COVER REVEAL: Along Came A Spider by Kate SeRine

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week. I'm so excited for today's post! Today we have a cover reveal for Kate SeRine's Along Came A Spider, book number three of her Transplanted Tales series.

Check out the gorgeous cover and the blurb below! And don't forget to check out the details of Kate's giveaway! Is that one fine hunk of Nicky Blue or what?

Along came a spider...

When Trish Muffet is attacked at a grisly crime scene, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Nicky “Little Boy” Blue. But since walking away from everything two years before, Nicky’s been doling out vigilante justice as “The Spider,” taking on the vicious predators of the night in hopes it’ll lead him to his ultimate target – Vlad Dracula. And he needs Trish’s help.

Although Nicky’s renegade style goes against everything Trish stands for, she’ll do what she must to bring Dracula down. With danger stalking her, Trish knows the only person she can count on is the one man who has the power to leave her breathless. There’s no way she’s letting this spider frighten her away…

Kate SeRine (pronounced "serene") faithfully watched weekend monster movie marathons while growing up, each week hoping that maybe this time the creature du jour would get the girl. But every week she was disappointed. So when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed that her characters would always have a happily ever after. And, thus, her love for paranormal romance was born.

Kate SeRine (pronounced "serene") faithfully watched weekend monster movie marathons while growing up, each week hoping that maybe this time the creature du jour would get the girl. But every week she was disappointed. So when she began writing her own stories, Kate vowed that her characters would always have a happily ever after. And, thus, her love for paranormal romance was born.

Kate is a member of Romance Writers of America and of Indiana RWA and has been a finalist in the Fire and Ice Contest (2010), the Finally a Bride Contest (2010), The Emily (2012), and the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence (2013).

Kate lives in a smallish, quintessentially Midwestern town with her husband and two sons, who share her love of storytelling. She never tires of creating new worlds to share and is even now working on her next project.

Website: http://www.kateserine.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kateserine

Twitter: www.twitter.com/kateserine

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/kateserine

Shadow Hunter Blog Tour--CALLING ALL PNR BLOGGERS!

Hello everyone!

Thanks for your interest in my books!

SHADOW HUNTER is a prequel novella to my debut Execution Underground paranormal romance series. SHADOW HUNTER releases in trade paperback on June 25th in an anthology titled AFTER DARK alongside NYT and USA Today Bestseller Gena Showalter's Lord's of the Underworld novella, THE DARKEST ANGEL.

Below I've posted the information for the SHADOW HUNTER BLOG TOUR. If anyone is interested in participating in the tour, please contact me at kaiti(dot)ballenger(dot)author(at)gmail(dot)com

I'm interested mainly in reviews, but would be happy to schedule interviews, guest posts, character interviews, excerpts, giveaway, etc as well.

BOOK DETAILS

Title: SHADOW HUNTER (inside the AFTER DARK anthology)

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Publication Date: June 25th, 2013

Formats available for review: (PDF File before release date and trade
paperback and/or PDF following release date)

Original Publication Format: Trade Paperback

Page Length: 205 pages (for SHADOW HUNTER as a stand alone)

Genre: Dark Paranormal Romance

Heat Level: Very Strong Adult Content

Back Cover Blurb for Shadow Hunter:  Vampire hunter Damon Brock's
first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New
York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in
town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when
it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she
works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets
the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work
to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs
when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and
their newfound hearts.

Series: Execution Underground #0.5

Links for Shadow Hunter:
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16180772-after-dark
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/After-Dark-Darkest-Angel%5CShadow-Hunter/dp/0373778252/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1356924795&sr=8-3&keywords=After+Dark+by+Gena+Showalter
Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-dark-gena-showalter/1113942026?ean=9780373778256

Author Twitter: @kait_ballenger

Author FB Page: Kait Ballenger - Author

Blog Tour Dates: May 25th thru July 19th

Review: The Better to See You by Kate SeRine

Happy Friday, everyone! Today we have a review of urban fantasy/paranormal romance author Kate SeRine's novel, THE BETTER TO SEE YOU, book two of the Transplanted Tales series! If you haven't already seen my review of the first novel in the series, RED, you can do so by clicking here: Review of Red by Kate SeRine. Enjoy both reviews!

Synopsis: Once upon a time, a spell went awry and Make Believe characters were cast into the ordinary world. And the results aren’t always happily ever after…
Everyone thinks fairy godmothers can do no wrong. But if not for a certain spell mis-cast by Lavender Seelie, Cinderella’s former fairy godmother, the Tales would not be stuck in the Here and Now. Fortunately for Lavender, she’s about to get a second chance at a happy ending…

The Refuge, a sanctuary for wayward Tales, seems like the perfect place for Lavender to start a new life—especially when she discovers an unexpected ally in Seth, the brooding werewolf who’s been typecast as a villain ever since his run in with Little Red Riding Hood. But when humans from nearby towns start turning up dead, their bodies mutilated with archaic Tale symbols, Lavender wonders if Seth’s deep sensuality has blinded her to the truth. And that distraction could put innocent lives in danger. Including her own…

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance

First Sentences: "Magic's a funny thing. It's seductive, addictive. There's no bigger rush than harnessing the elements and bending them to your will, experiencing that orgasmic release of energy as a spell bursts forth and alters time, space, reality..." A fabulous opening! This short excerpt from the prologue hooks you into the story and pulls you right in. I fell in love with Lavender's character from the start. Despite being the reason the Tales currently find themselves in the Here and Now, I felt sympathetic toward Lavender from the get-go and once Lavender gets back on her feet and reclaims her magic, she's a force to reckoned with!

 

Brownie Points: As with RED, my favorite thing about Kate SeRine's novels is the voice. It hooks me in every time and I can't get enough of it. I couldn't stop flipping the pages of THE BETTER TO SEE YOU--even when I was in Europe on vacation!!! Yes, you read that right. When I was in Europe, I was staying up late to read Kate's book knowing very well that I was potentially sacrificing European daylight hours. That's really saying something. Aside from the amazing voice, Kate's novels are always wrought with tension and in the case of THE BETTER TO SEE YOU, that tension is both action-related and sexual. The heat between Lavender and Seth is smoking! Their chemistry radiates off the page. And Seth? *low whistle* From being hunted nearly all his life and a love life that's left him lonely and heartbroken (until now), Seth is brooding, tortured, and oh so delicious--and who doesn't love a man who can cook? ;-) THE BETTER TO SEE YOU has everything that readers will love about urban fantasy--action and mystery--and everything readers love about paranormal romance--sexy tension and a whole lot of hot and heavy love scenes ;-)

Beefs: I have no beefs with THE BETTER TO SEE YOU. Just like it's predecessor, RED, THE BETTER TO SEE YOU is an amazing, page-turning read! I guarantee it won't disappoint.

Ending: The ending of THE BETTER TO SEE YOU didn't disappoint and the plot/mystery held my interest all the way through. When murdered Tales start showing up in the Refuge, where Lavender and Seth have taken shelter as wayward tales, things only get progressively worse as Seth and Lavender become the killer's main target. Lavender has to summon up some serious magic faerie mojo to get them out of this one--but did I mention her magic has been on the fritz since the Tales landed in the Here and Now? Non-stop conflict makes THE BETTER TO SEE YOU captivating all the way through the last page.

Recommendation and General Comments: Overall, I can't say enough great things about The Transplanted Tales series. Both RED and THE BETTER TO SEE YOU are a fantastic beginning to what I hope will be a long, continuously capitvating and enchanting series. The third installment in the series, ALONG CAME A SPIDER, cannot come soon enough! I have been waiting for Nicky "Little Boy" Blue's story and I'm so excited it's finally here in the next book! Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a little while for that one =( But I bet it will be well worth the wait! Filled with kickass heroines, yummy men, tension that doesn't stop, and sexual sizzle that will leave you breathless, I give THE BETTER TO SEE YOU a rating of a full moon, the highest rating here at Nocturnal Readings.

 

 

I highly recommend this book to readers who love urban fantasy, and those who enjoy paranormal romance as well.  A reasonably priced awesome read. So get your asses in gear and purchase your e-book, folks!

COVER REVEAL: After Dark ft. Shadow Hunter

After much anticipation to show you all this, I'm finally allowed to reveal MY VERY FIRST COVER!!!!!!!!!!!! AAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Can you tell I'm excited??? =D

This is the cover for AFTER DARK, a paranormal romance anthology featuring my short novel, SHADOW HUNTER, and a novella titled THE DARKEST ANGEL by NYT and USA Bestselling Author Gena Showalter! I'm ecstatic to be featured alongside an author as great as Gena and I can't wait to hear what all of you think of this anthology. AFTER DARK releases on June 25th in trade paperback everywhere that Harlequin HQN book are sold. My short featured novel, SHADOW HUNTER, is a prequel to my debut EXECUTION UNDERGROUND paranormal romance series. The first book in the series, TWILIGHT HUNTER, releases this coming September!

So what do you think? Isn't he something scrumptious? *mischievous grin*

I hope you all enjoy the cover as much as I do. Below, I've posted the back cover blurb and all sorts of different links where you can find the book. Enjoy your man-candy ;-)

A timeless seduction A unique temptation And a whole world of dark desires...

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter

The Darkest Angel

Winged warrior Lysander has been alive for centuries, and yet he's never known desire-until he meets Bianka. Spawned from the bloodline of his enemy, the beautiful but deadly Harpy is determined to lead the untouched Lysander into temptation. He may try to evade her attempts, but even the most iron-willed demon assassin can resist for only so long....

And from debut author Kait Ballenger

Shadow Hunter

Vampire hunter Damon Brock's first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York, a city crawling with the undead. But he isn't the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is fierce and ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family-and she works solo. But being alone is no longer so desirable when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf. As they work to massacre the local covens, the line between good and evil blurs when they are forced to decide between their lifelong beliefs... and their newfound hearts

You can find AFTER DARK available for pre-order at both Amazon and BN:
AFTER DARK on Amazon

AFTER DARK at Barnes and Noble

Add AFTER DARK to your Goodreads shelf!
 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16180772-after-dark

Praise for AFTER DARK
  
 "One of the premier authors of paranormal romance."
--#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole

"Gena Showalter knows how to keep readers glued to the pages and smiling the whole time."
--New York Times bestselling author Lara Adrian on The Darkest Surrender

"Showalter delivers yet again!"-RT BookReviews on Wicked Nights

"Non-stop action, pulse-pounding suspense, and red-hot romance ... Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground series delivers in spades!"--New York Times bestselling author Jaime Rush

"Taut with action, suspense, and romance that sizzles, Shadow Hunter is an evocative prelude to what's certain to be an exciting new series! Fans of J.R. Ward are going to love the sexy warriors of Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground." --Kate SeRine, author of Red and The Better to See You

 

 “Action and romance in one mesmerizing story. A phenomenal start to the EXECUTION UNDERGROUND Series. Shadow Hunter will leave you breathless and demanding more.” --Cecy Robson, author of Sealed with a Curse

"THE CALL" Blog Hop: Part 3

Happy Friday, everyone! Are you gearing up for the weekend?

Today is Part Three of the Seymour Agency "THE CALL" blog hop hosted by the Seymour Agency Promotions Manager, Tonya Kuper! Want to know what happened in the aftermath of "the call" from my wonderful agent Nicole Resciniti? Check out my answer to the questions below.

TONYA: After "the call." What happened after the day/night of the call? Did you have to give other agents a heads up? How long before you signed papers? How long have you had your current agent? Has your agent sold your work? If so, can you give any details (Title, genre, release date)? Do you have words for aspiring writers or readers of your category and genre?

KAIT: While on the phone with Nicole, I was so tempted to scream right then that I accepted her offer because of how excited I was (which probably would have been a relief to Nic so she didn't have to wait in suspense to find out my decision), but I knew from all the author advice and agent blogs I'd read that I should preview my options before I made a decision. It's important to find who is the best fit for you. I told Nic that several other agents had the full manuscript and that I would get back to her within the next few days once I'd heard from them. 

After that, my night was normal. I went to work (this is when I was still dancing professionally at an Arabic restaurant near Orlando FL) and the whole time all I could think about was the fact that I'd received an offer of representation. And only two weeks after I'd just got engaged! My life felt like pure bliss. When I got home late that night, I emailed the other agents.

As Nic told me in our initial call, once you get an offer from one agent, it's like dropping a bucket of blood into a pool of sharks--they swarm and suddenly everyone is looking for a bite. She was exactly right. After hearing back from the other agents, I couldn't help but feel that their excitement about my manuscript was forced--as if they wanted it only because someone else did. I won't name names, but I even had one agent get mad because I asked her for a response within the next week. She angrily told me that she couldn't fulfill that request and if I wanted to work with her I could be patient, and she should receive fair and ample time to review my novel just like the other agent had. She complained because she'd only had my manuscript for a week when I told her about the offer and she'd been 'so excited for the project'. I informed her "the offering agent" (I wasn't going to drop Nic's name) had only had the manuscript one day before she offered, (much less time than the angry agent had) so there was no "fair time" about it. Needless to say, I respectfully told her I wasn't interested in working with her lol.  The majority of the other agents were much more gracious.

But I digress... 

With Nicole, I knew she genuinely wanted to represent my material since she was the first to offer. Ultimately, (aside from the fact that she is an amazing person and fabulous businesswoman) being the first to offer along with her enthusiasm about my work is what made me choose her above the others. I'm so glad that I did! Though several of the other agents had been in the business longer than Nicole (Nic was still a 'newer' agent at that point), I didn't care. I knew in my heart that Nic would do right by me and that she would champion my work, and she's done exactly that. Now, she's a Publisher's Marketplace top-dealmaker agent! Needless to say, I made the right decision. ;-)

I accepted Nic's offer several days after her initial call and it was about two weeks after that when I signed the agency contract. Nic has been my agent for slightly over a year now, though it seems like I've known her for much longer. She's an amazing person, a great friend, and a wonderful agent to boot. My manuscript went on submission in November of 2011 after several rounds of edits and Harlequin purchased it in May 2012 (they were the fourth publisher to offer, but offered the best deal by far--a three book contract to be exact!). That paranormal romance manuscript Nic signed me for is now titled TWILIGHT HUNTER. It's the first in my Execution Underground paranormal romance series and it releases with Harlequin's single-title HQN line in September of this year (2013). I also have a prequel to the series which Nicole later sold on proposal releasing in July. The prequel is called SHADOW HUNTER and will appear in an anthology called AFTER DARK alongside NYT and USA bestselling paranormal romance author, Gena Showalter.

As cliched as it sounds, my advice to other writers going through the submission process is to never give up! Twilight Hunter was my third manuscript. Though it was picked up within a month or so of me querying it, I'd queried two other manuscripts throughout the course of 3 years before that. I received hundreds of rejections. But you can't let those deter you and you can't give up. Keep striving to improve and some day, you'll get there. Learn from your slip ups and your mistakes and push forward. The difference between writers who will never be published and multi-published bestselling authors is determination and sheer stubbornness (don't take one rejection as the final answer). And pay attention to those rejections also! Once you start getting personalized non-form rejections, (that say you're writing is fabulous, strong, great, whatever [insert personalized compliment], but it's just not what they're looking for) know that you're getting very close! All it takes is one yes for the whole world of publishing to open up to you.

I hope you've enjoyed my "call" story! And thank you to Tonya for hosting this lovely blog hop! Have a great weekend!