Monday, October 31, 2016

Review & Tour: Vigilante Mine by Cera Daniels


Title: Vigilante Mine
Author: Cera Daniels
Genre/Age: Superhero Romance/Adult
Series: Relek City Series (Book One)
Publisher: Man and a Muse Ventures
Format: ebook via Book Unleashed
Rating: ✺✺✺
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisInternal Affairs be damned, Detective Amanda Werner's ditching protocol to hunt the vigilante whose bullet landed her on the bench. But this is no vendetta. Evidence suggests he's the zealot offing corrupt public officials--the same zealot who's promised to set the city ablaze by week's end--and she'll risk her career and her life to save her hometown. Too bad she can't find anything stronger than Kevlar to guard her heart against her primary suspect: a masked man with a telepathic German shepherd, unstable supernatural hearing, and lips that invite a whole different brand of investigation. 

All businessman Ryan McLelas, a.k.a. Klepto, wants is redemption. But even if Amanda could forgive his itchy trigger finger, Ryan still has to convince her that his alter ego's no serial killer. No small task, with syndicate-paid police officers turning up among the dead. He'd better keep his own syndicate ties close to his chest and Amanda even closer, because if Klepto is unmasked while he's hunting the real killer, their passionate affair could mark Amanda as the next dirty cop on the hit list.



Ryan's office design, much like his condo, kept the city's ambient noise from assailing him when they experimented with new tech. Still, during a switch, the white noise that kept his ability in check went offline. He had zero defense against sound. His power raged out of control—always would.

He'd learned to take every precaution. Anything from the buzz of a forgotten lamp to a fly on the ceiling could knock him on his ass for days. Yet even here, his lungs ached and the room wavered. Zach's purposefully shallow breathing buffeted him into the couch cushions as he made the switch with sluggish movements and fingers like lead.

The new earpiece chafed for a moment. Layer after layer of white noise sank in. Then, Ryan could breathe again. He ran through the filters, but the real test would be whether or not he could still hear Amanda's voice when he cranked them to blasting.

Satisfied by the initial results, he stood.

Instant vertigo.

"Which ones did you modify? I can't tell a difference." Ryan grunted and leaned on the wall for support, then hit the light switch. The room seemed to shudder into place.

His brother's jaw shifted, grinding his teeth.

Still pissed. Great.

"All right, I should have called," Ryan said.

Zach didn't move.

"Just to let you know something was up."

Not even a blink.

Ryan noted his brother's pale cheeks and joined him by the window. "What's this really about?"

Zach pulled his hands out of his pockets and signed slowly, "Something bad."

He'd gathered that much. Few things sobered Zach like his spirit guide-granted ability kicking into full gear. Ryan studied the weary expression on his face. "Worse than yesterday?"

"Yesterday I knew you'd make it out alive," he murmured.

A chill tugged at Ryan's shoulders, insidious, spreading over his chest.

Zach pivoted and slumped against the wall. With his gaze aimed at the floor, his shoulder-length hair concealed his face. "Maybe we should stay in tonight."

"Too late. I already have dinner plans." Though he kept his tone light, inside Ryan reeled with concern.

They'd tangled with their powers for years. Even though Zach's ability for sensing a vague, near-future danger or injury for a family member pissed him off, made him sick, and kept him guessing, he'd never suggested they stop.

Never.

"Who, Brennan?" His brother shot him a glare, but it lacked the usual venom. Instead, Zach's bronze eyes showcased his pain. "She's about as trustworthy on the identity scale as Klepto. The woman can't be herself for five minutes."

"Our arrangement doesn't allow for her to be just Brennan."

"Do you even know who that is? Even after the background check, I couldn't tell you." Zach shoved his hair back as if he were striving for normalcy. "You're not worried she'll find too much?"

"There's nothing to find."

Though Brennan didn't know about the McLelas family tradition of playing vigilante afterhours or the current generation's superpowered abilities, she was fully versed in their family tree and had all of their father's records on the subject. Including the ones recovered from Old Town, documents written in a pictographic language Ryan couldn't begin to understand.

Brennan could.

"She knows we're half Ohanzee," Ryan continued. "She's a scholar. Anything she digs up related to our powers would be just a jumble of stories to her. Legends, folklore, nothing more."

He slipped into his jacket, but his hand paused over his keys. If the prospect of this dinner out with Brennan brought out his brother's danger-sense more strongly than yesterday's fiery encounter had, perhaps tonight called for Chinese food at the office.

"She's smarter than that, or you wouldn't have hired her." Zach frowned. "I want to get a handle on the crazy shit we can do as much as you, but is she—is her research—worth the risk?"

"Yes." Ryan flicked the communicator on his new earpiece to life, then clapped his brother on the shoulder. "I'll be late if I don't leave for La Province now. You need to stop me?"

"Whatever this is, it hasn't peaked. It's bad, but . . . trouble's not that close." With the resolute statement, anxiety seemed to drain from his expression. "Go. Get out of here."

"You'll be up for a while?"

Zach snorted. "My spirit guide's a bat, bro. When do you think we sleep?"



Cera Daniels writes paranormal, science fiction, and steampunk romance. Sexy superheroes. Delicious shifters. Infernal machines. Sometimes behind the same cover. Her heroes are broken and often on the wrong side of good, their worlds are crumbling, but the love her characters find in all that chaos stands on an unshakable foundation.

She hails from South Carolina with her own superhero husband, daughter, and three cats who don't think they're cats at all. Life is especially good in her world when there's Game of Thrones, Shadowrun and board games, chocolate coffee, and an overabundance of yarn on tap.

Links:

Website: http://www.ceradaniels.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ceradaniels
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ceradaniels
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/cera_daniels


Vigilante Mine is available at a special promotion price of $0.99 on selected sites (i.e. Amazon, Kobo).  

This offer is valid until November 14, 2016 only.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for honest review.** 

This book was such a fun ride!


 happy fun celebration parks and recreation celebrate GIF

Confession: I have never read a superhero romance before. Unless you consider comic books or graphic novels. Even then, this story surpasses those that I've read, too!

Ryan lives a triple life. In addition to being a protective older brother, he has a public persona as a womanizing businessman and a secret superhero identity of Klepto, a vigilante hiding in the shadows of the night. To say that he stays busy would be a gross understatement.

And on one of his midnight missions, Ryan (as Klepto), comes across a spit-fire police officer who is determined to arrest anyone stirring up trouble and breaking the law. Even him. Klepto manages to escape but not before accidentally maiming the object of his new affection. Oops!

Amanda has a lot to prove, especially after being on desk duty and losing her partner. But before she can resume her duty, she somehow becomes entangled with both a suave Ryan and a mysterious masked Klepto. She isn't quite sure who to trust but can't deny the attraction that she strangely feels toward both men.

I totally got an Oliver/Felicity from Arrow vibe from the couple! 


 arrow stephen amell oliver queen olicity felicity smoak GIF

I loved everything about this book. The pacing was quick and full of action, suspense, romance, and humor. The characters were fully developed and even the secondary characters were entertaining. The telepathic dog, Romeo, was a great addition, too. I found his dialogue to be downright hilarious, at times.

In closing... 
I could easily see this book turned into a film. It was incredibly entertaining and I am anxious to get my paws on the next book. Pun entirely intended, Romeo!


Book Blast: Paranormal Bar and Grille Tour









October starts out warm and sunny, but this is the month when everything changes. Mornings grow frosty, leaves change colors, and the breeze takes on a bite

Summer dies.

It’s a time for harvest celebrations. A boy loans a girl his coat. She snuggles a little closer and takes his hand. A riot of autumn splendor accompanies the farmer’s market where they stroll. 

But the vibrancy of daylight doesn’t compare to the darkness of night. Is that chill on your neck the breeze or something else? 

October night 

You walk a tad faster and look over your shoulder. The trees creak when the wind whips through their branches—at least, you hope that noise came from the undulating bows. 

You check under the bed and inside the closet before climbing under the covers. Sleep doesn’t come easy. The old house groans its complaints, and the night magnifies every innocuous noise until terror paralyzes you—because you know nefarious things go bump in the night. 

Welcome to the 
Paranormal Bar & Grille Blog Tour 

…where you can rub elbows with everyone from a gargoyle or vampire, to a creature from urban legend, or the ghostly realms of myth. Step up to the bar, grab a booth. You never know what’s on the menu, or if you might end up there yourself. 

Sound like your kind of hangout? Then you’ve come to the right place. We’re a group of five authors who love nothing more than to trigger the chill that crawls up your back, the nervous glance tossed over your shoulder. We invite you to discover outstanding books and check out our awesome tour prizes. 

Just be careful of what the bartender serves you. That heady brew may not be a beer, and witches can’t be trusted to provide effective antidotes.


Title: Will O' the Wisp
Author: C.S. Boyack
Genre/Age: Paranormal
Series: None
Publisher: Self-published
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisThere is something evil up Bergamot Holler, and it's been targeting the Hall family for generations. 

Patty Hall is fifteen years old. She loves stargazing, science fiction, and all things related to space exploration. This leaves her perfectly prepared for the wrong problem. 

Patty is afraid her mother will send her to a care facility if she tells her what she's seen. If she doesn't figure things out soon, she's going to join her father in the Hall family cemetery plot. 

Patty is going to have to come to grips with her own physical handicap, survive the wilderness, and face an ancient evil all alone if she's going to survive. 

Will O' the Wisp is suitable for young adults. It involves strong elements of suspense, and is set in the mid 1970s.


Headlights made their way towards us along the Bergamot Creek trail. "Damn it. I wish people would just stay away."

Pete looked at them and said, "They're far enough away we can still watch. Besides, they might not stay once the road ends. Maybe it's Mrs. Matthews with another one of her boyfriends."

"That's gross. I don't care to see that again."

"Satellite," Pete said.

It was no Comet Kahoutek, but we watched it pass overhead and waited for the next one. The car turned out to be a van full of older kids. Three guys and two girls. They built a fire and took out a styrofoam cooler. They looked like students on their way to college somewhere.

I turned my radio off and pushed my lower lip into my upper. "I suppose they're spending the night." The sound of their car radio reached our ears.

"So what? We might catch another satellite or a shooting star before we have to go home."

"Meteor. They aren't really stars. And now we have light pollution." I looked up once more and tried to have a good time.

"Holy crap. What's that?"

I snapped to attention and looked at Pete. He was fixated down toward the campers. A ball of green light, about the size of a softball, drifted along the stream bank. It was darker than the fireflies, more the color of moss, but it glowed in the dark. It lit up the gravel alongside the creek.

"That has to be the king of all fireflies," Pete said.

"Maybe it's a cluster."

It turned and headed our way. Pete crab-crawled away from the light.

The glow got softer. It headed back toward the campfire. It was like it couldn't make up its mind.

A blond boy with surfer good looks walked away from the fire toward the glowing sphere. He said something to his friends, but I couldn't hear it over their radio. They all stood and looked. He spread his arms wide then waved the thing toward the campfire like he was calling his dog.

The glowing ball started flickering and moved toward him. It hit his chest and pushed him back. Then it went -- it went insidehim. He arched rearward, then forward, hit the ground and convulsed.

The girls screamed and ran.

"What the hell was that?" Pete said. "Oh my God! What was it?"


Just a fiction writer, trying to reach the world.

Craig came to fiction writing later in life than most authors. He always had to write, to one degree or another as part of various jobs. Early one winter morning, he conquered the Internet and didn’t feel like shoveling the sidewalk until the
sun came up. He tried a few pages of fiction and got hooked.

Craig doesn’t like limitations and calls himself a writer of speculative fiction. It’s a broad field, but he limits himself to science fiction, paranormal, and a bit of fantasy.

He has eight published works—six novels and two collections of short stories.

Links:
His blog: Entertaining Stories  https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/


Title: A Thousand Yesteryears
Author: Mae Clair
Genre/Age: Paranormal
Series: Point Pleasant Series (Book One)
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisAs a child, Eve Parrish lost her father and her best friend, Maggie Flynn, in a tragic bridge collapse. Fifteen years later, she returns to Point Pleasant to settle her deceased aunt’s estate. Though much has changed about the once thriving river community, the ghost of tragedy still weighs heavily on the town, as do rumors and sightings of the Mothman, a local legend. When Eve uncovers startling information about her aunt’s death, that legend is in danger of becoming all too real...

Caden Flynn is one of the few lucky survivors of the bridge collapse but blames himself for coercing his younger sister out that night. He’s carried that guilt for fifteen years, unaware of darker currents haunting the town. It isn’t long before Eve’s arrival unravels an old secret—one that places her and Caden in the crosshairs of a deadly killer...


“The phone might be on the fritz,” Eve said as she carried Doreen Sue’s glass to the sink. “I’ve been getting a lot of strange calls with screeches and clicks. I had the phone company check it out, but they couldn’t find anything wrong with the line.” Whatever their verdict, she still wasn’t convinced the odd calls weren’t the fault of an electronic malfunction.

“Screeches and clicks?” Doreen Sue paused mid-dial, pressing the receiver to her chest. “I’ve heard that happens sometimes when a family member dies.”

Eve rinsed the glass with water, then set it in the drain board to be washed later. Something cold slithered down her back. “Excuse me?”

“Your Aunt Rosie.” Doreen Sue bobbed her head as if the answer was obvious. “She might be trying to communicate with you.”

Eve started to laugh, then quelled the instinctive reaction when she noted Doreen Sue’s expression. The woman wasn’t joking.

“Spirits often try to converse through electricity and everyday instruments like TVs, lights, and phones. I know it sounds silly, but I follow all of that stuff…horoscopes, psychics, UFO theories.” A wave of her hand said she took only half of it seriously. “I’ve seen some strange things around here, especially by the TNT. I’ve never seen the Mothman, but I remember reading an article about a medium who was convinced her dead husband tried to communicate with her through phone calls. She heard things like amplifier feedback, insect noises, and strange clicks whenever she answered the phone.”

Eve felt her face drain of color. After talking to a disembodied “thing” in an igloo at the TNT, she should have no problem believing her dead aunt was reaching out to her. She’d sat in the living room only days after arriving and voiced that wish aloud. Aunt Rosie, I wish I understood what was going on. I wish there was some way you could talk to me. The phone calls had started not long afterward. Fluke or answer to her request?

Mystery & Suspense…with a dash of Myth & Romance

 Genres:
Mystery, Psychological Thrillers, Supernatural Suspense, Romantic Suspense
Quirky fact I don’t want anyone to know:
(or maybe I do)….I saw a UFO when I was six. Probably why I write some of the stuff I do.
~ooOOoo~

Bio:
They say everyone has a story to tell.

I wrote my first childish “masterpiece” at six and was immediately bitten by the writing bug. Since then, I’ve been composing nonstop, and have dabbled in multiple genres over the years, writing everything from fantasy, westerns, and horror to inspirational fiction, romance, and sci-fi. It took me a while to find my niche, but I’ve settled comfortably into the mystery/suspense genre (with a just a dash of romance tossed in).

Several of my earlier works have strong romantic themes, but all are infused with threads of mystery. I have a passion for folklore, myth, and urban legends and that attraction often factors into my writing. You’ll find threads of archaic tales and mysterious places woven throughout many of my novels.

I am a member of the International Thriller Writers and a past president of the Central Pennsylvania Writer’s Organization. If I’m not camped out at my keyboard or have my nose buried in a book, I’m likely looking up blurry images of cryptids on Google, sorting through vintage photographs or imagining life as a cat.

Links:
Kensington Publishing http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/29541



Title: Vampire Island
Author: Sandra Cox
Genre/Age: Paranormal
Series: Hunters Series (Book One)
Publisher: Self-published
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisMy name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say, I had no intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week, shopping, and texting. 

I always tried to play down the fact that I’m really quite intelligent. I’d much rather be considered blonde and clueless. It’s so much easier to get dates. 

My parents were well-off and indulgent. I was the center of their universe. I’m afraid I took that for granted. 
One odd thing, my mother insisted I take self-defense training. I just figured she wanted to keep her little princess safe. But looking back, perhaps she had a premonition. 
To my surprise, I took to it like a kid to Pop Tarts and ended up with a black belt in karate. 

My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down. 

After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle Julian Kilmer. That’s when everything changed. In a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.


My name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say, I had no intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week and shopping.

My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down.

After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle Julian Kilmer. That’s when everything changed. In a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.

Living life. Writing fantasy.

Sandra writes YA Fantasy, Paranormal and Historical Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her screened in porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee or a latte and enjoying a good book. She's a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast.

Links:


Title: The Glade
Author: Harmony Kent
Genre/Age: Paranormal
Series: None
Publisher: Self-published
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisThis gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery/thriller will have you thinking twice about booking that idyllic cottage in the country. Nothing in this woodland paradise within the Forest of Dean is what it seems. 


The Wenstrops have it all: health, wealth, and happiness. Until everything falls apart. Helen gets arrested for murder, and yet is either unable or unwilling to give a defence. During her detention, vital evidence goes missing and tensions run high. Meanwhile, in the woods, malignant forces gather power. 

This sensational second novel by acclaimed author Harmony Kent will have you alternately laughing, crying, and gripping the edge of your seat as this roller-coaster ride of a plot unfolds. It will keep you guessing through its many twists and turns, and hijack your attention right up until you turn the final page. This book has it all: murder, intrigue, the supernatural, a broken marriage, a love affair, courage against impossible odds, suspense, and high drama. 


“Mrs Wenstrop, I am arresting you for the murder of your husband.”  The policeman grabbed hold of her forearms and continued, “You do not have to say anything.  But it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in Court.  Anything you do say may be used in evidence.”  The officer snapped the cuffs closed around her trembling wrists, and then gave her a hard look and asked her: “Do you understand?”

“Yes.”  Dullness, from deep shock, fogged Helen’s brain. 

She kept glancing toward the door, which led to the hallway, where she knew the narrow stairs would take her up to the bedroom—to where her husband’s dead body still lay.  She had left him lying in bed, and he looked for all the world as though he were asleep.  But she and the police knew better.  Helen wondered if this was some kind of crazy, twisted April fool.  But no, it was after midday, so the joke would have to have been given up by now.  Besides, Geoff would never put her through this—no matter how angry they might have been with one another over the past weeks.  This was for real.  Her brain refused point blank to process her situation.  Even though she had killed him with her own hands, she couldn’t accept that he was dead.  They would never, not in a million years, believe her story.  No, they were more likely to admit her to the mental hospital than anything else.  Hell, she couldn’t even believe her tale herself.


The author who gets write into your head.

  Genres: Multi-genre
Quirky Fact I don’t want anyone to know: Wrote the entirety of The Glade while listening to the Twilight movie soundtrack. And she’s not mentioning the glass of white (ahem) ‘grape juice’ that kept finding its way to her computer station.

Author Bio:
Harmony Kent is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She’s even won a few awards. Harmony lives in rural Cornwall with her ever-present sense of humour and quirky neighbours and refuses to admit to her age.

If you catch her at work, you’ll see that she also offers editing, proof reading, manuscript appraisal, and beta reading services. Not to mention being passionate about supporting her fellow authors.

Links:
Twitter: @harmony_kent



Title: Love Set in Stone
Author: Stacy Troilo
Genre/Age: Paranormal
Series: None
Publisher: AIW Press
LinksGoodreads
SynopsisDamien was a loyal warrior, killed in battle in 1203. Because of his true heart, he was given the option to pass on to his eternal reward or exist in another state of being as a protector… until the time came when he could resume living the life he’d been cheated of. A soldier by nature, he chose the latter. Then he waited centuries—as a gargoyle—growing increasingly bitter about his choice. Then he sees her. 

Rina is a hard worker and loyal friend. She just has the worst luck. One night, after saving her best friend from a violent assault, she finds herself at the attacker’s mercy. Then, out of nowhere, a savior comes and rescues her.

With only an angel to guide him, Damien must make the right choices to win Rina’s heart, or be forever damned as a grotesque mockery of the guardian he once was. 



He gasped but only succeeded in inhaling thick embers. “I hate it when you do that to me, Anael. What the hell?”

“Not what, Damien,” Anael said. “Where. It’s against the rules, but you needed to see.”

“Hell.”

“The first level.”

Damien choked on clouds of brimstone and looked around. Bodies hung on racks, some scourged by demonic creatures wielding whips of fire, others stretched until their limbs tore off only to reassemble and stretch again. Some souls were skinned and devoured, the torment cyclical, never-ending. Giant beasts with nine-inch claws and twelve-inch teeth tore people into bloody shreds. They gnawed on the bones of writhing beings, snarling and snapping at anything near them.

There was no blessed retreat into unconsciousness or death. This was their other side, their ever-after, their eternity. The tormented endured each torture, alert and unprotected. Impossibly hot gusts of wind howled through the cavern, tossing the departed from one horror to the next. And the maniacal screeches of the tormentors were only overpowered by the anguished wails of the damned.

“I’ve seen enough.” Damien’s words were barely intelligible through his coughing and wheezing.

“Are you certain? This is only the first level. The second level hosts souls feeding on their own entrails, or having a myriad of sexual violations forced upon them. Rape. Sodomy. Bestiality. And then there’s—”

Damien clutched Anael’s arm. “Enough!”

“Do you understand now?”

Damien looked up and howled, his throat burning, his voice mingling into the sounds of all the other lost souls, an agonizing dirge melodic only to Satan himself.

When he thought the devil’s name, the most sinister laugh echoed through the cavern, a shadow given voice and power. It sent chills down his burning spine. The demons cheered, their victims cowered, and Damien cringed, seeking escape that would only be denied him.


Staci Troilo. Writing Relationship Wrongs.

 Genres:
Romance, Suspense, Paranormal, Mystery, and Mainstream

Quirky fact I don’t want anyone to know:
The socks in my sock drawer and the books on my shelf are arranged in rainbow order.

Bio:
I’ve always loved fiction, ever since my parents read me fairy tales when I was little. Today, my interests are much more eclectic. I love getting lost in sci-fi battles, fantasy realms, horror worlds, suspenseful intrigues, and romantic entanglements.

As goes my reading, so goes my writing. I can’t pick a single genre to focus on, so I don’t even try. I’m proud to say I’m a multi-genre author.

When I’m not reading or writing, I’m spending time with family and friends, possibly cooking for them, or maybe enjoying an afternoon in the pool. To learn more about me, visit me at http://stacitroilo.com or connect with me on social media.

Links:

a Rafflecopter giveaway