Sunday Review: His to Possess by Opal Carew

Title His to Possess

Author Opal Carew

Published March 18, 2014

Source Net Galley in exchange for an Honest Review

Purchase Links Amazon  B & N

Blurb

Jessica’s life was in ruins…until she met him. 

Standing in the rain feeling lost in a new city, with no job and no prospects, she’s about to give up.  Until Dane Rainier pulls up in his limo and offers her a ride—and sweeps her into the life of her dreams.  Now she has a high-powered job and is having the best sex of her life, exploring her submissive side under the masterful hand of a gorgeous billionaire.

But there’s a part of her that’s still holding back.  Because the truth is, she’s never gotten over her ex-boyfriend Storm.  A heavily muscled, motorcycle-riding rock musician, Storm couldn’t be any more different from Dane… and she just can’t get him out of her head. 

Now Storm is about to reappear and turn her whole world upside down.  Both Dane and Storm make her body burn to be possessed, but will her indecisive heart cost her the love of both men?

Review

Jessica Dane and Rafe, wow what great characters! I really  loved this story. I stayed up until 1:30 am reading it cause I just couldn't put it down. This is the first story by this author that I have read and I can deff see myself finding more books from her. 

There was only one thing about this book that I didn't 'love' and that was the description of Dane and Rafe. They were just very perfect in every way. Nice, big, and, well endowed. I know books are supposed to bring our fantasies alive but I do like the believability that can be shared with the average every day man.

What I loved about this book is the fast paceness of it. I loved that there wasn't any 'fluff.' I loved that when I would finish one page I was compelled to turn to the next and not put it down.

The authors descriptions were done very wonderfully and I loved that each of the characters had some flaw about them.

Overall this book I think gets a 4.5 star rating and I can't wait to read more by Opal Carew.

Fire & Ice Book Tour Guest Post: Parricide by S. Briones Lim

Virtual Book Tour Dates: 4/7/14 – 4/14/14
Genres: Horror/Vampire/Urban Fantasy

Please welcome, S. Briones Lim and her guest blog!!

Bite Me

Creatures of the night. Dark, dangerous and sexy.

For centuries vampires have been long feared and somewhat admired. Like a forbidden apple, the mythological creatures have a somewhat alluring pull. You know they’re bad, but you just can’t help but love them, right? 

From sparkling vegetarians to ruthless killers, vampires cover a wide breadth in the genre. As a supernatural/paranormal lover (seriously, I love all things that go bump in the night!) choosing a vampire as my main character was a no brainer for me. 

Parricide’s Stanley Heckley is a man who is so broken that he succumbs to an almost evil plan of revenge. What drives this urge of vengeance isn’t just his species, but also an unconditional love for his family. Stanley has a certain vulnerability that many vampires are known to have, including an intense thirst for blood, but also weaknesses to mundane objects and perhaps even a hatred for himself. This is where the similarity stops. 

Recently, vampires have been made to look somewhat weaker than their predecessors. With Parricide, I wanted to bring back the old school vampire – the horrifying killer that vampires were born to be! However, I also wanted to add a touch of humanity that makes my readers relate to him and almost pity him. Pitying a vampire? Unheard of! However, with Parricide I hoped to make this paradox a reality. My only wish is that my readers feel for Stanley as much as I do. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sexy vampire caressing their neck? Just don’t mind the blood!

Blurb:

Stanley Heckley’s world was torn apart the night his wife and infant daughter were murdered by his wife’s ex-lover, James Gandy. Left with no family to call his own, Stanley is consumed with rage and thirsts to exact revenge in the only way he thinks is fair – to kill Gandy’s entire bloodline.  Unfortunately for Stanley, his timid personality and good conscience makes killing a difficult task to accomplish.
Tormented by his inability to avenge his family, Stanley seeks the help of a distant acquaintance known simply as the vampire, Geoff. Touched by Stanley’s plight, Geoff takes it upon himself to give Stanley a thirst for blood and the talent to kill. As a newly turned vampire, Stanley joins Geoff on a complex mission of murder and vengeance as they hunt each member of the Gandy family one by one, wiping the entire bloodline from existence.
Or so they thought.
Over a century later, Stanley learns that a dire mistake has left one Gandy alive. Once again faced with the monsters of his past, Stanley finds himself returning to his hometown of Meyers to hunt the remaining descendant, Amanda.  From the get-go, Stanley’s mission is plagued with many obstacles including a new henchman for Geoff, a ghost of a young, sadistic girl, and the fact that Amanda looks remarkably like his late wife. For this member of the undead, hunting the final Gandy may just be the death of him.

Excerpt:

Stanley

April 9, 1904

“No! Please don’t shoot!” Her voice wavered slightly though she tried her hardest to remain firm and unfazed. Had it not been for the tremor in her tone and the unmistakable trembling of her shoulders, the intruder might have bought her act of valor.
The terrified cries of my wife echoed against the bare wooden walls causing me to run in a panic. I flew down a flight of stairs towards the parlor area and noticed the dim flicker of a single candle illuminating the room. It added an eerie ambiance to what was to be the most horrifying moment of my life.
“Gandy! What do you think you’re doing?! Get your hands off my wife!” I shouted with pure ferocity. I wouldn’t be surprised if the blood vessels in my eyes had burst open given the tint of red that shadowed my vision.
“Well, well, lookit ‘ere who it is,” Gandy slurred drunkenly as he gripped my wife’s strawberry blond hair between his fingers. “It’s Stanley Heckley! Or might I say, the Great Stanley Heckley.” He cackled and peered down at my wife.
My eyes fell instantly onto Christiana’s tear stained face. I made an attempt to rush forward, however, she shook her head slightly and mouthed, “Go! Save Katie.”
My stomach wrenched as I pictured our three-month-old daughter hidden under the floorboards in the main room upstairs. She was safe – for now.
I cleared my throat and stood up straighter. Holding my hands out as a final plea, I said as calmly, but with as much authority as I could muster, “Gandy, please put down the gun. You had a little too much to drink tonight and I promise that if you walk out of here this instant, I will not tell the authorities of this little incident.”
I braced myself for his reaction and was surprised to hear a hearty chuckle in response. Christiana winced as he continued his belly laugh and pulled tightly against her head. Her beautiful braid was now a rat’s nest and I was surprised not to find clumps of her pinkish locks strewn along the floor.
“Do you think you have the right to tell me what to do?” Gandy laughed hysterically. With his gun toting hand he reached up and wiped tears from the corners of his eyes.
“I beg your pardon but I don’t see the humor in this situation,” I growled.
“You want to know what’s funny?” Gandy snapped. “The fact that Christiana here picked you over me. What does she see in you anyway? Nothing but a stack of cash that your daddy gave you.”
I glanced around the room frantically, looking for any escape route. My eyes focused on the window and my mind methodically went over any possible option I had to get my family out of this situation. It was as if everything was running in slow motion, from the flow of my blood through my veins to the harsh beating of my pained heart.
“Are you listening to me?!” Gandy’s hazy voice interrupted my frantic thoughts.
I gulped. “Yes, Gandy.”
His eyes widened as he pointed the barrel toward me. Christiana gasped and began pleading frantically, begging for him to drop the gun. Ignoring her cries, he lifted an eyebrow as he looked me dead in the eye. “It’s yes, sir,” he corrected.
I nodded my head. “Yes, sir,” I replied through gritted teeth.
His lips curled up into a sinister grin and he began pacing the room dragging Christiana along with him. She grabbed at his hand, trying to pry his fingers from her scalp, but was unsuccessful. The gray skirt of her dress, a birthday present from me, dragged behind her, becoming soiled with the dust from the floor.
“Now, I don’t know why you’re stupid enough to come back to town,” he said through gritted teeth. “The folks here were finally steer clear of the Heckleys, yet here you are infesting our town again with your filthy riches. You think your family’s better than all of us here, don’t you? Just because of your blue blood ways.”
“Gandy,” I said in an even tone. It pained me to even speak, my throat dry and parched from fear. “Please leave my property. We’ll deal with this when you’re sober in the morning.”
“This ain’t about being sober! This is about the abomination that your family has bestowed upon the less privileged. That’s why you came back to town now, isn’t it? To take over all the businesses that your greedy father wasn’t able to get his cold, vile hands on! You should have stayed in God knows where you were!”
“It was a mistake to come back,” I agreed as I nodded my head; and good God did I agree. “We only came back to tie up ends concerning my father’s estate. Nothing more.”
“Ah, yes,” he grinned. “That’s right! Your old man croaked a month ago, didn’t he?”
My blood began boiling and instinctively my fists clenched together. “Yes,” I said in a raspy tone. The pain of having lost my father still burned freshly in my heart. Hearing Gandy speak so nonchalantly about his passing made me want to gouge his eyes out. That would have to wait. For now I needed to focus on helping my sweet wife.
I cleared my throat and continued, “We’ll tie up loose ends and leave town immediately.” I gestured towards the room. “We’ll leave this house and never return to it again.” My eyes widened as realization came over me. “Is this what you want? Do you want my property? It’s yours! Take it! Take everything in here!”


Buy Links:

Amazon

Lulu – E-book

Lulu – Paperback

About the Author:

Thanks to her Mom’s unwavering devotion to read a bedtime story to her every single night throughout her childhood years, S. BRIONES LIM’s love for books began before she could even speak.
Raised in Southern California, Author S. Briones Lim initially dreamt of becoming an artist and/or Book Author. A Psychology Degree (Summa cum Laude), a stint in Art School, and a career in Advertising/Media later, she is finally delving back into her first love – books. As a self-renowned bookworm, S. Briones Lim’s love for books has inspired her to pen her own novels and hopes her readers will fall in love with her stories as much as she enjoyed writing them.

Author of the Life Force Trilogy, S. Briones Lim’s other obsessions include time with family, POPCORN, watching movies and her pug, Tobi. She currently lives on the East Coast with her husband and continues to write everyday.

Connect With The Author:

Contact: sbrioneslim.author@gmail.com

Blog 

Facebook Page

Goodreads Page

Giveaway:

Author S. Briones Lim is giving away kindle or nook copies (depending on the winners preference) of her novels Green and Red. Ages 13 and up, open everywhere that is eligible for Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble gifting. The giveaway will run the length of the tour. 

 
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Manic Monday: Sage Blog Tours Presents Donna Baier Stein, Sympathetic People

Sympathetic People
By Donna Baier Stein

Amazon  B & N

Synopsis:

Both the beauty and frailty of human connections are seen in the thirteen stories collected in Sympathetic People. Here are women and men struggling to find love, meaning, happiness in marriage, adulterous affairs, art, meditation, and even the passage from life to death. Longing generated by loss is everywhere--in the death of a son, the end of a marriage, the slide from hope ignited by Neil Armstrong’s moon walk to hopelessness after President Kennedy’s death.

Book Blurbs:

"Donna Baier Stein is a discovery. Her deceptively mild story-telling veers swiftly into the savage but often unacknowledged discontent of suburban life - wives struggling with marital disappointment and missed opportunities, celebrating and often betrayed by unexpected friendships - all explored with language that engages and surprises."
- C. Michael Curtis, Fiction Editor, The Atlantic

"Ms. Baier Stein's stories are powerful in both language and character . . . she balances a fierce wish to love and be loved with the hard reality of loss and failure, yet the yearning does not diminish. A profound accomplishment."
- Elizabeth Cox, author of The Slow Moon, The Ragged Way People Fall Out of Love

"Donna Baier Stein uncovers the sometimes heady glint of danger in relationships in a brilliantly edgy collection of stories that gets under your skin as even as it illuminates love, lust - and everything in between."
--Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and Is This Tomorrow

"Donna Baier Stein writes with the grace and precision of a poet . . . here is a writer who trusts not only herself, but her readers, who will be skillfully guided into coming to their own satisfying conclusions."
--Elizabeth Berg, New York Times bestselling author, most recently of Tapestry of Fortunes

 Author Info:

Donna Baier Stein’s writing has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, Kansas Quarterly, New York Stories, Prairie Schooner, Washingtonian, many other journals and anthologies from Simon & Schuster and The Spirit That Moves us Press. Her short story collection was a Finalist in the Iowa Fiction Awards and will be published, as Sympathetic People, in 2013 by Serving House Books. She has received the PEN/New England Discovery Award for Fiction, a Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars Fellowship, Bread Loaf Scholarship, a grant from the New Jersey Council of the Arts, prizes from the Poetry Council of Virginia, two Pushcart nominations, and an Honorable Mention in the 2013 Allen E. Ginsberg Poetry Awards. Her poetry chapbook Sometimes You Sense the Difference was published in 2012 by Finishing Line Press. One of her stories was performed by Tony-award winning actress Maryann Plunkett at Playwrights Theatre in Madison, NJ. Donna was a Founding Editor of Bellevue Literary Review and founded and currently publishes Tiferet: A Journal of Spiritual Literature (www.tiferetjournal.com.) She is also an award-winning copywriter. Her website is www.donnabaierstein.com.

Links to social media:

www.donnabaierstein.com
https://www.facebook.com/WordsSpiritandYou?ref=ts
https://twitter.com/donnabaierstein
https://twitter.com/tiferetjournal

Sunday Review: Dance in the Moonlight by Amy Kessler

Title: Dance in the Moonlight
Author: Amy Kessler
Source: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review
Purchase Links: Amazon, Smashwords, B & N

Blurb

Renee's life had been normal until the shadows reappeared and the legendary stone was sent to her. As the arrival drags her further into the paranormal world, the last thing Renee expects is to be swept off her feet by a brooding werewolf. Yet Coran captures her heart and attention.

Small problem--he doesn't want a mate.

 

Coran still suffers from the loss of his first mate, but when Renee is attacked by shifters he is forced to protect her at all costs. Things heat up when he realizes fate has wickedly granted him a second chance at love. With the war causing the body count to rise, now is not the ideal time to find a mate.

 

War rages on


The Circle is becoming desperate and something has Lucius worried which means trouble for his followers. It's a dance between danger and fate in this second installment of the Dark War Chronicles.
Review

Once again - Amy nails a winner! This book kept me gripped at the edge of my seat as the characters fought their way through these new situations.

While I enjoyed the first book, this second one was awesome. Amy had a way of keeping me turning the pages and before I knew it I was finished with the whole damn thing. I was like, well damn it's over.

I really like Coran, and the loss he has to move past with the first human mate he had.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters too. Sometimes authors focus so much on the main characters that the enjoyment of the secondary ones is missed. Amy's characters really added to the book and the whole story line in general.

Hopefully Amy won't keep us waiting too much on the third book.

I give this book 4.5 stars .... now Amy just needs to get me book # 3 so I can see what happens!!

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Title: Captain America The Winter Soldier
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Source: Watched it at Movie Tavern


IMDb Description

Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and battles a new threat from old history: the Soviet agent known as the Winter Soldier.

Review

Wow does Marvel know how to put out movies!

As always, when it comes to these 'comic book' movies, I know very little about the 'source' material. All I knew going into this was *** SPOILER *** Bucky was coming back and he was the enemy. I really should think about reading these comics I guess. If they came in novel form, I'd do better with that.

Evans was great. And for deff more than his nice muscles that made staring at him just simply pleasurable. Johansson did an excellent job in her role and I just loved the addition to Anthony Mackie.

One of the first scenes in the movie Evans is fighting Georges St. Pierre also known as Batroc the Leaper. All I gotta say is WOW. That scene was just phenomenal. My husband and I were discussing it and the thing I think I loved the most was the moves looked real, didn't look like stunts and most certainly felt believable.

I was just in awe.

Everything about this movie was fantastic. I felt very connected to all of the characters and the two and a half hours flew by.

Stan Lee was hilarious in it, his cameo's always make me smile.

I love how Marvel's action is always captivating. From the explosions to the drama of the story line and plot.

If you love Iron Man, The Avengers and the first Captain America - then this is a MUST SEE for you.

Five Stars for never letting me down!

The Writers Coffee Shop: Spotlight: Blood Strained Tranquility Blog Tour

Blood Stained Tranquility
The Rise of the Szolites- Part Two 
By 
N. Isabelle Blanco 

Release Date: 27th March 2014

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Available from Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH

Summary: 

The wheels of destiny are spiraling out of control quicker than even the gods can keep up. They all thought they knew what war was like—but have no idea how bad things are about to get. In the continuation of the Szolite series, two of the most dangerous powers in the Universe will be unleashed, threatening to push two fated beings apart.

A normal human girl. . .

Evesse Salazar never imagined that a violent end to her already difficult life would be just the beginning. After being thrown into a vortex, shredded apart, and killed, she is reborn as something more. Something she might not be able to manage. If that weren’t enough, she awakes newly mated to the last being in the Universe she ever would have chosen.

Now, with no other option, Eve must come to terms with her powers, her past, and her mate before he loses control of what might just be uncontrollable.

A god with a monster locked inside. . .

For over eleven thousand years, Zeniel, God of Tranquility, has done everything in his power to keep his other half, the God of Vengeance, from breaking free. A single glance from Mavrak is all it takes to kill those deemed guilty. The wraiths under his command can tear thousands to shreds in an instant, no matter how small their crimes. Zeniel knows he must remain at peace to keep Mavrak at bay, but he’s rendered helpless with one look into the eyes of his mate.

The longing for Evesse is enough to rip the demon out of its cage, and with the Gods on the verge of a cataclysmic war, Mavrak has every intention of gorging on both his mate, and the vengeance he so desperately needs.

Author Bio:

N. Isabelle Blanco was born in Queens, NY (USA). At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began reading and writing. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life.

An avid reader in her teens, her fascination with Japanese anime eventually led her to the universe of fan fiction, which became her on-again, off-again hobby for the next ten years. During that time she amassed a following of fans that, by her own admission, she would never be able to live without. It was those fans who encouraged her to step beyond the fan fiction realm and try her talent in the publishing world.

N. Isabelle Blanco now has three novellas and two full-length novels under her belt, and spends her days working as an author, web programmer, marketer, and graphic designer. Her free time is spent with her “spawn,” as she calls her son, brainstorming for his future career as a comic book illustrator.

Connect with N. Isabelle Blanco on: 

Facebook, Twitter, Blog and Goodreads

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!! 

1-Paperback box set of the series (Book one and two) by N. Isabelle Blanco

2-Paperback copy of Blood Strained Tranquility 

3-e-book copy of Blood Strained Tranquility

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Other novels by N. Isabelle Blanco:

Blood Flows Deep In The Empire

Sunday Review: Blood Stained Tranquility by N. Isabelle Blanco

Title  Blood Stained Tranquility

Author: N. Isabella Blanco
Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Published: March 27, 2014
Source: Free Copy from Net Galley for an honest review
Purchase Link:AMAZON   

Blurb

The wheels of destiny are spiraling out of control quicker than even the gods can keep up. They all thought they knew what war was like—but have no idea how bad things are about to get. In the continuation of the Szolite series, two of the most dangerous powers in the Universe will be unleashed, threatening to push two fated beings apart.

A normal human girl. . .

Evesse Salazar never imagined that a violent end to her already difficult life would be just the beginning. After being thrown into a vortex, shredded apart, and killed, she is reborn as something more. Something she might not be able to manage. If that weren’t enough, she awakes newly mated to the last being in the Universe she ever would have chosen.

Now, with no other option, Eve must come to terms with her powers, her past, and her mate before he loses control of what might just be uncontrollable.

A god with a monster locked inside. . .

For over eleven thousand years, Zeniel, God of Tranquility, has done everything in his power to keep his other half, the God of Vengeance, from breaking free. A single glance from Mavrak is all it takes to kill those deemed guilty. The wraiths under his command can tear thousands to shreds in an instant, no matter how small their crimes. Zeniel knows he must remain at peace to keep Mavrak at bay, but he’s rendered helpless with one look into the eyes of his mate.

The longing for Evesse is enough to rip the demon out of its cage, and with the Gods on the verge of a cataclysmic war, Mavrak has every intention of gorging on both his mate, and the vengeance he so desperately needs.

 

Review

It makes me sad to say this but I was very disappointed by this book. I really loved the cover. It had that BDB feel to it that I love. Which was the sole reason I wanted to read it. Let me first start by saying the things I liked about the book. The writing was good. It was very easy to follow along and the flow and pace were good. I felt like the author did a great job describing the scenes and characters.

What I didn’t like. I honestly feel like this book was reading another version of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s The Dark Hunters mixed with J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. The characters were just so similar. Even their names were similar.

I also think that 3 chapters in a row of nothing but sex was a bit to much. It got to the point of, come on already, what else could they be doing…

I really did want to like this book more but I just couldn’t get past the strong similarities to these other series.

This being said…if you have never read SK or The Warden, then you will probably love this book.

About the Author

N. Isabelle Blanco was born in Queens, NY (USA). At the age of three, due to an odd fascination with studying her mother’s handwriting, she began reading and writing. By the time she’d reached kindergarten, she had an extensive vocabulary and her obsession with words began to bleed into every aspect of her life.

An avid reader in her teens, her fascination with Japanese anime eventually led her to the universe of fan fiction, which became her on-again, off-again hobby for the next ten years. During that time she amassed a following of fans that, by her own admission, she would never be able to live without. It was those fans who encouraged her to step beyond the fan fiction realm and try her talent in the publishing world.

N. Isabelle Blanco now has three novellas and two full-length novels under her belt, and spends her days working as an author, web programmer, marketer, and graphic designer. Her free time is spent with her “spawn”, as she calls her son, brainstorming for his future career as a comic book illustrator.

Author Links

Author Page on TWCS

Author Goodreads

Author Facebook

 

Other Books by the Author