Ever since I binged on the Lucifer TV show, I look for books like The Devil In Disguise by Cynthia Eden. I loved everything about the TV show and this book. The writing was easy to read and the pace unputodwnable. The story sounded so familiar, yet was filled with twists and turns of its own. I loved the characters. Of course, we have the devil and his twin brother,good and evil, BUT, we also have a unique individual in Mina James. She is strong, determined, and in love with the devil. I hope to continue the series.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Don’t make the devil angry…
Luke Thorne loves having one hell of a good time. As the ruler of every dark creature to walk the earth, he certainly has more than a bit of a bad side. He lives for danger and isn’t the type to lose his heart—mostly because he doesn’t have one. Then she walks into his life.
Mina James is seduction in the flesh, a perfect temptation that the devil himself couldn’t pass up. Too late, Luke realizes he’s let a real siren into his life, a woman who is bent on using his dark powers to free herself from hidden enemies. Since Luke isn’t the type of man to be used, he should walk away from her, but…something about Mina draws him close.
Soon he’s realizing that she isn’t who she appears to be. Not dark and cold, but burning red hot. Mina is a woman fighting for her life—and the Lord of the Dark suddenly finds himself in an unlikely role…hero. Luke isn’t going to let her enemies destroy Mina. He will fight heaven and hell to keep her. But in the end, the secrets they both carry may just rip apart a love that should never have been…
There are Bad Things in the world…very, very bad. Are you ready for them?
In late March London, I
decided to begin a new life. All of the people who I cared for were gone.
Headed off to find something new, I made my way through the busy streets.
Beggars lined the route to the Atlantic transport.
Stepping to the ticket
window, I asked, “where is the boat headed?”
“America,” He
answered.
“One, please!”
I said, handing the man my money. He gave me a ticket and asked my name.
“Randis Blackburn.”
He wrote my name along with the other ship passengers.
“Age?”
“22.” seems
like a good number. After all, my age was unbelievable.
I was waiting for my
turn to board the ship. Watching the ship’s two giant smokestacks as they
puffed angrily. Parents said goodbye to their children, knowing they might
never see them again. A child smiled, waving frantically. I waved back. Her
smile was sweet, intentions pure. The feeling of life surged through me. Would
I have the strength to leave if I had a child?
“Excuse me,”
a quiet voice said, breaking me from my thoughts. I stepped to the side,
apologizing for being in her way. “Is that yours?” she asked, looking down
at an old worn brown trunk that sat at my feet.
“No,” I
answered, gazing into her deep green eyes. I was frozen in place by the depth
of her stare. There was something familiar about her; I couldn’t say what. She
bent down, picking up the lock in her hand. She turned the key, opening the
lock. She let out a sigh of relief as she pulled open the trunk.
The smell of wild roses
filled the air around me. She turned and smiled at me quickly before shutting
the lid. The scent of roses hit me once again. Locking the trunk and standing
to her feet, she held her lacey gloves that she had taken from the chest in her
pale hands. With a smile, she said,
“Good day,
sir.”
“Please, Call me
Randis,” I stuttered out.
“You are?” I
asked as I took her hand, slowly lifting it to my lips and kissing her warm
hand gently. I looked up to see her rosy cheeks. I had made her blush.
“Sarah.” She
said in a nervous voice.
“Nice to make your
acquaintance, Sarah.” Holding her hand in mine, I said, “Safe
journey.”
“Same to you,
Randis,” she said, pulling her hand from mine.
As she walked away, I
felt that a part of me was now missing. I felt so alone, more alone than I ever
had, as she disappeared into the crowd.
Vampire Musings
Articles and Short Stories
Compiled by Bertena Varney
ASIN : B0B2QJ5FQC
Publication Date: May 29, 2022
Print Length: 259 pages
Book Description:
Join 16 vampire fans and writers from around the world for their musings on vampire music, movies, fun facts, and even mesmerizing short stories. This book will make you feel like you are in a room with friends discussing the various vampires that each of you love spanning from aristocratic vampires, to primal monsters, to the Twilight vamps. So, sit down in your comfy chair, turn on the vampire music provided in this book, pick up that Bloody Mary, and escape to a world full of vampires.
There is a recount of the life of Anne Rice, reviews of books, movies, and television shows, a look at vampires as religious figures, romantic stories, and traditional stories of the vampire.
Each of these stories holds intrigue for fans of creatures of the night.
Contributors include: Audrey A’Cladh, Azurdee Garland, Bitten Twice, Bertena Varney, Carrie Rogers, Isabella Gibbons, Jacqueline Gibbons, Kathryne LeFevre, Kyle Germann, Mary Jackson, Matthew Banks, Phaedra Walker, Roxanne Rhoads, Selah Janel, Simon Bacon, and Stavros Cockrell.
These contributors range from a 12-year-old actress, to college professors, librarians, paranormal romance authors, and even those that live the life of a vampire.
The cover art was created by Stavros while showcasing the model Xamie wearing fangs from Kaos Kustom Fangs, LLC. The model is both alluring but dangerous. She is a great representation of the book and the various stories that are told within.
Vampire Musings is the 11th vampire book written, compiled, and/or published by Bertena Varney, M.A., M.Ed. This book is an anthology of articles and short stories from academics and fans from around the world. The topics range from Anne Rice’s Life Chronology, vampire detectives, vampire art, vampire films, modern short stories of vampire romance and traditional gothic reads of tortured souls.
Bertena is a former Assistant Professor of Sociology and is still working in higher education.
She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Morehead State University in sociology, criminology, history, and education. She spent these educational years studying pop culture.
She has been a guest speaker for multiple conventions including:
– Pop Culture Association National Conference in Washington DC
– Pop Culture Association Regional Conference in New Orleans
– Conjuration- A Harry Potter Convention in Atlanta, GA
The quirky, zany characters deserve a star, and the world Elizabeth Pantley created was like no other I have visited. I know I have said I love to travel through books, but the book club takes it to a whole new level….and I love it!
Paige and her Aunt Glo inherited a house with a magical library. They created a book club of oddball characters to learn about magic.
Of course, the cruise to Hawaii holds more than they bargained for, but that what’s happen when you skim the blurb. Vampires. It doesn’t matter to them. They are prepared to do what’s necessary to solve a cozy mystery.
Vampires and Villains is everything I expect in a cozy mystery, with a couple of bonuses, vampires and a talking cat, and the travel gives a whole new meaning to being caught up in a book.
Most cozies fall into a 3 rating, for me, but Elizabeth added enough extras to take it up a notch. Mystery, laughs, a funfilled cruise, the exploration of Hawaii, vampires, a talking cat, a novel way to travel and plenty of villains to keep me guessing.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Vampires and Villains by Elizabeth Pantley.
4 Stars
About Vampires and Villains
Paige and her joyful Aunt Glo have learned that the home they inherited comes with a magical library. They put together a book club group of loveable kooks to explore the magic.
They’ve recovered from their first book journey, and they all agree on their next book which takes place on a cruise ship bound for Hawaii. Problem is, they were so excited about the cruising idea that they didn’t read the entire blurb on the back of the book. (“It was entirely too long,” explains Zell.) Once on the ship, they meet a charming and likable man who blends seamlessly into their motley group. Too bad they don’t know why he’s so scarce during the day but shows up to join them every evening for dinner, drinks, and a show. When a dead body shows up on board, their new friend is labeled a suspect. Can they help him out by finding the real murderer? Or is he the real murderer? The book club will need to solve the case to get off the ship, out of the book, and back to their home.
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth Pantley says
that writing the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic book series is the most
fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident
through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the internationally
bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books
for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She
lives in the Pacific Northwest, the beautiful inspiration for the
enchanted Destiny Falls world.
WARNING: If you do not like swearing, horny sex fairies, foul mouthed Chihuahuas, brooding sexy tailors, conniving deities, gore, more gore, seriously corny jokes, ghost sex, fine scotch, nipple hair biscuits, and many insane immortals, then this book is not for you. (per Mimi Jean Pamfiloff).
I have been reading Mimi Jean’s novels for some time now, and every chance I get to read one, I jump all over it. She has a unique writing style that makes me laugh out loud while I flip the pages. The characters are off the charts, quickly winning my heart. The reviews are not easy to write, because I only want to tease you, not give away the story.
Damian Greystone yearns for the quiet life of a tailor, working on his own terms. He’s been cursed, bound to spend his life in emotional isolation. Everyone he comes to care for dies.
Things aren’t always as they appear and the purpose is not always easy to decipher.
I read the book in one sitting, unable to stop reading. I was hooked from the opening pages, but that is not surprising with a Mimi Jean Pamfiloff novel. The world she has created is filled with unique characters, put in difficult situations and I loved being along for the ride.
The Immortal Matchmakers is a prequel series to The Immortal Tailor. I feel you will benefit the most by beginning with The Immortal Matchmakers, Book I, but it is not a must.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Immortal Tailor by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
GOODREAD BLURB
From New York Times bestselling author Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a new immortal series filled with dark humor, angst, and a brooding hero who loves a good tweed: The Immortal Tailor.
THE IMMORTAL WORLD IS IN TROUBLE, AND THE GODS DEMAND . . . THEIR TAILOR COME TO THE RESCUE?
Long ago, Damien Greystone hung up his guns, knives, and rope for the quiet life of a tailor. Sure, his clients now include the likes of bloodthirsty vampires, a hair-obsessed Bigfoot, and fourteen insane deities, but at least Damien doesn’t have to kill anymore. And, sure, he’s been cursed to live alone for all eternity, but nobody’s life is perfect. Right?
Unfortunately, his monk-like existence is about to come to a screeching halt. The gods’ powers are on the fritz, and they’re demanding his help.
But when Damien starts investigating, he meets Sky Morales, a beautiful journalist who’s up to her ears in danger (and one very aggressive fairy). He has no choice but to dust off his weapons.
Can he protect her without getting too close? Because his “curse of solitude” doesn’t negotiate, and bad things will happen to Sky if he so much as feels a flutter of affection.
And as if that pressure weren’t enough, his precious store is being looked after by a love-sucking demon and a punk chick who has a knack for insulting everyone. Bigfoot isn’t pleased.
The sooner Damien can get this job done, the faster he can get back to his peaceful life. If only he weren’t enjoying getting his hands dirty again. Just like the good old days that got him in trouble.
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff immediately put a smile on my face with the lively dialogue.
Lake is smack dab in the middle of a fight for her world. She would need to marry Alwar, a warlord giant, to defeat the Blood King. She takes nothing from anyone, even a fifty foot giant who could squash her like a bug.
I laughed my way through the danger.
In Book I, Lake learned about Monsterland. Now, she’s crossed the bridge, entering Monsterland, and learning first hand the rules.
Mimi Jean Pamfiloff has created an amazing, original, magical and dangerous world, which she describes in vivid detail. The characters kept me engrossed and entertained for hours. I am eagerly anticipating what comes next.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Wall Men II by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a suspenseful Dark Fantasy, Wall Men: Book Two, a Vow Broken.
MARRYING A GIANT IS ONLY THE FIRST OF HER MISTAKES…
Here’s
a terrifying fact: monsters live in a world only a step away from ours.
And they love eating people. I’d know because I was taken prisoner by
one, the Blood King. Vampires. Blech! Steer clear of those.
Luckily
for us, getting here isn’t so easy. They’d have to cross a bridge
that’s protected by a wall built by my ancestors and guarded by the Wall
Men.
Unlucky is that the wall is under attack, and the king of the Wall Men wants my help. By marrying him.
Did I mention he’s a fifty-foot-tall warlord? And that the marriage must be—gulp—consummated?
To
save both our worlds, I must say “I do” in a forever vow with a major
string attached. Except my giant husband kept the biggest string hidden
from me, and now it’s too late to escape.
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold
over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her
MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she
believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet
and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two
pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons
(really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack,
in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make
you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that
leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
I picked up The Witch and the Gentleman by J R Rain on an Amazon free day. The series is in Kindle Unlimited. There are five books, but I don’t know if it is the complete series
I loved, loved, loved The Witch and the Gentleman by J R Rain. It took me totally by surprise…and did I say I loved, loved, loved it.
Allison is a rare psychic, able to see, feel and hear, remote viewing, and she is also a source of blood for what she knew was a very powerful vampire…and friend. She wasn’t supposed to take clients outside of the 911 Psychic Hotline, but Peter Laurie..she felt something and threw caution to the wind. I love her friend, Samantha, a very nice, sweet vampire.
The one legged sea bird. The bee.
Love, love, love it.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Allison Lopez is not your everyday Psychic Hotline operator. She’s a real psychic with real abilities that seem to grow daily, thanks to her close association with an immortal friend. Now, as her abilities continue to grow, Allison meets a very strange woman who reveals a starling secret to her. Life, for Allison Lopez, is about to get even stranger… and more fantastic.
And when she gets a phone call from a distraught father seeking answers to his daughter’s murder, Allison finds herself in unfamiliar territory: looking for a cold-blooded killer. It will take all of Allison’s abilities, both old and new, to catch an animal who preys on the innocent. And as the case unfolds, Allison is about to discover that not all is as it seems and life still has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Dare to Call Me Vampire Tamara Grantham (Legends of Crimson Hollow, #2) Publication date: May 24th 2022 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
They called us vampires. If only that were the truth.
My name is Amaya De la Vega. I’m a former patient at Crimson Hollow, an institute for those infected with the vampire virus. After the virus was cured, we thought our problems were over. Now we realize they’re just beginning.
Lucian Vidraru was branded with many labels. But he’s desperate to save me—and everyone once infected with the virus. The cure wasn’t what we’d expected. We need a solution before our newfound powers possess us. People fear us—and for good reason.
They called us vampires. Now, the world will finally know the full extent of our abilities, which could destroy us all…
Tamara Grantham is the award-winning author of more than a dozen books and novellas, including the Olive Kennedy: Fairy World MD series and the Shine novellas. Dreamthief, the first book of her Fairy World MD series, won first place for fantasy in INDIEFAB’S Book of the Year Awards, a RONE award for best New Adult Romance of 2016, and is a #1 bestseller on Amazon with over 200 five-star reviews.
Tamara holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Lamar University. She has been a featured speaker at multiple writing conferences, and she has been a panelist at Comic Con Wizard World speaking on the topic of female leads. For her first published project, she collaborated with New York-Times bestselling author, William Bernhardt, in writing the Shine series.
Born and raised in Texas, Tamara now lives with her husband and five children in Wichita, Kansas. She rarely has any free time, but when the stars align and she gets a moment to relax, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, taking nature walks–which fuel her inspiration for creating fantastical worlds–and watching every Star Wars or Star Trek movie ever made. You can find her online at www.TamaraGrantham.com.
Dead Wrong Annie Anderson (Grave Talker, #6) Publication date: May 24th 2022 Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Never make a deal with a demon.
There are two things Darby Adler wants more than anything: to take a vacation, and to find who is responsible for the rash of witch abductions in Knoxville.
With an ancient vampire in town and a slew of fugitives on the loose, her suspect pool is vast. But Darby has a sneaking suspicion she knows the culprit all too well.
And if she can’t catch him on her own, she might just have to resort to more creative measures to get the job done.
Here’s hoping she doesn’t lose her soul in the process.
Hooking a finger in the bridge of my sunglasses, I pinned him with a cold glare. “Tell me, is it fibbies in general, my gender, or me in particular you don’t like, Preston? Because this is the second time in a matter of days that you have skirted around another agent to tell me to get off a crime scene, and I gotta say, it’s pissing me off.”
A sneer curled his lip as he planted his feet, leaning forward just a touch too close for my comfort. “Maybe I don’t like your kind, Warden,” he growled, cutting through any and all levels of pretense. “Maybe I don’t like trying to clean up arcane fuck shit on my only day off. Maybe I—”
I caught sight of his KPD brethren stopping to stare, and cut him off.
“Shut. Up,” I growled, fighting off the urge to cover his mouth with my hand. The absolute last thing I needed was a cranky beat cop exposing the arcane world to all a fucking sundry. “If you know who I am and even an inkling of what’s good for you, you will keep your fucking mouth shut until I tell you to open it.”
Snatching my cell from my back pocket, I dialed Tobin’s number.
“Yeah, boss?” he answered, the timid waver to his voice gone now that he was alone in the house and couldn’t see my face. Tobin didn’t like direct contact of any kind, but on the phone? In front of a computer? He was an absolute powerhouse.
“I need everything you have on an Officer N. Preston.” I squinted at the shield pinned to his chest. “Badge number 745632. And I need it yesterday, if you please.”
Tobin paused briefly, a faint snicker rattling down the line. Tobin loved it when other people were in trouble. His keyboard clacking like machine gun fire was music to my ears. “On it. Give me five.”
Without so much as a nod to polite phone etiquette, the line disconnected, and I stuffed the cell back in my pocket. I’d have to talk to him about that.
Staring at the prick whose face had turned an unhealthy shade of puce in the short time I was on the phone, I tilted my head to the side and narrowed my eyes.
“Now that’s done, what were you saying about my kind, again? Not that you know what my kind even is or what I’m capable of.” The subtle buzz around the guy had a solid human flavor to it, but I’d been wrong before.
I’d been wrong about a lot of things.
Author Bio:
Annie Anderson is a military wife and United States Air Force veteran. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she is a southern girl at heart, but has lived all over the US and abroad. As soon as the military stops moving her family around, she’ll settle on a state, but for now she enjoys being a nomad with her husband, two daughters, an old man of a dog, and a young pup that makes life… interesting.
I am going to start the five one sentence reviews I will be sharing today with Refrain by Susan Griscom. I won an audible and kindle copy. I quickly got hooked, so scrolled through my Kindle and read every one of the Blood Courtesan Kindle Unlimited series stories that I had.
Oh Yeah…Vampires…I love when I see my name in a book, and even though Refrain, which is a complete story, is predictable, it is filled with enough steamy deliciousness to keep me reading more of the series and wanting more of her work.
3 Stars
Reborn (Blood Courtesans) by Michelle Fox was an Amazon freebie.
Reborn is a complete story, a novella, about the loss of innocence and I love Myra’s feistiness, the laughs, the kisses and bullets, though I did get frustrated with her casual stupidity, but my love of vampires keeps me reading most anything with them in it.
3 Stars
Wanted: Corynne by Kristen Strassel was an Amazon freebie.
One way to deal with bullies is to become a vampire…LOL…she had been bullied to the point of murder and was counting on becoming a courtesan, offering blood and sex, to find a place to belong in this action packed story that filled all my bloody needs.
Thank all that is vampire that someone wanted to pay their good fortune forward or Angelica may never have been accepted as a blood courtesan because she would would make a personal sacrifice, sell her soul for her sister, and I love her naive yet provocative personality filled with humor.
3 Stars
Ensnared: Star by Rebecca Rivard & Michelle Fox was an Amazon freebie.
She had been set up for the theft of one hundred thousand dollars and her only out was to become a courtesan…one month with Remy de la Lune, but this hunkalicious vampire has met his match and I was happy to be along for the ride.
River Starr writes books that help you escape, especially fantasy romance full of magic and supernaturals. Favorite things: coffee, wine, chocolate, and a heavy dose of books to chase away the dark… or invite delicious darkness in.
