Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Book 1 of the Jaz Parks Series) by Jennifer Rardin

It's been a bit since I first read this book. Honestly, I think I have to say that this is by far one of my all-time favorite series out there. I give this entire series 5 stars and enthusiastically suggest that you read them too!

Jaz Parks works for the CIA, she's an assassin, recently assigned to work as an assistant for Vayl, vampire, who's worked as an assassin for the CIA for quite a long time. They make a great team, especially since Jaz is what's called a "sensitive", she can detect certain things, and when certain powers are engaged she is also somewhat immune to them.

This book is action packed. A crooked senator is in cahoots with Mohammed Khad Abn-Assad, renowed terrorist who's made what's called the Red Plague. It will infect a vampire and then spread to humans, basically annihalating both species. Vayl and Jaz have to work together to stop this plague before it's released, while they battle immense attractions for one another.

Jaz totes my favorite weapon, Grief. A Walter PPK that's modified into a kickin' crossbow by her friend, and CIA consultant genious Miles Bergman, which definitely helps the death rate to vamps on her bad side rise!

Jaz is witty and extremely hilarious. I guarantee you'll be laughing at many parts of all the books in this series and people will think you're crazy! That's just some of the fun stuff!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, mixed with James Bond, and some other cool genres really make this series shine!

Slacker Extraordinaire

Quick update for you lovely followers out there! I promise I'm not slacking. I've been uberbusy and I've been reading several books. I need to catch up and I'm hoping that I'll get to those VERY soon. I'm also planning (once the business goes away a bit) to review books I've previously read before starting this blog. Much like I did with the Edge series by Rhyannon Byrd.

So, please, bear with me. I promise I'm not ditching you. I'm not really slacking either. Extraordinaire, maybe, but that's for another day to discuss!

How bout a topic to talk about. In your opinion, what's the best book/series to buy for Christmas?

Till next time! Auf Wiedersehen!

Guest Blog!

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you a lovely October treat!

Ms. Shannon Reinbold-Gee. She's got her first published book coming out in June 2010 by St. Marten's Griffin called 13 to Life. I am really looking forward to the release of this new YA series! Shannon has agreed to do a guest blog outlining the lore and history of the werewolf and give insight to the lore of her own story.

So, feast your eyes on these bits of goodies. You'll be wishing for June to come along so you can sink your teeth into this new morsel of wolfey goodness! Take it away, Shannon!

The Beast Within: The Werewolf in History and Legend

October is one of my favorite months (and only partly because it's the month of my birthday). In the Upper Catskills the leaves have just peaked in color and are dropping--falling victim to biting winds and murderous frosts. Here it's easy to imagine werewolves as reality. Of course, my love of myths, legends and history doesn't hurt my ability to imagine such things either. Maybe that's why in my debut YA paranormal series, 13 TO LIFE, werewolves are so important.

To me, werewolves are one of the ultimate symbols for transformation, evolution and the struggle we all face with those beastly bits within—the parts of our personalities more interested in snapping at each other and being “top dog” than showing compassion.

This very human struggle during the confusing and frightening medieval and renaissance periods allowed stories of werewolves (and yes, vampires and vicious witches, too) to take hold. During this historical period religions were defined and the lines between them became far more than lines in Jerusalem’s sand—they were reasons for horrific wars in the name of God. People’s roles in society were being carefully cemented through concepts like feudalism. Things were chaotic, violent and death was the one true equalizer. Fear-based superstition reigned.

In the medieval and renaissance periods most cases of what they called lycanthropy were attributed to demonic possession. Anyone who acted oddly (“oddly” being in any way against what was defined as the local and often repressed “norm”), was surly or exhibited mysterious wounds was potentially a werewolf and meant to die.

Most of us would not have lasted long. As a farmer, I can’t account for most of my cuts and bruises—they’re hazards of my lifestyle. Am I surly some days? Please refer to the comment on cuts and bruises. ;-) And let’s not start on if I personally act “oddly”—I’m an author of werewolves, an award-winning cellphone novelist and I live in a town where most everyone has one of two last names (neither of which are mine). So here, I am the definition of “odd.”

Traditionally there were only a few ways someone could become a werewolf. Some Eastern Europeans believed in a spell that included use of a copper knife to help the wielder transform. Western Europeans tended to believe there was a salve or lotion that (while saying appropriate words) could be smeared across your body to start the change. Some believed werewolves had two skins (or a special set of clothes) that allowed the transformation. The full moon thing we’ve been trained to via Hollywood? It wasn’t really even a consideration in the original stories.

Regardless of how nice the werewolf appeared as a person, they were nearly always merciless as a beast. According to most traditions, the ability to transform came from making a pact with the Devil. There are exceptions to every rule though, and there’s a well-documented court case of a man who proclaimed he and other werewolves were the “hounds of God.” They were the good guys--nipping at demons’ heels and driving them back to Hell every year before they could ravage humanity’s potential earthly harvest.

My werewolves in the upcoming 13 TO LIFE series (launching June 2010 with St. Martin’s Griffin) are tied genetically to Eastern Europe and some really funky stuff I found while researching. I mix legends, lore, Hollywood and history to tell their story. My werewolves are as human as you and I (and just as flawed). They are at once as monstrous and as humane as their humanity allows.

Whereas people historically relegated werewolves to a level of horrendous beast, I’m asking readers to think again: to re-examine what makes someone a man and what makes them a monster.

Thank you, Shannon, for that bit of history and giving us an inside to your new series! If anyone is interested in learning more from Shannon, she can be found dawdling around Twitter as @Shannon_Delany. Find her on her website: http://13toLife.us. You can also check out her blog here: http://13toLife.us/blog. Look for Shannon here again in a few months as she gets closer to her debut and I'll be sure to get some exclusives just for my readers!

Shiver (Book 1 of the Wolves of Mercy Falls Series) by Maggie Stiefvater

This book was really amazing. I read it in a matter of a day and a half, and that involved 16 hours worth of working and another 6 or so of sleep. Not much time to take to read, but it is oh-so-worth-it!

This book follows Grace and Sam. Grace is a girl who was once attacked by wolves when she was a child. One wolf in particular had these intense yellow eyes. This one wolfe stepped up and made the rest of the pack back off, thus saving her life. Every winter there-after she stayed outside in her backyard watching him, as he'd never approach her. One winter, he finally allows her to approach. Once she runs her fingers through his fur, it's all over.

A local boy was killed by the wolves when he was outside shooting them with his BB gun. So the men of the town set out on a hunting trip to rid the woods of the wolves. One gets shot, and ends up at Grace's back porch, human. It's Sam, bleeding and shivering from the cold. Grace acts quickly to help him, rushing him to the hospital. Once he wakes up, he tells her about who/what he is. She already knew, because those eyes are the same.

Now a jealous wolf is out for Grace's blood, and Sam is fighting against the winter to stay human for one last time.

Night Life (Book 1 of the Nocturne City Series) by Caitlin Kittredge

This book was really good. I highly enjoyed it. This book was dark, though not nearly as dark as Street Magic was. Definitely worth a look-see. I'd love to read the rest of this series.

Luna Wilder is a detective for the Nocturne City Police department. She is also a werewolf. Not just any werewolf, but an Insoli, which means she doesn't belong to a pack. That's not good whenever you happen to meet a pack member, it mean's as an Insoli, you're fair game. Luna is sent on a case that sends her into Ghosttown, which is not policed for a reason. It's full of blood witches, that's the bad ones. It's also full of werewolves. She goes, because it's her job, and she confronts a delicious pack leader named Dmitri Sandovsky, a lucrative suspect in a recent murder. Luckily he didn't attack her, and neither did the rest of his pack.

Dmitri is after the victim's killer, because she was his mate. Vengeance is essential in pack lore, so Dmitri was out for blood. When Luna gets suspended from her job after suspicion leads her to the Assistant District Attorney's son, Dmitri and Luna team up to find the killer before more girls are killed.

Read it. You deserve it!

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (Book 1 of the Jane Jameson Series) by Molly Harper

This was a genuine thrill ride from start to finish. I laughed a lot while reading this book, and it was very worth the read. I can't wait to read more in this series!

Jane Jameson, librarian, gets fired and instead of severance pay she gets a $25 gift certificate to Shenanigans the nearby grill/bar. While she's there wallowing in the reality that is unemployment she meets Gabriel, Mr. Tall Dark and Hansome. On her way home from Shenanigans Jane's car breaks down and she decides to walk the rest of the way home. The local drunk-hunting-enthusiast drives by, mistaking Jane for a deer and shoots her. Just before she dies, Gabriel comes to her aid and offers her the choice of living or dying. She chooses life. Three days later she wakes up and finds out her world really did change, but she didn't realize that she made the decision.

Soon, just as things start to heat up between Jane and Gabriel, someone is murdering other vampires and harassing Jane. But the vampires in the council believe Jane is the culprit of the murders. Jane needs to find this person before she gets killed by the council's justice or by the murderer. She doesn't know which one would be worse.

Glass Houses (Book 1 of the Morganville Vampires Series) by Rachel Caine

I really enjoyed this young adult novel. I give it 4 out of 5 stars!

This book follows the story of Claire Danvers, a sixteen-year-old college freshman at the local college in Morganville, Texas. At the opening, she discovers that all her clothes were stolen from the laundry room. She finds that Monica and her friends were the culprits. When they confront her, Claire is left with a twisted ankle, bruises, and a nice black eye from a combination of a punch, slap, and a push down the stairs. All because Claire corrected Monica when she made a comment about WWII being caused by the Chinese. Big mistake. Claire sets out to find a new place to stay so she can avoid the dangers of Monica and company.

She finds a lovely house, aptly named Glass House and meets one of it's tenants, Eve. Eve is naturally concerned with the beating Claire no doubt endured. Eve brings her inside, where she introduces her to Shane, another tenant of the house. They feed her and let her sleep off the evening when she would then have to meet the head of the house, Michael.

Because Claire is so young, Michael tells her she cannot stay, she must find someplace else to live. When he discovers the identity of the person responsible for her bruised and sore body, he agrees to let her stay for awhile, enough so that she will have time to find someplace safe that is not the dorms.

Things start to get worse. Claire finds out from the Glass House tenants that vampires run the town of Morganville and they explain to her about the rules and the protections that many people have from vampires across the town. Claire didn't know if she could believe them, and then she met Brandon, a live vampire, who has his eyes set on her.

Eve, Shane, and Michael try to keep Claire safe as much as they can, but things start to escalate until they reach a point where they have to do something or all of them will be dead.