Gush and Gripe #2

SIGN UP HERE & TO GUSH OR GRIPE WITH US!

It's been another awesome month both in the fictional and real world for me. So let me start by Gushing over Cheree Alsop (Shadows, Galdoni, Silver Series) and Heather Hildenbrand (The Specials, Across the Galaxy, Dirty Blood). These ladies are phenomenal and such nice people to work with. I hope they will remember us once they've hit it big time because we sure will.

Octavia Spencer and Christopher Plummer winning Academy Awards for their supporting roles in The Help and Beginners respectively, was such an authentic moment. When I saw the Globes where they won that category too for their roles, it was so touching how much they've been humbled by the recognition. I'm especially happy for Mr. Plummer because for someone who's been acting for most of his life, to win an Oscar at 82 must mean more to him than anyone else in that room. It's the completion of his life's work and you can really tell the joy he felt on his acceptance speeches.

On the flip side, if you've been following our Facebook page you'd have an idea about what I'll Gripe about. TWILIGHT.

First of all I don't have anything per se about the series, like most people who read we are all critics in our own way. As for Stephenie Meyer's 401k aka Twilight, I love Jacob Black and his pack of wolves she got those magnificent beings down to a pat. The Volturri are a terrifying coven to go up against and Carlisle and Esme are such darlings. I never liked Bella and Edward. The former has no regard for her father the entire time she was in Forks, would run off and do whatever she wants not taking into consideration what her father and friends would feel. Edward is an enabler and should know better living for more than a century. 

I love reading YA and I find it a slight in behalf of upcoming or current YA authors who's works are compared to Twilight. Plot-wise Meyer's story is not all that, Bella's attitude is not something I'd want my kids to mimic in real life. If it's success they want, they should aspire to reach J.K. Rowling heights.

Why can't a book just be a book or if they want to compare it with something, why not with a proven classic? It's too early to say that Twilight will reach classic status like Austen, Stoker, Hemingway or Fitzgerald, whose writing and brilliance are taught in schools across the world and is set as an example for future writers to exemplify. Or compare it with something that it's similar with.

So why is Twilight the benchmark? And if these critics and editors aim to make a lateral comparison then at least compare it with a book who has similar characters and not with a story that doesn't have any trace of Vampires or Werewolves in it to begin with.

So drop the comparison, dear Editors and publishers and just say it like it is because most likely, the succeeding YA series will be nothing like Twilight, it will be BETTER.

So before I have a conniption, I'll end my bit here and ponder on what Bram Stoker would say about vampires that sparkle in the sun.

Braine



Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop (Int)

First of all Thank you for stopping by our blog! The Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop is being hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Jinky is Reading

So what's up for grabs?

The prize is $10 in books from The Book Depository!
Contest is OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!
So if The Book Depository ships to your country, you can enter!

Rules:

• Winner will be chosen at Random. 
• Follow Rafflecopter below.
• Winners will be announced on Talk Supe, Facebook & Twitter.
• Giveaway ends midnight on March 5th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK READ MORE TO VIEW A LIST OF ALL THE OTHER BLOGS 

PARTICIPATING IN THE GIVEAWAY HOP

Galdoni and Shadows Giveaway Winners

And the lucky winners are

Writer Wrangler: Cheree Alsop

Cheree Alsop

author of

and YA Werewolf series

more info here

and she's here today for a chat.

I noticed your music playlists are leaning towards rock, does that have an influence on your books in terms of the theme and characterization?

Music is my muse. I find that rock music in particular calls to me because of the broad range of emotion it can evoke. Before I write a book, I create a playlist that describes the variety of emotions I want to capture through my writing. Heartache, pain, love, betrayal, joy, and fear among so many other feelings are echoed in the music I listen to when I drive, cook, work out, or relax, and I find that the best parts of my stories come to me while I listen to music.

I might listen to a song a hundred times while I work on one particular scene in a book, and if I read it again and feel the same emotion, I know I’ve captured what I wanted to for that part of the story. My books aren’t light and fluffy; the characters go through real trials and feel the agony of loss, of pain, and the joy of triumph. If it wasn’t for the music I listen to, I feel that parts of the stories would be missing the depth that makes them stand out.

What/who were your influences as far as your writing is concerned?

My favorite books are The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas, Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith, The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s a broad range of styles and themes, but what I cherish the most from each of these authors is the way they write a character so believably you feel that by the end of the story you know them and could meet them on the street.

I love watching a characters develop and grow through the trials in their stories. I also love the detail of the world the characters live in, and the ability to see it differently through each of their eyes. I love to read, and I feel I learn something from each author. Everyone has a different style and way of capturing their world, and I love to get immersed in those worlds. It’s something I hope readers can relate to in my stories as well, the ability to escape into a different world we might otherwise not have the chance to experience.

There seems to be an underlying theme in both Galdoni and Shadows and that is captivity, can you tell us more about that?

I feel that each of us experience captivity in one way or another. We may not live in chains or fight for our lives against cannibalistic creatures, but we face bonds through the circumstances of our lives, whether we feel stuck and can’t find a way free, or we can’t find a way to surmount the trials we face. I feel that each of us can relate to Nexa or Kale because we each face our own type of captivity that we are fighting overcome.

On Shadows, how did the idea of Duskies and Sathen came about, and such interesting names I might add?

In Shadows, Duskies are the cast-off children from two separate races. The Luminos, children of the light, are powerful during the day but helpless at night. The Nathos, children of darkness, gain their power after the sun has gone down. The Duskies aren’t as strong as the other races, but they also don’t lose their power, so they are feared and treated as slaves because the other races fear that they could overpower them. Sathen are creatures who devour everything in sight, including each other. Because the Sathen are massing together, the Luminos and Nathos are forced to rely on each other and the Duskies for protection. I came up with the name Duskie because they don’t lose their strength at dusk and dawn, the hours when both the Nathos and Luminos need protection. The Duskies are treated as inferior, but they are feared because the Nathos and Luminos know how much they need them. The Sathen are a seething horde of red-scaled, serrated-toothed, razor-clawed creatures that mass together, especially in the desert, and prey upon any unable to defend themselves. The origin of the Sathen and more details into the lives of Nathos and Luminos are tied into the next book, Mist.

I have been so fascinated by the world you created in Shadows, do you have pictures of this world that you can share?

When I began writing, all I saw in my mind were these people of light and people of darkness who didn't trust each other, but had to work together because of the Sathen. The Duskies got stuck in the middle, and, well, you saw what happened!

original Shadows cover

I am the world's worst artist. I draw pictures on my daughter's lunch bag in the mornings for school and I think all of her friends laugh at them. I asked her if she wants me to stop, but then she said that her friends trade her brownies and stuff so they can keep them. How embarrassing! I would love to draw the world of Shadows, but black and white stick figures would probably leave people even more confused than before.

I really wanted to do a cover for Shadows the way I did for the Silver Series and Galdoni, but I couldn't find anything that captured the world. A girl who read a rough copy did the drawing for me, but I've had a bit of a struggle with the cover art. I don't know if anything could really capture that world like I have it in my mind!

I'm so glad that you liked the story, that you could see the caves and the kingdoms. I'm also really glad that you liked Nexa and Axon's relationship (sorry about missing out on the whole Mother-in-law drama! That would have been a great idea....)

Cheree: Monster-in-law novella?! lol

How many books do you plan to write for the Shadow series?

The Shadow Series will be at least five books long. I’m halfway through the second book, Mist, and I’m excited to begin working on the third.

Can you tell us a little bit what the next book in the Shadow series will be? Release date?

I am 148 pages into the next book in the Shadow Series which I've named Mist. I'll be releasing the next book in my werewolf series (book 4, Violet) the end of this month/early next month, and then I'm hoping to release Mist the end of March. It's been quite the ride, but I love the world of Shadows and I predict there are going to be at least five books in the series, and possibly a branch off depending on how things work out.

What are you up to now?

I love to write, and my goal is to release a book every month or two. I have four more books in The Silver Series, my werewolf series, waiting to be released. I have the second book of Galdoni waiting in my mind to be written, and there’s also a book about Shifters called Stolen that’s almost ready to be published and will herald a new series of its own.

Thanks Cheree for letting me pick your brain. So wonderful working with you, I feel like we really bonded over this amateur enterprise.

Our blog is open to you and your world anytime and I'm looking forward to Mist. 

All of Cheree's books are available in Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords. 

For more information and updates, please visit

www.chereealsop.com

Girl Crush Mondays: Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie Stackhouse

Barmaid by day, telepath for hire at night.

Part fairy which makes her blood tasty to Vampires.

Caught in complicated love entanglements with Werewolves and Vampires.

Dated a Weretiger named Quinn.

Has gone through many life threatening situations.
Bill sounds really cool when he says her name..."Sookeh!"

Currently "married" to Eric Northman. 

She's a good Southern girl with great family values.

She's strong, independent and can stand on her own. 

She stood up against Renee and Debbie Pelt. 

I mean that b**** fight made us so proud of her.

Favorite Quotes

“Did we have sex?" he asked directly.

For about two minutes, this might actually be fun. "Eric," I said, "we had sex in every position I could imagine, and some I couldn’t. We had sex in every room in my house, and we had sex outdoors. You told me it was the best you’d ever had." (At the time he couldn’t recall all the sex he’d ever had. But he’d paid me a compliment.) "Too bad you can’t remember it," I concluded with a modest smile.

Eric looked like I’d hit him in the forehead with a mallet. For all of thirty seconds his reaction was completely gratifying.”

- Dead as a Doornail

“Eric was holding my hands, and I was digging my nails into him like we were doing something else. He won't mind, I though, as I realized I'd drawn blood. And sure enough, he didn't. "Let go," he advised me, and I loosened my grip on his hands. "No, not of me," he said smiling. "You can hold on to me as long as you want.”

- Club Dead

“Oh, God, puppy dog eyes. From a six-foot-five ancient Viking vampire.”

- Dead to the World

*gif from True Blood Wikia; collage from Favim

Alpha & Omega Series by Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, also has another series set in Mercy Thompson’s world—but with it's own set of rules. Set in the secretive world of werewolves, Alpha & Omega series takes you back to when werewolves first emerged from the shadows. Here's a list of the books in the series so far….

Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1) - July 2008

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she'd learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer- and son- of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life.

Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf- a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all of the pack.

_____________________________________________

Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega #2) - September 2009

Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son- and enforcer- of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either...

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan -- and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all -- or risk losing everything.

_____________________________________________

Fair Game (Alpha & Omega #3) - March 6, 2012

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights.

_____________________________________________

Now if you're a fan of Patricia's Alpha & Omega series keep an eye out for a giveaway I'm planning on doing after the release of Fair Game. Patricia will be doing a few book signings in the Tri-Cities (home of Mercedes & Adam) and I plan on grabbing a few copies to have signed by Patricia and maybe a picture or two with her. 

REVIEW: Bound In Sin by Cynthia Eden

Series: Bound #3
Format: eBook
Release Date: January 2, 2012
Publisher: Cynthia Eden
Genre: Adult Romance
Source: Self Purchase
Purchase: Amazon | B & N

What’s the price of sin?

Human Paige Sloan once loved werewolf Drake Wyler more than life, but then that life was taken away from her. Attacked by vampires, Paige was bitten, and, on a cold, dark night, the life she’d known ended. She was reborn as a vampire–a werewolf’s deadliest enemy.

Paige ran from the vampires who attacked her, and she ran away from her lover. She didn’t want Drake to know what she’d become, and she didn’t want to face the fury of his pack. But a girl can only run for so long until the past catches up with her.

Some sins mark your soul.

When Paige learns that Drake is being targeted for death, she knows that she can’t hide in the shadows any longer. She has to return to him, and she will do anything–anything–in order to make sure that he keeps living. The vampires might have destroyed her chance to live and love Drake, but they won’t take him. Not over her undead body. She’ll slay them all…and maybe, just maybe…she’ll even have the chance to sin–one more time–with the werewolf who’d marked her as his mate.

Some sins are worth dying for…

This is a sexy paranormal novella. As such, it contains hot vampires, sexy werewolves, graphic language, and adult good times. Consider yourself warned.

Now who doesn't love a love story between a vampire and werewolf? Forbidden love always makes for the best stories and this novella brought the same amount of action, passion and tension that a full novel contains. The plot is chock full of love, lies, betrayals, pain and steamy love scenes. The heroine, Paige, was fiercely determined to protect and save her lost love even if it meant putting her own life in danger. The story as to how and why she became a vampire was heartbreaking and made you want her to kick more vampire a**. Our hero, Drake, posses the typical Alpha leader characteristics: smart, sexy, primal and possessive. And even after all the years that had passed, Drake still carried a torch for Paige and was willing to fight his pack to keep her by his side. Drake and Paige had a wonderful back story and has me wishing that this was a full novel.

Bound in Sin was one of the FREE Kindle ebooks I'd purchased from Amazon during the holiday season. The synopsis sounded interesting and knew that I couldn't be too disappointed if I didn't like it since it was free.  But I wasn't left disappointed! I thoroughly enjoyed this novella and finished it in less than half and hour. It's left me wanting more and now I'm off to download the first two novella's in this series, Bound by Blood and Bound in Darkness.

If you're interested in reading this novel and the rest of Cynthia Eden's Bound series, Amazon is offering all three novellas for 99 cents each. With the sexy, fun and adventurous paranormal romance stories that Cynthia brings, I'm sure they'll all be worth every penny!

Review: When Copper Suns Fall by KaSonndra Leigh

Series: Lost Immortals 1
Format: Digital (won from Library Thing)
Excerpt
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

It has been fifty-five years since the angels of the Apocalyptic War attempted to wipe out humanity. Now a new nation has been built where alchemy is forbidden, and angels fear for their lives as they hide among the mortals.

The city’s leaders share one view on the ancestors of angels: shoot first, no questions.

When her twin brother falls into a strange coma, sixteen-year-old Chela Prizeon vows to discover her role among these exiles, the royal angels known as the Lost Immortals.

Chela’s only hope lies with the mysterious, but infuriating leader of a rebel group. But can she trust this boy, someone who can control her dreams and her heart.

Escape into a world filled with celestial creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and forbidden romance.

This is where I cry VIVA LA INDIE! and to heck with the haters!

When Copper Suns Fall is a dystopian angel story set in 2067 in the land once called America, 50 years after the Tidal Years. In this time setting, people are aware that at one point Angels (Tainteds) and Caduceans, slayers and masters of alchemy, existed. But because of the devastation they left after The Great War, magic and any association with Caduceans and Tainteds are punishable, forbidden and their descendants are contained and medicated.

I was 30% into the book when I realized that I've been on it for just an hour. This is a good indication that I was liking what I was reading and the imagery is creating a good brain buzz. I had a rush of thoughts after reading that left me clueless on where and how to start my review because I got so scrambled with KLeigh's debut.

KLeigh's novel is more action/adventure than a romantic-forbidden love story. In the middle of the story is Chela Prizeon, a teenage girl who is in the cusp of her destiny. Chela has Angel blood and soon enough she found herself a sought after commodity by the Tainteds and Caduceans. Chela is a rebel of sorts, a brave and cunning girl who went through a series of betrayal, loss and the stirrings of first love. She has a brother, Micah, who in a coma but she refused to believe that it was caused by a virus and this is what started Chela's epic story. In her quest to find a cure, she uncovers a secret that most people thought doesn't exist anymore. Yup the Tainteds are back!

Here's why I got caught up, the conflict-resolution of the the story is compelling. No wonder humans don't want anything to do with these Caduceans and Tainteds because their motives are self-serving with no regard for human collateral damage. In Chela's quest to find justice and save her brother she finds herself in the same situation he was in and as the story unfolds, someone who she trust was the one who betrayed her and kick started this awful situation.

KLeigh's Angels are spectacular! They are hardly feathered but more like those warrior angels from the movie Legion (2009). This is not a Nephilim story either, KLeigh created a world of her own, she owns Corunum the same way Suzanne Collins owns Panem (Hunger Games). That's how vivid and detailed the story is.

One can tell that this was a well thought out and carefully written story because KLeigh created her own language, the story free flowing and the characters are as magnificent and layered as their Copper wings. Faris, Seth and the rest of the gang are not what you initially thought they'd be. They are not your stereotypical heroes and villains, rather they sort of straddle both lines. IMHO, this is a rarity in Indie debut novels. Usually only the lead is layered and the supporting characters are as bland as a gray, cloudy sky.

If you are fond of Angel stories, Dystopia or both then this is a must-read for you.

The Woman in Black Movie Review

Initially my sister wanted to drag me to The Vow but I'm not sure if I were hormones or  I was just trying to boycott this bubble gum holiday called Valentine's but thankfully I ended up watching The Woman in Black.
Let me get this out of the way and say that this movie is not like an MNight (6th Sense) film or something like that. Don't expect "clever" or an unexpected twist akin to The Others. It's just a straight up scary, old school, gothic, ghost movie. Arthur Kipps' (Daniel Radcliff)  is more of an instrument in helping a malevolent ghost find peace than the alpha and omega of the story.

Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe), a widowed lawyer whose grief has put his career in jeopardy, is sent to a remote village to sort out the affairs of a recently deceased eccentric. But upon his arrival, it soon becomes clear that everyone in the town is keeping a deadly secret. Although the townspeople try to keep Kipps from learning their tragic history, he soon discovers that the house belonging to his client is haunted by the ghost of a woman who is determined to find someone and something she lost… and no one, not even the children, are safe

from her vengeance.

So the movie opens with these kids playing with their dolls and suddenly they all stood up and jumped right out of the window followed by a woman screaming "My babies!". I don't know about you but kids and horror movies doesn't sit well with me. I mean The Omen and Rosemary's Baby?! There's something deadly about all that innocence when you place them in scary movies.

Then the godforsaken Eel Marsh House. When the tide is high the house is isolated from civilization. Nothing can get in our out of that House! Once inside the house it doesn't disappoint, it's dank, musty and it's decorated in a menagerie of hunting trophies, stuffed animal heads and antlers for chandeliers. Spiderwebs and dust everywhere, heavy drapery, antique motorized toys and porcelain dolls with those creepy glass eyes that seem to follow you around. It has everything you'd expect to find in a haunted house.

There were a lot of frightening and startling scenes in the movie. The score was brilliant and really helped drive home the scare factor the movie was aiming for. The dark and gothic feel of the entire movie would give you a clue that things are just about to get worse for the characters.
However it was a little bit hard for Daniel Radcliff to show some range in this movie. His character per se is static, it was not developed mainly because the movie began in the middle of the story itself. The village has gone through horrific child loss and Radcliff's visit set in motion another series of child-harvest by The Woman In Black. So everybody was pinning it on him and he's determined to get to the root of the problem.

I must admit the first 30 minutes was a little slow but afterwards I was starting to get goosebumps. At the same time I kept thinking to myself is this a real ghost movie or some scooby doo crap where one of the supporting characters end up being a serial killer. Well I'm very happy to report that it IS a ghost movie but don't expect too much as far as the story is concerned, just focus on getting scared.
The ending is bittersweet, I won't give anything away but until now I'm still not sure if The Woman in Black emerged as the victor or if she did Arthur Kipps a favor. You have to find that out for yourself.

So yeah, I was happy that I picked Radcliff over Tatum.

Shadows Review

read an excerpt

Maybe it's just me and my limited art expertise but looking at the original cover (the one on the giveaway teaser announcement), I didn't really think much about about the story behind it. I thought it was one of those wannabe novels, jumping on some bandwagon or something.
And again, much to my chagrin, I get another hard lesson on not judging a book by its cover.

Because Shadows was BRILLIANT!

Shadows is a YA science fiction novel about the Luminos and Nathos, their cast-off relations, the Duskies and the savage Sathens. Like most epic stories, the story starts in the cusp of a big change and an impending war.

And that's when we are introduced to Nexa. A Duskie living in the Firen Caves, her face is divided into light and dark like two halves of Luminos and Nathos put together, with magnificent swirls twirling her skin. Duskies are treated like second-class citizens and have proved to be untrustworthy because they haven't pledge alliance by the two races that cast them off. Nexa was a captive in the Caves until the valiant Luminos Prince Axon rescued her. The attraction was immediate and even if I'm no longer a teen, there is a quiet passion that runs between these two that made me giddy with excitement.

Nexa, you are beautiful, and different and amazing. Never, ever be ashamed of how you look, and never let anyone tell you that you are inferior.

If you were Nexa, wouldn't you feel like you're the most beautiful in the world after a PRINCE tells you that?! And this is just the beginning, their courtship is every teen's dream and will be approved by any parent. It's chaste, enduring and they are devoted to each other plus there's that hint of a forbidden love. Although I was hoping, and I told Cheree about this, that there was more drama on this part, a Prince falling in love with a Duskie, the politics, implications and the like. I would've loved to see Prince Axon fight for Nexa.

But then again, Nexa proved herself worthy of Axon's love as apparently she's the one prophesied long ago

that a Duskie with royal blood will lead the races to defeat the Sathen, and that [s]he'll be stronger than both the Nathos and the Luminos at their full strength

Don't you just love old and wizened people making predictions of epic proportions?

Like Galdoni, Nexa's story is about learning self-worth and self-love. Going up against the caste system and asserting one's worth. Embracing their uniqueness and turning it into their greatest strength instead of a paralyzing weakness.

Shadows is a fantastic fairy tale and I guarantee that this is NOT a bandwagon tale.

P.S. We are giving away copies of this book, click HERE for more details!

Galdoni Review

read an excerpt

I wasn't born. I was created in some test tube by sterile, cold-hearted lab technicians determined to make the perfect gladiator for money-hungry politicians. - Kale Matthews

The cover and synopsis reminded me of a gladiator version of X-Men's Arcangel so when CAlsop requested for a review I was quick to say YES!.

This is a dystopian novel and though Kale Matthews has wings, he is far from being an Angel. He is soulles, a creation made by politicians as weapons for destruction. While kids learn to play nice in the sandbox, the Galdoni are trained to kill and show no mercy to anybody. Later on they were just used for entertainment, they remain anonymous apart from their clinical names like AR527 and TI620. People bet and watch them fight to death in the Arena and are treated less than animals.

Remember audience, the Galdoni were bred for one thing and one thing only, to fight and to kill. As in all Arena battles, this fight is to the death.

The Galdoni are persecuted like criminals because they are different and people are scared of them. Some of them have tried to escape this cruel fate but they are hunted and brought back to "play" in the Arena. Now Kale Matthews is set up to be an epic hero, he went up against the system and fought for his and the Galdoni's freedom from oppression and made everyone else believe that they are individuals worthy of something and not just political playthings. They are valuable enough to warrant respect and be treated in a humane way and not just living, breathing toys for entertainment. I like his journey towards his self-realization, the way he faced his doubts and eventually realized his value and found his humanity.

Dystopia is a genre that I have yet to explore because for some reason I find it a challenge wrapping my imagination around post apocalyptic stuff. Good thing this wasn't too futuristic for my taste as there are still familiar elements like the order of society, teenagers acting stupid and the first blush of love so the setting is not a far cry from present day. The cruelty and stigma of being a Galdoni is heartbreaking, my heart really went out to all the Galdoni towards the end, how their childhood was juxtaposed with "normal" and activists fighting for their rights on their behalf.

I only wish that the supporting characters, especially Brielle, were more developed, as the story progress they just remained somewhat static. Nontheless, I was easily drawn to Kale's story and his mini oration towards the end was everything I hoped it would be.

P.S. If you're interested, you can join our current giveaway for Galdoni HERE

Cheree Alsop Indie Book Giveaway

I truly enjoyed these two books and Cheree has been really nice giving us free copies of her books.

This is open internationally.

These are digital copies and are not physical books.

FIVE pairs of Cheree's books are up for grabs so you get more chances of winning.

Winners will be announced on February 28 and will be given Smashwords coupons via email.

Please read the disclaimer and giveaway instructions properly.

If you can't see the rafflecopter form, click the READ MORE link for it to show up.

WINNER: Timeless by Gail Carriger

Congratulations to

Sarah - @thebooklife

You've won a copy of Timeless (The Parasol Protectorate #5) by Gail Carriger 

and the steampunk necklace from Unexpected Expectancy

Check your email for instructions on how to claim your winnings!

Once again thanks so much to all who follow Talk Supe and for participating in the giveaway.

REVIEW: The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

Series: Immortals After Dark #1
Release Date: November 2011
Publisher: Simone & Schuster
Format: eBook
My Copy: Self-Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | B & N

The Warlord
Nikolai Wroth, a ruthless vampire general, will stop at nothing to find his Bride, the one woman who can “blood” him, making his heart beat and filling him with strength. Coldly interested only in the power his Bride will bring, he can hardly believe when Myst the Coveted awakens him body—and soul.

The Seductress
Famed throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, Myst has devoted her life to protecting a magical jewel and to fighting the vampires. Wroth provides her with the perfect opportunity to torment her sworn enemy—for with his new heartbeat comes a consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her. Denying him, she flees, struggling to forget his searing, possessive kiss.

The Hunt is on…
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen her enchanted jewel, giving him absolute power over her. Now that she’s his for the taking, he intends to make her experience first-hand the agonizing, unending lust she subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Nikolai realizes he wants far more than vengeance from Myst and frees her, will she come back to him?

As part of the Playing Easy to Get anthology, The Wardlord Wants Forever, is actually the introduction of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series.  I started the series by reading the first full novel, A Hunger Like No Other, and this is where I was first introduced to Myst and Nikolai. Although their part was fairly small in the book I knew that I eventually had to go back and read up on their story before I went any farther with the series.

The sexual tension between Myst and Nikolai reach extreme intensity almost on the verge of violent. Both parties play a game that only hinders their inevitable union. Myst being a strong willed and independent Valkryrie is none to happy that she's 'blooded' Nikolia, the  fierce warrior Vampire. Not willing to accept that they were fated to be, she does everything that she can to get away from him including making him think she's fallen for him. All the while, Nikolia is so obsessed with making Myst accept her fate as his 'Bride' that he does everything he can to make that happen. Even if this includes imprisoning her or holding the power to make her do things out of her will. Now while neither of their actions should be deemed commendable I do hold some sort of understanding as to why they both had to do it. I can understand that love, longing and lust can make people do some crazy things.

The Warlord Wants Forever is filled with as much passion, sexual tension and romance as its successors. The romance is fast paced and doesn't delve into too much detail about the Lore world Cole has created. We are given a brief introduction to the Valkyrie and Vampire world but it's enough to get your mouth wet for more of Immortals After Dark.

Covenant with the Vampire

read excerpt

A sensual, terrifying, incredibly accomplished first novel, this fascinating prequel to the classic and most popular horror novel of all time, Dracula, focuses on Dracula's great-nephew, who inherits the job of managing his great-uncle's estate...and his appetite. Written in diary form as Dracula is, this compulsively readable book has revelations that will shock and delight readers of the original. More erotic than Anne Rice, Kalogridis is a major new voice in vampire fiction. The first chilling tale in an exciting new trilogy is a rich and terrifying historical novel set fifty years before the opening of Bram Stoker's Dracula. At the castle of Prince Vlad Tsepesh, also known as Dracula, Vald's great-nephew Arkady is honored to care for his beloved though strange great-uncle...until he beings to realize what is expected of him in his new role. It seems that either he provides his great-uncle with unsuspecting victims to satisfy his needs, or Vlad will kill those Arkady loves. He is trapped into becoming party to murder and sadistic torture. And it is in his blood. When Arkady learns that his newborn son is being groomed one day to follow in his footsteps, he knows that he must fight Dracula, even if it means death

I love JKalogridis' historical fiction books especially since most of them are set in renaissance Italy, playing privy to the lives, power and intrigue of the Borgias, D'Estes, Sforza et al. So I was really excited when I chanced upon her Vampire book, a tale about Vlad the Impaler aka Dracula, and his descendants. 

Covenant with the Vampire is a tale about Strigoi and Moroi, a decade before RMead wrote about them in Vampire Academy. The setting of the tale is in Gothic Romania and the feel and imagery is reminiscent of the movie Dracula c. 1992. The plot is based on historical events and Bram Stoker's classic tale, the conflict well thought of and should meld seamlessly with Dracula's legend.

And that's all it was, an attempt. I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this book but I found it such a chore to read. If you take a look at the excerpt, the format is in diary form, alternating between Arkady, his wife, Mary and his sister, Zsuzsanna. So it's more of a narrative, detailing their observations, thoughts and experiences in detail than anything which I found that tiresome. I found myself skimming the pages furiously and gleaning through the dialogue just to speed up the story. 

I felt sorry for the entire thing because I really love JKalogridis' historical fiction novels. I found those informative and absolutely enjoyable and this did the opposite for me. Sadly I think it's one of those stories that didn't translate through the pages successfully. 

A Beautiful Evil

Book two of Kelly Keaton's Gods and Monsters series is here!

A power she can’t deny. A destiny she’s determined to fight.

When Ari first arrived in the dilapidated city of New 2, all she wanted was to figure out who she was. But what she discovered was beyond her worst nightmare. Ari can already sense the evil growing inside her—a power the goddess Athena will stop at nothing to possess.

Desperate to hold on to her humanity and protect her loved ones, Ari must fight back. But Athena’s playing mind games, not just with Ari but with those she cares about most. And Athena has a very special plan for the brooding and sexy Sebastian.
Ari is determined to defeat Athena, but time is running out. With no other options, Ari must unleash the very thing she’s afraid of: herself.*

*(from Goodreads)

REVIEW: No Rest For The Wicked by Kresley Cole

Series: Immortals After Dark #3
Release Date: October 31, 2006
Publisher: Pocket Star
Format: Paperback
My Copy: Self-Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository

A soldier weary of life . . .
Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire – a nightmare in his mind – against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A Valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him . . .
When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow – accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings – particularly lust – emerge multiplied. For the first time, she's unable to complete a kill.

Become competitors in a legendary hunt.
The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to winher, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity – as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world – to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she's falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?

What a fantastic follow-up to A Hunger Like No Other! Kresley Cole will bring you into an amazing story from start to finish. I've totally become enthralled with the world Cole has created with all of her mythical creatures from the main characters to all the curious secondary characters. 

From the start of the story I warmed up to Kaderin and Sebastian. With most novels I read it usually takes me a few chapters for to fully warm up to both the hero and heroine. With No Rest for the Wicked, I was instantly connected to Kaderin and Sebastian. The chemistry between these two is superbly intense and their sexy times were just as steamy. Throughout the whole book I was anxiously waiting for them to be together in mind, body and soul.

Kaderin the Cold Hearted is a fitting moniker for Kaderin. She's a fierce and ruthless assassin who harbors an intense hatred for her victims. The death of her sisters took a tremendous toll on her and it's understandable that she loathed vampires and killed them with efficiency. So when she meets Sebastian, a vampire, it just made sense (to me at least) that it would take one of her enemies to make her feel again. As a woman I'm accustomed to  overwhelming emotions every month (girls you know which time of the month I'm talking about) but could you imagine having all of that rain down on you after being without any for a thousand years? I'd be a total mess! So you can't help but feel for her after she starts to feel all or any sort emotions after all that time. Cole has created a well rounded character with Kaderin and I couldn't help but like her, even when she was being cruel to Sebastian.

Speaking of Sebastian, this tortured soul had my heart melting for him as soon as he turned up on the page. A fierce and renowned warrior in his own right, Sebastian had spent the last 300 years loathing himself for what he'd become, a vampire.  All that self-loathing within his dark and lonely castle had him awaiting death until Kaderin appears in front of him. Kaderin is able to awaken something in him and make his heart start beating again and he claims her to be his "Bride". Sebastian totally won me over with his want and need to protect Kaderin. Even when she was cruel to him and turned him down consistently, Sebastian was a constant present in her life immediately after their first encounter. His insecurities about being a worthy partner and lover was endearing and I couldn't help but want him to get the girl at the end. As with most paranormal males, he was obsessed and possessive about Kaderin but he also willed himself to stay away from her even for a little way. Good job on trying to play hard to get even though we knew she totally had you hooked right from the start.

No Rest for the Wicked was totally more wicked than the first book in the series. I'm excited to see if the following books will continue to get better and better. If it does then I'm sure my head will start blowing some steam from all the sexiness Cole has in her stories.

Girl Crush Mondays: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Sherrilyn Kenyon

This lady is a consistent bestselling author with more than 25 million copies of her books sold worldwide. 

My first introduction to Sherrilyn Kenyon was with her juvenile series, Chronicles of Nick. I burned through Nick Gaultier's stories in mere hours and I knew that I have to get me some more of Kenyon. 

Which led me to the sexy world of Dark-Hunters. You see, I'm still in the infant stages of Urban Fantasy as my usual book cocktail involves chick lit, historical fiction and a touch of supe once in a while. It's only after committing to this little project with Cimmaron that I really took the plunge and   got into Urban Fantasy and all it's sub and mixed genres.

And that has been one of the best commitments I ever made because Dark-Hunters totally changed my perception of vampires and all that. All of them are sexy and tortured, I can't pick a favorite! And the most amazing part is, even the villains get their own story, seriously Dark-Hunters is a gift that keeps on giving. As I moved on with the series, the line between good and evil gets more and more blurred and right now, I'm not sure if I would align myself with the Hunters or the Apollites. 

Until now, men, women and teens have fallen in love with her characters. RPG pages and twitter accounts are made all in the name of her Hunters. Our very own friend, Aaron Speca, is an avid Kenyon fan and is a member of Sanctuary, a Facebook page dedicated for Dark-Hunter RPG. 

But what I like best about SKenyon is, like J.R. Ward and KMM, she does male POV very well. And though she's a female writer, her men are not emasculated by her voice. So every Dark-Hunter book is filled with serious action, spontaneous fits of emotion and combustible passion.

Some Fun Facts:

She likes Naruto

She collects swords

Chronicles of Nick and Dark-Hunters is being developed for the screen and are now in manga too!

Lords of Avalon novels are being adapted by Marvel comics
She has novels printed under Kinley MacGregor.
She has an upcoming series called Nevermore. The first book Alpha is scheduled for release on 2013 and the second one Omega is TBA.
Her brother Warchild is the official Dark-Hunter music composer.

Here's SKenyon talking about this in last year's Comic-Con. Chronicles will be a movie, DH a TV Series and Were-Hunters adapted into anime! Woot! Woot!

Can. Not. Wait.

Bewitching the Werewolf

Format: Kindle Book
Pages: 62 Pages
Publisher: Host of the Hills
Release Date: September 2011
Purchase: Amazon (Free)

When witch for hire, Megan Stephens, is assigned to help the local werewolf pack leader find a mate, she thinks the job will be easy. Get in, get him up and get gone. But when she meets Zack Connor, she realizes her future might have a lot more dog jokes in it than she ever imagined.

Now who doesn't love free books? Bewitching the Werewolf is one of the countless number of free eBooks that Amazon.com has to offer. I still get amazed that there are such things are free stuff, especially books. LOL.

Bewitching the Werewolf is a short story (about 40+ pages) offered to us by Caroline Hanson. The story was enjoyable and delivered some funny dialogue from our main character Megan. Now although I did know going into this book that it would be a short story I was hoping it would have been a little bit longer than the 40+ pages. I think that Hanson could have worked in a little more into the story to really develop the plot. It sort of just felt like a one night stand. Megan went in for her assignment and then wham, bam thank you Ma'am we got the clothes coming off. Maybe some more added tension between Megan and Zack would have worked a little better. We've got the single wolf, a mother who's desperate to get him mated and our funny little witch who is more than ready to bail out on her assignment; throw in some other feisty female werewolves and you've got a making for a good book.

To find out more about Caroline Hanson, please check out her blog

http://carolinehanson.blogspot.com/

She's also got two other novels from her Valerie Dearborn series that I'd eventually like to check out. Just the mention of Vampires is enough to garner some interest from me.

Cheree Alsop Books

 Go to http://www.chereealsop.com/ for more information

Galdoni

“This is the Arena, and here we live to die.” These are the words carved into a holding cell where genetically-altered gladiators, the winged humans called Galdoni, are trained to fight. Kale, rescued by three high school students and nursed back from the brink of death, is given the chance to experience life as a human. When he is captured, he has to use what he learned in the world outside the Academy in order to free the other Galdoni and return to the human girl he loves. 

Shadows

Duskies are born in a dangerous world as servants of the lords of light and shadow, but when creatures known as the Sathen threaten all the races, a Duskie named Nexa finds herself caught in the middle of a perilous journey to save her people and unite the races as one. Facing dangerous odds, prejudice, and violence, Nexa finds strength in those around her and, ultimately, love.

Courtesy of Cheree Alsop we are doing a fantastic giveaway of these YA books starting next week,
February 23-28.


FIVE copies each of these wonderful books will be up for grabs.


These are just recently released titles in Amazon but I can assure you that you will swept away by Kale and Nexa's story and I'm pretty sure you've never read a tale similar to theirs. 


Hope to see you again next week!

REVIEW: A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

Click Here to Read an Excerpt

Series: Immortal After Dark #2
Release Date: March 28, 2006
Publisher: Pocket Star
Format: Paperback
My Copy: Self-Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository

A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her . . .

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy . . .

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents -- until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae -- and their notorious dark desires -- ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire . . .

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Lachlain MacRieve, King of the Lykae, has spent a thousand years searching for his one and only mate. He crosses numerous countries in hopes of eventually finding her until one day he's captured by the Vampire Horde. For the last 150 years, he's been held prisoner and tortured by Vampire King, Demestriu. Until one day he scents his mate and escapes the catacombs he's been imprisoned in, which happens to be below the streets of Paris.

After many years of being protected and sheltered in a Valkyrie Coven compound, Emmaline Troy, half Valkyrie/half Vampire, has been living in Paris to uncover the truth about her deceased parents, most notably her father. After her mother passed away after child birth, Emma has been in the dark in regards to her Vampire side. To date, she's never even seen a full-blooded vampire. 

One day while strolling through the streets of Paris, Emma is chased by Lachlain and claims her as his mate. Thinking the only way he can protect and keep her safe, Lachlain then forces Emma to escort him back to his Scottish castle, Kinevane. Scared out of her wits, Emma agrees thinking she'll just bring the brut back to his home and make her way back home to Louisiana. Unbeknownst to her, Lachlain has made no plans of letting Emma go and will do anything to seduce and keep her by his side. Even if that means lying to her.

Now what really got me excited about this book, aside from the fact that it's part of a highly popular series, is the hero with a tormented soul. I'll gladly admit that I'm a sucker for slightly damaged male book characters. There's just something about a man overcoming his own personal demons. It speaks highly of their courage and tenacity. As for our hero, Lachlain, I was expecting a little more tormented soul angst from him. I mean the man was locked away underneath the earth and left to basically burn in hell. You would think that he'd be a bit more mental after escaping but it turns out the dude was just really horny. There were moments he'd let the beast out but I was looking for a little more meat in his mental anguish. I was thinking of something in the same lines as Zsadist from Lover Awakened. I mean that guy was really messed up and everyone around him knew it.

As for our heroine, Emma, I quite liked her. At the beginning she's a bit oblivious to some of her fellow Lore species but that's mainly due to her upbringing from her adoptive family. She had a few humorous moments and I liked that even though she was virginal she knew just how to tease and drive Lachlain's labido into overdrive. Coming from a Valkryie Coven I was expecting her to be a little more formidable but nicknamed Emma the Timid, she was a bit lacking in the kick-a** department. She does grow throughout the story, so I was grateful Cole didn't give us a damsel in distress throughout the book. One characteristic about the Valkryie's that I found jokey was their love for shopping and how they could be easily swayed by gifts. I mean seriously, what girl doesn't love shopping or getting new baubles? Sounds like my kind of gang but for the most part everyone else in the coven is pretty darn scary.

As for the romance there were a few moments in the story where I just didn't find romantic. Lachlain's heated lust for Emma was a bit petrifying and I was put off a bit. I usually get chills when men make their claim but with Lachlain it was just a bit too primal and possesive, border lining crazy bafoon. But once he eased up a bit, you discover that he's just a big and warm hearted guy that has been waiting a VERY long time for his mate. It's those moments you see him longing for his mystery woman that really clench your heart and make you forgive his absurd actions.

Just as J.R Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood was my crack for 2011, I have a feeling that Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark might be my substance of choice for 2012. Cole has created an extraordinary alternate world filled Lore, which she describes as sentient creatures that are not human.  With the various creatures (Vampires, Werewolves, Valkyrie) in this alternate world, Cole has set up her series to have a variety of love lines. I say bring it on. The more the merrier!

Timeless Giveaway

It's giveaway time again Supies! This time around I will be giving away a copy of Timeless, the fifth novel in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series due to hit a bookstore near you on March 2nd. I discovered this series late last year but only started it at the beginning of the new year. Gail Carriger had me hooked after the first three pages of Soulless. From the premise, steampunk elements, humor and delightful characters, this series has moved up to my favorite book series list. I mean really how can you not love a Victorian woman running around London fighting off Vampires and killer lady bugs with her parasol?

Synopsis for Timeless from IndieBound:
"Alexia Tarabotti, Lady Maccon, has settled into domestic bliss. Of course, being Alexia, such bliss involves integrating werewolves into London High society, living in a vampire's second best closet, and coping with a precocious toddler who is prone to turning supernatural willy-nilly. Even Ivy Tunstell's acting troupe's latest play, disastrous to say the least, cannot put a damper on Alexia's enjoyment of her new London lifestyle.

Until, that is, she receives a summons from Alexandria that cannot be ignored. With husband, child, and Tunstells in tow, Alexia boards a steamer to cross the Mediterranean. But Egypt may hold more mysteries than even the indomitable Lady Maccon can handle. What does the vampire Queen of the Alexandria Hive really want from her? Why is the God-Breaker Plague suddenly expanding? And how has Ivy Tunstell suddenly become the most popular actress in all the British Empire?"

But that's not all folks!

The lucky winner will also get this lovely Steampunk necklace from Unexpected Expectancy. Each time you wear this necklace, you'll be reminded of Alexia Tarabotti. I own a few pieces from Unexpected Expectancy (love them all!), so please check out her website as she offers a variety of rings and necklaces.

Product description: Brass. Pendant is 1 inch in diameter and features exposed watch gears. It is on a short brass chain measuring 16 inches long. Sits at the breastbone. Each watch is slightly different.

This is the actual necklace that the
winner will be receiving

Giveaway runs from February 16th - 23rd!


Contest is open INTERNATIONALLY 

International Entrants: Book to be shipped from Book Depository, 

please make sure they ship to your country for free.

Timeless hits bookshelves on March 1, 2012; so shipment will be delayed till the book is released. Book and necklace will be shipped separately.

Good luck to all and here's how you can enter.....

(click READ MORE for the rafflecopter form)