Kindle Review: Candy Houses

Candy Houses
Grimm's Circle, #1
Author: Shiloh Walker
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 499 KB
Publisher: Samhain

Summary: Greta didn’t get her happy ending her first time around. And now that she’s a Grimm—special kind of guardian angel and official ass-kicker in the paranormal world—romance is hard to find. Besides, there’s only ever been one man who made her heart race, and the fact that he did scared her right out of his arms. Now Rip is back. And just in time too, because Greta needs his help.

I bought Candy Houses for my Kindle because I've been following the author on Twitter, and love her sense of humor. I decided to start with the Grimm's Circle series and work my way through her other books afterwards.

Greta's life was anything but a fairytale with her stepmother and brother Hans. She lived with fear and sexual abuse for years before meeting a kindly woman named Mary who introduced her to a new life. The author introduces us to a world where fairytales only skim the surface of the fight against good and evil. As we learn about one woman's journey to help others, we also learn about the evil she faces daily. Can she hope to find love? Can she afford the distraction?

Rip is much more than a distraction. He's a warrior, a protector and he's getting sidetracked by a woman who thinks she doesn't need him. I loved his character. He's witty, strong, sexy and passionate. Did I mention he's a warrior, with an awesome weapon?

Greta and Rip team up to fight demons who are stealing souls and trying to corrupt humans. Their story is a fast paced, action filled paranormal romance and urban fantasy that leaves the reader begging for the next installment. The author has given us the action and mystery of an urban fantasy combined with a romantic story of two people who need each other to survive in their gritty world. I was weeping like a baby by time I got to the end of the story. I loved the witty banter between all of the characters, and the twists and turns as we learn of their orgins.

Grimm’s Circle Series
1. Candy Houses
2. No Prince Charming
3. I Thought It Was You (free read)
4. Crazed Hearts

You can read I Thought It Was You here for free. The other titles are available on
Amazon.

If you would like to attend a signing with Shiloh, she will be in Kentucky in November.

KYRW Annual Signing
Saturday 11/20/2010
2-4 p.m.
Lexington Green Mall
Lexington, KY

You can also follow Shiloh on Twitter here, and learn more about her books on her website: http://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

~Moonsanity

A Sexy Mystery for Vampire Fans

Night's Cold Kiss
A Dark Brethren Novel
Author: Tracey O'Hara
Publisher: Eos
Paperback: 352 pages
Available on Amazon

Summary: Since witnessing the murder of her mother, Antoinette Petrescu has burned with fiery hatred for the vampire race—even for Christian Laroque, the noble, dangerously handsome Aeternus who rescued her. Now an elite Venator, Antoinette must reluctantly accept Christian's help to achieve her vengeance—even as he plots to use the beautiful, unsuspecting warrior as bait to draw out the bloodthirsty dreniacs.

I picked up Night's Cold Kiss after I started following the authors that are part of Supernatural Underground. This is the author's debut novel, and she hits a home run with her gritty, sexy urban fantasy. As I started her book, I couldn't help but think of Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, of which I am a huge fan. As I read on though, I found her characters and the world she created much different, but equally as captivating. Chapter 23, entitled Blood, Sweat and Heat, will be one Ms. O' Hara's fans will be whispering about on Twitter because it's THAT sexy.

I liked how the characters in Night's Cold Kiss snuck up on me, becoming more interesting and complex as I read farther in the book. I don't want to give any spoilers because the unexpected twists in the plot are one of the things I really liked about the book, but I especially loved the character of Oberon as we learned more about him, as well as the other side characters.

The heroine Antoinette is tough and avoids attachments other than her family. She has a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder, making it hard for anyone to get close to her. Even her family walks on egg shells when they know something will upset her. I loved the banter between her and the two vampires she has to work with. They both surprise her at every turn, and manage to make that chip on her shoulder a bit smaller.

Night's Cold Kiss is a fast paced read with mystery, romance and action. It's the first book in a series that has the reader itching for the second novel. If you enjoy books by Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, or Stacia Kane you'll love Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara.

Read a prequel short story from the author:
DANTE RISING - The Birth of a Venator
http://www.traceyohara.com/books/freeReads.html

The second book will be available in January:
Death's Sweet Embrace
Release Date: Jan 25, 2011
Publisher: Eos Books/Harper Collins

~Moonsanity

We Dance With Our Contest Winners

The handy random number generator has chosen the three winners of our blog tour contests. Thank you all so much for entering and sharing your thoughts. Below are the lucky peeps:

Masked
#2 Tyler Felty said...
Perfection is overrated. To have a good story, you need flaws in your character, which is what attracts me to spiderman so much. The writers spent all their time creating flaws in the character to present the best story they could produce on how to fix said flaws.

Captured by Moonlight
#1 Robin K said...
I most definitely love a little romance with my thrill. Pure horror stories do not hold my interest as well. Though I loved them before I started reading paranormal and found out what I was missing. :)

Beyond Exile
#15 Bethie said...
I like my zombies with a little bit of humor. If they are a tad scary too, thats OK.

Enjoy:) ~Moonsanity

Kindle Review: Beyond the Darkening

Beyond the Darkening
Author: Kerry Allen
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 180 KB
Available on Amazon

SUMMARY: Amanda Tessler infiltrated the Society for the Preservation of Humanity to gather information to aid the “monsters” the organization seeks to cleanse from the earth. Her orders are to maintain her cover at any cost, but when the vampire she once loved is delivered to the facility, starved, blinded, and slated for further suffering in her lab, clinical detachment fails her.

I bought Beyond the Darkening on Amazon for my Kindle for less than a dollar. It's a gritty, unique look at a world where humans are aware of vampires, and some, like the Society for the Preservation of Humanity, want to wipe them off the face of the earth. Vampires are captured, experimented on and murdered as if they were lab rats. The main character, Amanda, agrees to go undercover after suffering heartbreak and betrayal. After years of building her cover, the very vampire that broke her heart ends up needing her help.

I loved this fast paced read for its originality, witty banter and romance amidst the gritty action. Beyond the Darkening is the first book in a trilogy that I'm really looking forward to reading in its entirety. The groundwork laid in this book will make for a fascinating trilogy.

Amanda may have been heartbroken when she last saw Nate, but she's not a pushover. She's smart, tough and protective of those she loves, even if they haven't earned it. I love that she's stubborn, and will risk everything to do what she feel is right. Nate is the classic, misunderstood tough guy, who put in a position of trusting someone he thought betrayed him.

Beyond the Darkening is a great read, and I hope the author comes through with the trilogy. You can read an excerpt here, plus I was excited to find a sneak peak of Beyond the Burning Moon, which is the follow up story. You can read that chapter here.

~Moonsanity

YA Review: Other by Karen Kincy

Other
An Other Novel, #1
Author: Karen Kincy
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Flux
Available from Amazon

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate–into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her.

I won a copy of Other from the author on Kaz Mahoney's blog. I loved the writing style of the author, Karen Kincy. It's written from the point of view of the main character Gwen, who is a little bit of a paranormal Nancy Drew trying to find her place in a society that hates what she is. She's been taught to hide her "otherness" from everyone but her family for her own safety and theirs. Can you imagine how difficult this would be for a teenager? To be able to have this awesome ability that makes you feel free and powerful, but yet you can't share it with your friends. Who can you trust?

I loved the thought provoking theme of tolerance and bigotry in Other. Many humans hate Others out of fear and ignorance, but when it comes down to it, many Others have this same bigotry towards their own kind. Those born as Others look down on others who were "made" such as vampires and werewolves. In the midst of so many misconceptions and so much hate Gwen has to piece together the murders in her town before she becomes the next victim.

Other is not a fairy tale romance where the knight rides in to rescue Gwen and make all her dreams come true. Life is never that simple and perfect, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. We make mistakes, especially when we were young and looking for someone to accept us for who we are. There are twists and turns in the plot that surprised me, and kept me guessing right up until the end. Gwen and her friends are flawed but not broken. They deal with things in the only way they've been taught. They learn lessons through the pain of loss, betrayal, friendship, loyalty and doing what is right, even when it hurts.

Mom's View: As with all my YA reviews I give my input as a mom with two teenagers. Others is for more mature teens because there are sexual elements to the story. It's not treated lightly though, and I thought the author did a great job keeping it real, which I always appreciate as a mom. I want to hug the author for giving the heroine normal parents that love her and want to listen to her. Sure, they don't always communicate what they mean, but they TRY. This book is a wonderful read for teens and their parents.

For more information on Others and the author visit her website here.

~Moonsanity

Black Magic Tour & Contest

Black Magic
Author: Cherry Adair
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Star
Available at Amazon

Summary: SHE HATES USING MAGIC . . .
Ever since the death of her parents, Sara Temple has rejected her magical gifts. Then, in a moment of extreme danger, she unknowingly sends out a telepathic cry for help—to the one man she is convinced she never wants to see again.
HE’S A POWERFUL WIZARD . . .
Jackson Slater thought he was done forever with his ex-fiancée, but when he hears her desperate plea, he teleports halfway around the world to aid her in a situation where magic has gone suddenly, brutally wrong.
THEY’VE BEEN CHOSEN TO SAVE THE WORLD . . .

Black Magic is a mystery and paranormal romance wrapped into one. The author gives us two main characters who in many way are opposites, but at the same time their chemistry makes them a perfect match. However, they've both been manipulated in their past to keep them apart. This is pretty obvious a little ways into the book, but the mystery remains as to who and why they were kept apart. What can they do together that is such a threat.

I have to address a comment I saw online that said the heroine was whiny and hateful. I think sometimes reader's make opinions without considering the character's point of view. What may be whiny to one person is suffering or heart break to another. I thought both main characters reacted based on what they thought was the truth. Once details are exposed I thought the characters deal with it realistically. I don't give spoilers, but I will say that the experience the heroine went through is one that unless you've went through it personally I don't think it's appropriate to be judging another's reaction.

The book has quite a few details in the prologue, but don't skip it. Knowing the background makes a difference in understanding the characters and the plot. The book moves quickly with action, mystery, sex, and magic. I liked the mystery, the plot twists and the characters in this stand alone novel. Saving the world while in the company of a hunky protective man is always a good time:) I think fans of Lori Devoti, Shannon K. Butcher and Cynthia Eden will enjoy Black Magic.

About the Author: Cherry Adair has garnered numerous awards for her innovative action-adventure novels, which include White Heat, Hot Ice, On Thin Ice, Out of Sight, In Too Deep, Hide and Seek, and Kiss and Tell, as well as her thrilling Edge trilogy: Edge of Danger, Edge of Fear, and Edge of Darkness. A favorite of reviewers and fans alike, she lives in the Pacific Northwest.

BLACK MAGIC CONTEST
The publisher has graciously allowed me to give away one paperback copy of Black Magic. Simply leave me a comment answering my question.

Black Magic is in part about second chance love between the characters after a 2 year break up. Do you think there are second chances in real life as well, as far as relationships gone bad?

The contest will end on August 15, 2010, when I randomly choose a winner.

~Moonsanity

Release Day Review: A Wild Light

A Wild Light
Hunter Kiss, Book 3
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Ace (7/27, 2010)
Available from Amazon

Summary: For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

I read my first Hunter Kiss novel several months ago, and loved the dark urban fantasy series. I asked for a review copy of A Wild Light from the publisher in time for the release day today. The author has given the readers a third book that answers questions raised in previous books, but has also given us new mysteries and developments. Maxine continues to discover who she is and what her role is in the world. The series is such a fascinating look at the heroine and what sacrifices are necessary and which ones are only perceived that way. We tend to protect ourselves from pain, and those we love, sometimes pushing them away instead of communicating our feelings and fears. Though Maxine is in a battle against evil, she is also a woman. Some needs can't be ignored, and if they are, a person can't maintain a healthy frame of mind. I think this is a constant struggle for Maxine, as she tries to hang on to her humanity and compassion while fighting evil.

A Wild Light is a dark urban fantasy in a gritty setting with murder and mayhem. The battles are often ugly, and people are not what they seem. I'm reminded of epic fantasy books that raise philosophical dilemmas of right and wrong, while giving us some kick ass fight scenes. The Boys, Maxine's demon sidekicks, provide the reader with humor at unexpected times, and offer touching moments as well. They bring to mind that old adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover" as we find out more about their past and why they are with Maxine. The author has a mean wit that keeps the book from becoming too dark as things spiral out of control.

You could read A Wild Light without reading the series, but I think you would miss so much of the characters' growth and the journey they've been on since the first book, that it wouldn't be near as satisfying.

Fans of Vicki Pettersson, Stacia Kane, Dakota Banks and Rob Thurman will love Marjorie M. Liu without a doubt. The series is one to read over and over as new developments come to light, and the characters get under the reader's skin.

Find out more about the author and her books on her website here.