Book Review and Giveaway: Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe

What a fun read! If you are ready for laughter and love - get this book!
Kiss at Your Own Risk by Stephanie Rowe 

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140224195X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402241956
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches 

Price: Paperback $6.99; Kindle $5.49
Genre: Paranormal (Black Widow)
     My Rating:  4.5 of 5.0

Product Description

He needed a killer woman...
Blaine Underhill is one lucky man after having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch. Now he's determined to save his still-enslaved friend, but in order to do so, he'll need the help of one of the world's most lethal women.
She was drop dead gorgeous, literally...
Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she's one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.
When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!

Review: This may not be a 5.0 literary read but it is easily a 4.5 for sheer enjoyment!  Picture Poison Ivy (from Batman) as a reluctant Black Widow, a powerful, twisted witch, and a band of mutant super hero warriors.

Trinity has been discouraging any man from getting close because if she falls in love there is this evil spider sense that pops out to kill them.  When her spider sense is engaged she sees the weaknesses and the perfect way to kill her target.

When an assassin shows up to take her father into custody for execution, the powers that be make a deal with Trinity.  If she kills a seemingly unstoppable serial killer, they will release her dad.

Blaine and two of his friends have finally escaped the nasty witch, Angelica.  Unfortunately their fourth buddy was betrayed and has been caught.  Blaine is a man of fire. He can use his body as an inferno of defense or use all sorts of fire bombs/weapons.  Each of his friends have their own unique powers too.  Blaine needs to use Trinity’s powers to find out how to kill the witch and rescue his friend.

This might work - Trinity will go with Blaine to tell him how to kill the witch if Blaine will first go with her and kill the serial killer for her.  The guys are willing to take out the serial killer if Trinity can just see how to kill him without her being the instrument of death.

It’s not bad enough that they are going to face a chamaeleon monster, they are dodging ambushes as they go.  Besides fighting off Angelica’s nasty minions, they have to fight off the assassin who has decided to kill Trinity rather than give her father back. Then more complications arise when the guys realize that Trinity is the chosen so Angelica plans to claim Trinity’s body.

Of course Blaine is busy trying to protect the beautiful Trinity even if he isn’t sure he can trust her and he is sure he will have to kill her after they kill the witch. His protecting her is so sweet that Trinity starts to fall...which will louse up her plans to go curse free and add to Blaine’s problems of watching his back.  Needless to say it is a rollicking, crazy week and there interactions are pretty hot!

This is a very unique plot with lots of dangerous and twisted crazy characters.  I will definitely be looking to read more by Ms. Rowe!

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to read and review.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE ARC COPY:

1. Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you found there.
Please leave your e-mail!

2.  For an extra entry recommend another fun paranormal or fun book.

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

4. For two extra entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

(Five total entries possible.)
It is not necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open to US and Canada only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on February 11, 2011. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Book Review and Giveaway, Three Copies, My Immortal Assassin by Caroyn Jewel

This is a very fast paced and sexy story.

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Forever; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446563862
• ISBN-13: 978-0446563864
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches 

      Price: Paperback $7.99; Kindle $7.99
      Genre: Paranormal (Magic, Demons)
      My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Product Description

TEMPTED BY REVENGE...

Grayson Spencer is hellbent on killing the dark mage who destroyed her life. But when her attempt fails, she is forced to turn to Durian, a feared demon and expert assassin. Newly armed with powerful magic she's barely able to control, she'll do whatever it takes to complete her mission--even surrender to a dangerous fiend whose eyes promise unimaginable pleasure.

BOUND BY DESIRE...

Sworn to protect all mages, Durian can't let Gray threaten the uneasy peace among demons, humans, and mages. So he proposes a deal: He'll train Gray to master her gift if she'll bind herself magically to him, submitting to his control. As Gray's powers intensify, so too does Durian's hunger for this fierce, irresistible woman. When the dark mage makes a final play for Gray, will the passion she and Durian share be the key to their survival or the seed of their destruction?

Review: I liked the characters and this story. It is very entertaining and reads quickly.

Grayson has lost her sister and now her demon “lover”, Tigran, to the dark mage, Christophe.  Tigran was enslaved to Christophe and was ordered to force himself on Grayson try to impregnate her so Christophe could have the child.  Tigran wants freedom and is willing to help Grayson keep from getting pregnant.  Tigran tried to prepare Grayson in a way that would allow her to get Tigran’s magic when Christophe kills him due to his betrayal.

Grayson does get Tigran’s magic as well as some of Christophe’s but she has no idea what to do with it except she knows she wants to kill Christophe as part of the revenge she and Tigran planned. Grayson’s assassin efforts are thwarted by Durian who is sworn to protect all mages, including the disliked dark mage.  When Durian discovers Grayson’s powers he realizes he must protect her too and the best way to do that is to take her under his wing. He agrees to teach her how to use her powers only if she will bind herself to him which would keep her from turning on him and killing him.

Grayson is feisty, a bit reckless, but a quick learner and willing to do what it takes to revenge her sister. Durian is a free demon, not enslaved by a Mage but he is bound to Nikodemus who is the warlord leader of a group of free demons in the territory.  The demon have their own hierarchy and the higher up the more powerful and the more gorgeous the human appearance.  Durian and his cohorts are all handsome devils. But Grayson needs to move carefully among these powerful forces as well as dodge Christophe' magekind who are trying to capture her and bring her back to him.

There is a high level of sexuality with some menage sexual tension although no actual menage sex.  There seemed to be some scenes that were disjointed and I had to look to see if I had missed something.  I think part of that is that the book moves so fast it jumps occasionally from one action to another.  I liked the intensity of the action and the high sensual tension. The final battle against Christophe seemed a bit too easy in a way but their were lots of allies by then.  So the story didn’t seem precise but was still very enjoyable. I will look for other books in this series.

THANK YOU TO HACHETTE FOR PROVIDING THE BOOK FOR MY REVIEW AND FOR PROVIDING THREE BOOKS FOR GIVEAWAY.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY:

1. Visit the Author's website or check out Five Fun Facts and tell me something you found interesting;
One of these is required for entry.  If you do both it will count as two entries.

Make sure you leave your e-mail address!

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

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

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Six total entries possible.) MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

THERE WILL BE THREE WINNERS!

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.

* Limit one win per household.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on February 11, 2011.
The winners will be randomly selected from all entries.

Book Review and Giveaway: Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

This is well written but a strange story.
.
Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

• Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; 1 edition (November 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446555991
• ISBN-13: 978-0446555999

Price:   Paperback $6.99; Kindle $7.99
Genre:  Paranormal- Vampire
     My Rating:  3.75

Back Cover Description:
Man and monster are in his blood. . .
His name is Jeremiah Fall. A soldier of fortune, he has been fighting his own war for 150 years--ever since the beast in him was born.
Desperate to restore his lost humanity, Fall crosses the sands of Egypt, discovers a lost city off the coast of France, and finally arrives at the birthplace of all mankind. Shunning daylight and feeding only when he must, he battles the monster who transformed him forever. He can share his deepest secret with no one . . . not even the beautiful woman he starts to love, the only human who grasps the mysteries of an ebony stone as old as creation itself.
Across the world, across time, Fall seeks the stone's secret. But has he found a cure for himself or unleashed a final curse on all mankind?

Review: This is not a usual Vampire story and it is not a romance. I think the author is trying to make a philosophical point - my take on the point is that any life, even a Vampire's, has purpose.

I really liked the protagonist, Jeremiah Fall. He is turned into a vampire in the mid 1600s as a young man but with the help of his grandfather he learns to control the beast urges. I like his determination to not harm others even though he sees himself as a monster.  Over 150 years he continually struggles to maintain his “good” Puritan humanity as he searches out clues and riddles to discover what or who he is and to find a cure.  His search leads him ultimately to an obsidian stone in Egypt. 

When he finds the stone he also finds his enemy, the monster who created him, Skog.  There is also a beautiful young woman, Amala, who can translate the hieroglyphics on the stone and who seems enamored of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah tries to protect the stone by fighting off a group of suicidal fanatics, called Bandites, who worship the creature of the stone, Bandias. This group believe that there is nothing to live for and death is a great honor.  When Skog steals the stone and Amala, Jeremiah gets unexpected aid from one of the Bandites.  Along the journey Jeremiah learns that the legends say Bandias will lead to the destruction of the world with the help of Skog and by using a woman, Amala, as a breeder.   

Jeremiah has refused to feed on men and hasn’t learned all of the powers of his beast.  But now he must pit his super strength against the even stronger strength and wily powers of Skog and the stone.  Can Jeremiah withstand the stronger creatures or will he be convinced that life is an illusion not worth living?

The story started out well with good character development in Jeremiah and his family. I initially became engaged in Jeremiah’s history as he tells how he came to be where he is when the book starts.  There is some very interesting history of the American Puritans and Indians, Napoleonic campaigns and even Biblical Eden woven into the story.  But the tale got bogged in the middle for me as it was unclear where the author was taking it. I kept hoping that the purpose would get more clear. I did like the writing but I felt the entertainment value declined after the first half of the book. Although a hopeful message is revealed at the ending I was still left with a flat, rather than uplifted, feeling. But maybe I was too tired, or mentally not inclined, to ponder the message in the end. It might grow on me if I think about it over a few more days.

 xxx

Thank you to Hachette fiction division for the book to read and review.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY FOR THE HARDBACK COPY:

1.Mandatory entry: Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you find there.
Please leave your e-mail!

2. For an extra entry: Tell me a favorite Vampire book you like. (OTHER THAN the Twilight series please!)

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

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

(Four total entries possible.)
It is not necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.

* This contest is open to US and Canada only.
* No P.O. Boxes Please - for shipping reasons.
* This contest will close 10:00 PM (Central) on February 8, 2010. The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.

Blog Tour: How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn 1/24 to 2/4/11

This looks like it will be a fun book! Check back on February 2nd for a Guest Post from author Sophie Gunn, my review and Hachette Giveaway!
See the full blog tour list below.

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her. A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club"--high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!

Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house. Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears. He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance--no strings attached.

Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens. But the grip of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free. Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home. He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

Author Photo and Bio

Five Fun Facts

Visit SophieGunn.com

"Like" Sophie on Facebook

1/24/2011  http://thebooktree.blogspot.com  Feature, Giveaway         

1/24/2011  maryinhb@gmail.com    Review, Giveaway          

1/24/2011  http://simplystacie.net Giveaway           

1/24/2011  rexrobotreviews.com    Review, Giveaway          

1/24/2011  http://threeboysandanoldlady.blogspot.com/   Review, Giveaway          

1/24/2011  http://martasmeanderings.blogspot.com  Review

1/24/2011  http://www.renees-reads.blogspot.com/  Review, Giveaway          

1/25/2011  http://www.masoncanyon.blogspot.com  Giveaway, Guest Post  

1/27/2011  www.lovetoreadforfun.com   Review

1/27/2011  www.asthepagesturn.blogspot.com   Feature, Giveaway         

1/28/2011  my-book-views.blogspot.com   Review, Giveaway          

1/28/2011  http://teddyrose.blogspot.com/   Giveaway           

1/31/2011  www.bookwormygirl.com  Review, Giveaway          

1/31/2011  http://steelergirl83.blogspot.com   Review

2/1/2011  http://www.urbangirlreader.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/1/2011  http://paranormalromanticsuspensereviews.blogspot.com Giveaway           

2/1/2011  http://cuzinlogic.wordpress.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/2/2011  http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com Giveaway           

2/2/2011  http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/  Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post

2/3/2011  http://simplyali.blogspot.com   Giveaway           

2/3/2011  http://armsofasister.com  Feature, Review, Giveaway       

2/3/2011  http://j-rabbits-corner.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  http://bookslikebreathing.blogspot.com  Review

2/4/2011  http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  http://onebookshy.blogspot.com  Feature, Review, Giveaway, Guest Post

2/4/2011  http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  http://dkay401-challenges.blogspot.com/   Review

2/4/2011  http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  www.amusingreviews.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

2/4/2011  justjenniferreading.blogspot.com  Review, Giveaway          

BlogTalkRadio Interview with Vicky Dreiling TODAY!

Join us as we interview

Vicky Dreiling, author of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE

On BlogTalkRadio

Monday, Jan. 24, 2 PM ET

Publisher: Forever Romance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing

 

BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:
Join us as we interview Vicky Dreiling, author of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. Vicky Dreiling is a confirmed historical romance junkie and Anglophile. Frequent business trips to the UK allowed her to indulge her passion for all things Regency England. Bath, Stonehenge, and Spencer House are among her favorite places. She is, however, truly sorry for accidentally setting off a security alarm in Windsor Castle. That unfortunate incident led her British colleagues to nickname her "Trouble." When she's not writing, Vicky enjoys reading, films, concerts, and most of all, long lunches with friends. She holds degrees in English literature and marketing. A native Texan, she shares her home with her daughter and a spoiled mini-lop rabbit that lives in a slightly gnawed cardboard cottage.

Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ (646) 378-0039

Listen-in or chat on the Grand Central Publishing channel on BlogTalkRadio.

If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.
Other links:
About HOW TO MARRY A DUKE
Check out VickyDreiling.com
Read Vicky Dreiling’s Blog
“Like” Vicky Dreiling on Facebook
Follow @VickyDreiling on Twitter