Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings

Killer Charms
The Darling Detectives Trilogy, Book 3
Marianne Stillings
Avon Books
August 26, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-06-085074-6

From the back cover:
If he could really see the future . . .

Logan Sinclair is nothing but a fraud. Or at least that's what Inspector Andie Darling, undercover on the streets of San Francisco, is determined to prove. Sure, the sexy Scotsman may say he's a clairvoyant, but Andie's never believed in second sight—or love at first sight. So why does his sweet talk turn her into a lovestruck fool?

He'd know that Andie Darling always gets her man.

Getting the goods on the elusive con man would get Andie out of boring Vice and into Homicide, yet all she can think about is getting into Logan's arms. But juggling her job and her heart leaves her with little time to protect herself from a crazed killer hot on her heels. Logan would love to help Andie—and get closer to her—but charm might not be enough to save them now.

My thoughts:
Andrea Darling is a detective for the SFPD where she and her partner, Dylan Jericho, are working on catching a con man who claims to be psychic. The problem for Andie is that Logan Sinclair is a charmer and he’s good at distracting her from her job. If she doesn’t find the proof that he’s guilty soon, the people she cares about most will all be in danger.

Logan Sinclair is a world renowned psychic with a past he can’t put to rest. When he agrees to help a lingering spirit find peace to move on, he gets much more than he bargained for. There’s a valuable necklace in question, and Logan finds himself in the midst of a murder investigation. With Andie nearby, he’s having a hard time remaining focused on his job, but focus he must because their lives may depend on it.

In this final book of The Darling Detectives Trilogy, readers are treated to Andie and Logan’s story. Ms. Stillings brings to life a heroine who is strong in character, deeply caring when it comes to her family and friends, and will have you laughing when you least expect it. The attraction between the detective and her psychic suspect is impossible to miss as their passion builds along with the mystery, lies, murder and blackmail. The story erupts in a surprising climax, and should leave most readers well satisfied. While Killer Charms is the third story in a trilogy, it’s written well as a stand alone book.

To learn more about Killer Charms and to read an excerpt, please visit Ms. Stillings: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Trailer - The Bride of Casa Dracula

Marta Acosta has been busy making some fabulous trailers for her books and I just had to share! Here is the trailer for the upcoming release, The Bride of Casa Dracula:



...and here's the trailer for Happy Hour at Casa Dracula:



She did an excellent job! You can also visit Marta on Vampire Wire. :)

Rogue Giveaway at Temple Library Reviews...

Harry over at Temple Library Reviews is giving away a copy of Rogue by Rachel Vincent! So, any of you Urban Fantasy readers who haven't had a chance to check out this series, here's your chance to enter and maybe win yourself a copy. Just stop by and follow Harry's instructions: HERE

or copy and paste into your browser: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/2008/07/rogue-by-rachel-vincent.html

Good luck, and Happy Reading!

Seduced by the Storm by Sydney Croft

Seduced by the Storm
ACRO series, Book 3
Sydney Croft
Delta
July 29, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-385-34082-3

From the publisher’s site:
They met in a steamy Florida bar—then spent a night of mind-bending passion. Two secret agents who each possess unique telekinetic gifts—and whose combined sexual powers leave neither of them unscathed. For ex-Navy SEAL Wyatt Kennedy, assigned by the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives to the most treacherous mission of his career, the woman in black leather and lace has just become more than a one-night stand. Because Faith Black is the sole barrier to the success of his mission—and not even Wyatt’s legendary seduction skills can penetrate her deep cover.

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Faith’s psychic gifts make her one of the world’s most dangerous women—but she hides a secret pain she shares with no one. Until Wyatt. And Faith has an agenda of her own: using her unique powers to save someone close to her—a move that pits her against a man she thought she’d never see again. For as a deadly hurricane is unleashed across the eastern seaboard, desire reignites between Faith and Wyatt, exposing secrets that thrust them both into harm’s way. With the hurricane sweeping closer—and their erotic hunger for each other growing—these two wary hearts must come together to heal, to trust . . . and to harness the power of a storm that could consume everything in its path.

My thoughts:
Agent Wyatt Kennedy is a telekinetic with the ability to seduce without ever physically touching the intended target. It’s a handy skill in his job for ACRO and one he’s good at. When he’s sent on a mission to stop and destroy the weather machine that their nemesis is using, the last thing he expects is to fall for a woman. Especially a woman like Faith, who has similar goals and a talent of her own that she’s willing to use to ensure that she walks away the winner.

The story that Faith Black tells is that she’s a free agent, working on her own for those willing to pay for her time and skills. That’s not entirely true, but she’s a wild card and possible danger to Wyatt and his mission. For Faith this job is personal, because if she fails and returns empty handed someone’s sure to pay the price.

This is the third installment in the ACRO series, and like its predecessors it will keep readers glued to every erotically action-packed page. It’s easy to see how well Sydney Croft works as a creative team. The authors build a world populated by strong characters with extrasensory gifts and they reveal just enough weakness to keep them believably human. With thrilling adventure, turmoil and danger behind every door, the agents of ACRO make Seduced by the Storm the most passionate to date.

To learn more about the ACRO series and to read an excerpt from Seduced by the Storm, please visit Sydney Croft’s site: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Devil You Know by Jenna Black

The Devil You Know
Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Book 2
Jenna Black
Dell – Spectra
July 29, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-59045-6

From the back cover:
The beautiful. The bad. The possessed.

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Some people worship them. Some people fear them. And some people—like Morgan Kingsley—go up against them toe-to-toe, flesh to flesh, and power against power. An exorcist by trade, Morgan is one of the few humans with an aura stronger than her possessor, even though her demon can tease her body senseless. She’s also a woman who has just discovered a shocking truth: everything she once believed about her past, her identity, may have been a lie.

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With a family secret exploding around her and a full-scale demon war igniting, Morgan is a key player in an unsettled world. Then a rogue sociopathic demon enters her life with a bang. His name is The Hunter. And since she is the prey, Morgan has only one choice: to hunt The Hunter down—no matter what heartbreaking truths she uncovers along the way….
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My thoughts:
Morgan Kingsley is an exorcist with a dilemma. She’s not only been possessed, it’s the demon’s king, Lugh, who has made himself at home. Unlike most, Morgan has the strength to prevent a demon from taking over her body, unless of course she’s asleep and then she can only guess at what he’s been up to. With a demon out to get her and no idea of whose body he’s slipped into, she may be left with no choice but to accept Lugh’s help. For Morgan, that means giving up control and that’s something she’s far from comfortable with.

Possessed by a demon of his own, Adam is also the Director of Special Forces in a department of the Philly police force that’s responsible for investigating demon related crimes. He’s not one of Morgan’s favorite people, but luckily his lover, Dominic, often steps in as a buffer in their abrasive relationship. Adam is also loyal to Lugh, and he’s the best chance of physical protection she has until the demon currently stalking her can be apprehended and destroyed.

This is the second book in the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist series and is every bit as exciting as the first. Ms. Black crafts a well-detailed storyline and keeps readers fully engrossed while she exposes the heroine’s strengths and weaknesses. The secondary characters return to share in the chaos, bringing along confrontation and revelations of their own. Amidst the intense action, the romance, and the fight to survive, The Devil You Know will endear many of its engaging characters and have readers looking forward to the next demonic adventure.

To learn more about the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist series, please visit Ms. Black’s site: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair

Shades of Dark
Linnea Sinclair
Bantam Books
July 29, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-553-58965-8

From the publisher’s site:
Can love alone save the day? Award-winning author Linnea Sinclair returns with a vibrant interstellar thriller of romance and adventure in which two lovers are tested in the crucible of deep space, where there are only…

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Before her court-martial, Captain Chasidah “Chaz” Bergren was the pride of the Sixth Fleet. Now she’s a fugitive from the “justice” of a corrupt Empire. Along with her lover, the former monk, mercenary, and telepath Gabriel Ross Sullivan, Chaz hoped to leave the past light-years behind—until the news of her brother Thad’s arrest and upcoming execution for treason. It’s a ploy by Sully’s cousin Hayden Burke to force them out of hiding, and it works.

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With a killer targeting human females and a renegade gen lab breeding jukor war machines, Chaz and Sully already had their hands full of treachery, betrayal—not to mention each other. Throw in Chaz’s Imperial ex-husband, Admiral Philip Guthrie, and a Kyi-Ragkiril mentor out to seduce Sully, and not just loyalties but lives are at stake. For when Sully makes a fateful choice, changing their relationship forever, Chaz must also choose—between what duty demands and what her heart tells her she must do.
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My thoughts:
Chaz Bergen may be on the run, but she’s happy to be by Sully’s side. When they receive news that her brother has been taken into custody, she and Sully know that the main purpose is to get him to share all he knows about them by any means necessary. As their destination approaches and they watch for breaking news, they worry over the crew’s reaction. There is also a traitor among them who’s selling personal information in addition to their whereabouts.

When they bring an ally on board, they soon find that Captain Del Regarth has a big interest in the connection shared by Sully and Chaz. While this newcomer has skills and information that can help, his seduction of Chaz is not appreciated and soon causes friction within the couple’s bond. As a Kyi Ragkiril, Sully has power, but his is untrained against an expert like Del. With temptations all around someone is bound to get hurt, but more importantly there are worlds to save and a new fleet to build to accomplish their mission. The safety of the crew and Chaz’s ex-husband, Admiral Guthrie, must take top priority.

This story is a follow-up to Gabriel’s Ghost, where Chaz and Sully live, love and fight to see another day. Ms. Sinclair weaves together a fabulous science fiction tale with strong characters, a well-defined world and an amazing love story. Between the covers of Shades of Dark, readers will experience trouble around every corner, life-threatening danger in every move, and a scorching romance that’s capable of everything but a smooth ride. While this is a sequel, the author does a wonderful job of filling readers in on the basics from the previous book.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Immortals: The Redeeming by Jennifer Ashley

Immortals: The Redeeming
Immortals, Book 5
Jennifer Ashley
Love Spell
August 26, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-505-52745-5

From the back cover:
For centuries they have walked among us—vampires, shape-shifters, the Celtic Sidhe, demons, and other magical beings. Their battle to reign supreme is constant, but one force holds them in check, a race of powerful warriors known as the
IMMORTALS

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He is going to take her. And it won’t be gentle. After all, the last 700 years of torture and captivity haven’t been gentle on Tain. This woman, this half-demon who leaves him burning with desire, is pretty tough herself. She needs to be, for the world is not safe for demon-kind these days. A violent backlash has disrupted the balance of power, and now Tain finds he may have to rescue the dark ones instead of fight them. He feels compelled to protect the alluring Samantha—whether she wants him to or not—but all he can think of is seduction. Ultimately, she’ll either destroy him or bring exactly what he needs most…
THE REDEEMING
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My thoughts:
Samantha Taylor is half-demon and works with a werewolf partner, Logan, for the LAPD. She’s been under-cover trying to stop a demon related date rape drug from circulating in the clubs. Just as she’s about to make a bust everything goes wrong and the immortal warrior, Tain, makes his presence known once again. Samantha’s part in his rescue a year earlier has never really been far from her mind, despite him leaving without a backwards glance. Her life is rapidly changing with the involvement of her clan, and her allies may be her only chance for survival.

After years in captivity Tain was free, but memories of the centuries spent at the torturous hands of a demon have continued to haunt him. His job is to protect humanity from those like the demons who would hurt the innocent. Samantha may be half-demon, but he knows she’s nothing like the monster who imprisoned him. By her side is where he longs to be, but keeping a tight reign on his sanity and the power that runs through him must come first.

This fifth book in the Immortals series, The Redeeming, is Samantha and Tain’s story. While this was the first Immortals book I’ve had the opportunity to read, I had no trouble with picking-up the storyline about Tain, his immortal brothers, and the women they love. Ms. Ashley is a passionate writer, her characters are well-defined and the chemistry between them sizzles with every encounter. Readers are taken on an emotional journey where power comes in many forms, surprising allegiances are formed, and sometimes love really can conquer all. A compelling read that will leave fans looking forward to future tales of the Immortals.

To read an excerpt of Immortals: The Redeeming, please visit Ms. Ashley’s site: Here


Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Interview - Caitlin Kittredge

Darque Reviews welcomes Caitlin Kittredge!

Hi Caitlin, thanks so much for sharing your time with Darque Reviews! We’re looking forward to getting to know you and your work better.

CK: Hi Kimberly, and thanks. I love talking…er…doing interviews.

Can you tell us how long you’ve been writing and what inspired you to write urban fantasy?

CK: I’ve been writing seriously since 2005, but I was writing fanfiction and infant-stage novel attempts since I was 13, so…ten years, really. I’ve always loved fantasy, from the time I was just learning how to read—my mother gave me a big book of Greek and Norse myths, and I learned largely on those and on Grimm’s fairy tales. It seemed natural that I’d write fantasy when the time came, and I love shapeshifters, so I created a world where my werewolves could thrive and it turned out to be contemporary. Urban fantasy hadn’t quite blown up the way it has nowadays, so I was pretty much writing blind, but I was happy to find that this strange book I’d turned out had a niche.

Night Life was released March 4th, 2008 by St. Martin’s Press, can you tell us a bit about Luna Wilder and Nocturne City?

CK: Luna Wilder is my heroine, who is a werewolf and a homicide detective in Nocturne City, where the story takes place. I always say that Luna could only exist in Nocturne, and Nocturne could only exist because of Luna. They’re the perfect noir couple: a grim, dark city with a tarnished heart and a tough, street-smart detective who hasn’t lost her sense of justice. Luna is a bit of a departure from “kick-ass” heroines—she makes mistakes, she gets herself into bad situations with her big mouth, she has trouble paying her bills, she has job stress. But she’s also incredibly strong, because I was inspired by some very strong women growing up and I wanted to translate that unsinkable, unshakable heart into one of my characters. Luna is a survivor, and that doesn’t always lead to happy ending, especially in a place like Nocturne City, but she does the best she can.

Pure Blood is scheduled for release on August 26, 2008, by St. Martin’s Press, what can fans expect to see Luna up to in this second installment?

CK: Pure Blood takes readers deeper into what I call the Hexiverse (after the Hex Riots, which outed supernatural creatures to the larger world in the 1960s), with an exploration of witchcraft and Luna on the trail of a killer who’s a much, much better predator than she is, and has bad plans for the future of the city. Any more would be spoiling, but I guarantee that if you enjoyed Night Life you’ll love Book 2!

What are you working on now, and what can we expect to see in new releases coming up?

CK: Right now, I’m writing Book 5 of the Nocturne City series, tentatively entitled Spell Bound. I’m also pleased to report that I sold a new series to St. Martin’s, the Black London adventures, about a psychic mage and his police inspector partner on the trail of missing children, hungry ghosts and black magic in an alternate version of London where demons are commonplace and nothing is what it seems. Street Magic, first in that series, will be out in June of 2009, and the Nocturne City books will continue to release every six months.

What’s the most difficult/enjoyable part of the writing process for you?

CK: The most enjoyable part is definitely plotting, and writing that first draft of something totally new. I love playing around with ideas until I hit just the right combination. I’m a musician, and it’s a lot like playing with chords until you get just the right progression. Writing a draft is very freeing…you can toss anything in and not have to self-edit. My least favorite part is probably copyediting, because then I not only have to deal with my mistakes, but I know that someone else read the manuscript and caught them all!

What genre do you enjoy reading? Who are some of your favorite authors?

CK: I’ll read absolutely anything that catches my fancy. I love nonfiction, particularly about music, Victorian culture and fashion. I read a ton of urban fantasy because I get a ton of free books (bonus!) and I love mysteries and thrillers as well. Right now I’m reading a mystery by a Japanese author, Natsuo Kirino, entitled Grotesque that’s just fabulous. Some of my favorite authors are Raymond Chandler, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and H.P. Lovecraft. For urban fantasy, I really enjoy Cherie Priest, Stacia Kane, Richelle Mead, Holly Black, Jackie Kessler, Kat Richardson, Mark Henry and Jim Butcher.

Is there something special you do to reward yourself each time you’ve finished writing a book?

CK: Yes! This is silly, but I’ m a vegetarian and usually fairly strict about my diet (outside of the chocolate), so when I finish a book I take a day off, pop in a movie, and order up a pizza or cook a big plate of cheese fries. Comfort eating is definitely my reward.

What is a typical day for you like, and how much of it do you spend writing?

CK: I’m a night owl, so I usually wake up, er…late. I pour some tea into myself so I can be semi-coherent, and spend about an hour answering email, reading blogs, and doing what I call “administrivia” to wake my brain. Then I grab food, figure out what I need to write by reading my outline and settle down for about 3-4 hours to get in my wordcount for the day. Ideally, I hit the gym and do responsible, grown-up things like go to the post office and buy groceries, but more likely I go play in the garden or load up Rock Band for my Playstation…what can I say? If I’m on tight deadline, I write for another hour or two after dinner, or work on copyedits, page proofs, etc. I usually go to sleep between 2 and 3 a.m. to do it all over again. I write full time, so I don’t really get “days off” unless I’ve just finished something.

How do you spend your free time when you find some?

CK: I love to garden, so I spend a lot of time battling weeds, slugs and all of the other wonderful pests we have here in Washington. I catch up on my reading, or my Tivo, go to movies (I’m a huge movie geek, so I go once or twice a week), go thrift-shopping, go out places with my friends, or find interesting spots to take pictures. I have a Flickr stream that’s linked on my web site if anyone’s interested.

Where can readers find you on the web?

CK: I have a web site, www.caitlinkittredge.com, and there’s my blog, which is www.caitlinkittredge.com/blog (so exciting!) I’m on LiveJournal, Myspace and Facebook, which are all linked on my site. Feel free to friend me…I like the false sense of importance that comes with online social networking.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with readers or with aspiring writers before we go?

CK: Readers: Thank you so much for reading my books. Really. I know there’s a vast selection and the fact that you read/will read mine is a huge thing. You make my career possible, and I love each one of you from the bottom of my neurotic writer heart.

Aspiring authors: A crappy finished manuscript is better than a perfect manuscript that’s not done. You can always go back and edit the damn thing. That’s the best advice I ever got (other than “Don’t be an idiot”, which is sound advice any way you slice it.)

Thanks so much for joining us, and the best of luck with both your Nocturne City and Black London series!

CK: Thank you, Kimberly!

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews