Lucky number thirteen is here. That's right we are nearing the midway point of Something Wicked Strikes with Day #13! I hope you are enjoying all the awesome guest posts and giveaways. If you missed a day or two, check the schedule and catch up.
Here are the fantastic stops for today:
Melissa@Books and Things: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
Kimber Leigh Wheaton@ Once Upon a YA Book: Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
On Rainy Day Ramblings today, I am welcoming back author Heather Hildenbrand. Heather is no stranger to my blog, I have hosted Heather here numerous times, and I am always pleased when she comes back to post. Heather is one of the first indie authors I read, and luckily one of the best in my humble opinion. Heather is the author of the Dirty Blood Series and Clone Chronicles as well as several other novels. If you haven't met Heather yet, let me take a minute and introduce her to all of you:
Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places.
Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visitwww.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own OutRAGEous Life.
She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.Stalk Heather on her website, twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
Heather is here guest posting today on her favorite topic: Slugs... Heather just adores slugs.....ha ha.... just kidding. Heather actually loathes them. Good thing she doesn't live here in Oregon where we have slugs in our yard that look like this:
Anyway, here is Heather:
Villains!!! We’re here to talk about VILLAINS!
And not just ANY villain. Gordon Steppe. The villain in my Dirty Blood series! (or one of them.) I love Gordon. He’s one of my favorite villains out of all the bad guys (or girls) I’ve created in all of my books. He’s so …ugh, domestic. Urban. And deceivingly charming. He’s a politician at heart. Slick as a snake with a smile any dentist would kill for. But underneath, he’s the meanest, darkest, most calculating… and he’s smart. Such a terrifying and fun to write combo!
Can you tell I love villains yet???
And in keeping with villains, I’m going to share with you the top 5 most important traits I think every good villain should have.
- An evil laugh. This is definitely the most important. If their laugh is cheesy or fun, you can’t take their evilness seriously. Want proof?
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA….(That was my evil cackle) …See?
- 2. A mustache to twirl. Even if it’s metaphorical, (and even if it’s a chic—Mwahahaha) he must have some tic that makes him either OCD or just this side of insane. Does he twirl a ring? Addicted to designer suits? Count the cracks on the sidewalk? What’s the tell?
- 3. Mommy issues. Seriously, he has to have childhood damage. Something to blame his evil motivations on. And if his home life was truly Leave it to Beaver then the only thing left to do is make him moody. I mean, he has to have some reason for his mood swings that take you from “Fool me Fantastic” to “I kill you” in the span of a blink.
- 4. Drive like a badass. Think about it. If your evil villain can’t even pass driver’s ed, he’s a minion. Minions are the guys who do the villain’s bidding. They are not the boss. And you need your villain to be a BOSS. Plus, if your villain can get his minions to put me in the trunk and then the villain can drive me to the cliff, I’m scared now.
- 5. No broken English. If he threatens me with “You no live until tomorrow” well, SORRY, I’m not scared. I mean, it’s just not going to happen.
Okay, so obviously there’s way more but these are pretty standard for any story. Sure, you can have “he needs to be a leader” or “he needs to be smart” but that’s boring and vague and this is way more specific. So, you’re welcome. And yay for villains!
Fist bump, Heather, thanks for another terrific post. I am sure Heather will be back sooner than later. Now since it is a month of all things Wicked, Heather brings a chance to win her newly released Dirty Blood Omnibus set which contains all four books in her Dirty Blood Series.
To enter fill out the Rafflecopter. Please note: This giveaway is hosted by Heather Hildenbrand. I will not be responsible for selecting the winners. Good Luck!
Heads up, everyone can get in on a steal of a deal and purchase the Dirty Blood Omnibus set for only $2.99. This offer is good through October 15th. So hurry!
Buy Links: Amazon| Barnes and Noble| iTunes| Kobo| Smashwords
Here is my review:
Blood Rule(Dirty Blood #4) by Heather Hildenbrand
Forty-six.
That’s how many hybrids survived the Hunter attack in the woods after I revived them with an injection of my blood. That’s how many followed me home to Frederick Falls. And that’s how many were now mentally linked to me through a blood bond.
Two days. Three valium. Fourteen hours of sleep.
That’s what it took to realize I wasn’t losing my mind as a result of the noise in my own head.
Sixteen.
That’s how many days have passed since I almost killed Alex. That’s how many days I’ve sat by his bedside, waiting for him to wake up. To ease the guilt, to understand his betrayal, to remember the exact shade of brown in his eyes.
Zero.
That’s my chances of skating by with Gordon Steppe and the Hunter Council. They want me for questioning. I’m afraid what’ll happen if I give them answers.
Published August 6th 2013
Source: Author in Exchange for an honest review.
Four stars: Shocking new developments leading up to another brutal cliffhanger!
Tara these days finds herself hiding out in the woods, leading her new pack of hybrid wolves. Forty-six wolves survived the attack, and now are bonded to Tara thanks to her healing blood transfusion. Tara is trying to grapple with her new werewolf abilities and her status as the alpha of the pack. If that isn't enough, she is now wanted for questioning by CHAS, the hunter committee. Gordon Steppe, the leader of CHAS is out to eliminate all werewolves, regardless of the treaty, and Tara and Wes have become his number one targets. Can Tara save her own hide as well as her packs'?
What I Liked:
- Ms. Hildenbrand's Dirty Blood Series continues to impress me with its originality, likable characters and exciting story line. I am loving how far this series has come and the new direction it is taking. If you are looking for an entertaining and entertaining werewolf series that is original and thrilling, definitely check out the Dirty Blood Series.
- I am enjoying Tara's transformation. When I first met Tara back in book one, she was an ordinary girl, until the night she was attacked by a werewolf in a dark alley. Tara then learned that she was actually a Hunter, a human who hunts and kills werewolves, but there is so much more to it. Tara is a child of mixed heritage, her mother is a Hunter and her father was a werewolf. Long story short, Tara has come a long way. In this latest installment, she is trying to adjust to here werewolf side while leading a whole pack of hybrid wolves that are prone to turning rabid. Tara has been forced to make some hard decisions while fighting desperately for those she loves. I am happy for the most part with her growth, and most interested to see where she goes from here.
- The romance, while complicated, seems to be settling out and the love triangle appears to be decided. I hope that Tara will stick with her decision because I am tired of her being wishy washy. No more love triangle innuendos, please.
- Wes continues to be awesome. I am growing more and more fond of him with each book. I appreciate how he is learning to give Tara space, and how he is putting aside his jealousies. I always love how he comes to the rescue. Wes is terrific.
- Aside from Wes and Tara, there is a solid, full cast of secondary characters whom I am enjoying getting to know. I love the new roles that George and Angela have taken on, and I am liking the addition of the new hybrid pack members especially Chris.
- I appreciate that Ms. Hildenbrand takes the time to provide plenty of recap for those of us who suffer from amnesia between books. The refreshers are enough to jog your memory but they don't mire down the story.
- I love the strong focus on family and friendship in this series.
- The overall story continues to evolve and become more complex. There are several new complications introduced in this one, I won't go into them as I don't want to give spoilers, but I will say this, things are looking pretty grim for the werewolf folks. I love how Ms. Hildenbrand continues to think out of the box and how unique her ideas on werewolves are. If you are a fan of werewolves and you crave something different, try this series.
And The Not So Much:
- After all the epic developments in book three, Blood Bond, I was prepared for more thrills and excitement, but this one didn't quite deliver. Mostly because it was shorter, and after the initial conflict in the first portion, the second half of the book is mainly quiet without a lot happening until the dramatic conclusion which ends on a cliffhanger. Still there are some major shocking developments.
- Another cliffhanger. Seriously, Ms. Hildenbrand, you are killing us with the cliffhangers. This one especially ends on a dire note with the fate of some of the main players hanging in the balance. I am glad I procrastinated to read this one because the fifth book is due out in December.
- As much as I have enjoyed Tara's growth, I didn't like that she got a bit wishy washy in the latter half of this book, and I especially didn't like some of her rash decisions. She needs to make a firm decision between Wes and Alex, she says one thing, but I am not convinced she is firm in her choice. I hope that in the next book all hints of the love triangle are gone and that Tara will make more rational choices, ones not based on emotion.
Blood Bound is another solid book in the Dirty Blood Series. I am liking the new developments and I am curious to see how the story will evolve from here. I continue to appreciate the creativity and originality of this series, especially when it comes to werewolves and hunters. If you are a fan of the furry creatures, I suggest you check out this series.
Favorite Quotations:
"Even if I don't ever step foot here again, I'm already home. You are where my heart is."
"I thought he might also have missed the memo on not wearing socks with sandals but I didn't say so."
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
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