Tempt Me Tuesday #41 by Mad Hatter Reads

Have you gotten all your holiday shopping done? Still looking for something for the booklover in your life…or just a little something for yourself? Here are a few that will but a smile on anyone’s face. Did I leave something out? Leave me a comment and tell me what’s tempting you this week.

 

Blade to the Keep by Lauren Dane

Rowan Summerwaite, #2 (Releases December 9, 2013)

Rowan Summerwaite is no ordinary woman. She’s smart and strong and with the power of an ancient goddess in her belly, she’s the perfect candidate to re-negotiate the fragile Treaty keeping the peace between the Vampire Nation and the last line of defense for humanity, The Hunter Corporation. A meeting of the Joint Tribunal, and Rowan’s new status as Liaison sends her straight to the last place on earth she wants to be—The Keep.

Raised at the knee of The First, honed into a weapon by the Hunter Corporation, wielding ancient knowledge from the Goddess within, Rowan must navigate around bloodthirsty opposition among Vampires and Hunters alike to avoid an all out war that puts humanity in the crosshairs.

And she’s got to do it as she attempts to manage a politically awkward romantic relationship with Scion Clive Stewart during a trip back to a place she escaped nearly fifteen years before. No pressure.

Walking the path between her two lives has already made Rowan a pariah. If she leaves it to become something even more Other, she may lose even the shreds of home she has left.

 

Edge of Darkness by J.T. Geissinger

Night Prowler, #4

Six years after a shocking tragedy left her emotionally and physically scarred, Ember Jones lives a life of quiet isolation in Barcelona. Determined to keep her troubled past a secret, she keeps her head down and her heart locked up tight. Until the day a beautiful, mysterious stranger walks into her life, and her carefully controlled world is shattered forever.

Christian McLoughlin is unlike anyone Ember has ever met. Wealthy, cultured, and utterly charismatic, he also has dark secrets of his own. They succumb to the undeniable pull between them and embark on a passionate affair, but things turn explosive when the truth about Christian and the reason he came to Barcelona is exposed. As their dark pasts collide, the two unlikely lovers find themselves caught in a web of danger and deceit that neither of them might survive.

The Edge of Darkness, where hunter becomes hunted, no one can be trusted, and love is the most dangerous game of them all.

 

Heartache Motel Anthology

Elvis has left the building, but he’s forever memorialized at the Heartache Motel. Filled with drag queens, Rock-a-Hula cocktails, and a vibrating velveteen bed, these three novellas tell the tales of three amateur sleuths who spend their holidays at the King’s beloved home.

DINERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS by Terri L. Austin A Rose Strickland Mystery Novella (follows DINER IMPOSSIBLE)

When Rose and the gang head to Graceland right before Christmas, they get all shook up: the motel is a seedy dump and an Elvis impersonator turns up dead. Rose discovers missing jewels tie into the death and her suspicious mind flips into overdrive, questioning her fellow guests, the staff, and even a cute impersonator who keeps popping up. Will Rose be able to find the murderer and get home by Christmas day? It’s now or never.

QUICK SKETCH by Larissa Reinhart A Cherry Tucker Mystery Novella (prequel to PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY)

Sassy Southern artist Cherry Tucker and her poker-loving boyfriend, Todd, pop into Memphis to help Todd’s cousin who’s been hustled out of his savings, right before Christmas. Staying at the shady Heartache Motel, Cherry can’t tell a shill from a mark and fears everyone is playing them for chumps. Cherry and Todd quickly find themselves in a dangerous sting that could send them to the slammer or mark them as pigeons from cons looking for an even bigger score.

DATELINE MEMPHIS by LynDee Walker A Headlines in High Heels Mystery Novella (follows BURIED LEADS)

Crime reporter Nichelle Clarke thinks she’s going home for Christmas. But a quick stop at Graceland proves news breaks in the strangest places. When the King's home gets locked down with Nichelle inside, she chases this headline into the national spotlight—and the thief's crosshairs. Christmas dreams of blue suede Manolos fade, and all Nichelle wants from Santa is to land the story before the thief cuts off her news feed for good.

 

Innocence by Dean Koontz

He lives in solitude beneath the city, an exile from society, which will destroy him if he is ever seen.

She dwells in seclusion, a fugitive from enemies who will do her harm if she is ever found.

But the bond between them runs deeper than the tragedies that have scarred their lives. Something more than chance—and nothing less than destiny—has brought them together in a world whose hour of reckoning is fast approaching.

In Innocence, #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight into the human soul in a masterfully told tale that will resonate with readers forever.

 

Innocent Blood by James Rollins & Rebecca Cantrell

The Order of the Sanguines, #2

In this riveting follow-up to The Blood Gospel, the first book in their thrilling and atmospheric Order of the Sanguine series, New York Times bestselling authors James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell deliver a riveting tale of international adventure, intrigue, suspense, and supernatural mystery involving a modern scientist, a highly secret eternal spiritual order, and a terrifying power who must join forces to bring down a ruthless and cunning enemy and prevent the Apocalypse.

While exploring a tomb hidden for centuries in the depths of Masada, Israel, brilliant archaeologist Erin Granger began an incredible journey to recover a miraculous ancient artifact tied to Christ himself. The quest introduced her to a diabolical enemy determined to discover the book and use its powers for his own dark ends. It also led her to an ancient and highly secret Vatican order-known simply as the Saguines. Though she survived, the danger has only just begun . . .

An attack outside Stanford University thrusts Erin back into the fold of the Sanguines. As the threat of Armageddon looms, she must unite with an ancient evil to halt the plans of a man determined to see the world end, a man known only as Iscariot.

With The Blood Gospel, the first novel in the Order of the Sanguine series, James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell breathtakingly combined science and religion and introduced a world where miracles hold new meaning and the fight for good over evil is far more complicated than we ever dreamed. In Innocent Blood, they again take us to the edge of destruction . . . and into the deepest reaches of imagination.

 

Last Day of Love by Lauren Kate

Teardrop, #1.5

Don't miss this beautiful original digital story by Lauren Kate, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen series, set in the romantic world of Teardrop, a place of devastating secrets and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.

 

Mate of Her Heart by R.E. Butler

Wilde Creek, #1

Werewolf Eveny Moore is coming into her first heat at the age of twenty-five. Bucking tradition, she chooses to go through her first heat alone instead of choosing an unmated male from her pack. There is only one male that she wants in her bed and her life: her best friend, Luke Elrich. But Luke is human and doesn’t understand the consequences of her heat-cycle, so she hides out in a safehouse, planning to ride out the cycle alone and then ask Luke to be her mate.

Luke has loved Eveny forever, but something is going on between them. He’s afraid he’s losing her forever, until she promises to talk to him after her heat-cycle is over. He overhears her brother, the pack alpha, ask another wolf to go to Eveny and take her through the heat-cycle. What her brother doesn’t know is that the male plans to invite some of his friends along. And Eveny is alone in a remote cabin, unprotected. Luke will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means going up against four wolves.

This story contains a meddling brother, a human fighting a pack of male wolves for the only woman he’s ever loved, a female who thought she had a good plan, and bone-melting, skin-tingling hot sex between a male and a female who have loved each other forever.

 

See How She Fights by Michelle Graves

The Chronicles of Izzy, #2 (Releases December 12, 2013)

She thought it was over. She thought her life was finally her own. She was wrong.

Izzy is thrust back into the world of Seers and Guardians. With a summons from the Council she can't ignore, Izzy heads back into the fray. Now, it is up to her to figure out why Seers are being sacrificed, carved up, and left for ruin. If she doesn't find the person orchestrating the deaths, she may well be next.

If that wasn't enough, her powers have started to expand exponentially. Kennan is keeping secrets. Moreover, a strangely familiar Symbol-smith starts wreaking havoc on her precariously balanced world.

Will Izzy survive this latest crisis? Will she stop fighting destiny and accept her fate? Find out in See How She Fights.

 

Snakeroot by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade Legacy, #1

Fans asked for it, and now they've got it! Andrea Cremer is continuing the story she began in in her internationally bestselling trilogy: Nightshade, Wolfsbane and Bloodrose. In this new installment, Bosque Mar haunts the dreams of both Adne and Logan, trying to escape for the Nether, where Calla, Shay and the other Guardians trapped him in the final battle in the War of All Against All. Will he turn Adne to the dark side? Will Logan reclaim his birthright? And will darkness take over our world? In a novel filled with magic, romance and breakneck action, master storytelling Andrea Cremer's newest installment will not disappoint!

 

The Jane Yellowrock World Companion by Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker who means bad news for the undead. Now, she’s back and better than ever, as USA Today bestselling author Faith Hunter gives readers an in-depth glimpse at Jane’s world…plus an all-new Jane Yellowrock novella!

The gritty, sexy, and thrilling New Orleans of the Jane Yellowrock novels is about to be exposed in a whole new way. Filled with brand new, original content, this guide is a must-have for any fan.

*Delve into the history of the characters in the series, including the vampire clans.

*Get better acquainted with Jane’s inner Beast with her in-depth guide to humanity.

*Relive all the action with an essential timeline of Jane’s exploits as a vampire slayer and a comprehensive glossary of terms.

*Experience Jane’s latest thrilling adventure in an all-new Jane Yellowrock novella.

Plus, includes an exclusive sneak peek of the next Jane Yellowrock novel!

 

True by Laurann Dohner

New Species, #11

Jeanie loves a New Species and is willing to pay for that love with pain, tears and heartbreak. She’ll do anything to keep 710 alive but she never wants him to know how she suffered for him. He’s the reason for her mission in life—freeing others like him.

True has a new life working with the NSO to rescue his people. A good life, until he encounters a dying woman—the female who betrayed him. True should feel gratified that she’s finally going to pay for her crimes, but she claims to be a victim too. He is still irresistibly drawn to the pretty little human who touched his heart and made him want her. When he clasps her hand to offer comfort, his instincts kick in and True will fight everyone to protect her.

 

Wolf Quest by Bianca D'Arc

Brotherhood of Blood, #7

Love and magic lie at the heart of this storm…as well as a whole lot of danger.

When Major Jesse Moore, brother to the Wyoming Pack Alpha, is sent to Iowa to check on his sister-in-law’s cousin, knocking politely isn’t an option. Sounds of a struggle send him storming into her kitchen—where he finds anything but a damsel in distress. The tiny human woman knows how to handle herself in a fight, and all Jesse’s senses shout she’s his mate.

Exotic-animal vet, Maria Garibaldi has never trusted the magic her aunt and grandmother claim is her birthright. She’s always known about the Others, but she had no idea she was also part of their world. When Maria sets out with Jesse to find the parents of a young grizzly shifter she found and treated, she learns the meaning of temptation in the form of the ex-Special Forces soldier.

As passion flares, the trail leads them toward the eye of a massive storm…where an unspeakable evil awaits the right moment to destroy the good in the magical world.

Warning: Things get explicit when a werewolf wants his mate and he doesn’t care where they are. Outdoors, indoors, wherever and whenever—never get between a wolf and his woman.