Archive for the ‘urban fantasy’ Category

Embers and Sparks ~ A Blaze in my Kindle and a Fire in my Heart

Posted: June 10, 2013 in Blog Tour, reviews, Series, urban fantasy
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I was excited to sign up for this tour organized by Bewitching Book Tours.

I had never read anything by Laura Bickle and was looking forward to something a little unusual.

What I got was, oops, need to save that for my reviews.

Read on to see why I loved this series so much!

Embers

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       EMBERS

Anya Kalinczyk #1

Pocket Juno Books

Mass Market Paperback, $7.99

ISBN: 978-1439167656

April 2010

 

“One of the most promising debut novels I’ve read in a great while… I’d highly recommend this book to anybody who reads fantasy. It reminds me in many regards…of another exceptional first novel…Emma Bull’s seminal War for the Oaks, and there’s not much higher praise that I can give.”

           —Elizabeth Bear on Tor.com

 

“Bickle has something great in Anya. Embers has everything: demons, ghosts, dragons, love, sex, police, and murder.”

           —M.L.N. Hanover, bestselling author of Darker Angels

 

“Gritty but never grim, Embers is a truly urban fantasy, where the soul of a city haunts every page. I can’t wait for more of Anya and the unforgettable Sparky!”

           —Jeri Smith-Ready, award-winning author of Bad to the Bone and Shade

Unemployment, despair, anger–visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.

Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya–who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern–suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya–with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team –can stop it.

Anya’s accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.

My Review

I’ve never heard of a Lantern before. Sure, I’ve heard of psychic mediums, but a Lantern is new.

Apparently Anya can see ghosts, the good and the bad ones.

Her moonlighting job with DAGR puts her in contact with all kinds of ghost. As a Lantern, she draws in, or consumes the ghost, banishing them forever. She assumes they just cease to be.

As an arson investigator during the day, she’s investigating a serial arsonist and comes to realize the case also has ties to her night job.

She’ll have to set aside her differences with the leader of DAGR and work as a team to catch this guy.

The authors description of Detroit is so close to the way many big cities are now. Rife with crime and disillusion, people are without hope. That would make these cities prime hangouts for the darkness of the otherside.

Dragons, demons, evil spirits, and lots of ghost busting made this book one adventure after another.

The DAGR team is a mixed bag of characters, with a witch, a go to guy, the leader, and a tech wizard.

Anya’s romantic history with Brian is one reason she tried to distance herself from the group. She worries about the growing hollow in her chest and it’s hunger for more spirits.

She says it’s her “scariness” is why they aren’t a couple. That and her invisible familiar, Sparky.

Brian couldn’t care less,. He just wants Anya.

Anya is my favorite character, as she should be, being the star. She’s emotionally compromised, carrying around a boat load of guilt, and dealing with her oft times out of control Sparky.

I also really liked Katie, the witch. By day she runs her bakery shop, specializing in wedding cakes and pastries.

One scene cracked me up. She is working on the topping, a bride and groom, and the bride puts her through hell until she gets the figures just so, but not before Katie givess the bridezilla her just desserts.

Katie smirked, ” I did make her butt a bit bigger for revenge though.”

I think I like Katie, a lot.

Then there’s Sparky.

Anya’s mother gave him to her when she was little. When he’s not nosing around or working with Anya, he sleeps coiled around her neck. To anyone else, he is a pretty necklace.

No one else can see him, not even her paranormal friends. But they can tell when he’s around. Electronics go haywire, often causing fires.

Sparky is a Firedrake, also called a hell bender, a fire elemental salamander. Where Anya goes, he goes, and he comes in handy. When he’s not a necklace, he’s a walking breathing small dragon, with lots of powers.

Picture him as a frilly eared komodo with iridescent skin.

komodo dragons photo: Komodo Islands is the NEW 7 Wonders of the World KomodoIslandistheNew7WondersoftheWorld.jpg

Problem is, he’s like an overgrown puppy with a mind of his own, always getting in trouble. If Anya doesn’t watch him closely, he gets into all kinds of mischief.

Like this scene.

She looked down to see the salamander creeping across the tile floor, stalking a microscope perched on a table. Anya stepped on his tail, pinning him to the floor. Sparky glared at her in irritation, straining forward with his legs churning in futile slow motion against the tile…

Sparky switched directions, circling around to get a better look at an unattended slide projector that had attracted his attention. Anya adjusted her stance to remain on his tail, trying to look nonchalant – not like she had to pee.

There were lots of funny scenes with Sparky and some really sweet ones too.

But keep in mind, he’s also her protector and has many weapons.

As the clock winds down to Devil’s Night, Anya and the group are desperate to stop the arsonist. They have a good idea of what he’s up to and no one wants to find out who or what Sirrush is.

 This is a fantastic story, well written, with attention to detail and lots of research. The technical aspects are written in laymens terms making it easier to follow and the story more genuine.

There are some super characters you come to love and care about, along with a sweet. lovable, funny sidekick.

Something just struck me about Embers. I didn’t want to let the characters go. Bittersweet when I reached the end. But wait, I also had Sparks, Book Two, and I wasted no time diving right back into this series.

5 Stars

EMBERS is available now from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

 

Read an excerpt at http://books.simonandschuster.com/Embers/Laura-Bickle/9781439167656/excerpt

And now for SPARKS

Sparks

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SPARKS

Anya Kalinczyk #2

Pocket Juno Books

Mass Market Paperback, $7.99

ISBN 978-1439167687

September 2010

 

The second book in Bickle’s series about Anya Kalinczyk is just as wonderful as the first—Anya is a compelling and likable protagonist and Bickle does an outstanding job in her portrayal of the city of Detroit; there are ruins, yes, but also hope in the ashes. Anya never takes herself too seriously and there is a scene in a baby supercenter that is absolutely not to be missed. (4 stars)

                 – RT Book Reviews

 

…a charming and inventive read.

                 -Elizabeth Bear, Realms of Fantasy Magazine, December 2010

WITHOUT A TRACE…

Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department—while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell—but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.

After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains—or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims—and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she’s unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit’s poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more—she’s collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky’s freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city.

My Review

I’m back in this series and the gang is all here.

It’s always exciting to start the next book in a series you love. The hard part is doing a review.

How to tell you about it without spoiling it for you.

This case also has ties to her night job.

Someone or something is burning people, reducing most of their bodies to ash. It’s like they just burst into flames and burn up.

Residual traces let Anya know there is something otherworldly at work which leads her right to Hope Solomon. a psychic medium sucking the money out of poor innocents.

She’s doing more than that, and Anya and her team, along with her faithful familiar, Sparky must rush to stop Hope before she becomes too powerful to stop.

While this is going on Anya has big problems with Sparky. She never thought to check what sex Sparky was and is astonished to find her bathtub full of salamander eggs. Over 50 of them.

salamanders photo: BW Salamanders salamanders.jpg

This is a pickle, since, like Sparky, nobody else can see them. With Hope lusting after them, they devise a camera that can detect their heat signature and take turns guarding them.

A scene where Katie drags Anya and Sparky into a baby store is down right hilarious. Anya gets caught up in the buying game, and you won’t believe what heppens. By the time they are done… I want to tell you what happens so bad. I read this scene twice, it was good.

When it’s apparent that Sparky won’t stay with them if Anya leaves, they design a portable incubator bag for her to carry them in.

This struck me as funny. What would people think if they looked in that bag and saw nothing.

Another thing was what are they going to do with over 50 baby Sparky’s crawling around, getting into mischief.

One thing to remember. They may be babies, but they are also hellbenders, with their own powers, and you’ll discover they’re not always cute and cuddly.

Sparks takes you to the gates of Hell and through them.

I was so worried about what was going to happen to my beloved characters. I just couldn’t see how they would all survive.

I did survive the end of the book. Sparks is every bit as good as Embers and I can only hope for more books about these awesome characters. Soon.

5 Stars

SPARKS is available for pre-order from Amazon and Barnes & Noble

 Read an excerpt at http://books.simonandschuster.com/Sparks/Laura-Bickle/9781439167687/excerpt

Author Bio:

Laura Bickle

Laura Bickle has an MA in sociology-criminology (research interests: fear of crime and victimology) and a BA in criminology. She has worked in and around criminal justice since 1997. Although she does read Tarot cards, she’s never used them in criminal profiling or to locate lost scientists. She recently took up astronomy, but for the most part her primary role in studying constellations and dark matter is to follow her amateur astronomer-husband around central Ohio toting the telescope tripod and various lenses.

Writing as Laura Bickle, she’s the author of EMBERS and SPARKS for Pocket – Juno Books. Writing as Alayna Williams, she’s the author of DARK ORACLE and ROGUE ORACLE.

More info on her urban fantasy and general nerdiness is here: http://www.salamanderstales.com/

Laura/ Alayna’s blogs

http://www.salamanderstales.blogspot.com and http://delphisdaughters.blogspot.com

She’s also at Facebook

Giveaway ~ Celine ~ The Night Touched Chronicles #1

Posted: April 18, 2013 in Debut Novel, giveaways, New Adult, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, Series, urban fantasy
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Welcome to my stop on the Barrage Tour for Celine, The Night Touched Chronicles #1

All kinds of good news to tell you!

Included in my post is this amazing cover art. If the cover doesn’t hook ya, the synopsis will. And there’s a bonus. Included is a fun, delicious excerpt.

To top it all off, there are two giveaways!

Check out Maegan Provan’s debut novel and have fun.

celine-cover

Celine (The Night Touched Chronicles #1)

by Maegan Provan

New Adult Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance

Publisher: Self-Published/Indie

Heat Level: Sensual

Word Count: 50,000

 

AMAZON

Blurb

Love

Destiny

and War

Created by the First Born, The Night Touched created the bloodlines from which all modern day vampires descended. Different because of their incredible powers and advantages in the human world, The Night Touched were a special kind of vampire. However, they were believed to have died out centuries ago, and had been reduced to little more than whispers in the vampire world.

Until now.

Harper Kemp was the only modern Night Touched in existence. The reasons behind her creation were unknown and she had been abandoned during her change. Eventually she was found by Lily and Jason and taught how to handle what she had become. She learned how to blend in with the human world and even made herself in to quite the socialite of the New York City elite scene.

After a plea for help in her dreams and the dangers of a forbidden love, Harper is sent down a path to discovery; not only is she not alone, she’s about to face her worst nightmare – a devastatingly handsome slayer named Silas with a finger on her non existent pulse.

Enjoy this fun excerpt.

Excerpt #3 (from Chapter 3)

As the song came to an end, he spun me out and smiled. I felt like I was floating. As the next song started, he led me out into the hallway and towards the stairwell. I giggled to myself and followed as we sprinted down the long hall. He opened the door for me and I walked in.

He pushed me back against the wall and kissed me passionately. His strong hands held me and he stood with his body pressed against mine. I kissed back against his soft lips and pushed myself to him. My bun had worked itself loose and my long brown hair cascaded around my shoulders He ran his fingers through it as I resisted the urge to bite his lip. He grunted a little and it was so amazingly sexy. I sighed and tried to remember how to make it look like I was panting.

Suddenly I felt that old familiar tingle in my chest. Fuck! Not now. Please not right now. I did everything I could to make sure that he wouldn’t be able to see my mark glowing through my dress. Before it could even become that big of an issue, his phone rang.

“Hello?” He pulled back and answered, mouthing to me that it was his work. “Really? Okay, I’m on my way.” He hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket.

“Harper, I am so so sorry, but I have to go. I promise I will make it up to you.” He threw the door open and rushed out of the stair well.

“That’s okay, I was about to eat you anyway.” I said to myself leaning back against the wall and looking at the ground.

After about a minute the door opened and I looked up, hoping that it was Silas coming back to kiss me like that again. Jason stuck his head in and looked around before noticing me in the corner.

“Come on, it’s time to go.” He looked at me, confused. Then, like a light bulb going off, his eyebrows raised and a sly smile appeared on his face “What were you doing in the stairwell?”

“Practicing great self-restraint” I took my wrap from him and put it around my shoulders.

Reviews

“CELINE is the first book in the Night Touched Chronicles. This is a series I’m very excited about because the author takes us back to the roots of vampires from old horror movies, while still adding a modern twist. Provan’s vampires are sophisticated, intelligent, and calculating. But, make no mistake–there is nothing tame or vegetarian about these vampires, particularly the Night Touched … This fast-paced story is full of tension, passion, and surprises. Once I began reading, I couldn’t stop and read it within a matter of a few hours. This is easily one of the most engaging vampire stories I’ve read in a long time and I would recommend it to both old-school vampire fans and to Twilight lovers alike.”–triciaATW (Amazon)

“I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book from the very beginning. The cover is stunning! This book had a way about it. It was an easy read because it was action packed and kept the reader interested. I liked how there are two types of vampires and I found the background about each type very interesting. I also liked how the author incorporated other supernatural beings, but they didn’t take away from the vampires. … All in all, this was a great start to the trilogy. I can’t wait to read more and find out where the story leads. I would recommend this book to vampire lovers. I look forward to the rest of the series.”–Justine (Goodreads)

Giveaway

Prizes are
(1) Autographed Copy of “Celine” and (2) Kindle Copy of
“Celine”.

Autographed Copy Rafflecopter

Kindle Copy Rafflecopter

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck.

Make sure you check out the other stops on the tour.

About the Author

mprovan-authorphoto

Maegan Provan was born and raised in Texas. She is married to a great guy. They have a dog and two cats. When not writing, Maegan spends a lot of time on social media sites as well as playing a lot of computer games. Her love of vampires is what brought her into the urban fantasy/paranormal genre.

Celine is her first novel, as well as Book 1 in the series The Night Touched Chronicles

Connect with Maegan Provan

authormaeganprovan@gmail.com

http://authormaeganprovan.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TheNightTouchedChronicles

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maegan-Provan-Author/403492586408377

https://www.twitter.com/ProvanMaegan

Schedule:
April 18, 2013
Bunny’s Review
Danita
Minnis
fuonlyknew
Musings of an Independent Artist (Review)
Mythical
Books
Rambling Reads
Readaholic’s Reviews (Review)
Salacious
Reads
Storm Goddess Book Reviews
Wicked Readings by Tawania

April
19, 2013
abookandalattee (Review)
Author Raine Delight’s World
Brianna’s Bookshelf
Coffee
Beans & Love Scenes
Crazy Four Books
Immortal Books (Review)
It’s All About the Romance
Penny For
Them… (Review)
Regina May
Ross’s
Samantha Holt
Shah Wharton’s
WordsinSync
SnifferWalk Books

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Murder on Olympus ~ They’re all jerks! ~ Paperback Giveaway

Posted: April 9, 2013 in Adult Fiction, Blog Tour, giveaways, Mystery, New Release, otherworldly, Series, urban fantasy
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Murder on Olympus Blog Tour Banner

I love greek mythology. So many fascinating beings and stories.

I just had to read this book and when I spotted the tour, I signed up immediately.

While I haven’t read the book, YET, I will be soon and I’ll be telling you all about it!

Murder on Olympus (Plato Jones #1)

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Description

At first glance, the Gods of Olympus are as different from one another as salt is from sugar. Despite their bickering, they share a universal bond, a thread of commonality that unites them.

They’re all jerks.

After a stint with the Olympic Bureau of Investigation, Plato Jones is through with the Gods and their political games. Against his protests, he’s drawn into a murder investigation, where the murderer’s targets are the Gods themselves.

Plato has cracked some tough cases: exposing cheating spouses, capturing treasonous heretics, hunting three-headed dogs. But this time he’s in over his head. How can he solve a crime that’s impossible to commit? And what chance does Plato—a mere mortal—have against something powerful enough to kill a God?

A Character Profile

zeus photo: Zeus Zeus.jpg

Zeus:

Zeus is the King of Olympus, and President of the Olympic World Council. Ageless and wise, he has brought about a golden age for mortals and immortals alike.  Along with his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, Zeus is one of the most powerful beings in existence, if not the most powerful. He possess a plethora of superhuman abilities, which include immense strength and speed, invincibility, flight, enhanced senses, astral projection, regeneration, telethapy, telekinesis, shape-shifting, mind-control and  teleportation. But most notable is his ability to wield lighting. Having defeated the Titans thousands of years ago, Zeus believed that no one would ever become strong enough to challenge his rule. But when a God of Olympus is slain, Zeus and his fellow Olympians must face the most dangerous enemy they’ve ever known: mortality.

Giveaway

I have one paperback copy of Murder on Olympus to give away!

Us/Canada Only ~ Sorry to my International friends.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question –

“Who is your favorite mythological being?

Giveaway ends April 14th.

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter to win an e-book.

It’s an International Giveaway.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

greek gods photo: Greek Gods Greekgods.jpg

About the author

A fan of thrillers, fantasy, and science fiction, Robert B. Warren has been writing stories ever since he could hold a pencil. In 2009, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing from the University of Alabama—Roll Tide! He currently lives in the South.

Links

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Freebie Alert! What The Dark Brings ~ I dare you!

Posted: April 7, 2013 in Freebies!, horror, otherworldly, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense, thriller, urban fantasy
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Edward Lorn’s collection What The Dark brings is free to download from Amazon April 7th thru 12th.

This post is a bit long, as I added my review of Edwards bonus stories and there are two killer trailers to watch. Can’t wait for you to see those!

Go here to get your copy!

What the Dark Brings

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Follow Edward Lorn out of the light and into the darkest recesses of his mind.

What the Dark Brings is a collection of 19 short stories, beginning with “Literary Sweets”, a tender jaunt into Christmastime that proves all is not lost for one jaded gentleman. But by the time you reach the final tale, “Come to Jesus Meeting”, the darkness is all encompassing.

Tales of hope, heartache, and horror abound.

Come find What the Dark Brings

***As an added bonus to new fans, Edward Lorn has included his mini-anthology, Three After, complete and uncut, at the end of this collection. A total of 22 tales of terror coming it at over 40,000 words.***

My review

This collection has everything!

A man on awakens on a train headin who knows where, no memory of how he got there.

Detective Franklin learns why the caretaker said, “The thing is no good, I tell ya.”

Penny always believed what her father said about the water, “There’s nothing out to get you.”

The sign said:

Opening December 20th:

Literary Sweets

Books and Candies for all ages

A combination of Treasures Await!

Raul had no idea how giving the homeless a few bucks would change his life.

Walter just had to have the chess set, the one made from the wood of the legendary ship, Titanic.

Everyone’s heard the urban legend about the man who goes missing on Christmas, only later his family finds his rotting body in the chimney.

A picture does paint a thousand words for Valerie. She just should have looked more closely.

Two young men, high on pot, watch the news as Chucklers gleefully rampage around the world.

Two young friends meet The Beast of Briar Bank.

There are so many delightfully wicked and twisted tales in this collection.

They each have their own flavor and many may seem a bit familiar. But that’s where the author steps in and takes you in a whole other direction.

I’ve read  his anthology, Three After, so I knew where he might take me with these.

If you like the macabre, the noir, the twisted and the darkly humorous, you’ll like this collection.

There was no stopping when I started, as I sped from story to story. Each one so different, so engrossing.

I’d love to see these as episodes for Tales From The Darkside or The Twilight Zone.

Or, maybe, the From The Mind of Edward Lorn Show!

Thanks for some really great writing and plenty of shivers. Edward.

What The Dark Brings gets 5 Stars for bringing it on!

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Here is my review of Three After from an earlier post.

Check out my thoughts on Edward’s Bonus stories.

Edward Lorn’s Three After takes you to the darkside with three chilling tales.

Three after

If you like your horror twisted and dripping blood, these three tales will give you that and then some. I will give you fair warning that Edward writes very descriptive, almost visual scenes, and they ain’t pretty.

1. World’s Greatest Dad

This is every father’s, hell, everybody’s worst nightmare.

Kimmy is gone. While Carl was trick or treating with his daughter, somebody snatched her. He was only distracted for a moment, but that was all it took.

The last time Carl saw Kimmy, she was talking to a man sitting in a rocking chair wearing a wolf costume. Now the chair is empty and Kimmy is gone.

They found Kimmy, but it was too late. Her body was discovered in a garbage bin, thrown away like so much trash.

Carl is consumed by grief and guilt. The police investigation is going nowhere. There is no consolation to be found.

Carl’s friend David inadvertently hands him a cup of coffee, the cup made by Kimmy. It reads World’s Gratest Dad and, yes, that is how she spelled it. Not able to bear it, Carl asks for a different cup. As he passes it back to David, the words on the cup change.

Help Her

He was the only one to witness it. Believing it to be a message from his daughter, Carl uses the messages that appear on the cup to try to save Her and find his daughters killer.

This is a story of redemption, betrayal and vengeance. What wouldn’t you do for your child?

2. An Affair To Remember

Jimmy has crossed the line. His rage at finding out his wife was having an affair, and with a jerk like Ray, pushed him over the edge.

What happens to Ray is horrific, but he has only himself to blame. Should have kept his pants zipped and stopped taunting Jimmy when he was caught.

But after brutally torturing and killing his wife and her lover, things get really bizarre for Jimmy.

Maybe Jimmy should have just walked away from the whole sordid mess.

3. Snuggles

She seems like such a sweet young girl. Elizabeth loves cats and she has three, Cuddles, Snuggles and Bumbles. Her favorite is Snuggles.

One day, her dad accidentally lets Snuggles outside. These are indoor cats and are not supposed to be let outside because of the road.

Yep, you guessed it. Her mom finds Snuggles in the road and tells her that he has gone to heaven.

Elizabeth is heart-broken and what she does to get Snuggles back is beyond belief.

This story goes from shocking to stomach-turning in a blink. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Five screams for really creeping me out!

I was racking my brain a while ago, trying to remember the name of a story I read, and now I’ve found it. World’s Greatest Dad!

That’s how much I love Edward’s writing. That short story is still with me.

Check out his new release, should be out this fall!

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About the author
Image of Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person.
Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother.
With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history.
Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

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Release Day Blitz and Guest Post ~ Gateway to Reality Giveaway

Posted: March 26, 2013 in Blog Tour, giveaways, New Adult, otherworldly, Science Fiction, urban fantasy
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GTR web button scavenger hunt

Welcome to my stop on the Release Blitz for Gateway to Reality by Becca Campbell. Becca has stopped by to tell us a little something about her newest release and her exciting giveaway and scavenger hunt! Please, enjoy her post, enter the giveaway and read on for details about bonus entries in the scavenger hunt!

GATEWAY TO REALITY; A MIND-BENDING URBAN FANTASY TALE BY BECCA J. CAMPBELL

GtR kindle cover final websize scavenger hunt

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I’m thrilled to announce the publication of my second novel, Gateway to Reality, now available at Amazon US and Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble.  Keep reading for a chance to win one of three prize packs!

Gateway to Reality

Here’s a little more about the story:

Talented artists shouldn’t be waiting tables, scraping by, and living mediocre lives. But that’s exactly what art school graduate Wes Teague is doing.

Then he wakes from a bizarre dream, haunted by the sense that his life isn’t real. A harrowing truth presents itself—the real world lies in his dreams, not when he’s wide awake.

inception photo: likefluffy inception010.png

The dream world he enters each night is rich and vibrant. Chicago appears the same on the surface, but chaos runs rampant as gravity, physics, and other laws of nature become fluid, changing unexpectedly. There, Wes’s parents, brother, and sister are strangers. His girlfriend Emily doesn’t recognize him. Wes longs to return, to unlearn the truth about his dual reality.

Wes would sacrifice almost anything to get back to blissful ignorance in a false world.

But now he has feelings for the real Emily.

The Matrix Meets Inception

This book explores ideas similar to two of my favorite movies, though it wasn’t directly inspired by either. Dreams are key in the story, as is the idea of two worlds—one that’s real and one that isn’t. Gateway to Reality merges the two concepts and fuses them together with a good dose of romance in a way that is fresh and vibrant.

Genre-wise, Gateway to Reality is a New Adult novel that walks the line between Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. It is a topsy-turvy, reality-bending, relationship-driven tale that explores the relationship between truth and fantasy.

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Giveaway

I’m giving away several prizes to celebrate the book’s release. The Grand Prize is a Chicago-theme prize pack and it will include:

  • An autographed paperback of Gateway to Reality
  • A journal with an artistic representation of Chicago on the cover
  • A Cloud Gate button
  • A Gateway to Reality button
  • Three postcards: Gateway to Reality, Cloud Gate, and Crown Fountain

The Second Prize is:

  • An autographed paperback of Gateway to Reality
  • Gateway to Reality postcard

The Third Prize is the full Becca J. Campbell ebook library (your choice of Kindle or ePub version):

  • Gateway to Reality ebook
  • Foreign Identity ebook
  • Not the Norm (Sub-Normal #1) ebook
  • Unmasked Alloy (Sub-Normal #2) ebook

You can view the prizes here.

Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour

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You can enter the giveaway now, but to really amp up your odds at snatching one of these prize packs, bookmark this page and come back in a week to check out each site along the blog tour. Follow the schedule below: collect a clue at each stop on the correct day and put them all together to reveal the answer. Plug that into the giveaway below to win TEN BONUS ENTRIES.

April 1st     Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Reviews

April 2nd     The Peasants Revolt

April 3rd     Catharsis of the Bogue

April 4th     The Pen and Whisk

April 5th     Write for Life

April 6th     S.M. Boyce

April 8th     Paranormal Lounge

April 9th     Lisa Is a Bookworm

April 10th     Jade Kerrion

April 11th     Paper Book Princess

April 12th     Now is Gone

April 13th     Worlds Away Book Blog

April 15th     FU Only Knew

April 17th     Sarcasm and Lemons

April 18th     Brandon R. Luffman

Good Luck!

Click on rafflecopter link below to enter.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Where to find Becca

Becca J. Campbell

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality (even when they plunge off one side or the other), Becca J. Campbell looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity.

Becca’s journey into writing began as many of her other creative endeavors do – by daring herself to try something new. The question “what if I wrote a novel?” and some hastily scribbled notes on a church handout were the inspirations that jump-started her first book. Since then, she has written three additional novels and several shorter works.

As the wife of a musician and mother of three young boys, Becca’s life is never dull. Whether it is writing, painting or knitting, she enjoys making stuff that wasn’t there before.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Author Blog | Pinterest | Amazon

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Witches Gone Bad ~ Witchblood Review~ Enter to win the series!

Posted: March 16, 2013 in giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Series, urban fantasy, Vampires, werewolves, Witches
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Finally! I get to tell you about Witch Blood, Book Three in the Vampire in the City Series by Donna Ansari.

Life happened and it’s taken me a bit to get this review ready. So, let’s get to it!

Oh yeah. Don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway following my review.

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I’m thrilled to hear there will be a fourth book in this awesome series, Cold Blood. This is great news!

Warning: This is the third book in the series. I’ll try not to put in any spoilers.

Here’s a bit about the book:

Vampire Emma Hammond and her best friend and roommate Tammy Torres have rarely had a disagreement, but that’s all about to change. Apart from hating each other’s boyfriends, the duo have more monumental problems to deal with, like controlling Emma’s growing and increasingly dangerous bloodlust and trying to get blood stains out of the carpets. And when new witch Tammy joins a coven whose leader’s lust for power knows no bounds, Emma is unwittingly pulled into their plan.
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My Review
In this third book, the witches are the main players.
Our furry friend David is present and, of course, Emma is the star.
Em brings her wry wit and humor to the story. I swear she can’t stay out of trouble. And she has her hands full with scheming witches and Alex is sniffing around again. He is persistent and still wants Emma. Just, now isn’t the right time, not when the head of the vampires, who is his boss, wants her dead.
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Emma’s having a hard time controlling her thirst. She does a big no-no and drains a certain someone to death.

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This may be my favorite part of the story. The way it happened and how Emma dealt with it had me cracking up. She is truly becoming more vampirish with each book, leaving more of her humanity behind.

Witchy little Amy sure grows up fast. She’s quite the clever young thing and pulls a fast one on everybody.

Best friend, Tammy, has problems with Em. Tammy understands Em’s a vampire, but wishes she had better control. There’s no excuse for what she did.

These two roomies are like soul sisters. I hope they can patch things up.

“Who would have thought that when we met, almost twenty years ago, that we would end up like this?”

“You mean as being two supernatural creatures we thought didn’t even exist?”

“Yes, that. And also living together and being just as close as we were the first day we decided to trade Barbies.”

I remember my very first best friend and the hours, days, and years we stuck together like glue. The closeness between these two makes this story genuine, makes it come to life.

Must not forget, there are some big surprises in store for you, and a few witches you’ll want to bitch slap. You’ll know who.

When I read the last page I didn’t want it to end. And then I discovered the author had added the first chapter of Cold Blood, the next book in this series. It is so freakin good! I can’t wait to read the entire book.

Donna, you are such a tease! Write fast:)

5 Stars! Bring on Cold Blood!

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I’ve read the first two books in this series and absolutely loved them! Let me show you.
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New Blood
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Emma Hammond is a normal young woman living in New York City whose life changes forever when one misstep brings her very close to death. Luckily, Alex Thompson, a handsome stranger (who also happens to be a vampire), jumps in to save her, turning Emma into a vampire. She quickly discovers the numerous advantages (no more allergies, glasses, or acne) and slight drawbacks (wanting to eat her boyfriend) of joining the ranks of the creatures of the night. But Emma soon finds out her new undead life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be when she gets pulled in to an age-old dispute between two feuding vampire clans.

You can read my review here

Loved it!!

Wild Blood (Vampire in the City #2)

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Recently-turned vampire Emma Hammond is not only getting used to her undead lifestyle, but also to living with her new and unlikely roommates–her human best friend Tammy, and David, a werewolf. While the girls speculate as to possible drawbacks to having such a fuzzy tenant (shedding and marking of territory, to name a few), nothing will prepare them for the dispute that is to come between the NYC clan of vampires and an upwardly-mobile werewolf pack from the suburbs. Will Emma be able to get out of it with both her undead life, and her blossoming friendship with David, intact? And, perhaps more importantly, will she be able to choose between Alex Thompson, her sire and sometimes lover, and James, a slightly-unhinged vampire with a mysterious past?

You can read my review here

  Loved it! Howling for more!

Donna also was so generous and allowed me to have a giveaway for each book and she took time out from her busy schedule to sit down for an interview. She also let the roomies stop in for an interview. We had a lot of fun and I hope to have Donna and the girls back again!

Giveaway

Giveaway

Now for the awesome giveaway.

First Place winner gets all three e-books in the Vampire in the City Series

Second and Third Place winners get choice of  Book #1, #2, or#3

Entry is easy.

Just leave your email address and answer this question:

Which do you like more, witches or vampires?

Giveaway ends March 25th.

Thanks for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

About the author and where to find her
Donna Ansari
Donna Ansari was born in New York City and has lived there for most of her life. Donna graduated from Pace University with a BA in Literature and Communications. Since then, she has been working as an editor, primarily in the field of medical education.
Donna lives in Queens with her husband, son, and large black cat. She is not currently aware of any vampires in her neighborhood.

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Cover Reveal ~ Spirit by Shauna Granger

Posted: February 21, 2013 in Adult Fiction, angels, Cover Reveal, Demons, New Adult, New Release, otherworldly, Series, urban fantasy, YA
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Check out this awesome Cover Reveal organized by AToMR Tours

SPIRIT-large

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Title: Spirit (Elemental, #5)

Author: Shauna Granger

Release date: April 30, 2013

Genre: Urban Fantasy

YA/New Adult/Adult: YA/New Adult

Cover Design: Mooney Designs

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Book Description:

Not even a guardian angel is more powerful than Death.

Always careful to watch out for others, Shayna put too much trust her abilities to keep herself safe and has been cut down by crazed man. Now she is trapped in the land of the dead, watching as her two best friends suffer the consequences of her death; their powers are fading and soon they will too. Shayna is desperate to return to the land of the living to save them from a similar, cold fate. To save her friends Shayna must turn away from the Light and, in doing so, sacrifice her wings.

But the longer Shayna stays among the dead, the further she slips from sanity. If Shayna cannot find her way back she will be condemned and lost forever among the restless souls of the dead. With nothing left to lose, she will do whatever it takes to fight her way back, with or without her wings.

 About the Author

 shaunagranger spirit cover reveal

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago Shauna started work on her Elemental Series and released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011. When not reading and writing, Shauna enjoys cooking and playing hostess whenever she can.

Shauna Granger| Facebook| Twitter

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Fanged Mania #2

Posted: December 7, 2012 in Creatures, Dark Fantasy, Fanged Mania, fiction, horror, Meme, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance, Series, thriller, urban fantasy, Vampires
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To join in, copy and paste these rules and the above banner into your Fanged Mania post and add your link to this week’s Fanged Mania post at Elisabeth Wheatley’s Blog. Fanged Mania is a Friday meme counting down to the release of Fanged Princess and displaying all things vampire and awesome. Fanged Mania posts can be a review of a vampire book, a quote from the latest Vampire Diaries episode, a showcase of a cool vampire book’s cover, or whatever you like so long as it is vampire related. Don’t forget, participants will be entered in the drawing to win a fanged-abulous prize pack!

The prize pack I mentioned includes Vampire Diaries and Breaking Dawn posters as well as a paperback copy of Erica Steven’s Captured (my review here) and the complete collection of The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter stories by Jennifer Malone Wright, in paperback, too! =D

Oh, and the contest is international. And the more Fanged Mania posts you have, the more entries you get! So what are you waiting for? Hop on the bandwagon!

Today’s post is about the vampire novels I will be reading. To purchase them, just click on the covers.

Indiana, 1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln kneels at his suffering mother’s bedside. She’s been stricken with something the old-timers call “Milk Sickness.”

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying.

Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire.

When the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes in his journal, “henceforth my life shall be one of rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one purpose…” Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation.

Dear Mom,

I might be a wee bit late for Cousin Missy’s wedding. It’s been a tough week. Turns out, my blind date from hell was literally from hell. Guy bit me. Next thing I know, I’m being chased all over the city by vampire hunters. And did I mention that I got fired, too?

Bright side-I met a man. Thierry de Bennicoeur. How great is that name? Anyway, he’s sexy, six-hundred years old, and a tad suicidal, but no one’s perfect, right? And we have a deal-he’s gonna show me the ropes of the vampire world, and I’m supposed to help him end his existence. Or maybe I’ll just try to convince him life is worth living – no small challenge with the mostly immortal, let me tell you. I’ll admit it’s a complicated relationship. But with any luck, I just might have a date for that wedding after all…

Hugs and Kisses,

Sarah

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird‘s world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire — that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Daniel ‘Jerry’ Jericho is a your average teenager. Outgoing, curious, smart, friendly, likes cars, rock music, movies, drinks, smokes, is moody at times, a few parental issues, girl troubles, has supernatural blood, decapitates monsters in his spare time…you know, the usual.

Its been three months since he found out that vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches and pretty much every other horrible thing you’ve ever dreamt about are real. That was around about the same time he decided he was going to protect as many people as he could from them.

Backed by his best friend Goose, his uncle Joe, the vampire vixen sisters, Cass and Claire, the annoyingly mature fourteen year old psychic Rachel and the peaceful super-vamp Sophinia, Jerry is going to school during the day and hunting evil at night all the while desperately searching for answers about his unnatural blood.

When large groups of supernatural creatures that were targeting him start getting massacred without warning, Jerry thinks it’s possible that he may have an ally out there protecting him.

Unbelievably powerful, undeniably intelligent and indescribably beautiful, Aria isn’t just an ally, she’s every teenage guys greatest fantasy. Not to mention the fact that she has a thirty foot wing span. And when she offers Jerry protection and answers to all the questions that have plagued him since this began, he thinks his dreams have come true.

So why are his instincts telling him that this woman is more dangerous than anything any of them have ever seen before?

Most preternatural creatures just want to eat people.

Aria wants to play…and this is a game like no other.

Start playing and start praying.

Let the games begin.

2/8 of the Blood Heavy series.

WARNING: This novel contains strong language and violence throughout.

“Perdu” –the first novella in the science fiction and fantasy series, Redire de Vampyrus…

“I hope it was as good for you as it was for me.”

Ruth and Eugene Flowers desired the American dream: two kids, a big house, and a dog. But it wasn’t meant to be–at least not initially. When a surprise package literally fell into their laps, however, the Flowers would finally get their wish (sort of). Soon, it all goes awry, as mysterious deaths followed by a disappearance permanently disrupt their lives. Meanwhile, many years later, a grown-up Valerie Green, a nearby neighbor’s daughter and high-school sweetheart of their son, Zan, hits it huge in the Big Apple, first landing at Columbia University, then at the New York Pioneer, the hottest online periodical in the city. When she is forced to cross the path of hotshot FBI special agent, Dr. Devean Rasr, she doesn’t realize she is also wading much deeper into the biggest, most dangerous, and most challenging killing spree in the history of NYC.

These are just some of the books on my huge list and don’t include the ones I’m already reading.

See anything you like? Click on the cover to get it. Got any new suggestions? Just let me know.

The Burning Bush by Kenya Wright/ Release Day Review

Posted: September 19, 2012 in Book Promos, fiction, Paranormal or fantasy, Release day, reviews, Romance, Series, urban fantasy
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It’s release day for Kenya Wright! The tour is upon us!

The Burning Bush (Book Two in the  Santeria Habitat Series) is available NOW!

The Burning Bush (Habitat, #2)

I love this cover! What do you think?

If you think it’s amazing, wait until you read the story. It starts out with a bang.

Let me tell you something about it. But before I forget, I should tell you that this is Book Two in the series and may contain some mild spoilers.

Now they’ve really stepped in it. Zulu and Lanore blew up Linderman‘s Blood Factory. It just happens to be owned by Dante, a very powerful vampire that wants them dead.

To complicate matters, the bumbling cop, Rivera, was tracking them with their brands and knows they did it. He uses that knowledge to blackmail Lanore into helping him with a case.

A burning bush has been left in front of the police station. Inside is a naked dead girl showing no signs of burnt flesh or decay. It has to be magic that keeps the bush burning. Hence, Rivera’s need for Lanore. He is inept and lazy, and plans on taking full credit when Lanore solves the mystery. The mystery deepens when she discovers that this is the second burning bush that was dropped off.

I really liked this part:

Rivera took off his blood spattered jacket and slung it over the chair in the corner. “This is the second burning bush with a girl tied to it.”

“Two bush victims.” I shook my head. “And why doesn’t the public know about this?”

“The first victim was just a female mixbreed. A poor one.”

The prejudice portrayed in this scene made the story very genuine.

Let me give you a little background. Lanore is a mixbreed, or mixie for short, the product of parents from different magical species. They are considered the lowest form of trash. Each species in the caged cities, or habitats, are given a brand on their forehead signifying what species they are.

Lanore has a secret, the power of fire. She also has white cords sewn into her arm, put there when her lover Zulu claimed her as his mate during lovemaking. He did this without her consent and she wants them gone.

Zulu has multi-colored cords sewn into his skin from his wrists to his shoulders. They are a spell that lets him shift into a lethal Fairy beast called Prime.

And then there is MeShack. He is a were-cheetah and he makes my blood start racing and my heart go pitter-patter.

Lanore has a lot on her plate. She has to solve the burning bush mystery and keep Zulu and Meshack from killing each other. They both claim her as their mate.

Meshack had his chance and he blew it. He cheated on Lanore. Of course he is in his season, his beast is beginning to mature and is quite randy. The season lasts for seven years and Lanore isn’t putting up with it for that long. But Meshack doesn’t give up that easily. I love his purring when he is aroused. How she resists him, I can’t figure.

She has hooked up with Zulu. A body from heaven with beautiful flowing dreadlocks and a sarcastic wit that adds to his charm. He is her lover and protector and is fiercely possessive. A real alpha male. He is called The Heart Ripper and not because of his sexual prowess.

Here are a couple of  scenes I really loved.

Meshack – “I have you alone in a cellar where no one can hear you call for help. You’re lucky I still have my pants on.”

Lanore – “You’re like a romantic serial killer.”

and this one:

Lanore – “Zulu said, and I quote,”Meshack can look but if he touches, I get to rip off the hand he used.” Then I explained that we weren’t committed and that he was acting like a possessive psycho.”

“His response?”

“Zulu just shrugged and said, “I am a possessive psycho.”

I don’t know who I want Lanore to end up with. I go back and forth, Meshack or Zulu, Zulu or Meshack? Either one warms my blood. The sexual tension just oozes from the pages.

There are also some very funny scenes all throughout the book. They add genuineness to the story, making it very believable.

I laughed out loud at this one! It takes place over the phone.

“So how would a fire witch cast a spell to create the burning bush?”

“The witch would attach their fire to the bush and then have the bush hold the girl in place like magical glue.”

Something banged and then crashed on her end of the line.

“Fox Jr.! I am on the phone!” Vee yelled and then cleared her throat. “Take your sister out of the toilet now! Partricia, get her out!”

The book is chock full of this stuff.  It’s like every page wrings some emotional response out of you. Anger, lust, disgust, glee and triumph. Sometimes more than one.

You would think keeping track of all of the species would be difficult and the explanations of their abilities a drag. But Kenya writes like a master, puts it in laymen terms you could say, making it easy to follow and understand. There is always something thrown into the scene to draw a reaction from you. Very powerful writing.

There is so much sexiness in this book, but not a lot of explicit sex scenes. The author’s innuendos are more than enough to heat up your blood.

The bad guys are really bad and the good guys are so darn likeable. These characters are the friends I would want  to hang with and have on my side if I lived in Santeria.

I could go on and on, but I can’t. I would be telling too much. You will just have to hurry over and get your own copy of The Burning Bush and enter the habitat at your own risk:)

  This book is on Fire!!

You can read my review of Fire Baptized (Book One) here.

About Kenya Wright  www.kenyawright.com
Join the mailing list to stay up-to-date with free books, giveaways, and new releases!Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sang the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university.However, writing has been the only constant love in her life.Will she succeed? Of course.For she has been coined The Urban FantasyQueen, the Super Iconic Writer of this Age, The Lyrical Genius of Our Generation. Granted, these are all terms coined by her, within the private walls of her bathroom as she still sings the Michael Jackson thriller song.Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.
 
 

You can purchase Kenya’s books by clicking on the images below.

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