Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone (ARC)

Publisher: Spice, Imprint of Harlequin
Pages: 360

From the Cover: In Victoria England vice of every kind can be purchased, and Matthew, the Earl of Wallingford, makes certain he avails himself of every possible pleasure. Bored and jaded, he is as well-known for his coldness as for his licentious affairs with beautiful women.

While these numerous dalliances fulfill Matthew's every physical need, they secretly leave him numb and emotionally void. Until one night when he finds himself beaten, eyes bandaged and in the care of a nurse with the voice of an angel - and a gentle touch that soothes the darkness in him and makes him yearn for more.

Yet Jane Rankin is a lowly nurse, considered shy and plain by most. There is no place for her amongst the lords and ladies of the aristocracy - despite Matthew's growing craving for the fire that burns behind her earnest facade. And then there is Matthew's secret. A secret so humiliating and scandalous is could destroy everyone he loves. A sin, he fears, not even the love of a good woman can take away...

***May Contain Spoilers (though I try to avoid all spoilers, beware)***

Lord Matthew Wallingford wants nothing to do with proper society. He's a lost soul, abused and used, and he can only endure when he uses as well, to chase away the demon. He's dirty, sinful, outrageous to society, and that's the way he likes it. No attachments, no strings. If he wants a body, there are plenty available willing to abide his rules. No touching, no bed, and certainly, no words of love. What is love but the confinement that he can't bring himself to endure. He has only seen love once, between Lord Raeburn and Anais, childhood friends turned lovers waiting for the bonds of marriage to claim them. Wallingford has no illusions of marriage for him, he can't begin to imagine himself tied down in the restraining noose of marriage.  Especially with the sins he has committed, he is unfit.

Miss Jane Rankin, lady's companion to one Lady Blackwood who has been shunned herself by society in disgrace for having divorced her vicious husband. Jane has little time for the foolish desires that some call love. She's always been a plain Jane, she has no illusions about herself as well as the knowledge that she rarely draws the attention of a roving male eye. But, she's determined to make the best of her world and of her worth. Working as a nurse at the London College Hospital has given her a purpose as well as a skill to allow her independence when Lady Blackwood is no longer with her. And with Anais as her best friend, she'll get to watch true love from afar.  She realized long ago that no one in improper society would ever greet her as an equal or truly see the person that she is.

Jane's life abruptly changes when a Lord is brought to her hospital after a mad attack. Matthew is injured and ravaged by fever, and only one voice can penetrate his fevered ramblings and desires, only Jane can bring calm to his body. She's like nothing he has ever heard or felt. As he heals, he realizes that he will never fully recovery without the voice of his angel, Jane. But, can the rake that Wallingford is take plain Jane for what she is? Can he become what his angel of mercy needs? Can they accept each for the other, damaged goods and all?

Sinful by Charlotte Featherstone is the telling of Wallingford's story who we met and loved for his disdain in Addicted. Wallingford is a tortured soul with a secret history. He has never felt love, safety, and peace in his life, making him into the maladjusted man that society finds before them.  He hides behind the slick veneer of a wasted life, pleasure bound.  Jane is the daughter of an aristocrat thrown from his house when he tires of her mistress mother. Forced to live on the street, and with the death of her mother, sold as if a possession.  This she cannot live with and this is what brings her into the employment of Lady Blackwood. She hides behind her plain appearance, unable to let the world see her beauty.  When Matthew and Jane discover each other, they bloom together into what could become love. But, Matthew is used to the finer things in life and plain Jane is nothing like what he's had before. Jane has grand expectations for her handsome Lord and she's crushed when Wallingford can't see her true self when it is before his eyes.

Sinful was a very quick read, one that I found impossible to put down. Ms. Featherstone's voice sings from the pages that turn without your knowledge. I was very much looking forward to Wallingford's story with the completion of Addicted, and I was not disappointed.  Thank you Ms. Featherstone for the Sinful breadcrumbs.  It was not at all what I expected it to be, and my heart broke for Wallingford. He is very much the tortured soul, but with a good heart if only the pieces can be put together and healed.  It is fear and disdain that drives Wallingford's destructive behavior.  He finds himself in impossible situations throughout his life that are not of his own making, making the reader love him all the more. This is a beautifully told story and I've found once again another book to add to my keeper's shelf. This book is the continuing story from Addicted, but easily read as a stand alone. If you'd like background information and an introduction to Wallingford as well as a glimpse of Jane, I would read Addicted first. I highly recommend Sinful to lovers of romance, historical or not, in need of well spun story. Warning: Burning hot romance, sensually told, and tugs at your heart strings.

I received this book for review from the publisher, Spice, Harlequin and Net Galley. All opinions stated are my own.

A Touch of Scandal by Jennifer Haymore (ARC)

Publisher:   Forever, Imprint of Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group
Pages:  432

(Release Date: March 30, 2010)

From the Cover: The last thing Garrett, Duke of Calton, expects to find while tracking his sworn enemy is the delectable, mysterious Kate. This beautiful servant girl rouses a longing the battle-scarred ex-soldier had never hoped to feel again. But when she turns out to be the sister of the man he seeks, he's convinced he's been betrayed.

Kate knows her duty to her family, yet how can she ignore Garrett's powerful pull on her heart? Or the heady temptation of his stolen-and sizzling-kisses? Scandal has followed the duke since the war. Now the greatest shock of all is on its way-the one that can separate Garrett and Kate forever. 

Garrett has come to Kenilworth to find his errant sister, eloped and married to a scoundrel who while professing his love has lied, cheated, stole, and bargained with the devil to get what he wants, his hands on the fortune that is her heritage. William Fisk is the scoundrel, first damaging the Duke's reputation with calls of madness, then trying to take what he wants, revenge for his brother, Warren dead years ago at Waterloo. With no one left to blame, he tries to exact payment for the Duke, first by pretending to be his friend, and when that doesn't work, he uses Rebecca, first with the sham of a marriage and then to hurt her by taking a mistress to his bed. His ultimate goal could be deadly to both Rebecca and Garrett.

Katherine, William's sister, is happy to see her brother who has been missing, presumed dead for eight long years. But when he returned, it's with a young wife who's used to luxury and himself penniless. She's forced into servitude and silence, Lady Rebecca mustn't find out that he comes from his lowly existence instead of hers. When Kate happens upon Garrett bathing in her favorite pool, she assumes he's a God sent from Olympus to test her, tease her. He's magnificent, toned, bronze, and well muscled.

When Garrett spies Kate watching him, he thinks it's another of William's tricks to send a beautiful long limbed temptress to spy on him. But Kate appears to be guileless. Can this be? Hard learned lessons have taught him to trust no one, not even his closest friends. Can he trust this innocent or is she another wanton witch?

A Touch of Scandal by Jennifer Haymore is the second book in this historical series. A Hint of Wicked (Sophie and Tristan's story) was the first book, and the third book, A Season of Seduction (Rebecca and Jack's story) is next to be released. I haven't read A Hint of Wicked, but I wish that I had, because I could have related to Garrett better, felt his heartache and learned why he has such his distinct distrust of people. It's not necessary to read the first book though to enjoy this one. Kate is a strong willed but an innocent at life. She's lived her whole life taking care of someone, younger brother Reggie, her mother, twins William and Warren. She's always known something wasn't quite right with William and Warren, she caught them torturing a rabbit and no animal should be mistreated or harmed for pleasure. Since William's return from Waterloo, he seems a changed person. But who is the real Willy, the one she's known her entire life or this changed person with a new wife? He's still the manipulator, but with the loss of Warren, his twin and better half, he seems even more distant and there's something distinctly changed, and maybe not for the better. Garrett is on a mission to find his young sister who was stolen away in the dark of night by the manipulator, William Fisk who professed his love, but he had professed so many thing that had been lies. Though he's a Duke by birth, he's lived for the past eight years in the deception of poverty all due to William Fisk's lies. But he's learned his lessons well, trust no one, let no one close to you, and pain will cease to exist within your soul. When the vixen in rough clothing snakes her way into his heart, he wonders if he can trust, love, believe in this woman or is she there to rip him apart one more time?

A Touch of Scandal is a fun historical romance taking me back to my youthful reading of the dastardly evil vying with the goodness of one pure soul. Only in this case, the evil comes in the form of brother Willy and the goodness resides in the ever suffering Kate. Garrett is the one between the ultimate evil and the ultimate good. Garrett and Rebecca have been pawns in Willy's deception as is Kate, her mother, and younger brother Reggie, all pawns in his bid for wealth and revenge. I recommend this book for lovers of classic historical romance with a hint of seduction as well as just a touch of erotic romance, and a twisting, winding tale. You will surely enjoy this one. The only tiny niggle I had was the pure innocence of Kate, she is totally unschooled in the way of men. Garrett is also in reality an innocent, misused in childhood and as an adult, he hasn't learned the hardest lesson in life. Hearts maybe broken, but heal to learn to love again.

I received this book from Donna at Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings, for review from Hachette Book Group. All opinions expressed are my own.

To Sin With A Scoundrel, Book One, Circle of Sin Trilogy by Cara Elliott (ARC)

Publisher:  Forever, Imprint of Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group
Pages:  384

(Release Date: February 23, 2010

From the Cover: A reclusive widow known for her scientific scholarship, Lady Ciara Sheffield is shadowed by rumors that she poisoned her husband . . . A rakehell rogue notorious for his devil-may-care antics, Lucas Bingham--the Earl of Hadley--is not accused of murdering anything--save for the rules of Polite Society. The only thing they have in common is seeing their names featured in the lurid gossip columns of London's newspapers. Until an ancient manuscript draws them together.

Ciara needs a titled fiancé to quell the slanderous speculations which may send her to the gallows. Lucas needs brilliant scholar to help his elderly uncle decipher the secrets of the mysterious manuscript. So when her friends urge her to accept the earl's proposal of a temporary alliance, Ciara decides that she has no choice but to make a deal with the Devil. And so begins a seductive dance of sinful pleasures and hidden desires as the two of them waltz through the mansions of Mayfair. Lies, intrigue, treachery, sex. They find themselves facing slanderous whispers, unscrupulous relatives-not to speak of their own simmering passions, which quickly ignite into dangerous flames. It's a potent mix and the result may be explosive-and perhaps deadly-if they don't watch their step.

The wastrel of the ton, Lord Hadley is after one escapade or another, never failing to find his name splashed across the gossip pages for all of London to see. Not that he cares, it's all good fun, but he fears his latest escapade may not only embarrass himself, but Lord Henry, his long enduring guardian as well and his health isn't what it used to be and after he promised Henry a visit as well. It's time for him to cut short his carousing and see to the needs of Lord Henry, he asks so little of the man he raised from a boy.

Lady Sheffield is herself splashed across the gossip columns as well, but for a different reason altogether. Her husband who drank himself to death and his wicked family are to blame, spreading rumors of pure poison as to the truth of Lord Sheffield's death. She has been portrayed as the Wicked Widow, Witch of Pont Street. Her only desire is to be left alone to raise her son, but the Battershams are trying to prove her unfit for motherhood, seeking custody of the young Perry, not out of love, but in a mad dash to grab with his title, land, and money. Greed is the only love of her mother-in-law and Cousin Arthur.

When Lord Henry begs Hadley to seek out Lady Sheffield to inquire about her expertise in regard to a secret code and scientific matter that he discovered in an old manuscript, it brings a scowl to his face. The last thing Bad, Mad, Had-ley needed was to seek out the company of the Wicked Widow, but upon making her acquaintance, he can't image anyone further from his imaginings than the Lady herself. But, without help, Polite Society and the Battershams will surely bring the downfall of Lady Sheffield, and Lord Hadley is requested to provide assistance, but will his help ensure her safety and will he, the raffish rake, be able to escape his Lady's charms?

To Sin With A Scoundrel by Cara Elliott was a quick fun read for all lovers of historical romance. I was enthralled by Ciara and Lucas' story, richly told by Ms. Elliott. Ciara Sheffield has received the short end of the stick time and time again, first with her unfeeling family, then her abusive husband. She has learned to keep to herself and her small circle of friends. Society has shunned her as rumors of her husband death plague her. Lucas Hadley is the wolfish rake with only one desire, to satisfy his carnal needs, but is his mischievous deeds hiding a deeper secret? He has had struggling childhood bereaved of parents though with the love of his Uncle Henry, but the young man discovered it was easier to be a hellion than ridiculed. His destructive behavior harms no one but himself or so he thought. When Lucas and Ciara come together, it's as if a perfect match as been made, each having something that the other needs.

To Sin With A Scoundrel is a perfect read for a historical romance. It has a perfect blend of seduction, eroticism, adventure, and action. The characters are well developed and engaging, making the reader want to know more about them. I fell a little in love with each of them and hoped that the dastardly Battershams received their deserved due. The next book in the series, To Surrender To A Rogue, tells Lord James Jacquehart "Black Jack" Pierson and Marchesa Alessandra della Giamatti story, whom we've been introduced to through Lucas and Ciara's story. I'm already intrigue to Alessa's mysterious background and to her impish daughter, Isabella, she has already won my heart with her deeds with the young Perry. As reader of few historical romances, I have to say, I will be picking it up Book Two, I can't hardly wait to read about the fiery Italian beauty Marchesa Alessa's story and that of the devilish Black Jack who has already found a place in my heart as well.

(Release Date: June 2010)

From the Cover: An expert in antiquities, Lady Alessandra della Giamatti arrives in Bath to excavate newly discovered Roman ruins-only to find herself caught in a web of evil intrigue by a blackmailer threatening to expose her scandalous past. The one man who can help her is Lord James "Black Jack" Pierson, a fellow member of the expedition and a sinfully handsome rogue whose tempting presence ignites a different sort of danger.

Jack has clashed with Alessandra in the past, so when she suddenly surrenders her body he can't help being suspicious. Is she a scheming temptress? Or is she truly a lady in trouble? As desire and deceptions swirl around them, Alessandra and Jack must find a way to win each other's trust. For if they don't work together to uncover a shocking truth, their enemy-and their own simmering passions-may destroy them and everything they cherish.

I received this book from Donna at Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings, for review from Hachette Book Group. All opinions expressed are my own.

City of Souls (ARC) ~ The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson

Publisher: EOS Books, Harper Collins
Pages: 352

Release date: 6-30-09
(image and blurb from Harper Collins)
From the Cover: In Sin City, a little girl suffers from a strange and terrible malady. If she dies, the Light will die along with her.

Warrior, avenger, Joanna Archer has survived countless otherworldly terrors—and has found her rightful place among the agents battling the all-pervasive evil of Shadow . . . even as she struggles against the darkness within herself.

A war is raging for Las Vegas—a city without a heart—one that catapults Joanna into a new world hidden from mortal sight. In this lethally seductive alternate dimension the lines blur between good and evil, love and hate, and here lies the last hope for the Light. But Joanna's price of admission is a piece of her own soul—and the odds of her escaping are slim . . . to none.

Joanna Archer, the Archer of Light and Shadow annihilator, is called into action once again. In this incarnation, she has taken the form of her beloved lost sister, Olivia. It's the only way Joanna can remain alive with the Tulpa hot on her tail, Joanna must be thought of as dead. The Warriors of the Light are trying to maintain their hold over Las Vegas as the Shadow scum seem to know their every move...safe zones are gone. Only the Kairos can save them now. Joanna is the Kairos of the legends, but a simple mistake may cost not only her life, but may others. In an attempt to save the changeling, Jasmine, Joanna split her Chi causing the balance between the Light and the Shadows to become unsteady, now the fourth sign of the zodiac remains hidden. She must figure out how to right this wrong all while staying one step away of the Shadows who would love the opportunity to exploit the imbalance. It is Jasmine's turn now to move to adulthood, and her younger sister, Li, to become the new changeling, to allow the legends to be written. Manuals to continued, power to be given. But Jaz doesn't want adulthood and Li is dying....

According to Warren, the squad leader of the Las Vegas warriors, the only way to right the balance is to head to Midheaven, but it's a very dangerous seductive place where the strong become weak and the weak go to die. Entrance can only be bought with a piece of your soul. As Joanna/Olivia makes her way to this god forsaken place, she begins to wonder who is helping her and who is trying to kill her...and why. She has been given orders to find Jaden Jacks, but who is this mysterious agent with the ability to move through Midheaven and the knowledge to correct this imbalance. Hunter, the weapons master of the Light, seeks the truth as well, but he is also living with a lie...but it the one the Joanna has learned of or is it something far worse. But Joanna knows about lies, she hiding one of her own.

City of Souls by Vicki Petterson is paranormal fantasy at it's best. All the agents of the Light are Superheroes and the agents of the Shadow are dastardly villains. Charlaine Harris has a blurb across the front of this beautiful cover "Read at your own risk" and she's right, but it's worth the risk and then some. As the story unfolds for the reader, enough background information is given that although it's preferable to read this series in order, you can pick up any of the books and read. Once you do, I know you'll want to pick up the rest of the series. Vicki Petterson moves the reader through the pages and into her world where Light and Shadow have been battling, and so far, it's a draw. But with the balance upset, the Shadows begin to make advances. The Manuals that are being written are graphic novels or comic books read by mere mortals that give the legend and life as it is occurring in the secret society. The problem is that until the balance is set right, the Light legend cannot be completed, but the Shadow legend is trying to come to fruition, overcoming the Light to bring despair, chaos, death and destruction in it's wake. Joanna/Olivia, our heroine, has lost everything that she at one time valued. Her mother, Zoe, is gone, hiding from Tulpa as he desires her death as well as being Joanna's true father. Her sister is dead and Joanna has to live Olivia's life to hide from Tulpa. Xavier, not a nice person, is dying but he's Olivia's father and Tulpa's soul giver. Ben, her one time love, has had his memory cleansed and no longer remembers her. The fourth sign of the zodiac cannot be release due to Jaz not relinquishing her changeling status. Our hero, Hunter, is a mystery. Jo's one time lover which she left for Ben, is distant, secretive, almost untouchable. He knows something that Jo does not. He should know Jaden Jacks, but no one seems to know him. Hunter is tortured by his past, by his present, and by what may or may not be his future. He wants to believe in the Light and Warren, but too many things have come unraveled for him. In fact, Jo begins to wonder if anyone knows the truth or if Warren is making them all believe what he wants to be the truth. City of Souls was an excellent read. I'll give you a warning, read in the morning because at night, you won't be able to put it down. This was a fast fun read, urban fantasy and paranormal rolled into one tasty little package. To find out more information about Vicki Pettersson's great books, please visit her website or her blog.

Here's a peek at Vicki Pettersson talking about the Signs of the Zodiac Series.

Strange Angels (ARC) by Lili St. Crow

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Publisher: Penguin Group, Penguin Group for Young Readers, Razorbill
Pages: 304

Released Date: May 19, 2009
From the Cover: Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called "the touch." (Comes in handy when you're traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead but still walking and Dru knows she's next. Even worse, she's got two guys hungry for her affections, and they're not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever or whoever is hunting her?

Dru Anderson isn't your normal run of the mill sixteen year old. How many sixteen year old's do you know that can dress, load, and fire an AK47? How many know about the Real World where werwulfen, suckers, and zombies exist?

Dru's life has been in turmoil since the death of her grandmother. When her grandmother was alive, she always knew where she was going to be, the little cabin where her grandmother raised her since her mother's death. Her grandmother had a little of the 'touch', but Dru has a lot. Dru could see things, knew things, things that nobody else would ever want to know. Not her grandmother and definitely not her dad. As she sat holding her grandmother's hand as she slipped from this world to the next, Dru wondered what was going to happen with her life. When her dad picked her up at the hospital, she knew things would be different.

Since Dru's mother had died, her dad was a different person, always on the run, searching for something that either he couldn't or wouldn't share with her. Now, instead of staying with her grandmother, Dru went with her father. The good part of this was that Dru saw more of her father, the bad part was that they moved from one place to the next within a few weeks to months. But her dad also taught her stuff, like how to defend herself, how to load weapons, how to use a knife, and how not to get dead. Dad had left the Marines when her mother died, and now his life was very different.

Dru always knew when something bad was going to happen, her grandmother's owl always paid a visit before the unspeakable happened. Today, as Dru drifted through sleep, she thought she saw the owl at her bedroom window, tapping and watching her. Maybe it was just a dream, sometimes the dreams seemed so real. As she made her way to the kitchen, her dad was sitting at the table, loading magazines. Was he hunting today, maybe she should go with him. But if she started again, she'd get The Talk. The talk about how she should be in school, how she couldn't go with him everywhere. She knew he could take care of himself, but maybe she should tell him about the owl she thought she'd seen.

As Dru left for school, she worried, she had an uneasy feeling, nothing she could put her finger on, but something was off, different. Maybe it was this town or the frigid arctic temperatures. She didn't know, she just didn't feel right. Now she had to deal with a new school with new kids. At least the Asian looking kid, Graves, was there to take some of the heating from the wicked Bletch, teacher unextraordinaire. And today was going to be one of those days...she couldn't stand it, she was so jumpy, she should have told Dad about the owl....She cutting and look who's following, Graves.

Graves takes her to the mall, lunch and games. But as Dru heads home, the unease feeling returns, stronger than ever. When she returns home, she decides it's time to start unpacking if only to keep her hands busy...when she hears a scratching at the door, a tap-tap-tap. Dru grabs Dad's field knife and creeps towards the back door, nobody should be there, no one knows where they are. Tap-tap-tap as Dru peeks around the corner... Ohmigod,ohmigod,ohmigod ...she knows that army surplus coat, those winter blue eyes...as the zombie leans further in...spying Dru at the same time...Something has turned Dad into a zombie....Zombie Dad bursts through the door, chasing Dru into the living room as Dru screams, kicking wildly, begging it not to be...please.. please don't be Dad, please..please..As the zombie lungs and falls on top of Dru, she does the only thing she can..as she falls, she grabs the stash pistol and shoots. She just killed the zombie that was her dad. Now, Dru is alone in the world, no one between her and what's out there in the Real World. She's all alone, no mother, father, or grandmother...What's going to happen to her now? How will she survive? And most importantly, Who killed her dad and changed him into a zombie? She knows she should call the safe numbers from her dad's address book, but who can she trust? How does she say, Hey it's Dru and my dad's a dead zombie?

As Dru begins to realize that there's more going on around her than even she was lead to believe, Christophe comes into her life to help fight off a particularly blood thirsty pack of werwulfen, controlled and dominated by Serjei. Is this Serjei the evil that she feels? Did he turn her dad into a zombie?

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow is another new author for me, but this will not be her last book I read. This is a YA novel with a twist. Yes, it's urban fantasy, but there's a horror quality that I tried to capture that was great. It was terrifyingly real emotions that Lili St. Crow was able to capture in her written words. I could almost feel Dru try to scramble backward, not believe what her eyes were seeing. It wasn't an incredibly scary book, but the events in Dru's life were horrific. From losing her grandmother to her zombiefied father, the story rocked and rolled from one dangerous creature to the next. From the opening page, you knew this story was going to be different and to the last page when you wondered if Dru was trusting the right people. Dru is a tragic heroine in that life just isn't fair to her. She's ripped from one environment to another, chasing after her father from one end of the United States to the other. She never has a true guiding light in her life. Her one saving grace is her grandmother's owl, not an owl her grandmother possessed, but one that possesses the spirit of her grandmother. Graves is her hero, saving her time and time again from the nasties he's just learned about. He's been bitten by a werwulfen, but doesn't make the complete change because he's still a virgin. He becomes a hybrid that's almost as valuable to the creatures of the Real World as Dru is with her 'touch'. There's a secondary hero is this book, Christophe, a hybrid vampire known as a djamphir, vampire hunter. She doesn't know if she should trust him or kill him, but he's too cute to kill and he's saved her butt a couple of times. Christophe holds the secrets that may keep Dru alive, but at what cost will the secrets come. He wants her to believe that her mother was some sort of hybrid sucker, just as Dru is herself. Mom had the ability to see things in the Real World and was a hunter who got rusty with the birth of her family, and it cost Dru's mother her life. Will it cost Dru's as well? As Dru begins this new part of her life, we get to come along, just to see if she's going to make it out alive. This was a fast, fun read and I enjoyed it a great deal. I loved the story line, the way the story was told, and die hard nature of the characters. The cover art is fantastic. I was left at the end of this book hoping to find more and anticipating the release in the Betrayals of the second book in the series. From SciFiGuy's site: 'Lilith Saintcrow announced on her blog that Betrayals, the follow-up to her young adult novel Strange Angels is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It has a November release date.' My ARC shows the release to be Spring 2010, my wait won't be so long after all! For more information about Lili St. Crow's books, please visit her website. Soon, there is supposed to be a dedicated site to Strangle Angels at http://www.strangeangels.com/.

Here a peek at the wild book trailer for the story that is Strange Angels.



Lili St. Crow talks about Strange Angels.

Quick Post for Contests--Jocelynn Drake and James Patterson and Marta Acosta

Hi Everyone!

I have put up a several new contests on my sidebar.

The first is Jocelynn Drake's new book, Dayhunter, which is the continuing story of Mira, Master of her domain, the Savannah. She's a very strong vampire who has survived by her wits to gain great power. She is a firestarter, a vampire with the ability to control one of the deadliest forms of their destruction. There is no coming back from fire. Nightwalker was one of my top picks for 2008, and I couldn't be happier that Dayhunter will be released in April 2009. Ms. Drake is looking for advanced readers for Dayhunter, Book Two in the Dark Days Series. If interested, please visit her blog at http://jocelynndrake.blogspot.com/. It will have to be done fairly quickly because the review needs to complete before Dayhunter is released.

Also, At Home With Books, is giving away TWO audiobooks by James Patterson courtesy of the Hachette Book Group, three copies of each are available.

'Max', continues the story of Max and her friends..... Maximum Ride and the other members of the Flock have barely recovered from their last arctic adventure, when they are confronted by the most frightening catastrophe yet. Millions of fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii and someone-or something-is destroying hundreds of ships. Unable to discover the cause, the government enlists the Flock to help them get to the bottom of the disaster before it is too late......

'Run' continues the story of Detective Mike Bennett and his twelve children......A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful, the arrogant, the don't-give-a-darnst-about-anyone rich. For some New Yorkers it seems that the rich were getting what they deserve at last. For New York's social elite, it is a call to chaos and terror. The Teacher's message to the wealthy is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences.......

Though two complete different stories, James Patterson's use of life, love, and hardship make each story a worthy read. My heart broken when Bennett's long suffering wife died. Max, on the other hand, is a fantastic ride into the unknown, with the help of her flock of friends.

Also at Wendy's Minding Spot, she's giving away James Patterson's Sail
From the Cover: Since the death of her husband, Anne Dunne and her three children have struggled in every way. In a last ditch effort to save the family, Anne plans an elaborate sailing vacation to bring everyone together once again. But only an hour out of port, everything is going wrong. The teenage daughter, Carrie, is planning to drown herself. The teenage son, Mark, is high on drugs and ten-year-old Ernie is nearly catatonic. This is the worst vacation ever....

This is a story of one mother's struggle to keep her family together and in one piece, but is she too late, will they break apart or will she pull them together? James Patterson's wild adventure begins with Sail.



Darques Reviews is holding a Marta Acosta giveaway of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. From the cover: Latina Ivy League grad Milagro de Los Santos can't find her place in the world or a man to go with it. Then one night, at a book party for her pretentious ex-boyfriend, she meets an oddly attractive man. After she is bitten while kissing him, she falls ill and is squirreled away to his family's estate to recover. Vampires don't exist in this day and age -- or do they......

Everyone check out these great sites for fabulous reads.

Dottie

ARE for Close Encounters by Katherine Allred

Hi everyone! Received this email today!

Dear Dottie --

Congratulations! A copy of the CLOSE ENCOUNTERS ARE is on its way to you.

-- EosBooks

Eos Books, a division of Harper Collins Books, was looking for individuals to read and review a new book, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS by Katherine Allred.

Here is the blurb from the cover: Kiera Smith wants one thing out of life -- to be normal. But stronger, faster, smarter, and more impervious to damage than her brethren, Kiera is a genetically engineered person unlike any others.

As a special agent she's been assigned to protect the indigenous Buri race from the none-too-honorable conglomerate Dynatec. And it's just the challenge she's been looking for: take down the largest independent trade company in the Galactic Federation and save a race of aliens from extinction, while resisting the advances of the handsome Buri leader.

Katherine Allred writes science fiction romance in the vein of Linnea Sinclair or Anne McCaffrey's Crystal Singer series. Give away, provided you write us a review.

I'm so excited. I should have the book right away, as their review is due in just a few short weeks. I'll let everyone know how it is, I love books with a kick-ass herione that gets the job done and has time for a little romance too.

I did have to leave my snail mail address and the blog address to be considered.

Dottie :)

P.S. --- In December, I also won the giveaway of free books for a year and I'm currently waiting for my second installment of books, with great authors like Kim Harrison, Jocelynn Drake, Vicki Pettersson, and Anne McCaffery. So, if you like me love kick-ass heriones, check out Eos' site. It's a rockin' good time!

Today I also received The Terror from Drey's Library and The Lover came in as well. Too sweet for words.

Have a great day!

Dottie :)