Kick Ass Free Reads

There has been some really kick ass free reads from authors lately, so I thought I would do a wrap up post with links for those who may have missed them.

DEMONICA LIFE
First off we have a short from Demonica author Larissa Ione that gives us a "now what happens?" called Demonica: Overkill; Snippets of Demonica Life. The first short is about Wraith and Serena and the next one will be about Luc and Kar. You'll find them here: http://larissaione.com/blog/books/demonica-overkill/
I loved Larissa's Demonica books and it's really neat that she is going to be sharing more on the characters as she has time. If you haven't read the books you WILL want to soon.

FUN WITH SUCCUBI
Next, one of my favorite authors, Jill Myles, who writes those rocking Succubus Diaries books, has a new short story entitled FOREPLAY that is a prequel to her books. You can download for free at the Simon & Schuster website. It’s available until June 18th so get it now here. You do have to register, but it's free:)

SIGN OF THE ZODIAC
The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson is available free now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It comes with Bonus Material too. If you have not read Vicki's series, this is the PERFECT time to try it out. It's a dark urban fantasy. It's available for the Kindle here and it's also on Barnes & Noble.

ILONA ANDREWS SHARES A STORY
Questing Beast is a free story from another of my favorite author teams, Ilona Andrews.

On a world far far away, where cute things eat computers and the sky is emerald green, a small team of scientists struggles to save the planet and their own careers by mixing genetic engineering and Arthurian legend. Too bad they had forgotten the first rule of planet exploration: Nature always has the last laugh.

You can download it on Smashwords.

KAREN CHANCE'S TOMAS
"The Day of the Dead" is a short story from Karen Chance that was first published in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance and is now a free ebook. It features Tomas, a character from Touch the Dark (2006), the first Cassandra Palmer novel.

It's free for download on Smashwords.

I hope you enjoy these free reads. Be sure to download them as soon as you can because I've noticed they don't always stay available for long periods of time. Enjoy:)

~Moonsanity

Katie Salidas Blog Tour & Contest

Immortalis Carpe Noctem
Author: Katie Salidas
Paperback: 346 pages
Publisher: Rising Sign Books
Available at Amazon (also on Kindle)

SUMMARY: Bleeding to death after brutal mugging on the campus of UNLV, Twenty-five year old Alyssa, is rescued by the cold and aloof, vampire, Lysander. Taking pity on her, he shares the gift-and curse-of immortality. She awakens as a vampire and is soon devastated by harsh realities of her new way of life: the loss of her friends, her independence, and her humanity. Only by accepting her new-found immortality and seizing the night, will Alyssa hope to survive. She and Lysander will have to fight together against two sets of enemies bent on destroying them.

I received a copy of Immortalis Carpe Noctem as part of the author's blog tour this month. It has to be difficult for an author to come up with a different take on vampires now that there are so many books out there, but Katie Salidas did just that. Her main character, Alyssa, didn't know vampires existed and she certainly didn't choose to be turned into one after being attacked and stabbed by humans. Does she wake up loving her new body and the sudden hunger she can't quench? No, she doesn't and THAT makes sense.

How many of you have read novels about newly turned vamps and thought "Ewww...blood is the new Coke?" I understand the idea that vampires are predators and their instinct is to feed on blood, but I liked that Alyssa needed time to adjust. She didn't fall madly in love with her sire the minute he turned her, and he actually pissed her off more than he nurtured her. This made sense! He's VERY old, and his level of tolerance isn't what it used to be. I get that. Alyssa is young, she misses her friends, her favorite coffee hangout and her old life. I get that too.

Katie Salidas's characters are complex and real. They annoyed me at times, but made me smile too. Life isn't always black and white. Things are not always what they seem, and I like that this is reflected in her characters. Immortalis Carpe Noctem is a darker paranormal romance that doesn't give the reader fairytale vampires that instantly fall in love. Loyalty, love and friendship are things to be earned in a world where truth is not always easy, and trust should not be given lightly.



A Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin, Katie loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories. You can find Katie at her blog, My Immortal Stories.

THE CONTEST
The author has graciously offered to allow me to give away a signed copy of her book to one visitor that is a U.S. resident. My question for you is this:

What is your favorite vampire book and why?

Leave your email if it's not part of your profile, and I will pick a random winner on May 28th, 2010. This contest is open for those of you in the US only.

~Moonsanity

Play Dead: Zombies & Unexpected Heroes

Play Dead
Author: Ryan Brown
Hardcover: 344 pages
Publisher: Gallery
First Edition edition (May 4, 2010)
Available from Amazon

Summary: For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits’s bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident—given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates.

I received Play Dead as part of the book tour and contest I'm hosting today. Zombies. People either love 'em or hate 'em, depending on the book or movie. I like my zombies with a good dose of humor and suspense. Anyone can write about the undead munching on humans, but it's the creative minds that add a bit more to the mix. Ryan Brown had an idea, and he ran with it, much like a quarterback runs with his beloved football. Play Dead takes the hardcore high school football players, fans, and boosters and poses the question: What will some people do to WIN?

Simon & Schuster quotes Ryan Brown as saying:
"I considered what type of 'monsters' could actually be competitive against the most juiced-up football team I could imagine? Why, zombies of course. I really got excited about the idea of a zombie football team being the good guys...the team to cheer for."

I love that the author starts out with competitive craziness and pranks that go wrong, moves on to the black humor of zombies, then builds to the suspense and horror of a town in danger. I loved the humor, but also appreciated the author making us think about competition and doing anything for the big win. How far is too far?

Mr. Brown threw in some high school romance, teenage angst, abusive parenting, irony and a lesson about "playing God" in our own and other's lives, which made Play Dead much more than a typical zombie story. He attended high school in Texas, which I think really comes through in the book as he describes the town and it's residents in this book.

I really enjoyed Play Dead and would recommend it to fans of Dean Koontz and Stephen King. It's a faced paced thriller with shades of horror. Though the plot involves high school teenagers, the book is pretty gritty, including the language. I would let a mature 16 or 17 year old read the book. They've heard it all at that point in their life as far as language.

THE CONTEST SCOOP
The publisher has graciously allowed me to give away one hardbound copy of Play Dead. As usual, I'll ask a question, and you use your comment to answer the question as your entry. Leave your email if it's not in your profile or blog link. I will pick a random winner on June 1st, 2010 and post it on the blog.

Question: Do you have a favorite zombie book or movie? What is it, or why don't you have one?

Zombieland is my favorite movie because I really need humor to offset the grossness of zombies. They are truly gross!

~Moonsanity

RIP: Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio's voice, no matter what the song, always conjurs up magic, swords and epic fantasy when I hear him sing. Sadly, he passed away yesterday, after battling cancer.

Message from Wendy Dio from their website ( http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/ ):
Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever. ~Wendy Dio

You can leave messages on their facebook page here.

Man on the Silver Mountain is one of my favorites:




My thoughts are with Ronnie James Dio's family and friends. May his music live on forever.



~Moonsanity

The World of Red Rock Pass & Moira Rogers

Sanctuary (Red Rock Pass)
#1 Cry Sanctuary
#2 Sanctuary Lost
Author: Moira Rogers
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Available in Print or e-book

I requested Sanctuary for review to start off the series, so I'll review the two books within that edition first. Cry Sanctuary starts off with a bang as tough werewolf Keith Winston is sent to pick up two werewolves who have escaped a sadistic alpha to ask for sanctuary at Red Rock Pass. He's returned from fighting in a war between werewolves and wizards in Europe and is ready for a break from the mayhem. Abby, and her friend Dylan need more than just sanctuary. Abby was turned into a wolf but has never been taught how to handle the new life she was forced into. Dylan has been living in fear for ten years under the alpha who turned her, but knew he had to get her out no matter what the consequences.

The first book was an introduction for me to the Red Rock Pass world and it's characters. I love were fantasy, and dived right into this first novella. The characters grew on me the farther I got into the book. The wolves are tough, but they are fair and protective of those who need it. Keith goes out of his way to make sure Abby knows what she is getting into and though I loved the gentleman in him, I also wanted to smack him and force him get with the program. I certainly could see she needed him, why couldn't he? Yes, I was a little bit wrapped up in the book.

I wasn't sure if the series would focus more on the romance or if there would be some adventure and action. The authors gave the reader just enough of both. The action was fast paced and exciting. The romance was steamy and fit in with the story. I loved the first book, and read the second one immediately.

Sanctuary Lost is a continuation of the first book, but focused more on Abby's sister Brynn. However, we also get to know Abby and Keith better, and the other characters in the Red Rock Pass world. I don't want to give spoilers to the first book so I can't say too much about the plot, except that I thought this second book really brought the world and the characters alive for me. It sucked me in further to where I couldn't wait to finish because I knew there were more books waiting for me in the series.

I thought I'd take a minute and talk a little bit about the males in the first two books. They are sexy, but a little on the rough side. Intelligent, but men of action, rather than words. They are loyal, passionate, and they talk A LOT during sex. A lot. After I got used to it, I thought it was rather endearing and sexy. I've been married 20 years, and for 15 of those we've had kids. Talking is usually not an option when kids are in the house, at night, when it's quiet, and they are sleeping... if you have kids I know you are picking up my meaning. Ahem...back to the book...I loved the males of Red Rock Pass. Joe, who we get to know in the second book, is former military and likes to blow things up. He's cocky, sarcastic and one of my favorite characters.

I finished Sanctuary, and it left me wanting more. The first thing I did was go to the authors' website and download the two free short stories in the Red Rock Pass series. You can find them here.

Becoming (Red Rock Pass #0) takes place 40 years before the first Sanctuary novella. It's the story of Samantha and Gavin when they first meet. I recommend you read this AFTER the first two books like I did because you get to know the older Sam and Gavin first and can appreciate their back story SO much more. I loved the insight into their characters. Oh, and we also meet a very young Keith, which was so cool.

The Little Things (Red Rock Pass #1.5) is a two part story. The first part takes place 40 years ago as Gavin and Samantha continue to get to know each other with little Keith's help. The second part is a sweet story of the lesson Keith learned so long ago from Gavin as he settles in with Abby.

I loved both of these stories and highly recommend they are read between books 2 and 3 in the series.

Sanctuary's Price
(Red Rock Pass #3)

This weekend I bought Sanctuary's Price, Book 3 in the series, and it was outstanding. I'd gotten to know Dylan, and later Sasha, in the other books. Perhaps I enjoyed this book so much because I felt as if I knew both characters and wanted good things to happen for them. Whatever the reason, I think this is my favorite book in the series.

Dylan has lived from day to day, only thinking of survival for ten years since he was turned into a werewolf. He doesn't consider himself strong or brave like so many people have claimed he is. Sasha watched her mentor die, and has been frightened since that day, never knowing if she would be next. Dylan is one of the only people she feels safe with, but they are both so broken, they may not be able to get past their trauma.

Not everyone in a werewolf pack can be an alpha, or an enforcer, but that doesn't mean they don't have a place or a purpose. I loved that the authors examined this idea through Dylan and Sasha's story. Dylan is smart, loyal and sexy. Sasha is compassionate and much stronger than she realizes. I loved the interaction between them romantically, and as they fought for each other and their friends.

We get to see more of Brynn and Joe in this book, which I really enjoyed. The book also introduces a couple of new characters, including a smart ass vampire who's been hiding out in the woods for a very long time. His story is next, and I already have the book preordered. Sanctuary Unbound, Book 4, comes out June 1st, 2010.

Moira Rogers is actually a pen name for Bree and Donna, two friends and co-writers who live in the Deep South. I think their books reflect a Southern kind of charm, wit and humor. I truly enjoy their style of writing, and will continue to read, not just the Red Rock Pass books, but their other series as well.

If you enjoy Patrica Briggs I think you will enjoy the Sanctuary series. Yes, it has more sex, but it also has alpha wolves, strong female heroines, magic, kick butt fight scenes and characters that keep the reader coming back for more. You can visit the authors at http://www.moirarogers.com.

~Moonsanity

Musical Muse: The Black Parade

My Chemical Romance is one of my favorite bands for so many reasons. First, they are theatrical, creative and passionate. The Black Parade CD was a concept album where the guys WERE a band called The Black Parade, and their live show was built around that theme. The songs are about death, life and sickness. The video below, Welcome to the Black Parade, never gets old. I love the details, the photography and look at those characters...I swear I could write a short story about each one of them!




~Moonsanity

Where I Write, Review & Tweet

Last weekend I grabbed my kids and made them help me transform a corner of the dining room area into a work space. That is my free purple desk with my trusty laptop and my Kindle. On the desk I have the books I'm reading for blog tours, various moons I've collected, a wax melt burner (lavender vanilla is the current scent) and flowers from my husband. I put up a cork board to hold a calendar, assorted swag from cool people, notes and a Mother's Day card from my daughter. I have more things to add to the board this week.

To the right is my To Be Read Bookshelf. That isn't all the books because I have some fantasy and science fiction in my bedroom as well, but let's not go there. The bottom part of the shelf with the doors is where I'm keeping the books for my Summer Reading Give-Away, which has yet to be named. It will start July 1st after our family vacation to Florida in June. I'm excited because I have some really cool books to share with everyone.

Lastly, on the top of the bookshelf is my miniature fairy tea set and a tea for two set from j. willfred. It's one of my favorites. I bought it when my daughter was small and we started having tea parties. I've been collecting tea sets in all sizes and patterns for about ten years now, maybe a little longer. I've written articles on afternoon tea traditions, children's tea parties, herbal tea and Irish tea time over the years.

I thought you all might enjoy a peek at my writing space, especially now that I've revamped it.

~Moonsanity