Sunday Ramblings & Free Stories

This week was a chaotic one, but I finished The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medieros, and emailed back and forth with the author afterwards in preparation for the blog tour and contest on August 26th. All I will say at this point is "Highlander goodness."

I also read the fifth book in the Jaz Parks series, One More Bite, by Jennifer Rardin. I love this series for the action and intrigue, plus the relationship between Jaz and Vayl, which moves forward in this story. If you haven't tried the series, you really should:)

I've also ran across a few free short stories this week. They can be downloaded as PDF files, which you can read on your computer, or convert them to load on a reader, such as the Kindle.

-A Stroke of Dumb Luck by Shiloh walker is a cool urban fantasy short available on Tor here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/07/a-stroke-of-dumb-luck

-I just received a newsletter this morning from Keri Arthur, and she has a free Riley and Quinn short story here: http://www.keriarthur.com/bantamshort2.pdf

-On Tor you can read a great short story from Deborah Coates entitled What Makes a River. She is a new author to Tor and we will be hearing more about her books later.
http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/08/what-makes-a-river

-Be sure to check out Moon Daughters, a new web comic from Yasmine Galenorn, and J.L. Anderson. A new comic is posted each Friday. Catch up with the first four comics, and follow weekly for new ones. This blurb was on the website, which is here: http://www.moondaughters.net/?body=archives.htm

Moon Daughters offers you a look into the lighter side of the D'Artigo girls--the homey sides, the goofy quirks, the side fights that I just can't be fit into the books. You won't find their adventures against the demons here--those are for the books--but you will be able to see their day-to-day struggles to make it as one, big, dysfunctional-as-any-human, family.

This week is going to be a busy one, but I'm going to attempt to add a new section to the blog with links to my articles and writing online. September 1st will be the start of my anniversary bash, which should be fun for everyone:)

~Brenda

Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Eternal Kiss of Darkness
Night Huntress World, #2
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon (7/27/10)
Available on Amazon (Paperback or Kindle)

Summary: Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears - this fearless, beautiful....human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

I have a soft spot for Jeaniene Frost's books. I bought Eternal Kiss of Darkness last week, breaking my self-imposed book buying freeze. (Due to a TBR shelf that's exploding with books.) I have every book Ms. Frost has written, and I've read them so often that I can flip open to a favorite page or chapter if I need a pick me up after a bad day. I often choose the first time Bones and Cat dance from her first book or the infamous Chapter 32 in One Foot in the Grave. There are so many other favorite scenes that I can't possibly name them all here.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness is Mencheres' book. It's the second book in The Night Huntress World, which focus on characters from her Night Huntress series, giving us a more in depth look at them. Right off I want to say that Mencheres had not been one of my favorite characters. I know many of her fans were chanting "Vlad, Vlad, Vlad" over and over. Yes, quietly in my head I joined them, but I thought to myself "Jeaniene has her reasons. She knows things we don't. I can't wait to find out what.". Let me put your scepticism to rest. Mencheres rocks in so many ways I can't count them. Seriously folks, he's THAT awesome. I feel the need to kiss Jeaniene's feet and say "Forgive me for not seeing Mencheres' awesomeness sooner."

Eternal Kiss of Darkness is a compelling tale of a vampire who is over 4,000 years old and the human who challenges him at every turn. Mencheres is powerful beyond anything we can imagine and could have any woman he wants, yet he knows they are attracted to his power, wealth and position, never looking deeper. I loved this book for its depth of emotion. I've read many books with scorching hot love scenes. It's always fascinating to note the spin each author puts on their sexy moments. Jeaniene Frost builds up to that ultimate moment with a combination of sexual tension, humor, and emotion. When Mencheres and Kira finally get their moment, it literally had me holding my breath; it was that emotional.

While the romance and sexiness is abound in Eternal Kiss of Darkness I would be remiss to the action and suspense. Since Mencheres is "older than dirt" we expect him to kick ass with the best of them, but Jeaniene is never one for giving us weak heroines. Kira rocks. She's strong, smart, stubborn, compassionate and has an awesome sense of right and wrong. I love her character, and certainly hope she makes an appearance in more of the author's books.

If you haven't read any of Jeaniene's books you could easily start with Eternal Kiss of Darkness for a taste of the Night Huntress World. After reading it, I can't imagine a reader not going out and picking up every one of her other books. They are every bit as compelling, fast paced and riveting. Eternal Kiss of Darkness takes the reader through a hodge podge of emotions including sadness, fear, surprise, joy, righteous anger and titillation. What more can a reader ask for?

TEASER WORDS
As promised, I'm going to start giving teaser words at the end of each review. These are words from Eternal Kiss of Darkness that give you hints to my favorite parts of the book.

underwater
hospital
exploding doors
bubbles
Big Thunder Mountain
Grand Canyon
akhs
jungle
Symphony Tower

The trailer below is amazing. I love the people portraying the main characters.


~Moonsanity

Pseudo Emo Teen Review: FEED

FEED
Newsflesh, Book 1
Author: Mira Grant
Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Orbit(5/1/10)
Available from Amazon

Summary: The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.


Let me start out by saying: FEED is one of the best, if not the best, book I have read in long time. After my mom received the book, she asked me if I would like to read it, as her list of books she needed to read was already quite large. I came in fully expecting your standard, run-of-the-mill zombie book. What I got was something so much better.

Georgia and Shaun Mason are now two of my favorite literary characters, plus all of their friends and enemies are up there too. Mira Grant uses the rules of a post-apocalyptic world to build entirely original characters. You don't see your run-of-the-mill ex-military zombie fighters in FEED. Instead, she sets out to show that it takes all people to fill the world, even if most of them happen to be zombies.

I thought that the idea of the main characters as two bloggers in the new world was quite fascinating, as was the new found importance of their trade. Being in a household where both my parents blog may have something to do with that, of course, but I still think the average reader will find the idea refreshing and original. Speaking of which, Grant's storytelling blends horror, suspense, drama, conspiracy and even politics seamlessly into one hybrid tale that defies classification.


Even if zombies aren't your thing, I would still recommend FEED if you like political thrillers or mysteries. Grant uses the rules of her world to form a completely new brand of politics. People now argue for the death of animals to protect them from an outbreak. The death penalty is useless, as it just creates more zombies. Tobacco is now accepted, because the zombie virus cured cancer. The reality the author built is amazing, inventive, and above all, believable. That may sound crazy, but I actually could picture the planet turning into what Grant describes.

The one factor that probably clinches my love of FEED, is the theme of loss shown throughout the book. Though humor is spread throughout, the sadness is still ever present. That is my one warning to the potential reader- do not expect a happy ending to come out of the bleak world of FEED. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a story about the truth- no matter how harsh it may be.

You can visit Mira Grant at her website for some cool desktop wallpaper and other extras: http://miragrant.com/newsflesh.php

The publisher, Orbit, has also set up website just for FEED, including a look at the Internet "After the Rising": http://www.thefeedbook.com

~Pseudo Emo Teen*

*Note: In case you missed the post, Pseudo Emo Teen is a seventeen year old high school Senior with a mathematical, yet creative mind, living in the Midwest United States where he plays guitar, reads dark urban fantasy and horror, tutors his friends and classmates in Spanish, Math and Science, while contemplating the state of the world we live in.

Ramblings, New Features & a Snippet

I realized this weekend that it's been such a crazy summer I haven't been writing any non-review blog posts. I think that makes a blog kind of dry, so I'm going to try to ramble more often. Whether this is a good thing or not remains to be seen:)

My 17 old is going to start contributing reviews. Online we call him Pseudo Emo Teen because though he plays the guitar, loves black, alternative music, horror, and dark urban fantasy, he has also had a 4.0 since middle school, was tutoring geometry to seniors when he was a freshman, and has read at a college level for years. He's a senior this year and has been picking books off of my TBR shelf since last year. The first review he wrote will be up this week for FEED by Mira Grant. I think you will all enjoy his thoughts. He's a unique kid with an awesome outlook on life.

I've been thinking a lot about my reviews lately after seeing different cool things other book bloggers have been doing. I think I have come up with a fun "word teaser" to add to my reviews. I will try it out on my Tuesday review, which will be on the epic Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost.

I've been reading steadily all summer, and have reviews to catch up on, but I've also been writing a paranormal romance story that I think will end up as a novella. Here is a tiny snippet:

My knees started to buckle. I saw William reach his hand towards me, but Doyle swept me up into his arms before he could touch me. I turned my face into Doyle’s chest and for the first time since I was a child, I felt safe.

“Please, don’t make me go with him, “ I whispered. “I’ll disappear this time.”

I'm about half done, and the characters are clear in my head. My biggest problem has been finding "quiet time" to write when I don't have kids chanting at me. My daughter wakes up fairly early, and my teens stay up late, which means the house is loud the majority of the time. Still, I find moments, and when I do, the story comes easily. My goal at this point is to finish it and go on from there. It's such a radical change for me writing fiction instead of nonfiction. It feels less like a "chore" and more like a creative outlet. I like it:)

~Moonsanity

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