Bookish Escape 2012 #3: Vicki Pettersson Chat!

Are you a fan of Vicki Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac series? Have you heard about The Taken, which starts a fabulous new supernatural noir series? If not, where have you been? The Taken hits stores on June 20th and Jackie (from Literary Escapism) and I totally can't wait to see it. Are you curious to see what it is about? Would you like to meet the characters before The Taken is released on June 12th? If so, Jackie and I hope you will join us on 

June 11th 

at 8:30pm EST 

as we talk with Vicki about her new series. 

Call-in Number: 724.444.7444 

Call ID: 93065

He’s a fallen angel. She’s a rockabilly reporter. Together they must solve a deadly string of murders plaguing the mortal and the immortal worlds. Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was over fifty years ago when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Now he’s a Centurion, an angel who assists other murdered souls through their journey to the afterlife. But while Shaw might be an angel … he’s no saint. Haunted by the mysterious events surrounding his own death, he seizes a chance to wreak some vengeance when he witnesses a deadly attack on journalist Katherine “Kit” Craig. Joining forces, the unlikely avengers take to the streets, hunting a killer whose trail of bodies stretches across Las Vegas and into an immortal netherworld. It is a dangerous trek that lead them into the darkest corners of Sin City and into the heart of an evil conspiracy extending beyond the lights of the Strip that could destory them both. But destruction isn’t the only threat Griffin faces. The closer he gets to Kit, the more he finds himself bewitched by her mortal charms. Can he resist falling under her spell? And does he want to?

Meet Vicki Pettersson!

Vicki Pettersson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Signs of the Zodiac novels, a six-book urban fantasy series set in her hometown of Las Vegas. Though she'll always consider that glittering dustbowl home, she now divides her time between Vegas and Dallas, where she's learning to like good Tex-Mex (easy) and the Dallas Cowboys (easier than you'd think). Next up is The Taken, first in the supernatural noir trilogy, Celestial Blues, debuting June 12, 2012.

Contact Info 
Website: website 
Blog: Blog Social 
Media: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads 
Want to purchase Vicki’s novels? 


Celestial Blues

1. The Taken at Amazon | Book Depository

Sign of the Zodiac

1. The Scent of Shadows at Amazon | Book Depository
2. The Taste of Night at Amazon | Book Depository
3. The Touch of Twilight at Amazon | Book Depository
4. City of Souls at Amazon | Book Depository
5. Cheat the Grave at Amazon | Book Depository
6. The Neon Graveyard at Amazon | Book Depository

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Bookish Escape 2012: Chat w/ Darynda Jones & Giveaway!

 

Bookish Escape is back and joining the Darynda Jones Fan Group to offer you not only an awesome Chat with Darynda Jones herself but some great prizes to be given away throughout the chat.

 

I hope you’ll join Jackie (from Literary Escapism), Dana (from Readaholics Anonymous) and I as we discuss Charley Davidson and Co. at Talk Shoe on March 27th at 9pm EST.

 

Call-in Number: 724.444.7444

Call ID: 93065

Day: March 27th

Time: 9pm EST

Warning: We will be focusing on the series, so spoilers are going to happen. We’ll try to keep the hardcore spoilers to a minimum, but there are no guarantees.

Send in your question for Darynda on the form below!

1st Prize will be a T-Shirt from Darynda Jones Cafe Press ( 3 designs to choose from)

http://www.cafepress.com/daryndajones

2rd Prize will be a kindle edition of Third Grave Dead Ahead

 
3rd Prize will be the Pre-Order of Hardcover of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

Haven’t read the series yet? What are you waiting for?! Here are the books, in order: 

First Grave on the Right {#1}

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

 

For I Have Sinned {#1.5}

Darynda Jones revisits the sexy, suspenseful world of supernatural shenanigans she created in her Grave series with For I Have Sinned.  In this Charley Davidson story, Charley helps a woman find out how she died and gives her the closure she needs to pass through to the other side.

Second Grave on the Left {#2}

 

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

Third Grave Dead Ahead {#3}

Charley Davidson—grim reaper extraordinaire, private investigator . . . meh—is practicing her profession under the influence, caffeine and copious amounts of it, due to an extreme desire to induce insomnia. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan, is there. Only thing is, he’s a tad peeved. She did bind him for all eternity, so it’s hard blame him. But 13 days without a wink is bound to bring out the crazy in a girl. So, when a man hires her to find his wife, Charley accepts the job with one goal in mind: Put the man behind bars, and not the wet kind. She can sense the guilt waft off him and vows to find the woman’s body and prove he’s a murderer. 
In the meantime, Reyes is back in prison and none too happy about it . . . so Charley thinks, until she is carjacked by the dark-haired rake, who swears the very man he went to prison for killing is not only alive, but close by. And he wants Charley to find him. 
While a visit to her old friend Rocket sheds no light on Reyes’s situation, Charley finds out the man’s wife is still alive and time is running out. Finding her before she dies would be a miracle, but she has to try. Together with the help of a fashion-impaired receptionist named Cookie, Charley sets out to bring the bad guys to justice. She just hopes Reyes is not one of them. And that she’s not hallucinating from her self-induced bout with insomnia.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet {#4}

 

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it. 
In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans.

Hope to see you there!

 

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Bookish Escape 2012: Jackie Morse Kessler & Loss!

Bookish Escape is back baby and tomorrow night we’ll be kicking off the 2012 series with a totally different premise. No longer will we just be discussing a particular novel or series, but we’ll be picking it apart with the author themselves.  Our very first author for 2012 will be none other than Jackie Morse Kessler, who will be releasing the third novel in her Riders of the Apocalypse series, Loss, on March 20th.

This fabulous series not only tackles real life problems, but spins it through a supernatural tale that captivates the reader. If that doesn't convince you to read this series, then how about the knowledge that proceeds from the sale of each novel goes to charity?  In either case, I hope you’ll join Jackie (from Literary Escapism) and I as we discuss Loss and the other riders at Talk Shoe on March 12th at 8pm EST.

Call-in Number: 724.444.7444

Call ID: 93065

Day: March 12th

Time: 8pm EST

Warning: We will be focusing on the series, so spoilers are going to happen. We’ll try to keep the hardcore spoilers to a minimum, but there are no guarantees.


Haven’t read the series yet? What are you waiting for?! Here are the books, in order:

Hunger

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”
Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?
Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Rage

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different. That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control. A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.

Loss

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. But things change drastically when Death tells Billy he must stand in as Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now armed with a Bow that allows him to strike with disease from a distance, Billy lashes out at his tormentors…and accidentally causes an outbreak of meningitis. Horrified by his actions, Billy begs Death to take back the Bow. For that to happen, says Death, Billy must track down the real White Rider—who is lost in his memories.
In his search, Billy travels through White Rider’s life: from ancient Phrygia, where the man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to Sherwood Forest, where Pestilence figures out how to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where cartons of infested grain are being packed onto a ship that will carry the plague, to the Children’s Crusade in France—all the way to what may be the end of the world. When Billy finally finds the White Rider, the teen convinces the man to return to the real world.
But now the insane White Rider plans to unleash something awful on humanity—something that could make the Black Death look like a summer cold. Billy has a choice: he can live his life and pretend he doesn’t know what’s coming, or he can challenge the White Rider for his Crown. Does one bullied teenager have the strength to stand his ground—and the courage to save the world?

Breathe (2013)

Hope to see you there!

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My TOP 5 Sundays Post on the Poll at the left sidebar!

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Bookish Escape Discussion: Morgan Kingsley Series by Jenna Black

 

It’s been a couple years since my Urban Fantasy addiction took its roots and the Morgan Kingsley series by Jenna Black was one of the first that grabbed my attention.

I’m so with Jackie when she says that she wishes there were more of it, I do too!. At a simple five novels, this series ended way too soon and after more than a year, I’m still missing Lugh, Morgan and that hot delicious couple, Dom and Adam. 

If you don’t know who I’m talking about, then you really need to get your hands on The Devil Inside right now. I can’t be the only one who has missed reading about all the political intrigue and troubles Morgan and crew were having with the Demonic realm.  Plus, are me and Jackie the only ones who thought Brian was a total ass throughout the whole series?

There are definitely some interesting topics that we can talk about when it comes to the Morgan Kingsley series and Jackie (from Literary Escapism) and I are going to just that.  We’re going to discuss this fabulous series and we would love to have you join us at Talk Shoe on December 8th at 8pm EST. Please notice the time difference. With Daylight Savings, Larissa is even farther ahead of those of us in EST now and we’ve adjusted the time so she’s not up after midnight.

Call-in Number: 724.444.7444
Call ID: 93065

Date & Time: December 8th at 8pm EST

The Devil Inside

Posession. Murder. Mayhem.
Let the games begin…

Exorcism isn’t a job, it’s a calling—and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any Demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism—and her life is about to be turned upside down…by the Demon that’s gotten inside her.

Not just any Demon. Six foot five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for—that is, if he doesn’t get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify Demons and others idolize them, Morgan’s Demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel Demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror. . .

Warning: We will be focusing on the series, so spoilers are going to happen. We’ll try to keep the hardcore spoilers to a minimum, but there are no guarantees.

Haven’t read the series yet? What are you waiting for?! Here are the books, in order:

The Devil You Know

The beautiful. The bad. The possessed.

Some people worship them. Some people fear them. And some people—like Morgan Kingsley—go up against them toe-to-toe, flesh to flesh, and power against power. An exorcist by trade, Morgan is one of the few humans with an aura stronger than her possessor, even though her demon can tease her body senseless. She’s also a woman who has just discovered a shocking truth: everything she once believed about her past, her identity, may have been a lie.

With a family secret exploding around her and a full-scale demon war igniting, Morgan is a key player in an unsettled world. Then a rogue sociopathic demon enters her life with a bang. His name is The Hunter. And since she is the prey, Morgan has only one choice: to hunt The Hunter down—no matter what heartbreaking truths she uncovers along the way….

The Devil’s Due

Possession was never this much fun

Trust me or die…That’s the choice Morgan Kingsley, exorcist, is given by the gorgeous rogue demon who’s gotten inside her. The truth is, Morgan has dozens of reasons not to trust anyone, from the violence that torched her house and killed her father to a love life that’s left her questioning her relationship with her erstwhile boyfriend, Brian. But Lugh, a king among demons, won’t take no for an answer. He’s prying into her body, her mind, even her sex life. And he’s just pulled Morgan into a power struggle that could have devastating consequences for both the human and demon worlds.

But Morgan still has a job to do: investigating the highly bizarre possession of the son of a wealthy Philadelphia couple. That hunt leads Morgan into a realm of sexual depravity, then a terrifying kidnapping.… Now a woman who makes her living prying demons from their hosts finds her day job colliding with the night: a darkness that is attracting demons of the damnedest sort, including the one who’s about to demand his ultimate due.…

Speak of the Devil

For a kick-ass exorcist, it’s all about staying alive….

Morgan Kingsley, America’s most successful exorcist, is paying the price for an exorcism gone wrong. The victim’s family is suing the daylights out of her, the Exorcism Board has suspended her, and now she’s living on a diet of ramen noodles and bad coffee. But Morgan has a few good men at her side. One is her current boyfriend, nice-guy legal eagle Brian, who’s suddenly starting to reveal his inner bad boy. The other is Philly cop Adam White, who’s trying to help Morgan find out who sent her a little present—a severed human hand—and why someone seems determined to destroy her.

As her stalker turns more violent, leaving dead bodies in his wake, Morgan turns to the dark side of her life: a group of demons steeped in secrets, sinful eroticism, and otherworldly family feuds, including one sexy beast who shares Morgan’s body—and some X-rated fantasies. Soon Morgan must choose between her friends, her enemies, and her libido: to escape a mad demon determined to destroy her completely.

The Devil’s Playground

Morgan Kingsley, a kick-ass exorcist, can deal with Lugh, the supersexy demon living inside her, but does he have to moan softly during her intimate moments with her mortal lover? Understandably, Brian is reluctant to share the pleasures of Morgan’s flesh with a gorgeous rogue from the Demon Realm.

But personal matters will have to wait when the opportunistic owner of the Seven Deadlies demon club in Philadelphia enlists Morgan’s help in heading off a crisis: It seems that demons have started showing up at the hot spot in alarming numbers and in the unwilling bodies of rough trade club-goers. Morgan is sure that Dougal, Lugh’s sworn enemy, is behind this, but why? To find out, Morgan must summon every ounce of power at her command—or risk becoming just another casualty in an all-out demon war.

 

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Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!

xoxo,

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Bookish Escape: Cassandra Palmer series Discussion!

 

With so many urban fantasy series out there, It’s hard to choose what to read next sometimes. But some series have been around since almost the beginning and delivering unmissable (prob not a word lol) adventures for years and we can’t get  any better than the fabulous Cassandra Palmer series by Karen Chance.

From the moment we meet Cassie in Touch the Dark to the “oh my god, what just happened” ending in Hunt the Moon, we get to see her develop from a simple vampire ward to a force to be reckon with. Plus, who doesn’t love all the fabulous men she must deal with on a daily basis – Pritkin, Mircea and Kit just to name a few.  I am Team Pritkin all the way! Btw! hehe

Cassie is one of my all time favorites and the sixth book is not coming out soon enough. Jackie (from Literary Escapism) happens to agree with me. Are we the only ones?  Is anyone else waiting to see what happens to Pritkin? Is anyone rooting for Pritkin or are you firmly in camp Mircea? Let’s discuss this amazing series, so join us at Talk Shoe on November 16th at 8pm EST and let’s talk about it.

 Please notice the time difference.  With Daylight Savings, I am even farther ahead of those of you in EST now and we’ve adjusted the time so I’m not up after midnight. =D

November 16th @ 8PM EST

Call-in Number: 724.444.7444
Call ID: 93065

 

Touch the Dark

 

 

Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits-talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren’t usually dangerous; they just like to talk…a lot. The undead are another matter.

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she’s forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection. The undead senators won’t help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire-and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay…

Click here to read an excerpt

 

Warning: We will be focusing on the series, so spoilers are going to happen. We’ll try to keep the hardcore spoilers to a minimum, but there are no guarantees.

 

Haven’t read the series yet? What are you waiting for?! Here are the books, in order:

Claimed by Shadow

A recent legacy made Cassandra Palmer heir to the title of Pythia, the world’s chief clairvoyant. It’s a position that usually comes with years of training, but Cassie’s circumstances are a little…unusual. Now she’s stuck with a whopping amount of power that every vamp, fey, and mage in town wants to either monopolize or eradicate-and that she herself doesn’t dare use.

What’s more, she’s just discovered that a certain arrogant master vampire has a geis on her-a magical claim that warns off any would-be suitors, and might also explain the rather … intense attraction between them. But Cassie’s had it with being jerked around, and anyone who tries it from now on is going to find out that she makes a very bad enemy…

Click here to read an excerpt

Embrace the Night

Recently named the world’s chief clairvoyant, Cassandra Palmer still has a thorn in her side. As long as Cassie and a certain master vampire—the sizzling-hot Mircea—are magically bound to each other, her life will never be her own …

The spell that binds them can only be broken with an incantation found in the Codex Merlini, an ancient grimoire. The Codex’s location has been lost in the present day, so Cassie will have to seek it out in the only place it can still be found—the past.

But Cassie soon realizes the Codex has been lost for a reason. The book is rumored to contain some seriously dangerous spells, and retrieving it may help Cassie to deal with Mircea, but it could also endanger the world…

Click here to read an excerpt

Curse the Dawn

Cassandra Palmer may be the all-powerful Pythia now, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped trying to kill her. Most of the supernatural power players don’t want the independent minded Cassie as chief clairvoyant—and they’ll stop at nothing to see her six feet under.

The Vampire Senate does support Cassie in her position, but their protection comes with a price: an alliance with the sexy master vampire Mircea, who has claimed Cassie as his own.

But even the vampires will have trouble keeping Cassie alive now that the self-styled god Apollo, the source of the Pythia’s power, has it in for her in a big way. To save her life—and the world—Cassie’s going to have to face down her creator once and for all.

Click here to read an excerpt

Hunt the Moon

Cassandra Palmer recently defeated a god, which you’d think would buy a girl a little time off. But it doesn’t work that way when your new job description is Pythia — the world’s chief clairvoyant. Cassie is busier than ever, trying to learn about her power, preparing for her upcoming coronation, and figuring out her relationship with the enigmatic sexy master vampire, Mircea.

But someone doesn’t want Cassie to become Pythia, and is willing to go to any lengths to make sure the coronation ceremony never happens—including attacking her mother before Cassie is even born.

Click here to read an excerpt

Free Stories
Coming Soon: Masks and Shadowland

 

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Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!

xoxo,

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