Book Review: Temptation by Fire by Tiffany Allee

Temptation by Fire
by Tiffany Allee
Visions of death haunt her . . .

Ava Keller sees the future. When she suffers a horrifying vision of a man's violent death, she knows from experience nothing she does will stop it from becoming a reality. But when she meets a strong, broken man, he makes her want to believe in second chances.

Vengeance consumes him . . .

Tortured by his past, Karson has worked tirelessly to wreak vengeance on the demons who murdered his family. But when Ava inadvertently disrupts his intricate plan for revenge, his focus shifts to an all-consuming need to keep her alive and in his arms.

Love could save their souls . . .

Thrown together by fate, Ava and Karson explore their new feelings and discover hope for the future. But they must battle the demons threatening humanity to find a destiny worthy of their love.

Vet tech, Ava has what she calls a curse. She can't touch anyone without seeing visions and sometimes the visions are of their death. Her only friend, Miriam knows about her curse and tries to understand and help but will be leaving for medical school soon.

When Karson's family was killed by a demon he left his humanity behind and trained to become a Venator (Demon Hunter). He wants revenge on the demon who killed his family and does what he has to in order to kill the demons who possess humans.

I found the story of the venators to be intriguing. They use the blood from the living humans who have been possessed by the demons to make the tattoos. The blood in the tattoos make them powerful enough to fight the demons. The venators also use runes painted in blood to ward off demons and while reading that I was reminded of the show, Supernatural because Sam and Dean use runes and symbols painted in blood for the same reasons.

The demons in this books are scary, gruesome beasts who get off on torture, pain and fear. They steal energy, feed off the energy of their victims. That's not scary at all. *shivers*

The sexual tension between Karson and Ava was insane. Every time I thought they were going to get down and do the deed, something stopped them. It's like the author was teasing us readers, knowing that all this start and stop passion would keep us on the edge of our seats. But it was well worth the wait. The sex scenes are hot and sweet and not 'G' rated at all, which I really liked.

They have to work together to save an innocent victim and that gets tricky when Karson comes face to face with the demon who killed his family.

If you like demons, demon hunters, boat loads of action, magical tattoos, exorcisms, mythical magical necklaces, and a love story that uncovers the redemption, emotional scars and a love found...then this is the book for you.

I give this book 5 sheep

Mary Kirkland
My Published Articles
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:
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PA-turned-romance-author Tiffany Allee used to battle spreadsheets in Corporate America, and now concentrates on her characters’ battles to find love. Raised in small-town Colorado, Tiffany currently lives in Phoenix, AZ, by way of Chicago and Denver. She is happily married to a secret romantic who tolerates her crazy mutterings.

She writes about ass-kicking heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Her work includes the suspense-driven From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series which revolves around a group of paranormal cops solving crimes and finding love, and Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, a lighthearted paranormal romance (Entangled Publishing).

Tiffany has an MBA in accounting and nearly a decade of experience in corporate finance. All super useful stuff for a writer who spends far too much time trying to figure out fun ways to keep her characters apart, and interesting ways to kill people (for her books—of course!).

Tiffany is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Double Book Review (ARC): Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

Bitter Spirits
by Jenn Bennett
Publisher: Berkley Sensation, published by the Penguin Random House Company, New York, N.Y.
ISBN: 9780425269579
January 7, 2014.
First in a new romance series: It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her...

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise.

Adria's 4 Sheep Review

Whoa a change in time period does make a difference in a story! I’ve never read a paranormal romance that takes place in the 1920’s and Bitter Spirits was a great introduction to the world of bootleggers, black magic and the spirit world.

Winter Magnusson needs help fast, he’s had a curse placed on him that basically makes him a shining beacon to ghosts everywhere. Not exactly productive or safe for a bootlegger. In order to be free of haunting ghosts, Winter goes in search of a medium to remove the curse and gets more than he bargained for when he meets Aida.

Aida Palmer makes her living as a medium, “performing” as often as possible, but unlike many others who claim to be mediums, Aida truly can summon and expel the dead. She’s a tough character with a special gift and I liked her a lot. She wasn’t a whiner or complainer and she never expects any one to rescue her, nor does she hope for a prince charming and a happily ever after. Which is great but it also complicates her relationship with Winter.

Winter and Aida’s relationship is a complicated one. Each of them has had a difficult life and circumstances have forced them to be solitary people, which they’ve become accustomed to. So when they suddenly find themselves having to work with and in some ways depend on another person, they get unusually stubborn and pigheaded. Throw in the fact that they’re attracted to one another and that just throws them both in the middle of “unknown” territory. Through their ups and downs Winter and Aida manage to find a method that works for them while trying to find out who cursed Winter in the first place, however, their romance isn’t such an easy fix.

The twists and turns in Bitter Spirits made for some interesting moments, some were wholly expected and others had me saying “Wow, I didn’t see that one coming!” Either way, I couldn’t put the book down until Winter and Aida found all the answers they were looking for.

I loved the easy to understand flow of Bitter Spirits. I’ve never read a 1920s romance and I was never really good in history so it was great that author Jenn Bennett was able to bring 1920s San Francisco to life in as much authentic detail and slang as possible without alienating readers like myself who aren’t familiar with the time period. The author also kept a brisk pace throughout the Bitter Spirits that kept the story from getting stale or dull. Secondary characters brought some variety to the story and hopefully will become main characters in their own books soon.

Bitter Spirits is an enjoyable read whether you’re a fan of the 1920s or if, like me, you have very little knowledge of the popular time period.

Sheep Rating: 4 

Adria
Adria's Romance Reviews Among Wildlings

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Pamela Kinney's 5 Sheep Review

Aida Palmer is a spirit medium in the 1920s who performs onstage in shows, calling up ghosts for the living. Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger more comfortable with guns and bootlegged whiskey than phantoms. But when Winter is hexed to attract the dead to him like glue, two people of two different worlds will meet to help him rid himself of his curse.

Set in the Roaring 20s—one of my favorite eras—the author obviously did her homework on the clothing, speakeasies and other parts of the time when writing this historical paranormal romance, beginning of a series. I even loved her descriptions of things from the era and even of places in San Francisco,, specifically Chinatown. I can see the characters walking or driving in the rain or nighttime, when the fog rolled in. The flavors of Chinatown come alive. I can see figures dressed in long coats and fedora hats. Other more feminine figures dressed in flapper dresses and with bobbed hair cross my imagination. Women in long, shimmering gowns stroll into rooms where jazz bands play. I could imagine real-life historical figures like Charlie Chaplin and Rudolf Valentino wandering into this book. Add the suspense that sets the mood, splash in the spookiness of magic and paranormal, add a dash of the red-hot passion of two lovers, and you got a jim dandy novel (to coin a phrase used back then.).

Ms. Bennett has a winner in this novel. She already has wetted my appetite for the second one in the series, which I got a peek of at the end of the book. Pick up this novel and be prepared to take a Bonnie and Clyde wild ride. Just don’t forget your beads, Tommy guns, and flapper dress, and become addicted to another paranormal romance!

5 sheep

Guest Reviewer: Pamela K. Kinney Website Blog Facebook
aka Sapphire Phelan
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About the Author:

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Jenn Bennett is the author of the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series from Pocket Books and the Roaring Twenties historical paranormal romance series from Berkley. Born in Germany, she’s lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe, the U.S., and the Far East. She currently lives near Atlanta with one husband and two very bad pugs.

Entangled Birthday post (rough)

Entangled's third birthday! View this email in your browser

It all began 3 years ago. A group of people had a dream, and Entangled was born. We're celebrating in February with a birthday bash! We have SUPER SECRET PLANS and need your help to spread the word. If you can post about our birthday event on your blog (and on Facebook!) onFebruary 3rd (we'll send you the information to post on the evening of the 2nd), we'll <3 you forever. Okay, we already do, but we'll double <3 you. We'll send you the information to post on the 2nd!! To show our gratitude, if you post, you'll have a chance to enter a drawing for a Kobo!

Book Review: (ARC) Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan

Dark Wolf (Dark #25)
by Christine Feehan
Release: January 7, 2014
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan now delivers her most eagerly awaited novel of all — ten years in the making.

In Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In Dark Wolf, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri—as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.Dimitri is an ancient and has spent countless centuries hunting the undead, keeping his people safe. But when the Lycans find out a secret he's been trying to keep, they target him for termination but not all the Lycans feel he should be put to death. One Lycan helps Dimitri just enough so he can stay alive long enough for someone to rescue him. He's more than a little surprised to find out who's coming to help him escape the Lycans.

Skyler is human and just nineteen years old and she knows that she is the destined lifemate to Dimitri but her parents think she is still too young to be mated to him. Skyler has emotional scars that prevent her from believing she will be a good lifemate to Dimitri when it comes to a physical relationship but he's been gentle and caring and hasn't pushed her at all since they found each other. Skyler is frustrated when no one else seems to be able to find Dimitri and rescue him so she does the only thing she can think of, she asks her two best friends to help her rescue her lifemate.

This is book 25 in the Carpathian series. This is the very first series that I ever started reading. I've been reading this series for years and years and am a huge fan so I was so thrilled to be able to review this book.

This book was a little different than previous books in that not only are there Carpathians but also Lycans. The fight scenes between the Lycans and Carpathians were phenomenal, there's just enough action without going overboard with it. I was surprised that Skyler turned out to be such a strong heroine, but I like it when the women in books can take care of themselves and kick a little ass along side their Alpha-Male counterparts.

I really liked that we get a glimpse into some of the characters from previous books that we haven't seen in a while. I have loved the characters in this series and really like it when they are brought back in newer books so we can see what they have been up to. The interaction amongst the Carpathians was wonderful in this book and I'm glad that so many of them came to help out Skyler when she needed it.

If you're a fan of Christine Feehan's Dark series, then this is a must read. If however you are a new reader to this series, I would suggest starting with the first book. Set aside about a month of not going outside, not talking to family and friends while stopping just long enough to eat and drink something and read the entire series because once you start, you aren't going to want to put the books down.

5 Sheep

Mary KirklandMy Published Articles
Dark Thoughts Blog

About the Author:

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan has over 40 novels published, including four series. Each of her four series has hit #1 on the NY Times. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature for 1999. Since then she has been published by Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards.

IN HER WORDS:
I am a mother, first and foremost in my life. Family is very important to me. I have several children all of whom drive me crazy on a daily basis. And I have four Maltese that are even worse. LOL! I love living in the country and I find that it continues to inspire my writing.. which is my ultimate passion in life.

I am a writer and have been almost my entire life. I have to write every day or I'll drive my family crazy. I first became a published author in 1999 with the release of Dark Prince. Before that I had a wide variety of jobs including being a full time mom, a martial arts instructor, a telephone operator, and I even worked for a newspaper. Now I’m able to write full time. I usually have four new books released per year.

amazon link to Christine Feehan's Dark Series

Arts and Crafts with Authors: Jake the Dragon by Donna Augustine + giveaway

Over the years the I Smell Sheep facebook group has gone through a lot of changes. There is still a welcome table in the back where you can have all the moon pies and Kool-Aid you want and there is always some "interesting" conversations going on. This past year,  long time inmate member Tina C. brought a dragon (yes he flies and yes we have umbrellas for when he does) into the group. His name is Jake and his job is to keep peace in the group. Even though you must now sign a waiver to join the group because of that alleged incident with a group of newbies and Jake's stash of junk food, the facebook group is still a great place to visit... 

When author Donna Augustine showed up in the group she wowed us with her dystopian Alchemy Series and her crafting abilities! First she did a tutorial for a felted wolf and now she is making a polymer clay Jake Dragon! And she is giving him away to one winner.

Polymer Clay Dragon Tutorial
by Donna Augustine

Jake

Growing up, I'd always been drawn to sculpting. I remember carving faces into bars of soap. Yes, I had Playdough like a normal kid. I don't know why I choose soap. Playdough would've been better because it really stinks when you find the details on a soap carving you'd been working on for weeks, all worn off after your sister gets out of the shower. As I got older, I longed to play with porcelain. Problem is, you need a kiln to cook most clays. I moved past my sculpting/carving stage into other arts.

Then one day as an adult, I found polymer. Polymer has its limitations. It's a very heavy clay so you aren't going to be able to make beautiful thin flower petals but there is a whole lot else you can do. The good part? You can bake it in your oven. Just be warned, whatever oils they use to hold the clay together eat the finish off of everything until it's baked.

I started Jake with an aluminum foil base which I wrapped in floral wire. The beige bar behind it is Super Sculpey, a polymer clay.

 People have different ways of working, but I need something to hold onto and my hands are warm. (Which, by the way, does not mean I have a cold heart. I just have good circulation.) My point is, this clay gets very mushy when warm. I find it easier to make another under-structure. Ignore the wires coming out of the back. This was my first dragon and there was some trial and error going on. The wires were definitely on the error list.

I'm starting to make the head now. Just trying to get the basic shape and landmarks down.

Getting more of the head worked out. I end up chopping off the swirly horns by the end and opt for more traditional look. I also enlarge the eyes and give them a more almond shape to make him look a bit friendlier. The arms get swapped out for a smaller size.

I started to add arms and play with some textures for the skin as well. 

Easy way to do fingers and toes are to start with a basic shape like this and use a razor knife to cut the amount. I wanted three toes.

Then you separate them and round them with your fingers 

 Make sure to add some definition at the base of the toes and fingers.

I started jumping ahead now mostly because I was tired of wiping clay off my phone.

Here he is partially baked. I needed a place to hold him as I finished him up. 

 I finished up his tail, baked him again and drilled a hole in his back for some wings. Baked up some Liquid Fimo wings and slapped some make up on him, including a little laser teeth whitiening (lol) and he's all set to go to the party!

About the Author:

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Donna Augustine’s lifelong ambition was to become the crazy cat lady. Unfortunately, when family allergies cut short her dream of living in a house full of furries, she turned her ambitions toward writing. Combining her love of fantasy, scifi, horror and romance, she tries to string together interesting twists on urban fantasy.

A native of New Jersey, when she isn’t writing or over dosing on caffeine, she can occasionally be spotted in disguise at the local dog park.

The Keepers (book 1) review

Keepers and Killers (book 2) review

Shattered (book 3) review

  

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