Angel Kin and The Demon Lord: amazing reads + giveaways

Despite my impossibly hectic schedule, I couldn't pass the opportunity to host and read these amazing books. Loved them both! 

Today's post is brimming with new things:
reviews, a guest post, contact info and giveaways. 

HAVE FUN!

THE DEMON LORD

What an alluring world the author has created! I love it as much as the sensuality that drips from every elegant line of the writing.

The world was occupied by demons, but the destruction that came with them was too much to bear. So, Goddesses crafted a way to protect the remaining world by ostracising the demons to their own territory.

There was too much devastation, too many deaths. It all weighs heavily on Allia's conscience. She loves the wonders of this world, and the inner beauty and strength of humans.  That's why she concedes to a plan to seduce and enslave the Demon Lord. Thoush she never envisioned falling for him.

I relished the concept of demons hunting for a forever mate, and that the Goddesses were their intended lovers. It was touching and scorching hot how Allia and the Demon Lord's relationship develops. Allia is a serene, sensitive, loving creature. Her dangerous lover, on the other hand, is worth swooning over.

Another thing that charmed me was the power that a Goddess harnesses over the rain,  its meaning and scope. I'd very much like to delve more deeply into the worldbuilding of these two races. I think the adventures and drama to come are worth exploring.

**

THE DEMON LORD

by Paula Altenburg

Blurb:  The Demon Lord has conquered the mortal world and sampled its pleasures. Now all he needs is to conquer the goddess who is meant to complete him. She, however, has other plans.

Allia is sent by her goddess sisters to win the heart of the Demon Lord and make him her slave. But Allia soon discovers that the Demon Lord’s heart is not easily given, and that in order to win it, she must sacrifice her own.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR...

 I’d like to be able to say I always wanted to be a writer, but the truth is I thought it looked like a lot of hard work. Life, however, sometimes leads us down paths we never intended to take.

From the very beginning, my parents encouraged my love of books. When a Grade One teacher suggested I wrote too many “thrillers,” my mother, an English teacher, said I could write – and read – whatever I wanted. My high school English teachers later backed her up on that. In university, I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Anthropology. At the time it was a whim, but it’s amazing how much that little piece of paper has benefited me over the years. Researching the history of civilizations has led to many intriguing worldbuilding possibilities.

When my children were babies and money was tight, my mother, grandmother, and husband bought me an electric typewriter for my birthday because they knew I was bored and wanted me to be happy. My mother became my very first critique partner, willingly reading pages and pages of manuscripts no one should ever have to suffer through. She researched markets for me, and introduced me to a journalist friend, who in turn introduced me to the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia. My brother and my brother-in-law introduced me to Thieves’ World, David Eddings, and Piers Anthony. My sister gave me my first computer.

My grandmothers believed if something’s too hard, you aren’t working hard enough. My brother and sisters have all successfully followed their dreams, and my husband and two sons offer me proof every day that hard work is something to be embraced, not avoided. With these people behind me, how could I possibly stray from a path on which life seems to have planted them as guardrails:

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**

angel kin

I wanted to read this book because I'm keen on angels, and this one promised to deliver twins. That's a hook for me!

An exciting combination of action, paranormal creatures and politics, Angel Kin has been a great discovery.

Cain is harsh, don't-ffol-with-me kind of angel, a half-breed actually. It was a bit difficult to connect with him at a romantic level at the beginning for his abrupt behaviour towards Katie. Rest assured that it all changes for the better. How much steam? Oh, enough, I promise!

Both Cain and his evil twin Abel are charismatic characters. The whole story around what happened to them as kids is a very engaging element of the angelic folklore that makes up for the politics plot in motion. I loved everything that had to do with the Directorate of Heaven, the Renegades, and especially the Angel powers. There are really thrilling to have. Quite shilling, but oh so full of potential.

I liked Katie all right. She doesn't let herself be bullied even though she's sorruounded by truly dangerous creatures in dire circumstances. And there are plenty of them. Mobster vampires, lychanthropes, dark elves... add depth and incentive to the urban fantasy feel of the city.

Regarding Abel, I had mixed feelings. He's the villain here. A murderer all right, but his cool demeanour and his vendetta made me think that he was biding his time. Whenever he'd tire of so much bossing around by his masters, he'd break hell loose on earth. I relished that feeling of expectation. Still, I harboured the tiniest hope of seeing him redeemed.

I was really invested in the brothers' relationship. I so much wanted to know whether they were going to patch up or destroy each other. Also, the Renegades pose an awesomely wicked challenge to the world and the Bound, the good angels. I'm dying to find out the outcome.

It was a lot of fun to read the from the start to the ending: the writing is feisty, with funny remarks, a creepy, intense first chapter, thrilling body-to-body fights, biblical conspiracies, an amazing clash of titans between brothers, and a steamy romance.

**

DON'T MISS THIS FANTASTIC GUEST POST FROM

TRICIA SKINNER

THE POWER OF UNLAWFUL

HEROES AND HEROINES

V. Black Widow. Captain Jack Sparrow. Nikita. Jericho Barrons in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, or Zoe in Firefly. Sarah Connor. What they all have in common is the "hell yeah" factor that makes heroes and heroines fresh and vibrant in today's urban fantasy and paranormal romances, television shows, and movies.

The draw to characters that will do anything necessary to reach their goals is what makes them so interesting to watch and read. Don't you sit a lit straighter when reading how the hero or heroine plans to get information from a source. They're not planning to have a nice chat. They plan to break some bones, possibly threaten a few innocent people, all to get what they need.

This type of hero comes in many shades of gray. We pay close attention to their motivations, and we crave tiny morsels of information that provide a clue to their way of thinking. What happened to them to make them so scarred inside? How could a woman be so hardened she doesn't think twice about spying on people who trust her?

Often the character has been through unimaginable pain and heartbreak. The affect on a child's psyche, as with Dexter Morgan, could turn them into monsters as adults except for an outside influence. In this case, Dexter's adopted father.

But there are other characters that seem to revel in their chaotic nature. Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't walk a straight line, whether sober or full of rum. It's not his nature, and it wouldn't have made him as endearing to audiences if he was a clean and straight laced as the admiral, by comparison.

In my novel, Angel Kin, Cain is a good man, but he's learned hard lessons since childhood. With his family killed and himself taken to Heaven to train as an assassin, Cain struggles with his choices. He kills, but has good reason. When his way of life is threatened and the woman he's falling in love with is in danger, Cain faces both sides of himself, never sure which will win out.

That's the kind of story that should suck a reader in. Never knowing when the hero or heroine will slip into their darker selves to complete a mission makes for great reading or viewing material.

**

ANGEL KIN

by Tricia Skinner

Tagline: The thief will steal his heart...

While channeling Robin Hood’s “steal from the rich and give to the poor” attitude at a local politician’s house, ex-con Katie Logan witnesses a forced suicide. Dirty or not, supernatural or not, he didn’t deserve to die, especially not by his own hand. But with her record, stepping forward as a witness isn’t an option. On the run from the police and the murderer, she turns to The Bound Ones for help.

 When a beautiful woman comes to The Bound Ones, half-angel assassin Cain is immediately drawn to her. But when she fingers him as the killer, he can come to only one conclusion. The twin he thought was dead is very much alive…and trying to send him a message. Unfortunately, that message is: “You’re next.”

 It’s a race against time as Cain fights to save the woman he’s falling in love with before his brother Abel destroys them both.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR...

I’m Tricia Skinner and I write Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. I’m a former journalist who discovered my inspiration to write fiction as an escape from “real life.” My reading tastes are all over the place, but I’m mainly drawn to fantasy (and its subgenres), paranormal, sci-fi, and history.

When I’m not writing, I’m a newbie “green” practitioner, fitness procrastinator, and a technology geek. I’m a mother and a wife. My family includes two Great Danes. I’m also a gamer. I enjoy interacting with my fel­low geeks and help­ing other writers, especially through the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal Chapter of Romance Writers of America where I’ve served as Newsletter Editor. I’m represented by Laurie McLean of Foreword Literary.

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GIVEAWAY TIME

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Who is your favourite unlawful hero or heroine?