Wednesday Reads and BITE ME News

Decisions, decisions. I had to make a big one where BITE ME is concerned. Keep a character or cut her? Well, I thought cut until I got to her important scene. Couldn’t do it. Not if I wanted the scene to make sense (and I couldn’t cut the scene without scrapping the rest of the book - yeah, that wasn’t happening). So the character lives, but in a different capacity. Good news for the character and hopefully good news for my word count. I’ll find out later this week if it works. You know, once I implement the changes.

Even with all that decision making, I still managed to get some books read. Here’s what I finished reading this week:

Aug 14: “Mistress of the Stone” by Maria Zannini. This is a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: Luisa Tavares has a list of sins the length of the Antilles, but there’s no time to repent for them now. When a pockmarked Frenchman hands her Papa’s ring--still attached to his severed finger--she orders the Coral back to the Caribbean, despite her father’s earlier warning never to return. It’s Luisa’s luckless fate that the only man who can help her is a blasted Inglés pirate hunter who’s more dead than alive and locked in a curse he doesn’t want lifted. Worse, his feral sensuality sparks a hunger she can’t ignore. Xander Daltry hadn’t planned on kidnapping this wild woman--or succumbing to his uncontrollable desire for her. But he needs Luisa and the moonstone she wears around her neck to rescind a witch’s spell. His sister, long dead, and others like her have been cursed to remain in the mortal plan for eternity. Only the stone can set them free. The only way to convince the reluctant pirate queen to help him is to withhold one small bit of the truth. For if she learns who really betrayed her father, the longing in her fiery eyes could easily turn to murderous wrath… The blurb only hints at paranormal, but the book is full of it and I loved it! It was also full of action and love, and man, that just did it for me. I was a happy reader when I finished this book and I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

Aug 17: “Fifth Grave Past the Light” by Darynda Jones. This is the fifth book in the Charley Davidson series, an urban fantasy (I think). Blurb on book: Charley Davidson isn’t your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper. She’s more of a paranormal private eye/grim reaper extraordinare. However, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. To further complicate matters, Reyes is her main suspect in an arson case. Charley has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth…but then dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason. When it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma, is the serial killer’s next target, Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes’s help. Arsonist or not, he’s the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay. Darynda Jones says she has fun writing these books and it shows. I certainly have fun reading them. As soon as I start, I’m instantly transformed into Charley’s world and don’t want to put the book down (which accounted for me going to bed close to midnight with crossed eyes!). If you love paranormal with a hot & sexy character (Reyes) and enjoy humor in your stories, grab all five books and start reading. You won’t regret it! I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

I think I’ll spend today watching the last three episodes of “True Blood.” After all that decision making, I think I deserve it! What kind of rewards do you give yourself for a job well done?

Happy reading!

 

Stacy