A Bloody London Sunset By Jaz Primo and Theme Thursday

 

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event, hosted by  http://readingbetweenpages.wordpress.com/, that will be open from one Thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is

PATHWAYS (reference to roads, streets, passages)

He proceeded down the central dark road that wound through the remote, heavily wooded area.

Taken from A Bloody London Sunset by Jaz Primo Page 9

Review of A Bloody London Sunset By Jaz Primo

Click here to enter the Sunset Vampire Giveaway

I received the book from the author. Nothing was promised nor was there any payment for the review. The review is my honest opinion.

This is book 2 in the Sunset Vampire Series. This book continues the saga of alpha vampire Katrina and her human mate Caleb, who we first met in Sunrise at Sunset. This book picks up a few weeks after the defeat of vampire enemy Chimalma.  Katrina and Caleb are back home in Atlanta. Alton is in London and Paige has returned to California.  Things have not settled down for the two though. Their battle with Chimalma has marked them. They are having trouble connecting in their relationship.  Caleb seeks advice from Alton. Paige feeling the strain between the two returns to Atlanta to help, bringing a human with her. As if that is not enough to deal with vampires are turning up unexpectedly. A trip to London not only brings Caleb’s memories to the front but also brings in vampire politics and more danger.

I enjoyed reading A Bloody London Sunset. Katrina is still dominant but we see the softer side where Caleb, and even Paige, is concerned. Caleb is getting stronger. This was welcome to see. With someone as strong as Katrina it would be easy to make him wimpy. It is going to be interesting to watch his growth. There were several hints of Caleb one day making a strong vampire. It will be exciting to see if and how this transpires. There is action and intrigue in this book. The action is intense. However I had the feeling this book was more a building of and establishing relationships between vampires and vampire to Caleb. It seemed to be laying the foundation for book 3, Summit at Sunset.  Vampire politics will come more into play and we will need this foundation.

I really enjoy this series. It is refreshing to have the dominant vampire be a female. A woman who can handle things on her own and does not mind saying so. Caleb’s acceptance of this could have made him weak but the author makes a point of making Caleb strong in his own right. This brings a unique and fresh storyline to a popular genre. The one drawback for me was the over use of smirk. About halfway through the book I was tired of it. I don’t believe this will continue to be a problem because I have noticed the excellent thing about Jaz Primo is that he improves his writing. In reading his first and second books you can see his growth as a writer. I am positive this will continue making each book he writes better than the last.

The author has a website http://jazprimo.com/ , a blog primovampires.blogspot.com , and can be found on Good Reads, Face Book and Twitter.

Please leave a comment then check out Jennifer's review of A Bloody London Sunset and get a second chance to enter the Sunset Vampire Giveaway. Please click here to be taken to Books and Barks .

Sunset Vampire Giveaway and Wednesday Memes

Click Here to Enter to Win the First Two Jaz Primo Sunset Vampire Series Books 

Jaz Primo is guest blogging at http://www.booksandbarks.com/ 

today. Be sure to stop by to read his post and enter there too!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/ , that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

    

The Taker by Alma Katsu  

Expected Release Date Sept 6, 2011 Simon &Schuster Gallery Press

From Good Reads:

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting another quiet evening of frostbite and the occasional domestic dispute. But the minute Lanore McIlvrae—Lanny—walks into his ER, she changes his life forever. A mysterious woman with a past and plenty of dark secrets, Lanny is unlike anyone Luke has ever met. He is inexplicably drawn to her . . . despite the fact that she is a murder suspect with a police escort. And as she begins to tell her story, a story of enduring love and consummate betrayal that transcends time and mortality, Luke finds himself utterly captivated.

Her impassioned account begins at the turn of the nineteenth century in the same small town of St. Andrew, Maine, back when it was a Puritan settlement. Consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, Lanny will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for all eternity. And now, two centuries later, the key to her healing and her salvation lies with Dr. Luke Findley.

Part historical novel, part supernatural page-turner, The Taker is an unforgettable tale about the power of unrequited love not only to elevate and sustain, but also to blind and ultimately destroy, and how each of us is responsible for finding our own path to redemption.

Fresh Flesh by Todd Russell

Expected Release Date: September 29, 2011

From Good Reads:

The ocean surrounds the secret. Last night a wicked storm swept a beautiful sacrifice onto the shore.
Shipwrecked Jessica Stanton is about to be discovered, cherished, and trained to survive on a remote island by a man who is not what he seems.
There is a place on earth where unrestrained evil flourishes.
Welcome home, Jessica.

Another Bad Dog Book: Tales of Life, Love and Neurotic Human Behavior by Joni B. Cole

Expected Release Date: September 13, 2011 PublishingWorks

From Good Reads:

In this collection of twenty-eight “riotously funny and outrageously honest” true-life tales, author Joni B. Cole manages to mingle low moments with high comedy; and social awkwardness with social observation.
The title essay was inspired when the author went to the bookstore and noticed all the bestsellers about adorably naughty dogs. At first resentful of these other writers’ successes (“Unfortunately, my own career as an author had not been going so well these past couple years, not since I’d discovered the ‘Watch Instantly’ option on Netflix”), Cole eventually realized she had her own bad-dog story to exploit—hers in the form of her adorable “Chihuahua Bat,” who won’t be contained by invisible fencing, and won’t let anyone pet the family cat in peace. Yet from this huffish beginning evolved a tale as heartwarming as it is hilarious.
Self-aware, edgy, and masterfully crafted, this charismatic collection (including some heartbreakers) is for anyone who has ever felt over-attached to a pet, stalked her high school crush, said long goodbyes to loved ones, or tried to talk (and talk and talk) her way through the ups and downs of life. A wonderful new addition to a genre best described as humor that matters. 

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading? 
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

CURRENT READS:

   

RECENTLY FINISHED:

 

NEXT:

   

What are you waiting on? What are you reading, just finished, plan to read next? Let me know. As you can see I have a wide variety of taste. 

Teaser Tuesday and a Jaz Primo Giveaway

Teaser Tuesday AND Giveaway – Sunset Vampire Series by Jaz Primo

  This week’s Teaser Tuesday is a little different from the usual posting.  That’s because this week is going to be Jaz Primo week here  on Jennifer's blog at  Books and Barks  and will also be featured here on Alaskan Book Cafe!  On Jennifer's blog a teaser from Jaz's first book Sunrise at Sunset will be found today.  Tomorrow Jaz is going to make a special appearance on her blog and Thursday the review for book two in the series, A Bloody London Sunset, will also be posted on both blogs. 

Jennifer and I will each be giving away a Kindle set that includes both books that are currently out in the series.  The giveaway will run from August 9th to August 19th (11:59pm ET) and is open to all US Residents age 18 and over.  Please read the GIVEAWAY POLICY before 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by  MizB of http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The dagger hammered into Caleb's upper chest with a force that caused him to topple backwards from the impact. Intense pain cascaded through his chest and shoulder, and the sword slipped from his hands and skittered across the floor towards Katrina.

Page 1

"Humans didn't fare so well against you today. And someday, vampires won't find yopu as easy a target, either," she remarked sagely.

"Good. I'm tired of playing the victim," hr remarked acidly.

Page 157

A Bloody London Sunset by Jaz Primo

This book was received from the author. I am under no obligation and am not receiving any compensation for a review. 

*These snippets are taken from an ARC and are subject to change*

How long can I live with this deed? Where can I go from here? God, I know you don't want to hear from me, but Hobb's beat me. You let him. He would have killed me. Freedom isn't freedom after all.

Page 100

Hobbs Pritchard was a walking, talking mess of meaness. I wasn't never going to tell Nellie nothing those spirits wanted, no way, nohow. I was staying out of it.

Page 157

Ghost On Black Mountain By Ann Hite.  Expected release date  September 13, 2011

This book was received from the author. I am under no obligation and am not receiving any compensation for a review. 

*These snippets are taken from an ARC and are subject to change*

"Miss Paynr," said the judge, " has counsel made you aware that by refusing to testify as to the identies of the abortionist and the child's father, you're adding six years to your sentence?"

"Yes," she replied.

Page 11

"It's a lovely name," said Hannah.

Something flickered in the girl's eyes. "That's the only thing they let you keep here." She left, closing the door softly behind her.

Page 82

When She Woke By Hillary Jordan. Expected release date October 4, 2011

This book was won from a Giveaway on GoodReads. I am under no obligation and am not receiving any compensation for a review. 

Remember to enter the Giveaway, leave a comment with your email address

Trailer of The Eye of the Crystal Ball by T P Boje

In my email today I received an awesome book trailer for "The Eye of the Crystal Ball"  by T P Boje.

Check out the trailer. I know you will be adding this to your must read books!

T P had previously requested I review her book. I have it and her other book "One Two...He Is Coming For You".  I was already excited about reading her books but now with the trailer I am having a hard time resisting the lure. Look for my reviews later this month. 

T P is an author who is from Denmark but is now living in Florida. Her first three books were published in Denmark, Norway and Germany. I hope you enjoyed the trailer as much as I did.

You may find T P Boje e-books on Amazon, Barnes&Noble and iBooks(Apple) and as paperback on Amazon.com and Createpace.com. 

More Reviews from the Spectrum & the Giveaway

Enter Summer Giveaway Here - Ends Tomorrow

Hi everyone! Junior is back with me for some more reviews. 

Here are the books

                                             

Honestly, Little Red Riding Hood Was Rotten!: 

The Story of Little Red Riding Hood As Told By The Wolf

by Trisha Speed Shaskan, Gerald Guerlais (Illustrator)

Picture Window Books – Capstone

His Review:

 "I like the pictures a lot, especially the wolf. I love the pictures of the wolf! It was a funny book. The wolf loves apples and knows all the kinds. I think Red Riding Hood should have taken some apples with her to give him. I think when we hike we should take apples. If Red Riding Hood and Granny gave the wolf something to eat instead of thinking of themselves maybe he would not have eaten them."

My Review:

My grandson is autistic. He knows a lot about being able to name all the types of things that interest him. So that the wolf could name the apples was no surprise. He had no problem relating to that. He reads a lot so he was able to sit through it. I liked the story myself. I thought it was a very cute picture book. The illustrations were awesome. Even though the wolf eats Granny and Red Riding Hood my grandson did not get scared. He was able to understand the wolf only ate them because he had nothing else to eat. We enjoyed reading this together. I loved hearing him laugh out loud at the wolf. There is a teaching element at 

the back of the book. He was able and interested in answering most of the questions.

We gave Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten  4 of 5 stars

Back To School Rules by Laurie B. Friedman, Teresa Murfin (Illustrator)

Carolrhoda Picture Books  - Lerner Publishing Group

Expected publication date: 9/01/2011

My Review:

My grandson 

has been attending school for about 2 years. As returning to school is coming up I thought this would be an awesome pick to get ready. I was not disappointed. We loved the book. Percy is off to school and has some rules to share. There are 10 simple rules of what Not to do. Yes they are told from a negative point which may put some people off. I myself prefer to give positive rules of behavior. Not everyone does though. So we all have to deal with both types of rules in daily life. The text was told in rhyme and the rules, though negative, were fun. The illustrations were delightful. My 4 year old understood every one of them. He was not put off by the No's and Don'ts. They were all rules he knew and he was comfortable with them. Rules were presented in a fun way and were understood; which is exactly what I think the author set out to do. 

His Review:

 "I like the pictures. My favorite were the kids hanging from the ceiling and flying through the air. The rules are important. But they forgot one. The most important one. You don't hit the teacher. No smacking her butt or kicking. They really don't like that. I know all about that. I really like this book. I  need to read it every night so I am ready for school.I think teacher's should read it on the first day." 

We gave Back To school Rules 4 of 5 stars

Witches by Cheryl Christian, Wish Williams (Illustrator)

Star Bright Books

Expected publication date 8/15/2011

My Review:

 What a delightful book! One of the best Halloween picture books I have seen. The illustrations were awesome and all inclusive. Having a special needs child this was a pleasant surprise. I really appreciated that the illustrator included special needs children and portrayed them accurately as "normal" children. The text was fun and had the children mixing up potions and daring each other to try them. The author and illustrator were able to capture all the magic and fun of Halloween night without the scary side you often see in Halloween books. The one down side I had is that it looks like it is only available in softcover. I would love it if Star Bright Books made this into a hardcover. The book is a keeper!

His Review:

 "I love it! The pictures are really fun! I like the cats. The children are like kids in my class. The children in the book are having fun just like we do. I want to have a party like the one in this book. Then we can all go trick or treating. That was my favorite part. I hope my library gets this book! Let's read it again."  

We gave Witches 5 of 5 stars!

These books were provided by Net Galley. The books were made available to me in the hope that I would review them, but I was not obligated to do so, nor did I promise positive reviews. 

First Lines and Follow Friday

Enter Here for Summer Giveaway Hop

It is easy to win an e copy of Rock  'n' Roll is Undead and a surprise pack from Alaska, ( I am having a good time making it). Just follow the blog and enter the form. 

Check out a snippets  from  Rock 'n' Roll is Undead  below.  


From Tuesday Teaser : 
Buzz was probably on the lookout for a strange man and I had my eye on the strange car driving slowly down the street in front of the diner. That skull on the dash seemed to watch me as it passed. The loud roar had caught my attention. Like an engine revving at race day in Talladega, the sound echoed in my head. Muted chrome and dull gray flashed by in a blur. The noise from the hot rod faded as it drove down the street, passing another car and fading from sight. Seeing the same car more than once in a town the size of Memphis was unlikely. 


From Thursday Theme:
Buzz was probably on the lookout for a strange man and I had my eye on the strange car driving slowly down the street in front of the diner. That skull on the dash seemed to watch me as it passed. The loud roar had caught my attention. Like an engine revving at race day in Talladega, the sound echoed in my head. Muted chrome and dull gray flashed by in a blur. The noise from the hot rod faded as it drove down the street, passing another car and fading from sight. Seeing the same car more than once in a town the size of Memphis was unlikely. 

To read Rock 'n' Roll is Undead author Rose Pressey's interview click here

First Lines Friday
First Lines Friday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, Literary Marie of Precision Reviews.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.
• 
  
• 
• 
  
•  “Lookin’ good, baby,” the guy yelled from across the room, exposing his bright white fangs. His black hair was slicked back in an impressive pompadour and his jeans rolled-at-the-cuff. No doubt he had used a fake ID to enter the place. He couldn’t have been over eighteen. The girl beside him scowled, smacked him in the head, then leaned against the bubbling jukebox and took a sip of blood from her martini glass. The routine of her motions let me know it wasn’t the first time he’d ogled the opposite sex in her presence. 
• 
  
•  Rock 'n' Roll is Undead (Veronica Mason Series, Book 1) - Rose Pressey.  
• 
  
• 
• When she woke, she was red. Not flushed, not sunburned, but the solid, declarative red of a stop sign.
• When She Woke - Hillary Jordan
• 
• 
  
• My mother thinks my job is crazy. I'm a paranormal investigator; she's Nancy Reagan crossed with Martha Stewart. She's always preferred my sister, Lily, who is following in her perfect footsteps.
• South of Salem - Janni Nell
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

Wow. I have read so many good books throughout my life it is hard to choose! My first book I learned to read on my own was Barney the Beagle by Jean Bethell. It would be the book that started me off reading. Then later I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montegomery, Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank and Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Lately books I think have influenced me are The Stoning of Soraya M. by Freidoune Sahebjam and Blue by Lou Aronica. I know I am missing so many more. Books are a part of who I am.