THE ROARING TWENTIES - Klaus and Stefan arrive in Chicago, where Stefan is reunited with a vampire (guest star Claire Holt, "Pretty Little Liars") who hasn't really moved on from her interest in him decades earlier. In a flashback to Chicago in the 1920s, Stefan comes face-to-face with a shocking chapter from his wild past. After Damon gets a tip on Stefan and Klaus' whereabouts from an unexpected source, he and Elena follow their trail. Back in Mystic Falls, Tyler is concerned about Caroline and turns to Sheriff Forbes (guest star Marguerite MacIntyre) for help. Chris Grismer directed the episode written by Caroline Dries.
I'm really liking the twist this season is taking so far. I love seeing the history between the old vamps and how they've gotten to where they are now. I did not see Stefan and Klaus's history coming at all.
And when I asked last week where is Catherine....bingo she shows up.
I was holding my breathe during the scene when Stefan and Klaus show up at Stefan's old apartment and he finds Elena in the secret room.
The necklace that Stefan gave Elena was from he vamp ex-girlfriend. Ok so he didn't remember her but still. Wonder what is so important about it that the 1st witch needs it. If I remember correctly from season one it have vervain in it?
Again WTH is wrong with Elena....if I woke up to Damon laying in my bed, 6:30am or not, I would be like Stefan who?!
Poor Caroline. I'm glad she has Tyler. She needs someone that will understand her "monster" side.
That's all I have to say about this week's episode. I'm off to read.
This week's rating:★★★★
NEXT WEEK
DISTURBING BEHAVIOR:
FAMILY TIES - Still in Chicago, Klaus (Joseph Morgan) uses Gloria (guest star Charmin Lee), a witch he knew long ago, to help him track down missing information that will explain why his plan isn't working. Gloria's spells reveal intriguing glimpses of the truth, but she soon realizes she needs Stefan's (Paul Wesley) knowledge to complete the puzzle. When Stefan suddenly finds himself in danger, help comes from a surprising ally. Back in Mystic Falls, a frustrating new enemy pushes Damon (Ian Somerhalder) over the brink and he lashes out in a way that will have lasting consequences. Caroline (Candice Accola) struggles with her own emotional issues, even as she tries to help Elena (Nina Dobrev) face her feelings. Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) makes a brief but disturbing breakthrough with one of his ghostly visitors, leaving him more confused than ever. Finally, Bonnie (Kat Graham) has a strange encounter that will affect everyone. Matt Davis also stars. Wendey Stanzler directed the episode written by Brian Young.
St. Martin's PressWatch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie's opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey.
She's a product of the "burg," a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.
Now Stephanie's all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad's, doing her best to sever the world's longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case.
Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook.
Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie's virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario's Sub Shop. There's still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting.
It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At the worst, it could lead to murder.
Witty, fresh, and full of surprises, One for the Money was among the most eagerly awaited crime novels of the season.
I didn't know they were making the book into a movie.
I've yet to start this series so I might just go see the movie.
Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?
A:Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill. They are funny, sexy and have action. Not quite sure who I would cast as the main characters.
Help me welcome one of my favorite indie authors to The Book Nympho today. The author of Caressed by Moonlight, Amanda J. Greene. Ms. Greene does an excellent job of mixing historical and paranormal romance.
Hello everyone,
Thanks for having me today. My current release, Caressed by Moonlight, exemplifies the struggle between an English debutante’s criteria for the perfect husband (title, wealth, connections and impeccable manners, etc.) and what true, over the moon, love means. Though, she never would have thought the perfect man for her would have everything she was looking for and be a vampire king.
Now, allow me to introduce the leading man and lady of Caressed by Moonlight, Dorian Vlakhos and Victoria Kingston.
Dorian Vlakhos
Born: winter of 1199 B.C.E. (B.C.) From: Greece Hair Color: dark brown Eye Color: sea blue/green Height: 6'3" Age When Changed: 27 Clan: Mylonas Rank: King of the Mylonas Clan of Vampires
Bio: Dorian Vlakhos was born into a divided family. His mother was a young unhappy wife of a powerful, wealthy Mycenaean warrior. Dorian did not have a pleasant childhood; he was loathed by his mother and hated by his father, an unwanted child. As he grew, his father, who wanted nothing more than to break his son, taught him the ways of a warrior. However, Dorian was healthy, strong, intelligent, and always ready for a challenge.
His father died of fever when Dorian was twenty-two, leaving him to inherit everything. He was a respected and feared warrior, never losing a battle. When he was twenty-seven, he went off defend his land from invaders. Never did he expect what would happen on the battlefield.
Cassius, one of the four original pure vampires, was hiding amongst Dorian’s troops. As the battle went on and blood fell like rain upon the land, speckling the faced of the fallen, Dorian was struck down with a blow from behind. Enraged by the cowardice move, Cassius laid waste to Dorian’s enemies, killing everyone last member of the opposing army. While Dorian lay dieing, Cassius came to his side and granted him immortality.
“I was struggling for breath when he came to me. He placed a hand over my heart and tilted my head to the side. Cassius leaned down and whispered, ‘you will live warrior’. Then he bit me. I was too close to death to be frightened. He drank until there was nothing but a drop left of my blood.” Dorian rubbed his neck. “Then, he brought his wrist up and slit it with his fangs. Leaving his hand over my chest, he pressed his wound to my mouth. I was powerless to stop him. The pain of my body dying melted away and all grew dark.”
Over the centuries, Dorian fought for Cassius, rising up through the ranks of the Mylonas Clan’s military, until he finally accepted the crown.
In 1814, Dorian left his Clan’s home located in what was then known as the Principality of Transylvania of the Habsburg Empire. The Red Order witches were ruthlessly hunting down his people, hoping to lure the witches away from his lands and save his people Dorian heads off to London. While in London, he comes across lovely Victoria Kingston. Can he deny the lust she has ignited in him or will his hunger for blood and his dangerous desire consume her?
Victoria Kingston
Born: February 19, 1792 From: London, England Hair Color: deep brown Eye Color: emerald green Height: 5'4" Age When Bonded to Mate: 22 Clan: Mylonas Rank: Queen of Mylonas Clan of Vampires
Bio: Raised in the countryside outside of London, Victoria grew up in a loving family. Though scandal clung to her family name, her life had been comfortable and safe, until her parents’ untimely deaths. Left with her father’s debt and a younger sister to care for, Victoria was forced to sell everything she owned. Having no choice, she and her sister moved to London to live with their hateful aunt. Upon arriving at her aunt’s home, she is told she must marry by the end of the month or be thrown to the streets and never allowed to her see her younger sister ever again.
Enlisting the help of her close friend, Lana, Victoria sets about trying to find a suitable husband and Dorian Vlakhos was nowhere near suitable. The dark, handsome man did had seduction in his mind and Victoria tried her hardest to resist his allure.
“Your Royal Highness,” she snapped. “I really must be getting back to the party. My friend is waiting.” She moved to step around him, but he caught her arm and pulled her back.
“Not yet.”
Victoria sighed in exasperation. “Prince Dorian, I have no desire to become another one of your conquests for this season.”
“I just want us to become better acquainted,” Dorian stated. “And we will,” he added with a raised brow.
“No,” she declared, yanking her arm back. “We won't.” She turned on her heel and stormed back into the house.
Dorian watched her with a smile on his face.
Needing a husband and not a bedmate, she attends balls, parties, and picnics, ever searching for Mr. Right and ignoring Mr. Right Now, Dorian. But Dorian’s hot kisses inflame her desire and Victoria knows she will not be able to deny him forever. Will her love conquer his warrior’s heart? Or will the vampire within him claim her soul?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caressed by Moonlight by Amanda J. Greene Book 1 Rulers of Darkness Series
Book Description:
Dorian Vlakhos is no ordinary aristocrat. He is a vampire king, who will do anything to save his clan from complete annihilation, before an ancient curse can claim his immortal life.
Penniless and orphaned, Victoria Kingston has nothing to bring to a marriage, yet she must shackle an unsuspecting gentleman into marriage by the end of the month or forfeit her rights as guardian of her younger sister. With the help of her dearest friend, Victoria begins her hunt, and vows to stay far away from the dark, mysterious, Dorian Vlakhos.
After meeting the beautifully innocent Miss Kingston, Dorian had to have her. He would do absolutely anything to make Victoria his. One sweet stolen kiss would bring them together while a force, more powerful than any vampire would bind them for all eternity. But treachery, war, and death rule Dorian’s dark world and Victoria would be fortunate to survive.
Amanda J. Greene is an erotic paranormal romance author. When she is not writing, she can be found playing the role of a full time university student, who works part time.
She lives in Southern California with her very supportive military husband and their sweet cocker spaniel.
I'm so delighted to welcome the wonderful Stephanie Chong to The Book Nympho today! Stephanie is on a whirl wind Blog Tour promoting her debut book Where Demons Fear to Tread. She has taken time out of her busy schedule to stop by to tell us a little bit about herself and her new book. She has also been so kind as to offer up a copy for a giveaway. And let me tell you, you will want to get your hands on a copy ASAP.
An Invitation to Sin
To: You
From: Archdemon Julian Ascher
Where: Devil’s Paradise Nightclub, and your imagination
When: Anytime you dare
Dresscode: Wear whatever you please, or nothing at all
Hello, gorgeous. Yes, you. This is your invitation to sin.
Devil’s Paradise is the hottest place to party on a Saturday night in the City of Angels. The perfect venue for temptation. The ideal setting for pleasure.
And it’s all mine.
Come through the doors of my West Hollywood nightclub. Glide right past the bouncers. My staff of demon bartenders will pour you a drink. Music pumps; a crowd writhes the dance floor. Join them if you wish. Or venture further, into the VIP lounge.
Because you are a very important person. And here in Devil’s Paradise, your deepest, darkest desires will finally be satisfied.
My empire of iniquity stretches across the country. In my clubs, I’ve corrupted thousands of souls. I’ve spent two hundred years studying humans in their greatest moments of weakness and desperation. Of fantasy and desire.
And I, Julian Ascher, am a connoisseur of pleasure. I’m the ultimate bad boy. I have the power to make your wildest dreams come true.
Give into temptation.
When you do, I’ll be waiting.
About the book:
Fledgling guardian angel and yoga teacher Serena St. Clair dares enter Devil’s Paradise nightclub on a mission – to retrieve the wayward Hollywood “It Boy” she’s assigned to protect. But she’s ambushed by the club’s owner, Archdemon Julian Ascher. The most powerful demonic entity in Los Angeles, Julian is handsome as sin, a master of temptation who loves nothing more than corrupting pleasure-seeking humans. He won’t release the lost soul Serena is supposed to guard. Unless she accepts his dangerous wager…
After the disastrous way his human life ended, Julian vowed that no woman would get the better of him again. Yet this sexy-sweet angel, smelling of fresh ocean air and happiness, triggers centuries-old feelings. Now, their high-stakes game of seduction, where angels fall from grace and where demons fear to tread, will lead them either to an eternity in hell…or a deliciously hot heaven.
Praise for Where Demons Fear to Tread:
“Stephanie Chong knows the soul of romance, paranormal or otherwise. She’s captured the elusive and powerful energy of the genre in a way few authors ever manage to do. Angel verses demon; redemption of the damned by the pure power of love–the heart of that story IS the heart of romance. In Where Demons Fear to Tread, Ms. Chong taps into a delicious fantasy older than time, spinning it masterfully into a sexy, moving tale that feels fresh and new. I am sincerely her newest fan.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne
“A delicious debut to a sizzling new series!”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Kerrelyn Sparks
Stephanie worked as a lawyer at a top-tier Canadian firm and completed five university degrees before landing her dream job: romance novelist. Her degrees include a J.D. and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Oxford University.
When she’s not writing, Stephanie enjoys yoga, traveling and outdoor adventures. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and their pug, Dexter.
Music is as important to my writing as my laptop. Total silence drives me batty and I often need the noise coming from my headphones to block out the screams, err I mean enthusiastic shouts of joy from my children.
Here’s something you should know about me: I’m not the quiet, easy listening music kind of girl. I guess it stands to reason since Chosen is a thriller. It’s full of non-stop action from the car chase that begins on the third page to the big ??? at The End. (You didn’t really want me to tell you, did you?) Maybe it says something about me, that I’m drawn to writing and reading those types of books. But somehow, Jack Johnson singing Banana Pancakes while I’m writing a shoot out just doesn’t work for me. (Maybe it works for you and more power to you!) The music I listen to is integral to setting the theme and tones for the scenes I write.
Okay, confession time. Before I began writing full time two years ago, and before I realized how important music was to my process, I was musically illiterate. Sure, I took Music Appreciation 101 in college, but they don’t spend much time discussing alternative and rock bands. And with a car load of kids I ended up listening to Radio Disney and Barney Sing-Alongs. (Which explains so much about me if you give it some thought.)
Somehow, somewhere, as I wrote my first book (which will never see the light of day. It was my stereotypical throw-away book.) I discovered Linkin Park. Yes, this was two years ago. To be fair—to me—it wasn’t like I’d never heard of them and I knew a few of their songs, but I didn’t have their CDs. So I downloaded Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory and told my two older, then teenage boys, “Linkin Park is so good!”
To which they burst out into hysterical laughter and choked out through their tears. “Yeah, you’re about a decade late there.”
Better late than never, right?
And obviously, I get no respect from my children.
When I started the first chapter of Chosen, I knew I needed a strong beat so Linkin Park was my go to source. I usually tune out the lyrics and only hear the instrumental music, but at some point I listened to the lyrics to “Papercut” and about fell over. It was the theme song for the first chapter.
As the book progressed, other songs fit other scenes. Nickelback’s “Follow You Home” for chapter three. Foo Fighters “Come Alive” for a key scene in the middle of the book. “Meet Me on the Equinox” by Death Cab for Cutie of another key scene. As the book grew, so did the playlist. Now when I hear the bridge in “Papercut” and hear the words “The sun goes down, I feel the light betray me” I ALWAYS see Emma driving down a deserted country road and feel the wind rushing in her open windows.
Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.
Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma’s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn't know she has.
Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it's too late.
Chosen was winner of The Beacon-- 2010 Unpublished Division, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal category.
When she smiled, Will almost lost his composure. Her face completely changed, catching him off guard. After watching her for twenty-four hours, this was the first time he had seen her smile. She was attractive enough, lean but with curves in the right places, and long brown hair she pulled back in a ponytail. Looking at her now, he lost himself in her deep, dark brown eyes. But when she smiled, the tension in her face fell away, leaving an ethereal beauty he didn’t expect.
“Who were those guys?” he asked, trying to refocus.
Her smile disappeared. “No one you want to know.”
“What do they want?”
If possible, her face became even harder. “We need to get you back to the motel.”
“Don’t you want to call the police?” He had no intention of calling the police, but it sounded like the right thing to say.
“No.”
Getting information out of her was trickier than he hoped. “What are you going to do now?”
She turned to look at him, the loose strands of long brown hair dancing in the breeze around her face. She looked wild and ruthless. “Look, we can take care of ourselves.”
This turn of events had completely changed his plans. Of course, nothing about this job was what he expected. They never told him she had a kid and he’d complained bitterly when he found out. He didn’t do kids. He was explicit about that. But the group who hired him said they didn’t care about the kid. They wanted her and raised their offer. It was hard to refuse. Somewhere along the path of their self-destructive course he thought of a Plan B, which was much better than his original plan. Maybe things were turning his way. “Let me help you.”
She pulled up to a stop sign at the four-lane highway. “No, thanks, we’re good.”
“We can trust him,” a small voice in the back said.
She looked up sharply and spun around to look at the kid in the back.
Will turned, too. The boy looked like a cherub out of one of those Renaissance paintings he had studied back in his college art appreciation class. Short blond curls framed his face of pale skin with rosy cheeks. Big blue eyes with long dark eyelashes. Will thought the kid’s beauty was wasted on his gender.
“We can trust him,” the boy repeated.
She turned to look out the windshield and hung both of her arms over the steering wheel. “Are you sure?” she asked, staring straight ahead.
“Yes.”
She rested her chin on her hands and closed her eyes. He decided she must be trying to figure out how to deal with this change of events. Personally, Will thought it was going too far on the permissive parenting scale letting a preschooler make a decision like that, but hey, it worked in his favor. He sure wasn’t going to protest.
“Okay,” she finally said, sitting up. “I need to leave town. They know we’re here so we’ve got to leave as soon as we can.”
“Who exactly are they?” Will asked. As far as he knew, he was the only one on this job. He’d be pissed if they hired someone else as backup.
“You don’t need to know that,” she said, turning at the corner. “How do you plan on helping us?”
“I can help you leave town.”
“Why would you do that?” Her eyes narrowed as she looked behind for signs of the SUV.
Will had seen the damage. The SUV wasn’t going anywhere. Where the hell had she learned a move like that?
He gave her his rugged, bad boy smirk and shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a damsel in distress.”
“Do better than that,” she snorted.
He liked that she wasn’t easily snowed, even if it made his job more difficult.
“Let’s just say I’m hoping to get lucky, and maybe if I’m nice enough, I will.” He gave her a slow, lazy smile as he leaned against the door, crossing his arms.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t count on it.”
“Don’t crush a man’s hopes. Just wait and see. I might grow on you.”
Raising her eyebrows, she twisted her lips into a wry smile. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
Denise Grover Swank began writing her first novel in the fourth grade, stopping at page seventy on her wide ruled spiral notebook. She continued writing in high school and attempted several novels in her twenties before life got in the way. In the fall of 2009, she participated in National Novel Writing Month, which led her to completing her first novel, a book which shall be eternally chained to a pillar in her external hard drive. Denise released her first published book in July, 2011, a southern mystery titled Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. Denise lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. She has six children, two dogs, and an overactive imagination.
For more information on Denise and her other books, visit her at:
Chosen (Chosen Series Book #1) by Denis Grover Swank Paranormal Thriller BUY: Amazon / B&N MY COPY: Received for Review RATING:
Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.
REVIEW:
Denise Grover Swank's Chosen is a thriller with action, romance and a paranormal twist. It grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept it until the end.
Swank does an excellent good of keeping you guessing what's going to happen next. She also did a great job of mixing humor, snark, sexiness and heart breaking moments into this thriller.
I felt like I was along for the ride with Emma, Jake and Will on their cross country trip to escape the Bad Men that was after them.
Emma is not your very day soccer mom; she knows how to drive like hell and shoot a gun.
Jake is a sweet and very creepy five year old that sees the future and finds new powers along the way.
Will is a hot ex-Marine that has lost his way but finds his heart again while protecting Emma and Jake.
Chosen is a great start to a new series by Swank. She leaves enough unanswered questions to make you want more and I can't wait for the second book, Hunted.
I want to thank all my old followers and new followers for entering my 500 Follower Giveaway. WOW you guys pushed me over 700 followers. You guys ROCK! I'm going to have to step up my game to keep all those followers coming back.
Random.org has spoken and the winners are:
US Winner: Christina
International Winner: Cherry
Winners have been emailed. Congrats ladies!
Do not forget to check back in at The Book Nympho; I have some author guest blogs schedule this week and some more giveaways coming.
And I also try my best to get two book reviews posted a week but sometimes real life slows me down and it might only be one review.
Don't forget I love comments. They let me know that people are actually reading my reviews.
I LOVE the month of October for many reasons. It's my birthday month {5th}, the weather usually starts to cool down {the south} and leaves changing colors. And my favorite holiday, HALLOWEEN.
Looking around the blogging world there is a lot of Halloween themed things going on. I thought I would share some of the ones I've ran across and will be participating in or tracking.
In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren, is a weekly feature where you can showcase new books, ones checked out from the library, bought, won or received for review.
