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Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Necromancer Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: U.S. Marshal—Preternatural Branch. She’s faced horrifying monsters and brutal killers and come out the other side still standing.

Considering how things in her life tend to go, Anita never expected her walk down the aisle with Jean-Claude to go smoothly. They’ve already been confronted with naysayers and a power-hungry ancient evil, but now Anita has to do the one thing that actually scares her: introduce her very religious, very human relatives to her fiancé—the newly crowned vampire king of America.

As Anita tries to keep the peace between the family she left behind and the family she’s chosen, dark forces jump at the chance to take advantage of the chaos. With her happy-ever-after at risk and everyone’s immortal souls hanging in the balance, Anita grapples with a hard truth: Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family.

 

Review:

Slay by Laurell K. Hamiltion is the 30th book in her fantastic Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. And I have to admit although a great story, it could have been added to the “Smoulder” book, it felt like a continuation…..

Preternatural U.S. Marshal and vampire hunter Anita Blake is preparing for her wedding to the vampire king of America Jean-Claude…..But it’s not been an easy journey, the humans don’t like Jean-Claude they think he’s got her under some kind of spell and will turn on the humans given half a chance! 

And Jean-Claude’s pack, in fact all the vampires think Anita has their king under her spell, so she’s not exactly their choice for their king! And just when you think it can’t get any worse…. Her family roll up!! Grandma who is vile at best (abused the young Anita) turns up with her dad, who thinks Jean-Claude is evil incarnate! Family dramas aside, we also have a new evil entity wanting to destroy the king of the vampires! 

I will admit, I’ve not read all the Anita Blake stories, I came in late to the series. But it’s an easy enough to pick up and drop a book series, without losing too much. Anita has had many lovers/partners throughout the series. She’s also had many issues with family. And I like that she doesn’t shy away from any of it. 

So while Anita is trying to plan the wedding and keep her family from killing her fiancé and extended lovers/family, there is an evil killing vampires in St. Louis. Is it the evil from the last book returning to take the crown from the new vampire king? 

Apparently her earlier Anita books were just smut and no story! Well I can tell you that had changed… we do get smut, but there is more story and substance now. 

A fast paced action book with evil/power/anger/grief and so much more! 

There are also attacks on her extended family that have Anita worried for their lives, she needs to keep her blood family away from them! There are also traitors within Jean-Claude’s ranks, and they are conspiring with the ancient evil, which makes it an even bigger problem.

The ending is eventful and had me on the edge of my seat, I nearly threw my kindle twice as I jumped. A highly recommended read that will keep you up till your done ? 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

A figure rounded the bend in the stairs all that way down, and before my eyes told me who, the energy we shared danced over my skin as if he’d brushed his fingertips over parts of my body that were hidden under my clothes. I shivered as I watched him lift off the steps and start floating toward me. It made me laugh and say, “Now there’s a solution to all these damned steps.”
He rose toward the ceiling, his long black hair spilling out around him like a dark aura. His hair wasn’t streaming out around him because he was flying toward me but moving in the wind of his own power, so that his black curls writhed and boiled like a dozen hands were playing with it, but it was his magic, just his magic.
He needed one of his usual lace, leather, and sexy-boots outfits for all that hair to frame, but he was dressed in one of only two modern suits I’d ever seen him in; the first time it had been to save the feelings of a grieving family, and this time we were trying not to give my father any other reason to hate him. In that moment I knew I didn’t care if my dad liked him or not. I loved Jean-Claude and nothing my dad did would change that.
He landed lightly on first one foot, then the other until he stood beside me at the top of the stairs. I wrapped my arms around him, but the traditionally long suit jacket felt wrong on him. He either did no jacket or some version of a bolero so that it hit him somewhere between his lower ribs and just below his natural waist. He had a fabulous ass, and it seemed a shame to cover it up.
He wrapped his arms around me and laughed. “Ma petite, we chose this suit precisely so it would cover more of my body, so I did not shock your family.”
I stared up into that beautiful face with the darkest blue eyes I’d ever seen, set in thick black lashes with a perfect curve of eyebrows that were all natural; he didn’t even need mascara. So unfair to the rest of us. His face was almost feminine in its beauty, but there was something about the line of his chin that turned all that gorgeousness a little more masculine. He was still androgynous, but it leaned a little more to the male side. The long black curls framed his face and trailed down his shoulders almost to his waist. My family thought long hair was only for girls. Putting him in a traditional men’s suit really didn’t make him look more like the type of man my family would approve of, but hey, at least we were trying.
“I won’t ever look into your face without thinking how beautiful you are, and why are you marrying me?”
“I believe that is the man’s line, ma petite.”
I grinned and said, “Traditionally it is, but most men don’t look like you.”
“That you compare yourself to me and think yourself the lesser beauty means you do not see truth when you look into the mirror, ma petite.”
“I second that,” Nicky said.
I glanced at him and couldn’t help but smile at the look on his face. “I know I don’t always see the truth in the mirror. Nicky and Ethan have met who messed me up.” I turned back to Jean-Claude. “That delight is still ahead of you.”
“I am looking forward to it, ma petite, and before you complain I would give much if my mother and sister were alive for me to introduce you to them. That I can meet your family, however broken, is a gift to me.”

Excerpted from Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton Copyright © 2023 by Laurell K. Hamilton. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

 

Laurell K Hamilton’s publisher (Penguin/Random House)  is graciously offering a hard copy of SLAY to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton – a Review

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Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton – a Review

 

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Description 

  • Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, goes up against an ancient evil set on destroying all she holds dear in the new book in the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling series.

My name is Anita Blake and I’m no stranger to killing monsters. But this time, it’s personal…

The wedding of the century is almost here. My wedding – to Jean-Claude, the new vampire king of America. But not everyone wishes us well. Humans think I’m on the side of the monsters. And the vampires fear their king is under the spell of the most powerful necromancer in a thousand years – me.

When the St. Louis police summon me to a brutal murder scene linked a nationwide slaughter of vampires and humans, I know there is more than just a killer to catch. An ancient evil has arrived in town, hell bent on destroying everything – and everyone – I love.

Even I cannot face this alone. Jean-Claude and I must embrace our triumvirate to save both vampires and humans, and to prove that love conquers all. 

 

Review 

Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton is the twenty-ninth book in her series with our Preternatural U.S. Marshal and vampire hunter Anita Blake. 

It’s not necessary to read them all (it’s a pretty long series) but it does help a little. But saying that I’ve not read them all, I’ve only read her recent ones, and I managed to keep abreast of who is who and what is what ? 

Anita Blake is preparing for her wedding to the vampire king of America Jean-Claude. (They’ve been an item/couple for many years, and you’ll see their relationship in most of the books) 

So the story starts with Anita’s best friend U.S. Marshall Ted Forrester. Whilst he is admiring himself in his  best man clothing, Anita gets a phone call from the local police. They think the Sunshine Murderer has hit again. 

But, that’s not the only thing going on in St. Louis. An ancient being has arrived to challenge Jean-Claude for his vampire crown. And it’s not looking good for Jean-Claude! He might be the most powerful vampire around, but he’s still no match for the newcomer! Will he lose his crown? 

Then you have both humans and vampires thinking neither one should be with the other! Humans think Anita will take the vampire’s side over theirs, and the vampires think Anita will eventually turn their king against them! 

Although I’ve not read all the books in this series, the ones I’ve read have given me the impression Anita has become a pretty powerful entity, she has many powers at her fingertips, and this book sees her utilising most of them…..

So, what with keeping her vampire partner alive and on his thrown, she’s keeping humans happy, the vampires are needing constant reassurance she’s not out for his powers, she’s also trying to work out who the Sunshine murder is and can she catch them this time? Anita did seem to be juggling quite a few emotional balls in the air as well! Did she need to be? I didn’t think so! But that’s just me ??‍♀️ 

There are a few spicy moments ? but they don’t slow us down too much (nothing as distracting when the MC’s getting carried away with page after page ?) 

I keep meaning to go to the beginning of this series, I’d love to read how far she’s come, and I’d like to know when Anita and Jean-Claude first met.

I’m also getting the feeling this was a set up for the next book! A few of the threads that could have been sorted weren’t! And I did feel the ending a little vague! 

But I did enjoy the book immensely, the author can definitely weave a tale, twenty nine books in and the character still had plenty to give. 

Will Anita and Jean-Claude get married or will the the Sunshine murderer take precedence? Will the vampires and humans get their wishes? 

I’m definitely recommending this book if your a fan of the author, and I’m suggesting if you have the time, go to the start of the series and work your way through. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K Hamilton-Review & Giveaway

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A Terrible Fall of Angels (Zaniel Havelock 1) by Laurell K Hamilton-Review, Interview & Giveaway

A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS
Zaniel Havelock #1
by Laurell K Hamilton
Release Date: August 17, 2021
Genre: adult, paranormal, Urban Fantasy

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 17, 2021

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

The first in a new series from the author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series.

•••••••••

REVIEW:For those of you who’ve read other works by her, this is different from what your use to.

Angels that walk among us and Demons that no longer hide in the shadows!

Unhappy with the life he life was going, Zaniel Havelock left the College of Angels, walking away from all his friends and everything he’d had become comfortable with. But the one he he couldn’t seem to give up was his ability to communicate with the angels.He now uses those said talents to aid him in his job in the police force, but it’s a branch not many get on. It’s the paranormal unit of the police force. Zaniel works alongside colleagues with different faiths and special skills (psychic’s mainly) This task force is charged with keeping the peace between humans/angels/demons. And it’s not an easy thing to do most days.

So we have a new case for Zaniel to work…..At first glance it’s a case for homicide, but upon closer inspection there seems to be an angelic side to this case.

Could an Angel have killed the victim? Why?

We also have demons to contend with, and like angels there are demons that are different from their kind. What are they up to? And when they start doing things they shouldn’t be able to do, Zaniel has no choice but to reach out to old friends. But with old friends come the old betrayals and secrets, and it’s those secrets that he’s keen to see kept buried!!

There is a religious tone to this book, but not enough to put me off from reading it. And with a new book/series comes the obligatory backstory and world building, which happens to be one of my favourite parts in a book.

Now It makes a change to see a male in the lead in this authors work, it’s usually a kicka$$ female. And the use of bedroom antics is missing too. It seems to be focusing on the detective work rather than orgies and bed hopping! a story a lot good versus evil. About personal choices and how the wrong choice can take you down a path that’s hard to turn from. It’s a murder/mystery story with an angsty romance thrown in (Zaniel is married!)

So who did kill our victim? Is there something more going on? I’m hoping we don’t have to wait too long for the next book out.

Copy supplied by the publisher

? Reviewed by Julie B.

TRC:  Hi Laurell and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS.

Laurell: Thank you so much, I’m so excited to finally be able to share the book with readers.

TRC:  We would like to start with some background information. For our followers who do not know Laurell K Hamilton, would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Laurell: I pioneered the genre of Urban Fantasy which would become Paranormal with the Anita Blake series and then the Merry Gentry series. I also created the idea of reverse harems, though I preferred the term hisem. I write mysteries set in alternate modern America where the supernatural is a given. In the Anita Blake series, it would be like waking up tomorrow with vampires, zombies, shapeshifters and more are real, and everyone knows about them. Anita starts out as a consultant for the local police and a vampire hunter because vampires are considered too dangerous to be imprisoned. If they kill someone, a warrant of execution is issued and a vampire executioner hunts them down. Anita also doesn’t date vampires or any supernaturals at the beginning of the series. Twenty-eight books later, a lot has changed.

For Merry Gentry, Celtic myth and folklore is real and the fey were kicked out of Europe after the last Great War in the 1700s. President Thomas Jefferson offered them a new home here in America where they used the indigenous site of the Cahokia mounds in Illinois as their new fairy mounds, their sithens. For those who aren’t familiar with the Cahokia, it was an abandoned site long before America was a country. Merry is the first faerie princess born on American soil, but when A Kiss of Shadows begins, she’s hiding from her relatives int the Unseelie court because there were too many assassination attempts. She’s in Los Angeles working as a private detective for Grey’s Detective Agency that specialises in supernatural problems, magical solutions.

TRC:   What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing your first book? The new series?

LAURELL:  The book that launched my career, Guilty Pleasures was the first Anita Blake novel. It was rejected over two hundred times, because in the late 1980s there was no market for mixed genre. The fact that vampires in my world weren’t secret but just legal citizens and known to everyone were the reason a lot of horror editors rejected it. I got some lovely rejection slips. Horror editors thought it was fantasy, who thought it might be science fiction, who thought it was mystery. A lot of editors loved the book, but they couldn’t figure out how to market it, so they passed. This was before self-publishing or online publishing was really an option if you wanted a career. Admittedly it was also a time when there were enough traditional publishers to have two hundred separate rejections from major houses. Times have changed a lot since Berkley first offered me a contract for the first three Anita Blake Novels. As for publishing my newest book, A Terrible Fall of Angels, there was no problem with my publisher because I’m one of their bestselling authors with two bestselling series already under my belt. It’s my 41st novel.

TRC:  Would you please tell us something about the premise of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS?

LAURELL:  The powers of Heaven and Hell have a treaty to prevent Armageddon, which is publicly known and part of history. This treaty saved the world from the final battle that would have ended everything as we know it. There are rules about how many demons can come up to Earth and what they can and can’t do to torment humans. Detective Zaniel Havelock and the other members of the Metaphysical Coordination Unit are part of a group that literally polices the angels and demons that come into contact with the mortal world. The nickname for their unit is the Heaven and Hell Squad. They are also called in when other supernatural crimes happen, but Zaniel’s ability to communicate with angels makes him the go-to expert whenever Celestial beings are involved.

How many books do you have planned for the ZANIEL HAVELOCK series?

LAURELL:  Between four and thirteen. Of course, when I started the Anita Blake series, I thought thirteen and I’m working on book twenty-nine, so I won’t really know until I get there.

TRC:  What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS?

LAURELL:  The sticky note with the first line of the book was up on my office wall for almost ten years. I hadn’t been reading, watching, or even thinking about angels at the time, at least in the front of my head. I’ve learned to pay attention to my subconscious and those signals from my muse, so I started searching for nonfiction books about angels, rereading Biblical teachings or insights about the angelic and other world religions. A lot of people forget that when you speak of angels, messengers of God, for Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, you’re talking about the same angels. I also researched the lives and folklore around the saints and prophets. As I was finally sitting down to write Zaniel’s story I found books on modern new age and magic about angels. The changing attitude towards them from Biblical times to now was fascinating to me both as a person and as a writer.

TRC:  Do you plan a cross-over story line between the new series and your Anita Blake series?

LAURELL:  No, though an interview question from the local Kirkwood Library did give me an idea where all my universes could collide. I don’t think I’ll do it, but it’s intrigued me.

TRC:  Do you have plans to continue the Anita Blake series or are you going to concentrate on ZANIEL HAVELOCK?

LAURELL: I’m currently writing the next Anita Blake novel and I have no plans to stop writing Anita.

TRC:  Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

LAURELL:  I think covers have become even more important in the age when so many people decide what to read from a thumbnail image online.

TRC:  When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

LAURELL:  I’m a character driven author. I’ve thrown out entire plots, and up to a third of a novel because a character had a better idea.

TRC:  The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavour?

LAURELL: Robert Frost said it years ago, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” If the writer doesn’t care deeply about what they’re writing how can they make anyone else care? A lot of writers make the mistake of jumping on trends and writing what’s hot without giving themselves a chance to find their own unique voice as a writer. Even if the writer makes a living or a career out of imitating a style that’s not truly their own, they are still cheating themselves and the readers. They cheat themselves by having missed the stories and worlds that only they could have written. They cheat the readers because if you are only imitating someone else’s voice/world/character then it shows. It can be fun, but it’s never as good as the original. It’s like the difference between a masterpiece and a good copy. The imitation never moves you as much as the original art. Some part of you knows a fake when you see it or read it.

TRC:  What is something that few, if anyone, knows about you?

LAURELL:  I’m a huge Disney fan.

TRC:  On what are you currently working?

LAURELL: The twenty-ninth Anita Blake novel, but I will have to stop briefly to finish a short story I’m writing for the anthology, No Game for Gentlemen. I’m also making notes on the next Zaniel Havelock book, and the next Merry Gentry novel.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – tea

Favorite Dessert – cupcakes

Last Movie You Saw – the new Suicide Squad

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk

Last Vacation Destination – Florida Keys

Do you have any pets? – Two cats, two Japanese chins, all rescues.

Last book you read – The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell

TRC:  Thank you Laurell for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS. We wish you all the best.

LAURELL: Thank you for inviting me.

Laurell K. Hamilton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry, Fey Detective series. With more than 40 novels published and 20 million books sold, Laurell continues to create groundbreaking fiction inspired by her lifelong love of monster movies, ghost stories, mythology, folklore, and things that go bump in the night. She lives in St. Louis with her family. In her free time, Laurell trains in Filipino martial arts with a specialization in blade work. Learn more online at laurellkhamilton.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 

Laurell K Hamilton’s publisher (Penguin/Random House)  is graciously offering a paper copy of A TERRIBLE FALL OF ANGELS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Rafael by Laurel K Hamilton-Review & Excerpt

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Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 28 ) by Laurel K Hamilton-Review & Excerpt

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 9, 2021

Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side.…

But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only room in America for one supernatural king, and Rafael will turn them into nothing more than food for the bloodsuckers.

Among his enemies, a new challenger has arisen who is younger, hungrier, and has dark secrets that could destroy both the wererats and the vampires. Rafael will go into the magical heart of his people to find the power and violence that he needs to save them all, or die trying.

•••••••

REVIEW: Rafael has a big problem!!

His relationship with both Anita and Jean-Claude are putting his leadership to question!!

Challenge after challenge to his throne is getting exhausting. His rat society (wererats) are worried that the vampire he associates with will want more than just their leaders blood, there are rumours going around that they will become a food source, that they will be drained dry and slaughtered!!

We also have Hector, he’s being groomed to becoming heir, to rule in Rafael’s place. But Hector wants it now!! He thinks he can do a much better job, he hates that they are “friends” with humans and vampires. So poor Rafael has that to deal with also!!

But the biggest problem comes when she meets Hector and realizes that he is under the influence of something or someone! Could there be a rogue vampire working behind the scenes? Anita certainly has enough enemies, and if this causes a rift between Anita and her friend Rafael, then it’s got to be a plot!!

The story was fast-paced and brought in characters from earlier books in the series. And although I’ve only read the previous two book (serpentine and Sucker Punch) I didn’t feel like I’ve missed too much (but I have been reading the blurb from past books, and it’s a series I’m definitely interested in reading)

It’s also shorter than most of her books, (I’ve read reviews that have complained about the amount of sex in previous books). I liked the focus on Rafael and the rats. They’ve been characters for quite a while now, and it was finally time to get a closer look at them.

Anita is also dealing with an issue, her super strength!! Getting over what her mind thinks she can and can’t do was good to read. Most stories assume you’ll get the hang of it instantly, so it was good to see that side (the gym scene where she can bench press more than her mind thinks was safe was funny)

There does seem like a lot of characters, most of them have been in previous books, so if I do go back, I’m going to write notes ?on who is who. But this style of writing kept me hooked until the last page. As I said earlier, it’s shorter than other books, but it still crams in magic, relationships, fights and Anita’s witty banter.

 

Previous Reviews
21. Kiss The Dead
26. Serpentine
27. Sucker Punch

Reviewed by Julie ?

Copy supplied by the publisher

From RAFAEL published by arrangement with Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2021 by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I looked up into Rafael’s face, dark brown skin to match the hair and eyes. He couldn’t hide what he was, and I didn’t try to hide, I just didn’t think about it until something made me think about it. Planning the wedding with Jean-Claude had made me have to think more about my family; so far my father wasn’t going to walk me down the aisle because I was marrying a vampire, which meant I was damning myself for all eternity in the eyes of the Catholic Church. My family were devout Catholics.
“So many serious thoughts going through your eyes,” he said.
I shook my head. “Nothing worth sharing.”
He gave me the look that all my semiserious people got eventually, the one that said they didn’t believe me when I said it was nothing. “It’s okay if you love Asher. I don’t see what any of you see in him, but I don’t have to, he’s not my boo.”
“He’s not my boo either,” I said, and wondered if I was protesting a bit too much.
Rafael gave me a look, as if he was wondering the same thing, which pissed me off and made me draw my face back, so I wasn’t resting on his hand.
Benito said, “If he is so unimportant to you, then why do you risk Rafael’s life because of the mess Asher has caused with the local werehyenas?”
“Benito, it is not your place . . .” Rafael started to say.
“If not mine, then whose, my king? It is my sworn duty to keep you safe, but I cannot fight your challenges for you. If Anita would make you her rat to call, you would gain enough power to win against any challenger.”
“Why did you get another challenger this soon?” I asked.
It was Rafael’s turn to look away from me as if he wasn’t sure what I’d see in his eyes. I grabbed the tank top and used it to pull him toward me. “You just fought a duel out of town two weeks ago. You’re a good king, a great leader, why is this one challenging you again so soon?” I’d learned that any challenge for rulership among the wererats, the rodere, had to give a reason for it, and the reason had to make sense to enough of the wererats for them to vote on it. If a challenger had a bogus reason for the fight, then they could just vote that the reason wasn’t good enough to risk their king.
“Tell her, Rafael,” Benito said.
“I am king here, not you!” His anger brought his beast like a line of heat across my skin. I had to let go of him and step back so I could do a few deep, even breaths. I couldn’t change shape for real, but I still carried the beasts inside me, and one of those was rat.
“You are my king, but she needs to know what is happening.”
“One of you tell me, because it’s starting to make me nervous.”
Rafael motioned at Benito. “You want to tell her, tell her.”
Benito looked startled as if he hadn’t expected that, but he recovered quickly, and gave me very serious eyes. Whatever he was going to say, he didn’t expect me to like it. “The reason given for this challenge is that they are afraid that once you make Rafael your rat to call, all the wererats in the United States will be slaves to the vampires through Jean-Claude’s ties to you as his human servant.”
“The local clan here would know that’s not true,” I said.
“But I am no longer just the king of the St. Louis clan. I am king to all the wererats in this country, so they are all voting.”
I frowned at him. “How are all the wererats voting in time for the fight tonight?”
“Online, we created a poll online,” he said.
“How’s the voting going?”
“I am losing.”

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Sucker Punch by Laurell K Hamilton-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Sucker Punch (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #27) by Laurell K Hamilton-Review,Excerpt & Giveaway

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 4, 2020.

A brutal murder, a suspect in jail, and an execution planned, but what if the wrong person is about to be killed?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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When a fellow U.S. Marshal asks Anita Blake to fly to a tiny community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on an emergency consult, she knows time is running short. When she arrives, there is plenty of proof that a young wereleopard killed his uncle in the most gruesome and bloody way possible. As the mounting evidence points to him, a warrant of execution is already under way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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But something seems off about the murder, and Anita has been asked for her expert opinion on the crime scene. Despite the escalating pressure from local cops and the family’s cries for justice for their dead patriarch, Anita quickly realizes that the evidence doesn’t quite add up.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Time is against Anita, as the tight-knit community is up in arms and fear against supernaturals is growing. She races to uncover the truth and determine whether the Marshals have caught the killer or are about to execute an innocent man—all in the name of justice.

••••••••

REVIEW: Book 27 in the series!! And the only previous book I read was book 26!!

I don’t think you need to read the others, it stands alone pretty well, but you get the feeling some of the jokes or meanings are “in house” so if you’ve read them all, you’ll probably get them. And of course it explains her background and livers in more detail.

So …….

Anita is our main character in all the books. It’s told in her perspective (not a big fan, but it’s not a biggie)

We start with Anita getting off a tiny plane, not her idea of fun, but it gets her to her destination of Michigan.

She thinks it’s better not to get involved with the locals and the guy they have locked up. But chatting to him, Anita can’t distance herself, but is that a bad thing? She thinks he’s innocent, and the more time she spends poking around the small town, the more she’s convinced he didn’t do it. But if he didn’t do it, then who did? And why?

There is lots of technical jargon, some of it explained and some of it gets really explained (page filling? You do have to wonder) there is lots of internal monologue (some of it pretty funny) there is also the fact she’s seeing seven other people (from lovers, to fiancées) the group texting made me chuckle, her griping at the fact she needs to text and talk more to the people in her life. She doesn’t mind, but she does feel a little resentment at being told what to do! (Did we need to know that?)

She likes her weapons, there is lots of weapons, there is lots of talking about the weapons.

As we get further into the book, there are a few red herrings to try to catch you out, there are the usual suspects, but only one in jail. My money was on the family members that tried to rob their dead relative.

And what was with one of the deputies, chip on his shoulder or what!!

The marshal Anita teams up with is a great character, Marshal Newman is an old friend of hers, so it was great to read that interaction. The Sheriff in charge was a bit of an idiot, very singleminded and not open to change. It was fun to watch him squirm under Anita’s stare.

Oh and Anita is trying to get married…. she’s marrying Jean-Claude (a six hundred year old vampire) she’d marry Nathaniel and Micah if she could (shifters) but the alternate universe frowns on multiple people marrying!Then we have Edward “Ted” not a sexual partner at all (In fact he got married in the last book and Anita was his “best man”). And what about this Marshall Otto “Olaf” Jeffries?! Creepy guy if you ask me. It goes into a little detail, but I’m assuming there is past history there (don’t think sexual, but you never know with Anita)

So….. a murder mystery story basically.

Well written, very descriptive, and a fast paced read. I didn’t read any characters that didn’t seem unnecessary, they were all well thought out, and I grew to dislike a few of them.

We spend time getting to know the killer, and I really didn’t think he did it. But you’ll have to read it to find out?

And I really liked it. The author drew me in and kept me there until I was done.

? Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied by the publisher

Posted by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Laurell K. Hamilton, 2020.

 

 

Newman dropped Bobby and let him fall to his knees and one hand. The other hand was still chained to the bed and couldn’t touch the floor. Newman went for the door, but I could tell that the heat wasn’t enough yet. Bobby was still fighting his beast, still trying to win control back. I let myself glance at the door. Anthony had her shotgun to her shoulder like she knew how to use it. Leduc had opened the cell door for Newman. He barked an order at the deputy, telling her to put the barrel through the bars, not to hold it outside them. As soon as Newman was in the open doorway, Leduc drew his side‑ arm and aimed it at the fallen man. They had no idea that Bobby was still fighting to stay human. They couldn’t feel it. If I left the cell, they’d just shoot him, and I couldn’t even blame them.
I went to my knees beside Bobby and spoke low. “I’m here, Bobby. I’m right here.”
His yellow leopard eyes stared at me from inches away. His voice came out as a growl. “Get out. Can’t . . . hold it.”
“Get out of there, Blake!” Leduc yelled.
“He’s still fighting not to shift,” I said, but I never looked away from those bright yellow eyes. I touched Bobby’s arm, and his power jumped from him to me. It called my own inner leopard like I knew it would, but I trusted my control. I’d played this game before on both sides of the problem. My energy made his stumble, for lack of a better word.
“Anita, get out of there!” Newman’s voice was urgent. I didn’t look at him. I knew he’d have a gun in his hand by now, too. If I stopped blocking their aim, Bobby Marchand would die.
The man kneeling beside me blinked, his human face showing that he was already losing his words, because leopards don’t think in words.
“Your name is Bobby Marchand. You live in Hanuman, Michigan.”
He stared at me, frowning, as if he knew I was talking to him but in a foreign language that he couldn’t understand.
“Come on, Bobby, I know you’re in there. Talk to me.”
“If he shifts with the door open, we will have to shoot, and friendly fire is a bitch, Blake,” Leduc said from behind me.
“Then close the door.”
“Anita, no!” Newman said.
I just kept looking into Bobby’s face and willed him to answer me. “Bobby is still in there. He’s still fighting to stay human. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Do you, Bobby?”
He gave the smallest shake of his head; it was a start. I was so happy that he’d responded that I added my jolt of joy to the energy. It jumped down my hand into him. He shivered and then gripped my arm back where I still held on to him. The energy of our beasts swirled across each other’s skin, and when he blinked at me next, I saw his eyes widen in surprise. He didn’t whisper it, more breathed it out with his lips barely moving. None of the humans at the door heard him say, “Your eyes.”
I blinked and knew that if I’d had a mirror at that moment, my own eyes wouldn’t have been human either. My eyes were the only thing that ever changed for me. To save himself, he couldn’t find his words, but to warn me of danger, to save me, he’d found his human half.
I leaned in close to him, using his body to hide my eyes from the door, because if they saw us both with inhuman eyes, I didn’t know what would happen. No, I did know: They’d shoot us both. Maybe Newman would try to save me, but Leduc would shoot first and sort it out later, and his deputy would follow his lead. I hugged Bobby, resting my face in the bend of his neck on the side opposite the door. It gave him a perfect opportunity to tear my throat out, but I could feel the heat of his beast withdrawing like we’d finally found the knob to turn the oven off. From the doorway, people were yelling just my name or demanding to know what I was doing. But in that second, I knew if I looked back at my fellow officers with leopard eyes, they’d kill us both.

 

Laurell K. Hamilton’s publisher PENGUIN /RANDOM HOUSE / BERKLEY is offering an Netgalley ARC of SUCKER PUNCH to one lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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9.  IMPORTANT–>Giveaway open to anyone who has a registered NETGALLEY account

10. Giveaway runs from August 7-12, 2020

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Cover Reveals

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COVER REVEALS 

SPENCER HILL PUBLISHING wants your help!!

BLOOD BOUND:   Blood Bound is the debut release of new author Keish Swaim.   For the cover reveal there are TWO options and SPENCER HILL is asking for your help in choosing which cover they will use for Keisha’s new novel.

Vote HERE for your favorite cover!!

















TITLE:  Bound Blood
AUTHOR: Keish Swaim
PUBLISHER: Spencer Hill Press  www.spencerhillpress.com
ISBN: 978-1-937053-45-1
RELEASE DATE: September 10, 2013
FORMATS: Paper, e-book

Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.

 

Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life. But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.

 RELEASE DATE:  September 2013

 

Omens

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home, and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

Release Date: August 2013

 

TITLE:  Loki’s Wolves 

AUTHOR:  Kelley Armstrong/Melissa Marr

SERIES:  The Blackwell Pages

RELEASE DATE:  May 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: The Winemaker’s Dinner-Entrees

AUTHOR: Dr. Ivan Rusilko and Everly Drummond

SERIES: The Winemaker’s Dinner

RELEASE DATE: TBA

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Affliction

AUTHOR: Laurell K Hamilton

SERIES: Anita Blake

RELEASE DATE: June 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: Gameboard of the Gods

AUTHOR: Richelle Mead

SERIES: Age of X

RELEASE DATE: June 2013

 

 

 

 

TITLE: The Lass Wore Black

AUTHOR: Karen Ranney

SERIES: Scottish Romance

RELEASE DATE: January 2013

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KISS THE DEAD (Anita Blake 21) by Laurell K Hamilton-a new release review

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KISS THE DEAD (Anita Blake 21) by Laurell K Hamilton-a new release review

KISS THE DEAD (Anita Blake 21) by Laurell K Hamilton -release date June 5, 2012

Is Laurell K. Hamilton STILL writing about Anita Blake??? Yes. Kiss the Dead, the latest installment in the long-running Anita Blake series is STILL full of vampires, wereleopards, weretigers, werewolves, etc. Anita is STILL killing bad guys and STILL raising the occasional zombie for Animators, Inc. Problem is Anita is STILL stuck in relationship drama with all of the above. In truth, Anita Blake has deteriorated into a standstill character for many books now.

Kiss the Dead, Book Number “Who really cares anymore?” lulls you into a false sense of security with a strong beginning. Ms. Hamilton regales us with honest, gritty details of Anita’s job duties as a Federal Marshall. A 15 year old girl has been kidnapped by vampires who have already killed 2 police officers. When one of the “slower” vamps is caught and is being interrogated by Anita (who has earned two (2) nicknames in the supernatural community as “The Executioner” and “War” for having the most “kills”), and exercises a juicy amount of psychic techniques to extract information, Barney (really?) reveals someone is setting up Anita.

A disgruntled group of vampires has been organized to rally against Anita and her long-time lover, and MY only reason for continuing this saga, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City. This bazaar group, comprised of geriatric vampires, (grandmas, people!) and the very youthful, which is actually forbidden, were advocating for vampire “freedom”; the right to not belong to any particular “master” (blood-oathed) nor the newly-founded, American Vampire Council. To support this “cause”, the motley crue was purposefully assembled to appeal to the human audience and thus reduce Anita’s ease when delivering legal execution. However undeterred, because she does manage to enter with a SWAT team and save the girl with procedural expertise, the action affects Anita personally and sets off a level of introspection that lasts throughout the book.

Anita isn’t only a Federal Marshall, vampire executioner and necromancer (ability to raise the dead), she’s also the human servant of Jean-Claude and a pan-were (multi-animal shifter due to an attack) without the ability to shift, in the middle of a crisis of conscience. Yikes! Just when you think Ms. Hamilton is taking us back to the Anita of old, the kick-ass Anita who was sent out to kill the “monsters”, BAM! You’re sucked right back down into the cesspool that is Anita Blake’s love life.

We learned long ago that Anita inherited Jean-Claude’s “gift” of the ardeur, which means she basically has to “feed” off sex every few hours. No joke. To say this subject is complicated, if not perplexing, is putting it mildly. When Anita accepted Jean-Claude’s blood (3 times thus far, but she’s refused the 4th exchange which would grant her immortality), she did it out of love for him, but had no idea the ardeur would be a consequence of her commitment. Putting it crudely, but it is just that, if fed “properly” through means of sex (and now anger), Anita can battle down the ability to shift. If she doesn’t, Anita seduces anyone in her line of vision. I said crude, remember?

I could go on, endlessly, about all that I loathe about Anita Blake, but it would be unfair to Kiss the Dead. Believe it or not, I was on Chapter 18 and not one sex scene was yet described! I’m rather elated to say LKH does NOT give Anita a new, never-before-met, lover. Instead, we’re relegated to suffer the same cast of characters and they’re worthy of hair-pulling and exasperation alone. My beloved Jean-Claude is still at the “helm”, inasmuch as Anita allows his involvement (HATE this declining role), Asher is still as whiny as ever (but is actually being “disciplined” for this new level of whine), and Micah and Nathaniel are still on hand as Anita’s shadows. But Cynric, Anita’s blue tiger to call, is another disaster in the making. Aside from nearly draining Nicky the werelion aka, her own “Bride of Dracula”, Anita is dealing with Cynric, her 18 year old tiger (to Anita’s 30) and she basically can’t escape feeling creeped out by his presence in her bed. To be fair, it was Marmee Noir aka, the Mother of All Darkness’, fault that Cynric even made it to Anita’s bed, but if we’re going to start pointing fingers…It IS that confusing. This is not a stand-alone book.

This series is over-saturated with overlapping lovers, over-indulged lovers, jealous lovers, neglected lovers, etc…Given the controversy surrounding Anita Blake, could the downward spiral of this series have prompted Ms. Hamilton to give Anita pause? It sure seemed like it. Vacillating between keeping her badge and keeping her lovers safe is the core of this book. How can Anita continue to sleep with vampires and shifters and remain impartial in her duties as a Federal Marshall? A hostage situation involving several of her lovers brings that issue to a head. There has to be a conflict of interest at some point, right?

Ultimately, all the contemplation afforded Anita does little else but force the reader to accept, or not, that Anita’s lifestyle is unique and that she is under no obligation to explain why she thrives as such. Will Anita’s personal choices affect her professional reputation at the expense of her beloved badge one day? In praise to Anita, the police agencies lack the fortitude she delivers. Anita embraces her inner “monster” and dispenses justice according to the law; no matter who she loves. They’d be crazy to let her go.

I am disheartened by this series to say the least. Ms. Hamilton’s writing style is also showing signs of trouble. Several scenes described were followed by variations of the same description. This isn’t a YA audience, Ms. Hamilton; we got the picture the first time! There are authors who I follow and subscribe to their websites to keep informed of new developments. I’ve never done that for LKH and perhaps that’s what’s kept me so critical of her series? If I read more about characters’ nuances and the reasons behind their choices…maybe then I could offer a more neutral opinion? Problem is….I’m STILL not that interested.

Reviewed by Carmen

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