Reader Advisory

Every review I write on this blog, is my opinion and or point of view. I do not claim rights to any book or author I write about. Thanks for viewing!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The Shaman's Mate Blog Tour and giveaway

The Shaman's Mate Blog Tour Schedule:
 
I am honored to be a stop on this Blog Tour!  I loved reading The Shaman's Mate and my review is at the end!
The Shamans's Mate
by Donna McDonald

Blurb/Description

When an unfamiliar fellow park ranger walks up moments after he prays for help, Jason sends his gratitude out into the universe for answering his call. The last thing Jason ever suspected would happen was for the same man to return to abduct him. But now Hania and his people are insisting that he make good on his promises to repay his karmic debt to them.

Jason is not opposed to helping the Chileaans, or their beautiful Shaman, but it’s what they want him to do that’s the problem.


Here is a smokin' excerpt from the book...

Jason started across the grounds realizing that he had no idea how to get to Shaman Aiyana’s house on his own. Then he started noticing that when he walked in one direction, his hands hummed. When he turned a different way, the humming stopped. Deciding to follow the humming, Jason walked quickly and eventually recognized Aiyana’s temple.
Now that he was here, Jason hesitated before climbing the steps slowly. For the first time he wondered if he was already too late, if Cheveyo was already with her. This might be embarrassing for all of us, he thought.
Jason looked at the door, compelled to go inside no matter what he came across. Being with Cheveyo wasn’t going to work anyway. Jason didn’t know how he knew that about the situation, but he just did. Even the thought that Aiyana would try with Cheveyo upset him now, but being upset was not right either. So Jason didn’t bother knocking, but he did remove his shoes as Aiyana had asked last time.
Once inside, he walked softly through the house looking and listening at every closed door. Finally, he came to a large open room at the back of the house that faced a lush courtyard with a cascading fountain. In the center of the room, Aiyana sat in the middle of a pile of pillows wearing only a very sheer bra top and equally sheer pajama pants. On her shoulders and down her arms were intricate designs made of fine black dots. As Jason walked towards her, he saw the dots on her start to glow.
She stood and turned to him in one fluid motion.
“Jason. Why are you here? I’m expecting. . .” Aiyana found she couldn’t say the truth to him while he was looking at her so fiercely.
Jason walked up and stopped in front of her, placing his hands on her arms, matching their designs. He winced at the pleasure-pain sensation it caused both of them.
Aiyana moaned as the power flowed between them. “Jason…” she began, then caught her breath.
Jason sensed the man at the door before he actually saw him. He dropped his hands from Aiyana to face the man who had just entered.
“Who are you?” the man at the door demanded. “Why are you touching Shaman Aiyana?”
Jason looked at him for a few moments. There was no doubt who the man was because he fit the description. He studied the man that Aiyana had told him was more handsome than he was, a man who had pleasured her more than once.
“This is the final time I ask you the question before I take further action,” the man said quietly.
Jason heard Cheveyo speaking in the same dispassionate, but I-really-mean-it manner of speaking that Hania used. Maybe he should be more worried about the fierce glare he was receiving, but he just wasn’t feeling anything but relief that he stopped Aiyana from…holy hell. He was jealous.
“Aiyana won’t need your services after all, Cheveyo. I am the Shaman’s mate,” Jason growled the words, shocked at how fiercely he sounded saying them.
Jason watched the man study him for long moments. He was prepared to fight him if needed, but hoped it would not come to that. The man was a lot bigger and looked a lot stronger than Hania, who had managed to take him down easily.
Aiyana’s heart stopped, and then started beating with a thunderous sound. Jason had told Cheveyo that he was her mate. How was this possible? He was staring at Cheveyo, his eyes glowing with the Great Mother’s power. Shocked happiness shook her to her core and she started to fall.
“Aiyana, are you okay?” Jason asked, grabbing her arms to hold her upright, accidentally matching their marks again.
“Jason…” she called his name, and then collapsed in a heap at his feet, her hands sliding down his body. She wrapped her arms around his legs because she simply had to touch some part of him to believe it was real.
Aiyana looked across the room, pain in her heart for yet another misdeed she had done to the man at her door. “I’m sorry for this situation, Cheveyo. I truly did not expect Jason to return to me, but I am glad he has.”
Cheveyo looked at him with the most hateful look Jason had ever received from another person.
“There is no dishonor here, Aiyana,” Cheveyo said softly. “I serve Shaman Aiyana, who serves the Great Mother. If you have need of me, I too will return to you.” He bowed his head to her and left, not sparing Jason another glance.
Jason looked down at the woman wrapped around his legs and wondered what had possessed him to stake a claim. What was it to him if the woman bonded with the whole tribe? But thinking of Cheveyo at her door, he was pleased he’d sent the man away. God help him—maybe he felt a sense of duty growing for her. Somehow he instinctively knew that Shaman Aiyana’s ascension wouldn’t happen with anyone but him. Walking through Aiyana’s door moments ago, he was following some inner voice that demanded he help her, regardless of what form that help took.
As he pulled Aiyana up into his arms again, the voices he’d heard when he kissed her started chanting again. This time though the chanting perfectly matched the heat in his blood as he studied Aiyana’s nearly naked body. This time when desire for her moved through him, Jason accepted it physically, even though he still had to work at setting the emotional guilt aside. His body was insisting that he be with her. There seemed to be no other choice.
“So where are we doing the deed?” Jason asked Aiyana. “Do you have a bedroom?”
“What?” Aiyana asked, not quite understanding what Jason meant. She was still recovering from what had just happened, from the joy that Jason had returned, and from her shame at having to send Cheveyo away. It wasn’t often that she experienced emotional turmoil.
“For this ascension thing to work for you, you have to have sex with me, right?” Jason demanded. “I don’t know how I know that, lady, but I just do.”
Aiyana looked hard at Jason, trying to see into his spirit, trying to see if he would have any regrets. “You told Cheveyo I was your mate. Did you mean those words?”
Jason tugged her forward by the center of the bra top she wore, until they were nose to nose because she was so tall.
“God help me for disrespecting my dead wife, but I do,” Jason admitted, rubbing a thumb across her left nipple and making her tremble. He watched their dots glow brighter as he touched her through her clothes. “Kissing you put these glowing dots on my hands. And I see you have a matching set.”
“Praise to the Great Mother for all her gifts,” Aiyana said breathlessly, finding it difficult to have conversation when Jason was touching her so intimately.
“You might want to save that gratitude for after we’re done,” Jason joked, hoping he would not back out on her once they started.
Part of him was hard and aching for her, so he knew he was up for the challenge, so to speak. Still another part of him was trying to decide if he would be betraying Emily and her memory by what he planned to do to help a woman he didn’t really even know.
“What you bear are the Great Mother’s marks. You are also ascending Jason. I did not know that would happen when I kissed you. Are you okay with receiving the power of it?” Aiyana asked, concern evident in her face.
“If I turn into some really ugly creature after having sex with you, there’s going to be hell to pay,” Jason warned, still toying with her top.
“When ascension is complete, you will be what you already are, only more so,” Aiyana told him with a smile, trying to reassure Jason that he would not be harmed.
“Will there be more tattoos?” Jason asked, thinking he needed to be prepared for what would happen.
“Yes. You’ll get a lot more tattoos,” Aiyana informed him, laughing painfully, not really finding any humor.
Jason pulled her closer to him, listening as the chanting grew louder and louder in his ears.
“Next question. Why do I hear people talking every time I get near you?” he asked her.
“It is the voices of the ancestors. Can you understand what they are saying?” she asked in return.
“Not the words, but it seems like they are encouraging me to just…take you hard and fast,” Jason finally admitted, hoping she did not find it offensive.
Aiyana stepped away from Jason, untied a string on each side of her hips, letting the pants fall to the floor. “That’s exactly what they are saying,” she agreed. “And I am ready for you to do so.”


Biography Donna McDonald  

After 35 years of doing everything for a living except writing books, I finally published my first romance novel in March of 2011. Ten novels later, I feel like I'm living my own “happily ever after” life as a modestly successful author who gives back to the universe by doing her best to keep several Lexington, Kentucky coffee shops in business.

I dream of selling my house and taking to the open road once I figure out how to do so without my children and grandchildren finding out. For the time being, I continue to live contentedly with my permanent fiancée of many years who helps me sneak away from real life as often as he can.

I love him dearly for it.


Click to check out all Donna's Books!



Giveaway for Shaman's Mate Blog Tour:

 a Rafflecopter giveaway



~*~ My Review ~*~

I absolutely LOVED this book! I was completely enthralled when I started reading it. I literally couldn't put it down. I loved the 'realm' created and the characters were awesome! The first characters you meet, your heart hurts for them, and you want good things for them. Multiple times throughout the book I had to stop and breathe through emotions that were reflected in my own life as things happened in the book. I thought it was even sweeter knowing the author wrote the book in memory or dedication of her daughter who passed away. I was impressed with each character as they fought through hurts, anger, and other feelings and beliefs. When each character/couple was intimate with each other, it was sweet and deep and hot, makes you long and hope for the same or similar. As Jason fights to accept his fate and move past his grief for his murdered wife, he grows, changes, and becomes the most passionate wonderful man I have read about who seems truly real. I will definitely read more of this author! I give The Shaman's Mate 5 huge sparkly stars!

 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Black Shard and giveaway


The Black Shard by Victoria Simcox

A little about the book; it is 255 pages long with 1-2 pictures per chapter. It's listed a middle-grade read, ages 9-13.


The Black Shard, Victoria Simcox’s fast-paced, intricately woven sequel to The Magic Warble, takes Kristina Kingsly and her schoolmates back to Bernovem … and into a thrilling, often dangerous adventure.


Kristina’s stay at summer horse camp is horrible to say the least, and it’s all because Hester and Davina are there as well, making her life miserable. When Hester’s cruel prank goes terribly wrong, it’s actually what sends the three girls back to the magical land of Bernovem. In Bernovem, Kristina is very excited to see her former friend, Prince Werrien. When he invites her to sail with him on his ship to his homeland Tezerel, putting it simply, Kristina can’t refuse.

Reunited with her gnome, dwarf, animal, fairy friends … and best of all, Werrien, things seem like they couldn’t get any better for Kristina. But when Werrien becomes fascinated with an unusual seeing stone, the “Black Shard”, Kristina is haunted by a ghostlike old hag. Struggling against suspicion, guilt, illness, and ultimately the one who wants to possess her soul, Kristina will see it’s in her weakest moment that she will encounter more strength than she has ever known.

Buy book from Author

Victoria Simcox Bio

Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with her husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Her other family members are a Chihuahua, named Pipsy and two cats, named Frodo and Fritz. Besides being an author, Victoria is a home-schooling mother of twelve years and an elementary school art teacher of eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys managing her two older children's Celtic band. She also loves writing, reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and just simply hanging out with her family and friends. 

I picked Victoria's brain with a few questions, for all you readers, here are her answers:

SBB: What gave you the idea for a fantasy book like The Magic Warble and The Black Shard?

     VS: I remember I was sitting in the movie theater watching the first Harry Potter movie when I envisioned my main character Kristina walking down a snowy sidewalk. At the time that was all of story I had. I went home that night and wrote my first page not knowing where the story would go.

SBB: If/When you have writers block what do you do?

   VS: I used to get writer's block, but then I realized it came to me when I got too stressed out and felt like I was pressured to write. I had to remind myself why I started writing to begin with—because I enjoyed it, not because I had to; then I relaxed. If you are an aspiring author and going through writer's block and feeling like there's nothing you can come up with to write about, or your imagination has run dry, then take a day off—go see a flick, or do something you enjoy to relax. You'll be surprised how ideas come to you when you're in a happy relaxed state of mind.

SBB: Are some characters harder to write than others?

   VS: No, I have a vivid picture of my characters in my head which makes it not to difficult for me to form their personalities. I think I draw a lot from people in my life. But I create a character from different character traits of more than 1 person.

SBB: If you could meet any person dead or alive...who would it be?

    VS: C.S Lewis: His Chronicles of Narnia have been such an inspiration to me. It would be so cool, say for instance to have lunch with him and pick his brain on how he came up with his beloved stories.

SBB: What do you prefer coffee, tea, soda, water...

    VS: I prefer coffee to tea and I admit I'm pretty religious about having my coffee each morning and afternoon. I try not to drink soda other than when I go out to eat or to a movie, then I always have a diet coke. Eight glasses of water is my daily goal though I rarely meet that goal it's more like 4 if that.


~*~*~*~Check out Victoria's Blog ~*~*~*~

Victoria is giving away the ebook copies of The Black Shard 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read the first book The Magic Warble





The Magic Warble website

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Magic Warble review



The Magic Warble
by Victoria Simcox

Overview from The Magic Warble Website

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

The Author:


Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with her husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Her other family members are a Chihuahua, named Pipsy and two cats, named Frodo and Fritz. Besides being an author, Victoria is a home-schooling mother of twelve years and an elementary school art teacher of eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys managing her two older children's Celtic band. She also loves writing, reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and just simply hanging out with her family and friends.


        Buy book from Author 
                            Buy book from Amazon.com

*~My Review~*


I really liked this book! It was an adventure from beginning to end, and I was with the characters the entire way!   Each character had something I really enjoyed reading about even if the character was particularly mean.  I really liked Kristina the main character, she was humble and brave and the perfect mix of stumbling kid and feared warrior! 

I really enjoyed the fact that the animals talked and it added to the fantasy aspect of the entire story.  I thought Victoria explained and described everything wonderfully.  I could see the clothing, and the environment in my head, and it was great.  I was biting my fingers, and crying, and laughing throughout this story.  

I will always keep this adventure in my head and I recommend to all readers ages 9-14 who really enjoy a fantasy adventure! I give it a 4.5 star rating, because I was bummed at the end...not the way it ended but what her 'choice' was in the end.  I was impressed that a twelve year old could be as understanding and strong as Kristina was!  

I was lucky to have Victoria on my blog last week, and she is kindly giving away 3 ebook copies of The Magic Warble.  Sign up below to be entered!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 22, 2012

The Magic Warble

The Magic Warble 
by Victoria Simcox


I am very excited to have Victoria Simcox on my blog



Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. She now lives in Western Washington with her husband, Russ and their three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Her other family members are a Chihuahua, named Pipsy and two cats, named Frodo and Fritz. Besides being an author, Victoria is a home-schooling mother of twelve years and an elementary school art teacher of eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria enjoys managing her two older children's Celtic band. She also loves writing, reading, painting watercolors, hiking, good movies, and just simply hanging out with her family and friends. 

I am honored that Victoria took the time to answer some questions for us, here they are...

SBB:  What makes you feel like you’re reading or have read a truly amazing book?

VS: When I can't put the book down and when I have to put it down, the anticipation of getting back to it. Then, when I'm finished it, wanting to read the next book in the series, if it is a series.

SBB: The cover of your book is fantastic, how did you find it?
VS: The artist, who drew it, came up with it after reading the manuscript.
SBB: When you are reading which do you prefer: paperback, hardcover or e-book:
VS: Paperback, because I love the feel of an actual book and the smell of the ink on the pgs. Also e-book, because it is so convenient and is easy to hold so it doesn't strain your hands.
SBB: Tell us if you have a Current favorite band:
VS: I have so many. I think one of my all time faves is Cold Play, and of course my kid's band, Well Know Stranger.
SBB: What would be the Best movie you have ever seen?  
VS: Again, I love so many, but one that I've watched over and over is Tristan and Isolde. "The Roman Bridge, I can get to it without being seen, and I'd go there any time to be with you." So romantic! Tristan and Isolde What can I say: I'm a sucker for romance.
SBB: In the world currently so many people have self esteem issues. Name one thing you like about yourself!

VS: I'll give you a few. I'm strong in my faith, I'm driven at what I love doing, writing in particular. My kids think I'm a goof-ball, and though I have my struggles, I love my life!


Now lets take a look at The Magic Warble
A little about the book; it is 267 pages long with 1-2 pictures per chapter. It's listed as a middle-grade read, ages 9-13.

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship. 


Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.




Now for a special giveaway from Victoria...
She is kindly giving away 3 ebook copies of 
The Magic Warble!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

To check out the second book 
The Black Shard click below

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Death and the Girl Next Door Blog Tour Stop

Death and the Girl Next Door
By Darynda Jones


New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.



 First book in the Darklight series.

Release Date: October 2, 2012

From the author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right—a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors.

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace.  Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home.  For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be.  Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it,  standing outside her house in the dark, night after night.  Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school.  Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity.  What does Jared know about her parents?  Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei?  And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real?  

Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

"Unique, witty, and touching—I LOVED THIS BOOK!" —P.C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Night Series




Here is a giveaway from Darynda Jones!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is a fantastic interview with the wonderful Darynda Jones
Welcome to my blog today Darynda!  So,since I have you for the day, I am going to pick your brain...
First off I am dying to know, do you enjoy writing one character more than others or is one easier?

I absolutely LOVE writing Brooklyn, Lorelei’s best friend. She is so spunky and fun. Some of the hardest for me to write are the scenes between Lorelei and Jared, and yet they have the biggest payoff in the end. But Jared is tricky. I’m always worried I will do something or say something that goes completely against his character. I have to be super careful.

I loved reading the interaction between Brooklyn, Glitch, and Lorelei it was hilarious!  Kudos for the Jared/Lorelei writing, they are wow! 
Next for those of us out there who enjoy writing, if/when you ever have writers block, what do you do?

I'm not sure it’s really writer’s block, per se, but if I get stuck, I have done one of two things wrong. Either I have messed with my writing “process,” i.e. I haven’t outlined fully or thought through a scene completely, or I have messed up the story somehow. That could mean there is something wrong with the story itself—it just isn’t working—or there is something wrong with one of my characters. Perhaps her motivation is not clear or it’s just wrong, or his behavior goes against the character that I initially set up.

The only thing to do in those situations is to take a step back and try to figure out what I’ve done wrong, what is not quite right with the story. If I’m really lucky, it will be easy to see and to fix. Odds are against that, however. It usually takes several attempts to fix it and to get to the core of the real problem.

Thanks for the tip and I know that will help us writers when we feel like we are stuck in a rough spot!  
Now since there is much talk of ghosts in DATGND, have you ever seen a ghost, if yes what did you do?

While my logical mind likes to believe I have never seen a ghost, I have to admit, I’ve been privy some pretty strange occurrences. One of my favorite stories happened when my family moved into a new house. My best friend was staying the night. We were in the living room watching TV when she freaked out. She said she saw a little blond boy in a yellow T-shirt run down the hall. So, naturally, I freaked out too. We ran outside and stayed there until my mom got home.

A few weeks later, I was looking in the mirror brushing my hair when I saw a little blond boy looking up at me from underneath my bed. I was so stunned, I stood there a long moment, watching him watch me. When I turned around, he was gone. When I turned back to the mirror, he was gone.

But wait! There’s more!

So, a couple years later, I started hanging out more with another friend. We were talking about where we lived. Oddly enough, my family almost bought the house she was living in. Even more oddly enough, she lived in our house before her family moved into the one we almost bought. We were talking about that odd coincidence when she looked at me in all seriousness and asked, “Since you are living in our old house, have you seen the little blond boy yet?”

Wow that is totally creepy!  I am totally afraid to even watch ghost-like movies, so that story is totally creeptastic!  Okay, before I need to check under the bed lets move on...
When you decided to write a YA novel, was it harder to get in the right mind set?

Actually, no. I’ve been writing YA way longer than anything else, so it comes quite naturally to me. And I write with a rather young voice in my adult stuff too.

I think you have a great gift with your writing, and I personally thought the 'voice' in DATGND was perfect, Lorelei was fabulous. I love Charley also and her 'voice' is great also!  
Do you have an idea how many books will be in your DGND series?

I know exactly how many. Death and the Girl Next Door is the first in the Darklight Trilogy, so there will only be three.

Thank you so much for having me!!!
~D~

Thank you Darynda for your time on my blog today, and for the fantastic books you have written, I look forward to reading more of your books in the future! 


*~*Links to Buy Death and the Girl next door*~*


Here is a special excerpt of 

Death and the Girl Next Door 

by Darynda Jones:

I laughed to myself and headed toward the back of our favorite and pretty much only hangout. It sat a mere block from our alma mater, Riley High, and we practically lived in our corner booth. I ducked past the snack counter and into a very dark back hall. Judging by the boxes lining the narrow passage, I’d be taking my life into my hands if I risked a journey to the little senorita’s room without illumination, so I ran my hand along a paneled wall. Where would I be if I were a light switch? Just as the tips of my fingers found the switch, a silhouette stepped out of the shadows and brushed past me. I startled with a gasp.

“Excuse me,” I said, placing a hand over my heart.

“Sorry.” The guy paused slightly before continuing on his way, and in that instant, I saw the makings of utter perfection: a long arm with shadowy curves that dipped around the fluid lines of muscle; a tall, wide shoulder; dark hair that curled playfully over an ear and led to a strong, masculine jaw. Something inside me lurched, craving a closer look at his face, but he walked by too fast and the hall was too dark for me to catch anything else.

After a couple of seconds, I realized my hand had brushed against his arm. It was enough to send a vision crashing into me, like the flash of a nuclear bomb, bright and unforgiving. Tamping down my surprise— I hadn’t had a vision in a very long time— I pressed shaking fingers to my forehead to wait out the familiar storm, to see what treasures would wash ashore in the aftermath.

Yet the things I saw were unreal, impossible, and certainly not of this world: A desolate landscape lay before me with scorched clouds and a roiling, violet sky. The air was stagnant and so impossibly thick, breathing it took effort. Then I heard the clanging of metal. I turned to watch in horror as a being, a boy of no more than sixteen or seventeen, fierce and somehow not quite human, struggled with a dark, monstrous beast. The boy’s arms corded as tendon and muscle strained against the weight of the sword he wielded. He slashed again and again, but the monster was fast, with razorlike talons and sharp, gleaming teeth, and the boy knew what those teeth felt like when they sank into flesh, knew the blinding pain that accompanied defeat. But he also knew the power he himself wielded, the raw strength that saturated every molecule of his body. 

Another herculean effort landed a thrust in the monster’s shoulder and continued through its thick chest. The monster sank under the boy’s sword with a guttural scream. The boy looked on while the beast writhed in pain, watched it grow still as the life drained out of it, and somewhere in the back of the boy’s mind, he allowed himself to register the burning of his lungs as he struggled to fill them with air. 

Blood trickled between his fingers, down the length of his blade, and dripped to the powdery earth beneath his feet. I followed the trail of blood up to three huge gashes across his chest. Evidently three of the monster’s claws had met their mark, laying the flesh of its enemy open. I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands as the boy spun toward me, sword at the ready. Squinting against the low sun, I could almost make out his features, but the vision evaporated before I got the chance. A heartbeat later, I was back in the dark hallway, gasping for air, one palm pressed against my temple, the other against the wall for balance. 

I squeezed my eyes shut, fought the memory of the vision, the fear that summoned the taste of bile in the back of my throat, the feel of blood dripping down the boy’s arm.



Books in the Darklight Trilogy are as follows:
#1 Death and the Girl Next Door- Available Now
#2 Death, Doom and Detention- March 5, 2013
#3 Death and Other Distractions- Coming in 2013


~My Review~
I absolutely love this first book in Darynda's new YA Darklight Trilogy.  I was hooked in the first chapter and by page 40 I was in tears from laughing so hard!  Truly, and it happened more than once! :)  I love the characters Darynda has made and each one brings something to the book to love.  Darynda's writing sucks you in to the world in the book, and won't let you go even at the end, you still feel as if everything was real, and you need more!  I like the wit and sarcasm, as well as the seriousness of everything that was happening to Lorelei.  I love how the YA aspect brings out the feelings in this book and how everything is intense and life changing.  Just how high school was.  The story line is fantastic, and not once did I want to put the book down and come back to it later, I held on and powered through thinking the whole time, I want more. I recommend this to all readers! 
I give this 5 huge shiny sparkling stars!

Here is a giveaway from Darynda Jones because I'm a Grimlet Blogger!
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If you haven't read Darynda's other series, here are the book covers:












First Grave on the Right
For I have Sinned (Novella)
Second Grave on the Left
Third Grave Dead Ahead
Fourth Grave Beneath my Feet