Journey with Words: Mainstream Author

Showing posts with label Mainstream Author. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Review: Howling For You by Chloe Neill

Title: Howling For You
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, Book 8.5
Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: New American Library (NAL)
Length: Approx. 88 Pages
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Available Format: Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★½☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Description:

Jeff Christopher is a shapeshifter and ally of Chicago’s Cadogan House of vampires—he’s also a tech whiz and mostly-legal hacker. And the only protective shields he’s never been able to find a way around are those of the powerful Keene Family.

For a long time, Jeff has only had eyes for the beautiful Fallon Keene. Unfortunately, she is the only sister of the lethal North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene. The intricate balances of power and politics make it all but impossible for Fallon to trust her feelings.

But fate takes a hand when the Pack’s totem is stolen—threatening the Keene family’s rule—and Fallon enlists Jeff’s help to retrieve it before the Pack is thrown into chaos. Can she and Jeff find the totem, and restore order, before it’s too late? And will Jeff finally be able to prove himself to the only person he truly loves?

First off, the short story comes with a two-chapter preview of the next Chicagoland Vampires, Wild Things, which comes out on February 4, 2014. Honestly, I love that sneak peak, I can't wait to read another Merrit and Ethan story.

Now the review...

I have mix feelings about this short story. On one side I love the chance to learn more about the shifters in the Chicagoland Vampire series, on the other I had a small problem with part of the resolution.

In the end I liked the story, I wish it was longer. Is very sweet and straight to the point. I'm curious to see how this particular plot line develops in the next books on the series.

MAJOR SPOILER COMING, READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

You've been officially warned.

Review: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks

Title: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire
Series: Love at Stake, Book 1
Author: Kerrelyn Sparks
Publisher: Avon
Length: 371 Pages Approx.
Publication Date: July 26, 2005
Available Format: Paperback, Mass Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Description:

Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich...he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnessing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral, because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her?

This book was extremely funny and the romance was rather cute. Picture this, extremely old vampire, highly feared among his peers, bites into the neck of a rubber doll (I will leave the way he does this for you to find out when you read the book) and ends up dislodging one of his fangs from the root. He needs to reattach the fang before the sun forces him into slumber and his gums seal clean. But when he makes it to the only clinic available, a 24 hour dentist office, the doctor present not only refuses to attach a "dog tooth" in a "human" but she's attacked by a group of mobsters from whom she was hiding.

Review: A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands

Title: A Quick Bite
Series: Argeneau, Book 1
Author: Lynsay Sands
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 315 Pages
Publication Date: October 25, 2005
Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook,
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Description:

That hot guy tied to Lissianna Argeneau's bed? He's not dessert -- he's the main course!

Lissianna has been spending her centuries pining for Mr. Right, not just a quick snack, and this sexy guy she finds in her bed looks like he might be a candidate. But there's another, more pressing issue: her tendency to faint at the sight of blood ... an especially annoying quirk for a vampire. Of course it doesn't hurt that this man has a delicious-looking neck. What kind of cold-blooded vampire woman could resist a bite of that?

Dr. Gregory Hewitt recovers from the shock of waking up in a stranger's bedroom pretty quickly -- once he sees a gorgeous woman about to treat him to a wild night of passion. But is it possible for the good doctor to find true love with a vampire vixen, or will he be just a good meal? That's a question Dr. Greg might be willing to sink his teeth into ... if he can just get Lissianna to bite.

This is the story of Lissianna, who for centuries has had a little complication: she faints at the sight of blood; a little inconvenience for a vampire don’t you think? In comes Gregory, a doctor who claims he can cure anyone’s phobias. Thanks to Lissianna’s mother’s machinations, Greg wakes up tied to Lissianna’s bed and she cannot resist the urge to bite the nice looking doctor.

ARC Review: Club Monstrosity by Jesse Petersen

Title: Club Monstrosity
Series: Monstrosity, Book 1
Author: Jesse Petersen
Publisher: Pocket Star
Length: 233 Pages
Publication Date: April 29, 2013
Available Format: Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Goodreads

Book Description:

Natalie’s one of Frankenstein’s creations and works in a New York City morgue. So of course she needs therapy. She and her friends—er, fellow monsters—have formed the world’s most exclusive, most dysfunctional support group. What could go wrong?

Undetected in the modern world and under pressure to stay that way, Natalie Grey, Dracula, Bob the Blob, and others (including the fetching wolfman Alec) meet regularly to talk about the pressures of being infamous in the Big Apple. Topics include how long it’s been since their last sighting, how their “story” creates stereotypes they can’t fulfill, and—gasp—sometimes even their feelings. But when their pervy Invisible Man, Ellis, is killed in a manner reminiscent of the H.G. Wells novel, it’s clear someone’s discovered their existence and is down for some monster busting.

Led by Natalie—and definitely not helped by Hyde’s bloodthirsty tendencies—the members of Monstofelldosis Anonymous band together for security and a little sleuthing. And maybe—maybe—if they don’t end up dead, they’ll end up friends somewhere along the way.

When I requested this book at NetGalley, I did it solely because of its blurb. Who could turn down the chance to see our favorite classical monsters adjust to modern day times? That they feel that they need to have a support group in order to be able to deal with all the changes that come with centuries of human evolution was just the icing on the cake. Based on that premise I was expecting to have a grand time while reading the story; and I’m so glad to say that the novel delivers.

Although the story is mostly mystery and horror, none of the deaths that occur throughout the narration are described as they are happening. No, these occur behind the scenes and we later find out about their gruesomeness alongside the characters. In a story about monsters that is quite a refreshing approach, so my hat tips to Ms. Petersen.

ARC Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure
Series: Blood of Eden, Book 2
Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Length: 446 Pages
Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Available Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: NetGalley
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Description:

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

The Eternal Cure picks up a few months after the events of The Immortal Rules. Allie has been hunting Sarren, following the pull she feels toward her sire, Kanin. She’s getting close, she can feel it; her objective is to free Kanin from the evil hands of “crazy Psycho Vampire” as she calls Sarren. Unfortunately for her, things do not go quite as she envisions them.

Review: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Title: Slave to Sensation
Series: Psy-Changeling, Book 1
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Length: 293 Pages
Publication Date: September 5, 2006
Available Format: Kindle Edition, eBook, Paperback, Mass Paperback, Audiobook.
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Description:

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”— the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was….

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

Sometimes I put off books based on the most idiotic of arguments. In this case it was the cover and the length of the series. Although the cover has an incredibly hot guy, something about it (can’t quite say what) wasn’t calling me. But thanks to Kick’n Ladies I gave this series a go and boy I wish I had done so a while ago.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Series: The Divergent Trilogy, Book 1
Author: Veronica Roth
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 487 Pages
Publication Date: May 3, 2011
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Description:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

The story takes place in a futuristic version of Chicago. One where instead of flying cars and holographic phone calls we get a glimpse of a more realistic destroyed future. In said future, what I assume is the remains of humanity after WW3 (at least in the area of Chicago), the inhabitants have separated into five different factions: Abnegation (known for their selflessness), Amity (the ones who chose to live in peace), Erudite (those who sought knowledge without bounds), Candor (the ones who preferred the truth above all else) and Dauntless (famous for their daredevil attitudes). All the children from these factions study together and once they reach the age of sixteen they go through a choosing ceremony in which they must pick between staying with their family in the faction they were born or leave their faction for a more suitable one where they might fit in better. Once the teenagers choose the faction that will be their new home they are to live with the others from said faction and be initiated into their new lives. The initiation rituals vary between each faction seeing as they have different views on what is right and what is wrong and on what is necessary to preserve the peace and avoid wars.

Review: Quidditch through the Ages

Title: Quidditch through the Ages
Series: Harry Potter Companions Book, 2
Author: Kennilworthy Whisp (J.K. Rowling)
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Length: 56 pages
Publication Date: September, 2001
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback
Source: Borrowed
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

If you have ever asked yourself where the Golden Snitch came from, how the Bludgers came into existence, or why the Wigtown Wanderers have pictures of meat cleavers on their robes, you need Quidditch Through The Ages. This limited edition is a copy of the volume in Hogwarts School Library, where it is consulted by young Quidditch fans on an almost daily basis.

Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world – work that is even more important and astonishing than the three-and-a-half-second capture of the Golden Snitch by Roderick Plumpton in 1921. – Albus Dumbledore

I confiscated this book along with many others from my sister’s collection out of boredom. xD

Quidditch Through The Ages is a must have for all fans of the sport. Whether new to this sport or a lifelong fanatic this is a valuable addition to anybody’s personal collection.

Review: Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

Title: Touched by an Alien
Series: Katherine “Kitty” Kat, Book 1
Author: Gini Koch
Publisher: Daw Books
Length: 400 Pages
Publication Date: April 6, 2010
Reviewed Format: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Book Description:

How can a sexy marketing manager join forces with an Alpha Centauri male in Armani to save the planet-using hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, and rock n' roll?
Easy...

She's Touched by an Alien

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down.

In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the "agency" to perform crowd control. He's Kitty's kind of guy, no matter what planet he's from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

Some background required

This book was a challenge pick thanks to the ladies at Gotta Have Paranormal with a Kick. The challenge (a sort of secret Santa) was to choose three books that you know you enjoyed and hide them under a spoiler tag. After submissions closed, every individual was assign a number, the numbers where scrambled (so that none of us had our own selections) and the number stealing began. After everyone had “stole” a different number the books where revealed. I ended up with these three selections:

Wicked Nights (Angels of Darkness, Book 1) by Gena Showalter
Alien Proliferation (Katherine “Kitty” Katt, Book 4) by Gini Koch
The Darkest Seduction (Lords of the Underworld, Book 9) by Gena Showalter

Since I already plan on reading Gena Showalter’s books, and after reading all the descriptions of every first book of all three series, I went with the one that was a complete unknown to me but that it still hooked me. As per the rules, I grabbed book 1 on the series.

Review: Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel’s Blade
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 4
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Length: 643 KB (Aprox 321 Pages)
Publication Date: September 6, 2011
Available Formats: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audiobook, eBook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

Honor strength, as a lead character, comes from sheer survival instincts. She was abused beyond recognition and now bores the vestiges from the trauma. At the beginning of the story Dmitri aptly calls her a rabbit because that is how she is portrayed, skittish and nervous. As the storyline progresses she begins to believe in herself and to pick up the pieces of who she used to be before the incident, slowly stepping into the heroine role. She’s a likable character who’s maternal instincts and soft nature contrasts greatly with Dmitri’s ruthlessness.

Review: Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel’s Consort
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 3
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Length: 656 KB (Aprox. 337 Pages)
Publication Date: January 25, 2011
Available Formats: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audiobook, eBook
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Archangel’s Consort picks up a few weeks after the events in Archangel’s Kiss. Elena and Raphael are finally back in New York City, but the place no longer feels like home for Elena. She not only needs to deal with the constant harassment from news crews and the average onlookers, she also has to deal with her gem of a father (please note the sarcasm). Raphael fares no better, having a few vampires fully giving in to their desires thinking that Raphael is dead and won’t punished them. And because things cannot just be peaceful around this two, the very fabric of the world is threatened when all the disrupting signs point to an archangels awakening. But not just any archangel, one of the Ancients, a being so old that even Lijuan might not be enough of a match.

Review: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel’s Kiss
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 2
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Length: 685 KB (Aprox. 340 Pages)
Publication Date: February 2, 2010
Reviewed Format: Kindle Edition, Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, Audiobook, eBook.
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

The story opens with Elena trying to adapt to her new wings and new lifestyle. After spending a year in a coma as a result of both her near death and Raphael’s kiss that turned her, she most learn to retrain her body and her new feathery appendages. She also needs to catch up in her history and learn the rules that govern the angelic culture. But just because she is at the Refuge, a place –like the name implies– that is sacred to all angels, doesn’t mean that life and political machinations won’t try to destroy her.

Review: Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Title: Angels’ Blood
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 1
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Length: 339 Pages
Publication Date: March 3, 2009
Reviewed Format: Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
Source: Won as a Giveaway Prize
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best —but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option— even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break...

This series had been recommended to me so many times already that I honestly lost track. Then I joined Gotta Have Paranormal with a Kick: Vets VS Newbies Reading Challenge and my partner, Vet Angela (yup, I’m the newbie of the duo) chose Angels’ Blood for me. I cannot thank her enough! There are few series that I get hooked on like “can’t stop reading.” It happened when I discovered Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost, Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, The Midnight Breed by Lara Adrian, The Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning, and it just happened again with Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter, who would have thought that ethereal beings such as angels could be so devastatingly hot!

Review: The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Wide Window
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 3
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 214 Pages
Publication Date: February 25, 2000
Reviewed Format: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook
Source: Gift from my parents
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Descrption:

Dear Reader,

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all. If you haven't got the stomach for a story that includes a hurricane, a signaling device, hungry leeches, cold cucumber soup, a horrible villain, and a doll named Pretty Penny, then this book will probably fill you with despair. I will continue to record these tragic tales, for that is what I do. You, however, should decide for yourself whether you can possibly endure this miserable story.

With all due respect,
Lemony Snicket

In this book we find the children yet again going to meet another distant relative that will ‘care’ for them like their parents did, If not somewhat like it. This time the children are aboard the Fickle Ferry which takes them across Lake Lachrymose in order for them to meet their new caretaker. The woman turns out to be quite a strange, annoying, annoying and a rather paranoid person. Things aren’t exactly peaches and cream for the children; but they understand that she only means well and they are better off with her than they ever were with Count Olaf. But of course Count Olaf is still out on the loose and searching for ways to steal their fortune. Yet again he comes back and with a brand new arsenal of tricks up his sleeve.

The children don’t really have fun at Aunt Josephine’s house unlike at Uncle Monty’s. But even though their stay at Aunt Josephine’s isn’t by far the best it’s better than anything else. Although the house is in a way scary, cold and uninviting the children manage to not lose hope that dear Aunt Josephine’s paranoia will slowly lessen or diminish and things will brighten up around.

Title: Dark Light
Series: Standalone
Editor: Carl Hose
Publisher: MARLvision Publishing
Length: 518 Pages
Publication Date: June 15, 2012
Reviewed Format: ARC Edition: Kindle Edition, PDF
Source: Supplied by the editor through IO Book Tours
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Book Description:

Dark Light is the light that shines through when some of the finest writers in horror use the power of their words for something good. That’s the case with this anthology—42 writers coming together to help support the Ronald McDonald House Charities and all the good the organization does for families every day of the year.

Make no mistake, though. These are horror writers and the stories they’ve written are not pretty. Traditional and non-traditional horror, dark humor, ghosts, serial killers, alternate universes, magic, zombies, and other creatures of the night hide between these pages. Shadows move and dead fingers stroke unsuspecting flesh, razor sharp knives shimmer in the moonlight, and unknown things hide in closets and under the bed. The stories here are as varied as the writers themselves. If you’re a fan of horror, you will not be let down.

Despite the horrific nature of these tales, however, their very existence in Dark Light stands as proof there will always be a light at the end of every tunnel.

Turn the lights down low and enjoy the show.

This book is an amazing anthology, 44 short stories by 42 extremely talented authors. Some of the stories are scary; others are downright creepy, while some leave a note of sadness at the end. Have you ever been reading a scene in a book and felt a chill go down your spine? I did while reading this book. It’s as gruesome as the genre gets, with a strange, albeit twisted, undertone of hope. It highlights human nature in the good, the bad and the extreme throughout many different scenarios. If you are a horror fan, this will be a great addition to your collection. If you want to taste the genre, this book will give you the perfect opportunity to test it out while also getting some serious quality reading. Best part is, if you buy this book you will be giving back to charity.

You read that right. I received this book for review as part of its Blog Tour thanks to Innovative Online Book Tours. Proceeds from the sales will go to The Ronald McDonald House Foundation.

The Roaster: (Title / Author)

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Title: Some Girl Bites
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1
Author: Chloe Neill
Publisher: New American Library
Length: 341 Pages
Publication Date: April 7, 2009
Available Format: Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audiobook.
Source: Won as giveaway prize
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago's vampires announced their existance to the world —and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he got only a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker ...and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I've traded sweating over my dissertation for learning to fit in at a Kenwood mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude -and servitude. Right...

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I'm surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan's attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone's still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war ...and there will be blood.

There are certain series or books that become so popular that in most book conversations of the genre they belong to, they get mentioned. One (mostly me) wonders if said book or series is really as good as people say, or if it's just hype. Then the cards fall on the table and you end up with a copy in your hands. Then it happens, after reading the book you become obsessed (hook, line and sinker) to the point that you wonder why on earth I didn't started this earlier. That was the process I went through with Some Girls Bite.

Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Once Burned
Series: Night Prince Series, Book 2
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon Books
Length: 352 Pages | 1209 KB (Kindle Edition)
Publication Date: June 26, 2012
Available Formats: Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
Source: Bought
My Rating: ★★★★★
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

Once Burned finally came out today! Kindle rules! I pre-ordered my copy months ago (when the original release date was still March ^.^) I waited until midnight EST, which for me is actually 1:00am, to finally begin the story. I told my boyfriend and my sister not to bother me, I wasn’t putting the book down until I was finished; and I didn’t. It was past 7am when I was finally done with the book. Was it worth it? Oh hell yeah!

We first met Vlad at At Grave’s End, the third book on the Night Huntress Series, and he quickly became my second favorite character. Bones has the number one spot, but oh, Vlad gives him quite a fight and after this book, it’s an all-out war. Can you imagine a duel between these two?

Vlad is still his arrogant pompous self, but don’t we love him like that? Although the story is seen from Leila’s point of view the entire time, we get thrown head first into Vlad’s domain, gaining an incredibly insightful look at the best known vampire in history; but don’t you dare call him Dracula. A man that had garnered a reputation of ruthlessness so great that he acquired the moniker of “the Impaler” before he was turned into a vampire.

It takes a special type of woman to match Vlad without falling into the submissive role; and that person is found in Leila. She is a survivor, a young woman who suffered an accident as a teenager that scarred her for life and also left her with some pretty nifty abilities. After a particular situation at the beginning of the book (sorry, not telling you) these abilities have gone public and have placed her in right in the middle of some ruthless vampires crosshairs. Vampires that will stop at nothing to use her as a pawn in their devious plans.

Review: The Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Reptile Room
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 2
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins
Length: 190
Publication Date: September 30, 1999
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
Source: Xmas Gift
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Find it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

After narrowly escaping the menacing clutches of the dastardly Count Olaf, the three Baudelaire orphans are taken in by a kindly herpetologist with whom they live happily for an all-too-brief time.

After enduring several hardships in the hands of Count Olaf the Baudelaire Children are sent to live with the kind, happy, fun, gentle, and brilliant Dr. Montgomery. He and the Children bond rather quickly. Even though the death of their parents and the abuse they suffered at the hand of Count Olaf are still fairly fresh in the children’s minds the Baudelaire’s soon find themselves having a good time while helping Dr. Montgomery or Uncle Monty as he rather have the Baudelaire Children call him.

At first, the book starts off in a very gloomy way but as the story progresses the reader may quickly find him or herself enjoying what is a seemingly happy story after all. But it’s not long before Lemony Snicket makes do on his promise of an unhappy story and takes all the joy, happiness, and cheer and smoothly turns it into despair, anxiousness, sadness and hopelessness.

Review: The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

Title: The Bad Beginning
Series: A Series of Unfortunate Event, Book 1
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Length: 176 Pages
Publication Date: September 30, 1999
Available Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, eBook, Audiobook.
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Get it @: Amazon | Book Depository

Book Description:

Dear Reader,

I'm sorry to say that the book you are holding in your hands is extremely unpleasant. It tells an unhappy tale about three very unlucky children. Even though they are charming and clever, the Baudelaire siblings lead lives filled with misery and woe. From the very first page of this book when the children are at the beach and receive terrible news, continuing on through the entire story, disaster lurks at their heels. One might say they are magnets for misfortune.

In this short book alone, the three youngsters encounter a greedy and repulsive villain, itchy clothing, a disastrous fire, a plot to steal their fortune, and cold porridge for breakfast.

It is my sad duty to write down these unpleasant tales, but there is nothing stopping you from putting this book down at once and reading something happy, if you prefer that sort of thing.

With all due respect,

Lemony Snicket

This story takes place in an extremely FILTHY house owned by the strange, scary and mysterious Count Olaf. This house is set in the other side of the town in which the children live. Once the children start to live and try to adjust to their new lifestyle they are quick to realize that it will be impossible for things to get better for them. Most of the feeling of the story is one of darkness, sadness and misery with very few moments of happiness or joy.

Once Burned Teaser Quotes!!!

Calling All Jeaniene Frost's fans! Are you waiting in line for Vlad's book? Feel like time is dragging because June 26 just refuses to arrive already? Well, I have a small solution for you.

Jeaniene Frost has allowed her amazing group of hard working Moderators from the Frost Cemetery to post One Quote a Day from Once Burned leading up to the book's release. Yup! You read it right, One Quote a Day. Now, they won't say who's the speaker; is up to us fans to figure that part out, but hey, I'm in Night Huntress withdrawal here, I'll take whatever they give ~.^

If you want to see the post in real time head over to the forums and join the party. I’ll be posting the quotes as they come along. Can you guess who says what?

UPDATE: Since the book is already out, I'm going to add who-said-what to each of the quotes. Disclaimer: I bought the Kindle Edition of the book, therefore, I can only supply the Kindle Locations of the quotes. If you'd like to check my review of the novel click on this link.

NEW UPDATE: Follow THIS LINK to read Twice Tempted Teaser Quotes, the sequel to Once Burned.

Quote of the Day

June 1 (Day 1)