Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells

In DIRTY MAGIC, Jaye Wells introduces us to a dangerous new world inhabited by alchemists and potion junkies. It's a fast-paced story that grabs your attention from the first page and will leave you begging for more when you hit the back cover. 

Kate Prospero, alchemist turned beat cop, does her best to maintain order in the Cauldron but it's a losing battle. Dirty magic potions are everywhere and addicts line the streets. Kate used to cook potions and was the heir apparent to one of the big bosses until tragedy struck. Now, she eschews all magics, even though she craves the powerful high that cooking brings, while raising her teenage brother and trying to get ahead in life. She's the kind of protagonist I instantly root for because she's so driven, fighting against some big obstacles. Plus she's a total underdog, especially once she joins up with the task force and its super talented members.

DIRTHY MAGIC is such a great book that it's hard to pinpoint my favourite parts. There's strong characterization, not just for Kate and the team, but for each of the major and minor players who enter the story. I really liked Penelope, Kate's best friend, in particular. She's such a sympathetic ear but she's also a very human element in a story with so many magical beings. The plot is also fantastic. Figuring out who's putting this dangerous new potion on the streets is a complex mystery that takes Kate all over the city, into some of the darkest parts of the town and her past.

While DIRTY MAGIC still has Wells' trademark humour and fast-paced action, it's a bit different from the Sabina Kane novels in that DIRTY MAGIC is more of a paranormal thriller. It's got a real hard-boiled feel to it, which I love. Gritty stories (almost) always have fantastic character arcs and twisty plots, which Wells delivers in spades. If you are already a fan, you'll definitely love DIRTY MAGIC. If you've never tried Jaye Wells before, now's the time because DIRTY MAGIC is near perfect urban fantasy.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Adult, alchemy, Hachette, jaye wells, Magic, Netgalley, Orbit, Prospero's War, Review, Urban Fantasy  14 People left their mark

Daring You To Read...Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

You’ve already read the book? Let’s us know what you thought!
You are accepting the dare? We’d love to know!
Have a dare of your own? Leave a comment ^^

I'm starting September off with a dare I hope you'll accept: RED-HEADED STEPCHILD by Jaye Wells. She's an author that I've known about for a long time but never tried...until now...and I'm kicking myself for taking so long to actually give her books a shot! On the plus side, the series is now complete so I can devour the books as quickly as I like and get the whole arc. :D

RED-HEADED STEPCHILD boasts many excellent qualities: a fantastic title, amazing world-building, great characters, and wonderful writing. You'll be hooked from the first line, which is delightful in and of itself:

Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal.

How's that for an amazing kick-off?

If that's not enough to entice you, let me tell you a little bit more about the world. There are all sorts of supernaturals but the two main ones right now are vampires and mages. The two races have been enemies for centuries. Mages are descended from Hekate while vampires are descended from Lilith (thanks to an affair with Cain). Vampires bear the mark of Cain: red hair. The darker the red, the older the vampire. (I love, love, love this conceit.) Sabina Kane, our protagonist, is half vampire and half mage and she has the red and black hair to prove it. Her mixed heritage makes her an outcast, who has found her place in the vampire world by acting as an assassin for the Dominae (the vampire leaders), who include Sabina's grandmother, who hates her.

Said grandmother gives her an impossible mission: infiltrating a half-demon's organization and then killing him after findin out what his grand plans are. It's not Sabina's usual kind of job but she takes it on anyways because she feels she has a lot to prove. Along the way, she acquires a demon named Giguhl (who is hilarious!), learns some hard truths, and tries to stay alive against some incredible odds. The book's been out since 2009 but I'm not going to say any more than that so that you can enjoy it as much as I did when I first picked it up.

Interested in finding out more? Here's the scoop on RED-HEADED STEPCHILD:

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

This time, it’s personal.

Tynga's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

What do you think of the Sabina Kane series?

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Posted by jenn at 06:12

 Daring You to Read, Hachette, jaye wells, mage, Vampire  Leave your mark

"When I'm not writing" with Jaye Wells + giveaway!

Today's guest is the fabulous Jaye Wells, author of the Sabina Kane books. Jaye is an absolute delight and I strongly suggest following her blog and/or Twitter feed because she writes fantastic books and she's got the best sense of humour. The last Sabina Kane book, BLUE-BLOODED VAMP, has just been released. I hope you've got it ordered or purchased because it's sure to be a wild ride!

Find out what Jaye does when she's not slaving away on her next novel and make sure to stick around for the giveaway!

People ask me all the time what I do when I’m not hunched over a keyboard making stuff up for a living. I think people imagine that since authors have such rich and exciting imaginary lives we must also have very exciting real lives.

They are correct.

Never for a minute should you imagine that I spend my non-writing time watching bad reality TV or daydreaming while eating brownies for breakfast and staying in my PJs until unseemly hours. Never, ever think that is the case.

The truth is that I can barely fit writing in among all my many and varied exciting hobbies. Verily, it’s a struggle to get my daily word count done in between all the delicious gourmet treats I bake for my family, the Ninja lessons, and the extensive crime fighting I do every night as my alter super-ego “The Bullet Catcher.”

Admittedly, it’s difficult to juggle it all, but I do it because I am such a humble and giving soul. Back before I wrote, I spent four years volunteering my time in a leprosy colony outside Honolulu. This was before I joined the USO to entertain the troupe with my amazing dancing skills. Anyway, during my time among the lepers, my best friend Stumpy gave me some life-changing words of wisdom. “Jaye,” she said, “can you hand me my nose?”

I’ll never forget those words. They taught me how important it is to stop and smell the roses. Therefore, every day, I try to carve out some time to thank the universe for giving me an imagination that allows me to spin webs of lies like an incredibly witty and sexy black widow spider. I do this in between my tantric yoga sessions and my daily massage from members of my dude harem.

I kind of pity those writers who are so obsessed with stories that all they do is write, eat and sleep. In their free time, they go to writing conventions or sign up for weird classes to research their next books or meet other writers for coffee to talk about books. Every new hobby they try always ties back into their books because they’re so into writing that it’s become the center of their universe.

Not that I know anyone like that.

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Thank you so much for visiting us, Jaye, and writing such a fun post!

For more information about Jaye and her books, check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Here's the scoop on BLUE-BLOODED VAMP:

The epic conclusion to the amazing Sabina Kane urban fantasy series.

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too.

The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her-she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute. As they say: when in Rome-SURVIVE.

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Here's the rest of the series, including the e-novella. You can find out what Tynga thought of the first two books by clicking on their covers.

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Jaye is generously offering one (1) set of the first four Sabina Kane books to a lucky reader!

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

US only

Ends Monday, June 11, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favorite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit and share with us? Please email me at jennblogs (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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Posted by jenn at 07:25

 giveaway, Hachette, jaye wells, When I'm not writing  53 People left their mark

A Christmas With… Jaye Wells

I’m very happy to have Jaye Wells by my side today, to celebrate the release of the fourth book in the Sabina Kane series, Silver-Tongued Devil! Please welcome her warmly =)

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1- Sabina Kane is like no other character I ever encountered, how did you first decide that she would be half-mage and half-vampire?

I knew she was definitely going to be a vampire from the minute she first appeared in my head. But once I started getting to know her and her world, I realized that being of two warring races would  provide a lot of juicy conflict and directions for her story. I also liked the idea of pitting vampires against something besides werewolves for a change. I chose mages because I loved the idea of pitting physically strong beings (vampires) against those who used magical weapons. Plus there's so much great mythology and symbolism that goes with magic that I couldn't resist.

2- Poor Sabina is always in trouble and Silver-Tongued Devil doesn't seem anymore peaceful, how does she keep up?

Oh you can bet there won't be a lot of peace for Sabina for a while yet. ;) She gets by like we all do--with a little help from her friends. It's just Sabina's friends happen to be demons, mages, vampires and faeries. Plus, I think when it comes down to it she's just a fighter. She'll either win or die trying--there's no middle ground for her. 

3- The relationship between Adam and her isn't always smooth, did you ever get fan comments about it?

Not yet, but I expect I will after SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL comes out. ;)

4- Blue-Blooded Vamp is the fifth book in the series, how many more books will there be?

BLUE-BLOODED VAMP will be the final book in the series.  When I set out to write Sabina's story I thought it would only be three books. It ended up taking five to get the entire story out and give her the ending I felt she deserved. It'll be sad when it's all over but I am very happy I had a chance to do her story justice. I hope the fans agree when that books comes out in June.

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Posted by Tynga at 06:45

 A Christmas With, giveaway, jaye wells  26 People left their mark

PSB: Guest Post & Giveaway with Jaye Wells

 

 

The fantastic Jaye Wells,  author of the of the Sabina Kane series, made us the huge honor to stop by to celebrate the release of her latest title, Green-Eyed Demon (March 1st, 2011). Make sure you stick around because she wrote an amazing post about New Orleans, including areas you can find in her book! Ready for the trip?

 

 

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One of my favorite things about being an author is the ability to combine work with vacations. Last year's Spring Break was a perfect example. I was working on the third book in my Sabina Kane series, Green-Eyed Demon, which is set in the Big Easy. So when my son's spring break came up it was the perfect excuse for a road trip to New Orleans.

While the Internet allows authors to write about cities they've never visited, I believe nothing beats experiencing a locale first hand. Especially a place like New Orleans, which has such a unique character. There really is no substitute for walking the streets, smelling the air, and hearing the sounds of a city. Every place has its own personality and NOLA has it in spades.
The trip was so fun, I thought I'd share with you some of the key places I visited when developing the setting for Green-Eyed Demon.

Café du Monde: Look, if it's your first trip to New Orleans or your fifteenth, you are not allowed to leave the city without allowing the powdered-sugary sweetness of a beignet to cross your lips. They're a particular favorite of Giguhl, Sabina's Mischief demon minion.

Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral: Across the street from Café du Monde are Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral. This are offers some of the best people watching in New Orleans. Street performers, living statues, palm readers and craft hawkers gather on the brick-lined pathways to entertain tourists. The square has lots of comfy benches and soft grassy lawns to take a load off and just soak in the atmosphere. A major scene between Sabina and her vampire granny, Lavinia Kane in this spot. 

St. Charles Streetcar: After you've filled your belly with beignets and loitered in Jackson Square for a bit, walk a few blocks and hop on the historic St. Charles streetcar, which will take you into the Garden District. The line is thirteen miles long and goes from Canal Street all the way up past Tulane and Loyal and Audubon Park. Hope off at Washington and go a block to Lafayette Cemetery No. 2. A big battle in Green-Eyed Demon happens here. Warning: Do not go to NOLA's cemeteries alone or at night. They're hot spots for muggers. And vampires. Just sayin'.

Garden District: After you leave the cemetery, continue down Prytannia Street to the intersection with 1st St. You may recognize this house as the scene of Erron Zorn's crazy party in Green-Eyed Demon, but paranormal fans might also know this gorgeous Greek-Revival home as the former residence of Anne. Rice. Do yourself a favor and take a couple of hours to wander through the Garden District taking in the architecture.

These are just a few of the fantastic sights to see in New Orleans. I could go on for pages and pages about all the great places to visit, but honestly? You should go there yourself.  But if that's not a possibility, pick up Green-Eyed Demon and experience the Big Easy, Sabina Kane style.

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Thank you so much Jaye for sharing your trip with us! I really wanna go to New Orleans now lol

Now a bit more about the series!

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …

This time, it’s personal.

Read My Review

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | Book Depository

 

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

Read My Review

Purchase: Amazon | Kindle | Book Depository

 

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. Her sister has been kidnapped by her grandmother, the Dark Races are on the brink of war, and a mysterious order is manipulating everyone behind the scenes.

Working on information provided by an unlikely ally, Sabina and her trusty sidekicks–a sexy mage named Adam Lazarus and Giguhl, a Mischief demon–head to New Orleans to begin the hunt for her sister. Once there, they must contend with belligerent werewolves, magic-wielding vampires and–perhaps most frightening of all–humans.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won’t be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about most, she must save herself from the ghosts of her past.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

I have one copy of Green-Eyed Demon to giveaway to one of you!

• Open Internationally
  Please take note: If you live outside of Canada, you might have to pay shipping for that prize, if I don’t get enough donations to cover the shipping cost

• To enter, Leave a comment telling why you should win this prize.

• Don’t forget to include a way to contact you!

If you want to earn an extra entry, spread the word and provide a link in a different comment =)

Tweet: Win! Green-Eyed Demon by @jayewells http://nblo.gs/eYaEX hosted by @parajunkee & @Tynga #ParanormalSpringBreak #giveaway pls RT

Ends April 6th, 2011.

Green-Eyed Demon is already available in stores, you can purchase a copy here:

   

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Posted by Tynga at 00:10

 Guest Post, jaye wells, Paranormal Spring Break  93 People left their mark

The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

After turning her back on everything she’s ever known, Sabina Kane, half-vampire/half-mage, must now build herself a new life. Meeting with her long lost twin sister seemed promising at first, but good times won’t last. On her very first night in New York, two attempts on her life were already made. Apparently, somebody isn’t happy to have her around and she is determined to find the culprit and make them pay the prize.

I really like the world Jaye Wells created in the Sabina Kane series. Mages and Vampires, old enemies, are on the verge of war and Sabina and her twin sister Maisie are smack in the middle. Maisie, oracle and leader of the mages, had a very important vision concerning Sabina and not everyone is happy about it, including Sabina herself. Destiny? Yeah, whatever.
In this magical world, humans are completely oblivious to the Dark Races surrounding them and the latter (including faeries and werewolves) would like to keep it that way.

The entire novel is a big political mind game. Who will get the upper hand? And they all seem to think Sabina is the key. I really liked the mystery surrounding every attack made on Sabina, and I never figured out who was “the bad guy” until it was right in my face, so kudos Jaye.

The characters were great. I loved their gritty sense of humor and strong personalities. Really appreciated the fact that Sabina didn’t become a kick-ass magic user overnight but still learned a trick or two. Can’t wait to see her progress in the next book. Our heroine also had two male interests (do not mix up with love interest) which added some spice but not in a typical love-triangle way, which I found refreshing. Also Giguhl, Sabina’s demon, has a very endearing personality.

The end was promising as Sabina and her sidekicks enroll for a new mission, so I can't wait to read the next book, Green-Eyed Demon.

Set in a world where apple juice is lethal (you got curious here hen?), the Sabine Kane series is a great Urban Fantasy set up, sitting just out of the box. Looking for a dark yet funny original story? Search no longer!

Read an excerpt

Purchase:

Amazon | Kindle | Book Depository

Sabina Kane series:

Red-Headed Stepchild
The Mage in Black
Green-Eyed Demon
Silver-Tongued Devil (2012)

Book stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (April 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031603780X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316037808

Book Source: Personal Shelf

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Posted by Tynga at 14:31

 Hachette, jaye wells, mage, Review, Vampire  7 People left their mark

Red-Headed Stepchild - Jaye Wells

" In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn’t really fit in. And being an assassin – the only profession fit for an outcast – doesn’t help matters. But she’s never brought her work home. Until now.
Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she’s on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal …
This time, it’s personal. " -Book cover

Before I get into details I need to quote a moment in the book that made me laugh to loud :

" Why haven't you exploded yet?" The demon was closer now, only a few feet away. i opened one eye to look at the arrow. Blood bloomed from the site of impact, just over my left breast.

"I -- I don't know". Holding myself up became difficult as the seconds passed.

"Hmm. I wonder if I should stake you just to be sure"

"I'd really prefer it if you didn't," I said. "I'm sure I'll ignite any second."

Sabrina lives in a world where all dark races are on an edgy peaceful state. Spawn of a forbidden union between a mage and a vampire, she is destined to be an outcast. Raised by her grandmother, head of the vampire clan, Sabrina has been raised in a web of half-truth and lies. Brained-washed to the bones Sabrina dives deep down in a life-changing mission, and only realize it when she's waist deep in it.

I bought the book back at it's release day but for some reason I hadn't read it yet. Let me tell you I've been missing on something! The story was great and believable, full of very interesting plot twist. You grow fond of the characters as you get deeper in the story and starved for more. I started reading the book this morning and I'm already done. It was action packed, with emotional involvement. I totally enjoyed it!

Read Ch. One of Red-Headed Stepchild.

The Sabrina Kane series:

Read-Headed Stepchild

The mage in black

Book stats:

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Orbit (April 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316037761
ISBN-13: 978-0316037761
Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches

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Posted by Tynga at 18:20

 Hachette, jaye wells, mage, Review, Vampire  20 People left their mark