{Book Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Shadow's Awakening by Molle McGregor

Shadow's Awakening by Molle McGregor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publication Date: August 21, 2014

Genres: Paranormal, Romance

GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Demons, Magic, Mature
RECEIVED: Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars.

Synopsis

Hannah Green wants her life back. In the past three years she’s gone from promising graduate student to patient in a mental hospital. Now, she’s being held prisoner by a terrifying group of men who believe she has a mysterious power. She wants to think they’re wrong, but something inside her has changed. If only she could use her p0wer to set herself free.

Conner’s entire life, he’s played by the rules. He’s a soldier. A leader. He knows better than anyone that contact with the Shadows is forbidden. So when a midnight phone call demands he rescue one from a nest of demons, he has no intention of following through. Until he sets eyes on Hannah. Brave, beautiful and determined to survive. Conner can’t walk away.

When you’ve worked so hard to make the right choices, temptation can be a kind of torture. Conner knows he should turn Hannah over to the Shadows. Hannah wants to be grateful for her rescue and let Conner go. But when love and desire bind two strangers together, they have to choose between what they think is right and what they know they need.

REVIEW:

The first in the Shadow Warder series is an exciting action packed magical romance with a ton of surprises and intriguing villains. I was pleasantly surprised with this story, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be confused with not reading the prequel. Luckily I was able to understand the world building fairly easily, even though I had to wait a bit further into the story to get some history. McGregor does a wonderful job creating such an exciting back-story with two powerful groups of warriors fighting for the same cause, but due to history, their relationships became strained.

Shadow’s Awakening follows Hannah a woman who is being held captive by a terrible group of men, one of them is her actual stepfather. Something is off about him, hiss changed since her mothers passing is terrifying and she feels her life as a prisoner is going to end sooner than later. But a glimmer of hope comes in the form of the very large and powerful Conner, who helps Hannah escape and takes her to safety. She learns that she is of a special kind, known as a Shadow. Conner being a Warder Hunter is asked to help her stay safe. Together they learn about Hannah abilities as a Shadow and that she is far from being safe as demons will do whatever they can to get her.

Hannah is a strong young woman, her character stood out the most to me because of the fact she goes through numerous ordeals and is a survivor. She has a good heart and lost both her parents as well as her stepfather turning into a monster. She has a lot to learn about herself and the power she holds is unraveled through out the book. I loved her connection with Conner, when they first meet there is a spark but also tension with the fact Warders and Shadows usually are not on speaking terms. But Hannah is a special case, and even Conner, who doesn’t know, is also something special. There was never a dull moment for this poor girl, however she does has some time to figure herself out, it helps make her stronger and start to discover herself as a Shadow.

Conner is all alpha warrior, he was born as raised from a mother and father whom were also warriors, but lost them both at a young age. He’s one to follow the Warder laws and knows of the limitations when it comes to contact with Shadows. But when he received a call from an Oracle Shadow who insists he must find Hannah and keep her safe, he cant say no.  I liked Conner, there wasn’t a lot too him in the fact of character development like Hannah, but he also has a good heart and care about his position and Hannah. He too has to learn about the “fate” that brought Hannah into his life.

Overall this was a good start to an exciting and dangers world full of demons a magic. The villains are super powerful and do not mess around, if they want to hurt someone they do it and make is hurt. I felt so bad for Hannah, because these demons have a plan and they don’t care about what they have to do to complete it. On a lighter note, there is a ton of romance, Hannah and Conner have great chemistry and McGregor doesn’t shy away from the steamy connection and lust. I did feel the intensity of the sex scene were almost out of place at some points, but it also solidified their bond. The secondary characters were hinted as key figures, I know they’ll be super important in the coming books and from what I can tell Zack the Oracle, Kate, and Kiernan Conner’s friend are all going to be apart of a bigger battle. I look forward continuing the series.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an adult novel meant for mature readers over the age of 18, for its sexual content and adult language. Fans of  Lara Adrians Midnight breed series and J.C. Nelson’s Free Agent will enjoy Shadows Awakening by Molle McGregor.

View all my reviews

About Molle McGregor

Molle’s writing career started when she was seven and suffered terrible insomnia. Night after night she couldn’t sleep until long after mid-night, only to wake a few hours later. Frustrated with her inability to just go to bed, (and her penchant for sneaking a book and a flashlight under the covers) her grandmother said, “You like to read so much, why don’t you tell yourself a story until you fall asleep.” With this brilliant advice, Molle’s overactive brain was off and running. Now, years later, she’s finally taught herself to sleep, but she’s never stopped telling stories.

When she’s not reading, writing, or staring into space making things up, Molle is getting into trouble with her husband, two sons, two dogs and vicious attack cat in the mountains of North Carolina. She likes to hike, cook, listen to music way too loud, and hang out with her boys. She does not like dusting or emptying the dishwasher.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

{Review} Dust to Dust by Karina Halle

Dust to Dust by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Horror
THEME: Mature, Romance, Ghost
RECEIVED: Tour

BLURB:

Perry Palomino and Dex Foray.

On their own, they’re uniquely brilliant. Together, they’re an unstoppable team.

Until now.

Because after everything the duo has encountered, they haven’t come across an evil quite like this. An evil that has been years in the making, an evil that will stop at nothing until they, and everyone they care for, are destroyed.

Dex and Perry’s love has survived a multitude of sins.

But can it survive the end?

REVIEW:

This is a really hard review for me to write, I’ve been reading this series since the beginning and never really wanted it to end. But no it is the end and I have to say good-bye to two of my favorite characters. As a huge X-Files fan this series brought back memories and it was like reading new episodes of Mulder and Scully, but with much more sass and chemistry. Oh and if you haven’t read this series, you must read them all before this one. Alright…so now on to my review!

Dust to Dust follows Perry and Dex in their final Experiment in Terror. Leaving off from the end of Ashes to Ashes, Perry has come face to face with Michael, Dexs’ brother who is actually the evil that has been waiting for the moment to finally get what he wants. Dex has to take on his past, while also protecting Perry and her family. Perry is trying her best to protect Dex and will go to great length of crossing through the Thin Veil to stop this malevolent evil. But Michael isn’t the kind of evil they have faced before and it might just be their last.

Perry has always been the tougher one of the duo, the one who has her eyes open the most and run head on into danger for her loved ones. In Dust to Dust she is faced with the challenge of holding on to Dex, but also bonding with her sister and mother with the fact that their bloodline is something special. What I loved most about Perry in this book is how much she has grown with her family, the struggles they have had, and the arguments and betrayals have all led up to this. Both daughters and mother have to confront and fight the very fear that can destroy them all. Then there is Perry with Dex, these two are so freaking awesome together I can’t even describe it. From the minute they meet at the Lighthouse to this end where they walk into Dexs’ childhood home, they are together and are meant to be together.

Dex has to confront everything he didn’t want to remember from his childhood, his brother is not his brother anymore but something that wants to use him. Most of this book Dex was confused and well… other things that I don’t want to give away. But most importantly he needed and only cared about Perry. She was his one constant and always the one person whom he felt could grounded him. Oh and I cant forget, the readers will love Dexs’ POV!!

In the end, the whole gang is back, Ada, Perry’s sister gets a lot of page time and helps her sister deal with the thin veil. Their mother surprised me the most and seriously made me cry like a damn baby because well so much happens and she seriously changed my mind about her. Then there is the ginger, Maximus, who may have frustrated a lot of people through out the series but hell… he does a massive kicker in this one that I know fans will be talking about for a while. Pretty much every character was important, seriously a huge piece of the big puzzle that was the evil surrounding Dex and Perry. Lots of things from Dexs’ past are brought out and WOW, do they have to be ready for a head on attack.

Overall this was the best of the best in the series and that’s saying something, because I loved every one of these books. Halle wrote two characters that are not only unforgettable, but can easily connect to because they are just that awesome. This series is scary and will have you not wanting the lights to go out, but its also about two people that would go through hell and back for each other and that just rocks. I will never forget Dex, Perry, Max, and Ada as well as fat rabbit. The series started with a bang and ended with one. I applaud Halle for one hell of a series. Thank you!

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a mature adult novel, with sexual content and very scary moments. I highly recommend this to fans of Stephen King, who like some really great twists with mystery and intensely shocking moments.

View all my reviews

Review of Cracked (AKA new favorite book of 2014) by Eliza Crewe

 Cracked by Eliza Crewe

Received: bought
Rating: 5 ENTIRELY DESERVED AND BRIGHT STARS 
Genres & themes: YA, demons, action, humour, fantasy, friendship, family, ghosts, urban fantasy.

BLURB:

Meet Meda. She eats people.Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.

They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.

Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.

The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.

REVIEW:

I’m going to be VERY honest with you guys:

I want to eat this book. Nom nom.

I want to devour every word and every chapter slowly and taste its flavours because, if it’s as amazing as the reading was, it may be even better than pizza. Or sushi. Or ice cream… Nom nom.

Yes, believe it or not, it’s the truth.

Cracked is the most entertaining book I’ve read so far in 2014. Even funnier than Rebel Belle which I didn’t think possible because that book is so much fun!

Cracked is the kind of book you don’t want to let go because there is always something interesting and surprising in it and it has a hold on you. There were so many things I was hoping to do yesterday, such as watching Once Upon A Time, Hit The Floor or clean dishes. Oh, and I was looking forward to seeing this movie called How to Train Your Dragon 2 at the cinema. But no, Eliza Crewe had to write a fantastic novel to keep me off doing all those enjoyable things I planned to. Did you hear that? It’s called being sarcastic. I’m warning you, if you want to read this book and like it (or love it!), you better get used to it. *winks*

Meda, can I kiss you? Maybe shouldn’t have said that publicly, sigh. I feel so connected to that character. It’s not because I have the same personality as her, no, but mostly because she’s so… real. She is honest with us readers even if, yeah, sometimes you may thing she isn’t. Again, she’s really sarcastic. And I loved that so much about her. It’s pretty rare that I actually laugh out loud while reading a book but Cracked simply succeeded to make me giggle and smile and bite my nails because, yes, it is not only rainbows and sunshine. Let's not forget that there are demons envolved so don't expect this to be to die for funny.

The story, wow. The story is unpredictable and, again, WOW. When I started reading this book, I was expecting it to be good because of the rave reviews and the hype, but I’m always a bit suspicious when I see a lot of 5 stars. I’m not the kind to give 5 stars all the time and very easily so I’m as surprised as maybe you are. There are so many twists and, yes, secrets but it was actually interesting and I always wondered if the characters would or not discover the truth. Either way, I was excited and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next!

There is some romance but not in fact including the main character a lot. My GR friends know that I could read a book only if there is a little romance in it. In Cracked, there was some indeed and just the perfect amount to keep me hooked. Plus, I just love love/hate relationships. Don’t you?

I love/adore this book so much that (yes I know I already have it in digital copy duh but…) I ordered Cracked in paperback so I could eat it…I mean…read it, of course.

Highly recommended series.

 

{Review} of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: New Adult
THEME: Paranormal, Demons, Supernatural
RECEIVED: Bought

BLURB:

One kiss could be the last.

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses.

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul.

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

REVIEW:

Armentrout hasn’t let me down yet, again another series that has me hooked. With a mix of supernaturals, demons and gargoyles are the good versus evil; it all revolves around one young woman who is sucked into the middle of a war.

White Hot Kiss is the first in the Dark Elements series, which follows seventeen-year-old Layla. At a young age she was taken in by the most powerful protectors known as the Wardens, who are gargoyles that shift into human to protect the world from demons that roam the cities. Layla has always felt like an outsider, as her blood is half Warden and Half demon. But what she doesn’t know is that on the day of her birthday, her life is about to change forever. The demons want her, the wardens are keeping a secret and one demon is sent to protect her. With Layla heart torn between a Warden and childhood crush Zayne and the mysterious demon that is determined to protect her, Roth. Her life can make or break the beginning of a war between good and evil.

Layla is a strong young woman, always been on the outside of both her Warden family and her human friends. She doesn’t quite seem to fit in anywhere, but hoping that one-day the Wardens will fully welcome her. That is until she meets a demon named Roth, who seems to want to protect her and is the only one who seems to understand her the most. With her childhood friend and crush Zayne beginning to pull away from her, it seem her demon side may be winning the battle. I loved the idea of a girl with good and evil inside her, it makes her flawed but also the perfect middle ground to help with a war the most likely will happen. She has good intentions and has been kept in the dark for so long, it’s understandable that she wants to get to the bottom of all the lies. Her relationship with the Wardens changes so much as she discovers more about herself and also she opens their eyes to the demon world, and made them see that there isn’t all doom and gloom with some of them.

The boys are complete opposites, good and evil but both have good intensions and hearts for Layla. Zayne has always been her number one supporter and never judged her because she had demon blood. But he also is easily swayed by his father’s actions and makes mistakes when it comes to handling Layla. Where Roth, is the ultimate bad boy with the persona to fit it, he has one job and that’s to keep Layla safe. Roth starts out a mystery but soon becomes Laylas partner in crime and they just connect. It was hard for me to decide which guy I liked best because they both have the best intensions for Layla. But in the end it’s a major win for me with Roth, because he knows how to make the biggest statement.

Overall this series has become my new favorite, I wasn’t expecting the intense plot line but all the wonderful aspects of Armentrout’s fantastic writing are all here. The paranormal world building is fantastic, and I love the mix of two supernatural’s that don’t normally go together. The romance is sweet and sexy but not the major focus; Layla is the key to unfolding the mystery behind why the demons want her. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this exciting new series.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a new adult romance story with some mature content. Fans of the Sweet Trilogy by Wendy Higgins and the Lux series by Jennifer Armentrout, will love White Hot Kiss.

View all my reviews

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in the Sing Sweet Nightingale tour for Erica Cameron with the Rockstar book tours!

Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Romance, Mystery, and Demons
RECEIVED: Netgalley

BLURB:

Mariella Teagen hasn't spoken a word in four years.

She pledged her voice to Orane, the man she loves—someone she only sees in her dreams. Each night, she escapes to Paradise, the world Orane created for her, and she sings for him. Mariella never believed she could stay in Paradise longer than a night, but two weeks before her eighteenth birthday, Orane hints that she may be able to stay forever.

Hudson Vincent made a pledge to never fight again.

Calease, the creature who created his dream world, swore that giving up violence would protect Hudson. But when his vow caused the death of his little brother, Hudson turned his grief on Calease and destroyed the dream world. The battle left him with new abilities and disturbing visions of a silent girl in grave danger—Mariella.

Now, Hudson is fighting to save Mariella's life while she fights to give it away. And he must find a way to show her Orane’s true intentions before she is lost to Paradise forever.

REVIEW:

This was definitely the most intense young adult paranormal fantasy that I’ve ever read. It was a roller coaster of suspense with bits or horror and romance, intertwined in a complex and original plot. The lead characters are wonderfully flawed, both connected to a Dreamworld with demons that take control over innocent humans. This was a one of a kind story that I’ll definitely be continuing.

Sing Sweet Nightingale follows Hudson after the death of his little brother. He trusted a demon, thinking she was someone whom would help him and maybe bring his brother back. But after realizing the truth he tries to destroy her and ends up taking some of her power within himself. Hudson begins to have dreams about two girls, but one stands out the most, a young blond girl Mariella who is burning. He becomes determined to save her, knowing that she too is being lead on by a demon like he was. But once he meets her, he discovers how much the demon has a hold of her and there is much time left.

Hudson was my favorite character, when the readers first meet him he’s hanging out with his little brother J.R. But something terrible happens and Hudson’s life it about to take a drastic turn. The beginning is always the most important to me, because if I’m not drawn into a story in the first chapter, I usually don’t continue. But Cameron really knows how to pull in her readers by creating a grippingly intense scene that breaks your heart at the same time. Hudson is a hero; his character is determined to help victims like himself. I adored his character, hated how his parents kicked him out and wanted him to find some happiness again. The readers get to enjoy his point of view as well as Mariella’s, which I normally don’t like but it was seriously important to see from both of their POVs.

Mariella is a girl who is trapped in a fantasy like world and doesn’t really know it. She has been stuck in a dreamworld controlled by a demon named Orane. She believes she’s in love with him and she ends up convinced to not speak to anyone. This has been going on for four years now, and it changed her and also ruined her friendship with her best friend K.T. Mari was a bit harder for me to connect too compared to Hudson and even K.T. I think it was mostly out of frustration of her not seeing how bad Orane really was. But in the end she really steps it up and becomes the girl that she once was before Orane took her in his grasp.

Overall a big thumbs up to Cameron for her creative and intricate plot that always kept me on my toes. There are a tons of twist and some points that may give some people the chills, imagine not knowing that your actually being controlled by someone? There is also some romance but its very light, not rushed and a perfect pace for a story with a heavy plot line. The world building was fantastic in the dreamworld, however at times I did have to sit back and process some pieces as I did get a little overwhelmed and confused with information. But nonetheless the main characters are what brought this story to life and the secondary characters K.T. and Horace, are vital to what is happening with Mari and helping Hudson. The ending was without a cliffhanger but prepped the readers for another suspenseful installment.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel with some dark elements and suspenseful storyline. Fans of the Blood of Eden series by Julie Jagawa and Jennifer Esteps Mythos series will enjoy Sing Sweet Nightingale by Erica Cameron.

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About Erica:
Erica Cameron knew that writing was her passion when she turned a picture book into a mystery novella as a teen. That piece wasn’t her best work, but it got her an A. After college, she used her degree in Psychology and Creative Writing to shape a story about a dreamworld. Then a chance encounter at a rooftop party in Tribeca made her dream career a reality.

Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, dancer, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works.

Her debut novel Sing Sweet Nightingale releases March 4, 2014 from Spencer Hill Press. It is the first book in The Dream War Saga.
 Photo by Lani Woodland

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in the Darkness of Light/Fire in the Darkness tour by Stacey Marie Brown.

Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: New Adult
THEME: Paranormal, Romance, fae
RECEIVED: Tour


BLURB:

Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo.

Ember Brycin has been called them all. She’s always known she’s different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her.

When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for trouble teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who’s hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets. Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is—leading her down a path she never imagined possible.

Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren’t always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she’ll definitely wish she could.

REVIEW:

This is definitely a series I’m going to continue with, I enjoyed the dark aspects, mystery behind what magical world I was in and the tension in the romance was exactly what I was looking for in a new series. Brown created a dark world of fae, magic and a young woman who is discovering who and what she really is.

Darkness of Light follows Ember Brycin, an eighteen-year-old woman who’s never had any luck on her side. Ever since she can remember strange things happen around her, she doesn’t know why or how, but knows she is doing it. In her senior year she has been kicked out of her school and sent to a place for misunderstood young adults. Ember meets Eli, someone dark and mysterious and seems to know more about her than she’s comfortable with. Plus with her strange dreams of another man and a power she can’t control, Embers life is anything but normal and everything dangerous.

Ember is a cool girl; I’d most likely get along with her because of her tough personality and protective nature of her friends. She doesn’t back down and hates when people try to make others feel like their nothing. But her attitude and her strange ability to make bad things happen always end up getting her in trouble. Readers will easily connect to her character and root for her to finally find some happiness along with hoping she gets revenge on the people who were terrible to her. What I enjoyed most was her friendship with her stepfather and how they had a great bond and really looked out for each other. I’m use to mother daughter stories, so this was a nice change. Ember also has two love interests, one more present through out the book than the other, but I feel a love triangle coming in the next book.

Eli is the epitome of a bad boy, not just because he is in a biker club but also because his presence is always ready for a fight. He has a bad attitude and clashes with Ember on a daily basis, making for some great tension. His background is slowly unfolded, I still don’t know enough about him yet but I know enough to love this guy. No matter how frustrating he is in keeping secrets from Ember and the reader, I liked how he usually went against everything he stood for to help her.

Overall this was a great start to this series; I was constantly wondering what paranormal world I was stepping into. I figure it was fae, but there are many more creatures that pop in. Ember is the most complex when it comes to her origins and I have to say the reveal took a little too long for my liking but I loved the idea of her background. I’m extremely curious about her father side and what more she can learn from who he is. In the end I felt this was a good mix of young adult and new adult, combing some great elements from both when it came to romance. Ember is defiantly on a path to discovery and I can’t wait to see what Brown brings to the table in the next book.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel that will have you guessing until the very end. Fans of Wendy Higgins The Sweet Trilogy and Jeaniene Frosts Night Huntress series will enjoy Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown.

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Goodreads Book 1 | Goodreads Book 2

Purchase Book 1 | Amazon  | B&N

Purchase Book 2 | Amazon:

AUTHOR BIO
Stacey Marie Brown by day is an Interior/Set Designer, by night a writer of Paranormal Fantasy, Adventure, and Literary Fiction. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. Even before she could write, she was creating stories and making up intricate fantasies. Writing came as easy as breathing. She later turned that passion into acting, living and traveling abroad, and designing. Though she had never stopped writing, moving back to San Francisco seemed to have brought it back to the forefront and this time it would not be ignored.

When she’s not writing she’s out hiking, spending time with friends, traveling, listening to music, or designing.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

{Anthology Tour: Review + Guest Post} of Ever After by Carrie Ann Ryan, Lia Davis, more

Ever After by Carrie Ann Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Romance
THEME: Paranormal, Mature, and Shifters
RECEIVED: Authors

BLURB:

From Carrie Ann Ryan's Dante's Circle series, a demon from the fiery depths of hell must make his choice to follow in the footsteps of his father or love the submissive wolf who lays claim to his heart in His Choice.

From Marie Harte's Beasts of Burden, Eira, a fierce valkyrie, has spent fifty years trying to get a rise out of her goddess’s guardians. But when the battle-cat shifters give her what she wants, can she handle the heat—and the danger—that comes from loving them?

From Rebecca Royce's brand new series, the Alphas of each Werewolf Pack are on the brink of war. Travis Michaels will use all in his power to keep innocent Lilliana out of danger and into his arms…away from rival Alpha Cyrus Fennell.

From Lia Davis’s Ashwood Falls series, buried pain, old lies, and dangerous secrets aren’t enough to keep the sparks from flying as Sarah Mathews and rebel leader, Damian Palmer, try to survive a new threat against their race.

From Leia Shaw’s Shadows of Destiny series, a war is brewing in the supernatural world. Rebel shifter Dalton’s only passion is protecting the colony, and flirtatious misfit, Eden, is a distraction he can’t afford. But as danger approaches, he learns that underestimating the sexy little wolf is a big mistake.

REVIEW:
Ever After is an anthology packed full of supernatural romance that sets the pages on fire with the heat from each story. I usually stray from reading anthologies because I never feel I get enough of the storyline to get involved with the characters, but these five authors know how to hook line and sinker with their storytelling.

The first story is by an author whom I’ve read before Carrie Ann Ryan, she focuses on her Dante’s Circle series, that’s full of wolves, demons and angels. Fawke is the son of the devil and has chosen not to follow in his father’s footsteps. His friend Hunter takes him in to his pack, where he meets Leslie, a wolf who is broken and may be the key to his happiness. I loved this story and really want to know how the other characters I was introduced too had met. I’ll definitely be starting this series from the beginning; it had some intense romance and interesting plots.

Second was Marie Harte, Beats of Burden, which is set in Asgard and the Goddess Freya and her people are focused on. After just watching the movie Thor, I was hyped to start this storyline. I was a little surprised on the romance side but it was extremely hot and super sexy. The story follows Eira a Valkyrie who is known for her fascination with Freya’s two guards Avarr and Hall, which are feline shifters who are intense and overpowering. She doesn’t realize what she’s in for after teasing the two for so long.

Third is by author Rebecca Royce who has officially awaked my love for werewolf stories again, I’m definitely going to be continuing this new series. Alpha Rising follows Lilliana, who doesn’t know that she has a wolf side to her persona, but when she meets Travis, the alpha of her city, she discovers the other side of herself. But with a rival pack ready to take over, Travis will do anything to protect his mate.

Fourth is by the wonderful Lia Davis, I just finished the third book in her series and was easily sucked into the world of the Ashwood Falls shifters once again. A Rebels Heart follows Sarah Mathews, after losing her mate and her children now being grown up, she feels like giving up. But when a close friend returns from the dead and claims she’s his mate, her life seems to be starting over. I loved Sarah and Damian’s story and hope to read about them in the future books.

Lastly Leia Shaw’s Destined for Eden, a story within her Shadow’s of destiny series. I’ve read the first two and they were seriously great. I highly recommend starting this series from the beginning because it’s that good. I loved the spunk and humor of the characters and Dalton is just one big hunk of a shifter. I loved the chemistry between him and Eden, and can’t wait to jump back into this series to read more about them.

Overall this was one smoking hot anthology and each story is a quick read that you can jump into easily even if you haven’t read the series on some. I look forward to seeing where each of these characters goes from here.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novella with sexual content meant for mature readers. Fans of any Urban Fantasies and Paranormal Romances will enjoy getting a sneak peek into each of these series and their talented authors.

EXCERPT:

Sarah Matthews was tired. Life had become lonely and less exciting. Sure she had her kids, but they had their own lives, their own families. It just wasn’t the same, and considering she’d lost a part of her soul it had become an effort to just get out of bed some days. Her mate had died a little over five years ago in a car accident that, until today, she’d believed just that.
An accident.

A case of being in the wrong place and all that.
However, today she received a package that made her wonder if her mate was indeed murdered. She opened the mailbox and frowned at the small box inside. Pulling it out, she studied it, suspicion twirling inside or mind. She put the thing to her ear and listened. She didn’t know what she’d expect to hear. A ticking from a bomb? Now she was being ridiculous. She rolled her eyes. “Ever so suspicious,” she muttered to herself.

There was no return address, nor was there a receiving one. That was odd. It was like someone had placed it in the mailbox. She didn’t hear any vehicles stop or even slow down in front of her house last night or this morning except for the mailman a few minutes ago. With her supernatural hearing, she’d heard a car pull up. Even her puma would had sensed another shifter in the area. Yet her senses didn’t go off.

Another mystery about the box in her hand.
The only writing on the top of the box was her name, hand-written.
Curiosity crept in, and after a quick sniff to make sure there weren’t any non-ticking explosives inside, she opened the box. Cold sensation went up her spine, and a hot fear burned her belly as she peered at the contents. Tears blurred her visions, and each heartbeat hurt as the wound that had slowly healed over the years was ripped back open. Inside the box was a gold wedding band with the words my love, my soul engraved on the inside. It was identical to Walt’s.
The ring he’d said he lost while working.

Underneath the ring was a slip of paper that read: You’re next.
Unable to go back into the house she and Walt had bought together, lived in, raised Nevan, and filled with their love, she ran into the woods, seeking some kind of peace. The tears fell in fat drops, soaking her cheeks and making it even harder to breathe.

She came to a stop at a large oak tree and dropped to her knees while she cradled the ring to her chest. The raw pain transformed into anger toward the sick bastards that could have done it. Whoever they were.

She peered back at the note. The two ugly words blurred as a tear dropped on them. Did this mean that Walt had been killed? If so, why? What would be the point of killing her? She didn’t have any enemies that she knew of anyway. And Walt…he was the most gentle and caring male she knew.
The sound of footsteps running in her direction made her stand and shove the note and ring into her pocket as her cat instantly went on alert. She scented the air and was relieved when she didn’t smell the acidy sweet smell of the Onyx Pack’s mutants. The half-animal, half-human creatures were not only gross; they were more powerful than she was.

The scent she did pick up belonged to a human, but there was another scent she couldn’t place, though it seemed familiar. The pounding of shoes hitting the earth grew closer, and she ducked behind the tree, unsure of what the human was doing in this part of the Smoky Mountains.
A human male ran past the tree, turned to look right at her as if he knew all along she was there, and pointed a gun right at her. Sarah gasped and fell to the ground a split second before he fired. Scrambling on hands and knees, she crawled around the tree and froze as another man barreled past her toward the human. The new man wasn’t a man, but a male puma shifter.
And she knew him.

Damian Palmer.
No, not possible. Damian had been in the car with Walt at the time of the accident. He’d died right along with his best friend. She’d seen his body, damn it.

Inspiration: It has teleport capabilities
No, really it does. At least it seems that way. Ideas, characters, story lines, and even full conversations seem to pop in at the strangest times and places.
The best times for ideas to teleport in are while I’m watching TV, reading, and many times while I’m writing. I keep a note book handy at all times so I can write down the ideas as they flash in. If I don’t I lose a lot of good stuff my muse feeds me.
My inspiration for Ashwood came at me as a “what if”. What if wolves and leopards lived together? The setting was easy for me. I’d recently spent a week in Cherokee, NC and spent every day driving through the Smoky Mountains. I loved it! I didn’t want to come home. LOL. So I just knew my shifters had to live there.
The rest just stated to flow after that.

ABOUT LIA:
Lia Davis is a mother to two young adults and two very special kitties, a wife to her soul mate, a paranormal romance author, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s her home and she loves it!

An accounting major, Lia has always been a dreamer with a very activity imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing started out as a stress reliever that allow her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs. Now it has become her career. A real life dream come true.
Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.

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{Book Blitz} Meet Blade of Black Widow Demon by Paula Altenburg

Black Widow Demon
by Paula Altenburg
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected publication: November 26th, 2013 by Entangled Select
ISBN: 1622660455 (ISBN 13: 978-1622660452)

BLURB:

Passionate and headstrong, half-demon Raven is nearly executed on the orders of her fundamentalist stepfather. She escapes from the burning stake using the gifts of her otherworldly heritage and the help of a mortal stranger named Blade. Now she’s set on revenge, and only quiet, intense Blade stands in her way.
A retired assassin weary of the weight of his past, Blade has crossed the desert to seek out a new life. His journey is interrupted when his conscience demands he help Raven find an old friend who can help her. Saving her from her need for revenge and delivering her into the hands of loved ones means he’s one step closer to redemption.
But as Blade’s sense of duty becomes something more and threats, both mortal and immortal, stalk the woman he can’t abandon, he could very well fall back into the life he’s trying so hard to escape.

AMAZON |Barnes & Noble| Book Depository

EXCERPT:

The young Godseeker assassin returned and slid onto a stool at the bar. He had all the arrogance associated with youth and his chosen profession. Blade remembered the days when he’d had the same.

He looked up from searching under the counter for an unopened bottle of rye and met the boy’s eyes.

“I know who you are,” the boy said.

Another glass shattered on the floor. Blade’s hand hung in the air for a split second, then he grabbed a bottle by its neck and set it on the bar’s counter.

“Who I am is a fool.” He leaned on the bar and gave the boy his most chilling stare. “I thought I could change the world. I thought I could cross the desert alone because I was good with a knife. Demons don’t care about knives. They care even less about mortal men. Would you like me to tell you how it feels to be eaten alive?” He straightened and nodded to the other Godseekers. “Then you can share the information with your friends, who are so intent on going to war against them.”

“Perhaps you could also tell me how it feels to be a coward,” the boy replied with ill-concealed disappointment.

Not that long ago, Blade would have killed anyone who dared speak to him in such a manner. Now, he accepted that the boy was right. Self-awareness took much of the insult from the words. “It feels like being alive.”

BIO:

Paula Altenburg lives in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two sons. Once a manager in the aerospace industry, she now enjoys the freedom of working from home and writing full time. She currently writes demon westerns for Entangled Publishing.

Paula also co-authors paranormal romance under the pseudonym Taylor Keating.

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{Excerpt + Giveaway} The Liberator by Victoria Scott

Excerpt from THE LIBERTOR

By Victoria Scott

When I open my eyes, the sun is trying to murder me. It’s shining on my face and making my head pound. Or maybe it’s my hangover that’s giving me the headache, but nonetheless—me and the sun?—we’re not on friendly terms.

Charlie murmurs beside me. My arms are still wrapped around her waist, and I suddenly realize I must have crashed out in her bed last night. If Grams wakes up and finds me here, she’ll run me a bath…and toss in the toaster.

            “Morning, babe,” I whisper.

            “Morning, hot stuff,” a distinctly male voice responds.

            I whip around, my heart racing, and find Max sitting in a chair across the room.  “You look so hot when you first wake up,” he says. He raises a hand to his hair. “Got that whole sexy bed head thing going on.”

            Charlie doesn’t even move from her place, but I feel her laughing against me. “Your friend is kind of creepy, Dante,” she manages. 

            “Max, what the hell are you doing in here?” I ask, pulling the covers farther up even though I’m (regretfully) fully-clothed.

            “Real question is, why did I wait so long to join you guys?” Max stands from his chair and cocks his head. A mischievous smile crawls across his face.

            “No,” I say, trying to appear serious. “Don’t even think about it, dude.”

            Max starts running in place, his smile widening farther until he looks deranged. “Ready or not!” Before I can stop him, Max races toward the bed and dives on top of us. “Oh! Oh it feels even better than I imagined.” He rolls back and forth across our bodies as Charlie laughs and I wonder why I’m friends with such a raging idiot.

            With all my strength, I grab Max’s shirt and rotate him toward the edge. He falls off the side, his arms pin-wheeling. There’s a loud thud, and then nothing.

I wait for several seconds before leaning over to search for him. Max is lying face down on the floor, his arms and legs curled like a dead spider. “You’re not really hurt,” I say.

            “I think you gave me spinal bifida. You need to call someone.”

            “That’s a genetic disorder,” I respond with a sigh, collapsing back onto my pillow. A second later, he raises his head very, very slowly up from the side of the bed. It’s one of the more unsettling things he’s ever done.  “Max, is there a purpose to this visit?” I ask. I want so badly to act like he’s annoying me. But he knows, and I know, that we both love this game: the one where I pretend he’s a pain in my ass, and he acts like a damn circus clown.

            He stands up, crosses the room, and plops back down in the chair. “Valery sent me.”

            I throw an arm across my eyes. “Of course she did.” Beside me, Charlie moves to get up and I immediately reach for her. She squeals and wiggles out of my grasp.

            I watch as she walks around the bed and ruffles Max’s hair. The twenty-eight year old pants like a dog. It’s a bit disturbing considering Charlie’s seventeen. She eyes me with a grin. “I’ll make waffles.”

My face lights up.

“Yes,” she continues. “And bacon.”

I glance at Max and nod toward Charlie. “That’s my girl.”

“Damn straight,” he says.

“I’m still making breakfast for your birthday,” I call after Charlie. Then, looking at Max, I add, “My girl’s going to be legal soon.”

Max says, “Boom.” 

{Review} of Demon Slave by Kiersten Fay

Demon Slave by Kiersten Fay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Science Fiction Romance
THEME: Demon, Paranormal
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Kiersten Fays' Site

BLURB:

Marik Radkov believed the only thing left from his tortured past was the physical scars that adorned his body. But when he is stranded on a foreign planet, and held captive by an enticing blue eyed stranger, he is forced to face his past once more. To survive, he must subdue his lust, while keeping the mysterious and sexy woman from snaring his heart.

After escaping a violent assault of her home planet, Princess Nadua has been hiding on the cold planet Undewla for four hundred years, all but losing hope that her people will return for her. When the threat of a rebellion arises, Nadua must decide if she can trust the ruthless demon who strokes a desire she thought was long dead.

REVIEW:
It’s been a while since I read the first in the shadow quest series but as soon as I started, I immediately was drawn back in the world of demons and space pirates. I loved Sebastian and Anya’s story so much and was thrilled to read about them again even as secondary characters. This time around we get to follow Marik, a crewmember from Sebastians ship who is trying to track down Anya’s long lost sister. As always Fay creates lots of friction, romance, an alien planet and some great secondary characters.

Demon Slave follows Marik who is thrown right in the middle of a battle when his ship lands on a new planet. Trying to track down his captains mates sister, he is captured by a strange group who is lead by an exotic woman they know as their Queen, whom Marik cant resist. Not long after he discovers that the one he’s looking for is right in front of him, he must convince her that his Demon side means her no harm. But these two not only have to start trusting each other but also watch their backs from the danger that’s close to home for this tough Queen.

Marik is a damage guy and demon, but he has a warrior’s heart. He was once s slave and sadly is afraid of losing control and blacking out in the moment of his Edge. I felt bad for this guy as Fay digs deep into his past, the readers get glimpses of his tougher days. He was great in this plot, with his smoking hot charm and the chemistry that sizzled whenever he was near Nadua. I also got frustrated along with him because Nadua just didn’t make things easy for him even though he clearly wasn’t trying to hurt her. But anyways I loved his protectiveness and how when he fights he just goes into warrior mode and takes care of business.

Nadua was not my favorite heroine; I was a bit frustrated with her especially since I adored Analia in the first book. Nadua is tough, untrusting and doesn’t seem to want to understand what happening around her. I didn’t like how she treated Marik coldly one minute and then fall for him the next and then changed her mind again. I wanted to shake her and just take Marik for myself. But in the end I think she started to become a character I could like, she opened up and realized that Marik was trying to help her.

Overall I enjoyed this second installment, even though it wasn’t as strong as the first book, I loved reading about the old characters and tying in the storyline from the first with this one. Plus the readers get a bonus plot happening with Sonya and Ethan, which I’m dying to read more about these two! As always with Fay she knows how to steam up the pages with her character, while also creating an intriguing plot that keeps you on your toes. I look forward to reading about these memorable characters.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with lots of sexual content that is for mature readers. If you’re a fan of Ann Aguirre Sirantha Jax series or Larissa Iones’ Demonica series, you will love this!

View all my reviews

{Blog Tour} Review of The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in The Watcher blog tour for Lisa Voisin.

The Watcher by Lisa Voisin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal
THEME: Angels, Demons, Romance
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Lisa Voisins' Site

BLURB:

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?
Ancient history is only the beginning.

REVIEW:
I was thrilled to be asked to be apart of The Watcher tour; I’m always looking for new and exciting series in the paranormal genre, especially with some romance mixed in. The Watcher is filled with mystery, romance, and paranormal tidbits with angels and demons that will make the reader fly through the pages.

The Watcher follows Mia a young girl who is always on edge after a frightening incident and shadowy figures chased her in the woods. After seeing a mysterious boy in the woods after everything that happened, it surprised her even more to find out he attends her school. Mia can’t seem to get it out of her head that she’s met Michael before and the closer she gets to him the more dangerous her life becomes.

Mia was a little hard for me to connect too; these days I feel all the lead female characters are starting to sounds repetitive. She does get a bit whiney at times and unfortunately that’s one of my pet peeves. Mia faces many challenges and is trying to put the pieces together of how she knows Michael and why she’s drawn to him. I really enjoyed unfolding Mia’s past; there is so much about her character that will surprise the reader. I also liked that even though the story focused highly on her relationship with Michael she stayed a true friend to Heather and Fiona. Mia’s relationship with Michael is complicated but has so many sweet and insanely hot moments that the readers will be rooting for these two all the way through.

Michael I felt was the more complex character and the readers will definitely enjoy the history and unfolding mystery behind his presence. He’s the broody type at the beginning but slowly Mia peels back the wall and finds her way to get him to open up to her. I loved every scene with them together, even though it frustrated me with Michael pushing her away and sometimes I felt he really needed to explain more to her.

Voisin creates a well thought out angel and demon history, that ties both Mia and Michael together. Where Michael is a fallen who is trying to recover from his past mistakes, Mia is the one piece of the puzzle Michael can’t let go. It’s a story of forbidden love between and angel and human and a darkness that doesn’t want them to be happy.

Overall I enjoy The Watcher, each character is well developed with a detailed history that will shock the reader but creates an interesting twist in the plot. The villain is both intriguing and dangerous, actually one of my favorite characters in the book. He adds some fun and complications that will keep the readers guessing on just how bad he is. My only issue was that a lot happens in the last half of the book, where the first half was a bit slow; I wished it were a more even pace. But nonetheless I enjoyed the romance; plot twist, angel lore and a great start to a new series.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult paranormal novel that brings to life a unique angel love story. Fans of The Collector by Victoria Scott and the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick will enjoy The Watcher by Lisa Voisin.

View all my reviews

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon.CA | B&N | Indie Bound | Inkspell | Kobo | Chapters / Indigo

AUTHOR BIO:
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

Find her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

Lisa Voisin and Inkspell Publishing are giving away print (US/Canada/UK) and eBook (INT) copies of The Watcher as well as this lovely angel wing necklace.