Promo - Sharon Ashwood's Program for Injured Animals

Injured dogs and cats that have been abandoned, are strays, or who belong to the homeless or to lower-income women and children in transition will benefit every time someone downloads a FREE alternative greeting card on http://www.sharonashwood.com/.

Each card offers unique and fun sentiments related to paranormal romance author Sharon Ashwood’s most recent book, SCORCHED. For example: “Chestnuts SCORCHED on an open fire. Hell hounds nibbling at your nose… Here’s hoping your Christmas is fiendishly merry!”

For every card downloaded, Ashwood, a native of Victoria, Canada, will donate 54 cents, Canadian, to the Greater Victoria Animal Crusaders (GVAC). All donations will help defray veterinary costs for one of GVAC’s injured pets. Once that animal’s expenses have been covered, all donations from Ashwood’s program will then go toward the health care costs of another dog or cat. The author says she settled on 54 cents as the donation amount because that’s the current cost for a Canadian first-class postage stamp.

Since GVAC is run completely by volunteers and has no shelter or facilities to maintain (the strays and abandoned pets either live in “foster homes” while waiting to be adopted or are boarded at a veterinary hospital while healing), 100% of all donations to GVAC are used for direct costs related to the animals’ care. Read more about this terrific organization at: http://www.animalcrusaders.ca/.

Ashwood selected GVAC as beneficiary for the donations because she’s a long time animal lover. In fact her own beloved pet, The Demon Lord of Kitty Badness, was a rescue animal.

Author of The Dark Forgotten series, which began with RAVENOUS (February 2009, Signet Eclipse) and continues with SCORCHED (Dec. 1, 2009, Signet Eclipse), Ashwood is offering three alternative greeting cards on her site: one each for Christmas, warm winter wishes and Valentine’s Day.

At least one of these cards will be available for download from Nov. 16, 2009, through Feb. 28, 2010: Christmas and warm winter wishes Nov. 16 – Dec. 25; warm winter wishes and Valentine’s Day Dec. 26 – Feb. 14; warm winter wishes only Feb 14-28.

Photos of GVAC pets and artwork for the greeting cards can be found at: http://www.sharonashwood.com/gvac.php.

Review - Scorched by Sharon Ashwood

A new review has been posted on the website for Scorched by Sharon Ashwood. This is the second book in The Dark Forgotten series.
http://darquereviews.com/12612/279138.html

You can also visit the author's page:
http://darquereviews.com/14912/279201.html

Please feel free to share any comments on this book here on the blog post. :)

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

Review - Ravenous by Sharon Ashwood

Ravenous
The Dark Forgotten, Book 1
Sharon Ashwood
Signet Eclipse
February 3, 2009
ISBN# 978-0-451-22617-4

Book Blurb:
Vampires, Werewolves, and other creatures have emerged from the shadows. And some of them have sinister THINGS on their minds...

Holly Carver is a witch who sometimes relies on the help of Alessandro Caravelli for her family’s preternatural investigations business. Alessandro is the oldest and strongest vampire in Fairview—and he’s made no secret of his desire for Holly. But while she aches to succumb to his suggestive wiles, she knows it would be an invitation to trouble.

Then Alessandro’s queen, Omara, complicates matters when she turns up in Fairview to enlist his help. Sultry and manipulative, she is jealous of Alessandro’s feelings for Holly, and demands he use Holly to trap Geneva—the most evil demon of all.

My thoughts:
Holly Carver earns her tuition money by using her skills as a witch working the family business. Her partner, Alessandro, keeps the vampire community of Fairview in check while working by her side. When a house gone rogue turns into a supernatural battle for survival, Holly’s talents will be tested to their full capacity.

Alessandro Caravelli has lived for centuries without the love or comfort of a woman by his side, but Holly tempts him at every turn. When his queen arrives in town and begins making demands, he’s torn between loyalty and love. One things for certain, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect the woman he’s fallen for whether she’ll risk returning that love or not.

This is the first installment in The Dark Forgotten series. Ms. Ashwood has created an intriguing world where both good and evil dwell in the shadows and things are rarely what they seem. Ravenous is a well-written and sexy read that makes for a great escape from the norm. I look forward to the next visit with The Dark Forgotten.

To learn more about Ravenous, please visit the website of Ms. Ashwood: HERE

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews