*This title will be released on March 6, 2012*

Title: Eventide Author:  Elle Jasper Series: The Dark Ink Chronicles #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Signet (March 6, 2012) ISBN-10: 0451236254 ISBN-13: 978-0451236258   Sexual Content: Scenes of sensuality. One sex scene Rating: Okay – A few good points, but with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.

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**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Suzanne Young’s Portland from Charlotte Cassidy & a chance to win A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL**

Deadly Destinations day three takes us to Charleston…with vampires. Elle Jasper’s tattoo artist and ‘more than mortal girl’ Riley Poe is showing us around the setting from AFTERLIGHT (read my review HERE) and the new release EVERDARK (read my review HERE) available now.  Thanks to Elle and her publisher NAL/Signet Eclipse, six of you who comment on this post will win a copy of the book!  See details below

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Riley Poe’s Guide to Chareston
by
Elle Jasper

Charleston, South Carolina. Old South. Old ways. Steeped in culture and history.

Also steeped in creepiness.

Hi, I'm Riley Poe, and I'm going to walk you through a little of Savannah's sister city, Charleston. Like Savannah, it's beautiful to the unknowing eye. Carriages pulled by feathery-footed horses, moss and palm trees, gorgeous historic homes. Charleston is all that--but don't let the romantic exterior fool you. Like Savannah, there's a darker side. You know, of course, I'd find it. So here I am, in between running my tattoo shop, Inksomnia (clever name, huh?) and fighting rogue vampires, and trying my best not to get sucked (no pun intended) into their immortal world, I'm playing tour guide. That's okay. I'd rather you check some of these places out in the daylight. Just, seriously--stay away once the sun drops. I mean that.

Down a two lane Hwy 17 toward Charleston you'll find fruit stands, boiled peanuts for sale, country stores selling jams and jellies and produce, and an occasional (okay, more than occasional) lawn chair with umbrella, and an old Gullah woman weaving sweetgrass magic. If you're not from around here, you've no idea what that means, so it's this: the Gullah are exquisite master sweetgrass weavers, and they create the most beautiful baskets which they sell along HW 17. They've done the weaving for centuries and their wares are unmatched. My Gullah granny, Estelle, is one of the best. Sometimes you'll find her and her sisters selling there. Be prepared to haggle the price though. They're not about to give their stuff away.

Now I know that's not scary. Nor dangerous. I thought I'd mention it though. Okay actually, Estelle said she'd boil crabs and make hush puppies if I mentioned it. So there. Cat's out of the bag.

Moving along.

If you read about my adventures in Charleston in EVERDARK, then you'll want to check out the French Hugenot Church in the historic district. In the daylight, it's actually kinda peaceful. Night time, not so much. Seems like just yesterday I dropped to rogue vamps with my blades as they hid in the eaves. Sneaky little bastards.

I've got strigoi blood running through my veins. I admit, not the most perfect DNA a girl could hope to have, but there you go. I've got it and I deal with it. That doesn't mean I don't get creeped out by certain things. The Unitarian Church and graveyard are those kinds of places. Will actually make your skin crawl. And to think they actually have guided walking tours there. I have to wonder if the city would allow the tours if they knew what I knew? Trust me, the only thing worse than watching a newling take their first victim is a seasoned vampire take down a newling. Not a pretty sight, I promise you. That cemetery has seen its share, I'm sure of it. As a matter of fact, my new-found heartless immortal pal, Noah Miles, (one of Charleston's guardian vampires and one hot guy in dreads if I do say so myself) patrols past the Unitarian nightly.

A trip to Charleston's waterfront battery is a must. Again, during the daytime. Jake Andora's veranda and palm tree home sits facing the harbor, and it's kick-ass and inviting. I'd loved to have stayed there longer with Eli--with ONLY Eli--but as it came to be, we were all needed elsewhere. Maybe one day we can head back to the battery. Alone. (and without Noah, because he's more potent than you can imagine)

All in all, Charleston is a fantastic place to visit. I imagine if you don't know the seedy places that exist, your fear factor is minimal. Keep it that way. Don't go beyond where the tour guides take you. Especially alone. Because there's evil lurking in the shadows, and know that for a freaking fact. If you do dare venture into the market place, or Church Street, or anywhere in the historic district, watch your back. If you make it out alive, know right now that it's only because A: the rogues and newlings missed you, or B: Noah Miles and his band of guardians had your back and saved your ass.

Enjoy  your visit!

Riley

Check out the final installment of the Dark Ink Chronicles, EVENTIDE's, cover!

Peace out!

EJ

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About Elle Jasper

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Visit Elle Online: Website|Blog |Twitter |Facebook

Want to read more from Elle?

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Giveaway provided by Elle Jasper & NAL/Signet-Eclipse

6 winners total: 3 winners will each receive signed copies of EVERDARK and AFTERLIGHT & 3 winners each will receive a copy of EVERDARK

Available on June 7, 2011 from NAL/Signet-Eclipse.

Description:

Curse the darkness…before it curses you.

Tattoo artist Riley Poe thought she knew the shady side of Savannah—until her brother was taken by a cult of vampires. Allying herself with hot-blooded vampire Eli Dupré, she got her brother back. But her courage—and her one-of-a-kind blood type—made her an irresistible temptation for some very bad bloodsuckers.

After barely surviving an ambush by enemy undead, she has inherited certain traits of her attackers: heightened senses, lightning reflexes, unreal strength. Eli trains Riley to use her new vampiric tendencies, teaching her control and skills she’s never imagined needing. But when a new trait—a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire—manifests itself, Riley knows she has to put her new skills to the test to stop the killer before he strikes again.

Long used to taking care of herself, Riley has trouble asking for help, even from the powerful vampire she loves....

Click HERE to read an excerpt | Click HERE to read our review

Pre-Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US/CA addresses only. No PO Boxes

2. Leave a comment for Elle & a way to contact you unless it’s listed in your profile

3. All Deadly Destinations winners will be announced on August 7th

4. See our Giveaway Policy if you have any questions

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME

Title: Everdark Author: Elle Jasper Series: Dark Ink Chronicles #2 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Author/Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011) ISBN-10: 0451233778 ISBN-13: 978-0451233776 Sexual Content: Several semi graphic sex scenes. A sexual assault. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

Curse the darkness…before it curses you.

Tattoo artist Riley Poe thought she knew the shady side of Savannah—until her brother was taken by a cult of vampires. Allying herself with hot-blooded vampire Eli Dupré, she got her brother back. But her courage—and her one-of-a-kind blood type—made her an irresistible temptation for some very bad bloodsuckers.

After barely surviving an ambush by enemy undead, she has inherited certain traits of her attackers: heightened senses, lightning reflexes, unreal strength. Eli trains Riley to use her new vampiric tendencies, teaching her control and skills she’s never imagined needing. But when a new trait—a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire—manifests itself, Riley knows she has to put her new skills to the test to stop the killer before he strikes again.

Long used to taking care of herself, Riley has trouble asking for help, even from the powerful vampire she loves....

Review

Tattooed tough chick Riley Poe is back for round two in EVERDARK and still reeling from a double vampire bite that has turned her into a ‘more than mortal girl’.  The Dupré vampire family, including her new love Eli, are more than willing to help train her to use her new abilities to join the fight against the evil vampires.  Be prepared for a lot of loving and a lot of fighting.

One of the highlights from the first book for me was the very dangerous attraction between Riley and Eli.  Riley’s seductive blood type was something Eli constantly battled with.  In EVERDARK, because of being bitten, Riley’s blood is no longer as potent which means no more fight.  When Eli wants Riley, he goes after her.  It’s still hot, but not as much.  To keep the romantic tension high, Riley is pursued through her dreams by one of the evil (or is he?) vampires that bit her.  Victorian makes no secret that he wants Riley and tells her repeatedly about his sexual fantasies.

A few redundancy issues struck me this time including the repetitive descriptions of the sex and fight scenes. I also was hoping for more from the plot. It felt a lot like most of the story was killing time until they could face down the villain.

Overall, EVERDARK is another good urban fantasy romance that builds on the excellent characters created in the debut and dumps a whole heap of new problems for the protagonist to overcome.  It’s not as strong as AFTERLIGHT, but it’s a solid sequel.  Consider yourself warned that there is a doosey of a cliffhanger in EVERDARK.  There is a sneak peak of the next book at the end which helps smooth things over a bit, but you’ll still be dying for the 3rd book in The Dark Ink Chronicles series which is titled EVENTIDE when it’s published on March 6, 2012.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Afterlight 4/5	Errant Dreams Reviews Genre Go Round Reviews Ramblings From a Chaotic Mind

Title: Afterlight
Author: Elle Jasper
Series: Dark Ink Chronicles #1
Cover Art: Oceana Gottlieb 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet
Date Published: November 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451231678
ISBN-13: 978-0451231673















Review Copy Source: Bought
Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

The Dupres have been Savannah's guardians, appointed by a band of root doctors and hoodooists, for nearly two hundred years. They've all grown...complacent.

Now, the Arcos brothers, who've long been entombed at Bonaventure, have been inadvertently freed by a group of teenagers horsing around in the cemetery. Determined to take revenge on the city who entombed them, the Arcos' gather strength in the city's youth. Within the moon's full cycle, the gang's quickening will be complete--they'll become vampires. Newlings, out of control and craving human blood will ravage the city.
The one thing the Arcos' didn't count on was the powerful love of a sister. Riley Poe will stop at nothing to get her brother back. The one thing Riley didn't count on was the powerful love of a vampire. Eli Dupre will do anything to get her.

Follow Riley, Eli, and the vampires of the Dupre House into the shadowy, underside of Savannah.

 Review

It’s a sad but true fact that rarely do excellent covers yield equally excellent books.  AFTERLIGHT has one of my favorite covers of the year and I honestly was afraid to read it because I knew the story couldn’t possible live up to the stunning cover.  Wow was I wrong.

AFTERLIGHT is like The Lost Boys meets L.A. Ink (Elle Jasper actually references the movie in the book).  Hot vampires, badass chicks, and wicked tattoos.  Seriously, if Corey Haim was somehow in this book I could die happy. The fictionalized version of Savannah in AFTERLIGHT is sultry and seductive with a supernatural secret: vampires.  Afterlight vampires are the non human killing—most of the time—variety, and strigio vampires are the drain-you-dry-and-feast-on-your-still-beating-heart kind.


Tattoo artist Riley Poe is a former wild child trying to make a life for herself and raise her younger brother Sean when he unwittingly releases two of the the most notorious strigois ever.  The sibling relationship between these two was instantly relatable and endeared both brother and sister to me immediately.  Riley herself is a smartass.  She talks a big game but she actually delivers.  She’s got more street smarts than people twice her age (and the emotional scars to prove it) but her hard life hasn’t managed to destroy her ability to care deeply. I loved that resiliency about her.   I also loved her honesty.  She doesn’t play games with anyone including herself.  She doesn’t always understand her emotions, but she does freely acknowledge them.

I was not expecting the romance in AFTERLIGHT. Usually there are cover clues, or major cues in the description (which in hindsight there were), but I was totally caught off guard by the white hot relationship between Riley and the Afterlight vampire Eli—in a good way.  It’s maybe the best I-want-you-but-I-might-kill-you romance I’ve read all year (and that’s saying something). 

And Eli…I loved Eli.  He has a mocking humor and possesses a powerful intensity that I could literally feel while reading.  Vampire desires warring with human desires and control barely held onto by willpower alone. This is the kind of romantic lead I want more of. 

Overall, AFTERLIGHT is very reminiscent of Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series.  The heat of the romance coupled with the UF emphasis on world building is balanced nearly perfectly (no easy feat).  There is a preview for the next Dark Ink Chronicles book at the end of AFTERLIGHT which only makes the wait until next summer for EVERDARK, when it releases on June 7, 2011, that much harder.  Loved this one!


Sexual Content: Masturbation.  Graphic sex. References to rape, References to prostitution.


My Rating:

4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

AFTERLIGHT Book Trailer

Previous books in the series:

1. N/A

Also reviewed by:

• Alternative Worlds
• That Bookish Girl
• Reading on the Dark Side

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Spooky Legends Guest blog with Sophie Littlefield and a chance to win BANISHED**

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Some books you can tell just by looking at them that they were meant for you. When I saw Elle Jasper’s debut urban fantasy AFTERLIGHT (and her fantastic website) I just knew.  Thanks to our Spooky Legends event, we’re getting a sneak peak into the mind of Riley Poe, the main character in AFTERLIGHT (due out November 2nd) and Elle here to tell us all about Riley’s take on the “Melon Heads” urban legend and giveaway 4 signed copies of AFTERLIGHT. See details below.

Elle Jasper spent her youth buried in the pages of Mary Shelly, Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. Growing up on the salt marshes of Savannah, Georgia, she was always fascinated by the city’s ancient cobblestones, eerie church spires and Gothic Revival architect—as well as the dark, not-so-publicized side of Savannah, both steeped in tumultuous history. After an education at Armstrong Atlantic University, she forged her love of Gothic literature with an active imagination to pen her own stories. She is now a full time writer and lives amidst the moss and shadows of Savannah. Visit her on the web and enter her contest: www.ellejasper.com

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Riley Poe on the “Melon Heads of Connecticut”
by
Elle Jasper

So, yeah. The Melon Heads. Pretty freaky stuff. I'd been at an ink convention once in Hartford and heard some guys at the bar talking about the "mutants down Melon Head Road". I'm nosey and not a shy bone in my body, so I asked what they were talking about. This one guy got totally into the telling of it. Swear to God, he believed everything he was saying. His eyes got all round and unblinking, and the more he spoke, a chill crept up my spine. I've watched my share of slasher movies--I love them. But this? Freaked me out. The guy, whose name I found out was Zach, said the Melon Heads were a group of crazed inbreds who lived off of Zion Hill Road in Milford. Supposedly, they originated in Colonial times-outcast for whatever reason from average society and forced to live in the wood, alone. Zach said his grandfather had told him the story while hunting in the area when he was eleven. Scared the sh-- out of him, he said. The woods were deathly quiet, eerie, and Zion Hill Road supposedly led straight up to the Melon Heads homestead. No one, Zach said--NO ONE--ever made it all the way up the road because the pavement stopped and turned into dirt, winding through the trees and underbrush. He'd heard stories growing up of abandoned cars found on the side of Zion, keys left in the ignition, doors unlocked. But no sign of the passengers. "The fu----- Melon Heads," Zach said. "Every once in a while they pull in an outsider to breed with, just because so many of their offspring dies." I listened with complete fascination. Freakish fascination. "So after the baby's born, then what?" I asked. Zack looked at me with, I swear, complete honesty, and said, "They eat 'em." 

I decided to do a little checking-up on Zach's story. It was freaking weird and I, a lover of all things freakish and weird, wanted to know more. I'm drawn to freaky-skeery stuff like a moth to a zap-light. Anyway. The legend of the Melon Heads isn't monotonous to Milford, apparently. The legend has taken root in other parts of the state. Southbury, Monroe, Seymour, Weston, Oxford, Trumbull, and Shelton all have a version of the Melon Heads, and all have their own Melon Head Road. One variation boasts of a group of escaped mental patients who took refuge in the woods, forced to inbreed and it slowly rotted their brains into cannibalistic Melon Heads. Another a lost colony of inbreds, centuries old. All had one common denominator: freakish big-headed inbreds who prey on those who get a little too close to their homestead.

This brings to mind one of my FAVORITE X-Files episodes: The Peacocks. Damn, those were some scary folk. I imagine the Melon Heads to be alot like the Peacocks. 

I also envision the Melon Heads living in a dilapidated old barn.

Another thing comes to mind. The Deliverance. Good ole Georgia! I've only seen re-runs of the movie, but day-amn! That thing is just freaky weird! Just that weird little kid with the shaved head playing the banjo. Shudder.

As a matter of fact, we have a slightly different version here, just west of Savannah, out in the country. I remember being fifteen, hanging with some bad peeps, and we drove out to their place. I've seen them with my own eyes. Very distinctive. Short in stature, shortened limbs. One stood in his garden, shaking his pitch fork at us as we drove by yelling obscenities (I am NOT proud of my actions as a youth). I remember being totally freaked out. As far as I've ever heard, they keep to themselves. No malice there. They just want to be left alone. But they damn sure exist. At least, I guess they still do. I haven't been back since that night.

I will never forget Zach's face as he continued to talk about the Melon Heads. They apparently need way more than a hug. People go missing. An errie feeling weighs the air. Cars are left on the roadside, abandoned. And if you have a brain, so says Zach, you won't go wandering Zion Hill Road in Milford after dark. Or in the light, either. His specific warning, when I showed interest in checking it out myself, was "Stay the fu-- away from that place. It's nothing but pure evil."

I have seen pure evil, up close and personal. I listened to him.

So in my own online investigation, I found a really cool place on line that tells all about the Melon Heads, and other cool and spooky things about Connecticut. Check out this link:  http://www.damnedct.com/the-melon-heads/

Happy All Hallow's Eve, peeps! I double-dog DARE you to take a stroll down Zion Hill Road!!!

Riley Poe

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Thanks Elle.  Come back soon!

Visit Elle Online:
Website|Blog |Twitter |Facebook

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Elle Jasper
4 signed copies of AFTERLIGHT by Elle Jasper

As Savannah's most unconventional tattoo artist, Riley Poe is quite familiar with the local underground scene. She lives and works on the edge of it every day.

Now, she's about to step over the edge.

When her younger brother is taken by a sinister cult led by centuries-old vampires, Riley discovers a world of shadows and blood--and those who exist there.

Her ally is the hot-tempered vampire Eli Dupre, who is attracted both to Riley's beauty as well as her one-of-a-kind blood type. A blood type he is not alone in craving.

To save her brother from certain un-death, Riley will face dangers she's never dreamed of, ruthless bloodthirsty enemies, and an evil of endless hunger that wants to devour all in its vile grasp.

AFTERLIGHT book trailer

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally
2. Visit Elle’s website and sign up for her newsletter
3. Fill out the form
4. Enter by November 6th. All Spooky Legend winners will be announced on November 7th

I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.  And please tell Elle what you think about “The Melon Heads” in the comments. Thanks!

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME