Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris

Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris is the first book in the Skokie Stackhouse series.
I have to admit I love the tv series and have been thinking about reading the book series for a while, but  I was told by a few people that if I loved the tv show that I shouldn't read the books because they are so different. Though I will agree the books are different form the tv show, I do regret not starting to read this series earlier.

It was great to  read the story behind the hit tv series. Normal I would read the book then watch but in this case I have done it back to front which made for a interesting change.  When it came to reading about each of the characters I found my self picturing  the cast from the tv show . Which wasn't bad thing becouse it seemed to make the story really come to life.

Sookie is one of those characters that from the moment you meet her you fall in love with her. She is strong and , independent. Though her life has not been a bed of rose she always seems to look at the bright side of life. 

If your a fan of the show or not this is definitely worth taking the time to read

Synopsis

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out.... Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

Random fact Monday

The man who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, A. Conan Doyle, was a professional ophthalmologist, an eye doctor. Because in his time specialty medical practices were hard to build and didnt pay well, he had to take up writing to make ends meet

Happy Friday everyone,

 It looks like it might be another cold day weekend. so why not curl up with a good book and escape to somewhere else. For me im off to Bon Temps in northwestern Louisiana

For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1) by Diana Peterfreund

I always try to be honest as I can when I review books and so far I have been lucky that every book I have read I have loved. However it breaks my heart to say that this is the first book I have ever read that just haven't been able to get into. I found myself struggling to even finish the book, which has never happened before. With that in mind I am sad to say that this book just didn't work for me.

The leading lady in this book however is a very we'll thought out character. She reads as  a incredibly brave and strong lady who no matter what it means for herself puts the needs of the ones she loves before herself .

Synopsis

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it

Random fact Monday

Jonathan Swift wrote a classic book called Gulliver Travels that borders on science fiction. It was written before science fiction was what you called such books. In this book he wrote about two moons circling Mars. He described their size and speed of orbit. He did this one hundred years before they were described by astronomers.<br>
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Random fact Monday

It took Noah Webster 36 years to write his first dictionary.

Negative and bully free zone

I love the fact that people are taking to read my post  and leave your thoughts and comments. However it has been really upsetting that lately people have been writing negative and horrible things, in particular about the amazing authors who have given up their time to be part of my blog .

I am wanting to keep this a positive blog  so I you want to leave a positive comment please do. But if it is negative or mean it will be deleted

This is a bully free , negative free zone.

Valkyrie rising by Ingrid Paulson

Valkyrie rising was a unexpected treat!  I honestly fell in love with this  this story. It did start a little slow but I was captured within the first chapter. There are so many different things  about this story that I would love to tell you about however that would potential spoil the story so I haven't gone to deep into the story.

The story of Ellie a shy 16 year old girl who has spent her life living in her brother Graham's shadow.  Graham is the perfect student great at sports, popular and extremely over protective.  But when they go to visit there grandmother Hilda  in skavopoll  the life Ellie knows will never be the same.

Ellie has only been there a couple of days  when she realizes that the townspeople were acting very strangely after the disappearances of  boys in the town.  Stranger still is who the towns people believe have taken their boy- the Valkyrie. When Ellie brother Graham is suddenly one of those kidnapped boys, it's up to Ellie and her brother's best friend Tucker, to discover the truth  about the kidnappings..

Ellie was a very likable character. I liked the fact that she kept her head in the game and wasn't so entangled in the romance side of the story. The other thing I loved about Ellie was how strong her character was. She wasn't the type of character that need or waited  to be rescued.

The ending has left me want a sequel. I can't find what will happen next to our heroine will Odin and Loki hold true to their threats.

All in all, this book was great and I will be putting it on my must read list. It has inspired me to learn more mythology which I have always loved

Synopsis

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.

What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.

Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Cover Reveal Dark Wings by Skyla Madi

Coming July 2013…

Synopsis:

“I don’t want to kill you, not anymore.” He said, coming to face me. “I want to be with you. I want to hold you and touch you and—” He exhaled. “I. Want. You.” Violet Ashton is an exemplary angel with ninety-nine kills under her belt. Nothing could make her underestimate herself until she's sent to hunt down Death, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Or as Violet knows him--Lucas Cross, her ex-mentor and ex-lover. Defining the line between what her job requires and what her heart wants is the hardest decision she's ever had to make. Lucas Cross is an angel turned demon. The only thing he had to worry about was helping his brothers end the world, that was until Violet blew into town. From the moment he saw her again his normal self has fought hard to keep down the demon that desperately wants to kill her. Torn between love and hate, Lucas is determined to push all of Violet's limits. The feud between the Never Dark realm and The Underworld is at boiling point and if Violet can't complete her mission Earth will pay the ultimate price.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17790869-dark-wings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Skyla Madi was born in the small town of Port Maquarie, New South Wales in

1993. She spent half her life growing up in Wauchope, a thriving rural town at the heart

of the Hastings River Valley before making the leap to the busy city of Brisbane.

Whenever this young Australian writer isn’t changing diapers, watching cartoons, cooking for her husband or doing other motherly-wife things she is actively working on her writing and improving her writing skills.

Skyla loves to read just as much as she loves to write and since discovering that YA/paranormal romance/urban fantasy/ are her favourite genres, she has embarked on her own writing journey and is currently working on a YA series titled ‘Your Guardian Angel’.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SkylaMadi
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Skyla_Madi
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/SkylaMadi
Website: www.skylamadi.com

With a cove like that

Today's with a cover like that is Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

This is a very simple cover that on first glace you may even pass over . But is you take the time to take a closer  you will see  the detail the man in the fog, even the detail in the earth.

Random fact Monday

The first published book ever written on a typewriter was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain used a Remington in 1875.

Soul ties cover reveal

Synopsis:

Ava didn't expect to find terrible secrets about the fate of the souls she takes.
Or fall in love...
Soul-hunter Ava has retrieved hundreds of souls from demons, but has never been assigned the dangerous mission for a Nephilim soul. She must hunt down Keir since she needs his Nephilim soul to trade for her freedom.
When she arrives on campus and meets Keir, she also meets a strange girl, Dahlia, who has an inexplicable hold on him. Unexpectedly Ava discovers Keir holds secrets that are more valuable than his Nephilim soul - secrets she could trade for the life she wants.
When she uncovers the true fate of the souls she takes back to her superiors, Ava's world is turned upside down. She finds herself in the middle of a war where the lines between good and evil are blurred and she only has two choices… Betray Keir and live or join his battle and risk going to hell.
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17924707-soul-ties

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:



Lisa was born in the UK and she moved around Europe with her military family before completing a BA (Hons) in English at the University of Leeds. Her home is now in Perth, Australia with her husband and three children. Lisa has written since she was a child - moving from writing poems and short stories aged nine to writing novels in the last few years. With the encouragement of her family and local writers group, Lisa found the confidence to share her latest paranormal romance series with the world.In between running her home based craft supplies business, looking after her family, and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally, enjoying walks with her dog and time with her family. She loves all things from the Whedonverse and preferred vampires before they sparkled.Lisa enjoys reading both classics and modern fiction. Her favorite genres are gothic, paranormal and urban fantasy, but she also enjoys contemporary new adult. She is currently working on more books in the Soul Ties series, and has other projects lined up waiting.

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/lisaswallowbooks

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/lisa_swallow_au

Website:  www.lisaswallow.net

Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/author/show/7091632.Lisa_Swallow

All our yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

Review

W
Cristin Terrill’s All our yesterdays is a intriguing fast passed story of love, space-time manipulation, paradoxical concepts, assassination, and multiple timeline

If you had to could you kill the one? Em and Finn are looked in a secret prison, their cells lying adjacent to each other. Marina lives next door to James, who is her best friend and a genius. Linking them together is Cassandra. On a list hidden in the cells drain is instructions, all but one of them crossed out, and all of them in Em's handwriting. The final instruction is meant for Em. The story is told through the point of view of Marina who is oblivious to the implications of time travel and Em who know about the consequences all too well. This is a fast-paced ride and a surprisingly emotional story line. The relationships between Marina, James and Finn, Em and Finn, and Em and the doctor are all very skilfully built and manipulated along the course of the book. The friendships are believable, the romance even more so. Cristin Terrill mind-bending thriller is intense, clever and achingly romantic. For me, this is the first time I have really read a story base around time travel, exciting and completely unpredictable. With mentions of a sequel currently in the works, I certainly look forward to seeing what Terrill has in store for us next. This is one to put on your to read list

Synopsis

"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice

Author spotlight Zushka Biros

Biography

Living the dream.... one day at a time...

Zushka Biros, born in New England in the middle of the 1960’s, spent 20 years in the desert of Arizona. Finding inspiration in the red rocks of Sedona, Zushka’s journey into journaling began over thirty years ago. During a period of soul-searching, her life story began to unfold in her daily writings. A survivor, Zushka’s life story is one of personal accomplishment and motivation. Living with, and battling, a Bi-Polar husband with addictions, her own anorexia, the suicide of her father, and her own personal struggles, Zushka’s perseverance and relenting persistence drew her to an undying passion to write.

Her emotions, stories, memories, and spirituality unfold on the pages ofGod Knocked Me Off My Bike. For it was only in her time of great pain and trouble that she was able to let go and feel relief and success as a human being.

She has since remarried.

I have a book currently with an Editor which will be released as an Amazon eBook on Kindle this summer. (It does not have a title yet.)

  

      If you could be any paranormal creature what would you be? 

A mermaid. I was definitely a mermaid in another world, and truly believe that I am a Mermaid Goddess today. When the ebbs and flows of the ocean make their waves during a full moon, the hidden mermaid inside of me feels the call of the sea. Besides, I have the body curves that fit the bill.

    Do you have any writing ritual? if so what?

I have a writing ritual, several actually. My writing room is set up in such a way, that I can sit at my writing desk and view everything in the room. (In other words, my desk is not facing a wall.) It is in the middle of the room on a slight diagonal, so that I can view the backyard garden from the window, and still see my Vision Board on the other wall. My Vision Board is a gigantic bulletin board with pictures of things that inspire me pinned on it. That is part of my writing ritual – the way my writing room is set up and what is in it. Every day, before I sit down to write, I burn incense to cleanse the space. I put on soothing music, which for me could be anything from Feng Shui, to Belly Dance, to Smashing Pumpkins, to Enya. It all depends on what I’m writing. And coffee – lots of coffee! Once those elements are in place, then I can write.

    Who inspired you to become a writer?

I think I inspired myself.

    What is the strangest place your writing has taken you.

To the depths of the ocean and back.

     Do you prefer Traditional book or ebook?

Both. I love my library of actual books that I can hold and smell and feel. But I love the convenience of storing eBooks on my laptop’s Kindle app.

     Where do you get your writing inspiration from?

From a little bit of everywhere. I find great inspiration from the red rocks of Sedona, which is where I live. But before I lived here, I would visit Sedona several times a year, for 17 or so years. And every single time I would hike up a red rock, look out over the world, and journal. That’s where my inspiration has always come from. Bike rides too, and from listening to other peoples’ stories about their lives.

      What story/ character have you most enjoyed creating?

A young girl named Isabella, who will turn up in The Mermaid Stories. Young, adventurous, brave, and beautiful.

Random fact Monday

Americans buy approximately five million books a day. 125 new titles are published every day.