Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods.
Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .
My Review -
Jenna Black has been on my must read list for a while. I am slowly getting through her Faewalker series (I am not a huge fae fan....) but everything else she has written has gone straight on pre-order. So when Dark Descendant was on Amazon it was pre-ordered for my Kindle and I couldn't wait to see what delights the author was going to amaze me with with her new series.
Well to start things off I have to say 'WOW'! I am extremely amazed. I didn't expect this to be so good and grab me that much. I have to admit that the cover, although it looks cool, was putting me off a little and it didn't seem to fit the blurb. However it is the inside of the book that counts and the story is super. I am glad I didn't get put off by the cover and went with my love for the author.
Dark Descendant starts with a bang and doesn't let go till the end. The story is full of suspense and action while the plot flows in all the best directions possible. This new and unique concept really left me excited and surprised. I can't wait to see what happens next and where Jenna will take Nikki and the rest of the Descendants.
With a cool mythology twist and a nice set of characters, this series is going to be a winner. I am pretty sure that Dark Descendant is going to be in my top ten of best read books for 2011 because it was so well written and excitingly unusual. Urban Fantasy is never boring but Jenna Black has taken things to a new level with this one. I can only drool over the book and eagerly await the next book in the series.
Just when you think you have it all figured out, life belts you to the ground. And when Caillen discovers a truth he'd never suspected about himself, everything in his life is turned on its head.
Desideria has a secret of her own- one that could end her life if anyone ever learns it. The last thing she expects is to meet a criminal in her sheltered world never mind find herself marooned on a hostile colony with him while his enemies try to kill them both.
And as they struggle to survive, her father's favorite curse resonates. "May you get exactly what you want and live long enough to regret it."
My Review -
Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the authors who first introduced me to the Paranormal Romance genre with her famous Dark-Hunter series. When I was asked to read and review her League books a while back I was a little sceptical. However I enjoyed them and wondered if there would ever be more. I was delighted to see #4 in the series appear. Born of Shadows takes us back to the League series and does it in style.
Think of the Dark-Hunters in space travelling from world to world with different species and new rules. That is the League series and it is as thrilling as all the books Sherrilyn has written. You fall in love with the characters and find yourself interested in the outcome. The plot always thickens, twists and turns but you always know what to expect from a Kenyon book. Everything always comes together in the end and along the way you enjoy the ride.
If Sherrilyn writes more League books I would certainly read them. Any fan of the author should at least try one of these books. The story from each book in the series does interlink in some ways and like the Dark-Hunter world all the characters seem to know each other. That said you don't you really don't need to read these books in order. They stand alone and are strong enough by themselves.
Well worth reading and definitely enjoyable. I hope the League come back sometime soon. I am not a huge Sci-fi reader but this series is just too cool to miss out on.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
My Thoughts -
This is a book and trilogy that I have seen others rave about but for some reason never picked up myself. When I came across The Hunger Games in an Audible sale I decided to take the plunge and see what all the fuss was about. Now I wish I had read this book sooner rather than later.
It was action packed, unique and inspiring! Everything that happens in this book makes you think 'What would I do in this situation?'. Despite the fact that The Hunger Games are unfair and cruel you can only hope that Katniss survives and wins. All the time you wonder what will happen next to help or hinder the progress of the amazing young woman.
I don't think I can express how good this book is. All I can tell you is that I downloaded the other two books in the series when I was about halfway through The Hunger Games. I had to have the next books ready in my library and I will start listening to Catching Fire, book #2, as soon as possible. I have to know what happens next!
If you are a fan of The Crow books by Jeri Smith-Ready or Maria V. Snyder's Study series then you will love this book. Set in a fantasy world that is so much like our own but also so different, this book shows what could be the future for us. While this may be Young Adult based this book is perfect for adults as well. I can also recommend listening to the audiobook as the narrator did a great job.
Buried in the Heartland is a town that no one enters or leaves. Graf McDonald somehow becomes its first visitor in more than five years…and he was only looking for a good party. Unfortunately, Penance, Ohio, is not that place. And after having been isolated for so long, they do not like strangers at all.
Jessa's the only one to even remotely trust him, and she's desperate for the kind of protection that only a vampire like Graf can provide. Supplies are low, the locals are ornery for a sacrifice and there's a monster more powerful than Graf lurking in the woods. New men are hard to come by in this lonesome town, and this handsome stranger might be Jessa's only hope for salvation.
Even if she has to die first…
My Review -
I really enjoyed Jennifer Armintrout's Blood Ties series and I have been eagerly awaiting something new from her. Yes I know she had a Fae series out but Fae just aren't my cup of tea. I want vampires, weres, demons or ghosts and in American Vampire I hoped my wait had ended. It had but not in the way I expected. I have to admit that I didn't really read the blurb and had no idea what to expect from this new release. I read this purely because of the name and title on the cover. It wasn't a bad thing but it just wasn't what I thought this book was going to be like. I am still not sure why the book is called American Vampire and I can't decide what the title has to do with the actual story.
However all that aside this was a good read. Most likely because Jennifer Armintrout is a good strong writer with a nice style. Her idea for this book wasn't totally off either. Getting a vampire stuck in a town filled with humans who haven't been able to leave said town for five years is actually quite interesting. Kind of like Lost mixed up with Jericho this certainly had a suspense factor and I was definitely reading to the end to see how things worked out for all involved.
I enjoyed seeing how the relationship between Jessa and Graf evolved and it was very gripping to find out what the monster plaguing the town really was and why it was there. The constant question of 'Will anyone make it out of the town?' really was enough to keep me reading to the end. I wondered if this would turn into a series with the author keeping everyone prisoner and leaving Graf to find some way to survive. However the story ended nicely with everything cleared up. It seems this is just a one off.
Any fans of Armintrout's work will certainly enjoy this new release. It is a little different to her previous books but it is nice to see that she can mix things up a bit and not keep to the same old stuff. While reading this I was often reminded of Stephen King's work. Maybe it was the atmosphere the author created or it may just be the monster being called 'It'. Whichever it was the story definitely had a goosebump thriller feel to it like King's early books.
I am excited to see what she what this author comes up with next. Jennifer really does have a good imagination and I am going to be checking out what she comes up with next. Keep me on my toes!
The Blurb - Alison and her resident gumshoe ghost are on their next case when the deceased Scott MacFarlane floats in worried that he accidentally killed a prominent local woman. Turns out she's still alive...that is, of course, until she's murdered-in Alison's house. Now, between the demands of her guests and the arrival of a reality television crew, Alison must find the killer before she sees reality from the other side.
My Thoughts -
An Uninvited Ghost is the second book in the Haunted Guesthouse series by E.J. Copperman. I was really impressed by the first book, Night of the Living Deed, so I had to pre-order this one and couldn't wait to read it. As most second books in the series it doesn't come up to par with the first book. However it was still an amazing read and it did confirm my hopes that this will be a new cool cozy mystery series.
I think the main attraction in this series is the ghost aspect. It is nice to have a little paranormal mixed up with some cozy mystery. I can't read the hardcore stuff all the time and it is nice to have a little break and read something with a little less blood and action. The nice setting and interesting characters make this an even better read. I love the concept and look forward to seeing where the author takes it next.
This time around the plot was a little complicated. There were way too many angles but in the end it all came together and I have to say there was a nice twist that I didn't see coming. The author certainly knows how to write a good mystery and I am eager for book three to come out. I have found another paranormal cozy to rave about.
My author guest last week was Linda Wisdom! Now the contest ended on Sunday but I have been away over Easter and didn't have much internet access! So I apologise for not getting the winner announced sooner!
So with no further delay I will say congrats to :
Mariee!!
Find out how to claim your prize below!
Didn't win this time? Then keep trying! There are two author contests still open for entries!
Want to try Linda's books? Order a copy using the links to Amazon or Bookdepository!
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How to claim your prize!
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.
Never miss out on a new Author Event, Contest or Book Review! Subscribe Now!
Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)
Both contests are open till Sunday! So make sure you enter!
Also apologies for my lack of reviews etc...I am on holiday and don't have much internet access! All will back to normal on Thursday and you will also finally find out who won the last contest as well as a new monthly giveaway!
Jenna Black's Guardians of the Night Series was one of the first vampire books that I started to read and enjoy when I got into the genre. Her Morgan Kingsley series got me hooked on her work and now her Young Adult series has me intrigued!
Her latest release, Dark Descendant, is pre-ordered and I can't wait to try it! You can find out more about Jenna and her books by reading the interview. Maybe you can even win a Jenna Black book if you enter the contest!
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your upcoming release, Dark Descendant?
Jenna - DARK DESCENDANT is about a private investigator who kills a demigod in a car accident and winds up inadvertently stealing his immortality.
Amber - Where did the idea for Dark Descendant come from? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?
Jenna -This one was a long time coming for me. I originally wrote a partial manuscript using the same core idea (although at the time, my mythology was entirely make-believe rather than being based on Greek and other “real” mythology) back in around 2003. I ended up abandoning that manuscript (the only book I ever started but didn’t finish), but I still liked the core idea of immortals whose immortality can be stolen, so when it came time to come up with a new urban fantasy concept, I decided to rework that premise.
Amber - Reading the blurb for Dark Descendant I can't help but think 'Dark-Hunters'. What is different about your paranormal Greek mythology mix?
Jenna - Pretty much everything. LOL The gods themselves are not characters (just people descended from gods), I have no vampires, and there’s a mixture of different mythologies, not just Greek. At the core of my story is the idea that the immortality can be stolen, which creates all kinds of fun conflicts. My immortals also have different abilities, based on the deity from whom they are descended, but those abilities don’t always manifest in the same way. Lastly, there isn’t any romance (at least not in the first book); only glimmers of potential romance to come.
Amber - Have you always been interested in Greek Mythology? Do you keep to the myths or did you twist things a little to fit in with your story?
Jenna -I’ve always been a Greek mythology fan, ever since I had to read Edith Hamilton’s MYTHOLOGY back in high school. I definitely twist the mythology, because I always have more fun working from my own imagination than working from “real” mythology. I’ve used the mythology only as a jumping off point, and to make the world more accessible to my readers. (As I mentioned, in the original partial manuscript, I made up a totally separate mythology, not linked to anything familiar.)
Amber - Is Dark Descendant the start of a new series or a one off? If it is a series when can we expect book #2?
Jenna - DARK DESCENDANT is the start of a series. I’m working on the second book in the series as we speak. I don’t know when you can expect to see book 2, however, because the release date hasn’t been determined yet. I’m guessing the plan will be to put them out at the rate of one per year, but that really is just me guessing.
Amber - I haven't managed to read (well I have the first in the series on audio) anything from your Faeriewalker series yet. Can you tell us a little about it?
Jenna -It’s about a sixteen-year-old girl who gets fed up with her alcoholic single mother and runs away to Avalon, the only place where the mortal world and Faerie intersect, to live with the Fae father she’s never met. Needless to say, the grass isn’t always greener . . .
Amber - What was it like changing to YA after writing so much adult action?
Jenna -I didn’t really make any big changes in my writing style when changing from adult to YA. I think of my YAs as adult books that happen to have a teenage protagonist. Obviously, with a teenage heroine, there are differences in language and in life experience, but even when I’m writing adult books, my characters all have very different backgrounds and life experiences, so this didn’t feel like much of a stretch.
Amber - I miss Morgan Kingsley and The Guardians of the Night. Is there any chance of seeing either of these series start up again or are they both done?
Jenna - At this point, it’s unlikely there will be more books in either of those series, although there is a Morgan Kingsley short story coming out in the CHICKS KICK BUTT anthology in June.
Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?
Jenna - As I mentioned, I’m working on the sequel to DARK DESCENDANT right now. I’m also working on the proofs for SIRENSONG, the final book of the Faeriewalker series. I’m not sure where I’ll go from there. My agent is shopping a proposal for a new YA series, but we’ll have to wait and see if publishers are interested in it. (The better the Faeriewalker books do, the more likely I’ll be able to sell a second YA series, hint, hint . . .)
Amber - Why the Paranormal? Did you always want to write about the Supernatural?
Jenna - I’ve always loved the paranormal. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy growing up, so that’s naturally what I started writing. Then when I started reading contemporary paranormal romances and urban fantasy, I fell completely in love with it. Creating completely make-believe worlds was fun, but I find it even more fun to work with the real world and add make-believe elements.
Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?
Jenna - Usually, the names for my characters just come to me. I’ll think of names I like, or look through something like BehindTheName.com, and suddenly something will pop out at me and feel right. The only time I remember specifically going in search of names with special meanings were for the Morgan Kingsley books. I wanted Lugh and Dougal to have names with meaning, and it was lovely that I was able to find names that were in opposition. (According to my sources at the time, Lugh means “shining one” and Dougal means “dark stranger.”)
Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?
Jenna - I’m afraid I’m not one of those authors. Books and music are totally separate for me.
Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?
Jenna - I enjoy reading anything with paranormal/supernatural aspects, including but not limited to paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult. I also occasionally enjoy thrillers and historical romances. As for favorite authors . . . I have a hard time answering that one, because I have too many author friends and I don’t want to insult anyone/leave anyone out. However, if I limit myself to only authors I don’t know so no one will be insulted, I’d say a couple of my favorite series are the Mercy Thomson series by Patricia Briggs, as well as her Alpha & Omega series; I’m also a big fan of the Hunger Games books.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?
Jenna -I’m not sure I’d really want to be a paranormal creature, especially not considering the hell we authors put our paranormal creatures through. There are just too many disadvantages for any creature I can think of. I think I’ll stick with being human.
Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again!
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Contest Time
Jenna is giving away a copy of her new book Dark Descendant!
How To Enter
What Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance heroine would you most like to hang out with?
(Thanks to Bethany C. for suggesting this question! You have an extra entry in this contest!)
No answer = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 2nd of May 2011 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
The Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep has been in my top ten best reads since I read the first book, Spider's Bite, last year. Now book four, Tangled Threads, is due out for release and I know a lot of my book friends can't wait to read it.
So I hope you enjoy this guest blog and will enter the contest for your chance to win a copy of the new release!
On a side note : Huge apologies to Jennifer and anyone else waiting for this post. It was supposed to be posted on Wednesday but I was too pre-occupied with preparing for my Easter trip!
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Greetings and salutations! I want to say thanks to Amber for having me on the blog today. Thanks, Amber!
So today, Amber suggested that I talk a little bit about writing adult urban fantasy versus young adult urban fantasy.
Now, if you’ve read any of the books in my Elemental Assassin series, you know that semi-retired assassin Gin Blanco inhabits a very dark and gritty world and that she’s not shy about doing what needs to be done to protect the people that she cares about. Basically, Gin kills first and asks questions later, and she never, ever takes prisoners. LOL.
I know most folks would think that it’s pretty jarring to go from writing such a dark, violent character to penning a young adult series, but really, I don’t approach writing my Mythos Academy series any differently than I do the Elemental Assassin series. I’m a total punster when it comes to writing, so for whatever series I’m working on, I think of an idea, come up with the major plot points, then sit down and start writing it.
Now, I do a few things different when it comes to my young adult series – especially when it comes to the big three, as I like to think of them – sex, language, and violence. I do tone down those things for my young adult books. The Mythos Academy series doesn’t have nearly the amount of bad language that the Elemental Assassin books do, the fight scenes aren’t quite as bloody and visceral, and there are no detailed sex scenes.
But my young adult books aren’t completely vanilla. I do mention things like drinking, drugs, and sex, along with having my heroine fight for her life against the various bad guys. I think teens are smarter and have to deal with a lot more issues than people realize, and I also think they want to be entertained when they read, just like the rest of us. So that’s what I try to do – just tell a good, fun, action-packed story.
That’s why both of my series feature so many of the same elements – a strong, sassy heroine, a magical world, lots of fight scenes, vicious bad guys, and a hunky hero. Those are the things I like reading about, and those are the things I like writing about – no matter what genre I’m tackling.
Hopefully, readers will like my Mythos Academy series just as much as they do the Elemental Assassin books. Fingers crossed, anyway.
What about you guys? What are some of your favorite adult and young adult urban fantasy books right now?
Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. The books focus on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can con¬trol the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.
Books in the series are Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, and Venom. Tangled Threads, the fourth book, will be published on April 26, while Spider’s Revenge, the fifth book, will be released in October.
Jennifer also writes the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freakout with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.
The first book, Touch of Frost, will be out in August, while the second book, Kiss of Frost, will hit shelves in December.First Frost, a prequel e-short story to the series, will be out in July. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more.
Jennifer is very kindly giving away a copy of TANGLED THREADS to one lucky person! This giveaway is open to US/Canada only and all you have to do is answer the question below to be entered!
How To Enter
I am extremely scared of spiders! What are you scared of?
No answer = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Friday 29th of April 2011 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
If you enter the contest this week you may just win your own copy of Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend. So make sure you check it out after reading the guest blog!
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Witches and Demons, Oh My!
Thank you Amber for having me here!
For the past year my fans have written me with ‘where are the rest of the Hex books? Why are you writing a new series?’
First, the Hex books are still going strong. Second, it’s a new series, yet now.
When my editor met Declan, the super hot demon, she wanted to change the look of the series. That’s why the new cover and title. But the witches are still there. Maggie, who readers met in Hex in High Heels, is back in Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend. As a team leader for the Hellion Guard, badass protectors for the supernaturals. They’re always on duty magick in their blood, fangs, paws, and claws ready to do the job. Oh yes, don’t mess with the Hellion Guard!
And now Maggie’s dealing with her attraction to underground club owner, and half fire demon, Declan, the abrupt guardianship of a fifteen-year-old girl whose death due to an ancient Mayan and demon curse would destroy the world, and hm, isn’t that enough?
While magick bunny slippers Fluff and Puff love nothing more than donning camo, this time is diamond covered black widow spider Elle who watches Maggie’s back and spends her free time surfing the web looking for the right hex to keep her lovers alive.
As always there’s a variety of creatures populating Maggie’s world. Caffeine guzzling ferrets who are the Hellion Guard Compound’s messengers, Seers who look as if they’re still living in the 1960s, vampires, trolls, brownies, and Fae, oh my!
I wanted a roller coaster ride of a book and I hope you see it that way. This series has evolved with each book. I’ve brought a new witch to life showing another part of their world and given them a sexy guy to fall in love with.
But since it can’t be all easy, I’ve also given them challenges, villains to battle, creature sidekicks that don’t always make their lives easy, and the mention of basic food groups known as coffee and chocolate.
Isn’t it fun to lose yourself with a world where pretty much anything can happen? For a few hours you can forget about the laundry piling up, a dinner menu that needs to come to mind, and does that room really need a good cleaning right now?
I hope you’ll take some time for yourself with a book in hand and what can I say? If it’s mine, I’ll be happy. If not, I’ll still be happy as long as you’re doing some ‘me’ time.
So tell me, do you take that me time? And what do you do with it?
Linda
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Contest Time
Linda is being really generous and is giving away two copies of her new book 'Demons are a Girl's Best Friend'! So two lucky people will get a copy of this fantastic read!
How To Enter
Linda already asked the question at the end of her guest blog! Do you take that me time? And what do you do with it?
No question = No Entry
Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.
Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.
Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!
The contest will stay open until Sunday 24th of April 2011 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
My author guest last week was Casey Daniels. I read her new Pepper Martin book, A Hard Day's Fright, last week and loved it as much as the previous mysteries in the series. If you are lucky you may have won one of Casey's books! Did you enter the contest?
The contest is now over and it is time to announce the winners! Casey was very generously giving away three books! Each of the three winners will get to choose which Pepper Martin book they would like to get.
So congratulations to the winners :
SandyG265!!
Vickie!!
&
Lisa R/alterlisa!!
Find out how to claim your prizes below!
Didn't win this time? Then keep trying! There is another author contest starting today! Make sure you enter!
Want to try Casey's books? Order a copy using the links to Amazon or Bookdepository!
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How to claim your prize!
Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!
If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.
If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.
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It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.
My Review -
The blurb for this one sounded promising and I found myself hitting 'Request' for a galley copy of The Goddess Test. However once the book found itself on my Kindle I also got a few new releases to read and this ARC sat waiting for me until I managed to start it last night. Considering I am not feeling 100% this weekend (cold...in Spring...gah!) I found myself finishing this book in record speed. However I am not sure why because it wasn't that easy to read.
The Greek Mythology aspect of this book is interesting but I am pretty sure that the author has ruined the classic gods. Any lovers of Greek Mythology need not bother with this one as I fear you will hate it. The story itself was extremely unique and different but I also found it a little confusing and complicated at times. At the beginning I was gripped by what was happening. Then somewhere the suspense disappeared and things became slow and fluffy.
The main character, Kate, is actually nice and likable but she was just too nice. The other characters were ok but nobody else really stood out. Henry was boring and I didn't see him as the good looking wonderful person everyone thought he was. Ava was annoyingly there the whole way through the book and James, the one guy I could have gotten to like, was just not there enough.
A twist towards the end was something I expected could happen but it still surprised me. A second book after this debut is not something I expected to see announced at the end though. This story came across as a one off and I was happy with that feeling. To know there is another book coming later on and that this is a series kind of hurts a little. Yes this book was readable enough for me to finish it but I doubt very much that I would read another of its kind.
Of course this is supposed to be Young Adult so I have to address those aspects. Kate comes across as a very mature young woman. Looking after her ill mother, getting a house, driving the car etc etc. However when it comes being in a relationship and feelings she is a total dud. Yes she has spent a lot of her teenage life looking after her mum but the author didn't seem to want to 'go there'. So nothing rude or explicit in this one. Aiming this at the younger teen group.
All in all, this book has its moments and it is those moments that kept me reading to the end. A nice leading lady was also a big reason for me to keep reading but a severe lack of anything else special makes me wonder what others will think of this book. Fantasy, Mythology and a lack of oomph leaves me unsure about The Goddess Test. Only time will tell if I actually bother with the sequel when it comes out.
Generations of werewolves have been secretly residing in a secluded valley a stone’s throw from Grundy, Alaska. So when a snooping Outsider comes to Grundy to investigate rumors of lycanthropic shenanigans in the area, the valley’s pack alpha, Maggie Graham, resolves to chase him away, even if doing so takes a quick bite on the butt. What a pity that researcher Nick Thatcher turns out to be so drool-worthy, and that his kisses make Maggie want to sit up and beg. Maggie just can’t seem to convince Nick to leave . . . and even worse, she can’t convince herself to stay away from him. Cross-species dating is problem enough for a harried alpha female, but on top of that, a rival group of werewolves is trying to move into the valley. With interpack war threatening, Maggie can’t afford to be distracted. Combining romance and a career can be tough for anyone; for a werewolf in love with a human, it may be disastrous. . . .
My Review -
Molly Harper continues to amaze me with this wit filled new release. Her style is unique, funny and so good to read while her characters and storylines keep me coming back for more. In The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf we get to find out more about Maggie, a werewolf we met in How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf. This was extremely cool because I really liked the first book in this new series and couldn't wait to see what they were up to now.
Paranormal goodness with a hint of chick-lit but a healthy dose of action, this series has only helped secure the 'must read' status I hold for this author. I only hope that there will be more stories about this interesting pack of werewolves and that we don't have to wait too long for the books to be released.
Fans of Molly Harper's books will love this new addition and anyone looking for something that stands out and makes a splash will love this series. Add to your wish list and make sure you lend this to your friends. This book leaves you feeling good and gets you giggling. Ooo! Molly Harper books are like happy pills!
I met author Paula Brackston totally by chance. I was home in the UK doing some book shopping when I came across her signing books in the local Borders. Her novel 'Book of Shadows' sounded like something I would enjoy and I decided to take the opportunity of getting a signed copy. It isn't everyday I get to meet an author!
To say I loved 'Book of Shadows' is an understatement and I can only highly recommend the book. Until now the book was hard to get in the US but Paula wrote to me this week to let me know that 'Book of Shadows' is now available in the US with a new title and cover! 'The Witch's Daughter' is an apt new title and I hope you will all go add it to your wishlists or even your shopping baskets!
