Starting at the beginning of Midnight Brunch, Milagro is feeling pretty happy with the way things have settled down, she’s found love and a sense of family that she so desperately needed in her life. Then they exclude her from a big mysterious ceremony and she gets bent out of shape. Perhaps her new family doesn’t trust her after all.

She leaves the ranch in a huff to hide out in the desert to work on an upcoming movie script. She’s under a lot of pressure, and to top it off some rogue member of the vampire clan is out to get her and is threatening her life. She ends up as a quasi personal assistant to the washed up actor starring in the film and befriends a member of the paranormal paparazzi. Needless to say things really start to heat up when the posh resort she’s staying at seems to be hiding a deeper sinister plan. Will Milagro be able to keep her head off the chopping block again? Will she find peace and harmony within her family once again?

You can find out what happens to Milagro when you pick up your copy of Midnight Brunch, book 2 in the Casa Dracula series by the talented Marta Acosta! I can hardly wait for the September release of book 3, The Bride of Casa Dracula. If you haven’t read the series, you will definitely want to read this review I did of the first book Happy Hour at Casa Dracula to get up to speed.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (April 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416520392
• ISBN-13: 978-1416520399

To purchase a print copy of Midnight Brunch click here.

Books in the Casa Dracula series in the order they should be read:
Happy Hour at Casa Dracula
Midnight Brunch
The Bride of Casa Dracula

Flowers From the Grave is the first book in a series featuring Melbourne Homicide Detective, Inspector Jane Doe. After being injured during the course of an investigation of a serial rapist/killer, Jane takes a month off to recover and rents a cottage on the coast about three and a half hours outside of Melbourne. Her landlord, Beryl Greenough, just happens to be the wife of a former supervisor of Jane’s. Having left the Melbourne police, he is now on the force in Port Campbell, a small village near Jane’s rental cottage. Jane is also using her stay to figure out if she wants to marry her boyfriend Oliver, who proposed the day before she left.

During her stay, she meets Ryan O’Byrne who, as it turns out, is a ghost. So far, only Jane and Beryl are able to see and talk to him. Ryan’s wife Nellie had been raped, murdered and thrown off a cliff near Jane’s cottage. Even though he is a ghost, Ryan is unable to communicate with Nellie and believes it’s because her killer was never found. Ryan tries to convince Jane to investigate his wife’s murder, but as it happened forty years ago and Jane is out of her jurisdiction, she doesn’t think there’s much she can do. That is until another body shows up on the same beach with the same injuries. Jane’s police instinct takes over and, with Ryan’s help, she works with the local police. They determine that the two murders are connected and set out to find the killer.

While I did like this book, I was able to peg the killer early on. When that happens, no matter how much I liked the book, it’s a bit of a let down for me when I get to the end. Other than that though, this was well written with wonderful descriptions. I’ve reviewed something else by Wendy Laing and she definitely has a talent for painting pictures in your mind with her descriptive writing. The characters were easy to like and I hope to see them again in this series.

Book Stats:

• File Size: 199 KB
• Print Length: 238 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Writers Exchange E-Publishing (October 16, 2010)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0047GN9PQ

Buy a Kindle copy of Flowers From the Grave from Amazon by clicking here.

Books in the Jane Doe series in the order they should be read:
Flowers From the Grave
Severance Packages

Felicity’s Curse may be a kid’s book but it will have you jumping at noises and leaving the lights on to make sure nothing is coming up behind you! Tracy Considine, her twin brother Frankie and their parents move from Long Island, NY to Leams, Massachusetts three days before the twins’ thirteenth birthday. Tracy and Frankie’s parents both grew up in Leams and decided to move back after Mrs. Considine’s mother passed away. The twins had both spent a lot of time in Leams visiting their grandmother during summer vacations, and had made friends with others their own age.

After arriving at their new home, Tracy and Frankie soon realize that the town and the people in it are somehow different from what they remember. There is an air of secrecy around town that feels almost evil. People aren’t acting like their normal selves, pets are disappearing, there are strange noises coming from the woods at night, and even the twin’s parents are acting oddly. When the little brother of one of their friends disappears after trying to tell Frankie what is going on, the twins know they have to find out the truth. When they do, it is more evil than they could ever imagine.

This book was incredible and I think people of all ages will like it. I know this review is somewhat vague but I really don’t want to give anything away. You simply have to read it for yourself to find out what happens!

Book Stats:

• File Size: 146 KB
• Print Length: 89 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Writers Exchange E-Publishing (January 6, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004I8WS2I

Buy a Kindle copy of Felicity’s Curse from Amazon by clicking here.

Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series debuts with The Darkest Night, the story of Maddox and Ashlyn Darrow. The Lords of the Underworld are immortal warriors who fought for and protected the leader of the Greek gods, Zeus. For millennia, each Lord has co-existed with the demon within. We are not speaking of psychological demons, but of the demons contained in Pandora’s Box or dim-Ouniak. These immortal warriors, jealous that Pandora was chosen to guard the box, released the demons and utter chaos ensued.The demons were bound to the warriors since the demons could not be returned to Pandora’s Box because it was gone. These immortal warriors, the Lords of the Underworld, have learned to coexist with and control their particular demon - more or less. Maddox (Violence), Reyes (Pain), Lucien (Death), Paris (Promiscuity), Torin (Disease), and Aeron (Wrath) all reside in a castle above Budapest, Hungary.

Maddox, bound with Violence, is doubly cursed because he killed Pandora. Each night at midnight, Reyes (Pain) kills him in the exact manner in which Maddox killed Pandora. Each time Maddox dies, Lucien (Death) takes him to hell where he is tortured until he awakens healing the next day.

Enter Ashlyn Darrow, who is cursed in her own way. She can hear every conversation ever held wherever she is. She can not control the voices. She goes to Budapest for her work with the World Institute of Parapsychology, but also to seek the help of the supernatural beings that supposedly reside there.

There is a lot going on in this book. We are introduced to the world of the Lords and learn their basic history. We find out that the Aeron has been summoned by the gods, which surprises the Lords since they’ve had no contact with the gods since they were bound to their demons. We are introduced to the Hunters who seek to destroy all evil in the world, especially the Lords. In addition to the story of Maddox and Ashlyn, we are given smaller story lines that we assume will be followed in later books in the series.

Ms. Showalter has done a very good job of world building. Anchoring her story in the myth of Pandora was refreshing and interesting. Her Lords are dark, dangerous and an intriguing mix of demon and noble warrior. The Darkest Night is a fast-paced, satisfying read, and a good start to the series.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373772467
• ISBN-13: 978-0373772469

To purchase a print copy of The Darkest Night click here.

Books in the Lords of the Underworld series in the order they should be read:
The Darkest Night
The Darkest Kiss
The Darkest Pleasure
The Darkest Whisper
The Darkest Passion
The Darkest Lie
The Darkest Secret
The Darkest Surrender
The Darkest Seduction
The Darkest Craving
The Darkest Touch

Captain Angus, The Lighthouse Ghost is a very interesting and (dare I say it without scaring the kiddos?) educational read. It takes place at the Cape Lighthouse Station at Cape Otway near Apollo Bay, Victoria on the Southeastern coast of Australia. This is an actual lighthouse, by the way, and a link to the web site and others like it can be found at the end of the book.

Aaron and Gracie are a brother and sister who are on vacation for a week with their parents. They are staying in what was the lighthouse keeper’s cottage with no TV, video games or other distractions to keep them busy. They aren’t very happy and think they will be bored to tears for an entire week. That is until they meet Cap’n Angus, a ghost who was a sea captain until he died in 1825 off the coast of his native Scotland.

Cap’n Angus has made it his mission, since becoming a ghost, to keep track of all of the old lighthouses and make sure all is well with them. He tells Aaron and Gracie that each lighthouse has its own spirit and Aurora, the one at the Cape Lighthouse, isn’t happy because he doesn’t feel useful or needed. The Cap’n asks for the help of Aaron and Gracie to make Aurora happy again. To do this, Cap’n Angus takes Aaron and Gracie on spirit trips back in time to see “their” lighthouse being built as well as to learn what happened to ships when there weren’t lighthouses. Aaron and Gracie learn a lot about their lighthouse and find out a surprise or two along the way about their own ancestors. It’s during these trips that they figure out how to make Aurora happy again.

While I thought this book reads easy enough to be interesting to kids between 7-9 or so, anyone can get enjoyment from it. There is excitement in the peeks into history and with the included links to lighthouse site, it also gives you a link between the past and present. You are learning without realizing it and you get a better appreciation for why we must preserve things from the past. I really liked the story and found the lighthouse information interesting. The web site for the Cape Lighthouse is also fascinating and contains some really good pictures. I thought it was neat that the story was about something that really exists and that just made the story even better.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 86 pages
• Publisher: Writers Exchange E-Publishing (March 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1920741682
• ISBN-13: 978-1920741686

Buy a print copy of Captain Angus, The Lighthouse Ghost by clicking here.
Buy a Kindle copy of Captain Angus, The Lighthouse Ghost by clicking here.

Brad Simpson & The Ghostly Field is a wonderfully haunted kids book with a mixture of modern Hollywood and old time baseball. Brad Simpson is a child actor cast for the pilot of THE PIONEERS, a show about the pioneer life of a father and his five motherless children. Before filming even starts, people are talking about the set being haunted by a losing baseball team from a hundred years ago who played their games on what is now the set of the show. Those involved with the show, however, laugh it off as superstition and proceed with their work schedule. Before they start though, Brad sees a vision of one of the ghostly players and receives a warning. If the actors continue working on what the baseball team considers to be their field, bad things will happen. As filming begins, strange things happen, and Brad and the rest of the cast suffer freak accidents.

While recovering from one of the accidents, Brad and Karen, the casting director, decide to do some research on the ghostly baseball team. Discovering the history of the team helps them to figure out a way to get rid of the ghosts once and for all. They just need to make it through alive.

This was a very enjoyable book that I think kids aged 9 and up will like. In addition to the creepy, spooky parts, you also get a bit of an insider’s view of being a child star in Hollywood. The author lets you see that it’s not all fame and glitter, and that was something that I particularly enjoyed. It made the characters more real to me, and also more likable. There was only one part that I had trouble with, but I think that was because I am an adult and not a kid. During the final confrontation with the ghosts, Brad and his cast mates are taken to another realm by huge ghostly hands. As an adult, I found it a little too out there to believe, but as it is a ghost story, who knows what could happen? All in all though, I think any kid that is into ghost stories will really like the book.

Book Stats:

• File Size: 108 KB
• Print Length: 52 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Writers Exchange E-Publishing (January 6, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004I8WS3C

Purchase a Kindle copy of Brad Simpson & The Ghostly Field by clicking here.

I recently finished Do You Believe in Magic? by Ann Macela. I picked the book up on a whim at the Romantic Times book fair. I had stopped to see the author next to Ms. Macela and decided to pick her book up as well. This is the second book in her Magic Series. Clay Morgan is a wizard and is called in to deal with a hacker at Francie Steven’s company. He proposes that they pose as a couple in order to find out more about the hacker and try to thwart him. They go out on a first date and find out that they have a lot in common. Francie is determined to keep her distance from Clay based on impressions she had heard about him. But to complicate matters, in the practitioner world that Clay belongs to, there is something called the Soul Mate Imperative. The Imperative determines who a wizard or witch’s mate will be for life. Clay doesn’t believe that his could be Francie because she is a non-practioner and doesn’t believe in magic. He finds out he’s wrong.

While I find the concept of soul mates intriguing and believe that they do exist, I found that some of the concepts presented in the book were a little far out. The Soul Mate Imperative causes discomfort in each of the mates until they are forced to come together to relieve that pressure. I did enjoy the overall story and the technical side of it appealed to the geek in me. Clay and Francie are programmers and avid gamers, but with the twist that they are both athletic and good looking. Not your typical gaming type people. I enjoyed the story enough that I am picking up the first book in the series The Oldest Kind of Magic to see if this is a series I could continue. If you’ve read the first two books, you won’t have long to wait for the third book Your Magic or Mine? which comes out in October 2008.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Medallion Press (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933836164
• ISBN-13: 978-1933836164

To purchase a print copy of Do You Believe In Magic? click here.

Books in the Magic series in the order they should be read:
The Oldest Kind of Magic
Do You Believe in Magic?
Your Magic or Mine?
Wild Magic

In Jenna McKnight’s Witch in the House, P.I. Mason Kincaid’s life takes a turn for the worse. His fiancée Brenda leaves him standing at the altar by way of courier who is accompanied by a note and a bill from the florist. Who she left him for. Yeah. His partner/best friend Anthony forcibly removes him from his drunken stupor and kidnaps him from toasty Aruba to frigid Missouri. Accepting a job, the men are to investigate Jade Delarue who is one of three widows suspected of planning to scam an insurance company of millions.

Welcome to West Bluff, Missouri, land of church bells chiming at every hour of the day, and Mystic Manor. Living in a community with a mostly city wide motto of “I don’t care which church you’re going to as long as you go to one”, hereditary witch Jade Delarue’s life is not the easiest thing in the world. Creator of Mystic Manor Botanicals and very special B&B, Jade is a sexy and sassy insomniac who makes her living helping others through magical means.

The ensuing romance is a bit transparent albeit sweet in some ways. I love the witch angle and the detail applied to it; however, I am disappointed in some of the plot which left several loose ends in Jade and Mason’s story. Most of the secondary characters in this book add a lot of charm to the story and make you want to learn more about them. Although I would have loved to learn more of Anthony who comes across as a bit flat, those things aside I enjoyed reading this and can’t wait to see what else Jenna McKnight comes up with for the next two stories and next two women. I just hope some of the loose ties in this story get tied up in the later books.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (September 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060843691
• ISBN-13: 978-0060843694

To purchase a print copy of Witch in the House click here.

To purchase a Kindle copy of Witch in the House click here.

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula starts out this fun series with a Latina flair by talented author Marta Acosta. This was another series that I happened upon at a late date and am now completely in love with. It is well written with a great sense of humor throughout. The protagonist Ivy League grad Miagro “Mil” de Los Santos is having a tough time making her way in the world doing a variety of jobs to get by. She is really feeling fairly good about things despite the dim outlook some might have of her life when she runs into her ex-boyfriend who turns out to be a raving lunatic out to control the world. In the midst of a party, she meets a very sexy guy named Oswald who ends up biting her and she ends up getting extremely ill with an “infection”. She has no idea what is happening to her, but somehow she ends up hidden away at Oswald’s family ranch with a cast of interesting characters watching on to see if she will turn into one of them. They drink blood because they need it but insist they are not vampires. Milagro is not so sure about that. I personally like this type of vamp, they can go out in the sun with protection and don’t need to drink a lot of blood to survive and there is no Gothic angst to be found at all.

No vampire book would be complete without an organization trying to wipe out and control this particular vampire species, and of course Milagro is right in the thick of it. While battling physical changes brought on by her “infection” and falling in love with the wrong guy, things take a turn for the worse. Will she survive ? You will have to buy your own copy today to find out! Trust me, you will be glad you did. The great thing is this is a continuing series, so watch for the review of book two in the series Midnight Brunch shortly.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (July 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416520384
• ISBN-13: 978-1416520382

To purchase a print copy of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula click here.

Books in the Casa Dracula series in the order they should be read:
Happy Hour at Casa Dracula
Midnight Brunch
The Bride of Casa Dracula

When I started the Vampire Academy series, I didn’t realize how impatient I would get waiting for the sequel Frostbite. Like I said in my earlier review for Vampire Academy, I usually get in on a series around the third or fourth book and have lots of material to keep me busy until the next release. I resisted the temptation to go back and re-read Vampire Academy to console myself as I waited for the second book. Fortunately for me though, I didn’t have to wait too long, only a couple of months.

But as with all good things, it was well worth the wait. Richelle Mead draws us deeper into the world of Rose and Lissa. The Frostbite starts out immediately with action between a Strigoi attack on Moroi. When the attacks strike closer to home, the school declares that the Christmas break will be spent in a ski resort. There Rose meets up with Adrian, who her friends instantly dislike because of his background. But Lissa finds a secret companion in Adrian and makes friends with him. Rose is drawn into the fray with the Strigoi when her friends go missing. She ends up saving the day, but learns life lessons about what a toll that the war with the Strigoi is going to take. Rose still has the tension with her tutor Dmitri, but she is determined to try and move on with her life and live it as normally as she can considering the situation.

Book 3 Shadow Kiss will be out in November and I can’t wait to see where Rose and Lissa head in the next installment.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (April 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595141758
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141750

To purchase a print copy of Frostbite go here.

Books in Vampire Academy series in the order they should be read:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss

My attention was drawn to Vampire Academyoriginally by author Richelle Mead’s post on her blog where she mentioned Stephenie Meyer. I hadn’t been reading her blog very long and had tried genuinely to find her books at the Border’s Express here in PA. For some reason, they don’t like to carry the Seattle authors. (I’m just saying.) But I had recently just gotten done with the Twilight series and Richelle’s post intrigued me enough that I went to the big Barnes and Noble and dropped half of my Christmas gift card on her books.

When I picked up Vampire Academy, I fully expected a book as good as Stephenie Meyer’s. I have to admit. I was not disappointed. Ms. Mead writes the compelling story of Rose Hathaway and Lissa Dragomir and the world that they live in, which is made up of Moroi, Dhampirs and Strigoi. Dhampirs protect the Moroi from the Strigoi. The Strigoi are usually Moroi gone bad and are tough to defeat. Rose and Lissa were going to the Vampire Academy to learn and train for their future roles in their society. Rose, who is a Dhampir training to protect Lissa, the Moroi, detects a threat to Lissa and they run away from school. The book picks up when they are caught and brought back to the school.

The world of Vampire Academy contains all the drama that can be found in any normal high school. The cliques, bullies, gossip, etc. Rose has a tough time accepting authority until she meets her tutor Dimitri. There is all the tension that exists in a schoolgirl crush on a teacher. But, does Dimitri return her feelings or is it a spell cast by Lissa’s uncle?

This book keeps you on your toes with its twists and turns. I think that Ms. Mead’s books will eventually rival the Twilight series once word gets out about them. I really found this book engrossing and probably had a harder time putting it down than I did with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. I’m excited that I got in on this series on the ground level and was able to start with the first book and not be three books behind.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (August 16, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159514174X
• ISBN-13: 978-1595141743

To purchase a print copy of Vampire Academy go here.

Books in Vampire Academy series in the order they should be read:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise

Ms. Arthur is another author that I got to meet at the Romantic Times book fair. If you ever get a chance to attend this particular book fair, I highly recommend it!

Tempting Evil is the third book in Keri Arthur’s series about Riley Jensen. In this book, Riley is sent to infiltrate the compound of Deshon Starr, which appears to be a palace for supernatural deviants. Riley infiltrates it by learning to fight. There are fights to the death along with dark scenes of ravishing by Starr’s men. As Riley further tries to enter the world of secrets and find out what’s going on behind the scenes and bring down Starr, she manages to find all sorts of trouble. She tries to avoid sexual situations with Starr’s henchmen and Deshon himself.

While I found this book to be dark, it still interested me enough to stick with it to the end. If you’ve read the other Riley Jensen books, I think you’ll still enjoy this book as well. I give this book 4 tombstones. Also, if you’re looking for more information and excerpts from Ms. Arthur’s books, go here.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dell (February 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553588478
• ISBN-13: 978-0553588477

To purchase a print copy of Tempting Evil go here.

To purchase a Kindle copy of Tempting Evil go here

Books in Riley Jensen, Guardian series in the order they should be read:
Full Moon Rising
Kissing Sin
Tempting Evil
Dangerous Games
Embraced By Darkness
The Darkest Kiss

When I first picked up Full Moon Rising, I didn’t know what to expect. I had just discovered the world of paranormal and urban fantasy. I thought it would be more mystery and action since I found it in the fantasy/sci-fi section of Half Price Books. I didn’t realize there was a whole line of books out there that took place in the supernatural world and included steamy romance.

So, I settled in to read Full Moon Rising. This book is the first in Arthur’s series about Riley Jenson who is part werewolf and part vampire. She and her brother are guardians and work for an organization created by the police to fight the members of the supernatural world. Riley’s brother goes missing and she goes on a mission to search for him. A vampire who is friends with her brother Rhoan shows up on his doorstep and they spend the book mistrusting each other, to find in the end that they are attracted to each other. But Riley is convinced they can never work it out because she wants babies and the white picket fence fantasy someday and feels she must stick with dating only werewolves.

This book definitely includes some delicious vampires and werewolves. There are some steamy scenes in it as well. I truly enjoyed the mystery and crime part of this book as well as the romance angle.

I couldn’t put this book down once I started it. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 tombstones.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Dell (December 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553588451
• ISBN-13: 978-0553588453

To purchase a print copy of Full Moon Rising click here.

To purchase a Kindle copy of Full Moon Rising click here.

Books in Riley Jensen, Guardian series in the order they should be read:
Full Moon Rising
Kissing Sin
Tempting Evil
Dangerous Games
Embraced By Darkness
The Darkest Kiss

 

In her latest anthology Dead Over Heels, MaryJanice Davidson continues to deliver the funniest dialog in the paranormal arena. These short stories involve characters from three of her popular series.

The first story, Undead and Wed, features two of my favorite vampires known (and unknown) to mankind, Betsy Taylor and her husband Sinclair, who are on their honeymoon in New York City. No story that Betsy appears in is complete without somebody dying, crazy hot monkey love (with Sinclair of course), shoe shopping and her best friend Jessica. Lets just say this is one interesting honeymoon even for the vampire queen! I really liked this story, although I wanted to really throttle Jessica for being there. LOL

The second story, Survivors, is a great tale about a mermaid, a marooned human and best of all, love. Will T.V. survival show host Con Conilson survive his greatest misadventure yet? Or will the sexy mermaid Reanesta save the day and gobble up his heart in one bite. The events of this particular story take place after Ms. Davidson’s book Swimming without a Net. It was a cute story, but I prefer the Fred the Mermaid series more. Fred is my hero.

The final story, Speed Dating Werewolf Style, is pretty darn funny too. It is based off of the Wyndham Werewolves series. Cain is about as butch as they come and a loner to boot. When she realizes that she is going to be the last in her pack of friends to get married by 30 she becomes driven. She knows that there has to be a good wolf left standing and speed dates her way through most of them with the help of her best friend Saul. After several not so pleasant ups and downs, she finds love closer to home than she thought. I hope that MaryJanice kicks her booze and prescription drug habit soon so she can write another Wyndham Werewolf book!

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 277 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425219410
• ISBN-13: 978-0425219416

To purchase a print copy of Dead over Heels click here.

Rogue is the second book in the new hit series by Rachel Vincent starring Faythe Adams, the feisty werecat who made her debut in Stray. In this book things are not much different for our protagonist. She’s still feeling controlled by her circumstances, getting into trouble with her mouth, and fighting with her love interest Marc over whether or not they will stay together. However, I am happy to report Faythe is finally learning some diplomacy and getting along better with her mom. It seems as if the author is pushing her to finally grow up and quit whining, and to take responsibility for the circumstances surrounding her life and actions. Boy, does that theme ever come into play in this book. When a bunch of strays turn up dead all over the pride’s territory, it is up to Faythe and Marc to not only gather the bodies, but try and figure out who, or better yet what, is taking them down.

While they are investigating, she starts to get a series of disturbing phone calls from her old college flame that degenerate into an all-out hostile meltdown on his part. It seems Faythe may have scratched the surface of something without knowing it. Unfortunately everybody in the pride is about to pay for her mistake. Just when it seems she won’t catch a break, things take a turn for the better in the investigation, but the fallout from the whole scene leaves her relationship up in the air again.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Stray, yet for some reason had a harder time getting engaged in this storyline and it took me several days to read it. There was a lot of action, good sex scenes and a solid plot, though parts of it were still a little tedious. Personally, I think it is just growing pains of the series and Faythe herself. I am sure it will smooth out in the third book, Pride, which is due out anytime now. I would still absolutely recommend this book to all of you. When all is said and done, I really did enjoy the book overall and I am looking forward to following the series.

Be sure to read these books in order, as they aren’t really standalone friendly, and you will need the back story to appreciate the storyline in this one. Once you’ve read Rogue, please come and share your thoughts on the book. I would love to hear your opinions.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mira Books (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778325555
• ISBN-13: 978-0778325550

To purchase a print copy of Rogue click here.

Books in Werecats series in the order they should be read:
Stray
Rogue
Pride
Prey

Garden Spells drops the unwary reader smack-dab in the middle of small-town Bascom, North Carolina. Here you will meet various families who all have two things in common: a strange gift and deep roots in the land. It is this history that is woven skillfully by Allen as she introduces you to women who use sex to keep their men (No Clark woman has ever lost her husband), and families where one living man bearing a certain name is guaranteed to be the strongest man in town (he might be 90 but he can still pull a stump).

Amongst these town people there is one family deemed stranger than the rest. In their yard grows an apple tree. It is known that if you eat an apple from that tree, you will see the most important event of your life - good or bad. Here, there is a similarity to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman that can not be ignored. Magical family roots cause one sister to flee and one sister to stay. Unlike Hoffman’s tale, Sydney and Claire Waverly may be sisters but they are definitely not close. In fact, one blames the other for their sense of not belonging anywhere.

The theme of finding where you belong is important in this book. Each person has to find their own way as they learn how to live again and how to celebrate their own unique gift. Even though Claire has twisted her gift into a successful catering business (she thinks), I think it more true to say that Claire manages to hide from her gift. Her frustration levels give her a veritable spark of energy that causes some humorous moments. When Sydney runs home to Bascom with her young daughter, fleeing an abusive ex, their arrival upends Claire’s organized denial of the Waverly magic.

Claire can’t cook her way out of a romance either. Used to manipulating others with various herbs and potions, she is baffled when a man new to town doesn’t automatically avoid the weird Waverly sister. He makes things worse by seeming to be immune to her casseroles cooked especially for him in an effort to turn his eye elsewhere. Sydney gets her romance too, but not with the person you think. Even though Allen sets the reader up for a reunion romance, you are taken down a garden path that leads you somewhere else.

The secondary characters absolutely make this book. Just like the perfect pinch of exotic spice, a truly brilliant great aunt whose gift is knowing what someone will need before they need it (and effectively destroying someone’s reputation by giving them a condom), along with the gay grocery owner in crisis, bring you a book with a uniquely, quirky Southern voice.

While there were some problems for me in the telling of the tale, such as how Sydney ended up in an abusive relationship, I would still happily give this book 3.5 tombstones. This is definitely one I would recommend to my friends who are looking for a book to relax in a swing in the garden.

Editors Note: If you enjoy this type of book, you will also want to pick up a copy of her latest release, The Sugar Queen.

Book Stats:

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; 1 edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553805487
• ISBN-13: 978-0553805482

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Let me first say that this book is freaking hilarious and very well written. It gets 5 tombstones right out of the gate just for the humor factor. Reading this book has turned me into a new Dakota Cassidy fan. I found myself laughing out loud at the antics of not only Marty, but her cosmetics recruits the foul mouthed Nina and the introverted Wanda as well.

For Marty Andrews living the Bobby Sue Cosmetics color wheel dream is her life. That is until an unknown dog takes a bite out of her. Things definitely get different when the previously blond Marty’s hair starts to turn darker shade of brown and the hair on her legs is growing fast than the stock market changes. To say the least, this change is not good for her Bobby Sue image. To make matters worse, a gorgeous stranger shows up demanding that she’s now a werewolf. No doubt about it Keegan Flaherty is completely drool worthy in Ms. Cassidy’s rendition of dogs gone wild. In the midst of the most shocking transformation of her life, Marty also finds herself the target of a crazed kidnapper. Forced to move into the Flaherty pack mansion for her safety, things really begin to sizzle between her and Keegan.

This is a tale with lots of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages in suspense, and laughing all the while. Pick up your copy today and get bitten by the Dakota’s unique style and fresh humor. The next installment in the series Accidentally Dead is due out in July 2008, so be sure to pre-order your copy today.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425219305
• ISBN-13: 978-0425219300

To purchase a print copy of The Accidental Werewolf click link.
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Books in the Accidental series in the order they should be read:
The Accidental Werewolf
Accidentally Dead
The Accidental Human

In La Vida Vampire Francesca “Cesca” Marinelli is a vamp with class and a style all her own. Unlike a lot of the vamps we read about in other books, she even has a job! She works as a ghost tour guide in St. Augustine - a job well suited to the 227 year old vampire. Not only does she work, she likes to surf too (kind of like an undead Gidget). She also bikes and does all kinds of activities that us regular old humans do. No skulking about her coffin, whiling away her afterlife for Cessca (actually she sleeps in a bed). Ms. Haddock has given me another favorite vampire, one that goes out in daylight (with sunblock of course), is a virgin, and loves to shop at Wally World!

She is found after being buried undead for a few centuries and is trying to adjust to life in the 21st century, which can prove to be challenging at best most days. In this series vampires are “out” to the public, but have pretty strict guidelines to live by, and the government has a close eye on their activities.

The story starts out with a lady on Cesca’s ghost tour turning up dead and drained of blood. All eyes and several police fingers point to Cesca as the most likely suspect. In an effort to clear her name AND find the real killer she ends up in some pretty sticky situations. She really keeps her cool throughout it all, until it comes to sexy paranormal detective Saber. Lets just say that by the end of the book she has a change in status where men are concerned.

Of course, no vampire book would be complete without a crazy vigilante group focused on eradicating vampires, and they have their sights set on our beloved heroine. Be sure to pick up a copy of this great new book by Nancy Haddock and see how the story ends. You will be glad you did! Rumor has it that the next book in this new series is scheduled to come out sometime in the spring of 2009. I cannot wait to see what Cesca gets into next!

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042521995X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425219959

To purchase a print copy of La Vida Vampire click this link.
To purchase a Kindle copy of La Vida Vampire click this link.

Books in the Oldest City Vampire series in the order they should be read:
La Vida Vampire
Last Vampire Standing

Linda Wisdom is a very gifted author who has been writing books for a long time, but this is my first time to have the pleasure of reading one of them. This is another book that I stumbled upon at the bookstore and hadn’t heard of. The cover art is fantastic, and it immediately caught my eye.

I love witchy paranormals, because I can relate to them really well, (LOL) so the story of Jasmine “Jazz” Tremaine, a 700 year old witch, and her on again, off again, sexy vampire boyfriend Nick (to the tune of 300 years) really held my attention. This is a funny read that has a cast of crazy paranormal characters that will keep you in stitches. It also has a great mysterious storyline that Ms. Wisdom has magically woven in between some hot and heavy romantic interludes between Jazz and her sexy hunk of vampire boyfriend.

Somebody is sucking the vampire pool dry. Now it is up to Jazz and Nick (with a little help from Norma the chain smoking ghost who lives in her car) to find out who it is and stop them from destroying this ancient race and moving up the food chain to other magical creatures. Our heroine will have to face her deepest, darkest fears and overcome an evil so great she’s not sure she has the strength to do it. Find out who Fluff and Puff are and come back to tell us about them, and share your favorite characters in this magical tale. Be sure to get your copy of Hex Appeal book two in the Hex Your Lover series pre-ordered right away. It is due out in October 2008!

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 374 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks (March 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140221085X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402210853

Purchase your copy of 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by clicking this link.

Books in the Hex series in the order they should be read:
50 Ways to Hex Your Lover
Hex Appeal
Wicked by Any Other Name

First of all I would like to thank Keri for sending me a most prized ARC of The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 6). She held a generous contest on her website in April, and I happened to be the lucky winner! She also sent along some bookmarks and postcards. Thank you again Keri, I LOVE this book!

Actually, I love the Riley Jensen, Guardian series. Late in 2006, I became extremely ill and was at death’s door. I could only lay in bed for several weeks with little to no strength to do anything. One day my husband brought home a book for me to read. It was the first book in the series Full Moon Rising. He was very excited because three more books in the series were scheduled to be released one right after the other over the next few months. It was so sweet, he thought it would give me something to really look forward to. You know what? He was right! I devoured book one and laid around waiting for the next in the series. This series was pretty much the first real paranormal books that I had read outside of Kim Harrison. And they sparked my passion for ALL books paranormal in nature. I guess you could say that Keri created a real life book monster in me! LOL

Enough about me already! So, book six finds Riley hunting down a serial killer and her love life in a sad state of affairs. In the midst of everything that is going on, yet another killer shows up and starts leaving a trail of bodies a mile wide. Can Riley catch two serial killers, kindle some romance with the ever elusive Quin and come out alive and unharmed yet again? Well, I am not telling! But what I will tell you is this book is filled to the brim with steam and intrigue. You will not be disappointed. Oh, and there is a new potential lust interest that pops up (pun intended) again as well. Lets hope book seven sees more of that interesting stud!

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dell (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553591142
• ISBN-13: 978-0553591149

Purchase your copy of The Darkest Kiss by clicking this link.

Books in Riley Jensen, Guardian series in the order they should be read:
Full Moon Rising
Kissing Sin
Tempting Evil
Dangerous Games
Embraced By Darkness
The Darkest Kiss