Review: Succubi Like It Hot

Succubi Like It Hot
The Succubus Diaries #2
Author: Jill Myles
Visit her Website
Publisher: Pocket Star
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble, Amazon

Summary: With a hot new figure, her dream job as an archaeologist, and two gorgeous boyfriends to scratch her seductive Itch -- an angel and a vampire -- Jackie Brighton is totally getting the hang of life as a succubus. Then she accidentally knocks the pizza guy unconscious with her touch. Great -- she's cursed. After striking a deal to get the curse lifted by a crafty demon, Jackie and her best friend Remy take a road trip to deliver a cryptic message to the nation's oldest succubus.

I reviewed Jill's first book, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi (Read it here.) The second book is a continuation of Jackie's journey in the land of succubi, vampires and fallen angels. This book is a little darker than Jill's first book, but it still has her snarky sense of humor, plenty of romance, adventure and a road trip from hell. I think it would have been easy for the author to write a story where her main character has sex to calm her "itch" with every Tom, Dick and Harry that she meets, living a casual, carefree life. Instead, she took a different road where her character wants to find a way to lead a fairly normal life, doing what she loves as a member of a university archaeological team. She doesn't want casual, anonymous sex. Life doesn't always cooperate with us though and she finds herself with a curse and two boyfriends who want her to decide between them.

I can't give you many details without giving out spoilers left and right, but I will say that there are twists and turns as Jackie learns who she can trust along the way. Not everyone is what they seem, which makes it hard for her to know who she can rely on. She is also learning that she doesn't always need to wait for someone to rescue her, but has should fend for herself when necessary.

As I mentioned, Succubi Like It Hot, is a little darker than the first book in the series, but I really enjoyed it. Sure, there were times I wanted to smack Jackie and yell "OMG, don't trust him/her!". There is plenty of interaction with Noah and Zane in case you are wondering. Just for the record, I am still Team Zane though Noah gained a few points along the way:)

You could read this book without reading the first one, but I think it would be SO much better to read them in order to really get to know the characters and appreciate what they are going through. I consider Succubi Like It Hot a paranormal romance with erotic steamy sex. If you are a fan of Nicole Peeler, Yasmine Galehorn, or Karen Chance you will love this series.

~Moonsanity

Kindle Tips: Oh, I See...That's How It's Done

I posted my previous blog last night, and this morning I figured out something that should have been obvious to me. I can go to Amazon and purchase e-books, which are then sent to my Kindle through the wireless it comes with. It was a "Duh." moment to say the least. (Below I give my "expert" instructions.)

Don't judge me, I truly am an intelligent and Internet savvy person:) I'm just a little slow when it comes to technology. For instance, I still love pencils and fresh new notebooks. No, not computer notebooks. Paper. I also use an organizer that is NOT on my laptop. I've tried using organizing programs throughout the years and they just don't work for me. I need a calendar, and organizer that I can hold in my hand and scribble on. I also use my phone for phone calls only. I know you are shocked. (The horror!) I don't text or have a cool ring tone. My teens just shake their head at me and walk away.


I'm not anti-technology. I love gadgets, which is why I'm so fascinated with steampunk. Well, that and the cool goggles. I'm not good with change and THAT is where the problem lies. I need time to adjust to change. I bought my laptop in January 2009. I was excited but it was different. I wanted to like it so badly, but I was sad to think I'd never feel comfortable using it for writing. It wasn't our PC. Now, I can't imagine using anything else. I love my laptop:) See, I just needed time to learn, to adjust.

I really am learning more each day about e-book readers and I already have found many uses for my Kindle, but I will always love the smell and feel of a new book.

By the way, I found these free e-books on Amazon today:

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1) [Kindle Edition]
Moonstone by Marilee Brothers [Kindle Edition]

I've read the paperback of Dead Witch Walking last year, but this is suppose to be a special edition. I'll review it once I read it. The other book is a Young Adult book and is new to me, and I'll review that too when I finish.

To recap my new found knowledge: When you buy your Kindle, you register it on the Kindle itself with your current Amazon.com log in information. After doing this you can go to Amazon from your laptop or PC and go to the Kindle Store section. First, search by what type of book you like, such as Paranormal Romance, then sort those results from "Price: Low to High". Once you've logged in, and added the first one to your cart, you'll be asked which device you want it sent to. As long as you've registered, your Kindle will be listed and the e-books will be sent to it through the wireless they use.

Psuedo Emo Teen came home today and laughed at me for not knowing I had this option. "I assumed you KNEW you could do this, Mom. It's a given." Yeah, well, we will see how hard he is laughing when I forget to set a place for him at dinner:)

~Moonsanity

My Kindle, Free E-Books & Resources

I won my Kindle back in December from J.T. over at http://bibliofreakblog.com/. It was such a busy time of year, plus I have an aversion to learning new things involving technology, so it took me awhile to get into the swing of things on the e-book front. One of the best resources I've found so far is blogger Kindle Vixen. She has a great post here: http://www.kindlevixen.com/archives/413

She explains in friendly terms about the software Calibre, which can be used to convert files. It's free and it also organizes e-books on your PC and you can move them back and forth from the Kindle to the laptop. I've been using it this week and I've converted quite a few e-books and moved them to my Kindle from my laptop.

I started out downloading free books, mostly short stories, to get a feel for the Kindle. To be truthful, I LOVE reading a physical book. It's something I don't think will ever change for me. This is not to say that I don't love the Internet, my laptop and the Kindle. I do. I look at them more as resources to expand my reading and my research. I've been downloading classic books like:

Edgar Allen Poe's Complete Poetic Works

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

I've not really found a good way to find free books by browsing through Amazon on the Kindle itself. There are so many books that even broken down into the categories it isn't possible to "browse" through that many titles. So far I haven't found a way to search by price while using the Kindle.

Little by little I've been discovering sources for e-books other than Amazon. One of the best is by following my favorite authors on Twitter, and by reading their blogs and visiting their websites. Many authors will have free stories for download. Here are a few I've come across:

Anya Bast has several paranormal romance shorts that you can download for free. They are erotic so you must be at least 40 18. I've read the first one so far and enjoyed the story of a shifter and his reluctant mate.

http://www.anyabast.com/free-reads/

My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent, the free ebook prequel to her Soul Screamers series is available free. I really enjoyed learning how it all began.

http://urbanfantasy.blogspot.com/search/label/free%20stuff

I just found Drollerie Press this week, and have downloaded several free stories that I converted to with the Calibre software to put on my Kindle. They also have free reading guides to download.

http://drolleriepress.com

As I find more resources I will share them, and I'll review e-books as I finish reading them.

~Moonsanity

E-Book Review: My Love Eternal

MY LOVE ETERNAL
By Liz Strange

Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.
Digital Publication Date:
March 15, 2010
Print Publication Date:
July 1, 2010
Excerpt Here

Summary: Tall, dark, and sexy, as well as fabulously wealthy, Giovanni is everything a girl could ask for in a lover. There’s only one catch. He’s been undead for more than three hundred years. When Rachel is drawn into Giovanni’s world, she learns that the rules of human existence mean nothing in the world of vampires. This, however, is a fair price to pay for a love that will last forever.

Hunted by the Desmarais family, who carry a centuries-old vendetta, Rachel and Giovanni travel to the ends of the earth in order to stay one step ahead. Can their love survive, or will their eternity together end?

I'd been following Liz Strange on Twitter, when she asked for reviewers for her new book, so I took her up on it. For those who wonder as I did, yes, Liz Strange is her real name. Liz writes about vampires. Her vamps don't sparkle, though they are pretty. Her vampires aren't "vegetarian". They are self-proclaimed monsters, but they do have emotions and they love as passionately as they kill.

Ms. Strange's writing is beautiful in My Love Eternal. She takes us to places that are exotic, romantic, and often dangerous. Through the eyes of Rachel, the main character, we learn how vampires live, how they love, and how they survive. Our journey with Rachel starts before she meets her first vampire. This part of the book was especially fascinating as she figured out what was happening to her. I was reminded of an epic Gothic romance, but in a contemporary setting.

I will admit that this was a very different read for me, and I wasn't sure the author could keep my attention, because I tend to read fast paced urban fantasy and it had been awhile since I read the epic fantasy I've read in the past. I was wrong. I found myself swept away with the character's emotions, and the intensity of their love. I don't want to give away any of the plot which had many surprises, but this is a story with tragedy, hope, need, love, lust, anger, fear and regret. The author shares many details of a vampires life that are often left to our imagination. How do they retain wealth? How do vampires protect themselves? Do they feel emotion as humans do?

I should warn readers that I consider My Love Eternal a dark paranormal romance. There are some very graphic scenes, one involving rape, as well as a few very erotic scenes, but they are done tastefully. The darkness is justified in my opinion because the characters are true vampires in the traditional sense. Though they do have strong emotions, the passion is in the context of their existence as predators, not humans.

You can learn more about Liz Strange and her books at http://www.lizstrange.com.

~Moonsanity

Winner of Shadow Blade

I asked the following question for the Shadow Blade contest:

Authors will often write about a supernatural world of their own making or they will base their world on a mythology like Seressia Glass has done. Do you prefer one over the other, or is it the writing and the plot that matters more to you?

You can read all the comments here.

THE WINNER IS #8 Veronica and she said:
I like them both. It all depends on whether the author captures my attention when I first read their books. Great post! I am looking forward to reading this new series!
~Thanks! V


Visit Veronica at her blog:

It's March, My Book Loving Friends!

It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! ~Mark Twain

It hit 50 degrees F. today here in Michigan, and I have spring fever. Sure, I know in a couple of days it will be down to 15 or 20 degrees again, and next week we are most likely going to get an ice storm, but TODAY it was 50 degrees! I love Mark Twain's quote on Spring Fever. It describes my feelings perfectly.

Last week was rather unproductive for me on the writing front. I was still getting over a nasty sinus infection and sleeping more than normal. There was also a lot of unrest on Twitter last week which I also found very discouraging in so many ways. I decided to step back, and rethink what I wanted to offer on my blog. I decided to share more quotes, music and other things that inspire me to write or remind me of books that I'm reading. I also want to start sharing reviews of books that I have on my book shelves in various genres. These are the ones I saved to read again because they made that much of an impression on me. I will call these Book Treasures.

Next week I'm going to have my first themed week. It will be Young Adult Week on my blog with reviews, interviews, and a contest. I'm still working on the details but I think a good time will be had by all.

This week I am concentrating on my Kindle, free e-books, what I've learned, plus a few reviews of ebooks. I won my Kindle back in December and I'm finally figuring out the nitty gritty.

Later this month I have two scheduled Book Tours and contests:

March 18: Demon Possessed by Stacia Kane

March 25: The River Kings' Road by Liane Merciel

Head on over to Book Smugglers this week to participate in Steampunk Week! Today they are kicking off the week with ( in their words): an intro post in which we examine the sub-genre, listing some required, essential reading, and provide links to some pretty cool Steampunk-ish sites and events.

I love Steampunk in all it's Goggle Glory and will be hanging out at Book Smugglers this week for the fun.

~Moonsanity

Review: Steamed: A Steampunk Romance

Steamed
A Steampunk Romance
by Katie MacAlister
Publisher: Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback, 342 pages
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

Summary: When one of Jack Fletcher's nanoelectromechanical system experiments is jostled in his lab, the resulting explosion sends him into the world of his favorite novel-a seemingly Victorian-era world of steampower, aether guns, corsets, and goggles. A world where the lovely and intrepid Octavia Pye captains her airship straight into his heart...

Steamed is my first Katie MacAlister book, but I've been following her on Twitter and reading her blog, Fiction with Attitude. She has such a great sense of humor that I knew I would love her books. I started with Steamed because I'm fascinated with the entire steampunk movement; books, music, art, and movies. Have you seen the beautiful cover? I saved up my book money and put in an order with Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago. I've been reading a lot of dark fantasy lately and really needed an upbeat, fun romance to balance out things.

Steamed was a light, witty, romantic, and sexy read. The characters were colorful and unique, as was the plot. There is a combination of steampunk goodness, mystery, adventure and romance. Jack is a typical American guy, asking Octavia (to her horror and confusion) why she doesn't wear the corset on the outside of her clothing because he's sure it would look MUCH better. Octavia is a woman with Victorian manners and attitude but underneath the formality she's passionate, brilliant and independent. They bring out the worst and best in each other, as they work together to solve a mystery, and rescue his sister from execution.

I loved the side characters in Steamed as well. They were all colorful and added mystery and humor to the book. I really hope the author writes a sequel so we can learn more about Octavia's world.

I think fans of paranormal romance and historical romance will enjoy Steamed. You can find out more about Katie MacAlister on her website: http://www.katiemacalister.com/.

~Moonsanity