Archive for July 11, 2013

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What can I say. I loved this series.

How great is it that you can get all three stories in one book, never having to wait for the next release.

When you start reading Welcome to Adelheid and meet all of the exciting characters, you’ll see how great this is.

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Welcome to Adelheid

Books One -Three
Mia Darien

Genre: Paranormal Suspense

ISBN: 9781476224244

Number of pages: Approx 375

Word Count: Approx 160K

Cover Artist: Mia Darien

Smashwords  Amazon Kindle  Amazon Print   BN

Kobo     iTunes   Audible

Book Description:

Welcome to Adelheid, CT. Freak central. Unofficial capital of legal preternatural creatures in the Northeast. Focal point for anti-preternatural sentiments in the United States.

Who would ever guess that this otherwise sleepy New England town houses many of the most powerful beings known to exist?

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Cameron's Law (Adelheid, #1)

In “Cameron’s Law,” meet Sadie Stanton, vampire poster girl for preternatural rights. She’s just trying to start a business to help the community, but when vampires and werewolves start attacking each other, she gets thrust in the middle.

My Review

Right from the start you are thrust into the action.

Her name is Sadie Stanton and she owns the Stanton Agency, where she serves all things preternatural.

When Cameron’s Law was passed, making all supernatural beings citizens, Sadie saw the opportunity and offered her services for paranormal investigations.

She’s perfect for the job, after all, she’s a vampire.

While helping a client in the graveyard, a crazed woman runs up and stakes Sadie. As quickly as she appeared, she ran away. Lucky for Sadie, the woman didn’t know her anatomy. It hurt like hell, but healed quickly. And the night is still young.

Following proper procedures, she files a complaint and has the bad luck to have her complaint taken by Detective Johnston, a shifter. There is no love lost between these species and he is being a jerk, or is she just reading him wrong. He definitely gets under her skin, and as her receptionist, Madison, said, “He was tugging on her pigtails.”

Soon enough, Sadie has to deal with Johnston again. It appears that young vampires are attacking werewolves and this could have an adverse affect on the new law. Sadie wants to avoid that at all costs and begins to work closely with Detective Johnston. They need to see who or what is behind this before there is an all out war between the vampires and the werewolves.

There are so many awesome characters in this book. Each one, even the ones with only small roles, stand out as individuals and their voices are strongly written.

My favorites are Sadie and Dakota. Can’t wait for you to meet Dakota. If you think Sadie is tough, wait until to see Dakota in action. She is a hunter and even Sadie isn’t sure of just what she is, maybe something shifty or fae.

The author left me wondering about that in this first book.

I also really liked the view of Sadie’s everyday life while being a vampire, her normalness.

“It was a standard evening. I showered and dressed, had breakfast and checked to see if I had any messages. After that, I ran a few errands, which were ultimately very banal. Just like all the other myths, being a vampire did not automatically make your life exciting or glamorous, and you didn’t come equipped with servants. Vampires still had to do things like go to the bank, buy food and do their laundry.”

Of course, her breakfast must have been some type of blood and her day started after dark. I wonder what the grocery stores are like, having to stock edibles for all types of supernatural beings.

There are more attacks and the race is on to solve this case before all hell breaks loose.

You’ll meet some very interesting characters, good and bad.

You’ll get to see how Sadie interviews  demon summoners, and lawyers for her agency, which was a fun way for the author to introduce new characters.

And you get to meet Dakota, the bounty hunter from hell. Still not sure what she is.

I had a really fun time getting to know the characters of Adelheid, the largest supernatural community in all of New England.

For a not so long book, this one is packed full of back story mysteries,  budding romance, lethal investigations, and a look at the politics of a preternatural town.

A great beginning to this series which the author wraps up nicely, but hints at answers to some lingering questions, which leads you to the next book.

5 Stars

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When Forever Died (Adelheid, #2)

In “When Forever Died,” Dakota is a rare shifter and hunter who has lived a long, hard life. But the past never sleeps and two simultaneous cases are going to test the personal defenses she’s built over the centuries.

My Review

I love it. This book features Dakota, bounty hunter extraordinaire. She is one of my favorite characters.

Dakota hunts the NHF, or Non-Human Form creatures. She’s the one police call when they can’t handle a particular supernatural being. Cameron’s Law may have made all preternaturals citizens, but just like humans, you get your bad seeds and that’s when they call Dakota.

Dakota now kind of works for Stanton at her agency. She has a long way to go to be a team player and she’s kind of scary.

She’s working a case for Myles Bail- Bonds. A fight ends in death and the vampire, wanted for manslaughter, has bolted.

Then she gets a phone call to come down to the police station. The Captain has a case he needs help with.

It seems he needs an ancient, a vampire over 1000 years old, found and brought in.

Dakota doesn’t usually work more than one case at a time, but she’s intrigued. She’s never hunted an ancient before.

And Detective Moore, the visiting detective, has caught her eye. When she learns the detective is looking for a mysterious being, the name slaps her in the face. She’ll need to stay close to Moore in order to monitor her hunt for this being, which happens to be Dakota’s sister.

Someone is following Dakota, things are heating up, people are being torn apart, and bodies are disappearing.

What I really enjoyed about this second book, is Dakota finally opens up, as much as she can, and tells what she is, or thinks she is. She starts to let others in, to trust a few people, to get this ‘friend’ thing.

The authors flashes you back into time so you can see Dakota’s origins and why she is like she is. You also meet her deadly sister. Not someone you are going to like at all.

The writing is so fluid. The characters and situations feel normal, not fictional. You forget they can’t really exist and just go with it.

All I’ll say about the ending is it left me grinning.

And, of course, wanting more.

5 Stars

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Voracious (Adelheid, #3)

In “Voracious,” the life D wants isn’t what it seems. He certainly never planned on the fangs, but he’s going to need a lot more than the pointy teeth to survive the first weeks of his new existence.

My Review

 D is a reluctant vampire. He is lured by a mysterious and beautiful woman to a vampire bar. He really should have known better.

I guess a few too many drinks left him with his guard down. He hates fangs, his name for vampires, and certainly wouldn’t have let this female turn him into one.

Their night of passion ends with a quick snap of his neck and now he’s that thing, a fang.

D is haunted by a dark hunger, has been for a long time, and now he has a hunger even greater, a hunger for blood.

As he gets the hang of it, of being a fang, he feels the need to find out why Ceille did this to him, why she thought he could help her. So he returns to the scene, to the vamp bar 5, and asks the owner, Quintus, what Ceille’s story  is.

What Quintus tells him leaves him hanging. Ceille was beheaded by another vampire. She is now truly dead.

When he turns Cassandra, a young woman dying after being attacked, he has a new bunch of problems. She can’t be left on her own, like he was, and he is her sire, he is responsible for helping her adjust.

There is something special about Cassandra, something that draws vampires to her. D takes her to the vampire coven lead by Jade. They will help her adjust and learn to control her abilities.

Now, a vampire is after him and her and he has no idea why. Too bad Ceille is dead for good, but maybe, just maybe, she can still tell him what he needs to know.

What I liked best about D is how at first, he came off as callous, as a drunk wandering aimlessly through life.

Then, when he’s turned into the thing he despises, only then does his humanness come out. That’s when I started to like him, to pull for him.

Dakota makes a boisterous appearance, as does Sadie, Johnston, and several other characters from the first two books.

I like that you could read these as stand-alones, but why would you want to. You can get all three books individually at a very affordable price, or you can get all three stories in one book!

I read one book each night and had a fun time doing it. I never had to wait for the next release and all of my favorite characters made appearances, like old friends stopping by to visit.

I caught myself wishing there was a town like Adelheid, a town of supernaturals and humans living side by side. I think I’d like it there. Who knows, maybe there is.

5 Stars

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I gave each of these books 5 Stars because I just couldn’t get enough of the characters. I was really sad to reach the end, but had such fun getting there.

As I can’t give Welcome to Adelheid 15 Stars I give it 5 Stars

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Quotes I liked:

“You can’t learn stupid like that. It’s got to be genetic.”

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He stared openly. “Is there some way I can get rid of you?”

“Not really, no. Except by telling me what I want to know and not lying to me. Believe me, you will not like me when I’m angry.”

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“I’ve been known to go to church from time to time, and the walls never came falling down.”

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Somehow, I heard her grin.

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The place was filled with shift work shifters. Say that three times fast.

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About the Author:

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Mia Darien is an indie author of speculative fiction, and a New England Yankee transplanted into Alabama clay. No matter her geography, she continues to stubbornly and rebelliously live the life of her choosing along with her family and pets. She doesn’t miss the snow.

http://www.miadarien.com

http://www.twitter.com/MiaDarien

http://www.goodreads.com/mia_darien

http://www.facebook.com/author.miadarien

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Giveaway

4 paperback copies of Welcome to Adelheid -open to US Shipping only

12 ebook copies of Welcome to Adelheid

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go here.

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I was a part of the blitz for Hidden, Book #1 and just had to be a part of the Blitz for Lost, Book #2!

Enjoy the character interview and don’t forget to enter the giveaways!

Yep, that’s right, two giveaways!

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Lost by M. Lathan  Series: Hidden, #2
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Publication date: June 20th 2013
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Genre: YA Paranormal
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Synopsis:

Three months ago, Christine Grant found herself, her love, and impossible friends, while losing the memories of the biggest piece of her past.
Now, her powers are spinning out of control and must be tamed by the woman who saved the world, the same woman Christine is predicted to kill in less than a month.
Wanting to punish catty girls was just the beginning. It’s only a matter of time before she discovers that the world is not as safe from her as she hoped it was.

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Let’s get to know Leah, shall we?

Character Interview with Leah –  Prior to Lost

So, Leah … or is it Christine?

Leah is what the nuns named me at my school. My real name is Christine.

Which one would you like me to call you?

Whichever you want.

Okay, I’ll go with Leah. First, I want you to relax. I know what you’re hiding. Your secret is safe with me. Okay?

Okay.

So when did you first realize you weren’t … human?

It sort of becomes apparent when you can’t seem to think of another room without accidently moving to it.

That must have been scary. I guess I can answer my next question on my own, then. I was going to ask if you had one wish, what would it be. I’d bet it would be to be human. Am I right?

Yeah. Life would be … uh … simpler that way.

Tell me a little about the disguise you keep up. How do you hide your powers?

It’s difficult. I have to be quiet and careful. I have to watch my every move. But I’m still alive so … I obviously don’t suck at it too much.

Obviously. Hats off to you. Have you picked up anything from imitating a human? Do you have typical teenage quirks? A favorite color or food?

I guess I have a favorite food. If oranges count.

Yeah, that counts. What about other typical high school things? Do you have a most embarrassing moment?

There’s too many to choose from. Let me see. Eighth grade, right after a math test I’d completely bombed. I’d been fighting with my magic all day. It seemed like every time I moved, something else in the classroom would move with me. So naturally, I’d stopped moving. A girl I hate, Sienna, screamed my name from the back of class and asked if I was constipated. I guess I looked kind of constipated. Anyway, I tried to move so I wouldn’t look as strange, and the American flag hanging over the chalkboard crashed to Sister Margaret’s desk. Scared out of my mind, I ran out of class. Of course, everyone thought I ran to the bathroom because of stomach issues. They called me Pepto for weeks.

Yikes, that’s embarrassing, all right. It doesn’t sound like you have friends, so what do you do in your spare time?

I draw. I’m pretty good at it. I did a full-scale sketch of the orphanage with shading and everything when I was six. That should have tipped me off that I wasn’t normal.

That sounds spectacular. Do you see yourself becoming an artist when you grow up?

Grow up? I’ve never thought about it. I guess I’ll have to pray that I’ll live long enough to make career decisions. Wish me luck.

Good luck. That’s for chatting with me today.

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Purchase (Book 1 is currently 0.99c!):
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AUTHOR BIO
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M. Lathan lives in San Antonio with her husband and mini-schnauzer. She enjoys writing and has a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in Counseling. Her passion is a blend of her two interests – creating new worlds and stocking them with crazy people. She enjoys reading anything with interesting characters and writing in front of a window while asking rhetorical questions … like her idol Carrie Bradshaw.
Author links:
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Giveaway
Two Giveaways
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I have one e-book copy of Lost to give away.
Open Internationally
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To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:
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****What memory would you most hate to lose?****
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This giveaway ends July 21st.
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Grand Prize Giveaway
$45 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
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Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
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For all of my giveaways go here.

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Are you ready for the launch of Carlie’s newest book, Heart Search: Book Two, Found?

It’s that time and I have some goodies for you.

This is going to be such a fun tour. So much more is coming!

First, feast your eyes on her cover art. I believe she has a signature for her covers now. Further down in my post you can see the cover art for Heart Search:Book One,  Lost and you’ll see what I mean.

Heart Search: Found, Book II

Blurb

One bite started it all . . .

Another mysterious disappearance sparks a frightening chain of events for Remy and her family. Events foretold come to pass, and more strange and alarming occurrences assail her life. Where can she turn?

Coven politics continue to threaten Joshua’s existence, but an even bigger menace looms . . .

And Remy’s life hangs in the balance – can Joshua save her?

Fate still toys with mortals and immortals alike, as hearts torn apart by darkness confront perils which could lead to their doom.

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Heart Search: Found is now available to purchase!

Amazon US / Amazon UK

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Check out the new trailer!

Carlie has done something incredible!

You’re going to want to run right over and get this book. Just sayin!

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DSssMGyA1E]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Carlie M A Cullen

Carlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing. She has been an administrator and marketer all her working life and was also a professional teacher of Ballroom and Latin American dancing until recently.

She has always written in some form or another, but Heart Search: Lost is her first novel. This was launched 8th October 2012 through Myrddin Publishing Group and book two, Heart Search: Found, is due out early July 2013. She writes mainly in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for YA, New Adult and Adult.

Carlie is also a professional editor.

Carlie also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. Their first anthology, The Other Way Is Essex, was published September 2012 under Myrddin Publishing Group. Their second anthology is in editing.

Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.

You can find Carlie M. A. Cullen at the links below:

Blog/Twitter

I’ve read Heart Search, Book One: Lost and loved it!

Heart Search: Lost (Heart Search, #1)

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Go here to read my 5 Star Review

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Stay tuned for more fun and exciting things to come as the tour continues!

Check out these others wonderful bloggers participating in the tour.

Tour host’s:

Sherry Fundin

Joy Keeney

Donna L Sadd

Michelle Birbeck

We will be revealing more about Carlie’s new release with inerviews, reviews and exclusive excerpts

Come join the fun and help spread the word!

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Welcome to Thursday Theatre

Here is where I’ll be posting video clips about books and movies and fun stuff.

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It’s been raining for over a week here on the Gulf Coast.

That means lots of movies!

I stumbled upon Finding Nemo and just had to watch it again.

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I often mimic Dory doing her ‘whale’ speak and use things like “Nope, nothing in my noggin” and “diddly-squat.”

It’s been many years since I went to see this in the theater with my son, but I love it still.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixVaAQVEiSM]

How can you not love Dory?

She is so spacey, but so sweet. Well, she’s sweet when she isn’t driving you crazy:)

And now I hear that she will be having her own movie, Finding Dory!

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=0yfDCqQ4QaI]

Does it surprise you that she might get lost? LOL

I’m going to have to borrow someones kids and go see this one. Or, go by myself. I do that too.

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