2012 Cozy Mysetry Challenge Sign-Up Page!

Once again, Debbie's Book Bag will be hosting the 2012 Cozy Mystery Challenge! I admit to biting off a little more than I could chew with the 2011 Challenge, but I've decided to give it another go by overhauling the challenge and being a little more pro-active in getting people on board and keeping them interested.

I have added tons of cozy mystery reviews and giveaways to the blog in order to give readers and challenge participants the opportunity to see what's out there as far as cozies are concerned.

I will be designed a button you can use on your blogs to keep track of your progress. I will post it sometime today!

PLEASE READ THE CHALLENGE GUIDELINES AND FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO BE ENTERED IN THE CHALLENGE!


What's a cozy you ask? 

A cozy mystery generally follows a few guidelines:
1) It is clean, no language, very little if any sexual situations, no gore.
2.) Cozies are lighter in nature than a mainstream mystery or thriller. (Readers who loved Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as young readers will love cozies!)
3.) Cozies usually have a female protagonist by not always (a few are male), who has another day job. 
4.) Cozies are about amateur sleuths, not professionals.
5.) Cozies generally have a small town setting but that's not always the case.

This is just a general description and there are a lot of variations. If a book you want to use for challenge doesn't quite meet the criteria or you aren't sure, just e-mail me and I'll let you know if I think it's a cozy or not.


There will several changes to the challenge this year so PLEASE read the guidelines!

2012 Cozy Mystery Challenge Guidelines

~ Sign-Ups for this challenge will run from December 4, 2011 to February 4, 2012. (This will give those interested two months to sign-up in order to be counted in the challenge)
~ I would prefer participants to subscribe via e-mail or twitter for updates (not required, just handy!)
~ The Challenge will begin on January 1 and run through December 31 of 2012. (Books should be read during this time period)
~ There will be four levels of participation. Each participant MUST choose a level, if they read more that's great... just don't go below the level you choose or I can't count it for the grand prize.

Level 1 Snooper: 1 to 3 Cozy Mysteries
Level 2 Gumshoe: 4 to 6 Cozy Mysteries
Level 3 Private-Eye: 7 to 9 Cozy Mysteries
Level 4 Super Sleuth: 10 to 12 Cozy Mysteries 


~ You do not have to have a blog to participate, but you must choose a place to post your reviews. I must be able to follow your links back to the place where you post your review. You may suggest alternate locations to me and I will decide if they meet the criteria of the challenge. Reviews will be accepted from these locations:


Your blog
Facebook
Goodreads
LibraryThing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble


~ Participants may read in a variety of different formats: print, audio, e-book, Arc's, library books, books from your own collections. Most anything will count as long as it's a cozy!
~ I have decided NOT to use a Mr. Linky this time. That was just too much juggling since I did not want to purchase a membership. I will be posting a Bi-Monthly post for challenge reviews. (Jan. & Feb., March & April, etc.) Participants will be asked to post a link to any cozy review they posted during each two month period. You don't have to post a link every time and you can catch up at any time if you feel you are behind. 
~ I will be sending out e-mail reminders to challenge participants when the two-month post goes up. Just to help you keep in mind that the challenge is still going on.
 ~ There will be six mini-giveaways through out the year. If you post a review link for a given two month period you will be eligible to win! Prizes will be announced at the time of the mini-giveaway. 
 ~There will also be other mini-challenges and incentives going on throughout the year (For example: Mini Challenge: Read a cozy mystery set during Halloween, Read a cozy mystery will a male protagonist etc.) and there will be prizes for these as well.
~ There will be one grand-prize. Participants who meet the guidelines for their level of participation will be eligible to win the grand prize: A cozy mystery series (Up to Five books). I will also allow some mixing and matching if you would prefer. The winner will be chosen January 1st 2013 and prizes will be mailed out by the middle of the month. I will be using random.org to choose the winner!

ONE VERY IMPORTANT ADDITION!

I have designed a FORM. That will allow me to keep up with participants, levels, e-mail addresses, winners etc. etc.


To enter the challenge you Must fill out the FORM!


Please fill out the FORM below to be entered in the challenge!

Winner's Post

It's time for another winner's post, here at Debbie's Book Bag! We've had several giveaways ending in the last couple of weeks and I am just now picking the winners. I always use random.org to chose winners! Winners will be notified later this evening or tomorrow and publishers will be notified on Monday. Thanks to everyone for participating!

Temptation at Twilight by Jo Carlisle
Winner: Diane Sallans

Behind the Seams by Betty Hechtman
Winner: Stacie

Embrace the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney
Winners: Lisa Garrett & Ruby Johnson

A Deadly Penance by Maureen Ash
Winner: Peggy@Peggy Ann's Post

Hickory Smoked Homicide by Riley Adams
Winner: Wendy Newcomb

Tempt Me by R.G. Alexander
Winner: June M.

The Gingerbread Bump Off by Livia J. Washburn
Winner: Karen B.

Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets
Winner: Zee a Voracious Reader

Review: A Sound Among the Trees

A Sound Among the Trees by Susan Meissner


Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Genre: Christian Fiction, Inspirational
Pages: Paperback, 328pp
ISBN-13: 978-0307458858

ISBN: 0307458857

(Received for an honest review from the Library Thing Early Reviews Program)


Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, ChristianBook, IndieBound


Susan Meissner on the WEB: website, blog, twitter


Excerpt from A Sound Among the Trees


Synopsis:


A HOUSE SHROUDED in TIME. A LINE of WOMEN WITH a HERITAGE of LOSS.


As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-grandmother Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn't believe that Susannah's ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather that the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.


When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband's home, she is soon led to believe that the house she's just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.


With Adelaide's richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak - and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.


Thoughts:


Susan Meissner's novel, A Sound Among the Trees weaves together both the contemporary and the historical to give readers a mysterious and haunting novel. Meissner is known for her writing about love and loss and this novel is no exception. The author is able to draw the reader in and lose them in the nuances and history of the civil war era, while still grounding them in the present day. Not an easy feat! Meissner has a knack for creating a setting that is steeped in mystery and intrigue that will have readers on the edge of their collective seats!

This is a novel that has to be savored. It starts out in the present day with Marielle Bishop meeting the man of her dreams online. She leaves her home in the Arizona desert to join him at Holly Oak, his estate in Virginia. What she doesn't know is that Holly Oak has a history all it's own. I liked the fact that Meissner starts out the story in the present and then works back and forth between Marielle's story and Suzanne's story, which takes place in the Civil War era. She weaves both story lines effortlessly and takes the reader on quite a journey. It started out a little slow for me, but it really picked up when Marielle begins to study Suzanne's Page's letters, that end up revealing what really happened to her at Holly Oak. Once I got to the letters, I flew through the rest of the book. It was interesting and engaging. 

Though there was no major conflict in this novel. It still worked. Meissner is able to pull off the "semblance" of conflict by showing Suzanne or the house itself as an conflicted entity. There was something not quite right about it. I liked the fact that Marielle took it upon herself to try to figure out what was going on, not only to ease her own mind but Adelaide's as well. It was very mysterious and spooky in some ways and that added to the overall appeal of the book. I thought Messiner did a fantastic job of creating suspense and urgency just with the mystery itself. The house was so interesting that it almost took on the role of a character in itself. 

I thought Marielle was just as interesting as Suzanne, though Suzanne had the more colorful life. When Marielle first hears all the rumors about Suzanne and the house she sort of dismisses them and goes about trying to live in a home that belonged to her new husband and his former wife. She has a lot to digest without taking on a ghost. She is trying to start a life with a man and his children in a place that holds some very strong memories of their mother. That was daunting, but once she starts to put some credence behind the stories about the house and Suzanne, it gives her a new sense of purpose. She doesn't want to end up a part of the curse that seems to have descended on the women of Holly Oak and I thought she was courageous and full of determination. Just an all around great character.

This is one I would recommend to readers who are looking for something a little different. For romance readers and especially for history buffs. There is a lot going on in this novel and Meissner really had a vision for how she wanted this one to go. A Sound Among the Tree's may seem a little tedious in the beginning but if you give it, it's due and keep reading I think you'll really enjoy this one!

A Sound Among the Trees is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Award-winning writer Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include The Shape of Mercy, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the Best Books of 2008, White Picket Fences; and Lady in Waiting. She is a pastor's wife and a mother of four young adults. When she's not writing, Susan directs the Small Groups and Connection Ministry program at her San Diego church.
 

Review: Carrie Goes Off the Map

Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley


Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc.
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: Paperback, 371pp
ISBN-13:978-1402241451

ISBN:1402241453

(Received for an honest review from Sourcebooks Landmark)


Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Phillipa Ashley on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter


Excerpt from Carrie Goes Off the Map (choose Look Inside Feature)


Synopsis:


Just when she thinks she knows where she's going...


Carrie lets her best friend talk her into a scenic European road trip as the perfect getaway from a nasty breakup. Unexpectedly along for the ride is the gorgeous Matt Landor, MD, who sorely tests Carrie's determination to give up men altogether. Careening through the English countryside, these two mismatched but perfectly attuned lonely hearts find themselves in hot pursuit of adventure and in uncharted territory altogether...


Thoughts:


Carrie Goes Off the Map is an engaging English contemporary romance written by Phillipa Ashley. Ashley's books tend to have common pattern and this one is no different, which is a good thing. Carrie Goes Off the Map is entertaining, it satisfies the readers interest in travel, it has some very interesting secondary characters that are unique and fun to read about, and of course it has a happy-ever-after! Ashley is able to take a somewhat overused idea and give it new life and a refreshing plot that readers will love!


I like Phillipa Ashley's writing for several reasons. Chick lit is a sub-genre that I never really thought I would be interested in, but I was pleasantly surprised after reading books by authors like Erica James and Phillipa Ashley. I was used to reading a lot of historical romance, in which I loved to read about England. But, I was unsure how that would translate to a contemporary setting. Ashley's books are always very descriptive and full of references to today's English countryside, as well as it's metropolitan areas. I like her descriptions of everything from the small villages to the food that her characters enjoy eating. There is always something about English books, that is slower and more laid back than their American counterparts and Ashley uses that to her advantage, spending a lot of time writing about where her characters are traveling and what they are doing. It's a nice change and I really liked that about her latest book, Carrie Goes Off the Map.


Ashley's protagonist Carrie has just suffered a terrible breakup with her former fiance. Not only has she lost her lover, but her job and her home as well. When she finds out he is marrying another woman only months after their wedding was called off, Carrie goes off her rocker a bit and attempts to bust up the wedding. Luckily, she gets talked down by Matt. I liked Carrie, she attitude and spunk. Ashley portrays her as a young woman who is about to take life by the horns and change her whole outlook. Her breakup with Huw certainly vacillates that. I liked the whole idea of cross country journey to clear her head and get her on a new path, the fact that at the last minute Rowena her friend can't go along and she ends up traveling with Matt isn't unexpected. But Ashley's smooth writing style makes the journey fun to read and full of surprises.

Matt is very sexy. He has this look about him that the reader will be able to see in their mind's eye. Sultry and down right seductive. I think readers will really like Matt off the bat and realize that all the bickering he and Carrie do in the beginning is just their way of communicating their attraction to each other. There relationship builds slowly and gives the author time to explore everything they are seeing and doing on their journey. I liked the build up and was really surprised at Matt at some points. I figured he would be the one to be afraid of risking his heart, when it's Carrie who gets cold feet. Ashley always has a way of pulling it out in the end though. Readers know they will probably get a happy ending with this author, but really it's all in the journey!

I recommend this to readers who enjoy contemporary women's fiction or chick lit. The English setting is full of detail and Ashley does a wonderful job of describing everything about it. If you like British romance novels, this is one for you!

Carrie Goes Off the Map is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Phillipa Ashley studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University before working as a freelance copy-writer and journalist. She lives in an English village with her husband and daughter.

Interview and Giveaway: Phillipa Ashley

Please join me in welcoming Phillipa Ashley to Debbie's Book Bag today. Phillipa is here to talk about her latest release, Carrie Goes Off the Map. The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Phillipa's book, see details at the end of the post.

DEB: Phillipa, tell us a little bit about yourself?
PA: I live in a small village in the heart of England with my husband and sometimes my daughter, who is at university studying for a PhD. I’ve always loved reading, especially crime, comedy and adventure – but I didn’t start reading romance until I began writing it seven years ago (see below!) I enjoy movies and the theatre but most of all, I love getting into the great outdoors and I’m learning to surf, which was inspired by writing about surfers in Carrie Goes off the Map!  

DEB: Tell us about your book, Carrie Goes off the Map? 
PA: The idea for this book came to me one morning when I heard Radio 2 play the old Yvonne Fair song, It Should Have Been me. That’s the song where the jilted bride stands up in the church and objects when her ex tries to marry another woman! I wondered what sort of heartbreak could drive a woman to crash her ex’s wedding in such a dramatic way and how would she ever pick herself up from there? Then I hit on the idea of having her take a real journey… and a road trip in a tiny campervan seemed the perfect way to do it.

DEB: What was your inspiration for this book? Have you always written women’s fiction?
PA: Until almost exactly seven years ago, although I worked as a freelance copywriter, I’d never written any fiction, not even a short story. All that changed one night in November 2004 when I saw a TV costume drama called North & South. That series inspired me to write a fanfic and I’ve been hooked ever since. In fact, I picture Dr Matt Landor, the hero of Carrie Goes off the Map, as Richard Armitage… 


DEB: What is your normal writing day like? Do you have to have specific things in place to write comfortably?
PA: I try to use my main office PC for writing commercial work and write my novels on my laptop. I know it’s bad for my posture but I often write my novels on the sofa with the TV on low! I have to have Earl Grey tea by me which reminds me, I must put the kettle on again…


DEB: Do you have advice for new writers?
PA: To work hard at honing their skills and developing and having confidence in their own voice. Also to realize that routes to reaching readers are changing rapidly and to embrace e books and online networking alongside traditional print publishing.


DEB:  What was your reaction when you found out your first book would be published?
PA: Ecstatic. My agent phoned to tell me about the offer and I burst into tears and called my daughter into the office to tell her – then my agent cried too!


DEB: When you are not writing, what do you like to read? Do you have a favorite genre or author? 
PA: I read romance, of course, and like sexy contemporaries and rom coms by authors such as Jill Shalvis, Jill Mansell, Nell Dixon and Katie Fforde. One of my fave books of this year was a romantic historical pirate adventure by Louise Allen – it won the RNA Love Story of the Year, for which I was a judge. I also enjoy comedy and non-fiction, especially Bill Bryson and glossy books about camping, hiking, surfing and the sea… well, I can dream, can’t I?


DEB: What books coming out in the latter part of 2011 are you looking forward to? Yours and other authors? 
PA: With Carrie out on December 1st, I have my hands full but on my Kindle, I just read a hot contemporary by Bella Andre about a hot shot firefighter and downloaded a fun rom com by a UK author called Sue Moorcroft. Plus I have a new title out with Sourcebooks in 2012 called Just Say Yes!


DEB: What are you currently working on?
PA: I’ve just finished a new romance that I’m very excited about. It’s set in an island castle in Cornwall and features a history loving heroine and a very sexy, bad boy hero who happens to be an earl!

DEB:  Tell us one thing that readers may not know about you?

PA: I once met the Phantom of the Opera in his dressing room….he was totally charming.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Carrie Goes Off the Map by Phillipa Ashley.


~ You must be Google Friend Connect follower or an E-mail subscriber to participate.
~ US and Canadian Addresses only! (Publisher Request)
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST December 16th. 

1. Please leave a meaningful comment or question for the author on THIS post.
2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review: The Real Werewives of Vampire County

The Real Werewives of Vampire County by Alexandra Ivy, Angie Fox, Jass Haines &  Tami Dane


Publication Date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: Paperback, 359pp
ISBN-13:978-0758261588

ISBN:0758261586

(Received for an honest review from Kensington)



Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Alexandra Ivy on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter



Angie Fox on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter


Jess Haines on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter



Tami Dane on the WEB: website, blog, facebook


Excerpt from The Real Werewives of Vampire County (This is an excerpt from Alexandra Ivy's story, "Where Darkness Lives")



Synopsis:


"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy


I'M PUREBLOOD WERE, AND PROUD OF IT...

No one's more surprised than Sophia when she's struck by an unfamiliar maternal urge to move near her daughters. But instead of being greeted by a welcome committee, she's targeted by kidnappers... and saddled with a gorgeous bodyguard on a mission to protect - and seduce...


"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox


I'M A TOMBOY AT HEART, BUT I WANT A MAN WHO MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A REAL WOMAN...


When a werewolf trophy wife is found dead in Vampire County, Heather McPhee goes undercover to investigate. Heather's never been a mascara-and-manicures sort of girl, but she's willing to learn. Especially with sexy vampire detective Lucien Mead posing as her husband...


"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines


WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD WEREWOLVES? NOT ME, THAT'S FOR SURE...

Still Waters is like many other exclusive gated communities - except that it's home to one of the largest werewolf packs in the state. But Tiffany Winters isn't frightened of her big, bad new neighbors. In fact, she intends to take her place among the pack...


"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane


THIS IS A TOWN FULL OF SECRETS, AND I INTEND TO UNCOVER ALL OF THEM...


Ever since Christine Price moved in with her fiance, Jonathan, and his twelve-year-old son, she's worked hard to fit in with a cadre of local women whose lives seem picture-perfect. Except no one in Jon's upscale neighborhood is quite who they appear to be. Least of all Jon...



Thoughts:


Reviewing anthologies or story collections is always somewhat of a task for me. I like to provide my readers with as much information as possible and let's face it, there's a lot of information to be had, when you have more than one author. I try not to overwhelm but I still want to give an accurate and meaningful review of each of the stories in the book and with The Werewives of Vampire County that was easy! This is such a great collection from some highly respected paranormal writers. I will offer my thoughts on each story and give each one a rating along with an overall rating for the entire book at the end. Enjoy!

"Where Darkness Lives" by Alexandra Ivy


If you are familiar with Alexandra Ivy's Guardian's of Eternity series, you'll know that this isn't the first time readers have been introduced to Sophie, a highly revered purebred were who is one of the few that has been able to produce purebred offspring. When readers first met Sophie in Darkness Everlasting, she was a bit cold and stand-offish. In this story Ivy takes a different tact with Sophie, though she still still a bit obsessed with the "purebred" idealism, she shows there is a lot more to her than just good genes. Luc, the hero of this story is just delicious! Ivy gives readers another purebred, but he defines what that statement could really mean. He's very loyal and protective and as seductive as can be. A true Alpha! I would give this one 5 out of 5 apples. Though it is a short story the pacing was perfect!

"Murder on Mysteria Lane" by Angie Fox


This one is probably my favorite in the anthology. Angie Fox known for her Demon Slayer series pulls out all the stops with this short story. Heather is a tom-boy who finds herself trying to fit into high society, supernatural style. The latest trend in Vampire county is mixed marriages, all the vampires want werewives and when one turns up dead, it's up werewolf Heather, and vampire Lucien to infiltrate and investigate! There is so much humor in this one that readers will get a good laugh on just about every page. Lucien's assistant Vinny is a shapeshifting riot and Heather's just isn't cut out for dresses and heels. The interaction between Heather and Lucien is witty and full of fun and readers will probably be wishing like I did that Angie Fox writes more about this intriguing couple! Definitely a 5 out of 5 story.

"What's Yours is Mine" by Jess Haines


Jess has been a favorite author of mine since the beginning of the H & W Investigations series and I was really excited that she was a part of this great anthology. So I was a little disappointed that I didn't like this particular story as much as the others. Don't get me wrong it is still good, but the others were just fantastic. In this one the Diamondfang pack is looking for new members. They want to expand their pack, but they don't want just anyone. They want the elite, the best of the best and Tiffany Winters appears on the surface to be just what they are looking for. But there's more to Tiffany than meets the eye. I thought Haines rushed through this one a little bit. I liked the whole idea of the gated community and the elite group of werewolves. There was  a lot of potential, but I think the constraints of the short story didn't give it enough time to develop. If it had been drawn out more I think it would have worked better. This one gets 4 out of 5 apples.

"Werewolves in Chic Clothing" by Tami Dane


I have to admit this is my first experience with this author. This particular story had a little bit of a different tone to it than the others in the anthology and I was glued to it, LOL! Nobody and nothing in this story is what they appear to be. When Christine marries Jonathon and moves in with him and his son, she makes an effort to start to fit into this closed community. But she begins to have her doubts about these neighbors, there is something odd about them and she can't quite put her finger on it. When she begins to have doubts about Jon and what might have happened to his first wife, the action heats up. I liked this one a lot. Very intriguing and mysterious. That mysteriousness really carried the story and kept me reading long into the night. Another 5 out of 5 story!

As you can tell I liked this anthology a lot and though Jess Haines' story wasn't quite as on par with the others, it was still really good. I certainly have no complaints about this one overall. In the past I haven't necessarily been a big fan of collections or anthologies, but if I read enough good ones like this one, I would probably change my mind! I recommend it to Urban Fantasy and Paranormal fans who are looking for stories that can be read quickly during this hectic holiday season.

The Real Werewives of Vampire County is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples overall from my book bag!

Alexandra Ivy graduated from Truman University with a degree in theatre before deciding she preferred to bring her characters to life on paper rather than the stage. She currently lives in Missouri with her extraordinarily patient husband and teenage sons. 

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. She claims that researching her stories can be just as much fun as writing them. In the name of fact-finding, Angie has ridden with Harley biker gangs, explored the tunnels underneath Hoover Dam and found an interesting recipe for Mamma Coalpot's Southern Skunk Surprise (she's still trying to get her courage up to try it). Angie earned a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. She worked in television news and then in advertising before beginning her career as an author.

Jess Haines grew up in New York and is currently residing in southern California. She is the author of three novels in the H & W Investigations urban fantasy series: Hunted by The Others, Taken by The Others, and Deceived by The Others.

Tami Dane is rarely seen in anything but black sweatpants and hoodies, unless she's in historical garb. And when she's not stomping around in mud, bedecked in velvet and lace, or working on her latest sewing project, she has her head buried in a book or eyes glued to her computer monitor. Not only does she love sewing. She also loves writing. 

Tami Dane is rarely seen in anything but black sweatpants and hoodies, unless she's in historical garb. And when she's not stomping around in mud, bedecked in velvet and lace, or working on her latest sewing project, she has her head buried in a book or eyes glued to her computer monitor. Not only does she love sewing. She also loves writing.

Review: Vampires Dead Ahead

Vampires Dead Ahead (Night Tracker - Book 5) by Cheyenne McCray


Publication Date: November 29, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: Paperback, 333pp

ISBN-13: 978-0312532697

ISBN: 978-0312532697

(Received for an honest review from St. Martins)



Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound


Cheyenne McCray on the WEB: website, facebook, twitter



Books in the Series: Demons Not Included (2009), No Werewolves Allowed (2010), Vampires Not Invited (2010), Zombies Sold Separately (2011), Vampires Dead Ahead (2011)

Excerpt from Vampires Dead Ahead



Synopsis:


In the acclaimed Night Tracker series by New York Times bestselling author Cheyenne McCray, the vampires are back to make a brand-new start of it - in old New York...


With zero tolerance for bloodsuckers, Nyx and the Trackers have made the streets safer for warm-blooded New Yorkers. Unfortunately, they didn't drive a stake through the problem nationwide. Vampire attacks are on the rise. Proctors are dropping like flies. And Volod - New York's ousted Master Vampire - is trying to make a comeback...


Nyx is worried - about her city, her job, and her neck. But mostly she's concerned about her former lover, Rodan, a Proctor who's gone missing. Scarier still, Volod is capturing and "turning" paranorms to help him paint the town red. Which sucks. Because some of these new vampires are Nyx's old friends. But, hey - if she can stake them here, she'll stake them anywhere..


Thoughts:


Vampires Dead Ahead is the highly anticipated fifth book in the Night Tracker series by Cheyenne McCray. This is a series that has delighted fans with it's kick-ass heroine and her penchant for all things paranormal. Nyx Ciar, is a dark elf with a feisty attitude, who seems to find herself in some of the worst of circumstances, much to the delight of readers. McCray's trademark unique characters once again steal the show in this book that will have readers on the edge of their seats!


Vampires Dead Ahead brings back one of Nyx's old foes, Volod, the Master Vampire. As Nyx and her human counterpart Olivia are hard at work trying to figure out why several Trackers have disappeared, they are stunned to find out that their old nemesis may be behind it all. Volod has set his sights on a new beginning in New York and it's up to Nyx to thwart his plans. I loved the fact that McCray brings back one of the former bad guys in this one, proving that Volod might have been down but he certainly wasn't out for the count. It was interesting to see how Nyx reacts to this new development. She's been through a lot with this guy, but she does know what he is capable of. Better the enemy you know, that the one you don't!


Nyx is such a great character to begin with. She has grown by leaps and bounds since the beginning of this series. She's been through a lot but is still the strong, determined woman we met in Demons Not Included. In this installment of the series, she has a lot on her mind. She is determined to protect New York from Volod, she will not let him take her city. But she is torn between what's going on with Volod and her feelings for her former lover and boss Rodan, who is among the missing Trackers that have disappeared. Rodan is someone Nyx has a soft spot for and she just can't leave him to his fate. I liked the fact that McCray shows that underneath all the bravado, Nyx is a woman, with the same feelings and longings as any other. 


The whole idea that Volod has somehow figured out a way to "turn" other paranorms, was a fantastic premise, that opens the series up to a lot of new possibilities. It certainly shifts the balance of power. Trackers are essentially the paranormal police force. They keep the peace and make sure that villains like Volod don't become too powerful. But with this change in the scheme of things, Volod may hold all the power. I liked how the author is able to add in new ideas and themes that could potentially take the series in a new direction, which is always good for a long running series. I'm looking forward to what's to come from McCray and I think readers will too.


Vampires Dead Ahead is a great addition to the Night Tracker series. I recommend it to fans of McCray and Urban Fantasy readers. Even though it fifth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone, but I guarantee it will make you want to read more about Nyx and the Trackers!

Vampires Dead Ahead is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Cheyenne McCray would give just about anything to run away with Jason Bourne to any foreign country (minus the getting shot-at part) or visit an Otherworld realm. Either one, she's so there.


A multiple award-winning author, Chey grew up on a ranch in southeastern Arizona. She has been writing ever since she can remember, back to her kindergarten days when she penned her first poem. She always knew one day she write novels, hoping her readers would get lost in the worlds she created, just as she experienced when she read some of her favorite books.


Chey has three sons, two dogs, and is an Arizona native who loves the desert, the sunshine, and the beautiful sunsets.