I've gone viral...Not in a gross way.

  This will be a semi monthly feature.  I will share my e-books and E-galleys I receive.  This time I got those that are made of awesome ready?

Powers by John B Olson (Provided by B&H Publishing Group via NetGalley)

Powers, the follow-up to John Olson’s Shade (“a must-read for those who enjoy Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti” —Publishers Weekly), introduces a sheltered Gypsy girl named Mariutza. Her grandfather utters a mysterious last request before dying in her arms after being shot by ten cloaked men. Those same men die before her eyes, but strange powers continue to pursue Mari through the swamps of southern Louisiana where she has always hidden from “the Badness.”

The whole world seems to join in the chase—helicopters, soldiers, government agents, and the police are all trying to kill her. Mari’s only hope of survival is to find Jaazaniah the Prophet, the mythical hero of her grandfather’s bedtime stories. But she has never been outside the swamp or known other humans besides her grandfather and one teacher. How can this lone girl survive the bewildering world of men long enough to find a prophet who might not even exist?

Billie Girl by Vickie Weaver (Provided by Leaplit via NetGalley)

Abandoned as an infant because of her incessant crying, and left hanging from a tree in a makeshift sling, Billie Girl is rescued by a passing couple, then turned over to a homeless boy who sells her for $5 to the two women who raise her-women who are actually brothers. Billie Girl's life, a gender-bending puzzle filled with dark humor and lessons on killing out of love, is a series of pivotal encounters with strangers who struggle along with what they are given: her two "mothers," a bigamist husband, a long-lost daughter named after a car, a platonic second husband who loved Billie's adoptive father. Twin themes of sexuality and euthanasia run throughout. In a journey from hard-dirt Georgia farm to end-of-life nursing home, Billie Girl comes to understand the mercy of killing.

Shadow of the Vampire by Meagan Hatfield (Provided by HQN Books via NetGalley)

Even vampires should never sleep with the enemy.

Vampire princess Alexia Feodorovna has been undead for 125 years, so it's been a while since any man has made her pulse race. Until Declan Black. One look at his bronzed body and a fire like no other consumes her. Then she discovers that he's a dragon lord come to take revenge on the vamps who killed his parents. And claim a crystal said to imbue its owner with incredible powers.
Alexia is ordered to torture and kill the dragon lord. Yet with each reckless encounter, she finds herself
consumed by his fiery passion. A passion Declan battles, as well. Will he be able to resist the fire of lust she kindles within him and keep revenge in his heart? Or will he risk everything to quench the burning desire and claim the vampire as his own?

Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver (Provided by HQN Books via NetGalley)

As the son of Sutekh, the lord of evil, Dagan Krayle is one of the most powerful soul reapers. Dagan intends to use every ounce of his power to find his brother's remains and punish those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly-and carefully-if he is to have any chance of bringing his brother back to this world, because his enemy is on the hunt.

Otherkin Roxy Tam will stop at nothing to keep the soul reapers from resurrecting Dagan's brother. To allow Sutekh access to his remains would wreak havoc and destruction on the mortal world...and would be her unforgivable failure.
Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both....

Into the Dark & Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter (Provided by HQN Books via NetGalley)

Into the Dark

Three otherworldly tales from the master of paranormal romance…and a brand-new Lords of the Underworld bonus guide!

Darkest Passion

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin-has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn't bear to harm him. But trusting-and falling for-Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this "mortal" with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron's darkest passion? Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn't....

Demon Hunts by C.E Murphy (Provided by Luna via NetGalley)

Seattle police detective Joanne Walker started the year out mostly dead, and she's ending it trying not to be consumed by evil. Literally.

She's proven she can handle the gods and the walking dead. But a cannibalistic serial killer? That's more than even she bargained for. What's worse, the brutal demon leaves no tracks. So, if Joanne is to stop its campaign of terror, she'll have to hunt it where it lives: the Lower World, a shamanistic plane of magic and spirits. Trouble is, Joanne's skills are no match for the dangers she's about to face-and her on-the-job training could prove fatal to the people she's sworn to protect....

Sleeping Beauty by Mercedes Lackey (Provided by Luna via NetGalley)

With signs and traditions pointing to an all-out war set to break out among the kingdoms, Rosamund, the king's daughter, is "playing dead" as two princes show up at the palace intent on waking her with a kiss. But, as the two of them start to fight it out, Rosa's godmother cuts them all short and takes charge. Now, with two princes competing for the hand of Sleeping Beauty-one of them, the one with roving hands (Prince Leopold) probably "should" be her prince, while the other (Prince Siegfried) doesn't seem to belong here at all-more complications occur. The king dies and the neighbors start looking at Rosa's kingdom. But with the palace filling with young and old princes intent on winning Rosamund's love, invading the kingdom and putting those young men in peril would mean incurring the wrath of thirty other countries!

Crazy For Love by Victoria Dahl (Provided by HQN Books via NetGalley)

Chloe Turner thought she was going to marry the perfect man-until her fiancé's plane crashed. And then she got the really bad news: he'd tried to fake his own death to avoid marrying her. Now America's most famous

bridezilla (a tag she most definitely does not deserve), Chloe escapes to a remote island to avoid the paparazzi. And right next door is a man who just might be the cure for Chloe's heartache....
A magnet for wild, complicated women, Max Sullivan is relieved to have finally found someone "normal." Chloe is his girl-next-door fantasy come to life, and best of all, she gets him. With her, he can be himself, a treasure-hunting millionaire who desperately wants out of his sexy but reckless job. But when Chloe's notoriety catches up with them, will their torrid romance make it to the mainland?

*These e-galleys were provided free in exchange for honest reviews by NetGalley.  You will see these books reviewed in the next 60 days*  I want to say thank you to netGalley for the chance to read these e-copies.

Keep reading,
Casse!

Hunting Ground (Alpha&Omega 2) by Patricia Briggs (Review)

I must say I do love Patricia Briggs’ mind. And though Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite series ever, Alpha and Omega isn’t too bad either. Anna is a little bit too weak for my liking and skittish, which gets kind of annoying. Also it still isn’t clear what Charles sees in her because you would think he would find her annoying. It is just not believable for me yet. But if it were I would love their romance, because they do it so well. Besides what I just mentioned.


The plot is fantastic! It is not your typical werewolf plot and it is fast passed and I never had a dragging moment. I stayed up all night just to finish it. Once I started I just couldn’t stop until I found out what was going on. I love it! Each character feels so real and I liked them or hated them like I would real people.

One thought I had when finishing this book was “Mercy and Anna are in the same world but they are totally different girls.” I like that fact and this book was a little weaker than the first but a solid installment in this series.

Bran was fantastic as always he is so consistent. But in both series they talk about how scary he is and badass but I just find myself wanting to make out with him…wait forget I said that because that just say more about who I am and what my issues are than anything else. What I am trying to say is Bran is, charismatic. Yes, that’s it. The same with Charles he seems a little rough and he is described as having almost animal magnetism and freaking beautiful hot but as I said I still find myself wanting to suck face with HIS FATHER and not him! Okay, now that my crush on Bran-Bran is embarrassingly evident, I will move on. Anna is also described as being Omega but not weak, but I disagree the only time she gets badass is when she “borrows” from her bad ass mate. Alright at the end she did go all bad ass and I was hoping in my sit all giddy because she was like freaking cool as hell! Then she fizzled and punked up again and shriveled again. Bummer. Maybe she could hang out with Mercy and get a backbone.

Either way I really loved this book and I want to be Bran’s bitch. (Did I just say that? Jeesh, Casse! Have some dignity please, you are embarrassing!)

Keep reading,
Bran's Bitch!

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Review)

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

EXCERPT

A shoebox-sized package is propped against the front door at an angle. Our front door has a tiny slot to shove mail through, but anything thicker than a bar of soap gets left outside. A hurried scribble on the wrapping addresses the package to Clay Jensen, so I pick it up and head inside. I take the package into the kitchen and set it on the counter. I slide open the junk drawer and pull out a pair of scissors. Then I run a scissor blade around the package and lift off its top. Inside the shoebox is a rolled-up tube of bubble-wrap. I unroll that and discover seven loose audiotapes. Each tape has a dark blue number painted in the upper right-hand corner, possibly with nail polish. Each side has its own number. One and two on the first tape, three and four on the next, five and six, and so on. The last tape has a thirteen on one side, but nothing on the back. Who would send me a shoebox full of audiotapes? No one listens to tapes anymore. Do I even have a way to play them? The garage! The stereo on the workbench. My dad bought it at a yard sale for almost nothing. It's old, so he doesn't care if it gets coated with sawdust or splattered with paint. And best of all, it plays tapes. I drag a stool in front of the workbench, drop my backpack to the floor, then sit down. I press Eject on the player. A plastic door eases open and I slide in the first tape.


My Thoughts:
I am about to get candid with you. Unposed as Hannah Baker will inform you in this novel; so honestly, I really did not want to read this book almost if not more than I did want to read it. Why you ask? Because I knew it would hit a little too close to home.


You see, Hannah is a teenage girl who commits suicide. But before she does she records on cassette tape the 13 reasons why. See, now you get the title. Jay Asher lets this story unfold amazingly. I was haunted by it and every chance I got I would run and get back into it. Walking home from work; I had it on audio book. At work; I had the hardcover and reading in-between customers. It was haunting. Even when I didn't agree with Hannah, I understood her. Because I was her.


I too was a 16 year old. I was perpetually the new kid but where she was a rumor minefield, I was simply invisible everywhere I went. The unseen, the cared for, I simply was not there. And like Hannah, I thought about suicide being the answer. I cringed a lot reading this book. Because it shows how desperate Hannah is and what got her to the point of giving up but it also showed exactly how selfish she was and in turn how selfish I almost was. I had written the letter goodbye, several of them. But in the end, thankfully I found a reason not to; any reason would have worked for me.


That’s what this story meant to me. It shows how those who are contemplating suicide are really looking for is any reason to stay alive. Just the smallest thing. It is a sad fact that a lot of people don’t find that reason. A fellow blogger recently did not find a reason to stay alive. It’s who I thought of when I read this book, Prissy Green AKA karissa, she didn’t find that reason. Everyone says but she was so happy and fine.


Fact: right before someone commits suicide people often say that the person seemed happy and calm. That is because they have decided already and they are at peace because they KNOW. They KNOW what they are going to do. They see the end. So if you see a sudden mood swing for the better in a person, don’t just let it pass as “Okay, they are better now.” It’s exactly the opposite; they are in the most danger at that point. Don’t over look it. Don’t over look anyone.


This isn’t much of a review, I know. But I will say I love this book. It felt so organic and real. It was like it was happening in a local school to the point that I want to go to my neighborhood school and shout out “Hannah! Hannah Baker? I can help you.” Because even if the she or even he isn’t named Hannah Baker…They are still out there.  Know the signs.  Be aware of the Warning signs!
 If you need help for a friend or yourself Don't be afraid,
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
You are not alone-help a friend
Find help in your state
There is help

I am here to listen as well, living proof, it can and does get better. Reach me.



In memory of Prissy Green and all the other beautiful souls we have lost.  I love you and miss you.

Keep reading,
Casse!

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (Review)

I had heard a lot of things about this novel; both good and bad things. One of my favorite ones was a bad one because I was inclined to agree, but where they hated it because of one thing; I liked it for that one reason.




This reviewer said that nothing ever happened it was just talking at various locations. And though that is pretty much the case, liked that about this book. I liked that Michelle Zink didn't feel the need to stuff it full with so much action that we never really caught the information being revealed. Zink did a lot of research for this book and it is evident. Those of you, who aren't angel-junkies like me, may think that it is majorly fictionalized to fit the story but it is not. This makes Zink's novel all the more amazing. She found a way to tell the story built around something that already exists so it almost feels organic and real.



I didn't think I was going to like this story much because I hate when families are pitted against one another because I always feel it is unrealistic. If my sister was an evil witch than I still wouldn't go against her, we are family I don't give a crap how bad she was. But I did not have that problem with it in this story; I actually thought Lea was too soft on Alice! I can't give it away but you will know what I am talking about when you read it. I thought Lea should be doing some slapping! I can understand Michelle Zink not wanting to say "So I bitch slapped that wicked witch!" It is YA but she could have used a more tame description like "I molly-whopped Alice for what she did. She was evil for real yo!" I am joking but Lea's reactions were far too weak and soft. That is my only complaint with this book. Also it felt like it didn't resolve any issue. The end was anti-climactic. I always think a series/trilogy should have a "grand theme" that runs unresolved through to the end, the big finale, so to speak and a mini-plot that can be concluded at the end of the current book. Each installment with it's own mini-theme that can be resolved. This series does not have that. Still a good read.

Keep reading,
Casse!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Review)

*sigh* I will admit, I was not all that excited about reading this book. I told myself I wouldn't read it. There was so much hype and I had no idea what it was about, I thought maybe wolves. It seemed like a big set up. I am well aware that set ups as big as this one only lead to being a huge let down. I let my fellow book bloggers' raves get the best of me so I bought the book and was like "holy mother! This is a big book." I cannot read books that big unless it is Stephen King GOOD. So I downloaded the audio book. Good thing because the audiobook was a very well done.

Like most books its size it lagged a lot. I found issues arising in the book just to extend the plot longer otherwise it had no reason. Near end of the book Lena, a truly annoying and boring girl, pulled a flip-flop a la Edward Cullen via New Moon and pulled away from Ethan saying it will only make it worse when she goes dark. Okay that would be fine IF IT WASN'T ALREADY TOO LATE! The dude had already become a pariah at school because of her! So she pretty much left the boy dangling out there in loser land by himself. It made no sense but to make another obstacle to extend the excruciatingly long book and make it longer. If stupid things like that and Amma's pencil intimidation, which was laughable because seriously did she stab anyone in the past with that sharp pencil? Otherwise, why were they scared? But back to the point, if they had cut the fat like those mentioned above it would be a very awesome and appropriate length book.

The only redeeming character the book had to offer was Macon Ravenwood. I do wish they would have told more about him and his family and background because Lena and Ethan were too weak, stupid and boring for me. They could have replaced Ethan’s pointless dad with more Macon and it would have been a big plus.

I see where the story was supposed to be going and it might have hit the mark if by page 300 it was wrapping it up instead of having almost 300 more pages to go! I hope the rest in this series doesn’t go the way this one did.

Updated:5/01/10


Okay I can admit when I was wrong and I was wrong. This book is better than I originally thought and gave it credit for. How do I know? Because it has been months since finishing and I am still thinking about it. It is a good story even with it's mammoth size...I now wish it was longer and still I wish there was more Macon!

Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl (Review)

Ok, let me just say, I do not like bondage or S&M or whatever you pervs call it. I am a good virginal Catholic girl who happens to love sometimes trashy but all the time dirty books. Don't judge me!


With that said I usually hate bondage books, I can't stand anyone (male or female) being submissive. Now, that said, I looooooved Start Me Up. I love that it was completely different sex than Talk Me Down. I love the fantasy and role play. I love how the heroine and hero went about it. How realistic they were doing it. Okay dirties not *doing IT* but making Lori's fantasies come true and the way they were shit nervous about it. Yall are so nasty, pervs.

I also adored Quinn. Like to the point we could date until the night he got all creepy and started saying how rude I was flaunting my ex-lover and how I need a safe word and talking of tying me up...I'd have to dump his hott ass right then! But he also made me smile during the sexxxoring scene in that chapter; he is such a good guy and not use to the whole "bondage make her beg" thing. Alas, Pleasure is not pain and vis-a vers-a to me. Sorry Quinn. LOL But, Get your Jollies Quinn get your Jollies!

I love how sexually repressed Lori is. She doesn't even know it either! She is a secret little dirty girl. She proves pixies ARE little skeezes! *grins*

Now intertwine with what I just said about the sex and characters with the hot and awesome storyline of parents, betrayal and suspense all while fighting to NOT fall head over heels in lurve while they have kinky sexxor. ROWR!

Victoria Dahl writes the awesomest, most likeable and relatable characters ever! I so wish I were a Dahl heroine! A catholic, virgin who still dazzles men with her blatant sexuality but it’s all an act. She'd (me) is really afraid to be in love or loved and has trust issues, until a sexy hottie comes along and breaks through her hard shell and sees through her facade. Shows her lovingly that she has control issues and then blows her mind in bed! Um yea if I were a Dahl heroine that would be my story (I hope, anyway)...Since I am not, I read Start Me Up!

Book Birthdays: Chick with a Charm; Mad Bad and Blonde & Something about you

Chick with a Charm by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Lily Revere is free-spirited and fun-loving-two dangerous qualities in a witch. Lily needs a date for her sister Anica's engagement party, and she's determined to bring hot Griffin Taylor. But the jaded divorce lawyer claims his job has warned him off romance. Slipping a love elixir into Griffin's drink may not be the noble thing to do-but it sure works! There's just one problem: Are Griffin's feelings the result of some truly good witchcraft-or could he really be in love? [See my review for Blonde with a Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson]

Something About You by Julie James

Staying overnight in a luxury hotel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde overhears a high-profile murder involving a U.S. Senator. Special Agent Jack Pallas is assigned to the investigation-the same Jack Pallas who still blames her for nearly ruining his career three years ago. Now the pair will have to put their rocky past behind them, focus on the case at hand-and smother the flame of their sizzling-hot sexual tension. [Follow Julie on Twitter]

Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz

After being jilted at the altar, librarian Faith West goes on her Italian honeymoon solo, but doesn't stay that way too long. And though her sexy rebound man has ulterior motives, feelings surface that neither of them are prepared for. [Cathie is also on Twitter]

Keep reading,
Casse