BOOK BLITZ - The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

Today, I have something pretty exciting to share with you! One of my absolute favorite authors, J.L. Bryan, has a new book coming out! It is called The Unseen and it sounds incredible. I am currently reading, although I'm only a few chapters in so far, but I am loving it! Keep on reading to find out more and get the links to buy this gem for yourself! Plus, there's a pretty sweet giveaway!!

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan
Publication date: October 31st 2013
Genres: Horror

Goodreads: Click Here!

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.
When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

 BUY NOW:

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // J.L. Byran's Site

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan has a special release price of 99 cents through Halloween.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.

He is the author of The Paranormals series (starting with Jenny Pox), The Songs of Magic series, Nomad, and other books. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, his son John, and some dogs and cats.

Website: www.jlbryanbooks.com
Twitter: @jlbryanbooks

Demon-Summoning Do’s and Don’ts

So you’ve cast a circle and you’re ready to bring an infernal spirit into your home for a visit.  Or are you?  Summoning demons takes care and consideration—it’s nothing to jam in between doing the dishes and catching the new episode of Walking Dead.

These simple tips will help you put together an exciting evocation, without all the messy embarrassment of getting your soul ripped from your flesh and devoured.

DO offer a blood sacrifice.  Your guest has traveled across endless darkness from the lower pits of Hell and will be expecting a snack.  Chicken or lizard blood will do nicely for a lesser spirit.  For an archdemon, you’ll want to sacrifice a human being instead—anything less is considered rude.  Virgins are still preferred, but no longer expected by more modern demons.  Finally, an activity you can do with that annoying neighbor you’ve always wanted to eliminate from the earth!

DON’T call up the wrong kind of demon.  Incubi and succubi will arrive with certain expectations, because these unholy hornballs only have one thing on their evil minds at all times.  If you’re not ready for a swingers’ sabbat, avoid them.  If you do summon them, you’re going to need a little more protection that the typical enchanted circle provides—the beasties get around.  Also avoid gluttony demons, because these corpulent creatures not only look like disgusting mountains of flab with enormous mouths, they’ll also destroy your snack bar and leave an unpleasant flatulent odor that takes weeks to remove from your carpet.

DO be polite.  Powerful demons resent being summoned by mere mortals, but minding your manners can go a long way towards creating a more pleasant evening.  When you say, “I bind thee and summon thee, foul Mephistopheles!” and the enraged horned demon appears in a flash of fire and brimstone, don’t forget to add, “Thank you!”

DON’T expect them to bring wine or a hot dish.  Again, they’ve come a long way and can’t be expected to carry host gifts up from the abyss.  Also, demon food tends to be rotten and vermin-infested, so how badly did you really want that casserole, anyway?

DO remember to take pictures!  Remember, the only reason to do anything extraordinary in life is so you can brag to your friends on Facebook.  A picture of you and Beelzebub with his host of flesh-eating flies will totally shut up that one friend who’s always bragging about the time she met Colin Farrell on an airplane.

DON’T forget to banish!  If you don’t send that demon right back to Hell when you’re done, it may move onto your couch and stay there for months.  Demons don’t pay rent, they don’t do chores, and they never, ever give up control of the remote.  They will, however, watch home shopping channels twenty-four hours a day and max out your credit card to ordering useless knickknacks.  They won’t take subtle hints to go home, either, no matter how many you drop—you have to order them out.  Exercise your right to excorsize!

Following this list is sure to make your demonic encounter a more successful one!  When you summon horrific spirits from the fiery underworld into your living room, you don’t want it to ruin the rest of your weekend.

Enter below to win both these fabulous prizes that are pictured PLUS 

a signed copy of The Unseen!!

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RELEASE DAY: A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand

Today is the day that Heather's first New Adult book A Risk Worth Taking is available for purchase!! This book looks incredible and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Keep on reading to find out more about A Risk Worth Taking, Heather & a sweet giveaway!

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale. 
Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.
Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations. 
Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy. 
When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

 Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.
Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.

Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visitwww.accendopress.com.

Buy NOW on Amazon!!

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COVER REVEAL {A Risk Worth Taking by Heather Hildenbrand}

Today is the day that Heather's new book is revealed to all of you guys! As you all know, I have been a huge fan of Heather's Dirty Blood series and I can't wait to dive into something new. A Risk Worth Taking is a New Adult tile that sounds fantastic. So, without further ado, I give you the cover for A Risk Worth Taking!

When 22-year-old Summer Stafford’s parents split halfway through her senior year at college, Summer’s world is rocked. Everything she thought she knew—heck, everything she thought she wanted for her own life—feels like a lie. The truth is love is a risk. And the true kind, the kind that lasts, might even be a fairy tale.
Reeling from the divorce, Summer derails her own future by breaking up with her parent-approved boyfriend and giving up her lifelong plans for a big-city career. She moves back home, business degree in hand. Dad needs her to fill the gaps her mother left behind; Summer needs to find who she is outside of the cookie-cutter life that failed so miserably for her parents.
Ford O’Neal’s future involves one person: himself. He doesn’t have a permanent address and he definitely doesn’t commit. To a place or a person. Raised by hippies, he plans just far enough ahead to secure his next stop, this one landing him at a work-study program at Heritage Plantation where he can grow his own herbal and medicinal creations.
Summer is gorgeous and smart and fun to be with, the perfect way to pass five months. It won’t be love—Ford’s got too many things to accomplish, too many places to go, before he settles down. Yet Summer pulls him in, challenging him to rethink his own philosophy.
When Ford’s five months are up, each of them must decide if love is really worth the risk.

 Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.

Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.

Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visit www.accendopress.com.

Website / Facebook / Facebook Fan Page / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter

How fantastic does that look and sound?! I absolutely can NOT wait to get my hands on a copy! In addition to this awesome cover reveal, Heather is doing a fantastic giveaway. One lucky winner can choose any 3 of Heather Hildenbrand's current titles to receive as ebooks. Be sure you enter, you don't want to miss out on this!!

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Blood Rule (Dirty Blood #4) by Heather Hildenbrand {Blog Tour}

Title: Blood Rule (Dirty Blood #4)
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Source: Via the author for review.

Forty-six.That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.
Two days. Three Valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.That’s what it took to realize I wasn't losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.
Sixteen.That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.
Zero.That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.

Goodreads // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

First of all, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to read Blood Rule before it's release. I absolutely love this book series! Let me just say, I devoured the whole thing in a single sitting. It's that good!

We are, once again, reunited with Tara, Wes, George, Cambria & all the rest. (I won't name them all!) Tara has made her choice about the hybrids and is now paying the consequences. The world centers around Tara's hometown, so, of course by now, we all know what that is like. In Blood Rule they travel to a secret location. Literally, an invisible house. The way Heather described this house made it seem awesome. Can I please have an invisible house in the mountains?!

There is still a hint of the Wes/Alex love triangle going on. And I can feel Tara's struggle. Wes is amazing. Probably one of my fave book boyfriends, but there is just something about Alex. As much as I like Alex, I don't like him with Tara. But the more I read, the more I find my mind growing used to the idea, should it happen.

Two of my favorite characters are Tara's Mom and Grandmother. Granny is a badass! Always has been, Always will be. In Blood Rule, we finally get to see the hunter come out in Tara's mother. 3 generations of kick butt, werewolf hunting women? Yes please! And I have a feeling with the way Blood Rule ended, we'll be seeing more of badass mamma.

Which brings me to that ending! Heather, are you kidding me?! Come on! When I say cliffhanger, I'm talking 500 foot drop. Straight Down. To the ground. Now I have to wait (im)patiently for more!!

Blood Rule is non stop action straight from page one. I rarely read a book in one sitting but I literally could not put this down! I can not say this enough... Read the Dirty Blood Series. It is magical...

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was home schooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays.

Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player.
Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visit www.accendopress.com.

Website // Facebook // Facebook Fan Page // Twitter // Goodreads // Newsletter

Be sure to check out all the other fantastic blogs on Heather's Blog Tour! You can find all kinds of cool posts from reviews, to interviews just by clicking HERE!

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Blood Bond (Dirty Blood #3) by Heather Hildenbrand

Title: Blood Bond (Dirty Blood #3)
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: August 29, 2012
Source: Via the author for review.

Hybrids.
If I had to choose one word to sum up all of my problems, this would be it.
Without hybrids, I wouldn't have to watch my best friend slowly becoming a monster. Without hybrids, I could let go of the mentality “hunt or be hunted.” CHAS wouldn't be scouring the Earth, intent on slaughtering and using Alex to do it. Without hybrids, I wouldn't have to be on guard that losing my temper meant losing my shape. There would be no monster inside me, struggling to get out.
Then again, without hybrids, I wouldn't have Wesley St. John.

Goodreads // Barnes & Noble // Amazon

This series keeps getting better and better! Heather is an awesome writer. She has this way of drawing you in and not letting you go until you're done. The Dirty Blood series is quickly becoming one of my favorite book series'.

In Blood Bond we learn that it's finally summer. Tara is now able to go back home for a few months to see her family, friends & Wes. (Oh, Wes. I can never grow tired of reading about him...) Of course it doesn't take long before it all hits the fan. Can I just say that I absolutely love Tara? This chick has been through some crap and just keeps right on ticking! I don't want to give to much away but I will say that we suffer a loss in Blood Bond. Not a major character but one that will be missed none the less. Midst all the action & plotting, we also learn that Tara's blood is the key to saving all the hybrids. But there is a major consequence if she chooses to take that path.

We also get to see more of Alex in this one. I really love Tara & Alex's relationship. They are very sarcastic with each other. Of course I will only really ever want her to be with Wes but I can't help loving me some Alex. Her friendship with George takes a huge twist since what happened in Cold Blood. They become a lot closer (mainly because of a certain reason I don't want to give away!) with each other, to the point that it becomes a burden. Blood Bond is almost non stop action. I guarantee you will enjoy this series!

To find out what choice Tara makes, you are going to have to read this one for yourself. I ain't giving nothing away!

Catch up on the first 2 books in the Dirty Blood Series.

Check out my reviews below.

Dirty Blood ( Dirty Blood #1 )

Cold Blood ( Dirty Blood #2 )

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Blood Rule Release Day!

Well, today is the day. The fourth book in the Dirty Blood Series, Blood Rule, is available for all of you guys! I was given the opportunity by Heather to receive an ARC of Blood Rule and I must tell you guys, it is amazing! Be sure you pop back by my blog on August 14th for my Blog Tour Stop and check out my review of Blood Rule! If you have not heard/read/thought about reading the Dirty Blood series, you have to do it. And you might just get the chance below!

You can find out everything you need to know about the Dirty Blood Series, Blood Rule, our Blog Tour stops and so much more @ Heather's Blog! Make sure you go check out all the other awesome blogs promoting this great book series!

Forty-six.
That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.
Two days. Three valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.
That’s what it took to realize I wasn’t losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.
Sixteen.
That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.
Zero.
That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was home schooled through high school. She now lives in coastal VA, a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean, with her two adorable children. She works from home, part time, as a property manager and when she's not furiously pounding at the keyboard, or staring off into space whilst plotting a new story, she's lying on the beach, soaking in those delicious, pre-cancerous rays. Heather loves Mexican food, hates socks with sandals, and if her house was on fire, the one thing she'd grab is her DVR player. Heather is a co-founder of Accendo Press, a publishing group she operates with fellow authors: Angeline Kace and Jennifer Sommersby. Accendo (a-CH-endo), A Latin word, means “to kindle, illuminate, inflame, or set fire.” This is something Accendo strives to do inside a reader’s imagination with every title released. For a complete list of titles and author bios, visit www.accendopress.com.

Heather's Links:

Website:  www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Heather.L.Hildenbrand
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHildenbrandsFanPage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherHildenbr
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4607856.Heather_Hildenbrand

Newsletter:  http://blogspot.us4.list-manage2.com/subscribe?u=77abacb38959bc9c0f7b4e81b&id=739fdcef83

“Do you think we’ll come back?” I asked quietly. 

He didn’t answer for a long moment. Finally, he tore his eyes from the cracked paint and crooked shutters and laid his lips against the tip of my nose. “Even if I don’t ever step foot here again, I’m already home. You are where my heart is.”

My breath caught and all I could manage was a faint whisper of the words, “I love you, Wesley St. John.” 

“I love you too, Tara Godfrey. With every piece of me, animal and human, until there are no more pieces left.”

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Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Title: Nomad
Author: J.L. Bryan
Publication Date: July 26, 2013
Source: Via the author in exchange for a review.

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.
By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

GoodReads // Amazon

Nomad was a fast paced, funny, action packed thrill ride. I absolutely loved this story!

Our main character is Raven (Riley). She's sent back in time to assassinate the future dictator before he comes to power. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with him.

Raven is a fighter. She's been through some crap in her life but she never gives up hope. She's more soldier than girl but I love how she adapted to her "new life".  She seemed to fall into the "normal" ways of our present day time so flawlessly. After living in the battle field that she called home, it's interesting to see her adjust to a normal time period. She's amazed at how beautiful everything is. And how much food is available for such a small price. The things that we always seem to take advantage of. But we do get flashbacks of her child hood through out the story. I, for one, love that. I hate books that have the longest history to read through all at one time. Nomad was nothing like that. Mr. Bryan kept it fresh and the story just flowed. It was incredibly nice to get small bursts of history instead of a whole chapter at once. History looses my interest ridiculously fast.

Logan is our target. He has no idea that he'll turn into the monster he is in the future. Right now, he's just a normal college guy. Sometimes a little too cocky, but what guy who's rich and semi famous isn't? I really liked Logan. His character was funny and caring. His heart has not yet been corrupted and Raven couldn't help but see his potential. She knew she would have to get close to him to change the course of history but she could have never prepared herself for the roller coaster that was to come.

Nomad will keep you on the edge of your seat. You never know what's going to happen next. And that's the best feeling when you're reading a book. Not knowing! The writing was fantastic. The worlds were described perfectly. I seriously could not get enough! 

If a futuristic, dystopian, time traveling, butt kicking story peaks your interest, then you must read Nomad. I guarantee you will love it!


*18+ due to some sexual content & language.

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Nomad by J.L. Bryan: Excerpt + Giveaway!

Today I have an awesome excerpt from Nomad by J.L. Bryan to share with you guys! You may not have already known this about me, but I am a huge J.L. Bryan fan! I adore his writing and everything that I have read so far. Nomad was no exception. It is amazing, you guys! Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my review!

Nomad by J.L. Bryan
Publication date:  July 26th 2013
Genre: NA time travel dystopian novel

A new dystopian novel from the author of Jenny Pox - coming July 26.
They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.
By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

 About the Author:

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day servings the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.

His novel Jenny Pox is currently free on Kindle, Smashwords, Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Nook!    

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

An excerpt from the first chapter of Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away.  Whose blood?  She couldn’t remember. 
She became aware of pain throughout her body.  Freezing water and tiny hailstones lashed her face as she stumbled through a storm.  Dying thunder echoed in her ears, and crackles of lightning faded in the night around her.
A pair of lights rushed toward her through the darkness, but her brain couldn’t interpret what her eyes saw.  A long screech ripped through her ears, followed by shrill bleats. 
Car horns, she realized as the lights loomed closer.  Through her thick, fuzzy brain, it dawned on her that she was staggering along a multi-lane road, seconds away from getting splattered across the oncoming grill of an eighteen-wheeled truck.
She discerned a dark space off to her left and moved into it, stepping from hard pavement into squishy wet earth.  The truck that had nearly killed her squealed past as the driver braked, dousing her with a wave of cold mud.  Horns blew at the stopped truck blocking up the left lane.
She rubbed her eyes and tried to grasp her surroundings—a grass median dividing an interstate highway, up to her ankles in frigid mud.
She couldn’t remember where she was, or how she’d come to be there.  After a moment’s reflection, she realized she wasn’t entirely sure who she was, either.
Raven, she remembered.  She clung to that word like a lifeline. My name is Raven.  It is now, anyway.  She’d once had a different name, but that original, scribbled-on-the-birth-certificate name no longer mattered.
She wore black boots and a long black jacket.  A backpack weighed down her shoulders, but she didn’t know what it contained.  She trudged on weak, trembling legs toward an overpass bridge ahead.  Once she was out of the downpour, she could gather her brains and figure things out.  She didn’t seem to be bleeding, so the blood on her hands must not have been her own.
“Hey!  Hey there, girl!  You all right?” shouted the truck driver who had almost flattened her.  More cars honked and swerved to avoid crashing into the back of his trailer, which was decorated with puffy pink sheep.
Raven squinted up at him.  The man was in his forties, severely overweight, with a handlebar mustache and scratchy, graying beard stubble.  His blue and white cap read: MoonPie: The Original Marshmallow Sandwich!
“I’m fine!” she shouted through the downpour. “Keep going!”
“You got a car?” he asked.
“No,” she told him. “I don’t think so.”
“Where you headed?”
“I don’t know.”
“The troopers gonna lock you up if they see you!  You drunk or what?”
“I don’t think so.” She raised a hand to her mouth to check her breath.  Not drunk.
The trucker eyed her up and down, a soaking wet girl stumbling along the interstate alone at night, and then he swung open the passenger door. 
“Best climb on up in here with me,” he said. “Gonna freeze your pants off out there.”
Raven looked at the gruff, obese man and the warm, sheltered transport he was offering, and then at the overpass bridge in the distance.  Her legs were rubbery.  She might not make it to the overpass before she collapsed.
“Lady, I got to get moving,” he said. “You want a ride to the exit or what?”
“Yeah,” Raven said.  She had no reason to trust him, but he seemed soft-bodied and slow.  If he tried to get rough, she would break his wrists.   Even in her current state, she knew she could take him if he pushed her to it.
Raven stumbled around to the passenger side and struggled to climb with her weakened limbs until he took her arms and pulled her up.
“Thanks,” she whispered, still shivering.  She was almost too weak to pull the door closed.
“Just glad you ain’t tore in half.” He settled back into the driver’s seat, and it groaned under his weight. “You musta been one, two, three, four inches from me.  Or less.  Just popped up outta nowhere when that lightning hit.” He drove cautiously through the storm. “Didn’t seem like no normal lightning, you ask me.  What was you doing out there?   That big flash hit the road, then you come stumbling out....Did the lightning get you?”
“I don’t know,” she said.  The interior of the cab smelled like cigarette smoke and old hamburgers.  A collage of small objects was glued to the dashboard—action figures, an old watch face, postcards, salt and pepper shakers.  Hail clattered on the cab’s roof.
“You don’t know?” he asked.
“Sorry.” Raven shrugged off her backpack and set it on the floor between her wet boots.  She wanted to see what was inside it, but not while he was watching.
“It’s Jebbie, by the way.” He offered his calloused hand, and she hesitated a moment before taking it. “Jebbie Walters.  From Yazoo City, Mississippi.  You got a name, darling?”
“Angela.  That’s my name,” Raven said.  She knew not to trust a stranger with data about herself.  He might be the enemy, and she felt informants and spies were everywhere, looking to report those who resisted.
“Huh.  Where you from, Angela?”
She tried to remember, but finally shrugged.
“You ain’t gotta tell me,” he said. “You going north?  Cause that’s where I’m going, way up north of here.  You might want to hop out quick if that ain’t your plan.”
“I’m not sure.”
“You ain’t sure about much of nothing, are you?”
“Not right now,” Raven said.
“I guess I ought to drop you up at the exit.”
“You can.” Raven shrugged. “I think I’m lost.”
He looked her over again. “Tell you what.  About three, four, five miles from here’s a good spot, the Big Porcupine Travel Plaza.  Got showers, motel rooms, an all-night-you-can-eat place.  We could stop there, get you a place to sleep.  Maybe in the morning you’ll start to remembering things.  I figure you just need to sleep it off.  You’re on drugs or something, ain’t you?”
“Maybe,” Raven said.
He laughed. “It’s okay by me.  I don’t do drugs, myself.  Just pills and booze.  Well, you think about what you want to do.” 
He turned up the radio, where a woman sang a slow, gentle song that Raven gradually recognized.  Someone—her mother?—had once played it on the piano.  It was an old song called “The Rose.”
“Uh, sorry.” Jebbie blushed pink and spun the radio knob. “I, uh, usually find a good honky-tonk or country gold station.  Don’t know how my radio ended up on that soft-rock junk, or whatever that was.  Yeah, here we go.” He found a song with a steel guitar and a man singing about his wife leaving him for his boss.
Raven looked at herself in the rain-streaked side mirror.  She was about twenty years old, maybe nineteen.  That felt right.  Her black hair was pulled into a short ponytail with a rubber band.  She wore all black: boots, fatigues, blouse, backpack, jacket.  The knee-length jacket was made of a stretchy artificial material with a texture like a crocodile’s back.  She felt a web of metallic fibers between the layers of leathery fabric. That’s armor, she realized, and she wondered why she might need armor.  Her only jewelry was on her left wrist, a thin silver bracelet with a large moonstone.
She tried to reach back in time with her mind.  She’d been stumbling along the highway.  The moment before that: what?  It was a solid blank slate, as though a giant magnet had wiped her brain clean.  Perhaps the trucker was right, and she’d been struck by lightning.
Raven, she reminded herself. I know my name.

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Cold Blood (Dirty Blood #2) by Heather Hildenbrand

Title: Cold Blood (Dirty Blood #2)
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: November 22, 2011
Source: Via the author in exchange for review.

Wood Point Academy is not at all what I expected. For one thing, it looks like a cross between military school and Buckingham Palace. Everyone stares, the floors shine so bright you can see your reflection in them from a mile away, and no one smiles. Unless they're kicking your butt in the process.
At least I've got plenty to take my mind off the fact that my psycho cousin, Miles De'Luca, keeps calling and declaring his love and promising to come for me just as soon as he's destroyed anyone standing in our way. Wes isn't going to like that idea. So between Miles, Wood Point's evil welcoming committee, and the drill sergeant hottie trainer from hell, I just keep asking myself, how did I end up here?

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Cold Blood picked up right where Dirty Blood ended. It just seemed like I'd never quit reading, even being months apart. Cold Blood is once again full of action. It snags your interest from the start and doesn't let go until you've turned the last page.

Tara is sent to a boarding school for Hunters, against her wishes. Everyone there hates her. She is picked on, talked about and the subject of a few nasty pranks. We meet lots of new characters in Cold Blood. I loved them all! Cambria & Logan become Tara's new best friends. I love Cambria. She's sarcastic & hilarious. Logan is a smart surfer. (Imagine that?) But the three make a fantastic team of misfits and I loved reading about them. 

We also meet Alex. I'm really starting to like Alex and I don't want to. HA! I want to keep loving Wes. Alex is Tara's trainer at Wood Point Academy. Their relationship starts out kinda rocky but it doesn't take long for feelings to emerge  Alex is brave, kind & good at his job. He trusts Tara and believes in her. Wes is still being super over protective, even while miles away.

Miles pops back into the picture in Cold Blood. He informs Tara that he has a super secret project that he's been working on. But, obviously, I'm not going to tell you! You'll just have to read Cold Blood and find out for yourself!


I loved, loved Cold Blood. The writing is fantastic. The way Heather describes the school and the scenery, it feels like you're there! This is absolutely one of my most favorite book  series'! I can't wait to start Blood Bond now! This series just keeps getting better and better!

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Dirty Blood by Heather Hildenbrand

Title: Dirty Blood
Author: Heather Hildenbrand
Publisher: Accendo Press
Publication Date: April 28, 2011
Source: purchased from Kobo for FREE!

I killed a girl last night. I did it with my bare hands and an old piece of pipe I found lying next to the dumpster. But that’s not the part that got me. The part that scared me, the part I can’t seem to wrap my head around and still has me reeling, was that when she charged me, her body shifted – and then she was a wolf. All snapping teeth and extended claws. But by the time I stood over her lifeless body, she was a girl again. That’s about the time I went into shock… And that was the moment he showed up.
Now, all I can do is accept the truths that are staring me in the face. One, Werewolves do exist. And Two, I was born to kill them.

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I will start out by saying that I have never been a big werewolf fan. Unless you count Alcide from True Blood. (*swooooon*) But Heather has done an amazing job of creating a world full of werewolves that I loved! It hooked me with just the first few pages and before I knew it, I was finished and wanting more!

Our two main characters are Tara and Wes. They meet under strange circumstances. Tara is attacked after leaving a bar one night alone. She responds with amazing instincts and easily kills her attacker. But this leaves her with tons of questions and only one person who can give her answers. Wes arrives after the attack has happened and can't believe that Tara handled the situation so easily.

I love Tara and Wes' relationship. Wes is constantly pushing her away because he knows it the only way to really keep her safe. Of course he eventually gives in. It's a little frustrating at times. I wanted to just yell at them occasionally. Like come on! Kiss already. Get it out!! But what relationship doesn't have a little tension going on?

Tara discovers many things about herself through out the story. Things about who she is and what she was born to do. Her mother kept this whole world a secret from her to protect her. But we all know that trouble never stays away for long. More or less, Tara & Wes set out on their destiny, which is to change the world. At least for the werewolf/hunter part. Dirty Blood is very well written. Heather's words flow together perfectly. I seriously could not put this book down! 


Dirty Blood had me hooked from the beginning. It's full of werewolves, hunters, action and some romance. Tara is a strong female character. She's witty, tough and stands her ground. Wes is strong, caring and incredibly yummy. What more could you want in a book?! I highly, highly recommend Dirty Blood! 

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