Guest Post, Review and Giveaway: Betrayed by Shadows

Betrayed by Shadows 

by Nancy Gideon

Genre: Paranormal Romance.

Blurb: 

Balancing a criminal empire and a preternatural clan war, reluctant front man Giles St. Clair doesn’t need a problem like Brigit MacCreedy . . . How much trouble can the head-strong and manipulative Shifter beauty get into in two weeks? Plenty when her schemes range from kidnapping to fleeing the retribution of her dead lover’s clan. 

With her family’s lives on the line, Brigit is willing to do whatever it takes to save them. The only thing standing in her way is an immovable stone wall of a man she can’t bully or beguile . . . a human, no less, who has promised to protect her from the secrets and dangers she conceals. 

Risking her own safety gets complicated when an honorable and annoyingly desirable man puts himself between her and her powerful enemies in a battle he can’t win in this Taming of the Shrew meets Shifter Goodfellas on the Bayou tale of consequences, redemption and finding love in all the wrong places.

Guest Post:

Stuff Just Got Real by Nancy Gideon

One of the most fun and challenging things for a paranormal author is to bring a fictitious world and all its characters from imagination to reality in the mind of the reader. You’re asking that reader to suspend belief, to take a leap of faith into your creative realm with the promise that you’ll catch them, that from page one to page end they’ll be in New Orleans surrounded by dangerous Shape-shifters, that unless they go to Snopes to fact check, that those shadowy beings could . . . and do exist.

One of the things I learned from my favorite authors Dean Koontz and Stephen King is to first ground the fantastical in everyday reality. By giving the readers something to relate to - a seemingly normal setting where they feel comfortable, basic human emotions such as vulnerability, love, the struggle for survival, flawed and sympathetic characters they can identify with . . . then you can screw with that reality without losing them! If you can make a reader believe that French Quarter alley exists, that your heroine is in peril and afraid for her life, that reader is invested, is put right in the center of the action, and they will accept the fact that those in pursuit are preternatural creatures. The things that are real tether the reader to those things that are pure imagination.

To make it real, words need to transform from flat text on a page to become sensual and textured. They need to provoke a reader’s response, to make them experience the scene you create. When I bring my readers to a backwater bayou, I want them to feel the wet heat on their skin, to hear the drone of insects, to smell the heaviness of decay, to taste the salty air, so when I ask them to see lupine shapes moving through the tangled brush on the shore, I’ve got them so deeply embedded in the moment, they’re onboard.  When my heroine gets separated from her protector in the Quarter and is taking a shortcut through an alley, the reader can hear the noise and music from just around the corner, can envision the cobbled street, the shadowed walls, can feel her panic when she realizes she’s not alone. And because she’s a Shifter with heightened senses, the reader experiences her intuitive warning of danger to come with a prickle of anticipation. The real blending with the surreal.

Let me take you on that journey into my secretive and suspenseful “By Moonlight” world with BETRAYED BY SHADOWS, the 7th book in my dark paranormal series, where shape-shifters walk among humans and danger is just a heartbeat away. You will believe . . .

  About the author:

An author of over fifty novels since 1987, Nancy Gideon thrives on variety. Under her own name and several pseudonyms, she’s written award-winning series suspense, historical and paranormal bestsellers, earned a “Career Achievement for Historical Adventure”, and has had two original horror screenplays optioned for film. A Michigan native, she works full time as a legal administrative assistant and feeds a NetFlix addiction.

Author Links: 

Website

Blog

Facebook 

Twitter 

Goodreads 

Buy Links: 

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Don't forget to check: YA PARANORMAL GIVEAWAY HOP HERE.

Hunter Moon: Dream Cast and Character Bio.

This is BOOK 4 in the  MOON series. 

I'm glad to introduce it to you and also a fun DREAM CAST and Character BIO.

Hunter Moon (Moon #4)

by Jeanette Battista.

Genre: Paranormal Romance.

Published: November 21st 2012 by Createspace.

Synopsis:

With the threat of a werehyena takeover dealt with, Kess, Finn, and Rafe can finally enjoy the tentative peace Miami has to offer. As Kess moves forward with her decision to open up the territory to peaceful weres, she knows that the Keepers of Divine Order—a group of werejackal assassins—are watching her every move. If her plan fails, she knows they won’t hesitate to eliminate her and her friends.
 
When several werehyenas suddenly disappear and Mebis, the Keeper assigned to Miami, goes unexpectedly missing, Kess fears the worst. But even she’s unprepared for this latest threat: a hunter hiding in plain sight whose only goal is killing werecreatures. Can Kess and her friends survive this most dangerous game?

DREAM CAST:

Kess  The author had  Katerina Graham and Genelia D’Souza and even both are great to be Kess, everybody loves Kat! ;) 

Laila-Juno Temple. She’s got such a little minx face--she’d be perfect as the werejackal assassin. 

Finn: Chris Hemsworth that man is amazing and has the height and  presence the author wanted for the character. 

Cormac: 

 Diego González Boneta. Wow. 

Just Wow. He looks delicious!

Lukas-Chris Zylka. He has that Germanic chiselled look that I imagine Lukas would have. (I'm in love with this man!)

Zamiel--Nicholas Hoult. I think he’d be brilliant and so much fun. I loved him as Beast in X-Men: First Class.

Rafe--Ezra Miller. I think he has the chops to do Rafe up right.

So, do you want to know more about Rafe? Read his BIO below!





Character Bio:

Rafael--Rafe--is the youngest child of Samara and James. His older sister Teresa was favored by their mother from the start, while Rafe was his father's favorite. Unfortunately, James left the family when Rafe was still young. 

He doesn't know why his father left, but suspects it has something to do with Samara's abusive nature. Once he was left alone, Rafe was pretty much bullied by his mother and sister on a daily basis. In the case of werehyenas, this is considered normal--females run the pack and are larger and stronger than males, and therefore are dominant in the social structure.

Rafe excelled in school. His favorite subjects were science and math--he liked that there were concrete rules and every problem was solvable. He spent much of his free time at school or at the library; anything to keep him out of his house and away from Samara and Teresa. When he wasn't there, he was skateboarding with the few friends he had. Once Samara scarred his face though, he stopped skateboarding and lost touch with his friends.
He became a loner, sure of his worthlessness. He found solace in reading and drawing. His favorite book was Something Wicked This Way Comes and he devoured everything Ray Bradbury wrote. Rafe tried his hand with writing and drawing his own comic books, but didn't think they were very good. He still has them and sometimes thinks about showing them to Lenore, but he's not ready yet.

He'd never had a girlfriend until Lenore. Rafe had always been shy and clumsy around girls, unsure of himself thanks to his mother and his sister. He feels like Lenore is the greatest gift he's ever received. And he can't believe that he was lucky enough to meet her--he feels like he owes Kess a huge debt for putting him in Lenore's way.
He's got a huge amount of respect for Kess and feels like she's the big sister he's always wanted--but he'd never tell her so. He doesn't want to creep her out. At the same time, Finn is the older brother he never really wanted, but now has to tolerate, especially when he fills Rafe's shoes with pudding. He actually likes Finn a lot and kind of hopes he can be more like him. Finn, as usual, is oblivious.
Rafe is still terrified of Laila. As he should be.



Check out Leopard Moon on AMAZON.


Press on the covers to go the Goodreads page:

Author Bio: 

Jeanette Battista graduated with an English degree with a concentration in medieval literature which explains her possibly unhealthy fixation on edged weapons and cathedral architecture. She spent a summer in England and Scotland studying the historical King Arthur, which did nothing to curb her obsession. To satisfy her adrenaline cravings—since sword fighting is not widely accepted in these modern times—she rode a motorcycle at ridiculously high speeds, got some tattoos, and took kickboxing and boxing classes. She gave up the bike when her daughter came along, although she still gets pummeled at the gym on a regular basis.When she’s not writing or working, Jeanette spends time with family, hikes, reads, makes decadent brownies, buys killer boots, and plays Pocket Frogs. She wishes there were more hours in the day so she could actually do more of these things. She lives with her daughter and their two psychotic kittens in North Carolina.
www.jeanettebattista.com

Review: A Tale of Other Kind by Leandi Cameron.

A Tale of Other Kind (A Therian Novel, Volume 1)

by Leandi Cameron.

Genre – YA Paranormal Fantasy

Rating – PG13

Buy Now @ Amazon

SYNOPSIS:

Kai Emery likes to be indiscernible; however, his infatuation for his classmate, Sienna Fynn, has made his invisibility status all the more impossible to upkeep. His world spirals out of control when he discovers that he is a shapeshifting were-leopard, and finds himself unable to control his newfound anatomy.

An unpredictable vampire enters his life, leading him down a path that soon reveals his destiny, and discloses another world, filled with magic and terrifying darkness. When he finds himself in danger from the god of magic and darkness for disobeying a curse bestowed upon his kind, forbidding him from falling in love with a human, he has to fight for survival, and protect everyone that he loves.

My Thoughts:

For me this is a 3.5 stars book.

Didn't blew my mind but I did like it!

What I liked the most was its originality. I'm used to reading about shape-shifters but the angle and the way it is presented in this book is totally different.

And different in a good way.

I love the writing style and I think it was fast paced.

The cover is definitely gorgeous.

What made me decide for 3.5 instead of 4 stars were the characters.

Kai and Sienna, the main characters are ok. Yes, just ok, they are passionate, but not that much; they are smart, but not that much; they are brave, but not that much... get my point?

As this is the first instalment of a series, I'd like to see more development on them because the story really has potential.

On the other hand, certain vampire was definitely the best character in the book. I wish she had a more important role because she cracked me up with her attitude and manners. Especially the way she explains things to Kai very "matter of factly". 

The story of the shapeshifters that she tells him is fascinating.

The bad guy is disgusting but at the same intriguing.

I want more of these last two.

Let's see what the sequel brings!

About the Author:

Leandi Cameron is the author of Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy Novel 'A Tale of the Other Kind: A Therian Novel series.

She is an award-winning journalist living in Ekurhuleni, South Africa, where she also spends her days working at Caxton Newspapers as the Assistant Editor for the Boksburg Advertiser.

Cameron also co-owns House of LeaVik with her sister Vikki Rostoll-Olivier where she also dabbles in publishing, fashion and graphic design.

Connect with Leandi Cameron on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://www.lrcameron.blogspot.com/

Website http://www.leandicameron.com/

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13th January – Book Review at Wanted Readers

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14th January – Book Review at Why Not?

15th January - Author Interview & Guest Post at Vanna Smythe’s Blog

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17th January – Guest Post at Writers & Authors

18th January - Guest Post at Mademoiselle Le Sphinx

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Mundahlia (The Mundahlian Era #1)

When our era ends, theirs begins. 

Rini thought going to live with her cousins in the city of Austin, Texas while her parents rekindled their marriage on a four month long cruise, was a step in the right direction. When she makes a new quirky friend, and stumbles upon a handsome nude young man named Jett in the enveloping forest surrounding her cabin, she thought she was only moving forward. Well, she was wrong.

Jett and his clan appear human, just like anyone else. But take a closer look, and you will see that they are indeed Mundahlians. Legendary hybrid beings with both human and animal qualities that have been kept a heavily guarded secret throughout time—until now. They are taking refuge in our world, fleeing from their hidden homeland of Mundahlia and its aging power-hungry King, who has set up a game between his many children.Whoever can bring them back to their world so they can be tried and executed shall receive the crown once he passes.

Upon finding their hide out, Bane, one of the King's sons, and on a hunt to win the crown, sees an opportunity to shatter the blossoming relationship, lure the family back to Mundahlia, and frame Rini for the murder of a Mundahlian—thus, breaking the pact signed long ago with the humans, and reigniting an ancient war for the majority of land and control. A triple deed that will surely earn him the power he craves.

In the wake of his devious acts, which leaves Rini heart-broken and injured, Bane whisks her away to Mundahlia to be convicted of the crime he had forged. Jett, with help from his family and friends, sets out to stop the trial and rescue Rini before it is too late.

Will they make it in time?

Or will a new era begin.

A Mundahlian Era.

GENRE: Paranormal Romance.

PUBLISHED: July 26th by Amazon.

RATING: 4 stars!

MY THOUGHTS:

A brilliant fantasy world created by the author, with inhabitants that you could only imagine in dreams (or not even that way) is mixed with our world in such a smooth and perfect way that pulls you in immediately.

I admit that sometimes I wanted to punch Jett in the face but well... he had a good excuse for being that way lol.

The love story is intriguing and sweet.

The bad guy is infuriating! (as he should be, of course)

Every character of the "family" is well described and I found them very interesting.

The end was awesome, when the second book of the series is released I'll definitely add it to my tbr pile! 

I love to read books that aren't so... famous... (so to speak)and sometimes not having other reviews to guide me, leads to a total disaster but this time it was a very good choice :)

I truly recommend it :)

Ah! I almost forget: the cover is beautiful!

Review: Sweet Blood of Mine

GENRE: Paranormal Romance

Published:  April 1st 2012

Rating:   3.5 stars


SYNOPSIS:

From Mega Nerd to Super Stud.

Justin Case and women do not mix. Man boobs, a love of Kings and Castles, and being tight with the "nerd" crowd certainly don't win him any points either. After rescuing Katie, his crush, it turns out she might not be the girl he thought she was, while Elyssa, the school's Goth Girl, turns out to be more. Can high school get any more confusing? 

Determined to improve himself, he joins a gym and meets a sexy girl that just oozes a "come hither, Justin" vibe. Until she attacks him in the parking lot, and Justin realizes she's no ordinary girl but a being with supernatural speed and strength. After a narrow escape and an excruciating migraine headache, he wakes up with supernatural abilities all his own: speed, strength, and the ability to seduce every woman he sees. 

While that might sound like the perfect combo for any hormonal teen, Justin is a hopeless romantic who wants his first time to be special. Is that too much to ask for? But he doesn't know what he is or how to stop his carnal urges. One thing is clear: If he doesn't find answers there are other more sinister supernaturals who would like nothing better than to make him their eternal plaything and do far worse than kill him.


MY REVIEW:

3.5 stars for John Corwin :)

I got this book as part of  Goodreads group We ♥ YA Books! r2r program. I've already had it in my tbr list because I so love the cover.

I have to say it is a really good book. I was struggling between 3 or 4 stars because I believe it was kind of slow paced for my taste. 
The real action begins at approximately 60%. The beginning is nice though, it provides a great background to get to know the characters but then again... somehow it was too much for me.

On the other hand, the book is full of great characters and the author manage to create an original world where several types of creatures collide in one entertaining story. Vampires, dhampirs, demons, sorcerers, shapeshifters, you ask for it and you find it in this book!

Personally I found Elysa to be so strong and has an amazing personality. Justin is great, but his name is weird, I mean the guy's name is Justin Case. I found myself spliting it in my mind everytime I read it: Just-in-case. -.- 

 In his defense I have to say he is so funny! I could totally picture him with his "Lord of the rings" backpack and being all so nerdy lol. And then suddenlyhe starts transforming into a stud and as the story progresses, he changes so much and becomes the knight in a shining armor he was destined to be (but way sexier than what he was at the beginning lol)

The felican was a very interesting character itself. Justin's dad on the contrary, wasn't developed enough. I believe he should have had more attention since he has a very important role in the story.

Let's see what happens in the next book of the series. This was a promising start :)


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