Today we have a new visitor here on Team Tynga's Reviews: debut Entangled author Angela McCallister. She's on tour to celebrate the release of BAD MOUTH, a paranormal romance with vampires galore. I hope you'll enjoy the interview, and make sure to enter the two -- that's right, TWO! -- giveaways we have for you today.

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Welcome to Team Tynga's Reviews! To start, can you tell us a bit about the world you've created for BAD MOUTH?
Thank you, Jenn, for inviting me! In Bad Mouth, a dual-caste vampire society, the Immortalis, maintains a delicate balance while trying to peacefully coexist alongside humans—well, most of them try ☺ I wasn’t so interested in traditional vampires, so the Immortalis don’t change into smoke, bats or wolves, and religious symbols are a non-issue. In spite of the Immortalis name given them by earlier civilizations, they’re not immortal. A well-placed bullet could kill one of them. I imagined there would be wide-spread panic if vampires became known to humans in reality so in my world the society is regulated by treaties with the humans via a Vampire Liaison Office. This is partially why the castes are at odds, and it’s also what’s at risk when vampire-on-human murders kick off Val’s role in the beginning.

How did you get started writing paranormal romance?
I went for a walk on a full moon and something bit me. Or I wish it were that dramatic. Really, it’s what I happened to read the most at the time. My first romance loves were Gena Showalter, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Nalini Singh, etc. I love all the possibilities for the imagination and having so much control over the world in paranormal. I’m not such a control freak in real life *g*

Why vampires? What makes them so appealing?
I never thought about writing vampires initially. Then I met Alex Skarsgard, spending hours with him while he was on my Destroyer to film Battleship. He was fantastic (and sexy and had his arm around me, lol). Kade’s friend, Ezra, is loosely based on my impressions of Alex in person. Aside from that, I looove vampires. They’ve always had that “bad boy” effect, and you can’t help wanting to be the one to inspire the good in them.

In your opinion, who are the most over- and underrated vampires these days?
Can I plead the fifth??? I don’t begrudge any vampires. However, I do personally prefer my vampires on the darker side, barely leashed, and not sparkly. I recently read the WVMP series, and I adored the concept of the vampires stuck in the rut of their “death” decade. DJ vampires pretending to be humans pretending to be vampires. I enjoy when traditional vampire concepts are modified.

How does your life in the Navy impact/influence your writing?
It’s why I began writing in the first place. Being separated on deployment from family while working ridiculous hours with scarce sleep makes every day endless and repetitive. Reading saved me—a book per day—and then I was challenged to write one and I ran with it. I figured that book would be the end of it, but it wasn’t. It was extremely well-received, and I had requests for a sequel so I wrote it, and then I never stopped, lol. I often include a lot of military mannerisms, especially the language and our tendency to bond and bicker like family, good and bad, when we’re deployed.

Why do you think Kade and Val will appeal to readers?
Kade says outright what’s on his mind, as genuine as they come. He’s alpha without being a completely angsty caveman, and when Val begins to change his view of humans, he doesn’t beat readers’ heads over and over about his hatred. He deals with the next challenge, of which there are plenty. Val is not a typical heroine, and in fact, I don’t often write snarky types. You could consider her an ordinary, though beautiful, woman, who stands out not because she’s warrior-like, but because her dedication and self-esteem give her a backbone even in the face of fear and uncertainty. She’s passionate despite her conservative upbringing and has a strong sense of justice and integrity.

How did you come up with the title BAD MOUTH?
I listened to a song I’d heard hundreds of times, Bad Mouth by Fugazi, an indie rock band. It struck me that title would be a great triple-entendre for a vampire romance. After searching, I found no vampire books by that title so of course I had to write it, lol. The coolest thing ever was that I emailed Fugazi after I sold the book and vocalist Ian personally wrote back to me!!!

And with a title like that, I have to ask: is it easy to write the dirty talk and sex scenes? Or is it a challenge? ;)
Well, I’ve been a Sailor for over sixteen years, and the rumors about our language are no exaggeration. It was a challenge to tone it down! After immersion in jokes about everything for so long, it’s difficult to judge when something will seem offensive to a general reading audience so part of me wanted to go quite a bit further than I did. Kade is definitely offensive enough to shake up conservatively-raised Val’s world ;)

Did you do any research for BAD MOUTH? If so, could you share an interesting bit of trivia that came up?
Heh, I tried to calculate how fast an object would have to travel to be invisible to the eye, and I learned there’s no clear answer. It’s completely dependent on distance and field of view. I also found interesting places around Seattle of which, though I’m from Washington, I wasn’t aware. I love Pike Street Market but never knew about the “gum wall.” Yes, it’s literally a wall of gum with slobber from around the world. Probably. As many times as I’ve been to Seattle, I’ve never visited the Fremont Troll. There truly is a giant troll under the bridge.

You have a three-book deal with Entangled. What can we expect from you next? Any exclusive tidbits you can share?
The next book features another bad vampire. To Alice, Killian (AKA Ian) is just another bad cop as detestable as the one who destroyed her family, and regardless of her attraction to him, she has no respect for the way the vampire threatens his way into her agency’s murder case. Ian doesn’t much care for her judgmental opinions on the way he goes about obtaining justice, but when the new case raises the ghosts of an old case he believed long dead and buried, his law-bending ways could end with his execution. The second Alice becomes a target, his heart that he’d thought murdered along with his maker during that old case flares into blinding existence. The question is will following the law save her or end with a devastating repeat of his past?

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Thank you, Angela, for stopping by! For more Angela, check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

You can also see the rest of Angela's blog tour by clicking on the tour button below.

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And here's the scoop on BAD MOUTH:

After her ex-husband’s obsession with vampires, Valerie Craig is on a mission to stop transformations. Of all vampires, Kade Rollins is the worst of the worst, but when multiple murders plague Seattle, Val is forced to enlist his aid. Kade’s crude wit and seductive nature attract her like no other, but she can’t ignore his violence toward his human servants, no matter her yearning to forget.

She’s torn when she learns Kade may be behind the murders. Val's worked hard to protect humans from vampires, but the truth surrounding the murders could ignite a bloody battle between their races, one humans are sure to lose. Someone is pulling strings to build a vampire army and spark the war—setting Kade up to kick it off. But if she trusts the vampire prince, she risks her job, her integrity, and her heart if he betrays her as all the men in her life have.

Purchase: Amazon

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Angela and Entangled are offering two giveaways today!
Make sure to check the Rafflecopter forms for mailing restrictions.

Giveaway #1: One (1) lucky reader will win an e-copy of BAD MOUTH

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

Giveaway #2: There is also a tour-wide giveaway of an author-signed paranormal book bundle and a $50 Amazon/B&N gift card

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

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Angela McCallister is a US Navy Sailor and author of Paranormal Romance repped by the fabulous Nalini Akolekar. Spoiled by the gorgeous weather of Southern California, she spends her days reading and writing whenever she's lucky enough to be away from work. In fact, she's never to be found without a book hidden somewhere on her person. Over the past two years, her writing has finaled in multiple RWA writing competitions, and her debut Paranormal Romance, BAD MOUTH, won MERWA's 2012 Everything But The Kitchen Sink Competition.

A Bloody Good Secret by Sierra Dean

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 248 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Samhain
Release date: September 20, 2011

Series: Secret McQueen #2

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

You can’t keep a good Secret for long.

Secret McQueen, Book 2

After cheating death twice in one night, confessing her true nature to her werewolf soul mates and being asked to kill one of her closest friends, Secret took a much-needed vacation. By running away.

Now she’s back in town—dragged kicking and screaming—determined to clear Holden Chancery’s name. Right after she finds out what he’s accused of. It shouldn’t be hard—Holden has a habit of using their new and scintillating psychic bond to break into her thoughts and dreams at some very, shall we say, awkward moments.

Just a few things stand in her way: a secretive Tribunal leader, a group of would-be vampire slayers and two werewolf boyfriends who refuse to let her operate in her customary lone-wolf style. Even less amusing are the terrifying creatures that someone is using in an attempt to gain control of the council. Even for this out-of-the-ordinary bounty hunter, it’s a challenge with potentially deadly teeth.

Warning: Contains an ever-plucky heroine with no shortage of weapons, super-hot mind games, an ever-complicated love triangle and one hell of a creepy amusement park.

My love affair with Secret McQueen continues after reading A BLOODY GOOD SECRET. As you may remember, I dared you to read the first book in the series last month after really enjoying it. And now I can report that the second book is just as much fun as the first, if not more!

The book opens in rural Manitoba, where Secret grew up with her grandmother. She ran away to Canada to avoid her latest mission from the vampire Tribunal: killing her friend Holden Chancery. But she's kidnapped and dragged home, forcing her to deal not only with her assignment but also the two werewolves she left behind. Desmond and Lucas have very different reactions to her reappearance and I enjoyed watching her negotiate her relationships with these men. Even though she's soul-bonded to both of them, the dynamics of each relationship are quite different and I find myself staunchly on Team Desmond. To further complicate matters, she's also starting to have sexy dreams about Holden, sometimes at extremely inconvenient times, and I appreciate the added dimension of confusion this brings to the relationship table.

We also get to learn more about how the Tribunal assigns missions to Secret and how Holden has been affected by his position as Secret's warden. It was a nice change of pace to see Secret think about the ramifications of her actions, even though it was all in retrospect. The author also starts to reveal what it means to be a warden, since Secret is now in that position with Brigit. (Can I just say that I love how Brigit has become incorporated into the story, going from the nameless blonde that Secret saves to a bigger part of the story?) The Holden storyline also shows us what Secret was like when she was younger, which was neat. She's still much the same since only six years have passed since Secret moved to New York but it's nice to see that she has developed some smarts and skills since first meeting Holden and Keaty. If that's not enough, there's also some great reveals about Sig but they left me with a lot of questions about his relationship with Secret.

As with the first Secret McQueen book, A BLOODY GOOD SECRET ends with a titillating piece of information that makes me glad I used a Christmas gift card to get all of the existing ebooks. I can't wait to see what Sierra Dean does to Secret next!

Read an excerpt (click on the excerpt tab)

Everbound by Brodi Ashton

Book Stats:

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 358 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release date: January 22, 2013

Series: Everneath #2

Reviewed by: Stéphanie

Source: Library

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

Brodi Ashton introduced us to her exciting and original underworld called Everneath in book number one of her debut series. However, interesting enough, we never really did get the chance to see Everneath for what it really is, in the first book. Brodi Ashton teased us enough in book one that I was really glad to finally get the chance to visit this interesting world in EVERBOUND.

EVERBOUND takes off more or less right where EVERNEATH finished. Nikki, the main character, is living in the real world, and her boyfriend Jack is being kept prisoner in Everneath, in exchange for her spot in the Tunnels of Everneath. The Tunnels are probably the worse imaginable place you can think up. It’s a place where humans are kept and where Everlivings, the immortal being of the underworld, store them to feed off their emotions and energy. I admire Nikki’s dedication to get into the Tunnels in order to free Jack from his timely demise. I can’t image how it feels to have someone you love imprisoned while you feel you should be there in their place. Nikki isn’t necessarily the strongest female character that I’ve met in YA books, especially since she does have bouts of depression and does things without thinking them through first. However, her quest to save Jack is the only thing on her mind, and she even goes to the extreme of defying her father to accomplish what she started. Her sharp mind and quick thinking saves her quite a few times, which proves that you don’t need to be physically strong to come out on top. You just have to set your mind to it and find a different way to defeat the enemy.

Cole is without a doubt a very interesting character on his own. As an Everliving, I couldn’t figure out why he was trying to help Nikki with her quest, especially since he’s in love with Nikki himself. I knew in saving Jack, there was something in it for him, but I didn’t see this twist coming. Of course, this twist only reveals itself right at the end, so the book is sure to keep you on your toes until the very last page. The odd and unlikely love triangle isn’t really a triangle since Nikki doesn’t have romantic feeling for Cole. Her only feelings are for Jack and that’s something Cole has a hard time understanding, mainly since he can offer Nikki immortality while Jack can only offer a normal human life. Jealousy is obviously present but we don’t get to see how much it impacts the characters’ lives until the very end.

We all know sequels can easily fall short of our expectations but for some reason, I thought EVERBOUND was even more interesting, and even more action packed than its predecessor. From a literary stand point, I think it was a great idea to keep the Everneath a mystery by revealing only a few things in book one. Obviously, that means lots of thing are revealed only in this book, and the new twists and turns are surely to keep you reading. The cliffhanger ending isn’t really where I wanted the book to finish but again, I think it’s a great way to keep readers interested. I can’t wait to see how Nikki’s story will unfold in the next book since her life has once again been turned upside down without her realizing how involved she is with the Everneath.

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Guidelines:

• Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!

• You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit!

• I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you.

• Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you!

• Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page!

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I’m sorry guys I didn’t have time to record a vlog or event take a picture this week, time flew by and I almost forgot STS all together >.<

Here’s what I got in the past 3 weeks:

Bought:

Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent
Hot Blooded by Amanda Carlson

Both are sequels in series I adore and a strongly urge you to get your hands on them too!

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Now I would like to introduce you to our newest member on the team!

A month ago, I posted a recruitment post, looking for someone to replace our dear Lili. After much thought, and chat with many of the applicants, our choice settled on Helen!

I’d like to invite you to read her About me post and welcome her on board! She will start with a bang this Thursday with a review and her first Daring You To Read post, so don’t miss out! 

I would also like to thank everyone who took the time to apply! I truly appreciate your interest in Team Tynga’s Reviews!

So, what did YOU add to your shelves this week?

Blood and Magick by James R. Tuck

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Mass market paperback: 352 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Kensington
Release date: March 5, 2013

Series: Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter #3

Source: Review copy from Kensington

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Taking out hellish creatures—not a problem. Armed with blessed silver hollow-points and the ability to manipulate magick, he’s ready for anything—except betrayal he never saw coming…

Deacon Chalk knows the biggest danger in fighting monsters is becoming one. Just another day at the office for your friendly neighborhood occult bounty hunter. If keeping three helpless were-dog children safe means battling a malevolent trio of witches by any means necessary, so be it. If that means partnering with a ruthless government agent to stay one step ahead of the allies and friends he must now suspect, he’s not going to cry about it. The only way Deacon can save humans and shape-shifters alike is to embrace a power beyond his imagining, putting his team at stake—and his soul on the line…

Best Deacon Chalk story yet. Hands down. It may not have a tyrannosaurus but it rocks out like some totally awesome but obscure heavy metal star I would name if I knew anything about the genre. (I am in a silly mood as I write this post. Obvi.) The writing is solid, the plot is dynamic, and the pace is relentless. I couldn't put it down. Those little things that I didn't love in the previous books are gone and I was completely blown away by BLOOD AND MAGICK. It's got the plotting and excitement of an action movie and I was positively thrilled by it.

In his third full-length outing, Deacon is facing down a trio of witches who are incredibly powerful and utterly ruthless, which forces him to dig deep to save the day. It's the first time I really felt like Deacon could fail, which made BLOOD AND MAGICK so compelling. I had doubts about Deacon's ability to survive his encounter with these baddies and those doubts kept me glued to the (virtual) page. Witches may be pretty standard fare in urban fantasy and paranormal romance but James R. Tuck has done a marvellous job of creating tough, smart villains who pose a significant threat to the entire universe. Kudos, Mr. Tuck!

I also really liked the introduction of the O.C.I.D., a government organization specializing in the occult. At first, I was worried it would have a total Men in Black vibe but the agent we meet reminded me more of characters we might see in a Justin Gustainis novel: he had a more serious mien and skills. The addition of the O.C.I.D. really opens up the world Tuck has created and the possibilities going forward are very exciting, particularly in light of the last chapter. (You'll figure out what I mean when you get there, because I'm not going to spoil BLOOD AND MAGICK for you.)

There are also some lovely developments on a more personal level. We get some info about Father Mulcahy's past (though his history is still tantalizingly mysterious) and we also get to see where Deacon and Tiff's relationship is in the aftermath of the final battle in BLOOD AND SILVER, which I was very curious about. It's been six months since poor Tiff got put through the wringer yet again and I love the fact that she doesn't get too beaten down by life -- at least not for very long. Fans of Larson and Kat will also see them get some nice page time as the relationships between Deacon and these two characters face some incredible obstacles. We see just how inflexible Deacon can be when it comes to the occult, and what that line in the sand costs him, which makes for some serious emotional punch. Tuck also gives us some really poignant moments involving Deacon and his dead family and now I finally feel like I get why he keeps thinking about them. (You may recall I complained about the repetitiveness of this aspect of Tuck's debut, BLOOD AND BULLETS.) Now, the depth of his emotion really resonates with me.

BLOOD AND MAGICK is by far the best Deacon Chalk story so far and I can't wait to see what Tuck has up his sleeve next. He's always been a fantastic plotter but he's really levelled up with this book in terms of the tension, action, and scope. If you're on the fence about this series, make sure you hold out until this one. You'll be a loyal and true believer for sure after finishing BLOOD AND MAGICK!

Read an excerpt

Born of Illusion by Terri Brown

Book Stats:
Reading level: YA
Genre: Historical fantasy
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release date: June 11, 2013

Series: Born of Illusion #1

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Tynga

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Anna Van Housen’s life has never been easy. Cruising from town to town with her mom and the circus, always wondering if they will have enough money to eat or a roof above their heads. Not to mention the police and their anti-medium laws. When she moves to New York city with a her mother and have a nice apartment, she dare hope for a better future. But at what cost?

Terri Brown offered us a very original tale when she wrote Born of Illusion. I honestly never read something of the likes before and I enjoyed it! Anna is rumoured to be Harry Houdini's illegitimate daughter and has a knack for magic. She performs shows with her mother and even though Marguerite is the headline, she’s nothing but an actress. Anna on the other hand, she has real abilities and strives hard to keep them secret.

The plot line revolves around Anna’s strong desire to keep her mother safe. She’s been having visions of her mom and her being in danger and it’s her top priority to keep them safe. The story progress smoothly and I liked how Anna didn’t know whom to trust and that she made mistakes judging her peers. It made her that much more human despite her supernatural abilities.

One of the aspect I liked best was the historical set up. 1920s New York with its fashion and people’s proper etiquette. I also liked the references to big events such as the first world war and the Titanic. The atmosphere felt really vivid and I loved it!

I must admit though, there is one aspect of this novel I’m unsure how I feel about. See, Anna and her mother have a very complex relationship. Anna loves her to death and would do anything for her, but her mom treats her very poorly, almost like a tool. She refuses Anna to have any kind of success and to share the spotlight. She’s very self-centered and it made me uncomfortable. From a purely literary angle though, it was a great decision by Terri Brown because it brought more depth to the characters. 

Speaking of characters, this novel falls victim to the love triangle trend. It wasn’t heavy or bothersome, but not very original either. One is sexy and brooding the other is good looking and outgoing – both want her for different reasons and I think Terri went a bit too heavy on the stereotype and it was easy from early on and see which one was the good boy and which one the bad boy. So Anna’s choice was no surprise and there wasn’t any suspense there. My favourite character was hands down was Mr. Darby her grumpy downstairs neighbour.

The end was suspenseful and satisfying if not surprising. A lot of mystery still surround Anna’s abilities but the main plot line wrapped up nicely. I haven’t decided yet if I will read the following books. I enjoyed this one and I would recommend it, but I wouldn’t say I loved it. I guess you’ll have to read it and judge for yourself!

It's been too long since I caught up with Jane Yellowrock, the protagonist of this fantastic urban fantasy series by Faith Hunter. I'm a few books behind on this series but that's going to change by the end of the summer!

I first discovered Hunter's writing through her Rogue Mage series (a dare for another day) but I was recently overcome by the urge to get reacquainted with Jane, one of the most interesting and unique heroines out there. Why do I find her so fascinating? If you are familiar with the series, I'm sure you can guess but here's the lowdown for folks who might not be in the know. =)

Jane Yellowrock is a skinwalker and freelance vampire hunter. The world knows about the latter since she has a website and everything, vampires having been outed in 1962 (it involves Marilyn Monroe!). The skinwalker part? That's a secret. As a skinwalker, Jane has the ability to shift into different animals but she usually turns into Beast, the big cat that lives inside Jane. Skinwalkers are rare -- so rare Jane might be the only one alive -- and if you want to find out how Beast and Jane ended up together, you'll get the answer in SKINWALKER. Jane's looking for answers too, since she can't remember her life before she was found wandering the woods at age 12. Despite this, Jane has a strong personality: she's smart, tough, and independent, she rides a motorcycle she calls Bitsa because it's made of bits of this and bits of that, she's got slick martial skills and smooth dance moves, and she's found a family in her best friend, Molly, who just happens to be a witch. How can you not root for a chick like this?

If Jane alone isn't enough incentive to get you to try SKINWALKER, you should know that there are vampires galore. Vampires have a strong presence in New Orleans, where SKINWALKER is set, and they've actually hired Jane to come in and find a rogue vampire. She learns a lot about the social structure of vampires over the course of the investigation, which means we do, too. There are clans, there are blood-servants, there are blood-junkies, and more, all led by Leo Pellister, the vampire in charge of the city. Every vampire Jane meets is intrigued by her because they can tell she's different but no one knows quite what she is, making her a mystery and a prize all at once.

Another great element in SKINWALKER is the prominence of Jane's Cherokee heritage. Hunter embraces Cherokee language and culture and it's cool to see Jane explore this side of herself. And cooler still to see Jane portrayed as a strong Native American woman on the cover!

If you're looking for a book with great writing, strong characters, and smart plots, get your hands on SKINWALKER!

Want more? I bet you do! Here's the scoop on SKINWALKER from Faith Walker's website:

A year ago Jane nearly lost her life taking down an entire blood family of deadly rogue vampires that preyed on the helpless local populace of an Appalachian town. Now, after months of recuperation, she’s back and ready to fight again. Except this time, she’s hired by those she’s trained to kill—vampires…

Jane Yellowrock is the last of her kind—a skinwalker of Cherokee descent who can turn into any creature she desires and hunts vampires for a living. Back from hiatus, she’s hired by Katherine Fontaneau, one of the oldest vampires in New Orleans and the madam of Katies’s Ladies, to hunt a powerful rogue vampire who’s killing other vamps.

Amidst a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” and a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who stirs her carnal desire, Jane must stay focused and complete her mission—or else the next skin she’ll need to save just may be her own…

My thoughts

Audio book excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

And here's the rest of the series:

And here are some short stories and e-releases, including EASY PICKINGS, a crossover with C. E. Murphy's Joanne Walker:

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

What do you think? Have you read this series? Are you willing to accept my dare?

I had every intention of kicking off our new Soapboxing feature with a different post but this seemed a lot more timely in the wake of the brouhaha around the final Sookie Stackhouse novel. I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about but here's the Coles Notes version for those of you who have managed to avoid it: Someone in Germany got their hands on a copy of DEAD EVER AFTER early and didn't like it. S/he then proceeded to post spoilers about who Sookie ends up with and, I believe, even copied some of the text out. Now, I haven't gone looking to find out what was actually shared because I don't want it to be spoiled (I'll find out once my copy arrives in the mail) but the furor around this really got me thinking:

What rights do we have as readers? What kind of relationships should we have with authors?

I'm going to say right off the bat, readers DO NOT have the right to dictate to authors. We have the right to buy -- or not buy -- a book. (And by book I mean book/novella/novellette/etc. Pretty much any work of fiction). We have the right to read -- or not read -- a book. We have the right to our opinions about what happens in a book and the right to share those opinions, hopefully not by flaming the author, but freedom of speech is a right many of us have and exercise. But you can't legitimately argue that readers should decide how a story goes. If that's what you're looking for, you either need to invest in some Choose Your Own Adventure books or become an author yourself because there is no way that readers should be able to command authors or make big (or small) decisions about storylines. As readers, our primary job is to read the book. As authors, writers are supposed to create stories and can spend months or years crafting something that we spend a few hours reading. There's no contract that says an author has to write a book everyone loves. There's no law that says writing a book should be based on collective opinion. Unless you're the one writing the book, you don't get to choose how things go. As a reader, you're there for the ride.

Don't get me wrong, there are times when I've really disliked decisions that have been made by authors. The Sookie Stackhouse books have gone downhill for me and I definitely think that the early books in the series are better than the last two or three. And that's my right. I am entitled to this opinion, just like someone else can think that DEADLOCKED is the bee's knees and shout that from the skies. I'm allowed to say that I think that Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires books went downhill once she resurrected Ethan. But this doesn't give me license to spew hate at the author, or post gigantic spoilers, or pirate books. All it means is I get to offer my two cents on the blog or to my friends or almost anywhere else and, as a decent human being, I should be doing it in a constructive way. And sometimes things that I really don't like end up being great for a series. I was so brokenhearted when Kelley Armstrong switched her narrator from Elena to Paige in her Otherworld series. After two books, all I wanted was more Elena and Paige was such a different character that I was totally bummed out by DIME STORE MAGIC. But you know what? Having revolving narrators made the series more interesting because you see so much more of the universe. And while the Elena-narrated stories are my favourites, I can understand why, as an author, Armstrong made this creative decision, and appreciate what it gives me as a reader.

On some levels, this all boils down to respect, freedom, and decency. If I spent a year or more working on something and then hundreds of strangers decided it was okay to tell me all the reasons why they hate me and my work, I'd be hurt, especially given the kind of language people sometimes use in these diatribes. And a lot of people turn their dislike about a plot point or a character into flat-out hatred for an author and it can get ugly. (Sidebar: Authors can also get ugly with their readers so I'm not saying that this is a one-way street. Decency and respect go both ways.)

If you go to Charlaine Harris' Facebook page, for example, you'll see she posts a response to the news about spoilers and even opens up the thread for positive and negative comments. She is one classy lady. I don't think I'd be this open or brave:

What I didn't copy were the 1,600+ comments mostly because of privacy and space but also because there are some damn hateful things in there. It's been said before but I'm saying it again: the Internet can bring out the worst in people because of the anonymity it provides. I'm pretty sure that most of the people on this thread wouldn't walk up to Charlaine Harris and say these extreme things to her face.At least I hope not. I heard that Jennifer Estep was receptive to some bloggers at RT discussing why they don't like Owen with her, which is very cool of her, but I don't think she should change the overall story arcs she has planned just because some people don't like Owen anymore. I also assume that these bloggers were voicing an opinion, not throwing insults or trying to get Estep to change her planned course of action. (I wasn't there so I can't say for sure but I'm a big fan of some of the people involved in that discussion and I can't imagine them being hateful.) Savvy authors go into things knowing that not everyone is going to love everything about their books but no one should be on the receiving end of the kind of vitriolic stuff I've seen lately online, not just around DEAD EVER AFTER but also about other books.

It's your right as a reader to break up with a series. It's your right as a reader to voice your thoughts. It's not your right as a reader to throw common decency out the window because one fictional characters ends up with "the wrong" fictional boyfriend. In the grand scheme of things, this is not the end of the world. No matter how attached you are to a character, life goes on. You can always imagine them ending up differently if it bothers you that much. Many an individual has done just that with fan fiction.

If artists listened to all of the haters in the world, we probably wouldn't have all the great works of art, music, and literature that exist today. I'm not saying the Sookie Stackhouse books are on the same level as a Picasso but I am saying this: writing is a creative pursuit and it's the nature of creative works not to appeal to everyone. Art in all its forms is subjective and not liking something doesn't mean you should slander another human being. Readers should read. Readers should feel so passionately about a book or a character that they get emotionally invested. That's how you know an author has done a great job. Readers should feel free to have their say and share their feelings about a story. Readers should not try to tell an author what to do or rage at an author because they don't like how a story is going.

What do you think? I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Please share in the comments!

Soapboxing is our platform for talking about books and book-related topics that matter to us. Soapboxing posts may be rants, they may highlight awesome or terrifying trends, or they might tackle bookish issues on our minds...
The content will vary but the posts will (hopefully) never be boring!

Hello, everyone, Jenn here! I'm quite excited about this post because we are kicking off a new feature here on Team Tynga's Reviews! It's called Soapboxing and it's our new platform for talking about books and book-related topics that matter to us. Soapboxing posts may be rants, they may highlight awesome or terrifying trends, or they might tackle bookish issues on our minds...The content will vary but the posts will (hopefully) never be boring!

Why "Soapboxing"? The nerdy academic in me says the best way to explain is by offering a definition:

soapbox: an improvised platform used by a self-appointed, spontaneous, or informal orator; broadly : something that provides an outlet for delivering opinions [Miriam-Webster Online]

I can't think of a more appropriate title for this feature, can you?

I've been dying to write more opinion pieces for the blog and so we're going to give it a try! I had so much fun writing Why Whedonites Will Love STORMDANCER back in September and now we're going to make these types of posts a regular occurrence. In fact, starting today, Soapboxing will be a monthly feature! And don't worry, it won't just be me! =)

We hope you'll enjoy it and will most definitely be grateful for any feedback you'd care to offer.

To kick things off, I'm going talk about something that's been on my mind for a while, and that seems rather timely given the goings on around DEAD EVER AFTER. Curious? Come and check it out!

Touched by Corrine Jackson

Book stats:
Reading Level: Young Adult
ARC: 343 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Release date: November 27, 2012

Series: Sense Thieves #1

Source: From Publisher for Review

Reviewed by: Lili

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Remy O’Malley heals people with touch—but every injury she cures becomes her own. Living in a household with an abusive stepfather, she has healed untold numbers of broken bones, burns,and bruises. And then one night her stepfather goes too far.

Being sent to live with her estranged father offers a clean start and she is eager to take it. Enter Asher Blackwell. Once a Protector of Healers, Asher sacrificed his senses to become immortal. Only by killing a Healer can a Protector recover their human senses. Falling in love is against the rules between these two enemies. Because Remy has the power to make Protectors human again, and when they find out, they’ll be coming for her—if Asher doesn’t kill her first.

This is Book One in the Touched trilogy.

I admit, I was hesitant to start this book. The whole “magical powers enacted by touching people” idea has been done before many times in YA lit. I can think of at least two stories I’ve read already with similar concepts and another one that I know about just off the top of my head. But Jackson manages to tell such a unique intriguing story with one of the strongest heroines I’ve come across in a while. I can’t say I loved this one, but I greatly enjoyed it.

To begin, this book is not for everyone. There are many sequences of physical abuse that are pretty detailed. If violence makes you uncomfortable, this certainly isn’t the book for you. Remy’s stepfather, Dean, is an alcoholic. He feeds off of not only Remy’s pain, but her mother’s as well. And instead of allowing him to ruin her life, she allowed him to make her stronger. She wouldn’t break under him, despite the fact that he would break her bones because he was so maniacal. She became emotionally fortified and determined to survive--easily one of the toughest characters (both physically and emotionally) that I have found in a long time. I really enjoyed this aspect of Remy’s characterization because she wasn’t looking for sympathy and pity the way many abused characters do. While the abuse was a huge part of her life that caused her to create a huge shell around herself, when forced to face new situations she slowly opened herself to the possibility of a normal life with friends, family, and most of all, love. It’s safe to say I really, really like her.

But I have to say that the most interesting concept of this novel was her “super-power” and the lore that came hand-in-hand with her enemy. Remy has the ability to heal others by touching them. She simply has to picture their wound and the energy from her body will enter theirs to end their pain, but by doing so she will make their maladies her own. If she goes too far she can experience severe hypothermia and extreme pain that makes it seem as if she herself will die. I really loved the selflessness she exhibited at all times when helping others. And what I found even more interested was the concept of Protectors. They’re pretty much like superhuman ninjas because they’re fast, they’re immortal, they’re drop-dead gorgeous--but they can’t feel anything. The price of immortality? The loss of your senses. Whereas Healers like Remy feel too much, Protectors like Asher and his family feel too little.

While I must admit that Asher was a very great love interest because of his genuine concern, love, and care for Remy, I think that their story was very cliche in the beginning. It’s very new girl moves to town and is immediately fascinated by the town bad boy that is known for using girls so everyone she quickly befriends warns her off him immensely and she ignores everything they say. While I really liked the two of them, I was hoping such a unique story could avoid the cliche aspects of the plot line.

Full of one of the best cast of characters I’ve come across in a while, Jackson tells a story of selflessness and self-discovery with a really great and unique paranormal twist. If you’re looking for a unique romance with a perfect dash of paranormal abilities, this is a book that you will enjoy.

Read an Excerpt