Thursday, December 31, 2015

Review: Altered by Marnee Blake

Altered
Release Date: December 28, 2015
Publisher: Entangled: Embrace
ISBN:   168281047X
ISBN13: 9781682810477
Genre: New Adult Romance
Review Copy Source: NetGalley
When "normal" ends, survival begins...

The sickness came on suddenly and violently. When it was done, waitress Blue Michaels was different in a really strange way. And the entire town of Glory was dead...except for her.

Only that's not exactly true. A handful of people made it, including U.S. Army Specialist Seth Campbell, who was caught in the wrong town at the worst time. He's fierce and protective, and way too good-looking. As much as they need a leader—as much as Blue wants to trust him—there are too many questions and not enough time for answers. Now they are hunted. But what their pursuers don't know is each of them has strange new powers. And they'll use their "gifts" to survive...no matter who stands in their way.

Blue becomes violently ill and wakes up to find that her whole town was sick too and only a handful of people made it out of the sickness alive. She quickly finds out that everyone that made it has a new special ability and that there is someone hunting them down.

ALTERED was very fast paced and hand plenty of action from the first chapter to the end. Blake throws you right into the thick of things so be ready to hit the pages running. The characters all had distinct personalities and brought a little something—whether good or bad—to the story. The romance between Blue and Seth was sweet, but I really wanted more. They have a quick attraction and their relationship does develop nicely, but I felt like it was more in the background with the conflict of the book taking the forefront of the story.

There was a small thing that bothered me about ALTERED. I constantly forgot how old the characters were. You can look at the cover or feel their age after an informed grown up decision is made, but then there were times that they felt like a bunch of kids running from their enemies.

After the abrupt ending and the loose ends that it left I am convinced that there has to be another book coming. ALTERED was definitely interesting enough to me that I would be interested in reading more.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Early Review + Giveaway: The City of Light by Keri Arthur

City of Light
Author: Keri Arthur
Release Date: January 5, 2015
Publisher: Signet
Outcast Book #1
ISBN:  0451473507
ISBN13: 9780451473509
Genre: Publisher
Review Copy Source: Urban Fantasy
The first in an all-new futuristic fantasy series from Keri Arthur—the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels.

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between this world and the next, they allowed entry to the Others—demons, wraiths, and death spirits who turned the shadows into their hunting grounds. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

As a déchet—a breed of humanoid super-soldiers almost eradicated by the war—Tiger has spent her life in hiding. But when she risks her life to save a little girl on the outskirts of Central City, she discovers that the child is one of many abducted in broad daylight by a wraith-like being—an impossibility with dangerous implications for everyone on earth.

Because if the light is no longer enough to protect them, nowhere is safe...

What a unique new series by Keri Arthur. No urban fantasy fan should pass it up!

We find out immediately upon reading THE CITY OF LIGHT that the main character, Tiger aka Tig, is a déchet and that she is in hiding. Right after that she saves a little girl —and the hurt shifter with her that she would rather leave for dead—right before the vampires can get their hands on her. That decision changes the quite life she has built for herself and sends her into danger to investigate why children are going missing. Tig as a character really intrigued me. She was bred and programmed to be killer, but she is extremely compassionate and loyal. Every time I thought I knew her, another part of her was revealed.

I usually get overwhelmed when there are a ton of different creatures and characters introduced in one book, but I found that Arthur did a great job with THE CITY OF LIGHT. The world building was easy to follow and the introduction to new things were spread out instead of dumped on the reader at once. Arthur described the world really well in every circumstance and made it easy for me to fall right into it.

THE CITY OF LIGHT is an urban fantasy, but there is some romance involved. On one side there is Jonas. He hates the déchet with a passion, but he's drawn to Tig and totally resents it. There is a ton of sexual chemistry and tension between the two and you can't help wanting Jonas to get over himself and his prejudice so they can start something. I have high hopes for book two. Then there is an old friend who Tig thought was dead that I don't want to go into too much detail about. Neither has an issue acting on their attraction for each other–which is very strong–, but they are both very different from who they were.

THE CITY OF LIGHTS unfortunately ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, which is never fun, but I will definitely be reading more and look forward to WINTER HALO in December 2016.

I gave it 5/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

PRAISE FOR KERI ARTHUR
 
“Keri Arthur has blown me away again. Her worlds are so complex and ‘real.’….I highly recommend Arthur’s books.”
USA Today


"Keri Arthur knows how to thrill."
—Shana Abé, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Deepest Night
 
“Keri Arthur skillfully mixes her suspenseful plot with heady romance…Sexy vampires, randy werewolves, and unabashed, unapologetic, joyful sex—you’ve gotta love it. Smart, sexy, and well-conceived.”
—Kim Harrison, #1 New York Times bestselling author
__________________________________

Keri Arthur, author of the New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series, has now written more than thirty-three novels. She’s received several nominations in the Best Contemporary Paranormal category of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Awards and has won RT’s Career Achievement Award for urban fantasy. She lives with her daughter in Melbourne, Australia.



Find Keri and her books
__________________________________
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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

Promo + Giveaway: The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire by Sara Humphreys

The Good, the Bad, and the Vampire 
Dead in the City #4
Beloved author Sara Humphreys' acclaimed paranormal romance series continues with sweltering attraction between two vampires who have all the time in the world to satisfy their desires...

He wants eternity?
Dakota Shelton is a vampire cowboy with a penchant for cinnamon lollipops and Johnny Cash. Though highly skilled and deadly dangerous to his enemies, he's still a Texas good ol' boy at heart. And he has that heart set on wooing Trixie LaRoux-the most badass punk rock chick in town-the old-fashioned way.

Over her undead body...
Trixie is tough as nails and sharp as a silver stake-the last thing she wants is a man to sit on a porch and not grow old with. So it'll take going to hell and back fighting a new threat to vampires before she admits Dakota's courtship makes her blood hum. Turns out chivalry's not dead after all.

Excerpt:



Hidden within the lush branches of the towering tree, Trixie crouched low to avoid hitting her head on a dangling clump of pinecones. This had been her usual spot ever since Chelsea moved in a year ago, but those freaking pinecones always got tangled in her hair. Uncomfortable as it was, this location gave her a clear view into the kitchen and family room of the tiny house. The thick scent of the pine needles filled Trixie’s nose as she sat motionless amid the branches, unnoticed by the human woman inside the little white clapboard cottage.
Trixie’s throat tightened with emotion. With her enhanced hearing, she picked up Chelsea’s tuneless hum as she washed dishes in the small sink. She seemed content and peaceful. A combination of pride and sadness swirled inside Trixie—but not regret. That was one emotion she never allowed herself to entertain. Everyone made hard choices; living with the consequences of some choices was harder than making them.
She shouldn’t be here. But she couldn’t manage to stay away, either. Not for long, anyway. Trixie could go maybe two or three months without checking on the girl, but then the nagging pull of worry would drag her back.
Was Chelsea safe? Was she happy?
Those were the only two questions that Trixie ever wanted answered. Based on the satisfied, wistful smile on Chelsea’s sweet face, the answer to both right now was a resounding ‘yes’.
Trixie adjusted her position on the thick branch, the treads of her combat boots digging into the rough bark. It hadn’t always been that way; there had been difficult times. Times when Trixie hadn’t been able to stop herself from intervening. She had only wanted to give Chelsea a gift—an anonymous gift—but when Olivia found out about it she was freaking furious. The vampire community did not look upon meddling in human lives fondly. That didn’t matter.
All that mattered was making sure that Chelsea was okay.
The alarm on Trixie’s cellphone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. She swore under her breath and pulled it out before quickly shutting it off. The club would be opening soon and she had to go back to get the bar stocked and ready. She glanced at Chelsea one last time before shooting into the night sky. Maybe tomorrow, after the party, she would come back for another quick visit.
As long no one found out, what could it hurt?


__________________________________

Sara Humphreys is the award-winning author of the Amoveo Legend series. The third book in the series, Untamed, won two PRISM awards: Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. The first two novels from her Dead in the City series have been nominated for the National Readers Choice Award. Sara was also a professional actress. Some of her television credits include A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me. She loves writing hot heroes and heroines with moxie, but above all, Sara adores a satisfying happily-ever-after. She lives in New York with Mr. H., their four amazing sons, and two adorable pups. When she's not writing or hanging out with the men in her life, she can be found working out with Shaun T in her living room or chatting with readers on Facebook.  For a full list of Sara's books and reading order, please visit www.sarahumphreys.com

Find Sara and her books
__________________________________
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Sunday, December 27, 2015

Week in Review: 12/20-12/26



Books Received for Review


The Last Dream Keeper by Amber Benson- Publisher

Books I've Read

Ash by Jaymin Eve and Leia Stone
Gambit by C.L. Denault
 Mercury Striking by Rebecca Zanetti

Reviews Posted

I was out of town (without my computer) for the holidays, so there were no reviews this week.

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Interview + Giveaway for Dying Light by Kory M. Shrum

* Wednesday- Guest Blog + Giveaway for The V Girl by Mya Robarts

* Thursday- Promo for 4 FREE eBooks from Felicity Heaton and Caris Roane

* Friday- Happy Holidays!

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 

 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Friday, December 25, 2015

Happy Holidays!


I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. I hope no matter what holiday you celebrate that it was filled with lots of love and joy.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Promo: 4 FREE eBooks from Felicity Heaton and Caris Roane

free-paranormal-romances2
Two New York Times best-selling paranormal romance authors have teamed up to bring your four reads to warm up your winter and heat up those holidays. Not only that, but by signing up to receive the free ebooks, you will also be in with a shot of winning one of two $50 Amazon Gift Cards in an international giveaway.

This fantastic offer is open now but will end on January 3rd, so be sure to head on over to http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/free-paranormal-romances/index.php and enter now to avoid disappointment.

Get these hot paranormal romances today and begin your journey into four incredible and enchanting worlds packed with passionate alpha heroes and sassy heroines.
Here’s a teaser from one of the books to tempt you…

Excerpt from Covet by Felicity Heaton (it’s a touch naughty!)
The human women sat down on the two red leather couches positioned in the middle of the stage, one on each. Crimson spotlights bathed them, making them look as though blood covered their skin. In perfect synchronisation, the broad bare male vampires crouched before their woman, lifted the opposite leg to each other and started to kiss along it from ankle to knee.
It wasn’t turning her on.
Lilah told herself it a thousand times over but the sight of the vampire couple fornicating at the front of the stage and the forced seduction happening behind them had her heart pounding and her nipples hardening against the tight top of her uniform dress.
“I need to question you about Victor.” Javier’s deep accented voice coming from behind her caused her to drop her broom and turn.
She panted hard, startled and trying to get her arousal under control so he wouldn’t sense it.
His dark brown gaze slid to the stage and then back to her.
Lilah quickly bent to pick up her broom. When she straightened, Javier’s eyes were on her dress, his pupils wide in the low light coming up from below. The moans on stage grew louder and she tried to ignore them and push the images of the couples out of her mind.
“Why did you hit Victor?” Javier said, more composed than she was. Didn’t the show affect him at all? He had crossed the theatre without pausing to watch and his eyes were fixed on her now. She had heard that he and his partners had been running the theatre for almost a century. He had probably grown immune to whatever was playing out on the stage.
“Because he was hurting Nia.” It came out blunter than she had intended and she added, “Sir.”
Javier’s eyebrow rose. “Victor said you had no grounds to strike him.”
“Then he’s a liar and a bastard.”
“He’s an elite.” The darkness in his tone was reprimand enough to Lilah. She bowed her head.
“My apologies.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Javier so she glanced to one side when she brought her head back up. It was a mistake. The act on stage was getting hotter, with the two humans now kneeling on the couches and swallowing the rigid cocks of their partners as they stood before them. She ripped her gaze away and closed her eyes, figuring it was safer. That way she didn’t risk seeing the anger in Javier’s eyes or the debauchery on stage, and she could keep a clear head. “He was forcing himself on Nia and she told him to stop. When he didn’t, I hit him. I thought he might stop and block me.”
“He said Nia was cut. He was under the influence of his hunger. That is why he didn’t stop.”
That made sense. “Nia cut her hand on some glass. A mirror in the main dressing room had broken. We had to clean it up and she cut herself.”
He muttered a ripe curse in Spanish and stepped towards her. “Were you cut?”
Lilah opened her eyes, looked up into the dark pools of his, and shook her head. “No.”
The relief that swamped his eyes surprised her and sent fear into her blood. What if she had been the one to cut herself? Would Victor have tried to touch her and taste her instead? Would Nia have tried to stop him or would she have let him hurt her?
“You must be more careful around our kind,” Javier said and she nodded slowly, unable to take her eyes off his.
The moans from the stage grew louder and she blushed when Javier looked towards the performance.
“Will I be punished?” She tried to shut out the sounds. Javier’s gaze returned to her and he shook his head.
“Victor overstepped the line.” He frowned and turned quiet for so long that she couldn’t ignore the noises coming from the stage. She glanced across at them. Javier’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you like to watch them?”
Her eyes shot wide and she instantly shook her head. He stepped closer, slid his hand over her jaw in a way that had her shivering and her breath quaking, and carefully turned her face towards the stage. His thumb and fingers remained against her face, holding her gently, warming her down to her bones and causing a flood of arousal to sweep through her.
He traced his hand down her throat and stepped up behind her. What was he doing? She trembled under his touch, anticipating pain from it but feeling nothing but pleasure.
“Does it arouse you when you watch them fucking?” he breathed into her ear and she shivered, her eyelids dropping, a ripple of shock running over her skin at hearing him say such a thing.
“I don’t watch them,” she whispered, her voice barely there.
“You were watching them when I arrived.” He ran his thumb up her throat and claimed her jaw again. How long had he been watching her before he had said something and torn her attention away from the show? Had he enjoyed watching her while she watched the performance, unaware of his presence and his eyes on her? The thought that he might have sent heat into her blood that pooled in her abdomen, tightening it with arousal.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the show now but she wasn’t taking any of it in. All of her focus was on Javier where he stood behind her, so close that his hip was against her bottom. Why was he doing this? Why wasn’t it hurting her? Was there no pleasure in his touch, no sense of desire inside him as he ran his hands over her throat and pressed his body close to hers?
Lilah sharply turned her head towards him. He was so close to her that his breath skated over her lips, her chin touching his cheek. The darkness of desire in his eyes was unmistakable. There was hunger in his touch, in the way he forced her to face the stage again, clutching her jaw and lowering his mouth to her throat. He drew in a long shaky breath and pressed his brow against the side of her head. “You smell so good… such a temptation.”
He wanted her. Her knees weakened beneath her, legs going slack at the feel of him pressed against her back, his hands firm on her body.
Lilah’s breathing quickened and she stared at the three couples on stage, her heart racing and blood thundering. Javier reached around her and slid his hand over hers where it gripped the pole of the broom. He took it from her and let it fall to the ground as he pressed soft kisses to her bare shoulder and the nape of her neck. They tickled, sending shiver after shiver through her, dizzying her.
This was so wrong.
But that only made it feel more right.
She had wanted him for so long, had craved the feel of his hands on her body, ached to know what it would feel like to be with him. She had never thought it possible though, had thought her bond to Lord Ashville would prevent it and pain her if she accepted the touch of the man she desired with all of her heart.
Javier licked the nape of her neck near her hairline, teasing her, and she couldn’t stop herself from arching her backside into him. He groaned and cursed softly in her ear, kissing it and nibbling it with blunt teeth.
“Watch them,” he whispered into her ear and licked the lobe, teasing it with the tip of his tongue. “Keep watching them while I touch you.”
She nodded and bit back a groan when he slid his hands down over her stomach and then around to her backside, palming it through her short dress. He suckled the lobe of her ear and then kissed her throat and ran his hands up her sides, pressing them in hard as he passed over her ribs. He cupped her breasts and stepped into her. The feel of his erection against her bottom sent a new hot flood of arousal pooling between her thighs. Was this really happening? She felt as though she was imagining it, as though it was a fevered fantasy brought on by watching the show and seeing him crossing the theatre towards her. It didn’t feel real.
“You cannot deny me this,” he uttered into her ear and she trembled at the command in his tone, the hunger that roughened it. “I will have you.”

About the books in this offer:

kissedbyadarkprince

Kissed by a Dark Prince

by Felicity Heaton
Olivia thinks it’s her lucky night when a dangerously handsome unconscious fae ends up on her inspection table. He’s her chance to redeem herself with her employer, the demon-hunting organisation, Archangel. But when the tall, dark and deadly immortal warrior awakes, she gets much more than she bargained for...
Attacked by his enemy in the elf kingdom, the last thing Prince Loren expects when he comes around is a beautiful angel watching over him. Hazy from his injuries, all he can focus on is the pulse ticking in her throat and the sweet allure of her blood.
One single bite reveals she is his eternal mate, triggering a bond between them that will leave him weakened until it is completed... or broken, and pulling Olivia into the crossfire of his ancient feud.
Will Loren be strong enough to place duty before desire and give up the one thing he has waited millennia for and craves above all others—his eternal mate? And will Olivia be able to resist the incredible heat that burns between them and the temptation of her dark prince’s kiss?

bloodflame

Blood Flame

by Caris Roane
Connor, a powerful vampire serving as a Border Patrol Officer for his corrupt world, falls for a gifted witch who has the ability to kill him with a single touch...
In BLOOD FLAME, vampire Officer Connor of the Crescent Border Patrol tries to suppress his desire for the powerful witch, Iris Meldeere. Because the woman possesses the ability to kill him with the tips of her fingers, how can he possibly fall in love with her?
When a double homicide throws them together, he soon finds his deepest fantasies fulfilled as Iris succumbs to his seductions.
But as they battle together to stay alive, and love begins to consume them both, will the witch be able to forgive the dark secrets of his past?
Covet

Covet

by Felicity Heaton
They’ve burned for each other for two years, the forbidden attraction between them growing each night. Now resisting the sinful desires of their hearts is becoming impossible.
Javier knows better than to succumb to his hunger for Lilah. The mortal female belongs to a powerful aristocrat patron of Vampirerotique, the theatre he runs with three other vampires. A single touch is all it would take to break the sacred law of his kind, sentencing himself to death, but his passion for her has become too fierce to ignore and he will risk everything to make Lilah his. When they find themselves alone in a private box during one of the erotic performances, will they surrender to their passion and live out their wildest fantasies in a night of wicked pleasure or will the threat of Lilah’s master keep them apart forever?
EmbraceTheDark

Embrace the Dark

by Caris Roane
Will she fall to temptation and give herself to a vampire...
Abigail doesn’t mind doing business with the realm-world, until she discovers she’s a rare commodity called a blood rose, something designed to satisfy the deepest needs of a mastyr vampire. She wants nothing to do with that kind of power and servicing a vampire is just wrong. But Mastyr Gerrod’s resistance to her gift, as well as his hot hunkiness in his Guardsman uniform, soon turns her head and she bends her neck to receive a sharp pair of fangs.
Mind-blowing sex, ecstasy, all good things follow. But how can she give up her human world to serve as a blood rose the rest of her life?

Sign up for these FREE ebooks and enter the giveaway now at http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/free-paranormal-romances/index.php

About Felicity Heaton
Felicity Heaton
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Tsu | Pinterest | GoodReads

About Caris Roane
Caris Roane
I’m a NY Times Bestselling Author and I write super-sexy paranormal romance fiction designed to be as much an adventure as a soul-satisfying experience. With every book I write, I try to give a taste of real life, despite the fact that I’m writing about hunky vampire warriors. You’ll come away engrossed in the lives of my tortured heroes as they wage war, as they make love, and as they answer the tough questions of life in terms of purpose, eternity, and how to raise a family! I began my career with Kensington Publishing writing Regency Romance as Valerie King. In 2005, Romantic Times Magazine honored me with a career achievement award in Regency Romance. I’ve published thirty paranormal romances to-date, some self-published and some for St. Martin’s Press! I’ve also branched out into Contemporary Romance with A SEDUCTIVE PROPOSITION!

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Guest Blog + Giveaway: The V Girl by Mya Robarts

UFI welcomes Author Mya Robarts. Thanks for Joining us!!

Top 10 Book Boyfriends
Hello! I’m Mya Robarts, the author of the dystopian romance novel, The V Girl. One of the questions I would ask my favorite authors if or when I had the chance to meet them will be, “Who are your fictional crushes? It would be delightful to find this little piece of themselves and then read the books that feature their book boyfriends (or girlfriends) and make comparisons. Here are my top book boyfriends:


10) Peeta Mellark- The Hunger Games Series
The strength of his feelings, his high set of morals, and his unquestionable loyalty to Katniss make him one of the best book boyfriends. It doesn’t hurt that he has muscles.


9) Lestat de Lioucourt- The Vampire Chronicles
Lestat is one of my favorite anti-heroes.  He’s the perfect combination of arrogance, rebelliousness, and poetic self-awareness. I fell in love with him when I met him for the first time in an interview with the Vampire.


8) Lucious Malfoy – The Harry Potter Series
The way Jason Isaacs portrayed him in the movie adaptations made me fall in love with a character who I had overlooked while reading the books.


7) Travis Maddox – Beautiful Disaster
He makes rash decisions, and seems to be calling for trouble, but his eternal commitment to pigeon and the combination of sweetness with strength makes him one of my favorite book boyfriends.


6) Jem Carstairs – The Infernal Devices Series


He’s the guy with a heart of gold and the terrible illness. I have soft spots for chivalrous gentlemen and Jem represents the quintessential, chivalrous hero.


5) Minho – The Maze Runner Series
Minho is a smart, Snarky, and a courageous leader, not to mention he has the Asian look that I find extremely attractive.


4) Mr. Darcy – Pride and Prejudice
He’s broody, mysterious, and 100% committed to his lady.


3) Magnus Bane –The Mortal Instruments
What’s not to love? He has magnetic Asian features and self and he throws parties for his cat.


2) Will Herondale - The Infernal Devices Series
Will has a lot of treats that I appreciate in a hero such as a tragic past, loyalty to the people he loves and a funny, snarky side.


  1. Aleksey Fürst. – The V Girl.


I have an unhealthy crush on General Fürst. He’s dominant, possessive, handsome, masculine and strong. Yet, he’s gentle in spite of his height and build. He’s never mean to his woman and yet he manages to have certain control over Lila without abusing his power. I love that he fell for Lila and life hard. I hope that soon, you’ll add him to your list of book boyfriends.

What about you? Who are your top ten fictional boyfriends?
__________________________________

Mya Robarts is a bookaholic who regrets nothing.

She spent years trying to become a contemporary dance choreographer. Eventually she realized that she enjoyed writing her stories rather than dancing to them.

Robarts is obsessed with books that present damaged characters, swoon-worthy guys, controversial topics and happy endings.

Find Mya and her books
__________________________________

The V Girl
Amazon Kobo

In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez, desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. Lila does not love him but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute of love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.

All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.

Due to mature content, this book is intended for +18 readers.
Excerpt:

Just then I hear sounds above the current noise. Steps on the river beach. I’m barely armed not to mention undressed and unprepared. My razors might keep Starville peeping toms at bay, but they’ll be useless against soldiers.

I hear steps approaching and I wade away. In no time I find myself far from where I left my clothes. My best chance to safely get out of this situation is to avoid a fight. I can remain hidden if I move to the other side of the river behind the rocks. If soldiers see me so vulnerable and naked, I’m doomed.

I need to hurry. I have to head home soon and make sure my dad and siblings are safe.

The steps sound like they come from only one person but I can’t be sure. As they sound closer, I notice they come from my right.

I don’t know what I’m more afraid of: the intruder being an armed soldier or the fact of being caught so exposed.

Trying to not splash attract attention, I put distance between me and the steps. Hiding behind some bushes and rocks, I submerge myself, leaving only my head above the water line.

I stand still. Several minutes pass and I hear nothing. When I consider it safe to leave my hiding place, I swim, splashing as little as I can.

Then I notice something that makes my heart skip a beat.

I’m not the only person here.  There’s someone else treading the water.  I can’t see how many people are around, but I can hear as someone else splashes.

A feel of panic rushes hot through my veins.

I’m surprised no one’s attacked me yet.  Haven’t they seen me? Does the splashing come from Starvillers hiding from the shots as well?

For a moment there’s only silence. Then another shot startles me and I fight my body to keep calm. I swim as fast as I can, not caring about silence anymore. Better to put distance between myself and my possible enemies.  The water and the current make my escape slow. I reach a point where the water is only at my knees and I’m hiding behind a trunk.

Then I see him.

A young man, so tall and built that for a moment, I think he’s Sasquatch minus the fur. The water only covers him around the thighs. No one in Starville, not even Rey, is so big or built. His strong muscles reveal years of military training and hint at the drug use that makes Patriot soldiers so inhumanly tall and big. Wet strands of sandy blond hair run down his broad shoulders. A tattoo on his back tells me he has been in combat and is to be respected. A soldier! Something tells me he’s alone.

My stomach clenches in panic. I’m terrified of Patriot soldiers. They are sadistic giants and killing machines. The tonics they take to build their muscles and stature make them extremely dangerous and violent. And horny.

I lose sight of him for a moment. He emerges in a different spot where the water is deeper. He is so tall, the water covers only up his waist while he’s standing. He must be at least seven feet tall. When he moves I can see his most private areas. Every part of him is enormous.

He’s in the very spot I left my clothes. I could wait for him to go, but what if others come to join him? What if they plan to camp here? I want to go home to check on my dad and the twins. The possibility of being discovered with no one to witness when he rapes me makes the hairs on the back of my neck prick. I won’t wait for the coast to be clear, risking discovery and gang rape.

He doesn’t seem to be in attack mode. The soldier is inclined and rubbing foam around his huge torso. He is bathing! I suspect he has a good reason to be unbothered by the shots. If he’s not startled, it’s likely whoever’s making the racket will take his side.

Suppressing the fear that runs through my veins, I force my mind to remain focused. For a moment, I consider attacking him while he’s so naked and defenseless. I’ve been practicing knife throwing with my rebel group. But I’m still learning and suck at it. I rarely hit the target. Besides, Sasquatch’s nakedness and apparent relaxed behavior are deceiving.  I’m armed while bathing, so he probably is too. What if he alerts his companions?

I don’t stand a chance fighting against a trained unit of steroid-injected soldiers. At this moment my only advantage is my knowledge of the hiding places of this river. And stealth. I can do stealth.

He’s blocking the only way to get my clothes and the safer spot to get out of the river.  There’s a gargantuan rock behind him that reaches not far from where I’m hiding. If I could climb it unseen, I could get back my clothes and escape. The only other option is to swim to the other side, where the current is too strong.

The soldier submerges frequently and emerges several minutes after. I pay attention to the soldier’s face.  He looks extremely sad.  Sadness isn’t an emotion I associate with soldiers.

When he rubs his face with foam and closes his eyes, I silently approach the low part of the current and climb the rock. I’m still naked and holding a knife awkwardly. If I can pass him, I’ll hide on the other side and then dress completely unnoticed.

I put my foot on the base of the rock. The water has made it smooth and slippery. There are few places to put my fingers and climb on. But I manage to climb my way up.

When I’m almost at the top, I toss my knife over the rock to free my hands. From here I can confirm the soldier is by himself.

Sasquatch is back under the water now and hasn’t resurfaced for a while. In spite of the danger, I’m impressed. He has lung capacity.

The higher I climb, the less visible I become to him. He finally emerges to take air, but I hide until he goes back under.

I’m close to my goal when my feet become slippery traitors.

I fall to the water below me.

Butt first. Straight toward the soldier’s head.


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Monday, December 21, 2015

Interview + Giveaway: Dying Light by Kory M. Shrum

UFI welcomes Author Kory M. Shrum. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking at your bio or reading in another interview?

I’m very curious about the occult. I’m that friend that makes you go up into the creepy attic on a cold night with an Ouija board. Breaking into cemeteries? Yes. Palm reading or tarot? Yes. Dancing naked under the full moon and jumping into river? All the way, baby!


What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

See answer #1. But when I’m feeling less adventurous (read: more lazy), a warm cup of tea and a book suits me just fine.


What is your Favorite part of writing? 

“I hate writing, I love having written.” ― Dorothy Parker


Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?
 
I make a cup of tea, ready the chocolates, turn on music and here we go!


What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Genres?
 
I like Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice, Nancy A. Collins, Darynda Jones, Angela Roquet, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher and so on.


How would you pitch the Jesse Sullivan series to someone who has not heard of it before?

A girl dies for a living and as you can imagine, such an occupation has its hazards. There’s lots of dark humor, snark, and a murder mystery here and there.
 
Called "addictive" by New York Times Bestseller Darynda Jones, those interested in strong female leads are sure to take a shine to Jesse Sullivan, the reluctant anti-hero of this series.


Can you tell us a little bit about the world that Dying Light is set in? 

It’s just like ours, which makes it contemporary rather than epic fantasy.


Do you have a favorite scene in Dying Light?
 
I like the scene when they jump out of the helicopter without parachutes. That was fun. :)


Which one character out of all your books was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?
 
Jesse is the easiest to write. She has so much *personality* that she comes out easy on the page. Gloria, the future-reading-ex-special ops captain, is the hardest to write. She is so secretive and non-sharey-feely, that it’s a real challenge to get in her head some times.


What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?
 
A YA novel about a disfigured and dark heroine is in the works.
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Kory M. Shrum lives in Michigan with her partner and a ferocious guard pug. She has dabbled in everything from fortune telling to martial arts and when not reading or writing, she can be found teaching, traveling, or wearing a gi. She is the author of four books in the Jesse Sullivan contemporary fantasy series. She is also an active member of both SFWA and HWA.

Find Kory and her books
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Dying Light
Jesse Sullivan #4
Amazon
In the wake of her handler’s death, Jesse has never felt more alone. Her best friend is distracted by a new love. Her mentor Rachel is missing and her boyfriend Lane isn’t returning her calls.

Worse, a Necronite with the ability to heal any wound wants to kill Jesse and absorb her power of pyrokinesis.

With little to hold her to Nashville, Jesse agrees to work as a freelance agent for Jeremiah Tate, a pharmaceutical tycoon in Chicago. Together they plot revenge against Caldwell, the mastermind responsible for the genocide of over 100,000 Necronites worldwide.

When Jeremiah fails to dominate Jesse and her pyrokinesis, tensions escalate, dividing her from her allies.

Then Caldwell gives Jesse an ultimatum she cannot refuse.

"Kory Shrum's writing is smart, imaginative, and insanely addictive! I have begun to think of her books as my Kory Krack. I beg of you to pick them up. You will NOT regret it!"
-Darynda Jones, NY Times Bestselling Author of the Charley Davidson Series

Excerpt:

Chapter 1
“Come on,” I wail. “Jumping out of a burning building is not the craziest thing we’ve ever done!”
“If you hadn’t panicked, the building wouldn’t be on fire,” Ally snaps back. She tucks the bundled laptop under her arm and starts yanking open desk drawers. Post-it notes of every color fly through the air, followed by pens, a stapler, paperclips and a Kleenex box.
I search the open office space for another door. Nada. Only one way in and out.
“I had to do something.” I thought firebombing the bad guy was my one good idea on this mission to retrieve a laptop for Jeremiah. “If I hadn’t, we’d still be stuck with him.”
We both turn our gaze to the locked door twenty feet away. A row of unoccupied desks rests between us and where we entered. The office is spacious, with rows of silver tabletops running the length of the room. Spacious—but not spacious enough with a homicidal maniac just on the other side of the door.
Something large slams into the locked office door, rattling the walls. Ominous black smoke seeps through the cracks and the smell of campfire wafts in. That smell is surely going to cling to my hair until I wash it.
“Just because we’ve been reckless before doesn’t excuse it now.” Ally slams a desk drawer shut and yanks another open. Her disheveled blonde hair hides most of her face, revealing only terrified eyes. She gives up trying to find a weapon in the desk drawer and hurries to the window. Her gaze falls on the street below. “God, Jesse. No. We’ll never survive a fall from this height.”
I shrug and pucker my lips. “It’s fine. I’ve fallen from higher. We’ll be fine.”
She blinks at me.
“You’re forgetting about my shield thingy.” I’m talking out of my ass here, but there is no way I’m letting him come in here and hurt her. He can trade punches with me all day if he wants, but not with Ally. I’ll have to find a way to break the window, jump out, and shield her on the way down.
The door shakes for the fourth time and a thick crack appears to the left of the jamb. A thicker plume of black smoke rolls through the crack and floats to the ceiling. The white popcorn tiles disappear beneath the black fog.
I go to the window and look through the glass beside her. The glass is cold under my palms and my breath fogs on the surface despite the growing heat of the room. Down below, tiny cars cut corners around buildings. One could easily be mistaken for a child’s toy.
Shit, it really is far down.
I meet Ally’s eyes and shrug. “We don’t have a lot of options.”
Sweat forms at my hairline and in the folds where my coat sits snug against my body. Chicago shines brightly around us, each pinpoint of light from the buildings and streets illuminating the dark sky.
My gaze flits from building to building, from illuminated window to illuminated window, but I don’t see salvation. We aren’t close enough to another skyscraper to signal for help. No scaffolding or window-washer platform is available to carry us to the safety of solid ground or to the roof above, where we were supposed to meet Jeremiah.
The coms in our ears buzz incoherently for the billionth time. Ally sighs in irritation. As the coms stop crackling she mashes the speak button flat with her thumb. “For the thousandth time, we can’t understand you. Something is wrong with our signal. If you can hear us, we are on the 34th floor of the Jensen building and we’re trapped. Send help.” A look of resolution solidifies on Ally’s face. “Jason’s going to kill us.”
“No.” I squeeze her arm. “So what if he’s like a hell-bent terminator with unlimited healing ability.” I snort, trying to hide my panic. “I’ve got this.”
She cocks her head. “It’s great you have firebombs and shields but we have to be careful. We don’t know the repercussions of your powers yet.”
“And getting ourselves locked in burning buildings with raging madmen is playing it so safe.”
“You know what I mean.” She steps away from the window and shifts the laptop in her arms. She yanks open more office drawers.
I arch an eyebrow. “A paper cut isn’t going to hurt him.”
“Paper cuts hurt.” She forces a smile. “But we need something to slow him down. And you’re not helping.”
I throw my hands up and pick an aisle of desks. After uselessly searching two drawers, I lift one of the office chairs and immediately know this flimsy, ergonomic piece of crap won’t be able to break a window. I throw it anyway. It bounces off the glass and comes back at me with a vengeance, clipping my knee.
“Fuckity fuck! Ow. Ow.”
Ally looks up from the drawer and scowls at me. “Injuring yourself before he even breaks into the room is not what I had in mind.”
I give her a hard stare, rubbing my throbbing knee and stumbling to another desk.
I have half a mind to remind her that it wasn’t my idea to come to Chicago. I was happy in Nashville. Sure, my boyfriend Lane—ex-boyfriend—wasn’t talking to me, but everything else was okay. The first time Jason, the insta-healing terminator tried to rip my head off, Ally had a fit. Jeremiah capitalized on it, of course.
Come to Chicago where it’s safer. We have more people and more power there. And Caldwell is up to something in the city. We could really use the extra hands.
I just wanted to stay in bed and mourn Brinkley, the man who’d given his life trying to kill Caldwell. Everyone else keeps acting like I’m supposed to be working here.
The crack in the door widens and I see an angry eye fix on me. Jason screams as if the very sight of me enrages him.
Gabriel appears at a desk two rows up from the one I’m searching. He flickers in and out, unable to hold his form with another partis—a weirdo with powers like me—nearby. He’s crystal clear when I’m alone, but when there’s two or more partis, I’m lucky if Gabriel can materialize at all. This is real inconvenient given that I need him most when the others show up looking for a fight.
“Here.” Gabriel points at a giant rock sitting on top of one of the desks. “Use this.”
No, not a rock, I realize. I place my hands on the massive stone. It’s an amethyst the size of a grapefruit. Beside it sits a little note: Don’t touch me. Please. You’ll change my energy.
I look up, but Gabriel’s gone.
I lift the rock off the desktop. It sinks into my palms like dead weight, the purple spikes poking my flesh. “Sorry, but I need your energy to club this fucker.”
I meet eyes with Jason again as he inches his fingers through the crack and starts swiping at the locking mechanism we latched behind us.
“Get over here,” I shout to Ally.
Ally makes it halfway across the room before the door explodes. Splinters the size of my leg fly at my face. I duck behind the desk, clutching the gigantic stone to my chest.
I peek over the tabletop and see Jason standing in the flames. His body smolders. His blistered arm melts from burnt to scabby to pink. He spots me behind the desk and we lock eyes. His face twists into a murderous grin.
“Stop hiding,” he calls out. “Let’s do this.”
In my peripheral vision, Ally darts to another desk, staying low.
Jason takes a step toward me. “Just think, this power could be yours if you’d challenge me already.”
“Fighting is such a commitment.” I stand slowly, but keep the desk between us. I’m hoping it buys me time if he does anything crazy like lunge for my throat. “You have to get close. You have to touch people. Sometimes, like you, they smell. No, thank you.”
Jason’s face goes perfectly smooth. Was it something I said?
A flash of black wings catches my eye. Gabriel’s still here, even if he can’t materialize. The scent of rain overtakes me as Gabriel dials up my power. My muscles contract and my body warms. My skin starts to itch around the collar of my shirt and across my belly. I feel like I have to pee.
I try not to squirm. “You know who else is in the city? Caldwell. Why don’t you kill him instead?”
Jason’s face twists up in fury again. “After I’m finished with you.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” I would put my hands on my hip if not for the giant amethyst. “Don’t you think I’m a badass?”
“You’re smaller.”
My temper flares. “You’re trying to kill me because I’m short?”
Ally coughs on the smoke filling the room and I jerk my head toward the sound. Jason doesn’t hesitate.
“Jesse!” Gabriel’s voice booms in my head.
My soul rips open, power exploding from my center in all directions. It’s like someone is yanking my intestines out of my belly button. I’m so overwhelmed but I can’t stop the power from flooding out of me or even slow it down.
Fire and smoke whoosh away from me as if blown by a great wind. The air around me shimmers like pavement on a hot day. Blue flames roll over the surface of my body, suspended about three inches above my skin before erupting outward toward Jason, the office around us and anything else in its path. The only object that is safe is the amethyst cradled in my hands.
The walls and ceiling shudder under the force of my firebomb, raining dust and plaster down on our heads. One minute the windows shatter, and glass spills out into the night air. The next minute cold winter air is sucked into the room.
I open my eyes and find Jason sprawled on the floor, unconscious. My power blast knocked him out, burned his skin, but didn’t kill him. Damn.
I come around the desk, or what is left of it, and peer closer. His flesh is already healing.
I try to use my breath to slow my heart rate. I need to calm down, but my head is throbbing.
“Ally?”
No answer.
“Ally!”
“Here.” She pulls herself to standing in the middle of a cluster of desks that had obviously been pushed together in the blast.
She shakes glass out of her hair and checks the laptop in her arms for damage.
“Kill him,” Gabriel says in my ear. The weight of the amethyst doubles in my hands. “Kill him.”
The idea of killing Jason and taking his healing powers appeals to me. Instead of having to die in order to heal myself, I could simply stay alive, and after a few breaths, be as good as new again. Wasn’t that a hell of a prospect? Less pain. Less wasted time. Less danger for myself and the people around me.
I lift the amethyst, my eyes fixed on his skull.
“Jesse.”
I lift the rock a little higher as a strange calm washes over me. No, more than calm. Peace tinged with excitement. Oh god, I want to kill him. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to kill anyone.
“Jesse.”
Ally’s face appears in front of mine. Eye to eye, she blocks my view of Jason. “Baby.” She’s whispering. “We need to get out of here.”
Her voice. Something about Ally’s voice seeps into my mind and untangles my thoughts. The cold hand inside me, the one delighting at the idea of peeling Jason open and stealing his ability to heal, grows warm. Its hold on me slackens as her brown eyes come into focus. I can’t murder someone in front of Ally. What the hell am I thinking?
My muscles relax and I let the amethyst slip from my fingers to the floor.
“Come on.” Ally squeezes my shoulders. “Maybe we can crawl down the hall a little bit and find the stairs.”
“No we can’t go that way—” I don’t finish my thought. The smallest movement steals my attention and I turn just as Jason snatches up the amethyst and throws it at Ally.
“No!” I scream as the rock sails through the air. “Gabriel!”
My shield goes up around Ally. The shimmery purple light envelops her from head to toe. The rock ricochets off the force field, shoots through the broken window and out into the night. Jason screams and runs at me, head down as if he might tackle me like some football player.
“Fuck this.” I sidestep Jason and grab hold of Ally. Her shield falters just long enough for me to wrap her in my arms and yank her forward. Before she can process what is about to happen, I shove her out the big window and don’t let go.
Her shriek is muffled by the wind whipping around us, tearing at our hair and clothes.
I suppose this is a perfectly natural reaction to your friend shoving you out of a high-rise building.
“It’s okay.” I squeeze her against my chest. “The shield will hold.”
“Right?” I ask Gabriel.
“What about you? What about you?” Ally screams.
“You will not survive the fall.” He plummets with us, his wings folding back to embrace the drop. “You must shield yourself.”
“Ally lives, not me. We have a deal.”
“You must shield yourself also.”
“I don’t know how. You have to help me.”
“Envision it.” Gabriel’s wings open, lifting him up into the air. “See it grow larger.”
The field shines about an inch or so above Ally’s skin, it touches parts of me, but it sure as hell doesn’t cover anything important.
“Hurry,” Gabriel says. “See it around you.”
I close my eyes and see us falling in my head. The building rushes past us. The freezing air tears at our clothes and hair relentlessly. Lights shine from windows in a blur as we pass. I picture my shield bigger. I picture it around me and Ally, covering us both from head to toe.
“Good. Do not stop now,” Gabriel says.
I peek my eyes open to see purple has crept over my arms and shoulder, the shield half devouring my body—until pain erupts through my legs, my back, and the whole world goes black.

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