Review--Friday Night Bites

Friday Night Bites
by Chloe Neill

VAMPIRES IN CHICAGO

You'd think headlines like that would have provoked the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us blood-sucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying a celebrity status reserved for the Hollywood elite--fending off paparazzi, who are only slightly less dangerous than cross-and stake-wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong. Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side by side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle...yet.

All that will change once they learn about the Raves, mass feeding parties where vampires round humans like cattle and drink themselves silly. Most civilized vampires frown on this behavior--but that doesn't make good copy for a first-time reporter looking to impress his high-society family.

So now my "master"--centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan--wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampires...and to keep the more unsavory aspects of our existence out of the media. But someone doesn't want people and vamps to play nicey-nice--someone with an ancient grudge.

Another book down this week! Hotdog! Chloe Neill's Friday Night Bites was the sequel to her first debut of Some Girls Bite and it was not a letdown. It kept with the stream of things and no stone was left unturned that was touched from Some Girls Bite.

Merit is a newly made vampire and is still adjusting to the undead life and the perks--not all good. She is Sentinel for her vampire house, a protector of sorts. But being a vampire has not made Merit's life any easier, in fact it has become downright complicated. Not only does she have to fight a massive attractive to her Master and creator Ethan, but she is also a companion--you could say--of Morgan, the Master of the another house.

There is definite connections with Merit and each of these guys, I was personally Team Morgan on this one. Morgan is funny and laid back where Ethan is more of a by-the-rules kind of guy, but we get to see different sides of each man in this book as Merit's feelings are in massive conflict.

Not to mention that there are other more dire occurrences happening in Chicago. As the BOC described, vampires have gone public, but a set of Raves are happening under the radar and it's up to Merit and team to quietly solve the case so they don't become the monsters everyone thought they once were. But that's not all....

Merit's past comes back to haunt her, her life when she was still her father's daughter living in high society. Totally not Merit! A lot happens...I don't want to get too far into it since the BOC doesn't highlight it much, but leave it at that. There are troubles with Merit's love life as mentioned already. And a lot more is revealed about the night side of Chicago!

Loved it! This was a fabulous book, it was well paced and kept me entertained a lot. We get to see the same characters, Catcher, Mallory, Jeff and more....It was a terrific follow up to Some Girls Bite and I cannot wait for Twice Bitten next year.

Neill is a new author, who recently came into the urban fantasy world earlier this year. Her vampires are definite faves, plus they live in Chicago--where I visited once. Totally awesome, I know of the major locations that get dropped into the story. Neill has done her research well for Chicago highlights.

Merit is a relate-able character, she is quirky and sassy and has a "nice" attitude. She would be like someone I would be friends with. Or even close to myself, saying things you probably shouldn't at the wrong moments. Stuff like that. She is not without flaws, as humans are...or even vampires. Because she is the not the optimum suave vampire she is lovable! She doesn't follow the rules, she tries to, she may mock them a bit even.

Anyway for those of you vampire fans who have not started the Chicagoland Vampire Series, it is a must. For these are vampires that don't follow the traditional rules, some of them maybe. Then again, vampires are changing everywhere.

A highly recommend read! The series is just starting and it's not to late to catch up. Neill also has a new YA series that starts next year as well. Look for Firespell coming in January.

Here's the link to the interview I did with Chloe back in September. Enjoy!
http://jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-chloe-neill.html

TURKEY DAY!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday! Don't eat too much! ;)
(I should try to take my own advice!)

Review--Dawnbreaker

THE DAWN BRINGS NEW TERROR FOR THE CREATURES OF THE NIGHT...

Those of her race fear Mira for the lethal fire she bends to her will--a power unique among nightwalkers, both a gift...and a curse.

The naturi despise Mira for what she is--as they prepare the final sacrifice that will destroy the barriers between the worlds. And once the naturi are unchained, blood, chaos and horror will reign supreme on Earth.

Mira can trust only Danaus, the more-than-mortal vampire slayer, though he is sworn to destroy her kind. And now, as the day approaches when titanic forces will duel under cover of darkness, destiny draws them toward an apocalyptic confrontation at Machu Picchu. But all is not lost, for a wild card has been dealt to them: a rogue enemy princess who can change the balance of power and turn the dread tide.

YEA! Another book read! With the Thanksgiving Holiday started I was able to breeze through this book, but as my work schedule is not pretty and there is a holiday this week I might not get another post up too soon. I hope to at least read 1 more book this week. We'll see.

Anywho, here goes. Dawnbreaker was very entertaining! I was held in awe and excitement as I was nearing the end when the action was really becoming intense. Throughout the action was drawing you in to the events and making connections, but it wasn't until the near end when things were finally coming together and the major action took place.

There are battles and casualties in this novel as the back of the cover (BOC) can provide. Mira has two new allies with her and Danaus, one she is reluctant to trust and one she feels she cannot trust, the rogue princess as mentioned on the BOC. Mira plans to use this princess as bait to stop Rowe from releasing Aurora, but when do things ever go the way the protagonist plans? That's why we have series!

Mira is still the same vampire character that I like. She has all the qualities of a female urban fantasy protagonist. She and Danaus have a great connection that has yet to take a romantic edge. There is definite tension between them and because he is the lead male, I still believe their relationship will turn a little more romantic one of these days, but that has yet to be seen.

Drake writes about a somewhat dark world, hence the Dark Days series, where vampires, lycans, and the naturi all battle against one another. Tensions run high with Mira and who were once her lycan allies. For the naturi have the ability to call upon the lycans and control them if they choose to.

Drake's writing takes the reader to many different places, as Mira and Danaus never really stay in Savannah. They travel far and wide to stop Aurora from entering our world, and she does it wonderfully. It feels like you are really entering into the given countries and seeing these ancient places that the characters are taken to. I feel enriched with this cultural knowledge...now if only I could go to these places!

Dawnbreaker picked up where Dayhunter left off and I see Pray for Dawn doing the same. Pray for Dawn is the fourth novel in the Dark Day series and releases June 22 2010.

If you've read Jocelynn's first two books or even her short story in Unbound, then you don't want to miss this! If you haven't yet read her books, then I highly recommend them, especially if you are a fan of Kim Harrison's Hallow Series or even Rachel Vincent's Shifter series, as Rachel was the one to recommend Jocelynn's books to me at RT 08 in Pittsburgh. This is a highly recommended series.

Contest Alert--at Fantastic Book Reviews

Over at Fantastic Book Review you can have a chance to win a copy of Lili St. Crow's new Betrayals! This is on my TBR pile and and I so can't wait to read it. Above is the new cover and on the right is the old cover. I think the new cover is pretty cool, different than the first. The old one, on the right, kind of follows the first book's scheme or whatever, but I liked the red of the new one, the top one.

Anyway, the book was released Tuesday and if you haven't bought it yet, you can try winning a copy! Again go to Fantastic Book Review and follow the simple easy instructions!

Review--Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2

FROM THE BIGGEST NAMES IN VAMPIRE ROMANCE, 25 TALES OF A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER

This bloodthirsty collection of vampire romance includes thrilling new stories from bestselling and award-winning authors such as Jordan Summers, Jaye Wells, Larissa Ione, Jeanne C. Stein, and Deborah Cooke. You'll encounter gothic romance and gritty contemporary tales of urban vampire love, from stand alone short stories to well-loved (and feared) characters from established series.

These vampires are ruthless but tortured, paranormally sensitive and sexually mesmerizing.

FORGET THE EVERYDAY WORLD. FORGET THE RULES. SUCCUMB TO A DIFFERENT KIND OF LOVE.

As usual school kept me from reading at a faster pace. And this book was no exception, plus it was over 500 pages so yeah it took a little longer than I would have liked.

I have enjoyed the first The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance as well as the Paranormal Romance one too. There are many great short stories by a lot of great authors!

There were 25 stories and they all were great. Some may not have been my cup of tea, but I still found them enjoyable. Some are set in the past and some are modern day. Some are from the author's leading series--that I know of, some authors in here I have not read before so I would not know--and some of them have stand alone series just as the back of the book says.

Most of the vampires were very thrilling, all dark and seductive--cliche I know. But they sound a lot better than the sparkly ones! Hey I still plan on seeing New Moon tomorrow, so I don't totally hate Twilight. That's really a conversation on its own. ;)

I enjoy reading these anthologies because there are always so many authors in them and you can find someone new to read when you are between books or looking for something to read. I enjoyed a lot of the stories, they were all very gripping and I really felt for the couples involved.

I don't know what more to say about the book since there were many authors and stories. Overall it was very pleasing to read and I look forward to another anthology like this soon. Here's hoping there might be a Paranormal Romance 2 this spring!

This is too FUNNY!

OMG! I saw this today on Book Reviews By Jess and I was DYING!! It was so funny! I am one of those conflicted fans of Twilight. I like it, but all the hype about it drives me insane! But this was just TOO FUNNY!

Review--Witch Craft

Werewolf homicide detective Luna Wilder guards the fine line that separates Nocturne City's humans from the weres and witches that roam its streets. Now, Luna must thwart a new evil more dangerous that anything she's ever encountered.

Someone, or something, is stetting fire to the homes of the city's most infamous non-humans, racking up a body count that's growing by the day. And strange, otherworldly creatures no one has seen before--selkies, trolls, and harpies--are causing chaos throughout the city. Racing to stop the carnage, Luna turns to sexy federal agent Will Fagin for help. As they work to uncover the source of the bloodshed, Luna's attraction for Will deepens. But just as she learns Will's darkest secret, Nocturne City is thrust into total chaos--leaving Luna and Will in a path of destruction they may not be able to stop...or survive.

YES! I finished a book in 2 days!! My Friday class was canceled and I had no pressing assignments or studying that needed doing so I read Witch Craft!

I haven't read Second Skin since it came out and thought it would have been better to re-read that to remember its events. A lot has happened! Luna is Lieutenant of a new special police force dealing with the supernatural events that plagued the city. But her squad is considered "special" for supernatural events are not highly common. With the threat of being shut down, Luna and her team must really work on their current case and close it to ensure that they all have jobs.

The case is a doozy as there are many players involved. Luna is going to have to exert a lot of her resources to solve this case.

The case itself was a big part of the plot and it was written very well. Parts got a little confusing when there was a n overflow of information about different crimes that tied together to become apart of the main case. There were a lot of suspects to look at and when Luna discovers that a member of her own team is passing on info to the enemy, it really complicates things! I sooo had the "mole" guessed dead on!

The characters were all very interesting in the squad room. There was a variety that you either loved or hated or somewhere in between. How Luna felt about them, is how I felt about them. One guy was a major a-hole who has a secret of his own. (Cue dramatic music!)

The romance in the book was sparse. An old flame of Luna returns on the sly and of course there is the mysterious Will Fagin, whom Luna can't seem to figure out. He has a hole slew of secrets and we only get the summary of them. I felt like there is still more to him than we learned, but I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time!

The action was well paced at the end as well. Just when I think we're drawing to a conclusion, there's still more to learn and go through!! Lots of action scenes and the introduction of the new species that are mentioned in the BOC (back of the cover) are fascinating as well. I knew of them prior to the book--origins and whatnot, but they're parts were well played, even if it was for a short time.

I am really looking forward to the next Nocturne City book, because Luna is an interesting character. She is a strong, kick-butt heroine who doesn't always play by the rules--cliched I know! But it is so true! She has her flaws, but she is very real...except for the whole werewolf bit! ;)

Next review may be awhile. School is still in session and I have assignments coming up. Will get to them eventually. Count down to December 10, my last day of the semester still in play!

Review--Doom with a View

SEEING IS BELIEVING

Business has been frustratingly slow for Abby. She needs any new commission she can get, even if it means agreeing to a job with the FBI that puts her at the center of a political struggle between two powerful agents, one of whom is flinty lead investigator and confined skeptic Brice Harrison. Abby's skills--and patience--are continually tested as she works to convince Harrison that she's the real deal and can help him locate three teens who have mysteriously disappeared.

Abby's intuition tells her these are not random abductions--and she foresees another victim being kidnapped. To get to the bottom of the case, she Harrison will have to put aside their differences and work together to find the connection between the missing kids. And to do that, Abby will have to win over Harrison while keeping her psychic eye wide-open.

YEA! I finally finished Doom with a View and once again Laurie has written a well paced mystery novel! Her Psychic Eye and Ghost Hunter Mystery series are both deliciously awesome. The mystery is done superbly well that it really grabs the reader in.

Laurie's books always seem to reflect society at its current time too, for Abby and her friend and business partner Candice--who works as a PI--are both suffering financially. No one can afford such luxuries that they provide anymore. So Abby agrees to take this case from the FBI when it is offered to her by Dutch and Candice agrees to help her when she is told she must go to D.C.

Abby is given a makeover, as it can be noted on the cover to make a good first impression to Harrison, who is a major a**. Laurie writes it so that you hate this man and want to knock him upside the head! I know I did! But his character develops throughout the story. He comes off as an a-hole who tries to make Abby look bad at every turn, but Candice is her rescuer and stands up to Harrison many times over and those two definitely have some weird connection going on with their constant spats!

The mystery angle is very intense when Abby and Candice start to piece together information about the missing kids and how they are all connected. And there was a definite surprise there. I sort of suspected the "kidnapper" but I was really looking at another person, and was I wrong! The whole reasons of why get explained at the end and it makes sense!

There were also a few more surprises at the end of the book, which again, I won't divulge too much in. But there were a few and one that I could see coming. Really if you pay attention you can see it too! I am really looking forward to reading the next Psychic Eye Mystery, but sadly that does not come out until September 2010! A Glimpse of Evil will come out in another year and there is a sneak peek at it in the back of the book, but I have learned to not read those because it just makes the wait that more agonizing! Strange theory, I know, but it works. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Oh well, her next Ghost Hunter Mystery novel is due out in March and I still have a nice stack of books to read that is taking forever to get through, d*mn college. Being an English major may not have been the best idea. ;)

Overall, a GREAT mystery and there is a slight, tiny, small hint of the supernatural towards the end, but I won't say much more than that. It was really thrilling to read the last bit today, as I was gripping the book totally immeresed in the story! It was fascinating! I really get lost in Laurie's book and if there wasn't any school or work to attend, I would likely finish her books in 1 day. I have with her Ghost Hunter Mysteries which tend to come out right in time for spring break.

Up next Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge.

Contest Alert--at BBB

Meant to do this earlier, but time escaped me yet again. Darn college classes and all the uber stress I'm receiving for taking part in it! Only 6 weeks and 1 semester to go!

Anyway, head on over to http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12270, for an interview, chat, and contest with Jocelynn Drake. The contest ends tonight, but if you hurry you can still get some questions answered by Jocelynn and a chance to win some pretty cool prizes. While the grand prize flip camera is pretty snazzy, I'm always happy to win a signed copy of her latest book! ;)

So hurry on over! Go, quick, run! ;)
http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12270

Review--Retribution

Anna Strong was a tough-as-nails bounty hunter until the night she was attacked by a vampire--and changed forever.

A newly turned vampire, Anna is forging an uneasy balance between her old human life and her new supernatural one. Still, with her partner out of town, her family abroad and her mentor estranged, she doesn't have anyone to turn to--which is why she's keeping a low profile.

But now young vampires are turning up dead, completely drained of their life force. Although Anna worries she might be next, things start getting personal when her shape-shifter friend is found clinging to his life. So when Williams, her former teacher and now the leader of a supernatural enforcement squad, asks for her help, Anna can't say no.

But soon she'll wish she had...

Yea! Finally finished Retribution, it only took forever! The storyline pretty much picks up where Legacy left off, Anna is in the thick of things when trying to figure out what exactly is going on.

Now I'm not sure how much is considered spoilers here so I'm going to be vague yet again. A character that we saw in The Watcher, I believe it was, returns, which is the start of all the turmoil in the story.

Anna is drawn back in to William's supernatural team while trying to save her friend, and in turn another friend who is helping the first injured one, as well. Lives are hanging in the balance. Not to mention that newly turned vampires are winding up dead, but there is something different about these vampires that Anna cannot quite figure out.

Anna is set on wild goose chase after goose chase in trying to capture the "villain" and her "nosing around" really makes the "villain" mad and it costs Anna deeply. Now not only does she want to capture the "villain" for what they did--improper sentence I know, but I don't want to give away anything--to the other vampires, but she has to exact revenge for what she lost.

Enough on that part. More characters return, such as Lance--who I almost forgot about really, but he wasn't in the story that much. Sandra returns as well, and the tension between her and Anna is written beautifully. You can really tell that what happened between them in Legacy still has an affect on them. We also get to see more of Ortiz and his life outside the police force, boy was there some surprises there!

The characters are all lovable or despicable. You love them or hate them. Jeanne Stein writes in a way so you know how to feel about the character in question, mostly with how Anna feels about them. But my feelings about some of the characters are pretty much the same way Anna feels about them.

Williams is still someone that Anna doesn't know if she can trust completely since she left the Watchers, but now she needs his help and the two of them will have to put the past aside for now. But Williams and Anna don't always get along, as was noted throughout the last few books, their heated debates are intriguing as well. In their last one, Williams reveals a secret that leaves Anna in shock.

It is so hard to believe that there are 5 books in the series and yet for Anna it's all been less than a year. Her one year anniversary of being a vampire comes up in a few more months. Scary. :)

I will attempt to start my next book, but school is bound to get in the way. In fact in two weeks I have 3 tests all in the same week and 2 of them are on the same day. So my reading material isn't going to be anything of interest for awhile. So looking forward to December. December 10 to be precise!

Quick Post

Okay, sorry for my absence. As I noted several times before I am very busy with school and all those lovely papers and tests that require time away from my reading. I am still reading Jeanne Stein's Retribution, but I almost finished. In theory I hope to have a review up by the end of week, which I will then put my reading on hold once again to start writing a lovely 12 page paper. Oh and going to work. Fun-fun-fun!

I will return, in case anyone is still out there waiting to see a new review from me.

Review--Frostbitten

Being the world's only female werewolf has its advantages, such as having her pick of the Otherworld's most desirable males. Elena Michaels couldn't have picked a more dangerously sexy and undying loyal mate than Clayton Danvers. Now their bond will be put to the ultimate test as they follow a bloody trail of gruesome slayings deep into Alaska's frozen wilderness.

There's nothing the werewolf community dislikes more than calling attention to itself. So when a pair of rogue man-eaters begin hunting humans, it's up to Elena and Clayton to track down the predators. But any illusions that their task would be simple are quickly dispelled. For even in werewolf terms, there's something very disturbing taking place in the dark Alaskan forests. A werewolf more wolf than human and more unnatural than supernatural is on the hunt--a creature whose origins seem to spring from ancient legends of the shape-shifting Wendigo.

And if that wasn't bad enough Clayton and Elena find themselves confronting painful ghosts from their pasts--and an issue neither of them is eager to discuss. For one of them has been chosen to become the new Pack leader, and as every wolf knows, there can be only one Alpha. They've always been equals in everything. Now, when their survival depends more than ever on perfect teamwork, will instinct allow of them to lead...and the other to follow?

FINALLY finished Frostbitten and I was not disappointed. I loved it! I so missed seeing Elena and Clay again, I really didn't think she'd return for a long while. This story was great! It's nice to see Elena and Clay on good terms, although they've been on good terms since the end of Bitten, so that shouldn't be much of a surprise!

Well as cover jacket says Elena and Clay are off to the wilds of Alaska dealing with new enemies that are a real pain in the you-know-what. Women are being murdered and raped, so it's no surprise what's going on. Only there are still several surprises to be had. There is more than one supernatural creature in Alaska as the jacket describes and it was fascinating!

I don't want to divulge too much into it, but the Wendigo legend wasn't new to me, so I loved seeing something that isn't normally seen in my collection of reading. It was cool. And having read Men of the Otherworld earlier this year, really helped me understand the back story behind some characters that came into the scene. It's mentioned in the book, so if you haven't read Men of the Otherworld yet, don't panic. I think that comes out in paperback next April too, in case people were waiting for that version.

It's hard to think of Elena as a mother since Broken, even reading her Twitter story seemed unreal. I was like wow, she really is a mom now. But that doesn't effect her character much in the story. She's not soccer mom fighting crime. In fact the twins stay at home for the adventure she and Clay have in Alaska. Even those Twitter events pop up which I found to be exciting.

There was one problem that I was left wondering about, but I won't mention it. It wasn't really brought up afterward anyway, so I wonder if I missed something. Possible, since it took me so long to read it! Darn school.

A lot of the characters from the Otherworld pop up towards the end too, so it was nice to see the whole gang together again! Well, most of the gang anyway!

Back on target, Elena is a very strong character and I love that about her. She has been through a lot, according to her history, and more just keeps happening, yet she overcomes it. She's not one to play damsel in distress. She fights her own battles, but is smart enough to know when she needs help or when it's safer to run.

Well, I feel like if I keep talking about the book, I might let something slip that I shouldn't and I don't want to do that. Overall if you've read the Otherworld books before and loved them than this is one you can't miss. Elena--the first Otherworld woman returns, and from a few people that I've talked to who like the series agree that Elena is by far our favorite Otherworld woman. So hurry out and grab your copy of Frostbitten, you won't be disappointed!

URGENT!

I was just over at Brooke Reviews and saw this urgent message regarding book bloggers/reviewers. She saw this at Donna over at Bites Blog so I'm helping to spread the word.

This is straight from Brooke's blog which is straight from Donna's blog, because as Brooke says, Donna obviously knows more about it than any of us.

I talked about this back in August. Thanks to At Home With Books for posting the most recent information.

Starting December 1, the FTC will require disclosure from all bloggers whom they deem as being compensated for their reviews on any products. Meaning, if you review something for free and retain the product, you must disclose it or risk a mighty fine. Upward of $11,000. But you could always return it . . . O_o

That means book bloggers, people. Keeping a review copy is considered compensation and must be disclosed. Fun stuff, right?

This article goes into more detail thanks to an interview with a member of the Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Don't say I didn't warn you! While they say the FTC will target the companies as opposed to the bloggers for fines (considering the sheer number of us), it still means we have to amend how we run things with our blogs. And our taxes. Remember, if review copies are considered compensation, they have a monetary value and need to be reported on taxes. OMG, fun!

Aside from the ultimate level of suck this is at, I wouldn't get too worked up for it but at the same time I wouldn't brush it off, either. It's best to keep up to speed on things like this because the last thing you want is the FTC and the IRS on your ass.

There it is. Be sure to spread the word to other bloggers and reviewers.

Cover Art--Spirit Bound

Richelle Mead has posted the cover for the next Vampire Academy novel, Spirit Bound! OMG this is so incredible!! I love this one! It's amazing! I really hope the guy is who I think it is!!

Spirit Bound comes out May 18 2010. Such a long wait!

Still Reading...

Hello faithful readers.

Sadly there will be no review this week. Not sure when I will get around to it. I am still reading Kelley Armstrong's Frostbitten and loving it so far. Not real far into it. School is getting intense with midterms coming up and I am still trying to work on papers and other upcoming tests. Not pretty. On top of all that I still have too many hours at my part time job that I am getting stressed out to the max.

Still reading when I can though. It is just slow going. As you can see I'm still trying to get Jeanne's book in and that was released in August. And all this month I will be reading my September books. My ultimate goal is that by December when I am on break I will be able to finish all the books I currently have sitting on my shelf waiting desperately to be read and that before the break is up I will be ranting about having nothing new to read. Of course that may be unlikely as I do have at least 1 book that comes out in December, possibly 2 with the chance of finding a 3rd and then comes January, a new year and a few new releases to be read! Of course school starts up again sooner than I would like, but I am really hoping that my last semester of college goes over smoothly. With the possibility of only having 4 classes and working extra time on the literary magazine at my school for credit.

So, really the point of this rant...er...post, ;) , is to say that yes I am still reading Frostbitten and my goal is to finish it this week and have a review up by next weekend. But I do have at least 1 test and 1 quiz that I know of so far that I need to study for and preparation for a midterm that following week. It's not going to be a pretty end of the year is all I can say. Wishing desperately it was December. December 12th to be on the safe and exact side!

Please bear with me in these hard times of college craziness. Not being able to read my books hurts me deeply and I really miss being able to post reviews for the people who need them. I find myself needing a review for a book every now and then too.

Again, I hope that next semester will be better and allow me more time for reading and reviewing!

Contest Alert--at Literary Escapism

Over at Literary Escapism is a contest to win Chloe Neill's books, both Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites!

There is a wonderful interview with Chloe and the chance to win the books plus her special prize package of Cadogan goodies!! Hurry contest ends midnight October 6, just before FNB releases!!

Review--Personal Demons

Megan promises listeners to her new radio call-in show that she'll "slay their personal demons", and they believe her. So do the personal demons. Although she doesn't know it, Megan is the only human without a personal demon on her shoulder. This, coupled wither her psychic abilities, makes her a valuable weapon for any demon "family" that can gain her allegiance. It also makes her a serious threat--not just to the personal demons, but a soul-sucker known as The Accuser who has an old score to settle.

Megan and her allies--a demon lover who both protects and seduces her with devilish intensity, a witch with poor social skills, and three cockney guard demons--have to deal not only with The Accuser, their personal demons, and the ghosts of Megan's past, but with a reporter who threatens to destroy Megan's career.

I thought I would try a new author, at the time I needed something to read, but then came some new releases and then school came along so I got behind but I left this on my TBR pile, trying to keep the books in order, for some reason. All I can say is I am glad I did.

Stacia Kane writes a very interesting novel, her writing style is different than others that I read. I find myself at loss to explain how exactly, not only is it third person--which isn't something I see a whole lot, but there is just a different quality to it. It is easy to follow I guess. There is no confusion or anything negative to be seen.

Her characters are equally likable. Megan definitely has spunk and a lot to like about. She is very relate-able to readers. To some extent at least. She has quite a mind to her, very independent and doesn't really care for having a demon helping to protect her from other demons. She keeps thinking that he has other plans in mind for her. Some of those plans include getting her into his bed, which he clearly states!

The cockney demon guards are also entertaining! Their accents seem so real. You can actually hear the flare to their words! They were entertaining too! They each have a unique flavor to their personality.

The "witch" wasn't around for much of the book, but when she was, she was definitely interesting. She seemed so unsure of herself at times, yet she was full of power. You could tell that she wasn't someone you wanted to piss off. Great combination!

The storyline itself was entertaining as well. As the cover jacket describes Megan is being hounded by demons and personal demons alike for her practice. These guys take things a little too literally! So she has to accept the help of the demon who she is attracted to against her will while trying to maintain a normal interview with the reporter who has secrets of his own.

There are a few secrets going about in the novel, which were surprising. Maybe I'm just too open-minded when I read, when I read, I don't want to think too much so I'm not looking to see if someone is being deceptive. I might briefly think oh that's odd, but not too much. Reading is for my pleasure, so I say the secrets are surprising but that's just my opinion. If you pay close attention you might pick up on them or suspect some things. That's something I also do, if something seems to have a lot of emphasis I note that for later analysis and later on I discover that I was close to my guess!

Overall a great read! Eventually when I have the time I will read the next book in the series Demon Inside, maybe in December, once the semester is over. For now I have to start studying for a test as my "reading" and then work on a few papers. But since a new release comes out Tuesday, that might be my next read followed by Jeanne Stein's Retribution. Until next time readers!

Interview with Chloe Neill

As I said before I've been trying to find the time to contact some authors and do interviews via email with them about their writing. Chloe Niell was gracious enough to take the time and answer some questions I came up with.









Where did you get your idea for your books?

Generally, I knew I wanted to write an urban fantasy about a female heroine. But specifically, on a scene-to-scene basis, they come from everywhere. Conversations I hear, interesting news stories, song lyrics. I try to keep a notebook nearby so that I can jot down information, ideas or phrases that might be fun additions.

Why Chicago?

I wanted to set the books in a city with an interesting political and social history that hadn't previously been used in the vampire context before.

What can you tell me about Friday Night Bites?

Not much. :) Friday Night Bites takes place a couple of weeks after Some Girls Bite ends. We know Merit has been working to come to terms with being a vampire; but now her Master, Ethan Sullivan, asks her to take a trip back home and pretend that she's on friendly terms with her father. She's not thrilled, as you might imagine.

When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I've only been writing for a few years now, so it's definitely something I came to later in life. I've always had a good imagination, and I've always been crafty, but I kind of fell into writing after I went through a stage where I read a ton of books. I felt like I'd exhausted everything I wanted to read, so I started writing something I wanted to read.

I heard you're a part-time writer, how challenging is it to do both jobs and balance in things like family/friends and other daily tasks?

It's definitely a challenge. Keeping a calendar is the biggest key for me--knowing when my deadlines line up, when my guest blogs are due, etc. But I don't have much free time, especially if I'm on a tight deadline. But I wouldn't change it for the world.

How many books will there be in the Chicagoland Vampire Series?

There are four books currently under contract. I have ideas for a handful more, so we'll have to see how much readers enjoy them! :)

What can you tell me about Firespell, the first book in your new YA series?

Firespell tells the story of 16 year-old Lily Parker's first week at St. Sophia's boarding school in Chicago. She learns that things aren't what they seem, especially where magic is concerned.

How many books are planned for the Dark Elite series?

There are currently three books in the series. Ditto on my answer for the Chicago series. :)

When you have free time what do you like to do?

I love to read, bake, watch 30 Rock and play with my dog. LOVE to bake. Mostly very, very unhealthy Southern-style desserts.

As an aspiring author myself, what do you recommend finding first, a publisher or an agent?

Wow, tough question. I found a publisher first, then got an agent after I'd secured the contract for Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites. (So it is possible to make the leap from slush pile to store shelves--that's how it worked for me.) You might check Writer's Market for thoughts about simultaneous submissions to both. But the first step is the most important--finish the manuscript, edit it, and ensure that you have a high-quality product to send out.

Any advice for other aspiring writers?

WRITE. Everyday, at least a little. Don't worry about whether it's good or if it will end up in the final product--you can always edit what you've written later on. That feeds into the second tip--treat it like a business. Being published is a great first step, but there are other things to consider--marketing, publicity, social media, interviews, etc.

Thanks for your time Chloe!

Thanks for having me, Jessica!

Friday Night Bites comes out October 6 2009 and Firespell comes out January 5 2010

Also be sure to head to Chloe's blog for a contest! She has a nice little prize package filled with Cadogan goodies!

Back to add more, another blogger has another interview with Chloe up and she has a contest running as well. Me--I'm just a poor college student so I don't have enough income to run any contests, sorry! Maybe some day...

Anyway at Amberkatze's Book Blog, she has a contest to win either of Chloe's books, so hurry on over!

Review--Hunting Ground

Cry Wolf unlocked the doors to a unique urban landscape in "a great...new werewolf series." Now Patricia Briggs invites readers to follow her even deeper into that seductive realm of the unknown...

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

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

Patricia Briggs latest new series is definitely a fave! It is just as entertaining as the Mercy Thompson series, but this one is just different somehow. We have a new set of characters and Anna is completely different than Mercy.

Anna is an Omega and is able to keep calmness throughout the pack. But mostly she just lives with Charles and tames his inner wolf if things look a little shaky. This predates the Mercy series, if I remember correctly, for the wolves have not announced themselves to the public yet, as the back of the cover describes. If I remember right, Bran had brought the wolves to the public by the time the Mercy series started.

The way Briggs writes when these different packs get together is amazing. Her writing is spectacular, vivid descriptions. You can actually sense the different cultures that are represented among the wolves. You can hear their accents when they talk.

The story line itself was good too. Simple enough as the cover describes. From Cry Wolf, we saw that Anna was still unsure of herself and her wolf, and some of that uneasiness is still present in Hunting Ground, but not as much. She is getting used to herself and her wolf. Her relationship with Charles is growing as well.

There are many enemies to uncover in this book. A lot of death occurs, and it's up to Charles and Anna to figure out what's going on before it's too late. But then the "top suspect" is murdered and it throws the 'mystery' aspect of the story through a loop towards the beginning. Anna and Charles will have to rethink who they can trust at this summit, for any one of these angered wolves could be the killer.

The story line was pretty simple. There wasn't too many subplots, which wasn't a bad thing either it was a great story. But I feel like I can't divulge too much into it since it's harder to describe the book without going into the spoilers. Overall a great read! I look forward to reading more about Anna and Charles, they have a sweet kind of relationship. A first love kind almost. They are mated, bonded and all so their love feels real and Briggs shows this to us through her writing by their actions! Complicated little sentence I know! If you've read Cry Wolf or any of the Mercy books, this is definitely one you will want to read as well!

Did you hear?

I just read on Jeaniene Frost's Live Journal account that Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely is going to be made into a movie!!! Here is a link to an article that Jeaniene linked onto her journal.

http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2009/09/16/wicked-lovely-adaptation-confirms-fairies-as-next-fantasy-film-trend/

I think this would be a great movie because out of the three books Melissa had, this one was my top fave! I am also excited to see what her new adult series will be like. Still haven't come across much info regarding that one.

This movie according to the article will be made by Universal Studies. The article was a good read, questioning as to see if Faeries are the next big hit since vampires, since the storyline vaguely-VAGUELY resembles Twilight.

But really this is all the same in a way, we have a high school girl who ends up getting involved with something supernatural. Blood and Chocolate predates both of those BOOKS and in its BOOK form, it's about a high school girl who's a werewolf dealing with werewolf things and falling in love with a human. So the whole theme shouldn't be a tired one, since it's been around for awhile before Twilight.

And the emphasis on BOOKS is because the movies and the books differ in great amounts, especially concerning Blood and Chocolate. ;)