Dirty Little Secret # 24

 

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Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets.  We hope that you will all join us!

To participate in the meme all you need to do is:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link below.

Non-bloggers: We want to hear from you as well!!!  Let us know your answer in the comments!

We hope you join us and let us know your Dirty Little Secrets!

"Which fictional character would you like to kiss under the mistletoe?"

Our Answers:

Suzanne: That's easy, Wrath from Black Dagger Brotherhood, in fact I would probably just wear a mistletoe hat and follow him round. Ha! That would be no escape!

Francesca:  That's a hard question for me because I have a long list! I think I'll stick with Suzanne's theme and go with JM from Black Dagger Brotherhood. That boy can kiss. Of course if we also make sure the mistletoe is conveniently placed by a wall that he can just hold me up against while I wrap my legs around his waist then all the better.

Annie: What is this? Are we going with a BDB christmas theme this year because I pick - surprise, surprise - my man, Rhage. We all know how good he is with his tongue. And I didn't say that kissing only had to happen on the lips now, did I?

Angela: There's so many to choose from but at this moment, It would have to be Acheron from Dark Hunter. This man is skilled beyond my wildest dreams.  From what I've read, his tongue works wonders.

Now it's your turn!

2011 November Monthly Recap

UTC After Dark was a success, thanks to you all. We hope you enjoyed our paranormal romance and urban fantasy tribute because we enjoyed bringing all these moments to you! Special thanks goes out to all the authors and publishers who took part in the event. We can't thank you enough!

Now, here's a recap of interviews and guest posts by our favorite paranormal authors!

Jacquelyn Frank - Author Override | Interview 
Alyssa Day - Interview
Karin Harlow - Interview
Pamela Palmer - Interview
Felicity Heaton - Interview
Vivi Andrews - Interview
Ilona Andrews - Interview
Dani Harper - Author Override
Chloe Neill - Interview

Reading on the Dark Side: Nightwalkers by Jacquelyn Frank
Check out Frank's awesome paranormal romance series here!


Special Thank-Yous:
UTC would like to thank Jen from Red Hot Books for putting her game face on for War of the Beasts: Barrons vs. Curran! 

We would also like to thank Mandy from Stupid Shiny Designs for donating a BDB inspired book thong for one lucky reader!

Not to be forgotten, we want to thank MacMillan Audio for The Guardian audiobook by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Interview and Giveaway with Chloe Neill + Merit!

Maidens, we are so sad to say this but UTC After Dark has come to an end.  And what better way to finish off an amazing event than with two awesome chicks!  Without further delay, help us welcome to UTC the talented Chloe Neill along with a really cool chick, Merit from Cadogan House!

Chloe: Hi, everyone! *Waves* Thanks for having us!

Being such a successful writer and managing to still work a regular job must be very difficult. How do you manage to balance it all?!

Chloe: Thank you very much! It's definitely a challenge, but it helps that I love both jobs. It's a lot easier to make yourself get up and go to work in the morning when you like the place you have to go. Ditto for writing, which is a lot of fun when Merit is involved.

Cliffhangers... What is about them that you love to keep your fans on edge waiting for the next book?

Chloe: Personally, and although I know lots of fans feel differently, I don't feel like I use cliffhangers. But I do try to set up the next book at the end of the previous book so that fans have a sense of what's coming down the line. I like to remind them that the Chicagoland Vampires and Dark Elite books are series, and that there will be more adventures to come.

Merit maybe the major character we follow in this series. But there's a ton of other stuff that occurs outside of her.  There are political and familial plots as well. How do you keep track of it all?

Chloe: Sometimes, not very well. :) But I have a great editor and two very good continuity editors who help me keep things straight.

How would you say Merit has evolved from SOME GIRLS BITE? What have been her major hurdles?

Chloe: Merit is generally a very timid person--content to take the back seat and not be in the spotlight. I think she's become a lot braver as the books have gone along.

I love that Merit has her best friend, Mallory to lean on. It's nice to see a relationship in books that are not always romantic. How is it writing about them?

Chloe: Thanks! Like any friendship, they definitely have their ups and downs, as DRINK DEEP shows. I really hope to see them in a more solid place in the future, if Merit can get Mallory squared away.

A new species is introduced in DRINK DEEP. What was the most fun thing to write about them?

Chloe: I LOVE introducing new species, as it's a fun chance to think about the other beings that populate Chicago and how they draw on mythology and fairy tales.

Have you had the ending of Chicagoland Vampires planned out since you began writing, or do you write with plans for just one book at a time?

Chloe: I have a general sense of where I want the series to go, but the individual mysteries are plotted out with each distinct book.

Merit, your best friend, Mallory, is dating one my favorite mages. Give us some dirty details about Catcher Bell! Do you think she'll let me borrow him for a night? *waggles eyebrows* For a magic lesson of course!

Merit: Thanks! I think she would punch you for suggesting it. *Grins* She doesn't like other girls touching her things. As for the dirty details, I've seen him naked, but really tried not to look. He is Catcher, after all.

Which other heroine would you like to have the opportunity to meet and be friends with?

Merit: Maybe Eve Dallas from J.D. Robb's IN DEATH series. She's pretty kick ass. And Roarke is hot!

If you were having a night in with a nice warm glass of blood and some popcorn to throw at the TV, what 2 films would you watch?

Merit: Kill Bill and Pride & Prejudice (the A&E version).

Battle of the sexes! In a match between Jonah and yourself, who would win?

Merit: Hmm. I don't really know that one yet. I'm definitely getting some skills, but I'm not sure yet how he would measure up.

What does Catcher think of Lifetime remaking Steel Magnolia?

Merit: Oh, my god, they are? Maybe that explains all the weird stuff going on in Chicago lately. Magical spillover from his attitude issues or something. ;)

Now that you've had some time as a vampire, if you could turn back time and avoid becoming one, would you?

Merit: *Thinking* Life would be easier in some ways, but a lot less rich. So no, I wouldn't. Thanks for having us today! 

Thank you so much for stopping by ladies and participating in UTC After Dark.

Ms Neill is graciously giving away a copy of Drink Deep and The Dark Elite.  Drink Deep is her latest release in the Chicagoland Vampires series, read our review here.  The Dark Elite actually has Firespell and Hexbound from her YA series.  Yes you get both!  Open internationally.





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2.  Fill out the form below

And The Winners Are...

The Gratitude Giveaway Hop has come to an end and the winners for the three books we were giving away are:

A Vampire For Christmas
Jeanette Juan

The Bite Before Christmas
Thais

Tied With a Bow
Na

Congrats to all of you! You have random.org to thank for your win!  An email will be sent out shortly.

Winners have 72 hours (3 days) to claim their prize.

Remember we still have lots of giveaways you can enter before the month is over!  Good luck!

HOTTIE OF THE WEEK: TYLER BACHTEL

This week's hottie with a body is Tyler Bachtel! What do you think ladies? This one is probably my fave pic of him.

I know some think this is weird. But I like the veins in his arms. Am I alone in that regard? 

This leads me to my other question for you this week: What's the hottest part of a guy? Do you like abs? Arms? A strong jaw?

Meanwhile, to get those rice crispies working here are some more pics of Tyler!

Review: That Voodoo You Do by Myla Jackson

2.5 Feathers

That Voodoo You Do

by Myla Jackson

(Alluring Tales: Night Moves # 1)

I was so excited to have found this little series, or collection of hot short stories being released this month by some authors that I love. Of course, you know me. I have to read in order even when the stories are not related. At least if I can manage it.

So not knowing anything about Myla Jackson I picked this up. I mean who can resist the allure of the supernatural in Louisiana? It started off pretty good. Human rich girl dumps human douche boyfriend after he's being an ass. Enter sexy limo driver who wants to take her anywhere she wants. Great, right?

Except anywhere she wants end up being the middle of the swamp, his home. The home of the panther shifter pack whose land she just bought and plans on starting to drill for oil.

Him and his brother had planned to kidnap her to make her see reason and leave their habitat intact. Well... this is where the story lost me. I rolled my eyes so far I could see the back of my head.

This is a short story, and the main focus of the story is that it's a paranormal erotica. So if we leave it at that, yeah it was hot. But I'm not sure the hot makes up for the fact that the storyline seemed more like I was watching bad porn.

So, no this was not for me. Onto the next story!

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Last Dragon Standing by G.A. Aiken

Last Dragon Standing

by G.A. Aiken

(Dragon Kin # 4)

How can it be that you love the series, you love the world, you love the author's style AND you love the characters but you end up feeling like something huge was missing in the book?

Well, just read this book and find out exactly how that feels. Although this is still a great addition to the Dragon Kin series and I loved Ragnar the Cunning and I had moments of also liking Keita the Viper as well, the book in general fell flat compared to the others.

I found myself more interested in the side stories, which let me tell you, if you're like me and you're expecting something to start happening between Izzy and Eibhear then prepared to be royally pissed. At both of them really. Well... more him than her but... you just have to read it.

Keita was funny and sneaky and spoiled, as I expected. The problem was that she never turned that off. It can get annoying, and it did. Ragnar let her get away with too much. But then again some things are just memorable about the book, like that "rash" that Ragnar had from when Keita's tail had cut his chest.

And the last thing that bothered me, just a tad, there is no marking. So what does that mean? For their future?

A new character was introduced, Keita's best friend Ren, traveling companion extraordinaire. I woudl love to see more of him, and maybe he can end up mated and marked by a crazy dragoness.

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall

2.5 Feathers

Darkness Dawns

by Dianne Duvall

(Immortal Guardians # 1)

Where can I start? This was one of those books that I felt was hyped a lot, the series in general. So what do I do? Rush over to audible and buy the audiobook. Expecting great things. Funny things happen when you're expecting great things.

Let me tell you what I got... I got a bunch of tofu eating, eco-friendly, organic supporter immortals (yes, the lot of them), who are not vampires but are made technically the same way as a vampire, except they are gifted humans to begin with so they turn immortal. Main difference between them, vampires go crazy, immortals don't. And the immortals' job is to rid the world of vampires.

OK, this is mostly a great idea. Up until the part that every single thing was over explained to death. There were chapters that felt like some bizarre vampire science class where we learn in great detail about how the blood is absorbed into the body, so they don't really taste it. Anyway. I'm moving on.

But this killed the book for me. It made a story which had some potential into a book that went nowhere fast, was boring, and I ended up so annoyed with the characters I was about to reach through the ipod and go start killing them myself.

Now, I hear book two coming out is amazing AND there are many series out there which I feel book one is a big heaping disaster because the author feels the need to explain the world. Well, we got that out of the way for sure so I will give book two a try and see where the series goes. But it won't be any time soon.

Purchase Links:Amazon

2012 Immortal Reading Challenge

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Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves and fae. If you can’t pick a favourite, then that’s okay!

At UTC, we love them all! So let’s celebrate our love for all things immortal with 2012’s Immortal Reading Challenge.

Here’s the rundown:
1. The Immortals Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2012 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.  
2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each species. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.
*We have chosen to have a three book per species standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level.
3. Re-reads are acceptable.
4. Books chosen can be of any genre.
5. To participate, copy and paste this post on your blog along with the challenge button. We ask that you provide a link back to the sign-up page in case others wish to participate.
6. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.

To sign up:

1.  Make a sign up post announcement, listing the level you've chosen and a list of books you plan to read.  If you don't have a blog, post on GoodReads or another site as a thread where we can access your list of books.  Be sure to take the image code above.

2.  Come back here and using the list below, add your entry with a link directly to that post so we can see what you'll be reading.

You're done!  Every month during 2012 we will make a challenge update post where you can come and updates us on how you're doing with your challenge.

Category 1: Vampires
Some ideas for Vampire books
Read any THREE books with vampires as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with vampires

Category 2: Angels and Demons
Some ideas for Angels and Demons books
Read any THREE books with angels and/or demons as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with angels and/or demons

Category 3: Fae
Some ideas for Fae books
Read any THREE books with Fae as the main characters
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on Fae.

Category 4: Shifters/Werewolves
Some ideas for Shifter books
Read any THREE books with shifters or werewolves as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on shifters or werewolves.

Happy Reading Maidens!

2012 Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge

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Like UTC, are you Lisa Kleypas' number one fan? Or are you wondering who the hell Lisa Kleypas is? Well, if you belong to either extreme or somewhere in between the Krazy Klepas Reading Challenge 2012 is perfect for you!

Here’s the rundown:

1. The Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime during the year. This is a 2012 challenge, so books read before then will not count to your progress.

2. Pick whichever category you like! You can get your feet wet and just do 1-3 books or develop a full blown obsession and try and read them all! You can change your mind at any time, if 1-3 books is not enough feel free to go on to the next category.

3. Re-reads are acceptable.

4. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.

To sign up:

1. Make a sign up post announcement, listing the category you've chosen and a list of books you plan to read. If you don't have a blog, post on GoodReads or other site as a thread where we can access your list of books. Be sure to take the image code above.

2. Come back here and using the list below, add your entry with a link directly to that post so we can see what you'll be reading.

You're done! Every month during 2012 we will make a challenge update post where you can come and updates us on how you're doing with your challenge.

Category One 
1-3 Books
Popping your Kleypas Cherry
*gasps* You haven't read Lisa Kleypas yet?! Start here and pop your cherry ! We promise she will handle your virginity with care...

Category Two 
4-8 Books
Komfy with Kleypas
Time to start searching the back list...she has you hooked!

Category Three 
8-12 Books
Kaptured by Kleypas
She's caught you in her web...you're beginning to not want to escape, surely one more book won't hurt...

Category Four 
12-16 Books
Kleypas Addiction
You can't seem to help yourself...you need more, all other romances just don't compare to a good LK fix!

Category Five 
16-20 Books
Kleypas Krazy
The Kleypas Addiction has full control! You find yourself thinking about the books all the time waiting impatiently for your next fix, started calling all the heroines by your own name... You are beyond saving and loving every word of it!

Category Six 
Read Every Lisa Kleypas ever published.
Lisa's Number One Fan
*moments silence* We bow before your greatness...Clearly, you are Lisa Kleypas' biggest fan!

Happy Reading, Maidens!

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

  

City of Bones

The Mortal Instruments #1

by Cassandra Clare

This book has been collecting dust on my bookcase for a while now but for a couple of reasons I haven't been that excited about reading this, one because it's YA and those books generally drive me crazy and two because it has an endorsment by Stephenie "I-inflicted-Bella-Swann-upon-the-world" Meyer . However, pick it up I did and while I don't regret it I wouldn't say I was over enthused by it either.

Clary Fray is a normal 15 year old girl until she witnesses the killing of a seemingly innocent boy by a group of youths. However, normal boys don't have claws and don't fold up on themselves when they die and normal youths don't have runes inscribed on their skin. As Clary is pulled into the world of the Shadowhunters she realizes she has always been closer to it then she realized.

Before I have my little rant about what I didn't like about this book, I think I should start this review on a more positive note. I did like it and I will continue reading this series so it definitely has certain aspects that kept me reading. What I thought was great in this was the world. Cassandra Clare has crafted a fascinating world, where demons, vampires, werewolves, faeries, angels and any other species you can think of are all interconnected and live amongst us unknown, and where Shadowhunters are almost like a paranormal police force trained to make sure the Downworlders (all non human species) don't snack on the Mundanes (normal people). But I also like how she complicates the current world with politics from the past in which the adult characters all played a major part of. It is like characters from a past series are now showing up in a new series about the next generation of Shadowhunters.

So what annoyed me...I may have liked the world, but damn Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon and Alec made me realize why teenagers annoy the hell out of me. I love sarcasm as much as the next person, but really, does it have to be everything they said? Especially Jace, I know he is meant to be the romantic hero in this but damn I wanted to smack him and if I did he would make a smart arse comment back and then I would just have to murder him! I know he was supposed to have the whole tortured hero thing going on *yawn* but couldn't he brood silently? I would definitely prefer that!

Spoiler Ahead! Don't read if you don't want to know about The Twist

The Twist. I am in two minds about it. I liked the twist in itself, that Jace and Clary turned out to be brother and sister, I thought that was a great idea, but did she have to make them seem like love interests before hand? They even had a full tongued kiss!? *shudder* I don't really want a side of incest with my romance! But I like the idea, and I hope she doesn't retract it in some way and they turn out NOT to be just so they can get back to the kissing. But if they start kissing again and they are siblings I am afraid I will have to stop reading immediatley!

Spoiler Over
It was an enjoyable read and I will continue on with the series, annoying teenagers a side, as I did really enjoy the world and the history Ms Clare has created.