Thank you all for entering this giveaway and to Jeannie Holmes for providing signed copies of BLOOD LAW and BLOOD SECRETS

The winner (chosen by Random.org) is…

Danielle

Who said her favorite female vampires are:

I'd have to say either Akasha or Pandora from the Anne Rice novels.

Thanks for the giveaway also :)

Congratulations! I’ll be emailing you soon.  Please respond with your address within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

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Didn’t win?  Buy your own copy of BLOOD LAW & BLOOD SECRETS with free shipping from The Book Depository:

**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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**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Dani Harper’s Dunvegan from Birkie Peterson & a chance to win CHANGELING DREAM**

Deadly Destinations day two features one of my favorite sarcastic and jaded protagonists, Stacey Kade’s Will Killian, a reluctant high school Ghost-Talker who teams up with recently deceased queen bee Alona in THE GHOST AND THE GOTH (read my review HERE).  Will is giving us a tour of one of the key locations in his and Alona’s new book, QUEEN OF THE DEAD (available now & you can read my review HERE), The Archway Theater.  Thanks to Disney Book Group, three of you who comment on this post will win a copy of the book!  See details below

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Will Killian’s Guide to The Archway Theater
by
Stacey Kade

Will Killian, Ghost-Talker
Location: The Archway Theater, Decatur, IL

So...I don't scare particularly easily. And that's probably a good thing. Otherwise I'd have cracked a long time ago with what I deal with on a daily basis. Thanks to my "condition," I can see, hear and touch ghosts. And they can see, hear and touch me. Which, as you can imagine, kind of sucks.

I could try to avoid all the places with ghosts, of course, but then I'd never leave my house. Ghosts tend to attach themselves to significant locations from their lives (or deaths)--no surprise there. But they can also latch onto people they once loved (or hated). In short, even the least haunted place you can think of--the produce aisle of the grocery store, for example--probably has a ghost or two, even if they're just the ones you brought with you.

But there are definitely some locations that are worse than others. Places I won't go. And not just because it only takes one well-aimed push from an angry spirit to send me tumbling down the stairs to my death, though, that's a consideration. Mainly it's just because these "special" places? Creepy as hell.

Basically, ghosts are energy, usually created when people die unexpectedly and/or violently. And when you've got a bunch of people who died unexpectedly and/or violently all at once...yeah. Stay away. That kind of mass event creates a unique energy that you do not want to experience first hand.

There are stories about ghost battalions still marching at Gettysburg over 150 years after their deaths, so powerful that even people without my "gift" can see and hear them. Those spirits are trapped in re-enactment loop--to them, it's still their final battle. Every day.

Around here, in Decatur, Illinois, that special place is the Archway Theater.

You know how every town has that one scary location--ramshackle cabin, patch of woods, warehouse, whatever--that's rumored to be haunted and it's become a challenge/badge of honor to try to stay the night there on Halloween? Yeah, that's the Archway for us.

Only the people who try to stay the night there...they come out seriously scared and messed up. As in, years of therapy, stays in the mental hospital, and suicidal--that kind of messed up.

The Archway was built in the twenties, so it's old, but the not the issue. The real problem is that some genius had the bright idea to take advantage of some primo abandoned real estate and built it right on top of the remains of the old Archway hotel. Which had burned down in the middle of the night a decade before, killing sixty-some people in one night.
Yeah. But hey, the initial city builders constructed most of Decatur on Indian burial grounds--not kidding--so what do you expect? 

So...the Archway hotel burns inside the theater. Every night. And those poor spirits relive their deaths. Again and again and again. That's enough to make anybody a little confused and cranky.

Add to that the intrusion of disrespectful sight-seers wanting to gawk and make fun, and yeah, they're seriously pissed. And dangerous.

The Decatur Historical Society has been trying for years to save the theater and re-open it. I've heard they're getting ready to start a new campaign, and they're offering tours of the building as a fundraiser. Which is incredibly crazy, in my opinion. A massive lawsuit waiting to happen.

I guess most people don't believe in ghosts.

But if you're thinking about going to the Archway, my only advice is...don't. Because, the truth is, what you don't believe in can still kill you.

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About Stacey Kade

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.  She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr. Visit Stacey Kade online: Website|Blog|MySpace|Twitter

Want to read more from Stacey?

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Giveaway provided by Disney Book group

Three winners will each receive a copy of QUEEN OF THE DEAD by Stacey Kade

June 7th 2011 by Disney Book Group

Description:

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger,Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Click HERE to read my review

Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US addresses only

2. Leave a comment for Stacey & 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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*This title will be released on July 5, 2011*

Title: Blood Secrets Author: Jeannie Holmes Series: Alexandra Sabian #2 Cover Art: Kris Keller  Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: No Source: Author Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Bantam; Original edition (July 5, 2011) ISBN-10: 0553592688 ISBN-13: 978-0553592689 Sexual Content: A few sex scenes some which include strong violence and sexual assault. References to rape and prostitution. Rating: Okay – A few good points, but with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.

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Description

WHEN ALEXANDRA SABIAN SINKS HER TEETH INTO AN INVESTIGATION, SHE DOESN’T LET GO.

Alex allowed a case involving murdered vamps to get personal and is suspended from the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation. Now she’s facing an official inquiry but has a chance to redeem herself. The catch: She must once again work with Varik Baudelaire, her former mentor and ex-fiancé, as he spearheads a search for a missing college student. But Varik has been keeping secrets from Alex, and his mysterious past is on a collision course with his present.

When Alex and Varik discover a carefully handcrafted doll at a crime scene, neither of them can see how close the danger really is or that a killer known as the Dollmaker has made Alex the object of his horrific desire. Now the only way out of the Dollmaker’s lair is through the twilight realm of the Shadowlands, where all secrets—for better or worse—will be revealed.

Review

BLOOD SECRETS picks up just weeks after the ending of BLOOD LAW and finds vampire and suspended FBPI Agent Alexandra Sabian trying to figure out a future with the vampire she loved and almost lost her life to when she gets pulled back in to help stop a serial killer with a fondess for redheads who look just like Alex. 

The police procedural aspects in both BLOOD SECRETS and BLOOD LAW before it are top notch.  The vampire mythology is solid too with several fun details the make their integration into human society all the more believable like a product called Vlad’s Tears which is sold in grocery stores across the country.  This blood substitute can tide a vampire over until they can get to a human blood donor.   But there were several issues that kept me from enjoying this book as much as the first one.

There are some redundancies in the descriptions, and the multiple POV shifts and storylines (Tasha’s & Emily’s were both on the tedious side) tended to pull me away too often from Alex.  I’m also not really on board with the Hall of Records spiritual realm that Alex and a few others can slip into.  It felt like it didn’t belong in this otherwise very gritty world.  My biggest issue, however, was with the plot which is basically Kiss the Girls with vampires.  It was very unsettling to read the chapters written from the perspective of the killer and another villain in the sex trade.  To experience their thoughts and emotions as they brutalized girls in different ways was really more than I could stomach.

Overall, BLOOD SECRETS is not as good as the previous book, but if you can handle the depravity of the villains, there is some interesting worldbuilding here.  Fans of Tanya Huff may want to check out these urban fantasy police procedurals that blend paranormal mythology with hard boiled detective work.  Fans will be glad to know that Jeannie Holmes is currently writing next book in the Alexandra Sabian series tentatively scheduled for 2012

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Blood Law	What Book Is That? Worlds of Wonder YzhaBella's BookShelf

**Visit Dark Faerie Tales today for her Deadly Destination tour of Diana Rowland’s Louisiana from Angel Crawford & a chance to win MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE**

Welcome to the very first stop of our Deadly Destinations event! Our first character Tour Guide is a personal friend of mine, Kalayna Price's Alex Craft.  Like many of you, I met this grave witch P.I. last October (read about my impressions HERE) and I’m thrilled that Alex is returning to Nekros City on July 5, 2011 in GRAVE DANCE and giving us a behind the scenes tour today.  Thanks to the wonderful people at Penguin/Roc Books, three of you who comment on this post will win a copy of the book!  See details below

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Alex Craft’s Guide to Nekros City
by
Kalayna Price

 

Hello and thank you for making Nekros City a stop on your Deadly Destinations Tour. I’m Alex Craft. I’ll be your guide today, and . . . and there’s a coffee ring obscuring my notes. Sorry, Death visited right before I ran out the door to meet you. He does love his coffee.

Okay forget the cue cards. I’ll just wing it.

Like I said, I’m Alex Craft, and as you’re probably guessing, “tour guide” isn’t my normal job. My day job is as a PI and grave witch, meaning I raise shades so people can question the deceased. I prefer working with the police, but I take private clients as well. Business has been a little slow (hence the gig as your tour guide), so if anyone here needs to uncover secrets from beyond the grave, I will be handing out my card at the end of the tour. Alright then, moving on.

I think I’m supposed to tell you the history of Nekros. You know, the whole spiel about the Magical Awakening occurring 70 years ago when the fae came out of the mushroom ring and announced their existence to the world. This caused the folded space humans had long forgotten to expand, creating new—or at least, new to us—territory. Nekros was established in an unfolded space between Georgia and Alabama in year 21 MD, becoming the fifty-fourth state with Nekros City as it’s capital. I guess I should also show you the State House.

Hey look, it’s a building.

The Humans First party is currently in control of the government, and as their stance is anti-witch and anti-fae, you’ll forgive me if I don’t take you inside. You’re welcome to head in on your own—they have scheduled tours—but you’ll have to pass through security so if you have any spells on you, please remember to plan accordingly.

Moving on. I think what most of you want to see is the Magic Quarter, right? I thought so. Okay, we’ll head across the river.

The Magic Quarter is the magical hub of Nekros. Whatever spell or charm you’re looking for, be it a tonic to reverse balding, a charm to attract good fortune, or a totem to keep leftovers from spoiling in your fridge, you can probably find it in one of the shops in the Quarter. Avoid shops with gaudy displays in the window— they’re tourist traps that prey on norms and non-sensitives. Good magic is subtle.

At the far side of the Quarter you’ll notice Nekros City has it’s own division of the Organization for Magically Inclined Humans (OMIH, pronounced “Oh Me” typically with a groan by most of us who have to renew our license to practice yearly). We also have a prep-school for the magically gifted, and, I tell you this with some hesitation, a magic school for norms called Spells for the Rest of Us—it’s kind of shady though, so I’d avoid it.

If you’re hungry, the Quarter boasts dozens of great restaurants, all with the latest and best charms to keep their customers happy and comfortable. I suppose I should also mention the Eternal Bloom, Nekros City’s fae bar. The drinks are expensive and the menu is limited, but it’s the one place in town you’re guaranteed to see unglamoured fae. Just remember to properly date and time the ledger when you enter—you won’t like the consequences if you forget—and whatever you do, don’t accept an invitation to the VIP section. Trust me.

Next . . . Sorry, that’s my phone. I’ll be right back.

Well, it looks like I’m going to have to cut this tour short. I’ve just been called to a crime scene at the Sionan Floodplain.

Thanks for visiting Nekros City.

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About Kalayna Price

Kalayna Price is the author of the Alex Craft Novels, a new dark urban fantasy series from Roc, and the author of the Novels of Haven from Bell Bridge Books. She draws her ideas from the world around her, her studies into ancient mythologies, and her obsession with classic folklore. Her stories contain not only the mystical elements of fantasy, but also a dash of romance, a bit of gritty horror, some humor, and a large serving of mystery. She is a member of SFWA and RWA, and an avid hula-hoop dancer who has been known light her hoop on fire.   Visit Kalayna online: Website|Blog|Facebook|Twitter

Want to read more from Kalayna Price?

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Giveaway provided by Ace/Roc Books

Three winners will each receive a copy of GRAVE DANCE by Kalayna Price

Available on July 5, 2011 from Roc

Description:

Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft.

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

Click HERE to read an excerpt

Pre-Order from

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US addresses only

2. Leave a comment for Kalayna & 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