Thursday, December 20, 2012

Feasted On: The Vampire King Series, Book 1

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 1089 KB | Release Date: December 2, 2012 | Publisher: Secret Cravings Publishing | Obtained: Kenya Wright

"Escape" [The Vampire King Series, Book 1] by Kenya Wright

My Book Summary : Brie is a Domina, which is a human woman with special blood that can also give birth to vampire children (some of those children can turn out to be very powerful). However, even though so volunteered to be a Domina to The Quiet King (a vampire king who is ruthless, blind, deaf, and very spiteful) so her family and village would survive; after two years of living in the castle and seeing vampire "prince" babies being unmercifully slaughtered she's decides to escape back to her home to be with her daughters and husband again.

Therefore, to escape, she enlists the help of Samuel a Pathfinder (someone who assists others to escape the King's kingdom) and a full powerful vampire with secrets of his own. However, Samuel doesn't agree with helping Dominas escape for personal reasons so Brie is forced to lie to him when they first meet and hope that her secret won't be found out.

Soon they find that there is an instant bond and attract between them that gets stronger with every touch they share. It leaves Brie second-guessing her commitment to the husband that let her go and her heart. Will she be willing to leave Samuel's side when the time comes? Can she go back to a life that has probably moved on without her? Will she be able to make it on her own now that she's escaped the King and he will be out hunting for her soon?

My Book Review : 4 out of 5 stars, this dynamic novella keeps you on your toes with its captivating writing and intense scenes! I was not expecting to like this novel as much as I did! Also, I am soo pleasantly surprised with the growth that Brie & Samuel go through throughout this story. Right now, this story isn't about a love match, it's about a woman wanting to get herself out of a bad situation and back home to the ones she chose to leave, and in the process finding a man (vampire) who sparks something inside of her that takes hold and doesn't let go. I was intrigued with the passion between Brie & Samuel as well as how they come to learn to trust and like each other throughout this story.

In addition, I will admit that I am more of a fan of reading from both of the main characters POVs. So, when this novella was (and is) mostly from Brie's perspective I was a little disappointed, that is until I got to the very end of it and read the epilogue, which is from Samuel's perspective! It was nice to read because it let you know that they were both on the same page, i.e. they both were excited and scared about this growing attraction between them and not sure what to do about it, which made me like this novella that much more!!

I recommend this novella to anyone who enjoys paranormal vampire romance, especially in unique settings!

My Previous Review(s) for this Author : Incubus Hunter

Author's Novel Extras : Blood! Vampires! Fangs! Oh My!! | Escape Cover Reveal by Kenya Wright

Author's Series Extras : About the World and the Two Main Characters | Vampire King Series Sneak Previews

Book Teaser(s) :
The door opened. Light seeped in from the hallway. Samuel stumbled in, closed the door, and ambled to the other side of the bed. He collapsed behind me, making the mattress bounce a little. My body tensed. I kept my back to him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have come in the shower. Ambi knows I shouldn’t even be lying in this bed next to you.”
Not knowing how to respond, I remained stiff, pretending to be asleep.
“I know you’re awake. I hear your heart beating fast,” he warned. “And I know how it sounds when you’re asleep. I listened to it the whole time I carried you in the sewer.”
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. I’m awake.”
“Do you mind me sleeping in bed with you?”
“I don’t mind as long as you don’t touch me.”
His laughter filled the space. “A vampire lies next to you and all you’re worried about is him touching you?”
“I’m used to sleeping with a vampire,” I confessed. “Once a month, The Quiet King slept in my bed to help me adjust to him.”
“He never touched you, right?” Samuel’s voice came out in a low growl. ~ within Chapter 6
For more information on this book, series, and/or any other books by Kenya, then please check out her website.

Guest Post :: When God Wraps a Present . . . by Julie Lessman | 12 Pearls of Christmas & Giveaway

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of "Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith," "Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace" or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls™.



"When God Wraps a Present . . ." by Julie Lessman

We’ve all heard the adage “it’s better to give than receive,” but never have I agreed more than the year I was engaged to the love of my life.

It was truly a Christmas to remember—spiced egg nog and snickerdoodles and shimmering presents unwrapped in a circle of love. Of course, we all ooohed and ahhhed over each gift opened, one at a time, reveling in the glow of excitement for giver and recipient alike.

And then it was my turn. Everyone waited while I tore into a small box, anticipation fairly shimmering in my fiancé's eyes.

“Do you like it?” he asked, grinning like a little boy when I unearthed a very pretty silver watch.

No. “It’s beautiful,” I said with a shaky giggle, slipping it on and holding it up for everyone to admire. I quickly gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. “Thank you so much, babe—what a perfect gift!”

Perfectly awful, that is. You see, when you are a twenty-eight-year-old Type A career woman who is very set in her ways, there are just some things you have to buy for herself—books, costume jewelry, purses ... a watch.

All right, yes, I’ll admit it—“high maintenance” is my middle name because heaven knows I’m one of the most particular people on the planet, especially when it comes to watches. They have to be digital, waterproof, have a day and date window, an alarm, chronograph, second hand, both silver and gold metal to wear with either silver or gold jewelry, stretch band skinny enough to fit my wrist . . . and a GPS. Okay, I’m pulling your watch chain on the last one, but you get the picture—NOT easy to find, especially with numbers big enough for someone blind as a bat.

So, yes, I faked it, of course, thanking my soon-to-be husband for the “prettiest watch I had ever owned,” because it was—I just didn’t like it. But did I “fake it” with God? Uh, no. I went straight to His throne in prayer and begged Him to help me love this watch because the man I loved gave it to me and I just flat-out didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I even went so far as to write the prayer request on a piece of paper and put it in my Bible so I could “wrap” it in prayer every single day, which I did.

Until the fateful moment years later when my husband used my Bible one day and found the note.

“You don’t like your watch??” he says, confronting me with hurt in his tone while his eyes flicked to the pretty watch on my wrist.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, somewhat confused.

He held up the note. “You told God you hated it in this note I found in your Bible.”
Uh-oh . . . BUSTED!

“Oh, babe,” I said with my brightest smile and a quick kiss on the lips. “That was then and this is now. It’s perfect for me, just like you, and I absolutely love it.
And you know what? I did!!



About the Author :

Award-winning author of “The Daughters of Boston” and “Winds of Change” series, Julie Lessman was ACFW’s 2009 Debut Author of the Year and voted #1 Romance Author of the year in Family Fiction magazine’s 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards. Winner of 14 RWA awards, she also appeared on Booklist’s 2010 list for Top 10 Inspirational Fiction and has just released her 7th novel, "A Light in the Window: An Irish Christmas Love Story." You can contact Julie at her website, on Facebook, on Twitter at @julielessman, or read excerpts of her favorite romantic and spiritual scenes from each of her books at http://www.julielessman.com/excerpts/.



Find Julie Lessman :

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Feasted On: Masks by Evangeline Anderson

Format: Kindle Edition | File Size: 151 KB | Release Date: November 2009 | Publisher: Ellora's Cave Publishing | Obtained: Amazon.com

"Masks" by Evangeline Anderson (aka Emmaline Andrews)

My Book Summary : Chloe's identical twin sister (Zoe) asks her a favor, to switch places once again since Zoe sprained her ankle and Zoe needs Chloe to cover for her at work. However, right after Chloe reluctantly agrees to help out she finds out that her sister's actual job isn't an investment banker like she's told everyone she is actually a dominatrix! Now Chloe (who's really a shy First Grade teacher compared to her twin) has to dress up and pretend to "dominate" a man she has never met before! She is way out of her league, which gets confirmed when Chloe meets Zoe's client, a hunk of a man, who decides he would like to dominate Chloe instead of being dominated.

Thankfully, passion like Chloe has never felt before hits the instant the two of them touch but can she just have fun and enjoy their game of play for one night or will she loose her heart in the process?

My Book Review : 4 out of 5 stars! This sizzling novella will hold your attention to the very end!! I loved how Zoe found a way to get her shy twin to open up in the most unexpected way. It turns out to be a very sweet read. And if you are not into reading hot and heavy erotica then this should be just the right amount for you. Since at the beginning it leads you to thinking it will be the typical BDSM read but this was a lot softer then I expected yet I still enjoyed what I read!

My only wish was it was longer and there was more to read about of Chloe and Mark! They made such a cute couple! =0)

I recommend this to anyone wanting to read a unique take on a contemporary romance!

Author's Novel Extras : Read an Excerpt

Book Teaser(s) :
Zoe was balancing a brush, a hot roller, and a kit of exotic and expensive-looking makeup all at once.
Chloe winced as the brush snagged in her hair. “Ouch! Watch it. So this means you’ll come in and substitute for me the next time I want a day off from teaching first grade, right?” She was joking, of course. Her twin and a roomful of kids would be a disastrous combination, she was certain. But Zoe was unperturbed.
“Sure, I’ll sub for you. Don’t forget, I’m good at making people mind.” She winked at her sister in the mirror and Chloe felt her mouth go suddenly dry. Could she really do this? Did she want to? The decision was rapidly being taken out of her hands as Zoe painted and perfumed her and hot-rolled her hair into a luscious tumble of honey-blonde waves that Chloe was certain she never could have achieved herself.
“You look perfect,” Zoe said at last. “You haven’t looked this good since you let me do your makeup and hair for our senior prom.”
“You mean the one where Michael Carlson puked down the front of my gown?” Chloe stared at the exotically beautiful stranger in the mirror.
“Yes, that one.” Zoe grinned at her. “Truly a magical night. Now, just one more thing and you’re ready to go.”
“What’s that?” Chloe looked at her apprehensively. What other accessory could this outfit possibly need? A riding crop? A bullwhip? ~ within Chapter 1
For more information on this book and/or any other books by Evangeline, then please check out her website.

Guest Post :: Year of Adversity Brings Joy by Leslie Gould | 12 Pearls of Christmas & Giveaway

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas blog series!

Merry Christmas from Pearl Girls™! We hope you enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom” from the authors who were so kind to donate their time and talents! If you miss a few posts, you’ll be able go back through and read them on this blog throughout the next few days.

We’re giving away a pearl necklace in celebration of the holidays, as well as some items (books, a gift pack, music CDs) from the contributors! Enter now on Facebook or at the Pearl Girls blog. The winner will announced on January 2, 2013 at the Pearl Girls blog.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit www.pearlgirls.info and see what we're all about. In short, we exist to support the work of charities that help women and children in the US and around the globe. Consider purchasing a copy of "Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith," "Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace" or one of the Pearl Girls products (all GREAT gifts!) to help support Pearl Girls™.



"Year of Adversity Brings Joy" by Leslie Gould

I’ve been writing Amish fiction for nearly three years now—telling stories about non-resistant people who live a simple life. It’s a nice reprieve from my own life.

When my husband, Peter, joined the Army Reserve back in the mid 1980s, I wasn’t thrilled about it. Nor did I believe him when he said he’d probably never see action. Sure, the Cold War was ending and—for a short time—all seemed well in the world, but I had a degree in history. I knew better. I didn’t want to be a controlling wife (as new to the job as I was!) and come out and say he absolutely couldn’t do it. And it did help that he was joining a medical unit. Still I had my reservations.

We’ve been far more fortunate than many military families, but still it’s been quite a ride. The first exciting episode began in 1990 when Peter flew to Germany on Christmas Eve to work in an Army hospital during Desert Storm, leaving me behind with our two young sons. During the next twenty years, Peter went from being a Lt. to being a Col. and commanding a unit. Countless maneuvers and a mobilization occurred during that time, but his Army Reserve career culminated in his deployment to Afghanistan in 2011.

My days throughout last year were an odd combination of hearing the daily news from a war zone via Skype and then writing about the plain life of the Amish. By last December I was working on my third Amish novel of the year while, in contrast, Peter and his field hospital staff had cared for hundreds of NATO soldiers and Afghan nationals, endured ten months of rocket fire, and continued to grieve the killing of one of their own.

Surprisingly, what seemed like it might be our worst Christmas ever, even harder than in 1990, wasn’t. Our four children (one teen and three young adults now) rallied to help make it a memorable day. We counted our blessings—Peter was well, we had all we needed, and God was at work in the life of our family. The result was an underlying joy, deeper than what we’d felt during past Christmases.

In reflection, I wrote: When it started, I thought 2011 might be one of our worst years. But it hasn’t been. Sure, it’s been one of our hardest, but a lot of good has come from it.

That was evident on Christmas morning as we Skyped with Peter. We were so thankful for the good connection and for all of us to be “together” that we hardly noticed we really weren’t.


This December, Peter is back at his civilian job (as a manager for a hospital corporation) and also commanding a nearby Army Reserve unit, which means one weekend a month and plenty of evenings—but no rockets or causalities.
I’m working on a new Amish novel and still enjoying my “time” with those who practice non-resistance, which doesn’t discount the appreciation I have for my husband’s service. I’ve even grown to the place where I’m thankful he joined the military. They’ve served each other well.

Our year of adversity resulted in a deep joy. I’m pretty sure it will carry over to this Christmas as well.



About the Author :

Leslie Gould is the award-winning author of fifteen novels, including the #1 bestseller and Christy Award winner "The Amish Midwife," co-written with Mindy Starns Clark. Her latest release is "Courting Cate," a retelling of the “Taming of the Shrew.” Leslie lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Peter, and their four children. www.lesliegould.com



Find Leslie Gould :

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The Voice's Tribute to the Connecticut Shooting Victims

If you missed The Voice last night then you should see this beautiful tribute to the Connecticut shooting victims with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Please check out the video below.

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