Shut Up

Shut Up
by Anne Tibbets

I was excited to get this book in the mail. I got this book for free through Goodreads. I was excited because the book sounded really interesting.

I was even more excited to open the book and see that Anne Tibbets signed the book. I love that she took the time to sign it for me. Thank you Anne for signing it and for writing this book.

Now on to the book.....

Mary's older sister, Gwen, has royally screwed up her life. Not only is Gwen pregnant at seventeen, but she's also decided to marry The Creep who knocked her up.

Now Mary is powerless to stop her family from imploding. Her parents are freaking out, and to top it off The Creep has a gross fascination with Mary while Gwen enjoys teasing her to tears for sport.

Despite her brother's advice to shut up, Mary can't keep her trap closed and manages to piss off Mom so much it comes to blows.

Mary doesn't know what to do, and all her attempts to get help are rejected. When she finally plans her escape, she fails to consider how it could destroy them all.

It is not a huge book at under 125 pages, but the length of a book isn't everything. A book doesn't have to have 300 or more pages to be a good book and this isn't just a good book...it is a great book. It's a short book that you won't forget about anytime soon.

I would put this book on a MUST READ list. I think that everyone 16+ should read this book.

This book really touched me. I don't know how to put into words the way that this book moved me other then to say that I really think that people should read this book.

If you've ever felt like you weren't good enough, you couldn't do anything right, have been belittled or bullied, "Shut Up" is a must read.

For more information about Anne, visit her website at www.AnneTibbets.com, her blog at http://writeforcoffee.blogspot.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AnneTibbetsAuthor

I give this book a 5 out of 5


FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

Glow

Glow (Sky Chasers #1)
by Amy Kathleen Ryan

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

I received this book for free through GoodReads First Read.

Waverly is a young girl. She feels like there is more to her life then just getting married and having children but she is expected to get married and have children while young so she doesn't seem to have much choice. This book takes place on a spaceship and I tend to stay away from spaceship books but this book was great.

One thing though I hate when books end in a cliffhanger. I really hate when authors do that. It makes me want to stop reading the series when they do that because I hate waiting for the next book to come out to see what happens.

Dear writers...if you are a good write you do not need to end a book in a cliffhanger to get us to read the next one. Thank you.

There was also some religion vs atheism parts to the story. The New Horizon, holds the religious colonists, and the Empyrean,  holds the non-religious colonists. She does a good job of showing how people use belief in god as a way to wield power and how religion can be used as a tool.

This book got quite dark in some of the things that it talked about and addressed but I really feel that it helped make the book what it is. I like that the author did not shy away from the dar.

I think if you like Battlestar Galactica then you should give this book a try.
4 out of 5 stars

The Thirteenth Sacrifice

The Thirteenth Sacrifice: A Witch Hunt Novel
by Debbie Viguié

When young women start dying, Boston cop Samantha Ryan is the perfect person to investigate, for only she knows what the archais symbol carved into their flesh means. The last in a long line of ruthless witches, she grew up in a coven seduced by power and greed. And now she's sure that bad witches have returned to Salem. Reluctantly, Samantha goes undercover-into a town obsessed with black magic, into her terrifying past, and into thedark, newly awakened heart of evil.

This book is so good. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the Witch Hunt series.

“Everywhere she looked there were shadows. Somewhere far away a man was chanting in a deep voice, and with each word a new cut appeared on her arms, until she was bleeding from a dozen wounds.”

“I can barely live with the things I have done. How can I ask him too? “

This book draws you in and keeps you hooked. There is also a twist that you don't see coming.

Awesome book 5 out of 5 stars

Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling

Shooters: The Toughest Men in Professional Wrestling
by Jonathan Snowden
Expected publication: June 1st 2012 by ECW Press

Received Advanced Copy for free through Goodreads First Reads


From William Muldoon to Brock Lesnar, this history covers those who have divided themselves as tough guys on the professional wrestling circuit and legitimate confrontations. From catch wrestling master Billy Robinson to the Japanese professional wrestler who gave birth to the global phenomenon that is modern mixed martial arts (MMA), this investigation travels from the shadowy carnival tent and the dingy training hall to the bright lights of the squared circle and the Las Vegas glitz of the octagon. Billy Riley's legendary Wigan Snake Pit and the rigorous UWF Dojo in Tokyo are explored, revealing the secret history of both professional wrestling and the rising sport of MMA. Squared circle icons Strangler Lewis and Lou Thesz and Olympic heroes Danny Hodge and Kurt Angle are also featured.

I grew up watching wrestling. I even watched it as a newborn :) My grandfather would watch it and I always sat and watched it with him. Growing up in the 1980's I would spend most of the day on Saturday sitting with Grandpa watching wrestling.

This book is really interesting and really good. I learned things that I didn't know. It is interesting to read about wrestling in the 1800's.

I enjoyed reading about Ken Shamrock. I had not known a lot about his journey to wrestling. It was interesting to read about him.

It was fun reading about Kurt Angle. I was never a big Kurt Angle fan but enjoyed reading about him. Reading about his back and neck damage and all the harm he did to his body. He was also fired from WWE because he was a mess physically, mentally, and emotionally. He also had a pain pill problem.

This book was a good read. If you watch wrestling or maybe watched it as a child, then go out and buy this book. Expected date to hit the stores: June 1st 2012

Dark Descendant

Dark Descendant (Nikki Glass #1)
by Jenna Black

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy.

This is a really good Urban Fantasy novel about Greek gods. I started reading this book and I was hooked. It is just so good.

I have read other books by Jenna Black before and that is what caused me to pick up this book. Her other books were so good that I hoped that this one would be to and she did not disappoint. I love this book.

I suggest that you pick up this book and read it and while you are at it grab book two Deadly Descendant because as soon as you are done with Dark Descendant you will want to read Deadly Descendant.

Forged: Writing in the Name of God

Forged: Writing in the Name of God
by Bart D. Ehrman

I really enjoyed reading this book and I think that it would be a good book for all people to read.

Here are a few things I read about in the book. If any of this interests you then you should pick up the book and read it. Or if you are a christian, then you really should read this book.

Many early christian writings are pseudonymous, going under a false name. A more common word for this is forgery.

Second Thessalonians which claims to be written by Paul warns against falling for forgeries but it itself is a forgery.

Some believe that Revelation was written by a heretic named Cerinthus.

Many of the books in the bible are not written by who they claim to be written by.

Orthonymous writing is one really written by the person claiming to be writing it. Seven out of 13 of the things in the bible by Paul are actually written by him.

Something else to think about for all you bible followers....
The bible is against deception right? God appears to use deception are times. Example... God told Jonah to tell Nineveh that in 40 days it would be destroyed. God, who is supposedly all knowing would have known though that the people would repent and that he (god) would not destroy the city. So he was never actually planning to destroy the city was he?

The New Testament has a letter allegedly by Paul to Titus which is a forgery.

1 Peter and 2 Peter both say they are written by Peter but he probably didn't write them. Peter was an illiterate peasant. Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  Both Peter and John were agrammatoi aka unlettered aka illiterate.

Also it is written in Greek and Peter didn't speak Greek but Aramaic.

Do you know how many books in the bible are not written by the people that claim to have written it, but people still use all of them to base a religion on. A religion based on a book that has forgers as many of the authors.

Go out and read this book :)

The Wolf Gift

The Wolf Gift
by Anne Rice

The time is the present.

The place, the rugged coast of northern California. A bluff high above the Pacific. A grand mansion full of beauty and tantalizing history set against a towering redwood forest.

A young reporter on assignment from the San Francisco Observer. . . an older woman, welcoming him into her magnificent, historic family home that he has been sent to write about and that she must sell with some urgency . . . A chance encounter between two unlikely people . . . an idyllic night—shattered by horrific unimaginable violence. . .The young man inexplicably attacked—bitten—by a beast he cannot see in the rural darkness . . . A violent episode that sets in motion a terrifying yet seductive transformation as the young man, caught between ecstasy and horror, between embracing who he is evolving into and fearing who—what—he will become, soon experiences the thrill of the wolf gift.

As he resists the paradoxical pleasure and enthrallment of his wolfen savagery and delights in the power and (surprising) capacity for good, he is caught up in a strange and dangerous rescue and is desperately hunted as “the Man Wolf,” by authorities, the media and scientists (evidence of DNA threaten to reveal his dual existence). . . As a new and profound love enfolds him, questions emerge that propel him deeper into his mysterious new world: questions of why and how he has been given this gift; of its true nature and the curious but satisfying pull towards goodness; of the profound realization that there are others like him who may be watching—guardian creatures who have existed throughout time and may possess ancient secrets and alchemical knowledge and throughout it all, the search for salvation for a soul tormented by a new realm of temptations, and the fraught, exhilarating journey, still to come, of being and becoming, fully, both wolf and man.

I've been a fan of Anne Rice's writing since I read Interview with the Vampire. I read so many of her books. I didn't read the ones where she was going through her christian phase (about this life of Jesus) but I have read most of the others.

I hope that this is just the first book of a series. I think that this would make a really good series. I would love to see it go on. See what happens to the characters.

I love her new take on Werewolves.

It has been debated if Anne Rice is now an atheist. I am friends with her on facebook and something she posted on there seems to point to that she might be. The story told by Margon (of the beginning of the Morphenkind) in this book tends to give voice to atheism also.

I finished this book in 2 days. I am hoping there will be a book two.

Go out and read it and tell me what you think.

Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom's Redemption

Sydney Harbour Hospital: Tom's Redemption
by Fiona Lowe

This is a book from Australia.

Sydney Harbour Hospital’s most elusive – and eligible – doctor has returned…

Surgical registrar Hayley Grey knows all the gossip about renowned former head of neurosurgery Tom Jordan – he lived for his job, shunned relationships, and two years ago he disappeared.

Now he’s back and his secret is out. Tom’s blind and will never operate again. No wonder he’s the proudest, rudest man she’s ever met – but that doesn’t stop her being drawn to his powerful charisma!

There’s no denying the chemistry between them is mind-blowing, but there could be so much more if only Tom would let Hayley see the man behind the mask…

This book is really really good. It talks about facing your fears and personal growth. It is a really good book.

I got a signed copy of this book for free for the author through Goodreads.

Find books by Fiona Lowe www.fionalowe.com or at Big W, Kmart or Target.

Trick of the Light

Trick of the Light (Trickster #1)
by Rob Thurman

Now you see it… Now you don’t… Now you’re history.

There are demons in the world, Monsters. Creatures that would steal your soul. You might hide under your covers at night and pretend all’s right with the world, but you know. Even if you don’t want to admit it…

Las Vegas bar owner Trixa Iktomi deals in information. And in a city where unholy creatures roam the neon night, information can mean life or death. Not that she has anything personal against demons. They can be sexy as hell, and they’re great for getting the latest gossip. But they also steal human souls and thrive on chaos. So occasionally Trixa and her friends have to teach them manners.

When Trixa learns of a powerful artifact known as the Light of Life, she knows she’s hit the jackpot. Both sides-angel and demon-would give anything for it. But first she had to find it. And as Heaven and Hell ready for an apocalyptic throw-down, Trixa must decide where her true loyalty lies-and what she’s ready to fight for. Because in her world, if you line up on the wrong side, you pay with more than your life…

“I raised another shot. "That sound you hear is the heads of moral conservatives spontaneously exploding in the distance.”

I loved this book. The twists and turns and the I did not see that coming. It is so great. I love it.

Right Hand Magic

Right Hand Magic (Golgotham #1)
by Nancy A. Collins

Tate, a young New York artist, needs a new apartment right away. She makes metal sculptures out of car parts and other odds and ends, and it seems her landlord isn't too happy with the noise level. Tate discovers an available room at a reasonable price and jumps at the chance, even though the building is in Golgotham, New York's magical neighborhood. For centuries werewolves, Valkyries, centaurs, and countless other creatures have crowded these streets, where no cab will venture. Golgotham's most prominent citizens, though, are the Kymerans, a race of witches who provide humans with the charms they desire and curses they fear.

Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...

Most urban fantasy titles fall into two camps: open world (the supernatural elements are common knowledge) or closed world (most of the population has no clue that supernatural creatures exist).  In RIGHT HAND MAGIC we get the best of both worlds. Magic and supernatural beings are openly known to exist, but they are essentially segregated from the main population. 

Fans of books by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Tanya Huff, and Laurell K. Hamilton should like this.

For those of you interested in finding out what Golgotham has to offer its visitors, I recommend checking out the tourism website created by the Golgotham Business Owners Organization (GoBOO): golgothamonline.com.

Read an Excerpt

The address I was looking for was at the very top of Golden Hill Street, between Perdition and Beekman. Unlike the rest of the surrounding city, there had never been an attempt to turn Golgotham into flat, orderly squares. Because of this, the basic layout of the neighborhood had changed very little since the early eighteenth century.

I stared up at the house before me. If ever there was a perfect example of Golgotham architecture, this was it. With its twin turrets and ornate lightning rod perched high atop its peaked roof, it looked like an escapee from a Charles Addams cartoon. There was even a gargoyle poised atop the cornice, bat wings folded tightly against its humped back. Marshaling my nerve, I strode up the granite steps, grabbed the brass door knocker shaped like a coiled asp, and knocked as loudly as I could.

After a few moments, there came a squeal of rusty hinges as the heavy door swung open. Although I was half expecting Dracula, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the person on the other side was a very handsome young man, no older than twenty-five, with the lean, muscled body of a skater. He was dressed in a T-shirt, with SUPER FRIENDS printed on the front, skinny jeans, and had a pair of scuffed Chuck Taylors on his feet. His hair was shoulder length and unruly, as if it couldn't decide whether to be straight or curly, and deep purple in color, with pale blue highlights.

He tilted his head quizzically to one side, fixing me with golden eyes that had cat-slit pupils. I noticed with a slight start that he gripped the edge of the door with six fingers instead of five. It was only then I realized I was face-to-face not with just another Lower East Side boho hipster, but with an actual flesh-and-blood Kymeran.

I had seen Kymerans on television and in movies, and read about them in books and on scandal Web sites, but I had never actually laid eyes on the real thing before. A part of me was surprised that the extra finger wasn't like the rigid fake plastic pinkies sold at Halloween costume shops, but actually curled and flexed like the others on his hand.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked with a hint of irritation. He had noticed me staring at his hands.

"We, uh, talked on the phone earlier," I replied, color rushing to my cheeks. "I've come about the room."

"You got money?" he asked bluntly, eyeing my own tattered jeans. "I don't care how hot you look; I'll not have a lubbard under my roof."

I had no idea what a "lubbard" was, but it didn't sound complimentary. "I can pay three months in advance, plus deposit, if that answers your question."

He studied me for a long moment, as if trying to decipher something written on my forehead that only he could see, before finally stepping aside. "The room's on the second floor."

As I entered the house, I caught the scent of used jockstraps boiled in potpourri. Well, that probably wasn't what it actually was, but it sure smelled like it. I automatically wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Sorry about the stink," he said, closing the door behind me. "I was in the middle of mixing something up when you knocked. Give me a moment—I need to take the cauldron off the boil."

He hurried down the hallway to the back of the house. Unsure of what to do, I followed him. As I tagged along, I glimpsed a double parlor with an adjoining dining room and what looked like a study on the ground floor.

The kitchen was large with plenty of counter space, every available square inch of which was littered with glass vials and containers. Sitting atop the old-fashioned gas stove was a large cast-iron vessel, the contents of which bubbled and gurgled like a pool of lava waiting to erupt. As I watched, he pulled on a pair of oven mitts and lifted the heavy cauldron from atop the burner ring as if it were a pot of spaghetti.

"Careful! Hot soup!" he said as he crossed the kitchen and placed the steaming container on a circular slab of marble covered in arcane symbols. "I have a little side business as a nimgimmer," the landlord explained, noticing the puzzled look on my face. "I have a client with a fondness for fauns, so to speak, and he's picked up an unfortunate case of orf."

"Uh-huh." I tried my best not to let on that I had no clue what the hell he was talking about.

"It's a form of knob-rot passed along by livestock," he explained with a wry smile.

"Oh!" I lowered my head and coughed into my fist so he couldn't see me blush.

"You're new to Golgotham, aren't you?" he asked, not unkindly.

"Is it that obvious?" I winced.

"Just a tad," he replied. "So what kind of psychic are you? Clairvoyant? Telekinetic? Dowser?"

"I'm none of those," I explained, slightly baffled by the question. "I'm an artist."

He stopped what he was doing, a surprised look on his face. "Really? I would have figured you for a medium, myself. Normally psychics are the only type of humans who look to make their home in Golgotham. What brings you here?"

"Rent, for the most part. I'm looking for a place where I can live and work in the same space. The raw materials for my art are expensive. I need all the help I can get. Plus, I've always been fascinated by this part of the city. It's so… real."

"I've never heard it described quite like that before," he laughed.

Kymerans are known for giving off natural perfumes, as opposed to body odor, and now that the noisome concoction in the cauldron was off the boil, I finally noticed the landlord's personal scent. When he brushed by, I caught a hint of citrus, moss, and leather. It was definitely a masculine aroma, and one I found quite attractive.

As we headed up the stairs to the second floor, I looked around for signs of other tenants. "Do you live here alone?"

"Hardly!" he laughed. "I have another boarder right now, but I doubt you'll have occasion to see him. Assuming you want the room, that is."

"I hope you don't take this the wrong way—but aren't you kind of young to be a landlord?" I asked.

"I inherited the job," he explained. "The house has been in the family for two centuries. When I told my mom I wanted to try my hand at lifting for a living instead of going to thaumaturgical college, she insisted I take over things here. It's worked out pretty good, so far."

Just then something small and close to the ground ran past me, brushing against my leg before disappearing into the shadows at the top of the stairs. Whatever it was didn't have fur.

"What the hell?!?" I yelped.

"Oh, that was just Scratch," the landlord laughed. "Don't mind him. He's always like that with strangers."

"Scratch is a… pet?" I asked uneasily.

"Something like that." He turned and addressed the darkness gathered at the second-floor landing. "Scratch! Come out and meet our guest!"

There was the sound of claws scrabbling on hardwood, followed by a flapping noise. Something resembling a house cat, save that it was utterly hairless with bat wings growing out of its back, leaped out of the shadows and made a perfect four-point landing on the second-floor balustrade.

"Dear God!" I clapped my hand over my mouth, but it was too late to hide my shock.

The winged, hairless cat fixed me with an eye as red as murder. "Who's the nump?" it sneered. "Another looky-loo?"

"Scratch! Where are your manners? Be nice. Or at least nice-ish. I'd like you to meet Miss…?" The landlord gave me a smile that pinned me to the spot like a butterfly. "I'm afraid I did not get your name earlier…?"

"Just call me Tate."

"Scratch, this is Miss Tate."

"Humph," Scratch sniffed, clearly unimpressed.

"Pleased to meet you, uh, Scratch."

"As well you should be," the flying cat replied curtly.

"Scratch is my familiar. I'm sure you've heard about such things from books and movies." As the landlord stroked the winged cat's back, Scratch butted his forehead against him, just like any other tabby would. "He is also my rent collector."

"Yeah—I eat the deadbeats!" The familiar grinned.

"Honestly, Scratch. You're such a liar. You're not allowed to take more than one bite, and you know it. Come along now, Miss Tate…"

I nervously glanced over my shoulder at the winged cat still perched on the banister; the creature's eyes glowed like hot coals in the dim light. My mouth went dry as paper. Maybe moving to Golgotham wasn't that great an idea after all…

"Ah! Here we are!" The landlord held up an old-fashioned key that looked better suited to unlocking a pirate's treasure chest than a door. He slid it into the keyhole and gave it a quick turn. The door swung open, revealing only darkness. He crossed the room and pulled aside the heavy velvet draperies that covered the windows facing the street. "Let's get some light in here."

As the late-afternoon sunlight spilled into the room, my trepidation about living among witches, demons, and things that go bump in the night instantly disappeared. The space was easily two thousand square feet—twice the size of the SoHo loft I currently called home—and outfitted with antique oriental carpets, a marble fireplace decorated with satyrs and nymphs, and a fifteen-foot vaulted ceiling.

"It's much bigger than I expected," I gasped in amazement.

"Yes, that's one of the unique features of this house. It was designed by my great-uncle Jack. He was a Mason of Hidden Degree, famous for utilizing a form of geometric origami that allows you to occupy more space than is physically available."

"That's amazing! How many rooms are there?"

"I'm not exactly sure. Some of them only manifest during certain astronomical convergences. This floor is relatively stable, but you should never go upstairs by yourself. That's how we lost Uncle Jack."

"You mean something up there killed him?" I asked, trying to control the alarm in my voice.

"Heavens and hells, no! We just lost him, that's all. He's probably still wandering around up there somewhere," he said, gesturing to the ceiling. "So, do you want the room or not?"

"I'll take it," I said as I pulled out my checkbook. "Who do I make this out to?"

"The name's Hexe, with an extra 'e' at the end," he replied, returning my smile. "And welcome to Golgotham."

Storm Born

Storm Born (Dark Swan #1)
by Richelle Mead

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants. . .

Eugenie Markham aka Odile Dark Swan is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy—one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.

Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...

“Yeah? What'd you name all those cats?"
Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers."
You named your cats after the riders of the apocal--wait. Mr. Whiskers?"
Well, there are only four horsemen.”

“What?" he asked.
"I don't know. Just thinking about flowers. And impressing people. I mean, how strange is it that we bring plant sex organs to people we're attracted to? What's up with that? It's a weird sign of affection."
His dark eyes lit up, like he'd just discovered something surprising and delightful. "Is it any weirder than giving chocolate, which is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Or what about wine? A 'romantic' drink that really just succeeds in lowering the other person's inhibitions."
"Hmmm, It's like people are trying to be both subtle and blatant at the same time. Like, they won't actually go up and say, 'Hey, I like you, lets get together.' Instead, they're like, 'Here, have some plant genitalia and aphrodisiacs.”

This is a fast paced, high energy urban fantasy.

http://www.richellemead.com/excerpt5.htm

Anything You Want

Anything You Want
by Erin Nicholas

Suppose the solution to all your problems is the one thing you never wanted… 

It figures the one time Sabrina Cassidy is determined to do the responsible thing, karma kicks in. After four years on the road chasing her musical dream, she’s stranded six hours from home with no money, a ruined credit history—and morning sickness.

Out of options, she swallows her legendary independent streak and calls the only person who won’t hang up on her. Luke, the man she left behind.

Marc Sterling’s first instinct is to protect his business partner and best friend from another broken heart. That means letting her think she’s talking to Luke, then finding a way to send her in the opposite direction.

When he shows up at her hotel room, there’s something in the air beside their customary insults. Sure, her rebellious attitude, smart mouth—and purple panties—still drive him crazy, but now it’s a different kind of crazy. The kind that has him driving her home instead of to the nearest airport.

And when Luke offers to solve all her problems if she’ll only say “I do”, Marc realizes he’s just crazy enough—about her—to forget whose heart he wanted to protect. Warning: Contains two people who don’t like each other very much, a Toyota that can’t quite handle the road trip home, and a spontaneous proposal. Or two. Or three.

What a great read I enjoyed it from start to finish. It is soo soo soooooo good!!


I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

Plain Fear: Forsaken

Plain Fear: Forsaken
by Leanna Ellis

Hannah cannot move on. She pines for Jacob, the boy who saved her life when she drowned, bringing her back from the brink of death by breathing life into her. But Jacob is gone now, buried.

Levi’s love for Hannah burns just as strong. But he knows how much Hannah loved his brother Jacob. He also knows the troubling event that took Jacob out of their lives. And he lives with that lie every day.

So when a stranger named Akiva comes to their community, he carries with him two secrets that will change their lives forever: he is in fact Jacob, whom Hannah had lost. And he is now a vampire.

When passions stir and secrets are revealed, Hannah must choose between light and dark, between the one she has always loved and the new possibility of love. But it’s more than a choice of passion; it’s a decision that will determine the fate of her soul.

Forsaken is not your conventional Amish book. It is a new spin on the age-old vampire novel.

There is one big reason to read this book....How often do the words "Amish" and "vampire" fall into the same sentence?

Another reason for me to read it....Set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I have a compulsion to read books that are set in my area.

I enjoyed reading this book but Leanna Ellis is a Christian Author so of course her book has to bring in that. It really brings that in a lot at the end. It was a really good book that I enjoyed reading except the last chapter.

Red-Headed Stepchild

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane #1)
by Jaye Wells

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

This time, it’s personal.

I love when I finish a book craving the next in the series. That’s how things go with Jaye Wells’ Red-Headed Stepchild.

Sabina is Half Vamp and Half Mage. This is a very exciting, well-written book with a fresh new outlook on vampires. The vampires are descended from Lilith's affair with Cain, so in addition to Lilith's blood thirst, all vampires also have inherited Cain's red hair (god marked Cain with red hair after he murdered Abel) and inability to go out in sunlight.

The book is full of action. Through the book Sabina learns that the things she thought were truth were all lies and she must decide what is true and who to trust.

This book goes into my favorite books list. This is a really good book as soon as I am done writing this review I am going to start reading book two... The Mage in Black.

Succubus Blues

Succubus Blues (Georgina Kincaid #1)
by Richelle Mead

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess getup complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

“Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up in a dream. And sometimes, every once in a while, you wake up in someone else's dream. ”

“Love is rarely flawless,” Carter pointed out. “Humans delude themselves by thinking it has to be. It is the imperfection that makes love perfect.”

“Statistics show that most mortals sell their souls for five reasons: sex, money, power, revenge, and love. In that order.”

Near the end of the book this book actually made me have tears in my eyes. The book is that good.

Midnight's Daughter

Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab #1)
by Karen Chance

"My least favorite dead guy had his feet up on my desk.  I hate that.  His boots were probably cleaner than my blotter, but still.  It showed a lack of respect"

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half human, half vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.

Now Dory's vampire father has come back into her life. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), infamous even among vampires for his cruelty and murderous ways, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.

Vampires and dhampirs are mortal enemies, and Dory prefers to work alone. But Dracula is the only thing on Earth that truly scares her, so when Dory has to go up against him, she'll take all the help she can get…

People who like the Cassie Palmer series will definitely love Dorina Basarab too. This series includes characters from the Cassandra Palmer series so they tie into one another I recommend reading the cassandra palmer series first so you know all the characters. Warning once you start this book you will not be able to put it down.

To read sample chapters from Midnight's Daughter http://www.karenchance.com/midnight.html

The Sweet Scent of Blood

The Sweet Scent of Blood
A Spellcrackers Novel
by Suzanne McLeod

Genevieve Taylor is a Sidhe-one of the noble fae-and she's unusual, even in a London where celebrity vampires, eccentric goblins, and scheming lesser fae mix freely with humanity. Genny is a rising star at Spellcrackers.com, where she finds the M' in magic - and that invariably leads to mischief, malice and - too often - murder. Spellcrackers.com is affiliated to the Witch Council, whose ancient tenets prohibit any contact with vampires. Genny also works as a volunteer at a clinic which treats victims of vampire attacks. Then there's her extra-curricular activity, extracting vulnerable fae lured by the local fang gangs. Genny certainly doesn't wants any closer involvement with the vampire community. But when Mr October, one of the hot calendar pin-up vamps, is accused of violently murdering his girlfriend, Genny's called on to repay an old debt and prove his innocence. And that means consorting with some of the sexiest vamps in London!

She is fae but reading the book she talks with a brownie about when she was little. Her one nanny used to lock her in a hole durring the day while her father slept. One time the nanny accidently left her in past sunset. Her father woke and found her in there. It wasn't until she got older she realized her father probably killed the nanny. Her father is a vamp.

She can also absorb magic. That is not something that normal fae can do.

This book is really good. By page 34 I was completely addicted to the book.

Suzanne McLeod is a very good writer and I look forward to continuing to read her books.

Mindscan

This novel is set in 2045, at a time when it has become possible to scan and store one's brain into a new, virtually indestructible android body.

Jake Sullivan has a hereditary, potentially terminal disease. He lives his life in a state of utmost care so as not to trigger it, and knows that he, like his father, will probably die a young man. So when he hears about a new process, called mindscanning, he is intrigued. Immortex claims to be able to make a scan of your brain and duplicate your mind in an artificial body. The new body, the new you, will become the primary you, while the old you will live out the rest of your days in a luxury resort on the moon. The process, however, results in two Jake Sullivans. Flesh-and-blood Jake must renounce all ties to his earthly existence and live out the rest of his days in a deluxe retirement village on the dark side of the moon.

As a mindscan, Jake can finally face a future without the fear of imminent death. And he finds love with another mindscan, Karen.

But things begin to get complicated when Karen’s son sues for his inheritance, claiming that the mindscan is not his mother, his mother is actually dead, and he and his children are entitled to inherit. Now, the future of mindscans’ rights is on the line, as the question is raised: what does it mean to be a human being? To be an individual? What is it that makes us who we are?

The original version of Jake, consigned to die on the far side of the moon, has taken hostages there, demanding the return of his rights of person-hood. In the courtroom and on the lunar surface, the future of uploaded humanity hangs in the balance.

Mindscan speculates on the ethics of bio-technology, the nature of consciousness, and the meaning of life. In Sawyer's future socially liberal Canada contrasts sharply with the fundamental Christian-controlled USA.

This is a really good book. I loved it. Once I picked it up and got into the story I did not want to put it down. It was so good.

Mark of the Demon

Mark of the Demon (Kara Gillian #1)
by Diana Rowland


Cop and conjurer of demons, she's a woman in danger of losing control—to a power that could kill....

Why me? Why now? That’s what Beaulac, Louisiana, detective Kara Gillian was asking herself when an angelic creature named Rhyzkahl unexpectedly appeared during a routine summoning. Kara was hoping to use her occult skills to catch a serial killer, but never had she conjured anything like this unearthly beautiful and unspeakably powerful being whose very touch set off exquisite new dimensions of pleasure. But can she enlist his aid in helping her stop a killer who’s already claimed the lives—and souls—of thirteen people? And should she? The Symbol Man is a nightmare that the city thought had ended three years ago. Now he’s back for an encore and leaving every indication on the flesh of his victims that he, too, is well versed in demonic lore.

Kara may be the only cop on Beaulac’s small force able to stop the killer, but it is her first homicide case. Yet with Rhyzkahl haunting her dreams, and a handsome yet disapproving FBI agent dogging her waking footsteps, she may be in way over her head...

This book is amazing. It just blew me away. It was so good. I didn't expected it to be this good. I was shocked and amazed. I picked up this book to read because goodreads had it as a suggestion of a book that I might enjoy. I more then enjoyed it ... I loved it.

The story is really good. Trying to figure out who the bad guy is and who it isn't... I am so glad that I read this book. It is the type of book that I can keep on my bookshelf and read again.

Fever

"My philosophy is pretty simple-any day nobody’s trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven’t had many good days lately."



MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands.

I am in LOVE with this series!

Karen Marie Moning builds her fairy world on Irish lore and I think succeeds in it.

Barrons is a fascinating character, and the author did an excellent job of keeping us guessing as to who (or what) he is, and how the reluctant and wary partnership between he and Mac will develop. Just what is Barrons? Is he really human? Is he fae? Is he really good? Is he bad?

It is a series
1. Darkfever: The Fever Series
2. Bloodfever (Fever, #2)
3. Faefever (Fever, #3)
4. Dreamfever (Fever, #4)
5. Shadowfever (Fever, #5)

Also an added note....Karen Marie Moning is planning on writing 5 more Fever books :)