Bad Habits Tend To Come Back To Bite You In The 'Arse'

I know I shouldn't do it. Even as I say this I am doing it. I am jumping in between books. Although in my defense some of these are books I have read many times over, but still...It's just one day I'll be craving paranormal romance and the next I'll be in desperate need for a little historical love match. Can you really blame a girl for wanting to experience all of her favorite fictional loves all at once?...don't answer that.

At the moment I am still working on Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer Series (I LOVE THESE BOOKS!!! But am having trouble focusing on them at the moment because I have already read the first two many times over and, while I am head over heels for them, I still find myself distracted by all of the books I have yet to read.) On top of Chance I am also working on Karen Hawkins' MacLeans' novels (I feel so horrible because I had actually read them out of order-unknowingly of course-and so now I am reading them in the correct order.) From what I have already read these books are supremely fabulous and this series is already in my top 5 historical romance series list...in fact I daresay it might possibly fall in my top 3 list (high praise indeed). ;)

Ok so here's a quick update on the going-ons in my life:
* My uncle from Germany is paying us a visit so we're all making sure to spend some quality time with him.
*I am still preparing for UCSB - it seems as though there's always something else to be done in regards to preparing for being there. I tremble in imagining what the actual being there will be like.
*I found out my speeding ticket will cost just under $100 so not great but definitely not as horrific as I imagined it would be - plus the amount I will have to spend on traffic school to get it off my driving record.
*I am currently volunteering at the used bookstore I told you about so long ago (not the quaint shop with the cats but the Friends of the Library store whose profits go to the public library and whose prices will tempt you to take up permanent residence within its walls). It looks as though I will be volunteering there every Tuesday! :) I really enjoyed my first day of volunteering yesterday; the volunteers are all in their 60's and 70's so the company is darling and the shop itself has this comfortable feeling to it. Plus (the true bonus): I get a sneak peek at all of the books before they get on the shelves on Friday hee hee. I've already found three books that I intend to buy by the end of the week.
*I also went to see The Dark Knight with my uncle today. It had to have been one of the best movies I've seen all year and I definitely suggest it to anyone and everyone - especially if you are a Batman fan like I am. I Love The Bat! Haha.

Well I guess that's all for now...I'm going to shut down my computer now and loose myself in the pages of one of my books...I'll post a review for Hawkin's MacLeans series as soon as I finish them (in order) which should be very soon indeed. Hope you have a wonderful day/evening.

Sweet Dreams,
Cherie

San Diego Zoo!!!!

As Promised, here are some pics from San Diego Zoo...enjoy. =)

Found Some Time :)

Hey there.

I found some more time to come online so thought I'd post an update. Since you last heard from me I completed orientation, scheduled my Fall classes *getting none of the ones I wanted, so my first quarter of college is already starting out great huh?*, went to the San Diego Zoo (for the very first time) with my sister and uncle-for anyone who has yet to go it is really great. They have an amazing variety of animals including a panda and her adorable pup, elephants, polar bears, wild cats, giraffes, bears, birds, pigs, and some fiesty apes. We had a blast and got some amazing photos...I'll post up some of the best ones on here soon. And today the three of us went to Sea World (again for the first time) and had a great time. We went mainly for the shows and boy were they wonderful!! We got wet at the Shamu show, yet surprisingly it was the Dolphin show that completely drenched us *go figure* haha, and the Clyde and Seamore (Sealion) show is absolutely one of the cutest shows you are ever likely to see. Again, I will post photos (or possibly even video if I can figure out how to swing it) of our day soon.

Basically I've had four days of all-day long walking about *which has greatly diminished my guilt over any and all fatty foods I've eaten during this vaca*. I will *thankfully* be returning home tommorow, where I will likely shower and then dive beneath my comforter and escape into my loving world of literature. I've enjoyed the trip but I can not wait to be home again lol.

Still At Orientation...

Hi guys,






Well I am still at UCSB Orientation - it's a 2 day thing where if you pay extra you get to sleep in the dorms and get a real taste of what life is going to be like shortly. So far this has been the ONLY break I've gotten (I do not consider sleeping a break seeing as how they even scheduled that!) I've been running all around campus, being shuffled from place to place. Have you ever seen UC Santa Barbara's campus?? Lets just say I'll probably be down to a size 2 within my first week of classes!! My legs are STILL sore from all of the walking around and climbing up and down the stairs (my temp. dorm is on the 3rd floor) all day yesterday! And guess what? I get to do it all again!! Yippie!! *haha I'm not sarcastic, no, not at all...lol*. Anyways, thus far at Orientation I have gone on tours, gotten my student photo ID Card, gone to lectures, gone to meetings, climbed the stairs to and from my dorm about twenty million times, showered in a dorm bathroom *one of my biggest fears regarding college...sharing bathrooms with strangers*, sampled the lunch and breakfast options in the Dining Commons, and have worked on putting together a course schedule that will work for me...although this is unfortunately not going as smoothly as I would have liked.

I must say one of the best things about having come to this orientation though, was waking up this morning and having the first thing I see out my window be the ocean. It's so peaceful here in the mornings. I'm looking out my window now and am simply basking in the serenity of it all. From my temporary dorm room you have a perfect view of the water and can just ever so slightly hear the crashing of the waves. I know for a fact that living so close to the ocean will be a strange experience for me, however I have a strong feeling it will be one of my favorite aspects of being at UCSB.

Alright well, unfortunately now I have to go to another lecture/meeting (which means getting up and walking down the many flights of stairs to the bottom and then continuing to walk from my doorm hall to the meeting place, where we will then walk with our advisory groups to the meeting...sounds like fun huh? Well I should probably hop to it then. I'll come back online a.s.a.p.

Affectionately,
Cherie

P.S. I am currently rereading Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer Series (as I surely mentioned a few posts ago) but have had to put it on hold thanks to orientation. I am having some serious reading withdrawls here. Luckily however I am being picked up by my uncle and sister tonight sand then we are making our way to San Diego (and I am NOT driving this time, which means, I will get some reading time *YAY*. I'll keep ya posted on my progress...ttfn =)

Blog Might Be Slim-Pickings For The Next Week Or So...

Alrighty-O, here's the dealio (lol can't remember where I heard that but like it all the same)...I am leaving town for a couple of days starting tommorow to attend a concert with some friends. I will be back the 19th but will then be gone again from the 20th through the 25th (I'm going for orientation for UCSB so I will be spending the first three days in lovely Santa Barbara and the remainder of the time in San Diego on a little mini-vaca). I will be taking my laptop with me on my week long trip but am not sure how often I will get the chance to come onto my blog but I promise to try my hardest to find the time.

I just finished reading To Catch A Highlander last night and wowsers!! I will try to post a review tonight because I doubt I'll find the time tommorow and this book sooo deserves a shout-out. =)

I am currently rereading Karen Chance's ABSLUTELY BRILLIANT AND BREATHTAKING Cassandra Palmer Series because I feel I need a brush up before (finally) reading the third novel!! And since I read those novels before I started this blog, I have yet to post any reviews on them so be prepared for a full out review bonanza on Karen Chance here in the near future ;)

Ok well I suppose that's all for now...TTFN :)

*Kerrelyn Sparks ~ The Love At Stake Series*

(Ok I was bad and didn't read this series in order...although I am so not at fault! It's not my fault Sparks made Jean-Luc's story too irresistable to wait for. Anyways, I have only read three of the books from the series. I have yet to read the second book in the series however I really enojoyed the ones I have read and knowing me I will likely forget to read the second book for months and in doing so would likely deprive you of a review and that won't do. WARNING: There may be some spoilers in my review so you may not want to read more than the first book's review...)

How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire: Nobody said love was perfect...Roman Draganesti is charming, handsome, rich...he's also a vampire. But this vampire just lost one of his fangs sinking his teeth into something he shouldn't have. Now he has one night to find a dentist before his natural healing abilities close the wound, leaving him a lop-sided eater for all eternity.

Things aren't going well for Shanna Whelan, either. After witnesing a gruesome murder, she's next on the mob's hit list. And her career as a dentist appears to be on a downward spiral because she's afraid of blood. When Roman rescues her from an assassination attempt, she wonders if she's found the one man who can keep her alive. Though the attraction between them is immediate and hot, can Shanna conquer her fear of blood to fix Roman's fang? And if she does, what will prevent Roman from using his fangs on her...?

Be Still My Vampire Heart: One look at her was enough to stop his heart...if it was still beating. Angus MacKay has been undead for almost five hundred years and it's not often something, or someone, surprises him. Until Emma Wallace. The sight of this luscious agent from the CIA's elite Stake-Out team was enough to stop Angus in his tracks. But then he discovers that she's a vampire slayer, intent on killing the "monsters" who killed her parents. And it's Angus's job to stop her.

The only good vampire is a dead vampire. It's been Emma's motto since she committed her life to the destruction of these things. Now Angus MacKay wants to convince her differently. Sure, he's a sexy Highland warrior who seems to have stepped off the cover of a romance novel, complete with brogue, kilt, and sword, but he's also one of them. And it's her job to kill them.

The war is on, but will it end in the destruction of one or both of them...or in total surrender to a passion for the ages?

The Undead Next Door: Three signs that something is very DIFFERENT with your new man:

1. He sleeps all day...which would be annoying except he's so attentive at night.

2. He's attacked by sword-wielding assailants, yet insists he can handle it on his own.

3. He never seems to age.

Heather Westfield has always lived a quiet life, but that all changes when she helps a very handsome, very mysterious stranger. There's something not quite right about Jean-Luc, but still, she's never been with a man so charming, so attractive...so wonderful. Now if only a murderous villian wasn't after them, they might get their happily-ever-after.

~Taken from the backs of the books themselves...for more information see Spark's site:

http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/ ~

~*~My Review~*~

This was my first encounter with Kerrelyn Sparks's work and I must say I was very impressed. I really liked her Love At The Stake Series (a very good name for a vampire series in my opinion) and I hope she continues writing novels within the series. I do feel a bit ashamed at the fact that not only did I skip one of the books but I also failed to read them in the correct order. I started off with How To Marry A Millionaire and was immediately craving more, however I made the mistake of reading the reviews for The Undead Next Door and simply couldn't resist giving in and reading it before the others. Then once I had finished Jean-Luc and Heather's story, I went on to Be Still My Vampire Heart (another amazing title!) and enjoyed reading about Angus and Emma. I absolutely enjoyed all three books, however if I had to choose a favorite I would likely have to say the first book in the series (Roman and Shanna's story) was my fave - although it is a tough call.

There were many wonderful aspects to this series. Sparks's writing is very witty and entertaining, captivating her audience throughout each story and leaving them longing for more. I also really liked that her books are a nice blend between Lynsay Sands' Argeneau series (with its wit and light-hearted feel) and Christine Feehan's Dark series (with its highly-developed characters and sense of passion/love) - although I'd say it resembles Sands' series more so. And amazingly enough each story is very unique - a huge feat in a romance series. And finally, what I loved most about Kerrelyn Sparks's series was how normal and natural she made it all seem. She introduces you to a wide variety of characters who repeatedly participate in each storyline, giving you the sense that you are progressing with them. By the time you have reached The Undead Next Door each character holds a certain familiarity for the reader - almost as if you and the characters are one big family. I know I certainly had favorites by the time I finished reading the three I read (such as Ian, phil, gregori, and oh...I could go on forever *hee hee*).

Long-story-short, I really enjoyed these books with their lively wit, detailed (loveable) characters, unique situations, and romanctic meanings and am looking forward to being immersed into the fanged world once again.

~*~Excerpts~*~

(How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire)

"He grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her against the door. 'By God, woman, you are hard to control.'

'You better believe it.' She pulled against his grip, but couldn't free her wrists.

He leaned closer. His breath stirred her hair and feathered her brow. 'Shanna,' he whispered her name like a cool breeze.

She shivered. His hypnotic voice tugged at her, lulled her into a sensation of comfort and security. False security. 'I won't let you kill me.'

'I don't want to kill you.'

'Good. Then let me go.'

He lowered his head, his breath tickling her body. Oh God, he was going to touch her. Maybe even kiss her. She waited, her heart hammering in her chest.

His voice whispered in her ear, 'I need you.'..."

(Be Still My Vampire Heart)

"In a mere second, he'd reached behind his head, pulled out a sword, and pointed it at the flasher's neck. With a gasp, Emma froze. He had a sword? And not just any sword. This sword was huge.

The flasher halted, his eyes wide with fear. He gulped and promptly wilted down south.

'I told ye mine was bigger,' the Scotsman growled. 'Make a move for the lass again, and I'll be shortening yers by a few inches.'

'Don't hurt me.' The flasher backed away, closing his coat.

The Scotsman advanced, his sword only inches from the flasher's fluctuating Adam's apple. 'I suggest from now on, ye remember to wear yer knickers.'

'Sure. Whatever you say, man.'

'Leave us.'

The flasher scurried away, disappearing around the bend. The Scotsman lifted the sword over his head so he could slide it back into its sheath. The long blade made a soft scraping noise as it slid home. ...

'Doona worry. Ye're safe now.'

'I'm supposed to feel safe with a stranger who's packing a humongous weapon?'

He smiled slowly. 'I told ye mine was bigger.'

What typical male arrogance. 'I was referring to your sword. Not your wee willie.'

He gave her an injured look. 'If ye're going to insult my size, I'll have to defend myself by offering ye proof.'

'Don't even think about-'

' 'Tis a matter of honor.' His mouth twitched. 'And I'm a verra honorable man.' ... He stepped closer, lowering his voice. 'Admit it lass. Ye were wanting a private showing.'

'Ha! Of all the...I'm going now. Goodnight.' ..."

(The Undead Next Door)

"Show was moving into view. And what a view.

She had curves. And breasts. A derriere a man could grab onto. And mounds of auburn hair that fluffed around her shoulders. She was like the old movie stars he had loved to design clothes for. Marilyn Monroe. Ava Gardner. Lusty, full-figured women. And her was a beautiful one, right in front of him. Her black dress clung to a luscious hourglass figure.

He caught a glimpse of a pert nose, slightly titled up at the tip. The woman in question pushed her hair behind her ear. She had high, wide cheekbones and a sweet curve to her jaw. What color were her eyes? he wondered.

She was a natural beauty. An angel.

She retrieved some items from her purse - a small writing pad and a pen. No, a pencil. She was writing something. No, sketching. His mouth dropped open. She was drawing his new gown. Stealing his design.

In Book Heaven ;)

Do you remember me mentioning the quaint, utterly adorable (and cheap) used bookstore I found recently? Tom's Used Books? Well they have a trading system and so because I brought in a bunch of older books I was able to gain over $10 in credit...I found three books (two by Lisa Kleypas and one by Sherrilyn Kenyon) for only $7!! Gotta love those prices!!

I'm currently working on the Undead series by Kerrilyn Sparks, and should be finishing that soon. I have a long list of books lined up to read after Sparks' series, however I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for paranormal or historical...hmm...For the last few weeks I've been on a paranormal kick however I'm dying to read Stranger In My Arms by Kleypas! Who knows, maybe I'll go back to my (bad) habit of readng various books at the same time. ;)

I'll keep ya posted...

*Too Cute For Words*

(Found this online and thought it was just one of the most darling photos I had ever seen)

*Michelle M. Pillow ~ King of the Unblessed*

Immortality has a way of changing fate. Merrick, dark elfin King of Valdis, had once been heir to all that was good - happiness and pleasure his domain. Now, trapped as the ruler of mischief, king of necessary evil, he stands on a precipice of choice. On one side, his estranged brother, now ruler of what should have been Merrick's and, on the other, King Lucien of the Damned. Both would sway him. Damnation is winning.

Lady Juliana of Bellemare is from a human family, protected by the blessed, coveted by the damned. Betrothed to an old friend of her father's, Juliana is resigned to living out her days close to her childhood home, longing for an adventure, never dreaming she’d get what she wished for. When her fiancé is murdered and the children of Bellemare are stolen, Juliana is sent on a quest in a strange realm where appearances are deceiving.

Merrick brings more adventure and passion than any woman could want. Can she withstand the temptations of the unblessed king? The spell she weaves over him is more than he can resist and, desperate to be the one to rule her, Merrick offers her a choice; either come with him until he tires of her...or die.

~*~My Review~*~
I have longed to read this book for months now...unfortunately it was not available in the stores in my general area, thus I had to resort to ordering the book. It wound up costing close to fifteen dollars but was completely worth the money and the wait! What first drew me to this book was the storyline. It was such a unique story that, despite the fact I had never heard of the author before, I found myself delving further into my research on the book, and between the summaries, reviews and excerpt I found, I was dying to own the book for my own! Michelle M. Pillow has created a fascinating and thoroughly intriguing world where her characters may flourish - and oh boy!...what amazing characters they are!!

Pillow is a wonderful author, thus she is able to bring her various characters to life for her readers, enabling us (me) to feel intense emotions regarding the characters - there were some I simply wished to hold in my arms for the rest of eternity, while I would gladly have accepted ten minutes alone with some of the other characters and a wooden bat! The story was filled with twists and turns, amazing plot and subplots, wonderfully imaginative characters, love, loss, happiness, pain, confusion, mystery, danger, witty banter, and of course a very sexy unblessed king! It had everything one could hope for in a paranormal romance and then some!

I want to specifically mention the brilliance of Pillow's subcharacters! I felt as though I knew them all personally and am starving for the next book where the relationship between Hugh (the eldest brother) and the Faery Queen will finally be further developed from the taste we were given in King of the Unblessed.

Overall, King of the Unblessed was the perfect introduction to this previously unbeknownst-to-me author, and I cannot wait to experience the next installment in the Realm Immortal Series!!

~*~Excerpts~*~
"Merrick didn't think, had just watched her like he would a play. He loved her, or at least thought he could love her, as much as any being with a dark heart could love. Love was not so lofty an emotion and was strongly thought exclusive to the blessed. However, as with all things, the emotion was more complicated than that, for love could be as dark as the underworld, as enslaving as death, as vengeful as a righteous cause. Beings killed in the name of love, died for it, lusted after it, greedily kept it locked away, withheld it, exploited it. This was not an emotion the King of the Unblessed sought to possess. ...
No, there was no reason for it. All he knew is that night after night he was drawn to the garden basin to watch her. At first he'd hoped to find fault with her, thus losing interest. But the more he watched, the more he longed for her, wanted her, until she entered his thoughts when he was away from the garden. ...
Merrick frowned. There was only one option left to him. He'd go to her and offer her a choice. Either she would come with him until he tired of her or he would have her killed. If he possessed her, had her locked away in his castle, then he wouldn't be so obsessed. Lady Juliana would be under his complete control. If she chose death, then he'd no longer be able to gaze upon her face, unless it was to see it rotting in the ground. The spell would be broken and he would be free of her."
~~~
"'Where are you, Sir Knight? Why haven't you come to rescue me? I'd trade my soul to you for an adventure,' she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. She reached out with her feelings, willing him to come to her. 'Just one good adventure. Take me away with you to foreign lands. Show me the castles and palaces of enemy kings. Dance with me under the stars by the light of a dragon's breath. Please, rescue me, Sir Knight.'
'I wouldn't demand your soul, my lady, just your undying loyalty for an eternity.' ...
Dark eyes stared at her from a handsome face. His skin was tanned, his features hard. ... Her heart beat faster, quickening like it did in her dreams. ... 'Forgive me,' Juliana managed,...'did you speak?'
He took a step toward her. Juliana couldn't move. She couldn't see anything but the man. It was as if the world faded away, taking all her cares with it.
'I was merely taking you up on your offer, Juliana. You offered your soul, but I'll only demand your eternal loyalty and obedience. The soul you can keep. I have no use for it.'

*Gena Showalter ~ The Pleasure Slave*

When Santa Fe antique dealer Julie Anderson was curiously drawn to purchase a battered jewelry box, she never expected it to contain her own personal love slave. Especially not tall, dark and sinfully handsome Tristan-a man hard to resist, and determined to fulfill her every desire.
Though Tristan was a rogue of the battlefield and the boudoir, making love with Julia was like nothing he'd ever known. Yet revealing his true heart would break the centuries-old spell and separate them forever. And Tristan would do anything to go on loving Julia. . .even remain a slave through all eternity. . .

- Taken from Gena Showalter's homepage

http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/index.htm -

~*~My Review~*~

The Pleasure Slave is the second novel in the Imperia series (although both books in the series - The Stone Prince & The Pleasure Slave - easily stand on their own). Once again Showalter has rocked my socks with her fabulous storyline, witty writing, and loveable characters. I will admit that the storyline was very similar to that of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Fantasy Lover and Marjorie M. Liu's Tiger Eye however it's hard not to be similar when writing about a pleasure slave, and I do believe Showalter actually wrote her story before the others (although I cannot be positive). However despite that it was very similar to both of those fantastic novels, I loved this book. One of the things I love best about Gena Showalter's stories is her witty dialogue, fiesty female characters, and the undying love and devotion her characters come to feel for one another. This book met all of those standards! It was an enjoyable read and definitely worth the buy. :)

I especially loved how jealous Tristan became over the guy-next-door and was blown away by the sacrifices he was willing to make to be with the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Like all of her books, The Pleasure Slave has become one of my favorites and I just wish Gena would perhaps continue the Imperia series...it's a very interesting world with even more interesting inhabitants. ;)

~*~Excerpts~*~

"With shaky fingers she pressed the button...A man - a very large man - stood in front of her. He wore nothing more than a pair of black skintight pants. A sword dangled at his waist. The man was gorgeous. His seductiveness hit her like an uncontrollable whirlwind. His skin was bronzed, sexy and ridged with muscle. Everything about him oozed carnality.

'You summoned?' he asked.

Summon this gorgeous warrior? In her wildest fantasies, perhaps. 'Me, summon you? I promise I did no such thing.'

He ignored her denial. 'What do you wish of me?...Do I now kiss your naked body or let you kiss mine?'"

~~~

"He wanted this woman, wanted to embrace her every nuance, and hold nothing of himself back. Instead of the horror he'd envisioned with such an admission, he felt oddly at peace. He would be the man who unleashed Julia's full passion, who showed her just how delightful all pleasures of the flesh could be. He would be the one to savor her reactions.

Not Puny Peter.

That idiot was not good enough for her. Tristan knew it. Soon, too, would Julia."

*Katie MacAlister ~ Aisling Grey, Guardian Series!!!*

~Spoiler Alert: Warning - If you don't wish to know what happens in the later books then do not read the summaries or excerpts. I won't give away much but the summaries do give a bit away~

You Slay Me: The first book in a sexy, humorous paranormal thriller series featuring Aisling Grey, an apprentice Guardian, and her sometimes boyfriend, sometimes foe Drake Vireo, wyvern (leader) of one of the four dragon septs. Aisling finds her true calling when she travels to Paris to deliver a medieval object that is part of a set sought after for the power it wields.
There she meets the handsome Drake, a man who is not at all what he seems. Implicated in the circumstances of two murders, Aisling, the demon she summons for help (and subsequently can’t get rid of) named Jim, and Drake find themselves caught up in a web of lies and confusion that could well result in the demon lords of hell ruling the mortal world.

Fire Me Up: Aisling Grey is back--and in more trouble than ever. She thought being a courier would be easy. It's not. She thought being a Guardian would come naturally. It doesn't. She thought she could get out of being a wyvern's mate. She can't. And she never thought she'd be irresistible to men. But she is...

Light My Fire: It’s not easy being a demon lord, a Guardian, and a wyvern’s mate all at once. Luckily, I just moved to London to study all things Guardian with my mentor. A new start is just what I need since being betrayed (again!) by Drake, wyvern of the green dragons. Though I’m supposedly immortal, I’m not so sure my heart can take another beating.
But I’m still officially Drake’s mate—and my presence is required at a meeting of the green dragons. How I’m going to keep my distance from that fire-breathing hunk is beyond me. It doesn’t help that several attempts have been made on my life. Or that I’m wanted by the entire otherworldly population of imps since Jim, my doggie demon sidekick, accidentally ate their ruler. Being an alpha-dragon and all, Drake is sure to get protective of me. Which might not be a bad thing when war breaks out and all hell breaks loose—literally…

Holy Smokes: The man of my dreams—uber-sexy Drake Vireo, wyvern of the green dragons—has finally decided to make an honest woman of me. That is, if we ever make it to the wedding at the same time! Being left at the altar may have cooled my jets, but not my passion...a good thing when Drake disappears and it's up to me to find him.
Most brides just have in-laws to worry about. Me? I have warring dragons, ticked-off demon lords, eternal damnation, and a mage who wants to challenge me for an otherworldly position I don’t even want. Good thing I have Jim, my doggie-demon at my side. He’s never let me down—yet…

- Taken from Katie MacAlister's Website

http://www.katiemacalister.com/index.php#quiet ~

~*~My Review~*~

MacAlister's Aisling Grey, Guardian series was fantastic!! I absolutely loved it!! I had seen these books online and in the stores all of the time but had never taken the time to actually look into them until one day I stumbled upon a summary of the first book and after reading the excerpt I was hooked. I ran out and bought the first book in the series "You Slay Me" and was a goner from the first chapter. MacAlister has created a wonderfully unique world filled with wonderfully unique characters and plots. Her writing is amazing and really brings the characters to life for the reader; from the moment you begin reading this book you will be thrown into a fantasy world you will never wish to escape.

There were a great deal of things that I particularly loved about this series. Aside from the fact that the amazing storyline was completely different from anything I had ever experienced before, and aside from the fact that I was enthralled by the superb story and in love with the characters, what drew me in the most was the relationship between the characters - especially between Aisling and Drake (our hero/heroin). I loved that although MacAlister made Aisling and Drake "mates" (thus meaning they were destined to be together) she made sure that being mates did not instantly mean they loved one another. Aisling and Drake acknowledged and accepted their mating but did not harbor under false pretenses that they were automatically in love because they were fated to each other. Instead, they fell in love despite their many attempts not to, and in the end they saw their loving one another as a very fortunate turn of events. They fell in love because they got to know one another not because they believed they were supposed to be in love. Their love was real. I also loved all of the subcharacters! MacAlister did an amazing job building a cast of characters her readers would both love and despise.

This series was absolutely wonderful from start to finish and although I was sad to see it end, I was pleased with how things turned out. I definitely recommend this book to all who enjoy paranormal and/or romance novels! These books have become some of my faves...and that is high praise indeed. ;)

~*~Excerpts~*~

(You Slay Me)

"'Well, if it isn't Puff the Magic Dragon,' I said to Drake's back. I didn't speak loudly, but the second the words left my mouth, a hush fell over the entire club. ... Drake's shoulders stiffened at my words. He slowly turned around, his eyes shining with a brilliant green light in the smoky darkness of the club. ... I took a step forward and poked him in the chest. 'You have something of mine Drake. I want it back. Now.' ... His eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared. The air of danger that surrounded him - so palpable, I could almost touch it - thickened. The people surrounding us surreptitiously moved back several paces as if they were expecting trouble. I wished I could join them. ...

His voice swept over me again, deep with warning. 'You are a very good actress. I actually believed your act earlier. I will not make that mistake again.' I lifted my chin, my insides quaking. I was about to pick a fight I knew I couldn't win. Sometimes I truly am an idiot. 'It wasn't an act. I've had a very informative day. I've learned about dragons and guardians and imps and faeries, but all that is irrevelant. I want my dragon back, drake. We both know you have it. So, for that matter do the police. If you don't want me to call them up and tell them where to find you, you'll give it back to me.'

A smile flirted with his lips. Dangerous lips, I reminded myself as my heart started beating faster. He might be a dragon, he might be someone whose name instilled fear in other people, but boy howdy, he sure turned my crank. 'Are you by any chance threatening me?' I lifted my chin even higher. 'Only if you intend on making things hard.'

His gaze raked me as he took in the pretty poppy dress. 'Things are already hard, sweetheart.' My knees almost melted at the double entendre, but I stiffened them and reminded my libido that he was a thief who had cruelly stolen my aquamanile and left me at the mercy of the genderarmes. 'I doubt you're going to die from hauling a bit of wood,' I said, purposefully misinterpreting his statement. 'Let's stick to the point, shall we? You have my dragon. I want it back.'

'I am immortal, Asiling - I cannot die. You, however, are refreshingly mortal.' As he spoke, his fingers slid around my neck until his hand was gripping me in a hold that was borderline strangling. ...

'You can huff and puff and breathe fire on me all you want, drake,' I said, my voice hoarse as his fingers slowly squeezed the air from my windpipe. I kept my chin up, my gaze firmly on his. 'I'm not going to back down. I am not afraid of you.'

'No? We shall see about that, shall we?' He moved closer, and every nerve in my body screamed a warning, but I just stood there as he pulled me to him, his arms hard as steel behind me, his mouth swooping down to mine.

One part of my mind protested the fact that he was kissing me in full sight of everyone in the bar, the other part felt a moment of fear flare to life as I understood the true relationship between a dragon and his fire. Heat burst throgh me the second his lips touched mine, the flames of his desire scorching me, licking alonng my skin until it started infernos within me. Pinpricks of sweat formed along my brow and spine as his fever consumed us, wrapping me in a searing cocoon of fire that stripped the air from my lungs. His tongue touched mine, and the heat that swept through me started to boil my blood. My flesh caught fire. ... I was dying, burning from the inside out, Drake's fire setting every atom within me alight. Just as I knew I was literally going to burst into flames, something miraculous happened. A door within my mind opened...and suddenly I had leashed the fire, controlled it, changed it from a destructive element that was meant to consume me into something that added fuel to the desire that flared between us. I turned the fire back on Drake and began to kiss him in return, reveling in the power that was flowing through me as if I were a conduit. ... 'I believe that round goes to you,' he said softly, his voice thrumming through me..."

*Inspiration*

Read Some Books, Broke The Law & Found A New Place To Haunt ;)

Ok...in the last week I have read a bunch of books (needless to say I will talk about this in depth before the end of this post), found a charming used bookstore with amazing prices, good selection and a calming, quaint atmosphere complete with interesting shop keepers and two chubby store cats, and broke the law. I know what you're thinking...you broke the law??? Well yes I did. I was caught going 85 on a freeway with a speedlimit of 70 (thus speeding ticket, hence the breaking the law portion of my week). This was actually my very first speeding ticket! I am dreading how much this mistake is going to cost me, although there is a silver lining: the ticket scared me into stubbornly following the speed limit since then, so I am not longer a law-breaker. ;)

Anyways, back to this store: it's called Tom's Used & Rare Books in Lodi, California on School Street. It has honestly become one of my favorite bookstores (a high compliment indeed) and I am so thrilled I found it! I'm not sure if you are aware of this but I have been searching for Gena Showalter's "The Pleasure Slave" for months-upon-months but everywhere I turned it was either out of stock or would cost a fortune to order! I was honestly considering ordering it from Borders even though it would cost me about $14 when all of a sudden where should I find it? That's right...I found it at Tom's for...how much? .... $2!!!! I know...I was thrilled as well. =)
I actually just read Showalter's novel today and loved it as I knew I would! Anyone who enjoyed her story "The Stone Prince" will adore this second novel in the Imperia series as well. I'll post on the book later on ;).

Alrighty...on to the books! I have FINALLY acquired Michelle M. Pillow's "King of the Unblessed" and truly loved it! I'm practically salivating at the mouth to read Hugh and the Fairy Queen's story next!!! I also finished Lynsay Sand's "A Reluctant Reformer", and Lora Leigh's "The Man Within", and I at last got my hands on Kresley Cole's "Darks Needs At Night's Edge" (the 4th installment in the immortals after dark series) and can once again reaffirm my absolute ADORATION for the Immortal After Dark Series!! I also completed reading the Aisling Grey, Guardian Series and am about to begin reading Kerrilyn Spark's "How To Marry A Millionaire"...I'll let ya know how this one turns out (although I have a feeling it will be similar to Lynsay Sands' Argeneau Vamp Series - which won't be a bad thing, because the books I have read from that series have all been enjoyable thus far) :)

I am currently keeping busy trying to constructively manage my remaining days before leaving for UCSB in September...so much to do, so much to buy, so much to read...so little time. Well here's hoping I can keep the speedomotor below 100 ;)

Farewell for now,
Cherie