Top Off Tuesday - I'll take a side order of madness with that!

I've decided to join Felicia, Christi and Amanda for their gratuitous shirtless covers on Tuesdays. Because nothing says Tuesday like flashing some skin! Hop over to Felicia's blog to see who else is participating!

Besides the very pretty cover (hellllo, Dex!), this series is ah-mazing. I am crazy in love with it. CRAZY IN LOVE!

And With Madness Comes the Light (Experiment in Terror #6.5) by Karina Halle

The Man. The Mystery. The Madness.

Dex Foray has never been anyone’s fool – until he missed his chance for happiness with Perry Palomino. Broken and alone, Dex has no choice but to rise from the ashes Perry left behind and find his own path to redemption. But nothing in Dex’s life has ever come easily, especially when there’s a dark madness waiting in the wings.

Review: Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews

Steel's Edge (The Edge #4) by Ilona Andrews
Synopsis (Goodreads):

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has brought her nothing but pain. After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself. Until Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, and Charlotte’s life is turned upside down once again.

Richard is a swordsman without peer, future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan—and he’s on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird. So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them. The slavers’ operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, Charlotte and Richard may not survive...

My Thoughts: I honestly love this series. There's so much depth and so many tangents and so many wonderful characters that haven't yet been explored that I have this sad little ache inside knowing that this is the final book. I even tried to read slowly so I could savor it but, alas, I'm plowed through it like there was a feral Changeling hot on my heels. *sniffle* That's okay, though. I can immerse myself in a reread in the future and experience it all over again.

But let's talk about this book. Charlotte's battle against the darkness inside was... well, not fun, but it was fascinating to read about. I could understand why she was willing to see the quest through to the end once she had used her power because she literally thought she had nothing else to lose. Richard's desire to see things through because he didn't want anyone else in his family consumed by revenge until they lose all sight of the here and now was no less poignant than Charlotte's. He's seen first hand how the desire for vengeance can twist a person up.

We get to spend some quality time with George and Jack (Jack's Changeling nature FASCINATES me), get resolution to several plot threads that have been laid out in previous books, and get to revisit (no matter how briefly) a multitude of characters we've met before. I'm sad to see this series end but I'm pleased with how it all played out. On the other hand, I wouldn't pooh-pooh another dozen books in this series if the planets aligned and the Gods of all Things Bookish decided to give it a second chance.

I'm just sayin'.

Books in this series
1. On the Edge
2. Bayou Moon
3. Fate's Edge
4. Steel's Edge - Paperback | Kindle

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Bout of Books 7.0 Wrap-Up

Bout of Books 7.0 is over. :( Did I meet and/or exceed my goals. For the most part... YES!

Let's recap, shall we:
Time Devoted to Reading
I dedicated the entire week to the read-a-thon and I don't regret a minute of it!

My Goals
I was aiming for 10 books overall this week. Well, umm... I hit 10. In fact, I tripled that goal. Which boggles me. As awesome as that is I didn't find a #NakedWerewolf to love or save a kitten from a tree. DAMMIT!

I did read a few books, though.

Books Read

• Seriously Series reads: 
• Gone by Lisa McMann - read 05/14
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - read 05/19
• 'Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, Karen Duvall - read 05/18
• Into the Dreaming by Karen Marie Moning - read 05/14
• Rhyn's Redemption by Lizzy Ford - read 05/16
• Review requests:
• Surrender Your Love by J.C. Reed - read 05/13
• Kiss Across Time by Tracy Cooper-Posey - read 05/15
• Vampire in Design by Dale Mayer - read 05/19
• Lover Enraptured by Jodi Redford - read 05/17
• Random Reads:
• Any reread book on my Seriously Series list.
• Devil's Gate by Thea Harrison - read 05/16
• Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison - read 05/16
• Fade Out by Rachel Caine - read 05/18
• Novella bridges for Seriously Series
• Ember by Kristin Callihan - read 05/13
• Two Ravens and One Crow by Kevin Hearne - read 05/13
• Grimoire of the Lamb by Kevin Hearne - read 05/14
• Life Before Legend by Marie Lu - read 05/15
• Endurance by Ann Aguirre - read 05/13
• The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter - read 05/13
• Old Habits by Melissa Marr - read 05/14
• Books I'd love to dive into if times allows...
• Mercenary Abduction by Eve Langlais - read 05/15
• B785 by Eve Langlais - read 05/14
• Lion and the Falcon by Eve Langlais - read 05/16
• Lover Enslaved by Jodi Redford - read 05/13
• An unnamed GLA book (review to go up 05/21) - read 05/14
• Foundlings by Diana Peterfreund - read 05/15
• Alex and the Werewolf by K. Matthew - read 05/17
• Wild Instincts by Claudia King - read 05/17
• Kiss of Flame by Madelene Martin - read 05/17
• Sian's Solution by Dale Mayer - read 05/17
• Pack Justice by Michelle Fox - read 05/18

Books I didn't get to

• Review requests
• Return by Charity Santiago
• Burn Baby Burn by Shannon Donnelly
• Diavolino by Steve Emmett
• Reread books from Seriously Series
• Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine
• Next Dark-Hunter novel by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Updates
5/13
Number of books I’ve read today: 6
Total number of books I’ve read: 6
Books read: Lover Enslaved, The Darkest Prison, Ember, Two Ravens and One Crow, Surrender Your Love, Endurance
Today #insixwords: *stares at the books I read*
Things I learned on Twitter: I don't like bugs. Today's chat was INSANE (in a good way). I was heartily disappointed when Amanda didn't jail herself, btw. I have driven people to drink (totally not my fault). Bout of Books peeps are pretty awesome!
Final Tally: One sexy fae, two gods, a magical mystery tour, a #NakedDruid, two people who can't quite get on the same wavelength, and two people who keep battling on.

5/14
Number of books I’ve read today: 6
Total number of books I’ve read: 12
Books read: B785, Old Habits, Into the Dreaming, GLA, Grimoire of the Lamb, Gone
Today #insixwords: That's a whole lot of books!
Things I learned on Twitter: Who has time for Twitter? It's all about the books! Okay, that's not quite true. I chatted from the Bout of Books handle about writing reviews immediately vs. waiting and letting the thoughts percolate. I found a books called Ectojism and had to share it with the world. Because... ECTOJISM. And... umm, maybe that's it.
Final Tally: One sassy cyborg, two dead sexy fae, a Highlander, some scary sex shit, a #NakedDruid with a lot of enemies, and a girl who falls into dreams.

5/15
Number of books I’ve read today: 4
Total number of books I’ve read: 16
Books read: Mercenary Abduction, Life Before Legend, Kiss Across Time, Foundlings
Today #insixwords: Today was a reading slow down.
Things I learned on Twitter: Twitter chats are crazy (I already knew this!). I've still managed to stay caught up on reviews (16 in 3 days!). Books, books, books! Oh, and I took some time out of my reading to do some actual work today. GO FIGURE!
Final Tally: One purple merc, two brilliant opposites, a time traveling vampire menage, and twins in hiding.

5/16
Number of books I’ve read today: 4
Total number of books I’ve read: 20
Books read: Lion and the Falcon, Devil's Gate, Hunter's Season, Rhyn's Redemption
Today #insixwords: Boom! Successfully doubled my #boutofbooks goal!
Things I learned on Twitter: I didn't *learn* this on Twitter but I did announce that since my sister won't tell me my soon-to-be born niece's name, I'm going to call her Watermelon. Poor kid. Also, I <3 @Rehvenge_BDB.
Final Tally: A playboy lion and a sassy falcon, a medusa and a vampire, one sweetly quiet love story, and one fiercely defiant demon.

5/17
Number of books I’ve read today: 5
Total number of books I’ve read: 25
Books read: Alex and the Werewolf, Wild Instincts, Kiss of Flame, Sian's Solution, Lover Enraptured
Today #insixwords: Getting closer to my ultimate goal!
Things I learned on Twitter: The mere words "dragon erotica" intrigue people. The nipple penis is a picture I'm never going to scrub from my brain. My sister STILL hasn't had baby Watermelon.
Final Tally: One pack of rapey werewolves (no like!), a submissive who needs more than she's given, a dragon who takes what he wants, a vampire who risks it all, and a stubborn sex fae who has to be beaten over the head with the stick of love. That's not a euphemism.

5/18
Number of books I’ve read today: 3
Total number of books I’ve read: 28
Books read: Pack Justice, Fade Out, 'Til the World Ends
Today #insixwords: Three books, two naps, almost done!
Things I learned on Twitter: Awesome final chat. As an aside, I really love the chats but they SAP the energy out of me. Meaning that I had to take two naps today. Which leads to the fact that I'll probably be up all night. Wheeee!
Final Tally: A trio of naughty werewolves, one determined girl, and a world on the edge of dying.

5/19
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 30
Books read: Hex Hall, Vampire in Design
Today #insixwords: *incomprehensible mumble* #boutofbooks *flail* *fall down*
Things I learned on Twitter: I wasn't on Twitter much today. Well, there was that one point where I as psyching myself up to read book #30. Oh, and I got to see @FuckinTorin talk about his manly bits. That's ALWAYS fun. But mostly, I was away from the computer.
Final Tally: One powerful witchling and one throwback vampire.

Final Thoughts: I think I set a new record for myself with books read. I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID IT! Seriously. I'm thrilled with my numbers, but I have no clue how it happened. In other news, this is also officially the most successful Bout of Books that Amanda I have run to date. Without all you fabulous people, it wouldn't be a fraction of the awesome that it was!

Thank you to everyone who commented and cheered, read and chatted! I had a great time!
Make sure you're following the Bout of Books blog so you know when the next Bout of Books rolls around (and also so you know when the mid-break chat is being held). 

Clock Rewinders (05/19/13)

Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge is the brain child of Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Tara @ 25 Hour Books.  I'm inviting myself to their party (as I sometimes do) because I have so damn much fun reading Amanda's posts that I couldn't help myself.

Reading the Paranormal Week in Review

• Review: Game by Barry Lyga - Holy unrepentant serial killers, Batman!
• Quickie Review: Career Day by Barry Lyga - I seriously love this series.
• Top Off Tuesday - *gulp*
• Review: The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan - This one *might* have managed to make me a little teary-eyed.
• Review: Reversion by J. Thorn - Big, dark, bloody things happen.
• Quickie Review: The Awakening & Other Stories by Emma Meade - Intriguing collection of paranormal themed short stories.
• Series review: Bound by Cynthia Eden - All these naughty antics make me happy.
• Things I learned from... reading monster erotica - Beware the HORNY MINOTAURS!

Bookish Delights
Goodreads Stats - Loosely borrowed from Tara @ 25 Hour Books

• Currently unread - 487
• Books added - 8
• Unbound (Bound and Determined #1) by Dale Mayer - For review!
• Vampire in Design (Family Blood Ties #3) by Dale Mayer - For review!
• Freebies - Check the prices before you buy!
• Alex and the Werewolf by K.C. Matthews (Paranormal erotica)
• Pack Justice by Michelle Fox (Paranormal erotica)
• Wild Instincts by Claudia King (Paranormal erotica)
• Untamed Hunger (Alpha Colony #1) by Aubrey Ross (Paranormal erotica)
• Rule of Three by Kelly Jamison (Contemporary erotica)
• Sian's Solution (Family Blood Ties #0.5) by Dale Mayer (Paranormal YA)
• Books read - 28
• Currently reading - 1
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Globetrotting...

• Free Books Need Love, Too! weekly reviews:
• Monday - The Binding - Bred by a Demon by Madelene Martin
• Wednesday - The Hermit by Shayne McClendon

Check it out!

• Seriously Series weekly update: Oh, wow! Bout of Books helped me KILL a bunch of series. I LOVE IT WHEN THAT HAPPENS! I'm kind tired now, though. Imagine that.
• Series started in 2013: 17/18 (+3 since last week)
• Series started before 2013: 16/18 (+8 since last week)
• Series rereads: 4/12 (static)

News from around the blogosphere:

• I don't have any clue what's going on this week. Seriously, a spaceship could have landed next to my house and... wait, I probably would have noticed that. Especially if it came equipped with a cadre of hunky alien men who demand that I join them on their spaceship to... I'm sorry. What were we talking about again?
  

Until next week, my lovelies!

Things I've learned from... reading monster erotica!

I feel like I need to preface this a bit...

It shouldn't be a secret that I love monster erotica. From the silly ones to the SERIOUS juggernauts that give their all to the monster erotica genre, I just find them FUN. I'd like to share with you the things I've learned in my monster erotica readings.

Tread carefully, my lovelies...

1. Monsters are notoriously well-hung. Sometimes to the point that the female being serviced by it/them are in danger of injury.
2. A lone woman on an expedition to an exotic locale pretty much guarantees that she will garner the attentions of a monster of some kind. Often, it's a group of monsters who want to impregnate and/or sex her up until she can't walk straight.
3. Said lone woman might initially fight the feelings of arousal or lust the monsters kindle in her, but she eventually succumbs to their monster-y demands.
4. Space tentacles are unparalleled explorers who will leave no hole unplundered.
5. Monsters are excessively horny.
6. All monsters like to be in charge during the sexin'.
7. Werewolves are territorial. Once they've found "the one", no other monster can touch her (or him)...
8. ...except when it's a werewolf orgy. Then, all bets are off.
9. The best tentacles come in every size and shape imaginable. The rare ones can change their size and shape according to need.
10. If you come across a labyrinth/maze in the middle of nowhere, chances are high that you'll find an oversexed, VERY horny minotaur at its center.

There you go, my brave ones! Nothing says lovin' like monster-y goodness!

Series review: Bound by Cynthia Eden

Cynthia Eden's werewolves and vampires are full of steam and sparks. And maybe a touch of blood. Maybe. All their naughty antics make me happy. Very happy.

Books in the Bound series
1. Bound by Blood - Kindle
2. Bound in Darkness - Kindle
3. Bound in Sin - Kindle
4. Bound by the Night - Kindle
5. Bound in Death - Kindle
Forever Bound (books 1-4) -- series bundle - Kindle
 

Bound by Blood
Synopsis (Goodreads):

It’s an Immortal War…

Vampires and werewolves have been blood enemies for centuries, but now a new threat is rising...demons are escaping from hell and those demons are intent on wiping out both the vamps and the werewolves.

When you have no one to trust…

In order to stop the demons, pureblood vampire princess Morgan LaBeaux agrees to the treaty offered by werewolf alpha Jace Vaughn. She'll mate with him, share her blood with him...and in return, the wolves will aid the vampires in this battle.

The enemy of my enemy is my husband…

But Morgan doesn’t realize just how dangerous the wolves can truly be. Jace has been waiting years to claim her. He’s set a trap for his princess, and now that he has her, Jace doesn’t plan to let her go. He’ll send the demons back to hell, and he’ll keep his vampiress—forever.

Because the blood binds all.

My Thoughts: Oh, yeah. The forbidden love between a werewolf and a vampire. Gotta love that! All that pent up desire for something they're not supposed to have leads to some hot, hot sexin'. Thumbs up to that! Okay, so technically, this isn't so much forbidden love as a "we fight each other and don't have time for sweet, sweet lovin'" sort of thing. Which is all sorts of wrong because when Jace and Morgan give in to their passion, they blow the roof off. Almost literally. I mean, there is an explosion but it had nothing to do with them hooking up. Well, no, that's not right either. It had to do with them hooking up but it wasn't because they were doing dirty, filthy things to one another in the privacy of their own bedroom. Well, actually, it was kind of because of that, wasn't it? Okay. So, this entire paragraph is riddled with lies and half-truths. JUST GO WITH IT!

Seriously, there is so much goodness here. A hot Alpha and the wolves who follow him. A strong, sexy princess who is willing to risk it all to save her people. Betrayal. Danger. Demons who thrive off of bloodshed and chaos. The sharing of bodily fluids. Lather, rinse, repeat. Especially that "sharing of bodily fluids" part.

Crazy fun. Let's have more!

Bound in Darkness
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Hunter...

When it comes to killing vampires, werewolf Cade Thain is the best slayer in the Northwest. So when a witch hires him to take out a pureblood vamp, the assassin thinks it will be just business as usual. One less vicious vamp on the streets... one more undead parasite gone from the earth. Then he meets her.

Protector...

Allison Gray isn't the prey that Cade expects. Beautiful, innocent, she stirs a dark desire within him. Allison hasn't transformed fully into a vampire, not yet, and it's Cade's job to make sure that she never does. Allison thinks that he's at her side to keep her safe, but Cade is supposed to pick the right moment --and kill her.

Lover...

Killing Allison is soon the last thing that Cade plans. As she begins the transformation that will turn her into a vampire, her bloodlust and their desire merge in an explosion of need that neither can control. But Allison's enemies are closing in, and the coming battle will take Cade and Allison beyond life, beyond love... and into a deadly darkness that waits to claim them both.

My Thoughts: Another set of star-crossed lovers. This time we get a powerful werewolf who has a serious bone to pick with every vampire he comes across (with good reason, mind you) and a soon-to-be vampire who has no idea what's happening to her. There's backstabbing and betrayal, angry werewolf growls and dirty sexin'. Not literal dirty, though. They're both pretty clean when they get down to business. Especially that time in the shower. *nods*

Okay. Cade. The guy has a lot of baggage. After what he was put through as a boy, I can understand his driving need to put the hurt on the vamps. As his run-in with Allison shows him, not all vampires are cut from the same cloth as those that tortured him, though. His change in thinking (about Allison as a vampire, at least) was fun to watch and it worked for me. Plus, I like it when Alphas go all growly around their ladies.

Overall, very fun with a nice tie-in to book 1. *thumbs up*

Bound in Sin
Synopsis (Goodreads):

What's the price of sin?

Human Paige Sloan once loved werewolf Drake Wyler more than life, but then that life was taken away from her. Attacked by vampires, Paige was bitten, and, on a cold, dark night, the life she'd known ended. She was reborn as a vampire--a werewolf's deadliest enemy.

Paige ran from the vampires who attacked her, and she ran away from her lover. She didn't want Drake to know what she'd become, and she didn't want to face the fury of his pack. But a girl can only run for so long until the past catches up with her.

Some sins mark your soul.

When Paige learns that Drake is being targeted for death, she knows that she can't hide in the shadows any longer. She has to return to him, and she will do anything--anything--in order to make sure that he keeps living. The vampires might have destroyed her chance to live and love Drake, but they won't take him. Not over her undead body. She'll slay them all...and maybe, just maybe...she'll even have the chance to sin--one more time--with the werewolf who'd marked her as his mate.

Some sins are worth dying for...

My Thoughts: This one hurt a little. In a good way. The things that Paige was forced to endure because of the sadistic tendencies of those in power... THAT POOR GIRL! And Drake! Thinking she'd left him all those years ago. Oh, Drake

I seriously adore these vampire/werewolf pairings. He's got enough extra body heat to keep her toes warm at night, she likes to bite. Heck, he likes to bite, too, doesn't he? There's all that biting and primal sexin' going on that the two of them hardly know which way is up. Which is just the way I like my vampires and werewolves, as it turns out.

I completely dig the "bad guys are bad  bad bad" vibe we have going here. Seriously, the twisted vamps (and wolves, if I'm going to be fair) who revel in causing a little extra pain and misery with their torture are creepy in the extreme. Which makes me love to hate them. Couple that with a hero and heroine who are nicely bloodthirsty and don't mind bringing the pain to those that deserve it and I'm a very happy reader!

Bound by the Night
Synopsis (Goodreads):

For the last fifteen years, vampire queen Iona has been dead to the world. Trapped under the power of a brutal curse, she has been helpless. A prisoner, locked within her own still body. Then alpha werewolf Jamie O'Connell fights his way to her side. After defeating the guards that surround her, Jamie gives Iona his blood...and she rises.

The world has changed a great deal in the last fifteen years, and Iona has changed, too. Once known as the Blood Queen because of her dark reputation, she now finds herself longing for the blood of only one man...only he isn't just a man. She wants the blood of her werewolf--Jamie's blood. But Iona doesn't realize that Jamie has been keeping secrets from her. Very dark, dangerous secrets. And Iona may have traded one curse for another.

Now that he has Iona, Jamie vows to never let her go. He needs his Blood Queen in order to defeat his enemy, he needs her to make his own beast stronger, and...he just needs her. Jamie has risked his life to claim Iona, and he won't let anything break their bond. Not time. Not spells. Not even a wild and reckless vampire queen...

My Thoughts: Holy wow! I liked this one. Iona is one badass chick who is a little on edge after 15 years of being trapped inside her own body. And if that's not creepy enough... no, never mind. That right there is creepy enough. I mean, she was trapped, awake but unable to move inside her body. That's shudder inducing before the backstabbing and betrayal are thrown in.

Meanwhile, Jamie has his own brand of vengeance going and he's willing to do whatever it takes to bring down the werewolf who slaughtered his pack. Well, he *was* willing to do whatever it took. And then he met Iona and that "Want. Mine." urge rears up and starts complicating things.

This was probably the most complex in the series so far. Iona has a lot of history and she's seen the worst in so many people. Jamie has an issue or two that he needs to resolve, himself. His history might not be as long and varied as Iona's but he has his own demons to deal with.

Very, very fun story with more of the naughty werewolf/vampire sexin' that I've grown to love. *thumbs up* all around to these crazy couples.

Bound in Death
Synopsis (Goodreads)

She can’t remember him…
He can never forget her.

For over two hundred years, alpha werewolf Alerac O’Neill has been searching for his mate, Keira McDonough, a woman who was taken from him and imprisoned by a dark vampire master. He’s hunted for her, endlessly, using vampire blood to extend his life. He has become a vicious predator, feared by all the supernaturals. His hold on reality seems to slip more each day because he is consumed by her.

Only…the woman he discovers in a small Miami bar isn’t the Keira that he remembers. In fact, this woman doesn’t remember anything. She calls herself Jane Smith, and she has no memory at all of Alerac—or of her own past.

Now that she’s been found, Alerac knows that his enemies are going to start closing in on her. Jane may try to act human, but she’s not. She’s a pureblood vampire princess, incredibly powerful and incredibly valuable. His enemies want to use her, her enemies want to destroy her, and Alerac—he just wants her.

If he can’t make her remember him, then Alerac has to seduce Jane into loving him once again. Because now that he’s found her, he’ll fight hell—and every sadistic vampire that stalks the night—in order to keep her safe at his side.

Some bonds go deeper than the flesh. Some go beyond life. Beyond death.

Jane will soon learn that a werewolf’s claiming…is forever

My Thoughts: My love affair with this series continues! Feral Alpha male with a serious drive to find his hidden mate? YES, PLEASE! Throw in a sadistic douche-canoe whose idea of a party is to remove someone's memories in a twisted bid for power and you have a winner.

There's also backstabbing, a fair amount of blood, and the beginning of a potential love story with some secondary characters. <3 Yes, I am in flaily, fangirl bliss. Thank you for noticing.

Alerec... he's a hunk of burning love. Literally. He's a werewolf. They run hot. *nods* Anyway. He's all tangled up after 200 years without his lady love and his wolf is close to the surface. I think he grows on Jane. Or she grows into him. Or... something like that. She starts off scared of the world and ends up kicking ass and taking names. It's pretty awesome.

I love the secondary characters and the interactions between them. The bad guys aren't too shabby either. I mean, they're not the sort you want to meet in a dark alley or anything. Mostly because they'd rip your head off without giving it a second thought. That's never a selling point on meeting people, in my opinion.

As always, I adore these werewolf/vampire pairings and I'm completely willing to read MOAR of them.

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Quickie Review: The Awakening & Other Stories by Emma Meade

The Awakening & Other Stories by Emma Meade
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire.
Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story - Who is the shadow in the window of the abandoned house, and what or who is he waiting for?
The Awakening - It's time for Sabrina to wake up and face the light.
End of the Line - Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
Milsa Loris - The once magnificent kingdom of Milsa Loris comes alive one night each winter. The King's witch is brewing up a little magic, sure to make the soup all the tastier.
The Old Vampire - Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
The Knocking - Alison's grandfather has one eye on the next life. After all, he's heard a lot of rapping at his door lately.
The Boy on the Beach - Kate's grandmother warns her about the boy with the green eyes. Will she pay heed?
Snowglobes- It's busy at Calvin's Cabins this Christmas. Eddie and Maggie are a young couple in trouble. Not to fear, Calvin is always ready to lend a hand.

My Thoughts: Intriguing collection of paranormal themed short stories. The stand out would have to be End of the Line for me. I wanted more with that one. Maybe it was the hint of romance because I'm nothing if not a hardcore shipper at heart and I'm always looking for ways to hook people up, even after they're dead. Come to think of it, I had a bit of a flutter for Ghost Story, too. Likely for the same reason.

All the stories are short but they move along nicely. Death and/or the ending of a way of life plays a central theme in all of them. They're a quick bite on a lazy day.

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Kindle |

The Awakening & Other Stories was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.