Review & Giveaway: Bad Mouth by Angela McCallister

Bad Mouth by Angela McCallister

Author: Angela McCallister
Publication Date: May 20, 2013
Publisher: Entangled: Covet
Pages: 240
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Source: Provided by the publisher for an honest review
Book Description:

After her ex-husband’s obsession with vampires, Valerie Craig is on a mission to stop transformations. Of all vampires, Kade Rollins is the worst of the worst, but when multiple murders plague Seattle, Val is forced to enlist his aid. Kade’s crude wit and seductive nature attract her like no other, but she can’t ignore his violence toward his human servants, no matter her yearning to forget.

She’s torn when she learns Kade may be behind the murders. Val's worked hard to protect humans from vampires, but the truth surrounding the murders could ignite a bloody battle between their races, one humans are sure to lose. Someone is pulling strings to build a vampire army and spark the war—setting Kade up to kick it off. But if she trusts the vampire prince, she risks her job, her integrity, and her heart if he betrays her as all the men in her life have.

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TWO Giveaways at the bottom!!!

Review:

     In a new take on a popular legend, McCallister takes us on a thrilling fan-yourself ride into the not so secret world of human to vampire transformations. Set in urban Seattle, we meet the ferociously bull headed Valerie Craig - who has made it her life mission to stop transformations with extreme prejudice. From a dark underground of uneasy politics, sex and blood - a body count starts rising making it seem like Valerie has all the proof she needs to shut down vampires for good....that is until she meets one that turns her whole world upside down. 

     The character of Valerie (Val) is (to be blunt) a glorified pencil pusher for the VLO (Vampire Liaison Organization - I'm guessing here because I don't think it ever fully states what it is). Her character is a bit insular and scarred - especially in regards to men. Her ex husband Will plays a pivotal role in this - his obsession with Vampires is what ultimately drives a wedge between them and puts her a very narrow minded political rampage against vampires. Her character wasn't particularly deep or worldly, but I think that's part of the beauty of sticking this young innocent but spunky girl into the mix with a very foul mouthed ancient vampire prince...

     Kade Rollins is your typical want for nothing Vampire royalty. He's got that gruff sandpaper attitude with a swear word coming out of his mouth a mile a minute. He's used to getting what he wants, when he wants it and you'll do it with a smile, on your knees and a 'yes sir'! But when he meets Val who butts heads with him and challenges him at every turn - his own hate for humans gets a little blurred. While Kade may follow the classic bad boy who you'll love to hate and hate to love recipe, he had a really surprising and intense backstory with a hidden agenda that made him much more than just another pretty face.

     The secondary characters for me took the cake. Especially Ezra, who was charming, funny and intriguing all at once. I'd seriously like to get to know him a bit more intimately...

     I had just finished watching the last season of Spartacus (the Starz tv series), so when terms like Dominus and Domina started popping up I got REALLY excited. McCallister uses a very Roman-esque caste system to structure her vampire world and I LOVED it. You get that old world feeling of aristocracy and pomp, which fits in perfectly with the vampires we meet. 

     I will admit that there's a bit of a case of insta-love here (everything happens in about a week). But it starts with an intense physical attraction that's often hard to deny (even in reality), and Val and Kade's interactions do show a lot of potential for the future. 

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

Bad Mouth has elements of a CSI murder mystery crossed with True Blood vampire/human politics. Fans of these will definitely love Bad Mouth. Plus at 240 pages, filled to the brim with violence, blood and panty ripping action it's hard not to be entertained.

ABOUT ANGELA MCCALLISTER

Angela McCallister is a US Navy Sailor and author of Paranormal Romance repped by the fabulous Nalini Akolekar. Spoiled by the gorgeous weather of Southern California, she spends her days reading and writing whenever she's lucky enough to be away from work. In fact, she's never to be found without a book hidden somewhere on her person. Over the past two years, her writing has finaled in multiple RWA writing competitions, and her debut Paranormal Romance, BAD MOUTH, won MERWA's 2012 Everything But The Kitchen Sink Competition.

Find her on:

Twitter | Facebook | Website

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Ghost Planet Blog Tour

Hey all, today I'm hosting a tour stop for Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher! 

I loved all the science and theory that goes into this story and I'm so happy that Sharon is stopping by today with a guest post to let us in on:

The Research and Theories of Ghost Planet

Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!

Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Pages: 342
My Review HERE

Synopsis: 

Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world - a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these “ghosts.” She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet.

Reincarnated as a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy - creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone - oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love - Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence.

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man she loves.

Guest Post: Solving the Mystery of Ghost Planet

My debut novel, GHOST PLANET, released three weeks ago. In that same time period I have probably written a guest post on just about every topic you can imagine. I was excited when Ann suggested this one, because it's something I haven't really covered yet.

In January 2008, I came up with the title of my book, and that’s all there was. The rest of the story was the result of noodling on what a planet with that name would be like.

As I sat down to write my first chapter, a conversation unfolded between my heroine (Elizabeth) and hero (Murphy) about the origin of the "ghosts" -- aliens that manifest in the form of dead loved ones, attaching themselves to colonists. This conversation was the beginning of character development for the planet itself. (For those who’ve read the book: In the final revised version, this conversation takes place later, between Elizabeth and Ian.)

While writing that first chapter, I made a key decision -- that my planet would not possess consciousness, which would make it very challenging for the characters (and for ME) to ever get at the truth of what it was up to. Without going into spoilers, the heroine makes a brilliant connection between something the colonists were doing when they arrived on the planet, and the manifestation of the ghost-aliens, which happened a few months later.

As I worked on the book, I read SYMBIOTIC PLANET, by biologist Lynn Margulis, who developed the groundbreaking theory of symbiogenesis. (She was also once married to Carl Sagan.) Her theory -- at first controversial but now widely accepted -- asserts that many species have made giant leaps in evolution due to symbiosis. It emphasizes collaboration between organisms, rather than competition. My favorite Margulis quote: "New tissues, organs, and new species evolve primarily through the long-lasting intimacy of strangers." Isn’t that wonderful?

The more I read about symbiosis and symbiogenesis, the more convinced I became it was the foundation of my novel. (Which readers of the novel may recognize as paralleling Elizabeth’s experience.) I wove it into every aspect, from the ghost/host relationships, to the effect these pairs had on the ecology, to the genesis of the planet itself. I loved the beauty and simplicity of it.

For those who haven’t read the book, I won’t spoil it by going further! But I will say I made a conscious decision not to answer every question readers might have. Some reviewers have taken issue with that, and that’s fair.

From my own perspective, what I hoped was that readers would feel the characters were on the right track. That once they had access to the right resources, they could begin to do true research. I also hoped readers would feel satisfied with the story’s conclusion, but find themselves still thinking about the planet, and how it might be different a decade or two later.

Do you have any favorite novels that kept you thinking and wondering, piecing things together long after you’d finished the book?

About the Author:

Sharon is a three time RWA Golden Heart finalist who lives in the Pacific Northwest and in her spare time loves to mountain bike, hike, "battle writerly angst with baked goods" and enjoys a good cup of Irish tea, champagne or craft beers. Her upcoming projects include ECHO 8 featuring an energy "vampire" from an alternate Earth and her third untitled work which is a post-apocalyptic biopunk romance about transgenic humans who are like a futuristic version of fae (<- coolest idea ever!)

You can find out more about Sharon here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

You can find out more about Ghost Planet here:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters/Indigo

Giveaway!

Huge thanks to TOR for providing a copy of Ghost Planet for one lucky winner! Enter in the Rafflecopter below (US/CAN ONLY) for a chance to win this awesome Sci-Fi romance! 

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Blog Tour: Review: Never Land (Never Knights, #2) by Kailin Gow

Never Land (Never Knights, #2) by Kailin Gow

Author: Kailing Gow
Publication Date: September 24, 2012
Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Genre: Mature YA, Contemporary, Romance
Book Description from Goodreads: 
Welcome to Never Land, the land of Never and the world of rock, the world of new experiences and sensations, a world where music runs through the veins of the dedicated, and love is taken and given with consequences. 

Never (Neve) Knight, the lead singer and manager of a band filled with the hottest guys in rock finally gets the dream that she wanted: a label signing her band The Never Knights. It is what she always wanted, a band of her own and playing her own kind of music. Getting her band to where it was came at a high price, including giving up the man who makes her heart race and her blood pound, the man who caused her to nearly lose her band. 

As she gets ready to go on her world tour, fate brings her close to Danny Blue again, and she's not sure if she can give him up a second time even if it means losing the band. 






Review:

     At the end of Never Say Never (Never Knights, #1), Never (Neve) thought she'd hit the jackpot. Her band has since shot to stardom; travelling the world, opening for some of the hottest bands on the scene, on the cover of magazines and they're on their way to recording their first album. But not everything is going as fantastic as the tabloids portray. The fragile peace forged between her hot blooded male band mates since Danny Blue's departure is starting to break down as tensions rise all around Neve, threatening everything she's worked hard for. 

     With her own band now, Neve is trying to shake the famous shadow that her parents cast. I love her determination and persistence in this and the conviction in what direction she wants to go in all aspects of her life. But when the troubles start piling on, ranging from the band, to paparazzi and her relationship with Danny Blue, it all completely overwhelms her. She gets broken down pretty badly and there isn't much she could do watching this train wreck unfold. Her confidence is shaken, and even though I wanted her to get up and fight back - I figured her reaction was pretty realistic because I'd probably be in a fetal position in the corner if I went through what she did. But Neve, ever the optimist holds out for that glimmer of hope.

     This time around we're in Danny's element in London. Just when I thought  all of Danny's secrets were revealed in Never Say Never, Gow manages to pile on so many layers of jaw dropping and completely shocking secrets that I didn't think it was possible, but oh is it ever delicious to know these things. It's like celebrity gossip at its finest - something so disastrous that it both repels and intrigues. Although I am a bit disappointed in Danny and Neve's relationship. Neve's trying to make it a bit more serious, but Danny is still carrying all this massive baggage with him (further exacerbated by the current drama in his life) that it gets difficult and they both just seem to make do with just their physical relationship because it's convenient - but really at that age what else do you really want with an attractive musician? 

     Her relationship with her band mates end up getting more complicated and conflicted. There's still a tonne of awkwardness from all the declarations of love last time that never really fully get resolved, and the events near the end; WOW Neve sure knows how to stir up drama. I think Gow may be heading towards a love triangle, and honestly I think it's going to be a pretty epic battle for Neve because the two suitors are just so radically different and they each have something Neve craves. 

     But what completely sealed the deal for me this time around was Gow's  incredible knack for creating some of the most disturbing and creepy villainous characters EVER. I mean they gave me goosebumps, set me on edge and I'm still thinking about how horribly things went for Neve. There were times where I was genuinely afraid that it was going to be it for Neve and that there was no way she was getting out of this situation. 

     Gow is a master at crafting fast paced, upbeat and addictive stories that you'll just fly through. This book ended with so many questions and loose ends that it feels more like a set up for the next book. I just need to know what happens to the band, and their career, and the relationships and DANNY BLUE!!! Sigh, but I have to wait a bit longer for that. 

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

I loved the cross continent adventure this time, and how Gow completely immerses the reader into the drama filled lives of the rich and famous. Never Land was a quick and satisfying read filled with fun and sexy times!

Mini Blog Tour: Review and Interview: Shadow of the Wraith by Ross Harrison

Mini Blog Tour: Shadow of the Wraith by Ross Harrison

     I'm so glad I could be apart of this tour! Shadow of the Wraith was an awesome read, and Ross Harrison was so much fun to work with! 

    Review:

Shadow of the Wraith by Ross Harrison

Author: Ross Harrison

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Genre: Science Fiction

Source: Review copy provided by the author, thank you!

Book Description from Goodreads:

It sounds like a simple assignment: track down the mysterious Star Wraith and put an end to its rampage. But when Travis Archer and his team of inept soldiers find themselves the most wanted people in the galaxy - hounded by assassins, terrorists and their own military - they realise the Wraith is just a symptom of a much larger problem…

Finding war raging between one army intent on destroying an entire species, and another that will destroy the galaxy, Travis must put aside his fears and his past to uncover the truth behind it all. To become the hero he’s always imagined.

Review:

To begin, I thoroughly enjoyed Shadow of the Wraith. It’s like the best elements of every science fiction story you’ve ever heard of, brought together into one epic adventure!

The cover features a very classic science fiction shot of a ship with a planet in the background. Only this one features a more ominous tone as a ship ploughs its way through a mess of ships.

The story is told from the alternating views of a mass of several different characters and situations. The story begins with the introduction of the very cocky “space cowboy” ex military man known as Travis Archer as he presents the readers to a future where humans have left a ruined Earth and have taken to living among the stars with other humanoid alien species in an uneasy truce, while he tries to carve out a living currently as a bounty hunter. Then we’re brought to the primary situation at hand as the reader is apprised to the new ruling power of humans - the Terran Alliance and the growing trouble that this mysterious ship the “Star Wraith” is posing to ships that have crossed its path, and never live to tell the story. In an attempt to stop the Star Wraith, the military hires on bounty hunters as a cheap means to deal with this ghost ship…and guess who takes the job?

In the true fashion of space adventuring - Travis begins by going on a galaxy wide mission of assembling a rag tag crew each with a unique skill to contribute to the team. I have to admit, I love watching these crews come together - and the lengths that Travis goes to get the players he wants was incredible! In addition to Travis as the leader, some other crewmen we stumble upon is the reliable ex military best friend, the sexy but deadly love interest and even a comedic relief android. My only complaint really is that while Harrison tries to put unique features and voices to each character, the less prominent characters tend to blur together which was further exacerbated by switching between first and last names randomly when referring to these characters throughout the story.

My favorite character by far was the android Arkuun-Marl, whose constant quest for equality with humans combined with expert battle skills and the much needed one liners that broke the tension in overly serious moments.

After finding the Star Wraith, they soon discover that the ship isn’t what it appears to be at which point they commandeer it in their quest to find the truth, which leads to political intrigue, a secret past and it all lands this misfit crew right in the middle of an age old war.


The villains of the story were constantly shifting, and it was difficult to see who could be trusted and what their motives were. It made for a thrilling adventure as we navigated the minefield of assassins, military personnel and androids to get to the so called "leader". 

While Harrison presented what seemed like a straight forward plot idea, it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t your usual story. Harrison expertly throws curve balls at the reader, and before you know it there’s secrets revealed that completely change the game. I eventually just stopped trying to predict what was going to happen because as soon as I thought I had it figured out, Harrison would drop another bomb that had me reeling.

The characters go through some serious paces as they run across the galaxy hunting down the truth. The technology used in the ships, weapons, armour and bases had considerable thought placed into their design and purpose, which made for richly detailed and thrilling action sections. What completely threw me off was the introduction of some fantasy elements (think mythological creatures) that was a refreshing addition to the usual obstacle course of assassins and androids. Harrison even manages to weave a bit of romance into the story, and while a relationship does eventually form, I think his writing shone primarily in the flirting banter.

All in all, Shadow of the Wraith was an amazing story with witty humour, action, mystery, crazy technology and galactic politics. However, I do feel that it’s more suited to fans who already have a solid science fiction background to thoroughly enjoy the references to Firefly, and Arkuun-Marl’s Star Trek Scotty references. 

Rating: 4/5 Hot cups of Tea!

It's a great read for any science fiction fans! 

Interview with Ross:

1. What inspired you to first start writing?

It was so long ago, I have no idea now. I started writing little stories when I was probably around 7 or so; perhaps even younger. The first one I recall having red in it. And a hill. And a house on the hill. Perhaps some lightning.

I also remember a book about gremlins. There are these trees in Brazil, you see, that bite you. And if you get bitten by a tree, a gremlin starts growing like a big boil, and eventually bursts it’s way out! But it’s ok, because there’s always a good gremlin, too, that helps. I don’t know where that one comes from. It has biting trees; do I really need to explain where the good ones come from?

Anyway, it was quite likely my mother and grandmother. They used to read to me a lot. I seem to remember that first story with the red and the house being written for my grandmother. I also remember drawing a treasure map, staining it with a teabag and trying very hard to convince her I’d found it under the carpet. But that’s beside the point.

Most of the books my grandmother read me were funny ones – The Magic Roundabout, uhhh…and so on – and I wanted mine to be funny too. Of course, at that age, funny consisted of my character hiding under a car to evade his friend’s mother for no apparent reason. Hilarity did not ensue.

As I got a bit older, I found myself wanting to write more serious stuff, but it was based entirely on articles from game magazines (my second serious story was, in fact, Metal Gear Solid 2), and featured such creative imaginings as large wooden crates sitting in the middle of the desert for the characters to hide behind. But, the writing was improving and I was enjoying it. And it was only for me and family anyway, so Kojima can’t sue!

Then came the first novel. The first proper, full-length, serious-with-a-hint-of-humour, entirely original story. It was, I suppose, a thriller about an NSA (I think) agent tracking down the killers of three FBI agents. Or it might not have been; I can’t really remember.

The point is, it was during this book that my grandmother asked if I was going to try to have it published once I’d finished. The idea hadn’t occurred to me. I said no, knowing that it wasn’t even close to good enough, but the idea had been planted.

About halfway through the book, and having just created what I thought was a very clever plot point, my file became corrupted and I lost the entire book. Thankfully, some months earlier, I had emailed it to my granddad, and he had printed it out – as he does with practically everything that passes his computer screen. So I still have some of it, but sadly about half of what I had is gone forever, including the clever…whatever it was.

So that was somewhat upsetting, and I gave up writing for a while. Then, not long before I moved to Ireland, I started writing another book. That book eventually became Shadow of the Wraith. That idea of publishing grew and grew as the book did, until I decided I would go for it. Unfortunately I was stupid and lazy about it, and sent out the book to agents long before it was ready. The subsequent and inevitable rejections were depressing and I gave up for quite some time, but now here I am.

Was all that a little off topic…

2. What are some things that you HAVE to have while writing? (certain snacks, beverages, pens, etc)

I have to have quiet. Or at least noise I can control. Other than that, not much. I can’t work when there’s people around me talking and playing music or trying to be quiet! There’s little more annoying than someone who, in some kind of fake show of courtesy or something, talks to you in a stage whisper because they know you’re trying to concentrate. How the hell does that help? That just makes me have to try harder to hear what they’re saying, and takes away even more focus from my work!!

Anyway…

A nice hot cup of tea is a good start, but I can work perfectly well without one. I’m easily satisfied. Sometimes I need music; either because it will help the scene or in the film in my head, that music is playing, or because I’m getting a bit stuck and the music will help shake me out of that.

What I should not have is the internet. I get too easily distracted. I maybe finish a big chunk of writing, and decide to reward myself with a browse on the internet, and come back three hours later to find I don’t feel like writing.

I also apparently must have little sleep, since the time I most feel like writing is late at night.

3. Who designed the cover?

The ebook cover was designed by Mark Williams, who I found on DeviantArt. I crawled through the work of a lot of people and found the characters he had drawn. He had no scenes like I was looking for, but his work was good enough that I thought he could do what I wanted, so I asked and he said he would. And then…he did.

The hardback cover I did myself. The ships on that cover were from some concept art I had done quite some time ago.

4. Quick, name your favourite sci-fi books/tv shows/movies that were an inspiration in writing Shadow of the Wraith!

Firefly (bring it back, Fox, you inept morons)/Serenity, Star Wars, Reality Dysfunction, Consider Phlebas, Blade Runner, The Fountain (not sure if that’s sci fi).

Many more that won’t come to me at present. But none were particularly influential to my writing. They were inspirations in the way that every experience we have influences us in some way, big or small, but I never thought ‘I like that, I’ll put it in the book’ or anything like that. Plenty of films make me feel like writing after I’ve watched them (less so for books), but again, just because of the adventure and whatnot enthusing me, not because I saw something that I wanted to write myself. If I’m honest, I actually read more fantasy than sci fi – mostly Terry Pratchett.

5. Nerd Curiosity: Who do you like more, Captain James T Kirk or Captain Jean-Luc Picard?

Jean-Luc. He has better hair.

More information about Ross and Shadow of the Wraith can be found at the following: 

Blog - http://ross-harrison.com/

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/StarWraith

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/AuthoRoss

US ebook - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007ZBK6QA

UK ebook - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007ZBK6QA

Hardback - http://tiny.cc/ShadowOfTheWraith