Thursday, September 29, 2011

Topic Thursday: Series Book Addict

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As Many of you know I am Serie's addict not that I started that way, in fact many moons ago I read nothing but stand alones until I came across Janelle Taylor's Grey Eagle series. I was hopelessly hooked not just to Native American stories but series books.

Here is just a few of my favorites back when I was in High School and early twenties.

1.Gray Eagle/​Lakota Series by Janelle Taylor
2.Savage Series by Cassie Edwards


I could name more but those two were ones I had to have. Then skip ahead a few years and my niece said I must have to try The Dark Hunter series, and to be honest as much as I love watching vampire movies I wasn't too big on paranormal but I gave it a try and let me say I haven't looked back since. The Dark Hunters fueled not only the fire with series books but also made me a paranormal addict as well.

Here are a few of my favorite series now:

1. Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward

3. Lord's Series by Gena Showalter

4. Warriors of Poseidon by Alyssa Day

5 Demonica and Lords of Deliverance by Larissa Ione

6. Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole

7. Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian

Those are just some of my must buy no matter what series, I know I am missing a few but I would be here all night if I listed them all.

Recently Discovered Since Starting My Blog:

Dark Sword Series by Donna Grant

Masters of Time by Brenda Joyce

Magical Sword Series by Stacey Kennedy
Sookie Series by Charlaine Harris

I know I'm missing some and for those I'm sorry its 1am and my brain isn't quite as sharp.



Okay I better stop but you get the idea LOL, So are you a series addict like myself? What Series fueled your obsession and Do you have an recommendations I am always looking for more. Doesn't have to be just Paranormal, it can be Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, YA or anything you think might capture my attention willing to give just about anything a try ? What are your suggestions?


Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Review of BloodStone by Nancy Holzner


Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Ace (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 044102100X
ISBN-13: 978-0441021000

Book courtesy of Bewitched Tours and Ace(Publisher)


Amazon Summary:
hey call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Boston's diverse South End is known for its architecture and great restaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpses begin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. The killer-dubbed the South End Reaper-uses a curved blade for his grisly work. And even though there's no real evidence pointing to a paranormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tense relations between Boston's human and inhuman residents.

As the bodies pile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt, Mab, and her werewolf boyfriend, Kane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnage is after something much more than blood...

Review:
I have been wanting to read this series for awhile so when this book came up on tour, I had to sign up and nearly squealed when my copy came in the mail. Only thing that concerned me was because I haven't read the other 2 books would I become confused but Nancy does a wonderful job of not doing so.

I think I found another series and author that is a must buy for me. The action is packed all the way through and the different kind of demons is fascinating to me , especially the Peccatum which uses the seven deadly sins to grasp its victims. Very very interesting take and it had me pulled into from the get go.

The story and characters flowed perfectly together, I absolutely love her Aunt and who couldn't love Kane,werewolf boyfriend(I think werewolves ) are becoming my new favorite paranormal. Gasp I know from the crazily obsessed vampire lover that I am. Lets just say I devoured this book in one day, I just couldn't put it down. Love love when a book can do that.

Would I recommend? Yes, Yes Yes run don't walk to Amazon and order it if not enter the contest for a chance to win an autographed set(which I wish could enter :(). Anyway enough rambling I will be ordering the first two books next month. .

Rating:
If I could rate this book higher I would

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Guest Post/Giveaway with Nancy Holzner Author of Bloodstone


Please give a warm welcome to Nancy who is guest posting today, my review of Bloodstone will be posted tomorrow, keep on the look out for that. Without further ado here is Nancy.

Thanks so much for inviting me to stop by Book Lover's Hideaway! Today is release day for BLOODSTONE, the third book in my Deadtown urban fantasy series. To celebrate, I'd like to take
your readers on a nighttime tour of Deadtown, Boston's paranormal-only section. Deadtown is home to Vicky Vaughn, a shapeshifter who kills other people's personal demons for a living. So grab your coat (Boston gets chilly at night) and let's go!

A Walk Through Deadtown

If you want to take a look around Deadtown, the cordoned-off area for Boston’s paranormal residents, there’s not much point in going during the day. Even if you made it through the checkpoint (do you have your papers in order?), you’d find that Deadtown by day is more or less a ghost town—its streets empty save for the occasional werewolf or a bundled-up zombie working the day shift. The silent buildings could belong to any city’s downtown: concrete skyscrapers mingling with old brick buildings and the huge plate-glass windows of long-closed department stores.

Deadtown comes to life—or unlife—after the sun goes down. Soon after darkness has settled, the zombies begin to venture out, heading for work. Thanks to their superhuman strength, most zombies do manual labor. Three years ago, after a localized plague killed two thousand Bostonians in a matter of hours (and resurrected them three days later), the quarantine zone became Deadtown. At the time, office buildings, stores, and banks had to be converted to residences, and the resulting construction boom employed many zombies. With time, though, Deadtown has become a city-within-a-city, and zombies provide most of the services you’d find in any town. There are zombie bankers, zombie teachers, zombie mail carriers, zombie grocery store owners, zombie hot-dog vendors, zombie chefs (any business related to food is a good bet in Deadtown).

As you’ve probably noticed by now, Deadtown’s zombies aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill, horror- movie brain munchers. They’re a lot like people who haven’t gone through the experience of being dead for a few days and then waking up. In fact, the politically correct term for zombies is “previously deceased humans,” or PDHs. Deadtown’s zombies have thoughts and personalities. They also have spongy, greenish-gray skin and blood-red eyes. They move stiffly, but they’re incredibly strong. They’re nearly impossible to kill (maybe because they’ve already been dead once), but they don’t heal when injured. And even though they’re always hungry, usually they’d rather snack on junk food than on human flesh—unless they catch a whiff of blood. When zombie blood lust gets stirred up, they can’t help themselves. So if you’re prone to sudden nosebleeds, you might want to cross Deadtown off your must-visit list.

Around ten o’clock, the vampires emerge to go hunting. They don’t hang around Deadtown for long. Zombies taste bad and shapeshifter blood does strange things to a vampire’s system, so the vampires slink off to the human parts of Boston or one of the monster bars in the New Combat Zone, the no-man’s land between the checkpoints into Deadtown and human-controlled Boston. The Zone is where humans go when they’re craving a walk on the wild side. A norm can venture into a monster bar like Creature Comforts and gawk at vampires, zombies, and other creatures of the night in relative safety (as long as they don’t get caught in the middle of a werewolf fight). Axel, who owns Creature Comforts, is seven feet tall, bearded, with a hook nose and tiny eyes—nobody quite knows what he is, but he’s definitely not human. Axel usually opens up around ten, because that’s when the norms arrive. Humans tend to be nervous in the Zone; nervous customers drink, and drinking customers make Axel happy. But the bars don’t really get busy until most of the norms have left and are tucked into their warm, safe beds at home, dreaming about how brave they were to venture so close to the monsters.

Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demonslayer, also heads out around ten. A shapeshifter descended from the Welsh goddess Ceridwen, Vicky exterminates other people’s personal demons for a living. Since demons can only materialize after dark, she works the night shift. Most of Vicky’s clients need help with one of the three main kinds of personal demons:

• Drudes, dream-demons that feed on fear and cause nightmares
• Eidolons, guilt demons that gnaw at people's guts when they can’t sleep
• Harpies, revenge demons conjured by an unscrupulous sorcerer for cash

Fighting demons can be dangerous, but it pays well—people desperate for some peace will pay pretty much whatever they can afford to get it. Vicky’s no mercenary, but she makes a decent living. After she’s shot a flock Harpies out of the sky or chased the Drudes out of a client’s dreamscape, she usually stops by Creature Comforts on her way home. There she might meet Juliet, her vampire roommate, who’s sipping a Bloody Mary and ignoring the vampire junkies begging her to take a hit from them. She probably won’t see Kane, the lawyer she sometimes dates, because like most werewolves he works norm hours—eight-to-five, Monday through Friday—except for the three days around the full moon, when he reports to one of the state’s three werewolf retreats.

As the sun comes up, most Deadtown residents, including Vicky, make their way home for the day. The checkpoints get crowded with paranormals waiting to show their IDs. Zombies pull on hats,
scarves, gloves, sunglasses—sunlight causes permanent damage to their skin and eyes—before they venture outside. Vampires sleep the sleep of the dead behind black-out shades. For the next several hours, Deadtown will be quiet, until the shadows lengthen and the night calls to its creatures once again.

***

I hope you enjoyed this visit to paranormal Boston! If you'd like to know more, please visit my website, www.nancyholzner.com, which has information about my books, including first chapters. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter. Besides urban fantasy, I also write a quirky contemporary mystery series set in a college town in upstate New York. Peace, Love, and Murder has been a bestselling ebook on Amazon, and its sequel will be out in early 2012.

About The Author:


Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in
college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a masters degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer. Most of her nonfiction books are published under the name Nancy Conner.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.




Giveaway Details:



Nancy is offering 5 book giveaways- 5 winners.

Each of five winners gets his/her choice of a signed copy of Deadtown, Hellforged, or Bloodstone.

This giveaway is open to US only

Click HERE to enter

Monday, September 26, 2011

Winner of ebook Copy of Golden Healer,Dark Enchantress

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Thank you all for entering this giveaway, keep on the lookout for move giveaways coming up soon.

And The Winner is......

Krysykat



Congrats! An Email has been sent, you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Please check your spam or junk mail for the email.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

And The Winner of copy of Dreamland is....

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Thanks to all that enter and a big thank you to Tara from Zeitghost Media for sponsoring another wonderful giveaway. Stay tuned for more giveaways coming up soon.

And now on to the winner.....

Diana @ The Lovely Getaway

Congrats, An email has been sent and you have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

And The Winner of ebook copy of Betrayed is ......

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Thank you all for entering this giveaway, we still have a couple more running one that ends tomorrow Dreamland and one next week Golden Healer. Now on to the winner........

Micia

Congrats! an email has been sent, you have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Please check your junk mail if you haven't received it.

The BSP Tour Reviews of Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress and Tears of a Vampire Prince by Christine E. Schulze


Paperback, 132 pages
Published January 6th 2010 by Writers Exchange E-Publishing
ISBN 1921636424 (ISBN13: 9781921636424)
primary language English
series The Amielian Legacy: The Stregony Sequence #1

Books courtesy of Christine Schulze and The Bookish Snob Promotions


Goodreads Summary:
He leaned his head close to my ear and whispered, "Are you afraid?"

Chrystine had had more reason than any other time of her life, even when facing one of the rampages of her drunken father. But she wasn't afraid. And that was odd, because although Aaryn, the person asking her that question, was her best friend, he was also a vampire. In fact, she was surrounded by hundreds of vampires.

But they weren't your typical vampires. They were Stregoni Benefici, the good kind. Nor was Chrystine your typical elf. She was the Golden Healer, and she alone could save the Stregoni Benefici from the Dark Enchantress. But can Chrystine figure out the Dark Enchantress' secret and defeat the evil vampires without destroying the good ones as well, without destroying Aaryn? Can Chrystine unravel the dark secret Aaryn keeps so carefully guarded and show him that by choosing to serve good instead of evil, he is still capable of being loved and his past is forgiven?

Find out as you read for yourself the story of the first vampire.


Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 129 KB
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1937004090
Publisher: Old Line Publishing (December 3, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004HKJ6V8
Lending: Enabled


Amazon Summary:
his short but powerful novella chronicles the early life of Aaryn, who, in mourning after the recent death of his wife, Chrystine, reflects upon the girl whose name and healing nature made him fall in love with that wife at their first meeting—the other Krystine, his first love, a lovely, innocent, child-like Veela. In remembering her, he recounts his early ventures—how he became the very first vampire; how he protected Krystine from the lusts of the Princes of Night and struggled to protect her from himself; how he was forcibly drug into a mission in search for the One who could overthrow the evil of the Enchantress who created him—and how all these tales and misadventures weave together to tell the story of a love so beautiful and yet sorrowful, brimming with both hope and hopelessness. A tale of mystery, adventure, and passion, Aaryn’s story echoes the unbreakable love and eternal bond between two immortals. Truly, this is the saddest vampire tale ever told.

Reviews:
Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress

This was a very interesting take on vampires,with a mixture of elves which I admit I haven't read too many books about. Chrystine's relationship with her dad broke my heart wish could have seen that resolved but sometimes I guess it can't always be happy endings for everything.

What I liked was Chrystine's relationships with her friends, they were truly there for her when she needed them and I thought it was cute she would blush when around Aaryn, I wondered though at first why weren't they together considering it seemed that he cared for her as well.

If you are looking for something new and different, check this book out. I am glad I did.

Tears of a Vampire Prince

I am not to sure about this one while I did enjoy this book I was a bit confused with the back and for between now and in the past as well the fact that Crystine died when did this happen am I missing a part somewhere. I might have to do a reread to see if I did miss something.

It was nice to find out a bit about Aaryn's past and the first Christine whom he had been in love with and how their relationship came to pass.

I am rating it a 3 stars for the fact I did like it and it effected me emotionally.






Ratings:
Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress


Tears of a Vampire Prince

Monday, September 19, 2011

The BSP Tour Guest Post and Giveaway with Christine Schulze Author of Golden Healer Dark Enchantress


Please give Christine a warm welcome for stopping by with this wonderful sneek peek , Thank you  Christine for stopping by.

The Stregoni Sequence: A Sneak Peek of What’s To Come

For curious readers out there, yes, there is much more Stregoni Sequence to come! I won’t give away too much, but I will give away a few tid-bits. The series will be comprised of four books, and there will be a theme, that of enchantments which must
be broken to save someone, such as the Vampiro Curse from Golden Healer. Characters from book one will reappear, such as Chrystine and Aaryn, but they will no longer be the main focus. Each book will have a new main character or characters. For example, in the second book of the series, Memory Charmer, two of the stars are Cheryl and Ferdinand, ex-members of the Stregoni Seven from Golden Healer.

To end, I would like to thank all of my blog hosts for having me and leave both them and my other readers with this, an excerpt from The Stregoni Sequence, Book 2: Memory Charmer:



CHAPTER 1: The Boy Next Door

The basement was completely finished, so it didn't really matter that he hardly ever allowed her upstairs. Living downstairs with the butterfly and celestial decorations scattered in an artsy, mismatched sort of way was like dwelling in her own, private, personalized home, a special corner of the house all to herself.

But it wasn't a home.

It was a prison.

Standing very still, she took the most shallow of breaths, leaning against the doorframe. Standing as close as she possibly could to the doorway without being seen, she remained still and silent as a shadow, listening to the voices.

They stood at the very crest of the stairs. He was speaking with the new family in that fluid, songlike, alluring voice. The poisoned voice. He was renting out the cottage upon his land, and finally, after so many months, found an interested family. Why he chose them of all people, she could not tell. His house, as well as the cottage he rented out, stood several miles from the city of Lisallight, heavily secluded, deep in the woods.

Shadows and secrets enshrouded his life. So why did he rent the house to the one family who knew the shadowy secret that was her?

The boy. The boy knew. The boy caught only a glimpse of her through the window. She'd left the blinds open. How could she have been so foolish? How angry he was upon finding out. For though not present at the time, he still knew. He always knew things like how the boy had stared, trying to catch a better glimpse through the window of her long, white-gold curls, her soft, blue skin, her small, delicate form.

After that incident, he neither spoke nor acted harshly towards her again. At least, she didn't think he did. She stifled the urge to shake her head in frustration, fearful to make the slightest sound. Remembering anything at all was so difficult. She wasn't sure

whether this was the work of the magic house or of his own, dark magic. At any rate, she somehow knew that he messed with her mind, robbed her of memories of things he did, things he thought might be too horrible for her to remember. Her memories snatched away, she could only trust her feelings. Yet that could be worse, feelings of guilt, shame, and fear lingering in her heart without her having any clue why. Well, she’d formed suspicions, yet she dare not let those take shape in her mind either. Sometimes, she already felt on the brink of madness from not knowing why the feelings of vulnerability, sadness, sickness, terror shrouded her heart, clouding her mind. Well, she did know, in part. It was because he was there, always there, always waiting for—whatever it was he expected of her—if only she could remember—although something in the back of her mind urged that she did not really wish to remember—

"Yes, well, I'm very glad to do business with you, sir," he said then. "I'm sure you'll enjoy staying in the cottage for the summer. The forest is gorgeous at this time."

She shuddered. It was gorgeous because he made it so. She feared and prayed that the new family might not do anything against his pleasing. After all, such beautiful trees and flowers were known to grow suddenly poisonous or worse if the renters did something to dissatisfy him...

"And thank you, sir. My family and I look forward to a relaxing vacation here in Lisallight."

"And I can think of no place better for you to have come for a relaxing vacation than Lisallight."

"Thank you again, sir."

"Certainly. May I see you and your wife and son to the door?"

Footsteps sounded. She tried to quiet her breath even more, though this was hardly possible at the rate she already controlled it.

"Wait."

Her heart skipped a beat as the boy spoke. It must be his voice, for sounded so young, fresh, slightly deep, just on the fringes of morphing from a boy's to a man's voice.

"Sir, if I may ask…I saw a girl through your window one day. I apologize for spying, only I was hoping you might have some children my age..?"

"Ah, my cousin, Elissa. Yes, she visits here sometimes, but I'm afraid she won't be back til next summer, young man."

Her heart trembled again. Why did he give the boy her real name?

"Ah, a pity. She was a fine young—"

His speech abruptly stopped. She imagined a sharp look from the boy's father and could've laughed—under different circumstances.

More polite words of parting were exchanged, she heard departing footsteps, and then a closing door.

Silence. And waiting.

Fleeing to her room, she sat on the bed, stiff, frightened, reserved, waiting. Waiting for what? She always felt like she was waiting and fearing, though she didn’t know from whence those feelings came. She just couldn't remember...

The silence deafened. Until the soft thud of footsteps shattered that quiet with their own, vociferous thunder. Suddenly, that fear intensified, though she did not know why, save those footsteps were his, he was coming, coming, coming...

And then he stood in her doorway, smiling, those perfect, calm, bright green eyes twinkling. His soft, blonde, shoulder-length hair gleamed so flawlessly, his tall, strong body standing so perfectly. Yet she somehow knew that perfection was marred, knew she feared him, knew so many things though she couldn’t remember why she knew them...

"Well, sweetheart, we've done it. We've rented out the cottage..."

"How good for you," she said in a quiet, emotionless tone.

"I think this calls for a bit of celebration, don't you?"

He walked slowly forward. She focused her eyes straight at the blank wall, keeping her back perfectly erect and poised, hands crossed daintily in her lap.

"Don't you?"

He hovered right over her, casting an ominous shadow as though he was her greatest nightmare come to life.

Suddenly, she knew the reason for her fear though she still could not remember.

She did not need to remember. He was the living nightmare. He was only power and strength and control and desire. He placed his hands on her neck, forcing her gaze to meet his. At first, he touched her gently. A false gentleness. He stroked her hair as she began to tremble. And then, the touch grew firm, and she was only weakness and fear and loss of all control. Suddenly, she needed no memories as this fear, so old and yet so new all at once, overtook her once more.

His eyes burned deeply into hers. As his dark magic emanated from his body into hers, she felt her energy, her very life source, slowly slipping away. She grew weaker and weaker as he forced it from her like the most powerful of incubus. But, unlike those she’d read of, as he drained her energy slowly from her body, he also drained it painfully. A burning, intolerable pain ensnared her, gripped every fiber of her being, yet he bewitched her so she could neither cry out in pain nor move. She could do nothing to relieve herself.

Even though she couldn’t remember the last time, she knew what was to come next—she would soon pass out, for the pain was too much to bear.

Screaming loudly within her own mind, although the sound could not escape her lips, both pain and internal scream suddenly overwhelmed her, and all became black.

***

She lay on her back, staring at the blank, white ceiling. If only her mind could become just as blank, just as empty. What bliss to feel absolutely nothing...

She knew what had happened, even if she couldn’t remember anything but him standing in her doorway and approaching with those greedily gleaming eyes. She used to not be able to remember even that much, but maybe she was growing a bit immune to his magic, or maybe he just no longer cared and was getting lazy. Why did he use magic to make her forget anyways? He had grown lazy enough to fail in preventing her from feeling the throbbing headaches caused by the intensity of the magic he used in sucking her life near completely away. He was too lazy anymore to make her sleep off the drowsiness caused by his intensive attacks. So why make her forget at all if he now left such reminders in his stead?

She smirked wryly. Was he so warped as to think himself a noble kidnapper by making her forget all the torturous things he did to her? Or did he realize the extra power he wielded in seizing her memories, the boost of fear instilled in her, a fear of the unknown. For though she formulated some clue of how he tortured her mind, she could never be entirely certain of what went on between them. Sometimes, she felt glad she didn’t know.Other times, she thought it might make the overwhelming fears more bearable, knowing what to expect...

Unable to sleep, as always after he visited her, she sat up, slipped silently from bed, made her way down the hall—

She paused before passing in front of the doorway leading upstairs. Though she knew he was asleep in his bedroom upstairs, at the far end of the cottage, she always paused here
to listen for his snoring. Stealing quickly past the doorframe, she tip-toed to the sliding glass door which led from the living room into the backyard.

Heart pounding, she opened the door very slowly so as not to make a single noise. She opened it just enough to slip through before closing it behind.

She deeply inhaled the cool, night air. The gentle, sweet scent of the small moon-blossom bush wafted up to her. This was the one place where she could feel safe and free, if only for a little while. A place so close to the house, yet it seemed so far away.

Stone walls surrounded the back yard on all three sides, but the back wall was constructed of two tiers so that she could’ve easily climbed out—if she was allowed. She tried that only once, and the consequences proved severe…

His guard, a giant tarantula, appeared from nowhere, scooped her up in large, hairy legs, cruel fangs gleaming greedily at her, wrapping all but her head in strong, unbreakable spider silk, stringing her from the single tree in the backyard. Then he just stood there, watching. She’d never been more terrified in her entire life—at least, not until he strolled out. He walked tall, proud, his gait seemingly calm. Yet such a dark fury shone in his eyes like none she’d ever seen, rendering her incapable of doing anything save to stare in horror…

“You are dismissed, Nargog,” he hissed. Shrinking to the size of an ordinary spider, the guard crawled into the depths of the tree’s branches.

Then he turned to her, cut her down from the tree with an invisible, mental sword. After she fell roughly to the ground, he released her bonds, all except her hands which he kept bound together firmly with the spider’s silk.

He knelt low over her then, his golden hair brushing her face, his eyes like deep, impenetrable, unbearable shadows as he hissed, “May that teach you not to defy me ever again. If you do, I will let him do much worse to you. Have you learned your lesson?”

She nodded, shaking all over, unable to say anything, knowing somehow what was coming:

“No,” he whispered, his voice low, menacing, almost like a growl, “I don’t think you quite have…”

Closing her eyes, she placed a hand upon her yet dully throbbing head. She did not want to remember what happened after he spoke those words, his voice tingling her neck like a deceptively gentle breeze before the most furious of storms...

Running her fingers along the bark of the immense tree, she glanced up at the branches, something she now did out of mere habit. After that night, she stared upon the tree in terrified paranoia many nights before realizing that the spider’s only purpose was to assure she did not escape. Unless she tried, he would not appear...

She sat upon the lower level of the back wall built like two giant steps, so that she could sit on the lower wall without leaving the yard, without having to worry. Yet she felt so close to leaving, to eternal freedom. Just a few more steps, and she could flee here
forever...

Gasping, her body froze rigid as stone as the leaves rustled. Her gaze snapped immediately to the tree, but it stood entirely still. Her eyes skirted then to the trees and bushes above, along the top of the wall; the woods surrounded the house very closely.
One of the bushes moved, and then—

“Woah!”

She sprang up as someone fell, toppling over the bushes and over the wall, landing hard, face-down inside the yard.

Racing over, she knelt beside…him. It was the boy who spied her through her window,who so boldly chose to speak to the Musician today...

He sat up on his knees, groaning in pain.

“Are you alright?” she asked, reaching out her hand, wanting very much to touch him and yet recoiling, hesitant. Already her gaze moved nervously about the yard, at the second story of the house. What if he heard when the boy fell? What would he do to him?

“Sure, I’m—” He stopped short in his grumbling to stare at her. “It’s you,” he said, “You’re Mr. Crowder’s cousin.”

She smiled dryly, helping him to his feet. “Come, let’s get you to the wall—and he’s not my cousin.”

“He’s not?” the boy asked, wincing as he hopped up to sit beside her on the stone wall.

“No,” she said, and then, wishing she’d kept silent about it, “Look, are you okay? That was quite a fall...”

“Just bruised, I think—if he’s not your cousin, if you’re not his, then what are you—?”

“His ward,” she answered darkly, unable to look into his innocent, imploring eyes.

“His ward?” he said slowly. “What is that supposed to mean? I thought there was something weird going on here...”

She studied him. Concern shone in his eyes now, along with a dark glint. Whatever he was, besides incredibly handsome with his dark hair and dark eyes that twinkled almost like a star-studded horizon, he certainly wasn’t stupid.

Those eyes menacingly threatened. “What has he done to you?”

“Why do you care so much?” she whispered. “You don’t even know me.”

He smiled wryly. “I’ve watched you more than once, you know. I know you better than you think.”

She felt unsure whether to be angry by such an invasion of privacy. First the Musician, now him...

Perhaps seeing the accusing look in her eye, he continued, “There was the time I watched you at your window, but mostly, I watch when you come outside. You always look so lost and longing, like you don’t quite know who you are or where you belong, but you
don’t belong here, and you want nothing more than to leave...

“The first night I saw you, you were crying, and so I kept coming back to check up on you. I knew something wasn’t right here. I wanted to talk to you, but I didn’t know if that would cause more trouble for you than whatever trouble you already had. But now, here I am, and I suppose if my fall didn’t wake him...”

Taking his hand, she assured quietly yet with all the meaning in the world, “If he did hear, it is worth it, I promise you...”

Realizing what she’d done, she quickly tried to recoil her hand. But in a flash, he snatched it back, holding it gently but securely as he said, eyes twinkling with all sincerity and gentleness, “It’s okay. I understand. You’ve been waiting for so long for someone to reach out to, someone to touch, to touch you, a soft caress, a gentle hand, anything that shows that someone, anyone, truly cares, that your life is not just a vain waste of time in this house...”

Her breath quickened as she stared into those eyes. It was as though he spoke not only directly to her heart, but from it. How could he understand her so well?

As if reading her thoughts, he smiled broadly. “I, too, have been lonely a long time.”

“But at least you have your parents,” she said quietly.

He shook his head. “They’re not.”

Confused, she stared.

“Not my parents,” he said.

She blinked, even more perplexed.

He sighed. “You’re right. I owe you an explanation after the risk I’m putting you through in being here. Besides, it’s not as though I think you’ll tell my secret to anyone.”

“No one to tell save the spiders,” she laughed darkly.

He nodded. “All right. Well, see, the three of us were sent here, to the Below of Lisallight—”

“The ‘Below?’”

“Patience, I’m getting to it. Yes, you see, all three of us, well, we’re from the Above, from the sky, because, well, there’s no careful way to put this, so I’ll just come right out with it: we’re Stars. We’re all three of us Stars.”

She stared skeptically, almost wanting to laugh at how ridiculous his words sounded.

“Stars?” she echoed hesitantly. “You mean, like twinkling Stars, shooting Stars, Stars in the sky?”

“Stars, yes.” He admitted it so commonly, so matter-of-factly, with no hint of deceit in his eyes, that she assumed he must be telling the truth or else must just be mad enough to think he spoke the truth.

“But how..?” She shook her head, trying to fathom the possibility of such nonsense. “How’d you get down here? To Below, as you call it?”

He shrugged. “Just as you said, by becoming ‘shooting’ Stars. That’s what a shooting Star is, you know, a Star traveling to the Below.”

He explained it all so nonchalantly that she could only stare all the more. If he was just toying with her, he certainly hid it skillfully. Bizarre as it was though, she found herself already beginning to believe in him. Perhaps because she had no one to believe in for so long, and perhaps she was a fool to do so. But somehow, she couldn’t help it.

“Well…why are you here then?” she asked finally. “In the Below, I mean.”

“We’re looking for a new Night,” he said simply.

When she continued to gaze in total confusion, he sighed deeply. “I forget I am speaking to a mortal. Forgive me and allow me to explain.

“See, I’m sure you’ve heard the ‘legends’ of Lisallight being an Elemental land. That means it is governed and protected by Elemental Guardians. None of this is legend, you know. It’s all true, and, well, the Night we have now, she’s dying—fast. She was a fairy before she became Night, so her silvering hair is a dead give-away that she’s dying. If she dies, and there’s no more night, well, you can guess the confusion and trouble that would cause for the inhabitants of Lisallight. And we Stars would have to sleep forever. So several of us Stars were sent to the Below to search for a new Night. Because there’s only two ways for a new Elemental to be chosen—either one of their children must be chosen, or, seeing as we Elementals currently have no children, an Elemental must marry a mortal, and that mortal can then become an Elemental. So those of us seeking companionship came down seeking a wife—or a husband, as in the ladies’ case.”

“And, umm, this Night…how much time does she have left?”

He shook his head. “Hard to say exactly. A couple days at best. That’s why we have to hurry. If we don’t find a new Night soon, then once the current Night is no more, the Stars will all sleep, and then, who will find the new Night? Day and Sun won’t do it, as they’ll be glad to have total reign of the sky. Wind is so concerned in her own affairs,

and she’s too childish and playful for marriage yet, I think. Moon might be able to do it, I guess. Still, we’re hoping that with several of the Stars searching, someone will find her—or him,” he added quickly, looking away. He’d stared intently at her when
he said “find her,” and now she blushed madly, glad that, whoever this Night was, her darkness concealed reddening cheeks.

Silence passed between them. She felt suddenly shy in his presence, knowing what he thought, implied.

She began to think. It would’ve seemed a bold suggestion since they just met, but now that she understood his situation, it did not seem so. And she didn’t really think it would be so bad. Already, they shared some connection in that they were both lonely, seeking companionship. He certainly seemed sincere, and even if he wasn’t, even if all she’d be doing was passing from one master to another, at least he’d be a kinder master. And if he
really took her to the sky, she’d be far away from him...

Becoming Night sounded like a huge responsibility, yet wasn’t that also what she’d been hoping for? To own, discover, cling to some purpose besides just the daily survival she’d come to call living?

Her hand cautiously crept along the wall to take his as she dared to whisper, “I’m willing to do it, you know.”

His gaze roamed carefully to hers. She turned her face just enough to glance over, see his reaction. He seemed to study her uncertainly, cautiously, yet hopefully.

“Do you really..? I understand we just met...”

She smiled. “It’s me who should be telling you that. It’s probably the reaction all the others Stars will get in looking for spouses, you know.”

He sighed again. “You have a point. But why do you..?”

“Don’t you think I’d risk everything to get away from this, from him?”

Her voice trailed into a whisper as she spoke of the Musician, and she glanced away, the pain no doubt glinting in her eyes once more.

He squeezed her hand, promising gently yet ardently, “I’m not like that, you know…like him…I would never try to control you, make you do anything—”

“I want to.” She looked up at him, surprising herself at the amount of confident resolution reflected in her voice. “This may be the only chance I have to escape, and—” She suddenly cast an uneasy glance at the tree.

“What is it?” he whispered, as if sensing the abrupt need for quiet.

“I tried to escape once before,” she breathed. “He caught me almost instantly...”

“If you were Night, you’d possess new powers, speed being one of them. And there would be my speed as well, my speed as a Star. Only you’d have to agree to be Night before we left here, because only Night can return the Stars to the Above, and returning to the Above is the only real way we could escape...”

“I agree,” she said, nodding.

“Then I will send word to Night, and then I will return for you tomorrow. We’ll have to perform the wedding and appointment ceremonies right here. I’ll bring the two other Stars to be witnesses—” He stopped short and laughed.

“What is it?” she asked, smiling as his eyes danced.

“I just realized—you just accepted a marriage proposal from a young man whose name you don’t even know.”

She laughed softly. “I must be more desperate than I thought.”

He laughed again, brightly, his voice almost twinkling like his star-lit eyes. “Well, Lady Elissa—that is your real name?”

She nodded, blushing as he called her “Lady.”

“Well, Lady Elissa, it is an honor to meet you. I am James-Star. But you can call me James, of course.”

She smiled shyly at him, breathing his name, “James...”

He nodded. “Well, then, my lady, I must needs be off until tomorrow. I have much to discuss with the other Stars, much to plan. I will return for you here tomorrow night.”

She nodded as he stood on the inner wall, helping her to her feet.

How close their bodies stood. An unusual heat blazed from his skin. His eyes burned brightly and deeply into hers, setting her heart aflame with the promise he need not speak. He would return, for a love already formed like a new ember growing in those gleaming eyes, a love for the one he’d chosen as his wife. He leaned his face towards hers…

She placed a finger to his lips, stopping him. “Not here,” she whispered. “If he sees…”

“Let him see,” he said, and a thrill raced through her as his voice echoed powerfully. “Soon, he will not be able to stand against your power, when you are Night.”

“But I am not yet,” she reminded gently.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But soon, and then…then I may kiss you every night, if it so pleases you...”

She smiled. No one had ever asked if she wanted to be kissed. “It would please me very much.”

“Til tomorrow then,” he promised, and, deeply twinkling eyes giving her a final, reassuring look, he scaled the wall, making his way deftly and noiselessly into the woods.

For a moment, she could only stare at the place where he disappeared. He’d gone as quickly as he came. Was it all real? Was he real? Did he really promise to take her away from the torture of her existence? Was that promise truly sincere? Even if it wasn’t, the hope he gave her was enough to allow her to sleep through one, more night here...

She hopped down from the wall, casting a wary glance at the tree as she passed, wondering if the spider slept, if it acted as a spy or just a guard. Perhaps his only purpose was to keep her in, not others out. She hoped his purpose was not to relay such messages

of intrusion to his master...

Slipping silently inside, she locked the door, creeping back to her room, snuggling beneath the covers once more. This time, sleep came easily to her. For as excited as she was, her heart at last, stricken with the coldness of fear for too long, nestled in the warmth of security as she thought of James-Star. She would soon dance in his arms, in the sky, far from where anyone could harm her ever again...

About The Author:

Christine's Links:

Book Buy Links:
Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress
Tears of a Vampire Prince: the First Krystine

Christine E. Schulze has been creating books since she was too young to even write them in words. Her collection of YA fantasy books, The Amielian Legacy, is comprised of series and stand-alone books which can all be read separately but which weave together to create an amazing fantasy. Her fanatsies also incorporate many other genres, such as Christian fantasy, romance, and even a spark of horror at times. She hopes to inspire readers throughout the world with these books by publishing in both traditional and electronic formats to make them available to all readers.

Christine has published several stories with Calliope and Kalkion magazines and is an active member of the WEbook online writing community. She has also published several Christian/fantasy books which are available at various online retailers, as well as publishing several eBooks via Writers-Exchange.

Her latest and most exciting venture includes her publications with Old Line Publishing: Bloodmaiden and Tears of a Vampire Prince: the First Krystine. She also anticipates her upcoming publication with Old Line, Lily in the Snow, as well as releasing The Chronicles of the Mira with Writers-Exchange in both paperback and electronic forms.

Christine currently lives in Belleville, Illinois in her first and most thrilling apartment.

Christine has generously offered an ecopy of Golden Healer, Dark Enchantress. All you have to do is leave a comment along with your email so I can contact you if you win. The giveaway is running from Sept 19th to 26th with the winner to be announced on the 27th.

Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for the end of the tour giveaway! Next stop is




Saturday, September 17, 2011

Review of An Everlasting Bite by Stacey Kennedy


Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 289 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books (November 15, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004G08XU4
Lending: Enabled
Source: copy given to by Author


Goodreads Summary:
Love is born between strangers, yet built upon a bond soul deep―one Alpha’s vow to protect his mate from looming danger, all the while, mending her soul and stirring her wolfish desires.

A vicious Werewolf attack in Plymouth, Minnesota leaves a young woman violated, bitten and now, transformed into a Werewolf. But Rynn Murphy doesn’t have to face this transformation alone—she has her mate by her side. And the charming Briggs is eager to ease her into this new life and mend her battered soul.

With only weeks to adjust to her new fur, Rynn begins to understand what it truly means to be mated to the Beta, secondhand man to Valor, Patriarch of Wolves. Their leadership over the Alphas brings them in contact with the Montana Alpha, Hendrix. He is in a desperate state to find his abducted daughter. Valor and Briggs agree to give aid in her rescue leaving Rynn to tag along.

But this mission is not without danger. And soon, they discover the ones who have taken this young wolf do not want her found and will stop at nothing to keep her hidden. Or so it may seem, as bodies begin to drop around them, the murderous attempts start to appear more as a hit than a smoke screen—leaving only one question, who is the intended target…

Review:
When I started the Magical Sword series, and first read of Rynn and Briggs I knew I wanted to read more of these two. Rynn's story is sad and my heart broke for her but I was so glad to see her come into her own in this book.

Again Stacey didn't disappoint, this book was a quick action packed book mixed with some steamy love. It also had twists and turns which I didn't expect and the ending I was equally shocked with.

I believe Briggs is my new favorite male character though I am sure I will change my mind when I move on to another of Stacey's books.

If you haven't read any of Stacey's books, you should The Blue Bloods is fastly becoming one of my favorite series.


Rating:

Friday, September 16, 2011

Halloween Spooktacular

Photobucket



I am super excited to be cohosting this event with Danielle from Romance Book Junkies next month, loads of spooky fun is in store for you , guest posts, giveaways and stay tuned for news on the grand prize we will be giving away at the end of our event.


If you are interested in participating, I know Danielle is completely booked but I have some dates open so if you are interested whether you are an author or blogger please contact me at vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com.

Here are the dates I have available:
October 15th thru 19th
October 22nd
October 24th and 25th
October 27th, 29th and 31st

Thursday, September 15, 2011

And The Winner is of the copy of All These Things I've Done is.....

BannerFans.com


I would like to thank Tara from Zeitghost Media for sponsoring another wonderful giveaway and don't forget we have two more giveaways running, Dreamland and Betrayed. Now on to the winner..

Alyssa

Congrats!! An email has been sent and you have 48 hours to respond then another winner will be chosen. Please check your junk mail to see if our email went there if you don't receive one.

The BSP Tour Review of Betrayed by Ednah Walters


Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 667 KB
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing (July 12, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005CIGR3Y
Lending: Enabled


Book Courtesy of Ednah Walters and The Bookish Snob Promotions, click HERE for more information on the BSP

Amazon Summary:
Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon-the Kris Dagger. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends, most of the time, and cherishes the time she spends with her human friends.

Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the boy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and will stop at nothing, including hurting those she loves, to lure her to the dark side.

Review:
After reading Awakened I was eager to dive into Betrayed and it didn't disapppoint.In fact I think this book is even better than the first book. What I loved the most was the fact I was kept guessing of who done it's or who is behind this or that. I normally can figure or nearly figure out who it is but this one I for the life of me figure who the traitor was or why her friends were now acting so strangely and very rude.

Bran, especially through me for a loop I couldn't understand why he was being so mean at times and though I knew it had to be more than what Lil was thinking it still left me puzzled. As for Lil I felt her confusion about her father as well as with why everyone was being so different to her.

I neglected to mention in my review of Awakened, just how much I enjoyed the side characters as well, Sykes being my favorite ( I am hoping he gets his own book or something). Kim, I am still unsure about, though I have to remind myself they are teenagers. But what I find I do like is that no matter what differences they may have with each other, they are always there for each other as a team.

Overall this book is an excellent continuation in this series and I am anxious for the third book, Hunted to be released. While there is no cliffhanger, I am still wondering about a few things and I hope they are answered in the new book.

If you haven't read Awakened, you should but you can read this as a stand alone and not be confused but I highly suggest you read them both.

Rating:

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Dreamland Book Trailer and Giveaway


Blurb:
"Riley's finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer's dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it's her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who's been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears."

Alyson Noël continues the bestselling story of Riley Bloom as she learns how dreams are made and tries to make contact with her sister, Ever.



Links:

Macmillan page for Alyson Noël:




Here's a chance to win a copy of Dreamland, All you have to do is comment and leave you email address for me to contact you if you should win. The giveaway runs from Sept 14th to the 21st with the winner being announced on Sept 22nd. US and Canada Only

Review of Awakened by Ednah Walters


Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 404 KB
Publisher: Pill Hill Press (November 8, 2010)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004BA5EGK
Lending: Enabled

Book Courtesy of Ednah Walters and The Bookish Promotions Tour

Amazon Summary;
Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, but Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons. Orphaned as a child and raised by an eccentric grandfather, Lil is concerned with surviving high school and is unaware that she's a Guardian-a being with super powers charged with killing demons and protecting humanity. When she meets Bran, a mysterious boy with amazing abilities, his psi energy unlocks her latent powers. But Bran has a secret that can ruin their growing relationship, and the truth she discovers may destroy everything she believes in unless she finds the right balance between love and sacrifice.

Review:
How many times do I have to kick myself lately for not reading some books sooner than I have? I started reading this book last night and didn't go to bed til I was finished so yes ladies and gentlemen it was another late late night(I swear I keep vampire hours).

Can you just imagine finding out all your life you believe it was one thing to only find out it's actually another? I honestly couldn't blame Lil for feeling the way she did at the beginning and what struck me was how much I could relate to her feeling like an outcast due to all her moving around her whole life.

Bran, I loved how Ednah wrote him at first I thought I liked them then wasn't sure then of course I fell in the love with the character and actually was angry at the treatment he received by the other guardian trainees.

This book had all the elements for a making of a good book, a fantastic storyline that mixed well with the backstory that needed to be told. There was a few 'I didn't see that coming moments ' which is another thing I like unpredictability.

Only thing I didn't like was that it ended. So if you love Angels, Demons with a sweet love story mixed in. This book is for you. I highly recommend this book to any paranormal lover.

Rating:

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The BSP Tour Guest Post and Giveaway with Ednah Walters



Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 667 KB
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing (July 12, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B005CIGR3Y
Lending: Enabled

Summary:
Lil has come to terms with her life as a Guardian/demon hunter and the wielder of the Nephilim most powerful weapon-the Kris Dagger. She trains everyday to master her growing powers, gets along with her Guardian trainee friends, most of the time, and cherishes the time she spends with her human friends.

Just when she feels she belongs, her nature-bender father contacts her and warns her about a betrayal by someone close to her. Then Bran, the boy she loves, starts to act strange and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability. While Lil struggles find a connection between these three things, she begins to realize that someone is manipulating her and will stop at nothing, including hurting those she loves, to lure her to the dark side.


I am super excited to have Ednah Walters as guest poster today on BLH, Please give her a warm welcome and Thank you Ednah for stopping by today.

MEMORABLE SCENES

What is the most memorable scene you’ve ever read in a book or seen in a movie?

Is it when star-crossed lovers reunite? When they say goodbye and there seems to be no hope of them ever being together again? Or is it something as simple as a hero rubbing the heroine’s feet? Bringing her flowers just because they reminded her of her smile?

All of the above are sweet and romantic moments. We see them in books we read and in movies we watch. They make us ooh and aah, and cry. Yeah, I’m a crier at sappy moments, but what stays with me after I close the book, after I drive home from the theater, is when the hero steps outside his comfort zone because the heroine needs him. I don’t know about you, but I find such scenes unforgettable, and I love writing them.

Think about Richard Gere ( in Pretty Woman) climbing up a fire escape, a rose between his teeth, to give Julia Roberts her ‘moment’ when he was scared of heights. In the Hunger Games, Katniss is willing to die rather than fight Peeta till death. In Vampire Dairies, both Stefan and Damon hurt themselves to save Elena or one of her relatives over and over again. In Twilight, Edward is willing to die rather than live without Bella.

In every book I write, I always make my hero do something that makes them uncomfortable, but they do it anyway because the heroine needs them. In Awakened, when we first meet Bran, we have no idea what his motives are. We later learn that he was willing to be killed, or sent to Tartarus, to save his sister. Even though I love Sykes and would have loved to see him hook up with Lil, Bran won me as soon as I learned about his motive. Later, when Lil must face Coronis, Bran chooses to fight with her

In Betrayed, we see Bran act like a jerk halfway through the book and want to kick his butt, but in the end, you learn the reason why and you only love him more. Then when he gets a chance to get what he really wants, he’s willing to give it up to save Lil. I don’t want to go into details without spoiling the surprise.

So, what is the romantic scene you’ve ever read in a book? Why did it stay with you after you the book ended?

Ednah has generously offered a copy of Betrayed to one winner, all you have to do is answer the above question along with your email addy for me to contact you if you should win. The giveaway is running from Sept 13th to 20th , winner will be announced on the 21st.

About the Author:
I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky).

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I decided to teach myself to write fiction.

I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. Most of them are still taking up RAM on my computer.

Awakened is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. It was released in September 2011 with rave reviews. Betrayed (book 2 in the series) was released August 1st 2011. Hunted, book 3 in the series, is due out in March.

When I'm not knee deep in battles between Guardians and demons, I write adult contemporary romance (the Fitzgerald family series), sassy, stubborn and gutsy women anyone can identify with and men anyone would be proud to claim. When not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 19 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my YA series.

Ednah Walter's Links:


Be Sure to follow the rest the tour for your chance to win at the end of the tour, next stop is

Sept 14 – Songs And Stories http://liedermadchen.blogspot.com/


For more information on the final giveaway and rules to enter click HERE for details

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Kelly's Review: THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT



THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT
Book 1 in the Maximum Ride Series
By James Patterson
Published by: Little, Brown & Company
First Printing: April 11, 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0316067959
ISBN-10: 0316067954
Amazon; Barnes and Noble; Goodreads

Concept: “In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?” [From Goodreads.]

Review: I first read When the Wind Blows which was touted as the .5 to this book. However, the characters are different, the story is different, nothing is really the same. The only likeness is the fact that there are mutant kids running around and they are trying to escape the bad guys from the evil school/institute that created them. It’s like Patterson started the story one way and then went “hey, I do this for a young adult audience instead!” So it all started out very confusing to me. I loved When the Wind Blows. I did. This story, not so much. It was boring. The entire 400 pages was about these mutant kids running from the bad school guys. There were no answers provided. Only questions with names and more names. The redeeming qualities to this book were that you were introduced thoroughly to the various mutant kids and by the end of the book, you pretty much know them all, really well. I have no idea what the story was about or why the story ever was. I wish Mr. Patterson had stuck with the first story.

What I disliked: How slow it all was. The chapters were very short (thankfully) but everything was so boring and so slow.

What I liked: I liked the characters. Patterson has a way of writing his characters that really pulls you in.

My rating: 3.5 Feathers


By Kelly
for Book Lover's Hideaway


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.