Winners – JK Beck & Jennifer Rardin

Congratulations!!

I have a couple of winners to post today, first, for the copy of JK Beck’s When Pleasure Rules courtesy of the lovely lady herself and second, for a copy of one of Jennifer Rardin’s Jaz Parks books. I was really impressed with all your answers to both questions!

I am blown away by JK Beck’s new series and encourage you all to try to get your hands on a copy of either When Blood Calls or When Pleasure Rules, which are both out now. If you can’t get out to buy a copy right away, then harass your local library to bring some in for you to borrow. 🙂

I’m still a bit in shock over Jennifer Rardin’s passing, so sad. I saw a comment on Twitter last week that bothered me a bit, but I won’t get into it here. Suffice it to say that if I had a bunch of money, I would send a copy of any one of Jen’s books to everyone who commented. That’s how much I love the Jaz Parks series! Unfortunately, I can’t afford to do so, but I wanted to honor her memory by sharing my love of her awesome books and getting the word out about this great series. I hope you all find a way to read the series, so you can enjoy the legacy that Jen left with her writing.

So, on to the winner of When Pleasure Rules by JK Beck. Random.org picked #42, so SiNn whose email begins with “mortalsinn…” Congrats!!

Next up is the winner of a copy of one of Jen Rardin’s Jaz Parks books. Random.org picked #11, so Tynga whose email begins with “Tyngauf….” Congrats!! Tynga chose book 2, Another One Bites The Dust.

I will be emailing both the winners and they have 5 days to get back to me with their snail mail info so we can send your books out. If I don’t hear back from the winners, a new name will be drawn out of the eligible entrants. I will be shipping the Jennifer Rardin book out via The Book Depository.

Thank you again to everyone who entered. I love you guys! 😀 There are currently two contests still on the go here at SVR. Erica Hayes is giving away a copy of Poison Kissed to a commenter and Moira Rogers is giving away a digital copy of A Safe Harbor, so be sure to go and leave a comment to be entered.

Jennifer Rardin – Tribute & Giveaway

 

Last week I heard the news that one of my all time favorite authors, Jennifer Rardin, had passed away unexpectedly on Monday September 20th, 2010. I was in shock and deeply saddened along with the rest of the Urban Fantasy community. Such a vibrant, kind, friendly, talented and funny lady, Jennifer will be greatly missed by many. My heart goes out to her family, close friends, colleagues and fans. The world is a little less brighter without her in it.

Has from The Book Pushers organised the collaboration  for a bunch of us bloggers to come together in some way to honor the memory of Jennifer and her amazing books, because we had all wanted to do something. I’ve been a fan since her first Jaz Parks book, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, hit the shelves in 2007. I can think of no better way to honor this lovely lady than to introduce new readers or re-introduce readers who haven’t read all the books, to her no holds barred, hilarious, action packed Urban Fantasy heroine Jaz Parks!

        

     

I will be giving away any one of these books to a random commenter, but book 7, Bitten In Two would be a pre-order. Giveaway is open internationally to anywhere the Book Depository ships. Please check at the Book Depository to see if they ship to your country. Contest will run through Tuesday, October 5th, 11:59pm.

To enter, please leave a meaningful comment about what you love about the Jaz Parks series, OR, if you haven’t read any of them, then what you love about Urban Fantasy. One comment = one entry. Let me know which book you’d like & please leave your email in the form of wilmaflinstone(at)thequarry(dot)com so you won’t be spammed. I will post and contact the winner on October 6th.

Here are the Book Descriptions:

Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Jaz Parks #1

I’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best–assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.

Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he’s meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing’s ever as easy as it seems?

Another One Bites the Dust – Jaz Parks #2

In their latest mission, Jaz and Vayl are sent to kill an ancient Chinese vamp who’s stolen a vital piece of biotechnology. The catch? They’re undercover as street performers…and Jaz has to belly dance.

Biting the Bullet – Jaz Parks #3

The Raptor, the CIA’s longtime nemesis, is back. Jaz Parks and her vampire boss Vayl are asked to join her brother David’s special ops team to take him down. But when her spirit guide tells her that she’s being lead to the wrong man, and she starts asking the wrong questions, her life — and her job– are threatened. And the one person who can help her–her boss– is off on a wild goose chase. Add to the mix a pack of reavers bent on revenge along with a small army of desert monsters, and BITING THE BULLET will take you so close to the edge of your seat you may want to leave a pillow on the floor just in case.

Bitten to Death – Jaz Park #4

Jaz Parks and her vampire boss, Vayl, have already fought demons, vampires, and reavers. Now, juggling work and family takes on a new dimension as she tackles her latest challenge: nail the Raptor before he can reduce her to Jaz-bits, survive a head-on crash with Vayl’s violent past, and lever her twin’s military career back on track before a dishonorable discharge ruins his life. To top it off, she must also contend with her father’s issues. Is he losing his mind? Or is someone really trying to kill him – from beyond the grave?

One More Bite – Jaz Parks #5

Jaz and Vayl have been assigned to travel to Inverness to prevent an assassination that has the potential to upset the balance between the west coast vampire nests and allow another Raptor to emerge. In the power vacuum left by Edward “the Raptor” Samos’ death, a struggle for supremacy has begun between his former allies: The Coven of Inverness, the Valencian Weres and The Flock. The struggle takes on a new twist when Pete learns that the Valencians have hired an assassin to take out the Coven’s leader, a powerful witch named Floraidh Halsey. Jaz and Vayl must stalk a killer as wily and Gifted as themselves as they travel through the wild, stark beauty of the Highlands. Their travels also bring new heights to their romance, a new depth to their passion, and a bond they are both, at last, willing to seal.

Bite Marks – Jaz Park #6
Jaz is possessed.  After biting the neck of a domyter during a forced visit to his territory, she now has unwelcome voices in her head.  While fighting for supremacy in her own mind, she finds herself confronted with a near-impossible task: perform perfectly on her next mission or face the unemployment line.

Bitten in Two – Jaz Parks #7

Jaz Parks here. I. Am. Pissed. Just as Vayl and I arrive in Morocco to secure an ancient artifact, he wakes up calling me by another woman’s name. And it’s not even a good one. But since any form of argument transforms him into an unholy terror, I’m forced to play along until the gang and I can figure out what kind of power has so vastly altered his perceptions.

So it’s time for me to do what any well-trained assassin in my position might do. I attack. What follows is a hair-raising, breath-taking bullet train ride to the finish as the crew battles on multiple fronts. I now know what I have to do – I must return to hell one last time.

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Several other bloggers are also participating in the tribute giveaway:

Has, Lou & Minn at The Book Pushers

Kmont at Lurv ala Mode

Susi at Book Lovers Inc

Drensb at Dren’s B Spot

Angela at Reading Angel

Ocelett at Genre Reviews

Renee at Renee’s Book Addiction

Bitten To Death – Spotlight & Review

Bitten To Death by Jennifer Rardin

 

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: Orbit ( Aug 12 2008 )

Language: English

ISBN-10: 031602208X

ISBN-13: 978-0316022088

( From Back Cover )

“Jaz Parks here.

My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up it’s splendor, I’m here to infiltrate a Vampire Trust.

Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward “The Raptor” Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA’s number one assassin, who also happens to be my boss.

The Raptor is trying to take over Vayl’s former Trust. Unfortunately, the Trust’s new leader has her own plans.

This job is going to be the death of me.”

This is the fourth book of the series in which Jaz Parks and her boss Vayl, the CIA’s top assassin duo, come up against some serious supernatural bad-asses. This highly entertaining team of CIA operatives goes in kicking butt and takes you on a supernatural roller-coaster of high flying danger, excitement, anticipation and hair-raising events!

As usual, I couldn’t put the book down and I can’t wait for the next book, One More Bite, coming out on January 5th, 2009. 

I really enjoyed the trip into some of Vayl’s past and just the character development in general. The plot, as always, is fast paced, scary and exhilarating. I absolutely love Ms. Rardin’s writing style, and her characterization of Jaz makes me laugh out loud. She’s just a total blast to read about. This is definitely one of my top picks of a series I would LOVE to see made into movies or TV series. ( Are you listening out there you TV and Movie execs? )

 

News Around The UF/PR Community

Jennifer Rardin’s fourth book in the Jaz Parks series, BITTEN TO DEATH was released yesterday ( August 12th ). If you’ve had your head in the sand and somehow haven’t managed to come across this series, I highly recommend them. Here’s a blurb from this book… ( From The Publisher)

“Jaz Parks here. My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I’m here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust. Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward “The Raptor” Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA’s number one assassin who also happens to be my boss.

The Raptor is trying to take over Vayl’s former Trust. Unfortunately the Trust’s new leader has her own plans.

This job is going to be the death of me.”

These books can be read as stand alone and you will have no problems following the story, but It’s also much more gratifying if you read from the first book because you’re that much more invested in the characters. That’s just my opinion though.

Here’s the awesome cover of Adrian Phoenix’s second book IN THE BLOOD, which is being released December 30th, 2008 according to Amazon and Chapters. Put it in your wishlist’s or pre-order it, I have!

I’m really looking forward to this book as it continues the story of Heather and Dante as well as all the great characters from the first book A RUSH OF WINGS. I’m not sure if the series has a name yet, but it is a series. I just heard recently that Adrian has been contracted to write books 3 and 4. A Huge big congrats to you Adrian!! I can’t wait to read them. 🙂

 

 

In other news, I’ve just heard that Kim Harrison, author of The Hollows/Rachel Morgan books, has a new Young Adult book coming out in May 2009 called ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY.  You can get a taste of it in the Prom Nights from Hell anthology. I can’t find a cover for it, but will keep you all updated as I find out more.

AMBERKATZE is having a contest to win a copy of Jocelyn Drake’s Nightwalker.

VAMPIRE WIRE is having a contest to win a copy of Carolyn Jewel’s My Wicked Enemy.

And last but not least, you have until Friday, Aug. 15th to ENTER my contest to win a signed copy of Rachel Caine’s Gale Force!

Biting The Bullet – Spotlight & Review

Biting The Bullet by Jennifer Rardin  February 2008 by Orbit Books

Format:Trade Paperback

Published:February 11, 2008

Dimensions:336 Pages

Published By:Orbit

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN – 10:0316020583
ISBN – 13:9780316020589

(from back cover) “I’m Lucille Robinson (aka Jaz Parks).

This is a mission unlike anything my vampire boss, Vayl, and I have ever been on. It’s not our usual take-them-out-and-run; it’s an undercover mission that needs the whole gang: a psychic, an interpreter, and a weapons specialist.

We’ve never gone in with such heavy artillery before, but the more the merrier, right? Um… nope. At least not since Vayl and I learned part of our job is to ferret out a mole concealed in our unit.

To add to our problems, we’re being harried by a pack of reavers bent on revenge, and targeted by a Seer who wants to share Vayl’s power – at any cost. This is going to be a blast.”

Jennifer Rardin’s third book in the Jaz Parks series blasts off like a rocket from page one and carries that momentum through-out the whole book! I personally, am partial to the female lead, Jaz Parks, because she’s a wise-cracking, funny-as-hell, firecracker that kicks butt and makes no apologies for it. This CIA assassin duo, Jaz & Vayl, along with their quirky crew, save the world, one adrenaline-packed battle at a time by eliminating some of the nastiest supernatural terrorists of all time.

A whole lot of action, as-well-as supernatural elements, danger and some romantic tension create this power-bomb of a novel. I highly recommend Biting The Bullet, as well as the first two books: Once Bitten, Twice Shy & Another One Bites The Dust.  The fourth book, Bitten To Death is scheduled to be released August 2008. (does a jig) All have a permanent residency on my “Keeper” shelf, they should be on yours too!

(And now I have to go lend the book to my sister, who I got hooked on the series. She’s been bugging me for it since the day I bought it. )

( Moved over from my orignal blog )

 

  2 Comments.

 

 

Posted by Amber:

This one is on my ‘next to be read’ pile. It is a nice series and I am looking forward to reading this 3rd part.

Monday, March 24th 2008 @ 7:03 AM

Posted by Judi:

If you loved the first two, you’ll love this one as well. She’s very consistant with her writing quality – it’s awesome! 🙂

Monday, March 24th 2008 @ 11:50 AM