My Favorite Book Couple with Laurie London

Laurie London is the USA Today bestselling author of the Iron Portal and Sweetblood paranormal romance series. Her latest release is ROGUE’S PASSION, Iron Portal #2, is available now and will be included in the boxed set DARK AND DEADLY: 8 Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance coming out April 14. Publishers Weekly has called her work “sexy” and “sizzling.” A former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, she lives on a small farm in the Seattle area with her husband, two children and a variety of animals.

For book news, sign up for Laurie’s new release mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/rNTBL

Places to find Laurie:
| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

My Favorite Book Boyfriend with Laurie London and Giveaway

Laurie London is the author of the Sweetblood and Iron Portal series—dark, sexy paranormal romance, set primarily in the Pacific Northwest. Publisher’s Weekly calls the Sweetblood series “sexy” and “sizzling.” Her latest release, ASSASSIN’S TOUCH, kicks off the new Iron Portal series.

She lives on a small farm outside of Seattle with her husband, two children and a variety of animals. After graduating cum laude with a business degree from Western Washington University, she worked for a Fortune 500 company as a programmer/tester and an underwriter. Her other jobs included cocktail waitress, hotel maid, candy store manager and bridal gown sales.

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, sewing, making jewelry, mucking stalls, volunteering or riding her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

Places to find Laurie:
| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter |

ARC Review: Seduced By Blood by Laurie London

Wow. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this book going in. I've always felt a little disconnected from Santiago and I wasn't sure if I would be able to connect enough with him in his story to care enough about him getting his HEA. I was so wrong. I LOVED him and I thought that he was a great hero. I loved the dynamic between him and Roxy. There were so many sparks between them and the chemistry was instant. I rather enjoyed watching them both fall of each other. I like that neither really wanted anything serious with anyone and what started out as a ruse soon turned into so much more.

I loved that we were finally able to learn more about Santiago. He's always been a big mystery to me and I liked that we were finally able to get to know him and see what makes him the overpowering hothead I remembered from the previous books. He really isn't as hard as he comes across. He truly cares about the welfare and well being of the guardians he's in charge of. When some of his guardians are hurt in a raid, he is racked with guilt and blames himself for the accident. This is a completely different side of him and not at all what I had expected. I respected him and felt the pain he was experiencing. It was just so deep and heart wrenching at times.

As for Roxy, I loved her and I thought she was the perfect match for Santiago. She is able to get through to him like no one else can but she also doesn't take his shit. She continuously stands up for herself and what she believes in. She's strong, caring and a truly generous person. She cares about others feelings and is willing to help no matter what.

As always I really enjoyed this book. It seems like Laurie London can do no wrong with this series and I love the way it is progressing. A lot of interesting twists and turns occurred in this book and as always it left me yearning for the next installment in the Sweetblood series. I definitely can't wait to see what's in store.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

Purchase:
| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository |

Weekly Winners-Paranormal

Below is a list of all of the winners from last weeks Paranormal author and blogger castings. 

Juliana Stone

Sally M-His Darkest Embrace

The_Book_Queen-His Darkest Salvation

Laurie London

Sally M-Bonded by Blood 

Linda H-Tempted by Blood

Dianne Duvall

Miriam-Darkness Dawns 

Savannah-Night Reigns 

Darynda Jones

Carol L-Second Grave On The Left

Betty K-Third Grave Dead Ahead

Virna DePaul

Barbara E-Shades of Desire

Savannah-Chosen by Sin

Mandi @Smexy Books

Marika W-Show No Mercy

Melanie F-A Lot Like Love

All winners have been notified via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by. If you didn't win, don't worry! We still have plenty of giveaways happening everyday including our Grand Prize giveaway that includes a Kindle and lots of books. 

Romance Book Casting Call with Laurie London and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to the Casting Call Laurie London. Laurie is no stranger to RFTC and I am so happy to have her back for the blog party. She is definitely one of my favorite authors and I am obsessed with her Sweetbloods series.

A graduate of Western Washington University with a BA in Business Administration and a former tester/programmer for a Fortune 500 company, Laurie London now writes from her home near Seattle where she lives with her husband and two children.

Her debut book, BONDED BY BLOOD, A Sweetblood Novel came out February 2011 and EMBRACED BY BLOOD, the second book in the series, came out July 2011 from HQN. You can also find her novella HIDDEN BY BLOOD, for free on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble right now. 

Her writing has won and been a finalist in several prestigious contests including the Beacon, the Emerald City Opener, the Marlene, and the Orange Rose.

She is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Judith Ehrlich Literary Management and is a member of Romance Writers of America®, Greater Seattle Area RWA, RWAOnline, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, FF&P (RWA chapter devoted to all things paranormal), and two book clubs – one of which she helps coordinate live online author chats with readers from around the world.

When not writing, she can be found running, reading, or riding and showing her horse. Someday she hopes to qualify for the Quarter Horse World Show – that is, if her horse doesn’t get hurt again.

Places to find Laurie:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

Tempted by Blood Winner

Congratulations to:

Yadira A

on winning a copy of Tempted by Blood by Laurie London. 

Winner has been contacted via email. Thank you to everyone that stopped by and entered. =)

Feature and Giveaway: Tempted By Blood by Laurie London

Deep within the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the battle for supremacy rages on between two Vampire coalitions:

Guardian enforcers sworn to protect humanity, and Darkbloods, rogues who kill like their ancient ancestors….

He might be known for his effortless charm, but Guardian Jackson Foss is hiding a terrible secret. For months, he has battled the emergence of his dark nature—deadly urges that threaten to consume him. And those cravings only intensify when he meets Arianna Wells, the human he's been assigned to protect. Smart and perceptive, Arianna doesn't seem like a dangerous temptress. Yet she awakens in Jackson an unstoppable need that, if left unchecked, will brand him a traitor…a crime punishable by death.

But soon their bond may be Arianna's only hope. For stalking her in the shadows is a merciless enemy—one who will stop at nothing to claim her completely….

Places to Purchase:

| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Kobo | 

ARC Review: Tempted By Blood by Laurie London

I really enjoyed this book. Jackson was such a delightful surprise. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from him going into Tempted By Blood. In the previous books he was portrayed pretty much as a man-whore who didn't have seem to have a care in the world. That was definitely not the case. Yes he's charming, funny and a man-whore but it's all a front. Jackson believes he is reverting which is a big no no, especially if you are a guardian. So because of this he uses the persona he's created as a man-whore to cover up the fact that he's actually using these woman for their energy and blood. Despite the fact that Jackson is reverting, I still found him to be kind and considerate and very caring. He takes such good care of the ones he feel responsible for and yet he still houses tremendous guilt for things that happened in his past. There were a few times I just wanted to give a hug and let him know things were going to be alright.

I loved Arianna and I thought she was a perfect match for Jackson. She is open and honest. I love that she is also loyal and willing to do anything to take care of the ones she loves. Arianna has had a rough childhood. After watching her mom get taken away by "shadows" when she was just a kid an no one believing her, she has grown up trying to learn everything she can about the paranormal world. She now runs a blog called Paranormalish dedicated to all things that go bump in the night. When Arianna posts pictures on her blog of an attempted attack on her and her cousin she immediately draws the attention of Guardians and the Darkbloods. When Jackson is sent to erase Arianna's memory of the attack he ends up staying and getting to know her. He is definitely attracted to her and he finds she is easy to talk to.

I loved the relationship between Jackson and Arianna. They both were just so open and honest with each other and they didn't play games with one another and I loved that. I loved watching their relationship progress. Their connection was a slow build and I found that I enjoyed that. I liked watching them interact with one another while getting to know each other. But believe me, when these two did finally get hot and heavy my oh my was it hot! I had to put the book down quite a few times and fan my face after some of their encounters. Jackson sure is one sexy beast!

Like I said before, I really enjoyed this book. The overall storyline was just okay for me but I loved being able to catch up with past characters. I love the world Laurie London has created with her Sweetblood series and she just has a way with creating super sexy heroes. I can't wait to read her next book.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

RATING:

Purchase:
| Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble |

ARC Review: A Vampire For Christmas by Laurie London, Michele Hauf, Caridad Pineiro and Alexis Morgan

A Vampire For Christmas is an anthology comprised of four different novellas featuring vampires and a Christmas theme.

Enchanted By Blood-Laurie London

I still can't get over how good Laurie London's Sweetblood series is. It's definitely one of my favorites and with this novella the series just keeps getting better. Laurie just has a way of being able to cram just the right amount into her stories, whether it's a novella or a full length novel. Even with this story being a novella I didn't feel as if anything was missing or left out, and the story doesn't feel rushed at all. Laurie just has a way with making the reader feel as if her world is real and even if you've never read any of her books before you are able to pick up everything rather quickly.

I myself, really enjoyed being able to step back into this world and being able to get to know Trace and Charlotte. Their story was sweet and I loved the chemistry between them both. They had definite sparks flying all over the place and I found myself continuously turning the page to see how thing would end up for them.

Enchanted By Blood is another definite winner for Laurie London and I can't wait to get my hands on her next Sweetblood novel.

RATING:

Monsters Don't Do Christmas-Michele Hauf

This was my first story that I've read from Michele Hauf and it definitely won't be my last. I really enjoyed it and the world she has created. I'm eager to get my hands on some of her others books to see if they were just as good as this story.

Daniel and Olivia were great characters and I thought that they complemented each other very well. Sometimes when reading about a new relationship in a novella, the relationship sometimes feels rushed and not at all realistic, but that was not the case with this story. The progression between Daniel and Olivia felt natural and I quickly found myself rooting for them and was eager to see how things ended up for them both.

Now the story wasn't a complete home run for me. I did have a few issues. I honestly never really understood why Olivia keeps referring to herself as a monster. I just never really understood why she thinks being a singer equates to being a monster. Is she trying to say that she's a diva? If so, she never acted like one. This left me a little confused. My other issue was the twist at the very end of the story. I just didn't think that it was needed and it just seemed out of place with the rest of the story. Besides those two issues I really enjoyed this story and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

RATING:


When The Herald Angels Sing-Caridad Pineiro
Out of all the stories in this book, this was the only one I wasn't able to finish. I liked the premise behind the story, but for some reason I just couldn't get into it. I just found myself flipping through the pages not really absorbing anything.

RATING:

 DNF

All I Want For Christmas-Alexis Morgan

I loved this story! Alexis Morgan has definitely found a new fan in me with this story. I quickly devoured this story and it left me wanting to read more from her. I will definitely be picking up her back list and be adding her to my auto-buy list. I just loved the world she created and the fact that it's not just vampires. Her hero was certainly yummy and I loved him and the heroine together. I love that their relationship had a slow build up and that there were definite sparks from the beginning. 

Even though this was a novella, the story felt complete and flushed out. I got a real feel for all the characters and nothing felt left out and the story didn't feel rushed. It was honestly very good and I am curious to see if all of her book are based in this world. 

RATING:

As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. I liked that it introduced me to new authors that I otherwise wouldn't have read. It's also interesting to see how each author has created their own unique spin on the vampire myth and was able to make if feel so real. I look forward to reading more from these authors and stepping back into their vampire filled worlds.

**ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

OVERALL RATING:

A Vampire For Christmas Winner

Congratulations to:

Kara 

on winning a copy of Laurie London's A Vampire For Christimas

Winner has been contacted via email. Thank you everyone that participated. =)

Guest Post with Author Laurie London and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome the wonderful Laurie London to the blog. Laurie is made up of awesome and if you haven't read her Sweetblood series, you are definitely missing out. It is definitely my new favorite series and you can see my reviews for it here. I can't wait to read her novella featured in A Vampire For Christmas along with all of the others featured in it. So please everyone give a warm welcome to the awesome Laurie London!

ARC Review: Embraced By Blood by Laurie London

With Embraced by Blood Laurie London picks up the story one year after the events of Bonded by Blood have ended. Alfonso is being pursued by a blood assassin who is out to kill him for his treachery against the Alliance where he worked for Pavlos as a double agent. Alfonso is worried that if he is with Lily that Rejavik, the assassin will also hurt her. So Alfonso decides to just break all ties to save her.

While Alfonso is running from his assassin, Alliance members are capturing Guardian trackers so they can make them find Sweetblood donors. When Alfonso hears about this he immediately becomes worried about Lily. He may choose to not be with her but he still loves her and cares about her wellbeing. So Alfonso starts to keep an eye out for Lily without her knowing. When Lily's training partner goes missing he decides that he will help her look for him since he doesn't want her alone for fear that the Alliance will capture her. While working together to find Lily's missing partner sparks begin to fly and both Alfonso and Lily find it difficult to resist one another.

I liked this book, I just felt it moved more slowly than the first one and it lacked a certain umph. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed this book immensely. I loved the relationship between Lily and Alfonso. Both will do whatever it takes to help the other. You can see how much they both truly care for eachother.

**This was an ARC copy provided by NetGalley**

Review: Bonded By Blood by Laurie London

I just can't get over how much I loved this book. I really truly loved this book and I will go so far to say that it's my favorite release this year.

Mackenzie and Dominic have an instant connection. Both are highly attracted to one another but neither wants anything serious. Mackenzie believes she is cursed to die young like many others in her family and Dom is set on seeking revenge for the deaths of his parents. When Dom senses Mackenzie in trouble he stops everything to come to her rescue and in doing so reveals himself and his world to her. At first Mackenzie is freaked out but she ends up handling it very well. Afterwards her and Dom start to recognize their feelings for one another.

 Mackenzie is a spunky but lovable chick who is able to take care of herself but isn't afraid to ask for help if needed. She also cares very deeply for those she surrounds herself with. Dom is careful and tries to not have any entanglements that hold him back from his quest for vengeance. But he soon realizes he has deep feelings for Mackenzie and he can't let her go. To see this is great. There is nothing better than watching a man fall hopelessly head over heels in love. The care and love he shows Mackenzie was great to see.

I felt that the connection between both Dominic and Mackenzie was great. Both grow so much throughout the story. They start off afraid to be with each other because they are so uncertain of their futures and it's great to see them realize nothing matters but the other. I truly believed in them and was rooting for them from the beginning of the story.