Monthly Archives: September 2012

DAIMON (Covenant) by Jennifer Armentrout-a review

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DAIMON (Covenant) by Jennifer Armentrout

DAIMON A Prequel to Half-Blood (Covenant) by Jennifer Armentrout

LINK TO Jennifer’s WEBSITE

DAIMON is a prequel novella to Jennifer Armentrout’s Young Adult Covenant series. A daimon is a pure-blood who developed a taste for aether, and is no longer part of the Covenant. Aether is a component in the blood of this supernatural race and like a drug it is something the daimons crave. DAIMON is a short story that reveals the back-story to Alexandria’s return to the Covenant and the half-blood life she thought she knew.

Alexandria (Alex) is a 17year old high school student trying to fit into a world where she doesn’t belong. As part of a race made up of pure-bloods and the descendants of the gods, Alex is a half-blood. Unwelcome and escaping the daimons in her mother’s world, they left and tried to integrate into the human world, but Alex never quite fit in. Too intelligent, too strong and too freaky for the other teens, it didn’t take Alex long to become restless and withdrawn.

Half-bloods were trained to hunt and destroy the daimons feeding off the pure-bloods. Throughout her time with the Covenant Alex had been trained as a fighter and warrior, but living among humans, her power and ability was too strong, until the morning she awoke to find a daimon draining her mother and all training disappeared. They had been found. On the run for days, Alex will find herself surrounded by daimons, facing her own mortality-only something about her blood was different and the daimons wanted to know.

DAIMON is a short story that introduces the premise of Jennifer’s Covenant series. Check it out today.

READING ORDER
1. Daimon
2. Half-Blood
3. Pure
4. Deity (November 2012)
5. Apollyon (Spring 2013)

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper books
B&N Nook and Paper books
The Book Depository

Reviewed by Sandy

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IF I WERE YOU (Inside Out Trilogy #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-a review

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IF I WERE YOU (Inside Out Trilogy #1) by Lisa Renee Jones-a review

IF I WERE YOU  (Inside Out Trilogy #1) by Lisa Renee Jones

 NOTE: This is the latest cover of IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones

IF I WERE YOU is the first storyline in Lisa Renee Jones new Inside Out Trilogy. There are bound to be comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, Crossfire series by Sylvia Day and Beth Kery’s Because You are Mine as the premise focuses on two people whose lives have been haunted by pain and sorrow, and the measures to which they go to in order to dull that pain.  The similarities are plenty right down to the BDSM, family secrets, art galleries and issues of control, but there is also an underlying storyline that first presents itself to the heroine as she searches for information about a missing woman who has written a very revealing journal about her personal life.

Sara McMillan is a 28year old high school English Teacher with a Master’s degree in Art.  And when her best friend Ella discovers a series of personal journals in a storage unit, Sara’s life will change forever. Rebecca Mason, the author of the journals, has been missing for several months, and hidden within her writings are the clues as to what has happened.  Discovering the woman who was the marketing director for a prestigious art gallery, Sara finds herself at an exclusive showing with a personal invite from the owner to fill Rebecca’s position.  But it is the erotic writings and personal entries that will force Sara to question who is behind Rebecca’s disappearance and why.

Mark Compton is the gallery owner.  From wealth and prestige, Mark makes it his mission to train and educate Sara on the ins and outs of the Art business, including the hosting of gallery affairs.  But Sara finds herself uncomfortable around Mark especially when the other employees drop hints that Mark likes to be in control and punish those who are disobedient.  And Sara begins to suspect that Mark has played a major role in Rebecca’s journal entries.

35 year old Chris Merit is a local artist whose works were presently on display at the gallery where Sara was currently working and Chris is a man who rarely reveals anything about himself.  During a recent showing, Chris will make a promise to himself to get to know Sara, but he will find himself revealing more information and developing feelings for a woman who had only crossed his path a few evenings before.  His attraction to Sara is sexually charged, but there is an underlying need to protect the woman from a path that she may not realize she is heading. But Sara is no wallflower and knows what she wants in life.

Chris has a secret that both he and Mark share.  Although not friends, they are acquaintances in business but their paths cross into a world that Sara is unable to comprehend.  As troubled as Sara’s past has been and the secrets that she refuses to reveal, Chris’s revelations will confuse and add more sorrow to Sara’s life.  Believing she was falling in love with Chris, Sara will begin to question what is behind the man to whom she is losing her heart.

IF I WERE YOU is a sexually seductive and erotic storyline that ends abruptly with many unanswered questions that beg to be addressed and a cliff hanger that bleeds to darkness. But this is a trilogy after all, and with each successive novel, more will be revealed and questions will be answered.  The secondary storyline intertwines itself throughout the novel, as Sara reads the entries from Rebecca’s journals and wonders who or what has caused the mysterious Rebecca so much pleasure and so much pain.  Lisa Renee Jones does a wonderful job building up the suspense and the reader is pulled into the storyline right from the very first word in Rebecca’s journal.

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paper Books
B&N Nook

Reviewed by Sandy

Copy supplied by Netgalley

 

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Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the second book in her  Lux series.  Upfront I have to say as much as I enjoyed Obsidian, Onyx is better.  I loved this book.  Of course, getting to spend more time with Daemon, Katy, Dee and their friends, is fun and Jennifer Armentrout outdoes herself.

Onyx picks up not long after Obsidian ended.  Katy Swarz still has the hots for Daemon Black, but as Onyx begins,  Daemon wants Katy just as much.  Instead of being the rude and nasty boy, who constantly pushed her away in Obsidian, Daemon has changed his tactics.  He is attentive to her, acts in front of everyone like she is his girl, sweet talks to her, and totally throws Katy for a loop.  She doesn’t know how to react to this new Daemon, and it confuses her even more.  Katy wants a normal life, with a normal boy, and a relationship just like her mother and father had.   In Obsidian, Katy was healed by Daemon, and a connection was born between them.  This will play a major part in Onyx, but early on, Katy brushes off the change in Daemon due to that connection.

Katy meets a new boy in school, Blake Saunders, who seems like a nice guy, and it doesn’t hurt that he looks like a gorgeous blond California surfer. Blake likes Katy, and a friendship begins.  This of course doesn’t sit well with Daemon.  It’s fun to watch Daemon spend all his time with Katy, even if she wants to go out to dinner with Blake, whom she still considers a friend.  Daemon is unresistable, his green eyes, his mischievous grin, and Katy just cannot resist him, as much as she tries.  Their is sexual tension between them, but it was fun to watch their steamy kissing sessions, which Daemon says is needed to remove her trace.  Yeah sure…:)  Did I mention how swoonworthy, Daemon is?

But the change in Daemon is real, we the reader know he loves Katy, and of course Katy loves him, but it wouldn’t be fun, if this relationship was fast and easy.   But it is enjoyable and Armentrout has a lot of humor in this tense story.

Onyx is not just about the romance of Daemon & Katy.  This is such an exciting and tense story.  Filled with lots of action, and danger throughout the whole book.  Early on Katy begins to discover that she has inherited some strange abilities, and realizes that this is from the connection she has with Daemon.  At first, Katy tries to keep it a secret, but both Daemon and Blake accidently see Katy’s new abilities.  During an attack, out on a date with Blake, she discovers that Blake also has some powers.  We learn a lot more about the humans who gain powers from connections given to them due to a Luxen healing them.  We also learn more about the DOD, & other factions who may be interested in Katy, and because of this, Blake starts to train Katy how to control her new abilities, much to Daemon’s chagrin.   Daemon and Blake do not hit it off, as Daemon is jealous at first.  But during some training sessions, Daemon tries to tell Katy he doesn’t trust Blake.  Katy ignores that as jealousy and continues to train, as she wants to learn how to defend herself and help her friends (Luxens), against the Arum and others who keep coming after them.

Katy soon begins to realize that her love for Daemon is so strong, she will do anything to save him and his friends.  Along the way, she makes some decisions she feels she must do, and there will be consequences.  This book is so much more exciting, with a lot of action and danger then Obsidian was.  There are a number twists, betrayals, and surprises as we race to the climatic finish.  So much so that lives will be lost, all will be effected, and changes will be made. The ending was not a cliffhanger, but wow.  This is a book you can’t put down, as it is so exciting.  If you loved Daemon, Katy and Dee in Obsidian, you will love them even more in this book. Kudos to Jennifer Armentrout for this sensational continuation of this series, and I for one cannot wait for the next book.

READING ORDER
1. Obsidian
2. Shadows (prequel)
3. Onyx

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the first book in her Lux series.  This is another YA series, and it is a very good one. No vampires, no werewolves, no ghosts, no angels….this one is about aliens who pose as humans, and wow they are all gorgeous. 

Aside from that, this is an excellent start of this series. 

Katy is our heroine in this story, and when you finish this book, you will love her.  She is such a normal 17 year old girl, a book lover & blogger lol, and she has the misfortune to have to leave her life in Florida to move with her mother to a small town in West Virginia, where some people are strange, or perhaps they think she is the strange one.  Almost from the start we get to meet Katy’s next door neighbors, .Daemon and his twin sister Dee.

When Katy knocks on her neighbor’s door, it is Daemon who opens the door…and Katy openly stares at the gorgeous hot young man, who is standing there half naked. But the beautiful Daemon immediately turns off Katy, with his sarcastic rudeness.  She meets Dee later, and they become fast friends.  But Katy and Daemon have a tense early relationship, though there is an attraction on her part; but he is nasty, mean and rude to her all the time; a complete opposite from Dee, who is sweet and ultra friendly with Katy.  

Katy manages to match Daemon with rebuttals to his sarcasm, much to his humor.  I loved that Katy stood up to him, and didn’t take his arrogant infuriating crap.  But Daemon did have charm, when he wanted to show it, and it totally confused Katy.  She never knew which Daemon she was going to face.  At times he was such a jerk, as she loved calling him, and other times, he showed a gentler nicer side.  He was hotness personified, and Katy had a hard time keeping her composure. Daemon does push her buttons, and it was a funny scene at the school lunchroom, when in front of everyone, she dumps a plate of spaghetti over Daemon and the girl with him, after a nasty comment.   Very funny and you find yourself cheering her on.    

Daemon, Dee and many in the town are not human.  They are aliens (Luxen), who are made of light, and take a normal human pose.  They always keep that look, but can shift to the light only in true form. Their planet was destroyed many years ago, and those that came to earth, learned to survive and keep their secret from other humans.  They for the most part are the good guys, as there are bad aliens (Arum), who want to kill the Lux, to steal their essence. 

Daemon does save Katy twice from danger, and as she becomes closer to Daemon, she begins to see things, like the light, speed, and other signs.  The last was the way he saved her life, and she forces him to tell her the truth.  To know about them is dangerous for Katy, as the Arum will find her by her trace of being with them, and torture her to tell them where they are, or from the government, who want to keep the Lux aliens a secret.  The bottom line was a relationship between a human and Lux is taboo.

The end was exciting, as Katy, Daemon and Dee are in a fight for their lives.  This story was a great read.  It had a super romance between the two leads, despite Daemon’s early rudeness, as their chemistry was hot.  The alien storyline was different then the norm we are used to, and it worked so well.  Jennifer Armentrout did a great job putting the pieces together to create this story, and showed a wonderful sense of humor.  She also brought in some good characters, and I loved Dee’s friendship with Katy. I must say that early on, when reading this story, which part is in the high school, made me think of Twilight.  The ending is open ended, as we must wait for the next book to continue the saga of Daemon and Katy and the rest of the Luxens. i personally cannot wait to continue this series.

READING ORDER
1. Obsidian
2. Shadows (prequel)
3. Onyx

Reviewed by Barb

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SAVAGE REDEMPTION (Vampires #5) by Alexis Morgan-a review

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SAVAGE REDEMPTION (Vampires #5) by Alexis Morgan

SAVAGE REDEMPTION (Vampire #5) by Alexis Morgan

SAVAGE REDEMPTION is the fifth storyline and September 1, 2012 release in Alexis Morgan’s VAMPIRE series of novels. A little background information to Alexis’s vampire line-Chancellors are a hybrid combination of vampire and human with the ability to stay up during the day. Like many hybrid storylines, there is discrimination against the Chancellors for their vampire like qualities, from both humans and vampires alike.

Conlan Shea had no idea what to make of his current circumstance. Finding his one-time love Kat Karr holed up against an armed assault brought back too many memories of betrayal and time spent in jail that could have ended his life. Not knowing why Kat and her two young nieces were on the O’Day estate where he was head of security amped up Conlan’s anxiety as much as seeing the woman who had broken his heart.

Kat Karr did not want to go to Rafferty O’Day, but with Rose and Maggie depending on her she knew the only place they would be safe was with Rafferty O’Day and his mate. Kat had not planned on seeing Conlan Shea, and with that, the look of pain and betrayal in his eyes, was all too familiar. Hoping to keep one step ahead of Councilman Cyrus Eddington, Kat hoped the full vampire O’Day would help find a place for the girls when she was gone. With a death warrant on her head, Kat knew her time was limited.

Conlan had barely recovered in the last year from his experience in prison where he spent two years when his last involvement with Kat went terribly wrong. Now he was willing to risk his life once again for a woman he can no longer trust. But Conlan knew that Kat has been set up three years earlier and he wasn’t about to let her go through it all over again.

Conlan’s emotions are all over the place. Knowing Kat the way he did, he wasn’t surprised when his instincts to run kicked in, but Kat was hiding a secret-one that almost cost him his life. But when she revealed the truth behind the original charges brought against, Conlan, he  knew he had to help prove her innocence, because now it was not only their lives in danger, but all vampires and Chancellors as well. Eddington had a plan to purify the planet.

SAVAGE REDEMPTION is an amazing storyline that finally gives Conlan his long awaited story. I have read the entire VAMPIRE series by Alexis Morgan and each story gets better. I love the fact that Alexis brings in many of her characters from the previous novels allowing for a more intimate and familiar flavor to the story.

READING ORDER:
1.What’s At Stake (Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance Anthology)
2.A Vampire For Christmas
3.A Vampire’s Salvation
4.A Vampire’s Vindication
5.Vampire Vendetta
6.The Vampire’s Desire
7.Savage Redemption

Reviewed by Sandy

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GABRIELLE BISSET-Interview with the Author

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GABRIELLE BISSET-Interview with the Author

September 17, 2012 marks the release date for Gabrielle Bisset’s BLOOD SPIRIT-Book 3 in the Sons of Navarus series.  The Reading Cafe would like to welcome the author.

TRC:  Hi Gabrielle and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the success of your Sons of Navarus series.

 

Gabrielle:  Thank you! It’s been received so well by readers. I’m thrilled!

 

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

 

Gabrielle:  I’m the mother of two children, one of whom I home school; a college history professor; and a romance author. My first book, Stolen Destiny, was published by Siren Publishing last June, and since then I’ve released the three novellas of the Victorian Erotic Romance Trilogy—Vampire Dreams, Love’s Master, and Masquerade—a follow up to Stolen Destiny, entitled Destiny Redeemed, and the Sons of Navarus books, Blood Avenged, Blood Betrayed, and coming September 17, the third book in the series, Blood Spirit.

 

TRC:  Many authors develop their love of writing at an early age. What was the catalyst that sparked your interest in writing?

 

Gabrielle:  I loved to read from the minute I learned how, so I guess it was natural that I wanted to write stories like the ones I’d read. My friends and I used to write screenplays in middle school. We might have been weird. But I had to put my fiction writing aside until I’d gotten married, had children, and finished my education.

 

TRC:  What difficulties and challenges have you faced as a writer?

 

Gabrielle:  Finding the time is a difficulty. I know that might sound like an excuse, and I silently say to myself sometimes, “If you want to make the time, you will.” However, homeschooling and teaching a full course load at my university means I have to carefully carve out time to write. Needless to say, I have little social life.

 

TRC:  Would you please tell us about the SONS OF NAVARUS SERIES?

 

Gabrielle:  The Sons of Navarus series is a paranormal romance series about eight vampire warriors chosen by the elders of the vampire world, the Order of Macaria, to stop the takeover of their world by the Archons, the law and order vampires. This takeover was foretold in the Prophecy of Idolas, which came from the youngest son of the first vampires, Navarus and Macaria, in ancient Greece. Macaria was the daughter of Hades, the god of the Underworld, and Navarus was the human she fell in love with. Together they had eight sons—the original sons of Navarus. Since those earliest days, the vampire world has had eight vampire warriors ready to defeat the Archons when they finally began their takeover. That time has come, and the eight vampire males who currently make up the Sons of Navarus must find a way to decipher the Prophecy of Idolas and stop the Archons or give their lives trying.

 

TRC:  Where did the idea to tie in an ancient prophecy originate?

 

Gabrielle:  I’m a history prof, with a keen interest in ancient history, so it was almost inevitable that I’d bring in that time period. I also have a background in mythology, and that fit perfectly with my vampire series.

 

TRC:  To help our members who do not know about your novels, would you please tell us something about the premise of:

 

BLOOD AVENGED  : Blood Avenged begins the Sons of Navarus series, and I intentionally took it very slow in this book. This book is about Vasilije, a vampire and one of the Sons, and Sasa, a human he meets when he travels to New Orleans to hunt down the killer of one of his vampires. I don’t introduce readers to the rest of the Sons until the very end of the book. I’m not a fan of introducing readers to a huge story without easing into it, so by the time readers meet the rest of the Sons, they have a very clear sense of the vampire world I’ve taken them into and the kinds of vampires they’ll meet.

 

Blood Avenged is very much like the main character of the story, Vasilije—sensual, earthy, hedonistic. In fact, each of the books are a very clear reflection of the hero, from the setting, to the tone, to the plot.

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook
KOBO

 

BLOOD BETRAYED (May 2012): Blood Betrayed is the second book in the Sons series and it’s the story of Saint and Solenne. Saint’s real name is Declan, but he’s called the derogatory nickname of Saint because he refuses to sleep with vampires. Solenne is a vampire also, and someone from his past. This story is very much in the thick of things concerning the prophecy and non-romantic storyline while showcasing the love story between Saint and Solenne, one of second chances.

 

Blood Betrayed has a far different tone and feel than Blood Avenged. Saint is haunted by the past, so that comes through in his story. And the civil war between the Archons and the Sons is in full swing now. Readers meet the Archon who will be one of the main villains in the series, Marc Verrater, when Solenne agrees to spy on him to help the Sons and keep Saint safe.

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Books
B&N Nook
KOBO

 

TRC:  Declan and Teagan’s relationship is very similar to many siblings. What was your inspiration for the competition between the brothers?

 

Gabrielle:  I grew up with only one brother, so my knowledge of sibling rivalry is entirely secondhand. However, virtually every male I’ve ever known has at least one brother, so that animosity and love mixture that exists between brothers has been easily seen on many occasions.

 

TRC:  BLOOD SPIRIT is your new September 2012 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

 

Gabrielle:  Blood Spirit is the story of Terek and Ilona. Terek is a much older vampire than Vasilije, who was turned in the early 1600s, and Saint, who was turned at the Battle of the Somme in 1916 during the First World War. Terek was turned in the mid-1300s when he was a Spanish monk, so his story has a very different flavor than the first two. He’s also blessed with the gift of telepathy, which he’s used to sire thousands of vampires (mostly females) since becoming a vampire. Terek is almost a god to many in the vampire world, but all that changes when he rescues Ilona one night. Suddenly, this male who’s had women at his beck and call for centuries can’t even convince his newest vampire to accept her new life, much less fall for him. And worst of all? He can’t hear her thoughts, so he’s forced to listen to his heart for the first time since becoming a vampire.

 

Also, the civil war has intensified, with the Archons not only attempting to find the Sons of Navarus to eliminate them but also killing all the vampires they believe are associated with them.

 

TRC:  How many books do you have planned for the series? Will all 8 members of the SONS OF NAVARUS have their story told?

 

Gabrielle:  All eight want to have their stories told, so I’ll be busy for a while, I guess. 🙂

 

TRC:  What difficulties have you faced getting this particular series to publication?

 

Gabrielle:  As an author who works full time at a day job, the main difficulty is being able to write the books. After that, it’s smooth sailing.

 

TRC:  If you could virtually cast the Sons of Navarus using actors and models, whom would you cast in the leading roles and why?

 

Gabrielle:  This was really tough, so I asked my street team, Gabrielle’s Goddesses, to help me. They are a great group of women who are so supportive, so I knew they’d have great ideas about what those gorgeous vampires look like. We brainstormed a bunch of possibilities and came up with these:

 

Vasilije—Michael Fassbender (I can’t think of another actor who could do Vasilije the way I envision him.)

Saint—Alexander Skarsgaard (The Goddesses came up with him. I can’t say I would disagree.)

Terek—Tyler Hoechlin (He’s a model with beautiful eyes. The Goddesses loved him.)

Ramiel—Sergey Krapiva (A gorgeous Russian model. Perfect for Ramiel.)

Thane—Henry Cavill (This one my editor actually suggested. I think he’d be perfect because he has such sweetness, very much like the character.)

Sion—Cam Gigandet (A model the Goddesses came up with. He’s got the cold look Sion often has in the books.)

Dante—Kellan Letz (Another Goddess choice, and a great one for the youngest Son.)

Nico—Michael Anderson (A stunning model and actually the inspiration for Nico as I write him.)

 

TRC:  Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of writer’s block?

 

Gabrielle:  For me, writer’s block is a clear sign I’m not in the right place to write at that moment. Or I’m not in the right place to write what I wanted to at that moment. I just step away and do something else. The mood always goes away, and then I return to the story feeling much better about it. Fighting it is the surest way to get mired down.

 

TRC:  Many authors listen to music when they write. Do you have any particular music genre that inspires your writing?

 

Gabrielle:  I listen to music when I’m writing, but it’s mainly background noise. I do have to admit that more than one I was listening to Led Zeppelin when I was writing Blood Spirit. The song Kashmir just reminds me of Terek and that story.

 

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

 

Gabrielle:  I’ve begun the fourth book in the Sons of Navarus series, Blood Prophecy, which is Ramiel’s story. This is going to be a very big point in the series, so I’m taking my time with it. I’m also in the middle of writing some free shorts for my website that revolve around the Sons. The first is a very adult take on Hades, the god of the Underworld, and a secret romance he’s begun. I have short stories with Vasilije and his sire, Nina; Saint and Solenne when they first met; and one about Thane planned. My street team is so great and has given me lots of suggestions, so I’m on it.

 

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

 

Gabrielle: The Sons have their own Facebook page where I do interviews with the characters and giveaways, in addition to updating fans on the series. Visit my facebook page HERE  to give them a [like]. And I hope readers will come over to my blog to enter the Paranormal Fall Fling giveaway that’s going on from September 24 through October 31 to celebrate the release of Blood Spirit. There will be weekly prizes and grand prizes at the end of the fling with gift cards, ebooks, and cool Sons of Navarus swag.

Click HERE to find out all the details!

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food—pizza 

Favorite Dessert—anything with caramel

Favorite TV Show—Spartacus

Favorite Movie—There are so many! I’ll go with X-Men First Class.

Last movie you saw—Sherlock Holmes 2

Dark or Milk Chocolate—Milk Chocolate

Do you have any pets? A herd of cats who rule my house like dictators.

 

TRC: Thank you Gabrielle for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best with the new release of BLOOD SPIRIT.

 

Gabrielle:  Thanks so much for having me! It’s been a pleasure.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLOOD SPIRIT-COMING SEPTEMBER 17, 2012

I am everything you seek. I am vampire.

Blessed with the gift of telepathy, Terek always knows what a woman wants. His gift has afforded him nightly sensual pleasures and exotic treats for centuries, but beneath the surface he yearns for much more.

Ilona can give him what his soul craves, but only if he trusts his heart. One fateful choice made out of desire puts all he cares for in danger. With a civil war and the threat of Archon hunters at every turn, this Son may lose everything if he can’t find the balance between heart and mind.

Click HERE for an excerpt

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BLOOD BETRAYED (Sons of Navarus #2) by Gabrielle Bisset-a review

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BLOOD BETRAYED (Sons of Navarus #3) by Gabrielle Bisset-a review

BLOOD BETRAYED (Sons of Navarus #2) by Gabrielle Bisset

BLOOD BETRAYED is the second storyline (May 2012 release) in Garbrielle Bisset’s Sons of Navarus series focusing on a the power struggle between the infertile Archons and the ancient order of the Sons of Navarus. Without the ability to sire one of their own, the Archons targeted the Sons to ensure that only their own kind remained.

The war between the Archons and the Sons of Navarus now focused on Declan (Saint) Collins. Following the murder of his brother Teagan, Declan had hope to one day face the Archons in a final fight. But the Sons of Navarus had a plan to protect Declan, and the plan involved someone from his past. When his own sired vampires refused to come to his aid, Declan’s only hope was the Sons. Shunned by his own for dishonoring the sire/vampire relationship Declan has been alone for years. 

Solenne was a spy for the Sons. Following the staking of her sire, Solenne agreed to ferret out information about the Archons. And with Declan’s reputation for denying the vampires he sired, any hope of help was long past- a penance Declan thought he deserved. But knowing he was to seek refuge with the one person who could truly hurt him, turned in his gut because he blamed her for something that happened many years ago.

Marc Verrater is an Archon. Abusive and cruel, it is Marc’s duty to find and destroy the Sons, but his treatment of Solenne is abhorrent.  The Archons have targeted the Sons of Navarus to prevent the Idolas Prophecy from coming to fruition requiring Solenne to stay under cover to secure what little information she can. But the rumors regarding Solenne and Marc reach the Sons, and Solenne is called before the vampires she is trying to save and is accused of betrayal.

Deciphering the Prophecy would take time. As fellow Sons of Navarus vampires Ramiel and Thane continue their search for clues, it becomes apparent that the Sons will play a major role in the outcome, and for that reason the Archons must hunt and destroy, for their power and control will soon be eliminated. 

Declan and Solenne’s relationship is rocky. When Teagan sired Solenne, Declan had fallen in love with his brother’s vampire, and like many sibling rivalries jealousy and betrayal accusations abound.  For close to 100 years, Declan walked the earth alone, believing that the only woman he has ever loved left him for another man. 

BLOOD BETRAYED is a vampire story of sibling rivalry and the hunt to forestall the Idolas Prophecy. Throughout the storyline, the Sons of Navarus continue to decipher the ancient text knowing that the longer is takes, the more at risk everyone will become. Solenne’s love for Declan has never waivered but has been questioned by those close enough to care and it will be Declan’s love for Solenne that will force a heartbroken Solenne to take refuge with another one of the Sons.

Gabrielle Bisset writes a fascinating tale the weaves ancient prophecies with vampires and love, heroes and villains, family and friends. The sire/vampire relationship is continually questioned as the handling of their progeny is different for each of the Sons, and Declan’s sired vampires have a different story to tell.

READING ORDER
1. Vampire Dreams Revamped
2. Blood Avenged
3. Blood Betrayed
4. Blood Spirit

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Books
B&N Nook
KOBO

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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SPOILERS – How Far Should Reviewers Go?

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Review Spoilers-Where and when to draw the line

The Reading Café has been a labor of love, and when I say labor, it has on occasion felt more like a job than a hobby. But like many hobbies, they seem to gather a life of their own, and 8 months later, The Reading Café has over 2050 members and a secure base with which we promote new and established authors and books. And our members and contributing reviewers are a major part of our success. We do not get paid: we have full time jobs: we have families: we have lives. We write reviews because of our love of books. But there are occasions when reviewers are questioned about a presumed spoiler. Let’s discuss the effect of a spoiler in a review and what truly constitutes a spoiler.

Writing a review takes time unless the review is only a few sentences long. We must first read the book, make notes and then write an overview of the book, all the while, remembering that many authors do not like spoilers. A spoiler is a major faux pas in the review world, and yet sometimes it is difficult NOT to reveal some important aspect of the storyline premise otherwise the review is nothing but a character critique or love fest of the author. The books we review come from various sources: self-purchase, ARCs, giveaways, publishers, publicist, assistants, authors and recommendations from friends.

Sometimes a reviewer is taken to task for a review that supposedly contains a spoiler. The admonisher could be a fellow reviewer, a site member, someone from Amazon or Goodreads or an author. At times, the book blurbs contain more of a premise spoiler than the review, but in the end, someone is not happy. Some reviewers write a quick, no fuss review-yes/no, good/bad, end of story. Others like to give a premise outline with some character description and a wrap-up of their opinion and what’s new. Some reviewers basically re-write the entire storyline-lock, stock and barrel, while others write a glowing overview about the author, and barely scratch the surface of the book. Where do you draw the line? What do you want to see in a review?

Now, here is a conundrum. What if the book/novel has been on the market for close to one year or longer? When should spoilers be allowed? At 6 months? 1 year? Over 1 year? At this point, if you are a fan of the series, you have already read the novel therefore the information in the review is old news. But what if the series or book is new to you? Do you want to know something about the storyline? If the book in question is older (6 months or more) is the reviewer still responsible for placing a-SPOILER ALERT-READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION?

On occasion the reviewer will be admonished for a presumed spoiler, when the actual excerpt or the part (spoiler) in question is taken directly from the book blurb or website.


I am not talking about telling the entire tale of twists, secrets, villains and death, but perhaps a path not usually travelled that may reveal a little too much of the story.

We want to know: Where do you think the line should be drawn as it pertains to reviews and spoilers? 6months? 1 year or longer? And how much information should the review contain? Many back cover blurbs or website promotions basically present themselves as a miniature version of the book premise, therefore all that is required of a reviewer is whether the storyline is good, bad or indifferent. When do you think a review has revealed too much of the story? What do you consider a spoiler? If you are an author, what do you want to see in a review?

Sandy

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