Book Review: Hex Hall

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins has been on my shelf for way too long. I bought it when it came out, and I got it signed when I met Rachel, who (btw) is really funny. I'm so glad I have all three books on my shelf though because now I don't have to wait to read Demonglass.

I loved this book so much. Gush, gush, gush... sorry. I can't help it. I'm practically kicking myself that I didn't pick it up sooner. It was such a fun book. Hex Hall was somewhat inspired by the British show, Hex, which I LOVE! And I'm drawn to anything and everything witchy.

Sophie is such a fun character, and she's very easy to relate to. Despite being a witch, she's still very human, making mistakes and going through the troubles that come with being a teen. Getting into trouble, being sent to a school for delinquents by her non-existent father, starting off at that school on the wrong foot. Poor Sophie. But at the same time it's hilarious to watch all that she goes through, and you'll want to root for her.

My only complaint is the way "bad language" was handled. Basically, there is a sentence of dialogue which contains a mildly inappropriate word like "shit" and then the following sentence of internal dialogue goes something like "Well, I didn't say shit. What I said was much worse." I'm sure that's a thing with the editor and/or publisher (instead of the author), but it really annoys me when it comes up. Which, thankfully, isn't often. It pulls me right out of the story. I actually have to pause for a few minutes because it's that ridiculous. Teens curse. It happens everyday. There's no reason to dial down language, when there's only one instance of "bad language" in a book. And I really doubt the word Rachel Hawkins had originally put in there was that bad.

Aside from that one little complaint, this really is a fantastic book! I couldn't put it down. It's fast paced and tons of fun. If you haven't read it yet, you are so midsing out!

PS> I'm including the cover to the left because I find it kind of amusing. I guess this is how teen witches dress in Bulgaria. You certainly won't find this cover in the US on a YA book. Especially that girl in the middle.

Anthology Review: The Dark Woods

THE DARK WOODS is a bewitching collection of young adult short stories, ranging from science fiction and fantasy to paranormal, all featuring a lesbian heroine. This collection is part of Project Unicorn, a fiction project that seeks to address the near nonexistence of lesbian main characters in young adult fiction by giving them their own stories.

Stories by Sarah Diemer

Witch Girls (Dark Fantasy): The wild witch girls lurk at the edge of the woods, waiting to snatch away any girl who’s less than good. Gran’s warnings are the same every day: be good, or the witch girls will take you. But what if you want to be taken? Witch Girls is my favorite of Sarah’s contributions. The warning about the witch girls only made me want to be one of them.

Surfacing (Fantasy): When Alice’s brother John takes a mermaid out of the sea and drags her into the woods to die, Alice must find the courage to stand up to the worst bully she’s ever known in order to save a life. This was a sad but wonderful story. I’m always drawn to mermaids. So I thought this was a wonderful story.

Curse Cabin Confession (Paranormal): When Robin invites her girlfriend, Malinda, up to her family cabin for the weekend, it’s not just for a romantic time. Robin has a confession to make: she’s not exactly human. This was a fun short, but it’s not as memorable as most of the others.

Wolves of Leaving (Paranormal): After challenging the Alpha–and losing–Cadie begs the girl she loves to forsake all they’ve ever known and escape the tyranny of the pack. I really liked the ending to this one. It was a great story.

Devil May Care (Paranormal): When Corrine is forced to summon a demon to find a missing loved one, the afternoon turns stranger than expected. My other favorite of Sarah’s. This is one of the stories you won’t find online. It stood out, being more unique than the others.

Stories by Jennifer Diemer

A Craving (Fantasy): Snow knows little of the world, having spent most of her life within the safe confines of the cottage she shares with seven little men, her protectors. But every day, a young girl comes to the door, offering her an apple, and every day brings Snow one step closer to taking a bite. I love anything and everything based on fairy tales. Snow White is not one of my favorites, but the twist here was fantastic!

Natural (Paranormal): Terra feels confused and alone–until she meets a mysterious girl in the forest, standing next to her favorite tree… Possibly the most beautiful story in the group. As a pagan girl, I really enjoyed the magic here.

Haunt (Paranormal): Every moonrise, Tam and Ailsa defy the laws of time and space to meet in the forest and kiss beneath the stars. Haunt brought tears to my eyes. Another beautiful story by Jenn. But also sad. *sniff*

Dreaming Green (Science Fiction): Mirelle catches a mysterious seed during a spacewalk, and, though it is forbidden, she dares to plant it, nurture it, and let it grow. This was probably the most unique story in the entire group. It’s listed as science fiction, but it’s also very magical. A lovely story.

Mirrors (Fantasy): Bewitched by an old compact in an antique store window, Maisy is startled to realize that the reflection in the mirror is not her own. This is the other story not available to read for free on the site. This was my favorite of Jenn’s contributions. But, then again, I love anything with faeries.

You can download The Dark Woods from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Smashwords. Or, if you’d like a print copy of the first three months of Project Unicorn, you can get one signed from Sarah and Jennifer at Sappho’s Boutique.

Book Review: Kiss of Death (and winner announced)

Too many years of killer vamps have triggered the curse of the Blood Kissed. They’ve awakened the bloodline that can alter their world, because her blood has the power to control them all—even make them destroy each other.

Jocelyn thought her troubles with vampires were over when she drove a stake through her boyfriend Max’s heart two years ago. Even though she’s engaged to Chad, she’s never really forgotten him. Now Max is back, and Chad is taking her into the heart of the vamp community—and they’re the ones trying to keep her alive. The ones who love her and each seek to claim her for their own. Because once the elders know who she is, they’re all going to want her…or want her dead.



I was so excited when Seleste deLaney announced that there was going to be a full length novel in her Blood Kissed series. I really enjoyed "Of Course I Try" and "The Ghost of Vampire Present" so I was thrilled that we'd get more.

Jocelyn thinks that Max is dead. Because she killed him. He was a vampire after all. And she's engaged to Chad. The thing is... he's a vampire as well. So when Max comes back and she finds out what Chad is, she finds herself mixed up with two bloodsuckers who band together to protect her. She's one of the blood kissed, and she's extra tasty to the vamps. And not only is she stuck with both of them, she's attracted to them both.

At the beginning I was Team Max, and by the end... I'm still Team Max. But seeing Max and Chad interact together and with Jocelyn and other vampires was fun. The world Seleste created was interesting. Her vampires aren't quite the same as those we see all over. To find a unique vampire book these days is rare. I highly recommend checking out all of Seleste deLaney's work. You won't be disappointed. But please be aware, that her books are not for teens. They are very adult. ; )

You may recall, I did a giveaway in September for an ebook copy. The winner is...

Donna S

Congrats and enjoy!

Giveaway: Kiss of Death

Too many years of killer vamps have triggered the curse of the Blood Kissed. They’ve awakened the bloodline that can alter their world, because her blood has the power to control them all—even make them destroy each other.

Jocelyn thought her troubles with vampires were over when she drove a stake through her boyfriend Max’s heart two years ago. Even though she’s engaged to Chad, she’s never really forgotten him. Now Max is back, and Chad is taking her into the heart of the vamp community—and they’re the ones trying to keep her alive. The ones who love her and each seek to claim her for their own. Because once the elders know who she is, they’re all going to want her…or want her dead.

The amazing Seleste deLaney recently published Kiss of Death, the first novel in her Blood Kissed series. There are two short stories that come before this one (Of Course I Try and The Ghost of Vampire Present), but you won't need to have read them before this.

I am giving away one ebook copy. It can either be through Amazon for your Kindle, through Barnes and Noble your Nook, or your choice of format (not paperback) through Mundania Press' website. You can read an excerpt at Mundania Press.

This is the first time I've used Rafflecopter, so we're crossing our fingers this works out the way it's supposed to. You must be 18 or older to enter this giveaway. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review: Thirteen

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers the novel her fans have been clamoring for: The epic finale of the Otherworld series.

It’s been more than ten years, a dozen installments, and hundreds of thousands of copies since Kelley Armstrong introduced readers to the all-too-real denizens of the Otherworld: witches, werewolves, necromancers, vampires, and half-demons, among others. And it’s all been leading to Thirteen, the final installment, the novel that brings all of these stories to a stunning conclusion.

A war is brewing—the first battle has been waged and Savannah Levine is left standing, albeit battered and bruised. She has rescued her half brother from supernatural medical testing, but he’s fighting to stay alive. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a maniacal plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing.

Savannah has called upon her inner energy to summon spells with frightening strength, a strength she never knew she had, as she fights to keep her world from shattering. But it’s more than a matter of supernaturals against one another—both heaven and hell have entered the war; hellhounds, genetically modified werewolves, and all forces of good and evil have joined the fray.

Uniting Savannah with Adam, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and other lost-but-notforgotten characters in one epic battle, Thirteen is a grand, crowd-pleasing closer for Armstrong’s legions of fans.

Oh... mai... goddess... I'm going to apologize upfront for my fangirly review of Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong. She is a writing goddess. I've loved everything I've read of hers, and this last book is no different. I stayed up until after midnight, waiting for it to download on my Kindle. And I read for two hours, before sleeping until 9 and waking up to finish it. It was read, more or less, in one sitting.

Thirteen picks up right where Spell Bound left off, with Savannah drenched, Jeremy and Adam looking like they'd been playing in gravel, and Jaime... all neat and put-together. Jaime and Savannah run off in search of clothing, so Jeremy, Adam, and Bryce can come out of hiding. You don't want to be seen walking around near an explosion, looking like you were involved. But Jaime and Savannah are the two characters in this series that are most likely to get into trouble. They found trouble alright. Savannah is arrested, and to keep the team together, Jaime mock attacks one of the officers, and is carted off with her.

Things are not looking up for these two heroines when they're thrown in jail, without being booked, and find they aren't the only supernaturals at this police station. Something is definitely up.

I'm beyond sad that this is the final book in the series. I'm able to go on only because Kelley has promised us anthologies, novellas, short stories, and more novels (possibly... at one point in the future). I cried when I closed the book. Not because the ending is sad. But because it's over!!!!!! *re-read that last part very dramatically* I've read many series that ended with a weak book. And I've read many series that went way past where it should have ended. But I think Kelley did an amazing job wrapping this series up while leaving enough loose ends.

Things I personally loved about this book... While it was told from Savannah's point of view, Jaime, Eve, Elena, Paige, and Hope all had a chapter written from their point of view in third person. There was a lot of Jaime. And Jaime is my favorite character from this series. It brought together almost everyone from the entire series. Things I would've liked to see... More Paige. More Cassandra and Aaron. But all-in-all... one of the best books of the series.

And I can honestly say, I can't wait for the next book. Kelley has a novella (which I've pre-ordered from Subterranean Press) coming out this December. There is a reason to go on!

The Women of the Otherworld has been a favorite series of mine since there were only two books... which has been for about a decade. It breaks my heart that the series is done, but it's not completely over. Kelley has said there will be more novellas (frex, the one coming out this December) and short stories. If you haven't read these books yet, you're missing out:
1. Bitten
2. Stolen
3. Dime Store Magic
4. Industrial Magic
5. Haunted
6. Broken
7. No Humans Involved
8. Personal Demon
9. Living with the Dead
10. Frostbitten
11. Waking the Witch
12. Spellbound
13. Thirteen

Currently, there are two anthology collections:
Men of the Otherworld
Tales of the Otherworld

And don't forget to check out these novellas from Subterranean Press:
Angelic (available only as an ebook at this time)
Counterfeit Magic
Hidden
Forbidden (coming this winter)
Becoming (graphic novel)

Book Review: City of Fallen Angels

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. The stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

I bought City of Fallen Angelsby Cassandra Clare when it came out. I liked the first three and loved her spin-off series, so I was excited to read this one. But... I hadn't heard the best things. So, sad, I put it off. I finally picked it up in December, and... I loved it.

I had heard a lot of negative reviews and comments about how Cassie Clare only wrote this as a quick money-maker and other negative assumptions. My biggest issue with the first three Mortal Instruments was that Clary was whiny, Jace was cocky, and they were predictable. But here I liked Clary and Jace, and the plot kept me guessing.

There was more Simon than in the previous books, which made me happy. I loved his scenes with Izzie. We had a few new characters and someone from the Infernal Devices shows up. Honestly, though, the thing that excited me the most about this new trilogy (and I call it a new trilogy since it's a new arc in this series) is the potential for Tessa to come into this world. It may not happen, but I've got my fingers crossed.

I'm super excited for City of Lost Souls to hit shelves this year. And have you seen the new cover? It's my favorite of the series!

Movie Review: Breaking Dawn part 1

I'm almost finished reading Breaking Dawn and since I saw the previous 3 Twilight movies on opening weekend, I had to stick with tradition. And I was far enough past the middle of the book to know I had read enough to see part one.

The good...

The acting was far superior in this film. I've been a long-time fan of Kristen Stewart. I think she was wonderful in Speak and Panic Room, so I was disappointed with her acting in Twilight. I'm not sure if it was script or directing or something else entirely, but scenes I was looking forward to laughing at weren't cheesy enough to laugh at. *shock* Not only was her acting better, but R-Patt and Taylor Lautner stepped up their game as well.

Charlie. This guy always gets the best lines. "I know Edward will be a good husband. I know this... because I'm a cop." Actually, out of all the wedding reception speeches, he was the only one that didn't make me cringe. That scene was so uncomfortable and awkward. It only reinforces me not wanting a big wedding.

The music. Of course! These movies have incredible soundtracks.

The bad...

This movie was quite boring. I felt myself getting restless halfway through. It did a good job of following the book, but there just wasn't enough action for my tastes.

CGI wolves. I swear... For a movie franchise that makes so much money I think they would have enough to step up the CGI. They made Bella look sick, completely emaciated, and then transform into a vamp wonderfully. Great scene, visually. And then... there are the fake looking wolves. My client, however, liked them. I work with adults with disabilities, and my one client, upon seeing the wolves, said, "Doggie! Doggie! Woof! Woof!" I was amused.

I think that Breaking Dawn part 1 was the best done movie, but I think it's probably my least favorite. That being said, I'm looking forward to part 2. There is a slight teaser halfway through the credits with the Volturi. I'm looking forward to seeing them in the next movie. Aro is so creepy.

Short Story Review: Dark Beauty

For fifteen-year-old Seeker, Isabelle Crowe, ridding the Houston streets of the undead is an inherited duty, passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. During her first night without her mentor, she encounters Abram, a more experienced Seeker from Chicago looking to avenge his cousin's death. Isabelle quickly learns she must work with Abram to protect her city. With one Seeker already dead, Isabelle's love of the hunt becomes a fight to survive.

"Dark Beauty" is a short story prequel to the novel Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning. Isabelle is a Seeker, trained to hunt vampires. On her first night out alone, she runs into another Seeker. He's in Houston tracking something. Not vampires. Something new. Something worse. Isabelle's not too keen on this new Seeker, but agrees to work with him to destroy this new vampiric race.

"Dark Beauty" was a bit too predictable for my taste. I often felt like I knew what was going to happen before it did. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. They felt more like stereotypes then actual characters. This could be due to the fact that it was a short story. I plan on reading Dark Seeker and hope I enjoy it more than this short story.

Book Review: City of Glass

To save her mother’s life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters—never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family’s past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he’s willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City—whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of bestselling series the Mortal Instruments.

City of Glass is the third installment in the Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare. Jocelyn Fray is still in a magically-induced coma, and Clary and Jace travel to the City of Glass in the hopes of saving her. Clary uncovers more and more about her family’s history and ends up coming face to face with her father. The evil Valentine.

I enjoyed this book much more than the previous two. It was less predictable and I didn't hate the main characters, Jace and Clary, as much as in the past. Jace was more caring and Clary less whiny. Simon continues to be my favorite character. I love his scenes with Maia. I’m definitely rooting for these two to get together.

As it turns out, this is yet another trilogy is continuing with three more books. Basically, there are two trilogies in a series of six books. City of Fallen Angels recently hit shelves. And don’t forget to check out book one in The Infernal Devices series, Clockwork Angel. It’s set in the same world, only many years prior to The Mortal Instruments.

Book Review: City of Ashes

As readers of series starter City of Bones already know, teenager Clary Fray is a Shadowhunter, a demon slayer who has the gift (?) of spotting Downworlder werewolves, vampires, and faeries. She is also an adolescent in an abnormally dysfunctional family: Her mom is in a magically induced coma and her father is probably insane and undoubtedly evil. All of which places Clary in situations that would challenge even the most talented average American girl.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare picks up right where City of Bones leaves off. Clary is a Shadowhunter whose job, along with Jace, Alec, and Isabel, is to hunt Downworlders. Downworlders include vampires, werewolves, faeries, and a number of different types of demon. As if that isn't enough her mother is in a magically induced coma and her father is likely the big baddie.

One thing I enjoyed more about this book was the faeries. They weren't really in City of Bones, but here we get to see the Seelie Court. Another is Simon the vampire. Even better than Simon the human. And he wasn't panting after Clary as much here. A big step up for him.

Much like the first, it was terribly predictable. The writing wasn't that great. I hate Jace and Clary even more. But Cassandra Clare still managed to write a novel that I can't put down. It's fast-paced and exciting and left me begging for City of Glass.

Book Review: City of Bones

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know....

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

City of Bones is Cassandra Clare's debut and book one of The Mortal Instruments. Our main character, Clary Fray, finds herself a witness to murder by three teens covered in strange tattoos. These teens, Shadowhunters, are invisible to humans, so why can Clary see them?

Jace, Isabel, and Alec are Shadowhunters who protect the world by killing demons. Clary has questions, and the only person who can answer them has been kidnapped. She and her friend, Simon, are pulled into this new world that neither knew existed. And now it's up to her, and her new friends, to find her mother and find answers to her many questions.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The writing itself was only okay, but it was fun, if not too predictable. I was not a fan of Clary. She was much too whiny. And Jace, the main love interest and second main character, was a d-bag. So it says something for the story that I can enjoy a book while hating the two main characters. Simon was crush-worthy. And I enjoyed Isabel, Alec, and Max... three siblings of the family who has more or less adopted Jace. And Magnus, the warlock, was a lot of fun.

As soon as I finished this one, I grabbed book two, City of Ashes.

Book Review: Broken

Meet the smart, sexy — supernatural — women of the otherworld.

In this thrilling new novel from Kelley Armstrong, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on twenty-first-century—and become his next target.

Ever since she discovered she’s pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she’s never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who’s given birth. But thankfully, her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper. As a distraction, the job seems simple enough—only the letter contains a portal to Victorian London’s underworld, which Elena inadvertently triggers—unleashing a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs.

Now Elena must find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they’re looking for—which, for some unknown reason, is Elena.

Kelley Armstrong's Broken is my favorite Elena novel out of the four. She and Clayton are expecting twins, and life is anything but normal. Elena accidentally opens a portal by activating a spell on a letter written by Jack the Ripper. "Kill a bug, launch the apocalypse."

Granddaddy-to-be, Jeremy Danvers and fellow pack members, Antonio and Nick Sorrentino join them on their Toronto adventure. Diseased rats, zombies, the plague... when the portal was opened, it brought along with it issues from Victorian London. The last time a portal was opened (in Industrial Magic) Paige and Lucas called Jaime. So the pack calls in our favorite necro, Jaime Vegas. She shows up, without a moment's hesitation to aide the pack. Mostly because of her seemingly hopeless crush on the smexy alpha.

With a vow to not be possessed or kidnapped this time, the pack accepts her help. Together they work to close the portal and restore Toronto to normal. Along the way we meet Zoe Takano, hot Asian vamp and her friend Tee... an insane necromancer, which forces Jaime to literally face her worst fear, the fate of most necros... madness.

Elena's pregnancy professes faster than normal, due to her being a werewolf, Clay is injured by a decomposing zombie, and Jeremy and Jaime grow closer. But can they stop an evil sorcerer and close the portal before Toronto is destroyed?

Another exciting installment of The Women of the Otherworld. Be sure to check out this amazing series!

Book Review: Industrial Magic

Meet the smart, sexy — supernatural — women of the otherworld.

This is not your mother’s coven...

Kelley Armstrong returns with the eagerly awaited follow-up to Dime Store Magic. Paige Winterbourne, a headstrong young woman haunted by a dark legacy, is now put to the ultimate test as she fights to save innocents from the most insidious evil of all.. . .

In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.

Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals — a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.

I read Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong several years ago. It’s my favorite of the first four. I had less trouble getting into this one than Dime Store Magic since I was used to Paige’s POV. The story was more exciting. It included all of the characters from Paige’s previous novel, but pulls in the pack and our favorite vamps. We also meet our first necromancer, Jaime Vegas. If you’ve read my reviews from Waking the Witch and/or Spell Bound, you all know that Jaime is my favorite in the series. That wasn’t always true. I disliked her big time on my first read-through of this one.

The cabals (the sorcerer mafia) play an even bigger role in this one, as we get to know Lucas’ family (mostly reprehensible), the Cortez Cabal. Cabal teens are being killed, and they need help figuring out who is behind this. Sorcerers hate witches, yet they turn to the ex-coven leader for help. While Paige narrates this one, Jaime plays a large role. She’s a necromancer. She talks to ghosts and raises zombies. She’s also a celebrity. Paige calls her “flakier than a puff pastry”, and it’s only because of her trust in Lucas that she accepts Jaime’s help.

What I find fascinating about Kelley’s books, is that she really makes you see through the narrator’s eyes. Paige didn’t like Jaime, so I didn’t. But she turns out to be a real asset, and here, for the first time in the series, do we get to see a group of different supernaturals all working together using their powers and strengths to defeat a threat. No one type of supernatural is better or stronger than another. They all have strengths and weaknesses, and they work best as a group.

The cast is quite varied, and my favorite scenes tend to be the ones with many of our major players. They’re fun to see playing off of one another. Be sure to check out Industrial Magic, the fourth book in the Women of the Otherworld series. It keeps getting better!

Be sure to check out Kelley's site for info on the series, novellas, graphic novels, short stories, anthologies, and free online fiction!

Book Review and Giveaway: Senior Year Bites

Contest closed. Winner will be notified by Decadent Publishing

Senior year is supposed to be fun: boys, dances and graduation.

It's significantly harder to enjoy it when you're dead.

Truth or Dare is supposed to be fun too. It's not even close to dangerous, so playing at Steph's house didn't seem like a bad idea. My dare? Spend the rest of the night in the graveyard next to her house. It was only a couple of hours until false dawn, my proscribed return time, so no big deal right? Right.

I survived the attack, but it took me a few days to figure out what was going on. I mean vampires might stalk pop culture, but they're just myths. Yeah. Not so much.

School is a lot more difficult when you're a nocturnal creature of the night. I was managing, but I couldn't keep it hidden from my friends for long. After I managed to accidentally save one of our cheerleaders from her drunk and ill-intentioned boyfriend. Steph decided that we should be cool, like superheroes, and fight crime.

Only I'm a vampire, not a hero, and we live in a sleepy New England town, so crime's a little harder to come by. At least it is until a serial killer moves into the area. He's got the authorities stumped, but then again, the cops don't have a teenage, blood-sucking, non-hero on their team.

Senior Year Bites is the debut novel of J.A. Campbell. It was a fun, fast-paced read. There seemed to be a bit too much going on. If the story had stuck to just vampires, I think it would have worked better for me. Other supernaturals were thrown into the mix. And I’m particularly picky about the use of faeries and their lore.

I enjoyed most of the characters. I know our main character, Meg, was going through quite a bit, but I just couldn’t make any connection with her. Her moods and attitude often changed too fast to follow. And some of the events that happened were either too coincidental or just weren’t believable enough for me. That being said, it was a fun book, and I hope you all check it out. Read to the bottom of this post to find out how to be entered to win a copy of Senior Year Bites.

The Main Characters of Senior Year Bites by J.A. Campbell

People always ask authors where they get their ideas. Do they base their characters off of people they knew, that kind of thing.

I don’t directly base my characters off of anyone. I do draw from experiences though. Everyone does. In the case of Senior Year Bites, Meg, Steph and Ann’s friendship was drawn from a similar (without the supernatural elements unfortunately) friendship I had in middle school and high school.

I had two friends and we hung out together through most of middle school and part of high school. We did a ton of things together, especially when we were younger. I drew a lot from that friendship when I wrote Meg, Steph and Ann. Now, I didn’t say, oh, Steph is D, Meg is me and Ann is S by any means. There are elements of all of us in each character. And I did not base Meg off of myself at all. I also drew from other people and experiences when I shaped those characters.

It was kind of fun to draw from that past relationship though. Some memories it brought up were great, some painful. Some were along the lines of ‘what was I thinking.’ My only defense was that I was young and had a lot to learn. Still do incidentally.

Incidentally, the guys in Senior Year Bites are not directly drawn from high school people I knew. They were created the way I make most of my other characters. Little bits from here, little bits from there.

Anyway, that’s a brief insight into three of the main characters in Senior Year Bites.

Want to win a copy of Senior Year Bites? Just leave me a comment and a way to contact you. In addition to Senior Year Bites, you will win one other title from Decadent Publishing. Winners choice!

Want to win more? Other giveaways are listed below, as well as info on the grand prize. Good luck!

Decadent Publishing Worldwide YA Blog Stomp

Follow the Decadent Publishing YA authors as they travel around the world, giving away goodies along the way and collecting entries for our

GIANT KINDLE GIFT PACK!

Comment on as many blogs on the tour as you want, each day you comment counts as one entry into the Grand Prize drawing.

Blog Tour Schedule 

July 2 - Daily Dose of Decadence

July 5 -  Julie Particka

July 6 -  The Romance Studio chat

July 7 - Enduring Romance

July 8 - The Compulsive Reader

July 11  -Zombies Don't Blog

July 12 - The Eclectic Reader

July 13 - Vanessa Barger

July 14 - Moonlight Gleam's Bookshelf

July 15 - Sassy Book Lover

July 17 - Awesomesauce Book Club

July 18 -  Leslie Soule

July 19 - Jon Gibbs

July 20 - Julie Campbell

July 21 - Aine's Realm

July 24 - Daily Dose of Decadence

July 25 - Reader Girls  

July 26 - Romance Author Hotspot

July 27 - Musings of a YA Reader

                  Pensive Bookeaters

July 28 - Coffee Time Romance

July 30 - Jen Wylie
August 1 - GRAND PRIZE Giveaways! Daily Dose of Decadence 

GRAND PRIZE
1 Kindle loaded with 6 Decadent Publishing Young Adult ebooks! 

1ST PRIZE

12 Decadent Publishing ebooks of winner's choice, 1 per month for 12months.

2ND PRIZE

6 Decadent Publishing ebooks of winner's choice, 1 every month for 6 months.

Book Review: Pale Demon

Condemned and shunned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches’ conference and clear her name, or be trapped in the demonic 

ever-after . . . forever after.

But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car going across the country?

Talk about a recipe for certain disaster, even without being the targets for assassination.

For after centuries of torment, a fearsome demon walks in the sunlight—freed at last to slay the innocent and devour their souls. But his ultimate goal is Rachel Morgan, and in the fight for survival that follows, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Pale Demon, the ninth book in Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series was by far my favorite. I’ve been a fan since I read the first book, six and a half years ago. Book four, A Fistful of Charms, was my favorite book until now. Pale Demon definitely earns the top spot in this series.

Poor Rachel. It seems like she can never catch a break. Just when life starts to settle down, another explosion happens. Sometimes it’s a literal explosion. This time she’s shunned… for using black magic… to save her life and the lives of others. If magic is saving innocents, how bad can it be? At least… that’s my opinion.

She has to get from Cincinnati to California for her brother’s wedding, and the annual witches’ conference. But the airline won’t let a shunned witch fly. Coincidentally, Trent Kalamack (aka the smexiest elf ever) also has to get to the west coast, and, for reasons he can’t say, he can’t fly either. So Rachel, along with her partners Ivy and Jenks, travel to the west coast with Trent in tow. It’s going to be a long drive.

And, of course, this is Rachel Mariana Morgan we’re talking about, so it’s one adventure after the other, as she tries to get to the west coast on time. And, hopefully, avoid life in Alcatraz… and a lobotomy. Did I mention every witch hates her? New baddies attack, and we get to see our favorite demons in a different light. Definitely my favorite in the series and one of the best books I've read this year.

Fans of this series won’t want to miss The Hollows graphic novel, Blood Work, which hits shelves July 12, 2011.

Haven’t read any of the previous books in this series? Start with Dead Witch Walking! You won’t be disappointed with these books. What are you waiting for?

Be sure to check out her YA series, starting with Once Dead, Twice Shy.

And once you’re done with those, check out both series by Dawn Cook (same author, different name). Both predate The Hollows and have been recently re-released. The Princess series and the Truth series.

Be sure to check out Kim’s site, and follow her on Twitter.

Winner: Pretty Souls

There were a lot of great entries, and it’s too bad there can only be one winner. Thanks to everyone who participated. The winner of Pretty Souls is Tammy who entered with the following cover! What I liked about it best… it was very different from the other entries, and it was the only cover that let me know a vampire was in the book. Congrats! Check your email, and I'll get the book out soon. 

An honorable mention goes to Sandy of Scribing Shadows. 

Great job, everyone. You all did a lot better than I could have. Haha!