Blog Tour Review: Damned (Crusade Book 2) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

DAMNED BY NANCY HOLDER AND DEBBIE VIGUIE
Reading level: Young Adult 
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
Read: Chapter 1

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice…. Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.

Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.

Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.

I first became acquainted with the plot of the first book CRUSADE upon reading the short story in the vampire anthology, THE ETERNAL KISS: 13 TALES OF BLOOD AND DESIRE. If you haven't read this story, entitled Passing, and you've started CRUSADE anyways, you don't have to worry about being lost. But, I would highly recommend reading it anyways --it really is a fantastic short story and provides a good amount of background for this series. CRUSADE was a 5-star read for me (read review here) and DAMNED did not disappoint. Though the first book is definitely my favorite of the two (the foray in Damned with monster-ish hybrids lost me a bit), DAMNED still packed one heck of a punch. For me, the strength of this series lies within the complex relationships and motivations of the supporting cast as well as Jen Leitner's journey to becoming a confident, self-possessed leader.

All the vampire hunters had interesting and well-drawn out personalities. In fact, I could see future spin-offs centering around each of the characters-Jamie, Holgar, Eriko, Skye and Antonio. Skye, with her witchcraft and dark secrets fascinated me the most. Holgar, the fierce hunter with supernatural tendencies, was a close second. Antonio, the ex-priest turned vampire was utterly fascinating and at times, heart-breaking in the way his conflicting desires weighed upon his conscience. As a vampire hunting his own kind, I was immediately drawn to his character and found myself looking forward to any and all scenes involving him. The scenes in which Antonio veered from his normal persona were the best though. It was a great way to change things up and get the heart racing. I'm glad they did it--it showed another layer to his personality and endeared his character to me even more.

With non-stop action, DAMNED is sure to make your heart race while you battle alongside the hunters as they take on some truly frightening vampires. I look forward to the next installment in this thrilling series and highly recommend CRUSADE and DAMNED to both adult and teen readers who enjoy scary, action-packed vampire books.

Nancy Holder has published sixty books and more than two hundred short stories. She has received four Bram Stoker awards for fiction from the Horror Writers Association, and her books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. She has written or cowritten twenty Buffy and Angel projects. Her books from Simon Pulse include the New York Times bestselling series Wicked and the novel The Rose Bride. A graduate of the University of California at San Diego, Nancy is currently a writing teacher at the school. She lives in San Diego with her daughter, Belle, and their growing assortment of pets. Visit her at nancyholder.com.

Debbie ViguiÉ holds a degree in creative writing from UC Davis. Her Simon Pulse books include the New York Times bestselling Wicked series and the Once upon a Time novels VIOLET EYES, SCARLET MOON and MIDNIGHT PEARLS. She lives in Florida with her husband Scott. Visit her at debbieviguie.com.

The Vampire Stalker by Allison van Diepen

THE VAMPIRE STALKER by Allison van Diepen 

Reading level: Young Adult 

Hardcover: 272 pages 

Publisher: Point (June 1, 2011)

Read  Chapter One

I glanced at him, and felt like the air had been sucked out of me. 
 
His profile was straight and chiseled. Dark brown hair curled slightly over the collar of his long, cape-like coat. A line from Otherworld came to mind: He would have been classically handsome were it not for the forbidding expression on his face.

I gave my head a shake. After all I’d just been through, I was still thinking of Alexander Banks. It must have been a mirage—my mind’s way of bringing me comfort after the terror.

What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?

Amy is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.

I'm a huge vampire junkie so this was such a treat. But even if you're not into vampires, chances are there's been a special book you've imagined certain characters coming to life at some time or other. (Barrons from Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series immediately comes to mind) But I think you don't have to be a huge vampire fan to enjoy The Vampire Stalker. It's so well-written with a thoughtful, entertaining story line and strong, likable characters that I think it will appeal to a wide variety of readers.

The Vampire Stalker exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds. The premise, the characterization and the world building all came together for me in a delicious concoction that I devoured in a single evening. Allison van Diepen impressed me with how cleverly she constructed main protagonist Amy’s personality. She was a girl that could easily be any of us—she had normal features, a normal name, normal life, etc.  I think that crafting Amy's character as someone all women can identify with was a smart move. For with a book like this, part of the fun is putting yourself in Amy's shoes and wondering "what would I do if so-and-so came to life?!"  I also adored how she kept her head in this book—she was logical, confident and loyal to the people she cared about. She was the type of girl we'd all want to be or have for a best friend.

My hope is that Allison van Diepen will allow us to return to Alexander’s world. The entire time I was reading the The Vampire Stalker, I was itching to cross over into "Otherworld" and get a taste for what life was really like there. (Otherworld is both the name of a fictional vampire series that main character Amy is obsessed with and also it's a parallel world similar to ours). I loved this concept- the way it was explained made so much sense too- simple but full of possibilities.  Let's just say that if Otherworld was a real series out on the market right now, I would wait in line for the next installment just like Amy and her friends did! There’s so much that could be done if van Diepen did another book from that angle—a potential back story with Alexander and James as children in Otherworld or even something with the sinister Vigo would be fantastic. Whatever it is—I'm most enthusiastically interested in reading it. 

It’s very rare that I close a book and am tempted to flip it back open to page one and read again, but I can honestly tell you that’s how I felt about this one. I didn't want to leave The Vampire Stalker. It was pure entertainment through and through—a great escape on a gloomy Sunday afternoon. I hope Allison van Diepen is able to continue this series. She definitely got my attention with this one!

Allison van Diepen is the author of six teen novels: Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating, The Oracle Rebounds, and The Vampire Stalker. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age.

Allison holds degrees in History and Education. She is currently Head of English at an alternative high school, where her focus is on literacy. She lives with her husband and son in Ottawa, Canada. Official Website

 

Book Review: Nightshade by Michelle Rowen!

NIGHTSHADE BY MICHELLE ROWEN 
Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: Berkley (February 1, 2011) 
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
Read: excerpt
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.

Declan Reyes was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.

Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…

Book Beginning: 
"Life as I knew it ended at half past eleven on a Tuesday morning.
There were currently thirty minutes left."

Notable Scenes

"His words should have scared me, made me feel threatened by his dark intent, especially after being told about his vampire father. But they didn't. I was afraid of Declan, but not for the reasons he probably thought I was." -Page 102

"But something else haunted me as well, in an entirely different way. It was what he said before sinking his fangs into me. I cringed as I touched the raw marks on my throat.

I'll find you."

That was what he'd whispered to me." -Page 324

So often in the paranormal romance genre, we have a situation where the vampire must fight against all his/her natural instincts not to bite a human, because of guilt, attraction, etc etc.  But what if instead of the human always being the weakest link, this time around it's the vampire running the risk of poisoning themselves from feeding on a human?  Intriguing idea, right? This was the concept behind NIGHTSHADE.  In her latest adult novel, Michelle Rowen delves into a darker brand of urban fantasy while still maintaining strong romantic appeal (and her trademark brand of humor). Mix in this unique twist on vampire lore and you've got yourself a winner!

NIGHTSHADE starts off fast and furious and keeps on rolling. It's break-time at work, and Jillian Conrad needs her morning coffee fix. But on her way back to the elevators, her life as she knew it—the normal, get up and go to work hum-drum routine we all grapple with—ends forever. She's at the wrong place at the wrong time. Caught in the middle of a stand-off with a gunman and a frantic scientist, Jillian is poisoned with a serum that makes vampires lose their senses with desire for her blood. Wait! Vampires are real? Yep. Sorry Jillian, they sure are. As Jillian's normal world comes crashing down all around her, she realizes in the blink of an eye she has become a crucial pawn in the struggle between humans and vampires alike.  

NIGHTSHADE was a fun, sexy and humorous vampire urban fantasy. I read it over a 24-hour period and immediately wanted the next book in the series to tear into.  I do have to admit that initially I wasn't too sure about Declan with his unsightly eye-patch, scars and cold personality. But just like he did with Jillian- he definitely grew on me.  I became vested in their relationship and anxiously wanted them to realize their mutual attraction to one another, and better yet—act on it. It happened when  I saw how Declan's personality changed when he didn't take a certain serum –the one that supposedly kept his half-vampire blood thirsty impulses at bay (he reminded me a bit of the movie Blade in that aspect too). One thing that threw me a bit were Rowen's characterization of the djamphirs—they honestly gave me the heebeejeebees—I kept wishing they were more like sexy apple-pie smelling Christophers from Lili St. Crow's books rather than gory monster freak shows, but they needed to be what they were to fit the storyline, so it made sense that she did what she did with them.

Poor Jillian—what a Catch 22! If Declan was on the serum, she knew it was safer to be around him. If he wasn't? Well things just got a whole lot hotter in the room—but also a whole lot more deadly. As for Jillian, I loved her character. She was such a great contrast to Declan. While he was etched in stone, she was approachable and downright lovable. It was also refreshing to read an adult book where the main protagonist didn't  have to kick butt in order to kick butt. Jillian was no trained warrior by any means, but she was smart, kind-hearted and played the hand dealt to her so well that it ended up saving her life.

NIGHTSHADE slams to a halt with a twist that really sets an exciting tone for the next book in the series. It was one I did not see coming and can't wait to see how it all plays out.  I would recommend this book to fans of adult paranormal romance as well as more mature teen readers. You'll find a lot to sink your teeth into. The next novel, BLOODLUST  releases in July of this year (so far away!)

Jillian Conrad Series

Related Reading:

Primal by Lora Leigh, Michelle Rowen, Jory Strong and Ava Gray

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (February 1, 2011)

Four all-new stories of primitive desire- with a never-before- published novella of the Breeds

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds in an all-new novella that explores just how savage, and how far, a man is willing to go in the name of desire. Plus three other stories of irresistible passions from three masters of hot paranormal romance.

I wasn't familiar with the other authors within this anthology so I found myself a bit lost wading through the worlds of the main characters. But I thought  Michelle Rowen's novella was fantastic! It takes place immediately after the events following NIGHTSHADE and was just as dark, edgy and action-packed the book itself. Her story made me fall in love with the series even more to be honest.

As Jillian and Declan searched for a cure for the poison in her blood, they found themselves in a dangerous facility where vampires were tested on like lab rats and a scientist with a malicious grudge has a few plans of his own. This novella was A+.

Michelle Rowen writes paranormal romance, urban fantasy, futuristic romantic suspense, and young adult fantasy. She has been on the Waldenbooks/Borders Group romance bestseller list and was the winner of the 2007 Holt Medallion for Best First Book and the 2009 Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Vampire Romance. Her books include the Immortality Bites paranormal romance series, the Demon Princess books for young adults, and in May 2010 she launches a new paranormal series, Living in Eden, with the first book “The Demon in Me,” which is a fun, romantic look at demonic possession. Trust her, it’s totally possible. Michelle lives in Southern Ontario and is the 2010 President of Toronto Romance Writers. She wields her power wisely. Visit Michelle Rowen at her Official Website & Blog

Character Interview with Jareth from Night School (Blood Coven Book 5) by Mari Mancusi

I'd like to extend a warm welcome to Mari Mancusi, author of the Blood Coven Vampire books. The fifth installment, Night School recently released and Mari stopped by to talk about it with us. She brought with her an "interview" with the mysterious Jareth. Mari's website describes his character as a "dark and brooding vampire who looks like a cross between Jude Law and a young David Bowie. Jareth serves as a general in the Blood Coven army. Beautiful, powerful and mysterious, he's quick to temper when someone pushes his buttons." 

Did that get your attention? I should think so. Check out "Jareth's" answers to my questions and don't forget to enter to win an ARC of Night School and Bonus Mystery ARC too!

Jareth, while Rayne was on the run hiding out from the fairies, there was no way for her to contact you. What was going through your mind during that time? Were you worried about her staying out of trouble?

Oh god. It was pure torture. I'd been out with the Blood Coven army, on a peacekeeping mission in the Middle East, when Magnus called me with the news that Rayne and her sister had gone missing. I knew something had to be wrong--Rayne wasn't the type to go silent. But she wasn't even updating her blog! And what was she going to do without her supply of Blood Substitute? She'd never been trained to suck real blood from people--being a vegetarian, it was against her beliefs. But without substitute on hand, it was real blood or starve to death. Very worrying, let me tell you!

2.      What is it about Rayne that draws you to her the most? And conversely, what about is the most difficult thing about being her boyfriend?

I love her passion. She's so strong and intense and spirited. Never afraid to speak up and say what's on her mind. At the same time, she's quite soft on the inside and can be hurt rather easily. She finds it difficult to open up to people and share what she considers her "weakness." I love that she trusts me enough to let me in to see her soul.

That said, the same spirit I love about her can be bloody annoying at times. She will cut off her nose to spite her face. She will mouth off to people (and vampires) she really shouldn't mouth off to. And she's incredibly stubborn.

She drives me crazy, but I love her with all my heart and soul. And I'm happy to take the bad when there's so much good.

3.      When you found about Rayne's interactions with Corbin, did you feel threatened by him at all?
 

Ugh. That situation was not good. I mean, I don't blame Rayne--she needed to drink something and there was no Blood Substitute on campus. I just wish she hadn't chosen to juice the jugular of a guy who hated vampires as much as Corbin does. The guy is trouble. And now Rayne seems to feel responsible for him. Like, she feels guilty and wants to protect him. And I just know that's going to lead to trouble.   

4.      During the time that Sunny and Rayne were at Riverdale, Rayne underwent through some interesting changes in regards to her fae heritage and learned a lot about just how powerful her and Sunny really are.  So let me ask you this- who would you rather have on your side in a fight-- Tinkerbell (hey, don't laugh--she sure schooled your girlfriend) or an angry vampire?

I would be a fool to underestimate the power of the fae folk. They are a proud, strong race that has been around longer than vampires themselves. That said, Tinkerbell is an arrogant, vain little bitch and if Rayne got a chance for a re-match she'd show her who wears the fangs in the family.

5.       The end of Night School leaves Corbin's story pretty opened. How do you think his future will intermingle with your girlfriend's? There's a lot of history there. Are you worried?
 

Corbin is indeed a big problem and I think we will be seeing more of him very soon. I'm worried that Rayne's lingering feelings of guilt to what happened to him (not to give away any spoilers) will inhibit her ability to deal with him in a rational manner.

6.      What do you think the future holds for you and Rayne?

Hopefully things will someday calm down and Rayne will get used to her vampire self and be allowed to retire from Slayer Inc. I'd like to build a luxury crypt for two and spend my life taking care of her. Hey--a vampire can dream, right?

Mari Mancusi works as a television producer for a nationally syndicated women's lifestyle show and has won two Emmys. She lives in New York City. Official Website 

****GIVEAWAY****
ARC of Night School and Bonus Mystery ARC*!

*Winner's choice from a list to be provided

NIGHT SCHOOL

BY MARI MANCUSI

 

Vampires, Slayers and...FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.

After their parents' shocking revelation about their fae heritage and an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins find themselves on the run—forced to hide out at Riverdale Academy , a boarding school for vampire slayers, deep in the Swiss Alps. With no cells, no internet, and no way to contact their vampire boyfriends—the twins are on their own.

Being a vampire stuck in a school full of slayers isn't easy. Especially with no blood substitute stocked on campus. Soon Rayne finds herself succumbing to her bloodlust and losing control—especially around the arrogant, but devastatingly handsome Corbin Billingsworth the Third—who isn't sure whether he wants to kiss her...or kill her.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own—leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.

My review of Night School 
Read an excerpt of Night School

Official Rules:

1.You must be 13 year or older to enter.

2. Open to entrants with a valid U.S. mailing address only. 

3. Entries must be received by Midnight EST on January 19th 2011. 

4. Once contacted, winners have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address.

5. To enter to win, simply fill out the form below. Good luck!  

FORM

Book Review: Night School by Mari Mancusi

NIGHT SCHOOL (BLOOD COVEN 5)  BY MARI MANCUSI 
Reading level: Young Adult 
Paperback: 256 pages 
Publisher: Berkley Trade (January 4, 2011) 
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound
 

Vampires, Slayers and…FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.

After their parents’ shocking revelation about their fae heritage and an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins find themselves on the run—forced to hide out at Riverdale Academy , a boarding school for vampire slayers, deep in the Swiss Alps. With no cells, no internet, and no way to contact their vampire boyfriends—the twins are on their own.

Being a vampire stuck in a school full of slayers isn’t easy. Especially with no blood substitute stocked on campus. Soon Rayne finds herself succumbing to her bloodlust and losing control—especially around the arrogant, but devastatingly handsome Corbin Billingsworth the Third—who isn’t sure whether he wants to kiss her…or kill her.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own—leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.

Book Opening: 

"My name is Rayne McDonald and I am a fairy princess.

Argh! I can't even say that without feeling sick to my stomach! I can't be a fairy princess—I'm the antithesis of a fairy princess. "

Notable Quotes:

"Then suddenly, I hear it: a weirdly familiar buzzing sound. At first I can't place it. It's low-pitched and burning, almost like the beating of—

Oh my  God. I look over at Sunny, who, I realize, is looking back at me with terrified eyes. They've found us. Somehow, some way, they've found us. "- Page 83

"I hang my head, not blaming him one bit for his anger. He feels betrayed and confused—and deserves to feel all that and more. But, at the same time, all this emotion is wasted energy. 

We have to work together to get out of here. For his own good as well as mine. How can I convince him of that?"- Page 143

The Short Version: 

Vampires, slayers, fairies—OH MY!

Night School, the 5th installment in the Blood Coven series by Mari Mancusi, was a heck of a lot of fun! There's never a dull moment in The Blood Coven series and Night School was no exception. 

The Long Version: 

After the twins find out about their shocking fairy heritage and the danger it poses to their safety, their parents ship them off to a vampire slayer boarding school to lay low.  But as the girls soon learn, Riverdale is not the safest of places and it seems as if they are in worse danger than ever before. If they don't figure out a plan- and quickly- they might never leave at all.

 The always amusing, clever Rayne is the narrator of Night School. And let me just say, Rayne is the reason I keep coming back to the series.  This is a zany character who has undergone more transformations than you'd think possible (even for a paranormal book), yet she does it with such wit, likability and dark humor, that it all seems to make sense. I adore Rayne's twin sister Sunshine, but my favorite books are the ones told from Rayne's point of view.  With her tongue-in-cheek distinct brand of sass, Rayne always elevates this series up a notch with her constant misadventures. While on the young side of the vampire YA spectrum, I do enjoy these books and look forward to each installment.  At times, Rayne reminds me of a goth Buffy the Vampire Slayer (if Buffy was also a vampire that is). As for Sunny—well Sunny is like the quintessential Barbie girl that has it all, except for an uncanny ability to get herself into the craziest situations that only Rayne can ever get her out of. 

The only thing I have to note about Night School is that I found the romantic angle lacking—the scenes with Rayne and Jared felt rushed and somewhat forced to me. However, the twist with Corbin did turn my head in the right direction toward the end. I loved the precarious position Rayne was in at Riverdale with being unable to acquire any blood.  What happened with her and Corbin was great—I loved his back-story too.  Things took a dangerous turn at the end and I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.

The Blood Coven series is a light-hearted, Young Adult vampire series that will appeal to young readers or those who prefer their vampire books to be served up less on the bloody side.   So if you are looking for a dark vampire series with tortured souls, mature romantic situations and gory details, this is probably not the vampire series for you. I think of it more as "Blood Lite" or "Vamp Candy". I would rate them as being skewed to older of a crowd than Ellen Schrieber's Vampire Kisses, but younger than P.C. and Kristin Cast's House of Night series if that helps.

It's always a riot to revisit with Sunny and Rayne- I'm interested in what crazy direction their lives with take next with Blood Ties, scheduled to release in August 2011.

BOOKS IN THE BLOOD COVEN SERIES

Mari Mancusi works as a television producer for a nationally syndicated women's lifestyle show and has won two Emmys. She lives in New York City.