COVER REVEAL: Wild Thing by Michelle Hercules

Today, we have the Cover Reveal for Michelle Hercules’ Wild Thing, the second title in the Blueblood Vampires series! Coming May 29, 2020! So... Be sure to check it out and pre-order your copy now!

Genre:

Adult

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Series:

Blueblood Vampires, #2

Publish Date:

May 29, 2020

Cover Designed by:

Michelle Hercules

Photography by:

Michelle Lancaster

Model:
Lochie Carey

Synopsis:

Savage. Reckless. Wild. These are only some of the words used to describe me. I’m all of those things, and I never wished to be anything else in almost 500 years of existence.

Then she came along. Aurora Leal, the daughter of the High Witch and destined for that role. She’s practically royalty in the magical world, but most importantly, she’s forbidden fruit.

I was taught never to mess with witches, and I had no intention of breaking that rule until the night she crashed into my life. I couldn’t resist the pull, and like an idiot, I succumbed to her charms.

Now I’m screwed. What was supposed to be only a hookup left a permanent mark. I ended up mated to the sassy witch. An eternal commitment wasn’t something I ever wished for, but when your destined mate is promised to someone else, that’s a much bigger problem.

I only have two choices. Either I find a way to break the mating bond or Aurora will become a widow before she says I do. That will definitely start a war between vampires and mages. But the more time I spend with her, the less inclined I am to give her up.

Damn, I guess I’m killing some mages, then.

      

~~~

Start the Blueblood Vampires series now with book 1!

(cover links to Goodreads)

      

*FREE on Kindle Unlimited*

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**About the Author**

Michelle Hercules always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.

Michelle Hercules resides in The Netherlands with her husband and daughter. She is currently working on the Legends of Gattica series.

Stay connected with Michelle Hercules

     

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JASMINE's THOUGHTS on Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)

Genre:

Action/Adventure

Horror

Rating:

R

Run Time:

1 hr 32 minutes

Release Date:

January 6, 2017

Distributor:

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Directed by:

Anna Foerster

Screenplay by:

Cory Goodman

Story by:

Kyle Ward

Cory Goodman

Social Media:

   

Synopsis:

The next installment in the blockbuster franchise, Underworld: Blood Wars follows Vampire death dealer, Selene (Kate Beckinsale) as she fends off brutal attacks from both the Lycan clan and the Vampire faction that betrayed her. With her only allies, David (Theo James) and his father Thomas (Charles Dance), she must stop the eternal war between Lycans and Vampires, even if it means she has to make the ultimate sacrifice.

source

Cast:

Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Lara Pulver, Tobias Menzies, Bradley James, James Faulkner, Charles Dance, Daisy Hand, Clementine Nicholson

See Full List of Cast & Crew on IMBD

~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Well... I loved it!!! I don't care what critics have said about the movie. This installment contained the action and horror I expected since I started watching these Underworld films. Fans of this genre will enjoy this... I think. I know I did. This installment expanded on this world of vampires and lycans. Secrets were revealed and questions answered. From the beginning, I had questions stemming from the previous installments. This film answered it. I like how the beginning of the film starts off with a bit of a "summary" of what has happened esince the first film, especially after everything that Selene has gone through since finding out various truths of their history. 

I found it more of an emotional and spiritual journey for Selene after enduring so much violence and loss. The war continues...albeit with new secrets, but this time, truths will be revealed which changes a lot of things for both vampires and lycans. We even were introduced to not just the Eastern vampire coven, but to the Northern coven as well. Fascinating at how the covens differed in their ways of life. And, of course, these covens are integral in tying the subplots together. I don't want to say anymore... or else I would be spoiling it. But, then again, I'm sure there has been several reviews already out there. But, I say, go see it and judge for yourself. Fans of the franchise will probably enjoy it.

The action, adventure, and horror elements did not disappoint. This installment stayed true, and maybe even added more, to all the fight scenes. Selene is still badass, from the beginning to this installment. 

The film itself seemed to have brought Selene's life and purpose full circle. For being said that this is the "last" installment, if sure didn't seem like it ended that way. I thought that the end of the film left it open for more stories to be told.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Blood Lad (2013) Anime Series

Genre:

Action, Comedy, Demons, Seinen, Paranormal, Vampire

Episodes:

10 + OVA

Rating:

PG-13

Run Time:

24 min. per episode

Release Date:

Jul 8, 2013 to Sep 9, 2013

Based on the manga series by:

Koama Yuuki

Directed by:

Shigeyuki Miya

Studio:

Brain's Base

Produced by:

Kadokawa Shoten, The Klock Worx, flying DOG

Plot Summary:

Staz is the vampire boss of a section of the demon world, but he has little interest in human blood. He's more infatuated with Japanese culture. When he learns that Yanagi Fuyumi, a Japanese teenage girl, accidentally wanders into the demon city, he jumps to the occasion. However, while Staz deals with an intruder on his turf, the oblivious Fuyumi is killed by a monster of the same type and becomes a wandering ghost. The disappointed Staz vows to Fuyumi that he will find a way to bring her back to life. [Source: http://myanimelist.net/anime/11633/Blood_Lad]

Cast:

Ryota Osaka & Waku Sakaguchi (as Staz Charle Blood), Sarah Emi Bricutt (as Bell Hydra), Takuma Terashima (as Wolf), and Iori Nomizu (as Fuyumi Yanagi)

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review may contain spoilers

Seeing Blood Lad in December 2015 and writing a review about 3 months later, I am sorry to admit that it does not leave a long lasting impression on me. To start off with the opening credits, it seems like a random compilation of characters who will appear in the anime but upon closer inspection we can get most of, if not everything, about the 10-episode series. To list a few of the obvious things: Staz, Wolf, and Fuyumi, are the main characters; Fuyumi is trapped in a ghost form with blood thirsty demons coming after her and slowing disappearing along the way, Staz likes to show off his power, and two other characters with a tangible aura appear symbolizing some type of relationship to Staz.

Since Blood Lad is 10 episodes, it only seems natural for the story to be rushed to the point where it will give its audience a tepid resolution. The only character development the audience sees is a little about Fuyumi’s past and Staz’s full potential. This short anime leaves off, where Staz fully admits to wanting to protect/revive Fuyumi… and that’s it. The other characters that appear such as Wolf only add a comedic effect to the series, considering he and Staz are former friends, and the anime continues to play off of these small instances of comedy throughout the series. As a seinen anime, it didn’t have long-term serious tones therefore, coming back after a 3-month break, made me believe it was a shonen anime instead. Blood Lad in short is a very stereotypical boy’s anime including busty females, a sudden power up in the male protagonist, a hot-headed rival/best friend, and some type of antagonist that wants power. It leaves much to be desired. If the anime series continued for a second season, however, I think it would have great potential for idealistic or political messages.

My Rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Shiki Anime Series

Genre:

Mystery

Supernatural

Thriller

Vampire

Episodes:

22

Rating:

R - 17+

(violence & profanity)

Run Time:

22 min. per episode

Release Date:

Jul 9, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010

Based on the Novel by:

Fuyumi Ono

Directed by:

Tetsuro Amino

Studio:

Daume Studio

Produced by:

Aniplex

 Dentsu

Fuji TV

Plot Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Megumi Shimizu dreamed of a glamorous life in the big city; however, her unexpected death in the quiet village of Sotoba marks the beginning of what appears to be a ferocious epidemic that turns the hot summer into a season of blood and terror. A young doctor named Toshio Ozaki begins to doubt the nature of the disease and comes to understand that to discover the truth, he must abandon his humanity. Meanwhile, Natsuno Yuuki, an antisocial youth from the city, is haunted by the sudden death of Megumi and must realize the pain of friendship in the face of his own tragedy. Toshio and Natsuno form an unlikely pair as they work together to save Sotoba before it transforms into a ghost town of vampires.

Shiki, adapted from the horror novel written by Fuyumi Ono, goes beyond the average vampire story. It tells the tragic tale of survival in a world where one cannot easily distinguish between good and evil. Abandoned by God, the Shiki, as the vampires call themselves, have only their will to live as they clash with the fear of the paranoid/unbelieving villagers. Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.

Cast:

Tōru Ookawa, Kouki Uchiyama, Aoi Yuuki, Kazuyuki Okitsu

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

In short, it was "a'ight" but I regret suggesting this anime to my school’s Anime Club and I'll tell you why. With a painfully slow sense of suspense, Shiki leaves much to be desired for me as an anime. I respect the deeper meaning it portrayed but the only thing I felt overall was annoyance for the villagers. That’s mostly because of my lack of empathy for their ignorance. In appearances, the animation is lovely, sharp, and clear but then again when isn’t it when a well-funded studio stands behind it. For example, the details of a tractor could be seen from “afar” and everything else was so well done that I felt sorry for the person who had to deal with Sunako’s gravity defying hair. Ironically, almost all of the characters had freaky hairstyles, which made them counter intuitive for conservative and rural village people that gossip and mocked anything “strange.” But enough of that. The plot itself, like stated before, was painfully slow because the villagers were so doubtful in the existence of the shiki despite deaths continuing and vaguely excused activity of the village escalated at night.

The pacing hardly helped to introduce the character’s backgrounds because Shiki  more or less asks you to “pick a side.” On that note, this isn’t an anime for the atheist and the agnostic because we wouldn’t pick a side. We’d weave our way through the series to pick and choose what characters are worthy of praise. Character development was lacking and there were few characters worth remembering. By episode three, we already know who’s killing off villagers. The only person with the most thoughtful background was probably Sunako but that’s because she’s the oldest character in age. The deeper meaning to Shiki isn’t blatantly stated until the climax, where “Shiki explores the boundary that separates man from monster.” But there didn’t seem to be any men in Shiki, rather they were all homicidal idiots or hedonistic zombies adhering to their instincts. The only real heroes to me seemed to be Natsuno Koide and Ritsuko Kunihiro; the boy who wanted to save lives and the nurse who stuck true to her ideals even if it meant starving to death. They kept their heads on tight, whether dead or alive, and stayed true to themselves. All in all, it doesn’t “get good” until two thirds through.

My Rating:

BLOG TOUR: The Blood Scion by Nazarea Andrews

We are absolutely ecstatic to host a tour stop for this exciting Blog Tour for The Blood Scion, the first book in The Scion Legacy Series, by Nazarea Andrews!

Genre:

Adult

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Series:

The Scion Legacy, #1

Publish Date:

November 24, 2015

Publisher:

A&A Literary

Synopsis:

I was just a reporter, trying to stay ahead of my student loans. I knew the rules, and I followed them.

I thought I knew how the world worked—humans lived their petty little lives in the safety of the sun. We loved and fought and—when the sun sank—we scurried behind our walls and lived in fear. That is when the monsters came out to play.

And even in the safety of the sun, we knew who ruled us.

The Houses. And their Scions.

Everyone knows the great Houses and their Scions—they are feared and loved and hated and envied. They are the gods who walk the shadows and rule all of our lives. They are salvation and death.

And somehow, I am one of them.

   

Chapter 1: The Reporter

No one wakes up and thinks, This is the day my life will change.

We wake up and think, I forgot to set the coffee. Five more minutes. I think I’m going to stop for a bagel. Did Elise give my dress back? Five more fucking minutes.

“Farley!”

I curse under my breath. Elise is yelling for me and that means I used up my five minutes ten minutes ago.

“I’m awake,” I say and she sticks her head around the screen that partitions my corner of her loft from the rest of the open space. Elise would be just as happy having me sprawled across her messy loft, but I like personal space and privacy.

Even if that space is miniscule and that privacy is pseudo, and we rent the loft from a family of four who side eyes us every time we leave.

The TV is on in the corner as I emerge from my bed, and I frown. “Turn it up.”

Elise makes an aggravated noise as she reaches for the remote. She’s painting her nails, the fumes making my nose wrinkle as I pour the coffee—thank God, I did set it last night.

A classically good looking man in his mid-forties is addressing a crowd of reporters, all of them hanging on his every word.

“The atrocities won’t stand. We need to remember that we were dying when the Houses stepped forward with the antidote to the Brakken and restored order. The fealty given to their lines and Scions are not only appropriate, it is their right.”

I glance at Elise, scanning her tablet as the blood red polish dries. “What happened?”

“HR0 bombed a coven.”

My blood runs cold and I swallow hard to keep from rubbing away the goosebumps running down my arm.

The human rights movements terrify me. Not because I disagree with them. I don't. I agree too much. It's terrifying because the Houses don't tolerate any dissent. Some will accept the rumblings of the movement, as long as it stays only that.

But no House will tolerate humans attacking the covens. And--"Where did it happen?"

Elise glances up at me, her pale eyes haunted. "Seattle."

Fuck.

The west coast belongs to House Klinge. And they are savage. Blood will spill tonight, and wash Seattle's streets red. I wonder how many will die to appease the fury of the House before the patriarch brings his princes to heel.

Hundreds.

"Go," Elise says abruptly. "You can't fix everything and the HRO knew the risks. We all do."

I nod, and grab my coffee, heading into the shower as the Kennedy scion drones on.

We all know the risk of crossing one of the Houses. But some are desperate enough that they no longer care.

The sun is shining, something that is comforting as I step out of the brownstone and jog down the steps. The subway isn't far, but it's enough that the sunlight protects me—and that's done very carefully.

Most people think any sunlight will protect them. It's why apartments became outdated after the plague. They might be right. No one believes the memories of a terrified little girl—even I’ve started to wonder if I was wrong. I keep my fears to myself, buried deep.

I keep a lot to myself. More than anyone, even Winston, realizes.

The office is quiet when I step in—most of the reporting staff is on assignment, and some will be scrambling to get a soundbite from the Houses.

Not that they will—some might get the idle blood chatter, but no Scion would bother themselves with our tiny e-zine. We’re not important enough for the big boys to even notice.

Which is fine. I flick my hair out of my eyes and grab my messages from my unpaid intern and close myself into my office without a word.

There’s a few from my brother, and one from my editor. Two without a number to respond to. I frown. Most of the time, people email me. Anyone who works with knows I loathe the phone. Even Kevin knows—he’s just too much of an ass to care.

My inbox dings and I shove the messages aside as I focus on the stories waiting for me.

~~~

Genre:

Adult

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Series:

The Scion Legacy, #0.5

Publish Date:

October 30, 2015

Publisher:

A&A Literary

Synopsis:

Twelve Houses. Twelve vampire lines. We ruled from the shadows, and manipulated the world, and when humans came too close to destruction, we intervened.

Every House has a Scion. A fragile, easily broken human that stood shoulder to shoulder with the house Princes and Princesses.

Except for ours. The Ravens, House Cantelie.

We've been without a Scion for almost fifteen years.

But that will change...and her life will be mine to protect.

   

Check out my review on The Scionless House, the prequel novella of The Scion Legacy!

~~~~~

**About the Author**

Nazarea Andrews (N to almost everyone) is an avid reader and tends to write the stories she wants to read. Which means she writes everything from zombies and dystopia to contemporary love stories. When not writing, she can most often be found driving her kids to practice and burning dinner while she reads, or binge watching TV shows on Netflix.

N loves chocolate, wine, and coffee almost as much as she loves books, but not quite as much as she loves her kids. She lives in south Georgia with her husband, daughters, spoiled cat and overgrown dog. She is the author of the World Without End Series, Neverland Found, Edge of the Falls, and the University of Branton Series.

Stay connected with Nazarea Andrews

       

"The Infects" Street Team

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*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Whoa! That was intense! After reading the prequel, The Scionless House gave me a glimpse of the vampire house that this series focuses on. Now, in this first book, The Blood Scion, introduces readers to the new scion of this great vampire house and her journey this life.

The novel opens where the prequel left off, this great vampire house that has survived without a scion has found one. This is her journey, as her life changes when she becomes scion. With every turn of the page, the intensity of these characters reveals how complex each of their roles are in this society where vampires and humans coexist. However, there are real issues that these characters must face, both personal and public.

Nazarea has created a world that emits sheer sensuality and tension between humans and vampires. The story flows with a steady pace while, at the same time, builds up that sexual tension between these main characters. I also enjoyed Nazarea's twist on her vampires...definitely making them intensely sexy! With every turn of the page, The Blood Scion dripped with "political" and sensual intrigue that made it hard to put down. I was completely drawn in, and now, I want more! 

My rating:

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***The Giveaway***

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