The Willow (The Magical Sword Series #1) - By Stacey Kennedy

In Carson City, Nevada a tragic car accident has claimed the lives of Nexi Jones’ adoptive parents. Now, without them, her reason to live has vanished and she is determined to end her pain.

The problem with that, it’s not heaven she wakes up to, it’s the Otherworld. Nexi must reconcile the truth about her past, and her heritage as part guardian/part witch, while she begins to train to join the Council’s guard. But it’s not the combat training that has her worried, its attempting to keep her cool around the luscious guardian, Kyden that’s her biggest concern.

Before long, Nexi’s skills are put to the test as she begins to fight against the supernatural who have taken a human life. But nothing can prepare her for the journey ahead. Soon, she will find herself lost in a mystery and fighting to keep all she’s gained, as Lazarus, a vampire, threatens to take it all away.
(borrowed from staceykennedy.com)

Nexi is a woman who doesn't take shit from anyone, speaks her mind, & makes jokes in awkward situations. Not to mention she's got the temper of someone who's been stuck in mid-town traffic for hours, with a bunch of stupid drivers.

After losing everything that she has, and attempting to take her own life, Nexi is thrust into a place she never imagined existed. Having to face the transformation of becoming the warrior she never knew she could be, Nexi finds something within herself she never knew was there. Given a second chance at life, and a first glance at love, she starts to feel normal for the first time in her life.

Quickly everything is turned upside down & now must fight against all odds for what she believes in. On a path for vengeance, that she never knew was possible, Nexi must now find a way to harness her fury & destroy the one who has taken so much from her.

--After not being able to truly get into a book for a long time, I blew through, The Willow, in 1 day! Stacey has created a world & character that I completely fell in love with. She truly has a way to effortlessly make the story flow without a hitch or awkward pause. My interest is beyond sparked & now I can not wait to pick up the rest of the series & see how Nexi's journey unfolds! I completely recommend, The Magical Sword Series, and I hope that you will become consumed in, The Otherworld, as I was.

If you're interested in, The Willow, here are the links to get your very own copy:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

First Chapter from Dead Reckoning has been posted!!

YAY!! So excited that Charlaine Harris has posted the first chapter from the new Sookie Stackhouse novel on her website!!

Well, what are you waiting for?! Go read Chapter 1!

Fresh Face Friday 12-17-10

La, La, La....oh don't mind me, I'm just dancing around & listening to music while I'm writing this weeks, FFF.

Lately it seems as though I'm having a harder time finding authors that only have 1 book published. I don't know if that has to do with multi-book deals? Or possible they're all hiding from me? (I'm going with the latter) I will say this, that I am thankful for everyone that I do find, and every single author that I've found has sparked my excitement to feature them in my FFF.

OK, now onto the goods!

With her first book, The Thirteenth Chime, Emma Michaels takes a spin on YA paranormal that goes beyond your average vampire or shape shifters.  She captures you with a tale of lies, deceit & revenge, that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. To show you what I mean here's a synopsis of Emma's book:

No one knew of its existence until it was removed from the attic upstairs.

In a beautiful house that overlooks the sea, an antique clock has the power to change the course of their lives.

The power the clock resonates will not only force Destiny and ex-boyfriend David on a journey into the depths of one man's mind long dead, but into the mind of a man filled with hatred and bent on revenge.

With the only clues to the nature of the clock having disappeared into the sea, Destiny and David must retrace the steps the man had taken into the darkness, before they fall prey to the trap he had set in motion over half a century ago. 

Hatred never dies.

 

As am up and coming author, Emma sure knows how to grasp your attention quickly! Imagine what the books like if this is just the synopsis? :)

So, swing by Emma's Blogspot, or her website, to find out how to get your copy of, The Thirteenth Chime!



Reviews, Reviews, Reviews

Yes, I know that lately I have been TOTALLY slacking on the reviews. Honestly I have no excuse except that I hadn't been able to get into a book....that is until I started reading Primal Heat by Susan Sizemore!

Now, while trying to pull myself away from my book, I am currently in the process of configuring a rating system that is personal & unique to Taking it One Book at a Time. I want everyone to look forward to my reviews & know, without a doubt, that it's one of my reviews.

So for the time being, try to bare with my while I'm still constructing this. (It might be a while, lol)

~Jess

Smuketeers + Larissa Ione = UH-MAZE-ING

Over at the Smutketeers website, they're currently celebrating the 12 Dirty Days of Xmas. Today they had Larissa Ione drop by with an excerpt & giveaway for her newest book in the Demonica Series, Sin Undone! I just had to share because Larissa is one of my favorite authors & her Demonica books are genius. Seriously, who else could come up with the Under World General Hospital? Brilliant!

Do make sure you visit the Smutketeers website & enter for your chance to win a signed copy of Sin Undone :)

Talkative Tuesday 12/14/10

Less then 2 weeks until Christmas! Holy Moley!

While I've been trying, oh so hard, to get my holiday shopping done, I've truly been fighting with myself on which amazing blog to feature today & next week.....it can get really frustrating arguing with yourself, trust me.

Finally it dawned on me, hallelujah! I ALWAYS see Fiction Vixen Book Reviews on my Facebook either, giveaway great books by amazing authors, or reviewing the books I love! So there was my answer, right in front of my eyes.

With an unrelenting appetite for romance novels, Sophia decided to start Fiction Vixen Book Reviews in August 2009. Now her site has turned into a great place to find, read-alongs, discussions, giveaways, and honest reviews. (Plus the fact that the Fever Series, by Karen Marie Moning, is one of her all time favorite series too is great!)

So as I ask you all every week, hop on over to the Fiction Vixen website, "Like" her Facebook & even follow her on Twitter. Fiction Vixen could possibly introduce you to an author or series that you never knew about. Hope you enjoy her site as much as I do!

B.A.M.

I'm stumbling on B.A.M's like they're rocks in the road lately!

While surfing thru some fellow bloggers sites today, I stumbled upon a piece of cover art that caught my eye.

But seriously, how could a half-naked dude with a nothing but a belt & jeans on NOT catch my attention?

So, while my interest was peeked, I decided that I'd google the author, Ava Gray. I found that not only does she offer a whole line of books with half naked guys on the cover (please try to see the humor I'm trying to put forth), but they're all really good!

Ava's, Skin Series, has a total of 4 books in it so far. Though only 2 have been release, Skin Heat (pictured above) is set to release Jan. 4th, 2011, and Skin Dive (pictured below) has a release date of July 5th, 2011.

Now that I've introduced you to another enticing author with amazing cover art, you can:

1. Check out her website (which also has a link above),  and Facebook (which is under her other pen name, so don't be alarmed)

2. Thank me later :)

Adrian Phoenix Giveaway via Dark Faerie Tales

Over at Dark Faerie Tales they're having an amazing Dark Winter Tales giveaway with author Adrian Phoenix! You could win signed copies of the first 3 books from her series, The Maker's Song, or a signed copy of Black Dust Mambo! So run on over and  Enter to Win Here!

BAM!

Yes, B.A.M! That stands for: Brilliant Author Mention

Recently I've decided that I'm;

1. Not paying enough attention to my blog. With issues that have been preoccupying my mind, I have let what's important to me be put on the back burner.

2. Need to start giving a shout out to authors that I think deserve it. (Besides my FFF authors of course)

There are some authors out there who are still up & coming, but have multiple books out. So when I find one of these authors, they're going to become a B.A.M

My first B.A.M is a new author that I've meet named, Keith Melton. With his 3rd publication being released in Feb. 2011, I have to say that I am excited to pick it up! Here's a brief synopsis of the book:

After accidentally blowing up both a client facility and a cushy city contract in the same day, pyromancer and mercenary captain Andrea Walker is scrambling to save her Zero Dogs. A team including (but not limited to) a sexually repressed succubus, a werewolf with a thing for health food, a sarcastic tank driver/aspiring romance novelist, a three-hundred-pound calico cat, and a massive demon who really loves to blow stuff up.

With the bankruptcy vultures circling, Homeland Security throws her a high-paying, short-term contract even the Zero Dogs can’t screw up: destroy a capitalist necromancer bent on dominating the gelatin industry with an all-zombie workforce. The catch? She has to take on Special Forces Captain Jake Sanders, a man who threatens both the existence of the team and Andrea’s deliberate avoidance of romantic entanglements.

As Andrea strains to hold her dysfunctional team together long enough to derail the corporate zombie apocalypse, the prospect of getting her heart run over by a tank tread is the least of her worries. The government never does anything without an ulterior motive. Jake could be the key to success…or just another bad day at the office for the Zeroes.

Sounds great right?!

Please make sure to check out Keith's page on Facebook, and his profile page with Samhain Publishing.

Talkative Tuesday 12/7/10

Thank god for Talkative Tuesday! I am in desperate need of a quick break from all this holiday madness. Don't get me wrong I LOVE this time of year, but I seem to be in some sort of holiday funk.

One thing that I am thankful for this holiday season is the discovery of an amazing blog called, Parajunkee's View. Not only does the site review all of our favorite books & give you the true nitty gritty on them, but they offer blogging advice.

If you cruise over to their Book Bloggin 101 section, they have answers to all those beginner blogging questions that you're constantly searching the "help" section for. The cool thing is, you don't receive a generic response or answer. Rachel, who runs Parajunkee's View, gives you her view on everything. She suggests what has worked for her in the past, or how she went about deciding what was best for her site & what might work for you.

This blog has not only entertained me with some amazing reviews, but has helped me shape my site into what it is today.

If you have time, check out Parajunkee's Facebook , or I have added links to her website above. The site will give you so much knowledge you'll be amazed!

Fresh Face Friday 12-3-10

Holy moley, it's December. That means holiday shopping, fighting outrageous crowds, & cold weather.

Well this weeks, Fresh Face Friday, author might be able to help you warm up a little bit. For the first time ever I'm introducing an up & coming Erotica author! Still a true Erotica virgin myself, I stumbled upon Eden Baylee's Facebook page while in a frantic search for my FFF author yesterday. After venturing to
Eden's blog and then eventually her website, I found her writing to be extremely enticing! Though her first book, Fall into Winter, does not officially come out until next month, I was able to indulge myself in the excerpt she has available. Here's how Eden describes her book:

"In Fall into Winter, a provocative collection of erotic novellas, four women seek pleasure in unique ways and are soon swept up in maelstroms of lust, seduction, and obsession."

Sounds amazing right?! Well if have never picked up an Erotica novel for whatever reason, I would suggests getting your feet wet now. With only a little over a month until the release of Fall into Winter, I for one can't wait to get my hands on it & spend many late hours reading it! So be expecting my review very soon!

New things to come!

Right now I am so SUPER excited! After adjusting my page yesterday, adding my review policy & my upcoming releases section. This morning I had an email in my inbox regarding hosting a free giveaway! I am so ecstatic right now you have NO idea! Just had to let everyone know :)

Talkative Tuesday 11/30/10

Yay for Talkative Tuesday! Today I'm introducing you all to my very dear friend Melissa over at 1000+ Books to Read. Mel is the one true person who re-sparked my interest in reading back in February of this year. After pointing me in the direction of the Sookie Stackhouse series, she turned right around and sent me towards Anita Blake & my love for reading was ignited again.

Taking her love for paranormal, mystery, fantasy and YA then turning it into something everyone could be excited about is what actually inspired me to start voicing my opinion & my reviews. She's honest, to the point & doesn't have a problem telling you exactly what she does & doesn't like.

Recently she has started multiple give aways & has had authors reaching out to her to review their books. So please help her fan base grow & hop on over to her Facebook page!

Post-Turkey day talk....

Yep, it happened again! Ate too much, again.....even drank, but spending that much quality time with great friends so totally worth it. All in a matter of 3 days we (and when I say we I mean everyone else) went through 2 turkeys, a ham, people got first time tattoos, 3 enormous bottles of vodka didn't make it back, about 8 bottles of wine are gone, a beer pong table was violated (see below), and an industrial size package of red cups magically disappeared...

All in all it was an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. I spend it with the people who truly mean the most to me & surprisingly we all still like each other. Now back to the grind & working hard on my blog. I'm trying to find ways to reach out to editors & publishing companies to receive more books to review. Plus I'm going to start posting older books that I've read, just so I have more reviews on here.

Happy Monday everyone!!

Pre-turkey day talk

Every year I have to inform myself that I WILL not over eat....Needless to say each year I fail. This year I WILL not over eat. I have put in too much hard work at the gym over the last 2 months to just stuff myself to the brim, and gain 5 pounds back.

It all calls to me though...the turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, rolls, fruit salad (yes here in CA I have fruit salad). It's like the combo from hell, I swear. "Oh I'll just have one more serving of this," then that leads to 2, then 3. I swear sometimes I have absolutely no self control, lol.

Thanksgiving though is one of my favorite holidays, right behind my birthday & Christmas :)....we spend Thanksgiving with our second family, which is a close knit group of 3 other couples and all their kids. The really fun part is after dinner we all play games, like Guesstures, or Scatagories, something that will make us all laugh at each other until our sides hurt. Or at least it makes me laugh at them until my side hurts, lol.

Hope you enjoyed the little bit of in site I gave you about how I have no self control & I laugh at my friends until it hurts ;) Have an amazing Thanksgiving, don't go into a Turkey coma, enjoy the company that is around you and let the ones who aren't around you know you're thinking about them. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Talkative Tuesday 11/23/10

Talkative Tuesday, Thanksgiving edition!

Welcome everyone, I hope your short work week is flying by like mine is. Though I'm not doing all my weekly blog posts this week, I felt that this one was a must.

For this edition of Talkative Tuesday I'm featuring Siobhán & her amazing site Love Fantasy-Scifi Novels. Just starting the site in June, her Facebook page has gained well over 1,200 followers and is growing each day! She mainly started doing YA stuff, but has recently branched into adult novels too. Always upbeat & truly excited about what she's doing, Siobhán seems to truly enjoy her reviewing as well as making sure she's up on all the latest publishing news. Stop by & tell Siobhán hi, like her blog & her FB page! Hope you enjoy her efforts as much as I do. Enjoy!

Turkey Week

Happy Turkey week all, and to those of use who celebrate it, Happy Black Friday week!

This week sadly I will not be posting very much, simply due to the fact that it's a short week. Family is rolling in from out of town, and some of my best girl friends are gearing up for the madness that happens during the wee hours of the morning the Friday after Thanksgiving! I hope that everyone has an amazing week & holiday! I'll be sure to let you all know which post will be my last :)

Fresh Face Friday 11-19-10

Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy Friday!! Hope that everyone is enjoy their Friday before the holiday week ahead. This week I have an amazing author to introduce, but on a down note this will be the last FFF until I return from vacation on 12-3-10 :(

Today I'm sort of re-introducing Joann I. Martin Sowles who's the author of Laney, the first book in The Brookehaven Vampires series. A while ago, before I started FFF, I had given Joann a shout out & made sure you guys checked out her page. Since then Laney has been published and received nothing but fabulous reviews. Though I have not had a chance to pick up a copy of Laney, reading what I have makes me want to just sit through a whole day & never put it down. Joann's writing is great and she is currently working on a sequel! Stop by The Brookehaven Vampires website to get your sneak peak at Laney, or drop by their Facebook page to check her out too!

Talkative Tuesday 11/16/10

Have you ever just wanted to escape? I mean lose yourself in a different world, because what you're reading seems to paint a vision in your mind that you want to leap into? Believe me you're not the only one who feels this way from time to time... 

Literary Escapism is your perfect get away then. With an endless reference of amazing fantasy & paranormal books, series & authors, it seems like the perfect place to get new ideas when you don't know what to pick up & start reading.  Founded in December of 2007 by Jackie a SAHM of 2 who loves to read, today she has an amazing following & a fantastic crew to help her out. Please stop by and enjoy all of Jackie's hard work. The site is amazing & she has truly poured her heart & soul into it. Or make sure you stop by their  Facebook page & "Like" them!

Mashup Monday

Mashup Monday is an awesome idea that I've had in my head since this blog of mine became a reality. Along with a helpful idea from my friend Debbi, it has spiraled into something that I think could possibly be amazing & fun.

Each Monday I will give you the name of 2-3 characters, a place, then it's up to you to decided if there's a bad guy, what's going on & basically create your own short story. I will give you until noon on Sunday to submit your short stories to takingitonebookatatime@yahoo.com. After reading each submission I will pick the one that happens to catch my eye & feature it on the blog during the next MashUp Monday. Sounds like fun right?

Ok so for the first official MashUp Monday here are your ingredients:

Characters
Boris
Carina
Sam

Location
China Town, San Francisco, CA

Have fun! Make it as long or as short as you'd like, there's no minimum or maximum. As I experiment more with this the places & names may get funnier or more serious. I can't wait to read what you've thought of.

Fresh Face Friday 11-12-10

TGIF! You all know what that means, another edition of Fresh Face Friday! First I would like to thank everyone for the wonderful response to last weeks FFF, it was amazing & far beyond what I expected. Now onto this week!

In author Lavinia Thompson's debut novel she has created a fantastic world full of witch craft, love & unseen twists. Spellbound by Fire is her debut book, and the first in the Spellbound series. Lavinia has been seriously writing since the age of 13, the now 21 year old has turn something that she has treasured into an amazing story she wants everyone to experience. After reading the first chapter of Spellbound by Fire, I am highly anticipating the rest of the book. The main character is a spitfire, which I love, and you can tell she likes a little bit of the dramatic! For a sneak peek & to learn more about the author & her series please stop by her Facebook page and check it out!

(here's a little of the synopsis, enjoy!)
Never again: those were the two words every innocent witch waited to hear after the nefarious Black Guards took over the country of Nevermore, savagely hunting and torturing witches for 35 years. Twenty year old Janey Black never thought they would rip through the little village of Tia Justace, but they did just that.

Author Stacey Kennedy Giveaway!

Want a chance to win The Willow, The Wicked, and The Devil’s Kiss from The Magical Sword series, plus An Everlasting Bite~ The Blue Bloods Book One?  Here’s your chance!! The contest ends at midnight on November 15th, so head on over to Stacey Kennedy's Blog and enter to win! Good luck!

Talkative Tuesday 11/9/10

After the great response last week, I'm hoping that today will be just as amazing! This week I'm featuring truly one of my favorite blogs out there, Paranormal Haven. Run by 2 great friends, Stephanie & Athenna,  who love to read Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy & YA.  One of the main things that drew me in is that they're truly honest when it comes to the books they review & the suggestions that they give. In my mind the bar has been set high by these two, and I can only hope that some day my blog is running as smoothly as theirs. Plus having that many followers wouldn't be bad either. ;)

So please stop by either their website, http://www.paranormalhaven.com/, or add them as a friend on Facebook. I'm telling you their site won't let you down, and will introduce you to some amazing authors!

Monday.....

Hope every ones weekend was AMAZING! Mine was pretty good, spent quality time with my best friend who was in town. No, we did not get into THAT much mischief, but where would the fun be if slight mischief wasn't involved? :) See, we don't look like we're causing trouble....right?

Now it's Monday...and I'm thinking my Monday has decided to become bi-polar. As I'm sitting at my desk, trying ohhhh so hard to concentrate on work, I'm finding myself drifting. Torn between committing myself to one task. Starting, stopping, starting stopping. Ugh! Need to find the focus that I seemed to have at one point. Anyone one have some I can borrow?

Now, HAPPY MONDAY! Just believe it's a happy Monday, and it will be! :)

Fresh Face Friday 11-5-10

Happy Fresh Face Friday! This week I happen to be even more excited then usual, because I have the pleasure of introducing everyone to an author that was actually recommended to me by my friend Debbi. She told me that I would love him, that his writing would be something that was right up my alley. Man was she right.

May I introduce, T.S. Worley. Currently he's in the process if getting his first book, Cross, published, and I for one can not wait to read the rest of the book! Reading through his excerpts I never would have guessed that he didn't have prior publications out there. He has the wording of a seasoned author & was able to captivate me with the first few lines. So please stop by his facebook page and read for yourself. I promise you'll be impressed & be counting down the days until his book comes hot off the assembly line. 

Possession (Blood Ties Book #2) - By Jennifer Armintrout

My father always said fear was a weakness. Well, that's easy to say when you don't have to worry about vampire slayers or holy water. I hate fear, but undead life goes on. In the two months since I was attacked in the hospital morgue and turned into a vampire, I've killed my evil sire, Cyrus, fallen in love with my new sire, Nathan, and have even gotten used to drinking blood. Just when things are finally returning to normal -- as normal as they can be when sunlight can kill you -- Nathan becomes possessed. And then he slaughters an innocent human. Now it's my job to find Nathan before the Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement does, because they're just waiting for an excuse to terminate him -- and anyone foolish enough to help him. But it gets worse. It turns out that Nathan's been possessed by one of the most powerful and wicked vampires alive -- the Soul Eater. And who knows what vile plan he's concocted?
With the Soul Eater and my possessed sire on the loose, I have a lot to fear. Including being killed. Again.
(borrowed from jenniferarmintrout.com)

Following the first book in the series, The Turning, Possessed was slightly all over the place for me. In the first book every thought, scene & emotion came from Carrie, in this book they came from Carrie, Max, Bella, almost every other character in the book as well. I can understand to make a story come together and make the bigger picture work you need to P.O.V. of all some of the characters, but not all of them. Jennifer still did a good capturing my attention with Carrie & Nathan's relationship. The emotion that those two share made me cry at the end of the book. There are times when I just want to slap Nathan, make him realize what he's got in front of him. Men, I swear.

Honestly, I wish that I was as excited with this review as I was with the last one, but for some reason I'm not. Might have to do with how the book ended....not sure. Maybe it was that I needed a smidgen more steaminess? Hmmm. Regardless I will still recommend this book, and yes, I will read the next book in the series. For the moment though, I think I need a break from Blood Ties. That way my mind can recharge, and I'll be beyond excited the next time I pick the series up.

Roller Coaster of a day

Have you ever just had one of those days, that goes up, then down, then back up again? Well that's exactly how this has gone, started productive, then motivation left. Received heart breaking news, then suddenly my spirits were up again. Strange how you can have so many highs and lows in just one day.

Well sorry but with the roller coaster I've been in today, I don't think my mind can process anymore then what I've written. Tomorrow I'm hoping for a review.....hoping.

Talkative Tuesday 11/2/10

As most of you may know since starting my blog I have been trying to meet new authors, established authors, editors, basically anyone who I can help out by spreading the word about their work.

Now I have decided that Talkative Tuesday is going to be dedicated to introducing you all to a great & wonderful blog of my choosing. So some of you may be asking, "won't that just take away from your blog?", my answer to that is, well yeah, maybe it will. To me it's not about just my blog, my stuff, I am trying to introduce people to someone or something out there that they never would have had a clue about. There are SO many great blogs out there, paranormal, mystery, fiction, historical, fantasy, erotica, the list goes on, and on. Point is I am willing to be the person that connects people who might only read mystery and introduce them to paranormal. Or maybe for all you who only read fiction there might be a little devil in you waiting to be brought to the surface by an amazing erotica book? The possibilities are endless!

Soooooo, now for my introductions! This week I'm going to start out with one of my personal favorite blogs out there, Bitten By Paranormal Romance.

They review not only paranormal romance, but erotica as well. I love the way they rate their books, not only by story line, but by how much steaminess is in them too! Come on, sometimes all just want to know how much sex there's going to be in a book, and they break it down for you. Since they started their blog in 2009 their followers have grown & their reviews have evolved. (Like all of ours do) They truly involve you however they can, by taking suggestions and listening to request. So drop by their site & see if you like it, or check out their Facebook page too. Enjoy!

Halloween Aftermath

Oh MAN, that's all I have to say about this weekend! After having an awesome Halloween party at the Hernandez Ranch, this is what we all woke up to.....

and this

and finally this...

There were a couple of people who stayed up all night and caution taped the whole house, and yes that's plastic wrap on the ceiling fan. Poor easy-up it has seen better days, but it was all ok thankfully with all this fun, no one was hurt. Great times were had by all, and I think we might even try to do it again next year....maybe :)



Though I had a great time with my friends, and some much needed adult time I will admit it....Yes! Yes I feel guilty that I neglected my blog, my facebook, & my twitter all weekend....oh and my books. Taking time out to do something else usually is fine with me, but I still feel bad that I didn't even put an update on anything...now I'll be making up for lost time, and gettin' my booty in gear. After posting all my pictures from our Halloween party (100+), I'll be posting about some new blogs that I've found. Still thinking of the what to call the event, but if you have any suggestions I am more then open to hear them!

Hope you and Monday are getting along, and I will be talking to everyone soon!

Fresh Face Friday 10-29-10

It's time once again for Fresh Face Friday, that's when I introduce you guys to a new up and coming author and open your eyes to their work. :)

This week I stumbled upon author Casey Sheridan, she writes senual erotica with a paranormal twist. Browsing through her website I was able to read an excerpt from her book Scarlett's Wolf, and from what I read I really liked.

The book follows Ashling Scarlett as she tryies to find the victims of a sadastic werewolf name Lynette Barber, and reverse the curses that have been laid on them. But when she meets handsome Blake de Marco things become a little complicated. So please check out Casey's website & facebook page, her work looks very promising!

Created a Twitter account....ugh?

After seeing so many fellow bloggers & authors using Twitter accounts I thought to myself, "hey I should do that too". Maybe sometimes I shouldn't listen to myself huh? Now I'm not so sure if I can maintain it the way it's meant to be. I absolutely love my blog & my facebook page! I'm still learning all the new things that I can, adding, adjusting, tweeking to make it my own. They're my life lines to the people who enjoy reading, not only what I read, but what I write also. Now that I'm on Twitter, I have this fear that it'll become neglected, or that my blog, or my FB page will be as well....Coming to terms with the fact that I obviously stress out too much about things, that leaves me with looking at myself in the mirror and saying, "You can do this, don't stress yourself out, instead make people want to look at what you're doing and admire you for it. You got this!" This time I am listening, loud and clear!

The Turning (Blood Ties Book#1) - By Jennifer Armintrout

Losing her parents was the hardest thing that Dr. Carries Ames ever had to go through in her life....that was until her life ended altogether.

Facing her fear was all she was trying to do when she decided to follow John Doe down to the morgue. Running into, and being attack, be a hideous monster was not what she expected to find.

Spending nearly a month in the hospital can really takes it's toll on someone, and boy does Carrie think that it's taken a toll on her, because now she's starting to believe she's a vampire. Real life, can't go out in the sun, have to drink blood, vampire. Looking for some help & answers, Carrie hits the Internet in search for them. After many 'You're crazy and need help' replies, she finally gets a lead. Leading her to a local book store she gets more then she wanted, and by more I mean being almost decapitated upon entry. Luckily, she does meet Nathan Grant. A vampire himself, he tries to take Carrie under his wing and help her understand the "rules" of their kind. Giving her the decision to either join the Movement, which is an organization that gets rid of new & evil vampires, or being put in the category of "new & evil vampires" that would quickly put her on their hit list. Though Carrie doesn't know what she's going to do she does feel a longing within her, Nathan quickly explains that it's the blood tie she feels to her sire, the one who made her.

Unable to deny these feelings and emotions inside her, she must now choose between the man who made her, though evil and manipulative, and the caring man who is teaching her about their world.

--Literally just finished this book minutes ago and hands down LOVED it! One of the best books that I've read in a long time. Anyone who can take a fantasy world that we all know ( i.e. vampires, weres, Fae) and put their own twist on it, creating new terms, new ways to look at them, will hold my attention. Whether it's through 1 book or 20, I admire that quality in an author so much. Anyways back to the book, Carrie is a great main character. Her ability to be so selfless, made me almost cry, and her determination was amazing. The connection that Nathan & Carrie had from the beginning was apparent, and making Nathan into the character that he is was brilliant. You can tell he cares for Carrie, but doesn't want to admit it, like most men. Then there's Cyrus. Talk about someone who could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. His passion for gaining what he wants, not out of life, but for his possession & pets, is compelling. Though he tries to hide it, there's some vulnerability in him that almost makes you feel sorry for him. That is until he shows his true colors and makes you puke. Carrie struggles to put in check her emotions for Cyrus, but feels the blood tie is pulling her down and she can't control it. **SPOIL ALERT** By the end of the book I didn't know what would happen with Carrie & Nathan & Cyrus. Though good does conquer evil (sort of). I kind of expected Carrie & Nathan to be in this full on relationship all sweet and "I love you, no....I love you" type of deal, but that's not how it is. Though their relationship has changed, a lot, there's still that barrier between them, one that he doesn't want to come down. Made me slightly sad :( Good thing I have the next book right in front of me!

 Pick up this book, and read it, you'll blow right through it and be begging for more. Promise!

Shades of Midnight (A Midnight Breed Series) - By Lara Adrian

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces--a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.
(except from Lara Adrian's website)

--Shades of Midnight was a good book, the first in the Midnight Breed Series that I've read. Maybe I should have read the other ones first to get in the mood for this one? I'm not sure, but it honestly took me a little bit to get into it. Don't get me wrong there were some great scenes in the first half of the book, like when she stumbles upon Kade half naked, or what they shared in the cabin. ;) But once the chemistry ignited between Kade & Alex the book went to a whole different level for me. Their ups and downs through the second half of the book kept me on edge. At some point I couldn't even put the book down to sleep. Having so much of Kade & Alex's personal stories in the book I think really helped bring them together and layout a great plot. Now I can't wait to read Taken by Midnight to find out what is happening with the cliff hanger that was left WIDE open at the end of this book!

Rainy days are the best!

Fall & Winter are truly some of my favorite times during the year. I love the rain, bundling myself up with huge fleece blankets, baking yummy treats for the family, and oddly enough I like the darkness. Slightly strange I know, but I think that it just sets the mood better for whatever book I'm reading. Kind of like the darkness or danger that's happening in the book is intensified by the darkness around me. Makes sense right?  Maybe it's just me, I don't know. But I do know that I'm truly looking forward to this Fall/Winter season, because I am going to be reading TONS of new books. I want to explore worlds that I've never been in, read books by authors I've never read, even totally lose myself to whatever book I'm reading.

So what are your plans for the winter? Traveling, reading, going somewhere warm maybe? Let me know!

Official Fresh Face Friday

Yay! First edition of Fresh Face Friday is done!

Everyone please stop by Ednah Walters website to take a look at her newly released book Awakened, which is the first book in The Guardian Legacy series. It took me a while to decided between a few authors that I liked, but the first line in the summary caught my eye. So let me know what you all think of the book if you have read it, or are going to read it! Enjoy!

Fresh Face Friday

So I have decided that I want to start making every friday, Fresh Face Friday, I want to introduce a new up-and-coming author to all of you! If you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know! I'll be cruising different pages trying to find, or more likely trying to narrowing down, who I'll be introducing you too. So off I go, wish me luck!

Excited to meet upcoming authors, and read what they've created!

On the facebook page that I have dedicated to blog I have found a couple of great new up and coming authors who are in the process of releasing their first book or are in the process of getting in released.

After reading the first  few chapters from the Fighting Destiny Series , I can't wait for it to be published so I can read the whole thing. I want to know what happens so badly! But there's a down side, I'm bad a waiting....really bad....just ask my fiance.

Then there is author, Joann I. Martin Sowles, who is the master mind behind The Brookehaven Vampires series. With her first book, Laney, coming out at the end of the month, I have to say that the first 3 chapters were great. Laney is a great character, and I love her attitude!

So take a little time and just glace at these authors, and see if their work moves you!