Book Blogger Hop!

Wow! The weeks just seem to be soaring by anymore. So moving on to the question.

Who is your favorite new-to-you author so far this year?

 

There are a lot of new-to-me authors that I've had the pleasure of reading, but to keep it simple I'll go with the first author that bounced into my head. Chloe Niell!

This magnificent author has away with words, that if she was writing about staring at the road I'd be riveted. Plus she has a fantastic sense of humor, which is always a plus for me. I've read the first books in both of her series, and you can check out my reviews.

• Firespell (Dark Elite, book 1)
• Some Girls Bite (Chicgoland Vampire, book 1)

  Well I am off to the hop!

 

When I'm Not Reading (3) Feather Companions

This is a fun little way for Book Bloggers to show what else we do besides live and breath books. Hard to imagine I know. This is hosted by the Unread Reader, just click on the awesome picture to check out and join the meme.

Besides my awesome love for my fury companions, I also have some fantastic feather companions.

Be prepared to be cuteified!

I wanted to get all of them in together, so get'em while they're snoozing, these are my Silkie chickens. The white one is a mixed breeding, and if I say so she has the cutest butt on the planet.  So I've got two reds (Ma Petite and Wild), buffs (Fox and Hound), blacks (Flash and Serena), and the white (Rid).

I'll have to upload some videos so you can see how cute they are when the run amok in the yard.  

Wednesday Wishes

This is just a fun weekly post to share what new books I'm interested, and wishing, to add to my collection. This post also follows BBC's My Wishlist, a weekly meme.

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Jane Jameson, #1)

by Molly Harper

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

I've been thinking about reading this series for a bit, someone told me it was just as fun as MaryJanice Davidson's books. Got a love them!


Low Red Moon
by Ivy Devlin

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.

It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...

But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

Apparently a werewolf story. Love the cover!!


The Crescent
by Jordan Deen

Becoming a werewolf is not an option for seventeen-year-old Lacey Quinn, but death can be a strong motivator. Lacey is so focused on her future that everyday life has passed her by. Counting down the days to her eighteenth birthday, Lacey is almost home free. But when she falls for the mysterious Alex Morris, she lands in the middle of an ancient war between two enemy wolf packs. Tempting dreams, tantalizing lies and a dangerous love triangle ensues leaving Lacey heartbroken and confused. Lacey's fate rests in the hands of Alex and Brandon, but both are pulling her strings for their own agendas. Even as she slips further into the dark world of werewolves, Lacey struggles to find the truth and save the only family she's ever know.

I dug the last cover, but this one is off the hook!! All kinds of cool!


Kiss of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles
by Kate Pearce

First in a sexy new series that takes a bite out of the court of King Henry VIII


Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids binding him and his heirs to the Druids' struggle against vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, a vampire- slaying family, have been in the king's employ. Now Henry VIII reigns, and his father's bargain has been almost forgotten-until bloodless corpses turn up in the king's bedchamber. To save the king, Vampire hunter Rosalind Llewellyn must form an uneasy alliance with Druid slayer Sir Christopher Ellis. But soon, Rosalind must face an unthinkable truth: that her sworn enemy may be her soulmate...

Vampire Tudor, I'm there!!

Well I'm off to read a good book!!

Quoting on Monday - His Darkest Hunger

They'd been a family once.

Until a slip of ass had decided it would be a great idea to betray them. --Jaxon Castille

There was going to be hell to pay,and she didn't care whose ass needed kicking, she was going to oblige with gusto. That Jaxon thought he could screw her and then proceed to really fuck her over was unbelievable. --Libby

So close to finishing this and it is yummy!!

This may or may not be the last Quoting on Monday. I enjoy the post, but it is a lot of work and it doesn't get too many responses. So next week it will be a surprise, you may see a Books and Babbles post in it's place.

Over at ATUF there is a fantastic giveaway you need to check out!! It's for Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson. Click here.

Hope you all had a great Monday!!

Sunday Sweets + a Little Feedback Needed

This is just a fun meme, hosted by The Story Siren called In My Mailbox, to find new books and see what everyone got this week.

Alright, I've been caught. I am book Shopaholic. Really. If I can't drool at the book section in a store, now that I've stopped going to Borders, I go into withdrawals. Dreams of buying huge amounts of books start to haunt me. Looking at my Wishlist haunts me, I can't make it smaller, I can only wish . . .

Well good new is I know my problem, and at least I'm only spending my money on books when it's a great deal!!

This week I walked into Walmart to see the hardback books on sale for $6. Great deal right? I snooped but didn't find anything I wanted. Then I went into a second Walmart (I know, but why shop at only one when you can shop at two?) and not only did they have $6 hardbacks, they had $1 paperbacks!! That's right, $1--the gods were smiling upon me. I think I went into shock and proudly admit I did a little happy dance. (My mom was probably not quite as proud.) So I raided the paperbacks and here is what I got!!

The Keys of Solomon: Book 2 in the Offspring Series (Offspring) by Liam Jackson

I've been curious about this series, but haven't felt that it's good enough to try it. For a buck I'm hoping to see what it's like, a little sad that this is # 2 in the series.

Scandalous by Night (Carlisle Family, Book 4)by Barbara Pierce

I figured this would be somewhere along in a series, but not book 4. Hopefully you don't need to read these in order to enjoy. Really excited to find a Regency Romance.

Solar Heat by Susan Kearny

The cover caught my eye, and once I realized it was a Sci/fi romance I was lost. I've been wanting to try some sci/fi romance, but really haven't had good recommendation. From the looks of things this is a stand alone.

The Serpent and the Rose (The War of the Rose, book 1) by Kathleen Bryan

I saw this in Walmart once, and thought it looked good. For some reason I didn't get it, then I couldn't find it again. Now it's all mine! I've been getting into fantasy romance lately and the back title has what I'm looking for:

Forbidden Magic. Forbidden Love.

Plus a glowing review from Entertainment Weekly stated fans of Elizabeth Hayden would like it. Love her! Then again they also said Terry Goodkind fans would like it, and I'm not fond of him.

Well can't wait to see what goodies everyone else got.

Oh, now for the feed back part.

I've been looking at my blogging stats and I'm noticing that Quoting on Mondays is the least viewed posts ever, and the majority of the time no one stops by for them. So I'm thinking to change my posts again, seeing as Quoting on Mondays is very lonely and Sunday Sweets may not be ending.

What I was planning to do is if I have bought books for the week I'll post my regular Sunday Sweets, and if I don't I'll just skip the post. For a while now I've been wanting to make Books and Babbles a more permanent post, I love ranting and talking about whatever in the booking community rocks my boat. So Books and Babbles will take the place of Quoting on Monday.

Like the idea, hate it? Have a better idea. Let me know!!

Book Blogger Hop: July 23-26, 2010

Feel free to jion the hope by clicking the image above!

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

I've just started His Darkest Hunger today, and I'm 112 pages in--or more. Well, it's safe to say I'm loving it. It's been so long where I've read a PNR that is more focused on the plot then sex. Don't get me wrong, it's a hot read, just look at the cover. So I'm rushing of to read it, after Hopping of course!

When I'm Not Reading (2) The Fury Side

This is a fun little way for Book Bloggers to show what else we do besides live and breath books. Hard to imagine I know. This is hosted by the Unread Reader, just click on the awesome picture to check out and join the meme.
So, I firmly believe that no life is complete with out furry companions. The love you unconditionally and always have time for you, even when they're playing hard to get. I've decided to share my fur factors here.

This is Mr. Peaches, sitting a top his favorite spot-he's very lovable, but vocal. When people come over they think they're going to get their faces torn of, but he's all growl and no bite. Personally I believe he's that way because his real name is Peaches'n'Cream. All his grumpy noises are simply a protest to having such a girly name.

This may not be the best photo to get a grasp of how cute all her markings are. This is Yuki, AKA my goddess. She's the mother of Mr. Peaches up there, who happened to have 4 other brothers. Yuki is what you would call a spaz cat, always wary and hyper, but always spreading the love. I had aspirations that she would one day take over the world, or at least become a cat model. Luckily she's a humble country cat, who just happens to be one of the only cats I know that gets sunburn ears. Even with sunscreen they still get crisp, let's just say her ears are a lot smaller then what she started out with.

So those are the cat fur factors, next week I'll spread the love of selkies!!

Spreading the Love!!

Just want you all to know about a really awesome give away over at Carol's Print! She is giving away ten ARCs! I know, your all just to eager to get over there!
Here are the goodies:

Signed ARC of MATCHED by Ally Condie
ARC of FIRELIGHT by Sophie Jordan
ARC of Torment by Lauren Kate (Sequel to FALLEN)
ARC of EXTRAORDINARY by Nancy Werlin
ARC of PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers
ARC of HALO by Alexandra Adornetto
ARC of THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Gosh, I know those are titles I've been really interested in getting! Plus Matched is signed!! So since she's being so generous with the giveaway, I thought I'd spread the love. Click here for more details and to sign up. Plus she has reviews for some of them so you can know how awesome they are.

Good luck everyone, but I better win! ^_-

Also looks like Tynga's Reviews is hosting a give away that you'll love. What's up for grab?

A brand-spanking-new copy of Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

&
Her used (because I wanna read it, dah!) ARC of The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

I want!! I feel so greedy! So click here to check it out!

Wednesday Wishes and the Latest Mercy Thompson Cover

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post were I share new titles that I'm just itching to get my hands on. This post also follows a weekly meme over at Book Chick City, My Wishlist.

First up I have to share the hot new cover for Patricia Brigg's latest, Mercy Thompson book!!!



 I have to give credit to All Things Urban Fantasy for posting this. Not sure about you guys, but this has to be the best Mercy cover yet!! The colors are great, so Native American feeling. Best of all, her tattoos aren't as overbearing!

Nightshade (Jillian Conrad, #1) by Michelle Rowen

Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.

Declan Reyes was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.

Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…

I don't like the cover for this book, feels to tweeny (not that tween books don't have good covers).  Love the description!
Don't Kill The Messenger (Messenger, #1) by Eileen Rendahl

The first in a fantastic new paranormal series about a messenger from the supernatural underworld.

Melina Markowitz is a Messenger, a go-between for paranormal forces and supernatural creatures. Problem is, when a girl's a go-between, it's hard not to get caught in the middle...

When ninjas steal an envelope from Melina, her search leads her to a Taoist temple in Old Sacramento, where the priests seem to practice Zen and the art of mayhem. Melina learns from the handsome ER doctor (and vampire) who gave her the envelope that it contained talismans created by the priests to control Chinese vampires, who are attacking gang members to spark a street war.

Although he may look more like a surfer than a cop, Ted Goodnight is dead serious about investigating the surge in gang violence. At every turn he runs into Melina, a very attractive-and very mysterious-young woman. Can Melina enlist his help to battle something he doesn't even believe in without blowing her cover?

I have been wanting to read this book for quite a while, but I haven't added it to my wishlist yet.
Forsaken (The Demon Trappers, #1) by Jana Oliver

Riley has always wanted to be a Demon Trapper like her father, and she's already following in his footsteps as one of the best. But it's tough being the only girl in an all-guy world, especially when three of those guys start making her life more complicated: Simon, the angelic apprentice who has heaven on his side; Beck, the tough trapper who thinks he's God's gift, and Ori, the strikingly sexy stranger who keeps turning up to save her ass. One thing's for sure - if she doesn't keep her wits about her there'll be hell to pay...

Love the cover!
The Passion by Donna Boyd, R. Montanari

On the eve of a brutal murder in contemporary Manhattan, Alexander reveals to his son and heir a tightly guarded family secret--a world in which a superior race of werewolves holds the positions of power. The one human who is accepted naively embraces all things werewolf--an ambition that results in unspeakable tragedy.

The description is not what drew me into the book. Check out this post over at BBC, 'Books We Love' with Kate from Babbling About Books & More!
The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel by Alden Bell

Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer, Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape, keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart. She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does remember an old man who took her in and the younger brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond, Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and find the salvation she seeks.

I'm starting to wonder which sub genre is growing faster, angels or zombies?

Quoting on Monday

Why ask questions when you already know the answers? But in case you need me to verbalize it-it's because I have to take a stand somewhere, sometime. This is where I'm drawing the line in the sand. -Morgan Kingsley

I feel guilty, I forgot to write some of the other good quotes I found down. I couldn't find them flipping through the book. Promise, I'll keep track of them from here, this book has some great one liners.

On another note this is the 3rd book in the series and it's really setting up and moving up nicely with the characters. My hats off to Black.

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content. After accepting this award, recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs."

First off I have to give a big happy-thank-you hug to Savannah over at Books With Bite. Feel free to check out her awesome blog!!

Now I have to pass this fabulous award along.  There are some blogs that I follow that always have fresh new stuff posted almost daily, such hard work! I know there are a ton others, but they've already been hit.

1. Vision Quest Fail
2. Reading on the Dark Side
3. Lovin' &Livin' Life Reviews

Review: Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoeinix

Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

"There will be times, girl, when all your magic ain't going to be enough, times when it will seem to dry up like mud under the noonday sun, or even make matters worse . . ."

Kallie Riviere, a fiery Cajun hoodoo apprentice with a talent for trouble, finds herself smack-dab in the middle of one of those times her mentor warned her about when she visits New Orleans to attend the Hecatean Alliance's annual carnival: her hard-bodied conjurer hookup ends up dead in her blood-drenched bed. And he was killed by something that Kallie would never dream of touching -- the darkest of dark juju, soul-eating juju -- a black dust hex that may have been meant to kill her.

Now Kallie has to use every bit of hoodoo knowledge and bayou-bred mojo she possesses to clear her own name and find the killer -- even as that dark sorcerer hunts Kallie and her friends. But Kallie's search for the truth soon leads her in a direction she never anticipated -- back home to Bayou Cypres Noir, and to Gabrielle LaRue, Kallie's aunt, protector, and hoodoo mentor . . . who is looking more and more like she just might be the one who wants Kallie dead.

Thoughts:

Starting off, I really disliked this authors previous book, A Rush of Wings. After I had finished it I was exhausted from forcing myself to through it. It was too wordy, like the author was trying to cram to many words into one sentence. There were so many characters that took turns telling the story that I was afraid when ever I saw a page break or a new chapter starting—I didn't want to start on a new character, or go back to characters I just wasn't interested in. A Rush of Wings was a good idea, don't get me wrong, but it had so many issues that it was boring. The pace slowed it down, jumping from character to character slowed it down more.

So why did I buy this? The cover. That's right I'm a shallow cover lover. With this cover, you can't blame me. The blue hues are so pleasing, the bottles in the tree branches just call to me! The lovely lady on the cover looks like she eats Navy Seals for breakfast.

Luckily the insides of this book are just as appealing as the outsides. It was clear about 3 pages into this book that I was going to love it. Sure there were a couple of moments where the writing felt crammed, but it disappears fast and the rest is smooth sailing.

The reader doesn't spend all that much time with the main character Kallie, which is a shame cause she's a sassy anger management case. Phoenix makes up for it though. Where A Rush of Wings was plagued by the annoyance of one new character after another, characters I really disliked, it was Black Dust Mambo's strength. Even the evil villains take a turn in the narration, and it actually works out really good! The cast is so colorful and all are so easy to sink into. Let me just share some.

Belladonna, Kallie's best friend, who's 100 % evil and absolute fun at a wet boxers competition. Dallas, a family friend of Kallies, who happens to be an adulterous lech. Who just happens to have a bullseye on his head by many husbands. Layne, the hot Nomad man candy who is a vessel that ghosts can take over and use his body. Augustine a dominating Brit, with one heck of a sly attitude. Then Layne-Augustine takes the floor, trust me it's just as fun as it sounds. Then of course a Bondalicious babe. That's just the tip of the iceberg.

This book just kept going and going, and when you thought it was all about Kallies dark birth and past. It ended up throwing a curve ball out there. It's hard to find books that are ambitious enough to create a really good plot, and then include a story arc to fit into the next book.

The humor is off the hook!! Even in the most dramatic parts of the book, Phoenix managed to crack a good one. The bayou humor is so refreshing. I haven't read to many books that have taken place in New Orleans, but this has to be the best one. Usually all the Cajun talk and slang really boggles my mind, this time I was speaking the language.

Only one complaint. The book has a heavy dose of repetitive flash backs. Like Phoenix is trying to make sure that this moment is dramatic, the reader shouldn't miss it. Whether it's one sentence or a couple of paragraphs on repeat.

Bottom Line:

If you're looking for a good time and a great mystery this is the best kind of read. Urban Fantasy readers will love the Hoodoo and Voodoo users, as there aren't too many in the genre. If you were put off by Phoenix's other series, don't be shy to try this out. Black Dust Mambo is a ton of fun, between wet boxer competitions, black voodoo soul eating magic, and twisted plots! Just be prepared for a bit of a cliff hanger.

Sexual Content:

No sex scenes that I can remember. However lot's of sex talk and humor.

Rating: 5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession.

Sunday Sweets and Revelations

 This is just a fun meme, hosted by The Story Siren called In My Mailbox, to find new books and see what everyone got this week.

Last week I stated that that Sunday Sweets post would be my last for a while. Looks like I lied. I feel slightly sad about it because I had a whole Books and Babbles post ready, but I guess I've got it for next week.

In an effort to recycle for years, I've collected and then sold the pop cans. So with the money from the pop cans lining my pockets I went into the local Desert Industries, a version of a thrift store. I had given up on trying to find any books I was interested in. Fatefully, when I browsed the shelf they had some goodies!!!!

So the revelation of this post? Pop Cans=Money=Books!! I love it, pop cans for books, I think recycling campaigns could use that. ^_-

So here are the goodies I found:

Fugitives of Chaos (Chronicles of Chaos, #2)by John C. Wright

I'm a little sad to find out this is book 2, but I've never heard of the series before and I'm really excited to try it out. (Though it bugs me, because I'm one of those readers that likes to read things in order.)

Slightly Married (Slightly, #1)by Mary Balogh

So happy this is the first book!! As you can tell I've quite taken to Regency Romance, I'm really excited about that!

Mummy's the Word by Kerry Blair

This is supposed to be a Nightshade Mystery . . . I think it's the first. The author's site really wasn't forth coming.

What I'm really excited about is that all the books, but Slightly Married, still had there store stickers on them and that means there new. Just slightly passed around.

Can't wait to see what every one else got!

Review: Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan

Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan

SHE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN HER PEOPLE AND HER FREEDOM...

Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.

Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can't usurp her brother or negotiate a peace--but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara's conscience won't let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes...

The Warprize

Thoughts:

Having already read the first book in Elizabeth Vaughan's Star series, it's safe to say that I am a huge fan! This is the first in the Warlord series, which happens to be Vaughan's debut novel.

For a first book, it's really impressive. Solid writing, the world has a history and the politics are well thought out. The cast of characters come from standard fantasy worlds, but of course Vaughan makes them her own and the characters end up being quite lovable. This book is more of a getting to know the world setup. Getting to know basic characters, the land and nations. The evil villain is Xylara's brother, it was a nice setup the way Vaughan did it. But it felt rushed, like the evil king needed to be dead by the end of the book. Of course I'm not saying there isn't some potential evil villains left to plague the series later on.

Xylara defied everyone, including her late father, and became a healer. She stands up to her brother and fights for what she believes in. Clearly she is a character to admire. My only complaint, is that as smart as Xylara is it takes her a while to stick her head out there. Certain situations could have been solved if she would have been as brave as everyone said she was. Then again, when you think you're a slave and are in a new culture, one can never tip-toe too carefully.

The love interest, is more of an idea at this point. Kier is a respectable and fair Warlord, who has dreams of uniting his people with Xylara. He wishes to court her as a Warprize, which will herald change to the people. Sadly enough that's all the reader is really given on him. I'll admit I'm shallow enough that I was cheering the couple on.

It's fun watching Xylara realize what her people need (especially a little womans rights!), and how she is willing to sacrifice things to make her country better. My only compliant is exactly what Keir voices. That he expects her and her people to change, but he and his people are not making any efforts. This is another thing I hope will move along.

Bottom Line:

This may not be mind blowing, but it's well worth it for the fantasy lover to invest in. New readers of fantasy will probably think this is the cat's meow. If you're looking for steamy love scenes, look else where. If you're looking for a sweet (very high school like) romance, you've found it. I can't wait to read the next books in this series. If her Star series is any indication, Vaughn is going to grow into a great storyteller in her later books.


Sexual Content:

References to sex, and some mild love scenes.

3/5- Good, I liked it.

View all my reviews >>