Darque Reviews

Winner - Casa Dracula Giveaway with Marta Acosta

2010-09-29T18:46:00.000-04:00

Hello happy readers!

Thank you once again for visiting and sharing your time with us Marta! One lucky winner wins one book of their choice from the first 3 Casa Dracula books!

The Winner Is:
Elizabeth Kolodziej

Congratulations Elizabeth! Please email me through my blogger profile with your book choice and mailing address so that Marta can get your copy out to you!

Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Q and A With Marta Acosta - Book Giveaway Too!

2010-09-22T08:05:00.009-04:00

Hello there Readers! Marta Acosta, the author of the Casa Dracula series, and Nancy's Theory of Style, is visiting with us today. Feel free to ask her a question in the comments, or simply leave her some fan love. A lucky commenter will winner's choice in winning one of the first 3 books from the Casa Dracula series! Be sure to check back on September 29, 2010 to see who the winner was!

Hi Marta! It's always a pleasure to visit with you, thanks so much for joining us today for this Q and A.

Thanks for having me here! Darque Reviews is one of the first paranormal/urban fantasy review blogs I discovered, and it’s still required reading for me.

DR: Saying goodbye to Milagro is tough for us fans who have really grown to love her. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you. What will you miss most about Milagro?

I’ll miss her optimism and happy-go-lucky nature. She may grumble and snark, but she’s generally so cheerful no matter what she’s suffered. I love that about her. I’d want to hang out with her and hear her loony ideas. I want to go hear a band with her and read the crazy horror stories she writes. Many times when I was writing, I’d have to stop myself and think, “No, that’s how a normal person reacts. How would Milagro react?” She finds the good side of things.

DR: You did an amazing job of answering questions and wrapping things up in Milagro's world. How did you know it was time to end the Casa Dracula series?

I wrote the first book, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, as a stand-alone. I never expected to write a series, or even to stay in the same genre. When my editor asked for another, I thought, “How in the heck do I say anything else?” These additional books have been both a challenge and a treat for me, because I was always discovering more that I wanted to say. Milagro’s quasi-friend Thomas Cook tells her, “You’re a happy ending sort of girl,” so I wanted to give her a wildly happy ending for this part of her life.

I think the temptation of writers and publishers is to keep going forever with a series and to churn them out so fast that the books rapidly decline in quality. I didn’t want to do that to Milagro. I wanted her to go out at her strongest.

However, if any publisher asked for a few books about Milagro’s adventures with her fabulous husband, I think I could manage that! You know, a little like Nick and Nora of The Thin Man – parties, danger, clever banter, mayhem.

DR: With the Casa Dracula series coming to a close, we're all curious about your future plans. Can you share what you're working on now, and/or what we might see in the upcoming year?

My next big project is working on my young adult gothic, The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove, with my editor at Tor Books. This book will come out in 2012.

Next year, one of my stories will be published in The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance. I’ve never written romance before, so I hope readers like it. I was researching romance websites to find out how graphic sex scenes were supposed to be! I settled on “really sensual, but no clinical details.”

My other big project is a gritty, sordid adult gothic that takes place both in the present and in the 1850s. I don’t want to give out any more yet, except to say that it’s a very dark tale and one I’ve been wanting to write for years.

DR: One book that fans can expect to see in print is The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove. What can you tell us about it?

Thanks for mentioning it! I love this story of a foster girl who is accepted into the elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls. Jane is quiet and watchful, but determined to make a better life for herself and she believes she can do that through excelling at school. She works really hard to achieve a security that most kids take for granted.

Jane is finally able to escape her dangerous neighborhood and miserable foster home for a place that’s not only attractive, but safe. Or so she thinks. Even though Jane is stunned by being at a school which offers her so much academically as well as living quarters and spending money, she wonders why she’s been brought there. She discovers that the headmistress has secrets – but so does Jane.

DR: Just for fun...What one guilty pleasure do you wish you could give up? Why? (a T.V. show, a snack food, a drink, etc)

I have a love-hate-hate relationship with reality shows, like Project Runway, even though I know they’re heavily scripted and edited. I’d love to turn them off and do something productive, like going through all my filing. Also, can Michael Kors please wear something besides the same black jacket, black t-shirt and black pants?

DR: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us before you go?

Just that I hope that readers will pick up my Casa Dracula series and follow the adventures of smart, sexy, quirky Milagro. These are romantic comedies, so while you won’t find a brooding alpha male who solves all the problems, you will find a lot of laughs, eccentric characters who will entertain you, and heroine who grows and matures, while still retaining her sense of fun. The comment I get most from fans is “I want Milagro as my friend,” and I think new readers will feel the same way.

Where to find Marta:

Marta's website: http://www.martaacosta.com/

Marta's Journal: http://www.martaacosta.com/journal/

Vampire Wire: http://www.vampirewire.blogspot.com/

Thanks so much for spending some time at Darque Reviews, and thank you to the readers for making Marta feel welcome!

Kimberly, thanks so much for having me here!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta

2010-09-21T08:05:00.007-04:00

Haunted Honeymoon

Casa Dracula, Book #4

Marta Acosta

Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster, Inc.

ISBN# 978-1416598879

Release Date: October 5, 2010

About the Book:

Will she get another chance with the vamp that got away?

As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She feels guilty about her fling with decadent, enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and she pines for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life.

It’s when Milagro—upset by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor—travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan. Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect?

All she wants to is turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right. No sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her, and will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will Milagro make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say “I do”?

My Thoughts:

Haunted Honeymoon is the fourth, and final, book in the Casa Dracula series. I've loved the free spirited character of Milagro de Los Santos since meeting her in Casa Dracula, and it's her fierce will to experience life that has kept me captivated with every book since. Ms. Acosta is a master storyteller who wraps this series up with an action packed journey to the very end. Haunted Honeymoon is fast-paced, fun, and filled with the unexpected. Fans won't want to miss a word of Milagro's ultimate escapade!

If you're new to the Casa Dracula series what are you waiting for? Be sure to start at the beginning for maximum enjoyment.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Winners - Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

2010-08-31T16:19:00.000-04:00

Hi there happy readers! Here are the winners for the Demon from the Dark giveaway:

Congratulations to the winners, thanks so much for joining in! Please use the email address in my profile to send your mailing info.

Giveaway Reminder - Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

2010-08-30T22:36:00.001-04:00

Last chance to get your name in to win one of 5 copies of Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole! Giveaway ends August 31, 2010 at 6am (EDT). See the original post HERE for details!

Good luck, and Happy Reading!

Review - Tomb with a View by Casey Daniels - Starred Read

2010-08-26T23:25:00.000-04:00

Tomb with a View
A Pepper Martin Mystery, Book #6
Casey Daniels
Berkley Prime Crime - Penguin Group USA
ISBN:# 9780425235515
Release Date: July 6, 2010

About the Book:
Cemeteries come alive for amateur sleuth/reluctant medium Pepper Martin.

Cleveland’s Garden View Cemetery is hosting a James A. Garfield commemoration. For tour guide and reluctant medium Pepper Martin this means that she’ll surely be hearing from the dead president himself. And when she’s assigned to help plan the event with know-it-all volunteer and Garfield fanatic Marjorie Klinker, she’ll wish Marjorie were dead...too bad someone beats Pepper to it.

My Thoughts:
Tomb with a View is the sixth release in the Pepper Martin Mysteries series, and quickly immerses readers into Pepper's latest adventure with one of Garden View Cemetery's permanent residents. Ms. Daniels has a smooth writing style that she skillfully uses to keep fans guessing throughout her stories. Tomb with a View is a mystery that involves the dead just as strongly as the living, and it's one of many intriguing elements that make reading the Pepper Martin Mysteries so wonderfully addictive. With twists, turns, and surprising revelations from history, this mystery is sure to keep readers fully engaged until the very end. I'd happily recommend any book from this series, and am eagerly awaiting Pepper's next ghostly adventure.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Funny or Die - Pizza Training with Sam Trammell

2010-08-26T19:07:00.000-04:00

Had to share this funny video with Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte on True Blood) that you can find on Funny or Die. The video has nothing to do with were animals, vampires, or the paranormal, but if you like him as an actor this should make you smile.
*Slight adult language, not work safe.

Book Giveaway - 5 Copies - Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

2010-08-24T08:33:00.001-04:00

Here's a fabulous opportunity to get your hands on a copy of Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole! The wonderful Associate Marketing Manager handling Demon from the Dark, at Simon and Schuster, is sharing 5 copies for giveaway here at Darque Reviews.

All you have to do to be in the drawing is leave a comment on this post letting me know if you've read previous books in The Immortals After Dark series, or if this will be your first (answers have no impact on drawing), and become a follower of the blog (if you have a blog, and aren't already following). This is sponsored by the publisher and is only open to US residents. Giveaway ends August 31, 2010 at 6:00 AM (EDT) and winners will be posted later that day. Good luck, and Happy Reading!

Demon from the Dark
The Immortals After Dark
Kresley Cole
Pocket Books - Simon and Schuster
ISBN# 9781439123126
Release Date: August 24, 2010
Excerpt: Browse Inside

About the Book:
From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.

A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN'T RESIST . . .

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .

Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .

In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Book Trailer - Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

2010-08-22T11:11:00.000-04:00

*Be sure to scroll down for more information on Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole!*

Promo - Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

2010-08-21T17:58:00.001-04:00

Live Chat with Simon and Schuster:

On Mon, Aug 23rd at 4pm EST, the pics go live! Tune in to Kresley Cole’s live broadcast to see blackmail pics of your favorite authors (and to learn never before heard deets about the IAD series). If we can get to 300 RSVPs, she will post a scandalous author pic. For every 20 RSVPs after that, we’ll get a new author in a compromising situation. Up to 400, and she will dish on DREAMS OF A DARK WARRIOR (2/11). Have questions for her to answer? RSVP at Ustream (you can sign in with your FB account) and stay tuned. Sign up today!
http://www.ustream.tv/simonandschuster

Demon from the Dark
The Immortals After Dark
Kresley Cole
Pocket Books - Simon and Schuster
ISBN# 9781439123126
Release Date: August 24, 2010
Excerpt: Browse Inside

About the Book:
From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this scorching tale of a demon outcast poisoned with vampire blood and the vulnerable young witch he vows to protect—even from himself.

A DANGEROUS DEMON SHE CAN'T RESIST . . .

Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A MADDENING WITCH HE ACHES TO CLAIM . . .

Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

TRAPPED TOGETHER IN A SAVAGE PRISON . . .

In order for Malkom and Carrow to survive, he must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When Malkom becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

About the Author:
KRESLEY COLE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the vastly popular Immortals After Dark paranormal series. Two IAD novels—A Hunger Like No Other and Kiss of a Demon King —won the RITA Award for Best Paranormal Romance, and Kiss of a Demon King topped the New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Kresley Cole has also written five award-winning historical romances.

A master's grad in English and former competitive athlete, Kresley lives in Florida with her husband and far too many pets.

Visit her website at http://kresleycole.com/

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Trailers for Dust by Joan Frances Turner

2010-08-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

Be sure to scroll down to learn more about Dust and Joan Frances Turner!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Dust by Joan Frances Turner

2010-08-19T16:12:00.000-04:00

Dust
Joan Frances Turner
Ace
ISBN# 978-0441019281
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Read an Excerpt: Here

About the Book:
What happens between death and life can change a girl. Jessie is a zombie. And this is her story...

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. After she was buried, she awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Now Jessie's part of a gang. They fight, hunt, and dance together as one-something humans can never understand. There are darkplaces humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into zombie gangs. But when a mysterious illness threatens the existence of both zombies and humans, Jessie must choose between looking away or staring down the madness-and hanging on to everything she now knows as life...

About the Author:
Joan Frances Turner was born in Rhode Island and grew up in the Calumet Region of northwest Indiana. Dust, her first novel, will be published by Ace Books on September 7, 2010. She is currently at work on a sequel, tentatively titled Frail.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Previously Read - Book Giveaway?

2010-08-18T17:26:00.000-04:00

Any interest in some of the book copies I've read? More often than not they still look new when I'm done with them, maybe a slight crease in the spine at most. I also have duplicates that have never been read. I have 4 book cases overflowing with books, and it's past time to share the book love. While there are some I won't part with, there are tons that I simply must.

If I get at least 50 positive responses in the comments to this post in the upcoming week, I'll put up the first book. Please feel free to spread the word! (the sooner I see those responses, the sooner I can start sharing)

Jen D. - If you 'vote yes' and email me with your mailing address, my copy of Black Dust Mambo could be in your hands to read this weekend. (one of your comments made me think of doing this, so the book love should start with you and a book that you're interested in!) I'm hoping you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

2010-08-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

Black Dust Mambo
Kallie Rivière, Book 1
Adrian Phoenix
Pocket Books
ISBN# 978-1-4391-6787-8
Release Date: June 29, 2010
Excerpt: Browse Inside

About the Book:
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!

"There will be times, girl, when all your magic ain't going to be enough, times when it will seem to dry up like mud under the noonday sun, or even make matters worse. . . ."

Kallie Rivière, a fiery Cajun hoodoo apprentice with a talent for trouble, finds herself smack-dab in the middle of one of those times her mentor warned her about when she visits New Orleans to attend the Hecatean Alliance's annual carnival: her hard-bodied conjurer hookup ends up dead in her blood-drenched bed. And he was killed by something that Kallie would never dream of touching—the darkest of dark juju, soul-eating juju—a black dust hex that may have been meant to kill her.

Now Kallie has to use every bit of hoodoo knowledge and bayou-bred mojo she possesses to clear her own name and find the killer—even as that dark sorcerer hunts Kallie and her friends. But Kallie's search for the truth soon leads her in a direction she never anticipated—back home to Bayou Cypres Noir, and to Gabrielle LaRue, Kallie's aunt, protector, and hoodoo mentor . . . who is looking more and more like she just might be the one who wants Kallie dead.

My Thoughts:
Black Dust Mambo is a fabulous start in the Kallie Rivière series about a young women with strong hoodoo talents and a penchant for trouble. One night spent between the sheets with a sexy conjurer unleashes murder and mystery for Kallie, and she finds it waiting around every turn. Ms. Phoenix does a lovely job of introducing readers to this new heroine and those she calls family and friends. Black Dust Mambo will hook you quickly, and it will reel you right in for a fast paced taste of temptation and deadly mystery. I'll be looking forward to the second book.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - Fatal Circle by Linda Robertson

2010-08-17T16:40:00.000-04:00

Fatal Circle
Persephone Alcmedi, Book 3
Linda Robertson
Juno Books/Pocket Books
ISBN# 9781439156803
Release Date: June 29, 2010
Excerpt: Chapter One

About the Book:
Destiny sucks...

There was a time when Persephone Alcmedi thought her life was hard to manage, what with wondering how to make sure she took adequate care of both her grandmother and her foster daughter, Beverley, whether she'd end up in the unwanted position of high priestess of a coven, and whether her waerewolf lover, Johnny, would resist the groupies who hang around his band Lycanthropia. But that was before the fairies started demanding that Seph's frightening, unpredictable ally--the ancient vampire Menessos--be destroyed... or the world will suffer. Seph and Menessos are magically bonded, but that's a secret she dares not reveal to her fellow witches lest they be forced to reject her and forbid her use of magic. And, despite the strain this casts on her relationship with Johnny, as a showdown with the fairies nears, she and Menessos badly need the waerewolves as allies.

Life, death, and love are all on the line, but when destiny is calling, it doesn't help to turn away. With the individual threads of their fates twisted inextricably together, can Seph, Johnny, and Menessos keep the world safe from fairy vengeance?

My Thoughts:
Fatal Circle is the third book in the Persephone Alcmedi universe, and moves forward in solidifying the roles of the main characters. Ms. Robertson balances a delicious love triangle with all of the conflict and action that fans expect in this heroine's life. Fatal Circle is well written, fast moving, and fueled by a mix of romance and paranormal influence. A must read in the Persephone Alcmedi series!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - When Blood Calls by J K Beck

2010-08-16T16:12:00.000-04:00

When Blood Calls
Shadow Keepers, Book 1
J K Beck
Bantam Books
ISBN# 978-0-440-24577-3
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Excerpt: Chapter One

About the Book:
Attorney Sara Constantine is thrilled with her promotion—until she finds out that she must now prosecute vampires and werewolves. The first defendant she’ll be trying to put away? Lucius Dragos, the sexy stranger with whom she recently shared an explosive night of ecstasy.

When Lucius kisses a beautiful woman sitting next to him at the bar, he’s hoping only to avoid the perceptive gaze of the man he’s planning to kill. But what starts as a simple kiss ignites into an all-consuming passion. Charged with murder, Luke knows that Sara is determined to see him locked away—unless he can convince her that he’s not a monster. And that might mean making the ultimate sacrifice.

About the Author:
J. K. Beck spent more than ten years as a litigator in Southern California and central Texas, using her rare free time to indulge her passion for writing. Now she uses her legal background as inspiration for her paranormal romantic suspense series the Shadow Keepers, set in and around a secret judicial system hidden within and mirroring our own. California-born, J. K. Beck lives and writes in Texas, where she hangs out with her husband and daughters and drinks far too much coffee.

J.K. Beck is the new pen name for bestselling author Julie Kenner.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Would YOUR Relationship outlast the Zombie Apocalypse?

2010-08-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

*Be sure to scroll down and read the previous post to learn more about Jesse Petersen's upcoming release: Married with Zombies!

The link to this fabulous quiz was sent to me by Orbit Books. Of course it totally made me smile, so get on over there and try it out! While you're there, be sure to check out Jesse Petersen's site!

My relationship would outlast the zombie apocalypse!

Take the How Long Would Your Relationship Survive in the Zombie Apocalypse? Quiz at JessePetersen.net

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Married with Zombies by Jesse Petersen

2010-08-12T17:06:00.000-04:00

Married with Zombies
Jesse Petersen
Orbit Books
ISBN: 978-0316102865
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Excerpt: Read the First Chapter

About the Book:

Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they’re on the verge of divorce and going to couples’ counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things – the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client’s throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn’t mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don’t eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Married With Zombies is a heartwarming tale of terror set during the time of the zombie uprising.

About the Author:
Jesse Petersen was born in Pennsylvania, grew up in Idaho and got married in Washington. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Washington and has been writing for twelve years. Currently, she lives in the Midwest with her husband and two cats. When not writing, she enjoys reading, bike riding and volunteering at her local zoo.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Tomb with a View by Casey Daniels

2010-07-27T15:56:00.000-04:00

Tomb with a View
A Pepper Martin Mystery, Book #6
Casey Daniels
Berkley Prime Crime - Penguin Group USA
ISBN:# 9780425235515
Release Date: July 6, 2010

About the Book:
Cemeteries come alive for amateur sleuth/reluctant medium Pepper Martin.

Cleveland’s Garden View Cemetery is hosting a James A. Garfield commemoration. For tour guide and reluctant medium Pepper Martin this means that she’ll surely be hearing from the dead president himself. And when she’s assigned to help plan the event with know-it-all volunteer and Garfield fanatic Marjorie Klinker, she’ll wish Marjorie were dead...too bad someone beats Pepper to it.

About the Author:
I learned to love mysteries early thanks to my dad, a Cleveland Police detective who enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes stories and spent his days off searching for stolen cars. Often on those trips, I was in the back seat and to this day, I have Dad to thank for my knowledge of some less-than-savory parts of the city. Later, I read my way through every mystery story I could get my hands on. Agatha Christie and Conan Doyle are still among my favorites.

I have a degree in English, experience as a journalist and writing teacher, and lots of ideas for more Pepper Martin mysteries. When I'm not writing, I'm usually with my family and our two dogs, Ernie, an adorable Airedale pup, and Oscar, a rescued Jack Russell who spends far too much time watching TV. I enjoy knitting, gardening and of course, stomping through cemeteries in search of history, stories and inspiration.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Mob Rules by Cameron Haley

2010-07-20T08:45:00.003-04:00

Mob Rules
The Underworld Cycle, Book 1
Cameron Haley
Luna
ISBN# 9780373803200
Release Date: September 1, 2010

About the Book:
As LA plunges into an occult gang war, mob sorceress Domino Riley must unravel a conspiracy that reaches beyond the magic-soaked mean streets into a world of myth and legend.

Domino investigates the ritual execution of a mob associate, a graffiti magician named Jamal. The kid isn’t just dead, he’s been squeezed — the killer stole his magical power or “juice.” Domino summons Jamal’s shade, and the ghost points to Adan Rashan as his killer. This is tricky, because Adan is the favored son of Domino’s boss, Shanar Rashan, a six-thousand-year-old Sumerian wizard. It’s even trickier because only a mobbed-up sorcerer could have squeezed Jamal and Adan isn’t a sorcerer.

As the corpses pile up, Domino must confront the killer and unmask an otherworldly kingpin with designs on her gang’s magic-rich turf.

MOB RULES is an urban fantasy novel of murder and magic, betrayal and redemption set in the supernatural underworld of Los Angeles.

About the Author:
Cameron Haley is the pseudonym for Greg Benage, an aspiring writer who lives with his wife, Maria, in Minneapolis. When he’s not creating stories, Greg creates spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations as a senior product manager for one of the largest commercial banks in the U.S. MOB RULES will be his first published novel.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - The Demon Hunt by Kris Greene

2010-07-16T08:45:00.002-04:00

The Demon Hunt
The Dark Storm, Book 2
Kris Greene
St. Martin's Press/Macmillan
ISBN# 978-0-312-94423-0
Release Date: August 3, 2010

About the Book:
Soul-sucking demons. Half-human killers. Doomsday prophesies. No, this isn’t a late-night movie on cable TV. This is Gabriel’s life—or least, what’s left of it—ever since he discovered his true destiny as a warrior knight in the battle against darkness. Once an ordinary college kid studying lost legends in books, Gabriel now finds himself face to face with actual demons. As a warrior, he has no choice but to fight them. And if he screws it up, the world is toast…

A dimensional rift has opened between worlds. Which means more demons—and more death—than you could shake a proverbial stick at. Luckily, Gabriel has just the stick for the job, an ancient trident that gives him awesome demon-bashing powers. To watch his back he has the butt kicking half Demon De Mona and several unlikely heroes who he’s picked up along the way. To make matters more complicated two of Gabriel’s college buddies wind up dead and he finds that the demons aren’t the only ones who want a piece of his hide. The cops want him too—for murder…

About the Author:
In the 3rd grade a teacher once asked Kris what she wanted to be when she grew up, to which she responded ‘A witch.’ Growing up under not so pleasant conditions she often depended on her imagination to escape her day to day hardships and dreamt of a way to make her fictional escapes real and when she stumbled across a tattered copy of Interview with the Vampire she knew just how she would go about it, which led her to start keeping journals full of short stories which would eventually grow into action packed tales of sex, power and magic set in the New York City underworld.

Kris is the award winning author of several urban-fantasy novels, with the Dark Storm series being her first major releases. Kris resides in New York City where she spends her time writing and working in her herb garden.

To learn more about Kris and her titles please visit: http://www.mistresskris.com/

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris

2010-07-15T08:45:00.006-04:00

Dark and Disorderly
The Adventures of Lillie St. Claire, Book 1
Bernita Harris
Carina Press
eISBN# 9781426890338
Release Date: June 28, 2010
Excerpt: from the book

About the Book:
"I was standing there naked when my dead husband walked into my bathroom..."

Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance.

Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband comes to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan's ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband's murder and reanimation.

But what's most surprising of all is the growing attraction between her and psi-crime detective John Thresher. He thinks that Lillie killed Nathan—and Nathan must agree, because his zombie is seeking revenge. Now she and Thresher must work together to solve her husband's murder—before his corpse kills her...

About the Author:
Bernita Harris worked as a short-order cook, a library assistant and a less-than-serious actress before winning a university fellowship and earning a master's degree in English literature. Subsequently, she worked in public affairs and later as a forensic consultant in occult-related material, events, practices and beliefs.

A Libra and left-handed, she is drawn naturally to the sinister side of justice. She has grown four splendid children and now lives in an old house in the Thousand Islands with a German shepherd, a "mostly" corgi and ten thousand books. A Canadian who hates the cold and thrives on spring, she spends her time writing, tending her herb and flower gardens and negotiating with the dead.

Previous to Dark and Disorderly, her first novel, she has published occasional pieces of nonfiction, poetry and several short stories. You are invited to visit her blog at http://www.bernitaharris.blogspot.com/.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Beyond Exile by J.L. Bourne

2010-07-14T00:18:00.001-04:00

Beyond Exile
Day by Day Armageddon, Book 2
J.L. Bourne
Permuted Press/Gallery Books
ISBN# 978-1439177525
Release Date: July 13, 2010

About the Book:
The first book of Day by Day Armageddon took us deep into the mind of a military officer and survivor as he made a New Year's resolution to start keeping a journal. The man kept his resolution and brought to us the fall of humanity, day by day. We see the man transition from the life that you and I live to the prospect of fighting for his very survival against the overwhelming hordes of the dead. We see him bleed, we see him make mistakes, we witness him evolve. The highly anticipated sequel to the bestselling underground cult classic, Day by Day Armageddon begins where the first novel left off.

BEGIN INTERCEPT
Armies of undead have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe;there is no safe haven from the diseased corpses hungering for human flesh. But in the heat of a Texas wasteland, a small band of survivors attempt to counter the millions closing in around them.
INTERCEPT COMPLETE

Day by day, the handwritten journal entries of one man caught in a worldwide cataclysm capture the desperation--and the will to survive--as he joins forces with a handful of refugees to battle soulless enemies both human and inhuman from inside an abandoned strategic missile facility.

But in the world of the undead, is mere survival enough?

About the Author:
J.L. Bourne began the Day by Day Armageddon project in 2002, posting regular serial updates on his website, JLbourne.com. Soon after self-publishing, he had sold one thousand copies, which quickly became two thousand. In conjunction with Permuted Press, Gallery Books re-released Day by Day Armageddon in October 2009, on a 50,000 copy first print run.

Collaborating with the popular metalcore band, The Devil Wears Prada, J.L. Bourne has written a bonus comic chapter that takes place in the DBDA: BEYOND EXILE universe, featuring members of the band and available in their upcoming EP. A commissioned U.S. military officer on active duty, J.L Bourne is available for interview, and members of The Devil Wear Prada are available for interview with him, to talk about their collaboration.*

J.L. Bourne is on active duty as a commissioned U.S. military officer. Born in Arkansas, he resides in Washington, D.C. Visit him at http://www.jlbourne.com/.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

2010-07-13T08:45:00.016-04:00

Dark Oracle
Oracle Series, Book 1
Alayna Williams
Juno/Pocket Books
ISBN# 9781439167656
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Excerpt: Chapter One

About the Book:
TARA SHERIDAN HAS A GIFT...
AND IT ALMOST KILLED HER.

As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi's Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try.

Tara immediately senses there is far more at stake than one man's life. At his government lab in the New Mexico desert, Magnusson had developed groundbreaking technology with terrifying potential. Working alongside the brusque but charismatic agent Harry Li, Tara discovers that Magnusson's daughter, Cassie, has knowledge that makes her a target too. The more Tara sees into the future, the more there is to fear. She knows she has to protect Cassie. But there may be no way to protect herself--from the enemies circling around her, or from the long-buried powers stirring to life within....

About the Author:
Alayna Williams 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. Like the Pythia in Dark Oracle, she's been known to belly dance. Unlike the Pythia she'd never consider herself a professional.

"Alayna" is also known as Laura Bickle, the author of Embers from Pocket Juno.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta

2010-07-12T09:00:00.015-04:00

Haunted Honeymoon
Casa Dracula, Book #4
Marta Acosta
Gallery Books/Simon and Schuster, Inc.
ISBN# 978-1416598879
Release Date: October 5, 2010

About the Book:
Will she get another chance with the vamp that got away?

As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She feels guilty about her fling with decadent, enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and she pines for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life.

It’s when Milagro—upset by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor—travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan. Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect?

All she wants to is turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right. No sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her, and will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will Milagro make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say “I do”?

About the Author:
Marta Acosta is the author of the award-winning Casa Dracula books. She's also written Nancy's Theory of Style, a romantic comedy, under the pen name Grace Coopersmith. She blogs daily at Vampire Wire, http://www.vampirewire.blogspot.com//, which features paranormal and urban fantasy news and interviews. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family and rescued dogs, Bosco and Betty. Her website is http://www.martaacosta.com//.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Thank You...and a bit of Talking True Blood

2010-07-11T20:01:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much for the comments,emails, and tweets welcoming me back! It's great to talk with everyone again.

So...Who's a True Blood fan? Was I the only one not paying attention and thought we'd get a new episode on the 4th? Heh, I should have realized. It's about an hour before this week's episode comes on here, and I'm sure looking forward to seeing more of Joe Manganiello. Tall, dark, and handsome...how yummy, yes?

Any favorite characters, or are there characters you'd like to see disappear? Predictions for the season, or pairings you'd like to see? I'd love to hear it!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Fatal Circle by Linda Robertson

2010-07-07T18:27:00.000-04:00

About the Author:
LINDA ROBERTSON is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns three electric guitars, is followed around by two big dogs, and loves one rockin' fella named Jim. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when time permits. Linda is currently the webmistress and Art Director for Strictly 7 Guitars, Jim's seven-string guitar company. She writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. Her website is www.wolfsbaneandabsinthe.com and she blogs about writing and everything from guitars to coffee, Tarot to margaritas.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Promo - Shadow Chase by Seressia Glass

2010-07-07T18:22:00.000-04:00

Shadow Chase
Shadowchasers, Book 2
Seressia Glass
Juno Books/Pocket Books
ISBN# 9781439158777
Release Date: July 27, 2010
Excerpt: Chapter One

About the Book:
As a Shadowchaser, Kira Solomon has been trained to serve the Light, dispatch the Fallen, and prevent the spread of chaos. It's a deadly job, and Kira knows the horror of spilling innocent blood. But now she has a new role, as the Hand of Ma'at, the Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Order, and an assignment that might just redeem her.

A fellow Shadowchaser has gone missing, and so has a unique artifact imbued with astonishing magic. Unless the Vessel of Nun is returned, it will cause destruction beyond anything the modern world has seen. Kira's got a team at her back, including Khefar, a near-immortal Nubian warrior who's already died for her once. But as complicated as her feelings for him are, they're nothing compared to the difficulties of the task she faces. And the only way to defeat the enemy at hand is to trust in a power she can barely control, and put her life--and her soul--on the line.

About the Author:
Seressia Glass has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on comics, cereal boxes--anything at hand. So it came as no surprise to family and teachers when she began creating stories featuring some of her favorite characters. One of her earlier works included the autobiography of a piece of bubble gum, and a short Halloween story was turned into a PTA play in elementary school.

Her proudest writing moment remains winning the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday "Living the Dream" essay contest as a high school senior and getting to meet Coretta Scott King. Since then, she's channeled her belief in the power of the written word by creating rich, emotional stories of diverse people coming together to achieve the universal goals of love and acceptance.

When not working on her next story, Seressia is an instructional designer for an international home improvement company. She spends her free time people-watching, belly dancing, and watching way too much anime.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

A Message from Kimberly...

2009-11-13T08:25:00.002-05:00

Due to personal obligations and other interests I will no longer be available to update reviews on the Darque Reviews website or blog. Thank you all for following my reviews over the past few years, and I hope that you’ll understand my decision.

Kimberly

Promo - Sharon Ashwood's Program for Injured Animals

2009-11-09T18:05:00.002-05:00

Injured dogs and cats that have been abandoned, are strays, or who belong to the homeless or to lower-income women and children in transition will benefit every time someone downloads a FREE alternative greeting card on http://www.sharonashwood.com/.

Each card offers unique and fun sentiments related to paranormal romance author Sharon Ashwood’s most recent book, SCORCHED. For example: “Chestnuts SCORCHED on an open fire. Hell hounds nibbling at your nose… Here’s hoping your Christmas is fiendishly merry!”

For every card downloaded, Ashwood, a native of Victoria, Canada, will donate 54 cents, Canadian, to the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC). All donations will help defray veterinary costs for one of GVAC’s injured pets. Once that animal’s expenses have been covered, all donations from Ashwood’s program will then go toward the health care costs of another dog or cat. The author says she settled on 54 cents as the donation amount because that’s the current cost for a Canadian first-class postage stamp.

Since GVAC is run completely by volunteers and has no shelter or facilities to maintain (the strays and abandoned pets either live in “foster homes” while waiting to be adopted or are boarded at a veterinary hospital while healing), 100% of all donations to GVAC are used for direct costs related to the animals’ care. Read more about this terrific organization at: http://www.animalcrusaders.ca/.

Ashwood selected GVAC as beneficiary for the donations because she’s a long time animal lover. In fact her own beloved pet, The Demon Lord of Kitty Badness, was a rescue animal.

Author of The Dark Forgotten series, which began with RAVENOUS (February 2009, Signet Eclipse) and continues with SCORCHED (Dec. 1, 2009, Signet Eclipse), Ashwood is offering three alternative greeting cards on her site: one each for Christmas, warm winter wishes and Valentine’s Day.

At least one of these cards will be available for download from Nov. 16, 2009, through Feb. 28, 2010: Christmas and warm winter wishes Nov. 16 – Dec. 25; warm winter wishes and Valentine’s Day Dec. 26 – Feb. 14; warm winter wishes only Feb 14-28.

Photos of GVAC pets and artwork for the greeting cards can be found at: http://www.sharonashwood.com/gvac.php.

Review - Bound to Shadows by Keri Arthur

2009-11-07T14:13:00.002-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Bound to Shadows by Keri Arthur. This is the eighth installment in the Riley Jenson series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/283712.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/58438.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Tempted by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

2009-11-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Tempted by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast. This is the sixth installment in the House of Night series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/283775.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/63817.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre

2009-11-07T14:10:00.000-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre. This is the third installment in the Sirantha Jax series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/283733.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/32275.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Skin Game by Ava Gray

2009-11-07T14:07:00.000-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Skin Game by Ava Gray. This is the first installment in the Skin series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/283754.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/32275.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Better Part of Darkness

2009-11-07T14:05:00.000-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay. This is the first installment in the Charlie Madigan series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/283796.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/283817.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Film Review - The Open Door

2009-11-07T14:03:00.000-05:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Open Door, a movie produced by Clint Carmichael, Gregory Hobson, and Doc Duhame.
http://darquereviews.com/15017/283859.html

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - Darker Angels by M L N Hanover

2009-11-06T01:21:00.000-05:00

Darker Angels
The Black Sun’s Daughter, Book 2
M. L. N. Hanover
Pocket Books
September 29, 2009
ISBN# 978-1-4165-7677-8

About the book:
In the battle between good and evil, there's no such thing as a fair fight.

When Jayné Heller's uncle Eric died, she inherited a fortune beyond all her expectations -- and a dangerous mission in a world she never knew existed. Reining in demons and supernatural foes is a formidable task, but thankfully Jayné has vast resources and loyal allies to rely on. She'll need both to tackle a bodyswitching serial killer who's taken up residence in New Orleans, a city rich in voodoo lore and dark magic.

Working alongside Karen Black, a highly confident and enigmatic ex-FBI agent, Jayné races to track down the demon's next intended host. But the closer she gets, the more convinced she becomes that nothing in this beautiful, wounded city is exactly as it seems. When shocking secrets come to light, and jealousy and betrayal turn trusted friends into adversaries, Jayné will soon come face-to-face with an enemy that knows her all too well, and won't rest until it has destroyed everything she loves most....

You can read the first chapter of Darker Angels: HERE

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Magic in the Shadows by Devon Monk

2009-10-31T03:34:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Magic in the Shadows by Devon Monk. This is the third book in the Allie Beckstrom series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279096.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/112538.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

2009-10-31T03:31:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris. This is the fourth book in the Harper Connelly series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279075.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/137838.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Silent Night, Haunted Night by Terri Garey

2009-10-31T03:29:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Silent Night, Haunted Night by Terri Garey. This is the fourth book in the Nikki Styx series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279159.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/279222.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Scorched by Sharon Ashwood

2009-10-31T03:25:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Scorched by Sharon Ashwood. This is the second book in The Dark Forgotten series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279138.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/279201.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2009-10-31T03:23:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. This is the first book in The League series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279033.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/279243.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Apocalypse Happens by Lori Handeland

2009-10-19T23:27:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Apocalypse Happens by Lori Handeland. This is the third installment in the Phoenix Chronicles.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/276712.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/102038.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Cursed to Death by L. A. Banks

2009-10-19T23:25:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Cursed to Death by L. A. Banks. This is the fourth installment in the Crimson Moon series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/276733.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/78375.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

2009-10-19T23:24:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for On the Edge by Ilona Andrews. This is the first installment in The Edge series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/276775.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/50775.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Dawnbreaker by Jocelynn Drake

2009-10-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Dawnbreaker by Jocelynn Drake. This is the third installment in the Dark Days series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/276754.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/93033.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong

2009-10-09T00:13:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong. This is the tenth installment in the Women of the Otherworld series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/274612.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/43275.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs

2009-10-09T00:11:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for My Wicked Vampire by Nina Bangs. This is the fourth installment in The Castle of Dark Dreams series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/274675.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/102017.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom

2009-10-09T00:09:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom. This is the fourth installment in the Hex series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/274633.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/73875.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Instinctive by Cathryn Fox

2009-10-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Instinctive by Cathryn Fox. This is the first installment in the Eternal Pleasure series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/274654.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/274696.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout

2009-10-06T00:21:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout. This is the first book in the Lightworld/Darkworld series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/273033.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/273054.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Shadowfae by Erica Hayes

2009-09-29T21:19:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Shadowfae by Erica Hayes. This is the first installment in The Shadowfae Chronicles.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/269975.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/270017.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Wild Blue Under by Judi Fennell

2009-09-29T21:17:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Wild Blue Under by Judi Fennell. This is the second installment in the Tritone Trilogy.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/269996.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/169954.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Covet by J. R. Ward

2009-09-29T21:15:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Covet by J. R. Ward. This is the first installment in The Fallen Angels series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/269933.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/120459.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Hunting Memories by Barb Hendee

2009-09-29T21:12:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Hunting Memories by Barb Hendee. This is the second installment in the Vampire Memories series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/269954.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/270038.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Big Bad Wolf by Christine Warren

2009-09-23T19:44:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Big Bad Wolf by Christine Warren. This is the eighth installment in the Others series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/268512.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/142159.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands

2009-09-23T19:41:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Renegade Hunter by Lynsay Sands. This is the third installment in the Rogue Hunter series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/268533.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/66012.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

2009-09-21T23:41:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen. The is the first installment in the Demon Princess series, and is geared towards young adults.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/266833.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/62533.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Doom With a View by Victoria Laurie

2009-09-21T23:39:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Doom With a View by Victoria Laurie. This is the seventh installment in the Psychic Eye Mysteries series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/266812.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/67512.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - After the Kiss by Michele Hauf

2009-09-19T01:15:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for After the Kiss by Michele Hauf. This is an ebook that follows the Wicked Games print series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/264612.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/183222.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Must Love Hellhounds - anthology

2009-09-19T01:13:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Must Love Hellhounds.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/264633.html

You can also visit the author's pages:

Charlaine Harris
http://darquereviews.com/14912/137838.html

Nalini Singh
http://darquereviews.com/14912/56454.html

Ilona Andrews
http://darquereviews.com/14912/50775.html

Meljean Brook
http://darquereviews.com/14912/264654.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade

2009-09-17T00:58:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Seduced by Shadows by Jessa Slade. This is the first installment in The Marked Souls series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/262333.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/262375.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - HeavenSent.com by Stefanie Worth

2009-09-17T00:56:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for HeavenSent.com by Stefanie Worth. This is her story from the Holiday Brides anthology.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/262312.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/262396.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - To Tempt the Wolf by Terry Spear

2009-09-17T00:54:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for To Tempt the Wolf by Terry Spear. This is the third installment in her werewolf series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/262354.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/74154.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs

2009-09-14T21:22:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs. This is the second installment in the Alpha and Omega series.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/259912.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/190238.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - To Crave a Blood Moon by Sharie Kohler

2009-09-14T21:21:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for To Crave a Blood Moon by Sharie Kohler. This is the third installment in the Moon Chasers series.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/259975.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/259996.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost

2009-09-10T22:19:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Barely Bewitched by Kimberly Frost. This is the second book in the Southern Witch series.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/258412.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/258454.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Time for Eternity by Susan Squires

2009-09-09T15:08:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Time for Eternity by Susan Squires. This is the eighth installment in The Companion series.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/257112.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/257133.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary

2009-09-07T19:47:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Treasures of Venice by Loucinda McGary. This is a Starred Read.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/254933.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/254954.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

2009-09-07T19:44:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. This is the fourth installment in the Fever series.

http://darquereviews.com/12612/254912.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/145175.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - Re-launch of the Blood Lines series by Maria Lima

2009-09-07T15:50:00.000-04:00

With the upcoming third release in the Blood Lines series by Maria Lima, Juno/Pocket Books are re-launching the series starting this month with Matters of the Blood. Now is your chance to read Matters of the Blood and Blood Bargain before the release of Blood Kin in October (2009).

Matters of the Blood
Blood Lines, Book 1
Maria Lima
Juno/Pocket Books
September 2009
ISBN# 978-1-4391-5674-2

Book Blurb:
If you thought your family was strange...

Try being Keira Kelly. A member of a powerful paranormal family, Keira elected to stay among humans in the Texas Hill Country when the rest of the clan moved (lock, stock, and grimoire) to Canada. But family duty means still having to keep an eye on cousin Marty -- a genetic aberration who turned out 100% human, poor guy. And recently Keira's been having violent dreams -- or are they visions? -- featuring Marty as the victim of a vicious murder. Something sinister seems to be brewing in little Rio Seco. Can Keira get to the bottom of it all while avoiding entanglement with her former lover, Sheriff Carlton Larson? And what does she plan to do about the irresistible and enigmatic Adam Walker? When this old friend shows up as the new owner of a local ranc and wants to get better acquainted, Keira is more than happy to be welcoming...until she suspects that Adam could be intimately connected to the dangerous doings in Rio Seco.

A review for Matters of the Blood can be found:
http://darquereviews.blogspot.com/2007/09/matters-of-blood-by-maria-lima.html

A review for Blood Bargain can be found:
http://darquereviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/review-blood-bargain-by-maria-lima.html

For more information on the Blood Lines series visit:

Maria Lima - http://www.thelima.com/

Juno Books - http://www.juno-books.com/

Pocket Books (Simon and Schuster) - http://www.simonandschuster.com/

You can also ‘Browse Inside’ Matters of the Blood:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Matters-of-the-Blood/Maria-Lima/9781439156742/browse_inside

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.co

Review - Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

2009-09-05T19:40:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill. This is the second installment in the Chicagoland Vampires series and is a Starred Read!

http://darquereviews.com/12612/253012.html

You can also visit the author's page:

http://darquereviews.com/14912/32433.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Movie Review - Thicker than Water by Writer/Director Philip Messerer

2009-09-05T19:37:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Thicker than Water. This is the first of three movies in the Vampire Diaries Trilogy by Writer/Director Philip Messerer.
http://darquereviews.com/15017/253033.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)
Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - The Child Thief by Brom

2009-09-02T19:18:00.003-04:00

The Child Thief
Brom
EOS
August 25, 2009
ISBN# 9780061671333

The acclaimed artist Brom brilliantly displays his multiple extraordinary talents in The Child Thief—a spellbinding re-imagining of the beloved Peter Pan story that carries readers through the perilous mist separating our world from the realm of Faerie. As Gregory Maguire did with his New York Times bestselling Wicked novels, Brom takes a classic children’s tale and turns it inside-out, painting a Neverland that, like Maguire’s Oz, is darker, richer, more complex than innocent world J.M. Barrie originally conceived. An ingeniously executed literary feat, illustrated with Brom’s sumptuous artwork, The Child Thief is contemporary fantasy at its finest—casting Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, even Captain Hook and his crew in a breathtaking new light.

Book Blurb:

Peter is quick, daring, and full of mischief—and like all boys, he loves to play, though his games often end in blood. His eyes are sparkling gold, and when he graces you with his smile you are his friend for life. He appears to lonely, lost children—the broken, hopeless, and sexually abused—promising to take them to a secret place of great adventure, where magic is alive, and you never grow old. But his promised land is not Neverland. . . .

With this haunting, provocative, relentlessly thrilling reconsideration of a timeless children's classic, the acclaimed artist Brom dramatically displays another side of his extraordinary talent. Exploring the stygian blackness that gathers at the root of the beloved Peter Pan legend, he carries readers into a faerieland at once magically wondrous and deeply disturbing.

Fourteen-year-old Nick would be lying dead in a Brooklyn park—murdered by drug dealers—had Peter not sprung out of the trees to save him. Now the irresistibly charismatic wild boy wants Nick to follow him into a strange and unsettling mist swirling around the bay. Even though he is wary of Peter's crazy talk of faeries and monsters, Nick agrees. After all, nowhere in New York City is safe for him now. And what more can he possibly lose?

There is always more to lose.

Accompanying Peter to a gray and ravished island that was once a lush, enchanted paradise, Nick finds himself unwittingly recruited for a war that has raged for centuries. He must learn to fight or die as he struggles to fit in with the "Devils"—Peter's savage tribe of lost and stolen children.

Here, Peter's dark past is revealed: left to wolves as an infant, despised, tormented, and hunted, Peter moves between the worlds of faerie and man, struggling to understand what he is and where he belongs. The Child Thief is a leader of bloodthirsty children, a brave friend, and a creature driven to do whatever he must to kill the dreaded Captain and stop his murderous crew of "Flesh-eaters" before they blight every trace of magic left in this dying land.

Beautifully illustrated by the author with haunting portraits and indelible images, Brom's The Child Thief is a daring novel of darkest contemporary fantasy that will, at once, haunt and exhilarate any reader who agrees to follow Peter on his desperate crusade.

You can learn more about The Child Thief by visiting Brom’s website: HERE

Eos is giving readers a chance to win original artwork from THE CHILD THIEF. To enter, fans can visit www.thechildthief.com or http://www.harpercollins.com/features/ChildThief/.

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.co

Giveaway Winner - Set of Feral Warriors

2009-09-01T09:45:00.006-04:00

Good Morning All!

Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by to comment on the guest post from Pamela Palmer. The winner for a set of the first three books in the Feral Warrior series is: #10

elnice

Congratulations! Please email me: darquereviews AT gmail DOT com with your mailing address.

Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan

Guest Post and Giveaway with Pamela Palmer

2009-08-25T13:52:00.009-04:00

Today Darque Reviews welcomes Pamela Palmer with a guest post and a giveaway sponsored through the nice folks at HarperCollins. Thanks so much for joining us Pamela!

Thanks for having me at Darque Reviews!

The Guest Post:

I’m often asked how I came up with the idea for my Feral Warriors series for Avon Books. Like so many things, it didn’t happen suddenly. The idea didn’t appear, full-blown in my head. In fact, at first, all I knew were the main characters of the first book, which became Desire Untamed -- the girl next door heroine who thought she was human, and the fierce, dangerous male who stole her away for the power she possessed to save his race. I knew they were immortal. But not what kind of immortal.

I’m a huge fan of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Alyssa Day’s Warriors of Poseidon, and Suzanne Brockmann’s Navy SEALs. I love the band of brothers theme, the warrior males bound together by a common cause or a common enemy, and the wonderful interactions between them. I knew I wanted to tell that kind of tale. My warriors were immortal, but what were they?
I’ve always loved the concept of men who could shift into animals, but most shape-shifter books deal with packs and prides and although I love reading about them, that wasn’t the story I had in my head. I finally realized my band of warrior brothers weren’t exactly brothers at all. They were shape-shifters, but not a pack. Not a pride. Each man was the last of his unique line. Each shifted into a different animal. Each went by the name of that animal.

And the Feral Warriors were born.

I adore romance, but I also love a good, fast-paced, high stakes story with nasty, evil villains. So after creating the Feral Warriors themselves, I had to discover their world, their enemies, and the dangerous situation they found themselves in. After all, warriors need a good battle now and then. By this point in my discovery process, the floodgates had opened and the ideas were rushing freely. The Mage, or the magic ones, had always been the rivals and enemies of the Ferals and their shape-shifting race. However, the true villains are the Daemons and their master, Satanan, all of whom were imprisoned eons ago. But evil is rising, dark forces gathering to free Satanan and his Daemon horde, and the Feral Warriors are the only ones who stand between us and the destruction of our world.

Passion Untamed, the third book in the series, just hit shelves today! In Passion Untamed, Paenther is faced with his worst nightmare when he falls for the seduction of a sweet beauty and finds himself chained in a Mage lair, a captive of a witch and her evil companions.

His muscles corded as he fought the chains with every ounce of strength he possessed until his skin was damp with sweat. But the chains didn’t budge. He was pinned fast, his arms trapped above his head, his legs spread and tethered.

Ah, goddess. If only you’d stopped me. There was no fate worse. He’d have sold his soul to have escaped this.

Heaven help him. His soul was probably the very thing the witch wanted. To finish what the Mage had started all those years ago – tearing him loose from his animal once and for all.
He caught her scent, that delicate, damning smell of violets. She stepped into the doorway, the ethereal beauty who’d shown him heaven between her thighs then captured him in her net of bewitchment. Lust slammed into him all over again.

Even as hatred seared its way through his blood, his gaze drank in the sight of her. She was slender, with few curves revealing themselves beneath the soft, shapeless blue dress. But her short hair accentuated a long, graceful neck and features that were too fine, too delicate for a cold-hearted witch.

Mage or not, she stole his breath.

She watched him, her eyes wary, as she gently stroked the rabbit in her arms. At her side, a doe pressed her head against the witch’s hip while several excited squirrels chased one another around her ankles.

He’d thought she was human.

Closing his eyes against the sight of her, he prayed that grave error didn’t turn out to be the last mistake he ever made.

Thanks for the opportunity to join you here and to tell you a little about the Feral Warriors!

It’s been a pleasure to have you here Pamela, thanks so much for sharing your time with us.

You can visit Ms. Palmer’s website to learn more about the Feral Warriors: HERE

Be sure to check out the reviews for the first three Feral Warrior installments: HERE

You can also ‘Browse Inside’ each of these books by visiting their pages at HarperCollins:
Desire Untamed: HERE
Obsession Untamed: HERE
Passion Untamed: HERE

The Giveaway:
To enter for a chance to win a set of the first three books in the Feral Warriors series, please leave a comment on this post. If you can remember the first paranormal romance that got you hooked on the genre, we’d love to here it. If you have a question for Ms. Palmer, she has graciously offered to check-in today and answer them. The winner will be announced on September 1, 2009, so be sure to check back! Good luck, and happy reading.

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Giveaway Winners - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker

2009-08-25T07:43:00.004-04:00

A big thank you goes to Leanna Renee Hieber for for sharing her time here with all of us, to her lovely publicist at Dorchester Pub, and to all of the readers who stopped by for Ms. Hieber's guest post and contest!

The winners of a copy of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker are:

Daelith

gaby317

Please email me at darquereviews AT gmail DOT com with your mailing info so your books can be sent out to you. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Passion Untamed by Pamela Palmer

2009-08-24T18:22:00.002-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Passion Untamed by Pamela Palmer. This is the third installment in the Feral Warriors series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/250812.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/172296.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - Live Chat with Lev Grossman

2009-08-24T16:40:00.004-04:00

Lev Grossman, author of the new fantasy novel THE MAGICIANS and book critic at Time magazine, will be doing a live chat this Wednesday from 12:30pm – 1:30pm EST at Penguin’s Water Cooler site.

If you have any questions for Lev, please tune in. THE MAGICIANS just debuted at # 9 on the New York Times bestseller list, so I imagine many of your readers are currently checking it out. Please let them know about this chat if you think they’d be interested.

Also if you haven’t had a chance to check out http://www.themagiciansbook.com/, please do. There you can see all kinds of added features to the book—an official website for Brakebills, Christopher Plover’s author page and a fan site for the Fillory books.

About the Book:
Quentin Coldwater is a brilliant but unhappy young man growing up in Brooklyn, NY. At 17, he remains obsessed with the fantasy novels he read as a child, set in the magical land of Fillory. One day, returning home from a college interview gone awry, he finds himself whisked to Brakebills, an exclusive college for wizards hidden in upstate New York. And so begins THE MAGICIANS, the thrilling and original novel of fantasy and disenchantment by Lev Grossman, author of the international bestseller Codex and book critic for TIME magazine (Viking; On-Sale: August 11, 2009).

At Brakebills, Quentin learns to cast spells. He makes friends and falls in love. He transforms into animals and gains powers of which he never dreamed. Still, magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would, and four years later, he finds himself back in Manhattan, living an aimless, hedonistic existence born of apathy, boredom and the ability to conjure endless sums of money out of thin air.

One afternoon, hung over and ruing some particularly foolish behavior, Quentin is surprised by the sudden arrival of his Brakebills friend and rival Penny, who announces that Fillory is real. This news promises to finally fulfill Quentin’s yearning, but their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than Quentin could have imagined. His childhood dream is a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, THE MAGICIANS pays intentional homage to the beloved fantasy novels of C. S. Lewis, T.H. White and J.K. Rowling, but does much more than enlarge the boundaries of conventional fantasy writing. By imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions, Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.

About the Author:
LEV GROSSMAN is a senior writer and book critic for TIME magazine and author of the international bestselling novel Codex. He is also the creator of the Time blog Nerd World (http://www.nerdworld.blogs.time.com/). Grossman holds degrees in comparative literature from Harvard and Yale. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Review - Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

2009-08-23T23:28:00.005-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire. This is the first installment in the October Daye series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/249912.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/249933.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - SF/F/H Book Reviewer Meme - 2nd Edition

2009-08-22T16:22:00.003-04:00

A huge thank you to John at Grasping for the Wind for all of his hard work in developing this meme and sharing it with all of us! :)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Romanian French Chinese Danish Portuguese German

A

7 Foot Shelves

The Accidental Bard

A Boy Goes on a Journey

A Dribble Of Ink

Adventures in Reading

A Fantasy Reader

The Agony Column

A Hoyden's Look at Literature

All Booked Up

Alexia's Books and Such...

Andromeda Spaceways

The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.

Ask Daphne

ask nicola

Audiobook DJ

aurealisXpress

Australia Specfic In Focus

Author 2 Author

AzureScape

B

Barbara Martin

Babbling about Books

Bees (and Books) on the Knob

Best SF

Bewildering Stories

Bibliophile Stalker

Bibliosnark

Big Dumb Object

BillWardWriter.com

The Billion Light-Year Bookshelf

Bitten by Books

The Black Library Blog

Blog, Jvstin Style

Blood of the Muse

The Book Bind

Bookgeeks

Bookrastination

Booksies Blog

Bookslut

The Book Smugglers

Bookspotcentral

The Book Swede

Book View Cafe [Authors Group Blog]

Breeni Books

C

Cheaper Ironies [pro columnist]

Charlotte's Library

Circlet 2.0

Cheryl's Musings

Club Jade

Cranking Plot

Critical Mass

The Crotchety Old Fan

D

Daily Dose - Fantasy and Romance

Damien G. Walter

Danger Gal

It's Dark in the Dark

Dark Wolf Fantasy Reviews

Darque Reviews

Dave Brendon's Fantasy and Sci-Fi Weblog

Dead Book Darling

Dear Author

The Deckled Edge

The Doctor is In...

Dragons, Heroes and Wizards

Drey's Library

The Discriminating Fangirl

Dusk Before the Dawn

E

Enter the Octopus

Errant Dreams Reviews

Eve's Alexandria

F

Falcata Times

Fan News Denmark [in English]

Fantastic Reviews

Fantastic Reviews Blog

Fantasy Book Banner

Fantasy Book Critic

Fantasy Book Reviews and News

Fantasy Cafe

Fantasy Debut

Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings

Fantasy Literature.com

Fantasy Magazine

Fantasy and Sci-fi Lovin' Blog

Feminist SF - The Blog!

Feybound

Fiction is so Overrated

The Fix

The Foghorn Review

Follow that Raven

Forbidden Planet

Frances Writes

Free SF Reader

From a Sci-Fi Standpoint

From the Heart of Europe

Fruitless Recursion

Fundamentally Alien

The Future Fire

G

The Galaxy Express

Galleycat

Game Couch

The Gamer Rat

Garbled Signals

Genre Reviews

Genreville

Got Schephs

Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Grasping for the Wind

The Green Man Review

Gripping Books

H

Hasenpfeffer

Hero Complex

Highlander's Book Reviews

Horrorscope

The Hub Magazine

Hyperpat's Hyper Day

I

I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away The Ending

Ink and Keys

Ink and Paper

The Internet Review of Science Fiction

io9

J

Jenna's Bookshelf

Jumpdrives and Cantrips

K

Keeping the Door

King of the Nerds

L

Lair of the Undead Rat

Largehearted Boy

Layers of Thought

League of Reluctant Adults

The Lensman's Children

Library Dad

Libri Touches

Literary Escapism

Literaturely Speaking

ludis inventio

Lundblog: Beautiful

M

Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Review

Mari's Midnight Garden

Mark Freedman's Journal

Marooned: Science Fiction Books on Mars

MentatJack

Michele Lee's Book Love

Missions Unknown [Author and Artist Blog Devoted to SF/F/H in San Antonio]

The Mistress of Ancient Revelry

MIT Science Fiction Society

Monster Librarian

More Words, Deeper Hole

Mostly Harmless Books

Multi-Genre Fan

Musings from the Weirdside

My Favourite Books

N

Neth Space

The New Book Review

NextRead

Not Free SF Reader

Nuketown

O

OF Blog of the Fallen

The Old Bat's Belfry

Only The Best SciFi/Fantasy

The Ostentatious Ogre

Outside of a Dog

P

Paranormality

Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

Patricia's Vampire Notes

The Persistence of Vision

Piaw's Blog

pornokitsch

Post-Weird Thoughts

Publisher's Weekly

Q

R

Random Acts of Mediocrity

Ray Gun Revival

Realms of Speculative Fiction

Reading the Leaves

Review From Here

Reviewer X

Revolution SF

The Road Not Taken

Rob's Blog o' Stuff

Robots and Vamps

S

Sandstorm Reviews

Satisfying the Need to Read

Science Fiction and Fantasy Ethics

Science Fiction Times

ScifiChick

Sci-Fi Blog

SciFiGuy

Sci-Fi Fan Letter

The Sci-Fi Gene

Sci-Fi Songs [Musical Reviews]

SciFi Squad

Scifi UK Reviews

Sci Fi Wire

Self-Publishing Review

The Sequential Rat

Severian's Fantastic Worlds

SF Diplomat

SFFaudio

SFFMedia

SF Gospel

SFReader.com

SF Reviews.net

SF Revu

SF Safari

SF Signal

SF Site

SFF World's Book Reviews

Silver Reviews

Simply Vamptastic

Slice of SciFi

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

Solar Flare

Speculative Fiction

Speculative Fiction Junkie

Speculative Horizons

The Specusphere

Spinebreakers

Spiral Galaxy Reviews

Spontaneous Derivation

Sporadic Book Reviews

Stainless Steel Droppings

Starting Fresh

Stella Matutina

Stuff as Dreams are Made on...

The Sudden Curve

The Sword Review

T

Tangent Online

Tehani Wessely

Temple Library Reviews

Tez Says

things mean a lot

Tor.com [also a publisher]

True Science Fiction

U

Ubiquitous Absence

Un:Bound

undeadbydawn

Urban Fantasy Land

V

Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic

Variety SF

W

Walker of Worlds

Wands and Worlds

Wanderings

The Wertzone

With Intent to Commit Horror

The Wizard of Duke Street

WJ Fantasy Reviews

The Word Nest

Wordsville

The World in a Satin Bag

WriteBlack

X

Y

Young Adult Science Fiction

Z

Romanian

Cititor SF [with English Translation]

French

Elbakin.net

Mythologica

Chinese

Foundation of Krantas

The SF Commonwealth Office in Taiwan [with some English essays]

Yenchin's Lair

Danish

Interstellar

Ommadawn.dk

Scifisiden

Portuguese

Aguarras

Fernando Trevisan

Human 2.0

Life and Times of a Talkative Bookworm

Ponto De Convergencia

pÃ³s-estranho

Skavis

German

Fantasy Seiten

Fantasy Buch

Fantasy/SciFi Blog

Literaturschock

Welt der fantasy

Bibliotheka Phantastika

SF Basar

Phantastick News

X-zine

Buchwum

Phantastick Couch

Wetterspitze

Fantasy News

Fantasy Faszination

Fantasy Guide

Zwergen Reich

Fiction Fantasy

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Romanian French Chinese Danish Portuguese German

Review - Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle

2009-08-20T00:50:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Obsidian Prey. This is the sixth installment in the Ghost Hunters (Harmony) series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/248412.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/248433.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd

2009-08-19T01:46:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd. This is the second installment in The Chosen Ones series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/247712.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/216875.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Beloved Vampire by Joey W. Hill

2009-08-17T22:42:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Beloved Vampire by Joey W. Hill. This is the fourth installment in the Vampire Queen series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/246412.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/246433.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Prodigal Mage by Karen Miller

2009-08-14T00:50:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Prodigal Mage by Karen Miller. This is the first installment in the Fisherman's Children.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/245412.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/205654.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Guest Post - Giveaway - Leanna Renee Hieber

2009-08-11T12:45:00.006-04:00

Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Leanna Renee Hieber to Darque Reviews with a guest post. Thanks so much for joining us Ms. Hieber!

*Don’t forget to read the instructions below the guest post to enter for a chance to win one of two copies of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker!*

The Guest Post:
My favourite thing about the hero of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker- first in my Strangely Beautiful Gothic Victorian Fantasy series- is this: Clove tea and leather-bound books.

I believe the most evocative, dare I say delicious thing I’ve ever written is how my compelling, enigmatic, ever-so-sexy (otherwise why would I have written him) hero, Professor Alexi Rychman, smells. Before I wax rhapsodic about how intoxicating I find the man, let me set his scene. The year is 1888. London is ghostly and gas-lit. This is the ghostly world in which his tale takes place:

What fortune awaited sweet, timid Percy Parker at Athens Academy? Considering how few of Queen Victoria’s Londoners knew of it, the great Romanesque fortress was dreadfully imposing, and little could Percy guess what lay inside. She had never met the powerful and mysterious Professor Alexi Rychman, knew nothing of the growing shadow, the Ripper and other supernatural terrors against which his coterie stood guard. She knew simply that she was different, haunted, with her snow-white hair, pearlescent skin and uncanny gifts. But this arched stone doorway offered a portal to a new life, an education far from the convent—and an invitation to an intimate yet dangerous dance at the threshold of life and death…

A few months ago author/blogger Lise Horton of my RWA NYC Chapter (http://www.blogger.com/profile/13315265091119634416) gave a fabulous presentation about using sensory input in our stories. This is particularly important when dealing with paranormal universes. Not only is it fun to create and imagine new and unexpected sensory input, but such details can immerse readers in alternate realities and make a book a transporting experience. I find creating the necessary atmosphere, whether realistic or utterly fantastical, a delightful part of the process. During Lise’s presentation I kept thinking of a specific moment in my book. One of my very favourite moments. And in the end, this detail isn’t supernatural at all. I’ll show you. The setting:

Nineteen year old Miss Percy Parker, feeling freakish in her ghostly-white skin has fled from the uncomfortable social trauma of the Athens Academy ball and into a darkened, abandoned foyer where she dances alone. Professor Rychman, helplessly intrigued by her, silently follows, and time stops a moment to allow them this encounter...

From The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker...

Suddenly, Percy realized that she’d never before been so terribly alone. Tears sprang forth, and she let them come.

“Now, now, Miss Parker, what’s this?” a voice scolded from behind.

Percy whirled at the familiar, stern sound. A figure broke from shadow, clad in an elegantly tailored frock coat trimmed with ornate embroidery, and a white silk cravat. His black hair was combed neatly, framing that noble, stoic face at which Percy had spent countless hours staring. Percy’s heart throbbed in her throat.

“Oh, Professor! Good evening!” She nearly coughed out her words, feeling all grace drain away, cut to the quick by his unexpected appearance. She tried to bat away her tears but his firm hand caught her pale, lace-covered fingers. He took her hand, their entwined fingers bridging the cold chasm between their bodies.

“May I have this dance, Miss Parker?”

“Oh … of course, sir.” A blush bloomed ferociously in her cheeks but she was helpless to stop it.

As his hand grasped hers, she examined his full lips, which had just enough curve to make his expression inviting. There was just enough light in those dark eyes to make Percy wholly forget about breathing, and without words or even a nod he drew her hand to his side. He slid his opposite hand around layers of smooth lavender satin and placed the fullness of his palm assuredly upon her waist.

Percy’s hand flew to his shoulder, alighting like a lark on a branch. She saw his nostrils flare, as if he took in the intoxicating scent of the heather she wore, and if her mind did not play tricks he stared at her as if she was his peer. But her mind did play tricks, and these were dangerous thoughts.

They began to waltz—slowly at first, their circles precise and narrow, their gazes locked. Percy, who had already memorized the professor’s features, now savored each pore, crease and eyelash. The study of his sculpted lips forced her to close her eyes or else, truly, her knees would have buckled. In turn she knew she was being parceled; but from him, she welcomed the scrutiny.

Their bodies were one with the music, and Percy found she didn’t have to think about the correct steps any longer. In and out of the moonlight they floated, silent save for the deft clicks of their heels, the whispers of the music rising from below and the occasional sigh escaping Percy’s lips. Their orbit grew, expanded. Her sighs grew into giggles and laughs.

Professor Rychman spun her, and Percy swept fully against him, lingering there for just a moment. Her face brushed his chest and she took a deep breath. He smelled faintly of clove tea and leather-bound books. She did not want to remove her cheek from the thick black lapel of his jacket; she could have nestled in that warm darkness indefinitely. Perhaps, at least, until class. A giddy scream welled up inside her. This was surely a dream…

(end of Excerpt)
---

Scent is one of the most powerful senses to evoke memory and emotion. For me, having this real, small yet absolutely knowable sensory detail, amidst the improbable and vast spectral universe of the Strangely Beautiful world, has remained critical to me. It anchors me to Alexi, as I journey forward with him as I write his future books. I always have a cup of clove tea by my side when I write, to keep him near.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to be here at Darque Reviews and I hope you’ll love Alexi, Percy and The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker as much as I loved writing it! Blessings!

Leanna Renee Hieber

Thank you so much for joining us Leanna! I wish you the best with The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, and hope to see more in the Strangely Beautiful series soon!

You can visit Ms. Hieber’s website: HERE

You can read a review for The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker: HERE

You can visit her author page on Darque Reviews: HERE

The Giveaway:
To enter for a chance to win one of two copies of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, please leave a comment on this post. I’d love to hear what draws you to reading books with a historical setting. Two winners will be chosen on release day, August 25, 2009, so be sure to check back to see if it was you! Good luck, and Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

2009-08-09T22:34:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber. This is the first installment in the Strangely Beautiful series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240775.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/240880.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

*Be sure to stop by Tuesday (August 11, 2009) for a guest post and book giveaway with the lovely Ms. Hieber!*

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Moon Kissed by Michele Hauf

2009-08-09T22:28:00.002-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Moon Kissed by Michele Hauf. This is the second installment in the Wicked Games series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240754.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/183222.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge

2009-08-09T22:22:00.002-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge. This is the fourth installment in the Nocturne City series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240817.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/149459.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman

2009-08-09T22:15:00.005-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Trick of the Light by Rob Thurman. This is the first installment in the Trickster series. *STARRED READ*
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240796.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/240901.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton

2009-08-09T22:11:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton. This is the second installment in her Sugar Maple, Vermont series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240733.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/240838.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Beyond the Rain by Jess Granger

2009-08-09T22:09:00.001-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Beyond the Rain by Jess Granger.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/240712.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/240859.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Author News - Charlaine Harris - NY Times Bestseller List

2009-08-05T16:06:00.007-04:00

An Unprecedented Nine Titles - Eight Paperbacks and One Hardcover - On List Simultaneously

New York, NY (August 5, 2009) - Berkley Publishing Group author Charlaine Harris, the bestselling writer of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that are the basis for HBO's hit television show True Blood, makes an impressive showing on the August 9th, 2009 New York Times Bestseller List with each of the nine books in her series appearing on the list simultaneously.

Eight of the Sookie Stackhouse titles are currently available in paperback and will appear on this Sunday's mass market fiction bestseller list in the following positions:

#5 Dead Until Dark (Ace Books, 2008)
#6 From Dead to Worse (Ace Books, 2009)
#8 Club Dead (Ace Books, 2003)
#9 Living Dead in Dallas (Ace Books, 2002)
#11 Dead to the World (Ace Books, 2005)
#12 Dead as a Doornail (Ace Books, 2006)
#13 Definitely Dead (Ace Books, 2007)
#15 All Together Dead (Ace Books, 2008)

Dead and Gone (Ace Books, 2009), the ninth and most recent book in the series, will hold the #11 slot on this weekend's New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. The hardcover debuted at #1 on the May 24th bestseller list and has spent a total of 12 weeks (and counting) on the list.

This unprecedented showing comes on the heels of Harris's recent appearance at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CA where she met fans and signed hundreds of books. About 800 fans showed up in hopes of scoring one of 150 tickets to Charlaine's afternoon autographing session on July 24th. The excitement continued the next day when Harris participated in a panel discussion with the cast and creator of True Blood. Harris answered several fan questions and thrilled the audience of 5,000 with the announcement of a new three book contract, promising that Sookie Stackhouse's adventures will continue into 2014.

About the Sookie Stackhouse seies:
The Sookie Stackhouse series began in 2001 with the publication of Dead Until Dark. Not a traditional mystery, nor pure fantasy or romance, Dead Until Dark and its sequels broke genre boundaries to appeal to a wide audience of readers. Each subsequent book about the telepathic barmaid and friend to vampires, werewolves, and various other odd creatures, has drawn more readers. There are currently more than 10 million copies of the nine-book series in print in the U.S.- a number that is growing exponentially each week.

About the Author:
Charlaine Harris has been a published novelist for over twenty-five years. A native of the Mississippi Delta, she now lives in southern Arkansas with her husband and family. In addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series, Harris also wrote the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard mysteries and is currently working on the Harper Connolly mystery series.

For more information about Charlaine Harris, visit her website at www.charlaineharris.com.

For more on HBO's True Blood series, visit www.hbo.com/trueblood.

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin, Philomel, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.
http://www.penguin.compenguin/

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Promo - Book Blogger Appreciation Week 2009

2009-08-04T22:54:00.002-04:00

Did you know that My Friend Amy and the BBAW staff have been hard at work on this year’s Book Blogger Appreciation Week? If you haven’t yet had the chance, be sure to stop over there to put in your nominations and/or register your blog!

You can enter your nominations (before August 15, 2009): HERE

You can register your blog (before August 15, 2009): HERE

As I didn’t really have a chance to participate last year, I’m going to answer the meme questions for those who didn’t participate:

1) What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?
‘Meeting’ other readers who love books as much as I do.

2) What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?
Marta Acosta (author and blogger) from Vampire Wire was one of the first bloggers to link to my reviews, and she never ceases to amaze me with all that she accomplishes.

3) What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?
In what ways did your participation in last years BBAW change your blogging experiences?

Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Review - The Fire King by Marjorie Liu

2009-08-03T02:31:00.002-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Fire King by Marjorie Liu. This is the ninth installment in the Dirk & Steele series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/238133.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/193980.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - The Magicians by Lev Grossman

2009-08-03T02:30:00.000-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/238154.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/238175.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Obsession Untamed by Pamela Palmer

2009-08-03T02:25:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Obsession Untamed by Pamela Palmer. This is the second installment in the Feral Warriors series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/238112.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/172296.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara

2009-07-29T20:39:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara. This is the first installment in the Dark Brethren series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/232754.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/232880.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

2009-07-29T20:37:00.003-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Rampant by Diana Peterfreund. This is the first installment in the killer unicorn world. (Young Adult)
http://darquereviews.com/12612/232775.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/162680.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Speak of the Devil by Jenna Black

2009-07-29T20:35:00.002-04:00

A new review has been posted on the website for Speak of the Devil by Jenna Black. This is the fourth installment in the Morgan Kingsley series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/232796.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/187796.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com