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Please welcome Christina Moore to the virtual offices.  She’s here to talk about her release Beautiful Death.

Greetings to all of you Manga Maniac Café readers, I’m Christina Moore, the author of the Uruwashi Series. I’m in the middle of a tour here for Book One of the Uruwashi Series, Beautiful Death. Book two, Bête Noire and book three, Moon Child are also available for your reading enjoyment. You can read more about them at www.thebeautifuldeath.com.

Tristan Blum, poor blundering Tristan, is the reluctant protagonist of the series. He’s part Japanese by birth but pure American at heart. He’s blunt, rash and amusingly unpredictable at times. And let’s not forget the mouth he’s got on him, even more so now that he’s lost his way. Before his life was turned upside-down by the seemingly random car accident that took his family, he was a good, nice kid, generous and fun. Back then, when life was simple, he didn’t have much of a requisite on accoutrements just to leave the house, not like he does today, embroiled so in his dark new world.

Once where his keys, wallet and a full iPod were more than enough to hit the streets to have a good time, he now has to rely on much darker accessories, and there’s usually no fun to be had. Just staying alive has taken its toll on him, making him rely on carrying a gun with an extra clip (or three), several knives and a good pair of vampire-kicking boots—or jikininki stompers as he likes to think of them now. (He learned the first time not to stomp a jikininki to death with his bare feet). The katana he usually does without unless he’s talked into it, but the most important of thing of all he can’t leave home without is not a thing at all, but a who. Such a heavy dependence on the dead to maintain life can’t be particularly prudent though, can it? It seems to be his only choice now.

Beautiful Death for Kindle is on sale from November 24-30, Bête Noire from December 1-8 and Moon Child from December 9-16, all for $.99 each. There’s also a Tour prize happening, you can find the entry form at my website. Thanks goes to our host, Julie and thank you readers for stopping by. Stick around for more Tour exclusives, you can follow at http://www.paranormalcravings.com/nov-24-dec-8-beautiful-death-uruwashi-series-1-christina-moore (P.S. I totally dig manga, you can check out my collection on Goodreads—maybe you’ll even discover some of my writing influences…)

Title: Beautiful Death (The Uruwashi Series #1)

Genres: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal romance

Series: The Uruwashi Series

ISBN: 978-1500670757

Book Length: 361

Publisher: Uruwashi Publications

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23261303-beautiful-death

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Death-Uruwashi-Christina-Moore-ebook/dp/B00FVV7H9K/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

His life is in a monster’s hands but he may be one himself.
The only thing about Tristan’s typical American life that’d been even slightly atypical was that he was adopted. The Blum’s raised him, loved him as if he was their own. But they never knew who Tristan really was, about the stigma his birth surname carried. Everything changed after their untimely death. Suddenly monsters are after Tristan and all because of a few words spoken by a remarkable stranger.
After carelessly stumbling into the arms of the enemy’s servant, a rotting jikininki, the one silently watching over Tristan is forced to intercede. Ash claims to be a hunter, but that’s not the whole truth. Whatever Ash is or isn’t, it’s neither good nor evil. And Ash is the only one who can save Tristan now. But can someone who can’t even accept the unwavering truth that maybe they never were really human to start with be saved?

EXERPT Chapter 1: Clubbed to Death

THERE were dead bodies everywhere. Skeletons, zombies, mummies, something hairy with fangs… Odoru Shikabane was one of the stranger clubs Tristan had been to. He wasn’t sure what the name meant in English, but the theme was clear: death. He half expected a real bat to fly by or find a guy dressed in a black cape with red lining telling all the girls “I vant to suck your blood.” Yep, it was just weird.

Tristan gave a soft oomph as someone plowed right into the back of him. “Hey pretty lady,” he said with a great big smile, looking down at the petite girl gawking up at him. “How’s it going? Ah… genki ka?” That was pretty much the extent of his Japanese right there. Well, plus a few curses, but she was too cute to curse at just for running into him.

The girl gasped and then was being dragged off by her friend, saying loudly in Japanese that she didn’t need to get mixed up with a gaijin. The small town was more than a little weary of foreigners and as gaijin went, Tristan stood out more than most with his towering height and handsome European features. At least he wasn’t in a skirt like the dude at the bar—it was only a kilt, but still, it wasn’t something you saw every day. At least not outside of Tokyo.

There was one who wasn’t intimidated by the American’s presence though as she wiggled up against him. That would be Shizuka. Her name meant “the quiet one.” Tristan wondered how someone like her ended up with a name like that. Seriously, the woman never shut up. She did a little dance, moving against him to get his attention. Her silly expression clearly said she had something to say—because she never did, right? Tristan bent down with a weary sigh. He wasn’t tired of her company really, but he was tired of her going on without being able to understand a thing she said. Even the English bits. Shizuka leaned in close, pressing as much of her front to his, a hand against his chest for support. The other found its way over his hip and grabbed a handful of American ass.

Tristan grinned at the new development, tilting his face into hers and met those gorgeous dark almond eyes. She had been getting all touchy feely with him from the start, but this was more forward, more demanding than before. Maybe she was tired of waiting for him to make a move. He wasn’t shy when it came to flirting, but somehow, he just wasn’t into it tonight. It might have had something to do with the reason he was in Japan to start with. He didn’t belong here. He knew he didn’t, but still he tried to force it. He had to find something normal in his life again. Flirting, drinking and the fun that came after was normal enough he supposed. Somehow though, it wasn’t enough. Not nearly.

“I get more drink,” Shizuka breathed into Tristan’s ear. She’d been feeding him drinks all night. If it was her plan to get him loaded, she’d have to try a hell of a lot harder than a handful of beers. She shot him a grin full of teeth and danced off towards the bar without another word—small miracle. She made sure to prance around so that her dress bounced up to show virgin white panties, now bright purple thanks to the black lights. Tristan grinned hard and found himself swaying with the pulse of the room, mesmerized by the music, the mass of bodies in endless dance and the sway of Shizuka’s cute little ass. The music picked up, a fast, frantic beat and he was lost to the pounding. He caught himself quickly and stopped, wondering what he was doing. He hated dancing.

Shizuka leaned over the front of the bar and flashed the entire place her rear end and those sexy glowing panties. Everyone was watching her. They were thinking primitive sexual thoughts—well, the men anyway. The women, they all looked like they were about to claw her pretty little eyes out. Tristan chuckled, studying Shizuka’s exposed backside, moving his gaze down the smooth line the back of her legs made all the way to her shiny red heels. She had a great set of legs.

An ashy voice cut through the din as if searching Tristan out, drawing him out of his admiration of the saucy Asian. “That is no woman.”

“S’cuse me…?” Tristan drawled, turning. “What the f—” His next words were cut off when he saw the person standing behind him. “The hell are you?” he asked, eyeing the soft-faced, shorty with long pale hair that glowed purple in the lights. Dude was wearing a cape. Yep, just like Dracula. But his question wasn’t to the costume. He had no idea if he was talking to a young woman or an older teenaged boy. Guess he didn’t really care. “Look, Count. I’m not interested in whatever you’ve got hidden in that cape, so scamper off and hit on someone else.”

If only the loudmouthed American knew all that was hidden within. Maybe he wouldn’t have been so quick to snap. “You misunderstand, Tristan.”

The young stranger’s voice made Tristan flinch back. It was strange, but he felt like the voice touched him, tickled his face. Or maybe he was drunker than he realized. “Howdya know me?” The words fell out of his mouth jumbled, tongue slow and uncooperative. He stopped and clutched his head feeling disorientated. He was sweating, though it had nothing to with the oppressiveness of the club. “You know what, forget it, I’m leaving.”

He turned to go, but the other man grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.

“I am afraid it is for something rather more urgent than sex. I will only ask for you to come with me once politely.”

Tristan made a rude noise, giving him the look to go with it as he felt a little more himself and jerked his arm away. “Look, sweetheart. I’m not going anywhere with you. So why don’t you go find someone else to take home and play your silly vampire game with.”

“You misunderstand,” the stranger repeated sternly. “I could care less about games. I am here to help.”

“Ahuh. Help. I’ve heard that before. Seriously, piss off.”

The stranger let out an annoyed sigh, looked down, brought long fingers up to pinch a thin bridge of nose. Another sigh. “Looks like things must be done the hard way. Again.” When the wannabe vampire looked up again, he was grinning so that Tristan got a flash of press-on fangs. “But the hard way can be more liberating now, can it not?”

Unlike Shizuka, the stranger spoke perfect English and yet Tristan didn’t understand a word of their bizarre conversation. He blinked down at the stranger, wondering what in the hell he—yeah, Tristan decided that kind of arrogance had to be a dude—was rattling on about. He opened his mouth to ask just that when the guy reached out and grabbed his upper arm again.

“You do not have time for this.”

“Wha—” Tristan’s words turned into a small yelp of shock and he stumbled into a girl, spilling her drink all over them both. “Hey!” Tristan yelled over the music as he tumbled along, lead around by his arm like an indignant toddler. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Cries of surprise and groans of anger echoed around the pair as Tristan was dragged through the dense throng of hot, thrashing bodies. He tripped over his own feet, over other feet, over nothing fighting to keep up with the quick pace. He glared at the back of the short man’s head, willing his gaze to burn a hole through him. When that didn’t work, Tristan jerked his arm but it was as if the guy anticipated the movement seconds before it happened and tightened fingers into Tristan’s flesh. He groaned in frustration and tried to plant his feet against the floor, faintly aware that his arm hurt. He pulled back with his full body, thinking the smaller man couldn’t possibly hold on against his larger weight and his sneakers lost traction causing him to fall into a slender back, fingers tangled in silken hair.

“What the fuck?” Tristan muttered under his breath, arm still in the guy’s bruising grip.

The other man looked back, past Tristan. Green and blue lights reflected off his pale skin giving that fucking stupid smirk a sickly complexion. Tristan followed the other man’s line of sight and found Shizuka standing where he had been moments before, a drink in both hands, watching him being dragged off. She didn’t look very concerned.

Tristan huffed at her indifference and stumbled again, almost falling. There was a hard jerk on his arm and then he was being propelled forward. Hands slapped down onto his back and he went stumbling head first into a door painted blood red. His free hand went up to catch himself but he slipped, falling against the cold metal. He cursed loudly when his thumb pulled back at a bad angle—it was a miracle he didn’t dislocate it. The slurred words were barely out of his mouth when the stranger kicked in the long push bar with his heavy boot, making the door spring outward. Tristan was falling forward again, only to come to a sudden stop. Hard fingers dug into his ribs from behind as the guy grabbed him. Just as he thought the short shit decided to play nice, there was a deep grunt and then Tristan was airborne. He had seconds to think that the cold outside air felt good and then his right shoulder slammed into a dumpster. He cried out and tumbled backwards onto his ass. The ground was cool and wet through his jeans. The tang of blood filled his mouth where he’d bitten into his cheek.

He shook his head and mumbled, “Pretty strong for a scrawny little bitch.” He wobbled to his feet, turning to face the man who was now standing outside too, back to Tristan. “Look, asshole, I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but you don’t need to be a fucking prick about it.” He was talking to the back of his head. The jerk hadn’t bothered to face him while he was speaking. “Hey, I’m talking to you.” He grabbed the thin shoulder in front of him and spun the shorter man to face him. Tristan’s fist was balled and moving towards that stoic expression before he had a chance to think about what his body was doing, a reaction that’d gotten him into trouble more than once recently.

Brilliant white flashed past Tristan’s vision seconds before his head snapped back, his body following the movement. After a moment of disorientation, Tristan realized he was on the ground against the dumpster, again. A tickle above his lip brought his hand up to find blood. He stared at the red dripping down his fingers for a moment, unbelieving and then up to the stranger. “You son of a bitch, who the fuck do you think you ar—”

The back door squeaked and they both jerked to attention. Tristan sighed to himself, thinking that sumo-sized dude who was doing crowd control had seen them and decided to follow them out. He was no stranger to a bar fight, or two, or the inevitable that generally followed. And who knew if the cops around here even spoke English. Guess it wouldn’t really matter either way since Tristan had no idea what the hell was going on. He didn’t have the faintest idea why he was sitting outside on his ass, in a filthy alleyway with a bloody nose, staring up at the short man who gave it to him.

“Shit,” Tristan said with a sigh. He was having a fairly decent night too, that was until this guy showed up. Now, it looked like he was going to end up in jail. Perfect.

The door opened and a beautifully shaped almond eye framed by smooth white porcelain appeared around the edge. Tristan let out a long breath, only half relieved. Shizuka stepped out into the alleyway, her heels making two sharp clicks against the ground. She watched with a cynical sort of smile while Tristan inched to his feet using the dumpster at his back as a crutch. Shizuka slid her hands behind her, leaning against the door as she glided across the front of it to make it click shut under her weight. She grinned broadly, too broadly. It was then he realized she was mirroring him, mocking him. He pushed off of the dumpster and took a step towards her, but not before tripping on his own feet again.

Shizuka stood off the door immediately, mimicking his movements, less the clumsy trip, and took a step towards him. Tristan’s expression shifted into anger as she gave him a huge shit-eating grin. He just about had enough of these two. He wanted to get the fuck out before he really did find himself in serious trouble.

“That was unnecessary,” Shizuka said to the stranger, amusement heavy in her voice as she fought off a laugh.

“It got you outside…,” he answered, “you disgusting filth.”

Now Tristan was just confused. He thought that maybe the guy wanted the girl, but now it looked like that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Maybe it was the beer. Wouldn’t have been the first time it confused him.

“So rude.” Shizuka put hands to her slender hips. “Master teach you no manner?”

The young man grunted a crude laugh, as if it were some terrible joke. “Pitted against that man, I would be the one to teach manners.”

In her native tongue, Shizuka responded, “What do you want, fucking traitor whore?”

The stranger answered in perfect Japanese. “Now are those Shizuka’s words or his?”

“You know very well that answer.”

The man gave a heavy sigh. “I am here to stop you from doing this.”

“This one is special.”

“I know.”

“There was a telling,” Shizuka snapped. “He must die.”

“You are wrong.”

“He’s dangerous, As—”

“You have always been wrong,” he snapped, returning to English.

The creature laughed, all giggly and girly.

Tired of being left out of the conversation, Tristan took a heavy step forward, reaching for the stranger. “What, the fuck are you two—”

The shorter man’s head jerked around to glare at Tristan. All he could see of the look was those intense pale eyes but it was more than enough to shut him up, snap his hand back. He couldn’t explain it, but there was something dangerous and wild about this strange man who came barging into his life like a bad superhero in that silly cape and press-on fangs.

“Enough,” Shizuka said, returning to her version of English, “you bore and I have pet now. No hard feeling.”

Tristan smirked, wondering if he was the pet. Then he thought that sounded like a lot of fun, in the right situation. God, what the hell was wrong with him, thinking about sex at a time like this? “Look, it was nice meeting you both,” he said with a sarcastic tone that even the dead could hear. “But I’m done. I’m going home. You two have fun without me.”

Tristan pushed past the shorter man, bumping into his shoulder harder than he intended and tripped. He fell into the stranger and felt something hidden within the cape that he was sure he didn’t like. “What the fu—” The same moment he realized what the hard object was, Shizuka shot forward and decked Tristan. He never saw the hit coming and for such a tiny little thing, she packed one nasty punch. Tristan lost his footing and fell, timber, all six-three straight back. He only just managed to save from cracking his skull open on the pavement like a watermelon. When he looked up again, Shizuka was swinging at the stranger. Despite the absurdity of the whole damn situation, Tristan had to smile. The loudmouthed girl had more fire to her than he realized. He loved a woman that could kick his ass.

She took another swing at the stranger that went wide when he ducked and he countered, delivering a hard blow to Shizuka’s plexus.

“Hey!” Tristan shouted at him, stumbling to his feet again. “The hell is wrong with you… hitting a girl?”

Tristan threw his own punch that never made contact. He wasn’t sure how, only that the stranger was holding his fist in a cold, hard hand, blinking at him. “That is no woman.”

He said that before too, didn’t he? Tristan jerked his hand back, glanced at Shizuka then back to the man. “You’re a bit of an asshole. Or fucking blind.”

The other man gave a small nod. “I accept the former. However, the latter is far from the truth. It is you who is blind.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? You know what, I don’t give a shit. Come on Shizuka, I’ll take you home.”

“Stop!” The man darted out and grabbed Tristan’s wrist when he reached out to the woman. He started to argue, ready to punch the short shit’s lights out when there was a loud laugh echoed in the alleyway. They pair stopped grappling and looked up.

Shizuka looked… different, though Tristan wasn’t sure exactly why right away. “And that is not man.” She laughed again. “I think animal. Hai, hai, inu-chan…”

“Yogore,” the man hissed back.

Shizuka burst into laughter. Her flesh rippled from top to bottom and the smooth porcelain was replaced with dark, shriveled leather. The surface flaked, sending leaves of dead flesh to the ground like dirty brown snow. Voids opened, revealing knots of raw muscle and dark jelly. Silken black hair came off in thick clumps, taking chunks of scalp with it to fall to the pavement with a wet, sticky noise that echoed off the close walls.

As her body changed, so did her voice. Her laughter turned shrill. The short little black dress sagged on her frame as dark fluids poured out from under it and down spindly legs. She started to wobble on her feet, splashing up dark liquid as she took tiny steps to steady herself in her high heels. Finally, it was clear she couldn’t stand in those dangerous shoes anymore. She kicked them off, sending them towards the club exit and stepped bony feet into the body fluid collecting under her in a murky pool.

“Oh my god,” Tristan whispered and sucked in a sharp breath, catching a whiff of decay. He gagged and stumbled backwards until his back hit the dumpster, jabbing an elbow against the side. He sank to the ground against the bin, cradling his elbow to his chest, though the pain wasn’t enough to matter. Nothing mattered now except for the awful thing standing before him that he knew as Shizuka. The stranger made no movement that Tristan could see from his low seat. Somehow though, he knew the guy wasn’t surprised. That he knew exactly what this woman was.

Monster…

The man sighed, shaking his head and reached inside his cape. “I had preferred that it not come to this.” The soft reverberation of metal rubbing against something solid sounded from under the fabric moments before the katana that Tristan felt earlier emerged.

Shizuka’s laughter finally subsided as she rolled cloudy brown eyes down to look at the others. She grinned broadly showing the muscles of her jaw in thick leathery strands. When she spoke again, it was the voice of a cartoon snake, all hiss. “Silly toy for silly—”

“Damare!” the cloaked stranger shouted and darted forward, blade aimed right for Shizuka’s head.

Totally thrown off guard, lost and confused, Tristan gave a small cry and jerked back in shock, hitting his head on the dumpster. He lifted a fist and banged it into the side. He was angry that he hadn’t high-tailed it out of there while he had the chance. He was angry that all he could do was sit there and watch, trapped between a stinking dumpster and a man with a sword fighting a zombie.

A fucking zombie.

He thought briefly of getting up, trying to sneak away. Maybe of evening helping the guy he was ready to punch out only minutes before. But he fell into a trance, staring at the spectacle before him. It was a dance these two performed. Somehow, despite one being short, the other short and dead, they both moved with a delicate grace, and it was completely mesmerizing. He was shaken out of the trance though when Shizuka landed a hard blow to the man’s stomach that made him give a low groan and shudder. But, he didn’t go down.

Zombie Shizuka stepped back, shifting into a stance that would have been appealing if she had her skin. Her chin started to jiggle in a movement that was the beginning of her trying to speak, but then her lower jaw fell off. The man gave a crude grunt and a little leap, aiming for Shizuka again with that sharp, shiny blade. But he was swinging at empty space. The blade whipped through the air, pulled downward as gravity brought man and metal back to the earth. The tip chipped into asphalt with a loud metal ting. Tristan had only a moment for his lethargic brain to think about why it was wrong before the man spun on his heel, lifting the sword towards Tristan.

He put his hands up. “Whoa, hey—”

Shizuka appeared between them and reached out, grabbing the man by his neck with those disgusting decomposed fingers. He let out a long breath and lowered his arms, letting them hang lifelessly at his sides as she held him in place. The sword almost slipped from his fingers, but he didn’t seem to notice one way or the other. There was no fear in his eyes as a dark, closed-mouth smile curled his lips, not quite reaching those pale eyes.

A blaze of bright metal flashed up past Shizuka’s side and the arm gripping the stranger’s neck was suddenly on the ground. Shizuka wailed and reached for him again with her remaining arm as he jumped away. His toes barely touched asphalt and then he was airborne again moving towards Shizuka. Towards Tristan. Tristan sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth when the guy suddenly appeared directly in front of him, toe to toe. The young man stared down at him, calm and relaxed as if he had been there all along. As if there wasn’t a zombie trying to kill him.

Tristan blinked up at him for the longest ten seconds of his life, not a single tangible thought making its way to the surface to help guide him to something close to sane. He finally tore his gaze from the stranger. Shizuka was standing behind him with her back to the others. Tristan looked up to the man again, confused and whispered, “What happe—”, but never got to finish his question. Shizuka’s head broke away from her neck and hit the ground with a loud crack. Seconds later her body crumbled to the ground with a heavy weight that said she was more than skin and bones. The stench of death doubled as a breeze brought Shizuka’s scent to the others. It seemed to seek Tristan out, tickling its way into his sinuses, making the back of throat itch. Tristan’s stomach tightened and the blood drained from his face so fast it made him dizzy.

The cloaked man blinked slowly, his eyes coming into focus on Tristan’s. Expression utterly blank, he gave his blade a quick flick at his side. Tristan flinched at the sudden movement and wished he hadn’t. Expression still impassive, the stranger flung his long hair over his shoulder, turned away, and brought his sword down onto the mass of bones and rotted flesh that was once Shizuka.

The first piece of zombie was tossed over Tristan’s head to the dumpster and a warm glob of something squishy, wet and stinking of rot fell to his forehead and stuck. That was all it took. Tristan’s stomach twisted and he scrambled to his knees, retching on the pavement.

When his stomach was empty of all of its contents Tristan sat back on his heels, his back to the guy. He took in a deep breath past his burning throat and hung his head in hopes to ease the pounding. He could hear the cutting of rotted flesh and bones. He wasn’t ready to turn around and see that again. Not just yet. He sighed, shutting his eyes and his head spun again. When he opened his eyes, something to his right caught his attention in a dark corner between the dumpster and a wall. Stomach spinning, head feeling even worse, he decided standing wasn’t an option at the moment and pushed to hands and knees to crawl forward a few paces.

“Oh shit!” he screamed and fell back onto his ass, damp gravel cutting into his palms.

“What is it?” the zombie slayer asked, annoyance lacing his words. The cracks of breaking bone echoed loudly off the walls as he deftly finished his work.

A new nightmare, the crumpled body of a naked woman shoved in the corner like a pile of trash. Her stomach cavity had been ripped open and emptied, leaking stinking bile and other vital liquids on to the pavement. The edges of the hole were torn and jagged like an animal had at it with its teeth. Bloody scratches ran down the length of her face stopping at lips frozen in a frightened scream. Two dark, cavernous holes stared blindly up at nothing where her eyes had been ripped out.

“Ther—there’s a dead girl back here.” He didn’t think he even spoke loud enough for the guy to hear. He swallowed hard against the tang of his regurgitated dinner and alcohol. He was sure he was going to lose it again. God, what was wrong with him? He never got sick from just drinking. And as his head spun he was sure the reason had more to do with Shizuka than he realized.

“Ah yes, I had almost forgotten about that. The jikininki I just disposed of did that. It needed the—” He paused and Tristan looked over his shoulder to him, disgusted. He was twirling his hand in a small circle like he was searching for the appropriate word. Finally he settled on, “Sustenance, from that poor soul there to appear as the exquisite woman she was.”

“I—I don’t understand…”

“I know.” He strolled forward, boots silent on the pavement, and extended a hand.

Tristan gave the pale hand a long, slow blink and whispered, “You askin’ me for a dance again?” A heavy, dark fuzziness was creeping in on the edges of his vision. He shuddered, suddenly cold and let out a long sigh. “You’re pretty sweet, for a weird lookin’ dude.”

The “weird lookin’ dude” gave a dismayed sigh. “Come, we must go.”

Tristan met those strange eyes and gave him another long look. “Go… with you? Why?”

The offer of a hand was rescinded with a scowl. “Did you not figure that much out?”

Tristan shook his head, immediately regretting it. Thick lace covered his vision, blurring everything and he swayed, even though he was seated firmly on the ground.

“That jikininki knew me,” he said, voice steadily rising, “but it was summoned to hunt you.”

Tristan could only manage to answer with a long, drawn out, “Oh.” Someone was looking for him? That was nice. He dropped his face into his hands and toppled over. Something dark and warm was coursing through him. He was certain of it now, that he’d been drugged. It was whispering promises of sweet sleep to him. His eyes had shut, though he couldn’t remember when. He was losing against the drug. It was better to not fight it anyway.

“Who—what… ?” He couldn’t even finish his sentence. What was he even trying to say? Guess it wasn’t important.

“Everything is okay,” came the stranger’s creamy smooth voice, like a distant whisper. It was strangely comforting. “I am here now to—” His voice broke. “Just… sleep.”

Tristan let out a long groan, the drug finally claiming victory over him. He thought he heard the stranger again in his last twilight of consciousness whisper something about ashes.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SOMETIMES known as Stinna (pronounced Steena), Christina Moore just so happens to be her real name. Her writing career started under a pseudonym in the romance genre. But her true love has always been the paranormal. Vampires, werewolves, demons, faerie and everything in between, she loves them all—the allure of the unknown. The birth of the Uruwashi series started many years ago with a daydream sparked by a very special voice of a certain bad-ass vampire in her favorite anime. Little did she know then that the story of the Uruwashi would morph into what it is today.

When not writing or chasing her toddler, Christina loves to read, garden, cross-stitch, and play video games. A Maryland native, she lives just outside of beautiful historic downtown Annapolis with her husband, daughter (a.k.a. Tiny Boss) and two Australian Shepherds, Deunan and Aydin. Growing up riding horses to show in dressage and cross-country, later moving on to racing Volkswagens and then finding a career in the architecture industry as a graphic artist/mother hen, she’s never been a real expert in any one thing. Christina has a passion for diversity and enjoys many types of music, film and literature that sometimes clash with the norm. She’s often said she’s going to marry Spike Spiegel when she grows up—her husband understands.

Author (Contact Links)

Website: www.thebeautifuldeath.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebeautifuldeathseries

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheUruwashi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7275171.Christina_Moore

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christina-Moore/e/B00FVXGO92/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

 

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I love this series so I’m thrilled to share a series spotlight and giveaway!  Check back soon for my review of Reckoning.

CAPTURED

The Fallen Siren Series, Prequel #0.5

AUTHOR NAME: S.J. Harper

GENRE: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance

Join FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.

She’s a Siren. He’s a Werewolf.

Their mission is redemption.

Emma Monroe is a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now she works for the FBI and is on temporary assignment in Charleston. Solving this next missing persons case could be the key to ending her ancient curse—unless the temptation that’s her new partner gets in the way.

Zack Armstrong is a Werewolf. Tall, dark, and dangerous, he currently works for one of the bureau’s elite Child Abduction Rapid Deployment teams. In many respects the man is every bit as mysterious as his secret and perilous past. But there are two things he’s certain about, that he’s going to get his man and his woman.

When Zack finds himself suddenly shy a partner and a third child goes missing in Charleston, Emma goes from consultant to CARD team member in the space of a few hours. The abductions of the first two boys ended in murder, an outcome that neither Zack nor Emma can abide. As they race against time to track down the kidnapper and rescue the latest victim, they find themselves fighting something just as treacherous—a growing attraction that can’t be ignored or denied.

AVAILABLE NOW:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Fallen-Novella-S-J-Harper-ebook/dp/B00KX8FP5E/ref=la_B00DGDPECM_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1402960337&sr=1-3

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/captured-sj-harper/1119716911?ean=2940149389759&itm=1&usri=2940149389759

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/captured/id888320552?mt=11

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-captured-1510773-140.html

CURSED

The Fallen Siren Series, Book 1

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.

She’s cursed. He’s damned.

Together, they make one hell of a team.

Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

AVAILABLE NOW:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cursed-A-Fallen-Siren-Novel/dp/0425263290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402955251&sr=8-1&keywords=cursed+harper

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cursed-sj-harper/1114865230?ean=9780425263297

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cursed/id623392750?mt=11

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cursed-1295060-140.html

Audiobooks: http://www.audible.com/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Cursed-Audiobook/B00HJCW14K/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1402960172&sr=1-1

RECKONING

The Fallen Siren Series, Book 2

Join Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.

She’s sacrificed. He’s suffered. They’ve both been betrayed.

Now it’s time for a reckoning.

Special Agent Emma Monroe has a secret. She’s a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. As an FBI agent she saves the lives of others believing redemption could be one rescue away.

Her partner Zack is a werewolf and former Black Ops sniper who once carried out a string of questionable assignments. Now he’s determined to atone for his past. Ironically, there’s a portion of his past Zack doesn’t remember—an affair with Emma. Giving into their attraction for one another almost led to their undoing. Now it’s back to business as usual.

While trying to unravel the mystery behind a series of kidnappings in Southern California, Emma and Zack become entangled with political tensions in the vampire and Were worlds. Not to mention the struggles they face in their relationship with one another. With so much uncertainty, they come to realize the only thing they can really count on is one another…or can they? 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-A-Fallen-Siren-Novel/dp/0425263304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403027694&sr=8-1&keywords=reckoning+sj+harper

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reckoning-sj-harper/1118867537?ean=9780425263303

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reckoning/id834664724?mt=11

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

S. J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic- Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.

Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her “real- life” day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full- time in 2007. She is the author of more than ten novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. She currently lives with her husband and terrier pup, Olive, in a century- old Southern California Craftsman. Sam happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths, and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.

Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. She also has numerous short story credits, including most recently the novella Blood Debt from the New York Times bestselling anthology Hexed. Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the U.S. and the U.K. She lives in Denver, Colorado, where she finds gardening a challenge more daunting than navigating the world of mythical creatures.

AUTHOR CONTACT LINK:

Website: http://www.sjharper.me

Facebook Jeanne: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000177556968&fref=ts

Facebook Sam: https://www.facebook.com/samanthasommersby

Twitter Jeanne: https://twitter.com/JeanneCStein

Twitter Sam: https://twitter.com/samsommersby

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6999638.S_J_Harper

Newsletter: http://samanthasommersby.us7.list-manage1.com/subscribe/post?u=c1972301143b298c2aa76a58a&id=c38570ee4f

Excerpt from Reckoning:

I pop the lid off the coffee cup, lift it to my lips, and breathe in the aroma before taking a sip.

“How you feeling?” he asks as I sink down onto the sofa.

I lean my head back and close my eyes. “Like I drank too much wine, passed out, and slept in my clothes.”

A whiff of cinnamon forces them open again. Zack’s holding a bagel in front of my face. I reach for it and take a grateful bite. “How are you feeling?”

“Answering that will only annoy you,” he says. Damned werewolf metabolism.

Then, a moment of hesitation before he asks, “Is he still feeding from you?”

As if that question won’t annoy me at all. I leave the bagel and coffee on the table in front of the sofa and head for my closet. “I thought we agreed that was none of your business?”

When he doesn’t answer, I turn around.

Instead of being across the room, where I’d left him, he’s right behind me.

“You agreed,” he answers. “You know the more you allow it, the more you’ll want it, crave it, crave him. I worry about you, Emma.”

I gaze into his eyes and I see the ache in them, the longing.

“Why?” I ask.

I get a sad smile. “You know why.”

His thumb glides across my cheek. I should have pulled away, but instead I lean into the caress.

His other hand moves toward my shoulder, ghosts across my collarbone. He pinches the fabric of my robe between his fingers and peels it back a few inches. I hold my breath.

“Zack.”

Fingers over my mouth force me to silence. Then they slide the other side of my robe from my shoulder. He circles round me. Warm hands slide down the length of my neck, over my shoulders. They pause.

“He didn’t just bite you. He marked you.” His fingers trace the scar. “This should have disappeared by now. He’ll mark you again. And then again and again. He’s not just feeding from you. He’s building a connection, one he’ll use to control you, manipulate you.”

Zack’s normally warm, brown eyes are now sky blue. “Your eyes—”

He closes them. “Sorry. The beast isn’t as good as I am at pretending.”

“I should get dressed. We need to go.” I reach for the last clean black pantsuit that’s hanging in my closet and head for the bathroom.

Again, he follows. “My wolf, he wants to take away Kallistos’ mark.” Zack stops, filling the doorway. “Just say the word. I can break the cycle.”

“How? By trading one mark for another?” I hang my suit up on the shower rod.

“I’m not offering to mark you for myself. I’m offering to free you from him. Unlike a vampire’s, a wolf’s mark means something. It’s a mutual commitment. One made for life. That’s not what we’re talking about here.”

“What are we talking about?”

Zack appears to be weighing his words carefully. “We’re talking about doing what’s smart, what’s necessary. You said Kallistos would never get the upper hand. But it seems he has.”

Suddenly I feel trapped. I need to put distance be- tween myself and Kallistos. I step back and stuff my hands into the pockets of my robe. My fingers wrap instinctively around the key card. It’s a tangible reminder of the truth of Zack’s words.

“Yes.” It comes out in a rush.

“You want me to remove the mark? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Do it.” I’m trying to focus on what Zack said about this being smart and necessary, nothing else. A wolf’s mark means something. But this will mean nothing. “Hurry. Let’s get it over with.”

But Zack doesn’t hurry. He takes his time, pulling me back, gently curving his body over mine. His is warm, impossibly warm, and I can feel it through my robe. Just as I feel his breath on my neck, feel the echo of his heartbeat in my own.

“Trust me?” he asks, his voice a low, intoxicating rumble.

I do trust him. “Completely.”

TOUR GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

GRAND PRIZE: Kindle Fire

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Yolanda Stefsos is hijacking the virtual dashboard this morning!  Please send help – maybe Sierra Fox can lend a hand

Hi! I’d like to thank the Manga Maniac Café for helping me celebrate the release of the fifth and last book in my Sierra Fox series. Writing this urban fantasy series was a lot of fun. I also learned a lot, not just because of all of the research I did, but also about writing.

Top 5 Lessons I Learned From Sierra:

1. I’ve always loved a good ghost story but until I got stuck into writing Sierra’s series, I didn’t realize just how much I love to tell one too.

2. Sierra has a complicated family history, and I loved delving into it. I really dig the whole family secrets thing.

3. Supernatural, paranormal, ghost, demonic, and occult research is not just fascinating… it’s also a lot of fun.

4. That I can write a full series of connected books in one world. Yay.

5. Spending five books in this world isn’t enough. Although Sierra’s story is told, I know I’ll be back…

Thanks for reading,

Yolanda

AUTHOR BIO:

Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.

Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.

MY LINKS:

Website: http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/yolandasfetsos

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/yolandasfetsos

BOOK BLURB:

All it takes is a little death and mayhem to make a spook catcher’s day.

Sierra Fox, Book 5

Sierra Fox has finally inherited her grandmother’s power to destroy demons, but what good is it when her werewolf boyfriend still lies in a coma? Worse, the decision she’s about to make could save him—but ruin their relationship.

If that’s not enough bad stuff on her plate, she’s got a soul to save—the soul of her closest friend, killed by the Lamia that got away.

Another untasty side dish: The Obscurus refuse to give up their relentless pursuit, and they’ve upped the ante. Mace is dead set on blowing up the Spook Catcher Council Tower, and the blowback will have devastating effects on Sydney and for Sierra. At least these demon-obsessed freaks aren’t counting on Sierra having a Goddess and a trusty demonic conduit as backup.

All of this leads to a one-way ride into the abandoned part of town, where the Obscurus plan to summon Legion. With her demon hunter friend by her side, Sierra prepares for the final battle…because even she knows this will be The End.

Warning: Phantasms, wraiths, orbs, demons, all guaranteed to ruin any spook catcher’s day. But you can always count on werewolves, land spirits, and a Goddess. Beware of explosions, demonic obsessions, and the battle that will tip the scales and change Sydney forever.

A STITCH ON TIME is now available for pre-order from Samhain Publishing.

Release Date: October 14, 2014.

The post Guest Post: Yolanda Stefsos, Author of A Stitch in Time appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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This morning I have an excerpt and giveaway for By the Magic of Starlight, which is available now!

BY THE MAGIC OF STARLIGHT by Serena Gilley (October 7, 2014; Forever Yours E-Book; $0.99)

Beyond the limits of sight, magical beings live in the Forbidden Realm. The two worlds were once connected, but the desires of man forced their separation. Now, desire may bring them back together . . .

Raea is a fairy with a secret. Beneath a veil of moonlight and mist, she did the unthinkable: shared a night of exquisite passion with Kyne, the fairy-human hybrid whose touch makes her tremble. Now she can’t forget the feel of his hard body and hot kiss against her skin. Their connection is undeniable-and forbidden.

Kyne’s hunger for Raea is insatiable. As a fairy, he should be beyond the lure of lust, but as a man he can’t resist the pleasure only she can provide. Yet if the Fairy Council is correct, their love will unleash a secret with the power to destroy the Realm forever . . .

Buy Links:

B&N

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Kobo

iBooks

Amazon

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About the author:

Serena Gilley grew up reading fantasy and fairy tales, and believing there was a distinct possibility that both of them were real. Somewhere. Even all these years later, Serena’s belief in magic and mystery hasn’t diminished. In fact, She is living out her own happily-ever-after with a handsome prince in a beautiful castle, taming dragons and granting wishes every day.  Okay, so the prince is a regular guy, the dragons are really just teenagers, and the wishes she grants are as spectacular as frozen pizza on Friday night, but it’s a fantasy world just the same.

Social Media Links:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

“Listen,” Raea said, her voice close behind him as he fluttered down from the tree. “Can you hear that sound?”

He listened. Yes, there was a sound. It was low, an indistinct hum that he had initially ignored as the usual buzz of a forest at night. But she was right, this was something slightly different. It droned on in too even a tone to be insects or rustling leaves.

“It’s coming from there, where those rocks jut up from the earth,” he said, pointing.

It was a useless gesture, of course, but she must have found the spot on her own. The brush of her wings began moving in that direction.

“It is. There’s a dry creek bed just through these shrubs. It looks like we’re in a valley at the base of a hill. The rocks seem to be covering something.”

He followed her voice and the droning hum got louder as he approached. Whatever was making the noise clearly was hidden under the rocks. Without some sort of magic, there was no way they were going to get under them to investigate further. He laid his hand on the largest of the rocks and found it to be warm. Too warm to have been hidden here under the forest canopy all day.

“What’s making it so hot?” Raea asked.

“I don’t know.”

He moved to the next rock. It was warm, too. How could that be? They seemed to be standard rocks, the same material as any other rocks he might expect to find in this area. What would make them hot to the touch? Were they heated from below?

He moved to another rock and put his hand on it. But this one was soft. And it had breasts.

“Um, that’s not a rock,” Raea said.

“No. I like this much better than a rock.”

He jolted when he felt her hand unexpectedly reach for his groin. She made contact and must have intended for that. She giggled, but did not remove her hand.

“This feels something like a rock.”

“And you know why that is,” he said. “It’s because of you, Raea. Even invisible you make me want you so badly.”

“I know. I feel it, too,” she whispered, stroking him slowly. “The protection from the dust must be wearing off. I know we’re in danger and don’t have any Sizing Dust, but I can’t seem to think about anything except you, Kyne.”

He traced the form of her body, her breasts, the curve at the small of her back, the heated juncture between her legs. He moaned when she pressed herself against him, fisting his cock as if she would drag him to release right here and now. She was up against the warm rock; its weathered, flat surface provided perfect leverage for him to explore every inch of her. He found her lips and he kissed them. Then her neck, then her shoulders, then lower to tease her invisible nipples.

“I think I’m on fire, Kyne. You’ve got to do something, please. Come inside me; I need you.”

“You know I can’t do that. But by the Skies, I can do this.”

He slid down her, his hands skimming her hips and her thighs until his mouth was positioned just right where he wanted to be. He nuzzled her there, burying himself in her scent. Her legs parted and he tasted her core. She groaned in surprised pleasure.

“I can totally do this,” he repeated.

 

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Please welcome Anton Strout back to the virtual offices!  Anton has a guest post to share, so check it out.

Name 5 things Lexi WOULD have in her purse

In THE SPELLMASON CHRONICLES Alexandra “Lexi” Belarus isn’t the sort of woman who finds herself with a purse in hand often.  Instead she prefers the fashionable roominess of a designer backpack as the life of Manhattan’s only practicing Spellmason is a hectic one where carrying capacity wins out over handbag cuteness every time.  Let’s peek inside, shall we?

1. A 40 lb. book made of solid stone

Spellmasonry—the art of wielding power and imbuing stonework with life—is a lost art, known only to Manhattan’s Belarus family with 24 year old Alexandra relearning it.  That means she is reliant on the secrets her great-great grandfather wrote centuries ago in a book that’s natural state is solid stone.  Only a Spellmason can open this tome, transforming it to paper, but it means it’s the number one thing Lexi has on her at all times.  While some arcana can be memorized and cast at will, there is much for Lexi to learn and practice in this voluminous and heavy tome.

2. One standard composition notebook (covered in various stains)

Lexi hasn’t quite achieved the prowess of her great-great grandfather at Spellmasonry, but she’s making do in this modern world.  Much of what isn’t spelled out in the stone book is scattered throughout two secret libraries, the content coded throughout multiple volumes, forcing Lexi to compile a spell book of her own.  The stains come from working with much of the alchemy that is involved in the trial and error of imbuing stone with the properties of the living.

3. 3 and 1/2 cell phones (broken screened)

The woman carries around a large stone book in her backpack, is on the run from witches and warlocks, and is fighting winged creatures made of stone.  There’s a lot of smashy smashy going on in all that, and technology does not react well to thinks that go bump in the night.

4. Bandages

Carrying on with the theme of #3, the human body also does not always play well with the resulting spells cast from the abovementioned witches and warlocks or the flick of a gargoyle’s wing that sends her and her friends flying into an alley wall.  As a fleshy, fleshy species, we don’t take to the smashy smashy too good.  Hence?  BANDAGES!

5. Bricksley

As if her backpack wasn’t heavy enough, let’s just throw one more brick in it, shall we?  But not just any brick, no!  We’re talking about Lexi’s first experimental attempt at imbuing stone with life, her humble, painted on smiling Bricksley.  Usually he can be found in one of the Spellmason libraries shelving books or returning alchemical supplies to their cabinets, but ever so often our happy little brick golem stows away for a little field work.  Sneaky little Bricksley!

INCARNATE

Anton Strout

Ace Mass Market

$7.99 | 320 pages

ISBN: 9780425273555

September 30, 2014

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible…

PRAISE FOR THE SPELLMASON CHRONICLES

“Excellent character development. The ending leaves this whole world open in a great way…My favorite part of this is the use of magic…It feels organic and interesting.”

—Nerdist

“Thrilling…Skillful characterization enriches a story that is filled with peril, loss, treachery and sacrifice. Great stuff!”

—RT Book Reviews

“High stakes, high tension, stark contrasts, well-rounded cast and dialogue complete with quips and banter.”

—Urban Fantasy Land

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anton Strout is the author of the Spellmason Chronicles, including Stonecast and Alchemystic, and the Simon Canderous series including Dead Waters, Dead Matter, Deader Still, and Dead to Me. He was born in the Berkshire Hills mere miles from writing heavyweights Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. He currently lives in historic Jackson Heights, New York (where noting paranormal ever really happens, he assures you!). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, a sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He currently works in the exciting world of publishing and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds. Visit him online at www.antonstrout.com.

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Please welcome Angela Dennis to the virtual offices today!

Thanks so much to Julie and Manga Maniac Cafe for hosting me today. Brenna, the heroine in my Shadow Born books, has had a pretty crazy life, and that life has left her with a few personality quirks. That being said, let’s find out….

Five Things You Would NEVER Find in Brenna’s Bedroom

5. Flowers or Plants. Although she’s a healer, Brenna has the brownest thumb imaginable. She’s tried for years to keep a garden in the courtyard of the boarding house, but between the horrible soil and her tendency to forget plants need water, nothing has managed to survive.

4. A picture of her and her father. At this point, he’s made three attempts to kill her, he’s not going to show up on her nightstand.

3. A bottle of synthetic blood. She’s a Shadow Bearer, not a vampire. Blood doesn’t make her world go round, it just refuels her magic. Only pure Shadow Bearer blood will work, but she can live without it, although, now that she has Gray, there’s no need.

2. Anything that reminds her of her home world. Brenna has no desire to return home. Any love or loyalty she had to that plane was stripped away when the Council banished her to Earth. She’ll lose Gray if she doesn’t return after the war is over, but that’s a problem for another century.

1. Keegan. No matter how hot he is, or how hard he might try, it’s NEVER going to happen. After all, Gray would kill him, and he’s too valuable an asset to the war.

EXCERPT: 

Copyright © 2014 Angela Dennis
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Darkness embraced Brenna like a thick wool blanket. It wrapped around her, blocking the dim lamplight as she walked toward the seedy bar. Glass residue from the riots crunched beneath her leather boots. Mixed with snow, the bits of broken beer bottles and smashed windows glittered like an army of broken icicles. She breathed deeply, inhaling the cool night air. It smelled of sour beer and clove cigarettes and left a bitter taste on her tongue.

Shadows embraced the sides of the stone structure that housed the Dirty Ruby, one of the few multi-species bars in Denver proper. They stalked across the snow and mixed with the night to merge into a black mass. From its midst stepped a man. Well over six feet, he moved with grace in contrast to his size. The moonlight played across his face, highlighting his chiseled features.

Brenna’s pulse quickened and she took an involuntary step forward. Self-conscious, she ran a hand through her copper curls, freeing them from the careless bun. The thick strands streamed down her back like fire as she moved, her breath coming in quick harsh bursts. She slipped off her black leather duster and draped it across her arm. Without it the tight black corset left her taut belly and back exposed, but she didn’t feel the cold. She never did around Gray.

“Four demons. Thirty humans. Keep the casualties to a minimum.” Brenna brushed past him, tossing him her coat. “I’ll bring them out. You send them back to hell.”

“Hell?” Gray grinned. His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “You speak human now?”

She shrugged. “When in Rome.”

Her back to him, she turned toward the freshly white-washed door. But before she could move, he had her shoulder in a vise grip. His fingers twined in the hair at the base of her skull. His breath hot against her cheek. “I know your other partners let you boss them around.” He turned her to face him. “I’m not them.”

He stepped forward, forcing her back. They moved in an awkward dance until her ass hit the stone wall. Trapped, she stared at him, wary. A shadow fell across his face hiding all but his piercing violet eyes.

“We enter together. Once they’re dead, we leave.” He stepped back, loosening his hold.

“The humans—”

“Won’t remember a thing.” He crushed his lips to hers even as he slid the duster across her shoulders. “And I’m not your coat rack.” Releasing her, he stepped back.

Brenna rubbed the back of her hand against her bruised lips. Gray would be the death of her.

If she didn’t kill him first.

She leaned against the wall to regain her bearings as he stepped into the light. He moved like a jungle cat. Ropes of strong muscles slid beneath his bronzed skin as his wild untapped power stirred beneath the surface. Akin to a force of nature, he would never go unnoticed. Even incognito, only a fool wouldn’t recognize Gray was dangerous. He was a beautiful, powerful thing to behold. And he was hers.

If she wanted him.

His black hair shimmered in the pale lamplight. It was tied with the usual brown leather strap, but a few pieces had slipped free. They curled around his face, softening his features. The sight of him stirred memories of what they had been to each other. Memories she had struggled for nearly a hundred years to repress. But she still wanted him with a fervor that was both frightening and exhilarating.

A sigh slipped from her lips as she pushed off the wall to follow him into the bar. Wooden planks creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside. The room was crammed wall-to-wall with sweaty bodies. Humans surged on the dance floor, moving in chaotic abandon. Brenna stripped off her duster. The heat from the wood stoves was overpowering. Sweat beaded on her forehead. It dribbled down her face, sliding across her bare skin to pool between her breasts.

She threw the duster on the seat of a red plastic booth then slid in beside it. Her leather pants moved across the slick fabric like silk as she took a quick inventory of the room. Humans clanked beer bottles together, their shouts drowning out the death metal band screeching in the far corner. She closed her eyes to focus and searched for her prey. It took several minutes, but she found what she was looking for. The stench of rotten flesh and brimstone. It was subtle, but unmistakable. The demon was here, but he wasn’t alone.

Her seat shifted as Gray slid into the booth beside her. “This is new. They don’t usually hunt together.” He tossed a muscular arm across her shoulders.

Brenna leaned into his body. Her head against his chest, she breathed him in. He smelled of sage and wood smoke. “I doubt they’re aware of each other. Demons are territorial. They don’t play nice, and they’re not that bright.”

Gray shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“True.”

He brushed a stray curl from her face. Unable to resist, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the simple touch.

“You take the males. I’ve got the females.” His breath was hot against her skin.

Her body tightened. She pulled back, a false smile playing on her lips. Beneath it she cursed her inability to keep him at a distance, even on a job. With a quick nod, she tossed back the shot of whiskey he shoved across the table. She leaned into him, her hands pressed against his chest. “We’ll meet at the van.”

“Agreed.” Gray kissed her lips. “Sam knows the drill.”

She could still taste him as he walked away, and that treacherous part inside her yearned for more. The best way to blend in was to act like a couple, but they needed another option. She was already sexually frustrated, and the night had barely begun. But there was nothing more cathartic than a good hunt.

Brenna glanced at the demon. It lounged on a barstool, deep inside a human man around thirty. With a bored look, he watched as a young woman, her shirt in tatters on the dirty floor, straddled him. Her skirt hiked to her crotch, her body trembled as he drained her life force. A second woman stood behind him. Clad in tiny purple panties and a lace bra, she swayed to the music. Glassy eyed, breasts heaving, she waited her turn. It was disgusting.

It had been a human war that had ripped through the Veil between the planes of reality, and the humans had paid the price. Supernatural creatures, the humans now called deviants, had poured onto the Earthly plane, only to be trapped once the Veil had healed. The humans had managed to survive the onslaught by allying themselves with sympathetic deviants, but they had gotten too comfortable. And the demons were taking full advantage.

Brenna slammed the shot glass on the table. Time to play human.

About the book:

Everyone has a breaking point.

Shadow Born, Book 2

Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.

The attraction between them is nearing a critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust either her heart or her instincts.

It’s chaotic business as usual until humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.

In a race against time, they enlist the help of both friend and foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.

Warning: Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.

Author Bio:

Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.

You can visit Angela at her blog www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from her readers, so find her on Twitter for a chat @angeladennis.

Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc)

https://twitter.com/AngelaDennis

https://www.facebook.com/angela.dennis.7798

http://www.pinterest.com/angeladennis779/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26267274-angela-dennis

www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com

www.angeladennisauthor.com

The post Guest Post: Angela Dennis, Author of Fading Light appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I enjoyed Cursed and have been waiting impatiently for the next book in the  Fallen Siren series.  When I saw Captured, a prequel, up on Amazon, I didn’t hesitate to click the “Buy” button.  And why would I?  This suspenseful read is FREE.  If you enjoyed Cursed, too, or just want to get to know the characters before diving into the series, you have nothing to lose to snatching is up!  Plus it will tide you over until the October release of Reckoning.

Captured chronicles the first case Emma and Zack team up on.  On loan from the San Diego office when Zack’s partner is unable to help with a case, Emma is in Charleston to help Zack with two mission objectives.  First, locate Cooper Anderson, a four year boy who has been kidnapped, and two, capture the kidnapper before he or she strikes again. The federal agents are racing against time; two other little boys have already been murdered, and all signs point to the same perpetrator in their latest case.

Zack is a werewolf, and Emma is a Siren.  She’s been cursed for failing to keep Hades from kidnapping Persephone.  Tasked with redeeming herself in the eyes of Demeter, she works tirelessly to save innocent lives from harm.  She has a couple of rules that she won’t allow herself to break, the most important being:  never fall in love.  All of her lovers have met with unpleasant fates at the hands of the vengeful goddess, so Emma tries to save herself a lot of grief by not getting involved with anyone.  This proves a challenging task because the sparks fly between Zack and Emma as soon as they meet.

While the mystery isn’t too challenging, the blossoming romance between Emma and Zack kept me turning the pages.  They really click as a team, their work styles complimenting and strengthening each other in their race against time to find the missing boy.  Emma’s quest is doubly urgent, because she never knows if this is the the case that will bring her redemption for her failure centuries ago.  Every life held in the balance may bring about her freedom from Demeter’s vengeful rage.  Zack is a complication she doesn’t need, but can’t resist, regardless of how many times she’s been burned in the past.

Likeable characters make this a worthwhile read.  Captured reminded me how much I’m looking forward to the next book in the series! 

Grade:  B

Review copy purchased from Amazon FREE

From Amazon:

Join FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.

She’s a Siren. He’s a Werewolf.

Their mission is redemption.

Emma Monroe is a Fallen Siren, cursed by the gods and banished to Earth for her failure to prevent the kidnapping of Persephone. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now she works for the FBI and is on temporary assignment in Charleston. Solving this next missing persons case could be the key to ending her ancient curse—unless the temptation that’s her new partner gets in the way.

Zack Armstrong is a Werewolf. Tall, dark, and dangerous, he currently works for one of the bureau’s elite Child Abduction Rapid Deployment teams. In many respects the man is every bit as mysterious as his secret and perilous past. But there are two things he’s certain about, that he’s going to get his man and his woman.

When Zack finds himself suddenly shy a partner and a third child goes missing in Charleston, Emma goes from consultant to CARD team member in the space of a few hours. The abductions of the first two boys ended in murder, an outcome that neither Zack nor Emma can abide. As they race against time to track down the kidnapper and rescue the latest victim, they find themselves fighting something just as treacherous—a growing attraction that can’t be ignored or denied.

The post Novella Review: Captured by S J Harper appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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Please give a warm welcome to special guest Jennifer Estep!  I’m so happy she was able to drop by the virtual offices this morning.

 

Greetings! First of all, thanks to Julie for hosting me on the blog today.

So Julie asked me to share 5 things that you will never find in the bedroom of Gin Blanco, the heroine of my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Here goes:

1) Stuffed animals: Gin would never have stuffed animals in her bedroom … unless she had some weapons hidden inside them.

2) Throw pillows: Gin has a couple of pillows on her bed, but she would never have the mounds of throw pillows that you find in hotels … unless she was hiding weapons inside them. Can you sense a theme here? LOL.

3) Anything pink or frilly: Gin is definitely not a girly-girl, so there wouldn’t be anything pink or really frilly in her bedroom.

4) Glass or other delicate figurines: Gin wouldn’t have any glass or other delicate figurines in her bedroom because there would be too great a chance of them getting destroyed by someone attacking her at home.

5) White furniture: Gin would never have any white furniture in her bedroom because there would be too great a chance of it ending up with blood on it at some point. She is an assassin, after all.

Happy reading, everyone!

JENNIFER’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/

Blog: http://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferEstepAuthor?fref=ts

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep (@Jennifer_Estep)

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/580315.Jennifer_Estep

Summary:

In book eleven of her New York Times bestselling Elemental Assassin series, author Jennifer Estep continues “one of the best urban fantasy series going on the market” (Fresh Fiction).

Gin Blanco is hard-nosed, sexy, and lethal. Nicknamed “The Spider,” she’s a stone elemental assassin who brings her unique mix of magic and tact to every assignment, no matter the target.

There’s a new drug on the streets of Ashland, and its name “Burn” sums up the potent effect it has on its users. When one of her restaurant employees is threatened by dealers of the drug, Gin steps in to set things straight…

Author Bio:

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads, Spider’s Revenge, By a Thread, Widow’s Web, Deadly Sting, Heart of Venom, The Spider, and Poison Promise, along with the e-shorts Thread of Death, Parlor Tricks, and Kiss of Venom, are the other titles in her Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series and the Bigtime paranormal romance series are her other works. For more on Jennifer and her books, visit JenniferEstep.com and @Jennifer_Estep.

Buy Link:

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Poison-Promise/Jennifer-Estep/Elemental-Assassin/9781476771502

US addresses only, please

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The post Guest Post and Giveaway: Jennifer Estep, Author of Poison Promise appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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This week Pocket Star-E has rock stars, geeks, and vampires to choose from as their latest digital releases hit stores.  I have excerpts to share from each of the new titles, as well as a giveaway for each book! Check out Pocket Star’s online community at XOXO After Dark.

HOW TO REPRIMAND YOUR ROCK STAR by Mina Vaughn

SUMMARY:

In this fun and saucy romance novel, all-star college basketball player Thea dominates on the courts—and off—with a rock star who is determined to win her over.

Thea is a star basketball player at UConn on track to be Rookie of the Year. That is, if she can stay focused on the game. Lately that hasn’t been going so well, as her knee has been bothering her. But that’s not the only thing on her mind…

Ever since rock star Keaton Lowe surprised her in the girl’s locker room, Thea can’t stop thinking about him. On top of his status and enticing ways, he seems to know everything about her. But some of his actions cross the line, and Keaton needs to be punished. Will Thea keep her head in the game, or get distracted by her other favorite pastime—reprimanding her rock star?

EXCERPT:

The locker room welcomed me with the smell of freshly washed uniforms and leather workout equipment. The familiar scents tickled my nose and I envisioned my locker room back home. I remembered giving speeches to my team, rallying them against our foes. I felt like a general

sometimes. Here, I just listened. Sure, I liked everyone, but I really wished I could just be myself. I rolled my stiff shoulders and decided that tape wasn’t all I needed—a long hot shower would do my body a world of good. And I didn’t want to let the guards have the satisfaction of getting me out of their hair so soon.

I dropped my clothes at the threshold of the locker room and the adjoining shower room. I was never weirded-out by the team showering together. It was what athletes did. When you’re there, making jokes under the steaming water, splashing and commiserating, it was almost better that you were naked. It showed your trust. The team saw you at your most vulnerable. I wanted them to know they could trust me, so, therefore, I let them see my boobs. Common sense. It did kind of make me sad that even though we’d been playing together since September, I couldn’t really call many of them my friends. Except for my roommate, Callie.

The weirdest thing was the only person I had met besides Callie that I really felt a connection to was the team’s landlord, whom they had nicknamed the Red Devil. Her real name is Scarlett. I had actually never spoken to her, but something about her drew me in. She was intimidating as

hell—tall like us basketball folk, flaming-red curls that hung to her waist, and heels that could kill small animals that skittered into their path. The team hated her strict curfews and neat- freakery. I liked her. Powerful women were cool, and it pissed me off when they were labeled “bitches” just because they knew what they wanted. Plus, I liked that she owned a little new-age shop in town that, rumor has it, has a secret back room. So yeah, Scarlett was cool. Scary, but cool.

I made my way across the white tile floor, dodging cold puddles, and cranked my lucky showerhead number thirteen to a scorching blast. Every time I had picked this one, we won, so I never showered anywhere else. Except at home—my real home, that is. I stood under the scalding deluge and tipped my head up to feel the hot spray in my mouth. I had to

singe off the thin layer of failure from last night’s game. I grabbed a loofah and scrubbed my skin to a near polish. Rolling my shoulders, I took a squirt of the lavender-scented shampoo and worked it into my long curls.

Sighing, I let my naked back slouch against the cold tiles as I worked my scalp. My ex, Ty, had loved giving me massages. But that was all he wanted, touching. College was supposed to be a fantastic dating scene, but all I ever got were guys who wanted me for the wrong reasons. Boys

who were lazy and easy. Not that I had an ideal guy in mind, but I just wanted to work for it. I wanted the hunt. Lamenting my permanently single status, I watched the last few soap bubbles drop from my hair to the floor. Absentmindedly, I turned and reached for my towel and found

nothing. I glanced around the empty room. Always, without fail, I’d put my towel within arm’s reach of my lucky showerhead. How could I forget that today? I really was off my game on several levels. Padding wetly, dripping like a mermaid, I made my way toward the locker room’s entryway where my clothes sat.

Only, my clothes weren’t there either.

I took a tentative step into the locker room and turned toward my locker, where at least a practice uniform would be waiting for me. Or maybe I left my clothes there. Get your head together, Thea.

Every time I saw that locker, I’d chuckle. My obnoxious Greek last name was too long to fit on the nameplate, or my jersey for that matter, so instead of reading PAPASTATHOPOULOS, it just said PAPAS. That’s why the team had taken to calling me “Pops.”

But instead of seeing my truncated name or a pile of clothes, I saw a guy.

Link continuing the excerpt to XOXOAfterDark:

http://xoxoafterdark.com/2014/07/14/pocket-star-e-nights-reprimand-rock-star-mina-vaughn/?mcd=z_140721_RockVaughn_PSEN

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

————-

ATTACK THE GEEK by Michael R. Underwood

SUMMARY:

A side-quest novella in the bestselling Geekomancy urban fantasy series—when D&D-style adventures go from the tabletop to real life, look out!

Ree Reyes, urban fantasista and Geekomancer extraordinaire, is working her regular drink-slinger shift at Grognard’s bar-and-gaming salon when everything goes wrong. The assorted magic wielders of the city’s underground have come to test their battle skills via RPGs like D&D, V:TES, White Wolf, and the like. All the usuals are there: her ex-mentor Eastwood, Drake (the man-out-of-time adventurer), and, of course, Grognard himself (her boss and a brewer of beer that act as magic potions). However, it’s the presence of these and other “usuals” that makes all the trouble. For, a nemesis from Eastwood and Ree’s past decides to finally take her revenge not just on those two, but on every self-styled “hero” in the city who happens to have crossed her at one point or another. When wave after wave of monsters besiege Grogrnard’s store, if Ree & Co. are going to survive, they’re going to have to work together. And avoid the minotaur. That’s always a good rule of thumb.

EXCERPT:

The mass of gnomes looked like a beehive. They were stacked on top of one another, falling and scrambling over one another to get to the group.

Uncle Joe raised several cards over his head, tore them with a whoop, and a wave of fire pushed forward, enveloping the gnomes. They screamed and scuttled backward, and the group stepped forward into the sewer. Eastwood tossed out a handful of industrial-grade glow sticks, which filled the tunnel with yellow light.

Ree did her best Steve Ditko Spidey-fingers, unleashing a net of webbing that pinned a handful of gnomes to the far wall. She jumped forward and swung up, the blue blade strobing across her vision. She caught two of the gnomes, but several more leapt out of the way. As soon as her blade swung past, more of the miniature monsters scuttled forward. Their nails clicked on the concrete floor with the strange familiarity of her golden retriever, Booster, trying to get purchase in the linoleum kitchen back at her dad’s place.

She let loose another dose of webbing, then jumped and stuck to the ceiling, leaving her sword arm free to continue swinging.

Ree’s spider-shtick attracted a dozen of the gnomes’ attention as they tried to climb over one another to get to her. Even with their considerable ups, they fell short, putting them just in range of her lightsaber.

From her vantage point, she saw the rest of the group as they fought, each in their own style.

Out front, Grognard tore through the creatures, swinging the glaive-guisarme around as easily as a broom at closing time.

Talon covered Grognard’s back, following his movements and keeping the gnomes from sneaking through legs and flanking the group as they formed a semicircle out from the door. She fought with practiced efficiency, the longsword always striking and blocking at once as her hands moved in concert, levering the pommel around for maximum precision.

On the other side of the group, Eastwood fought with lightsaber and blaster in perfect harmony, managing not to chop his hand off even as he wove and dove through the crowd at a breakneck pace. He was a jerk sometimes, but he’d earned his Badass bona fides years ago. Gnomes jumped at him by the dozen, like they’d all decided he was the most delicious dish on the menu.

Drake stood back, picking his targets quickly but deliberately, squeezing off shots that thinned the herd rushing at Eastwood.

Wickham hugged the side of the door, taking shots where she could. She wasn’t comfortable in a fight, but she’d logged plenty of practice time somewhere—range or arcade—so her shots connected more often than not. Trouble was, her peashooter only seemed to stun the gnomes.

A musty wind hit her cheek, and Ree looked down to see that the gnomes clustered beneath her had started to get smart. Two gnomes held their hands together, boosting up the others. Ree wanted to know where they’d picked up cheerleading techniques, but that would have to wait. She flattened against the ceiling to avoid a tall gnome’s swipe, which fell just inches short.

The magical energy from Spider-Man was waning, as she’d only gotten a quick dose of the film. Rather than spending the energy on another burst of webbing, she cut the arm off the next gnome that got a boost. The gnome crashed into its accomplices, which would scatter them for a bit. Ree pulled out her phaser and zapped a few more, then turned and dropped one that had managed to Xenomorph its way along the ceiling, just a few feet from Wickham’s head.

The sizzling gnome fell to the sewer ledge in a heap at Wickham’s feet, and the model looked up to Ree, who saluted.

“That’s two you owe me,” Ree said with a grin, then turned back to her cheerleader gnomes. She picked off the two boosters, hoping that they were the bearded brains of the operation. If Wickham responded, the sound was lost in the din. Gloating was hard to do when you were dead, so she could wait.

“How you feeling, boss?” Ree asked, her voice echoing in the sewer over the sound of clanging metal, exertion, and snarling.

“They don’t seem to be running out of friends! Somebody pour on the AoE!” he called.

“On it!” Uncle Joe flipped through a card binder, then pulled out several cards, which he tore in half and then threw, Gambit-style. The card shreds flew true, exploding on impact. The blasts engulfed a dozen gnomes, but as the dust settled, more had filled the space, hopping over their charred compatriots.

“I didn’t think there were that many in the whole city!” Ree said.

“Recent surveys put their numbers at under a hundred. We’ve seen at least twice that,” Drake answered, his voice level even as his firing routine had become more harried. He stopped as one of the crystals in his aetheric rifle went dark, and cleared the gem, replacing it with a ruby red one that Ree knew as his flamethrower mode.

“Clear!” Drake called, and Talon cycled right, opening up a space. The inventor knelt forward and the rifle belched a cone of flame that took another cluster of the gnomes. The repeated blasts turned the sewer into a sauna, including the concrete she held on to with Spider-fu. It was either burn her ass off or lose the higher ground, so she dropped from the ceiling, cleaving through several gnomes as she landed.

When she hit the concrete pathway near the group, the sewer shook.

“Someone needs to lay off the lagers,” Wickham said.

“That wasn’t her,” Grognard said, looking down the tunnel.

A roar shook the walls of the sewer, making it very apparent that the gnomes were no longer the worst of their problems. If possible, the smell in the tunnel got worse.

That’s never a good sign. In her nine months of hero-ing, she’d noticed a clear correlation between “smells bad” and “likes to snack on humans and suck the marrow from their bones nom nom nom” types of creatures.

“Boss?” Ree asked, closing ranks with Drake between one of the adventurer’s bursts of flame. The gnomes on the roar side of the tunnel parted. Even worse sign.

Grognard buried the head of his blade in a gnome’s shoulder, the butt of the haft held down with his foot. Then he used the weapon like a lever, slamming four gnomes into the wall with one heave. “Anyone got a land mine?” he asked.

“Let me check!” Uncle Joe said, flipping through his binder. “I just had a big order for a Direct Damage deck, haven’t had a chance to restock.”

A second roar gave way to the sound of charging and splashing sewage. The gnomes on the far side vanished into the shadows.

On one hand, it gave them a breather. On the other hand . . . “Faster would be better!” Ree said, quoting her favorite space cowboy.

Eastwood holstered his blaster and leveled his Green Lantern ring at the right side of the tunnel. Ree pointed her blaster in the same direction. The group formed their best imitation of a pike formation, reinforcing their position in the direction of the oncoming . . .

. . . Minotaur.

Really? Just what I fuckin’ need.

Link continuing the excerpt to XOXO After Dark:

http://xoxoafterdark.com/2014/07/14/pocket-star-e-nights-attack-geek-mike-underwood/?mcd=z_140721_AttackGeek_PSEN

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—————

DRIVING MR. DEAD by Molly Harper

SUMMARY:

A standalone novella introducing a new side of Half Moon Hollow—featuring a freewheeling courier and the stuffy vampire she has to transport.

Miranda Puckett has failed at every job she’s ever had. Her mother just wants her to come home, join the family law firm, and settle down with Jason, the perfect lawyer boyfriend. But when Jason turns out to be a lying cheater, Miranda seizes on a job that gets her out of town: long-distance vampire transportation. Her first assignment is to drive vampire Collin Sutherland from Washington to sleepy Half Moon Hollow without incident—no small feat for a woman whom trouble seems to follow like a faithful hound dog! And she has to do it without letting her passenger—the most persnickety, stuffy, devastatingly handsome vamp she’s ever met—drive her crazy. As she and Collin find disaster on the roads, they also find an undeniable spark between them. Could Miranda have found the perfect job and the perfect guy for her?

EXCERPT:

I was used to far more pleasant interactions with vampires. I’d worked as a waitress at a vampire bar called Bite for six months. The nonbreathing clients were a lot friendlier than those with pulses, and they left better tips. And in the days after I’d accepted the assignment, Iris, an old high-school classmate, had had me do a series of test runs, ferrying local cross-country to drive her friend Jane from Half-Moon Hollow to Nashville for a booksellers convention. Jane had been downright sweet, keeping me entertained on the brief drive through Tennessee with her absurd life story. None of these experiences had prepared me for Mr. Sutherland’s hostile, monosyllabic reception.

In his absence, I saw that the house was comfortable and quaint. The open floor plan gave visual access to nearly everything, including the spectacular view afforded by the back windows. Rough-hewn polished pine stairs led to a bedroom loft. Comfy-looking leather chairs the color of melting caramel flanked a river-stone fireplace. Bookshelves stocked with leather-bound editions stretched floor to ceiling on the opposite wall. There was no stuffy furniture, no

useless dust catchers beyond a red and gold military insignia framed and displayed on the  mantel. A lion devouring a snake.

A thump from above snapped me out of my decor ogling. I focused on the little pile of luggage near the foot of the stairs, and I slung a dark leather designer overnight bag onto my shoulder.

When I bent to pick up a sleek silver suitcase, there was a blur of motion, the force of which swept my wet hair over my eyes. I lurched to my feet, pulling the damp strands out of my face, just in time to find Mr. Sutherland snatching the case out of my hands.

“You do not touch this case,” he said sternly, shoving a pristine white towel into my hands. He swept across the room to blot my puddle from the floor with a clean cloth. “I am responsible for transporting this case to Ophelia Lambert at midnight four nights from now—a deadline that your tardiness has put in jeopardy, I might add. Therefore, only I touch the case.”

“But—”

“Only I touch the case,” he said.

I was starting to suspect that he had unnatural feelings for that case.

I raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to be handcuffing it to your arm?”

“Very amusing, Miss Puckett,” he said, looking me up and down. “Of course, I’m forced to assume that you are the Miss Puckett described in Miss Scanlon’s correspondence, since you have not, in fact, introduced yourself to me.”

Something about the way his silky voice slid over my skin triggered my “authority figure” complex. And suddenly, I was having some very unwelcome, very naughty images of Mr. Sutherland and his hypothetical handcuffs.

“Oh, right, sorry. Hi, I’m Miranda Puckett. I’m the driver for Beeline.” I reached out my hand to shake, a hand that he pointedly ignored as he swept past me.

Shocked by his rudeness, I merely followed in his wake, muttering to myself. “Nice to meet you, too. Oh, yes, I’m sure we’re going to end up lifelong friends after this road trip. We’re off to such a great start. Feel like I’ve known you my whole life,” I grumbled, toting the bags to the car while he checked and rechecked the locks on his front door. “And I’m talking to myself again. Super.”

I stared at the warm, dry house with longing. A kinder client might have offered me use of the restroom or even coffee. But I was hardly in a position to ask for perks.

To add insult to injury, my tardiness and the weather ruined my plans to introduce Mr. Sutherland to the fabulous features of the Batmobile, which I’d thoroughly rehearsed with a very patient Jane. A decommissioned Council vehicle that Iris had purchased for a song at auction, the Batmobile was built for comfort and safety. While it looked like a mild-mannered SUV from the outside, the Batmobile boasted a light-tight cubby that took up most of the

rear compartment’s floorboard, like a compact coffin, allowing the passenger to ride comfortably while I drove us in full sun. Tucked between the front seats sat a cunning little cooler/warmer for blood. It worked a bit like a bottle steamer, using hot water on a timed switch to bring the blood to an even 98.6. The windows were tinted with SPF 500 film so that he would be safe inside the cab if necessary.

I’d become familiar with those features on the three- (OK, four-) day drive to pick up Mr. Sutherland. I’d planned to make him familiar with them before we started the drive back to Half-Moon Hollow so he could deliver a parcel to an official with the World Council for the Equal Treatment of the Undead. But clearly, Mr. Sutherland preferred that we just get on the road. I couldn’t blame him, I supposed. We absolutely, positively had to be back on time, or

Mr. Sutherland would not be paid . . . which meant that Iris would not be paid . . . which meant that I would not be paid . . . which would be upsetting.

Using the boatload of upper-body strength it took to close the rear door, I slammed it down. I noticed a pale flash out of the corner of my eye at the last minute. The gate came crashing down on Mr. Sutherland’s fingers with a sickening crunch.

This was a hallucination. I could not be looking at a vampire’s hand caught in a car door, crushed like something out of an Itchy and Scratchy cartoon. I clapped my hands over my mouth and let out a horrified shriek.

“Open the bloody gate!” he roared.

I scrambled for the key fob and clicked it, popping the door open. Mr. Sutherland groaned and flexed his mangled fingers, bent at bizarre angles, obviously broken in several places. Sure, they would fix themselves rapidly with his vampire healing, but it would hurt like a bitch.

“I’m sorry!” I cried, rushing forward to help him. He hissed like a cat and turned his back on me. “Shit! I’m so sorry!”

“Language, Miss Puckett,” he growled over his shoulder. “Did you not see that my hand was in the way?” He grunted as his fingers stretched and snapped back into their proper places.

“Not until the last minute,” I said. “Why didn’t you move your hand when you saw I was closing the door?”

“I thought you would stop the door,” he shot back.

“How was I supposed to do that? I don’t have vampire reflexes!”

“From now on, I will keep your limitations in mind,” he seethed, and pivoted on his heel toward the car door.

Link continuing the excerpt to XOXO After Dark:

http://xoxoafterdark.com/2014/07/14/pocket-star-e-nights-driving-mr-dead-molly-harper/?mcd=z_140721_MHarp_PSEN

US residents only, please

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Spotlight and Giveaway: Pocket Star Gives You Rock Stars, Vampires, and Geeks appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

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May Contain Spoilers

Review:

ZOMG! I loved this book!  It’s got a more than capable protagonist, an ill-fated love interest, and, quite possibly, a world ending plague.  Yeah!  I can’t resist this stuff.  There’s great action, three sexy guys, and an interesting murder mystery.  The only thing it doesn’t have?  An ending.  So, yes, it got a knock for that.

Emberly is a phoenix.  She’s working as a secretary at research lab, deciding that in this lifetime, she’ll take things easy.  No derring-do or premature death for her this time around!  She wants to life her normal 100 year lifespan, without the unpleasantness of an early, painful death.  This time, her soul mate, Rory, is the thrill seeker, and they’ve agreed that one risk taker in the family is enough.  If they both die prematurely, that’s it.  No more rebirths, no more re-dos, and no more life.  If both of them are killed, they cease to exist, so they’ve made a pact.  Only one of them is allowed to be reckless per lifetime.

Heh.  Only trouble follows Em like a swarm of mosquitoes on a hot, humid day.  She can’t escape it.  After having a dream that her former lover, Sam, is murdered in the shadiest part of town, she can’t help but go and save him.  While she doesn’t have premonitions very often, and she’s learned the hard way to ignore them, she just can’t sit back and let Sam die.  He’s the love of this lifetime, and even though there are still bad feelings between them, five years after their breakup, she is compelled to save him.  This selfless act hurls her into so much danger that I think she should immediately form a new pact with herself – don’t rescue ex-boyfriends, because the only reward you get is trouble!

Sam and Em broke up because he caught her with Rory, and not understanding her nature, he accused her of cheating on him.  Phoenixes are cursed.  They journey from lifetime to lifetime with their soul mate, but they are destined to never, ever love them.  Instead, they have a love of each lifetime, but those relationships are fated to end miserably.  Sam is Em’s once in this lifetime, and she’s never going to get over him.  I don’t want to give away all of characteristics of the phoenixes, because I enjoyed learning about them so much, but I will say that if Rory and Em part permanently during one of their lives, they simply fade away, so the other is essential to their very existence.  Sigh.   What a major bummer.  Always finding that one perfect guy for yourself, but then always losing him because he can’t deal with what you are and what you need. 

Sam is a cop, and he’s investigating a deadly virus that either kills victims outright, or turns them into murderous monsters.  When Em’s boss is murdered, she’s drawn further into the case.  Her boss, Dr Baltimore, was working on a cure for the virus, and Em was transcribing his notes.  A boring job, but one that paid well.  With a darker, more sinister Sam leading the investigation, Em can’t help but get tangled up in the search for the murderer, especially when the murderer thinks she might have the professor’s missing notebooks.  Soon all kinds of nasty things are after her, but she’s determined to find out who – or  what – is behind the virus and the murder of her boss before they murder her too.  With the help of a private investigator, the lascivious fire fae, Jackson, she’s on the fast track to an extremely short lifespan. 

I could not put Fireborn down.  I even got a little resentful when I had to put down my Kindle to run errands.  I thought the pacing was spot on, and the world-building seemed natural and I found it interesting.  I enjoyed getting the story from Em’s POV – she’s got a great voice and made an entertaining narrator.  The only reason Fireborn isn’t getting an A is because it doesn’t have an ending, and you all know how much I hate that!  I am looking forward to the second book in the series, because this was a winner for me.

Grade:  B+

Review copy provided by publisher

Be sure to check out all of the stops on the tour.

Here is yesterday’s stop – ON STARSHIPS AND DRAGONWINGS

And here is tomorrow’s stop  FANG-TASTIC BOOKS

From Amazon:

 

From New York Times bestselling author Keri Arthur comes a brand-new series featuring heroine Emberly Pearson—a phoenix capable of taking on human form and cursed with the ability to foresee death….

Emberly has spent a good number of her many lives trying to save humans. So when her prophetic dreams reveal the death of Sam, a man she once loved, she does everything in her power to prevent it from happening. But in saving his life, she gets more than she bargained for.

Sam is working undercover for the Paranormal Investigations Team, and those who are trying to murder him are actually humans infected by a plaguelike virus, the Crimson Death—a by-product of a failed government experiment intended to identify the enzymes that make vampires immortal. Now all those infected must be eliminated.

But when Emberly’s boss is murdered and his irreplaceable research stolen, she needs to find the guilty party before she goes down in flames….

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[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Gail Z Martin] Writer, author, scribe, imaginer, storyteller.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Deadly Curiosities?

 

[Gail Z Martin] Deadly Curiosities takes place in historic, haunted Charleston. Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun 350 years ago – acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market.

When a trip to a haunted hotel unearths a statue steeped in malevolent power, and a string of murders draws a trail to an abandoned section of the old Navy yard, Cassidy and Sorren discover a diabolical plot to unleash a supernatural onslaught on their city.

It’s time for Kincaide and her team to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

The novel will be out in June in bookstores everywhere and online. I also have a free novella, The Final Death, set in the Deadly Curiosities world that’s available free on Wattpad here: http://www.wattpad.com/story/15334006-the-final-death. And I write short stories in the Deadly Curiosities universe (including several time periods in the past) available on Kindle, Kobo and Nook, with more to come.

[Manga Maniac Cafe]  How did you come up with the concept and characters?

[Gail Z Martin] I visited Charleston a few years back for a conference, and then took my family back for a longer visit. It’s a beautiful place with a rich history and a lot of scandal and salaciousness beneath all the propriety. I loved the city, and I realized that it hadn’t been overdone as an urban fantasy setting. I started brainstorming right then about what kind of a series would be a good fit. Charleston’s one of the most haunted cities in the US, so ghosts fit right in, along with other supernatural creatures. An antique/curio shop also was a natural, because Charleston is full of them, and it would be the obvious place to bring an old, haunted object. From there, the characters took on a life of their own.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with the story?

[Gail Z Martin] I wouldn’t say it was “trouble”, but Deadly Curiosities is my first series set in a real place in the modern time, so that means I can’t just make everything up! It required deciding what elements to make fictitious and where to draw on real people/places/history. And it also took a lot of research and fact-checking!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Gail Z Martin] A book to read. I don’t mind waiting in line if I’ve got a book.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Gail Z Martin] Cup of coffee, smartphone, to-do list.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Gail Z Martin] My dogs. They have it good! Lounge around all day, go for a walk, be waited on paw-and-paw, then on to evening snuggling while watching TV. That’s the life!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] You have been granted the use of one superpower for one week.  Which power would you choose, and what would you do with it?

[Gail Z Martin] Super-speed (as long as it came with super-dexterity), so I could finally get caught up on everything I need to do!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Gail Z Martin] Lately I’ve been alternating through the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher and the Secret Histories series by Simon R. Green. (You can actually see most of what I’ve read in the last couple of years on Goodreads. It’s missing older stuff and some ebooks, but it’s got 500 or so of my latest reads!)

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Gail Z Martin] You can find me at www.DeadlyCuriosities.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com. I lead monthly conversations on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin and post free excerpts on Wattpad http://wattpad.com/GailZMartin.

Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles & Folly, an antique/curio store and high-end pawn shop in Charleston, South Carolina that is more than what it seems. Dangerous magical and supernatural items sometimes find their way into mortal hands or onto the market, and Cassidy is part of a shadowy Alliance of mortals and mages whose job it is to take those deadly curiosities out of circulation.

Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670—acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history. Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500 year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

About the author: Gail Z. Martin writes epic and urban fantasy, steampunk and short stories. She is the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series, the Fallen Kings Cycle series and the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga series of epic fantasy books, as well as the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy world and coming in 2015, Iron and Blood, a Steampunk novel, co-written with Larry N. Martin. Gail is a frequently contributor to US and UK anthologies. She also writes two series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures

When she’s not writing, Gail also enjoys reading, cooking, watching anime and Dr. Who, and hanging out with her husband, kids and dogs.

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Title: Blood Magic
Series: Soul Tracker #1
Author: T.G. Ayer
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication: April 28th, 2014 by Infinite Ink Books

My name is Mel Morgan and I’m a Tracker. I find people for a living. The people I help have no idea I know exactly how they feel because I’ve lost someone too. If only I could have found the one person I’ve been looking for all these years.

My current case is no ordinary abduction. Before long I’m neck deep in blood magic – the worst kind. I need the help of a necromancer if I’m to free the kid. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.

When sexy djinn Saleem asks for help things get a little hot to handle. But how can I say no? Dodging demons and sorcerers are just part of my day job.

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain crosseyed.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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[Manga Maniac Cafe] Good morning, Yolanda!  Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Yolanda Sfetsos] Passionate. Writer. Dreamer. Bibliophile. Strange.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Torn From the Shadows?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] Torn From the Shadows is the penultimate book in my Sierra Fox UF series. Six months have gone by since the end of On Pins and Needles, and Sierra is headed into a new adventure.

A lot of bad things happen to Sierra and the people she cares about the most in this installment. There are several things she needs to do that she’s reluctant to deal with, and wishes she could put off. But her life has become one complicated problem after another, so Sierra knows she needs to roll with the punches.

Her relationship with Papan is deeper, as is her connection with her half-sister. Oh, and we finally find out what her grandmother’s secret really means.

Also, if you were wondering about Papan’s werewolf past, this is when it comes back to bite him in the worst possible way.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] I wrote the first draft during NaNoWriMo 2012, so I enjoyed writing it while taking part in something I try to do every year. Besides, I love returning to Sierra’s world.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with this story?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] Some of the things that Papan and Sierra go through as a couple, because as great as their relationship is…there’s always something/someone ready to screw things up.

There’s also a character that I really like that goes through a bit of a transformation in this book, and I felt sorry for him/her.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had a theme song, what would it be?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] Oh gosh, this is a good question…but I don’t think I have a theme song. Though when I asked my husband, he reckons it’s the Wonder Woman theme song. You know the one from the old TV series? LMAO.

That’s probably because I love WW, and enjoy humming the tune.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without? 

[Yolanda Sfetsos] I never leave without my USB drive. I take that thing with me everywhere! I don’t like carrying handbags and usually fill my pockets with what I need—keys, lip balm, phone and USB.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Yolanda Sfetsos] My Galaxy Note 3, my journal and a pencil case full of coloured pens!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] You know, I’m going to be boring and say that I wouldn’t want to trade places with anyone. I always cringe when I read/watch stories where people switch bodies or are possessed by someone/something else. It makes me uncomfortable. So, no, I wouldn’t do the trade thing. Not even for one day.

Well, unless it was with Wonder Woman.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] I just caught up on The Walking Dead comic books, so I really enjoyed those. But the one book that really stands out right now is WRITTEN IN RED by Anne Bishop. I borrowed it from the library and absolutely loved it. So much that I ordered the paperback version. It was an outstanding UF story!

Oh, and I read the first Nikki Heat book by Richard Castle, which I enjoyed a lot.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Yolanda Sfetsos] Here are my links:

Website: http://www.yolandasfetsos.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/yolandasfetsos

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/yolandasfetsos

I try to blog as often as I can and keep my website up to date, but if you want to catch up with me and have a chat, you can find me on Twitter. I stop by every single day.

Thanks for having me over!

[Manga Maniac Café] Thank you!

AUTHOR BIO:

Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.

Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.

BOOK BLURB:

All it takes is one goddess-affiliated demon to seal the deal.

Sierra Fox, Book 4

Sierra Fox knows better than to believe the demon-obsessed freakshow has given up on her. She’s settled into a nice routine of living with her sister, enjoying her relationship with a sexy werewolf, and staying on top of work—and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Predictably, things start falling apart as she’s suddenly swamped with surprise visits and unwanted advances, and someone she despises wants her help.

When a spook-catching training session goes horribly wrong, she encounters a man who’s not quite as dead as she’d hoped. Mace is now more than human and still determined to get his hands on her. But not if Sierra accepts the strengthening gifts her grandmother bestowed at her birth. 

Having the good guys put a price on her head is enough to ruin anyone’s day, but Sierra refuses to give up or give in. Even if it means exercising the last option on earth she wants. But claiming the ultimate power may not be enough to save the man she loves before his werewolf past destroys him.

Warning: Phantasms, pookas, werewolves, and demons, oh yes! And a spook-catching heroine who must choose to take what’s rightfully hers—even if it means walking the shadows with a demon.

TORN FROM THE SHADOWS is now available from Samhain Publishing.

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[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Angela Dennis] Charming, sarcastic, introvert who writes.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Shadows of Fate?

[Angela Dennis] I would love to. Shadows of Fate is an Urban Fantasy with strong romantic elements. It revolves around Brenna, a Shadow Bearer from an alternate plane of reality, who has been banished to earth after losing control of her powers. She works as a hunter, policing the supernatural misfits that spilled on to the Earthly plane during a cataclysmic war. When she meets her new partner, something sparks her suspicions. Particularly when the people closest to her start turning up as piles of ash. As an attraction deeper than blood or bone flares between them, they must work together to put together the pieces of a killer’s macabre puzzle and avoid becoming the final victims.

[Manga Maniac Cafe]  Can you share your favorite scene?

[Angela Dennis] There are so many. Telling you about my favorite scene would give away one of the biggest twists in the book, so how about my second favorite scene? One scene that always makes me smile is right after Gray has spent his first night at the boarding house. All of the residents have piled into the kitchen for breakfast and are deciding what to do with him. I have a soft spot for all of the secondary characters in this book, and this is a scene where you really get to see their quirkiness and how they interact.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with the story.

[Angela Dennis] The relationship between Brenna and Gray. I wanted it to unravel in an organic way. Because of this, and because I made the reasons keeping them apart so complex, they have a lot of issues to work through.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Angela Dennis] Coffee. I have a serious issue. My husband has tried to intervene a few times, but now he just hands me my mug.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Angela Dennis] Coffee, a Yoda bobble head (which everyone should have), and my cat (he’s a permanent fixture).

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Angela Dennis] My son. He is a special little boy, with very special needs, so it would be fantastic to understand how he experiences life so I can relate to and with him more effectively.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] You have been granted the use of one superpower for one week.  Which power would you choose, and what would you do with it?

[Angela Dennis] Time Travel. I’m a huge history buff. I would love to go back and experience pivotal moments in the past (not interfere…just experience).

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Angela Dennis] Right after I sold Shadows of Fate, my editor at the time suggested that I read Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series. Never one to ignore good advice, I immediately picked up the first book. I couldn’t stop reading until I had finished the series. There are so many things I love about it. But her world building is incredible. I was spell bound.

The most recent book I finished was Kim Harrison’s the Undead Pool. It was a great book, but reading it was bittersweet. The series is drawing to a close, and I’m not ready for it to end.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Angela Dennis] They can find me on Twitter @angeladennis, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorangeladennis?ref=hl , Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com/angeladennis779/ and Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7770902.Angela_Dennis

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

Shadows of Fate

Shadow Born

Book 1

Angela Dennis

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Date of Publication: April 8, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61921-927-4

Number of pages: 247

Word Count: 87,000

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Samhain Kobo Amazon BN

Chapters iTunes Amazon.es

Tagline: Redemption lies beyond the veil between truth and lies.

Book Description:

After witnessing her husband’s brutal murder, Brenna Baudouin lost control of her Shadow Bearer powers and wreaked havoc on her home world. Her penance: one hundred years policing hordes of supernatural misfits that spilled onto the Earthly plane after a cataclysmic war.

She’s on a routine exorcism run when she learns she’s been assigned a new partner. But there’s something about this Shadow Bearer that sparks her suspicions. Particularly when people closest to her start turning up as piles of ash.

Gray Warlow holds tight to the glamour that allows him to get close to the woman on whom he plans to wreak vengeance for betraying his people. Yet as he skillfully manipulates his way past her distrust, he begins to see her not as the heartless monster he was led to believe, but a strong, vulnerable woman.

As they work to put together the pieces of a killer’s macabre puzzle, an attraction deeper than blood and bone flares between them. And they must reveal their deepest secrets to avoid becoming the final targets.

Warning: A thrill ride of supernatural proportions. Contains violent battle scenes, nail-biting suspense, crazy hot sexual tension, and enough twists and turns to make your head spin.

Excerpt:

Copyright © 2014 Angela Dennis

All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

Her gaze stretched to the bar. Beneath the glittering liquor bottles and burnt oak, a bottle of Jack in one hand and Grey Goose in the other, stood her target. Dirty blond hair brushed past his eyebrows, the rest tied back in a rubber band. He seemed innocent enough. As he flipped a glass bottle behind his back, muscles rippling on his shirtless body, magic seeped from his skin. It flowed around the women stretched across the bar, their assets on display as well as their lust.

Thankfully, he didn’t get much bang for his buck. This one was weak. Newly possessed, the demon hadn’t had time to gain a strong enough lock on the victim’s body. This shouldn’t take long. The piles of paperwork she had left on her desk might even get done tonight.

She pushed through the crowd, stripping her leather duster off her shoulders as she went. The black corset underneath, paired with tight leather pants, flattered her figure. She turned heads, especially the demon’s. She released the hair tie at the back of her neck. With a quick shake, her burnt copper curls slid down to her waist. She stopped at one of the tiny tables and threw her coat across the barstool.

Eyes closed, she pretended the music was something more aesthetically pleasing as she stepped onto the dance floor, keeping her mark at the forefront of her mind. She felt his eyes on her body as she swayed to the music. Hips gyrating to the heavy beat, she pulled on her glamour to blend in with the other dancers as she let her magic wrap his body. Losing herself in the music, she let him watch her move, feeling his desire amp. His energy vibrated as he made his way through the crowd, his power wild.

His hands draped her hips and he pulled her to him, his magic sliding over her body. Darkness tinged her aura, but she shrugged it off. Dealing with demon magic never got easier, but his wasn’t powerful. Grinning, she wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him close until her lips brushed his ear. His burning skin jumped against her touch.

They stilled for a moment as the DJ switched tracks. “Think you could get me a drink?” she breathed, brushing a hand down his bare back. “I’m thirsty.” She grinned as he nodded, eager, the demon jumping beneath his skin.

“Anything for you, darlin’.” He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, moving her toward the bar. “What’s your poison?”

“Whiskey. Straight.”

A grin played on his lips. “My kinda woman.”

Pushing past the other bartender, he grabbed a bottle of Jack and poured her shot. She caught it as it slid across the splintered wooden bar. Tossing it back, she reveled in the slow burn of the liquor. It was an old favorite. Just cause she was working didn’t mean she couldn’t treat herself.

She tossed back a second shot, thankful she didn’t have the ability to get drunk. Giving the demon her best longing look, she leaned forward. “Thanks. I needed that,” she murmured. “What’s your name?”

“Zed.”

Leaning forward, she traced a finger down her cleavage. “Do you think you could give me a ride home, Zed?” she asked. She bit one finger in a nervous gesture, knowing he was buying it. “My friend went home with some guy and left me here. I can wait.”

His eyes flashed, and she knew she had him.

“Sure.” He glanced at the other bartender. “Give me a second. I got off an hour ago.”

Sure you did, she thought.

A few seconds later he was back, pulling on a t-shirt as he walked. The gesture was surprisingly human. With the demon hiding inside, the brimstone dancing in his blood would keep his body uncomfortably hot, eventually burning him alive from the inside out. It may be the middle of winter, but he would never feel the cold.

He held up his keys as she rose to meet him. “My truck’s out back.”

She moved closer, letting him drape an arm over her shoulder. “Let me grab my coat.” The duster was where she had left it. She draped it over her arms as she turned on her psychic link with Xavier. The mage accepted, and Brenna turned to the demon, knowing Xavier was watching through her eyes. At this point, the mark’s lust was so inflamed he wouldn’t notice the slight change of color in her irises.

Wrapping her free arm around Zed’s waist, she led him through the mass of patrons to the exit. As they stepped into the wintry air, she noticed the bikers again. They stood beside their Harleys, watching her warily as she passed. She worried the tension might give her away, but Zed was oblivious.

She led him over the cobblestone to where Xavier waited. As they closed in on the shadows, she could feel Zed’s eagerness spike.

The darkness moved over them, hiding them from prying eyes. Xavier’s power sang in the night, a compass pointing her to the van. Leaving Zed to follow behind, she moved to the gray van and pressed her back against its side. Zed moved toward her, all pretense of humanity stripped away. The graceless stride betrayed his hunger as green scales peeled away his skin and his eyes turned to blood red slits.

Brenna waited until he was on her, scales chaffing the sensitive skin of her face, then she dropped her glamour. The demon jerked back as her magic wrapped around his body, but it was too late. In one swift movement, she pulled the blade strapped to her back free and ripped the already tattered t-shirt away from his chest. Shifting her body weight, she slammed him against the vehicle even as his body mass grew, the demon pushing its way to the surface. One hand held Zed steady, the other slipped beneath his jeans to feel the skin of his hip.

“A little to the left,” the demon growled, body shaking, titillated despite itself.

He shifted his weight and slammed her against the brick wall behind her. His body pressed hard against hers, he ran a scaly tongue across her cheek. “You don’t have to get hostile, darlin’. I don’t mind if you like it rough.”

She let her power surge and kneed him in the crotch. Sparks flew as her spell sent him flying against the van. Keeping him in place with a holding spell, her fingers found the rune carved on his hip. She ripped away the denim as she tried to control the squirming demon.

“A little help?” she called out. She had pulled back the spell. Her full body weight was pressed against the demon, but he was starting to get free. Her magic had to be focused on breaking the possession; she couldn’t waste it restraining Casanova.

She released the demon as Xavier stepped from the shadows and slammed it against the van again. Subdued, the creature glared at them, its red eyes filled with hatred. Another hard slam dazed the creature, but only for a moment.

A flick of her hand and the back of the van opened. Xavier shoved Zed inside. As soon as he was strapped into the harness, Brenna ripped off his jeans. His hips now bare, she was able to see the rune carving, fresh as she had hoped.

Her ceremonial blade pulsed in her hand as she charged it with her energy.

Zed spit at her. The saliva sizzled across the corset, burning a hole in the leather.

Damn. That had been one of her favorites.

“Stuff something in its mouth. I need to concentrate.”

“Deal with it. Even in the harness this thing is a bitch to restrain.” White lines creased Xavier’s eyes, and Brenna worried his injuries were more severe than he let on.

Zed’s fingers began to work the trappings of the harness, but Xavier pulled him back, one arm around his scaly neck. In an explosion of power, Zed pulled free, knocking Xavier into the side of the van. Saliva dripping from his fangs, Zed growled at Brenna, and snapped the other wrist free. Jumping across the van, he pinned Brenna beneath him. Spittle fell from his lips, scorching its way across her skin. She pressed her palm against his face and pushed with all her strength, ignoring her burning flesh. Then, suddenly, he was gone.

Getting to her feet, she saw Xavier had strapped the beast back into the restraints.

“You got it?” Once she started, she wouldn’t be able to help him anymore. All of her energy would go into the exorcism.

“Yeah. Hurry.”

A sharp giggle jarred Brenna’s attention. Looking up, she caught Hilda peering through the glass from the front seat. “If he passes out, I can help.”

“This isn’t a game.”

Zed slammed against his restraints. “I like ghosts. They burn like whiskey going down.”

“Shut up,” Xavier growled.

Tuning them out, Brenna let the words of the exorcism spell spill from her lips. Her hand pressed against the rune on the demon’s hip. The carving glowed and the green light grew until it filled the van.

Zed fought against the restraints. Obscenities, the kind only a demon would know or understand, ricocheted throughout the vehicle.

Xavier stuck a thick leather strap in the demon’s mouth, cutting off his tirade.

Brenna gathered her magic. It pooled through her and into the athame as she sliced the silver blade into the center of the rune. Blood seeped from the wound, spilling over the green light. It exploded with power, slamming Brenna against the van. Xavier fared better, still wrapped around the demon. He was surrounded by a musty green steam that reeked of brimstone.

Continuing the chant, Brenna pulled a pouch of blessed sand from the crevice between her breasts. Throwing a pinch onto the rune, she banished the demon back behind the Veil. Golden steam rose from the wound. It twined around Brenna thick and dense, but she continued to chant even as its foulness tried to seep inside her mouth.

Darkness teased the edges of her vision for a few moments, then the warmth of Xavier’s power wrapped around her body like a shield, pushing out the demonic essence. Time stood still as the final words filled the air. Then, in a flash, the beast was gone.

About the Author:

Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.

You can visit Angela at her blog www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com or at her website www.angeladennisauthor.com . She loves to hear from her readers, so find her on Twitter for a chat @angeladennis

https://twitter.com/AngelaDennis

https://www.facebook.com/angela.dennis.7798

http://www.pinterest.com/angeladennis779/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26267274-angela-dennis

www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com

www.angeladennisauthor.com

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1 prize pack featuring a copy of Shadows of Fate, book swag (bookmarks) and coffee.

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Aisi Turay has it all under control.

At least, she thinks she does. Forget that the most popular girl in school hates her guts and will stop at nothing to embarrass her. Forget that her little brother is tormented by the ghosts and demons she sees all the time. Forget that her mom is a con artist who pretends to be psychic to make some cash. Forget that her dad is hiding a secret than can destroy everything she knows about herself. Nope, she’s got this one…until that one awful day when she nearly loses it all.

With ghost-hunting hottie Vance, a guy who stumbled into her life at the worst possible moment, Aisi must search for the messages hidden in visions and memories to protect her family. Maybe, just maybe, they can reclaim what she thought was lost forever.

File Size: 376 KB
Print Length: 255 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615838650
Publisher: Julianne Hiatt Caldwell; 1 edition (May 30, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00D4C4HOQ

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I have a cover reveal for Attack the Geek by Michael R Underwood this morning – what do you think of it?  Are you reading the Ree Reyes series?  How is it?

ATTACK THE GEEK

By: Michael R. Underwood

Publisher: Pocket Star

ISBN: 9781476757780 (Ebook)

Price: $2.99 (Ebook)

Pub Date: 4/7/2014

For buy links go to:

http://books.simonandschuster.com/Attack-the-Geek/Michael-R-Underwood/9781476757780

As with Geekomancy (pop culture magic!) and its sequel Celebromancy (celebrity magic!), Attack of the Geek is perfect for anyone who wants to visit a world “where all the books and shows and movies and games [that you] love are a source of power, not only in psychological terms, but in practical, villain-pounding ones” (Marie Brennan, award-winning author of the Onyx Court Series).

Book Description:

A short tale in the Geekomancy universe, a “side-quest” in geek speak. Book #2.5 in the series.

Ree Reyes is working her regular barista/drink-slinger shift at Grognard’s, the all in one bar/gamer shop, slinging drinks for the geekomancers of the city’s underground who have come to test their skills in virtual battle via RPGs like D&D, Magic, White Wolf, etc. It’s a good gig, and all the usuals are there: her, her ex-mentor Eastwood, Drake (the man-out-of-time adventurer), and of course Grognard himself (her boss, and someone who brews beer that also act as magic potions). It’s the presence of these “usuals” that probably gets them in trouble. For, a nemesis from Eastwood and Ree’s past decides to finally take her revenge not just on those two, but on every self-styled “hero” in the city who happen to be there.

As wave after wave of monsters besieges Grogrnard’s store, Ree and company must band together to defend their positions and then, hopefully, escape. And while getting out of the store alive was a good start, it really only got them trapped in a diabolical maze that only a really, really vindictive arch-villain could create. If Ree and crew are going to survive, they’re going to have to work together. And avoid the minotaur.

About Author:

Michael R. Underwood is the author of Geekomancy, Celebromancy, Attack the Geek, and the forthcoming Younger Gods and Shield and Crocus. By day, he’s the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. Mike grew up devouring stories in all forms, from comics to video games, tabletop RPGs, movies, and books. He has a BA in Creative Mythology and East Asian Studies, and an MA in Folklore Studies. Mike has been a bookseller, a barista, a game store cashwrap monkey, and an independent publishers’ representative. Mike lives in Baltimore with his girlfriend, an ever-growing library, and a super-team of dinosaur figurines & stuffed animals. In his rapidly vanishing free time, he studies historical martial arts and makes homemade pizza. Mike blogs at MichaelRUnderwood.com/blog and Tweets @MikeRUnderwood.

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May Contain Spoilers

Review:

While I love Urban Fantasy, I don’t often have the opportunity to read much of the genre because so many of the titles currently being released are part of a longer, multi-volume series, or, when a book comes along that I think is interesting, I just don’t have time to fit it into my jam-packed reading schedule.  I had seen several positive reviews for Night Owls, so I determined to make the time to read Lauren M Roy’s debut novel.  I’m so glad I did!  This is such a fun read, and it clicked for me within just the first few pages.  I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just a few hours.

 

Valerie is a battle weary vampire, who has settled down as far away from California and the terrible memories that still  haunt her ten years after a monster hunting mission gone bad.  Now the proprietor of a late night bookstore, Night Owls, she’s made herself comfortable in a small college town, making a new life, and new friends, for herself.  When Elly races into town, she destroys the peace that Val has built around herself.  After one of her most loyal customers is murdered, Val is determined to find out the reason for his death.  What she does is open a whole giant can of worms that threatens everything and everyone she loves.

Wow!  I loved the characters!  Val is a total badass, when she finally gives in and starts fighting the supernatural enemies plaguing her small town.  Elly is, too, but she has to rely on her wits and her training to get out of her scrapes.  She’s only human, after all, even if she has been taught since childhood how to track and neutralize Jackals, scary flesh eating monsters that prey on humans.  Cavale rocked, too!  I want him to have his own freaking book!  I wish he had had a larger role in the story – and don’t get me wrong, he had lots of page time, but I liked him so much I wanted to know more about him.  Val’s friend (he’s more like a vassal), Chaz was adorable, even though he has a lot to learn about fighting and slaying monsters. 

Things go to crap for Val after Justin, one of her employees, takes a peek inside the ancient book Professor Clearwater sends to her for safekeeping.  Justin’s been given strict instructions that no one is to open the book without Professor Clearwater there.  Oops!  Curiosity really does kill the cat! Kind of serves Justin right to trigger a ward on the book and have all of its magic jump right into him.  That is one complication that Val didn’t need, and when a pack of Jackals come to Night Owls, demanding the return of the book and its magic, she knows that they are in for the fight of their lives.

I am trying very hard not to gush about this read, but I can’t help myself.  It is FUN with all capital letters, and I can’t wait to read more by Roy.  The fight scenes are exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat, the paranormal characters are blast – I enjoyed being introduced to all of them, the good, the bad, and the indifferent to Val’s dire problem.  The story takes place over only a few days, but what a danger, adventure filled period that is!  Because Val is a vampire, her fatal flaw, as well as the Jackals, is that they can’t be out after sunrise.  That’s what makes loyal humans like Chaz so valuable.  There are many tasks that need to be completed during the daylight hours, so Val has a trusted agent take care of them.  When Chaz ends up a pawn in the quest for the magic in Justin’s head, Val becomes a very grumpy, and very anxious, vampire.  The Jackals will do anything to get back their book, and Val knows that there’s a deadline to rescuing Chaz.

If you are in the mood for a fast, action-packed read, filled with things that go bump in the night, look no further.  Night Owls is a blast, and I can’t wait for more adventures with Val, Elly, Chaz, and Cavale.

Grade:  B+/A-

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

About the book:

Night Owls bookstore is the one spot on campus open late enough to help out even the most practiced slacker. The employees’ penchant for fighting the evil creatures of the night is just a perk…

Valerie McTeague’s business model is simple: provide the students of Edgewood College with a late-night study haven and stay as far away as possible from the underworld conflicts of her vampire brethren. She’s experienced that life, and the price she paid was far too high for her to ever want to return.

Elly Garrett hasn’t known any life except that of fighting the supernatural beings known as Creeps or Jackals. But she always had her mentor and foster father by her side—until he gave his life protecting a book that the Creeps desperately want to get their hands on.

When the book gets stashed at Night Owls for safekeeping, those Val holds nearest and dearest are put in mortal peril. Now Val and Elly will have to team up, along with a mismatched crew of humans, vampires, and lesbian succubi, to stop the Jackals from getting their claws on the book and unleashing unnamed horrors…

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Please welcome Lauren Roy to the virtual offices this morning!  She brought along a copy of her brand new book, Night Owls,  for one of you to win!  Please check back later today for my review of Night Owls.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Describe yourself in five words or less.

[Lauren] Writer, bookseller, gamer, geek.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Night Owls?

[Lauren] Val just wants to spend her unlife running a late-night bookstore in a sleepy college town and forget her past as a monster hunter. Unfortunately for her, a girl named Elly leads the monsters to her door.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Lauren] I worked in an independent bookstore through high school and college, which comes through a lot with Val and Chaz.

The Creeps took a while to come together in my head — for a while, they were just threatening, faceless figures, until I had a weird dream about these jackal-like creatures wreaking havoc on Boston’s Green Line trains. Combine that with a story snippet of a girl who stole a book from monsters, and what they were and what they were after finally clicked.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

[Lauren] I had a lot of fun with Chaz’ voice. He’s a bit of a smartass, but that gets him into trouble on occasion.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What gave you the most trouble with this story?

[Lauren] Sometimes it was tough getting into Elly’s head. She plays things close to the vest because she’s  both a little paranoid and afraid of getting hurt. Figuring out how she’d react to certain situations, what she’d say, what she’d only think, could be challenging.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had a theme song, what would it be?

[Lauren] Seanan McGuire’s “My Story Is Not Done.’

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What’s one thing you won’t leave home without?

[Lauren] A book. If I have down time, I’m reading.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name three things on your desk right now.

[Lauren] A cup of coffee, red pens, a cat.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you could trade places with anyone for just one day, who would you be?

[Lauren] Probably one of my cats. Napping in the sun all day? Yes please!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are some books that you enjoyed recently?

[Lauren] Chuck Wendig’s THE CORMORANT and NK Jemisin’s THE KILLING MOON are both excellent reads. For my day job, I also get to read books that aren’t on shelves yet. MR Carey’s THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS is one to look out for this summer.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Lauren] I’m a gamer — board games, video games, RPGs, you name it. I’m also learning to play guitar (poorly) and bake bread (not poorly).

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Lauren] I’m on Twitter as @falconesse, and I blog intermittently at http://falconesse.com . Come say hello!

Thank you for hosting me!

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

About the book:

Night Owls bookstore is the one spot on campus open late enough to help out even the most practiced slacker. The employees’ penchant for fighting the evil creatures of the night is just a perk…

Valerie McTeague’s business model is simple: provide the students of Edgewood College with a late-night study haven and stay as far away as possible from the underworld conflicts of her vampire brethren. She’s experienced that life, and the price she paid was far too high for her to ever want to return.

Elly Garrett hasn’t known any life except that of fighting the supernatural beings known as Creeps or Jackals. But she always had her mentor and foster father by her side—until he gave his life protecting a book that the Creeps desperately want to get their hands on.

When the book gets stashed at Night Owls for safekeeping, those Val holds nearest and dearest are put in mortal peril. Now Val and Elly will have to team up, along with a mismatched crew of humans, vampires, and lesbian succubi, to stop the Jackals from getting their claws on the book and unleashing unnamed horrors…

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Would-Be Witch (A Southern Witch Novel)

May Contain Spoilers

From Amazon:

In the small town of Duvall, Texas, the only thing that causes more trouble than gossip is magic.

The family magic seems to have skipped over Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets in the way of the supernatural are a few untimely visits from the long-dead, smart-mouthed family ghost Edie. But when her locket—an heirloom that happens to hold Edie’s soul—is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it’s time for Tammy to find her inner witch.

After a few bad experiences with her magic, Tammy turns to the only one who can help: the very rich and highly magical Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers, but the locket isn’t the only thing passed down in Tammy’s family. She also inherited a warning…to stay away from anyone named Lyons…

Review:

Would Be Witch is a very fun read.  I’m surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did because a love triangle, something that doesn’t usually work for me, is central to the plot.  I thought it was well done, and I could see Tammy Jo being conflicted over Bryn and Zach.  Bryn is new, off-limits, and dangerous, while Zach, her ex-husband, has been a steady anchor her entire life.  Marrying young, she quickly discovered that being his wife was a lot less romantic than being his girlfriend, so she filed for divorce, over his objections.  Their relationship is a hot mess, just like the rest of Tammy Jo’s life.  Maybe I liked the story so much because Tammy Jo is propelled from one crazy adventure to another, with hardly a moment to catch her breath. 

Things get started with Tammy Jo losing her job at the bakery.  Her pride won’t allow her to sell the cake she’s just slaved over to her old rival from her high school days.  She’s rather be unemployed and keep possession of said cake than  accept insults and a reduced price in exchange for her masterpiece.  She figures it will keep her fed for a few days until she finds a new job, anyway.  Then she’s involved in a fender bender, is robbed of a family heirloom, and is being stalked by werewolves.  Because Tammy Jo comes from a long line of witches, she takes everything in stride, except for losing the necklace that houses the soul of Edie, her great, great grandmother’s twin sister.  Devastated by the loss of her relative, she wishes that magic hadn’t skipped over her, because she really could have used the help tracking down the thieves and the stolen ghost.

This is a rollercoaster read.  Tammy Jo has to juggle Zach, a sheriff’s deputy, and Bryn, a warlock whose family she is supposed to have nothing to do with, for reasons unknown to her.  With her mom and her aunt both gone, she has no magical help, so she’s determined to use Bryn to assist her on the magic side.  She doesn’t realize that there are strict rules about magic and when it can be used, and unless she agrees to be his apprentice, he’s not letting her see any spells from his spell book!  I loved the back and forth between Tammy Jo and her suitors.  Zack is a good ole boy who doesn’t believe in magic or in Edie, and Bryn comes off as just a little shady.  I was always wondering whether he had her best interests at heart, and more often than not doubted that he did. 

In addition to the guys feuding over her, she’s also being pursued by a pack of very angry and vengeful werewolves.  They have accused her of killing one of their pack, and nothing she said allowed her to reason with them.  They are scary, murderous monsters, too, so every time Tammy Jo got a bug up her butt and decided that she had to go do something dangerous and foolish, I was stressed that the wolves would get a hold of her and tear her to shreds.  While I appreciated her courage and determination, there were a few times I wished she would just chill somewhere safe until someone could give her a helping hand.  At least she had Mercutio, her kitty companion, to rely on.  While I am usually a dog person, this cat was pretty cool, and I was a bit hopeful that he would start talking.  Instead, he gets into a lot of fights, so he really did have Tammy Jo’s back.

As the tangled and twisted tale unfolded, a few things became apparent.  One, that Tammy Jo really did need a keeper.  She is constantly getting herself into hot water, some of which she  can’t get back out of.  Two, nobody in her tiny town was trustworthy, and several people even had grudges against her, which made figuring out who to trust an impossible task.  And three, maybe magic hadn’t skipped her generation after all, leading her to so many more complications. With no one around to show her how to harness her magic, she just makes everything that she’s trying to fix that much worse.  Mix in a zombie, a visiting vampire, and an offended hairdresser, and Tammy Jo just doesn’t know what to do to keep herself safe and locate her missing necklace.

Would Be Witch is a fast paced and energetic read with fun characters and more danger than you can shake a stick at.  I am looking forward to Barely Bewitched, the next book in the series.

Grade:  B/B+

Review copy provided by author

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[Manga Maniac Cafe] Good morning, Kimberly!  Can you please describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

[Kimberly Frost] I’m an author who hails from the Midwest originally, but who moved south to outwit a series of wily snowstorms. Unfortunately, while I never have to scrape ice off my windshield in Texas, it turns out tropical storms and hurricanes are fairly fierce in the region.

I began writing as a kid and could never seem to quit. I should probably have outgrown my love of paranormal stories sometime around college, but it just never happened. Though I haven’t personally had any encounters with supernatural creatures, I suspect they are biding their time, waiting for the day I’m too old to be believed. This is why I’m always on the lookout. If any readers know of a good vampire café or werewolf-infested wood, I hope they will send me a message, preferably with a Google Map attached as I am hopeless at navigation without one.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Can you tell us a little about Would-Be Witch?

[Kimberly Frost] I’d love to.  Tammy Jo Trask is a small town girl from East Texas who has descended from a long line of witches. The family magic seems to have skipped over her until an heirloom locket is stolen. Now the soul of the family ghost (a 1920s flapper) is in jeopardy, and she has to turn to a gorgeous wizard for advice. Unfortunately, there’s a family prophecy that makes him off-limits. There’s a love triangle, an ocelot, and plenty of comedy and adventure as Tammy Jo’s spells go wrong throughout the story. In her defense, it’s not her fault that her magic malfunctions.

A blurb for the Southern Witch series:

In this “coming of age in the world of magic” story, urban fantasy meets humorous mystery in small-town Texas. Plucky pastry chef Tammy Jo Trask comes into her spell-casting powers unexpectedly, but malfunctioning magic makes her a reluctant heroine. As her adventures continue, she learns the secrets of her supernatural heritage and embraces her butt-kicking destiny. Gorgeous love interests and an ocelot sidekick add to the charm of this bestselling book series.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?

[Kimberly Frost] I’d been reading a lot of humorous mystery and dark urban fantasy and wondered what would happen if I merged the two. I always enjoy eccentric characters, so I thought I’d set it in a small town where there could be a lot of them. Tammy Jo answered the casting call in my head when I was searching for a heroine. She popped up fully-formed with an East Texas accent and can-do attitude.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three words best describe Tammy Jo?

[Kimberly Frost] Funny, loyal, determined

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If Bryn had a theme song, what would it be?

[Kimberly Frost] He’s Irish, and while he was growing up, he did his magical training in Dublin over the summers. Though he moved to Texas at thirteen and went to Yale for undergrad and law school, he’s still an Irish rebel at heart, especially when the World Association of Magic abuses its power. So for Bryn a possible theme song would be Saints & Sinners by The Young Dubliners.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Name one thing Tammy Jo is never without.

[Kimberly Frost] Hope. No matter how ridiculously tough the obstacles, she soldiers on.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things will you never find in Bryn’s bathroom?

[Kimberly Frost] Hair putty, Formica counters, a live shark

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What are your greatest creative influences?

[Kimberly Frost] The works of Joss Whedon, numerous comedic films and television shows, early books in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, and early books in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What three things do you need in order to write?

[Kimberly Frost] We get three? I actually only really need my brain. I was driving to work the other day and a scene occurred to me. I called and left myself a two-sentence voicemail capturing the gist of the scene so I’d remember it and could write it later. For posting big word counts, though, I find a laptop helps.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What is the last book that you read that knocked your socks off?

[Kimberly Frost] The Best Man by Kristan Higgins.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] If you had to pick one book that turned you on to reading, which would it be?

[Kimberly Frost] The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

[Manga Maniac Cafe] What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

[Kimberly Frost] I like to talk about books and movies over coffee or cocktails with friends. Also, I like to read, watch things on Netflix, travel, talk on the phone for hours, and occasionally bake ridiculously complicated cakes.

[Manga Maniac Cafe] How can readers connect with you?

[Kimberly Frost] Visit my website at http://frostfiction.com/

On my site, there’s a contact form to email me directly, a newsletter sign-up form, and my Facebook link.

Thank you so much for letting me visit Manga Maniac Café. I hope readers will comment to win free books and visit my website to download the free short story, “Magic Ingredient”

[Manga Maniac Cafe] Thank you!

 

Would-Be Witch
Southern Witch Book 1

Kimberly Frost

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)

Date of Publication: Re-release September 3, 2013

ISBN-10: 0425267555

ISBN-13: 978-0425267554

Number of pages: 320

Amazon BN IndieBound

Back Cover Blurb:

In the small town of Duvall, Texas, the only thing that causes more trouble than gossip is magic.
The family magic seems to have skipped over Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets in the way of the supernatural are a few untimely visits from the long-dead, smart-mouthed family ghost Edie. But when her locket—an heirloom that happens to hold Edie’s soul—is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it’s time for Tammy to find her inner witch.
After a few bad experiences with her magic, Tammy turns to the only one who can help: the very rich and highly magical Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers, but the locket isn’t the only thing passed down in Tammy’s family. She also inherited a warning…to stay away from anyone named Lyons…

About the Southern Witch Series:

In this “coming of age in the world of magic” story, urban fantasy meets humorous mystery in small-town Texas. Plucky pastry chef Tammy Jo Trask comes into her spell-casting powers unexpectedly, and malfunctioning magic makes her a reluctant heroine. As her adventures continue, she learns the secrets of her supernatural heritage and embraces her butt-kicking destiny. Gorgeous love interests and an ocelot sidekick add to the charm of this bestselling book series.

About the Author:

Kimberly Frost is the national bestselling author of the humorous Southern Witch series, which currently includes Would-Be Witch, Barely Bewitched, and Halfway Hexed. After her first release, Kimberly won the 2010 PEARL Award for best new paranormal author.  Her second series featured darker paranormal romantic suspense stories.

These "Etherlin" books launched in November 2011 with the novella, “First Light".  It appeared in the multi-author Christmas anthology, Tied With a Bow, reaching the extended New York Times Bestseller List.  The subsequent Etherlin novels included All That Bleeds, a featured Barnes & Noble “Must Read Romance”, and All That Falls, a Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of Excellence finalist.

Learn more about Kimberly and her books at: http://frostfiction.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyFrost

https://twitter.com/FrostFiction

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1958136.Kimberly_Frost

http://frostfiction.blogspot.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway Link to grab code http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YmExMTJmZmM0NTczY2U4Y2JhMWU1MGJkZGZiMWE4OjM2OA==/

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Today's guest shares a nice Q&A with us. Dlesheree Gladden is the author of Wicked Hunger and she wants to tell us a little about it.

Q: When did you first start writing?
A: I first started writing when I was a teen. It was mainly just a hobby at that time, and I wasn't very good. After I got married my husband encouraged me to focus on writing and get into publishing. His support has made all the difference.

Q: Do you read much? If yes, have you always loved reading?
A: I have always loved reading. When my mom would take us to the library when I was little I rarely left with less than twenty books, and I always had them all read by the time we went back for more books.

Q: Who's your favorite author? What's your favorite book?
A: This is always such a tough question because I have so many. Can I pick two? Jim Butcher and Brandon Sanderson are at the top of my list. I love the Dresden Files and the Mistborn Trilogy.

Q: What writers have influenced you the most?
A: Patricia C. Wrede and Jim Butcher. Wrede's books were the first books I really fell in love with. Her characters brought the whole story to life. Butcher's imaginative and unique take on magical creatures and elements inspires me to stretch my mind and be creative.

Q: Do you have a favorite fictional character? Either from a book or movie or a tv show?
A: I think I'd have to pick Mat Cauthon from the Wheel of Time books. Even though 15 rather long books, he always surprised me and kept things interesting.

Q: What are you working on right now? Can you tell us something about it?
A: Too many things at once! I'm working on the sequel to Wicked Hunger, called Wicked Power, which will continue the story of Van and Zander Roth as the explore the world of the Godlings and try to figure out who to trust. I'm also working on a sequel to Escaping Fate. Soul Stone follows Arra as she discovers new abilities. A new project, Invisible, a story about an invisible boy who discovers someone is trying to hunt him down, is the last project I'm focusing on. It will be featured on Wattpad starting in Sept. 2013.

Q: Is there anything in particular that you do to get in the mood to write, or to get in the 'zone'? Any particular pre-writing routines?
A: It just depends on my mood. Sometimes I want absolute quiet, an other times I need to have music in order to concentrate.

Q: Where do you do your writing?
A: I do most of my writing either on the couch or up in the extra room that is my office/sewing room. My computer shares the desk with two sewing machines and a dressmakers dummy, but it works!

Q: How do you approach your writing? i.e. - Do you do outlines? Character bios? Etc.?
A: I jump in and keep writing until I either get stuck or finish the book. I only outline when I absolutely have to and I've never once done a character bio.

Q: Do you have any advice for other writers?
A: Read a lot. There is so much you can learn from reading other writers' work. I get a lot of inspiration from favorite books. Authors I really admire encourage me to keep expanding my abilities and push myself.

Q: Are you a morning person or evening person? Day or night?
A: Night, definitely. I am not a morning person at all, although I taught a seven o'clock yoga class twice a week for over a year!

Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Nope. Between me and my husband, we're allergic to most pets. The ones we aren't allergic to are too smelly. Some day I'm sure my daughter will talk us into a dog regardless of allergies, but she hasn't been successful just yet.

Q: What's your favorite 'I need a break from writing' activity?
A: Reading a good book. I love losing myself in a story and I love sharing my favorites book with my kids now.

Q: How do you approach writing sex scenes? They can range from mild to wild. Where are you on the mild to wild meter?
A: Since I write YA, I don't really write sex scenes. I write steamy scenes when they are called for, but even in the adult books I'm working on, I have a closed door policy.

Q: Do you write in one genre? Or more than one?
A: All of my published books are YA urban fantasy, but I have three adult dramatic romances that I am working on right now.

Q: Are you self-published or with a publishing house?
A: Most of my books are self published right now. I worked with a publisher on The Destroyer Trilogy originally, but after many problems I decided to go back to self publishing. Wicked Hunger was signed with GMTA publishing early this year, and is now available from most major ebook retailers.

Q: What are your thoughts on getting a literary agent?
A: I've never worked with a literary agent, so I don't have a lot to go on to answer that question. I think it depends on their experience and contacts. If they can do more than an author can do on their own, I'm sure it would be a great partnership. The publishing industry is becoming more open to working directly with authors, though, so it will be interesting to see how their role changes in the future.

Q: What about marketing? How do you approach that area?
A: Most of my marketing is done online through social media, reviews, blog tours, workshopping, and participating in giveaways and author related events.

Q: What about beta readers? Do you use them? How many do you have? Where do you find them?
A: I have several great beta readers I work with. I have found beta readers through writing groups as well as recruited a few loyal readers and new readers through mutual friends and social media.

Q: What's your favorite food?
A: Green chile chicken enchiladas. Being from New Mexico, I love green chile!

Q: What's your favorite color?
A: Orange. I love fall colors, the dusty, muted reds and oranges of fall leaves.

Q: Is there a particular website or facebook page or blog that you, as a writer, find very helpful?
A: The Next Big Writer online writing community has helped me connect with so many wonderful authors. Goodreads is also a great place for authors. You can connect with readers and share updates about your writing.

Q: What's your favorite time of the year?
A: I love the fall. Living in a desert, it's always a relief when the heat starts to cool into nice autumn days.

Q: What's your most recent book about? And where can people buy it?
A: Wicked Hunger is the story of the Roth siblings. Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. They have to be when they are hiding a deadly secret. Day after day, they struggle to rein in their uncontrollable hunger for pain and suffering in order to live normal lives. Things only get worse when Ivy Guerra appears with her pink-striped hair and secrets. The vicious hunger Ivy inspires is frightening, not to mention suspicious. Vanessa's instincts are rarely wrong, so when they tell her that Ivy's appearance is a sign of bad things to come, she listens. She becomes determined to expose Ivy's secrets. Vanessa tries to warn her brother, but Zander is too enamored with Ivy to pay attention to her conspiracy theories. One of them is right about Ivy . but if they lose control of their hunger, it won't matter who is right and who is wrong. One little slip, and they'll all be dead.

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Cover Shot! is a regular feature here at the Café. I love discovering new covers, and when I find them, I like to share. More than anything else, I am consumed with the mystery that each new discovery represents. There is an allure to a beautiful cover. Will the story contained under the pages live up to promise of the gorgeous cover art?

What a cool cover!  Seven Kinds of Hell by Dana Cameron even has a cool name!  I love the thought of an archeologist heroine, too.  This will be in stores next week.

Hits stores March 12th.

      

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Random House has another excerpt to share! This time, check out a sample from Lara Adrian’s Edge of Dawn.

 

Edge of Dawn by Lara Adrian (Excerpt) by

If you enjoyed reading this excerpt, you can order Edge of Dawn from your favorite bookseller or by clicking the links below.

 

About the Book:

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Adrian Faulkner and his publisher, Anarchy Books want to share an excerpt from The Four Realms with you.  After the excerpt, enter to win the entire Anarchy Books catalog – digital books and albums – on a CD!  What an awesome giveaway!  That will keep you busy for quite a while!

Excerpt: The Four Realms by Adrian Faulkner

It was snowing in New York. The thick storm clouds overhead had turned afternoon into evening and filled the streets and avenues with their cargo. On news of the storm’s approach, most of the city had emptied, workers leaving their offices before the journey home became impassable.

Broadway was practically empty. The clothing sellers who normally crowded the sidewalk were gone, having shut up and left hours ago, leaving a solitary figure making his way south through the shin deep snow. He seemed unprepared for the weather. His trousers were a size too big for him and his shirt was partly untucked.

Winds whipped around the city blocks like a serpent, striking from every direction with icy blasts, causing Mr West to draw his jacket ever tighter and vow to couple his plans with the weather forecast next time.

There were much easier ways to get from New Jersey to the meeting place in the heart of New York City. However, Mr West had ‘chosen’ to take the Transit in, and walk, rather than take a cab, down from Penn Station. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. "Know your enemy," the training programs had told him, and he felt that by experiencing choice, he better understood the inhabitants of this world.

Choice was abhorrent to him. Yes, he told himself, decisions often needed to be made, but that should only be done by those whose job function it was to make them for individuals, and then only after careful analysis and consultation. Otherwise, you had what you had here… a chaotic system.

Of course the humans and dwarves, and even the elves would argue that without choice there was no freedom, but what use was freedom when all that was stopping people killing you or stealing from you was a thinly guised code of moral conduct. With choice, it gave people the right to do bad things to others. Where was the freedom from crime, the freedom of job security, the freedom of not having to worry about the course of your life?

No, Mr West told himself, the amount of choice here was bad. Even worse it was so unproductive. It made their enemies unpredictable and irrational, something that the data models still needed to take into account.

He stepped off the sidewalk to cross 27th street and jarred himself as the drop, hidden in snow, was more than he expected. The snow soaked his trouser leg up to above the knee. He hated New York, even their sidewalks weren’t uniform. No wonder they needed so many lawyers.

He was surprised to see that the Pizza restaurant was still open, and despite feeling slightly uncomfortable about it, ‘chose’ to stop and buy a slice. If there was one redeeming feature of New York, and indeed, the whole of this realm, it was Pizza. Since the start of the operation here, he had tried just about every variety. He ignored his logic which told him he did not need to eat and ordered a slice of pepperoni. Pizza heated and bagged to go, Mr West left the relative warmth of the parlour and stepped out into the snow once again.

He didn’t have far to go. The awning of the next building marked his destination. The shivering doorman saw him, swung into action, opening the door, and upon noticing the pizza, asked Mr West: "You get that from next door?"

Mr West nodded.

"Best Pizza in the city," the doorman exclaimed as Mr West shook himself off and stamped the snow from his feet. He walked up the narrow passageway toward the lobby and elevator. A member of cleaning staff was busy fighting a losing battle trying to mop the floor of melted snow the guests had brought in.

Mr West took the elevator to the twelfth floor, and knocked on door 1203. He was expected and the door opened almost instantaneously. Three men dressed immaculately in black suits and white shirts stood on the other side; so alike in every such way that it would be easy to confuse them for identical triplets. They looked slightly nervous as Mr West entered. The one who had answered the door closed it quickly behind West, whilst the other two stood up from the twin beds they had been sitting on. Mr West grabbed the chair from the writing desk and sat down to face the huge window that looked out over the city. Standing in front of it was a fourth man, much older than the other three but similarly dressed. His cropped hair and beard were as white as the snow outside and his face was etched with a scowl as deep as his wrinkles.

"You’re late, Mr West," the older man growled.

"Sorry," West replied nonchalantly, beginning to eat his pizza slice. "Traffic was terrible."

---

If you enjoyed the excerpt, you can order The Four Realms by clicking the cover below:

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Ready for a chance to win The Four Realms and the ENTIRE Anarchy Books catalog – digital books and albums – on a CD? Fill out the widget below! Earn extra entries for following.

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