Blood Twist Blog Tour: review & giveaway

Damphyrs, their mates and a healthy dose of romance are featured as we host today's stop on the Blood Twist Blog Tour presented by SupaGurl Tours. 

Blood Twist 

An Erris Coven Novel: Book 2 

YA paranormal*Published August 25th 2012 by Kindle Direct Publishing

 Facebook page | Purchase: Amazon 

From Bonnie Erina Wheeler, the author who brought you Fate Fixed, comes the second installment in the Erris Coven Series, Blood Twist. 

Find out what happens to the Erris Coven when Lexie's BFF Liz comes to town. 

Braden Murphy knew he was going to die. There was a twist to his family secret – one that was forced upon him from the time he was a child. For years he envisioned his final days and tried to be strong enough to leave his family. Now that it was time, he was ready to make good on a deadly promise. Except for one unexpected glitch, a raven haired beauty insisted on joining him. 

Liz Sanders thought her best friend’s stepfamily was weird, but she never would have guessed they were werewolves. Now Liz must travel with a secretive half-vampire in search of a lycanthropy cure. Landing in a nest full of blood thirsty vampires wasn’t on the agenda, but neither was falling in love. 

Braden is tempting, but Liz’s feelings for him are complicated. She wishes he would open up about his past and give her a reason to trust him. 

Just when Liz thinks she can let her guard down, she’s forced to confront the evil that has been stalking Braden’s past for years. Death is here and ready to destroy everything they've fought to save.

My thoughts:

In Blood Twist, Bonnie Erina Wheeler continues her paranormal series featuring the admirable damphyrs of the Erris Coven, personable winning heroines and precarious situations while introducing the truly sinister type of monsters of the night--vampires. Can a couple thrown together rise above their issues of trust to share their destined love while staying alive?

What I liked:

Liz and her snark was an immediate plus. She's a contemporary goth girl with a heart of gold.  Her comments made me giggle, her serious remarks touched me. Unlike Lexie, I connected with Liz. Her backstory of life with her father (the "Captain") was introduced little by little and only made her more endearing. Braden, like Torin, is genuinely worthy of the title of "swoon-worthy". Both young men are admirable in their own ways. Braden had an intriguing  past with the death of his father and the surprising revelation I won't mention here. The author was very sneaky with her portrayal of vampire Riley. I really want to see him with his own story (I believe, from the way he is introduced here and how he changes, that alone is reason for his own tale--or I could beg). Again, I like the way the families of the damphyrs interact with gentility, class and affection. Ms. Wheeler has made me a fan of the Erris Coven from their scenes alone.

What I wasn't crazy about:

Liz, Braden and "Death" narrate in third person and Liz and Braden do share a little too much of their thoughts ("telling"), especially Braden. I did find the Canadian vampire coven scenes a bit far fetched at times and couldn't believe Braden and Liz would go back. Once they did I went along with it since I liked them as individuals and as a couple. As for the showdown between Death and Braden, I thought it was anti-climatic. Death is this ancient vampire and including one of Braden's extended family members in the mix would have been more credible. I know the story is centered around the teens but showing a parent or relative in action would only add an extra dynamic layer to this tale and it would help me picture the older people in relationship to their history in the vampiric world better in my mind.

Blood Twist cements the Erris Coven novels as a worthwhile series for YA  paranormal fans. After reading the second book in this series, I really hope to see Cian and Brooke's story soon and have to know more about Riley.

Rating: 3.5

Cover comment: Very romantic. The covers for this series so far are outstanding with just the right mix of darkness and romance.

Book source: I received a promotional e-book form the author in return for my honest review.

The first book in the series:

Fate Fixed 

An Erris Coven Novel: Book 1 

YA paranormal*Paperback & e-book, 288 pages

Published July 21st 2011 by CreateSpace

Links: Fate Fixed's book page | Purchase: Amazon 

When Lexie Anderson’s mother suddenly announces she is marrying a Romanian immigrant, Lexie willingly leaves behind her busy life in Connecticut for her penance in “The Moose Capital of the World.” Small town living is strange enough, now Lexie must cope with her overbearing stepfamily monitoring her every move. They disappear into the woods at night and keep a strange secret locked in their shed. Her once calm mother is now having violent outbursts and Lexie’s little sister is hearing sinister sounds coming from the forest behind their new home. Lexie’s biggest surprise comes when she discovers the boy she has been dreaming about since her accident is living in Maine. Despite Torin’s questionable reputation, Lexie cannot resist the physical and emotional attraction pulsating between them. Animals and people in town are turning up dead and Lexie learns the strange new world she lives in has real life monsters. Just when she decides she wants to be with Torin forever, she must fight to protect her mother and sister from being harmed by a formidable evil.

About the author:

Bonnie Erina Wheeler

Blog | Goodreads | Facebook (Author Page) | Twitter | Smashwords

Bonnie Erina Wheeler is a lifelong resident of New England and a University of Connecticut student. 

Having grown up in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Bonnie discovered her love of writing early on, but did not begin writing novels until May 2011. As the daughter of author, Glen William Ruane, storytelling and world building is a family affair. Bonnie’s daughter, Miranda E. L. Wheeler and son, Robert D. Wheeler, share in the family’s passion and have both published in the last twelve months. 

When not in class or working on her next novel, Bonnie enjoys spending time with her husband, Jerry. Together the two have been writing their own special love story since marrying in April of 1995. Their children Miranda, Justin, and Bobby give them great joy. Their family is made complete with the addition of Petey, a Spanish water dog, they adopted from their local pound. 

Bonnie’s plans for the future include writing more novels in the Erris Coven Series, as well as, writing several contemporary young adult novels that have been in development for some time. 

Remaining tour stops:

Dec 29: Michelle's Paranormal Vault of Books 

Dec 30: SnifferWalk 

Dec 31: A Soul Unsung 

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