SNAP: Pandemic Games by Michele Drier-Review & Giveaway

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Sandy

SNAP: Pandemic Games (Kandesky Vampires) by Michele Drier-Review and Giveaway

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 10, 2022

Tension mounts around the world as the Covid pandemic takes hold, pitting nations against each other for vaccines and lockdowns. And against a misinformation campaign designed by Jazz, the Kandeskys begin to take on Russia, not realizing that Putin has plans of his own. Maxie and Jean-Louis do shuttle diplomacy between NATO and the EU, Brussels and Kyiv, working to stalemate any Russian incursions into Ukraine and bolstering the West’s stance against Putin’s dreams of empire.

•••••••••

REVIEW: SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES is the eleventh instalment in Michele Drier’s contemporary, adult KANDESKY VAMPIRES paranormal, romance series focusing on the Kandesy Family of vampires: Jean-Louis and Maxie, Nik and Jazz.

Told from third person perspectives SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES follows in the wake of the COVID Pandemic sweeping the world, and the imminent invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army. SNAP is the media arm of the Kandesky Enterprise, and in an effort to take down the Russian ‘fake-news’, Maxie and Jean-Louis are about to start a ‘disinformation campaign’ of their own but our couple quickly discover that they have competition in the ‘arms’ dealing division of Kandesky Enterprises by people working directly for the Russian government. As Jean-Louis,Maxie, Nik and Jazz begin to uncover the who, how and why, the Russian army is setting into motion an invasion of Ukraine, to reclaim what they believe is theirs all along.

SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES blends reality with fiction and reads like a history text book, a geography lesson, and a political science lecture all wrapped in a vampire story line The COVID Pandemic and the war in Ukraine are the backdrop of a story focusing on vampires who have lived through several wars and pandemics themselves. As the Kandesky family struggles to uncover the truth, Russia continues to advance in the darkness, taking aim at the people of Ukraine. The premise is intriguing, engaging and all-too real including references to many current and past leaders and rulers, and conspiracy theories swirling around the origins of COVID ; the characters are powerful, informed and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
SNAP: The World Unfolds
SNAP: New Talent
PLAGUE: A Love Story
DANUBE: A Tale of Murder
SNAP: Love For Blood
SNAP: Happily Ever After
SNAP: White Nights
SNAP: All That Jazz
SNAP: I Vampire
SNAP: Red Bear Rising

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and is a fifth generation Californian. She’s lived and worked all over the state, calling both Southern and Northern California home. During her career in journalism—as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers—she won awards for producing investigative series.

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was named one of the best paranormal vampire series of 2014 by reviewers of the Paranormal Romance Guild. SNAP: All That Jazz, Book Eight of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was awarded second place for best book of 2014.

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Michele Drier is graciously offering a paper copy of SNAP: PANDEMIC GAMES to one (1) winner (US/Canada only) and an ebook (International)

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9. Paper back giveaway open to USA/Canada only : ebook is open International

10. Giveaway runs from November 26-30, 2022

SNAP: Red Bear Rising (Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #10) by Michele Drier-a review

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Sandy

SNAP: Red Bear Rising (Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #10) by Michele Drier-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 17, 2018

Nik Kandesky and Jazz Fall are engaged, meaning Jazz agrees to be changed into a vampire, a dicey situation. Set against the continuing Russian incursions into Crimea and Ukraine, Jazz must dig deep into her core to find her courage and become a member of the high echelon Kandeskys, who have guided and led the family for half a millenium. Born and bred a SoCal woman, she has to swallow her fears as Nik takes on challenges that leave him injured and close to death.

•••••••

REVIEW: Red Bear Rising is the tenth book in the SNAP series. This series, if you aren’t fortunate enough to have discovered it, is a saga about the Kandesky vampires and their very civilized world of fashion, finance and munitions. It is also the story of strong women finding love and being changed to be loved forever by their men. As with the other nine books, each can be read as a stand-alone. However, as with any saga, it’s always best to begin at the beginning.

In this book, Jazz is planning her wedding to Nik Kandesky. Nik oversees the munitions division of the empire, and lives in Kiev. Jazz is a managing editor for SNAP, the celebrity gossip and news division and the main money maker for the family.

Jazz is understandably concerned about becoming a vampire and leaving her California lifestyle and the sunshine behind. She loves Nik so much she worries about him constantly. Coming to terms with all this and adjusting to the lifestyle expected of her is interesting. The issues with her and Maxie (her friend, boss, and wife of Jean-Louis Kandesky) are similar, but have many differences too. It’s interesting to watch her work through them with Maxie’s help.

Nik is a wise and stoic vampire who has seen the rise and fall of many political empires over the centuries. His area of expertise for the family is being able to make sure their munitions sales are to legitimate buyers. When some of their weapons are found on the black market, he and the family ensure their family name by removing those who shouldn’t have them. A dangerous job, but necessary.

The family becomes concerned when it appears that Russia is beginning to mount troops and make incursions into their country to begin a takeover. Danger and exciting intrigue add to the wedding and changing issues.

In all this book moves the Kandesky story ahead as the political and personal changes take place. I found it interesting and the love sense are quite sensual. Snipes at the current American president aside, I loved the story.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

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SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Sandy

SNAP: I, Vampire (Kandesky Vampire #9) by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Snap I, Vampire

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 3, 2016

Maxie Gwenoch, LA-based media star, VP for International Planning for the multi-national gossip conglomerate, SNAP, has finally agreed to marry Jean-Louis Kandesky, a 500-year-old Hungarian vampire a leader of the family that owns SNAP.

Is marriage a big change? Not as big as the fact that Maxie is now a vampire, as well. When munitions from the Kandesky Enterprises weapons plant in Slovakia turn up at the bombing of a Royal’s house in England, Jean-Louis and his “brother,” Nik, are hot on the trail of shadowy terrorist groups dealing in international weapons sales. Are the Kandesky arms being sold to terrorists groups? Should Maxie use her new-found vampire strengths to ferret out the scum?

•••••••••••

REVIEW: I Vampire, is book nine of the SNAP series by Michele Drier. This is Maxie’s story of being the newest member of the Kandesky vampire family.

We begin this tale on Maxie and Jean-Louis’s “honeymoon” in an exclusive and private chalet in the Alps. After days of mind-blowing sex, snow-filled views, peace and quiet out couple is ready to head back to reality and their very busy, albeit luxurious, lives. Maxi only a little unsure of herself, due to sometimes forgetting that her life has changed so drastically.

Jazz and Nik greet them at their Kiev home and we’re off on adventure. Author Drier uses recent headlines around the world and current issues to build an adventurous and exciting storyline. Terrorists have bombed the home of a British noble (a bit removed from the throne line…but royal none the less).

The casings found at the scene have implications for Kandesky Munitions, a huge problem for the family. This begins a story of intrigue, danger, and Kandesky style shopping for our girls, Maxi and Jazz.

With her usual and talented flair, we’re taken through plots, subplots, and things unseen. An exciting run through many exotic places as they draw out and eliminate the threats to the family. Along with all this adventure is a slow thread of romantic interest for Jazz and Nik; Maxi remembering her and Jean-Louis’s road to bliss.

If you haven’t started this series, you have some catching up to do…get started! If you’re a fan of this series, it’s another thrilling and imaginative exploit into this world. A great read, I had to stop what I was doing until I finished it! Enjoy everyone, I love this series!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

Guest post-White and Red

Staying interested

Writing a series is both fun and nerve-wracking.

Fun because you get to spend time with people you love and know well.

Nerve-wracking because those people have to be growing, changing, finding themselves in new situations with new challenges.

When I sat down to write SNAP: I, Vampire, I knew the main theme of the book was Maxie’s first few weeks or months as a vampire. She’d given up all she ever craved in the regular world—sun, days at the beach, food—to be with Jean-Louis in everlasting life and love.

In the world of the Kandeskys, things change. Not the Kandeskys themselves, they’re 500-or-so- year-old Hungarian vampires. For them, their days…and nights…have a continuity and sameness, safe and predictable. But because they chose centuries ago to live in the world of regulars, they face challenges they must adapt to or lose their family.

They’ve overcome their ancient enemies, the Huszar vampire family; threats from Chechen thugs who want to take over SNAP, the family’s cornerstone property, and outwitted forays from Bulgarians, Russian oligarchs and Azerbaijanis.

Now, one of their other properties, Kandesky Munitions, the Czech factories that Nik is responsible for, have been implicated in a bomb explosion at the house of one of the British Royals. Torn from their idyllic, and sex-saturated, honeymoon on the top of an Alp, Jean-Louis and Maxie must unravel the threats from a group of terrorists. ISIS? Al Qaeda? A wholly new unnamed group? Who knows.

In tracking down the thugs and arms dealers, Jean-Louis and Nik fill the cells in the basement of Jean-Louis’ Kiev house with low-level scum and fun and mayhem ensue.

I’m a news junkie, and all interesting and weird bits of trivia from around the world are grist.

I have a file (a pile?) of small pieces of paper, sticky-notes, print-outs I’m intrigued with. Every so often some of them make it into a book. This time, it was terrorist threats, from articles on the international arms trade.

The Kandeskys live in the rarified atmosphere of the world’s superrich. The possibilities of kidnapping, secret trade agreements and working with shady arms merchants are always their cost of doing business.

And terrorist groups from the Middle East and Eastern Europe are just the latest news.

Stay tuned. There will be more.

About The Author

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles include SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After?, SNAP: White Nights and SNAP: All That Jazz. SNAP: I, Vampire, Book Nine in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles is scheduled for publication in 2015.

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Delta for Death by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Sandy

Delta for Death by Michele Drier-Review and Guest Post

Delta For Death

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 26,2015

California is in the middle of a catastrophic drought and water managers are scrambling to find ways to conserve the resource. The Governor has proposed a plan to dig massive tunnels under Delta, a sprawling tract of islands, sloughs, farms, marinas, resorts and historic small towns. The project will ship Sacramento River water south, to the thirsty corporate farms and cities of Central and Southern California, not a popular idea in Northern California.

When two bodies turn up at a state corporation yard in the tiny Delta hamlet of Freeland, Amy Hobbes and her police reporter, Clarice, are determined to find out if water is an issue worth killing for

••••••••••••

REVIEW: Delta for Death is Michele Drier’s new novel. This is Book Three of the Amy Hobbs Newspaper Mysteries.

Amy Hobbs is the Managing Editor for Monroe Press in the Central Valley area of California. Her ex-husband up and left for Illinois with his pregnant girlfriend, leaving Amy and her then teenage daughter to make a life for themselves. The teenager became a graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a nursing degree as Amy continues her career. She has since moved on romantically as well, she has a casual, for the moment, relationship with a wonderfully romantic and adventurous man, Phil. Phil happens to work for the San Francisco Times.

This marvelously entertaining story develops slowly as Amy and her reporters go through their day discovering stories of murder and mayhem in this small town California area. Stories develop in interesting ways, as do the relationships between the people.

Author Michele Drier has written a wonderfully entertaining story, combining great characters, behind the scenes looks at what’s behind some of the headlines in California, murder and the many possibilities for it, as well as a developing romance. All are entwined to make a fun and interesting read.

I’ve had the privilege of reading Michele Drier’s SNAP (Kandesky Vampire Chronicles) Series, and after reading this story, I’ll have to catch up by reading the first two Amy Hobbs Mysteries as well.

Grab you favorite beverage, curl up and have a great read with this wonderful new addition to her series! Enjoy everyone, I certainly did.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Georgianna S

Guest Post

What do You Know?

Many of us don’t know what we know.

That sounds like a non sequitur. Of course we know. We went to school. We work. We read. We watch television. We talk with friends.
We’re learning every day.

But lot of what we’ve learned just passes through our minds if we have no immediate use for it. Even if we don’t use it, though, it’s still there, lodged somewhere behind grocery lists, our mother’s uncle’s second wife’s phone number and birthdays of people we worked with ten years ago.

So when a writer is advised to “write what you know,” what does that mean?
The foremost idea is to set your protagonist in a career or relationship or place that you, as the author, are familiar with.

Many authors do this. I’ve chosen a protagonist for my mystery series who’s a newspaper editor. Hmmm… maybe because I spent about twenty years in that job?

And the setting for the books is California’s northern Central Valley, a place where I spent a chunk of my childhood and have lived for a quarter of a century as an adult. This deep knowledge of a career, a location and a point in time, makes it easy to close my eyes and be there.

I’ve also chosen to develop plots around roughly current news. The first book in the series, Edited for Death, is about finding masterpieces stolen by the Nazis in World War II. It was written a few years ago when pieces of stolen art, notably a Klimt work, were found. And not too long ago, George Clooney put together a movie, Monuments Men, about the group of scholars who tracked down and recovered some of the looted art.

Labeled for Death looks at the winegrape growing industry in California, a several billion dollar a year economic shot in the arm for the state…and some well-known and wealthy growers. Premium wines are made from grape varieties and some grapes bring a lot more money per ton than others. Is someone passing off inferior grapes as premium?

California’s severe drought is the backstory for Delta for Death. The governor has a plan to dig huge, deep tunnels under the Delta where the major north-south rivers join up to flow into San Francisco Bay. The tunnels will divert Sacramento River water under the Delta to ship it south to the ag lands in the lower Central Valley and eventually into the Los Angles basin. Is water in California an issue worth killing over?

Even knowing the situations and places I’m writing about, sometime small memories pop up and say, “Me too! Don’t forget about…” That’s how Amy Hobbes and her lover end up at a sports car race in Monterey in Delta for Death. Or a building in Heidelberg houses stolen art in Edited for Death. Little things I experienced, tucked away and forgot about for years.

What have you learned that you know? What small (or not!) piece of trivia is in a locked file drawer in your brain, just waiting for the key? Finding out what you know can be a great voyage of discovery.

~~Michele~~

About The Author

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death, Labeled for Death and Delta for Death, published May 2015.

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 of SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles only $6.99 : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Snap: White Nights by Michele Drier-Review and Cover Reveal

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Sandy

Snap: White Nights by Michele Drier-Review and Cover Reveal

SNAP White Nights

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 17, 2014

SNAP: White Nights, the seventh book in The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, is now out!

White Nights continues the love story of Maxie, a regular, and Jean-Louis, a five hundred year old Hungarian vampire. And it begins the story of Nik, a Kandesky vampire and Jazz, a regular who’s climbing the ladder of success at SNAP, the world’s largest and richest celebrity gossip empire.

Set in Kiev, Ukraine and St. Petersburg, Russia, the lovers confront gangsters, rival vampires and international tensions as Kiev faces uprisings and the deposing of the Ukrainian president.

I love writing the Kandesky Chronicles. I’m half in love with Jean-Louis. Their world is so filled with challenge, wealth, fear, political plots and danger that falling in love is one more hurdle to overcome.

Because of its setting, White Nights has contemporary events woven into the plot. Writing as current events are changing the setting for the characters was a challenge for me, as the author. I’d watch the news for the latest happening in Kiev, then go back and rewrite Maxie’s story to reflect the chaos.

Just as in the real world, there’s no resolution to the Ukraine/Russia conflict. And the intimate conflicts between the lovers? This is playing out, too.

Coming later this spring is Book Eight, SNAP: All That Jazz.

•••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: The next SNAP is White Nights, and oh what nights they are! Ms. Drier has done it again, she taken us back to the world of the Kandesky vampires, wealth, fashion, travel, incredible passion and romance; and as always has some intrigue and danger mixed in.
In White Nights you can expect more of the magnificently sexy Jean-Louis and Maxie; but wait..there’s a new coupling on the rise! The ever efficient and bubbly Jazz meets the sleek and golden Nik…ahhh! It’s instant ultra-attraction for them both.

There are wonderful parties, exotic places and people. The road is never quite smooth, with great wealth and power come enemies, and those they love are often the easier targets for those enemies. Jazz and Nik have a few bumps as she learns the world of the Kandeskys. Jazz has worked for SNAP and is very good at her job, but the incredible power of this family as well as the wealth is a real eye opener for her.

She soon learns it’s not all fun and games, with all the good comes probably an equal and sometimes a little unequal bad. Can she handle it? Will Nik’s love be able to overcome her fear? Oh you’ve got to read this!

Just when Maxie thought her brutal attackers were all gone, the one who was missing is back! Vengeance and power is his game and Maxie and Jazz are his targets. An enemy of both Jean-Louis and Nik, Jules is the monster who …oops…almost did too many spoilers! Well, if you’ve read the others you know who he is, if you haven’t – what the heck is stopping you?

This is great paranormal romance ladies. Vampires, were-wolves, demons, and so much more stuff we girls love to play with! (Chuckling)

Personally, I can’t wait for the next installment of this wonderful series; I’m really looking forward to it!

Grab a glass of your favorite beverage, (I found a new local winery – yummm) kickback and dive into this wonderful story! Enjoy everyone, I did!

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Georgianna

About The Author Black and Red

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

SNAP: White Nights the seventh book of her paranormal romance series, The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, was published March 20. She’s working on the eighth book in the series, SNAP: All That Jazz, scheduled for publication in late spring 2014.

She also writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries, Edited for Death and Labeled for Death. A third book, Delta for Death, is coming in 2014.

SNAP: Happily Ever After? by Michele Drier-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Sandy

SNAP: Happily Ever After? by Michele Drier-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

SNAP: Happily Ever After?
The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #6
by Michele Drier
Genre: adult, paranormal
Release Date: November 17, 2013

Snap Happily EverAfter

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 17, 2013

Loving Jean-Louis for eternity doesn’t mean that Maxie Gwenoch will let him turn her. Jean-Louis is a vampire, is gorgeous, is the second-in-command of the Kandesky Family of Hungarian vampires, and is her boss at SNAP, the multinational, multimedia celeb gossip empire where she is the VP for International Planning. She moves to Kiev to build a home with Jean-Louis and finds her future under a cloud from Leonid, a rival from the Huszar family, now living in a bolthole in the ruins of Chernobyl. Will Maxie find safety by giving up her days and joining Jean-Louis in the vampire nights?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: She’s back with another exciting story of those wonderful Kandesky’s!

Happily Ever After?, is the 6th of the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles. Michele Drier takes us on another journey into the incredibly fast paced life of the Kandesky vampires. We begin with Maxie Gwenoch arriving in Kiev to begin her assignment as Vice President of International Planning. Of course we start with a bang…as Maxie overrides Jean-Louis’s orders and goes right to the office instead of to Nik’s house.

The incredible love between Maxie and Jean-Louis is both romantic and volatile. The man gets go over the top angry when she disobeys his orders, even though she doesn’t know why he made those orders…being American and Maxie, she needs to know the why before obeying anything. A concept that’s a bit difficult for the 500 year old Jean-Louis. I love the hot and cold and angst of this whole relationship as they find their way together. It’s really fun and interesting to see what will happen next!

It seems some of the villain(s) from the last story, Leonid and Jules, escaped and have made their way to Kiev. Hence, Jean-Louis’s angst over Maxie going to the office before he could set up security.

Okay, that’s the set up for the story; I don’t do a lot of spoilers. Especially when the tale is so much fun to discover for yourselves! This one certainly is! I found myself not being able to put it down, even for dinner…I’m so hooked! I love hearing about some of the same characters and each book changes them out a bit, but they begin to feel like friends you need to keep up with. This time, we get to see a bit more of Nik; blonde, 500 years old, great looking, and loads of fun (hmmm…wouldn’t mind more of him…).

Be ready for a roller coaster ride of parties, travel, and exciting times! Remember Chernobyl? This plays a large part in this story…last spoiler! The whole story arc is moved along a bit for us as Maxie tries to make a life with Jean-Louis who wants to marry her and turn her to live with him forever. But Maxie just can’t make that decision and he’s being ever so patient. However they are together and deeply in love!

If you haven’t picked up this wonderful series…what’s stopping you? It’s fast paced, filled with fashion, gossip, and the lives of the rich and famous…with some vampires (who are pretty good guys) added in for good measure. Get a glass of your favorite beverage (mine of course is wine) and something to munch on…it helps with the nerves to have something besides fingernails to chew on; and get set for a great story and lots of wonderful romance! Enjoy, I did!

Click HERE for our review of SNAP: Love For Blood #4

Box Set ebooks Vol 1-4 only $7.99 : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Georgianna

_________________________

Guest post

Last fall, I heard Janet Evanovich speak.

Yep, she was as funny in person as in the Stephanie Plum books. She told stories about the “heaving bosoms” and “turgid manhood” euphemisms she had to use when writing romance books back in the day.

She told stories about her own grandmother and great-aunt reading the obituaries every day so they could plan their funeral visits.

She said that much of Stephanie’s life was modeled on her own, growing up in a middle-class neighborhood in New Jersey.

She also said that when she woke up every morning, she couldn’t wait to get back to Stephanie’s world.

I understand that.

I didn’t grow up in a castle with vampires, but when I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to sit down and write more of the story in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles.

Maxie, Jean-Louis, the Baron, Pen, and now Nik and Jazz are like family. And the demons—well Sandor, head demon, puts the butler on Downton Abbey to shame. Not only does he have the panache, he’s strong, incredibly fast and has protected Jean-Louis for centuries.

The scene of the action in the Chronicles has shifted from L.A. to Hungary, to Paris, to Krakow, to Kiev, and I’ve been there. At least I’ve been to France and Hungary. The rest, I’ve imagined.

I was sending an email recently and said I had to get back to Kiev. Up popped a response: “How cool! Do you speak Russian?” Sadly, I had to say no.

It’s such a delight to spend the day with the Kandeskys. There’s danger, there’s sexual tension, there’s romance and love and there’s humor,

And there’s money—pots and pots of money. About a century ago, Baron Stefan Kandesky and Jean-Louis developed SNAP, a celebrity gossip magazine. It’s now evolved into the largest celeb gossip outlet in the world, with print editions and nightly TV shows.

SNAP covers the worlds of entertainment, aristocrats, movers and shakers and just plain millionaires and billionaires. With this kind of glam, Maxie has to look her best, so I can spend time on designers’ websites, choosing wardrobes, shoes, accessories.

I’m writing the seventh book in the series now, SNAP: White Nights. It’ll take the family deeper into the world of international armament sales, another business of Kandesky Holdings, and takes place in Kiev, Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Some people do want to hang out with the Kandeskys. The fifth book, SNAP: Love for Blood, was a finalist for the RomCon Readers’ Crown award for 2013 and was nominated as the Best Paranormal Romance Book in 2013 by the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers.

You can hang out too…all the SNAP: Kandesky Vampire Chronicles books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Kobo and iTunes.

Or you can check out my Amazon author’s page atMichele Drier-Amazon

And, if you ever have a vampire lover, would you let him turn you?

about the author

FOLLOW: Website /Facebook /Twitter / Amazon

She writes the Amy Hobbes Newspaper mysteries and the six-book Kandesky Vampire Chronicles paranormal romance series, and has just published her eighth book, SNAP: Happily Ever After? She’s working on the seventh book in the series, SNAP: White Nights, scheduled for publication in early 2014

Giveaway

Michele is offering the following giveaway: 4 prizes-4 winners

Michele Drier prizes

-One winner will receive an ecopy of SNAP: Happily Ever After?
-One winner will receive an ecopy of SNAP: Love For Blood
-One winner will receive a Kandesky Vampire Mug
-One winner will receive a Kandesky Vampire bookmark

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Ebooks eligibility is open INTERNATIONALLY: Mug and bookmark open to US/CANADA only.

4. Giveaway runs from January 27 to January 31, 2014

Snap: Love For Blood by Michele Drier-a review

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Sandy

SNAP: Love for Blood (The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #5) by Michele Drier-a review

Snap Love for Blood

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SNAP: Love for Blood is the fourth book in the “Kandesky Vampire Chronicles”. However, it’s my first venture into this series. Each book is said to stand alone and while I guess you can start anywhere, it’s really best to start at the beginning; mostly because so much has been explained and happened in this story that I found it somewhat confusing, at first, to figure out all that was being communicated. I think this can be said of most series. SLFB (SNAP: Love for Blood) is a very fast paced and intricate tale that you should have the background to fully enjoy the story unfolding.

The story begins with our lead female (Maxie) in a cell, she has been kidnapped by enemies of Jean-Louis (her vampire boss and lover). They seem to be after information, but really don’t seem all that concerned with its lack, they really just seem to enjoy hurting her. It’s really pretty brutal treatment and she doesn’t seem to have full use of her mind. She’s having a hard time even remembering the people they’re asking about. This is actually quite well written because you are supposed to be as confused as she is without her memory. And since I didn’t have the history, I was. They questioned, abused her physically and brutally raped her (Leonid and Jules both). Soon after she was thrown back into a cell, she was rescued quickly and quietly by those sent from Jean-Louis.
There is a lot of concern and angst over her torture and the state of her mind. From here the story began to fill in the blanks. There was so much to figure out… This is a complex story of very powerful and wealthy vampire families that are pretty much opposites in the world.

The Klandesky family is very powerful, wealthy and in the modern world as corporate enterprises, including the glamorous and popular world of communications. SNAP is a many armed communications empire encompassing print, TV, Web, Fashion, Movie and many other facets. Almost all “family” members take some active role in running the corporation. They have evolved to different kinds of “food” and only take blood from willing donors. Turning is done infrequently and as a prize and reward for service and love.

The Huszar family is mostly brute force type, with ties to drugs, assassins, arms and most violent mafia type organizations. They are not the brightest bulbs on the tree…due to the differences in leadership of the families. Women in the Huszar family are basically sex slaves and household slaves as well. They feed covertly and use donors. They often kill their enemies and “turn” others to use them.

As the story went on through Maxie’s recovery and return to her mind and her love, Jean-Louis, you begin to understand this fast moving and incredibly complex world. She physically within weeks, but mentally it’s a much harder road back.

There are lots of wonderful loving and steamy sex scenes, but well written and not so frequent as to be boring. Maxie deals with not just her injuries, but the whole trust issue that has been put to question by her kidnapping. Learning to trust and get over fear is really a long process and this is taken well into account. Watching this love grow and unfold is interesting and very heart-warming as well as frustrating; a very interesting mix of emotions and issues as well as more than a little danger.

This book and probably the whole series is not a “no-brainer” type read. It’s compelling, extremely complex, incredibly interesting both mentally and emotionally. If we did ratings…I’d have to have it way up the scale, but I intend to go back and get the rest to better understand the whole story. I look forward to the next installment in this refreshing (yes, I know it’s vampires…but refreshingly done none the less) new series.

I have barely scratched the surface of this story, and I’ve gone over my usual page limit. While I don’t like to do spoilers for anyone, there is just so much to say about this story. I highly recommend it (from the beginning) for any of you who like the whole vampire thing. I actually find it a fun time as the “good guys” are really pretty cool considering they’re vampires. LOL. It’s a really great series, give it a try, what can a gorgeous dark haired, blue eyed, powerful and loving vampire hurt?

Reading Order
1. Snap: The World Unfolds
2. Snap: New Talent
3. Plague
4. Danube: A Tale of Murder
5. Snap: Love for Blood

Box Set Books 1-4 : Amazon.com / Amazon.ca/ Barnes and Noble/ KOBO

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

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