Monday, April 25, 2011

A Tale of Two Goblins Blog Tour!

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour!
The blog tour is being hosted by Bels at The Bookish Snob.  The complete tour schedule is HERE

The Author we are featuring is: H.P. Mallory
Hi, I'm HP Mallory and I've written two series, the first about a fairy in law enforcement (To Kill A Warlock and A Tale of Two Goblins) and the second about a witch who can bring back the dead (Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and Toil and Trouble).

I'm a mongo fan of anything that goes bump in the night and Halloween is one of my favorite holidays! (Quick tangent--the best costume I've ever worn was last year when I went as the Headless Horseman and my baby was my Jack-O-Lantern head!) I've always loved the Twilight Zone Marathons and if I ever saw a ghost, I think I'd wet myself.

I grew up in California although I've lived abroad in the UK (England and Scotland--woo hoo, gotta love those kilts!)

I'd categorize my writing as a blend of suspense, humor, light horror, and romance with a sprinkle of fantasy to tie everything together! If you are all about fairies and witches and vampires (oh my!), you love a good alpha warlock and you like men who get a little hairy during a full moon, I got the goods.


The book on tour is: A Tale of Two Goblins!


You can buy the book by clicking on any of these links:
Amazon.com    Smashwords.com    Barnes and Noble.com

I have just finished reading both book one and book 2.
Book 1:  To Kill a Warlock - click HERE to read my review and 
Book 2:  A Tale of Two Goblins - click HERE to read my review of the blog tour book!

Book Excerpt from H.P. Mallory:

Apparently feeling my eyes on him, Bram turned his attention to me and winced as if he wasn’t enjoying all the attention. Ha, as if. I held up my hand to say “take your time; I’m enjoying myself” even though I couldn’t say I was enjoying myself. Jealousy was still in the process of eating a big hole in my stomach and if nothing else, I wanted to go home and drown my sorrows in a vat of Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream. And that was really saying something because I didn’t even like sweets.
“Is he trustworthy?” Knight continued.
“What?” I asked, completely at a loss. “What are you talking about?”
“Maybe if you’d stop staring at the vampire, you’d know.” His voice was stilted, angry.
“I wasn’t staring at him,” I muttered, realizing I’d been doing exactly that.
“Is Bram trustworthy?” Knight repeated. “Since he’s so much stronger and faster now, is that going to cause trouble for the ANC or trouble for you?”
I frowned and shrugged at the same time. “He’s as trustworthy as the next vampire.”
“That isn’t saying much.”
“It’s saying I don’t know what the answer to your question is. Do I trust Bram? Most the time yes. Do I think he’s going to get more cocky and take more risks due to his increased strength and power? Probably so. Do I think he’s a risk to the ANC? No, probably not.” I took a deep breath—I needed it since that had been a mouthful.
“If he’s so much stronger, it will be harder for you to defend yourself against him, if the need ever arose.”
Based on Bram’s little example of his increased speed in the limo, I also wondered if I’d be able to defend myself against him, not that I thought I’d ever need to… “Bram and I go way back.”
Knight’s lips were still tight—maybe even angry. And there was a rigidness to his body. “So what? He’s vampire.”
I smiled as warmly as I could. “You’re Loki, and I hardly know you.”
He nodded and cocked his head to the side, studying me like he was a great artist and I was a muse to be reckoned with. “I would never hurt you.”
I swallowed hard, not wanting to admit how his words had created warmth in me, a feeling of, dare I say it, endearment. “Neither would Bram.” At Knight’s dubious expression, I continued. “He’s harmless, Knight. Bram just wants to have sex with me and then he’d be completely over this…crush.”
At the word “sex,” Knight shifted uncomfortably, focusing his attention on Bram. His expression wasn’t a pretty one. When he faced me again, there was heat in his eyes, a certain glow I’d never seen before.
“What was that?” I demanded, sort of weirded out.
“What?”
“Your eyes just started…glowing.”
I was pretty sure I didn’t imagine the reddish blush that stained his cheeks. “It’s something Lokis do—we have no control over it.”
I narrowed my eyes—would his Loki traits ever stop revealing themselves? “And what is ‘it’ that you have no control over?”
He exhaled deeply. “Not something I really want to—”
He never had the chance to finish the statement as Angela was suddenly beside him. I was so irritated, I had half a mind to open the floor and have it swallow her whole, but restrained myself. I’d find out what this glowing eye bit really meant soon enough. The fact that Knight was clearly uncomfortable with it and didn’t want to discuss it was all the more reason to find out why. Anything I could wield over his head held a lot of value.


Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!


The next stop on the tour - Reading Between The Wines Book Club http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com


Don't Miss out on the Giveaway!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Read-a-thon! April 25, 2011 - May 1, 2011

The Spring's Serenity Read-a-thon is being hosted by The True Book Addict!
Spring's Serenity Read-A-Thon,coming the week of Monday, April 25th through Sunday, May 1st.  The read-a-thon will run from 12:00am Monday through 11:59pm Sunday (adjust your time zones accordingly).   Remember, you can join in any time through the week and read as little or as much as you want.  It's all about personally challenging ourselves and also having fun as a community of readers.
My goal is to read 1 book each day - they will be listed here with links to the reviews!
April 25 -  Invisible Inkling -- read this on April 24 so it doesn't count
April 26 -  Vampire Dimitri -- read April 25
April 27 -  Vampire's Warden -- read April 28
April 28 -  Second Sight -- read April 26
April 29 -  Savannah Grey -- didn't get this one read
April 30 -  Diva Doctrine -- read April 30
May 1 -  Hedgeland -- read May 1
added: Dead is Not an Option -- read April 29

Happy Easter!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Thanks for all the great books!


I wanted to take a few moments to say thank you to the wonderful bloggers who have had contests that I was lucky enough to win and to those amazing authors who have provided me with books for review!
So...thank you so very much to:
Jennifer at The Introverted Reader - where I won Huck by Janet Elder
Sherry D. Ficklin - author of Secondsight
aobibliophile - where I won No Rest for the Wicca
The Bookish Snob - who is hosted a number of blog tours that I am lucky enough to be participating in.
Joanne Rocklin - author of One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street
Peter J. Plasse - author of Ravenwild
Intense Whisper - where I won The Truth About Vampires
Patricia Hoover - where I won Chaos by Rachel Ward
Supernatural Underground - where I won Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Larissa Benoliel - where I won Beyond the Night by Joss Ware


Reveiw: A Tale of Two Goblins by H.P. Mallory

A Tale of Two Goblins by H.P. Mallory

* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour being hosted by The Bookish Snob.

Amazon Product Description:
Please note, this is book 2 in the Dulcie O'Neil series. Book 1 is To Kill A Warlock

A Dreamstalker— a creature that stalks and kills its victims in sleep.

A fairy in law enforcement determined to stop him.

A potions smuggler who possesses something she wants.

A vampire with his own agenda.

And a partner who couldn’t possibly be sexier or more frustrating.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy working in law enforcement for the Netherworld. 
When Knight Vander approaches her with a case regarding comatose victims, she agrees to help him, imagining the most difficult part will be combatting her attraction to him.

But, what Dulcie isn’t betting on is the fact that the case becomes personal when she learns all the victims are somehow linked to her.

When her best friend falls victim to the Dreamstalker, Dulcie must do everything in her power to ensure her friend’s survival, including associating with criminals and accepting the fact that desperate times do definitely call for desperate measures.



My thoughts:
Spunky Dulcie is back for round two!  Entertaining!  Well-written!  Great characters!


Although this is book 2 in the Dulcie series, it could stand alone.  The author does a great job of catching the reader up so it isn't necessary to read book one first.  I would however suggest reading book 1: How to Kill a Warlock though because it's such a great read!  With that said...


Once again the characters are wonderfully created and I was thrilled to see so many of the same faces!  It was exciting to see the roles each of the characters portrayed in this second volume.  Some of the minor characters in book one get to be so much more in book two.  
The plot keeps the reader turning the pages hoping to figure out the mystery.  
Dulcie is forced to do some soul-searching and has the opportunity to see herself and others in a different light.  


Mallory has successfully created a wonderful story - combining great characters, an intriguing plot, a lot of emotions, and just the right amount of humor!  Be sure to check it out!

Friday, April 22, 2011

The Vampire Relationship Guide Tour!


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour!
The blog tour is being hosted by Bels at The Bookish Snob and
you can get to the complete tour schedule by clicking HERE!
Today, please welcome Evelyn Lafont.
She is the author of Vampire Relationship Guide!
I have just finished reading volume one - Meeting and Mating!
You can read my review here.
On to the interview!
 
 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


I actually don’t think I realized it until I started doing it for fun. I’ve written marketing and training materials for companies for years but didn’t realize that I actually wanted to be a writer until I started creating some funny, satirical pieces. Maybe about 4 years ago.

 How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Holy cow, I am the queen of jobs. I had…16 jobs before starting my own business in 2009.

 How long does it take you to write a book?

It really depends. Since I work for myself, it doesn’t take very long to get a first draft done because I can work my freelance schedule around my fiction schedule which means I don’t have to squeeze fiction writing into an already restrictive schedule or stop when I’m on a roll.

 What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I do this thing that my best friend noticed. Whenever I’m writing a scene of conflict and there is some sassy dialog, I turn my head to the side and start pulling away from my monitor. I have no idea why. Also, I blush and start sweating when I write sex scenes…which is so not hot.

 Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

I don’t have a routine but ideally, I like some Starbucks next to me (hot or cold, depending on the weather) some nice smelly stuff in the air, quiet music and no one else around. Also, it really helps when there’s not a cat lying on my keyboard.

 Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

Everywhere. I have an absurd sense of humor, so most of the time in my head there’s this voice going, “Oh my God, wouldn’t it be funny if….” Then, I want to write a story about whatever I was thinking to see what will happen and whether or not it is, in fact, funny.

 How do you decide what you want to write about?

When I get visuals of scenes, I know it’s time to go ahead and get to writing. If it’s just a concept with no visual hallucinations accompanying it, I leave it in the brain bin for later.

About you as a person:

 Are you a dog person or a cat person?

Do I have to choose? Okay, cats because they aren’t quite so needy.

 What books have most influenced your life?

It’s weird, because these are not my favorite books, but the Alex Delaware series by Jonathan Kellerman have probably had the biggest influence on where I am right now. I started reading them before I became self-employed. I was so jealous of the main character, Alex Delaware, because he got to feed his fish any time of day, go running whenever he wanted, and basically run his life however he pleased because he was self-employed. I remember thinking, “I could do that.” At the time, I didn’t really know how I could…but I suspected I’d find a way—and I did.

 What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I like to read, watch movies and television, listen to music, wax philosophical with Hubby, go to the beach, spend time with friends—just normal stuff.

 What is your favorite comfort food?

Ben and Jerry’s, every time.

 What do you think makes a good story?

Tension, laughter, love, indecision.

 Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

I honestly can’t think of a favorite. Anyone who has the courage to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and then release their creation for others to read is admirable.

 What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

I love Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Southern Vampire Mysteries…and so many more…

Evelyn is giving away the chance to beta read her next book as a finale to the tour.




Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!