June Wrap Up!

June 2011 Month End Wrap Up

Rising: Freestyle by Vivian Arend

Danann Frost Embraces the Darkness by Joanne Valiukas

Goddess with a Blade by Lauren Dane

The Naked Truth by Lilly Cain

Steam and Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Paper

The Dark Rising by Lace Weatherford

No One to Trust by Julie Moffett

Raven's Kiss by Toni LoTempio

A Warrior's Witch by Stacey Kennedy

The Day the Flowers Died by Ami Blackwelder

Soul Survivor by Misty Evans

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Save My Soul by Zoe Winters

Curran: Volume One by George Andrews (Ilona Andrews)

Trey: Red, Hot and Blue by Cat Johnson

Shifters of 2040 by Ami Blackwelder

Embraced by Blood by Laurie London

Bonded by Blood by Laurie London

Betrayal's Shadow: Guardians of Eden Book 1 by KH LeMoyne

Challenges:
100 Books in a Year Challenge at Book Chick City:  81/100

100+ Book Challenge at My Overstuffed Book Shelf: 81/100

2011 Shifter Challenge at Parajunkee: 11/20

2011 YA Reading Challenge at Jamie Loves YA: 20/20 - - - Completed

2011 Book Blogger Recommendations Challenge at Reading with Tequila: 3/40

2011 TBR Challenge at Rood Beam Reader: 1/12

2011 Paranormal Romance Challenge at Bitten by Paranormal Romance: 21/20 - - - Completed

2011 New Author Challenge at Literary Escapism: 25/15- - - Completed

Steampunk Challenge at Book Soul Mates: 8/10

2011 E-Book Challenge at The Lady Bug Reads: 70/20 - - - Completed

2011 Debut Author Challenge at The Story Siren: 5/12

2011 Kiss Ass Heroine Challenge at Divas Bookcase: 16/11 - - - Completed

2011 Fantasy Challenge at Daryln and Books: 9/6 - - - Completed

2011 Awesome Authors Challenge at At Home with Books: 8/6 - - - Completed

2011 Vampire Challenge at Parajunkees: 20/20 - - - Completed

A to Z Reading Challenge at Thoughts of a Book Junky: 18/26

Lords of the Underworld Challenge at Reading with Tequila: 1/8

2011 Summer Romance Challenge at Book Chick City: 14/8 - - - Completed

Sizzling Summer Challenge at Secrets of a Book Lover - - starts July 5, 2011

Holy Wow - it's Monday again!

In my mailbox this week:

Devil Without A Cause by Terri Garey - won at Paranormal Romance Addict Blog - THANKS!

Bridger by Megan Curd - won at A Tale of Many Reviews - THANKS!

Vampire Dreams by Gabrielle Bisset - won at A Chick Who Reads Blog - THANKS!

Deceit by John Austin Sletten - from author for review

Called Home Two Hearts Answer by Gloria Schumann - from author for review

bought and/or got free from Amazon/Smashwords, Carina Press:

Bonded by Blood by Laurie London

Betrayal's Shadow (Guardians of Eden Book 1) by KH LeMoyne

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Werelove: Dusk Conspiracy by Lakisha Spletzer

Werelove: Midnight Revelations by Lakisha Spletzer

Moonbeams by Lakisha Spletzer

Tainted Blood by Stacey Kennedy

Gwenhwfar: The White Spirit by Mercedes Lackey

The Ultimate Unauthorized Eragon Guide by Louis Gresh

Dark Guardian #1: Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne

Kiss Me Deadly edited by Trish Telep

The Stowaway by RA Salvatore

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

Hunger: A Gone Novel by Michael Grant

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees

Friendly Fire by Megan Hart

If At First... by Peter F. Hamilton

Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley

Her Best Catch by Lindi Peterson

The Arrival by Nicole MacDonald

The SCM of 2030, The Hybrids of 2050, and The Hunted of 2060 by Ami Blackwelder

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell

When the Devil Whistles by Rick Acker

Demon's Fall by Karalynn Lee

Haint Misbehavin by Maureen Hardegree

Blood Lust by Zoe Winters

Happy Independence Day!!!

Happy Fourth of July!

I wish a happy and safe holiday to all of you.

Replay Blog Tour Winner!

Congratulations Maria!

Random.org has chosen you as the winner of an ecopy of Replay by Keira Lea.  

Congrats again - and thank you to everyone who entered and supported the author!

Review: Betrayal's Shadow by KH LeMoyne

Betrayal's Shadow ~ The Guardians of Eden Book 1 by KH LeMoyne

*purchased this book

Amazon Product Description:
What would you do to save your people from extinction?
What if your race held the key to mankind’s future?
One Guardian will risk hell to change the future.

Descended from a race of Guardians created in the far edges of Eden, Turen’s people have survived the last two hundred years, quarantined by plague to Eden’s Sanctum. Risking death to save his people from eternal damnation, Turen chooses capture at the hands of his enemy to seek answers to change the future. Living in secrecy with no mates and no offspring, they fail to deliver on their covenant for mankind, the ability to replenish and heal human souls through the birth of their Guardian children. 

Mia Bowman’s full human lineage decrees her off limits for knowledge of Guardian’s secret race. But her uncontrollable nocturnal visits to Turen’s prison cell and her strong sense of justice leave her with little choice but to help. She can heed Turen’s warning and stay clear of his people’s problems or she can ferret out the lies and unravel an ancient tale of murder and deceit. As the complications escalate, the two forbidden lovers race to stop a fatal end to the Guardian line. But it may require their ultimate sacrifice to stop the betrayal and save the Guardian race. 
My thoughts:
This incredible story is not your average tale of good versus evil.  This story is so much more than that.  It is a story of the seduction of power and it's ability to taint vision and truth.  The horrifying reality of a twisted sense of commitment and a covenant gone wrong.  It is a story of struggle and sacrifice on a journey to find the truth buried in betrayal, and the price of failure is extinction.  
We are introduced to a woman (Mia) who finds herself involuntarily drawn into the terrifying realm of a prison and once there meets a man (Turin) who she, for reasons unknown, is drawn to save.  Once they meet, another element is added to our story. The power of love.  
KH LeMoyne has created a gripping tale of deceit and betrayal, love, loss, compassion, courage and the all consuming desire to fight for what you believe in.
I fell in love with the characters.  Each of them brings something vital to the story.  
I found myself laughing and crying throughout the story as my heart bled and rejoiced with them as they struggled. 
The characters KH LeMoyne has given us are beings that could only come from the vivid and creative imagination of a writer with a storytellers heart and the talent to bring them to life on paper for us all.  

Review: Embraced by Blood ~ Laurie London

Embraced by Blood by Laurie London

***NetGalley book

Amazon Product Description:
Alfonso Serrano is a hunted man. For months he's managed to elude the Darkbloods, vengeful foes who won't rest until he's dead. But he still craves one dangerous temptation: Lily DeGraff, the sexy Guardian agent he'll risk anything to protect.

Lily is a wanted woman. Her talent for tracking Sweet—a rare blood type that's addictive to vampires—makes her a prime target for enemy capture. Her only hope is the stealthy vampire operative who stole into her bed…then left her in despair. Danger aside, Lily won't let Alfonso near her heart again—until an irresistible hunger threatens to draw them back together… and into an assassin's snare.

My thoughts:
I truly enjoyed the first book in this series, Bonded by Blood, but I LOVED this one!  
Again, London has given us characters to really sink our teeth in (pardon the pun!).  
We were given glimpses of both Lily and Alfonso in the first book, but this is their story and it does not disappoint!!!
Alfonso and Lily are absolutely incredible characters.  Their ability and willingness to sacrifice and fight are only two of the characteristics that make you fall in love with them.  
Alfonso is the ultimate "guy" and always trying to make up for what he sees as his own faults and failures.  He is sexy and attractive, driven and noble.  He is misunderstood just enough that your heart goes out to him.  He is fierce in his desire to protect those he loves.
Lily is the kind of woman we all desire to be.  Strong, courageous, loyal, skilled, fierce, and capable.  Of course she doesn't believe all that.  
The relationship between Lily and Alfonso started long before this story and we are given enough background and details to easily read this book without having read the first one.  
The blood oath that Alfonso has taken risks all as the assassin finds him and realizes the connections between Lily and Alfonso.  They battle more than just the assassin to ensure the safety of loved ones and even the hope of a future!
The story is filled with deception, feelings of betrayal and danger.  On top of all that of course their is desire, need and love.  This is a fantastic read, but not one for the non-adult reader!  It's a hot one!
***a bit of a spoiler below...(It may seem a bit jagged here, as I have pulled pieces out, but when you read the story it will all make sense!).

These are the lines that make me completely love Lily!  

"...what he heard was the sound of a boot making contact with a body. Hard."
"That's for killing my friend...(thunk)"
"That's for threatening my daughter...(thunk)"
"And this...is for putting my man through hell."