2015 Reading Challenges

Last year I signed up for the Shifter Challenge hosted by ParaJunkee. This year I'm also going to put myself to the test and sign up for two reading challenegs. The 2015 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf and the 2015 eBook Reading Challenge hosted by Annette's Book Spot.

First up is the Witches and Witchcraft Challenge. You can sign up to read books in one of four levels.

Initiate: Read 1 – 5 Witchy Books
Maiden: Read 6 – 10 Witchy Books
Mother: Read 11 – 15 Witchy Books
Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books

I'm challenging myself to go for 6 to 10 books, the Maiden level. I have a few books picked out already and I hope to reach my goal this year.





Next up is the eBook Challenge. This chellenge also has level you can sign up to read.

1. Bits – 5 ebooks
2. Bytes – 10 ebooks
3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks
4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks
5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks
6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

No way I'm going to be able to empty the cloud and still have time for my fiction along with my freelancing so I'm going with a simple Bytes challenge. I have a TBR list of eBooks so I think it's going to be easy to meet this challenge.


Just like last year I'll be posting reviews of each book I read in the challenges and readers can find these on the side bar for easy finding. If anyone has a great witch book they'd like to suggest let me know. 

Peace and love!

Full Moon New Releases (March 2015)

Book lovers rejoice because it's time again for another selection of Full Moon Releases.

 The Slayer by Brenda Huber

The darker side of his nature just can’t let her go.

Chronicles of the Fallen, Book 1

Born of heaven, forged in hellfire and damnation, Xander roams the Earth as an unlikely protector of the innocent. Grudgingly embroiled in a demon uprising, Xander must help his brothers-in-arms recover four Sacred Relics rumored to be Lucifer’s downfall.

The stakes are simple. If he fails, a new regime will assume control of the underworld and the boundaries between hell and earth will crumble. If he succeeds, long-awaited salvation could be his. But when a beautiful innocent is caught in the crossfire, the price of redemption could be too steep.

Kyanna Hughes is a hereditary Guardian, sworn to protect a sacred Relic at all costs. From the cradle, she was taught to hate all things demon, but her unwanted attraction to Xander turns everything she’s been taught upside down.

The danger she faces involves more than her heart. For Kyanna is not only a Guardian, but a Keeper of Secrets so dangerous, that to keep them out of demon hands even the angels in heaven would see her dead…

Warning: Contains a demon with a notoriously single-minded determination to save the world, and a sworn enemy for whom he will risk eternal damnation. And so begins the journey of six fallen demons and the women who capture their hearts…

Coming March 31st from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.



Chaos Station by Kelly Jensen & Jenn Burke

Book one of Chaos Station

"You're not real. Felix Ingesson is dead."

The war with the alien stin is over, but Felix Ingesson has given up on seeing his lover, Zander Anatolius, ever again. Zander's military file is sealed tighter than an airlock. A former prisoner of war, Felix is attempting a much quieter life keeping his ship, the Chaos, aloft. He almost succeeds, until Zander walks on board and insists that Felix isn't real.

A retired, broken super soldier, Zander is reeling from the aftereffects of his experimental training and wants nothing more than to disappear and wait for insanity to claim him. Then he sees footage of a friend and ally—a super soldier like him—murdering an entire security squad with her bare hands and a cold, dead look in her eyes. He never expected to find Felix, the man he'd thought dead for years, on the ship he hired to track her down.

Working with Felix to rescue his teammate is a dream come true…and a nightmare. Zander has no exit strategy that will leave Felix unscathedâ€"or his own heart unbroken.

Releases March 2nd from Carina Press

Infinity Bell by Devon Monk

Return to national bestselling author Devon Monk's heartpounding House Immortal series, where eleven powerful Houses control the world and all its resources. But now, the treaty between them has been broken, and no one—not even the immortal galvanized—is safe....

Matilda Case isn’t normal. Normal people aren’t stitched together, inhumanly strong, and ageless, as she and the other galvanized are. Normal people’s bodies don’t hold the secret to immortality—something the powerful Houses will kill to possess. And normal people don’t know that they’re going to die in a few days.

Matilda’s fight to protect the people she loves triggered a chaotic war between the Houses and shattered the world’s peace. On the run, she must find a way to stop the repeat of the ancient time experiment that gifted her and the other galvanized with immortality. Because this time, it will destroy her and everything she holds dear.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of lies, betrayal, and unseen foes, Matilda must fight to save the world from utter destruction. But time itself is her enemy, and every second brings her one step closer to disaster....

Released March 3rd by Penguin Publishing Group

Shifter Mates by Jennifer Ashley

A sexy Shifters Unbound Anthology, including the novellas Lone Wolf and Feral Heat 

Together in one volume for the first time, two sexy paranormal tales of untamed passion, uncontrollable attraction, and unquenchable desire…

In Lone Wolf, Ellison Rowe is a wolf Shifter and a self-proclaimed cowboy, but he’s still searching for someone to ease his loneliness. Maria is a human taking refuge among the Shifters, trying to move on from her haunted past. When Ellison and Maria team up, the passion between them is undeniable—as is the hope that their love is just what they both need to start anew…

In Feral Heat, Jace Warden finds himself in close quarters with beautiful and courageous shifter Deni Rowe when he travels to Austin to find a way to free all Shifters from their Collars. As Deni and Jace work together, they feel the mate bond begin. But Deni has troubles of her own, and even Jace’s fierce devotion might not be enough to help her…

Published March 3rd by Penguin Publishing Group

Review: Demonfire by Kate Douglas

Recently I decided to go through my TBR stack (more like shelf) beside my bed. I found historicals, paranormals, a sci-fi and a few off the wall stories I don't think fit into a genre. After narrowing down the stack I picked up Demonfire by Kate Douglas. The demon theme is always fun for me. I never know exactly what I'm going to get.

In Demonfire I found a fantasy style story that had me pulling an all nighter.

Demonfire blurb:

Since time began, the Earth has served as a balance between the world of darkness that is the Abyss, and the paradise known as Eden. Now the battle between good and evil has reached a tipping point, and survival depends on one fallen demon--and the woman he can't resist. . .


Along with this short blurb that had me wondering if I was going to see angels there are a few quotes from other authors on the back of the book.Normally I skip past the quotes and try to judge a book based on what I read, but these quotes were right on point.

The story starts with our hero, Dax, is in the middle of an attack. The writing left me wondering what type of demonic creature was torturing him. Then Eddy, the leading lady, takes over and appears to reveal that the demonic thing is in fact a garden gnome. (I personally see these things as evil little statues that stare at people.) Eddy dispatches the gnome and is surprised to see she and her trusty dog have rescued a naked man with a large snake tattoo winding it's way up the man's body.

The garden gnome really set the tone for the story. Evil demonic things in mundane objects. Dax and Eddy quickly set up a war party to defeat the influx of demons and even though Dax himself is a banished demon trying to make his way into Eden, Eddy finds herself trusting him after he saves her from a number of attacks. The war party at this point also includes the trusty dog and a little wile-o-the-wisp, Willow.

Right away it starts reading like a really good modern fantasy with hints of both the hero's journey and the heroin's journey. Dax has gone through this life changing event that has him searching for redemption and Eddy is forced to see the truth of myths and legends that her father is always talking about. Beyond this they both have immediate attraction that really is blazing.


The characters are very well developed and I found myself caring about them and their relationship very quickly. The weaving of their love into the story was well done. Instead of feeling rushed to add intimacy, the story read smoothly. The interactions between the leading characters and the side characters was well developed and touching.

The plot, while not a new idea, was great. The idea of good and evil fighting is a story we all know and Kate Douglas did a great job putting her own twist to the tale. All in all I'd say this is a great read for any one who loves fantasy style stories with a loving romance interwoven.

My Sexy Saturday : One Sexy Night

Sorry it's late. Power issues this morning.  With no further delay here is my One Sexy Night post.

It's time for another My Sexy Saturday peek. This week the theme was One Sexy Night and I think I have just the peek to how you, my loyal readers. This is taken from a short story about two magical families.Our leading lady has just been branded with a magical symbol meant to give her enough magic to survive. Our leading hero has one last thing to do before the symbol will work properly.

Make sure to click through the links at the end of the post to find more great peeks into sexy romance stories!


Just Beyond Daybreak:

She nodded and answered, “Fine.” Slowly Meredith turned her head to catch a glance at the brand on her shoulder. She could just make out the upper crust of a circle. Moving her eyes up to look at Malcolm, Meredith wondered when she was supposed to get this extra magic and if she would even feel its arrival. “So it’s working?”

Malcolm looked up from a cloth he was using to wipe the chopstick. “Almost,” he said, sitting the silver stick down. “Just one more thing to do.”

“Well, what’s that?” Meredith asked, turning her head back around. She was contemplating pulling her shirt back up, when she was surprised by his hand taking hold of her unbranded shoulder and pulling her backwards. Meredith fell back and a sharp pain ran through her as his free hand caught the brand. He moved the other hand to cup her chin and tilt her head back. Then he was kissing her. For an instant it felt like Malcolm was stealing her very soul through his lips and she didn’t care. She found herself kissing him back.

She watched his half-closed eyes from the odd sideways, almost upside down, angle. This was not a gentle, innocent kiss. This was a lust provoking tease of lips and tongue. The feel of his palm pressed against the raw brand on her shoulder was scorching, but Meredith could not call it pain. A tingle of magic seemed to pass from his hand into her as their lips devoured each other. 

Realization that this was the connection Malcolm needed to link his power to hers set in, and some of the passion that had flared to life died away. As his lips slowly pulled away from her own, Meredith tried to mask her emotions. She fought back the urge to lean forward for another kiss as she watched the tip of his tongue swipe over his top lip. “So, now it’s working?” Meredith asked, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with him.

For just the briefest of seconds Malcolm’s composure was lost and she thought she could see disappointment drift through those blue hues. In a blink it was gone, and Malcolm was back to his smug, confident self.  Helping her sit back up, he said, “This should give you enough to keep going for a little while. If you don’t use too much you should have a few days, but if something happens you can defend yourself for a few minutes. If need be I can give you more, but it’ll be a more physical connection.” 

“How close of a physical connection are we talking about?” Meredith asked, straightening her shirt over her shoulders. 

That's it for this week. Hope you enjoyed this short scene between Meredith and Malcolm. Remember to check out the other great authors and their short scenes!

Peace and Love

Valentine's With The Girls

It's a day that romance rules supreme. Along with flowers and chocolates I think adding a few books to the TBR list is a must. I'm sure that the girls from the Saving Grace Saga would agree. I've decided to sit down with the ladies today and have a bit of a chit chat to celebrate St. Valentine's Day. 

Dilly and Rei are here today not just to talk about romance, but I've also got a surprise for them. Our third guest will be showing up shortly.

"So, how are you girls doing? The boys treating you alright?"

Rei takes a hurried sip from her glass of wine and then answers, "I'm good. Aidan has Aiyana for the night and promised to let me sleep in tomorrow."

Dilly is full of smiles and I swear I can see a bit of a glow to her. "I'm good. Mike and I just got back from a bit of a honeymoon last month."

"So what did the guys get you for Valentine's Day?"

"Mike took me out to dinner last night and surprised me with chocolate strawberries when we got home," Dilly answered.

Rei lifted her glass a bit towards Dilly and answered, "That's so sweet. Aidan made me breakfast in bed."

"That's nice. I've got a bit of a surprise for you two today myself and she should be walking in right about ... now." The door opens and a blonde walks in. Rei and Dilly both recognize her at once and a round of hellos ring out. I clear my throat and ask Julia what she got for Valentine's Day.

Flashing a big smile, Julia answers, "Fire Hunt is getting published!"

This answer sets off a round of cheers and the chit chat is over. I'm happy to say that Fire Hunt the final story in the Saving Grace Saga was accepted for publication and will be out within the year.

Peace and love everyone and enjoy your Valentine's Day!

Submission Blues

You've worked hard. You've written the best story you can and you've gone over it with a fine toothed comb making sure it's perfect. Finally it's time to submit it. You have the cover letter perfect and a synopsis that you fought with for hours because it's so dang hard to condense a novel into just a few pages. The blurb is done. The email is open. One last formatting check before you attach your file and then you're ready. Does the arrow hover over the send button? Is it a close your eyes and let the gods take it from here?

It happens to me every time I finish a story and get ready to submit it. I read over it twice, three times or sometimes more just to make sure it's where I want it to be when I finally submit it to a publisher. It always seems to take at least ten minutes for me to talk myself into sending that submission. No matter what the story and I know that when I do send it in the waiting game starts.

I call it submission blues and while its a part of the crazy life of a writer I can't say it's one of the better parts. It's almost an adrenalin rush but not as fun. I've sent in countless submissions and gotten countless rejections. That's also part of the craziness. I file rejections away until I have a small stack. Once that stack is tall enough I pour a glass of wine and light a match. It's a nice way to deal with the rejected feeling. I hold nothing against the publishers. They did their job and if my story wasn't a fit for them then it wasn't the right publisher.

Submission blues, however, aren't so easy to deal with. I don't know if the story will be accepted or not. Will the editor love the characters the way I do? Probably not, but just enough love is good enough. Those characters will be honed and edited and in the end they'll grow even more than they did while I was writing them.

Moving on from the blues I'm going to try to focus on another story. Don't ask me witch one because right now they're fighting for attention. For tonight I'm going to enjoy a glass of wine and share a toast with the characters that have been mooching off my brain for the last year.

Peace and love.

Full Moon New Releases (Feb 2015)

Time to curl up with a warm blanket, a nice cup of hot coco and dive into a brand new book.

Forged in Fire by Juliette Cross

She never knew this demon world existed. Now she just wants to survive it.

The Vessel Trilogy, Book 1

Genevieve Drake never needed a man to come to her rescue. Not until the night of her twentieth birthday, when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley behind a New Orleans Goth club. And a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.

The hunky rescuer? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons, now her guardian, whether she likes it or not. But she’s seriously beginning to like it.

Her would-be murderer turns out to be only the first of many minions of the demon prince, Danté, who has all kinds of lascivious and sadistic plans. Which means when the formidably beautiful Jude offers his protection, Genevieve has no problem accepting it.

For Jude and his fellow demon hunters tell her she is a Vessel, one who is born to serve the Light, but can be corrupted into a weapon of darkness. And to survive, she must trust a man whose unearthly eyes promise heaven…but whose powers unleash hell.

Warning: Contains a dark and brooding demon hunter who harbors even darker secrets, a snarky heroine who’s being hunted by every demon in the underworld, and a sadistic demon prince with a fancy for violent sexual encounters.

Released by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.


 The Renfield Syndrome by J.A. Saare

Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.

Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she's about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.

Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things, including those most trusted around her. When she's faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she'll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.

After all, when it's all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.

Released by Samhain Publishing.


 The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

Forensic science, magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy steampunk fantasy—a retelling of the horror classic, in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll, daughter of the infamous Dr. Henry Jekyll—pursues a dangerous murderer in an alternate Victorian London.

In an electrified Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with newfangled technological gadgets. She will need every advantage available to catch a terrifying new psychopath splattering London with blood. Hidden in the grimy shadows, the fiendish murderer preys on beautiful women, drugging them before slicing off their limbs. Finding the “Slicer” can make Eliza’s career . . . or unmask her darkest secret. Like her father, she has a hidden second self that emerges when she drinks his forbidden magical elixir. Just a few sips, and a seductive and impulsive Lizzie Hyde is unleashed.

The members of the Royal Society do not trust Eliza, and they send their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a dangerous sorceress. The careful doctor knows that one wrong step can make her prey to the clever Lafayette, a man who harbors an evil curse of his own. No matter how much she craves the elixir, she must resist.

But as the Slicer case draws her into London’s luminous magical underworld, Eliza will need the potion’s power to help her . . . even if it might attract the attentions of Lafayette. .

Even if it means setting the wild Lizzie free. . . .




That's it for this month. Peace and love everyone!