[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Chained by Night

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Keep up with Larissa online - Website / Facebook / Twitter / GoodReads

Chained by Night

MOONBOUND CLAN VAMPIRES Book #2

Release date 9/30/14!

Buy from Amazon / B&N / Indiebound / Borders / Powell's

THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE
Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction—or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation. To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader’s daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.

THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL
But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress’s identical twin sister?

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

Seriously, Larissa Ione can do no wrong... EXCELLENT read! I will admit that I didn't love book #1. Yes, I liked it, but after devouring her Demonica and LoD books like the world's most decadent treat, I wasn't sure if I was going to be in for the long haul with Moonbound Clan. I can tell you with 100% certainty now that I AM! :)

Picking up where Bound by Night (book #1) leaves off, Hunter is resigning himself to a lifetime commitment to a woman he doesn't even like, let alone love. In an effort to save his clan he made a deal with the clan chief of another to marry his daughter, thereby strengthening both clans. Unfortunately, this isn't the only hardship. The humans are coming out en masse to try and destroy the vampires and life for the foreseeable future is looking challenging.

Action-packed, sexy, and intriguing with a super strong female that I adored, an incredible alpha male just soft enough around the edges to entice, a hated antagonist group that sickened and a group of supporting cast that will have you loving and hating with equal measure, Chained by Night was a 'stay up extra hours' engaging read that had me wanting the next book of the series immediately.

Highly recommended! Though I do suggest reading the series in order for maximum enjoyment.

Chained by Night

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Beautifully Used

About Susan Griscom:

“I daydream often. If I didn’t write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play—a dreadful disaster; though not from my writing, of course, I must blame it on the acting.

The craft of writing, although dormant for years, never really left me. Many years later, and with the help of technology, I let my imagination run wild again.

Born in a small town in Pennsylvania, I enjoy writing about characters living in small quaint towns. I tend to lean toward the unusual and spooky. I read all genres but I love reading paranormal romance and like writing in that genre.

My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running.

I live in Northern California with my very romantic husband, my small yippy dog, Riley, and my humungous black cat, Saké. My family consists of his and her children; four wonderful sons and one beautiful daughter, six grandchildren and another on the way. My greatest love in life is my family and those large and ever growing holiday dinners.

I enjoy traveling. I hate running, but do it once in a while. Reading and writing are my favorite pastimes.”

Keep up with Susan online at her: Blog | Website | on Facebook | Twitter|Goodreads | and her Amazon Author Page.

Beautifully Used

BEAUMONT BROTHERS Book #2

Buy from Amazon / B&N / Kobo 

Contemporary Romance 18+ due to adult situations

A Beaumont Brothers Series stand-alone book 2

Suave, handsome Brodie Beaumont has a history of using and being used by women. A past he doesn’t like to talk about has turned him into the type of guy he is today, but he hasn’t really cared. Until the beautiful and feisty Gabrielle Demeres comes back into his life.

Gabrielle learned the hard way what type of guy Brodie was the first time she met him. His crude seduction attempt earned him a slap to his face, and Gabrielle wasn’t exactly looking forward to another encounter with the cad. Unfortunately, her best friend was marrying Brodie’s brother, and Gabrielle and Brodie would be forced to spend time together whether she liked it or not.

As things in the small, quiet town of Turtle Lake take a decidedly dark and dangerous turn, Gabrielle and Brodie only have each other to turn to. Will they be capable of overcoming their aversion to one another while coping with their own troubled pasts and dealing with the current dangers surrounding them? Or is their hostility just skating the fine line between love and hate?

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

Oh, I liked this one even more than Beautifully Wounded. Susan channels Gabby and Brodie beautifully, and the tension is great.

A bass playing, bar manager playboy meets singer/songwriter and aspiring author, each with tragic pasts to overcome, each with love to give... and each willing to work towards getting the HEA they're initially not sure they deserve.

While Beautifully Used still has its painfully dark moments, Susan proves that she's becoming a master at taking emotionally scarred characters and bringing them together to heal until they reach their HEA.

Most definitely recommended for contemporary romance readers looking for a fun and emotional story with some drama. Beautifully Used is book #2 of the BEAUMONT BROTHERS series but stands just fine on its own, however, once you meet Jackson and Lena, you're probably going to want to know more. Just sayin'. ;-)

Beautifully Used

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Dead New World

Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.

Connect with Ryan at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads | Blog | Tumblr 

Dead New World
Release Date 10/13/14

Pre-Order HERE

Zombies aren’t mindless anymore.

Before the world fell into chaos, the undead existed only in the imagination. Now, more of them walk the earth

than living. Zombies move about freely, while humans entomb themselves inside concrete barricades to stay alive.

All that, while the leader of a powerful cult ­ known only as Reverend ­ becomes the next threat to the rebuilding United States. Believing zombies to be God’s latest creation, making humanity obsolete, he wants to give every man, woman, and child the chance to become one. With his combined army of humans and zombies, he may well get his wish.

Best friends Holt and Ambrose went up against the Reverend once. Holt lost a foot and a zombie bit Ambrose...though he survived the virus, only to become a human­-zombie hybrid, reviled by the living and unwelcome among the dead. When the Reverend kidnaps the woman Holt loves, the race is on to save her from a fate worse than death.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

--Actual rating 3.5 skulls

Dead New World was pitched to me as Black Hawk Down meets The Walking Dead so I was really excited to give it a try.

In a world overrun by the walking dead, humanity is trying to get back to a sense of normal, but normal isn't possible when not only are there are infinitely multiplying zombies afoot, but a religious zealot who can mysteriously control the dead doing what he believes is 'God's work', as well.

There were several engaging and unique things about Dead New World that I thoroughly enjoyed. The wounded warrior/hybrid angle was unique and satisfying. It upped the conflict of the tale and made Ambrose's character more endearing. The zealot angle was interesting, as well, and the Reverend is a thoroughly deplorable antagonist.

There was plenty of action, a hint of romance, and a dark edge that fostered the intrigue.

If you're a zombie literature fan looking for a New Adult story of discovery in a post apocalyptic world with military undertones I think you'll enjoy Dead New World. It's not a super deep story. Aside from the obvious issues of dealing with change, loss, and human bias, there isn't a whole lot of human psyche conflict like The Walking Dead and the action isn't quite on par with Blackhawk Down, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless and I think most readers will really enjoy it.

**It should be noted that there were some editing issues with the manuscript but I was reading an early release eCopy.

Dead New World

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Bloodbound

Erin Lindsey is on a quest to write the perfect summer vacation novel, with just the right blend of action, heartbreak, and triumph. THE BLOODBOUND is her first effort. She lives and works in Bujumbura, Burundi, with her husband and a pair of half-domesticated cats.
She also writes fantasy mysteries as E.L. Tettensor.

Keep up with Erin on her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

The Bloodbound

Release Date 9/30/14

Buy from Amazon / B&N

A cunning and impetuous scout, Alix only wishes to serve quietly on the edges of the action. But when the king is betrayed by his own brother and left to die at the hands of attacking Oridian forces, she winds up single-handedly saving her sovereign.

Suddenly, she is head of the king’s personal guard, an honour made all the more dubious by the king’s exile from his own court. Surrounded by enemies, Alix must help him reclaim his crown, all the while attempting to repel the relentless tide of invaders led by the Priest, most feared of Oridia’s lords.

But while Alix’s king commands her duty, both he and a fellow scout lay claim to her heart. And when the time comes, she may need to choose between the two men who need her most…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

This was interesting. A strong female lead, fantasy not quite epic but not urban either, a bit of alchemy and mind control to keep things interesting, and yes... a love triangle. Maybe my only 'dislike', though it was done well, was not angst filled and led to the credibility and conflict of the story.

Ms. Lindsey does a great job of telling a story of a daughter to one of the Banner houses taking the independent route and forging her own way in history while learning about herself and those she holds most dear at the same time. It's not a totally unique tale - we've read the whole King being betrayed by his brother before - but the tale is simply and beautifully told, and has just enough romance and magic to round things out.

I would have liked to have learned more about the blood-binding, the magic that is used to tie the warriors to their weapons, but I believe that this is the first of a new series and am hoping that Ms. Lindsey will go into further detail with maybe some history in later installments.

The Bloodbound

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Gifted Dead

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Concluding that this discovery was her life's work in the field of primatology, she then moved on to such varied pastimes as grooming dogs and writing technical documentation. Among her other experiences . . .

• Ballroom dancing.
• Traveling all seven continents. Yes, even Antarctica.
• Becoming a Life Master in Bridge.
• Singing in a barbershop chorus.

Keep up with Jenna online:

Website / GoodReads / Facebook / Twitter

The Gifted Dead
GIFTED Book #1

Release Date 9/23/14

Buy from Amazon

Politics and magic make dangerous bedfellows.

Deep within the Order, the seeds of corruption have taken root. While younger generations of the Gifted have embraced modern democratic values, a secret society of old-guard zealots seek a return to the past, when only European men of distinguished bloodlines held power.

Now, three venerable European families and a maverick American each plot to seize control of the Order and shape it to their will. A cutthroat game of political intrigue will decide the winner; and the stakes couldn't be higher, for ruling the Order carries with it the power to grant—or deny—an afterlife.

What begins as a battle of wills could turn into an all-out war. And magic could prove deadlier than any missile.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

Oh what a tangled web we weave....

Jenna Black joins the masterful prose I am so fond of with a thrilling new concept that takes the whole 6 degrees of separation concept and pairs it with some heavy duty political intrigue, all bundled up with some very cool preternatural world building for a book that most definitely pleased!

I was told that The Gifted Dead and the GIFTED series were Game of Thrones meets House of Cards and I can kind of see that with regards to the tie ins of the characters and the intrigue and deception rampant throughout.

Interesting protagonists, baleful antagonists, an interesting and complex world with plenty of room for growth and engaging prose make for a book that I was very happy I had the chance to enjoy. I definitely recommend The Gifted Dead for urban fantasy and mystery readers looking for something new and interesting and I can't wait to see where Jenna takes this new endeavor...

The Gifted Dead

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Twilight Guardians

Maggie Shayne: It was a sleepless night spent caring for a sick baby that jump-started New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne’s writing career.

A voracious reader and prolific writer from childhood, Maggie found herself without a book to read while coddling the colicky child. So instead she began spinning a tale of her own, creating a plotline that evolved in her thoughts until, a few days later, she sat down and wrote the story in longhand.

Now the author of more than forty novels, ranging from stories about Witches, vampires, psychics and ghosts, to bone chilling, edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense and beyond. The genres she has mastered include women’s fiction, category romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal fiction. Maggie has honed her lyrical prose and made a name for herself on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon.com, B.Dalton, Booksense, Ingram’s, Barnes and Noble, and Waldenbooks (where she reached #1) bestseller lists.

Maggie is the winner of numerous awards, including two Romantic Times Bookclub Career Achievement Awards, the National Readers Choice Award, and the coveted RITA Award, for which she was nominated twelve times before finally winning.

She has also written for CBS daytime dramas, Guiding Light and As the World Turns. One of Maggie’s novels, Eternity, has been optioned for film.

Connect with Maggie online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on GoodReads.

Twilight Guardians

WINGS IN THE NIGHT REBORN Book #1

Buy from Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon Ca / B&N / Kobo / Smashwords / iTunes

They told 20-year-old Charlie O’Malley that they had a cure for the rare blood condition that would eventually kill her–an untested, experimental cure. All they wanted in return was for her to join their elite military team and train to kill the Undead. 
She took the deal, not because she cared so much about extending her life, but because it would make her strong–stronger than ordinary humans. Strong enough to kill the vampire who’d pretended to love her, taken her blood, used her body, and murdered her mother. 
Killion was the last of his kind, or so he thought. When he found Charlie, he felt the pull. She had the rare Belladonna Antigen all vampires had as humans. Vampires were compelled to protect those rare mortals they called The Chosen. But with Charlie, the bond was different, more powerful than anything he’s felt before, and impossible to resist, even though surrendering to it will probably get him killed. 
Ancient vampire elders Rhiannon and Roland come out of exile, risking their lives to help their mortal friend Roxy reclaim her granddaughter. But before the tale ends, their lives will be forever changed. 
Join Maggie Shayne as she returns to her most beloved series of all time with this new beginning…. 

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review

Maggie Shayne's beloved Wings in the Night series has been REBORN with Twilight Guardians. The characters that us diehards loved in the early books - Rhiannon, Roland, Eric, Roxy... are back along with an exciting new cast and crew of Chosen, Undead and animal familiars in an exciting and engaging tale full of deceit and mayhem, and ending in survival and new love!

Roxy, the oldest living Chosen has reconnected with her granddaughter. A woman she has been having dreams about her entire life. She has a preternatural sense somehow that the blood of her blood will be something special. So when Charlie's life is in danger, Roxy steps in to make sure she's safe. Unfortunately, things don't always go as planned, especially in a world rife with DPI operatives looking to make sure the extinction of the Undead went as they hoped it had back in 2011.

Charlie O'Malley was an ordinary girl, with the exception that she had the Belladonna antigen and was sheltered and coddled by her mother her entire life. When she starts having strange erotic dreams about the handsome and captivating Killian she thinks she's going crazy. Until she's taken under her grandmother's wing and actually meets the man behind the dreams.

Killian believes that he is the last of his kind. When he finally meets the woman of his dreams, he realizes he doesn't much care anymore. Unfortunately, his embedded desire to keep Charlie safe is overwhelmingly hindered by the fact that she thinks vampires are blood sucking monsters out to use people with the antigen as their favorite meal.

When Charlie escapes and is scooped up by members of the Department of Paranormal Investigations, she enters a web of deceit unlike anything she's ever known. The question is, will she be able to reconcile what her heart is telling her about Killian versus what she's led to believe by the DPI before it's too late?

Twilight Guardians was a captivating story and a must read for all WitN fans. It started out fairly mellow with the reintroduction of the world building for new readers and the introduction of the cast, but it didn't leave the reader wanting for material even then. Once the entire cast was introduced and you got a sense of where the world stood in this new future for the Undead and Chosen, the book took off like a shot and didn't let go. There was action, adventure, subterfuge, and more and the characters were put through the wringer with regards to emotion that you couldn't help but experience right along with them. If you're coming to the world late and haven't had a chance to enjoy the old Wings in the Night novels yet, no worries, you can most definitely start here (and then feel free to go back and get the back story next). :)

I cannot wait to see where Maggie goes with the series. There is some seriously amazing world building and character growth that happened at the end of TG, and it looks to be an incredible ride!

Twilight Guardians