Book Review and Tour GIveaway: Hallowed Eve by Suza Kates

This is page turning romantic suspense perfect to read in October!

Hallowed Eve

by Suza Kates

• File Size: 1543 KB
• Print Length: 216 pages
• Publisher: Icasm Press (September 18, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0043M4RP0

Genre: Thriller, Romantic Suspense
My rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

Book Description
Publication Date: September 18, 2010
Something terrible happened in Pine Creek.

Eve Taylor must return home for her grandmother’s funeral but has every intention of making it a short visit. Too many memories live in the small town where she grew up, memories of a Halloween best forgotten.

Trey Rainwater has been waiting for Eve. He knows she’ll be staying for longer than she’d planned and has every intention of making sure she does. He has a promise to keep.

Eve and Trey find themselves thrown into a deadly combination of riddles, murder, and a love that won’t be denied. As the moon hovers in the October sky and Halloween grows closer, Eve must fight her own personal demons while learning to trust the man who protects her.

The past has come back to life, and a killer is stalking the small town of Pine Creek. He’s waiting for his Hallowed Eve.

Review:
Eve had a traumatic experience as a child that has left her frightened of basements and reluctant to join in Halloween events. Because of the terrible association she has stayed away from her childhood home for years. She has returned to town for a short visit upon the death of her grandmother only to learn that to inherit her grandmother’s home she must live there for a year. She realizes that she cannot let the property pass from her family so she determines to stay and begin a catering business from the house.

Eve is surprised and pleased to meet her new neighbor, a very handsome and fit young man, Trey. He quickly becomes a friend she can rely on as he commits to keeping her safe. But Eve doesn’t know that Trey has made a promise to watch over her.

As soon as Eve begins to settle in she begins to get letters with cryptic poems and riddles. At first she hopes they are for someone else but soon she accepts that they are for her and to her dismay she and Trey realize that they are connected to murders that are taking place. But the killer is obsessed with the one who got away - Eve. Eve has to face her greatest nightmares while Trey tries to protect her from the stalking killer of her past and now present.

I was quickly absorbed by the clear, crisp writing and the mystery of the story. Although we know that Eve suffered a terrible trauma as a child, Ms. Kates pulls the reader along in the suspense as the full nature of the attack is not revealed until well into the book.  Trey is a wonderful hero and the attraction and growing relationship between them is very nicely handled - very sensual without being too graphic. There are  secrets, honesty and trust issues that create good conflict and tension along with the danger that stalks Eve. I really appreciated how Eve finally decided to claim her life by throwing her own Halloween party.

The cover looks spooky and although there is a horrible killer, this is not horror. The action and pacing are good. The characters are strong and likeable and the suspense carries through to the end. I highly recommend this to readers who like good romantic suspense and mystery thrillers.

I received this eBook from the author for an honest review and to participate in a blog tour promoting her upcoming release.

Suza Kates is the author of The Savannah Coven series. She currently has 6 books published in the series with Book 7, "Suffering of a Witch”, due to be released on October 20th.

You can check out my review of the 1st book in the series: Whisper of a Witch.

Learn more about Suza Kates and her books at these links.
Website

https://www.facebook.com/authorsuzakates

https://twitter.com/SuzaKates

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4094825.Suza_Kates

COMMENT TO BE ENTERED IN GIVEAWAY

PRIZES:

On each blog, one commenter will be chosen at random and will receive a prize package containing two signed books. One book will be from another romance author who signed at this year’s RWA conference and one from me. Each package will also contain some swag from various authors.

• Print Books to US address only.
• Winners will be chosen using http://www.random.org/lists/
• Giveaway Ends October 31, 2013.

MBS Blogoversary SPOTLIGHT #5: Author Suza Kates

SPOTLIGHT: Author Suza Kates

Suza writes Paranormal Romance and Romantic Suspense. I got to review Whisper of a Witch last fall and I'd love to read more in the series!

Conviction of a Witch (The Savannah Coven Series Book 2)

The Good
Finding out she was a witch was more difficult for Willyn Brousseau than any of the nine women in her newfound coven. She’s a mother, a healer, and wears a cross around her neck to proudly declare her religion. She and her friends are just learning to master their power, but Willyn’s time is up. It’s her turn to stand against evil and pass her individual trial. What else could go possibly wrong?

The Bad
Dare Forster is well acquainted with the prophecy, the demon, and the coven’s magic. It’s precisely why he’s come to the island near Savannah. He’s a witch bearing a grudge, but he also has a plan. He just needs one of the nine to make it happen.

The Undeniable
Willyn and Dare come together like flint and brimstone, rejecting the desire that sparks between them. He’s no good for her, and she’s his sworn enemy. Both will be tested in ways they can’t imagine and pray that love will save them, body and soul.

Hallowed Eve - I'm looking forward to reading this one near October... thought it would be good for Halloween.

I asked each author to answer two questions for their spotlight.
The first I asked and the second they provided!

Question #1:  Why do you write/what do you  hope your readers get from your books?

A:  I began writing as a way to entertain myself when I spent some time abroad with little outside communication. I grew to love the creation of new places and characters, the relationships that reflected what many of us have experienced in our own lives, and the thrill of accomplishing a goal. It becomes addictive, and I would suggest it to anyone.
I hope my readers enjoy a sense of escapism. I want to write characters they would like to hang around with and settings they would like to visit. Above all, I want readers to crave a return to the story whenever they put it down. That's my favorite kind of book!

Questions #2:  Why witches?

A:  I read a trilogy once about witches, and it's still one of my favorites to this day. Embracing feminine power, the natural world, candles and cats, the entire idea of a magical world is enticing to me.
There is something wonderful about finding your own inner witch and wondering...if only...

Please visit Suza at her links below.
For extra credit you can comment at one of her links or email her to say "Hi" and "Thank you" for the support and giveaway.
Suza Kates' Website
Suza Kates' Blog
Suza Kates' Facebook
Suza Kates' Goodreads

Giveaway donated by Suza:
Winner's choice of print copy of Whisper of a Witch or Conviction of a Witch.

OPEN US AND CANADA ONLY.
PLEASE ENTER WITH THIS FORM: 
If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFlOYnE2X2tqQU9qcWRmYVhFU0hJeFE6MA

Winners of Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

CONGRATULATIONS

to the Winners of Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

 

Melissa wins an autographed copy from the author.


And I will mail my copy to:

Donnas

I will email both winners for their address info.
Thank you to everyone who entered. I hope you will buy the book if you didn't win and maybe we can read the sequel together next year!

Review and Giveaway - Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

I found this to be a "charmed" story.
Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

Genre: fantasy, paranormal

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Mossy Oak Publishing (June 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984592903
• ISBN-13: 978-0984592906 

Rating:  4.5 of 5

Product Description
Shauni Miller has no idea why her life is changing, but she must answer when an unknown force summons her to a mystical island. She also harbors a secret, one that has the potential to alter her life forever. Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need, but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she's hiding something, but then, so is he. Only the fates know what role they will play in a centuries-old prophecy. Or if one of them has to die.

Review:
This book started with a prologue introducing nine women whose lives are about to change. The women are quite diverse and interesting.  Reading the prologue made me realize (and hope) that the series would have stories for each of the women. The writing is fluid and direct and somehow (magically?) pulls you in to want to know the characters and learn their stories.

The nine women are a special coven who have been summoned together to fight a great evil that is trying to rise in Savannah. Each woman has to face a trial against the evil in order for the group to prevail.  This is pretty alarming when most of the women had no idea that they were witches or could fight evil and they are mostly unprepared. Not to mention that they will have to learn to accept their weaknesses and differences in order to work together.

This first book is about beautiful Biologist, Shauni, who has a special, secret gift with animals.  Shauni has no idea why she is there with these other women and doesn’t understand how she is expected to help them.

As soon as Shauni arrives in Savannah she  rescues an injured puppy and gets to meet hunky veterinarian,  Dr. Michael Black.  Michael is stunned by this beauty but he reacts abruptly and coldly because, in his experience, beautiful women tend to be selfish liars. Although he fairly quickly decides that is not the case with Shauni, he is certain she is hiding some secret.  He wants to find out her secret even though he isn’t ready to reveal his own unusual secret either.

Shauni and Michael begin to get to know each other and decide to take a chance on exploring the electrical attraction between them. But is he going to help or hinder Shauni as she faces her challenge as the first of the nine witches to fight the evil?

The story moves quickly with lots of confrontation on various levels: women learning and coping with each other’s foibles, Shauni and Michael hiding their secrets, and evil opponents attacking the new coven.  The romance element is nicely done adding to the engaging storyline. The description of Savannah is so rich I want to go visit...sooner rather than later.

I enjoyed many episodes of the TV series Charmed, which my daughter would often watch. This book reminded me of that series with the different personalities and the good witches fighting evil. This book is good entertainment and I look forward to reading all the stories in the series.

Thank you to the author for this book to read and review. Ms. Kates has kindly agreed to do a Giveaway of the book too!

You can find out more about Suza Kates here:

Website

Facebook

My Space

Twitter

Good Reads

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE BOOK:
1. Tell me if you have a favorite witch or witch story.
Alternative comment: visit the author's website and tell me something you learned there.
Please leave your e-mail!

2. For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For another entry, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

(Three total entries possible.)
It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open to US and Canadian Residents Only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on September 15, 2010. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.