What I Am Up To So Far-

I am still searching or a job, and again, I say that it is very hard to find one with the unemployment rate so hight. There are more than twenty applicants per job opening. I am keeping hopeful, and I know that sooner or later something will come about.

My great-uncle died this past Monday. It is alright, he was 94 years old. He lived a good life and was a WWII veteran...he suffered a lot in the end, but now that it is over, I am happy that he is in Heaven and the suffering is over. He will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon.

I am doing what I can as far as reading. I am counting down the days until Diana Gabaldon's AN ECHO IN THE BONE is released at the end of September. My only hope is that I have a job by then so that I can afford to buy the book instead of being on the reserve list for the library.

Right now, I am currently in the re-read of FIERY CROSS....which is not one of my favorite DG novels, but moves the story along quite nicely. I am over halfway through it and plan to get my reviews for it up in our forum blog soon.

I am also beginning the writing process for myself. Soon, I will be neck deep in information and ideas for my own writing and hoping that I can write something awesome.

For the moment, I am just babbling and getting something here so everyone knows that I am alright...

Have a great day!!

~Karol

J.R. Ward: Zhadist, Vishous And Phury

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York,
there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their
slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers
like no other - six vampire warriors, defenders of their
race. Now, an ally of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
will face the challenge of his life and the evil of the ages.

Just a refresher for the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

When I left off with the reviews, I was just sitting down to read Butch's story LOVER REVEALED after reading LOVER AWAKENED, Zhadist's story....

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Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard living, ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world- to engage in the turf war with the lessers. He's got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. If he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers...

Fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, found by a miracle, the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him...
http://www.jrward.com/index-books.html

I loved this story because it showed a new possibility for the Brotherhood...a chance to add to the ranks.

Butch is a perfect addition to the group, full of angst and what he feels is unrequited love for Marrissa. I wonderful book, and I recommend it to everyone!!

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Up next is another crazy twist and a wonderful novel to boot!! Vishous's story LOVER UNBOUND....I will get to this in a moment.



Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

V's story is probably the hardest story to read if you don't understand the darker side of certain types of sexual relationships....but to be honest, V is a great character with a lot love that he doesn't know how to show or to recognize in the grand scheme of things.

The ending of this story is very interesting, and to say that I was shocked that it was done in this way is an understatement. It just shows that Ms. Ward is very diverse in her writings.

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And Now for Zhadist's twin....Phury, who I came to adore and wanted to hit all the way through his story.....LOVER ENSHRINED.



Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body but his heart for herself- she sees the emotionally scarred male behind all his noble responsibility. But while the war with the Lessening Society grows more grim, and tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, Phury must decide between duty and love.

It was interesting to see this story play out...the drug addiction side was hard to take in, but Phury had been doing this for so long, it is hard to get it out of your head.

It was no wonder that Phury has the addiction, what with looking for a century for his twin, Z and finding out what had been done to the brother....then to watch that brother slowly sink for centuries until Bella came along.

Phury had some serious baggage, but he works through them and his love and alas his addiction.

In this story, there is a surprise return. The one we are waiting for since his disappearance, Thorment returns after the loss of his wife, and there is an addition to the group....

This is also the story where young John Matthew, Blay and Quinn start to make strong appearances and add more to the mix. John Matthew has been making himself known, but now it seems that his friend, Quinn is more vocal as well...so along with Rhevenge's voice coming into the mix, and a female Xhex making her voice heard a which I felt was about time!!


The next story in the list is Rheveng's (Bella's brother), LOVER AVENGED. I plan to get to that one soon, since I am almost finished reading it....and to give you a bit of a peek: I am so in love with the story so far!!!

Hello Caledonia!!!

I am in a Celtic Thunder mood today. I think it is because my mind is in Caledonia!!

(turn off Austenland's trailer first!!)










I am thinking of writing soon!!! Or jumping into Diana Gabaldon's world!