Thursday, April 28, 2011

Book review: Love Bites a Sofie Metropolis novel by author Tori Carrington

I recently read the latest in the Sofie Metropolis series by author Tori Carrington (ie Lori & Tony Karayianna). In this one Sofie has to deal with the possibilities of vampires in the neighborhood and murder. She is also wrangling two men in her life hottie Australian Jake and the Greek baker Dino. Below is a short blurb.

Sofie Metropolis is back and in the deep end of the coffee pot when she's retained by the neighbourhood vampire to prove he isn’t responsible for a recent string of grisly murders, and her mother talks her into looking for a missing woman neither of them knows, but Thalia has adopted in absentia nonetheless. And if her plate isn’t full enough, things heat up on the romantic front when ‘bounty hunter’ Jake Porter and yummy Greek baker Dino both decide to vie for her undivided attention. What’s a good Greek girl with a gun to do?

I've read the other books in this series. It's not a typical contemporary romance per say. Sofie is a private investigator working for her Uncle Spyro who is never around to help her learn the ropes. She's been learning her way as she goes. In this book she is pushed by her mother to help find out what happened to a girl whose gone missing from the neighborhood. Her neighbor down the street Ivan Romanoff and possible vampire gets picked up for questioning by police for some women who've been found murdered and he hires Sofie to prove it wasn't him.  Problem is the murdered women all have their blood drained from them so he looks pretty guilty or one of his family does. She doesn't really want to take the case but end up checking into it anyway. Between checking into the disappearance of Roula the women her mom wants her to look into the murdered women and other missing women and her staff along with the two hot men in her life Sofie has her hands full. I liked this one there is enough of the romance/suspense and humor in it to make it enjoyable. The one thing i didn't like that much was the cliff hanger ending. I won't give it away but it ticketed me off a little and I'll just say it involves the two hottie men in her life, Jake and Dino. You can check out this book and all the other book by Tori Carrington by clicking here. I give "Love Bites" by tori Carrington 3 and 1/2 Modokker Book Pick stars.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Sarah's Book Shelves: Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks

Sarah's Book Shelves: Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks: " The Back of The Book: Nothing on earth can make this vampire fall in love . . . After 499 years of existence, Connor Buchanan has arri..."

Lori Foster's Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor Series Book Trailer




Lori Foster latest book comes out today. When you Dare is the first in her new series Men of Honor. I reviewed it a while back and loved it. Below are the next two in the series.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf book Trailer



I read and reviewed this book recently and wanted to share the book trailer for it. If your into paranormal suspense and vamps this is a good book for you!

Lisa

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Free ebook alert Eloisa James novella A Fool again

Right now this Eloisa James ebook is available for preorder at Amazon.com for free. It will be released on April 26th but for right now it's free! Reminder this is a novella not a novel. If you've never read Eloisa James now is your chance to read her for free. The price can change at anytime so if your interested get it now.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Book Review: The Legend of Michael: Sin and Satisfaction by author Lisa Renee Jones

I received a Ebook ARC of "The Legend of Michael" in return for my honest opinion. This is the first book I've ever read of this author. The Legend of Michael is the first book in  Lisa Renee Jones new Zodiac Series. Let me start with the back cover blurb.

HE IS A LETHAL WEAPON…


One of an army of human soldiers injected with alien DNA, Michael is a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side and returned to the light. Feared and misunderstood, he leaves everything behind, including the one woman destined to be his mate.

HE IS HER ENEMY…AND HER DESTINY…

Fate leads Michael back to Cassandra Powell, for she holds the key to defending his comrades. With their loyalties divided between duty and the people they love, only together can Cassandra and Michael overcome insurmountable odds to save humanity from the wrath of a madman.

But no ordinary woman can control a creature such as Michael, and only one thing is clear—the world will never be the same…

The Hero: Michael

He is sin and satisfaction, lust and damnation, a lethal weapon created from the greed of man. A human soldier injected with alien DNA, he is one of many, yet none are like him, a legend within this new race, split between good and evil. Untamable, he has walked on the dark side, returned to the light, but it matters not, for he is feared, misunderstood—lethal in all ways possible. Women desire him, lust for the mysterious warrior, hungry for the raw passion that touches his every breath. Men envy his stature, his power; they lust to control him. But there is no controlling a creature such as he, no taming the primal fires within him. He is the past, he is the future.

He is Michael.

This is a exciting new paranormal series that originates at area 51. The book starts with a glossary of sorts that explains different terminology you'll read throughout the book. It's alot to remember but i found it helpful as i read the book. The book comes in two parts. The first part is a extended prologue of sorts to intro to the characters and the 2nd part really gets into the meat of the story. I'll admit i wasn't sure about the whole alien DNA thing. It kind of put me off at first but once i got going into the story it's nothing really to do with aliens per say at all. Follow that logic? Michael is one of the soldiers injected with alien DNA that's meant to make him a better badder soldier. It works too but it enhances what you already are. For Michael he's not sure what he's becoming when it becomes evident that some soldiers that were bad before are wholly evil now.  He's not sure if he's bad or good based on his family history. He meets Cassandra  and her father is the man who started all this. For the soldiers injected with the alien DNA there is this thing called a lifebond in which the male soldiers find a link with a female and there is a primal need to bond. Cassandra is Michael's lifebond but he thinks being with her will put her in danger and tries to avoid the whole thing. His inner demons work him through the book on this as a set of twin brother face off on opposite sides for control of the GTECHs which is what the soldiers injected with alien DNA are called. This is a really complex story will with love determination and inner struggles. Even so it was easy to read and once you figure out all the terminology ( which isn't hard) you really can get into it. I really enjoyed it. Michael is one tough SOB but Cassandra is just as tough in different ways. I look forward to the next story in this series. You can check out a couple excerpts for "The Legend of Michael" and the next two books in this series by going to Lisa Renee Jones website by clicking here. Right now i can't think of anything i didn't like. I thought it was well paced the characters interesting and a great story. I'm looking forward to some of the other characters stories now and getting to know them. PS. There is a excerpt to the next Zodius book at the back of "The Legend of Michael". I give this one 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Picks stars. I've heard the paperback version is already available for purchase early thru Amazon but you have to preorder the ebook version still.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Book review: Face of Danger by author Roxanne St Claire

Face of Danger is the third installment in Roxanne St Claire's hot new series "The Guardian Angelino's". I got a bit lucky when i heard thru the Internet grapevine that Barnes and Noble was shipping this book early. It doesn't come out until April 26th but i was able to order it last Friday and it showed up on my doorstep yesterday so naturally i already read it. I got started reading Roxanne's work back over a year ago when i stumbled upon her at www.writerspace.com in one of their fun authors chat rooms. I was intrigued by what i heard and ran out to the library the next day to see if they had any of her Bullet Catcher series books. It didn't take but a few chapters of her first Bullet Catchers book to hook me and I've been a fan since. I didn't expect to be disappointed in this new book and i wasn't! This one i think is my favorite so far of the three although I've loved them all. My favorite genre as I've said before is romantic suspense right now and Roxanne St Claire certainly knows her way around that particular genre. Below is the back cover blurb for Face of Danger.

Private investigator Vivi Angelino loves living life on the edge, but stepping into the shoes of a movie starlet to bait a serial killer isn't just a thrill . . . it's a ticket to the big time for her fledgling security firm. That is, as long as a certain risk-averse FBI agent stays out of her way-and out of her fantasies.


Assistant Special Agent in Charge Colton Lang isn't above using his well-worn rulebook to stop Vivi's latest walk on the wild side. But when they learn her client is involved in something far more insidious than bad acting, Vivi and Colt must work together despite the electrifying attraction arcing between them. For each new clue is bringing them closer to a high-profile crime with a dark and deadly truth at its core . . . and a cold, calculating murderer with nothing left to lose.

Love how the characters in this book Colton (Lang) and Vivi are brought to life. You get to see them in the other books but here they get to shine on their own. It's their story. You get a smidgen of Gabe in there and Chessie she's a little stingy of the giving the rest of the family a spot in this book lol. I do love my glimpse's of past and future characters and there is a surprise appearance by a bullet catcher at the end that i loved. Colton and Vivi both have some tough personal hurdles to get past in this book not to mention the case they find themselves involved in together. Vivi snags herself a huge client for a payoff of a cool million  dollars she only has to be a decoy for a famous actress who may or may not be the target of a serial killer dubbed The Red Carpet Killer. Vivi signs a agreement she won't tell anyone that she not Cara the actress she's doubling for. Thing is 5 minutes into the assignment she comes face to face with one Colton Lang FBI special agent in charge. She's worked with Colton a lot so he knows her very well. She's got to try and either make him believe she's Cara or make sure he doesn't give her away since she was told someone would be watching and listening to her every move. Things get crazy right from the start when she gets attacked and get crazier from there.  There's alot more going on than the  possibility of a  Red Carpet Killer. This story has many twists and turns and surprises. When you read this see if you can figure out who the blue eyes muscle man is before it's revealed towards the end. lol Now that I've warned you might think a little harder than i did ( which was not much at all) and figure it out.  Vivi is such a strong person you'd never think she has personal demons but because of Colton she decides she needs to face them once and for all and then maybe Colton can face his too. There is some emotional stuff and funny stuff and suspenseful stuff with plot twists you won't see coming. Your kept guessing right til the end. I loved it right down to the ending. Ready for the next one please! Great series. I give Face of Danger 5 out of 5 Modokker book Pick stars!! You can read more about this  on Roxanne St. Claire's website including a excerpt and the other books in this series by clicking here. PS there is also a short story prequel to this series on her website under the free reads heading.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Book Review: Something Secret this Way Comes by author Sierra Dean

I was lucky enough to receive a advanced readers copy of Something Secret this way Comes. I didn't realize until after i finished reading it that this is a debut book for this author. I wasn't to sure about the title when i first read it but then i started into it and realized the play of words on the heroine's name. Let me give you a little blurb for this book first.

Something Secret This Way Comes

Secret McQueen, Book 1
May 10, 2011
Some secrets are dangerous. This Secret is deadly.

For Secret McQueen, her life feels like the punch line for a terrible joke. Abandoned at birth by her werewolf mother, hired as a teen by the vampire council of New York City to kill rogues, Secret is a part of both worlds, but belongs to neither. At twenty-two, she has carved out as close to a normal life as a bounty hunter can.

When an enemy from her past returns with her death on his mind, she is forced to call on every ounce of her mixed heritage to save herself—and everyone else in the city she calls home. As if the fate of the world wasn't enough to deal with, there’s Lucas Rain, King of the East coast werewolves, who seems to believe he and Secret are fated to be together. Too bad Secret also feels a connection with Desmond, Lucas’s second-in-command…

Warning: This book contains a sarcastic, kick-ass bounty hunter; a metaphysical love triangle with two sexy werewolves; a demanding vampire council; and a spicy seasoning of sex and violence.

OK OK where to start. It's kind of fun reading a authors book where you have no knowledge of prior works. In this case this is her first book. I think she knocked it out of the park. Just gonna say it. I started reading this a couple weeks ago while sitting under the hair dryer at my local salon. I only got a few chapters in but i liked what i read but i also wondered if this was going to full of violence with little romance.  I set it aside for a bit then because other things came up and picked it back up a few days ago and devoured it! If you've read Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood it put me in mind of that but different at the same time. Both her main characters are vampire hunters but the stories are different. I just got that same feeling reading this as i did reading Angel's Blood. Loved that too btw.

Secret McQueen was an abomination to both werewolves and vampires. Good thing only a handful of people know she is a half breed. Half vampire half werewolf. Secret is also a hunter. She hunts vampires mostly but has hunted a werewolf or two and maybe a human with her partner Keaty. There is so much in this book and yet so much more to come. I liked all the characters even the evil bad ones. lol There is nothing predictable in this book. I don't mind some predictability but without it you are more on edge. There is some violence and gore in this book so be warned it's in there but it doesn't overshadow the story. The more the book went on the more i got into and got excited. There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end that makes your mouth hang open and say WOW! I did literally. I was glad there is more to come and mad i have to wait for it. Secret is one kick ass women who lives her life learning to take care of herself and not depend on other people. A enemy of her past comes back seemingly to kill her. In the mist of figuring out what going on with that she runs into the werewolf kind of the Eastern States Lucas Rain. Instant attraction hits and she doesn't know what to think of it. Then she seems to have that same attraction for Lucas's 2nd in command Desmond. What's a girl to do? Neither know the dirty secret of her heritage though. If they find out then what? About 3/4 of the way thru i was wondering how she was going to wrap it all up and finally decided that she wasn't. That means another book is going to be coming out reportedly in September so I'll be waiting. You can read more about Sierra Dean and read a excerpt of this book on her website by clicking here. BTW her cover is awesome. I'd love to see this as a paperback. Right now it's only going to be available as a ebook. Something Secret This Way Comes releases May 10. I have to give it 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. I've read some really good books lately. This one was such a great surprise for me.

Something Secret This Way Comes

Monday, April 11, 2011

Book Review: Forever Vampire by author Michele Hauf

Michele is a new to me author. I have never read her work before. I received a ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I do like my paranormal genre very much and i really have not read many of late and certainly not vampire related books so i was happy to try this one on for size. The cover is intriguing if not broody. I liked it but wasn't sure of what the inside of the book might be like based on the cover. Once you get reading though it's easy to see the story is portrayed nicely by the cover as Vaillant (Vail) is dark and somewhat brooding. Michele boasts her writing is sexy paranormal book are like Twilight for big girls and i have to agree. Here is a blurb for Forever Vampire.

Vail the Unwanted is a pure blood vampire. But raised in Faery, he has neither home nor peace, and when his aid is sought in the recovery of a priceless diamond gown, his price is information. Specifically the whereabouts of his accursed father. His goal is revenge, and the supernaturally sexy Lyric, the icy blond vampiress with whom he must work, is a distraction he can't afford.


Outwardly as cold as the diamond dress in which she was kidnapped, Lyric has her own secrets. Desperate to break free from her criminal family, she aligns herself with the brooding Vail. Together they seek justice while each secretly works for freedom and a fresh start. For Lyric that means holding herself apart, even from the smoldering blue-eyed Vail. For Vail, it means a battle to the death for revenge—and for a temptress he can't deny.

I admit i looked at a few reviews for this book before cracking it open and wasn't sure what I'd find. Everyone seems to say something different. I found that 25 pages in i was really liking it. It was a totally different story than other vampire themed paranormals I've read before. I'm going to say there is some violence in this book but nothing to out of the norm for what you find in paranormal books sometimes. It's actually to me a paranormal romantic suspense. This book is about Valliant or Vail as he is referred to the most. He is a blood born vampire who was raised in Faery until 3 months ago when he was banished to the mortal world. His uncle Rhys Hawke tried to take him under his wing and help him adjust but he doesn't really want to adjust. His mother is reportedly insane and his brother who is a werewolf seems to hate him.No one seems to want him. He takes a job for his uncle locating a vampiress Lyric Santiago. Seems she was kidnapped along with a priceless and stolen power filled diamond gown. He finds Lyric easy enough but getting the dress is a harder thing to do. His goal was to find Lyric the dress and then turn them over to get info on his father which he hates and wants to kill. Lyric proves  hard to resist. She and Vail are drawn together. Even though he vows he'll never take blood from another vampire or human there is something about Lyric that draws him. Unfortunately Vail has enemies and suddenly so does Lyric who want the dress and to kill them. Will Vail work out all his parental issues and get the gown and Lryic back where they belong and will Lyric be the one who finally helps Vail see who he really is and where he belongs.  There is such a great story going on in this book. I really enjoyed it. It was was full of action, romance and hot monkey sex. I wasn't sure how this book was going to end. Some books you can kind of guess but not with this one. There is one part at the end i wish had been more dramatic but the rest was good.  You can read the first two chapters and find out more about this book and the other 2 books in this series by clicking here. I give Forever Vampire by Michele Hauf 4 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. NOTE this book is available for pre-order right now. Release day is April 19th

Book review: Shiver of Fear by author Roxanne St Claire

Shiver of fear is the 2nd installment in Roxanne St Claire's newest series The Guardian Angelinos. The first book in this series is Edge of Sight which i reviewed here a while back when it came out. To get a free taste for this series though you can read a free short story prequel entitled "Taken to the Edge" which introduces you to the two main characters of Edge of Sight and gives you a glimpse into other characters in this series and a taste of what's to come. Click here to read it. I believe it's about 26 pages or so so easy read. Nice way to see if this series is for you. Romantic suspense has turned into my favorite genre these days and Roxanne St Claire's other series The Bullet Catchers is one of my favorite Romantic suspense series. Let's start with a little back cover blurbage shall we?


The legacy that haunts her . . .
The mystery she must solve . . .
A man who threatens to reveal her secrets . . .
and break her heart.

Burned by a failed marriage, former FBI agent Marc Rossi wants back in the investigation game with no emotional strings attached. Taking an assignment for his enterprising Angelino cousins, he heads to Northern Ireland to pry a key piece of evidence from a missing socialite-any way he can. But when the ice queen turns out to be warm, beautiful, and on a secret mission of her own, the job becomes a passionate reminder of what happens when duty and desire mix. The daughter of an infamous fugitive, Devyn Sterling has survived betrayal only to find that her mother has mysteriously disappeared. When her search uncovers secrets, lies, and threats, Devyn and Marc must trust each other when every instinct says they can't . . . and a terrorist wants to make sure they won't live to try.


We meet Marc Rossi and Devyn Sterling in Edge of Sight. Devyn's husband gets murdered in the first book and she takes off in search of her birth mother in Northern Ireland for answers to burning questions about her parentage. She was adopted as a baby and always felt out of place and then she found out who her real parents were and was not happy with what she found out. In this book Marc gets the assignment for the Guardian Angelinos working for the FBI to find Devyn and convince her to get out of Ireland. Marc finds her easily but getting her to leave Ireland is tricky business he finds out. Roxanne St Claire takes you on a wild ride thru Northern Ireland. You feel like you're there and there are so many twists and turns in this plot just when you think you've figured out who the bad guy is as it were you're wrong. I totally did not see the ending for what it was. I was definitely surprised. I like that i must say lol To read a excerpt from this book or check out the other books and characters in this series you can go to Roxanne's website by clicking here. You can also take a peek at her Bullet Catcher series which some of those characters are reported to appear in this series. I give Shiver of Fear 5 out of 5 Modokker Book pick stars! I love a good romantic suspense that delivers the romance, the suspense and some good laughs in the mix as well and Rocki delivers with this book!


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Book review: When you Dare by author Lori Foster

When you Dare is is the first book in a brand new series from author Lori Foster. The new series is called" The Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor". As far as i can see this series will have 3 book in it. The first being "When you Dare" set to release April 26th. I started reading Lori Foster several months back with a little book called. Impetuous! A shorter book but it gave me a chance to try this author out and see if i liked her writing. I did of course and have read many of her books since.  Sometimes you like a authors writing so much your afraid they'll mess it up by putting out a book you won't like. Especially if you build it up in your head. lol Below is the blurb from "When you Dare" Read that and then we'll talk.

The tougher they are, the harder they fall…


Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…



First of all don't you love the play in the name with the title? Brilliant if you ask me.I was not disappointed in the least by this book. It was everything i had hoped for and more. You get a small peak at Trace, Dare's good friend in this book who has his own book coming up next with "Trace of Fever". Again with the name play. This starts out with Dare having just saved Trace's sister from being sold into the sex slave industry in Mexico. When he freed Trace's sister there was another young American women there that he brought along with him back across the border, Molly. You get to meet Molly's sister Natalie in the Lori Foster Novella book "The Guy Next Door" and she makes an appearance in this book as well to tie the books together. Molly can't figure out what her abductors wanted from her or why they abducted her. Dare finds himself drawn to her and her courage and spirit and decides he's going to find out what's going on and who is threatening her. Dare is a take charge kind of guy but he is also soft and loving. I love how Lori Foster portrays his best friend and assistant Chris who is gay in a comfortable relationship. She makes it seem effortless and i loved that. The characters are wonderfully written and you are kept guessing who the bad guy really is right to the end. Can't wait for the next book in the series  You can read a excerpt of the first two book by clicking here Lori Foster. You can see all the other books from Lori Foster as well and see what other goodies she offers on her website. Lori Foster can be found on twitter and Facebook as well. I give "When you Dare" 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick Stars. This one was hard to lay down for breaks.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Book review: Stormy Seduction by author Vivian Arend (18 yrs and older)

Stormy Seduction is the second book in the Pacific passions series by author Vivian Arend. The first book in this series Stormchild came out in May 2010 and you should start there with this series of short stories. Stormy Seduction may only have 7 chapters but they are a packed 7 chapters. This is paranormal erotica short story series with lots of hot steamy scenes. Below is a small blurb for Stormy Seduction.

Sensual water shifters meet volatile air shifters—there’s a storm coming.


Pacific Passion, Book 2

As morning-afters go, this one is looking pretty bright. Both air shifter Laurin Marshal and water shifter/shaman Matthew Jentry are aware, though, that trouble won’t be long in coming. And they’re right—before they’ve barely begun to work out the details of their mystical bond, the People of the Air find them to challenge Laurin’s right to choose Matt as her mate.

Fending off Laurin’s would-be suitors is easier than Matt anticipated, but there’s another dilemma still to face. His own people. Laurin is just beginning to trust that his heart and body are completely hers, a radical change after she’s spent the past two years alone and on the run. What will happen when his skittish, innocent partner encounters the playful, sensual—even lusty—ways of the Otter Clan?

Especially since they are arriving at the peak of the traditional summer solstice fertility rituals. And tradition demands they be the main attraction…

In the first book Storm Child we get to meet Matt and Laurin. Neither one was expecting what they found in each other. Matthew Jentry is a medical doctor and shaman to his people the water shifters. Laurin Marshall is a teacher and  of the air shifters and something more.  In the first book Matt finds out that Laurin can boost other shifters powers. She has her own magic but doesn't realize it yet, She's been hiding her shifting abilities for 2 years to escape all the males from her clan who want her for her abilities to boost their own. Matt promises to defend their partnership and it isn't long til he has to fight off suitors. They move onto their next assignment together with the otter clan. Matt as the shaman/doctor of his people and Laurin and a teacher. If things weren't hot enough before they get to the Otter clan they absolutely sizzle off the page once they get there. You can plan and saying WOW, WOW once you get to this part. Vivian Arend writes some pretty steamy stuff in this series. The sex scenes are all well written and super hot. They just make you want to read more and more. Let me just say that the Otter clan are the most forward people ever. With that I'm going to give Stormy Seduction 5 out of 5 Modokker Book Pick stars. Hotness right off the charts. To read more about this series and author Vivian Arend please click  here Vivan Arend. You can even read the first chapter. 18 years and older only please.Silent Seduction is available for pre order only right now and will release April 12. Ebook format only at this time.