Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway for First Bite by Dani Harper

Read my review of FIRST BITE by Dani Harper, then enter to win some great prizes below!

First Bite

(Dark Wolf #1)

Dani Harper
Release: October 15, 2013
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Geneva “Neva” Ross doesn’t want to die. But now that she’s been turned into a werewolf against her will, she’ll do anything to protect her family and friends…even if that means taking her own life.

After witnessing Neva’s leap from a high ledge, Travis Williamson—a Changeling with a dark past—uses his powers to save her life. He feels a connection to the strong-willed woman whose eyes flash that familiar Changeling green. While Neva is hospitalized, Travis risks everything to kidnap her, knowing the approaching full moon will put everyone in jeopardy.

Bickering constantly to hide their growing attraction, Travis and Neva run from the authorities…and from Neva’s sinister sire, Meredith de la Ronde. Meredith delights in creating new shape-shifters and compelling them to do her dark bidding; now Neva must join Meredith’s murderous wolf pack…or die.

Intensely suspenseful with deliciously sexy twists, this paranormal romance—the first in (the title of series)—intertwines sensual passion with an epic, thrilling battle between good and evil.

Review:

First Bite is the first is Dani Harper's new paranormal romance series. I've often wanted to start her Changeling series, but so many books, so little time and all that. So, when the opportunity came along for me to participate in the blog tour for the first in a new series, which also focuses on Changelings, I jumped at it! I must say, I'm not at all disappointed.

Harper's Changelings are basically shifters who change into wolves. These Changelings do make a full shift from man (or woman) to wolf, but its a brief transition that incorporates magic rather than a gruesome, bone crunching change. Our main characters are lone wolf and bad boy with a past, Travis, and newly changed-against-her-will Neva. Even though I liked Travis and understood his dark history, I didn't feel like he was really the bad boy he was portrayed to be. He was actually a pretty nice guy in the way that he dealt with Neva. He saved her life and then helped her escape from those hunting her, all with very few temper-filled, Alpha moments. He was a very likable leading man, although I do tend to prefer my heroes a little more dark and naughty.

I enjoyed the many flashes to the story's villain, Meredith, and seeing her in all her power-hungry glory. She is also a Changeling, but she possesses magical skills as well. She is a truly evil character, really just bent on being in control above all else. It helped to understand what exactly Neva was running from and also gave the reader some insight on why Neva was so terrified to be a wolf, since her experience with Meredith was her only contact with Changelings prior to meeting Travis.

Something else worth mentioning is that at the halfway point in this book I suddenly realized, hey, no one is having sex yet! I enjoyed the slower progression of Travis and Meredith's relationship and it took a while for Travis to even comment to himself about her nipples (if you read a lot of PNR, you know that its more common for someone's nipples to be discussed before page 10). For me it was a breath of fresh air, but it also didn't follow typical PNR tropes so keep that in mind if you are a big romance reader who expects things to get down and dirty by chapter 3.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and a strong start to a new series. I will definitely check out future Dark Wolf releases and maybe now I can take a peek at Harper's other series as well!

Recommended for fans of: shifters, PNR light on the erotic romance, and good villains.

This review is based on an advance copy of the book provided by the author.

   1/2

  3.5 / 5 stars

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• 8 winners will win their own copy of FIRST BITE and a plush, black Webkins wolf! (US only)
• 2 winners will receive a Kindle ebook copy of FIRST BITE and a plush, black Webkins wolf! (INT)

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Audio Review: White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
(White Trash Zombie #3)
Author: Diana Rowland
Narrator: Allison McLemore
Release: July 2, 2103
Goodreads  Amazon
Audible

Our favorite white trash zombie, Angel Crawford, has enough problems of her own, what with dealing with her alcoholic, deadbeat dad, issues with her not-quite boyfriend, the zombie mafia, industrial espionage and evil corporations. Oh, and it’s raining, and won’t let up.

But things get even crazier when a zombie movie starts filming in town, and Angel begins to suspect that it’s not just the plot of the movie that's rotten. Soon she's fighting her way through mud, blood, bullets and intrigue, even as zombies, both real and fake, prowl the streets.

Angel’s been through more than her share of crap, but this time she’s in way over her head. She’ll need plenty of brainpower to fit all the pieces—and body parts—together in order to save herself, her town, and quite possibly the human race.

Audio Review:

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse is the third in Diana Rowland's thoroughly awesome action-zomedy series. Angel is back and just as funny as ever with her Southern view on everything and her mouthy bluntness. This series mixes urban fantasy with dry comedy and even throws in a little corporate thriller.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, My Life As A White Trash Zombie, mostly because of Angel. Angel is a unique character in the urban fantasy genre, which is filled with badass leading ladies with sad and complicated back stories. A lot of them are closed off and hard to get to know. But, Angel is an open book. She's candid and unrefined, but with a lot of endearing qualities and she is always working to better herself throughout this series. We know her sad back story, but we also get to see her work through it and overcome it, and that's something special in this genre. In White Trash Zombie Apocalypse, Angel's strained relationship with her father progresses in a really important way that I loved and I can't wait to see the next steps for them.

Angel's other important relationship is with Marcus, whom I always have mixed feelings about. In the first book I was all about Angel and Marcus, but in book two he was sometimes obnoxiously overprotective and I was happy that she took a bit of a step back from their relationship. This one is certainly not a romance-heavy book, as Angel continues to waver back and forth on the subject of Marcus. There's not really a lot of time for sappy romance in this book anyway, what with all the brain-juice chugging and the ripping off of limbs. Being a zombie's tough, especially when an all-powerful corporation has it in for you.

I didn't care for all the Phillip in this book. Remember him? He was the soldier who volunteered to have Angel turn him into a zombie when Dr. Cherish was holding her captive in the previous book? Then he turned out to be a kind of messed up zombie baby? He's in this book a lot. I felt like the second half of the book focused too much on the mystery of him and on Angel's desire to protect him (her zombie baby, after all) and I didn't feel attached to him or as much compassion for him as I thought we were supposed to.

Overall I really enjoyed White Trash Zombie Apocalypse. I wouldn't say I liked this as much as the first in the series - not sure any future books can top the shear awe-inspiring shock value of that one - but I liked it as much as book two, a solid four stars. I felt like there weren't as many great Angel one-liners here, but a better and more fulfilling story. Looking forward to what book four has in store for Angel.

Notes on the Narrator: This was my first in this series on audio. The narrator really brought Angel to life with a terrific, low brow Southern twang and perfect delivery of every last swear word. I would definitely listen to future books in the series on audio if they had this same narrator. Most of the male characters were done very well also, with a lot of subtle differences in the voices to make each character sound unique. My favorite male character in the audio was Angel's dad. The high pitched (for a man) twangy way that she portrayed his voice was perfect for the grumpy, recovering alcoholic that loves his daughter like crazy. She really made him both dislikable and lovable (each when appropriate). I thought hearing Angel on audio would make her even funnier, but surprisingly some of the lines seemed like they would have been even more funnier if I read them in my mind. Maybe I overact Angel in my head when I read her lines in print? Even still, this narrator did a great job and I'd recommend the audio.

Recommended for fans of: smart mouthed redneck chicks, zombies, and corporate cover ups.

    

  4 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
My Life As A White Trash Zombie (White Trash Zombie #1)
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues (White Trash Zombie #2)

Review: Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Endless Knight
(The Arcana Chronicles #2)
Kresley Cole
Release: October 1, 2013
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In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

Shocking Secrets
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected Allies
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-Wrenching Treachery
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she's drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can't remember—but Death can't forget.

Review:

Endless Knight is the second in Cole's young adult series, The Arcane Chronicles. The first in this series, Poison Princess, was one of my favorite reads of last year, young adult or otherwise, and this sequel has been on my 'most anticipated' list for the whole year. Endless Knight lived up to all of my expectations and wowed me, proving once again why Kresley Cole is such a force to be reckoned with in the writing world!

I just love everything about the world in The Arcana Chronicles and in this sequel we get to delve even further into this world. The scorched earth, the apocalyptic aftermath, the characters from Tarot cards brought to life in a killed-or-be-killed tournament to the death...what's not to love? Everything is so original and well-thought out that readers can't help but get lost in this world.

All of the teenage characters manage to feel like realistic teens - from Evie's real anxiety about the possibility of having sex with Jack for the first time to Finn's nervous flirtations with a newcomer - but at the same time they feel deep and complex. Evie is battling her inner villain and trying to grasp the nuances of this new Arcana world. We get to see a lot more of her powers in this book and I feel like we're getting to see Evie grow and flourish in her abilities. At first, when we learned what her abilities were, I didn't really grasp how powerful she could be. But, with the end of the previous book and what we see from her in this one, I'm certainly impressed by her wide range of abilities and how she can control nature.

Jack is trying to come to grips with what he saw of Evie at the end of Poison Princess, and let's just say he's not taking it well. But, Jack and Evie's passion for each other flies off the pages and I love my Cajun man! Team Jack!

Death becomes an even more important character in this one, as we finally get to meet him and see his interactions with Evie and other Arcana. He is a complicated fellow, that Death, and I certainly learned more about him than I expected. I predicted that he and Evie had some sort of history that was going to be vital to this story, but I was totally surprised by the details of it and blown away when I found myself momentarily screaming Team Death! (momentarily)

If you're looking for an epic world to get lost in, then check out both books in this series. If you were a fan of Poison Princess then you will be completely beside yourself while reading Endless Knight and when you're finished you'll be begging Ms. Cole for MORE!

Recommended for fans of: world-bulding, characters with magical abilities, comic book heroes, Tarot, and the Shatter Me series.

This review is baed on a finished copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  5 /5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles #1)

Blog Tour and Giveaway: My Lady Quicksilver by Bec McMaster

Blog Tour:

MY LADY QUICKSILVER

by Bec McMaster

I asked author Bec McMaster to tell us a little about how the world for her steampunk romance series, London Steampunk, came to her and how she began the process of creating her complicated paranormal universe. Her answer is below, followed by a chance to win the latest release in this series, MY LADY QUICKSILVER!

The London Steampunk series is set in a dark world where the aristocratic Echelon (think the ton but with a vicious thirst for blood) rule the city, forcing their blood taxes on the human citizens of their world and crushing any resistance with their metal automaton army. When I created the world for Kiss of Steel (the first book), I wanted to play with the idea of a vampiric version of the ton, but vampires have been done to death. How to make them different? New? Something original?

A little voice whispered in my head: why not make the vampires something to be feared? Filthy, nearly indestructible brutes who are driven only by their thirst. Creatures that can tear apart half a city before they're stopped. The one thing that everyone fears.

And what's scarier than facing a vampire? What about facing the fact that one day you're going to turn into one - if you're blue blood anyway - no matter what you do.

I had the basic steps to building a world, in which a mysterious virus sweeps through London, infecting the aristocracy, who think becoming a blue blood, with their increased speed, healing and other senses, makes one somehow elite. The blood thirst is a regrettable side effect, as is the fact that once the craving virus begins to overwhelm the body, it slowly begins to change it, until finally a blue blood becomes the very thing he fears most: a vampire.

And how can we torture a hero more than by making him stare such evolution in the face? Facing the Fade - that time when a blue blood begins to evolve - my hero of Kiss of Steel, Blade, is a devilish rogue blue blood who forged a life for himself in the rookeries when the Echelon cast him out. Terrified he's going to become a vampire, he comes across the innocent and strait-laced Honoria Todd, a desperate young woman fleeing the Echelon for her own reasons. As if becoming a vampire's not bad enough, Honoria has an extremely prejudiced view against blue bloods and Blade has his work cut out for him in changing her mind.

I've always had a preference for working class heroes - men who've risen above the ruin of their pasts and created something of themselves - which is probably my biggest inspiration when it comes to creating heroes. Forget dukes or billionaires who've inherited their financial gains, I love self-made men. Like Lisa Kleypas' Hardy Cates or Derek Craven. Or Judith Ivory's Mick Tremore from the Proposition.

Tortured heroes are fascinating, but I prefer it when they're working to overcome their pasts. Blade, Will (from Heart of Iron) and the hero of my latest novel, My Lady Quicksilver, Sir Jasper Lynch, are all men with dark pasts, but you won't find them dwelling on them. All of them have either created a life for themselves, or are in the process of it.

As for Lynch, think forcing a blue blood and a woman who fears them to fall in love is torture enough? What about when that woman is your sworn enemy? And you're bound to hunt her down and hand her over for execution? What if she despises all blue bloods and has sworn to destroy them?

Lynch isn't going to know what hit him...

*insert evil author laugh*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. Read more about her at www.becmcmaster.com or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster. 

To purchase My Lady Quicksilver:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books-a-Million
Chapters/Indigo
Discover a New Love
iBookstore
IndieBound
Sourcebooks

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(US and CAN only)

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Netgalley Knockout - September Check In and Giveaway!

Netgalley Knockout!

September Check In

If you're unfamiliar with the Netgalley Knockout challenge, please see the initial post HERE!

How did you do in September? 

Did you knock out a bunch of egalleys? 

Or did they knock you out?

This is the final check in for the NETGALLEY KNOCKOUT challenge!!! Leave a link to your check in post in the linky below.

REMEMBER ALL LINKY ENTRIES WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN A GIVEAWAY!

I will use random.org to pick one entry from the linky list below. The winner will get his/her choice of an ebook for $15 or less from whichever ebook seller you choose!

Blog Tour and Giveaway - Amanda Bonilla!

VENGEANCE BORNE Blog Tour!

Vengeance Borne

(Sentry of Evil #1)

Amanda Bonilla

Release: September 3, 2013

Add to Goodreads  Buy at Amazon

Thanks so much to Christen for having me as a guest today! One of my favorite parts of writing Vengeance Borne was exploring new supernatural creatures to write. I was able to incorporate creatures from different mythologies and put my own spin on their existence. The Dryad is one of my favorite characters in the Sentry world, and I’m glad she’ll be sticking around for future books. So I thought I’d share the scene from Vengeance Borne where she first makes her appearance. Hope you enjoy!

Excerpt from VENGEANCE BORNE

Amanda Bonilla

Micah stepped down from the truck and pulled a black hoodie over his head. The nights had become considerably cooler in the passing days and a chill raced down his spine. The soft glow of moonlight could be seen creeping higher on the horizon. It filtered through the trees where Jacquelyn led the way, her gait cautious as she sidestepped bushes and fallen logs with ease. Micah couldn’t help but watch in awe. Jacquelyn negotiated the dark landscape like she had night vision goggles or some shit. She stopped as if to listen and held up her hand. Micah cocked his head, searching for any sound to indicate the location of their quarry. Through the stillness, Micah detected a strange warmth, like love blossoming in his chest. His jaw dropped and Jacquelyn quirked an inquisitive brow, mouthing the word, “Where?”

Micah pointed toward an embankment that dropped off into a tree-lined meadow. The sensation of joy intensified and he increased his speed, almost running toward the clearing. He’d never felt anything so pure. He took in their surroundings, the moon shining down on them like a giant spotlight. Trees, both pine and aspen lined the meadow, the wind rustling the leaves like bits of tissue paper. The scent of cool water wafted to his nostrils, further helping to clear his damned drug addled brain. There must have been a spring or a creek further down the tree line. Large and small shadows quivered in the moonlight, like frightened creatures. Though what anything should fear in the presence of such warm emotion was beyond his comprehension.

“Hey!” Jacquelyn hissed. “You never go running out into the open like that! We have no idea what’s out here.”

“It’s not bad,” Micah said with wonder, his narrow gaze scanning the trees. “There’s not a trace of evil in what I’m feeling right now.” He looked to the sky, laughter bubbling up through his throat. The sound echoed around them. “It’s amazing!”

A rustling in the brush to their left drew their attention, and Jacquelyn pulled the .357, sighting it toward the commotion. “Don’t move, Micah.”

He heard her, knew the warning inherent in her tone. But he could do nothing to stop his feet from moving. One step and then another, faster he walked toward the trees, blocking the path of Jacquelyn’s shot. He felt compelled to do so, to protect whatever creature lingered under cover, filling his soul with riotous joy. A smile tugged at his mouth as he suppressed another bout of laughter and he peered into the darkness.

“Shit.” Jacquelyn called from behind him. “Micah, move out of the fucking way!”

But he couldn’t. He clutched his chest, wishing he could spread the warm sensation to every tiny part of his body, rub it in. Roll in it. This was bliss.

“Micah.” Jacquelyn came up behind him, her breath labored. “What do you think—”

“Merry meet, hunter,” a lilting voice called out from the woods.

“Show yourself,” Jacquelyn said in response.

Micah stared into the trees, his jaw slack as a soft white orb meandered through the branches casting a silvery glow. His mother had told him stories of willo’ the wisps, shimmering balls of light, the embodiment of wandering spirits. The orb floated to the clearing and hovered just a few feet from Micah before exploding in a bright flash. He shielded his eyes and waited for the burst to subside, when it did he found himself face to face with a woman in a flowing white robe.

“I’d like to say, when it rains it pours, but this is a fucking deluge,” Jacquelyn griped.

Micah turned to Jacquelyn, his eyes slow to move from the mysterious woman. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, is there some sort of supernatural convention in town that I don’t know about? The entire county is crawling with supernatural squatters.”

But the woman before him swathed in white couldn’t possibly be one of them. Not when she made him feel so—good. “No, she’s something else.”

“Hardly,” Jacquelyn scoffed. “Our girl here is a Dryad. And you’d best watch your ass, Micah.”

Dryad? He wracked his brain, searching for a myth to go with the name. Micah turned back to the woman, and she pulled the cowl from her head. White hair in long flowing waves drifted on the breeze. Her pale skin reminded him of the smooth bark of a birch tree. And her eyes, electric blue and icy crinkled at the corners when she smiled at him.

“Shall I sing you a song, Bearer?” she asked in a voice as smooth as churned butter.

“Not if you want to keep your vocal chords,” Jacquelyn snapped.

“You’re no fun.” The Dryad stuck her tongue out like an errant child.

“A Dryad is a tree spirit, Micah.” Jacquelyn came to stand beside him. She held the .357 with intent, aiming it at the woman’s head. “She’ll use her pretty voice to tempt the soul right out of you if you let her.”

“Calm yourself, hunter.” The Dryad inched closer to Micah but he didn’t bother to move. The sense of euphoria intensified, stealing his breath and making him a bit dizzy. “I have no intention of taking your pet tonight. Though I must admit,” she ran a long white finger down the center of Micah’s chest, “that he is a tasty-looking morsel. Yum.”

Amanda Bonilla
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