#432 ~ A Hidden Fire

A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars






Book #1:  Elemental Mysteries Series



Nice slow burn romance, with an unusual twist on the fantasy creature side of things.

Some nice snappy writing, and decent dialogue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, and would happily read more by Ms Hunter. She will be added to my WTR list.

This was a DSOA on my Blog in April 2014, thus it was free at the time. I would be more than happy to pay for this one though.


Product Details

A DSOA pick back in April 2013 - do not adjust your screen, I am a year behind with my reading.

It was free at the time, and is still showing at this point in time HERE as a free Kindle Download.  The paperback is listed at £6.66.

274 pages
Fiction, Magic & Mystery, Romance
Indie Writer (Self-published)



Errors/Bug Bears:

A few, but nothing major (just annoying in the main)... I'm not too sure of the page numbers with the first few, but they are before page 16 I think.

Page ?:  exactly go wander around - go and wander.

Page ?:  Unless you want to finish up early - finish early.

Page 16:  After completing her duties in back - it's just not an attractive sentence.

Page 25:  Giovanni could even feel his posture relax they walked - as they walked.

Page 31:  ...then come join us - come and join us.

Page 63:  He could stop the laughter that burst out - could not stop.

Page 95/96:  ...but she knew Carwyn could her her because he his shoulders began shaking with silent laughter.

Page 206:  Lorenzo would come visit her - [insert sigh here].

Page 208:  Maybe I would have gotten married.  Gotten a cat ... - uck.

Page 208: ... come save you - uck.

Page 210:  ...growing taller and elevating them just under edge of the cliff - just under the edge of the cliff.

Page 218: ... go wash some of this dust off - it drives me batty.

Page 228:  Go get dressed - again!

Page 234:  He stopped writing Giuliana - it's only one extra word, I am beginning to think I'm unreasonable to expect conjunctions.  If I see too many in any one piece it puts me off, and it gets marked down.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

#424 ~ Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising

Xandria Drake: Ancient Rising by Laura Cantu

My rating: 3 of 5 stars







Another one of my DSOA picks, that I've finally found time to read.

Fundamentally, the plot was okay, but it lost a star mark by virtue of the fact that I found it a little convoluted and effort heavy. By that I mean that it felt as if the author forced a bit too much out in the way of details, names, races and twists and turns - there is a fine line between over egging the pudding and getting it spot on. In this case there was an egg yolk to many.

I haven't made up my mind if I will read any more of the series.

Going completely against my usual practice, I decided to get my thoughts down down for this one right away, and so it is #424 on my Blog in March 2014 (I will play catch up with the books read, but yet to be reviewed).



Product Details:

As mentioned above this was a DSOA pick from April last year, it can be obtained HERE for £6.43 for the Kindle download.  Ouch, that's a bit on the steep side.



Errors/Bug Bears:

Just a few, it was a completely clean offering.  Sorry, it's late and these are a bit rushed, I will come back in tomorrow and tidy them up a little.

Loc 2547:  I struggled to my hands and knees, not sure I could to stand

Loc 4760:  Had Aydin also mention that gifts could seem like a curse?

Loc5258:  ... is a least 100 acres ...

Author goes on to state that portal is 'few miles away'.  Needs to learn how far 100 acres would stretch, and it's not a few miles.

Loc 5649:  Shaine was bit at the carnival - bitten.

Loc 6338:  Kevin's expression grew dimly - expression dimmed.

Loc 6338: go look - go and look.

Loc 6354:  go look - ditto.

#422 ~ Her Dear and Loving Husband

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







I originally picked this as one of my DSOA picks back in April 2013 (therefore it was a free Kindle download at the time), just after the death of my much loved Father in Law, purely because of the title.

It's taken me this long to get around to ticking it off my 'To Read List' though.

All things considered it was an extremely well crafted story and thoroughly enjoyable. Decent plot and pace and interesting characters.  Actually, having just popped over to Amazon to check the details for listing I noticed a small strap line that indicates Meredith teaches creative writing.  No surprise then that it turned out to be a well crafted piece of work.

Not to give plot spoilers away, if you love the Vampiric, you will love this.

I also just happened to notice a small strap line that says Meredith teaches creative writing, no surprise then that it was well crafted.


Product Details:

It was a DSOA pick (April 2013) and having just gone on to check the details I've noticed that it is still available as a free Kindle download HERE.

288 pages
Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Vampires
Copperfield Press (November 2013)


Errors/Bug Bears:

Page 241:  My usual problem with North American English, i.e. you go stretch your legs

Page 241: ... the one who has always been there for us, for our whole family back generations.  I would have gone with for many generations.

Not a bad tally though, just two annoying things that jumped out at me.

Happy reading.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Vampnesia

Kate Shay

*NEW AUTHOR

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Fantasy > Vampires

Indie Writer (Self-published)

I'm keeping it short today, much like my selection.

A little vampire offering:

She once was a vampire. . . 

Capturing a human is not the same as capturing what it is to be human. There are only two escapes from a vampire life: extinction, or something entirely familiar. 

Nia is human again, but not for long. Will she make the same mistakes again? Will she still love and remember the one who has always loved her for time, eternity and beyond?

Vampnesia is what Nia has to fight!

No reviews, but it's short at 138 pages, so give it chance ...... click HERE to download it.

On Amazon today my rating is (<) to 4,537. I suppose that I'm still heading in the right direction, but very slowly now. I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day ....... so if you find the Daily Kindle Downloads info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback  on some of my reviews (which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks).

Hugs

Kay

My Daily (well almost after a long weekend off) Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Blur (Night Roamers) ~ Kristen Middleton

*NEW AUTHOR

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Young Adult > Horror > Vampires

Indie Writer (Self-published) another Author is also credited CJ Pinard

I took the chance and had a nice long weekend break, so we've had a break from my selections.  Never fear though I'm back and, as promised, have a nice Vampire one for you:

Danger lurks in the dead of night... 

Seventeen year old Nikki and her twin brother, Nathan, move to the small town of Shore Lake to start over after their mother is brutally attacked. When a missing teenager washes up on shore during their first night at the cabin and there are whispers of vampires in Shore Lake, Nikki begins to realize that there are things roaming in the darkness that are far more sinister than what they left behind in the city.

It's had 21 fairly decent reviews, and I whilst it seems primarily to be aimed at the YA/Teen market, some of those reviews have been from adults that loved it - it has a 4.5 star rating on Amazon.  You can find it available as a free download HERE , and judge for yourself.

On Amazon today my rating has gone up over the weekend to 5,893 (>) - I am still heading in the right direction.  I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day .... so if you find the Daily Kindle Download info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback - which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Rainy Nights ~ J R Rain

*NEW AUTHOR

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Mystery > Hard-Boiled

Indie Writer (Self-published)

Oh bite me! ..... what if I have selected another Vampiric novel today, well actually bite me three times as it's a 3 in 1.  Number 1 in the above category, and about number 39 in the free listing.

MOON DANCE

Mother, wife, private investigator...vampire. Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire. Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn't exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.

DARK HORSE

Dark Horse takes place in Huntington Beach, California. Surf City, USA. Written in the tradition of Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe, Dark Horse introduces a new hard-hitting, wise-cracking hero with a modern twist. When high school student Derrick Booker, the only black student at a posh Orange County high school, is accused of killing his white girlfriend, ex-college football hero and detective Jim Knighthorse is hired to dig a little deeper into the murder. It doesn't take long for Knighthorse to realize that not all is as it seems at tranquil Huntington High, from a band director who preys on the innocent to a vice-principal with a secret agenda of her own. Not to mention someone's hired a professional killer to keep Knighthorse permanently off the case.

THE VAMPIRE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

Three years ago, high school student Veronica Fortune witnessed the brutal murder of her parents. Now armed and dangerous, she sets out to hunt down the very thing that destroyed her life. That is, until she disappears. Spinoza is a private investigator who specializes in finding the missing. He's good at what he does. Damn good. But he's also a recovering alcoholic and a royal mess. Hired to find Veronica, Spinoza won't let his personal demons—or demons of any kind—get in the way of finding the truth about the missing girl. Now following a bizarre set of clues that leads him into stranger and stranger territory, Spinoza is about to come face-to-face with something legendary...and something hungry for blood.

There are only 8 reviews, but they've all given 5 stars.  I've just downloaded it  (as with all my freebie selections) and it's joined the growing list of titles on my Kindle until I get to it. You can find it available as a free download HERE .

On Amazon today my rating remained has gone back up a bit to 6,483 (>) - although I should not really complain as overall I am heading in the right direction.  I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day .... so if you find the Daily Kindle Download info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback - which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Free Kindle Download at Amazon

Tarnished Knight ~ Bev McMaster

*NEW AUTHOR

Kindle Store > Books > Fiction > Historical > Romance > Steampunk > Vampires

Indie Writer (Self-published)

Today's I'm going all Steampunk meets Vampire does Romance on you with this novella:

In the steam-fuelled world of Victorian London, vampires, werewolves and slasher gangs stalk the night and a man made partly of metal is about to discover just how far he’ll go to protect the woman he loves…

After a vicious vampire attack left him struggling to leash the dark urges of the craving virus, John ‘Rip’ Doolan, thinks he’s finally starting to master the darkness within. The only thing that threatens to shatter his hard-won control is Esme, his closest friend and the only woman he’s ever wanted. If the stubborn beauty ever realised precisely what was going through his mind, their friendship would be ruined…

For six months Esme has waited for Rip to recover and take her as his thrall, not daring to hope for more. Too afraid to put her heart on the line, she’s devastated when Rip reveals that he never had any intentions of making her his.

But when a savage gang of Slashers start causing havoc in Whitechapel, Rip and Esme have no choice. They must face up to the depth of the passion that burns between them and forge a new relationship… or risk losing each other forever.

There's only be one review for this Indie Writer, so it's difficult to judge if the 4 stars are right, but  I've downloaded it this morning (as with all my freebie selections) and it will sit waiting patiently on my Kindle until I get to it. You can find it available as a free download HERE .

On Amazon today my rating remained static at 6,714 - although I should not really complain as overall I am heading in the right direction.  I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' some day .... so if you find the Daily Kindle Download info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback - which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks.

Hugs

Kay

#328 (#46 of 2013) - Her Vampire Husband (Mills & Boon Nocturne) - Michele Hauf *NEW AUTHOR

Her Vampire Husband (Mills & Boon Nocturne) ~ Michele Hauf  *NEW AUTHOR

Kindle Store > Fiction  > Fantasy > Vampire

Description:

He may resist his bite, but she can't resist his charms…

Werewolf princess Blu won’t allow her seductive husband to consummate their marriage with his bite, marking her forever. Blu curses the marriage arranged to bring their rival nations together, especially since Creed calls out to her darkest desires. 

Yet when Blu uncovers her pack’s secret plot to destroy the vampire nation – and Creed – she is forced to confront her growing feelings for him. Will she choose the only life she’s ever known or accept his sensuous bite?

Product Details:

I managed to get this as a freebie download, at the time of writing this post it is still listed as free HERE.  Obviously if you are reading this retrospectively that may well not be the case.

363 pages

* * * * *

Summary:

Overall I quite enjoyed this one .... and it was different to have Vamp on Were to mix things up.

I particularly liked the two main characters, Creed and Blue and found their loving story quite lovely, especially given that there were forced to marry at the very start of the book.

There were times whilst reading that it simply stopped flowing, and would then pick up.

Happy to say that if there were any editorial/typographical errors in it I didn't notice.

I've added this to my Mills & Boon folder on my Kindle, and whilst I don't think I would actively go out and buy anything else by this author, it was good enough that if something came up as a freebie I would download it.

The blog score would be 3.5 stars, but for Amazon it will get 3 as I don't feel the whole justified a shift up to 4 stars.

Read it though if it's still for free download, it wasn't too bad.

Hugs

Kay

My Daily Selection for Amazon Free Kindle Download

Ignite (Midnight Fire Series - Book 1) ~ Kaitlyn Davis *NEW AUTHOR

For my selection today I fancied a bit o'vampire and came across this novella.

As usual you can find it quickly over at Amazon by clicking the large title just above the cover photograph, or click HERE.

This morning that my Amazon Reviewer status has improved quite a bit to 11,299 (making big gains is getting harder the further up the rankings I go).  As always thank you to anyone that has taken the time to leave positive feedback over there for me, it is very much appreciated..

I would love to get to the top 1,000 Reviewers' .... so if you find the Daily Kindle Download info useful please go over to my Reviews on Amazon and leave me some positive feedback - which helps my rating, and will earn you my grateful thanks.

Hugs

Kay

#284 (#2 of 2013) - The Vampire Viscount ~ Karen Habraugh *NEW AUTHOR

Nicholas, Viscount St. Vire finds that the eternal youth and the supernatural strength of a vampire means little in the face of impending insanity and the eventual deterioration of his senses. Only the willing embrace of a virginal young woman can reverse his condition. Who better for his wife-to-be than the impoverished Leonore Farleigh, whose abusive father sells her to St. Vire to pay off gaming debts? Leonore agrees to marry him--how else is she going to save her sister and her mother from their poverty and pain? But she soon finds she's stepped into a marriage of inconvenience… and possible death.

* * *

Another freebie from Kindle (you only need to know where to look to pick hem up!).

Actually, not something I would normally read, but enjoyable nonetheless, as it wasn't too vampiric  in content.

A 4 star read, and I might actually try more by this author.

Kay