Excerpt from The Dark Garden by Eden Bradley

So, unless you've been offline and avoiding the news the past few months, you've probably heard talk of 50 Shades of Grey, the Twilight inspired, BDSM love story that's been on the New York Times combined fiction and ebook charts for 11 weeks with it's sequels 50 Shades of  Darker and 50 Shades of Freed following at #2 and #3.There's been intense interest by readers in finding similar books. I haven't read the book, nor do I plan to, but two of my do-workers did and thoroughly enjoyed it. Both Dear Author and Smart Bitches have lists of books that interested readers can try for further exploration of BDSM themed erotica. And today, thanks to Random House, I have an excerpt from one. I hope you like it!

Spotlight On: Antique Charming by Natalie-Nicole Bates

Today I'm featuring a new ghost short story, "Antique Charming", by Natalie-Nicole Bates. At only seven pages, it will whet your appetite and leave you wanting more. And did I mention that is FREE on Amazon during this two day barrage blog tour? If you have a kindle or kindle app, you're in luck!

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia.

She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.

Book Blurb (from the author):

The night he came home…forever.

Third-generation funeral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized. She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and its upstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its once former glory. But a late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home still belongs to his family. Lizzie scoffs at his odd behaviour and outlandish claims, but when a vintage photograph appears, she soon realizes, to her horror, that Adam Nichols did once own the funeral home—more than one hundred years ago—and now she has allowed this entity to pass into her home.

ANTIQUE CHARMING
By: Natalie-Nicole Bates
Publisher: Books To Go Now
ASIN: B005PCL340
Genre: FICTION, PARANORMAL
Format: EBOOK
Length: 106 KB
Release Date: SEPTEMBER 24, 2011
Website
Twitter
Facebook
CBLS Blog Tour Schedule

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EXCERPT 

She heard it again.

The same time as last Friday night.

Three taps at her front door.

Lizzie muted the television, tossed the blanket off of her body and scurried out of bed. She slipped her robe over her shoulders and tied it securely, determined to find out who in the world would knock at her door at three in the morning. By the time she had reached the door the week previous, no one was there. The street had been dark and still.

It had to be a mistake. She had only recently closed sale on the long abandoned funeral home, determined to restore it to its once former glory. She had only been living in the upstairs flat for a few weeks.

As she hurried down the staircase, each step beneath her feet creaked in protest. There was no one visible through the peephole. She unchained the door and opened it just enough to peek around it.

No one was there, just like the previous week.

The street was dark and quiet. Not even the whisper of a wind could be detected. Only the cold dampness of the October night raised a chill on her skin.

Who was playing this weekly joke on her? Could it be the ghosts of some departed soul who had passed through the halls of Nichols Funeral Home sometime during the past century? A small smile crossed her lips as she prepared to close and lock the door. She was a third generation Funeral Director. Did she now believe in ghosts?

Before the door could close, a hand poked into the slight space and seized her wrist. A cry rose in her throat and she jerked backward, but the hand held tight and the door flung open.

The man emerged, shrouded in darkness. He was an ethereal creature, tall, and dressed in anonymous black. Only a streetlight glowed behind him.

“I’m home,” he announced.

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If you liked the excerpt, and you have a Kindle, grab it at Amazon NOW! It's only free for today and tomorrow. If you have a Nook, Kobo or Sony, see if they're offering it free too. Sometimes they will match deals elsewhere.

JoAnne Kenrick's New Release!

Estella, Vampire Queen of the Rejected,

royally invites you to join herself and her zombie lover for a fix of dark erotic tales sure to tickle your fancy and give you the shivers. But mind your manners, because she bites.

TALES FROM THE COFFIN official blog

ABOUT:

Estella  is better known as the Vampire  Queen of the Rejected due to her major Haversham complex; dumped at the altar, she's Dracula's rejected bride. And boy does she harp on it--still wears her Victorian wedding dress, moth holes and all.
Lucy Rot  was a  sweet girl who had a rather bad experience with magic. Now she's a zombie and Estella's lover and lacky.
Together, they lure the unsuspecting into their dark basement for a fix of darkly erotic twisted tales...and dinner!

Think story within a story. Great expectations mashed with Tales from the Crypt and Red Shoe Diaries.

TALES FRO THE  COFFIN BOOK ONE,  STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL, RELEASES Today, 22nd MAY 2012 . Book two, All the Pretty Faces releases June/July 2012

EXCERPT

 (c) JoAnne Kenrick, Decadent Publishing. All rights reserved.

“Fancy bursting into my boudoir and expecting me to entertain on demand. The cheek of it. You people have no manners.” Estella puffed her raspberry-red hair into something that resembled an up-do and readjusted her breasts, shovingher plump flesh back into her once-upon-a-time-white corset. “I know. The wordis out. I give great story. I do understand. You’re excited, who wouldn’t be? I amrather marvelous, if I do say so myself.“In my day, though, the men held doors open for ladies, and the ladies tiltedtheir necks to offer supper. Oh, no need to wrap that sweater farther up yourjugular, dear, I’ve already eaten, so I’m not hungry…at the moment.” Estellastretched her arms out, licked her canines, and hoisted her moth-hole-riddenskirt to expose her alabaster thighs decorated with stockings laddered at theknees and splattered with fresh blood. “I can’t vouch for Lucy, though. She’salways hungry, aren’t you my little Deady Bear.”

BLURB:

Estella, Vampire Queen of the Rejected, is sick of men. Or so she would have you think. Ditched at the altar by Dracula himself, she'd rather spend her days with what she now believes to be the more faithful gender. Plagued by a Haversham complex, she gets her kicks by luring prey into her decrepit house with promises of erotic tales...but mind your manners, and fingers, because she bites.

 Lucy Rotterdayne—a zombie better known as Lucy Rot—is Estella's sometimes-faithful subject and lover. Although why she hangs around to be ridiculed and taunted by a bitter vampire, she has no idea. Perhaps the answer is rooted the story of how she was zombified by a doctor who is simply masterful with his hands?

WARNING.  For adult audiences only.

BUY LINKS

Get your kindle books signed by the author here:

Trailer Widget -- for trailer in full screen, hit the yellow movie box in the widget.

Also by JoAnne Kenrick

www.joannekenrick.com

Review of Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Publisher: NAL Hardcover
Series: The Morganville Vampires #11
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town-a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire-or something else entirely?


Teaser:

Damn, Miranda was right. Again. 

"Ahh...maybe we should be going," Shane said. "Ditch the shoes, Eve. We'll be running now."

"I love these shoes!"

"More than your circulatory system?"

Eve silently kicked off the stilettos and backed up. Shane and Claire got Michael moving, weakly at least, and headed for the door. Eve acted as rearguard, not that she had anything to fight with other than the shoes she'd grabbed up.

The vampire in the red velvet coat headed for her, fangs out. She got the stiletto heel up, ready to strike, but something grabbed him in midleap and slammed hi up, straight into the chandelier. Crystal shattered, and the disco ball spun wildly, throwing drunken sparkles over the room. 

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

First, I should say that I haven't read any of the earlier books, just a few short stories in different anthologies. Several book friends assured me that it wouldn't be a problem and they were right. There was sufficient back story dropped in here and there plus a brief series recap from the author at the beginning of the book. I had no trouble at all jumping in.

Also I apologize, I was supposed to review it months ago but things kept happening to push it back to the bottom of the TBR pile.  On Saturday I'll be reviewing the next book, Black Dawn, and giving away all 3 copies of the Caine books I've reviewed. 

The book starts simply enough, with Claire and Michael making their required blood donations (Morganville would be an excellent town to live in for anyone with hemochromatosis). While there, Oliver, the assistant to the Founder of Morganville, "asks" Claire for a favor, and with that, we're off. Claire has a decision to make, one that will affect Eve and Michael's lives. While the they all deal with that, they also get drawn into a police investigation of vampires who have gone missing, just disappeared without a hint of why or where.

I liked Claire, Eve, Michael, and Shane, as well as Myrnin, Hannah Moses and Naomi. Even Oliver and Amelie, while not completely likable, had some redeeming characteristics. These are not warm and fuzzy vampires and I liked that, I prefer them somewhat scary. Caine's writing is easy and flows and read the story fairly quickly. It did drag a bit at times, especially when Claire gets trapped in Glass House, but overall it was engaging and fun. All of the characters, OK maybe not the vampires, felt like people I might meet or know in my own life, even the obnoxious ones. I loved learning about the vampires world and how they interact with humans. I'm sure that, since I started with book eleven, I am missing some info, but I never felt like I was but neither did Caine drown the reader in info dumps. The draug, the villains, in this excellent, were fascinating and I loved Caine's repurposing of the siren and mermaid myths. I would have liked a bit more insight into the depths of the hatred between the vampires and the draug, but since they're back in the next book, "Black Dawn", maybe we'll get it then.

"Last Breath", which is an appropriate title on several levels, has action, romance, mystery, mythology and humor. I read it in one afternoon and evening, and it was time well spent. I'm sorry I waited so long to start this series.

I received a hardcover copy from the publisher for review.

The Sunday Post #3

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. 

Happily, the past week was a little calmer. I did far fewer reviews and posts, which allowed me to indulge in ... reading! As well as continue my ongoing re-organization of my condo, a belated, and much overdue, spring cleaning. Which, I'm sorry to say, includes pruning some books. I may, after I go through them all, see which ones are in good enough shape to offer up in a giveaway and do a belated spring cleaning giveaway. The rest, depending on their condition, will go to the local used bookstore, the library used book sale, or passed on to friends and family.

So, the recap. Last week's reviews included Blackout by Mira Grant (AWESOME series. MUST READ!!!) and Unbroken by Rachel Caine. I had a giveaway, now ended, of Hot Summer by Judy Powell and I featured Once Her man, Always Her Man by Heather Long. 

Now, the best part of the week - BOOKS! 

I bought Alana's Surrender by KT Grant. KT is doing a guest post for me on June 29th and then the next week I'll be featuring the book on July 2nd. I also plan, tentatively, to review the book sometime in the week ending July 7th. That's subject to change depending on when I have my surgery and how caught up I get on promised reviews.

I received a couple books for review (I know, I know. I have a hard time saying "No".), all of them are ARCs. Thank you Random, Mira, and Berkley!

Review,  Giveaway, & Guest Post 6/23/12

Review, Excerpt & Guest Post 7/20/12

I won a book from Dream, a book giveaway site. They have a really nice selection of fiction print books that they give away weekly, and the selection changes weekly. Check them out if you haven't already.

And finally, Kindle Freebies! 

How was your week? Leave me a link to your recap or mailbox post and I'll check it out.

Submissions Call for MM & FF Anthology by Evernight Press

Evernight is putting together an anthology, "Lover Unexpected" about friends who turn into lovers. The deadline for submissions is June 15th.

Requirements:

Word Count: 5-10K

MM and FF Only

Must have a HEA.

All sub-genres of erotic romance.

Heat Level 2+

For more information, go here.

Review of Unbroken by Rachel Caine

Publisher: Roc
Series: Outcast #4
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*May contain spoilers for earlier books and also books in the Weather Warden series* 


For millennia, Cassiel was a powerful Djinn—until she was exiled to live among mortals. Now the threat of an apocalypse looms, and Cassiel is in danger of losing everything she has come to hold dear...

As the world begins to fall apart around her, Cassiel finds herself fighting those she once called her own—the Djinn. With Weather Warden Luis Rocha and the rescued child Ibby by her side, Cassiel struggles to find a way to protect those that are in her charge and come to terms with the leadership role she never asked for.

Cassiel is opposed by a powerful Djinn bent on raising an army of kidnapped Warden children to bring about nothing less than the end of the world. It will take everything Cassiel has to stop the Djinn from starting a war that will wipe all of humanity from the face of the earth. She knows that this might not be a battle she can survive, but protecting those she loves is worth any cost.

Teaser:

The child toppled over in a sudden, helpless heap.

I clawed up from the mud and flopped next to her, gasping and letting the rain pound me as it sluiced the grit from my face and eyes. Then I checked the child for signs of life. She was breathing, but unmoving. Her heart was speeding too fast, trying to fight me as I held her in that state. I put my palm flat on her forehead, closed my eyes, and eased her into a deeper state of calm and then, finally, unconsciousness. 

"Cass?" Luis lunged out of the rain. He looked frantic as he dropped to his knees beside the two of us. "What happened?"

"One of Pearl's," I said wearily, and almost pitched forward as I lost balance.

Reviewed By: Bea

*May contain spoilers for earlier books and also books in the Weather Warden series* 



Bea's Thoughts:

First, if you're reading or have read Caine's Weather Warden series, which this series spun off of, the events in this book occur simultaneously with the events in book 9, "Total Eclipse".

"Unbroken" is a kick-ass, don't stop for breaks (actually, Cass and Luis argue in the break about the appropriateness of taking a break while the world is ending), action and humor filled, ending to the Outcast series. I didn't like Cassiel much in the first book; she was arrogant, know it all, condescending, unfeeling, you know, a Djinn. :P But during the course of the series, she has changed as she learns to adapt to her human form and a human way of life. Now, humans certainly can be arrogant, know it all, etc., but Cass's perspective changes, as do her priorities, from Djinn to human, and several Djinn in "Unbroken" comment on it. By the time the series ends, I like Cass a lot. She's imperfect, as humans are, but she's trying and she mostly recognizes her flaws and weaknesses. Caine's Djinns on the other hand don't see or admit that they have flaws or weaknesses.

My heart broke for Ibby, Luis's niece, in this book. You thought Caine, via Pearl, tortured her in the earlier books? Have a big box of kleenex handy for this one. If I could have, I would have killed Pearl myself. That said, the changes that occur help move the story along while at times being just a little bit too convenient.


One thing I noticed, and I don't recall noticing it in the earlier Outcast books, or the Weather Warden series, is Caine's incredible optimism for and about the human race. I'm a pessimist, I'm pretty sure we're not as awesome, or redeemable, as Caine thinks we are. To each their own. Also, it's been months and even years since I read the other books so my memory may be faulty.


Overall though, "Unbroken" was touching, humorous, fast-paced, and a good read.



I received a paperback from the publisher for review.

Review of Blackout by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit
Series: Newsflesh #3
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):


Rise up while you can. -Georgia Mason

The year was 2014. The year we cured cancer. The year we cured the common cold. And the year the dead started to walk. The year of the Rising.

The year was 2039. The world didn't end when the zombies came, it just got worse. Georgia and Shaun Mason set out on the biggest story of their generation. The uncovered the biggest conspiracy since the Rising and realized that to tell the truth, sacrifices have to be made.

Now, the year is 2041, and the investigation that began with the election of President Ryman is much bigger than anyone had assumed. With too much left to do and not much time left to do it in, the surviving staff of After the End Times must face mad scientists, zombie bears, rogue government agencies-and if there's one thing they know is true in post-zombie America, it's this:

Things can always get worse.

Blackout is the conclusion to the epic trilogy that began in the Hugo-nominated Feed and the sequel, Deadline.

Reviewed By: Bea


Bea's Thoughts:

"conspiracy" the blurb says. Yeah, more like Holy Cow!  You need a score card, I swear, to keep track of the conspiracies and the players. Like "Feed" and "Deadline" this is a dark, intense, dense book, not to be read quickly or without your full attention. While it didn't hold my attention the way the first book did, it was a good read, that also gave me a lot to think about. Part of what, to me, makes this series so scary and horrific, is how plausible so much of it is. I can easily see so many of the events actually occurring, or something awfully similar. Considering Grant's disdain for conventional media, politics, medicine, and the government, that may seem cynical, but look at the US's history and current events, and really, not so different. Some of what happens, including the science, gets pretty wild and far out, and some authors would not have been able to make it believable, but Grant does. I didn't question the science, she made it very plausible, helped by the fact, as mentioned, that much of it really is plausible and possible.


Shaun, Becks, Mahir, Maggie, and Alaric are back in this book, as are the Masons, and Dr. Abbey, whom we met in "Deadline". If you read that book (and if you haven't read that one yet, stop reading me and go read the books!), there's a surprise appearance at the end of that book. All I will say (cuz I'm really trying to keep this review spoiler free) is that everything gets explained. Actually, a lot of things get explained in this book, loose ends tied up, and even some loose ends that I didn't realize were loose. :D Peter Ryman and Rick also make appearances towards the latter part of the book.


"Blackout" is a roller coaster ride, with emotion, action, character growth, more action, quirky characters, and not a lot of zombies. I actually would have liked more of them (and I'm not a zombie fan), but when they do appear, watch out! Grant has no qualms about maiming or killing characters. It's one of the things I like about her writing - she takes chances, and her characters never are stagnant (for those of you who don't know, she writes modern day fairy tales disguised as urban fantasy under her "real" name of Seanan MacGuire.) It's a long book, they all are, but they are definitely worth re-reading and they're the kind of books where you pick up on things that you missed the first time. In fact, you almost have to re-read them in order to get everything and fully appreciate the world that Grant has built. I love her world building, it's so utterly believable.


The ending was a bit of a letdown for me. It's not a happy ending, but "happy for now" is a good description of it. But, it was also a bit pat and after everything else, a bit rushed. That said, it's open ended enough that Grant could return to that world, if she chose, though maybe with different main characters. I don't use ratings here on the blog, but at goodreads, I gave it 4 stars.

Some spoiler-free quotes:

...it wasn't like they could advertise for staff on the local message boards. "Mad Scientist seeks Minions. Must be detail-oriented, well educated, and unconcerned by the idea of being charged with terrorism if caught." Just no.

"Less talky more shooty!" I snapped, and started firing.

"You're a crazy bastard, Shaun Mason, and I think sometimes you're not going to be happy until you've managed to get every last one of us killed, but you're a good man, all the same."

"You know, addressing my crazy by name doesn't exactly help me stay sane."

My review of FEED.

My review of DEADLINE.

I received a paperback from the publisher for review.