Friday, December 20, 2013

Cover Reveal: Wolf's Bane by Ash Krafton

I am so excited to be hosting this cover reveal for WOLF’S BANE (Demimonde #3) By Ash Krafton. If you haven't read her first 2 books, you really need to give them a try!

And here is the Reveal!
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BLURB:


Sometimes, when life gives you lemons, all you can do is try to avoid paper cuts.


Since becoming oracle to the demivampire two years ago, advice columnist Sophie has battled werewolves and survived a vampire attack (or two). However, not only was she powerless to save her lover Marek when he slipped to the brink of evolution, she also witnessed his transformation into a falcon, the symbol of Horus United.


Sophie’s quest to save Marek is further complicated when rock star Dierk Adeluf – who also happens to be the king of the Werekind – invites her backstage after a concert. Just when it seems she will find respite from heartache, Sophie is bitten by a werewolf and Dierk decides she is destined to be his queen.


Sophie is caught between the demivamps she loves and the Were who commands her to love him. Throw in his jealous wanna-be girlfriend—a true bitch if ever there was one—and an ambush by witches, and there you have the big mess that Sophie calls her life. And, hello? Her soul mate is still a bird.


She’s supposed to be the girl with all the answers, but Sophie needs more than a little advice--she needs divine intervention.


Forthcoming Spring 2014 via Pink Narcissus Press


Find the other Books of the Demimonde at



BIO


Ash Krafton is a writer of all things spec fic. She believes spectacular endings make the best beginnings… Why not? One billion black holes can’t be wrong. 


Her first novel BLEEDING HEARTS: Book One of the Demimonde is available through Pink Narcissus Press. The manuscript earned finalist distinction in several Romance Writers of America 2011 competitions and has earned several other awards. The follow-up BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2) was published in 2013 and the third installment WOLF’S BANE (Demimonde #3) is expected mid-2014. 


Her urban fantasy novelette STRANGER AT THE HELL GATE is available through the Black Rose line of The Wild Rose Press. 


In addition to novel-length fiction, Ash enjoys writing poetry and short fiction, some of which earned awards and distinction in several national competitions. One of her poems was selected as a Pushcart prize nominee. She’s a member of Pennwriters, RWA, Pikes Peak Writers, SFPA, and the Maryland Writers Association. She also contributes to Query Tracker’s blog at http://querytracker.blogspot.com


Ash resides with her family in a rural town in the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region. She’ll never leave, either, because coal is just another example of a spectacular ending waiting for a brilliant beginning. (It’s kinda fitting.) And because, like a black hole, once you’re in…


…you can never get out.


Find Ash at:



Happy Reading!

Cana


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Cover Revealed: Under These Restless Skies by Lissa Bryan

Coming soon, a new historical romance from Lissa Bryan set in the days of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Under These Restless Skies.



Synopsis:

Will Somers has always thought himself unlovable. When he encounters a creature of myth and magic, he seizes the chance to finally have a wife and family of his own. Emma is a selkie—one of the immortal fae-folk of the sea—bound to Will by the magic of her kind, and eager to learn about life on land. She has to learn to adapt quickly to human customs, because Will is headed for the court of Henry VIII, to serve as the king’s fool. It’s a glittering, dangerous world, where a careless word can lead to the scaffold and the smallest of gestures is loaded with political implications. Anne Boleyn is charmed by Emma’s naïveté and soothing selkie magic and wants Emma for her own fool. Can Will protect his newfound love from the dangers that lurk in every shadow? Circa regna tonat: around the throne, the thunder rolls.





Release Date: February 20, 2014

And now, for the cover!



Excerpt:

They came to the doorway of the presence chamber. Fermor gave his name to the steward.
The man flipped through a list. “Oh, aye. Fermor.”
“Correct, my lord. I am come to bring His Majesty a gift.”
“A fool, was it?”
Fermor gestured at Will. “And a fine one at that.”
The steward did not seem impressed. “Go and come again tomorrow. His Majesty is in a temper today.”
The king’s visit with his sister must not have ended well. Fermor sputtered, panicking as he saw his chances slip away.

“ ’Twould seem the best time for him to be regaled by a fool’s antics,” Will noted.
The steward stared at Will for a moment and then gave a slight smile. “This way.” He led them through a tapestry-covered door through the empty presence chamber. Will paused, awed by the sight of the throne—the symbol of the king’s power—wide and heavy, gilded and jeweled, set on a carpeted dais. Beside it was a smaller throne for the queen, and over both were canopies bearing the coat of arms of each. The steward bowed to the empty throne as they passed, and they copied him before continuing out into a smaller gallery.
“Tarry here,” the steward instructed. “The king is at cards with the Lady Pembroke. You will be called to him when he is finished.”
Will’s stomach churned. He’d never felt less amusing in his life, and his wits were logy. A horrifying thought occurred to him. If he was unable to persuade the king to take him on, he wouldn’t be able to keep Emma. He couldn’t take her with him if he returned to the comedy troupe. Panic made his mind blank for a moment, and he did not hear his name called. Fermor elbowed him, and Will stumbled to his feet and followed the steward into a chamber.
Will didn’t have much of a chance to survey his surroundings. He had an impression of tapestries over dark wood paneling and the glitter of gold, but his eyes were on the floor in front of two figures seated in x-shaped chairs. He knelt.
“Your Majesty, Lady Pembroke, if it pleases Your Graces, I present Master Richard Fermor and Will Somers.”
“Rise,” the king said. Will stole a glance at him and saw a large, but still muscular man with thinning reddish-blond hair, dressed in a dark brown velvet doublet, ornamented with pearls and gold frogs. The king had gained weight in the last few years, and to disguise it he had widened the shoulders of his surcoats. Will had to admit the effect was powerful. His large codpiece jutted up from the center slit of his doublet, also meant to convey power, or at least, virility. His eyes were small, a piercing blue-gray. Will caught a glimpse of them before he lowered his gaze to the floor.
“So, Fermor, you have brought me a fool.” The king’s voice was low and gruff, and he didn’t sound much interested. The lady seated at his side wore a French hood and an initial pendant attached to her strand of pearls, the letters “AB” twined together. She was garbed in a dressing gown of brilliant scarlet, trimmed in ermine. It was casual raiment only the highest nobility was entitled to wear outside their own bedchamber, but Anne Boleyn was now royal in all but name. Just weeks ago, the king had created her Marquess of Pembroke, the highest noble title in the land. She patted the small dog in her lap.
“Aye, your majesty,” Fermor said. “If it pleases Your Grace.”
“Well, fool, what can you do?”
Will was startled. He hadn’t expected the king to speak to him. “I—I can juggle, Your Majesty,” he croaked. “I can make jests, tumble, and sing a little.”
“Let us see it, then.”
Will’s hands trembled as he withdrew the balls from his bag. “If it pleases Your Majesty,” he started. He straightened his shoulders as best he could, and said in his haughtiest tone, “I, Will Somers, am the best juggler in England.”
The king snorted and Will hoped it was from amusement. He fell into his act, bragging about his abilities while seeming to lose track of his juggling and keeping the balls in the air seemingly by accident alone. He was grateful he had performed this particular act so many times, because he thought he’d completely forgotten his lines, but they slipped from his mouth of their own accord, and his limbs seemed to move themselves. The king guffawed a couple of times, and he thought he heard Anne laugh at one point. Will ended with one of the balls balanced on the tip of his nose, before dropping it into his hands and sweeping low into a bow.

“Well done, Master Fool,” the king said, and he seemed a bit more jovial than he had when Will first entered the room. Or perhaps it was wishful thinking on Will’s part. “But tell me this: I have fools already who can juggle and make jests. Why would I wish to have you at my court? What have you to offer that they do not?”
The answer popped from Will’s mouth as though he had rehearsed it. “Because I will do something none of your council, lords and ladies, nor servants will do.”
The king lifted an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”
“I will tell you the truth, Your Majesty.”
Fermor gasped. Anne burst into laughter. “Oh, I do like him.”
The king cast an amused glance at her. “Is that so, Master Fool? Then perhaps you are worth it, after all.”
“But you must make an oath to me,” Will said.
The king’s eyes narrowed a bit, but he calmed when Anne giggled at Will’s audacity. “What?”
“You must swear it, as the word of a Christian king.” Will’s mouth was as dry as paper and his heart thudded in his chest, but he continued. “You must swear to me, on your honor, you will never hold it against me when I tell you the truth.”
The king stared at Will, his mouth agape, and then he burst into laughter. He slapped his knee and elbowed Anne, who gave him a sharp glance at being prodded by his arm, before she laughed along with him as a courtier trained to echo the king’s mirth.
“You have my word,” the king said, as he accepted a perfumed handkerchief from one of his serving lords to wipe away the tears seeping from his eyes. “Or must I write it out and put my royal seal to it?”
“Your word is sufficient for me,” Will replied.
“I am flattered at your trust, Master Fool,” the king said in solemn tones and burst into guffaws once again. “Go and have my steward find you rooms. Have you a wife?”
“I do.” Will’s mind whirled. He hadn’t expected this, and he didn’t want Emma to live at court, but there was nothing he could do. Refusing lodgings offered by the king would be a gross insult.
“Bring her tomorrow,” the king commanded. “I wish to see what the wife of a fool looks like.”
“Much like every other wife in England,” Will said, and that sent the king into laughter once more.
“Go, and come back on the morrow.” The king waved a hand at the steward. “Find him some decent garb, and some for Milady Fool as well.”
Will bowed deeply and followed the steward from the room. “And for you, Fermor,” he heard the king begin before the door was shut behind them. Will’s knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor. His head swam in sick circles. He sat back on his heels and looked up at the steward. “Pray, pardon,” he rasped.
The steward gave a slight smile. “You are not the first to react in such a manner.” He held out a hand and Will stared at it in surprise. The steward was a lord, and here he was, offering a hand to a baseborn commoner. Will took it, and the steward helped him to his feet and drew him near.

“If ever a man needed to hear the truth,” the steward whispered, “ ’tis that man in there.” He drew away again, and his manner was once more brisk and officious. “Follow me.”

~.~

Links:



Find the book on Goodreads ~ Author's Website ~Book Website ~ Author's Facebook ~ 
Author's Twitter ~ Author's Youtube


Happy Reading!

Cana

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Holiday Schedule for Place of Reads!


Hello to all our wonderful people!  

For the Winter Holiday, Place of Reads will be on vacation until January 2nd, 2014.  This is so we can spend time with our family and friends.  

Happy Holidays to Y'all and Happy Reading!

Cana & Kimberly

Thursday, October 31, 2013

It's The Last Day Of Our Giveaway!!!!

It's the Last Day Of Our Giveaway!!!!

Our wonderful Kim has been selected as a Diana Gabaldon Fan Ambassador!  As a celebration of this, we are giving away 3 copies of Diana Gabaldon's book, Outlander.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!


Cana & Kim

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger



Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 


Description:
Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger's YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

Coming out on November 5, 2013


Why?

1.   I loved the first book, and have been dying for the next one!
2.   I am dying to find out what the conspiracy is.  I mean, there is so much mystery, I’m dying here!
3.   I love the cover.  It is beautiful.  You know that you won’t mess with that girl!


So what are you waiting for?



And Don't forget to sign up for our latest giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

Cana

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Paranormal Craving Tours: First Bite by Dani Harper



First Bite by Dani Harper
17620279
Blurb: 
Geneva “Neva” Ross doesn’t want to die. But now that she’s been turned into a werewolf against her will, she’ll do anything to protect her family and friends…even if that means taking her own life.
After witnessing Neva’s leap from a high ledge, Travis Williamson—a Changeling with a dark past—uses his powers to save her life. He feels a connection to the strong-willed woman whose eyes flash that familiar Changeling green. While Neva is hospitalized, Travis risks everything to kidnap her, knowing the approaching full moon will put everyone in jeopardy.
Bickering constantly to hide their growing attraction, Travis and Neva run from the authorities…and from Neva’s sinister sire, Meredith de la Ronde. Meredith delights in creating new shape-shifters and compelling them to do her dark bidding; now Neva must join Meredith’s murderous wolf pack…or die.
Intensely suspenseful with deliciously sexy twists, this paranormal romance—the first in (the title of series)—intertwines sensual passion with an epic, thrilling battle between good and evil.

SHORT BIO

Dani Harper is a former newspaper editor whose passion for all things supernatural led her to a second career writing paranormal fiction. A longtime resident of the Canadian north and southeastern Alaska, she recently ventured south with her husband, Ron, to rural Washington to be closer to their grown children and to live the country life (Goats and chickens and pugs, oh my!).

Dani is the author of the shapeshifter series Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream, and Changeling Dawn. She’s currently signed with Montlake Romance for two brand new series – STORM WARRIOR kicks off the Grim Series this August and FIRST BITE launches the Dark Wolf series in October of this year.

Find out more at www.daniharper.com or stop by her Facebook Fan page at https://www.facebook.com/Dani.Harper.Fan.Page


a Rafflecopter giveaway 


Happy Reading!


Cana

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Revelations by J. A. Souders

 



Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 


Description:

The follow-up to J. A. Souders’s riveting SF psychological thriller for teens, Renegade

Six weeks ago, Evelyn Winters was locked away in Elysium, a city hidden miles beneath the sea, brainwashed into submission. With the help of Gavin, she fought free of her captors and the fog in her own mind. He took her back with him to the Surface, a world she's never known. Now she will begin a new life. 

But her past is closer than she thinks...

Coming out on November 5, 2013


Why?
1.      I really enjoyed the first book, and I like how it was left open ended enough to lead to this book.
2.      I’m dying to find out what will happen next, honestly.  Will she gain her memory back?  What is her past that might be closer than she thinks?  Will Gavin stay with her?
3.      I like the cover.  I mean, there is mystery; there are questions that you want to know more about.  And I wonder is the cover hinting at what will happen?



So what are you waiting for?



And Don't forget to sign up for our latest giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

Cana

Friday, October 18, 2013

Friday Fun With Mary Evelyn


Friday Fun is where readers from ages 5 to 16 let us know what they are reading and why they loved (or hated) what they read. 

Today we have Mary Evelyn reviewing :

The Dark Unwinding (The Dark Unwinding, #1)
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron

Description:

When Katharine Tulman’s inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle’s world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it.

Review:


Why did you pick this book out?
This book was steam punk ( if you have read my review for
Etiquette and Espionage, you will understand why) and was full of difficult problems that I knew would leave my mind wandering.


What did you like about this book?
Katherine is dealing with critical situations that could cause a plethora of negative outcomes. It left me on edge. Waiting for the next thought that could be dire.

What did you not like about this book?
I was confused about who Robert was.

Would you tell other people to read this book?
Defiantly. It was a thrilling piece, full of vivid details.

Who was your favorite character? Why?
Lane. He has an unpredictable temper, but is caring and does what is best.


Who is your least favorite character? Why?
Aunt Alice. She is a selfish woman who despises the thought of Katherine. She is so involved with her finances that she neglects the care of anything and everything else.

Book Rating (circle a #):   1 2 3 4 5

1 being horrible, 5 being fantastic

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Black & Blue by Gena Showalter


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 


Description:

The sizzling second book in New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter’s Otherworld Assassin paranormal romance series.

He is every woman’s fantasy…

Corbin Blue is a man of many talents. One of the most powerful otherworlders ever born, he is wealthy, a professional football star, and a legend in the bedroom. But only a select few know he is also a black ops agent…and there is no better killer. When he and his crew are attacked and separated, he’s forced to turn to his boss’s daughter for help—a woman with even more secrets than Blue.

She becomes his only obsession…

Evangaline Black has always been wary, guarded. No man has ever breeched her walls. Until Blue. He has never been denied something he wants, and now, he’s decided he wants her. As he sweeps her into his double life of seduction, intrigue, and danger, he helps her see beyond the darkness of her own past. But as an enemy closes in, Blue will have to let Evie go to keep her safe—even though he'd rather die than live without her…

Coming out on October 22, 2013


Why?
1.   Because I actually did enjoy the first book. 
2.   I want to learn more about Blue.  He seems to be a man who always gets the woman he wants.  And I think this one time he is going to actually have to work at it.
3.   I want to see what else happens after the first book.  I have a feeling that there is a lot that we are missing.
4.   OMGoodness, this cover is gorgeous!  I love it!!!!  I saw it first on facebook, and I HAD to pass it on to my other book reading friends. 


So what are you waiting for?



And Don't forget to sign up for our latest giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

Cana

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Monday, October 14, 2013

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione


Description:

A WOMAN OUT FOR BLOOD
Nicole Martin was only eight years old when the vampire slaves rose up in rebellion and killed her family. Now she devotes her life to finding a vaccine against vampirism, hoping to wipe out her memories—along with every bloodsucker on the planet. But there’s one thing she cannot destroy: her searing, undeniable attraction for the one man she should hate and fear the most . . .

A VAMPIRE OUT FOR REVENGE
A member of the renegade vampire MoonBound Clan, Riker is haunted by demons of his own. When he recognizes Nicole and remembers how her family enslaved his loved ones, his heart burns for vengeance. But when he kidnaps Nicole and holds her in a secret lair, his mortal enemy becomes his soul obsession, his greatest temptation, and, perhaps, his only salvation—a hot-blooded lover who could heal him with her touch . . . or bury him forever.

Review:

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione
5 out of 5

OMGoodness!  I loved this book!  I found it to be so much better for me than the Demonica Series by Ms. Ione. 

Characters

I think Nicole is a great character.  Traumatized by vampires at a young age, she becomes a strong woman who is working through her fears and the truths that were hidden from her for way too long. 

Rikker is struggling with his anger, guilt, and regret.  But boy, does this wounded vampire sound sexy.  When he isn’t burdened with those things, he is a sweet and gentle man that you can’t help but love. 

I think though that Myne is my favorite character, and I really want to learn more about him.  I really liked that he was respectful of Rikker’s claim on Nicole, and how he helped Nicole transition. 

Everything Else

I really liked this twist to the vampire myth.  Steeped in Native American lore, it was great to get a new tale from a genre that keeps getting the same old stuff. 

I also loved the twist and turns of this novel!  Some were not expected, while some were.  But all of it made for a great story. 

I think this story is in the near future, but I’m sure that it isn’t too far from the present.  I liked that it wasn’t in the “here and now” kind of story.  It just made it more believable. 

I wished that there had been more time, more chapters, because I DID NOT want this book to end. 

Overall


Overall, this is a great book, and I can’t wait to read the next one.  I highly recommend.  


And Don't forget to sign up for our latest giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

Cana