Review of LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC

THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC may be purchased here.

THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC
Patricia Rice

Dylan "Oz" Ozwin has been receiving messages from the mysterious "Librarian" with leads to finding his kidnapped son.  The Librarian has led him to Syrene, a former child singing sensation.  Philippa Seraphina Malcolm James Henderson, who goes by Pippa, doesn't want anyone to know that she was once Syrene.  Pippa has made a life for herself in a small California town and wants to be left alone and to not hurt anyone.  Oz is determined to find his son and no one will stop him.

THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC is an entertaining romance with paranormal elements and an intriguing storyline.  I had a little trouble warming to the hero, because he seemed a little pushy and self-absorbed.  However, as the character is developed, throughout the story, he becomes more appealing.  Even so, my favorite character is Conan, Oz's  computer geek brother.  Pippa is a likable, if tempestuous character, who has cut herself off from almost everyone, with good reason.  Pippa has learned to control her emotions, because of her unique abilities.  When Pippa learns that Oz isn't affected by her voice, it is something of a relief that she can be herself around him.  Pippa and Oz's relationship grows slowly from two people, who distrust each other, to a couple, who trust and love each other.  There is, also, a good mystery about who kidnapped Oz's son, and why he was kidnapped. 

All in all, THE LURE OF SONG AND MAGIC is a nice romance with a neat mystery and lovely characters.  I really hope Ms. Rice writes Conan's story, soon.

NOTE:  I was sent this book, in return for an unbiased review.

                                                                                                                                                             

Review of LOTHAIRE

LOTHAIRE can be purchased here.

LOTHAIRE
Kresley Cole

Lothaire, the Enemy of Old, is one determined vampire and is, totally, focused on his "endgame".  Lothaire seeks to rule the Horde vampires, but before that can happen, he must aid the being whom he thinks is his mate, Saroya.  Saroya, the vampire goddess, has been cursed to only possess humans and has no body truly her own.  Lothaire intends to turn Elizabeth "Ellie" Peirce, the human Saroya has possessed, and get rid of her spirit, so that Saroya can have her body all to herself.  Before Lothaire can do this, he has many things to do, such as obtain a magical ring. Lothaire decides the best place for Ellie is prison, where his enemies want think to look for her, and where she is headed after Saroya goes on several killing sprees using her body.  However, Lothaire doesn't count on Ellie's intelligence and tenacity.

The Immortals after Dark is my favorite series, and I've been waiting for great anticipation for Lothaire's story.   Lothaire is one seriously messed up character, who is driven by revenge and, also, a little mad from all the memories, that he has absorbed by draining his victims dry.  I had trouble seeing how Ms. Cole could possibly redeem Lothaire, but thankfully, she doesn't disappoint.  Lothaire is redeemed, somewhat, but still has a serious edge to him-- he is not someone to mess with.  Elizabeth is one spunky heroine, which she has to be, in order to stand toe to toe with Lothaire.  Elizabeth gets knocked down, but keeps getting right back up and fighting.  There is plenty of action, and intense, hot, love scenes in this novel, and it is not for the squeamish, because Lothaire can be one brutal dude. 

All in all, LOTHAIRE is a great read and makes an excellent addition to the IAD series.

NOTE:  This is my personal copy and I gave an unbiased review.

 

Review of VAMPIRE GENERAL: INTERN WITH THE VAMPIRE

VAMPIRE GENERAL can be purchased here.

VAMPIRE GENERAL
Kit Iwasaki

Aline Harmon, an intern at Weston County Hospital, is having a bad day after listening to Dr. William Rocque, a patient in the ER, about another patient in the ER and getting fired.  Aline's day turns even stranger when Rocque offers her an internship at a hospital, that she has never heard of.  Intrigued, Aline follows Rocque to the hospital and enters a world, that she never knew existed. 

VAMPIRE GENERAL is a unique tale, that reminded me of an episode of ER, with the added bonus of vampires, mermaids, and other paranormal creatures.  Aline is a great character, and I got wrapped up in her story.  The other characters in this story are intriguing and surprising, too. One character, who I thought had villainous tendencies, shocked me by doing something totally heroic.  Aline's shift has so many ups and downs, that it is a real rollercoaster ride, and I found myself rooting for her. 

NOTE:  I was sent this book, in return for an unbiased review.

Check out this giveaway at Tiffany's Bookshelf

Tiffany's Bookshelf: 200 Book Celebration Giveaway: At the beginning of 2011, I set a crazy goal to read and review 200 books this year. Believe it or not, I actually accomplished my goal, an...

Interview and Giveaway with Terry Spear

Terry Spear Interview, Author of Dreaming of the Wolf

Please welcome Terry Spear, author of the Heart of the Wolf series.

          BL:      Will you tell us a little about yourself?

TS: I’m a creature of habit, aren’t we all? I LOVE chocolate. It’s terrible to get such a reputation, but at work (library), my co-workers know that if it’s not chocolate, I don’t eat it. It all started out when I was a baby.

My parents left me alone in the back seat of their car with a chocolate cake to celebrate their 2^nd anniversary. Number one, you do not leave a baby alone in the car. And number two, you do not leave a baby alone with a chocolate cake in the back seat of a car. I had chocolate in my ears, diaper, everywhere. And they couldn’t afford another cake.

I went on from that illustrious beginning to loving vampires after I saw a college play when I was a teen where Dracula was kissing the heroine so seductively and I wanted to be her. And I always loved ghost stories. But then the real world intruded and I had to get a degree and go to work, so after earning my MBA and retiring from the US Army Reserves, I went on to work on what I love best—writing stories. But I also make award-winning teddy bears that have been featured in magazines and found homes all over the world as far away as Australia, Russia, and France!

 \      BL:  What authors have influenced you the most?

TS: Children’s literature—princes rescuing the princesses, or some such romance stories for children. But also I loved Jack London’s White Fang and Call of the Wild. I read my first Norwegian tale also about a polar bear shifter, and loved myths and legends and folk tales from around the world.

3.      BL: What made you choose werewolves, and what are your favorite werewolf characteristics?

TS: I was writing vampires, but the market was so crowded, I decided to write about werewolves, another underdog in the paranormal world. They were much abused in literature as being ill-mannered, beastly, and not at all the loving, sexy, hot characters they truly are. So I wrote them based on real wolves, and that means they’re loyal, protective, family-oriented, and if they’re the good guys, really great guys!

4.      BL: Shifters are my favorite paranormal creature, what are your favorites and why?

TS:  I love both wolf shifters, when they’re wolves, not beastly monsters, and vampires. Both have bite, are hot, (well, in my world even my vampires are; not cold and dead), sexy, and they have a special place in my heart. Reference the underdog.

5.      BL: The heroine of Dreaming of the Wolf has a unique profession; please tell us something interesting you learned about bounty hunting.

TS: I was reading how oftentimes they like to use women bounty hunters to pick up women who have missed their court dates because of the sexual harassment issue. Also, that they really don’t have to have military or police type training to become a bounty hunter. One of the bounty hunters said that he mostly used logic, rather than force to get the perp to go with him.

6.     BL:  What is the most interesting thing you have learned, when doing research?

TS: My favorite real life wolf tale was about a true happily ever after story of love between wolves. A female wolf had a litter of pups she was caring for on her own. Her mate had been killed by hunters, and she was alone, no wolf pack. She would have lost her pups to predators, unable to protect and hunt for them at the same time. A wolf biologist discovered her, and took her into custody along with her pups.

In a compound in the wild, he took care of her, keeping human contact to a minimum until her pups could be old enough to leave the compound with her. But a tree fell during a storm, and crashed down on top of the fence allowing some of the more adventurous wolf pups to escape.

This was dangerous for them, but she never left the den, staying with the remaining pups, but a male wolf began to stay with her pups outside of the enclosure. The pups would return to their mother, then again leave the compound and be with the male. Then when they were old enough, the biologist freed the mother and her pups and the female took the male for her mate, who was already serving as papa for her pups. It truly was a happily ever after. Wolf style.

7.     BL:  Do you have a pet peeve about something in books?  My pet peeve is the TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine.

TS: OH YEAH. Me too!!! I was reading a YA where the girl is going into a cemetery during a terrible storm. No reason. She’s just going. And not only that but she’s telling herself how stupid this is. But she’s going to do it anyway. Right. TSTL heroine. The author kept killing off everyone that you grew to love, but the heroine. SHE had to live through all four books. LOL. Another pet peeve of mine is when an author names all her men women’s names and her women, men’s names. I have a hard enough time keeping names straight in a story! :)

8.     BL:  Will you tell us a little bit about the books, that you are currently working on?

TS: I finished writing the sequel to Heart of the Highland Wolf, this one Ian’s brother Duncan’s story, set in the Grand Cayman Islands (Title TBD). The clan’s still after their stolen money, but Duncan gets distracted when he runs into a female wolf on the island…and him a dark warrior, who NEVER gets distracted by anything!

I’ve also finished up the first book in the jaguar shifter series, which will be in stores next fall. Lots of new research had to be done, and now I’m working on two new wolf tales. The first is Tom’s story. Jake just got his in Dreaming of the Wolf, so Tom’s got to have his! He’s feeling rather glum that his two older brothers have mates and babies are on the way. He goes into the mountains to try and track down a wolf that’s hunting sheep, werewolf or wolf, they don’t know, and he ends up at the pack’s cabin in a blizzard, when an angel falls from the sky…kinda.

And I’m working on the second oldest Highland brother’s story, Cearnach’s in The Highland Wolf Wedding. Normally happy-go-lucky, he’s determined to go to a wedding for his former girlfriend who is marrying into an enemy’s clan, until an American wolf runs him off the road. And that’s when things go from bad to worse in a heartbeat.

And I’m working on the opening of the 2^nd jaguar story, Maya’s story, sister of the hero in the first story. So lots of good wolves and jaguars coming!

Thanks so much for taking the time to do an interview!

DREAMING OF THE WOLF by TERRY SPEAR—IN STORES DECEMBER 2011

A fierce hunter…

Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships—any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.

An animal passion…

However, the mob isn’t entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia and Jake’s passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than defend her—he’ll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Terry Spear has written a dozen paranormal romance novels, with over 60,000 copies sold.  She received a Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year Award in 2008 for Heart of the Wolf.  A retired officer of the U. S. Army Reserves, Terry is a librarian by day.  She lives in Crawford, Texas. For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com.

GIVEAWAY  (US AND CANADA ONLY)

Danielle from Sourcebooks has kindly offered two copies of DREAMING OF THE WOLF.  To enter simply leave a comment with a valid e-mail address.  Giveaway ends midnight January 10th.

  

Review of DREAMING OF THE WOLF

DREAMING OF THE WOLF can be purchased here.


DREAMING OF THE WOLF
Terry Spear 

   

Alicia Greiston, a bounty hunter after the mobsters responsible for her mother's death, is surprised when a stranger insinuates himself into a conflict with one of the mobsters. The stranger, Jake Silver, who just happens to be a werewolf, can't let anything happen to the beautiful woman. When he starts dreaming of Alicia, Jake thinks that she might be his mate. Unfortunately, the mobsters are still in the picture and very dangerous.

Shifters are my favorite paranormal creature and shifter romances are my books of choice. Luckily, Ms. Spear doesn't disappoint with this action-packed, character driven werewolf romance. Once Jake realizes that Alicia is his mate, he is one determined, protective werewolf. Fortunately, Alicia is an intelligent, capable heroine, who has a very unique occupation. The secondary characters are great and Jake's pack gives a real sense of family, and the mobsters are true villains with no redeeming qualities.

All in all, DREAMING OF THE WOLF is a great read, which I recommend to the reader of shifter romances.

NOTE: I received this book in return for an impartial review.

Gift Card Winner

The Gift Card Giveaway was a great success.  Thanks to everyone who participated!   The winner of my $10 Amazon gift card was:












RANDI



Randi has been notified and sent her gift card.


Be on the lookout for my interview and giveaway with Terry Spear at the end of the month.  Hope everyone has a happy holidays! 
 

Review of HOT ZONE

HOT ZONE can be purchased here.

HOT ZONE
Catherine Mann

Amelia Bailey is in the Bahamas to help her brother and his wife with the legalities of adopting a baby boy.   After a devestating earthquake, Amelia and her new nephew are trapped under the rubble that used to be their hotel.  Luckily, Master Sargeant Hugh Franco, a pararescueman, is able to find and rescue them.  Unfortunately, the danger doesn't end there, because Amelia and Hugh witness some activities of a baby smuggling ring.

HOT ZONE is an intense, action-packed, romantic suspense with great characters and a lovely secondary romance.  Hugh is a great hero, who is protective, loving, and strong, but has to work through some issues before he can commit to a relationship.  After his wife and daughter were killed in a plane crash,  Hugh shut himself off, emotionally, and focused on his job, exclusively.  Now, he finds himself slowly developing feelings for Amelia, and he must come to terms with the loss of his wife and daughter.  Amelia makes a great heroine for Hugh, because she is a true fighter and is very protective of her nephew.  Amelia's brother and sister-in-law are, also, dealing with some issues, and the resolution of their issues is poignant and sigh-inducing.

All in all, HOT ZONE makes a great read for the romantic suspense lover.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an impartial review.
   

Gift Card Giveaway Hop

Book Lover and Procrastinator is stop 6 on the hop. I'm giving away a $10 amazon e-giftcard to a lucky follower. Just leave a comment with your GFC follower name. You can get an additional entry by following me on twitter. Just say you do and leave your twitter name in a comment. Please leave an e-mail at which you can be reached. US only. Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Attack of the Book for hosting the hop. Below are the links to the others in the hop, so hop away. Hop starts Dec. 9th and ends Dec. 13th. at midnight cst. I'm posting this early, but please don't enter until the 9th. Hopefully, I will pick and contact the winner within 48 hrs. The winner will have 48 hrs. in which to get back with me. Thanks for participating!

Check out this giveaway at Once Upon a Twitlight.

Once Upon a Twilight!: Giveaway: Simon & Schuster Adult Books Mega Giveaw...: Thanks to Simon & Schuster, we have a amazing offer for you guys today. Simon & Schuster is graciously offering 7 books from their colle...

Winner of the Gratitude Giveaway

The Gratitude Giveaway was a great success.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by and to all my followers.  The winner is:


 SOPHIA ROSE  confirmed and sent

Review of LADY SOPHIE'S CHISTMAS WISH

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH can be purchased here.

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH
Grace Burrowes

Lady Sophie Windham, who considers herself on the shelf, has schemed to get several days to herself in her family's London mansion, before she must travel to Kent for a family Christmas.  Unfortunately, one of the maids deserts her baby in Sophie's care, and Sophie, who knows nothing of babies, is forced to accept the aid of a kind gentleman, Wilhelm "Vim" Lucifer Charpentier.  Vim, who is to one day inherit his uncle's estate, has been traveling abroad for years and has returned to help set the estate to rights.   Unfortunately, some bad memories have made Vim reluctant to return to the estate,  and a baby in need and a snowstorm are good excuses to delay traveling to the estate in Kent.

LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH is a heart-warming, regency romance with endearing characters.  Let me just state, upfront, that I love the characters of Vim and Sophie.  They are made for each other, and the fact, that they are thrown together and, slowly, fall for each other, made it all the more delicious.  Sophie is the sensible one with the heart of gold, who takes in strays.  Vim is a great understated hero--not the usual over the top alpha-- but he still can hold his own, if need be.  Vim can't stand to hear a baby cry, which makes me love him all the more.

All in all, LADY SOPHIE'S CHRISTMAS WISH is the perfect feel-good, sigh-inducing romance read for the holidays--or anytime for that matter.

NOTE:  I was given this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR can be purchased here.

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR
Anita Clenney

Shay Logan has returned to Virginia after nine years, in which she has cut herself off from her best friend, Cody McBain.   Cody, who is a member of an ancient clan of Scottish warriors,  has been fighting demons but is, now, a PI. Unfortunately, the demon, who tried to kill Shay as an infant, is determined to finish the job,  and Cody, who has loved Shay since they were children, is determined to save her.

EMBRACE THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR is an entertaining, action-packed, paranormal romance, which has a captivating plot and is filled with yummy Scotsmen.  Cody is a great hero, who is very protective of Shay, but is forced to keep them apart.  Shay is a strong heroine, who comes into her own by the end of the book after a couple of TSTL (too stupid to live) moments. 
 
Ms. Clenney creates a very intriguing world filled with characters to root for.  The next book in this series can't be released soon enough.

NOTE:  I received this book, in return for an impartial review. 

Review of THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART can be purchased here.

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART
Amanda Forester

Lady Isabelle Tynesdale runs away from the people sent to take her back to her estranged husband.  Isabelle has been under the protection of her uncle, who has recently passed away.  Because she has inherited her uncle's estate, Isabelle fears for her safety from her husband. Isabelle gets seperated from her party, and ,unknowingly, crosses the border into Scotland.  Once there, Isabelle is saved from three brigands by Laird David Campbell, who doesn't believe the yarn Isabelle tells him, but can't desert her, even when he tries.

THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART is one of the best reads of the year.  It is vastly entertaining, and I found myself chuckling through much of the book.  David is a great hero, who has much responsibility, in a time of strife in Scotland.  David has some tough decisions to make, as far as, marriage is concerned, for the good of his clan.  David is a true hero with a good heart and a great sense of humor.  Isabelle is in a great predicament and sets about scheming to get herself out of it.  Many times her schemes go awry, and Isabelle reminded me of Lucy from the I Love Lucy series.  Many of the fixes, Isabelle got herself into, were hilarious.  David and Isabelle make a great couple and David's clan and siblings are great secondary characters.

Do yourself a favor and get THE HIGHLANDER'S HEART.  It's a great romance with lots of humor and endearing characters thrown in.

NOTE:  I was given this book, in return for an unbiased review.

Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop

Book Lover and Procrastinator is stop 167 on the hop.
I'm giving away a $10 amazon e-giftcard to a lucky follower. 
Just leave a comment.  Please leave an e-mail at which you can be reached.  US only.
Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All-Consuming Books for hosting the hop.  Below are the links to the others in the hop, so hop away.  Hop starts Nov. 17th and ends Nov. 27th. at midnight cst.  I'm posting this early, but please don't enter until the 17th.  Hopefully, I will pick and contact the winner within 48 hrs.  The winner will have 48 hrs. in which to get back with me.  Thanks for participating!

Update:  I made a mistake in that there can only be one entry in this hop.  If you already entered to receive two points, please forgive me.  I can only give you one.  Thanks for understanding.

Review of TALL, DARK AND COWBOY

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY can be purchased here.

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY
Joanne Kennedy

Lacey Bradford leaves her hometown in a hurry, after one of her ex-husband's slimy cohorts makes threats, because her ex has disappeared and might have turned states evidence.   Lacey is headed toward the one person, who she thinks might help her, Chase Caldwell. Lacey hasn't seen Chase since high school, when he was always around and had helped her out of a tough situation before.  When Lacey arrives in the small Wyoming town where Chase lives, almost broke and with a car on its last legs, she is surprised at the reception, that she receives from a hunky, but hardened Chase.

TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY is an enjoyable, feel-good read with a yummy hero and a good-hearted, if at times ditzy, heroine.  Chase is a great hero, who has experienced some setbacks which have hardened him a little, but underneath he is a great guy.  Chase has shut himself off from people, in order to protect himself, but after Lacey storms back into his life, he doesn't stand a chance.  Lacey has always allowed someone else to take care of her, but realizes that she needs to be more self-reliant.  While her attempts to stand on her own two feet don't always end well, she does grow and mature throughout the book.

All in all,  TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY is a nice, heart-warming read, which I recommend.

NOTE:  I received this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of The Virtuoso

THE VIRTUOSO can be purchased here.

THE VIRTUOSO
Grace Burrowes

Lord Valentine Windham, the youngest son of a Duke, wins an estate in a card game and decides to set the place to rights, after seeing its neglected state.   After all, Valentine needs something to occupy his time, since he can no longer practice his obsession of playing the piano.  Because of an ailment to his hand which makes playing the piano almost impossible, Valentine has been advised to stop playing until his hand heals.  Once on the estate, Valentine meets the young widow, who lives in the cottage nearby, and there is an attaction between them.  Unfortunately, the widow has secrets and is reluctant to let anyone close to her.

THE VIRTUOSO is an entertaining, historical romance with a great hero, but the heroine isn't my cup of tea.  Valentine, whose whole self-image is wrapped up in his music, is left rudderless when he can no longer play.  Luckily, Valentine has great friends and family, who offer a great support system.  Even so, the time spent without his music becomes a time of self-discovery, and a time to realize, that he is more than just his music.  Valentine is a great hero, who is strong, artistic and sensitive, as well as being very handsome.  Ellen is a beautiful woman, who has known great sorrow in her life.  While I can understand some of Ellen's actions, at a time, when women had no power and were considered property, I wish that she had shown more backbone and revealed her secrets sooner.  With that said, Ellen does seem to be Valentine's perfect match, and they make a a great couple.

NOTE:  I was given this book in return for an impartial review.

Review of THE STORM THAT IS STERLING

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING can be purchased here.

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING
Lisa Renee Jones

Sterling Jeter was forced to join the army and stand up the pretty girl from his hometown, with whom he had a date, Rebecca Burns.  Fourteen years later, these two meet again, but the circumstances have changed drastically.  Sterling is no longer human, after being injected with alien DNA in an effort to create  supersoldiers.  Unfortunately, the supersoldiers have split into two factions:  one bent on world domination and the other opposed to them.  The evil faction is selling a highly addictive drug called ICE.  Sterling and his friends are trying to stop the production of ICE, and Rebecca, an astrobiologist, may be their only hope to find an antidote or immunization for ICE.

THE STORM THAT IS STERLING is an entertaining paranormal romance with a unique premise and great characters.  Although I haven't read the first book in this series, I had no trouble following the storyline.  This book has plenty of action, intrigue, and is filled with yummy supersoldiers.  Sterling, who was raised by an abusive, alcoholic grandmother, makes a great tortured hero.  Sterling is protective, strong, intelligent and is trying to save the world.  What more could you ask from a hero?  Rebecca is his perfect match and equally brave and strong.  I, only, wish that she had been more upfront with Sterling.  While I understand the reasons for her actions, I wish Rebecca would have revealed her secret sooner.   Other than this small quibble, I greatly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series.

NOTE:  I was sent this book in return for an impartial review.

Winner of Spooktacular Giveaway

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  The Spooktacular hop was a great success.  Thanks to everyone for participating.  The winner of the gift card is:





Spaz!!!!

Spaz has been e-mailed and responded. 

SPOOKTACULAR GIVEAWAY HOP

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so let's celebrate!  
Book Lover and Procrastinator is stop 156 on the hop.
I'm giving away a $10 amazon e-giftcard to a lucky follower. 
+2 for old followers
+1 for new followers
Just leave a comment with your points.  Please leave an e-mail at which you can be reached.  US only.

Thanks to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and TheDiaryofaBookworm  for hosting the hop.  Below are the links to the others in the hop, so hop away.  Hop starts Oct. 24th and ends Nov. 1st. at midnight cst.  I'm posting this early, but please don't enter until the 24th.  Hopefully, I will pick and contact the winner within 48 hrs.  The winner will have 48 hrs. in which to get back with me.  Thanks for participating!