Category Archives: Urban Fantasy/Urban Fiction

#Review – Dysphoria and Grace: The Night Blind Saga #1 by Christina L. Rozelle

34376066

 

“How?” She swipes at a few stray tears. “How do you . . . not let it break you?”
“You look it straight in the black, evil eyes and tell it you won’t be broken so easily. And you get up and keep moving. It’s what I’ve done my whole life, with everything. Whatever it is, you let it make you stronger, okay? Because the alternative road is an even darker one, I promise.”

Twenty-year-old orphan, Grace Vincent, is damaged beyond repair. She’s had a shit life, and with the state of the world, things aren’t getting any better. With crime on the constant rise, and all licensed civilians age sixteen and up armed, it’s no wonder she has a pet name for her 9 mm, Suki.

While attending the slummiest community college in Selam, Texas, Grace still lives at home with her adoptive parents and their “miracle” baby, but only for a few more months until she graduates and they buy her a new car. She smokes and drinks a little too much, loses herself in her music, and to keep things interesting, she’s falling hard for her cute and sexy best friend, Eve. (Who knew she liked girls?)

But when the government imposes Martial Law, requiring civilians aged twenty-one and up to be vaccinated in an effort to eradicate violence, and things don’t go as planned, Grace is left to navigate a frenzied world while wrangling difficult realizations and regrets. With nothing else to lose, a decision must be made—fight and live, or surrender and die.

When Grace has lost all hope, two chance encounters prove there are secrets in Selam, Texas, lies about how the end happened, and hope for her yet, despite the insanity in her screwed-up mind. The world may have ended, but Grace’s new life has just begun.
“You can’t break someone who’s already broken. This, I know to be true.”

*Content Advisory/Trigger Warning/Notes*
Dysphoria and Grace/The Night Blind Saga is a dark apocalyptic romance series with some very steamy, sometimes rather dark F/F scenes, M/F scenes, and other mixes (later books in series). In these books you will find a buffet of language, gore, drug use, violence, assault/abuse, and a bunch of other stuff that could scar you for life. If you’re not willing to take that risk, please read ‘safer’ books. If you don’t ingest your literature occasionally (or often) on the edge, gritty, in the dark, and/or possibly in a random stairwell, this series may not be right for you.
*Recommended for readers 18+
*Not recommended for those with PTSD (though the main character herself suffers from PTSD, so… your call)
*Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhanger. 😉
*Book 2 releases this summer, and book three releases in the fall. There will be six books in the series, with the remaining three books due out next year. To be notified as soon as they become available, sign up for my newsletter here:
*If you have any questions about this series, or if you’d like to give me ungodly amounts of money for any reason at all, feel free to email me: Christina@ChristinaLRozelle.com
*If you’d prefer gritty, but cleaner (no sex), check out my best-selling YA Dystopian Scifi Horror series, “The Treemakers Trilogy.”

 

Goodreads

 

Oh the moon and stars! What an epic journey! This is definitely not what I expected. Be ready to be wrecked, and I mean this in the best possible way. This is a twisted ride into a new age zombie apocalypse. Grace is our main character and boy, has she had a past. This makes her extremely likeable and relatable. The setting is intense from jump. There are drugs, partying, witchcraft, and zombies…I mean, what more could you ask for? But lets be real for a moment. Grace has experienced hell growing up. She has come to terms and feels she is stronger for it. Her best friend is put into a similar situation. Grace is there for her but then all hell breaks loose. Then things get real. They are fighting for their lives, her little brothers life, and a new found friend, Gideon. And nothing slows down. The story is extremely action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I can’t really say anything else about the actual story but I literally contacted this author halfway through the book to talk about what happened. I was a mess reading this….but it was totally, absolutely worth it. Don’t let this discourage you. Once I hit this bump in the road the story just got better and better. I felt like I was right there and her shoes. This is an epic page turner and has made it to the top of my favorite reads. I. Can. Not. Wait. for the sequel. Bring it on! I am so ready!

 

Amazon

 

Christina L. Rozelle

Christina is a mother of four currently hiding from the sun somewhere in Dallas, Texas. You may find her out on rainy autumn days narrating her life in her head. You’ll also find her taxiing her children around in traffic, or stopped in random places, like your local produce section, to take notes before her ideas flitter away into the Great Beyond. Though her current series is YA Dystopian, she has many stories in the works in various sub-genres of speculative fiction (including NA and Adult) for the near future. You’ll definitely want to stick around to see what she comes up with next.

For news on exciting upcoming events and subscriber-exclusive promotions, sign up for ‘The Rozelle Army’ mailing list: http://eepurl.com/68sS9

You can also visit her website for more information and awesomeness. http://christinalrozelle.com/

#Review #NewRelease Priceless by Sarah J. Pepper (Once Wicked Series #1)

Priceless (Once Wicked Series, #1)

 

“It was everything
I
Could do to breathe when his gaze fell to my lips. Her perilous stare left me without words. It was the very way a lover left you speechless with a passing glance. But Declan didn’t just take a glimpse. He hardly blinked as he stepped closer, like he
WANTED
All space between us eliminated. Simultaneously, I gravitated towards him and wanted to run away. Everything I thought I knew about love and hate was destroyed in a heartbeat. The two were opposing feelings, but now I wasn’t so sure. And it was all because of
HIM.”

Sometimes the bad boys have the greatest romance stories. In the Once Wicked Series, the infamous villains we love to hate are no different. But in this series, they finally get the chance to tell their stories…

Updated and re-edited. Originally published in the Fairy Tale Confessions anthology.

 

Goodreads

 

Absolutely Priceless! Everything has a price. Some want money, power, or….freedom. In this retelling of Rumpelstiltskin and the Pied Piper we see how they finally meet and how their attraction all started. Declan Stilts wants his freedom and makes a deal with Piper’s mother for the soul of her first born child. The thing he doesn’t anticipate is to be absolutely captivated by Piper. In this novella we see how their push pull attraction starts. Does everything still have a price? This is an incredible story that pulls you in right from the beginning and will make you want to continue this in Soulless. You will not be able to put it down. Go get your copy now!

 

Amazon

 

Sarah J. Pepper

Award Winning Author, Sarah J. Pepper, specializes in fantasy and paranormal romance. She unveils the beauty of love in her new adult/young adult novels. Her works envelope dark, paranormal romance – think “happy ever after” but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn’t only filled with hugs, kisses, bunnies, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of – both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn’t always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn’t mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit? www.sarahjpepper.com

#WOTR #NewRelease #Review- Shadows of Deception (The Shadows Trilogy #2) by Amy Hale @AuthorAmyHale

wotr-attendingauthor

Shadows of Deception (The Shadows Trilogy #2)

synopsis

With the head of The Curators removed from power, a new leader has stepped in and relocated those imprisoned within its grasp. They will stop at nothing to get what they want, and they still want Jane and the power her gifts can bring them.

Jane and Colt’s next mission is to free the gifted, but this may be their toughest challenge yet. To win this war, they will put everything on the line. Even with the help of friends, what lies ahead will be difficult. Can Jane and Colt salvage their relationship while making personal sacrifices at the same time?

Book two in The Shadows Trilogy continues the story of Jane and Colt as they embark on a wild ride of raw emotions, danger, and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity.

TBR

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon

angies-review

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

EPP The drama from book 1 jumps right back in when we start book2.  Colt and Jane are looking for answers to where the bad guys are and where the children are they stole.  When Jane is about at her last bit of hope we discover Jeremy.  The three tag team up and with the help of their favorite doctor try to figure out some new clues. When someone comes and harms the doctor, they all finally decide their choice of action.  Colt’s brother joins up to figure out and help Jane.

As the group start to travel, they soon discover more of Jane’s old friends.  I personally loved Rachel and how she dealt with Brett’s insta -ove…..She cracked me up threatening him when he give her donuts for breakfast…..I really enjoyed this rag tag team of misfits or even a bit of an X-Men vibe that this group puts off.  Learning the skills and secret abilities each had was really cool as well.  A lot of this story is the team learning to work together, building trusting relationships for the final showdown in book 3 and dealing with a traitor in their camp………BOO HISS!!!  I won’t even get start on Jane and her terrible visions that she is having L

I enjoyed Colt and Jane’s continued relationship.  They are still very connected and they can read each other very well which comes in very handy in the situation they are in.  I laughed a few timed at how everyone perceived Colt as an OLD MAN or the “get a room” type comments the other kids would make to his and Jane’s goo goo eyes.

about the author

Amy Hale is a best selling author, mother, and wife living in Illinois. Her husband and kids are the center of her universe, although her cat believes otherwise. She also loves reading, music, and photography.

Amy started her writing career in 2003 with non-fiction and educational pieces, but decided to take the leap to fiction in 2014. Her whiteboard is full of crazy ideas and she’s always plotting new projects. She’s a hopeless romantic and adores all the various ways a love story can be told. Amy also loves mystery, humor, suspense, and other action filled stories, so her goal is to blend the action with romance and keep you on your toes. Learn more at authoramyhale.com

Soulless (Once Wicked Series) by Sarah J Pepper

27811018

 

synopsis

Our love is imperfect in the most perfect way. It is love done our way. Raw. Unconventional. Sexy as hell. Most importantly, it is honest to the core, or so I think. One little, white lie shouldn’t do so much damage. Yet, it changes me forever.

The worst part is that Declan whispered that sweet nothing out of protection. My safety is on the forefront of his mind, especially since there are others who’d hurt me simply to get at him. I never think that he would be the one to cut me so deeply. And it all starts with that first prick—the night he saved my life.

 

excerpt

His perilous stare deepened as his grip fastened around my waist. The maniacal thoughts passing over his eyes confirmed that I wasn’t the only one who wanted all the space between us eliminated.

I

could hardly breathe when his gaze fell to my lips. It left me speechless. It was the very way a passing glance could leave you without words. But Declan didn’t just take a glimpse. No, he unapologetically looked me over. He

loved

me, but didn’t say them in so many words. Yet, I heard them all the same. I heard them with each moan that echoed in the air. I felt them as he held me gently in his arms. Even if I didn’t feel the desire radiating off of him in a fury of passion, he bore that intensity in his gaze. The world around us melted away until there was on me and

him.

 About the series:

About the series “Once Wicked”

@unconventionaldamsels who rock piercings, refuse to conform to society’s rules, and aren’t obsessed with labels, check out the “Once Wicked” Series. Happily Ever After doesn’t dfine the misunderstood evil villains we love to hate, Their story is so much deeper than their fairy princess counterparts, yet were never told. That’s a damn shame. They aren’t alwasy as wicked as they are made out to be. Well, not all of them. So until the clock strikes midnight and the (other) glass shoe drops, enjoy these not-so-Prince-Charming book boyfriends in the modern series, #OnceWicked

TBR

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5762464.Sarah_J_Pepper

 

kellys review

Absolutely wicked! Alluring, tantalizing, haunting, twisted, dark…and the list goes on and on! There are not many books that leave me speechless after the prologue, during the story, AND the ending. But wow! Sarah J Pepper did it! So here I sit trying to figure out how to tell you that you HAVE TO READ THIS without giving anything away. Well, there you go. YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!

This is the story of Rumplestiltskin (goes by Stilts) who finds his love but only to make her the monster that he is. It’s not the fairytale we grew up with, but so much more. It is set to present day but we encounter many different fairytale characters that have been updated…a bit to say the least. Stilts is a demon and when he turns his love, Piper, into a demon like himself he finds that he is trying to preserve her innocence. He doesn’t want her to regret this decision by turning into a killer. In doing this he puts her into hiding and tells a teeny white lie to spare her the guilt. She is being protectd by Hans and El, brother and sister witches, who are also one of Stilts’ enemies. Naturally they all hate each other but a connection comes about in an unusual way. Not like a friendship but more of an understanding. Piper ultimately finds out about the lie but what happens next is nothing like what you’d expect. The connection that Stilts and Piper have is INTENSE (like the rest of the story). It’s a continual struggle of love and hate, right and wrong. Questionable motives and manipulation opens this story to all types of interpretations. Who is really the villain???

“So the idea of Prince Charming rescuing me from my jacked-up life was hysterical . But that was exactly what had happened; except my Prince Charming was a bad boy with a demonic complexion. Declan Stilts— alias Declan Rumpelstiltskin— was the kind of guy prissy girls had nightmares about.”

“The ugly stepchild of hate was love. That four-letter word had this incredibly unique way of luring a person in, getting them to put their guard down , and striking when they were most vulnerable. Love was what lowered my defenses. Love smacked me with the stupid stick. Love made me weak. Love got me killed. Love turned me into a killer. I didn’t know what love had in store for me, but I didn’t want to find out.”

“F***ing fairy tales were written about do-gooders who had made simplistic, popular choices. Those of us who had made choices at great costs were labeled as villains .”

I have so many quotes that I can keep adding. There is something for everyone in this story. INTENSE, INTENSE, INTENSE! Everyone has their story to tell and this is about Rumplestiltskin and the Pied Piper. Reader beware: The ending will grab your heart and twist it. The cliffhanger is dangerous! Love this new series!!!

“Every fairy tale has a happy ending, but I was no Prince Charming. However, sometimes the bad guys have the greatest romance to tell.” Absolutely true!!!!!!

 

Buy-Links
Amazon US ✦ http://bit.ly/ussoullessoncewicked
Amazon UK ✦ http://bit.ly/uksoullessoncewicked
Amazon CA ✦ http://bit.ly/casoullessoncewicked
Amazon AU ✦ http://bit.ly/ausoullessoncewicked
B&N ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedbn
iBooks ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedapple
Kobo ✦ http://bit.ly/soullessoncewickedkobo

 

about-the-author

5762464
Sarah J. Pepper specializes in dark, paranormal romance – think “happy ever after” but with a twisted, dark chocolate center. Real-life romance isn’t only filled with hugs, kisses, bunnies, and rainbows. True-love can be more thoroughly described in times of darkness and tribulation. It’s in those harsh moments where you see what a person is truly capable of – both the good and bad. Sometimes prince-charming isn’t always on time, and the glass slipper is a little snug. However, it doesn’t mean Charming is not Mr. Right, and who says every shoe is the perfect fit? Get a glimpse inside her head at www.sarahjpepper.com

Website: http://www.sarahjpepper.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahjpepper.authorTwitter: https://twitter.com/sarahjpepperInstagram: http://www.enjoygram.com/sarahjanepepperPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peppersarahj/tsu: http://www.tsu.co/sarahjpepper
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sarah-J.-Pepper/e/B007YHT7XS
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/sarah-j-pepper/3a/71/b5b

Halfway Dead (Halfway Witchy Series 1) by Terry Maggert

25827242

synopsis

Come for the waffles. Stay for the magic.

Carlie McEwan loves many things.

She loves being a witch. She loves her town of Halfway, NY—a tourist destination nestled on the shores of an Adirondack lake. Carlie loves her enormous familiar, Gus, who is twenty-five pounds of judgmental Maine Coon cat, and she positively worships her Grandmother, a witch of incredible power and wisdom. Carlie spends her days cooking at the finest—and only—real diner in town, and her life is a balance between magic and the mundane, just as she likes it.

When a blonde stranger sits at the diner counter and calls her by name, that balance is gone. Major Pickford asks Carlie to lead him into the deepest shadows of the forest to find a mythical circle of chestnut trees, thought lost to forever to mankind. There are ghosts in the forest, and one of them cries out to Carlie across the years–Come find me.

Like the forest shadows, danger can run deep. The threat is real, but Carlie’s magic is born of a pure spirit. With the help of Gus, and Gran, and a rugged cop who really does want to save the world, she’ll fight to bring a ghost home, and deliver justice to a murderer who hides in the cool, mysterious green of a forest gone mad with magic.

TBR

Goodreads

kellys review

I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.

I am having the hardest time describing how this book made me feel. First, witches. Enough said, right? But no, there is more. So much more. This is a fantastical paranormal world that is carefully constructed, very well hidden and could be sooooo true! The best part is that the characters that come to life in this story are from all different eras. It brings the witty, modern day sarcasm with some archaic beings and witchery. What could be better than that? You’ll have to read Halfway Dead to find the answer to that question (inserts evil laugh). Carlie is the main character and she is a white witch who is taught by her Gran. Carlie is more than content with her life but she is approached by two different people trying to find a certain area, but they both have different agendas. It seems that now Fate has set her on a new path to seek this area out. Now Carlie is set to find this magical place to uncover secrets but many more questions get raised in the process. You never know who you can trust when intentions get skewered by revenge, power, and sometimes love. The way this tale unfolds is incredibly calming but also intense. There is no shortage of crazy things going on and the plot moves pretty fast. I didn’t even realize I reached the end…well, until the end. I don’t even know if that makes sense, haha! The story kept me on my toes until the very end. It constantly had me wondering what direction they were going to go next. I needed to find out who all the players were and was continuosly trying to figure out their motive. A series of puzzles that need to be figured out. And in true style for any great author, they suck you in and then BAM! Kill someone! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!! It makes me want to cut the author off from any contact but I can’t stop and I need to know what happens next! So, on we go to Halfway Bitten (Halfway Witchey #2) to see what other heart wrenching evilness awaits me. Thank you Terry Maggert….you have a new fan!

“I treat my magic like a new pair of shoes. Someday, we’re going to love each other, but for now we’re just trying to fit together comfortably.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m naturally optimistic, but a practitioner of witchcraft knows that there is no such thing as an accident. Not around a witch.”

“I really do love a man who speaks in archaic dialect. It’s just so chivalrous, despite the fact that I could use a nice, deep lungful of air more than the declarative of a would-be knight. Wulfric backed up his sentiment with the kind of punch that spawns legends…”

A MUST READ!

Buy-Links

Amazon

about-the-author

SONY DSC
SONY DSC

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books.