Win Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

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Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland

I ran out and purchased this book the first day it hit the shelves in June. It easily piqued my interest and kept me turning pages to find out what happened next. To the exclusion of all things, I finished it in one day. If you enjoy urban fantasy, you'll love this urban fantasy suspense thriller. In Mark of the Demon, I got lost in the magic and didn't analyze the writing, dialogue, characters and world building-although all these things are skillfully managed. I loved this book because it took me AWAY from thoughts of writing and just let me enjoy. I had no choice. I was sucked in!

The main character, Kara Gillian, is a witty detective by day, a demon summoner by night. She's worked hard to get where she is and she's good at it, but the character is sympathetically written with vulnerabilities. She isn't the perfect, beautiful heroine doing the job with a tough obnoxious attitude, unrealistically killing multiple baddies three times her size. (I don't like those kinds of characters.) Kara is totally believable as a demon summoner detective with Fraggle Rock as her ring tone.

The story opens with her successfully summoning one of the highest level demons. She's finally getting the break she's been waiting for in the police department: heading the task force for the Symbol Man's serial murder case, and she must learn to handle herself among the men assigned with her, and solve the crime as quickly as possible. But something goes strangely awry during a routine summoning, and Rhyzkahl, an intensely powerful, angelic creature appears. Oops!

The plot is original, and the suspense had me going all the way to the end. The story was perfectly paced, not long winded. Knowledge of police work is evident, and I loved the interactions between Kara and FBI Agent Ryan Kristoff.

Just an all round sexy, exciting, fun read! The sequel, Blood of the Demon, will be out in Spring, 2010, so I'm sure some pressing questions will be answered. I hope.

4.5 Stars, Recommended

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• The giveaway for Monday, September 7th is the debut novel, Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland. There were new books available at the RWA conference, but I didn't have the opportunity to meet the author. This is a great start to a new series and I can't wait for the next installment. Rowland writes like a seasoned professional. It's very difficult to believe this is her first book! Leave a comment below for one entry to win. Link to the giveaway on your blog for another entry to win. As always, I'll use the random number generator to choose the winner. Contest closes at 5pm EST on Mondays. Good luck, everyone!

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Dreamfever, the 4th installment in Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series, does not disappoint. It's edgy, unpredictable and keeps you on the edge of your seat. That's very difficult to do, but Moning is such a talented storyteller and skilled author that she's able to sustain mystery, intrigue and tension throughout the entire book and series. She definitely knows her craft and fans love her for it.

In true Moning fashion, she leads the reader down a bread crumb path meting out clues to ponder, while the pathway gets increasingly darker and more terrifying. There are few answers, but non-answers are plentiful, another Moning trait.

Macayla Lane continues to grow as a character. She's no longer the innocent girl from the south, no longer 2.0 but Mac 4.0! And Barrons! (I love the man. I know he's fictional, but still.) In Dreamfever, we get a bit more insight into his character but burning questions still remain.

The Fever puzzle is gradually falling into place; clues abound but the final picture

shimmers behind a magical veil just out of reach. Exactly how it should be! It's a great series, 4.5 stars and highly recommended. If you want to read the series, it's best to read the books in order. Enjoy!

From Amazon:

MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (August 18, 2009)

Win Autographed Copy of Marked: House of Night Book One

In 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres not only exist but are also tolerated by humans. Those whom the creatures "mark" as special enter the House of Night school where they will either become vampyres themselves, or, if their body rejects the change, die.

If you're new to the series, already a fan or know someone that would enjoy the story, now's your chance to win a NEW copy autographed by P.C. Cast. I met the author at the RWA conference in Washington, DC in July and she gave me a copy.

Just think what a great holiday gift this would be for that special young adult in your life!

For one entry, just leave a comment with your email address. For two chances to win, leave a comment but also post a link back to this post on your blog. Next Monday, August 31st, I'll use the random number generator to pick a winner!

*Please note* The autograph on the inside is generic.

Aidan Turner from Being Human Is My Jericho Barrons

Anyone watching Being Human on BBC America? It's a series about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost sharing a flat in Bristol struggling to hold on to what little humanity they have left. The dark humor makes the show even if the plot can be cliche at times. The actors do a good job with what they have.

Aidan Turner, the Irish actor that plays Mitchell, should go far imho--young and talented with rugged good looks. The accent definitely ratchets him up a few notches as well. Lenora Crichlow (the ghost) said it herself, calling him an "American pancake, sweet and lovely yet a bit bad." SOLD! Dark hair, dark eyes, the sexy stubble on his handsome face-he's how I envision Jericho Barrons, the alpha male in Karen Monings Fever series. Perhaps he'll be cast in the role when the books make it to the big screen. Rumor has it Guillermo del Toro, director of Hell Boy 2 and Pan's Labrinyth is interested.

Watch the vid for a peek at Aidan Turner on Being Human. My favorite part is when Mitchell is trying to help his friend George (the werewolf) hook up with a woman. George tells him not to get involved because it all just feels like playground and Mitchell responds under his breath, "Welcome to being a bloke."

A Case of Dreamfever

Evie has called out today with a case of DREAMFEVER!

Internet Piracy of Books

Please stop internet piracy.

Copied from Karen Marie Monings Blog:

Lately I've been hearing from authors and publishers that internet piracy of books has become such a significant problem that it’s destroying careers. Midlist authors are losing contracts because so many people are stealing the book instead of paying for it. Great new voices are being lost before they even really get to begin. I may be a hopeless idealist, but I believe most people don't think "Gee, I'm stealing a book." Rather they think, "Well, if it was illegal, surely someone would stop me, so it must be okay."

Unfortunately the Internet defies anyone's efforts to stop it. For every ten illegal copies pulled down, a hundred more go up. Passing a book to a friend is one thing. We all do it. But uploading it so thousands, and in some case tens of thousands can copy it? What are these people thinking? Do they want the authors to lose their jobs? Do they think authors shouldn't get paid for their work? I don't get the mind-set. But then I've spent most of my life working two jobs.

I think people don’t realize the crippling impact of what they’re doing when they download an illegal copy of a book, so I’m going to share a bit of personal information.

At a single illegal download site last month, over 70,000 copies of three of my books had been downloaded. 70,000 at one site! Does it hurt me financially? Yes. Will I survive it? Maybe. It depends on how much worse it gets. (Then there's the whole emotional component: creating springs from joy; to watch what you've created get stolen nihilates that joy. It's a tough tangle of emotions to balance.) Will less-successful authors survive it? No, many of them won’t. Many of them will lose their contracts, or quit writing because they can’t afford it anymore, and some will give up the ghost simply because they can't bear to see their hard work stolen. It is theft.

I love libraries. I love used book stores. But uploading books illegally so hundreds of thousands of others can download them illegally is wrong. It’s a violation of copyright, it’s illegal and it must stop. Illegal downloads end up driving prices higher for the actual book, and consign wonderful new voices to oblivion before they even get a chance to perfect their craft. I don’t know which bothers me more: the idea that I could lose my job, or the thought that there are fabulous storytellers out there I may never get to read because their contracts get cancelled due to poor sales. I love you guys and know you aren’t the ones doing it.

What I’m asking is that you raise the awareness of someone you know that is doing it. Save the midlist writers that may be the next Stephanie Meyer or Stephen King, and give anonymous theft a kick in the petunia!

If you come across a site offering illegal downloads of my books, please let us know at manager@karenmoning.com.

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

Boring plot, terrible writing, flat characters. Nothing interesting happens until page 289 and even that was disappointing. The author breezes lightly over a terrifying, violent stream of events then has the heroine recover within days. Unbelievably ridiculous.

The author "tells" and doesn't "show", dialogue lacks snap, characters lack spark. I won't continue this series. And as for the Vampire Academy series, I hope she doesn't screw it up.

Volusian needs to kill Eugenie and put an end to our suffering.