WINNER of the Raven's Kiss giveaway!!

My contest for two copies of "Raven's Kiss" by Toni LoTempio ended last night, so it's time to announce the lucky winners.

First off, a huge thanks to Toni for donating two copies to giveaway!

Now, congratulations to...

********************** SQUIGGLES87 ******************************

and

********************** JESSICA CROSS ****************************

Yay! Congrats you two! I'll email Toni with your contact information, and you should get your book within the next few days.

Didn't win?
Purchase the book at Smashwords: Raven's Kiss

Have a great weekend!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

GIVEAWAY!: Win "Raven's Kiss" by Toni LoTempio! [BLB]

*********** CONTEST CLOSED, THANK YOU! *****************************

 Please welcome author Toni LoTempio as she stops by via her Book Lovin' Bitches ebook tour! Toni has a great treat for us today - two ecopies of her new release "Raven's Kiss" are up for grabs!

About the book: Raven Grace was a college senior with ambitions of a career in law enforcement when she met the demon Aega, whose bite turned her from mortal to Shapeshifter. Now a member of the Recovery Organization, Raven keeps the peace between humans and errant Hellhounds, trolls, wizards and the like – but her secret ambition is to track down the demon and bring him to justice. A chance encounter gives her the opportunity she seeks – in a universe that exists parallel to her own!



Recovery Captain Finn McPhee doesn’t know what to make of the strange girl who’s entered his universe – and his heart – But Raven’s quest coincides with his own investigation, a series of murders committed by a serial killer. Complicating matters is the fact Finn is a Mentos – mind-prober- which means Raven has to keep her lusty thoughts under wraps. Seeking answers, Finn takes Raven to the magickal underworld, where an ancient fae informs them the demon’s quest is rooted in Scottish mythology and magick. As they delve deeper into legend, the truth comes to light—the demon Aega is only a pawn, subservient to another, darker demon, Arkeath…a being who knows the truth about Raven’s heritage, and who orchestrated her return to this parallel universe for the ultimate showdown. Now, Finn and Raven find their passion for one another must take a backseat to Raven’s battle with a dark force who won’t be satisfied until he’s claimed her soul for his very own…
Find the author: Toni's Website
About Toni
Toni's Blog

RULES and GUIDELINES:
 ~ Fill out the form below to enter. Comments are appreciated, but do not count as an entry
 ~ Contest ENDS Thursday 6/2 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners announced Friday morning, 6/3.
 ~ Open Internationally, as long as the file type is supported.
 ~ You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
 ~ Novel Addiction is not responsible for items lost in the mail, or authors failing to deliver prizes.



Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

REVIEW: "Kiss Me, Kill Me, a Paranormal Anthology."

 Why this book?: One of the authors (Lori Brighton) gave me this book in exchange for a review. Buy it! It's only 99 cents AND all proceeds go to charity! Go HERE for more formats.

Disclaimer: Book was given to me in exchange for a review.

Type: Anthology, Charity, Paranormal, Series (sorta, some stories are continuation of series), Weres, Vamps, Magic, and more

About the book: Voyage into the realm of the paranormal with this nine author short story anthology. Sink your teeth into stories from: H.P. Mallory, Zoe Winters,Susan Bischoff, Lori Brighton, M.T. Murphy, Kait Nolan, Toni LoTempio, Daniel Arenson and Stacey Wallace Benefiel. All proceeds will be donated to GreaterGood.Org charity.
My Review: It's kind of tough to review anthologies - especially ones with so many authors, and therefore a lot of stories. I enjoyed the book, and it was the perfect choice for light reading in between busy moments of my life (which is every moment, currently). I'm not a huge anthology and short story fan, but "Kiss Me, Kill Me" provided some great entertainment, as well as helped me find new authors and series to pursue. A couple of the stories that really stuck out were "Wild Passion" by Lori Brighton - I do so love thieves and conmen, "The Sacrifice" by Toni LoTempio - the story was only so-so for me until the ending (especially the epilogue) and it just felt so delicious and right, and "Until the Breaking of the Day" by Daniel Arenson - this story absolutely blew me away, a beautiful, dark classic fantasy story.

Some of these stories are actually continuation of series, or a short spin-off of presently running series, and I found them to be a great starting point - I looked up several of the authors in this anthology to find the rest of their books after I finished reading their short story. I definitely want to look up "The Talent Chronicles" by Susan Bischoff after reading that story, as well as more Mirus stories by Kait Nolan. That said, I also liked that some stories stood alone - makes it a little less overwhelming since you don't feel left out by not knowing all the backstory. So all-in-all, this was a great anthology - very entertaining, and perfect for curling up on the deck in the (suddenly) warm weather and reading. Be sure to check it out!

Cover Loving: Good choice for the cover. Since there are some stories that would appeal to readers of either gender, I think it could have been less pink, but it generally fits the book.

Recommendation: Fans of paranormal will love it, as well as fans of the authors featured. If you're looking for some new authors to try, get "Kiss Me, Kill Me," it's an excellent way to try out authors, and help a charity at the same time!

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Fun, good read.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda ~!~

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's.. a REVIEW of "My Superhero Sister" by Toni LoTempio!

Why this book?: I'm a fan of Toni LoTempio, and she asked if I would be interested in reviewing her YA novel - Heck yes! Also, it counts for my Teen Reading Challenge at work!

Disclaimer: This book was given to me in exchange for a review.

Type: Young Adult, Superheroes (and Heroines!), Highschool can suck, Freaks and Geeks, BUGS, The uncool little sister, I'll take both Ed and Tad, thanks.

About the book: Holly Hamilton is a normal highschooler. That wouldn't be so bad if her Dad hadn't been a superhero, and now her sister is one too - Suprema. Talk about pressure, not only is her sister Miss Perfect, but she saves the city on a daily basis, how is a mortal younger sister supposed to deal? But when an evil supervillian steals Suprema's powers, it's up to normal Holly to save the day. But being super isn't as easy as she always thought...
My Review: "My Superhero Sister" is an incredibly cute young adult novel with some adult appeal. I used to love reading comic books, and I'll admit, I still love watching superhero movies. There's something about having powers that is just so.. cool. And if you read comics, as gritty as they can be sometimes, they also have moments of extreme cheesiness, or hookyness. This book has all of that hookyness that I've been missing. I think a lot of middle grade and teen readers will enjoy picking up "My Superhero Sister" because it is quick, easy, and amusing.

Some of this book was a little too predictable, and just when I thought I could guess what was going to happen next, a little curve ball was thrown into the playing field and I was surprised by what happened. Characters that I thought would turn out evil ended up being the good guys, and how Holly rises to the occasion at the end - I could have never seen that coming! With cute boys, family pressure, and school troubles, "My Superhero Sister" is an excellent, clean story for young adults.

Cover Loving: I love it! I think it's incredibly cute.

Recommendation: This was a fun read. Fans of quick, amusing young adult novels will enjoy "My Superhero Sister."

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). Fun, quick, good read. Enjoyable for sure.

Have you read "My Superhero Sister" or another book by Toni LoTempio? Share your thoughts in the comments! Would you like to pick up a copy of this book? Get it from Amazon.com! Or by clicking here.

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda ~!~

GIVEAWAY: Prize Pack - Books and an Amazon giftcard!

*********************** CONTEST CLOSED ******************************

Well everyone, it's December, which means it's time for the Holidays - or at least cold weather! And to me, that means curling up under a blanket with a good book. So that's my gift to you! One lucky winner will receive TWO books and $10 dollar Amazon.com gift card!

That's right, one lucky duck will get a copy of two books I enjoyed this year - "The Sky: The World" by Jessica McHugh, and "No Rest for the Wicca" by Toni LoTempio. I know I enjoyed curling up and reading them, and I'm sure you will too! And if that wasn't good enough for you, I'm including an Amazon.com gift card as well! While you're on Amazon buying gifts for your loved ones for the holidays, get a little something for yourself as well - you deserve it. =)

Want to know more about the books you can win! Well sure!
"No Rest for the Wicca" by Toni LoTempio features Paranormal Investigator Morgan Hawkes. Morgan uses her gifts and her expertise to track down a seriel killer that has been using voodoo mythology in each murder. She teams up with Inheritor Vampire Cole St. John, making this one steamy and suspenseful case.

I reviewed this book over a month ago and really enjoyed it. Fans of Anita Blake will be all over "No Rest for the Wicca." You can find my review here, and make sure to check out the author's Smashwords page as well!  Personally, I'm hoping for a sequel - Morgan Hawkes is a fascinating character. And I can't quite get enough of Cole St. John.




The second book in the prize pack is "The Sky: The World" by Jessica McHugh. Another book I reviewed and just couldn't put down. "The Sky: The World" follows pilot Jack Racine as he goes on an important mission, a mission given to him by the great Dr. Azaz himself. But is Dr. Azaz really the great man everyone things he is? Can Jack complete this mission, even if it means learning something so disastrous?

I reviewed "The Sky: The World" not so long ago, and loved loved loved it. Make sure to check out my review here, and then go browse the author's page. There's plenty to see, and I highly recommend browsing her shop ( McHugh Merch ) and looking at all the great Tshirt slogans.



And lastly - the final part of the prize pack is the Amazon.com gift card, delivered electronicly (Assuming I do it correctly!) so that you can do your shopping right away. So that said, what you would buy with the giftcard? Is there a book you've been wanting? Would you put it towards a larger purchase? Maybe just browse the deals until the perfect item jumps out at you?  Let me know in the comments!

OFFICIAL RULES:
~ Leave a comment, and include your email (No email, no entry!)
~ Contest closes Sunday, December 19th at 11:59pm EST.
~ Winner will be announced Monday December 20th, and will be contacted via email.
~ Are you a follower? State that in your comment (ex "+1 Follower") and you earn an EXTRA ENTRY!
~ There will only be one winner.

Thank you! And I hope you all have a great week. Check back Monday to see who won. Good luck, everyone!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Review of "No Rest for the Wicca" by Toni LoTempio

 I hope you all had a great weekend! Ready for another awesome Monday? Yeah, me either... But at least my weekend was filled with some great books - like "No Rest for the Wicca." On that note, let's begin!

Disclaimer: This book was given to me in exchange for a review. I was not given any monetary incentive for a good review. I am an Amazon.com affiliate (which means almost nothing).

Type: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Witches, Voodoo, Investigators, Special Agents, Hunky agents pretending to be equally hunky professors, College

Why this book?: Well, the awesome author of "No Rest for the Wicca" contacted me about reviewing her book - and after reading the synopsis, I couldn't pass it up. Frankly, it seemed like it was right up my alley - it was. =)
 Morgan Hawkes works as a paranormal investigator, one of the "ghostbusters" that cleans up daemons that just don't want to move to the next plane. It may not be her dream job, but after losing her partner, it's better than working in Homicide and having to relive that traumatic experience every day. But Special Agent Cole St. John has come to her with an interesting proposition. There's a serial killer on the lose, targeting local witches, and he needs Morgan's expertise. Originally, she passes on the deal, but when her cousin is attacked and almost becomes the next victim, Morgan jumps on board. But this case, and Cole, might be more than she is prepared to handle.


I like Morgan - she can be snarky. And she's not a wimpy female, she can dish out the sarcasm as well as a well aimed punch or kick, just as good as any man. Yeah, she had a traumatic experience, but she's working on coming to terms with her past, and does her best to prevent herself from ever being in that situation again. But she's also loyal, and if putting herself on the line is what it takes to save her cousin, she'll do it. She's willing to do anything, even offer herself as bait, if it means catching the bad guy. And that's where Cole St. John comes in. Confident, charming, and smart. He wants to solve this case just as much as anyone, but he keeps a level head enough to keep Morgan from doing anything rash - and it makes them a good team. And the two have great chemistry, and the perfect amount of humor and witty banter to keep this story from being too dark.

The author either really knew her Wicca and Voodoo history and practice, or she is great at making things up and having them sound like gospel truth. The scenes where Morgan was listening to the professors' lectures were interesting, the knowledge fascinating and useful (for later) enough that it was fascinating. The description in most scenes was well done, just the right amount to give the reader an idea of what was going on or where they were, but not so much that it was overbearing. And the close, hot moments between Cole and Morgan were quite steamy. The moments leading up to these scenes could have had a little more tension, maybe a heated look or a not-so-casual touch so it flowed a little smoother, but it was still very well done. And though a character or two's name was switch, always a character that wasn't in the scene, just being referred to, and occasionally a character would start somewhere in the beginning of the conversation and end up somewhere very different supposedly without moving by the end of it, it's never enough to pull the reader out of the story, and I only noticed it by chance.

I'm going to give "No Rest for the Wicca" a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I enjoyed the characters, I loved the story, and I thought it played out exceptionally well. The ending was quite satisfying, and was left open enough that a sequel is possible - I certainly hope! Be sure to check out "No Rest for the Wicca" by Toni LoTempio by purchasing this item at Amazon.com, or via the author's Smashwords page, here. Only $2.99 for what I assure you is a great read - I could barely put it down once I started reading.

Have a wonderful week, and make sure to check back tomorrow when author Russell Brooks drops by during his Virtual Blog Tour - enter to win a prize or an ecopy of his new release, "Pandora's Succession"

~!~ MG