Giving Thanks/Black Friday HUGE Giveaway Event!!

Well it's that time of year again and everyone is needing extra cash, gifts for Christmas, and more.  Well here is your chance to score some goodies for yourself or for others!!  This giveaway will have 4 winners chosen randomly on Rafflecopter.  The Grand Prize Pack and Prize Pack 2 are only open to US/Canada residents.  The other two are open worldwide.  Please read all terms and conditions before entering.  You must be 18 to enter and have a valid email address.  All winning entries will be validated!  Giveaway starts at MIDNIGHT on November 14th and will run until midnight November 29th!!

*This time there will be a surprise sent out as well!  Out of the 4 winners, another drawing will be held to see who wins a surprise! *

A big thank you to all of the authors and anyone else who has helped to make this giveaway possible!  You are all awesome!!  Help your authors out by leaving reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc. if you win an ebook or paperback!

Go enter to win one of these HUGE PRIZE PACKS and HAVE FUN!!!!!  Good luck to you all!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

99 Cent Ebook Sale this weekend!!

There is a sale going on right now for some ebooks and here is that list!!

Black Friday through Cyber Monday $0.99 Group SALE

*Angela McPherson

~Distraction:

http://amzn.com/B00MU0NY9M

*D Nichole King

~The Body:

http://amzn.com/B00NMY10PK

~Love Always, Kate:

http://amzn.com/B00JGWV3WW

*Victoria Ashley

~This Regret:

http://amzn.com/B00IOCPQ46

*Sunniva Dee

~Pandora Wild Child:

http://amzn.com/B00OX9IWZO

~Shattering Halos:

http://amzn.com/B00ILXYKTK

*Cheryl McIntyre

~Always Forever:

http://amzn.com/B00LZW60I8

~Dirty:

http://amzn.com/B00OOAMP1Y

*Christine Zolendz

~Fall From Grace:

http://amzn.com/B008NYB63A

*Kristin Vayden

~To Tempt An Earl:

http://amzn.com/B00MUC655A

~The Forsaken Love of a Lord:

http://amzn.com/B00MV5UW50

Code of Honor (Intrepid Heroines Book 1) by Andrea Pickens

Alex:  A young woman who is decidedly opinionated and not afraid to speak her mind.  She is not the normal female of her time and enjoys botany and painting.  At her age she is what they call "as good as on the shelf" since she is still unmarried and without prospects.  She comes from a poor family and is currently living with her aunt.

Justin:  He's Alex's younger brother that has his heart set on marrying a young girl who's father objects to it because of Justin's lack of title and fortune.  Because he is young. he still has much to learn and is in need of a good male role model.

Lord Branford:  A man that few would dare cross, rumors fly around wildly about his affairs and him even being involved in murder.  Even though he seems unapproachable by most, he still retains a very few close friends.  Everyone else he keeps at arms length.  Branford drinks too much and most of the rumors having to do with the women in town tend to be true.  He has been rather loose in the past.

Lord Ashton:  Lord Branford's best friend and confidant, he has no problem telling Branford how he feels about his activities lately.  Lord Ashton is married to a headstrong woman who is much like Alex in some ways.  

Lady Ashton:  An intelligent woman who is married to Lord Ashton and friend of Lord Branford, she dislikes the coquetry of some of the women in town.  She is anything but fickle and used to getting her way any way she has to.  Lady Ashton is very astute.

   Code of Honor is a shorter book and a very nice read.  It's sweet in the way of how two people so very unlikely to fall for each other fall very deeply in love.  They both think that much of the society around them is more involved in things like money and position whereas they both want something more.
    Lord Branford has definitely sowed his wild oats in other women's bedrooms, but never with the innocent ones.  It is against his code.  He can be a very honorable man and although he makes a bet to bed Alex, he quickly dismisses himself from it because he realizes she is an innocent.  Lord Hammerton was the one that put him up to it and told him that she was no innocent.  Once he meets Alex, he realizes just how intriguing she is.  Branford actually enjoys her company, which is a rare thing for him.  She makes him happy in a way that he hasn't been in a very long time.  Although Justin is a young and somewhat foolish young man, Branford tries to help steer him in the right direction.  He is so taken with Alex that he does the unthinkable and helps Justin as well.  It seems that the whole family is very interesting to him.  They aren't like the rest of the people in town who are always after something from him, and they don't hold the same presumptions about him.  After enduring the rumors that circulated about their father before and after he died, how could they possibly be so presumptuous to presume to know a stranger?  But Lord Branford becomes close to the family and begins to suspect some things are amiss and he starts investigating.  Alex and Justin are in danger and have no idea from who.  Hopefully Lord Branford can find out before it's too late and they succeed at their task: murder.

4 out of 5 stars!

Into the Darkness (Darkness #1) by K.F. Breene

   Sasha has always been a little off kilter, you could say.  Strange things happen to her, like being the only survivor of a 5 car accident as a young child.  She remembers none of it but that night changed her life, landing her in foster care.  She occasionally sees things that others don't.  Sometimes these things are hiding out in the shadows, lurking there just waiting for unsuspecting victims.  While some would feel afraid of them, she's not, whatever they are.  And all too soon she and her boyfriend, Jared, have a run-in with these shadows.  Turns out they look like super huge guys with ripped bodies and bulging muscles.  The first encounter with these guys leaves Sasha fighting for her life while Jared is under some weird compulsion.  It doesn't seem to work on her though.  In the middle of it all, the Boss of these guys shows up and saves them.  He doesn't understand anything about Sasha.  She's very different and keeps landing on his front doorstep.  Instead of inspiring fear in her, she keeps looking for him.  The Boss and those that are like him are something like what we would think of as vampires.  And the Boss holds a certain interest in Sasha.  She is no doubt special.  She is able to access and use magic, even though she is a human and has never been trained before.  This is something he must look into further, while trying to keep himself away from.  But she just makes it so hard.

   This is a great, shorter read!  I loved it!  It was fun and entertaining, but sexy as well.  Into the Darkness has a fascinating story line about a girl who cannot feel close to anyone because that would be showing people who she really is.  People wouldn't accept her if they knew all of the things she saw and did.  They would have her locked up in a mental facility.  Even her own boyfriend doesn't know the extent of it for a good while, but realizes before the end of the book that she is nowhere near crazy.  It's not a life Sasha asked for, but it is a life that she could be herself and be more accepted even if those accepting her aren't exactly humans.  There are some complications that go along with being what she is though.  For one thing, she now has a body guard that not only wants to constantly put the moves on her, but is a chatty kathy.  He's the equivalent of a 16-year-old boy.  And then there's that weird connection she has with the Boss man.  It is most definitely reciprocated too.  And last, but definitely not least, there are those creepy nasty looking guys that keep trying to get Sasha to join their side.  Yep, just a little complicated.  The question is whether it's worth it for her?  She and Jared are constantly in danger.  Even the Boss has some scary moments, but this is acceptance of who she is.

5 star read!!

The Dracula Chronicles: Bound by Blood by Shane KP O'Neill

   Three words: scary as hell.  And there is literally a Hell element to it all since Dracula has become some kind of demon or other.  I had trouble reading because it was scary and downright brutal.  There's a lot of death and now that he has morphed into what we would kind of think of as Dracula, there is a huge body count piling up and he could care less.  When it seems he may have been doing a lot for what he felt was the right thing to do, now it's because he wants to do it.  Murder is now in his blood because Lucifer himself is in his blood.  There is no way to keep from hurting those around him unless they are like him.  He has the ability to turn them into what he is, too.
   I personally had a hard time stomaching this one. There's is a certain level of murder and brutality that I just can't take.  Say for instance, on The Walking Dead where Bob was sitting there watching people eat his leg they had just hacked off.  That is too much for me.  And this book has come dangerously close to me putting it down because of too much violence.  It isn't for everyone, that's for sure.  But there is also no denying how well it is written.  It is very well written and holds a certain magnetism to it.  Perhaps it's because of the subject or because the writer was well versed on the subject.  Who knows, but it's there.
 The good news is that after you get about 35% through the book, the violence dies down a bit and you see a lot more of the story line unfolding.  It becomes apparent that even some things still bother the now-immortal Dracula.  Loneliness becomes a big issue as well as revenge.  And toying with Lucifer to get what you want is never a good idea.  He makes this clear throughout the book, not just with Dracula but with various other Catholic Church officials who have signed their souls over to him for one reason or another.  It makes it seem like a very corrupt institution.  While it seems like evil is gaining the upperhand, there is still hope yet that rests in Dracula's half brother, Andrei, and his sons.  They have the power to help bring down the evil Lucifer has brought upon the Earth with the turning of Dracula (and a few others who were turned by Dracula instead of Lucifer).
   All in all it was a very good book, regardless of the violence in it.  But this is not a book for anyone to read who is under the age of 18.  The content is too graphic and violent for younger ages.  Death is Dracula's business now that he walks in the shadows of the night.  He is the spawn of evil itself and O'Neill weaves that evil into a well-told, gruesome tale.

5 out of 5 stars!

First World (A Walker Saga Book 1) by Jaymin Eve

   Abigail Swish is about to be 18.  She can't wait either.  Right now she's stuck taking all kinds of survival classes, regular educational classes, and learning how to fight in various ways and with different weapons.  She lives in a world where stepping outside is a dangerous affair.  New York is no longer what it was.  The people that are left either live in compounds, are military, or Gangers.  She lives in one of the rebel compounds.  A very long time ago she was dropped there and left alone in the world.  No one knows who her parents are.  She became best friends with a girl named Lucy and they were planning on their next step after turning 18 because they would no longer be staying at the compound.  They both know that Olden, the woman in charge, is not to be trusted.  If only there was somewhere like it used to be, like they learn about in their classes.  Not anymore.  The only beautiful green world full of lush plants lives in Abby's dreams.
   By pure accident, one day Abby happens upon a man who claims to be her Watcher, the one who protects her.  She always wondered how she was so lucky on the streets.  Perhaps this is why.  But who is he?  When she and Lucy go back out to find him for answers, Abby accidentally disappears and finds herself in her dream world, except that it feels like she is really there.  When she goes back, Lucy confirms that she had disappeared into thin air.  Abby desperately wants to find this place and ends up getting help from the mystery man.  It is a very real place.  In fact, it's a whole other world that is much like Earth, but these inhabitants have powers.  And Abby is not who she thought she was.  She is very much a part of this world.  And she is very special.  Josian and Lallielle are not ordinary parents.  Lallielle is the equivalent of royalty and Josian is the equivalent of a god.  Technically they weren't even supposed to be able to have children, but here Abby is as proof.  Abby is half Walker, which means she can travel to different worlds at will.  It may take a little time, but she can do it.  After finding this wonderful world, with hot men may I add, she finds out that there is an evil out there trying to destroy all of the worlds, including this one and Earth.  Unfortunately she has to be the one to stop it.


   What an intriguing read!  I like the whole Walker idea and how they are like gods in a way.  At the same time, they all have very human problems it seems like.  It was cool how Abby just kind of fell into this new world while falling into Brace, the hot guy, too.  He is stone faced and hard to read at times, but his feelings go deeper than what the characters think.  He has been in Abby's dreams for a while now along with Lallielle, her mother.  Unfortunately, he tries hard to keep her at arms length.  Lucy, however, thinks Abby should go for what she wants.  She's always the life of the party.
   I had several questions that went unanswered in this book, but it is only the first one of several so I am thinking maybe they will be answered later on.  It wouldn't be much of a series if everything was given away immediately.  While Jaymin Eve doesn't show us her full hand just yet, I do look forward to reading more of her books!  And the cover for this book is really rockin!  Love it!

4 out of 5 stars!

The Dracula Chronicles: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Shane KP O'Neill

  Voivode Dracul is the ruler of Wallachia.  He is married and ends up having three boys, a fine legacy to leave behind.  It is an assurance that there will be an heir to the throne.  However, that throne is continuously threatened by one or another.  The Turks on one side of Dracul are always some sort of issue because he has made a truce with them, even though he has made an oath to the Catholic Church to help protect their interests.  In an age where the Crusades were fought, the two do not get along and have had many battles.  When the church wants a crusade, it calls up those who swore an oath to them and they go off to fight.  Not so with Dracul.  He is an Orthodox Christian and doesn't believe the way the Catholic church does.  Not to mention he regularly ignores Hunyadi, one of the main men leading many of these battles, when he wants Dracul's help.
   Because of his truce with Sultan Murad, Dracul ends up imprisoned with his two younger sons, Vlad and Radu.  Had he but listened to his wife, his sons would have at least been at home safe and sound.  Now they were all at the mercy of the sultan and Dracul's oldest son, Mircea is taking his place trying to rule the country until Dracul's return.  But no one knows when that will be, if it ever happens.  The sultan would as soon kill them all if it pleased him.  All of this over a truce and an oath taken by one man.  Bad choices not only affect the one person in this book.  It reverberates throughout the family and the country.  And Dracul makes a few critical errors that could cost him everything.  As it is, his son, Vlad, is becoming friendly with Lucifer without knowing it.  Lucifer has plans for the boy quickly growing into a man.  He will be something to fear when he is an adult, as long as he reaches adulthood.  On the flip side of things, Vlad has a half-brother he doesn't know of that is the exact opposite of him.  A good to balance out the evil to come.

   Shane KP O'Neill paints us a picture of a life that is difficult even in the best of times and much of the time fraught with ever lurking dangers.  A hard life even for the elite in society.  Even though they have the good life compared to most, if ever captured, their fates are much worse than a commoner's would be.  This is the life of the Voivode Dracul and his family.  It is a tragic and devastating story really once you read this first book all the way through.  In the end, even his own allies turn against him and there are few to try and help save him.  The fall of the mighty is a hard fall indeed.
   I enjoyed the fact that this is a historical fiction book.  There was an actual man with the name Dracula and he was a very brutal man.  This man would have been Viovode Dracul's son, Vlad Dracula.  Vlad Dracula was in real life Vlad the Impaler.  We don't see a lot of that brutality in this book, but it begins to emerge at the end.  He is an insanely gifted warrior and his past struggles have molded him with an iron heart.  I do love that O'Neill crafted this story with the main thing being the age old fight of good and evil between God and His angels and Lucifer, A.K.A. the Devil.  It is very creative and you can tell that the author has done his research on the 15th century, the Ottoman empire, and the Balkans.
   This book IS NOT for anyone under the age of 18.  It has some rather graphic parts to it and there is a certain brutality to it that would not be suitable for younger ages.  Even as an adult I found some parts rather shocking.  And this book is no doubt a shocker as well as an eye-opener to what the real Dracula family might have been like instead of just about fangs and drinking blood.  Perhaps that will come later in the series.  For now, we have some very human men in the story that make some mistakes and pay the price for it.  Unfortunately, in this day and age, the price to pay for mistakes is unbearably high.

5 STAR RATING!

Interested in a little more background information on Vlad the Impaler/the real life Dracula?  Check out this link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_the_Impaler

HUGE Giveaway Coming Soon!!!!!!!!

Who wants to have a giveaway this month??  I have a HUGE GIVEAWAY coming up starting November 14th!  There will be BIG PRIZE PACKS with paperback books, ebooks, and a gift card!  With the possibility of more!!  4 WINNERS will be chosen at random.  That's right 4!!!  If you don't use these lovely paperbacks for yourselves, give them as Christmas gifts to the book lover in your life!  So, interested in the authors and contributors of the books/ebooks, etc. that will be given away? Here's a list!!  

-Erica Stevens
-Christina Escue
-H.L. Burke
-Riley Y. J. Jensen
-Sunniva Dee
-Wendy Garfinkle
-Shay West
-CD Taylor
-Kelsey Jordan
-Pembroke Sinclair
-Victoria Danann
-Jeni's Bookshelf 




Note:  Prize packs with paperbacks are open only to the US/Canada.  All other prize packs are open worldwide

Bound By Blood (Cauld Ane Book 1) by Tracey Jane Jackson

   Samantha is a researcher and she is very good at what she does.  So good that she gets a job offer in Scotland at a well known company.  Flying far away from her home, she meets a handsome guy on the plane who seems bent on befriending her and possibly more.  While he seems nice, Samantha is still wary of him.  Once she arrives, this guy is also staying at the same hotel as she is.  Not for long though because once she meets her very handsome boss, Kade, she is moved almost immediately to an apartment across from his.  They have an instant strange connection that she doesn't understand, but Kade does.  He knows exactly what's going on, but never expected it to happen with a human.  Samantha is his one and only mate.  Trying to ease her into things, he gets to know this woman that he has suddenly fallen for.  It's hard for them both to keep their hands to themselves.  Samantha tries her best to keep her distance, but it's just too easy to give in when it comes to Kade.  He is a handsome, romantic, and commanding guy.  In fact, it's weird how everyone in the company defers to him like he's royalty.  She barely knows this guy, but is steadily falling for him at a rapid pace.  And the bad news?  Samantha is in danger because she is with Kade.  There are a few out there that would try to hurt her to get to Kade.  Unfortunately, that's the least of the surprises she is in for.  This guy is a semi-immortal viking who has staked his claim on her.  His history and ways are something that will be more difficult for Samantha to come to terms with than how dangerous her situation is.


   When I first saw the title to this book, I was thinking it might be another vampire book and it looked interesting. Not a vampire book.  In fact, not even close really.  It's more like a romance novel about semi-immortal Vikings who are in Scotland, but came from Iceland.  I have to say that I am not sure why they put the "blood" part in the title really except that a part of Samantha's work was with blood.
   The plot of the story leaves something to be desired.  It is a little shallow and there isn't any real danger in it besides about a page worth.  All of the work up to how dangerous things are/could be is kind of a let down in the end.  Not to mention how villains just kind of appear out of thin air without any type of warning that they are bad.
   Now if you are looking for a sweet and easy romance to read, this is the book for you.  It is a very sweet and almost old school type romance.  All except for the fact that Kade has some caveman/alpha male characteristics that, although annoying and somewhat overbearing, are also rather endearing in ways.

All in all I would say this book is a 3.5 out of 5 stars!