New Release: The Prince of Ash and Blood by Cheree Alsop

THE PRINCE OF ASH AND BLOOD is about a vampire prince imprisoned under false charges. The appearance of a new prisoner, a werewolf girl who was betrayed and tortured in the name of the crown, interrupts his plots of revenge. With a new cause to stand behind, the vampire prince plans his own death as a means for her escape. But the kingdom has needs only the prince can fulfill. If both survive the dungeon, can they also survive the world of political intrigue, vengeance, and a newly awoken threat to the crown and his people?

Action, adventure, conspiracy, and danger intertwine in this paranormal take of The Count of Monte Cristo.

My Social Media Links:

website: www.chereealsop.com

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorchereealsop

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chereealsop

Amazon for paperback & ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Cheree-Alsop/e/B006NPWD2Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1464022349&sr=8-2-ent

Barnes&Noble for ebook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cheree-alsop?store=allproducts&keyword=cheree+alsop

Smashwords for all ebook formats: http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=cheree+alsop

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=cheree+alsop

Author Bio:

Cheree Alsop is an award-winning, best-selling author who has published over 40 books, including two series through Stonehouse Ink. She is the mother of a beautiful, talented daughter and amazing twin sons who fill every day with joy and laughter. She is married to her best friend, Michael, the light of her life and her soulmate who shares her dreams and inspires her by reading the first drafts and giving much appreciated critiques. Cheree works as a fulltime author and mother, which is more play than work! She enjoys reading, traveling to tropical beaches, riding motorcycles, spending time with her wonderful children, and going on family adventures while planning her next book.

Cheree and Michael live in Utah where they rock out in their garage band, enjoy the outdoors, plan great quests, and never stop dreaming.

Blog Tour for Reborn by Jane Ederlyn

Blog Tour ~ Reborn Author: Jane Ederlyn Genre: Paranormal/Romance Tour Dates: 27th-31st of March Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours

   

 Blurb: Marie Josette d’Orgemont, cousin to Louis XVI, watched in horror as a rogue creature took her husband’s life before turning on her. A powerful vampire swept in and spared her life, but she never suspected surviving meant immortality or the price she’d have to pay to protect her surviving son. Centuries later, in Miami, with her family on the verge of extinction, Marie is preoccupied with the continuation of her human bloodline. When she meets sexy and persistent Odin Ulfsson, his icy-blue gaze and burning touch are hard to resist. Will a forbidden romance with the Nordic werewolf be the key to her happiness, or will it set in motion a wrath that endangers not only her last human heir but her entire existence?

   

 ↓Buy Links↓ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MEBSN40/  

 Authors Bio: Jane Ederlyn is the alter ego of a writing duo from South Florida. Jane, a registered nurse by day, by night lives to create havoc and conflict in their stories, relentlessly strategizing ways to kill off one more character. Ederlyn, a cruise-line professional by day, by night loves to plot meticulous happily-ever-afters for the hero and heroine, often battling Jane to save her favorites. They can usually be found at their favorite Barnes & Noble sipping lattes and pondering “what ifs?” or at the mall shoe shopping. 

 Visit them at: 

 Twitter: https://twitter.com/ediojeda 

Website: http://janeederlyn.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janeederlyn/ 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jane-Ederlyn/e/B01M6USTGM

Run (Caged Trilogy Book 1) by H.G. Lynch

   Running through the woods one night, Tilly takes a nose dive and ends up in a werewolf camp.  She had been running for her life from the women who had adopted her when she was a young child.  They were witches and they were very cruel to her, making her raise demons and basically torturing her when she didn't do as told.  That had been her life for years until she escaped and then was rescued by Spencer, the black sheep of the werewolf camp.  He was the son of the alpha, but his mother had run off with him and when she died, Spencer was brought back to his father to live.  He had been a small child when he came back and his father didn't treat him as nicely as his half-brothers, taking out his years of anger and frustration of his son instead.  Tilly connects with Spencer like no one else in the camp, but insists that she doesn't care for him.  Spencer's half-brother, Dominic, has been getting very close to her and it makes Spencer jealous.  Realizing he has feelings for Tilly is a fight for him since she is always with Dominic.  To make matters worse, no one knows what Tilly is or what she's running from, but it could put them all in danger.

   I love rooting for the under dog.  Those kind of books suck me in and I couldn't put this one down.  I read it in one day.  It was fascinating to watch the romance between Tilly and Spencer grow even though they keep trying to push the other away.  And things only get more complicated when the past comes out to play, but Spencer never abandons her.  He is always there for her.  It's sweet considering how distant he is to everyone else.  He's a very complicated character.  Tilly, however, is a rather naive girl since she was guarded and put under lock and key for years.  So having boys all over her like that is something new that she must sort out for herself.  Her feelings are confusing and I could see where they would be for someone who's never even had a boyfriend before.  This is a must read!!!

5 out of 5 stars!!!




Book Blurb:

Tilly is a witch...at least, she thinks she is. All she really knows is that she
has powers she shouldn't, and that the cruel women she escaped
from - who definitely are witches - will stop at nothing to make her their
prisoner again because of those powers.

But Tilly has fallen in with a strange group - a pack of werewolves. The pack
wants to protect her; none of them more so than Dominic, the alpha's
kind-hearted son. Tilly thinks she might be falling for him, but she can't help
being fascinated by his brooding, mysterious half-brother Spencer.

Caught between the two, Tilly isn't sure anymore what she's most scared of:
the witches hunting her down, or her own heart betraying her.

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Run-Caged-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00UIFE422/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429882825&sr=8-1&keywords=h.g.+lynch

The Banesville Trilogy by Dorothy Dawson

Banesville: The Love of Lydia Monroe (Book One)

   Lydia Monroe has moved around her entire life.  Her dad is in the military and they move like every six months.  She is used to new schools and new friends every so often.  At this point, she just takes life as it comes.  There's no point in it being any other way to her.  When her family moves to Banesville though, things are different.  A new guy starts at school the same time she does.  His name is Carter and he looks kind of like a guy she keeps dreaming about, but she can't be sure.  Turns out he's her dad's guardian angel and has been in love with her for pretty much forever.  They had been together several lifetimes, but things always ended badly.  And when I mean badly I mean he would get shot or they would both die in a plane crash.  He only has a short time to be with her (and he was just basically on leave from his angel duties) before he "dies" and leaves her somewhat heartbroken.  Lydia knows that what he says about their past lives are true.  However, a new guy moves in next door to her.  Abner is the polar opposite of what Carter was.  She and Carter basically couldn't be together and her life was supposedly going to be short this cycle.  But how short was just a guess.  Lydia just can't stay away from the motorcycle-riding, home-improvement-making, thrilling Abner.  Meanwhile, Carter makes it difficult for her with his showing up at random times to grill her about him while her teacher turns out to be Father Time, and he's in charge of how much time she has left.  The only thing is that Father Time is biased in his opinion of her life.  Things get more complicated with the revealing of what Abner is.  He isn't exactly normal either.  But then again, what is in Lydia's life?
   Lydia Monroe is one easy-going teen.  I only wish I had been that way as a teenager.  She takes on life's hurtles one at a time and doesn't let stuff bother her too much.  Well, that is until she finds out about all of the weird supernatural stuff in her life.  I would be more than weirded out about it.  Lydia takes it rather well.  I think that Lydia Monroe is a strong and pretty great heroine in this book that has some very normal teenage issues.
"It was so funny to me how even though I had become aware of an entire immortal world, I had also let myself become a teenage cliche'.  Not knowing which boyfriend to pick, lying to my best friend about said boyfriend, and hiding things from my parents were all now part of my angsty resume."

Lydia Monroe: living life fearlessly

Banesville: Initiation on Briar Reeves (Book Two)

   Briar Reeves is currently mourning her good friend, Lydia, who died in a tragic accident recently.  During her mourning, a long lost friend of hers shows up and it's apparent that Briar's boyfriend, Warren, has a real problem with it.  She doesn't know what's up between the two of them, but they obviously know each other.  Naturally she thinks that maybe they had been in a relationship before or something of that sort, but they are definitely hiding something from her.  When she can't take anymore of the secrets, they tell her the truth.  Warren is a reaper and her friend, Tatum, is a harbinger.  She is a sign of something to come basically.  Kind of like an early warning system.  Tatum's presence isn't usually a good sign.  What's more important is that Briar is a hunter.  Someday soon she will be one of the ones to hunt down evil in the world and keep the balance.  It's really quite a bit for her to take in.  Briar isn't like Lydia was.  Lydia just took it as is and went on with things.  After a few emotional breakdowns, she starts her training because a strange new supernatural is in the area causing some problems that no one knows how to stop.  It could be that they are way in over their heads.  A local werewolf gets kidnapped, a store is blown up, and things just keep happening.  Not to mention, Briar and Warren's relationship has taken a nose dive and Briar is making googly eyes at the wolf pack's leader, Nelson.

   Briar has really grown up in this book compared to the last one.  Grief and loss has hit her and when she finds out about who she is, things change for her.  She has a big responsibility as a hunter and her thoughts are with Lydia so much.  Knowing that she and Abner got their happy ending makes her feel better though.  This supernatural entity they are all facing is very dangerous.  It can do things that none are supposed to, but there is more to this creature than meets the eye and Briar is the key to everything, she just doesn't know it for a while.  This book has evolved some from the teenage drama of the last one to a book about a girl who has to grow up and face life head on.

Briar Reeves: a hunter being hunted

Banesville: The Reckoning of Rebecca Thorne (Book Three)

   Rebecca Thorne is a werewolf that recently escaped from Xavier's secret, underground lair.  When she returns though, she brings some interesting news with her.  Briar's mother is still alive and being held prisoner by Xavier.  Also, Xavier is working on some crazy creations that could make life difficult for the other supernaturals and immortals in Banesville.  The group of friends must stop him before he tries to take over Banesville and then the world.  Xavier is a crazed, power-hungry warlock with enough power to be a real problem.  Not to mention he has friends in places that no one ever expected.  The ultimate betrayal to Rebecca's friend, Briar Reeves.  Rebecca must help stop him and because she escaped, she knows more than anyone else about his underground lair.
   Seen through the eyes of Rebecca Thorne, the third book in the series has some very stunning secrets that come to light.  Honestly, I was kind of conking myself on the head for one of them thinking "Duh, that makes so much sense now!"  After reading tons of shifter and vamp books, things that make me this surprised are very welcome and awesome to read!  I had a little difficulty at the beginning of this one deciding who was saying/thinking what at first, but it ironed itself right out and had a fantastic ending to the trilogy!  Too bad we aren't seeing more of Banesville, because I know I would like to!

Rebecca Thorne: shifter out for vengeance

The Legacy of Kilkenny (Book 1) by Devyn Dawson

Normally I write a little about what the story is about before anything else, but I will be doing this review a little differently.  I am going to post the blurb from Amazon right below this paragraph and then talk about this particular novel.

Ireland has many secrets... this is one of them.

   For sixteen years, my life has been normal. Piedsville, Oklahoma isn't the tourist mecca of the world, but it's where I live. It's my junior year and I've known everyone since Kindergarten, everyone except her, Pru Phelan. She walked into my English class, my heart stopped. I'd never heard the name Phelan before, so I Googled it and found Phelan means wolf. What I didn't know, she was a werewolf and soon my destiny would change.

This is the story about the prophecy of the Great Wolf and how it relates to me. I'm Abel Casey, and I am the Great Wolf.

The Legacy of Kilkenny is a young adult story about werewolves, friendship, family, and fear. 

   There are pros and cons to this story and if you do not want to know more about the story before reading it, you should especially avoid the cons because they have some telling points to them!  

Pros:

-A relationship between a guy and a girl is nothing new, but it is nice to see a novel where they are not romantically involved.  Abel and Pru are great friends.  The only problem is that he likes her, but she has eyes for someone else.

-The idea of a Great Wolf that will have powers and such that normal weres don't is an intriguing idea.  You don't see this idea really fleshed out in this novel, but I am hoping it is in the following books.

-The jealousy of certain characters in the story seems rather realistic when you think about how you are dealing with high school students in the book.

-Pru is not just going to "give it up" to a guy, if you know what I mean.  Being the only girl besides her mom in a pack where it seems pretty accepted to mate with others unless you are tied down, it's nice to know she is not.

Cons:

-Why are there no other females in a pack like this? There is Pru and Dolly until Shaynie comes.

-Why was Shaynie sent to this pack exactly? They never really give a definite reason and we know little to none about her past. In a pack as tight as this someone is not just brought in.  There are always good reasons.  She seems like just a random extra that was thrown in to annoy Pru.

-Speaking of Pru, she has all of these dreams and intuitions but we don't exactly see them coming to fruition. Like how she right off says she knows she will kill Parker soon, but through the whole book that never happens. Then she knows something is up with Shaynie, but nothing comes of that either.

-What does Arien want with Pru? We know he wants to know who the Great Wolf is and all, but it sure seems like he has a thing for Pru, and somehow Allie finds out. How exactly did she find out?

-Josie just disappears off of the face of the planet. Who knows what happens to her?

I just have so many questions about the characters in the book! You don't want to leave an awful amount of questions and open ends even in a series. It makes it hard to read and a little on the unbelievable side. This novel just needs some cleanup work. The idea is great and it could be a five star book easily with some work!  Instead, I am forced to give it 3.5 stars.  However, the potential is definitely there!

Hollow Pit (A Pushed World Novella: Book One) by Tim O'Rourke

   If any of you have ever read any of the Kiera Hudson books and have any idea just who Jack Seth is then you will enjoy this book.  It brings out a whole new side to Jack that you haven't seen that much of if you read the first Kiera Hudson series.  Although we are always aware that he is a complicated character, for a while I also just thought that he was a cold-blooded killer.  He is a wolf.  And the wolf tends to rule those that it lives within.  The wolf loves gruesome killing.  But in this book we see Jack desperately trying to overcome the wolf who is clamoring to get out and take over once again.  But Jack doesn't want to go back to that life, even if this life is a new one because he was pushed (killed).  He and Nik, his younger brother, end up here in a wasteland that looks like the apocalypse happens.  Following some railroad tracks brings nothing but more wasteland for a long ways.  They are both thirsty and starving.  The interesting thing is that their eyes no longer burn with the smolder having the wolf within brings.  At first you wonder if maybe their other side has gone, but it isn't, not in Jack anyway.  The voice in his head comes back loud and clear.  As for Nik, one just has to wonder.  The first people the two of them come upon are a sheriff and a girl, both ripped to shreds.  Apparently even in this new world they live in, there are monsters, possibly other wolves or the Vampyrus that were in the Hollows.  They keep traveling and find a small "town" with people who are terrified of the monsters outside.  They live in a place surrounded by a wall of debris that has been welded together to keep things out.  This poor town offers them food and a room in return for help around the town where it is needed.  They end up helping the people fix the wall, but get a huge surprise when they find out what the town deputy is and what she is hiding.  What's worse is the horrific murder that happens while Jack and Nik are there.  It is obviously a monster that did it.  The question is what type?  Nothing is as it seems in this novella.  And for it to be a short story, not only does it pack a punch but it has its surprises!  

Hand of Miriam (A Bayla and the Golem Novel) by Eva Gordon

   Steampunk, Victorian, with a little mix in of Goth, Hand of Miriam is a mixture of novel I am personally not familiar with, but very much enjoyed reading.  And it even added some supernatural with werewolves, vampires, wraiths, with the main points of interest being angels and demons.

   Bayla Gideon is on an archaeological expedition when her husband dies and she is the only survivor to the freak storm that happens.  During this time Bayla is branded with the Hand of Miriam, an all seeing eye that can sense evil and allows her to know the thoughts of others when left uncovered.  Desperate to keep herself alive while creatures ranging from rogue werewolves to demons try to attack her, she awakens the Golem in the archives at her home and frees him from his curse.
      In Jewish legend a golem is a clay figure brought to life by magic. 
The Golem is named Gesher.  He was a fallen angel that was made into a Golem to serve whoever awakened him.  Because Bayla allows Gesher to destroy the very thing that awakened him, he is now able to change from the scary and imposing clay man into a more normal looking man, although he still has the hardened body of a warrior and has scars where his wings used to be.  Because he fought the angel of death to keep a child from dying in a family that had already lost so much, he was stripped of his wings and sent to Earth as the Golem.  However,  there was the possibility of his returning to Heaven one day should he redeem himself.  That was all good until he went and fell in love with the beautiful, independent, and head strong Bayla Gideon.  Now he must make the decision to either stay on Earth with her or return to Heaven.  Before it had been an easy choice.  Now he found himself thinking he didn't want to live without her.
   The Hand of Miriam had not only given her the power to discern evil where it was present, but also the gift of immortality, if she could keep herself alive.  She was not immune to illness or accident.  That is why she needs Gesher, but her feelings for the tall and crazy handsome fallen angel are causing her to want him to stay permanently on Earth.  But she refuses to be the one that keeps an angel on Earth.  Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose killing prostitutes within the city and someone is killing female vampires as well.  The killer has been named Jack the Ripper and Bayla starts suspecting that perhaps even one of the Grigori, a secret society which even involves Queen Victoria and all things supernatural, might be the culprit.  She has no idea just how deep it will go and just how in danger she is.  Gesher has his work cut out for him keeping Bayla safe from those that would do her harm.

   As I said before, this novel is a very different read from my norm.  But if you like all things paranormal/supernatural, angels and demons type thing, then you should try this book out.  With a hint of spooky and a hot fallen angel, it is sure to keep your attention.  I do find it a very strange element to the story that Bayla has to keep her hand uncovered for the marking to work.  And the fact that it can be fooled as well, it is just very difficult to do so.  But the dirigibles, strange machines, and unconventionality of the story really work for it!

Apocalyptic Moon by Eva Gordon

   Dr. Dora Adler loved what she did.  She enjoyed helping people.  In fact, she was pretty much married to her work.  No time for relationships and men.  Not when she worked constantly and her shifts could be any time of the day and night.  Then the dreaded Z-Phage struck, turning tons of people into zombies.  When it does, Dora is stuck diagnosing those with the early stages of the virus.  She has a particular gift at being able to discern who has it in the early stages when others cannot.  Everything changes when she is bitten by one of the zombies inside of the hospital.  When she doesn't turn, she's taken to a facility to run tests on her to try and find a cure.  Their tests are more like torture to Dora than anything else.  She had endured countless bites to see if she would ever turn.  While there, she meets the very hot Dirk Gunderson.  He is definitely hotter than any romance novel she has ever read.  Until he tells her he is a werewolf.  Then she starts doubting his sanity.  After he tells Dora she's a witch, she's sure he is deranged.  Proof of what he is seems easy enough, but it scares her.  And after having to come to terms with what Dirk is, it's not so far fetched to think she is a witch with her strange abilities.  Like her ability to sense the virus on anyone before symptoms really present themselves.  Oh and the mind talk thing she can do with Dirk.  Mr. Bad Boy/Playboy likes Dora too.  Maybe too much.  He has never been tied down and never wanted to be until Dora came into the picture.  But first they must escape.  There will be tons of trials ahead of them.  But they are both determined to get back to their families and to safety.  On the way they'll fight countless zombies, other lycans, and even their own growing feelings for each other.  As much as he wants to mark her as his mate, if he does, Dirk could start a huge pack war.  Being an Alpha and next in line, certain things are expected of him.  Mating with a powerful witch and having offspring that could do who-knows-what is not one of them.  Marking her could be more dangerous than the hordes of zombies they face on a daily basis.  Still, Dirk isn't sure just how long he can hold out before making Dora his.

   This book is zombies, werewolves, witches, and romance wrapped all in one!  It packs all of your hideous zombie movies in with some serious Wolverine-type werewolf action while throwing in some definite steaminess to it!  Besides it overplaying Star Trek quotes a little too much, it is a great read for those of you into the paranormal and sci-fi books!  Who doesn't like a little forbidden love?  Dirk and his kind are dangerous, very dangerous, but he is the only chance of Dora finding her brother and niece.  He is also the only way to find out more about what she really is.  Watching their struggles to survive along with the struggle with their feelings is one rather exciting adventure!

Love's First Bite Boxed Set

 

 There is a new boxed set out that you can get for a little Valentine's Day romance that is only .99 for right now!!  It has six books in it by Cynthia Eden, Vivi Anna, Michele Hauf, Patrice Michelle, Erica Stevens, and Jordan Summers.  A sweet deal on this set!

If you are looking for some vampire or paranormal romance, then here is the book set for you!  (not recommended for anyone under age 18 due to graphic content in some of the books)





The Wolf Within by Cynthia Eden
-Werewolves and vampires, and a paranormal unit that specifically works crimes happening due to rogue vamps and weres.  There are some real surprises in this one!

The Vampire Affair by Vivi Anna
-A reporter who will go to unknown lengths to get her story, including doing some naughty acts with a businessman/vampire she is trying to get the scoop on.  This one is more "gettin it on" and in some very public places more than it is a well rounded story.  But if you are looking for something hot and heavy then this is it!

The Dark's Mistress by Michele Hauf
-A super dark tale about a girl that  is under the Devil himself's coercion.  She is a vampire and any mortal she bites, she takes their soul, holding it in her heart for the Devil.  Then she meets this hot rocker and wants him to try to save her from the evil one.

A Taste for Passion by Patrice Michelle
-Another very hot and heavy book!  Girl meets vampire.  Vampire thinks that she is his long lost, reincarnated fiance'.  And Mr. Hot Vampire gets all in her dreams, interrupting them so that all she can think about is him!  A few twists in this one as well!

Captured by Erica Stevens
-A world where vampires rule and humans have become the subservient, the slaves, or just outright on the run from them.  They have taken over and some humans are captured and just drained while others become blood slaves.  One girl is captured and becomes the blind prince's blood slave.  His treatment of her is different though and he has secrets of his own!  A true romance!

Paris After Dark by Jordan Summers
-I have not personally read this one yet because of time constraints, but with more detectives and vampires, it's got to be good as well!!

Vampires Rule (Rule Series Book 1) by K. C. Blake

   Yes when I first saw this book the title jumped out at me as corny at best, and only more than a little over played.  But I finally decided to give this book a try and it was much better than my expectations.  My expectation was a Twilight rerun.  But Vampires Rule had an interesting story line and I wouldn't mind reading the complete series.
 

   In the beginning of the book, Jack is a vampire.  A 17-year-old boy forever stuck at that age.  Never to grow old and never to even feel the heat of the sun again.  He was turned ten years before when his mother and father and he were killed by a werewolf.  Luckily there had been vampires nearby and they turned him.  In a stroke of luck, or possibly fate, he is mauled by a werewolf in a cemetery while trying to save a teenage girl.  Turns out she didn't need saving, but he might.  Being scratched by a werewolf was a death sentence to a vampire and to a human it was the curse of becoming what had injured them.  Silver, the girl Jack was trying to save, takes him to her house to heal.  She saved him from the werewolf.  Silver is one powerful hunter that has the power to suck the souls out of werewolves.  And she was destined to meet Jack.  It is all written in a diary from long ago.  Strangely enough, because of his injury, Jack turns back into a human.  But not a normal human.  Unfortunately some of his powers, along with a few new ones, would be returning to him.  He would have some vampire powers as well as some werewolf powers.  Why?  Because he and Silver were not only meant to meet and be together, but they were meant to take down the head werewolf.  In killing the oldest werewolf, that would make all others into regular humans again.  But being human is much harder than Jack thought.  He is tempted to go back to his vampire family on more than one occasion.  Even going back to finish high school is hard.  His temper is out of control and he has to deal with his would-be younger brother that has now taken the roll of parent basically.  Billy, his brother, is under a lot of stress and continually hopes that he doesn't have to kill Jack.  Billy's afraid of Jack to some degree.  He knew what he was before Jack came back home.  Then there is Silver.  Jack is crazy about her but feels like he is putting her in even more danger since everyone seems out to get him.  Can he balance his crazy life, the revenge he wants for his family's death, and find the head werewolf?

   It is especially interesting in this book to see how vampires and werewolves were created, and who created them.  The reasoning behind it was rather selfish.  My question is why would you create both of these factions and then write in a diary about visions of ending werewolves and vampires after you were the one who had created them?  This is a question that there is no answer to in this book.  The woman behind all of this is rather vague and we don't know a whole lot about who she was.  Then watching Jack struggle with being some kind of destined super human is definitely worth the read.  When he becomes human, he feels even more alone than when he was a vampire.  No one seems to really understand him.  Those close to him seem to fear him.  Others want to kill him.  And the only other person besides Silver that he feels close to and connected to turns out to be his mortal enemy.  And his enemy warns him that Silver brings trouble with her wherever she goes.  In fact, at the end of the book, Jack receives another sinister warning about Silver from an unexpected source.  Just another thing to add to the pot of complicated that has become his life.


*image via K.C. Blake
   

City of Fallen Angels (Book Four of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare)

  He could tell what they were thinking. "Vampire, Downworlder, enemy" was written all over their faces.

    It's the fourth book in this ever-lengthening series.  To be honest, the length of this series is already rivaling
The Twilight Saga.  But, amazingly, our attention is still held.  Instead of this book being all about Clary and Jace, it's more about Simon.  I like that fact that he is given the spotlight for a while.  After all, the guy deserves it.  He fell in love with his best friend, watched her fall into the most dangerous world imaginable, watched her heart break over Jace at various times throughout the series, then have his heart broken by her because she didn't and never would love him, became a vampire, became a Daylighter, and now has the Mark of Cain (which Clary put on him, to save his life).  The guy has been through hell and back and unfortunately in this book, he's back in hell, figuratively speaking.
   Simon is now dating Maia and Isabelle, but they don't know that.  He is trying to keep them from finding out about each other until he can figure out what to do.  At the same time he is dealing with being a vampire and the thirst for blood that it brings with it.  He is starting to feel very alone and the curse of the mark is hanging heavily on him.  The one time that he tries to explain to his mother what he is, she freaks out.  So he leaves his house and starts staying at Kyle's house, the newest band member.  Unbeknownst to Simon, Kyle is a werewolf, and Maia's ex.  In what seems like the worst night ever for Simon, he bites someone close to him, his two girlfriends find out about each other, and Maia meets Kyle again.
   The Mark of Cain was meant to be a curse to the original wearer, Cain.  Unfortunately, Simon is feeling the heavy burden of the curse as well.  No one can harm him without being killed.  And now that everything has gone crazy, his loneliness has no boundaries.  Everyone who knows of the mark he wears, wants Simon as an ally, but no one wants to be there for him.  They are all wrapped up in their own lives to notice the trouble he is having.

"You're a vampire.  It's in your nature to want to drink blood.  You've held out a long time without doing it.  I know you can walk in the sun, Simon, and so you pride yourself on being a normal human boy, but you're still what you are.  Just like I am.  The more you try to crush your true nature, the more it will control you.  Be what you are.  No one who really loves you will stop."


*image via Cassandra Clare
*quotes via Cassandra Clare

Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

   Tara Godfrey was a teenager in high school with a chronic case of of cold chills and goosebumps that
came and went.  As much as she had complained to her mother about it while growing up, her mother's only reply would be that her family chilled easily.  And yes indeed it was a family affair.  Soon she would find out why she had these strange chills.
   One night Tara was at a pool hall with her boyfriend,George.  Tara had finally decided to end their relationship.  It had been coming for a long time anyway.  But she told him she would find her own way home and ended up being left without an option besides taking a bus.  While walking to the bus stop she is attacked.  A girl suddenly transforms into a huge wolf right in front of her!  If she had not seen it for herself, she wouldn't have believed it!
"No way. It was impossible.  People couldn't be...wolves.  That was a myth.  A way for Hollywood to cash in."
Somehow she survives the attack and kills the other girl, or wolf. Whatever.  During the whole episode she meets a handsome stranger, named Wes, who confirms what had just happened as being real.  She goes into shock and he temporarily wipes her memory.
   The next morning Tara wakes up to an aching body and no remembrance of the night before.  The only evidence besides her aches are a torn shirts and some scratches on her torso.
"The shirt was torn in several places, the silky fabric hanging by threads.  So I stared at it, an uneasy feeling washed over me.  A picture flashed in my mind: me, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, hair disheveled and sticking out, the tattered shirt hanging off my shoulders and exposing my ribs on either side.  Bloody scratches showed through the tears in the fabric."
Wes suddenly shows up in the doorway to her room, somehow, to explain a little about the night before.  He ends up giving her memories back to her since she remembers nothing, but is puzzled about her since, to him, she seems like a Hunter, but yet different.  Wes is a Werewolf and Tara is some kind of Hunter.  A Werewolf killer.  And their world is very complicated.
   A Hunter kills Werewolves, or Weres for short.  There are many Weres out there that are not kind to humans and are killers themselves.  So Hunters are there to protect humans from them.  With their inhuman strength and skill, not to mention their gifts that some have, even a Hunter is almost no match for them.  Most Hunters are trained from a very young age, but Tara has been hidden away all of these years, oblivious to the war that has been raging between Hunters and Werewolves.  But there is hope yet.  A small faction called The Cause is trying to work towards peace between the two.  And it seems that Wes and Tara both will play an integral part of it.  But first she must dodge a hostile uncle, who helps reveal to her the true blood lines that run in her veins, and in the veins of Wes as well....dirty blood.  Oh and those chills?  Consider it a Hunter's warning:

"The feeling you have right now is something every Hunter feels when a Werewolf is nearby, so you aren't caught off guard."


   A different take on Werewolves, this story spins a little different tale than most.  Instead of vampires being the ones to war with the Weres, it's Hunters: protectors of the human race.  In this world vampires don't even exist.  Tara is a Hunter and doesn't even know it.  Her mother and father were beings she couldn't even begin to imagine existed, and she has been hidden away from that world.  Her father died long ago, and at the hands of a relative.  So her mother has been keeping her as safe as she knows how.  Because of her heritage, she would have always been in danger.  Now Tara must come to terms with who she is for her own sake.  Otherwise, her life could be forfeit, because Werewolves will keep coming for her.  To add to it all, she must choose a side; work with The Cause or not.  And try not to fall in love with what could be the enemy....oops....too late.
   Questions, questions, questions.  It's a good thing there are more books after this one, because I myself had numerous questions about just about everything.  Like why is a werewolf bite still deadly to Tara? (and you will find out why I say that)  Will she end up with Wes? And what about the cousin?   Those are just a few.  We shall see what answers lie ahead!



*images via Heather Hildenbrand
*quotes via Heather Hildenbrand

Super Moon

Alright all my little werewolf buffs out there, are you ready for the super moon this weekend?  Looks pretty awesome!

http://news.yahoo.com/supermoon-rises-weekend-night-sky-sunday-105859644.html

Silver Moon by Rebecca A. Rogers

   It's a bad day when you find out that in a few short months you're going to "wolf out" and become some crazed feral animal that won't even realize who you are or the others around you.  To make a bad day turn into a hideous day all you need to add into the mix is how your family and the guy you're falling for's family have been mortal enemies for like forever.  Yep, that is an awful day.  And Candra Lowell just had that day.
   Candra had always been somewhat "delinquent" and after she was arrested for a little vandalism, her parents decide it was best for her to go live with her aunt and uncle in Connecticut.  She feels like they are just dumping her on someone else since they can't seem to handle her anymore.  They leave her there in a strange house with people she barely knows anything about.  Almost immediately she has strange dreams of a man trying to tell her she needs to leave and constantly sees glowing eyes watching her from the forest line outside of the house.
"I hear the words drifting around me and into my ears 'There's nothing for you here.  Go back.  Those close to you will pay the price.  You must leave."
   Then there's school.  As soon as she gets there, everything starts going wrong.
"High school.  The worst part of my life.  Some say it's the best, but I wonder what planet they're from.  If I can get through the long days without any morons making fun of the new kid, then I suppose it might be tolerable."
But Conard High School is hardly tolerable to Candra, who's a senior.  "Everyone knows when fresh meat has arrived."  Her English class rolls around on her first day of school and her teacher seats her by the very attractive Benjamin Conway. Before she can even reach her seat she trips and falls on her face right in front of him.  While everyone else laughs, he does not.  Although everyone seems to be openly talking and laughing about Candra, she ends up meeting Blake and Jana who quickly become her only friends.
   It doesn't take long for Ben's brothers, Cameron and Ethan, to pick out just who Candra Lowell is and to start making her life more of a living hell than it already is.  Thanks to Ben, things don't get too out of hand until Candra pushes Cameron out of a window in the middle of school.  He may have deserved it, but she is totally freaked out that she was able to cause such damage.  Little does she know that the changes have already started and there are many others around her who know more about her than she knows about herself.
"Oh, Candra, it's painful how little you know.  You have no idea what's about to happen to you, yet everyone around you does." - Cameron (right before he finds himself being pushed through a window)
   Candra's aunt and uncle finally have to sit down and tell her about her heritage.  She, like her parents and her aunt and uncle, is a werewolf.  Everyone has their first change when they turn 18 and they receive a special power.  No one knows what it is until then or possibly later.  And then there's the whole thing with Ben's family.  So their families hate each other.  Ben's family is power hungry and has been dabbling in some very dangerous magic.  But Ben seems so different.  He cares for Candra enough to mark her, which she doesn't really understand either.  Of course she had to go and fall in love with her mortal enemy.


   I never understood why two people have to go and fall in love with each other before they find out how much their families hate each other.  But it has happened again.  (Perhaps it's fate?) This time instead of a feud between vampires and werewolves, it's between two very old werewolf families.  In this series you don't have to be bitten to turn into one.  It's in the genes.  You don't get a choice in the matter.  It is definitely a non-traditional fantasy novel and because of that I like it.  To mix it up even more, the werewolves have magic.  It is the source of the power they receive.  But one family decides to abuse magic and it can only wreak havoc on those around the area.  (SPOILER ALERT)- While everyone seems to believe the problem is the Conway family, the actual problem stems back to the ancient one named Alaric.  He pays the town a little visit and causes more problems.  Like they don't already have enough.  Ancients are not really supposed to get involved in such disputes.
   Candra is a confused teenager who finds out her true genes.  But when she does things start making more sense to her.  Once she gets used to the idea of becoming a werewolf, it doesn't sound so bad anymore.  Keeping her safe is proving to be her family's biggest challenge.  Ben is from a family of werewolves who will do anything to take down the Lowell's.  They want all of the power and don't care how they get it.  As ruthless as his family seems, Ben is not like them.  However, he does have his dark side and his reasons for it.  Candra just has to learn to see past that.
   While the book has some repetitive themes in it (romeo and juliet), it is a great story.  The way the author slowly unfolds the story makes you want to read all three of the books in the series.  You never find out all of the information at one time.  It's a great series, but if you read the first one, you should read it to the very end to see the true depth of it all.  Things are never what they seem.  And it's true in this story as well.  The forces of evil have wound themselves right into the middle of the feuding and it stems from ages back.

"All of us are God's creatures...just some are more creature than others."-Unkown


http://www.rebeccaarogers.com/


*image via Rebecca A. Rogers
*quotes via Rebecca A. Rogers

Prince of Wolves (Grey Wolves Series Book 1) by Quinn Loftis

   Seventeen-year-old Jacque Pierce sat at her window watching the Henry's house across the street.  They
were expecting an exchange student tonight and in a town of only 700 people it was a great piece of news for her and her friends, Sally and Jen.  What was even better was that the exchange student was a guy.  She watched a limo pull up and the most beautiful guy she had ever seen stepped out.
 "When you say gorgeous" Jen started, "are we talking Brad Pitt boyish good looks, or Johnny Depp make ya want to slap somebody?"
 "No we're talking Brad and Johnny need to bow down and recognize..."
Before he stepped into the Henry's house he looked straight up to her window and it felt like he was staring straight into her eyes...
   Fane was a Romanian and the "crown prince" of the huge grey wolf pack that his father was the alpha of.  Fane was next in line to be alpha.  Because of this he was covered in markings that looked like tattoos on the back of his shoulder coming all the way around to the front of his body.  It was to show all other wolves his stature in the pack.  He never thought that coming to America would change his life so drastically.  Then he saw Jacque the night of his arrival.  Fane knew almost immediately that she was his one and only mate.  Wolves only have one mate and its for life.  Mates can speak into each others minds and they both wear matching puzzle-piece type marks, although the female's marks are usually on a more hidden area (such as the back).  The only problem is that Jacque does not even know that werewolves are real.
   Jacque, on the other hand feels like she might be losing her mind.  Fane starts to speak to her mind and it freaks her out.  Then she finds out that it is Fane speaking to her and after about a day of knowing who he is she is feeling insanely jealous of any other girl flirting with him.  It takes a very short time for Jacque to fall completely in love with Fane.  But there are so many things she does not know or understand about who he is and even who she is.  It is unknown to her for a while that she also carries grey wolf blood through her veins.  Her father was a full blooded grey wolf and left her mother before she could tell him she was pregnant.
   Not long after arriving, Fane finds out that there is a pack of grey wolves around the area Jacque lives in.  There is no record of them, which is going against the laws of the wolves.  The pack leader named Lucas says that he has already claimed Jacque as his future mate.  Fane assures him that he could prove Jacque was not Lucas's true mate.  The markings had suddenly appeared on Jacque's back soon after Fane arrived.
   Things are changing so quickly that Jacque has a hard time keeping up.  Her mom lied to her about who she really was, she was a mate to Fane who could converse with her just with their minds, she is already crazy about him and some other wolf is trying to claim her.  She was feeling very overwhelmed.
   Things got complicated when Lucas challenged Fane for bonding ceremony.  There would be a fight to the death between the two of them.  Whoever was the victor would be bonded to Jacque in a special ceremony.  Fane's parents were being flown in to assure the fairness of the fight.  In less than a week's time, everything changed for them both.

   A very classic tale of two young adults falling madly in love.  The only difference being that this was forever.  In a world where relationships are very temporary, this is somewhat unusual.  But then again, there are many animals in the wild that do mate for life.  And the two of them do have animal blood running through their veins.  Their relationship develops overnight and it leaves Jacque reeling.  She was lied to by her mother for her whole  life because her mother had hoped she would live a normal life.  I would have been pretty stressed out and confused too had I been in the situation.  It's crazy to most of us that we would meet someone and instantly be in love with them and want to be with them forever.  But so is the world of the grey wolves.  This is their way.  To add to the stress on Jacque's life, she will have to move to Romania with Fane because he will be taking over the pack someday.  Then there's the whole bonding ceremony.  Saying some vows and such is not so bad.  But then again they also have to bite each other too.  Wow.  Now that is not really what you call traditional.  But it's the final way for Fane to mark her so no other can claim her as their own.  And  it will ease his aggressiveness.  The unmated males are very aggressive.  It's the female that balances them out.  But once it is performed, if one of them dies, so does the other.
   One of my favorite parts of the book:
"When a wolf lives so many years without his mate he can become volatile and aggressive.  The reason the female Canis Lupus are so precious is because they balance out the male's violent nature.  They bring peace to the battle that is constantly raging inside the wolf, especially the dominant ones..."

                                                   http://www.quinnloftisbooks.com/


*quotes via Quinn Loftis
*images via Quinn Loftis