Cover Reveal: Shadow Hunter

Aaah, this is a paranormal romance series I've been enjoying. And this story, YES I looooved it. This is a Kait Ballenger's novella story that is found in After Dark with stories from Kait Ballenger and Gena Showalter. I loved Damon's story. It explains a lot about his personality and the way he is in the series as we go. I can not wait to get back to him to learn more.

If you are curious on my thoughts, you can check out my review on Shadow Hunter for the book After Dark.

Now it'll be available by itself for 99c!

Shadow Hunter

Execution Underground #0.5

By:  Kait Ballenger

Due Out:  August 4, 2014

Book Description:
Vampire hunter Damon Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their newfound hearts.


Author Bio:
Kait Ballenger is a full-time paranormal romance author, wife, former professional bellydancer, and soon-to-be-professor. She has a BA in English from Stetson University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. She lives in Central Florida with her screenwriter husband and three sweet furry babies, all three of whom are named after fictional characters. Kait hopes that one day with hard work and dedication, she will be a bestselling author, and then, people will name their pets after her characters, too.

Website:  www.kaitballenger.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynschulzromanceauthor
Twitter:  @kait_ballenger
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/108985176548347481138
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/kaitballenger/
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/kaitballengerauthor


Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Kobo

Throwback Thursday (155)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

I believe this was a free ebook and I had to snag it from he synopsis. A fantasy full of action and creatures.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When half-bloods Harruq and Qurrah Tun pledged their lives to the death prophet Velixar, they sought only escape from their squalid beginnings. Instead, they become his greatest disciples, charged with leading his army of undead.

While they prepare, Harruq trains with an elf named Aurelia, to whom he owes his life. She is a window into a better world, but as war spreads between the races their friendship takes a dire turn.

Velixar orders them to fight alongside the humans, changing Aurelia from friend to foe. To protect her, Harruq must turn against his brother and fight the killing nature of his orcish heritage.

To side with one means to turn on another. No matter Harruq’s decision, someone he loves will die.

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to.

Book Review: Walking Sticks: The Gift

Walking Sticks: The Gift

By:  Sharron Riddle

Publish Date:  April 22, 2014

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

Format:  eARC

Genre:  YA Horror

Series:  Stand-alone (at moment)

Recommendation:  A young adult psychological horror with a connection to an ugly curse.

Synopsis:
When her best friend gifts her with an eerily realistic skull walking stick, Riva's already crappy life descends into terror. As if dealing with the local queen bitch out for revenge and her drunk mother weren't bad enough, Riva's "gift" has sprung to life, unleashing a spirit hell bent on stealing her body. A curse set into motion. Three possessed walking sticks, three girls turning to wood. Riva won't go down without a fight, but can she reverse the magic before it's too late.

Purchase At:
Amazon

**I read this book for an honest review from the author.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Riva has 98 days until she graduates from private school torture zone. Riva is going to spend the night for a few days with Kerry while Kerry's mom is out of town. Kerry's Christmas present from her Aunt arrives. Three walking sticks from New Zealand. Kerry decides to give one to Riva and the other to an old girlfriend she doesn't talk to much since the accident. The harmless, yet spooky, walking sticks carry more of a past than they know. More than even Kerry's aunt knew when purchasing them.

The walking sticks are from New Zealand and of the Maori people. A spell worked into them that curses the owners. An ugly past that goes with the walking sticks.

The girls are initially taken with the sticks, but soon are spooked by them. The story takes on a personal horror along with the psychological torture and worry for the characters. Always wondering what will happen next and how to break the bonded curse they have with the sticks.

All the girls affected have pasts they are working to get away from. Riva has a drunk mother and her father died in a car accident which drove her mothers torment on Riva further. Kerry cuts herself, or had, after her boyfriend fell on the track of the L Train and died. She spent time in the hospital trying to help her get over the torment of his. Dalia is the sister of the said boyfriend and has her own demons with her brother she's hiding from with drugs. Then we have Nick. Nick is a friend of Riva's and Kerry's, but hoping for more with his long friend Riva. But Nick has his own secrets, his nightmares of murders and deaths of others.

Nick is a god-sent of a friend to the girls. He never gives up when things get to a point where there is no way out. I did fear for Nick on several occasions when he leaves the girls, fearful the sticks or the spirits of them would hurt him. These spirit girls are dangerous!

This town has some messed up stories. I'm surprised with the mess that Riva, Kerry, and Nick get into with the sticks that there is a chance to go on. But is there? Those sticks have their grips on the girls. Is there a way to break the curse? Will the girls look to save their selves or their friend?

Many of my readers will pick up that this isn't my normal kind of read. It's not. I loved the sound of the connection to the Maori people and the magic in the walking sticks. That was the draw for me and it held that throughout the read introducing me to new characters and story.

Sharron has created a psychological thriller that young adults can read. I was left wondering when the evil walking sticks would show up or what would happen next to the girls or the town people as I read.

Mythical Monday (51)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Urban Fantasy author 
Bethany Herron

Talking about Nickar.

Bad-Ass Faeries: Nickar

"With the dawn of refinement, and progress of education, many innocent creeds and sweet associations have passed away; and we are of those who deeply lament that this change, not for the better, has come over the spirit of nations."
- Fairies, by Miss M.L. Beevor, from The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction (February 2, 1833)

I graduated from college with a Literature degree... which was not super helpful when I got a job driving a freight train. It made sense at the time. I wanted to write, and I decided I'd be more successful if my day job was as far from writing as possible. On top of that, there was an anachronistic bent to it that greatly appealed. Trains (and train engineers) seemed as far removed from modern day as stovepipe hats and corsets, and equally romantic.

Miss Beevor's words on faeries sparked that same olde feeling. Her article popped up as I was searching for my next story, and I was immediately drawn to her description of the nickar, "...fairy of rivers and lakes, where, like the Scotch kelpie, he raises storms and derives a savage satisfaction from the wreck of human life."

I probably shouldn't admit this on a Mythical Monday, but while I love pulling inspiration from mythology, I'm a firm believer in tweaking the myths to meet my story. After all, the actions of humans have always had a bearing on faerie; our belief, or lack thereof, has the power to create or destroy entire races of fae. Still, the fact that a water faerie was trying to jump into my railroad world (a world full of fire and steel) surprised me.

The more I researched the nickar, though, the more it made sense. They are quite a bit like mermen, but nastier: fish-tailed faeries who delight in destruction and mayhem. In this day and age, what mean old water faerie wouldn't try to take out a diesel-breathing steel monster who encroached on his territory?

Pashi, the nickar in my story Fairyland Local #2413, has an even stronger motivation. Pashi's been alone, for ages, and making trouble is the only form of entertainment the faerie has. Until Jones, a bridgetender with a bum knee, shows the nickar another option. (And introduces the lonely Pashi to a thriving fae-hobo underground, but that's another story.)

Would the traditional bad-ass nickar found in Teutonic mythology actually hop a freight train and take up the hobo life? Probably not. But times change and myths evolve, and Pashi is going to fit right in.


Author Bio:
Bethany Herron has always straddled strange worlds, working as a freight train conductor, non-profit fundraiser, and mad scribbler. She lives and works out of Oakland, California.

Find Bethany Herron:
Website: http://www.bethanyherron.com
Twitter: @BethanyHerron

Book Description:

Bad-Ass Faeries: It's Elemental
The Bad-Ass Faeries are back and they are in their Elements!

Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Spirit...It's time to get down to basics, for the fae answer to a natural order.

In L. Jagi Lamplighter's On Rocky Ground, Mab, Mephisto, and Erasmus go to the mountain to pay a debt, but can they pacify the earth before the mountain comes down around their ears? In James Chambers' The Flying Rock, Daniel seeks to give his son and daughter a taste of childhood magic before they grow too old to embrace such things, but the winds blow as they will and he soon wonders will his children even see another day. In James Daniel Ross's The Legend of Buck Cooper and the Child of Fire it only takes a spark to start a fire, but what will it take to stop one? Buck Cooper and the brigade must stave off the flames of a war most don't even realize is being waged. In N.R. Brown's Melia's Best Wave an oceanid decides she's ready for bigger things, like tackling the deadliest stretch of coastline anywhere. Will she conquer the Mavericks or wipe out for all time? In Jody Lynn Nye's Fifteen Percent Marcel Dorner learns it's best to get into the spirit of things when your literary agent is a filandiere, or more than just your career might not survive...

Joined by Kimberley Long-Ewing, Judi Fleming, Danny Birt, Peter Prellwitz, DL Thurston, James R. Stratton, Patrick Thomas, Bethany Herron, Keith R.A. DeCandido and Lee C. Hillman, these authors make it clear why one doesn't mess with Mother Nature...or Bad-Ass Faeries.

Purchase At:
 

Throwback Thursday (154)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

This one was a win from a long time ago, I'm sorry to say I've not read it yet. It sounds like an awesome read.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nearly a decade ago, Randall Oakes left hedge witch Chance Monroe for dead.  Now he’s back along with her ex-lover, Jack.  The FBI wants Chance in protective custody, but Chance knows it won’t be enough to protect her from Oakes.  Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her own wits to survive this game of cat and mouse.

Re-released as Earth Witches Aren't Easy

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to.

Book Review: Evolution: SAGE

Evolution: SAGE

By:  Starla Huchton

Publish Date:  May 6, 2014

Format:  eARC

Genre:  Science Fiction Romance - Superheroes!

Series:  2nd in Evolution series; 1st book ~ Evolution: ANGEL

Recommendation:  WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!? Maybe the third book to come out. You love romance? Suprheroes? YOU NEED THESE!

Synopsis:
Devastated by her choices, Candace Bristol is on the brink of losing it all: her mind, her hope, everything she thought she was.

But from the ruins rises new purpose. An enemy has emerged and it will take everything to combat this new threat. Broken as she is, picking up the pieces and carrying on might be the hardest battle to win, but it's either fight, or lose what little she has left.

Amongst the wreckage, hope still burns. The flicker of a flame kindles something within her she thought was dead.

Love can break you.

So, too, can it bring you back to life.

Purchase At:
Amazon   /   Barnes & Nobles

**I beta read this book for the author.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Candace is empty, of tears and more. She feels hollow inside after what happened in Evolution: ANGEL, what she had to do. Her friends and colleagues have been staying with her, trying to break through her sadness. Then Jackson s finally roped into staying with her. His harsh words hit home. Coming around Candace is assigned the wayward member of her team, to train and hone his skills. What Candace fins in him is not what she expected but maybe is what she needs.

The beginning tugged at my heart strings, seeing Candace this way. Remembering with her what we've lost. She did right and she is right. But there was more there with him too. I know Candace is strong and determined, she will pull through although changed and a bit wiser to the ways of the supers' world. With Candace in this state, I start to wonder what the higher ups do with super "heroes" in the condition, or worse, that don't pull out of it.

Everything at the compound goes on as usual. Training continues and grows with each superheroes powers. Candace learns new ways to use her power and control of water. She becomes more powerful as water is everywhere, even the human body. Some of her team are now scared of her. Candace must prove she's worthy, to herself and others.

We get to go on a ride-along out on a field call. Candace sees the seriousness and danger of field missions first hand. We get a view of an 'unstable' super. Now we start to wonder where they come from.

Candace is struggling to find her equilibrium. She is trying to see the way of the supers in the world. How do can they perform their jobs, which comes to killing, while saving innocents. She struggles with morel questions in her mind. And with doing so, we see a whole other side, an opposite to the ANGEL project, out there.

*fan girl time*
Jackson? Jackson! There is more to this firey man than we could have imagined. Oh is there more... *sigh* I was falling for him and his antics in ANGEL, now. I LOVE him! LOL. I love his fire and snark with Candace. These two banter back and forth with the best of them. Yet there this a growing relationship. Jackson is strong and one to need a strong counterpart. Candace fits that to the T.

I'm impressed with Starla's ability to take me from enjoying and falling for Jackson as a hot snarky man and his quick clips to absolutely loving him and feeling he's perfect for the role he slips into. Wow.

I am in love. This series is something new and refreshing with superheroes in action. It is a romance read, but one that is different than any other and at the top of my must have list. We get all elements with Starla at the pen; romance, action, and a depth to a story that we didn't see coming. The end will have you starving for the third and final Evolution book.

Mythical Monday (50)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Urban Fantasy author 
Amanda Bonilla

Talking the Shaede and Lyhtan races.

The Mythology of the Shaede Assassin World

Thanks so much to Melissa and My World in Words and Pages for having me as a guest for Mythical Monday! When I started writing SHAEDES OF GRAY I realized that in order to fully understand the world I was building I’d need a history, an origin of the Shaede and Lyhtan races. As opposite sides of the same coin, I couldn’t justify their animosity against each other until I knew where they came from, what their history was, and what spurred their feud to begin with. Though Lyhtans don’t have much time on the page, I had to know their origins. I found the word in some on-line ancient words dictionary. Lyhtan—a verb—literally means, “to make light.” What better word to name my creatures that were so different from my shadow-loving Shaedes. And since I couldn’t find a creature in mythology that fit my vision of the Lyhtan, I made them up from scratch.

Though Shaedes and Lyhtans are technically fae creatures, I decided to make them uncommon among the fae. They are a unique species in that they are a product not only of their biology, but of magic. As the legend goes, Kreighton, high king of the Dark Fae forbade his sons from leaving the borders of his kingdom. But as young men are prone both to curiosity and disobeying their fathers, they set out to see the world beyond their kingdom. Artis, eldest son and favored by his father, fell in love with a beautiful Sylph princess, while Rannan, the more rebellious of the two, took a powerful Sidhe sorceress as his bride. When Kreighton learned of his sons’ betrayal, he flew into a rage. Using up every ounce of his magic, he marked their offspring as something other and unnatural, so that the fae would know they were creatures never meant to be. However, since the king had favored Artis before his rebellion, Kreighton took pity on him and rather than exact the harsh punishment he’d planned, he gifted Artis’s children with fae beauty and cloaked them with the protection of the shadows at night.

But Rannan’s children felt the brunt of Kreighton’s curse. They are the Lyhtans. Banished to the light to hide their grotesque forms in the light of day and forced to remain corporeal at night. Unlike Shaedes, Lyhtans are able to assume the form of a glittering beetle-like insect during the daylight hours, a small concession given by Kreighton so that Rannan’s children would know some measure of beauty. Whereas Shaedes can blend with humans, Lyhtans look more like praying mantises. They hunt like animals, feed upon their prey by injecting them with a venom that liquefies their victim’s insides for easy consumption, and they live solitary lives often in caves of high up in trees where they can remain unnoticed.

Since the Lyhtans obviously got the crappy end of the deal, their hatred and animosity toward Shaedes was easily justified. The creation myth allowed for a built-in feud. An attack on site policy that would need no other justification other than a centuries-old grudge. By interweaving their heritage, I could incorporate Lyhtans easily into the Shaede world. It also gave me the opportunity to create balance. I also wanted to offer readers an atypical representation of light and dark which is usually associated with good and evil, ugliness and beauty. In the Shaede Assassin world, the good guys don’t always wear white, don’t always have sunshine on their shoulder.

Do you prefer to read stories where the world building has been connected to historical mythology? Or do you enjoy new worlds/alternate universes with their own unique origins? What are some of your favorite fantasy worlds?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Against the Dawn
By:  Amanda Bonilla
Six months can feel like just a couple of weeks when you’ve been away in another realm. Literally.

Now that Darian is back in Seattle, she’s ready to face the life—and the man—she left behind. But it’s not going to be easy when a ghost from her past shows up looking to wreak havoc on Seattle’s supernatural crime scene.

Darian isn’t as careless as she used to be, though. She and Tyler, her sexy Jinn protector, have come a long way in the trust department. And it’s a good thing too—because when Ty contracts her to assassinate a wickedly powerful supernatural who goes by the name of Mithras, it will take all her faith in Ty, and herself, to get the job done.

While Darian does whatever it takes to get to her mark, Xander, the Shaede King is busy making plans of his own. With Darian’s attention divided between Lorik’s secrets and her mission she might not be able to stop Xander from doing anything in his power to separate Darian from her sworn protector and in the process, destroy his own kingdom…

Amanda has graciously offered a Giveaway!

ONE Digital ARC of Against the Dawn.

Giveaway runs: May 19, 2014 through May 27, 2014.

This giveaway is only for a digital copy.

Please fill out the Rafflecopter to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Amanda:

Amanda Bonilla lives in rural Idaho with her husband and two kids. She’s a part-time pet wrangler, a full-time sun worshipper, and only goes out into the cold when coerced. She loves the outdoors, black clothes, pink appliances and thinks junk food should be a recognized food group. In the summer, she can be found sitting by the lake, enjoying the view from her dock.

Purchase the series: (click the image)

Sunday Post #53

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry I seemed to disappear on Thursday until now. Kiddo's school picnic was Thursday, then I thought I'd have time Friday for visiting. Ha! I should never think. I took the day off and got all sorts of errands done that I don't get done with working a day job. Then Saturday kiddo had a football showcase type of combine thing. And being the amazingly awesome parents we are, we went to show support and watch. Yes, we do that stuff all the time. (I'm thinking lots of parent don't, but as long as I can, I will.) Sunday is going to go by in a breath of air, I just know it.

As for bookish stuff...I've started working on a different story I've got in process. I just can't seem to get through Jayda's story with all going on and having to completely re-write it. So I started in re-writes for another. I think this one will go smoother. Then I've started back with Flash Fictions.

In the big news, I'll not be around here Thursday through Monday. Yes, it's Memorial weekend here in the US but I'll be at Balticon. Thursday I'll finish packing and make my trip Friday morning. I can't wait to see everyone there again!

And the big BIG news! I've started doing Content Editing. Yes. I opened a site with all my information up for those who are interested. If you'd like to learn more, please stop by www.MelissaLHayden.com.

What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:
Hmm, I just finished a book and haven't started a new one yet.

AND have been reading as chapters come up:
Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron (2 chapters a week for free on her site!)

Current Podcast Book Listen:
I'm re-listening to The Coffee Legacy by Katharina Bordet in excitement of Danube Waves coming our way.


Finished Last Weeks:
Ace's Wild by Amanda Carlson
Walking Sticks: The Gift by Sharron Riddle

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

....

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Burning Bright by E.J. Stevens
(Click to visit as there is a Giveaway!)

A Season of Strange Dreams by C.S. Thompson

And then the Night by C.S. Thompson

City of Constant Silence by C. S. Thompson

Posts:
I forgot to mention, I'm back to doing Flash Fiction with Jackie and Blodeuedd!
  If you'd like to read the First One.
  If you'd like to read the Second One.

Around the Internet...



Reviews:

Bite Me by P.J. Schnyder

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:



Weekly Posts:

***NEW*** Mythical Monday Jim Stratton talking of Japanese Samurai, Tengu, and Tanuki

Throwback Thursday

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

Mythical Monday Will be Amanda Bonilla talking .... with a Giveaway! (Mon)

Book Review Evolution: SAGE by S.A. Huchton. (Wed)

~~~~~~~~~~

Received Last Weeks:

Review:

Ace's Wild by Amanda Carlson
Goodreads Synopsis:
Welcome to Vegas. Home of the Sin City Collectors. The job description is easy: Bring the offending supernatural in to the Boss and don’t ask any questions. 

Nevada Hamilton has learned a few things since becoming a Sin City Collector, and staying away from vampires is one of them. After botching her first Collection, the vamp getting away after causing as much damage as possible, she hasn’t been assigned to another one since.

But when she receives her next playing card, she’s in for a surprise. Not only is a vampire her next target, but they’ve paired her up to make sure she gets the job done right. Refusing a Collection is not an option, but when she discovers who she’s working with, making the mission as difficult as possible for her new partner becomes her top priority…

Being a hellhound isn’t enough to protect Jake Troubadour from Nevada Hamilton, no matter how thick his skin is. Finding out he has to work with the beautiful dhampir, after not seeing her for three years, is a low blow—but Jake is a professional. He takes his Collections as seriously as he does running his bar. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done, but after that, he’s out. No more chances for the girl who wrecked his bike and scarred his soul so long ago. But even with his heart dead set against it, this hellhound quickly finds he’s not immune to love after all.

What’s Collected in Vegas, stays in Vegas...



Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Athena's Daughters Edited by Jean Rabe
Goodreads Synopsis:
From the publisher's website: “From a young girl facing a life-threatening crisis at lunar camp to a crew of elderly women graced with the power of Greek Gods, you’ll find an engaging and diverse range of science fiction and fantasy stories by women, about women.”



Free Ebooks:

A Wanderer's Tale: Rusted Memory by Jennifer Melzer
Goodreads Synopsis:
Herein lie the journal pages of a bard cursed for his crimes against an angry god when the world was still new. He’s wandered these lands lifetime after lifetime, singing for his bed and supper, winning companionship with his songs and sharing tales with all who will listen of the things he’s witnessed on his endless travels. 

He is called Wanderer by the gods, for it is his punishment to walk until the end of days, never knowing the bond of friendship, the strength of family or the comfort of coming home. 

The people of Vennakrand know him as Morovio, and these are his tales 

In Rusted Memory, Morovio discovers he is not alone in his curse, for there is another, an impossible relation who's come to exact vengeance for the very blood that flows in his veins. 

Contains an exclusive first look at the upcoming second tale in the series, Worse Things Than Death.




Free Audio Books/Stories:

Broken by Cedric Johnson & Veronica Giguere
Synopsis:
The city of Charlton is a city divided: Upper Charlton, where the rich and powerful work and play, and Charlton Terrace, where the poor are kept from crossing the ever-widening economic gap by corporate dynasties controlling the flow of capital, their security firms controlling the city police, and numerous gangs controlling the streets.
Miranda Garren has a chance of escaping the Terrace's oppression and making a new life for herself with the help of an old family friend and his plans for advanced medical technology. Criofan Byrne is the city's favorite son, champion of the local boxing circuit and heir to a corporate empire. Their separate worlds are brought together and destroyed around them in a single night by the leader of the Cabezas de Muerte gang, who will stop at nothing in order to make a name for himself in Upper Charlton.
Forced into using the experimental prosthetic technology Miranda had been working on, Criofan must put aside everything he knew of his privileged existence and work with Miranda. Together, they must find a way to escape the machinations of the cruel, vindictive gang leader, the life he's thrust them into, each other and themselves—and reclaim control of what remains of their lives.

WARP: The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer
Goodreads Synopsis:
The reluctant assassin is Riley, a Victorian boy who is suddenly plucked from his own time and whisked into the twenty-first century, accused of murder and on the run.

Riley has been pulled into the FBI's covert W.A.R.P. operation (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program). He and young FBI Agent Chevie Savano are forced to flee terrifying assassin-for-hire Albert Garrick, who pursues Riley through time and will not stop until he has hunted him down. Barely staying one step ahead, Riley and Chevie must stay alive and stop Garrick returning to his own time with knowledge and power that could change the world forever.

~~~~~~~~~~

Reviews to Come:

Double Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Captain's Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Owners Share by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Ravenwood by Nathan Lowell - a podcast reading of the book

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
Marco and The Red Granny by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Earth by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Wasteland by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

War by Mur Lafferty (in audiobook while at work)

Tales of the Children by P.G. Holyfield (in audiobook while at work) An Anthology collection in the setting of Land of Caern.

The Secret World Chronicle: Invasion by Mercedes Lackey & Steve Libbey (in audiobook while at work)

The Secret World Chronicle: The Hunt by Mercedes Lackey & Steve Libbey (in audiobook while at work)

Rusted Veins by Jaye Wells

Haunted by Amanda Bonilla

The Secret World Chronicle: World Well Lost by Mercees Lackey,Steve Libby, Cody Martin, & Dennis Lee

Morevi by Tee Morris & Lisa Lee
Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #1 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #2 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Tales from the Archives, Vol 3: #3 by Tee Morris, Pip Ballantine, & others.

Flash in a Can by Danielle Ackley-McPhail

Crossing Lines by John Mierau

Marked Man by John Mierau

Harlan's Wake by John Mierau

The List by John Mierau

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn by Danielle Ackley-McPhail & Day Al-Mohamed

A Curse Awakened by Cecy Robson
Sound and Fury by S.A. Archer & Ravynheart
Evolution: SAGE by S.A. Huchton
Bite Me by P.J. Schnyder

Cover Reveal: Burning Bright

E.J. Stevens is on a roll with her Ivy Granger series. She has a new cover to share with us for book 3.


It's time for a cover reveal!  Feast your eyes on the cover for BURNING BRIGHT, the third full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

Keep reading for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Cover Reveal

Burning Bright

Ivy Granger #3

By:  E.J. Stevens.

Release Date:  June 17, 2014

Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Add to Goodreads.

Description:
Burning down the house...

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

Along came a faerie queen... It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady--with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.



Previous books in this series: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1), Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5).

Burning Bright Cover Reveal Giveaway

We are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner!  

To enter, please use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends May 30, 2014.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series and the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series. When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Connect with E.J. on Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, and on her Blog.

Throwback Thursday (153)

I found this picture of Trinity College Library, and thought it would work for this meme with a little play with lighting and adding the words.

Let's talk about those books already on the shelves, yours or the stores.

I have a post for books I'm looking forward to coming out;

Looking Forward To...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on the shelves.

Whether it be on your shelf waiting to be read or on the shelves in the stores waiting for you to give it a good home.

So, I thought I would share a book a week that is just waiting for me to travel through it's world.

Now... where do I start? Lets go by Published Date on the books...

This Week:

Ooooh, this is another I had wanted for so long then when one local book store closed, I picked it up. I'm thrilled to have it, and so need to get to it.

Where does the time go? I need to get to all these books!

Goodreads Synopsis:
Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control--to a power that could kill.... 
"Why me? Why now?" That's what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who's already claimed the lives--and souls--of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he's back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore. 
Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac's small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...

I've heard back from a few bloggers that they would like to join in this meme post, so I'm adding a Linky for you to join in.  Grab the picture above, and join in.  All I ask, is if you can acknowledge my blog in the post so others know where to come back to.