriors Merlin was expecting, he gets the knights of the Order of Dagonet. In this first issue we meet quite a few eccentric characters based on real life personalities. There is an aging rock star by the name of Dizzy Clairborne, an extremely popular children’s author (of those boy wizard books) named Gene Everyman, and a washed-up actor who does sci-fi B-movies, along with a few other characters.

The writing is what really makes this comic series; it is both clever and funny. One of my favorite scenes is in issue #3 when the band of knights, along with an American bookstore sales lady (who is one of my favorite characters,) are trying to fly into England to help and find out they are being re-routed to Wales.

Laverne: “I don’t understand, what’s going on?

Gene: “You’re not British enough to fully understand, but I’ll try to explain. There are two great horrors in the British world. One is that someday we will become part of Europe and no longer be able to look with disdain on the rest of the continent. The other is Wales.”

Laverne: “Come on now, it can’t be that bad. You ever been to South Carolina?”

The story moves at a pretty good pace as it flips between all the main characters' storylines until they all meet up in issue #3 to head to England.

The artwork is a little strange compared to what I am used to in comics. It looks like pastel or chalk drawings, and sometimes is seems a little messy looking. Once I got used to it, though, I think it adds character and sets the comic apart from others in a good way.

that is Laverne by the way

I enjoyed the smart humor and playfulness of this series. If you are looking for something a little different give this one a try. Below are the blurbs for the first three comics and links to check it out and buy and at only $.99 for a digital copy. You can even read the first issue digitally for free! It is a win-win for youJ On top of that I have print editions of the first 3 issues for one commenter.

4 “mythological mayhem” Sheep

SharonS (edited by BAK)

Issue #1

When the mythological faerie creatures of England return to wreak havoc on modern day England, the call goes out to our only hope: the Knights of England. Unfortunately, it's the Order of Dagonet that answers the call. A special order of knights created just for the entertainers of England, these actors, authors and rockstars must face the faerie invasion to save the world. Heaven help us all.

Free digital issue

Issue #2:

Exeunt All: Our knights have been called, but if they're going to save us, they have to get to England first...and it may require calling in a few favors. Our famous British author must hitch a ride in the American south. Our aged B-movie actor must begrudgingly borrow a plane from a certain rhinestone clad British pop-star. Worst of all, our heavy metal actor must get through a metal detector.

$.99 digital copy

Issue #3:

Merry Ole England: As Dizzy finally triumphs over the metal detector, Tottington and Emerald find themselves diverted from Heathrow and forced to face the horrors of Essex...on foot! If that weren't terrifying enough, there are centaurs. And these half-man half-beasts are all fanboy for a certain aging green clad British pop-star. However, nothing compares to the horrors which await Neil Everyman and his new friend LaVerne. Skymall will be the least of their torments!

$.99 digital copy

All Print issues $4.00

Jason Strutz - Art - Jason Strutz is an illustrator of comics and stories, likes dinosaurs, evil scientists, robots, and medium walks on beach. The Order of Dagonet is his ongoing series with writer Jeremy Whitley, he works on Globworld with Action Lab Comics, and does illustration and comics series for Bullspec Magazine, and yet he wants more.

Check out daily webcomics including The Order of Dagonet at www.FiretowerStudios.com and Jason's other work at www.StrutzIllustration.com.

Jeremy Whitley - Writer
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A graduate of The University of North Carolina with a BA in English and Creative Writing, Jeremy lives with his wife Alicia and daughter Zuri in Raleigh, NC. He's a big fan of movies, video games, comics, and literature.

He is currently the writer and co-creator of two comics: "The Order of Dagonet" with Illustrator Jason Strutz and "Princeless" with Illustrator M. Goodwin in conjunction with Action Lab Comics. He and Jason are also in the middle of their run of four comics featured in "Bull Spec" magazine. That comic is titled "The Long Lives of Heroes". Other project include a short story titled "A Crisis of Purpose" for the superhero anthology "No More Heroes" published by Library of the Living Dead Press, as well as the ongoing "Make Your Own Comic" series.

He has a number of other projects in development, including another project with Action Lab, several web-comics for this very site, and a few other scripts for original stories he's kicking around.

GIVE AWAY!

International

I have the first 3 issues (signed) to give to someone. Leave your contact info and tell me your favorite British export- real or fictional <G>

Contest ends: May 7