Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Shayna and her two best
friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements,
earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers,
they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town.
Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small
magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but
then the nightmares start.
Shayna suffers nightmares of being
chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks
her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When
an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it’s only a ploy to
draw her out; she can’t let someone die because of her.
I love books that are located in beach towns and magical communities. There are so many elements I like about the book, her nightmares, waking up bloody and bruised…I want to know what is going on. I picked this up on 7.31.12.
Title: Edge of Death, Book Two of the Admiralty Archives Author: Joni Parker Publisher: Village Green Press LLC Pages: 452 Genre: Urban Fantasy
BOOK
BLURB:
In this
second installment of The Admiralty Archives, the warrior Lady Alexin, the
Keeper of the Keys for the Elf realm of Eledon, finds herself exiled to the
harsh world of near-future London. Rendered little more than a political pawn
by the Elfin Council of Elders to avoid a war with the Rock Elves, she has
little choice but to struggle to find her way in this strange new land. Taken
under the protection of kindly mentors, Vice Admiral Malcolm Teller of the
British Royal Navy and his wife, Alex brings all her skills to the fore as she
uncovers a series of deadly plots.
Murder
is on everyone’s mind as an underground White Supremacist organization takes
aim at Admiral Teller while two wizards, resurrected from death, must kill Alex
in order to survive. To make matters worse, the Rock Elves dispatch a hundred
assassins from Eledon with their sole mission to bring Lady Alexin to the very…
Edge of Death.
Alex had never felt so alone in her entire life. She stared
blankly out the window of the limousine she shared with Admiral Teller and his
staff. Her eyes focused on her reflection as a tear escaped down her cheek. She
swiped it away. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel grateful for their help and
support, but her heart ached—she wanted to go home…to Eledon…to her Elf
grandparents…to her job as the Keeper of the Keys…not to London.
Alex’s mortal father had died when
she was four and she’d been raised by mortals until she turned fifteen. She
thought she’d have a better understanding of life here on Earth, but she
didn’t. She even missed the snooty Council of Elders and the grumpy Chamber
Elf. Helping those mortals had been the worst decision she’d ever made. Over
seven hundred sailors on five ships had been stranded in Eledon and she’d
returned them safely. She brushed away another tear and looked around. Good,
no one’s looking at me. She turned back to the window.
An unusual sound caught her attention and she gazed out the
sunroof of the black limousine. It was a helicopter. Or a chopper. A
helo—whatever they called it. Alex leaned her head back and sighed. What was it doing here? It wasn’t part
of the motorcade. Over the past few weeks, she’d seen a lot of them flying in
and out of Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Base in southern England. The Royal Marines
had told her about them. This one hovered way too close. The pilots smiled and
waved at her, so she waved back. Friendly, she thought, at first. But why were
they wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day? Her instincts told her something
wasn’t right. Who were these men?
Assassins? Why were they waving at me? The hairs on the back of her neck
rose as she thought of the worst-case scenario. The helo was going to attack
them.
She nudged Leftenant Nelson of the
British Royal Navy—the red-haired, fair-skinned man raised his chin, but his
eyes remained fixed on the screen of his mobile. He played a video game to pass
the time.
“Wait.” The
young officer pushed the buttons with his thumbs and stared intensely at the
small screen. The car crashed and the game ended. “Damn it!” He shook his fist
and gritted his teeth. “I can’t get past this level. What in the bloody hell do
you want?” He pulled his ear buds out and turned sharply; his eyes narrowed—his
anger still prevailing.
“Sorry, but
why is that helicopter flying so low?” Alex pointed up. She had learned one
thing about the mortal world—it could be dangerous here.
“It’s just
a traffic helicopter, looking for accidents on the highway.”
“So why are
those men wearing sunglasses? It’s cloudy out.”
“They’re
pilots—they think it makes them look cool.” He waved his hand dismissively and
went back to his game.
“Good.”
Alex felt relieved. Her instincts were wrong. No need to worry. This was normal. Since that night she was supposed to return home to Eledon, but
couldn’t, she wasn’t quite sure what was normal and what wasn’t here in
the mortal world. She relived the scene, repeating in her head on an endless
loop and clenched her jaw. Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves had threatened to
kill her grandfather if she tried to return home—and the sneer on his face told
her that he’d won.
Sitting across from her was Vice
Admiral Sir Malcolm Teller. He was a kind man, but he was a mortal…and a
target. She’d already foiled three assassination attempts on him. He was
targeted by a white supremacist group called the 23rd Infantry, just
because he was a black man. It didn’t make sense to her. Over the past few
weeks, he’d also become her mentor and benefactor and promised to help her find
a way home. But how? He didn’t know
anything about the Elf world. Were there
more entry points somewhere? Even she didn’t know—she was stranded. No, exiled.
Next to him on a laptop computer
was Captain Jonas, a brilliant naval officer and the Admiral’s chief of staff,
who always looked at her with suspicion. Was
there any way to convince him I wasn’t a scout for an alien invasion? She
doubted it. He was a stubborn man.
Over the past few weeks, the
Admiral had taken charge of the return of the sailors, the ships, and the
civilians who’d been stranded in Eledon, while she’d made friends with Captain
Shauna O’Leary, Royal Marines. Alex worked out with the Marines on a daily
basis and learned a lot about the mortal world from them. This morning,
however, she was notified the Admiral had completed his task and would be
leaving for London in an hour. She would have liked more time—she barely had a
chance to say farewell to Shauna. But she packed quickly and got to the
limousine before anyone else.
Alex had no clue what to do next,
but she felt an urgent need to get back to Eledon to protect her grandfather
from those Rock Elves, especially Lord Fissure. Until she figured out how, the
Admiral had offered to let her stay with him and his wife. Without any other
option, she agreed.
Her best hope of getting home was
to find Ecstasy, the wizard. He’d brought her to the mortal world in the first
place, but even Detective Inspector Tyler of Scotland Yard couldn’t find him.
So, how could she?
* * *
Leftenant Nelson tapped her arm. “Hey, Alex. I didn’t mean
to snap at you like that. You didn’t know about the traffic helo. Sorry.”
“It’s all
right. Sorry, I bothered you.” Alex wasn’t really sorry, but thought it was the
polite thing to say. He’d always been pleasant to her. The chopper rose higher
over the vehicle, pacing the limo’s speed on the highway. Its body was made of
glass and metal with pods on either side. Alex stared at it curiously and went back
to her thoughts.
Without
warning, the limo veered off the main highway and exited onto a two-lane
country road. Alex grabbed hold of a handle to her left and sat up straight,
alert for trouble. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened as her head swiveled
around, looking for the source of the problem.
“What’s
going on, Jonas?” Admiral Teller dropped the newspaper onto his lap and looked
over to the Captain.
“I’ll find
out, Admiral.” He pressed a button near his head. “Petty Officer Thomas, where
are we going?”
“Following the security car in
front, Captain. It’ll take us around an accident ahead.”
Captain Jonas glanced at the
traffic on the highway. It wasn’t slowing down and his phone didn’t have any
reported accidents. “Thomas, there aren’t any accidents reported. Call the
security car and get them back on the highway. We have an appointment at the
Ministry this morning.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Yet, the limo continued along the
empty country road.
Thomas reported back. “Captain, no
reply from the security car.”
The Captain grew alarmed; this
wasn’t supposed to happen. He checked his phone again, still no accidents. He
craned his neck to look at the traffic, flowing smoothly on the highway.
The sound of the chopper drew
closer. Alex looked out the sunroof—the pilots grinned. This time, not in a
friendly way. Alarm bells went off in her head.
“I thought the chopper was supposed
to watch traffic on the highway.” Alex looked to Nelson, who was also peering
out the sunroof; his jaw tight and his eyes focused on the chopper.
“I don’t like this.” Captain Jonas
pressed the button. “Thomas, get us out of here!” His eyes narrowed.
“I can’t, sir. We’re boxed in.”
“Leftenant, send out a distress
message immediately!”
Nelson’s thumbs flew over the
screen of his mobile phone, sending out a text message.
Alex felt helpless and she could
tell the men didn’t know what to do either. She turned in her seat to see the
driver’s face in the rearview mirror. His eyes were so wide she could see white
around his pupils as he clutched the steering wheel.
Captain Jonas slammed his laptop
shut and pushed the intercom. “Thomas, take evasive action. Turn left up
ahead.” He turned to his right. “Fasten your seat belt, Admiral. Leftenant,
call for help again.”
The Admiral put on his seatbelt and
Alex tightened hers. The Leftenant sent out another message over his phone.
Thomas slammed on the brakes and turned the limo to the left. The long vehicle
barely made the sharp turn and skidded sideways before it straightened. Then he
stepped on the gas. All at once, he jammed on the brakes and nearly ran into
the chopper as it hovered low over the road.
Alex broke into a sweat. How are we going to get out of this? She
looked to the Admiral, who looked at the Captain. No one had any answers.
“Turn right!” The Captain pointed
to a smaller road.
Thomas quickly turned the limo down
a road which became a dirt path leading into a pasture where black and white
cows munched on grass. The limo broke through a barbed wire fence and drove
into the field. Alex gripped the handle as she bounced in the seat. Oh, my stars!
“Damn it! Turn around! Get us out
of here!” The Captain’s eyes grew large as the chopper followed behind. “Did
you send the message, Nelson?” He pulled the Admiral away from the window as Nelson
frantically texted another distress message.
“Jonas, this car is armored. We’re
safer in here than out there.” The Admiral pointed out the window.
“Thomas, get us out of here!” Jonas
waved his hand forward.
“I can’t, sir! I’ve lost control!”
The steering wheel spun wildly under his hands as the limo fishtailed across
the grass.
Alex rocked to the right as the
chopper’s nose tilted down. “It’s aiming at us!” She pointed out the back
window. The Marines had told her about helos, firing rockets and shooting guns,
but that was in a war zone, not in the English countryside.
Two white streams of churning smoke
fired from the pods on the chopper, exploding just behind the vehicle, kicking
up mounds of dirt, and lifting the rear end. Gunfire strafed the back window,
shattering the glass but remaining intact.
Alex covered her face as the limo
sped through the field, barely missing a cow. Seconds later, the limo ran into
a stone wall and came to an abrupt stop. The airbags deployed and everyone sat
stunned for a few seconds.
“The chopper’s coming around for
another crack at us, Captain.” Leftenant Nelson grabbed the door handle. “Let’s
get out of here!” He scrambled out the door, followed by the rest, jumping
behind a stone wall in front of a stand of trees.
Just as they ducked behind the
wall, the chopper sent two more rockets at the car, which exploded at the rear.
Then it opened fire with machine guns. In spite of the armor plating and
bulletproof glass, the limo was severely damaged—it hissed and steamed.
Alex hunkered down next to Nelson
as bullets pounded against the wall. She’d never felt anything so powerful and
wondered if the wall was strong enough to protect them. It brought back
memories of when she’d been shot, but somehow, she didn’t remember it this way.
Her recent training with the Marines had involved simulated bullets; this
wasn’t the same. Her panic rose. She couldn’t move. Her breathing grew shallow;
sweat dripped off her face. She felt if she was on the edge of death, about to
go over. The men were just as scared as she was.
Her courage was buoyed by a short
lull in the action; she peeked around the wall and saw the chopper back up to
maneuver for another round. I have to do
something.
“Is there a weak point on the
chopper?” Alex asked.
“The rotor on top.” The Captain
pointed up.
As the chopper flew forward, Alex
aimed the palms of her hands at the rotor. “Break!” she shouted. An intense
beam of blue light shot from her hands, knocking the rotor off. The blades
struck the ground, sending dirt and shrapnel in all directions while the cabin
tumbled across the field and exploded.
“What in the bloody hell was that?”
Captain Jonas stared at her—his eyes wide.
“My blue light.” She grinned at
him.
“My God!” The Captain glared at
her. “Don’t do that again!”
Why
was he so surprised? The Captain had seen her use it before when she’d
healed some people. She pressed her lips together in frustration.
“Wicked.” Nelson glanced at her and
nodded, raising an eyebrow.
Wow,
that’s weird. He can raise one eyebrow at a time. At least, Alex thought it
was unusual. She’d never seen…
“Stay down!” Captain Jonas pushed
the Admiral’s head behind the wall as he detected movement to the left. The two
fake security vehicles had arrived on scene. Out of one car, two men in black
ran at them on the left—they were scouts, leading the attack.
“Men on the left.” She nodded to
Leftenant Nelson.
“More on the right.” The Leftenant
grimaced. “We’re screwed.”
“I’ll use my blue light again.”
Alex was about to raise her hands.
“No!” The Captain glared at her.
“Don’t use that thing. It’s unnatural.”
“So are guns. We can’t just sit
here and do nothing.” Then, she had another idea.
About the Author
Fantasy novels are Joni Parker’s writing passion. Thus far,
she’s written two complete series:“The Seaward Isle Saga,” a trilogy, and “The
Chronicles of Eledon,” the award-winning four-book series. Her latest series,
“The Admiralty Archives,” began with the publication of her book, “Curse of the
Sea” and continues with the second book in that series, “Edge of Death.” Her
work extends beyond novels into short stories and blog articles. Joni’s retired
from military and federal government service and devotes her time to writing.
She currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.
Kingdom of Crowns and Glory (Kingdom of Darkness and Light, #1) Publication date: December 18th 2019 Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, New Adult
Fairytale heroes, but not as you remember them…
The age old tale of Good versus Evil comes to life in this epic boxset featuring only the heroes from your favorite fairytales.
Will light triumph over dark? Will the heroes beat the villains?
Be part of the battle and explore your favourite fairytales from different perspectives, in this one of a kind split fairytale anthology retelling collection.
This set by USA Today and Amazon Best Selling authors is like nothing you have never read before.
Paired up with The Kingdom of Villains and Vengeance boxset, you can now read the story from the perspective of both the heroes and villains. Come on a magical journey to see if good does always triumph over evil.
Stories included are:
The Little Mermaid Vs The Sea Witch
Snow White Vs The Evil Queen
Sleeping Beauty Vs Witch
Robin Hood Vs Sheriff
Alice Vs Queen of Hearts
Princess Vs Rumpelstiltskin
Peter Pan Vs Hook
Little Red Vs Wolf
Excerpt from Anne Stryker’s book, Glacier featured
in Kingdom of Villains and Vengeance. A story from the perspective of
Rumplestilskin.
“Tell
me a story,” she whispered, staring at the globe like her world rested within.
I took a deep breath
and gazed at the sky. “A story? Since when do you like those?”
Her lips lifted in a small smile, and mine mirrored the action to match. I spun
a recycled tale from fae lore, replacing our heroine’s name with hers—likely
sacrilege, but for her growing smile, I didn’t care. She fought dragons and
rode through plains upon her faerie steed, bolstering legend and carving her
name into the world itself. As the theatrical rendition slipped to a close, her
smile had fallen.
It took all my strength not to touch her then, draw her close, and whisper the
truth, about everything. But I couldn’t bear to see hatred blister in her gaze,
not tonight. Enough would happen tonight. And I couldn’t forfeit everything
now.
She pressed the globe against her chest and stared up at the stars. “Thank you,
my faerie,” she murmured, and a tear traced down her cheek.
My breath held.
She pinned me with those blue eyes that were an echo of mine. “I wish you were
real.”
Kingdom of Villains and Vengeance (Kingdom of Darkness and Light, #2) Publication date: December 18th 2019 Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, New Adult
Fairytale villains, but not as you remember them…
The age old tale of Good versus Evil comes to life in this epic boxset featuring only the evil doers from your favorite fairytales.
Will light triumph over dark? Will the heroes beat the villains?
Be part of the battle and explore your favourite fairytales from different perspectives, in this one of a kind split fairytale anthology retelling collection.
This set by USA Today and Amazon Best Selling authors is like nothing you have never read before.
Paired up with The Kingdom of Crowns and Glory boxset, you can now read the story from the perspective of both the heroes and villains. Come on a magical journey to see if good does always triumph over evil.
Stories included are:
The Sea Witch Vs The Little Mermaid
The Evil Queen VsSnow White
Witch Vs Sleeping Beauty
Sheriff Vs Robin Hood
Queen of Hearts Vs Alice
Rumpelstiltskin Vs Princess
Hook V’s Peter Pan
Wolf Vs Little Red
Love Dragons? Abigail Owen has a fabulous series for you. I have loved meeting and getting an in depth look into each character. This is a series that keeps on giving.
I am so excited to be back with these HOT firefighting dragon shifters, and to meet some new ones in The Enforcer, the third book of the Fire’s Edge series by Abigail Owen.
Drake was the only one who could save the family surrounded by fire, but because he is unmated, his body rebelled in his hurry to save them. It is Cami’s family that he rescues.
She is not afraid of him. She has issues of her own, no one to turn to for help, until…Rune. He just happens to be in the vicinity. He is a rogue, a dragon shifter with no clan and gathers those who need his help, offering them a safe refuge
Dragons come in many colors, each with their own special abilities, other than the normal fire breathing and such. If dragons do not mate, they begin to age and death is not far behind. Drake is one of those dragons. They have their own political intrigue and narcissistic rulers.There is betrayal, danger, love and sacrifice. The kings make the laws, the enforcers, enforce them. Going rogue is a death sentence.
Cami finds a friend in Skylar, who has her own secrets. For some reason, she is drawn to Cami and offers to help her, teaching her martial arts, while she is nursing Drake. At first she doesn’t know why she is drawn to him, but as she learns the ways of dragons, it becomes clear to her. At the moment, she is the stronger one.
“…is your default setting asshole?”
“I’m surprised he left you alone with me.”
“He didn’t want to, something about you being a scary motherfucker…”
Oh man, when a shifter dies…it brought tears to my eyes. Abigail Owen’s descriptive writing brought the scene to life and I could picture it in my mind. BUT, I’m not telling you who will no longer be with us. And Drake, that is his biggest fear. If he were to mate with Cami and not be healed, they would both die.
We have a lot of fun verbal foreplay that turns HOT, steamy, sexy, playful, HOT…ADULTS ONLY HOT.
“Did you know some dragon shifters can shift a single part of themselves?”
I know what first popped into my mind and I wonder what pop into yours. LOL
I love dragons in any shape or form. They are people first, doing all the things that humans do, after all, someone has to cook dinner, do laundry, and all those menial chores that need to be done day after day. I love Drake, Cami, and their merry band of misfits. Makes for some wonderful moments as their individual personalities are revealed. It has been a marvelous visit and I look forward to returning.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Enforcer by Abigail Owen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Death comes for everyone. Even Drake Chandali. The aging process that twists all unmated dragon shifters’ bodies into something useless has taken hold of his body centuries early. A mate could have reversed the process, but now it’s too late. To protect his team of enforcers, he leaves, and comes face to face with the woman he’d thought was human when he saved her from a fire months before.
Except she’s not human. She’s a mate.
Camilla Carrillo almost lost her family to wildfire. To discover she’s fated to mate a creature made of flame and rage, and become one herself, should be terrifying. But somehow a rightness settles inside her, especially when she’s around the glowering red dragon shifter who wants nothing to do with her.
When Drake learns Cami bears his mark — the same mark as the High King — he refuses to believe she’s meant to be his. It’s too late. How could he turn Cami only to take her with him to the grave? At the same time, he can’t walk away. Hiding her from the corrupt, rotting High King might be the last honorable thing Drake ever does with the little time he has left.
ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN
Award-winning
paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in
Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in
Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are
the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and
exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of
Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career
related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric
(Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing
without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
The Brutal Time Christina Bauer (Angelbound Origins #6) Published by: Monster House Books Publication date: October 29th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
“I love the Angelbound Origins world and just can’t seem to get enough of it!” – The Avid Reader
As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.
Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.
Yipes.
Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But with so much at risk, the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights.
Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.
“These books don’t just capture your attention, they straight up demand it. Christina Bauer has created a fascinating and unique world that you do not want to miss out on.” – Bookhalolic Brittany
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
Do you like urban fantasy and snarky heroines? Then you’ll want to meet necromancer Octavia Hollows and her sidekick Bacon.
We are celebrating the release of The Journals of Octavia Hollows by Stacey Rourke on Audio. This collection features all six journals in the series and was published by The Audio Flow. Come fall in love with this feisty heroine, her pet pig, and the brilliant narration provided by Brenda Scott Wlazlo.
With a touch of her hand, Octavia Hollows can restore life. Yet, she couldn’t save the man she loved from the horrific accident that stole him from her. Octavia thought she could outrun the pain, but ghosts from the past refuse to be silenced. Out of options, she chooses to retrace her wayward journey across the country in search of answers. Surrounded by baffling mysteries of the undead, what she learns about herself along the way might become her greatest weapon.
This six novella series chronicles Octavia’s adventures in:
Wake the Dead
Dead Man’s Hand
Caught Dead
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dead Ringer
Dead as a Doornail
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ Listen to A Sample ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ About the Author ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇
Stacey Rourke is the award winning author of works that span genres, but possess the same flare for action and snarky humor. She lives in Florida with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction, and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head.
One lucky US winner will receive a signed paperback copy of the Journals of Octavia Hollows collection. The book will be signed by author Stacey Rourke and narrator Brenda Scott Wlazlo.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ashley King is afraid of the dark and from her past experiences, she has every reason to be. I feel so bad for her. Her fear of the dark and her only escape was pills to sleep and forget…for a while.
Todd gave her his parience and support, but he would not force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He could only hope it would be enough.
Hunter Shea did not take her to a place I thought he would, and I love that he can throw me for a loop right out of the gate. When she hangs herself, it caught me totally off guard. All I could think is WTF? Now what? I can only imagine the pain and horror she lived through as it wore her down, a little more each day, until she couldn’t take it any longer…being the ‘final girl.’
Todd could not let it go. He has to go back where it all began. He has to know. And he will.
Once they crossed the boundary between the real world and Hayden lands, they are on his turf, and the horror begins.
Much of Slash by Hunter Shea is predictable, but Hunter is good for a twist or two.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Slash by Hunter Shea.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Five years after Ashley
King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her
basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what
really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the
killer the press has called The Wraith.
With the help of his
friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged
ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history
that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is
back, and he’s nothing what they expected.
ABOUT HUNTER SHEA
Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He’s the author of over 17 books, including The Jersey Devil (Pinnacle 2016)), Tortures of the Damned (Pinnacle 2015), and We Are Always Watching (Sinister Grin). Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. The Montauk Monster (Pinnacle 2014) was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. He was selected to be part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. Living with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to pay New York rent.
Spooktacular
Guest Blog – Binge-worthy Shows for Halloween
Halloween month is the perfect
time to binge on surreal, spooky, otherworldly shows. Here are some of my top picks for your
viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
* Wacky witches and a good vs.
evil struggle: Chilling Adventures of
Sabrina
* Zombies in a quarantine zone,
aka Seattle: iZombie
* Vampire Diaries spin-off, a
school for all the preternatural folk: Legacies
* Surreal setting and quirky
people with powers: Legion
* One sexy devil and a kickass
cop: Lucifer
* Harry Potter-esque fantasy with
magicians/college students: The Magicians
* Flawed superheroes and some
“wibbly wobbly timey wimey”: The Umbrella
Academy
Happy viewing and Happy
Halloween!
Xo,
Celia
ORIGINS
Tranquilli Bloodline
Book 3
Celia Breslin
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Date of Publication: September 9, 2019
Number of pages: 250
Word Count: 94,000
Cover Artist: Melody Pond
Tagline: The Chosen One is home. Bad little vampires beware…
Book Description:
In HAVEN and DESTINY, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli finds love and fights her vampire family’s enemies. Now, in ORIGINS…
En route to reunite with her estranged father in Italy, Carina is kidnapped by a human organization intent on vampire genocide. Beaten, starved, and forced to fight fellow captives, she finally manages to escape. Along the way, she encounters the group’s leaders—their identities shock her to the core.
Once home, Carina warns her family of this new threat, but dear old dad is missing. In his absence, the Tribunal, the governing body for all vampirekind, lies in disarray, with an old enemy making a bid for her father’s throne. What’s worse? The usurper wants her for his queen…and slave.
With a human-vampire war looming on one side and a vampire-vampire battle brewing on the other, Carina will have to rally her troops, take back the throne, and fulfill her destiny as the Chosen One. If not, her whole world will fall, taking everyone she loves with it.
The car stopped. I couldn’t convince myself to step out. What if this was a freaking, injection-induced hallucination? What if I was still back in the damn prison?
Besnik helped me out.
The mansion’s mammoth double doors eased open. The man illuminated in the doorway chased away the numbness, pumped my heart so hard it might pound right out of my chest. He opened his arms wide, calling me. My lips curled upward in the first true smile I’d cracked since the last time he’d held me in his arms. That man, my man, loved me more than any other on this whole damn planet.
“Alexander.”
I ran to him.
Alexander’s arms closed around me, his hold so tight I could barely catch a breath. Tremors ran through his hard body, again and again.
“Carina,” he croaked, voice sandpaper rough. “Carina.”
Nuzzling his neck, I planted fevered kisses along his tan, heated skin. He’d fed recently to be this warm under my lips. Temptation had me licking his pounding pulse, nipping at the vein. Couldn’t resist it. My fangs slid home.
Energy exploded between us, our mate bond bursting to life and tearing away whatever magical wall had separated us for far too long. My bite, the catalyst, his blood the cure. Awash in the force of our reunion, Alexander staggered then clutched me closer while I pulled out of his neck and laved the rapidly healing holes.
As our power continued to bubble and stitch us back together, he whisked us into the grand entryway, planted my ass on an ornate, antique cabinet, and devoured my mouth like a starving man. His hands roamed everywhere, searching, cataloguing, as if to reassure himself this wasn’t a hallucination, that I was really here, in his arms, relatively unharmed.
The more he kissed me, the more those wonderful, golden threads of our connection resurrected inside me, around me, between us, and I felt like freaking Sleeping Beauty awakened from her magical slumber by a kiss from her fated handsome prince. The silly thought made me giggle against Alexander’s seeking mouth, and then I was crying while my love cupped my face between his hands, wiped away my tears with his thumbs, and pressed tender kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, the tip of my nose…
“Alexander.” I fisted his shirt tight. Please, God, let him be real. “I… I don’t want to wake up.” Please, don’t let this end.
His smoky blue eyes bored into mine, his brown hair spiked in every direction, a bit longer than in my memory. It’s not a dream, baby. You’re here. You’re home.
Oh my God, I can hear you. I swiped some willful bits of hair away from his forehead, touched his full lips, ran my fingers along his strong jaw, taking in the whole handsome, bad-boy package. You’re back in my head. I’d never been happier to have someone inside my mind. Silence was seriously overrated.
And back in your arms.
About the Author:
Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, and the Fae. Her stories are action-packed and typically include one of the many varieties of romantic entanglements: fated mates, second chance, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.
When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies, as well as everything in the Marvel Universe franchise. Of course!
* Heat Rating: Spicy to Erotic Romance * No Cliffhangers * Happily-Ever-After or Happy-For-Now
MY REVIEW
A Darker Shade of Evil is an anthology of fabulous authors and because the book is 15,061 pages on my Kindle and I am only at 6,205, I will be sharing four soul sucking novels and highly recommend these steamy reads for adult only.
Alone in the Dark by Khardine Gray – USA Today Bestselling Author
Forbidden love. I’m hooked. It seems to go hand in hand with the supernatural world that I love to get lost in. Some very hot, steamy sex, but the story takes priority. I quickly fell in loe with the characters and the supernatural world they live in. Witches, lycans, werewoves, fae, good and evil, battle as a war brews and the threat of Razal rising looms on the horizon. What more could I possibly ask for? Well, I was sad to see it end and that’s what I am asking for…MORE, because it ended all too soon. 4 Stars
The Devil Upstairs by Dariel Raye – USA Today Bestselling Author
He rose from his grave, after a very long time, and he knew that mean war was on the horizon. He was the last of his kind and that made me very curious about him. It’s Christmas and with it come memories of how he came to be. His mission has a name: revenge. Kat is unemployed, with no one to care but her best friend, Shell. What is she doing going out partying and rent is overdue? She felt pulled…and watched. I can relate to her inability to keep her mouth shut when angered Words came out without censor. She is naive and innocent, and she has no idea of what is coming. Forbidden love. Wow. Intense, hot sex and a love to last a lifetime….however long that may be. 4 Stars
Soul Bonded by Lori Titus – USA Today Bestselling Author
Natasha had been brought up to not be chasing demons. Well, obvious to me that’s gonna change. Christopher had become a drunk since leaving Special Ops. How will they come together? Enter: Victor Ramshead. Natasha cared for her mom, who has dementia, but couldn’t keep a caregiver because she would blurt out their psychic visions and scare them away. Her parents trained her about the supernatural world, but she is gonna need to bone up on it to face what is to come. When the demon wants you and makes an offer you can’t refuse, well…What price will be paid? It felt like a prequel and gave me just enough to want more of the good and evil characters and the fight to come. 3 Stars
Succubus Unleashed by Muffy Wilson – USA Today Bestselling Author
I knew the girl that would steal my heart would be different, but not this different.
Sapphira must find a mortal man to stand at her side and rule the clan as Queen Mother, all while perpetuating their species by producing children, being new blood into the fold. She marveled in her new body as I tried to figure out exactly what she is and when I did, I loved it! She is a water creature, and I am hooked right there. She has scales and wings, and now, two legs. The feelings Brock invoked in her were new to her. Is he the one? They would have to fight to together, and she was ready when he called. I was quickly caught up in her sweet innocence and couldn’t help but love her. I fell right into their insta love. It was magical and easy. Wow, just wow. Intense romance and hot sex, along with the lovin’. 4 Stars
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Darker Shade of Evil Anthology.
4 Stars
Deadly demons, diabolical devils and other creatures of the night will hold
you spellbound in this one-of-a-kind anthology. In a world of dark
delights, they trifle in forbidden passion, suspense, and kick-ass
battles. It’s all right here for you in this captivating urban
fantasy and paranormal romance anthology!
Brought to you by USA Today and International Bestselling Authors, these
stories of sexy alpha heroes and heroines will keep you turning the
pages. Devils, demons and their lethal hunters will draw you into
their conquests, twisted deceptions, scorching heat, and yes, even love.
Don’t miss A Darker Shade of Evil!
One-click now will claim your copy!
* Heat Rating: Spicy to Erotic Romance
* No Cliffhangers
* Happily-Ever-After or Happy-For-Now
by the following brilliant USA Today and Bestselling Authors!
Khardine Gray, – USA Today Bestselling Author– Alone In The Dark
Dariel Raye, – USA Today Bestselling Author – The Devil Upstairs
Lori Titus, – USA Today Bestselling Author – Talons
Muffy Wilson, – USA Today Bestselling Author – Succubus Unleashed
Keta Diablo, – Bestselling Author – I Spy A Demon
Marilyn Harlow, – Bestselling Author – Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend
Gracen Miller, – Bestselling Author – Hex
Michelle Scott, – Bestselling Author – The Demon’s Prisoner
