Double Review: The Devil To Pay (Second Chances #1) by Maria Zannini

June 11th 2011 by Bad Dog Press

Amazon

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions and bad tequila. Shannon McKee finds herself at the end of her rope, and she offers her soul to whoever can save her first.

Unfortunately, she sends that request to both agencies. Shannon's plea is answered immediately by two men who couldn't be more different from one another. Yet they share a bond and an affection for the stubborn Miss McKee that even they don't understand.

When Heaven and Hell demand their payment, Shannon has no choice but to submit. No matter who gets her soul, she's not getting out of this alive.

***
This is the first book of the Second Chances series. Forget everything you thought you knew about Heaven and Hell. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

My Review:

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Generally, I shy away from Heaven and Hell type scenarios but the premise to The Devil To Pay caught me.  Plus, I've enjoyed Maria Zannini's previous work.

Shannon is a simple but intelligent woman who has been taken advantage of by her ex-lover.  Left high and dry, Shannon drowns her sorrows in tequila and looks for redemption in an empty bottle.  What she doesn't realize is that her plea for redemption has been answered and it just may wreak more havoc.

Two men appear in Shannon's life and you guessed it... both are drop dead gorgeous but after getting burned by her ex Shannon's not exactly in the right frame of mind.  The most surprising twist is trying to figure each of the men out.  Who is Heaven and who is Hell.  Speaking of the two "H" words, Maria Zannini offers a refreshing take on Heaven and Hell.  The two are not opposites of the other they are the same.  Huh? Yes, they are the same.  Both have the same end goal in mind but the process in which to get there differs.  I've piqued your interest, right? Good.

The story's conflict didn't arc as drastically as I would have enjoyed.  A little more opposition would make for a complete read and rival the electric passion perfectly.  Thus, I would say that The Devil To Pay is more for the steamy passion readers verses the action gritty readers.  I have rated this one a 5 because the passion level was up there, characters were written well, and emotion was felt. 

Jen's Review:
Rating: 3/5 stars

This review can be found on Jen's networks as well.

This was an steamy story with a Heavenly Plot .

The book takes place with Shannon at her lowest point in life. Her ex-boyfriend took off with all her credit cards, leaving her a debt she just can’t pay. She’s behind on her rent, and her Antique shop is full of worthless junk.

So what’s a girl to do? What anyone would do – get drunk and drown in your own sorrows.  Just before she passes out she reminisces about her pathetic life and murmurs a little prayer to either Heaven or Hell – whomever would listen to her, to help her out of this mess. She is even willing to give up her soul.

Next morning she wakes up a mess – decides it’s not worth it, and is getting ready to torch whatever she has left away.

That is until a strange dark mysterious man shows up at the shop asking her for her advice on a priceless piece of jewelry. A piece that with commission would defiantly help her out of debt if he decides to sell it.

That’s where we mean Liam. Liam is here to collect her soul – but there is something about this girl that is innocent. He doesn’t believe she meant to sell her soul . it was the Tequila talking. She didn’t ask for fame, or fortune, or even revenge on the guy that did this to her – he wasn’t ready to take her soul in yet.  

So he asks her for information on the jewelry, and he will come back tomorrow night for dinner to discuss it with her.

Next day – Shannon wakes up feeling a lot better after a great night of hot dreams of this stranger.

She starts making calls to find out more information on the jewelry, but isn’t finding out anything useful.

That’s where Michael comes in. Michael is from the other place – and is here to collect Shannon’s soul , too.

In order to keep her away from Liam, and have a better chance at getting her soul first, he takes her to a friend’s house to learn more about the ancient artifact.

Shannon is more than excited by what she learns and is ever so grateful to Michael  for helping her. Only – she missed her date with Liam.

The story continues with  Liam and Michael competing with Shannon’s soul. Shannon doesn’t know what to do with the attention from these two mysterious, but really HOT guys.

She experiences things she’s never experienced before. She has strong feelings for them both, but only one of them wins her heart, while the other get’s her soul.

Which one wins the heart of Shannon McKee??






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Lovin' Covers & On My Hit List [6/27/11]

Hopefully everyone's Monday is going well.  I had a great weekend and wish it did not end but there's always next weekend which should be awesome with it being 4th of July and all.  Okay.... so I am ready to opff load a bunch of covers for you all.  Let me know what you're looking forward to.

Be sure to check out the special post I made announcing a new publishing company and their release. 
Welcome, Entangled Publishing!

Here are the newest covers:

Freakn' Flower by Eve Langlais

July 7th 2011 

Survivors (Aftertime #1.5) by Sophie Littlefield

July 1st 2011 by Luna 

The Return (Blood Hunter #3) by Robin Badillo

July 15th 2011 by eXtasybooks

Anasazi (Sense of Truth #2) by Emma Michaels

August 5th 2011 by Bokheim Publishing

Plain Fear: Forsaken  by Leanna Ellis   

August 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Landmark

Mundahlia (The Mundahlian Era #1) by RJ Gonzales

August 2nd 2011

Blood and Other Cravings by Ellen Datlow

September 13th 2011 by Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC

Out In Blue (Return To Sanctuary #1) by Sarah Gilman

September 2011 by Entangled Publishing

Hush, Hush by Jennyson Rosero, Becca Fitzpatrick (Graphic Novel)

October 18th 2011 by Sea Lion Books

Within the Flames (Dirk & Steele #11) by Marjorie M. Liu

November 29th 2011 by Avon 

Alien Proliferation (Katherine "Kitty" Katt #4) by Gini Koch

December 6th 2011 by DAW

Demons Like It Hot (Demons Unleashed #2) by Sidney Ayers

December 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

January 24th 2012 by HarperCollins Publishers

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

January 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins

Tempest by Julie Cross

January 3rd 2012 by St. Martin's Press

Midnight Reckoning (Dark Dynasties #2) by Kendra Leigh Castle

January 1st 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Something About Witches (Arcane Shot #1) by Joey W. Hill

February 7th 2012 by Berkley

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

February 7th 2012 by HarperTeen

Vengeance Born (A Novel of the Light Blade) by Kylie Griffin

February 7th 2012 by Berkley Trade

Faery Tales And Nightmares by Melissa Marr

February 21st 2012 by HarperCollins 

Eternal Captive (Mark of the Vampire #3) by Laura Wright

February 7th 2012 by Signet Book 

A Beautiful Evil (Gods & Monsters #2) by Kelly Keaton

February 21st 2012 by Simon Pulse

Everlasting by Elizabeth Chandler

March 6th 2012 by Simon Pulse

Fear (Gone #5) by Michael Grant

April 3rd 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books

The Calling (Darkness Rising #2) by Kelley Armstrong

April 2012 

Brink of Eternity (The World of Ascension #2.5) by Caris Roane

July 12th 2011 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

So what looks good to you?  Will you throw any of these on your never ending list of books to read?

Winners: Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop

(Click on image for original giveaway post)

Okay..... so placing all the names on random.org's list is a not-so fun task. But I woke up early just to get it done before I head out to see my nephew play football on the other side of the mountain.  LOL.  That sounds far but really it's not.  Maybe 15 miles.  Anyhow, Let me pull out my best announcing voice.... Here are your winners:

Prize #1 (International including US)

Visit Eve Langlais:

Website

Blog  *Become a Follower*

FaceBook   *Become a fan*

WINNER IS......  Teril  






Prize #2 (US only)-Large Envelope of Books

  

WINNER IS......  DemonLover
 




If winners happen to see this post before I'm able to shoot an email your way please send an email to: contact@lovlivlifereviews.com

Character Interview & Give Away from Jennifer Malone-Wright

Q. Alex, there are quite a few people who haven't had the pleasure of meeting you could you introduce yourself please?  
Alex: Hello everyone, I am Alexander Lucas and I am a vampire. I am a little over one-hundred-years-old now. Let's see, I live in Nevada in between Reno and Lake Tahoe and I own several casinos which are located in Reno. Also, I am part of an organization called The Great Council. 

Q. So, how did you become a member of The Great Council and what exactly does The Great Council do. 
Alex: The Great Council has existed long before me. There is a seat for a member of each supernatural race and their apprentices. The focus of The Great Council is to keep order among the supernatural, allowing humans to remain the prominent race on earth. Becoming a member of The Great Council has changed drastically over the years. It used to be a matter of bloodlines and heritage, but now the bloodlines are thinning among the witches and warlocks, so most of them choose a powerful apprentice to take over for them and it continues on that way. I was chosen as the first vampire to sit on the great council. Angels were the first to realize that not all vampires were bad and it would benefit to have one on the council, to help keep the bad ones in line. Danielle is actually the one put in a vote for me after she was chosen for her seat. 

Q. Wow, that's really interesting! Tell us about your casinos. 
Alex: (Groans) Ugh, I hate the casinos. They are awful places. See, this may come as a shock, but I'm a Christian. I believe in God, and those casinos are ridden with sin. I have no idea why I got into this business in the first place but, when they started it was more like a card table or two in a hotel I owned. Now, the casinos are like a magnet for every kind of addiction there is. I'm tired of them and am in the middle of taking bids to sell them. 

Q. So you're a Christian vampire, now that is really odd. There are only very few known vampires who have faith that there even is a God.  
Alex: Oh that is simply not true. (He waves the thought away) The truth is that they either believe they are too damned and they will go to hell anyway, they believe in a different god, or the evil is too dominant in their blood that they can't see past it. Some vampires hide their beliefs because they are hiding themselves, but there are definitely vampires out there who believe in God. 

Q. Alex, do you have a favorite color? What we know about you only hinted at a color but left us unsure.  
Alex: Sure I do, my favorite color is actually dark red. It always has been, even before I was turned. 

Q. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world where do you think you would go.  
Alex: Well, I go on vacation all the time and I believe I like cold weather best, mostly because it's dark longer in those locations. I think Alaska is one of my favorites because I adore the Alaskan wilderness. I have almost moved there a million times.

Q. What do you like most about being a vampire?  
Alex: There aren't very many things I do like about being a vampire, but I would have to say that my healing abilities make pain diminish faster so yeah, my healing abilities. 

Q. What do you dislike the most about being a vampire?  
Alex: I know you all think I'm going to say drinking blood, but it's not that. I actually like drinking blood I just don't like the act of it. My most hated quality about being a vampire is the damn telepathy. I'm either always in someone's head or their in mine, it's a real pain. 

Q. For our last question today, we were wondering if you could hint to us just one little thing that we could look forward to in the coming books.  
Alex: I'm really not supposed to talk about it, but I think I can tell you this…it looks like there may be a wedding in the future. I'll let you all rack your brains about who it will be!

*************************

Thank you Jennifer for the character interview.  Please visit Jennifer Malone-Wright if you want to learn more.  This post is filled with links so feel free to explore.  Also, Jennifer would like to offer an e-book or two of The Birth of Jaiden.   

To Enter: Answer any of the Interview questions above for yourself or Answer Would you accept a seat on The Great Council?

Be sure to leave an email addy if not in the profile.

ENDS July 7th. Open to all.


The Birth of Jaiden by Jennifer Malone Wright
April 1st 2011 by Jennichad Books
Amazon

Long ago, a prophecy was foreseen. A child would be born, a child who held the power to destroy the world. Now, it is up to Alexander Lucas, a one-hundred-year-old vampire, to keep the baby girl safe from his arch enemy Malcolm. In order to save her, Alexander must raise the child as his own. Will he be able to resist his vampire tendencies to care for a human baby? With the help of the wisest of the supernatural, an organization called The Great Council, Alexander must face many battles to ensure the safety of this very special child.

For more information, visit:
Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

Double Review: Dead Rules by Randy Russell

June 21st 2011 by HarperTeen
Amazon

Sometimes falling in love means you have to kill somebody.

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were destined to be together forever. Of that, Jana was sure.

But Jana just died—in a bowling accident. And now she’s trapped in Dead School. Jana is certain that it won’t be long before Michael kills himself in order to spend eternity with her—but the days are passing and Michael is, inexplicably, still alive. So Jana decides to take matters into her own hands. And nothing—not even Dead School bad boy Mars Dreamcote’s enticingly warm touch or the devastating secret he holds about her death—will stop her from making her dreams come true.

Romeo and Juliet meets Heathers in this hilariously macabre take on paranormal romance, packed with heart-stopping suspense and sizzling star-crossed love.

My Review:
Rating 4 stars


Dead Rules is surreal morality dipped in romance and humor- an original combination that's a first for me .  In essence, teenage love that I know all too well seeing how I've married my high school sweetheart.

1. Death by suffocation
2. Death by electrocution
3. Death by sharp object

Where am I going with this list?  Lol, you're curious right?

Jana is true to her character- she is an actress who shines in the drama department even in death. Jana wholehearted believes she is the Juliet of our time and that death is just that pesky item on a to do list that needs crossing out.  "Hilariously macabre" is spot on.  The humor of this novel is meant as just that- certainly, no serious readers should dare open Dead Rules.

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"  Who is Romeo to Jana's Juliet?
I couldn't believe the circumstances that surrounded Jana's death.  The plot is shocking on top of the out of this world "really?" humor.  As events unfold, as your laughing at Jana and her surreal thoughts there is so much more going on and what a treat to read. 



All in all, a fully entertaining read that I would recommend to those who like to read YA books with witty and twisted plots.  I will admit that Jana's thoughts are not all delusional.  I believe if I were transported back a few years to my teens with my high school sweetie (now hubby) and Jana's life was mine- similar actions would be taken by me.  Hahahaha!! So I guess I'm partly laughing at myself.

Jen's Review:

Rating 4 stars

I was fortunate to receive an ARC copy of this book - thanks to LivLovLife Reviews - and I'm happy I did :)

This book is really cute!  It’s a fast paced book with lots of adventure J

It starts off with Jana (age 16)  telling her story about how she dies.

Her true love - destined for life Boyfriend Michael decided to go on a double date with his best friend - Jana didn't want to go anywhere romantic with these people - she didn't like them at all.

Once Jana Died (I'm not going to tell you how though :) She woke up on a school bus - Where Avra was explaining the Rules to her in her croaking, raspier  voice - Jana was now a Riser -

One of the first rules Avra gave Jana - was to stay away from the Sliders - the bad people - Thugs , they were Poison and would bring you down with them.  When Jana glanced back at the Sliders in the back of the bus - her eye caught on one of the most gorgeous set of blue eyes - Mars

She met many strange looking dead people in the Dead School and learned many rules that she had to obey –

Jana excepted her death quickly, but the only thing she wants more now - is to have Michael die and to come to the school with her so they can be together again.

Mars and his good friend Wyatt knew how to sneak off campus - and make themselves materialize outside on the "Planet" (the real world) Jana begged for them to take her with them so she could contact Michael  and let him know she wants to kill him (in a good way :)

This was a cute story - Jana is strong and  caring - and she seems to have very little fear -

I am glad I was able to read this book :)

For more information, visit:
Site & Blog / Facebook / Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon