City Of The Guardians by Bee L. Kirk

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**Please note: This review was provided by Shanan Tysinger, a guest reviewer for Platinum.


This book is amazing and the Author, Bee Kirk, is brilliant beyond belief.
I found myself lost in the pages of this book. I identified with several of the characters, and didn't want to stop reading it. I did speed reading & still could not read fast enough to get to the next page. 
I've heard the whispers and felt the nudges and could identify with every character in the book. 
I want more of this series and will be first in line at the book store, I know Rip will be too!

Platinum Reviews gives Bee & "City Of The Guardians:

5 Platinum Rings!

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Blurb: 

Do you ever wonder about those little nudges and whispers you get from time to time, those “Don’t go there today” or “Change lanes”?

City of the Guardians: Introducing Alex Honor will show you who is behind those whispers and nudges. This book will make you take notice to the existence of things beyond our sight. The characters, Stilo who represents Strength and Rip who represents Rage, will fight to make their voice the one you listen to. Which will you choose?

It is the author’s hope to make you think twice about the decisions you make after reading this book. Her wish is to cause you to pause and listen to the whisper that wants the best, not the worst.

You might be embarrassed to admit that you have experienced a nudge or quiet whisper but you and I both know that you have.

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Excerpt: 

“Are you Alex Honor’s father?” asked Dr. Shepherd.

“Yes. Please tell me he’s alright, please,” Eric begged.

Eric was nervously rubbing his thumb and index finger together. He’d done this since he was a child. It was something he did when he tried to stay calm. The doctor looked concerned and hesitant. He knew that the news was not going to be something a parent would want to hear. Dr.

Shepherd was a seasoned medical professional. He started out in the E.R.

where he spent seven years working on some of the most difficult cases in Harbor Mercy. He felt a need to change his routine because he did not want to burn out, so he transferred to the ICU and had spent the last ten years there. This was where he felt he belonged, where he could do the most good and still be challenged mentally.

He is in his late 50’s and looks as though he’s in his mid-40’s. This is due to his consistent workout regimen and strict diet. Dr. Shepherd’s wife still works down in the E.R., where they met during his residency. Her name is Mary Ann, and they are in love. She is the reason he became a doctor. She

motivated him when he doubted his decision to become a doctor. He adores her and she adores him. They make an amazing team.

“He is currently in ICU room 3. He was in the Emergency Room, but was moved because of his dire situation. He is not stable and has a long road ahead of him. One option that we are contemplating is placing him in a coma in order to let some of the swelling reduce on his brain, but we need your permission to perform that procedure,” stated Dr. Shepherd.

“What happened to his brain?” Eric asked as he choked back tears.

“Alex was hit by a car at an intersection. The impact of the car threw him against a brick wall where he sustained a life-threatening head injury........

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~~~FIND BEE L KIRK HERE ON FACEBOOK~~~

See How She Runs by Michelle Graves

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If you are a fan of romance, fantasy, or suspense, you will fall in love with See How She Runs, the first in the Chronicles of Izzy series and the debut novel by Michelle Graves. I found myself absolutely enthralled from the first page to the last and did not put the book down until I was finished.

The story follows, Izzy Boone, a Chicago bike messenger living in a home left to her by her late grandmother. She lives in this home with her roommate, Kennan O'Malley, a mysterious, handsome, man that she met while he was working at the local pub. The two became fast friends. The day that Izzy delivers a package to businessman, Xavier Xander, her life as she knows it will never be the same.

Her best friend, Kennan, is now her protector and so much more as she is forced to run from a Corporation intent on catching her. She must abandon the life she has known and allow the people she meets along the way mentor and ease her into her new destiny as a seer.

Everything about this book will pull you in. The sexy, witty, and funny male characters. The strong and humorous, Izzy. Combined with the setting, this book reads more like a blockbuster movie in your mind. I can't wait to follow Izzy on her journey in the next books in the series. This is my favorite book of 2013!!

Platinum Book Reviews gives Michelle and See How She Runs:

5 Platinum Rings!!

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Blurb:

One delivery changed her whole life. 

Izzy was a normal girl living in Chicago as a bike messenger before that fateful day. She delivered one package and set into action a chain of events she never could have expected. 

Now she is running for her life from the Corporation, her best friend is not at all who he seemed, and to top it all off she keeps having visions.

Will she survive to navigate the waters as a Seer? Will her feelings for Kennan be her very downfall?  Find out in See How She Runs.

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Excerpt:

"Hey, Iz, it's me, pick up if you are home.  You should be home by now, why aren't you picking up.  Where is your cell?  You did not answer there either.  Seriously, if you don't pick up the phone in the next five seconds, I am coming home to make sure you weren't murdered somewhere along the way.  Seriously, Izzy, five, four, three, two, I am coming home.  See you in a few, if you are alive."

I was confused.  Kennan never made sure I got home, nor did he normally sound so freaked out.  I stood there dumbfounded as the front door burst open.  I mean, I knew we only lived a couple of blocks down from the pub, but it should have seriously taken longer than that to get from point A, the pub, to point B, the house.  I swirled around not knowing what to expect, only to have Kennan engulf me in a bear hug like he hadn't just seen me twenty minutes ago.  I pushed him away with a look of utter astonishment. 

"What the hell, Kennan?  Sure I took my sweet time walking home tonight, but that's because the weather is amazing.  Why are you so freaked out all of a sudden?  Did someone call in an anonymous tip about my invisible stalker?  You are seriously starting to freak me out here, guy!"  I looked at him expecting a logical explanation for his bizarre behavior.

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Find Michelle here on Facebook

Another Way To Bleed by Susan Harris

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I will start out by saying this... Susan Harris is one of the best first-time authors that I've ever read.. Just... Wow!! I read every genre and I have done reviews for plenty of first-time authors before & this gal is going to be a force to reckon with in the paranormal romance world! 

We meet the beautiful, no-nonsense Cassie, who is a half-witch & half-demon and learning how to survive in a world where the supernatural has only recently come out & have taken control. She is the lead assassin for the gorgeous & mysterious Luka, the Keeper Of The City... and she's in love with him, too.. Luka knows something about her past & her powers but doesn't want to tell all... He is too busy fighting his attraction to Cassie, the girl he rescued from hell when her mother was turned into a wicked vamp.. Cassie throws her emotions & anger into her job as assassin & let me tell you, this girl can kick ass! Cassie, along with the sexy fallen angel, Archer and Luka are sent on a mission by the Queen Of  The Damned herself, the wicked Lillith, to return her wayward son... However, this mission may very well end up revealing secrets that Cassie is better not knowing.. Including why Luka won't let her get too close to her... The mission sends them into The Forbidden City, amongst lurking demons & horrible supernatural creatures of every kind.. And into Cassie's worst nightmares.. Can Luka & Archer help Cassie pull through the torture? Or will she succumb under the shadow of darkness when the Demon Of Nightmares gets a hold of her?

This book is non-stop action, drama & that edge-of-your-seat sexy romance that we love so much. Ms. Harris's writing just flows throughout each page, her characters are well thought out & realistic and her descriptions of the world is graphic & spot-on.. I honestly cannot wait to read book number two in the Midnight Assassin series! What an amazing & fresh new author & I'm thrilled to have had the chance to read her first work of art! ~ Vicki Rose

Platinum Book Reviews gives Susan & Another Way To Bleed:
4.5 Platinum Rings!

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Blurb:

In a changed world Cassie Murphy has learned to adapt and use her pain to become the most skilled killer the supernatural world has seen. Trained by the ruthless keeper of Cork, Luka, she struggles against the very thing she has become and the vampire she has lost her heart to, but destiny has other plans for her and when her past catches up with her, Cassie will learn secrets that could tear her world to shreds and pull her and Luka further apart. Cassie will find out there is most certainly another way to bleed.

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Excerpt:

She stared into the darkness. She could smell the dying embers of hellfire that was raining down amongst them. She gulped in short, shallow breaths, knowing that they would sense the slightest imbalance in her posture. Tears flowed from her eyes as Cassie tried to drown out the cries of her dying coven. Helena had told her to hide, that she had foreseen how important it was for her to live, no matter who else had to die.
Cassie could taste blood, not her own, but that of the blood that was spilled in her home. It was something she had always been able to do, smell someone’s particular scent, taste it on her tongue.
She prayed to the Goddess to keep her safe, or at least make her death quick. A rumble of thunder crashed from above as another angel fought a demon, a now daily fixture as they headed towards the end of days. The whole house shook with such force that Cassie braced herself to fight as shadows danced outside the closet door. She clutched the sword with both hands, preparing herself to fight as wood cracked and the door frame was torn from its hinges.
Looking up, Cassie stared defiantly into the eyes of the monster that had once been her mother.
“Cassie, darling put down that silly, old knife and come give your mother a hug.” The vampire in front of her smirked, its fangs sharp and blood stained. The vampire’s eyes were red with thirst; Cassie knew that the mother she once loved and adored was long gone. Summoning all the courage she had, Cassie inclined her head before saying, “Come on then, bloodsucker. I ain't got all night.”
She swung the sword towards the creature, just like she had been taught, but it side-stepped her strike. They went toe to toe with one another. The vampire reached Cassie before she could avoid her, and raked a claw from Cassie’s left eye to her mouth. Cassie gasped with pain but never eased up on her assault. A sudden noise behind them distracted the vampire, momentarily, before she turned back to face her daughter. Cassie took the opportunity and swiped the sword one last time, slicing the vampire’s head clean off. Her mother’s eyes opened wide in shock before her body dissipated into ash
“Goodbye, mom,” Cassie whispered before dropping to her knees, sobbing with her head in her hands.....
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                                ~~~FIND SUSAN HERE ON FACEBOOK~~~

Tall, Dark And Vampire by Sara Humphreys

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"Tall, Dark And Vampire" is the first book in the 'Amoveo Legend' series spin-off "Dead In The City" by the fantastic Sara Humphreys and I can say, with total confidence, that this new series will be a huge hit!
We head back into the world of Ms. Humphreys vampires, whom we first caught a glimpse of in "Undone", which was Pete & Marianna's story.. 
The gorgeous & mysterious vampire Olivia Hollingsworth, who was previously introduced to us as Marianna's best friend, finds herself looking into the eyes of a man she thought long dead.. And maybe he was.. Is reincarnation of the love of her life even possible? 
Doug Paxton, NYC homicide detective & drop-dead sexy human male, ends up at Olivia's dance club, investigating the grisly murder of a man who was last seen in the company of one of Olivia's beloved employees.. Olivia won't take this sitting down. She loves her employees just like she would love family... And they truly are family, in her mind..
Not to mention that Olivia can't believe her eyes.. The man before her looks exactly like her soul mate.. Who died three centuries ago... And Doug, for his credit, believes that Olivia is the woman from his dreams, literally.. He is astounded by the connection he feels to the beautiful Olivia, who looks just like the woman from his nightly dreams.. He wonders if he's losing his mind.. He very well might be, when he & his partner are attacked and he swears he sees a monster... A vampire?
Olivia finds herself a witness to the attack on Doug.. But is it too late to save his human life? Will she lose her love of a lifetime, once again? And if she does manage to save him, will he retain his sanity once he finds out what Olivia truly is?
Sara Humphreys weaves a beautiful, intricate, dramatic novel, with passion, love & all the adventure we've come to love from her.. The words seem to flow from her like pure poetry & they pull the reader in & keep us held, enraptured, until the very end.. Sara, as with her amazing "Amoveo Legend" series, never misses a single detail & proves once again why she is the very powerhouse of an author that we've come to know & love, with her past novels...
"Tall, Dark And Vampire" is one tale that you don't want to miss! Just a few chapters into this breathtaking story and you'll see why Sara Humphreys is one of my very favorite authors... ~ Vicki Rose

Platinum Reviews gives Sara & "Tall, Dark And Vampire":
4.5 Platinum Rings!

  

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Blurb:

The last person Olivia Hollingsworth expected to see at her Greenwich Village vampire club was her one true love, Doug Paxton—whom she believed to be dead for centuries. Olivia thought she had moved on, but when Doug reappears, her heart knows she’d rather die than lose him again.

Ever since Doug can remember, a red-haired siren has haunted his dreams. He never thought she could be real until he goes to investigate a murder at Olivia’s night club. However, as the bodies keep piling up at her feet, he must fight to prove her innocence—even if it costs him his life…

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Excerpt:

He told himself that he would leave a message, and that was it. As the phone rang in his ear he knew he was full of shit. He just wanted to talk to her, to hear that sweet voice one more time.

Doug squeezed his eyes shut as it rang for the fourth time, and as he was about to chicken out and hit the end button— she answered.

“Hello?” Her honeyed voice drifted into his head, and his body froze as he struggled to remember why he called in the first place. The dagger on his back tingled.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

“Ms. Hollingsworth?” Doug said after clearing his throat. “It’s Detective Paxton. I— I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No,” she said with the hint of a smile in her voice.

“I’m wide awake. What can I do for you?”

“I needed to ask one more question about Maya, your bartender.” Doug leaned against the brick wall of the building and watched two pigeons fight over a piece of hot dog bun. “Did she have an old boyfriend, the jealous type? Maybe someone who might be bothered by her flirtatious behavior with Ronald Davis?”

Silence hung on the line. Doug butted his head against the wall as he prayed she would not see through his bullshit reason for calling.

“His attack was particularly savage, a crime of passion. If it had been some random attack or mugging, there would be one, or maybe two, wounds, but Davis was hacked up.” Doug opened his eyes again and watched as the pigeons hopped out of the path of an oncoming car.

“This was like an act of revenge, completely rage- driven.”

“I’m sorry, but Maya doesn’t ever stick with one guy for long.” Olivia laughed softly. “She likes to play the field, so to speak, and rarely goes out with the same guy twice. I wish I had more helpful information for you.” Doug stuck his free hand in his pocket and fiddled with her business card.

“Actually, that is helpful.” He started walking again toward Miranda’s office. “Looks like we can rule out an old boyfriend, and sometimes ruling things out is the quickest way to get to where we want to be.” He paused before continuing, knew asking the next question was a mistake, and asked it anyway. “How about you, Ms. Hollingsworth?”

“Me?” she asked in a low, husky voice.

“It was your club he was hanging out at. Could you have an enemy or an old boyfriend who wants to cause trouble?”

To his surprise, she laughed. It was a smoky, sexy laugh that made him stop dead in his tracks. He fought the urge to turn and go back to the club so he could hear it in person, but he shook his head and kept on his present course.

“No, detective.”

“Doug,” he interrupted.

“Alright,” she said through a chuckle. “No, Doug, I don’t have any enemies, at least none that would’ve messed with Ronald Davis, and I definitely don’t have any old boyfriends looking to cause trouble.”

“Current boyfriend?” he asked quietly as he looked over his shoulder, worried that someone would overhear.

“No,” she said slowly. “I’m quite single. Not so much as a dinner date in a long time. You could say that it feels like centuries.”

Doug stopped at the corner and looked both ways before jogging across the street.

“How about Mexican?”

“Mexican boyfriends?”

“No.” Doug laughed loudly and ran one hand over his head. “Mexican food. Do you like Mexican food?”

Nail-biting silence filled the line as he waited for her to respond. He started to sweat. Doug suspected he overstepped his bounds, and just as he was about to take it back, she answered.

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“That depends.”

“Oh really?” She laughed again. “On what?”

“Would you say yes?”

“Maybe.”

Doug tried to suppress the grin that bubbled up. She was flirting with him as much as he was with her.

“Maybe, huh?”

“Is there anything else that I can do for you?” Doug bit his tongue because he thought of about a hundred different things she could do for him, to him, and with him, but instead, he replied, “I’ll be sure to let you know. Don’t leave town or anything,” he said playfully. “I may have a question or two tomorrow.”

“I can assure you that I’m not going anywhere, except to bed… alone.”

Before he could say another word, she hung up, leaving him with the beginnings of a hard-on and a blanket of guilt. Doug shook his head and stuck the phone in his pocket. He really was going off the deep end. Asking her out in the middle of an investigation? What the hell was wrong with him?.......
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                           ~~~~CONNECT WITH SARA HERE, ON FACEBOOK~~~~