It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare... A Review

I'm chasing the cold away this week with some hot reads! Today I want to share with you It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare...

Blaire Lindsay has been warned that her ancestral home in the Scottish Highlands is haunted. But it will take more than tales of fictional ghosts to frighten Blaire, a battle-born witch with supernatural strength and the ability to make sparks fly from her fingertips. Hearing spectral wails, she decides to search for their source, and is surprised to find a handsome English baron chained to the dungeon wall. Once Blaire frees James, Lord Kettering, from his bonds, she quickly finds herself in the arms of the vampyre lord, whose perfect manners are more dangerous than anything Blaire has ever faced... Soon her family’s castle is overrun with vengeful vampyres from James’ past, which threaten both of their futures. Blaire and James join together in the fight of their lives to save everything they hold dear from the forces of evil...

Do you love your Historical's with a wee bit of witchcraft?! Well, It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare is a Paranormal Historical! The setting is one of my favorites... Scotland! And the time frame is 1817! Add to that mix a heroine that is feisty and a witch, a handsome vampyre that almost melts our heroine's heart, and a dark and mysterious castle!

The story opens up in Edinburgh, 1797. Five witches have hunted down a particular vampyre, charming in appearance, but deadly. Deadly to the daughter of one of the coven... sometime in the future. The vampyre is James Kettering and the witches take his very essence away and bury him in a castle in the Highlands, never to be heard from again... or so they thought.

The story jumps 20 years in the future. Those five witches have passed down their powers to their daughters, one of which is Blaire Lindsay. Upon the death of Blaire's mother, eventually it is found out that her mother had an estate... in the Highlands. Are you seeing part of the picture here? Buried in the basement of that estate is James Kettering, and when Blaire shows up to claim her ancestral home, guess who is discovered stirring in the basement?! But this is just the start of a fantastic story! When Blaire frees James from the basement, she knows he's not your average man, and what ensues is just amazing!

The banter between Blaire and James is so wonderful! She is a great heroine, who is feisty and strong willed, but yet she can't help but melt at James Kettering's touch. Sparks and passion ignite every time Blaire and James get near each other, but love between a witch and a vampyre? And especially since it was Blaire's mother who helped banish James for 20 years in the basement! Why did they banish James into the Highlands? What secrets lie in wait for both Blaire and James to discover?

There is so much more to this novel than the fire between Blaire and James. The story feels fresh in its approach, sprinkled with humor and filled with an intriguing mystery. The writing is wonderful. Blaire does talk with a Scottish Brogue, but it should only take a few pages before the dialect feels natural. And that Scottish Brogue is only coming from Blaire's family and relations, the rest of the dialogue is written without the added Highland "flavor". But the way Blaire talks also adds authenticity to the time and place. And I really enjoyed "listening" to her.

Simply put... I just loved this book! Lydia Dare's writing just pulled me in! I became totally absorbed in the story, which had just enough witchcraft and vampyre lore to satisfy me without overwhelming the whole plot. The romance was smart & sexy. And the characters were were well developed and entertaining. Blaire herself kept me reading as I just had to know how she was going to handle all that was put in front of her. If you enjoy vampyres, a bit of witchcraft and "The Highlands", plus romance, a great story and a bit of mystery, Read This Book!

I want to thank Sourcebooks for sending along a copy for review! I loved it! AND I hear that It Happened One Bite is the start of a new series by Lydia Dare! I can't wait!

First Lines...

"Alpina Lindsay breathed a sigh of relief. It hadn't been easy locating a vampyre none of them had ever met, but finally, after nights of searching for the man, there he was! He certainly matched the description of the man Fiona Macleod had seen in her vision. Leaning against the stone facade of the old inn, Lord Kettering drew deeply on his cheroot as he gazed up at the crescent moon, seemingly without a care in the world."

... It Happened One Bite by Lydia Dare (coming March 2011)

The Host by Stephanie Meyer... A Giveaway!

The Wanderer invaded Her Soul...

But Melanie Refuses to Give Over Her Mind too...

Congrats to Bethie, Carina & Virginia! They each won a copy of The Host! And Thank you to EVERYONE who joined the fun! Tweeted and Blogged about the Giveaway!

How many of us adults have enjoyed the Twilight series?! Stephanie Meyer's brought us into the world of Vampires & young love and captured our attention. Now enjoy The Host by Stephanie Meyer, who creates a world we feel we can step right into... and a love story we can devour... all for adults!

Back of the Book... Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind. As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love...

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

THE HOST debuted at #1 on The New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list and remained there for more than a year. Meyer’s first adult novel was not only a huge commercial success with more than 2 million copies sold, it also brought a whole new audience of readers to Stephenie Meyer. Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST, appeals to rabid Twilight Saga fans and readers of classic literary suspense alike. The Host has also been referred to as "science fiction for people who don't like science fiction". AND Movie rights to THE HOST have been optioned by Nick Wechsler and Steve and Paula Mae Schwartz, the team that produced the film of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Andrew Niccol of Gattaca and The Truman Show will write the script and direct.

Originally released May 2008, it is now available in a trade paperback edition WITH a New Bonus Chapter! Here's a link to a peak at the bonus chapter. Plus, there's a Reading Group Guide for book clubs (I've included that below). I've enjoyed the writing of Stephanie Meyer in her Twilight books, and I am enjoying reading The Host! She makes the setting she writes about and the characters so real. I'm not quite done with The Host yet, it's a nice thick book!, so my review is coming... In the meantime, here's the reading group guide, and following that are the details on how to enter to win your own copy of The Host!

The Host by Stephanie Meyer Reading Group Guide...

1. How does the poem “Question” by May Swenson, which appears as the epigraph at the beginning of the novel, relate to some of the important themes in The Host?

2. The souls are described as bright silver ribbonlike creatures with hundreds of tiny tentacles. To some they seem beautiful, while others liken them to “worms” and “centipedes.” Do you think the souls’ physical form suits their nature? If you were to imagine a different form to give the souls, what would it be?

3. There is an ongoing debate in The Host about the true nature of humans. Wanderer refl ects, “The humans were brutish and ungovernable. They had killed one another so frequently that murder had been an accepted part of life” (page 47). Do you think this brutality is innate to mankind? If so, does this make the peaceable souls’ decision to take over the earth more ethical?

4. While most of The Host is narrated by Wanderer, Melanie occasionally takes over the narration to relate important memories. Why might Stephenie Meyer have chosen to tell the story in this way? Did you connect more with one voice than the other?

5. The souls believe they are transforming the vicious human world into a utopia. Is the society the souls construct better than the natural society of humans? Melanie tells Wanderer that humans realized the souls were taking over bodies “when the evening news was nothing but inspiring human-interest stories…when everything morphed into Mayberry” (page 108). How does the society of the souls on earth compare to your image of “a perfect world”?

6. The souls are morally complicated creatures. On one hand, they are “all things good: compassionate, patient, honest, virtuous, and full of love” (page 3). On the other, they survive by taking over the bodies and minds of unsuspecting hosts. Does the parasitic nature of the souls overshadow their virtuous qualities? Did you sympathize with the souls, or did you view them as the clear enemies of humans?

7. When Wanderer is lost in the desert searching for Jared and Jamie, Melanie tells her, “You’ve finally found the place and the body you’d die for. I think you’ve found your home, Wanderer” (page 113). What is the significance of “home” in The Host? Why has Wanderer chosen to move from world to world for so many millennia? Can earth ever really be home for a soul?

8. When Wanderer first arrives in the caves, she reflects, “This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds --- the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions…the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds” (page 141). Are these extremes inevitable? Are our darker inclinations essential to the richness of human experience? Do you agree with the premise that more purely “good” beings like the souls can’t experience life as fully as humans can?

9. The humans in the caves are divided about how to view and treat Wanderer. Do you think it is more reasonable to extend kindness to Wanderer or to ostracize her as a potential threat to the group? If you lived in the caves, how would you greet her arrival?

10. Of everybody in the caves, Jared reacts to Wanderer in a manner that is perhaps the most complex. Does the way he treats her surprise you? What do you imagine is going through his head in the first days after Wanderer’s arrival? What instigates the change in his attitude toward her?

11. When Wanderer /Melanie first arrive at the caves, Melanie is eager for them to explain their situation, but Wanderer insists on staying mute, even if it means being subject to imprisonment and abuse. Why does Wanderer make this choice? Do you think it is a wise one? How might things have played out differently if they had done it Melanie’s way?

12. While Wanderer describes many of the worlds where she has lived in great detail, we learn very little about her birth world, The Origin. How do you imagine The Origin? What would a world populated only by souls be like?

13. Near the novel’s end, Wanda makes a deal with Doc. Do you think she makes the right decision about Melanie’s fate and her own? Were you satisfied with the humans’ response to her decision?

14. Jamie tells Wanderer he chose Pet because “I was looking for someone who looked like you. And I thought this looked like you” (page 605). Do you agree with Jamie? Do you think Pet’s body matches Wanderer’s nature?

15. Imagine a prequel to The Host. Of the different worlds Wanderer lived on before arriving on Earth, which would you be most interested in imagining more fully? Similarly, each of the humans living in the caves during The Host has a back story. Which of these would you be most interested in learning more about?

You can read more about the book at The Host Website. You can also learn more about Stephanie, her books and movies at her website, StephanieMeyers.com. AND Courtesy of Hachette Book Group I have 3 paperback copies of The Host to GIVE AWAY! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on May 19th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

Giveaway: Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron

She Sees Him in Her Dreams...

But His Secret is Her Worst Nightmare.

And Our Winners are... Stacie, Anna & Cheryl! Congratulations! They each won a copy of Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron! And Thank you to EVERYONE who joined the fun by entering, tweeting and blogging about the giveaway!

Fueled by her family's murder years ago, Dr. Marlena Bender has devoted her life to understanding violent criminals. But when a serial killer in this small Southern town starts taking the lives of women in diabolical ways--leaving trophies of his kills on Marlena's doorstep--it all hits too close to home. Terrified, Marlena turns to the only man she can trust...the man who saved her life.

Hot Desire... Demonic forces... Good versus Evil...

Rita Herron's great writing...

Let's have some fun with a bit of steamy romance from Rita Herron! She's quite a talented lady and has written mystery & romance as well as written for television shows such as Medium and The Ghost Whisperer. Forbidden Passion is part of her Demonborn series that blends romantic suspense with the paranormal. Courtesy of Anna from Hachette Book Group I have 3 copies of Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron to give away! As the temperatures rise outside, let's add some sizzle to our reading! Here's how to enter...

To Enter this giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on May 1st. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck

Laced with Magic Virtual Book Tour '09

Laced with Magic ...by Barbara Bretton

It'll cast a spell over you...

Laced with Magic...

"Knit shop owner and sorcerer's daughter Chloe Hobbs felt the Fates finally got it right when she met Luke MacKenzie. And no one could have convinced her otherwise—including the trolls, selkies, or spirits who also call Sugar Maple, Vermont, home. But then out of nowhere Luke's ex-wife suddenly shows up, claiming to see the spirit of their daughter, Steffie—a daughter Chloe knows nothing about.

Steffie's spirit is being held hostage by a certain Fae leader. And if Chloe weaves a spell to free her spirit, her nemesis will also be free—free to destroy her yarn shop and all of Sugar Maple. But if she doesn't, Steffie won't be the only one spending eternity in hell. Chloe'll be joining her, cursed with a broken heart."

About The Author...

Barbara Bretton is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of more than 40 books. Her most recent title, Laced With Magic, received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She currently has over ten million copies in print around the world and have been translated into twelve languages in over twenty countries. Her awards include both Reviewer's Choice and Career Achievement Awards from Romantic Times

Barbara loves to spend as much time as possible in Maine with her husband, walking the rocky beaches and dreaming up plots for upcoming books.

You can visit Barbara’s website at www.barbarabretton.com, and you can read the first chapter of Laced with Magic HERE!

What did I think about Laced with Magic? Laced with Magic put a spell on me! How could you not love a story with a shapeshifting canary who morphs into a human at the drop of a sneeze?! And what a beautiful cover too! Barbara Bretton creates a wonderful story, where spirits & magic, werewolves and vampires are believably normal. The characters create a wonderful backdrop to the story of Chloe Hobbs, a sorcerer's daughter, who's half sorcerer, half human, loves knitting and who must carry on the family tradition in order to protect the town of Sugar Maple, Vermont... a female descendent!

Sugar Maple provided a safe haven for these hunted creatures. The people of Sugar Maple opened their homes to these magical 'people' while other towns hunted them down, burned them at the stake etc. Chloe's ancestor Aerynn showed her gratitude to the town by putting a protective charm to keep the villagers safe as long as a female descendent walked the earth. That was 300 years ago, and Chloe is the last in line now, with no husband, no child, and only a touch of magic in her half human supermodel body! When Luke came into the picture there was hope & sparks, until Luke's ex-wife Karen enters the picture too...

The story is pure fun! A kind of Chic-lit with a twist of paranormal. Barbara Bretton has a wry sense of humor that she imparts to Chloe and her friends! The story is fast paced and will grab you! You will laugh at some of Chloe's klutzy attempts at magic as she tries to fulfill her destiny and save the day. The romance sizzles a bit, but it's really the story of Chloe & Luke saving the town from what appears to be sure doom from a banished fae that will keep you turning the pages, along with finding out the choice Chloe makes involving the spirit of Steffie, Lukes daughter, and what her fate will be. The story is told by alternating chapters by Chloe, Luke and Karen the ex-wife. The story written this way keeps the story fresh as you are seeing how the story plays out by the different perspectives.

This is the 2nd book in the series, but don't let that discourage you because the author catches you up quickly right at the start so you feel right at home in the story. The first book in the series Casting Spells is sitting on my nightstand now waiting to be read. I enjoyed Laced with Magic so much I wanted more! And I get the distinct feeling that there will be a 3rd book in the series because there's a cliff hanger at the end of book 2!!

If all that is not enough to convince you to read Laced with Magic, if you're a knitter the knitting in the story should! Plenty of fun knitting references thru-out the book AND knitting tips, websites and knitting patterns in the back of book too!

Thanks to Dorothy of Pump Up Your Book Promotion for sharing this wonderful book with me! And for inviting Chick with Books to be part of the Tour! Thanks Dorothy!