Crystal Shade by István Szabó & Orlanda Szabó

Synopsis:

Seven year old Grace always dreamt of becoming a guardian angel; like those who guarded and guided her people and prepared to bravely fight in a dreaded mythical event, the Crystal Shade – which never came. It's not like Grace ever wanted to see Demons. Or wants to know what evil and darkness is – things that no one ever faced on her world and as the legends says, the Crystal Shade carries within –, nor does she want to die to be reborn as a guardian. But she thinks the mysterious life of angels is so noble, a fable that it sounds exciting – until it actually happens.

Review: 

This was such an interesting story concept for me, I remember when I received the book for review, and I remember thinking to myself how is a story being told by a seven year old going to work. I mean even in the YA genre seven is a little young, I wondered if I was going to be able to identify with the character, and for me as a reader I need to be able to identify with the characters in the book. But the book is really so much more than I thought it was going to be. 

To begin with I have to say that the writing was very captivating, as well as very vivid in its descriptions. I could easily take the descriptions of things from within the book and then imagine it in my head. The writing was really well done but the only down side to the writing in the book was how it was paced. There were definitely times when I wanted the book to pick up a little bit more because felt like the book was lagging a bit. 

As for the little girl, who I was concerned about her age and my ability to connect with her, it really wasn't that hard to connect with her. She was a well written character, and it was a really interesting concept to read about. It's interesting to think about all the things that children want to be when they grow up, and I don't think I have ever heard a child wish to be an angel so it was certainly unique to have a child who really wants to be an angel. 

I'm not sure that Grace knew what exactly being an angel entailed, but while she learning about how to be an angel you start to get a clearer picture that not everything is happy, there is clearly something going on that is not all good. So over the course of time you get to see not just the good side of being an angel but you also get to hear about the darkness of the Crystal Shade. The entire tone of the book changes, which is kind of an interesting twist to the book. 

Overall, I would say that the book is a pretty good book. I think it has an interesting concept and had a good tone to the book. My only major complaint was that I wish the book hadn't lagged so much, that maybe it was faster paced. But other than that I think the book was pretty good and you might be interesting in giving it a try if you like angel books.

A Matter of Perception by Tahlia Newland

Synopsis:

Julia meets a descendant of the gods and faces having her memory wiped, but if he really wants her, she might end up with a god of her own. Ellen is given a choice, death or a half life amongst murderous sirens, but is there a possibility she hasn’t considered? Damien faces Eleanor in a battle of light in a desperate attempt to avoid his mistress’s punishment for a spell gone wrong, and a hole in the pavement becomes Norris’s passport to a longed for future. Nona faces death in an ancient temple but dreams of a modern cancer patient. Will either of them escape their fate? Finally, Sally discovers a pair of rose coloured glasses and a man that may or may not be a wizard.

Review:

This is a collection of short stories, which I have to admit isn't always my cup of tea, but this was actually a collection I enjoyed. Normally the short stories I do read have the same characters from series I like or involve the same group of people; this collection of short stories was a really interesting concept in that they all have to do with all the different ways to perceive the fantasy genre. One of the biggest problems I have with collections of short stories is that they are not always cohesive, but this collection does not suffer from that problem at all. 

I think I should start with the story I liked the least, which would have to be The Bone Yard, and that largely because I am on of those people who don't like stories that freak me out or scare me. But if you are one of those people who love the kind of horror/fantasy with a twist genre, then this story is so for you. 

Now there was a huge range of stories in this collection, and I think my favorite was the story Not Me, it can't be which was really sad but also a really touching tale. The characters were really vivid and it was so easy to identify with and really feel for. This story was for sure my favorite of all of them because of the characters. 

I thought the really fun story within the collection was Rose Coloured Glasses which is such an enjoyable read. This great pair of glasses allow for this girl to see people in a new light, and it is such a cool idea. 

I thought the writing in all of the stories was really well done and really enjoyable. So if you are someone who enjoys short stories, this is a really good collection of stories. I really did enjoy them all.

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn

Synopsis:

A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans. Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl--until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office.  What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine--who doesn't do damsel in distress--is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.

Review: 

And back to vampires I go, I was actually pretty excited about this book. It has a really cool premise. The idea of a psychologist who is catering to the vampires of the world is really a fun look at the vampire universe. I mean really when you think about it, what would you do if you were told there were vampires, you most likely wouldn't believe it, so it was fun looking at it through the eyes of someone who is trained to diagnose mental illnesses. 

One of my biggest complaints with the book had to do with the continued references to Twilight. Actually the first alluding to Twilight was actually kind of amusing, because it had to do with Kismet (the psychologist) asking the "vampire wannabe" what vampires are like, and she asked if they are really sparkly. But the Twilight references go even more with blatantly referring to the book over and over again, and even refers to the movie, or rather the actors by name. It just kind of felt to much. 

Another one of the issues I had with the book was the inner monologue of Kismet, the main character. I understood that she is a psychologist, and that she is trained to diagnose people who have mental illness, but she looks for it everywhere. In every single conversation she has with another person, she diagnoses them after like 3 lines of dialogue. Well maybe not diagnoses them, but goes over every possible diagnoses and then changes the prospective diagnosis based one how they reply to her. It just didn't feel right or organic. There was even this part where Kismet is pretty much attacked and her response to the attack was purely clinical, it really just felt wrong. 

I guess the main thing that I did enjoy about the book was kind of how the entire thing almost worked like a perspective of how society has become so involved with vampires in a pop culture sense. Especially in the beginning of the book when Kismet is really looking at the phenomenon in a purely analytical way, which I enjoyed reading. 

Overall, I think the book had a really unique way of being told/concept. But I don't think it was executed as well as it could have been. I kind of think when you include so many references to other books or pop culture it really kills the shelf life of a book. But on the plus side the writing was pretty okay, so if you want to try an unique take on the vampire phenomenon then this might be the book for you.

Death Sword by Pamela Turner

Synopsis: 

The only thing more dangerous than an angel of death is one obsessed with vengeance. Karla Black has always known she’s different from other people. She learns just how different after she's fatally stabbed and brought back to life as a half-human angel of death. 

With newfound power comes a newfound boss. 

Samael despises her. He considers Karla impure and resents her relationship with her partner Xariel…who also happens to be Samael's ex-lover. When he takes that hatred to a higher level, Karla vows vengeance - a task easier said than done. 

With the loss of their angelic powers, Karla and Xariel face a dilemma – how will they defeat an unstoppable Samael, whose poisoned rapier can kill human and angel alike? 

If Karla doesn’t awaken to her true identity, both heaven and earth are in danger of annihilation.

Review: 

It's funny a couple of months ago I hadn't read any books about angels, but yet they were a topic that was very intriguing to me. But then I happen to mention on twitter that I was looking for books to review that involved angels, and so far I have had a ton of books submitted for review, and Death Sword was one of them. But the thing I really like about this particular part of the urban fantasy genre is that there are so many unique takes on how to write angels. 

So this book ha to do with angels of death, which I think may be the first book about angels of death I have read, although I did read a book about two brothers who were grim reapers. That being said I really enjoyed how the whole thing worked. It was a pretty unique take on angels, and they were super interesting to read. I like how serious the angels take their work. 

I have to say that this book started off pretty strong from the very beginning of the book, and also managed to keep up the plot in terms of suspense until the end of the book. I think the writing was pretty good, and I love a book that keeps me wanting to turn the page. 

I really enjoyed the characters. I thought the author did a really good job of putting together an interesting group of people. And you also get pretty invested in the characters, and it's easy to start pulling for them. 

I think the story was pretty good, although I think there could have been more done during the editing process. I think it could have used maybe one more pass to make the content just a little more polished. But honestly even without it the book was pretty good as it is. 

So I think if you enjoy books about angels, or even if you just are looking for an urban fantasy book to try, this one is pretty good.

The Makers of Light by Lynna Merrill

Synopsis:

Spring is coming to Mierenthia, yet coldness is still keeping a tight grip upon the world. 

Reinstalled as a mentor but considering himself to be the attempted murderer of his father-figure Maxim, Dominick preaches the Master's wisdom but his heart is no longer in it. One morning he loses control and does what he thinks will condemn him forever. Instead, he is awarded with a task much harder, and much more important, than that of any other mentor. 

Merley is now walking on the path of artificery, that of working with metal through magic. Yet, at certain moments she abhors metal and the tools and fire that mold it in ways that no Ber should. 

Linden and Rianor continue to search for the secrets of science and Ber magic. They are almost convinced that the two are one and the same, when suddenly fire and magic fail even in Qynnsent. This forces them to doubt their choices. They must now decide what life truly is, as well as which lives are worth saving and which ones can, or should, be sacrificed.

Review:

So this is book two in the series, I reviewed the first book in the series The Seekers of Fire a few months back, and enjoyed it. To be honest first and foremost, if you are going to read The Makers of Light then you they you really should read The Seekers of Fire before hand, because this book really doesn't stand on it's own to well. I think you would appreciate it a lot more with at least a working knowledge of the people and the world the series takes place in. 

As with the first book the writer does a good job with creating a world and characters that you can enjoy and get wrapped up in. I think on of the things that made me like the book was that I recognized the people within it and everyone I already liked or enjoyed was there with me and along for the ride. 

Also another thing that went along with the first book was that the author was really good at bringing social issues into the book. She takes a look at a lot of different issues, but I really do enjoy her use of science throughout the book, and how it almost becomes like a religion to the people. 

I think there are a lot of things I could talk about that go on in this book, but I really think it would end up being like a huge spoiler for the first book. If I could on'y say one thing about this book is that the writer does a really fantastic job of continuing the series on. One of the most annoying things when I start reading a series is when the tone of the next book changes or I feel like the characters I fell in love with suddenly change, so this book being so on par with the last book makes this book all the more better. 

Overall, I think this book deserves the same good rating as the previous one got. Again I think anyone who like epic fantasy would enjoy this book. I also think if you read the first one the you really have to read the second one. I really do enjoy her writing style, and I always love when a woman writes epic fantasy. 

Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

Synopsis: 

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South — when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

Review: 

I seriously enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I was looking for a series that had to do with elemental magic, so I picked up this book after noticing a lot of my friends had either read this book or were in the process of reading the book. Which is pretty surprising since the series is up to book 6 with a book 7 release this year. 

The elements the author chose for this book were pretty interesting, and not the standard I was used to. She used Stone, Ice, Air, and Fire. What was interesting me was the way that she used the elements. Sure fire was pretty much what you would expect it to be, you could even say Ice was what you could guess. But the depth of the Air users and the things they could do with something some simple as Air was really interesting and intriguing. I also like the different jobs that people who were elementals had, take Air for instance, you could be a healer or work in the beauty profession, or you could do some seriously messed up stuff to other people with the same element. 

I also really enjoyed Gin. She is seriously my kind of girl. She tells it like it is, and the banter between her and Finn is seriously my kind of banter. The two of them "bicker" in the friendliest of ways, without holding anything back. And sometimes I would think I can't believe they just said that to each other, and then I realize I talk like that with some of my friends; either way the chemistry (friend wise) between them was awesome and so easy to read. 

I thought over all the pace of the book was really good. I think the opening was great to. It had a great unique opening, that made you shake your head and think "if this is what happened in the first couple of pages I can only imagine what is going to come next". The action is also really well written. It is easy to follow while still being intriguing and leaving the reader want to know what is going to happen next. 

I also really liked the whole Donovan and Gin thing, and the fact they really are the opposite of each other in every way, but yet they have this pull to each other. I really want to see how the two of them play out in the coming books. 

Overall, I loved the book. I thought the action was great. I so want to know what is going to happen next (in fact I already ordered the next two books). So chances are you are going to see lots more of Gin being reviewed on the site in the coming weeks. I think anyone who likes urban fantasy is going to enjoy this book, it is seriously a great ride all the way through. 

Acid Jazz Singer by Nya Rawlyns

Synopsis:

Her name was RayLee. They called her the Acid Jazz Singer, her sultry voice mesmerizing human and demon alike. She’d been running for three years from her maker and only Travis McKenzie stood between her and the darkness that had become her life.

Travis hunted the hit squads of demons and paid lip service to the Sheriff of the city. The half-blood had gifts, of the magic, shifting kind—and something more. It made him a stone cold killer and the only thing that mattered in his life was safeguarding the woman he was falling in love with.

Vladimira was the oldest of her kind, an enforcer—a gun for hire to the highest bidder. Vamp, human, demon. It didn’t matter. It was all about the job … until the stakes changed and she found a reason to care.

Review:

I am not sure what I expected from this book. Truth be told I thought it was going to push my mainstream limits when I read the synopsis. Although I have read a couple of books with transvestites in it, they normally aren't the main characters. But regardless I decided to give it a try. 

The biggest plus for this book is that is truly a unique book. The characters are very unique and not the character you will kind in your everyday urban fantasy book. But it doesn't make the book any less urban fantasy. I have to give the author props on creating a very unique world that doesn't stick to any formula. 

One of the things I had a problem with was even when I was wrapped up in wanting to see where the book was going to go next I would stumble across a paragraph or in some cases that was just confusing, and I would need to reread a couple of times to make sure I got everything down before I could move on to the next page. It got kind of annoying when I had to do it more than a couple of times. 

One of the stronger points for the novel is the characters, even though they aren't necessarily the most traditional of characters. Travis is probably the easiest of all of them to identify with, but that is probably helped along by the fact that he was the narrator for the book. The author did a really good job fleshing out Travis as a character, and making it easier for the reader to identify with him as well as want to know what was going to happen next in his life. 

The author in general is good at the action scenes as well as creating some vivid descriptions, which is always a good thing to have in a book. 

That being said this book just wasn't my kind of book. There were parts that were interesting to me, and I could appreciate certain elements of the book even if they didn't appeal to me. But overall, it really wasn't for me. I am going to give it a rating of "So-So" but if you are in the market for a truly unique take on urban fantasy then I think you should check out this book, it might be just what you are looking for. 

The Sable City by M. Edward McNally

Synopsis:

The Trade Houses of the Miilark Islands control the shipping lanes linking four diverse continents across the blue vastness of the Interminable Ocean. The Houses are represented abroad by the Guilders; men and women skilled in business and burglary, salesmanship and swordplay, merchandising and musketry. Tilda Lanai has trained for years to take her place among them, but now the House she is to serve is imperiled by the sudden death of the House Lord. Scenting blood in the water, rival Houses begin to circle. The desperate search for an exiled heir takes Tilda across a war-torn continent and to the gates of the Sable City, where centuries ago dark magic almost destroyed the world. Along with a sinister sorceress, a broken-hearted samurai, and a miscreant mercenary long on charm but lousy with a crossbow, Tilda must brave the demon-infested ruins to find the heir who may yet save her House.

Review:

I'm surprised to say I haven't read many epic fantasy books as of late, somehow I seem to have been thrown a lot of YA books my way (both in work and in reviewing), which is odd for me since YA does not tend to be a genre I normally enjoy. So it was kind of nice to find an epic fantasy book come up on the review list, I very much so have missed reading them. Well that and my husband will listen to me talk about epic fantasy books I like a lot more than YA books I like ;) 

Anyways, before I started reading a lot of epic fantasy for reviews, I had this preconceived notion that a lot of the stories take place with male leads. And while there are a lot more male leads in epic versus say urban fantasy, there are still plenty of epic with a strong female lead. And this book was one of those such books. The lead in this case is Tilda, she really is kind of an awesome character. She is strong and can certainly hold her own against pretty much anyone. In fact I have to mention of all of the women characters I have read I don't know that all of them have had the command that she does over so many weapons. 

I think that in general the writer did a really good job of putting together a world and a situation that captivates the reader. The plot is quick moving and kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. I thought the the author did a really good job at world building. I think that is one of the harder parts for epic fantasy because they literally get to create a world completely from scratch, however they want to make it to fit their imagination. I think the author did a pretty good job with world building. I think the thing I enjoy most about the book though the author's ability to mesh together elements of different genres and put together a cohesive and enjoyable read. 

There is certainly a lot to be said about the book itself, but it's kind of hard to do it without revealing a lot of spoilers. That being said the book is really a good read. I do have to mention the book is a bit on the longer side of books, so this is probably going to be a book that you get invested in as well as maybe take a couple of days to read the book. But in general I think the book is a pretty good one and anyone who likes epic fantasy but is looking for an epic fantasy with a bit of a twist, you should check out this book. 

Amador Lockdown by Coral Russell

Synopsis:

Something has moved into the Amador Hotel. Hector, Marcos, Bev, and Tony of the Paranormal Posse are called in to either debunk the haunting or get rid of whatever is causing the problems. With the surprise arrival of Hector's son, he tries to keep his professional and personal lives separate, but whatever is haunting the Amador Hotel has other plans.

Review:

From the synopsis I immediate thought of all of those tv shows that deal with people hunting down ghosts. There is  certainly an audience for people who enjoy ghost hunting. I think people in general like the idea of people from the past sticking around, it's kind of a fun thing to think about and certainly can have plenty of uses in a book. 

That being said I am not a person who likes to be scared, so that was really my only concern when I was reading this book. However the book really isn't scary, more like suspenseful, which is something I really enjoy. Also the book isn't all that long so you don't have a lot of time to be scared. I also think the books length worked in its favor because it kept the suspenseful parts were I think more effective due to the length of the book. 

I have to say I am also impressed by the authors characters they created, they all have a pretty good rhythm to them and are pretty interesting. It impresses me because the books length could be a hinderance when trying to create fully fleshed out characters, but this author did not really have an issue at all with that. 

I think the biggest strength of this book is that it pulls you in. You want to know what happens next. I think the author did a good job with keeping the reader guessing about what was going to happen next, and then being able to hold on to that power until the very end. 

I also liked that the book felt more like watching an episode of a tv show, or a movie. I think the book used pretty good imagery and it made it all the more easy to picture what was going on in the book in my head. Which I enjoy. 

Overall, I think the book is pretty well written and it is a pretty enjoyable to read. I like that it took place in a hotel, I think it's a fun setting for a book. I think anyone who enjoys watching ghost hunter shows, or if you are at all interested in checking out something like that, then this is most certainly your book. 

Accidentally In Love with... a God? Book Hop

Title:  Accidentally in Love With…a God? (Accidentally Yours Series, Book 1)

Author:  Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Publisher:  Self/Indie
Length:  88,000 Words
Sub-Genres:  Contemporary, Paranormal

AVAILABLE AT:

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BLURB:

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway.

In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear.

So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers.

However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she.

 

EXCERPT #1:

Chapter 1 - Present Day

Wasn’t dating supposed to be fun? Because this was anything but. At any moment, a man I’d never met—approximately six-foot-three, brown hair, and soul-piercing blue eyes, according to his online profile—would walk through the door of the Conga Lounge, give his name to the hostess, and scream hysterically at the sight of me. Okay. He wouldn’t scream. Aloud, anyway. Not that I was heinous, but anyone who looked closely enough might notice I was…different.

I eyeballed the door, contemplating making a mad dash before he arrived.

No, you can do this, I thought while staring at the condensation channeling down my glass of water, my leg bouncing under the table. Why had my date picked a corny theme-bar that looked like Gilligan’s Island threw up? What sort of man goes novelty on the first date? Bad sign. Bad sign.

At least the other patrons—seated around the faux-torch lit room, leisurely sipping Bahama Mama’s and Mai Tai’s—were oblivious to my impending meltdown.

I felt the gentle whoosh of summer evening air as the door swung open and the noise from the traffic-packed New York street poured in. A tall man with sun-kissed skin, broad shoulders, and tousled brown hair floated in—yes, floated—as if he’d ridden in on a cloud straight from Hot-Man Land. He wore a black polished-cotton shirt, which hugged his well-constructed chest, and low slung jeans that molded to his lean physique. He wasn’t just good looking, he was Milan runway edible. 

“Oh, sweet Virgin of Guadalupe, please be Jake,” I muttered under my breath.

Like a cliché from a movie, our eyes met from across the room, and his face lit up with a dimple-framed smile. My heart nearly stopped. “Thank you, Virgin,” I said, releasing my breath.

He strutted across the restaurant, a magnet for every female in the room.

“Emma?” he said in a deep slow-churned voice then smiled and held out his hand. I stood up in a daze, mentally pinching myself. 

“You are Emma, right? Curly, shoulder-length, red hair, five-three. Several crazed female stalkers for best friends?”  

Oh, no. What had my roommates done? Since the whole online-blind-date thing was their idea, they assured me they’d carefully “screened” the guy. But I thought they were just joking about breaking into his apartment and rummaging through his underwear drawer. And dammit, they hadn’t even bothered to dish. Tighty whities or boxers?

I looked down at his outstretched hand. Oh, shoot. Shake hands. “Sorry, it’s just—I wasn’t expecting someone so…” I swallowed and placed my palm in his. It was warm and inviting, just like his eyes. “Um…so tall.”

“And I wasn’t expecting a woman so…” He paused to look me over like a dog eyeing a giant juicy steak.  “…adorable.”

“Adorable?” said the deep male voice inside my head. “What kind of moron compliments a woman with the word ‘adorable’? Does he think you’re a goddamned puppy?”

Couldn’t I have one, just one lousy day without the voice? My blood began to boil instantly, but I resisted the urge to snap back with something lame like, “Well, maybe Jake senses I want to lick him from head to toe. Maybe even have a go at his leg.” But then I thought better of myself. Because tonight, I was on a mission, and nothing would stop me from climbing my own mental Mt. Everest: convince myself that I, Emma Keane, could feel attraction for a real live man with ten fingers, ten toes, arms and legs, and the other necessary dangly bits needed to make a relationship normal. All I needed was the right man.

The catch?

The other person I needed to prove this to wasn’t exactly a person. Okay—truth be told, he was a mysterious voice only I could hear. Yes. A luscious, deep velvety voice so seductive that it could turn me into a quivering mindless puddle of need with one little sigh. Sound crazy? That wasn’t the half of it. But it was why I had to do this. If I wanted a shot at normal, I had to take this first step.

EXCERPT #1:

Chapter 13

With his golden face beaming, the man smiled as he stroked my sopping wet hair and cradled me against his warm, smooth chest. “I love this dream,” I said with a breathy voice, then stretched my arms above my head, gazing happily into the most striking set of luminescent, turquoise green eyes I’d ever seen.

To boot, they belonged to a breathtaking, masculine face, a face one would expect to see on the cover of a magazine named something like, I’m Way Too Hot to Be Your Man, or In Your Dreams, Honey.

Oh, yeah. Without a doubt, I’d topped myself this time. Sculpted cheekbones, thick dark lashes, chiseled jaw, and lips so full they simply had to be meant for kissing or eating something really juicy. He was way hotter than the specimen of perfection from my last dream, and bonus, he didn’t have that scary vibe. I reached up and ran my fingertip along the ridge of his hard-lined warrior nose.

“Emma, what in the name of the gods’ creation are you doing?” he scorned. “We really don’t have time for your immature little fantasies. We’re in the middle of a crisis. Do you not remember?”

I blinked and slowly moved my eyes from side to side.

Jungle? I was in the jungle. And my clothes were wet. Come to think of it, for a dream, I didn’t feel so hot. My lungs burned, my body felt like it’d been chewed up, and my head was throbbing. So, aside from the perfect man with long, damp, wavy black hair holding me in his arms, none of this felt like a dream. It felt…

“Holy Mother!” I pushed myself away and rolled into the dirt, pointing in disbelief. “Wha—you—you—?”

“Aaah. So eloquent as always, my sweet. It is astounding; you actually have a college degree, yet cannot find better words.” He pushed himself up off the ground.

As he rose, my heart stopped, started, then went into overdrive. His legs and spine straightened into a towering mass of unforgiving muscles. With shoulders like a lumberjack and thick, powerful thighs, I didn’t know if I wanted to run away or climb him like a tree. He was utterly enormous. Jolly Green Giant enormous. Except, obviously, not green. More golden brown. He was a gorgeous, towering mass of golden brown perfection.

No. Definitely not a cave-dwelling, wart-infested troll. Great. Just great.  Now I knew I wasn’t crazy—Guy was definitely real—but now I also knew I was way over my head. He was gorgeous.

I stood in awe, my mouth gaping as my eyes attempted to register every rope of muscle, every capacious curve packed with power. Christ, he had to be at least seven feet tall.

“Six nine, actually,” he said, guessing my thoughts.

“This can’t be possible,” I whispered, my eyes continuing to dart up and down the length of his body, stopping right on dark trail of hair that started just below his navel and continued down, down, down to his enormous beast of a—“Oh! You’re naked.” I turned sharply, but only to stop myself from reaching out to touch it; no man could be that…that…endowed. Wow. “This can’t be happening.” I covered my face.

“Emma,” he moved behind me, placing his powerful hands on my shoulders. A jolt shivered its way through my body.

I was wrong about the vibe. Way wrong. This man, or whatever he was, radiated hazard. He should come equipped with a set of blinking lights or flares. He was…“Bad. Very, very, bad,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose.

And pathetically, after everything that had happened, all I could think about was this naked, hard-bodied, glorious “man” who’d just permanently seared his image inside the storage compartments of my female DNA. All men from this day forward would have to survive a mental side-by-side comparison against him. They’d all lose.

EDITORIAL REVIEW (AMAZON.COM):

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is hysterical. This is the first in her Accidentally Yours series. Can't wait for more.

You will love Emma and the arrogant god she can't see. She does not dare let people find out she has a relationship with someone she only knows through dialogue in her thoughts. Her friends and family will think she is bonkers.

But when he calls her into the heart of the Mayan jungle to free him from some ancient ruins, with a promise to finally leave her alone after that, she finds that he is not only real, (and gorgeous) but about to further turn her world upside down.

Her desire to have a normal life, without some voice bothering her, may be a futile desire. Because desire is the word. This ruthless warrior-god is the most amazing male she has ever seen or imagined.

Emma is in big trouble. She realizes that her god is as dangerous as the other crazy gods, including my total favorite, wild and crazy Cimil. You are going to love Cimil and laugh out loud at her antics. Is she going to help Emma with the evil that has been unleashed into the world, the terrifying Uchben, or is she only going to make things worse?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mimi spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas, but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel.

She hopes that someday, leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh when you need it most.

Website: www.mimijean.net

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/id498303364?mt=11

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MimiJeanRomance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Jean/218935048190356

Email: mimi@mimijean.net

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

ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO…A VAMPIRE?

Book #2, The Accidentally Your Series

COMING MARCH 15, 2012

BLURB:

“If you love her, set her free.  If she comes back, she’s yours.  If she doesn’t…Christ!  Stubborn woman!  Hunt her down, and bring her the hell back; she’s still yours according to vampire law.”

- Niccolo DiConti, General of the Vampire Queen’s Army.

The Determined Vampire: Niccolo DiConti has faithfully served as leader of Her Majesty’s army for over a millennium, but he’d rather sunbathe in the Sahara than spend another grueling day under his demented queen’s command.  However, no one has ever left her side and lived to tell.  So when a powerful goddess prophesizes he will meet his salvation—a human woman he must turn into a vampire with her consent—he eagerly rises to the challenge.  After all, how hard could it be to seduce a human female into taking the immortal plunge?  Harder than he thinks.  Because his mate won’t be born for another three centuries, and when he wakes up in the goddess’ tomb, not only is his life a mess, but his destined female isn’t about to settle for a coldhearted vampire.  Can he win her over before it’s too late?  Not if his enemies have anything to do with it.

An Unwilling Bride: On the night Helena Strauss meets the fierce, devastatingly handsome vampire who saves her life in the jungles of Mexico, she knows her world will be forever changed.  Because an attraction this mind blowing only comes along once in a lifetime—or existence.  And when he claims she is his one true mate, destined to be his for all eternity, it’s a fairytale come true.  So what if her knight in shining armor is a vampire?  Nobody’s perfect. But discovering the powerful, overbearing immortal doesn’t “do love”?  Deal breaker.  Helena will flee and set out to accomplish the impossible…sever the otherworldly bond between them. And it turns out, Helena is just the leverage Niccolo’s enemies need to break the mighty warrior and wipe out his people. 

A Familiar Tangle with Hell by Sapphire Phelan

Synopsis:

Tina and Charun thought it was all over and that their life would be normal—well, as normal as it could be for an immortal Witch and her demon Familiar. Except there was another prophesy, one that laid claim that if Lucifer snatches Tina and mates with her before the last chime before midnight of the new year and gets her pregnant with his son, that the real Armageddon would begin, spelling the end of life as they knew it. 

When Tina is stolen away, Charun, along with Jacokb the archangel, must race against time into the bowels of Hell to rescue her. But with demons, Lucifer, and a cute demon bunny with fangs out of a Monty Python nightmare, out to stop them and Heaven not lending a hand, will Tina become the mother of the Antichrist and the start of a new Hell on Earth?

Review:

After a much needed vacation, this is my first review back. The book to me seemed interesting right off the bat because of the cover. I mean here you have this girl looking like she standing right in the middle of hell and who is next to her? A bunny? I knew there had to be some kind of explanation and I was more than ready to read the book to find out. 

To start off this book is most definitely an erotic novel. There are some pretty explicit sex scenes, so if that is not your cup of tea, then I would not recommend this book. However if it is your cup of tea then this book might in fact be the book for you. The books sex scenes are well written and if you are a person who enjoys erotica I am pretty sure this would be a book you would enjoy. 

I was also a little bit excited about the biblical origins of this story. The books plot is definitely based in religion as well as having a lot to do with demons. I have recently enjoyed reading books about angels, which have almost always incorporated some level of demons in them. I do enjoy books about demons, and this book was a pretty interesting combination of different ideas into one really enjoyable plot. 

I thought the chemistry was really good and well written between Charun and Tina. And if you are thinking like I was how are a bunny and a witch going to get down and dirty, I suggest you read the book to find out, because it works. 

The only downsides to this book were that there were parts within the book that lagged. It was never a really bad thing though, the parts that did lag picked up quickly enough for it not to be a huge problem for the reader. I also did notice a couple of editing issues, but they were very minimal and I don't think the average reader would find them annoying enough to matter within the story itself. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a really fun read, and a good way to start after my temporary hiatus from book reading. I think people who enjoy paranormal romance and erotic will enjoy this book. I don't think who have issues with reading graphic sex scenes would enjoy this book, but if you do then this is definitely a book you should check out.

Ash Krafton Guest Post

Today I have the pleasure of being joined by Ash Krafton, the author of Bleeding Hearts, which is going to be reviewed in May on this site. But to get your fix now check out this guest post, and go to the bottom of the post to WIN YOUR OWN COPY of Bleeding Hearts! 

Ancient Egypt: The Origin of the Vampire?

BLEEDING HEARTS: BOOK ONE OF THE VAMPIRE contains one of my very guilty pleasures. And I'm not talking vampires.

Not exclusively, anyways.

I've always had a keen interest in ancient civilization. Rome and Greece, Persia, the Vikings and their promise of Valhalla…

Top of the list, though, has always been Egypt. I have an absolute obsession with Egypt—the pyramids, the inventions, the mummies…*sigh* I love mummies.

So it's no surprise that Egypt had sneaked its way into the heart of my story, eventually becoming the essence of the world of the Demivampire. In Bleeding Hearts, Marek, a Demivampire, has a keen interest in Ancient Egypt. In fact, our heroine Sophie first meets him in a museum exhibit of an Old Kingdom temple. (The scene was inspired by a visit to the Penn Museum of Archeology andAnthropology)

Ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods, each of whom had many qualities. People related to their strengths and flaws, and devoted themselves to the divinity of the gods. As a Christian, I believe we are made in God's image—and that reflection of Divinity within myself endears me to God. I suppose the Egyptians felt the same way, since their gods were depicted with human bodies. The animal heads were indicative of their divine aspect.

Horus is the son of Osirus and Isis and is one of my favorites. Horus is depicted as having the head of a falcon, usually a peregrine. Very appropriate for the God of the Sky.

In my research, I came across the description of Horus' eyes. That caught my interest, because the power of a demivamp had a great deal to do eyes and their color. The ancients said that, as God of the Sky, one eye of Horus was the sun and the other was the moon.

Hmm…sun and moon…vamps and werewolves…of course!

Excerpt

"There is a more practical reason why the Were are unwelcome in Demivamp feeding grounds," Marek said. "Granted, it's a reason based on legend rather than fact but no one is willing to test the theory."

"Which is?"

"I'm getting to it." He took a deep breath, a sure sign of a long and detailed lecture. "I've told you a great deal of our Genesis lies in Egyptian mythology. We are descendants of Horus."

"Yes."

"Legends say Horus had several children. Burial practices describe the 'Four Sons of Horus' as gods who protected canopic jars. Not all of Horus' children were benevolent, however.

"Our legends focus on the eldest two, born as twins yet as different as night and day. One son was Vampire. The other, you can now guess, was Were. Horus' line combined the humanity he obtained from his mother, Isis, with the supernatural gifts of being god-begotten and magically conceived from the dead."

Marek's voice took on the cadence of chanted prayer. "Horus, our falcon-headed forefather, is a pillar of strength, a storm of revenge. His eyes are the sun and the moon, and his eyes follow his children everywhere.

"Horus bequest great gifts to his children but never intended for them to become stronger than he. The sun controls the Vampire, driving him into unconsciousness, destroying him should he grow defiant and challenge its power. The moon controls the Were, giving him power only at her command and whim. The gods may be forgotten in these times but Horus lives on. His eyes are watching and controlling his children's children. Although legend may have spawned it, for us it is no myth."

 "So. The Werekind are your cousins?"

Marek's upper lip curled, as if he was repulsed by the suggestion. "Maybe centuries ago, when our lines were young. Certainly not now."

I leaned over and poked him. "You can't pick your family."

"No, but I can pick my next meal." His threat was disarmed as the corners of his mouth tugged upward in a grin. I laughed and looked out the window.

See how much my world had changed? Crap like that wasn't usually funny.

 Wanting to change the subject, I remembered what we'd been talking about when the phone rang. "So, apart from all that, why are there No-Were rules?"

"Ah. I never finished. See, because of our origins, it is forbidden our bloods should be combined. If one fed upon the other, legend says it would manifest a phenomenon known as Horus United—both of his bloods co-mingled in a single vessel. The person would shape-shift, irreversibly but not into wolf. There's only one animal that person could become. Falcon."

"Like Horus."

Marek nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "No one wants to volunteer for testing. Can you blame them? Who'd want to live as a bird? Tiny brain, weak, helpless..."

"Able to fly, living simply as nature intended, free from humanity and the pettiness and the ugliness."

He shrugged. "Still. No volunteers. Accidental transformation has never been formally documented. The rules are as old as tradition, and tradition is as old as our existence. Weres and DV do not share blood. Period."

The Horus Bird Phenomenon is a theme explored throughout the series because it's both a miracle and a tragedy—and an important aspect of Demivampire folklore. Although it is only referred to as a legend in this excerpt, the Horus Bird will not remain a legend for much longer. Sophias have a way of bringing out a Demivamp's full potential.

I love exploring the Horus connection to my Demivamps and Weres because it means I get to fill in all sorts of new details around the ancient ones. And, because I get to visit every single Ancient Egyptian exhibit we encounter when my family travels, it also ensures I get to indulge in my guilty pleasure often.

What can possibly be wrong with that?

MY OTHER GUILTY PLEASURE…WINNING!

You can win one of five print copies of BLEEDING HEARTS: BOOK ONE OF THE DEMIMONDE! Visit myGoodreads page for a look at Bleeding Hearts and your chance to enter the giveaway.

Need a more immediate fix? Comment below and tell me your guilty pleasure. You can win an eBook of Bleeding Hearts!

You are also invited to enter to win the Bleeding Hearts Blog Tour grand prize…the gift basket gets heavier by the day! Details and entry form can be found in theBleeding Hearts Blog Tour schedule on my page. I hope you'll follow my book to the other stops along the tour—I've been blessed with a fantastic group of hosts.

That's not all…when my book is reviewed by UF Reviews on May 9^th, we'll kick off ANOTHER giveaway to celebrate. Stay tuned for links!

I can't possibly be the only one who loves winning things…so I'm glad to feed your addiction, too.

Nightfall by Norah Wilson

Synopsis:

Aiden Afflack (a vampire) is as charming, sexy and easy-going as he is gorgeous. Unless you happen to be a rogue vampire, in which case he’s apt to be the last thing you see. Sam Shea is a wildly successful nature photographer whose prescient dreams lead her to some of the world’s most turbulent, awe-inspiring weather phenomena. 

When their paths cross and Aiden discovers that his proximity to Sam warps her psychic power, causing her to hone in on vampire violence instead of violent weather, he knows he’s found a priceless tool in his fight to rid the world of rogues. 

Sam has a deep-rooted aversion to having her powers exploited, but once her eyes have been opened to the lives she can help save, she can’t withhold her cooperation. But she can deny Aiden the other thing he wants from her, which makes her unique among women. And absolutely irresistible to Aiden!

Review:

I reviewed a book by Norah Wilson, not to long ago, it's actually the first book in this series. It was called The Merzetti Effect, and it was a really cool way of looking into how vampires really exist, as well as a really sweet love story. At the end of the book we are briefly introduced to Aiden, he's going to take care of a problem for the main characters of the last book. 

So when this book start, it starts right off with him taking care of the favor as he promised. Making sure the police chief of St. Cloud takes a hike after being a wife beater and general bad guy. Of course it's not as simple as that, there is a photographer who just happened to be watching the outside of the house that night, and stumbles upon Aiden. And then again in the park where she is certain he is attacking another man. Turns out the two of them make a pretty good team. 

I have to say I love the writing in Norah WIlson's books. I really enjoyed the first book, so I was completely expecting to enjoy this book as well. Her writing keeps me interested not only in the characters but also in the plot. The writing is smart and paced really well. There was seldom a moment in either of her two books that I have read where I wanted to put it down, in fact it was normally the opposite, I had to know what was going to happen next. 

I found the characters to be really interesting and likable. I really enjoyed the characters in her previous book, so I don't know what I was expecting from this book. I think the one thing that I was really happy about is how different these characters were from the ones in the first book. I think if they had been similar I wouldn't have been able to enjoy them as much as I did. I like that Aiden is a strong vampire, with a moral compass, that he is out to make sure that innocent people don't get hurt by rogue vampires. But what I really like was that Sam is a pretty unique character from what we saw in the first book. She has a psychic power, whereas in the last book Ainsley was strong but had no really active powers. So in this book you have not just one supernatural being with Aiden, but also with Sam. I think that it really helps propel this book. 

The two main characters, Aiden and Sam are great to watch together. In fact I think they are way more interesting when they are together then when they are apart, they compliment each other really well. They have great chemistry together on top of that, which lets face it is a big part of what makes a paranormal romance good. 

The only real complaint I could have about this book was really not a bad thing. There was not as much sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next as their was in the first book. But that being said it was still well paced, and a pretty good book in it's own right. 

Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book. I think the series is a really good one, and one that I think most paranormal romance readers will really enjoy. While as of right now, my favorite book in the series is the first one, this book is a worthy follow up and I am very interested in what is going to happen next in the series, who the author decides to write about next. I also believe one of the reason I enjoy this series so much is because I think it appeals to both the paranormal romance fan in me as well as the urban fantasy fan as well. So I think you should give this series a try!  

Bonded with Love by Tiffany Heiser

Synopsis:

Never in a trillion years did Rena think vampires existed...or that she has enemies among them. When Rena Vesten heads to her first day of senior year she hopes for something incredible to happen. But she doesn't expect the dark-haired, blue-eyed man of her dreams-literally-to suddenly appear as the new student at school. The gorgeous mystery guy, Cryder, has more secrets than his inexplicable presence in her dreams. Soon Rena's world takes a turn into the supernatural when she finds out Cryder is a vampire king with a deadly rebellion on his hands, and a destiny irrevocably linked to Rena's... ...'till death to them part.

Review: 

So as I have said in previous reviews I really enjoy a good vampire book. But again, like I have said in previous reviews I am not always the biggest fans of YA books. It's not that I don't like Young Adult books in general, its that really they always end up either hit or miss for me. I was not particularly taken by this book. 

The first issue I had with this book was largely editorial. I felt like the book needed a lot more editing, and sometimes it made it rather confusing for me as a reader. I am one of those readers that picks up on a lot of the details mentioned in a book, and when a book switches the details within itself, it gets confusing for me. It makes me want to reread and make sure I thought I knew what I knew was right, and I hate rereading a book when I am in the middle of it. So for that reason this book for me had some problems. 

I also felt like I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to. I felt like I got easily annoyed with some of them. I think the largest problem for me, was I particularly don't like when a character, the lead character seems to be, for lack of a better term, walked all over. In this case the main character Rena, was not very assertive, and seemed to allow other people to treat her kind of condescendingly. Now I don't expect Rena to be this perfect entity or anything, or even some super woman, but I do like for a character to stand on their own two feet as well as show some growth within the course of the book, and I'm not entirely convinced that that happened with her. 

I also kind of thought that plot drag out way longer than it needed to be. It's not that the plot should have made the story shorter, but the action/pace within the book did not really support the plot, and therefore there was a lot of times where I was starting to get bored when I was reading the book. I am a reader that needs to constantly be engaged in what I am reading. I read at least a book a day, so when I come across a book that doesn't have me completely engaged it does sometimes make me want to move on to the next book in my list.

I also want to point out that while pacing was a big issue for me, I am primarily an adult book reader, and the pacing in an adult book versus a book that is marketing to Young Adults is often a little bit slower, allowing for a little more downtime, and a little more teen angst. So that might have been when my issue was coming from. 

Overall, I didn't really enjoy the book, but I also didn't hate the book. I think it needs to go through a couple of round of edits, but if that were to happen I could easily see how people who like to read Young Adults might enjoy it, so their could certainly be an audience for this book. That being said if you are a reader who really only enjoys reading adult books, then this is probably not the book for you.