Book Review: Dark Dream

Book Title: Dark Dreamers "Dark Dream"

Author: Christine Feehan

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Cost:$6.99

Pages:182

How I got it: Library
My Rating:★★★★★

Synopsis:

She’s known him since she was fifteen. Every night, he is with her: his face, his voice. Tonight, Sara Marten will meet the man who is both angel and demon, salvation and temptation: Falcon—the Carpathian, the banished hero. Tonight, Sara will meet the dark-eyed destroyer destined to be her mate.

My Review:
This is a review of Ms.Feehan's story. In this story, we see the history of the hunters & how they came to be, the ones who answered the summons by their Prince, who asked them to choose to fight and protect humans and Carpathians alike & they all volunteered.  Centuries before knowing he might die before he found her, his lifemate, the light to his darkness Falcon wrote down his feelings his promise to her.

Over 1500 years pass before the writings are found by archaeologists, Sara Marten & her family are on a dig & she feels compelled to of down deeper with the bowels of the cave to find what compels her there.  Within the cave she found the treasure she was seeking, but her presence draws to her and her family a vampire who was watching the cave for the one he knew would come.

I personally truly enjoyed this story Falcon is an awesome hunter, he was never meant be a warrior, but choose to rise to the occasion to protect his people.  He is one of the few who are actually 'honorable", he makes the De La Cruz clan with the exception of Riordan, & Nicholas, appear like savages. Here we also learn more about the jaguars and that were-wolves exist in this world as well.

I don't understand why Ms. Feehan wrote the earlier books with such great heroes the make the De La Cruz brothers such anti heroes and not the kind of men you would want to love.   I personally love Falcon & Sara together & all they try to accomplish as a couple. I loved seeing Mikhail & having the others mentioned again.

Happy Reading

What I have learned living on my own

Hey there dear readers…

I finally have a breathe and want to tell you all about my new home. well I moved in in August, got rid of all the boxes and now am wondering how the heck i fit so much stuff in my old home when now it takes up most of an apartment?? 

Since I have moved out I have noticed a few things about myself I didn't know before. Some are good, some bad, some so-so, and some I knew but they have really been highlighted since I moved out.

1. Budgeting is key and I'm not as good as I should be: It's always easier to say or promise anything when you know the roof over your head is already paid for. Example I lived with my parents & never had to pay any bills other than those I racked up on my own, I paid for groceries as well but it wasn't required. Now that I have to pay rent, I have had to learn to budget, I mean I did before, but now it's not so easy to break it without there being consequences.
2.  I'm both a perfectionist and lazy. How could those two even be in the same sentence?? Well let me tell you, I have an idea of how I want things done, and if it doesn't seem like the perfect 'ideal' is going to be met I will put it off until such a times as it needs to be done; this isn't to say I don't handle my business or that I don't pay things when they are due, but more simple things like putting up the last of the pictures, sorting out the bottom cupboards, or putting off fixing the cabinets in the kitchen ( which I eventually did, and I post about it here).
3. It's was easier to be green when I only had myself to worry about: Now that I have a budget, I have found myself looking at the products that I purchase I want to be green but sometimes, it's cheaper to buy the non-organic or non 'green' item than it is to buy it's counterpart. I feel guilty as heck since I know ALL about the dangers of some of these things, but when your deciding to purchase several apples, celery and a couple of peppers or that green cleaner for $6.99; the larger variety makes more sense.
4. I'm a huge procrastinator when it comes to cleaning I don't mind it, I actually enjoy knowing I just mopped the floors with my crocheted cleaning cloth; I calculated once and discovered it takes about an hour and a half to clean my whole house: every room vacuumed, trash taken out, dishes done. floors mopped, mirrors & bathrooms cleaned. Yet I can stretch this into a two day affair, I will clean the carpets then take a break, clean somewhere else then take another break. And sometimes I have NO earthly idea what I spent the time on. Since I clean every week, it's not truly a mess, but things are out of order and i need to reset them, but sometimes i look at the pile of stuff to be done and say "oh well, I'll get to them tomorrow"
5. Before I could blame my parents now there isn't anyone to blame if I purchase food that's not healthy or from the nightshade family because I'm the who does the shopping. Not losing weight?? Well I'm the cook so who else is left to blame?? No One that's who.
6. Before I could blame being at home for not practicing, as I made the promise to bot really practice within their walls, and sometimes it meant not being able to practice at all. Now it's my home, but my practice is still floundering. I know I talked about feeling disconnected before, but now I know I really need to connect not just to the land but to some people as well, I need more friends who live within the city instead of going back home all the time.  Every monday the witch store in my town has a magic monday class and yet i never quite seem to make it there, when I lived further away I went more often. How's that for irony??

These are just a few; there are more, way more, some too personal to share, others I will share at another time. But for now these little insights have made me realize that although I have matured there are still many more things for me to learn and do.

What are some of the things you learned about yourself once you moved out on your own?? Share in the comments please

In My Mailbox (10)

Welcome back to another week of IMM, which is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It's a weekly meme with the goal of showcasing books that have made their way into your home via: the internet, the post, bookswaps, giveaways, or those that you have purchased.  It allows you to show off these books even if you never get to read them or review them but still wish for your bloggie friends to see them.

I was good again this week, I managed to make it to the library and back without additional books. YAY for me, ( it was soo hard, I literally ran in threw my books in the return bin and ran out, I didn't look anywhere else and didn't stop for more than the five minutes it took to dump the books).

Even though I was good I still got sucked into buying two books and swapped two more.  The first one I received a teaser via Kindle which I didn't realize wasn't the full adventures, and by then I was way to curious to pass up the rest of the story so I bought it. And of course my Doubleday books just had to be ordered, both are by authors I love and just know I couldn't pass them up.

The teaser's name was Shaken & Stirred by Sable Jordan, the character Kizzie was awesome so when I realized it extended into another novel i had to get it:

Wallbanger

A relic from the Cold War that shouldn’t even exist….
After being Shaken and Stirred, secret agent Kizzie Baldwin is again thrust into a world she knows nothing about, and learning on the fly from a teacher she can’t trust. The objective is the same: secure Intel on Formula 3-19. But to do that, she has to give the nefarious Dom, Xander Duquesne, exactly what he wants first.
He’s still not her Master.
But she will call him ‘Sir’!

I can't wait to dive into this one!!!

I also got Dreaming by Jill Barnett,

In love with Richard Lennox, Earl of Downe, since childhood, Letitia Hornsby pursues him relentlessly. To her, he is a gift from God; to him, she is a hellion.

I once owned and loved the Bewitching, and when I saw it was for free on Kindle I downloaded it (Ok I'll be honest I downloaded it, started to read then realized I had already read this, looked up the original covers and sure enough it was a book I had already read). Dreaming was on sale for $1.99 so I purchased it. Can't wait to dive into this one either

From Paperback Bookswap I received:

Dark Demon by Christine Feehan

For as long as she can remember, Natalya has been fighting demons: first in the form of childhood nightmares, then later, immortal creatures that kill and prey on the innocent—including her own twin brother. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and has no equal—until she is seduced by the very thing she considers her enemy…A Carpathian who has seen nearly everything in his endless existence, Vikirnoff didn’t think he could be surprised anymore—until he faces a woman who rivals him as a vampire hunter. A formidable and gifted warrior in her own right, Natalya has a nature that is strangely familiar—yet alien—to his own. Who is this mysterious female who fears no one—not even him? Natalya could be the key to the survival of the Carpathians, but all Vikirnoff is certain of is that she is the key to his heart and soul…

I also got :

Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan

After centuries as the Prince of the Carpathians Mikhail Dubrinsky fears he can’t protect them for long from their greatest threat: the extinction of their species- a fate that has become the wicked prayer of his enemies. To ensure it, they are devising a scheme to slaughter Carpathian females. But even with his own lifemate, Raven, and their daughter, Savannah, vulnerable to the encroaching evil, Mikhail's hope is not lost...In this desperate season, Carpathians from around the world are gathering to join their strengths, their souls, and their powers to bring light to the darkness. But so too are their adversaries uniting – hunters, vampires, demons, and betrayers – bringing untold dangers into the fold of the Carpathian people.

I'm almost done with the Dark Series YAYYAY. Only seven more books to go!!!

From Doubleday I received:

Catherine Anderson's The Lucky Penny, this premise just seemed too funny and I needed to know what happened.

To support her orphaned niece, impoverished Brianna O'Keefe accepts work with a Colorado rancher. To guard herself from unwanted attention, she resorts to a harmless little lie: that she's married to a Denver gold miner named David Paxton. But when her "husband" shows up, Brianna is stunned-not the least by her desire.

Doesn't that sound awesome??? Then of course I got one that was a guaranteed laugh:
I've got your number by Sophie Kinsella.

I have a few of her books and she was very quirky, almost Bridget Jones with her adventures, so I got this one because of past experience, but the story and a few reviews I have seen make it sound like a good read.

I've lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate Poppy. Stay positive!!
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

What did you get in your mailbox this week?? Something fun? exciting?? Share please and I will hop on over.

Happy reading

Guest Post & Giveaway:

Yesterday we were introduced to author Elizabeth Marx, today she gives us a peak behind the office door, so we can get to know her a little better. I love learning about the authors because then you can see a little more how the characters came to be.  Let's take a gander through Elizabeth's world....

What’s sitting on your desk right now?

iPhone, iPad, piles of paper and Puffs. Oh, I forgot, a Flat Stanley who should be in the post.

Three things that inspire you?

Art, music, and perseverance in the face of adversity.

Favorite movie candy?

Milk duds.

Favorite supernatural movies?

It’s an old one, but Somewhere in Time. I actually stayed in the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, where the movie was filmed. It’s a beautiful place, but it’s also eerie. If you wanted to believe in ghosts or time travel it would definitely be a spot to set such things. 

Favorite time of day?

7:50 a.m.  It’s the guaranteed time that everyone will be gone to school, work, etc. and I have a nice peaceful house to write in.

If you could meet any character from books/tv/movies who would you chose?

If you could insure my safety, I’d like to meet Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I have been fascinated with him since I first read the book when I was 15.  I love the scene in the dining room in Francis Ford Coppola’s movie version when Jonathan Harker first gets to Dracula’s castle, there is so much anticipation in that scene that it makes you swallow. And really what 19^th century girl could resist Dracula’s allure?                                                                  

 If you weren’t a writer what would you be doing?

 I was an interior designer before I became an author, so I’d probably go back to that or something artistic. I also love museums and history, so maybe I’d become a tour guide.

Favorite place in the world?

This is a difficult question for me because I have been lucky enough to take fabulous journeys.  I’ve sat in the Sistine Chapel at twilight. I have dined in the Orangerie de Versailles. I’ve been as close to Mona Lisa’s smile as anyone’s allowed too. I’ve strolled through Monet’s garden at the height of summer. I have driven up and down Italy, across France twice, and trekked between Madrid and Barcelona. I’ve walked the beaches of many islands in the Caribbean, and Hawaii. I have visited almost every major city in the U.S. (the only exception is NY). I’ve seen so many fascinating places, great works of art, and locations where history occurred that it’s difficult to pick just one. But I guess the simple answer is that my favorite place is within my own head.

Now, that’s not because I think I’m so interesting, but because when I go inside myself I can imagine a Punk rocker being inspired to compose a symphony based on the ceiling of Michael Angelo’s masterpiece. Or a masquerade ball being held in Orangerie de Versailles celebrating an awkward girls coming out party in 1920’s Paris. Or a young art student who accidentally stumbles past the ropes at Mona Lisa’s portrait and falls into the arms of an irritated security guard who happens to be a boy she’s been having nightmares about. Or an elderly couple returning to Monet’s garden to celebrate their seventy-fifth wedding anniversary because of a chance encounter there almost 80 years before.

So my favorite place in the world is where I can create all these worlds and countless others. I hope you’ll stop by my website and see what my minds been up to. http://www.elizabethmarxbooks.com

Thanks again for your time Elizabeth. Don't forget dear readers to enter to win a copy of her book, the link is here. Be on the look out for my review later today.

Be Blessed and Happy Reading

Author Introduction: Elizabeth Marx

Recently I got a chance to read a copy of Elizabeth's awesome book, which kick starts the Seer Series. I was fascinated by the seer from the get go, and found myself being sucked back into the story each time I picked up my reader. I was excited to get a chance to talk with Elizabeth about her book, and what her plans are for the future of the series.

A Little about Elizabeth in her own words:

Windy City writer Elizabeth Marx brings cosmopolitan flair to her fiction, which is a blend of romance and fast-paced Chicago living with a sprinkle of magical realism. In her past incarnation she was an interior designer--not a decorator--which basically means she has a piece of paper to prove that she knows how to match and measure things and can miraculously make mundane pieces of furniture appear to be masterpieces. Elizabeth says being an interior designer is one part shrink, one part marriage counselor and one part artist, skills eerily similar to those employed in writing.
Elizabeth grew up in Illinois and has also lived in Texas and Florida. If she’s not pounding her head against the wall trying to get the words just right, you can find her at a softball field out in the boonies or sitting in the bleachers by a basketball court. Elizabeth resides with her husband, girls, and two cats who’ve spelled everyone into believing they’re really dogs.
Elizabeth has traveled extensively, but still says there’s no town like Chi-Town.

Elizabeth has an awesome interview about the book listed at On the Broomstick. click on over and learn more about her process for this book.

The Seer sent a letter as well, she wanted y'all to know:

Okay, let’s start out by saying this book is a compendium, not a novel. I had no idea what a compendium was until my good friend Merriam Webster informed me. Compendium: 1) a brief summary of a larger work or of a field of knowledge; 2) A collection or compilation.
This is all the ExtraOrdinary knowledge I’ve collected and written down in the little black book Ilithyia gave me as a death-day present. The same night she gave me the spiel about the important purpose I’d serve as The Seer. I have more questions about the Order than I have answers for, but I’ve decided to serve my higher purpose by constructing this encyclopedia for the Ordinary world.
The Seer’s 7 Deadly Fairy Tales also includes a truthful account of what happened to me, and a peek into what transpired while Locke and I were sent away to Blessingston. It’s full of definitions, cool illustrations, and the first of seven fairy tales that will be told over the course of the series. If you’re dying to know what goes on behind the veil of secrecy Salem is shrouded in, feel free to read this compendium.
But beware, the Order has one rule about recording ExtraOrdinary events--it’s strictly forbidden. So just to be on the safe side, you might want to destroy this after reading it.
But don’t worry about me getting in trouble, I’m already dead!
The Seer
Visit me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheSeers7DeadlyFairyTales

Check back on Saturday for the review and interview with Elizabeth!!
This is just a little of what's coming your way this weekend. there is a Giveaway, simply click on the link in the sidebar and enter for a chance to win.