My Signed Copy of Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

I am in such a dilemma.  I received my signed copy of Lover Reborn from the Virtual Signing.  I was truly amazed when I opened the box and saw how the book was wrapped.  It had a gold sticker with my name, a dagger and a number.  I'm not really sure what the number means.  I sure hope the number is not the number of books she signed because, wow, it would be incredible if she still had a hand after that.  I think my number was 3145 or something like that.  This thing even has a gold sticker saying it was inspected by Fritz!  So the dilemma now is, do I open it? I do NOT want to damage this wrapping in anyway, but I'm dying to know if something is written inside.  I mean, it's just a signature right?  What if she wrote a note though?  Then I'm going to miss it because I put the book on my Most Treasured book shelf without fully looking it over.  I have a copy on my kindle, so besides wanting to see if there is a message inside, it is not a necessity to open it.  This could be a collectible!  Just like all those toys that are in their original packaging are worth more.  It is my name though, and I will probably keep this until I'm dust.  My family is pretty convinced I'm crazy after seeing me struggle with this.

So to help me with my dilemma, I'm hoping anyone who has received their copy could tell me what they did!  Am I just a nut-job fan who needs to get over it and open it, or am I justified in keeping something like this whole and treasured?  I would love to hear your comments!  

If you do not have any idea why I'm as crazy about this series as I am, you need to read it.  Everyone has to love this series, because I said so!  Read Dark Lover to get started and you can enter my giveaway to win a copy or you can buy it here:

So leave your comments, crazy/not crazy, open it/leave it alone.  What do you think?

Lover Unleashed ~ Black Dagger Brotherhood Giveaway

In anticipation of the release of Lover Reborn, by J.R. Ward.  I did a re-read of Lover Unleashed, to refresh my memory.  In reading other reviews, I felt like there were story lines that I didn't completely absorb.  I'm really glad I did, because I think I only glossed over the content for Vishous and Butch the first time.



The problem with doing a re-read is you already know some of the main things that happen.  There are a few scenes with Vishous and Jane that I knew were coming and I knew were very emotionally charged.  It made getting through the book hard because I would get to the start of the scene, and I was either too close to sleep, or in too public a spot to continue on.  Those scenes were meant for private reading spaces where you can weep freely without freaking people out.  Oh and weep I did.  


Payne is sister to the Black Dagger Brother Vishous.  Injuries she has sustained from sparring with the Blind King have left her paralyzed from the waist down and only the skilled hands of Manny Manello can get her walking again.  Ok, tough time with that sentence.  "Skilled hands", "restore feeling" and "waist down", hmmmm was I talking healing or something else... anyway... where was I?  I think that this book was supposed to be based mainly on Payne and Manny, but I found that the other storylines sort of over shadowed it a little.  


After reading some other reviews, I think I understand now why the Jose De La Cruz and Veck's storyline totally puzzled me.  Others have said that it is related to the Fallen Angels series, and I've never read any of those, so that explains it.  I felt that that part of the book kind of ended up in the air and I just didn't see the real reason it was even in there except for the one connection with Xcor and his gang.


Ok, now for some good news.  I want to have my first giveaway.  BDB is my favorite series and I want to spread the love and have everyone read them!  So, I am going to offer up one copy of Dark Lover to get someone started.  This contest will run until April 10, 2012.  So if you have never read the Black Dagger Brotherhood books, where the heck have you been for one, second, what are you waiting for!  Get entered!  Even if you have read the books, enter anyway and help spread the love!  This giveaway is only valid for residents of the US and Canada.  If you don't own the books already, you can buy them below, or over there ---> on the right.  




a Rafflecopter giveaway This post is part of the Unofficial Black Dagger Brotherhood hop. You can sign up and participate below!

Spring Blog Hop

I'm excited.  I'm getting ready to try out a blog hop.  In the quest to get more visitors to my blog, I have a found a few that I really love.  I think this blog hop is an opportunity to find many more.  This Spring Blog Hop is hosted by

RULES

Hi Guys,

To Qualify, You MUST become a Public follower. "Its a follow me, follow you" Blog HOP. So Please pay it forward. By the end of this Hop, we expect all participant to get at least 40 new followers. So Lets Hop!

Thank you all.

Instructions

1. Become a follower

2.   Then scroll down to where it says "Enter link" all you do is filling out the information.

3.   Next, when you are done, it gives you a link that you put on your own blog. 

4.   After that all participants will HOP from one blog to the other.

5.   Should they choose to add a link from your blog site, they will have to become a follower, and then add their link. And so it goes on, until the HOP is closed.

6.   Remember to leave a comment to let the Blog owner know you have become a “new follower”, So that you too could be followed  ASAP.

7.   DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!!!

This is a Blog Hop!

Review: By A Thread by Jennifer Estep

This sixth installment of the Elemental Assassin series gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.  I have not always been the biggest fan of the Spider.  At first, Gin's character just didn't click with me.  She is kick ass but she seemed very cold.  I know, I know, cold probably comes from losing all your family and becoming an assassin, but I needed to see a little more to her.  Now her relationships have come to a point where she shows a lot of caring and loyalty toward her friends and family.  I've warmed up to her now and understand her better.


After the incredible Spider's Revenge, Gin needs a break.  She has had the biggest fight of her life and the fallout from her revenge is getting old.  Finn has the great idea of a vacation for him, Bria, Gin and Owen.  Bria gets to reunite with her best friend and Gin gets some sun and relaxation.  Well, that was the intention anyway.  They probably would have had better luck if they just went somewhere no one knew any of them!  The foursome walk right into the middle of a problem Bria's bff, Callie is having.  A problem headed by a very powerful vampire.  Gin and crew need to stop him before he ends the conflict between him and Callie the deadly way.


There were a few scenes that just made me want to slap some sense into Gin.  I felt that she kind of rushed into a some things, ignoring her instincts, over-confident and ending up in deadly situations.  I love how she handled one of the situations though.  It was awesome!  Did I get you curious?  I don't want to post a spoiler so I will let you guess!


Ah, and we must discuss the reappearance of Donovan.  I will just say here, I never liked the guy.  I hated that Gin wanted him so badly and was so hurt by him.  He's an ass.  I'm pretty satisfied with how it ends with him.  Love Owen.  Nothing at all like Donovan, thank God.


All in all, I really liked this book.  It had lots of action and even a bit of romance.  I don't think enough romance to actually call this book a Paranormal Romance, but enough to satisfy me.  Gin shows a little more growth, so you know she is learning from her experiences.  I did say "little" right?  I think some parts showed some impulsiveness on her side that still could be worked on.


Have you read it yet?  Let me know your thoughts, leave me a comment or drop me an email.

2012 Releases

For the series that I'm currently reading, I have dates on the upcoming installments.  I'm so excited for these books, I just couldn't help but share the dates.  I'm probably missing some, but these are the ones I have pre-ordered for my kindle.


03/27/12
Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

Wow.  The Brothers.  I think the Black Dagger Brotherhood is my top series right now.  I need to go back and re-read Payne's book before this one comes out.  I think I was more focused on the relationship between Payne and Manny and missed some important stuff with Vishous and Butch.  I'm not a real fan of the relationship between Vishous and Butch, but I also am not the keenest on Jane.  Also all the stuff with Xcor. Since that crew is going to be seen more in upcoming books, I think I need to go back and get more familiar with them.  I've been looking forward to Thor's book.  He really deserves some happiness after all he's been through.  He has mourned so hard and for so long, he needs to have some happiness.
The day is almost here! Pre-order now!



05/01/12
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris

It feels like forever since we have heard from Sookie.  True Blood at least eases some of the pain of waiting between books.  I'm expecting all storylines to start wrapping up since we are so close to the end of this series.  I think I'm going to really miss Sookie.  Well, Eric too. 








06/05/12
Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

Yay!  Anita!  The kick-ass vampire hunter is back!  Hit List showed us getting back to more of the action and crime fighting from earlier in the series, and this next book sounds like it will continue on that way.














06/26/12
Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

This is the first in Night Prince series, which is a spinoff of the Night Huntress novels by Jeaniene Frost.  I loved Vlad in the Cat and Bones books and am really looking forward to get to know him better.  I'm not sure how this will play out into it's own series and not just as part of the Night Huntress World books.






07/24/12
Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

The final battle of the war.  Who and what will be left standing.  This is going to be sad, I just know it.  It will be awful is something happens to one of the main characters that I've come to know and love.  I think I will make sure to have some tissues handy for this final installment in the Women of the Otherworld series.












08/07/12
Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Yes! Merit!  This is going to be an exciting week.  Two new releases.  I think that deserves a day off just for reading.  I don't want to say too much on my excitement over this one because there may be spoilers for those that haven't caught up in the series, but I can't wait to see who's going to be controlling who in this book.






08/07/12
Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon

We're back in Vegas for Ren's story.  What can Ren and the other Dark Hunter's do to prevent the end of the world?  I really hope that we see some more of the New Orleans Dark Hunters.  I'm really missing them and I am anxious to the see the antics of Simi.  I love her, she is awesome.












So what upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan just can’t seem to get a break.  She just settles things with the coven and now a hate group is out for blood.  Rachel’s blood.  HAPA wants to eliminate all Inderlanders and they believe that if they use the very magic they abhor against their enemies, it will ensure their success.  The problem is they need blood with the right enzymes to kindle the curse.  To get this blood they are mutilating witches that are carriers of the Redwood Syndrome.  Will Rachel be able to stop this group before they are able to gain the magic they need for their war?

Rachel has really seemed to mature through the series and is finally seeing things with a little bit of gray.  She is more accepting of herself and is more open to the idea that she is a demon.  Now if she could just get her license and car registration.  I think Rachel is just destined not to be able to drive.

I wish that Rachel didn’t assume that just because Ivy and Jenks are making new relationships, that they are leaving her behind.  She made the decision to be Ivy’s friend.  Is her jealousy because Ivy has a new relationship or because that relationship is not with her?  They will still be able to live, work and play together even if Ivy and Jenks have romantic relationships.

Al is not a big player in this book.  Trent is working hard to come up with a way for Rachel to get her magic back without Al dragging her into the ever after for good.

I think that Trent’s determination to help Rachel shows that he cares more about her than he is letting on.  I really question Trent’s relationship with Ceri.  I thought she was in love with Quen, but it seems she is more of a couple with Trent, than Quen.  I think the only alternative left for a love relationship is with Al, but that would mean spending most of her time in the ever after.  I just don’t want to see that happen.  The opportunity is there for Rachel and Trent, I just hope that they take it and let their relationship grow.

Some new characters are introduced that will likely carry on into future books.  Will this group work with or against Rachel?  She desperately needs to prove herself to the FIB and IS, is she going to have to do the same for these people or will they be more accepting of her demon blood?

It took me awhile to finally finish this book.  Mostly because I was distracted and didn’t get a lot of time to read.  Frustrating because now I’m behind.  I have the new Elemental Assassin, By a Thread, by Jennifer Estep,  already downloaded, plus I wanted to try and read A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, before I see  John Carter.  I have the John Carter book in paperback, but I think I’m going to have to get it on Amazon as I tend to have my kindle with me all the time and carrying the extra book is just a hassle.  I have to get through these two quickly though, as J.R. Ward’s Lover Reborn is coming out the end of the month and I really wanted to re-read Lover Unleashed before release day.

So tell me, what did YOU think of  A Perfect Blood?

Hello and welcome!

Welcome to the many rantings of this reading addict.  I spend every spare second I have engrossed in books.  Mainly on my kindle.  Kindles make reading at stop lights much easier because I'm not flicking back through pages at each stop finding my place.  I'm sure that is probably not the best thing to admit to, but I guess it is evidence of my addiction.

I tend to go through streaks of reading different genres, but the most recent fascination of mine has been urban fantasy and paranormal romance.  I kind of came into this genre slowly.  I started with mysteries, then ended up with Kay Hooper's Bishop series where the characters all possessed some kind of psychic skill. 



From there I wanted more "other" and found Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series.  From there my mind has been full of vamps, weres, shifters and demons.  Now I like to mix more romance with the paranormal, but as long as it has weres and vamps in it, I will probably read it.

I do have a series that I can't help myself from reading. Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is my light read. She makes me laugh. Especially Lula. I think it was Finger Lickin' Fifteen that had Lula in a yellow and black outfit.  I was in the middle of the scene with her in that outfit while trying to work out on the treadmill and I thought my worst gym nightmare was going to come true.  I almost fell off the damn thing.  I was laughing so hard and trying to hold on, I bet I looked like a fool.

I would like to use my blog to review the books I read as well as generate conversation about them.  I don't know many people who read in the same genre as me, so I don't get to revel in the aftermath of a good book with someone who understands just how wonderful the story was.  Or on the flip side of that, someone to debate the plot lines.

I might get two books in a week and like to talk about what I read in between so please join in and lets savor these works of art the authors give us to enjoy!