Excerpt & Giveaway: Uprising by Imogen Rose

Uprising
Bonfire Chronicles Book Two
Imogen Rose 

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Publisher: Wild Thorn Publishing
Date of Publication:  10-10-2013
Cover Artist: Phatpuppyart

Book Description:

The global infrastructure that allows humans and supernaturals to coexist is under threat. A breakdown of this carefully maintained system erupts into worldwide chaos and could eventually lead to Armageddon.

Code Uprising is activated.

The power of the supernatural world shifts from the city councils to Bonfire Academy and the other elite paranormal preps. Now, the staff and students must follow the code, however deadly the ramifications, to return power to the city sovereigns in order to prevent an apocalypse. 

Kindle Kindle (UK) Kindle (Germany) iBook KOBO NOOK Paperback

 About the Author:

Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling series, the Portal Chronicles, which has attained cult status within indie literature and become a favorite among teens and adults alike. An immunologist by profession, Dr. Rose published her first work of fiction in 2010. She now writes full time and is currently working on her second teen series, the Bonfire Chronicles. Imogen was born in Sweden and has lived in several places, counting London among her favorites. She moved to New Jersey in 2001. A self-confessed Hermès addict, Imogen freely admits to being obsessed with Kurt Cobain. She enjoys shopping, traveling, watching movies, and hanging out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua.

Web: http://www.imogenrose.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImogenRosePage 
Twitter: ImogenRoseTweet
Instagram: ImogenRoseGram
blog: http://imogenroseblog.blogspot.com/

Excerpt:

He felt as dead as she looked. With each blow to her lifeless body, he felt his sanity ooze, drop after drop, into the pool of her blood. She was dead. Her only hope now was the guy who had stolen her from him.

The knock on the door filled Quinn with loathsome fury. Had he not already been in his demon form, he’d have transformed because the person on the other side of the door deserved what he had unwillingly subjected Cordelia to.

He flung the door open, growling at the winter faery who was keeping Cordelia’s heart beating. Jagger swept past Quinn to the corner of the room, kneeling down beside Cordelia’s torn-up body. His pale winter hue darkened. He shot to his feet, bringing up his leg and slammed his foot into Quinn’s stomach.

Quinn fell back in surprise, his demon exterior not so much as reddening as a result, but he felt on the verge of losing it and tearing Jagger’s head right off of his fey neck. But he checked himself. If Jagger’s heart stopped, so would Cordelia’s, and Quinn couldn’t allow that to happen.

“What the fuck, Quinn? What did you do to her?” Jagger’s voice was barely audible; his mood had turned from anger to desperation as he looked at the body on the floor again.

Quinn transformed back into his human form, revealing a mess of injuries and broken bones. “I had no choice. It was this or death.”

“Or death? She is dead, you moron!”

“No, she isn’t. Her heart is still beating.”

“Only because I’m beating it for her,” Jagger muttered.

“Only because I’m letting you beat it for her,” Quinn said quietly.

“She needs a healer.”

“Wander her back to the Academy. But hurry. Potomal’s team is on their way and will be here soon to collect her.”

“Potomal?”

“A Wanderer working with Katerina.” Quinn winced at the stabs of pain his human body was unable to dampen.

“What about you? What happened?”

“Cordelia didn’t go down without a fight, but never mind that. I’ll heal. I need you to beat me to within an inch of my life. Here, use this.” He handed Jagger a tire iron.

“Much as I would love to beat the hell out of you, why? If you’re afraid of what they’ll do to you when they find out you let Cordelia escape, why not just come back to the Academy?”

“No time. Plus, the best way for me to protect Cordelia is from the inside. Hurry.”

Jagger glanced down at Cordelia and then raised the iron bar.

Imogen Rose Books-Reading Order: 

If you are reading both series:
1. Portal
2. Equilibrium
3. Quantum
4. Faustine
5. Momentum
6. Initiation
7. Integration
8. Fusion

Portal Chronicles only:

1. Portal
2. Equilibrium
3. Quantum
4. Momentum
5. Fusion (to be published) 

Bonfire Chronicles only:

1. Faustine
2. Initiation
3. Integration

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New Adult Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Magan Vernon

THE ONLY ONE BLURB:

Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.

Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.

Now, as Melanie struggles to pick up the pieces, she realizes that John may be the only one to put her life back together…unless he shatters it first.

**This is not a sequel to The Only Exception. It's a companion novel with two characters from the first book. You don't need to read The Only Exception to understand this book.**

AUTHOR BIO:

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman.

To enter the giveaway, please go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.

This is Blog #5 and the code is MAGANMARA

Blog #1: www.dawnpendleton.com

Blog #2: www.StephanieLawton.com

Blog #3: www.chasingemptypavements.com

Blog #4: http://lisaswallow.net

Blog #5: http://maravalderran.blogspot.com

Blog #6: http://www.lgcastillo.com

Blog #7: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com

Blog #8: http://danielelanzarotta.blogspot.com/

Blog #9: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/

Blog #10: http://dawnaraver.com/

Blog #11: http://tawdrakandle.com

Blog #12: http://midtown-underground.com

Blog #13: http://tyffanickemp.com

Blog #14: www.KristieCook.com

Blog #15: www.jlfynn.com

Blog #16: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com

Blog #17: www.adriannejames.com

Blog #18: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/
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Guest Post: Broken Dolls Author B.R. Kingsolver Talks Travel

Today, B.R. Kingsolver is stopping by to talk about the settings of her book, and how her own personal travels have helped her make those descriptions come alive in her writing. For more from B.R. Kingsolver, follow B.R. on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads and be sure to check out B.R.'s website and blog. Here's a bit about B.R.'s book, Broken Dolls, and then I will be turning the blog over to B.R.

About the Book:

Private investigator RB Kendrick makes her living nailing cheating spouses, digging up other dirt to help in a divorce, finding long-lost relatives, and occasionally sniffing out criminal activity and fraud.

When she takes a job to find a missing girl, she has no idea she is headed for the most dangerous case of her career. Usually, her ability to read minds gives her an edge. But when the people she’s hunting are also telepaths, that advantage is limited.

The search takes her into the dark underbelly of telepathic society, where anything, and anyone, is for sale. She discovers that telepathic women and girls are being trafficked as the ultimate sex slaves.

With people trying to kill her, she’s on the run, not knowing who she can trust. Will she find the missing girl, or become a victim herself?

Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. 

 






 

From the Author:

I’ve always had a wanderlust. I love to travel and see new and exotic places. This tends to come out in my writing, as my characters seem to do a lot of traveling. 

Most of my books have been set in the Baltimore-Washington-West Virginia area, which I know fairly well. But the main character in Broken Dolls lives in London and the setting for a short story that was recently published in an anthology, Here, Kitty Kitty, is set in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Broken Dolls starts in London, where RB Kendrick, the private investigator who is the main character, lives. It moves to Dublin, Ireland, then back to London, on to Paris, Munich, Zurich, London, Ireland ... the girl moves around. 

One of the things that bothers me, and I assume most readers, is when an author makes a jarring error in place. Recently I read a novel set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I lived for a long time. The author made a reference to “mesquite”. There aren’t any mesquite trees within hundreds of miles of Albuquerque. So I try to be very careful to research and be accurate about the places I put my characters.

Of course, that’s much easier when I’ve been to that place, but some of my settings are places I’d like to go, not places I’ve been. It’s not that I try to write detailed, vivid descriptions of the settings in my books, but it’s so much easier to visualize the action if I have a firm idea of what the place looks like, and I think it makes it easier for the reader as well.

I  remember the contrast the gleaming, modern office buildings on the south bank of the Thames River make with the ancient Tower of London on the north bank. In Broken Dolls, I set the Gordon Building on the south bank. If the reader has been to London, or lives there, she shouldn’t have much difficulty visualizing the setting, and it should seem natural.

Likewise, I have a neighborhood in west London in mind when I write about where RB Kendrick lives. I don’t describe it in any detail, but it shouldn’t cause a London reader any problems with place.

This past summer, I had finished the first round of edits and revisions for Broken Dolls when I went on vacation to Paris. Since I was writing the book at the same time I was researching my trip, I had looked at lots of pictures and maps and felt fairly secure that my descriptions of the places in the book were accurate. But I eagerly looked forward to seeing those places in person.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to change any of what I’d written, but being there allowed me to add more detail to the descriptions in the book. It also gave me the opportunity to make the travel times between places more accurate.

There’s a scene in the book where RB is being chased by the bad guys. Before my trip, I was rather vague about the area where the chase occurs. Afterward, I was able to map her route from the Latin Quarter southeast of Notre Dame to the Military Academy just to the west of the Eiffel Tower and feel secure that the distance and surroundings fit in with the story.

Paris is an incredible city, with beautiful buildings and neighborhoods, palaces and architectural marvels such as the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. But there are also places that are very seedy and dangerous. Part of the book takes RB into the Pigalle red-light district, and I didn’t visit that area. The French police strongly discourage tourists from going there. Even in the pursuit of accuracy, some research topics are better imagined than experienced.

Kiya: Mother of a King Release Day!

Today is the day that the second book in the Kiya Trilogy releases; Kiya: Mother of a King.
You can find book one, Kiya: Hope of a Pharaoh HERE
To celebrate, Katie has opened up the comments on her blog for you to ask what you want to know about the series. And yes, book 3 is written and contracted so you will be seeing the final installment before you know it.
So, here are the details for Kiya book 2:

Amazon Kobo B&N Goodreads

Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.

With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.

While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.






 
CQ is also hosting a giveaway for Kiya: Mother of a King on Goodreads! So jump in!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

KIYA

by Katie Hamstead

Giveaway ends November 20, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Cover Reveal: Natural Harmony by Kate Roth

I think I will hereby deem Fridays as "Feature Fridays" because I absolutely love featuring new books just in time for the weekend. Today's feature is a cover reveal for Natural Harmony by Kate Roth, and though it won't be available until December 30th, you will definitely want to add it to your list. 

Natural Harmony is a stand-alone romance and the first in the Confession Records collection. Cover art by Jennifer Streif. Check out the rafflecopter for a chance to win an advanced copy of the book!

Blurb:

Suddenly named the acting president of her uncle’s record label, former pop princess Sabrina Walker is finally ready to grow up. While her professional life moves forward, she still clings to the last fragment of her past life in the form of an uncertain relationship with her manager, Beau.

When Sabrina hires handsome, young assistant, Wade Lawson, he awakens in her the hidden confidence she’s always desired. What starts as a casual affair quickly intensifies to something much more.

Sabrina must decide—return to the familiar life of an insecure one-hit-wonder, or embrace Wade and the woman his passion has helped reveal.

About the author:

In 2008, Kate Roth decided to get real about her love of writing. She signed up for a course after-hours at the local high school called 'So You Want To Write A Book?'. Indeed, she did! For years Kate had been dreaming up love stories in her head and she'd even managed to write a few of them down but it was that class that gave her the drive to finally do something more with her ideas.

Kate Roth's first two novels, new adult romance The Low Notes and new adult paranormal romance Reckless Radiance were released by Rebel Ink Press. Natural Harmony is her third novel and her first venture into independent publishing. She is hard at work on the next two novels in the Confession Records collection, as well as her first erotic romance, Last Resort.

Kate is inspired by music, film, art and of course other authors as well as the wealth of stories she has heard through her years as a professional hair stylist. She is a small business owner and lives in Indiana with her husband, Adam and their dog, Sampson.

You can find more on Kate’s website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, & Goodreads. 

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Review for Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead

Blurb:

When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…

The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.

Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.




KIYA: Hope of the Pharaoh by Katie Hamstead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've never been one to jump at historical fiction, but this book was beyond amazing. I suddenly find myself enthralled by Egyptian culture. Katie Hamstead did an amazing job of teaching the reader about ancient Egypt through Naomi's eyes and not making it feel like a lesson. There was never a dull moment of world-building or history lessons. It was all contextual.

Naomi is a believable heroine. She is brave, strong, true to her beliefs, but also stubborn, and she can be a bit naive. She wears her heart on her sleeve, which I suspect is going to bite her in the ass later on in the series. I love that in Kiya, Nefertiti has met her match. Nefertiti is believably cunning and vile, but her motivations are always clear. And just when you think she is done, she strikes like a snake.

The love triangle in this book came out of nowhere for me. I don't want to say too much because of spoilers, but I love how, because we see everything through Naomi's eyes, we were just as surprised as she was.

On a more technical note, I think Katie's style is wonderful. Naomi's voice is solid throughout the entire book, never wavering. We feel everything she feels, and see everyone else just as she sees them. Not once did I feel like the language was dumbed down (which I've seen in other first person novels--it drives me crazy.) or like Katie was trying to force information through Naomi.

The ending felt abrupt to me, but I have a feeling that is more to do with how I was not ready for the book to end. Luckily, the sequel comes out soon. =) I can't wait!

View all my reviews

About the Author: 

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.
 
She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
 
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

You can follow Katie on:

Twitter - https://twitter.com/KatieTeller1

FB page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Hamsteads-Stories/247238178656484

Blog - http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18169048-kiya

What's Up Wednesday

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join us, you will find the link widget at the bottom of Jaime’s post. We really hope you will take part!


You'd think that not much can change over the course of a week, but it can. So I am back again with What's Up Wednesday to tell you how!


What I'm Reading:
I finished Communion by B. Patterson and absolutely loved it, as I'm sure you can tell by my review. Now I've moved on to The Actuator by James Wymore and Aiden James. This book is such a unique concept and a great amalgamation of different genres. Curiosity Quills is putting together an anthology of short stories that take place in the Actuator universe, and the wheels in my head are spinning away with possible story ideas. If you want more information on how you can submit a short story in the Actuator world for the anthology, check out the Borderlands Anthology page on Curiosity Quills' site. 

Next up I'll be reading The Curse of Malenfer Manor by Iain McChesney to review for his tour. I also had the pleasure of interviewing him, so I'm looking forward to reading his work all the more.

What I'm Writing:
I'm still working on Altar of Reality, but I am ten times more excited about it. I work best by bouncing ideas off of others, and my cousin is one of my go-to people for this. We went on a road trip and she had me read what I have of AoR to her, and then we did a little brainstorming and came up with some awesome ideas that I cannot wait to apply to the story. I thought it only had a few more chapters, but now I am thinking there's much more to the end of this book than I thought. I'm so excited about where this book is going and how it is transforming into a series that it might be a little hard to move back to Heirs of War. I will, of course. But I'll be torn.

Speaking of AoR, my husband has talked me into traditionally querying the book once it is done and polished. I fully intended on self-publishing it like HoW, because, well, I like self-publishing better than trying to go the traditional route. But he thinks it is an easier sell than HoW and it is worth a try, so I'm going to go for it. Unfortunately, it is nowhere near ready for any of the query contests coming up. But there's always next year!

What Inspires Me Right Now:
Talking about AoR inspires me. I've also been rewatching Season One of Arrow with my husband, so that's got me in the "Write some kick ass scenes with people kicking ass" mood. I ditched Revolution for the time being. My cover artist suggested I watch The Colony, and I think I'd rather give that a try than deal with Revolution. I've heard it gets better, but the only character I care about a few episodes in is the uncle, and I'm not sure that's enough of a pull for me to continue watching.

And, of course, I am looking for inspiration from Aiden James and James Wymore so I can write my short story submission for their anthology. =)

What Else I'm Up To:
I can't believe I failed to talk about how awesome my blog tour was last week. It's been ten days since the tour wrapped up, so I think enough time has passed from the stress of it all for me to really appreciate it. I only had a couple missed stops, which really isn't a big deal to me. I didn't contact the missed posters because it was already done and as a tour host, I know how life can get in the way and things can slip under the radar. I still appreciate that they signed up to begin with.

I have been doing so many giveaways that I actually lost track of some. I think I am all caught up now, and ready to give away some more e-copies of the book. I'm still trying to think of a way to do something new and fresh, so stay tuned!

In my non-writerly life, the hubby and I are planning a Halloween party and finally have our costumes. I don't want to say what we are going as just yet because I am so excited to post pictures of our clever idea. It's gonna be awesome! After that, we will be getting ready for the holidays (including my thirtieth birthday--what???) and a trip to Nashville to visit some family. And somewhere in between, I will have finished writing three books before school starts in January.

Until next week...

New Adult Author Spotlight & Giveaway: Jennifer Lane

WITH GOOD BEHAVIOR BLURB: 

In a world gripped by organized crime, family dysfunction, and dim hopes of redemption, can true love persevere? For Sophie Taylor, a beautiful psychologist who lost everything when she violated an ethical boundary, and Grant Madsen, a handsome naval officer who sacrificed everything to protect a loved one, finding that love may carry an unbearable cost. 

Starting their lives over in Chicago, both are fighting influences from their family and running as fast as they can to escape the past. When their paths cross outside the parole officer's door, the attraction is instantaneous. But a hidden connection may not only shatter their fledgling love, but prove deadly to them both.

JENNIFER LANE BIO:

People fascinate the psychologist/author (psycho author) known as Jennifer Lane. Her therapy clients talk to her all day long about their dreams and secrets, and her characters tell her their stories at night. Jen delights in peeling away the layers to scrutinize their psyches and emotions. But please rest assured, dear reader, she isn’t psychoanalyzing you right now. She’s already got too many voices in her head!

Stories of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love. She is the author of The Conduct Series—-romantic suspense for adult readers—-and recently completed the third and final installment: On Best Behavior. Streamline is her first foray into writing for young and new adults, but she’s found this sort of writing even more fun. A former college swimmer, Jen was able to put a lot of her own experiences into this book. 

Whether writing or reading, Jen loves stories that make her laugh and cry. In her spare time she enjoys exercising, attending book club, and hanging out with her sisters and their families in Chicago and Hilton Head.

GIVEAWAY:

To enter the giveaway, go to each blog and enter the corresponding code into the Rafflecopter.

This is Blog #4 and the code is JENNIFERLSWALLOW

Blog #1: www.dawnpendleton.com 
Blog #2 www.StephanieLawton.com

Blog #3: www.chasingemptypavements.com
Blog #4: http://lisaswallow.net
Blog #5: http://maravalderran.blogspot.com
Blog #6: http://www.lgcastillo.com
Blog #7: http://naughtylittlekisses.blogspot.com
Blog #8: http://danielelanzarotta.blogspot.com/
Blog #9: http://authoryolandaallen.blogspot.com/
Blog #10: http://dawnaraver.com/
Blog #11: http://tawdrakandle.com
Blog #12: http://midtown-underground.com
Blog #13: http://tyffanickemp.com
Blog #14: www.KristieCook.com
Blog #15: www.jlfynn.com
Blog #16: www.lisasanchezromanceauthor.com
Blog #17: www.adriannejames.com
Blog #18: http://jadenwilkes.blogspot.ca/

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Review: Communion by B. Patterson

Today I am reviewing Communion, a Young Adult Urban Fantasy book by B. Patterson. (Spoiler alert for the review: I loved the book! It was amazing!) You can find more on B. Patterson on his blog, or you can follow him on Facebook or Twitter. 

About the Author:
B. Patterson is a 25 year old writer and a graduate of North Carolina State University,  where he majored in Psychology and minored in Japanese.  He currently live in Maryland.

B. Patterson wrote a lot as a kid.  He began a new story (or 3 or 4) every school year, but rarely finished them. He finally finished one when he was 16.  It was about ninjas.  It was really bad.

Communion, his first completed novel worth publishing in his eyes, will be released October 1st. He has that and many other works coming down the pipeline.  He plans to be writing for many years to come.  

B. Patterson's values as a writer include:
Writing high-quality books
Diversity
Integrity
Entertainment

About the Book:
Lester Fuller knows isolation well.  It has been his only friend since Jadarius Singleton humiliated him last year. But one night after Jadarius's taunts go too far, Lester stumbles upon Gwynn's body.  He's sure she's dead.  Until she bites him.

Vampires are extinct.  There are only the dhampir.

Now something more than human, Lester struggles to determine where he fits in this new society.  Just what secrets about the dhampir are his friends keeping from him?  And what will he do when a notorious figure from dhampir history sets her eyes on him?




My Review:
I love everything about this book, from the main character Lester's voice as he narrates to the twists and turns along the way and the surprise ending.

Usually, in vampire books, you have a main character who is eventually going to be faced with a choice of whether or not to become a vampire. But in Communion, B. Patterson starts Lester's journey with a bang. When he gets attacked and turned, he discovers a whole new world. Vampires are extinct, but dhampir still exist--which are sort of in between humans and vampires--and now he has the choice to become one of them.

Lester isn't the typical main character, for many reasons. First, it is refreshing to have a first person narrative from a teenage guy's POV. I have to say that most of the books I read have female POVs, so it is nice to have a change. And a good one at that. But also, Lester is a believable outcast. He has issues, but never ventures into melodramatic or emo territory. And even though he is bullied, I never viewed him as weak or a victim. He was strong in his own ways, and showed that by how he stood up to the bully, even when he knew it would mean getting his ass kicked.

What also sets Lester apart from typical main characters is that his journey is anything but simple and stereotypical. Lester is faced with some tough decisions, and makes some hard choices along the way. My heart breaks for some of the things he is forced to do to keep the people he loves safe. Usually, we see the hero of the story built up through the trials and tribulations they face. With Lester, we see him constantly broken down by the choices he is faced with. But then an amazing thing happens that makes me root for him even more: He gets back up. Over and over.

B. Patterson did an amazing job of taking something so common (vampires) with the usual plot points played over and over and over again, and turning it into something unique that he can call his own. Not only is the concept different from what I've seen, but the actions the main character takes along the way are also so different from the norm. I never knew what to expect with this book. Just when you think you know who the bad guy is and what the stakes are that the dhampir are up against, the plot takes a completely different turn and you are thrown for a loop.

Great writing, compelling and unpredictable story full of twists and surprises, and a main character that I can sympathize with and really truly like. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to what is ahead not only for Lester and the dhampir, but I can't wait to see what else the incredibly talented B. Patterson does.