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Snippet: The Ripple Effect by JA Saare
Ok, so it’s not Saturday, but this is the only graphic I have for snippets and believe me, you want to read this one. Because it’s from The Ripple Effect. And we all know how much I love the Rhiannon’s Law series. And JA Saare. I swear, her books are like CRACK to me. Fo’real. So when Jaime posted a snippet from The Ripple Effect today, I dropped everything I was doing and RAN to her blog to read it. And she about killed me, so I’m doing the same for you, because I figure I should share in the killing equally. Hey, fair is fair, right? 
Head on over to Jaime’s blog to read the Rhiannon (and DISCO! and Paine!) goodness.
Also? OMFG, I can’t wait for The Ripple Effect. I know it’s going to destroy me, but it’s going to be so freaking good.
Sometimes you just need to escape
I’ve been reading far more than I should lately. Which would normally be a good thing, since I AM a book reviewer, but I also happen to be a full time college student with a 15 hour semester coming to a close and finals quickly approaching (2 that just passed this week, and 4 next week).
I’m TIRED. My brain is TIRED. I need to escape reality for a while. So how do I do that? Easy. I pick up my favorite authors: JA Saare (writing as Aline Hunter), Skyla Dawn Cameron, LK Rigel, Shiloh Walker, & Susan Bischoff are all who I’ve read in the past week, alone. Just don’t tell PK that I’ve been reading instead of studying or unpacking. He might get upset.
I read the sequel to Eternity and a Day by Aline Hunter/JA Saare (Darkest Hunger), which we all know I LOVED, and loved that one too. I’m not going to write a full-on review here because that would just be cheating, but I am going to say that if you haven’t read either book, you really should.
I finally read Hunter by Skyla Dawn Cameron and now want to kick myself for waiting so long since it’s been sitting on my Kindle since it came out and I forgot it was there. Mostly because I lost my Kindle for a while. What? It got packed accidentally. Blame PK. He doesn’t understand the importance of having ALL my reading devices available to me. This is another series that is a MUST HAVE.
LK Rigel is another one of my favorite authors and I’ve read everything she’s written so far. Give Me is a fairy tale of the adult variety. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because I’m leery of tales of the fae, but I really should have trusted her. She hasn’t led me wrong yet and she most certainly didn’t this time.
Shiloh Walker sent me a copy of Locked in Silence a while ago, but I haven’t had time to read it until now. Actually, I still didn’t have time to read it. Instead of studying for my Radiographic Positioning final, I read. I really should have studied because that’s one of my more difficult classes, but I’m so burned out and I really needed the escape. Plus, I really wanted to read this story. It’s been sitting on my iPad for MONTHS and I’ve seriously been dying to read it. I stayed up entirely too late reading this one the night before a major final, but it was so worth it.
I read Hush Money (and loved it), book 1 in The Talent Chronicle by Susan Bischoff a while ago. She sent me book 2, Heroes Til Curfew, as soon as it was released, but I didn’t have time to read it until recently. Ok, I didn’t have time to read this one either. But again – I’m burned out and needed the break. And I loved the story and wanted to see what happened with Joss and Dylan, so even though I didn’t really have the time, I picked up the book and read. And stayed up til 2am reading. I don’t regret a minute of it.
Sometimes you just need a break from life. I don’t take enough of those it seems, because when I take a break, I take several. In a row. When I should be doing uber-important things like studying for a final exam. But I don’t regret it. Mostly because the finals turned out to be not-so-difficult. But the finals I have next week will be, so I will spend the next 4 days *(including today) studying my ass off… well, after I go see Breaking Dawn at 11:00. What? It came out on November 18th and I still haven’t seen it. I don’t have class today. Monkey’s at school. PK’s at work. I’m going to my mom’s after the movie’s over to do some laundry since PK’s all out of uniforms and I’m going to bring some school books to read while I’m there. See? Multi-tasking. I’m good at it.
….I just have to make sure I don’t turn on one of the audiobooks I have on my iPhone, otherwise I won’t pay any attention to my schoolwork. >_<
Excerpt: No Strings by JA Saare
Diane and Zeke have one tragic thing in common—they’ve both lost their spouses. Despite years of group therapy, neither has been able to move on with their life. So when Zeke suggests a one-night, no-strings fling, Diane decides she has nothing to lose. It will take a passionate evening to reawaken desires, fantasies and sexual pleasures they’ve long forgotten. And before the sun rises, they’ll discover letting go isn’t as bad as it seems.
[Click on the book cover to purchase your very own copy!]
- JA Saare – Website
- JA Saare – Blog
- JA Saare on Amazon
- JA Saare on Barnes & Noble
An Excerpt From: NO STRINGS
Copyright © ALINE HUNTER, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
Chapter One
The small circular area created by plastic chairs with metal legs became crowded as people rose from their places and started retrieving their things. It was the end of another Friday night of sharing pain, of tasting someone else’s tears, of listening to the outpouring of grief that came from loss. For a little over two years Diane had been coming here. It was a safe place to speak about the senseless robbery in a gas station that took her husband’s life and turned her world upside down. One minute she was a wife anxious to start a family, the next she was consumed by grief with nowhere to go.
Then she found out about a support group for grieving spouses.
The first few months, she listened. It was too personal to break down and cry in front of strangers. She wondered how so many of the people who came to the group could unload so easily, without any hesitation or embarrassment. It wasn’t until her wedding anniversary came, went, and she returned to the men and women who knew her by name that everything clicked. No one could possibly understand her anguish, her fury or her desolation better than those who experienced it themselves.
Her first good cry broke down the walls, but it didn’t make things easier. Only time was capable of mending her heart. Weeks had turned to months and months became a year. Now it was nearing that pivotal turning point. Everyone was allowed to remain in the group as long as they wanted, but most felt it was time to move on around the two year mark. It was a slow realization but eventually people understood they were getting older and their lives were passing them by. She’d confessed she was thinking it was time to move on with her life. Everyone was supportive about her announcement.
Now it was her time to decide. Was she ready to let go?
“Diane?” a deep, husky voice intruded on her thoughts. “Will we see you next week?”
She craned her neck and gazed at the owner of the voice, none other than the gorgeous and mysterious Zeke Greer. Of all the members of the support group, he seemed out of place. Several years older than her twenty-five years, he was massive, covered in tattoos and he never cried. His dark black hair was pulled back at the nape and secured with a black elastic band, bringing focus to the sharp planes of his face, the dark shadow across his jaw and his large blue eyes. Every Friday night he showed up, listened and left. Sometimes he spoke with members, inquiring about how they were doing. Yet he kept himself distant, apart, and never allowed anyone to get close.
“I haven’t decided yet.” She sighed and hoisted her purse over her shoulder. “It’s a big decision.”
He folded his arms over his chest and the intricate tattoos on his biceps stretched. “It doesn’t have to be.”
“Are you talking from experience?”
His corresponding frown made her wonder if she’d overstepped her bounds. Zeke wasn’t a talker, he was a listener. In fact, the only thing she knew about his wife was that she’d died unexpectedly. People speculated that drugs were the cause, or that she’d committed suicide, but nothing was confirmed. The only one who knew what happened to Ms. Greer was her husband, and he didn’t share details.
“How would you feel about a cup of coffee?”
The question caught her off guard. Zeke didn’t socialize. It wasn’t his style.
“What for?”
He shrugged. “Why not? If this is the last time we’ll see each other, the least I can do is buy you a cup of coffee. You have somewhere else to be?”
There was the tragedy of it. She didn’t have anywhere to be. Her apartment had become a prison and the bars were forged with memories. Every single room became laden with things she didn’t want to forget but couldn’t bear to remember. Mark carrying her from the kitchen to the bedroom as she struggled, making love to her against the wall in the living room, chasing her down the hallway to the bathroom.
“Where?”
“There’s a diner around the corner. Come on.” He grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair and handed it to her. “Let’s go.”
Omega Mine by Aline Hunter is now on Amazon!
I’ve been waiting for Omega Mine by Aline Hunter (the alias of my girl JA Saare) for… ever. Ok, maybe not ever, cause that’s a real long time, but for quite a while. Jaime told me about Omega Mine several months ago and I’ve been dying to read it ever since. Well, I don’t have to wait anymore! It was released at Ellora’s Cave, but I do all of my eBook reading on Kindle (because I’m a picky brat? sort of… I don’t have a lot of battery power on my ancient laptop and I like the ability to be mobile while I read), and Jaime made an announcement on her blog that it’s now available at Amazon! The minute payday hits, this baby is MINE!!! (get it? Mine? Omega Mine?… *crickets chirping*)
Thursday Thirteen: 13 books that WRECKED ME
So, I just finished a book that fairly destroyed me (Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill). To the point where I had to call my PIC Bells, totally snot-sobbing, to cry and whine and discuss the MAJOR PLOT ISSUE that nearly killed most of the people that read the book. And this got me to thinking: there have been a lot of books that have gotten to me like that. Seriously. A lot. Which is a good thing. It’s a mark of a really good book if it can pull that kind of emotion from me. If I’m crying (especially snot-sobbing), screaming, or laughing so hard I’m crying, it’s a freaking awesomebook. So this week’s Thursday Thirteen is a list of books that have in one way or another completely wrecked me – whether it be by making me snot-sob on the phone to my besties or by wrecking me for all other books for weeks on end because I’m certain there’s no other way any other book can top the book I just finished.
1. Snot. Sobbing. Phone. Call.
2. Couldn't read anything else for WEEKS.
3. Emotional wreck for at least a week. Possibly longer.
4. I threw the book across the room. Literally.
5. I re-read this one at least once a year but it makes me cry every time I do.
6. I cried for days after reading this the first time. (Book is WAY BETTER than the movie.)
7. I read this one while I was deployed - and walked around like a zombie after I finished it. Cried SO HARD.
8. Is it really any wonder I have 2 Megan books on the list? Another book where I was an emotional wreck. I still can't re-read this one because it affected me that much (although it is one of my favorites).
9. One of my favorite Shiloh books ever.
10. I had to set the book down at one point & walk away because of a certain scene. It's powerful, haunting, and will rip your soul in two. This is one of my favorite books of all time.
11. This book ruined me for all other books for weeks. Didn't think anything else would be nearly as good.
12. This one is another one that has a scene where I had to get up and walk away. Such a haunting scene, but a beautifully written book.
13. This entire book ripped me to shreds. I cried almost the entire time I read it.
What about you? Any books wrecked you lately? Which ones?
Review: The Renfield Syndrome by JA Saare
Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.
Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she’s about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.
Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things, including those most trusted around her. When she’s faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she’ll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.
After all, when it’s all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 430 KB
- Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (August 21, 2011)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B005IEIJY2
- FTC Disclosure: copy provided by author for the purposes of an honest review
This is another review where I’m not sure where to start. There are so many things I want to say, but I don’t want to spoil anything… and there are a LOT of things that I could potentially spoil, because JA Saare has written such a fabulous story full of twists and turns that will blow your mind and keep you guessing until the end.
Rhiannon is one of my all time favorite heroines starting back from Dead Undead or Somewhere in Between and continuing here in The Renfield Syndrome. She’s another one of those badass heroines who doesn’t apologize for who she is. She has a shitty past, and a hint of vulnerability about her. We see more of her softer side in this book, but we also see more of her BADASS side in this book as her necromancer powers grow and mature. I loved watching her as she learned more about herself, her powers, and the world around her. I literally could not put the book down.
Disco… oh, how I love Disco. I’m still fighting with my PIC Bells over him. As much as I love her and am willing to share any other Book Boyfriend, he’s one I won’t share. He’s dark and a little broody, sweet and romantic (with his desperation for Rhiannon to tell him she loves him), and all the things I love in a vampire.
Paine. Disco’s hugely sexy second in command. I loved him in Dead Undead or Somewhere in Between, but seeing more of him in The Renfield Syndrome made me fall completely in love with him. If you can believe it, there was actually a few moments where I was actually torn between Paine and Disco! Ok, there were a lot of moments. Many, many moments. If you read the book, you’ll understand why. Remember the spoilers I can’t tell you about? Most of them surround why I love Paine as much as I do.
Carter. He’s a badass werewolf and (I hate to admit it) kind of sexy. I fought my attraction to him because… well, he’s neither Disco nor Paine, and he’s got this weird thing for Rhiannon and he kind of kidnaps her in his weird attempt to keep her safe. You’ll have to read the book to understand why I still have a thing for him despite his misguided attempts at keeping her “safe” (aka kidnapping her). I think there was just something about his protectiveness. Even though I was pissed off that he was keeping Rhiannon from her mission (DISCO! PAINE!) I loved how protective he was towards her. And then he had to go and get all crazy and make me want to punch him in the boy parts, repeatedly. Funny how that works, isn’t it?
Goose. He was one of my most favorite parts of Dead Undead or Somewhere in Between and we get to see a whole different side of him in The Renfield Syndrome. We meet his daughter Bells and see just how Papa Bear he can be. I can’t say that I always liked Goose in TRS, which kind of made me sad, because I loved him so much in TRS, but I’m hoping that the differences Rhiannon makes in the 3rd book, The Ripple Effect, will change what I hated about Goose… but I have a feeling that Jaime is going to show her evil side and twist things even more. She’s… well, evil that way. 
The only reason I didn’t finish The Renfield Syndrome in one sitting is because I had to make dinner for my whiny family claimed they were “so starving” and then my stupid body had to rest. But the minute I woke up, I was reading again. I was 3 hours late going to my aunt’s house because I had to finish reading TRS before I could leave.
This is one time I wish I could give more than 5 meows. But since I’m only on a 5 meow rating system, I can’t go more than that. Still, I wish I could.
Rating: 5 meows
Review: “Soft as Moonlight” by JA Saare
- Format: Kindle Edition
- Publisher: Amira Press (June 26, 2010)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B003U2RV48
- FTC Disclosure: bought with my own money
Lycae Wolfe Trevlian returns to New Orleans to appease the vampyren harboring a grudge against his kin. The agreement is simple – destroy the creature killing off their brethren and the death of their Master is forgiven.
Dhampir Arden Moran has waited decades to avenge the murder of her friend. There is just one problem – the Lycae sent to intercept her.
One touch tells Wolfe that Arden is his mate. When vampyren hire assassins to finish the job he didn’t complete, he is forced to become an Alpha strong enough to protect her – as well as the pack that needs him.
I started Soft as Moonlight a few months ago, but got distracted by school, work, and family obligations piling up on me. And holy hell, am I pissed off I had to wait so long to finish!
Wolfe Trevlain is in town to meet up with a vampyren who’s a blood slave, somehow upper level, and a big fucking douchebag. Arden is half-vampire, half-human, and one helluva hunter. She vowed vengeance on her childhood friend’s killer – who happens to be the vampyren king.
Arden and Wolfe’s paths cross when he stops her from making an important kill, and in the process of doing so, he realizes that she is his mate. But not before he knocks her out.
Oops.
I already had a thing for Wolfe – he’s a big as a house, sexy as hell werewolf. Of course I had a thing for him! Seeing his chemistry with Arden made me want to crawl all over him and eat him alive (just don’t tell Arden I said that).
Though this story is short, I felt that it was well-written and the world was built well. I was never confused, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything, which is important to me, since I hate being lost and frequently need GPS just to get out of my neighborhood. Also, I feel it should be mentioned JA Saare writes some good sex, and I felt like reaching for a cigarette more than once (and I don’t smoke).
Rating: 5 meows
Review: Hunger Undone by JA Saare
ISBN: 978-1-936279-47-0
Genre: Shape-Shifter Erotic Romance
Cover Artist: Anastasia Rabiyah
Book Length: Novella
Heat Level: Hot
Word Count: 13,700FTC disclosure: I bought this book with my own money and was given no compensation for this review.
Three months ago, jaguar shifter Marshall Mackenzie met his mate. Sultry witch Mira Jones is beautiful, smart, and everything he wants — there is just one problem. Their introduction was orchestrated by his employer, which meant Marshall was forced to break Mira’s trust in order to uncover the secrets of a magical coven responsible for killing innocents. Mira fled from him when she learned the truth — both angry and afraid — but Marshall’s determined to teach the alluring female that while she can run from the hunger that now consumes her, she can never hide.
Hunger Undone is a short, hot story at 13,700 words. Because of the length of the story, there isn’t a lot of room for character or plot development, but Jaime pulls it off well. There were a few times when I felt like I was reading a sequel and I wondered if there was another story I’d missed, but every time I had a question about what was going on, it was answered almost immediately… as though Jaime was sitting there reading my mind (hey Jaime – now that I think about it, that’s kinda creepy… how do you read my mind so well? And could you get outta my head?)
Mira and Marshall met a few months ago when she was brought in to use her powers to track some people down. There was instant attraction – Mira is Marhsall’s Mate. However, by the end of the job, Mira feels that Marshall has betrayed her, so she runs. Hey, I don’t blame her. I would have too.
When they meet again, it’s tense and sexy and just… firey hot. Seriously. This is definitely not for the little ones, so if you have youngin’s wanting to pick up a JA Saare book, you might want to steer them elsewhere.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story, even if I wanted more (because of the length, not because of Jaime’s writing).
Rating: 4 meows
Review: Crimson Moon by JA Saare
Trueblood vampires. Those set apart from commons by right of blood. Graced with extraordinary abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and precognition – they are the most powerful and feared among their kind. The secret lies within, a legacy evolving from the truest form of magic, and their living bloodlines are the key.
An average routine morning is exactly what twenty-year old Emma Johnson hopes to avoid when she visits Joe’s Café for a steaming cup of coffee and freshly made donuts. She’s jaded by her small town, the community that has ostracized her, and the empty house that symbolizes what her life has become; a hollow shell. Yet things are not entirely as they appear, and Emma is about to discover she isn’t the normal girl she once believed.
After she is rescued from a horde of demonic bloodthirsty creatures by Caleb, the most captivating and enigmatic person she has ever met, she struggles to accept the unimaginable truth he imparts. That he has been dispatched by the Father she has never known, a powerful vampire from the house of DeViard, to see her safely home. For Caleb is also unique, a werewolf procured to protect the invaluable royal bloodlines from harm.
I read Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between a while back and loved it (duh). Then I read Eternity and a Day and loved it too. So, of course I decided to read Crimson Moon! JA Saare has a way of writing that pulls me into the book and keeps me there, ignoring everything and everyone until I’m done reading. No, really. I have to warn my family when I’m getting ready to read a JA Saare/Aline Hunter book because they know they’ll get their heads bitten off if they try to interrupt me. What? I get wrapped up in good books.
Emma and Caleb came to mean a lot to me through the course of the book. While Rhiannon (from Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between) was strong, foul-mouthed, and confident, Emma was on the shy side, not nearly as foul-mouthed, and not very confident in herself at all. And usually I don’t like characters like that, but I saw enough of a survivor in Emma (who had to take care of herself and her grandmother after her mother died when she was young) that I had a great deal of respect for Emma.
And Caleb… *fans self* Hello, newest book boyfriend!! JA has said that Caleb is the only character she can picture as a celebrity, and the one she imagines is Chris Evans (a previous HottiePants Wednesday hunk). He’s a little bit broody, a whole lot protective & snarly, sexy as all get-out, and has the sweetest (if a little mushy) side. *swoons* I am in love.
The connection between Caleb and Emma is instantaneous, and not at all hard to swallow (anyone who reads this blog knows that I don’t buy the whole “love at first sight” thing – except in PNR/UF). I love seeing them develop their relationship, rather than just hot into bed. And when they finally do… SMOKIN’ HOT!!
I’ve seen a few people mention that they didn’t like the fact that Emma was so quick to accept the supernatural world of vampires and werewolves. But it’s kinda difficult for her not to accept it when she sees these freaky looking things chasing after her and trying to kill her. I mean, denial only goes so far. No, the one thing that did bother me me was how readily she accepted and got over The Big Surprise regarding her past. And no, I won’t tell you what The Big Surprise is. You have to read it for yourself.
I loved the supporting characters. Derek was kind of a douchebag at first, but I eventually grew to love him. And Sarah? I want her to be my new BFF. I adored Billy, and think he brought a lot to the book, both as a supporting character and as a friend to Emma when she was going through all these crazy emotions.
Trent… I wanted to fall in love with him. I really did. I think if it hadn’t been for the fact that I fell in love with Caleb in the first part of the book, I probably would’ve fallen in love with Trent. But because Caleb came first and I saw how much Emma loved him, I didn’t really see any danger at all of her falling for Trent, even as a backup.
JA is working on the followup to Crimson Moon (it’s called Crimson Sunrise), and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for it.
Overall, I really liked the book and couldn’t put it down. I loved how she wove the story of the werewolves and the vampires. The action scenes weren’t confusing (as so many other books tends to be). And the love story was one that actually made me swoon.
Rating: 4 meows
- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 507 KB
- My copy: Given to me by the author because I begged – not given for review
- Publisher: The Wild Rose Press; First Black Rose Edition edition (June 23, 2010)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
- Language: English
- ASIN: B0040GJDEY
Read the prologue from the continuation of the Crimson series, Crimson Sunrise.
Purchase on The Wild Rose Press – Print & eBook
Purchase on Amazon.com – Print & Kindle
Purchase on DigiBooks Cafe – eBook
Purchase on Fictionwise – eBook
Review: “A Kiss Before Dying” by JA Saare
Katja Morgan has committed the ultimate taboo in the life of a blood slave; she has fallen in love with her master. Vampire Lord Sebastian Arsov is everything she has ever wanted – gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, kind. As their time together nears an end, she carefully constructs the ruse that will allow her to belong to her shellar in both body and soul.
But sharing an evening with her beloved comes at a high price – the cost of her life.
Disguised as a bed slave, Katja enters Sebastian’s chambers to experience the pleasures she’s been long denied. Including the bite that will ultimately kill her – what slaves refer to as a kiss before dying. As the night fades into the day, will Sebastian discover Katja’s true identity before it’s too late? Or will he lose the slave he’s come to love above all others?
Before I read Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between, I read A Kiss Before Dying. This short story began my love for JA Saare, and will forever hold a place in my heart.
Katja is a blood slave/companion to Lord Sebastian. They are basically BFFs… and he feeds off of her. She’s desperately in love with him and wants to take it to the next level. Just one problem. When vampires make love, they kill the person they’re having sex with.
Kind of puts a damper on any potential relationship, huh?
Katja hatches a plan with the help of a witch – she disguises herself with an mask and has a spell on her to hide her scent (because obviously Sebastian would know it, since they’ve been companions for so long). She knows she’s going to die, but she doesn’t care. It’s worth it to be with the one that she loves.
The end was not entirely surprising, given that this is a love story at heart, but that didn’t detract from how much I enjoyed the story.
Rating: 4/5 meows
