Follow Friday (13)

Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around!


This week’s question is:



Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?


I usually have at least 3 books that I read at the same time. And that is not counting any rereads I might do in the meantime. It's very rare that I can focus on just one book at a time. And it's usually curiosity or (as you probably know) a shiny cover that makes me stray and start the second and third book. I try to be "faithful" to the genres though. I never read two books from the same genre at the same time, or I get confused sometimes. It doesn't happen very often, but sometimes I tend to mix them up if I do read two books of the same genre. But as long as I'm reading a paranormal and a historical for example, I know which character is in which book and what happened where and when.

What about you?

Book Review: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

Author: J.R. Ward

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #10

My Rating: 4 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
Now back in the Brotherhood - and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was - Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams - trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld - Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he's told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . .

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King's throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

The wait is finally over! I'm happy Tohr gets a second chance and I have to say, I was actually impressed. I had doubts and some of my feelings haven't changed, but I think it turned out good.

First of all, I believe Lover Reborn is better than Lover Unleashed. There wasn't a question as to who's book was it really, I knew it was Tohr and No'One's and even thought there were a lot of subplots, they didn't take up too much space. Second, we get to see Lassiter a lot more and I have to say, I love that angel.

I have to be honest here. The moment I heard that No'One was going to be Tohr's HEA I thought there was no way it would work out. While I don't agree with No'One's actions in the past, I get from where she's coming and I understand her reasoning. I do believe she needed a full male, one that would love her and only her, but then again, she seemed happy and truly in love with Tohr. So maybe my fears, worries and doubts have no real base left. I was genuinely surprised by their relationship, pleasantly so.

As for the subplots, there was one that bothered me a lot. I saw a video on Ward's Facebook profile in which she explained the John/Xhex subplot a little and half of it I understood and I accepted. I mean, yes, I do know that it's not all rainbows and unicorns and that even fictional couples have fights. But at the end of the book I was expecting... more. I was waiting for the sun to be up in the sky once more and while they seemed to be happy again, I needed the certainty. And maybe this is going to sound a little paranoid, but I'm actually a little afraid now for the other couples as well. While I love learning about the earlier couples that I loved and cried and laughed with, (in all of the series I read, not just the BDB), I like knowing that even if they have a fight, at the end of the day the kiss and make up. I'm wondering if all the Brothers will go through similar phases like John and Xhex. But maybe that's just me.

I was waiting for more Qhuay action. And I'm probably the only one that's hoping Layla plays a big part in their HEA (read: I hope they become a permanent threesome!!). I really do. My heart broke for Layla, again. With each book it seems she's getting more hits and I'm sad, because I truly like her.

Xcor...I don't have much to say about him, except to wish him a quick death. I hate him. I really do. And I found myself wishing for a new, meaner boss for the lessers to come and overshadow Xcor. I know some readers might like him, but I'd rather miss the lessers.

Then there's a new vampire in town, one who I think has a lot of cards up his sleeves. I got a feeling he'll be a major player in the next books and I'm anxious to see what he's capable of.

All in all it was a good book. Not the best, but close. I'm now waiting for the news on who's next in the BDB world to get his/her story written (I'm hoping Qhuay).

Teaser Tuesday (18)

  

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Behind Closed Doors by Sherri Hayes:

She wanted a fresh start, far away from all the memories of the city she’d left behind. Away from the person everyone thought she was.














What's your teaser this week?

Book Review: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.
Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

I remembered last week that I was supposed to read this book for the Women of the Otherworld reading challenge. Now that I've read it, I can honestly say I have no idea what made me wait this long to read it. I did enjoy it, a lot I might add.

What I really liked about this book was that there wasn't a scene that I felt was less important for the main plot. You know how sometimes you read a book full of unimportant scenes that are there just to make you wait till the end? I didn't have that feeling with Bitten. That's what was so good about it, the fact that every scene, every little detail was important and it all played a part in the main plot.

Also, this was not your typical werewolf novel. I enjoyed the new take on these creatures and, as with vampires, it is hard to find a book that to me is fresh and Bitten managed that. I do hope that in the future books we get to explore more of the history of werewolves and the Pack.

The book was fast-paced and very intense. It made me "feel" like a part of the action, which is actually rare for me with a book written in first person. Actually, for a big part of the reading, I forgot it was written in 1st person.

I liked the sarcasm, the action, the tense moments, the tender moments, the funny scenes, the sad scenes, I loved them all. Then there was this very hot scene with a tree *sigh* Yeah, loved it all.

I think if you like urban fantasy, paranormal, werewolves and supernatural creatures, this is the book for you. I'm just sorry I didn't read it earlier.

Cover Love (11)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

I know this isn't the type of cover I've shown you in the past, but there's a reason this cover caught my eye. The moment I saw it I thought "Jewelry!". I love unique shaped silver jewelry (I'm ok with gold too, but I think those are for very special occasions, so I don't use them that often). This would make such an amazing pendant. Of course, the stone would be amethyst, 'cause I love those too. So there, I said it. I'm a girly girl after all...

Then again, those woods and the barely-there human silhouettes are cool too!








What's your pick this week?

Dirty Little Secret (5)

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.

For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.


This week's question:




How do you go about reviewing 1 or 2 star books or books you didn't enjoy?


It depends. I might try to review the books, saying what I did and didn't like, like I do with all my reviews. But usually if I don't like a book enough for it to pass the  3 stars mark, I don't finish them. If I feel like the book is less than 3 stars, it means it's not enjoyable enough for me, so I figure it's safer not to finish it. Why read a book that I don't enjoy?

What do you think?

Book Review: The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake by Mary Parker

Author: Mary Parker
Series: The Kahl'Nar Saga, 1
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy offered by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

I'm a normal teenager. I have a normal teenage life with normal teenage problems. The summer is my heaven. I live with my mom during the summer months. We stay in her tiny condo in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents split up when I was little. I'm not sure why. My mom never talks about it. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to make my mom pack me up in the middle of the night when I was four years old and run to my Gran's condo. My mom got the condo after Gran died. From that time on all I had known my entire life was beach life. Until four years ago. Until my uncle found me.

This is one of those books that remind me why I fell in love with reading. This is the type of book that won't allow you to put it down, unless you've arrived at the very last page of it, the book that will keep you on the edge of your chair and at the end, leave you thirsty for more.

When I started reading this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I know, I know, you've heard that phrase before and it might seem a little overused, but I really wasn't expecting this, the awesome new world I found in its pages. What I found was a world so complex and so wonderfully built, that I really don't have the right words to describe it. You have mystery, you have lots of fantasy, suspense, a little bit of horror even, a little thread of romance, a hint of sadness and some very funny moments.

What I loved about this book is that it's so unique. I think it's hard to find something this unique and fresh without thinking "Ok, I've read that before". I loved that I didn't feel that about The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake.

As you can probably imagine, this book is about a young girl named Leeowyn and how she struggles to adapt to the changes in her life. She's living with her mother and one night her uncle comes on their doorstep and tells her that her father is dead.

What I loved about Leeowyn is that she's not the typical teenage heroine. She's not a rebel, but she's not a girly girl either. She's not rude, but she speaks her mind. She can be tough as nails and she also has moments of tenderness. I loved that she was different and that made her seem so real and complex, full of character.

The story is fast paced. There isn't a moment where you want to skip any pages, because each of them hold something interesting. And I loved that at times the action changed between past and present, between dreams, visions and reality. And there's a major cliffhanger at the end of the book that has left me dying to know more.

I do hope the second book will be out soon, because I want to know what happens next with Leeowyn and her friends.

I definitely recommend this book to any fantasy fan, adult or teenager, it doesn't matter. If you love fantasy books, you'll certainly love this one.

Book Review: Curbchek by Zach Fortier

 

Author: Zach Fortier
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy provided by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Curbchek is the story of a damaged cop, Zach Fortier. Fortier worked in the police department for the city where he grew up. One foot in the world of the cops, courts and legal system. The other in the world of gangs, drugs, thugs and street violence. Where the laws and rules are made by the strongest, the schemers and the most brutal. Read about the transformation of Fortier from a green rookie to a damaged paranoid veteran seeing danger in every situation. Follow along as he walks this tight rope. Trying to make difference, breaking the laws he promised to enforce. This is a story of law and order uncensored.

Curbchek is one of those books I couldn't put down. The raw honesty I could feel in each and every single one of the stories made me want to keep reading. There were moments where I laughed out loud, because some of the scenes were quite funny, moments when I cringed because of the imagery of some scenes, moments when I was sad or even angry.

At times, the violence was a little overwhelming, but I think that's what makes the book seem so fresh and enjoyable. You read so many books with cops, see so many movies and TV shows, but they somehow seem staged, sugarcoated, censured. Curbchek is so different and it's a book that I believe sticks with you because it's so different.

What I loved most about this book was the fact that it felt real. I didn't think for even a moment "yeah, right, that can't happen" like I usually do with other books with police officers. I think the author gives a unique perspective on police work, sort of a "behind the scenes" look.

Another thing that made me enjoy the books was the "colorful" language. You know how crime dramas usually portray cops as talking so clean? That's something that makes me want to scream, because it doesn't feel right or true. Curbchek is entirely different and I liked that.

I think it's not a book for the faint of heart, but I think it's one of those "Must Read" books. Curbchek is followed by Streetcreds and I will definitely check it out.

Cover Love (10)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

I love love love this cover. I wonder what the book's about. And I'm actually tempted to read the book, just to see if there's any ice or snow in it. Reminds me a little of the Snow Queen. Yep, might have to read this one :D











What's your pick this week?

Why Shame and Reading Don't Belong In The Same Sentence

I thought loooong and hard (no pun intended...or maybe it is, read it how you want to) about this post. A few weeks ago the buzz about the series Fifty Shades of Grey started. I heard a lot of opinions about it, some good, some bad, some interesting, some extremely bothersome. Some amused me, some pissed me off so much I can't even talk about them without getting mad. I haven't read the book, so I can't really comment on whether it's good or bad or well written or poorly written. But I can comment on a few other things

If before the phrase "porn for women" bothered me a little, "mommy porn" is insulting to me. Yes, I'm talking about romance books and erotic romance books. Yes, I read those books. Do I hide them in my e-reader? No. If someone I know asks me what I'm reading, I show them the screen of my e-reader or I tell them. If they start laughing or making fun of me or looking down at me, it's their problem.

You know, this entire debate could be about fantasy novels or mystery novels or thrillers or horror stories. Just because I don't read something or I didn't enjoy a certain book, doesn't mean that the book was bad or that the people who enjoyed it should be ashamed for enjoying it. It just means I didn't like it. That's all.

I'll say it again. Yes, I read romance novels, mystery novels, horror stories, young adult, chick lit and anything I find enjoyable. And I'm not ashamed of it. And no one should be ashamed of what they read. Do you like what you read? If yes, then good for you. Be happy that for a few hours you can escape the jungle that is the "real" world and enter a magical world, where you can enter and leave whenever you want, a world that can help you relax, dream, fantasize and that can actually teach you something useful.

So why is the world so much against romance novels? Could it be because *GASP* there are sex scenes in them? Guess what, sex is everywhere, whether you like it or not. It's in our basic nature. Or could it be because those novels have some good sex scenes? Why, I didn't know we're back to "women shouldn't enjoy sex" era. You know, it's sad. If a man says he's watching movies with a lot of explicit sex scenes, he's good to go. If a woman reads romance, she gets crap thrown her way.

Reading is something that you either enjoy or you don't. I think no one should feel bad for reading something that others don't like. Or for not liking something others did. Why hide your reading material? I don't think romance novels or erotic romance novels are about sex.They're about the relationships themselves. Just as mystery novels aren't about murderers or a guide book on how to kill, they're about the suspense or the action or the artifact (like in The Da Vinci Code). Don't be ashamed about what you read. The people judging you by your choices in reading material should be ashamed.

I'm ready for the next one

I know that Infamous was just published yesterday, but I can't help myself. I'm really excited about the next book in the series, Inferno. I am sad though, that we have to wait another year for it *sob*.

Here's the blurb. And waiting impatiently for the cover.

The heat is on, and a new threat to humanity has risen…
Nick has his driver’s license and he’s not afraid to use it. But turning sixteen isn’t what he thought it would be. While other boys his age are worried about prom dates and applying for college, Nick is neck deep in enemies out to stop him from living another day. No longer sure if he can trust anyone, his only ally seems to be the one person he’s been told will ultimately kill him.
But life spent serving the undead is anything except ordinary. And those out to get him have summoned an ancient force so powerful even the gods fear it. As Nick learns to command and control the elements, the one he must master in order to combat his latest foe is the one most likely to destroy him. As the old proverb goes, fire knows nothing of mercy, and if Nick is to survive this latest round, he will have to sacrifice a part of himself. However, the best sacrifice is seldom the sanest move. Sometimes it’s the one that leaves your enemies confused, and you even more so.
And sometimes, you have to trust your enemy to save your friends. But what do you do when that enemy is you?

New Book Trailer: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I know I probably say this too much, but one of my favorite authors is Sherrilyn Kenyon. I'm squealing like the lunatic fangirl that I am about the release of the newest Chronicles of Nick book, Infamous. I loved Nick's character since I read about him in Night Pleasures. I'm so hoping we're getting closer and closer to his Dark Hunter book and I hope he and Ash will be friends again.

I can't wait for the mailman to get here with my book (I think I'll probably scare the crap out of him when he does get here with the book). But until he gets here, I'm watching the Infamous book trailer, which is so great and it makes the waiting that much harder.

The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters. Now Nick's saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume...

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That's the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn't the average teenager. He's a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

He's learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn't the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.

And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.

Guest Post: Ellen Byerrum

Please welcome Ellen Byerrum, author of the awesome Crimes of Fashion series. She stopped at my blog to talk about fashion and crime solving.

Welcome Ellen!

 

Lacey Smithsonian: Solving Crimes with Fashion Clues

Some people might not think that fashion and mystery go together. But I do, as I ponder what’s more mysterious than a great outfit? The way it fits and feels and flatters? And what’s more eye-popping fun than a crime of fashion?

I write the Lacey Smithsonian Crime of Fashion mysteries, where style and murder take center stage. Lacey has what I call ExtraFashionary Perception (EFP for short). Every outfit tells a story, especially for Lacey, who is a reluctant fashion reporter in Washington, D.C., The City Fashion Forgot. Although she would like to work on a “hard news” beat that would get her more respect around her newsroom, she has a talent for finding clues in clothing and motives in style a la mode.

We all have this power, but Lacey has it to the n^th  degree. She solves crimes with fashion clues. The major crimes in my books are more serious than reckless dressing or shopping while ability impaired; nevertheless, Lacey also finds time to address, in her Crimes of Fashion and Fashion Bites columns, the lesser fashion faux pas around her.

So, what is a crime of fashion? Maybe you’d like to smack someone who wears pajamas in public, or at least issue a fashion citation. Visible panty lines make you crazy. You’d kill for those heels. Figuratively, of course. But another woman might take action: She might shoplift a dress from a boutique, or pinch some posh lingerie.

Ideas for fashion crimes can come from anywhere. I was in a Victoria’s Secret lingerie shop one day while a sales clerk was making a crime report to a policeman. A woman had just stolen an entire drawer full of Victoria’s Secret bras. The clerk didn’t have a very good description of the culprit, but she knew one thing for certain: The thief was a 36C, the size of the stolen merchandise. I watched the cop dutifully write down this fashion clue, and I visualized the suspect lineup. It’s really too bad that 36C is the most common size of woman in America. I’ve haven’t used that particular crime of fashion in a book yet, but someday it might pop up.

Like Lacey, we all tell stories with our clothes, and we intuit much about others’ stories by what they wear. In just one look we make snap judgments about people, before they even open their mouths. Look, there’s a suburban soccer mom! A congressional staffer! A presidential candidate! (Run for your lives.) We label a boy in a blue Mohawk a skateboard punk, a girl in black lipstick, multiple piercings, and choppy hair with a tiara, a Goth princess. In Washington, D.C., we can tell at a glance the lawyers, the lobbyists, and the P-WIPs (“Powerful Women In Pearls”). It’s fun, it’s instinctive, and this skill might even protect us in times of danger.

The books in the Crime of Fashion series all pose questions about fatalities and fashion. For instance:

• What’s a bad haircut got to do with murder? (Killer Hair)

• What happened to a young designer who went missing during World War II, and could there be a connection with the disappearance of a present day Washington, D.C., intern with fashion-industry aspirations? (Designer Knockoff)

• What are the lethal ramifications when an extreme makeover turns an ugly duckling into a swan? (Hostile Makeover)

• A century ago, Romanov princesses were executed wearing jewel-filled corsets. Could there be one lost corset full of jewels still out there somewhere, silent witness to a massacre? (Raiders of the Lost Corset)

In my latest book, Death on Heels, Lacey’s ex-boyfriend is accused of murdering three women, all found barefoot on lonely country roads. Lacey must leave her comfort zone and the District of Columbia to travel back to Sagebrush, Colorado, where she cut her teeth as a reporter. Caught between two men, with a vicious killer on her trail, Death on Heels is a whole new—and potentially fatal—frontier for this fashion reporter.

As I continue the series, I find the books becoming more personal for Lacey, and more dangerous. And I’m always on the lookout for good crimes of fashion, both style-related and otherwise. If you’ve got a good one, let me know.

And thank you so much for inviting me here today.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Ellen! I've said it once and I won't stop saying it: this is a must read series! I can't wait to read all the first 7 books and I know I'll be so impatiently waiting for the ninth novel.

About the Author:

 

Ellen Byerrum writes the popular Crime of Fashion mysteries, set in bustling Washington, D.C., The City That Fashion Forgot. Featuring style sleuth Lacey Smithsonian, who solves crimes with fashion clues, the eighth book, Death on Heels, takes Lacey out of her comfort zone and into the Wild West where she confronts her past and an old boyfriend who is accused of murder.

While researching fashion, Byerrum has collected her own assortment of 1940s vintage dresses and suits, and the occasional accessory, but laments her lack of closet space. She has been a D.C. news reporter in Washington, a playwright, and holds a Virginia P.I. registration. Although she currently resides in Denver, fashion reporter Lacey Smithsonian will continue to be based in Washington, D.C.

Byerrum is currently at work on the ninth book in the Crime of Fashion series, Veiled Revenge. You can find more about Ellen on her Web site or on Facebook.

www.ellenbyerrum.com


www.facebook.com/EllenByerrum


Byerrum/e/B001H6SB3O/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1324515363


http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ellen-byerrum?store=allproducts&keyword=ellen+byerrum


http://www.mysterybooksellers.com/imba-members

Book Review: Death on Heels by Ellen Byerrum

 

Author: Ellen Byerrum

Series: Crimes of Fashion #8

My Rating: 5 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Never! D.C. style scribe Lacey Smithsonian always swore she would never go back—back to Sagebrush, Colorado, that scruffy hard-luck Western boomtown where she'd earned her reporter’s spurs. But then three young women are murdered, their bodies left barefoot on lonely country roads, and the accused is her old boyfriend, Sagebrush rancher Cole Tucker. Lacey cowgirls up and heads out West (in her best cowboy boots) to prove Tucker's innocence. And perhaps to resolve the last of her old feelings for the man she had loved and left. Naturally, Lacey's plan doesn’t sit well with her current beau, private investigator Vic Donovan, who has his own history (and game plan) in Sagebrush.

Tucker takes one look at Lacey and kicks over everyone's game plan: He abducts her in a daring courthouse escape into the badlands of northern Colorado. On the run from the law with her old flame, in stolen vehicles and on horseback, with Vic and the posse in pursuit, Lacey's world turns upside down. Who can she trust? Tucker or Vic? The law or her own feelings and her reporter's instincts? Caught between two men, with a vicious killer on her trail, Death on Heels is a whole new—and potentially fatal—frontier for this fashion reporter.

Amazing! That's the first word that comes to my mind when thinking about this book. I don't even know where to begin, since I loved the entire book. It had everything: it had humor, sarcasm, action, romance and everything in between.

I loved Lacey. She's so funny, sassy, sarcastic, incredibly curious, stubborn. It was so fun reading about her adventures. I also loved her fashion articles and recommendations. They were fun to read and for someone who has nothing in common with fashion they were actually full with good ideas. Though I'm not sure I want to give up my old, favorite bag yet :P

I am new to this series and I am very sorry for that, because I feel like I almost lost an amazing story and a great heroine. I have to go back and learn more about her friends, Brooke and Stella, and about how Lacey and Vic reunited. Also, I want to read more of Lacey's Fashion Bites columns and about the troubles she's getting into.

If you haven't yet started this series and you want to read something fun and entertaining and something new, don't wait any longer! Read this series NOW!

Cover Love (9)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

I love the eye-shadow. That's actually the first thing I noticed, to be honest. And the collar. And then there's the parasol. Plus, the girl reminds me of Taylor Swift for some reason. Anyway, I do love this cover.

Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves...

Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first.

As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally.

But can she trust him?

It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

What's your pick for this week's Cover Love?

Why I hate the first week of spring

I've been absent this last week for a very good reason: spring. Or more to the point, spring asthenia. I'm one of those rare people that sometimes suffer from it. Add a weird virus in the mix and the beginnings of a cold and you should have an idea about how craptastic my week has been. Between coughing, sneezing and being tired and sleepy all the damn time, I couldn't even manage to eat like a normal person. Anyway, I am feeling better, so I'm back on the blog :D I do hope your spring start was better than mine.

Cover Love (8)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

There's something incredibly creepy about this cover. For some reason, when I first saw it, I thought of Great Expectations set in modern times. I also love the broken mirror and the crows and the spider. I'm also wondering if she actually has that look on her face or if her reflection is sort of "watching" her and is coming alive. I know it sounds weird, but anyway...

What is your pick for this week?

Dirty Little Secret (4)

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.

For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.


This week's question is:

Which author introduced you to urban fantasy or paranormal romance?

That would be Charlaine Harris with her Sookie Stackhouse series. Then I read J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series and then Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters.

What about you?

February in Retrospect

This month has been a lot slower. I've been studying a lot, so I had less time for posting and reading than I liked. I did manage to read a few books, though.

Here are the books I managed to read in February:

1. On Message - Joyce T. Strand
2. Ugly To Start With - John Michael Cummings
3. Mistress Christmas - Lorelei James
4. Miss Firecracker - Lorelei James

Here are the reviews I posted this month:

1. Ugly To Start With - John Michael Cummings
2. On Message - Joyce T. Strand
3. Midnight Playground - Eliza Gayle
4. Hotel Transylvania - Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

Reading Challenges Progress:

1. TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2/20  
2. New Author Challenge  6/25 
3. 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 12/100

How was your month?