Fresh Face Friday (49)

Who: Jamie Manning

What: Blood Born

Waking up in a coffin hungry for blood is only the beginning for sixteen-year-old Ava Blue. When Chance Caldon, the hottie who dug her up, tells her that she’s half vampire, Ava’s world really turns upside down.

Half vamp? Ava can’t believe it...she doesn't even know what that means! Not until Aldric, a thousand-year-old vampire, shows up and tells her it’s true--and that he’s the one who turned her. Then Ava truly begins to believe what she is. Now, she has to deal with a sudden and powerful bloodlust, the desire to see Aldric dead, and her growing crush for Chance. Ava knows she's a monster now, she can feel it; and her life is over.

But redemption isn’t lost. Aldric is giving her a chance to regain her humanity. The price? Kill a hundred vampires, or remain a bloodsucker forever.

So Ava sets out to get her life back. But killing vampires begins a battle that could destroy everything she is working toward. In the end, Ava's decisions will forever change her life and the lives of those she loves.

My Thoughts: First, a thousand year old dude turns you, but then wants you to kill vampires? There must some JUICY vendetta behind that grudge! Sounds like there will be some major drama & epic fighting!

Cover: B+, Love the font with the red highlights, would probably have received an A if there was neon green on it somewhere ;)

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Fresh Face Friday (48)

Who: Jessica Sims

What: Beauty Dates the Beast

Single human female to join charming, wealthy, single male were-cougar for a night of romantic fun—and maybe more.

 

Me: The tall, sensuous, open-minded leader of my clan.

 

You: A deliciously curvy virgin who’s intimately familiar with what goes bump in the night. Must not be afraid of a little tail. Prefer a woman who’s open to exploring her animal nature. Interest in nighttime walks through the woods a plus.

 

My turn-ons include protecting you from the worst the supernatural world has to offer. Ready for an adventure? Give me a call.

 

Vampires and doppelgangers need not apply.

My Thoughts: Read the 1st line of this synopsis & tell me it doesn't draw you in?! Seriously it's sounds like a sexy, fun story!

 

Cover: A, Dark, Mysterious & HOTT!!

Stalking Grounds: Goodreads, Website

Fresh Face Friday (48)

Who: Sandy Williams

What: The Shadow Reader

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

My Thoughts: Fae...seriously, that's all I needed to read to have me hooked on this book. I can't wait until it's release so I can tear through the pages & see how Sandy has layout this world!

Cover: A ~ Seriously this chick looks like she can kick some MAJOR ass!

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Fresh Face Friday: Rebecca Gahagan (47)

Who: Rebecca Gahagan

What: Josephine Lost

Nineteen-year-old Abigail Thornton’s family means everything to her. Her quarreling brother and sister, her ailing father, and her overbearing mother matter more to Abigail than anything in the world.

That is until one fateful December day changes her life forever. Betrayal and death sweep through her family and life as she knows it will never be the same.

Abi is drawn into a battle waged for eternities between the Arkos and the Scrios. Abigail is the Arkos’ Chosen Soldier and with the help of Harrison, her Guardian, she fights the ultimate battle to save the souls of mankind. Abigail’s sister, Josephine, falls in with the Scrios, the enemy bent on destroying the world.

If Abigail succeeds in her mission, she must battle her sister and leave what’s left of her family forever. Should she fail, she will cease to exist, and the world will fall into an irreversible darkness.

In the midst of chaos, she finds a love truer than she’s ever known and the courage to defy those whose only mission is to destroy her.

But will it be enough? Will she be able to save the world from a terrible fate? How will Abigail be able to fight a sister who she once loved? 

My Thoughts: I just started this book the other day, and so far it has sparked my interest. Cool fact, the page numbers are actually on the sides of the pages.

Cover: A++, I'm utterly IN LOVE with it. (It's even better in person!)

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Fresh Face Friday (46): KC Neal

Who: KC Neal

What: Pyxis

Two worlds... one 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both. 

The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but the person who was supposed to teach her everything is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

 

My Thoughts: This is actually my current read & I L-O-V-E IT! This was my tweet to KC last night, "@KCNealTweets DUDE!! 20% in and this books kicks ass!!", that alone should make you want this book!

Cover: B+, It's SUPER pretty....looks like she's at the cove...oh you'll have to read the book to know what that is ;)

 

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Fresh Face Friday 10-14-11

Who: Stephanie Nelson

What: Craved (Book #1 in the Gwen Sparks Series)

WITCH FOUND DRAINED

Gwen Sparks just wants to live a peaceful life in the supernatural town of Flora, but from the moment she read about the first murdered witch, all hope of peace was abandoned. Possessing the rare ability to read the memories of dead, she volunteers to help catch the culprit behind the string of drained witches. Gwen has to team up with the one man who broke her heart, deal with a ghost who pulls her into the deathly realm at will, and a fight off the advances of sexy but frustrating vampire who not only craves what runs through her veins—he wants her heart.

Fresh Face Friday 10-7-11

Who: Cesya MaRae Cuono

What: Elemental Reality

When Callie Pierce was ten, her mother disappeared without a trace. On the eve of her disappearance twelve years later, the earth seemingly comes alive. The elements speak to Callie, and that's only the beginning. Everything she has ever known was a twisted fabrication to protect her. Now the truth is set free. Callie and her sister are more powerful than any Faerie ever born. Now they have to use their powers to save their mother and family from the evil hands of fate that threaten to tear them apart. Welcome to her elemental reality.

Fresh Face Friday 9-30-11

Who: Gracen Miller

What: Pandora's Box

Where does the road to Hell begin?

What happens when your son turns homicidal overnight, killing the family cat before gutting the family dog? Do you cower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds. Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-face with a demonic world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkened with demonic connections.

With good intentions?

Madison had it all…or thought she did. A husband she adored and a son that brought joy to her life. Then one morning her husband kissed her goodbye, headed off to work and disappeared. Life turned upside down, Madison grows desperate and despondent to help her bloodthirsty son after numerous attempts have failed. Only one man dares to challenge the supernatural forces manipulating them.

Or by demonic design?

Phoenix Birmingham breaches her life in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses—and for her jaded heart—but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or the sacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced by multifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalyptic blueprint fate has decreed. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny be denied? Or will demonic design prevail and they pay the crucial price with their souls?

Fresh Face Friday 9-23-11

Who: Rachel Wade

What: Amaranth

Knowledge changes everything…

Hoodoo-influenced Southern Louisiana seems like the perfect place for Camille to escape her abusive past and dysfunctional family. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with the handsome Gavin Devereaux and plummet into the world of Amaranth, a place of exile for reformed vampires.

Wrestling to escape a deadly ex-boyfriend while giving Gavin a chance, Camille is confronted with decisions that threaten not only her life, but the lives of her inhuman friends she has come to love. Entangled in her friends’ quest for freedom, she dives into their realm and faces the threats of Amaranth’s ruler—the mother of all vampires—and her own inner demons.

Now Camille must decide whether she will derail her life and make the ultimate sacrifice for the monsters that interrupted her bumpy path back to sanity—what she still wants so desperately—or escape with Gavin before it’s too late for both of them.

Fresh Face Friday - 9/16/11

Who: Ashley Blalock

What: An Immortal Legacy

When twenty-one-year-old Brooke Hansen receives a large inheritance from a great-grandfather she never knew, she thinks it’s just random good luck. But then a man shows up; he’s dark and mysterious, and Brooke can’t shake the feeling that he’s connected. She begins to wonder if her recent abilities of super-human power and speed are the keys to understanding of what’s happening to her, and she vows to find answers. But her life takes another surprising turn when the man reveals himself to be her guardian, placed as her protector from the outside world. As Brooke falls in love with Cameron, she learns another truth about him—one that will question her devotion and call her to become part of a world she’s only read about.

An Immortal Legacy is a story of true love battling evil. Can Brooke and Cameron’s love survive in the face of a darkness that threatens to invade everything she holds dear? And when she’s called to make the ultimate sacrifice, will she be able to stand firm?

Fresh Face Friday 9-9-11

Who: Kiki Hamilton

What: The Faerie Ring

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Fresh Face Friday 9-2-11

Who: Scott Tracey

What: Witch Eyes

A boy who can see the world’s secrets and unravel spells with just a glance.

Braden’s witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.

Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything—lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder—to seize control of Braden’s powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing’s son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.

My Thoughts: Absolutely can NOT wait to read this book. I've had it on my wish list for a while, and after reading some reviews I want to find more out about Braden & his gift!

Cover: I hope that he can shoot lightening out of his eye like that, because hands down, that's the COOLEST POWER EVER!

Raves: "WITCH EYES pulled me in and kept me up half the night finishing it, only to leave me with a thirst for more!" - Karen Mahoney, author of The Iron Witch

"Scott Tracey has woven a dark, beautiful world, and Braden is just the hero to lead us through it.” - Courtney Allison Moulton, author of Angelfire

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Fresh Face Friday 8-26-11

Who: Michelle Hodkin

What: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

 

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

 

There is.

 

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

 

She's wrong.

Fresh Face Friday: Bonus Mini Interview & Giveaway w/ Nathan Wrann

YES! A Fresh Face Friday bonus!

What better way to start off a Friday then with an awesome Interview & Giveaway?

So I figured that I'd ask Nathan a few questions so you guys could get to know him a little bit better :)

 If you weren't an author, what would be your dream profession?

 I would be a filmmaker. As a matter of fact, I'm currently on hiatus from film making (I have two super low budget films under my belt already, HUNTING SEASON and BURNING INSIDE and Dark Matter Heart is based on an original, unproduced screenplay that I wrote in 2005) because I don't currently have the resources (time, money) to pursue it at the level that I would like. I still want to continue to tell stories and writing novels and short stories allows me to do that without the massive money investment (and risk) involved in film making. Once I'm on my feet and established as an author I'll split my attention between writing and film making. I'd also like to go back to producing and directing for the stage as well. Ultimately I'd like to be able to do all three. As soon as I have the resources to do it at the level that it demands, my short film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher is ready to shoot.   

Fresh Face Friday 8-19-11

Who: Nathan Wrann

What: Dark Matter Heart (A Cor Griffin: Bloodsucker Novel)

A new town.

A new school.

A new beginning.

Seventeen year-old Cordell Griffin and his mother move from Los Angeles to the Pacific Northwest to deal with his "allergies," and start a healthier new life. Cor has one goal: To blend in and be invisible. Unfortunately for him, no matter how far he goes, he can't run away from his secrets. Secrets about who he is. Secrets about why he's sick. And secret...s about why so many people he meets end up dead, drained of blood.

Fresh Face Friday 8-12-11

Who: Deborah Noel

What: Tangled Blood Lines

This is not your sweet sparkling vampire story. Old-school vampires have re-surfaced, responsible for brutal murders and more blood than anyone can cope with. In ""Tangled Blood Lines"", Cianna Fitzgerald, a young but “retired” crime scene investigator, finds herself back in a world she walked away from some years ago.

She grew up in twentieth century Pennsylvania countryside knowing she possesses superhuman powers from her “Irish pixie” bloodlines. She had retired after a particularly tough case where the victim was her husband’s twin brother. After her brief respite from murders and homicides, Cianna witnesses a killing where the murderer is a vampire. Her daughter goes missing soon after the killing. Cianna and the love she had once pushed out of her life, her estranged husband Declan, travel halfway around the world to try to save their child.

As the mystery unravels, she learns that although she is a half-breed, the other half isn’t “Irish pixie” as she grew up believing - weaving her into a more tangled history and frightening future than she had bargained for

Fresh Face Friday 8-5-11

Who: Tori Scott

What: Four Houses

The door in front of me is the ugliest shade of plum I’ve ever seen. It’s a prune Grandma would eat, a raisin on its last leg, a swollen bruise in the most inconvenient of places.

The waiting is the worst part, wondering who will open the door. But this time it’s killing me, tearing me down piece by piece and devouring me with its insatiable jaws.

I bite my lip and raise my hand to knock.

Fresh Face Friday 7-29-11

Who: Angeline Kace

What: Descended by Blood

Brooke Keller is a high school junior who has never spent much time living in one place. She is finally in a town long enough to almost snag the boy of her dreams, until her life is threatened after killing a fanged man in his attempt to kidnap her. Brooke begins a dangerous journey in an effort to find out who is after her and how to stop them. Thrown into a world with powerful and prejudiced vampires, Brooke must tap into the side of her that she never knew existed at the risk of losing her life in order to save it. 

Fresh Face Friday 7-22-11

Who: K.A. Tucker

What: Anathema

Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone.

When Evangeline meets Sofie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to do anything to keep it, she accepts a job as Sofie’s assistant and drops everything to fly to Manhattan, where she is thrust into a luxurious world of Prada, diamonds, and limitless cash.

With such generosity and kindness, it’s easy for Evangeline to dismiss certain oddities . . . like Sofie’s erratic and sometimes violent behavior, and the monstrous guard dogs. She’s even willing to dismiss her vivid dreams of mob-style murders, beautiful homeless people living in caves, and white-eyed demons that haunt her each night as figments of her imagination—especially when one of those figments is the gorgeous Caden. When she wakes up with bite marks on her neck, the fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare. She slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sofie and friends, and the reality of the bites and the “dreams.” What she discovers is far more mysterious and terrible than anything she could have imagined.

In a world where everyone has motive to lie for personal gain, Evangeline must decide which deception is least likely to get her killed.

Fresh Face Friday 7-15-11

Who: Nicholas Denmon

What: For Nothing: An Upstate New York Mafia Tale

Undercover cop Alex Vaughn goes deeper than ever into the organized crime family of Buffalo, NY. Motivated by justice and revenge, he seeks out the assassin that laid his friend Jack low.

Professional killer Rafael Rontego traverses the deadly politics of Buffalo’s mafia underbelly. In a city whose winter can be just as deadly as those wielding power, Rontego tries to stay ahead of the game.

Their two worlds collide in this epic thriller that takes the reader on a search for self, justice, and truth.