HBIC Review: Three Days To Dead

  
BWB Adult review seleciton





How did PJ get this book?
Amazon.com

Purchase:

Amazon.com 
BookDepository


 Stalk the Author:

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Rating:

BWB: 1/4

Parajunkee's HBIC Review

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

PJVs QUICKIE POV: The anticipation of this book was better than the actual experience. I was really looking forward to reading this one - probably the chick on the cover and that knife, she looks like she could kick my butt. Unfortunately expectations and delivery just didn't match and while Meding thought up a great Urban Fantasy world that was quite intense and had some good intricacies - it was just that her characters left me lacking because of the lack of emotional connections. It felt more like a recitation of facts and occurrences and not a story in the first person perspective.

REVIEW: In the world where Evangeline Stone lives their are goblins, vampires and halfies, along with a lot more creatures that go bump in the night. They hide themselves from the human population in general - but their is a group that knows of their existence and police them with ruthless justice and sadistic penalties. Evy is a part of the group, her team is called a Triad. It is made up of three "agents" and one handler. She loves her job, she's a killer, but from her perspective it is the right thing to do. Everything was on track in her violent life - until she has to kill her teammate and then ends up on the slab in the morgue...in someone else's body with just three days to live.

So begin's Chalice/Evy's fight for survival and attempt at proving herself innocent of her teammates death. It is a wild ride with monsters, vampires and trolls coming from all angles. There is even a smidge of romance thrown into the mix.  It had all the potential to be a very hard hitting, nail biting Urban Fantasy but to me it just fell flat.

My first take on the staleness of the novel was Wyatt the handler and romantic interest #1. He was a total pansy - which didn't have me liking him much. And what guy would have done this to his "girl"? Sell his free will for three more days with his dead love? That just struck me as completely selfish, moronic and irresponsible.

Then there was the weird Chalice might still be there or some kind of weird body memory that had her clinging to Alex and hot in the pants for Wyatt. It was odd, what was that about? I wanted to slap Evy for even going back to Alex - how could she have done that to him? That just struck me as selfish, moronic and irresponsible. For such a tough chick, you sure don't like to be alone - so you have to ruin someone's life completely just to have what...company? Yeah, basically this book was about two really freaking selfish people doing screwed up things that could put the entire world in jeopardy.

SPOILER

I really was hoping by the end that one of them would have just killed themselves - you know last unselfish act and all that.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Adults only, has a lot of nasty themes. Violence, rape, sexual encounters, cursing. This one reminded me of Kelly Gay's Better Part of Darkness, with the ridiculously strong female character and the woosified male characters.

Paraj

HBIC Review: Out of Time

Title: Out of Time
Author: Monique Martin
Page Count: 390 pages
Publisher:  I couldn't find this information
Genre: paranormal romance, time travel
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

50 words or less: Maybe a trip to 1929 is all it will take to bring Simon and Elizabeth together to defeat a mobster/vampire, heal old wounds, conquer misunderstandings and mishaps, live a life of sin and decadence, and warp back to today to live happily ever after. Maybe.

Holy crap people.  If the Visine people are looking for a new spokesperson then sign me up, because I solemnly swear that I have not blinked at all for the past hour at least.  Why, you ask?  Because I've been reading Out of Time and this story had me by the throat and would not let go!

I don't even know how to quantify the awesomeness that is this story.  The main characters, Professor Simon and Elizabeth West, his exceptionally competent assistant, are authentic and engaging.  Their feelings and experiences rang so true, and their personalities were exceptionally well developed.  I found that while I didn't always agree with the things either of them thought or did, I understood completely why they were doing and thinking those things.  The consistency throughout the story was really well maintained and it made for an engrossing reading experience.

And the setting. THE SETTING! I've been reduced to sentence fragments, because my mind is so blown by the nuanced, detailed descriptions of New York in the 20s.  The author does an excellent job of integrating the modern-day characters into the historic period; their ability to adapt to the time period in a realistic way was enjoyable to read about, and while they did have a few little cultural misunderstandings (Elizabeth's jeans and t-shirt were not well received by onlookers in the 20s, suffice it to say) they weren't overly used for comic relief, which was nice.

No, the focus of the story is equally split between the romance between Simon and Elizabeth and all the twists and turns that make up the gnarly path they have to walk on the way to happily ever after, and the mystery surrounding Mr. Kashian King, a mobster with a twisted sense of honor and more than a few skeletons in his closet.  These two parallel stories collide in a way that makes for a really exciting ending and a whole lot of delicious drama for all parties involved.

Let's not forget the vocabulary, either.  There are times when the words in the story just flow together so effortlessly and the turns of phrase are so eloquent that I was completely engrossed.  I could go page by page and highlight a whole boatload of examples, but I think the experience is one everyone should enjoy independently.

I also wanted to share this little tidbit: Blog with Bite is giving away 2 copies of this book, and I highly recommend you go enter to win, because two of you will be very, very lucky, but even if you don't win, this book is $2.99 on Amazon.  I cannot begin to explain how incredible a deal this is.  I can honestly say that this is one of the most unique, emotional, engrossing stories I've had the privilege to read in quite awhile, and that's the gospel truth.  Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this story for yourself and prepare to be blown away.

Overall Grade: A+
BWB Rating: 4/4

Blog with Bite Presents Monique Martin

Welcome to the Hysteria!

Blog with Bite would like to present Monique Martin, our featured author for the Halloween Hysteria.

 And without further ado...Ms. Martin...

Character is everything. For me, as a reader and a writer, it's all about the people or demons or those special few that are a little of both. I want to connect with them, to care what happens. I want to want to spend time with them and I want my readers to feel the same way about my characters.

The big three in Out of Time: A Paranormal Romance all came alive for me. They found nice empty spots in my head (there are a few for let) and took up residence. Simon, the repressed professor of Occult Studies, Elizabeth, his young adventurous assistant and King, the vampire mobster who's looking for a sign from God.

In fact, it all started with the villain, King Kashian. I was watching a documentary about 1920's Chicago. The gangsters and the mob, bootleggers and bad, bad men. And, it came to me. What if the underworld of crime was actually controlled by the underworld of demons. And, King Kashian was born, er, well, sired.

I've always loved vampires. I mean, what's not to love? Dark, brooding, powerful, and tortured.  Add a hot buttered side of handsome and you've got me. Oh, have you got me. And, when I created King, the leader of the mob in 1920s New York City, he fit the bill. He's stylish, powerful, ruthless and a bad, bad, man. Half-man. Well, you know.  I wanted him to be a counter-point to the hero. To challenge him. And, he did. In spades!

I've always thought that the villain or antagonist is just as important as the hero. If he's boring or two-dimensional, the hero's journey isn't nearly as satisfying. King became so much more than just a hot vamp. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I love his back story (I don't want to it for spoil you) and even considered giving him his own book. He's as real as Simon, the hero, and on his own journey for redemption.

King's got family issues (don’t we all?), his competition wants to see him dead (again) and he's looking for that special someone to spend eternity with (literally). He's lonely and driven and, I hope, sympathetic, despite his, well, killing and things.

Vampires are such fun characters - so powerful and seductive. They're temptation personified. And, there's no limit to the way you can use them. They can exist in any time period, have nearly limitless experience and fall anywhere from gentle to monstrous.

I know it's de rigueur to have more heroic vampires these days and I'm breaking form a bit by having King as the antagonist in Out of Time. But, I really believe that a great villain can be as compelling as a great hero.

Who are some of your favorite villains? Any vampire villains you hate to love? I'd love to hear from you. Post away and share your vampire love/hate hate/love.

Thanks again to the gang at Blog with Bite. Happy Halloween!

Answer Ms. Martin's question for a chance to win a copy of OUT OF TIME in eBook format. Two winners will be chosen.


Contest Deets:

• Two winners for this particular contest
• 18+ only
• Commenting on this post will earn entry into this contest, but please answer Ms. Martin's question to be eligible. Not following directions will result in your comment not counting.
• Winners will be chosen using Random.org
• Following BlogwithBite.com is not required
• Extra entries will be offered, separate comment for each entry please, if you leave multiple entries in one comment it will only be counted as one entry
• Contest ends October 31st, 2010 11:59 CST

Extra Entries:

• Follow BlogwithBite.com {GFC, Email}
• Like BWB on Facebook {Leave name last initial}
• Add a HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA button to your sidebar {leave link}
• Spread the word in any way, twitter, facebook, post, sidebar, etc. {leave link}
• Reviewed Infinite Days or Masked by Moonlight for BWB 
• Comment on any HALLOWEEN HYSTERIA posts {between now and Oct 31st} 

Welcome to Halloween Hysteria

Welcome to the Hysteria!
What better way to show off those ghoulish authors we so love to read than in a Halloween Extravaganza. From now until Halloween {Oct 31st} we will be featuring authors that specialize in the fanged, furred, winged, horned...well you get my drift.  Throughout this HYSTERIA we will be hosting contests, welcoming new reviewers, having authors POP in to say hello and much more. So, join in on the fun. Comment on all the reviews and posts for extra points for giveaways - and if you are feeling like going above and beyond, grab a button and share the love. We're feeling Halloweeny, how about you?

BWB Would like to introduce you to D. Scott Meek

Mississippi native Scott Meek spent the first 18 years of life growing up in the Deep South and the next 20 years being educated by the world as a member of the US Navy. Scott was an average student growing up and was usually found staring out of the classroom window, drawing scenes or writing adventure stories. He moved on to Navy cryptology and deployed to the Persian Gulf 13 times in 20 years. He currently lives in downtown Baltimore in a small 85-year old rowhouse, where he explores the rich culture of one of America's oldest cities and teaches at the nearby National Security Agency. He has written numerous short stories recently but is finally fulfilling a life-long dream of following his imagination on its own journey.

We are featuring Meek's novel DYING LIGHT on BWB this feature.

BWB Would like to introduce you to Monique Martin

Monique was born in Houston, Texas, but her family soon moved to Southern California. She grew up on both coasts, living in Connecticut and Los Angeles. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her naughty Siamese cat, Monkey.

Monique attended the University of Southern California's Film School. She earned a BFA in the Filmic Writing department and went on to write industrial films and documentaries. She currently has a screenplay in development. Monique worked in television for several years before joining the family business. She now works full-time as a freelance writer and novelist.  Out of Time is her first novel.

Monique is a geek of many colors and  has eclectic interests ranging from sports to comic books.  She would sell everything she owned to go into space. "Maybe someday." She can watch twelve hours of football in a day and will even watch Golf. She has an ever-expanding comic book collection with emphasis on Silver and Bronze Age Marvel.

We are featuring Martin's novel OUT OF TIME on BWB this feature.

BWB Would like to introduce you to Erika Knudsen

The Vampire genre has always been a great love of Erika's and her passion for the topic is what led her to write her first novel.  Erika is a paranormal author who early on in her writing career decided to publish independently.   The idea of having full creative control of her work was appealing to her and has been very rewarding.

Aside from vampires, Erika is intrigued with all things paranormal.  She finds the writing process a great way to pursue these interests and express her thoughts on humanity and morality.

Erika Knudsen's novels have created a buzz of excitement and generated wonderful testimonials and reviews.  Erika's novels are thought provoking and erotic.  The reader will find themselves delving into the dark world of vampires.  They'll experience a vampires' weakness, their desires and take a glimpse into their immortality.

We are featuring Knudsen's novel BEYOND THE THRESHOLD OF DEATH on BWB this feature.

BWB Would like to introduce you to Katie Salidas

The youngest of four children, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she's dreamed fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires, she devoured every book, featuring those blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find.
It was only natural that a love of reading vampire stories, turned into a love to write them.

Katie is also a Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin. She loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.


We are featuring Salida's novel HALLOWEEN FANTASIES on BWB this feature.

Winner!

And the winner of our Eve Langlais eBook giveaway is....
Comment #21

Paranormal Haven!

It would seem someone gets lucky a lot at the BWB lately.

You've been email darlin'!

XOXO

Review: Lucifer's Daughter

Title: Lucifer's Daughter
Author: Eve Langlais
Page count: 79 pages (pdf format)
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Genre: paranormal romance
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

50 words or less:  Being the virgin daughter of the Prince of Darkness, with an army of succubi for sisters, is not easy.  Muriel is trying her best to have her own, sort-of normal life, when Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome walks into her bar.  You can guess how the joke ends, too!

Lucifer's Daughter is a fun, carefree story about a down-to-earth girl trying to navigate family drama, land herself a man worth having (who would have thought that the daughter of Lucifer is waiting for love before she gets romantically involved?) and get her career going.  Muriel (well, Satania, but that would kind of give away her parentage, which is something she tries to avoid) loves karaoke, is devoted to her bar, which is rapidly becoming a supernatural hotspot,) and has a sassy narrative voice that drew me right into the story from the first page.

What with being the ruler of Hades and all that, you'd think that Muriel's dad would be kind of distant and uninvolved, but you'd be very, very wrong.  Turns out Lucifer is kind of a busybody when it comes to his children, and has lots of pointers on how Muriel can be more evil- especially when it comes to her virginal status.

Could it be.....SATAN?! Sorry folks, I had to.

Anyway, when Auric, a mysterious stranger, and two of his friends come into Muriel's bar, her motor starts running, and she starts thinking that he might be the one that finally meets her criteria for being The One.  Turns out Auric has some secrets of his own, too, and those cause a lot of conflict between these two.  Seeing these two overcome their differences and learn to love each other was sweet and satisfying (for Muriel's dad too, since the two will be living in sin!)

My only issue with the book, and it's a small one, don't worry, is that the love scenes seemed a little...out of place...with the rest of this story.  I was so into the groove and the pace of the story that even though the relationship between Muriel and Auric fit right in, I was anxious to get back to the rest of the story and find out what was up with the plot to take over hell and all the other story elements.  Having to pause so these two could get sinful disrupted the pacing a little bit.

Other than that, though, this is a fun story all the way around, and one I definitely enjoyed!

Overall Grade: B+
BWB Rating: 3/4

Lucifer's Daughter --Featured Reviewer

When reading this story I went to this video and this story reminded me of this video. It was fun .

Muriel is the daughter of Satan, and still a virgin at 23. She runs a bar  and likes Karaoke music. She is one of many daughters of Satan and also the most tame. Murial is also very strong female and so different from her other busty beautiful looking sisters.

She meet Auric and is attracted to him on the first night. Over the course of the week , they keep running into one another and deal with some bad guys in the process. They have a fast courtship , and loved that they were both honest with each other. Auric was the perfect man , and loved that he would do what ever he could for Muriel.

Loved that Auric watched and protected over Murial when he didn't have too.

Loved the sexy scenes , and the humor of Satan. This was a novella.



Book Review=4/B

Thanks for the author for the book and this is my Honest Review



BWB is getting Devilish with Eve Langlais

BlogwithBite would like to welcome Eve Langlais to blog. Eve Langlais is the author of Lucifer's Daughter and our feature for the next few days.

 Lucifer's Daughter

Hi, I’m Muriel, the only white sheep in a sea of black ones, and a virgin to boot. I am determined to wait for love, but my Dad, more commonly known as Lucifer, just wants me to stop being an embarrassment. I’m hoping the hunk I met in my bar will turn out to be the one–just looking at him makes my insides melt like marshmallows over the coals of Hell, but trusting is hard when it seems everyone I get close to ends up trying to kill me.

Not only am I dealing with an extreme case of lust, there’s a new threat in Hell, one my Dad says to ignore. Something easier said than done since it seems everywhere I turn demons are trying to kill me. But I’m okay with that, because one thing I’ve learned being a princess of Hell is that sometimes I have to grab a demon by the horns and slap it around a bit.

A rebellion in Hell, demon assassins and scorching kisses, could my life get any more interesting?

*****

And we wouldn't have a FEATURE without a contest right? So what is up for grabs? Eve, generous as she is, has a selection for you to choose from:








For more information go to www.evelanglais.com

Contest Deets:

• One winner for this particular contest
• 18+ only
• Winner will be able to choose from the above mentioned books
• Commenting on this post will earn entry into this contest, go to Eve's site www.evelanglais.com and let us know which book you want to read and why!
• Winners will be chosen using Random.org
• Following BlogwithBite.com is not required
• Extra entries will be offered, separate comment for each entry please, if you leave multiple entries in one comment it will only be counted as one entry
• Contest ends October 8th, 2010 11:59 CST

Extra Entries:

• Follow BlogwithBite.com {GFC, Email}
• Like BWB on Facebook {Leave name last initial}
• Add our new button to your sidebar {leave link}
• Spread the word in any way, twitter, facebook, post, sidebar, etc. {leave link}
• Reviewed Infinite Days or Masked by Moonlight for BWB 
• Comment on the Lucifer's Daughter's reviews that will be posted in the next few days

Winners!

We have some big fat weiners for the surprise giveaway.

Weiner #1 - with her choice of Infinite Days {signed} or the Nancy Gideon Prize pack is...the illustrious Hannah

Weiners 2 - 6 of the Nancy Gideon Prize Pack:

Andrea I

Steph 

Paranormal Haven 

Robin K 

Virginia C

Group Titles For October

Adult Title - Three Days To Dead by Kelly Meding

Review Deadline October 15th


She’s young, deadly, and hunted—with only three days to solve her own murder… 

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue – in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there – her troubles are only just beginning.  Before that night, she and the other two members of her Triad were star bounty hunters — mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives, but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor . . . and she can’t even remember what it was. 

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice – and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days, Evy will die again – but this time, there’s no second chance…

****

Link up your reviews for THREE DAYS TO DEAD below.

YA Title: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Review Deadline: October 30, 2010

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

****

Link up your reviews for PARANORMALCY below.