Books 1 & 2 of 100

I have finished 2 books already this year. I am quite excited about that. I guess before I tell you a little about my books I should tell you about my reading habits. I am a voracious reader...I will read just about anything I can get my hands on. Reading for me is an escape, so I generally tend to look for fiction. I love romance novels. My current favorite sub-genre is paranormal romanace. Be it witches, ghosts, magic useres,vampires or the likes, I like 'em all! I also am a HUGE fan of historical romance, medieval and pirate being my favorites there. I also enjoy reading fantasy; I have read all of the Harry Potter books, I read Eragon (and the 2 subsequent books, and I am waiting on the final installments...BTW the books are sooooo much better than the movie was!) I own the Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy, (they are on my must read list!)Another series I have started and am waiting on the final book is called the Looking Glass Wars...it's another, rather unique take on the Alice in Wonderland story.

So now on to the books I have finished, they are by one of my favorite authors...Gena Showalter Gena is an amazing author...the first book of hers I finished this year is called The Vampire's Bride (the link will take you to a browse-able sneak peek at the book!) This story focuses on Layel the vampire king and Delilah an Amazon warrior. Without giving too much of the story away they are kidnapped and forced to take part in a Survivor-esque game. They are also battling their attraction to one another. Layel still grieves (or feels he should) for his long dead wife. Delilah fights her very Amazon nature. The Vampire's Bride is part of Gena's Atlantean story collection but works just fine as a stand alone story.
Now just a little warning about Gena's writing...She is bold in writing her love scenes...vivid, maybe too graphic for some. So if some sizzle in your romance is not to your liking , well sadly maybe Gena isn't either. But for me...I LOVE her.

Which is why you will find me reviewing many of her books. The second book I finished this year I read on Wednesday. (Yep I read the entire book in one day. Granted it was only about 330 pages, but I liked it so well everything else went by the wayside. LOL) Heart of Darkness is an anthology written by Gena, Maggie Shayne and Susan Krinard I bought it mainly for Gena's story in it, but I will definitely be looking into the other 2 fantastic authors! Gena's story is The Darkest Angel is a short story in her Lords of the Underworld series. This is a wonderful story and it is possible to read it as a stand alone. Her Lords of the Underworld series is an interesting take on the Pandora's box myth/legend.
The next story in Heart of Darkness is by Maggie Shayne, called Love me to Death It's the story of 4 men who as teenagers were convicted of a girls death in a fire. Twenty some years later the 'victim' is seeking revenge. It's a very interesting tale of life after death and reincarnation. A wonderful read.
Last but certainly not least is another tale of reincarnation and the power of love. This time set in Late 19th century London, Susan Krinard's Lady of the Nile takes on ancient Egyptians gods and goddess, and the battle between good and evil.
Heart of Darkness is a wonderful introduction to these 3 authors. I will definitely be seeking out more of both Maggie and Susan's work!