Night Embrace
(Dark-Hunter Series, Book 3)
by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Everyone, meet Talon (Dark-Hunter, master of the elements and always calm-cool-and collected) and Sunshine (an artist who is quirky, fierce, and loves pink!) who are brought together one night by none other than a Bacchus Mardi Gras float.

I love how Sherrilyn Keynon incorporates Greek mythology into this series but the best part is her definition of a vampire- Damions; Apollites who have been cursed to walk the night and drink eachothers' blood for killing Apollo's mortal mistress. To live longer than a short twenty-seven-years they must become soul suckers. The Dark-Hunter is the ancient warrior who, at the time of his death, suffered a great heartache and betrayel and cries to the gods for vengence. Artemis hears their cry and gives them a chance to take their vengence- the price is their soul - but they must kill Damions for all eternity. It was hard to pu this book down. I kept wanting to know about Talon and Sunshine and how they were connected, but the best part is learning more about Acheron; the first Dark-Hunter and leader of all the Dark-Hunter warriors.

I can't wait to pick up the next book in her series and maybe read more of her other books too!

I couldn't find this book on mobipocket.com or ebooks.com but barnesandnoble.com has it available for their New Nook E-Book reader, I settled for the paperback (which is completely ragged now).  Sherrilyn Kenyon Offical Website is a wonderful place for more great reading suggestions.

Book Back ---
Dear Reader,
Life is great for me. I have my chicory coffee, my warm beignets, and my best friend on the cell phone. Once the sun goes down, I am the baddest thing prowling the night: I command the elements, and I know no fear. For centuries, I've protected the innocent and watched over the mankind, making sure they are safe in a world where nothing is ever certain. All I want in return is a hot babe in a red dress, who wants nothing more from me then one night.
Instead, I get a runaway Mardi Gras float that tries to turn me into roadkill and a beautiful woman who saves my life but can't remember where she put my pants. Flamboyant and extravagant, Sunshine Runningwolf should be the perfect woman for me. She wants nothing past tonight, no ties, no long-term commitments.
But every time I look at her, I start yearning for dreams that I buried centuries ago. With her unconventional ways and ability to baffle me, Sunshine is the one person I find myself needing. But for me to love her would mean her death. I am cursed never to know peace or happiness-not so long as my enemy waits in the night to destroy us both.
--Talon of the Morrigantes

Shades of Midnight
(Midnight Breed Series, Book 7)
by Laura Adrian

Shades of Midnight is the 7th book in Lara Adrian's "Midnight Breed Series" and focuses on Alexandra McGuire and Kade who are in the Alaska wilderness.  Which is where i'm from! Alex is an Alaskan bush pilot and while on a routine drop of supplies stumbles upon a greuesome murder scene-everyone in the small homestead is dead -which stirs flashbacks of why she and her father left Florida.  Alex has been runing away from the truth all her life until she meets Kade- who is Breed, vampire and warrior of the Order -and can't deny the instant attraction to this mysterious man.

This book continues in Lara Adrian's captivting "Midnight Breed Series".  It does focus on a lot of guilt and remorse, but ends up having a happy ending!   I love the twist Lara adds about the Ancient- it will be interesting to see what will happen- is he good, evil, or just trying to survive.  I did find some spots of Kade's character developement to be  pretty reflective and true to what does happen in families.  I can't wait for the next book...check out the Lara Adrian Offical Website for the next book release and thanks to eBooks.comI downloaded the book on the release date without having to leave the house! Yea!

So this year my husband got me a V-touch and a Nokia N810.  After figuring out what type of digital ebook formats there was out there I settled on using my Nokia N810, we got it on sale for $189, now they sell for about $499...STEAL!  I use Mobipocket software which is free to download at mobipocket.com and I  purchase most of my books through ebooks.com because the online store has my credit card number on file and I pay on the spot without having to look for my purse then for my card.  They also have more of a selection avaiable than mobipocket.com.

I didn't read very much and didn't like reading very much until I figured out what type of genre I liked.  I've always loved Sci-Fi things; Stargate, Star Trek, Underworld, Supernatural and for goodness sakes my favorite movie of all time is The Fifth Element!  I should have known what type of books I'd like to read right?  One day my good friend told me to read Twilight, yes Twilight and loved it!  Thanks, Amanda, you started this by the way.

After reading all four books of the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyers in 6 days (yes, I added an extra day  because Barnes and Noble only had Breaking Dawn in a hardcover and I couldn't decided if I wanted to spend the extra money on it).  Once I was done I could not get enough of that sexy vampire and rugged werewolf, so I went insearch of the next series.   Amazon.com has tons of "people who bought this book also bought" suggestions so I researched a lot into that.

First author I found was Charlaine Harris and her Sookie Stackhouse Series.  I loved every book, Charlaine gives Sookie that Southern charm but tough as nails attitude.  Sookie is a telepathic cocktail waitress from a small town of Bon Temps, Louisianna.  One day a tall, dark and exciting vampire, Bill walks into her bar.  In this series the vampires have come out of their coffins, so to speak, and are trying to blend into everyday life and be equal citizens.  In every books there is a mystery to solve.  Sookie meets vampires, a maenad, demons, fairies, shapeshifters in the form of werewolves, a weretiger, werepathers and other mythical and magical creatures.  The books have also been turned into an HBO TV Series, Trueblood and is now in it's 3rd Season starting 2010.
1. Dead Until Dark
2. Living Dead in Dallas
3. Club Dead
4. Dead to the World
5. Dead as a Doornail
6. Definitely Dead
7. All Together Dead
8. From Dead To Worse
9. Dead and Gone

Next series I found, was Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton.  There are 17 books to date.  This series is based in a fictional Saint Louis where every day humans live with the knowledge of vampires, zombies and shapeshifters. This series changed from its first book where Anita is a animator (raises dead people for a living) and vampire hunter and evolves as we learn she is a necromancer, leader of her own were pack, and becomes a federal marshall.  The first few books are definately what I consider in the horror section and whoa there are some steamy "love" scenes after book 10.  The first 5 books I could not read without a light on and really didn't have much sexual encounters until book 6.   Throughout the series there are tons of supernatural mysteries and a complex romantic and polictal relationships Anita has to navigate through.  All in all it was a great series that introduced me to horror and the "urban fantasy" genre.
1.Guilty Pleasures (1993) ISBN 0-515-13449-X
2.The Laughing Corpse (1994) ISBN 0-425-19200-8
3.Circus of the Damned (1995) ISBN 0-515-13448-1
4.The Lunatic Cafe (1996) ISBN 0-425-20137-6
5.Bloody Bones (1996) ISBN 0-425-20567-3
6.The Killing Dance (1997) ISBN 0-425-20906-7
7.Burnt Offerings (1998) ISBN 0-515-13447-3
8.Blue Moon (1998) ISBN 0-515-13445-7
9.Obsidian Butterfly (2000) ISBN 0-515-13450-3
10.Narcissus in Chains (2001) ISBN 5-558-61270-3
11.Cerulean Sins (2003) ISBN 0-515-13681-6
12.Incubus Dreams (2004) ISBN 0-425-19824-3
13.Micah (February 2006) ISBN 0-515-14087-2
14.Danse Macabre (June 2006) ISBN 0-425-20797-8
15.The Harlequin (2007) ISBN 978-0-425-21724-5
16.Blood Noir (2008) ISBN 978-0-425-22219-5
17.Skin Trade (2009) ISBN 978-0-425-22772-5

So how to top that? Well welcome Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by J.R. Ward.  This is where I learned the term "paranormal romance" genre.  This series is about  a band of six shit-kicker wearing vampire warriors who protect their race from their enemy the Lessers (de-souled humans who threaten their kind).  There are two dieties that are the Scribe Virgin, who sides with the vampires and the Omega who influences the Lessers.  Wrath is the King of the Vampires and who is the last pureblood vampire. Rhage posses a dragon that is released when he has heightened emotion like anger or fear.  When his dragon is released he is a danger to his enemies but also his brothers.  Butch is a "turned" vampire and is part of the Lesser Prophecy. Vishous is prognosticate, Zsadist a  scarred and tourtured vampire who must get over his old scars of being a blood and sex slave.  Phury is Zsadist twin and cannot truely live because he feels responsible for everything his twin brother had to endure.  Rehvenge is part of the vampire aristocracy but also is half sympath.  Tohrment was the leader of the BDB until his unborn son and his Shellan were killed and he then disappears.  John Matthew is the reincarnated Darius and his story is told throughout the series.  Qhuinn and Blaylock are John's friends and also are referenced throught the series.  This is my second favorite series, great read very modern and hip and J.R. Ward is downright hilarious.
1. Dark Lover 2005 (ISBN) 0451216954
2. Lover Eternal 2006 (ISBN) 0451218043
3. Lover Awakened 2006 (ISBN) 0451219368
4. Lover Revealed 2007 (ISBN) 0451412354
5. Lover Unbound 2007 (ISBN) 0451222350
6. Lover Enshrine2008 (ISBN) 0451222725
7. Lover Avenged 2009 (ISBN) 0451225856

J.R. Ward has started another series Fallen Angels.  In it there is a battle between two coached teams, the angels and demons, with a quaterback who is a savior choosen to save seven souls and can be influenced by both teams.  The quaterback is Jim Heron a leather jacket, Harley-riding, tough-talking former assasin.  Failure? Not an option.  Vin DiPietro is a workaholic and has been satisfied with his life, until he meets a lady who questions everything in his life and if he's truly happy.  
1. Covet, 2009

Then there is a short 3 book series, The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.  In this series fifteen-year-old Clary Fray sees a murder that no one else sees at a crowded night club.  Now she is thrust into the world of Shadowhunters: a group of warriors who kill demons.  Clary finds out why she can see these Shadowhunters and why her mother diaspears and why she is attracted to Jace a handsome and infuriating Shadowhunter who's love is the deadliest forbidden temptation.  This books reminded me of Twilight in that there is a lot of sexual frustration between the main characters and it was also geared toward the Young Adult readers.
1. City of Bones (2008)
2. City of Ashes (2009)
3. City of Glass (2009)

After reading that series, I missed vampires so I found a similar series to BDB, Midnight Breed Series by Lara Adrian.  Who-hoo!  More lovely vampires warriors!  This series is dark, sexy and action packed. It's all centered on a group of tough passionate vampires.  These vampires are from another world.  Lucan Thorne and his brothers protect his kind and humans from Rogues, vampires who sucumb to Bloodlust, but soon they find out the Rogues are not the biggest threat to the brothers and the human world.
1. Kiss of Midnight May 2007
2. Kiss of Crimson June 2007
3. Midnight Awakening December 2007
4. Midnight Rising January 2009
5. Veil of Midnight May 2009
6. Ashes of Midnight December 2009
7. Shades of Midnight

Now to my favorite series...The Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole.   Kresley builds a wonderful world where the main focus are creatures of "the Lore" brought together because of the impending "Accession".  The Accession which is a war between the Lore beings (Valkyrie, vampires, lykae, phantoms, shifters, fairies and sirens) that happens ever five hundred years.  The Valkyrie are my favorite characters: fierce warriors, devistatingly beautiful and some reason love to play the Wii and have a party night.  All the males are alpha and very protective of "their" female.  All the books are great but book #5 Dark Desire After Dark is my favorite so far, I couldn't put it down.  Kresley Cole has said she is going to focus on her IMAD series and produce more books.  Guess who's desperate for the next book?
1."The Warlord Wants Forever" in Playing Easy to Get (anthology with Sherrilyn Kenyon and Jaid Black)
2. A Hunger Like No Other 2006
3. No Rest for the Wicked, 2006
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, 2007
5. Dark Needs at Nights Edge, 2008
6. Dark Desires After Dusk, 2008
7. Kiss of a Demon King, 2009
8. Deep Kiss of Winter, 2009
9. Pleasure of a Dark Prince, 2010

The Darkyn by Lynn Viehl focuses on Dr. Alexandra Keller and Michael Cyprain.  Alex is a renowed recontructive surgeon with speed and accuracy no one can match.  Michael Cyprian offers Alexandra a lot of money to work on his face but when she turns him down he resorts to kidnapping her.  He lures her by showing her his face knowing she loves complex cases.  And after seeing how fast his face heals she reluctantly does the surgery.  Afterwards he falls into rapture and sucks all the blood out of her body but she survives; the first human in centuries to do so.  After Alexandra survives she decides to find a cure and learn all she can about the Dark Kyn.  The series focuses on serveral vampires but throughout the series Dr. Alexandra Keller tries to find a cure for this blood born pathageon that makes vampires.
1. If Angles Burn, 2005
2. Private Demon, 2005
3. Dark Need, 2006
4. Night Lost, 2007
5. Evermore, 2008
6.Twilight Fall, 2008
7. Master of Showdows:  A novella of the Darkyn Series
8. Stay the Night, 2009
9. Shadowlight, 2009 (Book 1 in the Kyndred Series)

Hot Spell An Anothology
The Countess's Pleasure By Emma Holly is about a lower-class demon and a lonely widowed countess who share a week of uninhibited passion that evolves into something more.  Will the countess give into her desire or return to her reserved life?

The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh was pretty intense and gives you a taste of what the Breed Series is about. Lyra has a neighbor who chops up his lawn and her rosebush, stares at bread like he's never tasted it and makes her nevers stand on edge every time she sees him; he just can't be real. Tarek Jordan is a Breed Enforcer on a job to find the Council Trainer he's tracked to Fayetteville, Arkansas.  Once Tarek's dangerous life starts to shadow Lyra's he must protect her and can't deny his desire to claim her as his mate.

 Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook introduces the Guardian Series.  When Emily's childhood friend, Anthony, comes back from the dead as a Gaurdian to protect her and her brother from a lurking evil.  They are all thrust into a supernatural world where Guardians and Demons fight over human and vampires (who are not the evil Nosferatu).

Wild Thing an Anthology 
Animal Magnetism by Maggie Shayne is about a hot cop who one day brings in a gun shot dog to Dr. Macy McNamara vet clinic.  A lady vet who can talk to animals but has a hard time talking to people.   Most important Macy can talk to the dog who can identify the rapist, who is a man closer to them than they think.

Paradise by Meljean Brook Lucas Marsden, a former DA and now vampire and theater owner, has fought nosferatu and survived.  As the leader of his community in Ashland, Oregon he is faced with solving vampire deaths and why or who is behind the killings.  He gets help from the beautiful and very determined Gaurdian Selah who has been sent to protect him and his community.  Lucas is instantly attracted to her but can he trust her?

Hunter Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu.  On one lesiurly day Maxine Kiss, hunter of demon "zombies", sees former priest Grant Cooperon.  His aura stands out in the midst of dark auras who seem to be after him.  Maxine saves Grant from these demons but gains hope to be more than a demon hunter.  As demons continue to come after them they must work together to stop the increased threat to  their world.

Wild Hearts in Atlantis: A Warriors of Poseidon Story by Alyssa Day.  Poseidon's warriors live in the mythical city of Atlantis, that is under the sea, and protect all mankind.  Their oath "We will wait. And watch. And protect. And serve as first warning on the eve of humanity's destruction.  Then, and only then, Atlantis will rise. For we are the Warriors of Poseidon, and the mark of the Trident we bear serves as witness to our sacred duty to safeguard mankind..."  Bastien is now a liason between the Poseidon warriors and the East Coast shape-shifters.  He must find a way to sway the pack's leader; the vampires plan to betray them. And also ignore the half-human half-shapeshifter who rendered him speechless when he saved her from a group of vampires two years ago.

Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore is set in future!  Spaceships, aliens and vampires.  Doc is the leader of the prison camp where Dela, who has a big secret, is now trying to survive.  But Doc also has a secret, he's a vampire.  In order to save Dela and his people he must help her escape.  This books is Susan Sizemore's intro to the Vampire Book club...i'm excited to see what's next.

So, that brings the total books read in 2009 to 67!  Whoa!  I've discovered my genre and I'm sticking to it.  Now that I know the books Ihave people ask me why do I like them.  Well, I've always liked anything Sci-fi so this is a natural choice and of course the "love" scenes are very nice.  Reading should be about what you like otherwise it's a chore not a pleasure.  If you have suggestions please let me know i'm always looking for something new.

Here is a list of my favorite paranoraml romance and urban fantasy authors, the series/books i've read and their offical websites!